bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical activity vs. sedentary time: independent associations with adiposity in children
Authors: Chaput J.‐P. , Lambert M. , Mathieu M.‐E. , Tremblay M. S. , O' Loughlin J. , Tremblay A.
Published: March 2012

Objective

To investigate the independent associations between objectively measured levels of movement intensity (i.e. time spent sedentary and at light, moderate and vigorous intensities) and indicators of adiposity in a cohort of Canadian children.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 550 Caucasian children aged 8–10 years with at least one obese biological parent. Physical activity and sedentary time (accelerometer over 7 d) and indicators of adiposity (% body fat measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and waist‐to‐height ratio) were objectively measured. We examined the associations between levels of movement intensity and adiposity in multi‐level linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, sleep duration, energy intake, sexual maturation, parental socioeconomic status and parental body mass index.

Results

Objectively measured sedentary time was not associated with adiposity indicators in this cohort (unadjusted and adjusted models). However, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was inversely associated with % body fat (adj. β = −0.047; P = 0.02) and waist‐to‐height ratio (adj. β = −0.071; P < 0.001), independent of sedentary time and other covariates. Additionally, we observed that children who did not accumulate ≥60 min d−1 of MVPA were more likely to be overweight or obese compared to those who met the recommendation (odds ratio [OR] 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45–3.38). In contrast, there was no difference in the likelihood of being categorized as overweight or obese between those who met the recommendation of ≤2 h d−1 of screen time and those who did not meet this recommendation (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.75–2.01).

Conclusion

The present study suggests that MVPA is independently associated with adiposity indices in this sample of children while sedentary time is not. Future studies should examine the best approach to increase MVPA in children and youth.
Complex Protostellar Chemistry
Authors: Nuth Joseph A. , Johnson Natasha M.
Published: March 2012

Numerical models show that protoplanetary nebulae are sites of chemical activity even in the cold outer disk.
A Novel Tuberculosis DNA Vaccine in an HIV-1 p24 Protein Backbone Confers Protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Simultaneously Elicits Robust Humoral and Cellular Responses to HIV-1
Authors: Li Xiaoman , Xu Wei , Xiong Sidong
Published: March 2012

Tuberculosis (TB) caused byMycobacterium tuberculosisremains a major infectious disease worldwide. Moreover, latentM. tuberculosisinfection is more likely to progress to active TB and eventually leads to death when HIV infection is involved. Thus, it is urgent to develop a novel TB vaccine with immunogenicity to bothM. tuberculosisand HIV. In this study, four uncharacterized T cell epitopes from MPT64, Ag85A, Ag85B, and TB10.4 antigens ofM. tuberculosiswere predicted, and HIV-1-derived p24, an immunodominant protein that can induce protective responses to HIV-1, was used as an immunogenic backbone.M. tuberculosisepitopes were incorporated separately into the gene backbone of p24, forming a pP24-Mtb DNA vaccine. We demonstrated that pP24-Mtb immunization induced a strongM. tuberculosis-specific cellular response as evidenced by T cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and elevated frequency of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting T cells. Interestingly, a p24-specific cellular response and high levels of p24-specific IgG were also induced by pP24-Mtb immunization. When the protective effect was assessed after mycobacterial challenge, pP24-Mtb vaccination significantly reduced tissue bacterial loads and profoundly attenuated the mycobacterial infection-related lung inflammation and injury. Our findings demonstrated that the pP24-Mtb tuberculosis vaccine confers effective protection against mycobacterial challenge with simultaneously elicited robust immune responses to HIV-1, which may provide clues for developing novel vaccines to prevent dual infections.
Comparison of Swab and Sponge Methodologies for Identification of Acinetobacter baumannii from the Hospital Environment
Authors: Thom Kerri A. , Howard Tracy , Sembajwe Sophie , Harris Anthony D. , Strassle Paula , Caffo Brian S. , Carroll Karen C. , Johnson J. Kristie
Published: March 2012

The ideal sampling method for identification of
Acinetobacter baumannii
from the health care environment is unknown. In this study, we sampled 145 surfaces in the rooms of patients with known
A. baumannii
colonization/infection, comparing two methods: swab and sponge. The sensitivity of the swab method was 87%, while the sensitivity of the sponge method was 75%. Given the comparable results, use of the cheaper and less laborious swab technique is acceptable and may be preferable.
Pantoea ananatis as a Cause of Corneal Infiltrate after Rice Husk Injury
Authors: Manoharan Geetha , Lalitha Prajna , Jeganathan Lakshmi Priya , DSilva Sean Socrates , Prajna N. Venkatesh
Published: March 2012

We report a case of an agricultural worker presenting with corneal infiltrate following ocular injury with a rice husk. On examination, a superficial corneal foreign body was removed and sent for culture, which grew
Pantoea ananatis
. This is, to our knowledge, the first clinical case report of
Pantoea ananatis
causing corneal infiltrate.
Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture on experimental arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint
Authors: Gondim Delane Viana , Costa Jéssyca Lima , Rocha Suellen Sousa , Brito Gerly Anne de Castro , Ribeiro Ronaldo de Albuquerque , Vale Mariana Lima
Published: March 2012

This study investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on zymosan-induced acute arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Male Wistar rats were injected with saline or zymosan (control group; 2 mg) into the left TMJ. Low frequency EA (10 Hz, 30 min) was performed at acupoints (LI4, LI11, ST36, ST44) or sham points 2 h after or 1 h before zymosan administration. Mechanical hypernociception was accessed by the electronic Von Frey method after zymosan administration. Rats were sacrificed 6 h after zymosan administration and the joint was removed for histopathological analysis, myeloperoxidase activity assessment, vascular permeability observations, and immunohistochemical verification of inflammatory mediators. The results showed that EA inhibited zymosan-induced hypernociception, compared with the control group and with the sham group (p < 0.05). The results showed that EA inhibited inflammatory parameters such as neutrophil migration, vascular permeability, and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in the TMJ compared with the sham group (p < 0.05). Histopathological analysis showed that EA significantly inhibited edema and periarticular infiltration (p < 0.05) compared with the control and sham groups. EA at acupoints produced antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects on zymosan-induced arthritis in the rat TMJ.
SHAPE-CONTROLLED SYNTHESIS OF RUTHENIUM NANOPARTICLES
Authors: YU MING , DIAO XIANGJU , HUANG TAO , LIU HANFAN , LI JINLIN
Published: March 2012

Uniform pompon-like Ru nanoparticles with an average diameter of 148 nm were readily synthesized by reducing RuCl 3 with triethylene glycol (TG) as both a reducing agent and a solvent in the presence of PVP by oil-bath heating at 170°C for 6 h. The as-prepared Ru nano-pompons were characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The effects of some parameters such as the average molecular weight and the concentration of PVP on the synthesis of Ru nano-pompons were investigated.
Successful Growth of Conductive Highly Crystalline Sn-Doped α-Ga2O3 Thin Films by Fine-Channel Mist Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Kawaharamura Toshiyuki , Dang Giang T. , Furuta Mamoru
Published: March 2012

Highly crystalline α-phase gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films were grown by fine-channel mist chemical vapor deposition on c-sapphire substrates at 400 °C at a deposition rate of more than 20 nm/min. The thin films were doped with Sn(IV) atoms, which were obtained from Sn(II) chloride by the reaction SnCl2+ H2O2+ 2HCl→SnCl4+ 2H2O. Conductive α-phase Ga2O3 thin films were successfully grown from source solutions containing less than 10 at. % Sn(IV). The source solution containing 4 at. % Sn(IV) resulted in obtaining a thin film with an n-type conductivity as high as 0.28 S cm-1, a mobility of 0.23 cm2 V-1 s-1, a carrier concentration of 7×1018 cm-3, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (0006) reflection X-ray rocking curve as low as 64 arcsec.
Giant Wavelength–Temperature Dependence of a Micro Machined Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser with a Thermally Actuated Cantilever Structure
Authors: Nakahama Masanori , Sano Hayato , Nakata Norihiko , Matsutani Akihiro , Koyama Fumio
Published: March 2012

We present the modeling and the experimental result of a micro machined vertical cavity surface emitting laser with a thermally actuated semiconductor/SiO2 cantilever structure. The modeling result shows a giant wavelength–temperature dependence of over 3.5 nm/K. The fabricated device exhibits a temperature dependence of 0.79 nm/K, which is 10 times larger than that of conventional vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs).
Organic Field-Effect-Transistor-Based Memory with Nylon 11 as Gate Dielectric
Authors: Sakai Heisuke , Isoda Hayato , Furukawa Yukio
Published: March 2012

We present the electrical properties of an organic memory device based on an organic field-effect transistor using a thin film of nylon 11 as a gate dielectric. The transfer characteristics of the memory device showed large hysteresis. A large shift of 37 V in the transfer characteristics was obtained by the application of a writing bias to the gate dielectric. The drain current ratio of the on-state to off-state was ca. 100. The on-state of the memory device showed a clear memory characteristic.
Effects of Electron Current and Hole Current on Dielectric Breakdown in HfSiON Gate Stacks
Authors: Hirano Izumi , Yamaguchi Takeshi , Nakasaki Yasushi , Iijima Ryosuke , Sekine Katsuyuki , Takayanagi Mariko , Eguchi Kazuhiro , Mitani Yuichiro
Published: March 2012

The roles of electrons and holes in the dielectric breakdown of HfSiON have been investigated by controlling the numbers of injected hot electrons and hot holes separately by the substrate hot-carrier injection technique. It has been clarified that carrier flux has the strongest effect on the dielectric breakdown of HfSiON rather than carrier energy and the electric field across dielectrics. The amount of electron flux leading to the dielectric breakdown of HfSiON is about twice as large as that of hole flux.
Improved Device Lifetime of Organic Light Emitting Diodes with an Electrochemically Stable π-Conjugated Liquid Host in the Liquid Emitting Layer
Authors: Hirata Shuzo , Heo Hyo Jung , Shibano Yuki , Hirata Osamu , Yahiro Masayuki , Adachi Chihaya
Published: March 2012

The device lifetimes of organic light emitting diodes with a liquid emitting layer (liquid OLEDs) were improved by proper combination of host and guest molecules in the liquid emitting layer. The device lifetime strongly depends on the electrochemical stability of radical cations in the liquid emitting layer. The electrochemical stability of the liquid host materials was achieved by the dimerization of the alkyl-substituted carbazole 9,9'-2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethyl-3,3'-bis(9H-carbazole) [(TEGCz)2]. The use of a guest compound with its highest occupied molecular orbital level higher in energy than that of (TEGCz)2 is a critical factor for realizing stable electroluminescence performance. A liquid OLED with proper combination of the guest and host materials showed an improved device lifetime of longer than 1 h, which is 100 times longer than that of our previous reports.
Analyzing Photo Induced Internal Electric Field in Pentacene/C60 Double-Layer Organic Solar Cells under Various External Voltages by Electric-Field-Induced Optical Second Harmonic Generation Measurement
Authors: Chen Xiangyu , Taguchi Dai , Weis Martin , Manaka Takaaki , Iwamoto Mitsumasa
Published: March 2012

By using electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation (EFISHG) measurement, we investigated interfacial carrier behavior in pentacene/C60 double-layer organic solar cells (OSCs). At various external DC biasing conditions, photoinduced electric field in the OSCs was directly probed by the EFISHG measurements. A potential drop was generated by photoillumination, in a manner like a potential difference across an external resistance, while applying an external DC voltage to the OSCs enables us to examine the carrier behaviors over the entire region of the external voltage V
ex. Results showed that only organic double-layer interface charging was induced under positive DC biasing by photoillumination, while interface and electrode charging were induced under negative DC biasing. Analyzing the pentacene/C60 double layer OSCs based on a Maxwell–Wagner model, we showed that the dielectric nature of the organic layers was responsible for the asymmetric charging processes.
Effect of DC Pre-Discharge on the Generation of Atmospheric Pulsed Microdischarges
Authors: Kikuchi Jun , Suzuki Yuta , Muto Takaaki , Ibuka Shinji , Ishii Shozo
Published: March 2012

More than 2.5 kV pulsed voltages were required to obtain atmospheric pulsed microdischarges at a gap separation of more than 1.0 mm. We have developed a DC pre-discharge method for decreasing the amplitude of the repetitive pulsed voltages in the generation of atmospheric pulsed microdischarges using a miniature helium gas flow. The electrode configuration consisted of three electrodes: a nozzle, a hollow electrode with a hole having a diameter of 0.6 mm, and a plain plate. The hollow electrode separated the DC glow pre-discharge from pulsed discharges, which was the main discharge. Between the nozzle and hollow electrodes, the DC glow pre-discharge formed active particles, which were provided to the gap separation between the hollow and plate electrodes by the helium gas flow through the hollow electrode. The active particles supplied with the helium gas decreased the breakdown voltage of the pulsed microdischarges. The mode of the pulsed microdischarges was controlled by the polarity of the pulsed voltages applied to the plate electrode as the pulsed arc and glow microdischarges were obtained by positive and negative pulsed voltages, respectively. In addition to the glow pre-discharge, we were able to use the corona pre-discharge, which was generated by increasing the hole diameter of the hollow electrode to 1.2 mm. Although the breakdown voltage increased with the transition from the glow to corona pre-discharge, it was effective in reducing the power consumption of the pre-discharge, as compared with the glow pre-discharge.
Development of a Compact Moving-Sample Magnetometer Using High-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device
Authors: Saari Mohd Mawardi , Sakai Kenji , Kiwa Toshihiko , Tsukamoto Akira , Adachi Seiji , Tanabe Keiichi , Kandori Akihiko , Tsukada Keiji
Published: March 2012

We developed a compact moving-sample magnetometer that uses a high-temperature superconductor–superconducting quantum interference device (high-T
c SQUID) to directly measure the flux coupled to a normal detection coil from a sample's magnetic moment in the presence of an external DC magnetic field. The moving-sample method is employed by inserting the sample between the poles of a DC electromagnet and vibrating the sample along the axis perpendicular to the external field axis using an actuator at a frequency of 2.693 Hz. First, the magnetic field of the sample is transferred by a first-order differential normal Cu coil to a SQUID for detection. Then, the SQUID output is fed to a lock-in amplifier for detection. The critical feature of the system design is the use of high-T
c SQUID, which enables the realization of a compact system. The basic characteristics of the developed system are presented, and the current system exhibited a detection limit of 1×10-7 emu.
A Na+-phosphate cotransporter homologue (SLC17A4 protein) is an intestinal organic anion exporter
Authors: Togawa Natsuko , Miyaji Takaaki , Izawa Sho , Omote Hiroshi , Moriyama Yoshinori
Published: March 2012

The SLC17 anion transporter family comprises nine members that transport various organic anions in membrane potential (Δψ)- and Cl−-dependent manners. Although the transport substrates and physiological relevance of the majority of the members have already been determined, little is known about SLC17A4 proteins known to be Na+-phosphate cotransporter homologue (NPT homologue). In the present study, we investigated the expression and transport properties of human SLC17A4 protein. Using specific antibodies, we found that a human NPT homologue is specifically expressed and present in the intestinal brush border membrane. Proteoliposomes containing the purified protein took up radiolabeled p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) in a Cl−-dependent manner at the expense of an electrochemical gradient of protons, especially Δψ, across the membrane. The Δψ- and Cl−-dependent PAH uptake was inhibited by diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid and Evans blue, common inhibitors of SLC17 family members. cis-Inhibition studies revealed that various anionic compounds, such as hydrophilic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pravastatin, and urate inhibited the PAH uptake. Proteoliposomes took up radiolabeled urate, with the uptake having properties similar to those of PAH uptake. These results strongly suggested that the human NPT homologue acts as a polyspecific organic anion exporter in the intestines. Since SLC17A1 protein (NPT1) and SLC17A3 protein (NPT4) are responsible for renal urate extrusion, our results reveal the possible involvement of a NPT homologue in urate extrusion from the intestinal duct.
Loss of responsiveness of circular smooth muscle cells from the guinea pig ileum is associated with changes in gap junction coupling
Authors: Carbone Simona E. , Wattchow David A. , Spencer Nick J. , Brookes Simon J. H.
Published: March 2012

Gap junction coupling and neuromuscular transmission to smooth muscle were studied in the first 4 h after preparations were set up in vitro. Intracellular recordings were made from smooth muscle cells of guinea pig ileum. Fast inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) were small (1.3 ± 1.0 mV) in the first 30 min but increased significantly over the first 120 min to 15.8 ± 0.9 mV ( n = 12, P < 0.001). Comparable increases in slow IJPs and excitatory junction potentials were also observed. During the same period, resting membrane potential depolarized from −58.8 ± 1.4 to −47.2 ± 0.4 mV ( n = 12, P < 0.001). Input resistance, estimated by intracellular current injection, decreased in parallel ( P < 0.05), and dye coupling, measured by intracellular injection of carboxyfluorescein, increased ( P < 0.001). Input resistance was higher and dye coupling was less in longitudinal than circular smooth muscle cells. Gap junction blockers [carbenoxolone (100 μM), 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (10 μM), and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (50 μM)] hyperpolarized coupled circular smooth muscle cells, reduced the amplitude of fast and slow IJPs and excitatory junction potentials, increased input resistance, and reduced dye coupling. Local application of ATP (10 mM) mimicked IJPs and showed comparable increases in amplitude over the first 120 min; carbenoxolone and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate significantly reduced ATP-evoked hyperpolarizations in coupled cells. In contrast, synaptic transmission between myenteric neurons was not suppressed during the first 30 min. Gap junction coupling between circular smooth muscle cells in isolated preparations was initially disrupted but recovered over the next 120 min to a steady level. This was associated with potent effects on neuromuscular transmission and responses to exogenous ATP.
Insulin induces the correlation between renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate in diabetes: implications for mechanisms causing hyperfiltration
Authors: Pihl Liselotte , Persson Patrik , Fasching Angelica , Hansell Peter , DiBona Gerald F. , Palm Fredrik
Published: March 2012

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) are normally kept constant via renal autoregulation. However, early diabetes results in increased GFR and the potential mechanisms are debated. Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) inactivation, with concomitantly increased RBF, is proposed but challenged by the finding of glomerular hyperfiltration in diabetic adenosine A1receptor-deficient mice, which lack TGF. Furthermore, we consistently find elevated GFR in diabetes with only minor changes in RBF. This may relate to the use of a lower streptozotocin dose, which produces a degree of hyperglycemia, which is manageable without supplemental suboptimal insulin administration, as has been used by other investigators. Therefore, we examined the relationship between RBF and GFR in diabetic rats with (diabetes + insulin) and without suboptimal insulin administration (untreated diabetes). As insulin can affect nitric oxide (NO) release, the role of NO was also investigated. GFR, RBF, and glomerular filtration pressures were measured. Dynamic RBF autoregulation was examined by transfer function analysis between arterial pressure and RBF. Both diabetic groups had increased GFR (+60–67%) and RBF (+20–23%) compared with controls. However, only the diabetes + insulin group displayed a correlation between GFR and RBF ( R2= 0.81, P < 0.0001). Net filtration pressure was increased in untreated diabetes compared with both other groups. The difference between untreated and insulin-treated diabetic rats disappeared after administering Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester to inhibit NO synthase and subsequent NO release. In conclusion, mechanisms causing diabetes-induced glomerular hyperfiltration are animal model-dependent. Supplemental insulin administration results in a RBF-dependent mechanism, whereas elevated GFR in untreated diabetes is mediated primarily by a tubular event. Insulin-induced NO release partially contributes to these differences.
Mechanisms of angiotensin II-enhanced connecting tubule glomerular feedback
Authors: Ren YiLin , D'Ambrosio Martin A. , Wang Hong , Peterson Edward L. , Garvin Jeffrey L. , Carretero Oscar A.
Published: March 2012

Increasing Na delivery to the connecting tubule (CNT) causes afferent arteriole (Af-Art) dilation, a process we call CNT glomerular feedback (CTGF). Angiotensin II (ANG II) in the CNT lumen enhances CTGF via PKC. We hypothesized that luminal ANG II stimulates CTGF via activation of protein kinase C (PKC), NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), and enhanced production of superoxide (O2−). Rabbit Af-Arts and adherent CNTs were microdissected and microperfused in vitro. Dilation of the Af-Art was induced by increasing luminal CNT NaCl from 0 to 5, 10, 30, 45, and 80 mM, and the concentration of NaCl that elicited a half-maximal response (EC50) was calculated. Compared with vehicle, adding ANG II (10−9M) to the CNT lumen reduced EC50from 37 ± 3 to 14 ± 1 mM ( P < 0.001), indicating ANG II potentiates CTGF. In the presence of ANG II, the O2−scavenger tempol (10−4M) increased EC50from 20 ± 4 to 41 ± 3 mM ( P < 0.01), the NOX inhibitor apocynin (10−5M) increased EC50from 17 ± 2 to 39 ± 4 mM ( P < 0.01), and the specific NOX2 inhibitor gp91ds-tat (10−5M) increased EC50from 19 ± 2 to 34 ± 2 mM ( P < 0.01). However, tempol, apocynin, and gp91ds-tat had no effect on CTGF in the absence of ANG II. Compared with vehicle, the PKC activator PMA (2 × 10−7M) decreased EC50from 35 ± 2 to 14 ± 1 ( P < 0.001). In the presence of PMA, tempol increased EC50from 14 ± 2 to 35 ± 2 mM ( P < 0.01). We conclude the PKC/NOX2/O2−pathway mediates the enhancement of CTGF by luminal ANG II but it does not participate in CTGF in the absence of ANG II.
Nonlinearity between action potential alternans and restitution, which both predict ventricular arrhythmic properties inScn5a+/−and wild-type murine hearts
Authors: Matthews Gareth D. K. , Guzadhur Laila , Grace Andrew , Huang Christopher L-H.
Published: March 2012

Electrocardiographic QT- and T-wave alternans, presaging ventricular arrhythmia, reflects compromised adaptation of action potential (AP) duration (APD) to altered heart rate, classically attributed to incomplete Nav1.5 channel recovery prior to subsequent stimulation. The restitution hypothesis suggests a function whose slope directly relates to APD alternans magnitude, predicting a critical instability condition, potentially generating arrhythmia. The present experiments directly test for such correlations among arrhythmia, APD alternans and restitution. Mice haploinsufficient in the Scn5a, cardiac Na+channel gene ( Scn5a+/−), previously used to replicate Brugada syndrome, were used, owing to their established arrhythmic properties increased by flecainide and decreased by quinidine, particularly in right ventricular (RV) epicardium. Monophasic APs, obtained during pacing with progressively decrementing cycle lengths, were systematically compared at RV and left ventricular epicardial and endocardial recording sites in Langendorff-perfused Scn5a+/−and wild-type hearts before and following flecainide (10 μM) or quinidine (5 μM) application. The extent of alternans was assessed using a novel algorithm. Scn5a+/−hearts showed greater frequencies of arrhythmic endpoints with increased incidences of ventricular tachycardia, diminished by quinidine, and earlier onsets of ventricular fibrillation, particularly following flecainide challenge. These features correlated directly with increased refractory periods, specifically in the RV, and abnormal restitution and alternans properties in the RV epicardium. The latter variables were related by a unique, continuous higher-order function, rather than a linear relationship with an unstable threshold. These findings demonstrate a specific relationship between alternans and restitution, as well as confirming their capacity to predict arrhythmia, but implicate mechanisms additional to the voltage feedback suggested in the restitution hypothesis.
Aerobic exercise training upregulates skeletal muscle calpain and ubiquitin-proteasome systems in healthy mice
Authors: Cunha Telma F. , Moreira Jose B. N. , Paixão Nathalie A. , Campos Juliane C. , Monteiro Alex W. A. , Bacurau Aline V. N. , Bueno Carlos R. , Ferreira Julio C. B. , Brum Patricia C.
Published: March 2012

Aerobic exercise training (AET) is an important mechanical stimulus that modulates skeletal muscle protein turnover, leading to structural rearrangement. Since the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and calpain system are major proteolytic pathways involved in protein turnover, we aimed to investigate the effects of intensity-controlled AET on the skeletal muscle UPS and calpain system and their association to training-induced structural adaptations. Long-lasting effects of AET were studied in C57BL/6J mice after 2 or 8 wk of AET. Plantaris cross-sectional area (CSA) and capillarization were assessed by myosin ATPase staining. mRNA and protein expression levels of main components of the UPS and calpain system were evaluated in plantaris by real-time PCR and Western immunoblotting, respectively. No proteolytic system activation was observed after 2 wk of AET. Eight weeks of AET resulted in improved running capacity, plantaris capillarization, and CSA. Muscle RING finger-1 mRNA expression was increased in 8-wk-trained mice. Accordingly, elevated 26S proteasome activity was observed in the 8-wk-trained group, without accumulation of ubiquitinated or carbonylated proteins. In addition, calpain abundance was increased by 8 wk of AET, whereas no difference was observed in its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. Taken together, our findings indicate that skeletal muscle enhancements, as evidenced by increased running capacity, plantaris capillarization, and CSA, occurred in spite of the upregulated UPS and calpain system, suggesting that overactivation of skeletal muscle proteolytic systems is not restricted to atrophying states. Our data provide evidence for the contribution of the UPS and calpain system to metabolic turnover of myofibrillar proteins and skeletal muscle adaptations to AET.
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial density, gene expression, and enzyme activities in human heart failure: minimal effects of the disease and resistance training
Authors: Toth Michael J. , Miller Mark S. , Ward Kimberly A. , Ades Philip A.
Published: March 2012

Impaired skeletal muscle energetics could adversely affect physical and metabolic function in patients with heart failure (HF). The effect of HF on aspects of mitochondrial structure and function, independent of muscle disuse and other disease-related confounding factors, however, is unclear. Moreover, no study has evaluated whether resistance exercise training, a modality that increases functional capacity, might derive its benefits through modulation of mitochondrial structure and function. Thirteen HF patients and 14 age- and physical activity-matched controls were evaluated for skeletal muscle mitochondrial size/content, gene expression, and enzyme activity before and after an 18-wk resistance exercise-training program. At baseline, HF patients and controls had similar mitochondrial fractional areas, although HF patients had larger average mitochondrion size ( P < 0.05) and a trend toward a reduced number of mitochondria ( P ≤ 0.10). No differences in the expression of transcriptional regulators or cytochrome oxidase subunits or the activity of mitochondrial and cytosolic enzymes were noted. Relationships among transcriptional regulators suggested that networks controlling mitochondrial content and gene expression are intact. Resistance training increased ( P < 0.01) mitochondrial transcription factor A expression in patients and controls, and this increase was related to improvements in muscle strength ( P = 0.05). Training did not, however, alter mitochondrial size/content, enzyme activities, or expression of other transcriptional regulators. In conclusion, our results suggest that the HF syndrome has minimal effects on skeletal muscle mitochondrial biology when the confounding effects of muscle disuse and other disease-related factors are removed. Moreover, the beneficial effects of resistance training on physical function in HF patients and controls are likely not related to alterations in mitochondrial biology.
Dual pools of actin at presynaptic terminals
Authors: Bleckert Adam , Photowala Huzefa , Alford Simon
Published: March 2012

We investigated actin's function in vesicle recycling and exocytosis at lamprey synapses and show that FM1-43 puncta and phalloidin-labeled filamentous actin (F-actin) structures are colocalized, yet recycling vesicles are not contained within F-actin clusters. Additionally, phalloidin also labels a plasma membrane-associated cortical actin. Injection of fluorescent G-actin revealed activity-independent dynamic actin incorporation into presynaptic synaptic vesicle clusters but not into cortical actin. Latrunculin-A, which sequesters G-actin, dispersed vesicle-associated actin structures and prevented subsequent labeled G-actin and phalloidin accumulation at presynaptic puncta, yet cortical phalloidin labeling persisted. Dispersal of presynaptic F-actin structures by latrunculin-A did not disrupt vesicle clustering or recycling or alter the amplitude or kinetics of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). However, it slightly enhanced release during repetitive stimulation. While dispersal of presynaptic actin puncta with latrunculin-A failed to disperse synaptic vesicles or inhibit synaptic transmission, presynaptic phalloidin injection blocked exocytosis and reduced endocytosis measured by action potential-evoked FM1-43 staining. Furthermore, phalloidin stabilization of only cortical actin following pretreatment with latrunculin-A was sufficient to inhibit synaptic transmission. Conversely, treatment of axons with jasplakinolide, which induces F-actin accumulation but disrupts F-actin structures in vivo, resulted in increased synaptic transmission accompanied by a loss of phalloidin labeling of cortical actin but no loss of actin labeling within vesicle clusters. Marked synaptic deficits seen with phalloidin stabilization of cortical F-actin, in contrast to the minimal effects of disruption of a synaptic vesicle-associated F-actin, led us to conclude that two structurally and functionally distinct pools of actin exist at presynaptic sites.
Neuroinflammation alters voltage-dependent conductance in striatal astrocytes
Authors: Karpuk Nikolay , Burkovetskaya Maria , Kielian Tammy
Published: March 2012

Neuroinflammation has the capacity to alter normal central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis and function. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of an inflammatory milieu on the electrophysiological properties of striatal astrocyte subpopulations with a mouse bacterial brain abscess model. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in striatal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-green fluorescent protein (GFP)+ astrocytes neighboring abscesses at postinfection days 3 or 7 in adult mice. Cell input conductance ( Gi) measurements spanning a membrane potential ( Vm) surrounding resting membrane potential (RMP) revealed two prevalent astrocyte subsets. A1 and A2 astrocytes were identified by negative and positive Gi increments vs. Vm, respectively. A1 and A2 astrocytes displayed significantly different RMP, Gi, and cell membrane capacitance that were influenced by both time after bacterial exposure and astrocyte proximity to the inflammatory site. Specifically, the percentage of A1 astrocytes was decreased immediately surrounding the inflammatory lesion, whereas A2 cells were increased. These changes were particularly evident at postinfection day 7, revealing increased cell numbers with an outward current component. Furthermore, RMP was inversely modified in A1 and A2 astrocytes during neuroinflammation, and resting Gi was increased from 21 to 30 nS in the latter. In contrast, gap junction communication was significantly decreased in all astrocyte populations associated with inflamed tissues. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the heterogeneity of striatal astrocyte populations, which experience distinct electrophysiological modifications in response to CNS inflammation.
Solving Coplanar Power-Limited Orbit Transfer Problem by Primer Vector Approximation Method
Authors: Huang Weijun
Published: April 2012

The coplanar orbit transfer problem has been an important topic in astrodynamics since the beginning of the space era. Though many approximate solutions for power-limited orbit transfer problem have been developed, most of them rely on simplifications of the dynamics of the problem. This paper proposes a new approximation method called primer vector approximation method to solve the classic power-limited orbit transfer problem. This method makes no simplification on the dynamics, but instead approximates the optimal primer-vector function. With this method, this paper derives two approximate solutions for the power-limited orbit transfer problem. Numerical tests show the robustness and accuracy of the approximations.
MIF Produced by Bone Marrow–Derived Macrophages Contributes to Teratoma Progression after Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Wang Xi , Chen Tianxiang , Leng Lin , Fan Jianqing , Cao Kai , Duan Zhaoxia , Zhang Xijing , Shao Changshun , Wu Mingmei , Tadmori Iman , Li Tianyi , Liang Li , Sun Dongming , Zheng Shusen , Meinhardt Andreas , Young Wise , Bucala Richard , Ren Yi
Published: March 2012

Although stem cell therapy holds promise as a potential treatment in a number of diseases, the tumorigenicity of embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells remains a major obstacle. In vitro predifferentiation of ESCs can help prevent the risk of teratoma formation, yet proliferating neural progenitors can generate tumors, especially in the presence of immunosuppressive therapy. In this study, we investigated the effects of the microenvironment on stem cell growth and teratoma development using undifferentiated ESCs. Syngeneic ESC transplantation triggered an inflammatory response that involved the recruitment of bone marrow (BM)–derived macrophages. These macrophages differentiated into an M2 or angiogenic phenotype that expressed multiple angiogenic growth factors and proteinases, such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), VEGF, and matrix metalloproteinase 9, creating a microenvironment that supported the initiation of teratoma development. Genetic deletion of MIF from the host but not from ESCs specifically reduced angiogenesis and teratoma growth, and MIF inhibition effectively reduced teratoma development after ESC transplantation. Together, our findings show that syngeneic ESC transplantation provokes an inflammatory response that involves the rapid recruitment and activation of BM-derived macrophages, which may be a crucial driving force in the initiation and progression of teratomas. Cancer Res; 72(11); 2867–78. ©2012 AACR.
New Strategies in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung: Identification of Tumor Drivers to Personalize Therapy
Authors: Gold Kathryn A. , Wistuba Ignacio I. , Kim Edward S.
Published: March 2012

Treatment for non–small cell lung cancer has been improving, with personalized treatment increasingly becoming a reality in the clinic. Unfortunately, these advances have largely been confined to the treatment of adenocarcinomas. Treatment options for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung have lagged behind, partly because of a lack of understanding of the oncogenes driving SCC. Cytotoxic chemotherapy continues to be the only treatment option for many of our patients, and no genetic tests are clinically useful for patients with SCC. Recent advances in basic science have identified mutations and alterations in protein expression frequently found in SCCs, and clinical trials are ongoing to target these changes. Clin Cancer Res; 18(11); 3002–7. ©2012 AACR.
Vocal performance varies with habitat quality in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)
Authors: Grava Thibault , Otter Ken A. , Grava Angelique
Published: April 2012

In vocal learners, such as songbirds, the ability to maintain an internal acoustic structure between songs during a chorus seems to be positively correlated with the singer’s condition and may, therefore, represent a reliable measure of the singer’s condition. For instance, some internal ratios in the black-capped chickadee (
Poecile atricapillus)
fee-beesong are more stable in the song of dominant males than in the song of subordinate males, suggesting that dominant birds are better at maintaining the internal song structure than subordinate males. Habitat quality is also known to affect the behaviour of this species. Birds settling in young forest have a lower song output and lower reproductive success than birds occupying mature forests, and it is suggested that those differences arise from differential food availability across habitats. As recent studies suggest that song performance can be altered by food limitation at the time of song learning, we explore whether habitat quality has a similar effect on the ability to maintain internal song structure as does social rank. We paired males by similar social rank, but who occupied different habitat types, and compared the consistency of male song within his dawn chorus. The ability to maintain an internal song structure of birds occupying young forests was consistently lower than birds occupying mature forests. Our results demonstrate that the same difference that exist in song structure between male differing in social rank also exist between males differing in the habitat in which they sing.
Legal Pluralism in Colonial Lagos: The 1894 Petition of the Lagos Muslims to their British Colonial Masters
Authors: Ostien Philip , Makinde Abdul-Fatah 'Kola
Published: April 2012

This paper is about metropolitan Lagos—under the British only a "township", though long Nigeria's capital. From early in its history the percentage of Muslims living in Lagos has been high, somewhere around fifty percent. There is a long history of attempts by activists among the Lagos Muslims, none yet successful, to persuade the authorities pro tem to establish Sharia Courts for the use of Muslims, to which they could take their civil matters for adjudication under Islamic law. After briefly introducing Lagos, we describe one of these attempts: the 1894 petition of the Lagos Muslims to their British colonial masters, and its outcome, paying particular attention to the pluralistic legal environment in which it was made. This early petition—or rather the facts that it was made, and that it failed, all context having been forgotten—lives on in the thinking of many Nigerian Muslims today as another example of British hostility to Islam, often held to be responsible for the failure of Islamic law to thrive in the predominantly Yoruba southwest of which Lagos is a part. This paper is an attempt to restore the context, and thus perhaps to help improve the analysis of the fate of Islamic law in Nigeria's southwest.
Cosmopolitanism with Room for Nationalism
Authors: Lee Win-Chiat
Published: April 2012

Gillian Brock attempts to reconcile cosmopolitanism with nationalism in Global Justice: A Cosmopolitan Account. She claims that her cosmopolitanism leaves room for legitimate nationalism. I argue that her cosmopolitanism is not only a theory of global justice, but also a general theory of justice, according to which what justice may demand of us is fundamentally global in nature. As such, Brock’s cosmopolitanism cannot accommodate nationalism in the overall structure of what justice may demand of us, but has to relegate it to the discretionary space left open after what justice may demand of us globally has been met. This does not amount to much of a reconciliation or a particularly moderate cosmopolitanism, contrary to Brock’s claim. More important, I argue, Brock’s cosmopolitan theory of justice need not follow from the more fundamental view of moral cosmopolitanism.
COMMISSION ON BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Authors: MAZZOLINI RENATO G.
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
Il testo riproduce un rapporto della Commissione di bibliografia della International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science. Tale rapporto riguarda progetti di ricerca in corso durante il 1988 in Svizzera. Esso concerne esclusivamente progetti aventi per oggetto edizioni critiche, traduzioni, edizioni di epistolari, bibliografie e cataloghi di manoscritti o di letteratura scientifica del passato, tutti di interesse per la storia della scienza e della medicina.
IL MISTERIOSO SPIRITUS SALIS
Authors: ABBRI FERDINANDO
Published: April 2012

title SUMMARY /title The spiritus salis (hydrochloric acid) was known as a mineral acid from antiquity, but its exact chemical composition remained a mystery until the emergence of electrochemistry in the early nineteenth century. The case of this acid shows the complex status of the concept of chemical substance in the various phases of the historical evolution of modern chemical thought. The aim of this paper is to show such a complex status through an examination of the research in electrochemistry which took place in Tuscany at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The paper specifically examines the works of Francesco Pacchiani who, in 1805, thought to have proved that spirit of salt was composed of hydrogen and oxygen. Between 1805 and 1806 the international scientific community carefully discussed Pacchiani's research and discoveries . The Pacchiani case reveals that the composition of the spirit of salt was a true puzzle for chemical philosophy at that time. The study of the fate of Pacchiani's work also provides some information on the Italian chemical community at the time of Napoleon I and demonstrates that Giovanni Fabbroni, the vice-director of the Museum of Physics and Natural History in Florence, was the leading representative of Tuscan science and was much admired throughout Europe. Fabbroni took a prominent part in the affairs of the Pacchiani case. Therefore the paper offers a primary documentation of Fabbroni's ideas on electrochemistry and of his efforts to favour the spreading of Tuscan research in this field.
L'ULTIMA LETTERA DI RUFFINI A CAUCHY *
Authors: BARBIERI FRANCESCO , FIORI CARLA
Published: April 2012

 SUMMARY
The authors present the text of the last letter, unpublished, from Ruffini to Cauchy (Modena, August, 31, 1821), still conserved in the Biblioteca Municipale of Reggio Emilia (Mss. Turri, 10.B.25).
BACONIANISM IN THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY NETHERLANDS: A PRELIMINARY SURVEY*
Authors: ELENA ALBERTO
Published: April 2012

title RIASSUNTO /title Molti studi sono stati dedicati al diffondersi del cartesianismo in Olanda nel Seicento, mentre ancora oscuro il ruolo della filosofia di Francis Bacon. E certo che l'influenza di Bacon sui circoli intellettuali (non solo accademici) in quel periodo fu forte. Da uno studio ravvicinato dell'attivit accademica si evince l'esistenza di una notevole familiarit con le idee di Bacon, che convivevano con l'egemonico ma eclettico cartesianismo. I casi di Constantijn e Christiaan Huygens sono paradigmatici e mostrano quanto Bacon fosse altamente stimato anche fuori dalle universit. D'altra parte l'esistenza di traduzioni olandesi seicentesche degli Essays e della New Atlantis testimonia un crescente e variegato pubblico per le concezioni baconiane nelle Province Unite. Tuttavia non semplice determinare quali furono i canali di trasmissione. Figure come William Boswell o Joseph Williamson contribuirono probabilmente alla diffusione della filosofia baconiana (il cosiddetto baconianismo volgare non meno del metodo e delle dottrine scientifiche) in Olanda, ma una prova certa manca ancora e la questione ben lontana dall'essere stata risolta. Nonostante questa lacuna, bisognerebbe riconoscere il ruolo significativo che le concezioni del Lord Cancelliere giocarono nello sviluppo della tradizione scientifica olandese del Seicento.
ASIXTEENTH-CENTURYDRAWINGOFAN ASTROLABE MADE BY KHAFĪF GHULĀM 'ALĪ B. 'ĪSĀ (c. 850 A.D.)
Authors: SALIBA GEORGE
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
Questo articolo identifica un disegno, eseguito da Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane, di un astrolabio costruito dal famoso astrolabista di Baghdad Khafif (850 d.C. ca.). Al Museum of the History of Science di Oxford è conservato l'unico astrolabio di Khafīf oggi esistente, del quale si pubblica una fotografia. Grazie alla notevole precisione della copia di Antonio e alla somiglianza di questa copia con la rete di un astrolabio anonimo, pure conservato a Oxford, sembra possibile confermare che la parte non firmata debba essere stata costruita dallo stesso Khafif. Il presente articolo conclude che l'astrolabio del disegno deve essere stato un lavoro tardo di Khafif, dato che è piú completo di quello di Oxford, con aggiunte apportate in Andalusia prima che Antonio lo vedesse.
THE POMAR CODEX (CA. 1590): PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE OLD WORLD AND FROM THE HERNADEZ EXPEDITION TO AMERICA
Authors: LÓPEZ PINERO JOSE M.
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
Si descrive un codice illustrato (ca. 1590), donato dal re Filippo II a Honorato Pomar, professore di medicina botanica all'Università di Valencia, e ora conservato nella biblioteca della stessa universita. Tale codice contiene 218 acquarelli di piante e animali del Vecchio Continente e provenienti dalla spedizione nelle Americhe di Hernandez (1571-1577). Inoltre, l'articolo si sofferma brevemente sull'interesse di Filippo II per la storia naturale, sulla spedizione di Hernandez e sulla cattedra di botanica medica all'universita di Valencia nel corso del sedicesimo secolo. Infine, si discute dell'identita dell'autore delle illustrazioni e dei testi del codice, con particolare riferimento a Honorato Pomar e a Jacopo Ligozzi, un pittore della corte fiorentina durante il regno di Francesco I.