bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal fibrosis is attenuated by targeted disruption of K
Ca
3.1 potassium channels
Authors: Grgic Ivica , Kiss Eva , Kaistha Brajesh P. , Busch Christoph , Kloss Michael , Sautter Julia , Müller Anja , Kaistha Anuradha , Schmidt Claudia , Raman Girija , Wulff Heike , Strutz Frank , Gröne Hermann-Josef , Köhler Ralf , Hoyer Joachim
Published: August 2009

Proliferation of interstitial fibroblasts is a hallmark of progressive renal fibrosis commonly resulting in chronic kidney failure. The intermediate-conductance Ca
2+
-activated K
+
channel (K
Ca
3.1) has been proposed to promote mitogenesis in several cell types and contribute to disease states characterized by excessive proliferation. Here, we hypothesized that K
Ca
3.1 activity is pivotal for renal fibroblast proliferation and that deficiency or pharmacological blockade of K
Ca
3.1 suppresses development of renal fibrosis. We found that mitogenic stimulation up-regulated K
Ca
3.1 in murine renal fibroblasts via a MEK-dependent mechanism and that selective blockade of K
Ca
3.1 functions potently inhibited fibroblast proliferation by G
0
/G
1
arrest. Renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in mice was paralleled by a robust up-regulation of K
Ca
3.1 in affected kidneys. Mice lacking K
Ca
3.1 (K
Ca
3.1
−/−
) showed a significant reduction in fibrotic marker expression, chronic tubulointerstitial damage, collagen deposition and αSMA
+
cells in kidneys after UUO, whereas functional renal parenchyma was better preserved. Pharmacological treatment with the selective K
Ca
3.1 blocker TRAM-34 similarly attenuated progression of UUO-induced renal fibrosis in wild-type mice and rats. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that K
Ca
3.1 is involved in renal fibroblast proliferation and fibrogenesis and suggest that K
Ca
3.1 may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of fibrotic kidney disease.
Possible explanations for informational sabotage: potential research models
Authors: Hafer John C. , Gresham George G.
Published: August 2009

Sabotage is one form of organizational retaliatory behavior (ORB) and a subset of workplace aggression. This article examines an increasingly common type of sabotage – informational sabotage – and proposes several testable models on how four internal drivers, spirituality,
self‐esteem, locus of control and victimization, may be associated with this ORB. The propositions here suggest a variety of relationships between informational sabotage and these independent variables. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research issues and offers a most
likely case hypothesis supported by previous research findings from the literature.
Models of emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and performance: a test of Tischler, Biberman, and McKeage
Authors: Martin Thomas N. , Hafer John C.
Published: August 2009

Tischler, Biberman, and McKeage proposed five models that could explain the relationship between emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and performance. This article empirically tested those models on a large sample of junior‐level and senior‐level business students.
Emotional intelligence was measured using the 16‐item Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Survey, spiritual intelligence was measured with a modified version of Ashmos and Duchon’s survey, and performance was the student’s cumulative grade point average. Literature on these
variables is discussed regarding definitional and measurement issues. None of the proposed models were supported by the data. Findings, limitations, and future research for these models are discussed.
A Modelization of Differences between Early- and Late-Starter French-Canadian Offenders
Authors: Mathieu Cynthia , Côté Gilles
Published: August 2009

Objective. Recent research has shown that there are two groups of mentally disordered offenders: early starters (early onset of behavioral problems) and late starters (behavior problems that start in adulthood). The present study sought to arrive at a better understanding of the differences between persons suffering from major mental disorder who are early- and late-starter offenders. Method. The sample was recruited within the province of Quebec, Canada. It is composed of 137 men diagnosed with a major mental disorder. Participants were recruited under three distinct legal statuses. Results. Results indicate that there are interesting and key differences between early and late starters on etiological and symptomatological variables, as well as in terms of antisocial behaviors. Conclusion. These findings have implications for the treatment, prevention, and risk assessment of persons with major mental disorders.
Circumstantial Risks in Psychotic Offenders and their Criminal History: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Goethals K.R. , van Marle H.J. C.
Published: August 2009

The authors present the results of a review of the literature between 1990 and 2006. A search of www.PubMed.com and www.PsychInfo.com yielded 1942 articles using the following search terms: (crime/violence) AND (psychosis/schizophrenia) AND (substance abuse); (crime/violence) AND (psychosis/schizophrenia) AND (personality disorder/psychopathy); or (crime/violence) AND (psychosis/schizophrenia) AND (youth). Ultimately, however, only 29 articles remained after eliminating the articles on irrelevant topics. This review covers the literature on the influence of the circumstantial risks to which violent psychotic patients were exposed since childhood. The temporal relationship between a psychotic disorder and criminality, prior psychiatric care, the victims, psychosocial and circumstantial problems, and behavior problems in childhood and adolescence are discussed, in that order.

Studies into the time of the first offense in relation to the onset of psychosis, diagnosis and first admission yielded a variety of results. Most of the forensic patients had had previous contact with general psychiatry before becoming a forensic patient, but the quality of the psychiatric care was not always appropriate. The victims of schizophrenic patients were mostly persons that they knew. Besides substance abuse, social functioning was viewed as an important risk factor. Externalizing behavior in childhood and adolescence was seen most often in future schizophrenics who later committed offenses. In summary, it can be stated that a psychotic disorder should never be seen separately from the circumstantial risk factors.
Assessing the effect of sound complexity on the audiotactile cross-modal dynamic capture task
Authors: Occelli Valeria , Spence Charles , Zampini Massimiliano
Published: August 2009

Neurophysiological and behavioural evidence now show that audiotactile interactions are more pronounced for complex auditory stimuli than for pure tones. In the present study, we examined the effect of varying the complexity of auditory stimuli (i.e., noise vs. pure tone) on participants’ performance in the audiotactile cross-modal dynamic capture task. Participants discriminated the direction of a target stream (tactile or auditory) while simultaneously trying to ignore the direction of a distracting auditory or tactile apparent motion stream presented in a different sensory modality (i.e., auditory or tactile). The distractor stream could be either spatiotemporally congruent or incongruent with respect to the target stream on each trial. The results showed that sound complexity modulated performance, decreasing the accuracy of tactile direction judgements when presented simultaneously with noise distractors, while facilitating judgements of the direction of the noise bursts (as compared to pure tones). Although auditory direction judgements were overall more accurate for noise (than for pure tone) targets, the complexity of the sound failed to modulate the tactile capture of auditory targets. These results provide the first demonstration of enhanced audiotactile interactions involving complex (vs. pure tone) auditory stimuli in the peripersonal space around the hands (previously these effects have only been reported in the space around the head).
Understanding the role of executive control in the Implicit Association Test: Why flexible people have small IAT effects
Authors: Klauer Karl Christoph , Schmitz Florian , Teige-Mocigemba Sarah , Voss Andreas
Published: August 2009

The goal of the present research was to investigate the role of three central-executive functions—switching of mental sets, inhibition of prepotent responses, and simultaneous storage and processing (i.e., working-memory capacity)—in accounting for method variance in the Implicit Association Test (IAT). In two studies, several IATs with unrelated contents were administered along with a battery of central-executive tasks, with multiple tasks tapping each of the above executive functions. Method variance was found to be related to the switching factor, but not to the inhibition factor. There was also evidence for a small independent contribution of the working-memory capacity factor. The findings constrain process accounts of the IAT, lending support to an account in terms of task-set switching, and they have consequences for applications.
Demonstration of particle exhaust control during ELM suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in DIII-D
Authors: Unterberg E.A. , Evans T.E. , Maingi R. , Brooks N.H. , Fenstermacher M.E. , Mordijck S. , Moyer R.A.
Published: August 2009

A reduction in plasma electron density (‘pump-out’) during the application of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on DIII-D precedes the suppression of edge localized modes (ELMs) in discharges with low (⩽0.2) electron pedestal collisionalities. The magnitude of the density drop near the plasma pedestal can be up to 30% and as low as ∼2% for discharges with similar applied RMP, and thus motivates further study to determine the cause of the variation. Based on an analysis of the global particle balance and measurements of the D
α poloidal distribution, it is shown that the wall inventory can be strongly affected by changing the average triangularity (⟨δ⟩) of the discharge. Specifically, particle balance in ⟨δ⟩ = 0.3 discharges shows that the density pump-out was substantially higher than the increase in particle exhaust to the cryo-pumps, i.e. wall pumping was apparently required. On the other hand, particle balance in ⟨δ⟩ = 0.5 discharges shows that the density pump-out was offset by an increase in exhaust to the cryo-pumps, i.e. wall pumping was not required. Correspondingly, the D
α intensity increased by ∼50%–100% at ⟨δ⟩ = 0.5 during the RMP phase of the discharge when compared with the RMP phase of a ⟨δ⟩ = 0.3 discharge. Both of these observations imply a possible increase in the neutral particles in the scrape-off-layer. More significantly, this new result demonstrates density pump-out and ELM suppression without significant wall pumping, which is a desirable feature for long-pulse reactors with saturated walls.
Observation of reduced core electron temperature fluctuations and intermediate wavenumber density fluctuations in H-mode plasmas
Authors: Schmitz L. , White A.E. , Wang G. , DeBoo J.C. , deGrassie J.S. , McKee G.R. , Hillesheim J.C. , Peebles W.A. , Rhodes T.L. , Carter T.A. , Doyle E.D. , Zeng L. , Burrell K.H. , Petty C.C. , Kinsey J. , Solomon W.A. , Staebler G.M.
Published: August 2009

In this paper, we report observations of reduced core electron temperature and intermediate-scale density fluctuations in H-mode. Electron temperature fluctuation levels are observed to decrease from L-mode levels (
for k
θρs < 0.5 as measured by correlation electron cyclotron emission radiometry) by at least a factor of four in H- and quiescent H-mode regimes in the DIII-D tokamak (r/a = 0.7). Linear stability calculations (using the trapped gyro-Landau fluid (TGLF) code) indicate that the observed temperature fluctuations are associated with L-mode ITG turbulence which is shear-stabilized at the L- to H-mode transition. Recent results from DIII-D provide the first experimental evidence that, in addition, intermediate-scale turbulence (0.5 < k
θρs ⩽ 3) is reduced at the L–H transition. A 30–40% prompt reduction (r/a ⩾ 0.7) has been found at the L–H transition in co-injected medium density plasmas, with a larger decrease (⩾75%) observed near the pedestal top. Experimental results and TGLF calculations indicate that intermediate/small scale turbulence persists in H-mode at a reduced amplitude (0.6 ⩽ r/a ⩽ 1) and may substantially contribute to the residual anomalous H-mode electron heat transport.
Finite frequency zonal flows in multi-scale plasma turbulence including resistive MHD and drift wave instabilities
Authors: Li Jiquan , Kishimoto Y. , Kouduki Y. , Wang Z.X. , Janvier M.
Published: August 2009

The evolution of multi-scale plasma turbulence including resistive MHD and micro-instabilities is studied based on a 5-field slab gyrofluid simulation aiming to understand complex nonlinear interactions and turbulent transport. It is observed that the spatial structure of the mixed-scale electromagnetic turbulence is characterized by a power-law scaling spectrum typical of MHD perturbations, but the spectral amplitude is enhanced by the micro-instability at all scales. A robust oscillatory zonal flow (ZF) with finite frequency is created in slab geometry for the first time due to the multi-scale interaction so that the ion heat transport is not efficiently suppressed. It is identified that the finite frequency ZF results from a net oscillatory electromagnetic torque, which is sustained by micro-instability through multi-scale nonlinear interaction.
PopABC: a program to infer historical demographic parameters
Authors: Lopes Joao S. , Balding David , Beaumont Mark A.
Published: August 2009

Summary: PopABC is a computer package for inferring the pattern of demographic divergence of closely related populations and species. The software performs coalescent simulation in the framework of approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). PopABC can also be used to perform Bayesian model choice to discriminate between different demographic scenarios. The program can be used either for research or for education and teaching purposes.

Availability and Implementation: Source code and binaries are freely available at http://www.reading.ac.uk/∼sar05sal/software.htm. The program was implemented in C and can run on UNIX, MacOSX and Windows operating systems.

Contact:  joao.lopes@reading.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
“Industrial Legislatures”: Consensus Standardization in the Second and Third Industrial Revolutions
Authors: Russell Andrew L.
Published: August 2009

My dissertation is a study of standardization in four communications networks: AT&T's monopoly telephone network, the Internet, digital cellular telephone networks, and the World Wide Web. A history of these networks that highlights standardization shows how engineers in industry committees replaced managers in monopoly hierarchies as the stewards of standards for communication networks. By the end of the twentieth century, the new networks—and the new institutions devised to sustain the standardization process—formed the technological and ideological infrastructure of the Third Industrial Revolution.
Pathogenicity of Native Entomopathogenic Fungus Nomuraea rileyi Against Spodoptera litura
Authors: Padanad Mahesh S. , Krishnaraj P. U.
Published: August 2009

The entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi was isolated from Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera insect cadavers collected from different sampling sites. Pathogenicity of ten N. rileyi isolates against Spodoptera litura was studied by exposing third instars to topical application of a spore concentration of 108 conidia/ml. All ten isolates of N rileyi were active against third instars of S. litura, resulting in 85 to 97% mortality. However, there were statistically no significant differences among the isolates with respect to the pathogenicity levels. Median lethal time (LT50) values of N. rileyi isolates against third instars of S. litura ranged from 5.5 to 6.6 days, which were not statistically different. This strongly suggests that the isolates from different geographical locations are equally pathogenic against S. litura.

Accepted for publication 29 June 2009. Published 7 August 2009.
A Rab escort protein integrates the secretion system with TOR signaling and ribosome biogenesis
Authors: Singh Jaspal , Tyers Mike
Published: August 2009

The coupling of environmental conditions to cell growth and division is integral to cell fitness. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transcription factor Sfp1 couples nutrient status to cell growth rate by controlling the expression of ribosome biogenesis (Ribi) and ribosomal protein (RP) genes. Sfp1 is localized to the nucleus in rich nutrients, but upon nutrient limitation or target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway inhibition by rapamycin, Sfp1 rapidly exits the nucleus, leading to repression of the Ribi/RP regulons. Through systematic cell-based screens we found that many components of the secretory system influence Sfp1 localization. Notably, the essential Rab escort protein Mrs6 exhibited a nutrient-sensitive interaction with Sfp1. Overexpression of Mrs6 prevented nuclear localization of Sfp1 in rich nutrients, whereas loss of Mrs6 resulted in nuclear Sfp1 localization in poor nutrients. These effects were specific to Sfp1 and independent of the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, suggesting that Mrs6 lies in a distinct branch of TOR and ribosome biogenesis regulation. Rapamycin-resistant alleles of MRS6 were defective in the cytoplasmic retention of Sfp1, the control of cell size, and in the repression of the Ribi/RP regulons. The Sfp1–Mrs6 interaction is a nexus for growth regulation that links the secretory system and TOR-dependent nutrient signaling to ribosome biogenesis.
The cyclic gene Hes1 contributes to diverse differentiation responses of embryonic stem cells
Authors: Kobayashi Taeko , Mizuno Hiroaki , Imayoshi Itaru , Furusawa Chikara , Shirahige Katsuhiko , Kageyama Ryoichiro
Published: August 2009

Stem cells do not all respond the same way, but the mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity are not well understood. Here, we found that expression of Hes1 and its downstream genes oscillate in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Those expressing low and high levels of Hes1 tended to differentiate into neural and mesodermal cells, respectively. Furthermore, inactivation of Hes1 facilitated neural differentiation more uniformly at earlier time. Thus, Hes1-null ES cells display less heterogeneity in both the differentiation timing and fate choice, suggesting that the cyclic gene Hes1 contributes to heterogeneous responses of ES cells even under the same environmental conditions.
Characterization of the rapamycin-sensitive phosphoproteome reveals that Sch9 is a central coordinator of protein synthesis
Authors: Huber Alexandre , Bodenmiller Bernd , Uotila Aino , Stahl Michael , Wanka Stefanie , Gerrits Bertran , Aebersold Ruedi , Loewith Robbie
Published: August 2009

The target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an essential multiprotein complex conserved from yeast to humans. Under favorable growth conditions, and in the absence of the macrolide rapamycin, TORC1 is active, and influences virtually all aspects of cell growth. Although two direct effectors of yeast TORC1 have been reported (Tap42, a regulator of PP2A phosphatases and Sch9, an AGC family kinase), the signaling pathways that couple TORC1 to its distal effectors were not well understood. To elucidate these pathways we developed and employed a quantitative, label-free mass spectrometry approach. Analyses of the rapamycin-sensitive phosphoproteomes in various genetic backgrounds revealed both documented and novel TORC1 effectors and allowed us to partition phosphorylation events between Tap42 and Sch9. Follow-up detailed characterization shows that Sch9 regulates RNA polymerases I and III, the latter via Maf1, in addition to translation initiation and the expression of ribosomal protein and ribosome biogenesis genes. This demonstrates that Sch9 is a master regulator of protein synthesis.
A new Augmin subunit, Msd1, demonstrates the importance of mitotic spindle-templated microtubule nucleation in the absence of functioning centrosomes
Authors: Wainman Alan , Buster Daniel W. , Duncan Tommy , Metz Jeremy , Ma Ao , Sharp David , Wakefield James G.
Published: August 2009

The Drosophila Augmin complex localizes γ-tubulin to the microtubules of the mitotic spindle, regulating the density of spindle microtubules in tissue culture cells. Here, we identify the microtubule-associated protein Msd1 as a new component of the Augmin complex and demonstrate directly that it is required for nucleation of microtubules from within the mitotic spindle. Although Msd1 is necessary for embryonic syncytial mitoses, flies possessing a mutation in msd1 are viable. Importantly, however, in the absence of centrosomes, microtubule nucleation from within the spindle becomes essential. Thus, the Augmin complex has a crucial role in the development of the fly.
Pattern and sustainability of the bushmeat trade in the Haut Niger National Park, Republic of Guinea
Authors: Brugiere David , Magassouba Bakary
Published: August 2009

To document the bushmeat trade in the buffer zone of the Haut Niger National Park (HNNP), Republic of Guinea, we monitored the number of carcasses offered for sale in 16 villages over a one year period in 2001. Overall, we counted a total of 9134 carcasses from 27 species. This represents a biomass harvest of about 170,000 kg, a figure that could reach 335,100 kg when game consumed by hunters (i.e. not sold) and markets not sampled are taken into account. Ungulates (eleven species) and rodents (four species) accounted for 53.5% and 24.8% of the carcasses counted respectively (80.8% and 11.4% of the total biomass, respectively). The number of carcasses counted in villages bordering a heavily trafficked road was significantly higher than in more rural villages, thus highlighting the stimulating effect of roads on the bushmeat trade. Compared with existing data collected in 1995, the proportion of ungulates counted in the Mansira Moribaya village in 2001 increased significantly while that of rodents decreased significantly. The harvest of duiker species at Mansira Moribaya was in excess of the maximum sustainable harvest. These results of this study were used to establish a sustainable wildlife management scheme in the HNNP.
Oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) off the Malabar Coast: density dependence and environmental effects
Authors: XU CAILIN , BOYCE MARK S.
Published: August 2009

Marine fish stocks are known for extensive variation in landings, with temporal fluctuations attributable to density‐dependent as well as environmental effects. In this paper we analysed a 44‐yr time‐series of oil sardine Sardinella longiceps landings from the Arabian Sea off the Malabar Coast of India. Density dependence was detected in the landings of oil sardine, reinforcing the potential for sustainable yields. Significant environmental factors (precipitation and sea level reflecting the strength of upwelling) during the monsoon period (June–August) are hypothesized to affect the dynamics of landings by influencing spawning and recruitment success. Together, density dependence and environmental variability during the monsoon explained 80% of the among‐years variance in landings. Our results have important consequences for understanding catch variability and are potentially useful for facilitating management of this commercially important fishery.
Presence of the mosquito Anopheles hyrcanus in South Moravia, Czech Republic
Authors: ŠEBESTA O. , RETTICH F. , MINÁŘ J. , HALOUZKA J. , HUBÁLEK Z. , JUŘICOVÁ Z. , RUDOLF I. , ŠIKUTOVÁ S. , GELBIČ I. , REITER P.
Published: August 2009

During a survey of mosquitoes in the South Moravian lowland area, the mosquito Anopheles hyrcanus (Pallas) (Diptera: Culicidae) was found breeding in an ancient fishpond (Nesyt). It is not clear whether this southern Palaearctic species, a known vector of malaria in Asia which has not been recorded in the Czech Republic until this year, has gone undetected in the past or whether it has recently moved into the region as a result of climate change.
Distribution of ‘promoter’ sandflies associated with incidence of classic Kaposi's sarcoma
Authors: ASCOLI V. , SENIS G. , ZUCCHETTO A. , VALERIO L. , FACCHINELLI L. , BUDRONI M. , DAL MASO L. , COLUZZI M.
Published: August 2009

The patchy geographical distributions of classic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV‐8), better known as Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus (KSHV) remain unexplained. It has been proposed that certain species of bloodsucking insects (‘promoter arthropods') promote the reactivation of HHV‐8/KSHV and facilitate both HHV‐8/KSHV transmission and KS development. This hypothesis was tested by sampling the presence and density of human‐biting Diptera with CDC light traps in two areas of Sardinia with contrasting incidence rates of classic KS. In total, 11 030 specimens (99.9% sandflies and 0.1% mosquitoes) belonging to 10 species were collected from 40 rural sites. Five of these species are considered to be possible promoter arthropods because of the irritation their bites cause: Phlebotomus perniciosus Newstead; Phlebotomus perfiliewi Parrot (Diptera: Psychodidae); Aedes berlandi Seguy; Culiseta annulata (Schrank) and Culex theileri Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae). Five species are probable ‘non‐promoters' because their bites are not particularly irritating: Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart); Culex pipiens s.l.; Anopheles algeriensis Theobald; Anopheles maculipennis s.l., and Anopheles plumbeus Stephens. A significant correlation was found between the geographical distribution of promoter arthropods and incidence rates of KS (Spearman's r = 0.59,P < 0.01). Promoter arthropods were more likely to be caught in areas with cutaneous leishmaniasis and a past high prevalence of malaria, and in areas of limestone, acid volcanic soil and cereal cultivation. The study supports the association between promoter arthropods and classic KS, which may explain the geographic variability of KS and HHV‐8/KSHV, and highlights the links with a number of variables previously associated with the incidence of KS.
An 18S ribosomal DNA barcode for the study of Isomermis lairdi, a parasite of the blackfly Simulium damnosum s.l.
Authors: CRAINEY J. L. , WILSON M. D. , POST R. J.
Published: August 2009

The mermithid parasite, Isomermis lairdi Mondet, Poinar & Bernadou (Nematoda: Mermithidae), is known to have a major impact on populations of Simulium damnosum s.l. Theobald (Diptera: Simuliidae) and on their efficiency as vectors of Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart) (Nematoda: Filarioidea). However, the value of I. lairdi and other mermithid parasites as potential means of integrated vector control has not been fully realized. This is partly because traditional taxonomic approaches have been insufficient for describing and analysing important aspects of their biology and host range. In total, rDNA barcode sequences have been obtained from over 70 I. lairdi mermithids found parasitizing S. damnosum s.l. larvae in three different rivers. No two sequences were found to vary by more than 0.5%, and cytospecies identification of mermithid hosts revealed that I. lairdi with identical rDNA barcodes can parasitize multiple cytoforms of the S. damnosum complex, including S. squamosum (Enderlein). Phylogenetic analysis using a partial sequence from the 18S ribosomal DNA barcode, grouped I. lairdi in a monophyletic group with Gastromermis viridis Welch (Nematoda: Mermithidae) and Isomermis wisconsinensis Welch (Nematoda: Mermithidae).
The species delimitation problem in theSimulium damnosumcomplex, blackfly vectors of onchocerciasis
Authors: MORALES‐HOJAS R. , KRUEGER A.
Published: August 2009

TheSimulium damnosumTheobald complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) comprises 57 cytoforms grouped into six subcomplexes. Previous phylogenetic studies using gene sequences have not completely resolved the evolutionary relationships of the cytoforms. The present study investigated the systematics of the complex using a phylogeographic approach. The differentiation between eastern and western forms observed in the phylogenetic studies is confirmed in the estimated haplotype networks. However, haplotypes tend to group in geographical clades and not according to cytoforms. Spatial analyses of the molecular variance also resulted in optimal groupings of sequences that did not correspond to cytoform boundaries. Moreover, Mantel tests showed significant correlations, although not strong, between genetic and geographical distances. This suggests an isolation‐by‐distance model of differentiation. Furthermore, there are instances in which genetic differentiation between cytoforms is low and not significant. These results indicate a lack of clear genetic differentiation between the cytoforms, which may be explained either by a separation of the taxa recent enough to allow the accumulation of few genetic differences or by recombination between the genomes of the cytoforms, which may be the result of hybridization with introgression or of non‐independent evolutionary lineages. The results also emphasize the need for further sampling and for the use of more variable markers in order to clarify the evolutionary history of the group.
The participation of the sympathetic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract in disease states
Authors: Lomax A. E. , Sharkey K. A. , Furness J. B.
Published: August 2009

Abstract Knowledge of neural circuits, neurotransmitters and receptors involved in the sympathetic regulation of gastrointestinal (GI) function is well established. However, it is only recently that the interaction of sympathetic neurons, and of sympathetic transmitters, with the GI immune system and with gut flora has begun to be explored. Changes in the behaviour of sympathetic nerves when gut function is compromised, for example in ileus and in inflammation, have been observed, but the roles of the sympathetic innervation in these and other pathologies are not adequately understood. In this article, we first review the principal roles of the sympathetic innervation of the GI tract in controlling motility, fluid exchange and gut blood flow in healthy individuals. We then discuss the evidence that there are important interactions of sympathetic transmitters with the gut immune system and enteric glia, and evidence that inflammation has substantial effects on sympathetic neurons. These reciprocal interactions contribute to pathological changes in ways that are not yet clarified. Finally, we focus on inflammation, diabetes and postoperative ileus as conditions in which there is sympathetic involvement in compromised gut function.
Electrophysiological characterization of pathways for K+ uptake into growing and non‐growing leaf cells of barley
Authors: VOLKOV VADIM , BOSCARI ALEXANDRE , CLÉMENT MATHILDE , MILLER ANTHONY J. , AMTMANN ANNA , FRICKE WIELAND
Published: August 2009

Potassium is a major osmolyte used by plant cells. The accumulation rates of K+ in cells may limit the rate of expansion. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of ion channels in K+ uptake using patch clamp technique. Ion currents were quantified in protoplasts of the elongation and emerged blade zone of the developing leaf 3 of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A time‐dependent inward‐rectifying K+‐selective current was observed almost exclusively in elongation zone protoplasts. The current showed characteristics typical of Shaker‐type channels. Instantaneous inward current was highest in the epidermis of the emerged blade and selective for Na+ over K+. Selectivity disappeared, and currents decreased or remained the same, depending on tissue, in response to salt treatment. Net accumulation rates of K+ in cells calculated from patch clamp current–voltage curves exceeded rates calculated from membrane potential and K+ concentrations of cells measured in planta by factor 2.5–2.7 at physiological apoplastic K+ concentrations (10–100 mm). It is concluded that under these conditions, K+ accumulation in growing barley leaf cells is not limited by transport properties of cells. Under saline conditions, down‐regulation of voltage‐independent channels may reduce the capacity for growth‐related K+ accumulation.
Induction of IL‐10+ CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells with decreased NF‐κB expression during immunotherapy
Authors: Tsai Yi‐Giien , Chiou Ya‐Ling , Chien Jien‐Wen , Wu Han‐Ping , Lin Ching‐Yuang
Published: August 2009

Tsai Y‐G, Chiou Y‐L, Chien J‐W, Wu H‐P, Lin C‐Y. Induction of IL‐10+ CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells with decreased NF‐κB expression during immunotherapy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: e166–e173. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard

MyD88 is a major toll‐like receptor (TLR) adaptor to activate NF‐κB, which acts as a mater switch for allergic inflammation disease. Sterile hust dust extracts have been reported with TLR‐dependent immunostimulatory activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) immunotherapy may increase IL‐10+ CD4+ CD25+ T cells with modulating MyD88 signaling proteins, to decrease NF‐κB expression. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from patients before and after 1 yr of Der p immunotherapy, and also from matched control subjects. After 2 days of Der p‐2 stimulation, intracellular IL‐10 and Foxp3 expression of CD4+ CD25+ T cells were measured by flow‐cytometry. The expression of IL‐1 receptor‐associated kinase (IRAK)‐1 in cytoplasm and IFN‐regulator factor‐3 (IRF‐3) with NF‐κB/p65 in nuclei was determined by Western‐blot analysis. Patients undergoing immunotherapy produced more soluble CD14, IL‐10, and TGF‐β that correlated with FEV1improvement (p < 0.05). In the immunotherapy group, the number of Foxp3+ CD4+ Treg cells increased more than the baseline status (25.06 ± 4.19 vs. 16.08 ± 3.54, p < 0.05). Additionally, increased IL‐10 production with decreased IRAK‐1 and NF‐κB/p65 nuclear translocation was observed in sorted‐purified Treg cells. IL‐10+ CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells may respond to Der p‐2 and down‐regulate NF‐κB/p65 expression to maintain immune tolerance during immunotherapy.
Role of information in collective action in dynamic disaster environments
Authors: Celik Suleyman , Corbacioglu Sitki
Published: August 2009

This study explores the major issues facing collective response operations after destructive earthquakes. The small‐n case study design employs qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the decision‐making process in a context of seismic risk to exemplify how public managers can utilise information and communication systems to ensure collaborative actions in managing an extreme event. Fifty‐eight semi‐structured interviews with 39 key decision‐makers and researchers and content analyses of daily reports from Cumhuriyet comprise the main data sources. The study compares and contrasts the Turkish disaster management system following the Marmara and Duzce earthquakes of 1999. It addresses whether the use of information and communication technologies significantly affected its performance. The study's findings reveal that difficulties in accessing and exchanging timely and accurate disaster‐relevant information inhibited coordination during the Marmara response while increased communication functions improved coordination and search‐and‐rescue activities during the Duzce response.
Emergency medical preparedness during the 2006 World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany
Authors: Betlehem Jozsef , Schaefer Jurgen
Published: August 2009

This paper describes emergency medical preparedness during FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup matches in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2006. The methods employed were document analysis and personal observation of games over five days in June–July 2006. The medical authorities in Frankfurt drew on a wide range of scientific literature and experiences to elaborate a National Concept. They paid attention to different models of handling mass catastrophes in shaping the final version of the document. The participation of designated authorities, associations, and volunteer organisations was coordinated sufficiently and the games in Frankfurt proceeded without great incident, even though more than 300,000 people in total attended. The adopted emergency medical procedure was appropriate for a mass gathering event. Official and volunteer organisations collaborated precisely in emergency preparedness. While one uniform concept for all mass gatherings events cannot be developed, case reports and experiences are useful tools.
Mortality rate and confidence interval estimation in humanitarian emergencies
Authors: Sullivan Kevin , Hossain S.M. Moazzem , Woodruff Bradley A.
Published: August 2009

Surveys are conducted frequently in humanitarian emergencies to assess the health status of the population. Most often, they employ complex sample designs, such as cluster sampling. Mortality is an indicator commonly estimated in such surveys. Confidence limits provide information on the precision of the estimate and it is important to ensure that confidence limits for a mortality rate account for the survey design and utilise an acceptable methodology. This paper describes the calculation of confidence limits for mortality rates from surveys using complex sampling designs and a variety of software programmes and methods. It contains an example that makes use of the SAS, SPSS, and Epi Info software programmes. Of the three confidence interval methods examined—the ratio command approach, the modified rate approach, and the modified proportion approach—the paper recommends the ratio command approach to estimate mortality rates with confidence limits.
Teaching New Product Development Using the ‘CityCar’ Simulation
Authors: Cousens Alan , Goffin Keith , Mitchell Rick , Van Der Hoven Christopher , Szwejczewski Marek
Published: August 2009

Innovation management is an important subject which needs to be taught effectively in business schools and on engineering degrees. One of the key topics – new product development (NPD) – is complex and is challenging to teach. Management simulations are thought to provide a good mechanism for teaching intricate and practical topics and so an NPD simulation was developed – the CityCar. This paper describes empirical research on how students' perceptions of NPD change as they complete the CityCar exercise. Overall, the research shows that simulations have significant potential in teaching NPD. The changes in students' perceptions provide evidence that the CityCar exercise achieves its intended learning outcomes in demonstrating the importance of technical and commercial knowledge and the need for a disciplined management process in NPD.
Sociochemosensory and Emotional Functions
Authors: Zhou Wen , Chen Denise
Published: August 2009

Olfaction and emotion are distinctively different systems. Nevertheless, there are reasons to suspect that they influence each other on the social level. Functionally, olfactory chemosensory communication is used by a wide range of animals to convey individual and group identity, as well as attraction or repulsion. Anatomically, the olfactory brain overlaps with the socioemotional brain, and is believed to have contributed to the evolution of the latter. Little is known about how the functional and anatomical links are manifested in behavior, however. Using human olfaction as a model, we demonstrate that chemosensory recognition of individuals—one of the most ubiquitous forms of social communication—is interconnected with both the cognitive and the visual processing of emotion. Our results provide the first behavioral evidence for mechanisms being shared by a sensory system and emotion.
Reversing the Attention Effect in Figure-Ground Perception
Authors: Huang Liqiang , Pashler Harold
Published: August 2009

Human visual perception is sometimes ambiguous, switching between different perceptual structures, and shifts of attention sometimes favor one perceptual structure over another. It has been proposed that, in figure-ground segmentation, attention to certain regions tends to cause those regions to be perceived as closer to the observer. Here, we show that this attention effect can be reversed under certain conditions. To account for these phenomena, we propose an alternative principle: The visual system chooses the interpretation that maximizes simplicity of the attended regions.
9. Variance Function Regressions for Studying Inequality
Authors: Western Bruce , Bloome Deirdre
Published: August 2009

Regression-based studies of inequality model only between-group differences, yet often these differences are far exceeded by residual inequality. Residual inequality is usually attributed to measurement error or the influence of unobserved characteristics. We present a model, called variance function regression, that includes covariates for both the mean and variance of a dependent variable. In this model, the residual variance is treated as a target for analysis. In analyses of inequality, the residual variance might be interpreted as measuring risk or insecurity. Variance function regressions are illustrated in an analysis of panel data on earnings among released prisoners in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. We extend the model to a decomposition analysis, relating the change in inequality to compositional changes in the population and changes in coefficients for the mean and variance. The decomposition is applied to the trend in U.S. earnings inequality among male workers, 1970 to 2005.
Tests for zero inflation in a bivariate zero‐inflated Poisson model
Authors: Lee JungBok , Jung Byoung Cheol , Jin Seo Hoon
Published: August 2009

The score test statistics for testing zero inflation and covariance parameter are proposed in the bivariate zero‐inflated Poisson (BZIP) regression model. The Monte Carlo studies show that the score test and likelihood ratio test for testing zero inflation underestimate the nominal significance level, while the score test for covariance parameter keeps the significance level close to the nominal one. To overcome this nominal level underestimation, we propose a bootstrap method of the score test for the testing problem of zero inflation. An empirical example with covariates is provided to illustrate the results. In addition, score test for zero inflation is also proposed in the BZIP model, which allows a flexible dependence structure using copula.
Vitamin D in pregnancy‐time for action: a paediatric audit
Authors: Sharma S , Khan N , Khadri A , Julies P , Gnanasambandam S , Saroey S , Jacobs B , Beski S , Coren M , Alexander S
Published: August 2009

Maternal vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue. This retrospective multicentre audit was undertaken to identify the scale of maternal vitamin D deficiency in London, using infant vitamin D deficiency as a surrogate marker. During January 2006 to June 2008, 74 infants presented with symptomatic vitamin D deficiency, a prevalence of 1.6 per 1000 deliveries in London. Of these, 49% were hypocalcaemic at presentation and 27% had hypocalcaemic seizures. A telephone survey in June 2008 showed that no London National Health Service antenatal units had departmental guidelines on vitamin D. This audit is presented to raise awareness of current recommendations and the sequelae of maternal vitamin D deficiency.
The recurrence risk of severe de novo pre‐eclampsia in singleton pregnancies: a population‐based cohort
Authors: McDonald SD , Best C , Lam K
Published: August 2009

Objective  Previous studies have found recurrence risks of severe pre‐eclampsia as high as 40%. Our objective was to determine both the recurrence risk of severe de novo pre‐eclampsia and risk factors associated with it in a contemporaneous population.

Study design  Population‐based retrospective cohort study.

Population  Women who had two or more singleton liveborn or stillborn hospital deliveries in Ontario, Canada between April 1994 and March 2002 and without a history of chronic hypertension

Methods  International Classification of Disease codes were used to identify patients in the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database.

Main outcome measures  The absolute and adjusted risks of recurrent severe de novo pre‐eclampsia were determined.

Results  Between 1 April 1994 and 30 March 2002, there were 185 098 women with two or more singleton deliveries >20 weeks in the province of Ontario, Canada. There were 1954 women who had severe de novo pre‐eclampsia in the index pregnancy, 133 of whom had recurrent severe pre‐eclampsia, for a risk of recurrent severe pre‐eclampsia of 6.8% (95% CI 5.7–7.9%). The risk of recurrent severe de novo pre‐eclampsia was increased in women with pre‐existing renal disease (adjusted OR 17.98, 95% CI 3.50–92.52) and those >35 years of age (adjusted OR 3.79, 95% CI 2.04–7.04, reference 20–25 years).

Conclusions  The recurrence risk of severe de novo pre‐eclampsia in our population‐based cohort study (6.8%) is lower than previously published reports in selected populations.
Statins, fibrates, nicotinic acid, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, anion‐exchange resins, omega‐3 fatty acids: which drugs for which patients?
Authors: Drexel Heinz
Published: August 2009

Classes of lipid lowering drugs differ strongly with respect to the types of lipids or lipoproteins they predominantly affect. Statins inhibit the de‐novo synthesis of cholesterol. Consequently, the liver produces less VLDL, and the serum concentration primarily of LDL cholesterol (but, to a lesser extent, also of triglycerides) is lowered. Further, statins somewhat increase HDL cholesterol. There is abundant evidence that statins lower the rate of cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular risk reduction is the better, the lower the LDL cholesterol values achieved with statin therapy are. Some evidence is available that anion exchange resins which also decrease LDL cholesterol decrease vascular risk, too. This is not the case for the ezetimibe, which strongly lowers LDL cholesterol: its potential to decrease vascular risk remains to be proven. In contrast evidence for cardiovascular risk reduction through the mainly triglyceride lowering fibrates as well as for niacin is available. Niacin is the most potent HDL increasing drug currently available and besides increasing HDL cholesterol efficaciously lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Large ongoing trials address the decisive question whether treatment with fibrates and niacin provides additional cardiovascular risk reduction when given in addition to statin treatment.