bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rayleigh distillation equations applied to isotopic evolution of organic nitrogen across a continental shelf
Authors: Van Hale Robert , Frew Russell D.
Published: March 2010

The isotope enrichment of nitrate due to uptake by phytoplankton has previously been measured in a variety of ways, both in the field over time or space, and in vitro. This study provided an unusual opportunity to measure the isotopic fractionation of nitrate over an extended spatial scale. Results are presented from the Otago Continental shelf, New Zealand. δ15N-PON and [NO3–] was correlated using Rayleigh distillation equations to obtain isotope enrichment factors for the uptake of nitrate. The decrease in nitrate concentration during advection landward across the shelf was consistent with removal by phytoplankton, with an average enrichment factor (ϵ) of 8.2 per mil, as calculated using the Rayleigh accumulated product equation. The spatial evolution of δ15N-PON and [NO3–] across the Otago continental shelf led to the conclusion that cross-shelf advection is the predominant process bringing nutrients to the shelf. No Rayleigh distillation-type process is observable from monthly observations. However, in subantarctic surface water (SASW), a seasonal variation in δ15N-PON was seen that was in the opposite phase to that expected for isotopic enrichment of the nutrient pool. In SASW, δ15N-PON peaked at 4‰ in winter months and fell to –2‰ in the spring and summer.
Australian subtropical white syndrome: a transmissible, temperature-dependent coral disease
Authors: Dalton S. J. , Godwin S. , Smith S. D. A. , Pereg L.
Published: March 2010

Since 2000, a disease displaying white-syndrome characteristics has been observed affecting corals from the genus Turbinaria in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, New South Wales, Australia. Recently termed Australian subtropical white syndrome, this disease is transmissible through direct contact and by a predatory vector, but transmission through the water column has not been observed. In aquarium experiments, progressive tissue loss, extending from the region where healthy Turbinaria mesenterina fragments were in direct contact with samples of diseased coral, was noted in 66% of treatments. No tissue loss occurred in any of the controls or when healthy fragments were not in direct contact with diseased corals. Field experiments confirmed that the disease was infectious through direct contact. Further experiments showed that the rate of tissue loss was significantly higher when corals were exposed to summer temperatures (26°C). These results suggest that temperature increases predicted in most climate change models could lead to the loss of dominant coral species, displacing other organisms that rely on corals for food and shelter. Finally, the present study showed that removal of the disease margin provides a management tool to minimise coral tissue loss during an epizootic.
Using biological information to support proactive strategies for managing freshwater fish during drought
Authors: Crook David A. , Reich Paul , Bond Nick R. , McMaster Damien , Koehn John D. , Lake P. Sam
Published: March 2010

This paper provides an assessment of the biological attributes of fish species in south-eastern Australia and rates their potential risk from the impacts of drought. We used scientific literature and expert opinion to conduct a semiquantitative assessment of attributes considered to influence species resistance and resilience to drought for 15 freshwater fish species found in south-eastern Australia. We also present a conceptual framework to guide management of fish populations during drought. The framework focuses on (1) quantifying spatial variation in the severity of drought impacts on particular habitats (rivers, wetlands etc.), (2) assembling information on drought sensitivities of regionally important species, (3) identifying high risk areas (based on species sensitivity and drought severity), (4) determining and implementing appropriate management actions (pre-emptive, responsive), (5) monitoring outcomes and (6) disseminating information on outcomes. In many regions, historic population declines will serve to exacerbate the impacts of drought, and thus are a major threat to successful recovery from drought. Although we discuss both long-term, pre-emptive planning and short-term, responsive management actions, we contend that a long-term view is required to successfully address the threats posed by drought. Furthermore, although droughts clearly represent a severe disturbance to fish populations, ultimately it is anthropogenic factors that exacerbate drought and constrain recovery pathways (at global, regional and local scales), rather than drought per se. These factors must be addressed if we are to ensure the long-term viability of fish populations in inland aquatic ecosystems.
Neoliberal policy, rural livelihoods, and urban food security in West Africa: A comparative study of The Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali
Authors: Moseley William G. , Carney Judith , Becker Laurence
Published: March 2010

This study examines the impact of two decades of neoliberal policy reform on food production and household livelihood security in three West African countries. The rice sectors in The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali are scrutinized as well as cotton and its relationship to sorghum production in Mali. Although market reforms were intended to improve food production, the net result was an increasing reliance on imported rice. The vulnerability of the urban populations in The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire became especially clear during the 2007–2008 global food crisis when world prices for rice spiked. Urban Mali was spared the worst of this crisis because the country produces more of its own rice and the poorest consumers shifted from rice to sorghum, a grain whose production increased steeply as cotton production collapsed. The findings are based on household and market surveys as well as on an analysis of national level production data.
Carotid body chemosensory responses in mice deficient of TASK channels
Authors: Ortega-Sáenz Patricia , Levitsky Konstantin L. , Marcos-Almaraz María T. , Bonilla-Henao Victoria , Pascual Alberto , López-Barneo José
Published: March 2010

Background K+ channels of the TASK family are believed to participate in sensory transduction by chemoreceptor (glomus) cells of the carotid body (CB). However, studies on the systemic CB-mediated ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia in TASK1- and/or TASK3-deficient mice have yielded conflicting results. We have characterized the glomus cell phenotype of TASK-null mice and studied the responses of individual cells to hypoxia and other chemical stimuli. CB morphology and glomus cell size were normal in wild-type as well as in TASK1−/− or double TASK1/3−/− mice. Patch-clamped TASK1/3-null glomus cells had significantly higher membrane resistance and less hyperpolarized resting potential than their wild-type counterpart. These electrical parameters were practically normal in TASK1−/− cells. Sensitivity of background currents to changes of extracellular pH was drastically diminished in TASK1/3-null cells. In contrast with these observations, responsiveness to hypoxia or hypercapnia of either TASK1−/− or double TASK1/3−/− cells, as estimated by the amperometric measurement of catecholamine release, was apparently normal. TASK1/3 knockout cells showed an enhanced secretory rate in basal (normoxic) conditions compatible with their increased excitability. Responsiveness to hypoxia of TASK1/3-null cells was maintained after pharmacological blockade of maxi-K+ channels. These data in the TASK-null mouse model indicate that TASK3 channels contribute to the background K+ current in glomus cells and to their sensitivity to external pH. They also suggest that, although TASK1 channels might be dispensable for O2/CO2 sensing in mouse CB cells, TASK3 channels (or TASK1/3 heteromers) could mediate hypoxic depolarization of normal glomus cells. The ability of TASK1/3−/− glomus cells to maintain a powerful response to hypoxia even after blockade of maxi-K+ channels, suggests the existence of multiple sensor and/or effector mechanisms, which could confer upon the cells a high adaptability to maintain their chemosensory function.
Trends in Clostridium difficile Infection among Peripartum Women
Authors: Kuntz Jennifer L. , Yang Ming , Cavanaugh Joseph , Saftlas Audrey F. , Polgreen Philip M.
Published: March 2010

With use of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we conducted a study to
determine whether rates of Clostridium difficile
infection for delivery-associated hospitalizations are increasing. From 1998 to
2006, the number and incidence of C. difficile
infection among peripartum women increased significantly. These increases were
comparable to those observed in the general hospitalized population.
L'Emploi du temps: Diderot et Rousseau lecteurs de Sénèque
Authors: Nouis Lucien
Published: March 2010

L'ancien questionnement philosophique sur le bon emploi du temps, que l'on trouve notamment développé dans les protreptiques (exhortations à la philosophie) de l'antiquité, est repris de manière peu orthodoxe par Diderot dans son
Essai sur les règnes de Claude et de Néron
(1782), à propos du texte de Sénèque
De la brièveté de la vie
: alors que Sénèque prône de façon toute classique que le bon emploi du temps coïncide avec le retrait dans la solitude pour s'employer à la philosophie, Diderot déclare vouloir donner son temps à qui le réclame et le compter pour rien. Nous envisagerons cette prise de position à la lumière de la querelle qui avait opposé Diderot à Rousseau sur la question de la sociabilité et de la solitude: Rousseau se montre proche de Sénèque, il est jaloux de son temps, c'est la seule chose dont on puisse être avare; Diderot, lui, en est prodigue, il l'offre à qui le demande. A travers cette divergence se pose la question de la place du philosophe et de la philosophie dans la société: comment mesurer ce qui appartient à l'individu et ce qui appartient au groupe?
Identification of novel pneumolysin alleles from paediatric carriage isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Jefferies J. M. C. , Tocheva A. S. , Rubery H. , Bennett J. , Garland J. , Christodoulides M. , Faust S. N. , Smith A. , Mitchell T. J. , Clarke S. C.
Published: March 2010

Pneumolysin (Ply) is a major virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae and is produced by all known clinical isolates of pneumococci. Pneumolysin toxoids are being considered as vaccine candidates. We investigated the diversity of pneumolysin among 194 nasopharyngeal pneumococci characterized by serotyping and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Eight Ply protein alleles were identified, four of which were novel. The 4 novel alleles varied at 10 different amino acid positions, from a total of 147, 3 of these substitutions have been previously reported in different combinations. The protein allele correlated closely with MLST. It is critical that the presence of pneumolysin variants is considered with regards to the potential use of Ply in future vaccine formulations, as variation in Ply amino acid sequence may influence the immunogenicity of vaccines based on the presence of an individual Ply allele.
Modification of the Campylobacter jejuni flagellin glycan by the product of the Cj1295 homopolymeric-tract-containing gene
Authors: Hitchen Paul , Brzostek Joanna , Panico Maria , Butler Jonathan A. , Morris Howard R. , Dell Anne , Linton Dennis
Published: March 2010

The Campylobacter jejuni flagellin protein is O-glycosylated with structural analogues of the nine-carbon sugar pseudaminic acid. The most common modifications in the C. jejuni 81-176 strain are the 5,7-di-N-acetylated derivative (Pse5Ac7Ac) and an acetamidino-substituted version (Pse5Am7Ac). Other structures detected include O-acetylated and N-acetylglutamine-substituted derivatives (Pse5Am7Ac8OAc and Pse5Am7Ac8GlnNAc, respectively). Recently, a derivative of pseudaminic acid modified with a di-O-methylglyceroyl group was detected in C. jejuni NCTC 11168 strain. The gene products required for Pse5Ac7Ac biosynthesis have been characterized, but those genes involved in generating other structures have not. We have demonstrated that the mobility of the NCTC 11168 flagellin protein in SDS-PAGE gels can vary spontaneously and we investigated the role of single nucleotide repeats or homopolymeric-tract-containing genes from the flagellin glycosylation locus in this process. One such gene, Cj1295, was shown to be responsible for structural changes in the flagellin glycoprotein. Mass spectrometry demonstrated that the Cj1295 gene is required for glycosylation with the di-O-methylglyceroyl-modified version of pseudaminic acid.
Body size and social dominance influence breeding dispersal in malePachydiplax longipennis(Odonata)
Authors: McCAULEY SHANNON J.
Published: March 2010

1. Dispersal behaviour can be affected by an individual's phenotype, by the environmental or social context they experience, and by interactions between these factors. Differential dispersal propensities between individuals may also be an important modifier of functional connectivity between populations. To assess how a key trait, body size, affected both social interactions and dispersal behaviour, this study examined the relationship between body size, antagonistic interactions, and breeding dispersal in male dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) across a seasonal decline in adult body size.

2. During a seasonal peak in male body size in this study, dispersers were smaller than non‐dispersers. Later in the season, the body size of dispersers and non‐dispersers did not differ.

3. Focal observations found that body size was related to competitive dominance, large males engaged in aggressive chases more often and smaller males were more frequently pursued.

4. These results indicate that when large males were present, small males were more likely to disperse suggesting that dispersal is a tactic adopted by social subordinates in this context. If breeding dispersal is typically undertaken by subordinate males, functional connectivity between populations may be less than estimated from absolute dispersal rates.
Habitat use patterns of newly settled spotted seatrout in estuaries of the north‐western Gulf of Mexico
Authors: NEAHR T. A. , STUNZ G. W. , MINELLO T. J.
Published: March 2010

Abstract  This study examined habitat use patterns of newly settled spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier) across several Gulf of Mexico estuaries. Intensive sampling using an epibenthic sled was conducted in three Texas bays and among three potential habitat types. A long‐term data set (1982 to 1997) from the National Marine Fisheries Service was also used to examine C. nebulosus habitat use patterns in both marsh and seagrass‐dominated bay systems for broad regional comparisons along the north‐western Gulf of Mexico. Vegetated habitat types such as seagrass and marsh supported the highest densities and use was dependent upon availability of particular vegetated habitat types. In laboratory mesocosm experiments, both wild‐caught and hatchery‐reared C. nebulosus, showed strong selection for structured and vegetated habitat types. These field and laboratory results suggest that seagrass meadows and marshes may be functioning as important habitat for C. nebulosus in Gulf of Mexico, and other habitat types such as oyster reef need further evaluation.
Histopathology of culture‐associated skin erosions and papillary hyperplasia of Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus (L.)
Authors: Ottesen O H , Noga E J , Amin A
Published: March 2010

Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus (L.), that were cultured in tanks with a smooth bottom (gel‐coated fibreglass) substrate developed papillary hyperplasia and skin erosions on the blind (ventral) side. No viruses, bacteria or parasites were observed in any sections of affected skin. Comparison of microscopic pathology with that of skin from normal, wild‐caught halibut showed severe epidermal proliferation with foci of severe mucous cell hyperplasia. Both epidermal thickness and mucous cell density were significantly greater in fish held on a smooth substrate compared to skin of healthy fish. Spongiosis was present, especially at the base of the papillary, hyperplastic epidermis, and there was a chronic inflammatory infiltrate in the scale pockets composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes and erythrocytes. Skin erosions had various degrees of epidermal loss, in some cases to the basement membrane. A predisposing factor for the epidermal sloughing may have been related to the spongiosis, and the vacuolated, degenerated basal cells. When affected halibut were cultured for an additional 28, 62 or 97 days on a sand substrate, which is conducive to skin lesion healing, there was no apparent change in epidermal thickness over time. However, mucous cell density significantly increased from day 0 to 97 during the healing process.
The Laurentian Great Lakes strain (MI03) of the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus is highly pathogenic for juvenile muskellunge, Esox masquinongy (Mitchill)
Authors: Kim R K , Faisal M
Published: March 2010

The Great Lakes strain of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) isolated from adult subclinical muskellunge, Esox masquinongy (Mitchill), in Lake St. Clair, MI, USA was shown to be highly pathogenic in juvenile muskellunge through intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and waterborne challenge. Mortality began as early as 3 days after exposure in waterborne challenged fish, whereas fish infected by the i.p. route experienced the first mortality by 5 days post‐infection (p.i.). The median lethal intraperitoneal injection dose (IP‐LD50) was approximately 2.21 plaque forming units (PFU) as opposed to the median lethal immersion challenge dose (IM‐LD50) of 1.7 × 104 PFU mL−1. A high, medium and low dose of infection caused acute, subacute and chronic progression of the disease, respectively, as was evident by the cumulative mortality data. Clinical signs of disease observed in dead and moribund fish were very pale gills, dermal petechial haemorrhages along the flanks, severe nuchal haemorrhages, intramuscular haemorrhages at the fin–muscle junction and focal haemorrhaging on the caudal peduncle. Internal lesions included livers that were pale, discoloured and friable, and kidneys that were either congested or degenerative in appearance, and petechial to ecchymotic haemorrhages on the swim bladder wall. Histopathologic examination demonstrated massive haemorrhages in the swimbladder wall and muscle, severe vacuolation and multifocal necrosis of the liver, multifocal necrosis of the gills and depletion of lymphoid tissues within the spleen. Kidney tissues also exhibited a mixed pattern of degeneration that included tubular necrosis, interstitial oedema and congestion. Virus was recovered from kidney and spleen tissues through tissue culture and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).
The relationship between acquired impairments of executive function and behaviour change in adults with Down syndrome
Authors: Adams D. , Oliver C.
Published: March 2010

Background  The latter stages of dementia in individuals with Down syndrome are well documented; however, earlier cognitive and behavioural changes have only recently been described. Holland et al. suggested such early signs of dementia in this population are behavioural and are similar to those seen in frontotemporal dementia, but there is, as yet, no evidence to determine whether such behavioural changes are associated with a declines in specific cognitive functions, including those associated with the frontal lobes.

Methods  A longitudinal design of three time points across 16 months was used across 30 adults with Down syndrome aged 30 years and over. Measures of cognition (Neuropsychological Assessment of Dementia in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities), receptive language (British Picture Vocabulary Scales), adaptive behaviour (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales), behavioural excesses and behavioural deficits (Assessment for Adults with Developmental Disabilities) and measures of executive functioning were completed at each time point. Using a data‐driven method, cognitive deterioration was determined using the Reliable Change Index on performance on the Neuropsychological Assessment of Dementia in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities across the duration of the study. Performance on the remaining measures were then compared between those with (n = 10) and those without (n = 20) cognitive deterioration.

Results  Only individuals with cognitive deterioration showed decreases on measures of executive function and significant changes in behaviour across the duration of the study, which was not solely due to declines in memory. There were no changes between the groups on levels of adaptive behaviour.

Conclusions  Even in the early stages of cognitive deterioration, specific behavioural changes can be identified that are not present in those without cognitive deterioration. The differing effects of cognitive deterioration on behavioural excesses and deficits are discussed in relation to potentially differing underlying neuropathological causes.
Ammodytoxin C Gene Helps to Elucidate the Irregular Structure of Crotalinae Group II Phospholipase A2 Genes
Authors: Kordiš Dušan , Gubenšek Franc
Published: March 2010

Ammodytoxin C is a presynaptically neurotoxic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) expressed in the venom glands of Vipera ammodytes (subfamily Viperinae). The gene spans more than 4 kb and consists of five exons and four introns characteristic of group II phospholipase A2 genes. The first exon encodes the 5′ untranslated region, the second exon encodes most of the signal peptide, while exons 3–5 encode three parts of the mature protein. Comparison of the Crotalinae and Viperinae PLA2 genes has shown that Crotalinae PLA2 retain the first intron in their mRNAs. The apparent cause of this retention is a deletion of 40 bp in the first exon of PLA2 genes of the subfamily Crotalinae, which prevents splicing of the first intron. Analysis of the secondary structure of the pre‐mRNA of the ammodytoxin C gene has shown that the first exon is able to form an intra‐exon hairpin which is absent in Crotalinae PLA2 pre‐mRNAs. Our results indicate that this intra‐exon hairpin structure is essential for the splicing of the retained first intron. Contrary to the predictions of the neutral theory of molecular evolution, the introns of all known snake venom PLA2 genes are conserved up to 90%, that is considerably more than the exons. Consequently it is proposed that highly conserved introns, in imiltigene families, which evolve under positive Darwinian selection, may have an important role in enabling homologous recombination.
Complete Amino Acid Sequences of Follitropin and Lutropin in the Ostrich, Struthio camelus
Authors: Koide Yoshio , Papkoff Harold , Kawauchi Hiroshi
Published: March 2010

We determined the complete amino acid sequences of two pituitary gonadotropins, follitropin and lutropin in the ostrich, thereby providing the first information on the structure of avian follitropin. Ostrich follitropin and lutropin both consist of two subunits: a common α‐subunit and a hormone‐specific β‐subunit. The α‐subunit is composed of 96 amino acid residues and has 70–80% sequence identity with the α‐subunits of most vertebrates. The ostrich follitropin β‐subunit consists of 106 amino‐acid residues, and shows 70–74% sequence identity with mammalian follitropins β, 61% with amphibian follitropin β, 39–46% with teleost gonadotropins IIβ and 32–44% with teleost gonadotropins Iβ. The ostrich lutropin β‐subunit consists of 128 amino‐acid residues, and exhibits 76–78% sequence identity with other avian lutropins β, 44–50% with teleost gonadotropins IIβ, 45% with amphibian lutropin β, 41–44% with mammalian lutropins β, and 25–36% with teleost gonadotropins Iβ. Sequence comparison revealed that lutropin β‐subunits are more class‐specific and have diversified approximately twice as fast follitropin β‐subunits, although segments essential for maintaining higher‐order structures have been conserved.
7Li Nuclear‐Magnetic‐Resonance Study of Lithium Binding to Myo‐Inositol Monophosphatase
Authors: Saudek Vladimir , Vincendon Pascale , Do Quoc‐Tuan , Atkinson R. Andrew , Sklenár Vladimir , Pelton Patricia D. , Piriou François , Ganzhorn Axel J.
Published: March 2010

The interaction of Li+ with myo‐inositol monophosphatase was studied by 7Li‐NMR spectroscopy. Li+ binding to the enzyme induces a downfield shift and broadening of the 7Li‐NMR signal. Changes of the chemical shift were used to follow the titration of the enzyme with lithium and to determine a dissociation constant, Kd= (1.0 ± 0.1) mM. Only one major binding site/enzyme subunit was inferred. The complex forms independently of the presence of inorganic phosphate. Metals from the group IIa of the periodic table compete with Li+ binding with the affinity increasing in the order Mg2+ < Ca2+ Be2+. In contrast to lithium, their binding is enhanced by phosphate.
Flight behaviour of European corn borer infected with Nosema pyrausta
Authors: Dorhout D. L. , Sappington T. W. , Lewis L. C. , Rice M. E.
Published: March 2010

The microsporidian Nosema pyrausta Paillot is a common and widespread pathogen of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), in North America and Europe. Nosema negatively affects European corn borer longevity and fecundity. In this study, we used flight mills to examine the effects of Nosema infection on flight activity of unmated males and females at 1 and 3 days after pupal eclosion, taking the level of infection, as measured by number of Nosema spores per mg of tissue, into consideration. Nosema infection had a significant negative effect on distance, duration and speed of the longest uninterrupted flight, as well as on total distance and duration of flight of 1‐day‐old males, but not of 3‐day‐old males or females of either age. However, when insects with a light infection (<15 spores/mg) were pooled with uninfected moths, significant negative effects of a moderate/heavy infection (≥15 spores/mg) were observed for most flight parameters in 1‐day‐old, but not 3‐day‐old, moths of both sexes. The magnitude of reduction was often substantial: e.g., distance and duration were sevenfold, and 3.5‐fold less, respectively, in 1‐day‐old females with a moderate/heavy infection. Flight distance and duration were significantly negatively correlated with level of Nosema infection in 1‐day‐old, but not 3‐day‐old, moths of both sexes. The percentage of moths of either sex or age with a moderate/heavy Nosema infection flying given distances was less than that of lightly infected (<15 spores/mg) moths. Among uninfected adults, forewing length was positively correlated with several measures of flight performance in males, but not females. However, some performance measures were correlated with wing length in females when infected with Nosema. Nosema infection was associated with reduced adult weight, but not forewing length, suggesting that negative effects of Nosema infection on flight performance are related to reduced energy reserves rather than smaller body size per se.
Caring with difficulty: Brazilian nurses' experiences of gynaecological surgery care
Authors: Da Costa Vargens Octavio Muniz , Berterö Carina M
Published: March 2010

da Costa Vargens OM, Berterö CM. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 159–165 Caring with difficulty: Brazilian nurses' experiences of gynaecological surgery care

This study was made by a qualitative approach based on symbolic interactionism and grounded theory. The subject was defined as what mutilation means for nurses who take care of women submitted to gynaecological surgery. The aim was to identify the interaction relationship of nurses as female with the phenomenon of mutilation in gynaecological surgeries and how it affects their relationship with female patients in this situation. Data were obtained by interviews with 16 nurses who work in gynaecology units. The findings present two core categories: speaking as a professional and speaking as female. When they spoke as professional nurses they defined mutilation technically. As females they verbalized their conflict and difficulty in working with mutilation and redefined it as being the loss of something very important for themselves. We conclude that female nurses when confronting female surgery distances themselves behind the professional nurse and performs nursing care as a daily routine. It means that these nurses live a personal conflict that influences directly on how they supply care. They care for but do not care about, the ethos of biomedicine leads carers on to a technical path from which it is difficult to get off.
Review: Membranes for haemodialysis
Authors: KERR PETER G , HUANG LOUIS
Published: March 2010

Haemodialysis, by design, uses a semipermeable membrane to separate blood from dialysate. The qualities of this membrane determine the nature of the ‘traffic’ between the blood and dialysate. In this sense, the qualities of the membrane determine what size molecules move from one compartment to the other, the amount and rate at which they might move and the amount and rate of water movement across the membrane. In addition, the nature of the membrane influences the biological response of the patient both in terms of what is or is not removed by the dialysis process and by way of the reaction to the biocompatibility of the membrane. This brief review will explore aspects of dialysis membrane characteristics.
Effects of herbivory and the season of disturbance on algal succession in a tropical intertidal shore, Phuket, Thailand
Authors: Mayakun Jaruwan , Kim Jeong Ha , Prathep Anchana
Published: March 2010

The effects of herbivory and the season of disturbance on species composition and algal succession were experimentally tested at a tropical intertidal shore, Phuket Island, Thailand. Dead coral patches were cleared of all organisms during both the dry and rainy seasons in order to study the effects of season on algal succession and cages were set up to exclude fish herbivory. Algal succession in this intertidal habitat showed a simple pattern and took a year from the early Ulva paradoxa C. Agardh stage to the late Polysiphonia sphaerocarpa Børgesen stage. The abundance of algae during succession was under the influence of seasonal change. U. paradoxa reproduced and recruited throughout the year. Caging effects did not apparently influence algal abundance, perhaps because resident herbivorous damselfishes excluded other herbivores from their territories and maintained their algal “farms”. Unexpectedly, the percent cover of Ulva in the caged plots was lower than in uncaged plots. This pattern may indicate that caging excluded damselfishes only, but allowed small herbivores that consumed substantial amounts of soft filamentous algae in the cages.
Population dynamics and culture studies of the edible red alga Callophyllis variegata (Kallymeniaceae)
Authors: Del Carmen Hernández‐González María , Aroca Gesica , Furci Giuliana , Buschmann Alejandro H. , Filún Luis , Espinoza René
Published: March 2010

Callophyllis variegata is a red alga that has been exported to Japan as an edible seaweed over the past few years. Available data strongly suggest that after a few years of exploitation of the C. variegata stands in southern Chile, a decline of its abundance seems to be occurring. However, there is not sufficient knowledge available to sustain harvesting strategies or to develop cultivation techniques. This study describes the C. variegata landings in the south of Chile and also provides some basic data on the biology of this species. Experiments related to the cultivation of early developmental stages, frond cultivation under controlled conditions and the regeneration capacity of the holdfast of this red alga are also presented. Spore production occurs mainly in autumn and winter and survival of carpospores decreased as the temperature increased from 8 to 12°C. Survival of tetraspores increased significantly, from 50 to 60% to over 80%, when temperature was raised from 8 to 12°C. Carpospore survival was also significantly affected by the photon flux density. This effect was mainly at 8°C, whereas at 33 µmol m−2 s−1 the survival of the spores is always low. The cultivation of apical portions of C. variegata under laboratory conditions showed that lower temperatures (8°C) significantly increased growth. Salinity and photon flux density did not have an effect on specific growth rate. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that holdfasts can regenerate fronds and that these fronds can be excised and cultivated, and are far more tolerant to environmental factors than the apical portions.
PANEL DATA UNIT ROOT TEST WITH FIXED TIME DIMENSION
Authors: Carrion‐i‐Silvestre Josep Lluís , Hadri Kaddour
Published: March 2010

The consideration of the limit theory in which T is fixed and N is allowed to go to infinity improves the finite‐sample properties of the tests and avoids the imposition of the relative rates at which T and N go to infinity.
Marine resource conservation and prospects for environmental sustainability in Anuta, Solomon Islands
Authors: Feinberg Richard
Published: March 2010

It has been argued that atolls have abundant, varied and dependable marine resources and that atoll‐dwellers' exploitation of marine fauna has remained essentially constant since prehistoric times. According to that line of argument, modern technology, in and of itself, has had little effect on the relationship between human populations and the natural environment. A countervailing view contends that the market economy and reliance upon money have disrupted egalitarian socioeconomic systems and threatened the long‐standing ecological balance. Here I consider questions of environmental sustainability and economic viability on Anuta, a Polynesian outlier in Solomon Islands. Anuta, a volcanic island, has more abundant terrestrial resources than do atolls, and all indications are that it has been a hierarchically‐organized chiefdom for well over a dozen generations. Nonetheless, it is a small, seemingly vulnerable community. In reality, productivity of land and sea have remained stable at least since the 1970s, in part because of conscious, purposeful decisions intended to preserve the island's natural resources. Thus, Anutans can be described as conservationists in the technical sense used by some authors. Yet on Anuta, as elsewhere, a combination of population growth and market exchange has begun to place a strain on the environment and raises questions for their system's long‐term viability.
Pacific islands in the global economy: Paradoxes of migration and culture
Authors: Connell John
Published: March 2010

Predictions for the future of small islands and island states are invariably pessimistic. Poverty has increased, free trade offers limited possibilities, governance is weak and urban biased, and aid dependence has not declined despite aid fatigue. Populations are contracting from outer islands. One outcome has been increasing migration and remittances, as safety valve and diversification strategy. Selective migration and limited return migration have contributed to skill drain. Yet migration has enabled peripheries to survive through improved welfare and investment, and sustained social structures. Formal development strategies, whether international or national, emphasize ‘modernity’, with culture to be abhorred and ignored; yet hybridity offers possibilities for more equitable sustainable development. A combination of migration, economic diversification and cultural hybridity provides alternative development trajectories.
Public Goods, Social Norms, and Naïve Beliefs
Authors: CARTWRIGHT EDWARD , PATEL AMRISH
Published: March 2010

An individual's contribution to a public good may be seen by others as a signal of attributes such as generosity or wealth. An individual may, therefore, choose their contribution so as to send an appropriate signal to others. In this paper, we question how the inferences made by others will influence the amount contributed to the public good. Evidence suggests that individuals are naïve and biased toward taking things at “face value.” We contrast, therefore, contributions made to a public good if others are expected to make rational inferences versus contributions if others are expected to make naïve inferences.
Equitable and Efficient Federal Structures with Decentralized Leadership, Spillovers, and Attachment of Heterogeneous Labor
Authors: AOYAMA NAOTO , SILVA EMILSON C. D.
Published: March 2010

Relying on differentiability assumptions and on conditions that guarantee interior solutions, we show that a federation featuring decentralized leadership, interregional spillovers, and labor attachment allocates resources efficiently under two sets of circumstances. The first is when the center is Rawlsian. The second is when individual utilities are quasi‐linear, regional welfare functions are Benthamite, and the center's objective function is a Bergson–Samuelson transformation of regional welfare levels, which also satisfies conditions needed for the center to view regional welfare levels as normal goods. In both sets of circumstances, efficient behavior follows from incentive equivalence promoted by the center's egalitarian transfers.
Lack of brain‐to‐blood efflux transport activity of low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein‐1 (LRP‐1) for amyloid‐β peptide(1–40) in mouse: involvement of an LRP‐1‐independent pathway
Authors: Ito Shingo , Ueno Takashi , Ohtsuki Sumio , Terasaki Tetsuya
Published: March 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)113, 1356–1363.

The contribution of low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein‐1 (LRP‐1) to the brain‐to‐blood amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ) efflux transport across the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) remains controversial. The purpose of the present study was to clarify whether or not LRP‐1 plays a role in efflux transport of Aβ at the BBB. After microinjection of [125I]activated α2‐macroglobulin (α2M), a typical LRP‐1 ligand, into mouse secondary somatosensory cortex region under ketamine‐xylazine anesthesia, residual radioactivity was not significantly decreased up to 90 min, whereas after microinjection of [125I]human Aβ(1–40) [hAβ(1–40)], the residual radioactivity decreased time‐dependently. Co‐administration of receptor‐associated protein, an inhibitor of LRP‐1, did not influence [125I]hAβ(1–40) elimination from mouse brain, suggesting that members of the LDL receptor gene family, including LRP‐1, do not contribute to hAβ(1–40) elimination from mouse brain across the BBB. There was no significant difference between the uptakes of [125I]activated α2M and [14C]inulin by mouse brain slices, suggesting that activated α2M was not significantly bound to and/or taken up by parenchymal cells. In conclusion, our results show that LRP‐1 does not play a significant role in the brain‐to‐blood efflux transport of Aβ(1–40) at the mouse BBB, but an unidentified transporter(s) appears to be involved.
Glutamate receptor‐mediated phosphorylation of ezrin/radixin/moesin proteins is implicated in filopodial protrusion of primary cultured hippocampal neuronal cells
Authors: Kim Han‐Seop , Bae Chang‐Dae , Park Joobae
Published: March 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 1565–1576.

Previously, we reported the phosphorylation of moesin induced by electroconvulsive shock in rat brain and by glutamate in immortalized rat hippocampal cells. However, the function of phosphorylated moesin in differentiated neurons is not well understood. In this study, we observed that glutamate induces phosphorylation of ezrin/radixin/moesin proteins (ERM) in cultured hippocampal cells and that phosphorylated ERM localizes at the newly formed filopodia of neurites. The glutamate‐induced phosphorylation of ERM is calcium‐dependent, and inhibition of protein kinase C abolishes ERM phosphorylation as well as RhoA activation. The inhibitions of RhoA and RhoA kinase also diminishes the glutamate‐induced ERM phosphorylation in cultured hippocampal cells. The knock‐down of moesin or the inhibition of ERM phosphorylation results in the reduction of glutamate‐induced filopodia protrusion and diminishes the increase in active synaptic boutons induced by glutamate treatment. These results indicate that glutamate‐induced phosphorylation of ERM proteins in primary cultured differentiated hippocampal neurons is mediated by calcium‐dependent protein kinase C, RhoA and RhoA kinase, and the phosphorylated ERM protein is necessary for the formation of filopodial protrusion and may be involved in pre‐synaptic trafficking.
Adenosine A2A receptors in both bone marrow cells and non‐bone marrow cells contribute to traumatic brain injury
Authors: Dai Shuang‐Shuang , Li Wei , An Jian‐Hong , Wang Hao , Yang Nan , Chen Xing‐Yun , Zhao Yan , Li Ping , Liu Ping , Chen Jiang‐Fan , Zhou Yuan‐Guo
Published: March 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)113, 1536–1544.

Adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) in bone marrow‐derived cells (BMDCs) are involved in regulation of inflammation and outcome in several CNS injuries; however their relative contribution to traumatic brain injury (TBI) is unknown. In this study, we created a mouse cortical impact model, and BMDC A2ARs were selectively inactivated in wild‐type (WT) mice or reconstituted in global A2AR knockout (KO) mice (i.e. inactivation of non‐BMDC A2ARs) by bone marrow transplantation. When compared with WT mice, selective inactivation of BMDC A2ARs significantly attenuated the neurological deficits, brain water content and cell apoptosis at 24 h post‐TBI as global A2AR KO did. However, compared with the A2AR KO mice, selective reconstitution of BMDC A2ARs failed to reinstate brain injury, indicating the contribution of the non‐BMDC A2AR to TBI. Furthermore, the protective outcome by selective inactivation of BMDC A2AR or broad inactivation of non‐BMDC A2ARs was accompanied with reduced CSF glutamate level and suppression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1, or interleukin‐1 and tumor necrosis factor‐α. These findings demonstrate that inactivation of A2ARs in either BMDCs or non‐BMDCs is sufficient to confer the protective effect as global A2AR KO against TBI, indicating the A2AR involvement in TBI by multiple cellular mechanisms of A2AR involvement including inhibition of glutamate release and inflammatory cytokine expressions.
An Advanced Creep Model Allowing for Hardening and Damage Effects
Authors: Calì C. , Cricrì G. , Perrella M.
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  In this work an original creep prediction model is presented with a unified comprehensive formulation with primary, secondary and tertiary stages for variable stresses and temperature fields. The creep model is implemented in the ANSYS FEM code, using the Fortran subroutine usercreep, specifically suited for the cases examined, in order to assess the material behaviour more accurately than that provided by the mono‐dimensional approach. Furthermore, the residual stresses that arise from thermo‐mechanical loading and unloading cycles, under the temperature‐dependent bilinear elastic–plastic hypothesis, are considered. In order to validate the model proposed, an investigation into the final stages of turbine blade is presented and discussed. The nonlinear properties of the material are taken from an industrial context and the literature. In addition to the temperature dependence of the properties of the material, geometric nonlinearities are also considered. The material adopted for model calibration is a polycrystalline Ni‐based superalloy. Load conditions used in the simulations are obtained using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis under working conditions provided by industrial research and the constraints modelled are representative of the real joining condition of the blade. Finally, the simulation results are compared with those obtained by the Norton–Bailey prediction model.
Error and Uncertainty Analysis of the Residual Stresses Computed by Using the Hole Drilling Method
Authors: Scafidi M. , Valentini E. , Zuccarello B.
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  The hole‐drilling method is one of the most used techniques for the experimental analysis of the residual stresses in mechanical components. For both through‐thickness uniform and non‐uniform residual stress distributions, its application is standardised by the ASTM E837‐08. In accordance with the ASTM limitations, the analysis of uniform residual stresses, to which the present work deals with, leads in general to results with a maximum bias of about 10%. Unfortunately, in general the user does not have appropriate procedures to estimate the actual stress error; consequently, if one or more of the experimental influence parameters fall out of the corresponding standard limitations, the computed residual stresses have to be considered as qualitative results. In order to overcome such drawbacks as well as to permit in general the estimation of the stress uncertainty, in the present work the procedures for the correction of the effects of the main error sources and for the stress uncertainty estimation, are proposed. The practical application of such procedures is carried out by using a simple calculation code properly implemented in Matlab environment. Also, the use of this tool allows the user to highlight the relative error and the stress uncertainty contribution of each influence parameter.
A2badenosine receptors can change their spots
Authors: Cohen Michael V , Yang Xiulan , Downey James M
Published: March 2010

Recently, a central role for the A2badenosine receptor in a variety of cardiovascular functions including inflammation, erectile function, coronary artery dilation, asthma and cardioprotection has been demonstrated. Despite this evidence, the low‐affinity A2badenosine receptor is still poorly understood. This receptor appears to be very promiscuous in its coupling. In most tissues, it couples to Gsmuch like its cousin, the A2aadenosine receptor, but in mast cells and now, most recently, in cardiac fibroblasts, the A2breceptor also couples to Gq. Because of its low affinity, this receptor was originally thought unlikely to play any important physiological role. But the sensitivity of A2badenosine receptors can be greatly increased by interaction with protein kinase C (PKC) making this receptor, under various conditions, both an activator and a target of PKC. We have recently documented a third coupling involving Gi. This plasticity and versatility of A2badenosine receptors position them as potential triggers of signalling in multiple signalling cascades in many physiological responses, making this a most interesting receptor indeed.

This article is a commentary on Fenget al., pp. 1598–1607 of this issue. To view this paper visithttp://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2009.00558.x