bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arginine Methylation of the ICP27 RGG Box Regulates ICP27 Export and Is Required for Efficient Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Replication
Authors: Souki Stuart K. , Gershon Paul D. , Sandri-Goldin Rozanne M.
Published: March 2009

The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) multifunctional regulatory protein ICP27 shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm in its role as a viral mRNA export factor. Arginine methylation on glycine- and arginine-rich motifs has been shown to regulate protein export. ICP27 contains an RGG box and has been shown to be methylated during viral infection. We found by mass spectrometric analysis that three arginine residues within the RGG box were methylated. Viral mutants with substitutions of lysine for arginine residues were created as single, double, and triple mutants. Growth of these mutants was impaired and the viral replication cycle was delayed compared to wild-type HSV-1. Most striking was the finding that under conditions of hypomethylation resulting from infection with arginine substitution mutants or treatment of wild-type HSV-1-infected cells with the methylation inhibitor adenosine dialdehyde, ICP27 export to the cytoplasm occurred earlier and was more rapid than wild-type ICP27 export. We conclude that arginine methylation of the ICP27 RGG box regulates its export activity and that early export of ICP27 interferes with the performance of its nuclear functions.
Efficient Reverse Genetics Generation of Infectious Junin Viruses Differing in Glycoprotein Processing
Authors: Albariño César G. , Bergeron Éric , Erickson Bobbie Rae , Khristova Marina L. , Rollin Pierre E. , Nichol Stuart T.
Published: March 2009

The New World arenaviruses, Junin, Machupo, Guanarito, Sabia, and Chapare, are associated with rapidly progressing severe hemorrhagic fever with a high rate of case fatality in various regions of South America. The threat of natural or deliberate outbreaks associated with these viruses makes the development of preventive or therapeutic measures important. Here we describe a Junin virus functional minigenome system and a reverse genetics system for production of infectious Junin virus. This robust, highly efficient system involves transfection of cells with only two plasmids which transcribe the virus S and L antigenomic RNAs. The utility of the system is demonstrated by generating Junin viruses which encode a glycoprotein precursor (GPC) containing the following: (i) the wild-type (SKI-1/S1P peptidase) cleavage site, (ii) no cleavage site, or (iii) a cleavage site where the SKI-1/S1P motif (RSLK) is replaced by a furin cleavage site (RRKR). In contrast to the wild-type virus, Junin virus lacking a GPC cleavage site replicated within successfully transfected cells but failed to yield infectious virus particles. This confirms observations with other arenaviruses suggesting that GPC cleavage is essential for arenavirus infectivity. In contrast, infectious Junin virus which encoded GPC cleaved by furin-like proteases was easily generated. The two-plasmid, high efficiency aspects of this Junin virus reverse genetics system show great promise for addressing important questions regarding arenavirus hemorrhagic fever disease and for development of precisely attenuated live arenavirus vaccines.
Influenza A Virus Lacking M2 Protein as a Live Attenuated Vaccine
Authors: Watanabe Shinji , Watanabe Tokiko , Kawaoka Yoshihiro
Published: March 2009

Mutant influenza virus that lacks the transmembrane and cytoplasmic tail domains of M2 (M2 knockout [M2KO]) is attenuated in both cell culture and mice. Here, we examined the potency of M2KO influenza virus as a live attenuated influenza vaccine. M2KO virus grew as efficiently as the wild-type virus in cells stably expressing the wild-type M2, indicating the feasibility of efficient vaccine production. Mice intranasally vaccinated with M2KO virus developed protective immune responses and survived a lethal challenge with the wild-type virus, suggesting that the M2KO virus has potential as a live attenuated vaccine.
Characterization of the Interaction between Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β
Authors: Hagen Thilo
Published: March 2009

The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of Karposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus has been reported to interact with glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and regulate its activity, leading to inhibition of GSK-3-dependent β-catenin degradation. In this study, the interaction between LANA and GSK-3β was characterized further. LANA was found to interact with GSK-3β in vitro as well as in intact cells. However, LANA did not regulate GSK-3β kinase activity and LANA-induced upregulation of β-catenin was GSK-3β independent. LANA did not regulate the stability of β-catenin or of its reported interaction partners p53 and von Hippel-Lindau protein. Additional targets of LANA are likely to mediate its malignancy-promoting function.
STRUCTURE OF CONFINED HARD ELLIPSES USING MOLECULAR DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY
Authors: MORADI M. , TAGHIZADEH F.
Published: March 2009

Density functional (DF) theory is used to study confined two-dimensional molecular fluids. The approximate DF used here is based upon a functional Taylor series expansion of the excess grand potential about the density of a uniform molecular liquid. This formalism is applied to obtain the density profiles of the hard-ellipse fluid confined between two parallel hard walls. The required direct correlation function is obtained using Percus–Yevick and hypernetted chain approximations for low- and high-number density, respectively. Both the restricted orientation model and the extension of this model are used. Generally, we obtained that the number density of the hard ellipses with the major axes parallel to the wall is larger near the walls than the other directions. To check the results, we show that for isotropic hard-ellipse fluids the average number density in the middle of the wall is almost equal to the bulk density and as we expect the average number density of the ellipses at the wall is nearly equal to the amount of the reduced pressure, βP. We also perform Monte Carlo simulation and find reasonable agreement with our results.
EXACTLY SOLVABLE EFFECTIVE MASS D-DIMENSIONAL SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION FOR PSEUDOHARMONIC AND MODIFIED KRATZER PROBLEMS
Authors: IKHDAIR SAMEER M. , SEVER RAMAZAN
Published: March 2009

The point canonical transformation (PCT) approach is used to solve the Schrödinger equation for an arbitrary dimension D with a power-law position-dependent effective mass (PDEM) distribution function for the pseudoharmonic and modified Kratzer (Mie-type) diatomic molecular potentials. In mapping the transformed exactly solvable D-dimensional (D ≥ 2) Schrödinger equation with constant mass into the effective mass equation by using a proper transformation, the exact bound state solutions including the energy eigenvalues and corresponding wave functions are derived. The well-known pseudoharmonic and modified Kratzer exact eigenstates of various dimensionality is manifested.
SPATIO-TEMPORAL COHERENCE RESONANCE AND FIRING SYNCHRONIZATION IN A NEURAL NETWORK: NOISE AND COUPLING EFFECTS
Authors: ZHENG YANHONG , LU QISHAO , WANG QINGYUN
Published: March 2009

Effects of noise and coupling on the dynamics of a square lattice neuronal network are studied in this paper. Patterns and collective phenomena such as firing synchronization are investigated in networks with dynamics of each neuron described by FitzHugh–Nagumo model. As the noise intensity is increased, typical patterns emerge spatially, which propagate through the networks in the form of circular waves. Further increasing noise can destroy the circular wave, and then some random portraits appear. Moreover, the spatio-temporal coherence and the transitions of firing synchronization characterized by the rate of firing are investigated as the noise intensity and the coupling strength vary. The maximal coherence of the oscillations could be found at two optimal noise intensities (or coupling strength) for appropriate coupling strength (or noise intensity), displaying coherence bi -resonance. Finally, the critical relation between the noise intensity and the coupling strength is given to investigate the occurrence of firing synchronization in the network.
MODELING THE POPULATION DYNAMICS OF ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA: AN AGENT-BASED APPROACH
Authors: MURPHY JAMES T. , WALSHE RAY , DEVOCELLE MARC
Published: March 2009

The response of bacterial populations to antibiotic treatment is often a function of a diverse range of interacting factors. In order to develop strategies to minimize the spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria, a sound theoretical understanding of the systems of interactions taking place within a colony must be developed. The agent-based approach to modeling bacterial populations is a useful tool for relating data obtained at the molecular and cellular level with the overall population dynamics. Here we demonstrate an agent-based model, called Micro-Gen, which has been developed to simulate the growth and development of bacterial colonies in culture. The model also incorporates biochemical rules and parameters describing the kinetic interactions of bacterial cells with antibiotic molecules.

Simulations were carried out to replicate the development of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) colonies growing in the presence of antibiotics. The model was explored to see how the properties of the system emerge from the interactions of the individual bacterial agents in order to achieve a better mechanistic understanding of the population dynamics taking place. Micro-Gen provides a good theoretical framework for investigating the effects of local environmental conditions and cellular properties on the response of bacterial populations to antibiotic exposure in the context of a simulated environment.
PRECISE DETERMINATION OF BACKBONE STRUCTURE AND CONDUCTIVITY OF 3D PERCOLATION NETWORKS BY THE DIRECT ELECTRIFYING ALGORITHM
Authors: LI CHUNYU , CHOU TSU-WEI
Published: March 2009

This paper confirms the applicability of a newly developed efficient algorithm, the direct electrifying method, for identifying backbone for 3D site and bond percolating networks. This algorithm is based on the current-carrying definition of backbone and carried out on the predetermined spanning cluster, which is assumed to be a resistor network. The scaling exponents so obtained for backbone mass, red bonds, and conductivity are in very good agreement with some existing results. The perfectly balanced bonds in 3D backbone structures are predicted first time to be 0.00179 ± 0.00009 and 0.00604 ± 0.00008 of the backbone mass for bond and site percolations, respectively.
The protective role of HO-1 and its generated products (CO, bilirubin, and Fe) in ethanol-induced human hepatocyte damage
Authors: Yao Ping , Hao Liping , Nussler Natascha , Lehmann Antje , Song Fangfang , Zhao Jing , Neuhaus Peter , Liu Liegang , Nussler Andreas
Published: March 2009

It has been reported that naturally occurring quercetin exerts hepatoprotective effects through heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction. However, the precise mechanism of how ethanol-associated liver damage is counteracted by quercetin-enhanced HO-1 metabolism still remains unclear. To further decipher the protective role of quercetin on ethanol-induced liver damage, we treated human hepatocytes with quercetin and various (end) products of the HO-1 pathway. Our data clearly showed that quercetin treatment attenuated ethanol-induced damage, whereas hemoglobin and zinc protoporphyrin 9 (ZnPP) abolished such effects. Iron-II aggravated ethanol toxicity and was only partially reduced by quercetin. In contrast, carbon monoxide (CO) dose dependently inhibited ethanol-induced cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP 2E1) activity and hepatotoxicity but had no influence on CYP 2E1 protein expression. Similarly, hemoglobin dramatically stimulated CYP 2E1 activity but not the protein expression in quercetin- and ethanol-cotreated hepatocytes. ZnPP significantly promoted CYP 2E1 protein expression in the presence and absence of CO treatment but inhibited ethanol-induced CYP 2E1 activation following CO incubation in quercetin- and ethanol-cotreated hepatocytes. These results suggested that quercetin virtually attenuated ethanol-derived oxidative damage via HO-1 induction. Heme degradation and CO release may mediate the protective effects through inhibiting ethanol-induced CYP 2E1 synthesis and enzymatic activity, respectively.
Altered responsiveness of the kidney to activation of the renal nerves in fat-fed rabbits
Authors: Michaels Sylvia , Eppel Gabriela A. , Burke Sandra L. , Head Geoffrey A. , Armitage James , Carroll Joan F. , Malpas Simon C. , Evans Roger G.
Published: March 2009

We tested whether mild adiposity alters responsiveness of the kidney to activation of the renal sympathetic nerves. After rabbits were fed a high-fat or control diet for 9 wk, responses to reflex activation of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) with hypoxia and electrical stimulation of the renal nerves (RNS) were examined under pentobarbital anesthesia. Fat pad mass and body weight were, respectively, 74% and 6% greater in fat-fed rabbits than controls. RNS produced frequency-dependent reductions in renal blood flow, cortical and medullary perfusion, glomerular filtration rate, urine flow, and sodium excretion and increased renal plasma renin activity (PRA) overflow. Responses of sodium excretion and medullary perfusion were significantly enhanced by fat feeding. For example, 1 Hz RNS reduced sodium excretion by 79 ± 4% in fat-fed rabbits and 46 ± 13% in controls. RNS (2 Hz) reduced medullary perfusion by 38 ± 11% in fat-fed rabbits and 9 ± 4% in controls. Hypoxia doubled RSNA, increased renal PRA overflow and medullary perfusion, and reduced urine flow and sodium excretion, without significantly altering mean arterial pressure (MAP) or cortical perfusion. These effects were indistinguishable in fat-fed and control rabbits. Neither MAP nor PRA were significantly greater in conscious fat-fed than control rabbits. These observations suggest that mild excess adiposity can augment the antinatriuretic response to renal nerve activation by RNS, possibly through altered neural control of medullary perfusion. Thus, sodium retention in obesity might be driven not only by increased RSNA, but also by increased responsiveness of the kidney to RSNA.
Acute-phase response protein serum amyloid A stimulates renal tubule formation: studies in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Kelly Katherine J. , Kluve-Beckerman Barbara , Dominguez Jesus H.
Published: March 2009

Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) surges 1,000-fold in the blood of acute-phase animals, and yet its function during these acute events remains unknown. We report herein that SAA stimulates a developmental program in cultured NRK-52E cells that culminates in differentiated and functional tubules that feature a proximal tubule phenotype. We also found strong SAA expression in states of tubule formation (in utero stage) and regeneration (recovery from ischemia-reperfusion injury). These data lend support to a novel view of a more localized renal acute-phase reaction, where renal SAA may act as a paracrine or autocrine molecule that promotes tubule formation during development and repair.
Noise Correlations in Cortical Area MT and Their Potential Impact on Trial-by-Trial Variation in the Direction and Speed of Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movements
Authors: Huang Xin , Lisberger Stephen G.
Published: March 2009

Smooth-pursuit eye movements are variable, even when the same tracking target motion is repeated many times. We asked whether variation in pursuit could arise from noise in the response of visual motion neurons in the middle temporal visual area (MT). In physiological experiments, we evaluated the mean, variance, and trial-by-trial correlation in the spike counts of pairs of simultaneously recorded MT neurons. The correlations between responses of pairs of MT neurons are highly significant and are stronger when the two neurons in a pair have similar preferred speeds, directions, or receptive field locations. Spike count correlation persists when the same exact stimulus form is repeatedly presented. Spike count correlations increase as the analysis window increases because of correlations in the responses of individual neurons across time. Spike count correlations are highest at speeds below the preferred speeds of the neuron pair and increase as the contrast of a square-wave grating is decreased. In computational analyses, we evaluated whether the correlations and variation across the population response in MT could drive the observed behavioral variation in pursuit direction and speed. We created model population responses that mimicked the mean and variance of MT neural responses as well as the observed structure and amplitude of noise correlations between pairs of neurons. A vector-averaging decoding computation revealed that the observed variation in pursuit could arise from the MT population response, without postulating other sources of motor variation.
Electromyographic Responses From the Hindlimb Muscles of the Decerebrate Cat to Horizontal Support Surface Perturbations
Authors: Honeycutt Claire F. , Gottschall Jinger S. , Nichols T. Richard
Published: March 2009

The sensory and neural mechanisms underlying postural control have received much attention in recent decades but remain poorly understood. Our objectives were 1) to establish the decerebrate cat as an appropriate model for further research into the sensory mechanisms of postural control and 2) to observe what elements of the postural response can be generated by the brain stem and spinal cord. Ten animals were decerebrated using a modified premammillary technique, which consists of a premammillary decerebration that is modified with a vertical transection near the subthalamic nucleus to eliminate spontaneous locomotion. Horizontal support surface perturbations were applied to all four limbs and electromyographic recordings were collected from 14 muscles of the right hindlimb. Muscle activation was quantified with tuning curves, which compared increases and decreases in muscle activity to background and graphed the difference against perturbation direction. Parallels were drawn between these tuning curves, which were further quantified with a principal direction and breadth (range of directions of muscle activation), and data collected by other researchers from the intact animal. We found a strong similarity in the direction and breadth of the tuning curves generated in the decerebrate and intact cat. These results support our hypothesis that directionally specific tuning of muscles in response to support surface perturbations does not require the cortex, further indicating a strong role for the brain stem and spinal cord circuits in mediating directionally appropriate muscle activation patterns.
Subordination, Self-Similarity, and Option Pricing
Authors: Galloway Mack L. , Nolder Craig A.
Published: March 2009

We use additive processes to price options on the Standard and Poor's
500 index (SPX) for the sake of comparison of pricing performance across
both model class and family of time-one distribution. Each of the additive processes in this study is defined using one of the following: subordination,
Sato's (2002) construction of self-similar additive processes from
self-decomposable distributions, or both. We find that during the year
2005: (1) for a given family of time-one distributions, four-parameter
self-similar additive models consistently yielded lower pricing errors than
those of four-parameter subordinated, and time-inhomogeneous additive
models, (2) for a given class of additive models, the time-one marginal
given by the normal inverse Gaussian distribution consistently yielded
lower pricing errors than those of the variance gamma distribution. Market
and model benchmarks for the additive models under consideration
are obtained via the bid-ask spreads of the options and Lévy stochastic
volatility model prices, respectively.
Chaotic Behavior of the Biharmonic Dynamics System
Authors: Aslanov Vladimir S.
Published: March 2009

Motion of a biharmonic system under action of small periodic force and small damped force is studied. The biharmonic oscillator is a physical system acting under a biharmonic force like asin θ + bsin 2θ. The article contains biharmonic oscillator analysis, phase space research, and analytic solutions for separatrixes. The biharmonic oscillator performs chaotic motion near separatrixes under small perturbations. Melnikov method gives analytical criterion for heteroclinic chaos in terms of system parameters. A transition from chaotic to regular motion of the biharmonic oscillator was found as the heteroclinic chaos can be removed by increasing the coefficient of a damping force. The analytical results obtained using Melnikov method have been confirmed by a good match with numeric research.
A Based Bayesian Wavelet Thresholding Method to Enhance Nuclear Imaging
Authors: Nawrès Khlifa , Najla Gribaa , Imen Mbazaa , Kamel Hamruoni
Published: March 2009

Nuclear images are very often used to study the functionality of some organs. Unfortunately, these images have bad contrast, a weak resolution, and present fluctuations due to the radioactivity disintegration. To enhance their quality, physicians have to increase the quantity of the injected radioactive material and the acquisition time. In this paper, we propose an alternative solution. It consists in a software framework that enhances nuclear image quality and reduces statistical fluctuations. Since these images are modeled as the realization of a Poisson process, we propose a new framework that performs variance stabilizing of the Poisson process before applying an adapted Bayesian wavelet shrinkage. The proposed method has been applied on real images, and it has proved its performance.
Electrochemical Behavior of Titanium and Its Alloys as Dental Implants in Normal Saline
Authors: Bhola Rahul , Bhola Shaily M. , Mishra Brajendra , Olson David L.
Published: March 2009

The electrochemical behavior of pure titanium and titanium alloys in a simulated body fluid (normal saline solution) has been tested, and the results have been reported. The significance of the results for dental use has been discussed. The tests also serve as a screening test for the best alloy system for more comprehensive long‐term investigations.
Purification and Characterization of a Lectin from Phaseolus vulgaris cv. (Anasazi Beans)
Authors: Sharma Arishya , Ng Tzi Bun , Wong Jack Ho , Lin Peng
Published: March 2009

A lectin has been isolated from seeds of the Phaseolus vulgaris cv. “Anasazi beans” using a procedure that involved affinity chromatography on Affi‐gel blue gel, fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)‐ion exchange chromatography on Mono S, and FPLC‐gel filtration on Superdex 200. The lectin was comprised of two 30‐kDa subunits with substantial N‐terminal sequence similarity to other Phaseolus lectins. The hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was stable within the pH range of 1–14 and the temperature range of 0–80∘C. The lectin potently suppressed proliferation of MCF‐7 (breast cancer) cells with an IC50 of 1.3 μM, and inhibited the activity of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 7.6 μM. The lectin evoked a mitogenic response from murine splenocytes as evidenced by an increase in [ 3H‐methyl]‐thymidine incorporation. The lectin had no antifungal activity. It did not stimulate nitric oxide production by murine peritoneal macrophages. Chemical modification results indicated that tryptophan was crucial for the hemagglutinating activity of the lectin.
Physiological Replacement of T
3
Improves Left Ventricular Function in an Animal Model of Myocardial Infarction-Induced Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Henderson Kyle K. , Danzi Sara , Paul Jennifer T. , Leya Greg , Klein Irwin , Samarel Allen M.
Published: March 2009

Background—

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) often have low serum triiodothyronine (T
3
) concentrations. In a rodent model of myocardial infarction-induced CHF and low serum T
3
, we hypothesized that replacing T
3
to euthyroid levels would improve left ventricular function without producing untoward signs of thyrotoxicosis.

Methods and Results—

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (myocardial infarction). One week post-myocardial infarction, left ventricular fractional shortening was significantly reduced to 22�1% in CHF animals versus 38�1% for sham-operated controls (
P
<0.001). Serum T
3
concentration was also significantly reduced (80�3 versus 103�6 ng/dL;
P
<0.001), in CHF animals versus Shams. At 9 weeks post-myocardial infarction, systolic function (+dP/dt max) was significantly attenuated in CHF animals (4773�259 versus 6310�267 mmHg/s;
P
<0.001) as well as diastolic function measured by half time to relaxation (15.9�1.2 versus 11.1�0.3 ms;
P
<0.001). α-myosin heavy chain expression was also significantly reduced by 77% (
P
<0.001), and β-myosin heavy chain expression was increased by 21%. Continuous T
3
replacement was initiated 1 week post-myocardial infarction with osmotic mini-pumps (6 μg/kg/d), which returned serum T
3
concentrations to levels similar to Sham controls while resting conscious heart rate, arterial blood pressure and the incidence of arrhythmias were not different. At 9 weeks, systolic function was significantly improved by T
3
replacement (6279�347 mmHg/s;
P
<0.05) and a trend toward improved diastolic function (12.3�0.6 ms) was noted. T
3
replacement in CHF animals also significantly increased α- and reduced β-MHC expression, (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

These data indicate that T
3
replacement to euthyroid levels improves systolic function and tends to improve diastolic function, potentially through changes in myocardial gene expression.
Aortopulmonary Collaterals After Bidirectional Cavopulmonary Connection or Fontan Completion
Authors: Grosse-Wortmann Lars , Al-Otay Abdulmajeed , Yoo Shi-Joon
Published: March 2009

Background—

Aortopulmonary collaterals (APCs) have been associated with increased morbidity after the Fontan operation. We aimed to quantify APC flow after bidirectional cavopulmonary connections and Fontan completions, using phase-contrast MRI, and to identify risk factors for the development of APCs.

Methods and Results—

APC blood flow was quantifiable in 24 of 36 retrospectively analyzed MRI studies. Sixteen studies were performed after the bidirectional cavopulmonary connections (group A) and 8 after the Fontan operation (group B). APC blood flow was calculated by subtracting the blood flow volume through the pulmonary arteries from that through the pulmonary veins. The ratio of pulmonary to systemic blood flow (Qp/Qs) was 0.93�0.26 in group A and 1.27�0.16 in group B. APC flow was 1.42 (0.58 to 3.83) L/min/m
2
and 0.82 (0.50 to 1.81) L/min/m
2
in groups A and B, respectively. The mean inaccuracies corresponded to 7.9�14.5% and 7.1�13.6% of ascending aortic flow in groups A and B, respectively. Qp/Qs was negatively correlated with a younger age at the time of the bidirectional cavopulmonary connections operation (
r
=0.62,
P
=0.01) and positively correlated with the age at the time of the Fontan completion (
r
=0.81,
P
=0.01). Patients with a previous right-sided modified Blalock-Taussig shunt had more collateral flow to the right lung than those without.

Conclusions—

APC blood flow can be noninvasively measured in bidirectional cavopulmonary connections and Fontan patients, using MRI in the majority of patients and results in a significant left-to-right shunt.
MicroRNA Regulation of Cardiovascular Development
Authors: Cordes Kimberly R. , Srivastava Deepak
Published: March 2009

The transcriptional regulation of cardiovascular development requires precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression, and heterozygous mutations of transcription factors have frequently been implicated in human cardiovascular malformations. A novel mechanism involving posttranscriptional regulation by small, noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) has emerged as a central regulator of many cardiogenic processes. We are beginning to understand the functions that miRNAs play during essential biological processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, stress response, and tumorigenesis. The identification of miRNAs expressed in specific cardiac and vascular cell types has led to the discovery of important regulatory roles for these small RNAs during cardiomyocyte differentiation, cell cycle, conduction, vessel formation, and during stages of cardiac hypertrophy in the adult. Here, we overview the recent findings on miRNA regulation in cardiovascular development and report the latest advances in understanding their function by unveiling their mRNA targets. Further analysis of miRNA function during cardiovascular development will allow us to determine the potential for novel miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions of the City Center of Firenze, Italy: Measurement, Evaluation, and Source Partitioning
Authors: Matese A. , Gioli B. , Vaccari F. P. , Zaldei A. , Miglietta F.
Published: March 2009

An eddy covariance station was installed in the city center of Firenze, Italy, to measure carbon fluxes at half-hourly intervals over a mostly homogeneous urban area. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission observations made over an initial period of 3.5 months were compared with indirect estimates of CO2 emissions based on inventory data sources of vehicle circulation and natural gas consumption for domestic heating and cooking. Such a comparison provided proper evaluation of the measurements. Using seasonal dynamics of observed fluxes, the overall CO2 source of the city center was partitioned into its major components (i.e., road traffic and domestic heating). Results were directly compared with CO2 source estimates based on inventory sources.
Orographic Precipitation in the Tropics: Large-Eddy Simulations and Theory
Authors: Kirshbaum Daniel J. , Smith Ronald B.
Published: March 2009

Recent radar and rain gauge observations from the Caribbean island of Dominica (15°N) show a strong orographic enhancement of trade wind precipitation. The mechanisms behind this enhancement are investigated using idealized large-eddy simulations with a realistic representation of the shallow trade wind cumuli over the open ocean upstream of the island. The dominant mechanism is found to be the rapid growth of convection by the bulk lifting of the inhomogenous impinging flow. When rapidly lifted by the terrain, existing clouds and other moist parcels gain buoyancy relative to rising dry air because of their different adiabatic lapse rates. The resulting energetic, closely packed convection forms precipitation readily and brings frequent heavy showers to the high terrain. Despite this strong precipitation enhancement, only a small fraction (1%) of the impinging moisture flux is lost over the island. However, an extensive rain shadow forms to the lee of Dominica due to the convective stabilization, forced descent, and wave breaking. A linear model is developed to explain the convective enhancement over the steep terrain.
Relation between Indian Monsoon Variability and SST
Authors: Krishnamurthy V. , Kirtman Ben P.
Published: March 2009

The relation between the intraseasonal modes of the South Asian monsoon and the sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical oceans on a daily time scale has been investigated. Long lead–lag relations of the daily SST anomalies with the dominant monsoon modes obtained from a multichannel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA) of the daily outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over the South Asian monsoon region are presented. The dominant MSSA monsoon modes, consisting of two oscillatory modes (at 45- and 28-day time scales) and two seasonally persistent modes, are found to have varying degrees of lead–lag relation with the SSTs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. While the 45-day oscillatory mode has weak correlations with the SSTs in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, it also reveals a possible 45-day oscillation in the SST in the northwestern Pacific and northern Indian Ocean. The 28-day oscillatory mode has negligible correlation with the tropical SST. One of the persistent monsoon modes has a very strong relation with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)–related SST in the Pacific with correlation above 0.8 for a long lead–lag time range. The other persistent monsoon mode has moderate lead–lag correlation with the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) SST as well as with the ENSO-like SST in the Pacific. The strong relation of the persistent modes, which mainly determine the seasonal mean monsoon, when the SST leads, provides hope for long-term prediction of the seasonal mean monsoon. The strong relation between the monsoon and the SST, when the monsoon leads, points toward the strong influence of the monsoon on the variability of ENSO and IOD.
Nutrition Support After Neonatal Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Owens Joyce L. , Musa Ndidiamaka
Published: March 2009

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the United States, with an estimated frequency of approximately 12–14 of 1000 live births per year. Neonates with congenital heart disease often need palliative or corrective surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass during the first weeks of life. The neonate undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery experiences a more profound metabolic response to stress than that seen in older children and adults undergoing surgery. However, compared with older children and adults, the neonate has less metabolic reserves and is extremely vulnerable to the negative metabolic impact induced by stress, which can lead to suboptimal wound healing and growth failure. There are complications associated with the metabolic derangements of neonatal surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, including but not limited to acute renal failure, chylothorax, and neurological dysfunction. This article discusses the importance of nutrition and metabolic support for the neonate undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass and the immediate postoperative nutrition needs of such a patient. Also, this article uses a case study to examine the feeding methodology used at one particular institution after neonatal cardiac surgery. The purpose of the case study is to provide an illustration of the many factors and obstacles that clinicians often face in the provision and timing of nutrition support.
The Artificial Nutrition Debate: Still an Issue… After All These Years
Authors: Monturo Cheryl
Published: March 2009

Debate over withdrawal or withholding of artificial nutrition appeared a distant discussion until the furor over the Schiavo case and a Papal Allocation reignited this ethical dilemma. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the bioethical opinion regarding artificial nutrition, as published in theHastings Center Reportfrom 1971 until 2007. A clinical and religious history of the evolution and use of artificial nutrition prefaces the review containing common themes and categories framed within a chronology of bioethical and legal events. Finally, an interpretative philosophical discussion is offered on the resurgence of the ethical dilemma concerning withdrawal or withholding of artificial nutrition. Through a combination of classic content analysis and grounded theory, 8 inductively derived categories emerged from a sample of 63 articles/letters with a primary focus on artificial nutrition, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition. These categories included illness/treatment trajectory, personhood, family, provider, cost, religion, legal, and ethics and morality. In more than 35 years, surprisingly little has changed with regard to withdrawal or withholding of artificial nutrition. As the Schiavo case revealed, despite a sense in bioethics of a firm consensus about handling the withdrawal of food and water, many are still searching for answers to this dilemma.
Anemia After Bariatric Surgery: More Than Just Iron Deficiency
Authors: von Drygalski Annette , Andris Deborah A.
Published: March 2009

Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity is rapidly gaining popularity. Restrictive and/or malabsorptive surgical interventions result in dramatic weight loss with significantly decreased obesity‐related morbidity and mortality. Anemia, which may affect as many as two‐thirds of these patients, is of concern and generally thought to be caused by iron deficiency. Although iron deficiency in this population may be frequent given pouch hypoacidity, defunctionalized small bowel, and red meat intolerance, it may not account for all anemias seen. First, there is increasing evidence that obesity creates a state of chronic inflammation. Both iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic inflammation present with low serum iron levels. Most studies reporting anemia after bariatric surgery lack serum ferritin determinations so that the relative contribution of inflammation to anemia cannot be assessed. Second, a significant number of anemias after bariatric surgery remain unexplained and may be attributable to less frequently seen micronutrient deficiencies such as copper, fatsoluble vitamins A and E, or an imbalance in zinc intake. Third, although deficiencies of folate and vitamin B12 are infrequent, study observation periods may be too short to detect anemia attributable to vitamin B12 deficiency because vitamin B12 storage depletion takes many years. This review is intended to increase awareness of the mechanisms of anemia above and beyond iron deficiency in the bariatric patient and provide healthcare providers with tools for a more thoughtful approach to anemia in this patient population.
Where Is Culture in Cross Cultural Research?
Authors: Fischer Ronald
Published: March 2009

Culture is often seen as a shared meaning system. This definition has important implications for cross cultural management research. This article outlines a multilevel research process model that identifies a number of crucial steps to be aware of, if culture is being treated as a shared construct. The model integrates recent advances on composition models in organizational research and equivalence and multilevel frameworks in cross cultural psychology research. The proposed model is discussed in relation to two principal areas of cross cultural management work: (a) the identification of cultural constructs at the country level and (b) individual-level studies aiming to unpackage cultural differences in attitudes and behaviour. Implications for management research and practice across cultures are discussed.
Who's Minding the Gate?
Authors: Bock Mary Angela
Published: March 2009

Camera pools and video feed systems allow news institutions to receive video imagery with greater efficiency and lower costs. Such arrangements are frequently managed and negotiated through politically engaged institutions. The resulting video is transmitted and traded with the underlying assumption that images are discrete, objective representations of real events, an assumption that is called into question when the practice is carefully examined. Unlike facts or ideas, which are intangible and constructed entirely in language, video images are constructed both discursively and materially. Consequently the power to grant physical access to events for photographic coverage grants political actors an advantage as they negotiate their image, literally and metaphorically.

This qualitative study describes several such feeds and politically regulated video subsidies, their use by news organizations, and the means by which political agents influence their own image through such feeds. Data in the form of extended interviews and field observations were collected between 2005 and 2007 in the United States and Britain. Site visits include Congress, a U.S. statehouse, a state cable operation, and British Parliament. The findings indicate that journalism's relay of video images as objective, factual material, rather than constructions negotiated with political actors, fosters an illusion of transparency.
Forenames and Surnames in Spain in 2004
Authors: Mateos Pablo , Tucker Ken
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper quantifies the corpus of forenames and surnames in Spain in 2004 using the telephone directory. It describes their frequency patterns, major measurable characteristics, and gives some geographical distributions, international comparisons, and historical explanations. The research presented here is set in a context of a broader study of the quantitative properties of the corpus of personal names in several countries undertaken by Tucker. Amongst the most significant findings are a much more highly skewed distribution towards the most popular surnames than in other countries, the permanence of language regions since the Middle Ages, and important differences in top Hispanic names frequencies between five countries across the Atlantic. It is also suggested that the innovative techniques presented here, combining geographical and statistical analysis of names and their language of origin, opens up enormous possibilities for multidisciplinary work on onomastics.
Humanized large-scale expanded endothelial colony–forming cells function in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Reinisch Andreas , Hofmann Nicole A. , Obenauf Anna C. , Kashofer Karl , Rohde Eva , Schallmoser Katharina , Flicker Karin , Lanzer Gerhard , Linkesch Werner , Speicher Michael R. , Strunk Dirk
Published: March 2009

Endothelial progenitor cells are critically involved in essential biologic processes, such as vascular homeostasis, regeneration, and tumor angiogenesis. Endothelial colony–forming cells (ECFCs) are endothelial progenitor cells with robust proliferative potential. Their profound vessel-forming capacity makes them a promising tool for innovative experimental, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies. Efficient and safe methods for their isolation and expansion are presently lacking. Based on the previously established efficacy of animal serum–free large-scale clinical-grade propagation of mesenchymal stromal cells, we hypothesized that endothelial lineage cells may also be propagated efficiently following a comparable strategy. Here we demonstrate that human ECFCs can be recovered directly from unmanipulated whole blood. A novel large-scale animal protein-free humanized expansion strategy preserves the progenitor hierarchy with sustained proliferation potential of more than 30 population doublings. By applying large-scale propagated ECFCs in various test systems, we observed vascular networks in vitro and perfused vessels in vivo. After large-scale expansion and cryopreservation phenotype, function, proliferation, and genomic stability were maintained. For the first time, proliferative, functional, and storable ECFCs propagated under humanized conditions can be explored in terms of their therapeutic applicability and risk profile.
The response of mental health professionals to clients seeking help to change or redirect same-sex sexual orientation
Authors: Bartlett Annie , Smith Glenn , King Michael
Published: March 2009

Background

we know very little about mental health practitioners' views on treatments to change sexual orientation. Our aim was to survey a representative sample of professional members of the main United Kingdom psychotherapy and psychiatric organisations about their views and practices concerning such treatments.

Methods

We sent postal questions to mental health professionals who were members of British Psychological Society, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Participants were asked to give their views about treatments to change homosexual desires and describe up to five patients each, whom they has treated in this way.

Results

Of 1848 practitioners contacted, 1406 questionnaires were returned and 1328 could be analysed. Although only 55 (4%) of therapists reported that they would attempt to change a client's sexual orientation if one consulted asking for such therapy, 222 (17%) reported having assisted at least one client/patient to reduce or change his or her homosexual or lesbian feelings. 413 patients were described by these 222 therapists: 213 (52%) were seen in private practice and 117 (28%) were not followed up beyond the period of treatment. Counselling was the commonest (66%) treatment offered and there was no sign of a decline in treatments in recent years. 159 (72%) of the 222 therapists who had provided such treatment considered that a service should be available for people who want to change their sexual orientation. Client/patient distress and client/patient autonomy were seen as reasons for intervention; therapists paid attention to religious, cultural and moral values causing internal conflict.

Conclusion

A significant minority of mental health professionals are attempting to help lesbian, gay and bisexual clients to become heterosexual. Given lack of evidence for the efficacy of such treatments, this is likely to be unwise or even harmful.
Practical and reliable FRET/FLIM pair of fluorescent proteins
Authors: Shcherbo Dmitry , Souslova Ekaterina A , Goedhart Joachim , Chepurnykh Tatyana V , Gaintzeva Anna , Shemiakina Irina I , Gadella Theodorus WJ , Lukyanov Sergey , Chudakov Dmitriy M
Published: March 2009

Background

In spite of a great number of monomeric fluorescent proteins developed in the recent years, the reported fluorescent protein-based FRET pairs are still characterized by a number of disadvantageous features, complicating their use as reporters in cell biology and for high-throughput cell-based screenings.

Results

Here we screened some of the recently developed monomeric protein pairs to find the optimal combination, which would provide high dynamic range FRET changes, along with high pH- and photo-stability, fast maturation and bright fluorescence, and reliable detection in any fluorescent imaging system. Among generated FRET pairs, we have selected TagGFP-TagRFP, combining all the mentioned desirable characteristics. On the basis of this highly efficient FRET pair, we have generated a bright, high contrast, pH- and photo-stable apoptosis reporter, named CaspeR3 (Caspase 3 Reporter).

Conclusion

The combined advantages suggest that the TagGFP-TagRFP is one of the most efficient green/red couples available to date for FRET/FLIM analyses to monitor interaction of proteins of interest in living cells and to generate FRET-based sensors for various applications. CaspeR3 provides reliable detection of apoptosis, and should become a popular tool both for cell biology studies and high throughput screening assays.
A Betrayal of Trust
Authors: Choudhury Mita
Published: March 2009

An examination of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French history indicates that the relationship between the Jesuits and Quietism was shaped by politics as well as by concerns of theological orthodoxy. During the late 1690s, the Jesuits championed François Fénelon accused of Quietism at the same time as they spearheaded an attack against Quietism in Burgundy, emphasizing crimes of spiritual incest or the abuse of clerical authority. Such ambiguity indicates that the Jesuits were motivated by a desire to consolidate political power in Louis XIV... trades court. However, the fusion of Quietist heresy, charges of spiritual incest, and political gamesmanship would ultimately make the Jesuits themselves vulnerable to claims of heresy and abuse when the Girard/Cadière affair became a national scandal in 1731. This essay argues that this disquiet over clerical behavior and power was articulated in a changing political culture between the late seventeenth century and the 1730s. Growing dissatisfaction against the crown established a new political consciousness, one that regarded the politics of secrecy as problematic if not outright illegitimate. The secrecy of the confession, the emphasis on interiority seemingly at the expense of morality, and the enigmatic language of mysticism, all associated with Quietism played into fears of clerical (or “Jesuit”) cabal and conspiracy. When Jesuit opponents linked the order to Quietism, they presented the Jesuits as threats to an emerging set of political values in which legitimate authority was transparent and open while illegitimate power operated in the shadows.