bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discrepancies between young people's self-reported sexual experience and their perceptions of 'normality'
Authors: Lim Megan S. , Aitken Campbell K. , Hocking Jane S. , Hellard Margaret E.
Published: May 2009

Young people’s sexual behaviour is influenced by their perceptions of peer norms. In this survey of 445 people aged 16 to 29 years, 69% of participants believed they had fewer lifetime sexual partners than average. The mean number of actual lifetime partners reported was 5.5 and the mean perceived ‘average’ partners for peers was 6.6 (P < 0.01). When broken down by age and sex, the discrepancy was only significant for females aged 16 to 19. Comparison to a national survey also showed that peers’ average sexual experience was overestimated. Adolescents are highly susceptible to the influence of peer norms, hence it is concerning that their perceptions of these norms are so distorted.
Microdynamics in stationary complex networks
Authors: Gautreau Aurelien , Barrat Alain , Barthélemy Marc
Published: May 2009

Many complex systems, including networks, are not static but can display strong fluctuations at various time scales. Characterizing the dynamics in complex networks is thus of the utmost importance in the understanding of these networks and of the dynamical processes taking place on them. In this article, we study the example of the US airport network in the time period 1990–2000. We show that even if the statistical distributions of most indicators are stationary, an intense activity takes place at the local (“microscopic”) level, with many disappearing/appearing connections (links) between airports. We find that connections have a very broad distribution of lifetimes, and we introduce a set of metrics to characterize the links' dynamics. We observe in particular that the links that disappear have essentially the same properties as the ones that appear, and that links that connect airports with very different traffic are very volatile. Motivated by this empirical study, we propose a model of dynamical networks, inspired from previous studies on firm growth, which reproduces most of the empirical observations both for the stationary statistical distributions and for the dynamical properties.
Chromosomal instability determines taxane response
Authors: Swanton Charles , Nicke Barbara , Schuett Marion , Eklund Aron C. , Ng Charlotte , Li Qiyuan , Hardcastle Thomas , Lee Alvin , Roy Rajat , East Philip , Kschischo Maik , Endesfelder David , Wylie Paul , Kim Se Nyun , Chen Jie-Guang , Howell Michael , Ried Thomas , Habermann Jens K. , Auer Gert , Brenton James D. , Szallasi Zoltan , Downward Julian
Published: May 2009

Microtubule-stabilizing (MTS) agents, such as taxanes, are important chemotherapeutics with a poorly understood mechanism of action. We identified a set of genes repressed in multiple cell lines in response to MTS agents and observed that these genes are overexpressed in tumors exhibiting chromosomal instability (CIN). Silencing 22/50 of these genes, many of which are involved in DNA repair, caused cancer cell death, suggesting that these genes are involved in the survival of aneuploid cells. Overexpression of these “CIN-survival” genes is associated with poor outcome in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer and occurs frequently in basal-like and Her2-positive cases. In diploid cells, but not in chromosomally unstable cells, paclitaxel causes repression of CIN-survival genes, followed by cell death. In the OV01 ovarian cancer clinical trial, a high level of CIN was associated with taxane resistance but carboplatin sensitivity, indicating that CIN may determine MTS response in vivo. Thus, pretherapeutic assessment of CIN may optimize treatment stratification and clinical trial design using these agents.
Allee effect in the selection for prime-numbered cycles in periodical cicadas
Authors: Tanaka Yumi , Yoshimura Jin , Simon Chris , Cooley John R. , Tainaka Kei-ichi
Published: May 2009

Periodical cicadas are well known for their prime-numbered life cycles (17 and 13 years) and their mass periodical emergences. The origination and persistence of prime-numbered cycles are explained by the hybridization hypothesis on the basis of their lower likelihood of hybridization with other cycles. Recently, we showed by using an integer-based numerical model that prime-numbered cycles are indeed selected for among 10- to 20-year cycles. Here, we develop a real-number-based model to investigate the factors affecting the selection of prime-numbered cycles. We include an Allee effect in our model, such that a critical population size is set as an extinction threshold. We compare the real-number models with and without the Allee effect. The results show that in the presence of an Allee effect, prime-numbered life cycles are most likely to persist and to be selected under a wide range of extinction thresholds.
Identification of protein O-GlcNAcylation sites using electron transfer dissociation mass spectrometry on native peptides
Authors: Chalkley Robert J. , Thalhammer Agnes , Schoepfer Ralf , Burlingame A. L.
Published: May 2009

Protein O-GlcNAcylation occurs in all animals and plants and is implicated in modulation of a wide range of cytosolic and nuclear protein functions, including gene silencing, nutrient and stress sensing, phosphorylation signaling, and diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's. The limiting factor impeding rapid progress in deciphering the biological functions of protein O-GlcNAcylation has been the inability to easily identify exact residues of modification. We describe a robust, high-sensitivity strategy able to assign O-GlcNAcylation sites of native modified peptides using electron transfer dissociation mass spectrometry. We have studied the murine postsynaptic density pseudoorganelle and report the assignment of 58 modification sites from a single experiment–significantly increasing the number of sites known in the literature. Components of several repressor complexes, such as NCoR1, polyhomeotic-like protein3, and EMSY, are modified. In addition, 28 O-GlcNAc sites were found on the protein Bassoon, effectively matching the number of phosphorylation sites reported previously on this protein. This finding suggests that on certain proteins, O-GlcNAcylation may be as extensive and important as phosphorylation in regulating protein function. Three of the newly discovered O-GlcNAc sites on Bassoon have previously been reported as phosphorylation sites, highlighting the interplay of the modifications. Surprisingly, several peptides with GlcNAc modifications on asparagines within the N-X-S/T consensus sequence were also observed from membrane protein extracellular domains. This powerful strategy fulfills a long-standing need in the biological community by facilitating modification site identifications that will accelerate understanding of the biological significance of this elusive regulatory posttranslational modification.
A sensory neuronal ion channel essential for airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in asthma
Authors: Caceres Ana I. , Brackmann Marian , Elia Maxwell D. , Bessac Bret F. , del Camino Donato , D'Amours Marc , Witek JoAnn S. , Fanger Chistopher M. , Chong Jayhong A. , Hayward Neil J. , Homer Robert J. , Cohn Lauren , Huang Xiaozhu , Moran Magdalene M. , Jordt Sven-Eric
Published: May 2009

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder caused by airway exposures to allergens and chemical irritants. Studies focusing on immune, smooth muscle, and airway epithelial function revealed many aspects of the disease mechanism of asthma. However, the limited efficacies of immune-directed therapies suggest the involvement of additional mechanisms in asthmatic airway inflammation. TRPA1 is an irritant-sensing ion channel expressed in airway chemosensory nerves. TRPA1-activating stimuli such as cigarette smoke, chlorine, aldehydes, and scents are among the most prevalent triggers of asthma. Endogenous TRPA1 agonists, including reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation products, are potent drivers of allergen-induced airway inflammation in asthma. Here, we examined the role of TRPA1 in allergic asthma in the murine ovalbumin model. Strikingly, genetic ablation of TRPA1 inhibited allergen-induced leukocyte infiltration in the airways, reduced cytokine and mucus production, and almost completely abolished airway hyperreactivity to contractile stimuli. This phenotype is recapitulated by treatment of wild-type mice with HC-030031, a TRPA1 antagonist. HC-030031, when administered during airway allergen challenge, inhibited eosinophil infiltration and prevented the development of airway hyperreactivity. Trpa1
−/−
mice displayed deficiencies in chemically and allergen-induced neuropeptide release in the airways, providing a potential explanation for the impaired inflammatory response. Our data suggest that TRPA1 is a key integrator of interactions between the immune and nervous systems in the airways, driving asthmatic airway inflammation following inhaled allergen challenge. TRPA1 may represent a promising pharmacological target for the treatment of asthma and other allergic inflammatory conditions.
Generation of mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells by transient expression of a single nonviral polycistronic vector
Authors: Gonzalez Federico , Barragan Monasterio Montserrat , Tiscornia Gustavo , Montserrat Pulido Nuria , Vassena Rita , Batlle Morera Laura , Rodriguez Piza Ignasi , Belmonte Juan Carlos Izpisua
Published: May 2009

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have generated keen interest due to their potential use in regenerative medicine. They have been obtained from various cell types of both mice and humans by exogenous delivery of different combinations of
Oct4
,
Sox2
,
Klf4
,
c-Myc
,
Nanog
, and
Lin28
. The delivery of these transcription factors has mostly entailed the use of integrating viral vectors (retroviruses or lentiviruses), carrying the risk of both insertional mutagenesis and oncogenesis due to misexpression of these exogenous factors. Therefore, obtaining iPS cells that do not carry integrated transgene sequences is an important prerequisite for their eventual therapeutic use. Here we report the generation of iPS cell lines from mouse embryonic fibroblasts with no evidence of integration of the reprogramming vector in their genome, achieved by nucleofection of a polycistronic construct coexpressing
Oct4
,
Sox2
,
Klf4
, and
c-Myc
.
Broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies disrupt a hinge-related function of gp41 at the membrane interface
Authors: Song Likai , Sun Zhen-Yu J. , Coleman Kate E. , Zwick Michael B. , Gach Johannes S. , Wang Jia-huai , Reinherz Ellis L. , Wagner Gerhard , Kim Mikyung
Published: May 2009

A vaccine capable of stimulating protective antiviral antibody responses is needed to curtail the global AIDS epidemic caused by HIV-1. Although rarely elicited during the course of natural infection or upon conventional vaccination, the membrane-proximal ectodomain region (MPER) of the HIV-1 glycoprotein of
M
r
41,000 (gp41) envelope protein subunit is the target of 3 such human broadly neutralizing antibodies (BNAbs): 4E10, 2F5, and Z13e1. How these BNAbs bind to their lipid-embedded epitopes and mediate antiviral activity is unclear, but such information might offer important insight into a worldwide health imperative. Here, EPR and NMR techniques were used to define the manner in which these BNAbs differentially recognize viral membrane-encrypted residues configured within the L-shaped helix–hinge–helix MPER segment. Two distinct modes of antibody-mediated interference of viral infection were identified. 2F5, like 4E10, induces large conformational changes in the MPER relative to the membrane. However, although 4E10 straddles the hinge and extracts residues W672 and F673, 2F5 lifts up residues N-terminal to the hinge region, exposing L669 and W670. In contrast, Z13e1 effects little change in membrane orientation or conformation, but rather immobilizes the MPER hinge through extensive rigidifying surface contacts. Thus, BNAbs disrupt HIV-1 MPER fusogenic functions critical for virus entry into human CD4 T cells and macrophages either by preventing hinge motion or by perturbing MPER orientation. HIV-1 MPER features important for targeted vaccine design have been revealed, the implications of which extend to BNAb targets on other viral fusion proteins.
Calneurons provide a calcium threshold for
trans
-Golgi network to plasma membrane trafficking
Authors: Mikhaylova Marina , Reddy Pasham Parameshwar , Munsch Thomas , Landgraf Peter , Suman Shashi Kumar , Smalla Karl-Heinz , Gundelfinger Eckart D. , Sharma Yogendra , Kreutz Michael R.
Published: May 2009

Phosphatidylinositol 4-OH kinase IIIβ (PI-4Kβ) is involved in the regulated local synthesis of phospholipids that are crucial for
trans
-Golgi network (TGN)-to-plasma membrane trafficking. In this study, we show that the calcium sensor proteins calneuron-1 and calneuron-2 physically associate with PI-4Kβ, inhibit the enzyme profoundly at resting and low calcium levels, and negatively interfere with Golgi-to-plasma membrane trafficking. At high calcium levels this inhibition is released and PI-4Kβ is activated via a preferential association with neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1). In accord to its supposed function as a filter for subthreshold Golgi calcium transients, neuronal overexpression of calneuron-1 enlarges the size of the TGN caused by a build-up of vesicle proteins and reduces the number of axonal Piccolo-Bassoon transport vesicles, large dense core vesicles that carry a set of essential proteins for the formation of the presynaptic active zone during development. A corresponding protein knockdown has the opposite effect. The opposing roles of calneurons and NCS-1 provide a molecular switch to decode local calcium transients at the Golgi and impose a calcium threshold for PI-4Kβ activity and vesicle trafficking.
Crystal structure of the membrane-bound bifunctional transglycosylase PBP1b from
Escherichia coli
Authors: Sung Ming-Ta , Lai Yen-Ting , Huang Chia-Ying , Chou Lien-Yang , Shih Hao-Wei , Cheng Wei-Chieh , Wong Chi-Huey , Ma Che
Published: May 2009

Drug-resistant bacteria have caused serious medical problems in recent years, and the need for new antibacterial agents is undisputed. Transglycosylase, a multidomain membrane protein essential for cell wall synthesis, is an excellent target for the development of new antibiotics. Here, we determined the X-ray crystal structure of the bifunctional transglycosylase penicillin-binding protein 1b (PBP1b) from
Escherichia coli
in complex with its inhibitor moenomycin to 2.16-Å resolution. In addition to the transglycosylase and transpeptidase domains, our structure provides a complete visualization of this important antibacterial target, and reveals a domain for protein–protein interaction and a transmembrane helix domain essential for substrate binding, enzymatic activity, and membrane orientation.
Local links, local knowledge: Choosing care settings and schools
Authors: Vincent Carol , Braun Annette , Ball Stephen
Published: May 2009

This article draws on data from two recently completed Economic and Social Research Council funded projects in order to examine class differences and similarities in choice of school and choice of childcare. The authors argue that there is every reason to believe that in many circumstances, within its particular mechanisms and practices, choice produces specific and pervasive forms of inequity. The processes by which working‐class parents in one study chose care settings and schools could be seen as less skilled, less informed, less careful than the decision making of many of the middle‐class respondents. However, this is not an argument that the authors advance, noting instead that the practices and meanings of choice are subject to significant social, cultural and economic variations in terms of who gets to choose, who gets their choices, and what, how and why people choose when they are able to. The authors argue that there are alternative sets of priorities in play for the working‐class respondents, involving attachments to the communal and the local.
The gap between educational research and practice: Views of teachers, school leaders, intermediaries and researchers
Authors: Vanderlinde Ruben , van Braak Johan
Published: May 2009

The relation between educational research and practice is a growing point of interest and has produced numerous lively debates. Although many reports and position papers have been published on this topic, little empirical data are available. The aim of this study is to explore the gap between educational research and practice and to assess the views of different key actors. After reviewing the literature, focus group interviews were organised with teachers, school leaders, researchers, and intermediaries. Questionnaire data were obtained from educational research professors in Flanders. Results indicate that the gap between educational research and practice should be approached as a complex and differentiated phenomenon. All participants agreed that more cooperation between researchers and practitioners is necessary. This could be achieved by establishing ‘professional learning communities’ or by promoting a ‘design‐based research’ model.
The State of Local Democracy in Britain
Authors: Waters Alan
Published: May 2009

The logo for the Whitehall department responsible for English councils is a large capital ‘C’ spelling out the word ‘Communities’, sitting above a lower case (a magnifying glass may be required for middle aged eyes) ‘local government’. So it is ‘Communities & local government’ (CLG) and the signature of the current incumbent as Secretary of State is that of Hazel Blears, whose enthusiasm for ‘communities’ can be traced through a steady convoy of Government White Papers and legislation. The 2007 Local Government & Public Involvement in Health Act', for example, is soon to be followed by a ‘Regeneration and Democracy’ Bill currently making its way through Parliament. It is the final part of a relentless sequence of central government tinkering with local government, which is unequalled in the rest of Europe. Ostensibly, all of this frenetic activity is about the need to tackle an ailing local democracy and a disengaged local electorate. This scenario only fully works if one ignores the highly centralised system within which local government has to operate. So there are now duties placed on local councils to ‘involve’ local residents in helping to determine priorities; spend budgets and, where possible, ‘empower’ through transferring assets.
Good Dog SPOT? Single Pot Funding of Local Voluntary and Community Groups
Authors: Osborne Stephen P. , McLaughlin Kate , Chew Celine , Tricker Mike
Published: May 2009

This paper reports on a recent pilot project by the English government aimed at introducing ‘single pot’ funding for local voluntary and community groups. It finds that implementation difficulties undermined the success of the scheme. Moreover, whilst local voluntary and community groups were initially enthusiastic about the scheme, this was eroded both by the shortfall in funding for the initiative and by conflicting priorities for it from its national and regional flinders and from local groups.
The Global Recession: Its Impact in Asia and the Pacific
Authors: Shirley Ian
Published: May 2009

The relationship between local economic development and the global economy is a dynamic process that differs in space and time and from country to country. Nowhere are these differences more evident than within the Asian and Pacific region—a region of contrasts. It is a region that contains nine of the so called ‘least developed’ countries and more than 50 per cent of the world's poor. It hosts Japan, which emerged as a major economic power in the 1960s and 1970s, to be followed a short time later by the ‘tiger’ economies of South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. More recently, the region's development has been dominated by the emerging global powers of China, India and Brazil. The contrasting characteristics and performance of these nations becomes even more graphic when the focus centres on the metropolitan cities of the region, including Mumbai, Shanghai, Apia, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Santiago and Auckland (Shirley, 2008).
Communication about Organ Donation Intentions: Formative Research for a Social Marketing Program Targeting Families
Authors: Jones Sandra C. , Reis Samantha L. , Andrews Kelly L.
Published: May 2009

With the introduction of the Australian Organ Donation Register, responsibility regarding organ donation decisions primarily rests with the individual. However, family members can be instrumental in facilitating or hindering the rate of organ donation by objecting to or confirming the individual's wishes. Attitudes and beliefs of family members have been shown to be a strong influence on people's intentions to donate. Numerous studies have also demonstrated that family communication about organ donation can improve the rate of organ donation. We surveyed 23 matched pairs of undergraduate university students and their parents and found that attitudes to organ donation were positive and that there was a tendency for these dyads to give concordant responses regarding attitudes, level of family communication, and intent to donate. These findings have implications for improving Australia's organ donation rate, and recommendations for messages promoting organ donation are discussed.
Product Evaluation in a Social Marketing and Community Development Context: A Case Study and Initial Report
Authors: Hill Anne , Hill Railton , Moore Susan
Published: May 2009

We provide an initial report and case study of product evaluation for social marketing undertaken specifically within a “community development” context. Starting Points is a highly differentiated not-for-profit development program targeting parents/caregivers of 0—4-year-olds. Parents/caregivers self select to participate in four highly interactive two-hour sessions, usually across a number of weeks, located within their own communities. The project was developed in Melbourne, Australia, and is being delivered in many communities across the nation. The service product evaluated is essentially the enhancement of parental confidence, achieved through parental/caregiver participation in the community-based programs which are initiated, marketed, and delivered by peer facilitators. The article locates such evaluation within the program evaluation and marketing audit literatures, describes the product evaluation component of the research design, and reports preliminary empirical results. These suggest that the Starting Points product is perceived both by participant parents and their partners as resulting in significant increases in parental confidence, sustained well past the immediate postparticipation period. These results provide one critical empirical element of a thorough service evaluation, itself a step toward a thorough-going social marketing auditing process.
Household Waste Recycling Behavior: A Market Segmentation Model
Authors: Jesson Jill
Published: May 2009

The potential of social marketing has been recognized in the United Kingdom by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a useful tool for behavioral change for environmental problems. The techniques of social marketing have been used successfully by health organizations to tackle current public health issues. This article describes a research project which explored the current barriers to recycling household waste and the development of a segmentation model which could be used at the local level by authorities charged with waste collection and disposal. The research makes a unique contribution to social marketing through the introduction of a competencies framework and market segmentation for recycling behaviors.
Developing World-Class Social Marketing Standards: A Step in the Right Direction for a More Socially Responsible Marketing Profession
Authors: Fourali Chahid
Published: May 2009

The issue of targeting best practice is a long-standing one in professional education and more particularly in marketing. It can be automatically brushed aside (because “we all know what marketing is about”), addressed in terms of general aims of marketing, or addressed systematically to identify in as much details as possible the tasks and responsibilities that marketers undertake in their daily activities. Apart from this issue of identifying what constitutes good practice, there is a relevant issue that needs addressing as a prerequisite: Whether social marketing is a separate discipline from mainstream marketing or not. How we respond to this question affects the method to be adopted for developing the benchmark of best practice standards. This article starts by addressing the latter issue, then identifies the contextual differences of social marketing, and finally presents the methodology for developing the best practice standards for social marketing, its general findings, and the way forward.

It is useful to note at the outset that although the project referred to in this article was undertaken by the U.K.'s Marketing and Sales Standards Setting Body, its perspective was international and involved many contributors at international level. In the final stages of the project, the resulting best practice standards were presented for final feedback at the first international conference on social marketing held in Brighton, U.K., where several hundreds of participants from around the world took part.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Social Marketing Quarterly for the following free supplemental resources: Appendix A: List of Social Marketing Standards of Performance; Appendix B: Example of a Unit of Performance.]
Observation of an impurity hole in the Large Helical Device
Authors: Yoshinuma M. , Ida K. , Yokoyama M. , Osakabe M. , Nagaoka K. , Morita S. , Goto M. , Tamura N. , Suzuki C. , Yoshimura S. , Funaba H. , Takeiri Y. , Ikeda K. , Tsumori K. , Kaneko O.
Published: May 2009

An extremely hollow profile of carbon impurity (denoted as an ‘impurity hole’) is observed associated with an increase in the ion temperature gradient after an impurity injection in the Large Helical Device. The central carbon density drops to 0.3% of the plasma density due to a strong outward convection driven by the ion temperature gradient, while an inward convection is predicted by neoclassical theory. Transport analysis gives a low diffusion coefficient of 0.4 m2 s−1 and an outward convection velocity of 3 m s−1 at half of the minor radius.
Error field penetration in the presence of diamagnetic effects
Authors: Militello F. , Waelbroeck F.L.
Published: May 2009

The penetration of the magnetic field in a rotating inhomogeneous plasma is investigated with direct numerical simulations. The main focus of this work is to test the linear, singular-layer models when diamagnetic and finite Larmor radius effects are included. Our results confirm the existing analytical prediction when the plasma velocity at the resonant surface is outside the drift band, which is the band bounded by the electric drift velocity and the electron diamagnetic velocity. In the drift band, however, a revision of the theory is required. In this regime of velocity, the magnetic island radiates drift waves which can affect the dynamics of the system. Our results show that the penetration of the magnetic field occurs more easily than predicted by the theoretical models, which commonly neglect drift wave radiation effects.
jClust: a clustering and visualization toolbox
Authors: Pavlopoulos Georgios A. , Moschopoulos Charalampos N. , Hooper Sean D. , Schneider Reinhard , Kossida Sophia
Published: May 2009

jClust is a user-friendly application which provides access to a set of widely used clustering and clique finding algorithms. The toolbox allows a range of filtering procedures to be applied and is combined with an advanced implementation of the Medusa interactive visualization module. These implemented algorithms are k-Means, Affinity propagation, Bron–Kerbosch, MULIC, Restricted neighborhood search cluster algorithm, Markov clustering and Spectral clustering, while the supported filtering procedures are haircut, outside–inside, best neighbors and density control operations. The combination of a simple input file format, a set of clustering and filtering algorithms linked together with the visualization tool provides a powerful tool for data analysis and information extraction.

Availability:  http://jclust.embl.de/

Contact:  pavlopou@embl.de; rschneid@embl.de; skossida@bioacademy.gr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Comprehensive Genotype and Environment Assessment of Wheat Grain Ash Content in Oregon and Washington: Analysis of Variation
Authors: Morris Craig F. , Li Shuobi , King G. E. , Engle Doug A. , Burns John W. , Ross Andrew S.
Published: May 2009

A comprehensive analysis of the variation in wheat grain ash content has not been previously conducted. This study assessed the relative contribution of genotype and environment to variation in ash content, with a particular aim of ascertaining the potential for manipulating the trait using contemporary adapted germplasm. A total of 2,240 samples were drawn from four years of multilocation field plots grown in the wheat production areas of Oregon and Washington states. Genotypes included commercial cultivars and advanced breeding lines of soft and hard winter, and soft and hard spring wheats with red and white kernel color, several soft white club wheats, and one soft white spring waxy wheat cultivar. In addition to ash, protein content, test weight, and Single Kernel Characterization System kernel hardness, weight and size were also measured. In total, 20 separate fully balanced ANOVA results were conducted. Whole model R2 values were highly significant, 0.62–0.91. Nineteen of the 20 ANOVA results indicated significant genotype effects, but the effects were not large. In contrast, environment effects were always highly significant with F values often one to two orders of magnitude larger than the genotype F values. The grand mean for all samples was 1.368% ash. For individual data sets, genotype means across environments varied ≈0.1–0.3% ash. The genotypes judged noteworthy because they had the highest least squares mean ash content were OR9900553 and ClearFirst soft white winter, NuHills hard red winter, Waxy‐Pen and Cataldo soft white spring, and WA8010 and Lochsa hard spring wheats. Genotypes with lowest least squares mean ash were Edwin (club) soft white winter, OR2040073H hard red winter, WA7952 soft white spring, and WA8038 hard spring wheats. In conclusion, wheat grain ash is more greatly influenced by crop year and location than by genotype. However, sufficient genotype variation is present to plausibly manipulate this grain trait through traditional plant breeding.
In Vitro Bile‐Acid‐Binding of Whole vs. Pearled Wheat Grain
Authors: Kahlon T. S. , Chiu M. M. , Chapman M. H.
Published: May 2009

Health benefits of consuming whole grains are reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The U.S. Health and Human Services and USDA dietary guidelines recommend consumption of 6–10 oz of grain products daily and one‐half of that amount should contain whole grains. Whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Bile‐acid‐binding capacity has been related to cholesterol lowering potential of food fractions. Lowered recirculating bile acids results in utilization of cholesterol to synthesize bile acid and reduced fat absorption. Secondary bile acids have been associated with increased risk of cancer. Bile‐acid‐binding potential has been related to lowering the risk of heart disease and that of cancer. It has been reported that bile‐acid‐binding of wheat bran is not related to its total dietary fiber (TDF) content. Whole (W) grain as well as pearled (P) hard red winter wheat (Hrw), hard white winter wheat (Hww), and durum wheat (DU) cooked grains were evaluated for in vitro, bile‐acid‐binding relative to cholestryramine (a cholesterol lowering bile‐acid‐binding drug). On dry matter basis (db) relative bile‐acid‐binding values were 7.7% WHrw; 7.5% WHww; 6.3% PHww; 6.0% PHrw; 5.5% WDU; and 5.4% PDU. On a TDF basis, binding values were 42–57% of that for cholestyramine for the whole and pearled wheat grains tested. Bile‐acid‐binding values (db) for WHrw and WHww were similar and significantly higher than those of PHww, PHrw, WDU and PDU. Similar bile‐acid‐binding of WHww to that of WHrw suggest that the red color commonly associated with whole grain may not necessarily indicate more healthful potential. Data suggest that cooked WHrw and WHww wheat have significantly higher health‐promoting potential than pearled grains. WDU or PDU wheat health‐promoting potential was similar to that of PHww or PHrw. Consumption of products containing WHrw and WHww are recommended.
Structural and Physical Changes in Ultrasound‐Assisted Frozen Wet Gluten
Authors: Song GuoSheng , Hu Song Qing , Li Lin , Chen Ping , Shen Xing
Published: May 2009

Ultrasound‐assisted freezing is a novel food‐freezing technique which is of benefit to frozen food quality. Studies of the structural and physical changes in the ultrasound‐assisted frozen wet gluten system illustrate how the ultrasound irradiation improves the frozen dough quality. The microtopography of ice crystals in frozen wet gluten was observed indirectly by scanning electron microscopy; the ice crystals were smaller and more uniform in wet gluten frozen using the ultrasound‐assisted technique than in wet gluten frozen without ultrasound. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor the changes in the secondary structure of a frozen gluten heavy water system during frozen storage. It was determined that there were no noticeable changes in the structure of the wet gluten frozen using the ultrasound‐assisted technique. However, the structure of the wet gluten frozen without ultrasound became unordered. The freezable water content in the frozen wet gluten was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Compared with conventional freezing, more water was frozen using ultrasound‐assisted freezing. Furthermore, the freezable water content in the wet gluten frozen using the ultrasound‐assisted technique did not increase during frozen storage. Ultrasonic cavitation promoted the primary and secondary nucleation of ice in the wet gluten and loosened the weak interactions between the gluten and the water. Consequently, the existence of a microstructure with small and uniform ice crystals was noted, which was determined to be beneficial with regard to reducing the deterioration of the gluten network and, hence, improving the quality of the frozen food.
Association of Glutenin Subunit Composition and Dough Rheological Characteristics with Cookie Baking Properties of Soft Wheat Cultivars
Authors: HadiNezhad Mehri , Butler Francis
Published: May 2009

The effect of flour type and dough rheology on cookie development during baking was investigated using seven different soft winter wheat cultivars. Electrophoresis was used to determine the hydrolyzing effects of a commercial protease enzyme on gluten protein and to evaluate the relationships between protein composition and baking characteristics. The SDS‐PAGE technique differentiated flour cultivars based on the glutenin subunits pattern. Electrophoresis result showed that the protease degraded the glutenin subunits of flour gluten. Extensional viscosities of cookie dough at all three crosshead speeds were able to discriminate flour cultivar and correlated strongly and negatively to baking performance (P < 0.0001). The cookie doughs exhibited extensional strain hardening behavior and those values significantly correlated to baking characteristics. Of all rheological measurements calculated, dough consistency index exhibited the strongest correlation coefficient with baking parameters. The degradation effects of the protease enzyme resulted in more pronounced improvements on baking characteristics compared with dough rheological properties. Stepwise multiple regression showed that the dough consistency index, the presence or absence of the fourth (44 kDa) subunit in LMW‐GS and the fifth subunit (71 kDa) subunit in HMW‐GS were predominant parameters in predicting cookie baking properties.
Flour Particle Size, Starch Damage, and Alkali Reagent: Impact on Uniaxial Stress Relaxation Parameters of Yellow Alkaline Noodles
Authors: Hatcher D. W. , Bellido G. G. , Anderson M. J.
Published: May 2009

Three patent flours, each possessing three different levels of starch damage were prepared from a single hard white spring wheat. Each flour was sieved to yield three flours with different particle size distributions (85–110, 110–132, 132–183 μm). Raw alkaline noodles were prepared from the nine flours using either 1% w/w kansui (sodium and potassium carbonates in 9:1 ratio) or 1% w/w sodium hydroxide. Uniaxial stress relaxation parameters percent stress relaxation (SR%), initial rate of relaxation (k1) and the extent of relaxation (k2) were measured on the raw noodles immediately after production (t = 0 min) and at 60 min. Raw noodles after resting for 60 min were optimally cooked and stress relaxation parameters were measured. Raw noodles at t = 0 min exhibited SR%, k1, and k2 that were significantly (P < 0.0001) influenced by both the degree of starch damage and the type of alkaline reagent used. Flour particle size only influenced SR% and k1 (P < 0.025) but had no impact on k2. In raw noodles aged for 60 min, both SR% and k2 were significantly influenced by alkaline reagent, particle size, and starch damage (P < 0.01) while k1 was only affected by the degree of starch damage (P < 0.0001). Cooked noodle SR parameters were all significantly (P < 0.0001) influenced by alkaline reagent, particle size, and the degree of starch damage. Cooked noodles prepared from starch with low damaged flours within any given particle size range, regardless of the type of alkali employed, yielded the most rheologically elastic‐like (firmer) noodles. Two potential mechanisms by which the degree of starch damage influences noodle elastic like texture are discussed.
Synthetic biology and biomass conversion: a match made in heaven?
Authors: French Christopher E.
Published: May 2009

To move our economy onto a sustainable basis, it is essential that we find a replacement for fossil carbon as a source of liquid fuels and chemical industry feedstocks. Lignocellulosic biomass, available in enormous quantities, is the only feasible replacement. Many micro-organisms are capable of rapid and efficient degradation of biomass, employing a battery of specialized enzymes, but do not produce useful products. Attempts to transfer biomass-degrading capability to industrially useful organisms by heterologous expression of one or a few biomass-degrading enzymes have met with limited success. It seems probable that an effective biomass-degradation system requires the synergistic action of a large number of enzymes, the individual and collective actions of which are poorly understood. By offering the ability to combine any number of transgenes in a modular, combinatorial way, synthetic biology offers a new approach to elucidating the synergistic action of combinations of biomass-degrading enzymes
in vivo
and may ultimately lead to a transferable biomass-degradation system. Also, synthetic biology offers the potential for assembly of novel product-formation pathways, as well as mechanisms for increased solvent tolerance. Thus, synthetic biology may finally lead to cheap and effective processes for conversion of biomass to useful products.
Gibberellin Modulates Anther Development in Rice via the Transcriptional Regulation of GAMYB
Authors: Aya Koichiro , Ueguchi-Tanaka Miyako , Kondo Maki , Hamada Kazuki , Yano Kentaro , Nishimura Mikio , Matsuoka Makoto
Published: May 2009

Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in regulating reproductive development, especially anther development. Our previous studies revealed that the MYB transcriptional factor GAMYB, an important component of GA signaling in cereal aleurone cells, is also important for anther development. Here, we examined the physiological functions of GA during anther development through phenotypic analyses of rice (Oryza sativa) GA-deficient, GA-insensitive, and gamyb mutants. The mutants exhibited common defects in programmed cell death (PCD) of tapetal cells and formation of exine and Ubisch bodies. Microarray analysis using anther RNAs of these mutants revealed that rice GAMYB is involved in almost all instances of GA-regulated gene expression in anthers. Among the GA-regulated genes, we focused on two lipid metabolic genes, a cytochrome P450 hydroxylase CYP703A3 and β-ketoacyl reductase, both of which might be involved in providing a substrate for exine and Ubisch body. GAMYB specifically interacted with GAMYB binding motifs in the promoter regions in vitro, and mutation of these motifs in promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) transformants caused reduced GUS expression in anthers. Furthermore, a knockout mutant for CYP703A3 showed gamyb-like defects in exine and Ubisch body formation. Together, these results suggest that GA regulates exine formation and the PCD of tapetal cells and that direct activation of CYP703A3 by GAMYB is key to exine formation.
Local Differentiation of Sugar Donor Specificity of Flavonoid Glycosyltransferase in Lamiales
Authors: Noguchi Akio , Horikawa Manabu , Fukui Yuko , Fukuchi-Mizutani Masako , Iuchi-Okada Asako , Ishiguro Masaji , Kiso Yoshinobu , Nakayama Toru , Ono Eiichiro
Published: May 2009

Flavonoids are most commonly conjugated with various sugar moieties by UDP-sugar:glycosyltransferases (UGTs) in a lineage-specific manner. Generally, the phylogenetics and regiospecificity of flavonoid UGTs are correlated, indicating that the regiospecificity of UGT differentiated prior to speciation. By contrast, it is unclear how the sugar donor specificity of UGTs evolved. Here, we report the biochemical, homology-modeled, and phylogenetic characterization of flavonoid 7-O-glucuronosyltransferases (F7GAT), which is responsible for producing specialized metabolites in Lamiales plants. All of the Lamiales F7GATs were found to be members of the UGT88-related cluster and specifically used UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA). We identified an Arg residue that is specifically conserved in the PSPG box in the Lamiales F7GATs. Substitution of this Arg with Trp was sufficient to convert the sugar donor specificity of the Lamiales F7GATs from UDPGA to UDP-glucose. Homology modeling of the Lamiales F7GAT suggested that the Arg residue plays a critical role in the specific recognition of anionic carboxylate of the glucuronic acid moiety of UDPGA with its cationic guanidinium moiety. These results support the hypothesis that differentiation of sugar donor specificity of UGTs occurred locally, in specific plant lineages, after establishment of general regiospecificity for the sugar acceptor. Thus, the plasticity of sugar donor specificity explains, in part, the extraordinary structural diversification of phytochemicals.
Association Genetics Reveals Three Novel Avirulence Genes from the Rice Blast Fungal Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Yoshida Kentaro , Saitoh Hiromasa , Fujisawa Shizuko , Kanzaki Hiroyuki , Matsumura Hideo , Yoshida Kakoto , Tosa Yukio , Chuma Izumi , Takano Yoshitaka , Win Joe , Kamoun Sophien , Terauchi Ryohei
Published: May 2009

To subvert rice (Oryza sativa) host defenses, the devastating ascomycete fungus pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae produces a battery of effector molecules, including some with avirulence (AVR) activity, which are recognized by host resistance (R) proteins resulting in rapid and effective activation of innate immunity. To isolate novel avirulence genes from M. oryzae, we examined DNA polymorphisms of secreted protein genes predicted from the genome sequence of isolate 70-15 and looked for an association with AVR activity. This large-scale study found significantly more presence/absence polymorphisms than nucleotide polymorphisms among 1032 putative secreted protein genes. Nucleotide diversity of M. oryzae among 46 isolates of a worldwide collection was extremely low (θ = 8.2 × 10−5), suggestive of recent pathogen dispersal. However, no association between DNA polymorphism and AVR was identified. Therefore, we used genome resequencing of Ina168, an M. oryzae isolate that contains nine AVR genes. Remarkably, a total of 1.68 Mb regions, comprising 316 candidate effector genes, were present in Ina168 but absent in the assembled sequence of isolate 70-15. Association analyses of these 316 genes revealed three novel AVR genes, AVR-Pia, AVR-Pii, and AVR-Pik/km/kp, corresponding to five previously known AVR genes, whose products are recognized inside rice cells possessing the cognate R genes. AVR-Pia and AVR-Pii have evolved by gene gain/loss processes, whereas AVR-Pik/km/kp has evolved by nucleotide substitutions and gene gain/loss.
Pinnatane A from the bark ofWalsura pinnataHassk
Authors: Mohamad Khalit , Yusoff Mahfizah , Awang Khalijah , Ahmad Kartini , Ng Seik Weng
Published: May 2009

In the molecule of pinnatane A, C30H48O3, isolated from the bark ofWalsura pinnataHassk, the four cyclohexane rings adopt chair conformations; the carboxyl and hydroxy substituents occupy axial positions. The cyclohexene ring is envelope-shaped. Adjacent molecules are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds into a chain running along thecaxis.
Triphenylbis[4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoato-κO]antimony(V)
Authors: Quan Li , Yin Handong , Cui Liansheng , Yang Minglei , Wang Daqi
Published: May 2009

The title complex, [Sb(C6H5)3(C8H4F3O2)2], is located on a twofold axis defined by the metal center and two C atoms of a coordinated phenyl group. The environment of the Sb atom approximates a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry, with the axial positions occupied by the O atoms of symmetry-related 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoate ligands. In this ligand, the CF3group is disordered by rotation about the C—C bond and the F atoms are distributed over two sets of sites with occupancies of 0.62 (3) and 0.38 (3). In the crystal, molecules are assembled in a three-dimensional framework through weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Ethyl 2-amino-4-(3-chlorophenyl)-5,10-dioxo-5,10-dihydro-4H-benzo[g]chromene-3-carboxylate
Authors: Hu Xiao , Lei Song , Yao Chang-Sheng
Published: May 2009

The title molecule, C22H16ClNO5, was obtained by the reaction of (E)-ethyl 3-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-cyanoacrylate and 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione catalysed by triethylamine in ethanol. In the crystal structure, the chlorobenzene ring makes a dihedral angle of 88.63 (4)° with the fused ring system. The six-membered ring formed by an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond is almost planar. The crystal packing is stabilized by N—H...O hydrogen bonds.
2,4-Bis(4-bromophenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one
Authors: Parthiban P. , Ramkumar V. , Amirthaganesan S. , Jeong Yeon Tae
Published: May 2009

The title compound, C20H19Br2NO, shows a chair–chair conformation for the azabicycle with an equatorial disposition of the 4-bromophenyl groups [dihedral angle between the aromatic rings = 16.48 (3)°]. In the crystal, a short Br...Br contact [3.520 (4) Å] occurs and the structure is further stabilized by N—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...O interactions.
Bis[4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium] tetrabromidobis(3,4-dichlorophenyl)stannate(IV)–1-bromo-3,4-dichlorobenzene (1/1)
Authors: Koon Yau Chin , Lo Kong Mun , Ng Seik Weng
Published: May 2009

The Sn atom in the title substituted pyridinium stannate bromo-3,4-dichlorobenzene solvate, (C7H11N2)2[SnBr4(C6H3Cl2)2]·C6H3BrCl2, lies on a twofold axis within an octahedral C2Br4donor set. Each cation forms an N—H...Br hydrogen bond to one of the Br atoms of the anion. The solvent molecule is disordered about the twofold rotation axis with equal occupancy. The crystal under investigation was non-merohedrally twinned, with a twin component ratio of 0.76:0.24.