bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic regulation of the PR-Set7 histone methyltransferase is required for normal cell cycle progression
Authors: Wu Shumin , Wang Weiping , Kong Xiangduo , Congdon Lauren M. , Yokomori Kyoko , Kirschner Marc W. , Rice Judd C.
Published: October 2010

Although the PR-Set7/Set8/KMT5a histone H4 Lys 20 monomethyltransferase (H4K20me1) plays an essential role in mammalian cell cycle progression, especially during G2/M, it remained unknown how PR-Set7 itself was regulated. In this study, we discovered the mechanisms that govern the dynamic regulation of PR-Set7 during mitosis, and that perturbation of these pathways results in defective mitotic progression. First, we found that PR-Set7 is phosphorylated at Ser 29 (S29) specifically by the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdk1)/cyclinB complex, primarily from prophase through early anaphase, subsequent to global accumulation of H4K20me1. While S29 phosphorylation did not affect PR-Set7 methyltransferase activity, this event resulted in the removal of PR-Set7 from mitotic chromosomes. S29 phosphorylation also functions to stabilize PR-Set7 by directly inhibiting its interaction with the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), an E3 ubiquitin ligase. The dephosphorylation of S29 during late mitosis by the Cdc14 phosphatases was required for APCcdh1-mediated ubiquitination of PR-Set7 and subsequent proteolysis. This event is important for proper mitotic progression, as constitutive phosphorylation of PR-Set7 resulted in a substantial delay between metaphase and anaphase. Collectively, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms that control PR-Set7 protein levels during mitosis, and demonstrated that its orchestrated regulation is important for normal mitotic progression.
The Form of the Penis in the British Rhinolophid Bats, compared with that in some of the Vespertilionid Bats; and (2) The Female Sexual Cycle in the British Horse‐shoe Bats, Rhinolophus ferrum‐equinum insulanus Barrett‐Hamilton and R. hipposideros minutus Montagu.
Authors: Matthews L. Harrison
Published: October 2010

1. Although the penis of the Chiroptera is generally described as pendulous, it is directed cranially in Rhinolophus ferrum‐equinum insulanus and R. hipposideros minutus.

2. In five species of British Vespertilionid bats the penis varies from the cranially directed type to the completely pendulous type.

3. The glans penis in the Rhinolophidse is large and complicated in architecture, but in the Vespertilionidse it is very small and comparatively simple.

4. The form and structure of the glans penis and prepuce in R. ferrum‐equinum insulanus and R. hipposideros minutus are briefly described and compared with those of five species of British Vespertilionid bats.

5. The biological correlations and taxonomic importance of the differences in the form and structure of the glans penis in the Rhinolophidae and the Vespertilionidae are indicated.
Observations on the Autonomic Nervous System and on Vertebral and Neural Segmentation in Monkeys.
Authors: Zuckerman S.
Published: October 2010

Rhesus monkeys normally have 29 precaudal vertebra, comprising 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 7 lumbar, and 3 sacral segments.

In 15 per cent. of 241 specimens a pair of small rib‐like processes articulated When the accessory thirteenth ribs are unequal with the first lumbar vertebra. in size, the right is usually larger than the left.

Variations in the total number of thoraco‐lumbar vertebrae have been observed in only eight (3‐3 per cent.) of 241 specimens. In two the number was reduced to 18, and in six it was increased to 20, 13 rib‐bearing vertebrz being followed by seven non‐rib‐bearing lumbar vertebra

The number of sacral vertebra was abnormal in only two of 168 specimens. In one there were four sacral vertebræ, in the other two.

As a result of the attachment of the lumbo‐costal arches to the second lumbar vertebra, the first lumbar (thirteenth postcervical) vertebra is invariably intrathoracic in position.

In the fully prefixed type of lumbo‐sacral plexus the femoral and obturator nerves are formed by branches of the third, fourth, and fifth lumbar roots, and the most cranial root of the sciatic is the fifth lumbar. In the fully postfixed type of lumbo‐sacral plexus the sixth lumbar root contributes to both the femoral and obturator nerves, and is also the most cranial root of origin of the sciatic. Intermediate arrangements occur in which the sixth lumbar root supplies the obturator and not the femoral nerve, and in which the uppermost root of origin of the sciatic is either the fifth or sixth lumbar. The prefixed type of plexus occurred in 59 (52.5 per cent.), the fully postfixed in 31 (28 per cent.), and intermediate arrangements in 22 (19.5 per cent.) of 112 dissections.

Specimens with 13 pairs of ribs usually have a postfixed lumbo‐sacral plexus. Such a plexus also frequently occurs in animals with the more usual number of 12 pairs of ribs.

The arrangement of the lumbo‐sacral plexus in anomalous specimens with an extra segment in the thoraco‐lumbar series suggests that the extra vertebra is formed by the duplication of the normal seventh lumbar (nineteenth postcervical) vertebra.

A detailed description of the main sympathetic nerves in the rhesus monkey is provided.

The caudal limit of emergence of white rami communicantes was the third lumbar root in 51, the fourth lumbar in 57, and the fifth lumbar in three of 111 specimens.

There is a tendency for the caudal level to be the third lumbar root in a prefixed and to be the fourth lumbar in a postfixed plexus.

The sacral autonomic nerves usually spring from the first and second sacral There is a possibility that some (twentieth and twenty‐first postcervical) roots. fibres of these nerves pass cranially in the hypogastric nerve‐trunks.

The relations of vertebral levels to the levels of origin of the spinal nerves from the cord are described.

The anatomy of the lumbo‐sacral plexus and of the sympathetic nerves in 12 other species of Primate is briefly stated.
The perceived threat of the risk for graft rejection and health‐related quality of life among organ transplant recipients
Authors: Nilsson Madeleine , Forsberg Anna , Bäckman Lars , Lennerling Annette , Persson Lars‐Olof
Published: October 2010

Aims. This study was primarily aimed for developing and testing a valid and reliable instrument that measures perceived threat of the risk for graft rejection after organ transplantation. A second aim was to report descriptive data regarding graft rejection and Health‐Related Quality of Life.

Background. The most serious risk connected with transplantations besides infection is graft rejection.

Design. Non experimental, descriptive involving instrument development and psychometric assessment.

Method. Questionnaires about perceived threat of the risk for graft rejection and Health‐Related Quality of Life were mailed to 229 OTRs between 19–65 years old. The items were formed from a previous interview study. Patients were transplanted with a kidney, a liver or a heart and/or a lung. All patients with follow‐up time of one year ± three months and three years ± three months were included.

Results. With an 81% response rate, the study comprised of 185 OTRs, who had received either a kidney (n = 117), a liver (n = 39) or heart or lung (n = 29). Three homogenous factors of perceived threat for graft rejection were revealed, labelled ‘intrusive anxiety’, ‘graft‐related threat’ and ‘lack of control’. Tests of internal consistency showed good item‐scale convergent and discriminatory validity. A majority of the OTRs scored low levels for ‘intrusive anxiety’. The kidney transplant recipients experienced more ‘graft‐related threat’ by acute graft rejection than those transplanted with a liver, heart or lung.

Conclusion. In conclusion, this study suggests that it is possible to measure the perceived threat of the risk for graft rejection in three homogenous factors.

Relevance to clinical practice. The instrument perceived threat of the risk for graft rejection, might be usable to measure the impact of fear of graft rejection, to predict needs of pedagogical intervention strategies to reduce fear and to improve Health‐Related Quality of Life related to graft rejection.
Blastomycosis‐like pyoderma: response to systemic retinoid therapy
Authors: Kobraei Kathy B. , Wesson Stanton K.
Published: October 2010

Blastomycosis‐like pyoderma is a proliferative tissue response with multifactorial etiologies that may mimic other inflammatory and neoplastic skin disorders. It often occurs on sun damaged skin of immunocompromised patients. We report a case of blastomycosis‐like pyoderma in a patient with underlying metastatic medullary carcinoma of the thyroid receiving treatment with sorafenib (a multikinase inhibitor). Prior treatments were unsuccessful. Our treatment with oral acitretin resulted in significant improvement.
Responsiveness of nonHerlitz Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa to topical gentian violet
Authors: Venugopal Supriya S. , Intong Lizbeth R.A. , Cohn Heather I. , Mather‐Hillon Jessica , Murrell Dedee F.
Published: October 2010

Background  Gentian violet (GV), a mixture of crystal violet and methyl violet, a dye belonging to the di‐ and triaminophenylmethanes class and has been widely used for its bactericidal and fungicidal properties. To date, there have been no reports of long‐term therapeutic use of GV in epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

Methods  Two brothers with nonHerlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) aged 12 and 14 tried topical GV to one lower leg with conventional silicone dressings and this was compared with leaving the other leg with silicone dressings alone, over 4 weeks. Wounds were photographed and measured using Visitrak analysis. Pain, ooze, and appearance were assessed using visual analog scales (VAS) scales and Quality of life using Dermatology Life Quality Index and QOLEB (2) tools.

Results  The side treated with dressings and GV reduced to 14.9 cm2 (−20.74%) and to 9.5 cm2 (−56.62%) for dressings alone in the older brother (EB‐012) and to 4.2 cm2 (+20%) and 12.5 cm2 (−7%) for the younger brother (EB‐011) in ulcer size, respectively. Both patients did complain of stinging on the sites treated within a few days. QOL measures and VAS scores did not show any significant change.

Conclusions  GV may be considered to be a therapeutic option for ulcers in nH‐JEB patients and potentially other EB subtypes. A formal randomized controlled trial and long‐term safety study of GV in EB is recommended.
Postinflammatory depigmentation: excellent results with suction blister grafting
Authors: Suthar Chandanmal , Gupta Somesh , Kathuria Sushruta
Published: October 2010

Depigmentation over the face of young females is usually not acceptable from an Indian social perspective. We are reporting a case of postinflammatory depigmentation over face of young female that was successfully treated. The patient developed depigmentation following inflammation as a result of a local application. She underwent three sessions of epidermal suction blister grafting with PUVA therapy instituted after the grafting to assist in the spreading of the pigmentation. First two sitting resulted in total repigmentation. She underwent a third sitting recently. Pigment spread is continuing with PUVA therapy in the area of the third session. The patient is satisfied with the outcome. In conclusion, we suggest that suction blister epidermal grafting can be tried in the treatment of postinflammatory depigmenation.
Manipulating Shape Cues in Dynamic Human Faces: Sexual Dimorphism is Preferred in Female but not Male Faces
Authors: Morrison Edward R. , Clark Andrew P. , Tiddeman Bernard P. , Penton‐Voak Ian S.
Published: October 2010

Sexual dimorphism in the human face has been linked to attractiveness, and computer‐graphic techniques have been useful in this field by allowing experimental manipulation of dimorphism. However, a limitation of much research is its reliance on static pictorial stimuli, whereas real faces are dynamic, as is much courtship behaviour throughout nature. Furthermore, little is known about possible interactions between static and dynamic facial cues and attractiveness. We adapted well‐established face‐morphing technology to manipulate sexual dimorphism in male and female dynamic facial displays depicting prosocial and antisocial behaviour. Masculinised and feminised versions of these videos were presented as a two‐alternative forced choice task to measure preferences. Feminised female videos were preferred in both movement contexts, as expected. More surprisingly, no directional preference for masculinity or femininity was evident for the male videos in either context. Further analysis showed that the movement of the faces (prosocial vs. antisocial) had no effect on attractiveness ratings. Results were the same with static stimuli and did not conflict with findings from the wider literature using static faces. These findings suggest that the new technique we describe is a valid way to manipulate facial shape in videos and can now be widely applied to future studies of facial morphing.
A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera)
Authors: Zahiri Reza , Kitching Ian J. , Lafontaine J. Donald , Mutanen Marko , Kaila Lauri , Holloway Jeremy D. , Wahlberg Niklas
Published: October 2010

Zahiri, R., Kitching, I. J., Lafontaine, J. D., Mutanen, M., Kaila, L., Holloway, J. D. & Wahlberg, N. (2010). A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 158–173.

To examine the higher level phylogeny and evolutionary affinities of the megadiverse superfamily Noctuoidea, an extensive molecular systematic study was undertaken with special emphasis on Noctuidae, the most controversial group in Noctuoidea and arguably the entire Lepidoptera. DNA sequence data for one mitochondrial gene (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and seven nuclear genes (Elongation Factor‐1α, wingless, Ribosomal protein S5, Isocitrate dehydrogenase, Cytosolic malate dehydrogenase, Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and Carbamoylphosphate synthase domain protein) were analysed for 152 taxa of principally type genera/species for family group taxa. Data matrices (6407 bp total) were analysed by parsimony with equal weighting and model‐based evolutionary methods (maximum likelihood), which revealed a new high‐level phylogenetic hypothesis comprising six major, well‐supported lineages that we here interpret as families: Oenosandridae, Notodontidae, Erebidae, Nolidae, Euteliidae and Noctuidae.
Parity and risk of diabetes in a Danish nationwide birth cohort
Authors: Naver K. V. , Lundbye‐Christensen S. , Gorst‐Rasmussen A. , Nilas L. , Secher N. J. , Rasmussen S. , Ovesen P.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 43–47 (2011)

Aims  The purpose was to elucidate the association between parity and the incidence of diabetes using national register data.

Methods  The study population consisted of all Danish women with a singleton delivery in 1982/1983 (n = 100 669), who subsequently had 74 966 deliveries. The included women were followed up via registries until the end of 2006 for subsequent deliveries, diagnosis of diabetes and death/emigration.

Results  A total of 2021 cases (2.0%) were diagnosed with diabetes in connection with hospitalization or outpatient treatment during follow‐up. Analyses were adjusted for fetal weight and duration of gestation, both at index pregnancy. Cox regression analysis with parity as a time‐varying exposure, stratified in two age groups, showed an association between parity and risk of a diagnosis of diabetes. In women <33 years of age, parity 2, 3 and 4 +  were associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with diabetes compared with parity 1 [relative risks: 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.1–2.3), 2.8 (1.8–4.3) and 2.5 (1.3–4.8), respectively]. Among women >33 years of age, parity 2 was associated with a significantly lower risk of diabetes diagnosis compared with parity 1, whereas parity 4 +  was associated with a significantly higher risk of diabetes diagnosis compared with parity 1.

Conclusions  The study shows that the risk of diabetes diagnosis increases with parity in young Danish women. This may support a causal association between diabetes and parity.
Deprivation impedes success of insulin intensification in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes; longitudinal linear mixed modelling of a retrospective observational cohort
Authors: Hine P. , Senniappan S. , Sankar V. , Amin R
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 338–344 (2011)

Aims  To examine the relationship between social deprivation, intensification of insulin therapy (≥ three injections per day) and diabetes control in children and adolescents.

Methods  We performed a longitudinal observational study of 283 children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes from three UK paediatric centres from 2005 to 2007. We used linear mixed modelling to identify the contribution of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, insulin regimen and demographic factors in explaining longitudinal differences in HbA1c levels.

Results  Overall mean HbA1c levels were 8.9% [sd 1.4, 74 mmol/mol (8 mmol/mol)]. Prescribing of intensive therapy increased from 49.2 to 70.1% (χ2 = 32.9, P < 0.001), but there was no corresponding improvement in HbA1c levels. Those from more educationally deprived backgrounds were less likely to be started on intensive therapy (P = 0.04). In linear mixed modelling, factors independently associated with poor metabolic control were greater social deprivation (P = 0.01), particularly lower educational levels (P = 0.006), and non‐White ethnicity (P = 0.04). Nested terms analysis showed that increased deprivation interacted with non‐White ethnicity (P = 0.009) and with intensive insulin therapy (P = 0.03) to result in poorer metabolic control. In a subgroup intensified from conventional regimens during follow‐up (n = 75), greater social deprivation was associated with least success of intensive therapy (P = 0.02).

Conclusions  Social deprivation was associated with low uptake and poor success of insulin intensification and this appeared to be largely mediated via lower educational levels.
Typology of the Eight Domains of Discretion in Organizations
Authors: Caza Arran
Published: October 2010

abstract

Discretion (an individual's latitude of action) is a fundamental element of work, with extensive individual and organizational consequences. Research has demonstrated the importance of discretion, but there is not yet a mature theory of discretion in organizations. Towards that end, this paper derives a multidimensional typology of discretion in organizations, integrating previous empirical results and archival interview data. It is found that discretion comprises eight distinct domains. This eight‐part typology casts new light on previous findings and contributes towards a mature theory of discretion. This article discusses the circumplex structure of the eight domains and their potential utility in characterizing fundamental aspects of work.
After Bagehot: Rethinking the Constitution
Authors: COLLS ROBERT
Published: October 2010

‘Rethinking the constitution’ surveys the political and cultural impact of Bagehot's 1867 strategy for the survival of an elitist state in a democracy. Also looks at the recent erosion of the conditions for Bagehot, and asks what the next major reinterpretation of the constitution will be. Assesses Gordon Brown's desire to make the constitution democratic while at the same time bolstering national identity and pursuing free market policies.
Just the Ticket? The Labour Party's Deputy Leadership Election of 2007
Authors: DENHAM ANDREW , DOREY PETER
Published: October 2010

Although there were six contenders for Labour's Deputy Leadership contest, it was conducted with remarkably little personal animosity. Nor, for the most part, were there substantive policy differences between the challengers, with the notable exception of the Iraq War. Instead, there was a clear determination to ‘move on’ from Blairism, and an acknowledgement that changes or new priorities were now necessary in key areas of policy, albeit without lurching to the Left or reviving ‘Old Labour’. As such, the main differences between the candidates derived from their differing perceptions of the role of the Deputy Leader, and what they would each contribute to the post if elected. The ballot also revealed the manner in which support for the six contenders varied across the three sections of Labour's electoral college, so that each candidate tended to be more popular among one section of the Party, but enjoyed less support from the other two sections.
AMBIVALENCE AND AUTHENTIC AGENCY
Authors: Ekstrom Laura W.
Published: October 2010

It is common to believe that some of our concerns are deeper concerns of ours than are others and that some of our attitudes are central rather than peripheral to our psychological identity. What is the best approach to characterizing depth or centrality to the self? This paper addresses the matter of the depth and authenticity of attitudes and the relation of this matter to the autonomy of action. It defends a conception of the real self in terms of preferences and convictions that cohere in a particular structural sense. It thereby gives content to the notion of wholeheartedness to which various action theorists make appeal. The approach is defended in part by an examination of how it handles the phenomenon of ambivalence.1
BEING IN THE WORLD
Authors: Raz Joseph
Published: October 2010

Actions for which we are responsible constitute our engagement with the world as rational agents. What is the relationship between such actions and our capacities for rational agency? I take this to be a question about responsibility in a particular use of that term, which I shall call ‘responsibility2’. We are not responsible2 for all our intentional actions (actions under hypnosis, for example), but we can nevertheless be responsible2 for actions we do not adequately control, for negligent actions, and for non‐intentional omissions. Appreciating this helps show that familiar principles of responsibility are false: those which delimit responsibility to intentional actions or to actions and outcomes under our control. In the attempt to fashion an alternative principle, cases of negligence prove pivotal. We hold ourselves and others responsible2 for conduct within our respective ‘domains of secure competence’, (i.e. that within which we are confident of doing what we set ourselves to do, barring events which defeat our competence), even when actions within that domain fail. The significance of this practice of holding ourselves and others responsible2 lies in the way it maintains our sense of who we are and of how we are related to the world in which we act.1
MORAL SCEPTICISM AND AGENCY: KANT AND KORSGAARD
Authors: Stern Robert
Published: October 2010

One argument put forward by Christine Korsgaard in favour of her constructivist appeal to the nature of agency, is that it does better than moral realism in answering moral scepticism. However, realists have replied by pressing on her the worry raised by H. A. Prichard, that any attempt to answer the moral sceptic only succeeds in basing moral actions in non‐moral ends, and so is self‐defeating. I spell out these issues in more detail, and suggest that both sides can learn something by seeing how the sceptical problematic arises in Kant. Doing so, I argue, shows how Korsgaard might raise the issue of scepticism against the realist whilst avoiding the Prichardian response.1
The influence of semantic neighbours on visual word recognition
Authors: Yates Mark
Published: October 2010

Although it is assumed that semantics is a critical component of visual word recognition, there is still much that we do not understand. One recent way of studying semantic processing has been in terms of semantic neighbourhood (SN) density, and this research has shown that semantic neighbours facilitate lexical decisions. However, it is not clear if this facilitation reflects actual word recognition processes or is instead due to participant strategies used during the lexical decision task. To address this, the current research used college students as participants and tested the effect of SN density using the semantic categorisation and progressive demasking tasks. Both of these tasks require word identification and are not susceptible to the participant strategies that are seen when using the lexical decision task. The results show that SN facilitates responding in both tasks, indicating that SN effects are not due to task‐specific strategies.
Text‐message abbreviations and language skills in high school and university students
Authors: De Jonge Sarah , Kemp Nenagh
Published: October 2010

This study investigated the use of text‐message abbreviations (textisms) in Australian adolescents and young adults, and relations between textism use and literacy abilities. Fifty‐two high school students aged 13–15 years, and 53 undergraduates aged 18–24 years, all users of predictive texting, translated conventional English sentences into textese using two methods: writing messages down and typing them into mobile phones. Participants produced a variety of textisms, and in both translation methods, adolescents and young adults used textisms in nearly identical ways. This was true for the proportion and types of textisms used, textism categories produced and consistency with which textisms were spelled. The use of textisms was negatively correlated with scores for reading, nonword reading, spelling and morphological awareness, but some of these relationships were accounted for by participants' usual text‐messaging frequency. For these age groups, concerns that frequent texting may mask or even contribute to poor linguistic skills cannot be dismissed.
Iterative support vector machine with guaranteed accuracy and run time
Authors: Ye Qiaolin , Zhao Chunxia , Ye Ning , Chen Yannan
Published: October 2010

Abstract:Using a conjugate gradient method, a novel iterative support vector machine (FISVM) is proposed, which is capable of generating a new non‐linear classifier. We attempt to solve a modified primal problem of proximal support vector machine (PSVM) and show that the solution of the modified primal problem reduces to solving just a system of linear equations as opposed to a quadratic programming problem in SVM. This algorithm not only has no requirement for special optimization solvers, such as linear or quadratic programming tools, but also guarantees fast convergence. The full algorithm merely needs four lines of MATLAB codes, which gives results that are similar to or better than that of several new learning algorithms, in terms of classification accuracy. Besides, the proposed stand‐alone approach is capable of dealing with instability of classification performance of smooth support vector machine, generalized proximal support vector machine, PSVM and reduced support vector machine. Experiments carried out on UCI datasets show the effectiveness of our approach.
‘A Certain Amount of Prudishness’: Nudist Magazines and the Liberalisation of American Obscenity Law, 1947–58
Authors: Hoffman Brian
Published: October 2010

In 1947, Sunshine and Health, the flagship magazine of the American nudist movement, challenged the limits of visual display in American society. Exhibiting more than just young, well‐proportioned nude women posing as pinups or centrefolds, it showed parts of the body (breasts, genitalia or buttocks) and types of bodies (male and female, both young and old, ‘civilised’ and ‘primitive’, slender and overweight) not normally seen in commercial publications. The legal history of nudist magazines from 1929 to 1963 reveals the contradictions that led to the fall of sexual liberalism and the explosion in eroticism that became a central feature of late twentieth‐century American society.
Cold War Conflicts and Cheap Cabaret: Sexual Politics at the 1975 United Nations International Women's Year Conference
Authors: Olcott Jocelyn
Published: October 2010

In a widely read memoir, a Bolivian union militant signals the moment of her alienation from the nongovernmental organisation tribune of the United Nations’ 1975 International Women's Year (IWY) conference in Mexico City by describing her dismay when she encountered a group of women clamouring for sexual rights, reiterating a persistent narrative about a trade‐off between sexual rights and other forms of social justice.  Drawing on feminist performance theory, this article examines the political performances of three central figures at IWY – Domitila Barrios de Chungara, Betty Friedan and Mexican theatre director Nancy Cárdenas – to explore the ways that political performances rooted in distinct scenarios, or historical contexts, generated a confusion of meanings around campaigns for sexual rights.
Tuber melanosporum: mating type distribution in a natural plantation and dynamics of strains of different mating types on the roots of nursery‐inoculated host plants
Authors: Rubini Andrea , Belfiori Beatrice , Riccioni Claudia , Arcioni Sergio , Martin Francis , Paolocci Francesco
Published: October 2010

Featured paper: See also the Editorial by Martin
Post‐translational modification of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 by intermittent hypoxia: evidence for the involvement of dopamine D1 receptor signaling
Authors: Raghuraman Gayatri , Prabhakar Nanduri R. , Kumar Ganesh K.
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1568–1578.

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with sleep apnea leads to cardio‐respiratory morbidities. Previous studies have shown that IH alters the synthesis of neurotransmitters including catecholamines and neuropeptides in brainstem regions associated with regulation of cardio‐respiratory functions. GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, has been implicated in cardio‐respiratory control. GABA synthesis is primarily catalyzed by glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that IH like its effect on other transmitters also alters GABA synthesis. The impact of IH on GABA synthesis was investigated in pheochromocytoma 12 cells, a neuronal cell line which is known to express active form of GAD67 in the cytosolic fraction and also assessed the underlying mechanisms contributing to IH‐evoked response. Exposure of cell cultures to IH decreased GAD67 activity and GABA level. IH‐evoked decrease in GAD67 activity was caused by increased cAMP – protein kinase A (PKA) – dependent phosphorylation of GAD67, but not as a result of changes in either GAD67 mRNA or protein expression. PKA inhibitor restored GAD67 activity and GABA levels in IH treated cells. Pheochromocytoma 12 cells express dopamine 1 receptor (D1R), a G‐protein coupled receptor whose activation increased adenylyl cyclase activity. Treatment with either D1R antagonist or adenylyl cyclase inhibitor reversed IH‐evoked GAD67 inhibition. Silencing D1R expression with siRNA reversed cAMP elevation and GAD67 inhibition by IH. These results provide evidence for the role of D1R‐cAMP‐PKA signaling in IH‐mediated inhibition of GAD67 via protein phosphorylation resulting in down‐regulation of GABA synthesis.
Pharmacological and neurochemical characterization of the involvement of hippocampal adrenoreceptor subtypes in the modulation of acute limbic seizures
Authors: Clinckers Ralph , Zgavc Tine , Vermoesen Katia , Meurs Alfred , Michotte Yvette , Smolders Ilse
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1595–1607.

Noradrenaline exerts inhibitory effects on seizure susceptibility. Subtype selective agonists and antagonists were used to identify the anticonvulsant hippocampal adrenoreceptors. Intrahippocampal dialysis was used for administration of all compounds, including pilocarpine for limbic seizure induction, and as the neurotransmitter sampling tool. The noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor maprotiline mediated anticonvulsant effects, associated with dose‐dependent increases in extracellular hippocampal noradrenaline, dopamine and GABA levels. At high concentrations, maprotiline produced proconvulsant effects associated with high levels of noradrenaline, dopamine and glutamate. Maprotiline’s anticonvulsant effect was blocked by administration of either a selective α2‐ and β2‐antagonist. α2‐Antagonist administration with maprotiline was associated with a further increase in noradrenaline and dopamine from maprotiline alone; whereas β2‐antagonist administered with maprotiline inhibited the dopamine increases produced by maprotiline. α1A‐Antagonism blocked the GABA‐ergic but not the anticonvulsive effect of maprotiline. These results were confirmed as combined but not separate α2‐ and β2‐adrenoreceptor stimulation, using selective agonists, inhibited limbic seizures. Interestingly, α1A‐receptor stimulation and α1D‐antagonism alone also inhibited seizures associated with respectively significant hippocampal GABA increases and glutamate decreases. The main findings of this study are that (i) increased hippocampal noradrenergic neurotransmission inhibits limbic seizures via combined α2‐ and β2‐receptor activation and (ii) α1A‐ and α1D‐adrenoreceptors mediate opposite effects on hippocampal excitability.
Amphetamine modulation of long‐term potentiation in the prefrontal cortex: dose dependency, monoaminergic contributions, and paradoxical rescue in hyperdopaminergic mutant
Authors: Xu Tai‐Xiang , Ma Qi , Spealman Roger D. , Yao Wei‐Dong
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1643–1654.

Amphetamine can improve cognition in healthy subjects and patients with schizophrenia, attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other neuropsychiatric diseases; higher doses, however, can impair cognitive function, especially those mediated by the prefrontal cortex. We investigated how amphetamine affects prefrontal cortex long‐term potentiation (LTP), a cellular correlate of learning and memory, in normal and hyperdopaminergic mice lacking the dopamine transporter. Acute amphetamine treatment in wild‐type mice produced a biphasic dose‐response modulation of LTP, with a low dose enhancing LTP and a high dose impairing it. Amphetamine‐induced LTP enhancement was prevented by pharmacological blockade of D1‐ (but not D2‐) class dopamine receptors, by blockade of β‐adrenergic receptors, or by inhibition of cAMP‐PKA signaling. In contrast, amphetamine‐induced LTP impairment was prevented by inhibition of post‐synaptic protein phosphatase‐1, a downstream target of PKA signaling, or by blockade of either D1‐ or D2‐class dopamine, but not noradrenergic, receptors. Thus, amphetamine biphasically modulates LTP via cAMP‐PKA signaling orchestrated mainly through dopamine receptors. Unexpectedly, amphetamine restored the loss of LTP in dopamine transporter‐knockout mice primarily by activation of the noradrenergic system. Our results mirror the biphasic effectiveness of amphetamine in humans and provide new mechanistic insights into its effects on cognition under normal and hyperdopaminergic conditions.
Somatic cell nuclear reprogramming of mouse oocytes endures beyond reproductive decline
Authors: Esteves Telma Cristina , Balbach Sebastian Thomas , Pfeiffer Martin Johannes , Araúzo‐Bravo Marcos Jesus , Klein Diana Claire , Sinn Martina , Boiani Michele
Published: October 2010

The mammalian oocyte has the unique feature of supporting fertilization and normal development, while capable of reprogramming nuclei of somatic cells toward pluripotency, and occasionally even totipotency. While oocyte quality is known to decay with somatic aging, it is not a given that different biological functions decay concurrently. In this study, we tested whether oocyte’s reprogramming ability decreases with aging. We show that oocytes isolated from mice aged beyond the usual reproductive age (climacteric) yield ooplasts that retain reprogramming capacity after somatic nuclear transfer (SCNT), giving rise to higher blastocysts rates compared to young donors ooplasts. Despite the differences in transcriptome between climacteric and young ooplasts, gene expression profiles of SCNT blastocysts were very similar. Importantly, embryonic stem cell lines with capacity to differentiate into tissues from all germ layers were derived from SCNT blastocysts obtained from climacteric ooplasts. Although apoptosis‐related genes were down‐regulated in climacteric ooplasts, and reprogramming by transcription factors (direct‐induced pluripotency) benefits from the inhibition of p53‐mediated apoptosis, reprogramming capacity of young ooplasts was not improved by blocking p53. However, more outgrowths were derived from SCNT blastocysts developed in the presence of a p53 inhibitor, indicating a beneficial effect on trophectoderm function. Results strongly suggest that oocyte‐induced reprogramming outcome is determined by the availability and balance of intrinsic pro‐ and anti‐reprogramming factors tightly regulated and even improved throughout aging, leading to the proposal that oocytes can still be a resource for somatic reprogramming when they cease to be considered safe for sexual reproduction.
Proteolysis of calcineurin is increased in human hippocampus during mild cognitive impairment and is stimulated by oligomeric Abeta in primary cell culture
Authors: Mohmmad Abdul Hafiz , Baig Irfan , LeVine 3rd Harry , Guttmann Rodney P. , Norris Christopher M.
Published: October 2010

Recent reports demonstrate that the activation and interaction of the protease calpain (CP) and the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN) are elevated in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the extent to which CPs and CN interact during earlier stages of disease progression remains unknown. Here, we investigated CP and CN protein levels in cytosolic, nuclear, and membrane fractions prepared from human postmortem hippocampal tissue from aged non‐demented subjects, and subjects diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The results revealed a parallel increase in CP I and the 48 kDa CN‐Aα (ΔCN‐Aα48) proteolytic fragment in cytosolic fractions during MCI. In primary rat hippocampal cultures, CP‐dependent proteolysis and activation of CN was stimulated by application of oligomeric Aβ(1–42) peptides. Deleterious effects of Aβ on neuronal morphology were reduced by blockade of either CP or CN. NMDA‐type glutamate receptors, which help regulate cognition and neuronal viability, and are modulated by CPs and CN, were also investigated in human hippocampus. Relative to controls, MCI subjects showed significantly greater proteolytic levels of the NR2B subunit. Within subjects, the extent of NR2B proteolysis was strongly correlated with the generation of ΔCN‐Aα48 in the cytosol. A similar proteolytic pattern for NR2B was also observed in primary rat hippocampal cultures treated with oligomeric Aβ and prevented by inhibition of CP or CN. Together, the results demonstrate that the activation and interaction of CPs and CN are increased early in cognitive decline associated with AD and may help drive other pathologic processes during disease progression.
Lost in translation – a history of systematic confusion and comments on the type species of Squalodon and Patriocetus (Cetacea, Odontoceti)
Authors: MARX FELIX G. , ALBERS JOHANNES , BERNING BJÖRN
Published: October 2010

Abstract:  The two odontocete taxa Squalodon grateloupii and Patriocetus ehrlichii, both the type species of their respective genera, have been at the centre of a great deal of taxonomic confusion. Originally regarded to be conspecific, these two taxa have been the subject of a bewildering taxonomic debate lasting for more than a century, which recently led to the suggestion to abandon these widely used names and replace S. grateloupii with the similar, yet independently and later proposed name S. gratelupi as the type species of Squalodon. Here, we attempt to summarise the events leading to the current confused situation in the hope of resolving this issue once and for all and argue that the name Squalodon grateloupii, as originally proposed, should be reinstated.
Evaluation of respiratory parameters at presentation as clinical indicators of the respiratory localization in dogs and cats with respiratory distress
Authors: Sigrist Nadja E. , Adamik Katja N. , Doherr Marcus G. , Spreng David E.
Published: October 2010

Objective
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To describe clinical respiratory parameters in cats and dogs with respiratory distress and identify associations between respiratory signs at presentation and localization of the disease with particular evaluation between the synchrony of abdominal and chest wall movements as a clinical indicators for pleural space disease.

Design
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Prospective observational clinical study.

Setting
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Emergency service in a university veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals
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Cats and dogs with respiratory distress presented to the emergency service between April 2008 and July 2009.

Interventions
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None.

Measurements and Main Results
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The following parameters were systematically determined at time of admission: respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, type of breathing, movement of the thoracic and abdominal wall during inspiration, presence of stridor, presence and type of dyspnea, and results of thoracic auscultation. Abdominal and chest wall movement was categorized as synchronous, asynchronous, or inverse. Diagnostic test results, diagnosis, and outcome were subsequently recorded. Based on the final diagnoses, animals were assigned to 1 or more of the following groups regarding the anatomical localization of the respiratory distress: upper airways, lower airways, lung parenchyma, pleural space, thoracic wall, nonrespiratory causes, and normal animals. One hundred and seventy‐six animals (103 cats and 73 dogs) were evaluated. Inspiratory dyspnea was associated with upper airway disease in dogs and expiratory dyspnea with lower airway disease in cats. Respiratory noises were significantly associated and highly sensitive and specific for upper airway disease. An asynchronous or inverse breathing pattern and decreased lung auscultation results were significantly associated with pleural space disease in both dogs and cats (P<0.001). The combination is highly sensitive (99%) but not very specific (45%). Fast and shallow breathing was not associated with pleural space disease. Increased or moist pulmonary auscultation findings were associated with parenchymal lung disease.

Conclusions
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Cats and dogs with pleural space disease can be identified by an asynchronous or inverse breathing pattern in combination with decreased lung sounds on auscultation.
Is Amnisure® useful in the management of women with prelabour rupture of the membranes?
Authors: NEIL Peter R. L. , WALLACE Euan M.
Published: October 2010

Aims:  Prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM), whether at term or preterm, can be a difficult diagnosis to confirm. Clinician uncertainty often leads to unnecessary intervention for risk management reasons. Amnisure® is a bedside immunoassay for placental alpha macroglobulin‐1 (PAMG‐1), which has been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of PROM. However, whether the use of Amnisure® alters clinical management remains untested. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical utility of Amnisure®.

Methods:  A prospective cohort study of 184 women presenting with a history of PROM to a tertiary maternity hospital. Before and after Amnisure®, the attending clinician assessed and recorded membrane status (PROM or intact), his/her level of confidence in this diagnosis, and the intended management plan.

Results:  There was clinician uncertainty regarding the diagnosis of PROM in 83 (47%) women. Amnisure® significantly increased clinician confidence and led to a change of intended management in 23 (13%) women. In 33 women presenting with possible preterm PROM, seven thought to have PROM before Amnisure® had a negative test, leading to a change of management in these women.

Conclusions:  Amnisure® is clinically useful when the clinician is uncertain about the diagnosis but not useful when the clinician is confident about the diagnosis. The use of Amnisure® in women where the diagnosis is uncertain is likely to significantly change management, including reduced hospitalisation for women with preterm PROM.
Iodine deficiency in pregnant women in the ACT
Authors: NGUYEN Bella , BAKER David , SOUTHCOTT Emma , POTTER Julia , SNEDDON Ann , HICKMAN Peter E.
Published: October 2010

In response to growing concern of an iodine deficiency emergence in Australia, this study was conducted to document the iodine status of pregnant women in the ACT. One hundred women presenting to the antenatal clinic at The Canberra Hospital answered a brief dietary questionnaire and provided a spot urine sample for the measurement of urine iodine excretion. The results revealed that the majority of women were consuming a diet low in iodine, confirmed by suboptimal concentrations of iodine in their urine.
Ultra‐Low‐Fire Zn2Te3O8–TiTe3O8 Ceramic Composites
Authors: Wang Sea‐Fue , Hsu Yung‐Fu , Wang Yuh‐Ruey , Sung Chuan‐Chun
Published: October 2010

In this study, ceramic composites of the Zn2Te3O8–TiTe3O8 system were adopted to improve the dielectric properties of the ultra‐low‐fire single‐phase Zn2Te3O8. The ceramic composites were densified at 600°C. The X‐ray diffraction results show no interaction between Zn2Te3O8 and TiTe3O8 during sintering. Granular grains in the range of 1–5 μm were observed, and the microstructural evolution was nearly independent of the TiTe3O8 content. Owing to the inertness between Zn2Te3O8 and TiTe3O8 ceramics, the dielectric constant (ɛr) and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) increased nearly linearly, while the quality factor (Q×f) decreased with the content of TiTe3O8 in the Zn2Te3O8 ceramic. The Zn2Te3O8–30 wt% TiTe3O8 ceramic composite sintered at 600°C reported the best dielectric properties with an ɛr of 19.8, a Q×f of 50 042 GHz (at a measurement frequency of 11.8 GHz), and a τf of 3.0 ppm/°C, qualifying the ultra‐low‐fire composites for use in ceramic resonators.
A Simple Technique for Imaging the Human Skeleton Using a Flatbed Scanner*
Authors: Fox Sherry C. , Eliopoulos Constantine , Moutafi Ioanna , Manolis Sotiris K.
Published: October 2010

Abstract:  A simple technique for imaging the human skeleton with a flatbed scanner is presented using the auricular surface of the ilium as an example. A flatbed scanner with resolution capabilities of 600 dpi or greater allows for images of human bones. The auricular surface of the ilium was selected to demonstrate this technique as it is a fairly three‐dimensional area that can be difficult to record photographically. Fifty left ilia of various ages at death from the Athens Collection were selected from which three observers (SCF, CE, and IM) scored the morphology of the auricular surface using a well‐established aging method. Observations were taken of the dry bone, of digital photographs of the bone, and of scanned images of the bone, and in that sequence. Results indicate that scores of scanned images are equivalent or better than digital images of the same ilia. This technique allows for sharing data electronically with ease.
Confidence Interval of the Likelihood Ratio Associated with Mixed Stain DNA Evidence*
Authors: Beecham Gary W. , Weir Bruce S.
Published: October 2010

Abstract:  Likelihood ratios are necessary to properly interpret mixed stain DNA evidence. They can flexibly consider alternate hypotheses and can account for population substructure. The likelihood ratio should be seen as an estimate and not a fixed value, because the calculations are functions of allelic frequency estimates that were estimated from a small portion of the population. Current methods do not account for uncertainty in the likelihood ratio estimates and are therefore an incomplete picture of the strength of the evidence. We propose the use of a confidence interval to report the consequent variation of likelihood ratios. The confidence interval is calculated using the standard forensic likelihood ratio formulae and a variance estimate derived using the Taylor expansion. The formula is explained, and a computer program has been made available. Numeric work shows that the evidential strength of DNA profiles decreases as the variation among populations increases.