bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From colonial port to socialist metropolis: imperialist legacies and the making of ‘New Dalian’
Authors: HESS CHRISTIAN A.
Published: November 2011

This article explores the transformation of the city of Dalian from a colonial export port to an industrialized core city of the Japanese wartime empire and finally a model production city of the People's Republic of China. These shifts in the economic and political function of the city also resulted in complex identity issues for Dalian's urban residents. Dalian's rise reminds that there were trajectories of urban development and modernity in China which were different from that of Shanghai. Dalian provides an important, local view of the transition from empire to nation in this strategically important part of Manchuria.
Introduction
Authors: WASSERSTROM JEFFREY
Published: November 2011

This special issue ofUrban History, which brings together a set of six case-studies of Chinese cities, all with a focus on the Republican era (1912–49), has different things to offer discrete sets of scholars. For example, to specialists in urban history who have only a passing interest in Chinese themes, the three works by scholars based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) offer a rare glimpse into the way that cities are studied in what remains (though not for long, if trends in India continue) the world's most populous country. The editors ofUrban Historyare to be commended for making these articles, all of which were originally written in Chinese, available to Anglophone readers. When read beside other recent translations of pieces on cities by PRC-based authors in varied fields, such as the city-focused writings of cultural critic Xu Jilin and the journalist and oral historian Dai Qing that have appeared in the lively online journalChina Heritage Quarterly, they give a sense of some of the main contours in contemporary Chinese discussions of and debates about the country's modern urban past.
Bibliography of urban history 2011
Authors: FRENCH GERVASE
Published: November 2011

The present bibliography is a continuation of and a complement to those published in the Urban History Yearbook 1974–91 and Urban History from 1992. The arrangement and format closely follows that of previous years. The list of abbreviations identifies only those periodicals from which articles cited this year have been taken, though many other journals are also checked. There is an index of towns on p. x
OBSTETRIC ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME - A REVIEW
Authors: SCHREIBER K , ATEKA-BARRUTIA O , KHAMASHTA MA , HUGHES GRV
Published: November 2011

The Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is one of the current hot topics embracing rheumatology and obstetrics.

The first clinical description of APS was in 1983. Venous or arterial thrombosis, abortion and cerebral manifestations along with circulating antibodies were the first described hallmarks of the syndrome. In the following years other clinical features, which include pregnancy complications, such as recurrent miscarriages (RM), pre-eclampsia or severe placental insufficiency were described.
IMPLICIT EQUILIBRIUM DYNAMICS
Authors: Medio Alfredo , Raines Brian
Published: November 2011

We discuss the problem known in economics as backward dynamics occurring in models of perfect foresight, intertemporal equilibrium described mathematically by implicit difference equations. In a previously published paper [Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 31 (2007), 1633–1671], we showed that by means of certain mathematical methods and results known as inverse limits theory it is possible to establish a correspondence between the backward dynamics of a noninvertible map and the forward dynamics of a related invertible map acting on an appropriately defined space of sequences, each of whose elements corresponds to an intertemporal equilibrium. We also proved the existence of different types of topological attractors for one-dimensional models of overlapping generations. In this paper, we provide an extension of those results, constructing a Lebesgue-like probability measure on spaces of infinite sequences that allows us to distinguish typical from exceptional dynamical behaviors in a measure–theoretical sense, thus proving that all the topological attractors considered in MR07 are also metric attractors. We incidentally also prove that the existence of chaos (in the Devaney–Touhey sense) backward in time implies (and is implied by) chaos forward in time.
Nonrigid Registration of CLSM Images of Physical Sections with Discontinuous Deformations
Authors: Michálek Jan , Čapek Martin , Kubínová Lucie
Published: November 2011

When biological specimens are cut into physical sections for three-dimensional (3D) imaging by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the slices may get distorted or ruptured. For subsequent 3D reconstruction, images from different physical sections need to be spatially aligned by optimization of a function composed of a data fidelity term evaluating similarity between the reference and target images, and a regularization term enforcing transformation smoothness. A regularization term evaluating the total variation (TV), which enables the registration algorithm to account for discontinuities in slice deformation (ruptures), while enforcing smoothness on continuously deformed regions, was proposed previously. The function with TV regularization was optimized using a graph-cut (GC) based iterative solution. However, GC may generate visible registration artifacts, which impair the 3D reconstruction. We present an alternative, multilabel TV optimization algorithm, which in the examined samples prevents the artifacts produced by GC. The algorithm is slower than GC but can be sped up several times when implemented in a multiprocessor computing environment. For image pairs with uneven brightness distribution, we introduce a reformulation of the TV-based registration, in which intensity-based data terms are replaced by comparison of salient features in the reference and target images quantified by local image entropies.
Mice Spermatogonial Stem Cells Transplantation Induces Macrophage Migration into the Seminiferous Epithelium and Lipid Body Formation: High-Resolution Light Microscopy and Ultrastructural Studies
Authors: Dias Felipe F. , Chiarini-Garcia Hélio , Parreira Gleydes G. , Melo Rossana C.N.
Published: November 2011

Transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), the male germline stem cells, in experimental animal models has been successfully used to study mechanisms involved in SSC self-renewal and to restore fertility. However, there are still many challenges associated with understanding the recipient immune response for SSCs use in clinical therapies. Here, we have undertaken a detailed structural study of macrophages elicited by SSCs transplantation in mice using both high-resolution light microscopy (HRLM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We demonstrate that SSCs transplantation elicits a rapid and potent recruitment of macrophages into the seminiferous epithelium (SE). Infiltrating macrophages were derived from differentiation of peritubular monocyte-like cells into typical activated macrophages, which actively migrate through the SE, accumulate in the tubule lumen, and direct phagocytosis of differentiating germ cells and spermatozoa. Quantitative TEM analyses revealed increased formation of lipid bodies (LBs), organelles recognized as intracellular platforms for synthesis of inflammatory mediators and key markers of macrophage activation, within both infiltrating macrophages and Sertoli cells. LBs significantly increased in number and size in parallel to the augmented macrophage migration during different times post-transplantation. Our findings suggest that LBs may be involved with immunomodulatory mechanisms regulating the seminiferous tubule niche after SSC transplantation.
Coupling perception and action using probabilistic control
Authors: Rothkopf Constantin , Schrater Paul
Published: November 2011

Although there is a long tradition of separating perception, decision making and action, the theoretical conditions for such a separation are very restrictive and not applicable even to the most basic every day tasks in humans. Instead, all uncertainties relating states of the world to observations, actions to future states and rewards, and actions to observations need to be considered in order to act optimally. In the most general formulation this can be formalized as a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP).We consider the task of intercepting a moving ball for which a multitude of previous studies has shown that humans use a constant bearing angle strategy. Here we manipulated the observation function in a virtual reality setup so as to change the uncertainty of the ballʼs position in parametric ways. Specifically, the contrast of the ball changes as a function of the heading angle towards the ball along the subjectʼs momentary trajectory. Subjects adjusted their interception strategy within an average of 26 trials and are consistently able to catch these balls.For the classic interception task it has been shown that the optimal strategy for constant velocities and certain noise distributions is indeed the constant bearing angle strategy. The complex observation functions used in the human experiments above require modeling the task as a POMDP. We use an approximate solution technique based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo to solve the control task and compare this to the solution in which the system first finds the most likely position of the target and then acts upon this percept. This computational strategy corresponds to certainty equivalent control and is shown to be suboptimal in this task. We conclude that humans are able to carry out complex control tasks that require computing with uncertainties relating sensory input, control variables, and actions.
An Overview of Pre and Post Harvest Practices of Gum Arabic in Sudan
Authors: Elrayah H.H. , Osman M.E. , Al-Assaf S. , Ali H.I.
Published: November 2011

It is important to understand the system of agriculturally shifting cultivation, which may be called the bush fallow system, in the context of the socio-economic aspects of gum arabic. The farmers' indigenous knowledge is based on understanding the ecosystem in order to sustain production of all crops including gums. The activities done by individual farmers in the gum farms, which include tree husbandry, tapping systems and timing, the ways of collection as well as other pre- and post-harvest practices, clearly influence gum production. All of the steps done by the framers to insure production and the relations between them and the other chains in the marketing, processing and exporting stages are highlighted. It can be concluded that all stakeholders in the gum arabic sector have awareness of the gum protocols adopted within the gum belt based on indigenous knowledge and research output during the last 50 years.
Towards Achieving Stability and Sustainability of Gum Arabic (Acacia Senegal) Production in the Sudan
Authors: Ballal M.E.M.
Published: November 2011

Comparative studies of gum arabic yield trends in relation to natural and plantation management of Acacia senegal in farmers and researchers fields were conducted in the main production centres of the gum belt in western Sudan. The effect of climate variability, namely rainfall and temperature fluctuations were thoroughly examined for ten years. The objective was to arrive at an improved package that can help in understanding reasons behind variability in gum arabic production in the Sudan. The output is expected to help in controlling, predicting and stabilising gum yield in the light of changing climate, varying social and economic conditions and instability of supplies of gum arabic in the internal and international markets. The outcome of the on-station and on-farm research trials clearly demonstrated the yield trends of the different types of tree stands as well as the effects of management and climate change. The results showed that the management of the different tree stands could be improved to arrive at significant (up to 60%) increase in the yield of gum arabic plus increased value addition due to improvement in the quality. Statistically verifiable models to help understanding instability in gum production and supplies were developed. These models were found to explain much (> 80%) of the current variability in gum yield. Recommendations were set for improving the primary production systems for the smallholder and the large-scale producers of gum arabic as well as ensuring sustainable production. A capacity building programme to improve producers' management skills was also suggested.
Prospects for Genetic Improvement of Acacia Senegal: Can Molecular Approaches Deliver Better Gum Yield and Quality?
Authors: Odee D.W. , Wilson J. , Cavers S.
Published: November 2011

In the drylands of Africa, land degradation and soil fertility depletion are major threats to natural resource conservation and food security. A potential solution is to exploit the properties of native N2-fixing legume trees. One candidate is Acacia senegal, the main species producing the internationally traded ‘gum arabic', which also provides a multitude of ecosystem services and supports the livelihoods of many impoverished rural populations in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa. The development of improved planting stock would help meet the demand for reliable, high quality gum and, at the same time, could enhance income generation and promote wide-scale planting giving environmental benefits for the fragile drylands ecosystem. This requires a strategic improvement programme, but traditional breeding methods require significant time. Molecular approaches are frequently touted as providing a means of increasing efficiency in breeding programmes; however it is as yet unclear whether they can deliver this efficiency, particularly in the regions in which A. senegal is an important crop. Here we review the status of genetic improvement of A. senegal, highlighting modern molecular approaches to advance the breeding efforts for gum and other important traits to enhance adaptability and sustainable management of genetic resources in the changing global climate.
Ecological Studies on Long-horned Beetles (Cerambycidae)on Acacia Senegal (L). Wild in Northern Kordofan, Sudan
Authors: Eisa M.A. , Sama G.
Published: November 2011

Acacia senegal, producing gum arabic, provides an important source of cash income to the farmer population in the Northern Kordofan State, Sudan. As well as its sizable contribution to Sudan economy, it is the most important non-wood forest product (NWFP) to Sudan. Moreover, the tree serves economical as well as environmental functions in Sudan. Insect attacks are one of the main causal agents in the decline of the gum arabic yielding tree A. senegal in Sudan, especially during periods of drought.
Processing of Gum Arabic Enzymatically
Authors: Abdalla I.G. , Ahmed B.-E.I. , Ishag C.Y. , Al-Assaf S. , Andres-Brull M. , Phillips G.O. , Williams P.A.
Published: November 2011

Acacia senegal var. senegal and Acaia seyal var. seyal solutions were treated with papain (proteolytic type enzyme). The reactions were monitored using gel permeation chromatography coupled on line to multi-angle laser light scattering, refractive index and UV detectors. The results for A. senegal samples showed almost complete disappearance of the AGP faction and as a result a decrease in the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of up to 40% of the original value. For A. seyal the incubation with papain enzyme for 72 hours reduced the molecular weight by 43%. Incubation of the gums alone without papain at 63oC resulted in a decrease in the molecular weight for both A. senegal and A. seyal. The reduction was more significant in A. seyal compared to A senegal.
Effect of Gum Arabic Contents on the Amount of Non-equilibrium Excess free Volume and Molecular Mobility of Spray Dried Maltodextrin and Gum Arabic Mixtures
Authors: Samuhasaneetoo S. , Penroj P. , Chaiseri S.
Published: November 2011

Gum arabic provides very good volatile retention during the drying process as shown in the spray drying of citrus oil, ester, citral and linalyl acetate. Despite its emulsification ability and good retention of volatiles for flavour encapsulation, the high cost, the limited availability and the existence of impurities have been deterrents against the use of gum arabic. The chemical and physicochemical properties vary depending on the source, tree age, time of exudation, type of storage and storage conditions. The gum from Acacia senegal is considered to be the best quality for use as an emulsifier. Gum arabic is a complex mixture that contains polysaccharide, protein and arabinogalactan protein.
Structural Characteristics and Functional Properties of Gum Arabic
Authors: Williams P.A.
Published: November 2011

Gum arabic occurs as a sticky liquid that oozes from the stems and branches of acacia trees, which grow across the Sahelian belt of Africa. Although there are probably over 1000 species of acacia it is only the gum from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal that can be referred to as gum arabic. The liquid dries in the sun to form glassy nodules, which are collected by hand by local farmers. The gum has been an article of commerce for more than 5000 years and was used by the Ancient Egyptians for producing paints and for coating the flaxen wrappings used to embalm mummies. Nowadays, its main applications are in confectionery to control texture and inhibit sugar crystallisation and in beverages as an emulsifier and encapsulator for flavour oils.
Characterisation, Fractionation and Emulsification Properties of Acacia Polyacantha Gums
Authors: Osman A.A. , Osman M.E. , Hassan E.A. , Al-Assaf S. , Andres-Brull M. , Phillips G.O.
Published: November 2011

Acacia polyacantha was fractionated by a successive non-solvent fractionation technique, using ethanol and acetone separately as fractionating solvent. Four different fractions were obtained and labelled PO-E1F – PO-E4F and PO-A1F – PO-A4F in ethanol and acetone respectively. The whole gum and the fractions were fully characterised to determine the moisture, ash, pH, molecular weight, number average molecular weight, nitrogen content, intrinsic viscosity, emulsification performance and stability. The results for the fractions in both solvents showed lower moisture content, optical rotation and intrinsic viscosity while the uronic acid content was higher in all fractions apart from PO-A3F. The protein distribution associated with the high molecular weight fraction varied according to the fractionation step and solvent. The highest molecular weight was obtained for PO-E4F while the remaining fractions showed lower molecular weight compared to the control. All acetone fractions gave higher molecular weight compared to the control. The emulsification performance and stability was largely dependent on the protein distribution and its association with the higher molecular weight fractions. PO-E3F and PO-A4F gave better emulsification performance and stability than the control. PO-A4F gave results comparable to A. senegal.
Colloid Chemical Properties of Heat-treated Gum Acacia
Authors: Degen P. , Vidoni O. , Rehage H.
Published: November 2011

Gum acacia is commonly used as a natural emulsifier in the food industry, in particular for beverages and flavour oil emulsions, in cosmetic products, ink, etc.1 The polysaccharide backbone of Acacia gum is composed of (1→3)-linked β-galactopyranose monomers and (1→6)-linked galactopyranose side chains, terminated either by glucuronic acid or by 4-O-methylglucuronic acid residues. The protein component is covalently linked to the polysaccharide, forming arabinogalactan–protein complexes. The simultaneous presence of hydrophilic sugar residues and hydrophobic amino acids contributes to its ability to adsorb either at the air/water or the oil/water interfaces.
Electrical Modifications of Biomaterials' Surfaces: Beyond Hydrophobicity and Hydrophilicity
Authors: Tofail S. A. M. , Gandhi A. A.
Published: November 2011

Various methods of the electrical modification of biomaterials are discussed in this Chapter, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Electrical modifications to impart electrical charge in biomaterials have been reported to have beneficial effect, in particular in osteogenesis. Higher rates of calcifications and cellular activities have been reported on negatively polarized Biomaterials' surfaces. This general observation cannot be reconciled purely due to the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of the surface, as the current theory does not suggest any influence of polarity of the surface on wetting behaviour. More fundamental studies are required to obtain a proper understanding of electrical modification on the reported selectivity in the stimulation of mineralization.
Community- and Hospital-acquired Staphylococcal Infections
Authors: Thornton R. , Cooney J.
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this Chapter is to give the reader a broad overview of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The Chapter will focus on several aspects of this organism in relation to the problems it causes in the healthcare setting. Staphylococci are the topic of an extensive literature and many books. As a consequence, the information here will not deal with any particular subject in great depth, but will point the reader to literature which will aid in their accessing an understanding of the more important aspects of S. aureus biology. We will provide a short general introduction and then examine aspects of which infections S. aureus cause and how they cause them. The issue of bacterial resistance to antibiotics will be discussed and the latter half of the Chapter will deal with hospital-acquired S. aureus infections and the more recent advent of community-acquired MRSA. Finally, information on current treatments for staphylococcal infections will be presented, incorporating new and proposed treatments.
Inhibition of Encrustationin Urological Devices
Authors: Robin S. , Soulimane T. , Lavelle S.
Published: November 2011

This Chapter deals with the complex problem of crystalline biofilms and encrustation of urological devices, in particular the threat that P. mirabilis represents. The Chapter provides an overviewof the strategies employed to overcome these problems, which for several decades were mostly focused on modification of the surfaces of urological devices.
La mesure de la vitesse de la lumière à Nice par Henri Joseph Anastase Perrotin
Authors: Bogaert Gilles , Blanc Wilfried
Published: November 2011

Entre 1898 et 1904, Perrotin, directeur du nouvel Observatoire de Nice [1], entreprend de mesurer la vitesse de la lumière avec une précision record, qui entrera dans l’histoire. Cette entreprise, quasiment oubliée aujourd’hui, a pourtant donné un résultat cité comme référence pendant des décennies.

Les archives de l’Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur [2] (encadré p. 23) permettent de revivre au jour le jour ce projet, assez audacieux, et de redécouvrir cet homme déterminé qui avait accepté de présider à la destinée de ce « palais astronomique et physique » pour la gloire de la « Science française » [3].
Anatole Abragam (15 décembre 1914 − 8 juin 2011)
Authors: Goldman Maurice
Published: November 2011

Anatole Abragam, physicien français, russe de naissance, membre de l’Académie des sciences, a laissé une profonde empreinte dans le domaine de la résonance magnétique, aussi bien électronique (RPE) que nucléaire (RMN), par ses travaux et contributions et son rôle éminent de pédagogue, surtout en RMN, où il a apporté clarté et rigueur théorique. Un grand nombre des plus éminents scientiﬁques de ce domaine se considèrent comme ses élèves. Il a été Président de la Société Française de Physique en 1967.

Cet article est une esquisse de sa vie et de sa carrière.
Sprawl Retrofit: Sustainable Urban Form in Unsustainable Places
Authors: Talen Emily
Published: November 2011

This paper makes a contribution to the suburban retrofit/sprawl repair literature by suggesting a method that planners can use to evaluate the potential of some places to be catalysts for an improved—more sustainable—urban form. The strategy is aimed at evaluating and then promoting sustainable urban form in unsustainable places. The method puts sprawl retrofit projects into a larger planning framework, suggesting ways to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of places in relative terms, taking into account how different kinds of nodes—from light rail stops to parking lots—varying with respect to sustainable urban form characteristics. Overlaying data on accessibility, density, diversity, and connectivity reveals areas with varying levels of sustainable urban form. Intervention in potential retrofit locations consists of neighborhood and site-scale design, including suggestions for code reform, intensification of land use around nodes, public investment in civic space, traffic calming, and incentives for private development.
Companion cropping chicory with winter forage cereals for grazing and forage conservation. Dry matter yields, nutritive characteristics and mineral content
Authors: Jacobs J. L. , Ward G. N.
Published: November 2011

Limitations to the current perennial ryegrass-based pasture system on dryland dairy farms in southern Australia has led to research into alternatives that can produce either additional DM, out of season feed or can improve nutritive characteristics. The use of winter annual crops followed by a summer crop have the potential to achieve these goals but often result in considerable periods where new crops are establishing and feed is not available for consumption. Companion cropping offers an option to overcome these limitations. The experiment reported in this paper examines the DM yields, nutritive characteristics and mineral content of companion cropping wheat or triticale at different sowing rates into an existing chicory monoculture over a 2-year period. We hypothesised that oversowing cereal crops in autumn into an existing stand of chicory would result in improvements in nutritive characteristics at ensiling, without adversely affecting DM yield or subsequent chicory DM yields following harvesting, thus negating the need to sow a new summer forage crop each year. Total DM yields for the chicory and cereal monocultures were similar over the experimental period, while DM yields for all triticale mixtures were higher than the chicory only treatment. Chicory produced lower DM yields for silage but higher DM yields at most grazing events. The crude protein and estimated metabolisable energy content of the chicory only treatment was higher than the cereal monocultures and all triticale/chicory mixtures at both silage harvests with wheat/chicory mixes being intermediate. The proportion of chicory in the mixed swards declined over the course of the experiment. The use of chicory with cereals resulted in no adverse effects on total DM yields, some improvements in nutritive characteristics and mineral content and a more continuous supply of DM compared with double cropping with annual species in winter and summer. This experiment has highlighted the potential of oversowing cereal forages into an existing chicory sward to contribute to DM production on dairy farms in southern Australia. Such forage mixes can provide flexibility into forage systems through the provision of forage for grazing in early winter, the production of high DM yield silage harvests and then subsequent feed supply over summer and early autumn.
Expression of steroidogenic proteins in bovine placenta during the first half of gestation
Authors: Verduzco Adriana , Fecteau Gilles , Lefebvre Réjean , Smith Lawrence C. , Murphy Bruce D.
Published: November 2011

The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence and localisation of the principal steroidogenic proteins in bovine placenta from Day 50 to Day 120 of pregnancy. Immunohistochemistry revealed that, at all stages investigated, bovine steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P45011A1 and hydroxy-δ-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3β- and steroid δ-isomerase 1 proteins were found principally at the fetomaternal interdigitations: the chorionic villus and maternal septum. Moreover, caruncular epithelial cells and uninucleate trophoblast cells were the principal cells detected that were positive for the three markers. Western blot analysis showed that only caruncular tissue expressed all three steroidogenic markers; in contrast, cotyledons only expressed StAR and cytochrome P45011A1. Immunoblot results showed a complementary pattern of StAR and cytochrome P45011A1 expression between caruncles and cotyledons at different stages. These observations suggest that, in early pregnancy, the maternal compartment contributes significantly to bovine placental steroidogenesis, particularly for the synthesis of progesterone. Furthermore, the variation in StAR and cytochrome P45011A1 expression between caruncular and cotyledonary tissues across gestation suggests that placental steroidogenesis requires cell-to-cell communication between maternal and fetal cells.
Ontogenesis of phase I hepatic drug metabolic enzymes in sheep
Authors: Pretheeban Manoja , Hammond Geoff , Bandiera Stelvio , Riggs Wayne , Rurak Dan
Published: November 2011

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are important for the metabolism of many drugs. While there is information on their identity and ontogeny in humans and rodents, similar data in sheep are lacking. In the present study, cDNA sequences of several CYP enzymes (CYP2A6, CYP2C19, CYP2D6) were cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. In adult, newborn and fetal sheep the mRNA and protein levels of these CYPs and the regulatory factor, hepatic nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) were determined in liver samples using real-time PCR and western blotting. The effect of antenatal glucocorticoid on these enzymes was also studied by i.v. infusion of cortisol (0.45 mg h–1; 80 h) to another group of fetuses. The mRNA and protein levels of the CYPs and HNF4α were low or absent in the fetus, followed by increasing levels in the newborn and adult. Fetal cortisol administration significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of CYP2D6. Moreover, the correlation observed between the CYP and HNF4α mRNA levels suggests a possible regulatory role for this transcription factor. The findings suggest that fetal and newborn lambs have a low ability to metabolise drugs that are substrates of these enzymes, and that this ability increases with advancing postnatal age, similar to the situation in humans.
Nonautonomous regulation ofDrosophilamidgut stem cell proliferation by the insulin-signaling pathway
Authors: Choi Na Hyun , Lucchetta Elena , Ohlstein Benjamin
Published: November 2011

Drosophilaadult midgut intestinal stem cells (ISCs) maintain tissue homeostasis by producing progeny that replace dying enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. ISCs adjust their rates of proliferation in response to enterocyte turnover through a positive feedback loop initiated by secreted enterocyte-derived ligands. However, less is known about whether ISC proliferation is affected by growth of the progeny as they differentiate. Here we show that nutrient deprivation and reduced insulin signaling results in production of growth-delayed enterocytes and prolonged contact between ISCs and newly formed daughters. Premature disruption of cell contact between ISCs and their progeny leads to increased ISC proliferation and rescues proliferation defects in insulin receptor mutants and nutrient-deprived animals. These results suggest that ISCs can indirectly sense changes in nutrient and insulin levels through contact with their daughters and reveal a mechanism that could link physiological changes in tissue growth to stem cell proliferation.
Disorder-to-order transition underlies the structural basis for the assembly of a transcriptionally active PGC-1α/ERRγ complex
Authors: Devarakonda Srikripa , Gupta Kushol , Chalmers Michael J. , Hunt John F. , Griffin Patrick R. , Van Duyne Gregory D. , Spiegelman Bruce M.
Published: November 2011

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a potent transcriptional coactivator of oxidative metabolism and is induced in response to a variety of environmental cues. It regulates a broad array of target genes by coactivating a whole host of transcription factors. The estrogen-related receptor (ERR) family of nuclear receptors are key PGC-1α partners in the regulation of mitochondrial and tissue-specific oxidative metabolic pathways; these receptors also demonstrate strong physical and functional interactions with this coactivator. Here we perform comprehensive biochemical, biophysical, and structural analyses of the complex formed between PGC-1α and ERRγ. PGC-1α activation domain (PGC-1
α
2–220
) is intrinsically disordered with limited secondary and no defined tertiary structure. Complex formation with ERRγ induces significant changes in the conformational mobility of both partners, highlighted by significant stabilization of the ligand binding domain (ERRγLBD) as determined by HDX (hydrogen/deuterium exchange) and an observed disorder-to-order transition in PGC-1
α
2–220
. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies allow for modeling of the solution structure of the activation domain in the absence and presence of ERRγLBD, revealing a stable and compact binary complex. These data show that PGC-1
α
2–220
undergoes a large-scale conformational change when binding to the ERRγLBD, leading to substantial compaction of the activation domain. This change results in stable positioning of the N-terminal part of the activation domain of PGC-1α, favorable for assembly of an active transcriptional complex. These data also provide structural insight into the versatile coactivation profile of PGC-1α and can readily be extended to understand other transcriptional coregulators.
Formation of unconventional standing waves at graphene edges by valley mixing and pseudospin rotation
Authors: Park Changwon , Yang Heejun , Mayne Andrew J. , Dujardin Gérald , Seo Sunae , Kuk Young , Ihm Jisoon , Kim Gunn
Published: November 2011

We investigate the roles of the pseudospin and the valley degeneracy in electron scattering at graphene edges. It is found that they are strongly correlated with charge density modulations of short-wavelength oscillations and slowly decaying beat patterns in the electronic density profile. Theoretical analyses using nearest-neighbor tight-binding methods and first-principles density-functional theory calculations agree well with our experimental data from scanning tunneling microscopy. The armchair edge shows almost perfect intervalley scattering with pseudospin invariance regardless of the presence of the hydrogen atom at the edge, whereas the zigzag edge only allows for intravalley scattering with the change in the pseudospin orientation. The effect of structural defects at the graphene edges is also discussed.
Impact of an individualist vs. collectivist context on the social valorization of internal explanations
Authors: Testé Benoît
Published: November 2011

The theory of the norm of internality emphasizes the role of Western individualism in the normativity of internal explanations. The present study examines the link between the social value accorded to targets expressing internal vs. external explanations and individualist vs. collectivist contexts. Sixty‐three male and female French management sciences students evaluated two targets (internal vs. external) in a simulated recruitment situation. The job vacancy was partially manipulated to create individualist vs. collectivist contexts. Participants were asked to state whether or not they would recruit the targets and to describe the targets on traits relating to social utility (market value) and social desirability (likeability). As expected, the results showed that the effect of the targets’ internality on recruitment judgments and perceived social utility was stronger in the individualist context than in the collectivist context. However, the analysis also revealed that the participant's gender moderated the impact of the context on the evaluation of the targets. The results showed that the context strongly affected the men's judgments, whereas it had no effect on the women's judgments.
Co-divergence and host-switching in the evolution of tobamoviruses
Authors: Stobbe Anthony H. , Melcher Ulrich , Palmer Michael W. , Roossinck Marilyn J. , Shen Guoan
Published: November 2011

The proposed phylogenetic structure of the genus Tobamovirus supports the idea that these viruses have codiverged with their hosts since radiation of the hosts from a common ancestor. The determinations of genome sequence for two strains of Passion fruit mosaic virus (PafMV), a tobamovirus from plants of the family Passifloraceae (order Malpighiales) from which only one other tobamovirus (Maracuja mosaic virus; MarMV) has been characterized, combined with the development of Bayesian analysis methods for phylogenetic inference, provided an opportunity to reassess the co-divergence hypothesis. The sequence of one PafMV strain, PfaMV-TGP, was discovered during a survey of plants of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve for their virus content. Its nucleotides are only 73 % identical to those of MarMV. A conserved ORF not found in other tobamovirus genomes, and encoding a cysteine-rich protein, was found in MarMV and both PafMV strains. Phylogenetic tree construction, using an alignment of the nucleotide sequences of PafMV-TGP and other tobamoviruses resulted in a major clade containing isolates exclusively from rosid plants. Asterid-derived viruses were exclusively found in a second major clade that also contained an orchid-derived tobamovirus and tobamoviruses infecting plants of the order Brassicales. With a few exceptions, calibrating the virus tree with dates of host divergence at two points resulted in predictions of divergence times of family specific tobamovirus clades that were consistent with the times of divergence of the host plant orders.
Choristoneura fumiferana multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus LEF-3–P143 complex can complement DNA replication and budded virus in an AcMNPV LEF-3–P143 double knockout bacmid
Authors: Yu Mei , Carstens Eric B.
Published: November 2011

Transient replication assays usingAutographa californicamultiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) andChoristoneura fumiferanamultiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (CfMNPV) genes suggested that the interactions between P143, the viral helicase and LEF-3, a ssDNA-binding protein, may represent virus species specificity determinants. P143 and LEF-3 are essential for DNA replication in these assays and together with IE-1, the major immediate-early transcription factor, may be part of the viral replisome. In the current report, alef-3/p143double-knockout AcMNPV bacmid was constructed that was defective for viral DNA replication and late gene expression. When the homologouslef-3/p143CfMNPV genes were introduced into this double-knockout bacmid, DNA replication was restored but the level of replication was lower, budded virus production was delayed, and the yields were reduced from those in an AcMNPV-rescue bacmid. These results suggest that to maximize virus replication, baculovirus replisome assembly and function requires protein–protein interactions between P143 and LEF-3, and other viral proteins.
Raspberry leaf blotch virus, a putative new member of the genus Emaravirus, encodes a novel genomic RNA
Authors: McGavin Wendy J. , Mitchell Carolyn , Cock Peter J. A. , Wright Kathryn M. , MacFarlane Stuart A.
Published: November 2011

A new, segmented, negative-strand RNA virus with morphological and sequence similarities to other viruses in the genus Emaravirus was discovered in raspberry plants exhibiting symptoms of leaf blotch disorder, a disease previously attributed to the eriophyid raspberry leaf and bud mite (Phyllocoptes gracilis). The virus, tentatively named raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV), has five RNAs that each potentially encode a single protein on the complementary strand. RNAs 1, 2 and 3 encode, respectively, a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, a glycoprotein precursor and the nucleocapsid. RNA4 encodes a protein with sequence similarity to proteins of unknown function that are encoded by the genomes of other emaraviruses. When expressed transiently in plants fused to green or red fluorescent protein, the RLBV P4 protein localized to the peripheral cell membrane and to punctate spots in the cell wall. These spots co-localized with GFP-tagged tobacco mosaic virus 30K cell-to-cell movement protein, which is itself known to associate with plasmodesmata. These results suggest that the P4 protein may be a movement protein for RLBV. The fifth RLBV RNA, encoding the P5 protein, is unique among the sequenced emaraviruses. The amino acid sequence of the P5 protein does not suggest any potential function; however, when expressed as a GFP fusion, it localized as small aggregates in the cytoplasm near to the periphery of the cell.
Nucleostemin and TWIST as predictive markers for recurrence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Nakajima Takako E. , Yoshida Hiroshi , Okamoto Naoko , Nagashima Kengo , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Yamada Yasuhide , Shimoda Tadakazu , Masutomi Kenkichi
Published: November 2011

We recently demonstrated that overexpression of the nucleolar GTP‐binding protein nucleostemin drives the fraction of genetically‐defined tumor cells that exhibit markers and tumorigenic properties of tumor initiating cells. More specifically, cells that constitutively express elevated levels of nucleostemin exhibit increased TWIST expression; expression of genes that induced pluripotent stem cells; enhanced radioresistance; tumor formation, even when small numbers of cells are implanted; and an increased propensity to metastasize. An immunohistochemical analysis of cancer stem cell markers, such as nucleostemin and TWIST has not been conducted in surgically‐resected esophageal squamous cell carcinomas after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In the present study, we examined the expression of CD133, CD44, nucleostemin, guanine nucleotide‐binding protein‐like 3‐like, and TWIST by immunohistochemistry in a series of 54 surgically‐resected specimens of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We identified that high nucleostemin proportion, TWIST intensity, and advanced pathological N stage were significantly correlated with poor relapse‐free survival. Together, these observations imply nucleostemin and TWIST as the predictive markers for postoperative recurrence. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 233–238)
Anti‐α actinin antibodies as new predictors of response to treatment in autoimmune hepatitis type 1
Authors: Zachou K. , Oikonomou K. , Renaudineau Y. , Chauveau A. , Gatselis N. , Youinou P. , Dalekos G. N.
Published: November 2011

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012; 35: 116–125

Background  We reported that combined presence of autoantibodies (Abs) against filamentous‐actin (AFA) and α‐actinin are specific for autoimmune hepatitis type 1 (AIH‐1) diagnosis.

Aim  To explore our data and assess whether anti‐α‐actinin and AFA Abs could be used as indicators of response to treatment and predictors of AIH‐1 flares in a large cohort of AIH‐1 patients.

Methods  Seven hundred and sixty‐four serial serum samples of 86 consecutive AIH‐1 patients, 509 pathological and 110 normal controls were tested for the presence of anti‐α‐actinin and AFA Abs by an in‐house IgG‐specific ELISA and a standardised commercially available ELISA respectively. Patients sera were divided into baseline group (active disease before treatment initiation, n = 86) and then according to treatment response into group A‐responders (n = 40 patients), group B‐relapsers/incomplete responders (n = 37 patients) and group C‐not‐treated (n = 9 patients).

Results  Anti‐α‐actinin and AFA levels were significantly higher at baseline. Double reactivity against α‐actinin and AFA was associated with disease activity (OR 4.9; 95% CI: 2.7–9). Anti‐α‐actinin optical densities (ODs) before treatment decreased significantly at first remission (P < 0.05). Treatment response was associated with anti‐α‐actinin Abs negativity before treatment (OR 3.4; 95% CI: 1.3–8.9) and absence of double positivity for anti‐α‐actinin and AFA Abs before treatment (OR 3.8; 95% CI: 1.4–10.4). Responders had lower baseline levels of anti‐α‐actinin than relapsers and/or incomplete responders (P = 0.002). Binary logistic regression revealed lower levels of anti‐α‐actinin as the only independent predictors of response (P = 0.05).

Conclusions  Anti‐α‐actinin Abs at baseline appear to predict treatment response and therefore they might be used for monitoring treatment outcome in AIH‐1.
Seasonal dynamics of biomass production and herbage quality of three grasslands with contrasting functional compositions
Authors: Michaud A. , Andueza D. , Picard F. , Plantureux S. , Baumont R.
Published: November 2011

Classifying grasses into plant functional types (PFT) according to their strategy of nutrient capture (PFT A, B and b) or nutrient conservation (PFT C) is claimed to predict variability in biomass production and herbage quality in grasslands. PFT A, B and b are characterized by higher production than PFT C, with higher nutritive value, which decreases rapidly. PFT C is characterized by lower nutritive value, which remains more stable in time. The aim of this study was to quantify the consequences of PFT composition at the community level on the seasonal dynamics of biomass and herbage quality for livestock feed. We studied three grasslands located in the same area with contrasting PFT composition and classified PFT A, PFT Bb and PFT C. The dynamics of vegetation stages, dry‐matter yield and nutritive value were followed over three vegetation cycles in 2007–2008. In the first cycle, biomass accumulation was high for the PFT A and PFT Bb grasslands and the high quality of herbage declined rapidly with the reproductive development. By contrast, biomass accumulation was slow in the PFT C grassland, with a lower quality that declined slowly, consistent with the later reproductive development. For regrowth cycles, the same ranking of grasslands was observed for biomass accumulation, and differences in digestibility were similar to those observed at the beginning of the first vegetation cycle. Combining type of grassland with sum of temperature for the first cycle and regrowth days for the second and third vegetation cycles provided quantitative models of herbage biomass and quality.
Two structurally similar fungal prions efficiently cross‐seed in vivo but form distinct polymers when coexpressed
Authors: Benkemoun Laura , Ness Frédérique , Sabaté Raimon , Ceschin Johanna , Breton Annick , Clavé Corinne , Saupe Sven J.
Published: November 2011

HET‐s is a prion protein of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina. An orthologue of this protein, called FgHET‐s has been identified in Fusarium graminearum. The region of the FgHET‐s protein corresponding to the prion forming domain of HET‐s, forms amyloid fibrils in vitro. These fibrils seed HET‐s(218–289) fibril formation in vitro and vice versa. The amyloid fold of HET‐s(218–289) and FgHET‐s(218–289) are remarkably similar although they share only 38% identity. The present work corresponds to the functional characterization of the FgHET‐s(218–289) region as a prion forming domain in vivo. We show that FgHET‐s(218–289) is capable of prion propagation in P. anserina and is able to substitute for the HET‐s PFD in the full‐length HET‐s protein. In accordance with the in vitro cross‐seeding experiments, we detect no species barrier between P. anserina and F. graminearum PFDs. We use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a host to compare the prion performances of the two orthologous PFDs. We find that FgHET‐s(218–289) leads to higher spontaneous prion formation rates and mitotic prion stability than HET‐s(218–289). Then we analysed the outcome of HET‐s(218–289)/FgHET‐s(218–289) coexpression. In spite of the cross‐seeding ability of HET‐s(218–289) and FgHET‐s(218–289), in vivo, homotypic polymerization is favoured over mixed fibril formation.