bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La Synonymie Dans les Remarques de vaugelas (1647)
Authors: Fuchs Catherine
Published: November 2010

Dans les Remarques sur la langue françoise (1647) de Claude Favre de Vaugelas (1585–1650), on analyse tout d’abord la ‘théorie explicite’ de la synonymie exposée à l’article “Syraonimes”: pour l’auteur, la répétition de termes synonymes est soumise aux critères rhétoriques de la clarté du style et de l’échange inter-personnel réussi. On tente ensuite de caractériser les ‘principes implicites’ sous-jacents à la comparaison de termes sémantiquement apparentés, qui se reflètent dans la pratique même de l’auteur au fil des articles. On montre comment cette pratique s’articule autour du couple usage/raison: on analyse la position de Vaugelas successivement face aux notions de synonymie d’usage et de non-synonymie d’usage, selon qu’il sont ou non, et pour des motifs variables, conformes à la raison. On conclut que, pour cohérente qu’elle soit, cette pratique ne permet pas toutefois de théoriser le problème de la synonymie, dans la mesure où le critère de l’usage se trouve systématiquement privilégié à celui de la raison.
Étymologie Et Idéologie
Authors: Rotsaert Marie-Louise
Published: November 2010

Dans une première phase de la lexicologie scientifique allemande, illustrée par l’Althochdeutscher Sprachschatz de E. G. Graff (183446), l’opération de syncrétisme de la nouvelle linguistique comparative avec la tradition herderienne permet d’affirmer, d’une part, le nouveau statut égalitaire et la dignité de l’allemand, symbolisée par la lemmatisation étymologique, tandis que l’étymologie est conçue, d’autre part, comme le miroir du Volksgeist au service de la conscience culturelle de la nation.

La conception historiciste de l’étymologie, promue par J. Grimm, reste ancrée initialement dans la dimension indo-européenne, dont on trouve encore la trace dans le Deutsches Wörterbuch de F. K. L. Weigand (1873–76). La révendication d’une autonomie méthodologique par rapport au comparatisme et d’une perspective spatio-temporelle plus proprement historique pour l’étymologie du vocabulaire allemand se situe dans le dernier quart du XIXe siècle, à une époque où le statut de la langue nationale lui permet d’ailleurs de s’affranchir des schémas généalogiques qui sont à la base de son émancipation. La nécessité d’un dépassement de l’historicisme en lexicologie, soutenue par Hildebrand en 1873 (DWB: ix), est contre-balancée par les exigences contingentes du nationalisme dans la logique auquel la philologie est appelée à jouer son rôle.

Le succès de l’Etymologisches Wörterbuch de Fr. Kluge (six éditions de 1883 à 1899), tout comme celui de son hypothèse gotique (la médiation du vocabulaire chrétien d’origine grecque par les Gots étant considérée comme synonyme de l’arianisme des tribus allemandes et par conséquent de leur indépendance culturelle originaire par rapport à l’Occident latin), s’inscrit dans le chapitre particulier du purisme et d’une conception nouvelle de l’étymologie comme un ‘art’ susceptible de donner un sens et une valeur aux données matérielles, en elles-mêmes insignifiantes, de la linguistique.
“Can I Speak more Clearly than I Understand?”
Authors: Ashworth E. J.
Published: November 2010

The problem discussed in this paper has to do with the relation between our imperfect understanding of God and the words in which we speak of him. Thomas Aquinas had argued that spoken words primarily signify concepts, and as a result he believed that no words could be used to signify or name God more distinctly than our concepts warranted. However, Henry of Ghent, Duns Scotus, and Ockham rejected these claims. They argued that words signified things primarily and that as a result the truth or distinctness of our speech need not be closely related to the truth or distinctness of our understanding. Henry of Ghent focussed on the problem of description. He claimed that because words have a common use, a man could describe an object more truly than his degree of understanding warranted. He also claimed that, in the case of God, we tend to speak less truly than our understanding warrants, because our understanding grasps more about God than can be put into words. Duns Scotus and Ockham focussed on the problem of denotation. They both argued that we can use words to denote God’s essence, even though we cannot understand God’s essence. Like Henry, they used examples which show their awareness that their remarks apply to language in general, and not just to religious language.
Functional Syntax in Medieval Europe
Authors: Robins R. H.
Published: November 2010

In contrast to the fairly fully developed theories of phonological and morphological description achieved by classical antiquity, no general theory of syntax (sentence structure) was presented in the works of the classical grammarians such as Apollonius Dyscolus and Priscian, but rather a voluminous and detailed discussion of individual constructions in which words of different classes were involved. The creation and exposition of a general theory of sentence structure was a central part of the work of the late mediaeval speculative grammarians, and their identification of supposition (grammatical subject) and opposition (grammatical predicate) and the relation of compositio between them, together with other syntactic relations and the general relation of dependentia, provided a framework for the syntactic analysis of all the basic sentence patterns of Latin (and, by implication, of other languages). Though their system of syntactic analysis was not maintained by their successors, several key terms and concepts in syntax today are direct inheritances from mediaeval speculative grammar.
Theodor Bibliander (1504–1564) and the Languages of Japheth’s Progeny
Authors: Metcalf George J.
Published: November 2010

Theodor Bibliander (1504–1564) was an important link in developing the concept of the language family that is now called Indo-European. ‘Lector’ for the Greek of the Septuagint at the Münsterschule in Zürich (Zwingli’s successor), Bibliander had early showed aptitude for languages and had devoted himself particularly to Hebrew and related Semitic tongues. As exegete he interpreted the events at Babel (Genesis 10, 11) from the perspective of this knowledge. The ‘confounding’ of language, although it had occurred suddenly, still permitted the resulting languages to show kinship on the order of dialect variations. Thus the descendants of Shem, settling compactly in the vicinity, still gave striking evidence of their close-knit linguistic consanguinity. But the surviving evidence was not so obvious for the descendants of Japheth, who had scattered over Europe as part of God’s plan to populate the earth. Like all languages, these languages too were subject to inevitable change, an inescapable quality of all human institutions. Yet a closer look could still discern this relationship, as evidenced, for instance, in Greek (stemming from Javan), German-(ic) (stemming from Gomer), and Slavic (stemming from Magog). Bibliander’s study of Hebrew had sharpened his sensitivity to the inner structure of the word and to the processes of inflection and derivation, which were manifestations of the ratio which underlay all languages, even ‘barbarian’. Bibliander chose as his examples to prove the ‘Japhetic’ relationship parallel Greek and German affixes. Although not all of his examples stand the test of modern etymology, the procedure remains exemplary, and helped to give credence to the belief in the existence of a ‘Japhetic’ or ‘European’ family of languages.
Les Grammairiens Arabes, La Phrase Nominale Et Le Bon Sens
Authors: Ayoub Georgine , Bohas Georges
Published: November 2010

Le but de cet article est d’introduire à une réflexion sur la valeur explicative des théories des grammairiens arabes, en abordant un exemple précis, celui de jumla ‘ismiyya / jumla ficliyya (communément traduits par ‘phrase nominale’ / ‘phrase verbale’). Il comporte trois parties: La première part des propos tenus dans la littérature orientaliste sur la distinction établie par les grammairiens arabes à ce sujet. Ainsi sont étudiés des textes de Wright (1862), Blachère & Gaudefroy-Demombynes (1937) et Cohen (1970). L’inadéquation de ces propos est démontrée par simple retour au texte des grammairiens. La pensée des grammairiens est précisée à travers l’étude de textes d’Ibn Hishām, Ibn Jinnī et Ibn cAqīl. L’étude de ces textes amène a reconstruire la dimension de ces concepts à l’intérieur de la théorie des grammairiens et à préciser le statut des représentations abstraites dans le cadre de cette théorie. La seconde partie tente de délimiter le terrain épistémologique qui a rendu possible les glissements conceptuels des orientalistes cités dans l’interprétation de la théorie des grammairiens arabes. Certains aspects de la démarche des orientalistes sont mis en évidence: l’utilisation du bon sens comme critère d’évaluation d’une théorie linguistique, l’assimilation hâtive de la démarche des grammairiens à celle des philosophes ‘disciples d’Aristote’, le refus de situer les concepts grammaticaux des grammairiens arabes dans la théorie originale qui est la leur. La troisième partie réexamine une partie des faits cités dans le début de l’article à la lumière d’une analyse menée dans le cadre de la grammaire générative. Il est démontré que l’explication de ces faits nécessite le recours à une démarche abstraite qui ne réduit pas l’analyse des faits de langue aux analogies observables à prime abord sur des données simplifiées mais se donne, au contraire, la possibilité d’intégrer des données plus étendues pour aboutir à des généralisations intéressantes. Le rapprochement fait entre les deux analyses, celle menée dans le cadre de la grammaire generative et celle des grammairiens arabes, suggère, de manière indirecte, la validité de la théorie de ces derniers.
Grammaire, Logique, Etudes Linguistiques Chez Al-Fārābī
Authors: Langhade Jacques
Published: November 2010

En marge des réflexions des grammairiens et des philologues, nous trouvons chez le philosophe et logicien al-Fārābī (m. en 339/950) une réflexion originale sur les questions linguistiques et sur la logique. A travers ses différentes oeuvres et particulièrement trois d’entre elles, l’ ‘Ihsā’ al-cUlūm,leKitāb al-’Alfāz al-mustaCmala fī l-mantiqet leKitāb al-Hurūf,cet article montre comment al-Fārābī réfléchît sur le langage et comment il en analyse les éléments constitutifs (3). Une seconde partie traite de la conception que se fait al-Fārābī de la logique (4.1), de la grammaire (4.2) et de leurs rapports (4.3). La troisième partie aborde la place faite par al-Fārābī aux questions linguistiques et à la logique dans sa classification des sciences et elle montre son originalité en ce domaine par rapport aux autres classifications du IVe/Xe siècle.(5) A travers ces différents développements, ce qui apparaît c’est l’accent mis par al-Fārābī sur la logique. Le langage est étudié d’une manière logique, d’un point de vue logique. La grammaire sera considérée comme un analogue de la logique. En retour, le langage profitera de l’éminence de la logique. Al-Fārābī ne le considèrera plus, à l’instar des grammairiens et des philologues, comme un pratique à décrire ou à normaliser, mais comme l’émergence initiale d’une rationalité qui s’épanouira avec la logique pour se poursuivre dans toute la philosophie.
A Propos de César Chesneau du Marsais et Son Rôle Dans L’évolution de la Grammaire Générale (Paris, 1928) De Gunvor Sahlin
Authors: Clerico Geneviève
Published: November 2010

Depuis quelques années l’ouvrage de G. Sahlin (1928) sur Du Marsais suscite à nouveau de l’intérêt parmi les historiens de la linguistique. L’auteur de cet article s’interroge sur les conditions historiques dans lesquelles une telle étude, apparemment très isolée, a pu être menée à bien, et tente d’expliquer le paradoxe suivant: les historiographes de la linguistique, peu nombreux en ce début du XXe siècle, sont le plus souvent sévères pour les grammairiens philosophes du XVIII siècle dans la mesure où ils leur reprochent leur ‘logicisme’. Ils leur consacrent néanmoins des travaux intéressants à un double titre: d’une part ils s’engagent dans la description de textes peu connus des linguistes théoriciens et suggèrent des parentés qui éclairent le courant dit de la ‘grammaire générale’ (influence possible des grammairiens modistes, de Scaliger ou Sanctius, des grammairiens de Port-Royal sur la pensée de Du Marsais); d’autre part ils s’inscrivent eux-mêmes dans un contexte intellectuel (le positivisme historique) qui conditionne les polémiques, instructives en soi, qu’ils entretiennent à l’égard des grammairiens antérieurs au XIXe siècle. En réalité, la linguistique ‘générale’ qui se cherche et s’affirme conjointement à ces travaux de recherche sur le passé, rencontre bien des problématiques que, sous une autre terminologie, et dans un contexte philosophique évidemment différent, les grammairiens philosophes avaient eux-mêmes thématisées. Un demi siècle après la rédaction du livre de G. Sahlin, les historiens de la linguistique se consacrent de nouveau à expliquer les postulats de la pensée de Du Marsais et à mettre au jour la cohérence de ses vues sur les relations de la pensée et de la langue, sur la répartition des activités relatives à l’analyse du langage (rhétorique, grammaire, logique), sur les incidences pédagogiques de l’attitude empiriste, sur les avantages méthodologiques de certaines hypothèses fort stimulantes émises par lui (opposition syntaxe/construction; rôle de la figuration dans l’analyse et la pratique de la langue, etc.). Cet article est donc à la fois une présentation de l’ouvrage de G. Sahlin et une mise au point sur les recherches actuelles concernant Du Marsais.
Romance and Indo-European Linguistics in Italy
Authors: Malkiel Yakov
Published: November 2010

Whereas in other countries in which historical linguistics struck root in the past century it became customary, particularly after 1870, to cultivate Romance and Indo-European studies as two separate, exacting disciplines which few specialists would want to bridge, Italy – initially under the impulse of Graziadio Isaia Ascoli — went her own way, allowing, above all, her ‘glottologi’ and, on a minor scale, her ‘filologi’ to participate actively in research conducted in both domains, with Latin serving as the obvious connection. Giacomo Devoto was the last major embodiment of this dual expertise; but many other names come to mind as well.
Networking erythropoiesis
Authors: Kerenyi Marc A. , Orkin Stuart H.
Published: November 2010

A relatively small cadre of lineage-restricted transcription factors largely orchestrates erythropoiesis, but how these nuclear factors interact to regulate this complex biology is still largely unknown. However, recent technological advances, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) paired with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq), gene expression profiling, and comprehensive bioinformatic analyses, offer new insights into the intricacies of red cell molecular circuits.
Adverse Outcomes in Nursing Home Residents with Increased Episodes of Observed Bacteriuria
Authors: Das Rituparna , Towle Virginia , Ness Peter H.Van , Juthani-Mehta Manisha
Published: November 2010

We examined the association between an increase in episodes of observed bacteriuria and adverse clinical outcomes among nursing home residents without catheters. Although bacteriuria was not associated with hospitalization for urinary tract infection (UTI) or change in mental status, it was associated with use of antibiotics to treat UTI and with isolation of multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods from urine specimens, which suggested a causal relationship.
An Outbreak of Carbapenem-ResistantAcinetobacter baumanniiInfection in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Investigation and Control
Authors: McGrath Eric J. , Chopra Teena , Abdel-Haq Nahed , Preney Katherine , Koo Winston , Asmar Basim I. , Kaye Keith S.
Published: November 2010

Objective.

To investigate the mode of transmission of and assess control measures for an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant (multidrug-resistant)Acinetobacter baumanniiinfection involving 6 premature infants.

Design.

An outbreak investigation based on medical record review was performed for each neonate during the outbreak (from November 2008 through January 2009) in conjunction with an infection control investigation.

Setting.

A 36-bed, level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in a university-affiliated teaching hospital in Detroit, Michigan.

Interventions.

Specimens were obtained for surveillance cultures from all infants in the unit. In addition, geographic cohorting of affected infants and their nursing staff, contact isolation, re-emphasis of adherence to infection control practices, environmental cleaning, and use of educational modules were implemented to control the outbreak.

Results.

Six infants (age, 10-197 days) with multidrug-resistantA. baumanniiinfection were identified. All 6 infants were premature (gestational age, 23-30 weeks) and had extremely low birth weights (birth weight, 1000 g or less). Conditions included conjunctivitis (2 infants), pneumonia (4 infants), and bacteremia (1 infant). One infant died of causes not attributed to infection with the organism; the remaining 5 infants were discharged home. All surveillance cultures of unaffected infants yielded negative results.

Conclusions.

The spread of multidrug-resistantA. baumanniiinfection was suspected to be due to staff members who spread the pathogen through close contact with infants. Clinical staff recognition of the importance of multidrug-resistantA. baumanniirecovery from neonatal intensive care unit patients, geographic cohorting of infected patients, enhanced infection control practices, and staff education resulted in control of the spread of the organism.
Effect of thermal fluctuations on magnetization reversal of L10 FePt nanoparticles
Authors: Rong Chuan-Bing , Poudyal Narayan , Liu J Ping
Published: November 2010

The temperature-dependent switching field, magnetic viscosity and activation volume of L10 FePt nanoparticles with size ranging from 3 to 15 nm have been studied systematically. It is found that the anisotropy constant increases with particle size which is attributed to size-dependent chemical ordering. The temperature dependence of magnetic viscosity and activation volume can be well explained for the 3–8 nm particles by the Stoner–Wohlfarth model incorporating thermal activation, but the model is not suitable for the 15 nm particles. A quantitative analysis of the relation between the switching field and activation volume suggests that the magnetization in the single-crystal 3–8 nm particles reverses via coherent rotation. However, the magnetization reversal in polycrystalline 15 nm particles cannot be well described by coherent rotation although the particle size is much smaller than the single-domain size derived from bulk L10 FePt magnetic material, which may be due to the multiple crystals within each nanoparticle.
Improved diabetic control in advanced heart failure patients treated with left ventricular assist devices
Authors: Uriel Nir , Naka Yoshifumi , Colombo Paolo C. , Farr MaryJane , Pak Sang‐Woo , Cotarlan Vlad , Albu Jeanine B. , Gallagher Dympna , Mancini Donna , Ginsberg Henry N. , Jorde Ulrich P.
Published: November 2010

Aims

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used as therapeutic options for patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF), many of whom suffer from diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of restoration of normal cardiac output using LVAD support on diabetes control in patients with advanced CHF.

Methods and results

A retrospective chart review of all clinic patients supported with long‐term LVADs between July 2008 and July 2009 at Columbia University Medical Center was performed. Patients with DM diagnosed prior to device implantation were included in this analysis. Clinical and laboratory data within 1 month preceding and 6 months following LVAD implantation were collected. Of 43 LVAD patients followed in our clinic during the study period, 15 had a diagnosis of DM. Thirteen of the 15 patients were male, mean age was 63 ± 11 years, and the pre‐LVAD left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 16.5 ± 5.7%. Fasting glucose levels, HbA1c, and daily insulin requirement within 1 month before and an average of 4.0 ± 2.3 months after LVAD placement were 157.7 ± 50.6 vs. 104.1 ± 21.4 mg/dL, 7.7 ± 0.9 vs. 6.0 ± 0.8.%, and 53.3 ± 51.7 vs. 24.2 ± 27.2 IU, respectively (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Six of the 15 patients were completely free of antidiabetic medications and had blood glucose <126 mg/dL as well as HbA1c <6% after LVAD. Body mass index (BMI) was slightly increased after LVAD (28.7 ± 5.3 vs. 30.2 ± 4.1 kg/m2, P NS).

Conclusion

Restoration of normal cardiac output after LVAD implantation improves diabetic control in patients with advanced CHF. Additional studies are warranted to determine the mechanisms that worsen or possibly induce DM in patients with advanced CHF.
Use of Gibberellic Acid for Management of Bunch Rot on Chardonnay and Vignoles Grape
Authors: Hed Bryan , Ngugi Henry K. , Travis James W.
Published: November 2010

Harvest bunch rot of wine grape, caused primarily by Botrytis cinerea, is a perennial problem limiting the productivity of eastern vineyards, especially on cultivars with compact clusters. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of gibberellic acid (GA) sprays at reducing the compactness of Chardonnay and Vignoles clusters and minimizing bunch rot. Applications of GA reduced the number of berries per centimeter and the incidence and severity of bunch rots in Vignoles and, to a lesser extent, in Chardonnay over three consecutive years; however, the magnitude of GA effects often depended on the timing and rate of application. Bloom GA applications were more effective (P < 0.001) at reducing compactness and bunch rots than prebloom applications. Significantly, negative effects of GA applications on yield were negligible based on data from 4 years of trials on single vines and 2 years of data on 24-vine plots of Vignoles, provided the rates did not exceed 25 ppm. Regression analysis showed that berries per centimeter accounted for between 89 and 94% of variation in the incidence of Botrytis rot on Vignoles. On Chardonnay, compactness accounted for 53% of the variation in incidence, and the estimated compactness level at which no bunch rot would occur was 4.40 ± 1.05 (mean ± standard error) berries per centimeter. The relationship between cluster compactness and spray coverage of berries was also investigated in two separate experiments. Spray coverage of individual berries decreased linearly as cluster compactness increased within the range tested (3 to 18 berries per centimeter). Cluster compactness accounted for two-thirds of the variation in individual berry coverage, and coverage was reduced by 40 to 50% for clusters with about 18 berries per centimeter. These results strongly support the use of GA in integrated management of bunch rot on Vignoles and Chardonnay in eastern U.S. vineyards.
Control of Common Bunt in Organic Wheat
Authors: Matanguihan J. B. , Murphy K. M. , Jones S. S.
Published: November 2010

Common bunt, caused by the seedborne and soilborne pathogens Tilletia caries and T. laevis, has re-emerged as a major disease in organic wheat. In conventional agriculture, common bunt is routinely managed with the use of synthetic chemical seed treatments. For this reason, common bunt is a relatively unimportant disease in conventional agriculture. However, since synthetic chemical inputs are prohibited in organic agriculture, common bunt is a major threat once more in organic wheat and seed production. The challenge today is to manage the disease without the use of chemical seed treatments. This review reports on the management of common bunt under organic farming systems, mainly through host resistance and organic seed treatments. We report the history of screening wheat germplasm for bunt resistance, the search for new sources of resistance, and identification and mapping of bunt resistance genes. Since the pathogen has a gene-for-gene relationship with the host, this review also includes a summary of work on pathogen race identification and virulence patterns of field isolates. Also included are studies on the physiological and molecular basis of host resistance. Alternative seed treatments are discussed, including physical seed treatments, and microbial-based and plant-based treatments acceptable in organic systems. The article concludes with a brief discussion on the current gaps in research on the management of common bunt in organic wheat.
First Report of Impatiens necrotic spot virus in Gentiana macrophylla in China
Authors: Ding M. , Yin Y. , Fang Q. , Li S. , Zhang Z.
Published: November 2010

Large leaf gentian, Gentiana macrophylla Pall., known as Qin Jiao in Chinese, is a medicinal herb. Its root is most commonly used in Chinese traditional medicine to relieve rheumatic conditions and to remove damp-heat. During a survey in July 2009, large leaf gentian plants exhibiting foliar chlorotic and necrotic spots as well as severe stunting were collected in Lijiang County, Yunnan Province of China. Incidence of symptomatic plants ranged from 10 to 30% in the field. Symptomatic leaves from five different G. macrophylla plants were collected and tested for Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Tomato spotted wilt virus, Watermelon silver mottle virus, Groundnut bud necrosis virus, Tomato chlorotic spot virus, and Groundnut ringspot virus by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA kits (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN). All tested samples were positive only for INSV. To further confirm the presence of INSV, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was conducted. Total RNA was extracted from the symptomatic large leaf gentian plants leaves with a RNeasy Plant Kit (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, CA) and used as a template in RT-PCR using forward (5′-CTT TGC TTT TTA GAA CTG TGC A-3′) and reverse (5′-AGA GCA ATT GTG TCA CGA ATA T-3′) primers specific to the partial INSV nucleoprotein (N) gene (GenBank No. DQ425096). Amplicons of the expected size (approximately 760 bp) were obtained from all ELISA-positive samples. Three clones were sequenced and the partial nucleocapsid protein genes consensus sequences of these isolates were determined (GenBank No. HQ317133). Nucleotide sequences of large leaf gentian isolates shared 98 to 99% nucleotide identity with INSV sequences of isolates from China, Italy, Japan, United States, and the Netherlands (GenBank Nos. FN400772, GQ336989, DQ425096, AB109100, D00914, AB109100, and X66972). INSV is one of the most serious viral pathogens of ornamental plants in North America, Europe, and Asia (1–3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural occurrence of INSV in G. macrophylla in China.

References: (1) S. T. Koike. Plant Dis. 92:1248, 2008. (2) E. K. Tóth et al. Plant Dis. 91:331, 2007. (3) Q. Zhang et al. Plant Dis. 94:915, 2010.
Rice xa13 Recessive Resistance to Bacterial Blight Is Defeated by Induction of the Disease Susceptibility Gene Os-11N3
Authors: Antony Ginny , Zhou Junhui , Huang Sheng , Li Ting , Liu Bo , White Frank , Yang Bing
Published: November 2010

The rice (Oryza sativa) gene xa13 is a recessive resistance allele of Os-8N3, a member of the NODULIN3 (N3) gene family, located on rice chromosome 8. Os-8N3 is a susceptibility (S) gene for Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial blight, and the recessive allele is defeated by strains of the pathogen producing any one of the type III effectors AvrXa7, PthXo2, or PthXo3, which are all members of the transcription activator-like (TAL) effector family. Both AvrXa7 and PthXo3 induce the expression of a second member of the N3 gene family, here named Os-11N3. Insertional mutagenesis or RNA-mediated silencing of Os-11N3 resulted in plants with loss of susceptibility specifically to strains of X. oryzae pv oryzae dependent on AvrXa7 or PthXo3 for virulence. We further show that AvrXa7 drives expression of Os-11N3 and that AvrXa7 interacts and binds specifically to an effector binding element within the Os-11N3 promoter, lending support to the predictive models for TAL effector binding specificity. The result indicates that variations in the TAL effector repetitive domains are driven by selection to overcome both dominant and recessive forms of resistance to bacterial blight in rice. The finding that Os-8N3 and Os-11N3 encode closely related proteins also provides evidence that N3 proteins have a specific function in facilitating bacterial blight disease.
Adjustment of nicotine replacement therapies according to saliva cotinine concentration: the ADONIS* trial—a randomized study in smokers with medical comorbidities
Authors: Berlin Ivan , Jacob Nelly , Coudert Mathieu , Perriot Jean , Schultz Laurette , Rodon Nicolas
Published: November 2010

Aims  To assess the efficacy of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) when the daily dose was adapted according to saliva cotinine concentrations.

Design  Randomized, multi‐centre, single‐blind, controlled trial.

Setting  Twenty‐one smoking cessation clinics in France.

Participants  A total of 310 smokers with medical comorbidities, motivated to quit, smoking ≥10 cigarettes/day, for whom smoking cessation was mandatory. NRT was administered for 3 months. The standard care group received nicotine patches with monthly dose decreases; buccal absorption NRT could be co‐administered at the discretion of the investigator. In the dose adaptation group, the aim was a 100 ± 5% nicotine substitution with respect to smoking state based on the determination of saliva cotinine concentrations. NRT daily doses were prescribed according to the previous week's saliva cotinine concentrations in the dose adaptation group; saliva cotinine concentrations were not provided in the standard care group.

Measurements  Prolonged abstinence rate (weeks 9–12, main outcome measure), point‐prevalence and continuous abstinence rate, saliva cotinine concentration, NRT daily dose, craving for cigarettes.

Findings  The median daily prescribed NRT dose was 30 and 31 mg/day in the first study week and 17.25 and 35.5 mg/day during weeks 9–12 in the standard care group and dose adaptation group, respectively. Saliva cotinine remained stable in the dose adaptation group and decreased in the standard care group (P < 0.01) by weeks 9–12. The cotinine substitution rate was significantly lower in the standard care group than in the dose adaptation group. Despite differences in NRT doses and cotinine substitution rates, prolonged (standard care group: 26.4%, dose adaptation group: 30.3%), continuous (standard care group: 8%, dose adaptation group: 12%) and point‐prevalence abstinence rates were similar.

Conclusions  In smokers with medical comorbidities and highly motivated to quit, adaptation of the nicotine replacement therapy daily dose according to saliva cotinine does not appear to be substantially superior to standard nicotine replacement therapy use.
Relative bioavailability of terbutaline to the lung following inhalation, using urinary excretion
Authors: Abdelrahim Mohamed E. , Assi Khaled H. , Chrystyn Henry
Published: November 2010

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• The relative bioavailability of salbutamol to the lung and body following inhalation can be identified by a urinary pharmacokinetic method.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• The amount of terbutaline excreted in the urine during the first 30 min and over the 24 h period post inhalation represents the relative bioavailability of terbutaline to the lung and the body following an inhalation.

• Terbutaline study doses can replace a routine salbutamol dose during studies in patients when comparing different inhalation methods.

AIMS The aim of the study was to determine the relative lung and systemic bioavailability of terbutaline.

METHODS On separate days healthy volunteers received 500 µg terbutaline study doses either inhaled from a metered dose inhaler or swallowed as a solution with and without oral charcoal. Urine samples were provided at timed intervals post dosing.

RESULTS Mean (SD) urinary terbutaline 0.5 h post inhalation, in 12 volunteers, with (IC) and without (I) oral charcoal and oral (O) dosing was 7.4 (2.2), 6.5 (2.1) and 0.2 (0.2) µg. I and IC were similar and both significantly greater than O (P < 0.001). Urinary 24 h terbutaline post I was similar to IC + O. The method was linear and reproducible, similar to that of the urinary salbutamol method.

CONCLUSIONS The urinary salbutamol pharmacokinetic method post inhalation applies to terbutaline. Terbutaline study doses can replace routine salbutamol during these studies when patients are studied.
Image division technique in pre‐acquisition analysis of information content for automated microscopy
Authors: BRÁZDILOVÁ S.L. , KOZUBEK M.
Published: November 2010

This article presents a method that allows for reliable automated image acquisition of specimens with high information content in light microscopy with emphasis on fluorescence microscopy applications. Automated microscopy typically relies on autofocusing used for the analysis of information content behaviour along the z‐axis within each field of view. However, in the case of a field of view containing more objects that do not lie precisely in one z‐plane, traditional autofocusing methods fail due to their principle of operation. We avoid this issue by reducing the original problem to a set of simple and performable tasks: we divide the field of view into a small number of tiles and process each of them individually. The obtained results enable discovering z‐planes with rich information content that remain hidden during global analysis of the whole field of view. Our approach therefore outperforms other acquisition methods including the manual one. A large part of the contribution is oriented towards practical application.
Speciation genetics of biological invasions with hybridization
Authors: BRUMFIELD ROBB T.
Published: November 2010

The negative effects of human‐induced habitat disturbance and modification on multiple dimensions of biological diversity are well chronicled (Turner 1996;Hardinget al.1998;Lawtonet al.1998;Sakaiet al.2001). Among the more insidious consequences is secondary contact between formerly allopatric taxa (Anderson & Hubricht 1938;Perryet al.2002;Seehausen 2006). How the secondary contact will play out is unpredictable (Ellstrandet al.2010), but if the taxa are not fully reproductively isolated, hybridization is likely, and if the resulting progeny are fertile, the eventual outcome is often devastating from a conservation perspective (Rhymer & Simberloff 1996;Wolfet al.2001;McDonaldet al.2008). In this issue ofMolecular Ecology,Steeveset al.(2010)present an analysis of hybridization between two avian species, one of which is critically endangered and the other of which is invasive. Their discovery that the endangered species has not yet been hybridized to extinction is promising and not what one would necessarily expect from theory.
Effect of past and present behavioural specialization on brain levels of biogenic amines in workers of the red wood ant Formica polyctena
Authors: WNUK ANDRZEJ , WIATER MACIEJ , GODZIŃSKA EWA JOANNA
Published: November 2010

Social insect workers usually participate first in intranidal tasks (i.e. act as nurses within the nest) and then switch to extranidal tasks and become foragers. However, foragers sometimes switch back again to brood care and become reverted nurses. Behavioural and physiological correlates of the transition nurse–forager (behavioural maturation) and forager–reverted nurse (behavioural reversion) are relatively well known in the honeybee, although they are less explored in ants. To understand better the role of biogenic amines in ant behavioural maturation and behavioural reversion, the levels of octopamine (OA), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5‐HT) are examined in the brains of nurses, foragers and reverted nurses of the red wood ant Formica polyctena Först. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Brain OA levels and the ratios OA : DA and OA : 5‐HT are higher in nurses than in foragers and reverted nurses. Reverted nurses and foragers do not differ significantly with respect to brain biogenic amine levels and amine ratios. Biogenic amine levels in brains of workers of F. polyctena are thus maturation‐related rather than task‐related. This is one of the first studies of neurochemical correlates of ant behavioural maturation and the first attempt to identify neurobiological correlates of ant behavioural reversion. The data obtained provide further evidence that neurobiological processes underlying honeybee and ant behavioural maturation and behavioural reversion reveal important differences.
Preanalytical stability of HIV‐1 and HCV RNA: impact of storage and plasma separation from cells on blood donation testing by NAT
Authors: Schulze T. J. , Weiß C. , Luhm J. , Brockmann C. , Görg S. , Hennig H.
Published: November 2010

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal preanalytical conditions prior to nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) for human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in pools of 96 plasma specimens with regard to storage temperature, time and plasma separation in a blood donation environment.

Study design and methods: Changes in viral nucleic acid concentration of HIV‐1 and HCV were observed for 5 days according to the Paul‐Ehrlich‐Institute's (PEI) guidelines that demand 95%‐detection limit of at least 10 000 IU mL−1 for HIV‐1 RNA and 5000 IU mL−1 for HCV RNA within a single donor blood specimen. Ninety‐five per cent detection limits of HIV‐1 RNA over 3 days after storage at either 5 or 21 °C were evaluated by using standardised HIV‐1 RNA‐positive plasma.

Results: HCV RNA in whole blood samples proved to be more stable than HIV‐1 RNA. Whole blood storage at 21 °C was shown to decrease the detectability of HIV‐1 RNA even after only 18 h. Plasma samples once used for NAT at time 18 h did not alter viral stability up to 48 h after donation. Ninety‐five per cent detection limits of HIV‐1 RNA were securely below 10 000 IU mL−1 for 24 h after whole blood storage at 5 °C.

Conclusions: These results may lead to a discussion around the most suitable preanalytical conditions in blood donation environments. Contrary to the current PEI guidelines that allow storage of whole blood specimens up to 18 h at 21 °C, these results suggest that immediate storage in a 5 °C container after blood donation is more suitable and would permit storage of whole blood up to 24 h prior to the separation of plasma from cells.
Epitheliotropic T‐cell lymphoma in a guinea pig
Authors: Koebrich Stefanie , Grest Paula , Favrot Claude , Wilhelm Sylvia
Published: November 2010

A 4‐year‐old female guinea pig was presented with pruritic, erythematous, hypotrichotic and scaling skin lesions, mainly involving the abdomen and the hindlegs. Clinical abnormalities were limited to the skin, and the guinea pig was otherwise healthy. The dermatological diagnostic work‐up excluded ectoparasites, dermatophytosis and an endocrinopathy as differential diagnoses for the pruritus and hair loss. An allergic dermatitis was under investigation when the general and skin condition deteriorated. A neoplastic skin disorder was suspected, and skin biopsies revealed changes consistent with a cutaneous epitheliotropic T‐cell lymphoma. Pautrier’s microabscesses and immunophenotyped CD3+CD79−lymphocytes were identified. Owing to the deteriorating condition of the animal and the unknown but most likely poor prognosis of this disease, the guinea pig was euthanized. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report of cutaneous epitheliotropic T‐cell lymphoma in the guinea pig with characteristic histopathological and immunohistochemical features.
Identification of a novel HLA‐DRB1 allele, DRB1*11:95
Authors: Sohn Y.‐H. , Oh H.‐B. , Heo Y.‐S. , Park N. , Kwon O.‐J.
Published: November 2010

The DRB1*11:95 showed a single nucleotide difference with the DRB1*11:01:01 allele at codon 10 (TAC/TGC).
B*39:60, a novel HLA‐B*39 allele identified by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Ko S.‐Y. , Oh H.‐B. , Heo Y.‐S. , Jun J. H. , Kwon O.‐J.
Published: November 2010

The new allele B*39:60 showed one nucleotide difference with B*39:01:01 at codon 152 (GTG/GCG).
Paleogenomic data suggest mammal‐like genome size in the ancestral amniote and derived large genome size in amphibians
Authors: ORGAN C. L. , CANOVILLE A. , REISZ R. R. , LAURIN M.
Published: November 2010

An unsolved question in evolutionary genomics is whether amniote genomes have been expanding or contracting since the common ancestor of this diverse group. Here, we report on the polarity of amniote genome size evolution using genome size estimates for 14 extinct tetrapod genera from the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic Eras using osteocyte lacunae size as a correlate. We find substantial support for a phylogenetically controlled regression model relating genome size to osteocyte lacunae size (P of slopes < 0.01, r2 = 0.65, phylogenetic signal (λ) = 0.83). Genome size appears to have been homogeneous across Paleozoic crown‐tetrapod lineages (average haploid genome size 2.9–3.7 pg) with values similar to those of extant mammals. The differentiation in genome size and underlying architecture among extant tetrapod lineages likely evolved in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras, with expansion in amphibians, contractions along the diapsid lineage, and no directional change within the synapsid lineage leading to mammals.
Strategic Regulation of Body Mass and Singing Behavior in New Zealand Robins
Authors: Barnett Craig A. , Briskie James V.
Published: November 2010

The ‘small bird in winter’ paradigm states that body mass is a balance between the conflicting demands of carrying enough energy to survive nightly fasts while minimizing the risk of predation associated with carrying additional fat reserves. We conducted a short‐term food‐supplementation experiment during which New Zealand robins (Petroica australis) were provided with food on the second day of a 3‐d trial. This allowed us to test two predictions from models of strategic mass regulation in small birds: (1) individual birds reach the same end‐of‐day mass despite differences in their initial morning mass while, (2) using surplus energy for increased singing. As expected, robins gained mass at a higher rate early in the morning on the fed day than they did on either of the two control days, but there was no significant difference in their evening masses across the 3 d of the experiment despite birds on day 3 starting at higher initial masses than birds on day 1. Robins displayed a significantly higher rate of singing when receiving food supplements on day 2, supporting a link between energetic reserves and behavior. Our results suggest that potentially energetically costly behaviors, such as song production, are sensitive to short‐term changes in energy reserves, and that both state and behavioral predictions can be successfully integrated to provide tests of state‐based models of behavior.
Audience Type and Receptivity Affect Male–Female Interactions in Siamese Fighting Fish
Authors: Dzieweczynski Teresa L. , Walsh Meghan M.
Published: November 2010

The study of communication in a network setting has gained increasing popularity in recent years. While audience effects on aggressive interactions have been studied extensively, male–female interactions have often been overlooked. In addition, little is known about how reproductive status affects the nature of audience effects. Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, are a popular subject for communication network studies, but male–female interactions have not been explored in this setting. In this study, pairs of male and female Betta were presented with a male, female or no audience to determine whether the presence of an audience alters the behaviour of the interactants. Within these three audience types, there were four reproductive status conditions with receptivity indicated by nest presence for males and reproductive barring for females. It was predicted that male–female interactions would be affected by the presence of an audience, especially when both interactants are receptive as has been found in male–male interactions in this species. The results suggest that presence of an audience and reproductive status act in combination to influence male–female interactions, but only in interactant‐directed behaviours. Not all behaviours were equally affected by these factors. For example, while tail beats to the other interact were greatest when a female audience was present and both the interactants were receptive, this was not true for gill flaring. This study is among the first investigations into audience effects on male–female interactions including the first in Betta and suggests that courtship as well as aggression should be explored in a network setting.
Effects of Herbal Preparation on Libido and Semen Quality in Boars
Authors: Frydrychová S , Opletal L , Macáková K , Lustyková A , Rozkot M , Lipenský J
Published: November 2010

Contents

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a preparation from herbal extracts (PHE) on libido and semen quality in breeding artificial insemination boars. Ten fertile boars were divided into control and experimental groups according to significant difference of libido. There were no differences in semen quality between groups. Animals were fed a commercial feeding mixture for boars. The feeding mixture for the experimental group was enriched with PHE, which was prepared from Eurycoma longifolia, Tribulus terrestris and Leuzea carthamoides. Duration of the experiment was 10 weeks. Samples of ejaculate were collected weekly. Libido was evaluated according to a scale of 0–5 points. Semen volume, sperm motility, percentage of viable spermatozoa, sperm concentration, morphologically abnormal spermatozoa, daily sperm production and sperm survival were assessed. Amounts of mineral components and free amino acids were analysed in seminal plasma. Significant differences were found in these parameters: libido (4.05 ± 0.22 vs 3.48 ± 0.78; p < 0.001), semen volume (331.75 ± 61.91 vs 263.13 ± 87.17 g; p < 0.001), sperm concentration (386.25 ± 107.95 vs 487.25 ± 165.50 × 103/mm3; p < 0.01), morphologically abnormal spermatozoa (15.94 ± 11.08 vs 20.88 ± 9.19%; p < 0.001) and Mg concentration (28.36 ± 11.59 vs 20.27 ± 13.93 mm; p < 0.05). The experimental group’s libido was increased by 20% in comparison with the beginning of the experiment. Results of this study showed positive effect of PHE on libido and some parameters of boar semen quality.