bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase and absorption retrieval using incoherent X-ray sources
Authors: Munro Peter R.T. , Ignatyev Konstantin , Speller Robert D. , Olivo Alessandro
Published: August 2012

X-ray phase contrast imaging has overcome the limitations of X-ray absorption imaging in many fields. Particular effort has been directed towards developing phase retrieval methods: These reveal quantitative information about a sample, which is a requirement for performing X-ray phase tomography, allows material identification and better distinction between tissue types, etc. Phase retrieval seems impossible with conventional X-ray sources due to their low spatial coherence. In the only previous example where conventional sources have been used, collimators were employed to produce spatially coherent secondary sources. We present a truly incoherent phase retrieval method, which removes the spatial coherence constraints and employs a conventional source without aperturing, collimation, or filtering. This is possible because our technique, based on the pixel edge illumination principle, is neither interferometric nor crystal based. Beams created by an X-ray mask to image the sample are smeared due to the incoherence of the source, yet we show that their displacements can still be measured accurately, obtaining strong phase contrast. Quantitative information is extracted from only two images rather than a sequence as required by several coherent methods. Our technique makes quantitative phase imaging and phase tomography possible in applications where exposure time and radiation dose are critical. The technique employs masks which are currently commercially available with linear dimensions in the tens of centimeters thus allowing for a large field of view. The technique works at high photon energy and thus promises to deliver much safer quantitative phase imaging and phase tomography in the future.
Fingolimod, a sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor modulator, increases BDNF levels and improves symptoms of a mouse model of Rett syndrome
Authors: Deogracias Rubén , Yazdani Morteza , Dekkers Martijn P. J. , Guy Jacky , Ionescu Mihai Constantin S. , Vogt Kaspar E. , Barde Yves-Alain
Published: August 2012

The functional relevance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is beginning to be well appreciated not only in mice, but also in humans. Because reduced levels typically correlate with impaired neuronal function, increasing BDNF levels with well-tolerated drugs diffusing into the central nervous system may help in ameliorating functional deficits. With this objective in mind, we used the sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor agonist fingolimod, a drug that crosses the blood–brain barrier. In addition, fingolimod has recently been introduced as the first oral treatment for multiple sclerosis. In cultured neurons, fingolimod increases BDNF levels and counteracts NMDA-induced neuronal death in a BDNF-dependent manner. Ongoing synaptic activity and MAPK signaling is required for fingolimod-induced BDNF increase, a pathway that can also be activated in vivo by systemic fingolimod administration. Mice lacking
Mecp2,
a gene frequently mutated in Rett syndrome, show decreased levels of BDNF, and fingolimod administration was found to partially rescue these levels as well as the size of the striatum, a volumetric sensor of BDNF signaling in rodents. These changes correlate with increased locomotor activity of the
Mecp2
-deficient animals, suggesting that fingolimod may improve the functional output of the nervous system, in addition to its well-documented effects on lymphocyte egress from lymph nodes.
Application of compressed sensing to the simulation of atomic systems
Authors: Andrade Xavier , Sanders Jacob N. , Aspuru-Guzik Alán
Published: August 2012

Compressed sensing is a method that allows a significant reduction in the number of samples required for accurate measurements in many applications in experimental sciences and engineering. In this work, we show that compressed sensing can also be used to speed up numerical simulations. We apply compressed sensing to extract information from the real-time simulation of atomic and molecular systems, including electronic and nuclear dynamics. We find that, compared to the standard discrete Fourier transform approach, for the calculation of vibrational and optical spectra the total propagation time, and hence the computational cost, can be reduced by approximately a factor of five.
Structure and assembly of a paramyxovirus matrix protein
Authors: Battisti Anthony J. , Meng Geng , Winkler Dennis C. , McGinnes Lori W. , Plevka Pavel , Steven Alasdair C. , Morrison Trudy G. , Rossmann Michael G.
Published: August 2012

Many pleomorphic, lipid-enveloped viruses encode matrix proteins that direct their assembly and budding, but the mechanism of this process is unclear. We have combined X-ray crystallography and cryoelectron tomography to show that the matrix protein of Newcastle disease virus, a paramyxovirus and relative of measles virus, forms dimers that assemble into pseudotetrameric arrays that generate the membrane curvature necessary for virus budding. We show that the glycoproteins are anchored in the gaps between the matrix proteins and that the helical nucleocapsids are associated in register with the matrix arrays. About 90% of virions lack matrix arrays, suggesting that, in agreement with previous biological observations, the matrix protein needs to dissociate from the viral membrane during maturation, as is required for fusion and release of the nucleocapsid into the host’s cytoplasm. Structure and sequence conservation imply that other paramyxovirus matrix proteins function similarly.
Models and tests of optimal density and maximal yield for crop plants
Authors: Deng Jianming , Ran Jinzhi , Wang Zhiqiang , Fan Zhexuan , Wang Genxuan , Ji Mingfei , Liu Jing , Wang Yun , Liu Jianquan , Brown James H.
Published: August 2012

We introduce a theoretical framework that predicts the optimum planting density and maximal yield for an annual crop plant. Two critical parameters determine the trajectory of plant growth and the optimal density,

, where canopies of growing plants just come into contact, and competition: (
i
) maximal size at maturity,

, which differs among varieties due to artificial selection for different usable products; and (
ii
) intrinsic growth rate,
g
, which may vary with variety and environmental conditions. The model predicts (
i
) when planting density is less than

, all plants of a crop mature at the same maximal size,

, and biomass yield per area increases linearly with density; and (
ii
) when planting density is greater than

, size at maturity and yield decrease with −4/3 and −1/3 powers of density, respectively. Field data from China show that most annual crops, regardless of variety and life form, exhibit similar scaling relations, with maximal size at maturity,

, accounting for most of the variation in optimal density, maximal yield, and energy use per area. Crops provide elegantly simple empirical model systems to study basic processes that determine the performance of plants in agricultural and less managed ecosystems.
Spectrum of somatic mitochondrial mutations in five cancers
Authors: Larman Tatianna C. , DePalma Steven R. , Hadjipanayis Angela G. ,   The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network, Protopopov Alexei , Zhang Jianhua , Gabriel Stacey B. , Chin Lynda , Seidman Christine E. , Kucherlapati Raju , Seidman J. G.
Published: August 2012

Somatic mtDNA mutations have been reported in some human tumors, but their spectrum in different malignancies and their role in cancer development remain incompletely understood. Here, we describe the breadth of somatic and inherited mutations across the mitochondrial genome by sequence analyses of paired tumor and normal tissue samples from 226 individuals with five types of cancer using whole-genome data generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. The frequencies of deleterious tumor-specific somatic mutations found in mtDNA varied across tumor types, ranging from 13% of glioblastomas to 63% of rectal adenocarcinomas. Compared with inherited mtDNA variants, somatic mtDNA mutations were enriched for nonsynonymous vs. synonymous changes (93 vs. 15;
P
< 2.2E−16) and were predicted to functionally impact the encoded protein. Somatic missense mutations in tumors were distributed uniformly among the mitochondrial protein genes, but 65% of somatic truncating mutations occurred in NADH dehydrogenase 5. Analysis of staging data in colon and rectal cancers revealed that the frequency of damaging mitochondrial mutations is the same in stages I and IV tumors. In summary, these data suggest that damaging somatic mtDNA mutations occur frequently (13–63%) in these five tumor types and likely confer a selective advantage in oncogenesis.
The most numerous ganglion cell type of the mouse retina is a selective feature detector
Authors: Zhang Yifeng , Kim In-Jung , Sanes Joshua R. , Meister Markus
Published: August 2012

The retina reports the visual scene to the brain through many parallel channels, each carried by a distinct population of retinal ganglion cells. Among these, the population with the smallest and densest receptive fields encodes the neural image with highest resolution. In human retina, and those of cat and macaque, these high-resolution ganglion cells act as generic pixel encoders: They serve to represent many different visual inputs and convey a neural image of the scene downstream for further processing. Here we identify and analyze high-resolution ganglion cells in the mouse retina, using a transgenic line in which these cells, called “W3”, are labeled fluorescently. Counter to the expectation, these ganglion cells do not participate in encoding generic visual scenes, but remain silent during most common visual stimuli. A detailed study of their response properties showed that W3 cells pool rectified excitation from both On and Off bipolar cells, which makes them sensitive to local motion. However, they also receive unusually strong lateral inhibition, both pre- and postsynaptically, triggered by distant motion. As a result, the W3 cell can detect small moving objects down to the receptive field size of bipolar cells, but only if the background is featureless or stationary—an unusual condition. A survey of naturalistic stimuli shows that W3 cells may serve as alarm neurons for overhead predators.
An image-based screen identifies a small molecule regulator of megakaryopoiesis
Authors: Boitano Anthony E. , de Lichtervelde Lorenzo , Snead Jennifer L. , Cooke Michael P. , Schultz Peter G.
Published: August 2012

Molecules that control the lineage commitment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) may allow the expansion of enriched progenitor populations for both research and therapeutic uses. In an effort to better understand and control the differentiation of HSCs to megakaryocytes, we carried out an image-based screen of a library of 50,000 heterocycles using primary human CD34
+
cells. A class of naphthyridinone derivatives was identified that induces the differentiation of common myeloid progenitors (CMP) to megakaryocytes. Kinase profiling and subsequent functional assays revealed that these compounds act through inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) signaling in CMPs. Such molecules may ultimately have clinical utility in the treatment of thrombocytopenia.
Before and after
Authors: Athanasiadou Angeliki
Published: August 2012

The paper deals with the way events are ordered in a sequence with respect to each other and with respect to the speaker. When ordered with respect to each other, one event serves as the temporal reference point for establishing mental contact with another event, the target. Taking the speaker as the reference point, events are organized on the time line around the speaker and the present moment of speaking (speech time) from which the speaker looks back at past time and forwards at future time. The event-ordering relations are studied by before and after in physical, temporal and abstract space. Moreover, the variety of meanings of before and after is not only motivated by the spatial and nonspatial domains they extend to, but also by the different patterns and modifications of image schemas.
Subject–object switching and the Igbo lexicon
Authors: Uchechukwu Chinedu
Published: August 2012

In her pioneering research on what she described as the subject–object switching (SOS) phenomenon of the Igbo language, U.walaka (1988) explains the phenomenon as the formation of a sentence pair with the same verb but involving a switch of subject and object between the two sentences.

This paper takes up and strives to improve on this pioneering work. It is argued that while some of the earlier conclusions on the phenomenon could indeed be described as inappropriate, the conclusions might definitely have been influenced by two main factors. The first is the usual lexical gaps in translating from Igbo to English, while the second is most likely the transformational approach used in the analysis.

A ‘new’ insight into the phenomenon is proposed through the application of Cognitive Grammar’s concept of construal, with the conclusion that the SOS phenomenon involves two construction specific orientations: an agent-orientation and a patient-orientation. It is further shown how the adopted approach not only contradicts the lexicon-OR-syntax approach in Igbo linguistics, but also provides an insight into the two different citation forms connected with the two orientations.
Moving OVER
Authors: Dewell Robert B.
Published: August 2012

This article argues that OVER profiles the relation between a schematic path and a LM — even when it describes an objectively static scene. It situates OVER within the overall system of spatial prepositions in English, focusing primarily on the general semantic patterns that over shares with other route Ps (THROUGH, AROUND, ACROSS, …), i.e., prepositions that profile a path defined by its internal structure and location rather than by its endpoints. OVER thus contrasts systematically with locational Ps (IN, ON, ABOVE, IN FRONT OF, …) that profile the ordinary location of a trajector. These systematic contrasts consistently account for the differences between OVER and its paradigmatic alternatives. The analysis suggests adopting a more dynamic conception of a “semantic network” that consists mainly of interpretational processes that are shared with other expressions in the system.
“Guaraní sí, castellano más o menos”
Authors: Gandulfo Carolina
Published: August 2012

En este artículo presentamos parte de una etnografía sobre usos y significaciones del guaraní y castellano en un paraje rural de la provincia de Corrientes en Argentina. Describimos en particular el proceso de construcción de un censo sociolingüístico realizado en el 2004 por tres niñas de sexto año a los compañeros de primer y segundo año de la escuela primaria de dicho paraje. La etnografía mencionada muestra que la población del paraje rural es hablante de castellano y guaraní, sin embargo, los pobladores –adultos, jóvenes y niños– en general no se reconocen como guaraní hablantes. Se produce así lo que llamamos el discurso de la prohibición del guaraní, que describimos tanto en su formulación discursiva como en los modos de operar actualmente. Presentamos el censo elaborado por las niñas para mostrar cómo ha sido central este tipo de abordaje metodológico para comprender la situación de los usos de las lenguas y las significaciones que estos usos expresan, producen, y reproducen en dicho contexto. Mostramos cómo el intercambio con las niñas a partir de realizar una tarea de investigación en conjunto permitió acercarnos a la manera en que ellas vivencian y significan el discurso de la prohibición del guaraní. Finalmente postularemos la relevancia de la incorporación de niño/as como colaboradores en la investigación etnográfica en general y en particular en la investigación sobre usos de lenguas en contextos como el que aquí se analiza.
Democracy and Its Limits: Gender and Rights in the Czech Lands, 1918–1938
Authors: Feinberg Melissa
Published: August 2012

On 28 October 1918, a group of Czech nationalists stood on the steps of the Obecni Dům (Municipal House) in Prague and proclaimed their independence from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, allying themselves with the new state of Czechoslovakia. Their declaration marked the beginning of a new era in the Czech lands, one in which Czechs, as the majority nation, hoped to redefine the terms of political discourse. The new Czechoslovak Republic, its Czech supporters declared, would be the antithesis of the Habsburg regime. In the place of a multinational Monarchy, they would erect a democratic nation-state. The second half of this political vision was complicated by the fact that the new Czechoslovakia actually contained many ethnic groups, but Czechs still tended to imagine their new Republic as the political expression of the Czech nation. At the same time, this “Czech-centered” politics also emphasized the democratic basis of the new country. Czechoslovakia, Czech leaders said, would be a state governed by its people and dedicated to protecting their rights and freedoms as individuals. A political culture that rested on both ethnic nationalism and democratic values obviously contained some internal tensions: the need to protect the interests of one specific nation and the duty to protect the individual rights of all citizens could rub uncomfortably against each other. Yet, at that moment in 1918, most Czechs failed to register this potential for ideological conflict, instead seeing an essential link between democratic politics and the good of the Czech nation. For many Czechs, democracy itself was a need of the nation, a political structure crucial to Czech national self-realization. This idea came from one prominent conception of Czech nationhood that had captured the public imagination in the fall of 1918. According to this strain of Czech national ideology, the Czech nation had a sort of democratic character. This meant that only an egalitarian, democratic government would suit a “Czech” state. So, paradoxically, a universal language of rights and freedoms was the key to building a truly national Czechoslovak Republic. It was with a state that emphasized equality and personal freedom that the Czechs would fulfill their national destiny.
Irony and Political Islam: Dagestan's Spiritual Directorate
Authors: Kisriev Enver , Ware Robert Bruce
Published: August 2012

Russians say that there is a defeat in every victory and a victory in every defeat. On 16 September 1999, in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, combined forces of civilian militias, police, and Russian federal troops defeated insurgent militants from Chechnya who intended to establish an independent Islamic state in the Northeast Caucasus which would have united Chechnya with Dagestan and Ingushetia. On that same date the Dagestan People's Assembly enacted legislation intended to thwart future Islamic extremism by awarding official political status to the Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of Dagestan (DUMD).
Open chromatin structures regulate the efficiencies of pre-RC formation and replication initiation in Epstein-Barr virus
Authors: Papior Peer , Arteaga-Salas José M. , Günther Thomas , Grundhoff Adam , Schepers Aloys
Published: August 2012

Whether or not metazoan replication initiates at random or specific but flexible sites is an unsolved question. The lack of sequence specificity in origin recognition complex (ORC) DNA binding complicates genome-scale chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-based studies. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persists as chromatinized minichromosomes that are replicated by the host replication machinery. We used EBV to investigate the link between zones of pre-replication complex (pre-RC) assembly, replication initiation, and micrococcal nuclease (MNase) sensitivity at different cell cycle stages in a genome-wide fashion. The dyad symmetry element (DS) of EBV’s latent origin, a well-established and very efficient pre-RC assembly region, served as an internal control. We identified 64 pre-RC zones that correlate spatially with 57 short nascent strand (SNS) zones. MNase experiments revealed that pre-RC and SNS zones were linked to regions of increased MNase sensitivity, which is a marker of origin strength. Interestingly, although spatially correlated, pre-RC and SNS zones were characterized by different features. We propose that pre-RCs are formed at flexible but distinct sites, from which only a few are activated per single genome and cell cycle.
The Zinc-finger protein ASCIZ regulates B cell development via DYNLL1 and Bim
Authors: Jurado Sabine , Gleeson Kimberly , O’Donnell Kristy , Izon David J. , Walkley Carl R. , Strasser Andreas , Tarlinton David M. , Heierhorst Jörg
Published: August 2012

Developing B lymphocytes expressing defective or autoreactive pre-B or B cell receptors (BCRs) are eliminated by programmed cell death, but how the balance between death and survival signals is regulated to prevent immunodeficiency and autoimmunity remains incompletely understood. In this study, we show that absence of the essential ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) substrate Chk2-interacting Zn2+-finger protein (ASCIZ; also known as ATMIN/ZNF822), a protein with dual functions in the DNA damage response and as a transcription factor, leads to progressive cell loss from the pre-B stage onwards and severely diminished splenic B cell numbers in mice. This lymphopenia cannot be suppressed by deletion of p53 or complementation with a prearranged BCR, indicating that it is not caused by impaired DNA damage responses or defective V(D)J recombination. Instead, ASCIZ-deficient B cell precursors contain highly reduced levels of DYNLL1 (dynein light chain 1; LC8), a recently identified transcriptional target of ASCIZ, and normal B cell development can be restored by ectopic Dynll1 expression. Remarkably, the B cell lymphopenia in the absence of ASCIZ can also be fully suppressed by deletion of the proapoptotic DYNLL1 target Bim. Our findings demonstrate a key role for ASCIZ in regulating the survival of developing B cells by activating DYNLL1 expression, which may then modulate Bim-dependent apoptosis.
The Primary Care Management of Substance Misusers
Authors: Booker Matthew
Published: August 2012

GPs have an important role in ensuring substance-misusing patients have access to appropriate treatment, for both their general health needs and to tackle their problem drug use. Prescribing in this area is often met with unease amongst GPs, who may receive little in the way of formal training on this topic. To minimize risk and maximize the benefit to the patient, GPs should be aware of current safe prescribing guidance, common pitfalls when treating this patient group and the wealth of non-pharmacological harm-reduction strategies that are a vital underpinning element of primary care treatment.
Bacterial tyrosine kinases: evolution, biological function and structural insights
Authors: Grangeasse Christophe , Nessler Sylvie , Mijakovic Ivan
Published: August 2012

Reversible protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism in the regulation of fundamental signalling events in all living organisms. Bacteria have been shown to possess a versatile repertoire of protein kinases, including histidine and aspartic acid kinases, serine/threonine kinases, and more recently tyrosine and arginine kinases. Tyrosine phosphorylation is today recognized as a key regulatory device of bacterial physiology, linked to exopolysaccharide production, virulence, stress response and DNA metabolism. However, bacteria have evolved tyrosine kinases that share no resemblance with their eukaryotic counterparts and are unique in exploiting the ATP/GTP-binding Walker motif to catalyse autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation on tyrosine. These enzymes, named BY-kinases (for Bacterial tYrosine kinases), have been identified in a majority of sequenced bacterial genomes, and to date no orthologues have been found in Eukarya. The aim of this review was to present the most recent knowledge about BY-kinases by focusing primarily on their evolutionary origin, structural and functional aspects, and emerging regulatory potential based on recent bacterial phosphoproteomic studies.
Protein abundance is key to distinguish promiscuous from functional phosphorylation based on evolutionary information
Authors: Levy Emmanuel D. , Michnick Stephen W. , Landry Christian R.
Published: August 2012

In eukaryotic cells, protein phosphorylation is an important and widespread mechanism used to regulate protein function. Yet, of the thousands of phosphosites identified to date, only a few hundred at best have a characterized function. It was recently shown that these functional sites are significantly more conserved than phosphosites of unknown function, stressing the importance of considering evolutionary conservation in assessing the global functional landscape of phosphosites. This leads us to review studies that examined the impact of phosphorylation on evolutionary conservation. While all these studies have shown that conservation is greater among phosphorylated sites compared with non-phosphorylated ones, the magnitude of this difference varies greatly. Further, not all studies have considered key factors that may influence the rate of phosphosite evolution. Such key factors are their localization in ordered or disordered regions, their stoichiometry or the abundance of their corresponding protein. Here we take into account all of these factors simultaneously, which reveals remarkable evolutionary patterns. First, while it is well established that protein conservation increases with abundance, we show that phosphosites partly follow an opposite trend. More precisely,Saccharomyces cerevisiaephosphosites present among abundant proteins are 1.5 times more likely to diverge in the closely related speciesSaccharomyces bayanuswhen compared with phosphosites present in the 5 per cent least abundant proteins. Second, we show that conservation is coupled to stoichiometry, whereby sites frequently phosphorylated are more conserved than those rarely phosphorylated. Finally, we provide a model of functional and noisy or ‘accidental’ phosphorylation that explains these observations.
Which patient requires neuroendocrine assessment following traumatic brain injury, when and how?
Authors: Glynn Nigel , Agha Amar
Published: August 2012

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important public health problem, particularly among young adults in industrialized countries. Hypopituitarism is a common occurrence among survivors of TBI and may contribute to the associated morbidity seen in the acute and chronic phases following injury. The available data suggest that survivors of moderate to severe TBI should undergo screening for hypopituitarism particularly in the first year after injury. This requires a close liaison between endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, intensive care and rehabilitation physicians. Patients who suffer milder forms of TBI should also be considered for endocrine evaluation if they exhibit any clinical features of pituitary hormone deficiencies.
The Effect of Simulated African Wild Dog Presence on Anti‐predator Behaviour of Kudu and Impala
Authors: van der Meer Esther , Pays Olivier , Fritz Hervé
Published: August 2012

In this study, we examined the behavioural, temporal and spatial effects of simulated African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) presence on its two main prey species: kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and impala (Aepyceros melampus). We spread African wild dog faeces around waterholes and played African wild dog sounds at different intervals to mimic immediate and non‐immediate predation pressure. We looked at anti‐predator behaviour at both a herd and individual level and distinguished between high‐quality (detracts from all other activities), high‐cost vigilance and low‐quality (used to monitor the surrounding in spare time), low‐cost vigilance to determine costs involved. We found that simulated African wild dog presence had little effect on anti‐predator behaviour of their free‐ranging prey. Only when immediate predation risk was mimicked did kudu invest in (additional) high‐quality vigilance, whereas impala showed no response. Regardless of direct cues of African wild dog presence, behavioural adjustments to reduce predation risk were primarily based on environmental factors such as time of the day and broad‐scale habitat structure. Predators have been shown to utilize waterholes to hunt, and prey species are therefore likely to maximize anti‐predator behaviour in this high‐risk environment based on environmental variables affecting predation risk, the main predator within the system, and water requirements, leaving little flexibility to respond to (simulated) African wild dog presence.
Compression properties of the fruit body of king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii
Authors: Ogawa Yukiharu , Miyazawa Akiko , Yamamoto Nami , Suzuki Akira
Published: August 2012

To investigate the textural properties of edible fungi, raw and boiled cubic samples cut from stipe of the king oyster mushroom Pleurotus eryngii were compressed from various directions by different type utensils, and their deformed tissue structures were examined. Differences in the loads between compress directions were observed by the homogenous compression. A significant difference between the loads of the boiled upper (~10 N) and lower (~12 N) portions of stipe by intrusive compression from parallel to the growth direction was found. In the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, the arrangement of fibrous spawn in the lower‐portion tissue was characterised by curl‐like formations. The fibre also appeared tangled in irregular arrangements. The results of this study indicate that the firmness of mushroom tissue was produced by the complex attributes, which were the mechanical strength and physicochemical bindings of the fibre, and that the fibre arrangement and/or formation of the tissue.
A novel indirect defence in Brassicaceae: Structure and function of extrafloral nectaries in Brassica juncea
Authors: MATHUR VARTIKA , WAGENAAR ROEL , CAISSARD JEAN‐CLAUDE , REDDY A. SANKARA , VET LOUISE E. M. , CORTESERO ANNE‐MARIE , VAN DAM NICOLE M.
Published: August 2012

While nectaries are commonly found in flowers, some plants also form extrafloral nectaries on stems or leaves. For the first time in the family Brassicaceae, here we report extrafloral nectaries in Brassica juncea. The extrafloral nectar (EFN) was secreted from previously amorphic sites on stems, flowering stalks and leaf axils from the onset of flowering until silique formation. Transverse sections at the point of nectar secretion revealed a pocket‐like structure whose opening was surrounded by modified stomatal guard cells. The EFN droplets were viscous and up to 50% of the total weight was sugars, 97% of which was sucrose in the five varieties of B. juncea examined. Threonine, glutamine, arginine and glutamate were the most abundant amino acids. EFN droplets also contained glucosinolates, mainly gluconapin and sinigrin. Nectar secretion was increased when the plants were damaged by chewing above‐ and belowground herbivores and sap‐sucking aphids. Parasitoids of each herbivore species were tested for their preference, of which three parasitoids preferred EFN and sucrose solutions over water. Moreover, the survival and fecundity of parasitoids were positively affected by feeding on EFN. We conclude that EFN production in B. juncea may contribute to the indirect defence of this plant species.
Sexual violence in post‐conflict Liberia: survivors and their care
Authors: Tayler‐Smith K. , Zachariah R. , Hinderaker S. G. , Manzi M. , De Plecker E. , Van Wolvelaer P. , Gil T. , Goetghebuer S. , Ritter H. , Bawo L. , Davis‐Worzi C.
Published: August 2012

Using routine data from three clinics offering care to survivors of sexual violence (SV) in Monrovia, Liberia, we describe the characteristics of SV survivors and the pattern of SV and discuss how the current approach could be better adapted to meet survivors’ needs. There were 1500 survivors seeking SV care between January 2008 and December 2009. Most survivors were women (98%) and median age was 13 years (Interquartile range: 9–17 years). Sexual aggression occurred during day‐to‐day activities in 822 (55%) cases and in the survivor’s home in 552 (37%) cases. The perpetrator was a known civilian in 1037 (69%) SV events. Only 619 (41%) survivors sought care within 72 h. The current approach could be improved by: effectively addressing the psychosocial needs of child survivors, reaching male survivors, targeting the perpetrators in awareness and advocacy campaigns and reducing delays in seeking care.
Emergence and early growth of Galium aparine and Galium spurium
Authors: ROYO‐ESNAL A , TORRA J , CONESA J A , RECASENS J
Published: August 2012

Royo‐Esnal A, Torra J, Conesa JA & Recasens J (2012). Emergence and early growth of Galium aparine and Galium spurium. Weed Research. 52, 458–466.

With the aim of improving the control of Galium aparine and G. spurium, field experiments were conducted in a Mediterranean winter cereal field. Emergence and early growth (in number of whorls) of six populations of these weeds were examined. Populations were sown in November 2005 and 2006 with four randomised complete blocks in north‐eastern Spain. Emergence was determined by counting and marking newly emerged seedlings weekly for 3 months and vegetative growth was evaluated for each marked seedling group using the expanded BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt Bundessortenamt and Chemical industry) scale. Linear regressions were successfully fitted to the growth, using degree days and hydrothermal time as factors. Growth pattern differed between both years, but not between both Galium species, when fitted to growing day degrees (GDD), but these differences disappeared when fitted to hydrothermal time (HTT). Despite disparity in the emergence pattern among populations, new whorl production followed similar patterns for each Galium species, which allowed development of a common model. Maternal factors may have affected emergence, but populations did not show differences in whorl development. This growth model is a new tool that may be used to improve the timing of weed control strategies for Galium species in winter cereal fields under a Mediterranean climate.
Detection of genomic deletions of PKP2 in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Authors: Roberts JD , Herkert JC , Rutberg J , Nikkel SM , Wiesfeld ACP , Dooijes D , Gow RM , van Tintelen JP , Gollob MH
Published: August 2012

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited myocardial disease that predominantly affects the right ventricle and is associated with ventricular arrhythmias that may lead to sudden cardiac death. Mutations within at least seven separate genes have been identified to cause ARVC, however a genetic culprit remains elusive in approximately 50% of cases. Although negative genetic testing may be secondary to pathogenic mutations within undiscovered genes, an alternative explanation may be the presence of large deletions or duplications involving known genes. These large copy number variants may not be detected with standard clinical genetic testing which is presently limited to direct DNA sequencing. We describe two cases of ARVC possessing large deletions involving plakophilin‐2 (PKP2) identified with microarray analysis and/or multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) that would have been classified as genotype negative with standard clinical genetic testing. A deletion of the entire coding region of PKP2 excluding exon 1 was identified in patient 1 and his son. In patient 2, MLPA analysis of PKP2 revealed deletion of the entire gene with subsequent microarray analysis demonstrating a de novo 7.9 Mb deletion of chromosome 12p12.1p11.1. These findings support screening for large copy number variants in clinically suspected ARVC cases without clear disease causing mutations following initial sequencing analysis.
Oral food desensitization in children with IgE‐mediated hen’s egg allergy: a new protocol with raw hen’s egg
Authors: Meglio Paolo , Giampietro Paolo G. , Carello Rossella , Gabriele Ida , Avitabile Simona , Galli Elena
Published: August 2012

To cite this article: Meglio P, Giampietro PG, Carello R, Gabriele I, Avitabile S, Galli E. Oral food desensitization in children with IgE‐mediated hen’s egg allergy: a new protocol with raw hen’s egg. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012: 00.

Background:  Hen’s egg allergy affects young children and can cause severe allergic reactions. Avoidance results in dietary limitations and can affect the quality of life, especially in cases where potentially life‐threatening reactions exist. Our objective was to desensitize children with moderate‐severe IgE‐mediated hen’s egg allergy over a 6‐month period, by introducing increasing and very gradual daily doses of raw hen’s egg in order to enable the children to assume 25ml of this food, or to induce tolerance to the highest possible dose. The protocol foresaw the egg reintroduction in the home setting.

Methods:  In this randomized, controlled open study, 20 hen’s egg allergic children (10 in the active group) were admitted. A convincing history or a positive double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge confirmed the diagnosis. Oral desensitization was performed with increasing doses starting from 0.27 mg of hen’s egg proteins (1 drop of raw hen’s egg diluted 1:100). We adopted an original, mathematically calculated protocol in order to ensure a constant, daily increment of doses.

Results:  8/10 children (80%) in the active group achieved the daily intake of 25ml over a 6‐month period. One child (10%) could tolerate up to 2ml/day while another child (10%) failed the desensitization. Six months after enrolment only 2 children in the control group (20%) could tolerate hen’s egg.

Conclusions:  We successfully desensitized 8/10 children with IgE‐mediated hen’s egg allergy in a 6‐month period. The partial outcome in the child who could tolerate 2ml/day reduced the risk of severe reactions after unnoticed introduction of egg. A regular protocol that ensures a daily constant increase of doses helps to reduce possible adverse events, thus improving safety and effectiveness.
Effects of salinity, light intensity and sediment on growth, pigments, agar production and reproduction in Gracilaria tenuistipitata from Songkhla Lagoon in Thailand
Authors: Bunsom Chaloemphon , Prathep Anchana
Published: August 2012

The effects of salinity, light intensity and sediment on Gracilaria tenuistipitata C.F. Chang & B.M. Xia on growth, pigments, agar production, and net photosynthesis rate were examined in the laboratory under varying conditions of salinity (0, 25 and 33 psu), light intensity (150, 400, 700 and 1000 µmol photons m−2 s−1) and sediment (0, 0.67 and 2.28 mg L−1). These conditions simulated field conditions, to gain some understanding of the best conditions for cultivation of G. tenuistipitata. The highest growth rate was at 25 psu, 700 µmol photons m−2 s−1 with no sediments, that provided a 6.7% increase in weight gain. The highest agar production (24.8 ± 3.0 %DW) was at 25 psu, 150–400 µmol photons m−2 s−1 and no sediment. The highest pigment contents were phycoerythrin (0.8 ± 0.5 mg g−1FW) and phycocyanin (0.34 ± 0.05 mg g−1 FW) produced in low light conditions, at 150 µmol photons m−2 s−1. The highest photosynthesis rate was 161.3 ± 32.7 mg O2  g−1 DW h−1 in 25 psu, 400 µmol photons m−2 s−1 without sediment in the short period of cultivation, (3 days) and 60.3 ± 6.7 mg O2 g−1 DW h−1 in 25 psu, 700 µmol photons m−2 s−1 without sediment in the long period of cultivation (20 days). The results indicated that salinity was the most crucial factor affecting G. tenuistipitata growth and production. This would help to promote the cultivation of Gracilaria cultivation back into the lagoon using these now determined baseline conditions. Extrapolation of the results from the laboratory study to field conditions indicated that it was possible to obtain two crops of Gracilaria a year in the lagoon, with good yields of agar, from mid‐January to the end of April (dry season), and from mid‐July to the end of September (first rainy season) when provided sediment was restricted.
Reconsideration of the Gomphonema (Bacillariophyceae) species from Kolhapur, Northern Western Ghats, India: Taxonomy, typification and biogeography of the species reported by H.P. Gandhi
Authors: Karthick B. , Kociolek J. Patrick
Published: August 2012

Unique environmental conditions in the Indian subcontinent create a diverse biogeographic region harboring with exceptional endemic biodiversity. Diatom studies in this region started in the early nineteenth century, with descriptions of many new species. H. P. Gandhi described nearly 300 new taxa beginning in 1952. The focus of this paper is to reconsider, typify and provide biogeographic notes on the Gomphonema species described by Gandhi from Kolhapur region of Northern Western Ghats. While Gandhi identified 11 taxa including two endemic taxa, we observed eight Gomphonema species from the same material, comprising six endemic and two cosmopolitan species. The morphology of these taxa is examined using both light and scanning electron microscopy and all taxa are compared with similar species. One of the eight species we observed is a new species, Gomphonema tamilensis sp. nov., and a new combination is established, Gomphonema lacusrankaloides comb. nov. Gomphonema tamilensis is similar to G. gandhii described from South India and Gomphocymbella species described from East Africa. Ultrastructural details of Gomphonema species from peninsular India shows morphologically similarities to members of this genus from Himalayan, Madagascar and African species, which could be reflective of sister taxon relationships, and merit further investigation.
Maternal and fetal serum orexin‐A levels in gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Yilmaz Ercan , Celik Onder , Celik Nilufer , Celik Ebru , Turkcuoglu Ilgin , Simsek Yavuz , Minareci Yagmur , Boz Mehmet , Aydin Suleyman
Published: August 2012

Aim:  Evidence suggests that orexin regulates food consumption, glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. Orexin may have a role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus, however its role in gestational diabetes mellitus is not known. We aimed to assess maternal serum and cord blood orexin‐A (OXA) concentrations in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Material and Methods:  Thirty‐five pregnant women with GDM and 35 gestational‐age‐matched healthy pregnant subjects participated in the study. Maternal serum and cord blood OXA levels were measured with enzyme immunoassay at the time of birth. The correlations between maternal serum and cord blood OXA levels, anthropometric and metabolic parameters were also assessed.

Results:  The mean maternal and cord serum OXA (1.16 ± 0.37 and 1.35 ± 0.20 ng/mL, respectively) in the GDM group were significantly different from those of the controls (1.58 ± 0.59 and 1.25 ± 0.21 ng/mL, respectively). The mean maternal fasting‐glucose‐to‐OXA ratio was significantly higher in the GDM group. In the GDM group, the mean maternal serum OXA levels were similar in the insulin (n = 24) and diet (n = 11) treated cases, respectively (1.13 ± 0.36 ng/mL and 1.21 ± 0.41 ng/mL). Maternal serum OXA levels positively correlated with fetal serum OXA and maternal glucose levels. OXA concentrations in maternal serum were negatively correlated with the fasting glucose, fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index.

Conclusions:  Maternal serum OXA levels decrease, and fetal serum OXA levels increase in women with GDM.
Planned and unplanned pregnancy: Effects on health practice and depression during pregnancy
Authors: Yanikkerem Emre , Ay Semra , Piro Nicole
Published: August 2012

Aim:  The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of women with unplanned pregnancy (UP) and to examine the associations between pregnancy planning status and women's health practice and depression during pregnancy in Manisa, Turkey.

Material and Methods:  The study was conducted with pregnant women (n = 550) who attended a state hospital for antenatal care in Manisa, Turkey. Health practices of women during pregnancy were assessed with the Health Practices Questionnaire (HPQ II) and depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results:  Of the 550 pregnancies, 149 (27.1%) were unplanned. Women whose pregnancies were planned were likely to be younger, more educated, employed, to perceive more social support and to be more satisfied in marriage life than women whose pregnancies were unplanned. The number of pregnancies, births and children was higher in women whose pregnancies were unplanned. Women with UP had significantly lower HPQ scores (mean 118.4, SD = 13.5) than women with planned pregnancies (mean 124.0, SD = 14.1). Women with UP also had a significantly higher score for BDI (mean 10.3, SD 6.9 vs mean 8.1, SD 5.8).

Conclusions:  Women with UP had engaged in fewer healthy practices and experienced more depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Health‐care providers should screen for UP at an early stage and offer health education programs to help women to develop positive health practices and to improve their emotional health.
Multisynaptic projections from the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to the dorsal premotor cortex in macaques – anatomical substrate for conditional visuomotor behavior
Authors: Takahara Daisuke , Inoue Ken‐ichi , Hirata Yoshihiro , Miyachi Shigehiro , Nambu Atsushi , Takada Masahiko , Hoshi Eiji
Published: August 2012

Lines of evidence indicate that both the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) (areas 45/12) and dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) (rostral F2 in area 6) are crucially involved in conditional visuomotor behavior, in which it is required to determine an action based on an associated visual object. However, virtually no direct projections appear to exist between the vlPFC and PMd. In the present study, to elucidate possible multisynaptic networks linking the vlPFC to the PMd, we performed a series of neuroanatomical tract‐tracing experiments in macaque monkeys. First, we identified cortical areas that send projection fibers directly to the PMd by injecting Fast Blue into the PMd. Considerable retrograde labeling occurred in the dorsal prefrontal cortex (dPFC) (areas 46d/9/8B/8Ad), dorsomedial motor cortex (dmMC) (F7 and presupplementary motor area), rostral cingulate motor area, and ventral premotor cortex (F5 and area 44), whereas the vlPFC was virtually devoid of neuronal labeling. Second, we injected the rabies virus, a retrograde transneuronal tracer, into the PMd. At 3 days after the rabies injections, second‐order neurons were labeled in the vlPFC (mainly area 45), indicating that the vlPFC disynaptically projects to the PMd. Finally, to determine areas that connect the vlPFC to the PMd indirectly, we carried out an anterograde/retrograde dual‐labeling experiment in single monkeys. By examining the distribution of axon terminals labeled from the vlPFC and cell bodies labeled from the PMd, we found overlapping labels in the dPFC and dmMC. These results indicate that the vlPFC outflow is directed toward the PMd in a multisynaptic fashion through the dPFC and/or dmMC.
Understanding Asian parenting from a Rasch perspective
Authors: Tan Cheng‐Yong
Published: August 2012

This study examines the factor structure of Asian child‐reported parenting from a Rasch perspective. Participants comprised 291 sixth graders (11 to 13 years) in Singapore. Six different aspects of parenting were measured, namely warmth, rejection, structure, chaos, autonomy support, and coercion. Rasch Analysis was used to transform ordinal data into linear measures; category functioning was examined; residual‐based principal components were analysed; differential item functioning was assessed; and items and subjects that were misfitting were removed. Results showed that parenting comprised six dimensions, namely warmth, autonomy support, structure‐control, structure‐warmth, chaos, and negative parenting. The findings suggest that it is important for Asian parents to provide guidance to their children (in structure‐control and structure‐warmth) and reaffirms the relevance of warmth in Asian parenting.