bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computer Assisted Relief Generation—A Survey
Authors: Kerber J. , Wang M. , Chang J. , Zhang J. J. , Belyaev A. , Seidel H.‐P.
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we present an overview of the achievements accomplished to date in the field of computer‐aided relief generation. We delineate the problem, classify different solutions, analyse similarities, investigate developments and review the approaches according to their particular relative strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, we describe remaining challenges and point out prospective extensions. In consequence, this survey is addressed to both researchers and artists, through providing valuable insights into the theory behind the different concepts in this field and augmenting the options available among the methods presented with regard to practical application.
Changing the Conversation: Can the Phone Hacking Scandal Lead to a New Covenant on Media Responsibilities?
Authors: THOMAS RYAN J.
Published: August 2012

This article examines the implications of the 2011 phone hacking scandal for press freedom in the United Kingdom. Specifically, it argues that the language of rights has too long dominated public discourse, which has led to discussion of media responsibilities being evaded. The article argues that there is now an opportunity for a radical restructuring of the relationship between the press, the public, and the political system that restores the media to their rightful role as a watchdog on government and steward of the people. It points to the need for independent regulation of the press and a statutory right of reply as means through which the relationship between media and citizen can be recast on the grounds of obligation and responsibility but argues that it is only when we move away from a framework grounded in rights to one grounded in responsibilities that meaningful change can flourish.
The Big Society: Back to the Future
Authors: CORBETT STEVE , WALKER ALAN
Published: August 2012

This article contributes to the steady flow of critiques of the big society idea contained in The Political Quarterly. It focuses chiefly on two sets of parallels. The first is between the big society and the policies pursued by the Thatcher government which, despite their obvious rhetorical differences, contain many striking similarities, including their neoliberal origins, application of the ‘crowding out’ thesis and uncritically idealised notions of community. The second is between the big society and a policy with the same name pursued doggedly by the Chinese Communist Party for nearly 20 years until being abandoned as a failure. Lessons for the Prime Minister's flagship policy are drawn from the Chinese experience. The article concludes with a welcome for the rediscovery of the social by public policy and some suggestions as to how a more participative and democratic state could follow from this breakthrough.
Does It Matter If the House of Lords isn't Reformed? Perspectives from a Symposium at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Authors: FARRINGTON CONOR
Published: August 2012

In May 2011 the Coalition government published a draft bill for reform of the House of Lords, proposing an upper chamber composed of 80% elected and 20% appointed members serving for single 15‐year terms. These plans reflect aspects of the stated positions of the main political parties, votes in the House of Commons, and broader political and scholarly debates over the past decade. Nevertheless, there is significant opposition from across the political spectrum, and there is a significant possibility that the proposed reforms will not be enacted before the next general election. This article draws on the views of participants (including three current peers) in a Symposium at Trinity Hall, Cambridge to argue that the likely failure of the reforms may be less disastrous than many suppose. Especially since the 1999 reforms, the House of Lords is in many ways a more active and legitimate chamber than is commonly realised.
EFNS‐ENS Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of disorders associated with dementia
Authors: Sorbi S. , Hort J. , Erkinjuntti T. , Fladby T. , Gainotti G. , Gurvit H. , Nacmias B. , Pasquier F. , Popescu B. O. , Rektorova I. , Religa D. , Rusina R. , Rossor M. , Schmidt R. , Stefanova E. , Warren J. D. , Scheltens P. ,   the EFNS Scientist Panel on Dementia and Cognitive Neurology
Published: August 2012

Background and objectives

The last version of the EFNS dementia guidelines is from 2007. In 2010, the revised guidelines for Alzheimer's disease (AD) were published. The current guidelines involve the revision of the dementia syndromes outside of AD, notably vascular cognitive impairment, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, Parkinson's disease dementia, Huntington's disease, prion diseases, normal‐pressure hydrocephalus, limbic encephalitis and other toxic and metabolic disorders. The aim is to present a peer‐reviewed evidence‐based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with dementing disorders. It represents a statement of minimum desirable standards for practice guidance.

Methods

The task force working group reviewed evidence from original research articles, meta‐analyses and systematic reviews, published by June 2011. The evidence was classified (I, II, III, IV) and consensus recommendations graded (A, B, or C) according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided.

Results and conclusions

New recommendations and good practice points are made for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, legal issues, counselling and support for caregivers. All recommendations were revised compared with the previous EFNS guidelines. The specialist neurologist together with primary care physicians play an important role in the assessment, interpretation and treatment of symptoms, disability and needs of dementia patients.
Landscape resistance to movement of the poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, in the lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica
Authors: Nowakowski A. J. , Otero Jiménez B. , Allen M. , Diaz‐Escobar M. , Donnelly M. A.
Published: August 2012

Conversion of forests to agricultural land or pastures is occurring at a rapid rate in many tropical regions. Amphibians may be particularly susceptible to changes in landscape composition and connectivity because of their physiological characteristics and complex life cycles. We experimentally assessed landscape resistance for the dart‐poison frog Oophaga pumilio associated with two prevalent land‐cover types, secondary forests and pastures, in the northeastern lowlands of Costa Rica. We measured recapture rates of individuals displaced into forests and into pastures, the effects of microclimate on the movement performance of individuals, and the influence of land‐cover type and displacement distance on orientation ability of O. pumilio. Results showed a significant interaction between displacement distance and land‐cover type indicating greater resistance to movement experienced by individuals displaced into pastures compared with frogs displaced into forests. Microclimatic conditions in pastures had a detrimental effect on the movement performance of O. pumilio and initial orientation was both distance and habitat dependent. Understanding the magnitude of resistance presented by different land‐uses to amphibian dispersal is important for the development of successful conservation strategies in human‐altered landscapes.
Understanding phylogenetic incongruence: lessons from phyllostomid bats
Authors: Dávalos Liliana M. , Cirranello Andrea L. , Geisler Jonathan H. , Simmons Nancy B.
Published: August 2012

All characters and trait systems in an organism share a common evolutionary history that can be estimated using phylogenetic methods. However, differential rates of change and the evolutionary mechanisms driving those rates result in pervasive phylogenetic conflict. These drivers need to be uncovered because mismatches between evolutionary processes and phylogenetic models can lead to high confidence in incorrect hypotheses. Incongruence between phylogenies derived from morphological versus molecular analyses, and between trees based on different subsets of molecular sequences has become pervasive as datasets have expanded rapidly in both characters and species. For more than a decade, evolutionary relationships among members of the New World bat family Phyllostomidae inferred from morphological and molecular data have been in conflict. Here, we develop and apply methods to minimize systematic biases, uncover the biological mechanisms underlying phylogenetic conflict, and outline data requirements for future phylogenomic and morphological data collection. We introduce new morphological data for phyllostomids and outgroups and expand previous molecular analyses to eliminate methodological sources of phylogenetic conflict such as taxonomic sampling, sparse character sampling, or use of different algorithms to estimate the phylogeny. We also evaluate the impact of biological sources of conflict: saturation in morphological changes and molecular substitutions, and other processes that result in incongruent trees, including convergent morphological and molecular evolution. Methodological sources of incongruence play some role in generating phylogenetic conflict, and are relatively easy to eliminate by matching taxa, collecting more characters, and applying the same algorithms to optimize phylogeny. The evolutionary patterns uncovered are consistent with multiple biological sources of conflict, including saturation in morphological and molecular changes, adaptive morphological convergence among nectar‐feeding lineages, and incongruent gene trees. Applying methods to account for nucleotide sequence saturation reduces, but does not completely eliminate, phylogenetic conflict. We ruled out paralogy, lateral gene transfer, and poor taxon sampling and outgroup choices among the processes leading to incongruent gene trees in phyllostomid bats. Uncovering and countering the possible effects of introgression and lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphism on gene trees will require great leaps in genomic and allelic sequencing in this species‐rich mammalian family. We also found evidence for adaptive molecular evolution leading to convergence in mitochondrial proteins among nectar‐feeding lineages. In conclusion, the biological processes that generate phylogenetic conflict are ubiquitous, and overcoming incongruence requires better models and more data than have been collected even in well‐studied organisms such as phyllostomid bats.
Deterritorialising the nation? Internet and the politics of the Greek‐American diaspora
Authors: Koukoutsaki‐Monnier Angeliki
Published: August 2012

In this article, analysis focuses on the websites of Greek‐American diaspora organisations. The aim is to study these media outlets on two levels: (1) with regard to their communication function(s), in order to understand the spectrum of usages they offer to their visitors; and (2) with regard to the way they signify identity specificity at the crossroads of a parallel ethnic or national adherence. The low interactivity constitutes one of the general features of the media analysed. The persistence of the nation as the framework to apprehend collective belonging and the interaction with the ‘other’ is another recurrent and important element. The ‘identity specificity’ of the Greek diaspora community is not presented in articulation to the host society, but in terms of a continuous attachment to a ‘mother‐nation’, as a historic and cultural entity. The nationhood claimed and promoted in this manner is ethnic and cultural, and it espouses the form of an ecumenical and transcendent Hellenism.
Identification and characterization of petiolule‐ like pulvinus mutants with abolished nyctinastic leaf movement in the model legume Medicago truncatula
Authors: Zhou Chuanen , Han Lu , Fu Chunxiang , Chai Maofeng , Zhang Wenzheng , Li Guifen , Tang Yuhong , Wang Zeng‐Yu
Published: August 2012

Leaves of many plant species open during the day and fold at night. Diurnal leaf movement, named nyctinasty, has been of great interest to researchers since Darwin's time. Nyctinastic leaf movement is generated by the pulvinus, which is a specialized motor organ located at the base of leaf and leaflet. The molecular basis and functional reason behind nyctinasty are unknown.

In a forward screening of a retrotransposon‐tagged mutant population of Medicago truncatula, four petiolule‐like pulvinus (plp) mutant lines with defects in leaf movement were identified and characterized.

Loss of function of PLP results in the change of pulvini to petiolules. PLP is specifically expressed in the pulvinus, as demonstrated by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, expression analysis of a PLP promoter‐β‐glucuronidase construct in transgenic plants and in situ hybridization. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression levels of many genes were altered in the mutant during the day and at night. Crosses between the plp mutant and several leaf pattern mutants showed that the developmental mechanisms of pulvini and leaf patterns are likely independent.

Our results demonstrated that PLP plays a crucial role in the determination of pulvinus development. Leaf movement generated by pulvini may have an impact on plant vegetative growth.
Effect of the type of fat on rheology, functional properties and sensory acceptance of spreadable cheese analogue
Authors: Cunha Clarissa R , Grimaldi Renato , Alcântara Maria Regina , Viotto Walkiria H
Published: August 2012

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different types of fat (butter oil, partially hydrogenated soybean fat and soybean oil) on the functionality, rheology and sensory acceptance of spreadable cheese analogues. Analogues made with partially hydrogenated soybean fat or soybean oil in substitution to butter oil presented lower fat globule size. As a consequence, these analogues showed lower melting, lower spreadability, higher hardness and higher values for the elastic and viscous moduli than cheese made with butter oil. Despite not managing to imitate the flavour of the traditional cheese, the analogue made with partially hydrogenated soybean fat showed good sensory acceptance.
Moderate hypothermia induces marked increase in levels and nuclear accumulation of SUMO2/3‐conjugated proteins in neurons
Authors: Wang Liangli , Ma Qing , Yang Wei , Mackensen G. Burkhard , Paschen Wulf
Published: August 2012

Deep hypothermia protects the brain from ischemic damage and is therefore used during major cardiovascular surgeries requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and a period of circulatory arrest. Here, we demonstrated that small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO1‐3) conjugation is markedly activated in the brain during deep to moderate hypothermia. Animals were subjected to normothermic (37°C) or deep to moderate (18°C, 24°C, 30°C) hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, and the effects of hypothermia on SUMO conjugation were evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Exposure to moderate 30°C hypothermia was sufficient to markedly increase levels and nuclear accumulation of SUMO2/3‐conjugated proteins in these cells. Deep hypothermia induced nuclear translocation of the SUMO‐conjugating enzyme Ubc9, suggesting that the increase in nuclear levels of SUMO2/3‐conjugated proteins observed in brains of hypothermic animals is an active process. Exposure of primary neuronal cultures to deep hypothermia induced only a moderate rise in levels of SUMO2/3‐conjugated proteins. This suggests that neurons in vivo have a higher capacity than neurons in vitro to activate this endogenous potentially neuroprotective pathway upon exposure to hypothermia. Identifying proteins that are SUMO2/3 conjugated during hypothermia could help to design new strategies for preventive and therapeutic interventions to make neurons more resistant to a transient interruption of blood supply.
Ca++/CaMKII switches nociceptor‐sensitizing stimuli into desensitizing stimuli
Authors: Hucho Tim , Suckow Vanessa , Joseph Elizabeth K. , Kuhn Julia , Schmoranzer Jan , Dina Olayinka A. , Chen Xiaojie , Karst Matthias , Bernateck Michael , Levine Jon D. , Ropers Hans‐Hilger
Published: August 2012

Many extracellular factors sensitize nociceptors. Often they act simultaneously and/or sequentially on nociceptive neurons. We investigated if stimulation of the protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) signaling pathway influences the signaling of a subsequent sensitizing stimulus. Central in activation of PKCs is their transient translocation to cellular membranes. We found in cultured nociceptive neurons that only a first stimulation of the PKCε signaling pathway resulted in PKCε translocation. We identified a novel inhibitory cascade to branch off upstream of PKCε, but downstream of Epac via IP3‐induced calcium release. This signaling branch actively inhibited subsequent translocation and even attenuated ongoing translocation. A second ‘sensitizing’ stimulus was rerouted from the sensitizing to the inhibitory branch of the signaling cascade. Central for the rerouting was cytoplasmic calcium increase and CaMKII activation. Accordingly, in behavioral experiments, activation of calcium stores switched sensitizing substances into desensitizing substances in a CaMKII‐dependent manner. This mechanism was also observed by in vivo C‐fiber electrophysiology corroborating the peripheral location of the switch. Thus, we conclude that the net effect of signaling in nociceptors is defined by the context of the individual cell's signaling history.
A new species of Cinclodes from the Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil: insights into the biogeographical history of the South American highlands
Authors: Freitas Guilherme H. S. , Chaves Anderson V. , Costa Lílian M. , Santos Fabrício R. , Rodrigues Marcos
Published: August 2012

We describe Cinclodes espinhacensis (Furnariidae), a new species discovered at high elevation in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. This new taxon is closely related to the Long‐tailed Cinclodes Cinclodes pabsti, endemic to Serra Geral, southern Brazil. We present diagnostic morphological, genetic and vocal characters that support the rank of species for this allopatric taxon. It is readily distinguishable from C. pabsti by its much darker back, chest and flanks, lower body mass, shorter tarsus‐length, lower frequency of vocalizations, and longer duration of calls. DNA sequence data estimate that the divergence time between this new species and Cinclodes pabsti occurred c. 220 000 years ago, during the late Pleistocene. This discovery illustrates remarkable biogeographical connections among the cold regions of South America. The new species has a restricted range and we suggest it meets the criteria of the IUCN Red List category of Endangered.
Unfolding mapping practices: a new epistemology for cartography
Authors: Kitchin Rob , Gleeson Justin , Dodge Martin
Published: August 2012

In recent years there has been a turn within cartographic theory from a representational to a processual understanding of mapping. Maps have been re‐conceptualised as mappings that ceaselessly unfold through contingent, citational, habitual, negotiated, reflexive and playful practices, embedded within relational contexts. In this paper, we explore what this rethinking means for cartographic epistemology, contending that attention needs to be focused on understanding cartography through the lens of practices – how mappings are (re)made in diverse ways (technically, socially, bodily, aesthetically and politically) by people within particular contexts and cultures as solutions to everyday tasks. We detail how these practices can be profitably examined using a suite of methods – genealogies, ethnographies, ethnomethodology, participant observation, observant participation and deconstruction – that are sensitive to capturing and distilling the unfolding and contextual nature of mapping. To illustrate our argument we narrate the unfolding production and consumption of a set of mappings of so‐called ‘ghost estates’ in Ireland, a public geography project that has been covered over 300 times in local, national and international media and that has contributed to Irish public discourse and policy debates.
Persistent Unequal Sex Ratio in a Population of Grayling (Salmonidae) and Possible Role of Temperature Increase
Authors: WEDEKIND CLAUS , EVANNO GUILLAUME , SZÉKELY TAMÁS , POMPINI MANUEL , DARBELLAY OLIVIER , GUTHRUF JOACHIM
Published: August 2012

In some fishes, water chemistry or temperature affects sex determination or creates sex‐specific selection pressures. The resulting population sex ratios are hard to predict from laboratory studies if the environmental triggers interact with other factors, whereas in field studies, singular observations of unusual sex ratios may be particularly prone to selective reporting. Long‐term monitoring largely avoids these problems. We studied a population of grayling (Thymallus thymallus) in Lake Thun, Switzerland, that has been monitored since 1948. Samples of spawning fish have been caught about 3 times/week around spawning season, and water temperature at the spawning site has been continuously recorded since 1970. We used scale samples collected in different years to determine the average age of spawners (for life‐stage specific analyses) and to identify the cohort born in 2003 (an extraordinarily warm year). Recent tissue samples were genotyped on microsatellite markers to test for genetic bottlenecks in the past and to estimate the genetically effective population size (Ne). Operational sex ratios changed from approximately 65% males before 1993 to approximately 85% males from 1993 to 2011. Sex ratios correlated with the water temperatures the fish experienced in their first year of life. Sex ratios were best explained by the average temperature juvenile fish experienced during their first summer. Grayling abundance is declining, but we found no evidence of a strong genetic bottleneck that would explain the apparent lack of evolutionary response to the unequal sex ratio. Results of other studies show no evidence of endocrine disruptors in the study area. Our findings suggest temperature affects population sex ratio and thereby contributes to population decline.

Persistencia de Proporción de Sexos Desigual en una Población de Tímalos (Salmonidae) y el Posible Papel del Incremento de la Temperatura
Effects of Widespread Drought‐Induced Aspen Mortality on Understory Plants
Authors: Anderegg William R. L. , Anderegg Leander D. L. , Sherman Clare , Karp Daniel S.
Published: August 2012

Forest die‐off around the world is expected to increase in coming decades as temperature increases due to climate change. Forest die‐off will likely affect understory plant communities, which have substantial influence on regional biological diversity, ecosystem function, and land–atmosphere interactions, but how die‐off alters these plant communities is largely unknown. We examined changes in understory plant communities following a widespread, drought‐induced die‐off of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the western United States. We assessed shrub and herbaceous cover and volume in quadrats in 55 plots located across a wide range of levels of aspen mortality. We measured species richness and composition of herbaceous plant communities by recording species presence and absence in 12 sets of paired (1 healthy, 1 dying) aspen plots. Although understory composition in healthy and dying stands was heterogeneous across the landscape, shrub abundance, cover, and volume were higher and abundance of herbaceous species, cover, and volume were lower in dying aspen stands. Shrub cover and volume increased from 2009 to 2011 in dying stands, which suggests that shrub growth and expansion is ongoing. Species richness of herbs declined by 23% in dying stands. Composition of herbs differed significantly between dying and healthy stands. Richness of non‐native species did not differ between stand types. The understory community in dying aspen stands was not similar to other shrub‐dominated plant communities in the region and may constitute a novel community. Our results suggest that changes in understory plant communities as forests die off could be a significant indirect effect of climate change on biological diversity and forest communities.

Efectos de la Mortalidad Extensiva de Álamos Inducida por Sequía sobre Plantas del Sotobosque
Cryopyrin‐Associated Periodic Syndrome
Authors: Posch Christian , Kaulfersch Wilhelm , Rappersberger Klemens
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Cryopyrin‐associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) are characterized by apparently unprovoked attacks of fever, rashes, and musculoskeletal and sensorineural inflammation accompanied by high acute‐phase reactants. Excessive interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) signaling appears to be a constant feature in the pathomechanism of the disease, driven by a gain‐of‐function mutation in the NLRP3 gene. Herein, we present the case of a 9‐month‐old boy with recurrent nonpruritic rashes and episodes of fever. The difficulties of early diagnosis due to initially mild clinical symptoms and the dramatic response to anti‐IL‐1 therapy after diagnosis emphasize the practical relevance of considering CAPS as a differential diagnosis in these patients.
Albumin Limits Mesenteric Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammatory Response in Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Doguet Fabien , Tamion Fabienne , Le Guillou Vincent , Bubenheim Michael , Thuillez Christian , Richard Vincent , Bessou Jean Paul
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential anti‐inflammatory and endothelial protective properties of albumin during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in an experimental porcine model. Two groups underwent CPB for 90 min (n = 7 in each group), and a baseline (BL) control group did not undergo CPB (n = 7). Priming consisted of a gelatin solution (4% gelofusine, CPBG group) or colloid solution (5% albumin, CPBA group). Mesenteric arterial segments were isolated and exposed in vitro to phenylephrine (with or without nitric oxide synthase inhibition) to assess contractility, and exposed to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside to assess relaxation. Plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α levels, intestinal and pulmonary TNF‐α and heme oxygenase (HO)‐1 mRNA expression, and organ injury were studied. Upon sacrifice, TNF‐α levels were significantly higher in the CPBG group than in the CPBA and BL groups. The contractile response was significantly higher in the CPBG group, whereas the response to acetylcholine was significantly lower in the CPBG group than in the other groups. HO‐1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in intestine samples in the CPBA group than in the CPBG and BL groups. HO‐1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in lung samples in the CPBA group than in the CPBG group. Leukocyte infiltration was significantly higher in intestine and lung samples in the CPBG group than in the CPBA and BL groups. Albumin priming reduced CPB‐induced mesenteric vascular dysfunction and prevented the development of a systemic inflammatory response by modeling HO‐1 expression in target organs.
Expression of the carcinoma markers: the sialylated Lewis A and X carbohydrate antigens in normal laryngeal surface epithelium and submucosal glands from old humans
Authors: Kirkeby Svend , Moe Dennis
Published: August 2012

Aberrant surface expression of the carbohydrate ABH and Lewis antigens are often used as markers for the diagnosis of cancer, but while the distribution of these histo‐blood group antigens is relatively well‐described in tissues and organs from young and middle‐aged humans little is known of their expression in old age. The objective for this study was to estimate if the Lewis A and X antigens together with their sialylated modifications, are expressed in sections of normal laryngeal tissue from old humans. Antibodies directed against the tumor markers Sialyl Lewis A and Sialyl Lewis X showed positive reaction in the surface epithelia from normal larynx autopsies obtained from people aged 77–90 years. The sialylated and non‐sialylated Lewis A antigens were more frequently expressed in the pseudostratified epithelium than in squamous surface epithelium. Both the sialylated and the non‐sialylated carbohydrates were stained in the submucosal glands in all the autopsies. In conclusion, visualization of Lewis tumor markers in the larynx should be interpreted with great care, as they may be present in normal laryngeal epithelial cells from old humans.
Seasonality of peak metabolic rate in non‐migrant tropical birds
Authors: Wells Marion E. , Schaeffer Paul J.
Published: August 2012

Birds that are year‐round residents of temperate and tropical regions have divergent life histories. Tropical birds have a slower ‘pace of life’, one characteristic of which includes lower peak metabolic rate and daily activity levels. Temperate resident birds are faced with seasonal variation in thermogenic demand. This challenge is met with seasonally increased peak metabolic rate during winter. These thermogenic demands are much lower in birds that are year‐round tropical residents. By measuring peak (summit) metabolic rate in tropical and temperate resident bird species during summer and winter, we asked whether tropical birds exhibit seasonality in peak metabolic rate, and if the direction of seasonality differs between tropical and temperate species. We measured summit metabolism in seven tropical and one temperate species during the winter and during the summer breeding season to test the hypothesis that summit metabolism of tropical residents would change seasonally. We consider whether metabolic seasonality is associated with breeding season for tropical species. We found that summit metabolism was significantly greater during the summer for most tropical residents, while the temperate resident matched several previous reports with higher summit metabolism in winter. We conclude that metabolic seasonality occurs in tropical residents and differs from temperate residents, suggesting that breeding during the summer may be driving relatively higher metabolism as compared to winter thermogenesis in temperate birds.
Sex‐specific deposition and survival effects of maternal antibodies: a case study with the gull‐billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Authors: Abad‐Gómez José M. , Masero José A. , Villegas Auxiliadora , Albano Noelia , Gutiérrez Jorge S. , Sánchez‐Guzmán Juan M.
Published: August 2012

There is a growing body of evidence that maternal antibodies transferred to offspring have potential implications in the evolutionary ecology of birds. This transfer of maternal antibodies is a potentially flexible mechanism of non‐genetic inheritance by which mothers could favour some offspring over others and/or increase offspring survival, but this is a phenomenon that remains poorly understood. We examined sex‐specific deposition of maternal antibodies and its effects on early (5 d) and fledging (17 d) survival in semiprecocial chicks of the gull‐billed ternGelochelidon nilotica, a long‐distance migratory bird. Mothers transferred a significantly greater amount of maternal antibodies to sons than to daughters. We found evidence for positive associations between maternal antibody levels at hatching and early offspring survival. This association might be sex‐specific, which can be understood as a mechanism of parental favouritism for the most sensitive sex.
Autophagy inhibition in cancer therapy: metabolic considerations for antitumor immunity
Authors: Townsend Katelin N. , Hughson Luke R. K. , Schlie Katrin , Poon Vincent I. , Westerback Ashley , Lum Julian J.
Published: August 2012

Summary:  Tumors and the immune system are intertwined in a competition where tilting the fine balance between tumor‐specific immunity and tolerance can ultimately decide the fate of the host. Defensive and suppressive immunological responses to cancer are exquisitely sensitive to metabolic features of rapidly growing tumors, such as hypoxia, low nutrient availability, and aberrant growth factor signaling. As a result, clinical therapies impacting these properties change the in situ antitumor immune response by virtue of disrupting the tumor environment. To compensate for disruptions in cellular metabolism, cells activate autophagy to promote survival. On the basis of this notion, strategies designed to block autophagy in tumor cells are currently being tested in several human clinical trials. However, therapies that impair tumor metabolism must also take into account their effect on lymphocytes activated in the immune response to cancer. Given that a strong antitumor immune response is a positive prognostic factor in overall patient survival, identifying ways to block essential processes in tumor cells and suppressive immune cells while promoting those that are important for a robust immune response are of critical importance. Herein, we review the effects of anti‐cancer agents that impact metabolism administered concurrently with autophagy inhibitors on immune cells and consider the implications for patient response to therapy.
Inflammation links excess fat to insulin resistance: the role of the interleukin‐1 family
Authors: Tack Cees J. , Stienstra Rinke , Joosten Leo A. B. , Netea Mihai G.
Published: August 2012

A growing body of evidence suggests that cytokines of the interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) family, particularly IL‐1β but also IL‐1Ra and IL‐18, are involved in obesity‐associated inflammation. IL‐1β is produced via cleavage of pro‐IL‐1β by caspase‐1, which in turn is activated by a multiprotein complex called the inflammasome. The components of the NLRP3 inflammasome are involved in sensing obesity‐associated danger signals, both in mice and in human (obese) subjects, with caspase‐1 seemingly the most crucial regulator. Autophagy is upregulated in obesity and may function as a mechanism to control IL‐1β gene expression in adipose tissue to mitigate chronic inflammation. All these mechanisms are operative in human adipose tissue and appear to be more pronounced in human visceral compared to subcutaneous tissue. In animal studies, blocking caspase‐1 activity results in decreased weight gain, decreased inflammation, and improved insulin sensitivity. Human intervention studies with IL‐1Ra (anakinra) have reported beneficial effects in patients with diabetes, yet without significant changes in insulin sensitivity. Clearly, the IL‐1 family of cytokines, especially IL‐1β, plays an important role in obesity‐associated inflammation and insulin resistance and may represent a therapeutic target to reverse the detrimental metabolic consequences of obesity.
Programmed necrosis and autophagy in immune function
Authors: Lu Jennifer V. , Walsh Craig M.
Published: August 2012

It has long been known that apoptosis is vital to the generation and maintenance of proper adaptive immune function. An example is the essential requirement for apoptotic signaling during the generation of self‐tolerant lymphocytes: the apoptotic death of B and T cells with overt autoreactivity is essential to central tolerance. More recently, the contributions of additional processes including cellular autophagy and programmed necrosis have been implicated in controlling both innate and adaptive immune functions. Evidence has been provided to demonstrate that the death of cells following ligation of death receptors (DRs), a subfamily of cell surface molecules related to tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, is not exclusively the domain of caspase‐dependent apoptosis. In cells lacking the capacity to activate caspase‐8 following DR ligation, cell death instead occurs via programmed necrosis, or as it has been recently termed, ‘necroptosis’. This death process depends on RIP1 and RIP3, serine/threonine kinases that are recruited by DRs, and likely by other cellular signals including DNA damage and antigen receptor ligation. The generation of RIP1/RIP3 containing ‘necrosomes’ activates downstream necroptotic signaling that ultimately targets cellular energetic metabolism. Also related to cellular metabolic regulation, cellular autophagy has also been found to play unique and important roles in immunity. In this review, we describe the roles of necroptosis and autophagy in innate and adaptive immunity and speculate on the intriguing interplay between these two cellular processes.
Distinct metabolic programs in activated T cells: opportunities for selective immunomodulation
Authors: Wahl Daniel R. , Byersdorfer Craig A. , Ferrara James L. M. , Opipari Anthony W. , Glick Gary D.
Published: August 2012

For several decades, it has been known that T‐cell activation in vitro leads to increased glycolytic metabolism that fuels proliferation and effector function. Recently, this simple model has been complicated by the observation that different T‐cell subsets differentially regulate fundamental metabolic pathways under the control of distinct molecular regulators. Although the majority of these data have been generated in vitro, several recent studies have documented the metabolism of T cells activated in vivo. Here, we review the recent data surrounding the differential regulation of metabolism by distinct T‐cell subsets in vitro and in vivo and discuss how differential metabolic regulation might facilitate T‐cell function vis‐à‐vis proliferation, survival, and energy production. We further discuss the important therapeutic implications of differential metabolism across T‐cell subsets and review recent successes in exploiting lymphocyte metabolism to treat immune‐mediated diseases.
Metabolic switching and fuel choice during T‐cell differentiation and memory development
Authors: van der Windt Gerritje J. W. , Pearce Erika L.
Published: August 2012

Clearance or control of pathogens or tumors usually requires T‐cell‐mediated immunity. As such, understanding the mechanisms that govern the function, maintenance, and persistence of T cells will likely lead to new treatments for controlling disease. During an immune response, T‐cell development is marked by striking changes in metabolism. There is a growing appreciation that these metabolic changes underlie the capacity of T cells to perform particular functions, and this has led to a recent focus on the idea that the manipulation of cellular metabolism can be used to shape adaptive immune responses. Although interest in this area has grown in the last few years, a full understanding of the metabolic control of T‐cell functions, particularly during an immune response in vivo, is still lacking. In this review, we first provide a basic overview of metabolism in T cells, and then we focus on recent studies providing new or updated insights into the regulation of metabolic pathways and how they underpin T‐cell differentiation and memory T‐cell development.
At the crossroad of T cells, adipose tissue, and diabetes
Authors: Matarese Giuseppe , Procaccini Claudio , De Rosa Veronica
Published: August 2012

The study of how different intracellular metabolic signaling pathways impact the control of self‐immune tolerance and how metabolic dysregulation in overweight, obesity, and diabetes is able to alter self‐immune tolerance are topics of intensive investigation. Recent evidence suggests that metabolic and autoimmune diseases, both characterized by chronic inflammation and an altered self‐immune tolerance, are more common in affluent countries. The reasons for such phenomena are still not completely understood, but the ‘metabolic pressure’ induced by nutritional overload, typical of more developed countries, seems to play a role. In this context, the discovery of the adipose tissue‐derived hormone leptin has shed fundamental insights on how these processes might occur. We believe that there is a strong relationship among leptin, metabolic state, and immunological self‐tolerance. We hypothesize that the leptin‐induced metabolic pressure sets the basis for an exaggerated immuno‐inflammatory response to altered self or non‐self, leading to chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and autoimmunity in subjects with risk factors (i.e. genetic predisposition, environment, sex, infectious agents, etc). Capitalizing on our joint effort and trans‐disciplinary expertise in metabolism, self‐tolerance, and autoimmune diseases, this review highlights key questions on the basic mechanisms governing immune tolerance in the context of metabolic and autoimmune disease susceptibility.
Effects of electrical stimulation on periodontal tissue remodeling in rats
Authors: Tomofuji T. , Ekuni D. , Azuma T. , Irie K. , Endo Y. , Kasuyama K. , Nagayama M. , Morita M.
Published: August 2012

Background and Objective

Electric current is used to promote wound healing. However, it is unclear whether electrical stimulation contributes to gingival tissue remodeling. This study examined the effects of electrical stimulation on gingival tissue remodeling in a rat periodontitis model.

Material and Methods

Male Wistar rats (n = 28, 8 wks of age) were divided into four groups of seven rats each. The control group did not receive any treatment for 6 wks. In the other groups, periodontitis was ligature‐induced for 4 wks. After 4 wks, the rats with periodontitis were given daily electrical stimulation of 0, 50 or 100 μA for 2 wks.

Results

The periodontitis group stimulated with 0 μA showed a higher density of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and a lower density of collagen in gingival tissue compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The two remaining groups treated with 50 or 100 μA of electrical stimulation exhibited a lower density of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (p < 0.05) and a higher density of collagen than the group stimulated with 0 μA (p < 0.05). They also showed higher expression of fibroblast growth factor‐2 than the group treated with 0 μA of electrical stimulation (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Electric stimulation may offer a novel approach to promote gingival tissue remodeling in periodontal lesions.
Postnatal intestinal disturbances in small‐for‐gestational‐age premature infants after prenatal haemodynamic disturbances
Authors: Robel‐Tillig E , Vogtmann Chr , Faber R
Published: August 2012

Robel‐Tillig E, Vogtmann C, Faber R. Postnatal intestinal disturbances in small‐for‐gestational‐age premature infants after prenatal haemodynamic disturbances. Acta Paediatr 2000; 89: 324‐30. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253

Uteroplacental insufficiency leads to fetal growth retardation, which is a major cause of perinatal and postnatal morbidity. In the present study we investigated the relationship between prenatal haemodynamic disturbances and postnatal intestinal perfusion and gastrointestinal function in small‐for‐gestational‐age neonates. Prospectively, 114 preterm neonates with a birthweight below 1500 g were assigned to one of two groups according to their prenatal Doppler sonographic measurements: neonates with or without prenatal haemodynamic disturbances. We defined a pathological fetal perfusion by a pulsatility index of uterine arteries, umbilical artery and fetal thoracic aorta above the 90th percentile and by a pulsatility index of middle cerebral artery below the 10th percentile of a normal group. We compared the postnatal respiratory and intestinal adaptation in both groups as well as the blood flow velocity waveforms of the superior mesenteric artery in all neonates. Postnatally, all 36 neonates with prenatal haemodynamic disturbances were classified to be small for gestational age. Thirty‐one of these neonates developed abdominal problems with delayed meconium passage, abdominal distension, bilious vomiting and a delay in tolerating in enteral feeding within the first days of life. Six of them needed surgical intervention, but none of these infants revealed typical signs of necrotizing enterocolitis. In contrast, all neonates after normal prenatal perfusion were classified to be appropriate for gestational age. Only 19 of 78 neonates of this group showed signs of intestinal disturbances postnatally.

By Doppler sonographic investigations we found significant lower systolic, mean and end‐diastolic flow velocities and higher pulsatility indices of the superior mesenteric artery in neonates with prenatal haemodynamic disturbances. This may occur as a result of postnatal persistent redistribution of regional blood flow and results in gastrointestinal problems and may adversely affect gut motility.
Early predictors of adverse outcome in term infants with post‐asphyxial hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
Authors: Toh VC
Published: August 2012

Toh VC. Early predictors of adverse outcome in term infants with post‐asphyxial hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Acta Pædiatr 2000; 89: 343‐7. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253

Severe metabolic acidosis of base deficit ≥25 mEq/L was associated with a high risk of dying: PPV 77.8% and specificity 88.9%.

A retrospective study of 35 term infants with post‐asphyxial hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) was conducted to identify early clinical predictors of either death or major motor disability at 18 mo of age. Twenty‐three had severe adverse outcome: 13 died and 10 had major neurological sequelae. The significant risk factors were a low 5 min Apgar score, use of adrenaline, low first arterial pH and high base deficit. A base deficit ≥20 mEq/L is a useful predictor of death or disability with a high positive predictive value (PPV) of 93.8%, followed by 93.3% and 84.2% for pH < 7.1 and 5 min Apgar score <4, respectively. The PPV of death or disability is enhanced in the model combining base deficit of ≥20 mEq/L and 5 min Apgar score of <4. This model has a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 100%.
Identification of drought‐responsive genes by cDNA‐amplified fragment length polymorphism in maize
Authors: Liu L. , Hao Z. , Weng J. , Li M. , Zhang D. , Bai L. , Wang L. , Li X. , Zhang S.
Published: August 2012

The cDNA‐AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique was performed to detect transcript‐derived fragments related to drought tolerance in maize inbred lines X178 and B73 to identify and understand drought‐responsive genes at the transcriptional level. By comparing the sequences of fragments differentially expressed between these lines under water‐stressed and well‐watered conditions, 72 drought‐responsive unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were identified with 41 primer combinations targeting PstI/MseI restriction sites. Most of the fragments isolated in these experiments were found to be associated with genes responsive to abiotic or biotic stresses. Subsequently, a putative R1‐type MYB transcription factor gene corresponding to ZmMYB‐R1 on bin 9.03 was obtained by in silico cloning by homology to EST sequence P36M87‐366, which matched one of the AFLPs identified in this study. The 1881 bp sequence encodes a protein of 626 amino acids that contains a single conserved MYB‐like DNA‐binding domain. Expression of green fluorescence protein fusions showed that ZmMYB‐R1 was localised in the cell nucleus. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction revealed that ZmMYB‐R1 was induced by drought, high salt, heat, cold and exogenous ABA in maize. The expression of ZmMYB‐R1 initially reaches its highest levels in leaves, then is subsequently also detected in stems and roots. This work revealed genes potentially responsible for drought tolerance in maize, and a new gene, ZmMYB‐R1, was shown to be associated with water stress.