bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 2b Negatively Regulates IFN-β Production and Antiviral Activity by Targeting TANK-Binding Kinase 1
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zhao Xueying , Zhang Meng , Zhao Wei , Gao Chengjiang
Published: July 2014

TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is essential for IFN regulatory factor 3 activation and IFN-β production downstream of various innate receptors. However, how TBK1 activation is terminated is not well defined. In this study, we identified ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) 2b as a new negative regulator for TBK1 activation. Overexpression of USP2b inhibited retinoic acid–inducible gene-I–mediated IFN-β signaling; in contrast, knockdown of USP2b expression by small interfering RNA enhanced retinoic acid–inducible gene-I–mediated IFN-β signaling. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that USP2b interacted with TBK1. As a deubiquitinating enzyme, USP2b was demonstrated to cleave K63-linked polyubiquitin chains from TBK1 to inhibit TBK1 kinase activity. Consistent with the inhibitory roles of USP2b on TBK1 activation, knockdown of USP2b significantly inhibited the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus, whereas overexpression of USP2b resulted in enhanced replication of vesicular stomatitis virus. Therefore, our findings demonstrated that USP2b deubiquitinates K63-linked polyubiquitin chains from TBK1 to terminate TBK1 activation and negatively regulate IFN-β signaling and antiviral immune response.
The DNA Sensor, Cyclic GMP–AMP Synthase, Is Essential for Induction of IFN-β during Chlamydia trachomatis Infection
Authors: Zhang Yugen , Yeruva Laxmi , Marinov Anthony , Prantner Daniel , Wyrick Priscilla B. , Lupashin Vladimir , Nagarajan Uma M.
Published: July 2014

IFN-β has been implicated as an effector of oviduct pathology resulting from genital chlamydial infection in the mouse model. In this study, we investigated the role of cytosolic DNA and engagement of DNA sensors in IFN-β expression during chlamydial infection. We determined that three-prime repair exonuclease-1, a host 3′ to 5′ exonuclease, reduced IFN-β expression significantly during chlamydial infection using small interfering RNA and gene knockout fibroblasts, implicating cytosolic DNA as a ligand for this response. The DNA sensor cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS) has been shown to bind cytosolic DNA to generate cyclic GMP–AMP, which binds to the signaling adaptor stimulator of IFN genes (STING) to induce IFN-β expression. We determined that cGAS is required for IFN-β expression during chlamydial infection in multiple cell types. Interestingly, although infected cells deficient for STING or cGAS alone failed to induce IFN-β, coculture of cells depleted for either STING or cGAS rescued IFN-β expression. These data demonstrate that cyclic GMP–AMP produced in infected cGAS+STING− cells can migrate into adjacent cells via gap junctions to function in trans in cGAS−STING+ cells. Furthermore, we observed cGAS localized in punctate regions on the cytosolic side of the chlamydial inclusion membrane in association with STING, indicating that chlamydial DNA is most likely recognized outside the inclusion as infection progresses. These novel findings provide evidence that cGAS-mediated DNA sensing directs IFN-β expression during Chlamydia trachomatis infection and suggest that effectors from infected cells can directly upregulate IFN-β expression in adjacent uninfected cells during in vivo infection, contributing to pathogenesis.
Cutting Edge: Generation of Effector Cells That Localize to Mucosal Tissues and Form Resident Memory CD8 T Cells Is Controlled by mTOR
Authors: Sowell Ryan T. , Rogozinska Magdalena , Nelson Christine E. , Vezys Vaiva , Marzo Amanda L.
Published: July 2014

Mucosal tissues are subject to frequent pathogen exposure and are major sites for transmission of infectious disease. CD8 T cells play a critical role in controlling mucosa-acquired infections even though their migration into mucosal tissues is tightly regulated. The mechanisms and signals that control the formation of tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells are poorly understood; however, one key regulator of memory CD8 T cell differentiation, mammalian target of rapamycin kinase, can be inhibited by rapamycin. We report that, despite enhancing the formation of memory CD8 T cells in secondary lymphoid tissues, rapamycin inhibits the formation of resident memory CD8 T cells in the intestinal and vaginal mucosa. The ability of rapamycin to block the formation of functional resident CD8 T cells in mucosal tissues protected mice from a model of CD8 T cell–mediated lethal intestinal autoimmunity. These findings demonstrate an opposing role for mammalian target of rapamycin in the formation of resident versus nonresident CD8 T cell immunity.
Transcription Factor ABF-1 Suppresses Plasma Cell Differentiation but Facilitates Memory B Cell Formation
Authors: Chiu Yi-Kai , Lin I-Ying , Su Shin-Tang , Wang Kuan-Hsiung , Yang Shii-Yi , Tsai Dong-Yan , Hsieh Yi-Ting , Lin Kuo-I
Published: July 2014

Ag-primed B cells that result from an immune response can form either memory B cells or Ab-secreting plasma cells; however, the molecular machinery that controls this cellular fate is poorly understood. In this study, we show that activated B cell factor-1 (ABF-1), which encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional repressor, participates in this regulation. ABF-1 was prevalently expressed in purified memory B cells and induced by T follicular helper cell–mediated signals. ABF-1 expression declined by the direct repression of B lymphocyte–induced maturation protein-1 during differentiation. Ectopic expression of ABF-1 reduced the formation of Ab-secreting cells in an in vitro differentiation system of human memory B cells. Accordingly, knockdown of ABF-1 potentiates the formation of Ab-secreting cells. A transgenic mouse that expresses inducible ABF-1 in a B cell–specific manner was generated to demonstrate that the formation of germinal center and memory B cells was augmented by induced ABF-1 in an immune response, whereas the Ag-specific plasma cell response was dampened. This effect was associated with the ability of ABF-1 to limit cell proliferation. Together, our results demonstrate that ABF-1 facilitates formation of memory B cells but prevents plasma cell differentiation.
Essential Role for the Lectin Pathway in Collagen Antibody–Induced Arthritis Revealed through Use of Adenovirus Programming Complement Inhibitor MAp44 Expression
Authors: Banda Nirmal K. , Mehta Gaurav , Kjaer Troels R. , Takahashi Minoru , Schaack Jerome , Morrison Thomas E. , Thiel Steffen , Arend William P. , Holers V. Michael
Published: July 2014

Previous studies using mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and complement C4–deficient mice have suggested that the lectin pathway (LP) is not required for the development of inflammatory arthritis in the collagen Ab–induced arthritis (CAIA) model. MBL, ficolins and collectin-11 are key LP pattern recognition molecules that associate with three serine proteases—MASP-1, MASP-2, and MASP-3—and with two MBL-associated proteins designated sMAP and MBL-associated protein of 44kDA (MAp44). Recent studies have shown that MAp44, an alternatively spliced product of the MASP-1/3 gene, is a competitive inhibitor of the binding of the recognition molecules to all three MASPs. In these studies, we examined the effect of treatment of mice with adenovirus (Ad) programmed to express human MAp44 (AdhMAp44) on the development of CAIA. AdhMAp44 and Ad programming GFP (AdGFP) expression were injected i.p. in C57BL/6 wild type mice prior to the induction of CAIA. AdhMAp44 significantly reduced the clinical disease activity (CDA) score by 81% compared with mice injected with AdGFP. Similarly, histopathologic injury scores for inflammation, pannus, cartilage and bone damage, as well as C3 deposition in the cartilage and synovium, were significantly reduced by AdhMAp44 pretreatment. Mice treated with AdmMAp44, programming expression of mouse MAp44, also showed significantly decreased CDA score and histopathologic injury scores. In addition, administration of AdhMAp44 significantly diminished the severity of Ross River virus–induced arthritis, an LP-dependent model. Our study provides conclusive evidence that an intact complement LP is essential to initiate CAIA, and that MAp44 may be an appropriate treatment for inflammatory arthritis.
Macrophage Depletion Abates Porphyromonas gingivalis–Induced Alveolar Bone Resorption in Mice
Authors: Lam Roselind S. , O’Brien-Simpson Neil M. , Lenzo Jason C. , Holden James A. , Brammar Gail C. , Walsh Katrina A. , McNaughtan Judith E. , Rowler Dennis K. , Van Rooijen Nico , Reynolds Eric C.
Published: July 2014

The role of the macrophage in the immunopathology of periodontitis has not been well defined. In this study, we show that intraoral inoculation of mice with Porphyromonas gingivalis resulted in infection, alveolar bone resorption, and a significant increase in F4/80+ macrophages in gingival and submandibular lymph node tissues. Macrophage depletion using clodronate-liposomes resulted in a significant reduction in F4/80+ macrophage infiltration of gingival and submandibular lymph node tissues and significantly (p < 0.01) less P. gingivalis–induced bone resorption compared with controls in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. In both mouse strains, the P. gingivalis–specific IgG Ab subclass and serum cytokine [IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-12 (p70)] responses were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in the macrophage-depleted groups. Macrophage depletion resulted in a significant reduction in the level of P. gingivalis infection, and the level of P. gingivalis infection was significantly correlated with the level of alveolar bone resorption. M1 macrophages (CD86+), rather than M2 macrophages (CD206+), were the dominant macrophage phenotype of the gingival infiltrate in response to P. gingivalis infection. P. gingivalis induced a significant (p < 0.01) increase in NO production and a small increase in urea concentration, as well as a significant increase in the secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), eotaxin, G-CSF, GM-CSF, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-α and -β, and TNF-α in isolated murine macrophages. In conclusion, P. gingivalis infection induced infiltration of functional/inflammatory M1 macrophages into gingival tissue and alveolar bone resorption. Macrophage depletion reduced P. gingivalis infection and alveolar bone resorption by modulating the host immune response.
Breast Cancer Characteristics and Survival in a Hispanic Population of Costa Rica
Authors: Srur-Rivero Nadia , Cartin-Brenes Mayra
Published: July 2014

Background

Breast cancer characteristics may vary according to the patient's ethnic group. The goal of this cohort study was to evaluate the characteristics of a group of Costa Rican breast cancer patients and their relationship with survival.

Methods

Age, stage, tumor grade, immunohistochemistry, lymphovascular invasion, recurrence, and survival data on 199 Hispanic patients with breast cancer diagnosis, treated between January 2009 and May 2010, were collected from a single institution in San Jose, Costa Rica. The data were statistically analyzed for significance.

Results

Median age at diagnosis was 53 years. With a median follow-up of 46.5 months, there was an 88% overall survival rate. Thirty-seven percent of the patients ( p < 0.001) were at stages III and IV during diagnosis. The hormone receptor human epidermal receptor negative phenotype ( HR–HER2–) ( p < 0.001) was present in 17% of the cases. In a multivariate analysis, local (risk ratio, RR: 7.2; confidence interval, CI 95%: 3.8–7.6; p = 0.06) and distant recurrence (RR: 14.9; CI 95%: 7.7–28.9; p = 0.01) showed the strongest association with the probability of death from the disease. Patients with HR–HER2– phenotype tumors reported more local recurrences ( p = 0.04), a higher tumor grade ( p < 0.01), and lower overall survival than patients with other breast cancer phenotypes ( p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Although this study analyzes a modest number of cases, it is an initial insight into factors that may contribute to differences in breast cancer outcomes among Hispanic women in Costa Rica. The higher proportion of triple negative tumors, advanced stage, and younger median age at diagnosis could contribute to the inferior prognostic described among Hispanic women. There may be a different distribution of tumor subtypes compared to non-Hispanic white women. Further studies are necessary to confirm such findings.
Schwannoma of the Median Nerve: Diagnosis Sometimes Delayed
Authors: Boufettal Monsef , Azouz Mohamed , Rhanim Abdelkarim , Abouzahir Mohamed , Mahfoud Mustapha , Bardouni Ahmed El , Berrada Mohamed S. , Yaacoubi Moradh El
Published: July 2014

Schwannoma is a tumor that develops from nerve sheath. The authors report an unusual case of schwannoma of the median nerve (MN) that remained asymptomatic for four years. The diagnosis was based on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and histopathological examination. Surgical removal is usually curative. The asymptomatic character of the tumor and its slow evolution remain an essential factor in diagnosis delays. This tumor has a good prognosis with a low recurrence rate and potential for malignant transformation.
Field Investigations of Winter Transmission of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in Florida
Authors: Bingham Andrea M. , Burkett-Cadena Nathan D. , Hassan Hassan K. , McClure Christopher J. W. , Unnasch Thomas R.
Published: July 2014

Studies investigating winter transmission of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) were conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. The virus was detected in Culiseta melanura and Anopheles quadrimaculatus in February 2012 and 2013, respectively. During the winter months, herons were the most important avian hosts for all mosquito species encountered. In collections carried out in the summer of 2011, blood meals taken from herons were still common, but less frequently encountered than in winter, with an increased frequency of mammalian- and reptile-derived meals observed in the summer. Four wading bird species (Black-crowned Night Heron [Nycticorax nycticorax], Yellow-crowned Night Heron [Nyctanassa violacea], Anhinga [Anhinga anhinga], and Great Blue Heron [Ardea herodias]) were most frequently fed upon by Cs. melanura and Culex erraticus, suggesting that these species may participate in maintaining EEEV during the winter in Florida.
Directional climate justice: the normative relationship between moral claim rights and directed obligations
Authors: Hedahl Marcus
Published: July 2014

A prominent theoretical analysis of moral claim rights holds that a right exists if and only if a corresponding directed obligation exists. Unfortunately, that traditional analysis has significant problems with a large number of apparent rights, including rights related to climate change. Many theorists take this limitation to be sufficient grounds to reject this traditional analysis, but eliminating the link between rights and directed obligations risks losing the essential, directional aspect of such rights. This theoretical impasse can be resolved by recognizing that the link between moral claim rights and directed obligations is normative rather than descriptive: a moral claim right ought to engender directed obligations, but it need not actually do so in order to be properly analysed as a right. Recognizing the normative link between rights and obligations not only solves a theoretical riddle, but also uncovers several practical consequences for our ethical understanding of climate change.
Changing images of climate change: human rights and future generations
Authors: Shue Henry
Published: July 2014

Whilst the climate itself has been changing over recent decades, our understanding has also been evolving. This article highlights four images of the normative significance of climate change. The earliest two, making room and avoiding encroachment, assume that the primary normative issue was how to distribute permissions to emit the carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, which is the chief force undermining the climate. But the evolving science established that the remaining cumulative carbon budget compatible with tolerable degrees of climate change is too small, however it is distributed. The most urgent imperative is to exit the fossil fuel regime and construct an alternative energy regime. The third image pictures this transition as an invaluable opportunity for institutional innovations protecting rights understood to include at least the subsistence need for essential energy. The fourth image, avoiding forced choice, underlines the responsibility of the current generations not to leave future ones with nothing but alternatives that undermine rights.
Identification of gravity wave sources using reverse ray tracing over Indian region
Authors: Pramitha M. , Venkat Ratnam M. , Taori A. , Krishna Murthy B. V. , Pallamraju D. , Vijaya Bhaskar Rao S.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. Reverse ray tracing method is successfully implemented for the first time in the Indian region for identification of the sources and propagation characteristics of the gravity waves observed using airglow emissions from Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E) and Hyderabad (17.5° N, 78.5° E). Wave amplitudes are also traced back for these wave events by including both radiative and diffusive damping. Background temperature and wind data obtained from MSISE-90 and HWM-07 models, respectively, are used for the ray tracing. For Gadanki region suitability of these models is tested. Further, a climatological model of background atmosphere for Gadanki region has been developed using a long-term of nearly 30 years of observations available from a variety of ground-based (MST radar, radiosonde, MF radar), rocket-, and satellite-borne measurements. For considering real-time atmospheric inputs, ERA-Interim products are utilized. By this reverse ray method, the source locations for nine wave events could be identified to be in the upper troposphere, whereas, for five other events the waves seem to have been ducted in the mesosphere itself. Uncertainty in locating the terminal points in the horizontal direction is estimated to be within 50–100 and 150–300 km for Gadanki and Hyderabad wave events, respectively. This uncertainty arises mainly due to non-consideration of the day-to-day variability in tidal amplitudes. As no convection in-and-around the terminal points are noticed, it is unlikely to be the source. Interestingly, large (~9 m s−1 km−1) vertical shear in the horizontal wind is noted near the ray terminal points (at 10–12 km altitude) and is identified to be the source for generating the nine wave events. Conditions prevailing at the terminal points for each of the 14 events are also provided. These events provide leads to a greater understanding of the tropical lower and upper atmospheric coupling through gravity waves.
Ecosystem function and services provided by the deep sea
Authors: Thurber A. R. , Sweetman A. K. , Narayanaswamy B. E. , Jones D. O. B. , Ingels J. , Hansman R. L.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. The deep sea is often viewed as a vast, dark, remote, and inhospitable environment, yet the deep ocean and seafloor are crucial to our lives through the services that they provide. Our understanding of how the deep sea functions remains limited, but when treated synoptically, a diversity of supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services becomes apparent. The biological pump transports carbon from the atmosphere into deep-ocean water masses that are separated over prolonged periods, reducing the impact of anthropogenic carbon release. Microbial oxidation of methane keeps another potent greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere while trapping carbon in authigenic carbonates. Nutrient regeneration by all faunal size classes provides the elements necessary for fueling surface productivity and fisheries, and microbial processes detoxify a diversity of compounds. Each of these processes occur on a very small scale, yet considering the vast area over which they occur they become important for the global functioning of the ocean. The deep sea also provides a wealth of resources, including fish stocks, enormous bioprospecting potential, and elements and energy reserves that are currently being extracted and will be increasingly important in the near future. Society benefits from the intrigue and mystery, the strange life forms, and the great unknown that has acted as a muse for inspiration and imagination since near the beginning of civilization. While many functions occur on the scale of microns to meters and timescales up to years, the derived services that result are only useful after centuries of integrated activity. This vast dark habitat, which covers the majority of the globe, harbors processes that directly impact humans in a variety of ways; however, the same traits that differentiate it from terrestrial or shallow marine systems also result in a greater need for integrated spatial and temporal understanding as it experiences increased use by society. In this manuscript we aim to provide a foundation for informed conservation and management of the deep sea by summarizing the important role of the deep sea in society.
A major change in North Atlantic deep water circulation 1.6 million years ago
Authors: Khélifi N. , Frank M.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. The global ocean–climate system has been highly sensitive to the formation and advection of deep overflow water from the Nordic Seas as integral part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) but its evolution over the Pliocene–Pleistocene global cooling is not fully understood. In particular, changes in the sources and mixing of prevailing deep waters that were involved in driving overturning throughout the Pliocene–Pleistocene climate transitions are not well constrained. Here we investigate the evolution of a substantial deep southward return overflow of the AMOC over the last 4 million years. We present new records of the bottom-water radiogenic neodymium isotope (ϵNd) variability obtained from three sediment cores (DSDP site 610 and ODP sites 980/981 and 900) at water depths between 2170 and 5050 m in the northeast Atlantic. We find that prior to the onset of major Northern Hemisphere glaciation (NHG) ∼3 million years ago (Ma), ϵNd values primarily oscillated between −9 and −11 at all sites, consistent with enhanced vertical mixing and weak stratification of the water masses during the warmer-than-today Pliocene period. From 2.7 Ma to ∼2.0 Ma, the ϵNd signatures of the water masses gradually became more distinct, which documents a significant advection of Nordic Seas overflow deep water coincident with the intensification of NHG. Most markedly, however, at ∼1.6 Ma the interglacial ϵNd signatures at sites 610 (2420 m water depth (w.d.)) and 980/981 (2170 m w.d.) synchronously and permanently shifted by 2 to 3 ϵNd units to less radiogenic values, respectively. Since then the difference between glacial and interglacial ϵNd values has been similar to the Late Quaternary at each site. A decrease of ∼2ϵNd units at 1.6 Ma was also recorded for the deepest water masses by site 900 (∼5050 m w.d.), which thereafter, however, evolved to more radiogenic values again until the present. This major ϵNd change across the 1.6 Ma transition reflects a significant reorganization of the overturning circulation in the northeast Atlantic paving the way for the more stratified water column with distinct water masses prevailing thereafter.
DYPTOP: a cost-efficient TOPMODEL implementation to simulate sub-grid spatio-temporal dynamics of global wetlands and peatlands
Authors: Stocker B. D. , Spahni R. , Joos F.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. Simulating the spatio-temporal dynamics of inundation is key to understanding the role of wetlands under past and future climate change. Earlier modelling studies have mostly relied on fixed prescribed peatland maps and inundation time series of limited temporal coverage. Here, we describe and assess the DYPTOP model that predicts the extent of inundation based on a computationally efficient TOPMODEL implementation. This approach rests on an empirical, gridcell-specific relationship between the mean soil water balance and the flooded area. DYPTOP combines the simulated inundation extent and its temporal persistency with criteria for the ecosystem water balance and the modelled peatland-specific soil carbon balance to predict the global distribution of peatlands. Here, we apply DYPTOP in combination with the LPX-Bern DGVM and benchmark the global-scale distribution, extent, and seasonality of inundation against satellite data. DYPTOP successfully predicts the spatial distribution and extent of wetlands and major boreal and tropical peatland complexes and reveals the governing limitations to peatland occurrence across the globe. Peatlands covering large boreal lowlands are reproduced only when accounting for a positive feedback induced by the enhanced mean soil water holding capacity in peatland-dominated regions. DYPTOP is designed to minimize input data requirements, optimizes computational efficiency and allows for a modular adoption in Earth system models.
Little evidence for super Clausius–Clapeyron scaling of intense rainstorm properties with air temperature
Authors: Molnar P. , Fatichi S. , Berger C. , Ismail I. , Gaál L. , Szolgay J. , Burlando P.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. Extreme precipitation is thought to increase proportionally to the rise in the water vapor holding capacity of the air at roughly 7% °C−1, the so called Clausius–Clapeyron (CC) rate. We present an empirical study of the variability in the rates of increase in precipitation intensity with air temperature using 30 yr of hourly data from 50 stations in an Alpine environment. The analysis is conducted on storm events rather than fixed time resolutions, and divided into event subsets based on concurrent lightning strikes indicating the presence of convection. The average rates of increase in mean event intensity (7.4% °C−1) and peak hourly intensity (5.1% °C−1) for 90th percentiles are close to the CC rate expected under fully saturated conditions. Super-CC rates reported by other studies are an exception in our dataset. Events accompanied by lightning (convective events) exhibit significantly higher rates of increase than stratiform rain. Mixing of the two storm types exaggerates the relations to air temperature. The large spatial variability in scaling rates across Switzerland suggests that both local (orographic) and regional effects limit moisture availability and supply in Alpine environments especially in mountain valleys. A trend analysis shows that our estimate of the number of convective events across Switzerland has steadily increased in the last 30 yr. This significant shift towards more convective storms in a warming climate may as a consequence lead to stronger storm intensities and therefore higher risk connected with those events.
Estimating glacier and snowmelt contributions to stream flow in a Central Andes catchment in Chile using natural tracers
Authors: Rodriguez M. , Ohlanders N. , McPhee J.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. This paper presents a methodology for hydrograph separation in high elevation watersheds, which aims at identifying individual flow sources such as snow- and ice melt, rainfall and soil water. Daily summer and bi-daily spring water samples from the outlet of the Juncal River were analyzed for all major ions as well as stable water isotopes, δ18O and δ2H. Additionally, various water sources such as rain, springs, snow- and glacial melt were sampled throughout the catchment. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to reduce the dimensionality of the problem. Potential sources were identified in a two-component U space that explains 77% of variability. Hydrograph separation (HS) was performed through three models: (i) Isotopic model, (ii) Mixing–PCA model, and (iii) Informative–Bayesian model, with very similar results in each case. At the Juncal River outlet, summer flows were composed by at least 50% of water originating in highly glaciarized headwaters in 2011–2012 (a dry period in the Central Andes). Autumn and winter flows were highly influenced by soil water and affect total annual discharge. Before the high flow season, snow melt accounted for approximately 25% of streamflow, However during summer, when streamflow was highest, snowmelt contribution was minimal, while glacier melt and soil water were the most important sources.
Hydrographic situation during cruise M84/3 and P414 (spring 2011) in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Hainbucher D. , Rubino A. , Cardin V. , Tanhua T. , Schroeder K. , Bensi M.
Published: July 2014

Abstract. Aspects of hydrography and large-scale circulation observed in the Mediterranean Sea during the M84/3 and P414 cruises (April and June 2011, respectively) are presented. In contrast to most of the recent expeditions, which were limited to special areas of the basin, these two cruises, especially the M84/3, offered the opportunity of delineating a quasi-synoptic picture of the distribution of the relevant physical parameters along a section extending through the whole Mediterranean, from the Lebanese coast up to the Strait of Gibraltar. The foci of our analysis are the observed water mass properties and velocity fields. The first are investigated through T–S diagrams and an optimum multiparameter (OMP) analysis and the results are discussed also in the context of recently identified modes of variability; the second are studied by comparing the velocity fields observed using a vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and those calculated from the observed density fields. Overall, a distribution of temperature, salinity and geostrophic velocities emerges, which is far from that observed before the beginning of the so-called "Eastern Mediterranean Transient", a major climatic shift in the hydrography and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea which began at the end of the 1980s. The picture which emerges helps to further address the complexity of long-term evolution of hydrography and large-scale circulation of the Mediterranean Sea.
Black truffle cultivation: a global reality
Authors: Reyna Santiago , Garcia-Barreda Sergi
Published: July 2014

Aim of study: In recent decades the cultivation of the black truffle Tuber melanosporum has expanded across all the Mediterranean-climate regions, but also to other regions outside the European standard for the species. We aim to describe the current extent of T. melanosporum cultivation.Area of study: Tuber melanosporum plantations in Europe, the Mediterranean basin, Australia, New Zealand, China, America and South Africa.Material and Methods: The socioeconomic impact of T. melanosporum cultivation, the way in which the current situation has been achieved and the knowledge needed for its progress are reviewed.Research highlights: T. melanosporum has been successfully cultivated in several countries outside its natural area, but many practices are still empirical and thus yields cannot be guaranteed. The recent advances in molecular techniques and genome science are helping to overcome some of the difficulties traditionally constraining truffle research. The role of truffles as a transitional element between agricultural and forestry activities makes its cultivation a paradigm of sustainable rural development.Keywords: Tuber melanosporum; Europe; Australia; New Zealand; Chile; USA.
Phytosanitary problems detected in black truffle cultivation. A review
Authors: Martín-Santafé María , Pérez-Fortea Victor , Zuriaga Pedro , Barriuso-Vargas Juan
Published: July 2014

Aim of study: In black truffle plantations, many factors are driving the emergence of new pests and diseases which in forestry areas go unnoticed. Usually, the incidence of most of them is low. Nevertheless, in specific cases, some of them are capable of causing irreversible damage that could endanger the harvest or even tree survival.Area of study: This paper presents an in-depth study of the pests and diseases more frequently associated with truffle plantations in the region of Aragón (Spain). Damages have been arranged into the main production stages: nursery, plantations and fruiting bodies.Material and methods: The data used in this work come from the technical enquiries from truffle growers to researchers and technical staff, as well as from field visits undertaken by those work teams.Sampling methodology has been carried out following standard procedures. Insects were collected with the traps commonly used in entomology works.Main result: More than 50 damages have been described in this paper. Some of them are capable of weakening the plants and other can even kill them. Mycorrhizal competitor fungi have also been considered in this paper. These organisms do not cause real phytosanitary problems, but they can lead to important economic losses.Research highlights: Researches, truffle hunters and managers must be alert in the face of the possible occurrence of potentially dangerous organisms. The final aim: being able to take action in an efficient way in the case of a pest outbreak.Keywords: Tuber melanosporum; Quercus; parasites; pests; diseases.
Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals posttranslational responses to aneuploidy in yeast
Authors: Dephoure Noah , Hwang Sunyoung , O'Sullivan Ciara , Dodgson Stacie E , Gygi Steven P , Amon Angelika , Torres Eduardo M
Published: July 2014

Aneuploidy causes severe developmental defects and is a near universal feature of tumor cells. Despite its profound effects, the cellular processes affected by aneuploidy are not well characterized. Here, we examined the consequences of aneuploidy on the proteome of aneuploid budding yeast strains. We show that although protein levels largely scale with gene copy number, subunits of multi-protein complexes are notable exceptions. Posttranslational mechanisms attenuate their expression when their encoding genes are in excess. Our proteomic analyses further revealed a novel aneuploidy-associated protein expression signature characteristic of altered metabolism and redox homeostasis. Indeed aneuploid cells harbor increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interestingly, increased protein turnover attenuates ROS levels and this novel aneuploidy-associated signature and improves the fitness of most aneuploid strains. Our results show that aneuploidy causes alterations in metabolism and redox homeostasis. Cells respond to these alterations through both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.
Mixing to Monsoons: Air‐Sea Interactions in the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Lucas A. J. , Shroyer E. L. , Wijesekera H. W. , Fernando H. J. S. , D'Asaro E. , Ravichandran M. , Jinadasa S. U. P. , MacKinnon J. A. , Nash J. D. , Sharma R. , Centurioni L. , Farrar J. T. , Weller R. , Pinkel R. , Mahadevan A. , Sengupta D. , Tandon A.
Published: July 2014

More than 1 billion people depend on rainfall from the South Asian monsoon for their livelihoods. Summertime monsoonal precipitation is highly variable on intraseasonal time scales, with alternating “active” and “break” periods. These intraseasonal oscillations in large‐scale atmospheric convection and winds are closely tied to 1°C–2°C variations of sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal.
Science, Policy, and Engagement: Empowering Scientists to Implement Change
Authors: Hankin Erik
Published: July 2014

“Scientists, speak up!” In three words, Rep. Donna Edwards (D‐Md.) exemplified the purpose of the AGU Science Policy Conference.
New technique improves how scientists map lightning flashes
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: July 2014

Lightning interferometers are instruments that make two‐dimensional images of individual lightning discharges inside thunderstorms. They do this by measuring the arrival direction of radio frequency signals produced by the propagating lightning channels, which can be done with very high (submicrosecond) time resolution.
Cardiovascular Risk and Acute Coronary Syndrome in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Population‐Based Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Udayakumar Prabhu D. , Chandran Arun K. , Crowson Cynthia S. , Warrington Kenneth J. , Matteson Eric L.
Published: July 2014

Objective

To assess the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) compared to subjects without GCA.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed a population‐based incidence cohort of Olmsted County, Minnesota residents with GCA diagnosed in 1950–2009. We compared this cohort with a cohort of patients without GCA of similar age, sex, and calendar year from the same population.

Results

The study included 245 patients with GCA and 245 non‐GCA subjects. The mean ± SD Framingham cardiovascular risk score was 30% ± 19% in GCA patients and 34% ± 23% in non‐GCA subjects (P = 0.096) at the incidence/index date. Diabetes mellitus was significantly less common in GCA patients than non‐GCA subjects at the index date. The mean high‐density lipoprotein was higher and triglycerides were lower, with fewer patients taking lipid‐lowering medications in the GCA cohort compared to the non‐GCA cohort at the index date. During followup, no difference between the 2 cohorts was noted in the overall rate of ACS events (hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.44–1.26). Overall thrombosis in myocardial infarction scores were similar in both cohorts. Revascularization procedures were done less frequently in GCA than in non‐GCA subjects (19% versus 50%; P = 0.015). Post‐ACS hospital length of stays and complications were similar in both cohorts.

Conclusion

Multiple cardiovascular risk factors are less atherogenic at incidence of GCA. There is no overall increased risk of ACS in patients with GCA.
Toward a Clinical Definition of Early Osteoarthritis: Onset of Patient‐Reported Knee Pain Begins on Stairs. Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative
Authors: Hensor Elizabeth M. A. , Dube Bright , Kingsbury Sarah R. , Tennant Alan , Conaghan Philip G.
Published: July 2014

Objective

Early detection of osteoarthritis (OA) would increase the chances of effective intervention. We aimed to investigate which patient‐reported activity is first associated with knee pain. We hypothesized that pain would occur first during activities requiring weight bearing and knee bending.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a multicenter, longitudinal prospective observational cohort of people who have or are at high risk of OA. Participants completed the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC; Likert scale) annually for up to 7 years. Rasch analysis was used to rank the WOMAC pain questions (activities) in order of affirmation as the pain score increased from 0. For each total WOMAC score category (0–20) we selected 25 individuals at random based on their maximum score across all visits. Fit to the Rasch model was assessed in this subset; stability of question ranking over successive visits was confirmed in the full OAI.

Results

WOMAC data on 4,673 people were included, with 491 selected for subset analysis. The subset data showed good fit to the Rasch model (χ2 = 43.31, P = 0.332). In the full OAI, the “using stairs” question was the first to score points as the total pain score increased from 0 (baseline logit score ± 95% confidence interval −4.74 ± 0.07), then “walking” (−2.94 ± 0.07), “standing” (−2.65 ± 0.07), “lying/sitting” (−2.00 ± 0.08), and finally “in bed” (−1.32 ± 0.09). This ordering was consistent over successive visits.

Conclusion

Knee pain is most likely to first appear during weight‐bearing activities involving bending of the knee, such as using stairs. First appearance of this symptom may identify a group suitable for early intervention strategies.
Pain, Anxiety, and Negative Outcome Expectations for Activity: Do Negative Psychological Profiles Differ Between the Inactive and Active?
Authors: Gyurcsik Nancy C. , Cary Miranda A. , Sessford James D. , Flora Parminder K. , Brawley Lawrence R.
Published: July 2014

Objective

Adherence to physical activity at ≥150 minutes/week has proven to offer disease management and health‐promoting benefits among adults with arthritis. While highly active people seem undaunted by arthritis pain and are differentiated from the moderately active by adherence‐related psychological factors, knowledge about inactive individuals is lacking. This knowledge may identify what to change in order to help inactive people begin and maintain physical activity. The present study examined the planned, self‐regulated activity of high, moderate, and inactive individuals to determine if differences existed in negative psychological factors.

Methods

Adults with a medical diagnosis of arthritis completed online measures of physical activity, perceived pain intensity, pain anxiety, and negative disease‐related outcome expectations from being active. High active (n = 94), moderately active (n = 77), and inactive (n = 104) groups were identified.

Results

A significant multivariate analysis of covariance revealed group differences (P< 0.001). Followup analyses indicated that inactive participants had the most negative psychological profile. Inactive participants reported that negative disease‐related outcomes expectancies were more distressing and likely to occur than either group of active participants and expressed greater pain intensity and pain anxiety than the highly active participants (P< 0.05 for all).

Conclusion

Identifying differences in negative psychological factors aids in the understanding of differential adherence between activity groups and highlights possible factors to change in future intervention and research.
Polymer‐anchored copper(II) complex: an efficient reusable catalyst for the synthesis of propargylamines
Authors: Kodicherla Balaswamy , Perumgani Pullaiah C. , Mandapati Mohan Rao
Published: July 2014

A new, heterogeneous, polymer‐supported copper(II) complex was prepared and characterized using various techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. This heterogeneous copper catalyst is efficient for the synthesis of propargylamines via a three‐component coupling reaction of aldehydes, amines and alkynes. The effect of solvent on the coupling reactions was investigated. Further, the catalyst can be easily recovered quantitatively by simple filtration and reused for a minimum number of cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abusive help – helping abuse: The psychodynamic impact of severe personality disorder on caring institutions
Authors: Hinshelwood R.D.
Published: July 2014

Personality‐disordered patients have invariably suffered abuse at the hands of carers when young, and they tend to repeat an abusive relationship when they encounter care in later life. The provision of care in psychiatric, forensic, penal and other institutions may degenerate into a form of unconscious abuse perpetrated against those in care. This is almost always unrecognized and the experience of carers is often to mismanage their own frustrated inability to understand what is happening to them, their charges and the institution.
Synthesis, Enzymatic Resolution, and Stereochemical Characterization of Isoparaconic Acid Derivatives: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Investigation
Authors: Felluga Fulvia , Forzato Cristina , Mazzeo Giuseppe , Nitti Patrizia , Pitacco Giuliana , Superchi Stefano
Published: July 2014

Enantiomerically enriched isoparaconic acid derivatives were obtained by kinetic enzymatic resolution. To explain the solvent dependence observed for their optical rotatory power a computational investigation of their chiroptical properties was performed. Chirality 26:640–650, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trigeminal laser‐evoked potentials: A neurophysiological tool to detect post‐surgical outcome in trigeminovascular contact neuralgia
Authors: Squintani G. , Turri M. , Donato F. , Tinazzi M. , Masotto B. , Tramontano V. , Talacchi A. , Sala F. , Moretto G. , Valeriani M.
Published: July 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to explore the nociceptive system of patients affected by trigeminal neuralgia (TN) secondary to documented vascular contact who underwent microvascular decompression. For that purpose, we used the classical trigeminal reflexes and the trigeminal laser‐evoked potentials (tLEPs) before and after surgery, in order to verify any possible change after decompression and determine if there was any correlation between the neurophysiological parameters and the clinical outcome.

Methods

Eleven patients affected by TN caused by trigeminovascular contact and 10 age‐matched controls underwent conventional trigeminal reflexes (bilateral Blink Reflex/BR and Masseter Inhibitory Reflex stimulating infraorbital and mental nerves/MIR V2 and V3) and tLEPs. Patients repeated neurophysiological tests one week after surgery.

Results

Short‐latency BR and MIR were normal in all patients before surgery and there was no statistical difference before and after surgery. Conversely, in patients before surgery, tLEPs' amplitudes were significantly lower in the affected than in the healthy side (p = 0.017 for V2 and 0.037 for V3 branches). After surgery, on the affected side, tLEP amplitude increased and the pre/post‐operative difference was significant (p = 0.017 for V2 and 0.028 for V3 divisions). Nine patients referred satisfactory pain relief and the favourable clinical outcome correlated with the neurophysiological recovery.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that TN caused by trigeminovascular compression may be related to Aδ fibres impairment, and tLEPs are more sensitive than conventional trigeminal reflexes to reveal small fibre dysfunction and to monitor the post‐surgical outcome in these patients.
An investigation into the stability of microemulsions in electrophoresis
Authors: Chang Chia‐Wen , Chen Yu‐Cheng , Liu Chuen‐Ying
Published: July 2014

A typical oil‐in‐water microemulsion (ME) was applied for the capillary electrophoretic separation of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As the high‐pH ME was introduced into the capillary and a voltage was applied, we observed an unusual phenomenon during the preconditioning process: a sharp inflection point occurred at 56.2 min ( ± 4.8%) (N = 15). Both before (region A) and after (region B) that point, a steady state was observed. Highly reproducible results were obtained for this event. Two different absorbance patterns were observed for the hydrostatic injection of either freshly prepared ME or ME collected from the outlet of the capillary column during the steady state of region B. The latter had an inflection point at approximately 9 min, whereas the former had a constant absorbance over the entire range. To further characterize this property, regions A and B were used for the separation of NSAIDs. The results showed that both the detection limit and the reproducibility of the separation were superior in region B. For deep insight into the stability of the ME in an electric field, the effects of the oil, cosurfactant, pH, and voltage were systematically investigated in the neat ME. From our findings, it can be concluded that the inflection time might be the migration time of the ME in an electric field, and it might actually be the result of equilibration. Moreover, the existence of many unexpected phenomena seems to be the result of a change in the properties of ME droplet in an electric field.