bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of summer irrigation on seasonal changes in taproot reserves and the expression of winter dormancy/activity in four contrasting lucerne cultivars
Authors: Pembleton K. G. , Cunningham S. M. , Volenec J. J.
Published: November 2010

In the summer dry environment of cool temperate Tasmania, summer irrigation is used to maximise forage production. For lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) this irrigation is likely to interact with winter-dormancy genotypes to influence seasonal changes in taproot reserves and thus, the process of cold acclimation. To test this hypothesis four lucerne cultivars with contrasting levels of winter dormancy (DuPuits: winter-dormant; Grasslands Kaituna: semi winter-dormant; SARDI 7: winter-active: SARDI 10, highly winter-active) were grown in small plots at Elliott, Tasmania, under irrigated or dryland conditions. At each defoliation taproots were sampled and assayed for the concentration of soluble sugars, starch, amino acids, soluble protein, the abundance of vegetative storage proteins (VSP), and the abundance of mRNA transcripts associated with cold acclimation and VSP. Taproot-soluble protein concentrations in DuPuits significantly increased from summer to autumn when plants were grown under dryland conditions. When grown under irrigated conditions, taproot-soluble protein concentrations decreased over summer and increased in autumn for all cultivars. The abundance of VSP increased in summer in all cultivars grown under dryland conditions. Taproot-soluble sugar concentrations increased and starch decreased in autumn for all cultivars grown under both water regimes. Plants grown under dryland conditions showed little change in RNA transcript abundance of cold acclimation genes across all cultivars and sampling dates, while in those plants grown under irrigated conditions, transcript abundance was influenced by sampling date, and for some genes, by cultivar. There was a clear carry-over effect from the exposure of summer drought on the winter-dormancy response. The expression of winter dormancy at an agronomic and molecular level was greater under dryland conditions.
Dry Heat and Hot Water Treatments for Disinfesting Cottonseed of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum
Authors: Bennett Rebecca S. , Colyer Patrick D.
Published: November 2010

The potential of low- and high-temperature dry heat, and hot water treatments, for disinfesting cottonseed of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum was investigated. Naturally infected seeds from Louisiana were air-heated at 30, 35, and 40°C for up to 24 weeks. Seed harvested from bolls inoculated with race 4 of F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum were incubated in dry heat at 60, 70, and 80°C for 2 to 14 days, or were immersed in 90°C water from 45 s to 3 min. The effects on seed germination and vigor of hot water treatment and a subset of the high-temperature dry heat treatments were also examined in seeds of a Pima (Gossypium barbadense) and an Upland (G. hirsutum) cultivar. Low- or high-temperature dry heat did not eliminate Fusarium spp. from the seed, although seed infection declined more rapidly with higher incubation temperatures. High-temperature dry heat treatments effective in eliminating fusaria also significantly reduced seed vigor in both the Pima and Upland cultivars. Seed from all times of immersion in hot water were less frequently infected with Fusarium spp. than nontreated seed. Incidence of seed infection did not differ significantly among immersion times ranging from 75 s to 3 min. Immersion in 90°C water did not reduce germination or vigor at exposure times ≤120 s and ≤150 s for seeds of Pima and Upland cotton, respectively. Results from the hot water treatments suggest that thermotherapy may be optimized to provide a tactic to prevent the spread of virulent F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum genotypes into uninfested areas through infected seed.
Rotation and Cover Crop Effects on Soilborne Potato Diseases, Tuber Yield, and Soil Microbial Communities
Authors: Larkin Robert P. , Griffin Timothy S. , Honeycutt C. Wayne
Published: November 2010

Seven different 2-year rotations, consisting of barley/clover, canola, green bean, millet/rapeseed, soybean, sweet corn, and potato, all followed by potato, were assessed over 10 years (1997–2006) in a long-term cropping system trial for their effects on the development of soilborne potato diseases, tuber yield, and soil microbial communities. These same rotations were also assessed with and without the addition of a fall cover crop of no-tilled winter rye (except for barley/clover, for which underseeded ryegrass was substituted for clover) over a 4-year period. Canola and rapeseed rotations consistently reduced the severity of Rhizoctonia canker, black scurf, and common scab (18 to 38% reduction), and canola rotations resulted in higher tuber yields than continuous potato or barley/clover (6.8 to 8.2% higher). Addition of the winter rye cover crop further reduced black scurf and common scab (average 12.5 and 7.2% reduction, respectively) across all rotations. The combined effect of a canola or rapeseed rotation and winter rye cover crop reduced disease severity by 35 to 41% for black scurf and 20 to 33% for common scab relative to continuous potato with no cover crop. Verticillium wilt became a prominent disease problem only after four full rotation cycles, with high disease levels in all plots; however, incidence was lowest in barley rotations. Barley/clover and rapeseed rotations resulted in the highest soil bacterial populations and microbial activity, and all rotations had distinct effects on soil microbial community characteristics. Addition of a cover crop also resulted in increases in bacterial populations and microbial activity and had significant effects on soil microbial characteristics, in addition to slightly improving tuber yield (4% increase). Thus, in addition to positive effects in reducing erosion and improving soil quality, effective crop rotations in conjunction with planting cover crops can provide improved control of soilborne diseases. However, this study also demonstrated limitations with 2-year rotations in general, because all rotations resulted in increasing levels of common scab and Verticillium wilt over time.
Additional Sources of Broad-Spectrum Resistance to Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae from Canadian Accessions of Avena barbata
Authors: Carson M. L.
Published: November 2010

Crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) is considered the most damaging disease of oat and the use of race-specific seedling (Pc) genes for resistance has been the primary means of control. As these resistance genes from cultivated oat, Avena sativa, and the wild hexaploid animated oat, A. sterilis, were deployed in oat cultivars, corresponding virulence in the U.S. crown rust population increased rapidly, such that the effective lifespan of a resistant cultivar in the United States is now 5 years or less. Introgression of resistance from diploid and tetraploid Avena spp. into hexaploid oat has been difficult due to the difference in ploidy levels and the lack of pairing of homeologous chromosomes between species. The wild tetraploid slender oat, A. barbata, has been a source of powdery mildew and stem rust resistance in cultivated oat but has largely been unexploited for crown rust resistance. A relatively high percentage of A. barbata accessions from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Small Grains Collection were resistant to a highly diverse crown rust population in recent tests. Tests of 1,099 A. barbata accessions from the Canadian Plant Gene Resources Center not represented in the USDA collection revealed that a similar percentage (11.4%) were at least moderately resistant at the seedling and adult plant stage when tested with a highly diverse bulk inoculum derived from the St. Paul buckthorn nursery. Eighteen accessions were rated as highly resistant or a mix of highly resistant and resistant plants in both seedling and adult plant tests. Three accessions (CN21531 from Italy and CN26271 and CN26305 from Spain) displayed a unique “blotchy” resistant reaction as adult plants. Resistant accessions were found from throughout much of the natural range of A. barbata but the Western Mediterranean and Lebanon had the highest frequency of accessions with broad-spectrum resistance.
Greater effort boosts the affective taste properties of food
Authors: Johnson Alexander W. , Gallagher Michela
Published: November 2010

Actions can create preferences, increasing the value ascribed to commodities acquired at greater cost. This behavioural finding has been observed in a variety of species; however, the causal factors underlying the phenomenon are relatively unknown. We sought to develop a behavioural platform to examine the relationship between effort and reinforcer value in mice trained under demanding or lenient schedules of reinforcement to obtain food. In the initial experiment, expenditure of effort enhanced the value of the associated food via relatively lasting changes in its hedonic attributes, promoting an acquired preference for these reinforcers when tested outside of the training environment. Moreover, otherwise neutral cues associated with those reinforcers during training similarly acquired greater reinforcing value, as assessed under conditioned reinforcement. In a separate experiment, expenditure of effort was also capable of enhancing the value of less-preferred low-caloric reinforcers. Analysis of licking microstructure revealed the basis for this increased valuation was, in part, due to increased palatability of the associated reinforcer. This change in the hedonic taste properties of the food can not only serve as a basis for preference, but also guide decision-making and foraging behaviour by coordinating a potentially adaptive repertoire of incentive motivation, goal-directed action and consumption.
Moving calls: a vocal mechanism underlying quorum decisions in cohesive groups
Authors: Bousquet Christophe A. H. , Sumpter David J. T. , Manser Marta B.
Published: November 2010

Members of social groups need to coordinate their behaviour when choosing between alternative activities. Consensus decisions enable group members to maintain group cohesion and one way to reach consensus is to rely on quorums. A quorum response is where the probability of an activity change sharply increases with the number of individuals supporting the new activity. Here, we investigated how meerkats (Suricata suricatta) use vocalizations in the context of movement decisions. Moving calls emitted by meerkats increased the speed of the group, with a sharp increase in the probability of changing foraging patch when the number of group members joining the chorus increased from two up to three. These calls had no apparent effect on the group's movement direction. When dominant individuals were involved in the chorus, the group's reaction was not stronger than when only subordinates called. Groups only increased speed in response to playbacks of moving calls from one individual when other group members emitted moving calls as well. The voting mechanism linked to a quorum probably allows meerkat groups to change foraging patches cohesively with increased speed. Such vocal coordination may reflect an aggregation rule linking individual assessment of foraging patch quality to group travel route.
Fork-tailed drongos use deceptive mimicked alarm calls to steal food
Authors: Flower Tom
Published: November 2010

Despite the prevalence of vocal mimicry in animals, few functions for this behaviour have been shown. I propose a novel hypothesis that false mimicked alarm calls could be used deceptively to scare other species and steal their food. Studies have previously suggested that animals use their own species-specific alarm calls to steal food. However none have shown conclusively that these false alarms are deceptive, or that mimicked alarm calls are used in this manner. Here, I show that wild fork-tailed drongos (
Dicrurus adsimilis
) make both drongo-specific and mimicked false alarm calls when watching target species handling food, in response to which targets flee to cover abandoning their food. The drongo-specific and mimicked calls made in false alarms were structurally indistinguishable from calls made during true alarms at predators by drongos and other species. Furthermore, I demonstrate by playback experiments that two of these species, meerkats (
Suricata suricatta
) and pied babblers (
Turdoides bicolor
), are deceived by both drongo-specific and mimicked false alarm calls. These results provide the first conclusive evidence that false alarm calls are deceptive and demonstrate a novel function for vocal mimicry. This work also provides valuable insight into the benefits of deploying variable mimetic signals in deceptive communication.
When hatchlings outperform adults: locomotor development in Australian brush turkeys (Alectura lathami, Galliformes)
Authors: Dial Kenneth P. , Jackson Brandon E.
Published: November 2010

Within Galliformes, megapods (brush turkey, malleefowl, scrubfowl) exhibit unique forms of parental care and growth. Hatchlings receive no post-hatching parental care and exhibit the most exaggerated precocial development of all extant birds, hatching with fully developed, flight-capable forelimbs. Rather than flying up to safety, young birds preferentially employ wing-assisted incline running. Newly hatched Australian brush turkeys (Alectura lathami) are extraordinarily proficient at negotiating all textured inclined surfaces and can flap-walk up inclines exceeding the vertical. Yet, as brush turkeys grow, their forelimb-dependent locomotor performance declines. In an attempt to elucidate how hatchlings perform so well, we analysed hindlimb forces and forelimb kinematics. We measured ground reaction forces (GRFs) for animals spanning the entire growth range (110–2000 g) as they ascended a variably positioned inclined ramp that housed a forceplate. These data are compared with a similar dataset for a chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) that exhibit a growth strategy typical of most other Galliformes and that demonstrate improved incline performance with increasing age. The brush turkeys' ontogenetic decline in incline running performance is accompanied by loss of traction at steep angles, reduced GRFs and increased wing-loading. We hypothesize that Australian brush turkeys, in contrast to other Galliformes, develop from forelimb-dominated young that exploit a variable terrain (e.g. mound nests, boulders, embankments, cliffs, bushes and trees) into hindlimb-dominated adults dependent on size and running speed to avoid predation.
Ontogenetic changes in the spatial learning capability of jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus
Authors: Takahashi K. , Masuda R. , Yamashita Y.
Published: November 2010

Ontogenetic changes in learning capability were studied in jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus juveniles ranging from 20 to 95 mm standard length (LS) collected from either pelagic or coastal habitats. Simple spatial and reversal learning tasks were used to estimate learning capability. There was no size dependence in the scores of simple reward conditioning using a Y‐maze, whereas the scores of reversal learning tasks showed a clear sigmoidal curve of increase with an inflexion point at 51·7 mm LS. The increase in this learning capability coincided with the size at which juveniles recruit from offshore pelagic to coastal rocky habitats.
Ribosomal protein L27a is required for growth and patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Szakonyi Dóra , Byrne Mary E.
Published: November 2010

Ribosomal proteins are integral to ribosome biogenesis, and function in protein synthesis. In higher eukaryotes, loss of cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins results in a reduced growth rate as well as developmental defects. To what extent and how ribosomal proteins affect development is currently not known. Here we describe a semi‐dominant mutation in the cytoplasmic ribosomal protein gene RPL27aC that affects multiple aspects of plant shoot development, including leaf patterning, inflorescence and floral meristem function, and seed set. In the embryo, RPL27aC is required to maintain the growth rate and for the transition from radial to bilateral symmetry associated with initiation of cotyledons. rpl27ac‐1d embryos undergo stereotypical patterning to establish a globular embryo. However, a temporal delay in initiation and outgrowth of cotyledon primordia leads to development of an enlarged globular embryo prior to apical domain patterning. Defects in embryo development are coincident with tissue‐specific ectopic expression of the shoot meristem genes SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) and CUP‐SHAPED COTYLEDON2 (CUC2), in addition to delayed expression of the abaxial gene FILAMENTOUS FLOWER (FIL) and mis‐regulation of the auxin efflux effector PIN‐FORMED1 (PIN1). Genetic interactions with other ribosomal protein mutants indicate that RPL27aC is a component of the ribosome. We propose that RPL27aC regulates discrete developmental events by controlling spatial and temporal expression of developmental patterning genes via an as yet undefined process involving the ribosome.
Over‐marking and Adjacent Marking are Influenced by Sibship in Male Prairie Voles, Microtus ochrogaster
Authors: Kohli Kristen L. , Ferkin Michael H.
Published: November 2010

Scent over‐marking occurs when an animal deposits its scent mark on top of the scent mark of a conspecific. Over‐marking may provide advantages in the transfer of information to the individual whose scent is on top but not to the individual whose scent is on the bottom. We tested the hypothesis that over‐marking is a competitive form of olfactory communication and that male prairie voles would over‐mark the scent marks of same‐sex conspecifics more than those of same‐sex siblings. Two age‐matched male voles (first male and second male) were placed successively into an arena in which they were allowed to explore freely and scent mark for 15 min at age 12, 20, 28, 36, 44, and 52 d. The first male was placed into a clean arena, whereas the second male was placed into an arena containing either the scent marks of an age‐matched male sibling or nonsibling. Age affected the total number of scent marks deposited by the voles; 12‐20‐d‐old voles deposited fewer scent marks, over‐marks and adjacent marks than did 28‐52‐d‐old voles. Sibship did not affect the total number of scent marks deposited by the first and second voles but did affect the number of over‐marks and adjacent marks deposited by the second vole. Siblings received significantly fewer over‐marks and adjacent marks than did nonsiblings; this effect was most dramatic after the voles reached 28 d of age, a time coincident with the onset of puberty. Males separated from siblings and housed singly at 44‐d‐old and tested at 52‐d‐old, deposited significantly more over‐marks and adjacent marks in arenas if the first vole was a nonsibling than if it was a sibling. This differential scent‐marking supports the hypothesis that over‐marking and adjacent marking are used as competitive forms of olfactory communication by male prairie voles.
The transformative nature of the special school placement: reporting ‘insistent’ data from emerging teachers and exploring an agenda for future research
Authors: FEENEY ALISON , GAGER ANNE , HALLETT GRAHAM
Published: November 2010

Emerging teachers undergoing initial teacher education programmes and given the opportunity to engage in a teaching placement in special provisions settings consistently report that they find the experience transformative. Over eight years, informal and often unprompted data emerged which ‘insisted’ upon reporting and suggested that the special school placement was transformative and differed in some significant features from other placements. There are themes of emerging teachers’ confidence in their ability to include, awareness of and changes to attitudes towards inclusion, creative teaching methods (including altered approaches towards differentiation) and child‐centred approaches contrasted with what was perceived to be a more restrictive mainstream curriculum. Alterations could be argued to include changes at the level of identity, attitude and in the acquisition of skills. Arguments are presented for the inclusion of such a placement as a required element within initial teacher education.
Ten-Years of the British Association of Stroke Physicians (BASP)
Authors: Langhorne Peter , James Martin , Dennis Martin , Humphrey Peter ,   for the British Association of Stroke Physicians Executive Committee
Published: November 2010

The British Association of Stroke Physicians (BASP) was set up almost 10 years ago to incorporate all medical specialties involved in stroke care. The aim was to drive up stroke service standards across the United Kingdom. BASP now has a membership of over 340 consultants and 240 trainees and has overseen substantial progress in the areas of training in stroke medicine, stroke research, educational meetings, stroke service development and the provision of advice and lobbying to government agencies. BASP members have been central to service improvements in recent years. Many challenges remain for stroke medicine in the United Kingdom but BASP is well placed to address these challenges.
Dementia and Stroke: The Present and Future Epidemic
Authors: Cumming Toby , Brodtmann Amy
Published: November 2010

Stroke and dementia are closely associated, whether in the form of vascular cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease and stroke share very similar risk factor profiles and may be prevented with similar modification programs. We are dealing with a present and future epidemic that will fundamentally affect health care provision in all high-income countries. At least 35 million people worldwide currently have dementia. Dementia prevalence is predicted to double every 20-years: an expected 66 million in 2030, 115 million in 2050. The burden of these diseases is considerable when taken with the annual 15 million people worldwide who will suffer stroke. There remains a disconnection between the nodes and modes of practice of stroke neurologists and cognitive physicians. As members of a broad medical community, we need to be aggressively managing vascular risk factors, as well as developing techniques to address the divide between the acute stroke patient of today and the dementia referral of tomorrow.
Vertebrobasilar Flow Evaluation and Risk of Transient Ischaemic Attack and Stroke Study (Veritas): Rationale and Design
Authors: Amin-Hanjani Sepideh , Rose-Finnell Linda , Richardson DeJuran , Ruland Sean , Pandey Dilip , Thulborn Keith R. , Liebeskind David S. , Zipfel Gregory J. , Elkind Mitchell S. V. , Kramer Jeffrey , Silver Frank L. , Kasner Scott E. , Caplan Louis R. , Derdeyn Colin P. , Gorelick Philip B. , Charbel Fady T. ,   for the VERiTAS Study Group
Published: November 2010

Background

Over one-third of ischaemic strokes occur in the posterior circulation, and a leading cause is atherosclerotic vertebrobasilar disease. Symptomatic vertebrobasilar disease carries a high annual recurrent stroke risk, averaging 10–15% per year. Endovascular angioplasty and stenting are increasingly used but carry risks, and the benefit remains unproven. Determining stroke predictors in this population is critical to identifying high-risk patients for future trials of intervention. Preliminary studies indicate that stroke risk in vertebrobasilar disease is strongly related to haemodynamic compromise, which can be measured noninvasively using quantitative magnetic resonance angiography.

Methods/study design

The Vertebrobasilar Flow Evaluation and Risk of Transient Ischaemic Attack and Stroke (VERiTAS) study, a prospective multicentre NIH-funded observational study of symptomatic vertebrobasilar stenosis (≥50%) or occlusion, is designed to test the hypothesis that patients demonstrating compromised blood flow as assessed by quantitative magnetic resonance angiography are at higher stroke risk. The study will recruit 80 patients at six sites in North America over 4-years. Upon enrollment, subjects will undergo haemodynamic assessment with blinded quantitative magnetic resonance angiography to assess large vessel flow in the vertebrobasilar territory, and be prospectively designated as compromised or normal flow. Patients will be re-imaged with quantitative magnetic resonance angiography at 6-, 12-, and 24-months, and followed for 12–24-months for the primary end-point of stroke in the vertebrobasilar territory.

Conclusion

The VERiTAS study is the first prospective study of haemodynamics and stroke risk in the posterior circulation. The results may impact the selection criteria for interventional candidates and also define a low-risk population in whom the risks of invasive interventions would be unnecessary.
Evolution of Yeast Noncoding RNAs Reveals an Alternative Mechanism for Widespread Intron Loss
Authors: Mitrovich Quinn M. , Tuch Brian B. , De La Vega Francisco M. , Guthrie Christine , Johnson Alexander D.
Published: November 2010

Kicking Out Introns

Many genes in eukaryotes contain introns that must be removed from the messenger RNA for proper gene function. Humans have on average eight introns per gene, whereas more than 90% of the genes in the yeast species
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and
Candida albicans
have none at all. To understand how introns can be lost from genes,

Mitrovich
et al.

(p.
838
) compared non–protein-coding genes among the yeasts and found that genes for small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in
C. albicans
are intronic. By contrast in
S. cerevisiae
, snoRNAs are processed from unmodified RNA, suggesting a massive loss of snoRNAs—associated introns in the common ancestor of the
Saccharomyces
species. The introns seem to have been lost through splice-site degeneration, and associated compaction of linked exons resulted in nested splicing of some snoRNAs.
Functional Compartmentalization and Viewpoint Generalization Within the Macaque Face-Processing System
Authors: Freiwald Winrich A. , Tsao Doris Y.
Published: November 2010

Tuned for Faces

The temporal lobe of macaques' brains contains six patches of face-selective cortex. This observation has prompted systems neuroscientists to ask, why so many and what do they do?
Freiwald and Tsao
(p.
845
; see the Perspective by

Connor

) targeted four of these regions for single-unit recordings and found that the different face-selective patches in macaques have independent functions. The areas where earliest processing occurred were most sharply tuned for individual views and least sharply tuned for identity. The mid-level area was more sharply tuned for identity, and the highest processing stage was strongly tuned for identity in a strikingly view-invariant way. These results yield fundamental insights into the computational process of object recognition, the functional organization of the brain, and how representations are transformed through processing hierarchies.
An RNA Whirl
Life from an RNA World
The Ancestor Within

by Michael Yarus

Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2010. 208 pp. $24.95, £18.95, €22.50. ISBN 9780674050754.
Authors: Chen Irene A.
Published: November 2010

Writing for nonbiologists, Yarus focuses on developments between the origin of rudimentary life on Earth and the appearance of more complex organisms.
A New Viewpoint on Faces
Authors: Connor Charles E.
Published: November 2010

Part of the brain's visual hierarchy appears to be specialized for recognizing faces from any viewpoint.
Parental Control over the Brain
Authors: Gregg Christopher
Published: November 2010

Epigenetic marks on maternal and paternal genes differentially affect brain development in their children.
Using Old Insects to Sleuth Out New Clues to Ancient Cultures
Authors: Pringle Heather
Published: November 2010

From Moche burials in Peru to trash dumps in Akhenaten's Egypt, traces of insects are revealing ancient human societies and behavior.
Cholesterol Oxidation Products Are Sensitive and Specific Blood-Based Biomarkers for Niemann-Pick C1 Disease
Authors: Porter Forbes D. , Scherrer David E. , Lanier Michael H. , Langmade S. Joshua , Molugu Vasumathi , Gale Sarah E. , Olzeski Dana , Sidhu Rohini , Dietzen Dennis J. , Fu Rao , Wassif Christopher A. , Yanjanin Nicole M. , Marso Steven P. , House John , Vite Charles , Schaffer Jean E. , Ory Daniel S.
Published: November 2010

Oxysterols are biomarkers for diagnosis and drug treatment in Niemann-Pick C1 disease.
Intranasal Vaccination with Chitosan-DNA Nanoparticles Expressing Pneumococcal Surface Antigen A Protects Mice against Nasopharyngeal Colonization by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Xu Jianghong , Dai Wenjia , Wang Zhengmin , Chen Bing , Li Zhongming , Fan Xiaoyong
Published: November 2010

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a respiratory pathogen, and mucosal immune response plays a significant role in the defense against pneumococcal infections. Thus, intranasal vaccination may be an alternative approach to current immunization strategies, and effective delivery systems to mucosal organism are necessary. In this study, BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally with chitosan-DNA nanoparticles expressing pneumococcal surface antigen A (PsaA). Compared to levels in mice immunized with naked DNA or chitosan-
pVAX1
, anti-PsaA IgG antibody in serum and anti-IgA antibody in mucosal lavages were elevated significantly in mice immunized with chitosan-
psaA
. The balanced IgG1/IgG2a antibody ratio in serum, enhanced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-17A levels in spleen lymphocytes, and mucosal washes of mice immunized with chitosan-
psaA
suggested that cellular immune responses were induced. Furthermore, significantly fewer pneumococci were recovered from the nasopharynx of mice immunized with chitosan-
psaA
than for the control group following intranasal challenge with ATCC 6303 (serotype 3). These results demonstrated that mucosal immunization with chitosan-
psaA
may successfully generate mucosal and systemic immune responses and prevent pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization. Hence, a chitosan-DNA nanoparticle vaccine expressing pneumococcal major immunodominant antigens after intranasal administration could be developed to prevent pneumococcal infections.
Translating Tumor Antigens into Cancer Vaccines
Authors: Buonaguro Luigi , Petrizzo Annacarmen , Tornesello Maria Lina , Buonaguro Franco M.
Published: November 2010

Vaccines represent a strategic successful tool used to prevent or contain diseases with high morbidity and/or mortality. However, while vaccines have proven to be effective in combating pathogenic microorganisms, based on the immune recognition of these foreign antigens, vaccines aimed at inducing effective antitumor activity are still unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the two licensed cancer-preventive vaccines targeting tumor-associated viral agents (anti-HBV [hepatitis B virus], to prevent HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma, and anti-HPV [human papillomavirus], to prevent HPV-associated cervical carcinoma), along with the recent FDA approval of sipuleucel-T (for the therapeutic treatment of prostate cancer), represents a significant advancement in the field of cancer vaccines and a boost for new studies in the field. Specific active immunotherapies based on anticancer vaccines represent, indeed, a field in continuous evolution and expansion. Significant improvements may result from the selection of the appropriate tumor-specific target antigen (to overcome the peripheral immune tolerance) and/or the development of immunization strategies effective at inducing a protective immune response. This review aims to describe the vast spectrum of tumor antigens and strategies to develop cancer vaccines.
Use of PCR Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Identification of Bacterial and Yeast Bloodstream Pathogens from Blood Culture Bottles
Authors: Kaleta Erin J. , Clark Andrew E. , Johnson Desiree R. , Gamage Dulini C. , Wysocki Vicki H. , Cherkaoui Abdessalam , Schrenzel Jacques , Wolk Donna M.
Published: November 2010

Sepsis is among the top 10 causes of mortality in the United States. Rapid administration of antibiotics is one of the most important contributors to patient survival, yet only a limited number of methods exist for rapid identification of microbes cultivated from bloodstream infections, which can lead to sepsis. While traditional single-target molecular methods have been shown to greatly improve survival for septic patients by enabling rapid deescalation of broad-spectrum antibiotics, multiplex methods offer even greater possibilities. A novel multiplex method, PCR coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS), was used to identify the genus and species of microorganisms found to cause human bloodstream infections. DNA was directly extracted from 234 BacT-Alert blood culture bottles, and results were compared to those obtained by clinical reference standard methods. The study results demonstrated 98.7% and 96.6% concordance at the genus and species levels, respectively. Mixtures of microbes were identified in 29 blood culture bottles, including mixed species of the same genus, as well as mixtures containing Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, exemplifying the PCR/ESI-MS capability to identify multiple organisms simultaneously without the need for cultivation. This study demonstrates high analytical accuracy in comparison to routine subculture of blood culture bottles and phenotypic identification of microbes. Without foreknowledge of the microorganisms potentially present, the PCR/ESI-MS methods can deliver accurate results in as little as 5 to 6 h after a positive alarm from the automated blood culture system; however, current batch mode testing limits the method's clinical utility at this time.
The International Circumpolar Surveillance Interlaboratory Quality Control Program for
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, 1999 to 2008
Authors: Reasonover A. , Zulz T. , Bruce M. G. , Bruden D. , Jetté L. , Kaltoft M. , Lambertsen L. , Parkinson A. , Rudolph K. , Lovgren M.
Published: November 2010

The International Circumpolar Surveillance (ICS) Program was initiated in 1999 to conduct population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease in select regions of the Arctic. An interlaboratory quality control (QC) program for pneumococcal serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility testing was incorporated into ICS by reference laboratories in northern Canada (Laboratoire de Santé Publique du Québec [LSPQ] in Sainte-Anne de Bellevue, Québec; National Centre for Streptococcus [NCS] in Edmonton, Alberta) and Alaska (Arctic Investigations Program [AIP]). The World Health Organization's Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Pneumococci at the Statens Serum Institute (SSI) in Copenhagen, Denmark, joined the QC program in 2004. The Iceland Reference Laboratory (IRL) in Reykjavik, Iceland, joined the QC program in 2006, but due to small sample sizes, data from IRL are not included in this report. From 1999 through 2008, 190 isolates were distributed among four laboratories (AIP, NCS, LSPQ, and SSI). The overall serotype concordance was 95.8%, and the overall serogroup concordance was 97.4%. The overall modal MIC concordance for testing by broth microdilution (BMD) and agar dilution was >96% for all the antibiotics except erythromycin (92.1%) and clindamycin (89.5%). MIC comparisons between the Etest and BMD resulted in lower concordance for erythromycin (73.9%), clindamycin (65.5%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (80%); however, categorical concordance (susceptible, resistant) remained high at 98.6%, 89.1%, and 90.9%, respectively. Our data demonstrate a high degree of correlation of serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results between four participating laboratories.
HIV-1-Specific Interleukin-21
+
CD4
+
T Cell Responses Contribute to Durable Viral Control through the Modulation of HIV-Specific CD8
+
T Cell Function
Authors: Chevalier Mathieu F. , Jülg Boris , Pyo Augustine , Flanders Michael , Ranasinghe Srinika , Soghoian Damien Z. , Kwon Douglas S. , Rychert Jenna , Lian Jeffrey , Muller Matthias I. , Cutler Sam , McAndrew Elizabeth , Jessen Heiko , Pereyra Florencia , Rosenberg Eric S. , Altfeld Marcus , Walker Bruce D. , Streeck Hendrik
Published: November 2010

Functional defects in cytotoxic CD8
+
T cell responses arise in chronic human viral infections, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. In mice, CD4 cell-mediated interleukin-21 (IL-21) production is necessary for the maintenance of CD8
+
T cell function and control of persistent viral infections. To investigate the potential role of IL-21 in a chronic human viral infection, we studied the rare subset of HIV-1 controllers, who are able to spontaneously control HIV-1 replication without treatment. HIV-specific triggering of IL-21 by CD4
+
T cells was significantly enriched in these persons (
P
= 0.0007), while isolated loss of IL-21-secreting CD4
+
T cells was characteristic for subjects with persistent viremia and progressive disease. IL-21 responses were mediated by recognition of discrete epitopes largely in the Gag protein, and expansion of IL-21
+
CD4
+
T cells in acute infection resulted in lower viral set points (
P
= 0.002). Moreover, IL-21 production by CD4
+
T cells of HIV controllers enhanced perforin production by HIV-1-specific CD8
+
T cells from chronic progressors even in late stages of disease, and HIV-1-specific effector CD8
+
T cells showed an enhanced ability to efficiently inhibit viral replication
in vitro
after IL-21 binding. These data suggest that HIV-1-specific IL-21
+
CD4
+
T cell responses might contribute to the control of viral replication in humans and are likely to be of great importance for vaccine design.
Are skilled players at greater risk of injury in female youth football?
Authors: Soligard Torbjørn , Grindem Hege , Bahr Roald , Andersen Thor Einar
Published: November 2010

Background

Knowledge of skill-related risk factors for injury in football is limited.

Objective

To investigate whether there is an association between football skills and risk of injury in football.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study of the incidence of injuries and a retrospective evaluation of the players' skill-level.

Methods

Exposure and injuries were registered prospectively in 82 of 125 football teams (1665 of 2540 female Norwegian amateur players aged 13–17 years) throughout one football season (March–October 2007). A standardised questionnaire designed to assess the football skills of each player was completed by the coaches after the season.

Results

Across the different skill attributes, the injury incidence in the high-skilled players varied from 4.4 to 4.9 injuries per 1000 player hours, compared to 2.8 to 4.0 injuries per 1000 player hours in the low-skilled players. Players skilled at ball receiving, passing and shooting, heading, tackling, decision-making when in ball possession or in defence and physically strong players were at significantly greater risk of sustaining any injury, an acute injury and a contact injury than their less skilled teammates (rate ratio: 1.50–3.19, all p<0.05).

Conclusions

Players with high levels of football skill were at greater risk of sustaining injuries than their less skilled teammates.
Dental Service in 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Authors: Yang Xiao-Jiang , Schamach Patrick , Dai Jian-Ping , Zhen Xiao-Zhen , Yi Biao , Liu Hongchen , Hu Min , Clough Tony , Li Yuan , Ma Chun-mei
Published: November 2010

Objective

How to organise an appropriate team to provide quality dental care during the Olympic Games has become an important consideration for each successive host country. The aims of this study were to document dental services provided at the Olympic Games and to provide data for planning future events.

Set-up of the dental care department

There were six dental chairs in six independent treatment rooms, one technical laboratory, a sterilising room and an x-ray room equipped with one digital panoramic screening machine and one intraoral x-ray machine in the polyclinic in the Olympic Village in Beijing. Shifts comprised 80 dentists and 28 nurses who were organised into three shifts working from 08:00 until 23:00.

Results

In the 2008 Olympic Games, there were 1607 cases involving 1126 patients requiring dental care: 795 cases from 516 athletes; 483 cases from 370 coaches and other staff; and 99 cases from volunteers. Endodontic treatments, permanent fillings, oral hygiene, mouthguards and treatment of pericoronitis were the most frequent procedures in dental care. The Mouthguard Service was extremely popular and well utilised. 122 athletes received new custom-made mouthguards in Beijing.

Conclusions

As the utilisation of the dental service grows, and the burden of providing care for such a large cohort increases, a well-organised dental team becomes increasingly important. More general-practice dentists were needed in the team. Different kinds of specialist were suggested for working in the team—for example, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, sport dentists for mouthguards and endodontists.
Protection of total body water content and absence of hyperthermia despite 2% body mass loss (‘voluntary dehydration’) in soldiers drinking ad libitum during prolonged exercise in cool environmental conditions
Authors: Nolte Heinrich W , Noakes Timothy D , van Vuuren Bernard
Published: November 2010

The extent to which humans need to replace fluid losses during exercise remains contentious despite years of focused research. The primary objective was to evaluate ad libitum drinking on hydration status to determine whether body mass loss can be used as an accurate surrogate for changes in total body water (TBW) during exercise. Data were collected during a 14.6-km route march (wet bulb globe temperature of 14.1°C ). 18 subjects with an average age of 26±2.5 (SD) years participated. Their mean ad libitum total fluid intake was 2.1±1.4 litres during the exercise. Predicted sweat rate was 1.289±0.530 l/h. There were no significant changes (p>0.05) in TBW, urine specific gravity or urine osmolality despite an average body mass loss (p<0.05) of 1.3±0.45 kg during the march. Core temperature rose as a function of marching speed and was unrelated to the % change in body mass. This suggests that changes in mass do not accurately predict changes in TBW (r=−0.16) because either the body mass loss during exercise includes losses other than water or there is an endogenous body water source that is released during exercise not requiring replacement during exercise, or both. Ad libitum water replacement between 65% and 70% of sweat losses maintained safe levels of hydration during the experiment. The finding that TBW was protected by ad libitum drinking despite ∼2% body mass loss suggests that the concept of ‘voluntary dehydration’ may require revision.
No effects of PRP on ultrasonographic tendon structure and neovascularisation in chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: de Vos R J , Weir A , Tol J L , Verhaar J A N , Weinans H , van Schie H T M
Published: November 2010

Objective

To assess whether a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection leads to an enhanced tendon structure and neovascularisation, measured with ultrasonographic techniques, in chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy.

Design

Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Setting

Sports medical department of The Hague medical centre.

Patients

54 patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy were included.

Interventions

Patients were randomised to eccentric exercise therapy with either a PRP injection (PRP group) or a saline injection (placebo group).

Main outcome measurements

Tendon structure was evaluated by ultrasonographic tissue characterisation, a novel technique which quantifies tendon structure into four echo-types: echo-types I+II represent organised tendon bundles, whereas echo-types III+IV represent a disorganised tendon structure. Colour Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the degree of neovascularisation. Follow-up was at 6, 12 and 24 weeks.

Results

A significant improvement in echo-types I+II was found after 24 weeks within both the PRP group (n=27) and the placebo group (n=27), but there was no significant between-group difference (95% CI −1.6 to 7.8, p=0.169). After 6 weeks, the neovascularisation score increased within the PRP group (p=0.001) and the placebo group (p=0.002), but there was no significant between-group difference in change in neovascularisation score at any point in time.

Conclusion

Injecting PRP for the treatment of chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy does not contribute to an increased tendon structure or alter the degree of neovascularisation, compared with placebo.

Funding

Biomet Biologics LLC, Warsaw, Indiana.
Marker allozyme genes and alleles for differentiation of Populus deltoides, P. nigra, P. maximowiczii, and their interspecific hybrids
Authors: Rajora Om P.
Published: November 2010

Horizontal starch gel electrophoresis of enzymes was used to compare the allelic constitution of individuals of Populus deltoides Marsh., P. nigra L., P. maximowiczii Henry, P. ×canadensis Moench, and F1 progeny of controlled crosses. Forty allozyme loci coding for 12 enzyme systems in root tips were observed. Populus deltoides, P. nigra, and P. maximowiczii were genetically distinct from each other. Each of these species had unique alleles at many loci, and one or two of these species also had some species-specific genes. Populus deltoides, P. nigra, and P. maximowiczii could be distinguished by mutually exclusive or unique alleles at any of the four allozyme loci Aco-2, Lap-1, Lap-2, and Pgi-2. Additionally, allozymes of Pgm-1, 6-Pgd-2, 6-Pgd-4, and 6-Pgd-5 could be used as markers to distinguish P. deltoides from P. nigra and P. maximowiczii, allozymes of Mdh-2, Per-3, Pgm-2, and Pgm-3 to distinguish P. nigra from P. deltoïdes and P. maximowiczii, and allozymes of Got-1, Got-4, and Pgi-1 to distinguish P. maximowiczii from P. deltoides and P. nigra. The observed marker allozyme genes and alleles can be effectively used for discriminating among the three Populus species and their interspecific hybrids, and identification and verification of paternity of progeny of single-pair and interspecific pollen-mix controlled crosses. Biochemical and molecular markers have significance in genetics, breeding, and systematics of these Populus species. Key words: Populus, allozymes, diagnostic genes and alleles, species and hybrid differentiation, enzyme electrophoresis.
Synthesis of mycorrhizae between protocorms of Goodyera repens (Orchidaceae) and Ceratobasidium cereale
Authors: Peterson R. L. , Currah R. S.
Published: November 2010

Seeds of Goodyera repens were germinated on cellulose agar in the presence of Ceratobasidium cereale. Many seeds germinated to form protocorms, which were colonized by fungal hyphae. Hyphae were common around the suspensor and epidermal hairs. Newly colonized protocorm cells contained intact hyphae with few vacuoles and many mitochondria. Hyphae were separated from protocorm cell cytoplasm by matrix materials and the protocorm cell plasma membrane. Hyphae underwent progressive vacuolation and eventual lysis. Degenerating hyphae stained faintly with cellufluor, whereas degenerated hyphae and hyphal clumps stained intensely. Clumps of degenerated hyphae were isolated from protocorm cell cytoplasm by the plasma membrane and an aniline blue positive layer, which is most likely callose. Protocorm cells containing isolated clumped hyphae were frequently recolonized by hyphae.