bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An assessment of possible intraspecific brood parasitism in ring-billed gulls
Authors: Fetterolf Peter M. , Blokpoel Hans
Published: December 2009

Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) egg colour, egg dimensions, egg shape, egg-laying intervals, nest initiation dates, and fertility were documented at several different colonies over a 6-year period. Significantly greater variability in egg dimensions and egg shape, lower fertility, and atypical laying intervals in mixed-coloured clutches compared with even-coloured clutches suggest that more than one female laid eggs in mixed-coloured clutches. We present evidence that some odd-coloured eggs were laid by females that parasitized nests.
Desert lizard reproduction: seasonal and annual variation in Urosaurus ornatus (Iguanidae)
Authors: Sels Richard C. Van Loben , Vitt Laurie J.
Published: December 2009

The reproductive cycle and cycles in fat body and liver masses were examined in Urosaurus ornatus from central Arizona. Adult males underwent spermiogenesis from mid-April until late August. The cycle in testes mass was paralleled by cyclical activity in structure of the seminiferous tubules and epididymides. Mass of fat bodies and livers also fluctuated seasonally, showing a distinct increase with declining reproductivity. Yolk deposition in females occurred from May until late August with ovulation occurring from early June until early September. Breeding females comprised two groups: young females in their first breeding season and older females that were in at least their second breeding season. The younger (smaller) group had a mean clutch size of 6.0 and produced only one clutch, whereas the older (larger) group had a mean clutch size of 7.7 and at least a portion of these females produced more than one clutch. For the most part, older females began breeding earlier in the reproductive season than younger females. Females cycled fat body and liver masses with a distinct increase in organ size associated with declining reproductivity. Reproductive intensity varied during a given season but not annually, even though rainfall varied annually.
Trichodina truttae Mueller, 1937 (Ciliophora: Peritrichida), a common pathogenic ectoparasite of cultured juvenile salmonid fishes in British Columbia: redescription and examination by scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Arthur J. R. , Margolis L.
Published: December 2009

The trichodinid ciliate Trichodina truttae Mueller, 1937 is redescribed from silver-impregnated specimens collected from the skin of cultured juvenile Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) from British Columbia, and its detailed surface topography was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Diagnostic features evident by light microscopy are the large size (body diameter 114–179 μm), high denticle number (28–30), and high number (about 20) of radial pins per denticle. Especially noteworthy characters revealed by SEM that may be important for species identification are the presence of radial ridges on the oral surface and two markedly different lengths of cilia within the adoral ciliary spiral. This is the first verified report of T. truttae from Canada.
An improved fixation technique for the rhabdocoel turbellarian Mesostoma Ehrenberg 1835
Authors: Ramalingam S. , Randall P.
Published: December 2009

Standard procedures employed to fix the rhabdocoel turbellarian of the genus Mesostoma Ehrenberg 1835, a widespread predator of mosquito larvae in central Alberta, caused considerable shrinkage of the body following an excessive secretion of mucus on its body surface. A new, simple, and highly satisfactory method involves the quick freezing of live specimens at a temperature of −6 to −9 °C in 70% ethanol with CO2 ice for about 2 min prior to fixation. Fixation by either AFA (alcohol–formaldehyde–acetic acid) or 10% Formalin for about 6 h at room temperature permits retention of the original body size and shape. Additionally, staining with either Harris' hematoxylin or Semichon's carmine enhances the contrast of internal organs.
Computation and uses of central trend lines
Authors: Ricker W. E.
Published: December 2009

A bivariate array of naturally variable observations can take many different forms, depending on the relative lengths of the measurement units used. Each of these has a different central trend or major axis. In a standard presentation the major axis has a slope of ± 1 obtained when 1 standard deviation (s) of each variate, Y and X, occupies the same distance on its coordinate axis. With any other presentation the position of the standard trend is indicated by a line whose slope is the ratio of the standard deviations; it is called the standard (or reduced) major axis, or geometric mean regression line (GMR). The GMR is symmetrical, invariant with change of scale, and "robust." Besides indicating the central trend, it is a suitable line for estimating Y from X, or X from Y, in two common situations where ordinary regressions fail: (i) when the sampling procedure was not random with respect to the entire population (but was random with respect to its standard trend); (ii) when the population sampled departs seriously from a bivariate normal configuration. In the latter case an alternative "Schnute" line is appropriate if components of the population may have different sY/sX ratios.
Xustrostoma margarettae n. gen., n. sp. (Rhigonematidae; Nematoda) from a sphaeroteroid (order Glomerida) diplopod in Madagascar
Authors: Adamson Martin L. , Waerebeke Daniel van
Published: December 2009

Xustrostoma margarettae n. gen., n. sp. (Rhigonematidae; Nematoda) is described from the posterior intestine of a sphaeroteroid (Glomerida) diplopod from Madagascar. Xustrostoma n. gen. resembles Rhigonema in that the anterior end of the oesophagus has a jawlike apparatus consisting of one dorsal and two subventral cuticular pieces. In Rhigonema the three pieces are similar and have irregular knoblike and toothlike excrescences on their luminal surfaces; the oral opening is subtriangular. In Xustrostoma the dorsal piece differs from and projects further anteriorly than the subventral pieces; the subventral pieces are similar and asymmetrical. Luminal surfaces of the three pieces bear many rows of tiny spines; the oral opening is dorsoventrally elongate. The Shaeroteroidea are tropical and subtropical members of the Glomerida, an order which differs fundamentally from other diplopod orders; this perhaps explains their unique rhigonematid fauna.
Ballooning in Geolycosa turricola (Treat) and Geolycosa patellonigra Wallace: high dispersal frequencies in stable habitats
Authors: Miller G. L.
Published: December 2009

Spiderlings of the burrowing wolf spider Geolycosa turricola (Treat) from Mississippi and Geolycosa patellonigra Wallace from Florida were experimentally ballooned to determine the frequency of ballooning. Ballooning frequencies of the two species were found to be higher than those reported for other members of the family Lycosidae. The two species differed in the ratio of ballooner to nonballooners. Evaluation of the stability of the habitat of the two species indicated that the high ballooning frequency was not expected. Explanations of the high dispersal frequencies were based on life history attributes of the spiders.
Behavior of Biomphalaria glabrata (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) under different lighting conditions
Authors: Pimentel-Souza Fernando , Schall Virgínia Torres , Lautner Jr. Rodolfo , Campos Barbosa Norma Dulce , Schettino Mauro , Fernandes Nádia
Published: December 2009

The preferred position, the surface contact area of the head–foot, and the locomotor activity of Biomphalaria glabrata were studied in a laboratory aquarium throughout the year. The snails were more frequently found on the walls and on the bottom than on the surface. Under two regimes of illumination their frequency of occurrences were different. The extent of the head–foot outside the shell increased from spring or summer to winter, and was significantly correlated negatively with temperature rather than illumination. Movement increased from summer to winter. Under artificial vertical lighting in the natural day cycle in group conditions two daily peaks become evident, at dusk and sunrise. Abrupt changes of illumination, especially during dusk, were discriminative cues for exogenous control of locomotion. Under constant darkness and in constant light, the level of locomotion was significantly lower than that under a natural day cycle of illumination, but in both regimes, locomotion was not significantly different; therefore, absolute illumination did not change the level of locomotion. In both regimes, snails were no longer synchronized to the solar rhythm. The threshold for natural light perception was around 20 lx, when photokinesis appeared during the winter. Photokinesis increased with locomotion and both activities varied inversely with temperature.
Ecology and evolution of sympatric sticklebacks (Gasterosteus): spatial segregation and seasonal habitat shifts in the Enos Lake species pair
Authors: Bentzen P. , Ridgway M. S. , McPhail J. D.
Published: December 2009

A pair of stickleback species (Gasterosteus) coexist in Enos Lake on Vancouver Island. Spatial segregation between species and seasonal habitat shifts were investigated by means of monthly surface and bottom samples. During the summer there was clear spatial segregation; both sexes of the benthic species were inshore, reproductive males of the limnetic species were also in the littoral zone, and adult limnetic females and nonbreeding males were at the surface. There were also seasonal habitat shifts. Benthics of both sexes moved onshore in the spring and remained throughout the summer. In the autumn, after the lake turned over, large numbers moved offshore to deeper water and appeared to disperse. It is suggested that this shift in the benthic species is an adaptation to the seasonal oxygen cycle in the hypolimnion. The limnetic species appeared at the surface in spring and remained there throughout the summer and early autumn. In late autumn they disappeared from the surface and did not reappear until next spring. During the winter small numbers were taken in bottom traps. Apparently limnetics move away from the surface during the winter. The adaptive significance of this shift remains unclear.
Taxonomic relationships of Nearctic small-footed bats of the Myotis leibii group (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)
Authors: Jong C. G. van Zyll de
Published: December 2009

Crania and bacula of five taxa of small-footed bats of the leibii group, comprising two currently recognised species, Myotis californicus and M. leibii, were studied to elucidate their interrelationships. Canonical variate analysis of 14 cranial measurements shows the existence of three distinct nonoverlapping clusters corresponding to (i) M. californicus, (ii) M. I. ciliolabrum and M. I. melanorhinus, and (iii) M. I. leibii. The results of the morphometric analyses do not support the claim that M. I. leibii and M. I. melanorhinus intergrade in Oklahoma. The taxonomic interpretation of the results is that the western forms of M. leibii represent a separate species M. ciliolabrum (Mcrriam). The bacula of the taxa studied lack distinctive characters that would allow one to discriminate between the species of the leibii group.
INTERSECTIONS OF SELF-GRAVITATING CHARGED SHELLS IN A REISSNER–NORDSTROM FIELD
Authors: PIZZI M. , PAOLINO A.
Published: December 2009

We describe the equation of motion of two charged spherical shells with tangential pressure in the field of a central Reissner–Nordstrom (RN) source. We solve the problem of determining the motion of the two shells after the intersection by solving the related Einstein–Maxwell equations and by imposing a physical continuity condition on the shells' velocities.

In addition, we consider four applications: post-Newtonian and ultrarelativistic approximations, a test-shell case, and the ejection mechanism of one shell.

This work is a direct generalization of Barkov–Belinski–Bisnovati–Kogan paper.
THE ZEROTH LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS OF THE PHOTON–HYDROGEN SYSTEM AND 21 cm COSMOLOGY
Authors: FANG LI-ZHI
Published: December 2009

A basic physical problem of 21 cm cosmology is the so-called Wouthuysen–Field coupling, which assumes that the resonant scattering of Lyα photons with neutral hydrogen atoms will lock the color temperature of the photon spectrum around the Lyα frequency to be equal to the kinetic temperature of hydrogen gas. This assumption is actually the zeroth thermodynamic law on the formation of the local statistically thermal equilibrium state of the photon–atom system. However, the time-dependent process of approaching a local statistically thermal equilibrium with the kinetic temperature has never been studied, as it needs to solve an integral–differential equation — the radiative transfer equation of the resonant scattering. Recently, with a state-of-the-art numerical method, the formation and evolution of the Wouthuysen–Field coupling has been systematically studied. This paper reviews the physical results, including the time scales of the onset of Wouthuysen–Field coupling, the profile of frequency distribution of photons in the state of local thermal equilibrium, the effects of the expansion of the universe, the Wouthuysen–Field coupling in an optical thick halo, etc.
Data in flight
Authors: Hyde Julian
Published: December 2009

How streaming SQL technology can help solve the Web 2.0 data crunch.
Report on the SIGIR 2009 workshop on the future of IR evaluation
Authors: Kamps Jaap , Geva Shlomo , Peters Carol , Sakai Tetsuya , Trotman Andrew , Voorhees Ellen
Published: December 2009

On July 23, 2009 the SIGIR Workshop on the Future of IR Evaluation was held as part of SIGIR in Boston. The program consisted of four keynotes, a boaster and poster session with 20 accepted papers, four breakout groups, and a final panel discussion of the breakout group reports. This report outlines the events of the workshop and summarizes the major outcomes.
7th workshop on large-scale distributed systems for information retrieval (LSDS-IR'09)
Authors: Lucchese Claudio , Skobeltsyn Gleb , Yee Wai Gen
Published: December 2009

Due to the dramatically increasing amount of available data, effective and scalable solutions for data organization and search are essential. Distributed solutions naturally provide promising alternatives to standard centralized approaches. With the computational power of thousands or millions of computers in clusters or peer-to-peer systems, the challenges that arise are manifold, ranging from efficient resource discovery to issues in load balancing and distributed query processing.

The 2009 edition of the Workshop on Large-Scale Distributed Systems for Information Retrieval (LSDS-IR'09) provided a forum for researchers to discuss these problems and to define new directions in research on Distributed Information Retrieval. The Workshop program featured research contributions in the areas of collection selection, similarity search, index compression, distributed indexing, query processing, distributed computing, and network formation. In addition, there were two industry talks on large scale Web search and distributed computing.
The 3rd workshop on information credibility on the web (WICOW 2009)
Authors: Jatowt Adam , Tanaka Katsumi
Published: December 2009

On the 20th April, 2009 the 3rd Workshop on Information Credibility on the Web (WICOW 2009) was held as part of WWW 2009 conference in Madrid, Spain. Nine full papers and a keynote speech were presented in four sessions. This report briefly outlines the main outcomes of the workshop.
Soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibition modulates vascular remodeling
Authors: Simpkins A. N. , Rudic R. D. , Roy S. , Tsai H. J. , Hammock B. D. , Imig J. D.
Published: December 2009

The soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme (SEH) and vascular remodeling are associated with cardiovascular disease. Although inhibition of SEH prevents smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro, the effects of SEH inhibition on vascular remodeling in vivo and mechanisms of these effects remain unclear. Herein we determined the effects of SEH antagonism in an endothelium intact model of vascular remodeling induced by flow reduction and an endothelium denuded model of vascular injury. We demonstrated that chronic treatment of spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats with 12-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido) dodecanoic acid, an inhibitor of SEH, improved the increment of inward remodeling induced by common carotid ligation to a level that was comparable with normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats. Similarly, mice with deletion of the gene responsible for the production of the SEH enzyme (Ephx2−/−) demonstrated enhanced inward vascular remodeling induced by carotid ligation. However, the hyperplastic response induced by vascular injury that denudes the endothelium was unabated by SEH inhibition or Ephx2 gene deletion. These results suggest that SEH inhibition or Ephx2 gene deletion antagonizes neointimal formation in vivo by mechanisms that are endothelium dependent. Thus SEH inhibition may have therapeutic potential for flow-induced remodeling and neointimal formation.
Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 plays an essential role in cardioprotection
Authors: Rose Jennifer B. , Naydenova Zlatina , Bang Andrew , Eguchi Megumi , Sweeney Gary , Choi Doo-Sup , Hammond James R. , Coe Imogen R.
Published: December 2009

To better understand the role of equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENT) in purine nucleoside-dependent physiology of the cardiovascular system, we investigated whether the ENT1-null mouse heart was cardioprotected in response to ischemia (coronary occlusion for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2 h). We observed that ENT1-null mouse hearts showed significantly less myocardial infarction compared with wild-type littermates. We confirmed that isolated wild-type adult mouse cardiomyocytes express predominantly ENT1, which is primarily responsible for purine nucleoside uptake in these cells. However, ENT1-null cardiomyocytes exhibit severely impaired nucleoside transport and lack ENT1 transcript and protein expression. Adenosine receptor expression profiles and expression levels of ENT2, ENT3, and ENT4 were similar in cardiomyocytes isolated from ENT1-null adult mice compared with cardiomyocytes isolated from wild-type littermates. Moreover, small interfering RNA knockdown of ENT1 in the cardiomyocyte cell line, HL-1, mimics findings in ENT1-null cardiomyocytes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that ENT1 plays an essential role in cardioprotection, most likely due to its effects in modulating purine nucleoside-dependent signaling and that the ENT1-null mouse is a powerful model system for the study of the role of ENTs in the physiology of the cardiomyocyte.
Gap junction heterogeneity as mechanism for electrophysiologically distinct properties across the ventricular wall
Authors: Strom Maria , Wan Xiaoping , Poelzing Steven , Ficker Eckhard , Rosenbaum David S.
Published: December 2009

Gap junctions are critical to maintaining synchronized impulse propagation and repolarization. Heterogeneous expression of the principal ventricular gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) is associated with action potential duration (APD) dispersion across the anterior ventricular wall. Little is known about Cx43 expression patterns and their disparate impact on regional electrophysiology throughout the heart. We aimed to determine whether the anterior and posterior regions of the heart are electrophysiologically distinct. Multisegment, high-resolution optical mapping was performed in canine wedge preparations harvested separately from the anterior left ventricle (aLV; n = 8) and posterior left ventricle (pLV; n = 8). Transmural APD dispersion was significantly greater on the aLV than the pLV (45 ± 13 vs. 26 ± 8.0 ms; P < 0.05). Conduction velocity dispersion was also significantly higher ( P < 0.05) across the aLV (39 ± 7%) than the pLV (16 ± 3%). Carbenoxolone perfusion significantly enhanced APD and conduction velocity dispersion on the aLV (by 1.53-fold and 1.36-fold, respectively), but not the pLV (by 1.27-fold and 1.2-fold, respectively), and produced a 4.2-fold increase in susceptibility to inducible arrhythmias in the aLV. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy revealed significantly ( P < 0.05) greater transmural dispersion of Cx43 expression on the aLV (44 ± 10%) compared with the pLV wall (8.3 ± 0.7%), suggesting that regional expression of Cx43 expression patterns may account for regional electrophysiological differences. Computer simulations affirmed that localized uncoupling at the epicardial-midmyocardial interface is sufficient to produce APD gradients observed on the aLV. These data demonstrate that the aLV and pLV differ importantly with respect to their electrophysiological properties and Cx43 expression patterns. Furthermore, local underexpression of Cx43 is closely associated with transmural electrophysiological heterogeneity on the aLV. Therefore, regional and transmural heterogeneous Cx43 expression patterns may be an important mechanism underlying arrhythmia susceptibility, particularly in disease states where gap junction expression is altered.
Mechanisms of suppression of alveolar epithelial cell GM-CSF expression in the setting of hyperoxic stress
Authors: Sturrock Anne , Vollbrecht Timothy , Mir-Kasimov Mustafa , McManus Michael , Wilcoxen Steven E. , Paine Robert
Published: December 2009

Pulmonary expression of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is critically important for normal functional maturation of alveolar macrophages. We found previously that lung GM-CSF is dramatically suppressed in mice exposed to hyperoxia. Alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) are a major source of GM-CSF in the peripheral lung, and in vivo hyperoxia resulted in greatly reduced expression of GM-CSF protein by AEC ex vivo. We now explore the mechanisms responsible for this effect, using primary cultures of murine AEC exposed to hyperoxia in vitro. Exposure of AEC to 80% oxygen/5% CO2for 48 h did not induce overt toxicity, but resulted in significantly decreased GM-CSF protein and mRNA expression compared with cells in normoxia. Similar effects were seen when AEC were stressed with serum deprivation, an alternative inducer of oxidative stress. The effects in AEC were opposite those in a murine lung epithelial cell line (MLE-12 cells), in which hyperoxia induced GM-CSF expression. Both hyperoxia and serum deprivation resulted in increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in AEC. Hyperoxia and serum deprivation induced significantly accelerated turnover of GM-CSF mRNA. Treatment of AEC with catalase during oxidative stress preserved GM-CSF protein and mRNA and was associated with stabilization of GM-CSF mRNA. We conclude that hyperoxia-induced suppression of AEC GM-CSF expression is a function of ROS-induced destabilization of GM-CSF mRNA. We speculate that AEC oxidative stress results in significantly impaired pulmonary innate immune defense due to effects on local GM-CSF expression in the lung.
Therapeutic effect of lecithinized superoxide dismutase on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Tanaka Ken-Ichiro , Ishihara Tomoaki , Azuma Arata , Kudoh Shoji , Ebina Masahito , Nukiwa Toshihiro , Sugiyama Yukihiko , Tasaka Yuichi , Namba Takushi , Ishihara Tsutomu , Sato Keizo , Mizushima Yutaka , Mizushima Tohru
Published: December 2009

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is thought to involve inflammatory infiltration of leukocytes, lung injury induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular superoxide anion, and fibrosis (collagen deposition). No treatment has been shown to improve definitively the prognosis for IPF patients. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide, which is subsequently detoxified by catalase. Lecithinized SOD (PC-SOD) has overcome clinical limitations of SOD, including low tissue affinity and low stability in plasma. In this study, we examined the effect of PC-SOD on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Severity of the bleomycin-induced fibrosis in mice was assessed by various methods, including determination of hydroxyproline levels in lung tissue. Intravenous administration of PC-SOD suppressed the bleomycin-induced increase in the number of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bleomycin-induced collagen deposition and increased hydroxyproline levels in the lung were also suppressed in animals treated with PC-SOD, suggesting that PC-SOD suppresses bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The dose-response profile of PC-SOD was bell-shaped, but concurrent administration of catalase restored the ameliorative effect at high doses of PC-SOD. Intratracheal administration or inhalation of PC-SOD also attenuated the bleomycin-induced inflammatory response and fibrosis. The bell-shaped dose-response profile of PC-SOD was not observed for these routes of administration. We consider that, compared with intravenous administration, inhalation of PC-SOD may be a more therapeutically beneficial route of administration due to the higher safety and quality of life of the patient treated with this drug.
Mylohyoid discharge of the in situ rat: a probe of pontile respiratory activities in eupnea and gasping
Authors: St.-John Walter M. , Rudkin Alison H. , Leiter J. C.
Published: December 2009

Our purpose was to characterize respiratory-modulated activity of the mylohyoid nerve. Since its motoneurons are in the trigeminal motor nucleus, mylohyoid discharge could serve as a probe of the role of pontile mechanisms in the generation of respiratory rhythms. Studies were performed in the decerebrate, perfused in situ preparation of the rat. Phrenic discharge was recorded as the index of the respiratory rhythm. In eupnea, the mylohyoid nerve discharged primarily during neural expiration, in the period between phrenic bursts. This expiratory discharge increased greatly in hypoxia and fell in hypercapnia. The hypoxia-induced increase in mylohyoid discharge was due, at least in part, to a direct influence of hypoxia on the brain stem. In ischemia, phrenic discharge increased, and then declined to apnea, which was succeeded by gasping. The mylohyoid nerve discharged tonically during the apneic period, but still declined during each of the phrenic bursts of gasping. This maintenance of a respiratory-modulation of the mylohyoid discharge in gasping supports the concept that a release of medullary mechanisms, rather than a ubiquitous suppression of pontile influences, underlies the neurogenesis of gasping. Results also provide additional support for our conclusion that activity of any single cranial nerve does not provide an accurate index of the type of respiratory rhythm, be it eupnea or gasping.
Occlusion of Inferior Vena Cava: A Singular Presentation of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Brandão Daniel , Simões João Correia , Canedo Alexandra , Maia Miguel , Ferreira Joana , Braga Sandrina , Vasconcelos João , Vaz Guedes
Published: December 2009

Even though the majority of abdominal aortic aneurysm s(AAAs) are asymptomatic, they can occasionally manifest as a result of adjacent structures involvement. Although the most frequent venous complication of AAA is rupture into the inferior vena cava (IVC), venous compression can infrequently occur. The authors report a particularly rare case of compression and thrombosis of the IVC by AAA. Patient was treated by preoperative placement of an IVC filter to impede pulmonary embolism and subsequently by open surgical repair. Besides discussing the circumstances associated with IVC compression by AAA, the authors also discuss the treatment strategy adopted and the possible alternatives.
Insufficient Deactivation of the Protein Tyrosine Kinase Lck Amplifies T-Cell Responsiveness in Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Pryshchep Sergey , Goronzy Jörg J. , Parashar Susmita , Weyand Cornelia M.
Published: December 2009

Rationale
:

In the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, T cells may destabilize the tissue structure through direct cell-injurious effector functions. T cells transmit environmental signals, such as recognition of antigen, into cellular responses through regulated phosphorylation of cytoplasmic proteins, with the Src family kinase Lck (lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase) in critical membrane-proximal position of the T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling cascade. The balance between protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation defines the signal transduction threshold and determines appropriate T-cell responses.

Objective
:

We have examined whether abnormal calibration of intracellular signaling pathways renders acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients susceptible to disproportionate T-cell responses.

Methods and Results
:

Intracellular signaling cascades were quantified in CD4 T cells from ACS patients and control individuals after stimulation with major histocompatibility complex class II–superantigen complexes. ACS T cells mobilized more intracellular calcium and accumulated higher levels of phosphotyrosine than control T cells. Proximal steps in TCR signaling, such as recruitment of ZAP-70 and clustering of TCR complexes in the immune synapse, were abnormally enhanced in ACS T cells. Acceleration of the signaling cascade derived from a proximal defect in ACS T cells, which failed to phosphorylate Lck at Tyr505, extending activation of the Src kinase. Abnormalities in TCR signaling did not correlate with systemic inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein.

Conclusions
:

An intrinsic abnormality in the signaling machinery of ACS T cells resulting in the accumulation of active Lck lowers the TCR threshold and renders lymphocytes hyperreactive and capable of unwanted immune responses.
Critical Role for Leukocyte Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α Expression in Post-Myocardial Infarction Left Ventricular Remodeling
Authors: Dong Feng , Khalil Mazen , Kiedrowski Matt , O'Connor Caitlin , Petrovic Erin , Zhou Xiaorong , Penn Marc S.
Published: December 2009

Rationale
:

Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α is a transcription factor stabilized by hypoxia. It regulates cytokines involved in the inflammatory response after ischemia and affects white blood cell (WBCs) function. The effect of HIF-1α on WBC function and inflammation following myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown.

Objective
:

We assessed peritoneal and myocardial inflammation in the setting of low WBC HIF-1α expression through bone marrow transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells transfected with scramble or HIF-1α small interfering (si)RNA.

Methods and Results
:

Rosa hematopoietic stem cells (lin
−
, cKit
+
) were transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter lentivirus encoding a siRNA to HIF-1α or scramble. Irradiated 6- to 8-week-old C57/BL6J mice received 50 000 GFP
+
HIF-1α or scramble siRNA-transfected hematopoietic stem cells. Peritonitis or myocardial infarction via left anterior descending coronary artery ligation was induced 6 weeks after bone marrow transplantation. In the peritonitis model, HIF-1α siRNA group exhibited a significant decrease in neutrophil and monocyte entry to the peritoneum compared to scramble mice. Similarly neutrophil infiltration into the infarct zone was decreased in the HIF-1α siRNA group. No difference of myocardial infarct size was observed between groups. Interestingly, the ejection fraction were similar in both groups at baseline and 3 days post-MI but increased significantly in the HIF-1α siRNA group compared to control beginning 7 days after MI. Gene array studies demonstrated that downregulation of WBC HIF-1α was associated with decreased WBC CCR1, -2, and -4 expression. Chemotaxis assay results confirmed that decreased monocyte migration induced by downregulation of HIF-1α was partially reversed by overexpression of CCR2.

Conclusions
:

Downregulation of leukocyte HIF-1α expression resulted in decreased recruitment of WBC to the sites of inflammation and improvement in cardiac function following MI. Downregulation of HIF-1α suppressed WBC cytokine receptors CCR1, -2, and -4, which are necessary for WBC mobilization and recruitment to inflammatory cytokines following MI. The effects of downregulation of leukocyte HIF-1α on WBC migration are attributable, at least in part, to the decreased CCR2 expression. These results demonstrate that WBC infiltration into the newly injured myocardium plays a significant role in left ventricular remodeling, but not infarct size.
Phosphorylation of the F
1
F
o
ATP Synthase β Subunit
Authors: Kane Lesley A. , Youngman Matthew J. , Jensen Robert E. , Van Eyk Jennifer E.
Published: December 2009

Rationale
:

We previously discovered several phosphorylations to the β subunit of the mitochondrial F
1
F
o
ATP synthase complex in isolated rabbit myocytes on adenosine treatment, an agent that induces cardioprotection. The role of these phosphorylations is unknown.

Objective
:

The present study focuses on the functional consequences of phosphorylation of the ATP synthase complex β subunit by generating nonphosphorylatable and phosphomimetic analogs in a model system,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
.

Methods and Results
:

The 4 amino acid residues with homology in yeast (T58, S213, T262, and T318) were studied with respect to growth, complex and supercomplex formation, and enzymatic activity (ATPase rate). The most striking mutant was the T262 site, for which the phosphomimetic (T262E) abolished activity, whereas the nonphosphorylatable strain (T262A) had an ATPase rate equivalent to wild type. Although T262E, like all of the β subunit mutants, was able to form the intact complex (F
1
F
o
), this strain lacked a free F
1
component found in wild-type and had a corresponding increase of lower-molecular-weight forms of the protein, indicating an assembly/stability defect. In addition, the ATPase activity was reduced but not abolished with the phosphomimetic mutation at T58, a site that altered the formation/maintenance of dimers of the F
1
F
o
ATP synthase complex.

Conclusions
:

Taken together, these data show that pseudophosphorylation of specific amino acid residues can have separate and distinctive effects on the F
1
F
o
ATP synthase complex, suggesting the possibility that several of the phosphorylations observed in the rabbit heart can have structural and functional consequences to the F
1
F
o
ATP synthase complex.
Bone Marrow-Derived Progenitor Cells in Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Pescini Francesca , Cesari Francesca , Giusti Betti , Sarti Cristina , Zicari Enza , Bianchi Silvia , Dotti Maria T. , Federico Antonio , Balestrino Maurizio , Enrico Adriano , Gandolfo Carlo , Gori Anna M. , Abbate Rosanna , Pantoni Leonardo , Inzitari Domenico
Published: December 2009

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an inherited disease due to cerebral microangiopathy presenting with variable pictures, including stroke, progressive cognitive impairment, and disability. Mechanisms leading from vessel structural changes to parenchymal damage and eventually to clinical expression are not fully understood. Among pathogenic processes, endothelial dysfunction has been hypothesized. Endothelial progenitor cells and circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from bone marrow participate in endothelium structure and function maintenance and contribute to ischemic area revascularization. No data are available about these cells in CADASIL. Our objective in this study was to evaluate endothelial progenitor cells and CPCs role in CADASIL.

Methods—

Twenty-nine patients with CADASIL and 29 sex- and age-matched control subjects were enrolled. Cells were measured in peripheral blood using flow cytometry. Endothelial progenitor cells were defined as positive for CD34/KDR, CD133/KDR, and CD34/CD133/KDR; and CPCs as positive for CD34, CD133, and CD34/CD133.

Results—

Endothelial progenitor cells were significantly lower in patients with CADASIL than in control subjects (CD34/KDR: 0.05 versus 0.1 cells/μL,
P
=0.005; CD133/KDR: 0.07 versus 0.1 cells/μL,
P
=0.006; CD34/CD133/KDR: 0.05 versus 0.1 cells/μL,
P
=0.001). The difference remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and statin use. CPCs were not significantly lower in CADASIL, but patients with stroke or dementia had significantly reduced CPC levels than patients without (CD34: 1.68 versus 2.95 cells/μL,
P
=0.007; CD133: 1.40 versus 2.82 cells/μL,
P
=0.004; CD34/CD133: 1.44 versus 2.75 cells/μL,
P
=0.004). CPC levels significantly correlated with cognitive and motor performance measures.

Conclusions—

We have documented an association between endothelial progenitor cells and CPCs and CADASIL, extending previous data about the presence of endothelial dysfunction in this disease and its potential role in modulating phenotype.
Boosting The Chances To Improve Stroke Treatment
Authors: Cobo Erik , Secades Julio J. , Miras Francesc , González José Antonio , Saver Jeffrey L. , Corchero Cristina , Rius Roser , Dàvalos Antoni
Published: December 2009

Background and Purpose—

There is a lack of agreement regarding measuring the effects of stroke treatment in clinical trials, which often relies on the dichotomized value of 1 outcome scale. Alternative analyses consist mainly of 2 strategies: use all the information from an ordinal scale and combine information from several outcome scales in a single estimate.

Methods—

We reanalyzed 3 outcome scales that assessed patient recovery (modified Rankin Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and Barthel Index). With data collected from the 1652 patients in the Citicoline pooling data analysis, we used 2 standard techniques of exploratory multivariate analysis to analyze the distances among ranks and to isolate the common and the unique information provided by each of the 3 scales.

Results—

The different scale values correspond to gradually different patient status, confirming that information is lost when a scale is collapsed to just 2 values, whether recovered or not. The scales shared 90.7% (95% CI, 84.5–96.9) of their information, with no individual scale contributing unique information.

Conclusions—

Salient stroke outcome information is lost when an ordinal scale is collapsed into fewer categories. In contrast, the full scales provide a comprehensive patient outcome estimate. Furthermore, in the context of stroke clinical trials, those scales are highly correlated, providing the rationale to pool them into a single estimate. These insights may be used to optimize the analysis of stroke trials to increase study power to detect efficacious interventions.
MRI of Stroke Recovery
Authors: Jiang Quan , Zhang Zheng Gang , Chopp Michael
Published: December 2009

MRI is a vital tool for the measurement of acute stroke and has been used to visualize changes in activation patterns during stroke recovery. There is emerging interest on using MRI to monitor the structural substrates of spontaneous recovery and neurorestorative treatment of stroke. In this review, we describe the use of MRI and its associated challenges to measure vascular and neuronal remodeling in response to spontaneous and therapy-induced stroke recovery. We demonstrate that MRI methodologies may be used in real-time monitoring of recovery from stroke.
Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption in Humans Is Independently Associated With Increased Matrix Metalloproteinase-9
Authors: Barr Taura L. , Latour Lawrence L. , Lee Kyung-Yul , Schaewe Timothy J. , Luby Marie , Chang George S. , El-Zammar Ziad , Alam Shaista , Hallenbeck John M. , Kidwell Chelsea S. , Warach Steven
Published: December 2009

Background and Purpose—Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) may play a role in blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption after ischemic stroke. We hypothesized that plasma concentrations of MMP-9 are associated with a marker of BBB disruption in patients evaluated for acute stroke.

Methods—Patients underwent MRI on presentation and ≈24 hours later. The MRI marker, termed hyperintense acute reperfusion injury marker (HARM), is gadolinium enhancement of cerebrospinal fluid on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI. Plasma MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression models tested for predictors of HARM on 24-hour follow-up scans separately for MMP-9 and the ratio of MMP-9 to TIMP-1.

Results—For the 41 patients enrolled, diagnoses were: acute ischemic cerebrovascular syndrome, 33 (80.6%); intracerebral hemorrhage, 6 (14.6%); stroke mimic, 1 (2.4%); and no stroke, 1 (2.4%). HARM was present in 17 (41.5%) patients. In model 1, HARM was associated with baseline plasma MMP-9 concentration (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001–1.019;P=0.033). In model 2, HARM was associated with the ratio of MMP-9 to tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.27–19.14;P=0.021).

Conclusions—Baseline MMP-9 was a significant predictor of HARM at 24-hour follow-up, supporting the hypothesis that MMP-9 is associated with BBB disruption. If the association between MMP-9 and BBB disruption is confirmed in future studies, HARM may be a useful imaging marker to evaluate MMP-9 inhibition in ischemic stroke and other populations with BBB disruption.
Textkritisches zu Origenes’ Contra Celsum
Authors: Johannes Arnold
Published: December 2009

In spite of the efforts of prominent scholars there still remain a considerable number of textually disputed passages in Origen’s Contra Celsum. In the paper five of these are discussed, with proposals of new emendations: CC 1.57, 2.28, 3.16, 4.91, Celsus fr. VIII 28.
“Realizing” Paul's Visions: The New Testament, Caravaggio, and Paxton's Frailty
Authors: Walsh Richard
Published: December 2009

This essay examines three different attempts to realize visionary experiences aesthetically: New Testament authors' depictions of Paul's conversion; Caravaggio's paintings of the same; and Bill Paxton's cinematic depiction of the horrific visions of a modern day seer in Frailty. The resulting aesthetic objects are not all realistic, but they all have the potential for an imperial impact upon their audiences' realities. The New Testament accounts of Paul's conversion are not realistic. They are mythic assertions of divine authority demanding obedient belief. Bill Paxton's Frailty contemporizes similar demands in its horrifying account of apocalyptic visionaries and violence. While the film does not offer a specific interpretation of Paul's conversion, its realization of apocalyptic visions raises important reservations about any imperialist vision, even that of the canon. By contrast, Caravaggio's paintings of Paul's conversion are far less imperialistic. While the chapel location of and the use of light within the second Conversion of St. Paul confer mythic authority upon it, the realistic, contemporizing of the episode in the painting itself demands interpretation, not simple belief. Before it, one is responsible for what one chooses to believe more obviously than one is before the New Testament accounts of Paul's conversion or the visions of Paxton's Frailty.
Towards a Theology of Citizenship as Public Theology in Brazil
Authors: von Sinner Rudolf
Published: December 2009

Liberation theology has become known worldwide for its "preferential option for the poor" and its prophetic voice against economic and political oppression. Since the end of the military regime in Brazil (1985) and the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), theologians are trying to grapple with the continuously appalling poverty, exclusion, and marginalization of very large sectors of society within an ever more complex context and a diversity of theoretical positions. How to do theology meaningfully in a world that has moved beyond the clear-cut dualities (like oppressed-oppressor) of the 1960s and 1970s? How to use fruitfully the new space available for participation in the public sphere? In civil society, politics and education, "citizenship" has become the key term for a participatory democracy. Departing from new directions taken in liberation theology, considering their strengths and insufficiencies, this essay explores features of a theology of citizenship and seeks to link it up to the growing international debate on public theology, a term not commonly used in Brazil to date. Special attention is given to the development of public theology in South Africa as an inspiring example, in order to facilitate a fruitful South-South dialogue.
Profintern: Die Rote Gewerkschaftsinternationale 1920–1937
Authors: Birchall Ian
Published: December 2009

Reiner Tosstorff's book gives a detailed account of the history of the Red International of Labour Unions (RILU), founded in 1921 as a body associated with the Communist International. Whereas the Comintern organised the minority of workers belonging to revolutionary parties, the trade-unions were the mass-organisation of the class. Tosstorff traces the various organisational problems that attended the founding of the RILU, and the splits, alliances, manoeuvres, negotiations and compromises that characterised its early years. From 1924 onwards the RILU rapidly became no more than an appendage of the Comintern, echoing the errors and betrayals of the latter body. The book contains a wealth of historical detail that makes it the standard work on the question. It may also have contemporary relevance to the way in which Marxists relate to the post-Seattle generation of anti-capitalists.
The Time Cost of Tornado Warnings and the Savings with Storm-Based Warnings
Authors: Sutter Daniel , Erickson Somer
Published: December 2009

The authors examine the cost of time spent under tornado warnings issued annually by the National Weather Service (NWS). County-based tornado warnings imposed substantial costs on the nation: an average of 234 million person-hours spent under warnings annually between 1996 and 2004, with a value of $2.7 billion (U.S. dollars) per year. Counties are large relative to tornado damage areas; therefore, county-based warnings overwarned for tornadoes, warning many persons a safe distance from the storm and not in immediate danger. In October 2007 the NWS introduced storm-based warnings (SBW) for tornadoes, which are expected to reduce the area warned by 70%–75%. SBW consequently will reduce the time spent under warnings by over 160 million person-hours per year, with a value of $1.9 billion. The time spent under warnings does not measure the full cost to society because many people do not respond to the warnings. Adjusting for warning response, this study estimates that SBW might save 66 million person-hours actually spent sheltering a year with a value of $750 million. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the value of time spent sheltering saved by SBW exceeds $100 million per year with a probability of 0.95.
The Prevalence and Outcome of Excess Body Weight Among Middle Eastern Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Hadi Hadi A. R. , Zubaid Mohammad , Al Mahmeed Wael , El-Menyar Ayman A. , Alsheikh-Ali Alawi A. , Singh Rajivir , Al-Nabti Abdulrahman , Assad Nidal , Sulaiman Kadhim , Al-Mallah Mouaz H. , Amin Haitham , Al-Motarreb Ahmed , Mahmoud Hisham , Al Suwaidi Jassim
Published: December 2009

We evaluated the effect of body weight on the outcome of Middle Eastern patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Analysis of the Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE) survey that included 7843 consecutive patients hospitalized with ACS was made. Patients were categorized as normal weight, overweight, or obese based on their body mass index (BMI). Overall, 67% of patients were overweight or obese; obese and overweight patients were more likely to be female and have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and less likely to be smokers. In-hospital mortality, congestive heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and strokes were comparable between the groups, although patients with obesity were more likely to have recurrent ischemia and major bleeding complication in the ST-elevation myocardial infarction group. Excess body weight with ACS is associated with higher risk profile characteristics without an increase in hospital mortality or cardiovascular events.