bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possible relation between land surface feedback and the post‐landfall structure of monsoon depressions
Authors: Chang Hsin‐I , Niyogi Dev , Kumar Anil , Kishtawal C. M. , Dudhia Jimy , Chen Fei , Mohanty U. C. , Shepherd Marshall
Published: August 2009

The effect of pre‐storm land surface on the monsoon depressions (MDs) is studied. The Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model was configured with two nested domains to explore the sensitivity of MDs to antecedent soil moisture and land surface representation for selected three landfalling MDs during August 2006. Results indicate that WRF had good ability to simulate the MDs, and the post landfall model response was sensitive to antecedent soil moisture and modestly dependent on land surface representations. This was verified by reviewing the climatology of 125 MDs (1970–2003) which revealed that if the surface received heavier rainfall a week ahead of MD landfall, the inland intensity was maintained for a longer duration. The gradient in surface heat fluxes as the depression made landfall affected the evolution of the MDs over India. In particular, warmer, wetter (cooler, drier) land surface can intensify (weaken) the landfalling MDs over the Indian monsoon region.
Linking phylogenetic and functional diversity to nutrient spiraling in microbial mats from Lower Kane Cave (USA)
Authors: Engel Annette Summers , Meisinger Daniela B , Porter Megan L , Payn Robert A , Schmid Michael , Stern Libby A , Schleifer K H , Lee Natuschka M
Published: August 2009

Microbial mats in sulfidic cave streams offer unique opportunities to study redox-based biogeochemical nutrient cycles. Previous work from Lower Kane Cave, Wyoming, USA, focused on the aerobic portion of microbial mats, dominated by putative chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing groups within the Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. To evaluate nutrient cycling and turnover within the whole mat system, a multidisciplinary strategy was used to characterize the anaerobic portion of the mats, including application of the full-cycle rRNA approach, the most probable number method, and geochemical and isotopic analyses. Seventeen major taxonomic bacterial groups and one archaeal group were retrieved from the anaerobic portions of the mats, dominated by Deltaproteobacteria and uncultured members of the Chloroflexi phylum. A nutrient spiraling model was applied to evaluate upstream to downstream changes in microbial diversity based on carbon and sulfur nutrient concentrations. Variability in dissolved sulfide concentrations was attributed to changes in the abundance of sulfide-oxidizing microbial groups and shifts in the occurrence and abundance of sulfate-reducing microbes. Gradients in carbon and sulfur isotopic composition indicated that released and recycled byproduct compounds from upstream microbial activities were incorporated by downstream communities. On the basis of the type of available chemical energy, the variability of nutrient species in a spiraling model may explain observed differences in microbial taxonomic affiliations and metabolic functions, thereby spatially linking microbial diversity to nutrient spiraling in the cave stream ecosystem.
Characterization of Herpes Virus Entry Mediator as a Factor Linked to Obesity
Authors: Bassols Judit , Moreno Jose M. , Ortega Francisco , Ricart Wifredo , Fernandez‐Real Jose M.
Published: August 2009

Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily (TNFRSF14), which serves as a receptor for herpes viruses and cytokines such as lymphotoxin‐α (LT‐α) and LIGHT (lymphotoxin‐like inducible protein that competes with glycoprotein D for herpes virus entry on T cells). We aimed to explore the associations of HVEM with human obesity. HVEM gene expression and protein levels were studied in total adipose tissue and in their fractions (isolated adipocytes and stromovascular cells (SVCs)) obtained from 81 subjects during elective surgical procedures. HVEM −241GA and −14AG gene polymorphisms were also studied and associated with obesity measures in 840 subjects. Visceral adipose tissue had significantly higher expression of HVEM than subcutaneous adipose tissue (P < 0.0001). Obese patients had significantly higher subcutaneous HVEM gene expression (P = 0.03) and protein levels (P = 0.01) than lean subjects. HVEM gene expression and protein levels were found in both isolated adipocytes and SVCs. These findings were confirmed in primary cultures from human preadipocytes, in which a significant increase in HVEM was observed during the differentiation process. HVEM −241GA and −14AG gene polymorphisms were associated with obesity, diastolic pressure, several inflammatory parameters (C‐reactive protein and interleukin 18 (IL‐18)), and circulating LIGHT concentrations. A sample of men with the G241A gene polymorphism also showed an increased serum titer of IgG antiherpes virus 1. These results provide evidences of an existing relationship between HVEM and obesity, which suggest that this TNF superfamily receptor could be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and inflammation‐related activity.
Stochastic line motion and stochastic flux conservation for nonideal hydromagnetic models
Authors: Eyink Gregory L.
Published: August 2009

We prove that smooth solutions of nonideal (viscous and resistive) incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations satisfy a stochastic law of flux conservation. This property implies that the magnetic flux through a surface is equal to the average of the magnetic fluxes through an ensemble of surfaces advected backward in time by the plasma velocity perturbed with a random white noise. Our result is an analog of the well-known Alfvén theorem of ideal MHD and is valid for any value of the magnetic Prandtl number. A second stochastic conservation law is shown to hold at unit Prandtl number, a random version of the generalized Kelvin theorem derived by Bekenstein and Oron for ideal MHD. These stochastic conservation laws are not only shown to be consequences of the nonideal MHD equations but are proved in fact to be equivalent to those equations. We derive similar results for two more refined hydromagnetic models, Hall MHD and the two-fluid plasma model, still assuming incompressible velocities and isotropic transport coefficients. Finally, we use these results to discuss briefly the infinite-Reynolds-number limit of hydromagnetic turbulence and to support the conjecture that flux conservation remains stochastic in that limit.
Non-180° domains in LiTaO3 thin films deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition
Authors: He Z. B. , Setter N. , Ono T. , Shinozaki K.
Published: August 2009

Epitaxial lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) thin films were grown on the hexagonal plane of sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Two crystallographic variants, related to each other by 180° rotation around the c axis, as well as non-180° domains were determined by transmission electron microscopy from cross-sectional samples of these films. A structural model for the non-180° domain is proposed and the possible formation mechanisms are discussed.
Large area, continuous, few-layered graphene as anodes in organic photovoltaic devices
Authors: Wang Yu , Chen Xiaohong , Zhong Yulin , Zhu Furong , Loh Kian Ping
Published: August 2009

Large-area, continuous, transparent, and highly conducting few-layered graphene films produced by chemical vapor deposition method were used as anode for application in photovoltaic devices. The noncovalent modification of the graphene films with pyrene buanoic acid succidymidyl ester improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 1.71%. This performance corresponds to ∼55.2% of the PCE of a control device based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(3,4–ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(3-hexyl)thiophene: phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester/LiF/Al electrodes (PCE=3.1%). This finding paves the way for the substitution of ITO in photovoltaic and electroluminescent devices with low cost graphene films.
Electron-nuclear double resonance study of molecular librations of nitroxides in molecular glasses: Quantum effects at low temperatures, comparison with low-frequency Raman scattering
Authors: Kulik L. V. , Rapatsky L. L. , Pivtsov A. V. , Surovtsev N. V. , Adichtchev S. V. , Grigor’ev I. A. , Dzuba S. A.
Published: August 2009

Pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance applied to N15 nitroxide spin probes in molecular glasses is shown to be very sensitive to measurement of the AXX principal value of the hyperfine interaction tensor. For molecules experiencing fast restricted orientational motions (molecular librations), this provides a precise tool to determine the motion-averaged ⟨AXX⟩ value. For nitroxides in glycerol and o-terphenyl glasses, the observed ⟨AXX⟩ temperature dependence below 40 K may be readily interpreted as arising from quantum effects in librations, when the thermal energy of a librating molecule becomes comparable with the elementary quantum of the oscillator. The estimated elementary quanta for nitroxide librations, ∼60 cm−1 in glycerol and ∼90 cm−1 in o-terphenyl, are found to match the characteristic frequencies of the vibrational spectral densities seen in low-frequency Raman scattering for these glasses. Above ∼80 K in glycerol and above ∼120 K in o-terphenyl, the ⟨AXX⟩ temperature dependences manifest a kink with a slightly smaller slope than at lower temperatures.
Stability of gravity-capillary waves generated by a moving pressure disturbance in water of finite depth
Authors: Grimshaw Roger , Maleewong Montri , Asavanant Jack
Published: August 2009

In previous work, we investigated two-dimensional steady gravity-capillary waves generated by a localized pressure distribution moving with a constant speed U in water of finite depth h. Localized solitary waves can only exist in subcritical flows where the Froude number F=U/(gh)1/2<1, and were found using a combination of numerical simulations of the fully nonlinear inviscid, irrotational equations, and analytically from a weakly nonlinear long-wave model, the steady forced Korteweg–de Vries equation. The solution branches depended on three parameters, the Froude number, F<1, the Bond number, τ>1/3, and the magnitude and sign of the pressure distribution, ϵ. In this paper, we examine the two-dimensional stability of these waves using numerical simulations of the fully nonlinear unsteady equations. The results are favorably compared to analogous numerical solutions of the unsteady forced Korteweg–de Vries equation. We find that for ϵ>0, the small-amplitude steady depression wave is stable whereas the large-amplitude steady depression wave is unstable. The depression wave with a dimple at its crest, which occurs only when ϵ<0 is unstable, but the small-amplitude elevation wave with ϵ<0 is stable.
Essential global role of
CDC14
in DNA synthesis revealed by chromosome underreplication unrecognized by checkpoints in
cdc14
mutants
Authors: Dulev Stanimir , de Renty Christelle , Mehta Rajvi , Minkov Ivan , Schwob Etienne , Strunnikov Alexander
Published: August 2009

The CDC14 family of multifunctional evolutionarily conserved phosphatases includes major regulators of mitosis in eukaryotes and of DNA damage response in humans. The CDC14 function is also crucial for accurate chromosome segregation, which is exemplified by its absolute requirement in yeast for the anaphase segregation of nucleolar organizers; however the nature of this essential pathway is not understood. Upon investigation of the rDNA nondisjunction phenomenon, it was found that
cdc14
mutants fail to complete replication of this locus. Moreover, other late-replicating genomic regions (10% of the genome) are also underreplicated in
cdc14
mutants undergoing anaphase. This selective genome-wide replication defect is due to dosage insufficiency of replication factors in the nucleus, which stems from two defects, both contingent on the reduced CDC14 function in the preceding mitosis. First, a constitutive nuclear import defect results in a drastic dosage decrease for those replication proteins that are regulated by nuclear transport. Particularly, essential RPA subunits display both lower mRNA and protein levels, as well as abnormal cytoplasmic localization. Second, the reduced transcription of MBF and SBF-controlled genes in G1 leads to the reduction in protein levels of many proteins involved in DNA replication. The failure to complete replication of late replicons is the primary reason for chromosome nondisjunction upon CDC14 dysfunction. As the genome-wide slow-down of DNA replication does not trigger checkpoints [Lengronne A, Schwob E (2002)
Mol Cell
9:1067–1078],
CDC14
mutations pose an overwhelming challenge to genome stability, both generating chromosome damage and undermining the checkpoint control mechanisms.
Determining the catalytic role of remote substrate binding interactions in ketosteroid isomerase
Authors: Schwans Jason P. , Kraut Daniel A. , Herschlag Daniel
Published: August 2009

A fundamental difference between enzymes and small chemical catalysts is the ability of enzymes to use binding interactions with nonreactive portions of substrates to accelerate chemical reactions. Remote binding interactions can localize substrates to the active site, position substrates relative to enzymatic functional groups and other substrates, trigger conformational changes, induce local destabilization, and modulate an active site environment by solvent exclusion. We investigated the role of remote substrate binding interactions in the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme ketosteroid isomerase (KSI), which catalyzes a double bond migration of steroid substrates through a dienolate intermediate that is stabilized in an oxyanion hole. Comparison of a single-ring and multiple-ring substrate allowed the catalytic contribution of binding interactions with the distal substrate rings to be determined. The value of
k
cat
/
K
M
for a single-ring substrate is reduced 27,000-fold relative to a multiple-ring steroid substrate, suggesting that remote binding interactions with the steroid substrate contribute substantially to the KSI reaction. Nevertheless, the reaction rates for KSI-bound single- and multiple-ring substrates (
k
cat
) are within 2-fold. Further, oxyanion hole mutations have the same effect on reactions of the single- and multiple-ring substrates. These results suggest that remote binding interactions contribute >5 kcal/mol to catalysis by KSI but that local rather than remote interactions dictate the catalytic contributions from KSI's general base and oxyanion hole.
Whirly proteins maintain plastid genome stability in
Arabidopsis
Authors: Maréchal Alexandre , Parent Jean-Sébastien , Véronneau-Lafortune Félix , Joyeux Alexandre , Lang B. Franz , Brisson Normand
Published: August 2009

Maintenance of genome stability is essential for the accurate propagation of genetic information and cell growth and survival. Organisms have therefore developed efficient strategies to prevent DNA lesions and rearrangements. Much of the information concerning these strategies has been obtained through the study of bacterial and nuclear genomes. Comparatively, little is known about how organelle genomes maintain a stable structure. Here, we report that the plastid-localized Whirly ssDNA-binding proteins are required for plastid genome stability in
Arabidopsis
. We show that a double KO of the genes
AtWhy1
and
AtWhy3
leads to the appearance of plants with variegated green/white/yellow leaves, symptomatic of nonfunctional chloroplasts. This variegation is maternally inherited, indicating defects in the plastid genome. Indeed, in all variegated lines examined, reorganized regions of plastid DNA are amplified as circular and/or head-tail concatemers. All amplified regions are delimited by short direct repeats of 10–18 bp, strongly suggesting that these regions result from illegitimate recombination between repeated sequences. This type of recombination occurs frequently in plants lacking both Whirlies, to a lesser extent in single KO plants and rarely in WT individuals. Maize mutants for the ZmWhy1 Whirly protein also show an increase in the frequency of illegitimate recombination. We propose a model where Whirlies contribute to plastid genome stability by protecting against illegitimate repeat-mediated recombination.
ER-resident proteins PDR2 and LPR1 mediate the developmental response of root meristems to phosphate availability
Authors: Ticconi Carla A. , Lucero Rocco D. , Sakhonwasee Siriwat , Adamson Aaron W. , Creff Audrey , Nussaume Laurent , Desnos Thierry , Abel Steffen
Published: August 2009

Inadequate availability of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in the rhizosphere is a common challenge to plants, which activate metabolic and developmental responses to maximize Pi acquisition. The sensory mechanisms that monitor environmental Pi status and regulate root growth via altered meristem activity are unknown. Here, we show that
phosphate deficiency response 2
(
PDR2
) encodes the single P
5
-type ATPase of
Arabidopsis thaliana
. PDR2 functions in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is required for proper expression of scarecrow (SCR), a key regulator of root patterning, and for stem-cell maintenance in Pi-deprived roots. We further show that the multicopper oxidase encoded by
low phosphate root 1
(
LPR1
) is targeted to the ER and that
LPR1
and
PDR2
interact genetically. Because the expression domains of both genes overlap in the stem-cell niche and distal root meristem, we propose that PDR2 and LPR1 function together in an ER-resident pathway that adjusts root meristem activity to external Pi. Our data indicate that the Pi-conditional root phenotype of
pdr2
is not caused by increased Fe availability in low Pi; however, Fe homeostasis modifies the developmental response of root meristems to Pi availability.
A stochastic modeling methodology based on weighted Wiener chaos and Malliavin calculus
Authors: Wan Xiaoliang , Rozovskii Boris , Karniadakis George Em
Published: August 2009

In many stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) involving random coefficients, modeling the randomness by spatial white noise may lead to ill-posed problems. Here we consider an elliptic problem with spatial Gaussian coefficients and present a methodology that resolves this issue. It is based on stochastic convolution implemented via generalized Malliavin operators in conjunction with weighted Wiener spaces that ensure the ellipticity condition. We present theoretical and numerical results that demonstrate the fast convergence of the method in the proper norm. Our approach is general and can be extended to other SPDEs and other types of multiplicative noise.
Role for α-
l
-fucosidase in the control of
Helicobacter pylori
-infected gastric cancer cells
Authors: Liu Ta-Wei , Ho Ching-Wen , Huang Hsin-Hung , Chang Sue-Ming , Popat Shide D. , Wang Yi-Ting , Wu Ming-Shiang , Chen Yu-Ju , Lin Chun-Hung
Published: August 2009

Infecting about one-half of the global human population,
Helicobacter pylori
is well established as the primary cause of gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. Currently there is no clear information regarding if and how host cells interact with
H. pylori
, and if such interactions are dependent on the type of gastric disease. Using fluorescently labeled fucose-containing glycoconjugates, we provide evidence observing both the uptake of
l
-fucose from gastric cancer cells to
H. pylori
and that human α-
l
-fucosidase 2 (FUCA2) is secreted only under coculture conditions (i.e., host cells infected with
H. pylori
). Upon depletion of FUCA2 by RNA interference and detection of translocated CagA (a virulence factor of
H. pylori
) in host cells, FUCA2 was found to be essential for
H. pylori
adhesion, in particular to the gastric cancer- and duodenal ulcer-specific strains. Additionally FUCA2 was shown to significantly enhance the expression of Lewis x antigen in
H. pylori
, which is critical for bacterial cell adhesion in the pathogenesis and defense strategy to escape host surveillance. These findings not only demonstrate an important connection between FUCA2 and the adhesion, growth, and pathogenicity of
H. pylori
, but also support the idea that FUCA2 is a potential target for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of
H. pylori
-related diseases.
Phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain by TFIIH kinase is not essential for transcription of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
genome
Authors: Hong Sun Woo , Hong Seong Min , Yoo Jae Wook , Lee Young Chul , Kim Soyoun , Lis John T. , Lee Dong-ki
Published: August 2009

Ser-5 phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain by TFIIH kinase has been implicated in critical steps in mRNA synthesis, such as Pol II promoter escape and mRNA 5′-capping. However, the general requirement and precise role of TFIIH kinase in Pol II transcription still remain elusive. Here we use a chemical genetics approach to show that, for a majority of budding-yeast genes, specific inhibition of the yeast TFIIH kinase results in a dramatic reduction in both mRNA level and Ser-5 C-terminal domain phosphorylation. Surprisingly, inhibition of TFIIH kinase activity only partially affected both Pol II density and Ser-2 phosphorylation level. The discrepancy between mRNA level and Pol II density is attributed to the defective 5′-capping, which results in the destabilization of mRNAs. Therefore, contrary to the current belief, our study points strongly toward a minor role of TFIIH kinase in Pol II transcription, and a more significant role in mRNA capping in budding yeast.
Mutations in a gene encoding a midbody kelch protein in familial and sporadic classical Hodgkin lymphoma lead to binucleated cells
Authors: Salipante Stephen J. , Mealiffe Matthew E. , Wechsler Jeremy , Krem Maxwell M. , Liu Yajuan , Namkoong Shinae , Bhagat Govind , Kirchhoff Tomas , Offit Kenneth , Lynch Henry , Wiernik Peter H. , Roshal Mikhail , McMaster Mary Lou , Tucker Margaret , Fromm Jonathan R. , Goldin Lynn R. , Horwitz Marshall S.
Published: August 2009

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a malignancy of B-cell origin in which the neoplastic cells, known as “Reed-Sternberg” (RS) cells, are characteristically binucleated. Here we describe a family where multiple individuals developing cHL have inherited a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 2 and 3. The translocation disruptsKLHDC8B, an uncharacterized gene from a region (3p21.31) previously implicated in lymphoma and related malignancies, resulting in its loss of expression. We testedKLHDC8Bas a candidate gene for cHL and found that a 5′-UTR polymorphism responsible for decreasing its translational expression is associated with cHL in probands from other families with cHL and segregates with disease in those pedigrees. In one of three informative sporadic cases of cHL, we detected loss of heterozygosity (LOH) forKLHDC8Bin RS cells, but not reactive T lymphocytes, purified from a malignant lymph node.KLHDC8Bencodes a protein predicted to contain seven kelch repeat domains. KLHDC8B is expressed during mitosis, where it localizes to the midbody structure connecting cells about to separate during cytokinesis, and it is degraded after cell division. Depletion of KLHDC8B through RNA interference leads to an increase in binucleated cells, implicating its reduced expression in the formation of cHL's signature RS cell.
Regulated and aberrant glycosylation modulate cardiac electrical signaling
Authors: Montpetit Marty L. , Stocker Patrick J. , Schwetz Tara A. , Harper Jean M. , Norring Sarah A. , Schaffer Lana , North Simon J. , Jang-Lee Jihye , Gilmartin Timothy , Head Steven R. , Haslam Stuart M. , Dell Anne , Marth Jamey D. , Bennett Eric S.
Published: August 2009

Millions afflicted with Chagas disease and other disorders of aberrant glycosylation suffer symptoms consistent with altered electrical signaling such as arrhythmias, decreased neuronal conduction velocity, and hyporeflexia. Cardiac, neuronal, and muscle electrical signaling is controlled and modulated by changes in voltage-gated ion channel activity that occur through physiological and pathological processes such as development, epilepsy, and cardiomyopathy. Glycans attached to ion channels alter channel activity through isoform-specific mechanisms. Here we show that regulated and aberrant glycosylation modulate cardiac ion channel activity and electrical signaling through a cell-specific mechanism. Data show that nearly half of 239 glycosylation-associated genes (glycogenes) were significantly differentially expressed among neonatal and adult atrial and ventricular myocytes. The N-glycan structures produced among cardiomyocyte types were markedly variable. Thus, the cardiac glycome, defined as the complete set of glycan structures produced in the heart, is remodeled. One glycogene, ST8sia2, a polysialyltransferase, is expressed only in the neonatal atrium. Cardiomyocyte electrical signaling was compared in control and ST8sia2
(−/−)
neonatal atrial and ventricular myocytes. Action potential waveforms and gating of less sialylated voltage-gated Na
+
channels were altered consistently in ST8sia2
(−/−)
atrial myocytes. ST8sia2 expression had no effect on ventricular myocyte excitability. Thus, the regulated (between atrium and ventricle) and aberrant (knockout in the neonatal atrium) expression of a single glycogene was sufficient to modulate cardiomyocyte excitability. A mechanism is described by which cardiac function is controlled and modulated through physiological and pathological processes that involve regulated and aberrant glycosylation.
Robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy; a feasible technique for removal of unfavorably localized myomas
Authors: LÖNNERFORS CELINE , PERSSON JAN
Published: August 2009

Objective. To describe the feasibility of robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy for unfavorably localized myomas using the da Vinci surgical system. Design. Prospective observational. Setting. University hospital. Method. Between April 2006 and March 2008, a robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy was performed on 13 women selected for having deep intramural myomas with probable impact on fertility and/or later pregnancy. The alternative surgical approach for all 13 was myomectomy via laparotomy. A transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) mapping of the myomas was performed to enable an optimal approach during surgery. Using a prospective protocol, relevant times at the operating theater as well as postoperative and follow‐up data, were obtained. Results. Median time for surgery was 132 minutes (range 94–209 minutes). Median blood loss was 50 ml (range 25–200 ml). No significant complication occurred during or after surgery. Median postoperative hospital stay was one day (range 1–3 days). At follow‐up, including TVUS, no unexpected residual myomas larger than 5 mm were identified. Of eight women with an active wish for conception, six have become pregnant a median time of 15 months after surgery. All additional symptoms associated with the myomas were alleviated. Conclusion. Robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy is a feasible technique for removal of deep intramural myomas unfavorably localized for traditional laparoscopy. The properties of the da Vinci robot facilitate dissection and suturing comprising the major surgical parts of myomectomy.
Severe physical violence among intimate partners: a risk factor for vaginal bleeding during gestation in less privileged women?
Authors: MORAES CLAUDIA LEITE , REICHENHEIM MICHAEL , NUNES ANTÔNIO PAULO
Published: August 2009

Objectives. To evaluate the role of severe physical violence within intimate partners on the occurrence of vaginal bleeding during gestation in less privileged women. Design. Health service survey. Setting. Three large public maternities in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sample. Five hundred and twenty‐eight women who gave birth to full‐term newborn infants were selected at random among the births that took place during the six months of fieldwork. Methods. Information on vaginal bleeding during gestation was obtained from medical records, pre‐natal cards, and by means of a questionnaire addressed to the women giving birth. To collect severe physical violence data, use was made of the Portuguese version of the instrument Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, formally adapted for use in Brazil. Main outcome measures. Vaginal bleeding during gestation. Results. After accounting for socio‐economic, demographic, reproductive, and pregnant women's life‐style variables, women who had been victims of two or more acts of severe physical violence were 2.74 (95% CI: 1.37–5.48) times more liable to present with vaginal bleeding during pregnancy than those who did not. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that physical violence increases the risk of vaginal bleeding in pregnancy. This result should encourage studies on whether intervention in violent relationships can reduce the risk of vaginal bleeding and other pregnancy complications.
Effect of Treatment on Weight Gain and Metabolic Abnormalities in Patients with First-Episode Psychosis
Authors: Verma Swapna , Liew Alvin , Subramaniam Mythily , Poon Lye Yin
Published: August 2009

Objective: The aim of the present prospective and naturalistic study was to examine the effects of antipsychotic medication on weight and serum levels of lipids, glucose and insulin in first-episode psychosis patients.

Method: Fifty-six patients admitted to the Singapore Early Psychosis Intervention Programme participated in this study. They were assessed at baseline (i.e. within 72 h of starting antipsychotics), and 6 months later. Weight (kg) and height (m) were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Blood samples were taken after a 12 h overnight fast. Choice of antipsychotics was based on the treating physician's clinical decision. Total cumulative Chlorpromazine (CPZ) equivalent of antipsychotic exposure during the 6 months was calculated. Statistical analyses were carried out for comparisons between baseline and 6 months, and for the two outcome event groups of ≥7% versus <7% weight gain. Where appropriate, confounders were controlled.

Results and conclusion: There were significant increases in BMI, serum levels of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol from baseline to 6 months. Mean increase in weight was 6.2±7.0 kg (p < 0.05) and 65% of the patients had clinically significant weight gain (i.e. ≥7% increase from baseline). On logistic regression lower baseline BMI, female gender, and younger age, were associated with clinically significant weight gain.
Four-dimensional visualization of thoracic blood flow by magnetic resonance imaging in a patient following correction of transposition of the great arteries (d-tga) and uncorrected aortic coarctation
Authors: Ley-Zaporozhan J. , Unterhinninghofen R. , Rengier F. , Markl M. , Eichhorn J. , von Tengg-Kobligk H. , Ley S.
Published: August 2009

Recent advances in flow-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and data analysis allow for comprehensive noninvasive three-dimensional (3D) visualization of complex blood flow. Electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated three-directional (3dir) flow measurements were employed to assess and visualize time-resolved 3D blood flow in the pulmonary arteries (PA) and thoracic aorta. We present findings in a juvenile patient with surgically corrected transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) and aortic coarctation. For the first time, the complex flow patterns in the PA following d-TGA were visualized. Morphologically, a slight asymmetry of the PA was found, with considerable impact on vascular hemodynamics, resulting in diastolic retrograde flow in the larger vessel and diastolic filling of the smaller PA. Additionally, increased flow to the supraaortic vessels was found due to aortic coarctation.
Addictive Severity in Cocaine Addicts Measured with the EuropASI: Differences between Composite Scores and Severity Ratings
Authors: Sánchez‐Hervás Emilio , Secades‐Villa Roberto , Gómez Francisco José Santonja , Romaguera Francisco Zacarés , Garcéa‐Rodréguez Olaya
Published: August 2009

In this study we present the addiction severity profile in a sample of 202 cocaine addicts, using the composite scores for each area of the EuropASI (European version of the ASI), which are compared with the severity ratings obtained through interviewers' subjective assessments. The results showed that the areas of the EuropASI which reflected the greatest severity according to the composite scores were, in the following order: employment/support, family/social situation, use of alcohol and psychiatric state. The results obtained with the composite scores show discrepancies with those obtained from the severity rating. Statistically significant differences were found in the areas of alcohol (Z = −6.205; p < 0.001), drugs (Z = −11.902; p < 0.001), family/social (Z = −6.915; p < 0.001) and psychiatric status (Z = −6.651; p < 0.001). The results call into question the reliability and validity of severity ratings obtained through interviewers' subjective assessments. For diagnosis and research, a more objective appraisal is recommended, using composite scores, since severity ratings depend totally on the interviewer's judgement, and do not appear to constitute a sound measure for estimating therapeutic change.
Improving efficiency and robustness of the doubly robust estimator for a population mean with incomplete data
Authors: Cao Weihua , Tsiatis Anastasios A. , Davidian Marie
Published: August 2009

Considerable recent interest has focused on doubly robust estimators for a population mean response in the presence of incomplete data, which involve models for both the propensity score and the regression of outcome on covariates. The usual doubly robust estimator may yield severely biased inferences if neither of these models is correctly specified and can exhibit nonnegligible bias if the estimated propensity score is close to zero for some observations. We propose alternative doubly robust estimators that achieve comparable or improved performance relative to existing methods, even with some estimated propensity scores close to zero.
Parading as Millionaires: Montana Bankers and the Panic of 1893
Authors: Petrik Paula
Published: August 2009

One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe that they were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined

Historians, in general, and historians of the trans-Mississippi West, in particular, have paid scant attention to the Panic of 1893 except to summarize its highlights: the silver-mining industry collapsed; banks and businesses failed; unemployment increased; labor rebelled—sometimes violently; and the Populists gained political ground. Some historians of the American West have given the panic a miss entirely
Prediction of benthic biotopes on a Norwegian offshore bank using a combination of multivariate analysis and GIS classification
Authors: Buhl-Mortensen Pål , Dolan Margaret , Buhl-Mortensen Lene
Published: August 2009

Mortensen, P. B., Dolan, M., and Buhl-Mortensen, L. 2009. Prediction of benthic biotopes on a Norwegian offshore bank using a combination of multivariate analysis and GIS classification. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2026–2032. This study is part of the multidisciplinary seabed mapping programme MAREANO (Marine AREAdatabase for NOrwegian coast and sea areas). The mapping programme includes acquisition of multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data together with a comprehensive, integrated biological and geological sampling programme. The equipment used includes underwater video, boxcorer, grab, hyperbenthic sled, and beam trawl. The Tromsøflaket offshore bank was used as a case-study area to develop suitable methods for mapping habitats and biotopes. A procedure for producing maps of predicted biotopes is described that combined information on the distribution of biological communities with environmental factors and indicators. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to relate bottom environment [including multiscale physical descriptors of the seabed derived from multibeam echosounder (MBES) data] and faunal distribution to find the best physical biotope descriptors. DCA of 252 video samples (sequences 200 m long) revealed six groups of locations representing different biotopes. These were characterized by different compositions of species, substrata, depths, and values for terrain parameters. Prediction of biotope distribution was performed using a supervised GIS classification with the MBES-derived physical seabed descriptors with the strongest explanatory ability (depth, backscatter, and broad-scale bathymetric position index) identified by the DCA. The species diversity of the identified biotopes was described from the content of the bottom samples. For future MAREANO cruises, an important task will be to ground-truth predictions of habitat and biotopes and to test the reliability of these predictions in the wider MAREANO area.
The fishery for whiteweed, Sertularia cupressina (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa), in the Wadden Sea, Germany: history and anthropogenic effects
Authors: Wagler H. , Berghahn R. , Vorberg R.
Published: August 2009

Wagler, H., Berghahn, R., and Vorberg, R. 2009. The fishery for whiteweed, Sertularia cupressina (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa), in the Wadden Sea, Germany: history and anthropogenic effects. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2116–2120. The whiteweed fishery in the German Wadden Sea did not close as a consequence of the loss of whiteweed beds, but rather because of declining markets. To this day, neither the assumed disappearance of whiteweed beds nor the assumed decrease in whiteweed abundance has been substantiated. Even if such a decrease were to be demonstrated, the causes for the decline would more likely have been eutrophication and anthropogenic changes in the hydrodynamics of the Wadden Sea than the activities of the shrimp and mussel fisheries or the former whiteweed fishery.
Solving frictionless rocking block problem with multiple impacts
Authors: Yilmaz Cuneyt , Gharib Mohamed , Hurmuzlu Yildirim
Published: August 2009

In this paper, we present a solution to the frictionless multiple impact problems that may arise in the rocking blocks. We use an approach based on the impulse–momentum methods, the energetic coefficient of restitution and the impulse correlation ratio. Subsequently, we present the results of an experimental study that is used to compare the results predicted by the proposed method with the experimental outcomes.
Evidence for regular ongoing introductions of mosquito disease vectors into the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Bataille Arnaud , Cunningham Andrew A. , Cedeño Virna , Cruz Marilyn , Eastwood Gillian , Fonseca Dina M. , Causton Charlotte E. , Azuero Ronal , Loayza Jose , Martinez Jose D. Cruz , Goodman Simon J.
Published: August 2009

Wildlife on isolated oceanic islands is highly susceptible to the introduction of pathogens. The recent establishment in the Galápagos Islands of the mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatus, a vector for diseases such as avian malaria and West Nile fever, is considered a serious risk factor for the archipelago's endemic fauna. Here we present evidence from the monitoring of aeroplanes and genetic analysis thatC. quinquefasciatusis regularly introduced via aircraft into the Galápagos Archipelago. Genetic population structure and admixture analysis demonstrates that these mosquitoes breed with, and integrate successfully into, already-established populations ofC. quinquefasciatusin the Galápagos, and that there is ongoing movement of mosquitoes between islands. Tourist cruise boats and inter-island boat services are the most likely mechanism for transportingCulexmosquitoes between islands. Such anthropogenic mosquito movements increase the risk of the introduction of mosquito-borne diseases novel to Galápagos and their subsequent widespread dissemination across the archipelago. Failure to implement and maintain measures to prevent the human-assisted transport of mosquitoes to and among the islands could have catastrophic consequences for the endemic wildlife of Galápagos.
Computational Finishing of Large Sequence Contigs Reveals Interspersed Nested Repeats and Gene Islands in the rf1-Associated Region of Maize
Authors: Kronmiller Brent A. , Wise Roger P.
Published: August 2009

The architecture of grass genomes varies on multiple levels. Large long terminal repeat retrotransposon clusters occupy significant portions of the intergenic regions, and islands of protein-encoding genes are interspersed among the repeat clusters. Hence, advanced assembly techniques are required to obtain completely finished genomes as well as to investigate gene and transposable element distributions. To characterize the organization and distribution of repeat clusters and gene islands across large grass genomes, we present 961- and 594-kb contiguous sequence contigs associated with the rf1 (for restorer of fertility1) locus in the near-centromeric region of maize (Zea mays) chromosome 3. We present two methods for computational finishing of highly repetitive bacterial artificial chromosome clones that have proved successful to close all sequence gaps caused by transposable element insertions. Sixteen repeat clusters were observed, ranging in length from 23 to 155 kb. These repeat clusters are almost exclusively long terminal repeat retrotransposons, of which the paleontology of insertion varies throughout the cluster. Gene islands contain from one to four predicted genes, resulting in a gene density of one gene per 16 kb in gene islands and one gene per 111 kb over the entire sequenced region. The two sequence contigs, when compared with the rice (Oryza sativa) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) genomes, retain gene colinearity of 50% and 71%, respectively, and 70% and 100%, respectively, for high-confidence gene models. Collinear genes on single gene islands show that while most expansion of the maize genome has occurred in the repeat clusters, gene islands are not immune and have experienced growth in both intragene and intergene locations.
Plastidial Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency Leads to Altered Root Development and Affects the Sugar and Amino Acid Balance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Muñoz-Bertomeu Jesús , Cascales-Miñana Borja , Mulet Jose Miguel , Baroja-Fernández Edurne , Pozueta-Romero Javier , Kuhn Josef M. , Segura Juan , Ros Roc
Published: August 2009

Glycolysis is a central metabolic pathway that, in plants, occurs in both the cytosol and the plastids. The glycolytic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) catalyzes the conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate with concomitant reduction of NAD+ to NADH. Both cytosolic (GAPCs) and plastidial (GAPCps) GAPDH activities have been described. However, the in vivo functions of the plastidial isoforms remain unresolved. In this work, we have identified two Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) chloroplast/plastid-localized GAPDH isoforms (GAPCp1 and GAPCp2). gapcp double mutants display a drastic phenotype of arrested root development, dwarfism, and sterility. In spite of their low gene expression level as compared with other GAPDHs, GAPCp down-regulation leads to altered gene expression and to drastic changes in the sugar and amino acid balance of the plant. We demonstrate that GAPCps are important for the synthesis of serine in roots. Serine supplementation to the growth medium rescues root developmental arrest and restores normal levels of carbohydrates and sugar biosynthetic activities in gapcp double mutants. We provide evidence that the phosphorylated pathway of Ser biosynthesis plays an important role in supplying serine to roots. Overall, these studies provide insights into the in vivo functions of the GAPCps in plants. Our results emphasize the importance of the plastidial glycolytic pathway, and specifically of GAPCps, in plant primary metabolism.
Rapid Screening for Temperature-Sensitive Alleles in Plants
Authors: Vidali Luis , Augustine Robert C. , Fay Scotty N. , Franco Paula , Pattavina Kelli A. , Bezanilla Magdalena
Published: August 2009

We developed a simple and fast method to identify temperature-sensitive alleles of essential plant genes. We used primary and tertiary structure information to identify residues in the core of the protein of interest. These residues were mutated and tested for temperature sensitivity, taking advantage of the exceptionally rapid 1-week complementation assay in the moss Physcomitrella patens. As test molecules, we selected the actin-binding proteins profilin and actin-depolymerizing factor, because they are essential and their loss-of-function phenotype can be fully rescued. Screening a small number of candidate mutants, we successfully identified temperature-sensitive alleles of both profilin and actin-depolymerizing factor. Plants harboring these alleles grew well at the permissive temperature of 20°C to 25°C but showed a complete loss of function at the restrictive temperature of 32°C. Notably, the profilin mutation identified in the moss gene can be transferred to profilins from other plant species, also rendering them temperature sensitive. The ability to routinely generate temperature-sensitive alleles of essential plant proteins provides a powerful tool for the study of gene function in plants.
Starch Granule Initiation inArabidopsisRequires the Presence of Either Class IV or Class III Starch Synthases
Authors: Szydlowski Nicolas , Ragel Paula , Raynaud Sandy , Lucas M. Mercedes , Roldán Isaac , Montero Manuel , Muñoz Francisco José , Ovecka Miroslav , Bahaji Abdellatif , Planchot Véronique , Pozueta-Romero Javier , D'Hulst Christophe , Mérida Ángel
Published: August 2009

The mechanisms underlying starch granule initiation remain unknown. We have recently reported that mutation of soluble starch synthase IV (SSIV) in Arabidopsis thaliana results in restriction of the number of starch granules to a single, large, particle per plastid, thereby defining an important component of the starch priming machinery. In this work, we provide further evidence for the function of SSIV in the priming process of starch granule formation and show that SSIV is necessary and sufficient to establish the correct number of starch granules observed in wild-type chloroplasts. The role of SSIV in granule seeding can be replaced, in part, by the phylogenetically related SSIII. Indeed, the simultaneous elimination of both proteins prevents Arabidopsis from synthesizing starch, thus demonstrating that other starch synthases cannot support starch synthesis despite remaining enzymatically active. Herein, we describe the substrate specificity and kinetic properties of SSIV and its subchloroplastic localization in specific regions associated with the edges of starch granules. The data presented in this work point to a complex mechanism for starch granule formation and to the different abilities of SSIV and SSIII to support this process in Arabidopsis leaves.
Abscisic Acid Represses Growth of theArabidopsisEmbryonic Axis after Germination by Enhancing Auxin Signaling
Authors: Belin Christophe , Megies Christian , Hauserová Eva , Lopez-Molina Luis
Published: August 2009

Under unfavorable environmental conditions, the stress phytohormone ABA inhibits the developmental transition from an embryo in a dry seed into a young seedling. We developed a genetic screen to isolate Arabidopsis thaliana mutants whose early seedling development is resistant to ABA. Here, we report the identification of a recessive mutation in AUXIN RESISTANT1 (AUX1), encoding a cellular auxin influx carrier. Although auxin is a major morphogenesis hormone in plants, little is known about ABA–auxin interactions during early seedling growth. We show that aux1 and pin2 mutants are insensitive to ABA-dependent repression of embryonic axis (hypocotyl and radicle) elongation. Genetic and physiological experiments show that this involves auxin transport to the embryonic axis elongation zone, where ABA enhances the activity of an auxin-responsive promoter. We propose that ABA represses embryonic axis elongation by potentiating auxin signaling in its elongation zone. This involves repression of the AUXIN INDUCIBLE (Aux/IAA) gene AXR2/IAA7, encoding a key component of ABA- and auxin-dependent responses during postgerminative growth.