bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The composition and role of cross links in mechanoelectrical transduction in vertebrate sensory hair cells
Authors: Hackney Carole M. , Furness David N.
Published: May 2013

The key components of acousticolateralis systems (lateral line, hearing and balance) are sensory hair cells. At their apex, these cells have a bundle of specialized cellular protrusions, which are modified actin-containing microvilli, connected together by extracellular filaments called cross links. Stereociliary deflections open nonselective cation channels allowing ions from the extracellular environment into the cell, a process called mechanoelectrical transduction. This produces a receptor potential that causes the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate onto the terminals of the sensory nerve fibres, which connect to the cell base, causing nerve signals to be sent to the brain. Identification of the cellular mechanisms underlying mechanoelectrical transduction and of some of the proteins involved has been assisted by research into the genetics of deafness, molecular biology and mechanical measurements of function. It is thought that one type of cross link, the tip link, is composed of cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15, and gates the transduction channel when the bundle is deflected. Another type of link, called lateral (or horizontal) links, maintains optimal bundle cohesion and stiffness for transduction. This Commentary summarizes the information currently available about the structure, function and composition of the links and how they might be relevant to human hearing impairment.
Intermolecular disulfide bonds among nucleoporins regulate karyopherin-dependent nuclear transport
Authors: Yoshimura Shige H. , Otsuka Shotaro , Kumeta Masahiro , Taga Mariko , Takeyasu Kunio
Published: May 2013

Disulfide (S-S) bonds play important roles in the regulation of protein function and cellular stress responses. In this study, we demonstrate that distinct sets of nucleoporins (Nups), components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), form S-S bonds and regulate nuclear transport through the NPC. Kinetic analysis of importin β demonstrated that the permeability of the NPC was increased by dithiothreitol treatment and reduced by oxidative stress. The permeability of small proteins such as GFP was not affected by either oxidative stress or a reducing reagent. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the oxidative stress significantly induced S-S bond formation in Nups358, 155, 153, and 62 but not 88 and 160. The direct involvement of cysteine residues in the formation of S-S bonds was confirmed by mutating conserved cysteine residues in Nup62, which abolished the formation of S-S bonds and enhanced the permeability of the NPC. Knocking down Nup62 reduced the stress-inducible S-S bonds of Nup155, suggesting that Nups62 and 155 are covalently coupled via S-S bonds. From these results, we propose that the inner channel of the NPC is somehow insulated from the cytoplasm, and is more sensitive than the cytoplasm to the intracellular redox state.
Human Cep192 and Cep152 cooperate in Plk4 recruitment and centriole duplication
Authors: Sonnen Katharina F. , Gabryjonczyk Anna-Maria , Anselm Eduard , Stierhof York-Dieter , Nigg Erich A.
Published: May 2013

Polo-like kinase 4 (Plk4) is a key regulator of centriole duplication, but the mechanism underlying its recruitment to mammalian centrioles is not understood. In flies, Plk4 recruitment depends on Asterless, whereas nematodes rely on a distinct protein, Spd-2. Here, we have explored the roles of two homologous mammalian proteins, Cep152 and Cep192, respectively, in the centriole recruitment of human Plk4. We demonstrate that Cep192 plays a key role in centrosome recruitment of both Cep152 and Plk4. Double-depletion of Cep192 and Cep152 completely abolishes Plk4 binding to centrioles as well as centriole duplication, indicating that the two proteins cooperate. Most importantly, we show that Cep192 binds Plk4 through an N-terminal extension that is specific to the largest isoform. The Plk4 binding regions of Cep192 and Cep152 (residues 190–240 and 1–46, respectively) are rich in negatively charged amino acids, suggesting that Plk4 localization to centrioles depends on electrostatic interactions with the positively charged polo-box domain. We conclude that cooperation between Cep192 and Cep152 is crucial for centriole recruitment of Plk4 and centriole duplication during the cell cycle.
Bilateral Multiple Extraocular Muscle Metastasis from Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Jiang Hong , Wang Zhenchang , Xian Junfang , Ai Likun
Published: May 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rarely metastasizes to the extra ocular muscles (EOMs). We present a case of bilateral metastasis of HCC to the EOMs and focus on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Orbital MRI revealed nodular enlargement of bilateral multiple EOMs, with isointensity on T1-weighted images and heterogeneous, intermediate-to-high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and showed mild-to-significant heterogeneous contrast enhancement with gadolinium. Physicians should be aware of this rare cause of EOM enlargement, understand the radiologic characteristics of EOM metastasis, and thus make appropriate treatment strategy.
A new Diffusion Metric, Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging, used in the Serial Examination of a Patient with Stroke
Authors: Hori Masaaki , Aoki Shigeki , Fukunaga Issei , Suzuki Yuriko , Masutani Yoshitaka
Published: May 2013

We report a case of a patient who developed a cerebral infarction, which was assessed using a new and advanced diffusion technique: diffusional kurtosis (DK) imaging. The signal changes on DK images were different from those on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and they seem to be useful for the prediction of early-stage tissue infarction. Although diffusion-weighted imaging and its metric, the ADC, have been widely used in the evaluation of stroke, DK imaging will provide additional and useful information, including a more detailed evaluation of pathologic tissue changes. This information can be predictive of the prognosis.
Unusual Cause of Neuropathy: Extensive Dural Spread of Primary Cervical Osteosarcoma
Authors: Ponnampalam Stephen N , Tan Wilkinson Yj , Wazir Nayyer Naveed , George John
Published: May 2013

We report a very rare case of a high grade osteosarcoma of the cervical spine in a 62-year-old woman. She presented with a relatively short history of a swelling in the posterior neck and cervical lymphadenopathy. This was associated with hoarseness of the voice, significant weight loss, and right upper arm radicular symptoms initially, progressing to paraplegia. Based on MR and CT imaging of the neck and an excision biopsy of an enlarged right supraclavicular lymph node, the histology revealed a high grade primary osteosarcoma of the cervical spine.
Selective embolization of the splenic vein for shunt-preserving disconnection of the portal and systemic circulation: Report of two cases
Authors: Ikeda Osamu , Nakasone Yutaka , Beppu Toru , Masuda Toshiro , Baba Hideo , Yamashita Yasuyuki
Published: May 2013

In carefully selected patients with portosystemic encephalopathy, it is possible to safely disconnect the portal and systemic circulation while preserving the shunt. We report two patients with chronic hepatitis and recurrent episodes of hepatic encephalopathy due to a portosystemic shunt who underwent successful selective embolization of the splenic vein for a shunt-preserving disconnection of the portal and systemic circulation via the percutaneous transhepatic route.
A case of lymphatic malformation/lymphangioma of the scrotum
Authors: Akaike Gensuke , Nozaki Taiki , Makidono Akari , Saida Yukihisa , Hirabayashi Takeshi , Suzuki Koyu
Published: May 2013

Lymphatic malformation/lymphangioma of the scrotum is rare. It is caused by lymphatic abnormalities and the most common sites are the neck and axilla. The scrotum is one of the most uncommon sites. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy with pathologically confirmed cystic lymphangioma/lymphatic malformation in the scrotum. The diagnosis was suspected from ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. The most common cause of a cystic mass in the scrotum is scrotal hydrocele, but cystic lymphangioma/lymphatic malformation should be considered as a differential diagnosis for multicystic scrotal mass.
Littoral cell angioma mimicking hepatic tumor
Authors: Liang Wenhua , Lu Jingjing , Qin Mingwei , Sang Xinting
Published: May 2013

Littoral cell angioma is a rare vascular tumor of the spleen that was described by Falk et al. in 1991. Because of the limited number, untypical imaging manifestations, and lack of knowledge on this tumor type, these tumors are often misdiagnosed. In most cases, the tumor presents with multiple small hypoattenuating nodules in the spleen with delayed enhancement. However, solitary littoral cell angiomas have not been well described. We present the CT features of an unusual littoral cell angioma mimicking hepatic tumor.
Variation in urinary excretion of FDG, yet another uncertainty in quantitative PET
Authors: Bach-Gansmo Tore , Dybvik JA , Adamsen TC , Naum A
Published: May 2013

Background

The standardized uptake value (SUV) is the most common estimate of metabolic activity used in clinical positron emission tomography (PET). Several biological and technological factors influence the accurate SUV calculation.

Purpose

To assess another potential source of variability of the SUV, the variations in urinary excretion of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG).

Material and Methods

Twenty patients with various malignancies scheduled for PET/CT with 18F-FDG were included in the present study. The activity in urine voided immediately before image acquisition was measured and decay corrected. An estimation of FDG content in the urinary bladder was made during imaging, and the two components of urinary FDG were added. The urinary output of FDG, and the quantity of FDG divided by the time to measurements, was estimated.

Results

The excretion of FDG in urine was between 5.7% and 15.2% of injected dose (decay corrected), and from 0.06% to 0.3%/min after injection, a five-fold difference in clearance.

Conclusion

About 10% of injected dose is excreted in urine at 70 min post injection, but the urinary FDG excretion was found to be highly variable, yet another uncertainty affecting the SUV measurements.
Hepatic encephalopathy due to intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt successfully treated by balloon occluded retrograde transvenous embolization with GDCs
Authors: Yamagami Takuji , Yoshimatsu Rika , Miura Hiroshi , Hasebe Terumitsu , Koide Kazuma
Published: May 2013

We report a 65-year-old man with hepatic encephalopathy due to an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt that was successfully occluded by balloon occluded retrograde transvenous embolization with Guglielmi and interlocking detachable coils as performed percutaneously.
What Themes Trigger Investigative Interviewers to Ask Specific Questions When Interviewing Children?
Authors: Guadagno Belinda L. , Hughes-Scholes Carolyn H. , Powell Martine B.
Published: May 2013

Recent research has established that investigative interviewers have difficulty adhering to open-ended questions and instead ask specific questions when interviewing children about abuse. The current study aims to examine the themes in abuse-related interviews that trigger investigators to ask specific questions. Twenty police officers who were authorised to conduct investigative interviews with children completed a mock interview with an expert in child abuse interviewing who had been trained to play the role of an abused child. During the interview, the officers were stopped by a researcher and asked to reflect on why they had asked specific questions. Overall, the results revealed five areas where the officers deviated from open-ended questions. These related to: (1) the identity of the alleged offender; (2) the meaning of terms used by the child to describe genitals; (3) whether or not penetration occurred; (4) the offender's intent and motives; and (5) the timing of the abuse and where it occurred. Each of these themes is discussed, along with the implications for trainers and researchers in child abuse interviewing.
Gender and Police Leadership: Time for a Paradigm Shift?
Authors: Silvestri Marisa , Tong Stephen , Brown Jennifer
Published: May 2013

Despite a number of initiatives aimed at improving the representation and progression of women in the police service in England and Wales, the number of women in leadership ranks remains low. At the same time, concern over the quality of police leadership has been at the forefront of much public debate in recent years. This article focuses on recent proposals to reform the way in which senior officers are recruited through a discussion of the appointment of non-sworn/‘outsider’ officers through the adoption of direct and multiple entry models of recruitment as outlined by the Winsor Review (2012, Independent review of police officer and staff remuneration and conditions. Part 2. http://review.police.uk/part-two-report/ ). Hailed as an opportunity to secure an alternative face to police leadership, we reflect on the growing disquiet over police leaders and leadership and consider the possibilities of such a reform agenda for the representation and progression of women in policing. We propose that although a multipoint system of entry for specialisation or leadership roles may offer a number of opportunities to a service in crisis, such a reform agenda may ultimately serve to threaten and further undermine women's participation and status in policing as ‘outsiders’.
4FISH-IF, a Four-Color Dual-Gene FISH Combined with p63 Immunofluorescence to Evaluate NKX3.1 and MYC Status in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Trudel Dominique , Zafarana Gaetano , Sykes Jenna , Have Cherry L. , Bristow Robert G. , van der Kwast Theo
Published: May 2013

NKX3.1 allelic loss and MYC amplification are common events during prostate cancer progression and have been recognized as potential prognostic factors in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy or precision radiotherapy. We have developed a 4FISH-IF assay (a dual-gene fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with immunofluorescence) to measure both NKX3.1 and MYC status on the same slide. The 4FISH-IF assay contains four probes complementary to chromosome 8 centromere, 8p telomere, 8p21, and 8q24, as well as an antibody targeting the basal cell marker p63 visualized by immunofluorescence. The major advantages of the 4FISH-IF include the distinction between benign and malignant glands directly on the 4FISH-IF slide and the control of truncation artifact. Importantly, this specialized and innovative combined multiprobe and immunofluorescence technique can be performed on diagnostic biopsy specimens, increasing its clinical relevance. Moreover, the assay can be easily performed in a standard clinical molecular pathology laboratory. Globally, the use of 4FISH-IF decreases analytic time, increases confidence in obtained results, and maintains the tissue morphology of the diagnostic specimen.
Diaphragm Muscle Remodeling in a Rat Model of Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia
Authors: Shortt Christine M. , Fredsted Anne , Bradford Aidan , O’Halloran Ken D.
Published: May 2013

Respiratory muscle remodeling occurs in human sleep apnea—a common respiratory disorder characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) due to recurrent apnea during sleep. We sought to determine if CIH causes remodeling in rat sternohyoid (upper airway dilator) and diaphragm muscles. Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to CIH ( n=8), consisting of 90 sec of hypoxia (5% at the nadir; SaO2 ~80%)/90 sec of normoxia, 8 hr per day, for 7 consecutive days. Sham animals ( n=8) were exposed to alternating air/air cycles in parallel. The effect of CIH on myosin heavy-chain (MHC) isoform (1, 2a, 2x, 2b) distribution, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) isoform distribution, succinate dehydrogenase activity, glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase activity, and Na+/K+ ATPase pump content was determined. Sternohyoid muscle structure was unaffected by CIH treatment. CIH did not alter oxidative/glycolytic capacity or the Na+/K+-ATPase pump content of the diaphragm. CIH significantly increased the areal density of MHC 2b fibers in the rat diaphragm, and this was associated with a shift in SERCA proteins from SERCA2 to SERCA1. We conclude that CIH causes a slow-to-fast fiber transition in the rat diaphragm after just 7 days of treatment. Respiratory muscle functional remodeling may drive aberrant functional plasticity such as decreased muscle endurance, which is a feature of human sleep apnea.
Mitochondrial Coenzyme Q10 Determination by Isotope-Dilution Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Itkonen Outi , Suomalainen Anu , Turpeinen Ursula
Published: May 2013

BACKGROUND

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential part of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Unlike most other respiratory chain disorders, CoQ10 deficiency is potentially treatable. We aimed to develop and validate an accurate liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of mitochondrial CoQ10 in clinical samples.

METHODS

We used mitochondria isolated from muscle biopsies of patients (n = 166) suspected to have oxidative phosphorylation deficiency. We also used fibroblast mitochondria from 1 patient with CoQ10 deficiency and 3 healthy individuals. Samples were spiked with nonphysiologic CoQ10-[2H6] internal standard, extracted with 1-propanol and with ethanol and hexane (2 mL/5 mL), and CoQ10 quantified by LC-MS/MS. The method and sample stability were validated. A reference interval was established from the patient data.

RESULTS

The method had a limit of quantification of 0.5 nmol/L. The assay range was 0.5–1000 nmol/L and the CVs were 7.5%–8.2%. CoQ10 was stable in concentrated mitochondrial suspensions. In isolated mitochondria, the mean ratio of CoQ10 to citrate synthase (CS) activity (CoQ10/CS) was 1.7 nmol/U (95% CI, 1.6–1.7 nmol/U). We suggest a CoQ10/CS reference interval of 1.1–2.8 nmol/U for both sexes and all ages. The CoQ10/CS ratio was 5-fold decreased in fibroblast mitochondria from a patient with known CoQ10 deficiency due to recessive prenyl (decaprenyl) diphosphate synthase, subunit 2 (PDSS2) mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

Normalization of mitochondrial CoQ10 concentration against citrate synthase activity is likely to reflect most accurately the CoQ10 content available for the respiratory chain. Our assay and the established reference range should facilitate the diagnosis of respiratory chain disorders and treatment of patients with CoQ10 deficiency.
Crystal structure of bis(4-aminobenzenesulfonato-κN)bis(2,2'-biimidazole- κ2N,N')copper(II)-dihydrate (1:2), [Cu(C6H6N4)2(C6H6O3NS)2]·2H2O, C24H28CuN10O8S2
Authors: Liu Bin , Yang Wei , Dai Yong-Cheng , Zhou Li-Li , Jin Qiong-Hua , Zhang Cun-Ling
Published: May 2013

C24H28CuN10O8S2, triclinic, P1¯ (no. 2), a = 8.7001(8) Å, b = 8.7770(9) Å, c = 10.509(1) Å, α = 65.349(1)°, β = 84.958(1)°, γ = 84.445(2)°, V = 724.9 Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.0348, wRref(F2) = 0.0901, T = 298 K.
Deshaciendo el consenso. La historiografía sobre el proceso de independencia de la Nueva España, 1953-1997
Authors: Ortega José Antonio Serrano
Published: May 2013

En este artículo analizo el desarrollo de la historiografía sobre el proceso de independencia de la Nueva España entre mediados de la década de los cincuenta y mediados de los noventa. Fue entre 1953 y 1997, para ser más precisos, cuando se crearon nuevas bases metodológicas y distintas áreas de investigación que transformaron y en gran medida relegaron a un segundo plano la llamada historiografía clásica sobre la independencia. La principal inquietud que guía este artículo es entender por qué se impuso el revisionismo historiográfico. Para responder en parte a esta pregunta se considera la siempre cambiante vinculación entre el lugar, el procedimiento y el texto. De esta tríada, el tercer elemento ayuda a explicar la razón por la cual el revisionismo es hasta ahora, en 2012, el principal referente historiográfico de las investigaciones que se llevan a cabo sobre el periodo 1808-1821.

In this article I analyze the development of historiography about the process of the independence of New Spain between the mid-nineteen fifties and mid-nineteen nineties. It was between 1953 and 1997, to be more precise, when new methodological foundations were created and various research areas transformed and largely relegated to a second level the so called classical historiography on independence. My main concern is to understand why historiographical revisionism prevailed. To answer this question I consider the ever-changing relationship between the place, the procedure and the text. In this triad, the third element helps explain why revisionism is even today, in 2012, the main historiographical reference for research on the period 1808-1821.
Incendiary Legislation
Authors: Alexander Anna Rose
Published: May 2013

This article examines Puebla’s drastic 1885 Fire Code, which prohibited the use of fossil fuels and other flammables in the city center. Poblano lawmakers embraced Porfirian trends in scientific planning, and their attempts to manage the city according to calculated risks of fire reflected broader concerns with hygiene and the correction of social ills. While engineers and architects defended the law for its ability to prevent chaos, merchants criticized the regulations for hindering commerce. By using the rhetoric of order and progress, opposition groups convinced officials to overturn the law and use municipal funds to establish a professional firefighting brigade. This transition to government-controlled public services was the product of popular mobilization and represented an important step in making Puebla a modern city.

El presente artículo examina el estricto Código de Incendios de Puebla de 1885, que prohibía el uso de combustibles fósiles y otros productos inflamables en el centro de la ciudad. Los legisladores poblanos adoptaron las tendencias porfirianas de planeación científica, y sus intentos por administrar la ciudad según los riesgos calculados de incendio reflejaban preocupaciones más amplias por la higiene y la corrección de los males sociales. Mientras que los ingenieros y los arquitectos defendían la ley por su capacidad para prevenir el caos, los comerciantes criticaban la regulación por entorpecer los negocios. Mediante el uso de la retórica del orden y el progreso, los grupos de oposición convencieron a los funcionarios de anular la ley y utilizar fondos municipales para establecer una brigada de bomberos profesional. Esta transición a los servicios públicos controlados por el estado fue producto de una movilización popular y representó un paso importante en la transformación de Puebla en una ciudad moderna.
Rebelión y patrones de resistencia indígena en las Fronteras de San Luis Colotlán, Nueva España, siglos xvi-xviii.
Authors: Medrano Carlos Rubén Ruiz
Published: May 2013

El presenta artículo busca explicar la transformación de la disidencia étnica y disconformidad comunitaria que acaeció en distintos momentos en las Fronteras de San Luis Colotlán, Jalisco, a lo largo de los siglo XVII y XVIII. Esta circunscripción militar y de frontera, presenta distintos elementos significativos para evaluar un punto poco trabajado en la historiografía colonial mexicana: la calidad mutable de las expresiones de resistencia nativa en zonas liminares y de frontera, así como sus transfiguraciones ideológicas que presentó en sus patrones de interpelación al régimen colonial.

This article seeks to explain the transformation of ethnic dissent and community disagreement at different times in the borders of San Luis Colotlán, Jalisco, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This military and border district presents various significant elements for the analysis of an overlooked subject in Mexican colonial historiography: the changing quality of native resistance expressions in liminal and frontier zones and the ideological transformation of patterns for questioning colonial rule.
Trials by Fire
Authors: Osten Sarah
Published: May 2013

Across Mexico in the early 1920s, gubernatorial elections chronically failed, and the steps that the federal government took to resolve these crises often provoked further political upheaval. This pattern of electoral failure and the controversies it inspired are testimony to the prevailing uncertainty within the political class as to where the boundaries of power truly lay in post-revolutionary Mexico. This comparison of two failed gubernatorial elections reveals the significance of state politics to national political consolidation, and the formative role of political parties in the immediate post-revolutionary period, preceding the founding of the National Revolutionary Party (PNR) in 1929.

A principios de la década de 1920 las elecciones gubernativas fracasaron en todo México de manera crónica, y los pasos que tomó el gobierno federal para resolver estas crisis provocaron a menudo una mayor agitación política. Este patrón de fracaso electoral y las controversias que suscitó son testimonio de la incertidumbre prevaleciente entre la clase política en cuanto a dónde estaban verdaderamente los límites del poder en el México posrevolucionario. La comparación de dos elecciones gubernativas fallidas revela la importancia de la policía estatal en la consolidación política nacional, y el papel formativo de los partidos políticos en el periodo inmediato posrevolucionario, previo a la fundación del Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR) en 1929.
Corn, Tomatoes, and a Dead Dog
Authors: Browning Anjali
Published: May 2013

This article examines how some of Mexico’s two million small farmers are responding to the opening of the market for corn. The consequences of US-Mexican agricultural restructuring include more marginal production practices, which threaten the nation’s food and water security. Based on research in San Juan Guelavía, Oaxaca, I argue that even programs implemented to offset the negative impacts of liberalization on small producers actually undermine them while promoting overexploitation of local resources. Through case examples, I illustrate the challenges Guelavíans face as they attempt to recreate livelihoods within the context of drought, soil erosion, resource competition and market exclusion.

Este artículo examina la respuesta de algunos pequeños agricultores de México—que en total suman dos millones—ante la apertura del mercado del maíz. Entre las consecuencias de la reestructuración agrícola México–Estados Unidos se cuentan más prácticas marginales de producción, que amenazan la seguridad alimenticia e hídrica de la nación. Aquí, sostengo que en San Juan Guelavía, Oaxaca, incluso los programas implementados para contrarrestar los impactos negativos de la liberalización sobre los pequeños productores acaban por socavarlos, al tiempo que promueven la sobreexplotación de recursos locales. Mediante ejemplos de caso, ilustro los desafíos que enfrentan los habitantes de Guelavía en sus intentos por recrear modos de sustento dentro del contexto de la sequía, la erosión de la tierra, la competencia por los recursos y la exclusión del mercado.
Bone morphogenetic protein 15 and fibroblast growth factor 10 enhance cumulus expansion, glucose uptake, and expression of genes in the ovulatory cascade during in vitro maturation of bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes
Authors: Caixeta Ester S , Sutton-McDowall Melanie L , Gilchrist Robert B , Thompson Jeremy G , Price Christopher A , Machado Mariana F , Lima Paula F , Buratini José
Published: May 2013

Oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) regulate differentiation of cumulus cells and are of pivotal relevance for fertility. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) and fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) are OSFs and enhance oocyte competence by unknown mechanisms. We tested the hypothesis that BMP15 and FGF10, alone or combined in the maturation medium, enhance cumulus expansion and expression of genes in the preovulatory cascade and regulate glucose metabolism favouring hyaluronic acid production in bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs). BMP15 or FGF10 increased the percentage of fully expanded COCs, but the combination did not further stimulate it. BMP15 increased cumulus cell levels of mRNA encoding a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10), ADAM17, amphiregulin (AREG), and epiregulin (EREG) at 12 h of culture and of prostaglandin (PG)-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6 (TNFAIP6 (TSG6)) at 22 h of culture. FGF10 did not alter the expression of epidermal growth factor-like factors but enhanced the mRNA expression of PTGS2 at 4 h, PTX3 at 12 h, and TNFAIP6 at 22 h. FGF10 and BMP15 stimulated glucose consumption by cumulus cells but did not affect lactate production or levels of mRNA encoding glycolytic enzymes phosphofructokinase and lactate dehydrogenase A. Each growth factor increased mRNA encoding glucosamine:fructose-6-PO4 transaminases, key enzymes in the hexosamine pathway leading to hyaluronic acid production, and BMP15 also stimulated hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) mRNA expression. This study provides evidence that BMP15 and FGF10 stimulate expansion of in vitro-matured bovine COCs by driving glucose metabolism toward hyaluronic acid production and controlling the expression of genes in the ovulatory cascade, the first acting upon ADAM10, ADAM17, AREG, and EREG and the second on downstream genes, particularly PTGS2.
The Effect of a Positioning Index on the Biomechanical Stability of Tapered Implant-Abutment Connections
Authors: Villarinho Eduardo Aydos , Cervieri André , Shinkai Rosemary Sadami Arai , Grossi Márcio Lima , Teixeira Eduardo Rolim
Published: May 2013

The biomechanical stability of the implant-abutment connection is critical for the success of implant-supported restorations. This study investigated the effect of a positioning index on the abutment screw preload values of tapered connection implants. Twenty Morse taper implants presenting an internal locking hex received 10 solid and 10 straight screw retained abutments for cemented single-crown restorations. Ten abutments had a positioning index to fit the internal locking hex of the implant (straight), and 10 were locked only by the implant taper (solid). The preload values for each abutment screw after a tightening torque were registered by strain gauges. Prosthetic crowns were placed on each abutment and subjected to mechanical cycling. Detorque forces were applied to each abutment and compared with the initial torque values. Data were statistically analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Student t tests. The nonindexed group presented higher initial preload (6.05 N ± 0.95 N) compared with the indexed group (4.88 N ± 0.92 N; P < .05). After cycling, the nonindexed group exhibited less reduction of preload (13.84% ± 6.43%) compared with the indexed group (52.65% ± 14.81%; P < .01). Indexed tapered abutments for single-crown restorations might represent greater biomechanical risk under function.
Ocorrência de fungos endofíticos "dark septate" em raízes de Oryza glumaepatula na Amazônia
Authors: Pereira Gilmara Maria Duarte , Ribeiro Karen Gonçalves , Fernandes Júnior Paulo Ivan , Vital Marcos José Salgado , Kasuya Maria Catarina Megumi , Zilli Jerri Édson
Published: May 2013

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a ocorrência de fungos endofíticos "dark septate" (DSEF) em Oryza glumaepatula, na Amazônia, e sua capacidade de colonização in vitro. Foram coletadas plantas de O. glumaepatula em área de cerrado e de mata em Roraima. As raízes foram tratadas para a observação de hifas melanizadas septadas e de microescleródios. Os fungos foram isolados em meio ágar malte. Os DSEF foram observados em plantas coletadas em ambos os ambientes, com maior colonização nas coletadas da mata. Um isolado foi capaz de colonizar o hospedeiro original e também plantas de Oryza sativa, exibindo as estruturas características de DSEF em plantas de arroz saudáveis.
Parental Consanguinity and Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
Authors: Sabbagh Heba J. , Ahmed Hassan Mona Hassan , Innes Nicola P. T. , Baik Alaa Al , Mossey Peter A.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To assess whether individuals born to consanguineous parents had a higher frequency of nonsyndromic orofacial clefts compared with those with no parental consanguinity.

Design

A prespecified plan for a search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and data extraction from studies reporting consanguinity in relation to nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFC) was carried out. Papers reporting observational studies with control populations were included, without language restrictions, and these reports were assessed for quality. Sensitivity analyses using subgroups, homogeneity evaluation, and assessment of publication bias were carried out, and meta-analyses of extracted data were performed.

Results

Sixteen studies fulfilled the selection criteria and were included in the metaanalyses. There were statistically significant relationships between consanguinity and NSOFC for all 16 studies combined ( P = .0003), with odds ratio (OR) = 1.83 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.31, 2.54); 10 case-control studies ( P = .006), with OR = 2.06 and 95% CI = (1.23, 3.46); six cross-sectional studies ( P = .03), with OR = 1.34 and 95% CI = (1.02, 1.76); first cousins consanguineous marriages ( P = .04), with OR = 1.40 and 95% CI = (1.01, 1.93); cleft palate alone ( P = .01), with OR = 1.89 and 95% CI = (1.14, 3.13); and cleft lip with or without cleft palate cases ( P = .002), with OR = 1.56 and 95% CI = (1.18, 2.07).

Conclusion

Although there was a high level of study heterogeneity, the evidence is consistent in suggesting that consanguinity is a risk factor for NSOFC, with an overall OR of 1.83 (95% CI, 1.31 to 2.54), implying that there was almost twice the risk of a child with NSOFC being born if there was parental consanguinity.
Mammals across the K/Pg boundary in northeastern Montana, U.S.A.: dental morphology and body-size patterns reveal extinction selectivity and immigrant-fueled ecospace filling
Authors: Wilson Gregory P.
Published: May 2013

The Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/Pg) mass extinction has long been viewed as a pivotal event in mammalian evolutionary history, in which the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs allowed mammals to rapidly expand from small-bodied, generalized insectivores to a wide array of body sizes and ecological specializations. Many studies have used global- or continental-scale taxonomic databases to analyze this event on coarse temporal scales, but few studies have documented morphological diversity of mammalian paleocommunities on fine spatiotemporal scales in order to examine ecomorphological selectivity and ecospace filling across this critical transition. Focusing on well-sampled and temporally well-constrained mammalian faunas across the K/Pg boundary in northeastern Montana, I quantified dental-shape disparity and morphospace occupancy via landmark- and semilandmark-based geometric morphometrics and mean body size, body-size disparity, and body-size structure via body-mass estimates.

My results reveal several key findings: (1) latest Cretaceous mammals, particularly metatherians and multituberculates, had a greater ecomorphological diversity than is generally appreciated, occupying regions of the morphospace that are interpreted as strict carnivory, plant-dominated omnivory, and herbivory; (2) the decline in dental-shape disparity and body-size disparity across the K/Pg boundary shows a pattern of constructive extinction selectivity against larger-bodied dietary specialists, particularly strict carnivores and taxa with plant-based diets, that suggests the kill mechanism was related to depressed primary productivity rather than a globally instantaneous event; (3) the ecomorphological recovery in the earliest Paleocene was fueled by immigrants, namely three multituberculate families (taeniolabidids, microcosmodontids, eucosmodontids) and to a lesser extent archaic ungulates; and (4) despite immediate increases in the taxonomic richness of eutherians, their much-celebrated post-K/Pg ecomorphological expansion had a slower start than is generally perceived and most likely only began 400,000 to 1 million years after the extinction event.
Lessons from behaviour change programmes to reduce water demand
Authors: Ampt Elizabeth , Neal Brad , MacKellar Peter , Davies Robert Glyn
Published: May 2013

A number of voluntary behaviour change programmes have been implemented in Australia to help people to help themselves reduce demand for water and other services such as transport, waste and energy. This is undertaken by encouraging people to think about their own needs and having facilitated conversations to help them identify ways they want to change their use and ways to implement those changes. This paper describes water saving – assessed quantitatively using meter reading data and control groups – where the goal was a 15% saving; the results have been conservatively assessed at 21%. This corresponds to a saving of 60 litres/person per day when typical usage in the area is 224 litres/person per day. The annualised savings during the project amounted to 264 million litres for the area and pledged actions predict 345 million litres. The paper draws conclusions from the implementation of these programmes and their effectiveness in achieving their intended benefits. While there are some differences in consumer behaviour between Australia and the UK, because approaches to implementation are always modified to suit different consumer groups and objectives, the principles of achieving demand reduction through behaviour change are considered to be universal.
An estimated cost of lost climate regulation services caused by thawing of the Arctic cryosphere
Authors: Euskirchen Eugénie S. , Goodstein Eban S. , Huntington Henry P.
Published: May 2013

Recent and expected changes in Arctic sea ice cover, snow cover, and methane emissions from permafrost thaw are likely to result in large positive feedbacks to climate warming. There is little recognition of the significant loss in economic value that the disappearance of Arctic sea ice, snow, and permafrost will impose on humans. Here, we examine how sea ice and snow cover, as well as methane emissions due to changes in permafrost, may potentially change in the future, to year 2100, and how these changes may feed back to influence the climate. Between 2010 and 2100, the annual costs from the extra warming due to a decline in albedo related to losses of sea ice and snow, plus each year's methane emissions, cumulate to a present value cost to society ranging from US$7.5 trillion to US$91.3 trillion. The estimated range reflects uncertainty associated with (1) the extent of warming‐driven positive climate feedbacks from the thawing cryosphere and (2) the expected economic damages per metric ton of CO2 equivalents that will be imposed by added warming, which depend, especially, on the choice of discount rate. The economic uncertainty is much larger than the uncertainty in possible future feedback effects. Nonetheless, the frozen Arctic provides immense services to all nations by cooling the earth's temperature: the cryosphere is an air conditioner for the planet. As the Arctic thaws, this critical, climate‐stabilizing ecosystem service is being lost. This paper provides a first attempt to monetize the cost of some of those lost services.
Influence of the physical terrestrial Arctic in the eco‐climate system
Authors: Saito Kazuyuki , Zhang Tingjun , Yang Daqing , Marchenko Sergei , Barry Roger G. , Romanovsky Vladimir , Hinzman Larry
Published: May 2013

This synthesis paper provides a summary of the major components of the physical terrestrial Arctic and the influences of their changes upon the larger eco‐climate system. Foci here are snow cover, permafrost, and land hydrology. During the last century, snow cover duration has shortened in a large portion of the circum‐Arctic, mainly because of its early northward retreat in spring due to warming. Winter precipitation has generally increased, resulting in an increase in maximum snow depth over large areas. This is consistent with the increase in river discharge over large Russian watersheds. Soil temperature has also increased, and the active layer has deepened in most of the permafrost regions, whereas thinning of the seasonally frozen layer has been observed in areas not underlain by permafrost. These active components are mutually interrelated, conditioned by ambient micro‐ to landscape‐level topography and local surface and subsurface conditions, and they are closely related with vegetation and ecology, as evidenced by evolution in the late Quaternary. Further, we provide examples and arguments for discussions on the pathways through which changes in the Arctic terrestrial system can affect or propagate to remote areas beyond the Arctic, reaching to the extratropics in the larger climate system. These considerations include dynamical and thermodynamical responses and feedbacks, modification of hemisphere‐scale atmospheric circulation associated with troposphere–stratosphere couplings, and moisture intrusion at a continental scale.
Analysis of Juice Yield, Sugar Content, and Biomass Accumulation in Sorghum
Authors: Godoy Jayfred Gaham V. , Tesso Tesfaye T.
Published: May 2013

Because of its high potential for biomass production, adaptation to marginal conditions, and sugar‐rich stalks, sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has been recognized as a prospective source as biofuel feedstock. Tapping into this potential, however, requires development of distinct varieties and hybrids with enhanced value as feedstock source. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the inheritance of key plant traits associated with biofuel production and (2) to identify new genetic sources that can be used in breeding programs to improve these traits. Six high‐biomass and/or sweet sorghum pollinator genotypes and three grain sorghum seed parents were intercrossed using the Design II mating scheme. The hybrids and their parents were evaluated in three environments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on plant height, days to flowering and maturity, biomass, juice yield, Brix, and lodging. General combining ability (GCA) for male parents was highly significant for all traits, and the top pollinators had 85, 34, and 47% higher juice yield, Brix, and biomass, respectively, compared with the overall mean of the hybrids. Specific combining ability effects were also significant but much lower than the variation revealed by GCA among males. Two of the males (PI257602 and PI185672) had the top scores for all traits considered and, hence, are excellent resources for breeding sorghum as biofuel feedstock.
Relatedness and Genotype × Environment Interaction Affect Prediction Accuracies in Genomic Selection: A Study in Cassava
Authors: Ly Delphine , Hamblin Martha , Rabbi Ismail , Melaku Gedil , Bakare Moshood , Gauch Hugh G. , Okechukwu Richardson , Dixon Alfred G.O. , Kulakow Peter , Jannink Jean‐Luc
Published: May 2013

Before implementation of genomic selection, evaluation of the potential accuracy of prediction can be obtained by cross‐validation. In this procedure, a population with both phenotypes and genotypes is split into training and validation sets. The prediction model is fitted using the training set, and its accuracy is calculated on the validation set. The degree of genetic relatedness between the training and validation sets may influence the expected accuracy as may the genotype × environment (G×E) interaction in those sets. We developed a method to assess these effects and tested it in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). We used historical phenotypic data available from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Genetic Gain trial and performed genotyping by sequencing for these clones. We tested cross‐validation sampling schemes preventing the training and validation sets from sharing (i) genetically close clones or (ii) similar evaluation locations. For 19 traits, plot‐basis heritabilities ranged from 0.04 to 0.66. The correlation between predicted and observed phenotypes ranged from 0.15 to 0.47. Across traits, predicting for less related clones decreased accuracy from 0 to 0.07, a small but consistent effect. For 17 traits, predicting for different locations decreased accuracy between 0.01 and 0.18. Genomic selection has potential to accelerate gains in cassava and the existing training population should give a reasonable estimate of future prediction accuracies.
Ecosystem Carbon Storage and Cycling in Restored and Native Grasslands of the Palouse Region
Authors: Sánchez-de León Yaniria , Johnson-Maynard Jodi
Published: May 2013

Conversion of marginal agricultural lands to perennial grassland vegetation has been proposed as a way to enhance terrestrial C sequestration. In the United States, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has facilitated this transition. We studied terrestrial C processes and pools in CRP set‐asides planted with exotic grasses and in native prairie remnants of the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. Aboveground and belowground net primary productivity and litterfall were similar between grassland types. However, prairie remnants had 65% greater root biomass, 21% more soil macroaggregates, and 53% more soil C than CRP sites. For decomposition studies, the plant speciesFestuca idahoensisandSymphoricarpos albuswere used as representatives of the prairie community.Bromus inermiswas studied in CRP sites. Decomposition rates of leaf litter were not different among plant species, butS. albusroot decomposition (k= 0.28 yr–1) was slower thanF. idahoensis(k= 0.56 yr–1) orB. inermis(k= 0.64 yr–1). The C pools and processes measured in this study show that processes that return C to the atmosphere (e.g., root decomposition) are slower in prairie remnants than in the CRP sites. However, high root turnover rates and root biomass in CRP could lead to greater C sequestration in CRP sites than in prairie sites with time.
Monitoring Vadose Zone Desiccation with Geophysical Methods
Authors: Truex M.J. , Johnson T.C. , Strickland C.E. , Peterson J.E. , Hubbard S.S.
Published: May 2013

Soil desiccation was recently field tested as a potential vadose zone remediation technology. Desiccation removes water from the vadose zone and significantly decreases the aqueous‐phase permeability of the desiccated zone, thereby decreasing movement of moisture and contaminants. The two‐ and three‐dimensional distribution of moisture content reduction with time provides valuable information for desiccation operations and for determining when treatment goals have been reached. This type of information can be obtained through the use of geophysical methods. Neutron moisture logging, cross‐hole electrical resistivity tomography, and cross‐hole ground‐penetrating radar approaches were evaluated with respect to their ability to provide effective spatial and temporal monitoring of desiccation during a treatability study conducted in the vadose zone of the USDOE Hanford site in the state of Washington.