bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How long does it take for different seeds to dry?
Authors: Hill James P. , Edwards Will , Franks Peter J.
Published: May 2010

Reduction in rainfall and intensification of dry season moisture deficit threaten to expose desiccation-sensitive seeds in the seasonal tropics to greater potential negative effects of desiccation. A determinate affecting the recruitment of species under increased aridity is how quickly desiccation-sensitive seeds dehydrate. We investigated the rate of seed moisture loss in 24 species that produce desiccation-sensitive seeds in a seasonal tropical forest and tested the common hypothesis that seeds conform to a simple negative exponential model of moisture loss with time. A negative exponential model described moisture loss in 14 species, but was not the best model for the remaining 10 species. Moisture loss in eight species was best described by a double-negative exponential model and by a double-linear model in the remaining two species. We then tested the hypothesis that seed mass could predict the rate of desiccation between and within species. Within species the time to a given state of desiccation could be predicted by seed mass for eight species. Between species there was no relationship between desiccation rate and seed mass. We conclude that different modes of water loss and seed structural features may be more important than seed mass in prolonging desiccation.
Variation in carbon content and size in developing fruit of Actinidia deliciosa genotypes
Authors: Nardozza Simona , Boldingh Helen L. , Richardson Annette C. , Costa Guglielmo , Marsh Hinga , MacRae Elspeth A. , Clearwater Michael J.
Published: May 2010

This study identifies the developmental processes contributing to variation in green-fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa) fruit dry matter content (DM) and fresh weight (FW) by comparing genotypes with either high or low final DM. Results are compared with the model for fruit development, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Differences in final composition were attributable to a higher rate of starch accumulation from 70 days after anthesis in high DM genotypes, with no other consistent differences in accumulation of soluble sugars or organic acids. High DM genotypes had 70% higher starch content and differed from low DM genotypes in the allocation of carbon between storage and other components. DM was negatively correlated with final fruit FW only in high DM genotypes, whereas starch was a constant proportion of dry weight (DW), suggesting a dilution effect rather than an interaction between fruit size and carbohydrate metabolism. Compared with tomato, the organic acids, particularly quinic acid, contributed more to estimated osmotic pressure during growth in FW than the soluble sugars, regardless of final composition or size. Seed mass per unit FW was highest in high DM genotypes, suggesting a previously unrecognised role for kiwifruit seeds in accumulation of carbohydrate by the pericarp. Anatomical comparisons also identified a role for differences in the packing of the two principal cell types, with an increased frequency of the larger cell type correlated with reduced DM. These genotypes demonstrate that kiwifruit differs from tomato in the role of starch as the principal stored carbohydrate, the reduced importance of dilution by growth in FW and the more minor role of the sugars compared with the organic acids during fruit development.
Acetaminophen as an oral toxicant for Nile monitor lizards (Varanus niloticus) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus)
Authors: Mauldin Richard E. , Savarie Peter J.
Published: May 2010

Context. Invasive species are a growing global problem. Biological invasions can result in numerous harmful impacts on local ecologies, and non-native herpetofauna are frequently ignored. Nile monitor lizards (Varanus niloticus) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus, recently reassessed as Python bivittatus bivittatus), have become established in southern Florida. Both are large, semi-aquatic predators that pose serious threats to a variety of threatened and endangered species, as well as to the unique ecology of the area.

Aims. Acetaminophen (CAS#103-90-2), a lethal oral toxicant for the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam, was investigated as a possible toxicant in juvenile Burmese pythons and Nile monitors.

Methods. Dead neonatal mouse (DNM) baits containing 0, 10, 20, or 40 mg acetaminophen were force-fed to Nile monitors, whereas DNM containing doses of 0, 20, 40, or 80 mg were freely consumed by Burmese pythons. Subjects were frequently observed post-treatment for general condition and position, with special attention paid to activity (if any), behaviour, respiration, bleeding, emesis, ataxia, and mortality.

Key results. In Nile monitors, acetaminophen doses of 10, 20, or 40 mg resulted in 0, 50 and 100% mortality, respectively. In Burmese pythons, doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg resulted in 14.3, 85.7 and 100% mortality, respectively. No mortality was observed in control individuals of either species. A negative correlation between dosage (mg kg–1) and time-to-death was observed in both species. Dosages ranging from 522 to 2438 mg kg–1 and 263 to 703 mg kg–1 were uniformly lethal to monitors and pythons, respectively. Neither species exhibited signs of pain or discomfort following acetaminophen treatment.

Conclusions. Acetaminophen is an effective toxicant in juvenile Nile monitors and Burmese pythons. Further investigation into acetaminophen toxicity in adults of these species is merited.

Implications. Although further investigation into adult lethal dosages and strategies to optimise bait deployment while minimising secondary hazards is required, acetaminophen may have a role to play in the control of these invasive species in Florida.
Support for Indigenous wildlife management in Australia to enable sustainable use
Authors: Wilson George R. , Edwards Melanie J. , Smits Jennifer K.
Published: May 2010

Wildlife managers could play a greater role in ensuring that Indigenous wildlife harvesting is sustainable and helping to address community health and employment challenges facing Indigenous Australians in remote and rural areas. Wildlife managers need to listen more to what Indigenous people say they want from their country and for their people, such as increased game to supplement their diet and security for totemic species, to maintain culture. In pre-colonial Australia, adherence to customary law maintained wildlife species Indigenous Australians wanted. Today the long-term sustainability of Indigenous wildlife harvesting is threatened. Where Indigenous communities lack leadership and other social problems exist, their capacity to apply customary land-and sea-management practices and to operate cultural constraints on wildlife use is reduced. The Indigenous right to hunt should coexist with responsible management. Improved wildlife management that combines science and traditional knowledge has implications for Indigenous people worldwide. Western science can support Indigenous passion for caring for the land. It can draw on traditional Indigenous practice and, through reciprocal learning, help reinstate Indigenous law and culture in communities. In Australia, wildlife managers could be more engaged in supporting Indigenous Australians in activities such as surveying populations and estimating sustainable yields, identifying refuge areas, maximising habitat diversity, controlling weeds and feral animals, and exchanging information across regions. Although support for Indigenous land and wildlife management has risen in recent years, it remains a minor component of current Australian Government resource allocation for addressing Indigenous need. Wildlife management could be a stronger focus in education, training and employment programs. Proactive wildlife management conforms to both the western concept of conserving biodiversity and Indigenous wildlife management; it can support sustainable harvesting, provide employment and income, create learning and training opportunities and improve Indigenous health. If greater expenditure were directed to Indigenous wildlife management, wildlife managers, especially Indigenous wildlife managers, could become more engaged in cultural initiatives across traditional and scientific practices and so contribute to programs that address the health and motivational challenges facing Indigenous communities.
PIK3CAmutations associated with gene signature of low mTORC1 signaling and better outcomes in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer
Authors: Loi Sherene , Haibe-Kains Benjamin , Majjaj Samira , Lallemand Francoise , Durbecq Virginie , Larsimont Denis , Gonzalez-Angulo Ana M. , Pusztai Lajos , Symmans W. Fraser , Bardelli Alberto , Ellis Paul , Tutt Andrew N. J. , Gillett Cheryl E. , Hennessy Bryan T. , Mills Gordon B. , Phillips Wayne A. , Piccart Martine J. , Speed Terence P. , McArthur Grant A. , Sotiriou Christos
Published: May 2010

PIK3CAmutations are reported to be present in approximately 25% of breast cancer (BC), particularly the estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) and HER2-overexpressing (HER2+) subtypes, making them one of the most common genetic aberrations in BC. In experimental models, these mutations have been shown to activateAKTand induce oncogenic transformation, and hence these lesions have been hypothesized to render tumors highly sensitive to therapeutic PI3K/mTOR inhibition. By analyzing gene expression and protein data from nearly 1,800 human BCs, we report that aPIK3CAmutation–associated gene signature (PIK3CA-GS) derived from exon 20 (kinase domain) mutations was able to predictPIK3CAmutation status in two independent datasets, strongly suggesting a characteristic set of gene expression–induced changes. However, in ER+/HER2− BC despite pathway activation,PIK3CAmutations were associated with a phenotype of relatively low mTORC1 signaling and a good prognosis with tamoxifen monotherapy. The relationship between clinical outcome and thePIK3CA-GS was also assessed. Although thePIK3CA-GS was not associated with prognosis in ER− and HER2+ BC, it could identify better clinical outcomes in ER+/HER2− disease. In ER+ BC cell lines,PIK3CAmutations were also associated with sensitivity to tamoxifen. These findings could have important implications for the treatment ofPIK3CA-mutant BCs and the development of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors.
Telomere length is inherited with resetting of the telomere set-point
Authors: Chiang Y. Jeffrey , Calado Rodrigo T. , Hathcock Karen S. , Lansdorp Peter M. , Young Neal S. , Hodes Richard J.
Published: May 2010

We have studied models of telomerase haploinsufficiency in humans and mice to analyze regulation of telomere length and the significance of “set points” in inheritance of telomere length. In three families with clinical syndromes associated with short telomeres resulting from haploinsufficient mutations in
TERT
, the gene encoding telomerase reverse transcriptase, we asked whether restoration of normal genotypes in offspring of affected individuals would elongate inherited short telomeres. Telomeres were shorter than normal in some but not all genotypically normal offspring of telomerase-mutant parents or grandparents. Analysis of these findings was complicated by heterogeneity of telomere length among individuals, as well as by the admixing of telomeres inherited from affected parents with those inherited from unaffected (“wild-type”
TERT
) parents. To understand further the inheritance of telomere length, we established a shortened-telomere mouse model. When
Tert
+/−
heterozygous mice were successively cross-bred through 17 generations, telomere length shortened progressively. The late-generation
Tert
+/−
mice were intercrossed to produce genotypically wild-type
Tert
+/+
mice, for which telomere length was characterized. Strikingly, telomere length in these
Tert
+/+
mice was not longer than that of their
Tert
+/−
parents. Moreover, when successive crosses were carried out among these short-telomere
Tert
+/+
offspring mice, telomere length was stable, with no elongation up to six generations. This breeding strategy therefore has established a mouse strain, B6.ST (short telomeres), with C57BL/6 genotype and stable short telomeres. These findings suggest that the set point of telomere lengths of offspring is determined by the telomere lengths of their parents in the presence of normal expression of telomerase.
Marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and carbon cycles
Authors: Beaugrand Grégory , Edwards Martin , Legendre Louis
Published: May 2010

Although recent studies suggest that climate change may substantially accelerate the rate of species loss in the biosphere, only a few studies have focused on the potential consequences of a spatial reorganization of biodiversity with global warming. Here, we show a pronounced latitudinal increase in phytoplanktonic and zooplanktonic biodiversity in the extratropical North Atlantic Ocean in recent decades. We also show that this rise in biodiversity paralleled a decrease in the mean size of zooplanktonic copepods and that the reorganization of the planktonic ecosystem toward dominance by smaller organisms may influence the networks in which carbon flows, with negative effects on the downward biological carbon pump and demersal Atlantic cod (
Gadus morhua
). Our study suggests that, contrary to the usual interpretation of increasing biodiversity being a positive emergent property promoting the stability/resilience of ecosystems, the parallel decrease in sizes of planktonic organisms could be viewed in the North Atlantic as reducing some of the services provided by marine ecosystems to humans.
Ion bipolar junction transistors
Authors: Tybrandt Klas , Larsson Karin C. , Richter-Dahlfors Agneta , Berggren Magnus
Published: May 2010

Dynamic control of chemical microenvironments is essential for continued development in numerous fields of life sciences. Such control could be achieved with active chemical circuits for delivery of ions and biomolecules. As the basis for such circuitry, we report a solid-state ion bipolar junction transistor (IBJT) based on conducting polymers and thin films of anion- and cation-selective membranes. The IBJT is the ionic analogue to the conventional semiconductor BJT and is manufactured using standard microfabrication techniques. Transistor characteristics along with a model describing the principle of operation, in which an anionic base current amplifies a cationic collector current, are presented. By employing the IBJT as a bioelectronic circuit element for delivery of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, its efficacy in modulating neuronal cell signaling is demonstrated.
Putative
Arabidopsis
Transcriptional Adaptor Protein (PROPORZ1) is required to modulate histone acetylation in response to auxin
Authors: Anzola Jeanette Moulinier , Sieberer Tobias , Ortbauer Martina , Butt Haroon , Korbei Barbara , Weinhofer Isabelle , Müllner Almuth Elise , Luschnig Christian
Published: May 2010

Plant development is highly adaptable and controlled by a combination of various regulatory circuits that integrate internal and environmental cues. The phytohormone auxin mediates such growth responses, acting as a dynamic signal in the control of morphogenesis via coordinating the interplay between cell cycle progression and cell differentiation. Mutants in the chromatin-remodeling component
PROPORZ1
(PRZ1;
also known as
AtADA2b)
are impaired in auxin effects on morphogenesis, suggestive of an involvement of PRZ1-dependent control of chromatin architecture in the determination of hormone responses. Here we demonstrate that
PRZ1
is required for accurate histone acetylation at auxin-controlled loci. Specifically,
PRZ1
is involved in the modulation of histone modifications and corresponding adjustments in gene expression of
Arabidopsis KIP RELATED PROTEIN
(
KRP
) CDK inhibitor genes in response to auxin. Deregulated
KRP
expression in
KRP
silencer lines phenocopies
prz1
hyperproliferative growth phenotypes, whereas in a
KRP
overexpression background some mutant phenotypes are suppressed. Collectively, our findings support a model in which translation of positional signals into developmental cues involves adjustments in chromatin modifications that orchestrate auxin effects on cell proliferation.
Paradigm for industrial strain improvement identifies sodium acetate tolerance loci in
Zymomonas mobilis
and
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yang Shihui , Land Miriam L. , Klingeman Dawn M. , Pelletier Dale A. , Lu Tse-Yuan S. , Martin Stanton L. , Guo Hao-Bo , Smith Jeremy C. , Brown Steven D.
Published: May 2010

The application of systems biology tools holds promise for rational industrial microbial strain development. Here, we characterize a
Zymomonas mobilis
mutant (AcR) demonstrating sodium acetate tolerance that has potential importance in biofuel development. The genome changes associated with AcR are determined using microarray comparative genome sequencing (CGS) and 454-pyrosequencing. Sanger sequencing analysis is employed to validate genomic differences and to investigate CGS and 454-pyrosequencing limitations. Transcriptomics, genetic data and growth studies indicate that over-expression of the sodium-proton antiporter gene
nhaA
confers the elevated AcR sodium acetate tolerance phenotype.
nhaA
over-expression mostly confers enhanced sodium (Na
+
) tolerance and not acetate (Ac
-
) tolerance, unless both ions are present in sufficient quantities. NaAc is more inhibitory than potassium and ammonium acetate for
Z. mobilis
and the combination of elevated Na
+
and Ac
-
ions exerts a synergistic inhibitory effect for strain ZM4. A structural model for the NhaA sodium-proton antiporter is constructed to provide mechanistic insights. We demonstrate that
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
sodium-proton antiporter genes also contribute to sodium acetate, potassium acetate, and ammonium acetate tolerances. The present combination of classical and systems biology tools is a paradigm for accelerated industrial strain improvement and combines benefits of few a priori assumptions with detailed, rapid, mechanistic studies.
Prothymosin-α inhibits HIV-1 via Toll-like receptor 4-mediated type I interferon induction
Authors: Mosoian Arevik , Teixeira Avelino , Burns Colin S. , Sander Leif E. , Gusella G. Luca , He Cijiang , Blander J. Magarian , Klotman Paul , Klotman Mary E.
Published: May 2010

Induction of type I interferons (IFN) is a central feature of innate immune responses to microbial pathogens and is mediated via Toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent and -independent pathways. Prothymosin-α (ProTα), a small acidic protein produced and released by CD8
+
T cells, inhibits HIV-1, although the mechanism for its antiviral activity was not known. We demonstrate that exogenous ProTα acts as a ligand for TLR4 and stimulates type I IFN production to potently suppress HIV-1 after entry into cells. These activities are induced by native and recombinant ProTα, retained by an acidic peptide derived from ProTα, and lost in the absence of TLR4. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ProTα accounts for some of the soluble postintegration HIV-1 inhibitory activity long ascribed to CD8
+
cells. Thus, a protein produced by CD8
+
T cells of the adaptive immune system can exert potent viral suppressive activity through an innate immune response. Understanding the mechanism of IFN induction by ProTα may provide therapeutic leads for IFN-sensitive viruses.
Antibody recognition of a unique tumor-specific glycopeptide antigen
Authors: Brooks Cory L. , Schietinger Andrea , Borisova Svetlana N. , Kufer Peter , Okon Mark , Hirama Tomoko , MacKenzie C. Roger , Wang Lai-Xi , Schreiber Hans , Evans Stephen V.
Published: May 2010

Aberrant glycosylation and the overexpression of certain carbohydrate moieties is a consistent feature of cancers, and tumor-associated oligosaccharides are actively investigated as targets for immunotherapy. One of the most common aberrations in glycosylation patterns is the presentation of a single O-linkedN-acetylgalactosamine on a threonine or serine residue known as the “Tn antigen.” Whereas the ubiquitous nature of Tn antigens on cancers has made them a natural focus of vaccine research, such carbohydrate moieties are not always tumor-specific and have been observed on embryonic and nonmalignant adult tissue. Here we report the structural basis of binding of a complex of a monoclonal antibody (237mAb) with a truly tumor-specific glycopeptide containing the Tn antigen. In contrast to glycopeptide-specific antibodies in complex with simple peptides, 237mAb does not recognize a conformational epitope induced in the peptide by sugar substitution. Instead, 237mAb uses a pocket coded by germ-line genes to completely envelope the carbohydrate moiety itself while interacting with the peptide moiety in a shallow groove. Thus, 237mAb achieves its striking tumor specificity, with no observed physiological cross-reactivity to the unglycosylated peptide or the free glycan, by a combination of multiple weak but specific interactions to both the peptide and to the glycan portions of the antigen.
Shear stress, SIRT1, and vascular homeostasis
Authors: Chen Zhen , Peng I-Chen , Cui Xiaopei , Li Yi-Shuan , Chien Shu , Shyy John Y-J.
Published: May 2010

Shear stress imposed by blood flow is crucial for maintaining vascular homeostasis. We examined the role of shear stress in regulating SIRT1, an NAD
+
-dependent deacetylase, and its functional relevance in vitro and in vivo. The application of laminar flow increased SIRT1 level and activity, mitochondrial biogenesis, and expression of SIRT1-regulated genes in cultured endothelial cells (ECs). When the effects of different flow patterns were compared in vitro, SIRT1 level was significantly higher in ECs exposed to physiologically relevant pulsatile flow than pathophysiologically relevant oscillatory flow. These results are in concert with the finding that SIRT1 level was higher in the mouse thoracic aorta exposed to atheroprotective flow than in the aortic arch under atheroprone flow. Because laminar shear stress activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), with subsequent phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) at Ser-633 and Ser-1177, we studied the interplay of AMPK and SIRT1 on eNOS. Laminar flow increased SIRT1-eNOS association and eNOS deacetylation. By using the AMPK inhibitor and eNOS Ser-633 and -1177 mutants, we demonstrated that AMPK phosphorylation of eNOS is needed to prime SIRT1-induced deacetylation of eNOS to enhance NO production. To verify this finding in vivo, we compared the acetylation status of eNOS in thoracic aortas from AMPKα2
−/−
mice and their AMPKα2
+/+
littermates. Our finding that AMPKα2
−/−
mice had a higher eNOS acetylation indicates that AMPK phosphorylation of eNOS is required for the SIRT1 deacetylation of eNOS. These results suggest that atheroprotective flow, via AMPK and SIRT1, increases NO bioavailability in endothelium.
Anthropocentrism is not the first step in children’s reasoning about the natural world
Authors: Herrmann Patricia , Waxman Sandra R. , Medin Douglas L.
Published: May 2010

What is the relation between human and nonhuman animals? As adults, we construe this relation flexibly, depending in part on the situation at hand. From a biological perspective, we acknowledge the status of humans as one species among many (as in Western science), but at the same time may adopt other perspectives, including an anthropocentric perspective in which human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman animals (as in fables and popular media). How do these perspectives develop? The predominant view in developmental cognitive science is that young children universally possess only one markedly anthropocentric vantage point, and must undergo fundamental conceptual change, overturning their initially human-centered framework before they can acquire a distinctly biological framework. Evidence from two experiments challenges this view. By developing a task that allows us to test children as young as 3 years of age, we are able to demonstrate that anthropocentrism is not the first developmental step in children’s reasoning about the biological world. Although urban 5-year-olds adopt an anthropocentric perspective, replicating previous reports, 3-year-olds show no hint of anthropocentrism. This suggests a previously unexplored model of development: Anthropocentrism is not an initial step in conceptual development, but is instead an acquired perspective, one that emerges between 3 and 5 years of age in children raised in urban environments.
Newborn infants learn during sleep
Authors: Fifer William P. , Byrd Dana L. , Kaku Michelle , Eigsti Inge-Marie , Isler Joseph R. , Grose-Fifer Jillian , Tarullo Amanda R. , Balsam Peter D.
Published: May 2010

Newborn infants must rapidly adjust their physiology and behavior to the specific demands of the novel postnatal environment. This adaptation depends, at least in part, on the infant's ability to learn from experiences. We report here that infants exhibit learning even while asleep. Bioelectrical activity from face and scalp electrodes was recorded from neonates during an eye movement conditioning procedure in which a tone was followed by a puff of air to the eye. Sleeping newborns rapidly learned the predictive relationship between the tone and the puff. Additionally, in the latter part of training, these infants exhibited a frontally maximum positive EEG slow wave possibly reflecting memory updating. As newborns spend most of their time sleeping, the ability to learn about external stimuli in the postnatal environment during nonawake states may be crucial for rapid adaptation and infant survival. Furthermore, because eyelid conditioning reflects functional cerebellar circuitry, this method potentially offers a unique approach for early identification of infants at risk for a range of developmental disorders including autism and dyslexia.
Biological imaging with 4D ultrafast electron microscopy
Authors: Flannigan David J. , Barwick Brett , Zewail Ahmed H.
Published: May 2010

Advances in the imaging of biological structures with transmission electron microscopy continue to reveal information at the nanometer length scale and below. The images obtained are static, i.e., time-averaged over seconds, and the weak contrast is usually enhanced through sophisticated specimen preparation techniques and/or improvements in electron optics and methodologies. Here we report the application of the technique of photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM) to imaging of biological specimens with femtosecond (fs) temporal resolution. In PINEM, the biological structure is exposed to single-electron packets and simultaneously irradiated with fs laser pulses that are coincident with the electron pulses in space and time. By electron energy-filtering those electrons that gained photon energies, the contrast is enhanced only at the surface of the structures involved. This method is demonstrated here in imaging of protein vesicles and whole cells ofEscherichia coli, both are not absorbing the photon energy, and both are of low-Zcontrast. It is also shown that the spatial location of contrast enhancement can be controlled via laser polarization, time resolution, and tomographic tilting. The high-magnification PINEM imaging provides the nanometer scale and the fs temporal resolution. The potential of applications is discussed and includes the study of antibodies and immunolabeling within the cell.
Newly trained lexical categories produce lateralized categorical perception of color
Authors: Zhou Ke , Mo Lei , Kay Paul , Kwok Veronica P. Y. , Ip Tiffany N. M. , Tan Li Hai
Published: May 2010

Linguistic categories have been shown to influence perceptual discrimination, to do so preferentially in the right visual field, to fail to do so when competing demands are made on verbal memory, and to vary with the color-term boundaries of different languages. However, because there are strong commonalities across languages in the placement of color-term boundaries, the question remains open whether observed categorical perception for color can be entirely a result of learned categories or may rely to some degree on innate ones. We show here that lateralized color categorical perception can be entirely the result of learned categories. In a visual search task, reaction times to targets were faster in the right than the left visual field when the target and distractor colors, initially sharing the same linguistic term (e.g., “blue”), became between-category colors after training (i.e., when two different shades of blue had each acquired a new name). A control group, whose conditions exactly matched those of the experimental group except that no new categories were introduced, did not show this effect, establishing that the effect was not dependent on increased familiarity with either the color stimuli or the task. The present results show beyond question that lateralized categorical perception of color can reflect strictly learned color categories, even artificially learned categories that violate both universal tendencies in color naming and the categorization pattern of the language of the subject.
Reproductive biotechnology in farm animals goes genomics.
Authors: Kues W. A. , Rath D. , Niemann H.
Published: May 2010

The breeding of domestic animals has a longstanding and successful history, starting with domestication several thousand years ago. Modern animal breeding strategies, predominantly based on population genetics, artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET) technologies led to significant increases in the performances in domestic animals and are the basis for the regular supply with high-quality animal-derived food at acceptable prices. A recent addition to this arsenal of technologies is the separation of spermatozoa into X- and Y-chromosomes bearing populations by means of flow cytometry, which is going to be transferred into commercial cattle breeding. Moreover, reproductive biotechnologies are currently being complemented by new measures of molecular genetics. The genomes of several domestic animals have been sequenced and annotated. Important uses of genomic data include improving selective breeding strategies, studying expression patterns (transcriptomics or proteomics) and the production of transgenic animals tailored for specific production purposes. The technology for the production of transgenic animals, either by additive gene transfer or by selective deletion (knockout), has been advanced to the level of practical application. A crucial step in this context was the development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning, which has replaced the previously used rather inefficient method of microinjection for producing transgenic animals. In this review, we discuss recent advances in important areas of animal biotechnology related to agricultural applications, including sperm sexing, somatic cloning, genome and transcriptome research, transgenesis and recombinant DNA vaccines with emphasis on large domestic species.
Forty years of farming systems classification for enhanced food security and poverty reduction.
Authors: Dixon J. , Hellin J. , Li XiaoYun Li XiaoYun , Hyman G.
Published: May 2010

Further progress towards improved food security and rural incomes and realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) requires a substantial increase in agricultural production, particularly of cereal crops such as maize, rice and wheat. During the four decades of experience with farming systems analyses, there has been a progressive broadening of research and development agendas and enrichment of classification methods. The Food and Agriculture Organization - World Bank farming systems framework represents a recent synthesis that blends systems and livelihood perspectives in order to analyse, classify and map farming systems in developing regions. The framework characterizes farming systems in terms of their potential to improve food security and reduce poverty, based on the two dimensions of: (i) agricultural resource endowment, e.g. land quality, and (ii) access to institutions, e.g. market access. These characteristics shape farming system development pathways and household livelihood strategies that intensify production and augment farm incomes largely from cereal-based systems (the bedrock of national and global food security) and thereby accelerate progress towards the MDGs. Among the five principal livelihood strategies for reducing poverty, farm intensification and diversification are promising avenues for substantial poverty reduction in many cereal farming systems. The relative importance of poverty-reducing intensification and diversification strategies in different farming systems provides a basis for priority setting and targeting of agricultural research.
Saturated fat and insulin resistance.
Authors: Galgani J. E.
Published: May 2010

Obesity, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance are highly prevalent, and these conditions are strongly related to disorders of lipid metabolism characterized by increased tissue/cellular lipid accumulation, particularly in skeletal muscle. Recent evidence shows that specific fatty acids affect cell metabolism, modifying the balance between fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis. Thus, it has been hypothesized that changes in dietary fatty acid composition can modify insulin resistance. Animal studies provide support for this notion. In humans, intake of dietary saturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids have increased, while n-3 fatty acid intake has decreased, which strengthens the need for assessing the influence of the specific type of fatty acid on insulin action. This review specifically examines the evidence relating saturated fat with insulin resistance in humans. Most of the available evidence does not show increased insulin resistance after consuming a saturated fat diet versus an unsaturated fat diet. However, a well-powered and well-designed study found that consumption of saturated fat increased insulin resistance by 10% when compared with a high-monounsaturated fat diet. Modifications in dietary fatty acid composition may have implications in addressing the present epidemic of nutrition-related chronic disease.
The Hare PSCAN and Its Relationship to Psychopathy in a Sample of Civilly Committed Sexual Offenders
Authors: Brackett RebeccaE. , Jackson RebeccaL. , Richards HenryJ.
Published: May 2010

Psychopathy is an important clinical construct in clinical, community, and forensic populations. In forensic populations, it has been found to be a consistent predictor of recidivism and aids in offender management and treatment decisions. Research supports routine assessment of the construct within criminal populations. As routine assessment with the “gold standard” PCL-R can be difficult due to institutional constraints, the need for a quick yet reliable measure has surfaced. The PSCAN, a 90 item rating scheme designed for use by non-psychologists, was developed to meet this need. This study examined the psychometric properties of the PSCAN as well as its relationship to the PCL-R and its utility as a screen for psychopathy. PSCANs were rated by master and doctoral level psychologists for residents in a sex offender civil commitment program. Results suggest the PSCAN has high reliability and may serve as an effective screening tool for psychopathy when administered by raters of various educational backgrounds. However, to maximize the PSCAN’s utility, preliminary results suggest raters should be familiar with the psychopathy construct. Limitations of this study and interpretations of the PSCAN as a screening tool are discussed.
Human CD141+ (BDCA-3)+ dendritic cells (DCs) represent a unique myeloid DC subset that cross-presents necrotic cell antigens
Authors: Jongbloed Sarah L. , Kassianos Andrew J. , McDonald Kylie J. , Clark Georgina J. , Ju Xinsheng , Angel Catherine E. , Chen Chun-Jen J. , Dunbar P. Rod , Wadley Robert B. , Jeet Varinder , Vulink Annelie J.E. , Hart Derek N.J. , Radford Kristen J.
Published: May 2010

The characterization of human dendritic cell (DC) subsets is essential for the design of new vaccines. We report the first detailed functional analysis of the human CD141+ DC subset. CD141+ DCs are found in human lymph nodes, bone marrow, tonsil, and blood, and the latter proved to be the best source of highly purified cells for functional analysis. They are characterized by high expression of toll-like receptor 3, production of IL-12p70 and IFN-β, and superior capacity to induce T helper 1 cell responses, when compared with the more commonly studied CD1c+ DC subset. Polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C)–activated CD141+ DCs have a superior capacity to cross-present soluble protein antigen (Ag) to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes than poly I:C–activated CD1c+ DCs. Importantly, CD141+ DCs, but not CD1c+ DCs, were endowed with the capacity to cross-present viral Ag after their uptake of necrotic virus-infected cells. These findings establish the CD141+ DC subset as an important functionally distinct human DC subtype with characteristics similar to those of the mouse CD8α+ DC subset. The data demonstrate a role for CD141+ DCs in the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and suggest that they may be the most relevant targets for vaccination against cancers, viruses, and other pathogens.
Suction Regulators: A Potential Vector for Hospital-Acquired Pathogens
Authors: Kaye Keith S. , Marchaim Dror , Smialowicz Chester , Bentley Lauren
Published: May 2010

The role of suction regulators in nosocomial infections has, to our knowledge, not been studied. A sampling of devices used in hospitals was conducted. Many regulators (173 [37%] of 470) were found to be colonized. A suction circuit model revealed that pathogens can disseminate throughout the circuit (retrograde and antegrade), colonizing an experimental patient stomach.
Charge trapping in quantum dot memory devices with different dot densities
Authors: Kannan E S , Kim Gil-Ho , Ritchie D A
Published: May 2010

The memory characteristics of electrically driven quantum dot (QD) memory devices with different dot densities were investigated by capacitance–voltage (C–V) and current–voltage (I–V) measurements at 100 K. The dots which were embedded in the GaAs quantum well were charged by the electrons from the two-dimensional electron gas at positive gate bias. On cyclically sweeping the gate bias, a clockwise hysteresis loop is observed in the capacitance and conductance trace. The number of trapped electrons was found to decrease slightly as the density of the dots increases from 1.2 to 3 × 109 dots cm−2. Our study reveals that inter-dot tunnelling coupled with Coulombic interaction between the dots and the charged traps in the plane containing the QDs was found to significantly affect the charge trapping ability of the QDs.
A dual band terahertz metamaterial absorber
Authors: Tao Hu , Bingham C M , Pilon D , Fan Kebin , Strikwerda A C , Shrekenhamer D , Padilla W J , Zhang Xin , Averitt R D
Published: May 2010

We present the design, fabrication and characterization of a dual band metamaterial absorber which experimentally shows two distinct absorption peaks of 0.85 at 1.4 THz and 0.94 at 3.0 THz. The dual band absorber consists of a dual band electric-field-coupled (ELC) resonator and a metallic ground plane, separated by an 8 µm dielectric spacer. Fine tuning of the two absorption resonances is achieved by individually adjusting each ELC resonator geometry.
Charge dynamics in capacitively coupled radio frequency discharges
Authors: Schulze J , Schüngel E , Donkó Z , Czarnetzki U
Published: May 2010

In a capacitively coupled radio frequency (CCRF) discharge the number of positive and negative charges lost to each electrode must balance within one RF period to ensure a constant total uncompensated charge in the discharge, Q
tot, on time average. This balance is the result of a compensation of electron and ion fluxes at each electrode within one RF period. Although Q
tot is constant on temporal average, it is time dependent on time scales shorter than one RF period, since it results from a balance of the typically constant ion flux and the strongly time dependent electron flux at each electrode. Nevertheless, Q
tot is assumed to be constant in various models. Here the dynamics of Q
tot is investigated in a geometrically symmetric CCRF discharge operated in argon at 13.56 and 27.12 MHz with variable phase shift θ between the driving voltages by a PIC simulation and an analytical model. Via the electrical asymmetry effect (EAE) a variable dc self-bias is generated as a function of θ. It is found that Q
tot is not temporally constant within the low frequency period, but fluctuates by about 10% around its time average value. This modulation is understood by an analytical model. It is demonstrated that this charge dynamics leads to a phase shift of the dc self-bias not captured by models neglecting the charge dynamics. This dynamics is not restricted to dual frequency discharges. It is a general phenomenon in all CCRF discharges and can generally be described by the model introduced here. Finally, Q
tot is split into the uncompensated charges in each sheath. The sheath charge dynamics and the self-excitation of non-linear plasma series resonance oscillations of the RF current via the EAE at low pressures of a few pascals are discussed.
The Scaffold Protein TANK/I-TRAF Inhibits NF-κB Activation by Recruiting Polo-like Kinase 1
Authors: Zhang Wanqiao , Wang Jian , Zhang Ying , Yuan Yanzhi , Guan Wei , Jin Chaozhi , Chen Hui , Wang Xiaohui , Yang Xiaoming , He Fuchu
Published: May 2010

TANK/I-TRAF is a TRAF-binding protein that negatively regulates NF-κB activation. The underlying mechanism of this activity remains unclear. Here we show that TANK directly interacts with PLK1, a conserved cell cycle–regulated kinase. PLK1 inhibits NF-κB transcriptional activation induced by TNF-α, IL-1β, or several activators, but not by nuclear transcription factor p65. PLK1 expression reduces the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB induced by TNF-α. Moreover, endogenous activation of PLK1 reduces the TNF-induced phosphorylation of endogenous IκBα. PLK1 is bound to NEMO (IKKγ) through TANK to form a ternary complex in vivo. We describe a new regulatory mechanism for PLK1: PLK1 negatively regulates TNF-induced IKK activation by inhibiting the ubiquitination of NEMO. These findings reveal that the scaffold protein TANK recruits PLK1 to negatively regulate NF-κB activation and provide direct evidence that PLK1 is required for the repression function of TANK.
Epidemiology and survival of the five stages of chronic kidney disease in a systolic heart failure population
Authors: Hebert Kathy , Dias Andre , Delgado Maria Carolina , Franco Emiliana , Tamariz Leonardo , Steen Dylan , Trahan Patrick , Major Brittny , Arcement Lee M.
Published: May 2010

Aims

The epidemiology of the five stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in systolic heart failure (HF) patients has predominantly been described in hospitalized White patients, with little known about the prevalence in outpatient Blacks and Hispanics. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of the five stages of CKD by race, ethnicity (Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics), and gender in an outpatient systolic HF population and also to evaluate the impact of CKD on mortality.

Methods and results

We conducted a prospective study of 1301 patients recruited from two hospital facilities in Louisiana and Florida, USA. All patients were enrolled in a systolic HF disease management programme (HFDMP), which enrolled patients with an ejection fraction of ≤40% by echocardiography. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. Patients were classified into five stages of CKD according to the National Kidney Foundation classification system. A total of 338 patients (26%) were found to have CKD. Patients with CKD were older, more likely to be Hispanics, to have less education, New York Heart Association class III, elevated systolic blood pressure, and diabetes. There was no statistical difference in prevalence by gender. Survival was reduced in patients with CKD.

Conclusion

The prevalence of CKD in an outpatient systolic HFDMP is high, with over one in four patients affected. CKD patients had significantly lower survival rates compared with patients without CKD.
Inverted pendular running: a novel gait predicted by computer optimization is found between walk and run in birds
Authors: Usherwood James Richard
Published: May 2010

Idealized models of walking and running demonstrate that, energetically, walking should be favoured up to, and even somewhat over, those speeds and step lengths that can be achieved while keeping the stance leg under compression. Around these speeds, and especially with relatively long step lengths, computer optimization predicts a third, ‘hybrid’, gait: (inverted) pendular running (Srinivasan & Ruina 2006Nature439, 72–75 (doi:10.1038/nature04113)). This gait involves both walking-like vaulting mechanics and running-like ballistic paths. Trajectories of horizontal versus vertical centre of mass velocities—‘hodographs’—over the step cycle are distinctive for each gait: anticlockwise for walk; clockwise for run; figure-of-eight for the hybrid gait. Both pheasants and guineafowl demonstrate each gait at close to the predicted speed/step length combinations, although fully aerial ballistic phases are never achieved during the hybrid or ‘Grounded Inverted Pendular Running’ gait.
Memory effects for the heat conductivity of random suspensions of spheres
Authors: Chowdhury A. , Christov C. I.
Published: May 2010

The presence of a particulate phase defines the effective response of a suspension to changes of the average heat flux. Using the random-point approximation we show that within the first order in the concentration, one needs to solve the problem for the temperature field created by a single inclusion in a matrix subject to an unsteady temperature gradient at infinity. We solve this problem by means of Laplace transform and use the solution as the first-order kernel in the functional expansion. From this kernel, we find the statistical average for the heat flux, which turns out to be a memory integral of the spatially averaged time-dependent temperature gradient. Thus, we discover that the constructive relationship between the average flux and averaged temperature gradient is not local in time, but rather involves a convolution integral that represents the memory due to the heterogeneity of the system. This is a novel result, which
inter alia
gives a rigorous justification to the usage of generalizations of the heat conduction law involving fractional time derivatives. The decay of the kernel is very close to
t
−1/2
for dimensionless times lesser than one and abruptly changes to
t
−3/2
for larger times.