bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic analysis of processing parameters on the ordering and performance of working poly(3-hexyl-thiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester solar cells
Authors: Turak A. , Hanisch J. , Barrena E. , Welzel U. , Widmaier F. , Ahlswede E. , Dosch H.
Published: September 2010

In this study, we report a systematic investigation of the impact of various processing conditions on all features of the bulk polymer microstructure in working P3HT:PCBM solar cells. Unlike previous studies, which usually examine optimized films grown on Si, without an inorganic electrode layer, we directly examined films in working device architectures to understand the impact of the various steps commonly used in device manufacturing. Thermal treatments were observed to strongly impact the performance of devices produced at less than optimal conditions through changes to the bulk crystal structure; however, even when the production conditions are close to the optimal morphology and crystal structure, annealing is still necessary to improve the π-π overlap of adjacent polymer chains and to reduce the interfacial barrier at polymer-electrode interfaces. The annealing step is therefore crucial to yielding high performance through the control of both the bulk and interfacial properties. Our results suggest a new perspective on device manufacturing, showing that it is not necessary to achieve perfection in bulk crystal structure with the first production steps, potentially saving time in the manufacturing process.
Investigation of enhanced ultraviolet emission from different Ti-capped ZnO structures via surface passivation and surface plasmon coupling
Authors: Song Jie , An Xiuyun , Zhou Jinyuan , Liu Yanxia , Wang Wei , Li Xiaodong , Lan Wei , Xie Erqing
Published: September 2010

Photoluminescent properties from three types of Ti and TiO2 capped ZnO structures have been investigated with different surface/volume ratios. Interestingly, it was found that both of surface passivation and surface plasmon (SP) coupling could affect the enhancements of ultraviolet (UV) emissions in the Ti-capped ZnO, while the enhancement rates of UV emissions via SP coupling were much higher than those via surface-passivation modulation with the increasing surface/volume ratios. Upon the evaluation of the dependence of Purcell factor and electron densities, our results can be well explained through energy transfer between defect-related and SP-coupling emissions.
Extraction of carriers photogenerated at p type amorphous SiC window layer in amorphous Si solar cells
Authors: Baik Seung Jae , Kang Sang Jung , Lim Koeng Su
Published: September 2010

The polarity of built-in electric field in p type amorphous SiC window layer originated from the band alignment with the front electrode, strongly affects carrier collection of amorphous Si solar cells. Additionally, it can be switched by reversing the surface band bending of transparent electrodes. Nitrogen incorporation at the surface of Al-doped ZnO modifies the surface band bending from the condition of carrier accumulation to that of carrier depletion; thereby quantum efficiency in short wavelength region is enhanced. The reversal of band bending also causes degradation of fill factors and open circuit voltages, which can be minimized to attain efficiency improvement.
Theory of a three-dimensional nanoporous silicon lattice with unsaturated bonding
Authors: Zhang Feng , Stojkovic Dragan S. , Crespi Vincent H.
Published: September 2010

Several molecules are known to contain stable silicon double or triple bonds that are sterically protected by bulky side groups. Through first-principles computation, we demonstrate that well-defined π bonds can also be stabilized in a prototypical crystalline Si structure: Schwarzite Si-168, when modest negative pressures are applied to a nanoscale porous framework. The sp2-bonded Si-168 is thermodynamically preferred over diamond silicon at a negative pressure of −2.5 GPa. Ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations of Si-168 at 1000 K reveal significant thermal stability. Si-168 is metallic at P=0 in density functional theory, but a gap (between π-like and π∗-like bands) opens around the Fermi level at the transition pressure of −2.5 GPa. Alternatively, a band gap buried below the Fermi level at P=0 can be accessed via hole doping in semiconducting Si144B24.
Eukaryotic genes of archaebacterial origin are more important than the more numerous eubacterial genes, irrespective of function
Authors: Cotton James A. , McInerney James O.
Published: September 2010

The traditional tree of life shows eukaryotes as a distinct lineage of living things, but many studies have suggested that the first eukaryotic cells were chimeric, descended from both Eubacteria (through the mitochondrion) and Archaebacteria. Eukaryote nuclei thus contain genes of both eubacterial and archaebacterial origins, and these genes have different functions within eukaryotic cells. Here we report that archaebacterium-derived genes are significantly more likely to be essential to yeast viability, are more highly expressed, and are significantly more highly connected and more central in the yeast protein interaction network. These findings hold irrespective of whether the genes have an informational or operational function, so that many features of eukaryotic genes with prokaryotic homologs can be explained by their origin, rather than their function. Taken together, our results show that genes of archaebacterial origin are in some senses more important to yeast metabolism than genes of eubacterial origin. This importance reflects these genes’ origin as the ancestral nuclear component of the eukaryotic genome.
Pancreatic stellate cells produce acetylcholine and may play a role in pancreatic exocrine secretion
Authors: Phillips Phoebe A. , Yang Lu , Shulkes Arthur , Vonlaufen Alain , Poljak Anne , Bustamante Sonia , Warren Alessandra , Xu Zhihong , Guilhaus Michael , Pirola Romano , Apte Minoti V. , Wilson Jeremy S.
Published: September 2010

The pancreatic secretagogue cholecystokinin (CCK) is widely thought to stimulate enzyme secretion by acinar cells indirectly via activation of the vagus nerve. We postulate an alternative pathway for CCK-induced pancreatic secretion. We hypothesize that neurally related pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs; located in close proximity to the basolateral aspect of acinar cells) play a regulatory role in pancreatic secretion by serving as an intermediate target for CCK and secreting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), which, in turn, stimulates acinar enzyme secretion. To determine whether PSCs (
i
) exhibit CCK-dependent ACh secretion and (
ii
) influence acinar enzyme secretion, primary cultures of human and rat PSCs were used. Immunoblotting and/or immunofluorescence was used to detect choline acetyltransferase (ACh synthesizing enzyme), vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT), synaptophysin, and CCK receptors 1 and 2. Synaptic-like vesicles in PSCs were identified by EM. ACh secretion by PSCs exposed to 20 pM CCK was measured by LC-MS/MS. Amylase secretion by acini [pretreated with and without the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (10 μM) and cocultured with PSCs] was measured by colorimetry. PSCs express ACh synthesizing enzyme, VAChT, synaptophysin, and CCK receptors; exhibit CCK-dependent ACh secretion; and stimulate amylase secretion by acini, which is blocked by atropine. In conclusion, PSCs express the essential elements for ACh synthesis and secretion. CCK stimulates ACh secretion by PSCs, which, in turn, induces amylase secretion by acini. Therefore, PSCs may represent a previously unrecognized intrapancreatic pathway regulating CCK-induced pancreatic exocrine secretion.
A nonself sugar mimic of the HIV glycan shield shows enhanced antigenicity
Authors: Doores Katie J. , Fulton Zara , Hong Vu , Patel Mitul K. , Scanlan Christopher N. , Wormald Mark R. , Finn M. G. , Burton Dennis R. , Wilson Ian A. , Davis Benjamin G.
Published: September 2010

Antibody 2G12 uniquely neutralizes a broad range of HIV-1 isolates by binding the high-mannose glycans on the HIV-1 surface glycoprotein, gp120. Antigens that resemble these natural epitopes of 2G12 would be highly desirable components for an HIV-1 vaccine. However, host-produced (self)-carbohydrate motifs have been unsuccessful so far at eliciting 2G12-like antibodies that cross-react with gp120. Based on the surprising observation that 2G12 binds nonproteinaceous monosaccharide D-fructose with higher affinity than D-mannose, we show here that a designed set of nonself, synthetic monosaccharides are potent antigens. When introduced to the terminus of the D1 arm of protein glycans recognized by 2G12, their antigenicity is significantly enhanced. Logical variation of these unnatural sugars pinpointed key modifications, and the molecular basis of this increased antigenicity was elucidated using high-resolution crystallographic analyses. Virus-like particle protein conjugates containing such nonself glycans are bound more tightly by 2G12. As immunogens they elicit higher titers of antibodies than those immunogenic conjugates containing the self D1 glycan motif. These antibodies generated from nonself immunogens also cross-react with this self motif, which is found in the glycan shield, when it is presented in a range of different conjugates and glycans. However, these antibodies did not bind this glycan motif when present on gp120.
A dynamic-signaling-team model for chemotaxis receptors in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Hansen Clinton H. , Sourjik Victor , Wingreen Ned S.
Published: September 2010

The chemotaxis system of
Escherichia coli
is sensitive to small relative changes in ambient chemoattractant concentrations over a broad range. Interactions among receptors are crucial to this sensitivity, as is precise adaptation, the return of chemoreceptor activity to prestimulus levels in a constant chemoeffector environment through methylation and demethylation of receptors. Signal integration and cooperativity have been attributed to strongly coupled, mixed teams of receptors, but receptors become individually methylated according to their ligand occupancy states. Here, we present a model of
dynamic
signaling teams that reconciles strong coupling among receptors with receptor-specific methylation. Receptor trimers of dimers couple to form a honeycomb lattice, consistent with cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) tomography, within which the boundaries of signaling teams change rapidly. Our model helps explain the inferred increase in signaling team size with receptor modification, and indicates that active trimers couple more strongly than inactive trimers.
Proteome-wide screens for small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) substrates identify
Arabidopsis
proteins implicated in diverse biological processes
Authors: Elrouby Nabil , Coupland George
Published: September 2010

Covalent modification of proteins by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates various cellular activities in yeast and mammalian cells. In
Arabidopsis
, inactivation of genes encoding SUMO or SUMO-conjugation enzymes is lethal, emphasizing the importance of SUMOylation in plant development. Despite this, little is known about SUMO targets in plants. Here we identified 238
Arabidopsis
proteins as potential SUMO substrates because they interacted with SUMO-conjugating enzyme and/or SUMO protease (ESD4) in the yeast two-hybrid system. Compared with the whole
Arabidopsis
proteome, the identified proteins were strongly enriched for those containing high-probability consensus SUMO attachment sites, further supporting that they are true SUMO substrates. A high-throughput assay was developed in
Escherichia coli
and used to test the SUMOylation of 56% of these proteins. More than 92% of the proteins tested were SUMOylated in this assay by at least one SUMO isoform. Furthermore, ADA2b, an ESD4 interactor that was SUMOylated in the
E. coli
system, also was shown to be SUMOylated in
Arabidopsis
. The identified SUMO substrates are involved in a wide range of plant processes, many of which were not previously known to involve SUMOylation. These proteins provide a basis for exploring the function of SUMOylation in the regulation of diverse processes in
Arabidopsis
.
Synergy of multiple partners, including freeloaders, increases host fitness in a multispecies mutualism
Authors: Palmer Todd M. , Doak Daniel F. , Stanton Maureen L. , Bronstein Judith L. , Kiers E. Toby , Young Truman P. , Goheen Jacob R. , Pringle Robert M.
Published: September 2010

Understanding cooperation is a central challenge in biology, because natural selection should favor “free-loaders” that reap benefits without reciprocating. For interspecific cooperation (mutualism), most approaches to this paradox focus on costs and benefits of individual partners and the strategies mutualists use to associate with beneficial partners. However, natural selection acts on lifetime fitness, and most mutualists, particularly longer-lived species interacting with shorter-lived partners (e.g., corals and zooxanthellae, tropical trees and mycorrhizae) interact with multiple partner species throughout ontogeny. Determining how multiple partnerships might interactively affect lifetime fitness is a crucial unexplored link in understanding the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. The tropical tree
Acacia drepanolobium
associates with four symbiotic ant species whose short-term individual effects range from mutualistic to parasitic. Using a long-term dataset, we show that tree fitness is enhanced by partnering sequentially with sets of different ant symbionts over the ontogeny of a tree. These sets include a “sterilization parasite” that prevents reproduction and another that reduces tree survivorship. Trees associating with partner sets that include these “parasites” enhance lifetime fitness by trading off survivorship and fecundity at different life stages. Our results demonstrate the importance of evaluating mutualism within a community context and suggest that lifespan inequalities among mutualists may help cooperation persist in the face of exploitation.
Path-memory induced quantization of classical orbits
Authors: Fort Emmanuel , Eddi Antonin , Boudaoud Arezki , Moukhtar Julien , Couder Yves
Published: September 2010

A droplet bouncing on a liquid bath can self-propel due to its interaction with the waves it generates. The resulting “walker” is a dynamical association where, at a macroscopic scale, a particle (the droplet) is driven by a pilot-wave field. A specificity of this system is that the wave field itself results from the superposition of the waves generated at the points of space recently visited by the particle. It thus contains a memory of the past trajectory of the particle. Here, we investigate the response of this object to forces orthogonal to its motion. We find that the resulting closed orbits present a spontaneous quantization. This is observed only when the memory of the system is long enough for the particle to interact with the wave sources distributed along the whole orbit. An additional force then limits the possible orbits to a discrete set. The wave-sustained path memory is thus demonstrated to generate a quantization of angular momentum. Because a quantum-like uncertainty was also observed recently in these systems, the nonlocality generated by path memory opens new perspectives.
Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2α promotes the extracellular survival of obligate intracellular parasite
Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Joyce Bradley R. , Queener Sherry F. , Wek Ronald C. , Sullivan William J.
Published: September 2010

While seeking a new host cell, obligate intracellular parasites, such as the protozoan
Toxoplasma gondii
, must be able to endure the stress of an extracellular environment. The mechanisms
Toxoplasma
use to remain viable while deprived of a host cell are not understood. We have previously shown that phosphorylation of
Toxoplasma
eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (TgIF2α) is a conserved response to stress. Here we report the characterization of
Toxoplasma
harboring a point mutation (S71A) in TgIF2α that prevents phosphorylation. Results show that TgIF2α phosphorylation is critical for parasite viability because the TgIF2α-S71A mutants are ill-equipped to cope with life outside the host cell. The TgIF2α-S71A mutants also showed a significant delay in producing acute toxoplasmosis in vivo. We conclude that the phosphorylation of TgIF2α plays a crucial role during the lytic cycle by ameliorating the stress of the extracellular environment while the parasite searches for a new host cell.
The
Listeria monocytogenes
InlC protein interferes with innate immune responses by targeting the IκB kinase subunit IKKα
Authors: Gouin Edith , Adib-Conquy Minou , Balestrino Damien , Nahori Marie-Anne , Villiers Véronique , Colland Frédéric , Dramsi Shaynoor , Dussurget Olivier , Cossart Pascale
Published: September 2010

Listeria monocytogenes
is an intracellular pathogen responsible for severe foodborne infections. It can replicate in both phagocytic and nonphagocytic mammalian cells. The infectious process at the cellular level has been studied extensively, but how the bacterium overcomes early host innate immune responses remains largely unknown. Here we show that InlC, a member of the internalin family, is secreted intracellularly and directly interacts with IKKα, a subunit of the IκB kinase complex critical for the phosphorylation of IκB and activation of NF-κB, the major regulator of innate immune responses. Infection experiments with WT
Listeria
or the
inlC
-deletion mutant and transfection of cells with InlC reveal that InlC expression impairs phosphorylation and consequently delays IκB degradation normally induced by TNF-α, a classical NF-κB stimulator. Moreover, infection of RAW 264.7 macrophages by the
inlC
mutant leads to increased production of proinflammatory cytokines compared with that obtained with the WT. Finally, in a peritonitis mouse model, we show that infection with the
inlC
mutant induces increased production of chemokines and increased recruitment of neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity compared with infection with WT. Together, these results demonstrate that InlC, by interacting with IKKα, dampens the host innate response induced by
Listeria
during the infection process.
INO80 chromatin remodeling complex promotes the removal of UV lesions by the nucleotide excision repair pathway
Authors: Jiang Yingjun , Wang Xin , Bao Shilai , Guo Ruifeng , Johnson David G. , Shen Xuetong , Li Lei
Published: September 2010

The creation of accessible DNA in the context of chromatin is a key step in many DNA functions. To reveal how ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activities impact DNA repair, we constructed mammalian genetic models for the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex and investigated the impact of loss of INO80 function on the repair of UV-induced photo lesions. We showed that deletion of two core components of the INO80 complex, INO80 and ARP5, significantly hampered cellular removal of UV-induced photo lesions but had no significant impact on the transcription of nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors. Loss of INO80 abolished the assembly of NER factors, suggesting that prior chromatin relaxation is important for the NER incision process. Ino80 and Arp5 are enriched to UV-damaged DNA in an NER-incision-independent fashion, suggesting that recruitment of the remodeling activity likely takes place during the initial stage of damage recognition. These results demonstrate a critical role of INO80 in creating DNA accessibility for the NER pathway and provide direct evidence that repair of UV lesions and perhaps most bulky adduct lesions requires chromatin reconfiguration.
MicroRNA-33 encoded by an intron of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (
Srebp2
) regulates HDL in vivo
Authors: Horie Takahiro , Ono Koh , Horiguchi Masahito , Nishi Hitoo , Nakamura Tomoyuki , Nagao Kazuya , Kinoshita Minako , Kuwabara Yasuhide , Marusawa Hiroyuki , Iwanaga Yoshitaka , Hasegawa Koji , Yokode Masayuki , Kimura Takeshi , Kita Toru
Published: September 2010

Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) transcription factor has been identified as a key protein in cholesterol metabolism through the transactivation of the LDL receptor and cholesterol biosynthesis genes. Here, we generated mice lacking microRNA (miR)-33, encoded by an intron of the
Srebp2
, and showed that miR-33 repressed the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) protein, a key regulator of HDL synthesis by mediating cholesterol efflux from cells to apolipoprotein A (apoA)-I. In fact, peritoneal macrophages derived from miR-33–deficient mice showed a marked increase in ABCA1 levels and higher apoA-I–dependent cholesterol efflux than those from WT mice. ABCA1 protein levels in liver were also higher in miR-33–deficient mice than in WT mice. Moreover, miR-33–deficient mice had significantly higher serum HDL cholesterol levels than WT mice. These data establish a critical role for miR-33 in the regulation of ABCA1 expression and HDL biogenesis in vivo.
Induction of type I interferon by adenovirus-encoded small RNAs
Authors: Yamaguchi Tomoko , Kawabata Kenji , Kouyama Emi , Ishii Ken J. , Katayama Kazufumi , Suzuki Takayuki , Kurachi Shinnosuke , Sakurai Fuminori , Akira Shizuo , Mizuguchi Hiroyuki
Published: September 2010

Transduction with replication-incompetent recombinant adenovirus (Ad) vectors results in a rapid activation of innate immune responses, such as inflammatory cytokine production and subsequent tissue damage. The precise mechanisms of the innate immune responses induced by Ad vectors remain to be clarified. Possible components of Ad vectors that activate innate immune responses are the capsid protein, the viral genome (DNA), and viral transcripts. In the present study, we demonstrate that virus-associated RNAs (VA-RNAs), which are small RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase III, induce the production of type I IFN (IFN-α and IFN-β), but they do not induce the production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-12), in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor–generated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (GM-DCs). We also show that IFN-β promoter stimulator-1 is involved in VA-RNA–dependent IFN-β production in MEFs and is partially involved in type I IFN production in GM-DCs. This study provides important insight into the mechanisms of Ad vector-triggered innate immune responses, which may lead to more advanced and rational Ad vector designs for gene therapies and vaccine applications.
Structural context shapes the aquaporin selectivity filter
Authors: Savage David F. , O’Connell Joseph D. , Miercke Larry J. W. , Finer-Moore Janet , Stroud Robert M.
Published: September 2010

Aquaporins are transmembrane channels that facilitate the permeation of water and small, uncharged amphipathic molecules across cellular membranes. One distinct aquaporin subfamily contains pure water channels, whereas a second subfamily contains channels that conduct small alditols such as glycerol, in addition to water. Distinction between these substrates is central to aquaporin function, though the contributions of protein structural motifs required for selectivity are not yet fully characterized. To address this question, we sequentially engineered three signature amino acids of the glycerol-conducting subfamily into the
Escherichia coli
water channel aquaporin Z (AqpZ). Functional analysis of these mutant channels showed a decrease in water permeability but not the expected increase in glycerol conduction. Using X-ray crystallography, we determined the atomic resolution structures of the mutant channels. The structures revealed a channel surprisingly similar in size to the wild-type AqpZ pore. Comparison with measured rates of transport showed that, as the size of the selectivity filter region of the channel approaches that of water, channel hydrophilicity dominated water conduction energetics. In contrast, the major determinant of selectivity for larger amphipathic molecules such as glycerol was channel cross-section size. Finally, we find that, although the selectivity filter region is indeed central to substrate transport, other structural elements that do not directly interact with the substrates, such as the loop connecting helices M6 and M7, and the C loop between helices C4 and C5, play an essential role in facilitating selectivity.
Mutations of cellulose synthase (CESA1) phosphorylation sites modulate anisotropic cell expansion and bidirectional mobility of cellulose synthase
Authors: Chen Shaolin , Ehrhardt David W. , Somerville Chris R.
Published: September 2010

The CESA1 component of cellulose synthase is phosphorylated at sites clustered in two hypervariable regions of the protein. Mutations of the phosphorylated residues to Ala (A) or Glu (E) alter anisotropic cell expansion and cellulose synthesis in rapidly expanding roots and hypocotyls. Expression of T166E, S686E, or S688E mutants of CESA1 fully rescued the temperature sensitive
cesA1-1
allele (
rsw1
) at a restrictive temperature whereas mutations to A at these positions caused defects in anisotropic cell expansion. However, mutations to E at residues surrounding T166 (i.e., S162, T165, and S167) caused opposite effects. Live-cell imaging of fluorescently labeled CESA showed close correlations between tissue or cell morphology and patterns of bidirectional motility of CESA complexes in the plasma membrane. In the WT, CESA complexes moved at similar velocities in both directions along microtubule tracks. By contrast, the rate of movement of CESA particles was directionally asymmetric in mutant lines that exhibited abnormal tissue or cell expansion, and the asymmetry was removed upon depolymerizing microtubules with oryzalin. This suggests that phosphorylation of CESA differentially affects a polar interaction with microtubules that may regulate the length or quantity of a subset of cellulose microfibrils and that this, in turn, alters microfibril structure in the primary cell wall resulting in or contributing to the observed defect in anisotropic cell expansion.
Cell-autonomous activation of the PI3-kinase pathway initiates endometrial cancer from adult uterine epithelium
Authors: Memarzadeh Sanaz , Zong Yang , Janzen Deanna M. , Goldstein Andrew S. , Cheng Donghui , Kurita Takeshi , Schafenacker Amanda M. , Huang Jiaoti , Witte Owen N.
Published: September 2010

Epithelial-specific activation of the PI3-kinase pathway is the most common genetic alteration in type I endometrial cancer. In the majority of these tumors, PTEN expression is lost in the epithelium but maintained in tumor stroma. Currently reported
PTEN
knockout mouse models initiate type I endometrial cancer concomitant with loss of PTEN in both uterine epithelium and stroma. Consequently, the biologic outcome of selectively activating the PI3-kinase pathway in the endometrial epithelium remains unknown. To address this question, we established a malleable in vivo endometrial regeneration system from dissociated murine uterine epithelium and stroma. Regenerated endometrial glands responded to pharmacologic variations in hormonal milieu similar to the native endometrium. Cell-autonomous activation of the PI3-kinase pathway via biallelic loss of PTEN or activation of AKT in adult uterine epithelia in this model was sufficient to initiate endometrial carcinoma. AKT-initiated tumors were serially transplantable, demonstrating permanent genetic changes in uterine epithelia. Immunohistochemistry confirmed loss of PTEN or activation of AKT in regenerated hyperplastic glands that were surrounded by wild-type stroma. We demonstrate that cell-autonomous activation of the PI3-kinase pathway is sufficient for the initiation of endometrial carcinoma in naive adult uterine epithelia. This in vivo model provides an ideal platform for testing the response of endometrial carcinoma to targeted therapy against this common genetic alteration.
MAKING OR BREAKING INFORMAL VOLUNTEERING
Authors: Gundelach Birte , Freitag Markus , Stadelmann-Steffen Isabelle
Published: September 2010

This article evaluates the relationship between welfare state institutions and informal voluntary activity. In particular, we wish to investigate the extent to which welfare state arrangements influence the individual's decision to volunteer informally. Focusing on informal volunteering – a vital, yet often neglected form of social capital – we reinvestigate the hypotheses on crowding in and crowding out. Our sub-national multilevel analysis of the Swiss cantons reveals that there is no significant effect of welfare statism on informal volunteering. Cantonal differences in individual propensity to volunteer informally can rather be attributed to different cultural-linguistic backgrounds as well as to the cantonal degree of urbanisation.
Complex Attentional Control Settings
Authors: Parrott Stacey E. , Levinthal Brian R. , Franconeri Steven L.
Published: September 2010

The visual system prioritizes information through a variety of mechanisms, including “attentional control settings” that specify features (e.g., colour) that are relevant to current goals. Recent work shows that these control settings may be more complex than previously thought, such that participants can monitor for independent features at different locations (Adamo, Pun, Pratt, & Ferber, 2008). However, this result leaves unclear whether these control settings affect early attentional selection or later target processing. We dissociated between these possibilities in two ways. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to determine whether a target object, which was preceded by an uninformative cue, matched one of two target templates (e.g., a blue vertical object or a green horizontal object). Participants monitored for independent features in the same location, but in different objects, which should reduce the effectiveness of the control setting if it is due to early attentional selection, but not if it is due to later target processing. In Experiment 2, we removed the ability of the cue to prime the target identity, which makes the opposite prediction. Together, the results suggest that complex attentional control settings primarily affect later target identity processing, and not early attentional selection.
Insulin‐like growth factor axis (insulin‐like growth factor‐I/insulin‐like growth factor‐binding protein‐3) as a prognostic predictor of heart failure: association with adiponectin
Authors: Watanabe Shin , Tamura Toshihiro , Ono Koh , Horiuchi Hisanori , Kimura Takeshi , Kita Toru , Furukawa Yutaka
Published: September 2010

Aims

Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I is a regulator of glucose/fatty acid metabolism and may be involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, but it remains unclear whether endogenous IGF‐I is associated with the prognosis of heart failure (HF). We investigated whether the IGF axis, the ratio of IGF‐I to IGF‐binding protein‐3 (IGFBP‐3), was a predictor of clinical outcomes in HF. The association of IGF axis with serum adiponectin level, a prognostic marker of HF as well as a regulator of glucose/fatty acid metabolism, was also analysed.

Methods and results

We measured serum IGF‐I and IGFBP‐3 in 142 HF patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and 63 control subjects. Patients with HF underwent clinical assessment and measurement of adiponectin and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Compared with controls, HF patients showed significantly decreased serum IGF axis values [median (inter‐quartile ranges), 0.114 (0.063–0.150) vs. 0.099 (0.052–0.158), P = 0.042]. In HF patients, the log‐transformed IGF axis values were inversely correlated with the log‐transformed serum adiponectin levels (r = −0.35, P < 0.0001) and plasma BNP levels (r = −0.25, P = 0.0028). The IGF axis was lower in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV than those with class I/II [0.071 (0.044–0.145) vs. 0.107 (0.068–0.161), P = 0.022]. Furthermore, a decrease in IGF axis was associated with increased rates of all‐cause mortality (P = 0.013), cardiac death (P = 0.035), and a composite of cardiac death and re‐hospitalization (P = 0.0085).

Conclusion

Insulin‐like growth factor axis is a significant predictor of clinical outcomes in HF and is significantly associated with serum adiponectin levels.
Promoting Healthy Eating in Children
Authors: Dissanayake Amy
Published: September 2010

A Department of Health (DoH) policy is to reduce inequalities in health. Choosing a better diet and how to do so is one of the topics in the Choosing Health White Paper published in November 2004.
The Surgical Management of Obesity
Authors: Stephenson James A. , Al-Taan Omer , Wiggins Tom , Sutton Christopher D. , Bowrey David J.
Published: September 2010

Obesity levels are reaching pandemic proportions and urgent attention is required to avoid its associated morbidity, mortality and health-care costs. The World Health Organisation has recognized that approximately 300 million people worldwide are obese and this figure is increasing in all populations and age groups.
Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Johns Sarah J. , Taggar Jaspal S.
Published: September 2010

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Its prevalence increases with age and is estimated at around 5% in those aged 65 years, rising to 10% in the over 80 population. AF usually arises from the left atrium and is commonly referred to as a ‘supraventricular arrhythmia’. It is characterized by rapid, irregular and chaotic electrical atrial activity that results in an irregular ventricular response. AF is no longer considered a benign condition as it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, most notably from its 5-fold increased risk of stroke. With an ever-increasing elderly population, it is unsurprising that AF poses a significant public and health burden and already accounts for about 1% of the National Health Service (NHS) expenditure.
Altererythrobacter dongtanensis sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat
Authors: Fan Zhen-Yu , Xiao Yi-Ping , Hui Wei , Tian Guan-Rong , Lee Jung-Sook , Lee Keun Chul , Quan Zhe-Xue
Published: September 2010

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped and non-spore-forming bacterial strain, JM27T, was isolated from a tidal flat of Dongtan Wetland, Chongming Island, China. The strain formed smooth yellow colonies on R2A plates. Growth occurred at 10–37 °C (optimum, 30–37 °C), at pH 6.0–10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0–9.0) and in the presence of 0–1 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Catalase test was positive and oxidase test was negative. Ubiquinone 10 (Q10) was the major respiratory quinone. C18 : 1ω7c and C17 : 1ω6c were the most abundant fatty acids. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol were the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain JM27T was 66.4 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate showed highest similarity to that of Altererythrobacter marinus H32T (96.4 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain belonged to the genus Altererythrobacter of the family Erythrobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, whole-cell fatty acids, polar lipid compositions, and biochemical and physiological characteristics, strain JM27T is proposed to represent a novel species of the genus Altererythrobacter for which the name Altererythrobacter dongtanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JM27T ( = KCTC 22672T  = CCTCC AB 209199T).
Thioalbus denitrificans gen. nov., sp. nov., a chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing gammaproteobacterium, isolated from marine sediment
Authors: Park Soo-Je , Pham Vinh Hoa , Jung Man-Young , Kim So-Jeong , Kim Jong-Geol , Roh Dong-Hyun , Rhee Sung-Keun
Published: September 2010

A mesophilic, facultatively anaerobic, autotrophic bacterium, designated strain Su4T, was isolated from marine sediment. The isolate was able to utilize reduced sulfur compounds including thiosulfate, tetrathionate, sulfur and sulfide but not sulfite as the energy source. Growth occurred under aerobic and denitrifying chemolithoautotrophic conditions in the presence of thiosulfate as an electron donor and bicarbonate as a carbon source. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 64.5 mol%. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed that strain Su4Twas clearly affiliated with the classGammaproteobacteria. The isolate was Gram-negative-staining and rod-shaped, lacked flagella and grew in artificial seawater medium at 10–40 °C (optimum 28–32 °C) and in 1–5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3 % NaCl). Strain Su4Tpossessed C16 : 0,C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 02-OH and C18 : 1ω7c/ω9t/ω12tas the major fatty acids. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic analysis, the isolate represents a novel species of a novel genus, for which the nameThioalbus denitrificansis proposed. The type strain is Su4T( = KCTC 5699T = JCM 15568T).
Shewanella indica sp. nov., isolated from sediment of the Arabian Sea
Authors: Verma Pankaj , Pandey Prashant Kumar , Gupta Arvind Kumar , Kim Ho Jun , Baik Keun Sik , Seong Chi Nam , Patole Milind Shivaji , Shouche Yogesh Shreepad
Published: September 2010

A Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, catalase- and oxidase-positive bacterium, motile by means of a single polar flagellum and designated strain KJW27T, was isolated from the marine sediment of Karwar jetty, west coast of India. The strain was β-haemolytic and grew with 0–10 % (w/v) NaCl, at 10–45 °C and at pH 6.5–10, with optimum growth with 2 % (w/v) NaCl, at 37 °C and at pH 7.5. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (22.2 %), C17 : 1ω8c (21 %), summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c; 10.2 %), C16 : 0 (7.1 %), iso-C13 : 0 (5.6 %) and C17 : 0 (4.4 %). The DNA G+C content was 51.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences showed that strain KJW27T forms a lineage within the genus Shewanella and is closely related to Shewanella algae ATCC 51192T (98.8 %), Shewanella haliotis DW01T (98.8 %) and Shewanella chilikensis JC5T (98.2 %). Sequence identity with other members of this genus ranges from 92.2 to 96.4 %. The DNA–DNA relatedness of strain KJW27T with S. algae ATCC 51192T, S. haliotis DW01T and S. chilikensis JC5T was 52, 44 and 33 %, respectively. The phenotypic, genotypic and DNA–DNA relatedness data indicate that strain KJW27T should be distinguished from S. algae ATCC 51192T, S. haliotis DW01T and S. chilikensis JC5T. On the basis of the data presented in this study, strain KJW27T represents a novel species, for which the name Shewanella indica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KJW27T ( = KCTC 23171T  = BCC 41031T  = NCIM 5388T).
Echinicola jeungdonensis sp. nov., isolated from a solar saltern
Authors: Kim Haneul , Joung Yochan , Ahn Tae-Seok , Joh Kiseong
Published: September 2010

A non-motile and yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain HMD3054T, was isolated from a solar saltern in Jeungdo, Republic of Korea. The major fatty acids of strain HMD3054T were iso-C15 : 0 (31.4 %), anteiso-C15 : 0 (23.5 %), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (14.2 %), summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c; 6.9 %) and summed feature 9 (comprising iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16 : 0; 6.0 %). The major respiratory quinones were MK-6 and MK-7. The DNA G+C content of strain HMD3054T was 46.9 mol%. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain HMD3054T formed a lineage within the genus Echinicola. Strain HMD3054T was closely related to Echinicola vietnamensis KMM 6221T (94.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Echinicola pacifica KMM 6172T (94.0 %). On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, strain HMD3054T represents a novel species of the genus Echinicola, for which the name Echinicola jeungdonensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HMD3054T ( = KCTC 23122T  = CECT 7682T).
Reichenbachiella faecimaris sp. nov., isolated from a tidal flat, and emended descriptions of the genus Reichenbachiella and Reichenbachiella agariperforans
Authors: Cha In-Tae , Oh Yong-Sik , Park Soo-Je , Park Byoung-Joon , Lee Je-Kwan , Lim Chae-Sung , Park A-Rum , Yoo Jae-Soo , Lee Dong-Hun , Rhee Sung-Keun , Roh Dong-Hyun
Published: September 2010

A taxonomic study was carried out on two bacterial strains, PCP11T and PCP104, isolated from a tidal flat of the Yellow Sea, Korea. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed that these strains belonged to the family Cytophagaceae, phylum Bacteroidetes. Strains PCP11T and PCP104 shared 99.4 % sequence similarity and were related most closely to Reichenbachiella agariperforans KMM 3525T (95.8 and 96.0 % sequence similarity, respectively). Members of the genera Fulvivirga, Roseivirga, Fabibacter and Marinoscillum were the next closest relatives of the new isolates, with sequence similarities ≤91 %. The two isolates were Gram-staining-negative, strictly aerobic, gliding bacteria. They grew in the presence of 1–5 % NaCl, at pH 5.5–8.5 and at 4–35 °C. Strains PCP11T and PCP104 shared a number of physiological and biochemical properties with Reichenbachiella agariperforans KMM 3525T, but they differed from this strain in the hydrolysis of biopolymers and in the production of carotenoid and flexirubin-type pigments. Both strains possessed iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 4 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) and C15 : 0 as major cellular fatty acids. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The G+C contents of the genomic DNA of strains PCP11T and PCP104 were 39.6 and 41.9 mol%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic data and phylogenetic inference, it is proposed that the two isolates represent a novel species, Reichenbachiella faecimaris sp. nov., with strain PCP11T ( = KACC 14523T  = JCM 16588T) as the type strain. Emended descriptions of the genus Reichenbachiella and Reichenbachiella agariperforans are also proposed.
RNA synthesis precision is regulated by preinitiation complex turnover
Authors: Poorey Kunal , Sprouse Rebekka O. , Wells Melissa N. , Viswanathan Ramya , Bekiranov Stefan , Auble David T.
Published: September 2010

TATA-binding protein (TBP) nucleates the assembly of the transcription preinitiation complex (PIC), and although TBP can bind promoters with high stability in vitro, recent results establish that virtually the entire TBP population is highly dynamic in yeast nuclei in vivo. This dynamic behavior is surprising in light of models that posit that a stable TBP-containing scaffold facilitates transcription reinitiation at active promoters. The dynamic behavior of TBP is a consequence of the enzymatic activity of the essential Snf2/Swi2 ATPase Mot1, suggesting that ensuring a highly mobile TBP population is critical for transcriptional regulation on a global scale. Here high-resolution tiling arrays were used to define how perturbed TBP dynamics impact the precision of RNA synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that Mot1 plays a broad role in establishing the precision and efficiency of RNA synthesis: In mot1-42 cells, RNA length changes were observed for 713 genes, about twice the number observed in set2Δ cells, which display a previously reported propensity for spurious initiation within open reading frames. Loss of Mot1 led to both aberrant transcription initiation and termination, with prematurely terminated transcripts representing the largest class of events. Genetic and genomic analyses support the conclusion that these effects on RNA length are mechanistically tied to dynamic TBP occupancies at certain types of promoters. These results suggest a new model whereby dynamic disassembly of the PIC can influence productive RNA synthesis.
The Purple Cauliflower Arises from Activation of a MYB Transcription Factor
Authors: Chiu Li-Wei , Zhou Xiangjun , Burke Sarah , Wu Xianli , Prior Ronald L. , Li Li
Published: September 2010

Anthocyanins are responsible for the color of many flowers, fruits, and vegetables. An interesting and unique Purple (Pr) gene mutation in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var botrytis) confers an abnormal pattern of anthocyanin accumulation, giving the striking mutant phenotype of intense purple color in curds and a few other tissues. To unravel the nature of the Pr mutation in cauliflower, we isolated the Pr gene via a combination of candidate gene analysis and fine mapping. Pr encoded a R2R3 MYB transcription factor that exhibited tissue-specific expression, consistent with an abnormal anthocyanin accumulation pattern in the mutant. Transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and cauliflower plants expressing the Pr-D allele recapitulated the mutant phenotype, confirming the isolation of the Pr gene. Up-regulation of Pr specifically activated a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor and a subset of anthocyanin structural genes encoding flavonoid 3’-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, and leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase to confer ectopic accumulation of pigments in the purple cauliflower. Our results indicate that the genetic variation including a Harbinger DNA transposon insertion in the upstream regulatory region of the Pr-D allele is responsible for the up-regulation of the Pr gene in inducing phenotypic change in the plant. The successful isolation of Pr provides important information on the regulatory control of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Brassica vegetables, and offers a genetic resource for development of new varieties with enhanced health-promoting properties and visual appeal.
The Chlorella variabilis NC64A Genome Reveals Adaptation to Photosymbiosis, Coevolution with Viruses, and Cryptic Sex
Authors: Blanc Guillaume , Duncan Garry , Agarkova Irina , Borodovsky Mark , Gurnon James , Kuo Alan , Lindquist Erika , Lucas Susan , Pangilinan Jasmyn , Polle Juergen , Salamov Asaf , Terry Astrid , Yamada Takashi , Dunigan David D. , Grigoriev Igor V. , Claverie Jean-Michel , Van Etten James L.
Published: September 2010

Chlorella variabilis NC64A, a unicellular photosynthetic green alga (Trebouxiophyceae), is an intracellular photobiont of Paramecium bursaria and a model system for studying virus/algal interactions. We sequenced its 46-Mb nuclear genome, revealing an expansion of protein families that could have participated in adaptation to symbiosis. NC64A exhibits variations in GC content across its genome that correlate with global expression level, average intron size, and codon usage bias. Although Chlorella species have been assumed to be asexual and nonmotile, the NC64A genome encodes all the known meiosis-specific proteins and a subset of proteins found in flagella. We hypothesize that Chlorella might have retained a flagella-derived structure that could be involved in sexual reproduction. Furthermore, a survey of phytohormone pathways in chlorophyte algae identified algal orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana genes involved in hormone biosynthesis and signaling, suggesting that these functions were established prior to the evolution of land plants. We show that the ability of Chlorella to produce chitinous cell walls likely resulted from the capture of metabolic genes by horizontal gene transfer from algal viruses, prokaryotes, or fungi. Analysis of the NC64A genome substantially advances our understanding of the green lineage evolution, including the genomic interplay with viruses and symbiosis between eukaryotes.