bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE HARD BIRTH OF FRENCH LIBERALISM
Authors: WRIGHT JOHNSON KENT
Published: November 2009

Last year, Andreas Kalyvas and Ira Katznelson published a brief, bold book on a topic from which historians of political thought have tended to shy away, curiously enough—the relations between republicanism and liberalism as political ideologies in the age of the American and French Revolutions.Liberal Beginnings: Making a Republic for the Modernsis relentlessly polemical, blaming this neglect on the historians and theorists responsible for resurrecting the early modern republican tradition over the last few decades. Pocock, Skinner, Wood, Petit, and more are assailed for having indulged in what Kalyvas and Katznelson call “republican nostalgia”—that is, for having wrongly presented republicanism as an alternative to modern liberalism, rather than its parent and precursor. Instead, the authors ofLiberal Beginningsset out to show the ways in which republicanism evolved into liberalism, in and through the works of a set of leading thinkers—Smith, Ferguson, Paine, Madison, Staël, and Constant. Their story has a happy ending. Whatever was valuable and actual in republicanism was smoothly incorporated into early liberalism, for which they turn the dictionary inside out in search of approbative adjectives—“situated,” “thick,” “sturdy,” “confident,” “open,” “immanent,” “heterogeneous,” and “syncretic.” How persuasive is their account? Not a few readers will detect a hint of protesting too much in this kind of cheerleading. “Thick,” “sturdy,” and “confident” are surely not the first terms to spring to mind in regard to this gallery of thinkers, Staël and Constant least of all. It also seems clear that Kalyvas's and Katznelson's coverage of French thought, confined almost entirely to that pair, is too cursory to sustain their case. At one end, Montesquieu and Rousseau, the titans who together defined republicanism for the revolutionary generation, make only the most fleeting of appearances inLiberal Beginnings. At the other, Tocqueville, acknowledged on all sides as the master thinker of French liberalism, is missing altogether. Nevertheless, the attempt at treating anglophone and French thinkers within a single interpretative framework is in itself a virtually unprecedented feat, for which Kalyvas and Katznelson should be congratulated. For who could doubt that they are on exactly the right path in chasing their prey onto French soil?
PSYCHOLOGY AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
Authors: SAVAGE MIKE
Published: November 2009

It has long been argued by social theorists that psychology has played a pivotal role in the culture and politics of modern life. This argument was influentially developed in Michel Foucault's Madness and Civilisation, now nearly fifty years old, which showed how our modern embrace of rationality and normality depends on the psychological “enclosure” of the mad as outside the social pale. The philosopher Ian Hacking has looked at the role of psychology in “making up people”, through defining a series of mental problems (such as schizophrenia, neurosis and suchlike) which are then taken up by people so that they become powerful social labels. More recently, influential sociologists ranging from Anthony Giddens to Zygmunt Bauman and Richard Sennett have developed a rich account of the insecurities of the modern self as the need to live in a complex and uncertain world leads to people developing psychological defence mechanisms.
Development of a tagged species source apportionment algorithm to characterize three‐dimensional transport and transformation of precursors and secondary pollutants
Authors: Wang Zion S. , Chien Chao‐Jung , Tonnesen Gail S.
Published: November 2009

We developed a new tagged species source apportionment (TSSA) algorithm for tracking the direct mass contributions of selected emissions sources to the formation of particulates such as aerosol sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, elemental carbon, and secondary organic aerosols in the U.S. EPA Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ). The focus of this paper is on sulfate, nitrate, and elemental carbon. The objective of the TSSA algorithm is to provide useful results in modeling studies for identifying important emissions categories and identifying possible emissions reduction strategies to attain particulate matter (PM) air quality goals. TSSA differs from model sensitivity approaches because it tracks direct mass contributions from specific emissions sources to the total PM concentration at selected receptor sites, while results from sensitivity approaches are affected by nonlinear chemistry that can change the concentration of sulfate, nitrate, and organic carbon secondary particulates. We evaluated the algorithm by comparing CMAQ/TSSA results with results from zero‐out CMAQ sensitivity simulations. As expected, TSSA results were almost identical to the CMAQ sensitivity results for chemical species that do not undergo nonlinear chemical reactions. For chemical species with nonlinear chemical reaction, the TSSA results are expected to differ from model sensitivity results, but for small emissions changes the results are similar in the two approaches. We also compared CMAQ/TSSA to CAMx/PSAT. Because there are significant differences in the CMAQ and CAMx model predicted concentrations, the source attribution results differed for TSSA and PSAT; however, the rank order of emissions sources were similar for the two approaches at most receptor sites.
Impact of a decreasing sea ice cover on the vertical export of particulate organic carbon in the northern Laptev Sea, Siberian Arctic Ocean
Authors: Lalande Catherine , Bélanger Simon , Fortier Louis
Published: November 2009

Long‐term sediment traps were deployed from September 2005 to August 2007 in the northern Laptev Sea to assess the annual variability in vertical export of particulate organic carbon (POC). The second year of deployment coincided with the record low in Arctic summer ice extent reached in 2007 that resulted in an increase in marine primary production over the Siberian shelves. POC export fluxes increased during ice melt in 2007, leading to a ∼2‐fold increase in annual POC export relative to 2005–2006 over the continental slope of the Laptev Sea. These results suggest that the continuous decrease of sea ice extent could sustain increased POC export in the northern Laptev Sea and adjacent seas, potentially altering marine ecosystem structure in the Siberian Arctic.
Seasonal hydrology explains interannual and seasonal variation in carbon and water exchange in a semiarid mature ponderosa pine forest in central Oregon
Authors: Thomas Christoph K. , Law Beverly E. , Irvine James , Martin Jonathan G. , Pettijohn J. Cory , Davis Kent J.
Published: November 2009

We analyzed 7 years (2002–2008) of micrometeorological and concurrent biological observations of carbon and water fluxes at a mature ponderosa pine forest in central Oregon in a semiarid climate. We sought to evaluate the extent that gross primary productivity, net ecosystem exchange, ecosystem respiration, net primary productivity, net ecosystem productivity, tree transpiration, and evapotranspiration varied seasonally and interannually in this ecosystem subjected to varying periods and severity of droughts. To explain variation, we found it necessary to define seasons functionally within a hydroecological year rather than by fixed calendar dates. The interannual variability in growing season length was large (45 days), and the end date was more variable than the onset. Plant‐available soil water was the main determinant of carbon fluxes. Spring evapotranspiration primarily used shallow water, whereas summer and fall evapotranspiration drew water from deeper in the soil profile. A multiyear drought (2001–2003) had a more severe and fundamentally different impact on carbon and water cycles than a single‐year (2005) drought because of carryover effects in soil water and carbohydrate reserves in plant tissue. Calendar year–based analysis was inadequate to diagnose drought years in precipitation and ecosystem drought response. Extension of meteorological records back to 1982 showed that anomalies were coherent across the region and that the observations represented below‐average precipitation and above‐average temperatures coherent with a warm‐phase Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The carbon sink of this seasonally water‐limited ecosystem is anticipated to increase with increasing available soil water during the growing season.
Rain driven by receding ice sheets as a cause of past climate change
Authors: Eisenman Ian , Bitz Cecilia M. , Tziperman Eli
Published: November 2009

The Younger Dryas cold period, which interrupted the transition from the last ice age to modern conditions in Greenland, is one of the most dramatic incidents of abrupt climate change reconstructed from paleoclimate proxy records. Changes in the Atlantic Ocean overturning circulation in response to freshwater fluxes from melting ice are frequently invoked to explain this and other past climate changes. Here we propose an alternative mechanism in which the receding glacial ice sheets cause the atmospheric circulation to enter a regime with greater net precipitation in the North Atlantic region. This leads to a significant reduction in ocean overturning circulation, causing an increase in sea ice extent and hence colder temperatures. Positive feedbacks associated with sea ice amplify the cooling. We support the proposed mechanism with the results of a state‐of‐the‐art global climate model. Our results suggest that the atmospheric precipitation response to receding glacial ice sheets could have contributed to the Younger Dryas cooling, as well as to other past climate changes involving the ocean overturning circulation.
Nanotoxicity Assessment toward the Applications of Carbon Nanotubes as a Small Biomolecule Carrier in Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Sharma Rakesh , Kwon Soonjo , Baktur R , Sharma Avdhesh
Published: November 2009

Carbon Nanotube (CNT) materials have superior properties in electric current carrying capacity, thermal conductivity, and thermal stability. Due to their structure with high aspect ratio, they have structural unusual toxicity and complicate safety issue in a target tissue. In optimized quantities with limited functionality, special type of CNT assembly such as “buckyball” can be used as a potential drug carrier of bioactive molecules and display with increased circulating time and acceptable functionality. We analyzed cytoxicity and inflammatory response following exposure of different size, mass, shape, and functionality of CNTs. We monitored the transport across skin, physiological perturbation of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) during the exposure of different concentrations of CNTs. The mechanisms of CNTs’ toxicity are closely related to their structure, functional group, and surface charge on the molecule. We established the nanoscale toxicity of fullerenes of CNTs.
Newer Methods of Nanoparticle Synthesis: Nitroimidazole properties with Nanometal oxides in Polymer Cages as Drug-Biomarker Monitors
Authors: Sharma Rakesh
Published: November 2009

Nitroimidazoles are radiosensitizers and hypoxia detecting chemosensitizers. Intially nitroimidazoles were single dose antibiotic drugs. Recently, nitroimidazole derivatives have emerged as multifunctional “drug-biomarker monitors” chemical compounds with importance in treatment of tumors, monitoring hypoxia and safer imaging contrast agents to monitor the therapeutic progress. Additionally, the number of nitroimidazole derivatives is growing and identified their importance as multifunctional nanoparticles. The nanoparticle synthesis scheme of nitroimidazole was proposed as nitroimidazole caged with paramagnetic metal oxide inside polymer coating and labeled with marker radiolebels or biomolecules. We report the step by step user-friendly new co-precipitation schemes of nitroimidazole carrier nanoparticles with their mechanisms of drug controlled release behavior across polymer cage, metal oxide sensitivity to imaging modalities and polymer coating chemistry developed at our lab. The multifunctional nitroimidazole nanoparticles were useful in detection and monitoring of hypoxia, cancer chemotherapy and soft tissue infections. In conclusion, nitroimidazoles are potential multifunctional molecules useful in chemotherapy, antiparasitic and monitoring hypoxia with greater possibility of simultaneous use of radiolabeled 2’nitroimidazoles as radiosensitizers, MRI-PET-US contrast imaging agents.
In Vitro Bactericidal Activities of Extracts From Ripe and Unripe Fruit of 'Noni'
Authors: Swaminathan Rajarajan , Sabari Shanthi , John Nisha K
Published: November 2009

In an era of nutraceuticular research, ‘Noni’ fruit is considered as a panacea because of the profound claim on its medicinal uses in treating many diseases inclusive of infections of microbial origin. Hence, the present study was done to know the antibacterial activity of aqueous extracts from ripe and unripe fruits of ‘Noni’ Morinda citrifolia L on gastroenteritic and pyogenic bacteria. The study was done for eight gastroenteritic bacteria and six pyogenic bacteria. The estimation of antibacterial activity of the ripe fruit & unripe fruit extract were carried out by serial two fold tube dilution techniques. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration of the ripe as well as unripe fruit extracts for the susceptible bacteria were estimated by Recovery plate method. Both the Unripe and ripe fruit extracts exhibited nearly equal and effective activity. As the unripe fruit is devoid of unpleasant odour, the unripe fruit is preferable over the ripe fruit extract
Modulation of tumorigenesis and oestrogen receptor‐α expression by cell culture conditions in a stem cell‐derived breast epithelial cell line
Authors: Wang Kai‐Hung , Kao An‐Pei , Chang Chia‐Cheng , Lee Jau‐Nan , Chai Chee‐Yin , Hou Ming‐Feng , Liu Cheng‐Min , Tsai Eing‐Mei
Published: November 2009

Background information. The common phenotypes of cancer and stem cells suggest that cancers arise from stem cells. Oestrogen is one of the few most important determinants of breast cancer, as shown by several lines of convincing evidence. We have previously reported a human breast epithelial cell type (Type 1 HBEC) with stem cell characteristics and ERα (oestrogen receptor α) expression. A tumorigenic cell line, M13SV1R2, was developed from this cell type after SV40 (simian virus 40) large T‐antigen transfection and X‐ray irradiation. The cell line, however, was not responsive to oestrogen for cell growth or tumour development. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that deprivation of growth factors and hormones may change the tumorigenicity and oestrogen response of this cell line.

Results. The M13SV1R2 cells lost their tumorigenicity after culturing in a growth factor/hormone‐deprived medium for >10 passages (referred to as R2d cells) concomitant with the expression of two tumour suppressor genes, namely those coding for maspin and α6 integrin. However, these cells acquired oestrogen responsiveness in cell growth and tumour development. By immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and flow cytometry analysis, oestrogen treatment of R2d cells was found to induce many important effects related to breast carcinogenesis, namely: (i) the emergence of a subpopulation of cells expressing CD44+/high/CD24−/low breast tumour stem cell markers; (ii) the induction of EMT (epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition); (iii) the acquisition of metastatic ability; and (iv) the expression of COX‐2 (cyclo‐oxygenase‐2) through a CD44‐mediated mechanism.

Conclusion. An oestrogen‐responsive cell line with ERα and CD44+/CD24−/low expression can be derived from breast epithelial stem cells. The tumorigenicity and oestrogen response of these cells could depend on the cell culture conditions. The findings of this study have implications in regard to the origins of (1) ERα‐positive breast cancers, (2) CD44+/CD24−/low breast tumour stem cells and (3) the metastatic ability of breast cancer.
Photodynamic therapy associating Photogem® and blue LED on L929 and MDPC‐23 cell culture
Authors: Ribeiro Ana Paula Dias , Pavarina Ana Cláudia , Trindade Flávia Zardo , Inada Natália Mayumi , Bagnato Vanderlei Salvador , De Costa Souza Carlos Alberto
Published: November 2009

To evaluate the cytotoxicity of PDT (photodynamic therapy) with Photogem® associated to blue LED (light‐emitting diode) on L929 and MDPC‐23 cell cultures, 30000 cells/cm2 were seeded in 24‐well plates for 48 h, incubated with Photogem® (10, 25 or 50 mg/l) and irradiated with an LED source (460±3 nm; 22 mW/cm2) at two energy densities (25.5 or 37.5 J/cm2). Cell metabolism was evaluated by the MTT (methyltetrazolium) assay (Dunnet's post hoc tests) and cell morphology by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Flow cytometry analysed the type of PDT‐induced cell death as well and estimated intracellular production of ROS (reactive oxygen species). There was a statistically significant decrease of mitochondrial activity (90% to 97%) for all Photogem® concentrations associated to blue LED, regardless of irradiation time. It was also demonstrated that the mitochondrial activity was not recovered after 12 or 24 h, characterizing irreversible cell damage. PDT‐treated cells presented an altered morphology with ill‐defined limits. In both cell lines, there was a predominance of necrotic cell death and the presence of Photogem® or irradiation increased the intracellular levels of ROS. PDT caused severe toxic effects in normal cell culture, characterized by the reduction of the mitochondrial activity, morphological alterations and induction of necrotic cell death.
Involvement of ethylene and nitric oxide in cell death in mastoparan‐treated unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Yordanova Zhenya P. , Iakimova Elena T. , Cristescu Simona M. , Harren Frans JM , Kapchina‐Toteva Veneta M. , Woltering Ernst J.
Published: November 2009

This work demonstrates a contribution of ethylene and NO (nitric oxide) in MP (mastoparan)‐induced cell death in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Following MP treatment, C. reinhardtii showed massive cell death, expressing morphological features of PCD (programmed cell death). A pharmacological approach involving combined treatments with MP and ethylene‐ and NO‐interacting compounds indicated the requirement of trace amounts of both ethylene and NO in MP‐induced cell death. By employing a carbon dioxide laser‐based photoacoustic detector to measure ethylene and a QCL (quantum cascade laser)‐based spectrometer for NO detection, simultaneous increases in the production of both ethylene and NO were observed following MP application. Our results show a tight regulation of the levels of both signalling molecules in which ethylene stimulates NO production and NO stimulates ethylene production. This suggests that, in conjunction with the elicitor, NO and ethylene cooperate and act synchronously in the mediation of MP‐induced PCD in C. reinhardtii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the functional significance of ethylene and NO in MP‐induced cell death.
Natriuretic peptides and cardiovascular damage in the metabolic syndrome: molecular mechanisms and clinical implications
Authors: Savoia Carmine , Volpe Massimo , Alonzo Alessandro , Rossi Chiara , Rubattu Speranza
Published: November 2009

Natriuretic peptides are endogenous antagonists of vasoconstrictor and salt- and water-retaining systems in the body's defence against blood pressure elevation and plasma volume expansion, through direct vasodilator, diuretic and natriuretic properties. In addition, natriuretic peptides may play a role in the modulation of the molecular mechanisms involved in metabolic regulation and cardiovascular remodelling. The metabolic syndrome is characterized by visceral obesity, hyperlipidaemia, vascular inflammation and hypertension, which are linked by peripheral insulin resistance. Increased visceral adiposity may contribute to the reduction in the circulating levels of natriuretic peptides. The dysregulation of neurohormonal systems, including the renin–angiotensin and the natriuretic peptide systems, may in turn contribute to the development of insulin resistance in dysmetabolic patients. In obese subjects with the metabolic syndrome, reduced levels of natriuretic peptides may be involved in the development of hypertension, vascular inflammation and cardio vascular remodelling, and this may predispose to the development of cardiovascular disease. The present review summarizes the regulation and function of the natriuretic peptide system in obese patients with the metabolic syndrome and the involvement of altered bioactive levels of natriuretic peptides in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in patients with metabolic abnormalities.
Potential utility of small tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of diabetes
Authors: Mokhtari Dariush , Welsh Nils
Published: November 2009

Altered tyrosine kinase signalling has been implicated in several diseases, paving the way for the development of small-molecule TKIs (tyrosine kinase inhibitors). TKIs such as imatinib, sunitinib and dasatinib are clinically used for treating chronic myeloid leukaemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumours and other malignancies. In addition to their use as anti-cancer agents, increasing evidence points towards an anti-diabetic effect of these TKIs. Imatinib and other TKIs counteract diabetes not only in non-obese diabetic mice, but also in streptozotocin diabetic mice, db/db mice, high-fat-treated rats and humans with T2D (Type 2 diabetes). Although the mechanisms of protection need to be investigated further, the effects of imatinib and other TKIs in human T2D and the rapidly growing findings from animal models of T1D (Type 1 diabetes) and T2D are encouraging and give hope to improved treatment of human diabetes. In the present article, we review the anti-diabetic effects of TKIs which appear to involve both protection against β-cell death and improved insulin sensitivity. Considering the relatively mild side effects of TKIs, we hypothesize that TKIs could be used to treat new-onset T1D, prevent T1D in individuals at high risk of developing the disease, treat the late stages of T2D and improve the outcome of islet transplantation.
Sefton Davidson Hamann 1921 - 2009
Authors: Spurling Thomas H. , Solomon David H.
Published: November 2009

Sefton Hamann was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 8 January 1921 and died in Melbourne on 12 January 2009. He had a distinguished career in Australia's CSIRO as a scientist, as Chief of the Divisions of Physical Chemistry (1960?1966) and Applied Chemistry (1966?1974) and as Chairman of the Applied Chemistry Laboratories Committee (1974?1978). He was internationally recognized for his lifelong contributions to the physico-chemical effects of pressure. He made a major contribution to the nation through his work on the polymer banknote.
Relative Susceptibility of Selected Apple Cultivars to Cedar Apple Rust and Quince Rust
Authors: Biggs Alan R. , Rosenberger David A. , Yoder Keith S. , Kiyomoto Richard K. , Cooley Daniel R. , Sutton Turner B.
Published: November 2009

Incidences of cedar apple rust and quince rust, caused by Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae and G. clavipes, were collected over several years from 1995 (23 entries) and 1999 (22 entries) planting groups of new apple cultivars and selections established at multiple locations. Cultivar Golden Delicious was the standard. Incidence of cedar apple rust on leaves and fruit and quince rust on fruit were analyzed. Only two analyses had significant cultivar × location interactions, suggesting differences within the cedar apple rust fungus. Cedar apple rust on fruit did not vary by location. Incidence of quince rust on fruit varied among cultivars by location. Incidences of cedar apple rust and quince rust on fruit were not related.

Accepted for publication 16 August 2009. Published 14 October 2009.
Toxicity of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Alkaloids and Grass Metabolites on Pratylenchus scribneri
Authors: Bacetty A. A. , Snook M. E. , Glenn A. E. , Noe J. P. , Hill N. , Culbreath A. , Timper P. , Nagabhyru P. , Bacon C. W.
Published: November 2009

Neotyphodium coenophialum, an endophytic fungus associated with tall fescue grass, enhances host fitness and imparts pest resistance. This symbiotum is implicated in the reduction of stresses, including plant-parasitic nematodes. To substantiate this implication, toxicological effects of root extracts, polyphenolic fraction, ergot, and loline alkaloids from endophyte-infected tall fescue were investigated using Pratylenchus scribneri, a nematode pest of tall fescue. In vitro bioassays and greenhouse studies were used as tests for effects of root fractions and compounds on motility and mortality of this lesion nematode. Greenhouse studies revealed that endophyte-infected tall fescue grasses are essentially nonhosts to P. scribneri, with root populations averaging 3 to 17 nematodes/pot, compared with 4,866 and 8,450 nematodes/pot for noninfected grasses. The in vitro assay indicated that root extracts from infected tall fescues were nematistatic. Polyphenols identified in extracts included chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acids, caffeic acid, and two unidentified compounds, but these were not correlated with endophyte status, qualitatively or quantitatively. Tests of several ergot alkaloids revealed that ergovaline and α-ergocryptine were nematicidal at 5 and 50 μg/ml, respectively, while ergocornine and ergonovine were nematistatic at most concentrations. Loline (N-formylloline), the pyrrolizidine alkaloid tested, was nematicidal (50 to 200 μg/ml). The ecological benefits of the metabolites tested here should assist in defining their role in deterring this nematode species while offering some probable mechanisms of action against plant-parasitic nematodes in general.
Fusion Body Formation, Germ Tube Anastomosis, and Nuclear Migration During the Germination of Urediniospores of the Wheat Leaf Rust Fungus, Puccinia triticina
Authors: Wang Xiben , McCallum Brent
Published: November 2009

Vegetative or parasexual recombination is thought to be a key mechanism for the genetic diversity of cereal rust fungi. The process of germ tube fusion leading to hyphal anastomosis and nuclear recombination was analyzed in wheat leaf rust fungus, Puccinia triticina. Germ tube anastomosis was observed in 27 P. triticina isolates, each representing a different virulence phenotype. Germ tube fusion bodies (GFBs), which appeared as viscid globules formed at tips of germ tubes, were essential for germ tube anastomosis. The formation of GFBs was affected by the urediniospore density and the length of illumination during germination. GFBs were formed at the highest frequency when urediniospores were spread to a concentration of 1 × 106 urediniospores/ml and incubated in dark for 12 to 24 h during germination. GFB attached to either the side of another germ tube (“tip to side”) or to another GFB formed at the tip of a second germ tube (“tip to tip”). In “tip to side” anastomosis, two nuclei in the germ tube bearing the GFB migrated into the second germ tube through the GFB which resulted in four nuclei within this germ tube. In “tip to tip” anastomosis, nuclei in both germ tubes migrated into the fused GFB and all four nuclei came into close proximity. Urediniospores of isolates MBDS-3-115 and TBBJ-5-11 were stained with DAPI (4′,6′diamine-2-phenylindole) and Nuclear Yellow (Hoechst S769121), respectively, and then mixed and germinated on water agar. Some fused GFBs contained nuclei stained with DAPI and nuclei stained with Nuclear Yellow in close proximity, demonstrating the fusion between genetically different P. triticina isolates. In some fused GFBs, “bridge-like” structures connecting different nuclei were observed.
A Rapid and Precise Diagnostic Method for Detecting the Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification
Authors: Kikuchi Taisei , Aikawa Takuya , Oeda Yuka , Karim Nurul , Kanzaki Natsumi
Published: November 2009

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, which is a major forest disease in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Portugal. A diagnostic method which is rapid, precise, and simple could greatly help the proper management of this disease. Here, we present a novel detection method using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) targeting the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA of the nematode. Specificity of the primers and LAMP was confirmed using DNA from various nematode species related to B. xylophilus. Our experimental results suggest that LAMP can detect B. xylophilus faster and with higher sensitivity than the traditional diagnostic method. Moreover, because it does not require expensive equipment or specialized techniques, this LAMP-based diagnostic method has the potential to be used under field conditions.
Optimal Strategies for the Eradication of Asiatic Citrus Canker in Heterogeneous Host Landscapes
Authors: Parnell S. , Gottwald T. R. , van den Bosch F. , Gilligan C. A.
Published: November 2009

The eradication of nonnative plant pathogens is a key challenge in plant disease epidemiology. Asiatic citrus canker is an economically significant disease of citrus caused by the bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. The pathogen is a major exotic disease problem in many citrus producing areas of the world including the United States, Brazil, and Australia. Various eradication attempts have been made on the disease but have been associated with significant social and economic costs due to the necessary removal of large numbers of host trees. In this paper, a spatially explicit stochastic simulation model of Asiatic citrus canker is introduced that describes an epidemic of the disease in a heterogeneous host landscape. We show that an optimum eradication strategy can be determined that minimizes the adverse costs associated with eradication. In particular, we show how the optimum strategy and its total cost depend on the topological arrangement of the host landscape. We discuss the implications of the results for invading plant disease epidemics in general and for historical and future eradication attempts on Asiatic citrus canker.
Genome Diversity and Intra- and Interspecies Recombination Events in Grapevine fanleaf virus
Authors: Mekuria Tefera A. , Gutha Linga R. , Martin Robert R. , Naidu Rayapati A.
Published: November 2009

Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) was documented in self-rooted vines of four grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivars in eastern Washington. GFLV was found as mixed infection in cvs. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc and as single infections in cv. Merlot. Fanleaf disease symptoms were only observed in the first two cultivars. The spatial distribution of GFLV-infected grapevines was random, suggesting primary spread through planting virus-infected cuttings rather than infield transmission. RNA1 sequences of Washington isolates showed 87 to 89% nucleotide sequence identity between them and with strain F13. RNA2 of Washington isolates was variable in size, showing 85 to 99% sequence identity between them and 81 to 92% with other isolates. As in other GFLV isolates, three conserved putative stem-loop structures were present in the 5′ noncoding regions of both RNAs of Washington isolates. Phylogenetic incongruence of GFLV isolates from Washington in 2AHP- and 2BMP-based trees and identification of putative recombination events suggested that their genomic RNA2 originated from inter- and intraspecies recombination events between GFLV, Grapevine deformation virus, and Arabis mosaic virus. These results confirm interspecies recombination in RNA2 of grapevine-infecting nepoviruses as an important strategy for GFLV evolution.
Urine tested positive for ethyl glucuronide after trace amounts of ethanol
Authors: Thierauf Annette , Halter Claudia C. , Rana Sumandeep , Auwaerter Volker , Wohlfarth Ariane , Wurst Friedrich M. , Weinmann Wolfgang
Published: November 2009

Aim  Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is used commonly as a marker for the detection of non‐compliance of patients in alcohol withdrawal therapy in psychiatric hospitals in Europe and in work‐place monitoring programmes in the United States. With the increased use of this new marker, questions related to an unintentional uptake of ethanol resulting in detectable EtG concentrations have been discussed.

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration ranges of EtG and ethyl sulphate (EtS) after the consumption of very small amounts of ethanol (1 and 3 g), which are more likely to be incidental than intended.

Methods  Drinking experiments with ethanol amounts of 1 and 3 g, respectively, were performed on a total of 31 volunteers. EtG and EtS analysis in urine was performed by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS), and creatinine concentration was determined using the Jaffé reaction. Furthermore, data obtained from this experimentation were then compared to data from literature.

Results and conclusions  The maximum concentration of EtG normalized to creatinine after the uptake of 1 g and 3 g of ethanol was found to be 0.32 mg/l and 1.53 mg/l, respectively, and 0.15 mg/l and 1.17 mg/l for EtS; these peak concentrations are considered to be positive by many laboratories testing urine for ethanol conjugates in work‐place testing progammes.
Randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of intranasal and intramuscular naloxone for the treatment of suspected heroin overdose
Authors: Kerr Debra , Kelly Anne‐Maree , Dietze Paul , Jolley Damien , Barger Bill
Published: November 2009

Aims  Traditionally, the opiate antagonist naloxone has been administered parenterally; however, intranasal (i.n.) administration has the potential to reduce the risk of needlestick injury. This is important when working with populations known to have a high prevalence of blood‐borne viruses. Preliminary research suggests that i.n. administration might be effective, but suboptimal naloxone solutions were used. This study compared the effectiveness of concentrated (2 mg/ml) i.n. naloxone to intramuscular (i.m.) naloxone for suspected opiate overdose.

Methods  This randomized controlled trial included patients treated for suspected opiate overdose in the pre‐hospital setting. Patients received 2 mg of either i.n. or i.m. naloxone. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who responded within 10 minutes of naloxone treatment. Secondary outcomes included time to adequate response and requirement for supplementary naloxone. Data were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques.

Results  A total of 172 patients were enrolled into the study. Median age was 29 years and 74% were male. Rates of response within 10 minutes were similar: i.n. naloxone (60/83, 72.3%) compared with i.m. naloxone (69/89, 77.5%) [difference: −5.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −18.2 to 7.7]. No difference was observed in mean response time (i.n.: 8.0, i.m.: 7.9 minutes; difference 0.1, 95% CI −1.3 to 1.5). Supplementary naloxone was administered to fewer patients who received i.m. naloxone (i.n.: 18.1%; i.m.: 4.5%) (difference: 13.6%, 95% CI 4.2–22.9).

Conclusions  Concentrated intranasal naloxone reversed heroin overdose successfully in 82% of patients. Time to adequate response was the same for both routes, suggesting that the i.n. route of administration is of similar effectiveness to the i.m. route as a first‐line treatment for heroin overdose.
Anabolic–androgenic steroid dependence: an emerging disorder
Authors: Kanayama Gen , Brower Kirk J. , Wood Ruth I. , Hudson James I. , Pope Jr Harrison G.
Published: November 2009

Aims Anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS) are widely used illicitly to gain muscle and lose body fat. Here we review the accumulating human and animal evidence showing that AAS may cause a distinct dependence syndrome, often associated with adverse psychiatric and medical effects.

Method We present an illustrative case of AAS dependence, followed by a summary of the human and animal literature on this topic, based on publications known to us or obtained by searching the PubMed database.

Results About 30% of AAS users appear to develop a dependence syndrome, characterized by chronic AAS use despite adverse effects on physical, psychosocial or occupational functioning. AAS dependence shares many features with classical drug dependence. For example, hamsters will self‐administer AAS, even to the point of death, and both humans and animals exhibit a well‐documented AAS withdrawal syndrome, mediated by neuroendocrine and cortical neurotransmitter systems. AAS dependence may particularly involve opioidergic mechanisms. However, AAS differ from classical drugs in that they produce little immediate reward of acute intoxication, but instead a delayed effect of muscle gains. Thus standard diagnostic criteria for substance dependence, usually crafted for acutely intoxicating drugs, must be adapted slightly for cumulatively acting drugs such as AAS.

Conclusions AAS dependence is a valid diagnostic entity, and probably a growing public health problem. AAS dependence may share brain mechanisms with other forms of substance dependence, especially opioid dependence. Future studies are needed to characterize AAS dependence more clearly, identify risk factors for this syndrome and develop treatment strategies.
Determinants of successful chronic hepatitis C case finding among patients receiving opioid maintenance treatment in a primary care setting
Authors: Senn Oliver , Seidenberg André , Rosemann Thomas
Published: November 2009

Aims  Injection drug users are at high risk for chronic hepatitis C virus infection (CHC). Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) offers a unique opportunity to screen for CHC. This study proposed the hypothesis that a general practitioner (GP) with special interest in addiction medicine can achieve CHC screening rates comparable to specialized centres and aimed to investigate determinants for a successful CHC case finding in a primary care setting.

Design and participants  Retrospective medical record analysis of 387 patients who received opioid maintenance therapy between 1 January 2002 and 31 May 2008 in a general practice in Zurich, Switzerland.

Measurements  Successful CHC assessment was defined as performance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) serology with consecutive polymerase chain reaction‐based RNA and genotype recordings. The association between screening success and patient characteristics was assessed using multiple logistic regression.

Findings  Median (interquartile range) age and duration of OMT of the 387 (268 males) patients was 38.5 (33.6–44.5) years and 34 (11.3–68.0) months, respectively. Fourteen patients (3.6%) denied HCV testing and informed consent about screening was missing in 13 patients (3.4%). In 327 of 360 patients (90.8%) with informed consent a successful CHC assessment has been performed. Screening for HCV antibodies was positive in 136 cases (41.6%) and in 86 of them (63.2%) a CHC was present. The duration of OMT was an independent determinant of a successful CHC assessment.

Conclusions  In addicted patients a high CHC assessment rate in a primary care setting in Switzerland is feasible and opioid substitution provides an optimal framework.
Interferon‐γ and pulmonary macrophages contribute to the mechanisms underlying prolonged airway hyperresponsiveness
Authors: Yang M. , Kumar R. K. , Foster P. S.
Published: November 2009

Background
Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in asthmatics includes a variable component that persists following an allergen challenge. This may be dissociated from inflammatory cell recruitment, implying a role for resident pulmonary cells in regulating the response.

Objective
Using improved methods of assessing AHR in a mouse model of allergic airway disease, to investigate the basis of the development of prolonged AHR.

Method
BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized and then challenged with aerosolized ovalbumin (OVA). Airway and tissue responsiveness were measured at baseline and at 1 day, and 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the last OVA challenge. Inflammatory cell numbers in BALF and levels of mRNA for eotaxin‐1 and ‐2, IFN‐γ, IL‐5 and ‐13 in the lung were measured at each time‐point. In further experiments, the roles of IFN‐γ and of CCR3+ and CD4+ cells in the development of prolonged AHR were assessed by blockade or depletion with monoclonal antibodies. The role of pulmonary macrophages was assessed by selective chemical depletion of these cells.

Results
Airway responsiveness was increased above baseline at 1 day after the last OVA challenge, and this was sustained for 1 week. In contrast, tissue‐specific responsiveness was only significantly increased above baseline at 1 day. Development of prolonged AHR was inhibited by neutralization of IFN‐γ or by depletion of pulmonary macrophages, but not by depletion of either CD4+ T cells or CCR3+ eosinophils.

Conclusion
An interaction between IFN‐γ and pulmonary macrophages contributed to the prolongation of airway hyperresponsiveness. In contrast, T cells and eosinophils did not contribute to prolongation of AHR. These findings emphasize the importance of the innate host response in the development of manifestations of asthma, as well as its potential relevance as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Cite this as: M. Yang, R. K. Kumar and P. S. Foster, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 163–173.
Origin of the pantropical and nutriceutical Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae): comments on its distribution range and circumscription
Authors: Razafimandimbison Sylvain G. , McDowell Timothy D. , Halford David A. , Bremer Birgitta
Published: November 2009

Aim  Morinda citrifolia L., commercially known as noni or the Indian mulberry plant, is morphologically variable and the only widely distributed member of the pantropical genus Morinda sensu stricto (Rubiaceae). This large distribution has been attributed partly to the ability of the seeds of the large‐fruited M. citrifolia L. var. citrifolia L. to be transported by oceanic drifting. This form of M. citrifolia var. citrifolia has been predicted to be the progenitor colonizer of the island endemic Morinda species. Using a phylogenetic approach and large sampling of the widespread, large‐fruited M. citrifolia var. citrifolia, we assessed the potential area of origin of M. citrifolia and tested the hypothesis that the large‐fruited M. citrifolia var. citrifolia is an ancestral colonizer.

Location  Tropics.

Methods  We performed Bayesian analyses of 22 species of the tribe Morindeae (including 11 individuals of the three currently recognized varieties of M. citrifolia) based on combined nrETS, nrITS, rps16 and trnT–F sequence data. Geographic origins of the studied taxa were mapped onto the Bayesian majority rule consensus tree.

Results  Nine sequenced individuals of M. citrifolia from diverse geographic locations formed a highly supported clade, which was sister to the Australo‐Micronesian clade that included M. bracteata var. celebica and M. latibracteata. These sister clades are part of the broader Asian, arborescent Morinda clade. We found no support for the current varietal classification of M. citrifolia.

Main conclusions  Our analyses suggest a Micronesian origin of M. citrifolia. This implies that the large‐fruited M. citrifolia var. citrifolia might well have been present in the Pacific before the arrival of the Micronesian and Polynesian ancestors from Southeast Asia. The wide distribution of this form of M. citrifolia var. citrifolia is attributed partly to the trans‐oceanic dispersal of its buoyant seeds, self‐pollination and its ability to produce flowers and fruits year‐round. The hypothesis that the widespread, large‐fruited M. citrifolia var. citrifolia is the progenitor colonizer of the island endemic Morinda species is inconsistent with its derived position within the Asian, arborescent Morinda clade and with the fact that the nine sampled individuals of M. citrifolia form a clade.
A multilocus study of pine grosbeak phylogeography supports the pattern of greater intercontinental divergence in Holarctic boreal forest birds than in birds inhabiting other high‐latitude habitats
Authors: Drovetski Sergei V. , Zink Robert M. , Ericson Per G. P. , Fadeev Igor V.
Published: November 2009

Aim Boreal forest bird species appear to be divided into lineages endemic to each northern continent, in contrast to Holarctic species living in open habitats. For example, the three‐toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and the winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) have divergent Nearctic and Palaearctic mitochondrial DNA clades. Furthermore, in these species, the next closest relative of the Nearctic/Palaearctic sister lineages is the Nearctic clade, suggesting that the Palaearctic may have been colonized from the Nearctic. The aim of this study is to test this pattern of intercontinental divergence and colonization in another Holarctic boreal forest resident – the pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator).

Location The Holarctic.

Methods We sequenced the mitochondrial ND2 gene andZ‐specific intron 9 of the ACO1 gene for 74 pine grosbeaks collected across the Holarctic. The sequences were used to reconstruct the phylogeographical history of this species using maximum likelihood analysis.

Results We discovered two distinct mitochondrial andZ‐specific lineages in the Nearctic and one in the Palaearctic. The two Nearctic mtDNA lineages, one in the northern boreal forest and one in south‐western mountain forest, were more closely related to each other than either was to the Palaearctic clade. Two Nearctic Z‐chromosome clades were sympatric in the boreal and south‐western mountain forests. Unlike the topology of the mtDNA tree, the relationship among the Z‐chromosome clades was the same as in the three‐toed woodpecker and winter wren [Nearctic (Nearctic, Palaearctic)]. The Palaearctic Z‐chromosome clade had much lower genetic diversity and a single‐peak mismatch distribution with a mean < 25% of that for either Nearctic region, both of which had ragged mismatch distributions.

Main conclusions Our data suggest that, similar to the other boreal forest species, the pine grosbeak has divergent lineages in each northern continent and could have colonized the Palaearctic from the Nearctic. Compared with many Holarctic birds inhabiting open habitats, boreal forest species appear to be more differentiated, possibly because the boreal forests of the Nearctic and Palaearctic have been isolated since the Pliocene (3.5 Ma).