bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Breadth and Depth Specialized Vocabulary Learning in Theology among Native and Non-native English Speakers
Authors: Lessard-Clouston Michael
Published: June 2010

Abstract:

This article describes a case study on native and non-native English-speaker (NES and NNES) students' knowledge and learning of specialized vocabulary over one academic term in a graduate school of theology. After outlining the collection of baseline data on theological vocabulary and the development of a Test of Theological Language (TTL), the article discusses the five NNES and seven NES participants' scores on the TTL. Results on the initial TTL revealed that both groups brought some breadth and depth knowledge of specialized theological vocabulary to their studies, but that the NNES group's scores on both measures tended to be lower than those of NESs. At the end of the term the TTL results indicated an overall increase in scores, but while the gap between the NNES and NES groups in breadth vocabulary knowledge was essentially bridged, for depth knowledge it actually widened. These and other findings are discussed.
L1 Use in the L2 Classroom: One Teacher's Self-Evaluation
Authors: Edstrom Anne
Published: June 2010

Abstract:

Predominant, if not exclusive, use of the target language has long been considered an important principle of second language (L2) instruction. Previous research has attempted to quantify the amount of the first language (L1) used in the classroom and has explored the purposes or functions of teachers' ‘lapses’ into their students' L1. The present study is a detailed analysis of one teacher's language use during one semester of a university-level Spanish course. The goal is fivefold: to determine the amount of L1 used; to analyze the functions of L1 use; to compare the teacher's perceptions with her actual L1 use; to compare students' perceptions with the teacher's actual L1 use; and to identify motivations or reasons underlying her L1 use. The findings have implications for classroom practice and emphasize the value of self-recording in teacher development.
Sarah Scott and America: Sir George Ellison, The Man of Real Sensibility, and the Squire of Horton
Authors: Bannet Eve Tavor
Published: June 2010

Sarah Scott's English novel, The History of Sir George Ellison (1766), had its broadest contemporary impact in a Philadelphia-issued epitome, The Man of Real Sensibility (1774). Considering the novel and the epitome together illustrates the instability of stories in transatlantic print culture, and important differences in transatlantic cultures and ideas. Reading both Ellisons against an important pro-American pamphlet (1774) by Scott's brother, Baron Rokeby, which shared many of the same concerns, distinguishes Scott's politics from classical republicanism and Lockean contractualism, and shows that Scott's conservatism was both less Utopian and more radical than it has seemed to previous critics.
“Mais où est le cul?”: Life and Form in Sade's Les Infortunes de la vertu and La Nouvelle Justine
Authors: Delers Olivier
Published: June 2010

I borrow Diderot's distinction between “esquisse” and “tableau” to explore the formal evolution of Sade's writing in relation to his representation of political economies. In comparing a specific scene in Les Infortunes de la vertu (1787) and La Nouvelle Justine (1799), I suggest that in the final version of Justine's story, amplification blurs generic categories and limits readerly involvement in the narrative. Sade's sketch, in contrast with his overblown pornographic tale of social chaos, provides an unmediated, livelier, and altogether more original commentary on social relations in the eighteenth century. Unburdened by archetypes and repetition, Sade's first version of Justine's misfortunes draws the reader's attention to the realist aspects of the story and to a surprisingly nuanced reflection on the nature of human rationality.
Journals as Innovators and the Innovation of Journals: The Council of Editors of Learned Journals Keynote Addresses MLA Convention 2004
Authors: Regier Willis , English James , Hanson David
Published: June 2010

At the 2004 conference of the Modern Language Association in Philadelphia, the theme for the keynote session of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals (CELJ) was ‘Journals as Innovators and the Innovation of Journals’ — an idea suggested to us by Hayden Ward, retiring editor of Victorian Poetry (VP). VP itself has been as instrumental in prodding innovation in Victorian studies as in responding to change; likewise, all journals in the humanities aspire to help lead their respective fields, as well as to register how their fields are leading them. A related theme is how journal editors, precisely in thinking about ways to innovate, must periodically remake their journals; and how scholars who may be altogether new to editing, but who wish to speak to emerging fields, must invent new journals to spread the word.

To address the latter theme, CELJ invited Willis Regier, who directs the University of Illinois Press, to offer recommendations about the new and ongoing lives and liveliness — and, occasionally, deaths — of university press journals. To address the former, CELJ asked James English, professor of English and comparative literature and chair of the English Department at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss ways in which even the most forward-looking of journals in the humanities, Postmodern Culture, which he co-edited with Lisa Brawley for five years, could profit by re-examining its claims to being innovative. Both keynotes, edited for publication in JSP, provide a valuable distillation of their authors' scholarly and practical wisdom.
Archie Turnbull and Edinburgh University Press
Authors: McCleery Alistair , Finkelstein David
Published: June 2010

This article details the life of Archie Turnbull as an Edinburgh publisher, initially working at W. & R. Chambers from 1949 to 1952, then as secretary of the Edinburgh University Press from 1952 to 1987. It notes his role in the expansion of EUP during his tenure, places Edinburgh University Press in the context of other contemporary Scottish publishing houses, and draws on an interview with Turnbull in October 2001 for comments on his professional career. It also records how important academic series such as the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels were nurtured and notes how EUP was able to flourish thanks to a general 1960s expansion of UK higher education and the positive institutional support of Edinburgh University.
Estimation of Passenger Car Equivalents Based on Capacity Variability
Authors: Geistefeldt Justin
Published: June 2010

Passenger car equivalents are used in highway capacity analysis procedures to convert mixed traffic stream volumes into equivalent passenger car volumes. This paper presents a new empirical method for estimating passenger car equivalents for heavy vehicles on freeways. The proposed approach is based on the concept of stochastic capacities. Capacity distribution functions are estimated in passenger car units. With a determination of the equivalency factor for which the coefficient of variation of the capacity distribution function becomes minimal, passenger car equivalents for heavy vehicles can be derived. The methodology is demonstrated for a number of freeway bottlenecks. The new approach also gives insight into the extent at which the variance of prebreakdown volumes is attributable to variable percentages of heavy vehicles.
Prediction of User Perceptions of Signalized Intersection Level of Service Based on Fuzzy Neural Networks
Authors: Chen Xiaoming , Li Da , Ma Nan , Shao Chunfu
Published: June 2010

Level of service (LOS) methodology incorporating user perceptions provides a measure of how well signalized intersections accommodate their users. This methodology offers new insights into signalized intersection LOS and may thus overcome the limitations of conventional delay-based methods to some extent. However, few studies on this perception-based LOS methodology have been conducted in China, where traffic conditions can be characterized by high volumes of pedestrians and bicycles. To fill the gap, this study proposes a fuzzy neural networks–based approach to predict user perceptions of signalized intersection LOS. Membership values are used to measure the perceived levels of the influential attributes that are difficult to capture accurately. A neural network containing fuzzy reasoning experiences is employed to combine the perceived attributes in order to determine LOS. To illustrate the proposed approach, a case study is performed on turning movement LOS under mixed traffic conditions. The LOS model is further calibrated and validated by using the data collected in a visualization-based survey conducted in Beijing. The numerical results indicate that the model has a favorable capability to predict user perceptions of LOS. Pearson correlation coefficients demonstrate the weak linear association between user perceptions (LOS ratings) and capacities (or volume-to-capacity ratios). Analyses of variance statistically support that users’ LOS ratings differ significantly at different levels of capacities (or volume-to-capacity ratios). The ratings depend strongly on delays. The survey results validate the delay-based method proposed by the Highway Capacity Manual to some extent.
Capacity of Freeway Weaving Segments
Authors: Roess Roger P. , Ulerio Jose M.
Published: June 2010

The analysis methodology for freeway weaving segments specified in the current Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2000) provides a cumbersome set of multipage tables for the determination of weaving segment capacity. As part of NCHRP Project 3-75, Analysis of Freeway Weaving Sections, a more straightforward approach to estimating weaving segment capacity has been developed. This paper presents the methodology and discusses its background and development. The methodology continues to define capacity as in the HCM 2000: capacity occurs primarily when a density of 43 passenger cars per mile per lane is reached. Various other controls in HCM 2000 are replaced with revised limits on the number of weaving vehicles that can be accommodated in a weaving segment. The methodology substitutes a regression-based equation for the cumbersome tables of the HCM 2000.
Impedance Effects of Left-Turning Vehicles from the Major Street at a Two-Way Stop-Controlled Intersection
Authors: Brilon Werner
Published: June 2010

At a two-way stop-controlled intersection without a turning lane on the major street, all three movements (right, through, and left) share a lane. To cover the effect of mutual impediments between these movements on the minor street capacity, the major street-shared lane equation, 17-16, is provided by the current Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2000). This paper shows that this formula should be replaced by an improved equation to get more realistic results. This improved formula is derived. The theoretical concept can also be extended to include the consequences of a short turning lane on the major street. An equation is derived that calculates the effect of the length of the left-turn pocket on the capacity of minor movements.
Assessing Quality of Progression with Cyclic Coordination Functions
Authors: Gartner Nathan H. , Deshpande Rahul
Published: June 2010

Quality of progression plays an important role in assessing the performance of urban streets with signalized intersections. The Highway Capacity Manual uses progression adjustment factors that modulate control delay at a signalized intersection approach in accordance with the quality of coordination. These factors correspond to six discrete arrival types that need to be estimated from given or observed flow data. However, this procedure is inaccurate and may lead to incorrect determination of level of service. This paper introduces an improved procedure for the determination of quality of progression that is sensitive to different traffic conditions, that can be easily calibrated, and that produces more accurate results. A periodic, continuously variable cyclic coordination function and associated coordination adjustment factors are developed to measure delay or travel time as a function of offsets along an urban street segment. Those measures depend on a variety of factors, including traffic flow characteristics, link physical characteristics, and traffic signal controls. Because quality of progression is periodic with the cycle time it can be modeled as a Fourier series consisting of a sum of harmonics. A few harmonics provide good approximations to the original functions. The study shows how to obtain the principal harmonics from the underlying traffic, link, and signal data, which result in a simple and more accurate procedure for quality of progression estimation.
Capacity and Other Traffic Characteristics in Taiwan's 12.9-km-Long Shea-San Tunnel
Authors: Lin Feng-Bor , Chang Chiung-Wen , Tseng Pin-Yi , Su Cheng-Wei
Published: June 2010

The 12.9-km-long Shea-San Tunnel, located on Taiwan's 54-km-long National Highway 5 (NH-5), has two one-way tubes. To minimize accidents and to respond to the need for improved operating efficiency on NH-5, Taiwan's Bureau of National Highways adopts a graduated approach in traffic control. Before October 2007, the bureau set a uniform speed limit of 70 kilometers per hour (km/h) for NH-5 and allowed only passenger cars and other small vehicles to enter the Shea-San Tunnel and the adjacent Pern-San Tunnel. With the exception of the Shea-San Tunnel, the speed limit was raised to 80 km/h in October 2007. In November 2007, the bureau opened all the tunnels to commercial buses and, most recently, the bureau raised the speed limit in the Shea-San Tunnel to 80 km/h. One traffic regulation that remains unchanged is that motorists in the Shea-San Tunnel must maintain a minimum car-following distance of 50 m under normal conditions. The capacities of the two tubes in the Shea-San Tunnel are still low. This study uses detector data to examine the spatial and temporal variations of capacity, free-flow speed, passenger car equivalents of buses, and speed–flow relationship.
Delay Pattern Estimation for Signalized Intersections Using Sampled Travel Times
Authors: Ban Xuegang (Jeff) , Herring Ryan , Hao Peng , Bayen Alexandre M.
Published: June 2010

Intersection delays are the major contributing factor to arterial delays. Methods to estimate intersection delay patterns by using measured travel times are studied. The delay patterns provide a way to estimate the delay for any vehicle arriving at the intersection at any time, which is useful for providing time-dependent intersection delay information to the driving public. The model requires sampled travel times between two consecutive locations on arterial streets, one upstream and the other downstream of a signalized intersection, without the need to know signal timing or traffic flow information. Signal phases can actually be estimated from the delay patterns, which is a unique feature of the proposed method in this paper. The proposed model is based on two observations regarding delays for signalized intersections: ( a) delay can be approximately represented by piecewise linear curves due to the characteristics of queue forming and discharging and ( b) there is a nontrivial increase in delay after the start of the red time that enables detection of the start of a cycle. A least-squares–based algorithm is developed to match measured delays in each cycle by using piecewise linear curves. The proposed model and algorithm are tested by using field experiment data with reasonable results.
Field Evaluation of Model-Based Estimation of Arterial Link Travel Times
Authors: Xiong Hui , Davis Gary A.
Published: June 2010

In many urban areas there is increased interest in using travel time and its reliability to assess the level of service provided by surface transportation. This is straightforward on urban freeways with extensive systems of location-based sensors but becomes problematic off the freeways. Traffic volume and flow, collected by permanent and portable traffic counters, are arguably the measures of traffic conditions most commonly available on arterials. These could become a useful part of a travel time monitoring system if they could be converted to plausible estimates of travel time. The objective of this study is to compare several travel time estimation models given different data availability scenarios and to identify the most appropriate one to support estimation of networkwide arterial travel times. Actual link travel time data were collected by the modified license plate method from a sample of 50 arterial links in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, metropolitan area. The lengths of each link, measurements of traffic volume, and signal timing information were also obtained. Four candidate models were evaluated, including the Bureau of Public Roads function, the conical volume–delay function, the Singapore model, and the Skabardonis–Dowling model. It was found that ( a) when the site-specific running time is known but the signal timing is not available, the four models produced similar mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) from 14.7% to 17.4% and ( b) the Singapore and Skabardonis–Dowling models, using maximal site-specific information, produced MAPE values of 6.9% and 6.3%, respectively. Using the Skabardonis–Dowling model is suggested both because of its flexibility in accommodating different data availability conditions and because it tended to have the smallest MAPE values in most data availability scenarios.
Post mortem variation in Total Volatile Base Nitrogen and Trimethylamine Nitrogen between Galda (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Bagda (Penaeus monodon)
Authors: Ali Mohd Yusuf , Sharif Md Iqbal , Adhikari Ripon K , Faruque Omar
Published: June 2010

Total Volatile Base Nitrgen (TVB-N) and Trimethylamine Nitrogen (TMA-N) of Galda (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Bagda (Penaeus monodon) at ambient temperature was compared at Fish Quality Control Laboratory of Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh. The TVB-N and TMA-N were determined by using Conway's Micro-diffusion Technique. The nature of biochemical changes was studied up to complete spoilage. The TVB-N contents of Galda and Bagda ranged between 6.65±0.12 mg- N/100g to 8475±0.22 mg-N/100g and 6.72±0.18 mg-N/100g to 91.43±0.49 mg-N/100g. The TMA-N contents of Galda and Bagda ranged between 6.64±0.12 mg-N/100g to 39.38±0.33 mg-N/100g and 6.81±0.17 mg-N/100g to 71.41±0.35 mg-N/100g. A slight higher amount of TVB-N was observed at all stages in Galda as compared to Bagda. TMA-N contents significantly varied between Galda and Bagda (P≤0.05). At all stages of spoilage Bagda showed higher amount of TMA-N. Keywords: Post mortem; TVB-N; TMA-N; Galda and Bagda. DOI: 10.3329/ujzru.v28i0.5278 Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi. Univ. Vol. 28, 2010 pp. 07-10
Fertility of cryopreserved common carp (Cyprinus carpio) spermatozoa
Authors: Sultana M , Nahiduzzaman M , Hassan MM , Khanam MUH , Hossain MAR
Published: June 2010

The study was aimed at standardization of cryopreservation protocol for the commoncarp, (Cyprinus carpio) spermatozoa for using in the artificial propagation. Three extenders(Alsever’s solution, egg-yolk citrate and 0.9% NaCl) were combined with three cryoprotectants(ethanol, methanol and DMSO). Two-step freezing protocol (5°C to -4°C at a rate of 4°C per minutethen -4°C to -80°C at a rate of 10°C per minute and finally held for 10 min) was carried out in acomputer-controlled freezer where 0.25 ml straws containing spermatozoa were stored in a liquidnitrogen container at -196°C. Alsever’s solution with ethanol, Alsever’s solution with methanol andegg yolk citrate with DMSO gave better motility (%) in both pre-freeze (93.33±1.05, 90±1.83 and88.33±2.11, respectively) and post-thaw (80±4.28, 74.17±3.96 and 76.67±4.59, respectively)periods whereas, 10% cryoprotectant gave the best motility during post-thaw period. Consideringboth pre-freeze and post-thaw motilities of the common carp spermatozoa, 1:9 was the best ratiofor the milt and cryodiluents. The egg yolk citrate with DMSO yielded the best fertilization(37.67±1.76%) and hatching (28.67±1.85%) compared to other combinations under study.Key words: Cyprinus carpio; spermatozoa; cryopreservation; cryoprotectant; cryodiluent; fertility.DOI: 10.3329/ujzru.v28i0.5287Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi Univ. Vol. 28, 2010 pp. 51-55
Replies to Alcoff, Goldberg, and Hookway on Epistemic Injustice
Authors: Fricker Miranda
Published: June 2010

In this paper I respond to three commentaries on Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing. In response to Alcoff, I primarily defend my conception of how an individual hearer might develop virtues of epistemic justice. I do this partly by drawing on empirical social psychological evidence supporting the possibility of reflective self-regulation for prejudice in our judgements. I also emphasize the fact that individual virtue is only part of the solution – structural mechanisms also have an essential role in combating epistemic injustice. My response to Goldberg principally concerns my perceptual account of the epistemology of testimony, which I defend as being both well-motivated and best categorized as a species of non-inferentialism. I also explain its relation to the reductionism/non-reductionism contrast, and defend my resistance to casting it as any kind of default view. In response to Hookway, I contrast discriminatory with distributive forms of epistemic injustice, and defend the basic taxonomy I present in the book, which casts testimonial and hermeneutical injustice as the two fundamental discriminatory forms of epistemic injustice.
Efficient and Rapid Labeling of Transplanted Cell Populations with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Using Cell Surface Chemical Biotinylation for in Vivo Monitoring by MRI
Authors: So Po-Wah , Kalber Tammy , Hunt David , Farquharson Michael , Al-Ebraheem Alia , Parkes Harold G. , Simon Rolf , Bell Jimmy D.
Published: June 2010

Determination of the dynamics of specific cell populations in vivo is essential for the development of cell-based therapies. For cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cells need to internalize, or be surface labeled with a MRI contrast agent, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs): SPIOs give rise to signal loss by gradient-echo and T2-weighted MRI techniques. In this study, cancer cells were chemically tagged with biotin and then magnetically labeled with anti-biotin SPIOs. No significant detrimental effects on cell viability or death were observed following cell biotinylation. SPIO-labeled cells exhibited signal loss compared to non-SPIO-labeled cells by MRI in vitro. Consistent with the in vitro MRI data, signal attenuation was observed in vivo from SPIO-labeled cells injected into the muscle of the hind legs, or implanted subcutaneously into the flanks of mice, correlating with iron detection by histochemical and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) methods. To further validate this approach, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were also employed. Chemical biotinylation and SPIO labeling of hMSCs were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The procedure did not affect proliferation and multipotentiality, or lead to increased cell death. The SPIO-labeled hMSCs were shown to exhibit MRI signal reduction in vitro and was detectable in an in vivo model. In this study, we demonstrate a rapid, robust, and generic methodology that may be a useful and practical adjuvant to existing methods of cell labeling for in vivo monitoring by MRI. Further, we have shown the first application of XRF to provide iron maps to validate MRI data in SPIO-labeled cell tracking studies.
MODELLING THE APPLICATION OF WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT IN LITHUANIAN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR / DARBUOTOJŲ SAUGOS IR SVEIKATOS TEISĖS AKTŲ NAUDOJIMO MODELIAVIMAS LIETUVOS STATYBŲ SEKTORIUJE
Authors: Liaudanskienė Rita , Varnas Nerijus , Ustinovichius Leonas
Published: June 2010

Being one of the largest European industry branches, construction is also characterized by some of the worst workplace health and safety indices in the region. On average, workers at construction sites face double the chance of non‐fatal accidents at work compared with workers from other EU sectors. With a view to reducing the number of accidents and occupational illnesses in the construction sector, numerous legal acts have been passed and consistently implemented within recent decades, which allowed improving work conditions in the EU member countries. Although EU legal acts apply in Lithuania, the increase in accidents at work in the construction sector is reflected in the statistics. To prevent accidents at work and occupational illnesses, as well as increase work productivity and job satisfaction, the implementation of measures ensuring safe work at construction sites becomes a necessity. Work safety in various construction processes can be achieved not only by making use of collective and personal protective equipment, occupational risk assessment, employee instruction and training on safety at work, but also by properly organizing work and creating proper working conditions. In order to ensure safe work for construction workers, knowledge and application of standard legal acts is necessary. Santrauka Statyba ‐ viena iš didžiausių Europos pramonės šakų. Šio sektoriaus darbuotojų saugos ir sveikatos rodikliai yra vieni prasčiausių regione. Palyginti su kitu ES sektorių darbuotojais, statybose dirbantiems darbininkams kyla vidutiniškai dvigubai didesnė nemirtinų nelaimingų atsitikimų tikimybė. Siekiant sumažinti nelaimingų atsitikimų ir profesinių ligų skaičių statybų sektoriuje, per kelis pastaruosius dešimtmečius buvo priimta ir nuosekliai taikyta daug teisės aktų, leidusių pagerinti darbo salygas ES valstybėse narėse. Nors Lietuvoje įgyvendinti ES teises aktai, tačiau statistikos duomenys byloja apie nelaimingų atsitikimų statybos sektoriuje augimą. Norint užkirsti kelia nelaimingiems atsitikimams ir profesinėms ligoms, pagerinti darbo našumą, darbuotoju pasitenkinimą darbu, būtina imtis priemonių, užtikrinančių saugų darbą statybvietėse. Atsižvelgiant i tai, kad, vykdant įvairius statybos procesus, saugų darbą gali užtikrinti ne tik kolektyvinių bei asmeninių priemonių naudojimas, profesinės rizikos įvertinimas, darbuotojų instruktavimas ir mokymas saugos klausimais, nelaimingų atsitikimų bei profesinių ligų išvengimą gali garantuoti tinkamas darbu organizavimas ir darbo salygų sudarymas. Norint tinkamai užtikrinti saugų darbą statybose dirbantiems darbininkams, būtina išmanyti ir vykdyti norminius teises aktus.
An IL-2 Paradox: Blocking CD25 on T Cells Induces IL-2–Driven Activation of CD56bright NK Cells
Authors: Martin Jayne F. , Perry Justin S. A. , Jakhete Neha R. , Wang Xiang , Bielekova Bibiana
Published: June 2010

Daclizumab (Dac), an Ab against the IL-2R α-chain, inhibits brain inflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis, while expanding CD56bright immunoregulatory NK cells in vivo. We hypothesized that this unexpected expansion is paradoxically IL-2 driven; caused by the increased availability of T cell-derived IL-2 for NK cell signaling. To this end, we performed ex vivo functional analyses of CD56bright NK cells and T cells from patients in clinical trials with Dac. We developed in vitro models to investigate mechanisms for ex vivo observations. We observed that Dac treatment caused decreased numbers and proliferation of FoxP3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs), a model T cell population known to be dependent on IL-2 for proliferation and survival. As anticipated, Dac therapy inhibited IL-2 signaling in all T cells; however, we also observed functional adaptation of T cells to low IL-2 signal in vivo, characterized by the concomitant enhancement of IL-7 signaling on all T cells and parallel increase of CD127 expression by Tregs. In contrast, IL-2 signaling on CD56bright NK cells was not inhibited by Dac and their in vivo proliferation and cytotoxicity actually increased. Mechanistic studies indicated that the activation of CD56bright NK cells was likely IL-2 driven, as low doses of IL-2, but not IL-15, mimicked this activation in vitro. Our study provides insight into the role that IL-2 and CD25 play in functional regulation of two important immunoregulatory cell populations in humans: FoxP3+ Tregs and CD56bright NK cells.
Francisella tularensis Suppresses the Proinflammatory Response of Endothelial Cells via the Endothelial Protein C Receptor
Authors: Bublitz DeAnna C. , Noah Courtney E. , Benach Jorge L. , Furie Martha B.
Published: June 2010

Various bacterial pathogens activate the endothelium to secrete proinflammatory cytokines and recruit circulating leukocytes. In contrast, there is a distinct lack of activation of these cells by Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia. Given the importance of endothelial cells in facilitating innate immunity, we investigated the ability of the attenuated live vaccine strain and virulent Schu S4 strain of F. tularensis to inhibit the proinflammatory response of HUVECs. Living F. tularensis live vaccine strain and Schu S4 did not stimulate secretion of the chemokine CCL2 by HUVECs, whereas material released from heat-killed bacteria did. Furthermore, the living bacteria suppressed secretion in response to heat-killed F. tularensis. This phenomenon was dose and contact dependent, and it occurred rapidly upon infection. The living bacteria did not inhibit the activation of HUVECs by Escherichia coli LPS, highlighting the specificity of this suppression. The endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) confers anti-inflammatory properties when bound by activated protein C. When the EPCR was blocked, F. tularensis lost the ability to suppress activation of HUVECs. To our knowledge, this is the first report that a bacterial pathogen inhibits the host immune response via the EPCR. Endothelial cells are a critical component of the innate immune response to infection, and suppression of their activation by F. tularensis is likely a mechanism that aids in bacterial dissemination and evasion of host defenses.
The Adaptor Molecule Act1 Regulates BAFF Responsiveness and Self-Reactive B Cell Selection during Transitional B Cell Maturation
Authors: Giltiay Natalia V. , Lu Yi , Allman David , Jørgensen Trine N. , Li Xiaoxia
Published: June 2010

The transitional stage is a key check-point for elimination of autoreactive B cells in the periphery. This selection process requires fine regulation of signals received through BCR and B cell activating factor (BAFF) receptor. We previously identified the adaptor molecule Act1 as a negative regulator of BAFF-mediated signaling. Deficiency of Act1 in mice results in peripheral B cell hyperplasia and development of autoimmunity. In this study, we demonstrate that Act1 plays a critical role in the regulation of transitional B cell survival and maturation. We found that the ratio of late-transitional (T2) to early-transitional (T1) cells was increased in spleens from Act1-deficient mice. Moreover, BAFF stimulation induced better T1 cell survival and promoted more efficient maturation of T1 cells into T2 cells ex vivo in the absence of Act1. BAFF stimulation induced higher levels of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 member Mc1-l in Act1-deficient T1 cells than in wild-type control cells, suggesting that Mcl-1 might be one of the key effector molecules for BAFF-mediated survival of the Act1-deficient transitional B cells. Importantly, costimulation with BAFF was able to rescue Act1-deficient T1 cells from BCR-induced apoptosis more effectively than Act1-sufficient T1 B cells. Finally, by using hen egg lysozyme double transgenic mice, we demonstrated that Act1 deficiency can promote the maturation of Ag-specific autoreactive B cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the transitional stage is a critical point of action of Act1 in the elimination of autoreactive B cells and in the regulation of peripheral B cell homeostasis.
Allergen-Induced Airway Remodeling Is Impaired in Galectin-3–Deficient Mice
Authors: Ge Xiao Na , Bahaie Nooshin S. , Kang Bit Na , Hosseinkhani M. Reza , Ha Sung Gil , Frenzel Elizabeth M. , Liu Fu-Tong , Rao Savita P. , Sriramarao P.
Published: June 2010

The role played by the β-galactoside–binding lectin galectin-3 (Gal-3) in airway remodeling, a characteristic feature of asthma that leads to airway dysfunction and poor clinical outcome in humans, was investigated in a murine model of chronic allergic airway inflammation. Wild-type (WT) and Gal-3 knockout (KO) mice were subjected to repetitive allergen challenge with OVA up to 12 wk, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue collected after the last challenge were evaluated for cellular features associated with airway remodeling. Compared to WT mice, chronic OVA challenge in Gal-3 KO mice resulted in diminished remodeling of the airways with significantly reduced mucus secretion, subepithelial fibrosis, smooth muscle thickness, and peribronchial angiogenesis. The higher degree of airway remodeling in WT mice was associated with higher Gal-3 expression in the BALF as well as lung tissue. Cell counts in BALF and lung immunohistology demonstrated that eosinophil infiltration in OVA-challenged Gal-3 KO mice was significantly reduced compared with that WT mice. Evaluation of cellular mediators associated with eosinophil recruitment and airway remodeling revealed that levels of eotaxin-1, IL-5, IL-13, found in inflammatory zone 1, and TGF-β were substantially lower in Gal-3 KO mice. Finally, leukocytes from Gal-3 KO mice demonstrated decreased trafficking (rolling) on vascular endothelial adhesion molecules compared with that of WT cells. Overall, these studies demonstrate that Gal-3 is an important lectin that promotes airway remodeling via airway recruitment of inflammatory cells, specifically eosinophils, and the development of a Th2 phenotype as well as increased expression of eosinophil-specific chemokines and profibrogenic and angiogenic mediators.
IL-13 Induces Esophageal Remodeling and Gene Expression by an Eosinophil-Independent, IL-13Rα2–Inhibited Pathway
Authors: Zuo Li , Fulkerson Patricia C. , Finkelman Fred D. , Mingler Melissa , Fischetti Christine A. , Blanchard Carine , Rothenberg Marc E.
Published: June 2010

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is an emerging disease associated with both food and respiratory allergy characterized by extensive esophageal tissue remodeling and abnormal esophageal gene expression, including increased IL-13. We investigated the ability of increased airway IL-13 to induce EE-like changes. Mice with pulmonary (but not esophageal) overexpression of IL-13 evidenced esophageal IL-13 accumulation and developed prominent esophageal remodeling with epithelial hyperplasia, angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and increased circumference. IL-13 induced notable changes in esophageal transcripts that overlapped with the human EE esophageal transcriptome. IL-13–induced esophageal eosinophilia was dependent on eotaxin-1 (but not eotaxin-2). However, remodeling occurred independent of eosinophils as demonstrated by eosinophil lineage-deficient, IL-13 transgenic mice. IL-13–induced remodeling was significantly enhanced by IL-13Rα2 deletion, indicating an inhibitory effect of IL-13Rα2. In the murine system, there was partial overlap between IL-13–induced genes in the lung and esophagus, yet the transcriptomes were divergent at the tissue level. In human esophagus, IL-13 levels correlated with the magnitude of the EE transcriptome. In conclusion, inducible airway expression of IL-13 results in a pattern of esophageal gene expression and extensive tissue remodeling that resembles human EE. Notably, we identified a pathway that induces EE-like changes and is IL-13–driven, eosinophil-independent, and suppressed by IL-13Rα2.
IL-33 Reduces Macrophage Foam Cell Formation
Authors: McLaren James E. , Michael Daryn R. , Salter Rebecca C. , Ashlin Tim G. , Calder Claudia J. , Miller Ashley M. , Liew Foo Y. , Ramji Dipak P.
Published: June 2010

The development of atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of arterial fibrotic plaques, has been shown to be reduced by IL-33 in vivo. However, whether IL-33 can directly affect macrophage foam cell formation, a key feature of atherosclerotic plaques, has not been determined. In this study, we investigated whether IL-33 reduces macrophage foam cell accumulation in vivo and if IL-33 reduces their formation in vitro using THP-1 and primary human monocyte-derived macrophages. In Apolipoprotein E−/− mice fed on a high fat diet, IL-33 treatment significantly reduced the accumulation of macrophage-derived foam cells in atherosclerotic plaques. IL-33 also reduced macrophage foam cell formation in vitro by decreasing acetylated and oxidized low-density lipoprotein uptake, reducing intracellular total and esterified cholesterol content and enhancing cholesterol efflux. These changes were associated with IL-33–mediated reduction in the expression of genes involved in modified low-density lipoprotein uptake, such as CD36, and simultaneous increase in genes involved in cholesterol efflux, including Apolipoprotein E, thereby providing a mechanism for such an action for this cytokine. IL-33 also decreased the expression of key genes implicated in cholesterol esterification and triglyceride storage, including Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 and Adipocyte differentiation-related protein. Furthermore, using bone marrow-derived macrophages from ST2−/− mice, we demonstrate that the IL-33 receptor, ST2, is integral to the action of IL-33 on macrophage foam cell formation. In conclusion, IL-33 has a protective role in atherosclerosis by reducing macrophage foam cell formation suggesting that IL-33 maybe a potential therapeutic agent against atherosclerosis.
Serine Protease Inhibitor 6 Protects iNKT Cells from Self-Inflicted Damage
Authors: Ansari A. Wahid , Temblay Jeff N. , Alyahya Syarifah H. , Ashton-Rickardt Philip G.
Published: June 2010

The role played by apoptosis in the homeostasis of effector cells of the innate immune system is unclear. Serine protease inhibitor 6 (Spi6) is an inhibitor of granzyme B (GrB) that protects cytotoxic T lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system from apoptosis. To determine whether Spi6 also protects cells of the innate immune system from self-inflicted damage we have examined invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. Spi6-deficient iNKT cells harbored increased levels of GrB after TCR stimulation with the PBS-57 glycolipid Ag and were susceptible to apoptosis. The increased apoptosis of Spi6 knock-out (KO) iNKT cells lead to a complete loss in the production of IL-4 and IFN-γ by Spi6 KO iNKT cells after PBS-57 challenge. The increased activation-induced apoptosis resulted in impaired survival and a decreased clonal burst size of Spi6 KO iNKT cells, which could be corrected by GrB deficiency. However, the clonal burst of Spi6 KO iNKT cells after TCR-independent activation with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was not affected. Our findings demonstrate that Spi6 protects cytotoxic cells of the innate immune system from GrB-mediated self-inflicted triggered by the recognition of Ag.
Fine-Scale Staging of T Cell Lineage Commitment in Adult Mouse Thymus
Authors: Yui Mary A. , Feng Ni , Rothenberg Ellen V.
Published: June 2010

T cell development is marked by the loss of alternative lineage choices accompanying specification and commitment to the T cell lineage. Commitment occurs between the CD4 and CD8 double-negative (DN) 2 and DN3 stages in mouse early T cells. To determine the gene regulatory changes that accompany commitment, we sought to distinguish and characterize the earliest committed wild-type DN adult thymocytes. A transitional cell population, defined by the first downregulation of surface c-Kit expression, was found to have lost the ability to differentiate into dendritic cells and NK cells when cultured without Notch-Delta signals. In the presence of Notch signaling, this subset generates T lineage descendants in an ordered precursor–product relationship between DN2, with the highest levels of surface c-Kit, and c-Kit–low DN3 cells. These earliest committed cells show only a few differences in regulatory gene expression, compared with uncommitted DN2 cells. They have not yet established the full expression of Notch-related and T cell differentiation genes characteristic of DN3 cells before β selection. Instead, the downregulation of select stem cell and non-T lineage genes appears to be key to the extinction of alternative lineage choices.
Thrombin‐Binding Aptamer Quadruplex Formation: AFM and Voltammetric Characterization
Authors: Diculescu Victor Constantin , Chiorcea-Paquim Ana-Maria , Eritja Ramon , Oliveira-Brett Ana Maria
Published: June 2010

The adsorption and the redox behaviour of thrombin‐binding aptamer (TBA) and extended TBA (eTBA) were studied using atomic force microscopy and voltammetry at highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and glassy carbon. The different adsorption patterns and degree of surface coverage were correlated with the sequence base composition, presence/absence of K+, and voltammetric behaviour of TBA and eTBA. In the presence of K+, only a few single‐stranded sequences present adsorption, while the majority of the molecules forms stable and rigid quadruplexes with no adsorption. Both TBA and eTBA are oxidized and the only anodic peak corresponds to guanine oxidation. Upon addition of K+ ions, TBA and eTBA fold into a quadruplex, causing the decrease of guanine oxidation peak and occurrence of a new peak at a higher potential due to the oxidation of G‐quartets. The higher oxidation potential of
G‐quartets is due to the greater difficulty of electron transfer from the inside of the quadruplex to the electrode surface than electron transfer from the more flexible single strands.
Acute Triangulation of a Triangle in a General Setting
Authors: Pambuccian Victor
Published: June 2010

We prove that, in ordered plane geometries endowed with a very weak notion of orthogonality, one can always triangulate any triangle into seven acute triangles, and, in case the given triangle is not acute, into no fewer than seven.
On 6-Dimensional Nearly Kähler Manifolds
Authors: Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Suh Young Jin
Published: June 2010

In this paper we give a sufficient condition for a complete, simply connected, and strict nearly Kähler manifold of dimension 6 to be a homogeneous nearly Kähler manifold. This result was announced in a previous paper by the first author.
Development and validation of a portable gas phase standard generation and calibration system for volatile organic compounds
Authors: Veres P. , Gilman J. B. , Roberts J. M. , Kuster W. C. , Warneke C. , Burling I. R. , de Gouw J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We report on the development of an accurate, portable, dynamic calibration system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Mobile Organic Carbon Calibration System (MOCCS) combines the production of gas-phase VOC standards using permeation or diffusion sources with quantitative total organic carbon (TOC) conversion on a palladium surface to CO2 in the presence of oxygen, and the subsequent CO2 measurement. MOCCS was validated using three different comparisons: (1) TOC of high accuracy methane standards compared well to expected concentrations (3% relative error), (2) a gas-phase benzene standard was generated using a permeation source and measured by TOC and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with excellent agreement (<4% relative difference), and (3) total carbon measurement of 4 known gas phase mixtures were performed and compared to a calculated carbon content to agreement within the stated uncertainties of the standards. Measurements from laboratory biomass burning experiments of formic acid by negative-ion proton-transfer chemical-ionization mass spectrometry (NI-PT-CIMS) and formaldehyde by proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), both calibrated using MOCCS, were compared to open path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) to validate the MOCCS calibration and were found to compare well (R2 of 0.91 and 0.99, respectively).
Wave and plasma measurements and GPS diagnostics of the main ionospheric trough as a hybrid method used for Space Weather purposes
Authors: Rothkaehl H. , Krakowski A. , Stanislawska I. , Błęcki J. , Parrot M. , Berthelier J.-J. , Lebreton J.-P.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The region of the main ionospheric trough is a unique region of the ionosphere, where different types of waves and instabilities can be generated. This region of the ionosphere acts like a lens, focusing a variety of indicators from the equator of plasmapause and local ionospheric plasma. This paper reports the results of monitoring the mid-latitude trough structure, dynamics and wave activity. For these purposes, the data gathered by the currently-operating DEMETER satellite and past diagnostics located on IK-19, Apex, and MAGION-3 spacecraft, as well as TEC measurements were used. A global-time varying picture of the ionospheric trough was reconstructed using the sequence of wave spectra registered and plasma measurements in the top-side ionosphere. The authors present the wave activity from ULF frequency band to the HF frequency detected inside the trough region and discuss its properties during geomagnetic disturbances. It is thought that broadband emissions are correlated with low frequency radiation, which is excited by the wave-particle interaction in the equatorial plasmapause and moves to the ionosphere along the geomagnetic field line. In the ionosphere, the suprathermal electrons can interact with these electrostatic waves and excite electron acoustic waves or HF longitudinal plasma waves. Furthermore, the electron density trough can provide useful data on the magnetosphere ionosphere dynamics and morphology and, in consequence, can be used for Space Weather purposes.