bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Alpinumisoflavone and Abyssinone V‐4′‐Methyl Ether Derived from Erythrina lysistemon (Fabaceae) on the Genital Tract of Ovariectomized Female Wistar Rat
Authors: Mvondo M.A. , Njamen D. , Tanee Fomum S. , Wandji J.
Published: December 2011

Erythrina lysistemon is an African medicinal plant used as a palliative for problems in women. The crude extract of this plant was shown to exhibit estrogenic effects on the female rat reproductive tract and on cell cuture. Using classic chromatographic methods, two compounds have been isolated as major constituents of this extract: alpinumisoflavone (1) and abyssinone V‐4′‐methyl ether (2). To determine whether both compounds are actives principles accounting for E. lysistemon effects, we applied the classic 3‐day uterotrophic assay. We also carried out a ligand binding assay to determine whether the observed effects are estrogen receptor (ER) mediated. This study showed that whereas compound 1 displayed a fourfold preference for ERα, compound 2 bound ERα and ERβ with a same affinity. The in vivo study showed that compound 1 increased the uterine wet weight by 182.23% (p < 0.01) and 71.79% (p < 0.05) at doses of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg BW/day respectively. The uterine epithelium thickened dose‐dependently. Vaginal epithelial height also increased by 369.97 and 226.76% respectively (p < 0.01). Compound 2 acted only on the vagina and increased vaginal epithelial height by 244.56% (p < 0.01) at 1 mg/kg BW/day. These results suggest that compounds 1 and 2 are endowed with estrogenic properties accounting, at least in part, for E. lysistemon effects. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical insights into the visible near‐infrared absorption spectra of Bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonate) copper(II) in pyridine
Authors: de Almeida K. J. , Ramalho T. C. , Alves M. C. , Vahtras O.
Published: December 2011

The density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the specific solvent effects on the optical absorption spectrum of copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate complex in pyridine. The effects of single and double coordination of pyridine molecules at axial position of bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonate) copper(II) indicate that both positions and intensities of 3d–3d electronic transitions are strongly dependent on the coordination environment around the copper(II) complex. The results indicate that the nature of the electron‐acceptor atoms in the equatorial ligands plays an important role in the number of solvent molecules in the first solvation shell of copper(II) acac systems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Technical Feasibility of Robot‐Assisted Ventral Hernia Repair
Authors: Allison Nathan , Tieu Ken , Snyder Brad , Pigazzi Alessio , Wilson Erik
Published: December 2011

Background

The da Vinci robotic laparoscopic incisional hernia repair with intracorporeal closure of the fascial defect and circumferential suturing of the mesh may offer an alternative to current fascial closure and transabdominal sutures and tackers.

Methods

From 2009 to 2011, a retrospective review of 13 patients with a mean age of 51 years, median body mass index (BMI) of 31.53 kg/m2, and small and medium‐sized ventral hernias (mean fascial defect 37.39 cm2) were treated with the da Vinci robot system using intracorporeal primary closure of the fascial defect with a running O‐absorbable suture followed by underlay mesh fixation using a continuous running, circumferential, nonabsorbable suture. This study aimed to assess the technical feasibility of the procedure. In addition, the operating time and specific morbidity of postoperative pain, and long‐term recurrence were recorded.

Results

The mean operating time was 131 min. There were no conversions to open or standard laparoscopic techniques. There were no postoperative deaths. The overall morbidity rate was 13%. One patient remained in hospital for pain control, and another experienced urinary retention that required a Foley catheter. The mean hospital stay was 2.4 days. During a median follow‐up period of 23 months, one of the patients experienced a recurrent hernia. None experienced chronic suture site pain or discomfort.

Conclusions

This is a retrospective series review of robot‐assisted ventral hernia repair using intracorporeal primary closure followed by continuous running, circumferential fixation. The findings show that this technique is feasible and may not be associated with chronic postoperative pain. Further evaluation is needed, and long‐term data are lacking to assess the benefit to the patient, but this series can be the basis for future studies.
Future Expectations Among Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Sipsma Heather L. , Ickovics Jeannette R. , Lin Haiqun , Kershaw Trace S.
Published: December 2011

Future expectations have been important predictors of adolescent development and behavior. Its measurement, however, has largely focused on single dimensions and misses potentially important components. This analysis investigates whether an empirically‐driven, multidimensional approach to conceptualizing future expectations can substantively contribute to our understanding of adolescent risk behavior. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to derive subpopulations of adolescents based on their future expectations with latent class analysis. Multinomial regression then determines which covariates from Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory are associated with class membership. After modeling these covariates, we examine whether future expectations is associated with delinquency, substance use, and sexual experience. Our analysis suggests the emergence of four distinct classes labeled the Student Expectations, Student/Drinking Expectations, Victim Expectations, and Drinking/Arrest Expectations classes according to their indicator profiles. These classes differ with respect to covariates associated with membership; furthermore, they are all statistically and differentially associated with at least one adolescent risk behavior. This analysis demonstrates the additional benefit derived from using this multidimensional approach for studying future expectations. Further research is needed to investigate its stability and role in predicting adolescent risk behavior over time.
Sophorolipid Production by Starmerella bombicola (ATCC 22214) from Virgin and Waste Frying Oils, and the Effects of Activated Earth Treatment of the Waste Oils
Authors: Wadekar Sushant , Kale Sandeep , Lali Arvind , Bhowmick Diptinarayan , Pratap Amit
Published: December 2011

Frying is one of the most common processes in households, restaurants and food industries. During frying, oil undergoes degradation and hence has to be replaced time to time. This creates large amounts of waste causing disposal and environmental problems. Sophorolipids are produced by microbial bioconversion of refined vegetable oils along with glucose. The raw material cost accounts for 10–30% of the overall cost of biosurfactant production that can be reduced by using a low cost substrate like waste frying oil. In the present work, waste frying oils were used in the production of sophorolipids at the shake flask level. It gave mainly (70–80%) the acidic form of sophorolipids. It was observed that the linoleic acid was preferentially consumed over other fatty acids by the organism (Starmerella bombicola). The activated earth treatment was found to improve the yield of sophorolipids and hence the treatment can be used to convert waste frying oil as a low cost substrate into a cost effective carbon source.
Vitamin B6 supplementation in pregnant women with nausea and vomiting
Authors: Wibowo Noroyono , Purwosunu Yuditiya , Sekizawa Akihiko , Farina Antonio , Tambunan Victor , Bardosono Saptawati
Published: December 2011

Objective

To determine whether supplementation with vitamin B6 improves nausea and/or vomiting in pregnancy.

Methods

This experimental study was conducted with 60 pregnant women experiencing nausea and/or vomiting prior to the 12th gestational week. Of these women, 30 were treated daily with 10 mg and the remaining 30 with 1.28 mg of pyridoxine hydrochloride for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was the Pregnancy‐Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea (PUQE) score in each group at the end of treatment.

Results

The women experiencing nausea and/or vomiting in pregnancy had significantly lower levels of circulating vitamin B6 (P = 0.007) compared with those without this symptom. Vitamin B6 supplementation significantly increased plasma vitamin B6 concentration (P < 0.05 in both groups). There were no significant differences in PUQE score or in plasma concentration levels of protein, dopamine, serotonin, unconjugated estriol, and ghrelin after supplementation between the 2 groups at baseline, but there was a significantly lesser decrease in PUQE score and a greater increase in vitamin B6 level and vitamin B6 concentration to plasma protein concentration ratios in group 1 than in group 2 after supplementation (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion

Although the high‐supplementation group had a greater decrease in PUQE score in comparison to the low‐supplementation group, the difference is unlikely to affect the severity of symptoms.
Non-local energy transfers in rotating turbulence at intermediate Rossby number
Authors: Bourouiba L. , Straub D. N. , Waite M. L.
Published: December 2011

Turbulent flows subject to solid-body rotation are known to generate steep energy spectra and two-dimensional columnar vortices. The localness of the dominant energy transfers responsible for the accumulation of the energy in the two-dimensional columnar vortices of large horizontal scale remains undetermined. Here, we investigate the scale-locality of the energy transfers directly contributing to the growth of the two-dimensional columnar structures observed in the intermediate Rossby number ($\mathit{Ro}$) regime. Our approach is to investigate the dynamics of the waves and vortices separately: we ensure that the two-dimensional columnar structures are not directly forced so that the vortices can result only from association with wave to vortical energy transfers. Detailed energy transfers between waves and vortices are computed as a function of scale, allowing the direct tracking of the role and scales of the wave–vortex nonlinear interactions in the accumulation of energy in the large two-dimensional columnar structures. It is shown that the dominant energy transfers responsible for the generation of a steep two-dimensional spectrum involve direct non-local energy transfers from small-frequency small-horizontal-scale three-dimensional waves to large-horizontal-scale two-dimensional columnar vortices. Sensitivity of the results to changes in resolution and forcing scales is investigated and the non-locality of the dominant energy transfers leading to the emergence of the columnar vortices is shown to be robust. The interpretation of the scaling law observed in rotating flows in the intermediate-$\mathit{Ro}$ regime is revisited in the light of this new finding of dominant non-locality.
“Our Most Serious Enemy”: The Specter of Judeo-Bolshevism in the German Military Community, 1914–1923
Authors: Crim Brian E.
Published: December 2011

That theWehrmachtparticipated fully in a racial war of extermination on behalf of the National Socialist regime is indisputable. Officers and enlisted men alike accepted the logic that the elimination of the Soviet Union was necessary for Germany's survival. The Wehrmacht's atrocities on the Eastern Front are a testament to the success of National Socialist propaganda and ideological training, but the construct of “Judeo-bolshevism” originated during World War I and its immediate aftermath. Between 1918 and 1923, central Europe witnessed a surge in right-wing paramilitary violence and anti-Semitic activity resulting from fears of bolshevism and a widely held belief that Jews were largely responsible for spreading revolution. Jews suffered the consequences of revolution and resurgent nationalism in the borderlands between Germany and Russia after World War I, but it was inside Germany that the construct of Judeo-bolshevism evolved into a powerful rhetorical tool for the growingvölkischmovement and eventually a justification for genocide.
Functional genome annotation ofDrosophilaseminal fluid proteins using transcriptional genetic networks
Authors: AYROLES JULIEN F. , LAFLAMME BROOKE A. , STONE ERIC A. , WOLFNER MARIANA F. , MACKAY TRUDY F. C.
Published: December 2011

Predicting functional gene annotations remains a significant challenge, even in well-annotated genomes such as yeast andDrosophila. One promising, high-throughput method for gene annotation is to use correlated gene expression patterns to annotate target genes based on the known function of focal genes. TheDrosophila melanogastertranscriptome varies genetically among wild-derived inbred lines, with strong genetic correlations among the transcripts. Here, we leveraged the genetic correlations in gene expression among known seminal fluid protein (SFP) genes and the rest of the genetically varying transcriptome to identify 176 novel candidate SFPs (cSFPs). We independently validated the correlation in gene expression between seven of the cSFPs and a known SFP gene, as well as expression in male reproductive tissues. We argue that this method can be extended to other systems for which information on genetic variation in gene expression is available.
Taking to the Waves: Vietnamese society around the radio in the 1930s
Authors: DeWALD ERICH
Published: December 2011

Compared with other public media, the colonial state showed a relative lack of interest in radio broadcasting, which developed in Vietnam in the 1930s under the aegis of two organizations based in Hanoi and Saigon, the Radio-Club de l'Indochine du Nord and Radio Saigon. These two groups were largely responsible for the new technology's expansion and for determining the content of broadcasting. The groups actively consulted the growing radio public, and that vocal audience played a role in determining not just what was heard but also in the social life of radio in late-colonial Vietnam. The content of radio was limited to a non-political domain and this fact, along with the particular position that many radios took in the social geography of towns and cities, lent itself to the easy entry of the radio into day-to-day life. Indeed, the early history of radio in Vietnam is remarkable for how rapidly it became commonplace, even banal.
Religion, Pluralism, and Iconography in the Public Sphere: Theory and Evidence from Lebanon
Authors: Corstange Daniel
Published: December 2011

This article examines mass public discourse on religion and pluralism in diverse societies. It argues that religion enters the public sphere by defining countervailing narratives about sectarianism, which is exclusive and divisive, and ecumenicism, which is inclusive and unifying. Most empirical studies focus on elites as the producers of discourse and ignore the regular people who comprise the “real” public. In contrast to prior work, this article systematically examines mass public discourse, with Lebanon, a religiously diverse developing world society, as its research venue. It uses a novel combination of original survey data and publicly displayed religious and political iconography to study the exchange of ideas about religion and pluralism among the mass public. It shows that sectarian discourse articulates ethnocentric and antiplural statements, whereas ecumenicism, by contrast, mitigates ethnocentrism and valorizes pluralism.
Foveal cone density shows a rapid postnatal maturation in the marmoset monkey
Authors: SPRINGER ALAN D. , TROILO DAVID , POSSIN DANIEL , HENDRICKSON ANITA E.
Published: December 2011

The spatial and temporal pattern of cone packing during marmoset foveal development was explored to understand the variables involved in creating a high acuity area. Retinal ages were between fetal day (Fd) 125 and 6 years. Cone density was determined in wholemounts using a new hexagonal quantification method. Wholemounts were labeled immunocytochemically with rod markers to identify reliably the foveal center. Cones were counted in small windows and density was expressed as cones × 103/mm2 (K). Two weeks before birth (Fd 125–130), cone density had a flat distribution of 20–30 K across the central retina encompassing the fovea. Density began to rise at postnatal day 1 (Pd 1) around, but not in, the foveal center and reached a parafoveal peak of 45–55 K by Pd 10. Between Pd 10 and 33, there was an inversion such that cone density at the foveal center rose rapidly, reaching 283 K by 3 months and 600 K by 5.4 months. Peak foveal density then diminished to 440 K at 6 months and older. Counts done in sections showed the same pattern of low foveal density up to Pd 1, a rapid rise from Pd 30 to 90, followed by a small decrease into adulthood. Increasing foveal cone density was accompanied by 1) a reduction in the amount of Müller cell cytoplasm surrounding each cone, 2) increased stacking of foveal cone nuclei into a mound 6–10 deep, and 3) a progressive narrowing of the rod-free zone surrounding the fovea. Retaining foveal cones in a monolayer precludes final foveal cone densities above 60 K. However, high foveal adult cone density (300 K) can be achieved by having cone nuclei stack into columns and without reducing their nuclear diameter. Marmosets reach adult peak cone density by 3–6 months postnatal, while macaques and humans take much longer. Early weaning and an arboreal environment may require rapid postnatal maturation of the marmoset fovea.
GABA inactivation of visual area MT modifies the responsiveness and direction selectivity of V2 neurons in Cebus monkeys
Authors: JANSEN-AMORIM ANA KARLA , LIMA BRUSS , FIORANI MARIO , GATTASS RICARDO
Published: December 2011

We investigated the contribution of the projections from area MT to the receptive field properties of cells in visual area V2 in anesthetized and paralyzed Cebus apella monkeys. We recorded extracellular single-unit activity using tungsten microelectrodes in three monkeys before and after pressure injection of a 0.25-mol/l GABA solution. The visual stimulus consisted of a single bar moving in one of eight directions. In total, 72 V2 neurons were studied in 18 sessions of GABA injection into area MT. A group of 22 neurons was investigated over a shorter period of time ranging from 15 to 60 min, during which the activity did not return to baseline levels. The remaining 50 neurons were studied over a period of at least 2 h, and no statistical difference was observed in the neuronal response before and long after GABA inactivation. The effects on these 50 neurons consisted of an early (1–20 min) significant general decrease in excitability with changes in either orientation or direction selectivity. The differential decrease in excitability resulted in an intermediate improvement (20–40 min) of the signal-to-noise ratio for the stimulus-driven activity. The inactivation depended on the quantity of GABA injected into area MT and persisted for a period of 2 h. The GABA inactivation in area MT produced inhibition of most cells (72%) and a significant change of direction tuning in the majority (56%) of V2 neurons. Both increases and also decreases in the direction tuning of V2 neurons were observed. These feedback projections are capable of modulating not only the levels of spontaneous and driven activity of V2 neurons but also the V2 receptive field properties, such as direction selectivity.
Vitamin A activates rhodopsin and sensitizes it to ultraviolet light
Authors: MIYAZONO SADAHARU , ISAYAMA TOMOKI , DELORI FRANÇOIS C. , MAKINO CLINT L.
Published: December 2011

The visual pigment, rhodopsin, consists of opsin protein with 11-cisretinal chromophore, covalently bound. Light activates rhodopsin by isomerizing the chromophore to the all-transconformation. The activated rhodopsin sets in motion a biochemical cascade that evokes an electrical response by the photoreceptor. All-transretinal is eventually released from the opsin and reduced to vitamin A. Rod and cone photoreceptors contain vast amounts of rhodopsin, so after exposure to bright light, the concentration of vitamin A can reach relatively high levels within their outer segments. Since a retinal analog, β-ionone, is capable of activating some types of visual pigments, we tested whether vitamin A might produce a similar effect. In single-cell recordings from isolated dark-adapted salamander green-sensitive rods, exogenously applied vitamin A decreased circulating current and flash sensitivity and accelerated flash response kinetics. These changes resembled those produced by exposure of rods to steady light. Microspectrophotometric measurements showed that vitamin A accumulated in the outer segments and binding of vitamin A to rhodopsin was confirmed inin vitroassays. In addition, vitamin A improved the sensitivity of photoreceptors to ultraviolet (UV) light. Apparently, the energy of a UV photon absorbed by vitamin A transferred by a radiationless process to the 11-cisretinal chromophore of rhodopsin, which subsequently isomerized. Therefore, our results suggest that vitamin A binds to rhodopsin at an allosteric binding site distinct from the chromophore binding pocket for 11-cisretinal to activate the rhodopsin, and that it serves as a sensitizing chromophore for UV light.
Transnationalism, Unilateralism and International Law
Authors: Shaffer Gregory , Bodansky Daniel
Published: December 2011

When we speak of transnational environmental law and legal process, we are concerned with the migration and impact of legal norms, rules and models across borders. Such migration can occur through the mediation of international law and institutions, or through the impact of unilateral legal developments in one jurisdiction that affect behaviour in others. The paper discusses the importance of assessing transnational environmental law in light of the constraints facing consent-based international environmental law, examines the trade-offs between transnational and international environmental law from the perspective of legitimacy, and concludes by discussing the important but delicate relation of international law to transnational environmental law as both a check and a consolidator. International law should guard against the self-serving unilateral use of transnational environmental law, but it should do so in a way that preserves (and does not shut off) the dynamic, responsive character of the transnational environmental law process. Otherwise international law itself will be delegitimized.
Thin filament simulations for Earth's plasma sheet: Tests of validity of the quasi‐static convection approximation
Authors: Wolf R. A. , Chen C. X. , Toffoletto F. R.
Published: December 2011

The main goal of this paper is to estimate the errors involved in applying a quasi‐static convection model such as the Rice Convection Model (RCM) or its equilibrium version (RCM‐E), which neglect inertial currents, to treat the injection of fresh particles into the inner magnetosphere in a substorm expansion phase. The approach is based on the idea that the dipolarization process involves earthward motion of a bubble that consists of flux tubes that have lower values of the entropy parameter than the surrounding medium. Our tests center on comparing MHD simulations with RCM‐ and RCM‐E‐like quasi‐static approximations, for cases where the bubble is considered to be a thin ideal‐MHD filament. Those quasi‐static solutions miss the interchange oscillations that are often a feature of the MHD results. RCM and, to a lesser extent, RCM‐E calculations tend to overestimate the westward electric field at the ionospheric footprint of the bubble and underestimate its duration. However, both get the time integral of the E × B drift velocity right as well as the net energization of the particles in the filament. The quasi‐static approximation is most accurate if its computed value of the braking time of the bubble's earthward motion is long compared to the period of the relevant interchange oscillation. Comparison of MHD filament simulations of interchange instability with corresponding RCM calculations suggests a similar validity criterion. For plasma sheet conditions, the quasi‐static approximation is typically best if the background medium has lowβ, worst if it consists of highly stretched field lines.
Kinematics of steep bedrock permafrost
Authors: Hasler Andreas , Gruber Stephan , Beutel Jan
Published: December 2011

The mechanisms that control climate‐dependent rockfall from permafrost mountain slopes are currently poorly understood. In this study, we present the results of an extensive rock slope monitoring campaign at the Matterhorn (Switzerland) with a wireless sensor network. A negative dependency of cleft expansion relative to temperature was observed at all clefts for the dominant part of the year. At many clefts this process is interrupted by a period with increased opening and shearing activity in the summer months. More specific, this period lasts from sustained melting within the cleft to the first freezing in autumn. Based on these empirical findings we identify two distinct process regimes governing the cleft motion observed. Combining current theories with laboratory evidence on rock slope movement and stability, we postulate that (1) the negative temperature‐dependency is caused by thermomechanical forcing and is reinforced by cryogenic processes during the freezing period and, (2) the enhanced movement in summer originates from a hydro‐thermally induced strength reduction in clefts containing perennial ice. It can be assumed that the irreversible part of the process described in (1) slowly modifies the geometric settings and cleft characteristics of permafrost rock slopes in the long term. The thawing related processes (2) can affect stability within hours or weeks. Such short‐term stability minima may activate rock masses subject to the slow changes and lead to acceleration and failure.
Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil
Authors: Shrestha Pravin Malla , Kammann Claudia , Lenhart Katharina , Dam Bomba , Liesack Werner
Published: December 2011

Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0–10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH4 m−2 h−1. Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 105–1.9 × 106 copies g−1 of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but had no effect on methanotrophic population dynamics. The soil moisture was negatively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but showed a positive correlation with changes in USCα-like diversity (P<0.001) and pmoA gene abundance (P<0.05). These were greatest at low net CH4 uptake rates during winter times and coincided with an overall increase in bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundances (P<0.05). Taken together, soil moisture had a significant but opposed effect on CH4 uptake rates and methanotrophic population dynamics, the latter being increasingly stimulated by soil moisture contents >50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade.
Corals shed bacteria as a potential mechanism of resilience to organic matter enrichment
Authors: Garren Melissa , Azam Farooq
Published: December 2011

Understanding the mechanisms of resilience of coral reefs to anthropogenic stressors is a critical step toward mitigating their current global decline. Coral–bacteria associations are fundamental to reef health and disease, but direct observations of these interactions remain largely unexplored. Here, we use novel technology, high-speed laser scanning confocal microscopy on live coral (Pocillopora damicornis), to test the hypothesis that corals exert control over the abundance of their associated bacterial communities by releasing (‘shedding’) bacteria from their surface, and that this mechanism can counteract bacterial growth stimulated by organic inputs. We also test the hypothesis that the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus can evade such a defense mechanism. This first report of direct observation with high-speed confocal microscopy of living coral and its associated bacterial community revealed a layer (3.3–146.8 μm thick) on the coral surface where bacteria were concentrated. The results of two independent experiments showed that the bacterial abundance in this layer was not sensitive to enrichment (5 mg l−1 peptone), and that coral fragments exposed to enrichment released significantly more bacteria from their surfaces than control corals (P<0.01; 35.9±1.4 × 105 cells cm−2 coral versus 1.3±0.5 × 105 cells cm−2 coral). Our results provide direct support to the hypothesis that shedding bacteria may be an important mechanism by which coral-associated bacterial abundances are regulated under organic matter stress. Additionally, the novel ability to watch this ecological behavior in real-time at the microscale opens an unexplored avenue for mechanistic studies of coral–microbe interactions.
Metaproteogenomic analysis of microbial communities in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of rice
Authors: Knief Claudia , Delmotte Nathanaël , Chaffron Samuel , Stark Manuel , Innerebner Gerd , Wassmann Reiner , von Mering Christian , Vorholt Julia A
Published: December 2011

The above- and below-ground parts of rice plants create specific habitats for various microorganisms. In this study, we characterized the phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiota of rice cultivars using a metaproteogenomic approach to get insight into the physiology of the bacteria and archaea that live in association with rice. The metaproteomic datasets gave rise to a total of about 4600 identified proteins and indicated the presence of one-carbon conversion processes in the rhizosphere as well as in the phyllosphere. Proteins involved in methanogenesis and methanotrophy were found in the rhizosphere, whereas methanol-based methylotrophy linked to the genus Methylobacterium dominated within the protein repertoire of the phyllosphere microbiota. Further, physiological traits of differential importance in phyllosphere versus rhizosphere bacteria included transport processes and stress responses, which were more conspicuous in the phyllosphere samples. In contrast, dinitrogenase reductase was exclusively identified in the rhizosphere, despite the presence of nifH genes also in diverse phyllosphere bacteria.
Coral-associated marine fungi form novel lineages and heterogeneous assemblages
Authors: Amend Anthony S , Barshis Daniel J , Oliver Thomas A
Published: December 2011

Coral stress tolerance is intricately tied to the animal's association with microbial symbionts. The most well-known of these symbioses is that between corals and their dinoflagellate photobionts (Symbiodinium spp.), whose genotype indirectly affects whether a coral can survive cyclical and anthropogenic warming events. Fungi comprise a lesser-known coral symbiotic community whose taxonomy, stability and function is largely un-examined. To assess how fungal communities inside a coral host correlate with water temperature and the genotype of co-occurring Symbiodinium, we sampled Acropora hyacinthus coral colonies from adjacent natural pools with different water temperatures and Symbiodinium identities. Phylogenetic analysis of coral-associated fungal ribosomal DNA amplicons showed a high diversity of Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes, including several clades separated from known fungal taxa by long and well-supported branches. Community similarity did not correlate with any measured variables, and total fungal community composition was highly variable among A. hyacinthus coral colonies. Colonies in the warmer pool contained more phylogenetically diverse fungal communities than the colder pool and contained statistically significant ‘indicator’ species. Four taxa were present in all coral colonies sampled, and may represent obligate associates. Messenger RNA sequenced from a subset of these same colonies contained an abundance of transcripts involved in metabolism of complex biological molecules. Coincidence between the taxonomic diversity found in the DNA and RNA analysis indicates a metabolically active and diverse resident marine fungal community.
Analysis of Endothelial Protein C Receptor Gene and Metabolic Profile in Prader‐Willi Syndrome and Obese Subjects
Authors: Faienza Maria F. , Ventura Annamaria , Lauciello Rosaria , Crinò Antonino , Ragusa Letizia , Cavallo Luciano , Spera Sabrina , Grugni Graziano
Published: December 2011

The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) has a critical role in the regulation of anticoagulant and anti‐inflammatory functions of activated protein C (APC). Abnormalities in EPCR might be associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. In this respect, a 23 bp insertion in the exon 3 of theEPCRgene predicts a truncated protein which cannot bind APC. High levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP), a strong predictor of cardiovascular events, are found both in the obese and in subjects with Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS). Several cardiovascular risk factors are already present in prepubertal PWS children, but it is uncertain which mechanism contributes to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in PWS. We analyzed the distribution of 23 bp insertion in theEPCRgene in 81 overweight and obese PWS subjects, 52 adults and 29 children, and in 58 overweight and obese children and adolescents (controls). We found that 1/58 (1.7%) of the controls was heterozygous for the 23 bp insertion, while this mutation was never found in PWS subjects. Furthermore, we evaluated CRP levels, glucose, insulin, and lipid profile, and we found higher CRP values in PWS adults with respect to children with PWS and controls, and a better insulin sensitivity in all PWS subjects than in the controls. This study suggests that in PWS subjects there is no predisposition to develop thrombotic events in association withEPCRgene alteration and demonstrates substantial differences regarding metabolic and inflammatory profile between PWS and non‐PWS obese children, with further impairment in adults with PWS.
Photoemission study of carbon depletion from ultralow-κ carbon doped oxide surfaces during the growth of Mn silicate barrier layers
Authors: Casey P. , Bogan J. , Hughes G.
Published: December 2011

In this study Mn silicate (MnSiO3) barrier layers were formed on ultralow dielectric constant carbon doped oxide (CDO) surfaces, using both metallic Mn and oxidized Mn films, in order to determine the growth method best suited to preventing the depletion of carbon from the CDO surface. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy it has been shown that the deposition of metallic Mn and partially oxidized Mn (MnOx, where x < 1) films on CDO surfaces results in the formation of both MnSiO3 and an Mn carbide species within the barrier layer region. Analysis suggests that Mn carbide species are formed through the depletion of C from the CDO structure, which may increase the dielectric constant of the CDO. In a separate experiment, it was shown that the interaction of a fully oxidized Mn (MnOy, where y ≥ 1) layer on CDO resulted in the growth of a MnSiO3 barrier layer free from Mn carbide, metallic Mn, and Mn oxide. These studies indicate that Mn carbide is only formed on the CDO surface in the presence of metallic Mn and will not occur through the interaction of the CDO with fully oxidized Mn layers. It has also been shown that the growth of MnSiO3 layers on the CDO is self-limited by the availability of additional oxygen, beyond that found within the CDO layer, which is in agreement with previous studies on SiO2 surfaces.
Tuning the electrical transport properties of double-walled carbon nanotubes by semiconductor and semi-metal filling
Authors: Chimowa George , Sendova Mariana , Flahaut Emmanuel , Churochkin Dmitry , Bhattacharyya Somnath
Published: December 2011

Manipulating the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes through semi-metal or semiconductor filling is of paramount importance in the realization of nano-electronic devices based on one dimensional composite materials. From low temperature electrical conductivity measurements of a network, of empty and filled double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT’s), we report a transition in electrical transport features from hopping to weakly activated conduction by HgTe filling and also semi-metallic conduction in selenium (Se) filled DWNT’s. Magneto-resistance (MR) studies of the filled DWNT’s show suppression of the hopping conduction and a signature of 3D weak localization for Se@DWNT’s at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. These results are discussed on the basis of strength of interaction between the filler material and the inner-walls of the host DWNT’s, which enhances the electronic density of states (DOS) in the material as well as the change in the property of the filler material due to constrained encapsulation.
Low temperature synthesis of c-BN films
Authors: Sajjad M. , Feng P. X.
Published: December 2011

A simple approach is demonstrated to synthesize cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films at significantly low substrate temperature (450 °C) using ferrous oxide nanoparticles as catalyst. The catalyst helped to create reactive species of BN and transform the initially grown hexagonal boron nitride base layer into c-BN film. The surface of each film was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques were used to analyze the crystalline structures of the films. Evolutions of the vibrational modes of transverse optical and longitudinal optical phonons were observed. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy investigations verified the dominance of B and N in the structures.
Large coercivity in nanostructured rare-earth-free MnxGa films
Authors: Nummy T. J. , Bennett S. P , Cardinal T. , Heiman D.
Published: December 2011

The magnetic hysteresis of MnxGa films exhibit remarkably large coercive fields as high as μoHC = 2.5 T when fabricated with nanoscale particles of a suitable size and orientation. This coercivity is an order of magnitude larger than in well-ordered epitaxial film counterparts and bulk materials. The enhanced coercivity is attributed to the combination of large magnetocrystalline anisotropy and ∼50-100 nm size nanoparticles. The large coercivity is also replicated in the electrical properties through the anomalous Hall effect. The magnitude of the coercivity approaches that found in rare-earth magnets, making them attractive for rare-earth-free magnet applications.
Polarization property of deep-ultraviolet light emission from C-plane AlN/GaN short-period superlattices
Authors: Taniyasu Yoshitaka , Kasu Makoto
Published: December 2011

AlN/GaN short-period superlattices (SLs) is experimentally shown to have a different polarization property from AlGaN. As the GaN well thickness decreases from 2.5 to 0.9 monolayers, the emission wavelength decreases from 275.8 to 236.9 nm due to a quantum size effect. Because the quantized energy level for holes originates from the heavy hole band of GaN, the emission is polarized for electric field perpendicular to the c-axis (E⊥c). Consequently, the SLs show intense C-plane emission compared with AlGaN, whose emission is inherently polarized for electric field parallel to the c-axis (E||c). Using the SLs, we demonstrate a E⊥c-polarized deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED).
Barcoding type specimens helps to identify synonyms and an unnamed new species in Eumunida Smith, 1883 (Decapoda : Eumunididae)
Authors: Puillandre Nicolas , Macpherson Enrique , Lambourdière Josie , Cruaud Corinne , Boisselier-Dubayle Marie-Catherine , Samadi Sarah
Published: December 2011

The primary purpose of DNA-barcoding projects is to generate an efficient expertise and identification tool. This is an important challenge to the taxonomy of the 21st century, as the demand increases and the expert capacity does not. However, identifying specimens using DNA-barcodes requires a preliminary analysis to relate molecular clusters to available scientific names. Through a case study of the genus Eumunida (Decapoda : Eumunididae), we illustrate how naming molecule-based units, and thus providing an accurate DNA-based identification tool, is facilitated by sequencing type specimens. Using both morphological and unlinked molecular markers (COI and 28S genes), we analysed 230 specimens from 12 geographic areas, covering two-thirds of the known diversity of the genus, including type specimens of 13 species. Most hypotheses of species delimitation are validated, as they correspond to molecular units linked to only one taxonomic name (and vice versa). However, a putative cryptic species is also revealed and three entities previously named as distinct species may in fact belong to a single one, and thus need to be synonymised. Our analyses, which integrate the current naming rules, enhance the α-taxonomy of the genus and provide an effective identification tool based on DNA-barcodes. They illustrate the ability of DNA-barcodes, especially when type specimens are included, to pinpoint where a taxonomic revision is needed.
Deactivation of the
Arabidopsis
BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) receptor kinase by autophosphorylation within the glycine-rich loop
Authors: Oh Man-Ho , Wang Xiaofeng , Clouse Steven D. , Huber Steven C.
Published: December 2011

The activity of the dual-specificity receptor kinase, brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (BRI1), reflects the balance between phosphorylation-dependent activation and several potential mechanisms for deactivation of the receptor. In the present report, we elucidate a unique mechanism for deactivation that involves autophosphorylation of serine-891 in the ATP-binding domain. Serine-891 was identified previously as a potential site of autophosphorylation by mass spectrometry, and sequence-specific antibodies and mutagenesis studies now unambiguously establish phosphorylation of this residue. In vivo, phosphorylation of serine-891 increased slowly with time following application of brassinolide (BL) to
Arabidopsis
seedlings, whereas phosphorylation of threonine residues increased rapidly and then remained constant. Transgenic plants expressing the BRI1(S891A)–Flag-directed mutant have increased hypocotyl and petiole lengths, relative to wild-type BRI1–Flag (both in the
bri1-5
background), and accumulate higher levels of the unphosphorylated form of the BES1 transcription factor in response to exogenous BL. In contrast, plants expressing the phosphomimetic S891D-directed mutant are severely dwarfed and do not accumulate unphosphorylated BES1 in response to BL. Collectively, these results suggest that autophosphorylation of serine-891 is one of the deactivation mechanisms that inhibit BRI1 activity and BR signaling in vivo. Many arginine-aspartate (RD)-type leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases have a phosphorylatable residue within the ATP-binding domain, suggesting that this mechanism may play a broad role in receptor kinase deactivation.
Characterization and adaptive optical correction of aberrations during in vivo imaging in the mouse cortex
Authors: Ji Na , Sato Takashi R. , Betzig Eric
Published: December 2011

The signal and resolution during in vivo imaging of the mouse brain is limited by sample-induced optical aberrations. We find that, although the optical aberrations can vary across the sample and increase in magnitude with depth, they remain stable for hours. As a result, two-photon adaptive optics can recover diffraction-limited performance to depths of 450 μm and improve imaging quality over fields of view of hundreds of microns. Adaptive optical correction yielded fivefold signal enhancement for small neuronal structures and a threefold increase in axial resolution. The corrections allowed us to detect smaller neuronal structures at greater contrast and also improve the signal-to-noise ratio during functional Ca2+imaging in single neurons.
Mechanics of EGF Receptor/ErbB2 kinase activation revealed by luciferase fragment complementation imaging
Authors: Macdonald-Obermann Jennifer L. , Piwnica-Worms David , Pike Linda J.
Published: December 2011

Binding of EGF to its receptor induces dimerization of the normally monomeric receptor. Activation of its intracellular tyrosine kinase then occurs through the formation of an asymmetric kinase dimer in which one subunit, termed the “receiver” kinase, is activated by interaction with the other subunit, termed the “activator” kinase [Zhang, et al. (2006)
Cell
125: 1137–1149]. Although there is significant experimental support for this model, the relationship between ligand binding and the mechanics of kinase activation are not known. Here we use luciferase fragment complementation in EGF receptor (EGFR)/ErbB2 heterodimers to probe the mechanics of ErbB kinase activation. Our data support a model in which ligand binding causes the
cis
-kinase (the EGFR) to adopt the receiver position in the asymmetric dimer and to be activated first. If the EGF receptor is kinase active, this results in the phosphorylation of the
trans
-kinase (ErbB2). However, if the EGF receptor kinase is kinase dead, the ErbB2 kinase is never activated. Thus, activation of the kinases in the EGFR/ErbB2 asymmetric dimer occurs in a specific sequence and depends on the kinase activity of the EGF receptor.
Steric volume exclusion sets soluble protein concentrations in photoreceptor sensory cilia
Authors: Najafi Mehdi , Maza Nycole A. , Calvert Peter D.
Published: December 2011

Proteins segregate into discrete subcellular compartments via a variety of mechanisms, including motor protein transport, local binding, and diffusion barriers. This physical separation of cell functions serves, in part, as a mechanism for controlling compartment activity by allowing regulation of local protein concentrations. In this study we explored how soluble protein size impacts access to the confined space within the retinal photoreceptor outer segment signaling compartment and discovered a strikingly steep relationship. We find that GFP monomers, dimers, and trimers expressed transgenically in frog rods are present in the outer segment at 1.8-, 2.9-, and 6.8-fold lower abundances, relative to the cell body, than the small soluble fluorescent marker, calcein. Theoretical analysis, based on statistical–mechanical models of molecular access to polymer meshes, shows that these observations can be explained by the steric hindrance of molecules occupying the highly constrained spaces between outer segment disc membranes. This mechanism may answer a long-standing question of how the soluble regulatory protein, arrestin, is effectively excluded from the outer segments of dark-adapted rods and cones. Generally, our results suggest an alternate mode for the control of protein access to cell domains based on dynamic, size-dependent compartmental partitioning that does not require diffusion barriers, active transport, or large numbers of immobile binding sites.