bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primitive pollen cone structure in Upper Pennsylvanian (Stephanian) Walchian conifers
Authors: Mapes Gene , Rothwell Gar W.
Published: July 2015

A large number of conifer pollen cones associated with primitive walchian conifers, includingEmporia, occur within an exceptionally preserved fossilized biota near Hamilton, Kansas, USA. The fossils are derived from channel deposits within the Upper Pennsylvanian (Stephanian B/C) Topeka Limestone and show excellent external morphology, internal anatomy, and cuticular features. Pollen cones are cylindrical, up to 5 cm long and 1 cm wide and are simply organized. Each pollen cone consists of a nonwoody central axis from which sporophylls diverge in a helical arrangement. Vascular tissue comprises a ring of tiny cauline bundles that divide at intervals to produce a single trace to each sporophyll. Sporophylls consist of a terete stalk and a heeled distal lamina. Sporangia are attached as a cluster on the adaxial surface of the sporophyll stalk. Stomata occur in one or two bands on the inner surface of sporophyll laminae and consist of guard cells surrounded by a ring of subsidiary cells, each with one overarching papilla. The Hamilton specimens provide conclusive evidence that pollen cones with a distinctive morphology were produced by some of the most ancient walchians from both North America and Europe. Contrary to traditional interpretations, these cones differ significantly from those of the Pinaceae. The broad geographic and stratigraphic distribution of this morphology reveals that conifer pollen cones similar to those at Hamilton are more widespread than previously suspected, and provides evidence for the potentially ancestral morphology of all conifer pollen cones.
Secondary tiering on crinoids from the Waldron Shale (Silurian: Wenlockian) of Indiana
Authors: Peters Shanan E. , Bork Kennard B.
Published: July 2015

Superbly preserved specimens of Eucalyptocrinites tuberculatus from the Waldron Shale (Silurian, Wenlockian) of Indiana have been found with epibionts attached in living position to their stems. The rhynchonellid brachiopod Stegerhynchus indianense, the tabulate coral Favosites forbesi, the annelids? Spirorbis and Cornulites, bryozoans, and rarely the ichnogenus Tremichnus utilized living crinoids as secondary tiering surfaces. Crinozoans also attached to upright crinoid columns, and their holdfasts are the most abundant epibionts on pluricolumnals. Eucalyptocrinites crassus individuals contributed to the success of their epibionts by providing stable attachment surfaces elevated up to one meter above the sediment-water interface. Although crinoid-epibiont relationships are frequently blurred by taphonomic processes, articulated crinoid specimens and encrusters on pluricolumnals suggest that secondary tiering was a significant paleoecological element in the Waldron Shale.
A new middle Eocene protocetid whale (Mammalia: Cetacea: Archaeoceti) and associated biota from Georgia
Authors: Hulbert Richard C. , Petkewich Richard M. , Bishop Gale A. , Bukry David , Aleshire David P.
Published: July 2015

A shallow-marine fossil biota was recovered from the Blue Bluff unit (formerly part of the McBean Formation) in the Upper Coastal Plain of eastern Georgia. Biochronologically significant mollusks (e.g.,Turritella nasuta, Cubitostrea sellaeformis, Pteropsella lapidosa) and calcareous nannoplankton (e.g.,Chiasmolithus solitus, Reticulofenestra umbilica, Cribocentrum reticulatum) indicate a latest Lutetian-earliest Bartonian age, or about 40 to 41 Ma.Georgiacetus vogtlensisnew genus and species is described from a well-preserved, partial skeleton.Georgiacetusis the oldest known whale with a true pterygoid sinus fossa in its basicranium and a pelvis that did not articulate directly with the sacral vertebrae, two features whose acquisitions were important steps toward adaptation to a fully marine existence. The posterior four cheek teeth ofG. vogtlensisform a series of carnassial-like shearing blades. These teeth also bear small, blunt accessory cusps, which are regarded as being homologous with the larger, sharper accessory cusps of basilosaurid cheek teeth.
Heliolitine corals of the topmost Douro and overlying formations (Upper Silurian), Canadian Arctic islands
Authors: Dixon Owen A.
Published: July 2015

Heliolitine corals occur in Upper Silurian strata of the topmost Douro, lower Barlow Inlet, and lower Somerset Island formations in the Boothia Uplift region. The fauna includesHeliolites(nine species),Propora(two species), the stelliporellid generaPodollites(three species) andStelliporella(one species), and the plasmoporidSquameolites(one species). Species present but not previously reported from the region includeHeliolites arcuatusBondarenko,Heliolites uksunayensisMironova,Stelliporella ilensisBondarenko,Podollites assitusnew species,Podollites parryinew species,Podollites plectilisnew species,Propora tubulata(Lonsdale) and an unidentified species ofPropora.All species occur in reef and reef-associated facies of open carbonate shelf and ramp settings. In restricted nonreefal carbonate shelf settings, diversity attenuates to a minimum, exemplified by numerically abundant monospecific assemblages ofHeliolites uksunayensis.Six of the 16 morphotaxonomic units recognized compare with species reported previously in Silurian faunas of Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Combinations of characters in the species attributed toPodollitessupport revision of the genus, possibly to includeDerivatolitesandTarbagatailites, in a group morphologically intermediate betweenStelliporellaandHeliolites.
Thermal potentiation and mineralogical evolution in the Bivalvia (Mollusca)
Authors: Carter Joseph G. , Barrera Enriqueta , Tevesz Michael J. S.
Published: July 2015

The most important factor controlling the timing of Phanerozoic mineralogical evolution in the Bivalvia appears to be thermal potentiation of calcite deposition in colder marine and estuarine environments. Cold temperature has promoted mineralogical evolution in the Bivalvia by kinetically facilitating (potentiating) initially weak biological controls for calcite, thereby exposing their genetic basis to natural selection. Calcite has evolved in bivalve shells for a variety of selective advantages, including resistance to dissolution; resistance to chemical boring by algae and gastropods; reduced shell density in swimming and soft-bottom reclining species; enhanced flexibility in simple prismatic shell layers; and fracture localization and economy of secretion in association with certain foliated structures.

Endogenous calcite in bivalve shells varies from biologically induced to weakly and strongly biologically controlled. Biologically controlled calcite generally first appears in bivalve shells as an impersistent component of the outer shell layer, only later, in some groups, expanding to include the entire outer and then part or all of the middle and inner shell layers. The initial stages of mineralogical evolution are shown by certain modern Mytilidae, Veneridae and Petricolidae. In the latter two families, the calcite occurs as conellae in the outer part of the outer shell layer. Calcitic conellae in the inner shell layer of PlioceneMercenariaare not barnacle plates, as previously indicated, but endogenous calcite comparable in origin to other venerid conellae. Their occurrence inMercenariamay reflect thermal potentiation of weak biological controls for calcite, as well as local detachment of the secretory mantle epithelium near the pallial and adductor musculature.
Pennsylvanian bivalves from the Ixtaltepec Formation, Mexico
Authors: Quiroz-Barroso Sara A. , del Carmen Perrilliat Maria
Published: July 2015

Twenty species of bivalves are described from the Ixtaltepec Formation, in Nochixtlán, México. Representatives of the generaParallelodon, Myalinella, Septimyalina, Leptodesma, Pterinopectinella, Aviculopecten, Limipecten, Streblopteria, Euchondria, Schizodus, Permophorus, Astartella, Edmondia, andEctogrammysiaare present. These species, and those of nuculoid bivalves previously described from the same formation, include infaunal and epifaunal forms that lived in shallow marine environments from Morrowan to Desmoinesian ages. Pennsylvanian bivalves from Nochixtlán are related to the Midcontinent and Appalachian faunas, which indicate that there was an oceanic connection between these areas in a latitudinal belt near the equator that partially covered southeastern Mexico.
Middle Pennsylvanian, late Atokan-early Desmoinesian echinoderms from an intermontane basin, the Central Colorado Trough
Authors: Webster G. D. , Houck Karen J.
Published: July 2015

Middle Pennsylvanian, Atokan and Desmoinesian, crinoids and echinoids are described from the Belden and Minturn Formations of the Central Colorado Trough. The echinoderms from the Minturn Formation were living in an active intermontane trough setting. They are found in two environments, on the flanks of phylloid algal reefs and in patches on abandoned delta lobes on the gently sloping substrate. Faunas are dominated by cromyocrinids and are similar to stable platform Terrigineous Facies Belt faunas of the Midcontinent.

New species described areDicromyocrinus beldenensis, Neoprotencrinus rockensis, andSciadiocrinus wipsorum. Goleocrinus, and the columnal generaBlothronagma, Cyclocaudex, andPlatyplateiumare reported for the first time from the Minturn Formation. The columnal taxaBlothronagma cinctutumandFloricyclus angustimargoare believed to be cromyocrinids.B. cinctutummay be synonomous withSynarmocrinus molasensis, andFloricyclus angustimargomay be synonymous withUlocrinus rockymontanus.
Two new genera of Upper Silurian actinostromatid stromatoporoids
Authors: Stock Carl W. , Burry-Stock Judith A.
Published: July 2015

Two new genera of Upper Silurian stromatoporoids in order Actinostromatida are described. Genus Bicolumnostratum Stock, with type species B. micum (Bogoyavlenskaya), is characterized by two kinds of pillars and nonaligned colliculi, and is assigned to family Actinostromatidae. Genus Acosmostroma Stock, with type species A. ataxium Stock new species, contains irregular micropillars and microcolliculi, and is assigned to family Densastromatidae. Two additional new species are Acosmostroma glascoense Stock and A.? cobleskillense Stock. A fourth species is A. tenuissimum (Parks). Bicolumnostratum is known from Ludlow- and Pridoli-age strata, whereas the occurrences of Acosmostroma are strictly Pridoli in age.
Ontogeny and systematics of Toernquistiidae (Trilobita, Proetida) from the Ordovician of the Argentine Precordillera
Authors: Chatterton Brian D. E. , Edgecombe Gregory D. , Waisfeld Beatriz G. , Vaccari Norberto E.
Published: July 2015

The following new Toernquistiidae from Whiterockian (Llanvirn to lower Caradoc) strata of the Precordillera, western Argentina, are described:Chomatopyge canasinew species,Lasarchopyge benedettoinew genus and species,Lasarchopyge correaenew genus and species,Lasarchopygenew species A, andParatoernquistia sanchezaenew genus and species. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Toernquistiidae Hupé, 1953 (includingChomatopyge, Lasarchopyge, Mesotaphraspis, Paratoernquistia,andToernquistia) is closely related to but distinct from the Dimeropygidae Hupé, 1953 (includingIschyrotoma, IschyrophymaandDimeropyge). It is difficult to find unique synapomorphies that unite toernquistiids and dimeropygids into a monophyletic group that excludes other proetides (e.g., hystricurids), although details of their ontogenies are similar. Several species of Toernquistiidae are known from the Argentine Precordillera (one species previously described), and other species of this family have been described from Australia, Baltica, China, Kazakhstan and Laurentia. Members of the Dimeropygidae are known only from Baltica and Laurentia.
A quantitative review of European stenonoid horses
Authors: Alberdi M. T. , Ortiz-Jaureguizar E. , Prado J. L.
Published: July 2015

The taxonomy of the European stenonoid horses is revised using multivariate statistical techniques in this paper. The objectives are: to identify the taxonomic status of this group; to revise the specific and subspecific diagnoses, and the valid taxa; and to analyze their paleoecology and evolution. We conclude that: 1) there are six species among the Plio-Pleistocene European stenonoids:Equus majorDepéret,inDelafond and Depéret 1893,exBoule;Equus livenzovensisBajgusheva, 1978;Equus stenonisCocchi, 1867;Equus senezensisPrat, 1964;Equus altidensvon Reichenau, 1915; andEquus sussenbornensisWüts, 1901; 2) There are seven subspecies, three ofE. stenonis,two ofE. senezensis,and two ofE. altidens; 3) There are two monophyletic groups according to the “neighbor-joining method,” one composed of the middle-to-small-size species, and the other of the biggest ones; 4) There is a trend toward decreasing body size through time in stenonoid horses. This trend, that follows the inverse direction of Cope's rule, can be related to the climatic-environmental changes that occurred from the middle Villafranchian to the early Galerian; 5) Large stenonoids were recorded in the middle Villafranchian and were associated with open and dry habitats (steppes), whereas the small ones lived in more closed and wet habitats (savanna-mosaic, woodlands) from late Villafranchian to earliest Galerian.
The Miocene macroflora of the northern Ogallala Group, northern Nebraska and southern South Dakota
Authors: Gabel Mark L. , Backlund Douglas C. , Haffner Jacob
Published: July 2015

The results of the first comprehensive paleobotanical survey of the northern portion of the late Miocene Ogallala Group are discussed. Several species of fossilized fruiting structures from vascular plants (Berriochloa, Celtis, Cryptantha, Biorbia, Lithospermum, Eleofimbris, Carex,andCyperocarpus) in the mid- to late-Miocene are reported. Fewer taxa (12 genera) were found in the South Dakota-northern Nebraska area than have been reported previously (20 genera) from southern Nebraska-Kansas strata in the same formations and approximately the same area of exposures. Sites of Barstovian age near the Kilgore Flora site indicate that grasses were commonly found in the region. The results presented here support the hypothesis that grassland savanna vegetation was widely distributed in the northern Great Plains by the Clarendonian age.
Aspiduriellanom. n. for the genusAspiduraAgassiz, 1835 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiuridae); preoccupied byAspiduraWagler, 1830 (Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae)
Authors: Bolette David P.
Published: July 2015

Wagler (1830) described a new genus of colubrid snake from Sri Lanka and assigned it the generic nameAspidura(Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae) for which the type speciesAspidura brachyorrhos(Boie, 1827) (syn.Scytale brachyorrhosBoie, 1827) was placed. Since this description, five more species have been described and assigned to the genus:Aspidura copeiGünther, 1864;Aspidura deraniyagalaeGans and Fetcho, 1982;Aspidura drummondhayiBoulenger, 1904;Aspidura guentheriFerguson, 1876; andAspidura trachyproctaCope, 1860, all of which are geographically restricted to Sri Lanka.
Hanburia gloriosa:Rare trilobite from the Middle Cambrian, Stephen Formation, British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Whittington Harry B.
Published: July 2015

Hanburia gloriosais probably blind, the smaller specimens having a forwardly expanding glabella with lateral lobes, and six (rarely five) thoracic segments; larger specimens have a parallel-sided glabella with faint traces of lateral lobes, and six, in one case seven, thoracic segments; pygidium equal in size to the cephalon. All specimens may be holaspid, the larger corynexochoid-like; however, the smaller ones are not like any known corynexochoid.Hanburia gloriosais the rarest trilobite from the Stephen Formation. This species, and other rare but widely distributed Lower and Middle Cambrian species from deeper water faunas are all of uncertain affinities. They do not fit into the general picture of trilobite evolution, nor appear likely ancestors of shallow water species.
Ordovician (Whiterock) calymenid and encrinurid trilobites from the Precordillera of Argentina
Authors: Edgecombe Gregory D. , Chatterton Brian D. E. , Waisfeld Beatriz G. , Vaccari Norberto E.
Published: July 2015

Phacopida from upper Whiterock (Lower Caradoc) horizons in the Las Aguaditas Formation of San Juan Province, Argentina, include the calymenid Platycalymene trapezoidalis (Baldis and Pöthe, 1995) and the encrinurids Frencrinuroides edseli new species, Lasaguaditas oweni new genus and species, and Walencrinuroides? new species A. Sulcocalymene Baldis and Pöthe, 1995, a purported subgenus of Flexicalymene, is a junior subjective synonym of Platycalymene Shirley, 1936. Platycalymene is now known from Avalonia, Baltica, Laurentia (Scotland), and the Precordillera. Emending the cladistic analysis of Ordovician Encrinurinae by Lespérance and Desbiens (1995), the monophyly and membership of Frencrinuroides and Walencrinuroides are ambiguous. Frencrinuroides edseli is closely related to species from eastern Laurentia. Lasaguaditas new genus is superficially cybelinid-like in some respects but shares several derived characters with the Encrinurinae. All three encrinurinid species in the Las Aguaditas Formation possess two instars in the protaspid period, a general pattern in Ordovician encrinurinid ontogeny.
XLV.—The Rate of Multiplication of Micro-organisms: A Mathematical Study
Authors: McKendrick A. G. , Pai M. Kesava
Published: July 2015

Conclusions

1. The rate of multiplication of fast-growing micro-organisms is proportional to the number of organisms, and to the concentration of foodstuff.

2. The initial rate of multiplication affords a factor of comparison both of efficiency for media and of reproductive properties of organisms.

3. Vaccines may be prepared in large quantities on the basis that a maximum number of organisms is attained to, this maximum being dependent on the concentration of nutriment, and independent of the amount of culture inoculated.
Chancellor, Vicar-General, Official Principal – A Bundle of Offices
Authors: Coningsby Thomas
Published: July 2015

The immediate reason for this paper is the imminent coming into force of the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991 which makes several references to ‘chancellor’ but does not specify in which of his offices the chancellor will be acting. A wider reason is that chancellors are increasingly needing to consider the capacities in which they act for such purposes as issuing practice directions and issuing instructions about the care of churches and churchyards. In the 1991 Measure, section 6(3) requires every chancellor to issue written guidance to parochial church councils (PCCs) about trees in churchyards. Section 11 (8) requires every chancellor to issue written guidance to PCCs, ministers and churchwardens as to those matters which he considers to be of such a minor nature that they may be undertaken without faculty. Section 13(6) allows a chancellor ‘of his own motion’ to issue an injunction to restrain an unlawful act or to make a restoration order if such an act has been done. Section 14 requires every chancellor to confer jurisdiction to grant faculties to archdeacons to such extent as is prescribed in rules. Section 18 provides a procedure whereby a chancellor may by instrument authorise the demolition of a church where this is necessary in the interests of safety or health without a faculty having been sought or granted. When the chancellor acts under these various sections will he do so as chancellor, as vicar-general or as official principal, or in all three capacities, and should he specify in which capacity he acts? In relation to directions or instructions given outside the authority of such a measure do similar questions arise?
MISKAWAYH ON PLEASURE
Authors: Adamson Peter
Published: July 2015

This paper provides an analysis and translation of a previously edited, but otherwise unstudied work by Miskawayh (d. 1030) entitled On Pleasures and Pains (Fī al-Laḏḏāt wa-al-ālām). After a brief orientation regarding the Aristotelian account of pleasure in the Nicomachean Ethics, which is Miskawayh's main source, the theory of pleasure set out in On Pleasures and Pains is compared to the discussion of pleasure in Miskawayh's better known Refinement of Character (Tahḏīb al-aḫlāq). Despite considerable harmony between the two texts, their treatments of pleasure differ in that the Refinement accepts, whereas On Pleasures and Pains rejects, the “restoration” theory of pleasure of Plato's Timaeus.
Nuclear war and the city: perspectives on municipal interventions in defence (Great Britain, New Zealand, West Germany, USA, 1980–1985)
Authors: SCHREGEL SUSANNE
Published: July 2015

Focusing on the example of municipal interventions in defence, this article proposes to evaluate the role of cities and towns in Cold War policies. It discusses how, in the early 1980s, residents in Great Britain, New Zealand, West Germany and the USA claimed responsibility for defence and (dis)armament policies in the name of their respective city or home town. To justify this claim, protagonists not only portrayed urban settlements as probable targets of nuclear war. They also highlighted cities and towns as concrete places and drew attention to locality as a scale that might bear specific potentials for participation and empowerment. Yet a closer analysis of such initiatives in the four countries reveals that municipal activities for peace and disarmament developed in far more complex spatial relations than references to the ‘local’ as a scale of involvement might imply.
Emerging Organizational Structures in the Ambulance Industry in the United States
Authors: Narad Richard A.
Published: July 2015

This analysis seeks to identify emerging forms of organizations in emergency medical services (EMS) in the United States, to provide examples of them, to relate them to changes in healthcare generally, and to apply a classification scheme. Public policy issues related to these new forms of organizations and lessons from other areas of the healthcare system are identified.

Recent changes in the healthcare system in the United States have been marked by modifications in the structure of organizations that provide and pay for health services. New forms of organizations and alliances among existing organizations have emerged in an effort to improve the efficiency of the services provided and to improve organizations' market positions.

Reflecting increased competition within EMS and the demands of the changing health-care delivery system, several types of organizations have begun to emerge in EMS that resemble those occurring in health care generally. These include forms of horizontal integration, such as consolidated ambulance services and various models of ambulance service networks; and forms of vertical integration, such as demand management programs and public-private joint ventures. The ultimate end might be complete integration with a carve-out of all non-scheduled care.

Although changes in EMS organizations result largely from marketplace decisions by sellers and purchasers, this does not mean that there is no public policy role. While new organizational forms may increase the ambulance industry's efficiency, public policy makers must be concerned about quality and access as well. Some policy responses will promote marketplace changes, others will accept them generally, but will seek to correct problems, and a third group will attempt to restrain the market.
Cross-script L2-L1 noncognate translation priming in lexical decision depends on L2 proficiency: Evidence from Japanese–English bilinguals
Authors: NAKAYAMA MARIKO , IDA KEISUKE , LUPKER STEPHEN J.
Published: July 2015

Previous research with unbalanced, different-script bilinguals has typically produced null L2-L1 noncognate masked translation priming effects in lexical decision tasks (LDT). Two novel models of the bilingual mental lexicon have emerged to account for these null results: the episodic L2 hypothesis and the Sense model. In contrast, the BIA+ model predicts significant priming whenever bilinguals are sufficiently proficient in L2. Using Japanese–English bilinguals, the role of L2 proficiency in L2-L1 noncognate translation priming in an LDT was examined. In Experiments 1 and 2, significant priming effects were observed for highly proficient bilinguals. In contrast, in Experiment 3, less-proficient bilinguals produced a null priming effect. This pattern demonstrates that L2-L1 priming effects do arise in an LDT and those effects are modulated by L2 proficiency, consistent with the BIA+ model's expectations. The pattern can be also explained by the episodic L2 hypothesis, provided that certain modifications are made to its assumptions.
New records of ‘opisthobranchs’ (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from Arrecife Alacranes National Park, Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Ortigosa Deneb , Lemus-Santana Elia , Simões Nuno
Published: July 2015

We report 37 species of heterobranch sea slugs from the National Park Alacranes reef, located in the Campeche Bank, at the south-eastern Gulf of Mexico, of which 18 species are reported for the first time in this reef. With this contribution, the species richness in this national park increases to up to 67. The speciesNakamigawaia felis, Petaliferasp.,Elysia flava, Elysia pratensisandBulbaeolidiasp. are reported in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. The geographical distribution ranges forOxynoe azuropunctata, Elysia ornata, Placida kingstoni, Aphelodoris antillensisandTritonia hamnerorumare extended westward. Those forElysia flava, Pleurobranchus areolatusandFelimare ruthaeare extended both northward and westward.
Neuartiger knochenverankerter Hämodialysezugang
Authors: Arnold Andreas , Kruse Anja , Wiedmer Simona , Widmer Matthias , Guignard Jérémie , Schütz Daniel , Guenat Jean-Marc , Bachtler Matthias , Caversaccio Marco , Uehlinger Dominik E. , Frey Felix J. , Häusler Rudolf , Stieger Christof
Published: July 2015

Zusammenfassung. Für Patienten an der Hämodialyse ist nach Versagen der klassischen arterio-venösen Fisteln oder Shunts ein direkter Gefässzugang mittels Katheter lebensnotwendig. Permanente zentralvenöse Katheter penetrieren die Hals- und Thoraxweichteile und die Haut ohne rigide Befestigung. Die Infektionsrate ist hoch und führt oft zur Explantation. Knochenverankerte Hörgeräte sind zur Behandlung bei Schalleitungsschwerhörigkeit etabliert. Das Implantat sitzt fest im Felsenbein und der Aufsatz penetriert die Haut. Schwere Infektionen, die eine Explantation nötig machen, sind sehr selten. Wir nehmen an, dass einer der Hauptgründe für die tiefe Komplikationsrate die starke Befestigung des Implantats am Knochen ist, wodurch die Hautbewegungen relativ zum Knochen minimiert werden. Basierend auf den Erfahrungen mit implantierten Hörsystemen haben wir einen perkutanen knochenverankerten Hämodialysezugang im Bereich des Felsenbeins als vorteilhafte Alternative zum herkömmlichen zentralvenösen Katheterzugang entwickelt. Dabei wurde die Felsenbeinanatomie und Knochendicke zur Lokalisierung des idealen Implantationsortes untersucht; die Schraubenstabilität im Knochen getestet; ein Titanimplantat inklusive Ventile und Katheter, sowie chirurgische Instrumente zur sicheren Implantation entwickelt. Der knochenverankerte Hämodialysezugang wurde auf Flussrate, Dichtigkeit und Reinigung getestet; die Platzierung des Katheters mittels Seldingertechnik in die V. jugularis interna über eine Halsinzision festgelegt. Die Resultate unserer Arbeit zeigen die technische Machbarkeit eines im Felsenbein verankerten neuartigen Hämodialysezuganges und bilden die Grundlage einer inzwischen bewilligten klinischen Pilotstudie.
TP53 mutations in de novo acute myeloid leukemia patients: longitudinal follow-ups show the mutation is stable during disease evolution
Authors: Hou H-A , Chou W-C , Kuo Y-Y , Liu C-Y , Lin L-I , Tseng M-H , Chiang Y-C , Liu M-C , Liu C-W , Tang J-L , Yao M , Li C-C , Huang S-Y , Ko B-S , Hsu S-C , Chen C-Y , Lin C-T , Wu S-J , Tsay W , Chen Y-C , Tien H-F
Published: July 2015

The TP53 mutation is frequently detected in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with complex karyotype (CK), but the stability of this mutation during the clinical course remains unclear. In this study, TP53 mutations were identified in 7% of 500 patients with de novo AML and 58.8% of patients with CK. TP53 mutations were closely associated with older age, lower white blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts, FAB M6 subtype, unfavorable-risk cytogenetics and CK, but negatively associated with NPM1 mutation, FLT3/ITD and DNMT3A mutation. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that TP53 mutation was an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival and disease-free survival among the total cohort and the subgroup of patients with CK. A scoring system incorporating TP53 mutation and nine other prognostic factors, including age, WBC counts, cytogenetics and gene mutations, into survival analysis proved to be very useful to stratify AML patients. Sequential study of 420 samples showed that TP53 mutations were stable during AML evolution, whereas the mutation was acquired only in 1 of the 126 TP53 wild-type patients when therapy-related AML originated from different clone emerged. In conclusion, TP53 mutations are associated with distinct clinic-biological features and poor prognosis in de novo AML patients and are rather stable during disease progression.
Muscle LIM protein/CSRP3: a mechanosensor with a role in autophagy
Authors: Rashid M M , Runci A , Polletta L , Carnevale I , Morgante E , Foglio E , Arcangeli T , Sansone L , Russo M A , Tafani M
Published: July 2015

Muscle LIM protein (MLP) is a microtubule-associated protein expressed in cardiac and muscle tissues that belongs to the cysteine-rich protein (CSRP/CRP) family. MLP has a central role during muscle development and for architectural maintenance of muscle cells. However, muscle cells rely on autophagy during differentiation and for structural maintenance. To study the role of MLP in autophagy, we have used C2C12 mouse myoblasts silenced or overexpressing MLP. Our results show that MLP contributes to the correct autophagosome formation and flux by interacting with LC3 as demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation and PLA assay. In fact, MLP silencing results in decreased LC3-II staining and absent degradation of long-lived proteins. Moreover, MLP silencing impaired myoblasts differentiation as measured by decreased expression of MyoD1, MyoG1 and myosin heavy chain. Ultrastructural analysis revealed the presence of large empty autophagosomes in myoblasts and multimembranous structures in myotubes from MLP-silenced clones. Impaired autophagy in MLP-silenced cells resulted in increased susceptibility to apoptotic cell death. In fact, treatment of MLP-silenced C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes with staurosporine resulted in increased caspase-3 and PARP cleavage as well as increased percentage of cell death. In conclusion, we propose that MLP regulates autophagy during muscle cell differentiation or maintenance through a mechanism involving MLP/LC3-II interaction and correct autophagosome formation.
Diverse, rare microbial taxa responded to the Deepwater Horizon deep-sea hydrocarbon plume
Authors: Kleindienst Sara , Grim Sharon , Sogin Mitchell , Bracco Annalisa , Crespo-Medina Melitza , Joye Samantha B
Published: July 2015

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil well blowout generated an enormous plume of dispersed hydrocarbons that substantially altered the Gulf of Mexico’s deep-sea microbial community. A significant enrichment of distinct microbial populations was observed, yet, little is known about the abundance and richness of specific microbial ecotypes involved in gas, oil and dispersant biodegradation in the wake of oil spills. Here, we document a previously unrecognized diversity of closely related taxa affiliating with Cycloclasticus, Colwellia and Oceanospirillaceae and describe their spatio-temporal distribution in the Gulf’s deepwater, in close proximity to the discharge site and at increasing distance from it, before, during and after the discharge. A highly sensitive, computational method (oligotyping) applied to a data set generated from 454-tag pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene V4–V6 regions, enabled the detection of population dynamics at the sub-operational taxonomic unit level (0.2% sequence similarity). The biogeochemical signature of the deep-sea samples was assessed via total cell counts, concentrations of short-chain alkanes (C1–C5), nutrients, (colored) dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, as well as methane oxidation rates. Statistical analysis elucidated environmental factors that shaped ecologically relevant dynamics of oligotypes, which likely represent distinct ecotypes. Major hydrocarbon degraders, adapted to the slow-diffusive natural hydrocarbon seepage in the Gulf of Mexico, appeared unable to cope with the conditions encountered during the DWH spill or were outcompeted. In contrast, diverse, rare taxa increased rapidly in abundance, underscoring the importance of specialized sub-populations and potential ecotypes during massive deep-sea oil discharges and perhaps other large-scale perturbations.
Snapshot prediction of carbon productivity, carbon and protein content in a Southern Ocean diatom using FTIR spectroscopy
Authors: Sackett Olivia , Petrou Katherina , Reedy Brian , Hill Ross , Doblin Martina , Beardall John , Ralph Peter , Heraud Philip
Published: July 2015

Diatoms, an important group of phytoplankton, bloom annually in the Southern Ocean, covering thousands of square kilometers and dominating the region’s phytoplankton communities. In their role as the major food source to marine grazers, diatoms supply carbon, nutrients and energy to the Southern Ocean food web. Prevailing environmental conditions influence diatom phenotypic traits (for example, photophysiology, macromolecular composition and morphology), which in turn affect the transfer of energy, carbon and nutrients to grazers and higher trophic levels, as well as oceanic biogeochemical cycles. The paucity of phenotypic data on Southern Ocean phytoplankton limits our understanding of the ecosystem and how it may respond to future environmental change. Here we used a novel approach to create a ‘snapshot’ of cell phenotype. Using mass spectrometry, we measured nitrogen (a proxy for protein), total carbon and carbon-13 enrichment (carbon productivity), then used this data to build spectroscopy-based predictive models. The models were used to provide phenotypic data for samples from a third sample set. Importantly, this approach enabled the first ever rate determination of carbon productivity from a single time point, circumventing the need for time-series measurements. This study showed that Chaetoceros simplex was less productive and had lower protein and carbon content during short-term periods of high salinity. Applying this new phenomics approach to natural phytoplankton samples could provide valuable insight into understanding phytoplankton productivity and function in the marine system.
RTN1 mediates progression of kidney disease by inducing ER stress
Authors: Fan Ying , Xiao Wenzhen , Li Zhengzhe , Li Xuezhu , Chuang Peter Y. , Jim Belinda , Zhang Weijia , Wei Chengguo , Wang Niansong , Jia Weiping , Xiong Huabao , Lee Kyung , He John C.
Published: July 2015

Identification of new biomarkers and drug targets for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is required for the development of more effective therapy. Here we report an association between expression of reticulon 1 (RTN1) and severity of CKD. An isoform-specific increase in the expression of RTN1A is detected in the diseased kidneys from mice and humans, and correlates inversely with renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy. RTN1 overexpression in renal cells induces ER stress and apoptosis, whereas RTN1 knockdown attenuates tunicamycin-induced and hyperglycaemia-induced ER stress and apoptosis. RTN1A interacts with PERK through its N-terminal and C-terminal domains, and mutation of these domains prevents this effect on ER stress. Knockdown of Rtn1a expression in vivo attenuates ER stress and renal fibrosis in mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction, and also attenuates ER stress, proteinuria, glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial expansion in diabetic mice. Together, these data indicate that RTN1A contributes to progression of kidney disease by inducing ER stress.
Superconductivity-induced re-entrance of the orthorhombic distortion in Ba1−xKxFe2As2
Authors: Böhmer A. E. , Hardy F. , Wang L. , Wolf T. , Schweiss P. , Meingast C.
Published: July 2015

Detailed knowledge of the phase diagram and the nature of the competing magnetic and superconducting phases is imperative for a deeper understanding of the physics of iron-based superconductivity. Magnetism in the iron-based superconductors is usually a stripe-type spin-density-wave, which breaks the tetragonal symmetry of the lattice, and is known to compete strongly with superconductivity. Recently, it was found that in some systems an additional spin-density-wave transition occurs, which restores this tetragonal symmetry, however, its interaction with superconductivity remains unclear. Here, using thermodynamic measurements on Ba1−xKxFe2As2 single crystals, we show that the spin-density-wave phase of tetragonal symmetry competes much stronger with superconductivity than the stripe-type spin-density-wave phase, which results in a novel re-entrance of the latter at or slightly below the superconducting transition.
Marine Sediments Remotely Unveil Long-Term Climatic Variability Over Northern Italy
Authors: Taricco Carla , Alessio Silvia , Rubinetti Sara , Zanchettin Davide , Cosoli Simone , Gačić Miroslav , Mancuso Salvatore , Rubino Angelo
Published: July 2015

A deep understanding of natural decadal variability is pivotal to discuss recently observed climate trends. Paleoclimate proxies allow reconstructing natural variations before the instrumental period. Typically, regional-scale reconstructions depend on factors like dating, multi-proxy weighting and calibration, which may lead to non-robust reconstructions. Riverine records inherently integrate information about regional climate variability, partly overcoming the above mentioned limitation. The Po River provides major freshwater input to Eastern Mediterranean, as its catchment encompasses a large part of Northern Italy. Here, using historical discharge data and oceanographic measurements, we show that Po River discharge undergo robust decadal fluctuations that reach the Ionian Sea, ~1,000 km South of Po River delta, through propagating salinity anomalies. Based on this propagation, we use a high-resolution foraminiferal δ18O record from a sediment core in the Ionian Sea to reconstruct North Italian hydrological variability on millennial-scale for the first time. The reconstruction reveals highly significant decadal variability that persists over the last 2,000 years. Many reconstructed extremes correspond to documented catastrophic events. Our study provides the first millennial-scale reconstruction of the strength of decadal hydrological variability over Northern Italy. It paves the way to assess the persistence of large-scale circulation fingerprints on the North Italian climate.
miR-628, a microRNA that is induced by Toll-like receptor stimulation, regulates porcine innate immune responses
Authors: Jun He , Ying He , Daiwen Chen , Bing Yu , Xiangbing Mao , Ping Zheng , Jie Yu , Zhiqing Huang , Junqiu Luo
Published: July 2015

Mammalian innate and acquired immune responses involve a coordinated, sequential and self limiting sequence of events controlled by positive and negative regulatory mechanism. MicroRNAs have been implicated as a negative regulator for diverse biological events including immune responses. However, the involvement of miRNAs in regulating the immune responses is just beginning to be explored. Here, we characterized the expression profiling of 375 microRNAs in porcine monocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and result shows that several of them are endotoxin-responsive genes. Through promoter analysis, the miR-628 was found to be a NF-κB dependent gene. Importantly, miR-628 was predicted to base-pair with sequences in the 3′-UTR of the myeloid differentiation protein 88 (MyD88) gene. And we found that the UTR inhibit expression of a linked reporter gene coding a key adapter molecule downstream of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), resulting in suppressing of the TLR signaling. Therefore, we not only propose a role of miR-628 in control of the TLR signaling through a negative feedback regulation loop involving down-regulation of MyD88 protein levels, but results may also contribute to rational target selection orchestrating the inflammatory responses.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: MicroRNA-320a acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting BCR/ABL oncogene in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Xishan Zhu , Ziying Lin , Jing Du , Gang Liu
Published: July 2015

Accumulating evidences demonstrated that the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with tumorigenesis, tumor progression, metastasis and relapse in cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We found that miR-320a expression was reduced in K562 and in CML cancer stem cells. Moreover, we found that miR-320a inhibited K562 cell migration, invasion, proliferation and promoted apoptosis by targeting BCR/ABL oncogene. As an upstream regulator of BCR/ABL, miR-320a directly targets BCR/ABL. The enhanced expression of miR-320a inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and NF-κB; however, the expression of phosphorylated PI3K, AKT and NF-κB were restored by the overexpression of BCR/ABL. In K562, infected with miR-320a or transfected with SiBCR/ABL, the protein levels of fibronectin, vimentin and N-cadherin were decreased, but the expression of E-cadherin was increased. The expression of mesenchymal markers in miR-320a-expressing cells was restored to normal levels by the restoration of BCR/ABL expression. Generally speaking, miR-320a acts as a novel tumor suppressor gene in CML and miR-320a can decrease migratory, invasive, proliferative and apoptotic behaviors, as well as CML EMT, by attenuating the expression of BCR/ABL oncogene.
Development of bright fluorescent quadracyclic adenine analogues: TDDFT-calculation supported rational design
Authors: Foller Larsen Anders , Dumat Blaise , Wranne Moa S. , Lawson Christopher P. , Preus Søren , Bood Mattias , Gradén Henrik , Marcus Wilhelmsson L. , Grøtli Morten
Published: July 2015

Fluorescent base analogues (FBAs) comprise a family of increasingly important molecules for the investigation of nucleic acid structure and dynamics. We recently reported the quantum chemical calculation supported development of four microenvironment sensitive analogues of the quadracyclic adenine (qA) scaffold, the qANs, with highly promising absorptive and fluorescence properties that were very well predicted by TDDFT calculations. Herein, we report on the efficient synthesis, experimental and theoretical characterization of nine novel quadracyclic adenine derivatives. The brightest derivative, 2-CNqA, displays a 13-fold increased brightness (εΦF = 4500) compared with the parent compound qA and has the additional benefit of being a virtually microenvironment-insensitive fluorophore, making it a suitable candidate for nucleic acid incorporation and use in quantitative FRET and anisotropy experiments. TDDFT calculations, conducted on the nine novel qAs a posteriori, successfully describe the relative fluorescence quantum yield and brightness of all qA derivatives. This observation suggests that the TDDFT-based rational design strategy may be employed for the development of bright fluorophores built up from a common scaffold to reduce the otherwise costly and time-consuming screening process usually required to obtain useful and bright FBAs.
Influence of electric current pulses on the solidification of Cu-Bi-Sn immiscible alloys
Authors: Hongxiang Jiang , Jie He , Jiuzhou Zhao
Published: July 2015

Continuous solidification experiments were carried out with Cu-Bi-Sn alloys under the effects of Electric Current Pulses (ECPs). A model describing the microstructure evolution was developed. The formation of the microstructure in the continuously solidified alloys was calculated. The calculations demonstrated that ECPs mainly affect the solidification process through changing the energy barrier for the nucleation of the minority phase droplets (MPDs). When the matrix liquid has a lower electric conductivity compared to the MPD, the ECPs lead to a decrease in the energy barrier for the nucleation of the MPDs which then promote the formation of a finely dispersed microstructure. When the matrix liquid has a higher electric conductivity compared to the MPD, the ECPs cause an increase in the energy barrier for the nucleation and lead to the formation of a phase segregated microstructure.
Gnathostoma spinigerum Mitochondrial Genome Sequence: a Novel Gene Arrangement and its Phylogenetic Position within the Class Chromadorea
Authors: Liu Guo-Hua , Shao Renfu , Cai Xian-Quan , Li Wen-Wen , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: July 2015

Human gnathostomiasis is an emerging food-borne parasitic disease caused by nematodes in the genus Gnathostoma. In spite of their significance as pathogens, these parasites remain poorly understood at the molecular level. In the present study, we sequenced the mitochondrial (mt) genome of G. spinigerum, which infects a range of definitive hosts including dogs, cats, tigers, leopards and humans. The mt genome of G. spinigerum is 14,079 bp in size and shows substantial changes in gene order compared to other nematodes studied to date. Phylogenetic analyses of mt genome sequences by Bayesian inference (BI) revealed that the infraorder Gnathostomatomorpha (represented by G. spinigerum) is closely related to the infraorder Ascaridomorpha. G. spinigerum is the first species from the infraorder Gnathostomatomorpha for which a complete mt genome has been sequenced. The new data will help understand the evolution, population genetics and systematics of this medically important group of parasites.
RD-1 encoded EspJ protein gets phosphorylated prior to affect the growth and intracellular survival of mycobacteria
Authors: Singh Pramod K , Saxena Richa , Tiwari Sameer , Singh Diwakar K , Singh Susmita K , Kumari Ruma , Srivastava Kishore K
Published: July 2015

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) synchronizes a number of processes and controls a series of events to subvert host defense mechanisms for the sake of residing inside macrophages. Besides these, MTB also possesses a wide range of signal enzyme systems, including eleven serine threonine protein kinases (STPKs). The present study describes STPK modulated modification in one of the hypothetical proteins of the RD1 region; EspJ (ESX-1 secretion associated protein), which is predicted to be involved in virulence of MTB. We have employed knock-out MTB and M. bovis BCG as a surrogate strain to elaborate the consequence of the phosphorylation of EspJ. The molecular and mass spectrometric analyses in this study, confirmed EspJ as one of the substrates of STPKs. The ectopic expression of phosphoablative mutants of espJ in M. bovis BCG also articulated the effect of phosphorylation on the growth and in survival of mycobacteria. Importantly, the level of phosphorylation of EspJ also differed between pathogenic H37 Rv (Rv) and non pathogenic H37 Ra (Ra) strains of MTB. This further suggested that to a certain extent, the STPKs mediated phosphorylation may be accountable, in determining the growth and in intra-cellular survival of mycobacteria.