bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The mechanics of granitoid systems and maximum entropy production rates
Authors: Hobbs Bruce E. , Ord Alison
Published: November 2009

A model for the formation of granitoid systems is developed involving melt production spatially below a rising isotherm that defines melt initiation. Production of the melt volumes necessary to form granitoid complexes within 104–107years demands control of the isotherm velocity by melt advection. This velocity is one control on the melt flux generated spatially just above the melt isotherm, which is the control valve for the behaviour of the complete granitoid system. Melt transport occurs in conduits initiated as sheets or tubes comprising melt inclusions arising from Gurson–Tvergaard constitutive behaviour. Such conduits appear as leucosomes parallel to lineations and foliations, and ductile and brittle dykes. The melt flux generated at the melt isotherm controls the position of the melt solidus isotherm and hence the physical height of the Transport/Emplacement Zone. A conduit width-selection process, driven by changes in melt viscosity and constitutive behaviour, operates within the Transport Zone to progressively increase the width of apertures upwards. Melt can also be driven horizontally by gradients in topography; these horizontal fluxes can be similar in magnitude to vertical fluxes. Fluxes induced by deformation can compete with both buoyancy and topographic-driven flow over all length scales and results locally in transient ‘ponds’ of melt. Pluton emplacement is controlled by the transition in constitutive behaviour of the melt/magma from elastic–viscous at high temperatures to elastic–plastic–viscous approaching the melt solidus enabling finite thickness plutons to develop. The system involves coupled feedback processes that grow at the expense of heat supplied to the system and compete with melt advection. The result is that limits are placed on the size and time scale of the system. Optimal characteristics of the system coincide with a state of maximum entropy production rate.
Emergent patterns in space and time from daisyworld: a simple evolving coupled biosphere–climate model
Authors: Ackland Graeme J. , Wood A. Jamie
Published: November 2009

We present a simplified model of a coupled planetary geosphere–biosphere, with two evolving species coupled through a single enviromental variable. The species do not compete directly, but instead compete through, and can evolve their effect on, this environmental parameter. The model produces an evolutionary arms race, with each species evolving extreme behaviour to counteract the other. The result is an apparently stable balance, with the planet supporting a maximum amount of life, in unusually patterned configurations. However, this balance is achieved by two countering effects and is susceptible to very large correlated fluctuations and extinction events if the balance is disturbed. This arms-race evolution is observed even for very small differences between the species: for a coupled evolving system, the ‘neutral’ theory of identical species is not the limiting case.
HCN1 channels constrain DHPG-induced LTD at hippocampal Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses
Authors: Tokay Tursonjan , Rohde Marco , Krabbe Sabine , Rehberg Mirko , Bender Roland A. , Köhling Rüdiger , Kirschstein Timo
Published: November 2009

HCN channels play a fundamental role in determining resting membrane potential and regulating synaptic function. Here, we investigated the involvement of HCN channels in basal synaptic transmission and long-term depression (LTD) at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapse. Bath application of the HCN channel blocker ZD7288 (10 μM) caused a significant increase in synaptic transmission that was due to an enhancement in AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic potentials. This enhancement was accompanied by a significant decrease in the paired-pulse ratio (PPR), suggesting a presynaptic mechanism. Experiments with the irreversible use-dependent NMDA receptor blocker MK-801 showed that ZD7288 led to an increase in glutamate release probability. LTD induced by brief application of (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG, 100 μM, 10 min) was significantly enhanced when HCN channels were blocked by ZD7288 (10 μM) prior to DHPG application. Moreover, the concomitant increase in PPR after DHPG-induced LTD was significantly larger than without ZD7288 bath application. Conversely, ZD7288 application after DHPG washout did not alter DHPG-LTD. A significant enhancement of DHPG-LTD was also observed in HCN1-deficient mice as compared with wild types. However, LTD induced by low-frequency stimulation (LFS) remained unaltered in HCN1-deficient mice, suggesting a differential effect of HCN1 channels on synaptic plasticity constraining DHPG-LTD, but not LFS-LTD.
Post-retrieval disruption of a cocaine conditioned place preference by systemic and intrabasolateral amygdala β2- and α1-adrenergic antagonists
Authors: Bernardi Rick E. , Ryabinin Andrey E. , Berger S. Paul , Lattal K. Matthew
Published: November 2009

Previous work has demonstrated post-retrieval impairment in associative learning paradigms, including those mediated by drugs of abuse, using nonspecific β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) antagonists. Remarkably little is known about the role of the specific β-AR subtypes, or other adrenergic receptors, in these effects. The current study examined the effects of β1and β2, as well as α1-adrenergic receptor antagonism following retrieval of a cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). We found that rats administered the β2antagonist ICI 118,551 (8 mg/kg intraperitoneal [IP]) or the α1antagonist prazosin (1 mg/kg IP) following a drug-free test for CPP showed attenuated preference during a subsequent test, while the β1antagonist betaxolol (5 or 10 mg/kg IP) and a lower dose of prazosin (0.3 mg/kg IP) had no effect. Furthermore, post-test microinfusion of ICI 118,551 (6 nmol/side) or prazosin (0.5 nmol/side) into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) also impaired a subsequent preference. Systemic or intra-BLA ICI 118,551 or prazosin administered to rats in their home cages, in the absence of a preference test, had no effect on CPP 24 h later. ICI 118,551 also attenuated the FOS response in the BLA induced by the CPP test. These results are the first to demonstrate a role for α1- and β2-specific adrenergic mechanisms in post-retrieval memory processes. These systemic and site-specific injections, as well as the FOS immunohistochemical analyses, implicate the importance of specific noradrenergic signaling mechanisms within the BLA in post-retrieval plasticity.
Working with Tammar Wallabies (Macropus eugenii)
Authors: Hickford Danielle , Frankenberg Stephen , Renfree Marilyn B.
Published: December 2009

INTRODUCTION

It requires practice to become adept at catching and handling tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii). Although generally not aggressive, tammars do scratch and can also bite. Once caught, tammars will stay quiet in their sacks for several hours. Take care that sacked animals do not overheat by ensuring that they are not left in the sun or piled on top of each other. To avoid the risk of heat stress, do not catch animals when air temperatures are above 25°C. Once handling techniques for adult animals are mastered, procedures such as vaccinations and checking for pouch young (PY) are easily performed, as described in this protocol. Methods for sexing, aging, and handling PY, as well as euthanasia of PY, are also detailed in this protocol. Once removed from the pouch, PY must be kept warm, because they lack the ability to thermoregulate until they are ~6 mo old.
A Bifunctional Geranyl and Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase Is Involved in Terpene Oleoresin Formation inPicea abies
Authors: Schmidt Axel , Waݶchtler Betty , Temp Ulrike , Krekling Trygve , Seݩguin Armand , Gershenzon Jonathan
Published: November 2009

The conifer Picea abies (Norway spruce) defends itself against herbivores and pathogens with a terpenoid-based oleoresin composed chiefly of monoterpenes (C10) and diterpenes (C20). An important group of enzymes in oleoresin biosynthesis are the short-chain isoprenyl diphosphate synthases that produce geranyl diphosphate (C10), farnesyl diphosphate (C15), and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (C20) as precursors of different terpenoid classes. We isolated a gene from P. abies via a homology-based polymerase chain reaction approach that encodes a short-chain isoprenyl diphosphate synthase making an unusual mixture of two products, geranyl diphosphate (C10) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (C20). This bifunctionality was confirmed by expression in both prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) and eukaryotic (P. abies embryogenic tissue) hosts. Thus, this isoprenyl diphosphate synthase, designated PaIDS1, could contribute to the biosynthesis of both major terpene types in P. abies oleoresin. In saplings, PaIDS1 transcript was restricted to wood and bark, and transcript level increased dramatically after methyl jasmonate treatment, which induces the formation of new (traumatic) resin ducts. Polyclonal antibodies localized the PaIDS1 protein to the epithelial cells surrounding the traumatic resin ducts. PaIDS1 has a close phylogenetic relationship to single-product conifer geranyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases. Its catalytic properties and reaction mechanism resemble those of conifer geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, except that significant quantities of the intermediate geranyl diphosphate are released. Using site-directed mutagenesis and chimeras of PaIDS1 with single-product geranyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, specific amino acid residues were identified that alter the relative composition of geranyl to geranylgeranyl diphosphate.
TrichOME: A Comparative Omics Database for Plant Trichomes
Authors: Dai Xinbin , Wang Guodong , Yang Dong Sik , Tang Yuhong , Broun Pierre , Marks M. David , Sumner Lloyd W. , Dixon Richard A. , Zhao Patrick Xuechun
Published: November 2009

Plant secretory trichomes have a unique capacity for chemical synthesis and secretion and have been described as biofactories for the production of natural products. However, until recently, most trichome-specific metabolic pathways and genes involved in various trichome developmental stages have remained unknown. Furthermore, only a very limited amount of plant trichome genomics information is available in scattered databases. We present an integrated “omics” database, TrichOME, to facilitate the study of plant trichomes. The database hosts a large volume of functional omics data, including expressed sequence tag/unigene sequences, microarray hybridizations from both trichome and control tissues, mass spectrometry-based trichome metabolite profiles, and trichome-related genes curated from published literature. The expressed sequence tag/unigene sequences have been annotated based upon sequence similarity with popular databases (e.g. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and Transporter Classification Database). The unigenes, metabolites, curated genes, and probe sets have been mapped against each other to enable comparative analysis. The database also integrates bioinformatics tools with a focus on the mining of trichome-specific genes in unigenes and microarray-based gene expression profiles. TrichOME is a valuable and unique resource for plant trichome research, since the genes and metabolites expressed in trichomes are often underrepresented in regular non-tissue-targeted cDNA libraries. TrichOME is freely available at http://www.planttrichome.org/.
The Role of Tobacco Aquaporin1 in Improving Water Use Efficiency, Hydraulic Conductivity, and Yield Production Under Salt Stress
Authors: Sade Nir , Gebretsadik Michaele , Seligmann Ron , Schwartz Amnon , Wallach Rony , Moshelion Menachem
Published: November 2009

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum; C3) plants increase their water use efficiency (WUE) under abiotic stress and are suggested to show characteristics of C4 photosynthesis in stems, petioles, and transmitting tract cells. The tobacco stress-induced Aquaporin1 (NtAQP1) functions as both water and CO2 channel. In tobacco plants, overexpression of NtAQP1 increases leaf net photosynthesis (AN), mesophyll CO2 conductance, and stomatal conductance, whereas its silencing reduces root hydraulic conductivity (Lp). Nevertheless, interaction between NtAQP1 leaf and root activities and its impact on plant WUE and productivity under normal and stress conditions have never been suggested. Thus, the aim of this study was to suggest a role for NtAQP1 in plant WUE, stress resistance, and productivity. Expressing NtAQP1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants (TOM-NtAQP1) resulted in higher stomatal conductance, whole-plant transpiration, and AN under all conditions tested. In contrast to controls, where, under salt stress, Lp decreased more than 3-fold, TOM-NtAQP1 plants, similar to maize (Zea mays; C4) plants, did not reduce Lp dramatically (only by approximately 40%). Reciprocal grafting provided novel evidence for NtAQP1's role in preventing hydraulic failure and maintaining the whole-plant transpiration rate. Our results revealed independent, albeit closely related, NtAQP1 activities in roots and leaves. This dual activity, which increases the plant's water use and AN under optimal and stress conditions, resulted in improved WUE. Consequently, it contributed to the plant's stress resistance in terms of yield production under all tested conditions, as demonstrated in both tomato and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants constitutively expressing NtAQP1. The putative involvement of NtAQP1 in tobacco's C4-like photosynthesis characteristics is discussed.
The Pepper 9-Lipoxygenase GeneCaLOX1Functions in Defense and Cell Death Responses to Microbial Pathogens
Authors: Hwang In Sun , Hwang Byung Kook
Published: November 2009

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are crucial for lipid peroxidation processes during plant defense responses to pathogen infection. A pepper (Capsicum annuum) 9-LOX gene, CaLOX1, which encodes a 9-specific lipoxygenase, was isolated from pepper leaves. Recombinant CaLOX1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli catalyzed the hydroperoxidation of linoleic acid, with a Km value of 113. 9 μm. Expression of CaLOX1 was differentially induced in pepper leaves not only during Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria (Xcv) infection but also after exposure to abiotic elicitors. Transient expression of CaLOX1 in pepper leaves induced the cell death phenotype and defense responses. CaLOX1-silenced pepper plants were more susceptible to Xcv and Colletotrichum coccodes infection, which was accompanied by reduced expression of defense-related genes, lowered lipid peroxidation, as well as decreased reactive oxygen species and lowered salicylic acid accumulation. Infection with Xcv, especially in an incompatible interaction, rapidly stimulated LOX activity in unsilenced, but not CaLOX1-silenced, pepper leaves. Furthermore, overexpression of CaLOX1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) conferred enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato, Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, and Alternaria brassicicola. In contrast, mutation of the Arabidopsis CaLOX1 ortholog AtLOX1 significantly increased susceptibility to these three pathogens. Together, these results suggest that CaLOX1 and AtLOX1 positively regulate defense and cell death responses to microbial pathogens.
Dynamic Acclimation of Photosynthesis Increases Plant Fitness in Changing Environments
Authors: Athanasiou Kleovoulos , Dyson Beth C. , Webster Rachel E. , Johnson Giles N.
Published: November 2009

Plants growing in different environments develop with different photosynthetic capacities—developmental acclimation of photosynthesis. It is also possible for fully developed leaves to change their photosynthetic capacity—dynamic acclimation. The importance of acclimation has not previously been demonstrated. Here, we show that developmental and dynamic acclimation are distinct processes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that dynamic acclimation plays an important role in increasing the fitness of plants in natural environments. Plants of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) were grown at low light and then transferred to high light for up to 9 d. This resulted in an increase in photosynthetic capacity of approximately 40%. A microarray analysis showed that transfer to high light resulted in a substantial but transient increase in expression of a gene, At1g61800, encoding a glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator GPT2. Plants where this gene was disrupted were unable to undergo dynamic acclimation. They were, however, still able to acclimate developmentally. When grown under controlled conditions, fitness, measured as seed output and germination, was identical, regardless of GPT2 expression. Under naturally variable conditions, however, fitness was substantially reduced in plants lacking the ability to acclimate. Seed production was halved in gpt2™ plants, relative to wild type, and germination of the seed produced substantially less. Dynamic acclimation of photosynthesis is thus shown to play a crucial and previously unrecognized role in determining the fitness of plants growing in changing environments.
Flexibility contra Stiffness: The Phragmoplast as a Physical Barrier for Beads But Not for Vesicles
Authors: Esseling-Ozdoba Agnieszka , Kik Richard A. , van Lammeren Andreݩ A.M. , Kleijn J. Mieke , Emons Anne Mie C.
Published: November 2009

In plant cells, Golgi vesicles are transported to the division plane to fuse with each other, forming the cell plate, the initial membrane-bordered cell wall separating daughter cells. Vesicles, but not organelles, move through the phragmoplast, which consists of two opposing cylinders of microtubules and actin filaments, interlaced with endoplasmic reticulum membrane. To study physical aspects of this transport/inhibition process, we microinjected fluorescent synthetic 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-1-glycerol (DOPG) vesicles and polystyrene beads into Tradescantia virginiana stamen hair cells. The phragmoplast was nonselective for DOPG vesicles of a size up to 150 nm in diameter but was a physical barrier for polystyrene beads having a diameter of 20 and 40 nm and also when beads were coated with the same DOPG membrane. We conclude that stiffness is a parameter for vesicle transit through the phragmoplast and discuss that cytoskeleton configurations can physically block such transit.
Subcellular Flux Analysis of Central Metabolism in a Heterotrophic Arabidopsis Cell Suspension Using Steady-State Stable Isotope Labeling
Authors: Masakapalli Shyam K. , Le Lay Pascaline , Huddleston Joanna E. , Pollock Naomi L. , Kruger Nicholas J. , Ratcliffe R. George
Published: November 2009

The presence of cytosolic and plastidic pathways of carbohydrate oxidation is a characteristic feature of plant cell metabolism. Ideally, steady-state metabolic flux analysis, an emerging tool for creating flux maps of heterotrophic plant metabolism, would capture this feature of the metabolic phenotype, but the extent to which this can be achieved is uncertain. To address this question, fluxes through the pathways of central metabolism in a heterotrophic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cell suspension culture were deduced from the redistribution of label in steady-state 13C-labeling experiments using [1-13C]-, [2-13C]-, and [U-13C6]glucose. Focusing on the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), multiple data sets were fitted simultaneously to models in which the subcellular compartmentation of the PPP was altered. The observed redistribution of the label could be explained by any one of three models of the subcellular compartmentation of the oxidative PPP, but other biochemical evidence favored the model in which the oxidative steps of the PPP were duplicated in the cytosol and plastids, with flux through these reactions occurring largely in the cytosol. The analysis emphasizes the inherent difficulty of analyzing the PPP without predefining the extent of its compartmentation and the importance of obtaining high-quality data that report directly on specific subcellular processes. The Arabidopsis flux map also shows that the potential ATP yield of respiration in heterotrophic plant cells can greatly exceed the direct metabolic requirements for biosynthesis, highlighting the need for caution when predicting flux through metabolic networks using assumptions based on the energetics of resource utilization.
Revealing secondary seed removers: results from camera trapping
Authors: Seufert Verena , Linden (née Heikamp) Birthe , Fischer Frauke
Published: November 2009

This paper reports the results of the first study on secondary seed removal of seeds dispersed by Sykes’ monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis) using camera traps in Africa. Patterns of primary seed dispersal are often superimposed by secondary conveyance, emphasising the need to study these secondary processes carefully. As the agents and mechanisms of seed dispersal are often concealed, being carried out by cryptic or nocturnal animals in dense vegetation, camera trapping was deemed a viable means to investigate secondary removal of seeds disseminated by C. albogularis in the Western Soutpansberg, South Africa. Camera traps were established at preferred feeding trees of the focal Sykes’ monkey group to identify animal species that remove seeds and fruits spat and dropped to the forest floor and seed removal observations were carried out. This method proved to be effective in identifying seed removers and also allowed to get indications about the quantities of seeds removed. Ten animal species were recorded visiting the trees, of which eight were observed removing seeds and fruits. Overall seed and fruit removal rates were high, indicating that the foraging behaviour of C. albogularis attracts many terrestrial frugivores.
Aspects of community ecology of amphibians and reptiles at Bonny Island (Nigeria), an area of priority relevance for petrochemical industry
Authors: Akani Godfrey C. , Luiselli Luca M.
Published: November 2009

Finima Nature Park, situated in Bonny Island (Niger Delta, Nigeria), is a protected forested area placed within one of the most industrially developed (and environmentally polluted) regions of the whole African continent. Amphibian and reptile community composition in relation to season and microhabitat characteristics was studied, by a combination of field techniques, during the wet and dry seasons of 2007 and 2008. Overall, a total of 21 species of reptiles from nine families (with 668 individuals caught) and eight amphibian species from five families (492 individuals caught) were recorded. Nearly 94% of the amphibian individuals and most of the species were recorded, especially during the wet season, whereas most of the reptiles were found with no inter‐seasonal differences. However,Agama agamaandMabuya affiniswere found especially during the dry season. As for microhabitat use, the reptile species showed a clear, aggregated preference for two microhabitat types (dry leaves and under logs), which are probably crucial when these animals need to lose body temperature to avoid overheating. Concerning amphibians, the various species used the available microhabitats in a way expectable from their main ecological traits, with toads differing from aquatic frogs, and these differing from arboreal frogs.
The role of lipopolysaccharide in the development of atopy in humans
Authors: Simpson A. , Martinez F. D.
Published: November 2009

Atopy is a highly prevalent condition and remains the single biggest risk factor for asthma. Although atopy has a heritable component, the time frame of the increase in the prevalence indicates that it is not due to genetic factors alone. The relationship between allergen exposure and sensitization is complex. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its bioactive moiety endotoxin are common to all gram‐negative bacteria, and have been used as a surrogate of microbial load. Endotoxin can be readily measured in dust collected from homes. Some studies have demonstrated a clear inverse dose–response relationship between exposure to endotoxin and the risk of atopy but this finding has not been reproduced in all studies. Our innate immune system recognizes LPS readily via the LPS signal transduction pathway, which has the trimolecular complex of CD14/TLR4/MD2 at the core. A common single‐nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of CD14 rs2569190 C to T (CD14/−260 or CD14/−159) has been associated with elevated sCD14. Although early studies suggested that this variant was associated with more severe atopy, this finding was not uniformly replicated. It has now been demonstrated in four independent populations that high exposure to endotoxin in the domestic environment is protective against the development of atopy, but only among carriers of the C allele, that is, the environmental exposure is only relevant when taken in the context of the genotype. Furthermore, this interaction is biologically plausible. We propose that neither the environmental exposure nor the genotype in isolation is sufficient to cause complex diseases like asthma and atopy, but disease results from the one acting in the context of the other, of which CD14 and endotoxin is one example contributing to the risk for atopy.

Cite this as: A. Simpson and F. D. Martinez, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 209–223.
Antioxidants and allergic disease: a case of too little or too much?
Authors: Allan K. , Kelly F. J. , Devereux G.
Published: November 2009

Speculation persists as to the possible role, if any, of dietary antioxidants in allergic disease. While it has been hypothesized that the recent increase in allergic disease is a consequence of declining dietary antioxidant intake, an alternative hypothesis proposes that the increase in allergic disease is due to increasing antioxidant intake. Dietary trends are conflicting; the intake of some antioxidants has declined, for others intakes are likely to have increased. Animal model studies demonstrate that antioxidant supplementation at the time of primary and subsequent allergen exposure attenuates allergic inflammatory responses. The data from human studies are less clear. Observational epidemiological studies of humans are beset by several methodological limitations associated with the assessment of diet and predominantly focus on asthma. Most observational studies report potentially beneficial associations between dietary antioxidants and allergic outcomes, but a small minority report potentially adverse associations. Human intervention studies suggest that single antioxidant supplements confer minimal, if any clinical benefit in adults with asthma, however, there is still scope for studies in children, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis (AR) and of antioxidant combinations. More recently, it has been suggested that dietary antioxidants in the developmental context of fetal and infant development influence the development childhood asthma and atopic sensitization possibly by affecting the first interactions between the neonatal immune system and allergens. While a small number of birth cohort studies have reported potentially beneficial associations between maternal intake of some antioxidants during pregnancy and childhood asthma, there is very limited data suggesting associations between maternal antioxidant intake and childhood atopic dermatitis and AR. The available epidemiological, animal, molecular and immunological data suggest that there are associations between antioxidants and asthma and to a much lesser extent, atopic dermatitis and AR. However, the exact nature of the relationships and the potential for therapeutic intervention remain unclear.

Cite this as: K. Allan, F. J. Kelly and G. Devereux, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 370–380.
Bronchial provocation testing and collection of sputum with inhaled mannitol
Authors: Anderson S. D. , Brannan J. D.
Published: November 2009

Cite this as: S. D. Anderson and J. D. Brannan, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 193–196.
United airways: circulating Th2 effector cells in an allergic rhinitis model are responsible for promoting lower airways inflammation
Authors: KleinJan A. , Willart M. , Van Nimwegen M. , Leman K. , Hoogsteden H. C. , Hendriks R. W. , Lambrecht B. N.
Published: November 2009

Background
Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma often coexist and are referred to as ‘united airways’ disease. However, the molecular and cellular pathways that are crucially involved in the interaction between upper and lower airways remain to be identified.

Objective
We sought to assess whether and how AR exacerbates lower airway inflammation upon allergen challenge in mice.

Methods
We previously developed an intranasal ovalbumin (OVA)‐driven AR model, characterized by nasal eosinophilic inflammation, enhanced serum levels of OVA‐specific IgE and Th2 cytokine production in cervical lymph nodes. In OVA‐sensitized mice with or without AR, a lower airway challenge was given, and after 24 h, lower airway inflammation was analysed.

Results
We found that AR mice were more susceptible to eosinophilic inflammation following a lower airway OVA challenge than OVA‐sensitized controls. AR mice manifested increased numbers of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and increased inter‐cellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) expression on lung endothelium, when compared with OVA‐sensitized controls. Depletion of T cells in OVA‐challenged AR mice completely abrogated all hallmarks of lower airway inflammation, including enhanced IL‐5 and tissue eosinophilia. Conversely, adoptive transfer of Th2 effector cells in naïve animals induced lower airway eosinophilic inflammation after challenge with OVA. Blocking T cell recirculation during AR development by the spingosine‐1 analogue FTY720 also prevented lower airway inflammation including ICAM‐1 expression in AR mice upon a single lower airway challenge.

Conclusion
Our mouse model of ‘united airways’ disease supports epidemiological and clinical data that AR has a significant impact on lower airway inflammation. Circulating Th2 effector cells are responsible for lung priming in AR mice, most likely through up‐regulation of ICAM‐1.

Cite this as: A. KleinJan, M. Willart, M. van Nimwegen, K. Leman, H. C. Hoogsteden, R.W. Hendriks and B.N. Lambrecht, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 494–504.
Bypassing T cells using a B cell mimotope allergy vaccine
Authors: Gafvelin G.
Published: November 2009

Cite this as: G. Gafvelin, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 528–530.
Diffusion of strongly sorbed solutes in soil: a dual‐porosity model allowing for slow access to sorption sites and time‐dependent sorption reactions
Authors: Ptashnyk M. , Roose T. , Kirk G. J. D.
Published: December 2009

We use homogenization techniques to derive a dual (or double) porosity model of solute diffusion and reaction in soil, allowing for slow access to sorption sites within micro‐aggregates and time‐dependent sorption reactions. We give a means for determining the conditions in which micro‐scale concentration gradients affect macro‐scale gradients and fluxes. We present equations for a unit volume of soil represented as a series of uniformly‐spaced, porous spherical particles, containing and surrounded by solution through which solutes diffuse. The methods we use can, in principle, be applied to more complex geometries. We compare the model's predictions with those of the equivalent single porosity model for commonly used boundary conditions. We show that failure to allow for slow access to reaction sites can lead to seriously erroneous results. Slow access has the effect of decreasing the sorption of solute into soil from a source or desorption from soil to a sink. As a result of slow access, the diffusion coefficients of strongly‐sorbed solutes measured at the macro‐scale will be time‐dependent and will depend on the method of measurement. We also show that slow access is more often likely to limit macro‐scale diffusion than rates of slow chemical reactions per se. In principle, the unimportance of slow reactions except at periods longer than several weeks of diffusion simplifies modelling because, if slow access is correctly allowed for, sorption can be described with equilibrium relations with an understanding of speciation and rapid sorption‐desorption reactions.
Preserving the biodiversity and ecological services of rivers: new challenges and research opportunities
Authors: ARTHINGTON ANGELA H. , NAIMAN ROBERT J. , McCLAIN MICHAEL E. , NILSSON CHRISTER
Published: November 2009

1. Natural biogeochemical processes and diverse communities of aquatic biota regulate freshwater quantity and quality in ways that are not sufficiently acknowledged nor appreciated by the water resources management community. The establishment and enforcement of environmental flow requirements offer promising means to improve and care for these critical environmental services. This Special Issue provides new insights and novel techniques to determine, protect and restore ecologically and socially sustainable flow regimes, and thereby help achieve the water‐related goals of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

2. Whilst alteration of flow, sediment, organic matter and thermal regimes interact to reduce biological diversity and the ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems – and thereby degrade the properties and ecological services most valued by humans –‘environmental flows’ left in rivers, or restored to developed rivers, will sustain many ecological and societal values. The success of river protection and rehabilitation/restoration depends upon understanding and accurately modelling relationships between hydrological patterns, fluvial disturbance and ecological responses in rivers and floodplains.

3. This Special Issue presents new analytical and modelling approaches to support the development of hydro‐ecological models and environmental flow standards at multiple spatial scales – applicable to all rivers in any economic and societal setting. Examples include the new framework Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) founded on hydrological classification and gradient analysis; ecological trait analysis; Bayesian hierarchical modelling; Bayesian Decision Networks; and Integrated Basin Flow Assessment (IBFA).

4. Advances in the allocation of flood flows along the River Murray in Australia, an Ecosystems Function Model (HEC‐EFM) for the Bill Williams River restoration programme in Arizona (U.S.A), the European Water Framework Directive, and improved management of hydroelectric dams demonstrate the potential for significant ecological recovery following partial restoration of natural river flow regimes.

5. Based on contributions to this Special Issue, the action agenda of the 2007 Brisbane Declaration on environmental flows and the wider literature, we propose an invigorated global research programme to construct and calibrate hydro‐ecological models and to quantify the ecological goods and services provided by rivers in contrasting hydro‐climatic settings across the globe. A major challenge will be to find acceptable ways to manage rivers for multiple uses. Climate change intensifies the urgency. Environmental flows help to preserve the innate resilience of aquatic ecosystems, and thereby offer the promise of improved sustainability and wellbeing for people as well as for ecosystems.
How well are velocity effects on ∂13C signatures transmitted up the food web from algae to fish?
Authors: RASMUSSEN JOSEPH B. , TRUDEAU VERONIQUE
Published: November 2009

1. Benthic algae fractionate carbon isotopes less at low water velocities because of reduced boundary layer exchange, and this effect on δ13C is passed on to consumers via trophic transfer. This study examines the relationships between δ13C signatures of consumers (invertebrates and salmonid fishes) and water velocity in the Sainte Marguerite River, QC, Canada, and compares them to patterns for periphyton, both along the river main‐stem and in a small tributary.

2. Relationships of δ13C signatures of herbivore/grazers and collector/gatherers with water velocity were strong and similar to those of periphyton, but relationships for filter‐feeders were weak, probably reflecting the effect of spatial averaging of their food supply as a result of downstream transport.

3. Velocity effects on salmonid signatures were much weaker than those of lower trophic levels, being barely significant except in the small tributary where the fish were resident and isolated from the main river. In the river main‐stem, even when reach standardised (reach mean subtracted from each data point), fish signatures were only weakly related to water velocity.

4. The fidelity with which velocity effects are transmitted to consumers from benthic algae is highly variable, and depends on a combination of consumer and resource movements, in addition to the trophic position of the consumer.
The effect of diet on the expression of lipase genes in the midgut of the lightbrown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana Walker; Tortricidae)
Authors: Christeller J. T. , Poulton J. , Markwick N. M. , Simpson R. M.
Published: November 2009

We have identified lipase‐like genes from an Epiphyas postvittana larval midgut EST library. Of the 10 pancreatic lipase family genes, six appear to encode active lipases and four encode inactive lipases, based on the presence/absence of essential catalytic residues. The four gastric lipase family genes appear to encode active proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of 54 lepidopteran pancreatic lipase proteins resolved the clade into five groups of midgut origin and a sixth of non‐midgut lipases. The inactive proteins formed two separate groups with highly conserved mutations. The lepidopteran midgut lipases formed a ninth subfamily of pancreatic lipases. Eighteen insect and human gastric lipases were analysed phylogenetically with only very weak support for any groupings. Gene expression was measured in the larval midgut following feeding on five artificial diets and on apple leaves. The artificial diets contained different levels of triacylglycerol, linoleic acid and cholesterol. Significant changes in gene expression (more than 100‐fold for active pancreatic lipases) were observed. All the inactive lipases were also highly expressed. The gastric lipase genes were expressed at lower levels and suppressed in larvae feeding on leaves. Together, protein motif analysis and the gene expression data suggest that, in phytophagous lepidopteran larvae, the pancreatic lipases may function in vivo as galactolipases and phospholipases whereas the gastric lipases may function as triacylglycerol hydrolases.
A diversity of putative carboxylesterases are expressed in the antennae of the noctuid mothSpodoptera littoralis
Authors: Durand N. , Carot‐Sans G. , Chertemps T. , Montagné N. , Jacquin‐Joly E. , Debernard S. , Maïbèche‐Coisne M.
Published: November 2009

Recent studies have suggested that pheromone‐degrading enzymes belonging to the carboxylesterase family could play a role in the dynamics of the olfactory response to acetate sex pheromones in insects. Bioinformatic analyses of a male antennal expressed sequence tag library allowed the identification of 19 putative esterase genes expressed in the antennae of the mothSpodoptera littoralis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these genes belong to different insect esterase clades, defined by their putative cellular localization and substrate preferences. Interestingly, two of the 19 genes appeared to be antennal specific, suggesting a specific role in olfactory processing. This high esterase diversity suggested that the antennae are the location for intense esterase‐based metabolism, against potentially a large range of exogenous and endogenous molecules.
Gene expression associated with changes in cold tolerance levels of the Antarctic springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus
Authors: Burns G. , Thorne M. A. S. , Hillyard G. , Clark M. S. , Convey P. , Worland M. R.
Published: November 2009

The ability of the Antarctic microarthropod Cryptopygus antarcticus (Collembola, Isotomidae) to survive low temperatures has been well studied at the physiological level, with recent investigations indicating the importance of the moulting process in conferring this ability. This study investigated gene expression in groups of C. antarcticus that have distinct differences in their ability to survive low temperatures. A microarray containing c. 5400 C. antarcticus expressed sequence tags was used to investigate gene expression differences between groups of animals with different supercooling points (SCP), and to low temperatures close to their SCP. By demonstrating the involvement of moult‐related genes in the differential survival of two groups of C. antarcticus with distinct SCP profiles, the results of this investigation add support to the suggestion that moulting plays a role in conferring cold tolerance in C. antarcticus.
Extensive gene duplication of acetylcholinesterase associated with organophosphate resistance in the two‐spotted spider mite
Authors: Kwon D. H. , Clark J. M. , Lee S. H.
Published: November 2009

Monocrotophos‐resistant two‐spotted spider mites (TSSMs), Tetranychus urticae, are known to possess three mutations on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene (Tuace) that are involved in target site insensitivity. Cross‐strain comparison of three strains (highly resistant AD, moderately resistant PyriF and susceptible UD strains) revealed that resistant strains have relatively more Tuace copies than the UD strain and that the levels of transcript were directly proportional to copy numbers. AChEs from the AD and PyriF strains had similar Vmax values to those of AChE from the UD strain but increased Km and reduced kcat constants, suggesting that the mutated, resistant form of AChE may carry a fitness cost. Relative copy numbers of Tuace in field populations varied from 2.4 to 6.1, correlating well with their levels of resistance (r2= 0.895). These results are suggestive of the involvement of Tuace gene duplication in resistance. Thus, monocrotophos resistance in TSSMs appears to have evolved through a combination of mutation accumulation and extensive gene duplication.
Yellow fever mosquito sterol carrier protein‐2 gene structure and transcriptional regulation
Authors: Vyazunova I. , Lan Q.
Published: December 2009

AeSCP‐2, a sterol carrier protein, is involved in sterol trafficking in mosquitoes. The activity of the AeSCP‐2 gene is important for mosquito development. An earlier study demonstrated that the transcription of this gene was upregulated by 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) in cultured gut tissues. To investigate 20E‐regulated transcription of the AeSCP‐2 gene we truncated the upstream flanking region of AeSCP‐2 gene and linked it to a reporter gene. The mosquito Aag‐2 cell line was transfected with these promoter/reporter constructs and treated with 20E at various concentrations. Expression vectors of different transcription factors such as HR3 and βFTZ‐F1 were also co‐transfected with the AeSCP‐2 promoter/reporter constructs. The observed results demonstrated that varied combinations of transcription factors produce different promoter activities of the AeSCP‐2 gene. This observation leads us to the conclusion that the partnership of transcription factors is crucial in regulating the transcriptional activity of the AeSCP‐2 gene.
Clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with familial obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
Authors: MATSUO Akira , INOUE Yuichi , TSUIKI Satoru , ENOMOTO Minori , NAMBA Kazuyoshi , CHIBA Hiroshige
Published: December 2009

Background and objective:  Craniofacial structure and body fat are key factors that predispose to upper airway obstruction while asleep, and these phenotypes can be genetically inherited. Neither the clinical characteristics of familial obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) nor the definitive morphological factors responsible for familial occurrence have been well identified. This study compared the clinical and cephalographic characteristics of Japanese patients with familial OSAS, non‐familial OSAS and healthy controls, to clarify the mechanisms underlying familial OSAS.

Methods:  The study recruited 28 patients with familial OSAS, comprising 14 index cases and 14 first‐degree relatives affected with OSAS, and compared these with age‐ and sex‐matched patients with non‐familial OSAS (n = 32) and healthy subjects (n = 33). Data on clinical status were collected, including the presence of hypertension, BMI and daytime sleepiness measured on the Epworth sleepiness scale. Respiratory function was evaluated by the AHI, % periods in which SpO2 fell 90% or below and lowest value of SpO2 on polysomnograms. Information on the first witnessed age of habitual snoring during sleep was collected via interview with patients and/or their family members. A detailed cephalometric assessment was made of each study subject.

Results:  Patients with familial OSAS had lower mean BMI than did patients with non‐familial OSAS. The first witnessed age of habitual snoring was younger in the familial cases than the non‐familial cases. Cephalometric variables showed that the posterior airway space and the distance between the gonion and the gnathion were significantly smaller in the familial group than in the other two groups.

Conclusions:  Familial OSAS occurred at a younger age than non‐familial OSAS due to minor anomalies of craniofacial morphology.
Endothelial dysfunction and erectile dysfunction in the aging man
Authors: Aversa Antonio , Bruzziches Roberto , Francomano Davide , Natali Marco , Gareri Pietro , Spera Giovanni
Published: November 2009

Penile erection is a vascular event that requires an intact endothelium to occur. A dysfunctional endothelium is an early marker for the development of atherosclerotic changes and can also contribute to the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events. The pathogenesis of both endothelial and erectile dysfunction (ED) is intimately linked through decreased expression and activation of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and the subsequent blunted physiological actions of NO naturally occurring with aging. It is now well‐understood that ED is a symptom of underlying disease rather than a disease itself; for this reason in the near future both general practitioners, internal medicine practitioners and many specialists will have to interplay with sexual medicine. Aging in the man is also associated with several changes in arterial structure and function, part of them related to the decline of circulating levels of steroids, that is, testosterone and estradiol. These changes may be responsible, in part, for the lack of efficacy of ED treatments. The recent discovery that chronic administration of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors may improve erectile and endothelial responsiveness of men previously non‐responsive to on‐demand regimes, and the knowledge that testosterone is one of the main modulators of the expression of penile phosphodiesterase type 5 isoenzyme, opens a new scenario in the treatment of men with ED and co‐morbidities. The aim of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction and its relationship with ED in the aging male, and to suggest possible strategies to improve arterial function with regard to sexual dysfunctions.