bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Chinese of the American Imagination: 19th Century Trade Card Images
Authors: METRICK‐CHEN LENORE
Published: October 2007

In the last third of the 19th century thousands of advertising trade cards were created and distributed throughout the eastern United States. The ascendancy of trade cards coincided with the years surrounding the first Chinese Exclusion Laws banning Chinese immigration. Because of this suppression, few Americans in the eastern states had direct contact with Chinese people. Nevertheless, hundreds of trade card images depicted Chinese figures and the Chinese image became a familiar icon. Trade card iconography had little to do with the product advertised but was part of the emerging new visual language. Its visual semiotics reflected social and cultural issues arising during this tumultuous period of modernization. Images of Chinese people became part of the changing economy of signs; presented as liminal figures, they allowed Americans to explore social and personal boundaries, and to express unfamiliar sensations that were less readily acknowledged in the written language of the time.
Changing the Rules of Engagement: How Rabbit‐Proof Fence and Whale Rider Forge a New Dimension of Ethnographic Media
Authors: THORNER SABRA G.
Published: October 2007

Full‐length, independent feature films Rabbit‐Proof Fence and Whale Rider, both released in 2002, chronicle the journeys of young indigenous female protagonists as they struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds to meet their destinies. The narrative and technical components of these films share striking similarities as they construct stories that are profoundly local, yet widely resonant. This article argues for the consideration of films as both social process and cultural product, deeply embedded in dynamic social worlds. These films signal the emergence of a new model of film production in which directors foreground their responsibilities as producers of knowledge and embrace the intersubjectivity of contemporary indigeneities. At the same time, these films and their directors are at the forefront of shifting understandings in circulation, necessarily in dialogue with proliferating examples of new indigenous media, and capitalizing upon new technologies in ways that innovatively include viewers in debates about cross‐cultural representation and the role of film(making) in social life. In this newly engaged model of production and circulation, the social relationships forged between filmmakers, actors, viewing publics, and many others, take on unprecedented significance in constructing indigeneities in specific national contexts.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Corrects the Immunologic Abnormalities Associated With Immunodeficiency–Centromeric Instability–Facial Dysmorphism Syndrome
Authors: Gennery Andrew R. , Slatter Mary A. , Bredius Robbert G. , Hagleitner Melanie M. , Weemaes Corry , Cant Andrew J. , Lankester Arjan C.
Published: October 2007

Immunodeficiency–centromeric instability–facial dysmorphism syndrome, characterized by variable immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies caused by epigenetic dysregulation resulting in hypomethylation, is caused in many patients by mutations in DNMT3B, a DNA methyltransferase gene; associated infections are a major cause of serious sequelae and death. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may improve the clinical course in immunodeficiency–centromeric instability–facial dysmorphism syndrome. We report 3 unrelated patients with persistent infections and intestinal complications who successfully underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after nonmyeloablative or myeloablative conditioning regimens using HLA-matched donors. In all cases, donor chimerism led to resolution of intestinal complications and infections, growth improvement, and correction of the immunodeficiency.
A Seven‐Step Instructional Plan for Teaching English‐Language Learners to Comprehend and Use Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs
Authors: Jacobson Julie , Lapp Diane , Flood James
Published: October 2007

For English‐language learners, comprehension can be hindered by a lack of understanding of homonyms, homophones, and homographs, but the right instructional strategies can alleviate this problem. Following a discussion of issues such as the importance of being aware of a student's literacy skills in his or her home language and the need to preteach key vocabulary words, the authors provide examples of a structured approach to teaching homonyms, homophones, and homographs.

This seven‐step instructional process, which incorporates reading, illustrating, comparing and contrasting words, and categorizing vocabulary by using symbols to represent grammatical structures, can be used to teach all students, but it accommodates particularly the challenges encountered by English‐language learners. The seven steps are

Reading and/or listening to a story

Defining and visualizing words

Identifying parts of speech

Categorizing words

Completing cloze activities

Producing a skit or creating a visual

Playing a word game with new words

The authors offer explicit examples of instruction at each step and conclude with a discussion of how to assess students' proficiencies as they discern word meanings and begin to use words efficiently.
Developing literacy in second‐language learners: Critique from a heteroglossic, sociocultural, and multidimensional framework
Authors: GRANT RACHEL A. , WONG SHELLEY D. , OSTERLING JORGE P.
Published: October 2007

The authors review and discuss the work presented in Developing Literacy in Second‐Language Learners: Report of The National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth, edited by Diane August and Timothy Shanahan.
Introduction: Genres as Fields of Knowledge
Authors: Dimock Wai Chee
Published: October 2007

What exactly are genres? Are they a classifying system matching the phenomenal world of objects, a sorting principle that separates oranges from apples? Or are they less than that, a taxonomy that never fully taxonomizes, labels that never quite keep things straight? What archives come with genres, what critical lexicons do they offer, and what maps do they yield? And how does the rise of digitization change these archives, lexicons, and maps?
Lighting Out for the Rough Ground: America's Epic Origins and the Richness of World Literature
Authors: Phillips Christopher N.
Published: October 2007

This essay argues that epic, far from being a dead genre, ranges readily across formal and geographic boundaries and that the termsAmericaandepichave defined each other from the Renaissance forward. Drawing on a range of case studies from Jamestown to Kentucky, I examine the ways in which epic travels through translation, exile, ethnology, and prophecy. While I focus on the United States and the colonies that would eventually constitute it, I argue that American literature was an international endeavor before it was ever a national one and that the role epic played in that internationalism prefigures and interrogates the GoetheanWeltliteraturideal dominating current discussions regarding world literature. In response to the difficulties that theory creates in discussing the development of both genre and world literature, I advocate a return to the archive to give theoretical arguments a more inductive grounding.
The Sonnet and the Mukhambazi: Genre Wars on the Edges of the Russian Empire
Authors: Ram Harsha
Published: October 2007

Genres travel in multiple directions. This article maps the evolution and movement of two lyric genres in Georgia, a small nation situated south of the Caucasus mountains, between Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The mukhambazi arose from a polyglot urban culture rooted in Near Eastern traditions of bardic performance and festivity, while the sonnet was imported around the time of the Russian Revolution as a marker of European modernization. The brief coexistence of these two genres allows for a reexamination of the foundational opposition between East and West. Moving beyond the familiar dichotomy of tradition and modernity, this essay explores the texts and debates of more than a century, reconstructing the discrepant cosmopolitanisms and multiple modernities that typified the Caucasus region. In doing so, it seeks both to make available a literary archive unknown to American readers and to contribute to ongoing debates on the relations between the local, the national, and the imperial as cultural formations.
“Reproducibles, Rubrics, and Everything You Need”: Genre Theory Today
Authors: FROW JOHN
Published: October 2007

If you had typedgenreintoamazon.com'ssearch engine on a certain day in March 2007, you would have come up with an initial ten listings that included two gay men's magazines(GenreandInstinct Magazine),one introductory theoretical text (my ownGenre),a compact disc by a group called D-Genre, a composition textbook (Tom Romano'sBlending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers),three resource kits for children (Carson-Dellosa'sLiterary Genres,Susan Ludwig'sTwenty-Four Ready-to-Go Genre Book Reports: Engaging Activities with Reproducibles, Rubrics, and Everything You Need to Help Students Get the Most Out of Their Independent Reading,and a bulletin-board set entitledBB Set Genres of Lit),and, finally, two school textbooks (Tara McCarthy'sTeaching Genre (Grades 4–8)and Heather Lattimer'sThinking through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops 4–12).
Distinct expression and activity profiles of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) estrogen receptors in response to estradiol and nonylphenol
Authors: Sabo-Attwood Tara , Blum Jason L , Kroll Kevin J , Patel Vishal , Birkholz Detlef , Szabo Nancy J , Fisher Suzanne Z , McKenna Robert , Campbell-Thompson Martha , Denslow Nancy D
Published: October 2007

The estrogen receptor (ER) signaling cascade is a vulnerable target of exposure to environmental xenoestrogens, like nonylphenol (NP), which are causally associated with impaired health status. However, the impact of xenoestrogens on the individual receptor isotypes (α, βa, and βb) is not well understood. The goal of these studies was to determine the impact of NP on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ER isotype expression and activity. Here, we show that hepatic expression levels of three receptors are not equivalent in male largemouth bass exposed to NP by injection. Transcript levels of the ERα subtype were predominantly induced in concert with vitellogenin similarly to fish exposed to 17β-estradiol (E2) as measured by quantitative real-time PCR. NP also induced circulating plasma levels of estrogen, which may contribute to overall activation of the ERs. To measure the activation of each receptor isotype by E2 and NP, we employed reporter assays using an estrogen response element (ERE)–luciferase construct. Results from these studies show that ERα had the greatest activity following exposure to E2 and NP. This activity was inhibited by the antagonists ICI 182 780 and ZM 189 154. Furthermore, both βb and βa subtypes depressed ERα activation, suggesting that the cellular composition of receptor isotypes may contribute to the overall actions of estrogen and estrogenic contaminants via the receptors. Results from these studies collectively reveal the differential response of fish ER isotypes in response to xenoestrogens.
Role of specificity protein transcription factors in estrogen-induced gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Khan Shaheen , Wu Fei , Liu Shengxi , Wu Qian , Safe Stephen
Published: October 2007

Deletion analysis of several 17β-estradiol (E2)-responsive genes have identified GC-rich sites that are associated with hormone-induced transactivation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. However, the role of individual specificity proteins (Sps) in mediating hormone-induced gene expression has not been unequivocally determined. In transient transfection studies using E2-responsive GC-rich promoters from the E2F1, carbamoylphosphate synthetase/aspartate transcarbamylase/dihydroorotase (CAD), and retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) genes, RNA interference using small inhibitory RNAs for Sp1 (iSp1), Sp3 (iSp3), and Sp4 (iSp4) decreased both basal and E2-induced transactivation. The contributions of individual Sp proteins to basal and E2-induced activity were promoter dependent. iSp1, iSp3, and iSp4 also significantly inhibited hormonal induction of E2F1, CAD, and RARα mRNA levels; however, the enhanced inhibitory effects of the latter two small inhibitory RNAs suggest that Sp3 and Sp4 play a major role in estrogen receptor α/Sp-mediated gene expression in MCF-7 cells.
Crosstalk of CREB and Fos/Jun on a single cis-element: transcriptional repression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein gene
Authors: Manna Pulak R , Stocco Douglas M
Published: October 2007

Transcriptional regulation of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein gene by cAMP-dependent mechanisms occurs in the absence of a consensus cAMP-response element (CRE; TGACGTCA) and is mediated by several sequence-specific transcription factors. We previously identified three CRE-like sites (within the −151/−1 bp cAMP-responsive region of the mouse StAR gene), of which the CRE2 site overlaps with an activator protein-1 (AP-1) motif (TGACTGA, designated as CRE2/AP-1) that can bind both CRE and AP-1 DNA-binding proteins. The present studies were aimed at exploring the functional crosstalk between CREB (CRE-binding protein) and cFos/cJun (AP-1 family members) on the CRE2/AP-1 element and its role in regulating transcription of the StAR gene. Using MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells, we demonstrate that the CRE and AP-1 families of proteins interact with the CRE2/AP-1 sequence. CREB, cFos, and cJun proteins were found to bind to the CRE2/AP-1 motif but not the CRE1 and CRE3 sites. Treatment with the cAMP analog (Bu)2cAMP augmented phosphorylation of CREB (Ser133), cFos (Thr325), and cJun (ser73). Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies revealed that the induction of CREB, cFos, and cJun by (Bu)2cAMP was correlated with protein–DNA interactions and recruitment of the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) to the StAR promoter. EMSA studies employing CREB and cFos/cJun proteins demonstrated competition between these factors for binding to the CRE2/AP-1 motif. Transfection of cells containing the −151/−1 StAR reporter with CREB and cFos/cJun resulted in trans-repression of the StAR gene, an event tightly associated with CBP, demonstrating that both CREB and Fos/Jun compete with each other for binding with limited amounts of intracellular CBP. Overexpression of adenovirus E1A, which binds and inactivates CBP, markedly suppressed StAR gene expression. Ectopic expression of CBP eliminated the repression of the StAR gene by E1A and potentiated the activity of CREB and cFos/cJun on StAR promoter responsiveness. These findings identify molecular events involved in crosstalk between CREB and cFos/cJun, which confer both gain and loss of function on a single cis-element in fine-tuning of the regulatory events involved in transcription of the StAR gene.
20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and CYP19A1 are differentially expressed during maturation in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Authors: Mittelholzer C , Andersson E , Consten D , Hirai T , Nagahama Y , Norberg B
Published: October 2007

In order to better quantify the molecular mechanisms regulating final oocyte maturation and spawning, complete coding sequences with partially or fully untranslated regions for the steroidogenic enzymes, cytochrome P450 aromatase and 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, were cloned from ovaries of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). The nucleotide and amino acid sequences showed high homologies with the corresponding sequences of other fish species, and conserved features important for functionality were identified in both predicted proteins. The sequences of the corresponding genomic loci were also determined, allowing the design of mRNA-specific quantitative PCR assays. As a reference gene for the real-time RT-PCR assays, eukaryotic elongation factor 1α was chosen, and the mRNA as well as the genomic sequence was determined. In addition, a real-time quantitative PCR assay for the 18S rRNA was adapted to be used in cod. Analysis of immature and maturing female cod from July to January respectively showed that the enzyme genes showed the expected quantitative changes associated with physiological regulation. However, mRNA for eukaryotic elongation factor 1α, and to a lesser extent even 18S rRNA, showed variable expression in these samples as well. To find accurate standards for real-time PCR in such a dynamic organ as the cod ovary is not an easy task, and several possible solutions are discussed.
Relationships of circulating pregnanolone isomers and their polar conjugates to the status of sex, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy
Authors: Kancheva Radmila , Hill Martin , Cibula David , Včeláková Helena , Kancheva Lyudmila , Vrbíková Jana , Fait Tomáš , Pařízek Antonín , Stárka Luboslav
Published: October 2007

Pregnanolone isomers (PIs) and their polar conjugates (PICs) modulate ionotropic receptors such as γ-aminobutyric acid or pregnane X receptors. Besides, brain synthesis, PI penetrates the blood–brain barrier. We evaluated the physiological importance of PI respecting the status of sex, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy. Accordingly, circulating levels of allopregnanolone (P3α 5α ), isopregnanolone (P3β 5α ), pregnanolone (P3α 5β ), epipregnanolone (P3β 5β ), their polar conjugates, and related steroids were measured in 15 men (M), 15 women in the follicular phase (F), 16 women in the luteal phase (L), and 30 women in the 36th week of gestation (P) using GC–MS. The steroid levels were similar in M and F, increased about thrice in L and escalated in P (38–410 times compared with F). The PICs were prevalent over the PIs (16–150 times). Higher ratios of 5α-PIC to 5α-PI found in P indicate the more intensive conjugation of 5α-PI during pregnancy. This mechanism probably provides for the elimination of neuroinhibitory P3α 5α in the maternal compartment. Additionally, our result points to a limited sulfation capacity for neuroinhibitory P3α 5β in P. In contrast to the situation in M, F, and L where the P3α 5β C is the most abundant PIC, and P3α 5β is present in minor quantities compared with the P3α 5α , P3α 5β may acquire physiological importance during pregnancy, contributing to the sustaining thereof. On the other hand, the declining formation of P3α 5β may participate in the initiation of parturition, given the relative abundance of the steroid, its potency to suppress the activity of oxytocin-producing cells and its effectiveness in uterine relaxation.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3-regulated sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2 expression by prolactin and glucocorticoids is involved in the adaptation of insulin secretory response during the peripartum period
Authors: Anhê Gabriel F , Nogueira Tatiane C A , Nicoletti-Carvalho José E , Lellis-Santos Camilo , Barbosa Helena C , Cipolla-Neto José , Bosqueiro José R , Boschero Antonio C , Bordin Silvana
Published: October 2007

During pregnancy, the maternal endocrine pancreas undergoes, as a consequence of placental lactogens and prolactin (PRL) action, functional changes that are characterized by increased glucose-induced insulin secretion. After delivery, the maternal endocrine pancreas rapidly returns to non-pregnant state, which is mainly attributed to the increased serum levels of glucocorticoids (GCs). Although GCs are known to decrease insulin secretion and counteract PRL action, the mechanisms for these effects are poorly understood. We have previously demonstrated that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is increased in islets treated with PRL. In the present study, we show that STAT3 expression and serine phosphorylation are increased in pancreatic islets at the end of pregnancy (P19). STAT3 serine phosphorylation rapidly returned to basal levels 3 days after delivery (L3). The expression of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2 (SERCA2), a crucial protein involved in the regulation of calcium handling in β-cells, was also increased in P19, returning to basal levels at L3. PRL increased SERCA2 and STAT3 expressions and STAT3 serine phosphorylation in RINm5F cells. The upregulation of SERCA2 by PRL was abolished after STAT3 knockdown. Moreover, PRL-induced STAT3 serine phosphorylation and SERCA2 expression were inhibited by dexamethasone (DEX). Insulin secretion from islets of P19 rats pre-incubated with thapsigargin and L3 rats showed a dramatic suppression of first phase of insulin release. The present results indicate that PRL regulates SERCA2 expression by a STAT3-dependent mechanism. PRL effect is counteracted by DEX and might contribute to the adaptation of maternal endocrine pancreas during the peripartum period.
Ciliary neurotrophic factor promotes survival of neonatal rat islets via the BCL-2 anti-apoptotic pathway
Authors: Rezende Luiz F , Stoppiglia Luiz F , Souza Kleber L A , Negro Alessandro , Langone Francesco , Boschero Antonio C
Published: October 2007

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) belongs to the cytokine family and increases neuron differentiation and/or survival. Pancreatic islets are richly innervated and express receptors for nerve growth factors (NGFs) and may undergo neurotypic responses. CNTF is found in pancreatic islets and exerts paracrine effects in neighboring cells. The aim of this study was to investigate possible effects of CNTF on neonatal rat pancreatic islet differentiation and/or survival. For this purpose, we isolated pancreatic islets from neonatal rats (1–2 days old) by the collagenase method and cultured for 3 days in RPMI medium with (CNTF) or without (CTL) 1 nM CNTF. Thereafter, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (RIA), general metabolism by (NAD(P)H production; MTS), glucose metabolism (14CO2 production), gene (RT-PCR), protein expression (western blotting), caspase-3 activity (Asp–Glu–Val–Asp (DEVD)), and apoptosis (DNA fragmentation) were analyzed. Our results showed that CNTF-treated islets demonstrated reduced glucose-induced insulin secretion. CNTF treatment did not affect glucose metabolism, as well as the expression of mRNAs and proteins that are crucial for the secretory process. Conversely, CNTF significantly increased mRNA and protein levels related to cell survival, such as Cx36, PAX4, and BCL-2, reduced caspase-3 activity, and islet cells apoptosis, suggesting that CNTF does not affect islet cell differentiation and, instead, acts as a survival factor reducing apoptosis by increasing the expression of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein and decreasing caspase-3 activity.
Ontogenic and nutritional regulation of steroid receptor and IGF-I transcript abundance in the prepubertal heifer mammary gland
Authors: Meyer M J , Rhoads R P , Capuco A V , Connor E E , Hummel A , Boisclair Y R , Van Amburgh M E
Published: October 2007

In prepubertal cattle, mammary development is characterized by the growth of an epithelial-rich parenchyma (PAR) into the mammary fat pad (MFP). This proliferation and accumulation of mammary epithelial cells require estrogen. Paradoxically, both epithelial cell proliferation and PAR accumulation rate decline with rising plasma estrogen as puberty approaches. The possibility that variation in abundance of estrogen receptors (ERs) in PAR or MFP accounts for a portion of these effects has not been examined in cattle. Additionally, we recently demonstrated that MFP is highly responsive to exogenous estrogen, suggesting that this tissue may play a role in coordinating estrogen’s effects on PAR; however, the developing bovine MFP has yet to be studied in detail. To address these hypotheses, Holstein heifers were assigned to planes of nutrition supporting body growth rates of 950 (E) or 650 (R) g/day and harvested every 50 kg from 100 to 350 kg body weight (BW). Post-harvest, their mammary glands were dissected into PAR and MFP compartments. Transcript abundance of genes encoding members of the ER family (ERα, ERβ, and estrogen-related receptor α-1 (ERRα)) and estrogen-responsive genes (IGF-I and progesterone receptor (PR)) were measured in both mammary compartments by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Significant expression was detected for all genes in both compartments, with the exception of the ERβ gene. Transcript abundance of both ERα and IGF-I decreased linearly with increasing BW within both compartments. ERRα and PR expressions decreased with increasing BW in PAR but not in MFP. Nutrition stimulated ERα and ERRα expression in the PAR but had no effect on IGF-I or PR in either PAR or MFP. Overall, ERα and IGF-I transcript abundance are consistent with the drop in mammary epithelial cell proliferation and PAR accretion observed over development, but do not support a negative effect of nutrition on PAR growth.
Cross-regulation of cortisol secretion by adrenocorticotropin and platelet-activating factor in perfused guinea pig adrenals
Authors: Shimada Toshio , Hirose Taeko , Matsumoto Itsuro , Aikawa Tadaomi
Published: October 2007

We examined the cross-regulation of signaling between ACTH-and platelet-activating factor (PAF)-mediated steroidogenesis in the perfused guinea pig adrenal gland. Our method of in situ perfusion using an artificial medium can evaluate whether cortisol secretion in response to ACTH and PAF is interactive. Treating adrenal glands with 100 pg/ml ACTH diminished the subsequent cortisol response to 10 nM PAF. By contrast, PAF resulted in subsequent potentiation of ACTH-induced cortisol secretion. A mixture of 50 μM l-α-1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), and 3.3 μM calcium ionophore (A23187), or 10 μM forskolin (FRK) diminished the cortisol response to PAF, whereas that to ACTH was unaffected. Each of PAF, ACTH, or FRK eliminated the cortisol response to OAG plus A23187, whereas that to FRK was unaffected. These data show that the protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent processes activated by ACTH or FRK can interfere with PAF-induced signal transduction at receptor and post-receptor levels. In contrast, PKC-dependent processes activated by PAF promoted ACTH-signaling at receptor and post-receptor level. Cross-regulation between processes activated by PAF receptor–PKC and by ACTH receptor–PKA might function in the multifactorial regulation of adrenocortical steroidogenesis.
Fetal programing of colon cancer in adult rats: correlations with altered neonatal growth trajectory, circulating IGF-I and IGF binding proteins, and testosterone
Authors: Xiao Rijin , Hennings Leah J , Badger Thomas M , Simmen Frank A
Published: October 2007

We examined effects of dietary soy protein isolate (SPI) or genistein (GEN; soy isoflavone) during pregnancy on development of colon cancer in male progeny Sprague–Dawley rats. Four groups of rats were used: a lifetime casein-fed group (CAS; control diet), a lifetime SPI-fed group (positive control for protective effect of diet on colon carcinogenesis), a group whose dams received SPI only during pregnancy and CAS thereafter (SPI/CAS), and a group whose dams received CAS+GEN only during pregnancy and CAS thereafter (GEN/CAS). At 47 and 55 days of age, male progeny were administered the intestinal carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). Tumors, endocrine status, and colon gene expression were evaluated at 20 week post-AOM. The SPI group had 47% decreased colon tumor incidence compared with the CAS group (P<0.05), whereas SPI/CAS, GEN/CAS, and CAS groups did not differ in this regard. Maternal-only SPI increased the percentage of animals bearing multiple colon tumors (P<0.05), an effect not mimicked by GEN. Serum insulin and leptin concentrations were decreased by lifetime SPI (P<0.05), whereas serum IGF-I was elevated in the SPI/CAS group (P<0.05). The SPI/CAS group had reduced serum testosterone levels (P<0.05) and exhibited a tendency for increased mucosal expression of IGF-I receptor and glucose transporter-1 mRNAs. Results indicate an effect of dietary protein type during pregnancy on colon tumor multiplicity and colon tissue gene expression, and serum IGF-I and testosterone in progeny rats as later adults.
Fibroblast growth factor-23 regulates parathyroid hormone and 1α-hydroxylase expression in cultured bovine parathyroid cells
Authors: Krajisnik Tijana , Björklund Peyman , Marsell Richard , Ljunggren Östen , Åkerström Göran , Jonsson Kenneth B , Westin Gunnar , Larsson Tobias E
Published: October 2007

Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is a circulating factor that decreases serum levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi) as well as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Recent studies also suggest a correlation between serum levels of FGF23 and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in patients with chronic kidney disease. It is, however, unknown whether FGF23 directly modulates PTH expression, or whether the correlation is secondary to abnormalities in Pi and vitamin D metabolism. The objective of the current study was therefore to elucidate possible direct effects of FGF23 on bovine parathyroid cells in vitro. Treatment of parathyroid cells with a stabilized form of recombinant FGF23 (FGF23(R176Q)) induced a rise in early response gene-1 mRNA transcripts, a marker of FGF23 signaling. FGF23(R176Q) potently and dose-dependently decreased the PTH mRNA level within 12 h. In agreement, FGF23(R176Q) also decreased PTH secretion into conditioned media. In contrast, FGF23(R176Q) dose-dependently increased 1α-hydroxylase expression within 3 h. FGF23 (R176Q) did not affect cell viability nor induce apoptosis, whereas a small but significant increase in cell proliferation was found. We conclude that FGF23 is a negative regulator of PTH mRNA expression and secretion in vitro. Our data suggest that FGF23 may be a physiologically relevant regulator of PTH. This defines a novel function of FGF23 in addition to the previously established roles in controlling vitamin D and Pi metabolism.
NITROGEN INPUTS PROMOTE THE SPREAD OF AN INVASIVE MARSH GRASS
Authors: Tyler Anna Christina , Lambrinos John G. , Grosholz Edwin D.
Published: October 2007

Excess nutrient loading and large‐scale invasion by nonnatives are two of the most pervasive and damaging threats to the biotic and economic integrity of our estuaries. Individually, these are potent forces, but it is important to consider their interactive impacts as well. In this study we investigated the potential limitation of a nonnative intertidal grass, Spartina alterniflora, by nitrogen (N) in estuaries of the western United States. Nitrogen fertilization experiments were conducted in three mud‐flat habitats invaded by S. alterniflora in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA, that differed in sediment N. We carried out parallel experiments in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, in three habitats invaded by hybrid Spartina (S. alterniflora × S. foliosa), in previously unvegetated mud flat, and in native S. foliosa or Salicornia virginica marshes. We found similar aboveground biomass and growth rates between habitats and estuaries, but end‐of‐season belowground biomass was nearly five times greater in San Francisco Bay than in Willapa Bay. In Willapa Bay, aboveground biomass was significantly correlated with sediment N content. Addition of N significantly increased aboveground biomass, stem density, and the rate of spread into uninvaded habitat (as new stems per day) in virtually all habitats in both estuaries. Belowground biomass increased in Willapa Bay only, suggesting that belowground biomass is not N limited in San Francisco Bay due to species differences, N availability, or a latitudinal difference in the response of Spartina to N additions. The relative impact of added N was greater in Willapa Bay, the estuary with lower N inputs from the watershed, than in San Francisco Bay, a highly eutrophic estuary. Nitrogen fertilization also altered the competitive interaction between hybrid Spartina and Salicornia virginica in San Francisco Bay by increasing the density and biomass of the invader and decreasing the density of the native. There was no significant effect of N on the native, Spartina foliosa. Our results indicate that excess N loading to these ecosystems enhances the vulnerability of intertidal habitats to rapid invasion by nonnative Spartina sp.
ACCOUNTING FOR SYSTEM DYNAMICS IN RESERVE DESIGN
Authors: Leroux Shawn J. , Schmiegelow Fiona K. A. , Cumming Steve G. , Lessard Robert B. , Nagy John
Published: October 2007

Systematic conservation plans have only recently considered the dynamic nature of ecosystems. Methods have been developed to incorporate climate change, population dynamics, and uncertainty in reserve design, but few studies have examined how to account for natural disturbance. Considering natural disturbance in reserve design may be especially important for the world's remaining intact areas, which still experience active natural disturbance regimes. We developed a spatially explicit, dynamic simulation model, CONSERV, which simulates patch dynamics and fire, and used it to evaluate the efficacy of hypothetical reserve networks in northern Canada. We designed six networks based on conventional reserve design methods, with different conservation targets for woodland caribou habitat, high‐quality wetlands, vegetation, water bodies, and relative connectedness. We input the six reserve networks into CONSERV and tracked the ability of each to maintain initial conservation targets through time under an active natural disturbance regime. None of the reserve networks maintained all initial targets, and some over‐represented certain features, suggesting that both effectiveness and efficiency of reserve design could be improved through use of spatially explicit dynamic simulation during the planning process. Spatial simulation models of landscape dynamics are commonly used in natural resource management, but we provide the first illustration of their potential use for reserve design. Spatial simulation models could be used iteratively to evaluate competing reserve designs and select targets that have a higher likelihood of being maintained through time. Such models could be combined with dynamic planning techniques to develop a general theory for reserve design in an uncertain world.
EFFECT OF POLLINATOR ABUNDANCE ON SELF‐FERTILIZATION AND GENE FLOW: APPLICATION TO GM CANOLA
Authors: Hoyle Martin , Hayter Katrina , Cresswell James E.
Published: October 2007

Cross‐pollination from fields of transgenic crops is of great public concern. Although cross‐pollination in commercial canola (Brassica napus) fields has been empirically measured, field trials are expensive and do not identify the causes of cross‐pollination. Therefore, theoretical models can be valuable because they can provide estimates of cross‐pollination at any given site and time. We present a general analytical model of field‐to‐field gene flow due to the following competing mechanisms: the wind, bees, and autonomous pollination. We parameterize the model for the particular case of field‐to‐field cross‐pollination of genetically modified (GM) canola via the wind and via bumble bees (Bombusspp.) and honey bees (Apis mellifera). We make extensive use of the large data set of bee densities collected during the recent U.K. Farm Scale Evaluations. We predict that canola approaches almost full seed set without pollinators and that autonomous pollination is responsible for ≥25% of seed set, irrespective of pollinator abundance. We do not predict the relative contribution of bees vs. the wind in landscape‐scale gene flow in canola. However, under model assumptions, we predict that the maximum field‐to‐field gene flow due to bumble bees is 0.04% and 0.13% below the current EU limit for adventitious GM presence for winter‐ and spring‐sown canola, respectively. We predict that gene flow due to bees is ∼3.1 times higher at 20% compared to 100% male‐fertility, and due to the wind, 1.3 times higher at 20% compared to 100% male‐fertility, for both winter‐ and spring‐sown canola. Bumble bee‐mediated gene flow is ∼2.7 times higher and wind‐mediated gene flow ∼1.7 times lower in spring‐sown than in winter‐sown canola, regardless of the degree of male‐sterility. The model of cross‐pollination due to the wind most closely predicted three previously published observations: field‐to‐field gene flow is low; gene flow increases with the proportion of plants that are male‐sterile; and gene flow is higher in winter‐ than in spring‐sown canola. Our results therefore suggest that the wind, not bees, is the main vector of long‐distance gene flow in canola.
Expression of NG,NG-Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase and Protein Arginine N-Methyltransferase Isoforms in Diabetic Rat Kidney
Authors: Onozato Maristela L. , Tojo Akihiro , Leiper James , Fujita Toshiro , Palm Fredrik , Wilcox Christopher S.
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE—The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is generated by protein arginine N-methyltransferase (PRMT)-1 and is metabolized by NG,NG-dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH). We tested the hypothesis that increased serum ADMA (SADMA) in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model of diabetes is mediated by an angiotensin receptor blocker–sensitive change in DDAH or PRMT expression.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Data were compared from four groups of rats: sham-injected controls, untreated STZ-induced diabetic rats at 4 weeks, STZ-induced diabetic rats administered the angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor blocker telmisartan for 2 weeks, and control rats administered telmisartan for 2 weeks.

RESULTS—Immunostaining and Western blotting of microdissected nephron segments localized DDAH I in the proximal tubules and DDAH II in the glomeruli, afferent arterioles, macula densa, and distal nephron. Renal Ang II and SADMA increased with diabetes but were normalized by 2 weeks of telmisartan. DDAH I expression was decreased in diabetic kidneys, while DDAH II expression was increased. These changes were reversed by telmisartan, which also reduced expression of PRMT-1 and -5. Telmisartan increased expressions of DDAH I but decreased DDAH II in Ang II-stimulated kidney slices ex vivo.

CONCLUSIONS—Renal Ang II and SADMA are increased in insulinopenic diabetes. They are normalized by an Ang II receptor blocker, which increases the renal expression of DDAH I, decreases PRMT-1, and increases renal NO metabolites.
Stromal Cell–Derived Factor-1/CXCL12 Stimulates Chemorepulsion of NOD/LtJ T-Cell Adhesion to Islet Microvascular Endothelium
Authors: Sharp Christopher D. , Huang Meng , Glawe John , Patrick D. Ross , Pardue Sible , Barlow Shayne C. , Kevil Christopher G.
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE—Diabetogenic T-cell recruitment into pancreatic islets faciltates β-cell destruction during autoimmune diabetes, yet specific mechanisms governing this process are poorly understood. The chemokine stromal cell–derived factor-1 (SDF-1) controls T-cell recruitment, and genetic polymorphisms of SDF-1 are associated with early development of type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Here, we examined the role of SDF-1 regulation of diabetogenic T-cell adhesion to islet microvascular endothelium. Islet microvascular endothelial cell monolayers were activated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), subsequently coated with varying concentrations of SDF-1 (1–100 ng/ml), and assayed for T-cell/endothelial cell interactions under physiological flow conditions.

RESULTS—TNF-α significantly increased NOD/LtJ T-cell adhesion, which was completely blocked by SDF-1 in a dose-dependent manner, revealing a novel chemorepulsive effect. Conversely, SDF-1 enhanced C57BL/6J T-cell adhesion to TNF-α–activated islet endothelium, demonstrating that SDF-1 augments normal T-cell adhesion. SDF-1 chemorepulsion of NOD/LtJ T-cell adhesion was completely reversed by blocking Giα-protein–coupled receptor activity with pertussis toxin. CXCR4 protein expression was significantly decreased in NOD/LtJ T-cells, and inhibition of CXCR4 activity significantly reversed SDF-1 chemorepulsive effects. Interestingly, SDF-1 treatment significantly abolished T-cell resistance to shear-mediated detachment without altering adhesion molecule expression, thus demonstrating decreased integrin affinity and avidity.

CONCLUSIONS—In this study, we have identified a previously unknown novel function of SDF-1 in negatively regulating NOD/LtJ diabetogenic T-cell adhesion, which may be important in regulating diabetogenic T-cell recruitment into islets.
Life-Threatening Anaphylaxis to Kiwi Fruit and Prevalence of Kiwi Fruit Hypersensitivity in the United States
Authors: Freye Henry B.
Published: October 2007

Life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to the ingestion of kiwi fruit has not been previously reported. We present two patients who sustained such reactions, a 65-year-old female and a 3½-year-old boy. Subsequently, a collaborative study was undertaken with the assistance of 25 allergists; this study includes more than 30 patients with kiwi-fruit sensitivity.
Sarcoidosis Presenting as Chronic Sinusitis with Facial Fistulization
Authors: Fischer Robert L. , Kennedy Kevin S.
Published: October 2007

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology most commonly affecting young adults and frequently presenting with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, pulmonary infiltration, and skin or eye lesions. Usually there is involvement of more than one organ system with clinical and radiographic findings supported by histological evidence of widespread noncaseating, epitheloid cell granulomas. The clinical course varies from a self-limited mild problem to a fulminant progressive widespread granulomatous inflammatory process producing severe fibrosis. An unusual case of sarcoidosis that presented with chronic sinusitis with fistulization onto the nasal dorsum and stenosis of the nasal vestibules is reported. The literature concerning the subject is reviewed. Long-term treatment for many years may be required to prevent clinical relapse.
Anaerobic Bacteria in Normal and in Chronically Inflamed Paranasal Sinus Mucosa
Authors: Posawetz W. , Stammberger H. , Horina J. , Samitz M. , Reisinger E.
Published: October 2007

The bacterial flora of 47 maxillary sinuses was examined. The growth of anaerobic germs in 23 specimens of chronically inflamed maxillary sinuses was compared to 16 specimens of normal maxillary sinuses. Anaerobic growth was registered in 56.5% of chronically inflamed as well as in 43.7% of healthy sinuses. Statistically this is no significant difference. As anaerobic bacteria should not preponderate and turn pathogenic, the aim of treatment in chronic sinusitis should be the restitution of drainage and ventilation via the physiological pathways.
Otolaryngological and Rhinomanometric Findings in Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Leiberman Alberto , Cole Philip , Corey Mary , Forte Vito , Levison Henry
Published: October 2007

Clinical assessments and rhinomanometric evaluations were performed in 143 consecutive cystic fibrosis (CF) patients ranging in age from 4 to 40 years (mean, 18.8). Nasal stuffiness, the most common symptom, correlated strongly with polyposis; however, nasal airflow resistance (NR) was not correlated with the incidence of polyps. Diminished NR was found in many CF patients, in 57 of them NR was < 1.0 cm H2O/L/sec (Pa/cm3/sec × 10), and was associated with impaired pulmonary function (p = 0.001).
Final Reading Outcomes of the National Randomized Field Trial of Success for All
Authors: Borman Geoffrey D. , Slavin Robert E. , Cheung Alan C. K. , Chamberlain Anne M. , Madden Nancy A. , Chambers Bette
Published: October 2007

Using a cluster randomization design, schools were randomly assigned to implement Success for All, a comprehensive reading reform model, or control methods. This article reports final literacy outcomes for a 3-year longitudinal sample of children who participated in the treatment or control condition from kindergarten through second grade and a combined longitudinal and in-mover student sample, both of which were nested within 35 schools. Hierarchical linear model analyses of all three outcomes for both samples revealed statistically significant school-level effects of treatment assignment as large as one third of a standard deviation. The results correspond with the Success for All program theory, which emphasizes both comprehensive school-level reform and targeted student-level achievement effects through a multi-year sequencing of literacy instruction.
Qualifications and Assignments of Alternatively Certified Teachers: Testing Core Assumptions
Authors: Cohen-Vogel Lora , Smith Thomas M.
Published: October 2007

By analyzing data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, the authors empirically test four of the core assumptions embedded in current arguments for expanding alternative teacher certification (AC): AC attracts experienced candidates from fields outside of education; AC attracts top-quality, well-trained teachers; AC disproportionately trains teachers to teach in hard-to-staff schools; and AC alleviates out-of-field teaching. Although there are some differences in the backgrounds of alternatively and traditionally certified teachers, the findings suggest that AC programs have not substantially changed the pool from which new teachers are drawn. Findings further indicate that AC programs do not attract a disproportionate number of candidates to teach in difficult-to-staff schools, nor are they effective means for solving the problem of out-of-field teaching.
Hidden Benefits and Unintended Consequences of No Child Left Behind Policies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: Cawthon Stephanie W.
Published: October 2007

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of this article is to explore the hidden benefits and consequences of NCLB policy on SDHH in two areas: assessment and accountability. Drawing on findings from the author’s program of research, the article illustrates areas where policy may differentially affect students depending on their state of residence and educational setting. The discussion ends with a summary of benefits and hidden consequences of NCLB for SDHH.
Purification and Concentration of DNA from Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Moore David , Dowhan Dennis
Published: October 2007

This unit presents basic procedures for manipulating solutions of single‐ or double‐stranded DNA through purification and concentration steps. These techniques are useful when proteins or solute molecules need to be removed from aqueous solutions, or when DNA solutions need to be concentrated. The Basic Protocol, using phenol extraction and ethanol (or isopropanol) precipitation, is appropriate for purification of DNA from small volumes (<0.4 ml) at concentrations lower than 1 mg/ml. Three support protocols outline methods to buffer the phenol used in extractions, concentrate DNA using butanol, and extract residual organic solvents with ether, respectively. An alternative to these methods is nucleic acid purification using glass beads, and this technique is also presented. These protocols may also be used for purifying RNA. The final two alternate protocols are used for concentrating RNA and extracting and precipitating DNA from larger volumes and from dilute solutions, and for removing low‐molecular‐weight oligonucleotides and triphosphates. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 38:A.3C.1‐A.3C.10. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.