bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UK experience of liver transplantation for erythropoietic protoporphyria
Authors: Dowman Joanna K. , Gunson Briget K. , Mirza Darius F. , Badminton Mike N. , Newsome Philip N. ,   on behalf of the UK Liver Selection and Allocation Working Party
Published: February 2011

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is characterised by excess production of free protoporphyrin from the bone marrow, most commonly due to deficiency of the enzyme ferrochelatase. Excess protoporphyrin gives rise to the cutaneous photosensitivity characteristic of the disease, and in a minority of patients leads to end‐stage liver disease necessitating liver transplantation (LT). There is limited information regarding the timing, impact and long‐term outcome of LT in such patients, thus we aimed to identify the indications and outcomes of all transplants performed for EPP in the UK using data from the UK Transplant Registry. Between 1987 and 2009, five patients underwent LT for EPP liver disease. Median follow‐up was 60 months, and there were two deaths at 44 and 95 months from causes unrelated to liver disease. The remaining recipients are alive at 22.4 years, 61 months and 55 months after transplant. A high rate of postoperative biliary stricturing requiring multiple biliary interventions was observed. Recurrent EPP‐liver disease occurred in 4/5 (80%) of patients but graft failure has not been observed. Given the role of biliary obstruction in inducing EPP‐mediated liver damage, we suggest that consideration should be given for construction of a Roux loop at the time of transplant. Thus we demonstrate that although EPP liver transplant recipients have a good long‐term survival, comparable to patients undergoing LT for other indications, biliary complications and disease recurrence are almost universal, and bone marrow transplantation should be considered where possible.
Temperature mediates competitive exclusion and diversity in benthic microalgae under different N:P stoichiometry
Authors: Hillebrand Helmut
Published: February 2011

The dependence of competitive interactions on abiotic conditions is attracting increasing interest in the face of globally rising temperatures and altered biogeochemical cycles of major nutrients. In a microcosm experiment involving a natural inoculum of benthic microalgae, temperature and nutrient supply ratios were manipulated in order to test three main hypotheses: (1) temperature and nutrient supply ratios determine species composition and diversity of the assemblage, (2) the identity of the dominating species depends on nutrient supply and temperature, and (3) higher temperature leads to faster competitive exclusion and thus more rapid decline in species richness. Over a period of 7 weeks, algal biomass reached an equilibrium carrying capacity, with was higher at colder temperatures and intermediate N:P supply ratios (N:P = 16). Initial growth rate increased with temperature and under high P‐supply. Species richness in the stationary phase of the experiment decreased with increasing temperature, reflecting a higher extinction rate in the warmer treatments, which were also characterized by higher dominance of single species. Thus, increasing temperature both altered the identity of the dominating species and accelerated competitive displacement. This experiment thus indicates that warming might influence outcome and temporal dynamics in species interactions, and thereby eventually local diversity.
Plastic changes in head size during juvenile development of the butterfly Pieris napi
Authors: Ohata Masaaki , Furumoto Atsuko , Ohsaki Naota
Published: February 2011

Among herbivorous insects, the ability to change adaptive traits plastically in response to novel host plants is advantageous for coping with sudden environmental shifts. The host plants in our study were two closely related species, viz., Arabis flagellosa (tougher leaves, i.e., they are physically defended) and A. gemmifera (softer leaves that are physiologically defended). We demonstrated that young larvae of the butterfly Pieris napi are able to plastically change head size during development in response to changes in food plant species. When larvae were fed the physically defended A. flagellosa, the head sizes of third instar larvae emerging from eggs originally collected from leaves of both A. flagellosa and A. gemmifera became identically larger. When larvae fed on the physiologically defended A. gemmifera, the head sizes of third instar larvae emerging from eggs originally collected from leaves of both A. flagellosa and A. gemmifera became identically smaller. When leaves of A. flagellosa were presented to fourth instars reared on A. flagellosa, larvae with larger heads consumed more food than those with smaller heads. In contrast, when leaves of the physiologically defended A. gemmifera were presented to fourth instar larvae reared on A. gemmifera, larvae with smaller heads processed more food than those with larger heads. Hence, larvae of P. napi retain the capacity for adaptive plastic responses to novel host plant species.
One‐step collagenase method for zona pellucida removal in unfertilized eggs: easy and gentle method for large‐scale preparation
Authors: Yamatoya Kenji , Ito Chizuru , Araki Motoyuki , Furuse Ryoji , Toshimori Kiyotaka
Published: February 2011

Purpose

Zona pellucida (ZP)‐free eggs are often used for studies such as evaluating the interaction of sperm‐oolemma. To acquire ZP‐free eggs, the most commonly used methods employ acidified Tyrode's solution, enzymatic digestion with a trypsin‐like enzyme, or mechanical methods using micropipettes. However, acidified Tyrode's solution and trypsin‐like enzymes often damage the oolemma, especially when many eggs are treated at once for mass sample analyses. The mechanical method requires skill, and it is time‐consuming to prepare many ZP‐free eggs. Therefore, in this study, to establish an easy, reliable method for preparing ZP‐free eggs, we examined the ZP digestion method originally reported by Zuccotti et al. (J Reprod Fertil 93:515–520, 1991) that uses collagenase.

Methods

Mouse unfertilized eggs were treated with collagenase and acidified Tyrode's solution to compare the ZP‐free rates, the effect on the oolemma, and the two‐cell development rates of ZP‐free eggs by in vitro fertilization. The effects on the oolemma were gauged by observing the polarity of the transmembrane protein localization of enhanced green fluorescence protein tagged CD9 protein (CD9‐EGFP) and using differential interference contrast microscopy.

Results

Collagenase removed the ZP and the cumulus cells from the cumulus oocyte complex. The collagenase method had no influence on the localization of CD9‐EGFP, resulting in a high two‐cell development rate. Additionally, the collagenase method could exclude low quality eggs with hardened ZP, since collagenase could not digest the hardened ZP.

Conclusions

The one‐step collagenase method is an easy preparation method for large numbers of high‐quality ZP‐free eggs.
On the large-distance asymptotics of steady state solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations in 3D exterior domains
Authors: Korolev A. , Šverák V.
Published: February 2011

We identify the leading term describing the behavior at large distances of the steady state solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations in 3D exterior domains with vanishing velocity at the spatial infinity.
ON THE STABILITY OF STATIONARY LINE AND GRIM REAPER IN PLANAR CURVATURE FLOW
Authors: WANG XIAOLIU , WO WEIFENG
Published: February 2011

The asymptotic stability of two types of invariant solutions under a curvature flow in the whole plane is studied. First, by extending the work of others, we prove that the stationary line with nonzero slope will attract the graphical curves which surround it. Then a similar property is obtained for the grim reaper.
A CONTINUITY CHARACTERIZATION OF ASPLUND SPACES
Authors: GILES J. R.
Published: February 2011

A Banach space is an Asplund space if every continuous gauge has a point where the subdifferential mapping is Hausdorff weak upper semi-continuous with weakly compact image. This contributes towards the solution of a problem posed by Godefroy, Montesinos and Zizler.
Whipping instability characterization of an electrified visco-capillary jet
Authors: RIBOUX GUILLAUME , MARÍN ÁLVARO G. , LOSCERTALES IGNACIO G. , BARRERO ANTONIO
Published: February 2011

The charged liquid micro-jet issued from a Taylor cone may develop a special type of non-axisymmetric instability, usually referred to in the literature as a whipping mode. This instability usually manifests itself as a series of fast and violent lashes of the charged jet, which makes its characterization in the laboratory difficult. Recently, we have found that this instability may also develop when the host medium surrounding the Taylor cone and the jet is a dielectric liquid instead of air. When the oscillations of the jet occur inside a dielectric liquid, their frequency and amplitude are much lower than those of the oscillations taking place in air. Taking advantage of this fact, we have performed a detailed experimental characterization of the whipping instability of a charged micro-jet within a dielectric liquid by recording the jet motion with a high-speed camera. Appropriate image processing yields the frequency and wavelength, among the other important characteristics, of the jet whipping as a function of the governing parameters of the experimental set-up (flow rate and applied electric field) and liquid properties. Alternatively, the results can be also written as a function of three dimensionless numbers: the capillary and electrical Bond numbers and the ratio between an electrical relaxation and residence time.
Steady vortex dipoles with general profile functions
Authors: ALBRECHT TRENTON R. , ELCRAT ALAN R. , MILLER KENNETH G.
Published: February 2011

Vortex dipoles in a two-dimensional, inviscid flow are obtained by prescribing the profile function relating the vorticity to the stream function. The profile functions used are smooth, and the solutions obtained have a smooth transition from the exterior flow to the interior of the vortex. The dipoles are nearly elliptical, and this relates this work to the ‘supersmooth’ dipoles obtained recently by Kizner & Khvoles (Regular Chaotic Dyn., vol. 9, 2004, pp. 509–518). The solutions found here are obtained by an iterative method for solving the nonlinear partial differential equation for the stream function. This iterative method is both robust and flexible. Solutions are also obtained in a β-plane, and they are shielded, as has also been found in previous work.
Redescription and new records ofCeltodoryx ciocalyptoides(Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida)—a sponge invader in the north east Atlantic Ocean of Asian origin?
Authors: Henkel Daniela , Janussen Dorte
Published: February 2011

In 1996 a sponge was found in a well studied area in the Ria of Etel, Brittany, France, that had never been recorded there before. This sponge was later described as a new species and genus,Celtodoryx girardaeby Perezet al.(2006), who concluded that it is probably an invasive species. Over several yearsC. girardaewas found to occur successively in the Gulf of Morbihan, France, and Oosterschelde estuary, Netherlands. This sponge is characterized by an extensive spatial broading and therewith it rates today among the dominant benthic megafauna in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Morbihan and Dutch inshore waters. During our recent survey of the Chinese Yellow Sea sponge fauna, we found an abundant species with close morphological similarities toC. girardae. Further taxonomic studies have revealed that both the Chinese and European sponges are in fact conspecific withCornulum ciocalyptoidesdescribed by Burton (1935) from Posiet Bay, Sea of Japan and later recorded from other localities of the North West Pacific (e.g. Koltun, 1971; Sim & Byeon, 1989). In this paper we transfer the species of Burton fromCornulumtoCeltodoryxand consequently it becomes the senior synonym ofC. girardae. Furthermore, we conclude thatCeltodoryx ciocalyptoideswas introduced to the North East Atlantic from the North West Pacific with aquaculture of the Pacific oysterCrassostrea gigasas the probable vector. This is probably the first case recorded so far of a sponge species being transferred from one ocean to another by human activity.
First record of the genusOnchidoris(Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Onchidorididae) from the South Atlantic Ocean, with the description of a new species from Brazil
Authors: Alvim Juliana , Padula Vinicius , Pimenta Alexandre Dias
Published: February 2011

A new species of the genusOnchidorisis described from the south-western Atlantic, on the coast of Brazil, in the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. To date, the genusOnchidorisis known almost exclusively from the northern hemisphere, especially the Atlantic coast of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. The single previous record from the southern hemisphere isOnchidoris maugeansis, described from Australia. This is the first record of the family Onchidorididae from the coast of Brazil.Onchidoris brasiliensissp. nov. is very similar toOnchidoris depressa, from England and the northern coast of Spain, but is distinguished by the presence of a triangular protuberance on the edge of the inner lateral radular tooth and a wide closed branchial circle with tubercles inside. Furthermore, the egg mass of O.brasiliensissp. nov. contains a single row of eggs, whereas that ofO. depressahas multiple rows.Onchidoris brasiliensissp. nov. has lecithotrophic development, the first record of this type of development in the genus. There is a relationship betweenO. brasiliensissp. nov. and the bryozoanParasmittina protecta.
Money and happiness: does age make a difference?
Authors: HSIEH CHANG-MING
Published: February 2011

Although the factors that influence people's perception of happiness have long been a focus for scholars, research to date has not offered conclusive findings on the relationships between income, age and happiness. This study examined the relationship between money and happiness across age groups. Analysing data from United States General Social Surveys from 1972 to 2006, this study finds that even after controlling for all the major socio-demographic variables, income (whether household income or personal equivalised income) had a significant positive association with happiness for young and middle-age adults, but it was not the same case with older adults. After controlling for the major socio-demographic variables, there was no evidence of a significant relationship between income (whichever definition) and happiness for older adults. The results also showed that the effect of household income on happiness was significantly smaller for older adults than for young or middle-age adults in the model controlling for major socio-demographic variables. The relationship between household income and happiness no longer differed significantly across age groups after social comparison variables were included. The relationship between equivalised income and happiness did not vary significantly by age group after controlling for the major socio-demographic variables.
Ethical issues in the use of fall detectors
Authors: GANYO MICHELLE , DUNN MICHAEL , HOPE TONY
Published: February 2011

Fall detectors are a form of remote monitoring assistive technology that have the potential to enhance the wellbeing of adults at risk from falling. In this paper, the ethical issues raised by the use of fall detectors are examined. The fall detection devices currently available are outlined, and a summary of how these devices require social-care services, or family carers, to respond in particular ways, is provided. The ethical issues associated with the use of fall detectors are classified under four headings: autonomy, privacy, benefit, and the use of resources. These issues, we argue, arise out of the nature of the technology itself, and the way that this technology is integrated into the day-to-day support package of the person for whom it is provided. It is argued that manufacturers have a duty to provide information about the ‘ethical side-effects’ associated with the use of a particular device, and that the process of making a decision to provide a person with a fall detector should include a checklist of questions that is designed to enable decision makers to work through the ethical issues raised.
Data mining: past, present and future
Authors: Coenen Frans
Published: February 2011

Data mining has become a well-established discipline within the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) and knowledge engineering (KE). It has its roots in machine learning and statistics, but encompasses other areas of computer science. It has received much interest over the last decade as advances in computer hardware have provided the processing power to enable large-scale data mining to be conducted. Unlike other innovations in AI and KE, data mining can be argued to be an application rather then a technology and thus can be expected to remain topical for the foreseeable future. This paper presents a brief review of the history of data mining, up to the present day, and some insights into future directions.
Coordination models and languages: from parallel computing to self-organisation
Authors: Omicini Andrea , Viroli Mirko
Published: February 2011

Starting from the pioneering work on Lindaand Gamma, coordination models and languages have gone through an amazing evolution process over the years. From closed to open systems, from parallel computing to multi-agent systems and from database integration to knowledge-intensive environments, coordination abstractions and technologies have gained in relevance and power in those scenarios where complexity has become a key factor. In this paper, we outline and motivate 25 years of evolution of coordination models and languages, and discuss their potential perspectives in the future of artificial systems.
Logical mechanism design
Authors: Rahwan Iyad , Larson Kate
Published: February 2011

Game theory is becoming central to the design and analysis of computational mechanisms in which multiple entities interact strategically. The tools of mechanism design are used extensively to engineer incentives for truth revelation into resource allocation (e.g. combinatorial auctions) and preference aggregation protocols (e.g. voting). We argue that mechanism design can also be useful in the design of logical inference procedures. In particular, it can help us understand and engineer inference procedures when knowledge is distributed among self-interested agents. We set a research agenda for this emerging area, and point to some early research efforts.
Genetic fuzzy modeling of user perception of three-dimensional shapes
Authors: Achiche Sofiane , Ahmed-Kristensen Saeema
Published: February 2011

Defining the aesthetic and emotional value of a product is an important consideration for its design. Furthermore, if several designers are faced with the task of creating an object that describes a certain emotion/perception (aggressive, soft, heavy, etc.), each is most likely to interpret the emotion/perception with different shapes composed of a set of different geometric features. The authors propose an automatic approach to formalize the relationships between geometric information of three-dimensional objects and the intended emotional content using fuzzy logic. In addition, the automatically generated fuzzy knowledge base was compared to the user's perceptions and to the manually constructed fuzzy knowledge base. The initial findings indicate that the approach is valid to formalize geometric information with perceptions and validate the author's manually developed fuzzy models.
Discovering implicit constraints in design
Authors: Dabbeeru Madan Mohan , Mukerjee Amitabha
Published: February 2011

Designers who are experts in a given design domain are well known to be able to Immediately focus on “good designs,” suggesting that they may have learned additional constraints while exploring the design space based on some functional aspects. These constraints, which are often implicit, result in a redefinition of the design space, and may be crucial for discovering chunks or interrelations among the design variables. Here we propose a machine-learning approach for discovering such constraints in supervised design tasks. We develop models for specifying design function in situations where the design has a given structure or embodiment, in terms of a set of performance metrics that evaluate a given design. The functionally feasible regions, which are those parts of the design space that demonstrate high levels of performance, can now be learned using any general purpose function approximator. We demonstrate this process using examples from the design of simple locking mechanisms, and as in human experience, we show that the quality of the constraints learned improves with greater exposure in the design space. Next, we consider changing the embodiment and suggest that similar embodiments may have similar abstractions. To explore convergence, we also investigate the variability in time and error rates where the experiential patterns are significantly different. In the process, we also consider the situation where certain functionally feasible regions may encode lower dimensional manifolds and how this may relate to cognitive chunking.
Teaching innovative design reasoning: How concept–knowledge theory can help overcome fixation effects
Authors: Hatchuel Armand , Le Masson Pascal , Weil Benoit
Published: February 2011

How can we prepare engineering students to work collectively on innovative design issues, involving ill-defined, “wicked” problems? Recent works have emphasized the need for students to learn to combine divergent and convergent thinking in a collaborative, controlled manner. From this perspective, teaching must help them overcome four types of obstacles or “fixation effects” (FEs) that are found in the generation of alternatives, knowledge acquisition, collaborative creativity, and creativity processes. We begin by showing that teaching based on concept–knowledge (C-K) theory can help to manage FEs because it helps to clarify them and then to overcome them by providing means of action. We show that C-K theory can provide scaffolding to improve project-based learning (PBL), in what we call project-based critical learning (PBCL). PBCL helps students be critical and give due thought to the main issues in innovative design education: FEs. We illustrate the PBCL process with several cases and show precisely where the FEs appear and how students are able to overcome them. We conclude by discussing two main criteria of any teaching method, both of which are usually difficult to address in situations of innovative design teaching. First, can the method be evaluated? Second, is the chosen case “realistic” enough? We show that C-K-based PBCL can be rigorously evaluated by teachers, and we discuss the circumstances in which a C-K-based PBCL may or may not be realistic.
The role of immunity in the epidemiology of gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection and trichomoniasis: insights from a mathematical model
Authors: JOHNSON L. F. , DORRINGTON R. E. , BRADSHAW D.
Published: February 2011

Most mathematical models of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) assume that infected individuals become susceptible to re-infection immediately after recovery. This paper assesses whether extending the standard model to allow for temporary immunity after recovery improves the correspondence between observed and modelled levels of STI prevalence in South Africa, for gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection and trichomoniasis. Five different models of immunity and symptom resolution were defined, and each model fitted to South African STI prevalence data. The models were compared in terms of Bayes factors, which show that in the case of gonorrhoea and chlamydial infection, models that allow for immunity provide a significantly better fit to STI prevalence data than models that do not allow for immunity. For all three STIs, estimates of the impact of changes in STI treatment and sexual behaviour are significantly lower in models that allow for immunity. Mathematical models that do not allow for immunity could therefore overestimate the effectiveness of STI interventions.
Phonemically contrastive fricatives in Old English?
Authors: MINKOVA DONKA
Published: February 2011

The article addresses two recent hypotheses regarding the history of the English fricatives /f/–/v/, /s/–/z/, /θ/–/ð/: the hypothesis that phonemicization of the voicing contrast occurred in Old English, and the related claim that the reanalysis of the contrast was due to Celtic substratum influence. A re-examination of the arguments for early phonemicization leads to alternative interpretations of the observed voicing ‘irregularities’ in Old English. The empirical core of the article presents the patterns of alliteration in Old and Middle English; this kind of evidence has not been previously considered in evaluating the progress of the change. The analytical core of the article is dedicated to the dynamics of categorization based on edge vs domain-internal contrasts, the relative strength of the voicing environments, and the distinction among fricatives depending on place of articulation. A comprehensiveLAEMEandMEDdatabase of all relevant forms reaffirms the traditional position regarding French influence for the phonemicization of voicing for the labial fricatives. The categorization of the contrast for the interdental fricatives is a language-internal prosodic process, and the history of the sibilants requires reference to both external and internal factors. The shift from a predominantly complementary to a predominantly contrastive distribution of the voiced–voiceless fricative pairs has been occurring at different rates for a whole millennium. The claim that phonemicization is attributable to Celtic influence in Old English is empirically and theoretically unsubstantiated.
The distal demonstrative as discourse marker inBeowulf
Authors: EPSTEIN RICHARD
Published: February 2011

The literature on the distal demonstrativesein Old English has mainly concentrated on its use as a marker of definiteness (referent identifiability) and deixis. In this article, I focus instead on demonstrative uses that have received much less attention in previous work. Drawing on data fromBeowulf, I argue that the distal demonstrative determiner also serves a variety of discourse-pragmatic functions, such as indicating the relative importance of referents; topic continuity; or chapter boundaries.
Introducing the Minimalist Program to students of English
Authors: HAEGEMAN LILIANE , LOHNDAL TERJE
Published: February 2011

In this review we evaluate two textbook introductions to the Minimalist Program (MP), the most recent incarnation of the Chomskyan paradigm:Analysing English sentencesandAn introduction to English sentence structure, both by Andrew Radford. Since there are no significant differences between the two books, our review focuses on the first version, which is slightly longer than the second.
Factors associated with childhood obesity in Spain. The OBICE study: a case–control study based on sentinel networks
Authors: Zurriaga Oscar , Pérez-Panadés Jordi , Quiles Izquierdo Joan , Gil Costa Milagros , Anes Yolanda , Quiñones Carmen , Margolles Mario , Lopez-Maside Aurora , Vega-Alonso A Tomás , Miralles Espí María Teresa ,   Recent OBICE Research Group
Published: February 2011

Objective

To estimate the association strength of dietary behaviour and sedentary habits in relation to childhood obesity in Spain.

Design

A matched case–control study was carried out using data collected by sentinel network paediatricians in general practices.

Setting

Five Spanish autonomous communities.

Subjects

Cases were 437 children (2–14 years old) with BMI >95th percentile according to Spanish reference tables. Controls were 751 children (2–14 years old; two paired per case) with BMI <84th percentile. Data were collected in two phases: individual (questionnaires filled in by sentinel paediatricians) and family (self-administered questionnaires filled in a family environment). Crude OR and adjusted OR (ORc and adj OR) for the given variables were calculated using a simple and multiple conditional logistic regression analysis.

Results

The factors with the greatest effect on obesity were family history of obesity: both parents (adj OR = 11·2), mother but not father (adj OR = 9·1), father but not mother (adj OR = 6·1), siblings (adj OR = 2·7); and eating between meals (adj OR = 2·5) and consumption of sweets and soft drinks >2 times/week (adj OR = 2·0). The highest protection effect was found for five meals per day (adj OR = 0·5), the regular consumption of breakfast (adj OR = 0·5) and for eating fruit for dessert (adj OR = 0·6). Factors related to sedentary habits did not appear as noteworthy.

Conclusions

We have determined the association between certain dietary behaviour and family history with childhood obesity in several Spanish regions.
María Blasco: Keeping a cap on cancer and aging
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: February 2011

Blasco is at the forefront of research on the function of telomeres in cancer and aging.
Clustering heterochromatin: Sir3 promotes telomere clustering independently of silencing in yeast
Authors: Ruault Myriam , De Meyer Arnaud , Loïodice Isabelle , Taddei Angela
Published: February 2011

A general feature of the nucleus is the organization of repetitive deoxyribonucleic acid sequences in clusters concentrating silencing factors. In budding yeast, we investigated how telomeres cluster in perinuclear foci associated with the silencing complex Sir2–Sir3–Sir4 and found that Sir3 is limiting for telomere clustering. Sir3 overexpression triggers the grouping of telomeric foci into larger foci that relocalize to the nuclear interior and correlate with more stable silencing in subtelomeric regions. Furthermore, we show that Sir3′s ability to mediate telomere clustering can be separated from its role in silencing. Indeed, nonacetylable Sir3, which is unable to spread into subtelomeric regions, can mediate telomere clustering independently of Sir2–Sir4 as long as it is targeted to telomeres by the Rap1 protein. Thus, arrays of Sir3 binding sites at telomeres appeared as the sole requirement to promote trans-interactions between telomeres. We propose that similar mechanisms involving proteins able to oligomerize account for long-range interactions that impact genomic functions in many organisms.
Barth syndrome mutations that cause tafazzin complex lability
Authors: Claypool Steven M. , Whited Kevin , Srijumnong Santi , Han Xianlin , Koehler Carla M.
Published: February 2011

Deficits in mitochondrial function result in many human diseases. The X-linked disease Barth syndrome (BTHS) is caused by mutations in the tafazzin gene TAZ1. Its product, Taz1p, participates in the metabolism of cardiolipin, the signature phospholipid of mitochondria. In this paper, a yeast BTHS mutant tafazzin panel is established, and 18 of the 21 tested BTHS missense mutations cannot functionally replace endogenous tafazzin. Four BTHS mutant tafazzins expressed at low levels are degraded by the intermembrane space AAA (i-AAA) protease, suggesting misfolding of the mutant polypeptides. Paradoxically, each of these mutant tafazzins assembles in normal protein complexes. Furthermore, in the absence of the i-AAA protease, increased expression and assembly of two of the BTHS mutants improve their function. However, the BTHS mutant complexes are extremely unstable and accumulate as insoluble aggregates when disassembled in the absence of the i-AAA protease. Thus, the loss of function for these BTHS mutants results from the inherent instability of the mutant tafazzin complexes.
Occurrence of a 16SrIV Group Phytoplasma not Previously Associated with Palm Species in Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Vázquez-Euán Roberto , Harrison Nigel , Narvaez María , Oropeza Carlos
Published: February 2011

The occurrence of 16SrIV group phytoplasmas in palm species Sabal mexicana and Pseudophoenix sargentii is reported here for the first time. Palm trees showed leaf decay and leaf yellowing syndromes, respectively. An amplification product (1.4 kb) was obtained in symptomatic S. mexicana (18 of 21) and symptomatic P. sargentii (1 of 1) palm trees sampled in different locations in Yucatan State, Mexico; five of the positive S. mexicana and the positive P. sargentii trees died. The identity of the phytoplasmas from these species was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism profiling with restriction enzymes AluI and HinfI, showing there could be two phytoplasma strains of the 16SrIV group. In one S. mexicana palm, the profile was the same as observed with these enzymes for phytoplasmas of 16SrIV-A subgroup, previously associated with Cocos nucifera palm trees and, in the rest of the trees, including the P. sargentii palm, the profile was for phytoplasmas of the 16SrIV-D subgroup. These identities were supported by analyses of the amplicons obtained by nested polymerase chain reaction by nucleotide-nucleotide BLAST analysis. Geographical distribution of the association S. mexicana/16SrIV group phytoplasmas was found widely dispersed in Yucatan State. A potential role of S. mexicana palm trees as a permanent source of phytoplasma inoculum is suggested. In addition to P. sargentii, other palm species (Thrinax radiata and C. nucifera) coexisting with S. mexicana trees were also sampled and analyzed.
First Report of Tomato chlorosis virus in Tomato from Hungary
Authors: Bese G. , Bóka K. , Krizbai L. , Takács A.
Published: February 2011

A disease of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was observed in three greenhouses in Tömörkény in southern Hungary in the autumn of 2007. Thirty percent of the plants were chlorotic and stunted and had mottled leaves with interveinal yellowing and necrosis. Similar symptoms induced by Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) on tomato have been reported in other countries (1,2). ToCV is a Crinivirus in the Closteroviridae family, which can cause a decline in plant vigor and reduced fruit yield. ToCV is transmitted by whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum West., T. abutilonea Hald., and Bemisia tabaci Genn.) and grafting, but cannot be transmitted mechanically. Only T. vaporariorum is known to be present and widespread in Hungary. Virus presence was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR as described by Louro et al. (2). cDNA synthesis with ToCV specific primers (ToCV-UP 5′-TCATTAAAACTCAATGGGACCGAG-3′ (3) and ToCV-DW 5′-GCGACGTAAATTGAAACCC-3′) was successful and electron microscopy revealed ToCV-like particles. The PCR product has been sequenced (GenBank Accession No. HQ444266) and showed 97 to 99% identity to ToCV isolates in GenBank. According to the symptoms, amplified region, sequence data, and electron microscopy, the tomato samples from Tömörkény were confirmed to be infected with ToCV. The economic losses associated with ToCV were minor. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the occurrence of ToCV in Hungary.

References: (1) G. P. Accotto et al. Plant Dis. 85:1208, 2001. (2) D. Louro et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 106:589, 2000 (3) J. Th. J. Verhoven et al. Plant Dis. 87:872, 2003.
First Report of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus Infecting Melon in China
Authors: Zeng R. , Dai F. M. , Chen W. J. , Lu J. P.
Published: February 2011

In October 2007, symptoms of chlorosis on the upper leaves and a bright yellow color on the lower leaves were observed sporadically on hami melon (Cucumis melo cv. Xuelihong) in a high tunnel in Nanhui of Shanghai, China. Disease progresses from initial mottling of leaves into leaves that are completely yellow with the veins remaining green. The oldest leaves develop symptoms first, so these leaves have a pronounced even yellow color. In October 2009, these symptoms were found in all melons produced in the suburbs of Shanghai. These symptoms were similar to those caused by Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) and Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) (1–3). Twelve samples from symptomatic melons were collected in the Jiading, Nanhui, Fengxian, and Chongming districts of Shanghai for virus diagnosis. Large populations of whiteflies were observed in association with the diseased cucurbit crops. Total RNA was extracted with Trizol reagents (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). We used random primers (9-mer) for reverse transcription-PCR. Extracts were for CYSDV using specific primers CYSDV-CP-F (5′-ATGGCGAGTTCGAGTGAGAA-3′) and CYSDV-CP-R (5′-TCAATTACCACAGCCACCTG-3′) to amplify a 756-bp fragment of coat protein gene and CCYV using specific primers CCYV-HSP-F1 (5′-TGCGTATGTCAATGGTGTTATG-3′) and CCYV-HSP-R1 (5′-ATCCTTCGCAGTGAAAAACC-3′) to amplify a 462-bp fragment of the HSP gene (1). CYSDV was not found in all samples. The expected 462-bp target fragment of CCYV was obtained in all samples but not from any of the healthy controls. All the 462-bp PCR products were cloned to pGEM-T vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced. All sequences obtained were homologous. A comparison of the submitted sequence (GenBank Accession No. HQ148667) with those in GenBank showed that the sequence had 100% nucleotide identity to the Hsp70h sequences of (CCYV) isolates from Japan (Accession Nos. AB523789 and AB457591) (1,4), Taiwan (Accession No. HM120250) (2), and mainland of China (Accession Nos. GU721105, GU721108, and GU721110). CCYV is a new member of the genus Crinivirus, first discovered in Japan in 2004 (4) and reported in Taiwan in 2009 (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of CCYV on melon in China.

References: (1) Y. Gyoutoku et al. Jpn. J. Phytopathol. 75:109, 2009. (2) L.-H. Huang et al. Plant Dis. 94:1168, 2010. (3) L. Z. Liu et al. Plant Dis.94:485, 2010. (4) M. Okuda et al. Phytopathology 100:560, 2010.
First Report of Cylindrocarpon pauciseptatum Associated with Grapevine Decline from Castilla y León, Spain
Authors: Martin M. T. , Martin L. , Cuesta M. J. , García-Benavides P.
Published: February 2011

During a survey for grapevine decline, 10 young grapevines (cvs. Tempranillo and Verdejo) with low vigor and little foliage were collected between June 2008 and August 2009. Small pieces of vascular and brown wood were placed onto malt extract agar supplemented with 0.25 g/liter of chloramphenicol and incubated at 25°C. Fifteen resulting colonies were transferred to potato dextrose agar in petri dishes (90 mm). Colonies with white mycelium covered the dishes after 10 days of incubation at 25°C in darkness; mycelium gradually became yellowish with some brownish aspect. Macroconida were predominantly three septate (40 to 45 to 50 × 8.6 to 9 to 9.5 μm with a length and width ratio of 4.7 to 5 to 5.4), straight, and cylindrical with both ends broadly rounded. Chlamydospora and ovoidal microconidia were observed on synthetic nutrient-poor agar (1). Cylindrocarpon pauciseptatum was not easy to distinguish from other Cylindrocarpon species based on morphological characteristics. Ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region sequences of single-spore cultures confirmed the morphological identification and revealed 100% genetic identity with other isolates of C. pauciceptatum present in GenBank (EF607090), a sequence of the fragment was deposited with Accession No. EU983277. Pathogenicity tests were conducted with two isolates. The inoculations were done on 110R rootstock wood of four different young plants and 15 detached canes of current-season growth (cv. Tempranillo). Plants were inoculated with an agar plug containing C. pauciceptatum; controls were treated with agar only. Grapevines were maintained in a greenhouse at 20 to 25°C. After 3 to 4 months, C. pauciceptatum was reisolated from brown tissues and internal vascular lesions in 45% of inoculated samples, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Control plants were asymptomatic and C. pauciceptatum was not recovered. To our knowledge, this is the first report implicating C. pauciceptatum as a cause of grapevine black foot disease in Spain with potentially significant impact on grapevine nurseries.

Reference: (1) H. J. Schroers et al. Mycol. Res. 112:82, 2008.
Bovine lactoferrin (LTF) gene promoter haplotypes have different basal transcriptional activities
Authors: Bahar B. , O’Halloran F. , Callanan M. J. , McParland S. , Giblin L. , Sweeney T.
Published: February 2011

Genetic polymorphisms present in the bovine lactoferrin (LTF) gene promoter have the potential to affect milk lactoferrin concentrations. The objectives were: (1) to identify, in silico, SNPs in the promoter region of the LTF gene that could affect transcription factor binding activity, (2) to investigate the effects of these SNPs in vitro by measuring promoter transcriptional activities of different bovine LTF promoter haplotypes and (3) to investigate the genetic association between LTF promoter SNPs and milk lactoferrin concentration. Haplotypes were deduced from sequencing of the 2.2‐kb bovine LTF promoter in 78 unrelated animals. In silico analysis of the 2.2‐kb promoter revealed two major haplotypes (BtLTF_H1a and BtLTF_H2a) that differed at 10 SNP loci that affect transcription factors of both a constitutive (at ‐28, ‐1702) and an inducible (at ‐131, ‐270, ‐586, ‐2047, ‐2077, ‐2122, ‐2140 and ‐2151) nature. The basal promoter transcriptional activity of BtLTF_H1a was 1.44‐fold higher than that of BtLTF_H2a in mammary epithelial cells. Cows with the BtLTF_H1a haplotype had increased lactoferrin protein concentration in milk at various time points over the lactation curves, compared to herdmates with the BtLTF_H2a haplotype. The SNPs c.‐28A>C, c.‐131T>C, c.‐156A>G, c.‐270T>C, c.‐586C>T, c.‐1702A>G, c.‐1953G>A, c.‐2047A>G, c.‐2077A>G, c.‐2122C>T, c.‐2140A>G and c.‐2151G>A were associated (P < 0.001) with milk lactoferrin content in 372 Holstein‐Friesian cows. The identification of bovine LTF promoter haplotypes with different basal transcriptional activities in vitro that are associated with lactoferrin levels in milk in vivo may facilitate the identification of designer dairy herds for increased lactoferrin content in milk.
Functional modelling of an equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid proteome provides experimental confirmation and functional annotation of equine genome sequences
Authors: Bright L. A. , Mujahid N. , Nanduri B. , McCarthy F. M. , Costa L. R. R. , Burgess S. C. , Swiderski C. E.
Published: February 2011

The equine genome sequence enables the use of high‐throughput genomic technologies in equine research, but accurate identification of expressed gene products and interpreting their biological relevance require additional structural and functional genome annotation. Here, we employ the equine genome sequence to identify predicted and known proteins using proteomics and model these proteins into biological pathways, identifying 582 proteins in normal cell‐free equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). We improved structural and functional annotation by directly confirming the in vivo expression of 558 (96%) proteins, which were computationally predicted previously, and adding Gene Ontology (GO) annotations for 174 proteins, 108 of which lacked functional annotation. Bronchoalveolar lavage is commonly used to investigate equine respiratory disease, leading us to model the associated proteome and its biological functions. Modelling of protein functions using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified carbohydrate metabolism, cell‐to‐cell signalling, cellular function, inflammatory response, organ morphology, lipid metabolism and cellular movement as key biological processes in normal equine BALF. Comparative modelling of protein functions in normal cell‐free bronchoalveolar lavage proteomes from horse, human, and mouse, performed by grouping GO terms sharing common ancestor terms, confirms conservation of functions across species. Ninety‐one of 92 human GO categories and 105 of 109 mouse GO categories were conserved in the horse. Our approach confirms the utility of the equine genome sequence to characterize protein networks without antibodies or mRNA quantification, highlights the need for continued structural and functional annotation of the equine genome and provides a framework for equine researchers to aid in the annotation effort.
Association between molecular markers for beef tenderness and growth traits in Argentinian Angus cattle
Authors: Pintos D. , Corva P. M.
Published: February 2011

Molecular markers for beef tenderness are classic examples of the contribution of genome technology to animal breeding through marker‐assisted selection (MAS). Markers on the μ‐calpain (CAPN1) and calpastatin (CAST) genes have been extensively evaluated for their association with tenderness. However, little is known about their potential effect on other economically important traits. In this work, the association of molecular markers for beef tenderness with growth traits was evaluated in Angus cattle of Argentina. Expected progeny differences were extracted from the 2008 Angus Sire Summary of Argentina. Information corresponding to 268 influential bulls that had been genotyped for two markers in CAPN1 and two markers in CAST was provided by the Argentine Angus Association. Genotype probabilities were assigned, by segregation analysis, to those bulls in the Sire Summary that had no marker information. Expected progeny differences of 1365 sires were regressed on the number of alleles favouring tenderness at each locus. There was a significant effect of markers on expected progeny differences of birth weight, weaning weight (direct), weight at 18 months and rib eye area. In general, there was a negative effect of alleles favouring tenderness on growth traits. These correlated responses should be taken into account when molecular markers are used in selection schemes that aim to improve beef tenderness.
Nuclear localization of E‐cadherin but not beta‐catenin in human ovarian granulosa cell tumours and normal ovarian follicles and ovarian stroma
Authors: Ohishi Yoshihiro , Oda Yoshinao , Kurihara Shuichi , Kaku Tsunehisa , Kobayashi Hiroaki , Wake Norio , Tsuneyoshi Masazumi
Published: February 2011

Ohishi Y, Oda Y, Kurihara S, Kaku T, Kobayashi H, Wake N & Tsuneyoshi M (2011) Histopathology58, 423–432 Nuclear localization of E‐cadherin but not beta‐catenin in human ovarian granulosa cell tumours and normal ovarian follicles and ovarian stroma

Aims:  The role of misregulated Wnt/beta‐catenin signalling in human ovarian granulosa cell tumour (GCT) has not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to confirm subcellular localization of key molecules of Wnt signalling (beta‐catenin and E‐cadherin) in human ovarian GCTs.

Methods and results:  Tissue samples taken from 32 human ovarian GCTs and 19 human normal ovaries containing 68 follicles were stained immunohistochemically using monoclonal anti‐beta‐catenin and anti‐E‐cadherin antibodies. None of the 32 GCTs and none of the 68 ovarian follicles showed beta‐catenin nuclear expression (0%). On the other hand, 28 of 32 GCTs (88%) and 53 of 68 normal ovarian follicles (78%) showed nuclear expression of E‐cadherin in granulosa cells. The ovarian stroma in all 19 normal ovaries showed nuclear expression of E‐cadherin but not beta‐catenin. Membranous and cytoplasmic expression was observed variously in ovarian GCT, follicles and stroma.

Conclusions:  We have confirmed frequent nuclear localization of E‐cadherin but not beta‐catenin in human ovarian GCT, ovarian follicles and stroma. There is no evidence of misregulated Wnt/beta‐catenin signalling (represented by nuclear expression of beta‐catenin) in human ovarian GCT. Nuclear translocation of E‐cadherin might contribute to ovarian folliculogenesis or granulosa/stromal cell differentiation.