bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral treatment of the TRAMP mice with doxazosin suppresses prostate tumor growth and metastasis
Authors: Chiang Cheng‐Feng , Son Eugene Lee , Wu Guang‐Jer
Published: March 2005

BACKGROUND

We used the TRAMP mouse model for testing the effect of oral doxazosin treatment on the in vivo prostate tumor growth and metastasis.

METHODS

Five groups of TRAMP mice at different ages were orally fed with 1 mg/kg of doxazosin or DMSO for 45–196 days. At the end of oral treatment, tumor weight was determined, and metastasis to multiple organs examined. The levels of MUC18, Bcl‐2, Bax, caspase‐3, poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP), phospho (Ser473)‐AKT, and Ki‐67 in the mouse prostate tumors were determined.

RESULTS

Oral treatment of the TRAMP mice with doxazosin for 45–81 days did not decrease the size of preexisting prostate tumors, but it limited the metastasis to peri‐aortic lymph nodes. A prolonged treatment of TRAMP mice with doxazosin (156–196 days), if administered early, decreased the prostate tumor weight and completely suppressed metastasis. The doxazosin treatment did not further decrease the expression of an already low level of Bcl‐2 in all prostate tumors, but it increased the expression of Bax, and the activation of caspase‐3, and the cleavage of a downstream substrate, PARP. The treatment reduced the expression of MUC18, phospho (Ser473)‐AKT, and Ki‐67. The treatment in the early phase appeared to promote prostate tumor growth and increased the expression of a proliferative index, Ki‐67.

CONCLUSIONS

Doxazosin, if administered early, may be useful for preventing the prostate tumor formation, and also for limiting or completely suppressing the metastasis of prostate cancer in the TRAMP model. The mechanism of doxazosin is consistent with the established hypothesis. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of a β‐hairpin peptide in solution: An extended phase space sampling by molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water
Authors: Daidone Isabella , Amadei Andrea , Di Nola Alfredo
Published: March 2005

The folding of the amyloidogenic H1 peptide MKHMAGAAAAGAVV taken from the syrian hamster prion protein is explored in explicit aqueous solution at 300 K using long time scale all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations for a total simulation time of 1.1 μs. The system, initially modeled as an α‐helix, preferentially adopts a β‐hairpin structure and several unfolding/refolding events are observed, yielding a very short average β‐hairpin folding time of ∼200 ns. The long time scale accessed by our simulations and the reversibility of the folding allow to properly explore the configurational space of the peptide in solution. The free energy profile, as a function of the principal components (essential eigenvectors) of motion, describing the main conformational transitions, shows the characteristic features of a funneled landscape, with a downhill surface toward the β‐hairpin folded basin. However, the analysis of the peptide thermodynamic stability, reveals that the β‐hairpin in solution is rather unstable. These results are in good agreement with several experimental evidences, according to which the isolated H1 peptide adopts very rapidly in water β‐sheet structure, leading to amyloid fibril precipitates [Nguyen et al., Biochemistry 1995;34:4186–4192; Inouye et al., J Struct Biol 1998;122:247–255]. Moreover, in this article we also characterize the diffusion behavior in conformational space, investigating its relations with folding/unfolding conditions. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PPRODO: Prediction of protein domain boundaries using neural networks
Authors: Sim Jaehyun , Kim Seung‐Yeon , Lee Jooyoung
Published: March 2005

Successful prediction of protein domain boundaries provides valuable information not only for the computational structure prediction of multidomain proteins but also for the experimental structure determination. Since protein sequences of multiple domains may contain much information regarding evolutionary processes such as gene–exon shuffling, this information can be detected by analyzing the position‐specific scoring matrix (PSSM) generated by PSI‐BLAST. We have presented a method, PPRODO (Prediction of PROtein DOmain boundaries) that predicts domain boundaries of proteins from sequence information by a neural network. The network is trained and tested using the values obtained from the PSSM generated by PSI‐BLAST. A 10‐fold cross‐validation technique is performed to obtain the parameters of neural networks using a nonredundant set of 522 proteins containing 2 contiguous domains. PPRODO provides good and consistent results for the prediction of domain boundaries, with accuracy of about 66% using the ±20 residue criterion. The PPRODO source code, as well as all data sets used in this work, are available from http://gene.kias.re.kr/∼jlee/pprodo/. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantum study of mutational effect in binding of efavirenz to HIV‐1 RT
Authors: Mei Ye , He Xiao , Xiang Yun , Zhang Da W. , Zhang J.Z.H.
Published: March 2005

Full quantum mechanical computational study has been carried out to study binding of efavirenz (EFZ), a second generation FDA approved nonnucleoside inhibitor, to HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and its K103N and Y181C mutants using the MFCC (molecular fractionation with conjugate caps) method. The binding interaction energies between EFZ and each protein fragment are calculated using a combination of HF/3‐21G, B3LYP/6‐31G* and MP2/6‐31G* ab initio levels. The present computation shows that Efavirenz binds to HIV‐1 RT predominantly through strong electrostatic interaction with the Lys101 residue. The small loss of binding to K103N mutant by Efavirenz can be attributed to a slightly weakened attractive interaction between the drug and Lys101 due to a conformational change of mutation. The small loss of binding to Y181C mutant by efavirenz can be attributed to the Glu698 residue moving closer to EFZ due to conformational change, which results in an increase of repulsive energy relative to the wild type (WT). The binding of efavirenz‐derived DPC961 to HIV‐1 RT is enhanced by an additional attractive interaction to residue Hid235 and reduced repulsion to Glu698, resulting in an increase of binding energy by about 4 kcal/mol. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quantification of banding on printed corrugated board using spatial frequency analysis
Authors: Hallberg Erik , Glasenapp Astrid Odeberg , Lestelius Magnus
Published: March 2005

The human visual system has an exceptional ability to detect systematic print mottle. One type of systematic print mottle is banding on printed corrugated board, resulting in a disturbing print defect. A new method that quantifies banding on printed corrugated board is proposed. The method is based on spatial frequency analysis, and the degree of banding is determined using a band‐pass filter range adapted to fit the flute wavelength and orientation of the acquired image of the printed board. The results for B‐flute corrugated board gave a correlation coefficient of 0.98 between the technical measurements and the subjective ratings. Methods of quantifying the banding on the different types of corrugated board available on the market are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polymorphism of Anhydrous Cadmium Iodate Structure of ε‐Cd(IO3)2
Authors: Bentria Bachir , Benbertal Djamal , Hebboul Zoulikha , Bagieu‐Beucher Muriel , Mosset Alain
Published: March 2005

The investigation of CdCl2‐HIO3 system, in aqueous and HNO3 solutions, revealed that anhydrous cadmium iodate presents a marked polymorphism. No less than four new Cd(IO3)2polymorphs have been isolated and characterized, two of which showing second harmonic generation activity. Single crystals of ε‐Cd(IO3)2 are obtained by slowly evaporating, at 60 °C, a saturated solution of γ‐Cd(IO3)2 in 30 % nitric acid. This compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pca21 [a = 17.581(2), b = 5.495(2), c = 11.163(2) Å]. The basic structural unit can be described as the connection of two cadmium polyhedrons with a short metal – metal distance of 3.88Å. These units are further linked through two other iodate bridges resulting in layers parallel to the (100) plane. The 3D linkage is ensured by short bonds of the fourth iodate group.
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Cadmium Complexes with Thiophenedicarboxylate and Bipyridine‐like Ligands
Authors: Sun Xian‐Zhong , Huang Zhen‐Li , Wang He‐Zhou , Ye Bao‐Hui , Chen Xiao‐Ming
Published: March 2005

Two new coordination polymers [Cd(tdc)(bpy)(H2O)]n (1) and [Cd(tdc)(phen)]n (2) (H2tdc = thiophene‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid, bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine and phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) have been synthesized under hydrothermal condition. Their crystal structures have been established by X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Fdd2 with a = 14.757(7), b = 45.38(2), c = 10.518(5) Å, V = 7044(6) Å3, Z = 16; 2 in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 7.262(1), b = 21.970(2), c = 10.051(1) Å, β = 105.01(1)°, V = 1548.8(2) Å3, Z = 4. Both of them are double‐stranded chains and further assembled into three‐dimensional networks by π‐π stacking interactions. 1 and 2 are stable in air, and show blue photoluminescence at 415 nm and 410 nm, respectively.
Crystal Structure and Thermal Behaviour of the Mixed‐Valent Basic Mercury Nitrate HgI2(OH)(NO3)·HgIIO
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: March 2005

Single crystals of the hitherto unknown compound Hg2(OH)(NO3)·HgO were obtained unintentionally during hydrothermal phase formation experiments in the system Ag—Hg— As—O. Hg2(OH)(NO3)·HgO (orthorhombic, Pbca, Z = 8, a = 6.4352(8), b = 11.3609(14), c = 15.958(2) Å, 1693 structure factors, 83 parameters, R1[F2 > 2σ(F2)] = 0.0431) adopts a new structure type and is composed of two types of mercury‐oxygen zig‐zag‐chains running perpendicular to each other and of intermediate nitrate groups. One type of chains runs parallel [010] and consists of (Hg—Hg—OH) units with a typical Hg—Hg distance of 2.5143(10) Å for the mercury dumbbell, whereas the other type of chains runs parallel [100] and is made up of (O—Hg—O) units with short Hg—O distances of about 2.02Å. Both types of chains are concatenated by a common O atom with a slightly longer Hg—O distance of 2.25Å. The three‐dimensional assembly is completed by nitrate groups whose O atoms show Hg—O distances > 2.80Å. Weak hydrogen bonding between the OH group and one oxygen atom belonging to the nitrate group stabilizes this arrangement. Hg2(OH)(NO3)·HgO decomposes above 200 °C to HgO.
Magnetic, Spectroscopic and Thermal Study of [Cu(NO3)(PyTz)2](NO3). A Copper(II) Complex Containing Thiazine Derivative Ligand
Authors: Barros‐García F. J. , Bernalte‐García Avaro , Lozano‐Vila A. M. , Luna‐Giles F.
Published: March 2005

The copper(II) complex [Cu(NO3)(PyTz)2](NO3) has been previously characterized means X‐ray powder diffraction and now studied by IR spectroscopy, UV‐Vis‐NIR diffuse reflectance, magnetic susceptibility measurement, electronic spin resonance (ESR) and thermal analysis. The results are correlated with a distorted square pyramidal coordination around copper(II) ion rather than the cis‐distorted octahedral stereochemistry of a CuN4OO′ chromophore in good concordance with their structure. Likewise, in order to indicate towards what square pyramidal isomer the complex is distorted, the method proposed by Carugo and Bisi has been applied to the structural data of [Cu(NO3)(PyTz)2](NO3). It is deduced that there is a large distortion from the trigonal bipyramid geometry, close to a square pyramid geometry, being produced almost exclusively through the B route of the Berry mechanism.
Metallation of Ligands with Biological Activity: Synthesis and X‐Ray Characterization of [UO2(PN)2(H2O)]Cl2{PN = vitamin B6 pyridoxine[2‐methyl‐3‐hydroxy‐4, 5‐bis(hydroxymethyl) pyridine]}
Authors: Bonfada Élida , de Oliveira Gelson Manzoni , Back Davi Fernando , Schulz Lang Ernesto
Published: March 2005

Chloridrate of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) reacts with UO2(NO3)2·6H2O in acetonitril containing triethylamine to give the complex salt [UO2(PN)2(H2O)]Cl2. The structure of the novel compound was analyzed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction affording the centrosymmetric triclinic space group ${\rm P}{\bar 1}$. In [UO2(PN)2(H2O)]2+ two zwitterionic pyridoxine molecules complex the uranium atom in a planar manner with a water molecule achieving the coordination of a semi planar pentagon. The two uranyl oxo ligands set the axis of a distorted pentagonal bipyramide. The ability of vitamin B6 pyridoxine to react with UO22+ allowing the chelation of one uranium atom represents a very specific model of assimilation of uranium by living beings. It could also explain the serious damages caused by heavy or radioactive metals like uranium since their complexation “in vivo” by enzymatic systems like pyridoxal phosphate‐containing enzymes would lead to a modification of the prosthetic groups of the metalloenzymes with loss of their catalytic activities.
A Chiral Amide Derivative with the β‐P4S3 Cage Skeleton
Authors: Tattershall Bruce W. , Booth Claire L.
Published: March 2005

The diamide exo, exo‐β‐P4S3(NHCH(Me)Ph)2 has been made in solution using enantiomerically pure or racemic PhCH(Me)NH2, and its three diastereomers characterised by complete analysis of their 31P{1H} NMR spectra.The unsymmetric diastereomer contains phosphorus atoms, made chemically non‐equivalent by the chirality of the substituents, which show a large 2J(P—P—P) coupling to each other (225.2 Hz).
Cystic Fibrosis Prenatal Screening in Genetic Counseling Practice: Recommendations of the National Society of Genetic Counselors
Authors: Langfelder‐Schwind Elinor , Kloza Edward , Sugarman Elaine , Pettersen Barbara ,   NSGC Subcommittee on Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Testing, Brown Trisha , Jensen Kim , Marcus Seth , Redman Joy
Published: March 2005

For over a decade, prenatal screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) has been considered a model for the integration of genetic testing into routine medical practice. Data from pilot studies and public policy discourse have led to recommendations by some professional organizations that CF screening should be offered or made available to pregnant women and their partners, and to couples planning a pregnancy. It is crucial that genetic counselors gain thorough understanding of the complexities of CF and the implications of positive test results, so that they may serve as a reliable, educated referral base and resource for health care providers and their patients. While not all pregnant women will be referred for genetic counseling prior to CF carrier testing, genetic counselors often will be asked to counsel clients after they have a positive test result, or who are found to be at increased risk. Genetic counselors can play an important role in providing accurate and current information as well as support for patients’ informed decisions. These recommendations were created by a multicenter working group of genetic counselors with expertise in CF and are based on personal clinical experience, review of pertinent English language medical articles, and reports of expert committees. The recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive course of management, nor does the use of such recommendations guarantee a particular outcome. These recommendations do not displace a health care provider's professional judgment based on the clinical circumstances of a particular client.
Left ventricular SERCA2a gene down‐regulation does not parallel ANP gene up‐regulation during post‐MI remodelling in rats
Authors: Prunier Fabrice , Chen Ying , Gellen Barnabas , Heimburger Michéle , Choqueux Christine , Escoubet Brigitte , Michel Jean‐Baptiste , Mercadier Jean‐Jacques
Published: March 2005

Background

In most animal models of chronic hemodynamic overload of the left ventricle (LV) as well as in human end stage heart failure, the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA2a) mRNA levels are decreased in parallel with increased atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA levels. The situation in the remote myocardium following myocardial infarction (MI) is unclear.

Aims

(1) To examine SERCA2a mRNA levels in the non‐infarcted LV myocardium of rats at the chronic stage of experimental MI and (2) To examine whether a negative linear correlation exists between SERCA2a and ANP mRNA levels in this model.

Methods

Anesthetized adult male Wistar rats underwent left coronary artery ligation or sham operation. Three months later, the rats were divided into three groups: sham‐operated rats (sham, n=21), HF‐free rats with MI (non‐failing (NF)‐MI, n=29) and rats with both MI and HF (congestive heart failure (CHF)‐MI, n=14). LV remodelling and function were assessed by echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements. SERCA2a and ANP mRNA levels were determined by Northern and dot blot analysis with specific cDNA probes.

Results

LV SERCA2a mRNA levels varied markedly in sham‐operated rats (0.9–1.8). Mean ANP mRNA level increased markedly and mean SERCA2a mRNA level decreased moderately in the remote myocardium. In some NF‐MI rats, SERCA2a mRNA levels were higher than those in some sham controls. Whereas ANP mRNA levels correlated well with MI severity (r2=0.79, p<0.001), this was not the case for SERCA2a mRNA levels (r2=0.42, p<0.01). We found no negative correlation between ANP and SERCA2a mRNA levels.

Conclusion

SERCA2a gene down‐regulation in the non‐infarcted myocardium of rats with MI does not correlate with ANP gene up‐regulation, suggesting that the two genes are not antithetically regulated.
Personal collective in Chinese
Authors: ILJIC ROBERT
Published: March 2005

Plural markers in some languages are quite unlike their Indo-European counterparts in that their use does not depend only on number but also on other considerations (pragmatic, perspective-related and so on). This article gives an insight into how such plurals work, based on a careful analysis of the suffix -men in Mandarin Chinese.

The notion of personal collective is what universally underlies the so-called plural of personal pronouns. Benveniste (1966) has shown that in this case pluralization does not amount to an addition or multiplication of elements, but to what he calls ‘amplification of persons’, that is, a collective. In Chinese it is this pronominal plural that has been extended, under certain conditions, to nouns.

It is claimed that the occurrence of -men is governed by the conjunction of number (n>1) and person (reference to a subject-origin). Grammatical person is taken to refer to the space (and positions within it) organized around a subject-origin, normally the speaker. -Men requires that entities be related to a human locator who performs the role of the deictic centre and acts as the origin of point of view. The required conditions are by definition met with personal pronouns, which is why -men is obligatory, but are seldom satisfied with nouns, which is why the latter take the suffix only rarely. Most remarkably, when nouns are not reducible to pronouns, the occurrence of -men is associated with a shift in perspective. The group is considered from the point of view of a locator distinct from the speaker, not from that of the speaker. The speaker being essentially free to shift his viewpoint or not, this explains why -men is optional (though not arbitrary) with nouns in such contexts. Note that, all else being equal (n>1), the contrast between N and N-men is not one of number but of point of view (external versus internal point of view). In summary, the suffix operates in all cases with reference to a subject-origin, either the speaker or a protagonist whose point of view is provisionally adopted by the narrator.

The case of Chinese, far from being exotic, is a meaningful illustration of the interaction between the grammatical categories of number and person. This study opens up new typological perspectives in terms of grammaticalization of the pronominal versus nominal plural across languages.
‘Mission impossible!’ Comment on Kristian Kristiansen, ‘Genes versus agents. A discussion of the widening theoretical gap in archaeology’
Authors: Veit Ulrich
Published: March 2005

‘Theoretical archaeology’ as it exists today is – as we all know – primarily a product of anglophone archaeology. It developed as a challenge to traditional archaeological thinking in the 1960s under the label ‘New Archaeology’ and it flourished in the late 1970s and 1980s with the productive confrontation of ‘processual’ and ‘postprocessual’ approaches. In these ‘wonderful years’ theoretical archaeology gained reputation and influence far beyond its early centres. All over Europe and beyond mainly younger archaeologists found it useful and fascinating to join these debates (Hodder 1991).
Agency. A personal view
Authors: Robb John
Published: March 2005

It is always intriguing, and occasionally horrifying, to see what one has written refracted through another person's eyes. This is all the more so in academic writing, in which people often become identified with (or even fashion themselves into icons of) a given idea, and the act of refraction adds a political or positional hue. Meditating on this fact gives us a starting point for a brief exemplary consideration of agency.
Geodetic constraints on glacial isostatic adjustment in Europe
Authors: Nocquet J.‐M. , Calais E. , Parsons B.
Published: March 2005

Direct measurements of surface deformation due to Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) in Europe have been so far mostly limited to the present‐day uplift area. Here, we use permanent GPS networks results to investigate the significance of GIA effects in Europe south of Fennoscandia. We show that uplift in Fennoscandia is surrounded by subsidence reaching as far south as the Alps, with a maximum vertical rate of 1.5 mm/yr between 50.5–53°N. Horizontal velocity gradients show shortening between Fennoscandia and north‐central Europe with strain rates of ∼10−9 yr−1 and principal compressional strain axis pointing to the Gulf of Bothnia in a radial pattern. We find a very good quantitative agreement with the 3D surface displacement predicted by Milne et al. (2001), although the increase of misfit in far‐field of Fennoscandia suggests that geodetic data outside of the uplift area may bring additional constraints to the rheological parameters used in GIA models.
Modeling the annual cycle of HDO in the Martian atmosphere
Authors: Montmessin F. , Fouchet T. , Forget F.
Published: March 2005

We present the results of the first three‐dimensional (3‐D) simulation of the water isotope HDO in the Martian atmosphere. This deuterated isotope of water has long been used on both Earth and Mars as a proxy to understand the climatic evolutions of these planets. On Mars, the current enrichment in deuterium concentration in the atmosphere is believed to be indirect evidence of a wetter climate in the past. Due to its vapor pressure being lower than that of H2O, HDO gets fractionated at condensation and therefore concentrates in the Martian water ice clouds. Our study aims at understanding the latitudinal, vertical, and temporal variations of this species under current Martian climate. Our results indicate that the globally averaged D/H ratio in the Martian atmosphere should vary modestly with season, with changes on the order of 2%. Locally, however, this same ratio exhibits large annual changes (by a factor of 2) in the high‐latitude regions. These fluctuations are controlled by the Polar Hood water ice clouds, within which HDO gets heavily fractionated. Due to the combined action of summer clouds above the north polar cap and to the cold‐trapping effect of the south residual cap, the global atmospheric deuterium concentration is predicted to be more than 15% lower than the concentration in the north permanent cap ice. We thus extrapolate by suggesting that the “true” D/H ratio of Martian water may exceed 6.5 (wrt. SMOW), rather than the 5.6 inferred from atmospheric probing. The globally and annually averaged vertical distribution of HDO exhibits a mild decline with altitude, a result in significant contrast with previous 1‐D studies. These results will help constrain more accurately the photochemical models aimed at understanding the observed low concentration of deuterium at high altitudes and thus the process of water escape to space.
Association of Fusarium species, with potential for mycotoxicosis, on pods of annual Medicago in Western Australia
Authors: Barbetti M. J. , Allen J. G.
Published: March 2005

A study was made on the incidence of Fusarium spp. associated with pods of annual Medicago species, in particular M. polymorpha var. brevispina, in Western Australia, including sites where either feed refusal or reduced feed intake by sheep had previously been reported. From a first series of 7 sites where M. polymorpha var. brevispina in particular, but also M. truncatula, were sampled, there was an extremely high incidence of F. acuminatum (83%) on pods at the Cunderdin site where feed refusal by sheep had been previously reported. There were high incidences of F. avenaceum on pods at Katanning (48–65%), but much lower incidences at Shackleton (7%), Merredin (5%), Kellerberrin (3%), and Cunderdin (1%). There was a high incidence of F. equiseti isolated from pods at Cunderdin (30%), but much lower incidences at Katanning (4–6%) and Shackleton (2%). F. chlamydosporum and F. graminearum were only isolated from pods at Cunderdin (14% and 9%, respectively). There were low incidences of F. oxysporum on pods at Katanning (2–4%) and Cunderdin (2%). In a second series of 15 randomly picked additional sites where only M. polymorpha var. brevispina pods were sampled, F. acuminatum was found at all 15 sites, with incidences ranging from 26 to 80% of pods carrying this fungus. F. avenaceum incidences were much lower (0–10%), but it was still recovered from 11 of the 15 sites. The incidences of other Fusarium spp. were generally low (0–6%, except for one case of 20%), and these were only isolated from 7 of the 15 sites. Our study is the first published report of Fusarium species associated with annual Medicago pods in Western Australia. F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. equiseti, F. chlamydosporum, and F. graminearum have all previously been reported elsewhere to be toxigenic and one or more of these species may be associated with the sheep feed refusal and/or reduced feed intake situations observed in Western Australia.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers reveal low levels of polymorphism between cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars
Authors: Rungis D. , Llewellyn D. , Dennis E. S. , Lyon B. R.
Published: March 2005

Since their discovery in the 1980s microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers have been widely used in many species to generate relatively dense genetic maps or framework maps on which to anchor more abundant, but anonymous, markers such as amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). They are typically highly polymorphic, robust, and often portable, particularly among different mapping populations or crosses and often to related species. They have been useful in species where low levels of genetic diversity limit the use of other markers. Cultivated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has a history of genetic bottlenecks that have considerably reduced its diversity, with the consequence that most molecular marker genetic linkage studies are done with inter-specific crosses. In this study we evaluated the potential for SSR markers to be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding in cotton by quantifying the level of polymorphism detected with a set of commercially available SSR markers between and within a collection of cotton cultivars being used in our breeding programs. Although the majority of these markers are polymorphic between the 2 tetraploid species of cotton, G. barbadense and G. hirsutum, they are not highly polymorphic (~5%) either among or within G. hirsutum cultivars. However, 6 of the 8 cultivars studied were found to be segregating for alleles of these SSR markers. This suggests that where polymorphisms exist, heterozygosity within cultivars is maintained by the breeding strategies adopted by many modern cotton breeders. Although SSRs clearly have utility in genetic studies using inter-specific crosses or in the introgression of wild germplasm, they will be more difficult to use for standard cotton breeding until greater numbers are available. The utility of some markers may be reduced in some breeding populations where heterozygosity remains in the parental material.
Genetic and phenotypic relationships between insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and net feed intake, fat, and growth traits in Angus beef cattle
Authors: Moore K. L. , Johnston D. J. , Graser H-U. , Herd R.
Published: March 2005

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration measured in the blood plasma of 6520 seedstock Angus beef cattle (3622 bulls and 2898 heifers) from eastern Australia between 2002 and 2004 was used to estimate the heritability of IGF-I and phenotypic and genetic correlations with net feed intake (NFI) and other production traits. The average concentration of IGF-I was 314 ng/mL measured at the average age of 242 days. A moderate heritability of 0.35 was estimated for IGF-I. IGF-I was further defined as being measured either at, or prior to, weaning (average age of 201 days) or post-weaning (average age 310 days). The genetic correlation between IGF-I recorded at the different ages was 1.0 ± 0.04. IGF-I and NFI were found to have a genetic correlation of 0.41 ± 0.21. IGF-I had positive genetic correlations of 0.22 ± 0.14, 0.19 ± 0.14, and 0.26 ± 0.15 with ultrasound-scanned subcutaneous fat depth at the rump (P8) and 12/13th rib (RIB) sites and intramuscular fat % (IMF), respectively. Corresponding phenotypic correlations were 0.14, 0.13, and 0.12, respectively, for P8, RIB, and IMF. IGF-I had low to moderate negative genetic correlations with growth traits. Direct genetic correlations for IGF-I of –0.22 ± 0.08, –0.17 ± 0.09 and –0.10 ± 0.14 were estimated with birth (BWT), 200-day (WT200), and 400-day (WT400) weights, respectively. Genetic correlations between the direct component of IGF-I and maternal components of BWT and WT200 were 0.15 ± 0.13 and 0.31 ± 0.11, respectively. Phenotypic correlations of the direct component of IGF-I with the direct components of BWT, WT200, and WT400 were –0.10, 0.06, and 0.16, respectively. Ultrasound-scanned eye muscle area (EMA) and IGF-I had genetic and phenotypic correlations of –0.22 ± 0.15 and 0.13, respectively. This study showed that IGF-I is heritable and genetically correlated with important production traits. The genetic correlations indicate that selection for lower IGF-I concentrations would result in cattle that have lower NFI (i.e. more feed efficient), are leaner, with increased growth, and possibly decreased maternal weaning weight.
New sources of resistance in Trifolium subterraneum L. to root rot caused by two races of Phytophthora clandestina Taylor, Pascoe and Greenhalgh
Authors: You M. P. , Barbetti M. J. , Nichols P. G. H.
Published: March 2005

Eighty-four genotypes, comprising 71 ssp. subterraneum and ssp. yanninicum breeding lines of Trifolium subterraneum and 13 cultivars commonly used at the time of commencement of the experiment, were screened in the glasshouse for resistance to root rot caused by 2 races of Phytophthora clandestina that occur most widely in Australia. Resistance to race coded 001 was identified in 7 mid-season genotypes of ssp. subterraneum, including the new cultivar, Coolamon, and one genotype also showed resistance to race coded 373. Of the late flowering ssp. subterraneum genotypes tested, 13 showed resistance to race coded 001 and 4 of them also showed resistance to race coded 373. In the late flowering ssp. yanninicum group, 12 of 13 genotypes tested, including the new cultivar, Napier, showed resistance to both races. Of the mid-season ssp. yanninicum genotypes, all but 2 of 19 tested showed resistance to both races. The resistance observed in the majority of ssp. yanninicum and in some ssp. suberraneum genotypes, indicates that these are useful sources of resistance that can be exploited, either directly as new cultivars to minimise damage from this disease, or as parents in breeding programs to develop cultivars with improved resistance to P. clandestina. This study established the availability of 51 advanced lines and 11 cultivars as sources of resistance against P. clandestina race coded 001 and 36 lines and 4 cultivars for race coded 373, among which 36 lines and 4 cultivars were resistant against both races.
Iron Humate as a Multifunctional Sorbent for Inorganic and Organic Pollutants
Authors: Janoš Pavel
Published: March 2005

Environmental Context. Humic substances can be used during treatment of wastewater, groundwater, leachates, and soil in various environmental engineering technologies, in which these abundant natural macromolecules can substitute for activated carbon and other, more expensive, organic and inorganic adsorbents. Moreover, toxic organic compounds can, once immobilized on the humates, become incorporated into the humate chemical structure and thereby circumvent the need for desorption. However, the complex chemical nature and inhomogeneous physical form of these materials means absorption mechanisms will be complicated and no single mechanism describes the process; in this study metals, organochlorines, and dyes are shown to be absorb differently.
Abstract. Iron humate, produced from low-rank brown coal, can be used as an effective sorbent for substances as different as metal ions and low-polarity organic compounds (chlorophenols). The sorption capacities ranged from 0.024 to 0.324 mmol g–1 for metal ions and from 0.016 to 0.037 mmol g–1 for chlorophenols. Evidently, different mechanisms are responsible for the sorption of various chemical pollutants from aqueous solutions. Multimode sorption mechanisms play an important role also in the sorption of ionic compounds such as basic dyes in the presence of oppositely charged surfactants.
Bacterially Assisted Oxidation of Copper Sulfide Minerals in Tropical River Waters
Authors: Simpson Stuart L. , Apte Simon C. , Davies Cheryl M.
Published: March 2005

Environmental Context. It is well known that bacteria can significantly accelerate oxidation rates of copper sulfide minerals under acidic conditions. However, this process is not thought to be important at higher pH. This study reports the bacterially assisted oxidation of copper sulfide minerals in slightly alkaline (pH 8.0–8.3) tropical river waters downstream of a large copper mine. This process leads to significant solubilization of copper from particulate phases. Abstract. Field and laboratory experiments are reported which demonstrate the bacterially facilitated oxidation of copper sulfide minerals in the water column of tropical rivers. When river water samples, collected downstream of a large copper mine, were incubated under controlled laboratory conditions (pH 8.0–8.3) significant dissolved copper release was observed. This was accompanied by an increase in cold acid soluble particulate copper, indicating oxidation of copper sulfides. Dissolved copper release and copper sulfide oxidation were markedly lower in sterile control samples demonstrating biological mediation. In samples collected close to the mine discharge, dissolved copper release ceased after the first 150 h of incubation, presumably following the consumption of easily oxidizable solid copper sulfide phases or armouring of particles with insoluble oxidation products. Attempts to isolate the bacteria responsible were unsuccessful. However, oxidation rates could be enhanced by culturing aliquots of unfiltered river water samples in simple mineral media (pH 7.0) amended only with sulfide. This provided strong evidence that the copper sulfide oxidizing bacteria were chemolithotrophs. Our results suggest that such bacteria are naturally present in mineralized areas and are actively involved in the cycling of particulate copper between sulfide and hydroxy-carbonate forms, thus influencing the solubility and bioavailability of copper.
Kinetics and molecular properties of pheromone binding and release
Authors: Leal Walter S. , Chen Angela M. , Ishida Yuko , Chiang Vicky P. , Erickson Melissa L. , Morgan Tania I. , Tsuruda Jennifer M.
Published: March 2005

Transient kinetic studies have shown that the uptake of the pheromone (bombykol) of the silkworm moth (Bombyx mori), by its pheromone-binding protein (PBP) BmorPBP, proceeds with an “on” rate of 0.068 ± 0.01 μM–1·s–1. With the high concentration of PBP in the sensillar lymph (10 mM), the half-life for the uptake of pheromonein vivois ≈1 ms. A pH-dependent conformational change (BmorPBPB→ BmorPBPA), associated with the release of pheromone, is a first-order reaction (k= 74.1 ± 0.32 s–1;t1/2, 9.3 ms). Under physiological conditions, both reactions proceed with half-life times on the order of milliseconds, as is required for odorant-oriented navigation in insects. Molecular interactions of bombykol with both native and mutated PBPs were analyzed by a novel binding assay. A recombinant protein with the native conformation (BmorPBP) showed high binding affinity (KD= 105 nM) at pH 7 but low affinity (KD= 1,600 nM) at pH 5, when tested at both low and high KCl concentrations. A protein with a C-terminal segment deleted (BmorPBPΔP129-V142) was found to bind bombykol at pH 7 and at pH 5 with the same affinity as the native protein at pH 7, indicating that the C-terminal segment is essential for preventing binding at low pH. Binding studies with three mutated proteins (BmorPBPW37F, BmorPBPW127F, and BmorPBPW37A) showed that replacing Trp-37 (with Phe or Ala) or Trp-127 (with Phe) did not affect the binding affinity to bombykol. Fluorescence studies shed light on the contributions of Trp-37 and Trp-127 emissions to the overall fluorescence.
Dissociation of the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to whole and skimmed milk
Authors: Hoyt Garrett , Hickey Matthew S. , Cordain Loren
Published: March 2005

In most carbohydrate-containing foods, the blood insulin response is predictable and is closely linked to the food's glycaemic index (GI). A single study, examining whole milk and fermented milk products made from whole milk, recently reported a large dissociation between the GI and insulinaemic index (II) in healthy normal adults. Because the fat component of a food may influence the GI and II, it is unclear if a similar dissociation may exist for skimmed milk in normal adults. We determined the GI and II of both skimmed and whole milk in nine healthy, male (n 6) and female (n 3) subjects (23·6 (sd 1·4) years). No significant (P>0·05) differences existed between GI and II for skimmed and whole milks. Significant (P<0·05) differences were observed between the actual and predicted areas under the insulin curves for both skimmed milk (predicted 1405 (sd 289) pmol×min/l; actual 6152 (sd 1177) pmol×min/l) and whole milk (predicted 1564 (sd 339) pmol×min/l; actual 5939 (sd 1095) pmol×min/l). Consequently, a large and similar dissociation of the GI and II existed for both whole milk (42 (sd 5) and 148 (sd 14)) and skimmed milk (37 (sd 9) and 140 (sd 13)). It is concluded that the dissociation of the GI and II in milk is not related to its fat content.
Secular trends in under-reporting in young people
Authors: Rennie K. L. , Jebb S. A. , Wright A. , Coward W. A.
Published: March 2005

National survey data show that reported energy intake has decreased in recent decades despite a rise in the prevalence of obesity. This disparity may be due to a secular increase in under-reporting or a quantitatively greater decrease in energy expenditure. This study examines the extent of under-reporting of energy intake in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) in young people aged 4–18 years in 1997 using published equations to calculate estimated energy requirements. It explores secular changes by comparison with the Diets of British School Children (DBSC) survey in 10–11- and 14–15-year-olds in 1983. In the NDNS, under-reporting (estimated energy requirements – energy intake) represented 21 % of energy needs in girls and 20 % in boys. The magnitude of under-reporting increased significantly with age (P<0·001) and was higher in overweight than lean individuals over 7 years of age. To compare reported energy intake in DBSC and NDNS, the estimated physical activity level from dietary records (dPAL=reported energy intake/predicted BMR) was calculated. If there were no under-reporting, dPAL would represent the subject's true activity level. However, dPAL from the NDNS was significantly lower than that from the DBSC by 8 % and 9 % in boys and girls for those aged 10–11 years, and by 14 % and 11 % for 14–15-year-olds respectively, reaching physiologically implausible levels in the 14–15-year-old girls (dPAL=1·17). If activity levels have remained constant between the two surveys, under-reporting has increased by 8–14 %. The evidence supports a secular trend towards increased under-reporting between the two surveys, but the precise magnitude cannot be quantified in the absence of historical measures of energy expenditure.
Appetite sensations as a marker of overall intake
Authors: Drapeau Vicky , Blundell John , Therrien Fanny , Lawton Claire , Richard Denis , Tremblay Angelo
Published: March 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of appetite sensations to characterize individual overall energy intake. A group of men (n 28) and women (n 23) was recruited to record their ‘desire to eat’, ‘hunger’, ‘fullness’ and ‘prospective food consumption’ (PFC) on visual analogue scales before a standardized meal test, immediately after and every 10 min for a period of 1 h after the meal. The 1 h post-meal area under the curve (1 h AUC) and the satiety quotient (SQ) were calculated for all appetite sensations. In a second visit, all participants were invited to eat three meals in order to measure total energy intake (TEI) and food preferences. Metabolic rate (MR) was also assessed to derive daily relative energy intake (REI) by subtracting this variable from TEI (TEI−MR=REI). The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire scores were also calculated for all participants. One h AUC for fullness was the appetite sensation most strongly associated with TEI and REI (r−0·42, P≤0·003 and r−0·32, P≤0·05, respectively). SQ for fullness was the only predictor of TEI and REI (r−0·42, P≤0·0003 and r−0·30, P≤0·05, respectively). Restraint, disinhibition and hunger scores were not associated with appetite sensation variables. These results suggest that the fullness dimension seems to be a useful appetite sensation to predict long-term TEI and REI. Thus, assessment of appetite sensation such as fullness in response to a fixed load may be useful to evaluate individual overall energy intake.
Higher calcium urinary loss induced by a calcium sulphate-rich mineral water intake than by milk in young women
Authors: Brandolini Marion , Guéguen Léon , Boirie Yves , Rousset Paulette , Bertière Marie-Claude , Beaufrère Bernard
Published: March 2005

It is well known that the intestinal availability of Ca from Ca-rich mineral waters is equivalent to that of milk Ca. However, the effect of associated anions on Ca urinary loss needs to be addressed. The aim of the current study was to compare, under ordinary conditions of consumption, milk and a SO4-rich mineral water as the Ca provider in a large number of subjects consuming the same quantity of Ca from the two sources in a crossover study lasting for an extended period. Thirty-seven healthy women completed a 12-week protocol, divided into four periods of 3 weeks (W). In the first (W1–3) and third (W6–9) periods, dietary Ca intake was restricted to 600 mg/d. In the second (W4–6) and final (W10–12) periods, either 400 ml/d medium-fat milk or 1 litre of a Ca- and SO4-rich mineral water, each providing about 480 mg Ca/d, was added to the diet in a random manner. Dietary evaluation, blood and urinary measures were performed during the last week (W6 and W12) of each Ca supplementation period. The urinary excretion of Ca was higher (0·5 mmol/d more) with water than with milk (P<0·001). An examination of all the dietary factors known to influence calciuria suggested that the acidogenic action of SO4 was responsible for this increased calciuria. Thus, despite an equal Ca intake and assuming an unchanged intestinal absorption, these results suggest that Ca balance is better with milk consumption than with CaSO4-rich water.
Effect of arginine deficiency on arginine-dependent post-translational protein modifications in mice
Authors: Kwikkers Karin L. , Ruijter Jan M. , Labruyère Wil T. , McMahon Kathryn K. , Lamers Wouter H.
Published: March 2005

Transgenic mice that overexpress arginase-I in their small-intestinal enterocytes suffer from a pronounced, but selective decrease in circulating arginine levels during the suckling period, resulting in impaired growth and development of hair, muscle and immune system. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the arginine-deficiency phenotype is caused by arginine-specific post-translational modifications, namely, an increase in the degree of mono-ADP-ribosylation of proteins because of reduced competition by free arginine residues and/or an increase in protein-tyrosine nitration because of an increased O2−production by NO synthases in the presence of limiting amounts of arginine. Arginine ADP-ribosylation and tyrosine nitration of proteins in the affected organs were assayed by Western blot analysis, using specific anti-ADP-ribosylarginine and protein-nitrotyrosine antisera. The composition of the group of proteins that were preferentially arginine ADP-ribosylated or tyrosine-nitrated in the respective organs was strikingly similar. Arginine-deficient mice differed from their controls in a reduced ADP-ribosylation of a 130 kDa and a 65 kDa protein in skin and an increased protein nitration of an 83 kDa protein in bone marrow and a 250 kDa protein in spleen. Since only 20 % of the visualised proteins were differentially modified in a subset of the affected organs, our findings appear to rule out these prominent arginine-dependent post-translational protein modifications as mediators of the characteristic phenotype of severely arginine-deficient mice.
Physical dormancy in seeds of Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) from India
Authors: Phartyal S.S. , Baskin J.M. , Baskin C.C. , Thapliyal R.C.
Published: March 2005

In contrast to reports in the literature that seeds of Dodonaea viscosa from China and Pakistan are non-dormant, or nearly so, we found that a high percentage of seeds of this species collected in north-western India have a water-impermeable seed coat at maturity, i.e. physical dormancy. Thus, seeds that were mechanically scarified and boiled (to open a ‘water gap’ in the seed coat) germinated to much higher percentages (84% and 77%, respectively) than did those that were non-scarified (24%). Our results agree with studies of seed dormancy in this species in various other parts of its large geographical range.