De Strasbourg Research Articles

GISAXS study of the alignment of oriented carbon nanotubes grown on plain SiO2/Si(100) substrates by a catalytically enhanced CVD process

AbstractAmong the contributions in this issue of pss (a) two articles were selected as Editor's Choice [1, 2]. Rudziński et al. [1] study the influence of substrate orientation on GaN film growth on 4H‐SiC, suggesting a model for the formation of rows of threading edge dislocations and directional cracking in these films.The cover picture is extracted from the article by Mane Mane et al. [2]. The picture illustrates the successful combined use of the GISAXS technique within the Effective Layer Born Approximation (ELBA) and the Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA), in conjunction with the description of diffusing entities as C tubes, Co cylinders and intermixed Co–C clusters, in order to calculate the full experimental GISAXS images of uncorrelated carbon nanotubes grown on cobalt catalyst. The strong contribution of the surface reflectivity to the collected GISAXS signal is emphasized in the paper. Compare the experimental GISAXS pattern of carbon nanotubes in the upper left panel to the ELBA images considering Co cylinders and C tubes with (upper right) and without (lower left) intermixed C–Co tubes. The lower right panel shows the resulting DWBA pattern.The first author, Dr. Jeannot Mane Mane, graduated with a Ph.D. from the University Henri Poincaré in Nancy in 1993. He currently holds a Senior Lecturer position at the University of Yaounde I (Cameroon) as well as a research position at the CNRS Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (France). (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Répertoire des subhāṣita des Indische Sprüche d’Otto Böhtlingk d’après le manuscrit no 4686 de la Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg

The Bibliotheque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg contains in its collection of Sanskrit manuscripts a small anonymous work dating from the 19th century with the title: “Bohtlingk Indische Spruche. Ordre alphabetique des ouvrages d’ou les maximes sont tirees.” The present study determines the precise date of this work and identifies its author as Georges-Louis Leblois (1825–1898), minister of the protestant Temple-Neuf de Strasbourg. It also establishes the original aim of the work. This repertory, being a historically unique tool for the use of Bohtlingk’s Indische Spruche, has been corrected and completed so that it may serve as an instrument for all those who will consult the three volumes of the great German scholar.

DIVISION XII / COMMISSION 5 / WORKING GROUP DESIGNATIONS

At the 2003 Sydney IAU meeting, Marion Schmitz (Caltech, USA) took over the chair of the Commission 5 Working Group Designations, succeeding Helene Dickel. The Working Group Designations of IAU Commission 5 clarifies existing astronomical nomenclature and helps astronomers avoid potential problems when designating their sources. The most important function of WG Designations during the period 2003-2005 was overseeing the IAU REGISTRY FOR ACRONYMS (for newly discovered astronomical sources of radiation: see the website <http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/DicForm>) which is sponsored by the WG and operated by the Centre de Données de Strasbourg (CDS). The Clearing House, a subgroup of the WG, screens the submissions for accuracy and conformity to the IAU Recommendations for Nomenclature (<http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/iau-spec.html>). From its beginning in 1997 through August 2006, there have been 132 submissions and 111 acceptances. Attempts to register asterisms, common star names, and suspected variable stars were rejected. The past three years saw 61 acronyms submitted with 50 of them being accepted. (GIRL - yes; WOMEN - no).

Kyiv meridian axial circle with CCD camera

We describe the modifications made in the design of the Kyiv meridian axial circle (MAC) and in the observation technique after the instrument was equipped with a CCD camera with an array of 10401160 pixels. The observations are performed in the drift-scan mode (time-delay imaging) with an effective exposure time of 108 s for equatorial stars. The MAC photometric system reproduces the stan- dard V system; the limiting magnitude is V =1 7 m . The observations made with the modified MAC in 2001-2003 served as the basis for the KMAC1 catalog which contains positions, proper motions, and magnitudes B, V, R, r', J for 100 000 stars in the sky areas with the ICRF objects. The errors of positions and V magnitudes in the catalog are 50-90 mas and 0.1 m , respectively, for stars with V =1 5 m . Stars in the equatorial sky areas and radio stars are presently observed with the aim to determine their exact posi- tions, proper motions, and magnitudes. The catalogs are available in the data base of the Centre de Donnes Astronomiques de Strasbourg (ftp.cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr) and on the site of the Main Astronomi- cal Observatory (http://www.mao.kiev.ua).

Répertoire des subhāita des Indische Sprüche d'Otto Böhtlingk d'après le manuscrit no 4686 de la Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg

AbstractThe Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg contains in its collection of Sanskrit manuscripts a small anonymous work dating from the 19th century with the title: “Böhtlingk Indische Sprüche. Ordre alphabétique des ouvrages d'où les maximes sont tirées.” The present study determines the precise date of this work and identifies its author as Georges-Louis Leblois (1825–1898), minister of the protestant Temple-Neuf de Strasbourg. It also establishes the original aim of the work. This repertory, being a historically unique tool for the use of Böhtlingk's Indische Sprüche, has been corrected and completed so that it may serve as an instrument for all those who will consult the three volumes of the great German scholar.

Caritas: un siècle de charité organisée en Alsace. La Fédération de Charité du Diocèse de Strasbourg 1903-2003 (review)

Reviewed by: Caritas: un siècle de charité organisée en Alsace. La Fédération de Charité du Diocèse de Strasbourg 1903-2003 Joseph F. Byrnes Caritas: un siècle de charité organisée en Alsace. La Fédération de Charité du Diocèse de Strasbourg 1903-2003. By Catherine Maurer. (Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe. 2003. Pp. 157. €14,00.) Works of charity are central to Christianity, and so, accordingly, one might expect that charity would figure at the center of historical studies of the Church. Histories of charitable institutions have, in fact, proliferated over the past generation, but the rationales for these works have not always been apparent. Since history is limitless, the story of an institution should not be recounted simply because it can be recounted, but because the institution made a difference in the cumulative history of its home society, culture, and nation. The subtitle of Caritas is–in English—"a Century of Organized Charity in Alsace." A historian might start on the drama of Alsace in the Europe of World Wars I and II (and, before that, in the era of the Franco-Prussian war) and then proceed to the charities that responded to the trials of the period. Catherine Maurer did this in her book, Le Modèle allemand de la charité. Le Caritas de Guillaume II à Hitler (Strasbourg, 1999). But the present book is really an album presenting the history of the essentially clerical administration of La Fédération de Charité—Caritas d'Alsace. Maurer brings the talent of a historian to bear on a series of administrative records and correspondence in a tribute to the institution. This work, then, was designed for admirers of the institution rather than for anyone, historian or interested lay person, who comes with substantive questions about the relationship of religious and national identity, of institutional progress and cultural products, or of political and religious authority conflicts—although these issues are adverted to along the way. It is a celebration of dedicated priests and nuns, especially of the founder and subsequent head, Father Paul Müller-Simonis, who, coming from wealth himself, [End Page 191] knew well how to make good use of it. Although internal tensions receive little attention from Maurer, they probably do not merit anything more. The year-to-year running of the institution is at the center of the narration here, but the resourceful reader can see how institutional life was buffeted, and then interrupted, by World War I and by the later Nazi conquest. As for the charitable works themselves, readers may wish that the Alsatian outreach to North Africans and other Muslims could be explored for detail and meaning. Printed on glossy paper, the study benefits from a large number of photos in a series of unnumbered pages at the end of the volume, which help to offset the dry statistics necessary to give solidity to the institutional history. Joseph F. Byrnes Oklahoma State University Copyright © 2007 The Catholic University of America Press

PARP-2 deficiency affects the survival of CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes

Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase-2 (PARP-2) belongs to a large family of enzymes that synthesize and transfer ADP-ribose polymers to acceptor proteins, modifying their functional properties. PARP-2-deficient (Parp-2-/-) cells, similar to Parp-1-/- cells, are sensitive to both ionizing radiation and alkylating agents. Here we show that inactivation of mouse Parp-2, but not Parp-1, produced a two-fold reduction in CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) thymocytes associated with decreased DP cell survival. Microarray analyses revealed increased expression of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Noxa in Parp-2-/- DP thymocytes compared to littermate controls. In addition, DP thymocytes from Parp-2-/- have a reduced expression of T-cell receptor (TCR)alpha and a skewed repertoire of TCRalpha toward the 5' Jalpha segments. Our results show that in the absence of PARP-2, the survival of DP thymocytes undergoing TCRalpha recombination is compromised despite normal amounts of Bcl-xL. These data suggest a novel role for PARP-2 as an important mediator of T-cell survival during thymopoiesis by preventing the activation of DNA damage-dependent apoptotic response during the multiple rounds of TCRalpha rearrangements preceding a positively selected TCR.

Online Synthesis of Diblock Cationic Oligonucleotides for Enhanced Hybridization to their Complementary Sequence

Oligonucleotides are finding an extremely large number of applications in molecular biology and diagnostics, and might become a very selective class of drugs for the treatment of a vast palette of diseases. Oligonucleotides are polyanions that exert their specific activity following hybridization to a complementary sequence borne by another polyanionic nucleic acid. As drug candidates, they must also be capable of crossing the anionic cell membrane. Simple electrostatic considerations imply that hybridization energy and cell binding could benefit from the addition of cationic groups to the oligonucleotide structure. To reach this goal, many synthetic approaches for introducing ammonium or guanidinium residues into oligonucleotides have been explored: phosphate backbone replacement, ribose or nucleic base modification and end conjugation of a polycation. However, hybridization specificity, nucleic acid-processing enzyme activity and metabolite toxicity concerns all point to the diblock approach, in which the polycation is appended to an otherwise natural oligonucleotide, as the best solution. Unfortunately, stepwise automated synthesis of oligonucleotide–cationic peptide conjugates is not yet routine. Unfortunately, conjugation chemistry between preformed large blocks is not straightforward, especially in water, where “super” zwitterions raise intractable solubility, purification and characterization problems. Moreover, molecular biology and diagnostics applications require fast and straightforward synthesis of any given base sequence linked to any ACHTUNGTRENNUNGorganic cation length. With these considerations as guidelines, we have focused our efforts towards developing a high-yield automated synthesis of oligonucleotide–oligocation conjugates that makes exclusively use of classical phosphoramidite chemistry. In addition to the four A-, T-, Gand C-protected trityl phosphoramidite vials, a linear polyamine N-protected trityl phosphoramidite vial was plugged into the oligonucleotide synthetizer machine to allow online, computer-driven, synthesis (Scheme 1). Decamer oligonucleotides bearing a global charge of up to +9 were synthesized in good yield and characterized by ESMS and PAGE. Duplex melting temperature measurements showed that stability increases up to DTm=45 8C for the largest oligocation moiety. In order to avoid potential toxicity of metabolites, the cationic synthon was based on the largest naturally occurring polyamine, namely spermine. Spermine is present at millimolar concentration in cells, and end-alkylation seems harmless. Amine protection followed by a,w-bishydroxylalkylation led to a diol compatible with oligonucleotide synthesis (Scheme 2). Classical dimethoxytrityl (DMT)/phosphoramidite elongation chemistry was implemented together with base-labile trifluoroacetyl (TFA) protecting groups. The spermine synthon 1 was obtained in eight steps with an overall yield of 12%. A series of decamer oligonucleotides of identical sequences N10= CACCGTAGCG appended with increasing numbers of spermine residues S was synthesized on the micromolar scale on an Expedite 8909 oligonucleotide synthetizer. Individual coupling yields were determined by spectrophotometric determination of the total amount of DMT released during each step. For the nucleoside phosphoramidites, typical coupling yields over 97% were obtained under standard conditions, whereas coupling of 1 had to be optimized to finally reach 90– 96% routinely. The synthesis was stopped with the last DMT group remaining on the oligomer to facilitate separation from truncated sequences. Oligomer cleavage from the solid support and full deprotection were performed under standard aqueous ammonia conditions. Oligomers were purified by reversed-phase HPLC or by using a Poly-Pak II cartridge. DMT was removed by using either standard acetic acid conditions or 2% aqueous TFA to give 80–250 nmol decaoligonucleotide– spermine conjugates N10Sn with up to six spermines [a] B. Pons, Dr. M. Kotera, Dr. G. Zuber, Dr. J.-P. Behr Laboratoire de Chimie G!n!tique associ! au C.N.R.S. Universit! Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, Facult! de Pharmacie B. P. 24, 67401 Illkirch (France) Fax: (+33)390-244-306 E-mail : kotera@bioorga.u-strasbg.fr behr@bioorga.u-strasbg.fr Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW under http://www.chembiochem.org or from the author. Scheme 1. Synthesis of oligonucleotide–oligospermine conjugates NmSn.

Cytochromesc‘: Biological Models for theS=3/2,5/2Spin-State Admixture?

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleCytochromes c‘: Biological Models for the S = 3/2,5/2 Spin-State Admixture?Raymond Weiss, Avram Gold, and James TernerView Author Information Laboratoire de Chimie Supramoléculaires, Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, 8 Allée Gaspard Monge, B.P.70028, F-67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, and Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284-2006 Cite this: Chem. Rev. 2006, 106, 6, 2550–2579Publication Date (Web):June 1, 2006Publication History Received24 June 2005Published online1 June 2006Published inissue 1 June 2006https://doi.org/10.1021/cr040416lCopyright © 2006 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views1121Altmetric-Citations107LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (470 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Bioinorganic chemistry,Ligands,Peptides and proteins,Pyrroles,Quantum mechanics Get e-Alerts

Diagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease with Detection of Bartonella henselae by PCR: a Study of Patients with Lymph Node Enlargement

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is mostly due to Bartonella henselae after inoculation of the organism through a skin injury. Since the causative bacteria cannot be easily cultured from human lymph node samples, the diagnosis usually relies on epidemiological, clinical, histological, and serological criteria (classical criteria). A study was performed to determine the diagnostic value of PCR analysis for the detection of B. henselae for the diagnosis of CSD and its place in the diagnostic strategy alongside the classical criteria. Over a 7-year period, lymph node biopsy specimens or cytopunctures from 70 patients were systematically tested by PCR for the presence of B. henselae DNA (htrA gene) in the Bacteriology Laboratory of the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg. Serological testing by an immunofluorescence assay for B. henselae antibodies was also performed for each patient, and clinical, epidemiological, and histological data were collected. The patients were then divided into two groups according to the number of positive diagnostic criteria for CSD: 29 patients with definite CSD (two or more classical criteria) and 15 patients with possible CSD (less than two classical criteria). The remaining 26 patients for whom another diagnosis was retained were used as a control group. Among all criteria, PCR analysis had the best specificity (100%). The PCR assay for B. henselae was positive for 22 (76%; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 56.5 to 89.7%) of the 29 definite CSD patients and 3 (20%; CI95, 4.3 to 48.1%) of the 15 possible CSD patients. We then studied combinations of diagnostic criteria, including B. henselae PCR analysis. The best diagnostic performance was observed if at least two criteria were present among serologic, epidemiologic, histological, and molecular criteria.

An Interview with Martin Matalon

Born in Buenos Aires in 1958, Martin Matalon (see Figure 1) received his bachelor's degree in music composition from the Boston Conservatory of Music in 1984 and his master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music in 1986, where he studied with composers Vincent Persichetti and Bernard Rands. In 1989, his chamber opera Le Miracle Secret, based on a text by Jorge Luis Borges, was premiered at the Avignon Festival. same year, he founded Music Mobile, a New York-based ensemble devoted to the contemporary repertoire. Among his awards, Matalon has received the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1986), a Fulbright scholarship to France (1988), the Holtkamp-AGO award in organ composition (1988), the Opera Autrement award from the Centre Acanthes for the production and commission of his Opera based on Borges's El Milagro Secreto (1989), and in 2001 the award from the city of Barcelona. In 1993, the composer collaborated for the first time with IRCAM on La Rosa Profunda, music for an exhibition organized by the Pompidou Center on The Universe of Borges. IRCAM then commissioned a new score for the restored version of Fritz Lang's silent film, Metropolis. After that considerable work, Matalon turned to the universe of Luis Bu iuel, consecutively writing scores for two legendary films by the Spanish director: Las Siete Vidas de un Gato (for Un Chien Andalou), and Le Scorpion (for l'Age d'Or). His catalogue also includes a large number of chamber works, such as Formas de Arena for flute, viola, and harp, and Lineas de Agua for cello octet. Begun in 1997, the series of compositions entitled Trames, which blur the line between solo concerto writing and chamber music, constitute a sort of compositional diary for their author. They include Trame II for harpsichord and small ensemble, Trame III for cello and orchestra (a commission from Radio France and the Orchestre National de France), Trame V for trumpet and orchestra (commissioned by the Orchestre National de Lorraine), and Trame VI for viola and ensemble, premiered in February 2004 by the Ensemble Intercontemporain and violist Odile Auboin. Matalon has written for, among others, the Or hestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National d'ile de France, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Beauvais Cello Octet, Trio Nobis, the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Court-Circuit, and Les Percussions de Strasbourg, with whom the composer released a disc on Universal last year. He was composer-inresidence with the Arsenal and the Orchestre National de Lorraine for the years 2003-2004. This collaboration between the composer, the orchestra, and its conductor, Jacques Mercier, resulted in the composition of two orchestral works. A listing of his compositions involving electronics is given in Table 1.

Prostaglandin E2 Stimulates Fibronectin Expression through EP1 Receptor, Phospholipase C, Protein Kinase Cα, and c-Src Pathway in Primary Cultured Rat Osteoblasts

Fibronectin (Fn) is involved in the early stages of bone formation, and prostaglandin E (PGE) is an important factor regulating osteogenesis. Here we found that PGE(2) enhanced extracellular Fn assembly in rat primary osteoblasts, as shown by immunofluorescence staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PGE(2) also increased the protein levels of Fn by using Western blotting analysis. By using pharmacological inhibitors or activators or genetic inhibition by the EP receptor, antisense oligonucleotides revealed that the EP(1) receptor but not other PGE receptors is involved in PGE(2)-mediated up-regulation of Fn. At the mechanistic level, Ca(2+) chelator (1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis(acetoxymethyl ester)), phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C inhibitor (U73122), or Src inhibitor (PP2) attenuated the PGE(2)-induced Fn expression. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (GF109203X) also inhibited the potentiating action of PGE(2). Furthermore, treatment with antisense oligonucleotides of various PKC isoforms, including alpha, beta, epsilon, and delta, demonstrated that alpha isozyme plays an important role in the enhancement action of PGE(2) on Fn assembly. Flow cytometry and reverse transcription-PCR showed that PGE(2) and 17-phenyl trinor PGE(2) (EP(1)/EP(3) agonist) increased the surface expression and mRNA level of alpha5 or beta1 integrins. Fn promoter activity was enhanced by PGE(2) and 17-phenyl trinor PGE(2) in cells transfected with pGL2F1900-Luc. Cotransfection with dominant negative mutants of PKCalpha or c-Src inhibited the potentiating action of PGE(2) on Fn promoter activity. Local administration of PGE(2) or 17-phenyl trinor PGE(2) into the metaphysis of the tibia via the implantation of a needle cannula significantly increased the Fn and alpha5beta1 integrin immunostaining and bone volume of secondary spongiosa in tibia. Taken together, our results provided evidence that PGE(2) increased Fn and promoted bone formation in rat osteoblasts via the EP(1)/phospholipase C/PKCalpha/c-Src signaling pathway.

Zola à l’Œuvre. Hommage à Auguste Dezalay

Zola a l'AEeuvre. Hommage a Auguste Dezalay. Actes du colloque Zola-Genetique et poetique du roman (9 et 10 decembre 2002). Textes reunis par Gisele Seginger. Strasbourg: Presses Universitaires de Strasbourg, 2003. Pp. 246. Fans of genetic criticism will find a feast in this collection of essays devoted to Zola's work and edited by Gisele Seginger. The articles collected here all stem from a colloquium held in 2002 at the Universite Marc Bloch-Strasbourg II on the topic Zola--Genetique et poetique du roman, which included contributions by a number of leading Zola specialists, such as Henri Mitterand, Colette Becker, Auguste Dezalay, David Baguley, and Jacques Noiray. The essays all share a common interest in genetic criticism, and together propose a fascinating picture of Zola at work, a portrait of the artist wielding his tools in the chaos of the workshop, preparing the dossiers, plans, rough drafts, and character sketches that as a rule preceded the final product. Here we learn hOt only how the overall project of the Rougon-Macquart series took shape in Zola's mind, but also how a large number of the individual novels grew and changed in the stages between the initial idea, the first plan, the detailed plan, and the final execution. We also see bow Zola's method itself evolved in the process, from the rigorous naturalist documentation of the Rougon-Macquart to the city monographs of Les Trois Villes to the utopian forecasts of Les Quatre Evangiles. There is no doubt that Zola's work lends itself especially well to this branch of criticism, since he so meticulously prepared every novel, and his drafts and notes have in large part been preserved in the dossiers preparatoires kept at the Bibliotheque Nationale. Zola is, in this sense, the perfect showcase for the ambitions of genetic criticism, and the articles gathered here provide a good overview of the state of the field as well as of what can be achieved using this approach. A skeptic might wonder at the need for a type of criticism concerned almost exclusively with preparatory materials, especially when, as in Zola's case, there exists such a large volume of published, finished, definitive texts--a body of work one would have to be very unimaginative to think exhausted by criticism. But whether or not an unacknowledged fear of this type secretly fuels the genetic project, Gisele Seginger defends its autonomy and legitimacy in an introduction that credits it for breaking defiantly with le fetichisme du texte--that is, with the arbitrary privilege most readers still insist on according to the published work. The larger ambition of la critique genetique has been to justify I'etude du travail and le refus de la teleologie, and it bas thereby succeeded in setting up Zola's dossiers as objects worthy of study in their own right. This perspective has arguably led to a renewed conception of poetics, one based no longer on the art of the finished text, but on the process of writing itself, on the labor of planning, outlining, sketching, adding, developing, and editing. The first part of Zola a l'aeuvre focuses on this mobile vision of poetics, and includes two short but incisive studies by Henri Mitterand and Auguste Dezalay which discuss the original form and subsequent evolution of Zola's overall plan for the Rougon-Macquart. Dezalay makes the interesting point that despite the programmatic character of Zola's creative method (to which we owe the dossiers), the final text often differs widely from the forecasted one, revealing a large margin of creative initiative in the execution. Many of the articles illustrate the same point. Colette Becker, for exampie, concludes that tout se joue au moment de l'ecriture qui metamorphose ce dont [Zola] se sert, [et] subvertit les projets qu'il a faits. But in thus deemphasizing Zola's rigorous method, and revalorizing the mystery of creation, one might say that these findings also inadvertently undermine the genetic approach itself. …

The performance evaluation of WinOSPM model for urban street canyons of Nantes in France

Air quality modelling is primarily the quantative approach. It is more difficult as it demands input data accuracy, uncertainties and the efficient methodologies to judge the extent of models accuracy. As a result, model validation has to be regarded as an integral part of the modelling process. Furthermore, models are often validated on a limited number of testcases therefore, appropriate evaluation procedure must be implemented to ensure these models will be applicable for various conditions. The study presented here was carried out to evaluate the WinOSPM (Preliminary version of windows based Operational Street Pollution Model) for air pollutants viz. CO, NO, NO2, NOx and C6H6 for three street canyons of Nantes (France) and for the three base years 1999, 2000, and 2001. Each street canyon selected for this study has typical and unidentical features. The rue de Strasbourg and Boulevard Victor Hugo have many building exceptions whereas rue Crébillon has not any. Application of the model above to the three street canyons revealed that WinOSPM could be used in the case when measurements are not available. This was justified from the results at rue Crébillon. The special interest was in the benzene modelled values as its content in fuel has been targeted to reduce to 1% for the years 2000 and onwards (from its 5% until the year 1999). The 50 to 70% reduction in the benzene concentrations is found for both the years i.e. in 2000 and 2001. This has further justified that air quality models are useful and interesting tools in optimising emission reduction strategies. Moreover, it is also the new pollutant added to the measurement campaign of Air Pays de la Loire (APL) for the city of Nantes. For benzene weekly averages are estimated from the hourly-modelled values for all the streets and compared with that of measurements. They are found in excellent agreement with each other's. For other pollutants annual means and percentiles were compared. The statistical analysis was done to evaluate the models performance using index of agreement and correlation coefficient. The index of agreement (d) and correlation coefficient (r) for all the streets show that estimated concentration levels are in good agreement with that of measurements. From the index of agreements, it can be inferred that model has very less potential for errors. The model's sensitivity to building-exceptions was also tested for the rue de Strasbourg. Results did not reflect this feature very well. It is perceived that the influence of this feature might have been suppressed in averaging the annual hourly values. This influence is apparently seen in hourly average time series variations. Finally, WinOSPM model was found a simple but very useful model. It could very well represent the detailed flow and dispersion conditions in urban streets.

Phosphorylation of XPB helicase regulates TFIIH nucleotide excision repair activity

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes damage from DNA in a tightly regulated multiprotein process. The xeroderma pigmentosum group B (XPB) helicase subunit of TFIIH functions in NER and transcription. The serine 751 (S751) residue of XPB was found to be phosphorylated in vivo. This phosphorylation inhibits NER and the microinjection of a phosphomimicking XPB-S751E mutant is unable to correct the NER defect of XP-B cells. Conversely, XPB-S751 dephosphorylation or its substitution with alanine (S751A) restores NER both in vivo and in vitro. Surprisingly, phospho/dephosphorylation of S751 spares TFIIH-dependent transcription. Finally, the phosphorylation of XPB-S751 does not impair the TFIIH unwinding of the DNA around the lesion, but rather prevents the 5' incision triggered by the ERCC1-XPF endonuclease. These data support an additional role for XPB in promoting the incision of the damaged fragment and reveal a point of NER regulation on TFIIH without interference in its transcription activity.

Basolateral targeting by leucine-rich repeat domains in epithelial cells.

The asymmetric distribution of proteins to basolateral and apical membranes is an important feature of epithelial cell polarity. To investigate how basolateral LAP proteins (LRR (for leucine-rich repeats) and PDZ (for PSD-95/Discs-large/ZO-1), which play key roles in cell polarity, reach their target membrane, we carried out a structure-function study of three LAP proteins: Caenorhabditis elegans LET-413, human Erbin and human Scribble (hScrib). Deletion and point mutation analyses establish that their LRR domain is crucial for basolateral membrane targeting. This property is specific to the LRR domain of LAP proteins, as the non-LAP protein SUR-8 does not localize at the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells, despite having a closely related LRR domain. Importantly, functional studies of LET-413 in C. elegans show that although its PDZ domain is dispensable during embryogenesis, its LRR domain is essential. Our data establish a novel paradigm for protein localization by showing that a subset of LRR domains direct subcellular localization in polarized cells.

The provisional DENIS I-band catalog of galaxies revisited

We present an extended and improved version of the provisional I -band catalog of DENIS galaxies. Galaxies not cross-identified with already known galaxies have been visually checked using the DSS1 images and, occasionnally, the coordinates were remeasured. The typical accuracy of coordinates is about $2''$. The typical error on I -band magnitude is about 0.2 mag. The final catalog gives the most common names, the J2000 coordinates, the I -band magnitude, the diameter, the axis ratio and the position angle for about $43\,000$ galaxies. It covers roughly 67% of the southern hemisphere. It is homogeneously sampled up to $I=$ 14.5 mag. It is available through the Centre de Donnees de Strasbourg (CDS). The data are also available via the LEDA database.

Explanatory supplement of the ISOGAL-DENIS Point Source Catalogue

We present version 1.0 of the ISOGAL–DENIS Point Source Catalogue (PSC), containing more than 100 000 point sources detected at 7 and/or 15 μm in the ISOGAL survey of the inner Galaxy with the ISOCAM instrument on board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). These sources are cross-identified, wherever possible, with near-infrared (0.8–2.2 μm) data from the DENIS survey. The overall surface covered by the ISOGAL survey is about 16 square degrees, mostly (95%) distributed near the Galactic plane (), where the source extraction can become confusion limited and perturbed by the high background emission. Therefore, special care has been taken aimed at limiting the photometric error to ~mag down to a sensitivity limit of typically mJy. The present paper gives a complete description of the entries and the information which can be found in this catalogue, as well as a detailed discussion of the data processing and the quality checks which have been completed. The catalogue is available at the Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg (via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/403/955) and also via the server at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (http://www-isogal.iap.fr/). A more complete version of this paper, including a detailed description of the data processing, is available in electronic form through the ADS service and at http://www.edpsciences.org.

Modern management of non-chemotherapy drug-induced agranulocytosis: a monocentric cohort study of 90 cases and review of the literature

Background: The present study reports a monocentric experience of 90 drug-induced agranulocytosis cases and discusses their management, in particular the role of hematopoietic growth factors. Methods: Data from 90 patients with drug-induced agranulocytosis who met the criteria of the IAAAS group and of Bénichou and Solal-Celigny [Nouv Rev Fr Hematol 1993; 33: 257.] were retrospectively reviewed. All cases were extracted from a cohort study of the Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, France. Data were specifically analyzed with regard to the use of hematopoietic growth factors (in 42 patients). Results: Mean patient age was 63 (range 17–95) years and the sex ratio (M/F) was 0.39. An underlying disease was present in 37% of the patients. Antibiotics (25%), antithyroid drugs (23%), and antiaggregative platelet agents (16%) were the most frequent causative drugs. Main clinical features included isolated fever (41%), septicemia or septic shock (31%), and pneumonia (10%). Mean neutrophil count was 0.13 (range 0–0.46)×10 9/l. Outcome was favorable in 98% of patients. The mean durations of hematological recovery (neutrophil count over 1.5×10 9/l), antibiotic therapy, and hospitalization was 8.5 (range 2–21) days, 9.2 (range 2–21) days, and 10.5 (range 3–23) days, respectively. All patients were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and 42 patients with hematopoietic growth factors. In these 42 patients, the mean durations for hematological recovery, antibiotic therapy, and hospitalization were significantly reduced at: 6.3 (range 2–16) days, 7.1 (range 2–16) days, and 9.1 (range 3–23) days, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The present study shows that new causative drugs are emerging (antibiotics, antithyroid, and antiaggregative platelet agents), that drug-induced agranulocytosis remains typically a serious accident with severe sepsis, and that modern management with broad spectrum antibiotics and hematopoietic growth factors may reduce the mortality.

Geophysical investigation of a recent shallow fault

Since 1994 the students of the third year of the Ecole de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg (EPGS) start their last school year (roughly in mid-September) by performing a geophysics field camp. Students (including teachers) participate in hands-on geophysical studies using the methods of seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetics, electrical resistivity, electromagnetics, and ground penetrating radar (GPR). They collect data with modern equipment; they process, model, and interpret the data with workstation and PCs; and they present their results in both oral and written form.