bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weather and climate proxy records
Authors: Wilkinson T.J.
Published: April 2012

Although it is easy to agree with Toby Pillatt that the role of weather in the archaeological record has been understated, it is more difficult to provide a clear method for incorporating the weather into archaeological interpretation. His concerns about the dominance of climate in interpretations are also acknowledged. Whereas climate and weather are indeed important to the interpretation of past ways of life, when we do try to recognize a direct correlation between, for example, a climate proxy record and any specific human behaviour, it is common to discover that any neighbouring proxy record will show a different set of relationships. Although there is a long history critiquing this approach, there is still a tendency for the uncritical to draw simplistic conclusions.
Borehole temperatures and climate change: Ground temperature change in south India over the past two centuries
Authors: Roy Sukanta , Chapman David S.
Published: April 2012

Seventy‐five borehole temperature‐depth profiles in south India, located between 8° and 15°N, are analyzed to infer past changes in surface ground temperature. Solutions for a linear surface temperature change indicate average warming of about 0.9 ± 0.3°C over the past 127 ± 25 years at the 95% level of confidence for the entire data set, albeit with considerable geographic variability. Some sites in a restricted region exhibit surface ground temperature cooling during the last 50 to 100 years while a number of other borehole sites show large surface warming amplitudes in the range 1–3°C with onset times during the last few decades to less than a Century. Such rapid changes may represent effects of local land use changes superimposed on the long‐term climate change. Results of borehole analysis do not support a latitude effect in climate change. A set of 28 meteorological surface air temperature (SAT) records, distributed in the three major climatic provinces (Interior Peninsula, West Coast and East Coast) in south India yield an average warming trend of 0.6 ± 0.2°C/100 years over the period 1901–2006 for which records exist. Combined analysis of borehole temperatures and SAT data yields a long‐term, pre‐observational mean temperature (baseline) 0.6 ± 0.1°C lower than the 1961–1990 mean SAT. With an additional 0.35°C of warming beyond the 1961–1990 mean, the total warming from the ∼1800 baseline is 0.95°C. Given multiple uncertainties, we consider the 0.9°C of warming from borehole temperature inversion and 0.95°C of warming from the hybrid borehole temperature‐SAT analysis to be consistent if significant warming occurred in the 19th Century, prior to the onset of SAT records. The present data set together with the set of 70 temperature profiles in India analyzed earlier constitute an extensive documentation of climatic warming for the low latitude region 0°–20° N that was previously under‐sampled in global geothermal climate change studies.
Characterization of previously unidentified lunar pyroclastic deposits using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera data
Authors: Gustafson J. Olaf , Bell J. F. , Gaddis L. R. , Hawke B. R. , Giguere T. A.
Published: April 2012

We used a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) global monochrome Wide‐angle Camera (WAC) mosaic to conduct a survey of the Moon to search for previously unidentified pyroclastic deposits. Promising locations were examined in detail using LROC multispectral WAC mosaics, high‐resolution LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images, and Clementine multispectral (ultraviolet‐visible or UVVIS) data. Out of 47 potential deposits chosen for closer examination, 12 were selected as probable newly identified pyroclastic deposits. Potential pyroclastic deposits were generally found in settings similar to previously identified deposits, including areas within or near mare deposits adjacent to highlands, within floor‐fractured craters, and along fissures in mare deposits. However, a significant new finding is the discovery of localized pyroclastic deposits within floor‐fractured craters Anderson E and F on the lunar farside, isolated from other known similar deposits. Our search confirms that most major regional and localized low‐albedo pyroclastic deposits have been identified on the Moon down to ∼100 m/pix resolution, and that additional newly identified deposits are likely to be either isolated small deposits or additional portions of discontinuous, patchy deposits.
How the insulating properties of snow affect soil carbon distribution in the continental pan‐Arctic area
Authors: Gouttevin I. , Menegoz M. , Dominé F. , Krinner G. , Koven C. , Ciais P. , Tarnocai C. , Boike J.
Published: April 2012

We demonstrate the effect of an ecosystem differentiated insulation by snow on the soil thermal regime and on the terrestrial soil carbon distribution in the pan‐Arctic area. This is done by means of a sensitivity study performed with the land surface model ORCHIDEE, which furthermore provides a first quantification of this effect. Based on field campaigns reporting higher thermal conductivities and densities for the tundra snowpack than for taiga snow, two distributions of near‐equilibrium soil carbon stocks are computed, one relying on uniform snow thermal properties and the other using ecosystem‐differentiated snow thermal properties. Those modeled distributions strongly depend on soil temperature through decomposition processes. Considering higher insulation by snow in taiga areas induces warmer soil temperatures by up to 12 K in winter at 50 cm depth. This warmer soil signal persists over summer with a temperature difference of up to 4 K at 50 cm depth, especially in areas exhibiting a thick, enduring snow cover. These thermal changes have implications on the modeled soil carbon stocks, which are reduced by 8% in the pan‐Arctic continental area when the vegetation‐induced variations of snow thermal properties are accounted for. This is the result of diverse and spatially heterogeneous ecosystem processes: where higher soil temperatures lift nitrogen limitation on plant productivity, tree plant functional types thrive whereas light limitation and enhanced water stress are the new constrains on lower vegetation, resulting in a reduced net productivity at the pan‐Arctic scale. Concomitantly, higher soil temperatures yield increased respiration rates (+22% over the study area) and result in reduced permafrost extent and deeper active layers which expose greater volumes of soil to microbial decomposition. The three effects combine to produce lower soil carbon stocks in the pan‐Arctic terrestrial area. Our study highlights the role of snow in combination with vegetation in shaping the distribution of soil carbon and permafrost at high latitudes.
Structural control on volcanism in intraplate post collisional settings: Late Cenozoic to Quaternary examples of Iran and Eastern Turkey
Authors: Shabanian Esmaeil , Acocella Valerio , Gioncada Anna , Ghasemi Habibollah , Bellier Olivier
Published: April 2012

Volcanic activity focuses along plate boundaries. However, large volcanoes are also found in intraplate settings. For these volcanoes, geodynamic processes responsible for magma generation and structural controls on magma rise and extrusion need to be evaluated. We merge original (field and remote sensing) and available (geodetic, geophysical, and petrological) data to consider the tectono‐magmatic relationships of three large intraplate volcanoes in the E‐Anatolian‐Iranian plateau; Sar'akhor (NE Iran), Damavand (Central Alborz) and Ararat (E Anatolia). In NE Iran, a Miocene‐Pliocene NW‐trending compression activated E‐W dextral faults to the NW of Sar'akhor and N‐S sinistral faults to the SE, creating an extruding wedge to the west of this volcano. Since Quaternary, NE‐trending compression inverted fault movement, hindering further block extrusion and volcanism terminated. The adakitic composition of the Sar'akhor rocks suggests post‐collisional melting of oceanic slab and/or mafic lower crust, possibly triggered by an asthenospheric rise after slab break‐off or intramantle delamination. For the active Damavand and Ararat volcanoes, available data suggest magma generation due to rising hot asthenosphere, following lithospheric delamination or slab break‐off in a transtensional environment. The features common to Sar'akhor, Damavand and Ararat allow proposing a model, where transtension focuses the rise of magma in intraplate settings overlying hot asthenosphere produced by delamination or slab break‐off.
Persistent severe drought in southern China during winter–spring 2011: Large‐scale circulation patterns and possible impacting factors
Authors: Sun Chenghu , Yang Song
Published: April 2012

Severe drought persisted in southern China from January to May in 2011. In this study, a statistical analysis is carried out to discuss the multiple possible impacting factors including La Niña, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the thermal condition of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The La Niña event in 2010–11 excited a lower‐tropospheric anomalous cyclone over the northwestern Pacific, weakening the northwestern Pacific subtropical high and caused an eastward shift of the high. As a result, transportation of wet and warm moisture from tropical oceans to southern China decreased. The La Niña event also strengthened the upper‐tropospheric East Asian jet stream and deepened the East Asian trough, favoring a southward intrusion of dry northerly flow from the Siberia. The La Niña condition in the previous two seasons also seemed to provide precursory signals for the drought. Moreover, in January–May 2011, the NAO was in a positive phase and it tended to excite stationary Rossby waves that were distributed along the sub‐polar and subtropical waveguides, respectively. The sub‐polar one induced an anomalous anticyclone over the Siberia, favoring a southward intrusion of high‐latitude northerly flow to southern China. The subtropical one, associated possibly with the enhanced convection over the broad region from the Mediterranean to Sahara, was favorable for an influence of upper‐tropospheric flow on southern China. The TP might also exert an influence on the drought by weakening the westerly flow to the southern flank of TP and reducing water vapor transport from the Bay of Bengal to southern China.
Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites cross retinal endothelium assisted by intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 in vitro
Authors: Furtado João M , Bharadwaj Arpita S , Chipps Timothy J , Pan Yuzhen , Ashander Liam M , Smith Justine R
Published: April 2012

Retinal infection is the most common clinical manifestation of toxoplasmosis. The route by which circulating Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites cross the vascular endothelium to enter the human retina is unknown. Convincing studies using murine encephalitis models have strongly implicated leukocyte taxis as one pathway used by the parasite to access target organs. To establish whether tachyzoites might also interact directly with vascular endothelium, we populated a transwell system with human ocular endothelial cells. Human retinal endothelial monolayers permitted transmigration of tachyzoites of RH and three natural isolate strains. Antibody blockade of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 significantly reduced this migration, but did not impact tachyzoite movement across an endothelial monolayer derived from the choroid, which lies adjacent to the retina within the eye. In demonstrating that tachyzoites are capable of independent migration across human vascular endothelium in vitro, this study carries implications for the development of therapeutics aimed at preventing access of T. gondii to the retina.
Expression of the polyalanine expansion mutant of nuclear poly(A)‐binding protein induces apoptosis via the p53 pathway
Authors: Bhattacharjee Rumpa Biswas , Zannat Thangima , Bag Jnanankur
Published: April 2012

The PABPN1 [nuclear poly(A)‐binding protein 1] is ubiquitous, binds to the nascent mRNA transcript and controls the poly(A) tract elongation process in multicellular organisms. Expansion of GCG repeats that encode first 6 of the 10 alanine residues of a polyalanine tract at the N‐terminus of wild‐type PABPN1 to 12–17 alanine residues causes aggregation of the protein and cell death. Patients with the adult onset autosomal dominant OPMD (oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy) carry the GCG expansion mutation in their PABPN1 gene. The symptoms of OPMD include drooping eye lids and difficulty swallowing. The severity of symptoms increases with the length of the expansion. We have investigated the mechanism of cell death in HeLa and HEK‐293 (human embryonic kidney) cultured cells expressing the mutant PABPN1 with a polyalanine tract containing 17 alanine residues (PABPN1‐A17). In cells expressing PABPN1‐A17, the abundance of pro‐apoptotic proteins, p53, PUMA (p53 up‐regulated modulator of apoptosis) and Noxa, are up‐regulated. This was associated with the redistribution of p53 to the nucleus and mitochondria. Concomitantly Bax was translocated to the mitochondria, followed by the release of cytochrome c and the cleavage of caspase 3. Furthermore, blocking p53‐mediated transcription using pifithrin significantly reduced apoptosis. Our findings suggest a key role of p53‐mediated apoptosis in death of cells expressing the polyalanine expansion mutant of PABPN1.
Update on new aspects of the renin–angiotensin system in liver disease: clinical implications and new therapeutic options
Authors: Grace Josephine A. , Herath Chandana B. , Mak Kai Yan , Burrell Louise M. , Angus Peter W.
Published: April 2012

The RAS (renin–angiotensin system) is now recognized as an important regulator of liver fibrosis and portal pressure. Liver injury stimulates the hepatic expression of components of the RAS, such as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) and the AT1 receptor [AngII (angiotensin II) type 1 receptor], which play an active role in promoting inflammation and deposition of extracellular matrix. In addition, the more recently recognized structural homologue of ACE, ACE2, is also up-regulated. ACE2 catalyses the conversion of AngII into Ang-(1–7) [angiotensin-(1–7)], and there is accumulating evidence that this ‘alternative axis’ of the RAS has anti-fibrotic, vasodilatory and anti-proliferative effects, thus counterbalancing the effects of AngII in the liver. The RAS is also emerging as an important contributor to the pathophysiology of portal hypertension in cirrhosis. Although the intrahepatic circulation in cirrhosis is hypercontractile in response to AngII, resulting in increased hepatic resistance, the splanchnic vasculature is hyporesponsive, promoting the development of the hyperdynamic circulation that characterizes portal hypertension. Both liver fibrosis and portal hypertension represent important therapeutic challenges for the clinician, and there is accumulating evidence that RAS blockade may be beneficial in these circumstances. The present review outlines new aspects of the RAS and explores its role in the pathogenesis and treatment of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension.
Dependence of Wilms tumor cells on signaling through insulin-like growth factor 1 in an orthotopic xenograft model targetable by specific receptor inhibition
Authors: Bielen Aleksandra , Box Gary , Perryman Lara , Bjerke Lynn , Popov Sergey , Jamin Yann , Jury Alexa , Valenti Melanie , Brandon Alexis de Haven , Martins Vanessa , Romanet Vincent , Jeay Sebastien , Raynaud Florence I. , Hofmann Francesco , Robinson Simon P. , Eccles Suzanne A. , Jones Chris
Published: April 2012

We have previously demonstrated an increased DNA copy number and expression of
IGF1R
to be associated with poor outcome in Wilms tumors. We have now tested whether inhibiting this receptor may be a useful therapeutic strategy by using a panel of Wilms tumor cell lines. Both genetic and pharmacological targeting resulted in inhibition of downstream signaling through PI3 and MAP kinases, G
1
cell cycle arrest, and cell death, with drug efficacy dependent on the levels of phosphorylated IGF1R. These effects were further associated with specific gene expression signatures reflecting pathway inhibition, and conferred synergistic chemosensitisation to doxorubicin and topotecan. In the in vivo setting, s.c. xenografts of WiT49 cells resembled malignant rhabdoid tumors rather than Wilms tumors. Treatment with an IGF1R inhibitor (NVP-AEW541) showed no discernable antitumor activity and no downstream pathway inactivation. By contrast, Wilms tumor cells established orthotopically within the kidney were histologically accurate and exhibited significantly elevated insulin-like growth factor–mediated signaling, and growth was significantly reduced on treatment with NVP-AEW541 in parallel with signaling pathway ablation. As a result of the paracrine effects of enhanced IGF2 expression in Wilms tumor, this disease may be acutely dependent on signaling through the IGF1 receptor, and thus treatment strategies aimed at its inhibition may be useful in the clinic. Such efficacy may be missed if only standard ectopic models are considered as a result of an imperfect recapitulation of the specific tumor microenvironment.
Whole-genome resequencing of two elite sires for the detection of haplotypes under selection in dairy cattle
Authors: Larkin Denis M. , Daetwyler Hans D. , Hernandez Alvaro G. , Wright Chris L. , Hetrick Lorie A. , Boucek Lisa , Bachman Sharon L. , Band Mark R. , Akraiko Tatsiana V. , Cohen-Zinder Miri , Thimmapuram Jyothi , Macleod Iona M. , Harkins Timothy T. , McCague Jennifer E. , Goddard Michael E. , Hayes Ben J. , Lewin Harris A.
Published: April 2012

Using a combination of whole-genome resequencing and high-density genotyping arrays, genome-wide haplotypes were reconstructed for two of the most important bulls in the history of the dairy cattle industry, Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief (“Chief”) and his son Walkway Chief Mark (“Mark”), each accounting for ∼7% of all current genomes. We aligned 20.5 Gbp (∼7.3× coverage) and 37.9 Gbp (∼13.5× coverage) of the Chief and Mark genomic sequences, respectively. More than 1.3 million high-quality SNPs were detected in Chief and Mark sequences. The genome-wide haplotypes inherited by Mark from Chief were reconstructed using ∼1 million informative SNPs. Comparison of a set of 15,826 SNPs that overlapped in the sequence-based and BovineSNP50 SNPs showed the accuracy of the sequence-based haplotype reconstruction to be as high as 97%. By using the BovineSNP50 genotypes, the frequencies of Chief alleles on his two haplotypes then were determined in 1,149 of his descendants, and the distribution was compared with the frequencies that would be expected assuming no selection. We identified 49 chromosomal segments in which Chief alleles showed strong evidence of selection. Candidate polymorphisms for traits that have been under selection in the dairy cattle population then were identified by referencing Chief’s DNA sequence within these selected chromosome blocks. Eleven candidate genes were identified with functions related to milk-production, fertility, and disease-resistance traits. These data demonstrate that haplotype reconstruction of an ancestral proband by whole-genome resequencing in combination with high-density SNP genotyping of descendants can be used for rapid, genome-wide identification of the ancestor’s alleles that have been subjected to artificial selection.
Kinase-independent function of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) in the replication of damaged DNA
Authors: Speroni Juliana , Federico María Belén , Mansilla Sabrina F. , Soria Gastón , Gottifredi Vanesa
Published: April 2012

The checkpoint kinases Chk1 and ATR are broadly known for their role in the response to the accumulation of damaged DNA. Because Chk1 activation requires its phosphorylation by ATR, it is expected that ATR or Chk1 down-regulation should cause similar alterations in the signals triggered by DNA lesions. Intriguingly, we found that Chk1, but not ATR, promotes the progression of replication forks after UV irradiation. Strikingly, this role of Chk1 is independent of its kinase-domain and of its partnership with Claspin. Instead, we demonstrate that the ability of Chk1 to promote replication fork progression on damaged DNA templates relies on its recently identified proliferating cell nuclear antigen-interacting motif, which is required for its release from chromatin after DNA damage. Also supporting the importance of Chk1 release, a histone H2B-Chk1 chimera, which is permanently immobilized in chromatin, is unable to promote the replication of damaged DNA. Moreover, inefficient chromatin dissociation of Chk1 impairs the efficient recruitment of the specialized DNA polymerase η (pol η) to replication-associated foci after UV. Given the critical role of pol η during translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), these findings unveil an unforeseen facet of the regulation by Chk1 of DNA replication. This kinase-independent role of Chk1 is exclusively associated to the maintenance of active replication forks after UV irradiation in a manner in which Chk1 release prompts TLS to avoid replication stalling.
Symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance
Authors: Kikuchi Yoshitomo , Hayatsu Masahito , Hosokawa Takahiro , Nagayama Atsushi , Tago Kanako , Fukatsu Takema
Published: April 2012

Development of insecticide resistance has been a serious concern worldwide, whose mechanisms have been attributed to evolutionary changes in pest insect genomes such as alteration of drug target sites, up-regulation of degrading enzymes, and enhancement of drug excretion. Here, we report a previously unknown mechanism of insecticide resistance: Infection with an insecticide-degrading bacterial symbiont immediately establishes insecticide resistance in pest insects. The bean bug
Riptortus pedestris
and allied stinkbugs harbor mutualistic gut symbiotic bacteria of the genus
Burkholderia
, which are acquired by nymphal insects from environmental soil every generation. In agricultural fields, fenitrothion-degrading
Burkolderia
strains are present at very low densities. We demonstrated that the fenitrothion-degrading
Burkholderia
strains establish a specific and beneficial symbiosis with the stinkbugs and confer a resistance of the host insects against fenitrothion. Experimental applications of fenitrothion to field soils drastically enriched fenitrothion-degrading bacteria from undetectable levels to >80% of total culturable bacterial counts in the field soils, and >90% of stinkbugs reared with the enriched soil established symbiosis with fenitrothion-degrading
Burkholderia
. In a Japanese island where fenitrothion has been constantly applied to sugarcane fields, we identified a stinkbug population wherein the insects live on sugarcane and ≈8% of them host fenitrothion-degrading
Burkholderia
. Our finding suggests the possibility that the symbiont-mediated insecticide resistance may develop even in the absence of pest insects, quickly establish within a single insect generation, and potentially move around horizontally between different pest insects and other organisms.
Histidine pairing at the metal transport site of mammalian ZnT transporters controls Zn
2+
over Cd
2+
selectivity
Authors: Hoch Eitan , Lin Wei , Chai Jin , Hershfinkel Michal , Fu Dax , Sekler Israel
Published: April 2012

Zinc and cadmium are similar metal ions, but though Zn
2+
is an essential nutrient, Cd
2+
is a toxic and common pollutant linked to multiple disorders. Faster body turnover and ubiquitous distribution of Zn
2+
vs. Cd
2+
suggest that a mammalian metal transporter distinguishes between these metal ions. We show that the mammalian metal transporters, ZnTs, mediate cytosolic and vesicular Zn
2+
transport, but reject Cd
2+
, thus constituting the first mammalian metal transporter with a refined selectivity against Cd
2+
. Remarkably, the bacterial ZnT ortholog, YiiP, does not discriminate between Zn
2+
and Cd
2+
. A phylogenetic comparison between the tetrahedral metal transport motif of YiiP and ZnTs identifies a histidine at the mammalian site that is critical for metal selectivity. Residue swapping at this position abolished metal selectivity of ZnTs, and fully reconstituted selective Zn
2+
transport of YiiP. Finally, we show that metal selectivity evolves through a reduction in binding but not the translocation of Cd
2+
by the transporter. Thus, our results identify a unique class of mammalian transporters and the structural motif required to discriminate between Zn
2+
and Cd
2+
, and show that metal selectivity is tuned by a coordination-based mechanism that raises the thermodynamic barrier to Cd
2+
binding.
Differences in intradomain and interdomain motion confer distinct activation properties to structurally similar Gα proteins
Authors: Jones Janice C. , Jones Alan M. , Temple Brenda R. S. , Dohlman Henrik G.
Published: April 2012

Proteins with similar crystal structures can have dissimilar rates of substrate binding and catalysis. Here we used molecular dynamics simulations and biochemical analysis to determine the role of intradomain and interdomain motions in conferring distinct activation rates to two Gα proteins, Gα
i1
and GPA1. Despite high structural similarity, GPA1 can activate itself without a receptor, whereas Gα
i1
cannot. We found that motions in these proteins vary greatly in type and frequency. Whereas motion is greatest in the Ras domain of Gα
i1
, it is greatest in helices αA and αB from the helical domain of GPA1. Using protein chimeras, we show that helix αA from GPA1 is sufficient to confer rapid activation to Gα
i1
. Gα
i1
has less intradomain motion than GPA1 and instead displays interdomain displacement resembling that observed in a receptor–heterotrimer crystal complex. Thus, structurally similar proteins can have distinct atomic motions that confer distinct activation mechanisms.
Cage assembly of DegP protease is not required for substrate-dependent regulation of proteolytic activity or high-temperature cell survival
Authors: Kim Seokhee , Sauer Robert T.
Published: April 2012

DegP, a member of the highly conserved HtrA family, performs quality-control degradation of misfolded proteins in the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria and is required for high-temperature survival of
Escherichia coli
. Substrate binding transforms DegP from an inactive oligomer containing two trimers into active polyhedral cages, typically containing four or eight trimers. Although these observations suggest a causal connection, we show that cage assembly and proteolytic activation can be uncoupled. Indeed, DegP variants that remain trimeric, hexameric, or dodecameric in the presence or absence of substrate still display robust and positively cooperative substrate degradation in vitro and, most importantly, sustain high-temperature bacterial growth as well as the wild-type enzyme. Our results support a model in which substrate binding converts inactive trimers into proteolytically active trimers, and simultaneously leads to cage assembly by enhancing binding of PDZ1 domains in one trimer to PDZ2′ domains in neighboring trimers. Thus, both processes depend on substrate binding, but they can be uncoupled without loss of biological function. We discuss potential coupling mechanisms and why cage formation may have evolved if it is not required for DegP proteolysis.
Hysteria's upheavals: emotional fault lines in Cristina di Belgiojoso's health history
Authors: Ferlito Susanna
Published: April 2012

This article examines a series of ‘patient-letters' that Cristina di Belgiojoso (1807–1871) wrote to her doctor, Paolo Maspero (1811–1895) over the span of three decades. Belgiojoso's notoriously frail health has been crucial to the construction of her unique and heroic position in the panorama of female patriotism in the Risorgimento. This article focuses on Belgiojoso's ‘patient-voice’ as represented in her letters to Maspero and foregrounds her self-diagnosis of hysteria. This diagnosis provides insight into the emotional and physical upheavals of a woman torn between transgression of and compliance with normative female gender behaviour of her time.
The age of innocence? Child narratives and Italian Holocaust films
Authors: Lichtner Giacomo
Published: April 2012

This article critically assesses the use of children as narrators in two recent Italian Holocaust films: Roberto Benigni'sLa Vita é Bella(1997) and Ettore Scola'sConcorrenza Sleale(2001). The analysis places the films and their choice of narrator in the context of the child in European Holocaust film and argues that the child's perspective, often used to qualify the actions of adult characters and cast a questioning or even accusatory gaze on them, is used in these Italian films to perform the opposite function. Focusing on cinema as a site of memory and as a site of emotions, the article suggests that Italian filmmakers use children to infantilise the audience, induce pity rather than reflection, and discuss Italy's role in the Holocaust while reassuring audiences of the life-affirming, democratic and humanitarian values of post-war Italians. This political and historiographical use of the child's emotions not only reinforces the need to insist on the revision of thebrava gentemyth, but also invites a thorough reconsideration of the complexity of the relationship between the historical film and the emotions.
How strongly do word reading times and lexical decision times correlate? Combining data from eye movement corpora and megastudies
Authors: Kuperman Victor , Drieghe Denis , Keuleers Emmanuel , Brysbaert Marc
Published: April 2012

We assess the amount of shared variance between three measures of visual word recognition latencies: eye movement latencies, lexical decision times, and naming times. After partialling out the effects of word frequency and word length, two well-documented predictors of word recognition latencies, we see that 7–44% of the variance is uniquely shared between lexical decision times and naming times, depending on the frequency range of the words used. A similar analysis of eye movement latencies shows that the percentage of variance they uniquely share either with lexical decision times or with naming times is much lower. It is 5–17% for gaze durations and lexical decision times in studies with target words presented in neutral sentences, but drops to 0.2% for corpus studies in which eye movements to all words are analysed. Correlations between gaze durations and naming latencies are lower still. These findings suggest that processing times in isolated word processing and continuous text reading are affected by specific task demands and presentation format, and that lexical decision times and naming times are not very informative in predicting eye movement latencies in text reading once the effect of word frequency and word length are taken into account. The difference between controlled experiments and natural reading suggests that reading strategies and stimulus materials may determine the degree to which the immediacy-of-processing assumption and the eye–mind assumption apply. Fixation times are more likely to exclusively reflect the lexical processing of the currently fixated word in controlled studies with unpredictable target words rather than in natural reading of sentences or texts.
Processing of compound-word characters in reading Chinese: An eye-movement-contingent display change study
Authors: Cui Lei , Yan Guoli , Bai Xuejun , Hyönä Jukka , Wang Suiping , Liversedge Simon P.
Published: April 2012

Readers’ eye movements were monitored as they read Chinese two-constituent compound words in sentence contexts. The first compound-word constituent was either an infrequent character with a highly predictable second constituent or a frequent character with an unpredictable second constituent. The parafoveal preview of the second constituent was manipulated, with four preview conditions: identical to the correct form; a semantically related character to the second constituent; a semantically unrelated character to the second constituent; and a pseudocharacter. An invisible boundary was set between the two constituents; when the eyes moved across the boundary, the previewed character was changed to its intended form. The main findings were that preview effects occurred for the second constituent of the compound word. Providing an incorrect preview of the second constituent affected fixations on the first constituent, but only when the second constituent was predictable from the first. The frequency of the initial character of the compound constrained the identity of the second character, and this in turn modulated the extent to which the semantic characteristics of the preview influenced processing of the second constituent and the compound word as a whole. The results are considered in relation to current accounts of Chinese compound-word recognition and the constraint hypothesis of Hyönä, Bertram, and Pollatsek (2004). We conclude that word identification in Chinese is flexible, and parafoveal processing of upcoming characters is influenced both by the characteristics of the fixated character and by its relationship with the characters in the parafovea.
The Trim39 ubiquitin ligase inhibits APC/CCdh1-mediated degradation of the Bax activator MOAP-1
Authors: Huang Nai-Jia , Zhang Liguo , Tang Wanli , Chen Chen , Yang Chih-Sheng , Kornbluth Sally
Published: April 2012

Proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, such as Bax, promote release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, leading to caspase activation and cell death. It was previously reported that modulator of apoptosis protein 1 (MOAP-1), an enhancer of Bax activation induced by DNA damage, is stabilized by Trim39, a protein of unknown function. In this paper, we show that MOAP-1 is a novel substrate of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/CCdh1) ubiquitin ligase. The influence of Trim39 on MOAP-1 levels stems from the ability of Trim39 (a RING domain E3 ligase) to directly inhibit APC/CCdh1-mediated protein ubiquitylation. Accordingly, small interfering ribonucleic acid–mediated knockdown of Cdh1 stabilized MOAP-1, thereby enhancing etoposide-induced Bax activation and apoptosis. These data identify Trim39 as a novel APC/C regulator and provide an unexpected link between the APC/C and apoptotic regulation via MOAP-1.
Nanoscale size effect on surface spin canting in iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the microemulsion method
Authors: Darbandi Masih , Stromberg Frank , Landers Joachim , Reckers Nathalie , Sanyal Biplab , Keune Werner , Wende Heiko
Published: April 2012

Uniformly sized and crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with spinel structure and mean diameters of about 3, 6 and 9 nm were synthesized in high yield using the microemulsion route at room temperature. The nanoparticles (NPs) were stabilized in situ by organic surfactant molecules which acted both as a stabilizer of the microemulsion system and as a capping layer of the NP surface. NP size control was attained by careful adjustment of the preparation conditions. The structure, morphology and NP size distribution were investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A particular effort was devoted in this work to study the effect of size and capping of these NPs on their magnetic structure by in-field Mössbauer spectroscopy at 4.2 K. The mean canting angle (relative to the applied field direction) of the Fe spins was observed to increase with decreasing NP size due to the enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. Comparing bare and capped NPs of the same diameter, we verified that the spin canting was not affected by the organic capping. This implied almost identical magnetic orientations of bare and capped NPs. Simultaneously, the capping material was capable of preventing agglomeration effects which can occur in case of direct particle contact. Using a core/shell model, we showed that spin canting originated from the surface shell of the NPs. Furthermore, the Mössbauer spectral parameters provided evidence for the existence of a high fraction of Fe3O4 (magnetite) in the IONP.
Giant magnetoresistance effects on electromigration characteristics in spin valve read sensors during retrieving operation
Authors: Zeng D G , Lee K-I , Chung K-W , Bae S
Published: April 2012

Electromigration (EM) in giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin valve read sensors under pulsed magnetic field of 50–200 Oe with different duty factors was experimentally studied to explore the physical mechanisms of EM failures during sensor retrieving operation. It was found that the GMR effect, which causes the temperature rise and fall due to the change in resistance, is dominantly responsible for the acceleration of EM failures at a small retrieving field (50 Oe). A theoretical model incorporating the GMR and Hall effects was proposed to interpret the EM failure characteristics. The physical validity of this proposed model is confirmed by the comparisons with experimental results.
Electrical and optical properties of point defects in ZnO thin films
Authors: Can Musa M , Ismat Shah S , Doty Matthew F , Haughn Chelsea R , Fırat Tezer
Published: April 2012

We show that the deposition of ZnO films under varying oxygen partial pressure and annealing conditions allows for the controllable formation of specific defects. Using x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence, we characterize the defects formed and show that these defects are responsible for changes in film carrier density, carrier type, sheet resistivity and mobility.
High-resolution gamma ray spectroscopy measurements of the fast ion energy distribution in JET 4He plasmas
Authors: Nocente M. , Tardocchi M. , Kiptily V.G. , Blanchard P. , Chugunov I. , Conroy S. , Edlington T. , Fernandes A.M. , Ericsson G. , Johnson M. Gatu , Gin D. , Grosso G. , Hellesen C. , Kneupner K. , Lerche E. , Murari A. , Neto A. , Pereira R.C. , Cippo E. Perelli , Sharapov S. , Shevelev A. , Sousa J. , Syme D.B. , Eester D. Van , Gorini G.
Published: April 2012

High-resolution γ-ray measurements were carried out on the Joint European Torus (JET) in an experiment aimed at accelerating 4He ions in the MeV range by coupling third harmonic radio frequency heating to an injected 4He beam. For the first time, Doppler broadening of γ-ray peaks from the 12C(d, pγ)13C and 9Be(α, nγ)12C reactions was observed and interpreted with dedicated Monte Carlo codes based on the detailed nuclear physics of the processes. Information on the confined 4He and deuteron energy distribution was inferred, and confined 4He ions with energies as high as 6 MeV were assessed. A signature of MHD activity in γ-ray traces was also detected. The reported results have a bearing on diagnostics for fast ions in the MeV range in next step fusion devices.
Multiple-tracer TESPEL injection for studying impurity behaviour in a magnetically confined plasma
Authors: Sudo Shigeru , Tamura Naoki , Suzuki Chihiro , Muto Sadatsugu , Funaba Hisamichi
Published: April 2012

A new diagnostic method with tracer-encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) injection with multiple tracers is developed to study impurity behaviour in a magnetically confined plasma. If a pellet contains multiple tracers, it becomes possible to compare the behaviour of different impurities simultaneously under the same plasma conditions. We injected a TESPEL into the Large Helical Device mainly with triple tracers: vanadium (V), manganese (Mn) and cobalt (Co). The Li-like lines in the vacuum ultraviolet range and the Kα lines in the soft x-ray range from these tracers are simultaneously observed with a time resolution of 50 ms. As the charges of the nuclei of intrinsic impurities, chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe), are in between those of the tracers, the behaviour of Cr and Fe can be studied quantitatively by knowing the number of tracer particles and also by comparing the emission intensity change due to the electron temperature change. It is observed that the tracer impurities remain in the plasma core region when the plasma density is higher than 5 × 1019 m−3. It is also observed that the intrinsic impurities cannot enter the core region when the plasma density is higher than the same level, although the two phenomena appear to be independent.
Two Etomidate Sites in α1β2γ2 γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptors Contribute Equally and Noncooperatively to Modulation of Channel Gating
Authors: Guitchounts Grigori , Stewart Deirdre S. , Forman Stuart A.
Published: April 2012

Background

Etomidate is a potent hypnotic agent that acts via γ-aminobutyric acid receptor type A (GABA(A)) receptors. Evidence supports the presence of two etomidate sites per GABA(A) receptor, and current models assume that each site contributes equally and noncooperatively to drug effects. These assumptions remain untested.

Methods

We used concatenated dimer (β2-α1) and trimer (γ2-β2-α1) GABA(A) subunit assemblies that form functional α1β2γ2 channels, and inserted α1M236W etomidate site mutations into both dimers (β2-α1M236W) and trimers (γ2-β2-α1M236W). Wild-type or mutant dimers (D(wt) or D(αM236W)) and trimers (T(wt) or T(αM236W)) were coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes to produce four types of channels: D(wt)T(wt), D(αM236W)T(wt), D(wt)T(αM236W), and D(αM236W)T(αM236W). For each channel type, two-electrode voltage clamp was performed to quantitatively assess GABA EC(50), etomidate modulation (left shift), etomidate direct activation, and other functional parameters affected by αM236W mutations.

Results

Concatenated wild-type D(wt)T(wt) channels displayed etomidate modulation and direct activation similar to α1β2γ2 receptors formed with free subunits. D(αM236W)T(αM236W) receptors also displayed altered GABA sensitivity and etomidate modulation similar to mutated channels formed with free subunits. Both single-site mutant receptors (D(αM236W)T(wt) and D(wt)T(αM236W)) displayed indistinguishable functional properties and equal gating energy changes for GABA activation (-4.9 ± 0.48 vs. -4.7 ± 0.48 kJ/mol, respectively) and etomidate modulation (-3.4 ± 0.49 vs. -3.7 ± 0.38 kJ/mol, respectively), which together accounted for the differences between D(wt)T(wt) and D(αM236W)T(αM236W) channels.

Conclusions

These results support the hypothesis that the two etomidate sites on α1β2γ2 GABA(A) receptors contribute equally and noncooperatively to drug interactions and gating effects.
Toxicity of Metals to a Freshwater Snail,Melanoides tuberculata
Authors: Shuhaimi-Othman M. , Nur-Amalina R. , Nadzifah Y.
Published: April 2012

Adult freshwater snailsMelanoides tuberculata(Gastropod, Thiaridae) were exposed for a four-day period in laboratory conditions to a range of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn) concentrations. Mortality was assessed and median lethal times (LT50) and concentrations (LC50) were calculated. LT50and LC50increased with the decrease in mean exposure concentrations and times, respectively, for all metals. The LC50values for the 96-hour exposures to Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Al, and Mn were 0.14, 1.49, 3.90, 6.82, 8.46, 8.49, 68.23, and 45.59 mg L−1, respectively. Cu was the most toxic metal toM. tuberculata, followed by Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Al (Cu > Cd > Zn > Pb > Ni > Fe > Mn > Al). Metals bioconcentration inM. tuberculataincreases with exposure to increasing concentrations and Cu has the highest accumulation (concentration factor) in the soft tissues. A comparison of LC50values for metals for this species with those for other freshwater gastropods reveals thatM. tuberculatais equally sensitive to metals.
Antibiotic ResistantSalmonellaandVibrioAssociated with FarmedLitopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Banerjee Sanjoy , Ooi Mei Chen , Shariff Mohamed , Khatoon Helena
Published: April 2012

SalmonellaandVibriospecies were isolated and identified fromLitopenaeus vannameicultured in shrimp farms. Shrimp samples showed occurrence of 3.3% ofSalmonellaand 48.3% ofVibrio. The isolates were also screened for antibiotic resistance to oxolinic acid, sulphonamides, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, norfloxacin, ampicillin, doxycycline hydrochloride, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and nitrofurantoin.Salmonella entericaserovar Corvallis isolated from shrimp showed individual and multiple antibiotic resistance patterns. FiveVibriospecies having individual and multiple antibiotic resistance were also identified. They wereVibrio cholerae(18.3%),V. mimicus(16.7%),V. parahaemolyticus(10%),V. vulnificus(6.7%), andV. alginolyticus(1.7%). Farm owners should be concerned about the presence of these pathogenic bacteria which also contributes to human health risk and should adopt best management practices for responsible aquaculture to ensure the quality of shrimp.
Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain in Heavy Metal-Induced Neurotoxicity: Effects of Cadmium, Mercury, and Copper
Authors: Belyaeva Elena A. , Sokolova Tatyana V. , Emelyanova Larisa V. , Zakharova Irina O.
Published: April 2012

To clarify the role of mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC) in heavy-metal-induced neurotoxicity, we studied action of Cd2+, Hg2+, and Cu2+on cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species formation, respiratory function, and mitochondrial membrane potential of rat cell line PC12. As found, the metals produced, although in a different way, dose- and time-dependent changes of all these parameters. Importantly, Cd2+beginning from 10 [mu]M and already at short incubation time (3 h) significantly inhibited the FCCP-uncoupled cell respiration; besides, practically the complete inhibition of the respiration was reached after 3 h incubation with 50 [mu]M Hg2+or 500 [mu]M Cd2+, whereas even after 48 h exposure with 500 [mu]M Cu2+, only a 50% inhibition of the respiration occurred. Against the Cd2+-induced cell injury, not only different antioxidants and mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitors were protective but also such mtETC effectors as FCCP and stigmatellin (complex III inhibitor). However, all mtETC effectors used did not protect against the Hg2+- or Cu2+-induced cell damage. Notably, stigmatellin was shown to be one of the strongest protectors against the Cd2+-induced cell damage, producing a 15–20% increase in the cell viability. The mechanisms of the mtETC involvement in the heavy-metal-induced mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and cell death are discussed.
Micelle Mediated Trace Level Sulfide Quantification through Cloud Point Extraction
Authors: Devaramani Samrat , Malingappa Pandurangappa
Published: April 2012

A simple cloud point extraction protocol has been proposed for the quantification of sulfide at trace level. The method is based on the reduction of iron (III) to iron (II) by the sulfide and the subsequent complexation of metal ion with nitroso-R salt in alkaline medium. The resulting green-colored complex was extracted through cloud point formation using cationic surfactant, that is, cetylpyridinium chloride, and the obtained surfactant phase was homogenized by ethanol before its absorbance measurement at 710 nm. The reaction variables like metal ion, ligand, surfactant concentration, and medium pH on the cloud point extraction of the metal-ligand complex have been optimized. The interference effect of the common anions and cations was studied. The proposed method has been successfully applied to quantify the trace level sulfide in the leachate samples of the landfill and water samples from bore wells and ponds. The validity of the proposed method has been studied by spiking the samples with known quantities of sulfide as well as comparing with the results obtained by the standard method.