bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Cooperation among Diverse Organizations to Reduce Illegal Fishing in the Southern Ocean
Authors: ÖSTERBLOM HENRIK , BODIN ÖRJAN
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is prevalent globally and has detrimental effects on commercial fish stocks and nontarget species. Effective monitoring and enforcement aimed at reducing the level of IUU fishing in extensive, remote ocean fisheries requires international collaboration. Changes in trade and vessel activities further complicate enforcement. We used a web‐based survey of governmental and nongovernmental organizations engaged in reducing IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean to collect information on interorganizational collaborations. We used social‐network analyses to examine the nature of collaborations among the identified 117 organizations engaged in reducing IUU fishing. International collaboration improved the ability to control and manage harvest of commercially important toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) stocks and reduced bycatch of albatrosses (Diomedeidae) and petrels (Procellariidae) in longlines of IUU fishing vessels. The diverse group of surveyed organizations cooperated frequently, thereby making a wide range of resources available for improved detection of suspected IUU vessels and trade flows, cooperation aimed at prosecuting suspected offenders or developing new policy measures. Our results suggest the importance of a central agency for coordination and for maintaining commonly agreed‐upon protocols for communication that facilities collaboration. Despite their differences, the surveyed organizations have developed common perceptions about key problems associated with IUU fishing. This has likely contributed to a sustained willingness to invest in collaborations. Our results show that successful international environmental governance can be accomplished through interorganizational collaborations. Such cooperation requires trust, continuous funding, and incentives for actors to participate.
Oxidative deterioration of platinum nanoparticle and its prevention by palladium
Authors: Okamoto Hiroya , Horii Kentaro , Fujisawa Akio , Yamamoto Yorihiro
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  Pt nanoparticle is a strong reductant and has been used as an antioxidant in cosmetics and medicine. It was reported to have catalase‐like activity, which converts hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. However, in this study, freshly prepared Pt nanoparticle was almost inert towards decomposing hydrogen peroxide. The catalase‐like activity of Pt nanoparticle increased with increasing weeks of storage at room temperature and became more significant when the Pt nanoparticle was exposed to air. No hydroxyl radical formation was confirmed by several methods such as ESR spin‐trapping, dimethyl sulphoxide oxidation, salicylic acid hydroxylation and hydroxytoluene oxidation, indicating that the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide proceeds by the two‐electron oxidation/reduction reaction. The oxidatively deteriorated Pt nanoparticle catalytically decomposed ascorbic acid, which is one of the most important biological antioxidants. We found that such oxidation was effectively prevented by the addition of Pd nanoparticle. We also discussed the reaction mechanisms and application of Pt nanoparticle.
Tissue engineering for the management of chronic wounds: current concepts and future perspectives
Authors: Wong Victor W. , Gurtner Geoffrey C.
Published: May 2012

Chronic wounds constitute a significant and growing biomedical burden. With the increasing growth of populations prone to dysfunctional wound healing, there is an urgent and unmet need for novel strategies to both prevent and treat these complications. Tissue engineering offers the potential to create functional skin, and the synergistic efforts of biomedical engineers, material scientists, and molecular and cell biologists have yielded promising therapies for non‐healing wounds. However, traditional paradigms for wound healing focus largely on the role of inflammatory cells and fail to incorporate more recent research highlighting the importance of stem cells and matrix dynamics in skin repair. Approaches to chronic wound healing centred on inflammation alone are inadequate to guide the development of regenerative medicine‐based technologies. As the molecular pathways and biologic defects underlying non‐healing wounds are further elucidated, multifaceted bioengineering systems must advance in parallel to exploit this knowledge. In this viewpoint essay, we highlight the current concepts in tissue engineering for chronic wounds and speculate on areas for future research in this increasingly interdisciplinary field.
The Role of Conserved PEX3 Regions in PEX19‐Binding and Peroxisome Biogenesis
Authors: Schmidt Friederike , Dietrich Denise , Eylenstein Roy , Groemping Yvonne , Stehle Thilo , Dodt Gabriele
Published: May 2012

The human peroxins PEX3 and PEX19 are essential for peroxisome biogenesis. They mediate the import of membrane proteins as well as the de novo formation of peroxisomes. PEX19 binds newly synthesized peroxisomal membrane proteins post‐translationally and directs them to peroxisomes by engaging PEX3, a protein anchored in the peroxisomal membrane. After protein insertion into the lipid bilayer, PEX19 is released back to the cytosol. Crystallographic analysis provided detailed insights into the PEX3–PEX19 interaction and identified three highly conserved regions, the PEX19‐binding region, a hydrophobic groove and an acidic cluster, on the surface of PEX3. Here, we used site‐directed mutagenesis and biochemical and functional assays to determine the role of these regions in PEX19‐binding and peroxisome biogenesis. Mutations in the PEX19‐binding region reduce the affinity for PEX19 and destabilize PEX3. Furthermore, we provide evidence for a crucial function of the PEX3–PEX19 complex during de novo formation of peroxisomes in peroxisome‐deficient cells, pointing to a dual function of the PEX3–PEX19 interaction in peroxisome biogenesis. The maturation of preperoxisomes appears to require the hydrophobic groove near the base of PEX3, presumably by its involvement in peroxisomal membrane protein insertion, while the acidic cluster does not appear to be functionally relevant.
A Critical View of Global Governance
Authors: Davis James W.
Published: May 2012

Abstract:  This article suggests that various dimensions of the larger project of global governance are incoherent and illegitimate. Three dimensions of global governance – the provision of global public goods; processes of transnational regulation; and efforts to spread universal human rights – are examined and found to be deficient in terms of the ability of affected populations to participate in decisions over value trade‐offs. Citizens’ rights to participation in democratic processes often have been diminished as the locus of political decision making has shifted: on the one hand, to institutions beyond the territorial borders of the nation state; on the other, away from political institutions and towards “global civil society,” which seems oddly intolerant of diversity. But if global governance is anti‐pluralist and disenfranchising, it risks devolving into an imperial project. Hence, the paper concludes with a plea for a return to international politics as a control on the threat of empire.
Effects of host, temperature and relative humidity on competitive displacement of two invasive Bemisia tabaci biotypes [Q and B]
Authors: Chu Dong , Tao Yun‐Li , Zhang You‐Jun , Wan Fang‐Hao , Brown Judith K
Published: May 2012

Abstract  Bemisia tabaci shifted unexpectedly in China from a predominance of B biotype to Q biotype during 2005–2008. This observation stimulated an interest in investigating whether environmental factors, including host, temperature and relative humidity (RH) could possibly explain the observed shift in biotypes distribution. Results indicated that all three parameters examined influenced biotype survivability. The percentage of B biotype, when reared together on pepper plants with the Q biotype, decreased significantly from 66.7% in the founder population, to 13.6% and 3.7% in the first and second generations, respectively. When the B (founder at 66.7%) and Q (founder at 33.3%) biotypes were reared together on eggplant alone, or on pepper‐plus‐eggplant combination, the population size of the B biotype either remained constant, or increased somewhat in the first and second generations. On eggplant, the effects of RH and temperature on the competitiveness between the Q and B biotypes (3 pairs of Q and 6 pairs of B) were not significant.
Viral load at diagnosis and influenza A H1N1 (2009) disease severity in children
Authors: Launes Cristian , Garcia‐Garcia Juan J. , Jordan Iolanda , Selva Laura , Rello Jordi , Muñoz‐Almagro Carmen
Published: May 2012

Please cite this paper as: Launes et al. (2012) Viral load at diagnosis and influenza A H1N1 (2009) disease severity in children. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(601), e89–e92.

To assess viral load at diagnosis (VLAD) as a biomarker of novel influenza disease severity, epidemiologic and clinical data of admitted patients <18 years old with Influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection and respiratory symptoms were prospectively collected in a single pediatric tertiary hospital, from weeks 30–51 of 2009. Seventy patients were included. VLAD in children who had symptoms for ≥5 days was an accurate parameter distinguishing the patients who required mechanical ventilation (MV) from those who did not required it (area under the ROC curve: 0·73; P = 0·03). Having <4·5 log10 copies/ml with ≥5 days of symptoms was associated with a lower risk of requiring MV.
Language Policy and Group Identification in Taiwan
Authors: Liu Ruey‐Ying
Published: May 2012

Taiwan is a multicultural and multilingual society. Generally speaking, Taiwanese residents fall into one of four ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has a different cultural context and a preferred language. Therefore, one's use of language may reveal his/her identification with an ethnic group, and language policy implementation may imply the power of a certain subculture. Owing to this condition, there have been controversies related to language policy in Taiwanese history. Taiwan has been governed by several regimes, and each regime implemented different language policies. These policies reflected the changes in group identification of Taiwanese people, and also indicated how the government rulers use language policy as a means to shape people's national identity. Even today, several language policy controversies, which imply the conflicts between different ethnic groups in Taiwan, still remain unresolved. In summary, Taiwan can be used as an example to illustrate the relationship between language and identity.
Thinking about the Gym: Greek Ideals, Newtonian Bodies and Exercise in Early Eighteenth‐Century Britain
Authors: BATCHELOR ROBERT
Published: May 2012

Revival of Greek ideas about exercise in the British and Irish Enlightenment by doctors led to a shift in understandings about the independent mind by establishing a relation between bodily and mental health. By the late 1730s, interest shifted away from mind and body and towards the sentiments and passions, which marked gender distinctions and held together national communities. Gilbert West's writing about the Olympics in the 1740s indicated the difficulty in resolving tensions about exercise and sport producing aristocratic distinction and violent passions as against their encouragement of healthy minds and civic virtue in the nation.
National Heroics: Bullfighters, Machismo and the Cult of Celebrity
Authors: ZANARDI TARA
Published: May 2012

Bullfighting, in its newly transformed format, served as a rich source for artists in its overt performativity. Although images of bull‐related themes exist before 1700, it was not until the second half of the eighteenth century that taurine subjects became fashionable in Spanish visual culture. As the fighters achieved celebrity status, such heroics were often considered in patriotic terms. The bullfighters' bravado exemplified their bodily performance of machismo. Such machismo was regarded by many as an expression of national pride. By considering chiefly visual examples, I discuss the cult of celebrity that surrounded the bullfight during the late eighteenth century.
Heterozygote Genotypes at rs2222823 and rs2811712 SNP Loci are Associated with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Han Chinese Population
Authors: Li Wei , Hu Bo , Li Gui‐Lin , Zhao Xing‐Quan , Xin Bao‐Zhong , Lin Jin‐Xi , Shen Yuan , Liang Xian‐Hong , Liu Gai‐Fen , Gao Han‐Qing , Liao Xiao‐Ling , Liang Zhi‐Gang , Wang Yong‐Jun
Published: May 2012

Aims

With developments of etiology of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of stroke, the genetic studies of CSVD are focused on genes related to blood‐brain barrier (BBB) and aging. The project aims to investigate the association between CSVD and susceptibility loci and candidate genes.

Methods

All study subjects admitted Beijing Tiantan Hospital from June 2009 to September 2010 including 197 cerebral small vessel disease patients(S), 198 large artery atherosclerosis control individuals (vascular stenotic rate ≥50% diameter reduction) (L), 200 hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage control individuals (H) and 197 stroke‐free control individuals (C). 15 SNPs in 4 genes (MYLK, AQP4, NINJ2, and INK4/ARF) were genotyped using Multiplex Snapshot assay. Each SNP was first examined between the groups S and C in different genetic models (codominant, dominant, recessive, overdominant, and log‐additive). Permutation correction was used to adjust for multiple testing. The significant SNP loci were further analyzed in comparing S with L and H, respectively. Subgroup analysis was also performed for each risk‐factor category.

Results

Among the 15 SNPs, rs2222823 and rs2811712 were found to be significantly associated with CSVD after multiple‐testing adjustment. The heterozygote (A/T) of rs2222823 of MYLK has an odds ratio of 0.52 (95% CI =[0.35, 0.79], P= 0.002, adjusted P= 0.031) when compared with homozygotes. The heterozygote (C/T) of rs2811712 of INK4/ARF has an odds ratio of 1.75 (95% CI =[1.13–2.71], P= 0.004, adjusted P= 0.050). The SNP rs2222823 was significant (P= 0.035) in comparing S with H. In comparing S versus L, it is significant for the subgroups of patients without diabetes (P= 0.012) and drinking (P= 0.018). rs2811712 was significant in comparing S with L for the subgroups of patients with hyperlipidemia (P= 0.029) and drinking (P= 0.04).

Conclusion

The heterozygotes (T/A) at the rs2222823 SNP locus of MYLK gene decreases the risk of having cerebral small vessel disease, while the heterozygotes (C/T) at the rs2811712 SNP locus of INK4/ARF gene increases the risk, suggesting that the MYLK and INK4/ARF are the associated genes of cerebral small vessel disease in Han Chinese population.
Limited divergence among populations of rice striped stem borer in southeast China caused by gene flow: Implications for resistance management
Authors: YANG Chao , YANG Xiao , FU Qiang , XU Kai , LU Bao‐Rong
Published: May 2012

Abstract  Rice striped stem borer (RSSB, Chilo suppressalis) is a serious lepidopteron pest occurring in rice ecosystems of Asia and Europe. Genetically modified (GM) insect‐resistant Bt rice has been developed to deter lepidopteron pests including RSSB. The concern of resistance evolution to the Bt toxin by the pests under commercial cultivation of GM Bt rice and the need of effective management of the resistance encourage the studies of genetic variation and divergence, as well as gene flow of RSSB populations. We analyzed 13 RSSB populations fed on water‐oats or rice plants, respectively, from southeast China applying the fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprints. A generally moderate level of genetic variation was detected in the populations, as estimated by Nei's genetic diversity (0.27) and Shannon's index (0.42). The FST and amova values indicated a low level (∼12%) of genetic divergence among the RSSB populations. A relatively frequent gene flow (an average Nm = 2.62) was detected among the 12 RSSB populations, which may explain the limited genetic divergence among the rice‐feeding populations. This explanation gains support by the assignment test of the corresponding populations, suggesting that a considerable proportion of individuals was contributed from non‐native populations. Our results revealed that the moderate level of genetic diversity combined with relatively frequent gene flow among RSSB populations across a large geographical range may slow down the resistance evolution of the RSSB populations, given that a proper measure of resistance management is taken.
Impact of process variables on the micromeritic and physicochemical properties of spray-dried microparticles – Part II. Physicochemical characterisation of spray-dried materials
Authors: Paluch Krzysztof J , Tajber Lidia , Amaro Maria I , Corrigan Owen I , Healy Anne Marie
Published: May 2012

Objectives

In this work we investigated the residual organic solvent content and physicochemical properties of spray-dried chlorothiazide sodium (CTZNa) and potassium (CTZK) salts.

Methods

The powders were characterised by thermal, X-ray diffraction, infrared and dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) analyses. Solvent levels were investigated by Karl–Fischer titration and gas chromatography.

Key findings

Spray-drying from water, methanol (MeOH) and mixes of MeOH and butyl acetate (BA) resulted in amorphous microparticles. The glass transition temperatures of CTZNa and CTZK were ∼192 and ∼159°C, respectively. These materials retained their amorphous nature when stored at 25°C in dry conditions for at least 6 months with no chemical decomposition observed. DVS determined the critical relative humidity of recrystallisation of CTZNa and CTZK to be 57% RH and 58% RH, respectively. The inlet temperature dependant oxidation of MeOH to formaldehyde was observed; the formaldehyde was seen to deposit within the amorphous matrix of spray-dried product. Spray-drying in the open blowing mode coupled with secondary drying resulted in a three-fold reduction in residual BA (below pharmacopoeial permitted daily exposure limit) compared to spray-drying in the closed mode.

Conclusions

Experiments showed that recirculation of recovered drying gas increases the risk of deposition of residual solvents in the spray-dried product.
Manual tapping enhances visual short‐term memory performance where visual and motor coordinates correspond
Authors: Sapkota Raju P. , Pardhan Shahina , van der Linde Ian
Published: May 2012

Visuo‐manual interaction in visual short‐term memory (VSTM) has been investigated little, despite its importance in everyday tasks requiring the coordination of visual perception and manual action. This study examines the influence of a manual action performed during stimulus learning on a subsequent VSTM test for object appearance. The memory display comprised a sequence of briefly presented 1/f noise discs (i.e., possessing spectral properties akin to natural images), wherein each new stimulus was presented at a unique screen location. Participants either did (or did not) perform a concurrent manual action (spatial tapping) task requiring that a hand‐held stylus be moved to a position on a touch tablet that corresponded (or did not correspond) to the screen position of each new stimulus as it appeared. At test, a single stimulus was presented, either at one of the original screen positions, or at a new position. Two factors were examined: the execution (or otherwise) of spatial tapping at a corresponding or non‐corresponding position, and the presentation of test stimuli either at their original spatial positions, or at new positions. We find that spatial tapping at corresponding positions elevates VSTM performance by more than 15%, but this occurs only when stimulus positions are matched from memory to test display. Our findings suggest that multimodal attentional focus during stimulus encoding (incorporating visual, spatial, and manual components) leads to stronger, more robust memory representations. We posit several possible explanations for this effect.
Altruism in social networks: Evidence for a ‘kinship premium’
Authors: Curry Oliver , Roberts Sam G. B. , Dunbar Robin I. M.
Published: May 2012

Why and under what conditions are individuals altruistic to family and friends in their social networks? Evolutionary psychology suggests that such behaviour is primarily the product of adaptations for kin‐ and reciprocal altruism, dependent on the degree of genetic relatedness and exchange of benefits, respectively. For this reason, individuals are expected to be more altruistic to family members than to friends: whereas family members can be the recipients of kin and reciprocal altruism, friends can be the recipients of reciprocal altruism only. However, there is a question about how the effect of kinship is implemented at the proximate psychological level. One possibility is that kinship contributes to some general measure of relationship quality (such as ‘emotional closeness’), which in turn explains altruism. Another possibility is that the effect of kinship is independent of relationship quality. The present study tests between these two possibilities. Participants (N= 111) completed a self‐report questionnaire about their willingness to be altruistic, and their emotional closeness, to 12 family members and friends at different positions in their extended social networks. As expected, altruism was greater for family than friends, and greater for more central layers of the network. Crucially, the results showed that kinship made a significant unique contribution to altruism, even when controlling for the effects of emotional closeness. Thus, participants were more altruistic towards kin than would be expected if altruism was dependent on emotional closeness alone – a phenomenon we label a ‘kinship premium’. These results have implications for the ongoing debate about the extent to which kin relations and friendships are distinct kinds of social relationships, and how to measure the ‘strength of ties’ in social networks.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Double-Tube Once-Through Steam Generator
Authors: Wei Xinyu , Dai Chunhui , Tai Yun , Zhao Fuyu
Published: May 2012

This paper presents a double-tube once-through steam generator (DOTSG) consisting of the outer straight tube and the inner helical tube. The tube length and pressure drop of are important parameters in optimal design of DOTSG. For optimal design of such a system, it was modeled to estimate its tube length and pressure drop. Pitch of inner helical tube, flow distribution ratio of the primary fluid, and tube assemblage are considered as design parameters. Then fast and elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) method was applied to find the optimum values of design parameters. In the presented optimal design approach, the tube length and the total pressure drop are two objective functions. The results of optimal designs were a set of multiple optimum solutions, called “Pareto optimal solutions.” The sensitivity analysis of change in optimum tube length and pressure drop with change in design parameters of the DOTSG is also performed and the results are reported.
Computational Simulations of Vertebral Body for Optimal Instrumentation Design
Authors: Casesnoves F.
Published: May 2012

The engineering design of surgical instrumentation to exert forces and torques/moments on bones during operations constitutes a rather difficult task. This technical difficulty is caused mainly by the natural, pathological, and individual irregularities of the human bone morphologies and surfaces. Usually, mechanical forces are applied on determined parts of bone surfaces, so-called regions of interest (ROIs). We describe a computational method (CAD) to digitalize, simulate, and fit mathematically the anterior vertebral body morphometric. Based on experimental data from 17 cadaveric specimens, large sets of surface digital points were generated. Complete anterior vertebral body morphologies were visualized and analyzed with subroutines, which are initially used to select these natural ROIs. Subsequently, an optimized fitting model was implemented for the ROIs. 3D surface equations of the anterior vertebral body (L3, L4, L5, and S1) were determined. Statistics and determination coefficients which define the error boundaries and goodness of the model, were calculated and mathematically analyzed. A bioengineering application is the use of these equations for the industrial design of an innovative vertebral distractor. The device separates two adjacent vertebrae in parallel, and minimizes the force to carry out the surgical maneuver.
Metal artifact reduction strategies for improved attenuation correction in hybrid PET/CT imaging
Authors: Abdoli Mehrsima , Dierckx Rudi A. J. O. , Zaidi Habib
Published: May 2012

Metallic implants are known to generate bright and dark streaking artifacts in x‐ray computed tomography (CT) images, which in turn propagate to corresponding functional positron emission tomography (PET) images during the CT‐based attenuation correction procedure commonly used on hybrid clinical PET/CT scanners. Therefore, visual artifacts and overestimation and/or underestimation of the tracer uptake in regions adjacent to metallic implants are likely to occur and as such, inaccurate quantification of the tracer uptake and potential erroneous clinical interpretation of PET images is expected. Accurate quantification of PET data requires metal artifact reduction (MAR) of the CT images prior to the application of the CT‐based attenuation correction procedure. In this review, the origins of metallic artifacts and their impact on clinical PET/CT imaging are discussed. Moreover, a brief overview of proposed MAR methods and their advantages and drawbacks is presented. Although most of the presented MAR methods are mainly developed for diagnostic CT imaging, their potential application in PET/CT imaging is highlighted. The challenges associated with comparative evaluation of these methods in a clinical environment in the absence of a gold standard are also discussed.
Unidirectional Growth of Microbumps on (111)-Oriented and Nanotwinned Copper
Authors: Hsiao Hsiang-Yao , Liu Chien-Min , Lin Han-wen , Liu Tao-Chi , Lu Chia-Ling , Huang Yi-Sa , Chen Chih , Tu K. N.
Published: May 2012

Tiny Tinny Bumps

One challenge in moving to three-dimensional integrated circuit architectures is the need for aligned interconnects to join neighboring layers.

Hsiao
et al.

(p.
1007
) applied rapid stirring to the direct current electroplating of copper to produce films with oriented copper grains that have a high density of nanotwin defects. The resulting material was an excellent platform for the growth of copper-tin intermetallic compounds in the form of arrays of microbumps potentially suitable for the soldering of electronic components.
Direction-Specific Interactions Control Crystal Growth by Oriented Attachment
Authors: Li Dongsheng , Nielsen Michael H. , Lee Jonathan R. I. , Frandsen Cathrine , Banfield Jillian F. , De Yoreo James J.
Published: May 2012

Growing in Liquid

The ability to control the growth of materials at the nanometer scale is key to nanotechnology. Materials grown in liquids, however, are difficult to track on a particle-by-particle basis during growth. Two studies used an in situ liquid cell to follow the formation of larger nanoparticles or nanorods grown in solvents using high-resolution transmission electron microscopes.

Liao
et al.

(p.
1011
) watched platinum iron nanorods form from kinked chains of connected nanoparticles that gradually reoriented and straightened to form rigid rods.

Li
et al.

(p.
1014
) observed the coalescence of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles through an oriented attachment mechanism, whereby two similar particles rotated until their corresponding crystal lattices aligned.
Linking Petrology and Seismology at an Active Volcano
Authors: Saunders Kate , Blundy Jon , Dohmen Ralf , Cashman Kathy
Published: May 2012

Subterranean Eruption Clues

Volcano monitoring relies upon detecting changing physical conditions around an active source, such as increased seismicity or ground deformation; however, relating these behaviors to magmatic processes below ground remains challenging. The geochemical signatures of erupted magmatic crystals, including chemically distinct zones formed during growth and cooling, provide clues as to the conditions of the magma chamber prior to the eruption. Through a combination of chemical analysis of orthopyroxene crystals and chronometry based on diffusion,

Saunders
et al.

(p.
1023
) were able to link the magmatic processes and seismic events leading up to and during the 1980–1986 series of eruptions at Mount St. Helens, USA. The seismic events corresponded to earthquakes caused by magma degassing and ground movement—events of which are routinely detected with geophysical instruments.
Large-Pore Apertures in a Series of Metal-Organic Frameworks
Authors: Deng Hexiang , Grunder Sergio , Cordova Kyle E. , Valente Cory , Furukawa Hiroyasu , Hmadeh Mohamad , Gándara Felipe , Whalley Adam C. , Liu Zheng , Asahina Shunsuke , Kazumori Hiroyoshi , O’Keeffe Michael , Terasaki Osamu , Stoddart J. Fraser , Yaghi Omar M.
Published: May 2012

Maximizing Molecular Pore Diameters

Amorphous materials, such as activated carbon, can have pore diameters of several nanometers, but the synthesis of ordered structures with very large pore diameters is often thwarted by the creation of interpenetrating networks or difficulties in removing guest molecules.

Deng
et al.

(p.
1018
) avoided these problems in the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with very large diameters (some exceeding 3 nanometers) by using a combination of short and very long linking groups. The compounds formed channels almost 10 nanometers in diameter that could be visualized by electron microscopy and that were large enough to accommodate protein molecules.
Systems Biology, Metabolomics, and Cancer Metabolism
Authors: Tomita Masaru , Kami Kenjiro
Published: May 2012

Constructing metabolic profiles of 60 cancer cell lines by integrating metabolomics and systems biology revealed increased glycine consumption in highly proliferative cancer cells.
Enter the Majorana Fermion
Authors: Brouwer Piet W.
Published: May 2012

Electrical measurements on a semiconductor–superconductor hybrid structure reveal the signature of this long-predicted exotic particle.
An Evolutionary Theory of Dentistry
Authors: Gibbons Ann
Published: May 2012

Why are our teeth so rotten? Biologists point to a mismatch between our diets and lifestyles and those of our ancestors.
Single-Cell Sequencing Tackles Basic and Biomedical Questions
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: May 2012

At the meeting, four groups described new insights derived from sequencing DNA from individual human cells.
Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Breaks Tolerance and Drives Polyclonal Expansion of Autoreactive B Cells
Authors: Roughan Jill E. , Reardon Kathryn M. , Cogburn Kristin E. , Quendler Heribert , Pockros Paul J. , Law Mansun
Published: May 2012

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked with B cell lymphoproliferative disorders and several autoimmune-related diseases. The mechanisms of how chronic viral infection affects B cell development and predisposes the patients to autoimmune manifestations are poorly understood. In this study, we established an experimental system to probe the B cell responses and characterize the antibodies from chronic-HCV-infected individuals. We identified an unusual polyclonal expansion of the IgM memory B cell subset in some patients. This B cell subset is known to be tightly regulated, and autoreactive cells are eliminated by tolerance mechanisms. Genetic analysis of the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain variable gene (VH) sequences of the expanded cell population showed that the levels of somatic hypermutation (SHM) correlate with the extent of cell expansion in the patients and that the VHgenes exhibit signs of antigen-mediated selection. Functional analysis of the cloned B cell receptors demonstrated autoreactivity in some of the expanded IgM memory B cells in the patients which is not found in healthy donors. In summary, this study demonstrated that, in some patients, chronic HCV infection disrupts the tolerance mechanism that normally deletes autoreactive B cells, therefore increasing the risk of developing autoimmune antibodies. Long-term follow-up of this expanded B cell subset within the infected individuals will help determine whether these cells are predictors of more-serious clinical manifestations.
The FomA Porin from Fusobacterium nucleatum Is a Toll-Like Receptor 2 Agonist with Immune Adjuvant Activity
Authors: Toussi Deana N. , Liu Xiuping , Massari Paola
Published: May 2012

Many bacterial components selectively activate immune and nonhematopoietic target cells via Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling; modulation of such host responses defines the immune adjuvant properties of these bacterial products. For example, the outer membrane protein porins fromNeisseria,Salmonella, andShigellaare known TLR2 agonists with established systemic and mucosal immune adjuvanticity. Early work indicated that the FomA porin fromFusobacterium nucleatumhas immune adjuvant activity in mice. Using a purified recombinant FomA, we have verified its immune stimulatory properties and have defined a role for TLR2 signaling in itsin vitroandin vivoactivity. FomA induces interleukin 8 (IL-8) secretion and NF-κB-dependent luciferase activity in HEK cells expressing TLR2, IL-6 secretion, and cell surface upregulation of CD86 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II in primary B cells from wild-type mice, but it fails to activate cells from TLR2 knockout mice. Accordingly, the immune adjuvant activity of FomA is also TLR2 dependent. In a mouse model of immunization with ovalbumin (OVA), FomA induces enhanced production of OVA-specific IgM and IgG, including IgG1 and IgG2b antibodies, as well as enhanced secretion of IL-10 and IL-6, consistent with a Th2-type adjuvant effect. We also observe a moderate production of anti-FomA antibodies, suggesting that FomA is also immunogenic, a quality that is also TLR2 dependent. Therefore, modulation of host immune responses by FomA may be effective for targeting general host immunity not only to pathogens (as a novel TLR2 adjuvant) but also toF. nucleatumitself (as an antigen), expanding its use as a self-adjuvanted antigen in an immunization strategy against polymicrobial infections, including those byF. nucleatum.
Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis and Coinfection with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the United States as Determined by the Aptima Trichomonas vaginalis Nucleic Acid Amplification Assay
Authors: Ginocchio C. C. , Chapin K. , Smith J. S. , Aslanzadeh J. , Snook J. , Hill C. S. , Gaydos C. A.
Published: May 2012

Our aim was to determine
Trichomonas vaginalis
prevalence using the Aptima
Trichomonas vaginalis
assay (ATV; Gen-Probe) and the prevalence of
Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
coinfections in U.S. women undergoing screening for
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
. Discarded urogenital samples from 7,593 women (18 to 89 years old) undergoing
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
screening using the Aptima Combo 2 assay (Gen-Probe) in various clinical settings were tested with ATV. Overall,
T. vaginalis
,
C. trachomatis
, and
N. gonorrhoeae
prevalences were 8.7%, 6.7%, and 1.7%, respectively.
T. vaginalis
was more prevalent than
C. trachomatis
or
N. gonorrhoeae
in all age groups except the 18- to 19-year-old group. The highest
T. vaginalis
prevalence was in women ≥40 years old (>11%), while the highest
C. trachomatis
prevalence (9.2%) and
N. gonorrhoeae
prevalence (2.2%) were in women <30 years old. Coinfection prevalences were 1.3% for
C. trachomatis
/
T. vaginalis
, 0.61% for
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
and
N. gonorrhoeae
/
T. vaginalis
, and 0.24% for
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
/
T. vaginalis
and highest in women <30 years old.
T. vaginalis
prevalence differed by race/ethnicity, with the highest prevalence in black women (20.2%).
T. vaginalis
prevalence ranged from 5.4% in family planning clinics to 22.3% in jails. Multivariate analysis determined that ages of ≥40 years, black race, and patient locations were significantly associated with
T. vaginalis
infection.
T. vaginalis
is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in women of >40 years, while
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
prevalence is lowest in that age group. Higher
T. vaginalis
prevalence in women of >40 years is probably attributed to the reason for testing, i.e., symptomatic status versus routine screening in younger women. Coinfections were relatively low. High
T. vaginalis
prevalence in all age groups suggests that women screened for
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
, whether asymptomatic or symptomatic, should be screened for
T. vaginalis
.
Human Papillomavirus Type 8 E6 Oncoprotein Inhibits Transcription of the PDZ Protein Syntenin-2
Authors: Lazić Daliborka , Hufbauer Martin , Zigrino Paola , Buchholz Stephanie , Kazem Siamaque , Feltkamp Mariet C. W. , Mauch Cornelia , Steger Gertrud , Pfister Herbert , Akgül Baki
Published: May 2012

The E6 proteins from high-risk alpha human papillomavirus (HPV) types (e.g., HPV16) are characterized by the presence of a PDZ-binding motif through which they interact with a number of cellular PDZ domain-containing substrates and cooperate in their degradation. The ability of these E6 proteins to bind to PDZ domain proteins correlates with the oncogenic potential of the virus. The E6 proteins of oncogenic HPV from the genus
Betapapillomavirus
(betaPV, e.g., HPV8) do not encode a PDZ-binding motif. We found that the PDZ domain protein syntenin-2 is transcriptionally downregulated in primary human epidermal keratinocytes (PHEK) by HPV8 E6. The mRNA levels of the known HPV16 E6 PDZ protein targets Dlg, Scribble, Magi-1, Magi-3, PSD95, and Mupp1 were not changed by HPV8 E6. Decreased protein levels of syntenin-2 were observed in cell extracts from PHEK expressing HPV5, -8, -16, -20, and -38 E6 but not in HPV1 and -4 E6-positive keratinocytes. Surprisingly, HPV16 E6 also repressed transcription of syntenin-2 but with a much lower efficiency than HPV8 E6. In healthy human skin, syntenin-2 expression is localized in suprabasal epidermal layers. In organotypic skin cultures, the differentiation-dependent expression of syntenin-2 was absent in HPV8 E6- and E6E7-expressing cells. In basal cell carcinomas of the skin, syntenin-2 was not detectable, whereas in squamous cell carcinomas, expression was located in differentiated areas. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of syntenin-2 led to an inhibition of differentiation and an increase in the proliferation capacity in PHEK. These results identified syntenin-2 as the first PDZ domain protein controlled by HPV8 and HPV16 at the mRNA level.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection Activates Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase and Triggers the Degradation of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Glycohydrolase
Authors: Grady Sarah L. , Hwang Jesse , Vastag Livia , Rabinowitz Joshua D. , Shenk Thomas
Published: May 2012

Herpes simplex virus 1 infection triggers multiple changes in the metabolism of host cells, including a dramatic decrease in the levels of NAD
+
. In addition to its role as a cofactor in reduction-oxidation reactions, NAD
+
is required for certain posttranslational modifications. Members of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of enzymes are major consumers of NAD
+
, which they utilize to form poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) chains on protein substrates in response to DNA damage. PAR chains can subsequently be removed by the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG). We report here that the HSV-1 infection-induced drop in NAD
+
levels required viral DNA replication, was associated with an increase in protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation), and was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of PARP-1/PARP-2 (PARP-1/2). Neither virus yield nor the cellular metabolic reprogramming observed during HSV-1 infection was altered by the rescue or further depletion of NAD
+
levels. Expression of the viral protein ICP0, which possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, was both necessary and sufficient for the degradation of the 111-kDa PARG isoform. This work demonstrates that HSV-1 infection results in changes to NAD
+
metabolism by PARP-1/2 and PARG, and as PAR chain accumulation can induce caspase-independent apoptosis, we speculate that the decrease in PARG levels enhances the auto-PARylation-mediated inhibition of PARP, thereby avoiding premature death of the infected cell.
Suppression of the Interferon and NF-κB Responses by Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus
Authors: Qu Bingqian , Qi Xian , Wu Xiaodong , Liang Mifang , Li Chuan , Cardona Carol J. , Xu Wayne , Tang Fenyang , Li Zhifeng , Wu Bing , Powell Kira , Wegner Marta , Li Dexin , Xing Zheng
Published: May 2012

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease characterized by high fever, thrombocytopenia, multiorgan dysfunction, and a high fatality rate between 12 and 30%. It is caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV), a novel
Phlebovirus
in family
Bunyaviridae
. Although the viral pathogenesis remains largely unknown, hemopoietic cells appear to be targeted by the virus. In this study we report that human monocytes were susceptible to SFTSV, which replicated efficiently, as shown by an immunofluorescence assay and real-time reverse transcription-PCR. We examined host responses in the infected cells and found that antiviral interferon (IFN) and IFN-inducible proteins were induced upon infection. However, our data also indicated that downregulation of key molecules such as mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) or weakened activation of interferon regulatory factor (IRF) and NF-κB responses may contribute to a restricted innate immunity against the infection. NSs, the nonstructural protein encoded by the S segment, suppressed the beta interferon (IFN-β) and NF-κB promoter activities, although NF-κB activation appears to facilitate SFTSV replication in human monocytes. NSs was found to be associated with TBK1 and may inhibit the activation of downstream IRF and NF-κB signaling through this interaction. Interestingly, we demonstrated that the nucleoprotein (N), also encoded by the S segment, exhibited a suppressive effect on the activation of IFN-β and NF-κB signaling as well. Infected monocytes, mainly intact and free of apoptosis, may likely be implicated in persistent viral infection, spreading the virus to the circulation and causing primary viremia. Our findings provide the first evidence in dissecting the host responses in monocytes and understanding viral pathogenesis in humans infected with a novel deadly
Bunyavirus
.
Involvement of the Chloroplastic Isoform of tRNA Ligase in the Replication of Viroids Belonging to the Family
Avsunviroidae
Authors: Nohales María-Ángeles , Molina-Serrano Diego , Flores Ricardo , Daròs José-Antonio
Published: May 2012

Avocado sunblotch viroid, peach latent mosaic viroid, chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid, and eggplant latent viroid (ELVd), the four recognized members of the family
Avsunviroidae
, replicate through the symmetric pathway of an RNA-to-RNA rolling-circle mechanism in chloroplasts of infected cells. Viroid oligomeric transcripts of both polarities contain embedded hammerhead ribozymes that, during replication, mediate their self-cleavage to monomeric-length RNAs with 5′-hydroxyl and 2′,3′-phosphodiester termini that are subsequently circularized. We report that a recombinant version of the chloroplastic isoform of the tRNA ligase from eggplant (
Solanum melongena
L.) efficiently catalyzes
in vitro
circularization of the plus [(+)] and minus [(−)] monomeric linear replication intermediates from the four
Avsunviroidae
. We also show that while this RNA ligase specifically recognizes the genuine monomeric linear (+) ELVd replication intermediate, it does not do so with five other monomeric linear (+) ELVd RNAs with their ends mapping at different sites along the molecule, despite containing the same 5′-hydroxyl and 2′,3′-phosphodiester terminal groups. Moreover, experiments involving transient expression of a dimeric (+) ELVd transcript in
Nicotiana benthamiana
Domin plants preinoculated with a tobacco rattle virus-derived vector to induce silencing of the plant endogenous tRNA ligase show a significant reduction of ELVd circularization. In contrast, circularization of a viroid replicating in the nucleus occurring through a different pathway is unaffected. Together, these results support the conclusion that the chloroplastic isoform of the plant tRNA ligase is the host enzyme mediating circularization of both (+) and (−) monomeric linear intermediates during replication of the viroids belonging to the family
Avsunviroidae
.
Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Intracellular Assay for the Conformation of Hepatitis C Virus Drug Target NS5A
Authors: Bhattacharya Dipankar , Ansari Israrul H. , Mehle Andrew , Striker Rob
Published: May 2012

Nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) is essential for hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and assembly and is a critical drug target. Biochemical data suggest large parts of NS5A are unfolded as an isolated protein, but little is known about its folded state in the cell. We used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to probe whether or not different regions of NS5A are in close proximity within the cell. Twenty-three separate reporter constructs were created by inserting one or more fluorophores into different positions throughout the three domains of NS5A. FRET efficiency was maximal when donor and acceptor fluorophores were positioned next to each other but also could be observed when the two fluorophores flanked NS5A domain 1 or domain 3. Informatic and biochemical analysis suggests that large portions of the carboxy terminus of NS5A are in an unfolded and disordered state. Quercetin, a natural product known to disrupt NS5A function in cells, specifically disrupted a conformationally specific domain 3 FRET signal. Intermolecular FRET indicated that the NS5A amino termini, but not other regions, are in close proximity in multimeric complexes. Overall, this assay provides a new window on the intracellular conformation(s) of NS5A and how the conformation changes in response to cellular and viral components of the replication and assembly complex as well as antiviral drugs.