bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of complementary and alternative medicine in later life
Authors: Adams Jon , Lui Chi-Wai , McLaughlin Deirdre
Published: December 2009

The increasing prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is a significant health care issue in contemporary societies and researchers have identified CAM as holding potential for treating and coping with chronic illness and other conditions experienced in later life. This paper focuses upon contemporary research literature to provide a critical review of the prevalence, correlates, conditions, perceptions and communication of CAM use in later life. Evidence from recent research illustrates the substantial prevalence and complexity of CAM use amongst older people and such ‘community’ use requires all providers, regardless of their experience or perception of the worth of CAM, to at least acknowledge and enquire with their older patients about the potential use of these other medicines.
EVENSUPERHEROESNEED A NETWORK
Authors: Young Nicholas Maurice , Sundararajan Binod , Stewart Mary Liz , Stewart Paul
Published: December 2009

We analyze historical data to conduct an exploratory structural investigation into the process that Harriet Tubman used to free her family and friends as a member of the New York State Underground Railroad (UGRR). We suggest that she accomplished this feat because of her ability to rely on embedded (Granovetter 1985; Uzzi 1996) network contacts that allowed her to bridge structural holes (Burt 1992) and link with people with whom she was not previously linked (Lin et al., 2001). We conclude by discussing the importance of network analysis for providing empirical meaning to historical events and episodes.
Surface acoustic wave propagation properties in 0.67Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 single crystal poled along [111]c
Authors: Li Xiuming , Zhang Rui , Huang Naixing , Lü Tianquan , Cao Wenwu
Published: December 2009

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation properties in relaxor-based 0.67Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 (PMN-33%PT) ferroelectric single crystals poled along [111]c has been analyzed theoretically. We found that the X-cut PMN-33%PT has lower phase velocity and higher electromechanical coupling coefficient compared to traditional piezoelectric materials. The power flow angle (PFA) can be zero in specific directions, which could drastically improve the performance of SAW devices. Our theoretical results indicate that the direction about 5° canted from [111]c is the optimum direction for the X-cut [111]c poled crystals in SAW device applications. Characteristic curves were also obtained for the phase velocity, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and PFA in Z-cut single-domain PMN-33%PT single crystals.
Onset of frictional slip by domain nucleation in adsorbed monolayers
Authors: Reguzzoni Marco , Ferrario Mauro , Zapperi Stefano , Righi Maria Clelia
Published: December 2009

It has been known for centuries that a body in contact with a substrate will start to slide when the lateral force exceeds the static friction force. Yet the microscopic mechanisms ruling the crossover from static to dynamic friction are still the object of active research. Here, we analyze the onset of slip of a xenon (Xe) monolayer sliding on a copper (Cu) substrate. We consider thermal-activated creep under a small external lateral force, and observe that slip proceeds by the nucleation and growth of domains in the commensurate interface between the film and the substrate. We measure the activation energy for the nucleation process considering its dependence on the external force, the substrate corrugation, and particle interactions in the film. To understand the results, we use the classical theory of nucleation and compute analytically the activation energy which turns out to be in excellent agreement with numerical results. We discuss the relevance of our results to understand experiments on the sliding of adsorbed monolayers.
La interpretación en el ámbito de la medicina
Authors: Rosendo Lucía Ruiz
Published: December 2009

International medical meetings are nowadays one of the events most frequently held in Spain and one of the meetings that usually turn to interpreting services. Consequently, medical congresses offer an interesting field to conference interpreters, especially those whose linguistic combination is English-Spanish. As a matter of fact, English is currently the language par excellence of international medical community. Nevertheless in spite of all those possibilities, we detect a lack of research studies in the field of medical interpreting. For this reason we initiated a research study in this field whose main purpose is to know the opinions and perceptions of one of the actors most involved in the act of interpreting: doctors that attend frequently international medical meetings and that turn to interpreting services.

This article aims at describing the most relevant results of our study with the ultimate goal of offering a general vision of the professional market situation of medical interpreting in Spain from the point of view of doctors.
Die Natur des Organischen
Authors: Meyer Martin F.
Published: December 2009

The nature of the organic. On the scientific significance of Aristotelian biology. The core thesis of the paper is that the constitution of biological science begins with a conceptual innovation with far-reaching consequences with effect up to the present: by conceiving the parts of living beings as organs (that is, as tools), Aristotle laid the foundation stone for a functional explanation of animate nature. Comparative anatomy is thus transformed from a merely descriptive to an explanatory theory. The point of the discussion is above all that a functional explanation must not be confused with the sort of teleology according to which the function of an organ is understood as the cause of its existence. The first section outlines the theoretical motives that Aristotle adduces in arguing for biology (against contemporary contempt for biological research). The second step addresses the significance of the parts of animals in Aristotle’s larger collection of zoological material, the Historia animalium. The third section demonstrates how in the major explanatory work De partibus animalium the term organon takes on the status of a key methodological concept. Finally, the fourth section discusses the significance of the Aristotelian determination of the organic with respect to current discourses in natural science.
»Neque quidquam intelligi potest esse sine esse«
Authors: Benz Hubert
Published: December 2009

»Neque quidquam intelligi potest esse sine esse.« On the necessity of being as an epistemological principle in Meister Eckhart and Nicholas of Kues. The paper analyses the plausibility of the reasoning for the rational necessity of being. The decisive point for the question as to why for Meister Eckhart being alone is necessary, unvarying in itself and self-evident is the conviction that nothing can be thought which is distinct from being, outside of being or without being. Eckhart states this basic philosophical insight repeatedly using the how-question: How could something be knowable as being which is not and cannot be? Nicolas Cusanus concurs with Eckhart’s claim that nothingness is absolutely excluded from being and embraces his strategy of argumentation, including the way it is stated. Cusanus adopts the central principle of Eckhart’s thought that being must be absolutely knowable by founding all multiplicity in unity, that is, in the being of unity, taking recourse in this point to the quomodo-question typical for Eckhart. Cusanus claims to have proved philosophically that being is rationally necessary, that it is a comprehensive, ultimate and incontrovertible certainty: Nothing can be truer and more secure than the presupposition of being, which is indispensable for all thinking.
Die erste philosophische Fakultät in Sachsen bis zum Beginn der Reformation im lokalen, regionalen und überregionalen Kontext
Authors: Wöhler Hans-Ulrich
Published: December 2009

The first philosophical faculty in Saxony up to the beginning of the Reformation in its local, regional, and supraregional context. The University of Leipzig was founded in the year 1409. In the faculty of arts – the heart and the basis of the old university as a whole – there were numerous controversies during the first century of its existence. From the very beginning it competed with the older University of Prague, its historic mother, for an independent manner of philosophical thinking. The so-called »Wegestreit« between the via moderna and the via antiqua, and the »Poetenstreit« between traditional and new humanistic patterns of science and philosophy were constituents of late medieval philosophy in Germany. Especially the various forms of academic disputation, that is ordinary, extraordinary and quodlibetal disputations, played an important part within the first hundred years of existence of this university, specifically its faculty of arts. The famous disputation between Johann Eck and Martin Luther at Leipzig in the year 1519 was one of the culminating points of this practice. Considerable work remains to be done on the exploration of late medieval philosophy. The analysis of the collection of medieval philosophical manuscripts originating from the old University of Leipzig could provide some new material for our historical knowledge of this period.
Sociolinguistic variation in French computer-mediated communication
Authors: Williams Lawrence
Published: December 2009

The analysis in the present study examines the variable use of ne in 2,459 tokens of verbal negation from a corpus of electronic French discourse including moderated chat, non-moderated chat, and discussion fora. These data from computer-mediated communication (CMC) environments were analyzed in order to demonstrate that although both non-moderated and moderated chat are essentially synchronous (i.e. involving real-time interaction), they are on opposite ends of a continuum of French sociolinguistic variation. In non-moderated chat, which is clearly less formal, ne is used productively as a discursive-pragmatic marker. However, in moderated chat, which resembles more formal written French discourse, ne deletion rarely occurs. Although discussion fora are somewhere between the two types of chat on the continuum of sociolinguistic variation, there is a clear tendency for them to be slightly closer to the formal/written side, yet this mode of CMC displays the greatest amount of mode-internal variation.
Parliamentary discourse in newspaper articles
Authors: Archakis Argiris , Tsakona Villy
Published: December 2009

The present paper aims, first, at analysing how and why parliamentary debates are transformed into newspaper articles with a narrative-like format; and, second, at proposing a model for integrating this kind of material and analysis into a literacy-based language teaching programme. Our data consists of Greek parliamentary proceedings and newspaper articles on parliamentary debates. Based on the critical discourse analysis framework and the social constructionist paradigm, we support the claim that the linguistic construction of social events in the press aims at creating and/or maintaining a bond between the newspapers and the readers sharing the same political and ideological standpoints. In this context, we suggest that getting familiar with the linguistic resources and discourse practices used in parliamentary and media discourse is crucial for developing a critical awareness of these genres. Finally, specific tasks are proposed aiming at reinforcing students’ critical awareness of newspaper articles on parliamentary debates.
No way forward without consensus
Authors: Love Alison , Vezha Vincent Munyaradzi
Published: December 2009

This paper discusses a document produced in 2006 by church leaders which claimed to present a “vision” of “a way forward” in the ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe. We suggest that the document served rather to reinforce the status quo, specifically the hegemony of Mugabe’s government. We argue that, by insisting that the greatest problem in Zimbabwe is “lack of a national vision”, the document promoted consensus, which resonated with Mugabe’s own position. We suggest that four major strategies were used to achieve this: assertion of the primarily spiritual nature of Zimbabwe’s crisis; insistence on the shared responsibility of all Zimbabweans; obfuscation of agency for the crisis and delegitimization of political opposition as a route to change. Finally, we point out that these strategies failed, as the document in its original form was censored before its launch, illustrating the tendency for President Mugabe to give the impression of opening democratic space, only to close it off.
The politics of bird flu
Authors: MacPhail Theresa
Published: December 2009

Avian influenza outbreaks in Southeast Asia have focused an intense global spotlight on the entire region, specifically on China’s role in an adequate global health network which would be able to prevent or to contain a severe outbreak of the disease. Highly-publicized and politically-charged battles over samples of the H5N1 virus, transparency, timely case reporting, and China’s contribution to and cooperation with global institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO), have all emphasized the mounting political positioning of public health prevention measures. The language surrounding viral samples of avian influenza highlights the increasingly overlapping worlds of politics and public health. In an age of popularized discourses about national biosecurities, risk, and the growing threat of globalized, contagious disease, bird flu has been recast as a focal point of contention, a figurative space where the stakes are high — both for public health systems and the political structures which support them.
When MOOD rhymes with ROAD
Authors: Leerdam Martin van , Bosman Anna M.T. , de Groot Annette M.B.
Published: December 2009

Three experiments investigated whether perception of a spelling-to-sound inconsistent word such as MOOD involves coding of inappropriate phonology caused by knowledge of enemy neighbors (e.g., BLOOD) in non-native speakers. In a new bimodal matching task, Dutch-English bilinguals judged the correspondence between a printed English word and a speech segment that was or was not the printed word’s rime. Evidence for coding of inappropriate phonology was obtained with trials in which the speech segment was derived from an English enemy neighbor. In such trials, error rates increased significantly relative to control trials. This effect was also found when speech segments were derived from Dutch enemy neighbors, which suggests inappropriate coding of cross-language phonology. These findings are consistent with a strong phonological theory of word perception (Frost, 1998), in which phonological coding is essentially a language non-selective process.
Derivational morphology approached with event-related potentials
Authors: Bölte Jens , Jansma Bernadette M. , Zilverstand Anna , Zwitserlood Pienie
Published: December 2009

We investigated the processing of derived adjectives in German using event-related potentials (ERPs). ERPs were registered to existing adjectives (freundlich, ‘friendly’), to morphologically complex pseudowords that were synonymous to an existing adjective and thus interpretable (*freundhaft), and to complex pseudowords that were structurally and semantically anomalous (*freundbar). Stimuli were embedded in sentence contexts, displayed word by word. An ERP effect with a left-frontal maximum was observed around 450–500 ms after stimulus onset. In this window, both pseudoword types differed from existing adjectives. We interpret this data pattern as a LAN, reflecting structural problems due to morphological parsing, a process that is distinct from semantic processing.
Incubation, birth and growth
Authors: Toury Gideon
Published: December 2009

Twenty years in the life of an academic journal is justification enough for stocktaking, be it ever so tentative; the more so as, in the case at hand, the anniversary coincides with a major change of editorship. I would also like to think that the time is ripe for some patting on the proverbial back, even if it is I who is both doing the patting as well as offering the back to be patted. In what follows, a series of half-baked observations evolving around Target’s first twenty years will be made towards a sociocultural account of the journal and its evolution in time, which, if and when completed, will no doubt constitute an important part of the history of our discipline, which is something we still miss.
Pragmatic shifts in two translations of FushengLiuji
Authors: Wang Vincent X.
Published: December 2009

This study focuses on translation shifts in speech act realisation patterns in two English translations of the Chinese workFusheng Liuji. It employs analytical tools from cross-cultural pragmatics to describe speech act behaviour in the original and its translations. Lin uses more translation shifts—including significant shifts in strategy use, and moderate shifts in information sequencing—than Pratt … Chiang, who mainly retain the original pragmatic features. Both the translators and the original author make frequent use of request formulae. The two translations also show marked shifts from lexical to syntactic modification of requests. The article further examines the translators’ approaches to translation in terms of their concept of translation and the historical and social contexts of their translations.
Investigating a double translation of culture
Authors: Wohlfart Irmengard
Published: December 2009

This article uses Mediated Discourse Analysis (Norris & Jones 2005) to investigate a dual translation: One, the English-Maori originalPotikiby PatriciaGrace (1986), a translation of Maori culture that issues a complex postcolonial challenge and neocolonial protest; and two, the German version of the book translated by Martini-Honus and Martini (2005 edition). Findings indicate that the book’s essence embedded in a complex interweaving of Maori myths and biblical parallels has not been recognized by professional reviewers of the German translation and that certain mistranslations distort important messages from the original. All readers of translations potentially contribute to indigenous people regaining their voice, but only if these readers can decipher the original actions and discourses in their languages. This article delivers a key to understandingPotiki, a classic text widely used in teaching and already translated into at least five languages, i.e. Dutch, Finnish, French, German and Spanish.
How important is the way you say it?
Authors: Pinto Sara Ramos
Published: December 2009

Discussions of translation often rely on the concept of meaning—not only the meaning of the words, but also the significance of the use of certain words in a certain text and context. Moreover, translation always involves a process of identifying the different components of the texts in order to establish a hierarchy of relevance of those elements (see Toury 1980: 38). The priority given to some elements to the detriment of others will have a decisive influence on the choice of certain strategies and the final outcome. The literary use of a dialect in literary texts seems to be a particularly good example of that balancing of meaning and prioritization of elements. Not only because of its very localised meaning (both in time and space), but also because it is always embedded in the source text with a communicative and semiotic significance. It can challenge the translator who, when faced with the impossibility of looking for referential equivalences and formal correspondences, is forced to decide on the importance and meaning of the use of a specific dialect in the text. That decision will define the strategies to be used, which can go from total normalization of the text to a recreation of a linguistic variety in the target text. The purpose of this article is threefold: To present for discussion a model summarising the strategies identified in a number of case-studies; to present and discuss the strategies identified in a corpus of 12 Portuguese translations of Bernard Shaw’sPygmalionand Alan Jay Lerner’sMy Fair Lady, as well as the contextual factors which might have influenced the translators’ choices; and to establish whether there are regularities in the associations between media ( translation for stage, page and screen) and strategies for dealing with non-standard language.
The translator’s immobility
Authors: Venturi Paola
Published: December 2009

Translations are facts of target cultures, but the perceived status of source texts has a bearing on how these are reflected or refracted in the target language. This proposition is particularly evident in the case of classics: when translators have to work on literary creations occupying a pivotal position in the source/target cultures, they adopt strategies of literalness and ennoblement which betray a quasi-religious awe—on the one hand, a desire to ruffle the surface of the revered original as little as possible; and on the other, a determination to reproduce the supposed ‘classical qualities’ of the classic even when they are not present in the source. In the following article, I examine how the ‘idea of classic’ influences translation theory and practice, substantiating my theoretical observations by looking at Italian translations of English classics. A marked—and historically determined—disparity between source and target readerships, and the translators’ reverence for their prestigious originals, conspire to produce Italian versions which are much more ‘wooden’ and ‘elegant’ than their English counterparts.
Model for phonemic awareness in readers of Indian script
Authors: Wali Aamir , Sproat Richard , Padakannaya Prakash , Bhuvaneshwari B.
Published: December 2009

Previous studies have shown that segmental awareness tasks are usually influenced by the script. In this paper, we extend these studies further to propose a more concrete, script-centric metric for evaluating phonemic awareness in readers of Indian scripts. We propose that the ease or difficulty with which syllabic and phonemic segmental tasks are performed is directly proportional to the editing operations involved in applying the same task on the graphic form of the stimulus. We also present a computational model that calculates visual edit distances and uses these to determine if the phonemic task on any given word is easy or difficult. Finally, we tested the predictions of our model using Tamil data.
Choice of voice in Maya hieroglyphic writing
Authors: Matsukawa Kosuke
Published: December 2009

Maya hieroglyph writing was the prestigious writing system of the Maya civilization and was carved on stone or wooden monuments mainly during the Classic Period (ca. AD 250–900). Three types of voice (active voice, passive voice, and mediopassive voice) have been identified in Maya hieroglyphs. These three types of voice are not used randomly, and usually one of the three voice types is preferred for each verb. The choice of voice in Maya hieroglyphs seems to be constrained by the contextual nature of texts as historical records and the nature of the respective agent and patient. In this paper, I analyze what kinds of factors constrain the choice of voice in Maya hieroglyphic writing.
The emblematic script of the Aztec codices as a particular semiotic type of writing system
Authors: Fedorova Liudmila L.
Published: December 2009

This paper addresses the use of emblems in the representation of language units in writing systems. The emblematic principle works in the early stages of writing as a transition to morphosyllabic writing; the Aztec manuscripts show the most typical examples of this. Phono-emblems function as subtitles or inscriptions to the pictorial compositions of common content. Language structure should be noted as one of the factors constraining the development of the Aztec script. It may be the polysynthesism of the structure of the Nahuatl language, which allows long series of syllables within an incorporative complex. Emblems are restricted to a certain number of positions, so they may not have been able to maintain the strict order of a morpheme row, as needed for predicative phrase; only name phrases with more transparent/predictable structure could be written phonetically. In modern writing, the emblematic principle is used along with the linearity principle: while the latter unrolls the text in the consequent order, the former represents hierarchic information as an integral graphic composition.
Spectroscopy of M-shell x-ray transitions in Zn-like through Co-like W
Authors: Clementson J , Beiersdorfer P , Brown G V , Gu M F
Published: December 2009

The M-shell x-ray emission of highly charged tungsten ions has been investigated at the Livermore electron beam ion trap facility. Using the SuperEBIT electron beam ion trap and a NASA x-ray calorimeter array, transitions connecting to levels of the ground configurations in the 1500–3600 eV spectral range of zinc-like W44+ through cobalt-like W47+ have been measured. The measured spectra are compared with theoretical line positions and emissivities calculated using the FAC code.
Electromagnetically induced transparency in an inverted Y-type four-level system
Authors: Qi Jianbing
Published: December 2009

The interaction of a weak probe laser with an inverted Y-type four-level atomic system driven by two additional coherent fields is investigated theoretically. Under the influence of the coherent coupling fields, the steady-state linear susceptibility of the probe laser shows that the system can have single or double electromagnetically induced transparency windows depending on the amplitude and the detuning of the coupling lasers. The corresponding index of refraction associated with the group velocity of the probe laser can be controlled at both transparency windows by the coupling fields. The propagation of the probe field can be switched from superluminal near the resonance to subluminal on resonance within the single transparency window when two coupling lasers are on resonance. We propose an atomic 87Rb system for experimental observation.
Covers in finitely accessible categories
Authors: Crivei Septimiu , Prest Mike , Torrecillas Blas
Published: December 2009

We show that in a finitely accessible additive category every class of objects closed under direct limits and pure epimorphic images is covering. In particular, the classes of flat objects in a locally finitely presented additive category and of absolutely pure objects in a locally coherent category are covering.
Comparing data-based indicators across upwelling and comparable systems for communicating ecosystem states and trends
Authors: Shannon Lynne J. , Coll Marta , Yemane Dawit , Jouffre Didier , Neira Sergio , Bertrand Arnaud , Diaz Erich , Shin Yunne-Jai
Published: December 2009

Shannon, L. J., Coll, M., Yemane, D., Jouffre, D., Neira, S., Bertrand, A., Diaz, E., and Shin, Y-J. 2010. Comparing data-based indicators across upwelling and comparable systems for communicating ecosystem states and trends. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 807–832. A suite of ecological indicators was selected for communicating, in a comparable way, how fishing affects the state of several upwelling ecosystems and others in which small pelagic fish play key ecological roles. Detailed background and understanding of system-specific processes and changes is needed for proper interpretation of results. In particular, environmental forcing is important in driving dynamics in upwelling systems; fishing impacts cannot be understood without understanding the corresponding dynamics of the environment. The Saharan Coastal (Morocco) and southern Benguela, both having experienced upsurges in low-trophic-level species, differed from other ecosystems when considering indicator trends. The ecosystem off Portugal emerged as showing reduced signs of fishing impacts in recent years, although the change may also be reflecting climate change favouring recruitment and abundance of demersal stocks. The indicator suite confirmed general understanding that the Mediterranean ecosystems have been notably degraded for several decades. Results and conclusions from this descriptive synthesis are compared with other comparisons of more complex, model-derived indicators. Even in upwelling and comparable systems, the simple data-based indicators are useful in synthesizing information on the status of an ecosystem, in particular on the ecosystem effects of fishing, to provide an ecological diagnosis at the ecosystem level, to be used in decision-making. Indicators of recent ecosystem state and trends over time are needed to assess the effects of fishing, but more indicators measuring biodiversity attributes and environmental change would complement the suite, providing fuller assessment of the status of upwelling and comparable ecosystems.
Embodied economics: how bodily information shapes the social coordination dynamics of decision-making
Authors: Oullier Olivier , Basso Frédéric
Published: December 2009

To date, experiments in economics are restricted to situations in which individuals are not influenced by the physical presence of other people. In such contexts, interactions remain at an abstract level, agents guessing what another person is thinking or is about to decide based on money exchange. Physical presence and bodily signals are therefore left out of the picture. However, in real life, social interactions (involving economic decisions or not) are not solely determined by a person's inference about someone else's state-of-mind. In this essay, we argue forembodied economics: an approach to neuroeconomics that takes into account how information provided by the entire body and its coordination dynamics influences the way we make economic decisions. Considering the role of embodiment in economics—movements, posture, sensitivity to mimicry and every kind of information the body conveys—makes sense. This is what we claim in this essay which, to some extent, constitutes a plea to consider bodily interactions between agents in social (neuro)economics.
Dynamics of extracellular release of Aspergillus fumigatus DNAand galactomannan during growth in blood and serum
Authors: Morton C. O. , Loeffler J. , De Luca A. , Frost S. , Kenny C. , Duval S. , Romani L. , Rogers T. R.
Published: December 2009

Aspergillus fumigatusis the major cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA),a disease associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in patientsundergoing treatment for haematological malignancies. This study investigatedA. fumigatusgrowthin vitroand in a murine model of IA inorder to provide insights into the dynamics of extracellular DNA and galactomannan (GM)release and their relevance to early diagnosis of IA. Following inoculationof whole blood with 20A. fumigatusconidia ml−1,DNA that corresponded to the inoculum could be detected by PCR but GM wasnot detected in plasma separated from the blood sample, indicating that thefungus did not grow in whole blood. The quantities of DNA detected by PCR,and GM, were proportional to the amount of fungal biomass presentin vitro. Fungal DNA could be detected in the sera of mice experimentally infectedwithA. fumigatuswith maximum detection in cyclophosphamide-treatedmice.
Growth-related changes in intracellular spermidine and its effect on efflux pump expression and quorum sensing in Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Chan Ying Ying , Chua Kim Lee
Published: December 2009

TheBurkholderia pseudomalleiBpeAB-OprB resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family pump effluxes aminoglycoside and macrolide antibiotics as well as acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) involved in quorum sensing. Expression ofbpeA–lacZwas cell density-dependent and was inducible in the presence of these compounds. Intracellular levels of spermidine andN-acetylspermidine increased with cell density in wild-typeB. pseudomalleiKHW, but were always lower in thebpeABpump mutant at all growth phases. The significance of changes in intracellular spermidine on efflux pump expression was demonstrated by the disruption of the binding of the BpeR repressor protein to thebpeABoprBregulatory regionin vitroin the presence of increasing spermidine concentrations. This was supported by dose-dependent activation ofbpeA–lacZtranscriptionin vivoin the presence of exogenous spermidine andN-acetylspermidine, thus implicating the involvement of the BpeAB-OprB pump in spermidine homeostasis inB. pseudomallei. Consequently, inhibition of intracellular spermidine synthesis reduced the efflux of AHLs by BpeAB-OprB. Other potential therapeutic applications of spermidine synthase inhibitors include the reduction of swimming motility and biofilm formation byB. pseudomallei.
Induction of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 under different growth conditions can affect Salmonella–host cell interactions in vitro
Authors: Ibarra J. Antonio , Knodler Leigh A. , Sturdevant Daniel E. , Virtaneva Kimmo , Carmody Aaron B. , Fischer Elizabeth R. , Porcella Stephen F. , Steele-Mortimer Olivia
Published: December 2009

Salmonella invade non-phagocytic cells by inducing massive actin rearrangements, resulting in membrane ruffle formation and phagocytosis of the bacteria. This process is mediated by a cohort of effector proteins translocated into the host cell by type III secretion system 1, which is encoded by genes in the Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI) 1 regulon. This network is precisely regulated and must be induced outside of host cells. In vitro invasive Salmonella are prepared by growth in synthetic media although the details vary. Here, we show that culture conditions affect the frequency, and therefore invasion efficiency, of SPI1-induced bacteria and also can affect the ability of Salmonella to adapt to its intracellular niche following invasion. Aerobically grown late-exponential-phase bacteria were more invasive and this was associated with a greater frequency of SPI1-induced, motile bacteria, as revealed by single-cell analysis of gene expression. Culture conditions also affected the ability of Salmonella to adapt to the intracellular environment, since they caused marked differences in intracellular replication. These findings show that induction of SPI1 under different pre-invasion growth conditions can affect the ability of Salmonella to interact with eukaryotic host cells.
Cloning and expression analysis of the duplicated genes for carbon monoxide dehydrogenase of Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803
Authors: Song Taeksun , Park Sae Woong , Park Su-Jeong , Kim Ji Hyang , Yu Ji Young , Oh Jeong-Il , Kim Young M.
Published: December 2009

Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CO-DH) is an enzyme catalysing the oxidation of CO to carbon dioxide in Mycobacterium sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803. Cloning of the genes encoding CO-DH from the bacterium and sequencing of overlapping clones revealed the presence of duplicated sets of genes for three subunits of the enzyme, cutB1C1A1 and cutB2C2A2, in operons, and a cluster of genes encoding proteins that may be involved in CO metabolism, including a possible transcriptional regulator. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of large subunits of CO-DH suggested that the CO-DHs of Mycobacterium sp. JC1 and other mycobacteria are distinct from those of other types of bacteria. The growth phenotype of mutant strains lacking cutA genes and of a corresponding complemented strain showed that both of the duplicated sets of CO-DH genes were functional in this bacterium. Transcriptional fusions of the cutB genes with lacZ revealed that the cutBCA operons were expressed regardless of the presence of CO and were further inducible by CO. Primer extension analysis indicated two promoters, one expressed in the absence of CO and the other induced in the presence of CO. This is believed to be the first report to show the presence of multiple copies of CO-DH genes with identical sequences and in close proximity in carboxydobacteria, and to present the genetic evidence for the function of the genes in mycobacteria.
A PIP1 Aquaporin Contributes to Hydrostatic Pressure-Induced Water Transport in Both the Root and Rosette of Arabidopsis
Authors: Postaire Olivier , Tournaire-Roux Colette , Grondin Alexandre , Boursiac Yann , Morillon Raphaël , Schäffner Anton R. , Maurel Christophe
Published: December 2009

Aquaporins are channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water across plant cell membranes. In this work, we used a combination of pharmacological and reverse genetic approaches to investigate the overall significance of aquaporins for tissue water conductivity in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We addressed the function in roots and leaves of AtPIP1;2, one of the most abundantly expressed isoforms of the plasma membrane intrinsic protein family. At variance with the water transport phenotype previously described in AtPIP2;2 knockout mutants, disruption of AtPIP1;2 reduced by 20% to 30% the root hydrostatic hydraulic conductivity but did not modify osmotic root water transport. These results document qualitatively distinct functions of different PIP isoforms in root water uptake. The hydraulic conductivity of excised rosettes (Kros) was measured by a novel pressure chamber technique. Exposure of Arabidopsis plants to darkness increased Kros by up to 90%. Mercury and azide, two aquaporin inhibitors with distinct modes of action, were able to induce similar inhibition of Kros by approximately 13% and approximately 25% in rosettes from plants grown in the light or under prolonged (11–18 h) darkness, respectively. Prolonged darkness enhanced the transcript abundance of several PIP genes, including AtPIP1;2. Mutant analysis showed that, under prolonged darkness conditions, AtPIP1;2 can contribute to up to approximately 20% of Kros and to the osmotic water permeability of isolated mesophyll protoplasts. Therefore, AtPIP1;2 can account for a significant portion of aquaporin-mediated leaf water transport. The overall work shows that AtPIP1;2 represents a key component of whole-plant hydraulics.
Resource availability and the persistence of seed‐eating bird populations in agricultural landscapes : a mechanistic modelling approach
Authors: Butler Simon J. , Mattison Elizabeth H.A. , Glithero Neryssa J. , Robinson Lynsey J. , Atkinson Philip W. , Gillings Simon , Vickery Juliet A. , Norris Ken
Published: December 2009

1.  Reductions in resource availability, associated with land‐use change and agricultural intensification in the UK and Europe, have been linked with the widespread decline of many farmland bird species over recent decades. However, the underlying ecological processes which link resource availability and population trends are poorly understood.

2.  We construct a spatial depletion model to investigate the relationship between the population persistence of granivorous birds within the agricultural landscape and the temporal dynamics of stubble field availability, an important source of winter food for many of those species.

3.  The model is capable of accurately predicting the distribution of a given number of finches and buntings amongst patches of different stubble types in an agricultural landscape over the course of a winter and assessing the relative value of different landscapes in terms of resource availability.

4.  Sensitivity analyses showed that the model is relatively robust to estimates of energetic requirements, search efficiency and handling time but that daily seed survival estimates have a strong influence on model fit. Understanding resource dynamics in agricultural landscapes is highlighted as a key area for further research.

5.
 There was a positive relationship between the predicted number of bird days supported by a landscape over‐winter and the breeding population trend for yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella, a species for which survival has been identified as the primary driver of population dynamics, but not for linnet Carduelis cannabina, a species for which productivity has been identified as the primary driver of population dynamics.

6.
 Synthesis and applications. We believe this model can be used to guide the effective delivery of over‐winter food resources under agri‐environment schemes and to assess the impacts on granivorous birds of changing resource availability associated with novel changes in land use. This could be very important in the future as farming adapts to an increasingly dynamic trading environment, in which demands for increased agricultural production must be reconciled with objectives for environmental protection, including biodiversity conservation.
Nonlinear selection and the evolution of variances and covariances for continuous characters in an anole
Authors: REVELL L. J. , MAHLER D. L. , SWEENEY J. R. , SOBOTKA M. , FANCHER V. E. , LOSOS J.B.
Published: December 2009

The pattern of genetic variances and covariances among characters, summarized in the additive genetic variance‐covariance matrix,G, determines how a population will respond to linear natural selection. However,Gitself also evolves in response to selection. In particular, we expect that, over time,Gwill evolve correspondence with the pattern of multivariate nonlinear natural selection. In this study, we substitute the phenotypic variance‐covariance matrix (P) forGto determine if the pattern of multivariate nonlinear selection in a natural population ofAnolis cristatellus, an arboreal lizard from Puerto Rico, has influenced the evolution of genetic variances and covariances in this species. Although results varied among our estimates ofPand fitness, and among our analytic techniques, we find significant evidence for congruence between nonlinear selection andP, suggesting that natural selection may have influenced the evolution of genetic constraint in this species.
Crack initiation and endurance limit of a hard steel under multiaxial cyclic loads
Authors: BOMAS H. , BACHER‐HOECHST M. , KIENZLER R. , KUNOW S. , LOEWISCH G. , MUEHLEDER F. , SCHROEDER R.
Published: December 2009

The endurance limit and the mechanisms of fatigue crack initiation in the high‐cycle regime were investigated using round specimens of the bearing steel SAE 52100 in a bainitic condition under longitudinal forces, torsional moments and combinations of these loads. Three specimen types were examined: smooth specimens and specimens with circumferential notches with radii of 1.0 and 0.2 mm. The surfaces of the specimens including the notches were ground resulting in compressive residual stresses in the near‐surface region. The influence of mean and multiaxial stresses on the endurance limit can be understood by consideration of crack initiation mechanisms and micromechanics. Crack initiation occurred at oxides, carbonitrides and at the surface. The oxides had little adhesion to the bainitic matrix and acted like pores. The carbonitrides were well bonded to the matrix and caused stress concentrations due to their higher elastic modulus when compared to that of the matrix. The mechanisms of crack initiation could be related to the load type: loads with rotating principal stresses cause more damage for nitrides than for oxides. Increasing maximum stresses are more dangerous for nitrides than for oxides, and damage the surface more than the nitrides. Normal stresses produce more damage for oxides than shear stresses. The endurance limits were calculated by means of an extended weakest‐link model which combines volume and surface crack initiation with individual fatigue criteria. For volume crack initiation, the criterion of Dang Van was used. For the correct description of the surface crack initiation, a criterion proposed by Bomas, Mayr and Linkewitz was applied. With this concept, a prediction of the endurance limit is possible. The influence of the notch geometry on the endurance limit is well characterized.
In vivo labelling of hippocampal β‐amyloid in triple‐transgenic mice with a fluorescent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor released from nanoparticles
Authors: Härtig Wolfgang , Kacza Johannes , Paulke Bernd‐Reiner , Grosche Jens , Bauer Ute , Hoffmann Anke , Elsinghorst Paul W. , Gütschow Michael
Published: December 2009

The drastic loss of cholinergic projection neurons in the basal forebrain is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and drugs most frequently applied for the treatment of dementia include inhibitors of the acetylcholine‐degrading enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). This protein is known to act as a ligand of β‐amyloid (Aβ) in senile plaques, a further neuropathological sign of AD. Recently, we have shown that the fluorescent, heterodimeric AChE inhibitor PE154 allows for the histochemical staining of cortical Aβ plaques in triple‐transgenic (TTG) mice with age‐dependent β‐amyloidosis and tau hyperphosphorylation, an established animal model for aspects of AD. In the present study, we have primarily demonstrated the targeting of Aβ‐immunopositive plaques with PE154 in vivo for 4 h up to 1 week after injection into the hippocampi of 13–20‐month‐old TTG mice. Numerous plaques, double‐stained for PE154 and Aβ‐immunoreactivity, were revealed by confocal laser‐scanning microscopy. Additionally, PE154 targeted hippocampal Aβ deposits in aged TTG mice after injection of carboxylated polyglycidylmethacrylate nanoparticles delivering the fluorescent marker in vivo. Furthermore, biodegradable core‐shell polystyrene/polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles were found to be suitable, alternative vehicles for PE154 as a useful in vivo label of Aβ. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate that PE154 targeted Aβ, but neither phospho‐tau nor reactive astrocytes surrounding the plaques. In conclusion, nanoparticles appear as versatile carriers of AChE inhibitors and other promising drugs for the treatment of AD.
Different responses to interferon beta‐1b treatment in patients with neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Uzawa A. , Mori M. , Hayakawa S. , Masuda S. , Kuwabara S.
Published: December 2009

Background:  Although the benefit of treatment for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) is firmly established, whether interferon beta‐1b (IFNB‐1b) therapy is efficacious for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) has been debated.

Methods:  We reviewed the responses to IFNB‐1b treatment in 18 patients with relapsing NMO and compared the results with those from 38 patients with relapsing–remitting MS. We compared clinical characteristics, the annualized relapse rate (ARR) and the probability of being relapse free before and after IFNB‐1b treatment in patients with NMO and MS.

Results:  The proportion of patients with more than 50% increase in the ARR after IFNB‐1b treatment was much higher in NMO than in MS (P = 0.046). ARR was significantly lower in patients with MS after IFNB‐1b administration than before (P = 0.015), but not in NMO. Kaplan–Meier and log‐rank statistical analyses revealed that relapse‐free rates were lower in NMO than MS after IFNB‐1b treatment (P = 0.032). The analyses also showed lower relapse‐free rates during the pre‐IFNB‐1b treatment period than the post‐IFNB‐1b treatment period in MS (P < 0.001), but not in NMO.

Conclusion:  IFNB‐1b treatment does not appear to be effective for preventing relapse in NMO likely because of differences between the immune‐pathogenesis of NMO and MS.