bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful surgical management of a recurrent leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava
Authors: Rascanu  , Duran  , Grabitz  , Weis-Müller  , Sandmann
Published: January 2011

The leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare malignant tumour of the venous system. The recurrence of the tumour after previous initial surgical resection is common and occurs in more than half of the patients. Surgical resection of a local recurrence is poorly described in the literature and the available data are restricted to a small number of cases. We report the case of a 62 year old woman, who was referred to our vascular surgical unit for recurrence of a leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava, 35 months after diagnosis and initial surgical treatment. We performed an extensive local resection and circumferencial replacement of the IVC. 18 months after the second operation and adjuvant radiotherapy, the patient is in a very good physical condition and CT-scans show no evidence of tumour recurrence.
Ultrasound guided thrombin injection of pseudoaneurysm of the radial artery after percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Herold  , Brucks  , Boenigk  , Said  , Braun-Dullaeus R C.
Published: January 2011

Thrombin injection is frequently used to occlude iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms in larger vessels, but has never successfully been used in the radial artery location. Here we report the use of this treatment in a patient with radial artery pseudoaneurysm following coronary intervention. After Doppler sonographic visualization of the pseudoaneurysm cavity and its neck, an ultrasound-guided transcutaneous injection of thrombin was carried out. Immediately after the injection, the pseudoaneurysm was completely clotted and Doppler measurement confirmed the stop of blood flow. The result suggests that ultrasound-guided injection of thrombin into a radial artery pseudoaneurysm following coronary intervention is a feasible alternative to surgical intervention.
Systematic generation of virtual networks for water supply
Authors: Möderl Michael , Sitzenfrei Robert , Fetz Thomas , Fleischhacker Ernst , Rauch Wolfgang
Published: January 2011

Building theories from case studies is a common research approach that can also be applied to the analysis of networks. Although case studies of real systems bridge the gap between theory and practice, they are nevertheless investigations of a subset of cases, each with specific characteristics. To tackle this problem, a multitude of networks with diverging characteristics are generated using the graph‐theory‐based Modular Design System (MDS). In this paper the application of this MDS is demonstrated by generating a set of 2280 virtual Water Supply Systems. The layout and the properties of these systems are representative of typical examples encountered in practice. Scatterplots, density, and cumulative distribution functions are used to characterize several network parameters. A comparison of the virtual set with three real‐world case studies shows similar characteristics. Finally, the potential of the methodology is demonstrated by analyzing the impact of increased water demand on hydraulic performance. It can be shown that the allowed maximum and minimum diameters envelop a range of impacts on mean values for nodal pressure.
Large‐scale inverse modeling with an application in hydraulic tomography
Authors: Liu X. , Kitanidis P. K.
Published: January 2011

Inverse modeling has been widely used in subsurface problems, where direct measurements of parameters are expensive and sometimes impossible. Subsurface media are inherently heterogeneous in complex ways, which implies that the number of unknowns is usually large. Furthermore, technologies such as hydraulic tomography and electric resistivity tomography allow the collection of more indirect measurements, and at the same time, there is an increased appreciation of the value of detailed characterization of the subsurface media in, for example, remediation projects. Hence, we need efficient inverse methods that can assimilate a large volume of measurements to estimate even larger numbers of parameters, i.e., large‐scale inverse modeling. In this paper, we present a Bayesian method that employs a sparse formulation, and we applied this method to a laboratory hydraulic tomography problem, where we successfully estimated half a million unknowns that represent the hydraulic conductivity field of the sandbox at a fine scale. The inversion took about 2 h with a single core.
Characterisation of HvALMT1 function in transgenic barley plants
Authors: Gruber Benjamin D. , Delhaize Emmanuel , Richardson Alan E. , Roessner Ute , James Richard A. , Howitt Susan M. , Ryan Peter R.
Published: January 2011

HvALMT1 from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) encodes a protein capable of facilitating the transport of malate and other organic anions when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The HvALMT1 gene is primarily expressed in guard cells of stomata, in regions behind the root apex and at lateral root junctions. We investigated the function of HvALMT1 in planta by overexpressing it in barley under the control of a constitutive promoter. Transgenic plants expressing HvALMT1 at levels four to 9-fold greater than controls showed reduced growth and plants showing the highest expression failed to set seed. Although measurements of conductance indicated that stomatal function was not totally impaired in the transgenic plants the time taken for the stomata to close in response to low light was significantly longer compared with controls. Elemental and metabolomic analyses of the transgenic barley shoots revealed that the concentration of calcium and levels of ascorbate, serine, threonine and pentanoate were consistently greater (2- to 14-fold) in plants that overexpressed HvALMT1, whereas whole-shoot tissue levels of fumarate were significantly lower (60–85% reduction). Transgenic plants also showed significantly greater efflux of malate and succinate from their roots than control plants. Efflux of these organic anions occurred independently of Al3+ and conferred greater Al3+ resistance in solution culture and in acidic soil. These results are consistent with HvALMT1 contributing to anion homeostasis in the cytosol and osmotic adjustment by transporting organic anions out of the cell or by sequestering them into cytosolic vesicles.
Salt-induced accumulation of glycine betaine is inhibited by high light in durum wheat
Authors: Carillo Petronia , Parisi Danila , Woodrow Pasqualina , Pontecorvo Giovanni , Massaro Giuseppina , Annunziata Maria Grazia , Fuggi Amodio , Sulpice Ronan
Published: January 2011

In this study, we determined the effects of both salinity and high light on the metabolism of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. cv. Ofanto) seedlings, with a special emphasis on the potential role of glycine betaine in their protection. Unexpectedly, it appears that high light treatment inhibits the synthesis of glycine betaine, even in the presence of salt stress. Additional solutes such as sugars and especially amino acids could partially compensate for the decrease in its synthesis upon exposure to high light levels. In particular, tyrosine content was strongly increased by high light, this effect being enhanced by salt treatment. Interestingly, a large range of well-known detoxifying molecules were also not induced by salt treatment in high light conditions. Taken together, our results question the role of glycine betaine in salinity tolerance under light conditions close to those encountered by durum wheat seedlings in their natural environment and suggest the importance of other mechanisms, such as the accumulation of minor amino acids.
Determinants of coupled transport and uncoupled current by the electrogenic SLC26 transporters
Authors: Ohana Ehud , Shcheynikov Nikolay , Yang Dongki , So Insuk , Muallem Shmuel
Published: January 2011

Members of the SLC26 family of anion transporters mediate the transport of diverse molecules ranging from halides to carboxylic acids and can function as coupled transporters or as channels. A unique feature of the two members of the family, Slc26a3 and Slc26a6, is that they can function as both obligate coupled and mediate an uncoupled current, in a channel-like mode, depending on the transported anion. To identify potential features that control the two modes of transport, we performed in silico modeling of Slc26a6, which suggested that the closest potential fold similarity of the Slc26a6 transmembrane domains is to the CLC transporters, despite their minimal sequence identity. Examining the predicted Slc26a6 fold identified a highly conserved glutamate (Glu−; Slc26a6(E357)) with the predicted spatial orientation similar to that of the CLC-ec1 E148, which determines coupled or uncoupled transport by CLC-ec1. This raised the question of whether the conserved Glu− in Slc26a6(E357) and Slc26a3(E367) have a role in the unique transport modes by these transporters. Reversing the Glu− charge in Slc26a3 and Slc26a6 resulted in the inhibition of all modes of transport. However, most notably, neutralizing the charge in Slc26a6(E357A) eliminated all forms of coupled transport without affecting the uncoupled current. The Slc26a3(E367A) mutation markedly reduced the coupled transport and converted the stoichiometry of the residual exchange from 2Cl−/1HCO3− to 1Cl−/1HCO3−, while completely sparing the current. These findings suggest the possibility that similar structural motif may determine multiple functional modes of these transporters.
Non-vesicular transfer of membrane proteins from nanoparticles to lipid bilayers
Authors: Banerjee Sourabh , Nimigean Crina M.
Published: January 2011

Discoidal lipoproteins are a novel class of nanoparticles for studying membrane proteins (MPs) in a soluble, native lipid environment, using assays that have not been traditionally applied to transmembrane proteins. Here, we report the successful delivery of an ion channel from these particles, called nanoscale apolipoprotein-bound bilayers (NABBs), to a distinct, continuous lipid bilayer that will allow both ensemble assays, made possible by the soluble NABB platform, and single-molecule assays, to be performed from the same biochemical preparation. We optimized the incorporation and verified the homogeneity of NABBs containing a prototypical potassium channel, KcsA. We also evaluated the transfer of KcsA from the NABBs to lipid bilayers using single-channel electrophysiology and found that the functional properties of the channel remained intact. NABBs containing KcsA were stable, homogeneous, and able to spontaneously deliver the channel to black lipid membranes without measurably affecting the electrical properties of the bilayer. Our results are the first to demonstrate the transfer of a MP from NABBs to a different lipid bilayer without involving vesicle fusion.
Intersecting families of permutations
Authors: Ellis David , Friedgut Ehud , Pilpel Haran
Published: January 2011

A set of permutations

I
⊂

S
n

I \subset S_n

is said to be

k
k

-intersecting if any two permutations in

I
I

agree on at least

k
k

points. We show that for any

k
∈

N

k \in \mathbb {N}

, if

n
n

is sufficiently large depending on

k
k

, then the largest

k
k

-intersecting subsets of

S
n

S_n

are cosets of stabilizers of

k
k

points, proving a conjecture of Deza and Frankl. We also prove a similar result concerning

k
k

-cross-intersecting subsets. Our proofs are based on eigenvalue techniques and the representation theory of the symmetric group.
Increased Yield of Bread Containing Citrus Peel Fiber
Authors: Miller Rebecca A.
Published: January 2011

Bread yield is economically important to commercial bakers. Flour was replaced with 2.5% citrus peel fiber or 0.23% pectin. Pectin increased water absorption by 0.6% in the farinograph, 2% in the mixograph, and 4% in baking. Citrus peel fiber had a greater effect, increasing water absorption by 6.5% in the farinograph, 7% in the mixograph, 6.4% in the mixolab, and 10% in baking. Citrus peel fiber strengthened dough while pectin had a weakening effect. Loaves containing citrus peel fiber had decreased loaf volume but crumb grain characteristics similar to control loaves. Pectin did not affect loaf volume but had a deleterious effect on the crumb grain. Neither citrus peel fiber nor pectin affected bread firming. Citrus peel fiber increased loaf weight by increasing water absorption, indicating that low levels of citrus peel fiber in the bread formula is an effective way to increase bread yield.
Salicylic Acid-Dependent Restriction ofTomato ringspot virusSpread in Tobacco Is Accompanied by a Hypersensitive Response, Local RNA Silencing, and Moderate Systemic Resistance
Authors: Jovel Juan , Walker Melanie , Sanfaçon Hélène
Published: January 2011

Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV, a Nepovirus sp.) systemically infects many herbaceous plants. Viral RNA accumulates in symptomatic leaves and in young, asymptomatic leaves that emerge late in infection. Here, we show that systemic infection by ToRSV is restricted in tobacco. After an initial hypersensitive response in inoculated leaves, only a few plants showed limited systemic symptoms. Viral RNA did not usually accumulate to detectable levels in asymptomatic leaves. ToRSV-derived small-interfering RNAs and PR1a transcripts were only detected in tissues that contained viral RNA, indicating local induction of RNA silencing and salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defense responses. Lesion size and viral systemic spread were reduced with SA pretreatment but enhanced in NahG transgenic lines deficient in SA accumulation, suggesting that SA-dependent mechanisms play a key role in limiting ToRSV spread in tobacco. Restriction of virus infection was enhanced in transgenic lines expressing the P1-HC-Pro suppressor of silencing. Knocking down the SA-inducible RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 exacerbated the necrotic reaction but did not affect viral systemic spread. ToRSV-infected tobacco plants were susceptible to reinoculation by ToRSV or Tobacco mosaic virus, although a small reduction in lesion size was observed. This moderate systemic resistance suggests inefficient induction or spread of RNA silencing and systemic acquired resistance signal molecules.
Humans as major geological and geomorphological agents in the Anthropocene: the significance of artificial ground in Great Britain
Authors: Price Simon J. , Ford Jonathan R. , Cooper Anthony H. , Neal Catherine
Published: January 2011

Since the first prehistoric people started to dig for stone to make implements, rather than pick up loose material, humans have modified the landscape through excavation of rock and soil, generation of waste and creation of artificial ground. In Great Britain over the past 200 years, people have excavated, moved and built up the equivalent of at least six times the volume of Ben Nevis. It is estimated that the worldwide deliberate annual shift of sediment by human activity is 57 000 Mt (million tonnes) and exceeds that of transport by rivers to the oceans (22 000 Mt) almost by a factor of three. Humans sculpt and transform the landscape through the physical modification of the shape and properties of the ground. As such, humans are geological and geomorphological agents and the dominant factor in landscape evolution through settlement and widespread industrialization and urbanization. The most significant impact of this has been since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, coincident with increased release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The anthropogenic sedimentological record, therefore, provides a marker on which to characterize the Anthropocene.
Chemical signatures of the Anthropocene in the Clyde estuary, UK: sediment-hosted Pb,
207/206
Pb, total petroleum hydrocarbon, polyaromatic hydrocarbon and polychlorinated biphenyl pollution records
Authors: Vane C. H. , Chenery S. R. , Harrison I. , Kim A. W. , Moss-Hayes V. , Jones D. G.
Published: January 2011

The sediment concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Pb and
207/206
Pb isotope ratios were measured in seven cores from the middle Clyde estuary (Scotland, UK) with an aim of tracking the late Anthropocene. Concentrations of TPHs ranged from 34 to 4386 mg kg
−1
, total PAHs from 19 to 16 163 
μ
g kg
−1
and total PCBs between less than 4.3 to 1217 
μ
g kg
−1
. Inventories, distributions and isomeric ratios of the organic pollutants were used to reconstruct pollutant histories. Pre-Industrial Revolution and modern non-polluted sediments were characterized by low TPH and PAH values as well as high relative abundance of biogenic-sourced phenanthrene and naphthalene. The increasing industrialization of the Clyde gave rise to elevated PAH concentrations and PAH isomeric ratios characteristic of both grass/wood/coal and petroleum and combustion (specifically petroleum combustion). Overall, PAHs had the longest history of any of the organic contaminants. Increasing TPH concentrations and a concomitant decline in PAHs mirrored the lessening of coal use and increasing reliance on petroleum fuels from about the 1950s. Thereafter, declining hydrocarbon pollution was followed by the onset (1950s), peak (1965–1977) and decline (post-1980s) in total PCB concentrations. Lead concentrations ranged from 6 to 631 mg kg
−1
, while
207/206
Pb isotope ratios spanned 0.838–0.876, indicative of various proportions of ‘background’, British ore/coal and Broken Hill type petrol/industrial lead. A chronology was established using published Pb isotope data for aerosol-derived Pb and applied to the cores.
Societal responses to the Anthropocene
Authors: Tickell Crispin
Published: January 2011

This article discusses the societal responses to the Anthropocene. First we need to confront the effects of our own population proliferation in all its aspects; next to look again at economics and replace consumerism as a goal; then to work out new ways of generating energy; to manage and adapt to what is in effect climate destabilization; to give higher priority to conservation of the natural world; and last to create the necessary institutional means of coping with global problems in a world in which society is more integrated than ever before.
Emergent dynamics of the climate–economy system in the Anthropocene
Authors: Kellie-Smith Owen , Cox Peter M.
Published: January 2011

Global CO2emissions are understood to be the largest contributor to anthropogenic climate change, and have, to date, been highly correlated with economic output. However, there is likely to be a negative feedback between climate change and human wealth: economic growth is typically associated with an increase in CO2emissions and global warming, but the resulting climate change may lead to damages that suppress economic growth. This climate–economy feedback is assumed to be weak in standard climate change assessments. When the feedback is incorporated in a transparently simple model it reveals possible emergent behaviour in the coupled climate–economy system. Formulae are derived for the critical rates of growth of global CO2emissions that cause damped or long-term boom–bust oscillations in human wealth, thereby preventing a soft landing of the climate–economy system. On the basis of this model, historical rates of economic growth and decarbonization appear to put the climate–economy system in a potentially damaging oscillatory regime.
Are there pre-Quaternary geological analogues for a future greenhouse warming?
Authors: Haywood Alan M. , Ridgwell Andy , Lunt Daniel J. , Hill Daniel J. , Pound Matthew J. , Dowsett Harry J. , Dolan Aisling M. , Francis Jane E. , Williams Mark
Published: January 2011

Given the inherent uncertainties in predicting how climate and environments will respond to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, it would be beneficial to society if science could identify geological analogues to the human race’s currentgrand climate experiment. This has been a focus of the geological and palaeoclimate communities over the last 30 years, with many scientific papers claiming that intervals in Earth history can be used as an analogue for future climate change. Using a coupled ocean–atmosphere modelling approach, we test this assertion for the most probable pre-Quaternary candidates of the last 100 million years: the Mid- and Late Cretaceous, the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the Early Eocene, as well as warm intervals within the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. These intervals fail as true direct analogues since they either represent equilibrium climate states to a long-term CO2forcing—whereas anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases provide a progressive (transient) forcing on climate—or the sensitivity of the climate system itself to CO2was different. While no close geological analogue exists, past warm intervals in Earth history provide a unique opportunity to investigate processes that operated during warm (high CO2) climate states. Palaeoclimate and environmental reconstruction/modelling are facilitating the assessment and calculation of the response of global temperatures to increasing CO2concentrations in the longer term (multiple centuries); this is now referred to as the Earth System Sensitivity, which is critical in identifying CO2thresholds in the atmosphere that must not be crossed to avoid dangerous levels of climate change in the long term. Palaeoclimatology also provides a unique and independent way to evaluate the qualities of climate and Earth system models used to predict future climate.
Anthropogenic modification of the oceans
Authors: Tyrrell Toby
Published: January 2011

Human activities are altering the ocean in many different ways. The surface ocean is warming and, as a result, it is becoming more stratified and sea level is rising. There is no clear evidence yet of a slowing in ocean circulation, although this is predicted for the future. As anthropogenic CO
2
permeates into the ocean, it is making sea water more acidic, to the detriment of surface corals and probably many other calcifiers. Once acidification reaches the deep ocean, it will become more corrosive to CaCO
3
, leading to a considerable reduction in the amount of CaCO
3
accumulating on the deep seafloor. There will be a several thousand-year-long interruption to CaCO
3
sedimentation at many points on the seafloor. A curious feedback in the ocean, carbonate compensation, makes it more likely that global warming and sea-level rise will continue for many millennia after CO
2
emissions cease.
Polarization sensitivity as a contrast enhancer in pelagic predators: lessons fromin situpolarization imaging of transparent zooplankton
Authors: Johnsen Sönke , Marshall N. Justin , Widder Edith A.
Published: January 2011

Because light in the pelagic environment is partially polarized, it has been suggested that the polarization sensitivity found in certain pelagic species may serve to enhance the contrast of their transparent zooplankton prey. We examined its potential during cruises in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean and at a field station on the Great Barrier Reef. First, we collected various species of transparent zooplankton and micronekton and photographed them between crossed polarizers. Many groups, particularly the cephalopods, pelagic snails, salps and ctenophores, were found to have ciliary, muscular or connective tissues with striking birefringence.In situpolarization imagery of the same species showed that, while the degree of underwater polarization was fairly high (approx. 30% in horizontal lines of sight), tissue birefringence played little to no role in increasing visibility. This is most likely due to the low radiance of the horizontal background light when compared with the downwelling irradiance. In fact, the dominant radiance and polarization contrasts are due to unpolarized downwelling light that has been scattered from the animal viewed against the darker and polarized horizontal background light. We show that relatively simple algorithms can use this negative polarization contrast to increase visibility substantially.
On the trail of Vikings with polarized skylight: experimental study of the atmospheric optical prerequisites allowing polarimetric navigation by Viking seafarers
Authors: Horváth Gábor , Barta András , Pomozi István , Suhai Bence , Hegedüs Ramón , Åkesson Susanne , Meyer-Rochow Benno , Wehner Rüdiger
Published: January 2011

Between AD 900 and AD 1200 Vikings, being able to navigate skillfully across the open sea, were the dominant seafarers of the North Atlantic. When the Sun was shining, geographical north could be determined with a special sundial. However, how the Vikings could have navigated in cloudy or foggy situations, when the Sun's disc was unusable, is still not fully known. A hypothesis was formulated in 1967, which suggested that under foggy or cloudy conditions, Vikings might have been able to determine the azimuth direction of the Sun with the help of skylight polarization, just like some insects. This hypothesis has been widely accepted and is regularly cited by researchers, even though an experimental basis, so far, has not been forthcoming. According to this theory, the Vikings could have determined the direction of the skylight polarization with the help of an enigmatic birefringent crystal, functioning as a linearly polarizing filter. Such a crystal is referred to as ‘sunstone’ in one of the Viking's sagas, but its exact nature is unknown. Although accepted by many, the hypothesis of polarimetric navigation by Vikings also has numerous sceptics. In this paper, we summarize the results of our own celestial polarization measurements and psychophysical laboratory experiments, in which we studied the atmospheric optical prerequisites of possible sky-polarimetric navigation in Tunisia, Finland, Hungary and the high Arctic.
Polarized iridescence of the multilayered elytra of the Japanese jewel beetle,Chrysochroa fulgidissima
Authors: Stavenga Doekele G. , Wilts Bodo D. , Leertouwer Hein L. , Hariyama Takahiko
Published: January 2011

The elytra of the Japanese jewel beetleChrysochroa fulgidissimaare metallic green with purple stripes. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated that the elytral surface is approximately flat. The accordingly specular green and purple areas have, with normal illumination, 100–150 nm broad reflectance bands, peaking at about 530 and 700 nm. The bands shift progressively towards shorter wavelengths with increasing oblique illumination, and the reflection then becomes highly polarized. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the epicuticle of the green and purple areas consists of stacks of 16 and 12 layers, respectively. Assuming gradient refractive index values of the layers between 1.6 and 1.7 and applying the classical multilayer theory allowed modelling of the measured polarization- and angle-dependent reflectance spectra. The extreme polarized iridescence exhibited by the elytra of the jewel beetle may have a function in intraspecific recognition.
Polarization-based brightness discrimination in the foraging butterfly,Papilio xuthus
Authors: Kinoshita Michiyo , Yamazato Kei , Arikawa Kentaro
Published: January 2011

The human eye is insensitive to the angular direction of the light e-vector, but several animal species have the ability to discriminate differently polarized lights. How the polarization is detected is often unclear, however. Egg-layingPapiliobutterflies have been shown to see false colours when presented with differently polarized lights. Here we asked whether this also holds in foraging butterflies. After training individuals to feed on nectar in front of an unpolarized spectral light, we carried out three dual-choice tests, where the discrimination of (i) the spectral content, (ii) the light intensity, and (iii) the e-vector orientation were investigated. In the first test, the butterflies selected the trained spectrum irrespective of its intensity, and in the second test they chose the light with the higher intensity. The result of the e-vector discrimination test was very similar to that of the second test, suggesting that foraging butterflies discriminate differently polarized lights as differing in brightness rather than as differing in colour.Papiliobutterflies are clearly able to use at least two modes of polarization vision depending on the behavioural context.
Honeybee navigation: following routes using polarized-light cues
Authors: Kraft P. , Evangelista C. , Dacke M. , Labhart T. , Srinivasan M. V.
Published: January 2011

While it is generally accepted that honeybees (Apis mellifera) are capable of using the pattern of polarized light in the sky to navigate to a food source, there is little or no direct behavioural evidence that they actually do so. We have examined whether bees can be trained to find their way through a maze composed of four interconnected tunnels, by using directional information provided by polarized light illumination from the ceilings of the tunnels. The results show that bees can learn this task, thus demonstrating directly, and for the first time, that bees are indeed capable of using the polarized-light information in the sky as a compass to steer their way to a food source.
Teleost polarization vision: how it might work and what it might be good for
Authors: Kamermans Maarten , Hawryshyn Craig
Published: January 2011

In this review, we will discuss the recent literature on fish polarization vision and we will present a model on how the retina processes polarization signals. The model is based on a general retinal-processing scheme and will be compared with the available electrophysiological data on polarization processing in the retina. The results of this model will help illustrate the functional significance of polarization vision for both feeding behaviour and navigation. First, we examine the linkage between structure and function in polarization vision in general.
The retinal topography of three species of coleoid cephalopod: significance for perception of polarized light
Authors: Talbot Christopher M. , Marshall Justin N.
Published: January 2011

The retinal topography of three species of coleoid cephalopod (one cuttlefish, one squid and one octopus) was investigated to examine and compare the structure, density and organization of the photoreceptors. The aim was to determine if there were areas of increased cell density and/or cell specialization that might be related to lifestyle or phylogeny. The orientation of photoreceptors around the curved surface of the retina was also mapped to reveal how the overall arrangement of cell microvilli might enable the perception of polarized light stimuli. It was found that all species possessed an increase in photoreceptor density in a horizontal streak approximately placed at the position of a potential horizon in the habitat. The overall arrangement of photoreceptor microvillar arrangements followed lines of latitude and longitude in a global projection that has been rotated by 90°. This arrangement seems to map polarization sensitivities on the outside world in a vertical and horizontal grid. The potential significance of this and other retinal specializations is discussed in the context of phylogenetic and habitat differences between species.
MAP Detection of Misbehaving Relay in Wireless Multiple Access Relay Networks
Authors: Kim Sang Wu , Khalaf Taha , Kim Sangmun
Published: January 2011

We propose the maximum a posteriori (MAP) detection of the misbehaving relay that injects false data or adds channel errors into the network encoder in multiple access relay networks. The proposed scheme does not require sending extra bits at the source and is optimal in the sense of minimizing the probability of incorrect detection. We derive the probability of false alarm and misdetection, taking into account the lossy nature of wireless links. The side information regarding the presence of relay misbehavior is exploited at the decoder to mitigate the relay misbehavior and enhance the reliability of decoding.
CD20 expression predicts survival in paediatric post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) following solid organ transplantation
Authors: Orjuela Manuela A. , Alobeid Bachir , Liu Xinhua , Siebert Aisha L. , Kott Emily R. , Addonizio Linda J. , Morris Erin , Garvin James H. , Lobritto Steven J. , Cairo Mitchell S.
Published: January 2011

The prognostic role of CD20 expression and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) positivity in post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after solid organ transplantation (SOT) in paediatric patients is poorly understood. We retrospectively examined the relationship of CD20 and EBV with the time interval from SOT to PTLD diagnosis, and PTLD‐related event‐free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in 45 consecutive PTLD patients (≤25 years) following SOT. These 45 paediatric SOT patients (28 heart, 11 liver, six kidney) were diagnosed with PTLD 45 months (mean; SD 43; range 4–153; median 24·5) after SOT, with PTLD diagnosis at 118 months (mean) (SD 77; range 14–287) of age. Of 40 evaluable tumours (11 monomorphic, 19 polymorphic, five early lesions, five rare subtypes), 32 (80%) had detectable EBV and 28 (70%) were classified as CD20+. Patients whose PTLD expressed CD20 or EBV had shorter intervals between SOT and PTLD onset (28 vs. 64 or 77 months for CD20 and EBV respectively) (P < 0·02), even after adjusting for age at SOT. Patients with CD20+ tumours had higher 5‐year PTLD‐related EFS (83·7% vs. 28·6%, P < 0·001) and OS (95·8% vs. 56·3%, P = 0·01). EBV expression was unrelated to PTLD‐related EFS or OS. CD20 expression is associated with timing of development of PTLD and predicts survival in PTLD diagnosed following paediatric SOT.
Blood transfusion usage among adults with sickle cell disease – a single institution experience over ten years
Authors: Drasar Emma , Igbineweka Norris , Vasavda Nisha , Free Matthew , Awogbade Moji , Allman Marlene , Mijovic Aleksandar , Thein Swee Lay
Published: January 2011

Transfusion of red blood cells is a major therapeutic option in sickle cell disease (SCD). There is strong evidence for its efficacy, particularly in primary and secondary stroke prevention in children, however, its use in other areas remains controversial. This study assessed the patterns of transfusion in the adult cohort attending King’s College Hospital over a 10‐year period, from 2000 to 2009. Total blood usage has increased significantly (P = 0·006) during this time, with 78% of the blood received by only 6% of the patients. The increase is explained by increased automated red cell exchange and increased usage for planned and acute transfusions for sickle‐related complications.
Subclones with the t(9;22)/BCR‐ABL1 rearrangement occur in AML and seem to cooperate with distinct genetic alterations
Authors: Bacher Ulrike , Haferlach Torsten , Alpermann Tamara , Zenger Melanie , Hochhaus Andreas , Beelen Dietrich W. , Uppenkamp Michael , Rummel Mathias , Kern Wolfgang , Schnittger Susanne , Haferlach Claudia
Published: January 2011

In AML, cooperation of mutations suppressing differentiation (‘class‐II‐mutations’) with ‘class‐I‐mutations’ increasing cell proliferation is frequent. In rare cases of myeloid malignancies, the BCR‐ABL1 fusion was reported to cooperate as class‐I‐mutation with class‐II‐mutations, but most cases had to be classified as blast phase of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). We identified five cases of Philadelphia positive subclones in AML occurring in coincidence with other genetic lesions: 1:220 patients with inv(16)/CBFB‐MYH11 (0·5%), 2:272 AML cases with t(8;21)/RUNX1‐RUNX1T1 (0·7%), 1:1029 NPM1‐mutated AML (0·1%), and one patient with s‐AML following MDS with a 5q‐deletion. Four patients had m‐BCR (e1a2) BCR‐ABL1 transcripts; one case only had an M‐BCR (b3a2) breakpoint. These cases allow some interesting conclusions: The BCR‐ABL1 rearrangement apparently can cooperate with the NPM1 mutation similar to other class‐I‐mutations. The identification of Philadelphia positive subclones in <1% of patients with CBF‐leukaemias fits well with previous observations that most CBF‐AML are accompanied by activating mutations in genes enhancing proliferation. Since we observed the occurrence of the Philadelphia positive subclones at diagnosis, at relapse, or throughout the disease, the time point of the emergence of Philadelphia subclones seems variable in AML. Clinical research should further concentrate on Philadelphia positive subclones in AML to assess the clinical impact.
Children's views on attending a remedial class – because of concentration difficulties
Authors: Ljusberg A.‐L.
Published: January 2011

Background  An increasing number of segregating solutions (e.g. remedial classes) can be seen in Swedish schools. The aim of this article is to stress how children describe why they attend a remedial class and what it means to be a pupil in that setting.

Methods  The data collection consists of semi‐structured interviews with 10 pupils between 10 and 12 years old attending 10 different remedial classes because they had been attributed with having concentration difficulties or diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The content of the interviews was described and analysed in relation to the classroom context. The socio‐cultural perspective is used as a screen to describe and understand the children's comments about attending remedial class.

Results and conclusions  All interviews with the children indicate that they are carriers of their schools' compensatory perspective. This means that they are fully aware of the fact that they are regarded as difficult, with annoying and problematic behaviour, deviating from pupils' in general. The remedial class creates social difficulties for the children; they see themselves as deviant, they lose old friends and there are limited possibilities of establishing new friendship in remedial classes.
Association of leisure time physical activity and sports competition activities with high blood pressure levels: study carried out in a sample of portuguese children and adolescents
Authors: Gaya A. R. , Silva P. , Martins C. , Gaya A. , Ribeiro J. C. , Mota J.
Published: January 2011

Background  A better understanding of the different domains and characteristics of children's and adolescent's physical activity (PA) could be a strategy to clarify the association of this behaviour with the early development of cardiovascular risk factors.

Objectives  To examine the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and sports competition activities (SCA) with high blood pressure (HBP) levels in a sample of children and adolescents from Porto, Portugal.

Study design  This is a cross‐sectional study, which comprised 503 boys and 572 girls, aged 8–17 years old. LTPA and SCA were assed by self‐reported. Students were assigned as active and non‐active in SCA or LTPA according to their self‐reported participation. Participants were classified as HBP when they are above of the last quartile for systolic and/or diastolic BP adjusted for gender and age.

Results  Do not be engaged in LTPA (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.12; 1.93) and SCA (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.02; 1.81) was significantly associated with the likelihood of being HBP. However, when cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 0.91; 1.67) and body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 0.98; 1.75) were included on SCA model, the association between SCA with HBP did not showed significant results.

Conclusion  Children and adolescents who are not engaged in SCA or LTPA are more likely to be classified as having HBP; however, the relationship between SCA and HBP was dependent of CRF and BMI. Further, PA strategies should take these differences on the relationship between HBP, SCA and LTPA.
The substance and sources of young children's healthy eating and physical activity knowledge: implications for obesity prevention efforts
Authors: Lanigan J. D.
Published: January 2011

Background  The prevalence of overweight among young children is increasing at an alarming rate. Global efforts to address the issue can benefit from understanding how young children's experiences across multiple contexts shape their perspectives of healthy weight.

Methods  This qualitative study examines the substance and sources of young American children's knowledge related to healthy eating, physical activity and media practices. Role play and semi‐structured interviews were conducted in child‐care settings with 81 children aged 3–5 who represented diverse socio‐economic statuses and ethnic backgrounds.

Results  Children demonstrated better understanding of the benefits of healthy eating compared with physical activity. Snacks and beverages consumed outside mealtime were less likely to be healthy even among the 40% of children who demonstrated an understanding of healthy nutrition. The majority of children's leisure activity selections involved media and minimally active pursuits. Three quarters of the children were unable to articulate reasons for healthy choices or identify the sources of their health understandings. The media was listed as source of health information more frequently than adults.

Conclusion  Obesity prevention efforts targeting young children need to use consistent messaging across all contexts in which children develop in order to increase their understanding that physical activity and eating choices support health. Efforts need to counter inaccurate information and address the rationale for health practices. Key gaps in young children's understanding include: the importance of drinking water, that snacks are part of nutritional intake and the benefits of engaging in physical activities.
Chemical ecology of tannins and other phenolics: we need a change in approach
Authors: Salminen Juha‐Pekka , Karonen Maarit
Published: January 2011

1. Tannins are one of the most studied groups of plant secondary metabolites in research related to chemical ecology. They are traditionally thought to form an important factor of plant defence against herbivorous insects.

2. For a long time, tannins’ anti‐herbivore activity was thought to derive from their protein precipitation capacity that rendered plant tissues non‐nutritious and unpalatable for herbivores. Recent evidence suggests that tannin activity cannot be explained quite this simply, as tannin oxidation should also be taken into account as a defence mechanism for plants.

3. Tannins show very high variability in their structures with several hundred unique molecules detected in plants. These molecules are unevenly distributed in the plant kingdom and only very seldom—if ever—do two plant species share the same tannin pool. In many cases tannin composition varies even within organs of the same plant species and individual. Still, the overall tannin composition of many plant species is as of yet unknown.

4. Chemical ecology of tannins is challenging due to its multi‐disciplinary nature. To facilitate research on tannins, we must provide ecologists and chemists with methodological and collaborative alternatives that enable the true and holistic investigation of all important questions that may arise from the field. So far this has not been possible with the tannin oxidation hypothesis, since simple and widely usable methods have not been available.

5. The aim of this review is to give a clear but detailed view of the chemical ecology of tannins and the methodology used to study them. In addition, we introduce a new method to estimate the oxidative activity of all types of tannins and other phenolics that might cause oxidative stress to herbivores. Hopefully our arguments and method will lead to clear changes in the approaches we take to tannins and their exciting biological activities, and we will witness a new era of flourishing and productive research in the chemical ecology of tannins.
The development of fruit‐based functional foods targeting the health and wellness market: a review
Authors: Sun‐Waterhouse Dongxiao
Published: January 2011

Functional foods and their health benefits beyond individual nutrients present challenges to the traditional ‘nutrition’ approach to foods. Epidemiological studies suggest that regular or increased consumption of fruits may promote general health and well‐being as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, a broad range of research amongst academic, industry and government institutes has been stimulated in attempts to add the goodness of fruits into popular consumer foods. This article provides a brief overview of the research opportunities in the emerging functional foods area, with an emphasis on fruit‐derived products. Based on recent research in the fruit‐based functional food area, a structured approach for designing and developing functional finished products is presented. Included are the technical challenges and their associated solutions during food design, formulation, processing and storage. A consumer‐oriented food product development process is highlighted. Controlling the interactions among the targeted bioactives and other food components during food processing, handling and storage is the key to ensure that a stable and appealing functional food is produced. Manipulating the beneficial synergies among food ingredients, and among food formulation and processing methods, has the potential to lead to substantial food innovations.
Flow regulation reduces native plant cover and facilitates exotic invasion in riparian wetlands
Authors: Catford Jane A. , Downes Barbara J. , Gippel Christopher J. , Vesk Peter A.
Published: January 2011

1. River regulation and exotic plant invasion threaten riverine ecosystems, and the two often co‐occur. By altering water regimes, flow regulation can facilitate plant invasion by providing conditions that directly benefit invading species, or by reducing competition from native species unsuited to the modified conditions. Integrating water and weed management has the potential to limit riparian plant invasion and maximize the ecological benefit of environmental flows.

2. We surveyed plant communities and modelled flood histories of 24 riparian wetlands along the regulated River Murray, south‐eastern Australia. There were no suitable control rivers, so we compared modelled pre‐ and post‐regulation hydrological data to quantify hydrological change in the study wetlands. Regression analyses revealed relationships between hydrological modification and cover of native non‐weed, native weed and exotic weed groups and 10 individual species.

3. Exotic cover was highest and native non‐weed cover lowest in wetlands that had experienced the greatest change in hydrology – a reduction in peak flow. Native weeds did not respond to hydrological modification indicating that exotic species’ success was not reliant on their generalist characteristics.

4. By altering habitat filters, hydrological modification caused a decline in amphibious native non‐weed species cover and simultaneously provided drier conditions that directly favoured the exotic species group dominated by terrestrial species. Exotic species were potentially further assisted by human‐mediated dispersal.

5. Species and functional diversity was inversely related to exotic cover. By shifting the balance between native and exotic taxa and changing community functional composition, flow regulation may disrupt the ecological function and ecosystem services of floodplain wetlands.

6. Synthesis and applications. Worldwide, flow regulation has led to riverine ecosystems becoming more terrestrial. The success of most introduced plants relies on minimal inundation. In this study, flood magnitude was more important than frequency, timing, or duration for wetland flora because it reflects spatial extent and depth of flooding. Augmenting natural spring floods with environmental flows will kill terrestrial weeds and facilitate native macrophyte growth. Combined with strategies for managing particular amphibious weeds, we recommend flows of 117 000–147 000 ML day−1 for at least 2 days every 10 years for River Murray wetland weed management.