bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parental versus offspring control on food division within the brood: the role of hatching asynchrony
Authors: Rodríguez Carlos , Johst Karin , Bustamante Javier
Published: April 2008

Using an individual‐based simulation model we study how different mechanisms of food division among multiple offspring influence nestling number and quality, as well as parental effort. We consider the combination of different scenarios of food availability (feeding conditions), hatching asynchrony and food division. If parents have full control on how to divide food among offspring, asynchronous broods have higher breeding performance than synchronous ones in a wide range of feeding conditions, giving theoretical support to empirically proved benefits of hatching asynchrony. If parents accept the outcome of sibling competition there is a threshold in feeding conditions below which asynchronous broods produced more fledglings and the reverse was true above the threshold. Interestingly, parents relying on the outcome of nestling competition do not necessarily differ in breeding performance from those which have full control over food allocation. Our study combines hatching asynchrony, provisioning behaviour of parents, jostling behaviour of nestlings and feeding conditions as a network of interacting processes of enormous interest to fully understand the parent–offspring conflict.
Altitudinal life‐history variation and thermal adaptation in the copper butterfly Lycaena tityrus
Authors: Karl Isabell , Janowitz Susann A. , Fischer Klaus
Published: April 2008

Understanding how organisms adapt to complex environments lies at the very heart of ecology and evolutionary biology. Clinal variation in traits related to fitness suggests a contribution of directional selection, and analyzing such variation has consequently become a key element in investigating adaptive evolution. In this study we examine climatic adaptation in the temperate‐zone butterfly Lycaena tityrus across replicated populations from low‐, (mid‐) and high‐altitudes, each reared at two different temperatures. In common garden experiments, high‐ compared to low‐altitude populations showed a longer development time accompanied by reduced larval growth rates, increased cold‐ but decreased heat‐stress resistance, and increased flight duration across a range of ambient temperatures. In contrast, differences in morphological traits such as pupal mass or wing size were negligible, suggesting that morphology is not necessarily indicative of flight performance. While patterns in stress resistance traits suggest adaptation to local temperatures, development times between populations were associated with differences in season length (enabling a second generation at lower altitudes, while high‐altitude populations are monovoltine) rather than with temperature per se. Mid‐altitude populations showed either intermediate patterns or patterns resembling low‐altitude populations. Plastic responses to different rearing temperatures resulted, as expected, in reduced larval and pupal development times at higher temperatures accompanied by higher growth rates and decreased pupal mass. Further, butterflies reared at a lower temperature showed reduced chill‐coma recovery times and decreased heat knock‐down resistance as compared to those reared at a higher temperature. In summary, this study demonstrates local adaptations to regional climates, and that environmentally‐induced plasticity can be as important as genetic factors in mediating adaptive responses.
Seasonal variation in patch use in a tropical African environment
Authors: Ngozi Molokwu Mary , Olsson Ola , Nilsson Jan‐Åke , Ottosson Ulf
Published: April 2008

We used giving‐up densities (GUD) to study patch use decisions of small granivorous passerines throughout the year. We measured GUDs continuously in four sites for a period of 9–10 months per year during 2004 and 2005 in a savannah area in Jos, central Nigeria. The study thus covered a period from the middle of the dry season, through the wet season to the beginning of the next dry season in each year. We placed experimental food patches in both open areas and in cover to investigate possible effects of predation risk and thermal hazard on the foraging behavior of the birds. We found a difference in GUDs between the microhabitats, with a consistently lower GUD in cover throughout the year and for the two years. During both years GUDs followed a pattern coinciding with the seasonal change in local seed availability. An initial decline in GUDs late in the dry season was followed by a steady increase during and after the rains. A similar trend in GUDs observed for both years supports the conclusion that GUDs measure the feeding birds’ assessment of environmental quality, possibly in combination with other factors changing predictably during the year. We conclude that food abundance may act with other environmental and ecological factors to affect foraging decisions throughout the year.
The effect of sunlight on leaf litter quality reduces growth of the shredderKlapopteryx kuscheli
Authors: ALBARIÑO RICARDO , VILLANUEVA VERÓNICA DÍAZ , CANHOTO CRISTINA
Published: April 2008

The direct effect of sunlight on the conditioning, breakdown and incorporation of leaf litter in stream food webs has not yet been considered. The aim here was to evaluate the effects of light intensity on the colonization of leaf litter by microorganisms and its resulting quality as food for the stonefly shredderKlapopteryx kuscheli.

Leaf litter was conditioned for 2 months in an open reach of a second‐order stream in litter bags either exposed to or shaded from direct sunlight. Subsequently, we performed laboratory experiments to test larval consumption, growth, growth efficiency and feeding preference fed on both leaf litter treatments.

Leaf litter in the unshaded treatment had three times more chlorophyll‐a(Chl‐a) than that in the shaded treatment, 50% lower fungal biomass and similar bacterial abundance. Although larvae did not prefer either food and fed at the same rate on both leaf litter treatments, they grew twice as fast on the shade‐conditioned leaves and attained a two‐fold higher growth efficiency.

Sunlight can have significant effects on detritus‐based food webs. Riparian modification induced by human activities in forested catchments increases the potential for sunlight to influence detritus dynamics.
Thrombelastographic monitoring of recombinant factor VIIa in acquired haemophilia
Authors: DEHMEL H. , WERWITZKE S. , TRUMMER A. , GANSER A. , TIEDE A.
Published: April 2008

Summary.  Monitoring of the global haemostatic capacity is desired to optimize the treatment with bypassing agents in inhibitor patients. Thrombelastographic methods have been used in ex vivo studies and were suggested useful to evaluate the individual response to bypassing agents. This study aimed at assessing changes in thrombelastographic profiles and their association to clinical outcome in patients treated with recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa). Ten patients with acquired haemophilia were treated with rFVIIa for acute bleeding. Thrombelastography was performed after activation with a small amount of tissue factor in samples obtained before and after in vivo administration of rFVIIa. In patients studied before and after a first dose, correction of the thrombelastographic profile was observed but did not predict cessation of bleeding. During steady‐state dosing, the median Alpha angle tended to be higher in patients with a good clinical treatment response as compared with patients with a partial or poor response. Similar trends were observed for clotting time and clot formation time. A good clinical treatment response was more frequent in patients with a fully corrected trough‐level thrombelastographic profile as compared with patients with an abnormal profile. However, a poor treatment response was observed also in a surgical patient with a normal thrombelastographic profile during steady‐state dosing. In conclusion, thrombelastographic monitoring was sensitive to haemostatic changes in response to treatment with rFVIIa. In the limited number of patients studied here, a better clotting profile during steady‐state dosing was associated with a better clinical treatment response.
Serum lipids regulate dendritic cell CD1 expression and function
Authors: Leslie David S. , Dascher Christopher C. , Cembrola Katherine , Townes Maria A. , Hava David L. , Hugendubler Lynne C. , Mueller Elisabetta , Fox Lisa , Roura‐Mir Carme , Moody D. Branch , Vincent Michael S. , Gumperz Jenny E. , Illarionov Petr A. , Besra Gurdyal S. , Reynolds Carol G. , Brenner Michael B.
Published: April 2008

Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly potent antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) and play a vital role in stimulating naïve T cells. Treatment of human blood monocytes with the cytokines granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) and interleukin (IL)‐4 stimulates them to develop into immature dendritic cells (iDCs) in vitro. DCs generated by this pathway have a high capacity to prime and activate resting T cells and prominently express CD1 antigen‐presenting molecules on the cell surface. The presence of human serum during the differentiation of iDCs from monocytes inhibits the expression of CD1a, CD1b and CD1c, but not CD1d. Correspondingly, T cells that are restricted by CD1c showed poor responses to DCs that were generated in the presence of human serum, while the responses of CD1d‐restricted T cells were enhanced. We chemically fractionated human serum to isolate the bioactive factors that modulate surface expression of CD1 proteins during monocyte to DC differentiation. The human serum components that affected CD1 expression partitioned with polar organic soluble fractions. Lysophosphatidic acid and cardiolipin were identified as lipids present in normal human serum that potently modulate CD1 expression. Control of CD1 expression was mediated at the level of gene transcription and correlated with activation of the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) nuclear hormone receptors. These findings indicate that the ability of human DCs to present lipid antigens to T cells through expression of CD1 molecules is sensitively regulated by lysophosphatidic acid and cardiolipin in serum, which are ligands that can activate PPAR transcription factors.
Widespread natural variation in murine natural killer T‐cell number and function
Authors: Rymarchyk Stacia L. , Lowenstein Hayden , Mayette Jana , Foster Samantha R. , Damby David E. , Howe Isaac W. , Aktan Idil , Meyer Russell E. , Poynter Matthew E. , Boyson Jonathan E.
Published: April 2008

Natural killer T (NKT) cells comprise a novel T‐lymphocyte subset that can influence a wide variety of immune responses through their ability to secrete large amounts of a variety of cytokines. Although variation in NKT‐cell number and function has been extensively studied in autoimmune disease‐prone mice, in which it has been linked to disease susceptibility, relatively little is known of the natural variation of NKT‐cell number and function among normal inbred mouse strains. Here, we demonstrate strain‐dependent variation in the susceptibility of C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice to NKT‐mediated airway hyperreactivity, which correlated with significant increases in serum interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and IL‐13 elicited by the synthetic glycosphingolipid α‐galactosylceramide. Examination of NKT‐cell function revealed a significantly greater frequency of cytokine‐producing NKT cells in C57BL/6J versus BALB/cJ mice as well as significant differences in the kinetics of NKT‐cell cytokine production. Extension of this analysis to a panel of inbred mouse strains indicated that variability in NKT‐cell cytokine production was widespread. Similarly, an examination of NKT‐cell frequency revealed a significantly greater number of liver NKT cells in the C57BL/6J mice versus BALB/cJ mouse livers. Again, examination of a panel of inbred mouse strains revealed that liver NKT‐cell numbers were quite variable, spanning over a 100‐fold range. Taken together, these results demonstrate the presence of widespread natural variation in NKT‐cell number and function among common inbred mouse strains, which may have implications for the examination of the influence of NKT cells in immune responses and disease pathogenesis among different genetic backgrounds.
A modified version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐II for cognitive matching of infants with and without Down syndrome
Authors: Moore D. G. , Goodwin J. E. , Oates J. M.
Published: April 2008

Background  Many measures of infants' early cognitive development, including the BSID‐II (The Bayley Scales of Infant Development), mix together test items that assess a number of different developmental domains including language, attention, motor functioning and social abilities, and some items contribute to the assessment of more than one domain. Consequently, the scales may lead to under‐ or over‐estimates of cognitive abilities in some clinical samples and may not be the best measure to use for matching purposes.

Method  To address this issue we created a modified form of the BSID‐II (the BSID‐M) to provide a ‘purer’ assessment of the general cognitive capacities in infants with Down syndrome (DS) from 6 to 18 months of age. We excluded a number of items that implicated language, motor, attentional and social functioning from the original measure. This modified form was administered to 17 infants with Down syndrome when 6, 12 and 18 months old and to 41 typically developing infants at 4, 7 and 10 months old.

Results  The results suggested that the modified form continued to provide a meaningful and stable measure of cognitive functioning and revealed that DS infants may score marginally higher in terms of general cognitive abilities when using this modified form than they might when using the standard BSID‐II scales.

Conclusions  This modified form may be useful for researchers who need a ‘purer’ measure with which to match infants with DS and other infants with intellectual disabilities on cognitive functioning.
Oestrogen Influences on Mitochondrial Gene Expression and Respiratory Chain Activity in Cortical and Mesencephalic Astrocytes
Authors: Araújo G. W. , Beyer C. , Arnold S.
Published: April 2008

The regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism plays an essential role in the central nervous system (CNS). Abnormalities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain often accompany neurodegenerative diseases. This makes mitochondria a perfect target for strategies of cellular protection against toxic compounds and pathological conditions. Steroid hormones, such as oestrogen, are well‐known to fulfil a protective role in the brain during ischaemic and degenerative processes. Because astrocytes function as the major energy supplier in the CNS, we have analysed oestrogen effects on the mitochondrial respiratory chain of this cell type. In our studies, we applied semi‐ and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of gene expression and polarographic measurements of the respiratory chain activity of mitochondria. We observed that structural and functional properties were regulated dependent on the oestrogen exposure time and the brain region, but independent of the nuclear oestrogen receptors. We could demonstrate that long‐term oestrogen exposure increases the subunit gene expression of respiratory chain complexes and the mitochondrial DNA content, thereby indicating an up‐regulation of the amount of mitochondria per cell together with an increase of mitochondrial energy production. This could represent an important indirect mechanism by which long‐term oestrogen exposure protects neurones from cell death under neurotoxic conditions. On the other hand, we observed short‐term effects of oestrogen on the activity of mitochondrial, proton‐pumping respiratory chain complexes. In astrocytes from the cortex, respiratory chain activity was decreased, whereas it was increased in astrocytes from the mesencephalon. An increased production of reactive oxygen species would be the consequence of an increased respiratory chain activity in mesencephalic astrocytes. This could explain the different efficiencies of oestrogen‐mediated short‐term protection in distinct brain regions, but also indicates the limitations for a therapeutic short‐term application of oestrogen.
The longevity effects of trehalulose feeding by parasitoids
Authors: HARDIN JESSE A. , ASPLEN MARK K. , BYRNE DAVID N.
Published: April 2008

Abstract Insects, particularly phloem‐feeding Sternorrhyncha, are known to produce sugars in their honeydew (excreta) that are not found in their host plants. Of these, Bemisia tabaci, the sweet potato whitefly, is the only insect known to produce trehalulose [α‐d‐glucose (1,1) d‐fructose] as a major component of its honeydew. The present study aims to determine whether trehalulose is comparable to sucrose as a nutrient source for three whitefly parasitoids (Encarsia formosa, Encarsia pergandiella and Eretmocerus eremicus). In addition, the study also examines trehalulose feeding effects on longevity for a parasitoid of muscoid Diptera, Nasonia vitripennis. Parasitoids are provided diets of either sucrose or trehalulose in varying concentrations (from 0.1% to 70%) or a water control. Sucrose and trehalulose are not significantly different in affecting survival when compared at the same concentration. This was true for all Bemisia parasitoids and N. vitripennis. Certain specific diets are significantly different in pairwise combination tests. There is a significant effect of species, diet type and the interaction of these two factors on the longevity of the three different Bemisia parasitoid species; however, within species, there is no significant increase in longevity observed for either carbohydrate diet. This result contrasts with expectations for the effects of host‐modified carbohydrates on longevity. The implications are that, although carbohydrate feeding is essential for these parasitoids, these host‐provided sources of carbohydrates are equally capable of extending longevity.
Eco‐physiology of Palaemonetes antennarius (Crustacea, Decapoda): the influence of temperature and salinity on cardiac frequency
Authors: UNGHERESE GIUSEPPE , BODDI VIERI , UGOLINI ALBERTO
Published: April 2008

Abstract The effect of different temperatures and salinities on the cardiac frequency of the freshwater shrimp Palaemonetes antennarius is investigated. The results show that both temperature and salinity influence heart rate. Variations in water temperature are associated with changes in heart rate: variations higher than 8°C in 6 h affect not only heart rate, but also shrimp survival. After an initial rapid increase, the heart rate returns to initial values at saline concentrations of 15‰ and 30‰, whereas, at 20‰ salinity, the shrimps show a persistent decrease of heart rate throughout the test. The marked tolerance of variations of temperature and salinity suggests that P. antennarius is well adapted to waters with large salinity and temperature oscillations. Cardiac frequency can be used as a valid indicator of physiological stress in this species.
Pig islet xenograft rejection in a mouse model with an established human immune system
Authors: Tonomura Noriko , Shimizu Akira , Wang Shumei , Yamada Kazuhiko , Tchipashvili Vaja , Weir Gordon C. , Yang Yong‐Guang
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Background:  Xenotransplantation from pigs provides a potential solution to the severe shortage of human pancreata, but strong immunological rejection prevents its clinical application. A better understanding of the human immune response to pig islets would help develop effective strategies for preventing graft rejection.

Methods:  We assessed pig islet rejection by human immune cells in humanized mice with a functional human immune system. Humanized mice were prepared by transplantation of human fetal thymus/liver tissues and CD34+ fetal liver cells into immunodeficient mice. Islet xenograft survival/rejection was determined by histological analysis of the grafts and measurement of porcine C‐peptide in the sera of the recipients.

Results:  In untreated humanized mice, adult pig islets were completely rejected by 4 weeks. These mice showed no detectable porcine C‐peptide in the sera, and severe intra‐graft infiltration by human T cells, macrophages, and B cells, as well as deposition of human antibodies. Pig islet rejection was prevented by human T‐cell depletion prior to islet xenotransplantation. Islet xenografts harvested from T‐cell‐depleted humanized mice were functional, and showed no human cell infiltration or antibody deposition.

Conclusions:  Pig islet rejection in humanized mice is largely T‐cell‐dependent, which is consistent with previous observations in non‐human primates. These humanized mice provide a useful model for the study of human xenoimmune responses in vivo.
Characterization of porcine UL16‐binding protein 1 endothelial cell surface expression
Authors: Lilienfeld Benjamin G. , Schildknecht Anita , Imbach Lukas L. , Mueller Nicolas J. , Schneider Mårten K. J. , Seebach Jörg D.
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Background:  Natural killer (NK) cells participate in the immune response against solid organ allo‐ and xenografts and are tightly regulated through signals mediated by inhibiting and activating receptors expressed on their cell surface. Human NK cytotoxicity against porcine endothelial cells (pEC) is mediated by the interaction of the activating human NK receptor hNKG2D and its corresponding ligand on pEC, porcine UL‐16 binding protein 1 (pULBP1). The aim of the present study was to characterize the regulation of pULBP1 cell‐surface expression on primary porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC).

Methods:  A monoclonal antibody (mAb; aE5‐63) directed against pULBP1 was generated by immunizing C57BL/6 mice with the pEC line PEDSV.15, and used in cellular ELISA to determine pULBP1 cell surface expression. PAEC were either left untreated or stimulated with human or porcine cytokines [interferon gamma (IFN‐γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α)], human serum, cultured under hypoxic conditions, or infected with human or porcine cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Results:  Neither human nor porcine IFN‐γ stimulation changed pULBP1 expression, whereas both human and porcine TNF‐α stimulation as well as human and porcine CMV infection significantly decreased pULBP1 expression on PAEC. Coculture of PAEC with human serum strongly increased pULBP1 expression depending on the binding of human anti‐pig antibodies. Exposure of PAEC to hypoxia only slightly increased pULBP1 expression.

Conclusions:  In conclusion, (i) the novel anti‐pULBP1 IgM mAb aE5‐63 represents a useful tool to study pULBP1/hNKG2D‐mediated responses in xenotransplantation, and (ii) the expression of pULBP1, a human‐pig cross‐species functional hNKG2D ligand, on the surface of PAEC is modulated by various stimuli associated with transplantation.
Preparation of highly concentrated and white cell‐poor platelet‐rich plasma by plateletpheresis
Authors: Zimmermann R. , Reske S. , Metzler P. , Schlegel A. , Ringwald J. , Eckstein R.
Published: April 2008

Background and Objectives  Contaminating white blood cells (WBC) contribute remarkably to the overall growth factor content of locally applicable platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) or platelet (PLT) gel and change the relative proportions of the contained growth factors.

Materials and Methods  To study the independent effects of locally applicated highly concentrated PLTs, the development of preparations is needed that contain large amounts of PLTs and no or at least very few leucocytes. Therefore, 20 plateletpheresis procedures were performed in voluntary blood donors to get highly concentrated and extremely WBC‐poor plateletpheresis concentrates. The degree of spontaneous PLT activation, the PLT aggregation response to agonists and the level of the growth factor TGF‐β1 (transforming growth factor β1) were measured immediately after the donation and 1 day later.

Results  The concentrates contained 1·96 ± 0·36 × 10e11 PLTs per unit in 55·2 ± 7·9 ml, respectively. In comparison to the donors’ blood, the PLT‐enrichment factor was 15·3 ± 5·4. At the same time, the concentrates contained extremely low residual numbers of WBCs (0·8 ± 3·3 × 10e3/ml). The concentration of the growth factor TGF‐β1 was 743·2 ± 243·9 ng/ml. On day 1, the PLT concentration and the TGF‐β1 content of the PLT concentrates had not decreased.

Conclusions  In summary, plateletpheresis is suited to provide PRP products with higher concentrations of human platelets and platelet‐derived growth factors than previously reported PRP preparation methods but with extremely low numbers of contaminating leucocytes.
Forme fruste or incipient form of widespread‐type amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or motor neuron disease with pallido‐nigro‐luysian atrophy? An autopsy case report
Authors: Hashimoto Tomoyo , Matsubara Shiro , Mochizuki Yoko , Tsuji Sadatoshi , Mizutani Toshio , Oyanagi Kiyomitsu
Published: April 2008

We describe a 52‐year‐old man with body weight loss and bulbar palsy, who exhibited muscle atrophy and weakness with fasciculation especially in the respiratory muscles 4 years prior to death, necessitating respiratory support for 4 years, but who was able to walk until the end‐stage. He had no significant family history. Neuropathological examination revealed severe loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem, and ubiquitin‐positive skein‐like inclusions and Bunina bodies in the remaining neurons. In addition, prominent degeneration of the anterolateral funiculus and severe loss of neurons in the intermediate zone of the spinal cord were evident, without marked alteration of the corticospinal tracts. Degeneration of the subthalamic nucleus, increased iron deposition in the substantia nigra, and axonal swelling, residual nodules and acidophilic granules in the spinal ganglia were found. The patient's condition was considered to have been a forme fruste or incipient form of widespread‐type amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or motor neuron disease (MND) with pallido‐nigro‐luysian atrophy (PNLA). The neuropathological features of the present case appear to be important for understanding the nature of widespread‐type ALS and MND with PNLA.
Correlation of the International Prostate Symptom Score bother question with the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index in a clinical practice setting
Authors: O’Leary Michael P. , Wei John T. , Roehrborn Claus G. , Miner Martin ,   BPH Registry and Patient Survey Steering Committee
Published: April 2008

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) bother question (BQ) and a validated disease‐specific quality‐of‐life questionnaire, the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Impact Index (BPH‐II), using the BPH Registry and Patient Survey database.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The BPH Registry and Patient Survey is a multicentre, longitudinal, observational database of management practices and patient outcomes in a population of patients with BPH in the USA, managed with watchful waiting or pharmacotherapy. Men enrolled in the BPH Registry who completed the IPSS BQ and the four‐item BPH‐II at enrolment were identified. The association between the IPSS BQ score and the BPH Impact Index was assessed using Spearman rank correlation.

RESULTS

At baseline (enrolment visit), 6439 men (mean age 66 years) completed the IPSS BQ and the BPH‐II. The mean (sd) score of the IPSS BQ was 2.5 (1.4) and of the BPH‐II was 2.8 (2.8). Based on responses to the BPH‐II, at least half the men reported that their urinary symptoms were associated with physical discomfort, worry about their health, and bothersomeness. The IPSS BQ score was significantly correlated (P < 0.001) with the BPH‐II (r = 0.68) and each of its four questions (physical discomfort, r = 0.52; worry about health, r = 0.53; bothersomeness of trouble with urination, r = 0.67; and time kept from usual activities, r = 0.44).

CONCLUSIONS

The IPSS BQ score has a strong and positive correlation with the BPH‐II among men enrolled in the BPH Registry. The IPSS BQ is a convenient tool for assessing disease‐specific quality of life when determining treatment strategies and evaluating treatment outcomes in men with BPH.
Anchorage to the cytosolic face of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane: a new strategy to stabilize a cytosolic recombinant antigen in plants
Authors: Barbante Alessandra , Irons Sarah , Hawes Chris , Frigerio Lorenzo , Vitale Alessandro , Pedrazzini Emanuela
Published: April 2008

The levels of accumulation of recombinant vaccines in transgenic plants are protein specific and strongly influenced by the subcellular compartment of destination. The human immunodeficiency virus protein Nef (negative factor), a promising target for the development of an antiviral vaccine, is a cytosolic protein that accumulates to low levels in transgenic tobacco and is even more unstable when introduced into the secretory pathway, probably because of folding defects in the non‐cytosolic environment. To improve Nef accumulation, a new strategy was developed to anchor the molecule to the cytosolic face of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. For this purpose, the Nef sequence was fused to the C‐terminal domain of mammalian ER cytochrome b5, a long‐lived, tail‐anchored (TA) protein. This consistently increased Nef accumulation by more than threefold in many independent transgenic tobacco plants. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction of mRNA levels and protein pulse‐chase analysis indicated that the increase was not caused by higher transcript levels but by enhanced protein stability. Subcellular fractionation and immunocytochemistry indicated that Nef‐TA accumulated on the ER membrane. Over‐expression of mammalian or plant ER cytochrome b5 caused the formation of stacked membrane structures, as observed previously in similar experiments performed in mammalian cells; however, Nef‐TA did not alter membrane organization in tobacco cells. Finally, Nef could be removed in vitro by its tail‐anchor, taking advantage of an engineered thrombin cleavage site. These results open up the way to use tail‐anchors to improve foreign protein stability in the plant cytosol without perturbing cellular functions.
Young Chinese Children's Authority Concepts
Authors: Yau Jenny , Smetana Judith G. , Metzger Aaron
Published: April 2008

Using multilevel analyses, we examined the influence of domain (moral, conventional, and personal) and the familiarity of different authority figures (mother, teacher, person in charge, and stranger) in public, school, or home settings in 123 four to seven‐year‐old Chinese children (M = 5.6 years) in Hong Kong. Children affirmed authority more for moral and conventional than personal events, based primarily on punishment avoidance and conventional justifications. Children judged that they should obey mothers more than all other authorities and the person‐in charge in the associated setting and the teacher more than strangers. At school, teachers were seen as having more authority over moral and conventional events than mothers whereas at home, mothers had more authority than teachers over all issues. With age, children increasingly evaluated mothers' authority as generalizable across contexts for the moral event; reflecting the importance of familiarity, mothers were seen as having more authority to extend her regulation outside the home, including for personal events, than teachers' authority outside the school.
More‐than‐Representational Knowledge/s of the Countryside: How We Think as Bodies
Authors: Carolan Michael S.
Published: April 2008

The empirical hypothesis that is explored in this article is: if we think with our bodies then we must think about the countryside with our bodies too. Working toward this end, the article begins by briefly reviewing the literature on embodied knowledge. From here, attention turns to the rough, empirical ground of everyday life. Before doing this, however, discussion centres briefly on methods, where the methodological implications of studying the ‘more‐than‐representational’ are discussed. The remainder of the article is devoted to examining the findings of fieldwork conducted in rural Iowa. In this discussion, attention centres specifically on how understanding the countryside is an embodied, lived event.
Researcher and Employee: Reflections on Reflective Practice in Rural Development Research
Authors: McAreavey Ruth
Published: April 2008

This article describes an ethnographic study that was used to critically assess the links between rural development policy and practice. It does so from the novel perspective of the researcher as an employee in the organisation where the ethnography study was conducted. The article argues that this distinctive position gives rise to specific methodological issues. Particular attention is paid in the analysis to marginalised issues in reflexive practice literature, namely, the structural context. In so doing this research places at centre stage the importance of reflexivity in the field of rural sociology, an area in which to date it has had limited acceptance.
‘Reclaiming the Criminal’: The Role and Training of Prison Officers in England, 1877 to 1914
Authors: JOHNSTON HELEN
Published: April 2008

Abstract: This article examines the role and training of prison officers in England, between 1877 and 1914. It is concerned with the changing penal philosophies and practices of this period and how these were implemented in local prisons, and the duties of the prison officer. More broadly, this article argues that the role of the prison officer and their training (from 1896) reflect wider ambiguities in prison policy and practice during this period.
CaM kinase II and protein kinase C activations mediate enhancement of long‐term potentiation by nefiracetam in the rat hippocampal CA1 region
Authors: Moriguchi Shigeki , Shioda Norifumi , Han Feng , Narahashi Toshio , Fukunaga Kohji
Published: April 2008

Nefiracetam is a pyrrolidine‐related nootropic drug exhibiting various pharmacological actions such as cognitive‐enhancing effect. We previously showed that nefiracetam potentiates NMDA‐induced currents in cultured rat cortical neurons. To address questions whether nefiracetam affects NMDA receptor‐dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, we assessed effects of nefiracetam on NMDA receptor‐dependent long‐term potentiation (LTP) by electrophysiology and LTP‐induced phosphorylation of synaptic proteins by immunoblotting analysis. Nefiracetam treatment at 1–1000 nM increased the slope of fEPSPs in a dose‐dependent manner. The enhancement was associated with increased phosphorylation of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor through activation of calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) without affecting synapsin I phosphorylation. In addition, nefiracetam treatment increased PKCα activity in a bell‐shaped dose–response curve which peaked at 10 nM, thereby increasing phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine‐rich protein kinase C substrate and NMDA receptor. Nefiracetam treatment did not affect protein kinase A activity. Consistent with the bell‐shaped PKCα activation, nefiracetam treatment enhanced LTP in the rat hippocampal CA1 region with the same bell‐shaped dose–response curve. Furthermore, nefiracetam‐induced LTP enhancement was closely associated with CaMKII and PKCα activation with concomitant increases in phosphorylation of their endogenous substrates except for synapsin I. These results suggest that nefiracetam potentiates AMPA receptor‐mediated fEPSPs through CaMKII activation and enhances NMDA receptor‐dependent LTP through potentiation of the post‐synaptic CaMKII and protein kinase C activities. Together with potentiation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function, nefiracetam‐enhanced AMPA and NMDA receptor functions likely contribute to improvement of cognitive function.
Transcriptional regulation of the human CYP46A1 brain‐specific expression by Sp transcription factors
Authors: Milagre Inês , Nunes Maria João , Gama Maria João , Silva Rui Fernando , Pascussi Jean Marc , Lechner Maria C. , Rodrigues Elsa
Published: April 2008

Brain defective cholesterol homeostasis has been associated with neurologic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. The elimination of cholesterol from the brain involves its conversion into 24(S)‐hydroxycholesterol by CYP46A1, and the efflux of this oxysterol across the blood–brain barrier. Herein, we identified the regulatory elements and factors involved the human CYP46A1 expression. Functional 5′deletion analysis mapped a region spanning from nucleotides ‐236/‐64 that is indispensable for basal expression of this TATA‐less gene. Treatment of SH‐SY5Y cells with mithramycin A resulted in a significant reduction of promoter activity, suggesting a role of Sp family of transcription factors in CYP46A1 regulation. Combination of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 over‐expression studies in Drosophila SL‐2 cells, and systematic promoter mutagenesis identified Sp3 and Sp4 binding to four GC‐boxes as required and sufficient for high levels of promoter activity. Moreover, Sp3 and Sp4 were demonstrated to be the major components of the protein‐DNA complexes observed in primary rat cortical extracts. Our results suggest that the cell‐type specific expression of Sp transcription factors – substitution of Sp1 by Sp4 in neurons – is responsible for the basal expression of the CYP46A1 gene. This study delineates for the first time the mechanisms underlying the human CYP46A1 transcription and thereby elucidates potential pathways underlying cholesterol homeostasis in the brain.
REPORTING OF INFORMED CONSENT, STANDARD OF CARE AND POST‐TRIAL OBLIGATIONS IN GLOBAL RANDOMIZED INTERVENTION TRIALS: A SYSTEMATIC SURVEY OF REGISTERED TRIALS
Authors: COHEN EMMA R.M. , O'NEILL JENNIFER M. , JOFFRES MICHEL , UPSHUR ROSS E.G. , MILLS EDWARD
Published: April 2008

Objective:  Ethical guidelines are designed to ensure benefits, protection and respect of participants in clinical research. Clinical trials must now be registered on open‐access databases and provide details on ethical considerations. This systematic survey aimed to determine the extent to which recently registered clinical trials report the use of standard of care and post‐trial obligations in trial registries, and whether trial characteristics vary according to setting.

Methods:  We selected global randomized trials registered on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov and http://www.controlled‐trials.com. We searched for intervention trials of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis from 9 October 2004, the date of the most recent version of the Helsinki Declaration, to 10 April 2007.

Results:  We collected data from 312 trials. Fifty‐eight percent (58%, 95% CI = 53 to 64) of trial protocols report informed consent. Fifty‐eight percent (58%, 95% CI = 53 to 64) of trials report active controls. Almost no trials (1%, 95% CI = 0.5 to 3) mention post‐trial provisions. Most trials measure surrogate outcomes. Twenty percent (20%, 95% CI = 16 to 25) of trials measure patient‐important outcomes, such as death; and the odds that these outcomes are in a low income country are five times greater than for a developed country (odds ratio (OR) 5.03, 95% CI = 2.70 to 9.35, p = < 0.001). Pharmaceutical companies are involved in 28% (CI = 23 to 33) of trials and measure surrogate outcomes more often than nonpharmaceutical companies (OR 2.45, 95% CI = 1.18 to 5.09, p = 0.31).

Conclusion:  We found a large discrepancy in the quality of reporting and approaches used in trials in developing settings compared to wealthier settings.
Adaptive visual memory reorganization in right medial temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Figueiredo Patrícia , Santana Isabel , Teixeira João , Cunha Catarina , Machado Egídeo , Sales Francisco , Almeida Eduarda , Castelo‐Branco Miguel
Published: April 2008

Summary

Purpose: We investigated functional reorganization mechanisms of the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) for episodic memory, in patients suffering from medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with hippocampal sclerosis (HS).

Methods: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity changes during matched episodic encoding tasks of abstract words (Verbal) and line drawings (Visual), in patients with unilateral right MTLE undergoing presurgical evaluation and healthy controls.

Results: As expected, a significant interaction between material type and the side of MTL activity was present in the control group, with preferential involvement of the left hippocampus in verbal encoding and the right parahippocampal region in visual encoding. When compared with controls, right MTLE patients with intact performance activated a region in the left hippocampus more during visual encoding, which resulted in an interaction between group and hemisphere. Importantly, an effect of memory performance on visual encoding activity was observed in the patients, with greater engagement of the left MTL being associated with higher recognition scores. Interestingly, activity in the left MTL also depended on the epileptic seizure frequency, suggesting a role for this clinical parameter in the recruitment of contralateral regions.

Discussion: Taken together, these results indicate functional reorganization of the MTLs in right HS, through transfer of function from the right to the left hemisphere, and strongly suggest an adaptive role for such reorganization mechanism in supporting preserved visual memory.
COMBINED EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AND TEMPERATURE ON MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS, AND DNA OF ARTHROSPIRA (SPIRULINA) PLATENSIS (CYANOPHYTA)1
Authors: Gao Kunshan , Li Ping , Watanabe Teruo , Walter Helbling E.
Published: April 2008

Natural levels of solar UVR were shown to break and alter the spiral structure of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Nordst.) Gomont during winter. However, this phenomenon was not observed during summer at temperatures of ∼30°C. Since little has been documented on the interactive effects of solar UV radiation (UVR; 280–400 nm) and temperature on cyanobacteria, the morphology, photosynthesis, and DNA damage of A. platensis were examined using two radiation treatments (PAR [400–700 nm] and PAB [PAR + UV‐A + UV‐B: 280–700]), three temperatures (15, 22, and 30°C), and three biomass concentrations (100, 160, and 240 mg dwt [dry weight] · L−1). UVR caused a breakage of the spiral structure at 15°C and 22°C, but not at 30°C. High PAR levels also induced a significant breakage at 15°C and 22°C, but only at low biomass densities, and to lesser extent when compared with the PAB treatment. A. platensis was able to alter its spiral structure by increasing helix tightness at the highest temperature tested. The photochemical efficiency was depressed to undetectable levels at 15°C but was relatively high at 30°C even under the treatment with UVR in 8 h. At 30°C, UVR led to 93%–97% less DNA damage when compared with 15°C after 8 h of exposure. UV‐absorbing compounds were determined as negligible at all light and temperature combinations. The possible mechanisms for the temperature‐dependent effects of UVR on this organism are discussed in this paper.
POPULATION DYNAMICS OF GREENNOCTILUCA SCINTILLANS(DINOPHYCEAE) ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONSOON CYCLE IN THE UPPER GULF OF THAILAND1
Authors: Sriwoon Rujinard , Pholpunthin Pornsilp , Lirdwitayaprasit Thaithaworn , Kishino Motoaki , Furuya Ken
Published: April 2008

Population dynamics ofNoctiluca scintillans(Macartney) Kof. et Swezy containing the photosynthetic endosymbiontPedinomonas noctilucae(Subrahman.) Sweeney was investigated in relation to environmental conditions in the upper Gulf of Thailand. A clear association was observed between the abundance ofN. scintillansand the monsoon cycle, with its blooms occurring during the southwest (SW) monsoon from May to September, and low abundance during the northeast (NE) monsoon from November to February. Nutrient concentrations were higher during the SW monsoon than during the NE monsoon due to the combined effect of increased river discharge into the northern upper gulf and the transport of the riverine inputs by the prevailing clockwise circulation of the water. These nutrient conditions favored the growth of both phytoplankton and the endosymbiont. Correlation analysis revealed that the higher abundance ofN. scintillansin the SW monsoon was manifested primarily by higher growth through both sexual and asexual reproduction supported by phagotrophy. However, the dependence ofN. scintillanson the nutrient concentration was not significant, probably because the nutrient supply for the endosymbiont was sufficient due to intracellular accumulation of nutrients within the host cells. Sexual reproduction occurred only during the SW monsoon, and its potential importance in population growth was suggested. These findings showed the bottom‐up control of the population dynamics ofN. scintillansthrough growth of phytoplankton as prey. The seasonal shift in the circulation pattern associated with the monsoon cycle played a crucial role in blooming ofN. scintillansby producing favorable food conditions.
MARINE‐DERIVED DINOFLAGELLATES IN ANTARCTIC SALINE LAKES: COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND ANNUAL DYNAMICS1*[link]
Authors: Rengefors Karin , Laybourn‐Parry Johanna , Logares Ramiro , Marshall William A. , Hansen Gert
Published: April 2008

The saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills in Antarctica offer a remarkable natural laboratory where the adaptation of planktonic protists to a range of evolving physiochemical conditions can be investigated. This study illustrates how an ancestral marine community has undergone radical simplification leaving a small number of well‐adapted species. Our objective was to investigate the species composition and annual dynamics of dinoflagellate communities in three saline Antarctic lakes. We observed that dinoflagellates occur year‐round despite extremely low PAR during the southern winter, which suggests significant mixotrophic or heterotrophic activity. Only a small number of dominant dinoflagellate species were found in each lake, in contrast to the species‐rich Southern Ocean from which the lake communities are believed to be derived. We verified that the lake species were representatives of the marine polar dinoflagellate community, and not freshwater species. Polarella glacialis Montresor, Procaccini et Stoecker, a bipolar marine species, was for the first time described in a lake habitat and was an important phototrophic component in the higher salinity lakes. In the brackish lakes, we found a new sibling species to the brackish‐water species Scrippsiella hangoei (J. Schiller) J. Larsen, previously observed only in the Baltic Sea.