bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control of somite patterning by signals from the lateral plate.
Authors: Pourquié O , Coltey M , Bréant C , Le Douarin N M
Published: May 2006

The body musculature of higher vertebrates is composed of the epaxial muscles, associated with the vertebral column, and of the hypaxial muscles of the limbs and ventro-lateral body wall. Both sets of muscles arise from different cell populations within the dermomyotomal component of the somite. Myogenesis first occurs in the medial somitic cells that will form the epaxial muscles and starts with a significant delay in cells derived from the lateral somitic moiety that migrate to yield the hypaxial muscles. The newly formed somite is mostly composed of unspecified cells, and the determination of somitic compartments toward specific lineages is controlled by environmental cues. In this report, we show that determinant signals for lateral somite specification are provided by the lateral plate. They result in a blockade of the myogenic program, which maintains the lateral somitic cells as undifferentiated muscle progenitors expressing the Pax-3 gene, and represses the activation of the MyoD family genes. In vivo, this mechanism could account for the delay observed in the onset of myogenesis between muscles of the epaxial and hypaxial domains.
A sampling problem in molecular dynamics simulations of macromolecules.
Authors: Clarage J B , Romo T , Andrews B K , Pettitt B M , Phillips G N
Published: May 2006

Correlations in low-frequency atomic displacements predicted by molecular dynamics simulations on the order of 1 ns are undersampled for the time scales currently accessible by the technique. This is shown with three different representations of the fluctuations in a macromolecule: the reciprocal space of crystallography using diffuse x-ray scattering data, real three-dimensional Cartesian space using covariance matrices of the atomic displacements, and the 3N-dimensional configuration space of the protein using dimensionally reduced projections to visualize the extent to which phase space is sampled.
Identification of two flavivirus-like genomes in the GB hepatitis agent.
Authors: Simons J N , Pilot-Matias T J , Leary T P , Dawson G J , Desai S M , Schlauder G G , Muerhoff A S , Erker J C , Buijk S L , Chalmers M L
Published: May 2006

A subtractive PCR methodology known as representational difference analysis was used to clone specific nucleotide sequences present in the infectious plasma from a tamarin infected with the GB hepatitis agent. Eleven unique clones were identified, seven of which were examined extensively. All seven clones appeared to be derived from sequences exogenous to the genomes of humans, tamarins, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli. In addition, sequences from these clones were not detected in plasma or liver tissue of tamarins prior to their inoculation with the GB agent. These sequences were detected by reverse transcription-PCR in acute-phase plasma of tamarins inoculated with the GB agent. Probes derived from two of the seven clones detected an RNA species of > or = 8.3 kb in the liver of a GB-agent-infected tamarin by Northern blot hybridization. Sequence analysis indicated that five of the seven clones encode polypeptides that possess limited amino acid identity with the nonstructural proteins of hepatitis C virus. Extension of the sequences found in the seven clones revealed that plasma from an infected tamarin contained two RNA molecules > 9 kb long. Limited sequence identity with various isolates of hepatitis C virus and the relative positions of putative RNA helicases and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases in the predicted protein products of these molecules suggested that the GB agent contains two unique flavivirus-like genomes.
Auxins induce clustering of the auxin-binding protein at the surface of maize coleoptile protoplasts.
Authors: Diekmann W , Venis M A , Robinson D G
Published: May 2006

The predominant localization of the major auxin-binding protein (ABP1) of maize is within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Nevertheless, all the electrophysiological evidence supporting a receptor role for ABP1 implies that a functionally important fraction of the protein must reside at the outer face of the plasma membrane. Using methods of protoplast preparation designed to minimize proteolysis, we report the detection of ABP at the surface of maize coleoptile protoplasts by the technique of silver-enhanced immunogold viewed by epipolarization microscopy. We also show that ABP clusters following auxin treatment and that this response is temperature-dependent and auxin-specific.
Phosphorylation of ubiquitin-activating enzyme in cultured cells.
Authors: Cook J C , Chock P B
Published: May 2006

Ubiquitin-activating enzyme, E1, is the first enzyme in the pathway leading to formation of ubiquitin-protein conjugates. E1 exists as two isoforms in human cells which are separable by electrophoresis. These isoforms migrate with apparent molecular sizes of 110 kDa and 117 kDa in SDS/polyacrylamide gels. Immunoprecipitation of E1 from lysates of HeLa cells metabolically labeled with [32P]phosphate indicated the presence of a phosphorylated form of E1 which migrates at 117 kDa. Phospho amino acid analysis identified serine as the phosphorylated residue in E1. Phosphorylated E1 was also detected in normal and transformed cells from another human cell line. Phosphatase-catalyzed dephosphorylation of E1 in vitro did not eliminate the 117-kDa E1 isoform detected by Coomassie staining after SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, thereby demonstrating that phosphorylation is not the sole structural feature differentiating the isoforms of E1. These observations suggest new hypotheses concerning mechanisms of metabolic regulation of the ubiquitin conjugation pathway.
Adaptive plasticity in hatching age: a response to predation risk trade-offs.
Authors: Warkentin K M
Published: May 2006

The life histories of many animals are characterized by niche shifts, the timing of which can strongly affect fitness. In the tree frog Agalychnis callidryas, which has arboreal eggs, there is a trade-off between predation risks before and after hatching. When eggs are attacked by snakes, tadpoles escape by hatching rapidly and falling into the water below. Eggs not attacked by snakes hatch later, when newly emerged tadpoles are less vulnerable to aquatic predators. Plasticity in hatching allows embryos to use immediate, local information on risk of mortality to make instantaneous behavioral decisions about hatching and the accompanying shift from arboreal to aquatic habitats.
In vivo estradiol-dependent dephosphorylation of the repressor MDBP-2-H1 correlates with the loss of in vitro preferential binding to methylated DNA.
Authors: Bruhat A , Jost J P
Published: May 2006

We have previously shown that estradiol treatment of roosters resulted in a rapid loss of binding activity of the repressor MDBP-2-H1 (a member of the histone H1 family) to methylated DNA that was not due to a decrease in MDBP-2-H1 concentration. Here we demonstrate that MDBP-2-H1 from rooster liver nuclear extracts is a phosphoprotein. Phosphoamino acid analysis reveals that the phosphorylation occurs exclusively on serine residues. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tryptic phosphopeptide analysis show that MDBP-2-H1 is phosphorylated at several sites. Treatment of roosters with estradiol triggers a dephosphorylation of at least two sites in the protein. Phosphatase treatment of purified rooster MDBP-2-H1 combined with gel mobility shift assay indicates that phosphorylation of MDBP-2-H1 is essential for the binding to methylated DNA and that the dephosphorylation can occur on the protein bound to methylated DNA causing its release from DNA. Thus, these results suggest that in vivo modification of the phosphorylation status of MDBP-2-H1 caused by estradiol treatment may be a key step for the down regulation of its binding to methylated DNA.
Rescue, propagation, and partial purification of a helper virus-dependent adenovirus vector.
Authors: Mitani K , Graham F L , Caskey C T , Kochanek S
Published: May 2006

Adenoviral vectors are widely used as highly efficient gene transfer vehicles in a variety of biological research strategies including human gene therapy. One of the limitations of the currently available adenoviral vector system is the presence of the majority of the viral genome in the vector, resulting in leaky expression of viral genes particularly at high multiplicity of infection and limited cloning capacity of exogenous sequences. As a first step to overcome this problem, we attempted to rescue a defective human adenovirus serotype 5 DNA, which had an essential region of the viral genome (L1, L2, VAI + II, pTP) deleted and replaced with an indicator gene. In the presence of wild-type adenovirus as a helper, this DNA was packaged and propagated as transducing viral particles. After several rounds of amplification, the titer of the recombinant virus reached at least 4 x 10(6) transducing particles per ml. The recombinant virus could be partially purified from the helper virus by CsCl equilibrium density-gradient centrifugation. The structure of the recombinant virus around the marker gene remained intact after serial propagation, while the pBR sequence inserted in the E1 region was deleted from the recombinant virus. Our results suggest that it should be possible to develop a helper-dependent adenoviral vector, which does not encode any viral proteins, as an alternative to the currently available adenoviral vector systems.
Electrical and synaptic properties of embryonic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons in explant cultures.
Authors: Kusano K , Fueshko S , Gainer H , Wray S
Published: May 2006

Voltage- and ligand-activated channels in embryonic neurons containing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) were studied by patch-pipette, whole-cell current and voltage clamp techniques. LHRH neurons were maintained in explant cultures derived from olfactory pit regions of embryonic mice. Cells were marked intracellularly with Lucifer yellow following recording. Sixty-two cells were unequivocally identified as LHRH neurons by Lucifer yellow and LHRH immunocytochemistry. The cultured LHRH neurons had resting potentials around -50 mV, exhibited spontaneous discharges generated by intrinsic and/or synaptic activities and contained a time-dependent inward rectifier (Iir). Voltage clamp analysis of ionic currents in the LHRH neuron soma revealed a tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ current (INa) and two major types of K+ currents, a transient current (IA), a delayed rectifier current (IK) and low- and high-voltage-activated Ca2+ currents. Spontaneous depolarizing synaptic potentials and depolarizations induced by direct application of gamma-aminobutyrate were both inhibited by picrotoxin or bicuculline, demonstrating the presence of functional gamma-aminobutyrate type A synapses on these neurons. Responses to glutamate were found in LHRH neurons in older cultures. Thus, embryonic LHRH neurons not yet positioned in their postnatal environment in the forebrain contained a highly differentiated repertoire of voltage- and ligand-gated channels.
Life-span, T-cell responses, and incidence of lymphomas in congenic mice.
Authors: Salazar M , Leong T , Tu N , Gelman R S , Watson A L , Bronson R , Iglesias A , Mann M , Good R A , Yunis E J
Published: May 2006

Survival, T-cell functions, and postmortem histopathology were studied in H-2 congenic strains of mice bearing H-2b, H-2k, and H-2d haplotypes. Males lived longer than females in all homozygous and heterozygous combinations except for H-2d homozygotes, which showed no differences between males and females. Association of heterozygosity with longer survival was observed only with H-2b/H-2b and H-2b/H-2d mice. Analysis using classification and regression trees (CART) showed that both males and females of H-2b homozygous and H-2k/H-2b mice had the shortest life-span of the strains studied. In histopathological analyses, lymphomas were noted to be more frequent in females, while hemangiosarcomas and hepatomas were more frequent in males. Lymphomas appeared earlier than hepatomas or hemangiosarcomas. The incidence of lymphomas was associated with the H-2 haplotype--e.g., H-2b homozygous mice had more lymphomas than did mice of the H-2d haplotype. More vigorous T-cell function was maintained with age (27 months) in H-2d, H-2b/H-2d, and H-2d/H-2k mice as compared with H-2b, H-2k, and H-2b/H-2k mice, which showed a decline of T-cell responses with age.
Achieving Effective Cross‐Sector R&D Collaboration: A Proposed Management Framework
Authors: Couchman Paul K. , Beckett Ron
Published: May 2006

Cross‐sector R&D collaboration, as exemplified by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre Program, is increasing in incidence due to government policies and corporate practices. While the benefits of such collaborations are widely promoted, the resulting relationships (typically involving companies, universities and public sector research agencies) can be difficult to manage so as to achieve beneficial outcomes for all partners. A management framework for establishing these collaborations is proposed. This framework is based on four tensions in cross‐sector collaborations, and it takes the perspective that knowledge created for mutual benefit is the common focus of these ventures.
Broadband Technologies in Australia 1993–98: Developing the Social Shaping of Technology Approach
1
Authors: Andrews John
Published: May 2006

The development and deployment of technologies for delivering broadband services to homes in Australia are investigated using the ‘social shaping of technology’ (SST) approach. The focus is on the period from 1993 to 1998 when there were five main technological options for delivering residential broadband services: ‘hybrid’ fibre coaxial (HFC) cable; direct broadcast satellite (DBS); multipoint microwave distribution systems (MDS); ‘Integrated Services Digital Network’ (ISDN); and ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’ (ADSL). The main broadband services planned for delivery to homes over this period were pay television and fast Internet access. A sequence of snapshots of sociotechnical relationships at critical times during the study period, termed ‘sociotechnological configurations’, is used to track the evolutionary pathway of the broadband technologies. The mapping technique assists in identifying key features and explaining the driving factors of the pathway, including why HFC cable emerged as the predominant technology, and two competing HFC cable networks were rolled out in capital cities at an additional cost of over $2 billion when a single network would have had ample capacity.
ICT and Australia’s Productivity Growth: Understanding the Relationship
1
Authors: Anderssen Harvey
Published: May 2006

This paper explores how information and communication technology has influenced Australia’s productivity performance in the 1990s, drawing on research undertaken by the Australian Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. The research uses four different approaches to assess the robustness of earlier Australian research. All approaches point to the fact that the impact of ICT on Australian productivity is greater than previously thought. Of the approaches, the GPT modelling appears to offer the greatest potential to meet the further policy challenges in a transition to an information society.
Phylogenetic position of Multicilia marina and the evolution of Amoebozoa
Authors: Nikolaev Sergey I. , Berney Cédric , Petrov Nikolai B. , Mylnikov Alexandre P. , Fahrni José F. , Pawlowski Jan
Published: May 2006

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have led to the erection of the phylum Amoebozoa, uniting naked and testate lobose amoebae, the mycetozoan slime moulds and amitochondriate amoeboid protists (Archamoebae). Molecular data together with ultrastructural evidence have suggested a close relationship between Mycetozoa and Archamoebae, classified together in the Conosea, which was named after the cone of microtubules that, when present, is characteristic of their kinetids. However, the relationships of conoseans to other amoebozoans remain unclear. Here, we obtained the complete small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence (2746 bp) of the enigmatic, multiflagellated protist Multicilia marina, which has formerly been classified either in a distinct phylum, Multiflagellata, or among lobose amoebae. Our study clearly shows that Multicilia marina belongs to the Amoebozoa. Phylogenetic analyses including 60 amoebozoan SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed that Multicilia marina branches at the base of the Conosea, together with another flagellated amoebozoan, Phalansterium solitarium, as well as with Gephyramoeba sp., Filamoeba nolandi and two unidentified amoebae. This is the first report showing strong support for a clade containing all flagellated amoebozoans and we discuss the position of the root of the phylum Amoebozoa in the light of this result.
Nocardia exalbida sp. nov., isolated from Japanese patients with nocardiosis
Authors: Iida Soji , Kageyama Akiko , Yazawa Katsukiyo , Uchiyama Noboru , Toyohara Takafumi , Chohnabayashi Naohiko , Suzuki Shin-ichi , Nomura Fumio , Kroppenstedt Reiner M. , Mikami Yuzuru
Published: May 2006

Two bacterial strains isolated from different hospitals in Japan were subjected to a polyphasic analysis. Strains IFM 0803T and IFM 10383 were found to have morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties consistent with their classification in the genus Nocardia. Strains IFM 0803T and IFM 10383 clustered with the type strain of Nocardia xishanensis, showing 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 98.6–98.9 % with this species. The novel strains could be distinguished from N. xishanensis by a range of phenotypic properties. Based on their phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, the two isolates are proposed as members of a novel species of the genus Nocardia, Nocardia exalbida sp. nov., with the type strain IFM 0803T (=NBRC 100660T=JCM 12667T=DSM 44883T).
Bacterial glycoproteomics
Authors: Hitchen Paul G. , Dell Anne
Published: May 2006

Glycosylated proteins are ubiquitous components of eukaryote cellular surfaces, where the glycan moieties are implicated in a wide range of cell–cell recognition events. Once thought to be restricted to eukaryotes, glycosylation is now being increasingly reported in prokaryotes. Many of these discoveries have grown from advances in analytical technologies and genome sequencing. This review highlights the capabilities of high-sensitivity mass spectrometry for carbohydrate structure determination of bacterial glycoproteins and the emergence of glycoproteomic strategies that have evolved from proteomics and genomics for the functional analysis of bacterial glycosylation.
A morphological and cytochemical study of erythrocytes, thrombocytes and leukocytes in four freshwater teleosts
Authors: Tavares‐Dias M.
Published: May 2006

Erythrocytes, thrombocytes and leukocytes morphology and cytochemical staining were studied in big head carp Aristichthys nobilis, oscar Astronotus ocellatus, traíra Hoplias malabaricus and lambari Astyanax bimaculatus. Reticulocytes contained a granular material similar to residual RNA following staining with brilliant cresyl blue. Neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were morphologically similar in all the four species. Thrombocytes were present in all the four species and were predominantly fusiform, whereas eosinophils occurred only in A. ocellatus. Aristichthys nobilis contained a leukocyte with unstained granules following Romanowsky‐type staining, which stained intensely with periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS). Glycogen granules were present in thrombocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils but not in monocytes or lymphocytes. Peroxidase staining was observed in neutrophils of A. ocellatus, H. malabaricus and A. bimaculatus but not in A. nobilis. Monocytes of A. ocellatus, H. malabaricus and A. bimaculatus stained positively for non‐specific esterase, whereas those of A. nobilis did not stain. Thrombocytes and leukocytes in all four species were negative for alkaline phosphatase. Neutrophils of A. ocellatus and H. malabaricus may be involved in respiratory burst and may play an important microbicidal role.
Do health visitors advise mothers about vitamin supplementation for their infants in line with government recommendations to help prevent rickets?
Authors: Cleghorn S.
Published: May 2006

Background  Increasing numbers of children are presenting with nutritional rickets. Rickets affects mainly dark‐skinned infants being breastfed for prolonged periods without vitamin supplementation. The main aim of this study was to assess health visitors’ (HV) knowledge of the government guidelines for vitamin supplementation for infants and children and the advice given to mothers.

Methods  Questionnaires were sent to all HV in Brent, Harrow and Westminster Primary Care Trusts (PCT). Information received was collated and used to assess HV knowledge.

Results  A total of 98 (69%) questionnaires were returned from HV. Seventy‐nine HV (81%) recommend vitamins for the breastfed infant at 6 months or younger, 18 of which would recommend at 1 month of age. Fifty‐six HV (57%) recommend vitamins until 5 years of age. Seventy‐nine HV correctly identified Asians to be at risk of developing rickets. However, only 28 and 16 HV, respectively, identified Black Africans and Black Caribbeans to be at risk.

Conclusion  Rickets has become a national public health issue. The majority of HVs is advising vitamin supplements according to government guidelines for breastfeeding infants and the age to which children should continue vitamin supplements. However, ethnic minority groups are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Consequently, greater awareness needs to be raised about the government guidelines for vitamin D supplementation for ethnic minorities to ensure all HVs are imparting consistent, correct advice to these families.
(Mis)interpretation of body weight in adult women and men
Authors: Steenhuis I. H. M. , Bos A. E. R. , Mayer B.
Published: May 2006

Introduction  This study examined what methods people use to determine and interpret their body weight, and what factors are associated with either an underestimation of overweight or an overestimation of a healthy body weight.

Method  The study used self‐reported data on weight and height. Data were collected by means of questionnaires (n = 722).

Results  In comparison with unaware overweight individuals, aware overweight respondents had a significantly lower score on comparing their body to that of others and on listening to remarks from others as methods to determine and interpret their body weight. The same was true for respondents with a correct perception of their healthy body weight compared with respondents who overestimated their healthy body weight. Respondents with a correct perception also had a significantly lower score on using the need to change to a different clothing size to determine body weight. Underestimation of overweight was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI), intense physical activity, knowledge of a healthy weight range and body comparison; overestimation of healthy body weight was significantly associated with gender, BMI, weight loss history and media influences.

Discussion  The study had a cross‐sectional design, and therefore no causal relations could be determined. Despite this, the study provided more insight into the way people estimate and judge their body weight.
Analysis of Antigen‐Specific and Naturally Occurring IgM and IgA Steady‐State Levels in J‐Chain Negative C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Källberg E. , Leandersson T.
Published: May 2006

Naturally occurring IgM and IgA levels are remarkably stable between different individuals. In mice lacking joining chain (J‐chain), the steady‐state levels of IgM are reduced, while IgA levels are elevated. We have here analysed the IgM and IgA responses as well as the regulation of naturally occurring antibodies in mice that delete all J‐chain expressing B cells (JDTA mice) and have been back‐crossed to C57BL/6 mice. The IgM response to a T‐cell‐dependent antigen was reduced in JDTA mice but still easily detectable. In contrast, a very pronounced primary IgA response could be detected in JDTA mice while wild type controls showed no detectable primary IgA response. With regard to naturally occurring antibodies, bone marrow chimeras between JDTA and control C57BL/6 mice had a donor cell phenotype with regard to serum IgM and IgA. Mixed bone marrow chimeras had an intermediate phenotype, indicating that the naturally occurring antibody IgM and IgA levels are B‐cell autonomous and not subjected to feed‐back control. This was confirmed by transfer of the dominant naturally occurring IgM/IgA phenotype to the recipient by peritoneal exudate cells.
The Punjab foreland basin of Pakistan: a reinterpretation of zircon fission‐track data in the light of Miocene hinterland dynamics
Authors: Ruiz Geoffrey , Seward Diane
Published: May 2006

Sedimentary basins represent an archive of tectonic events of the hinterland source regions. By determining the variation in sediment lagtime over time, events can be distinguished which may no longer be available as the source has been eroded. In regions characterized by rapid exhumation this is most often the case but the erosion products form a record of these events. Detrital zircon fission‐track ages from sediments of the Siwalik basin, Pakistan, originally presented by Cerveny et al. (New Perspectives in Basin Analysis, Springer‐Verlag, New York, 1988, p. 43), have been reinvestigated and reinterpreted using a revised methodological approach. Detrital age populations were determined from different stratigraphic levels and were correlated through time in order to assess the change in lag time over the stratigraphic section. This information was combined with the many new ages from the hinterland to further interpret events in the source region. The new investigation suggests that steady‐state evolution has not always existed. An overall trend of exhumation increasing by 0.1 mm Myr−1 (from 0.9 to 2.65 mm yr−1) from 18 Ma to the present is evident with a major exception of a net pulse between 11.7 and 10.9 Ma associated with an increase in sedimentation increasingly rich in hornblende. Earlier studies suggested that at this time the source of the sediments was the presently outcropping Kohistan Arc. We are able to demonstrate that this cannot be so but was rather the rapidly exhuming Nanga‐Parbat Haramosh syntaxis (> 2 mm yr−1) coevally with transpressional displacement along the Main Karakorum Thrust, whereby the overlying Kohistan Arc sequences were removed. Furthermore, comparison of our detrital thermochronological data set with another one from the same basin and one from another foreland basin to the east, in NW India suggest that the Himalayan orogenesis was probably not synchronous for the late Early–Middle Miocene. Overall, regions that undergoes today's rapid uplift may be useless to reconstruct earlier phases of exhumation as the levels that may have yielded such info were eroded and deposited into the adjacent basin(s). Such scenario is reproducible in most orogens as in the Himalaya in NW Pakistan stressing the high potential of detrital thermochronological studies to trace hinterland dynamics.

Terra Nova, 18, 248–256, 2006
Genome evolution in Arabidopsis/Brassica: conservation and divergence of ancient rearranged segments and their breakpoints
Authors: Ziolkowski Piotr A. , Kaczmarek Malgorzata , Babula Danuta , Sadowski Jan
Published: May 2006

Since the tetraploidization of the Arabidopsis thaliana ancestor 30–35 million years ago (Mya), a wave of chromosomal rearrangements have modified its genome architecture. The dynamics of this process is unknown, as it has so far been impossible to date individual rearrangement events. In this paper, we present evidence demonstrating that the majority of rearrangements occurred before the Arabidopsis–Brassica split 20–24 Mya, and that the segmental architecture of the A. thaliana genome is predominantly conserved in Brassica. This finding is based on the conservation of four rearrangement breakpoints analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and RFLP mapping of three A. thaliana chromosomal regions. For this purpose, 95 Arabidopsis bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) spanning a total of 8.25 Mb and 81 genetic loci for 36 marker genes were studied in the Brassica oleracea genome. All the regions under study were triplicated in the B. oleracea genome, confirming the hypothesis of Brassica ancestral genome triplication. However, whilst one of the breakpoints was conserved at one locus, it was not at the two others. Further comparison of their organization may indicate that the evolution of the hexaploid Brassica progenitor proceeded by several events, separated in time. Genetic mapping and reprobing with rDNA allowed assignment of the regions to particular Brassica chromosomes. Based on this study of regional organization and evolution, a new insight into polyploidization/diploidization cycles is proposed.
Xenotransplantation Literature Update January–February, 2006
Authors: Baertschiger Reto M. , Buhler Leo H.
Published: May 2006

Baertschiger RM, Buhler LH. Xenotransplantation Literature Update January–February, 2006. Xenotransplantation 2006; 13: 272–276. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2006
Oxidative stress modulates Sir2α in rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex
Authors: Wu Aiguo , Ying Zhe , Gomez‐Pinilla Fernando
Published: May 2006

Silent information regulator 2 (Sir2) helps survival and longevity in lower organisms during challenging situations. We investigated the possibility that Sir2α could be involved with brain plasticity under challenging situations. A diet high in saturated fat and sucrose, which has been shown in rodents to reduce synaptic plasticity and cognition, decreased Sir2α levels in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, in proportion to an increase in protein oxidation. Vitamin E supplementation normalized, in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, Sir2α levels that had been reduced by the high‐fat diet. Neither the high‐fat diet nor vitamin E supplementation affected cerebellar Sir2α. Vitamin E reduced, in the hippocampus, the oxidized nucleic acids that were increased by the high‐fat diet. Western blot analysis showed higher contents of Sir2α in the hippocampus and cerebellum than in the cerebral cortex. Sir2α immunostaining was predominantly localized in the mossy fibre system and the dentate gyrus granule layer of the hippocampal formation. The high‐fat diet decreased Sir2α immunostaining while vitamin E supplementation reversed these effects. Given that oxidative stress is a subproduct of dysfunctional energy homeostasis, we measured AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) to have an indication of the energy status of cells. Hippocampal levels of total and phosphorylated AMPK were reduced after high fat consumption and levels were normalized by vitamin E treatment. The present results show that oxidative stress and energy homeostasis associated with the consumption of the high‐fat diet are critical for the regulation of Sir2α, with important implications for mechanisms of neural repair.
Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine – Harold Bloom
Authors: Neusner Jacob
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine, Harold Bloom, Riverhead Books 2005 (1‐57322‐322‐0), 238 pp., hb $24.95
Old Testament Turning Points: The Narratives That Shaped a Nation – Victor H. Matthews
Authors: Kim Uriah Y.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Old Testament Turning Points: The Narratives That Shaped a Nation, Victor H. Matthews, Baker Academic 2005 (0‐8010‐2774‐8), 208 pp., pb $18.99
Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches’ Past – Euan Cameron
Authors: Smith J. Elton
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches’ Past, Euan Cameron, Blackwell Publishing 2005 (0‐631‐21523‐9), xii + 292 pp., hb/pb £50.00/£15.99
The Gospel of Faith and Justice – Antonio González
Authors: Kee Alistair
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

The Gospel of Faith and Justice, Antonio González, Orbis Books 2005 (1‐57075‐611‐2), xii + 179 pp., pb $24.00
New Religious Movements in the 21st Century: Legal, Political and Social Challenges in Global perspective – Philip Charles Lucas and Thomas Robbins
Authors: Armson John
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

New Religious Movements in the 21st Century: Legal, Political and Social Challenges in Global perspective, Philip Charles Lucas and Thomas Robbins (eds), Routledge 2004 (0‐415‐96576‐4), 364 pp., pb £19.99
In Times like These: How We Pray – Edited by Malcolm Boyd and J. Jon Bruno (eds)
Authors: Armson John
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

In Times like These: How We Pray, Malcolm Boyd and J. Jon Bruno (eds), Seabury Books 2005 (1‐59627‐015‐2), 255 pp., pb $20.00
Understanding the Windsor Report. Two Leaders in the American Church Speak Across the Divide – Ian T. Douglas and Paul F.M. Zahl
Authors: Morris Jeremy
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Understanding the Windsor Report. Two Leaders in the American Church Speak Across the Divide, Ian T. Douglas and Paul F.M. Zahl, Church Publishing 2005 (0‐89869‐487‐6), viii + 184 pp., pb $20.00
Interfaith Families; Personal Stories of Jewish–Christian Intermarriage – Jane Kaplan
Authors: McFarlane Doreen
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Interfaith Families; Personal Stories of Jewish–Christian Intermarriage, Jane Kaplan, Seabury Books 2005 (1‐59627‐011‐X), xv + 237 pp., pb $20.00
Sacrifice and Community: Jewish Offering and Christian Eucharist – Matthew Levering
Authors: Hamilton Mark W.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

Sacrifice and Community: Jewish Offering and Christian Eucharist, Matthew Levering, Blackwells Publishing 2005 (1‐4051‐3690‐1), ix + 210 pp., pb $29.95
He Came down from Heaven: The Preexistence of Christ and the Christian Faith – Douglas McCready
Authors: Dunn Matthew W.I.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

He Came down from Heaven: The Preexistence of Christ and the Christian Faith, Douglas McCready, InterVarsity Press 2005 (0‐8308‐2774‐9), 348 pp., pb $26.00
The Ways of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003 – Oliver O’Donovan
Authors: Sleasman Michael J.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

The Ways of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003, Oliver O’Donovan, Eerdmans 2005 (0‐8028‐2920‐1), xv + 330 pp., hb $35.00/£19.95
War and the Christian Conscience: Where Do You Stand? – Joseph J. Fahey
Authors: Hovey Craig
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed:

War and the Christian Conscience: Where Do You Stand?, Joseph J. Fahey, Orbis Press 2005 (1‐57075‐583‐3), xviii + 205 pp., pb $15.00
The Indonesian consumer market for clothing: Institutions, firms and organizational behaviours
Authors: Hassler Markus
Published: May 2006

The clothing industry is widely cited as an industrial sector that is embedded primarily in buyer‐driven structures of global commodity chains in which retailers and brand‐name companies, rather than manufacturers, are the key driving forces. Analysis of clothing production systems within the commodity chain literature, however, has been predominantly Western‐centric, with little emphasis on similarities and/or differences between competitors in different institutional and societal contexts. Therefore, this paper explores the ways in which international and domestic clothing brand‐owners compete for market shares within Indonesia. The analytical focus includes important issues such as the influence of the regulatory policy framework on firm‐specific behaviour as well as applied marketing strategies within individual fashion segments.
Lymphography of the Thoracic Duct by Percutaneous Injection of Iohexol into the Popliteal Lymph Node of Dogs: Experimental Study and Clinical Application
Authors: NAGANOBU KIYOKAZU , OHIGASHI YUSUKE , AKIYOSHI TOMOMI , HAGIO MITSUYOSHI , MIYAMOTO TORU , YAMAGUCHI RYOJI
Published: May 2006

Objective—To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous administration of iohexol into the popliteal lymph node as a non‐invasive technique for thoracic duct lymphangiography in dogs.

Study Design—Experimental study and clinical report.

Animals—Normal adult dogs (n=4) and 1 dog with recurrent chylothorax.

Methods—For the experimental study, 4 dogs (weight, 8.4–12.3 kg) had 5–10 mL iohexol injected percutaneously into 1 popliteal lymph node and then thoracic radiographs were taken. Popliteal lymph nodes were examined by histopathology 8 days later. One 25‐kg dog with recurrent chylothorax had 25 mL iohexol injected into the right popliteal lymph node followed by thoracic radiography.

Results—In experimental dogs, the thoracic duct was best visualized on thoracic radiographs after administration of 10 mL iohexol. Clinically, no abnormalities were identified in the injected limb and except for 1 dog that had large numbers of siderocytes and erythrophagocytic macrophages in the injected lymph node, the histopathologic findings in the other injected popliteal lymph nodes were not different from contralateral nodes. In the clinical case, the thoracic duct was visualized, but there was leakage of iohexol around the node.

Conclusion—The thoracic duct in dogs can be visualized by lymphography after percutaneous injection of iohexol (1 mL/kg at 2 mL/min) into the popliteal lymph node.

Clinical Relevance—Percutaneous popliteal lymph node administration of iohexol should be considered as an alternative to mesenteric lymph node injection for radiographic identification of the thoracic duct in dogs.
Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein is expressed in developing kidney and is regulated by PAX2
Authors: Dziarmaga Alison , Hueber Pierre-Alain , Iglesias Diana , Hache Nancy , Jeffs Aaron , Gendron Nathalie , MacKenzie Alex , Eccles Michael , Goodyer Paul
Published: May 2006

During fetal kidney development, the extent of ureteric bud (UB) branching will determine final nephron endowment for life. Nephron number varies widely among normal humans and those who are born at the low end of the nephron number spectrum may be at risk for essential hypertension in adulthood. Little is known about how nephron number is set. However, we previously showed that the transcription factor, Pax2, suppresses apoptosis in UB cells during kidney development and optimizes branching morphogenesis. Here, we report that PAX2 directly binds to a specific recognition motif in the human neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein ( NAIP) gene promoter. NAIP is an endogenous inhibitor of apoptosis, inactivating caspase-3 and caspase-7 in neuronal tissues. PAX2 activates NAIP gene transcription (7-fold) in vitro and NAIP transcript level is increased fourfold in HEK293 cells stably transfected with PAX2. We show that Naip is expressed in embryonic day 15 ( E15) fetal kidney tissue (RT-PCR) and NAIP protein is demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in E15 mouse kidney collecting ducts and P1 proximal tubules. Naip mRNA is significantly reduced (50%) in heterozygous Pax2 mutant mice. Finally, we show that an antisense Naip1 cDNA transfected into murine collecting duct cells doubles caspase-3/7 activity induced by Baxα. These observations suggest that the powerful effects of PAX2 on renal branching morphogenesis and final nephron number may be mediated by activation of Naip which then suppresses apoptosis in UB cells.
PRQFVamide, a Novel Pentapeptide Identified From the CNS and Gut ofAplysia
Authors: Furukawa Y. , Nakamaru K. , Sasaki K. , Fujisawa Y. , Minakata H. , Ohta S. , Morishita F. , Matsushima O. , Li L. , Alexeeva V. , Ellis T. A. , Dembrow N. C. , Jing J. , Sweedler J. V. , Weiss K. R. , Vilim F. S.
Published: May 2006

We have purified a novel pentapeptide from the Aplysia nervous system using bioassay on gut contractions. The structure of the peptide is Pro-Arg-Gln-Phe-Val-amide (PRQFVa). The precursor for PRQFVa was found to code for 33 copies of PRQFVamide and four related pentapeptides. Peaks corresponding to the predicted masses of all five pentapeptides were detected in Aplysia neurons by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Northern analysis revealed that expression of the precursor is abundant in the abdominal ganglion, much less in the pedal and cerebral ganglia, and rarely seen in the buccal and pleural ganglia. PRQFVa-positive neurons, mapped by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, were present in all the central ganglia. PRQFVa immunopositive processes were observed in the gut, particularly in association with the vasculature. Some arteries and other highly vascularized tissues, such as the gill and the kidney, also contain numerous PRQFVa immunopositive processes. Application of synthetic PRQFVa suppresses not only contractions of the gut but also contractions of vasculature. PRQFVa is expressed in some of the neurons within the feeding circuitry and application of synthetic PRQFVa was found to decrease the excitability of some (B4/5 and B31/32) but not all (B8) neurons of the buccal feeding circuit. Our findings suggest that PRQFVa may act as a modulator within the feeding system as well as in other systems of Aplysia.
Saccade-Related Activity in the Primate Superior Colliculus Depends on the Presence of Local Landmarks at the Saccade Endpoint
Authors: Edelman Jay A. , Goldberg Michael E.
Published: May 2006

Saccade-related discharge in the superior colliculus is greater for saccades made to a spot of light than for saccades in complete darkness. However, it is unclear whether this enhancement is due to the discontinuity of the spot or due to its being a new object of fixation. In these experiments, we examined the saccade-related activity of intermediate-layer neurons in the primate superior colliculus during delayed saccades to the center or corner of a large, bright square, as well as for visual and memory-guided movements to small spots in isolation. The saccade-related discharge for movements made to a local visual landmark present at the time of the saccade, be it a corner of a square or a small spot, was higher than that for saccades made to the center of a square that contained no local visual landmarks within. Moreover, discharge for movements to the center of a square were very similar to that for saccades to blank, dark space. Saccade velocity was similarly dependent on the presence of such a landmark, though less dramatically. The endpoints of saccades directed toward a square's corner were slightly displaced toward the center of the square. Across all neurons, discharge and velocity for saccades to the center of a square increased as the square size was decreased, but were never greater than those for saccades to a small spot of light. These results suggest that both saccade-related discharge in the superior colliculus and saccade metrics are enhanced for movements directed to parts of the visual scene with high contrast, while shifting fixation to a new object is not itself sufficient to elevate discharge and metrics above those of saccades to blank space.
Eye Movements During Multi-Axis Whole-Body Rotations
Authors: Bockisch Christopher J. , Straumann Dominik , Haslwanter Thomas
Published: May 2006

The semi-circular canals and the otolith organs both contribute to gaze stabilization during head movement. We investigated how these sensory signals interact when they provide conflicting information about head orientation in space. Human subjects were reoriented 90° in pitch or roll during long-duration, constant-velocity rotation about the earth-vertical axis while we measured three-dimensional eye movements. After the reorientation, the otoliths correctly indicated the static orientation of the subject with respect to gravity, while the semicircular canals provided a strong signal of rotation. This rotation signal from the canals could only be consistent with a static orientation with respect to gravity if the rotation-axis indicated by the canals was exactly parallel to gravity. This was not true, so a cue-conflict existed. These conflicting stimuli elicited motion sickness and a complex tumbling sensation. Strong horizontal, vertical, and/or torsional eye movements were also induced, allowing us to study the influence of the conflict between the otoliths and the canals on all three eye-movement components. We found a shortening of the horizontal and vertical time constants of the decay of nystagmus and a trend for an increase in peak velocity following reorientation. The dumping of the velocity storage occurred regardless of whether eye velocity along that axis was compensatory to the head rotation or not. We found a trend for the axis of eye velocity to reorient to make the head-velocity signal from the canals consistent with the head-orientation signal from the otoliths, but this reorientation was small and only observed when subjects were tilted to upright. Previous models of canal-otolith interaction could not fully account for our data, particularly the decreased time constant of the decay of nystagmus. We present a model with a mechanism that reduces the velocity-storage component in the presence of a strong cue-conflict. Our study, supported by other experiments, also indicates that static otolith signals exhibit considerably smaller effects on eye movements in humans than in monkeys.
Effects of a Cross-Modal Manipulation of Attention on Somatosensory Cortical Neuronal Responses to Tactile Stimuli in the Monkey
Authors: Meftah El-Mehdi , Shenasa Jafar , Chapman C. Elaine
Published: May 2006

The role of attention in modulating tactile sensitivity in primary (SI) and secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) was addressed using a cross-modal manipulation of attention, somatosensory versus visual. Two adult monkeys ( Macaca mulatta) were trained to perform two tasks: tactile discrimination of a change in the texture of a surface presented to digits 3 and 4 and visual discrimination of a change in the intensity of a light. In each trial, standard texture (2 mm spatial period, SP) and visual stimuli were presented. These were followed by an increase in SP and/or luminance. Each trial was preceded by an instruction cue (colored light) that directed the animal to attend and respond to the change in one modality while ignoring any change in the other modality. The two tasks were interleaved during the recording, on a trial-by-trial basis. Extracellular recordings were made from 178 neurons (SI, 102; SII, 76), all with a cutaneous receptive field on the stimulated digit tips. Discharge was quantified in both tasks during the instruction, the standard-stimuli, and the texture-change periods. The results showed that selective attention to tactile stimuli had qualitatively and quantitatively greater and earlier effects in SII than SI. Twenty-four of 102 SI cells showed a significant change in discharge with the direction of attention. For almost all cells (20/24), discharge was enhanced when attention was directed toward the tactile stimuli; the effects were most frequent in the analysis interval that encompassed the change in SP (16/24). A significantly higher proportion of SII cells were attention-sensitive (47/76). The effects were concentrated in the texture-change period (39/47) but also included earlier periods in the trial (instruction period, n = 15; standard-stimuli period, n = 32). Attention-related modulation that spanned all three intervals ( n = 11) likely reflected baseline changes in discharge. For the texture-sensitive cells (43 in SI, 37 in SII), the mean change in discharge frequency (post texture change − pre-texture change) in each task was significantly increased in SII but not SI with selective attention. The results are consistent with a two-stage modulation of parietal cortical discharge, an initial stage (SI) in which there is some enhancement of sensory responses to the salient feature, the texture change, and a second stage (SII) in which baseline changes occur, along with further feature selection. These controls may be independently exerted on SI and SII, or they may reflect top-down controls from SII to SI.