bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal Antibodies against Small Molecule Natural Products and Their Applications, Eastern Blotting and Knockout Extract
Authors: Shoyama Yukihiro
Published: June 2011

To determine the hapten number in hapten-carrier protein conjugate matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) tof mass spectrometry was applied. Highly specific anti-ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared. Ginsenosides were developed on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates which were covered by a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane resulting in blotting. The membrane was treated with NaIO4 solution to release the aldehyde group on the sugar moiety of the ginsenosides. By treatment of the membrane with a protein solution the ginsenoside-protein conjugation as a Schiff-base occurred, which can function to fix it to the PVDF membrane. A part of the ginsenoside aglycone was reacted with anti-ginsenoside Rb1 MAb, secondary MAb conjugated with enzyme and finally a substrate was added, resulting in a specific and highly sensitive staining that we named Eastern blotting. Furthermore, it makes one-step isolation of ginsenoside Rb1 possible using an immuno-affinity column conjugated with anti-ginsenoside Rb1 MAb. Furthermore, immunoaffinity concentration was carried out allowing high sensitivity analysis of lower concentrations of ginsenoside Rb1 so that several unknown bands could be structurally determined.
Portable and Airborne Small Footprint LiDAR: Forest Canopy Structure Estimation of Fire Managed Plots
Authors: Listopad Claudia M.C.S. , Drake Jason B. , Masters Ron. E. , Weishampel John F.
Published: June 2011

This study used an affordable ground-based portable LiDAR system to provide an understanding of the structural differences between old-growth and secondary-growth Southeastern pine. It provided insight into the strengths and weaknesses in the structural determination of portable systems in contrast to airborne LiDAR systems. Portable LiDAR height profiles and derived metrics and indices (e.g., canopy cover, canopy height) were compared among plots with different fire frequency and fire season treatments within secondary forest and old growth plots. The treatments consisted of transitional season fire with four different return intervals: 1-yr, 2-yr, 3-yr fire return intervals, and fire suppressed plots. The remaining secondary plots were treated using a 2-yr late dormant season fire cycle. The old growth plots were treated using a 2-yr growing season fire cycle. Airborne and portable LiDAR derived canopy cover were consistent throughout the plots, with significantly higher canopy cover values found in 3-yr and fire suppressed plots. Portable LiDAR height profile and metrics presented a higher sensitivity in capturing subcanopy elements than the airborne system, particularly in dense canopy plots. The 3-dimensional structures of the secondary plots with varying fire return intervals were dramatically different to old-growth plots, where a symmetrical distribution with clear recruitment was visible. Portable LiDAR, even though limited to finer spatial scales and specific biases, is a low-cost investment with clear value for the management of forest canopy structure.
Design and Analysis of Self-Adapted Task Scheduling Strategies in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Guo Wenzhong , Xiong Naixue , Chao Han-Chieh , Hussain Sajid , Chen Guolong
Published: June 2011

In a wireless sensor network (WSN), the usage of resources is usually highly related to the execution of tasks which consume a certain amount of computing and communication bandwidth. Parallel processing among sensors is a promising solution to provide the demanded computation capacity in WSNs. Task allocation and scheduling is a typical problem in the area of high performance computing. Although task allocation and scheduling in wired processor networks has been well studied in the past, their counterparts for WSNs remain largely unexplored. Existing traditional high performance computing solutions cannot be directly implemented in WSNs due to the limitations of WSNs such as limited resource availability and the shared communication medium. In this paper, a self-adapted task scheduling strategy for WSNs is presented. First, a multi-agent-based architecture for WSNs is proposed and a mathematical model of dynamic alliance is constructed for the task allocation problem. Then an effective discrete particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for the dynamic alliance (DPSO-DA) with a well-designed particle position code and fitness function is proposed. A mutation operator which can effectively improve the algorithm’s ability of global search and population diversity is also introduced in this algorithm. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed solution can achieve significant better performance than other algorithms.
Trust Index Based Fault Tolerant Multiple Event Localization Algorithm for WSNs
Authors: Xu Xianghua , Gao Xueyong , Wan Jian , Xiong Naixue
Published: June 2011

This paper investigates the use of wireless sensor networks for multiple event source localization using binary information from the sensor nodes. The events could continually emit signals whose strength is attenuated inversely proportional to the distance from the source. In this context, faults occur due to various reasons and are manifested when a node reports a wrong decision. In order to reduce the impact of node faults on the accuracy of multiple event localization, we introduce a trust index model to evaluate the fidelity of information which the nodes report and use in the event detection process, and propose the Trust Index based Subtract on Negative Add on Positive (TISNAP) localization algorithm, which reduces the impact of faulty nodes on the event localization by decreasing their trust index, to improve the accuracy of event localization and performance of fault tolerance for multiple event source localization. The algorithm includes three phases: first, the sink identifies the cluster nodes to determine the number of events occurred in the entire region by analyzing the binary data reported by all nodes; then, it constructs the likelihood matrix related to the cluster nodes and estimates the location of all events according to the alarmed status and trust index of the nodes around the cluster nodes. Finally, the sink updates the trust index of all nodes according to the fidelity of their information in the previous reporting cycle. The algorithm improves the accuracy of localization and performance of fault tolerance in multiple event source localization. The experiment results show that when the probability of node fault is close to 50%, the algorithm can still accurately determine the number of the events and have better accuracy of localization compared with other algorithms.
An Optical AC Voltage Sensor Based on the Transverse Pockels Effect
Authors: Pan Feng , Xiao Xia , Xu Yan , Ren Shiyan
Published: June 2011

This paper introduces an optical AC voltage sensor based on the transverse Pockels effect. The sensor utilizes a bulk Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystal as the sensing element. The measurement principle has been described and prototype of the sensor has been constructed and evaluated. Good linearity and accuracy performance was obtained for AC voltage measurement. The proposed sensor can be thus applied to high AC voltage measurements in the electric power industry.
Throughput Fairness Enhancement Using Differentiated Channel Access in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks
Authors: Kim Eui-Jik , Shon Taeshik , Park James Jong Hyuk , Jeong Young-Sik
Published: June 2011

Nowadays, with wireless sensor networks (WSNs) being widely applied to diverse applications, heterogeneous sensor networks (HSNs), which can simultaneously support multiple sensing tasks in a common sensor field, are being considered as the general form of WSN system deployment. In HSNs, each application generates data packets with a different size, thereby resulting in fairness issues in terms of the network performance. In this paper, we present the design and performance evaluation of a differentiated channel access scheme (abbreviated to DiffCA) to resolve the fairness problem in HSNs. DiffCA achieves fair performance among the application groups by providing each node with an additional backoff counter, whose value varies according to the size of the packets. A mathematical model based on the discrete time Markov chain is presented and is analyzed to measure the performance of DiffCA. The numerical results show that the performance degradation of disadvantaged application groups can be effectively compensated for by DiffCA. Simulation results are given to verify the accuracy of the numerical model.
Geosensors to Support Crop Production: Current Applications and User Requirements
Authors: Thessler Sirpa , Kooistra Lammert , Teye Frederick , Huitu Hanna , Bregt Arnold  K.
Published: June 2011

Sensor technology, which benefits from high temporal measuring resolution, real-time data transfer and high spatial resolution of sensor data that shows in-field variations, has the potential to provide added value for crop production. The present paper explores how sensors and sensor networks have been utilised in the crop production process and what their added-value and the main bottlenecks are from the perspective of users. The focus is on sensor based applications and on requirements that users pose for them. Literature and two use cases were reviewed and applications were classified according to the crop production process: sensing of growth conditions, fertilising, irrigation, plant protection, harvesting and fleet control. The potential of sensor technology was widely acknowledged along the crop production chain. Users of the sensors require easy-to-use and reliable applications that are actionable in crop production at reasonable costs. The challenges are to develop sensor technology, data interoperability and management tools as well as data and measurement services in a way that requirements can be met, and potential benefits and added value can be realized in the farms in terms of higher yields, improved quality of yields, decreased input costs and production risks, and less work time and load.
Efficient Fuzzy C-Means Architecture for Image Segmentation
Authors: Li Hui-Ya , Hwang Wen-Jyi , Chang Chia-Yen
Published: June 2011

This paper presents a novel VLSI architecture for image segmentation. The architecture is based on the fuzzy c-means algorithm with spatial constraint for reducing the misclassification rate. In the architecture, the usual iterative operations for updating the membership matrix and cluster centroid are merged into one single updating process to evade the large storage requirement. In addition, an efficient pipelined circuit is used for the updating process for accelerating the computational speed. Experimental results show that the the proposed circuit is an effective alternative for real-time image segmentation with low area cost and low misclassification rate.
Security Enhancement Mechanism Based on Contextual Authentication and Role Analysis for 2G-RFID Systems
Authors: Tang Wan , Chen Min , Ni Jin , Yang Ximin
Published: June 2011

The traditional Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, in which the information maintained in tags is passive and static, has no intelligent decision-making ability to suit application and environment dynamics. The Second-Generation RFID (2G-RFID) system, referred as 2G-RFID-sys, is an evolution of the traditional RFID system to ensure better quality of service in future networks. Due to the openness of the active mobile codes in the 2G-RFID system, the realization of conveying intelligence brings a critical issue: how can we make sure the backend system will interpret and execute mobile codes in the right way without misuse so as to avoid malicious attacks? To address this issue, this paper expands the concept of Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) by introducing context-aware computing, and then designs a secure middleware for backend systems, named Two-Level Security Enhancement Mechanism or 2L-SEM, in order to ensure the usability and validity of the mobile code through contextual authentication and role analysis. According to the given contextual restrictions, 2L-SEM can filtrate the illegal and invalid mobile codes contained in tags. Finally, a reference architecture and its typical application are given to illustrate the implementation of 2L-SEM in a 2G-RFID system, along with the simulation results to evaluate how the proposed mechanism can guarantee secure execution of mobile codes for the system.
Vers une psychologie du mouvement : l'espace acoustique d'Erwin Straus, entre musique et danse
Authors: Boissière Anne
Published: June 2011

Résumé Cette contribution propose une libre méditation sur le thème, chez Erwin Straus, du sentir (Empfinden) , qui est ici abordé de façon privilégiée en regard du texte de 1930 Les formes du spatial . Nous aiguisons et intensifions à dessein le motif de l’acoustique dans notre approche du mouvement, et donc de l’espace, qui sont partie prenante de la définition straussienne du sentir. Renonçant à voir dans Les formes du spatial une réflexion qui porterait directement sur l’art, que ce soit la musique ou la danse, nous nous efforçons ainsi de dégager le paradoxe d’un mouvement sans déplacement, dans le medium de l’écoute, en lequel nous comprenons l’idée du pathique comme mode de communication.
Take the a train
Authors: de Rivoyre Frédéric
Published: June 2011

Résumé Partant de la musique de jazz et de l’improvisation, l’article cherche à définir les premiers rapports entre corps et langage, en particulier la disjonction entre son et sens comme constitutive du rapport au signifiant.
Le jeu dans la consultation pédopsychiatrique : média de rencontre et socle de parentalité
Authors: de Becker Emmanuel
Published: June 2011

Résumé Si la place du jeu dans la vie de l’enfant relève de l’évidence sur le plan psychologique, il ne manque pas d’atouts par ailleurs. Levier d’apprentissage et de développement, le jeu assure un rôle non négligeable dans la découverte de soi et de l’autre. Il constitue aussi un média de communication universel, au-delà des barrières de langage, de culture ou de générations. Dans le cadre des consultations pédopsychiatriques, de plus en plus de cliniciens sont attentifs au déploiement des activités ludiques dès le plus jeune âge. Il ne s’agit pas d’offrir « simplement » des jeux, mais de construire une aire de rencontre spécifique entre adulte et enfant, propice au développement de la parentalité. L’article est construit en trois temps successifs : le premier s’attache à rappeler quelques considérations générales sur les définitions et significations du jeu. Les illustrations qui constituent le deuxième temps sont extraites de suivis thérapeutiques impliquant enfant et parent, où le clinicien établit l’alliance par le jeu. Le troisième temps développe les liens entre parentalité et qualités de la mise en jeu entre les protagonistes concernés. In fine, le jeu représente probablement un « outil » de prévention de troubles psychiques ultérieurs.
Psychothérapie des boulimiques et Rorschach
Authors: Gaudriault Pierre , Joly Vincent
Published: June 2011

Résumé Notre recherche vise à explorer l’évolution psychothérapique de patientes boulimiques dans une perspective psychanalytique au moyen du Rorschach pratiqué avant et après thérapie. L’étude a porté sur 26 cas de boulimie pris en charge sur un mode multifocal, comprenant notamment une thérapie d’orientation psychanalytique. Le retest a été effectué au moins un an après le début du traitement. Des troubles narcissiques et objectaux peuvent être repérés chez les boulimiques à partir d’indices du Rorschach inspirés de la littérature concernant leur évolution avec la thérapie. Les résultats montrent que ces indices progressent d’une façon variable. L’analyse des protocoles au cas par cas, selon le fonctionnement psychique de chaque sujet, nous est apparue plus féconde. Plusieurs types d’évolution psychothérapique ont été repérés : les changements vont dans le sens d’un accroissement de la subjectivation, dans le sens d’une stratégie plus adaptative ou d’une meilleure différenciation par rapport à l’objet.
Les enjeux de l'agressivité dans la relation transféro-contre-transférentielle en milieu médical : l'exemple de l'hémodialyse
Authors: Roques Marjorie , Pommier François
Published: June 2011

Résumé La maltraitance en milieu de soins, que nous envisageons sous un angle psychanalytique comme agressivité et violence, est généralement abordée du point de vue du soignant face au patient, l’amenant à repenser son rôle et ses conduites. Qu’en est-il lorsque, dans une situation « inverse » ou « inversée », lesdits patients sont susceptibles, par leurs comportements agressifs, de favoriser les contre-attitudes de la part des soignants et du médecin ? Dans ce contexte, le clinicien occupe diverses positions : « porte-parole » des uns et des autres, il examine leurs éprouvés, tente de maintenir un lien entre le médecin et son malade tous deux en proie à des mouvements transféro-contre-transférentiels, et tend, dans un même temps, à se dégager de ses propres éprouvés compassionnels et/ou sadiques envers son patient.
Undergraduate Nursing Student Self-Efficacy in Patient Education in a Context-Based Learning Program
Authors: Darkwah Vivian , Ross Carolyn , Williams Bev , Madill Helen
Published: June 2011

Educating patients is one recognized strategy to reduce health risks and costs associated with illness and hospitalization. Context-based learning (CBL) has been advocated in nursing education due to its identified advantages, such as students’ increased self-confidence. The aim of this comparative, quasi-experimental study was to examine the influence of CBL on undergraduate nursing student self-efficacy in patient education. Twenty-two first-year and 36 third-year nursing students completed the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Inventory examining smoking, exercise, and nutrition. The results show a statistically significant difference between first-year and third-year students in the smoking domain. Third-year students displayed more efficacy related to knowledge about smoking than did first-year students. Both first-year and third-year students indicated that receiving factual information on risk factors was the most helpful source of self-efficacy information. The finding supports the notion that CBL is effective in developing students’ self-efficacy.
Clinical Imagination: Dynamic Case Studies Using an Attribute Listing Matrix
Authors: Priddy Kristen D. , Crow Mary Lynn
Published: June 2011

The Attribute Listing Matrix Case Study (ALMCS) is an active instructional strategy for use in the classroom or clinical laboratory designed to engage the learner at the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels of Bloom’s cognitive domain. Random numbers are used to generate multiple versions of case studies within a matrix that contains categories of real-world variables. Nursing students, either individually or in small groups, can then use the nursing process to analyze the patient case and design an individualized care plan. The ALMCS can be readily adapted to any level of nursing education and to any clinical specialty. It can be used in the classroom to show students how they will apply theoretical knowledge to real clinical situations, or it can be used for summative assessment by generating a random case for students to respond to in an examination.
Learning Health Equity Frameworks Within a Community of Scholars
Authors: Alexander Kamila A. , Dovydaitis Tiffany , Beacham Barbara , Bohinski Julia M. , Brawner Bridgette M. , Clements Carla P. , Everett Janine S. , Gomes Melissa M. , Harner Holly , McDonald Catherine C. , Pinkston Esther , Sommers Marilyn S.
Published: June 2011

Scholars in nursing science have long espoused the concept of health equity without specifically using the term or dialoguing about the social determinants of health and social justice. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a doctoral and postdoctoral seminar collective entitled “Health Equity: Conceptual, Linguistic, Methodological, and Ethical Issues.” The course enabled scholars-in-training to consider the construct and its nuances and frame a personal philosophy of health equity. An example of how a group of emerging scholars can engage in the important, but difficult, discourse related to health equity is provided. The collective provided a forum for debate, intellectual growth, and increased insight for students and faculty. The lessons learned by all participants have the potential to enrich doctoral and postdoctoral scientific training in nursing science and may serve as a model for other research training programs in the health sciences.
Implantable Collamer Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses: A Review of Potential Complications
Authors: Fernandes Paulo , González-Méijome José M. , Madrid-Costa David , Ferrer-Blasco Teresa , Jorge Jorge , Montés-Micó Robert
Published: June 2011

PURPOSE:

To review the peer-reviewed literature reporting postoperative complications of the most recent models of Visian Implantable Collamer posterior chamber intraocular lenses (ICL, STAAR Surgical Co).

METHODS:

A literature search of the PubMed database was performed to identify all articles related to ICL complications. Articles were obtained and reviewed to identify those that reported complications using the latest ICL designs.

RESULTS:

Cataract was the major postoperative complication reported: 136 (5.2%) in 2592 eyes. Of those, 43.4% (n=59) were reported within 1 year, 15.4% (n=21) between 1 and 3 years, and 35.3% (n=48) ≥3 years after ICL implantation. Twenty-one (15.4%) cataracts were reported as surgically induced, 46 (33.8%) eyes had poor vault (<200 μm), and cataract surgery was carried out in 27.9% (n=38) of eyes. Early acute intraocular pressure increase was also reported to be relatively frequent, whereas acute pupillary block was less frequent and mostly resolved with additional iridotomies. A total of 42 ICLs were explanted due to cataract and IOP. Reported endothelial cell loss varied from 9.9% at 2 years to 3.7% 4 years postoperatively. This loss was reported to be more pronounced within the first 1 to 2 years, with stability or lower progression after that time.

CONCLUSIONS:

The majority of reported complications after ICL implantation are cataract formation. The improvements in lens geometry and more accurate nomograms applied to the selection of the lens to be implanted, in addition to the surgeon’s learning curve, might be factors in the decreased occurrence of postoperative complications reported currently.
Classification and hierarchy in the discourse of wine: Émile Peynaud’s The Taste of Wine
Authors: Bruce Nigel
Published: June 2011

Le présent article s’intéresse à la relation entre savoir et discours, à la façon dont la communauté savante du vin fonctionne comme “territoire de savoir” générant des discours de classification, de hiérarchisation et d’autorité. L’auteur s’attache aux discours spécifiques du bouquet et du goût du vin, ainsi qu’à la manière dont ces derniers tendent à se construire comme objet et à présenter des corrélations linguistiques caractéristiques. Il examine en particulier la stratification sociale et la construction du goût, voire celle des dégustateurs, par Émile Peynaud, autorité reconnue en matière d’élevage et de chimie du vin dans son ouvrage Le Goût du vin (1983).
La vraie vie est ailleurs... fonction métonymique des réseaux dans quelques publicités britanniques pour le téléphone
Authors: Fries-Verdeil Marie-Hélène
Published: June 2011

Le but de cet article est d'analyser le rôle  des métonymies dans les publicités britanniques sur le téléphone portable. L'hypothèse  selon laquelle les réseaux de radiotéléphonie fonctionneraient de façon métonymique plutôt que métaphorique, bien que le mot réseau soit issu d'une métaphore textile, est appliquée à trois publicités britanniques sur le téléphone portable, datant de juin 1998. Avec la firme Orange, la métonymie apparaît comme constitutive de l'expérience téléphonique. La filiale de British Telecom spécialisée dans les téléphones mobiles, Cellnet, a choisi de jouer sur les tarifs, et d'énumérer toutes les économies que sa formule « First for Families » rend possible. La communication est alors métonymiquement représentée par son coût. L'entreprise Vodafone a clairement mis en valeur un glissement métonymique de la connexion physique au lien social dans sa publicité pour les conversations au tarif de deux pence par minute en faisant se succéder trois scènes riches, sans y inclure l'ombre d'un téléphone. On voit donc comment les publicités pour le téléphone portable fondent leur argumentaire sur différents niveaux de métonymies, du réseau de télécommunications aux réseaux sociaux, en passant par des réseaux économiques.
Activated Microglia Are Less Vulnerable to Hemin Toxicity due to Nitric Oxide-Dependent Inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK Activation
Authors: Cai Ying , Cho Geum-Sil , Ju Chung , Wang Si-Ling , Ryu Jong Hoon , Shin Chan Young , Kim Hee-Sun , Nam Kung-Woo , Jalin Angela M. A. Anthony , Sun Woong , Choi In-Young , Kim Won-Ki
Published: June 2011

In intracerebral hemorrhage, microglia become rapidly activated and remove the deposited blood and cellular debris. To survive in a harmful hemorrhagic or posthemorrhagic condition, activated microglia must be equipped with appropriate self-defensive mechanism(s) to resist the toxicity of hemin, a component released from damaged RBCs. In the current study, we found that activation of microglia by pretreatment with LPS markedly reduced their vulnerability to hemin toxicity in vitro. Similarly, intracorpus callosum microinjection of LPS prior to hemin treatment reduced the brain tissue damage caused by hemin and increased microglial density in the penumbra in rats. LPS induced the expressions of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and heme oxygenase (HO)-1, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation in microglia. The preventive effect by LPS was significantly diminished by an iNOS inhibitor, L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)lysine, whereas it was mimicked by a NO donor, diethylamine-NONOate, both suggesting the crucial role of NO in the modulation of hemin-induced toxicity in activated microglia. We further found that NO reduced hemin toxicity via inhibition of hemin-induced activation of JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in microglia. Whereas HO-1 expression in LPS-stimulated microglia was markedly blocked by L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)lysine, the HO-1 inhibitor, tin protoporphyrin, increased iNOS expression and decreased the susceptibility of LPS-activated microglia to hemin toxicity. The data indicate that the mutual interaction between NO and HO-1 plays a critical role in modulating the adaptive response of activated microglia to hemin toxicity. Better understanding of the survival mechanism of activated microglia may provide a therapeutic strategy to attenuate the devastating intracerebral hemorrhagic injury.
Processing of HEBP1 by Cathepsin D Gives Rise to F2L, the Agonist of Formyl Peptide Receptor 3
Authors: Devosse Thalie , Dutoit Raphaël , Migeotte Isabelle , De Nadai Patricia , Imbault Virginie , Communi David , Salmon Isabelle , Parmentier Marc
Published: June 2011

The peptide F2L was previously characterized as a high-affinity natural agonist for the human formyl peptide receptor (FPR) 3. F2L is an acetylated 21-aa peptide corresponding with the N terminus of the intracellular heme-binding protein 1 (HEBP1). In the current work, we have investigated which proteases were able to generate the F2L peptide from its precursor HEBP1. Structure–function analysis of F2L identified three amino acids, G3, N7, and S8, as the most important for interaction of the peptide with FPR3. We expressed a C-terminally His-tagged form of human HEBP1 in yeast and purified it to homogeneity. The purified protein was used as substrate to identify proteases generating bioactive peptides for FPR3-expressing cells. A conditioned medium from human monocyte-derived macrophages was able to generate bioactivity from HEBP1, and this activity was inhibited by pepstatin A. Cathepsin D was characterized as the protease responsible for HEBP1 processing, and the bioactive product was identified as F2L. We have therefore determined how F2L, the specific agonist of FPR3, is generated from the intracellular protein HEBP1, although it is unknown in which compartment the processing by cathepsin D occurs in vivo.
The Tuberous Sclerosis Complex–Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Pathway Maintains the Quiescence and Survival of Naive T Cells
Authors: Wu Qi , Liu Yu , Chen Chong , Ikenoue Tsuneo , Qiao Yu , Li Chi-Shan , Li Weiquan , Guan Kun-Liang , Liu Yang , Zheng Pan
Published: June 2011

Naive T cells receive stimulation from the positive selecting ligand in the periphery for their survival. This stimulation does not normally lead to overt activation of T cells, as the T cells remain largely quiescent until they receive either antigenic or lymphopenic stimuli. The underlying mechanism responsible for survival and quiescence of the naive T cells remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that T cell-specific deletion of Tsc1, a negative regulator of mammalian target of rapamycin, resulted in both spontaneous losses of quiescence and cellularity, especially within the CD8 subset. The Tsc1-deficient T cells have increased cell proliferation and apoptosis. Tsc1 deletion affects the survival and quiescence of T cells in the absence of antigenic stimulation. Loss of quiescence but not cellularity was inhibited by rapamycin. Our data demonstrate that tuberous sclerosis complex–mammalian target of rapamycin maintains quiescence and survival of T cells.
M2 Macrophages Induced by Prostaglandin E2 and IL-6 from Cervical Carcinoma Are Switched to Activated M1 Macrophages by CD4+ Th1 Cells
Authors: Heusinkveld Moniek , de Vos van Steenwijk Peggy J. , Goedemans Renske , Ramwadhdoebe Tamara H. , Gorter Arko , Welters Marij J. P. , van Hall Thorbald , van der Burg Sjoerd H.
Published: June 2011

Monocytes attracted by tumor-induced chronic inflammation differentiate to APCs, the type of which depends on cues in the local tumor milieu. In this work, we studied the influence of human cervical cancer cells on monocyte differentiation and showed that the majority of cancer cells either hampered monocyte to dendritic cell differentiation or skewed their differentiation toward M2-like macrophages. Blocking studies revealed that M2 differentiation was caused by tumor-produced PGE2 and IL-6. TGF-β, IL-10, VEGF, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor did not play a role. Notably, these CD14+CD163+ M2 macrophages were also detected in situ. Activation of cancer cell-induced M2-like macrophages by several TLR-agonists revealed that compared with dendritic cells, these M2 macrophages displayed a tolerogenic phenotype reflected by a lower expression of costimulatory molecules, an altered balance in IL-12p70 and IL-10 production, and a poor capacity to stimulate T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. Notably, upon cognate interaction with Th1 cells, these tumor-induced M2 macrophages could be switched to activated M1-like macrophages that expressed high levels of costimulatory molecules, produced high amounts of IL-12 and low amounts of IL-10, and acquired the lymphoid homing marker CCR7. The effects of the interaction between M2 macrophages and Th1 cells could partially be mimicked by activation of these APCs via CD40 in the presence of IFN-γ. Our data on the presence, induction, and plasticity of tumor-induced tolerogenic APCs in cervical cancer suggest that tumor-infiltrated Th1 cells can stimulate a tumor-rejecting environment by switching M2 macrophages to classical proinflammatory M1 macrophages.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish: Geography, Ecology, Sympatry, and Male Coloration in the Lake Malawi Cichlid GenusLabeotropheus(Perciformes: Cichlidae)
Authors: Pauers Michael J.
Published: June 2011

While sexual selection on male coloration has been important in haplochromine cichlid speciation, few studies to date have examined potential environmental influences on color pattern evolution. Data from multiple sources on male nuptial coloration of the Lake Malawi endemic genusLabeotropheuswere used to examine the relationship between color patterns and the environments in which these patterns were found. Red- or carotenoid-pigmented males were concentrated in the northwestern portion of Lake Malawi and were also associated with increasing depth. Further, the presence or absence ofL. fuelleborniinfluenced the coloration ofL. trewavasaepopulations; whenL. fuelleborniwas present,L. trewavasaemales were more likely to exhibit some degree of red coloration. While these results support the idea that sexual selection on male coloration is an important factor in the haplochromine speciation, they also underscore the importance of environmental influences on the evolution of color patterns.
Advances in Cell Transplantation Therapy for Diseased Myocardium
Authors: Villet Outi M. , Siltanen Antti , Pätilä Tommi , Mahar M. Ali A. , Vento Antti , Kankuri Esko , Harjula Ari
Published: June 2011

The overall objective of cell transplantation is to repopulate postinfarction scar with contractile cells, thus improving systolic function, and to prevent or to regress the remodeling process. Direct implantation of isolated myoblasts, cardiomyocytes, and bone-marrow-derived cells has shown prospect for improved cardiac performance in several animal models and patients suffering from heart failure. However, direct implantation of cultured cells can lead to major cell loss by leakage and cell death, inappropriate integration and proliferation, and cardiac arrhythmia. To resolve these problems an approach using 3-dimensional tissue-engineered cell constructs has been investigated. Cell engineering technology has enabled scaffold-free sheet development including generation of communication between cell graft and host tissue, creation of organized microvascular network, and relatively long-term survival afterin vivotransplantation.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Whole Body Vibration Exposure on Markers of Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Turner Sarah , Torode Margaret , Climstein Mike , Naughton Geraldine , Greene David , Baker Michael K. , Fiatarone Singh Maria A.
Published: June 2011

Purpose. To examine the effects of two doses of low-frequency (12 Hz), low-magnitude (0.3 g), whole body vibration on markers of bone formation and resorption in postmenopausal women.Methods. Women were recruited and randomized into a sham vibration control group, one time per week vibration group (1×/week), or three times per week vibration group (3×/week). Vibration exposure consisted of 20 minutes of intermittent vibration for the 1×/week and 3×/week groups, and sham vibration (<0.1 g) for the control group for eight weeks. Double-blinded primary outcome measures were urine markers of bone resorption: N-telopeptide X normalised to creatinine (NTx/Cr) and bone formation: bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP).Results. Forty-six women (59.8 ± 6.2 years, median 7.3 years since menopause) were enrolled. NTx/Cr was significantly reduced (34.6%) in the 3×/wk vibration group but not in the 1×/wk vibration group compared with sham control (P<.01) group. No effect of time or group allocation was observed on the bone formation marker ALP (P=.27).Conclusion. We have shown for the first time that low-frequency, low-magnitude vibration 3×/week for eight weeks in postmenopausal women results in a significant reduction in NTx/Cr, a marker of bone resorption, when compared with sham vibration exposure.
Surfaces of Rotation with Constant Mean Curvature in the Direction of a Unitary Normal Vector Field in a Randers Space
Authors: Carvalho T. M. M. , Moreira H. N. , Tenenblat K.
Published: June 2011

We consider the Randers space (Vn, Fb) obtained by perturbing the Euclidean metric by a translation, Fb = α + β, where α is the Euclidean metric and β is a 1-form with norm b, 0 ≤ b < 1. We introduce the concept of a hypersurface with constant mean curvature in the direction of a unitary normal vector field. We obtain the ordinary differential equation that characterizes the rotational surfaces (V3, Fb) of constant mean curvature (cmc) in the direction of a unitary normal vector field. These equations reduce to the classical equation of the rotational cmc surfaces in Euclidean space, when b = 0. It also reduces to the equation that characterizes the minimal rotational surfaces in (V3, Fb) when H = 0, obtained by M. Souza and K. Tenenblat. Although the differential equation depends on the choice of the normal direction, we show that both equations determine the same rotational surface, up to a reflection. We also show that the round cylinders are cmc surfaces in the direction of the unitary normal field. They are generated by the constant solution of the differential equation. By considering the equation as a nonlinear dynamical system, we provide a qualitative analysis, for . Using the concept of stability and considering the linearization around the single equilibrium point (the constant solution), we verify that the solutions are locally asymptotically stable spirals. This is proved by constructing a Lyapunov function for the dynamical systemand by determining the basin of stability of the equilibrium point. The surfaces of rotation generated by such solutions tend asymptotically to one end of the cylinder.
Assessing Economics Damage in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation: The State of New York
Authors: Spizman Lawrence M. , Tinari Frank D.
Published: June 2011

Contributors to the Journal of Forensic Economics are compiling a state-by-state series of papers on how economic damages are assessed in personal injury and wrongful death cases. This paper discusses the rules of the court, the court system, and case law for the state of New York. New York's system is unique in several important ways. The state has passed statutes that specify in some detail both the method to be used to calculate damages and how a jury's verdict is to be transformed into a judgment. New York Civil Practice Law & Rules (CPLR) Articles 50-A and 50-B provide for separate and different treatment of medical malpractice cases and for all other standard torts, respectively. As a result, the damages sections of the two statutes provide specific guidance to the economic expert. Further, except in medical malpractice death cases, New York is different from other states in that its court does not require testifying economic damages experts to discount to present value. This paper discusses these issues and others to familiarize economic damages experts with the relevant court rules and rulings, as well as accepted practice, when performing economic damage appraisals in the state of New York.
Improvement and evaluation of simulated global biogenic soil NO emissions in an AC-GCM
Authors: Steinkamp J. , Lawrence M. G.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Biogenic NO emissions from soils (SNOx) play important direct and indirect roles in tropospheric chemistry. The most widely applied algorithm to calculate SNOx in global models was published 15 years ago by Yienger and Levy (1995), and was based on very few measurements. Since then, numerous new measurements have been published, which we used to build up a compilation of world wide field measurements covering the period from 1978 to 2010. Recently, several satellite-based top-down approaches, which recalculated the different sources of NOx (fossil fuel, biomass burning, soil and lightning), have shown an underestimation of SNOx by the algorithm of Yienger and Levy (1995). Nevertheless, to our knowledge no general improvements of this algorithm, besides suggested scalings of the total source magnitude, have yet been published. Here we present major improvements to the algorithm, which should help to optimize the representation of SNOx in atmospheric-chemistry global climate models, without modifying the underlying principals or mathematical equations. The changes include: (1) using a new landcover map, with twice the number of landcover classes, and using annually varying fertilizer application rates; (2) adopting a fraction of 1.0 % for the applied fertilizer lost as NO, based on our compilation of measurements; (3) using the volumetric soil moisture to distinguish between the wet and dry states; and (4) adjusting the emission factors to reproduce the measured emissions in our compilation (based on either their geometric or arithmetic mean values). These steps lead to increased global annual SNOx, and our total above canopy SNOx source of 8.6 Tg yr−1 (using the geometric mean) ends up being close to one of the satellite-based top-down approaches (8.9 Tg yr−1). The above canopy SNOx source using the arithmetic mean is 27.6 Tg yr−1, which is higher than all previous estimates, but compares better with a regional top-down study in eastern China. This suggests that both top-down and bottom-up approaches will be needed in future attempts to provide a better calculation of SNOx.
Probability density functions of long-lived tracer observations from satellite in the subtropical barrier region: data intercomparison
Authors: Palazzi E. , Fierli F. , Stiller G. P. , Urban J.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Past studies have shown that a clear relationship exists between the field of a passive tracer and the Probability Distribution Function (PDF) of tracer concentrations, which can be exploited to identify the position and variability of stratospheric barriers to isentropic mixing. In the present study, we focus on the dynamical barrier located in the subtropics. We calculate PDFs of the long-lived tracers nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) from different satellite instruments: the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board Aura, the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) on board Envisat, the Sub-Millimetre Radiometre (SMR) on board Odin and the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) on board UARS, overall covering the time period of 1992–2009. An analysis of the consistency among the different sets of data and their capability of identifying mixing regions and barrier to transport regions in the stratosphere and the subtropical barrier location is a prime aim of the present study. This is done looking at the morphological structure of the one- and two-dimensional PDFs of tracer concentrations measured by the different instruments. The latter differ in their spatial and temporal sampling and resolution, and there are some systematic differences in the determination of the subtropical barrier position that have been highlighted. However, the four satellite instruments offer an overall consistent picture of the subtropical barrier annual cycle. There is a strong seasonality consistently represented, characterized by the wintertime shift of the subtropical edge toward the summer hemisphere. However, the influence of the Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) on isentropic transport and mixing, and by consequence, on the position of the subtropical barrier, is not equally represented in all satellite data using the methodology proposed.
Beyond the Fe-P-redox connection: preferential regeneration of phosphorus from organic matter as a key control on Baltic Sea nutrient cycles
Authors: Jilbert T. , Slomp C. P. , Gustafsson B. G. , Boer W.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Patterns of regeneration and burial of phosphorus (P) in the Baltic Sea are strongly dependent on redox conditions. Redox varies spatially along water depth gradients and temporally in response to the seasonal cycle and multidecadal hydrographic variability. Alongside the well-documented link between iron oxyhydroxide dissolution and release of P from Baltic Sea sediments, we show that preferential remineralization of P with respect to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during degradation of organic matter plays a key role in determining the surplus of bioavailable P in the water column. Preferential remineralization of P takes place both in the water column and upper sediments and its rate is shown to be redox-dependent, increasing as reducing conditions become more severe at greater water-depth in the deep basins. Existing Redfield-based biogeochemical models of the Baltic may therefore underestimate the imbalance between N and P availability for primary production, and hence the vulnerability of the Baltic to sustained eutrophication via the fixation of atmospheric N. However, burial of organic P is also shown to increase during multidecadal intervals of expanded hypoxia, due to higher net burial rates of organic matter around the margins of the deep basins. Such intervals may be characterized by basin-scale acceleration of all fluxes within the P cycle, including productivity, regeneration and burial, sustained by the relative accessibility of the water column P pool beneath a shallow halocline.
Phosphorus transformations as a function of pedogenesis: a synthesis of soil phosphorus data using Hedley fractionation method
Authors: Yang X. , Post W. M.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. In spite of the importance of phosphorus (P) as a limiting nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems, our understanding of terrestrial P dynamics and our ability to model P cycling are hampered by the lack of consistent measurements of soil P. The Hedley fractionation method provides a comprehensive assessment of soil P and has been widely used in recent decades. Here we expand an earlier study that summarized Hedley P data from the literature to create a larger Hedley P database and further investigate the relationships between distributions of different forms of P and the stages of soil development. Our expanded Hedley P database generally supports what the Walker and Syers (1976) conceptual model predicts: the gradual decrease and eventual depletion of primary mineral P (mainly apatite P); the continual increase and eventual dominance of occluded P; and the overall decrease of total P during soil development. However the analysis disagrees with Walker and Syers (1976) in that we found labile inorganic P(Pi) and secondary Pi (non-occluded P in Walker and Syers' model) to be a significant fraction of total P throughout all soil orders with different weathering stages. By analyzing the Hedley-labile P and vegetation P demand, we found that the amount of labile P is much greater than vegetation demand, even in highly weathered soils commonly considered P limited. We conclude that measured Hedley-labile P should not be defined as plant available P since most of this labile P likely ends up as immobilized by microbes. Our analysis of the database also shows that carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil organic matter are closely linked in all soil orders, but P is decoupled from C and N in highly weathered soils with larger variations of nitrogen:organic P (N:Po) ratio and higher mean values of N:Po ratio, compared to slightly and intermediately weathered soils.