bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some Pre-Conquest Stone Carvings in Wessex
Authors: Cottrill F.
Published: January 2012

Illustrating this paper are photographs of a number of pre-Conquest stones, probably fragments of cross-shafts, carved with conventionalized zoomorphic designs of a kind found mainly, though not exclusively, within the confines of the ancient kingdom of Wessex. A few tentative suggestions as to the date and stylistic origins of these carvings are here put forward, and a list is appended of all such stones of whose existence I am aware. The fragments at Glastonbury, Tenbury, and Shaftesbury have not previously been published, and I am indebted to Mr. A. W. Clapham and Dr. R. E. M. Wheeler for bringing them to my notice. The photographs were taken by Mr. Brian C. Clayton, whose death was a serious loss to photographic recording in the service of archaeology.
Bhakti and the Gendered Self: A Courtesan and a Consort in Mid Nineteenth Century Punjab
Authors: MALHOTRA ANSHU
Published: January 2012

Bhakti is viewed as a movement that is subversive of orthodoxy, and inverts the societal norms prescribed by thedharmashastras. This paper looks at the Bhakti movement's long history and transformations into the nineteenth century in Punjab. If womanlydharmawithin the normative tradition is defined by sexual containment through marriage and wifehood, the accumulated Bhakti legends and hagiographies are examined to see the place of the prostitute in it, and the limits of its revolutionary potential are brought to the fore. By looking at the writings of the Muslim prostitute Piro who comes to live in the establishment of a ‘Sikh’ guru Gulab Das, in Chathianwala near Lahore during the period of Ranjit Singh, this paper attempts to read Piro's use of Bhakti legends and imagery to build support for her unusual step. The imbrication of the Gulabdasis in hybrid practices that borrowed elements fromadvaita, Bhakti and Sufi theologies is also delineated. The paper shows Piro's engagement with the radical potential of Bhakti, but also maps her move towards social conformity—the paradox that makes her look at herself simultaneously as a courtesan and as a consort.
Variants within the GABA transaminase (ABAT) gene region are associated with somatosensory evoked EEG potentials in families at high risk for affective disorders
Authors: Wegerer M. , Adena S. , Pfennig A. , Czamara D. , Sailer U. , Bettecken T. , Müller-Myhsok B. , Modell S. , Ising M.
Published: January 2012

Background

Depression frequently co-occurs with somatization, and somatic complaints have been reported as a vulnerability marker for affective disorders observable before disease onset. Somatization is thought to result from an increased attention to somatic sensations, which should be reflected in long-latency somatosensory evoked electroencephalogram (EEG) potentials (SSEPs) at the physiological level. Previous studies revealed that SSEPs are altered in depressed patients and suggested late SSEP components as vulnerability markers for affective disorders. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the neuropeptide substance P may play an important role for both affective disorders and somatosensory processing.

Method

We investigated the associations between SSEPs and polymorphisms within candidate genes of the serotonergic, GABAergic as well as the substance P system in subjects at high risk for affective disorders. The sample was composed of high-risk families participating in the Munich Vulnerability Study and genetic association analyses were calculated using qfam (family-based association tests for quantitative traits) implemented in PLINK 1.05.

Results

We observed significant associations (false discovery rate <0.05) withstanding correction for multiple testing between late SSEP components (response strength 170–370 ms after stimulation) and four single nucleotide polymorphisms within the GABA transaminase (ABAT) gene region coding for a protein responsible for GABA degradation. No effects were found with the classical disease trait approach, suggesting SSEP marker specificity of the observed associations.

Conclusions

Our findings point to a possible role of ABAT gene-regulated GABA catabolism for an altered processing of somatosensory stimuli as a potential vulnerability marker for affective disorders.
Interpersonal sensitivity in the at-risk mental state for psychosis
Authors: Masillo A. , Day F. , Laing J. , Howes O. , Fusar-Poli P. , Byrne M. , Bhattacharyya S. , Fiori Nastro P. , Girardi P. , McGuire P. K. , Valmaggia L. R.
Published: January 2012

Background

Interpersonal sensitivity is a personality trait described as excessive awareness of both the behaviour and feelings of others. Although interpersonal sensitivity has been found to be one of the vulnerability factors to depression, there has been little interest in its relationship with the prodromal phase of psychosis. The aims of this study were to examine the level of interpersonal sensitivity in a sample of individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis and its relationship with other psychopathological features.

Method

Method.Sixty-two individuals with an ARMS for psychosis and 39 control participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires, including the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM), the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) and the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS).

Results

Individuals with an ARMS reported higher interpersonal sensitivity compared to controls. Associations between interpersonal sensitivity, positive psychotic symptoms (i.e. paranoid ideation), avoidant coping and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were also found.

Conclusions

This study suggests that being ‘hypersensitive’ to interpersonal interactions is a psychological feature of the putatively prodromal phase of psychosis. The relationship between interpersonal sensitivity, attenuated positive psychotic symptoms, avoidant coping and negative emotional states may contribute to long-term deficits in social functioning. We illustrate the importance, when assessing a young client with a possible ARMS, of examining more subtle and subjective symptoms in addition to attenuated positive symptoms.
FACTOR SUBSTITUTION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: A UNIFIED APPROACH
Authors: Xue Jianpo , Yip Chong K.
Published: January 2012

This paper provides a unified approach to characterizing the relation between factor substitution and economic growth in different one-sector growth models (namely, the Solow, Ramsey, and Diamond models). Our main finding is that if better factor substitution raises savings in the steady state, then a higher per capita income results. There are two channels by which factor substitution affects savings: the positive efficiency effect via income and the ambiguous distribution effect via factor income shares. If the efficiency effect dominates, then a higher elasticity of substitution leads to a higher level of per capita steady-state income. In transition, factor substitution affects the rate of convergence both directly and through the equilibrium profit share. The former arises from diminishing marginal productivity of capital whereas the latter reflects its relative scarcity. Depending on the interaction of these effects, the net outcomes are characterized.
EXISTENCE OF COMPETITIVE EQUILIBRIUM IN AN OPTIMAL GROWTH MODEL WITH HETEROGENEOUS AGENTS AND ENDOGENOUS LEISURE
Authors: Goenka Aditya , Le Van Cuong , Nguyen Manh-Hung
Published: January 2012

This paper proves the existence of competitive equilibrium in a single-sector dynamic economy with heterogeneous agents, elastic labor supply, and complete asset markets. The method of proof relies on some recent results concerning the existence of Lagrange multipliers in infinite-dimensional spaces and their representation as a summable sequence and a direct application of the inward-boundary fixed point theorem.
The antidepressant hyperforin increases the phosphorylation of CREB and the expression of TrkB in a tissue-specific manner
Authors: Gibon Julien , Deloulme Jean-Christophe , Chevallier Tiphaine , Ladevèze Elodie , Abrous Djoher Nora , Bouron Alexandre
Published: January 2012

Hyperforin is one of the main bioactive compounds that underlie the antidepressant actions of the medicinal plant Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort). However, the effects of a chronic hyperforin treatment on brain cells remains to be fully addressed. The following study was undertaken to further advance our understanding of the biological effects of this plant extract on neurons. Special attention was given to its impact on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) receptor TrkB and on adult hippocampal neurogenesis since they appear central to the mechanisms of action of antidepressants. The consequences of a chronic hyperforin treatment were investigated on cortical neurons in culture and on the brain of adult mice treated for 4 wk with a daily injection (i.p.) of hyperforin (4 mg/kg). Its effects on the expression of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB), phospho-CREB (p-CREB), TrkB and phospho-TrkB (p-TrkB) were analysed by Western blot experiments and its impact on adult hippocampal neurogenesis was also investigated. Hyperforin stimulated the expression of TRPC6 channels and TrkB via SKF-96365-sensitive channels controlling a downstream signalling cascade involving Ca2+, protein kinase A, CREB and p-CREB. In vivo, hyperforin augmented the expression of TrkB in the cortex but not in the hippocampus where hippocampal neurogenesis remained unchanged. In conclusion, this plant extract acts on the cortical BDNF/TrkB pathway leaving adult hippocampal neurogenesis unaffected. This study provides new insights on the neuronal responses controlled by hyperforin. We propose that the cortex is an important brain structure targeted by hyperforin.
Prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of childhood overweight
Authors: Grzeskowiak L. E. , Gilbert A. L. , Morrison J. L.
Published: January 2012

The objective was to investigate the association between prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure and overweight in offspring at 4–5 years of age. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked records from the Women's and Children's Health Network in South Australia, Australia. Women were eligible to participate if they gave birth to singleton, live-born infants between September 2000 and December 2005. Women were excluded if they received a dispensing for an antidepressant other than SSRIs or an antipsychotic or an anti-epileptic or had a chronic medical condition. Of the 6560 eligible women, 71 received a dispensing for an SSRI (exposed), 204 had a reported psychiatric illness but did not receive a dispensing for any antidepressant (untreated psychiatric illness) and 6285 did not have a reported psychiatric illness and did not receive a dispensing for any antidepressant (unexposed). Childhood overweight was classified as a body mass index >85th percentile, based on age and sex. At 4–5 years of age, female offspring of exposed mothers were less likely to be overweight compared with female offspring of mothers with an untreated psychiatric illness [adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) 0.23; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.98] and female offspring of unexposed mothers (aPR 0.27; 0.07–0.99). No association with overweight was observed among male offspring of exposed mothers compared with male offspring of mothers with an untreated psychiatric illness (aPR 1.17; 0.54–2.51) and male offspring of unexposed mothers (aPR 0.93; 0.52–1.67). Further research is required to confirm these findings and examine the potential mechanisms behind the sex-specific differences.
Melt inclusion constraints on the magma source of Eyjafjallajökull 2010 flank eruption
Authors: Moune S. , Sigmarsson O. , Schiano P. , Thordarson T. , Keiding J. K.
Published: January 2012

The 2010 eruptive activity at the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system began 20 March with a basaltic flank eruption on a 300 m long fissure on the Fimmvörðuháls Pass, in between Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull volcanoes. The magma expelled from the fissure is olivine‐ and plagioclase‐bearing mildly alkali basalt that exhibits uniform and rather primitive whole‐rock composition. This event provides a rare opportunity to assess deep magmatic processes in Iceland. Melt inclusions (MIs) hosted in olivine phenocrysts were analyzed for their major, trace and volatile element concentrations to enable identification of magmatic source(s) for Eyjafjallajökull volcano and to better constrain processes occurring at depth. The MIs, in particular those in Mg‐rich olivines, record primary magma composition before homogenisation and differentiation during magma ascent. The olivine phenocrysts hosting the MIs have a large compositional range, extending from Fo73 to Fo87, reflecting changes in the magma characteristics from the source to the surface. The MI compositions exhibit significant variations with MgO ranging from 5.2 to 7.2 wt%. This compositional range was caused by a binary mixing of two basaltic end‐members followed by fractional crystallization process. The sources of these end‐members are identical to those of Katla and Surtsey basalts, with a dominant role of the Katla source. Trace element characteristics of the Fimmvörðuháls MIs suggest important proportions of recycled oceanic crust in their mantle sources.
A conjugate study of mean winds and planetary waves employing enhanced meteor radars at Rio Grande, Argentina (53.8°S) and Juliusruh, Germany (54.6°N)
Authors: Fritts D. C. , Iimura H. , Lieberman R. , Janches D. , Singer W.
Published: January 2012

Two meteor radars with enhanced power and sensitivity and located at closely conjugate latitudes (54.6°N and 53.8°S) are employed for interhemispheric comparisons of mean winds and planetary wave structures at periods of ∼8 to 20 days. Our study uses data from June 2008 through May 2010 during which both radars provided nearly continuous wind measurements from ∼80 to 100 km. Monthly mean winds at 53.8°S exhibit a stronger westward zonal jet in spring and early summer at lower altitudes and no westward winds at higher altitudes. In contrast, westward mean winds of ∼5–10 ms−1 at 54.6°N extend to above 96 km during late winter and early spring each year. Equatorward mean winds extend approximately from spring to fall equinox at both latitudes with amplitudes of ∼5–10 ms−1. Meridional mean winds are more variable at both latitudes during fall and winter, with both poleward and equatorward monthly means indicating longer‐period variability. Planetary waves seen in the 2 day mean data are episodic and variable at both sites, exhibit dominant periodicities of ∼8–10 and 16–20 days and are more confined to late fall and winter at 54.6°N. At both latitudes, planetary waves in the two period bands coincide closely in time and exhibit similar horizontal velocity covariances that are positive (negative) at 54.6°N (53.8°S) during peak planetary wave responses.
Laboratory spectroscopic analyses of electron irradiated alkanes and alkenes in solar system ices
Authors: Hand K. P. , Carlson R. W.
Published: January 2012

We report results from laboratory experiments of 10 keV electron irradiation of thin ice films of water and short‐chain hydrocarbons at ∼10−8 Torr and temperatures ranging from 70–100 K. Hydrocarbon mixtures include water with C3H8, C3H6, C4H10 (butane and isobutane), and C4H8, (1‐butene and cis/trans‐2‐butene). The double bonds of the alkenes in our initial mixtures were rapidly destroyed or converted to single carbon bonds, covalent bonds with hydrogen, bonds with −OH (hydroxyl), bonds with oxygen (C‐O), or double bonds with oxygen (carbonyl). Spectra resulting from irradiation of alkane and alkene ices are largely indistinguishable; the initial differences in film composition are destroyed and the resulting mixture includes long‐chain, branched aliphatics, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and alcohols. Methane was observed as a product during radiolysis but CO was largely absent. We find that while some of the carbon is oxidized and lost to CO2 formation, some carbon is sequestered into highly refractory, long‐chain aliphatic compounds that remain as a thin residue even after the ice film has been raised to standard temperature and pressure. We conclude that the high availability of hydrogen in our experiments leads to the formation of the formyl radical which then serves as the precursor for formaldehyde and polymerization of longer hydrocarbon chains.
Impact melt in small lunar highland craters
Authors: Plescia J. B. , Cintala M. J.
Published: January 2012

Impact melt deposits have been identified in small, simple impact craters within the lunar highlands. Such deposits are rare, but have been observed in craters as small as 170 m diameter. The melt occurs as well‐defined pools on the crater floor, as well as veneers on the inner crater wall and stringers of material extending over the rim and away from the crater. Model calculations indicate that the amount of melt formed in craters 100–2000 m diameter would amount to a few to ∼106 m3, representing <1% of the crater volume. Thus, significant, visible impact melt deposits would not be expected in such small craters as most of the melt material that was formed would be ejected. Variations in the properties of the projectile or the target cannot account for the amount of observed melt; the amount of melt produced is largely insensitive to such variations. Rather, we suggest that these small melt‐containing craters represent near‐vertical impacts in which the axes of melting and melt motion are essentially straight down, toward the base of the transient cavity. For a given event energy under vertical impact conditions, the volume of melt produced would be greater than in an oblique impact and the momentum of the material would be directed vertically downward with minimal lateral momentum such that most of the melt is retained within the crater interior. Since vertical impacts are relatively rare, such small craters with visible, interior melt deposits are rare. While we focus here on the highlands, such craters also occur on the maria.
Subduction‐ and exhumation‐related structures in the Cycladic Blueschists: Insights from south Evia Island (Aegean region, Greece)
Authors: Xypolias P. , Iliopoulos I. , Chatzaras V. , Kokkalas S.
Published: January 2012

Detailed geological mapping, structural investigation and amphibole chemistry analyses in southern Evia (Aegean Sea, Greece) allow us to place new constraints on the internal structural architecture and tectonic evolution of the Cycladic Blueschists. We show that the early deformation history was related to ESE directed thrusting resulting in the stacking of the Styra and Ochi nappes, which constitute the Cycladic Blueschist unit in Evia. These early thrust movements initiated just before and proceeded at peak conditions of the Eocene high‐pressure metamorphism. Subsequent constrictional deformation gave rise to E–W trending upright folding accomplished at the early exhumation stage. The main ductile‐stage exhumation occurred during a single deformation phase associated with the decompression of blueschist rocks from the stability field of crossite to that of actinolite. This phase was characterized by localization of ductile deformation into a series of major, tens of meters thick, ENE directed shear zones, which cut up‐section in their transport direction and restack the early thrust and fold sequence, locally bringing the structurally lower Styra nappe over the higher Ochi nappe. It is suggested that these zones operated as thrusts rather than normal sense shear zones as has been previously argued and were possibly formed during the Oligocene ENE‐ward extrusion of the blueschists. Brittle‐ductile NE dipping normal faulting of post‐early Miocene age was probably responsible for the final exhumation of rocks.
Bosak, Dauphas, Fiore, Maloof, and Schoof receive 2011 James B. Macelwane medals: Citation for Arlene M. Fiore
Authors: Levy Hiram
Published: January 2012

Tanja Bosak, Nicolas Dauphas, Arlene M. Fiore, Adam C. Maloof, and Christian Schoof were awarded the 2011 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.”
Bosak, Dauphas, Fiore, Maloof, and Schoof receive 2011 James B. Macelwane medals: Response from Arlene M. Fiore
Authors: Fiore Arlene M.
Published: January 2012

Tanja Bosak, Nicolas Dauphas, Arlene M. Fiore, Adam C. Maloof, and Christian Schoof were awarded the 2011 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.”
Bosak, Dauphas, Fiore, Maloof, and Schoof receive 2011 James B. Macelwane medals: Response from Adam C. Maloof
Authors: Maloof Adam C.
Published: January 2012

Tanja Bosak, Nicolas Dauphas, Arlene M. Fiore, Adam C. Maloof, and Christian Schoof were awarded the 2011 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.”
Bosak, Dauphas, Fiore, Maloof, and Schoof receive 2011 James B. Macelwane medals: Citation for Christian Schoof
Authors: Clarke Garry
Published: January 2012

Tanja Bosak, Nicolas Dauphas, Arlene M. Fiore, Adam C. Maloof, and Christian Schoof were awarded the 2011 James B. Macelwane Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.”
Title receives 2011 John Adam Fleming Medal: Response
Authors: Title Alan
Published: January 2012

Alan Title was awarded the 2011 John Adam Fleming Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences.”
Pedlosky receives 2011 Maurice Ewing Medal: Citation
Authors: Liu Zhengyu , Cessi Paola
Published: January 2012

Joseph Pedlosky was awarded the 2011 Maurice Ewing Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “significant original contributions to the scientific understanding of the processes in the ocean; for the advancement of oceanographic engineering, technology, and instrumentation; and for outstanding service to the marine sciences.”
Toon receives 2011 Roger Revelle Medal: Citation
Authors: Toohey Darin
Published: January 2012

Owen Brian Toon was awarded the 2011 Roger Revelle Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The medal is for “outstanding contributions in atmospheric sciences, atmosphere‐ocean coupling, atmosphere‐land coupling, biogeochemical cycles, climate, or related aspects of the Earth system.”
Serum copper as a novel biomarker for resistance to thyroid hormone
Authors: Mittag Jens , Behrends Thomas , Nordström Kristina , Anselmo Joao , Vennström Björn , Schomburg Lutz
Published: January 2012

Thyroid hormone action is mediated by the thyroid hormone receptors TRα1 and TRβ. Defects in TRβ lead to RTH (resistance to thyroid hormone) β, a syndrome characterized by high levels of thyroid hormone and non-suppressed TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). However, a correct diagnosis of RTHβ patients is difficult as the clinical picture varies. A biochemical serum marker indicative of defects in TRβ signalling is needed and could simplify the diagnosis of RTHβ, in particular the differentiation to TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas, which present with clinically similar symptoms. In the present paper we show that serum copper levels are regulated by thyroid hormone, which stimulates the synthesis and the export of the hepatic copper-transport protein ceruloplasmin into the serum. This is accompanied by a concerted reduction in the mRNA levels of other copper-containing proteins such as metallothioneins 1 and 2 or superoxide dismutase 1. The induction of serum copper is abolished in genetically hyperthyroid mice lacking TRβ and human RTHβ patients, demonstrating an important role of TRβ for this process. Together with a previously reported TRα1 specific regulation of serum selenium, we show that the ratio of serum copper and selenium, which is largely independent of thyroid hormone levels, volume changes or sample degradation, can constitute a valuable novel biomarker for RTHβ. Moreover, it could also provide a suitable large-scale screening parameter to identify RTHα patients, which have not been identified to date.
Seven considerations about dingoes as biodiversity engineers: the socioecological niches of dogs in Australia
Authors: Fleming Peter J. S. , Allen Benjamin L. , Ballard Guy-Anthony
Published: January 2012

Australian dingoes have recently been suggested as a tool to aid biodiversity conservation through the reversal or prevention of trophic cascades and mesopredator release. However, at least seven ecological and sociological considerations must be addressed before dog populations are positively managed.Domestication and feralisation of dingoes have resulted in behavioural changes that continue to expose a broad range of native and introduced fauna to predation.Dingoes and other dogs are classic mesopredators, while humans are the apex predator and primary ecosystem engineers in Australia.Anthropogenic landscape changes could prevent modern dingoes from fulfilling their pre-European roles.Dingoes are known to exploit many of the same species they are often presumed to ‘protect’, predisposing them to present direct risks to many threatened species.The assertion that contemporary dog control facilitates the release of mesopredators disregards the realities of effective dog control, which simultaneously reduces fox and dog abundance and is unlikely to enable increases in fox abundance.The processes affecting threatened fauna are likely a combination of both top-down and bottom-up effects, which will not be solved or reversed by concentrating efforts on managing only predator effects.Most importantly, human social and economic niches are highly variable across the ecosystems where dingoes are present or proposed. Human perceptions will ultimately determine acceptance of positive dingo management.Outside of an adaptive management framework, positively managing dingoes while ignoring these seven considerations is unlikely to succeed in conserving native faunal biodiversity but is likely to have negative effects on ecological, social and economic values.
Case studies demonstrating the benefits on pH and temperature decline of optimising medium-voltage electrical stimulation of lamb carcasses
Authors: Pearce K. L. , van de Ven R. , Mudford C. , Warner R. D. , Hocking-Edwards J. , Jacob R. , Pethick D. W. , Hopkins D. L.
Published: January 2012

The efficacies of electrical stimulation practices at Australian abattoirs that process significant proportions of Australian lamb and sheep meat were assessed. Several abattoirs used medium-voltage electrical stimulation system (MVS) units suboptimally and many carcasses at these abattoirs exhibited a poor rate of pH decline and, consequently, a low proportion of carcasses attained pH 6 at a carcass temperature of 18−35°C, according to Sheep Meat Eating Quality pH–temperature guidelines as adopted by Meat Standards Australia. In the present communication, we describe the causes of suboptimal results with electrical stimulation and discuss procedures for optimising the stimulation dose delivered by MVS units. Carcass pH responses to various levels of current and pulse width were assessed to determine the best MVS settings for individual abattoirs. The MVS units at the abattoirs involved in the present study have now been programmed for optimal efficacy and carcass quality will be monitored on an ongoing basis. Evaluation of methods for assessing the proportion of carcasses that fall within the optimum pH–temperature window showed that a random regression model is more accurate than the current approach.
Effect of mulberry silage supplementation during late fattening stage of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) steer on antioxidative enzyme activity within the longissimus muscle
Authors: Cheong S. H. , Kim K. H. , Jeon B. T. , Park P. J. , Hwang I. H. , Choi N. J. , Kim E. T. , Hong S. K. , Park J. H. , Sung S. H. , Thomas D. G. , Moon S. H.
Published: January 2012

This study was conducted to determine the possible application of mulberry silage as a functional feed in the feeding management of Hanwoo, Korean native cattle, for high quality beef production. Twenty Hanwoo steers in the last stage of fattening were randomly assigned to two groups with (MSS) or without (Control) supplemental mulberry silage. The Control group was fed on a standard total mixed commercial ration, while the MSS group was fed on a total mixed commercial ration formulated with mulberry silage at the rate of 10%, fresh matter basis, for 30 days. The mulberry silage contained active ingredients such as 1-deoxynojirimycin, γ-aminobutyric acid, and phenol compounds. In the present study, the oxidative stress biomarkers such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase were improved in the MSS group compared with the Control group. Electron spin resonance assays showed that 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity was significantly elevated by 75.5% in the MSS group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the MSS group exhibited stronger scavenging activity against hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, and alkyl radicals, and the radical scavenging activity occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Findings from the present study suggest that mulberry silage may be useful as a functional feed by improving the antioxidant activity against various reactive radicals for beef cattle.
Distribution of arsenic species in an open seagrass ecosystem: relationship to trophic groups, habitats and feeding zones
Authors: Price A. , Maher W. , Kirby J. , Krikowa F. , Duncan E. , Taylor A. , Potts J.
Published: January 2012

Environmental contextAlthough arsenic occurs at high concentrations in many marine systems, the influencing factors are poorly understood. The arsenic content of sediments, detritus, suspended particles and organisms have been investigated from different trophic levels in an open seagrass ecosystem. Total arsenic concentrations and arsenic species were organism-specific and determined by a variety of factors including exposure, diet and the organism physiology.
AbstractThe distribution and speciation of arsenic within an open marine seagrass ecosystem in Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia is described. Twenty-six estuarine species were collected from five trophic groups (autotrophs, suspension-feeders, herbivores, detritivores and omnivores, and carnivores). Sediment, detritus, epibiota and micro-invertebrates were also collected and were classified as arsenic source samples. There were no significant differences in arsenic concentrations between trophic groups and between pelagic and benthic feeders. Benthic-dwelling species generally contained higher arsenic concentrations than pelagic-dwelling species. Sediments, seagrass blades and detritus contained mostly inorganic arsenic (50–90 %) and arsenoribosides (10–26 %), with some methylarsonate (9.4–14.6 %) and dimethyarsinate (7.9–9.7 %) in seagrass blades and detritus. Macroalgae contained mostly arsenoribosides (40–100 %). Epibiota and other animals contained predominately arsenobetaine (63–100 %) and varying amounts of dimethyarsinate (0–26 %), monomethyarsonate (0–14.6 %), inorganic arsenic (0–2 %), trimethylarsenic oxide (0–6.6 %), arsenocholine (0–12 %) and tetramethylarsonium ion (0–4.5 %). It was concluded that arsenic concentrations and species within the organisms of the Lake Macquarie ecosystem are species-specific and determined by a variety of factors including exposure, diet and the physiology of the organisms.
Concurrent sexual partnerships among African American women in Philadelphia: results from a qualitative study
Authors: Nunn Amy , Dickman Samuel , Cornwall Alexandra , Kwakwa Helena , Mayer Kenneth H. , Rana Aadia , Rosengard Cynthia
Published: January 2012

Background African American women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Concurrent sexual partnerships may contribute to racial disparities in HIV infection. Little is known about attitudes and practices related to concurrency among African American women, or the social, structural and behavioural factors influencing concurrency. Methods: We recruited 19 heterosexual African American women engaging in concurrent sexual partnerships from a public clinic in Philadelphia in 2009. We conducted interviews exploring social norms, attitudes and practices about concurrency, and the structural, social and behavioural factors influencing concurrent sexual partnerships, guided by grounded theory. Results: Seventeen women reported one main and one or more non-main partners; two reported no main partners. Many women used condoms more frequently with non-main than main partners, noting they trust main partners more than non-main partners. Social factors included social normalisation of concurrency, inability to negotiate partners’ concurrent partnerships, being unmarried, and not trusting partners. Lack of trust was the most commonly cited reason that women engaged in concurrent partnerships. Structural factors included economic dependence on partners, partners’ dependence on women for economic support and incarceration that interrupted partnerships. Behavioural factors included alcohol and cocaine use. Conclusions: Social, structural and behavioural factors strongly influenced these African American women’s concurrent sexual partnerships. Many HIV interventions disseminated by the CDC focus largely on behavioural factors and may fail to address the social and structural factors influencing African American women’s sexual networks. Novel HIV prevention interventions that address the social determinants of African American women’s HIV risks are urgently needed.
Complex embeddings in free speech production among late Turkish-Dutch bilinguals
Authors: Yilmaz Gülsen
Published: January 2012

This study investigates potential changes or simplifications in the L1 grammar of late Turkish-Dutch bilinguals in a migrant setting and examines the non-linguistic factors that might have played a role in this process. In our analyses, the bilingual group’s production of embedded sentences in spontaneous speech was compared to that of a monolingual reference group. Based on previous frameworks, complex embeddings were ranked according to their morphological complexity, and it was investigated to what extent a change in preferential patterns (if any) could be explained by linguistic and socio-cultural preferences and demographic characteristics of the bilingual group. Statistical analyses revealed a slight tendency to underuse the most complex types of embeddings by the bilingual group, while their performance did not differ from the monolingual group for any of the other embedding types. Where a difference in performance was observed, the level of education turned out to be the only parameter that influenced the outcome, while language use patterns, age of immigration, length of residence or cultural orientations did not have any impact.
Optionality in bilingual native grammars
Authors: Perpiñán Silvia
Published: January 2012

This study investigates the vulnerability of mature native grammars at the interfaces in adult Spanish speakers who have been residing in the US for a mean period of five years but continue to use their L1 on a daily basis. Participants were tested on production and comprehension of subject-verb inversion on two wh-constructions: matrix questions and relative clauses. The crucial distinction between inversion in these two types of constructions is that in relative clauses it is regulated by extra-syntactic conditions such as pragmatic and/or phonological considerations, while inversion in matrix questions is syntactically obligatory. Results showed that pragmatic/phonological inversion is affected by language attrition in the bilingual speakers, whereas purely syntactic inversion remains intact. However, no optionality was found in the comprehension task and no differences in reaction times were attested between monolingual and bilingual speakers.
Reading engagement
Authors: Odağ Özen
Published: January 2012

This contribution focuses on three reader characteristics that potentially influence the ways in which men and women become engaged during reading: a reader’s gender, empathy and ability to critically and constructively perceive reality. These traits (in addition to biological sex) were assessed as part of an experimental reading study, and subsequently used to predict the variation in engagement during reading. Eighty-eight readers (50% female) took part in the study and read one of four narratives randomly assigned to them. Reader traits and reading engagement were assessed by questionnaire. Regression analyses showed that the relationship between biological sex and reading engagement is considerably more complex than mostly assumed: contrary to expectation, gender did not impact reading engagement in significant ways. In line with the hypothesis, however, higher levels of empathy, of critical thinking about mediated contents, and of constructively adopting narrative contents to one’s own life, significantly related to higher degrees of the reading engagement of men and women. Biological sex turned out to be significant for reading engagement only in combination with the other reader traits.
Building up actin at adherens junctions
Authors: Short Ben
Published: January 2012

A biochemical approach reveals that α-actinin-4 and Arp2/3 team up to assemble actin at intercellular adhesions.
Keith Burridge: Cultivating knowledge on Rho
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: January 2012

Burridge studies how Rho proteins regulate everything from focal adhesions to leukocyte migration.
Dynein-dependent processive chromosome motions promote homologous pairing in C. elegans meiosis
Authors: Wynne David J. , Rog Ofer , Carlton Peter M. , Dernburg Abby F.
Published: January 2012

Meiotic chromosome segregation requires homologue pairing, synapsis, and crossover recombination, which occur during meiotic prophase. Telomere-led chromosome motion has been observed or inferred to occur during this stage in diverse species, but its mechanism and function remain enigmatic. In Caenorhabditis elegans, special chromosome regions known as pairing centers (PCs), rather than telomeres, associate with the nuclear envelope (NE) and the microtubule cytoskeleton. In this paper, we investigate chromosome dynamics in living animals through high-resolution four-dimensional fluorescence imaging and quantitative motion analysis. We find that chromosome movement is constrained before meiosis. Upon prophase onset, constraints are relaxed, and PCs initiate saltatory, processive, dynein-dependent motions along the NE. These dramatic motions are dispensable for homologous pairing and continue until synapsis is completed. These observations are consistent with the idea that motions facilitate pairing by enhancing the search rate but that their primary function is to trigger synapsis. This quantitative analysis of chromosome dynamics in a living animal extends our understanding of the mechanisms governing faithful genome inheritance.
Structural specializations of α4β7, an integrin that mediates rolling adhesion
Authors: Yu Yamei , Zhu Jianghai , Mi Li-Zhi , Walz Thomas , Sun Hao , Chen JianFeng , Springer Timothy A.
Published: January 2012

The lymphocyte homing receptor integrin α4β7 is unusual for its ability to mediate both rolling and firm adhesion. α4β1 and α4β7 are targeted by therapeutics approved for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Here, we show by electron microscopy and crystallography how two therapeutic Fabs, a small molecule (RO0505376), and mucosal adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) bind α4β7. A long binding groove at the α4–β7 interface for immunoglobulin superfamily domains differs in shape from integrin pockets that bind Arg-Gly-Asp motifs. RO0505376 mimics an Ile/Leu-Asp motif in α4 ligands, and orients differently from Arg-Gly-Asp mimics. A novel auxiliary residue at the metal ion–dependent adhesion site in α4β7 is essential for binding to MAdCAM-1 in Mg2+ yet swings away when RO0505376 binds. A novel intermediate conformation of the α4β7 headpiece binds MAdCAM-1 and supports rolling adhesion. Lack of induction of the open headpiece conformation by ligand binding enables rolling adhesion to persist until integrin activation is signaled.
MEASURING SIZES OF ULTRA-FAINT DWARF GALAXIES
Authors: Muñoz Ricardo R. , Padmanabhan Nikhil , Geha Marla
Published: January 2012

The discovery of ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxies in the halo of the Milky Way extends the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function to a few hundred solar luminosities. This extremely low luminosity regime poses a significant challenge for the photometric characterization of these systems. We present a suite of simulations aimed at understanding how different observational choices related to the properties of a low-luminosity system impact our ability to determine its true structural parameters such as half-light radius and central surface brightness. We focus on estimating half-light radii (on which mass estimates depend linearly) and find that these numbers can have up to 100% uncertainties when relatively shallow photometric surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, are used. Our simulations suggest that to recover structural parameters within 10% or better of their true values: (1) the ratio of the field of view to the half-light radius of the satellite must be greater than three, (2) the total number of stars, including background objects should be larger than 1000, and (3) the central to background stellar density ratio must be higher than 20. If one or more of these criteria are not met, the accuracy of the resulting structural parameters can be significantly compromised. In the context of future surveys such as Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the latter condition will be closely tied to our ability to remove unresolved background galaxies. Assessing the reliability of measured structural parameters will become increasingly critical as the next generation of deep wide-field surveys detects UFDs beyond the reach of current spectroscopic limits.
Listeriosis
Authors: McLauchlin J.
Published: January 2012

Listeriosis occurs in a variety of animals including humans, and most often affects the pregnant uterus, the central nervous system (CNS) or the bloodstream. During pregnancy, infection spreads to the foetus, which will either be born severely ill or die in-utero. In non-pregnant animals, listeriosis usually presents as meningitis, encephalitis. In humans, infection most often occurs in the immunocompromised and elderly, and to a lesser extent the pregnant woman, the unborn, or the newly delivered infant. Infection can be treated successfully with antibiotics, however 20–40% of human cases are fatal..

In domestic animals (especially in sheep and goats) listeriosis usually presents as encephalitis, abortion, or septicaemia, and is a cause of considerable economic loss.

The genus Listeria comprises six species of Gram-positive bacteria. Almost all cases of listeriosis are due to Listeria monocytogenes although up to 10% of cases in sheep are due to Listeria ivanovii.

Listeriae are ubiquitous in the environment worldwide, especially in sites with decaying organic vegetable material. Many animals carry the organism in the faeces without serious infection. The consumption of contaminated food or feed is the principal route of transmission for both humans and animals, however other means of transmission occur.

Human listeriosis is rare (<1 to > 10 cases per million people in North America and Western Europe), but because of the high mortality rate, it is amongst the most important causes of death from food-borne infections in industrialized countries. In the UK, human listeriosis is the biggest single cause of death from a preventable food-borne disease. Listeriosis in domestic animals is a cause of considerable economic loss. Control measures should be directed towards both to exclude Listeria from food or feed as well as inhibiting its multiplication and survival. Silage which is spoiled or mouldy should not be used, and care should be taken to maintain anaerobic conditions for as long as possible.

Dietary advice is available for disease prevention, particularly targeted at ‘at risk’ individuals to modify their diet to avoid eating specific foods such as soft cheese and pâté.
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
Authors: Swanepoel R. , Paweska J. T.
Published: January 2012

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an acute disease of humans, caused by a tick-borne virus which is widely distributed in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Cattle, sheep and small mammals such as hares undergo inapparent or mild infection with transient viraemia, and serve as hosts from which the tick vectors of the virus can acquire infection. Despite serological evidence that there is widespread infection of livestock in nature, infection of humans is relatively uncommon. Humans acquire infection from tick bite, or from contact with infected blood or other tissues of livestock or human patients, and the disease is characterized by febrile illness with headache, malaise, myalgia, and a petechial rash, frequently followed by a haemorrhagic state with necrotic hepatitis. The mortality rate is variable but averages about approximately 30 per cent. Inactivated vaccine prepared from infected mouse brain was used for the protection of humans in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in the past, but the development of a modern vaccine is inhibited by limited potential demand. The voluminous literature on the disease has been the subject of several reviews from which the information presented here is drawn, except where indicated otherwise (Chumakov 1974; Hoogstraal 1979; 1981; Watts et al. 1989; Swanepoel 1994; 1995; Swanepoel and Burt, 2004; Burt and Swanepoel, 2005; Whitehouse 2004; Ergunol and Whitehouse 2007; Ergunol 2008).