bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spine growth in the anterior cingulate cortex is necessary for the consolidation of contextual fear memory
Authors: Vetere Gisella , Restivo Leonardo , Cole Christina J. , Ross P. Joel , Ammassari-Teule Martine , Josselyn Sheena A. , Frankland Paul W.
Published: April 2011

Remodeling of cortical connectivity is thought to allow initially hippocampus-dependent memories to be expressed independently of the hippocampus at remote time points. Consistent with this, consolidation of a contextual fear memory is associated with dendritic spine growth in neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (aCC). To directly test whether such cortical structural remodeling is necessary for memory consolidation, we disrupted spine growth in the aCC at different times following contextual fear conditioning in mice. We took advantage of previous studies showing that the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) negatively regulates spinogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. We found that increasing MEF2-dependent transcription in the aCC during a critical posttraining window (but not at later time points) blocked both the consolidation-associated dendritic spine growth and subsequent memory expression. Together, these data strengthen the causal link between cortical structural remodeling and memory consolidation and, further, identify MEF2 as a key regulator of these processes.
Pseudogene-derived small interference RNAs regulate gene expression in African
Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Wen Yan-Zi , Zheng Ling-Ling , Liao Jian-You , Wang Ming-Hui , Wei Ying , Guo Xue-Min , Qu Liang-Hu , Ayala Francisco J. , Lun Zhao-Rong
Published: April 2011

Pseudogenes have been shown to acquire unique regulatory roles from more and more organisms. We report the observation of a cluster of siRNAs derived from pseudogenes of African
Trypanosoma brucei
using high through-put analysis. We show that these pseudogene-derived siRNAs suppress gene expression through RNA interference. The discovery that siRNAs may originate from pseudogenes and regulate gene expression in a unicellular eukaryote provides insights into the functional roles of pseudogenes and into the origin of noncoding small RNAs.
Thermal shock resistance of thick boron-doped diamond under extreme heat loads
Authors: De Temmerman G. , Dodson J. , Linke J. , Lisgo S. , Pintsuk G. , Porro S. , Scarsbrook G.
Published: April 2011

Thick free-standing boron-doped diamonds were prepared by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition. Samples with a final thickness close to 5 mm and with lateral dimensions 25 × 25 mm were produced. The thermal shock resistance of the material was tested by exposure in the JUDITH electron gun to reproduce the conditions expected in a fusion reactor during plasma instabilities. Boron-doped diamond is shown to exhibit thermal shock resistance far better than current material of choice for a fusion reactor like tungsten, with no surface damage after exposure to 100 cycles at 2.5 GW m−2 for 5 ms.
Moorella humiferrea sp. nov., a thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium capable of growth via electron shuttling between humic acid and Fe(III)
Authors: Nepomnyashchaya Y. N. , Slobodkina G. B. , Baslerov R. V. , Chernyh N. A. , Bonch-Osmolovskaya E. A. , Netrusov A. I. , Slobodkin A. I.
Published: April 2011

An anaerobic, thermophilic, spore-forming bacterium (strain 64-FGQT) was isolated from a terrestrial hydrothermal spring from the Kamchatka peninsula, Russia. This strain utilized lactate as an electron donor, insoluble poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxide incorporated into alginate beads as a potential electron acceptor and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) as an electron-shuttling compound. Vegetative cells of strain 64-FGQT were Gram-stain-positive, peritrichously flagellated, motile, straight rods, 0.3–0.5 µm in diameter and 2.0–5.0 µm long, growing singly or forming short chains. Cells formed round refractive endospores in terminal swollen sporangia. The temperature range for growth was 46–70 °C, with an optimum at 65 °C. The pH range for growth was 5.5–8.5, with an optimum at pH 7.0. The substrates utilized by strain 64-FGQT in the presence of AQDS as an electron acceptor included lactate, malate, succinate, glycerol and yeast extract. The strain fermented galactose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, pyruvate and peptone. Strain 64-FGQT used AQDS, humic acid, thiosulfate, nitrate and perchlorate as electron acceptors for growth. Fe(III) was not directly reduced, but strain 64-FGQT was able to grow and reduce Fe(III) oxide in the presence of small amounts of AQDS or humic acid as electron-shuttling compounds. The G+C content of the DNA of strain 64-FGQT was 51 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed the isolate in the genus Moorella, with the type strain of Moorella glycerini as its closest relative (97.2 % similarity). Based on phylogenetic analysis and physiological characteristics, strain 64-FGQT is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Moorella, for which the name Moorella humiferrea sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 64-FGQT ( = DSM 23265T = VKM B-2603T).
Discovery of Rare Mutations in Populations: TILLING by Sequencing
Authors: Tsai Helen , Howell Tyson , Nitcher Rebecca , Missirian Victor , Watson Brian , Ngo Kathie J. , Lieberman Meric , Fass Joseph , Uauy Cristobal , Tran Robert K. , Khan Asif Ali , Filkov Vladimir , Tai Thomas H. , Dubcovsky Jorge , Comai Luca
Published: April 2011

Discovery of rare mutations in populations requires methods, such as TILLING (for Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes), for processing and analyzing many individuals in parallel. Previous TILLING protocols employed enzymatic or physical discrimination of heteroduplexed from homoduplexed target DNA. Using mutant populations of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum durum), we developed a method based on Illumina sequencing of target genes amplified from multidimensionally pooled templates representing 768 individuals per experiment. Parallel processing of sequencing libraries was aided by unique tracer sequences and barcodes allowing flexibility in the number and pooling arrangement of targeted genes, species, and pooling scheme. Sequencing reads were processed and aligned to the reference to identify possible single-nucleotide changes, which were then evaluated for frequency, sequencing quality, intersection pattern in pools, and statistical relevance to produce a Bayesian score with an associated confidence threshold. Discovery was robust both in rice and wheat using either bidimensional or tridimensional pooling schemes. The method compared favorably with other molecular and computational approaches, providing high sensitivity and specificity.
Coupling Virus-Induced Gene Silencing to Exogenous Green Fluorescence Protein Expression Provides a Highly Efficient System for Functional Genomics in Arabidopsis and across All Stages of Tomato Fruit Development
Authors: Quadrana Leandro , Rodriguez Maria Cecilia , López Mariana , Bermúdez Luisa , Nunes-Nesi Adriano , Fernie Alisdair R. , Descalzo Adriana , Asis Ramón , Rossi Magdalena , Asurmendi Sebastian , Carrari Fernando
Published: April 2011

Since the advent of the postgenomic era, efforts have focused on the development of rapid strategies for annotating plant genes of unknown function. Given its simplicity and rapidity, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has become one of the preeminent approaches for functional analyses. However, several problems remain intrinsic to the use of such a strategy in the study of both metabolic and developmental processes. The most prominent of these is the commonly observed phenomenon of “sectoring” the tissue regions that are not effectively targeted by VIGS. To better discriminate these sectors, an effective marker system displaying minimal secondary effects is a prerequisite. Utilizing a VIGS system based on the tobacco rattle virus vector, we here studied the effect of silencing the endogenous phytoene desaturase gene (pds) and the expression and subsequent silencing of the exogenous green fluorescence protein (gfp) on the metabolism of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits. In leaves, we observed dramatic effects on primary carbon and pigment metabolism associated with the photobleached phenotype following the silencing of the endogenous pds gene. However, relatively few pleiotropic effects on carbon metabolism were observed in tomato fruits when pds expression was inhibited. VIGS coupled to gfp constitutive expression revealed no significant metabolic alterations after triggering of silencing in Arabidopsis leaves and a mild effect in mature green tomato fruits. By contrast, a wider impact on metabolism was observed in ripe fruits. Silencing experiments with an endogenous target gene of interest clearly demonstrated the feasibility of cosilencing in this system; however, carefully constructed control experiments are a prerequisite to prevent erroneous interpretation.
Cytokine mRNA Profile of Alveolar T Lymphocytes and Macrophages in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis Suggests a Local Tr1 Response
Authors: Andersen G. N. , Nilsson K. , Nagaeva O. , Rantapää‐Dahlqvist S. , Sandström T. , Mincheva‐Nilsson L.
Published: April 2011

The development of an autoimmune disease like systemic sclerosis (SSc) is suspected to be driven by an activated T lymphocyte subset, expressing a cytokine profile specific to the disease. To further characterize the type of immune reaction in SSc, we searched for a broad panel of cytokine messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) in T lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages from paired samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood in 18 patients and 16 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. RNA from CD3+ T lymphocytes and CD14+ monocytes/macrophages was examined by means of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. SSc alveolar T lymphocytes expressed a cytokine profile suggestive of a mixed Th1/Th2 reaction, showing an increased frequency of mRNA for interleukin (IL)‐10, IL‐6 and interferon (IFN)γ, while IL‐1β, IFNγ and tumour necrosis factor β were expressed in blood T lymphocytes in a higher percentage of patients with SSc than controls. SSc alveolar T cells expressed IL‐10 mRNA more often than peripheral T cells, a phenomenon not found in controls and which may point at local IL‐10 activation/response in SSc lung. Transforming growth factor β mRNA was present in all alveolar as well as peripheral blood T cell samples in patients and controls. The cytokine mRNA profile in SSc with interstitial lung disease (ILD) was similar to the profile found in SSc without ILD. Our findings point at a mixed Th1/Th2 reaction in SSc and may indicate regulatory T 1 cell activation/response in the lungs of patients with SSc.
Different Perforin Expression in Peripheral Blood and Prostate Tissue in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer
Authors: Tokmadžić V. S. , Tomaš M. I. , Sotošek S. , Laškarin G. , Dominović M. , Tulić V. , Đorđević G. , Šustić A. , Mrakovčić‐Šutić I.
Published: April 2011

Perforin (P) is a prototypical cytotoxic molecule involved in cell‐mediated immunity against various pathogens, alloantigens and particularly different tumours. The purpose of this study was to determine P expression in different lymphocyte subpopulations isolated from peripheral blood and prostate tissue of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) and compare it with the P expression found in the control group. Twenty subjects were recruited in each of the groups. Prostate mononuclear cells of the BPH and PCa tissues were isolated by enzymatic digestion and gradient density centrifugation, whereas peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by gradient density centrifugation alone. Cells and tissue samples were labelled using monoclonal antibodies against P and different surface antigens (CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56) and analysed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Total P expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes did not differ significantly between BPH/PCa patients and control group, although the BPH and PCa tissue showed lower P expression level. A negative correlation between prostate‐specific antigen levels and the overall percentage of P+, CD3+CD56−P+, and CD3−CD56+P+ cells in the prostate tissue was observed only in patients with PCa. Our findings indicate that the low frequency of P+ lymphocytes, including T, NKT and NK cells, in the prostate tissue of patients with BPH and, particularly, PCa could be the consequence of local tissue microenvironment and one of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of prostate hyperplasia following malignant alteration.
What Formyl Peptide Receptors, if Any, Are Triggered by Compound 43 and Lipoxin A4?
Authors: Forsman H. , Önnheim K. , Andreasson E. , Dahlgren C.
Published: April 2011

In this study, we determined receptor preferences for compound 43, a nitrosylated pyrazolone derivative, and the eicosanoid lipoxin A4 (LXA4), potent anti‐inflammatory mediators in many experimental in vivo models. Their effects have been suggested to be mediated through binding to formyl peptide receptor (FPR)2 [earlier known as formyl peptide receptor‐like 1 or the lipoxin A4 receptor (ALXR)], one of the two members of the FPR family expressed in neutrophils. Compound 43 activates all neutrophil functions investigated, whereas LXA4 induces a unique inhibiting pathway suggested to involve β‐arrestin binding as an early signalling step, but not a transient rise in intracellular Ca2+. We show that compound 43 can activate not only FPR2 but also FPR1, the other neutrophil receptor in the FPR family, and FPR1 is actually the preferred receptor in human neutrophils and possibly also in the murine equivalent. LXA4 analogues from two commercial sources were used, and neither of these induced any translocation of β‐arrestin as measured in an enzyme fragment complementation assay. The conclusions drawn from these experiments are that neither compound 43 nor LXA4 works as FPR2 agonists in neutrophils, findings of importance for a proper interpretation of results obtained with these compounds as regulators of inflammation.
The impact of long‐term water stress on relative growth rate and morphology of needles and shoots of Metasequoia glyptostroboides seedlings: research toward identifying mechanistic models
Authors: Zhang Yanxiang , Equiza Maria Alejandra , Zheng Quanshui , Tyree Melvin T.
Published: April 2011

Leaf morphology in the upper canopy of trees tends to be different from that lower down. The effect of long‐term water stress on leaf growth and morphology was studied in seedlings of Metasequoia glyptostroboides to understand how tree height might affect leaf morphology in larger trees. Tree height increases water stress on growing leaves through increased hydraulic resistance to water flow and increased gravitational potential, hence we assume that water stress imposed by soil dehydration will have an effect equivalent to stress induced by height. Seedlings were subjected to well‐watered and two constant levels of long‐term water stress treatments. Drought treatment significantly reduced final needle count, area and mass per area (leaf mass area, LMA) and increased needle density. Needles from water‐stressed plants had lower maximum volumetric elastic modulus (εmax), osmotic potential at full turgor ( and at zero turgor ( than those from well‐watered plants. Palisade and spongy mesophyll cell size and upper epidermal cell size decreased significantly in drought treatments. Needle relative growth rate, needle length and cell sizes were linear functions of the daily average water potential at the time of leaf growth (r2 0.88–0.999). We conclude that water stress alone does mimic the direction and magnitude of changes in leaf morphology observed in tall trees. The results are discussed in terms of various models for leaf growth rate.
Supranutritional selenium level affects fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of chicken breast muscle tissue
Authors: Pappas A. C. , Zoidis E. , Papadomichelakis G. , Fegeros K.
Published: April 2011

A total of 128 broilers were used to investigate the effect of selenium (Se) on fatty acid (FA) composition and oxidative stability of lipids in the breast muscle tissue. There were 4 replicates of 4 dietary treatments: T1 (basal diet with no added Se), T2 (T1 with 0.15 mg Se added per kg diet), T3 (T1 with 0.3 mg Se added per kg diet) and T4 (T1 with 3.0 mg Se added per kg diet). A yeast source was used for added Se. Breast muscle tissue was collected from two chickens per replicate pen for the determination of Se concentration by ICP‐MS, FA profile by GC and lipid oxidation using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method. Addition of supranutritional Se levels to chicken diets leads to the production of Se‐enriched meat. Consumption of 100 g of breast meat from chickens fed diets supplemented with 0.15, 0.3 and 3 mg Se per kg of diet can provide 26, 41 and 220 μg of Se, respectively. Long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids namely C20:3n‐6, C20:4n‐6, C20:5n‐3, C22:5n‐3 and C22:6n‐3 increased linearly (p = 0.047, p < 0.001, p = 0.023, p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively) as the Se inclusion levels in the diets increased. At slaughter, a linear decrease in lipid oxidation (p = 0.019) was observed with Se addition, possibly attributed to the antioxidant properties of Se. Addition of supranutritional Se to chicken diets, at levels well below those causing toxicity, leads to production of Se‐enriched meat, protection of health‐promoting long‐chain FA like C20:5n‐3 and C22:6n‐3 and protection of meat quality from oxidation at day 1 after slaughter.
Assessment of yeast cell wall as replacements for antibiotic growth promoters in broiler diets: effects on performance, intestinal histo‐morphology and humoral immune responses
Authors: Ghosh T. K. , Haldar S. , Bedford M. R. , Muthusami N. , Samanta I.
Published: April 2011

The study compared the effects of an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and yeast cell wall (YCW) on performance, microbiology and histo‐morphology of the small intestine and humoral immune responses in Ross 308 broilers. The treatments (eight replicates/treatment, n = 12/replicate) were negative control (NC, without AGP), positive control (PC, supplemented with bacitracin methylene disalicylate, 400 mg/kg), Y and YCW (supplemented with yeast and YCW, respectively, 1000 mg/kg). Live weight at 42 days improved (p = 0.086) in the PC, Y and YCW groups. Feed conversion ratio was better (p = 0.039) in the YCW group compared with the other groups. Antibiotic growth promoter in the PC group shortened the villi in duodenum (p = 0.044). Mucosal Escherichia coli number was higher in the PC group (p < 0.001), whereas in the digesta E. coli number was lower (p = 0.001) in the PC, Y and YCW groups in relation to the NC. Mucosal Salmonella populations increased (p = 0.0001) in the PC group, whereas in the digesta, all treatments reduced the Salmonella (p = 0.0001). Following oral challenge with Salmonella pullorum, YCW increased E. coli numbers on the mucosa (p < 0.001) whereas in the digesta the Y group had lower (p < 0.0001) number of E. coli. In the digesta, Salmonella count was lower in the YCW group compared with the other treatments (p < 0.01). Yeast cell wall ‐treated birds exhibited better (p < 0.05) humoral immune response against Newcastle disease which was far more persistent over time than in any other treatments. It was concluded that the yeast and the yeast cell wall may have effects identical to BMD on performance of broilers and thus may constitute an effective replacement strategy in the dietary regimens for broiler chickens.
Effects of α‐lipoic acid, vitamins E and C upon the heat stress in Japanese quails
Authors: Halıcı M. , İmik H. , Koç M. , Gümüş R.
Published: April 2011

Antioxidant vitamins are commonly used as colorant, preventive, sweetener, nutritive and antioxidant materials in food industry. Thus, many studies have been conducted in recent years. We have performed the present study to understand the effects of α‐lipoic acid (ALA), vitamin C and E, added into rations of Japanese quails, on chronic heat stress. This study was carried out in five groups as: control, stress, ALA, vitamin E and vitamin C groups. Heat stress is applied to all groups except the control group. Superficial pectoral muscles tissues were used for biochemical determinations. During the research, it is found that heat stress exerted undesired effects such as increasing lipid peroxidation (LPO) level indicating oxidative stress in Japanese quails. In addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities and glutathione (GSH) amounts were studied to understand the behaviour of defence mechanism. While stress increased LPO ratio, it was determined that all antioxidant added into the ration decreases LPO significantly (p < 0.05). In addition, it was determined that all of antioxidants added into ration effectively restored SOD activity and LPO ratio which heat stress affected negatively. Interestingly, vitamin C did not adjust GSH ratio in contrast to vitamin E and ALA, where vitamin E and C did not perform any positive effect on heat stress decreased CAT activity. Finally, it can be thought that antioxidant vitamins relatively ameliorated these undesired affects caused by stress factors given.
Extenders Containing Dimethylformamide Associated or Not with Glycerol are Ineffective for Ovine Sperm Cryopreservation
Authors: Moustacas VS , Cruz BC , Varago FC , Miranda DA , Lage PG , Henry M
Published: April 2011

Contents

The study aimed at testing the effectiveness of dimethylformamide, alone or combined with glycerol, as cryoprotectant for freezing ram semen. Ejaculates from nine rams were cryopreserved in Tris‐based extenders, containing 5% of glycerol, association of dimethylformamide with glycerol, in four proportions achieving 5% of cryoprotectors in the media and pure dimethylformamide (2, 3, 4 and 5%) in replacement to glycerol. The samples were diluted to 100 × 106 sptz/ml and stored in 0.25‐ml straws in liquid nitrogen. After thawing (37°C for 30 s), motility was preserved better by the extender containing 5% of glycerol (p < 0.05). The extenders containing pure dimethylformamide, or more than 2% in combination with glycerol, provided sperm motilities close to zero. Plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity were preserved better (p < 0.05) in the extender containing 5% glycerol. It can be concluded that dimethylformamide, alone or combined with glycerol, has no beneficial effects on ovine semen cryopreservation.
Labour Mobility and Returns to Experience in Foreign Firms*
Authors: Pesola Hanna
Published: April 2011

This paper uses Finnish linked employer–employee panel data to study whether employees are able to appropriate returns to knowledge accumulated in foreign‐owned firms when moving to domestic firms. The estimates indicate that highly educated employees earn a return to prior experience in a foreign‐owned firm, which is over and above the return to other previous experience. These employees do not appear to pay for the knowledge they accumulate in the form of lower starting wages in foreign‐owned firms.
What Drives Corporate Tax Rates Down? A Reassessment of Globalization, Tax Competition, and Dynamic Adjustment to Shocks*
Authors: Overesch Michael , Rincke Johannes
Published: April 2011

We reassess the driving forces behind the recent decline of corporate tax rates in Europe. Using data for up to 32 countries from 1983 to 2006, we analyze the roles of economic and financial openness as well as tax competition, while allowing for dynamic adjustment to shocks and period‐specific and country‐specific effects. While there is no evidence that countries that have become more open have reduced their tax rates more, our findings suggest that countries strongly compete over statutory tax rates. A simulation of tax rates in a scenario with no cross‐sectional dependence in tax setting suggests that, in the absence of tax competition, the mean statutory tax rate of Western European countries in 2006 would have been about 12.5 percentage points above its actual level. We conclude that the recent downward trend in corporate taxes is mainly a result of tax competition.
Quality of Life with Atrial Fibrillation: Do the Spouses Suffer as Much as the Patients?
Authors: BOHNEN MARIUS , SHEA JULIE B. , MICHAUD GREGORY F. , JOHN ROY , STEVENSON WILLIAM G. , EPSTEIN LAURENCE M. , TEDROW USHA B. , ALBERT CHRISTINE , KOPLAN BRUCE A.
Published: April 2011

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) can have a significant effect on quality of life (QoL). Other chronic diseases are known to not only affect the patient but to also impact the QoL of persons living with them. Scant data exist on the QoL effect of AF in spouses/significant others (SOs).

Methods: An anonymous survey regarding the perceived effect of AF on QoL was designed and distributed to both patients and spouses/SOs during an educational symposium about living with AF. Both were asked to fill out the survey independently according to how their life was affected by either their AF or their partner's AF. Questions included demographics, perceived impairment of overall QoL on a 5‐point scale, as well as effect on subcategories of QoL, namely daily activity, work life, sex life, physical activity, psychological well‐being, and social activity.

Results: Five hundred and sixty‐eight subjects completed the survey of which 411 were AF patients and 129 were spouses/SOs. The perceived effect of AF on overall QoL (N = 527) was similar in patients and spouses (AF patients: mild 42.0%, moderate 26.0%, severe 32.0% vs. spouses: 44.1%, 25.2%, 31.7%; P = 0.917). This result did not change when adjusted for age and gender. There was also no significant difference between patients and spouses in the subcategories of QoL with the exception of the perceived effect on work life, which was greater in patients than spouses (P = 0.041).

Conclusions: AF has a similar perceived impact on the QoL of spouses and patients. QoL improvement strategies for patients with AF should take spouses into account. (PACE 2011; 34:804–809)
A multinational study of mental disorders, marriage, and divorce
Authors: Breslau J. , Miller E. , Jin R. , Sampson N. A. , Alonso J. , Andrade L. H. , Bromet E. J. , de Girolamo G. , Demyttenaere K. , Fayyad J. , Fukao A. , Gălăon M. , Gureje O. , He Y. , Hinkov H. R. , Hu C. , Kovess‐Masfety V. , Matschinger H. , Medina‐Mora M. E. , Ormel J. , Posada‐Villa J. , Sagar R. , Scott K. M. , Kessler R. C.
Published: April 2011

Breslau J, Miller E, Jin R, Sampson NA, Alonso J, Andrade LH, Bromet EJ, de Girolamo G, Demyttenaere K, Fayyad J, Fukao A, Gălăon M, Gureje O, He Y, Hinkov HR, Hu C, Kovess‐Masfety V, Matschinger H, Medina‐Mora ME, Ormel J, Posada‐Villa J, Sagar R, Scott KM, Kessler RC. A multinational study of mental disorders, marriage, and divorce.

Objective:  Estimate predictive associations of mental disorders with marriage and divorce in a cross‐national sample.

Method:  Population surveys of mental disorders included assessment of age at first marriage in 19 countries (n = 46 128) and age at first divorce in a subset of 12 countries (n = 30 729). Associations between mental disorders and subsequent marriage and divorce were estimated in discrete time survival models.

Results:  Fourteen of 18 premarital mental disorders are associated with lower likelihood of ever marrying (odds ratios ranging from 0.6 to 0.9), but these associations vary across ages of marriage. Associations between premarital mental disorders and marriage are generally null for early marriage (age 17 or younger), but negative associations come to predominate at later ages. All 18 mental disorders are positively associated with divorce (odds ratios ranging from 1.2 to 1.8). Three disorders, specific phobia, major depression, and alcohol abuse, are associated with the largest population attributable risk proportions for both marriage and divorce.

Conclusion:  This evidence adds to research demonstrating adverse effects of mental disorders on life course altering events across a diverse range of socioeconomic and cultural settings. These effects should be included in considerations of public health investments in preventing and treating mental disorders.
A study of the clinical activity of a gel combining monocaprin and doxycycline: a novel treatment for herpes labialis
Authors: Skulason Skuli , Holbrook W. Peter , Thormar Halldor , Gunnarsson Gunnar B. , Kristmundsdottir Thordis
Published: April 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 61–67

Background:  Current treatment of herpes labialis is usually with topical antiviral drugs and early drug administration is required for effectiveness. Monocaprin, a 1‐monoglyceride of capric acid, has high microbicidal activity in vitro and efficiently inactivates herpes simplex virus. Tetracyclines are inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases that are part of the inflammatory response and contribute to the breakdown of tissue in ulcers. The study objective was to investigate the antiviral and wound‐healing effect of a hydrogel containing either monocaprin or a combination of monocaprin and a low dose of doxycycline in vivo against herpes labialis.

Methods:  Subjects were divided into two groups: (i) with prodromal symptoms of herpes labialis; (ii) with a vesicle. Both groups applied the hydrogel five times a day for five days. Test formulations were: (i) hydrogel containing monocaprin and doxycycline (MCD), (ii) hydrogel containing only monocaprin and (iii) placebo hydrogel. Formulations were distributed randomly to subjects within each group. Subjects recorded treatment results in a 6‐day diary and a 7‐day follow‐up diary.

Results:  For the MCD group the mean time to healing was 5.5 days (prodromal) and 5.3 days (vesicles/ulceration) or significantly shorter than for the placebo groups (7.25 and 7.5 days respectively; P < 0.05). Pain relief was significantly more with MCD (combining both the prodromal and vesicle groups) than with the monocaprin and placebo groups (P = 0.0114).

Conclusion:  Combining monocaprin with low‐dose doxycycline offers an effective treatment for herpes labialiss, significantly reducing time to healing and pain compared with the placebo and monocaprin alone.
Ultrasound lung comets induced by repeated breath‐hold diving, a study in underwater fishermen
Authors: Boussuges A. , Coulange M. , Bessereau J. , Gargne O. , Ayme K. , Gavarry O. , Fontanari P. , Joulia F.
Published: April 2011

Pulmonary edema has been reported in breath‐hold divers during fish‐catching diving activity. The present study was designed to detect possible increases in extravascular lung water (EVLW) in underwater fishermen after a competition. Thirty healthy subjects were studied. They participated in two different 5‐h fish‐catching diving competitions: one organized in the winter (10 subjects) and one organized in the autumn (20 subjects). A questionnaire was used to record underwater activity and note respiratory problems. An increase in EVLW was investigated from the detection of ultrasound lung comets (ULC) by chest ultrasonography. Complementary investigations included echocardiography and pulmonary function testing. An increase in EVLW was detected in three out of 30 underwater fishermen after the competition. No signs of cardiovascular dysfunction were found in the entire population and in divers with an increase in the ULC score. Two divers with raised ULC presented respiratory disorders such as cough or shortness of breath. Impairment in spirometric parameters was recorded in these subjects. An increase in EVLW could be observed after a fish‐catching diving competition in three out of 30 underwater fishermen. In two subjects, it was related to respiratory disorders and impairment in pulmonary flow.
Can we prevent sudden cardiac death in young athletes: the debate about preparticipation sports screening
Authors: Patel Angira , Lantos John D
Published: April 2011

All high school athletes in the United States require a preparticipation screening examination. The American Heart Association recommends a focused history and physical examination. The European Society of Cardiology recommends that all examinations include an electrocardiogram (ECG). We review the risks and costs of screening, discuss legal ramifications and analyse the ethical implications of these considerations. There are too many unknown about ECG screening to require it as routine testing for all high school athletes.

Conclusion:  Doctors must inform young athletes and their parents about the option of ECG screening and about the debate over its efficacy. Patients and parents may then choose to have an ECG or not. Mandatory universal screening is not warranted at this time.
Clinical and metabolic findings in a 6‐year‐old boy with a Leydig cell tumour
Authors: Lignitz S , Partsch CJ , Wudy SA , Hartmann MF , Pohlenz J
Published: April 2011

Aim:  To analyse the urinary steroid metabolome in a boy who had true precocious puberty after a Leydig cell tumour.

Method:  Case report and detailed description of clinical and metabolic findings in a 7‐year‐old‐boy with a Leydig cell tumour.

Results:  Before surgery, the urinary steroid metabolome showed an activation of an alternative route to gonadal androgens independent of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). After surgery, the boy entered true precocious puberty. Under leuprolide acetate treatment, clinical and laboratory findings normalized.

Conclusion:  Central precocious puberty after precocious pseudopuberty may be more common than expected and should be considered in children with persistent or recurrent symptoms after initial treatment of precocious pseudopuberty. Patients with a Leydig cell tumour seem to reactivate the so‐called ‘back door pathway’ of androgen production, which is independent of the classical route via DHEA.
Living Religion as Vanishing Mediator: Schleiermacher, Early Romanticism, and Idealism1
Authors: Smith John H.
Published: April 2011

Religion was fundamental to the conceptual revolutions of Early Romanticism and Idealism. Schleiermacher linked the divine to the new philosophies of life and served as a productive “vanishing mediator” for Friedrich Schlegel, Novalis, Schelling, and Hegel. They all strove to “vitalize” the Spinozan identity of deus and natura and thereby made a crucial turn from the philosophies of Kant and Fichte. The idea of a living religion laid the foundation for a new dialectic of unity‐in‐difference and difference‐in‐unity. This vitalistic religious dimension becomes visible for us as we come to recognize the interweaving of faith and secular reason in modernity.
The End of a Schoolyard Tyrant: Power, Homoeroticism, and Language in Heinrich Mann's “Abdankung”
Authors: Ilett Darren
Published: April 2011

A lesser‐known representative of the school genre common around 1900, Heinrich Mann's novella “Abdankung” concerns the nexus of adolescence, power, and desire, and thus resembles such canonical works as Wedekind's Frühlings Erwachen and Musil's Törleß. The present study examines how Mann questions the foundation of domination, only then to demonstrate its implacability. Whereas previous receptionlargely overlooks the significance of the text's homoeroticism, I propose instead that the ambivalence of same‐sex desire—the wavering between its utopian promise of equality and threat of the narcissistic exclusion of difference—provides a framework in which Mann explores the limitations of social and aesthetic transgression. Through its depiction of the isolation of the tyrant, the narcissism of the homosexual, and the solipsism of the aesthete, “Abdankung” suggests that the coupling of power, desire, and imagination helped set the conditions leading up to the cataclysm of World War I.
How emotions expressed by adults’ faces affect the desire to eat liked and disliked foods in children compared to adults
Authors: Barthomeuf Laetitia , Droit‐Volet Sylvie , Rousset Sylvie
Published: April 2011

The aim of this study was to determine whether or not pleasure, neutrality, and disgust expressed by eaters in photographs could affect the desire to eat food products to a greater extent in children than in adults. Children of 5 and 8 years of age, as well as adults, were presented with photographs of liked and disliked foods. These foods were presented either alone or with an eater who expressed three different emotions: pleasure, neutrality, or disgust. Results showed that, compared with food presented alone, food presented with a pleasant face increased the desire to eat disliked foods, particularly in children, and increased the desire to eat liked foods only in the 5‐year‐old children. In contrast, with a disgusted face, the desire to eat the liked foods decreased in all participants, although to a greater extent in children, while it had no effect on the desire to eat the disliked foods. Finally, food presented with a neutral face also increased and decreased the desire to eat disliked and liked foods, respectively, and in each case more for the 5‐year‐olds than for the older participants. In sum, the facial expressions of others influence the desire to eat liked and disliked foods and, to a greater extent, in younger children.
The Two Faces of SAM
Authors: Stubbe JoAnne
Published: April 2011

An unusual radical mechanism enables ribosome methylation in bacteria.
The New Egypt
Authors: Alberts Bruce
Published: April 2011

I have just returned from Egypt, where I attended the annual board meeting of the Library of Alexandria and met with students and faculty at The American University in Cairo. This is a very exciting time to be in Egypt, with its people empowered by the success of their daring, peaceful demonstrations in Tahrir Square. But the exhilarating sense of freedom is combined with the tension of knowing that the revolution is still in progress and its end point not yet known. Clearly, a great deal of hard work will be needed to establish an effective democracy. In media interviews, I was repeatedly asked, “What should the role of science be in the new Egypt?”
Peering Back 13 Billion Years, Through a Gravitational Lens
Authors: Bhattacharjee Yudhijit
Published: April 2011

A team of researchers has made the first direct detection of gravitational lensing of cosmic microwave background radiation, the faint afterglow of the big bang that suffuses the universe.
Specific Developmental Window for Establishment of an Insect-Microbe Gut Symbiosis
Authors: Kikuchi Yoshitomo , Hosokawa Takahiro , Fukatsu Takema
Published: April 2011

The alydid stinkbug
Riptortus pedestris
is specifically associated with a beneficial
Burkholderia
symbiont in the midgut crypts. Exceptional among insect-microbe mutualistic associations, the
Burkholderia
symbiont is not vertically transmitted but orally acquired by nymphal insects from the environment every generation. Here we experimentally investigated the process of symbiont acquisition during the nymphal development of
R. pedestris
. In a field population, many 2nd instar nymphs were
Burkholderia
free, while all 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar nymphs were infected. When reared on soil-grown potted soybean plants,
Burkholderia
acquisition occurred at a drastically higher frequency in the 2nd instar than in the other instars. Oral administration of cultured
Burkholderia
cells showed that 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs are significantly more susceptible to the symbiont infection than 1st, 4th, and 5th instar nymphs. Histological observations revealed rudimentary midgut crypts in the 1st instar, in contrast to well-developed midgut crypts in the 2nd and later instars. These results indicate that
R. pedestris
acquires the
Burkholderia
symbiont from the environment mainly during the 2nd instar period and strongly suggest that the competence for the symbiont infection is developmentally regulated by the host side. Potential mechanisms involved in infection competence and possible reasons why the infection preferentially occurs in the 2nd instar are discussed.
The Histone-Like Protein Hlp Is Essential for Growth of Streptococcus pyogenes: Comparison of Genetic Approaches To Study Essential Genes
Authors: Bugrysheva Julia V. , Froehlich Barbara J. , Freiberg Jeffrey A. , Scott June R.
Published: April 2011

Selection of possible targets for vaccine and drug development requires an understanding of the physiology of bacterial pathogens, for which the ability to manipulate expression of essential genes is critical. ForStreptococcus pyogenes(the group A streptococcus [GAS]), an important human pathogen, the lack of genetic tools for such studies has seriously hampered research. To address this problem, we characterized variants of the inducible Ptetcassette, in both sense and antisense contexts, as tools to regulate transcription from GAS genes. We found that although the three-operator Ptetconstruct [Ptet(O)3] had low uninduced expression, its induction level was low, while the two-operator construct [Ptet(O)2] was inducible to a high level but showed significant constitutive expression. Use of Ptet(O)3in the chromosome allowed us to demonstrate previously that RNases J1 and J2 are required for growth of GAS. Here we report that the uninduced level from the chromosomally inserted Ptet(O)2construct was too high for us to observe differential growth. For the highly expressed histone-like protein (Hlp) of GAS, neither chromosomal insertion of Ptet(O)2or Ptet(O)3nor their use on a high-copy-number plasmid to produce antisense RNA specific tohlpresulted in adequate differential expression. However, by replacing the ribosome binding site ofhlpwith an engineered riboswitch to control translation of Hlp, we demonstrated for the first time that this protein is essential for GAS growth.
Anti-Listeria Activities of Galleria mellonella Hemolymph Proteins
Authors: Mukherjee Krishnendu , Mraheil Mobarak Abu , Silva Silke , Müller Daniela , Cemic Franz , Hemberger Jürgen , Hain Torsten , Vilcinskas Andreas , Chakraborty Trinad
Published: April 2011

We report the use of antimicrobial hemolymph proteins from the model hostGalleria mellonellaas an inhibitor for variousListeriastrains, providing a novel source for antilisterial therapeutics. We also have shown that specific virulence-associated genes known to mediate antimicrobial resistance ofListeriain mammalian models indicated a similar function inGalleria.
Associations between Fungal Species and Water-Damaged Building Materials
Authors: Andersen Birgitte , Frisvad Jens C. , Søndergaard Ib , Rasmussen Ib S. , Larsen Lisbeth S.
Published: April 2011

Fungal growth in damp or water-damaged buildings worldwide is an increasing problem, which has adverse effects on both the occupants and the buildings. Air sampling alone in moldy buildings does not reveal the full diversity of fungal species growing on building materials. One aim of this study was to estimate the qualitative and quantitative diversity of fungi growing on damp or water-damaged building materials. Another was to determine if associations exist between the most commonly found fungal species and different types of materials. More than 5,300 surface samples were taken by means of V8 contact plates from materials with visible fungal growth. Fungal identifications and information on building material components were analyzed using multivariate statistic methods to determine associations between fungi and material components. The results confirmed that
Penicillium chrysogenum
and
Aspergillus versicolor
are the most common fungal species in water-damaged buildings. The results also showed
Chaetomium
spp.,
Acremonium
spp., and
Ulocladium
spp. to be very common on damp building materials. Analyses show that associated mycobiotas exist on different building materials. Associations were found between (i)
Acremonium
spp.,
Penicillium chrysogenum
,
Stachybotrys
spp.,
Ulocladium
spp., and gypsum and wallpaper, (ii)
Arthrinium phaeospermum
,
Aureobasidium pullulans
,
Cladosporium herbarum
,
Trichoderma
spp., yeasts, and different types of wood and plywood, and (iii)
Aspergillus fumigatus
,
Aspergillus melleus
,
Aspergillus niger
,
Aspergillus ochraceus
,
Chaetomium
spp.,
Mucor racemosus
,
Mucor spinosus
, and concrete and other floor-related materials. These results can be used to develop new and resistant building materials and relevant allergen extracts and to help focus research on relevant mycotoxins, microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), and microparticles released into the indoor environment.
Properties and Construction of Plasmid pFW213, a Shuttle Vector with the Oral Streptococcus Origin of Replication
Authors: Chen Yi-Ywan M. , Shieh Hui-Ru , Lin Cheng-Tzer , Liang Shin-Yi
Published: April 2011

Streptococcus parasanguinis
is among the most successful colonizers of the human body. Strain FW213 harbors a 7.0-kb cryptic plasmid, pFW213, with a copy number at 5 to 10 per chromosome. Sequence and functional analyses of pFW213 revealed that the open reading frame (ORF) encoding the replication protein (Rep) is essential for the replication of pFW213, and the putative plasmid addiction system (RelB and RelE) and an ORF (ORF6) with no known function are required for its stability. The minimal replicon of pFW213 contains the
rep
gene and its 5′-flanking 390-bp region. Within the minimal replicon, an A/T-rich region followed by 5 contiguous 22-bp repeats was located 5′ of the ATG of
rep.
No single-stranded replication intermediates were detected in the derivatives of pFW213, suggesting that pFW213 replicates via the theta replication mechanism. The minimal replicon was unstable in streptococcal hosts without selection, but the stability was greatly enhanced in derivatives containing the intact
relBE
genes. A
Streptococcus
-
Escherichia coli
shuttle vector, pCG1, was constructed with the pFW213 replicon. Plasmid pCG1 features a multiple cloning region and a spectinomycin resistance determinant that is expressed in both
Streptococcus
spp. and
E. coli
. Various streptococcal DNA fragments were cloned in pCG1, and the recombinant constructs were stably maintained in the streptococcal hosts. Since pCG1 is compatible with the most widely used streptococcal replicon, pVA380-1, pCG1 will provide a much needed tool allowing the cloning of two genes that work in concert in the same host.
Coevolutionary Analysis Enabled Rational Deregulation of Allosteric Enzyme Inhibition in Corynebacterium glutamicum for Lysine Production
Authors: Chen Zhen , Meyer Weiqian , Rappert Sugima , Sun Jibin , Zeng An-Ping
Published: April 2011

Product feedback inhibition of allosteric enzymes is an essential issue for the development of highly efficient microbial strains for bioproduction. Here we used aspartokinase from
Corynebacterium glutamicum
(CgAK), a key enzyme controlling the biosynthesis of industrially important aspartate family amino acids, as a model to demonstrate a fast and efficient approach to the deregulation of allostery. In the last 50 years many researchers and companies have made considerable efforts to deregulate this enzyme from allosteric inhibition by lysine and threonine. However, only a limited number of positive mutants have been identified so far, almost exclusively by random mutation and selection. In this study, we used statistical coupling analysis of protein sequences, a method based on coevolutionary analysis, to systematically clarify the interaction network within the regulatory domain of CgAK that is essential for allosteric inhibition. A cluster of interconnected residues linking different inhibitors' binding sites as well as other regions of the protein have been identified, including most of the previously reported positions of successful mutations. Beyond these mutation positions, we have created another 14 mutants that can partially or completely desensitize CgAK from allosteric inhibition, as shown by enzyme activity assays. The introduction of only one of the inhibition-insensitive CgAK mutations (here Q298G) into a wild-type
C. glutamicum
strain by homologous recombination resulted in an accumulation of 58 g/liter
l
-lysine within 30 h of fed-batch fermentation in a bioreactor.