bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thrombospondin-1, a natural inhibitor of angiogenesis, regulates platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 expression and endothelial cell morphogenesis.
Authors: Sheibani N , Newman P J , Frazier W A
Published: August 2013

Expression of thrombospondin-1 (TS1) in polyoma middle-sized T (tumor)-transformed mouse brain endothelial cells (bEND.3) restores a normal phenotype and suppresses their ability to form hemangiomas in mice. We show that TS1 expression results in complete suppression of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) expression and altered cell-cell interactions in bEND.3 cells. To further investigate the role of PECAM-1 in regulation of endothelial cell-cell interactions and morphogenesis, we expressed human (full length) or murine (delta 15) PECAM-1 isoforms in TS1-transfected bEND.3 (bEND/TS) cells. Expression of either human or murine PECAM-1 resulted in an enhanced ability to organize and form networks of cords on Matrigel, an effect that was specifically blocked by antibodies to PECAM-1. Anti-PECAM-1 antibodies also inhibited tube formation in Matrigel by normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells. However, PECAM-1-transfected bEND/TS cells did not regain the ability to form hemangiomas in mice and the expressed PECAM-1, unlike the endogenous PECAM-1 expressed in bEND.3 cells, failed to localize to sites of cell-cell contact. This may be, in part, attributed to the different isoforms of PECAM-1 expressed in bEND.3 cells. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we determined that bEND.3 cells express mRNA encoding six different PECAM-1 isoforms, the isoform lacking both exons 14 and 15 (delta 14&15) being most abundant. Expression of the murine delta 14&15 PECAM-1 isoform in bEND/TS cells resulted in a similar phenotype to that described for the full-length human or murine delta 15 PECAM-1 isoform. The delta 14&15 isoform, despite the lack of exon 14, failed to localize to sites of cell-cell contact even in clones that expressed it at very high levels. Thus, contrary to recent reports, lack of exon 14 is not sufficient to result in junctional localization of PECAM-1 isoforms in bEND/TS cells.
The yeast actin-related protein Arp2p is required for the internalization step of endocytosis.
Authors: Moreau V , Galan J M , Devilliers G , Haguenauer-Tsapis R , Winsor B
Published: August 2013

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin-related protein Arp2p is an essential component of the actin cytoskeleton. We have tested its potential role in the endocytic and exocytic pathways by using a temperature-sensitive allele, arp2-1. The fate of the plasma membrane transporter uracil permease was followed to determine whether Arp2p plays a role in the endocytic pathway. Inhibition of normal endocytosis as revealed by maintenance of active uracil permease at the plasma membrane and strong protection against subsequent vacuolar degradation of the protein were observed in the mutant at the restrictive temperature. Furthermore, arp2-1 cells accumulated ubiquitin-permease conjugates, formed prior to internalization. These effects were also visible at permissive temperature, whereas the actin cytoskeleton appeared to be normally polarized. The soluble hydrolase carboxypeptidase Y and the lipophilic dye FM 4-64 were targeted normally to the vacuole in arp2-1 cells. Thus, Arp2p is required for internalization but does not play a major role in later steps of endocytosis. Synthetic lethality was demonstrated between arp2-1 and the endocytic mutant end3-1, suggesting participation of Arp2p and End3p in the same process. Finally, no evidence for a major defect in secretion was apparent; invertase secretion and delivery of uracil permease to the plasma membrane were unaffected in arp2-1 cells.
Regulated nuclear translocation of the Mig1 glucose repressor.
Authors: De Vit M J , Waddle J A , Johnston M
Published: August 2013

Glucose represses the transcription of many genes in bakers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Mig1 is a Cys2-His2 zinc finger protein that mediates glucose repression of several genes by binding to their promoters and recruiting the general repression complex Ssn6-Tup1. We have found that the subcellular localization of Mig1 is regulated by glucose. Mig1 is imported into the nucleus within minutes after the addition of glucose and is just as rapidly transported back to the cytoplasm when glucose is removed. This regulated nuclear localization requires components of the glucose repression signal transduction pathway. An internal region of the protein separate from the DNA binding and repression domains is necessary and sufficient for glucose-regulated nuclear import and export. Changes in the phosphorylation status of Mig1 are coincident with the changes in its localization, suggesting a possible regulatory role for phosphorylation. Our results suggest that a glucose-regulated nuclear import and/or export mechanism controls the activity of Mig1.
Glutathione synthetase is dispensable for growth under both normal and oxidative stress conditions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to an accumulation of the dipeptide gamma-glutamylcysteine.
Authors: Grant C M , MacIver F H , Dawes I W
Published: August 2013

Glutathione (GSH) synthetase (Gsh2) catalyzes the ATP-dependent synthesis of GSH from gamma-glutamylcysteine (gamma-Glu-Cys) and glycine. GSH2, encoding the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme, was isolated and used to construct strains that either lack or overproduce Gsh2. The identity of GSH2 was confirmed by the following criteria: 1) the predicted Gsh2 protein shared 37-39% identity and 58-60% similarity with GSH synthetases from other eukaryotes, 2) increased gene dosage of GSH2 resulted in elevated Gsh2 enzyme activity, 3) a strain deleted for GSH2 was dependent on exogenous GSH for wild-type growth rates, and 4) the gsh2 mutant lacked GSH and accumulated the dipeptide gamma-Glu-Cys intermediate in GSH biosynthesis. Overexpression of GSH2 had no effect on cellular GSH levels, whereas overexpression of GSH1, encoding the enzyme for the first step in GSH biosynthesis, lead to an approximately twofold increase in GSH levels, consistent with Gsh1 catalyzing the rate-limiting step in GSH biosynthesis. In contrast to a strain deleted for GSH1, which lacks both GSH and gamma-Glu-Cys, the strain deleted for GSH2 was found to be unaffected in mitochondrial function as well as resistance to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and the superoxide anion. Furthermore, gamma-Glu-Cys was at least as good as GSH in protecting yeast cells against an oxidant challenge, providing the first evidence that gamma-Glu-Cys can act as an antioxidant and substitute for GSH in a eukaryotic cell. However, the dipeptide could not fully substitute for the essential function of GSH in the cell as shown by the poor growth of the gsh2 mutant on minimal medium. We suggest that this function may be the detoxification of harmful intermediates that are generated during normal cellular metabolism.
Functional domains of LAG-2, a putative signaling ligand for LIN-12 and GLP-1 receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Authors: Henderson S T , Gao D , Christensen S , Kimble J
Published: August 2013

The LAG-2 membrane protein is a putative signaling ligand for the LIN-12 and GLP-1 receptors of Caenorhabditis elegans. LAG-2, like its Drosophila homologues Delta and Serrate, acts in a conserved signal transduction pathway to regulate cell fates during development. In this article, we investigate the functional domains of LAG-2. For the most part, mutants were constructed in vitro and assayed for activity in transgenic animals. We find a functional role for all major regions except one. Within the extracellular domain, the N-terminal region, which bears no known motif, and the DSL domain are both required. By contrast, the region bearing epidermal growth factor-like repeats can be deleted with no apparent reduction in rescuing activity. The intracellular region is not required for activity but instead plays a role in down-regulating LAG-2 function. Finally, membrane association is critical for mutant rescue.
Acinetobacter kookii sp. nov., isolated from soil
Authors: Choi Ji Young , Ko Gwangpyo , Jheong Weonghwa , Huys Geert , Seifert Harald , Dijkshoorn Lenie , Ko Kwan Soo
Published: August 2013

Two Gram-stain-negative, non-fermentative bacterial strains, designated 11-0202T and 11-0607, were isolated from soil in South Korea, and four others, LUH 13522, LUH 8638, LUH 10268 and LUH 10288, were isolated from a beet field in Germany, soil in the Netherlands, and sediment of integrated fish farms in Malaysia and Thailand, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA, rpoB and gyrB gene sequences, they are considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Acinetobacter

. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences showed greatest pairwise similarity to

Acinetobacter beijerinckii

NIPH 838T (97.9–98.4 %). They shared highest rpoB and gyrB gene sequence similarity with

Acinetobacter johnsonii

DSM 6963T and

Acinetobacter bouvetii

4B02T (85.4–87.6 and 78.1–82.7 %, respectively). Strain 11-0202T displayed low DNA–DNA reassociation values (<40 %) with the most closely related species of the genus

Acinetobacter

. The six strains utilized azelate, 2,3-butanediol, ethanol and dl-lactate as sole carbon sources. Cellular fatty acid analyses showed similarities to profiles of related species of the genus

Acinetobacter

: summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω6c; 24.3–27.2 %), C18 : 1ω9c (19.9–22.1 %), C16 : 0 (15.2–22.0 %) and C12 : 0 (9.2–14.2 %). On the basis of the current findings, it is concluded that the six strains represent a novel species, for which the name Acinetobacter kookii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 11-0202T ( = KCTC 32033T = JCM 18512T).
Shewanella aestuarii sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a tidal flat
Authors: Park Hye Yoon , Jeon Che Ok
Published: August 2013

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated strain SC18T, was isolated from a tidal flat of Suncheon bay in South Korea. Cells were rod-shaped and motile by means of a polar flagellum. Cells were catalase-, oxidase- and β-haemolysis-positive. Growth was observed at 4–37 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C), at pH 5.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0–5.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–2 %). The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7cand/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0and C16 : 0. The polar lipid pattern indicated the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. Strain SC18Tcontained Q-7, Q-8, MK-7 and MMK-7 as the dominant respiratory quinones and the G+C content of the genomic DNA was 41.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA and gyrase B (gyrB) gene sequences showed that strain SC18Tformed a tight phyletic lineage with members of the genusShewanella. Strain SC18Twas related most closely toShewanella denitrificansOS217T(97.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) andShewanella gaetbuliTF-27T(97.1 %), but the DNA–DNA relatedness levels between strain SC18Tand the type strains ofS. denitrificansandS. gaetbuliwere 18.3±2.8 and 22.5±1.6 % (mean±sd), respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular features, strain SC18Trepresents a novel species of the genusShewanella, for which the nameShewanellaaestuariisp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SC18T( = KACC 16187T = JCM 17801T).
Fifty years since the first European synchrotron-radiation-derived XAFS spectrum (Frascati, 1963)
Authors: Mottana Annibale , Marcelli Augusto
Published: August 2013

The first absorption spectra recorded in Europe using synchrotron radiation as the X-ray source were theK-edge of Al and theLIII-edge of Cu taken at Frascati electron synchrotron in May 1963 by the French–Italian group comprised of Y. Cauchois, C. Bonnelle and G. Missoni.
An experimental examination of consumer attitudes, behavioral intentions, and information search behavior after viewing a predictive genetic test direct‐to‐consumer advertisement
Authors: Rollins Brent , Ramakrishnan Shravanan , Perri Matthew
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Predictive genetic tests (PGTs) have greatly increased their presence in the market, and, much like their pharmaceutical peers, companies offering PGTs have increasingly used direct‐to‐consumer advertising as part of their promotional strategy. Given many PGTs are available without a prescription or physician order and the lack of empirical research examining the effects of PGT‐DTC, this paper seeks to examine consumer attitudes, intentions, and behavior in response to a PGT‐DTC ad with and without a prescription requirement.

Design/methodology/approach

A single factor, between subjects online survey design with the presence or absence of a prescription requirement as the experimental variable was used to evaluate consumers' attitudes, intentions, and behavior in response to a predictive genetic test DTC advertisement. A minimum sample size of 198 was determined a priori and 206 surveys were completed within five hours of deployment to 600 randomly selected general consumer participants for a response rate of 34.3 percent (206/600), with 106 in the prescription requirement group and 100 in the non‐prescription group. Descriptive statistics, t‐tests, and chi‐square techniques were used to examine the various dependent variables (consumer attitudes, behavioral intentions, and the pre‐defined behavior measure) and their differences.

Findings

Overall, consumers hold favorable attitudes to PGT‐DTC ads, but did not intend to engage in physician discussion, take the test or perform information search behavior. The effect of a prescription requirement was not significant, as no differences were seen with the attitude and behavioral intention dependent variables.

Originality/value

At this still relatively young point in the PGT cycle, consumers still seem to be skeptical about the value of predictive genetic tests and their associated DTC advertisements.
The community structures of the coniferous and deciduous dead wood‐dwelling arthropods in Korea
Authors: Kim Hyun Jung , Nam Jong Woo , Yi Hoonbok
Published: August 2013

We examined the structure of the arthropod community among deciduous and coniferous dead woods along the process of wood decay. We collected dead wood‐dwelling arthropods from April 2010 to October 2011 by using a vacuum aspirator and an electric chain saw in three areas (Mt. Woonak, Mt. Wolchul, Mt. Jingang) in Korea. We identified them to species levels and classified them into functional groups. We collected 8792 arthropods (5 classes, 20 orders, 58 families, and 93 species). The species richness and abundance of arthropods increased with the progress of decay in dead woods. The evenness index seemed to be shown at a lower value at late decay stage than at early‐ and mid‐decay stages. The diversity index (H′) in conifers was lower than that in deciduous dead woods at the early decay stage but this situation was reversed at the late decay stage. Arthropod communities of functional groups, except the xylophagous insects, did not differ in the variables, but the proportion of xylophagous insects increased as the decay stages progressed. The abundance of arthropods and xylophagous was statistically significantly different. The patterns generated by non‐metric multidimensional scaling in the overall arthropod community composition revealed that the species composition between study areas were significantly different. We confirmed that dead woods play very important roles as arthropods' habitats. Thus, we suggest that the role of dead woods should be emphasized in the management of forest ecosystems.
Impact of heart magnetic resonance imaging on chelation choices, compliance with treatment and risk of heart disease in patients with thalassaemia major
Authors: Origa Raffaella , Danjou Fabrice , Cossa Stefano , Matta Gildo , Bina Patrizio , Dessì Carlo , Defraia Elisabetta , Foschini Maria L. , Leoni GiovanBattista , Morittu Maddalena , Galanello Renzo
Published: August 2013

This study aimed to verify the impact of heart magnetic resonance imaging on chelation choices and patient compliance in a single‐institution cohort as well as its predictive value for heart failure and arrhythmias. Abnormal cardiac T2* values determined changes in treatment in most subjects. Heart T2* was confirmed to be highly predictive over 1 year for heart failure and arrhythmias. The choice of chelation regimens known to remove heart iron efficiently was not sufficient by itself to influence the risk. Compliance with treatment had a more remarkable role.
A randomized, open‐label, phase I/II trial to investigate the maximum tolerated dose of the Polo‐like kinase inhibitor BI 2536 in elderly patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Müller‐Tidow Carsten , Bug Gesine , Lübbert Michael , Krämer Alwin , Krauter Jürgen , Valent Peter , Nachbaur David , Berdel Wolfgang E. , Ottmann Oliver G. , Fritsch Holger , Munzert Gerd , Garin‐Chesa Pilar , Fleischer Frank , Taube Tillmann , Döhner Hartmut
Published: August 2013

Polo‐like kinases (Plks) play an important role in cell cycle checkpoint controls and are over‐expressed in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). BI 2536, a novel Plk inhibitor, induces mitotic arrest and apoptosis. In this phase I/II trial of BI 2536 in 68 elderly patients with relapsed/refractory AML, three schedules were investigated (day 1, days 1–3, and days 1 + 8). Maximum tolerated dose was 350 and 200 mg in the day 1 and days 1 + 8 schedules, respectively. The day 1–3 schedule appeared equivalent to the day 1 schedule and was discontinued early. BI 2536 exhibited multi‐compartmental pharmacokinetic behaviour. The majority of patients showed an increase of bone marrow cells in G2/M with a characteristic pattern of mitotic catastrophe. The overall response rate in the day 1 and day 1 + 8 schedules was 9% (5/54) with 2 complete and 3 partial responses. The majority of drug‐related adverse events grade ≥3 were haematological. Taken together, Plk inhibition induced cell cycle arrest in AML blasts in vivo and BI 2536 monotherapy showed modest clinical activity in this poor prognosis patient group.
Paediatric essential thrombocythaemia: clinical and molecular features, diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Fu Rongfeng , Zhang Lei , Yang Renchi
Published: August 2013

The incidence of essential thrombocythaemia (ET) in children (age ≤18 years) is extremely low. The natural course of the disorder in children has not been clarified. The rarity of patients and the variability of tested parameters make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusion in pathogenesis and diagnosis of paediatric ET. What makes the onset of thrombocytosis earlier in children is still uncertain. A diagnostic algorithm for paediatric ET has not been established, and current risk stratification used to guide therapeutic decisions in adults has not been validated in children. Vascular complications and transformation to myelofibrosis and leukaemia in this special entity have been reported, suggesting that ET in children is not an entirely benign disease. The crucial question is how to identify patients who are at high risk of complications and need treatment. There are insufficient data to recommend a specific agent in children. The purpose of this review is to outline the most recent progress in paediatric ET and to help with understanding the clinical course, molecular features, diagnosis and treatment strategies in this special group.
A Computational Framework for Practical Social Reasoning
Authors: Wallace Iain , Rovatsos Michael
Published: August 2013

This article describes a framework for practical social reasoning designed to be used for analysis, specification, and implementation of the social layer of agent reasoning in multiagent systems. Our framework, called theexpectation strategy behavior(ESB) framework, is based on (i) using sets of update rules for social beliefs tied to observations (so‐called expectations), (ii) bounding the amount of reasoning to be performed over these rules by defining a reasoningstrategy, and (iii) influencing the agent's decision‐making logic by means ofbehaviorsconditioned on the truth status of current and future social beliefs. We introduce the foundations of ESB conceptually and present a formal framework and an actual implementation of a reasoning engine, which is specifically combined with a general (belief–desire–intention‐based) practical reasoning programming system. We illustrate the generality of ESB through select case studies, which show that it is able to represent and implement different typical styles of social reasoning. The broad coverage of existing social reasoning methods, the modularity that derives from its declarative nature, and its focus on practical implementation make ESB a useful tool for building advanced socially reasoning agents.
An Incomplete, Over‐Generalized Nano‐History of Design and Business
Authors: Whitney Patrick
Published: August 2013

How to teach design principles—not styles.
Playing
Authors: Nussbaum Bruce
Published: August 2013

Tetra Paks, magic circles, war games, and other kinds of play at work: an excerpt from Creative Intelligence.
Can Design Thinking Still Add Value?
Authors: Collins Hilary
Published: August 2013

It may be that design thinking needs to be seen by business as nothing less than a paradigm shift rather than as a process like TQM or JIT.
Waves of (Dis)Satisfaction: Effects of the Numerus Clausus system in Portugal
Authors: Fonseca Madalena , Dias Diana , Sá Carla , Amaral Alberto
Published: August 2013

Access to higher education in Portugal is governed by a quota system (numerus clausus).

The purpose of this article is to answer two questions: First, how does the numerus clausus system shape the demand for medical studies? Second, how do non‐enrolled medical candidates influence the global allocation system and generate waves of dissatisfaction?

The results show that students who do not succeed in entering medicine register in other programmes, such as pharmacy, veterinary medicine and dental studies, generating a first wave of dissatisfaction. Because students who are not placed in medicine occupy a large share of the places available in those other programmes, the wave of dissatisfaction propagates, with students being pushed to other programmes, especially biology and biochemistry. This process has also been analysed from a spatial perspective. Apparently, when students are competing to obtain a study place in a programme with prestige and good professional career perspectives such as medicine moving to a more peripheral region becomes more frequent.
From feedback inhibition to allostery: the enduring example of aspartate transcarbamoylase
Authors: Gerhart John
Published: August 2013

Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) of Escherichia coli, the first enzyme of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway, is inhibited by CTP and UTP, the nucleotide end‐products of the pathway. First discovered by Yates and Pardee in 1956 [Yates R & Pardee AB (1956) J Biol Chem 221, 743–756; Yates RA & Pardee AB (1956) J Biol Chem 221, 757–770], these interactions establish feedback inhibition in vivo, a key means of metabolic regulation by which end‐product production by the pathway is adjusted to end‐product usage in macromolecule synthesis. Activation of the enzyme by the purine nucleotide ATP may also have regulatory significance. ATCase and threonine deaminase of E. coli were the first enzymes to be characterized with regard to their allosteric properties, namely, sigmoidal saturation with regard to substrates, reflecting cooperative ligand binding at the active site, and inhibition and activation by nucleotides of very different chemical structure from the substrates. In the case of ATCase, the nucleotides bind at regulatory sites located on protein subunits different from those bearing the active sites. The early characterization of ATCase proved useful in the 1965 conceptualization of the allosteric transition by Monod, Wyman, and Changeux [Monod J et al. (1965) J Mol Biol 12, 88–118], and the protein in subsequent years has proved useful in the experimental analysis of the interactions of sites and of conformational changes in allosteric proteins. This is an account of the early years of work on ATCase, up to 1965.
Depth‐specific variation in carbon isotopes demonstrates resource partitioning among the littoral zoobenthos
Authors: Devlin Shawn P. , Vander Zanden M. Jake , Vadeboncoeur Yvonne
Published: August 2013

Benthic animals readily consume benthic algae, phytoplankton and terrestrial organic matter and are themselves a major component of fish diets. However, the effect of variation in resource availability on resource use by littoral macroinvertebrates remains poorly resolved.

Using stable isotopes of carbon, we quantified depth‐specific resource use by zoobenthic functional feeding groups in five lakes in northern Wisconsin. The littoral zoobenthos was collected from soft sediments at several depths in conjunction with samples of bulk periphyton (top 5 mm of sediment and biofilm) and measurements of benthic algal primary productivity.

Periphyton δ13C was positively correlated with depth‐specific benthic algal primary productivity, but grazer δ13C was consistently higher than that of the periphyton.

The δ13C of infaunal collectors and predators was tightly correlated with, and nearly identical to, bulk periphyton δ13C (collectors: R2, 0.88; slope, 0.97; P < 0.0001; predators: R2, 0.78; slope, 0.88; P < 0.0001). Reliance of collectors and predators on benthic algal carbon varied between 43 and 100%, depending on whether grazers or bulk periphyton was used as the benthic algal end‐member.

Despite the apparent homogeneity of the sediments, benthic grazers and collectors partitioned resources in a consistent way in our study lakes, indicating either selective ingestion or assimilation of different components of the biofilm.
Importance of terrestrial subsidies for native brook trout in Appalachian intermittent streams
Authors: Courtwright Jennifer , May Christine L.
Published: August 2013

Recent studies of perennial streams have shown that changes in riparian vegetation can reduce terrestrial invertebrate subsidies to streams and can cause trophic cascades through aquatic food webs. Intermittent stream food webs have received less attention but may be even more dependent on terrestrial invertebrate subsidies because of limited aquatic invertebrate resources.

The objectives of this research were: (i) to quantify the abundance and biomass of aquatic, adult aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates in and entering two Appalachian intermittent streams to determine how these resources vary with environmental factors such as stream flow and (ii) to determine the effects of experimental reductions in terrestrial invertebrate subsidies on brook trout diet.

Stream flow was the main factor driving total invertebrate abundance and biomass, and these resources decreased by 71% as the summer dry season progressed. Terrestrial invertebrates represented only 7% of total resource abundance, but made up 54% of brook trout diet by abundance.

Experimental reductions in terrestrial invertebrate subsidies resulted in a 49% decrease in terrestrial invertebrate abundance, which resulted in a 55% decrease in terrestrial invertebrates in brook trout diet samples. In contrast to studies of other salmonids in perennial streams, brook trout in these intermittent streams did not switch to consuming more aquatic invertebrates when terrestrial invertebrates were experimentally reduced. Therefore, land use or vegetation changes that cause reductions in terrestrial invertebrate resources may adversely affect brook trout populations in intermittent streams by reducing caloric intake as fish prepare for autumn spawning.
How specific is too specific? B‐cell responses to viral infections reveal the importance of breadth over depth
Authors: Baumgarth Nicole
Published: August 2013

Influenza virus infection induces robust and highly protective B‐cell responses. Knowledge gained from the analysis of such protective humoral responses can provide important clues for the design of successful vaccines and vaccination approaches and also provides a window into the regulation of fundamental aspects of B‐cell responses that may not be at play when responses to non‐replicating agents are studied. Here, I review features of the B‐cell response to viruses, with emphasis on influenza virus infection, a highly localized infection of respiratory tract epithelial cells, and a response that is directed against a virus that continuously undergoes genetic changes to its surface spike protein, a major target of neutralizing antibodies. Two aspects of the B‐cell response to influenza are discussed here, namely polyreactive natural antibodies and the role and function of germinal center responses. Both these features of the B‐cell response raise the question of how important antibody fine‐specificity is for long‐term protection from infection. As outlined, the pathogenesis of influenza virus and the nature of the antiviral B‐cell response seem to emphasize repertoire diversity over affinity maturation as driving forces behind the influenza‐specific B‐cell immunity.
Advances in antiviral vaccine development
Authors: Graham Barney S.
Published: August 2013

Antiviral vaccines have been the most successful biomedical intervention for preventing epidemic viral disease. Vaccination for smallpox in humans and rinderpest in cattle was the basis for disease eradication, and recent progress in polio eradication is promising. Although early vaccines were developed empirically by passage in live animals or eggs, more recent vaccines have been developed because of the advent of new technologies, particularly cell culture and molecular biology. Recent technological advances in gene delivery and expression, nanoparticles, protein manufacturing, and adjuvants have created the potential for new vaccine platforms that may provide solutions for vaccines against viral pathogens for which no interventions currently exist. In addition, the technological convergence of human monoclonal antibody isolation, structural biology, and high‐throughput sequencing is providing new opportunities for atomic‐level immunogen design. Selection of human monoclonal antibodies can identify immunodominant antigenic sites associated with neutralization and provide reagents for stabilizing and solving the structure of viral surface proteins. Understanding the structural basis for neutralization can guide selection of vaccine targets. Deep sequencing of the antibody repertoire and defining the ontogeny of the desired antibody responses can reveal the junctional recombination and somatic mutation requirements for B‐cell recognition and affinity maturation. Collectively, this information will provide new strategic approaches for selecting vaccine antigens, formulations, and regimens. Moreover, it creates the potential for rational vaccine design and establishing a catalogue of vaccine technology platforms that would be effective against any given family or class of viral pathogens and improve our readiness to address new emerging viral threats.
Interferon induction and function at the mucosal surface
Authors: Durbin Russell K. , Kotenko Sergei V. , Durbin Joan E.
Published: August 2013

Interferons (IFNs) are produced in response to virus infection and induce an antiviral state in virtually all cell types. In addition to upregulating the transcription of genes that inhibit virus replication, type I (or ‐α/β) IFNs also act to orchestrate the adaptive immune response to virus infection. Recently a new family of antiviral cytokines, the type III (or ‐λ) IFNs, has been identified that activate the same antiviral pathways via a distinct receptor. Although the identical transcription factor, IFN‐stimulated gene factor 3 is activated by either IFN‐α/β or IFN‐λ signaling, differences in the induction and action of these two cytokine families are beginning to be appreciated. In this article, we review this emerging body of literature on the differing roles these cytokines play in host defense of the mucosal surface. Although many viruses enter the body through the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, we have focused the discussion on influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and rotavirus, three ubiquitous human pathogens that target the epithelial lining and are associated with a major disease burden.
Temperature Stable Dielectric Behavior of Sol–Gel Derived Compositionally Graded SrTiO3/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3/SrTiO3 Thin Films
Authors: Šetinc Tina , Spreitzer Matjaž , Kunej Špela , Kovač Janez , Suvorov Danilo
Published: August 2013

Polycrystalline sol–gel‐derived SrTiO3/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3/SrTiO3 (ST/NBT/ST) thin films were designed to achieve the electrical isolation of the NBT, and to mediate the temperature dependency of the dielectric properties. Proper thermal annealing of particulate phase enabled us to achieve compositionally graded elemental profiles between individual ST and NBT layers. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties were investigated with respect to the electrical behavior of the monophasic ST and NBT thin films. The dielectric characteristics of the multilayer thin film were marked by a temperature stable behavior (temperature coefficient of dielectric constant of 780 ppm/°C) in the measured −50°C to 200°C range, frequency‐independent response at room temperature and improved dielectric loss characteristics compared with the NBT; however, on the expense of decreased permittivity and a reduced ferroelectric stability. Nevertheless, stable dielectric properties were achieved and properties of multilayer may well be exploited in functional devices that demand insensitive operation over wide temperature and frequency ranges.
The role of dispersal and vicariance in the Pleistocene history of an East African mountain rodent, Praomys delectorum
Authors: Bryja Josef , Mikula Ondřej , Patzenhauerová Hana , Oguge Nicholas O. , Šumbera Radim , Verheyen Erik
Published: August 2013

Aim

Species living in East African montane forests have highly fragmented distributions. Plio‐Pleistocene climatic cycles, however, may have allowed temporary contact between forest blocks, thereby allowing gene flow. Our aim was to reconstruct the colonization history of Praomys delectorum, a rodent species adapted to montane forests. We tested two alternative scenarios: (1) the occurrence of a series of vicariance events related to Quaternary climatic changes; and (2) colonization from a single origin through successive dispersal events.

Location

Montane forests of East Africa.

Methods

Analyses were based on large‐scale sampling covering the complete range of the species distribution. We assessed genetic structure and historical demography using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Morphological differences between allopatric populations were analysed using a geometric morphometric approach.

Results

Populations of P. delectorum are genetically differentiated along the north–south axis of the distribution range, consistent with postulated vicariance events. The oldest vicariance event, which separated the species into three main genetic groups, dates to the beginning of the Pleistocene. Further fragmentation within the three main lineages is consistent with successive vicariance events, probably linked to Pleistocene climatic cycles. Morphological variation between geographically structured populations may indicate local environmental adaptations.

Main conclusions

The most likely explanation for the strong genetic differentiation among fragmented populations is a series of vicariance events caused by periodic fragmentation of montane forests that resulted from climatic oscillations in the Pleistocene, rather than successive dispersal events. The recently proposed splitting of P. delectorum into three allopatric morphospecies only partly reflects the observed genetic structure.
Intellectual disability and co‐occurring mental health and physical disorders in aggressive behaviour
Authors: Crocker A. G. , Prokić A. , Morin D. , Reyes A.
Published: August 2013

Background

Mental and physical health problems are more prevalent among individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) than in the general population. Studies suggest that there may be significant associations between these co‐occurring disorders and aggressive behaviour, but few studies have taken into account multiple mental and physical problems, as well as their level of severity.

Objectives

The main goal of this study was to identify the associations between different types of aggressive behaviour and various types of physical and mental health problems.

Methods

These associations were explored through a cross‐sectional study of 296 adult men and women with mild or moderate ID living in the community and receiving ID services. Information was gathered through interviews with ID participants, case managers and file review.

Results

The results show that individuals with ID who have more mental and physical health problems have higher odds of displaying aggressive behaviour than those with fewer and less severe physical health problems.

Discussion

These results can help guide future prevention and intervention strategies for persons with ID who display aggressive behaviour or who are at risk of become aggressive.
Effect of adjunctive roxithromycin therapy on interleukin‐1β, transforming growth factor‐β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in gingival crevicular fluid of cyclosporine A‐treated patients with gingival overgrowth
Authors: Gong Y. , Lu J. , Ding X. , Yu Y.
Published: August 2013

Background and Objective

Systemic macrolide antibiotic administration has been shown to result in the elimination or reduction cyclosporine A‐induced gingival overgrowth. Roxithromycin (ROX) is known to have anti‐inflammatory, immunomodulatory and tissue reparative effects. This study was to evaluate the effect of adjunctive ROX therapy on cyclosporine A‐induced gingival overgrowth and interleukin (IL)‐1β, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in gingival crevicular fluid of renal transplant patients.

Material and Methods

Thirty‐one patients with clinically significant overgrowth and 16 periodontally healthy subjects were included in this randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐arm study. Patients received scaling and root planing (SRP) at baseline and randomized to take either ROX or placebo for 5 d. The clinical parameters, including plaque index, papillary bleeding index, probing depth and gingival overgrowth scores, were recorded. The amounts of IL‐1β, TGF‐β1 and VEGF in gingival crevicular fluid were detected by ELISA. Periodontal parameters as well as gingival crevicular fluid biomarker levels were evaluated at baseline and at 1 and 4 wk post‐therapy.

Results

Following SRP plus ROX and SRP plus placebo therapy, significant improvements in clinical periodontal parameters of both study groups were observed (p < 0.025). In the ROX group, adjunctive ROX therapy resulted in a greater gingival overgrowth scores reduction compared with those in the placebo group at 4 wk (p < 0.017). Initial amounts of IL‐1β, TGF‐β1 and VEGF for both the ROX and placebo groups were significantly higher than those for healthy subjects (p < 0.017), with no statistical difference between the two study groups. At 1 and 4 wk post‐therapy, significant decreases in the amounts of IL‐1β, TGF‐β1 and VEGF were observed in both study groups when compared with baseline (p < 0.025), but there was no difference in the levels of IL‐1β and VEGF between the two study groups. The amount of decrease in TGF‐β1 levels for the ROX group was statistically significant compared to that for the placebo group at 4 wk after treatment (p < 0.017).

Conclusion

Our study indicated that combination of ROX with non‐surgical therapy improves gingival overgrowth status and decreases gingival crevicular fluid TGF‐β1 levels in patients with severe gingival overgrowth. The reduction of gingival crevicular fluid TGF‐β1 following ROX therapy suggests an anti‐inflammatory/immunomodulatory effect of ROX on the treatment of cyclosporine A‐induced gingival overgrowth.
Chinese family management of chronic childhood conditions: A cluster analysis
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wei Min , Zhang Yaqing , Shen Nanping
Published: August 2013

Purpose

This study compared the management of chronic childhood conditions in Chinese families and identified predictors of management style.

Design and Method

A survey was conducted in 2008–2009 on a convenience sample of 387 caregivers of children with chronic conditions.

Results. 

Six family management styles (FMSs) were identified: accomplished, uncertain managing, joint managing, managing with difficulty, struggling, and competent managing. The FMSs were related to the functioning of the family and the child. Changes in parents' employment, geographic location, and diagnosis predicted family placement in a cluster.

Practice Implications

Understanding Chinese FMSs will further aid in providing culturally appropriate family‐centered care. Awareness of the predictors of FMSs can assist nurses in detecting which families need more help.
Body temperature, activity and melatonin profiles in adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep: a case–control study
Authors: Bijlenga Denise , Van Someren Eus J. W. , Gruber Reut , Bron Tannetje I. , Kruithof I. Femke , Spanbroek Elise C. A. , Kooij J. J. Sandra
Published: August 2013

Irregular sleep–wake patterns and delayed sleep times are common in adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but mechanisms underlying these problems are unknown. The present case–control study examined whether circadian abnormalities underlie these sleep problems in a naturalistic home setting. We included 12 medication‐naïve patients with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep phase syndrome, and 12 matched healthy controls. We examined associations between sleep/wake rhythm in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and circadian parameters (i.e. salivary melatonin concentrations, core and skin temperatures, and activity patterns) of the patients and controls during five consecutive days and nights. Daily bedtimes were more variable within patients compared with controls (F = 8.19, P < 0.001), but melatonin profiles were equally stable within individuals. Dim‐light melatonin onset was about 1.5 h later in the patient group (U = 771, Z = −4.63, P < 0.001). Patients slept about 1 h less on nights before work days compared with controls (F = 11.21, P = 0.002). The interval between dim‐light melatonin onset and sleep onset was on average 1 h longer in patients compared with controls (U = 1117, Z = −2.62, P = 0.009). This interval was even longer in patients with extremely late chronotype. Melatonin, activity and body temperatures were delayed to comparable degrees in patients. Overall temperatures were lower in patients than controls. Sleep‐onset difficulties correlated with greater distal–proximal temperature gradient (DPG; i.e. colder hands, r2 = −0.32, P = 0.028) in patients. Observed day‐to‐day bedtime variability of individuals with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep phase syndrome were not reflected in their melatonin profiles. Irregular sleep–wake patterns and delayed sleep in individuals with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep phase syndrome are associated with delays and dysregulations of the core and skin temperatures.
Individual Differences in Sequence Learning Ability and Second Language Acquisition in Early Childhood and Adulthood
Authors: Granena Gisela
Published: August 2013

Language aptitude has been hypothesized as a factor that can compensate for postcritical period effects in language learning capacity. However, previous research has primarily focused on instructed contexts and rarely on acquisition‐rich learning environments where there is a potential for massive amounts of input. In addition, the studies conducted to date have investigated cognitive aptitudes weighted heavily in favor of explicit processes (e.g., language analysis) and have overlooked potential individual differences in implicit cognitive processes. This study examines whether sequence learning ability (one aspect of a cognitive aptitude hypothesized to be relevant for implicit language learning and processing) is involved in early and late second language learners’ morphosyntactic attainment, as measured by two types of structures and tasks. Results revealed that sequence learning ability moderated scores on structures involving grammatical agreement relations in both early and late second language learners.
Once Upon a Time: Parent–Child Dialogue and Storybook Reading in the Electronic Era
Authors: Parish‐Morris Julia , Mahajan Neha , Hirsh‐Pasek Kathy , Golinkoff Roberta Michnick , Collins Molly Fuller
Published: August 2013

Early experiences with books predict later reading success, and an interactive shared reading style called “dialogic reading” is especially beneficial to emergent literacy. Electronic console (EC) books,CD‐rom books, and e‐book apps are designed to teach preschoolers preliteracy skills, but research has yet to systematically explore the impact of these types of books on established predictors of positive literacy outcomes. This research fills that gap with two studies investigating dialogic language and children's story comprehension in a total of 165 parent–child dyads reading battery‐operated, touch‐sensitive children's electronic console books or traditional books. Results revealed that parent–child dialogic reading and children's story comprehension were both negatively affected by the presence of electronic features. Ways in which e‐books may be altered to better serve as educational tools in this new era are discussed.
The impact of microbial symbionts on host plant utilization by herbivorous insects
Authors: Hansen Allison K. , Moran Nancy A.
Published: August 2013

Herbivory, defined as feeding on live plant tissues, is characteristic of highly successful and diverse groups of insects and represents an evolutionarily derived mode of feeding. Plants present various nutritional and defensive barriers against herbivory; nevertheless, insects have evolved a diverse array of mechanisms that enable them to feed and develop on live plant tissues. For decades, it has been suggested that insect‐associated microbes may facilitate host plant use, and new molecular methodologies offer the possibility to elucidate such roles. Based on genomic data, specialized feeding on phloem and xylem sap is highly dependent on nutrient provisioning by intracellular symbionts, as exemplified by Buchnera in aphids, although it is unclear whether such symbionts play a substantive role in host plant specificity of their hosts. Microorganisms present in the gut or outside the insect body could provide more functions including digestion of plant polymers and detoxification of plant‐produced toxins. However, the extent of such contributions to insect herbivory remains unclear. We propose that the potential functions of microbial symbionts in facilitating or restricting the use of host plants are constrained by their location (intracellular, gut or environmental), and by the fidelity of their associations with insect host lineages. Studies in the next decade, using molecular methods from environmental microbiology and genomics, will provide a more comprehensive picture of the role of microbial symbionts in insect herbivory.