bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Training Decreases Motor Vehicle Collision Involvement of Older Drivers
Authors: Ball Karlene , Edwards Jerri D. , Ross Lesley A. , McGwin, Jr. Gerald
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVES: To test the effects of cognitive training on subsequent motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement of older drivers.

DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, multisite, single‐blind clinical trial.

SETTING: Community‐dwelling seniors at four U.S. sites: Birmingham, Alabama; Baltimore, Maryland; Indianapolis, Indiana; and State College, Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred eight older drivers (mean age 73.1; 18.6% African American) who were randomized to one of three cognitive interventions or a control condition.

INTERVENTIONS: Up to 10 sessions of cognitive training for memory, reasoning, or speed of processing.

MEASUREMENTS: State‐recorded MVC involvement up to 6 years after study enrollment.

RESULTS: Speed‐of‐processing and reasoning training resulted in lower rates of at‐fault collision involvement over the subsequent approximately 6‐year period than controls. After adjusting for age, sex, race, education, mental status, health, vision, depressive symptoms, and testing site, participants randomized to the speed‐of‐processing and reasoning interventions had an approximately 50% lower rate (per person‐mile) of at‐fault MVCs than the control group (rate ratio (RR)=0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.34–0.96 for speed of processing), and (RR=0.50, 95% CI=0.27–0.92 for reasoning). There was no significant difference observed for the memory group.

CONCLUSION: Cognitive speed‐of‐processing and reasoning training resulted in a lower at‐fault MVC rate in older drivers than in controls. Considering the importance of driving mobility, the costs of crashes, and the benefits of cognitive training, these interventions have great potential to sustain independence and quality of life of older adults. More research is needed to understand the effects of different types and quantities of training.
Associations Between Dietary Nutrient Intake and Muscle Mass and Strength in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults: The Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort Study
Authors: Scott David , Blizzard Leigh , Fell James , Giles Graham , Jones Graeme
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVES: To describe associations between dietary nutrient intake and progression of sarcopenia, the age‐related loss of muscle mass and strength.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of community‐dwelling older adults.

SETTING: Southern Tasmania, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred forty noninstitutionalized older adults (50% female; mean age 62±7) randomly sampled from electoral rolls.

MEASUREMENTS: Dietary nutrient intake was examined at baseline and follow‐up (2.6±0.4 years later) using The Cancer Council Victoria's Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Appendicular lean mass (aLM) was assessed using dual X‐ray absorptiometry and muscle strength of the knee extensors using a dynamometer.

RESULTS: Failing to meet the recommended dietary intake for protein was associated with significantly lower aLM at baseline (−0.81 kg, 95% confidence interval (CI)=−1.54 to −0.08) and follow‐up (−0.79 kg, 95%CI=−1.42 to −0.17). Energy‐adjusted protein intake was a positive predictor of change in aLM over 2.6 years (β=0.10, P=.003). Energy‐adjusted intake of iron (β=0.07, P=.02), magnesium (β=0.07, P=.02), phosphorus (β=0.07, P=.047), and zinc (β=0.08, P=.02) were positive predictors of change in aLM, whereas retinol (β=−0.09, P=.005) was a negative predictor of change in aLM after adjustment for protein intake. No significant associations were observed between nutrient intake and muscle strength.

CONCLUSION: Protein and several other dietary nutrients are associated with muscle mass and rate of muscle loss (but not strength) in older adults, suggesting that multiple dietary components may ameliorate the progression of sarcopenia.
Heterogeneity in Rate of Decline in Grip, Hip, and Knee Strength and the Risk of All‐Cause Mortality: The Women's Health and Aging Study II
Authors: Xue Qian‐Li , Beamer Brock A. , Chaves Paulo H.M. , Guralnik Jack M. , Fried Linda P.
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between rate of change in muscle strength and all‐cause mortality.

DESIGN: Prospective observational study of the causes and course of physical disability.

SETTING: Twelve contiguous ZIP code areas in Baltimore, Maryland.

PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred seven community‐dwelling women aged 70 to 79 at study baseline.

MEASUREMENTS: The outcome was all‐cause mortality (1994–2009); predictors included up to seven repeated measurements of handgrip, knee extension, and hip flexion strength, with a median follow‐up time of 10 years. Demographic factors, body mass index, smoking status, number of chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, physical activity, interleukin‐6, and albumin were assessed at baseline and included as confounders. The associations between declining muscle strength and mortality were assessed using a joint longitudinal and survival model.

RESULTS: Grip and hip strength declined an average of 1.10 and 1.31 kg/year between age 70 and 75 and 0.50 and 0.39 kg/year thereafter, respectively; knee strength declined at a constant rate of 0.57 kg/year. Faster rates of decline in grip and hip strength, but not knee strength, independently predicted mortality after accounting for baseline levels and potential confounders (hazard ratio (HR)=1.33, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.06–1.67, HR=1.14, 95% CI=0.91–1.41, and 2.62, 95% CI=1.43–4.78 for every 0.5 standard deviation increase in rate of decline in grip, knee, and hip strength, respectively).

CONCLUSION: Monitoring the rate of decline in grip and hip flexion strength in addition to absolute levels may greatly improve the identification of women most at risk of dying.
‘Finland is not Europe, Finland is only Finland’. The Function of Funny Finns in Fiction
Authors: Kantola Janna
Published: November 2010

This article examines the way the Finns as national stereotypes are depicted in recent English‐language fiction. In discussing several manifestations of Finns in the history of English literature, the article suggests that the earlier negative stereotype of the Finn as a figure of fun in English‐language literature still exists but is transformed and exaggarated ad absurdum in present‐day fiction writing, for example Malcolm Bradbury’s To the Hermitage (2000) and John Irving’s Until I Find You (2005). It is further proposed that even though Finns in these novels are depicted in humorous situations and presented as stereotypical figures of fun, as such they serve other than a simply comic function in these novels. Interestingly however, it turns out that the negative stereotype of the Finn – the drinking and fighting Finn – is rarely contradicted in these novels, whereas it is further elaborated and challenged in contemporary Finnish literature.
“Lost in the meantime”. Tristram Shandy and Deleuzian Stuttering
Authors: Ioniţă Maria
Published: November 2010

In Tristram Shandy, the main problem of the protagonist, who wants to chronicle his life in its absolute entirety, is his inability to account for the transitions between events. A disproportionate focus on the interim leads Tristram to create an Eleatic, paradoxical narrative grammar, which endlessly unpacks causality without ever uncovering effects. I am arguing that, contrary to its hero, the novel itself, through its oddly haphazard structure bypasses these paradoxes by practicing what Deleuze has called “stuttering,” creating a text permanently focused on middle spaces, where idiosyncratic fragmentation produces radiant clusters of divergent narratives, which in turn allow Tristram’s story to preserve its forward momentum.
“Only Artists Can Transfigure”. Kafka’s Artists and the Possibility of Redemption in the Novellas of David Foster Wallace
Authors: Staes Toon
Published: November 2010

David Foster Wallace envisioned literature as a living interaction between reader and writer. Artistic fiction should aggravate the sense of loneliness and entrapment in the reader, Wallace argues, since any possible human redemption requires us first to confront what we want to deny. The following article examines the representation of the artist’s role in this process by focusing on the two Wallace novellas that explicitly feature an artist figure –Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (1989) and The Suffering Channel (2004). Contrary to the metafictional texts of Wallace’s postmodernist forebears, both novellas display an almost obsessive preoccupation with the interrelatedness between the world and the work of art. It consequently appears that a model for Wallace’s prototypical artist can be found in the artist stories of Franz Kafka, the author admired by Wallace for his ability to put the worst into language. While Theodor Adorno claims that Kafka’s stories transmit a consciousness of the negativity of the world, postmodern self‐reflexivity only transmits a consciousness of itself. An interpretation of Wallace’s novellas in relation to his reading of Kafka can therefore illustrate how the author attempts to go beyond the representational aporias of canonical postmodernism.
Distribution of the longevity gene product, SIRT1, in developing mouse organs
Authors: Ogawa Tetsuo , Wakai Chizu , Saito Tomomi , Murayama Aya , Mimura Yuuichi , Youfu Sachiko , Nakamachi Tomoya , Kuwagata Makiko , Satoh Kazue , Shioda Seiji
Published: November 2010

A longevity gene product, Sir2 (silent information regulator 2) is a NAD‐dependent histone deacetylase involved in longevity in yeasts, worms and flies. The mammalian homolog of Sir2, SIRT1(sirtuin 1), has been shown to play important roles related to anti‐aging effects (regulating apoptosis, stress tolerance, insulin resistance, and fat metabolism). Recently, SIRT1 expression has been demonstrated to occur at as early as embryonic day 10.5 in mice. SIRT1 during developing period may be involved in the mechanism of developmental origins of adult diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To investigate the contribution of SIRT1, it is important to reveal the distribution of this protein during development. In the present study, we demonstrated the distribution of immunoreactivity of SIRT1 in mouse organs during prenatal and neonatal development by staining a wide variety of serial sections. The SIRT1 immunoreactivity was strongly observed in the neuroepithelial layer, dorsal root ganglion, trigeminal ganglion, eyes, roots of whiskers, and internal organs, including the testis, liver, heart, kidney, and lung during the fetal period. Neurons which had finished migrating still showed relatively strong immunoreactivity. The immunoreactivity was completely absorbed by the blocking peptide in an absorption test. During the postnatal period, the immunoreactivities in most of these organs, except the heart and testis weakened, with the liver most dramatically affected. As SIRT1 expression was demonstrated in a wide variety of developing organs, further study to investigate prenatal factors which affect SIRT1 expression and its activity is important.
RhoA/Rho-Kinase as a Therapeutic Target for the Male Urogenital Tract
Authors: Gur Serap , Kadowitz Philip J. , Hellstrom Wayne J.G.
Published: November 2010

Introduction

Rho-kinase (ROCK) is a serine/threonine kinase and is one of the major downstream effectors of the small guanosine triphosphatase Rho. In the past few years, evidence has been accumulating to suggest that the RhoA/ROCK system may play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of cardiovascular and urogenital disorders.

Aim

The aim of this study is to review the literature pertaining to the role of the RhoA/ROCK system in male urogenital function.

Methods

Comprehensive literature review was performed using PubMed.

Main Outcome Measures

Inhibitors of ROCK may have potential therapeutic applications, as derived from preclinical and a few clinical studies.

Results

Published reports suggest that elevated RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling plays a role in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, ejaculation disorders, prostate and bladder cancer initiation, and eventual metastasis.

Conclusions

This review focuses on our current understanding of the role of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway in the regulation of the male urogenital system. Rho-kinase inhibitors may evolve into an important pharmacologic option in the future treatment of urogenital system disorders.
Detection of Diesel Fuel Plumes Using Methane Data in Guadalajara, Mexico
Authors: Gandoy‐Bernasconi William , Aguilar Abraham Rojano , Velez Oscar Palacios
Published: November 2010

This paper examines the detection of diesel fuel in the subsoil by means of measurements of biogenerated methane. Once a link between methane and diesel fuel was established at the laboratory scale, the authors applied this concept to the field scale. Methane causes asphyxia, it is flammable and explosive, and it is quickly and economically feasible to measure in soil gas. A flame ionization detector was used to measure hydrocarbon vapors during the field research. This study was performed in the Moderna neighborhood in Guadalajara, Mexico, with a methane concentration ranging from 0 to 220,000 ppmv, and a diesel fuel thickness ranging from 0 to 83 cm. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were also measured in soil gas with maximum concentration of 4000 ppmv. From our statistical analysis, the correlation between methane and diesel fuel was 0.89 and there was no correlation with other measured vapors. Since methane distribution showed spatial variability, geostatistical techniques were applied yielding maps, which described zones with different gas concentrations. Experimental variograms were built using 1263 measurements and the theoretical variograms were of the exponential type. If we already know the positive high correlation between methane and diesel fuel, plume, sources, and sinks of diesel fuels can be located. The results of the case analysis imply pollution under 50 of the 114 city blocks we studied, with methane concentrations higher than the 2000 ppmv threshold value and a diesel fuel thickness higher than 28.90 cm.
Evaluation of a Simple, Inexpensive Dialysis Sampler for Small Diameter Monitoring Wells
Authors: Harter Thomas , Talozi Samer
Published: November 2010

We developed and tested a simple, inexpensive dialysis sampler design for in situ measurement of nitrate and salinity in monitoring wells. The dialysis sampler is made with regenerated cellulose membrane tubing that is placed in an open cage, 18.5 mm in diameter and constructed of commonly available, inexpensive hardware. The design was tested in a monitoring well network installed in shallow, relatively warm (21°C) ground water of a sandy aquifer impacted by animal waste discharge and agricultural fertilizer. Three dialysis samplers were placed near the bottom, center, and below the top of 7 m long well screens in an otherwise open well casing (open multilevel sampling [oMLS]). In laboratory tests we found that 1 to 4 d was sufficient equilibration time to collect a representative sample, yet short enough to ensure the integrity of the membrane samplers, which began to degrade after ∼1 week. Significant, density‐stable salinity gradients were detected in ∼25% of samples taken on two sampling dates in 40 wells. Nonuniform, heterogeneous nitrate profiles were much more common (80%). Despite the nonuniformity in the open profile, the average of the three samplers (= composite sample) was generally within 10% of the electrical conductivity and nitrate concentrations obtained by standard purging and well sampling using a pump. At initial hardware costs of approximately $1 per reusable oMLS sampling string and at sampling costs of $1 to $3 per oMLS sampling string for disposable membrane material, dialysis samplers are a good candidate for a low‐cost, low‐tech sampling device to determine major water quality parameters in small diameter ground water monitoring wells.
Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Moisture‐Enhanced Nonintact Beef by Pan‐Broiling or Roasting with Various Cooking Appliances Set at Different Temperatures
Authors: Shen Cangliang , Geornaras Ifigenia , Belk Keith E. , Smith Gary C. , Sofos John N.
Published: November 2010

Abstract:  This study evaluated inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in moisture‐enhanced restructured nonintact beef cooked to 65 °C using different cooking appliances set at different temperatures. Batches (2 kg) of coarse‐ground beef (approximately 5% fat) were mixed with an 8‐strain composite (100 mL) of rifampicin‐resistant E. coli O157:H7 (6.4 ± 0.1 log CFU/g) and a solution (100 mL) of sodium chloride plus sodium tripolyphosphate to yield concentrations (wt/wt) of 0.5% and 0.25%, respectively, in the final product. Beef portions of 2.54 cm thickness (15 cm dia) were prepared and were vacuum‐packaged and frozen (−20 °C, 42 h). Partially thawed (−2.5 ± 1.0 °C) portions were pan‐broiled (Presto® electric skillet and Sanyo® grill) or roasted (Oster® toaster oven and Magic Chef® kitchen oven) to 65 °C. The appliances were set at, and preheated before cooking to 149 or 204 °C (electric skillet), 149 or 218 °C (grill), 149 or 232 °C (toaster oven), and 149, 204, or 260 °C (kitchen oven). Temperatures of appliances and beef samples were monitored with thermocouples, and meat samples were analyzed for surviving microbial populations. In general, the higher the appliance temperature setting, the shorter the time needed to reach 65 °C, and the higher the edge and surface temperatures of the meat samples. Temperatures of 204 to 260 °C, regardless of appliance, resulted in greater (P < 0.05) pathogen reductions (3.3 to 5.5 log CFU/g) than those obtained at 149 °C (1.5 to 2.4 log CFU/g). The highest (P < 0.05) reduction (5.5 log CFU/g) was obtained in samples cooked in the kitchen oven set at 260 °C. The results should be useful to the food service industry for selection of effective nonintact beef cooking protocols, and for use in risk assessments for nonintact meat products.

Practical Application:  Results of this study should be useful for developing cooking recommendations to enhance the safety of nonintact beef products, and for use in risk assessments of such products.
Short Exposure to the DNA Intercalator DRAQ5 Dislocates the Transcription Machinery and Induces Cell Death
Authors: Richard Elodie , Causse Sébastien , Spriet Corentin , Fourré Nicolas , Trinel Dave , Darzacq Xavier , Vandenbunder Bernard , Heliot Laurent
Published: November 2010

The fluorescent probe
DRAQ5 which rapidly permeates cells and binds to DNA is potentially useful for functional studies of molecular dynamics and interactions in living nuclei. Within minutes after the incubation of human osteosarcoma U2OS cells with 5 μm DRAQ5, the distributions of RNA polymerase II and some of its associated regulatory proteins HEXIM and cyclin T1 in the nucleus are severely impaired, and transcription is inhibited. Furthermore, 30 min exposure to DRAQ5 induces death of U2OS cells 24 h later. Incubation with Hoechst 33342 under similar conditions does not induce these effects. These results emphasize the importance of carefully examining the functional consequences of labeling DNA with intercalating fluorescent dyes before use.
Functionally distinct melanocyte populations revealed by reconstitution of hair follicles in mice
Authors: Aoki Hitomi , Hara Akira , Motohashi Tsutomu , Osawa Masatake , Kunisada Takahiro
Published: November 2010

Hair follicle reconstitution analysis was used to test the contribution of melanocytes or their precursors to regenerated hair follicles. In this study, we first confirmed the process of chimeric hair follicle regeneration by both hair keratinocytes and follicular melanocytes. Then, as first suggested from the differential growth requirements of epidermal skin melanocytes and non‐cutaneous or dermal melanocytes, we confirmed the inability of the latter to be involved as follicular melanocytes to regenerate hair follicles during the hair reconstitution assay. This clear functional discrimination between non‐cutaneous or dermal melanocytes and epidermal melanocytes suggests the presence of two different melanocyte cell lineages, a finding that might be important in the pathogenesis of melanocyte‐related diseases and melanomas.
Comet 81P/Wild 2: The size distribution of finer (sub‐10 μm) dust collected by the Stardust spacecraft
Authors: PRICE M. C. , KEARSLEY A. T. , BURCHELL M. J. , HÖRZ F. , BORG J. , BRIDGES J. C. , COLE M. J. , FLOSS C. , GRAHAM G. , GREEN S. F. , HOPPE P. , LEROUX H. , MARHAS K. K. , PARK N. , STROUD R. , STADERMANN F. J. , TELISCH N. , WOZNIAKIEWICZ P. J.
Published: November 2010

Abstract– The fluence of dust particles <10 μm in diameter was recorded by impacts on aluminum foil of the NASA Stardust spacecraft during a close flyby of comet 81P/Wild 2 in 2004. Initial interpretation of craters for impactor particle dimensions and mass was based upon laboratory experimental simulations using projectiles less than >10 μm in diameter and the resulting linear relationship of projectile to crater diameter was extrapolated to smaller sizes. We now describe a new experimental calibration program firing very small monodisperse silica projectiles (470 nm–10 μm) at approximately 6 km s−1. The results show an unexpected departure from linear relationship between 1 and 10 μm. We collated crater measurement data and, where applicable, impactor residue data for 596 craters gathered during the postmission preliminary examination phase. Using the new calibration, we recalculate the size of the particle responsible for each crater and hence reinterpret the cometary dust size distribution. We find a greater flux of small particles than previously reported. From crater morphology and residue composition of a subset of craters, the internal structure and dimensions of the fine dust particles are inferred and a “maximum‐size” distribution for the subgrains composing aggregate particles is obtained. The size distribution of the small particles derived directly from the measured craters peaks at approximately 175 nm, but if this is corrected to allow for aggregate grains, the peak in subgrain sizes is at <100 nm.
Therapeutic potential of argan oil: a review
Authors: El Monfalouti Hanae , Guillaume Dom , Denhez Clément , Charrouf Zoubida
Published: November 2010

Objectives

The therapeutic benefits of argan oil consumption have been claimed by natives of Morocco and explorers for more than eight centuries. However, argan oil has remained unresearched for a long time. Traditionally, argan oil has been well known for its cardioprotective properties and it is also used in the treatment of skin infections. Argan oil is principally composed of mono-unsaturated (up to 80%) and saturated (up to 20%) fatty acids. As minor components, it contains polyphenols, tocopherols, sterols, squalene, and triterpene alcohols. Together with the mono-unsaturated fatty acids, these minor components are likely to be responsible for its beneficial effects. This review aims to present an overview of the known pharmacological properties of argan oil.

Key findings

Antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and cardiovascular-protective effects of argan oil have been particularly actively evaluated over the last 5 years in order to build on phytochemical studies that indicate the presence of large amounts of possibly pharmacologically active compounds.

This review shows that a lack of clinical data constitutes a serious weakness in our knowledge about argan oil, therefore it is difficult to correlate the reported pharmacological activities to any potential clinical relevance.
Optogenetic probing of functional brain circuitry
Authors: Mancuso James J. , Kim Jinsook , Lee Soojung , Tsuda Sachiko , Chow Nicholas B. H. , Augustine George J.
Published: November 2010

Recently developed optogenetic technologies offer the promise of high‐speed mapping of brain circuitry. Genetically targeted light‐gated channels and pumps, such as channelrhodopsins and halorhodopsin, allow optical control of neuronal activity with high spatial and temporal resolution. Optogenetic probes of neuronal activity, such as Clomeleon and Mermaid, allow light to be used to monitor the activity of a genetically defined population of neurons. Combining these two complementary sets of optogenetic probes will make it possible to perform all‐optical circuit mapping. Owing to the improved efficiency and higher speed of data acquisition, this hybrid approach should enable high‐throughput mapping of brain circuitry.
Analytical Solution
for Thermally Fully Developed Combined Electroosmotic and Pressure-Driven Flows in Narrow
Confinements With Thick Electrical Double
Layers
Authors: Dey Ranabir , Chakraborty Debapriya , Chakraborty Suman
Published: November 2010

In the present paper, closed form solutions for the Nusselt number are obtained for hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed combined electroosmotic and pressure-driven flows in narrow confinements for the constant wall heat flux boundary condition. Overcoming the constraints of the standard models that are valid only within thin electrical double layer (EDL) limits, the effects of thick electric double layers are accounted for as a distinctive feature of this model. Along with Joule heating, viscous dissipation effects, which are particularly important for ultrathin channel dimensions (typically conforming to the cases of thick EDLs), are taken into account. The results are presented in terms of appropriate nondimensional parameters depicting the relative EDL thickness with respect to the channel height, as well as relative strengths of Joule heating and viscous dissipation effects.
Characterization of Garvicin ML, a Novel Circular Bacteriocin Produced by
Lactococcus garvieae
DCC43, Isolated from Mallard Ducks (
Anas platyrhynchos
)
Authors: Borrero Juan , Brede Dag A. , Skaugen Morten , Diep Dzung B. , Herranz Carmen , Nes Ingolf F. , Cintas Luis M. , Hernández Pablo E.
Published: November 2010

Lactococcus garvieae
DCC43 produces a bacteriocin, garvicin ML (GarML), with a molecular mass of 6,004.2 Da. Data from
de novo
amino acid sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry and nucleotide sequencing by reverse genetics suggested that the bacteriocin is synthesized as a 63-amino-acid precursor with a 3-amino-acid leader peptide that is removed by cleavage. Subsequently, a covalent linkage between the N and C termini forms the mature version of this novel 60-amino-acid circular bacteriocin.
Spatial Variability in Nitrification Rates and Ammonia-Oxidizing Microbial Communities in the Agriculturally Impacted Elkhorn Slough Estuary, California
Authors: Wankel Scott D. , Mosier Annika C. , Hansel Colleen M. , Paytan Adina , Francis Christopher A.
Published: November 2010

Ammonia oxidation—the microbial oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and the first step in nitrification—plays a central role in nitrogen cycling in coastal and estuarine systems. Nevertheless, questions remain regarding the connection between this biogeochemical process and the diversity and abundance of the mediating microbial community. In this study, we measured nutrient fluxes and rates of sediment nitrification in conjunction with the diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing betaproteobacteria (β-AOB). Sediments were examined from four sites in Elkhorn Slough, a small agriculturally impacted coastal California estuary that opens into Monterey Bay. Using an intact sediment core flowthrough incubation system, we observed significant correlations among NO
3
−
, NO
2
−
, NH
4
+
, and PO
4
3+
fluxes, indicating a tight coupling of sediment biogeochemical processes.
15
N-based measurements of nitrification rates revealed higher rates at the less impacted, lower-nutrient sites than at the more heavily impacted, nutrient-rich sites. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed that β-AOB
amoA
(encoding ammonia monooxygenase subunit A) gene copies outnumbered AOA
amoA
gene copies by factors ranging from 2- to 236-fold across the four sites. Sites with high nitrification rates primarily contained marine/estuarine
Nitrosospira-
like bacterial
amoA
sequences and phylogenetically diverse archaeal
amoA
sequences. Sites with low nitrification rates were dominated by estuarine
Nitrosomonas-
like
amoA
sequences and archaeal
amoA
sequences similar to those previously described in soils. This is the first report measuring AOA and β-AOB
amoA
abundance in conjunction with
15
N-based nitrification rates in estuary sediments.
Microbiome of Fungus-Growing Termites: a New Reservoir for Lignocellulase Genes
Authors: Liu Ning , Yan Xing , Zhang Meiling , Xie Lei , Wang Qian , Huang Yongping , Zhou Xuguo , Wang Shengyue , Zhou Zhihua
Published: November 2010

Fungus-growing termites play an important role in lignocellulose degradation and carbon mineralization in tropical and subtropical regions, but the degradation potentiality of their gut microbiota has long been neglected. The high quality and quantity of intestinal microbial DNA are indispensable for exploring new cellulose genes from termites by function-based screening. Here, using a refined intestinal microbial DNA extraction method followed by multiple-displacement amplification (MDA), a fosmid library was constructed from the total microbial DNA isolated from the gut of a termite growing in fungi. Functional screening for endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, and xylanase resulted in 12 β-glucosidase-positive clones and one xylanase-positive clone. The sequencing result of the xylanase-positive clone revealed an 1,818-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 64.5-kDa multidomain endo-1,4-β-xylanase, designated Xyl6E7, which consisted of an N-terminal GH11 family catalytic domain, a CBM_4_9 domain, and a
Listeria
-
Bacteroides
repeat domain. Xyl6E7 was a highly active, substrate-specific, and endo-acting alkaline xylanase with considerably wide pH tolerance and stability but extremely low thermostability.
Improved Eco-Friendly Recombinant
Anabaena
sp. Strain PCC7120 with Enhanced Nitrogen Biofertilizer Potential
Authors: Chaurasia Akhilesh Kumar , Apte Shree Kumar
Published: November 2010

Photosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing
Anabaena
strains are native to tropical paddy fields and contribute to the carbon and nitrogen economy of such soils. Genetic engineering was employed to improve the nitrogen biofertilizer potential of
Anabaena
sp. strain PCC7120. Constitutive enhanced expression of an additional integrated copy of the
hetR
gene from a light-inducible promoter elevated HetR protein expression and enhanced functional heterocyst frequency in the recombinant strain. The recombinant strain displayed consistently higher nitrogenase activity than the wild-type strain and appeared to be in homeostasis with compatible modulation of photosynthesis and respiration. The enhanced combined nitrogen availability from the recombinant strain positively catered to the nitrogen demand of rice seedlings in short-term hydroponic experiments and supported better growth. The engineered strain is stable, eco-friendly, and useful for environmental application as nitrogen biofertilizer in paddy fields.
Biochemical Characterization of UDP-Gal:GlcNAc-Pyrophosphate-Lipid β-1,4-Galactosyltransferase WfeD, a New Enzyme fromShigella boydiiType 14 That Catalyzes the Second Step in O-Antigen Repeating-Unit Synthesis
Authors: Xu Changchang , Liu Bin , Hu Bo , Han Yanfang , Feng Lu , Allingham John S. , Szarek Walter A. , Wang Lei , Brockhausen Inka
Published: November 2010

The O antigen is the outer part of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and contains many repeats of an oligosaccharide unit. It contributes to antigenic variability and is essential to the full function and virulence of bacteria.Shigellais a Gram-negative human pathogen that causes diarrhea in humans. The O antigen ofShigella boydiitype 14 consists of repeating oligosaccharide units with the structure [→6-d-Galpα1→4-d-GlcpAβ1→6-d-Galpβ1→4-d-Galpβ1→4-d-GlcpNAcβ1→]n. ThewfeDgene in the O-antigen gene cluster ofShigella boydiitype 14 was proposed to encode a galactosyltransferase (GalT) involved in O-antigen synthesis. We confirmed here that thewfeDgene product is a β4-GalT that synthesizes the Galβ1-4GlcNAcα-R linkage. WfeD was expressed inEscherichia coli, and the activity was characterized by using UDP-[3H]Gal as the donor substrate as well as the synthetic acceptor substrate GlcNAcα-pyrophosphate-(CH2)11-O-phenyl. The enzyme product was analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and galactosidase digestion. The enzyme was shown to be specific for the UDP-Gal donor substrate and required pyrophosphate in the acceptor substrate. Divalent metal ions such as Mn2+, Ni2+, and, surprisingly, also Pb2+enhanced the enzyme activity. Mutational analysis showed that the Glu101 residue within a DxD motif is essential for activity, possibly by forming the catalytic nucleophile. The Lys211 residue was also shown to be required for activity and may be involved in the binding of the negatively charged acceptor substrate. Our study revealed that the β4-GalT WfeD is a novel enzyme that has virtually no sequence similarity to mammalian β4-GalT, although it catalyzes a similar reaction.
Expressive Exclusion: A Defense
Authors: Bedi Sonu
Published: November 2010

Central to the freedom of association is the freedom to exclude. In fact, American constitutional law permits associations to discriminate on otherwise prohibited grounds, a principle of expressive discrimination or what I call "expressive exclusion." However, we lack a complete normative defense of it. Too often, expressive exclusion is justifi ed as a simple case of religious accommodation, or a simple case of freedom of association or speech—justifi cations that are defi cient. I argue that expressive exclusion is essential in creating genuine space for democratic dissent. It stands at the intersection of speech, association, and democracy.
Foregrounding Fieldwork in Leadership Preparation: The Transformative Capacity of Authentic Inquiry
Authors: Perez Lynne G. , Uline Cynthia L. , Johnson Joseph F. , James-Ward Cheryl , Basom Margaret R.
Published: November 2010

This study follows leadership candidates through the first phase of a comprehensive effort to reform master’s-level principal preparation at a large, urban California university. The reforms placed an 18-month field experience at the center of candidates’ preparation. Researchers sought to capture the changes over time in candidates’ beliefs about school leadership, commitment to the work of school leadership, knowledge of leadership practices that support improved teaching and learning, and capacity to apply those practices. The results reveal marked changes in the majority of candidates’ understandings of school leadership. They came to see the work as complex, with all aspects interrelated. They developed deeper recognition of the leader’s role in fostering trust and relationships, encouraging collaboration, and building leadership capacity within schools. They conceptualized data as powerful evidence to stimulate urgency for change, and they articulated greater confidence as leaders and change agents. Finally, candidates demonstrated increased understanding of, and ability to enact, specific leadership practices aimed at improving learning results for students in their schools.
The Effect of Internal Marketing on Organizational Commitment: Job Involvement and Job Satisfaction as Mediators
Authors: Ting Shueh-Chin
Published: November 2010

Purpose: After reviewing previous research, this study found that few school or educational studies have simultaneously explored both internal marketing and organizational commitment, and of those that have, only direct effects were examined. This study clarifies the relationship between school organization’s internal marketing and teachers’ organizational commitment by examining the mediating role of teachers’ job involvement and job satisfaction. Research Methods: The participants in the study were 275 elementary school teachers. This is an empirical study based on questionnaire surveys. A nested model and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used for analysis. Findings: The results show that internal marketing, job involvement, and job satisfaction all have a direct impact on organizational commitment. Moreover, job involvement and job satisfaction play partial mediating roles in the relationship between internal marketing and organizational commitment. Implications: Research implications are that we cannot neglect the effect of job involvement and job satisfaction in explaining the relationship between school organization’s internal marketing and teachers’ organizational commitment.
Prevotella intermediaInduces Prostaglandin E2via Multiple Signaling Pathways
Authors: Guan S.-M. , Fu S.-M. , He J.-J. , Zhang M.
Published: November 2010

Prostaglandin E2(PGE2) plays important roles in the bone resorption of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis via specific prostaglandin receptors ( i.e., EP1-EP4). In this study, the authors examined whether Prevotella intermedia regulates PGE2production and EP expression in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLs); they also explored the potential signaling pathways involved in PGE2production. P. intermedia induced PGE2production and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Indomethacin and NS-398 completely abrogated the P. intermedia–induced PGE2production without modulating COX-2 expression. Specific inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and protein kinase C—but not c-AMP and protein kinase A—significantly attenuated the P. intermedia–induced COX-2 and PGE2expression. P. intermedia reduced EP1 expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The results indicate that the COX-2-dependent induction of PGE2by P. intermedia in hPDLs is mediated by multiple signaling pathways.
Prepolymerized vs. in situ-polymerized Fiber-reinforced Composite Implants – a Pilot Study
Authors: Ballo A.M. , Närhi T.O. , Akca E.A. , Ozen T. , Syrjänen S.M. , Lassila L.V.J. , Vallittu P.K.
Published: November 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate bone response to bioactive fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) implants under two polymerization conditions. Glass-fiber-dimethacrylate composite was tested as prepolymerized cylinder-shaped FRC implants and as cylindrical FRC implants polymerized in situ with blue light transmitted and scattered by the glass fibers. Ten FRC implants (6 prepolymerized and 4 in situ-polymerized implants) were placed in the right tibias of 3 pigs by means of a press-fit technique. After 12 weeks, light microscopy revealed only mild foreign-body reaction, with no accumulation of inflammatory cells on both the prepolymerized and the in situ-polymerized implants. The prepolymerized implants appeared to be fully integrated, whereas the in situ-polymerized implants were almost completely surrounded by a fibrous capsule. The present study suggests that in situ polymerization of FRC implants results in fibrous capsule formation and prevents integration with bone.
Design factors affecting relevance judgment behaviour in the context of metadata surrogates
Authors: Balatsoukas Panos , O'Brien Ann , Morris Anne
Published: November 2010

This paper reports on the findings of a user study which investigated the effects of structure, highlighting and quantity of information on university students’ interaction with metadata surrogates of learning object repositories (LORs) during the relevance judgement process. The literature review revealed a lack of studies investigating how metadata surrogates should be designed to meet users’ needs and improve the effectiveness of relevance judgement. In order to address this issue, different versions of a prototype system, called META-LOR 2, were developed and evaluated in terms of the time needed for users to find relevant information, the accuracy of their relevance judgements and their satisfaction. To evaluate the prototype, a user study was conducted where participants were asked to complete a set of tasks and fill in satisfaction questionnaires. The findings showed that participants performed better and were more satisfied with those versions of the prototype which highlighted metadata elements that included the query terms, used clusters or categories to organize metadata elements in the surrogates and included metadata elements which were relevant to the query or task at hand. The paper concludes with some recommendations for improving the design of metadata surrogates in search result interfaces.
Knowledge organization landscape: A content analysis of introductory courses
Authors: Pattuelli M. Cristina
Published: November 2010

This paper presents the results of a study examining the subject content of knowledge organization courses taught in ALA-accredited Library and Information Science (LIS) programmes. Close to 2000 course readings of introductory-level knowledge organization courses from 34 LIS schools in the USA and Canada were analysed and indexed. Results indicate that traditional bibliographic methods and practices remain at the core of knowledge organization courses. Findings also show that metadata has become a central component of course content and new topics from information architecture to markup languages and semantic web are becoming part of introductory-level knowledge organization education.
Do Girls Profit More? Gender-Specific Effectiveness of a Life Skills Program Against Alcohol Consumption in Early Adolescence
Authors: Weichold Karina , Brambosch Anett , Silbereisen Rainer K.
Published: November 2010

This study investigated the effectiveness of a life skills program with regard to alcohol consumption, life skills, knowledge, and school bonding for young adolescents. The focus was on the moderating role of gender, based on the assumption that life skills programs may address specific needs of adolescent girls better than those of boys. The universal school-based life skills program IPSY (Information * Psychosocial competence = Protection) was implemented and evaluated over 3 years (longitudinal quasi-experimental design with four measurement points; N = 952, 10 years at T1). Results of (M)ANCOVAs revealed positive general program effects of IPSY on alcohol-related outcomes, life skills, knowledge, and school bonding. As expected, girls profited regarding knowledge of effective communication within groups and self-confidence, but not boys. In contrast, none of the other program effects was moderated by gender. Thus, the program, although lacking gender-specific components, worked well for both boys and girls during early adolescence.
Theorizing practice in economic geography: Foundations, challenges, and possibilities
Authors: Jones Andrew , Murphy James T.
Published: November 2010

Over the last decade or so there has been an identifiable shift in the interests of many economic geographers towards a concern with practices: stabilized, routinized, or improvised social actions that constitute and reproduce economic space, and through and within which socioeconomic actors and communities embed knowledge, organize production activities, and interpret and derive meaning from the world. Although this shift has gained significant momentum its general theoretical significance remains somewhat unclear and the concept is vulnerable to criticisms that it is incoherent, too ‘micro-scale’ in emphasis, unable to provide valid links between everyday practices and higher-order phenomena (eg, institutions, class structures), and that, in some cases, it lacks a sound political economy. This paper argues that while it undoubtedly has limitations, the practice-oriented shift represents an ongoing development of a longstanding and heterodox field of social scientific interest from both within and beyond the subdiscipline. We first highlight the diverse strands of economic geography scholarship that have an explicit interest in practices and then propose an epistemological and methodological framework for a practice-oriented economic geography. The framework is based on the polemical argument that insight from both critical realist and actor-network perspectives can provide the basis to better demarcate practices in relation to their social and spatiotemporal dimensions. It goes on to outline a reformulated retroductive methodology to assess the impacts and theoretical significance of particular economic-geographical practices. The paper concludes that practice offers a potentially powerful, yet complementary, epistemological tool that can create conceptual space for the study of a wide range of socioeconomic and geographical phenomena.
Rethinking territory
Authors: Antonsich Marco
Published: November 2010

This critical commentary engages, both methodologically and theoretically, the notion of territory as discussed by Stuart Elden (2010). Methodologically, I suggest that Elden’s philological concern with the term ‘territory’ rather than with the idea of ‘bounded political space’ risks producing a partial historical account. As a way to enlarge the scope of analysis and include also forms of ‘bounded political spaces’ which existed before, during, and after the emergence of modern territory, I propose a new theoretical category, ‘territorial’. This category reinstates the importance of ‘b-ordering’ practices, downgraded as second-order problem by Elden. Theoretically, the commentary also suggests the importance of ‘peopling’ territory, in order to bring social agency back in and avoiding treating modern territory as a mere terror(izing) tool. Prompted by Elden’s account, this piece aims to stimulate a ‘territory debate’.
Nephrotoxicity induced by chromium (VI) in adult rats and their progeny
Authors: Soudani Nejla , Sefi Mediha , Bouaziz Hanen , Chtourou Yassine , Boudawara Tahia , Zeghal Najiba
Published: November 2010

To assess kidney damages in pregnant and lactating rats and in their suckling pups, Wistar female rats were given, through drinking water, 700 parts per million (ppm) of K2Cr2O7from the 14th day of pregnancy until day 14 after delivery. Toxicity was objectified by a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in kidney of chromium-treated mothers and their suckling pups. Moreover, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was increased in kidney and decreased in plasma of K2Cr2O7-treated rats. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were increased in dams and decreased in their pups. Interestingly, these biochemical modifications were accompanied by higher plasma and lower urinary levels of creatinine, a specific indicator of glomerular function, and of urea than those of controls. Significant increase in creatinine clearance was also found in treated mothers and in their progeny. Histological studies showed an infiltration of mononuclear cells, necrosis and vascular congestion in kidney of pups and dams. Based on the present findings, K2Cr2O7administrated to female rats during late pregnancy and early postnatal periods provoked kidney damages in dams and their offspring.
Antidepressant Prescription Pattern in a Hospice Program
Authors: Shiroma Paulo R. , Geda Yonas E. , Mohan Amit , Richardson Jarrett
Published: November 2010

Prevalence of treatable depression is as high as 25% among terminally ill patients. The incidence of antidepressant use was ascertained at the Mayo Hospice Program in Rochester, Minnesota, from June 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008. The 18-month cumulative probability to receive an antidepressant during hospice was estimated at 11.7%. Depression and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were the most common clinical indication and class of antidepressant, respectively. Survival was the main predictor to receive an antidepressant with an odds ratio of 2.71 (95%CI: 1.60-4.60) for each additional day in hospice. Proper diagnostic tools for this population, education about the benefits of antidepressants in palliative care, and clear guidelines about antidepressant class and dosages are needed.