bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body Mass Index, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness in a Pediatric Population in Southern Italy
Authors: Caserta Carmelo Antonio , Pendino Gaspare Maria , Alicante Saverio , Amante Angela , Amato Fulvia , Fiorillo Mariateresa , Messineo Arianna , Polito Irene , Surace Monica , Surace Pasquale , Vacalebre Carmelo , Zuin Massimo , Cotichini Rodolfo , Marcucci Fabrizio , Rosmini Francesco , Mele Alfonso ,   MAREA Study Group
Published: May 2010

Objectives:

Obesity and exposure to cardiovascular risk factors during adolescence may be associated with the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases later in life. The objective of the study was to investigate whether any excess body weight, including moderate overweight, is associated with a more severe cardiovascular risk profile and signs of early atherosclerosis in a pediatric population.

Patients and Methods:

A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 646 adolescents ages 11 to 13 years from several primary schools of Reggio Calabria, Italy. Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were determined. All of the subjects underwent carotid ultrasonography for the measurement of intima‐media thickness. Complete clinical data were available from 575 subjects.

Results:

Overweight was similarly frequent in boys and girls (31.2% vs 31.0%), whereas prevalence of obesity was higher in boys (18.4% vs 10.1%). Subjects with lower levels of HDL and higher levels of triglycerides, insulin, and CRP plasma were observed more frequently among overweight and obese subjects than nonoverweight. At multivariate analysis, HDL cholesterol, insulin, and CRP were associated (P < 0.05) with overweight and obesity in girls, whereas in boys, insulin and CRP were associated (P < 0.05) with overweight and obesity, and LDL cholesterol with obesity. The association between overweight or obesity and increased intima‐media thickness, a sign of early atherosclerosis, was present in girls (P < 0.05) and was close to statistical significance in obese boys (P = 0.07).

Conclusions:

Overweight and obese adolescents have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and show signs of early atherosclerosis. In girls, in particular, overweight is sufficient to determine a more severe cardiovascular risk profile.
Charles Nicholas Hales. 25 April 1935 — 15 September 2005
Authors: Siddle Kenneth , Luzio J. Paul , O'Rahilly Stephen
Published: May 2010

Charles Nicholas (‘Nick’) Hales was for 40 years a leading figure in UK biomedical research, and for 25 years Head of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Cambridge University. During a distinguished career he made major contributions to diabetes research in three quite different fields: development and application of immunoassay methods for polypeptide hormones such as insulin; elucidation of mechanisms regulating insulin secretion; and demonstration of the role of early life nutrition in the development of metabolic disease in adulthood. He had a boundless enthusiasm for science, and especially for exploring new ideas, that infected all who had the privilege of working with him.
Customized Ca–P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering: design, fabrication, surface modification and sustained release of growth factor
Authors: Duan Bin , Wang Min
Published: May 2010

Integrating an advanced manufacturing technique, nanocomposite material and controlled delivery of growth factor to form multifunctional tissue engineering scaffolds was investigated in this study. Based on calcium phosphate (Ca–P)/poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanocomposite microspheres, three-dimensional Ca–P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds with customized architecture, controlled porosity and totally interconnected porous structure were successfully fabricated using selective laser sintering (SLS), one of the rapid prototyping technologies. The cytocompatibility of sintered Ca–P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds, as well as PHBV polymer scaffolds, was studied. For surface modification of nanocomposite scaffolds, gelatin was firstly physically entrapped onto the scaffold surface and heparin was subsequently immobilized on entrapped gelatin. The surface-modification improved the wettability of scaffolds and provided specific binding site between conjugated heparin and the growth factor recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). The surface-modified Ca–P/PHBV nanocomposite scaffolds loaded with rhBMP-2 significantly enhanced the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenic differentiation markers in gene expression of C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells. Together with osteoconductive nanocomposite material and controlled growth factor delivery strategies, the use of SLS technique to form complex scaffolds will provide a promising route towards individualized bone tissue regeneration.
Time-domain approach to the forward scattering sum rule
Authors: Gustafsson Mats
Published: May 2010

The forward scattering sum rule relates the extinction cross section integrated over all wavelengths with the polarizability dyadics. It is useful for deriving bounds on the interaction between scatterers and electromagnetic fields, antenna bandwidth and directivity and energy transmission through sub-wavelength apertures. The sum rule is valid for linearly polarized plane waves impinging on linear, passive and time translational invariant scattering objects in free space. Here, a time-domain approach is used to clarify the derivation and the used assumptions. The time-domain forward scattered field defines an impulse response. Energy conservation shows that this impulse response is the kernel of a passive convolution operator, which implies that the Fourier transform of the impulse response is a Herglotz function. The forward scattering sum rule is finally constructed from integral identities for Herglotz functions.
A test of the sympatric host race formation hypothesis in
Neodiprion
(Hymenoptera: Diprionidae)
Authors: Linnen Catherine R. , Farrell Brian D.
Published: May 2010

Theory suggests that sympatric speciation is possible; however, its prevalence in nature remains unknown. Because
Neodiprion
sawflies are host specialists and mate on their hosts, sympatric speciation via host shifts may be common in this genus. Here, we test this hypothesis using near-complete taxonomic sampling of a species group, comprehensive geographical and ecological data, and multiple comparative methods. Host-use data suggest that host shifts contributed to the evolution of reproductive isolation in
Neodiprion
and previous work has shown that gene flow accompanied divergence. However, geographical data provide surprisingly little support for the hypothesis that host shifts occurred in sympatry. While these data do not rule out sympatric host race formation in
Neodiprion
, they suggest that this speciation mode is uncommon in the genus and possibly in nature.
Olfactory search-image use by a mosquito-eating predator
Authors: Cross Fiona R. , Jackson Robert R.
Published: May 2010

By choosing blood-carrying mosquitoes as prey,
Evarcha culicivora
, an East African salticid spider, specializes at feeding indirectly on vertebrate blood. It also has an exceptionally complex mate-choice system. An earlier study revealed that search-image use assists
E. culicivora
in finding prey and mates when restricted to using vision alone. Here we show that search-image use assists
E. culicivora
in finding prey and mates when restricted to using olfaction alone. After being primed with prey odour or mate odour (control: not primed with odour), spiders were transferred to an olfactometer designed to test ability to find a prey-odour or mate-odour source that was either ‘cryptic’ (i.e. accompanied by a masking odour source,
Lantana camara
) or ‘conspicuous’ (no
L. camara
odour). When tested with conspicuous odour, the identity of the priming odour had no significant effect on how many spiders found the odour source. However, when tested with cryptic odour, significantly more spiders found the odour source when primed with congruent odour and significantly fewer spiders found the odour source when primed with incongruent odour.
Quantitative genetic evidence that males trade attractiveness for ejaculate quality in guppies
Authors: Evans Jonathan P.
Published: May 2010

Polyandry, where females mate with multiple males, means that a male's reproductive success will depend both on his ability to acquire mates
and
the ability of his sperm to compete effectively for fertilizations. But, how do males partition their reproductive investment between these two episodes of selection? Theory predicts that increases in ejaculate investment will come at a cost to investment in other reproductive traits. Although evidence revealing such trade-offs is accumulating, we know little about their genetic basis. Here, I report patterns of genetic (co)variation for a range of traits subject to pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection in the guppy
Poecilia reticulata
, a promiscuous livebearing fish in which males alternate between courtship and sneak matings to obtain copulations. The analyses of genetic variation and covariation for these behaviours revealed a strong genetic predisposition for one tactic over the other. Both mating tactics were also strongly genetically integrated with the level of sexual ornamentation and ejaculate quality. Males that predominantly performed sneak matings were less ornamented but had faster swimming sperm than those that predominantly used courtship. These patterns of genetic variation and covariation reveal potential evolutionary constraints on the direction of selection of pre- and post-copulatory traits, and support sperm competition theory by revealing a trade-off between sexual attractiveness and investment in ejaculates.
Within-host competition selects for plasmid-encoded toxin–antitoxin systems
Authors: Cooper Tim F. , Paixão Tiago , Heinemann Jack A.
Published: May 2010

Toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are commonly found on bacterial plasmids. The antitoxin inhibits toxin activity unless the system is lost from the cell. Then the shorter lived antitoxin degrades and the cell becomes susceptible to the toxin. Selection for plasmid-encoded TA systems was initially thought to result from their reducing the number of plasmid-free cells arising during growth in monoculture. However, modelling and experiments have shown that this mechanism can only explain the success of plasmid TA systems under a restricted set of conditions. Previously, we have proposed and tested an alternative model explaining the success of plasmid TA systems as a consequence of competition occurring between plasmids during co-infection of bacterial hosts. Here, we test a further prediction of this model, that competition between plasmids will lead to the biased accumulation of TA systems on plasmids relative to chromosomes. Transposon-encoded TA systems were added to populations of plasmid-containing cells, such that TA systems could insert into either plasmids or chromosomes. These populations were enriched for transposon-containing cells and then incubated in environments that did, or did not, allow effective within-host plasmid competition to occur. Changes in the ratio of plasmid- to chromosome-encoded TA systems were monitored. In agreement with our model, we found that plasmid-encoded TA systems had a competitive advantage, but only when host cells were sensitive to the effect of TA systems. This result demonstrates that within-host competition between plasmids can select for TA systems.
How perceived threat increases synchronization in collectively moving animal groups
Authors: Bode Nikolai W. F. , Faria Jolyon J. , Franks Daniel W. , Krause Jens , Wood A. Jamie
Published: May 2010

Nature is rich with many different examples of the cohesive motion of animals. Previous attempts to model collective motion have primarily focused on group behaviours of identical individuals. In contrast, we put our emphasis on modelling the contributions of different individual-level characteristics within such groups by using stochastic asynchronous updating of individual positions and orientations. Our model predicts that higher updating frequency, which we relate to perceived threat, leads to more synchronized group movement, with speed and nearest-neighbour distributions becoming more uniform. Experiments with three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) that were exposed to different threat levels provide strong empirical support for our predictions. Our results suggest that the behaviour of fish (at different states of agitation) can be explained by a single parameter in our model: the updating frequency. We postulate a mechanism for collective behavioural changes in different environment-induced contexts, and explain our findings with reference to confusion and oddity effects.
Factors affecting aggressive behaviour of spawning migratory males towards mature male parr in masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou
Authors: Watanabe M. , Maekawa K.
Published: May 2010

This study examined whether dominant migratory males (adopting fighter tactics) of the masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou would more aggressively attack large mature male parr (adopting sneaker tactics) as large mature male parr are expected to have the potential to cause a greater decrease in fertilization success. The frequency of aggressive behaviour was not related to the body size of males, and it increased with the frequency of interactions with mature male parr. The fertilization success of mature male parr was much lower than migratory males, and no relationship was observed between fertilization success and aggressive behaviour. The low fertilization success of mature male parr, despite infrequent aggressive behaviour by migratory males, indicates that there might be little benefit for migratory males to attack mature male parr more aggressively according to their body size.
Organ microenvironment plays significant roles through Fas ligand in vaccine‐induced CD4+ T cell dependent suppression of tumor growth at the orthotopic site
Authors: Sugiura Daisuke , Denda‐Nagai Kaori , Takeda Kazuyoshi , Irimura Tatsuro
Published: May 2010

Growth of colon carcinoma cells transfected with mucin 1 (MUC1) was effectively suppressed by vaccination with MUC1 cDNA. The suppression was dependent on the presence of Fas ligand (FasL) in the cecum, whereas it was independent of FasL in the spleen and in the liver, as revealed by the use of gld/gld mice as the recipients of vaccination, and transplantation of tumor cells expressing MUC1. CD4+ T cells were transferred from mice immunized with MUC1 cDNA to naive gld/gld or C57BL/6 mice, and the suppression of colon carcinoma growth in the cecum was tested. The results clearly showed that FasL in the recipient played a significant role. In the cecum, FasL was associated with intratumoral CD11b+ cells, which are likely to be responsible for vaccine‐induced tumor suppression. The T cell response to MUC1 was not influenced by the gld/gld status. (Cancer Sci 2010)
Aspects of anticoagulation in children
Authors: Payne Jeanette H.
Published: May 2010

The number of children receiving anticoagulation is increasing. Thromboembolic events are associated with significant risk of morbidity and mortality although the optimal management of asymptomatic events remains unclear. Specific challenges in paediatrics include the diagnosis of thrombosis, delivery and monitoring of anticoagulation in a wide range of ages from neonates through to adolescents. The development of the haemostatic system as children age results in changing pathophysiology of thrombosis and response to anticoagulation agents. Although registry and observational studies have provided vital information, specific paediatric, prospective anticoagulation studies have been few and limited in design. The result is that much of current practice is extrapolated from adult studies. Traditional anticoagulants have significant limitations. Both heparin and warfarin are in widespread use but many fundamental questions regarding dose, therapeutic range, efficacy and optimum duration have not been fully answered. Alternative agents, such as direct thrombin inhibitors and the selective anti‐factor Xa inhibitor fondaparinux, may have advantages for children. Clinical trials in adults and preliminary data in children are promising but caution should be applied until specific paediatric studies have demonstrated safety and efficacy.
Salvage therapy with nelarabine, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide in relapsed/refractory paediatric T‐cell lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphoma
Authors: Commander Leah A. , Seif Alix E. , Insogna Iris G. , Rheingold Susan R.
Published: May 2010

A combination of 5 d of nelarabine (AraG) with 5 d of etoposide (VP) and cyclophosphamide (CPM) and prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy was used as salvage therapy in seven children with refractory or relapsed T‐cell leukaemia or lymphoma. The most common side effects attributable to the AraG included Grade 2 and 3 sensory and motor neuropathy and musculoskeletal pain. Haematological toxicity was greater for the combination than AraG alone, although median time to neutrophil and platelet recovery was consistent with other salvage therapies. All patients had some response to the combined therapy and five of the seven went into complete remission after one or two courses of AraG/VP/CPM. Our experience supports the safety of giving AraG as salvage therapy in synchrony with etoposide and cyclophosphamide, although neurological toxicity must be closely monitored.
PINCH‐2 expression in cancers involving serosal effusions using quantitative PCR
Authors: Yuan Y. , Dong H. P. , Nymoen D. A. , Nesland J. M. , Wu C. , Davidson B.
Published: May 2010

Y. Yuan, H. P. Dong, D. A. Nymoen, J. M. Nesland, C. Wu and B. Davidson PINCH‐2 expression in cancers involving serosal effusions using quantitative PCR

Objective:  The PINCH‐2 gene was previously shown to be overexpressed in malignant mesothelioma compared with ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma in Affymetrix array analysis. The objective of the present study was to validate this finding at the mRNA and protein level.

Methods:  Effusions (n = 91; 71 ovarian and 10 breast carcinomas, 10 malignant mesotheliomas) were assayed for PINCH‐2 mRNA expression using quantitative PCR. PINCH‐2 protein expression was analysed in 37 effusions using flow cytometry.

Results:  Quantitative PCR analysis showed significantly higher PINCH‐2 mRNA levels in mesotheliomas compared with carcinomas (P = 0.004). Values of <10 copies were found exclusively in carcinoma effusions (25.4% of ovarian and 50% of breast carcinomas). However, PINCH‐2 protein expression by flow cytometry did not differ significantly between the three cancer types. No association was observed between PINCH‐2 levels and patient survival or expression of previously‐studied molecules related to adhesion, metastasis and apoptosis inhibition in ovarian carcinoma.

Conclusions:  Our data suggest that PINCH‐2 mRNA is overexpressed in malignant mesothelioma compared with carcinomas involving serosal cavities, and that low levels of this gene argue against the diagnosis of mesothelioma. The frequent PINCH‐2 protein expression in all three studied cancers suggests a role for this molecule in cancer cell biology in effusions and merits further research.
Impacts of drought and predicted effects of climate change on fish growth in temperate Australian lakes
Authors: MORRONGIELLO JOHN R. , CROOK DAVID A. , KING ALISON J. , RAMSEY DAVID S. L. , BROWN PAUL
Published: May 2010

Climate change is expected to negatively impact many freshwater environments due to reductions in stream‐flow and increases in temperature. These conditions, however, can already be found today in areas experiencing significant drought; current observations of species' responses to droughts can be used to make predictions about their future responses to climate change. Using otolith analysis, we recreated golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) growth chronologies from two temperate lake populations in southeastern Australia over a 15‐year period pre‐ and during a supraseasonal drought. We related interannual growth variation to landscape‐scale changes in temperature and hydrological regimes: fish growth declined as water levels in the lakes dropped during the drought, but this effect was offset by increased growth in warmer years. We hypothesize that golden perch are responding to fluctuations in food availability and intraspecific competition related to water level and to an optimization of physiological growth conditions related to increases in growing season length. Based on our analyses, we made predictions of future growth under a number of climate change scenarios that incorporate forecast deviations in stream‐flows and air temperature. Despite climatic models predicting significant declines in future water availability, fish growth may increase due to a disproportionate lengthening of the growing season. As the two lakes are at the limit of the southerly range of golden perch, our results are consistent with previous findings of climate‐change driven latitudinal range shifts in a poleward direction. We discuss assumptions concerning the constancy of ecological interactions into the future that warrant further study. Our research provides a novel application of biochronological analysis that could be used elsewhere to further our knowledge of species responses to changing environments.
The reaction norm of size and age at maturity under multiple predator risk
Authors: Beckerman Andrew P. , Rodgers Gwendolene M. , Dennis Stuart R.
Published: May 2010

1. Two major theories underpin our understanding of how predation risk shapes life history. The first is centred around predator induced changes in activity that subsequently reduce food intake and thus growth. The second is centred around size selective, predator induced changes in development.

2. Here, we challenge these theories using experiments and probabilistic models of maturation reaction norms to investigate predator induced life history in the water fleaDaphnia pulexfacing two different predators.

3. We combine this reaction norm investigation with an assessment of growth rate, development rate, moult number and moult duration to uncover the mechanisms controlling predator induced life history plasticity whenD. pulexface either large or small size selective predators.

4. The probabilistic reaction norms reveal predator specific norms of reaction in size and age along a food gradient. Fish cues reduce age and size, with a bias in age, and do so by reducing moult number and duration. Midge cues increase age and size, with a bias in size, and do so by fine scale modulation of early growth rates.

5. These data contribute towards developing a unified view of how predation risk from multiple predators shapes life history evolution.
Linkages of plant traits to soil properties and the functioning of temperate grassland
Authors: Orwin Kate H. , Buckland Sarah M. , Johnson David , Turner Benjamin L. , Smart Simon , Oakley Simon , Bardgett Richard D.
Published: May 2010

1. Global change is likely to alter plant community structure, with consequences for the structure and functioning of the below‐ground community and potential feedbacks to climate change. Understanding the mechanisms behind these plant–soil interactions and feedbacks to the Earth‐system is therefore crucial. One approach to understanding such mechanisms is to use plant traits as predictors of functioning.

2. We used a field‐based monoculture experiment involving nine grassland species that had been growing on the same base soil for 7 years to test whether leaf, litter and root traits associated with different plant growth strategies can be linked to an extensive range of soil properties relevant to carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Soil properties included the biomass and structure of the soil microbial community, soil nutrients, soil microclimate and soil process rates.

3. Plant species with a high relative growth rate (RGR) were associated with high leaf and litter quality (e.g. low toughness, high nitrogen concentrations), an elevated biomass of bacteria relative to fungi in soil, high rates of soil nitrogen mineralization and concentrations of extractable inorganic nitrogen, and to some extent higher available phosphorus pools.

4. In contrast to current theory, species with a high RGR and litter quality were associated with soils with a lower rate of soil respiration and slow decomposition rates. This indicates that predicting processes that influence carbon cycling from plant traits may be more complex than predicting processes that influence nitrogen and phosphorus cycling.

5. Root traits did not show strong relationships to RGR, leaf or litter traits, but were strongly correlated with several soil properties, particularly the biomass of bacteria relative to fungi in soil and measures relating to soil carbon cycling.

6. Synthesis. Our results indicate that plant species from a single habitat can result in significant divergence in soil properties and functioning when grown in monoculture, and that many of these changes are strongly and predictably linked to variation in plant traits associated with different growth strategies. Traits therefore have the potential to be a powerful tool for understanding the mechanisms behind plant–soil interactions and ecosystem functioning, and for predicting how changes in plant species composition associated with global change will feedback to the Earth‐system.
Experimental investigation of the importance of litterfall in lowland semi‐evergreen tropical forest nutrient cycling
Authors: Sayer Emma J. , Tanner Edmund V. J.
Published: May 2010

1. The cycling of nutrients in litterfall is considered a key mechanism in the maintenance of tropical forest fertility but its importance has rarely been quantified experimentally.

2. We carried out a long‐term (5 years), large‐scale litter manipulation experiment in lowland semi‐evergreen tropical forest to determine how changes in litterfall affect forest nutrient cycling. We hypothesized that: (i) long‐term litter removal would decrease the forest’s nutrient supply; (ii) litter addition would increase the forest’s nutrient supply; (iii) soil and foliar nutrient concentrations would change in response to litter manipulation and would eventually affect above‐ground productivity.

3. To test our hypotheses, we measured trunk growth, litterfall, and nutrient concentrations in live leaves, litter and soil in plots where litter was removed once a month (L−), litter was added once a month (L+) and controls (CT).

4. After 5 years, the concentration of nitrate in the soil and soil stocks of inorganic nitrogen were higher in the L+ plots and lower in the L− plots compared to the controls. Ammonium concentrations in the soil were also lower in the L− plots. Nitrogen in leaves and litter and the annual nitrogen return by litter were higher in the L+ plots, while potassium return was lower in the L− plots. Surprisingly, our treatments had little effect on phosphorus in soil, leaves or litter, even though lowland tropical forests are generally thought to be largely phosphorus limited.

5. Trunk growth of large trees was not affected by litter manipulation but rainy season litterfall from 2003 to 2008 was 13% higher in the L+ plots compared to the controls.

6. Synthesis. Litter removal affected forest nutrient cycling and productivity less than expected, probably because the soil at our site is moderately fertile. However, litter addition increased litterfall indicating that some limitation of forest production was removed by litter addition. We expected strong effects of litter manipulation on phosphorus cycling; instead, we found a stronger effect on nitrogen cycling. Our results suggest that litter is an important source of nutrients, in particular nitrogen, to trees in this lowland semi‐evergreen tropical forest.
Localization and induction of the A2 virulence factor in Leishmania: evidence that A2 is a stress response protein
Authors: McCall Laura‐Isobel , Matlashewski Greg
Published: May 2010

Leishmaniasis is a vector‐borne infectious disease with a wide range of pathologies depending on the species of Leishmania. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by the sand fly vector as promastigotes; within the mammalian host, Leishmania parasites differentiate into amastigotes and replicate in macrophages. The A2 protein from Leishmania donovani is expressed predominantly in amastigotes and therefore likely plays a role in survival in the mammalian host. In the present study, we have determined that the A2 protein colocalized with the Leishmania endoplasmic reticulum binding protein, BiP, was induced by stress and complexed with BiP following heat shock. The A2 gene in Leishmania major is a non‐expressed pseudogene, and we present evidence that ectopic expression of a transfected A2 gene in L. major enhanced its viability following heat shock. A2 may therefore play a role in protecting L. donovani from stress associated with infection in visceral organs, including the fever typically associated with visceral leishmaniasis. Interestingly, when comparing A2 protein localization, we also observed that the Leishmania secreted acid phosphatase SAcP protein was transported out of the parasite‐containing phagolysosome and was located throughout the macrophage cytoplasm in vesicles, providing the first example of a secreted Leishmania‐derived protein exiting the parasite‐containing phagolysosome.
Freeze avoidance: a dehydrating moss gathers no ice
Authors: LENNÉ THOMAS , BRYANT GARY , HOCART CHARLES H. , HUANG CHENG X. , BALL MARILYN C.
Published: May 2010

Using cryo‐SEM with EDX fundamental structural and mechanical properties of the moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. were studied in relation to tolerance of freezing temperatures. In contrast to more complex plants, no ice accumulated within the moss during the freezing event. External ice induced desiccation with the response being a function of cell type; water‐filled hydroid cells cavitated and were embolized at −4 °C while parenchyma cells of the inner cortex exhibited cytorrhysis, decreasing to ∼20% of their original volume at a nadir temperature of −20 °C. Chlorophyll fluorescence showed that these winter acclimated mosses displayed no evidence of damage after thawing from −20 °C while GCMS showed that sugar concentrations were not sufficient to confer this level of freezing tolerance. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry showed internal ice nucleation occurred in hydrated moss at ∼−12 °C while desiccated moss showed no evidence of freezing with lowering of nadir temperature to −20 °C. Therefore the rapid dehydration of the moss provides an elegantly simple solution to the problem of freezing; remove that which freezes.
Bacterial pathogens of rice in the Kingdom of Cambodia and description of a new pathogen causing a serious sheath rot disease
Authors: Cother E. J. , Noble D. H. , Van De Ven R. J. , Lanoiselet V. , Ash G. , Vuthy N. , Visarto P. , Stodart B.
Published: May 2010

A study of rice diseases in Cambodia from 2005 to 2007 showed widespread occurrence of diseases caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae, Burkholderia gladioli, B. cepacia and Pantoea ananatis. This is the first report of these pathogens in Cambodia. Additionally, a pseudomonad causing a widespread disease similar to sheath brown rot (caused by Pseudomonas fuscovaginae) was isolated. The studied strains were pathogenic to rice cvs Sen Pidau and IR 66, producing similar, though slightly less severe, symptoms to those observed in the field. Based on comparative 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis, combined with cell wall fatty acid analysis and metabolic profiles, the isolated strains were allocated to the genus Pseudomonas. The novel species were differentiated from Pseudomonas fuscovaginae and P. putida by their inability to metabolize d‐fructose, d‐galactose, d‐galactonic acid lactone, d‐galacturonic acid, d‐glucosaminic acid, d‐glucuronic acid, p‐hydroxy phenylacetic acid, d‐saccharic acid and urocanic acid. The major fatty acids were C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and C16:1ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c), representing 80% of the total. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences (1460 bp) were identical, except for two nucleotide changes amongst the six strains. Alignment of the causal strains within type‐culture databases revealed similarities of 99·7% with Pseudomonas parafulva AJ 2129T, 99·2% with P. fulva IAM 1592T, 98·9% with P. plecoglossicidia FPC 951T, and 98·1% with P. fuscovaginae MAFF 301177T. On the basis of data from this polyphasic study, it is proposed that the unknown strains isolated from rice represent a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas.
Idiopathic generalized sebaceous gland hyperplasia of the Border terrier: a morphometric study
Authors: Dedola Carla , Ressel Lorenzo , Hill Peter B. , Van Den Broek Adri H. M. , Thoday Keith L.
Published: May 2010

Skin biopsies from five Border terriers with histologically confirmed idiopathic, generalized sebaceous gland hyperplasia (Group A) were compared morphometrically to those from four unaffected Border terriers (Group B) and the unaffected dogs to biopsies from four other terrier breeds (Group C). Dogs in Group A had significantly higher numbers of sebaceous gland lobules per hair follicle than those in Group B (P = 0.020) but there was no significant difference between Groups B and C. The total sebaceous gland lobular area per hair follicle was significantly higher in dogs in Group A than Group B (P = 0.020) but there were no differences between Groups B and C. There were no significant differences in the size of the individual sebaceous gland lobules. There were no significant differences in the total number of basal or mature sebocytes between Groups A and B but significantly lower numbers of both cell types were seen in Group C compared to Group B. There were significantly more basal sebaceous cells undergoing mitosis in dogs in Group A than Group B (P = 0.017) but no significant difference between Groups B and C. These results indicate that the physical signs of sebaceous gland hyperplasia are caused by an increase in the number of sebaceous gland lobules and total lobular area. Border terriers may be genetically predisposed to the development of idiopathic generalized sebaceous gland hyperplasia compared with other dog breeds but also to sebaceous gland hyperplasia secondary to other dermatopathies.
Prevalence of genes for enterotoxins, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 and exfoliative toxin among clinical isolates ofStaphylococcus pseudintermediusfrom canine origin
Authors: Yoon Jang W. , Lee Gi‐Jong , Lee So‐Young , Park Chul , Yoo Jong‐Hyun , Park Hee‐Myung
Published: May 2010

A total of 74Staphylococcus pseudintermediusstrains were isolated from the 99 clinical cases of canine pyoderma or chronic otitis in our veterinary teaching hospital during May 2006–February 2008. In this study, we examined the genetic distribution of staphylococcal pyogenic toxins such as staphylococcal enterotoxins A (sea), B (seb), C (sec), D (sed), E (see), and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (tst) as well as the previously characterizedS. intermediusexfoliative toxin (siet) among those isolates. The polymerase chain reaction analyses with the toxin gene‐specific primers revealed that 18 (24.3%) of 74S. pseudintermediusisolates carried thesecgenes, but none of thesea,seb,sed,seeandtstgenes. Further DNA sequencing analysis of the amplifiedsecgenes revealed that they all belonged to the canine type C staphylococcal enterotoxin (SECcanine) whose superantigenic activity has been demonstrated. In addition to theseccaninegenes, our polymerase chain reaction results showed that all the 74 isolates carried thesietgene. Since both SECcanineand SIET toxins are known to be biologically active, it would be interesting to investigate how those toxins are involved in the pathogenesis of the canine diseases byS. pseudintermediussuch as pyoderma or chronic otitis.
STEREOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON CYCLIC PEPTIDES.
Authors: Sarathy K. P. , Ramakrishnan C.
Published: May 2010

A study of the conformational states of cyclic hexapeptides has been made, based on energy of conformations. Structures of cyclohexaalanyl and cyclohexaglycyl with twofold symmetry and having intracyclic 4 → 1 type of hydrogen bonds have been considered, taking into account hydrogen‐bonding, electrostatic interactions, and torsional distortions in addition to non‐bonded interaction.

The results indicate that the conformation with the lowest energy is the same when the different energy factors are taken into account, both in the case of cyclohexaalanyl and in the case of cyclohexaglycyl. When the different types of conformations are compared, the effect of electrostatic interaction increases the difference in energy between the two possible different types of conformation A and B in the case of cyclohexaalanyl and A' and B in the case of cyclohexaglycyl, compared to the non‐bonded contribution alone. When the hydrogen‐bonding effect is included in addition to electrostatic and non‐bonded van der Waals interaction, the differences are brought down and the interpretations based on this are similar to those obtained from considering non‐bonded van der Waals interaction alone. Also, the most stable conformation is not the same as the one with the lowest hydrogen‐bond energy alone. The torsional and bond angle distortions do not appreciably affect the relative stabilities of these conformations. The theoretical results are compared with the available experimental data.
INHIBITION BY BACITRACIN OF SOME HYDROLYTIC ENZYMES
Authors: Mäkinen Kauko K.
Published: May 2010

Bacitracin was seen to inhibit noncompetitively the papain‐catalyzed hydrolysis of N‐benzoyl‐DL‐arginyl‐2‐naphthylamine and the hydrolysis of N‐L‐leucyl‐2‐naphthyl‐amine catalyzed by subtilisin, papain, and leucine aminopeptidase. Alkaline phosphatase of E. coli, aminopeptidase B of rat liver, and trypsin were not affected to any noticeable extent. α‐Chymotrypsin was only slightly inhibited. The bacitracin preparation studied was not found to contain zinc (when determined with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer). The values of K i for the inhibition of papain, subtilisin, and leucine aminopeptidase were determined to be 5.0, 4.5, and 2.0 mM, respectively. The values of the maximum velocity, V, and the substrate constant, K s, at different concentrations of bacitracin were calculated for trypsin, papain, subtilisin, and leucine amino‐peptidase by the aid of a computer program using the Hanes' equation. Bacitracin also inhibited some aminopeptidase‐like enzymes of human fetal liver, human oral fluid, and gingiva. The enzymes hydrolyzing N‐L‐leucyl‐2‐naphthylamine were the strongest inhibited and those hydrolyzing N‐L‐prolyl‐2‐naphthylamine the least inhibited. The selective effect of bacitracin was explained in terms of substrate specificity of the enzymes and in terms of different topology of enzyme surface around the active site. The enzymes which were inhibited more strongly (papain, subtilisin, and leucine aminopeptidase) were considered to be inhibited due to the “open” structure of their active centers.
STUDIES ON INHERITED ANTIGENIC VARIATION OF HUMAN SERUM β‐LIPOPROTEIN BY PASSIVE HEMAGGLUTINATION. IV. Studies on the Antibodies in Two Non‐Precipitating Sera
Authors: Boman Helge
Published: May 2010

Two non‐precipitating isoantisera (OB and HSH) to β‐lipoprotein antigens have been studied. The anti‐Ag(x) antibody in serum OB was identified as IgG by DEAE‐cellulose chromatography. The antibody in serum HSH exhibited different properties on ion exchange chromatography. A small proportion of the antibody activity was due to IgG, but most of the activity could be due to IgA or to IgG with an electrical charge different from that of the OB antibody. Isolated and concentrated IgG from serum OB gave precipitations in agar gel with positive sera, whereas concentrated fractions containing the HSH antibody did not possess precipitating capacity.
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF SHEEP PITUITARY GROWTH HORMONE
Authors: Li Choh Hao , Dixon Jonathan S. , Gordon Daniel , Knorr Jean
Published: May 2010

Determination of the primary structure was carried out on sheep pituitary growth hormone. Comparison of the proposed structure with that of human and bovine growth hormones reveals differences.
PURIFICATION AND PHYSICO‐CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF 11S GLOBULIN IN SOYBEAN SEEDS
Authors: Koshiyama Ikunori
Published: May 2010

11S globulin, the major storage protein of soybean seeds, was isolated to be homogeneous in ultracentrifugation, disc electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing by a comparatively simple method using gel filtration on Sephadex G‐100 and G‐200 columns with a good yield. The protein had the molecular weights of 309,000–322,000 by three separate methods based on different principles. Subsequently, some physico‐chemical properties of the protein were determined. For example, sedimentation coefficient, isoelectric point, intrinsic viscosity and absorptivity constant were 12.2S, pH 4.64, 0.0485 dl/g and 8.04, respectively. Optical rotatory dispersion studies of the protein gave the values of a0 = —246 and b0 = —33. The contents of α‐helix and β structure calculated from these parameters were estimated to be 5.2% and 34.8%, respectively.
PRECISION NEUTRON DIFFRACTION STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID COMPONENTS. IV. The Crystal and Molecular Structure of the Amino Acid L‐Histidine
Authors: Lehmann M. S. , Koetzle T. F. , Hamilton W. C.
Published: May 2010

A neutron diffraction study of orthorhombic L‐histidine, C6H9N3O2, has been carried out. The structure belongs to space group P212121, with four molecules per unit cell. Cell parameters are: a = 5.175 (5) Å, b = 7.315 (8) Å and c = 18.75 (2) Å. A total of 618 unique reflections were used in the least‐squares refinement leading to a final conventional R‐value of 5.8%. The atomic coordinates found for the non‐hydrogen atoms agree well with those from a previous X‐ray study (1). The molecule is in the zwitterion form, and the molecular conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between an ammonium group hydrogen and the imidazole group and an electrostatic interaction between an ammonium group hydrogen and a carboxyl oxygen. The N‐Cα‐C‐O2group is found to be nonplanar. Distances between non‐hydrogen atoms and the distances in the ammonium group have been corrected for rigid‐body motion. The molecules are bonded together by hydrogen bonds to form chains in the c‐axis direction of the crystal. There is no protonation of the imidazole ring.
THERMOPHILIC AMINOPEPTIDASES FROM BAC. STEAROTHERMOPHILUS.
Authors: Roncari G. , Zuber H. , Wyttenbach A.
Published: May 2010

Neutron activation analysis of AP I isolated in the presence of 10‐3 M Co2+ indicated 20.4 g atoms cobalt and 2.5 g atoms zinc bound per molecule (API isol. co, Zn) The apoenzyme contains 0.90 g atoms cobalt, and after recombination of the apoenzyme in the presence of 10‐3 M Co2+ or Zn2+, 17.8 g atoms cobalt (AP Irec.Co) or 0.74 g atoms cobalt and 16.0 g atoms zinc (AP Irec.Zn), respectively, are bound per molecule. The AP Irec.Zn has only 5% of the activity of the AP Iisol.Co,Zn but is more thermostable in metal free (Co2+ or Zn2+) buffer. The zinc atoms are more strongly bound in the zinc enzyme.
SEQUENCE STUDIES ON THE TRYPTIC PEPTIDES AND THE CHYMOTRYPTIC PEPTIDES FROM THE α POLYPEPTIDE CHAIN OF All COMPONENT OF THE CHICKEN HEMOGLOBIN
Authors: Matsuda Genji , Takei Hiroshi , Wu Ku Chayu , Shiozawa Tsuneo , Ota Yoko
Published: May 2010

Tryptic peptides and chymotryptic peptides from a polypeptide chain in All component of adult chicken hemoglobin were isolated and purified by using column chromatography and paper chromatography. Furthermore amino acid sequence analyses of these peptides were performed mainly by redigestion with enzyme, the PTC method and the DNP method. From the result of these experiments, the primary structure of this a polypeptide chain was determined. That is, a polypeptide chain in All component from adult chicken hemoglobin consisted of 141 amino acids. In comparison with the primary structure of a polypeptide chain from adult human hemoglobin, amino acid sequence exchanges were found at 35 positions, and with a polypeptide chain from horse hemoglobin, amino acid sequence exchanges were found at 40 positions.
A SOLID PHASE‐FRAGMENT APPROACH TO PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS.
Authors: Wang Su‐Sun , Merrifield R. B.
Published: May 2010

The t‐alkyloxycarbonylhydrazide‐resin, H2NNHCOOC(CH3)2CH2CH2‐copolystyrene‐divinylbenzene, was applied to the solid phase synthesis of a protected decapeptide hydrazide, Z‐Ala‐Val‐Ser(Bzl)‐Ile‐GIn‐Phe‐Met(O)‐Asn‐Leu‐NHNH2, and the t‐alkyl alcohol‐resin, HO‐C(CH3)2CH2CH2‐copolystyrene‐divinylbenzene, was applied to the synthesis of Z‐Lys(Z)‐Phe‐Phe‐Gly‐OH. The protected tetrapeptide was coupled to H‐Leu‐Met‐OCH3 by a fragment condensation in solution to give the protected hexapeptide, which was converted by ammonolysis and deprotection with hot trifluoroacetic acid to the active analog of eledoisin, H‐Lys‐Phe‐Phe‐Gly‐Leu‐Met‐NH2
AMINO ACID COMPOSITIONS AND N‐TERMINAL AMINO ACID OF ALL THE TRYPTIC PEPTIDES FROM THE α AND β POLYPEPTIDE CHAINS OF ADULT HEMOGLOBIN OF THE JAPANESE MONKEY (Macaca fuscata fuscata)
Authors: Matsuda Genji , Maita Tetsuo , Ota Hisahiro , Araya Aiko , Tachikawa Isamu , Terao Yoji , Tanaka Yoshiro
Published: May 2010

Globin prepared from adult hemoglobin of the Japanese monkey was separated into α and β polypeptide chains by the countercurrent distribution method. All the tryptic peptides obtained from these polypeptide chains were isolated and purified by column and paper chromatography. The amino acid compositions and the N‐terminal amino acid of these tryptic peptides were analyzed. The results thus obtained suggested amino acid exchanges between Japanese monkey and human hemoglobin, that is, at four positions in α polypeptide chain and seven positions in β polypeptide chain. In comparison with the α and β polypeptide chains of adult hemoglobin from the rhesus monkey, the α chain is quite the same, and it is considered that there is one amino acid exchange in the β chains.

The outline of this work was presented at Symposium 5 (Biochemical Polymorphisms in Man and Other Primates and their Anthropological Implications) of the 8th International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Science (3–10 September 1968, Tokyo
HYDROGEN ION TITRATION STUDY OF THE HISTIDINE RESIDUES OF HORSE MYOGLOBIN
Authors: Janssen L.H.M. , de Bruin S.H. , van Os G.A.J.
Published: May 2010

The hydrogen ion titration curves of horse cyanometmyoglobin and metmyoglobin have been measured between pH 5.5 and 9.5. The most likely explanation of the titration results of cyanometmyoglobin is that 6 histidines are titratable with an intrinsic pK of 6.8 and an electrostatic interaction factor w of 0.150; in addition the results indicate that the total number of titratable carboxyl groups is 25, two more than calculated from the covalent structure of horse myoglobin. The titration behavior of metmyoglobin is explicable assuming the presence of one extra group as compared to cyanometmyoglobin with a pK near 9, which contributes to the maximum positive charge.
ADRENOCORTICOTROPIN. 43. THE SYNTHESIS AND STEROIDOGENIC ACTIVITY OF [2‐N‐METHYLPHENYLALANINE]‐ADRENOCORTICOTROPIN‐(1–19)*
Authors: Blake James , Li Choh Hao
Published: May 2010

[2‐N‐Methylphenylalanine]‐α1–19‐ACTH has been synthesized by the solid‐phase method and its steroidogenic potency has been measured. The result indicates that the introduction of an N‐methyl substituent at Position 2 does not increase steroidogenic response, even though the resultant peptide was shown to be more resistant to exopeptidase digestion.