bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement in Sexual Functioning in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
Authors: Nickel J. Curtis , Parsons C. Lowell , Forrest John , Kaufman David , Evans Robert , Chen Andrew , Wan George , Xiao Xiaoying
Published: August 2010

Introduction

Sexual functioning is one of the strongest predictors of poorer quality of life (QOL) in patients diagnosed with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS).

Aims

To examine the relationship between symptom reduction and sexual functioning in patients with IC/PBS.

Methods

Patients with IC/PBS were treated with 300 mg/day pentosan polysulfate sodium for 32 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Patients completed the O'Leary–Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index, Short Form-12 QOL, and Medical Outcomes Study Sexual Functioning Scale at baseline, and at 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks. Treatment responders were defined as those achieving a ≥30% reduction in symptom index from baseline.

Results

A total of 128 patients were included in the analyses. At baseline, mean symptom index, QOL (physical and mental), and sexual functioning scores were 12.3, 41.7, 45.9, and 56.1, respectively. Patients showed statistically significant improvement in symptom and sexual functioning scores at weeks 8, 16, 24, and 32. At week 32, the mean change in symptom index score from baseline was –2.97 (standard deviation [SD]=4.66, P <0.0001), and the mean change in sexual functioning score from baseline was 8.9 (SD=32.9, P =0.0054). Reduction in symptom index score was moderately correlated with improvement in sexual functioning score at the end of study (r =–35, P =0.0002). Positive correlation was observed at the end of the study between the mean change scores of sexual functioning score and physical and mental QOL components (r =0.46, P <0.0001 and r =0.29, P =0.0023, respectively). Patients achieving a ≥30% reduction in symptom index (responder, N=47; 44%) had an adjusted mean change in sexual functioning score of 19.8 (standard error [SE]=4.69), while nonresponders (N=59, 56%) had an adjusted mean change –0.49 (SE=4.17) (between groups, P =0.0020).

Conclusions

Sexual dysfunction is moderate to severe in patients with IC/PBS and impacts significantly on QOL. Reduction in symptoms was associated with improvement in the patient-reported outcomes of sexual function.
Geometric Mean IELT and Premature Ejaculation: Appropriate Statistics to Avoid Overestimation of Treatment Efficacy
Authors: Waldinger Marcel D. , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Olivier Berend , Schweitzer Dave H.
Published: August 2010

Introduction

The intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) behaves in a skewed manner and needs the appropriate statistics for correct interpretation of treatment results.

Aims

To explain the rightful use of geometrical mean IELT values and the fold increase of the geometric mean IELT because of the positively skewed IELT distribution.

Methods

Linking theoretical arguments to the outcome of several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and modern antidepressant study results.

Main Outcome Measures

Geometric mean IELT and fold increase of geometrical mean IELT.

Results

Log-transforming each separate IELT measurement of each individual man is the basis for the calculation of the geometric mean IELT. A drug-induced positively skewed IELT distribution necessitates the calculation of the geometric mean IELTs at baseline and during drug treatment. In a positively skewed IELT distribution, the use of the “arithmetic” mean IELT risks an overestimation of the drug-induced ejaculation delay as the mean IELT is always higher than the geometric mean IELT. Strong ejaculation-delaying drugs give rise to a strong positively skewed IELT distribution, whereas weak ejaculation-delaying drugs give rise to (much) less skewed IELT distributions. Ejaculation delay is expressed in fold increase of the geometric mean IELT.

Conclusions

Drug-induced ejaculatory performance discloses a positively skewed IELT distribution, requiring the use of the geometric mean IELT and the fold increase of the geometric mean IELT.
Premenopausal Women with Sexual Dysfunction: The Need for a Bladder Function History
Authors: Mehta Aasta , Bachmann Gloria
Published: August 2010

Introduction

Despite the high prevalence of both female sexual problems and bladder dysfunction in the premenopausal population, sexual history forms used in primary care offices rarely include questions about the impact of bladder dysfunction on sexual health.

Aim

To provide a review of the literature that illustrates the relationship between bladder problems and sexual performance of premenopausal women.

Main Outcome Measures

To objectively support by a review of the literature the need for a complete bladder history in when evaluating premenopausal women with female sexual dysfunction.

Methods

Pubmed was searched for all articles (from November 1980 to June 2007) that reported on the effect bladder dysfunction has on premenopausal female sexual function.

Results

The scant literature available strongly suggested that bladder dysfunction is a contributor to sexual dysfunction and that this medical concern should be considered in all women, regardless of age who present with sexual complaints.

Conclusion

Further studies need to be conducted in order to solidify a direct causal relationship between bladder dysfunction and premenopausal female sexuality. These studies should include a larger sample size, clearly defined types of sexual dysfunction and bladder dysfunction, and appropriate follow-up of patient responses using validated objective and subjective outcome modalities to confirm that the patient responses are factual.
Psychosexual Characteristics of Vestibulodynia Couples: Partner Solicitousness and Hostility are Associated with Pain
Authors: Desrosiers Mylène , Bergeron Sophie , Meana Marta , Leclerc Bianca , Binik Yitzchak M. , Khalifé Samir
Published: August 2010

Introduction

Provoked vestibulodynia is a prevalent yet misunderstood women's sexual health issue. In particular, data concerning relationship characteristics and psychosexual functioning of partners of these women are scarce. Moreover, no research to date has examined the role of the partner in vestibulodynia.

Aims

This study aimed to characterize and compare the psychosexual profiles of women with vestibulodynia and their partners, in addition to exploring whether partner-related variables correlated with women's pain and associated psychosexual functioning.

Methods

Forty-three couples in which the woman suffered from vestibulodynia completed self-report questionnaires focusing on their sexual functioning, dyadic adjustment, and psychological adjustment. Women were diagnosed using the cotton-swab test during a standardized gynecological examination. They also took part in a structured interview during which they were asked about their pain during intercourse and frequency of intercourse. They also completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of their partners’ responses to the pain.

Main Outcome Measures

Dependent measures for both members of the couple included the Sexual History Form, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Women completed a horizontal analog scale assessing the intensity of their pain during intercourse and reported their frequency of intercourse per month.

Results

Findings show that women with vestibulodynia and their partners did not differ from population norms with regard to global sexual functioning, dyadic adjustment and psychological adjustment. However, mean frequency of intercourse was lower than the standard for this age group. Also, women had significantly poorer sexual functioning than men. In addition, a regression analysis revealed that partner solicitousness and hostility were significantly associated with higher levels of pain during intercourse.

Conclusions

Results suggest that although the psychosexual and relationship characteristics of partners of women with vestibulodynia are within norms, their responses may play a role in the experience of pain.
Laboratory Forum: The Use of Gene Transfer Technology to Study the Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Bivalacqua Trinity J. , Strong Travis D.
Published: August 2010

Introduction

The past 25 years of basic science research on erectile physiology has been devoted to investigating the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction. Research has led to a better understanding of the biochemical factors and intracellular mechanisms responsible for corporal smooth muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as the influence of endothelial-derived relaxing factors.

Aim

In this essay, we propose the use of gene transfer technology to study mechanisms of disease involved in penile vascular dysfunction.

Methods

The development of methods to deliver therapeutic genes to the penis has kindled a keen interest in treating ED with gene- and cell-based therapies.

Results

Gene therapy has delineated putative mechanisms of disease in animal models of erectile dysfunction.

Conclusion

Investigation of animal models using gene therapy may ultimately lead to mechanism-based therapies for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Effect of Pesticide Inoculation, Duration of Composting, and Degradation Time on the Content of Compost Fatty Acids, Quantified Using Two Methods
Authors: Cardinali Alessandra , Otto Stefan , Vischetti Costantino , Brown Colin , Zanin Giuseppe
Published: August 2010

Compost biobeds can promote biodegradation of pesticides. The microbial community structure changes during the composting process, and simple methods can potentially be used to follow these changes. In this study the microbial identification (MIDI) and ester-linked (EL) procedures were used to determine the composition of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in composts aged 3 and 12 months, inoculated with 3 recalcitrant pesticides (azoxystrobin, chlorotoluron, and epoxyconazole and a coapplication of all three) after 0, 56, and 125 days of degradation. Pesticide persistence was high, and after 125 days the residue was 22 to 70% of the applied amount depending mostly on the composting age. Seventy-one FAMEs belonging to nine groups were detected. The EL method provided three times as many detections as did the MIDI method and was more sensitive for all FAME groups except alcohol. Thirty-six and five FAMEs were unique to the EL and MIDI methods, respectively. The extraction method was of importance. The EL method provided a higher number of detections for 57 FAMEs, and the MIDI method provided a higher number for 9 FAMEs, while the two methods were equal for 5 FAMEs; thus, the EL method provided a more uniform overall FAME profile. Effects of the other factors were not always clear. Inoculation with pesticide did not influence the FAME profile with the MIDI method, while it influenced cyclopropane and monounsaturated content with the EL method. Composting age and degradation time had an effect on some groups of FAMEs, and this effect was greater with the EL method. The use of some FAMEs as biomarkers to follow microbial community succession was likely influenced by the type of compost and other factors.
Boosting Autofermentation Rates and Product Yields with Sodium Stress Cycling: Application to Production of Renewable Fuels by Cyanobacteria
Authors: Carrieri Damian , Momot Dariya , Brasg Ian A. , Ananyev Gennady , Lenz Oliver , Bryant Donald A. , Dismukes G. Charles
Published: August 2010

Sodium concentration cycling was examined as a new strategy for redistributing carbon storage products and increasing autofermentative product yields following photosynthetic carbon fixation in the cyanobacterium
Arthrospira
(
Spirulina
)
maxima
. The salt-tolerant hypercarbonate strain CS-328 was grown in a medium containing 0.24 to 1.24 M sodium, resulting in increased biosynthesis of soluble carbohydrates to up to 50% of the dry weight at 1.24 M sodium. Hypoionic stress during dark anaerobic metabolism (autofermentation) was induced by resuspending filaments in low-sodium (bi)carbonate buffer (0.21 M), which resulted in accelerated autofermentation rates. For cells grown in 1.24 M NaCl, the fermentative yields of acetate, ethanol, and formate increase substantially to 1.56, 0.75, and 1.54 mmol/(g [dry weight] of cells·day), respectively (36-, 121-, and 6-fold increases in rates relative to cells grown in 0.24 M NaCl). Catabolism of endogenous carbohydrate increased by approximately 2-fold upon hypoionic stress. For cultures grown at all salt concentrations, hydrogen was produced, but its yield did not correlate with increased catabolism of soluble carbohydrates. Instead, ethanol excretion becomes a preferred route for fermentative NADH reoxidation, together with intracellular accumulation of reduced products of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) formation when cells are hypoionically stressed. In the absence of hypoionic stress, hydrogen production is a major beneficial pathway for NAD
+
regeneration without wasting carbon intermediates such as ethanol derived from acetyl-CoA. This switch presumably improves the overall cellular economy by retaining carbon within the cell until aerobic conditions return and the acetyl unit can be used for biosynthesis or oxidized via respiration for a much greater energy return.
Lactobacillus
Strain Ecology and Persistence within Broiler Chickens Fed Different Diets: Identification of Persistent Strains
Authors: Stephenson David P. , Moore Robert J. , Allison Gwen E.
Published: August 2010

Lactobacilli are autochthonous residents in the chicken gastrointestinal tract, where they may potentially be used as probiotics, competitive exclusion agents, or delivery vehicles. The aim of this study was to use an
in vivo
model to investigate the effect of diet and competing lactic acid bacteria on the colonization of inoculated
Lactobacillus
strains, with the goal of identifying strains which can consistently colonize or persist for an extended period of several weeks. Chicken-derived
Lactobacillus
strains were genetically marked with rifampin resistance and administered on day 0 to chickens fed either a normal commercial diet or a specially formulated high-protein diet. Chickens fed the high-protein diet were also coinoculated with two different mixes of additional lactic acid bacteria. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence-based PCR (ERIC-PCR) was used to identify rifampin-resistant isolates recovered from chickens. Three strains, belonging to the species
Lactobacillus agilis
,
Lactobacillus crispatus
, and
Lactobacillus vaginalis
, were commonly reisolated from the chickens on both diets at days 21 and 42. The ability of these strains to persist was confirmed in a second chicken trial. All three strains persisted throughout the production period in the chickens fed a commercial diet, while only the
L. agilis
and
L. vaginalis
strains persisted in the chickens fed the high-protein diet. In both
in vivo
trials, competing lactic acid bacteria modified representation of the strains recovered, with all three stains capable of competing in the presence of one or both mixes of coinoculated strains. The
in vivo
model successfully identified three persistent strains that will be characterized further.
Eisosome Organization in the Filamentous AscomyceteAspergillus nidulans
Authors: Vangelatos Ioannis , Roumelioti Katerina , Gournas Christos , Suarez Teresa , Scazzocchio Claudio , Sophianopoulou Vicky
Published: August 2010

Eisosomes are subcortical organelles implicated in endocytosis and have hitherto been described only inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. They comprise two homologue proteins, Pil1 and Lsp1, which colocalize with the transmembrane protein Sur7. These proteins are universally conserved in the ascomycetes. We identify inAspergillus nidulans(and in all members of the subphylum Pezizomycotina) two homologues of Pil1/Lsp1, PilA and PilB, originating from a duplication independent from that extant in the subphylum Saccharomycotina. In the aspergilli there are several Sur7-like proteins in each species, including one strict Sur7 orthologue (SurG inA. nidulans). InA. nidulansconidiospores, but not in hyphae, the three proteins colocalize at the cell cortex and form tightly packed punctate structures that appear different from the clearly distinct eisosome patches observed inS. cerevisiae. These structures are assembled late during the maturation of conidia. In mycelia, punctate structures are present, but they are composed only of PilA, while PilB is diffused in the cytoplasm and SurG is located in vacuoles and endosomes. Deletion of each of the genes does not lead to any obvious growth phenotype, except for moderate resistance to itraconazole. We could not find any obvious association between mycelial (PilA) eisosome-like structures and endocytosis. PilA and SurG are necessary for conidial eisosome organization in ways that differ from those for theirS. cerevisiaehomologues. These data illustrate that conservation of eisosomal proteins within the ascomycetes is accompanied by a striking functional divergence.
The Transcriptional Response to Encystation Stimuli in Giardia lamblia Is Restricted to a Small Set of Genes
Authors: Morf Laura , Spycher Cornelia , Rehrauer Hubert , Fournier Catharine Aquino , Morrison Hilary G. , Hehl Adrian B.
Published: August 2010

The protozoan parasite
Giardia lamblia
undergoes stage differentiation in the small intestine of the host to an environmentally resistant and infectious cyst. Encystation involves the secretion of an extracellular matrix comprised of cyst wall proteins (CWPs) and a β(1-3)-GalNAc homopolymer. Upon the induction of encystation, genes coding for CWPs are switched on, and mRNAs coding for a Myb transcription factor and enzymes involved in cyst wall glycan synthesis are upregulated. Encystation
in vitro
is triggered by several protocols, which call for changes in bile concentrations or availability of lipids, and elevated pH. However, the conditions for induction are not standardized and we predicted significant protocol-specific side effects. This makes reliable identification of encystation factors difficult. Here, we exploited the possibility of inducing encystation with two different protocols, which we show to be equally effective, for a comparative mRNA profile analysis. The standard encystation protocol induced a bipartite transcriptional response with surprisingly minor involvement of stress genes. A comparative analysis revealed a core set of only 18 encystation genes and showed that a majority of genes was indeed upregulated as a side effect of inducing conditions. We also established a Myb binding sequence as a signature motif in encystation promoters, suggesting coordinated regulation of these factors.
Spitzenkörper, Exocyst, and Polarisome Components in Candida albicans Hyphae Show Different Patterns of Localization and Have Distinct Dynamic Properties
Authors: Jones Laura A. , Sudbery Peter E.
Published: August 2010

During the extreme polarized growth of fungal hyphae, secretory vesicles are thought to accumulate in a subapical region called the Spitzenkörper. The human fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
can grow in a budding yeast or hyphal form. When it grows as hyphae, Mlc1 accumulates in a subapical spot suggestive of a Spitzenkörper-like structure, while the polarisome components Spa2 and Bud6 localize to a surface crescent. Here we show that the vesicle-associated protein Sec4 also localizes to a spot, confirming that secretory vesicles accumulate in the putative
C. albicans
Spitzenkörper. In contrast, exocyst components localize to a surface crescent. Using a combination of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) experiments and cytochalasin A to disrupt actin cables, we showed that Spitzenkörper-located proteins are highly dynamic. In contrast, exocyst and polarisome components are stably located at the cell surface. It is thought that in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
exocyst components are transported to the cell surface on secretory vesicles along actin cables. If each vesicle carried its own complement of exocyst components, then it would be expected that exocyst components would be as dynamic as Sec4 and would have the same pattern of localization. This is not what we observe in
C. albicans
. We propose a model in which a stream of vesicles arrives at the tip and accumulates in the Spitzenkörper before onward delivery to the plasma membrane mediated by exocyst and polarisome components that are more stable residents of the cell surface.
TheCaulobacterTol-Pal Complex Is Essential for Outer Membrane Integrity and the Positioning of a Polar Localization Factor
Authors: Yeh Yi-Chun , Comolli Luis R. , Downing Kenneth H. , Shapiro Lucy , McAdams Harley H.
Published: August 2010

Cell division inCaulobacter crescentusinvolves constriction and fission of the inner membrane (IM) followed about 20 min later by fission of the outer membrane (OM) and daughter cell separation. In contrast toEscherichia coli, theCaulobacterTol-Pal complex is essential. Cryo-electron microscopy images of theCaulobactercell envelope exhibited outer membrane disruption, and cells failed to complete cell division in TolA, TolB, or Pal mutant strains. In wild-type cells, components of the Tol-Pal complex localize to the division plane in early predivisional cells and remain predominantly at the new pole of swarmer and stalked progeny upon completion of division. The Tol-Pal complex is required to maintain the position of the transmembrane TipN polar marker, and indirectly the PleC histidine kinase, at the cell pole, but it is not required for the polar maintenance of other transmembrane and membrane-associated polar proteins tested. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments show that both TolA and Pal interact directly or indirectly with TipN. We propose that disruption of thetrans-envelope Tol-Pal complex releases TipN from its subcellular position. TheCaulobacterTol-Pal complex is thus a key component of cell envelope structure and function, mediating OM constriction at the final step of cell division as well as the positioning of a protein localization factor.
Regulation of Autotrophic CO
2
Fixation in the Archaeon
Thermoproteus neutrophilus
Authors: Ramos-Vera W. Hugo , Labonté Valérie , Weiss Michael , Pauly Julia , Fuchs Georg
Published: August 2010

Thermoproteus neutrophilus
, a hyperthermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, anaerobic crenarchaeon, uses a novel autotrophic CO
2
fixation pathway, the dicarboxylate/hydroxybutyrate cycle. The regulation of the central carbon metabolism was studied on the level of whole cells, enzyme activity, the proteome, transcription, and gene organization. The organism proved to be a facultative autotroph, which prefers organic acids as carbon sources that can easily feed into the metabolite pools of this cycle. Addition of the preferred carbon sources acetate, pyruvate, succinate, and 4-hydroxybutyrate to cultures resulted in stimulation of the growth rate and a diauxic growth response. The characteristic enzyme activities of the carbon fixation cycle, fumarate hydratase, fumarate reductase, succinyl coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase, and enzymes catalyzing the conversion of succinyl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA, were differentially downregulated in the presence of acetate and, to a lesser extent, in the presence of other organic substrates. This regulation pattern correlated well with the differential expression profile of the proteome as well as with the transcription of the encoding genes. The genes encoding phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase, fumarate reductase, and four enzymes catalyzing the conversion of succinyl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA are clustered. Two putative operons, one comprising succinyl-CoA reductase plus 4-hydroxybutyrate-CoA ligase genes and the other comprising 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase plus fumarate reductase genes, were divergently transcribed into leaderless mRNAs. The promoter regions were characterized and used for isolating DNA binding proteins. Besides an Alba protein, a 18-kDa protein characteristic for autotrophic
Thermoproteales
that bound specifically to the promoter region was identified. This system may be suitable for molecular analysis of the transcriptional regulation of autotrophy-related genes.
Genetic Analysis of the Nitrogen Assimilation Control Protein from
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Rosario Christopher J. , Janes Brian K. , Bender Robert A.
Published: August 2010

The nitrogen assimilation control protein (NAC) from
Klebsiella pneumoniae
is a typical LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) in many ways. However, the lack of a physiologically relevant coeffector for NAC and the fact that NAC can carry out many of its functions as a dimer make NAC unusual among the LTTRs. In the absence of a crystal structure for NAC, we analyzed the effects of amino acid substitutions with a variety of phenotypes in an attempt to identify functionally important features of NAC. A substitution that changed the glutamine at amino acid 29 to alanine (Q29A) resulted in a NAC that was seriously defective in binding to DNA. The H26D substitution resulted in a NAC that could bind and repress transcription but not activate transcription. The I71A substitution resulted in a NAC polypeptide that remained monomeric. NAC tetramers can bind to both long and shorter binding sites (like other LTTRs). However, the absence of a coeffector to induce the conformational change needed for the switch from the former to the latter raised a question. Are there two conformations of NAC, analogous to the other LTTRs? The G217R substitution resulted in a NAC that could bind to the longer sites but had difficulty in binding to the shorter sites, and the I222R and A230R substitutions resulted in a NAC that could bind to the shorter sites but had difficulty in binding properly to the longer sites. Thus, there appear to be two conformations of NAC that can freely interconvert in the absence of a coeffector.
The moral primacy of the human being
Authors: Parker C
Published: August 2010

Can the view that medical science is more important than the individual properly persuade recruitment to trials? This paper considers the nature and interests of the person and their relationships to the concepts of science and society; and analyses a conception of value used to balance the interests of science and research subjects. The implications of arguments opposing the primacy of the individual are set out to indicate their implausibility; while the primacy principle is described to show its necessity in any moral society. Finally, the importance of fully informed consent to participate is explained with the requirement that the individual human life provide the criteria of moral value for human life.
Tongxinluo reduces myocardial no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by stimulating the phosphorylation of eNOS via the PKA pathway
Authors: Li Xiang-Dong , Yang Yue-Jin , Geng Yong-Jian , Jin Chen , Hu Feng-Huan , Zhao Jing-Lin , Zhang Hai-Tao , Cheng Yu-Tong , Qian Hai-Yan , Wang Lin-Lin , Zhang Bao-Jie , Wu Yi-Ling
Published: August 2010

The objective of the present study was to investigate whether pretreatment with single low loading dose of tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine, 1 h before myocardial ischemia could attenuate no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) via the PKA pathway. In a 90-min ischemia and 3-h reperfusion model, minipigs were randomly assigned to the following groups: sham, control, TXL (0.05 g/kg, gavaged 1 h before ischemia), TXL + H-89 (a PKA inhibitor, intravenously infused at a dose of 1.0 μg·kg−1·min−1 30 min before ischemia), and TXL + Nω-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA; an eNOS inhibitor, intravenously administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg 30 min before ischemia). TXL decreased creatine kinase (CK) activity ( P < 0.05) and reduced the no-reflow area from 48.6% to 9.5% and infarct size from 78.5% to 59.2% ( P < 0.05), whereas these effects of TXL were partially abolished by H-89 and completely reversed by l-NNA. TXL elevated PKA activity and the expression of PKA, Thr198 phosphorylated PKA, Ser1179 phosphorylated eNOS, and Ser635 phosphorylated eNOS in the ischemic myocardium. H-89 repressed the TXL-induced enhancement of PKA activity and phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser635, and l-NNA counteracted the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1179 and Ser635 without an apparent influence on PKA activity. In conclusion, pretreatment with a single low loading dose of TXL 1 h before ischemia reduces myocardial no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by upregulating the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1179 and Ser635, and this effect is partially mediated by the PKA pathway.
Isolation of interstitial fluid in skin during volume expansion: evaluation of a method in pigs
Authors: Brekke H. K. , Oveland E. , Kolmannskog O. , Hammersborg S. M. , Wiig H. , Husby P. , Tenstad O. , Nedrebø T.
Published: August 2010

The ability to isolate interstitial fluid (IF) from skin would make it possible to study the microcirculation and proteins in this environment both during normal and pathophysiological conditions. Traditional IF sampling using implanted wicks suffer from low volumes with risk of contamination by local inflammatory, intracellular, and vascular proteins. To sample larger volumes of true IF, a recently described tissue centrifugation method was compared with dry and wet wicks from porcine skin under normal conditions and following volume expansion. With all three methods, volume expansion caused a significant lowering of interstitial colloid osmotic pressure as expected, and the fluid was similar to plasma when compared using size-exclusion HPLC. The centrifugation method was superior with respect to isolating larger amounts of true IF for further studies. Mass spectrometry of IF sampled with centrifugation showed that most of the proteins reflected the major plasma proteins with some tissue-specific proteins like decorin, gelsolin, and orosomucoid-1. Lumican, pigment epithelium-derived factor, and fatty acid-binding protein 4 were only identified in IF after volume expansion, possibly reflecting a local response to increased fluid filtration. Tissue centrifugation to collect IF from skin should be applicable to both clinical and experimental studies on IF balance during different pathophysiological conditions and interventions.
Cardiac function is not significantly diminished in hearts isolated from young caveolin-1 knockout mice
Authors: Chow Ava K. , Daniel Edwin E. , Schulz Richard
Published: August 2010

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to degrade components of the extracellular matrix. More recently, in myocardial oxidative stress injury including ischemia-reperfusion, MMP-2 is activated and degrades troponin I and α-actinin. MMP activity is regulated at several levels. We recently showed that MMP-2 is localized in the caveolae of cardiomyocytes and is negatively regulated by caveolin-1 (Cav-1). The caveolin scaffolding domain of Cav-1 inhibits MMP-2 proteolytic activity in vitro, and Cav-1−/− mouse hearts have increased MMP-2 activity compared with controls. Whether this increase in MMP-2 activity translates to impaired cardiac function is unknown. Hearts isolated from Cav-1−/− mice and their wild-type controls were perfused as isolated working hearts and physiologically challenged with increasing increments of left atrial preload (7–22.5 mmHg). The hearts were then pharmacologically challenged with increasing concentrations of isoproterenol (0.1–100 nM). Functionally, the Cav-1−/− hearts were similar to the controls in heart rate, peak systolic pressure, developed pressure, and rate pressure product. At higher preload pressures, the Cav-1−/− hearts outperformed the control hearts. Coronary flow was significantly higher in Cav-1−/− hearts under all conditions. The highest concentration of isoproternol increased the heart rate of Cav-1−/− hearts more than in controls. Western blot analysis revealed no significant changes in troponin I or α-actinin between Cav-1−/− hearts and their controls. There was a significant loss of MMP-2 from both knockout and control hearts during the perfusion. In summary, despite the loss of Cav-1, Cav-1−/− hearts show similar or better cardiac function compared with wild-type hearts following physiological challenge or β-adrenergic stimulation in vitro, and this appears unrelated to changes in MMP-2.
Protein complex formation with heat shock protein 90 in chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn piglets
Authors: Fike Candice D. , Pfister Sandra L. , Slaughter James C. , Kaplowitz Mark R. , Zhang Yongmei , Zeng Heng , Frye Naila Rashida , Aschner Judy L.
Published: August 2010

Aberrant interactions between heat shock protein (Hsp)90 and its client proteins could contribute to pulmonary hypertension. We tested the hypotheses that 1) the interaction between Hsp90 and its known client protein, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), is impaired in pulmonary resistance arteries (PRAs) from piglets with pulmonary hypertension caused by exposure to 3 or 10 days of hypoxia and 2) Hsp90 interacts with the prostanoid pathway proteins prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) and/or thromboxane synthase (TXAS). We also determined whether Hsp90 antagonism with geldanamycin alters the agonist-induced synthesis of prostacyclin and thromboxane or alters PRA responses to these prostaglandin metabolites. Compared with normoxic piglets, less eNOS coimmunoprecipitated with Hsp90 in PRAs from hypoxic piglets. Despite reduced Hsp90-eNOS interactions, dilation to ACh was enhanced in geldanamycin-treated PRAs from hypoxic, but not normoxic, piglets. In PRAs from all groups of piglets, PGIS and TXAS coimmunoprecipitated with Hsp90. Geldanamycin reduced the ACh-induced synthesis of prostacyclin and thromboxane and altered responses to the thromboxane mimetic U-46619 in PRAs from all groups. Although geldanamycin enhanced responses to prostacyclin in PRAs from both groups of hypoxic piglets, geldanamycin had no effect on prostacyclin responses in PRAs from either group of normoxic piglets. Our findings indicate that Hsp90 influences both prostanoid and eNOS signaling in the pulmonary circulation of newborn piglets and that the impact of pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 on these signaling pathways is altered during exposure to chronic hypoxia.
Human SP-A1 (SFTPA1) variant-specific 3′ UTRs and poly(A) tail differentially affect the in vitro translation of a reporter gene
Authors: Silveyra Patricia , Wang Guirong , Floros Joanna
Published: August 2010

Human surfactant protein A (SP-A) is encoded by two functional genes (SFTPA1, SFTPA 2) with a high degree of sequence identity. Sequence differences among these genes and their genetic variants have been observed at the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs). In this work, we studied the impact on translation of the SFTPA1 (hSP-A1) and SFTPA2 (hSP-A2) gene 5′ UTR splice variants and 3′ UTR sequence variants, in the presence or absence of poly(A) tail. We generated constructs containing the luciferase reporter gene flanked upstream by one of the hSP-A 5′ UTR splice variants and/or downstream by one hSP-A 3′ UTR sequence variant. mRNA transcripts were prepared by in vitro transcription and used for either in vitro translation with a rabbit reticulocyte lysate or transient transfection of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line NCI-H441. The luciferase activity results indicate that hSP-A 5′ UTR and 3′ UTR together have an additive effect on translation. In this context, the hSP-A1 6A3and 6A43′ UTR variants exhibited higher translation efficiency than the 6A2variant ( P <0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed between the two hSP-A2 3′ UTRs studied (1A0, 1A3). Further sequence analysis revealed that a deletion of an 11-nucleotide (nt) element in both the 6A3and 6A43′ UTR variants changes the predicted secondary structure stability and the number of putative miRNA binding sites. Removal of this 11-nt element in the 6A23′ UTR resulted in increased translation, and the opposite effect was observed when the 11-nt element was cloned in a guest 3′ UTR (6A3, 6A4). These results indicate that sequence differences among hSP-A gene variants may account for differential regulation at the translational level.
WAVE SOLUTIONS OF THE VORTICITY EQUATION FOR THE 2½-DIMENSIONAL MODEL
Authors: Ogura Y.
Published: August 2010

Wave solutions of the non-linear quasi-geostrophic equations for the so-called “2½-dimensional model” without friction are derived. The solutions describe wave motions which propagate at different speeds in each layer. The amplitudes of the disturbances, are either changing periodically with time (stable waves) or increasing exponentially (unstable waves). The critical value of wavelength, at which waves maintain a constant amplitude, is expressed as a function of thermal stability and of vertical wind shear in the basic current.

It is also found that, while the inclination of trough lines to the vertical increases monotonically with time in stable waves, it varies very slowly in the unstable waves and tends to approach a certain limiting value.
COMMENTS ON "DOWNDRAFTS IN CUMULUS CLOUDS"
Authors: Moore C. B. , Smith J. R. , Church D. A.
Published: August 2010

No Abstract Available.
REPLY
Authors: Malkus Joanne
Published: August 2010

No Abstract Available.
COMMENTS ON "INITIAL ELECTRIFICATION PROCESSES IN THUNDERSTORMS"
Authors: Appleman H.
Published: August 2010

No Abstract Available.
A GENERALIZATION OF AVERAGE-CORRELATION METHODS OF SPECTRUM ANALYSIS
Authors: Kahn Arthur B.
Published: August 2010

The power spectrum of truncated variables is developed as the transform of the correlation function of data smoothed by an arbitrary mean, as a function of both lag and averaging intervals. It is shown that a large class of techniques for computing spectra can be readily derived as special cases of this more general approach. These include the conventional approach of Taylor as well as various methods in current use.

The need for further study of the numerical effects of the approximations used in applying these techniques to finite records of discrete data is indicated.
REPLY
Authors: Reed Richard J.
Published: August 2010

No Abstract Available.
Comparison of Simultaneous Airborne and Radiometric Measurements of Supercooled Liquid Water
Authors: Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: August 2010

Simultaneous measurements of supercooled liquid water by an instrumented aircraft and a dual-frequency microwave radiometer were made at Lake Ontario, New York, during wintertime. The geographic location and typical meteorological conditions for making the measurements were specifically selected to facilitate the comparisons. Flight paths from below cloud base to above cloud tops were made over the radiometer site. Seven flights were made; supercooled liquid water was measured by a calibrated Rosemount icing meter.

The primary finding is that when the temperature of the atmosphere in the viewing path of the radiometer is below the melting point of ice, the airborne liquid-water measurements are in general agreement with the radiometric measurements. When an inversion with the temperature above the melting point is present, the radiometric readings of liquid water are much larger than the values found from the aircraft. Also, the, possibility is raised that in very heavy snowfall with large ice particles the amount of supercooled liquid water will appear too large according to the radiometer.
Comment on “Tropical Cyclone-Upper-Atmospheric Interaction as Inferred from Satellite Total Ozone Observations”
Authors: Fishman Jack
Published: August 2010

No abstract available.
Effect of Topology of Water-Ice Mixture on Radar Backscattering by Hailstones
Authors: Chýlek Peter , Pinnick R. G. , Srivastava V.
Published: August 2010

The radar backscattering cross sections of spongy hailstones are considerably influenced by the topological structure of the water-ice mixture. Observational evidence suggests that such an inhomogeneous composite medium can consist of regions of different topologies. We investigate three different kinds of topologies and derive a general mixed topology mixing rule (MTMR). The mixed topology rule is used to calculate the effective dielectric constant of spongy ice as a function of its liquid-water content. This leads to predictions of backscatter cross sections that are in good agreement with measurement.
Improved Accuracy of Radar WPMM Estimated Rainfall upon Application of Objective Classification Criteria
Authors: Rosenfeld Daniel , Amitai Eyal , Wolff David B.
Published: August 2010

Application of the window probability matching method to radar and rain gauge data that have been objectivelyclassified into different rain types resulted in distinctly different Ze-R relationships for the various classifications.The classification parameters, in addition to the range from the radar, are (a) the horizontal radial reflectivitygradients [dB km-1; (b) the cloud depth, as scaled by the effective efficiency; (c) the brightband fraction withinthe radar field window; and (d) the height of the freezing level. Combining physical parameters to identify thetype of precipitation and statistical relations most appropriate to the precipitation types results in considerableimprovement of both point and areal rainfall measurements. A limiting factor in the assessment ofthe improvedaccuracy is the inherent variance between the true rain intensity at the radar measured volume and the rainintensity at the mouth of the rain gauge. Therefore, a very dense rain gauge network is required to validate mostof the suggested realized improvement.

A rather small sample size is required to achieve a stable Ze-R relationship (standard deviation of 15% of Rfor a given Ze)-about 200 mm of rainfall accumulated in all gauges combined for each classification.
Recursive Filter Objective Analysis of Meteorological Fields: Applications to NESDIS Operational Processing
Authors: Hayden Christopher M. , Purser R. James
Published: August 2010

A recursive filter objective analysis method is described. It is a "successive approximation" system with the particular feature of locally varying scaling, making it especially appropriate for dealing with inhomogeneous data. Attention is given to proper treatment of lateral boundaries, which permit its use in limited domains. Thissystem provides estimates of input data quality that can be used for editing datasets before their distribution and for the weighting of data in application by other users, Two- and three-dimensional versions of the analysis operating on a Cartesian grid are used operationally at the National Environmental Satellite and Data InformationService. They are used both in the production of data and for quality control prior to dissemination. Examplesof these applications are given.
Aircraft Icing Measurements in East Coast Winter Storms
Authors: Cober Stewart G. , Isaac George A. , Strapp J. W.
Published: August 2010

Analysis of the aircraft icing environments of East Coast winter storms have been made from 3 1 flights duringthe second Canadian Atlantic Storms Program. Microphysical parameters have been summarized and are compared to common icing intensity envelopes and to other icing datasets. Cloud regions with supercooled liquid water had an average horizontal extent of 4.3 km, with average droplet concentrations of 130 μ, liquid water contents of 0.13 g m-3, and droplet median volume diameters of 18 pm. In general, the icing intensity observed was classified as light, although moderate to severe icing was observed in several common synoptic situationsand several cases are discussed. Freezing drizzle was observed on four flights, and represented the most severeicing environment encountered.
The Retrieval of Marine Stratiform Cloud Properties from Multiple Observations in the 3.9-µm Window under Conditions of Varying Solar Illumination
Authors: Kleespies Thomas J.
Published: August 2010

Radiometric observations in the 3.9-µm region have been used by a number of investigators for the determination of cloud parameters or sea surface temperature at night. Only a few attempts have been made to perform quantitative assessments of cloud and surface properties during the daytime because of the inability to distinguish between the thermal and solar components of the satellite-sensed radiances. This paper presents a new method of separating the thermal and solar components of upwelling 3.9-µm radiances.

Two collocated satellite observations are made under conditions where the solar illumination angle changes but the thermal structure of the cloud and atmosphere, as well as the cloud microphysics change very little. These conditions can easily be met by observing the same cloud from geosynchoronous orbit over a short time interval during the morning hours. When the radiances are differenced under these constraints, the thermal components cancel, and the difference in the radiances is simply the difference in the solar component. With a few simplifying assumptions, a cloud microphysical property, specifically effective radius, can be inferred. This parameter is of particular importance to both climate modeling and global change studies. The methodology developed in this paper is applied to data from the Visible-Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer Atmospheric Sounder onboard the GOES-7 spacecraft for a period in August 1992.
Assimilation of SSM/I and GOES Humidity Retrievals with a One-Dimensional Variational Analysis Scheme
Authors: Deblonde Godelieve , Garand Louis , Gauthier Pierre , Grassotti Christopher
Published: August 2010

Total precipitable water (TPW) retrieved from Special Sensor Microwave/lmager (SSM/I) brightness temperatures and specific humidity retrieved from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) radiances are assimilated using a one-dimensional (ID) variational analysis technique. The study is divided into two parts. First, collocations with radiosondes are performed to arm the quality of the satellite water vapor retrievals. Collocations are also performed with 6-h forecast Acids. Second, SSM/I TPW and GOES specific humidity are assimilated using a ID variational analysis technique that minimizes the error variance of the analyzed field.

A global collocation study over the oceans for SSM/I TPW retrievals and 6-h forecasts of TPW shows that the rmse (with respect to radiosondes) are, respectively, 4.7 and 5.0 kg m−2. A separate collocation study over both the oceans and land for GOES retrieved TPW and 6-h forecasts of TPW yields rmse of 4.6 and 4.4 kg m−2, respectively, in the midlatitudes and 6.8 and 5.9 kg m−2 in the Tropics.

The reduction of the 6-h forecast rmse when assimilating SSM/I TPW is 1 kg m−2, which is a reduction of 20% in the rmse. When GOES retrievals of specific humidity are assimilated, the elective reduction is 0.6 kg m−2. It is shown that in the upper levels of the troposphere (above 600 mb), the error reduction of specific humidity is largely due to the GOES retrievals, whereas in the lower troposphere (850 and 700 mb), the reduction is mostly due to the SSM/I TPW. This emphasizes the complementarity of the information contained at different wavelengths and the advantage of using multisensor retrievals in data analysis.
A Water Vapor Index from Satellite Measurements
Authors: McMillin Larry M. , Crosby David S. , Goldberg Mitchell D.
Published: August 2010

A method for deriving a water vapor index is presented. An important feature of the index is the fact that it does not rely on radiosondes. Thus, it is not influenced by problems associated with radiosondes and the extent to which the horizontal variability of moisture invalidates the extrapolations from radiosonde measurements to satellite measurements. The index is derived by using channels that are insensitive to changes in moisture to predict a brightness temperature for one of the moisture channels and then by subtracting this predicted value from the observation. The predicted value represents the moisture value expected for the given temperature profile, and the difference between the predicted and measured values is the index. The subtraction removes the variability due to changes in atmospheric temperature from the moisture signal. This separation greatly enhances the ability to monitor atmospheric moisture patterns, especially near the ground and at high latitudes where some alternative methods have difficulties. The ability of the indices to display moisture patterns at all levels and latitudes is demonstrated.