bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic profiling of Parkinson's disease: evidence of biomarker from gene expression analysis and rapid neural network detection
Authors: Ahmed Shiek SSJ , Santosh Winkins , Kumar Suresh , Christlet Hema T Thanka
Published: August 2009

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder. The diagnosis of Parkinsonism is challenging because currently none of the clinical tests have been proven to help in diagnosis. PD may produce characteristic perturbations in the metabolome and such variations can be used as the marker for detection of disease. To test this hypothesis, we used proton NMR and multivariate analysis followed by neural network pattern detection.

Methods & Results

1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis was carried out on plasma samples of 37 healthy controls and 43 drug-naive patients with PD. Focus on 22 targeted metabolites, 17 were decreased and 5 were elevated in PD patients (p < 0.05). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that pyruvate is the key metabolite, which contributes to the separation of PD from control samples. Furthermore, gene expression analysis shows significant (p < 0.05) change in expression ofPDHBandNPFFgenes leading to increased pyruvate concentration in blood plasma. Moreover, the implementation of1H- NMR spectral pattern in neural network algorithm shows 97.14% accuracy in the detection of disease progression.

Conclusion

The results increase the prospect of a robust molecular definition in detection of PD through the early symptomatic phase of the disease. This is an ultimate opening for therapeutic intervention. If validated in a genuinely prospective fashion in larger samples, the biomarker trajectories described here will go a long way to facilitate the development of useful therapies. Moreover, implementation of neural network will be a breakthrough in clinical screening and rapid detection of PD.
Hypoxia-induced transcription of dopamine D3 and D4 receptors in human neuroblastoma and astrocytoma cells
Authors: Bence Melinda , Kereszturi Eva , Mozes Viktor , Sasvari-Szekely Maria , Keszler Gergely
Published: August 2009

Background

Dopaminergic pathways that influence mood and behaviour are severely affected in cerebral hypoxia. In contrast, hypoxia promotes the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons. In order to clarify the hypoxic sensitivity of key dopaminergic genes, we aimed to study their transcriptional regulation in the context of neuroblastoma and astrocytoma cell lines exposed to 1% hypoxia.

Results

Quantitative RT-PCR assays revealed that the transcription of both type D3 and D4 postsynaptic dopamine receptors (DRD3 and DRD4) was induced several fold upon 2-day hypoxia in a cell-specific manner, while the vascular endothelial growth factor gene was activated after 3-hr incubation in hypoxia. On the other hand, mRNA levels of type 2 dopamine receptor, dopamine transporter, monoamino oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase were unaltered, while those of the dopamine receptor regulating factor (DRRF) were decreased by hypoxia. Notably, 2-day hypoxia did not result in elevation of protein levels of DRD3 and DRD4.

Conclusion

In light of the relatively delayed transcriptional activation of the DRD3 and DRD4 genes, we propose that slow-reacting hypoxia sensitive transcription factors might be involved in the transactivation of DRD3 and DRD4 promoters in hypoxia.
Status of insecticide susceptibility in Anopheles gambiae s.l. from malaria surveillance sites in The Gambia
Authors: Betson Martha , Jawara Musa , Awolola Taiwo Samson
Published: August 2009

Background

Vector control is an effective way of reducing malaria transmission. The main vector control methods include the use of insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Both interventions rely on the continuing susceptibility of Anopheles to a limited number of insecticides. However, insecticide resistance, in particular pyrethroid-DDT cross-resistance, is a challenge facing malaria vector control in Africa because pyrethroids represent the only class of insecticides approved for treating bed nets and DDT is commonly used for IRS. Here baseline data are presented on the insecticide susceptibility levels of malaria vectors prior to The Gambian indoor residual spraying intervention programme.

Methods

Anopheles larvae were collected from six malaria surveillance sites (Brikama, Essau, Farafenni, Mansakonko, Kuntaur and Basse) established by the National Malaria Control Programme and the UK Medical Research Council Laboratories in The Gambia. The mosquitoes were reared to adulthood and identified using morphological keys and a species-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. Two- to three-day old adult female mosquitoes were tested for susceptibility to permethrin, deltamethrin and DDT using standard WHO protocols, insecticide susceptibility test kits and treated papers.

Results

All Anopheles mosquitoes tested belonged to the Anopheles gambiae complex. Anopheles arabiensis was predominant (54.1%), followed by An. gambiae s.s. (26.1%) and Anopheles melas (19.8%). Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis were found at all six sites. Anopheles melas was recorded only at Brikama. Mosquitoes from two of the six sites (Brikama and Basse) were fully susceptible to all three insecticides tested. However, DDT resistance was found in An. gambiae from Essau where the 24 hours post-exposure mortality was <80% but 88% for permethrin and 92% for deltamethrin.

Conclusion

This current survey of insecticide resistance in Anopheles provides baseline information for monitoring resistance in The Gambia and highlights the need for routine resistance surveillance as an integral part of the proposed nation wide IRS intervention using DDT.
A class of DNA-binding peptides from wheat bud causes growth inhibition, G2 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in HeLa cells
Authors: Mancinelli Loretta , De Angelis Paula M , Annulli Lucia , Padovini Valentina , Elgjo Kjell , Gianfranceschi Gian Luigi
Published: July 2009

Background

Deproteinized DNA from eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells still contains a low-molecular weight peptidic fraction which can be dissociated by alkalinization of the medium. This fraction inhibits RNA transcription and tumor cell growth. Removal from DNA of normal cells causes amplification of DNA template activity. This effect is lower or absent in several cancer cell lines. Likewise, the amount of active peptides in cancer cell DNA extracts is lower than in DNA preparation of the corresponding normal cells. Such evidence, and their ubiquitous presence, suggests that they are a regulatory, conserved factor involved in the control of normal cell growth and gene expression.

Results

We report that peptides extracted from wheat bud chromatin induce growth inhibition, G2 arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis in HeLa cells. The growth rate is decreased in cells treated during the S phase only and it is accompanied by DNA damage and DNA synthesis inhibition. In G2 cells, this treatment induces inactivation of the CDK1-cyclin B1 complex and an increase of active chk1 kinase expression.

Conclusion

The data indicate that the chromatin peptidic pool inhibits HeLa cell growth by causing defective DNA replication which, in turn, arrests cell cycle progression to mitosis via G2 checkpoint pathway activation.
Drug choice, spatial distribution, HIV risk, and HIV prevalence among injection drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia
Authors: Kruse Gina Rae , Barbour Russell , Heimer Robert , Shaboltas Alla V , Toussova Olga V , Hoffman Irving F , Kozlov Andrei P
Published: July 2009

Background

The HIV epidemic in Russia has been driven by the unsafe injection of drugs, predominantly heroin and the ephedrine derived psychostimulants. Understanding differences in HIV risk behaviors among injectors associated with different substances has important implications for prevention programs.

Methods

We examined behaviors associated with HIV risk among 900 IDUs who inject heroin, psychostimulants, or multiple substances in 2002. Study participants completed screening questionnaires that provided data on sociodemographics, drug use, place of residence and injection- and sex-related HIV risk behaviors. HIV testing was performed and prevalence was modeled using general estimating equation (GEE) analysis. Individuals were clustered by neighborhood and disaggregated into three drug use categories: Heroin Only Users, Stimulant Only Users, and Mixed Drug Users.

Results

Among Heroin Only Users, younger age, front/backloading of syringes, sharing cotton and cookers were all significant predictors of HIV infection. In contrast, sharing needles and rinse water were significant among the Stimulant Only Users. The Mixed Drug Use group was similar to the Heroin Only Users with age, front/back loading, and sharing cotton significantly associated with HIV infection. These differences became apparent only when neighborhood of residence was included in models run using GEE.

Conclusion

The type of drug injected was associated with distinct behavioral risks. Risks specific to Stimulant Only Users appeared related to direct syringe sharing. The risks specific to the other two groups are common to the process of sharing drugs in preparation to injecting. Across the board, IDUs could profit from prevention education that emphasizes both access to clean syringes and preparing and apportioning drug with these clean syringes. However, attention to neighborhood differences might improve the intervention impact for injectors who favor different drugs.
A method for studying decision-making by guideline development groups
Authors: Gardner Benjamin , Davidson Rosemary , McAteer John , Michie Susan ,   the "Evidence into Recommendations" study group
Published: August 2009

Background

Multidisciplinary guideline development groups (GDGs) have considerable influence on UK healthcare policy and practice, but previous research suggests that research evidence is a variable influence on GDG recommendations. The Evidence into Recommendations (EiR) study has been set up to document social-psychological influences on GDG decision-making. In this paper we aim to evaluate the relevance of existing qualitative methodologies to the EiR study, and to develop a method best-suited to capturing influences on GDG decision-making.

Methods

A research team comprised of three postdoctoral research fellows and a multidisciplinary steering group assessed the utility of extant qualitative methodologies for coding verbatim GDG meeting transcripts and semi-structured interviews with GDG members. A unique configuration of techniques was developed to permit data reduction and analysis.

Results

Our method incorporates techniques from thematic analysis, grounded theory analysis, content analysis, and framework analysis. Thematic analysis of individual interviews conducted with group members at the start and end of the GDG process defines discrete problem areas to guide data extraction from GDG meeting transcripts. Data excerpts are coded both inductively and deductively, using concepts taken from theories of decision-making, social influence and group processes. These codes inform a framework analysis to describe and explain incidents within GDG meetings. We illustrate the application of the method by discussing some preliminary findings of a study of a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) acute physical health GDG.

Conclusion

This method is currently being applied to study the meetings of three of NICE GDGs. These cover topics in acute physical health, mental health and public health, and comprise a total of 45 full-day meetings. The method offers potential for application to other health care and decision-making groups.
Landmark survival as an end-point for trials in critically ill patients – comparison of alternative durations of follow-up: an exploratory analysis
Authors: Taori Gopal , Ho Kwok M , George Carol , Bellomo Rinaldo , Webb Steven AR , Hart Graeme K , Bailey Michael J
Published: August 2009

Introduction

Interventional ICU trials have followed up patients for variable duration. However, the optimal duration of follow-up for the determination of mortality endpoint in such trials is uncertain. We aimed to determine the most logical and practical mortality end-point in clinical trials of critically ill patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data involving 369 patients with one of the three specific diagnoses (i) Sepsis (ii) Community acquired pneumonia (iii) Non operative trauma admitted to the Royal Perth Hospital ICU, a large teaching hospital in Western Australia (WA cohort). Their in-hospital and post discharge survival outcome was assessed by linkage to the WA Death Registry. A validation cohort involving 4609 patients admitted during same time period with identical diagnoses from 55 ICUs across Australia (CORE cohort) was used to compare the patient characteristics and in-hospital survival to look at the Australia-wide applicability of the long term survival data from the WA cohort.

Results

The long term outcome data of the WA cohort indicate that mortality reached a plateau at 90 days after ICU admission particularly for sepsis and pneumonia. Mortality after hospital discharge before 90 days was not uncommon in these two groups. Severity of acute illness as measured by the total number of organ failures or acute physiology score was the main predictor of 90-day mortality. The adjusted in-hospital survival for the WA cohort was not significantly different from that of the CORE cohort in all three diagnostic groups; sepsis (P = 0.19), community acquired pneumonia (P = 0.86), non-operative trauma (P = 0.47).

Conclusions

A minimum of 90 days follow-up is necessary to fully capture the mortality effect of sepsis and community acquired pneumonia. A shorter period of follow-up time may be sufficient for non-operative trauma.
Zebrafish reward mutants reveal novel transcripts mediating the behavioral effects of amphetamine
Authors: Webb Katharine J , Norton William HJ , Trümbach Dietrich , Meijer Annemarie H , Ninkovic Jovica , Topp Stefanie , Heck Daniel , Marr Carsten , Wurst Wolfgang , Theis Fabian J , Spaink Herman P , Bally-Cuif Laure
Published: July 2009

Background

Addiction is a pathological dysregulation of the brain's reward systems, determined by several complex genetic pathways. The conditioned place preference test provides an evaluation of the effects of drugs in animal models, allowing the investigation of substances at a biologically relevant level with respect to reward. Our lab has previously reported the development of a reliable conditioned place preference paradigm for zebrafish. Here, this test was used to isolate a dominant N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutant, no addiction (nad
dne3256), which fails to respond to amphetamine, and which we used as an entry point towards identifying the behaviorally relevant transcriptional response to amphetamine.

Results

Through the combination of microarray experiments comparing the adult brain transcriptome of mutant and wild-type siblings under normal conditions, as well as their response to amphetamine, we identified genes that correlate with the mutants' altered conditioned place preference behavior. In addition to pathways classically involved in reward, this gene set shows a striking enrichment in transcription factor-encoding genes classically involved in brain development, which later appear to be re-used within the adult brain. We selected a subset of them for validation by quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization, revealing that specific brain areas responding to the drug through these transcription factors include domains of ongoing adult neurogenesis. Finally, network construction revealed functional connections between several of these genes.

Conclusions

Together, our results identify a new network of coordinated gene regulation that influences or accompanies amphetamine-triggered conditioned place preference behavior and that may underlie the susceptibility to addiction.
Innate immune control and regulation of influenza virus infections
Authors: McGill Jodi , Heusel Jonathan W , Legge Kevin L
Published: July 2009

This manuscript reviews the current literature on the importance of innate immune cells in the control of influenza virus infections.

Adaptive immune responses are critical for the control and clearance of influenza A virus (IAV) infection. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that innate immune cells, including natural killer cells, alveolar macrophages (aMϕ), and dendritic cells (DC) are essential following IAV infection in the direct control of viral replication or in the induction and regulation of virus-specific adaptive immune responses. This review will discuss the role of these innate immune cells following IAV infection, with a particular focus on DC and their ability to induce and regulate the adaptive IAV-specific immune response.
In a Glass Darkly (1872), J. Sheridan LeFanu
Authors: Subotsky Fiona
Published: July 2009

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) is another literary Dubliner. Having
studied law at Trinity College, he became a journalist and author, famous
for both his sensationalist novels and his supernatural tales. For In a
Glass Darkly Le Fanu used a technique common in gothic fiction by having a
narrator/editor who presents past documents, in this instance of mysterious
medical case histories from the papers of the nowdeceased Dr Hesselius. The
latter is a European ‘metaphysical physician’ with Swedenborgian leanings
who likes to investigate curious psychological phenomena. He considerably
resembles the later Professor Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Why do antidepressants take so long to work? A cognitive neuropsychological model of antidepressant drug action
Authors: Harmer Catherine J. , Goodwin Guy M. , Cowen Philip J.
Published: July 2009

Background

The neuropharmacological actions of antidepressants are well characterised but our understanding of how these changes translate into improved mood are still emerging.

Aims

To investigate whether actions of antidepressant drugs on emotional processing are a mediating factor in the effects of these drugs in depression.

Method

We examined key published findings that explored the effects of antidepressants on behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures of emotional processing.

Results

Negative emotional bias has been reliably associated with depression. Converging results suggest that antidepressants modulate emotional processing and increase positive emotional processing much earlier than effects on mood. These changes in emotional processing are associated with neural modulation in limbic and prefrontal circuitry.

Conclusions

Antidepressants may work in a manner consistent with cognitive theories of depression. Antidepressants do not act as direct mood enhancers but rather change the relative balance of positive to negative emotional processing, providing a platform for subsequent cognitive and psychological reconsolidation.
Impact of childhood exposure to a natural disaster on adult
mental health: 20-year longitudinal follow-up study
Authors: McFarlane Alexander C. , Van Hooff Miranda
Published: July 2009

Background

Studies examining the impact of childhood disaster exposure on the
development of adult psychopathology report increased rates of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychopathology.

Aims

To examine the rates of PTSD and other lifetime DSM–IV disorders in
adults exposed to an Australian bushfire disaster as children in 1983
using a matched control sample recruited at the time of the original
study.

Method

A total of 1011 adults recruited from an original sample of 1531 were
assessed 20 years following the fires using the Composite International
Diagnostic Interview (CIDI–2.1).

Results

Results showed only a small direct impact of the fires on adult
psychiatric morbidity. A higher proportion of bushfire survivors met
criteria for ‘any DSM–IV disorder’ and ‘any anxiety’.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that the long-term impact of a prominent trauma in
childhood should be assessed in the context of other lifetime trauma in
order to provide a more accurate account of PTSD prevalence rates.
Differences in mortality and suicidal behaviour between treated and never-treated people with schizophrenia in rural China
Authors: Ran Mao-Sheng , Chan Cecilia Lai-Wan , Chen Eric Yu-Hai , Mao Wen-Jun , Hu Shi-Hui , Tang Cui-Ping , Lin Fu-Rong , Conwell Yeates
Published: July 2009

Background

Many people with schizophrenia remain untreated in the community. Long-term mortality and suicidal behaviour among never-treated individuals with schizophrenia in the community are unknown.

Aims

To explore 10-year mortality and suicidal behaviour among never-treated individuals with schizophrenia.

Method

We used data from a 10-year prospective follow-up study (1994–2004) among people with schizophrenia in Xinjin County, Chengdu, China.

Results

The mortality rate for never-treated individuals with schizophrenia was 2761 per 100 000 person-years during follow-up. There were no significant differences of rates of suicide and all-cause mortality between never-treated and treated individuals. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for never-treated people was 10.4 (95% CI 7.2–15.2) and for treated individuals 6.5 (95% CI 5.2–8.5). Compared with treated people, never-treated individuals were more likely to be older, poorer, have a longer duration of illness, marked symptoms and fewer family members.

Conclusions

The never-treated individuals have similar mortality to and a higher proportion of marked symptoms than treated people, which may reflect the poor outcome of the individuals without treatment. The higher rates of mortality, homelessness and never being treated among people with schizophrenia in low- and middle-income nations might challenge presumed wisdom about schizophrenia outcomes in these countries.
Recruitment from foundation year 2 posts into specialty training: a potential success story?
Authors: Boyle Ann M. , Chaloner Deborah A. , Millward Timothy , Rao Vidhya , Messer Charlotte
Published: July 2009

This paper examines the characteristics of a foundation year 2 post in psychiatry from the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland foundation programme, where all three of the trainees who occupied the post in its first year were successfully appointed to specialty training posts in psychiatry. We discuss the potential strengths of foundation posts in psychiatry as a possible recruitment aid into specialty training in psychiatry in the UK.
Community work – a cure for stigma and social exclusion?
Authors: Schneider Justine
Published: July 2009

It is possible to tackle exclusion by altering the nature of transactions between individuals and groups, including mental health services. One way to do this is to cultivate ‘social capital’ or interdependence between individuals and groups – as well as giving, each is entitled, but not compelled, to claim something in return. It is difficult, if not impossible, to sustain stigma and social exclusion when people are meeting mutual needs, building trust and helping each other. Mental health providers can foster social capital by creating community cohesion, namely interdependent relationships between individuals and organisations. This approach has been put into practice in the USA, where providers assert that small investments in building social capital return many times the cost. In the UK there is evidence that community development can make a contribution to mental health but it does not fit well with conventional approaches to mental health services – it calls for different skills and a vision that is collective rather than individualised.
A comparison of the Psychiatric Bulletin in two time periods: 1988–1992 and 2002–2006
Authors: Hanna Dalia , Smyth Rosemary
Published: July 2009

Aims and Method

We sought to gain an impression of how the Psychiatric Bulletin has changed over time. We took a ‘snapshot’ of the journal in two time periods, comparing characteristics of articles published early in its development (1988–1992) with those published more recently in its current format (2002–2006).

Results

The Bulletin has become more scientific, with the proportion of articles categorised as ‘original’ increasing from 31% (217/700) in the early period to 47% (263/565) in the later period. There is less emphasis on history of psychiatry and the arts.

Clinical Implications

Changes in the Bulletin are in line with psychiatry and medicine in general, placing more emphasis and value on research with systematic methodology.
de-Zoroastrianization and Islamization: The Two Phases of Iran's Religious Transition, 747–837 CE
Authors: Khanbaghi Aptin
Published: July 2009

About a half century after ruling Iran and shortly after conquering Central Asian lands (695–747 CE), the Muslim Arabs introduced political measures to Islamize these regions. Their policies generated discontent, and a period of uprisings followed that lasted nine decades (747–837 CE). This article investigates the sociopolitical upheavals of this period to explain the conversion of Iranians from Zoroastrianism to Islam as a two-stage process. The article argues that the Iranians first distanced themselves from conventional Zoroastrianism and followed insurgent leaders with new religious ideologies. After their leaders were defeated, they accepted the religion of their Muslim rulers.
Lust, Greed, Torture, and Identity: Narrations of Conversion and the Creation of the Early Modern Renegade
Authors: Norton Claire
Published: July 2009

The motives behind an individual's conversion to another religion are complex and frequently contested. The moment of conversion for the convert symbolizes the beginning of a new life and new opportunities; yet for the community he or she leaves, it is often interpreted as an act of religious and political betrayal, therefore prompting different, and often opposing, narratives of conversion. A number of tropes predominant in early modern English narratives dealing with conversion to Islam are of interest in this regard: the immoral deviant “renegade” motivated by excessive lust or greed who is worse than the “natural Turks,” and the practice of violent, involuntary, forced conversion. These tropes, through their rhetorical construction of the renegade, attempt to fashion both individual and communal selves that act to relieve the psychological threat to the collective identity of the English community presented by the renegade's translocation of political, cultural and religious loyalties. It is therefore problematic to uncritically read these narratives as accurate depictions of the reality of conversion in North Africa as some previous studies have done: other contextual evidence and the use of alternative narrative frames portray converts and conversion from a significantly different perspective. In this article, primarily through the study of captivity narratives, I explore how and why these tropes of conversion were employed, the functions they fulfilled, and the contexts in which they were produced and consumed.
“Lowering Our Prestige”: American Cinema, Mass Consumerism, and Racial Anxiety in Colonial India
Authors: Sinha Babli
Published: July 2009

This article studies the impact of the American cinema on British India in the early twentieth century. Cinema is a valuable lens with which to study the triangular relationship between the United States, Britain, and South Asia because American films were popular and controversial across national and social divisions and dominated over 90 percent of the film industry in colonial India in the 1920s. The discourse around the film industry constituted a locus in which stereotypes about identity and attitudes toward empire and toward the United States were debated if not resolved. The article argues that American films of the 1920s posited an alternative notion of whiteness and the West that stood for democracy and social mobility, clashed with the traditionalism and hierarchy of empire, and undermined the notion of an Indian identity at odds with foreign technologies and entertainment.
MEK5 and ERK5 are mediators of the pro-myogenic actions of IGF-2
Authors: Carter Emma J. , Cosgrove Ruth A. , Gonzalez Ivelisse , Eisemann Joan H. , Lovett Fiona A. , Cobb Laura J. , Pell Jennifer M.
Published: August 2009

During the differentiation of muscle satellite cells, committed myoblasts respond to specific signalling cues by exiting the cell cycle, migrating, aligning, expressing muscle-specific genes and finally fusing to form multinucleated myotubes. The predominant foetal growth factor, IGF-2, initiates important signals in myogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ERK5 and its upstream MKK activator, MEK5, were important in the pro-myogenic actions of IGF-2. ERK5 protein levels, specific phosphorylation and kinase activity increased in differentiating C2 myoblasts. ERK5-GFP translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus after activation by upstream MEK5, whereas phospho-acceptor site mutated (dominant-negative) ERK5AEF-GFP remained cytoplasmic. Exogenous IGF-2 increased MHC levels, myogenic E box promoter-reporter activity, ERK5 phosphorylation and kinase activity, and rapidly induced nuclear localisation of ERK5. Transfection with antisense Igf2 decreased markers of myogenesis, and reduced ERK5 phosphorylation, kinase and transactivation activity. These negative effects of antisense Igf2 were rescued by constitutively active MEK5, whereas transfection of myoblasts with dominant-negative MEK5 blocked the pro-myogenic action of IGF-2. Our findings suggest that the MEK5-ERK5 pathway is a novel key mediator of IGF-2 action in myoblast differentiation.
Inertial feeding in the teiid lizard Tupinambis merianae: the effect of prey size on the movements of hyolingual apparatus and the cranio-cervical system
Authors: Montuelle Stéphane J. , Herrel Anthony , Schaerlaeken Vicky , Metzger Keith A. , Mutuyeyezu Alexandre , Bels Vincent L.
Published: July 2009

In most terrestrial tetrapods, the transport of prey through the oral cavity is accomplished by movements of the hyolingual apparatus. Morphological specializations of the tongue in some lizard taxa are thought to be associated with the evolution of vomerolfaction as the main prey detection mode. Moreover, specializations of the tongue are hypothesized to compromise the efficiency of the tongue during transport; thus, driving the evolution of inertial transport. Here we use a large teiid lizard, Tupinambis merianae, as a model system to test the mechanical link between prey size and the use of inertial feeding. We hypothesize that an increase in prey size will lead to the increased recruitment of the cranio-cervical system for prey transport and a reduced involvement of the tongue and the hyolingual apparatus. Discriminant analyses of the kinematics of the cranio-cervical, jaw and hyolingual systems show that the transport of large prey is indeed associated with a greater utilization of the cranio-cervical system (i.e. neck and head positioning). The tongue retains a kinematic pattern characteristic of lingual transport in other lizards but only when processing small prey. Our data provide evidence for an integration of the hyolingual and cranio-cervical systems; thus, providing partial support for an evolutionary scenario whereby the specialization of the tongue for chemoreception has resulted in the evolution of inertial transport strategies.
Fluid–structure interactions of skeleton-reinforced fins:performance analysis of a paired fin in lift-based propulsion
Authors: Shoele Kourosh , Zhu Qiang
Published: July 2009

We investigate the thrust generation capacity of a thin foil consisting of a membrane strengthened by embedded rays that is geometrically, structurally and kinematically similar to pectoral fins of bony fishes during lift-based labriform locomotion. Our numerical model includes a fully nonlinear Euler–Bernoulli beam model of the skeleton and a boundary-element model of the surrounding flow field. The fin undergoes a dorso–ventral flapping activated by rotations of the rays. Both the trailing edge vortices(TEV) and the leading edge vortices (LEV) are accounted for and modeled as shear layers. The thrust generation and propulsion efficiency are examined and documented. Our results show that synchronization of rays is pivotal to the performance of the system. A primary factor that determines the performance of the fin is phase lags between the rays, which create variations of the effective angle of attack at the leading edge as well as shape changes throughout the fin surface. Structural flexibility of the rays leads to passive deformations of the fin, which can increase the thrust generation and the propulsion efficiency.
Adaptation to reduced salinity affects the olfactory sensitivity of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858) to Ca2+ and Na+ but not amino acids
Authors: Velez Zélia , Hubbard Peter C. , Barata Eduardo N. , Canário Adelino V. M.
Published: July 2009

The Senegalese sole is a marine flatfish, which often penetrates into estuarine waters to feed. It cannot, however, survive in full freshwater. The current study investigated the effect of adaptation to low salinity(10‰) on olfactory responses to changes in environmental[Ca2+] and [Na+] and amino acids by the electro-encephalogram (EEG) recorded from the olfactory bulb. The sole showed olfactory responses to increases in environmental [Na+] and decreases in environmental [Ca2+]; sensitivity to Na+was greater at 10‰ whereas sensitivity to Ca2+ was greater at 35‰. Decreased environmental [Na+] increased sensitivity to changes in [Ca2+] whereas increased environmental[Ca2+] decreased bulbar responses to changes in [Na+]. Sensitivity to amino acids was unaffected by external salinity. However, the absence of external Na+ strongly decreased bulbar responses to amino acids in fish adapted to 35‰ seawater but not in those at 10‰. The absence of external Ca2+ had no such effect at either salinity. This suggests that odorant-receptor binding and/or olfactory transduction is reliant on external Na+ (but not Ca2+)at higher salinities but the olfactory system is able to adapt to lower environmental [Na+]. Taken together, these results suggest that reductions of external salinity modulate olfactory sensitivity to environmental Ca2+ and Na+ but not amino acids. However,at low salinities, olfactory sensitivity to amino acids is maintained by decreasing reliance on external Na+.
Transcriptomic response of sea urchin larvaeStrongylocentrotus purpuratusto CO2-driven seawater acidification
Authors: Todgham Anne E. , Hofmann Gretchen E.
Published: July 2009

Ocean acidification from the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is expected to have deleterious consequences for many calcifying marine animals. Forecasting the vulnerability of these marine organisms to climate change is linked to an understanding of whether species possess the physiological capacity to compensate for the potentially adverse effects of ocean acidification. We carried out a microarray-based transcriptomic analysis of the physiological response of larvae of a calcifying marine invertebrate, the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, to CO2-driven seawater acidification. In lab-based cultures, larvae were raised under conditions approximating current ocean pH conditions (pH 8.01) and at projected, more acidic pH conditions (pH 7.96 and 7.88) in seawater aerated with CO2 gas. Targeting expression of ∼1000 genes involved in several biological processes, this study captured changes in gene expression patterns that characterize the transcriptomic response to CO2-driven seawater acidification of developing sea urchin larvae. In response to both elevated CO2 scenarios, larvae underwent broad scale decreases in gene expression in four major cellular processes:biomineralization, cellular stress response, metabolism and apoptosis. This study underscores that physiological processes beyond calcification are impacted greatly, suggesting that overall physiological capacity and not just a singular focus on biomineralization processes is essential for forecasting the impact of future CO2 conditions on marine organisms. Conducted on targeted and vulnerable species, genomics-based studies, such as the one highlighted here, have the potential to identify potential `weak links' in physiological function that may ultimately determine an organism's capacity to tolerate future ocean conditions.
Stable water-soluble CdSe/ZnS quantum dots with higher quantum efficiency as fluorescent biological label
Authors: Song Z , Shen Y , Yan H , You C , Yu B , Zhang J , Zhang X
Published: August 2009

Oil-soluble CdSe/ZnS (CdSe core, ZnS shell) semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared in a non-coordinating solvent and successfully turned into a water phase with a quantum efficiency as high as 48 per cent by using mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). MPA water-soluble QDs have the same optical spectra compared with those formed initially in organic solutions. The fluorescence intensity of the water-soluble QDs would last for several months in air. Bovine serum albumen (BSA) has been grafted onto the water-soluble QDs with covalent bonds by way of the chemical reaction of QDs with N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to form the BSA-QDs. Electrophoresis of the BSA-QDs with 1 per cent agarose has been performed in the buffer solution of phosphate buffer (PB, =7.4) to check the bioconjugation of QDs and BSA. Similarly, the QDs have been used as the fluorescent biological probe to label the antibody conjugated to the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and the corresponding positive control. The fluorescence microscope photographs prove that the anti-HBs and the corresponding positive control have not lost their biological activity. The results indicate that the water-soluble QDs can be very effective in cellular imaging.
Home-Based Peer Social Networks of Young Children With Down Syndrome: A Developmental Perspective
Authors: Guralnick Michael J. , Connor Robert T. , Johnson L. Clark
Published: August 2009

Numerous dimensions of the peer social networks of children with Down syndrome were examined within a developmental framework. Results revealed that for many key measures, particularly involvement in play, linkages to other settings, and control of play, children with Down syndrome have less well-developed peer networks even in comparison to a mental age matched group of typically developing children. This suggests both an absence of any social advantage in the peer context for children with Down syndrome and the existence of unusual difficulties that may be traced to underlying problems in peer-related social competence. The need for future observational studies of peer interactions for this group of children was emphasized.
Thymidine Kinase 1 and Thymidine Phosphorylase Expression in Non-Small-cell Lung Carcinoma in Relation to Angiogenesis and Proliferation
Authors: Brockenbrough J. Scott , Morihara Janice K. , Hawes Stephen E. , Stern Joshua E. , Rasey Janet S. , Wiens Linda W. , Feng Qinghua , Vesselle Hubert
Published: August 2009

The thymidine salvage pathway enzymes thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) compete for thymidine as a substrate and catalyze opposing synthetic and catabolic reactions that have been implicated in the control of proliferation and angiogenesis, respectively. We investigated the relationship between the expression of TK1 and TP as they relate to proliferation (Ki-67 labeling index) and angiogenesis (Chalkley count of CD31-stained blood vessels) in a series of 110 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors from patients prospectively enrolled in an imaging trial. TK1 and TP exhibited similar patterns of immunohistochemical distribution, in that each was found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Each enzyme exhibited a significant positive correlation between its levels of nuclear and cytoplasmic expression. A significant positive correlation between TK1 expression and the Ki-67 labeling index ( r = 0.53, p<0.001) was observed. TP was significantly positively correlated with Chalkley scoring of CD31 staining in high vs low Chalkley scoring samples (mean TP staining of 115.8 vs 79.9 scoring units, p<0.001), respectively. We did not observe a substantial inverse correlation between the TP and TK1 expression levels in the nuclear compartment ( r = −0.17, p=0.08). Tumor size was not found to be associated with TK1, TP, Ki-67, or Chalkley score. These findings provide additional evidence for the role of thymidine metabolism in the complex interaction of proliferation and angiogenesis in NSCLC.
Expression and Distribution of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator in Neurons of the Human Brain
Authors: Guo Yong , Su Min , McNutt Michael A. , Gu Jiang
Published: August 2009

The importance of the molecule cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is reflected in the many physiological functions it regulates. It is known to be present in epithelial cells of the lungs, pancreas, sweat glands, gut, and other tissues, and gene mutations of CFTR cause cystic fibrosis (CF). We studied the expression and distribution of CFTR in the human brain with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. This study demonstrates widespread and abundant expression of CFTR in neurons of the human brain. Techniques of double labeling and evaluation of consecutive tissue sections localized CFTR protein and mRNA signals to the cytoplasm of neurons in all regions of the brain studied, but not to glial cells. The presence of CFTR in central neurons not only provides a possible explanation for the neural symptoms observed in CF patients, but also may lead to a better understanding of the functions of CFTR in the human brain. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org . Please visit this article online to view these materials.
Chemical improvement of surfaces. Part 1: Novel functional modification of wood with covalently bound organoboron compounds
Authors: Namyslo Jan C. , Kaufmann Dieter E.
Published: July 2009

A novel type of chemical modification of wood was developed and applied to functionalise wood permanently with organoboron compounds. The covalent attachment of metalloid substituents via a benzotriazolyl-activated benzoic acid to wood hydroxy groups was in focus. Thus, standard modification procedures in wood chemistry – such as the acetylation – are improved by avoiding either the loss of half the reagent in the case of acid anhydrides or the release of corrosive hydrochloric acid in the case of carboxylic acid chlorides. The introduced boron moiety could be a contribution to solve a long-lasting problem in the field of wood protection: chemical fixation of an organoboron compound by means of a well-defined covalent bond. Accordingly, the hitherto insufficient long-term availability of conventionally spread boron compounds as wood protecting agents caused by leaching can now be avoided. The investigation was also extended to arylsilyl compounds, as a second type of organometal substances, which potentially allow for subsequent chemical modifications by ipso-substitution. The presented wood modification reactions yielded weight percent gain values from 14% to 31% on beech wood, spruce wood, and pine sapwood meal (approximately 500 μm in diameter) or pine sapwood veneer chips. The modified meals and chips were analysed by IR spectroscopy.
Cone Calorimeter—A Cautionary Tale
Authors: Hermesky Michael , Murrell Janet
Published: July 2009

Taking the fire regulations, test methods, and criteria used in one country and adopting them in another without looking at potential effects may have serious consequences. The basis of the reaction to fire classification of products for the Taiwanese market is to be amended. The system to be adopted currently forms the basis for the reaction to fire requirements in Japan, a country which is market protective and which is not reliant on imported building products. Taiwan is almost a mirror image of this. It has little or no building product industry of its own and is therefore totally reliant on imported goods. To make matters more difficult, it conducts port-side testing to ensure regulatory compliance. The results from the cone calorimeter test will be required to be less than 8 MJ for the measured total heat release. At these low levels of heat release, the stability of the classification system may be difficult to ensure as a consequence of the “uncertainty of measurement” associated with the “standard” cone calorimeter test. This would cause a lack of reliability in the classification and could significantly reduce the number and type of products reliably achieving each class, therefore greatly limiting the choice of product on the Taiwanese market. This study looks at the stability of the 8 MJ criteria and the adoption of a test standard intended for use in another market. It considers the consequences of increasing this criteria to a value where the uncertainty of the measurement is improved, without having a detrimental effect on fire safety.
The Formation of Sigma Phase in 17 per cent Chromium Steel
Authors: Heger J. J.
Published: August 2009

By using cold work and extended heating periods at 1050 F. (566 C.), sigma phase has been formed and identified in 17 per cent chromium (type 430) stainless steel.
The Occurrence of the Sigma Phase and Its Effect on Certain Properties of Cast Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys
Authors: Jackson J. H.
Published: August 2009

Since 1936, the most popular alloy used for heat-resistant castings has been of the HH type (cast 26 per cent chromium-12 per cent nickel). The estimated production of the HH type in relation to that of other popular heat-resistant alloys for the year 1949 is shown in Table I. With 42.5 per cent of the total production of heat-resistant castings being of the HH type (cast 26Cr-12Ni), it is natural that the properties and characteristics of this alloy have been investigated in great detail. The Alloy Casting Institute, through the individual efforts of its members and through its extensive sponsored research program, has pioneered a better understanding of the alloy.
Introduction
Authors: Schaefer A. O.
Published: July 2009

In recent years a variety of events and causes has aroused a concern on the part of engineers over the changes in the physical and mechanical properties of materials which may be expected when they are called upon to operate at extremely low temperatures. During the recent war, our outposts in Alaska made observations on the performance of their equipment at low temperatures. More recently, “Operation Frostbite” was reported in the daily press, and served to dramatize and create interest in this problem. Modern chemical processes seem to be increasingly demanding of equipment at low temperatures.
The Experimental Exploration of Plastic Flow in Sheet Metals
Authors: Jackson L. R. , Lankford W. T.
Published: July 2009

During the past fifty years a good deal of attention has been paid to the development of mathematical theories of plastic behavior. These efforts have been well summarized in recent papers by Nadai (1), Prager (2), and their coworkers (3, 4), as well as by many others. The development of experimental data suitable for allowing a choice to be made among various theoretical possibilities has not kept pace with the mathematical developments. The purpose of this report is to present some data on plastic flow in some sheet metals and to show that, when anisotropy in real materials is taken into account, some of the current theory appears to correlate flow results very well both in accounting for the stress required to maintain flow and in describing the distribution of strain resulting from various stress systems.
Super Creep-Resistant Alloys
Authors: Freeman J. W. , Frey D. N. , Reynolds E. E. , White A. E.
Published: July 2009

The available information regarding the factors which control the creep and rupture strength of the so-called superalloy is reviewed. Consideration is given to processing conditions, final treatments and chemical composition on the basis of available data and theoretical concepts.