bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating abundance with sparse data: tigers in northern Myanmar
Authors: Lynam Antony J. , Rabinowitz Alan , Myint Than , Maung Myint , Latt Kyaw T. , Po Saw Htoo T.
Published: June 2008

As part of a national strategy for recovering tiger populations, the Myanmar Government recently proposed its first and the world's largest tiger reserve in the Hukaung Valley, Kachin State. During November 2002–June 2004, camera‐traps were used to record tigers, identify individuals, and, using capture–recapture approaches, estimate density in the reserve. Despite extensive (203 trap locations, 275–558 km2sample plots) and intensive (>4,500 trap nights, 9 months of sampling) survey efforts, only 12 independent detections of six individual tigers were made across three study sites. Due to the sparse data, estimates of tiger abundance generated by Program CAPTURE could not be made for all survey sites. Other approaches to estimating density, based on numbers of tigers caught, or derived from borrowed estimates of detection probability, offer an alternative to capture–recapture analysis. Tiger densities fall in the range of 0.2–2.2 tigers/100 km2, with 7–71 tigers inside a 3,250 km2area of prime tiger habitat, where efforts to protect tigers are currently focused. Tiger numbers might be stabilized if strict measures are taken to protect tigers and their prey from seasonal hunting and to suppress illegal trade in wildlife. Efforts to monitor abundance trends in the tiger population will be expensive given the difficulty with which tiger data can be obtained and the lack of available surrogate indices of tiger density. Monitoring occupancy patterns, the subject of a separate ongoing study, may be more efficient.
Photoaffinity Labeling and Mutational Analysis of 24‐C‐Sterol Methyltransferase Defines the AdoMet Binding Site
Authors: Jayasimha Pruthvi , Nes W. David
Published: June 2008

Photolabeling and site‐directed mutagenesis were performed on recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 24‐C‐sterol methyltransferase (SMT) to elucidate the location and role of active site residues involved in AdoMet binding and catalysis. Bioinformatic analysis of the SMT revealed a ten amino acid segment, conserved between L124 and P133, associated with the Rossmann‐like fold belonging to AdoMet‐dependent methyltransferases. Irradiation of the SMT in the presence of [methyl‐3H3]AdoMet directly photolabeled the protein. The specificity of photolabeling was demonstrated by inactivation experiments with structural analogs of AdoMet, including sinefungin. Trypsin digestion of the [methyl‐3H3]AdoMet photolabeled Erg6p afforded a single radioactive band in SDS‐PAGE gel of 4 kDa. HPLC purification of this material generated a single radioactive fraction. The corresponding 3H‐AdoMet‐peptide adduct was subjected to Edman sequencing and the first fifteen residues gave a sequence Gly120‐Asp‐Leu‐Val‐Leu‐Asp‐Val‐Gly‐Cys‐Gly‐Val‐Gly‐Gly‐Pro‐Ala134 that contained the predicted AdoMet binding site. Amino acid residues in the tryptic digest fragment considered to bind covalently with the AdoMet at Asp125, Cys128, Pro133 and Tyr153 were replaced with leucine and analyzed kinetically and by photolabeling inactivation experiments. The results indicate that one or both of Cys128 and Pro133 are covalently bound to AdoMet.
Effects of functional electrical stimulation on quality of life and emotional stress in patients with chronic heart failure secondary to ischaemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: A randomised, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Karavidas Apostolos , Parissis John , Arapi Sophia , Farmakis Dimitrios , Korres Dimitrios , Nikolaou Maria , Fotiadis John , Potamitis Nikolaos , Driva Xenia , Paraskevaidis Ioannis , Matsakas Evaggelos , Filippatos Gerasimos , Kremastinos Dimitrios T.
Published: June 2008

Objective

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) improves exercise capacity and endothelial function in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. This study evaluates the impact of FES on quality of life and emotional stress in patients with moderate to severe CHF.

Methods

Thirty patients with stable CHF (24 men; NYHA class II–III; left ventricular ejection fraction <35%) were randomly assigned (2:1) to a 6‐week FES training program (n=20) or placebo (n=10). Questionnaires addressing quality of life [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), functional and overall], and emotional stress [Zung self‐rating depression scale (SDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)], as well as plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and 6‐min walking distance test (6MWT) were assessed at baseline and after completion of training protocol.

Results

A significant improvement in KCCQ functional (F=76.666, p<0.001), KCCQ overall (F = 41.508, p<0.001), BDI (F = 17.768, p<0.001) and Zung SDS (F = 27.098, p<0.001) was observed in the FES group compared to placebo. Patients in the FES group had also a significant increase in 6MWT (F = 19.413, p<0.001) and a trend towards reduction in plasma BNP (F = 4.252, p=0.053) compared to placebo.

Conclusion

FES seems to have a beneficial effect on quality of life, exercise capacity and emotional stress in patients with moderate to severe CHF.
Psychiatric neuroimaging: Joining forces with epidemiology
Authors: Glahn David , Reichenberg Abraham , Frangou Sophia , Ormel Hans
Published: June 2008

Severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders have a major impact on public health. Disease prevalence and phenotypic expression are the products of environment and gene interactions. However, our incomplete understanding of their aetiology and pathophysiology thwarts primary prevention and early diagnosis and limits the effective application of currently available treatments as well as the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Neuroimaging can provide detailed in vivo information about the biological mechanisms underpinning the relationship between genetic variation and clinical phenotypes or response to treatment. However, the biological complexity of severe mental illness results from unknown or unpredictable interactions between multiple genetic and environmental factors, many of which have only been partially identified. We propose that the use of epidemiological principles to neuroimaging research is a necessary next step in psychiatric research. Because of the complexity of mental disorders and the multiple risk factors involved only the use of large epidemiologically defined samples will allow us to study the broader spectrum of psychopathology, including sub-threshold presentation and explore pathophysiological processes and the functional impact of genetic and non-genetic factors on the onset and persistence of psychopathology.
Clinical trial experience with prophylactic HPV 6/11/16/18 VLP vaccine in young women from the Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Tay E.H. , Garland S. , Tang G. , Nolan T. , Huang L.‐M. , Orloski L. , Lu S. , Barr E.
Published: June 2008

Objective:

To evaluate results of three phase 3 clinical trials of quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 vaccination of young Asia‐Pacific women.

Methods:

A total of 814 women from the Asia‐Pacific region (aged 16 to 26 years) received vaccine or placebo in 1 of 3 protocols. Descriptive analyses focused on the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the vaccine and the natural history of HPV disease.

Results:

Vaccine efficacy against disease caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, or 18 was 100% for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (0 vs 12 cases; 95% confidence interval [CI], 63.1%–100%) and 100% for vulvar and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia or condylomata accuminata (0 vs 5 cases; 95% CI, − 11.8% to 100%). The vaccination was highly immunogenic. Vaccine recipients experienced a significantly higher injection site adverse event rate (P = 0.002). Compared with other world regions, lower rates of smoking and baseline positivity to 14 HPV types (including the vaccine types) were observed among Asia‐Pacific participants.

Conclusion:

Prophylactic quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 vaccination of young Asia‐Pacific women demonstrated high efficacy, safety, and tolerability. Together with an observed low baseline HPV positivity rate, the Asia‐pacific population is potentially an important cohort to benefit from vaccination.
In situ fracture of stents implanted for relief of pulmonary arterial stenosis in patients with congenitally malformed hearts
Authors: McElhinney Doff B. , Bergersen Lisa , Marshall Audrey C.
Published: June 2008

Background

One of the most common uses of stents in patients with congenitally malformed hearts is treatment of pulmonary arterial stenosis. Although there are reports of fractured pulmonary arterial stents, little is known about the risk factors for, and implications of, such fractures.

Methods

We reviewed angiograms to identify fractures in stents previously inserted to relieve stenoses in pulmonary arteries from 1990 through 2001 in patients who also underwent follow-up catheterization at least 3 years after placement of the stent. We undertook matched cohort analysis, matching a ratio of 2 fractured to 1 unfractured stent.

Results

Overall, 166 stents meeting the criterions of our study had been placed in 120 patients. We identified fractures in 35 stents (21%) in 29 patients. All fractured stents were in the central pulmonary arteries, 24 (69%) in the central part of the right pulmonary artery, and all were complete axial fractures, or complex fractures along at least 2 planes. Stent-related factors associated with increased risk of fracture identified by multivariable logistic regression included placement in close apposition to the ascending aorta (p = 0.001), and a larger expanded diameter (p = 0.002). There was obstruction across 28 of 35 fractured stents, which was severe in 11. We re-stented 21 of the fractured stents, and recurrent fracture was later diagnosed in 3 of these. A fragment of the fractured stent embolized distally in 2 patients, without clinically important effects.

Conclusions

In situ fracture of pulmonary arterial stents is relatively common, and in most cases is related to compression by the aorta. There is usually recurrent obstruction across the fractured stent, but fractured stents rarely embolize, and are not associated with other significant complications.
Urban Landscape Development in Twelfth-Century Acre
Authors: EHRLICH MICHAEL
Published: June 2008

Acre is situated on the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel, about 13 km to the north of Haifa. Its history since the twentieth centurybcehas been well-documented. Until the third centurybceit stood on a mound called Tel al-Fukhar. From the Hellenistic period the city developed on the plain to the west of this mound. Acre experienced two important phases during its long existence. The first was during the Hellenistic era, when it occupied the mound, the plain, and the rocky peninsula to the south of the western sector of the plain. The second was during the Crusader period, when it occupied an even larger area. Between these two periods, the city declined, although it was still repeatedly referred to in historical sources.
The First Episode of Language Reform in Republican Turkey: The Language Council from 1926 to 1931
Authors: AYTÜRK İLKER
Published: June 2008

Following the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and the consolidation of the Kemalist regime in 1926, the President of the new republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk launched a reform process which aimed at changing Turkey's laws, administration, culture and, most significantly, its image. One facet of this process of transformation was the language reform that commenced with romanisation of the Turkish script in late 1928 and reached its zenith later on in the 1930s. Between 1932 and 1934, theTürk Dil Kurumu– the Turkish Language Institute, a radical reformist institution founded by Atatürk in 1932 – banished thousands of Arabic and Persian words from spoken and written Turkish and fabricated new, ‘authentically’ Turkish, words to replace them. The radical-reformist zeal subsided in 1935 as a result of the linguistic chaos of the previous years and came to a halt in 1936 with the proclamation of the so-called Sun-Language Theory. However, so much had changed during those few years and has done since, that even secondary school and university graduates in contemporary Turkey are not able to read and understand, for instance, Atatürk's famousSpeechof 1926 from its original, and hence feel the need to consult ‘modernised’ or simplified versions. In this respect, the legacy of the language reform in early republican Turkey remains a matter of bitter controversy and pits the reformist Kemalists against an array of Islamists, conservatives and even liberals. The current debate on what proper Turkish is neatly overlaps with the major fault line that still divides Turkish society.
Zîn-ə Hördemîr: A Lekî Satirical Verse from Lekistan
Authors: DEHQAN MUSTAFA
Published: June 2008

With the exception of a minor mention, which Sharaf Khān (b.1543) made in theSharafnāma, the first information about the most southern group of Kurdish tribes in Iranian Kurdistan, the Lek, first became available to modern readers inBustān al-Sīyāḥa, a geographical and historical Persian text by Shīrwānī (1773–1832). These hitherto unknown Lek communities, were probably settled in north-western and northern Luristan, known as Lekistan, by order of Shāh ‘Abbās, who wished in this way to create some support for Ḥusayn Khān, thewālīof Luristan. Many of the centres of Lekî intellectual life in the late Afshārīd and early Zand period, which is also of much importance in that the Zand dynasty arose from it, are located in this geographical area. One has only to call to mind the names of such places as Alishtar (Silsila), Kūhdasht, Khāwa, Nūr Ābād, Uthmānwand and Jalālwand in the most southern districts of Kirmānshāh, and also the Lek tribes of eastern Īlām. The very mention of these cities and villages already sets in motion in one's imagination the parade of Twelver Shiites, Ahl-i Haqq heretics, and non-religious oral literary councils which constitutes the history of Lekî new era. But unfortunately little of this is known in the West and Lekî literature remains one of the neglected subjects of literary and linguistic Kurdish studies. This important oral literature and also some written manuscripts are unpublished and untranslated into western languages. The subject of this article is the translation ofZîn-ə Hördemîr, as an example of a genre of Lekî written literature which also provides linguistic data for the Lekî dialect of southern Kurdish.
The Vedic dṛti as skin float: AVP 2.19
Authors: BHATTACHARYA DIPAK
Published: June 2008

§1: AVP 2.19. §2.Dṛtiin the Vedas and Later2a. AVP 2.19.3: Hoffmann'sCorrection ofdṛtyṃTOdhṛtyṃ.2b.The Meanings ofdṛti2c.the Irregular Feminine Gender2d.The Shape of thedṛti.2e.Inflateddṛtisas Floats. Abbreviations and Bibliography. Picture of adṛtiin use.
The King who would be Man: the Gender Roles of the Warrior King in Early Mughal History
Authors: ANOOSHAHR ALI
Published: June 2008

There has appeared a new trend in recent scholarship on the early modern Islamic world that analyzes the role of gender and sexuality in society and culture. Ruby Lal and Rosalind O'Hanlon have investigated women and gender roles in the sixteenth-century Mughal harem and the broader imperial court respectively. Mehmed Kalpaklı, Walter Andrews, and Khaled El-Rouayheb have studied the nature or the implications of sexual relationship among men in Istanbul as well as the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Kathryn Babayan and Afsaneh Najmabadi have read Safavid and Qajar literature and visual arts through the lens of gender and power politics. Together these scholars have successfully highlighted the relevance of this methodology particularly in its application to the narrative sources that comprise the bulk of our documentations for the period (except for the Ottoman case of course), and it is to subject to such an approach a brief, but crucial, period in early Mughal history and historiography that the present article now proceeds.
Raffles and the Barometer of Civilisation: Images and Descriptions of RuinedCandis inThe History of Java
Authors: TIFFIN SARAH
Published: June 2008

The publication of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles'sThe History of Javain 1817 marked a new sophistication in the recording of British experiences of the island. Providing a depth of analysis and breadth of subject matter, Raffles's publication was not the fairly simplistic diaristic account of adventure and opinion that had characterised many earlier British publications on Southeast Asia, but a highly detailed, minutely observed and handsomely illustrated study.
A role for the MHC class I‐like Mill molecules in nutrient metabolism and wound healing
Authors: Rabinovich Brian A , Ketchem Randal R , Wolfson Martin , Goldstein Lynn , Skelly Marylin , Cosman David
Published: June 2008

MHC class I family members serve multiple functions beyond antigen presentation. We provide insight into the structure, expression and function of the Mill subfamily. This family includes two surface glycoproteins, Mill1 and Mill2. Protein sequences for Mill1 and Mill2 are most highly related to the NKG2D ligands, MICA and MICB, but neither of them bound to NKG2D. Computer‐based protein modelling indicated that hereditary haemochromatosis protein (HFE), a molecule involved in iron uptake, was most similar. Mill1 and Mill2 were observed on cycling thymocytes, proliferating smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. Using soluble Mill proteins, we found evidence for a soluble ligand in serum. Like HFE, the Mill family may be involved in nutrient metabolism. Skin was one of the only three organs found to express transcripts for both Mill1 and Mill2. Addition of antibodies specific for Mill2 to wounded skin enhanced healing. Our results suggest a role for the Mill proteins in cellular metabolism, with possible therapeutic significance.
NF‐κB activation by the viral oncoprotein StpC enhances IFN‐γ production in T cells
Authors: Glanz Anja , Albrecht Jens‐Christian , Heinemann Stefanie , Fleckenstein Bernhard , Isakov Noah , Biesinger Brigitte
Published: June 2008

Interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) is an essential regulator of innate and adaptive immune responses and a hallmark of the Th1 T‐cell subset. It is produced at high levels by human T lymphocytes upon transformation with Herpesvirus saimiri, which depends on the expression of the viral oncoproteins saimiri transformation‐associated protein of subgroup C (StpC) and tyrosine kinase‐interacting protein (Tip). Here, we show that IFN‐γ production was induced by Tip in Jurkat T cells. StpC by itself did not affect IFN‐γ expression, but enhanced the effect of Tip. Our results substantiated the findings that StpC induces NF‐κB activation and demonstrated that other transcription factors, including NFAT, AP‐1 and serum response element regulators, were not activated by StpC in unstimulated T cells. Studies using StpC mutants deficient in NF‐κB activation, dominant negative IκBα and constitutively active IKK2, established the importance of NF‐κB in StpC‐mediated upregulation of IFN‐γ production. These observations suggest that NF‐κB induction by StpC contributes to the Th1‐like phenotype of virus‐transformed human T cells.
Information Systems in Developing Countries: A Critical Research Review
Authors: Avgerou Chrisanthi
Published: June 2008

In this paper I review the Information Systems (IS) research on how developing countries have attempted to benefit from information and communication technologies (ICTs). First I identify three discourses on IS implementation and associated organizational and social change that coexist in information systems in developing countries (ISDC) research, namely as a process of technology and knowledge transfer and adaptation to local social conditions; as a process of socially embedded action; and as a process of transformative techno-organizational intervention associated with global politics and economics. I then point out the distinctive research agenda that has been formed in ISDC studies, both in the more familiar IS themes - failure, outsourcing, and strategic value of ICT - and also in studies of themes relevant specifically to the context of developing countries, such as the development of community ICT and information resources. Finally, I call the reader's attention to the potentially significant theoretical contributions of ISDC research for understanding IS innovation in relation to social context and in relation to socio-economic development theories and policies.
Spectrally narrow emissions at cutoff wavelength from edges of optically and electrically pumped anisotropic organic films
Authors: Yokoyama Daisuke , Moriwake Masato , Adachi Chihaya
Published: June 2008

The authors investigated the characteristics of spectrally narrow emissions at the cutoff wavelength from the edges of optically and electrically pumped organic semiconductor films. They estimated the optical properties of 4,4′-bis[(N-carbazole)styryl]biphenyl (BSB-Cz) films using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, revealing that the BSB-Cz films have uniaxial anisotropy and that BSB-Cz molecules lie nearly parallel to substrate surfaces. The authors discuss here the spectral changes in the edge emissions from neat BSB-Cz and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) films of 15 different thicknesses under continuous-wave (cw) optical excitation. The spectrally narrow emissions of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes were observed. The authors showed that the peak wavelengths of these emissions varied according to the cutoff wavelengths of asymmetric slab waveguides and that their spectral widths changed depending on the angular dispersion of the Fabry–Pérot interferometer composed of the organic film and its interfaces. The edge emissions from the BSB-Cz films had narrower bands than those from the Alq3 films and increased with a superlinear dependence on the stripe length of the excitation area, indicating the occurrence of light amplification under cw optical excitation. Finally, the authors demonstrate spectrally narrow emissions from the edges of electrically pumped organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) having a fine line-shaped waveguide structure with a silver metal cladding layer. Narrow emissions of TE mode were observed, and the peak wavelengths of the emission spectra corresponded well to the cutoff wavelength of the waveguide with the silver cladding layer. In addition to the narrow emissions, the authors observed some intriguing phenomena suggestive of the occurrence of light amplification in OLEDs under electrical pumping.
A Test of the Sensorimotor Account of Vision and Visual Perception
Authors: Bridgeman Bruce , Gaunt Joshua , Plumb Evelyn , Quan Joshua , Chiu Eric , Woods Catherine
Published: June 2008

Two theories define the relationship between sensory experience and perception of location. The doctrine of specific nerve energies relies on hard-wired, genetically specified relationships between stimulation and perception, modifiable only within limits by adaptation. In a newer sensorimotor account, experience tunes the relationship between stimulation and perception. The perception of pressure phosphenes can differentiate the two theories, because the phosphene appears at a location predicted by physiological optics and in a modality predicted by specific nerve energies. Moving a finger vertically along the outer orbit of the eye while pressing gently on it through the lid during nasally directed gaze results in apparent motion of the phosphene out of phase with the finger, therefore in contradiction to information from motor efference to the finger, tactile sense at the fingertip, eyelid and bulb, joint receptors, and proprioception from muscles driving the finger. A test of the sensorimotor theory giving it every advantage had six observers in darkness moving their fingers along the eye and observing phosphenes for 1 h and 2400 motion cycles; the phosphene always obeyed the doctrine of specific nerve energies, never adapting or changing modality as the sensorimotor theory predicts.
Auditory Attention Causes Visual Inattentional Blindness
Authors: Pizzighello Silvia , Bressan Paola
Published: June 2008

When engaged in a visual task, we can fail to detect unexpected events that would otherwise be very noticeable. Here we ask whether a common auditory task, such as that of attending to a verbal stream, can also make us blind to the presence of visual objects that we do not anticipate. In two experiments, one hundred and twenty observers watched a dynamic display while performing either a visual or an auditory attention task, or both simultaneously. When observers were listening to verbal material, in order to either understand it or to remember it (auditory task), their probability of detecting an unexpected visual object was no higher than when they were counting bounces of moving items (visual task), although in the former case the observers' eyes and attention could move around the display freely rather than remaining focused on tracked items. Previous research has shown that attending to verbal material does not affect responses to lights flashing at irregular intervals, suggesting that driving performance is not hampered by listening. The lights, however, were expected. Our data imply that listening to the radio while driving, or to a portable audio player while walking or biking, can impair our reactions to objects or events that we do not expect.
The Role of Explicit and Implicit Standards in Visual Speed Discrimination
Authors: Norman J Farley , Pattison Kristina F , Norman Hideko F , Craft Amy E , Wiesemann Elizabeth Y , Taylor M Jett
Published: June 2008

Five experiments were designed to investigate visual speed discrimination. Variations of the method of constant stimuli were used to obtain speed discrimination thresholds in experiments 1, 2, 4, and 5, while the method of single stimuli was used in experiment 3. The observers' thresholds were significantly influenced by the choice of psychophysical method and by changes in the standard speed. The observers' judgments were unaffected, however, by changes in the magnitude of random variations in stimulus duration, reinforcing the conclusions of Lappin et al (1975 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance1 383–394). When an implicit standard was used, the observers produced relatively low discrimination thresholds (7.0% of the standard speed), verifying the results of McKee (1981 Vision Research21 491–500). When an explicit standard was used in a 2AFC variant of the method of constant stimuli, however, the observers' discrimination thresholds increased by 74% (to 12.2%), resembling the high thresholds obtained by Mandriota et al (1962 Science138 437–438). A subsequent signal-detection analysis revealed that the observers' actual sensitivities to differences in speed were in fact equivalent for both psychophysical methods. The formation of an implicit standard in the method of single stimuli allows human observers to make judgments of speed that are as precise as those obtained when explicit standards are available.
Blind or Deaf? A Matter of Aesthetics
Authors: Kim Jiye G , Goldman Andrew J , Biederman Irving
Published: June 2008

Blind or deaf? Surprisingly, a small but noticeable minority, 17%, opted for blindness. Another 6% were indifferent. For these individuals (23% of the sample), the loss of the aesthetic experience—music—was given relatively greater weight than the loss of the practical-conversation. This was not a symmetric effect in that those who opted for being deaf did not place greater value on the aesthetic aspects of vision compared to those who opted for being blind. What predicts the preference for being blind was not the amount of time spent listening to music but the extent to which one formally studied, created, and played music and experienced intense emotions when engaged by music.
Alcohol Intoxication Reduces Detection of Asymmetry: An Explanation for Increased Perceptions of Facial Attractiveness after Alcohol Consumption?
Authors: Souto Antonio , Bezerra Bruna M , Halsey Lewis G
Published: June 2008

Ratings of physical attractiveness are related to degree of facial symmetry. Acute alcohol consumption affects ratings of physical attractiveness and also attenuates aspects of visual perception. We tested the hypothesis that increases in ratings of attractiveness associated with alcohol intoxication can be attributed at least in part to a reduced ability to discern facial asymmetry due to reductions in levels of visual perception. We examined whether alcohol intoxication reduces ability to detect asymmetry in approximately symmetrical images. Sober and intoxicated subjects were shown a series of simple geometric images to which they responded on whether they perceived each one to be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Intoxicated subjects were significantly less able to detect asymmetry than were sober subjects, providing support for the hypothesis.
A phylogeny of long-tongued horse flies (Diptera:Tabanidae:Philoliche) with the first cladistic review of higher relationships within the family
Authors: Morita Shelah I.
Published: June 2008

Long-tongued horse flies (Diptera : Tabanidae : Pangoniinae) have proboscis lengths at least as long as their heads, the longest belonging to the Old World genus Philoliche (Wiedemann, 1820). These long proboscides are used to probe for nectar in deep-throated flowers. For some flower species, these flies are the only known pollinators. Although horse flies are both vectors of disease and important pollinators, there has been no previous study of phylogenetic relationships below the subfamily level. The first comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis for Philoliche (and consequently, Tabanidae) based on molecular data from one nuclear (CAD) and one mitochondrial (COI) gene is presented here. Using an exemplar approach, species from eight of nine tribes in all three subfamilies in Tabanidae were sampled, giving some of the first insights into relationships among the family as a whole. All nine subgenera of Philoliche, and multiple geographic representatives of the subgenus P. (Philoliche) (Wiedemann, 1820) in southern Africa were also sampled. Within the subgenus Philoliche, molecular support was found for a previously synonymised species. In general, these analyses sustain earlier intuitive classifications, but do not support the monophyly of all currently recognised subfamilies.
Green stone beads at the dawn of agriculture
Authors: Bar-Yosef Mayer Daniella E. , Porat Naomi
Published: June 2008

The use of beads and other personal ornaments is a trait of modern human behavior. During the Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods, beads were made out of shell, bone, ivory, egg shell, and occasionally of minerals. During the transition to agriculture in the Near East, stone, in particular green stone, was used for the first time to make beads and pendants. We observed that a large variety of minerals of green colors were sought, including apatite, several copper-bearing minerals, amazonite and serpentinite. There seems to be an increase with time of distance from which the green minerals were sought. Because beads in white, red, yellow, brown, and black colors had been used previously, we suggest that the occurrence of green beads is directly related to the onset of agriculture. Green beads and bead blanks were used as amulets to ward off the evil eye and as fertility charms.
Grain boundary mobility of carbon in Earth's mantle: A possible carbon flux from the core
Authors: Hayden Leslie A. , Watson E. Bruce
Published: June 2008

The importance of carbon in Earth's mantle greatly exceeds its modest abundance of ≈1,000–4,000 ppm. Carbon is a constituent of key terrestrial volatiles (CO, CO
2
, CH
4
), it forms diamonds, and it may also contribute to the bulk electrical properties of the silicate Earth. In contrast to that of the mantle, the carbon content of Earth's metallic core may be quite high (≈5 wt %), raising the possibility that the core has supplied carbon to the mantle over geologic time. The plausibility of this process depends in part upon the mobility of carbon atoms in the solid mantle. Grain boundaries of mantle minerals could represent fast pathways for transport as well as localized sites for enrichment and storage of carbon. Here, we report the results of an experimental study of grain-boundary diffusion of carbon through polycrystalline periclase (MgO) and olivine ([Mg,Fe]
2
SiO
4
) that were obtained by determining the extent of solid solution formation between a graphite source and a metal sink (Ni or Fe) separated by the polycrystalline materials. Experimental materials were annealed at 1,373–1,773 K and 1.5–2.5 GPa pressure. Calculated diffusivities, which range up to 10
−11
m
2
·s
−1
, are fast enough to allow transport over geologically significant length scales (≈10 km) over the age of the Earth. Mobility and enrichment of carbon on grain boundaries may also explain the high electrical conductivity of upper mantle rocks, and could result in the formation of C-H-O volatiles through interactions of core-derived C with recycled H
2
O in subduction zones.
Enhanced clearance of Aβ in brain by sustaining the plasmin proteolysis cascade
Authors: Jacobsen J. Steven , Comery Thomas A. , Martone Robert L. , Elokdah Hassan , Crandall David L. , Oganesian Aram , Aschmies Suzan , Kirksey Yolanda , Gonzales Cathleen , Xu Jane , Zhou Hua , Atchison Kevin , Wagner Erik , Zaleska Margaret M. , Das Indranil , Arias Robert L. , Bard Jonathan , Riddell David , Gardell Stephen J. , Abou-Gharbia Magid , Robichaud Albert , Magolda Ronald , Vlasuk George P. , Bjornsson Thorir , Reinhart Peter H. , Pangalos Menelas N.
Published: June 2008

The amyloid hypothesis states that a variety of neurotoxic β-amyloid (Aβ) species contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, a key determinant of disease onset and progression is the appropriate balance between Aβ production and clearance. Enzymes responsible for the degradation of Aβ are not well understood, and, thus far, it has not been possible to enhance Aβ catabolism by pharmacological manipulation. We provide evidence that Aβ catabolism is increased after inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and may constitute a viable therapeutic approach for lowering brain Aβ levels. PAI-1 inhibits the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), an enzyme that cleaves plasminogen to generate plasmin, a protease that degrades Aβ oligomers and monomers. Because tPA, plasminogen and PAI-1 are expressed in the brain, we tested the hypothesis that inhibitors of PAI-1 will enhance the proteolytic clearance of brain Aβ. Our data demonstrate that PAI-1 inhibitors augment the activity of tPA and plasmin in hippocampus, significantly lower plasma and brain Aβ levels, restore long-term potentiation deficits in hippocampal slices from transgenic Aβ-producing mice, and reverse cognitive deficits in these mice.
Auxin acts as a local morphogenetic trigger to specify lateral root founder cells
Authors: Dubrovsky Joseph G. , Sauer Michael , Napsucialy-Mendivil Selene , Ivanchenko Maria G. , Friml Jiří , Shishkova Svetlana , Celenza John , Benková Eva
Published: June 2008

Plants exhibit an exceptional adaptability to different environmental conditions. To a large extent, this adaptability depends on their ability to initiate and form new organs throughout their entire postembryonic life. Plant shoot and root systems unceasingly branch and form axillary shoots or lateral roots, respectively. The first event in the formation of a new organ is specification of founder cells. Several plant hormones, prominent among them auxin, have been implicated in the acquisition of founder cell identity by differentiated cells, but the mechanisms underlying this process are largely elusive. Here, we show that auxin and its local accumulation in root pericycle cells is a necessary and sufficient signal to respecify these cells into lateral root founder cells. Analysis of the
alf4–1
mutant suggests that specification of founder cells and the subsequent activation of cell division leading to primordium formation represent two genetically separable events. Time-lapse experiments show that the activation of an auxin response is the earliest detectable event in founder cell specification. Accordingly, local activation of auxin response correlates absolutely with the acquisition of founder cell identity and precedes the actual formation of a lateral root primordium through patterned cell division. Local production and subsequent accumulation of auxin in single pericycle cells induced by Cre-Lox-based activation of auxin synthesis converts them into founder cells. Thus, auxin is the local instructive signal that is sufficient for acquisition of founder cell identity and can be considered a morphogenetic trigger in postembryonic plant organogenesis.
Thrombogenic collagen-mimetic peptides: Self-assembly of triple helix-based fibrils driven by hydrophobic interactions
Authors: Cejas Mabel A. , Kinney William A. , Chen Cailin , Vinter Jeremy G. , Almond Harold R. , Balss Karin M. , Maryanoff Cynthia A. , Schmidt Ute , Breslav Michael , Mahan Andrew , Lacy Eilyn , Maryanoff Bruce E.
Published: June 2008

Collagens are integral structural proteins in animal tissues and play key functional roles in cellular modulation. We sought to discover collagen model peptides (CMPs) that would form triple helices and self-assemble into supramolecular fibrils exhibiting collagen-like biological activity without preorganizing the peptide chains by covalent linkages. This challenging objective was accomplished by placing aromatic groups on the ends of a representative 30-mer CMP, (GPO)
10
, as with
l
-phenylalanine and
l
-pentafluorophenylalanine in 32-mer 1a. Computational studies on homologous 29-mers 1a′–d′ (one less GPO), as pairs of triple helices interacting head-to-tail, yielded stabilization energies in the order 1a′ > 1b′ > 1c′ > 1d′, supporting the hypothesis that hydrophobic aromatic groups can drive CMP self-assembly. Peptides 1a–d were studied comparatively relative to structural properties and ability to stimulate human platelets. Although each 32-mer formed stable triple helices (CD) spectroscopy, only 1a and 1b self-assembled into micrometer-scale fibrils. Light microscopy images for 1a depicted long collagen-like fibrils, whereas images for 1d did not. Atomic force microscopy topographical images indicated that 1a and 1b self-organize into microfibrillar species, whereas 1c and 1d do not. Peptides 1a and 1b induced the aggregation of human blood platelets with a potency similar to type I collagen, whereas 1c was much less effective, and 1d was inactive (EC
50
potency: 1a/1b ≫ 1c > 1d). Thus, 1a and 1b spontaneously self-assemble into thrombogenic collagen-mimetic materials because of hydrophobic aromatic interactions provided by the special end-groups. These findings have important implications for the design of biofunctional CMPs.
Ion binding and selectivity of the rotor ring of the Na
+
-transporting V-ATPase
Authors: Murata Takeshi , Yamato Ichiro , Kakinuma Yoshimi , Shirouzu Mikako , Walker John E. , Yokoyama Shigeyuki , Iwata So
Published: June 2008

The vacuole-type ATPases (V-ATPases) are proton pumps in various intracellular compartments of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic V-ATPase of
Enterococcus hirae
, closely related to the eukaryotic enzymes, provides a unique opportunity to study ion translocation by V-ATPases because it transports Na
+
ions, which are easier to detect by x-ray crystallography and radioisotope experiments. The purified rotor ring (K-ring) of the
E. hirae
V-ATPase binds one Na
+
ion per K-monomer with high affinity, which is competitively inhibited by Li
+
or H
+
, suggesting that the K-ring can also bind these ions. This finding is also supported by the K-ring structure at 2.8 Å in the presence of Li
+
. Association and dissociation rates of the Na
+
to and from the purified K-ring were extremely slow compared with the Na
+
translocation rate estimated from the enzymatic activity, strongly suggesting that interaction with the stator subunit (I-subunit) is essential for Na
+
binding to /release from the K-ring.
Outer-membrane transport of aromatic hydrocarbons as a first step in biodegradation
Authors: Hearn Elizabeth M. , Patel Dimki R. , van den Berg Bert
Published: June 2008

Bacterial biodegradation of hydrocarbons, an important process for environmental remediation, requires the passage of hydrophobic substrates across the cell membrane. Here, we report crystal structures of two outer membrane proteins,
Pseudomonas putida
TodX and
Ralstonia pickettii
TbuX, which have been implicated in hydrocarbon transport and are part of a subfamily of the FadL fatty acid transporter family. The structures of TodX and TbuX show significant differences with those previously determined for
Escherichia coli
FadL, which may provide an explanation for the substrate-specific transport of TodX and TbuX observed with
in vivo
transport assays. The TodX and TbuX structures revealed 14-stranded β-barrels with an N-terminal hatch domain blocking the barrel interior. A hydrophobic channel with bound detergent molecules extends from the extracellular surface and is contiguous with a passageway through the hatch domain, lined by both hydrophobic and polar or charged residues. The TodX and TbuX structures support a mechanism for transport of hydrophobic substrates from the extracellular environment to the periplasm via a channel through the hatch domain.
Aquatic insect ecophysiological traits reveal phylogenetically based differences in dissolved cadmium susceptibility
Authors: Buchwalter David B. , Cain Daniel J. , Martin Caitrin A. , Xie Lingtian , Luoma Samuel N. , Garland Theodore
Published: June 2008

We used a phylogenetically based comparative approach to evaluate the potential for physiological studies to reveal patterns of diversity in traits related to susceptibility to an environmental stressor, the trace metal cadmium (Cd). Physiological traits related to Cd bioaccumulation, compartmentalization, and ultimately susceptibility were measured in 21 aquatic insect species representing the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. We mapped these experimentally derived physiological traits onto a phylogeny and quantified the tendency for related species to be similar (phylogenetic signal). All traits related to Cd bioaccumulation and susceptibility exhibited statistically significant phylogenetic signal, although the signal strength varied among traits. Conventional and phylogenetically based regression models were compared, revealing great variability within orders but consistent, strong differences among insect families. Uptake and elimination rate constants were positively correlated among species, but only when effects of body size and phylogeny were incorporated in the analysis. Together, uptake and elimination rates predicted dramatic Cd bioaccumulation differences among species that agreed with field-based measurements. We discovered a potential tradeoff between the ability to eliminate Cd and the ability to detoxify it across species, particularly mayflies. The best-fit regression models were driven by phylogenetic parameters (especially differences among families) rather than functional traits, suggesting that it may eventually be possible to predict a taxon's physiological performance based on its phylogenetic position, provided adequate physiological information is available for close relatives. There appears to be great potential for evolutionary physiological approaches to augment our understanding of insect responses to environmental stressors in nature.
Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention
Authors: Ornish Dean , Magbanua Mark Jesus M. , Weidner Gerdi , Weinberg Vivian , Kemp Colleen , Green Christopher , Mattie Michael D. , Marlin Ruth , Simko Jeff , Shinohara Katsuto , Haqq Christopher M. , Carroll Peter R.
Published: June 2008

Epidemiological and prospective studies indicate that comprehensive lifestyle changes may modify the progression of prostate cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms by which improvements in diet and lifestyle might affect the prostate microenvironment are poorly understood. We conducted a pilot study to examine changes in prostate gene expression in a unique population of men with low-risk prostate cancer who declined immediate surgery, hormonal therapy, or radiation and participated in an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention while undergoing careful surveillance for tumor progression. Consistent with previous studies, significant improvements in weight, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, and lipid profile were observed (all
P
< 0.05), and surveillance of low-risk patients was safe. Gene expression profiles were obtained from 30 participants, pairing RNA samples from control prostate needle biopsy taken before intervention to RNA from the same patient's 3-month postintervention biopsy. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate array observations for selected transcripts. Two-class paired analysis of global gene expression using significance analysis of microarrays detected 48 up-regulated and 453 down-regulated transcripts after the intervention. Pathway analysis identified significant modulation of biological processes that have critical roles in tumorigenesis, including protein metabolism and modification, intracellular protein traffic, and protein phosphorylation (all
P
< 0.05). Intensive nutrition and lifestyle changes may modulate gene expression in the prostate. Understanding the prostate molecular response to comprehensive lifestyle changes may strengthen efforts to develop effective prevention and treatment. Larger clinical trials are warranted to confirm the results of this pilot study.
Pyridopyrimidine derivatives as inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide synthesis: Application for treatment of diarrhea
Authors: Kots Alexander Y. , Choi Byung-Kwon , Estrella-Jimenez Maria E. , Warren Cirle A. , Gilbertson Scott R. , Guerrant Richard L. , Murad Ferid
Published: June 2008

Acute secretory diarrhea induced by infection with enterotoxigenic strains ofEscherichia coliinvolves binding of stable toxin (STa) to its receptor on the intestinal brush border, guanylyl cyclase type C (GC-C). Intracellular cGMP is elevated, inducing increase in chloride efflux and subsequent accumulation of fluid in the intestinal lumen. We have screened a library of compounds and identified a pyridopyrimidine derivatives {5-(3-bromophenyl)-1,3-dimethyl-5,11-dihydro-1H-indeno[2′,1′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione; BPIPP} as an inhibitor of GC-C that can suppress STa-stimulated cGMP accumulation by decreasing GC-C activation in intact T84 human colorectal carcinoma cells. BPIPP inhibited stimulation of guanylyl cyclases, including types A and B and soluble isoform in various cells. BPIPP suppressed stimulation of adenylyl cyclase and significantly decreased the activities of adenylyl cyclase toxin ofBordetella pertussisand edema toxin ofBacillus anthracis. The effects of BPIPP on cyclic nucleotide synthesis were observed only in intact cells. The mechanism of BPIPP-dependent inhibition appears to be complex and indirect, possibly associated with phospholipase C and tyrosine-specific phosphorylation. BPIPP inhibited chloride-ion transport stimulated by activation of guanylyl or adenylyl cyclases and suppressed STa-induced fluid accumulation in anin vivorabbit intestinal loop model. Thus, BPIPP may be a promising lead compound for treatment of diarrhea and other diseases.