bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and proteomic analysis of a novel gossypol‐degrading fungal strain
Authors: Yang Xia , Sun Jian‐Yi , Guo Jian‐Lin , Weng Xiao‐Yan
Published: October 2011

BACKGROUND: Cottonseed meal, an important source of feed raw materials, has limited use in the feed industry because of the presence of the highly toxic gossypol. The aim of the current work was to isolate the gossypol‐degrading fungus from a soil microcosm and investigate the proteins involved in gossypol degradation.

RESULTS: A fungal strain, AN‐1, that uses gossypol as its sole carbon source was isolated and identified as Aspergillus niger. A large number of intracellular proteins were detected using sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but no significant difference was observed between the glucose‐containing and gossypol‐containing mycelium extracts. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis results showed that the protein spots were concentrated in the 25.0–66.2 kDa range and distributed in different pI gradients. PDQuest software showed that 51 protein spots in the gels were differentially expressed. Of these, 20 differential protein spots, including six special spots expressed in gossypol, were analyzed using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.

CONCLUSION: The fungus AN‐1 biodegraded gossypol and the proteomic analysis results indicate that some proteins were involved in the gossypol biodegradation during fungus survival, using gossypol as its sole carbon source. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Composition of meat and offal from weaned and fattened rabbits and results of stereospecific analysis of triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholines
Authors: D'Arco Gilda , Blasi Francesca , Cossignani Lina , Di Giacomo Franco , Ciavardelli Domenico , Ventura Francesca , Scipioni Silvia , Simonetti Maria Stella , Damiani Pietro
Published: October 2011

BACKGROUND: Rabbit meat has excellent nutritive properties. The purpose of this study was to characterize rabbit meat and offal; in particular, the lipid fraction was studied in order to evaluate total and positional fatty acid (FA) compositions of triacylglycerol (TAG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) fractions. Eight samples of weaned and eight of fattened rabbits were considered.

RESULTS: Fattened rabbit meat contained slightly higher protein percentage content (P < 0.05) in comparison to weaned (20.1% versus 18.0%). Calcium content was higher in meat than in offal, unlike sodium, iron, zinc, manganese and copper. The cholesterol content in offal was much higher than in meat. FA profiles of total lipid showed a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids and an n‐6/n‐3 ratio of 10.3 for fattened rabbit meat. Stereospecific analysis of TAG and PC was carried out on an eight‐sample pool of each meat and offal from weaned and fattened rabbits. In all samples the sn‐2‐position was prevalently esterified with oleic and linoleic acids in TAG, with polyunsaturated fatty acids in PC.

CONCLUSION: Lipids from rabbit meat presented higher content of monounsaturated FA and lower n‐6/n‐3 ratio in comparison to offal, which was characterized by higher cholesterol and mineral levels. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Supercritical extraction of phloroglucinol and benzophenone derivatives from Hypericum carinatum: Quantification and mathematical modeling
Authors: Barros Francisco M. C. , Silva Flávia C. , Nunes Jéssica M. , Vargas Rubem M. F. , Cassel Eduardo , von Poser Gilsane L.
Published: October 2011

The aerial parts of Hypericum carinatum (Guttiferae) were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide under constant temperature (40, 50 or 60°C) and gradual pressure increase (90, 120, 150 and 200 bar) aiming at the recovery of enriched fractions containing uliginosin B, cariphenone A and cariphenone B, compounds of pharmaceutical interest. The yields of these substances were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography and compared with those obtained with n‐hexane maceration. The supercritical‐fluid extraction showed higher selectivity than the conventional solvent extraction method. After defining 40°C and 90 bar as the best conditions to obtain the target compounds, a mathematical model was used for the extraction process and a good correlation was achieved with the experimental data.
Simply and effectively preparing high‐purity phosvitin using polyethylene glycol and anion‐exchange chromatography
Authors: Zhang Xiaowei , Qiu Ning , Geng Fang , Ma Meihu
Published: October 2011

An attempt was made to develop a new protocol for preparing phosvitin that could be easy scaled up using polyethylene glycol (PEG6000). Influence of PEG6000 concentration and pH of sample solution on phosvitin isolation was investigated. Phosvitin of high purity (99%) was obtained in good yield (47%) with the optimal condition of pH 4.0 and 3% PEG6000 precipitation. In addition, through evaluating different anion‐exchange chromatography methods, the DEAE procedure at pH 7.5 was finally selected as the best procedure to obtain metal‐free phosvitin that lost the least protein. Furthermore, it is observed that the purity and characterizations of prepared phosvitin were similar to those of the standard phosvitin from Sigma, and the random coil of phosvitin converted into more compact structure after removing metal ion. In conclusion, the developed method was simple and suitable for scaled up preparation of phosvitin.
Oxygen vacancy related relaxation and conduction behavior in (1 − x) NBT‐xBiCrO3 solid solution
Authors: Selvamani R. , Singh G. , Tiwari V. S. , Gupta P. K.
Published: October 2011

The ac‐conductivity measurements carried out on (1 − x)NBT‐xBiCrO3 solid solution in the radio frequency range. The conductivity measurements suggest that with increase in BiCrO3 content the electrical conductivity of sodium bismuth titanate (Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3) (NBT) increases. For x = 0.10 and 0.15 two relaxation behaviors are observed, related to long range conduction and short range hopping of defects. Activation energy calculated from dielectric relaxation as well as conductivity data reveals that both the processes are due to oxygen defects formed by substitution of chromium at titanium site. A reasonable decrease in the conductivity and dielectric loss were observed after oxygen annealing of the samples. Presence of relaxation peaks even after oxygen annealing suggests that relaxation is mainly by extrinsic oxygen defects produced due to substitution of chromium.
Application of statistical dynamical diffraction theory to highly defective ion implanted SiGe heterostructures
Authors: Shreeman P. K. , Matyi R. J.
Published: October 2011

The statistical dynamical diffraction theory (SDDT) provides a method for performing high resolution X‐ray diffraction (HRXRD) analyses from materials that contain high levels of structural imperfection. SDDT is implemented by combining kinematical and dynamical diffraction formalisms into a single framework through the inclusion of two parameters (a static Debye–Waller factor and a correlation length) that can provide an adjustable coupling between the kinematic and dynamic extremes. Typically one of the prominent difficulties in implementing SDDT is the mathematical complexities that are characteristic of this theory. Recently we have demonstrated a simplified realization of SDDT [Shreeman and Matyi, J. Appl. Crystallogr. 43, 550 (2010)] that preserves the essential features of the theory while allowing it to be applied to a variety of structures. Here we show the viability of this approach by fitting various experimental HRXRD data from highly defective and partially relaxed Si0.70Ge0.30 ion implanted heterostructures. This study demonstrates the capabilities the SDDT theory provides for HRXRD analyses of highly defective semiconductor materials.
Recent developments of anomalous X‐ray scattering for non‐crystalline materials with help of reverse Monte Carlo modeling: The example of GeSe2 glass
Authors: Hosokawa Shinya , Pilgrim Wolf‐Christian , Bérar Jean‐François , Kohara Shinji
Published: October 2011

Anomalous X‐ray scattering (AXS) experiments on glassy GeSe2 were carried out at energies close to the Ge and Se K absorption edges in order to explore the atomic structure in the short‐ and intermediate‐ranges. The partial structure factors, Sij(Q), and the corresponding partial pair‐distribution functions, gij(r), obtained with help of reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modeling, are in good agreement with the experimental results from neutron diffraction employing isotopic substitution (NDIS), and with the theoretical data from ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. The prepeak in the total structure factor, S(Q), indicating the existence of intermediate‐range order (IRO), does not only result from Ge–Ge atomic correlations, but also contains Ge–Se correlations. From the atomic configuration obtained from RMC modeling, several structural parameters are discussed, such as partial coordination numbers, connections of the Ge(Se1/2)4 tetrahedra, and bond angle distributions.
Change Point Estimation Methods for Control Chart Postsignal Diagnostics: A Literature Review
Authors: Amiri Amirhossein , Allahyari Saeed
Published: October 2011

Control charts are the most popular monitoring tools used to distinguish between special (assignable) and common causes of variation and to detect any changes in processes. The time that a control chart gives an out‐of‐control signal is not the real time of change. The actual time of the change is called the change point. Knowing the real time of the change will help and simplify finding the assignable causes of the signal, which may be the result of a shift in the process mean or change in process variability. This article gives an overview of change point estimation in control charts, provides a classification scheme, and describes the research that has previously appeared in the literature. In addition, a gap analysis in this area provides direction for future research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheology of a suspension of elastic particles in a viscous shear flow
Authors: Gao Tong , Hu Howard H. , Castañeda Pedro Ponte
Published: October 2011

In this paper we consider a suspension of elastic solid particles in a viscous liquid. The particles are assumed to be neo-Hookean and can undergo finite elastic deformations. A polarization technique, originally developed for analogous problems in linear elasticity, is used to establish a theory for describing the finite-strain, time-dependent response of an ellipsoidal elastic particle in a viscous fluid flow under Stokes flow conditions. A set of coupled, nonlinear, first-order ODEs is obtained for the evolution of the uniform stress fields in the particle, as well as for the shape and orientation of the particle, which can in turn be used to characterize the rheology of a dilute suspension of elastic particles in a shear flow. When applied to a suspension of cylindrical particles with initially circular cross-section, the theory confirms the existence of steady-state solutions, which can be given simple analytical expressions. The two-dimensional, steady-state solutions for the particle shape and orientation, as well as for the effective viscosity and normal stress differences in the suspension, are in excellent agreement with direct numerical simulations of multiple-particle dispersions in a shear flow obtained by using an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) finite element method (FEM) solver. The corresponding solutions for the evolution of the microstructure and the rheological properties of suspensions of initially spherical (three-dimensional) particles in a simple shear flow are also obtained, and compared with the results of Roscoe (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 28, 1967, pp. 273–293) in the steady-state regime. Interestingly, the results show that sufficiently soft elastic particles can be used to reduce the effective viscosity of the suspension (relative to that of the pure fluid).
Regulation of mRNA expression encoding chaperone and co-chaperone proteins of the glucocorticoid receptor in peripheral blood: association with depressive symptoms during pregnancy
Authors: Katz E. R. , Stowe Z. N. , Newport D. J. , Kelley M. E. , Pace T. W. , Cubells J. F. , Binder E. B.
Published: October 2011

Background

Major depressive disorder during pregnancy associates with potentially detrimental consequences for mother and child. The current study examined peripheral blood gene expression as a potential biomarker for prenatal depressive symptoms.

Method

Maternal RNA from whole blood, plasma and the Beck Depression Inventory were collected longitudinally from preconception through the third trimester of pregnancy in 106 women with a lifetime history of mood or anxiety disorders. The expression of 16 genes in whole blood involved in glucorticoid receptor (GR) signaling was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In parallel, plasma concentrations of progesterone, estradiol and cortisol were measured. Finally, we assessedex vivoGR sensitivity in peripheral blood cells from a subset of 29 women.

Results

mRNA expression of a number of GR-complex regulating genes was up-regulated over pregnancy. Women with depressive symptoms showed significantly smaller increases in mRNA expression of four of these genes –FKBP5, BAG1, NCOA1andPPID.Ex vivostimulation assays showed that GR sensitivity diminished with progression of pregnancy and increasing maternal depressive symptoms. Plasma concentrations of gonadal steroids and cortisol did not differ over pregnancy between women with and without clinically relevant depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

The presence of prenatal depressive symptoms appears to be associated with altered regulation of GR sensitivity. Peripheral expression of GR co-chaperone genes may serve as a biomarker for risk of developing depressive symptoms during pregnancy. The presence of such biomarkers, if confirmed, could be utilized in treatment planning for women with a psychiatric history.
The historical and philosophical origins of normativism
Authors: Novaes Catarina Dutilh
Published: October 2011

Elqayam & Evans' (E&E's) critique of normativism is related to an inherently philosophical question: Is thinking a normative affair? Should thinking be held accountable towards certain norms? I present the historical and philosophical origins of the view that thinking belongs to the realm of normativity and has a tight connection with logic, stressing the pivotal role of Kant in these developments.
Overselling the case against normativism
Authors: Fuller Tim , Samuels Richard
Published: October 2011

Though we are in broad agreement with much of Elqayam & Evans' (E&E's) position, we criticize two aspects of their argument. First, rejecting normativism is unlikely to yield the benefits that E&E seek. Second, their conception of rational norms is overly restrictive and, as a consequence, their arguments at most challenge a relatively restrictive version of normativism.
Rethinking sovereignty in international fiscal policy
Authors: DIETSCH PETER
Published: October 2011

The power to raise taxes is asine qua nonfor the functioning of the modern state. Governments frequently defend the independence of their fiscal policy as a matter of sovereignty. This article challenges this defence by demonstrating that it relies on an antiquated conception of sovereignty. Instead of the Westphalian sovereignty centred on non-intervention that has long dominated relations between states, today's fiscal interdependence calls for a conception of sovereignty that assigns duties as well as rights to states. While such a circumscribed conception of sovereignty has emerged in other areas of international law in recent years, it has yet to be extended to fiscal questions. Here, these duties arguably include obligations of transparency, of respect for the fiscal choices of other countries, and of distributive justice. The resulting conception of sovereignty is one that emphasises its instrumental as well as its conditional character. Neither state sovereignty nor self-determination is an end in itself, but a means to promoting individual well-being. It is conditional in the sense that if states do not live up to their fiscal obligations towards other states, their claims to autonomy are void.
Team teaching in the conservatoire: The views of music performance staff and students
Authors: Wöllner Clemens , Ginsborg Jane
Published: October 2011

Team teaching – two or more teachers sharing the training of a group of students – has only recently been implemented in the curricula of many higher music education institutions. This article reports on a survey of 142 music students and their tutors from three departments (the Schools of Strings, Vocal and Opera Studies, and Wind, Brass and Percussion) in a major British conservatoire. Team teaching had been in use for one year in the first department, five years in the second and 30 years in the third. The extent to which respondents valued team teaching was not, however, related to the length of time it had been in use. Key benefits of team teaching were seen as exposure to new ideas and additional feedback. Respondents suggested a variety of improvements to mitigate drawbacks such as perceived differences between tutors' approaches and limited time for individual tuition. Provided tutors and students communicate effectively with each other and negotiate where necessary, this method of teaching and learning is likely to be beneficial for all.
The Ambivalent Minority: Mexican Americans and the Voting Rights Act
Authors: Skerry Peter
Published: October 2011

In the countless conversations about U.S. immigration policy that I have had with Mexican Americans of varied backgrounds and political orientations, seldom have my interlocutors failed to remind me that “We were here first,” or that “This was our land and you stole it from us.” Even a moderate Mexican American politician like former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros sounds the same theme in a national news magazine:

It is no accident that these regions have the names they do—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado, Montana.…It is a rich history that Americans have been led to believe is an immigrant story when, in fact, the people who built this area in the first place were Hispanics.
Cultural Politics at the Edge of Life
Authors: Hunter James Davison , Davis Joseph E.
Published: October 2011

To operate within a strictly political frame of reference, the dispute over abortion—the centerpiece of the controversy over reproduction and population control in America—would seem to be over. With the election of Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992, many observers declared as much. Charles Krauthammer, for one, argued that “one can reasonably declare a great national debate over when all three independently (s)elected branches of government come to the same position.” In 1992 the Supreme Court reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade in the Casey decision. Given this and an apparent majority of pro-choice votes in both houses of Congress, the new President-elect vowed to make good on his campaign pledge to pass the “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA), the legislative equivalent of Roe, as a safeguard against any future challenges. Certainly there seemed to be grounds for such a claim.
Historians and the U.S. Industrial Relations Regime
Authors: Zieger Robert H.
Published: October 2011

During the Clinton administration, for the first time in almost twenty years, the character and direction of the U.S. industrial relations regime has become a matter of serious public debate. Clinton-appointed chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) William Gould IV has sought with some success to revivify an agency that in the 1980s had come to seem almost superfluous. The 1994 report entitledThe Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations(Dunlop Commission) stirred debate on the role of unions in the nation's future. Organized labor has sought, with some limited success, to place such critical topics as striker replacement on the national agenda. Meanwhile, congressional conservatives have sponsored measures to curb new organizing strategies such as “salting” anti-union workplaces with union activists. Even more moderate politicians, with support from at least some sections of the labor community, have proposed measures aimed at drastic recasting of the Wagner Act's Section 8(a) (2), which outlawed company unions, so as to permit so called “team” approaches to employee representation. The shake-up in the leadership of the AFL-CIO and the federation's launching of an unprecedented program of political mobilization, which in turn has drawn Republican counterfire reminiscent of the rhetoric of the 80th Congress, increases the possibility that basic matters of federal labor policy may, after a long absence from mainstream public discourse, may return to center stage.
World War I and the Birth of American Regionalism
Authors: Platt Harold L.
Published: October 2011

Soon after American entry into World War I, Colonel Charles Keller of the Army Corps of Engineers confronted an emergency on the home front that threatened to stymie victory abroad. For several years, the West Point career officer had been in charge of overseeing the development of hydroelectric power at Niagara Falls, New York. Now Keller began receiving urgent messages from manufacturers in nearby Buffalo complaining that shortages of electricity were preventing them from producing vital materials such as high-grade steel for shell casings, aluminum for airplanes, chlorine for poison gas, and other electrochemicals.
Managers United for Corporate Rivalry: A History of Managerial Collective Action
Authors: Kaufman Allen , Zacharias L. S. , Marcus Alfred
Published: October 2011

Students of American corporate political behavior have long asked whether or not the corporate sector acts collectively to influence the public policy process. Corporate concentration of wealth in the late nineteenth century first suggested particular business interests enjoyed a privileged political position. After World War II American pluralists, while conceding that economic concentration posed a threat to democracy, noted that economic concentration could not be translated into political privilege without a high degree of corporate political unity. In this respect, they reasoned that big business was unlikely to engage in collective action because of the divisive nature of economic competition. For a long while, this optimism about the market's policing powers assuaged most fears of corporate political domination, even though several scholars offered contrary evidence. The recent corporate political mobilization, however, has renewed the debate on corporate political unity.
Farsi version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory: validity and reliability study among Iranian elderly with dementia
Authors: Malakouti Seyed Kazem , Panaghi Lili , Foroughan Mahshid , Salehi Masoumeh , Zandi Taher
Published: October 2011

Background: This study aimed to validate the Farsi version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (F-NPI), with the aim of promoting clinical assessment and local research on evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptom profiles of individuals with dementia in Iran.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, psychometric study, 100 patients with dementia in the age range of 60–90 years participated. Two trained psychiatrists interviewed the study subjects. Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to determine the concurrent validity. Test-retest, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were calculated. Discrimination validity was determined, using a matched control group consisting of 49 participants without dementia. Cronbach's α and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data.

Results: The internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.9) was excellent. The inter-rater reliability varied between 0.6 and 0.98 for frequency, severity and total scale of the F-NPI, and test-retest reliability was between 0.4 and 0.96. Concurrent validity varied between 0.3 and 0.9 (P < 0.05). The most prevalent symptom was “apathy” and the least prevalent was “euphoria”.

Conclusion: The Farsi version of NPI has satisfactory psychometric indexes and is applicable for clinical and study works in Iranian community.
Causes of defined benefit pension scheme funding ratio volatility and average contribution rates
Authors: Butt Adam
Published: October 2011

Simulations of a model pension scheme are run with stochastic economic and demographic factors, with an aim to investigate the impact of these factors on movements in funding ratio and average contribution rates. These impacts are analysed by running regressions of movements in funding ratio and average contribution rates against the economic and demographic factors. It is found that, for a typical scheme closed to new entrants and a balanced asset allocation including equity investment, the mismatch between discount rate movements and investment returns is by far the biggest predictor of funding ratio movements, with average contribution rates affected more by events in a few individual years rather than averaged over an entire simulation. Where the scheme invests to cash-flow match liabilities, mortality improvement becomes the most significant predictor of funding ratio movements, although mortality improvement still has little impact on average contribution rates.
Characterization of integrated antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies
Authors: Fu Yan , Dussopt Laurent , Vuong Tan Phu , Ndagijimana Fabien
Published: October 2011

This paper presents two feeding techniques for the radiation characterization of integrated antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies. The first method involves feeding the antenna-under-test (AUT) with a radiofrequency (RF) probe. We compare the measurements obtained with a standard RF probe, an extended probe, and an extended probe with reversed connector orientation. We find that the reversed orientation probe produces the best results in terms of effective measurement angular sector and reduction of ripples due to diffraction. The second method involves feeding the AUT through a flexible transmission line. This method achieves a larger range of measurement angles, but still suffers from parasitic scattering likely due to the mounting bracket and still need further development.
Placental DEPTOR as a stress sensor during pregnancy
Authors: Mparmpakas Dionisis , Zachariades Elena , Goumenou Anastasia , Gidron Yori , Karteris Emmanouil
Published: October 2011

DEPTOR [DEP-domain-containing and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)-interacting protein] is a modulator of mTOR signalling that binds to mTORC (mTOR complex) 1 and mTORC2. However, to date, the precise functions of DEPTOR are not fully elucidated, particularly in reproductive tissues where mTOR acts as a placental nutrient sensor. Pregnancy is associated with major physiological and psychosocial changes and adaptation to these changes is crucial for normal fetal development. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that maternal stress can affect mTOR signalling at term, and, as a result, influence placental growth. We first investigated the expression of DEPTOR, mTOR, rictor (rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR) and raptor (regulatory associated protein of mTOR) from human placentas (n=23) using Q-PCR (quantitative PCR), and correlated these data to days of pregnancy and maternal stress, as well as placental and fetal weight. Maternal and fetal cortisol levels were also measured. JEG-3 and BeWo cells, used as placental in vitro models, were treated with cortisol and DEPTOR expression was assessed using Q-PCR. DEPTOR appears to be the predominant transcript in the human placenta compared with mTOR, rictor and raptor in both term (n=13) and preterm (n=10) placentas as assessed by Q-PCR. There was a significantly lower level only of log-DEPTOR gene expression in the high stress group (−1.34) than in the low stress group (0.07; t20=2.41, P=0.026). Interestingly, mothers with high stress had significantly elevated levels of cortisol (8555 pg/ml) compared with those with low stress (4900 pg/ml). We then tested the hypothesis that cortisol can directly affect DEPTOR expression. When BeWo cells were treated with cortisol 10, 100 and 1000 nM, the expression of DEPTOR was significantly down-regulated by 50, 41 and 39% (all P<0.05) respectively when compared with basal levels. Treatment of JEG-3 cells with cortisol, led to a significant decrease of DEPTOR expression at 100 nM (39%, P<0.05) and at 1000 nM (73%, P<0.01). These novel findings are indicative of a higher order of complexity of DEPTOR signalling in the human placenta that is affected by maternal stress, which could affect pregnancy outcome.
Note: A novel method for in situ loading of gases via x-ray induced chemistry
Authors: Pravica Michael , Bai Ligang , Park Changyong , Liu Yu , Galley Martin , Robinson John , Bhattacharya Neelanjan
Published: October 2011

We have developed and demonstrated a novel method to load oxygen in a sealed diamond anvil cell via the x-ray induced decomposition of potassium chlorate. By irradiating a pressurized sample of an oxidizer (KClO3) with either monochromatic or white beam x-rays from the Advanced Photon Source at ambient temperature and variable pressure, we succeeded in creating a localized region of molecular oxygen surrounded by unreacted sample which was confirmed via Raman spectroscopy. We anticipate that this technique will be useful in loading even more challenging, difficult-to-load gases such as hydrogen and also to load multiple gases.
Chromosome missegregation in human cells arises through specific types of kinetochore–microtubule attachment errors
Authors: Thompson Sarah L. , Compton Duane A.
Published: October 2011

Most solid tumors are aneuploid, and many missegregate chromosomes at high rates in a phenomenon called chromosomal instability (CIN). CIN reflects the erosion of mitotic fidelity, and it correlates with poor patient prognosis and drug resistance. The most common mechanism causing CIN is the persistence of improper kinetochore–microtubule attachments called merotely. Chromosomes with merotelic kinetochores often manifest as lagging chromosomes in anaphase, suggesting that lagging chromosomes fail to segregate properly. However, it remains unknown whether the lagging chromosomes observed in anaphase segregate to the correct or incorrect daughter cell. To address this question, we tracked the segregation of a single human chromosome during cell division by using LacI-GFP to target an integrated LacO array. By scoring the distribution of each sister chromatid during mitosis, we show that a majority of lagging chromosomes in anaphase segregate to the correct daughter cell. Instead, sister chromatids that segregate erroneously frequently do so without obvious evidence of lagging during anaphase. This outcome is expected if sister kinetochores on a chromosome bind microtubules oriented toward the same spindle pole, and we find evidence for syntelic kinetochore attachments in cells after treatments that increase missegregation rates. Thus, lagging chromosomes in anaphase are symptomatic of defects in kinetochore–microtubule attachment dynamics that cause chromosome missegregation associated with CIN, but the laggards rarely missegregate.
The Influence of Hatchery Rearing Practices on Salmon Migratory Behavior: Is the Tendency of Chinook Salmon to Remain within Puget Sound Affected by Size and Date of Release?
Authors: Chamberlin Joshua W. , Essington Timothy E. , Ferguson John W. , Quinn Thomas P.
Published: October 2011

The marine migrations of Pacific salmonOncorhynchusspp., and especially Chinook salmonO. tshawytscha, vary greatly in duration and spatial extent. In Puget Sound, Washington, most Chinook salmon migrate from freshwater to the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean before returning to spawn in their natal streams. However, some leave freshwater but remain in the semi‐estuarine waters of Puget Sound until they mature and then return to freshwater to spawn. The objective of our study was to determine the effect of rearing conditions and hatchery location on the prevalence of this alternative pattern of marine distribution by hatchery‐produced Chinook salmon in Puget Sound. We used coded wire tag recovery data to analyze the effect of release region, age, size, and date of release on the proportion of fish showing resident‐type behavior, defined as recovery in Puget Sound fisheries outside the period when maturing salmon return from the coast. Based on 226 different release groups from 26 hatcheries throughout Puget Sound from 1972 to 1993, 24% of the fish recovered were classified as residents, though this is not an actual estimate of the percentage of fish displaying this distribution pattern. The best single predictor of residency was release region, suggesting that where fish enter the marine environment had the largest influence on whether they adopted resident behavior or migrated directly to the ocean. The overall best model included an interactive effect between release region and size at release, revealing that the propensity of large fish to remain resident varied significantly among regions. The actual mechanisms that create the diversity of distribution patterns are still unknown, but the effects of rearing conditions and release location provide useful information for the management of these salmon populations.
Multiscale Environmental Influences on Fish Assemblage Structure in Central Texas Streams
Authors: Pease Allison A. , Taylor Jason M. , Winemiller Kirk O. , King Ryan S.
Published: October 2011

We investigated the influences of local and landscape‐scale environmental variables on fish assemblage structure among 64 stream reaches in two large river basins in central Texas. The broad spatial extent of this study region provided an opportunity to examine fish assemblage–environment relationships at multiple scales across a range of stream types in landscapes exposed to varying degrees of anthropogenic alteration. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) combined with permutational analysis of variance, k‐means cluster analysis, and indicator species analysis to evaluate broad‐scale influences of ecoregional and large river basin boundaries on fish assemblage structure. We also estimated relationships between fish assemblage structure and environmental factors with NMS and rotational vector fitting across all ecoregions and within ecoregions. Ordinations of sites based on species composition grouped stream reaches together according to ecoregion, and k‐means clustering identified three groups that corresponded with ecoregional membership. Several species had high affinities with specific ecoregions, a pattern that tracked broad‐scale physiographic differences in climate, topography, terrestrial vegetation, and instream habitat. Within ecoregions, we observed that local‐scale stream habitat variables as well as larger‐scale landscape features were significantly related to fish assemblage composition. Substrate composition was a key local‐scale habitat factor, and a gradient of rocky substrate to predominance of mud and silt correlated strongly with assemblage structure within all three ecoregions. The abundance of instream woody debris was also an important local‐scale correlate for fish assemblage structure. At the landscape scale, patterns of agricultural and urban land development in the surrounding watersheds were consistently associated with fish assemblage structure in each ecoregion. This study adds important information toward a better understanding of how environmental factors structure fish assemblages across scales, which should facilitate refinement of existing habitat and biological indices for conservation of stream habitats and their biota.
Jungian psychology and the spirit of Protestantism
Authors: Stein Murray
Published: October 2011

While there has been much discussion of Freud's Jewish background and its subtle influences on his manner of thinking and his psychological theory, less has been written about the equally profound and indelible influence of Jung's Protestant Christian background on his psychological opus. This factor stands out especially in his various descriptions, personal and theoretical, of the individuation process. In many instances, they bear a remarkable resemblance to the Christian notion of ‘the imitation of Christ’ (imitatio Christi), with a strong Protestant accent on the solitary individual. As Jung interpreted this well known Christian notion of discipleship and introduced it into his psychological theory of development, he personalized it for himself and at the same time universalized it by interpreting it as an archetypal process. This essay is an initial exploration of the Protestant Christian background underlying several key concepts and attitudes in analytical psychology.
Integrated parametric study of a hybrid-stabilized argon–water arc under subsonic, transonic and supersonic plasma flow regimes
Authors: Jeništa J , Takana H , Nishiyama H , Bartlová M , Aubrecht V , Křenek P , Hrabovský M , Kavka T , Sember V , Mašláni A
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a numerical investigation of characteristics and processes in the worldwide unique type of thermal plasma generator with combined stabilization of arc by argon flow and water vortex, the so-called hybrid-stabilized arc. The arc has been used for spraying of ceramic or metallic particles and for pyrolysis of biomass. The net emission coefficients as well as the partial characteristics methods for radiation losses from the argon–water arc are employed. Calculations for 300–600 A with 22.5–40 standard litres per minute (slm) of argon reveal transition from a transonic plasma flow for 400 A to a supersonic one for 600 A with a maximum Mach number of 1.6 near the exit nozzle of the plasma torch. A comparison with available experimental data near the exit nozzle shows very good agreement for the radial temperature profiles. Radial velocity profiles calculated 2 mm downstream of the nozzle exit show good agreement with the profiles determined from the combination of calculation and experiment (the so-called integrated approach). A recent evaluation of the Mach number from the experimental data for 500 and 600 A confirmed the existence of the supersonic flow regime.
Looking for the possibility of multiferroism in NiGd0.04Fe1.96O4 nanoparticle system
Authors: Singh Jitendra Pal , Dixit Gagan , Srivastava R C , Agrawal H M , Asokan K
Published: October 2011

This paper reports the study of structural, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of Gd-doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles in order to investigate the possibility of multiferroism. The NiGd0.04Fe1.96O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical route and characterized by various techniques. Doping with Gd ions induces poor ferroelectricity in nickel ferrite. This may be attributed to the small distortion in the centrosymmetric fcc structure because of the presence of large Gd ions.
A New Selective Medium for Isolation of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis from Tomato Plants and Seed
Authors: Ftayeh Radwan M. , von Tiedemann Andreas , Rudolph Klaus W. E.
Published: October 2011

A new selective and highly sensitive medium was developed for isolation of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato, from seed and latently infected plants. The new medium (BCT) proved to be superior to all published semiselective media for Cmm and is denoted as selective medium because of (i) its mean plating efficiency, amounting to ≤89% within 7 days for all 30 Cmm strains from different sources tested; (ii) the high selectivity, because accompanying bacterial species occurring on tomato plants and seed or bacteria obtained from culture collections were inhibited to an extent of 98 to 100%; and (iii) the remarkable detection sensitivity. Thus, 8 CFU of Cmm in field plant homogenates containing 12,750 CFU of accompanying saprophytes were detected on BCT. Under these extreme conditions, all of the published semiselective media (D2, KBT, D2ANX, SCM, mSCM, CMM1, mCNS, and EPPO) gave false-negative results. Either some media were rather toxic and Cmm growth was also inhibited or the other, less toxic media allowed growth of high numbers of saprophytes, so that Cmm growth was suppressed. Exclusively, BCT also supported growth of the closely related C. michiganensis subsp. insidiosus, nebraskensis, and tessellarius. The new medium is recommended for Cmm detection in tomato seed, and in symptomless tomato plantlets, to improve disease control of bacterial canker of tomato.
A novel method to quantify gene set functional association based on gene ontology
Authors: Lv Sali , Li Yan , Wang Qianghu , Ning Shangwei , Huang Teng , Wang Peng , Sun Jie , Zheng Yan , Liu Weisha , Ai Jing , Li Xia
Published: October 2011

Numerous gene sets have been used as molecular signatures for exploring the genetic basis of complex disorders. These gene sets are distinct but related to each other in many cases; therefore, efforts have been made to compare gene sets for studies such as those evaluating the reproducibility of different experiments. Comparison in terms of biological function has been demonstrated to be helpful to biologists. We improved the measurement of semantic similarity to quantify the functional association between gene sets in the context of gene ontology and developed a web toolkit named Gene Set Functional Similarity (GSFS;
http://bioinfo.hrbmu.edu.cn/GSFS
). Validation based on protein complexes for which the functional associations are known demonstrated that the GSFS scores tend to be correlated with sequence similarity scores and that complexes with high GSFS scores tend to be involved in the same functional catalogue. Compared with the pairwise method and the annotation method, the GSFS shows better discrimination and more accurately reflects the known functional catalogues shared between complexes. Case studies comparing differentially expressed genes of prostate tumour samples from different microarray platforms and identifying coronary heart disease susceptibility pathways revealed that the method could contribute to future studies exploring the molecular basis of complex disorders.
Genome wide copy number analysis of paediatric Burkitt lymphoma using formalin‐fixed tissues reveals a subset with gain of chromosome 13q and corresponding miRNA over expression
Authors: Schiffman Joshua D. , Lorimer Patrick D. , Rodic Vladimir , Jahromi Mona S. , Downie Jonathan M. , Bayerl Michael G. , Sanmann Jennifer N. , Althof Pamela A. , Sanger Warren G. , Barnette Phillip , Perkins Sherrie L. , Miles Rodney R.
Published: October 2011

The majority of paediatric Burkitt lymphoma (pBL) patients that relapse will die of disease, but markers for this high‐risk subset are unknown. MYC translocations characterize pBL, but additional genetic changes may relate to prognosis and serve as potential biomarkers. We utilized a molecular inversion probe single nucleotide polymorphism assay to perform high resolution, genome‐wide copy number analysis on archival formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded pBL and germline tissues. We identified copy number abnormalities (CNAs) in 18/28 patients (64%) with a total of 62 CNAs that included 32 gains and 30 copy number losses. We identified seven recurrent CNAs including 1q gain (7/28, 25%), 13q gain (3/28, 11%), and 17p loss (4/28, 14%). The minimum common amplified region on 13q was at 13q31 and included the MIR17HG (MIR17‐92) locus. Samples with this gain had higher levels of MIR17 RNA and showed a tendency for early relapse. Tumour‐specific uniparental disomy was identified in 32% of cases and usually was recurrent. These results demonstrate that high‐resolution copy number analysis can be performed on archival lymphoma tissue specimens, which has significance for the study of rare diseases.
Islands within islands: a molecular phylogenetic study of the Leucocroton alliance (Euphorbiaceae) across the Caribbean Islands and within the serpentinite archipelago of Cuba
Authors: Jestrow Brett , Gutiérrez Amaro Jorge , Francisco‐Ortega Javier
Published: October 2011

Aim  Our aim was to investigate the historical biogeography of the three genera of the Leucocroton alliance (i.e. Garciadelia Jestrow & Jiménez Rodr., Lasiocroton Griseb., and Leucocroton Griseb., Euphorbiaceae).

Location  The alliance is restricted to the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica.

Methods  Members of the Leucocroton alliance, along with representatives from tribe Adelieae (Adelia L. and Philyra Klotzsch.), were included in a molecular phylogenetic analysis based upon nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and the non‐coding chloroplast regions psbM–trnD and ycf6–pcbM. The program s‐diva was used to calculate ancestral areas based on the phylogenetic trees and present species distributions.

Results  Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the three genera. The ancestral area of the Leucocroton alliance is eastern Cuba and Hispaniola. Ancestral forms of Leucocroton arose on eastern Cuba and underwent two migrations across the island. The ancestor of Lasiocroton also originated on eastern Cuba followed by later dispersal to and speciation events on the other islands. Our study also suggests that ancestral forms of the Leucocroton alliance probably occurred on limestone soils.

Main conclusions  Our study concurs with previous hypotheses suggesting that the flora of serpentinite regions of the Caribbean derives from other types of soils. The serpentine endemics of the Leucocroton alliance have a single origin and represent one of the most extraordinary examples of speciation in this unique environment of the New World. The high colonization success achieved by the members of Leucocroton on serpentine soils was not attained by the other genera of the alliance, which occur on limestone areas.
Changes in stomatal function and water use efficiency in potato plants with altered sucrolytic activity
Authors: ANTUNES WERNER C. , PROVART NICHOLAS J. , WILLIAMS THOMAS C. R. , LOUREIRO MARCELO E.
Published: October 2011

As water availability for agriculture decreases, breeding or engineering of crops with improved water use efficiency (WUE) will be necessary. As stomata are responsible for controlling gas exchange across the plant epidermis, metabolic processes influencing solute accumulation in guard cells are potential targets for engineering. In addition to its role as an osmoticum, sucrose breakdown may be required for synthesis of other osmotica or generation of the ATP needed for solute uptake. Thus, alterations in partitioning of sucrose between storage and breakdown may affect stomatal function. In agreement with this hypothesis, potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants expressing an antisense construct targeted against sucrose synthase 3 (SuSy3) exhibited decreased stomatal conductance, a slight reduction in CO2 fixation and increased WUE. Conversely, plants with increased guard cell acid invertase activity caused by the introduction of the SUC2 gene from yeast had increased stomatal conductance, increased CO2 fixation and decreased WUE. 14CO2 feeding experiments indicated that these effects cannot be attributed to alterations in photosynthetic capacity, and most likely reflect alterations in stomatal function. These results highlight the important role that sucrose breakdown may play in guard cell function and indicate the feasibility of manipulating plant WUE through engineering of guard cell sucrose metabolism.