bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
p35 interacts with α‐tubulin and organelle proteins: Nuclear translocation of p35 in dying cells
Authors: Son Yonghae , Kim Sunmi , Choi Kyungha , Park Youngchul , Eo Seongkug , Kim Youngkook , Rhim Byungyong , Kim Koanhoi
Published: August 2009

We identified heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) C1/C2, hnRNP A1, the translocase of the transporter outer membrane 40 (TOM40), and α‐tubulin as new interaction partners of anti‐apoptotic protein p35 using MS‐based functional proteomics with GST‐p35 fusion protein as a bait, and using a pull‐down assay with p35‐6His followed by Western blot analysis. p35 was localized in the cytoplasm and in distinct organelles such as the nucleus and mitochondria. p35 was more abundant in the cytoplasm than it was in the nucleus. It co‐localized with α‐tubulin in the cytoplasm in the absence of a death stimulus. However, while cells were undergoing death induced by actinomycin D, cytoplasmic p35 was translocated into the nucleus; this process was inhibited by deletions of the N‐ and C‐terminal domains containing leucine‐rich motifs. Gene delivery of p35 using recombinant adenoviruses inhibited cytoplasmic compartmentalization of hnRNP C1/C2 and hnRNP A1 in dying cells. This study demonstrated translocation of p35 into the nuclei, as well as protection of the hnRNPs from redistribution in cells undergoing death. We propose an active role for p35 in maintaining the integrity of nuclear proteins during cell death.
A kinetic assessment of the C. elegans amyloid disaggregation activity enables uncoupling of disassembly and proteolysis
Authors: Bieschke Jan , Cohen Ehud , Murray Amber , Dillin Andrew , Kelly Jeffery W.
Published: August 2009

Protein aggregation is a common feature of late onset neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's disease, misassembly of the Aβ peptide is genetically linked to proteotoxicity associated with disease etiology. A reduction in Aβ proteotoxicity is accomplished, in part, by the previously reported Aβ disaggregation and proteolysis activities–under partial control of heat shock factor 1, a transcription factor regulating proteostasis in the cytosol and negatively regulated by insulin growth factor signaling. Herein, we report an improved in vitro assay to quantify recombinant fibrillar Aβ disaggregation kinetics accomplished by the exogenous application of C.elegans extracts. With this assay we demonstrate that the Aβ disaggregation and proteolysis activities of C.elegans are separable. The disaggregation activity found in C.elegans preparations is more heat resistant than the proteolytic activity. Aβ disaggregation in the absence of proteolysis was found to be a reversible process. Future discovery of the molecular basis of the disaggregation and proteolysis activities offers the promise of delaying the age‐onset proteotoxicity that leads to neurodegeneration in a spectrum of maladies.
Assessment of disorder predictions in CASP8
Authors: Noivirt‐Brik Orly , Prilusky Jaime , Sussman Joel L.
Published: August 2009

The interest in intrinsically disordered proteins has greatly increased, as it has become clear that they are very widespread, especially in eukaryotic organisms. Functionally, they appear to play a significant role in the control of many cellular processes and signalling pathways and have been, also, associated with a number of diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's. Thus, there is enormous interest in attempts to predict disordered regions in proteins solely from knowledge of their amino acid sequences. In this study, we assess the quality of predictions for 25 groups on predicting disordered regions in 122 target proteins. In addition, we suggest the need of a “knowledge‐independent” measure that would enable one to normalize the results of the different CASP experiments and to determine whether the disorder prediction field had improved across the years. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Critical assessment of methods of protein structure prediction—Round VIII
Authors: Moult John , Fidelis Krzysztof , Kryshtafovych Andriy , Rost Burkhard , Tramontano Anna
Published: August 2009

This article is an introduction to the special issue of the journal Proteins, dedicated to the eighth CASP experiment to assess the state of the art in protein structure prediction. The article describes the conduct of the experiment, the categories of prediction included, and outlines the evaluation and assessment procedures. Highlights are the first blind assessment of model refinement methods showing that under some circumstances substantial model improvements are possible; improvements in the performance of methods for determining the accuracy of a model; and some progress in the accuracy of comparative models in regions not present in a principal template. Against these advances must be stacked the fact that there is no detectable progress in model quality compared with CASP7 in either template‐based or template free modeling, using the established CASP measures. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modeling reaction routes from rhodopsin to bathorhodopsin
Authors: Khrenova M. G. , Bochenkova A. V. , Nemukhin A. V.
Published: August 2009

The quantum mechanical–molecular mechanical (QM/MM) theory was applied to calculate accurate structural parameters, vibrational and optical spectra of bathorhodopsin (BATHO), one of the primary photoproducts of the functional cycle of the visual pigment rhodopsin (RHO), and to characterize reaction routes from RHO to BATHO. The recently resolved crystal structure of BATHO (PDBID: 2G87) served as an initial source of coordinates of heavy atoms. Protein structures in the ground electronic state and vibrational frequencies were determined by using the density functional theory in the PBE0/cc‐pVDZ approximation for the QM part and the AMBER force field parameters in the MM part. Calculated and assigned vibrational spectra of both model protein systems, BATHO and RHO, cover three main regions referring to the hydrogen‐out‐of‐plan (HOOP) motion, the CC ethylenic stretches, and the CC single‐bond stretches. The S0–S1electronic excitation energies of the QM part, including the chromophore group in the field of the protein matrix, were estimated by using the advanced quantum chemistry methods. The computed structural parameters as well as the spectral bands match perfectly the experimental findings. A structure of the transition state on the S0potential energy surface for the ground electronic state rearrangement from RHO to BATHO was located proving a possible route of the thermal protein activation to the primary photoproduct. Proteins 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Study of the impact of the T877A mutation on ligand‐induced helix‐12 positioning of the androgen receptor resulted in design and synthesis of novel antiandrogens
Authors: Zhou Jinming , Liu Bing , Geng Guoyan , Wu Jian Hui
Published: August 2009

Antiandrogen flutamide, an antagonist of the wild‐type androgen receptor (AR), is used in the clinics for treating metastatic prostate cancer. However, the T877A mutated AR is paradoxically activated by hydroxyflutamide, an active form of flutamide. Despite of crystallographic studies, how the T877A mutation results in antagonist‐agonist conversion of hydroxyflutamide remains a puzzle. Here, started from a structural model of the apo form of AR ligand‐binding domain (AR‐LBD), we have investigated the impact of the T877A mutation on ligand‐induced helix‐12 positioning by replica‐exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulations with an unique protocol, which is capable of simulating the H12 dynamics and keeping the main body of AR‐LBD unchanged. Specifically, (i) we have computationally demonstrated that on the binding of hydroxyflutamide, the apo form of H12 rearranges into the agonistic form in the T877A mutant, but into the antagonistic forms in the wild‐type receptor, shedding light on hydroxyflutamide agonism/antagonism; (ii) By REMD simulations, we have predicted antiandrogen SC184 is a non‐agonist of the T877A mutant. This was confirmed by luciferase assays; and (iii) on the basis of the binding modes of hydroxyflutamide and SC184 from the simulations, we designed a novel flutamide derivative called SC333, which was subsequently predicted to be a pure antagonist of the T877A mutant. We then synthesized and experimentally confirmed SC333 is a pan‐antiandrogen effective against the wild‐type and the T877A and W741C mutated ARs, showing low micromolar cytotoxicity in LNCaP cells. Importantly, we demonstrated that distribution of the H12 conformations from REMD simulations is correlated with ligand agonist/antagonist activity. Proteins 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mechanism of shear transformation in Ge–Bi–Te alloys
Authors: Sun Chang Woo , Lee Jeong Yong , Kim Yong Tae
Published: August 2009

Since the rhombohedral unit cell in the NaCl lattice is caused by distortion along the 〈111〉 NaCl direction, the same phenomenon is expected during phase transition of Ge–Bi–Te (GBT). With this assumption, we performed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies on the phase transition in GBT alloys annealed at temperatures between the two crystallization temperatures. Atomic‐scale TEM images show the formation of a GBT intermediate structure during the phase transition. Using the obtained results, we developed a new phase transition model in which the Ge/Bi layers are ordered in the 〈111〉 direction; further, continuous shearing and dilation occur in the {111} plane in 〈110〉 direction. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Shine a light with nitrides
Authors: Schnick Wolfgang
Published: August 2009

The Expert Opinion is written by a distinguished scientist and presents his personal view on important and relevant new results of research, highlighting their significance and putting the work into perspective for a broader audience. Please send comments to pss.rapid@wiley‐vch.de or to the author.

The text by Wolfgang Schnick refers to the Rapid Research Letter by R. Mueller‐Mach et al., published in this issue of Phys. Status Solidi RRL 3, 215 (2009). (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A new subspace method for blind estimation of selective MIMO‐STBC channels
Authors: Vía Javier , Santamaría Ignacio , Pérez Jesús , Vielva Luis
Published: August 2009

In this paper, a new technique for the blind estimation of frequency and/or time‐selective multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) channels under space‐time block coding (STBC) transmissions is presented. The proposed method relies on a basis expansion model (BEM) of the MIMO channel, which reduces the number of parameters to be estimated, and includes many practical STBC‐based transmission scenarios, such as STBC‐orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), space‐frequency block coding (SFBC), time‐reversal STBC, and time‐varying STBC encoded systems. Inspired by the unconstrained blind maximum likelihood (UML) decoder, the proposed criterion is a subspace method that efficiently exploits all the information provided by the STBC structure, as well as by the reduced‐rank representation of the MIMO channel. The method, which is independent of the specific signal constellation, is able to blindly recover the MIMO channel within a small number of available blocks at the receiver side. In fact, for some particular cases of interest such as orthogonal STBC‐OFDM schemes, the proposed technique blindly identifies the channel using just one data block. The complexity of the proposed approach reduces to the solution of a generalized eigenvalue (GEV) problem and its computational cost is linear in the number of sub‐channels. An identifiability analysis and some numerical examples illustrating the performance of the proposed algorithm are also provided. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Choledochal Cysts in Children and Adults with Contrasting Profiles: 11‐Year Experience at a Tertiary Care Center in Kashmir
Authors: Shah Omar J. , Shera Altaf H. , Zargar Showkat A. , Shah Parveen , Robbani Irfan , Dhar Sunil , Khan Athar B.
Published: August 2009

Background

Choledochal cyst is a surgical problem usually related to infancy and childhood. Despite advancements in management, a large number of cases still present during adulthood. The clinical course and outcome in children varies from that in adults. This study focuses on these variations in terms of presentation, management, histopathology, and outcome.

Methods

An in‐depth retrospective analysis was carried out on 79 patients presenting with choledochal cysts between December 2007 and January 1997. The patients were segregated into two groups: group A comprising 32 children and group B with 47 adults. The presentation, clinical evaluation, radiologic, and biochemical findings; operative details; pathologic findings; and early and long‐term complications in the two groups were studied on a comparative basis.

Results

The male/female ratios were 1:3 and 1.0:2.3 in groups A and B, respectively. A history of previous biliary surgery, pancreatitis, cholangitis, peroperative difficulties, and early and late postoperative complications were 5.1, 5.4, 6.4, 5.4, 2.0, and 3.3 times more common in group B than in group A. However, the classic triad of jaundice, abdominal pain, and a mass was 6.7 times more common in group A than in group B. The classic triad and cholangitis were the only parameters that were statistically significant. Rare presentations of spontaneous perforation of the cyst or cachexia manifested only in group A patients. The methods of detection and operative treatment were identical for both groups. Histologically, fibrosis of the cyst wall was a feature peculiar to group A, whereas signs of inflammation and hyperplasia were predominantly seen in group B. In the group B series, one patient had cholangiocarcinoma and another gallbladder carcinoma; one more patient developed malignancy during follow‐up. Long‐term complications were seen in 29.7% of patients in group B versus 9.3% in group A; the most rampant complication was a type IVa cyst, seen in 68.7% of patients.

Conclusions

Choledochal cysts present differently in adults and children; whereas children present with the classic triad, adults present with common biliary or infective complications. Although the methods of detection and surgical treatment are similar for the two groups, the type IVa cyst typically seen in the adult group creates a marked deviation with respect to long‐term complications such as ascending cholangitis, anastomotic strictures, stone formation, and development of cholangiocarcinoma. These are areas of grave concern that can be addressed to a large extent by providing an access loop during the initial surgery especially for type IVa cysts. The glaring differences in terms of presentation, histologic picture, and outcome urges us to consider choledochal cysts in children as a separate entity.
Morphological Analysis of the Transverse Carpal Ligament
Authors: Pacek Corey A. , Chakan Matthew , Goitz Robert J. , Kaufmann Robert A. , Li Zong-Ming
Published: August 2009

Transection of the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) for carpal tunnel syndrome is commonly performed, yet actual knowledge of TCL morphology is rudimentary and the anatomical terminology is inconsistently used. The purpose of this study was to perform a morphological analysis of the TCL, to redefine the anatomical terminology concerning the TCL and surrounding structures, and to evaluate any correlation between external, measurable hand dimensions, and TCL dimensions. A silicone casting technique and digitization were employed to measure the morphology of the TCL in cadaveric specimens and to construct a three-dimensional TCL model. The TCL was the thickest distally at the midline and ulnar segments and the thickest proximally at the radial segment. External hand dimensions did not significantly correlate with TCL dimensions. The TCL thickness distribution is variable along the radioulnar axis. The thickness of the TCL was 2.1±0.8 mm, ranging from 1.3 to 3.0 mm.
Synergistic Effect of Functionalized Nickel Nanoparticles and Quercetin on Inhibition of the SMMC-7721 Cells Proliferation
Authors: Guo Dadong , Wu Chunhui , Li Jingyuan , Guo Airong , Li Qingning , Jiang Hui , Chen Baoan , Wang Xuemei
Published: August 2009

The effect of functionalized nickel (Ni) nanoparticles capped with positively charged tetraheptylammonium on cellular uptake of drug quercetin into hepatocellular carcinoma cells (SMMC-7721) has been explored in this study via microscopy and electrochemical characterization as well as MTT assay. Meanwhile, the influence of Ni nanoparticles and/or quercetin on cell proliferation has been further evaluated by the real-time cell electronic sensing (RT-CES) study. Our observations indicate that Ni nanoparticles could efficiently improve the permeability of cancer cell membrane, and remarkably enhance the accumulation of quercetin in SMMC-7721 cells, suggesting that Ni nanoparticles and quercetin would facilitate the synergistic effect on inhibiting proliferation of cancer cells.
Nitro‐fatty Acids Occur in Human Plasma in the Picomolar Range: a Targeted Nitro‐lipidomics GC–MS/MS Study
Authors: Tsikas Dimitrios , Zoerner Alexander A. , Mitschke Anja , Gutzki Frank‐Mathias
Published: August 2009

First studies on the occurrence of nitrated fatty acids in plasma of healthy subjects revealed basal concentrations of 600 nM for free/nonesterified nitro‐oleic acid (NO2‐OA) as measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). We recently showed by a gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method the physiological occurrence of two isomers, i.e., 9‐NO2‐OA and 10‐NO2‐OA, at mean basal plasma concentrations of 880 and 940 pM, respectively. In consideration of this large discrepancy we modified our originally reported method by replacing solid‐phase extraction (SPE) by solvent extraction with ethyl acetate and by omitting the high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) step for a more direct detection and with the potential for lipidomics studies. Intra‐assay imprecision and accuracy of the modified method in human plasma were 1–34% and 91–221%, respectively, for added NO2‐OA concentrations in the range 0–3,000 pM. This method provided basal plasma concentrations of 306 ± 44 pM for 9‐NO2‐OA and 316 ± 33 pM for 10‐NO2‐OA in 15 healthy subjects. Nitro‐arachidonic acid and nitro‐linolenic acid were not detectable in the plasma samples. In summary, our studies show 9‐NO2‐OA and 10‐NO2‐OA as endogenous nitrated fatty acids in human plasma in the pM range; HPLC is recommendable as a sample clean‐up step for reliable quantification of nitro‐oleic acids by GC–MS/MS.
Cholesterol, Lipid Content, and Fatty Acid Composition of Different Tissues of Farmed Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) from China
Authors: Liu Shu Cheng , Li De Tao , Hong Peng Zhi , Zhang Chao Hua , Ji Hong Wu , Gao Jia Long , Zhang Li
Published: August 2009

Marine fishes are rich in n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are extremely important for human health. The objective of our work was to determine the content and composition of lipids and fatty acids in the different tissues of cobia from China and to evaluate their nutritional value. The results showed that cobia from China was rich in lipids; the neutral lipid content was above 82%; the content of cholesterol and phospholipid was low. Eighteen fatty acids were identified. Myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), and stearic acids (C18:0) were the main saturated acids; palmitoleic (C16:1n‐7) and oleic acid (C18:1n‐9) were the main monounsaturated fatty acids. EPA and DHA were the main PUFA; n‐3 and n‐6 PUFA were present as 12–18% and 2.6–3.2% of the total fatty acids, respectively. The n‐6/n‐3 ratio was in the range from 0.18 to 0.22, which was far lower than that (5:1) recommended by WHO/FAO. Therefore, cobia lipids from China have a high nutritional value.
Enzyme‐Assisted Aqueous Extraction of Kalahari Melon Seed Oil: Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Nyam Kar Lin , Tan Chin Ping , Lai Oi Ming , Long Kamariah , Man Yaakob B. Che
Published: August 2009

Enzymatic extraction of oil from Kalahari melon seeds was investigated and evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Two commercial protease enzyme products were used separately: Neutrase® 0.8 L and Flavourzyme® 1000 L from Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark). RSM was applied to model and optimize the reaction conditions namely concentration of enzyme (20–50 g kg−1 of seed mass), initial pH of mixture (pH 5–9), incubation temperature (40–60 °C), and incubation time (12–36 h). Well fitting models were successfully established for both enzymes: Neutrase 0.8 L (R2 = 0.9410) and Flavourzyme 1000 L (R2 = 0.9574) through multiple linear regressions with backward elimination. Incubation time was the most significant reaction factor on oil yield for both enzymes. The optimal conditions for Neutrase 0.8 L were: an enzyme concentration of 25 g kg−1, an initial pH of 7, a temperature at 58 °C and an incubation time of 31 h with constant shaking at 100 rpm. Centrifuging the mixture at 8,000g for 20 min separated the oil with a recovery of 68.58 ± 3.39%. The optimal conditions for Flavourzyme 1000 L were enzyme concentration of 21 g kg−1, initial pH of 6, temperature at 50 °C and incubation time of 36 h. These optimum conditions yielded a 71.55 ± 1.28% oil recovery.
Characteristics of Oil from Hulless Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Bran from Tibet
Authors: Qian Junwei , Jiang Siping , Su Wentao , Gao Ping
Published: August 2009

The bran of hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from Tibet was investigated. This paper reports on the physicochemical characteristics, lipid classes and fatty acids of the oil from the bran. The petroleum (60–90 °C) extract of hulless barley bran was found to be 8.1%. The investigated physiochemical parameters included density at 40 °C (0.96 g/cm3), refractive index at 40 °C (1.41), melting point (30.12 °C), acid value (11.6 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (19.41 μg/g), saponification value (337.62 mg KOH/g), iodine value (113.51 mg iodine/g) and unsaponifiable matter (4.5% of total lipids).The amount of neutral lipids in the crude oil was the highest (94.55% of total lipids), followed by glycolipids (4.20% of the total lipid) and phospholipids (1.25% of the total lipid). Linoleic acid (75.08% of total fatty acids) followed by palmitic acid (20.58% of total fatty acids), were the two major fatty acids in the oil. The results show that the oil from the hulless barley bran could be a good source of valuable essential fatty acids.
An age- and sex-matched comparative study on both-bone diaphyseal paediatric forearm fracture
Authors: Teoh Kar Hao , Chee Yu-Han , Shortt Nicholas , Wilkinson Graham , Porter Daniel E.
Published: August 2009

Purpose

Intramedullary (IM) nailing and plating are recognised fixation methods for both-bone midshaft forearm fractures. Although both methods are effective, IM nailing has recently been the accepted operative treatment for the paediatric population. The aim of the study was to compare the differences in the radiographic and functional outcomes of an age- and sex-matched cohort of children following treatment by IM fixation or plate fixation with screws for an unstable both-bone diaphyseal fracture.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted and 17 age- and sex-matched pairs of patients returned for a research review clinic. The average age of our patients was 11.6 years at follow up, with 11 boys and six girls in each group. The mean follow up was similar in both groups (IM 31.5 months, plating 31.8 months).

Results

Plating and IM nailing result in good or excellent functional and radiological outcomes. Radiographs at the review clinic showed complete healing in the plating group, with reconstitution of the radial bow. Three patients in the IM group did not regain the natural radial bow radiographically. There were no significant differences between both groups for maximum radial bow and its location ( P > 0.05). However, the maximum radial bow was significantly different from normative values in both groups ( P = 0.003 plate, P = 0.005 IM). No non-union or malunion was observed. There were no significant differences in the loss of forearm motion and grip strength between both groups. There was no difference in the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) scores between both groups. The plating group had a significantly worse Manchester scar score than the IM group ( P = 0.012). One major complication was observed in each group: osteomyelitis for IM fixation and ulnar never palsy for plating.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that functional outcome is likely to be equivalent, regardless of which method of internal fixation is used.
“I Am Wholly Your Own”: Liturgical Piety and Community among the Nuns of Helfta
Authors: Harrison Anna
Published: August 2009

When William James long ago characterized the God of the thirteenth-century Cistercian cloister of Helfta, in Saxony, as “full of partiality for his individual favorites,” he might have illustrated his claim with any number of passages from three of the surviving works composed by the nuns of Helfta, theBook of Special Grace, associated with Mechtild of Hackeborn (1241–ca. 1298/99), theHerald of Divine Love, associated with Gertrude of Helfta (1256–ca. 1301/02), and theSpiritual Exercises, written by Gertrude. James drew his readers' attention to the following account from theHerald:

Suffering from a headache, she [Gertrude] sought, for the glory of God, to relieve herself by holding certain odoriferous substances in her mouth, when the Lord appeared to her to lean over towards her lovingly, and to find comfort himself in these odors. After having gently breathed them in, He arose, and said with a gratified air to the Saints, as if contented with what he had done: “See the new present which my betrothed has given Me!”
Luigi Lippomano, His Vicars, and the Reform of Verona from the Pulpit
Authors: Michelson Emily
Published: August 2009

Luigi Lippomano was a deeply worried man. He had heard that Lutheran ideas were being debated openly in Verona—even in such inappropriate places as “the piazzas, the workshops, the taverns, and even the women's washrooms.” As bishop of Verona, responsible for the city's spiritual health, he feared that he would see the city reduced to outright heresy. He felt increasingly stymied, watching his flock “become more corrupted every day” from inappropriate books and conversation, the “idle chatter of a few gossips.” And so, at a certain point, he had had enough. “How can I … stay silent,” he asked, “cross my hands, close my eyes, shut my ears, and act like a mute dog that cannot growl?” The result of his frustration and fury was a series of publications seeking to block the perceived threat of Protestant infiltration.
The Impact of the Boll Weevil, 1892–1932
Authors: Lange Fabian , Olmstead Alan L. , Rhode Paul W.
Published: August 2009

The boll weevil is America's most celebrated agricultural pest. We analyze new county-level panel data to provide sharp estimates of the time path of the insect's effects on the southern economy. We find that in anticipation of the contact, farmers increased production, attempting to squeeze out one last large crop. Upon arrival, the weevil had a large negative and lasting impact on cotton production, acreage, and especially yields. In response, rather than taking land out of agricultural production, farmers shifted to other crops. We also find striking effects on land values and population movements.
Competition in the Promised Land: Black Migration and Racial Wage Convergence in the North, 1940–1970
Authors: Boustan Leah Platt
Published: August 2009

Four million blacks left the South from 1940 to 1970, doubling the northern black workforce. I exploit variation in migrant flows within skill groups over time to estimate the elasticity of substitution by race. I then use this estimate to calculate counterfactual rates of wage growth. I find that black wages in the North would have been around 7 percent higher in 1970 if not for the migrant influx, while white wages would have remained unchanged. On net, migration was an avenue for black economic advancement, but the migration created both winners and losers.
Quantifying Quantitative Literacy: Age Heaping and the History of Human Capital
Authors: A'Hearn Brian , Baten Jörg , Crayen Dorothee
Published: August 2009

Age data frequently display excess frequencies at attractive numbers, such as multiples of five. We use this “age heaping” to measure cognitive ability in quantitative reasoning, or “numeracy.” We construct a database of age heaping estimates with exceptional geographic and temporal coverage, and demonstrate a robust correlation of literacy and numeracy, where both can be observed. Extending the temporal and geographic range of our knowledge of human capital, we show that Western Europe had already diverged from the east and reached high numeracy levels by 1600, long before the rise of mass schooling or the onset of industrialization.
Process evaluation of schistosomiasis control in Uganda, 2003 to 2006: perceptions, attitudes and constraints of a national programme
Authors: FLEMING F. M. , FENWICK A. , TUKAHEBWA E. M. , LUBANGA R. G. N. , NAMWANGYE H. , ZARAMBA S. , KABATEREINE N. B.
Published: August 2009

Schistosomiasis is widespread in Uganda along large lakes and rivers with approximately 4 million people infected. Hookworm infections also prevalent throughout the country, while infections withAscaris lumbricoidesandTrichuris trichiuraare mainly found in south-western Uganda. A national programme aimed at controlling morbidity due to these infections was launched in 2003. This article describes the perceptions, attitudes, constraints and experiences of those implementing the programme and those receiving the treatment. The study used qualitative data collected largely in two districts but also from 18 other districts implementing the programme. Results showed that mass treatment was perceived to be beneficial because the drugs make people feel better. However, side-effects of praziquantel (PZQ), the smell and size of the tablets and the use of height, not weight, to determine dose were raised as major factors discouraging people from taking the drug. Generally, most of the end-users were appreciative of the programme and were beginning to demand regular treatment. Nevertheless, intensive and sustained health education is still vital for improvement of treatment coverage, especially among the non-compliers. It was repeatedly highlighted that there is a need to stock PZQ in all health facilities in endemic areas. Provision of incentives to drug distributors and to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the planning phase were also raised by respondents. Lessons learned for the development and success of a helminth control programme at a national scale are discussed.
Crossing boundaries: The nexus of time, space, person, and place in narrative
Authors: SCHIFFRIN DEBORAH
Published: August 2009

Recent research on narrative has widened the scope of analysis, suggesting the value of reexamining the canonical Labovian view of the structure and function of personal-experience narrative. This article suggests that narrative is not simply a way of evoking and shaping experience in time. Rather, narrative can evoke and shape cultural “chronotopes” (Bakhtin 1981) or nexuses of time, space, and identity. To illustrate this, I analyze a narrative from an oral history related in 1972 by a young woman whose volunteer work in the mid-1960s led to the rehabilitation of a small African American enclave in a middle-class White suburb. Analysis of clause types, constructed dialogue, existentialthere, deixis, verb chains, and referring expressions shows that the narrative is a blend of genres evoking place as well as personal identity linked to complex coordinates of time and space, and dependent intertextually on other parts of a larger story. (Narrative, oral history, chronotope, space, place, identity, genre)*
Dizque, evidentiality, and stance in Valley Spanish
Authors: BABEL ANNA M.
Published: August 2009

While information sources have largely been treated as transparent categories in the literature on evidentiality, understandings of information source can be culturally and situationally variable. This article proposes that the strictly linguistic information encoded in reportative evidentials cannot be cleanly separated from social influences. Defining an information source, especially when referring to information reported by another person, serves social purposes, such as casting doubt, framing gossip, distancing oneself, or indicating empathy. Using the concept of speaker stance, this study explores the relationship of information source to the interpersonal relationships and interactions that are encoded in this linguistic form. Data from a contact variety of Spanish spoken in central Bolivia provide evidence thatdiz(que), a Spanish word, has undergone influence from Quechua to become a systematic reportative evidential marker in this variety of Bolivian Spanish. Speakers use information source marking in order to shade subtleties of relationships and authority. (Evidentiality, speaker stance, Andean Spanish, Bolivian Spanish, language contact, linguistic anthropology)*
Meeting Need
Authors: HASSOUN NICOLE
Published: August 2009

This article considers the question ‘How should institutions enable people to meet their needs in situations where there is no guarantee that all needs can be met?’ After considering and rejecting several simple principles for meeting needs, it suggests a neweffectivenessprinciple that (1) gives greater weight to the needs of the less well off and (2) gives weight to enabling a greater number of people to meet their needs. The effectiveness principle has some advantage over the main competitors including a principle suggested by David Miller inPrinciples of Social Justice. Miller argues that his principle accounts for the existing data on individuals' intuitions about meeting needs. The effectiveness principle better accounts for this data. Furthermore, this article presents a new experiment on intuitions about meeting need that is consistent with the effectiveness principle but not Miller's principle.
Pain, Dislike and Experience
Authors: KAHANE GUY
Published: August 2009

It is widely held that it is only contingent that the sensation of pain is disliked, and that when pain is not disliked, it is not intrinsically bad. This conjunction of claims has often been taken to support a subjectivist view of pain's badness on which pain is bad simply because it is the object of a negative attitude and not because of what it feels like. In this article, I argue that accepting this conjunction of claims does not commit us to this subjectivist view. They are compatible with an objectivist view of pain's badness, and with thinking that this badness is due to its phenomenal quality. Indeed, I argue that once the full range of options is in view, the most plausible account of pain is incompatible with subjectivism about value.
Utilitarianism and Psychological Realism
Authors: RIETTI SOPHIE
Published: August 2009

Utilitarianism has frequently been criticized for lacking psychological realism, but what this means and why it is thought to matter varies. This article distinguishes and examines three main relevant kinds of appeals to psychological realism: (a) A minimalist, self-avowedly metaethically neutral and empirically based ‘ought implies can’ approach, exemplified by Owen Flanagan. (b) Arguments from psychological costs and flourishing, exemplified by Michael Stocker and Bernard Williams. (c) ‘Thick’ psychological realism, exemplified by Elizabeth Anscombe, where a conception of human nature does not simply provide constraints on value theory, but forms the substantive basis on which it builds. The main challenge raised for utilitarianism turns out to be metaethical, not a matter of empirical psychology. The question is not so much whether utilitarianism can accommodate (putative) descriptive facts of human psychology as such, but what normative weight these facts should be given and why.
Consequentialism, Integrity, and Ordinary Morality
Authors: RAJCZI ALEX
Published: August 2009

Consequentialism is enticing but also seems overly demanding. As a result, many non-consequentialists try to explain why we aren't required to maximize the good. One explanation is the Integrity Explanation: we are not required to maximize the good because morality must make room for us to pursue our projects and interests. Some people hope that the Integrity Explanation will not just explain why consequentialism is false, but simultaneously vindicate the common-sense permission to generally refrain from promoting the good of other people and instead spend our time on non-harmful actions of our choice. I argue that this hope is unrealistic, because if any version of the Integrity Explanation is correct, morality will not contain broad permissions to refrain from promoting the good of others and do as we choose.
Histological and stereological characterization of brown trout (Salmo trutta) trunk kidney
Authors: Resende A. D. , Lobo-da-Cunha A. , Malhão F. , Franquinho F. , Monteiro R. A. F. , Rocha E.
Published: August 2009

The large macro- and microscopic variability in kidney morphology among fish makes it difficult to build a “universal” understanding on its function and structure. Species-specific studies are thus needed. Thus, morphological study of brown trout trunk kidney was performed, considering potential seasonal and gender effects.
Structural insights on melanocortin 5 receptor targeting to cell surface
Authors: Rodrigues A. R. , Almeida H. , Gouveia A. M.
Published: August 2009

The melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R) is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) with a typical seventransmembrane-domain structure. It is assumed that all GPCRs undergo several post-transcriptional modifications during synthesis and folding until finally target to the cell membrane. The available information about the specific domains responsible for the correct targeting of the melanocortin receptors to the cell surface is scarce. Regarding MC5R, it was shown that the first 20 aminoacids of the human receptor can be deleted without affecting the ligand binding affinity, but further deletions of the N terminus resulted in total loss of binding. These results were not directly correlated with the cell surface expression levels of the receptor. Thus, we aim to define the specific MC5R domains important to its correct trafficking and signaling, and preliminary results are here presented.
Morphological characterization of Frangula azorica bark as a potential herbal drug
Authors: Curica C. , Serrano R. , Gomes E. T. , Silva O.
Published: August 2009

Frangula azorica V. Grubow (Rhamnaceae), locally known as “sanguinho”, is an Azorean endemism inscribed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Morphological, chemical and biological studies on F. azorica are scarce, but preliminary studies on the bark of this species enable the identification of anthraquinone derivatives as major compounds of this plant part. This kind of compounds are present and responsible for the laxative activity of Frangulae cortex and Rhamni purshianae cortex, two well known herbal drugs of the Western Pharmacopoeias belonging to the same botanical familly (Rhamnaceae).
Immunofluorescent study of the expression of Ang1, Ang2 and Tie2 in the corpus cavernosum of the Rat during aging
Authors: Figueiredo António , Cordeiro Ana Lúcia , Almeida Henrique , Neves Delminda
Published: August 2009

Aging is a recognized risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED) contributing to vascular damage of penile tissue. Vascular system seems to be particularly prone to develop dysfunction along chronological aging, as supported by studies that associate aging with reduced endothelium-dependent dilation, atherosclerosis progression and angiogenic deficit in specific tissues. Cavernous tissue is particularly sensitive to atherosclerotic disease and to structural changes of the small vessels of the penis which conduces to functional impairment.
Iron-citrate can induce cell senescent phenotype in human fibroblasts in vitro
Authors: Matos L. , Almeida H.
Published: August 2009

After a number of replications, human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) in culture lose the ability to divide, become insensitive to further proliferation and enter a state of replicative senescence (RS). Subcytotoxic doses of several stressful agents such as hydrogen peroxide, tertbutylhydroperoxide or ethanol, are able to cause stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) in HDFs in vitro. Such senescent cells display many features of RS as growth arrest, senescence associated beta-galactosidase (SA beta-gal), cell enlargement and overexpression of several genes (e.g., p21, TGF beta-1,IGFBP3). During ageing, iron accumulates in several tissues in vivo, and also in senescent HDFs in vitro. Due to its redox-active properties, it promotes hydroxyl radical production (Fenton reaction) and eventually leads to cell injury. Free radical reactions are known to cause the accumulation of intracellular damage resulting in ageing. Iron may thus be able to cause SIPS. The main objective of the present study was to investigate whether the exposure of HDFs to a subcytotoxic concentration of iron is able to cause SIPS.
Inflammatory response of young rabbits to calicivirus infection
Authors: Marques R. M. , Águas A. P. , Costa-e-Silva A. , Ferreira P. G.
Published: August 2009

Caliciviruses cause rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) that kills more than 90% of the infected adult animals within 1 a 3 days of infection. The virus replicates in the liver and causes a fulminant hepatitis in adult rabbits leading to RHD. A mystery of the calicivirus infection is that young rabbits (less than 8-weeks old) are resistant to the infection, in spite of undergoing viral replication in the liver and of expressing transient hepatitis. Heterophils were the predominant inflammatory cells seen in hepatic tissue of infected adult rabbits, whereas mononuclear cells dominated the inflammatory infiltrates of the infected young rabbits (4-weeks-old). In order to define the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of the calicivirus infection, we have studied the cellular inflammatory response in young rabbits experimentally infected by calicivirus. For this, we have used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and flow cytometry to identify the inflammatory cells that infiltrate the hepatic tissue of young rabbits at 48 hours of calicivirus infection. In same infected rabbits, lymphoid organs (spleen and thymus) were used to quantify by flow cytometry the total number of leukocytes seen inside these organs.
Exposition of cork oak roots to cryptogein reduced the infection by Phytophtora cinnamomi
Authors: Maia I. , Medeira C. , Diniz I. , Candeias I. , Melo E. , Cravador A.
Published: August 2009

The oomycete P. cinnamomi has been described as strong contributing factor to the decline of cork oak and holm oak stands occurring in the Iberian Peninsula. There are no eradication methods available against this pathogen. Molecular mechanisms of oomycete — host interaction are not well understood, but it is known that oomycete species can induce biochemical and physiological processes in their host plants through a diverse array of virulence or avirulence molecules, known as effectors. Several Phytophtora effector molecules, the elicitins, are able to induce cellular defence responses in plants. Among these elicitors the 10- KDa (elicitins) are able to enhance plant defences in a systemic acquired resistance manner, against infection of different pathogens.
Ultrastructure and molecular cytogenetics of human metaphase II oocytes with granular vacuoles
Authors: Soares Célia , Azevedo Ana Raquel , Almeida Carolina , Oliveira Elsa , Alves Ângela , Silva Joaquina , Sá Rosália , Barros Alberto , Sousa Mário
Published: August 2009

Studies demonstrated poor fertilization rates and compromised early embryo development in cases of oocytes with dark and granular ooplasm, or with central granular ooplasm and presence of a refractile body. Many other structural abnormalities of human mature oocytes do exist, but remain to be evaluated. In the present study we characterized granular vacuoles (GVa) of mature metaphase II human oocytes. Surplus abnormal MII oocytes (n=6) with GVa were used under informed consent, after controlled superovulation during IVF treatment cycles. In all cases, patients had normal karyotypes. For electron microscopy oocytes were fixed with karnovsky fixative for 2h at 4°C, post-fixed in 1-2% OsO4 in buffer containing 0,8% K3Fe3+(CN)6, dehydrated in ethanol series, equilibrated with propylene oxide and embedded in Epon. Semithin sections were stained with aqueous azur II and methylene blue (1:1). Ultrathin sections were stained with 3% aquous uranyl acetate (20 min) and Reynols lead citrate (10 min). Sections were observed with a transmission electron microscope JEOL 100CXII operated at 60kV.
Palynology of the genus Pulicaria Gaertn. (Asteraceae, Inuleae, Inulinae) in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Coutinho A. Pereira , Dinis A. M.
Published: August 2009

Pulicaria is the third largest genus of the tribe Inuleae. It comprises ca. 80 species of shrubs, shrublets and herbs with a European, North African and Asian distribution. All of the 5 European species are represented in the Iberian Peninsula. The genus has taxonomic problems, as recent cladistic analysis showed that, like the other two great genera of Inuleae (Inula and Blumea), Pulicaria is a paraphyletic taxon. In fact, the species investigated so far were placed in two distinct clades. Moreover, the species status of Pulicaria microcephala, a Portuguese endemism of Berlengas Islands, is still controversial. As already demonstrated by several authors, the palynological data are of great importance to understand the evolution, taxonomy and ecology of the Asteraceae. However, in spite of a few relevant contributions, the palynology of Pulicaria is still insufficiently known. In the present work we investigated the palynology of the Iberian species of Pulicaria using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The exine structure of Pulicaria paludosa was also investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
A light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopic study of a Fetal mouse Skin Dendritic Cell line (FSDC)
Authors: Dinis A. M. , Cruz M. T. , Lopes M. C. , Batista M. T.
Published: August 2009

Dendritic cells (DC) are major players in initiating immune responses by activating T-lymphocytes. They act as sentinels in peripheral tissues, continuously scavenging for antigens in their immediate surroundings. Their involvement in T-cell responses consists of a linear progression of events starting with capture of antigens in peripheral tissues, such as the skin, followed by migration to draining lymphoid organs and presentation of antigen-derived peptides to induce T-cell priming. In the last years, a number of DC lines have been generated and the electron microscopy has been used to define their characteristics, thus contributing to their formal validation. A cell line with features of early DC precursors was previously established from fetal mouse skin (FSDC), but its ultrastructural organization was not fully investigated. Here we report such investigation using light (LM), scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The goal is to use FSDC as a model system to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of selected plant extracts, fractions and isolated polyphenols against inflammatory processes. Our preliminary results with these cells showed anti-inflammatory activity for some of the extracts we are currently investigating.