bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blog for America and Civic Involvement
Authors: Kerbel Matthew R. , Bloom Joel David
Published: October 2005

Web logs (blogs) were an integral component of the 2004 presidential campaign and are a new medium for civic engagement. Arguably, the most important campaign blog was Blog for America, which served as a nerve center for Governor Howard Dean's insurgent presidential campaign. The authors offer an initial assessment of the community that developed around Blog for America and its orientation toward civic engagement, based on an original content analysis of 3,066 unique posts encompassing every entry in the Dean blog from March 15, 2003, through January 27, 2004. The guiding hypothesis is that blog discussion centered on a set of system-affirming topics absent from or unusual in political coverage on television,particularly substantive policy debate and community action.The authors find Blog for America to be an example of how the Internet is emerging as a vehicle for enhanced civic involvement with the potential to counteract the negative effects of television on the political process.
Selective Exposure to Online Foreign News during the Conflict with Iraq
Authors: Best Samuel J. , Chmielewski Brian , Krueger Brian S.
Published: October 2005

Several observers note that particularly since September 11, 2001, U.S. residents increasingly have used online foreign news sites.Yet currently little is known about the prevalence or determinants of online foreign news usage. This study examines the online foreign news usage of a representative sample of Internet users during the conflict with Iraq. The results indicate that approximately one-fourth of Internet news consumers use foreign sites. Also, by considering the differences in perspective between mainstream domestic news and foreign news and using the notion of selective exposure, the authors generate hypotheses regarding foreign online news usage. After controlling for other theoretically relevant factors, they find that those most opposed to the Bush administration possess the greatest likelihood of supplementing their domestic online news with an online foreign source.
Intimate Partner Violence, Employment,and The Workplace
Authors: Swanberg Jennifer E. , Logan TK , Macke Caroline
Published: October 2005

The purpose of this article is to examine the literature on violence against women and employment. After a brief discussion of the definition and consequences of intimate partner violence, the article reviews the research and related literatures to describe the (a) types of job interference tactics used by abusers, (b) employee-level consequences of partner violence, (c) victimized employee responses to intimate partner violence, (d) organizational-level consequences of partner violence, and (e) employer responses to intimate partner violence. Future research directions and workplace implications are discussed.
Opening America?
Authors: Bielby Denise D. , Harrington C. Lee
Published: October 2005

The U.S. dominance of the international television marketplace has long been a central focus for media scholars and policy leaders concerned with television’s impact on national culture. Thus, research on the export of U.S. television programs has focused almost exclusively on its “one-way flow,” and relatively little scholarly attention has been devoted to how programming from abroad fares in the United States or to how U.S. dominance in the global arena is affected as the industry adapts its products for export. This article contributes to the theoretical and empirical “opening up” of the cultural imperialism approach by considering how the U.S. television industry is influenced by program trends from abroad. In particular, it examines the impact of Latin American telenovelason the U.S. daytime soap opera genre in the context of shifts during the past decade in the demographics of the U.S. population and changes in the practices and tastes of television audiences.
Fact or Fiction?
Authors: Pearson Rosalind C.
Published: October 2005

Telenovelasare to Mexico what soap operas are to England—an essential ingredient in the tradition, culture, and history of the country. As a television genre in a constant state of process, telenovelas represent an important element of television programming in Mexico, with as many as ten to twelve different productions being shown at any one time on the two main channels run by Televisa and TV Azteca. This article will attempt to show that there is a mixture of fact and fiction in the narrative structure of the Mexican telenovela, that the resemblance to the world in which we live is recognizable but is more a likeness than a replica, and that the new tendency to feature a narrative style incorporating a more socially realistic treatment takes us closer to reality while keeping us firmly in the world of fantasy and illusion.
Cultural Identity, Soap Narrative, and Reality TV
Authors: Turner Graeme
Published: October 2005

This article works from the established assumption that narratives produced for local audiences are always going to operate in some relation to established discourses of local or national cultural identities. In the case of Australian television soap opera, this is not in any way a radical assumption, given the format’s routine construction of a recognizable version of the local-everyday as the ground on which its narratives are staged. In this article, the author argues that it is likely, in the case of certain versions of reality TV that draw on the soap opera format for their narrative and formal structures, that reality TV’s representations of the real and the everyday are going to operate similarly—indigenizing even the most international of formats and genres. Thus, the way to examine “the local” in the “global” may well be through mapping processes of appropriation and adaptation rather than through the proposition of any thoroughgoing specificity or uniqueness.
Cultural Identity: Between Reality and Fiction
Authors: Pérez María de la Luz Casas
Published: October 2005

This article reviews the concept of cultural identityvis-à-vis the viewing of soap operas, or telenovelas, within the Mexican context. The patterns of viewing, role modeling, narrative, and other characteristics are reviewed to define the ways in which this audiovisual genre contributes to the building of cultural elements within Mexican society.
A confocal microscopic study of solitary pulmonary neuroendocrine cells in human airway epithelium
Authors: Weichselbaum Markus , Sparrow Malcolm P , Hamilton Elisha J , Thompson Philip J , Knight Darryl A
Published: October 2005

Background

Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNEC) are specialized epithelial cells that are thought to play important roles in lung development and airway function. PNEC occur either singly or in clusters called neuroepithelial bodies. Our aim was to characterize the three dimensional morphology of PNEC, their distribution, and their relationship to the epithelial nerves in whole mounts of adult human bronchi using confocal microscopy.

Methods

Bronchi were resected from non-diseased portions of a lobe of human lung obtained from 8 thoracotomy patients (Table 1) undergoing surgery for the removal of lung tumors. Whole mounts were stained with antibodies to reveal all nerves (PGP 9.5), sensory nerves (calcitonin gene related peptide, CGRP), and PNEC (PGP 9.5, CGRP and gastrin releasing peptide, GRP). The analysis and rendition of the resulting three-dimensional data sets, including side-projections, was performed using NIH-Image software. Images were colorized and super-imposed using Adobe Photoshop.

Results

PNEC were abundant but not homogenously distributed within the epithelium, with densities ranging from 65/mm2 to denser patches of 250/mm2, depending on the individual wholemount. Rotation of 3-D images revealed a complex morphology; flask-like with the cell body near the basement membrane and a thick stem extending to the lumen. Long processes issued laterally from its base, some lumenal and others with feet-like processes. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was present in about 20% of PNEC, mainly in the processes. CGRP-positive nerves were sparse, with some associated with the apical part of the PNEC.

Conclusion

Our 3D-data demonstrates that PNEC are numerous and exhibit a heterogeneous peptide content suggesting an active and diverse PNEC population.
Extension of Lander-Waterman theory for sequencing filtered DNA libraries
Authors: Wendl Michael C , Barbazuk W Brad
Published: October 2005

Background

The degree to which conventional DNA sequencing techniques will be successful for highly repetitive genomes is unclear. Investigators are therefore considering various filtering methods to select against high-copy sequence in DNA clone libraries. The standard model for random sequencing, Lander-Waterman theory, does not account for two important issues in such libraries, discontinuities and position-based sampling biases (the so-called "edge effect"). We report an extension of the theory for analyzing such configurations.

Results

The edge effect cannot be neglected in most cases. Specifically, rates of coverage and gap reduction are appreciably lower than those for conventional libraries, as predicted by standard theory. Performance decreases as read length increases relative to island size. Although opposite of what happens in a conventional library, this apparent paradox is readily explained in terms of the edge effect. The model agrees well with prototype gene-tagging experiments for Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor. Moreover, the associated density function suggests well-defined probabilistic milestones for the number of reads necessary to capture a given fraction of the gene space. An exception for applying standard theory arises if sequence redundancy is less than about 1-fold. Here, evolution of the random quantities is independent of library gaps and edge effects. This observation effectively validates the practice of using standard theory to estimate the genic enrichment of a library based on light shotgun sequencing.

Conclusion

Coverage performance using a filtered library is significantly lower than that for an equivalent-sized conventional library, suggesting that directed methods may be more critical for the former. The proposed model should be useful for analyzing future projects.
Assessing immunization data quality from routine reports in Mozambique
Authors: Mavimbe João C , Braa Jørn , Bjune Gunnar
Published: October 2005

Background

Worldwide immunization coverage shows an increase in the past years but the validity of the official reports for measuring change over time has been questioned. Facing this problem, donor supported initiatives like the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunizations, have been putting a lot of effort into assessing the quality of data used, since accurate immunization information is essential for the Expanded Program on Immunization managers to track and improve program performance. The present article, discusses the practices on record keeping, reporting and the support mechanism to ensure data quality in Mozambique.

Methods

A process evaluation study was carried out in Mozambique in one district (Cuamba) in Niassa Province, between January and March 2003. The study was based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation and review of the data collection materials.

Results

Differences were found for all vaccine types when comparing facility reports with the tally sheets. The same applies when comparing facility reports with district reports. The study also showed that a routine practice during supervision visits was data quality assessment for the outpatient services but none related to data consistency between the tally sheets and the facility report. For the Expanded Program on Immunization, supervisors concentrated more on the consistency checks between data in the facility reports and the number of vaccines received during the same period. Meetings were based on criticism, for example, why health workers did not reach the target. Nothing in terms of data quality was addressed nor validation rules.

Conclusion

In this paper we have argued that the quality of data, and consequently of the information system, must be seen in a broader perspective not focusing only on technicalities (data collection tools and the reporting system) but also on support mechanisms. Implications of a poor data quality system will be reflected in the efficiency of health services facing increased demands, with stagnant or decreasing resources.
Hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors and their receptors in human lung emphysema
Authors: Bonay Marcel , Boutten Anne , Leçon-Malas Véronique , Marchal Joëlle , Soler Paul , Fournier Michel , Leseche Guy , Dehoux Monique , Crestani Bruno
Published: October 2005

Background

Hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors are key growth factors in the process of alveolar repair. We hypothesized that excessive alveolar destruction observed in lung emphysema involves impaired expression of hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors or their respective receptors, c-met and keratinocyte growth factor receptor. The aim of our study was to compare the expression of hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors and their receptors in lung samples from 3 groups of patients: emphysema; smokers without emphysema and non-smokers without emphysema.

Methods

Hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factor proteins were analysed by immunoassay and western blot; mRNA expression was measured by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors, c-met and keratinocyte growth factor receptor mRNA levels were similar in emphysema and non-emphysema patients. Hepatocyte growth factor mRNA correlated negatively with FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio both in emphysema patients and in smokers with or without emphysema. Hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factor protein concentrations were similar in all patients' groups.

Conclusion

The expression of hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors and their receptors is preserved in patients with lung emphysema as compared to patients without emphysema. Hepatocyte growth factor mRNA correlates with the severity of airflow obstruction in smokers.
Does a pre-hospital emergency pathway improve early diagnosis and referral in suspected stroke patients? – Study protocol of a cluster randomised trial [ISRCTN41456865]
Authors: Ferri Marica , De Luca Assunta , Rossi Paolo Giorgi , Lori Giuliano , Guasticchi Gabriella
Published: October 2005

Background

Early interventions proved to be able to improve prognosis in acute stroke patients. Prompt identification of symptoms, organised timely and efficient transportation towards appropriate facilities, become essential part of effective treatment. The implementation of an evidence based pre-hospital stroke care pathway may be a method for achieving the organizational standards required to grant appropriate care. We performed a systematic search for studies evaluating the effect of pre-hospital and emergency interventions for suspected stroke patients and we found that there seems to be only a few studies on the emergency field and none about implementation of clinical pathways.

We will test the hypothesis that the adoption of emergency clinical pathway improves early diagnosis and referral in suspected stroke patients. We designed a cluster randomised controlled trial (C-RCT), the most powerful study design to assess the impact of complex interventions. The study was registered in the Current Controlled Trials Register: ISRCTN41456865 – Implementation of pre-hospital emergency pathway for stroke – a cluster randomised trial.

Methods/design

Two-arm cluster-randomised trial (C-RCT). 16 emergency services and 14 emergency rooms were randomised either to arm 1 (comprising a training module and administration of the guideline), or to arm 2 (no intervention, current practice). Arm 1 participants (152 physicians, 280 nurses, 50 drivers) attended an interactive two sessions course with continuous medical education CME credits on the contents of the clinical pathway. We estimated that around 750 patients will be met by the services in the 6 months of observation. This duration allows recruiting a sample of patients sufficient to observe a 30% improvement in the proportion of appropriate diagnoses.

Data collection will be performed using current information systems. Process outcomes will be measured at the cluster level six months after the intervention. We will assess the guideline recommendations for emergency and pre-hospital stroke management relative to: 1) promptness of interventions for hyperacute ischaemic stroke; 2) promptness of interventions for hyperacute haemorrhagic stroke 3) appropriate diagnosis. Outcomes will be expressed as proportions of patients with a positive CT for ischaemic stroke and symptoms onset <= 6 hour admitted to the stroke unit.

Discussion

The fields in which this trial will play are usually neglected by Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). We have chosen the Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial (C-RCT) to address the issues of contamination, adherence to real practice, and community dimension of the intervention, with a complex definition of clusters and an extensive use of routine data to collect the outcomes.
The effects of injection of bovine vaccine into a human digit: a case report
Authors: O'Neill Jennifer K , Richards Simon W , Ricketts David M , Patterson Marc H
Published: October 2005

Background

The incidence of needlestick injuries in farmers and veterinary surgeons is significant and the consequences of such an injection can be serious.

Case presentation

We report accidental injection of bovine vaccine into the base of the little finger. This resulted in increased pressure in the flexor sheath causing signs and symptoms of ischemia. Amputation of the digit was required despite repeated surgical debridement and decompression.

Conclusion

There have been previous reports of injection of oil-based vaccines into the human hand resulting in granulomatous inflammation or sterile abscess and causing morbidity and tissue loss.

Self-injection with veterinary vaccines is an occupational hazard for farmers and veterinary surgeons. Injection of vaccine into a closed compartment such as the human finger can have serious sequelae including loss of the injected digit. These injuries are not to be underestimated. Early debridement and irrigation of the injected area with decompression is likely to give the best outcome. Frequent review is necessary after the first procedure because repeat operations may be required.
Elevated levels of procoagulant microparticles in a patient with myocardial infarction, antiphospholipid antibodies and multifocal cardiac thrombosis
Authors: Morel O , Jesel L , Freyssinet JM , Toti F
Published: October 2005

Circulating procoagulant microparticles (MP) are pathogenic markers of enhanced coagulability associated to a variety of disorders and released from stimulated vascular cells. When derived from endothelial cells, MP were found characteristic of thrombotic propensity in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The prothrombotic status of a patient with antiphospholipid antibodies (APL), a past history of mesenteric vein thrombosis and presenting myocardial infarction and extensive intracardiac thrombosis was examined by measurement of circulating procoagulant MP. MP of platelet and endothelial origins were highly elevated with respect to values detectable in patients with myocardial infarction and no history of APS (6- and 3-fold elevation, respectively) or in healthy volunteers (13- and 25-fold elevation, respectively). In this particular patient, with moderate APL titer, a drastic release of procoagulant MP could have contributed to thrombus growth and the development of extensive intracardiac thrombosis.
The place of public inquiries in shaping New Zealand's national mental health policy 1858–1996
Authors: Brunton Warwick
Published: October 2005

Background

This paper discusses the role of public inquiries as an instrument of public policy-making in New Zealand, using mental health as a case study. The main part of the paper analyses the processes and outcomes of five general inquiries into the state of New Zealand's mental health services that were held between 1858 and 1996.

Results

The membership, form, style and processes used by public inquiries have all changed over time in line with constitutional and social trends. So has the extent of public participation. The records of five inquiries provide periodic snapshots of a system bedevilled by long-standing problems such as unacceptable standards, under-resourcing, and poor co-ordination. Demands for an investigation no less than the reports and recommendations of public inquiries have been the catalyst of some important policy changes, if not immediately, then by creating a climate of opinion that supported later change. Inquiries played a significant role in establishing lunatic asylums, in shaping the structure of mental health legislation, establishing and maintaining a national mental health bureaucracy within the machinery of government, and in paving the way for deinstitutionalisation. Ministers and their departmental advisers have mediated this contribution.

Conclusion

Public inquiries have helped shape New Zealand's mental health policy, both directly and indirectly, at different stages of evolution. In both its advisory and investigative forms, the public inquiry remains an important tool of public administration. The inquiry/cause and policy/effect relationship is not necessarily immediate but may facilitate changes in public opinion with corresponding policy outcomes long after any direct causal link could be determined. When considered from that long-term perspective, the five inquiries can be linked to several significant and long-term contributions to mental health policy in New Zealand.
The impact of HLA-DRB1genes on extra-articular disease manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Turesson Carl , Schaid Daniel J , Weyand Cornelia M , Jacobsson Lennart TH , Goronzy Jörg J , Petersson Ingemar F , Sturfelt Gunnar , Nyhäll-Wåhlin Britt-Marie , Truedsson Lennart , Dechant Sonja A , Matteson Eric L
Published: October 2005

The objective of this study was to examine HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 genotypes in patients with severe extra-articular rheumatoid arthritis (ExRA) and to compare them with the genotypes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without extra-articular manifestations. Patients with severe ExRA were recruited from a large research database of patients with RA, from two cohorts of prevalent RA cases, and from a regional multicenter early RA cohort. Cases with ExRA manifestations (n = 159) were classified according to predefined criteria. Controls (n = 178) with RA but no ExRA were selected from the same sources. Cases and controls were matched for duration of RA and for clinical center. PCR based HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 genotyping was performed using the Biotest SSP kit, with additional sequencing in order to distinguish DRB1*04 subtypes. Associations between alleles and disease phenotypes were tested using multiple simulations of random distributions of alleles. There was no difference in global distribution of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles between patients with ExRA and controls. DRB1*0401 (P = 0.003) and 0401/0401 homozygosity (P = 0.002) were more frequent in Felty's syndrome than in controls. The presence of two HLA-DRB1*04 alleles encoding the shared epitope (SE) was associated with ExRA (overall odds ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.04–3.08) and with rheumatoid vasculitis (odds ratio 2.44, 95% confidence interval 1.22–4.89). In this large sample of patients with ExRA, Felty's syndrome was the only manifestation that was clearly associated with HLA-DRB1*0401. Other ExRA manifestations were not associated with individual alleles but with DRB1*04 SE double dose genotypes. This confirms that SE genes contribute to RA disease severity and ExRA. Other genetic and environmental factors may have a more specific impact on individual ExRA manifestations.
Actin and non-muscle myosin II facilitate apical exocytosis of tear proteins in rabbit lacrimal acinar epithelial cells
Authors: Jerdeva Galina V. , Wu Kaijin , Yarber Francie A. , Rhodes Christopher J. , Kalman Daniel , Schechter Joel E. , Hamm-Alvarez Sarah F.
Published: October 2005

The acinar epithelial cells of the lacrimal gland exocytose the contents of mature secretory vesicles containing tear proteins at their apical membranes in response to secretagogues. Here we use time-lapse confocal fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to investigate the changes in actin filaments located beneath the apical membrane during exocytosis evoked by the muscarinic agonist, carbachol (100 μM). Time-lapse confocal fluorescence microscopy of apical actin filaments in reconstituted rabbit lacrimal acini transduced with replication-deficient adenovirus containing GFP-actin revealed a relatively quiescent apical actin array in resting acini. Carbachol markedly increased apical actin filament turnover and also promoted transient actin assembly around apparent fusion intermediates. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements revealed significant (P≤0.05) increases and decreases, respectively, in mobile fraction (Mf) and turnover times (t½) for apical actin filaments in carbachol-stimulated acini relative to untreated acini. The myosin inhibitors, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM, 10 mM, 15 minutes) and ML-7 (40 μM, 15 minutes), significantly decreased carbachol-stimulated secretion of bulk protein and the exogenous secretory vesicle marker, syncollin-GFP; these agents also promoted accumulation of actin-coated structures which were enriched, in transduced acini, in syncollin-GFP, confirming their identity as fusion intermediates. Actin-coated fusion intermediates were sized consistent with incorporation of multiple rather than single secretory vesicles; moreover, BDM and ML-7 caused a shift towards formation of multiple secretory vesicle aggregates while significantly increasing the diameter of actin-coated fusion intermediates. Our findings suggest that the increased turnover of apical actin filaments and the interaction of actin with non-muscle myosin II assembled around aggregates of secretory vesicles facilitate exocytosis in lacrimal acinar epithelial cells.
E-cadherin endocytosis regulates the activity of Rap1: a traffic light GTPase at the crossroads between cadherin and integrin function
Authors: Balzac Fiorella , Avolio Maria , Degani Simona , Kaverina Irina , Torti Mauro , Silengo Lorenzo , Small J. Victor , Retta Saverio Francesco
Published: October 2005

The coordinate modulation of cadherin and integrin functions plays an essential role in fundamental physiological and pathological processes, including morphogenesis and cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional crosstalk between cadherins and integrins are still elusive.

Here, we demonstrate that the small GTPase Rap1, a crucial regulator of the inside-out activation of integrins, is a target for E-cadherin-mediated outside-in signaling. In particular, we show that a strong activation of Rap1 occurs upon adherens junction disassembly that is triggered by E-cadherin internalization and trafficking along the endocytic pathway. By contrast, Rap1 activity is not influenced by integrin outside-in signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the E-cadherin endocytosis-dependent activation of Rap1 is associated with and controlled by an increased Src kinase activity, and is paralleled by the colocalization of Rap1 and E-cadherin at the perinuclear Rab11-positive recycling endosome compartment, and the association of Rap1 with a subset of E-cadherin-catenin complexes that does not contain p120ctn. Conversely, Rap1 activity is suppressed by the formation of E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell junctions as well as by agents that inhibit either Src activity or E-cadherin internalization and intracellular trafficking. Finally, we demonstrate that the E-cadherin endocytosis-dependent activation of Rap1 is associated with and is required for the formation of integrin-based focal adhesions.

Our findings provide the first evidence of an E-cadherin-modulated endosomal signaling pathway involving Rap1, and suggest that cadherins may have a novel modulatory role in integrin adhesive functions by fine-tuning Rap1 activation.
TGFβ-induced downregulation of E-cadherin-based cell-cell adhesion depends on PI3-kinase and PTEN
Authors: Vogelmann Roger , Nguyen-tat Marc-Daniel , Giehl Klaudia , Adler Guido , Wedlich Doris , Menke Andre
Published: October 2005

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) has profound growth-suppressive effects on normal epithelial cells, but supports metastasis formation in many tumour types. In most epithelial tumour cells TGFβ1 treatment results in epithelial dedifferentiation with reduced cell aggregation and enhanced cellular migration. Here we show that the epithelial dedifferentiation, accompanied by dissociation of the E-cadherin adhesion complex, induced by TGFβ1 depended on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and the phosphatase PTEN as analysed in PANC-1 and Smad4-deficient BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma cells. TGFβ1 treatment enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of α- and β-catenin, which resulted in dissociation of the E-cadherin/catenin complex from the actin cytoskeleton and reduced cell-cell adhesion. The PI3-kinase and PTEN were found associated with the E-cadherin/catenin complex via β-catenin. TGFβ1 treatment reduced the amount of PTEN bound to β-catenin and markedly increased the tyrosine phosphorylation of β-catenin. By contrast, forced expression of PTEN clearly reduced the TGFβ1-induced phosphorylation of β-catenin. The TGFβ1-induced β-catenin phosphorylation was also dependent on PI3-kinase and Ras activity. The described effects of TGFβ1 were independent of Smad4, which is homozygous deleted in BxPC-3 cells. Collectively, these data show that the TGFβ1-induced destabilisation of E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion involves phosphorylation of β-catenin, which is regulated by E-cadherin adhesion complex-associated PI3-kinase and PTEN.
Yeast Mon2p is a highly conserved protein that functions in the cytoplasm-to-vacuole transport pathway and is required for Golgi homeostasis
Authors: Efe Jem A. , Plattner Fabienne , Hulo Nicolas , Kressler Dieter , Emr Scott D. , Deloche Olivier
Published: October 2005

Although the small Arf-like GTPases Arl1-3 are highly conserved eukaryotic proteins, they remain relatively poorly characterized. The yeast and mammalian Arl1 proteins bind to the Golgi complex, where they recruit specific structural proteins such as Golgins. Yeast Arl1p directly interacts with Mon2p/Ysl2p, a protein that displays some sequence homology to the large Sec7 guanine exchange factors (GEFs) of Arf1. Mon2p also binds the putative aminophospholipid translocase (APT) Neo1p, which performs essential function(s) in membrane trafficking. Our detailed analysis reveals that Mon2p contains six distinct amino acid regions (A to F) that are conserved in several other uncharacterized homologs in higher eukaryotes. As the conserved A, E and F domains are unique to these homologues, they represent the signature of a new protein family. To investigate the role of these domains, we made a series of N- and C-terminal deletions of Mon2p. Although fluorescence and biochemical studies showed that the B and C domains (also present in the large Sec7 GEFs) predominantly mediate interaction with Golgi/endosomal membranes, growth complementation studies revealed that the C-terminal F domain is essential for the activity of Mon2p, indicating that Mon2p might also function independently of Arl1p. We provide evidence that Mon2p is required for efficient recycling from endosomes to the late Golgi. Intriguingly, although transport of CPY to the vacuole was nearly normal in the Δmon2 strain, we found the constitutive delivery of Aminopeptidase 1 from the cytosol to the vacuole to be almost completely blocked. Finally, we show that Mon2p exhibits genetic and physical interactions with Dop1p, a protein with a putative function in cell polarity. We propose that Mon2p is a scaffold protein with novel conserved domains, and is involved in multiple aspects of endomembrane trafficking.
Evidence that satellite cell decrement contributes to preferential decline in nuclear number from large fibres during murine age-related muscle atrophy
Authors: Brack Andrew S. , Bildsoe Heidi , Hughes Simon M.
Published: October 2005

Skeletal muscle fibres are multinucleate syncitial cells that change size during adult life depending on functional demand. The relative contribution of change in nuclear number and/or cell growth to fibre size change is unclear. We report that nuclei/unit length decreases in larger fibres during skeletal muscle ageing. This leads to an increased size of nuclear domain (quantity of cytoplasm/number of nuclei within that cytoplasm). Initially, larger fibres have more satellite cells than small fibres, but this advantage is lost as satellite cells decline with age. These changes are accompanied by an overall decline in fibre size, returning domain size to the normal range. Exacerbated loss of fibre nuclei per unit length during ageing of myoD-null mice provides the first experimental support for the hypothesis that a satellite cell defect causes inadequate nuclear replacement. We propose a model in which a decline in satellite cell function and/or number during ageing leads to a loss of nuclei from large fibres and an associated domain size increase that triggers cytoplasmic atrophy through the normal cell-size-regulating machinery.
Evidence for the involvement of PECAM-1 in a receptor mediated signal-transduction pathway regulating capacitation-associated tyrosine phosphorylation in human spermatozoa
Authors: Nixon Brett , Paul Jonathan W. , Spiller Cassy M. , Attwell-Heap Abigail G. , Ashman Leonie K. , Aitken R. John
Published: October 2005

Mammalian spermatozoa must become `capacitated' in the female reproductive tract before they gain the ability to fertilize the oocyte. The attainment of a capacitated state has been correlated with a number of biochemical changes, the most notable of which is a dramatic increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation status of these cells. Despite its biological importance, the mechanisms responsible for initiating this tyrosine phosphorylation cascade in vivo are unknown. Here, we report that this signalling pathway can be elicited in a rapid, dose-dependent and lectin-specific manner by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), but none of 18 other lectins assessed. This response was abrogated by prior enzymatic cleavage of either sialic acid or GlcNAc residues from the sperm surface and by treatment with a range of pharmacological inhibitors directed against protein kinase A, protein tyrosine kinases and intermediates including Src. Proteomic analysis of the WGA-binding sites on the sperm surface identified the putative cognate receptor as platelet cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1/CD31). This conclusion was supported by the following evidence: (i) anti-PECAM-1 antibodies identified a molecule of the correct molecular mass in human spermatozoa, (ii) PECAM-1 could be isolated from a pool of sperm surface proteins using WGA immobilized on a solid phase support, (iii) PECAM-1 and WGA co-localized to the sperm surface and (iv) anti-PECAM-1 antibodies could completely block the ability of WGA to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation in these cells. Collectively, these data provide the first evidence that a receptor-mediated signal transduction pathway triggers human sperm capacitation and identifies PECAM-1 as the probable initiator of this second messenger cascade.
Selective cellular effects of overexpressed pleckstrin-homology domains that recognize PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 suggest their interaction with protein binding partners
Authors: Várnai Péter , Bondeva Tzvetanka , Tamás Péter , Tóth Balázs , Buday László , Hunyady László , Balla Tamas
Published: October 2005

Several pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains with the ability to bind phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, PIP3] were expressed as green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins to determine their effects on various cellular responses known to be activated by PIP3. These proteins comprised the PH domains of Akt, ARNO, Btk or GRP1, and were found to show growth-factor-stimulated and wortmannin-sensitive translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane in several cell types, indicating their ability to recognize PIP3. Remarkably, although overexpressed Akt-PH–GFP and Btk-PH–GFP were quite potent in antagonizing the PIP3-mediated activation of the Akt protein kinase, such inhibition was not observed with the other PH domains. By contrast, expression of the PH domains of GRP1 and ARNO, but not of Akt or Btk, inhibited the attachment and spreading of freshly seeded cells to culture dishes. Activation of PLCγ by epidermal growth factor (EGF) was attenuated by the PH domains of GRP1, ARNO and Akt, but was significantly enhanced by the Btk PH domain. By following the kinetics of expression of the various GFP-fused PH domains for several days, only the PH domain of Akt showed a lipid-binding-dependent self-elimination, consistent with its interference with the anti-apoptotic Akt signaling pathway. Mutations of selective residues that do not directly participate in PIP3 binding in the GRP1-PH and Akt-PH domain were able to reduce the dominant-negative effects of these constructs yet retain their lipid binding. These data suggest that interaction with and sequestration of PIP3 may not be the sole mechanism by which PH domains interfere with cellular responses and that their interaction with other membrane components, most probably with proteins, allows a more specific participation in the regulation of specific signaling pathways.
Myosin Ib modulates the morphology and the protein transport within multi-vesicular sorting endosomes
Authors: Salas-Cortes Laura , Ye Fei , Tenza Danièle , Wilhelm Claire , Theos Alexander , Louvard Daniel , Raposo Graça , Coudrier Evelyne
Published: October 2005

Members of at least four classes of myosin (I, II, V and VI) have been implicated in the dynamics of a large variety of organelles. Despite their common motor domain structure, some of these myosins, however, are non processive and cannot move organelles along the actin tracks. Here, we demonstrate in the human pigmented MNT-1 cell line that, (1) the overexpression of one of these myosins, myosin 1b, or the addition of cytochalasin D affects the morphology of the sorting multivesicular endosomes; (2) the overexpression of myosin 1b delays the processing of Pmel17 (the product of murine silver locus also named GP100), which occurs in these multivesicular endosomes; (3) myosin 1b associated with endosomes coimmunoprecipitates with Pmel17. All together, these observations suggest that myosin 1b controls the traffic of protein cargo in multivesicular endosomes most probably through its ability to modulate with actin the morphology of these sorting endosomes.
Silencing Cenp-F weakens centromeric cohesion, prevents chromosome alignment and activates the spindle checkpoint
Authors: Holt Sarah V. , Vergnolle Mailys A. S. , Hussein Deema , Wozniak Marcin J. , Allan Victoria J. , Taylor Stephen S.
Published: October 2005

Cenp-F is an unusual kinetochore protein in that it localizes to the nuclear matrix in interphase and the nuclear envelope at the G2/M transition; it is farnesylated and rapidly degraded after mitosis. We have recently shown that farnesylation of Cenp-F is required for G2/M progression, its localization to kinetochores, and its degradation. However, the role Cenp-F plays in mitosis has remained enigmatic. Here we show that, following repression of Cenp-F by RNA interference (RNAi), the processes of metaphase chromosome alignment, anaphase chromosome segregation and cytokinesis all fail. Although kinetochores attach to microtubules in Cenp-F-deficient cells, the oscillatory movements that normally occur following K-fibre formation are severely dampened. Consistently, inter-kinetochore distances are reduced. In addition, merotelic associations are observed, suggesting that whereas kinetochores can attach microtubules in the absence of Cenp-F, resolving inappropriate interactions is inhibited. Repression of Cenp-F does not appear to compromise the spindle checkpoint. Rather, the chromosome alignment defect induced by Cenp-F RNA interference is accompanied by a prolonged mitosis, indicating checkpoint activation. Indeed, the prolonged mitosis induced by Cenp-F RNAi is dependent on the spindle checkpoint kinase BubR1. Surprisingly, chromosomes in Cenp-F-deficient cells frequently show a premature loss of chromatid cohesion. Thus, in addition to regulating kinetochore-microtubule interactions, Cenp-F might be required to protect centromeric cohesion prior to anaphase commitment. Intriguingly, whereas most of the sister-less kinetochores cluster near the spindle poles, some align at the spindle equator, possibly through merotelic or lateral orientations.
Regulation of paxillin family members during epithelial-mesenchymal transformation: a putative role for paxillin δ
Authors: Tumbarello David A. , Brown Michael C. , Hetey Sara E. , Turner Christopher E.
Published: October 2005

Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and the resulting induction of cell motility are essential components of tissue remodeling during embryonic development and wound repair, as well as tumor progression to an invasive metastatic phenotype. Paxillin, a multi-domain adaptor and phosphoprotein has previously been implicated in integrin signaling and cell motility. In this report we characterize a novel paxillin gene product, paxillin δ, generated from an evolutionarily conserved internal translation initiation site within the full-length paxillin mRNA. Paxillin δ, which lacks the key phosphorylation sites Y31 and Y118 as well as the ILK and actopaxin binding LD1 motif, exhibits a restricted distribution to epithelial cell types and is downregulated during TGF-β1-induced EMT of normal murine mammary gland (NMuMG) epithelial cells. Interestingly, Hic-5, a paxillin superfamily member, exhibits a reciprocal protein expression profile to paxillin δ. In addition, paxillin δ expression is maintained following NMuMG differentiation in a 3D collagen I gel while other focal adhesion components are downregulated. Paxillin δ protein expression coincided with reduced paxillin tyrosine phosphorylation in NMuMG cells and paxillin δ overexpression in CHO.K1 cells inhibited adhesion-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin. Forced expression of paxillin δ in NMuMG cells suppressed cell migration whereas Hic-5 overexpression stimulated motility. Together our data support a role for paxillin δ as a naturally occurring functional antagonist of paxillin signaling potentially through suppression of a Crk-mediated pathway during processes associated with cell migration.
Sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate: expanding roles in cell signaling
Authors: Chalfant Charles E. , Spiegel Sarah
Published: October 2005

The phosphorylated sphingolipid metabolites sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) have emerged as potent bioactive agents. Recent studies have begun to define new biological functions for these lipids. Generated by sphingosine kinases and ceramide kinase, they control numerous aspects of cell physiology, including cell survival and mammalian inflammatory responses. Interestingly, S1P is involved in cyclooxygenase-2 induction and C1P is required for the activation and translocation of cPLA2. This suggests that these two sphingolipid metabolites may act in concert to regulate production of eicosanoids, important inflammatory mediators. Whereas S1P functions mainly via G-protein-coupled receptors, C1P appears to bind directly to targets such as cPLA2 and protein phosphatase 1/2A. S1P probably also has intracellular targets, and in plants it appears to directly regulate the G protein α subunit GPA1.
Highly Efficient Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Based on Single Crystalline TiO2 Nanorod Film
Authors: Jiu Jinting , Wang Fumin , Isoda Seiji , Adachi Motonari
Published: October 2005

Single crystalline anatase TiO2 nanorods were successfully synthesized by surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method. A high light-to-electricity conversion yield of 7.06% was achieved by applying the TiO2 nanorods as thin film of dye-sensitized solar cells.
Rapid Formation of Novel Au Core–Ag Shell Nanostructures by a Microwave-polyol Method
Authors: Tsuji Masaharu , Miyamae Nobuhiro , Matsumoto Kisei , Hikino Sachie , Tsuji Takeshi
Published: October 2005

Au core–Ag shell bimetallic nanoparticles, denoted as Au@Ag, have been prepared by a microwave(MW)-polyol method through the two-step reduction of AuCl4− and Ag+ ions in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as a capping reagent. When single crystal polygonal Au nanoplates and nanorods were used as seeds, a mixture of various Au@Ag core–shell nanostructures was prepared after MW heating for only 2 min. Among them, small amounts of novel polygonal and rod types of Au@Ag nanostructures, in which morphologies of Au core were conserved, were produced.
Syndiospecific Ring-opening Metathesis Polymerization of endo-Dicyclopentadiene by Tungsten(VI) Phenylimido Catalyst
Authors: Hayano Shigetaka , Tsunogae Yasuo
Published: October 2005

cis- and syndio-Specific ring-opening metathesis polymerization of endo-dicyclopentadiene was achieved for the first time by the newly developed catalyst, W(=N-Ph)Cl4·Et2O–Et2Al(OEt), to produce crystalline syndiotactic hydrogenated poly(endo-dicyclopentadiene).
Photocatalytic Electron Transfer in Hybrid Titania Nanosheets Studied by Nanosecond Laser Flash Photolysis
Authors: Tachikawa Takashi , Yui Tatsuto , Fujitsuka Mamoru , Takagi Katsuhiko , Majima Tetsuro
Published: October 2005

The electron-transfer reaction in the composite films of a meso-(tetramethylpyridinium)porphyrin (TMPyP)–mesoporous silica (MPS) (TMPyP–MPS) and a methyl viologen (MV2+)–titania nanosheet (TN) (MV2+–TN) was studied by nanosecond transient absorption measurements. The effects of the (TMPyP–MPS) layer on the one-electron reduction process of MV2+ were examined.
Oscar Wilde: Reading the Life After the Life
Authors: Dickinson Peter
Published: October 2005

Oscar Wilde has repeatedly been subjected to posthumous conscription by scholars, critics, writers, and artists as the exemplary literary, sexual, and national outlaw. This article considers both the Anglo and the American production and reception of these other(ed) Oscars across two performative contexts: contemporary drama, where in the years preceding the centenaries of Wilde's trials and death, several plays were staged which offered a mix of documentary and dramatic reassessments of his life; and recent cinema, where representations include Brian Gilbert's earnest biopic Wilde and Todd Haynes's queerly revisionist Velvet Goldmine. The article concludes with a few observations on Will Self's recent novel Dorian: An Imitation.
Tropes of Suffering and Postures of Authority in Margaret Fuller's European Travel Letters
Authors: Kolk Heidi
Published: October 2005

This article traces the prodigal child mythos in Fuller's autobiographical travel letters, arguing that the povera soletta and similar types appearing in her later correspondence were the culmination of the material realities and competitive practices inherent in nineteenth-century travel experience.