bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Meridional Energy Transport by Atmospheric Overturning Circulations
Authors: Döös Kristofer , Nilsson Johan
Published: August 2010

The atmospheric meridional overturning circulation is computed using the interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data. Meridional mass transport streamfunctions are calculated not only using pressure as a vertical coordinate but also using temperature, specific humidity, and geopotential height as generalized vertical coordinates. Moreover, mass transport streamfunctions are calculated using the latent, the dry static, or the moist static energy as generalized vertical coordinates. The total meridional energy transport can be obtained by integrating these streamfunctions “vertically” over their entire energy range. The time-averaged mass transport streamfunctions are also decomposed into mean-flow and eddy-induced components. The meridional mass transport streamfunctions with temperature and specific humidity as independent variables yield a two-cell structure with a tropical Hadley-like cell and a pronounced extratropical Ferrel-like cell, which carries warm and moist air poleward. These Ferrel-like cells are much stronger than the Eulerian zonal-mean Ferrel cell, a feature that can be understood by considering the residual circulation related to specific humidity or temperature. Regardless of the generalized vertical coordinate, the present meridional mass transport streamfunctions yield essentially a two-layer structure with one poleward and one equatorward branch. The strongest meridional overturning in the midlatitudes is obtained when the specific humidity or the moist static energy is used as the vertical coordinate, indicating that the specific humidity is the variable that best distinguishes between poleward- and equatorward-moving air in the lower troposphere.
An Enhancement of Low-Frequency Variability in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension in CCSM3 owing to Ocean Model Biases
Authors: Thompson Lu Anne , Kwon Young-Oh
Published: August 2010

Enhanced decadal variability in sea surface temperature (SST) centered on the Kuroshio Extension (KE) has been found in the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) as well as in other coupled climate models. This decadal peak has higher energy than is found in nature, almost twice as large in some cases. While previous analyses have concentrated on the mechanisms for such decadal variability in coupled models, an analysis of the causes of excessive SST response to changes in wind stress has been missing. Here, a detailed comparison of the relationships between interannual changes in SST and sea surface height (SSH) as a proxy for geostrophic surface currents in the region in both CCSM3 and observations, and how these relationships depend on the mean ocean circulation, temperature, and salinity, is made. We use observationally based climatological temperature and salinity fields as well as satellite-based SSH and SST fields for comparison. The primary cause for the excessive SST variability is the coincidence of the mean KE with the region of largest SST gradients in the model. In observations, these two regions are separated by almost 500 km. In addition, the too shallow surface oceanic mixed layer in March north of the KE in the subarctic Pacific contributes to the biases. These biases are not unique to CCSM3 and suggest that mean biases in current, temperature, and salinity structures in separated western boundary current regions can exert a large influence on the size of modeled decadal SST variability.
Dynamics of the West African Westerly Jet
Authors: Pu Bing , Cook Kerry H.
Published: August 2010

The West African westerly jet (WAWJ) is a low-level westerly jet located at 8°–11°N over the eastern Atlantic and the West African coast. It is clearly distinguished from the monsoon westerly flow by its structure and dynamics, and plays an important role in transporting moisture from the tropical eastern Atlantic to Sahelian West Africa during boreal summer.

The WAWJ develops in early June, sustains maximum wind speeds of 5–6 m s−1 from late July to early September, and weakens and dissipates by mid-October. In its mature stage, the WAWJ is located within the Atlantic ITCZ. It extends from the surface to 700 hPa, with maximum speed at 925 hPa. The jet has a weak semidiurnal cycle, with maxima at 0500 and 1700 local time.

A momentum budget analysis reveals that the WAWJ forms when a region of strong westerly acceleration is generated by the superposition of the Atlantic ITCZ and the westward extension of the continental thermal low. The WAWJ is supergeostrophic at its maximum, with zonal pressure gradient and Coriolis accelerations both pointing eastward. While much of the WAWJ’s seasonal variation can be explained by the geostrophic wind, the ageostrophic wind contributes more than 40% of the wind speed during the jet’s formation and demise.

The westward extension of the thermal low is associated with the formation of an offshore low, which is related to seasonal warming of the ocean between 6° and 18°N along the coast. The coastal SSTs vary in response to a net surface heating pattern with warming to the north and cooling to the south, which is mainly controlled by solar radiative and latent heat fluxes.
Analysis of Apparent Coupling between an Oceanic Kelvin Wave and Atmospheric Convection during the Winter of 1986/87
Authors: Gribble-Verhagen Lynn , Roundy Paul E.
Published: August 2010

This study analyzes the apparent coupling between an intraseasonal oceanic Kelvin wave in the Pacific Ocean and atmospheric moist deep convection for a particularly high-amplitude event during the winter of 1986/87. This wave was initiated initially by westerly wind bursts that developed in association with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). After initiation by the MJO, the active convective anomaly slowed to roughly 1.5 m s−1, suggesting that the event became distinct from the MJO, which usually propagates at roughly 5–7 m s−1. This study demonstrates how surface winds, currents, SST anomalies, fluxes of sensible and latent heat across the sea surface, and atmospheric convection evolve throughout the event. Results suggest that the convective envelope and oceanic Kelvin wave are mutually beneficial and serve to prolong and enhance each other.
Examining the Effects of Dust Aerosols on Satellite Sea Surface Temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea Using the Medspiration Matchup Database
Authors: Ruescas Ana B. , Arbelo Manuel , Sobrino Jose A. , Mattar Cristian
Published: August 2010

Dust aerosol plumes from the Sahara cover the Mediterranean Sea regularly during the summer months (June–August) and occasionally during other seasons. Dust can absorb infrared longwave radiation, thus causing a drop in sea surface temperature (SST) retrievals from satellite. To quantify the magnitude of this absorption and to understand the sources of the biases that might be introduced when trying to validate SST algorithms with in situ bulk temperatures, the effects of the dust absorption are studied using the Medspiration Match-up Database. This database provides in situ and satellite SSTs derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR), and the difference between skin and bulk measurements is calculated in order to obtain errors or residuals, which are classified by ranges and compared to an aerosol optical thickness product derived from the sensors. The behavior of the residuals is studied and there is clear correspondence between higher residual values and higher aerosol concentrations, though in some cases this relation is not so evident, especially during autumn months. Residuals for this period are then related to other atmospheric effects and layer boundary physical processes by using ancillary data (e.g., soundings).
Observations of Elevated Convection Initiation Leading to a Surface-Based Squall Line during 13 June IHOP_2002
Authors: Marsham John H. , Trier Stanley B. , Weckwerth Tammy M. , Wilson James W.
Published: August 2010

The evolution of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) observed during the International H2O Project that took place on the Great Plains of the United States is described. The MCS formed at night in a frontal zone, with four initiation episodes occurring between approximately 0000 and 0400 local time. Radar, radiosonde, and surface data together show that at least three of the initiation episodes were elevated, occurring from moist conditionally unstable layers located above the boundary layer, which had been stabilized by previous MCSs. Initiation occurred in northwest–southeast-oriented lines where a southerly nocturnal low-level jet terminated, generating elevated convergence. One initiation episode was observed using the S-band dual-polarization Doppler radar (S-Pol) and occurred at the intersection of this convergence zone with a propagating wave. Calculations of the Scorer parameter were consistent with wave trapping. Downdrafts from the developing convection generated both waves and bores, which propagated ahead of the cold pool, initiating further convection. Between 0700 and 1000 local time, the structure and orientation of the MCS evolved to a southwest–northeast-oriented squall line, which built a cold-pool outflow that could lift near-surface air to its level of free convection. The weaker cold pool in the eastern part of the domain was consistent with the greater impacts of a previous MCS there. To the authors’ knowledge, this case study provides the first detailed observational investigation of elevated initiation leading to surface-based convection, a process that appears to be an important mechanism for the generation of long-lived MCSs from elevated initiation.
Satisfaction of Patients and Primary Care Physicians With Shared Decision Making
Authors: Hirsch Oliver , Keller Heidemarie , Albohn-Kühne Christina , Krones Tanja , Donner-Banzhoff Norbert
Published: August 2010

Satisfaction with treatment is regarded as an important outcome measure, but its suitability has not been thoroughly investigated in the context of shared decision making (SDM). The authors evaluated whether both patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction ratings differ between an intervention group and a control group within a structured tool for cardiovascular prevention (ARRIBA-Herz). In a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, controlled trial, 44 family physicians in the intervention group consecutively recruited 550 patients whereas 47 physicians in the control group included 582 patients. Main findings were high satisfaction ratings independent of group allocation in patients and physicians. Significant differences had only negligible effect sizes. Compared to global satisfaction ratings, the effects of the shared decision-making process are better measured by a more concrete approach representing different steps of this process. Further research should refine behaviorally oriented questionnaires that measure SDM and a version for physicians should also be created.
Political geography: Where’s citizenship?
Authors: Staeheli Lynn A.
Published: August 2010

Citizenship is a contested subject in political geography, as a quick review of the literature suggests considerable differences in the way it is conceptualized and its importance is understood. This report reviews debates on the salience of citizenship in the context of broad social, political, and economic changes. Rather than attempting to assign a relative importance to citizenship as status as compared to citizenship as membership, it focuses on the continual rearticulation of the relationships and sites through which citizenship is constructed.
Historical geography, 2009-2010: Geohistoriography, the forgotten Braudel and the place of nominalism
Authors: Mayhew Robert J.
Published: August 2010

The 25th anniversary of the death of Fernand Braudel is used to draw attention to two different ways in which he conjoined history and geography. It is argued that Braudel was aware that geography is a constructed ordering device for historical studies, and that this insight is being pursued in a wide range of contemporary historical studies which might be labelled ‘geohistoriographical’. Particular attention is paid to work in Atlantic history and Enlightenment studies. It is suggested that geographers have an important part to play in furthering this insight, provided they keep to a rigorously nominalist conception of the role of place in such historical studies.
Personality and Symptoms of Psychological Ill Health Among Adult Male Offenders
Authors: Brewer Gayle
Published: August 2010

The current study investigated the relationship between personality and symptoms of psychological ill health in adult male offenders. Male offenders ( N = 161) housed at two medium-high-risk institutions completed the Ten Item Personality Inventory and the Symptom Checklist Outpatient Rating Scale. Emotional stability emerged as the strongest individual predictor of psychological ill health and predicted each of the subscales measured (somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, anger-hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism) and overall symptoms. Although agreeableness predicted depression and anger-hostility only, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience did not predict any aspect of psychological ill health investigated. The findings contribute to the current literature and provide further information about the relationship between personality and symptoms of psychological ill health in adult male offenders.
Selective Eaters and Tactile Sensitivity
Authors: Angell Amber
Published: August 2010

Among the various disciplines that address pediatric feeding disorders, there is increasing awareness of the complex and multifaceted factors that must be addressed. There remains a need for a universal classification system that would provide a common language and guide treatment strategies. The group of children who have been traditionally labeled “picky eaters” is examined, including the link between tactile defensiveness and selective eating, the anxiety that these children and their caregivers experience, and the need to address both sensory sensitivity and anxiety. Treatment methods are explored, including approaches that incorporate the caregiver in intervention sessions.
Early mammalian erythropoiesis requires the Dot1L methyltransferase
Authors: Feng Yi , Yang Yanping , Ortega Manoela M. , Copeland Jessica N. , Zhang Mingcai , Jacob Jennifer B. , Fields Timothy A. , Vivian Jay L. , Fields Patrick E.
Published: August 2010

Histone methylation is an important regulator of gene expression; its coordinated activity is critical in complex developmental processes such as hematopoiesis. Disruptor of telomere silencing 1-like (DOT1L) is a unique histone methyltransferase that specifically methylates histone H3 at lysine 79. We analyzed Dot1L-mutant mice to determine influence of this enzyme on embryonic hematopoiesis. Mutant mice developed more slowly than wild-type embryos and died between embryonic days 10.5 and 13.5, displaying a striking anemia, especially apparent in small vessels of the yolk sac. Further, a severe, selective defect in erythroid, but not myeloid, differentiation was observed. Erythroid progenitors failed to develop normally, showing retarded progression through the cell cycle, accumulation during G0/G1 stage, and marked increase in apoptosis in response to erythroid growth factors. GATA2, a factor essential for early erythropoiesis, was significantly reduced in Dot1L-deficient cells, whereas expression of PU.1, a transcription factor that inhibits erythropoiesis and promotes myelopoiesis, was increased. These data suggest a model whereby DOT1L-dependent lysine 79 of histone H3 methylation serves as a critical regulator of a differentiation switch during early hematopoiesis, regulating steady-state levels of GATA2 and PU.1 transcription, thus controlling numbers of circulating erythroid and myeloid cells.
Genes and pathways for CO2 fixation in the obligate, chemolithoautotrophic acidophile, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Carbon fixation in A. ferrooxidans
Authors: Esparza Mario , Cárdenas Juan Pablo , Bowien Botho , Jedlicki Eugenia , Holmes David S
Published: August 2010

Background

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is chemolithoautotrophic γ-proteobacterium that thrives at extremely low pH (pH 1-2). Although a substantial amount of information is available regarding CO2 uptake and fixation in a variety of facultative autotrophs, less is known about the processes in obligate autotrophs, especially those living in extremely acidic conditions, prompting the present study.

Results

Four gene clusters (termed cbb1-4) in the A. ferrooxidans genome are predicted to encode enzymes and structural proteins involved in carbon assimilation via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle including form I of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO, EC 4.1.1.39) and the CO2-concentrating carboxysomes. RT-PCR experiments demonstrated that each gene cluster is a single transcriptional unit and thus is an operon. Operon cbb1 is divergently transcribed from a gene, cbbR, encoding the LysR-type transcriptional regulator CbbR that has been shown in many organisms to regulate the expression of RubisCO genes. Sigma70-like -10 and -35 promoter boxes and potential CbbR-binding sites (T-N11-A/TNA-N7TNA) were predicted in the upstream regions of the four operons. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) confirmed that purified CbbR is able to bind to the upstream regions of the cbb1, cbb2 and cbb3 operons, demonstrating that the predicted CbbR-binding sites are functional in vitro. However, CbbR failed to bind the upstream region of the cbb4 operon that contains cbbP, encoding phosphoribulokinase (EC 2.7.1.19). Thus, other factors not present in the assay may be required for binding or the region lacks a functional CbbR-binding site. The cbb3 operon contains genes predicted to encode anthranilate synthase components I and II, catalyzing the formation of anthranilate and pyruvate from chorismate. This suggests a novel regulatory connection between CO2 fixation and tryptophan biosynthesis. The presence of a form II RubisCO could promote the ability of A. ferrooxidans to fix CO2 at different concentrations of CO2.

Conclusions

A. ferrooxidans has features of cbb gene organization for CO2-assimilating functions that are characteristic of obligate chemolithoautotrophs and distinguish this group from facultative autotrophs. The most conspicuous difference is a separate operon for the cbbP gene. It is hypothesized that this organization may provide greater flexibility in the regulation of expression of genes involved in inorganic carbon assimilation.
Leucine-rich repeat protein PRAME: expression, potential functions and clinical implications for leukaemia
Authors: Wadelin Frances , Fulton Joel , McEwan Paul A , Spriggs Keith A , Emsley Jonas , Heery David M
Published: August 2010

PRAME/MAPE/OIP4 is a germinal tissue-specific gene that is also expressed at high levels in haematological malignancies and solid tumours. The physiological functions of PRAME in normal and tumour cells are unknown, although a role in the regulation of retinoic acid signalling has been proposed. Sequence homology and structural predictions suggest that PRAME is related to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family of proteins, which have diverse functions. Here we review the current knowledge of the structure/function of PRAME and its relevance in leukaemia.
Comprehensive modeling of microRNA targets predicts functional non-conserved and non-canonical sites
Authors: Betel Doron , Koppal Anjali , Agius Phaedra , Sander Chris , Leslie Christina
Published: August 2010

mirSVR is a new machine learning method for ranking microRNA target sites by a down-regulation score. The algorithm trains a regression model on sequence and contextual features extracted from miRanda-predicted target sites. In a large-scale evaluation, miRanda-mirSVR is competitive with other target prediction methods in identifying target genes and predicting the extent of their downregulation at the mRNA or protein levels. Importantly, the method identifies a significant number of experimentally determined non-canonical and non-conserved sites.
Spectral and polarization sensitivity of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): phylogenetic considerations
Authors: Hawryshyn C. W. , Ramsden S. D. , Betke K. M. , Sabbah S.
Published: August 2010

We were interested in comparing the characteristics of polarization sensitivity in Atlantic salmon to those in Pacific salmon. Here we show that the common ancestor to the clade containing Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus mykiss, O. nerka, O. clarkii and Salvelinus fontinalis has the trait of ultraviolet polarization sensitivity. We examined spectral and polarization sensitivity of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) using both optic nerve compound action potential (CAP) and electroretinogram (ERG) recordings. Our experiments employed photic manipulation to adjust the sensitivity of the four cone mechanisms of Atlantic salmon. A spectrally broad background was used to ensure a contribution of all cone mechanisms to both spectral and polarization sensitivity. Chromatic adaptation was used to isolate the sensitivity of each of the four cone mechanisms for both spectral and polarization sensitivity. Under spectrally broad conditions, UV sensitive (UVS), mid wavelength sensitive (MWS) and long wavelength sensitive (LWS) cone mechanisms contributed to polarization sensitivity. CAP recordings produced the typical ‘W’ shaped polarization sensitivity curve reflecting two active polarization detectors with peaks at e-vector orientations of 0 deg, 90 deg and 180 deg, and troughs at 30 deg and 150 deg. ERG recordings produced a four-peaked polarization sensitivity curve reflecting two active polarization detectors and negative feedback activity, with peaks at e-vectors 0 deg, 45 deg, 90 deg, 135 deg and 180 deg, and troughs at 30 deg, 60 deg, 120 deg and 150 deg. Polarization-sensitivity measurements of isolated cone mechanisms revealed two orthogonal polarization detector mechanisms in Atlantic salmon, identical to that found in rainbow trout and other Pacific salmonid fishes. Moreover, under spectrally broad background conditions, CAP and ERG polarization sensitivity of Atlantic salmon did not differ significantly from that reported in Pacific salmonids.
AMP-activated protein kinase controls metabolism and heat production during embryonic development in birds
Authors: Walter Isabel , Hegarty Bronwyn , Seebacher Frank
Published: August 2010

During embryonic and early juvenile development, endotherms must balance energy allocation between growth and heat production. Failure to either match the ATP demand of growing tissue or produce heat at the correct developmental stage will lead to damage of the organism. We tested the hypothesis that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is involved in the regulation of energy metabolism and heat production during development in the chicken (Gallus gallus). We show that mRNA concentrations of regulatory and catalytic AMPK subunits, AMPK total protein, and AMPK phosphorylation increase during development [3 days (–3 days) and one day (–1 day) before hatching, and +1 day and +8 days after hatching] in liver, and to a lesser extent in skeletal muscle. Chronic stimulation with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) significantly increases AMPK phosphorylation in skeletal muscle and in liver. This increase was paralleled by significant increases in heat production, glucose utilization, and liver and skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity (citrate synthase activity). The effects of AMPK are likely to be mediated by inhibition of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) after hatching, when ACC protein concentration increases significantly, and by a significant AMPK-induced increase in PGC-1α mRNA concentration (at +1 day), but not in NRF-1 mRNA concentration. AMPK phosphorylation is under the control of thyroid hormone, and AMPK phosphorylation decreases significantly following the induction of hypothyroidism. We propose AMPK as a principal regulatory mechanism during the transition from ectothermy to endothermy in birds, and show that AMPK function in birds is similar to that observed in mammals.
Audiogram of a formerly stranded long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) measured using auditory evoked potentials
Authors: Pacini A. F. , Nachtigall P. E. , Kloepper L. N. , Linnenschmidt M. , Sogorb A. , Matias S.
Published: August 2010

Long-finned pilot whales are highly social odontocetes found in temperate and subpolar regions. This species is particularly known for its interaction with fisheries as well as its mass strandings. Recent tagging work has provided some information about pilot whales in the wild but, even though they have been successfully kept in captivity, little is known about their sensory capabilities. This study investigates the hearing abilities of a rehabilitated 2 year old male long-finned pilot whale. A complete audiogram was collected using auditory evoked potential techniques that included measurements of nine frequencies from 4 to 100 kHz presented as sinusoidally amplitude-modulated tones. The results indicated that the region of best hearing was between 11.2 and 50 kHz and the subject had relatively poor high frequency hearing compared with other odontocete species. This study emphasizes the importance of collecting basic hearing measurements from new species, understanding diagnostic life histories as well as continuously increasing the sample size of audiometry measurements within and between odontocete species as animals become available.
Plasticity in extended phenotypes: orb web architectural responses to variations in prey parameters
Authors: Blamires Sean J.
Published: August 2010

A spider orb web is an extended phenotype; it modifies and interacts with the environment, influencing spider physiology. Orb webs are plastic, responding to variations in prey parameters. Studies attempting to understand how nutrients influence spider orb-web plasticity have been hampered by the inability to decouple prey nutrients from other, highly correlated, prey factors and the intrinsic link between prey protein and prey energy concentration. I analyzed the nutrient concentrations of cockroaches, and adult and juvenile crickets to devise experiments that controlled prey protein concentration while varying prey size, ingested mass, energy concentration and feeding frequency of the orb web spider Argiope keyserlingi. I found that A. keyserlingi alters overall architecture according to feeding frequency. Decoration length was inversely related to ingested prey mass and/or energy density in one experiment but directly related to ingested prey mass in another. These contradictory results suggest that factors not examined in this study have a confounding influence on decoration plasticity. As decorations attract prey as well as predators decreasing decoration investment may, in some instances, be attributable to benefits no longer outweighing the risks. Web area was altered according to feeding frequency, and mesh size altered according to feeding frequency and prey length. The number of radii in orb webs was unaffected by prey parameters. A finite amount of silk can be invested in the orb web, so spiders trade-off smaller mesh size with larger web capture area, explaining why feeding frequency influenced both web area and mesh size. Mesh size is additionally responsive to prey size via sensory cues, with spiders constructing webs suitable for catching the most common or most profitable prey.
ncRNAimprint: A comprehensive database of mammalian imprinted noncoding RNAs
Authors: Zhang Ying , Guan Dao-Gang , Yang Jian-Hua , Shao Peng , Zhou Hui , Qu Liang-Hu
Published: August 2010

Imprinted noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are expressed mono-allelically in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner, which is mainly evident in mammals. Lying at a crossroad between imprinted genes and ncRNAs, imprinted ncRNAs show distinct features. They are likely to function in nontraditional ways compared to non-imprinted ncRNAs, and are much more responsible for the mechanism of genomic imprinting compared to imprinted protein-coding genes. An increasing number of human diseases have been shown to be related to abnormalities in imprinted ncRNAs. Due to their functional importance, many studies focusing on imprinted ncRNAs have been published in recent years; however, there is no systematic collection or description of imprinted ncRNAs and the rapidly growing knowledge is scattered in various places. Here, we describe a new database, ncRNAimprint, which serves as a comprehensive resource center for mammalian imprinted ncRNAs. A catalog of imprinted ncRNAs, including snoRNAs, microRNAs, piRNAs, siRNAs, antisense ncRNAs, and mRNA-like ncRNAs, was annotated in detail using information extracted from relevant literature and databases. Comprehensive collections of imprinted ncRNA-related diseases, imprinting control regions (ICRs), and imprinted regions were manually compiled to provide resources for current research focusing on imprinted ncRNAs. Small RNA deep sequencing reads that fully matched within imprinted regions were also included to offer useful evidence in detecting novel imprinted ncRNAs and to aid in analyzing expression patterns of known imprinted ncRNAs. A search page including four effective search forms and two graphical browsers was created for rapid retrieval and visualization of these data. The imprinted ncRNA database is freely accessible at http://rnaqueen.sysu.edu.cn/ncRNAimprint.
Identifying Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Effects of Concurrent Tobacco Exposure on Neonatal Growth
Authors: Gray Teresa R , Eiden Rina D , Leonard Kenneth E , Connors Gerard J , Shisler Shannon , Huestis Marilyn A
Published: August 2010

BACKGROUND

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug among pregnant women, but data describing the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure and concurrent nicotine and cannabis exposures on neonatal growth are inconsistent. Testing of meconium, the first neonatal feces, offers objective evidence of prenatal cannabis exposure, but the relative ability of meconium testing and maternal self-report to identify affected neonates remains unclear.

METHODS

Eighty-six pregnant women provided detailed self-reports of daily cannabis and tobacco consumption throughout pregnancy. Cannabinoids and tobacco biomarkers were identified in oral fluid samples collected each trimester and quantified in meconium at birth.

RESULTS

Cannabis-using women were significantly more likely to also consume tobacco, and smoked similar numbers of cigarettes as non–cannabis-using tobacco smokers. As pregnancy progressed, fewer women smoked cannabis and those who continued to use cannabis reported smoking a smaller number of cannabis joints, but positive maternal oral fluid tests cast doubt on the veracity of some maternal self-reports. More neonates were identified as cannabis exposed by maternal self-report than meconium analysis, because many women quit cannabis use after the first or second trimester; meconium was more likely to be positive if cannabis use continued into the third trimester. Cannabis exposure was associated with decreased birth weight, reduced length, and smaller head circumference, even after data were controlled for tobacco coexposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal cannabis exposure was associated with fetal growth reduction. Meconium testing primarily identifies prenatal cannabis exposure occurring in the third trimester of gestation.
Historiography and Invisible Musics: Domestic Chamber Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain
Authors: Bashford Christina
Published: August 2010

A persistent idea in chamber music historiography is that nineteenth-century Britain lacked a significant, serious domestic chamber-music culture of the type so prevalent in Austro-Germany. Such activity is assumed to have dried up ca. 1800, along with indigenous chamber-music composition, to be replaced by music making at the parlor piano and attendance at public concerts. This essay challenges that view and suggests a continuing, coherent subculture of private chamber music spread across Britain, often in unexpected settings and in communities of upper- and middle-class males. Underpinning the analysis is new, suggestive documentation from a range of sources including private diaries, letters, magazines, and auction catalogs.

At the same time, many publicly oriented sources are silent about British chamber-music life, or contrast it poorly with Germany. Historical contextualization of this evidence suggests that received thinking in the twentieth century owed much to cultural ideologies embedded in the nineteenth. A knot of British anxieties in the nineteenth century around masculinity, class, intellectualism, and national identity led to the serious, private pursuit of chamber music among men of wealth being downplayed in public, caricatured, or even ignored. While the tenacious positioning of chamber music as inherently German stemmed in part from Germany's construction of its own national identity, it also owed much to the Victorians' tendency to perpetuate a limited view of their own musical culture.
Tecnologias ambientais: em busca de um significado
Authors: Jabbour Charbel José Chiappetta
Published: August 2010

Este artigo busca um significado mais preciso e completo para um termo cuja adoção revela-se crescente nos fóruns acadêmicos e empresariais: tecnologia ambiental. De fato, o desenvolvimento, a adoção e a difusão de tecnologias ambientais implicam o envolvimento de diversos agentes, instituições e setores sociais, que requerem um entendimento comum e devidamente completo para o significado de tecnologia ambiental. Entretanto, as propostas conceituais mais atuais são tímidas diante do desafio de se buscar um significado mais claro para o termo. Assim, este artigo explora a tipologia do termo e identifica seu processo de desenvolvimento e difusão, fornecendo um significado mais completo de tecnologia ambiental.
Cetuximab May Inhibit Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis Induced by Ionizing Radiation: A Preclinical Rationale for Maintenance Treatment After Radiotherapy
Authors: Pueyo Gemma , Mesia Ricard , Figueras Agnes , Lozano Alicia , Baro Marta , Vazquez Silvia , Capella Gabriel , Balart Josep
Published: August 2010

Background.

The benefits of radiotherapy and cetuximab have encouraged evaluation of cetuximab after radiotherapy. The aims of this study were to preclinically evaluate the efficacy of cetuximab maintenance after radiotherapy and eventually determine its mechanisms of action.

Methods.

The A431 human carcinoma cell line was treated in culture with fractionated radiotherapy and cetuximab. The surviving cells were injected s.c. into nude mice to mimic microscopic residual disease. The animals were randomized to receive either cetuximab or saline solution. Tumor growth, cell proliferation (Ki-67), microvessel density (MVD), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor (TGF-α) mRNA transcription, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion were measured.

Results.

Tumors from irradiated cells had a faster growth rate, higher Ki-67 index, and greater angiogenesis than tumors from untreated cells. This aggressive phenotype was associated with in vitro radiation-induced extracellular signal–related kinase (ERK)-1/2 and Akt activation, greater EGFR and TGF-α transcription, and augmented VEGF secretion, all of which were inhibited by cetuximab. In cetuximab-treated mice with tumors arising from irradiated cells, time to volume was longer by a factor of 3.52, whereas the Ki-67 index and MVD were 1.57 and 1.49 times lower, respectively, a larger enhancement than seen in tumors from untreated cells. These findings suggest that cells surviving radiation may express factors that promote cell survival and induce an aggressive phenotype that may potentially be blocked by cetuximab maintenance therapy.

Conclusions.

These results support the clinical evaluation of adjuvant therapy with cetuximab after radiotherapy in EGFR-dependent carcinomas.
Changes in Survival in Head and Neck Cancers in the Late 20th and Early 21st Century: A Period Analysis
Authors: Pulte Dianne , Brenner Hermann
Published: August 2010

Background.

Therapy for head and neck cancers has evolved over the past decade, but few detailed analyses of recent developments in survival on the population level have been published.

Methods.

We use period analysis and modeled period analysis to disclose recent trends in survival in patients with head and neck cancer. Data are derived from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results limited-use database.

Results.

A major, statistically significant improvement in survival was observed, with the overall 5-year relative survival rate going from 54.7% in 1992–1996 to 65.9% in 2002–2006. Subgroup analysis showed improvement in cancers of the oral cavity, tongue, tonsils, and nasopharynx, with the greatest improvements observed in tonsillar carcinoma (+22.2 percentage points) and carcinoma of the tongue (+14.4 percentage points). Further analysis of survival for oral cavity, tonsillar, and tongue carcinoma revealed improvements in survival at each stage and across all age groups except for patients aged ≥75 years, with the greatest improvement occurring in locally advanced disease and in patients aged 55–64 years for carcinoma of the tongue and tonsils and those aged 15–44 years for oral cavity cancers.

Conclusions.

Survival has substantially improved for head and neck cancer patients over the past decade. The greatest improvement was seen in tonsillar and tongue cancers.
Survival Trends in Head and Neck Cancer: Opportunities for Improving Outcomes
Authors: Rodriguez Cristina P. , Adelstein David J.
Published: August 2010

This editorial discusses the Pulte and Brenner article on the recent survival trend observed in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
An IGF1/insulin receptor substrate-1 pathway stimulates a mitotic kinase (cdk1) in the uterine epithelium during the proliferative response to estradiol
Authors: Walker Michael P , DiAugustine Richard P , Zeringue Ernest , Bunger Maureen K , Schmitt Martina , Archer Trevor K , Richards R Gregg
Published: August 2010

Estrogens are potent mitogens for some target organs, such as the uterus, and cancers that develop in this organ might be linked to the proliferative action of these hormones. However, the mechanism by which estrogens influence the cell cycle machinery is not known. We found that a null mutation for the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, a docking protein that is important for IGF1 signaling, compromised hormone-induced mitosis in the uterine epithelium; BrdU incorporation was not affected. This selective effect on mitosis was associated with a reduction in uterine cyclin B-associated kinase activity; cyclin A-associated kinase activity was not changed. The null mutation also reduced the extent of hormone-induced phosphorylation of endogenous uterine histone H1, as determined with phospho-specific antiserum. Uterine epithelial cyclin dependent kinase (cdk)1 was induced in response to hormone, but the level of the kinase protein, as determined by immunoblotting, was noticeably less in the irs1 null mutant than that in the wild-type (WT) mouse, especially around the time of peak mitosis (24 h). Since IRS-1 binds/activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), the absence of this docking protein could impair signaling of a known pathway downstream of AKT that stimulates translation of cell cycle components. Indeed, we found that phosphorylation of uterine AKT (Ser473) in irs1 null mutants was less than that in WTs following treatment. Based on earlier studies, it is also possible that an IGF1/IRS-1/PI3K/AKT pathway regulates posttranslational changes in cdk1. This model may provide insights as to how a growth factor pathway can mediate hormone action on cell proliferation.
Sex hormone regulation of survivin gene expression
Authors: Nabilsi Nancy H , Broaddus Russell R , McCampbell Adrienne S , Lu Karen H , Lynch Henry T , Chen Lee-may , Loose David S
Published: August 2010

Survivin (BIRC5) is a cell survival gene that is overexpressed in endometrial cancer and has been implicated to have a physiological role in normal endometrial function. To determine whether survivin gene expression is regulated by reproductive steroid hormones in the human endometrium, RNA was prepared from normal cycling women in the proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle. RNA was also isolated from 21 endometrial biopsies from premenopausal women at baseline and following 3 months of treatment with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. Finally, RNA was isolated from endometrial biopsies from ten healthy postmenopausal women participating in a clinical trial of estrogen replacement therapy at baseline and following 6 months of treatment with conjugated equine estrogen. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was used to determine survivin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), Ki67, and IGF1 gene expression levels. Survivin gene expression was highest in the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle and showed a statistically significant 4-fold increase in expression following chronic treatment with estrogens; this was strongly correlated with increased Ki67, a marker of proliferation. Survivin gene expression decreased 4.6-fold following chronic progestin treatment in the human endometrium. These data suggest that survivin transcript is regulated by estrogens and progestins in the disease-free human endometrium. The data also suggest that survivin transcript may be used as a biomarker of estrogen and progestin treatment efficacy, but validation studies must be conducted to support this conclusion.
Gelatinization and Retrogradation of Hydroxypropylated Cornstarch
Authors: Lan Cao , Liu Hongsheng , Chen Pei , Yu Long , Chen Ling , Li Xiaoxi , Zhang Ximei
Published: August 2010

Gelatinization and retrogradation of a high amylose cornstarch modified by hydroxypropylation were studied by DSC. It was found that the gelatinization temperature of the starch was decreased and a narrow gelatinization range was measured by DSC after hydroxypropylation. The decreasing of the gelatinization temperature is explained by disrupting inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds, while the narrowing of the gelatinization endotherm is explained by destroying the amylose-lipid complex. Morphologies of the starch granules with and without iodine treatment were studied under microscopy with normal and polarized lights. Brightness and birefringence decreased with increasing molar substitution since crystal structure in starch granular was partly destroyed. Weaker retrogradation was observed for the hydroxpropylated starch, ascribed not only to steric effects imposed by the bulky hydroxypropyl groups in amylopectin, but also to the removing of amylose-lipid complexes during alkaline treatment.
Hypothalamic Angptl4/Fiaf Is a Novel Regulator of Food Intake and Body Weight
Authors: Kim Hyun-Kyong , Youn Byung-Soo , Shin Mi-Seon , Namkoong Churl , Park Kyeong Han , Baik Ja Hyun , Kim Jae Bum , Park Joong-Yeol , Lee Ki-up , Kim Young-Bum , Kim Min-Seon
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

The angiopoietin-like protein 4 (Angptl4)/fasting-induced adipose factor (Fiaf) is known as a regulator of peripheral lipid and glucose metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the physiological role of Angptl4 in central regulation of body weight homeostasis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Hypothalamic Angptl4 expression levels were measured using immunoblot assay during feeding manipulation or after administration of leptin, insulin, and nutrients. The effects of Angptl4 on food intake, body weight, and energy expenditure were determined following intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of Angptl4 in C57BL/6 mice. Food intake, energy metabolism, and feeding responses to leptin, insulin, and nutrients were compared between Angptl4-null mice and their wild littermates. Finally, the relationship of hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Angptl4 was studied.

RESULTS

Hypothalamic Angptl4 expression levels were increased upon food intake or administration of leptin, insulin, and nutrients. Furthermore, central administration of Angptl4 suppressed food intake and body weight gain but enhanced energy expenditure. These effects were mediated via suppression of hypothalamic AMPK activities. Consistently, Angptl4-null mice displayed increased body weight and hypothalamic AMPK activity but reduced energy expenditure. Food intake following a fast was significantly greater in Angptl4-null mice, which was normalized by centrally administered Angptl4. Moreover, anorectic responses to leptin, insulin, and glucose were diminished in Angptl4-null mice. In contrast, Angptl4-null mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity, indicating obesity-promoting effects of Angptl4 under the condition of fat-enriched diet.

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated that hypothalamic Angptl4 is regulated by physiological appetite regulators and mediates their anorexigenic effects via inhibition of hypothalamic AMPK activity. Therefore, Angptl4 appears to have an important role in central regulation of energy metabolism.
The Role of Blood Pressure Variability in the Development of Nephropathy in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Kilpatrick Eric S. , Rigby Alan S. , Atkin Stephen L.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE

Increases in blood pressure and visit-to-visit variability have both been found to independently increase the likelihood of cardiovascular events in nondiabetic individuals. This study has investigated whether each may also influence the development of microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes by examining data from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using binary longitudinal multiple logistic regression, mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure as well as annual visit-to-visit variability (SD.SBP and SD.DBP, respectively) was related to the risk of the development/progression of nephropathy and retinopathy in initially normotensive subjects who did not become pregnant during the DCCT.

RESULTS

Mean SBP and SD.SBP were independently predictive of albuminuria (odds ratio 1.005 [95% CI 1.002–1.008], P < 0.001 and 1.093 [1.069–1.117], P < 0.001, respectively, for 1 mmHg change), although SBP variability did not add to mean SBP in predicting retinopathy (0.999 [0.985–1.013], P = 0.93). DBP variability was also independently predictive of nephropathy (1.102 [1.068–1.137], P < 0.001) and not of retinopathy (0.991 [0.971–1.010], P = 0.37). Mean SBP was poorly related to SD.SBP (r2 < 0.01) as was mean DBP with SD. DBP (r2 < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure consistently independently added to mean blood pressure in predicting the risk of nephropathy, but not retinopathy, in the DCCT. This observation could have implications for the management and treatment of blood pressure in patients with type 1 diabetes.