bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Autumn Sod Treatments on Overseeded Annual Ryegrass Production and Coastal Bermudagrass Recovery
Authors: Evers Gerald
Published: April 2012

Overseeding warm‐season perennial grasses with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a common practice throughout the southeastern United States to extend the grazing season with high quality forage. ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] competition to overseeded annual ryegrass was determined by light reaching the soil surface, ryegrass seedling density, and ryegrass herbage production. Treatments were 0, 56, and 112 kg ha−1 N 6 to 8 wk before planting ryegrass and sod management practices (SMPs) of a shallow disking (2.5 to 5.0 cm), applying a desiccant, and a control before planting in combination with mowing to a 2.5 or 10.0‐cm sod height (SH) for 3 yr. Applying N 6 to 8 wk before planting did not influence any of the plant parameters measured. The shallow disking SMP and 2.5‐cm SH allowed the most light to reach the soil surface and had the greatest ryegrass seedling density. At the 10‐cm SH the shallow disking SMP had a greater seedling density than the desiccant and control SMP. None of the SMP–SH combinations consistently improved first harvest or annual herbage mass yields over the control at the 2.5‐cm SH. Significant differences may have occurred if the first harvest was taken earlier. Spring bermudagrass recovery was reduced by the shallow disking SMP and 2.5‐cm SH. At a bermudagrass SH of 10 cm or less there was little advantage to disking or using a desiccant to enhance ryegrass production.
Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci for Partial Resistance to Powdery Mildew in an Australian Barley Population
Authors: Hickey Lee T. , Lawson Wendy , Platz Greg J. , Fowler Ryan A. , Arief Vivi , Dieters Mark , Germán Silvia , Fletcher Susan , Park Robert F. , Singh Davinder , Pereyra Silvia , Franckowiak Jerome
Published: April 2012

Genomic regions influencing resistance to powdery mildew [Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer f. sp. hordei Ém. Marchal] were detected in a doubled haploid (DH) barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) population derived from a cross between the breeding line ND24260 and cultivar Flagship when evaluated across four field environments in Australia and Uruguay. Significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to B. graminis were detected on six of the seven chromosomes (1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, and 7H). A QTL with large effect donated by ND24260 mapped to the short arm of chromosome 1H (1HS) conferring near immunity to B. graminis in Australia but was ineffective in Uruguay. Three QTL donated by Flagship contributed partial resistance to B. graminis and were detected in at least two environments. These QTL were mapped to chromosomes 3H, 4H, and 5H (5HS) accounting for up to 18.6, 3.4, and 8.8% phenotypic variation, respectively. The 5HS QTL contributed partial resistance to B. graminis in all field environments in both Australia and Uruguay and aligned with the genomic region of Rph20, a gene conferring adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust (Puccinia hordei Otth), which is found in some cultivars having ‘Vada’ or ‘Emir’ in their parentage. Selection for favorable marker haplotypes within the 3H, 4H, and 5H QTL regions can be performed even in the presence of single (major) gene resistance. Pyramiding such QTL may provide an effective and potentially durable form of resistance to B. graminis.
Comparative Analysis of Proteomic Responses to Single and Simultaneous Drought and Heat Stress for Two Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars
Authors: Xu Chenping , Huang Bingru
Published: April 2012

Protein metabolism may vary in response to drought, heat, or heat and drought stress combined. The variations in the abundance of different proteins may differentially affect adaptation mechanisms of plants to these three types of stresses. The objectives of this study were to examine differential protein responses and identify stress‐responsive proteins associated with tolerance to drought, heat, or the combined stress in a perennial grass species. Plants of two cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) contrasting in heat and drought tolerance (tolerant ‘Midnight’ and sensitive ‘Brilliant’) were treated with heat, drought, or a combination of the stresses in growth chambers. Physiological analysis demonstrated that Midnight maintained higher relative water content and photochemical efficiency and lower electrolyte leakage than Brilliant under all three stress treatments. Two‐dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analysis identified some common proteins responsive to drought, heat, and the combined stress. Induction of a chaperonin and heat shock proteins (HSPs) 70 and 90) and downregulation of proteins involved in photorespiration occurred under all three stresses. The two cultivars exhibited differential accumulation of proteins involved in photorespiration, cell wall loosening, antioxidant defense, and photosynthesis, and therefore these proteins could be associated with the contrasting drought tolerance characteristics of the cultivars. The results also suggest proteins involved in membrane stability, ribonucleic acid (RNA) stability, cell wall loosening, and antioxidant defense could contribute to superior heat tolerance of Midnight. Proteins involved in photorespiration and those that are associated with photosystems may play a major role in Kentucky bluegrass tolerance to combined heat and drought stress.
An Efficient Method for Flanking Sequence Isolation in Barley
Authors: Brown Ryan H. , Dahleen Lynn , Bregitzer Phil
Published: April 2012

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based adapter ligation method was developed to determine native barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) sequences flankingDissociation(Ds) insertions and barley expressed sequence tags (ESTs). This method is simple and efficient, with the majority (∼70%) of queries returning valid sequence information. The success of this method can be traced to experimental protocols that control sample cross contamination and that segregate specific products from nonspecific products. This report describes the protocol in detail, quantifies its efficiency to enable comparisons to future modifications, and discusses specific problems that may be addressed to enable further improvements to this method.
Genetic Relationship Between Maize Resistance to Corn Borer Attack and Yield
Authors: Butrón A. , Romay M. C. , Peña‐Asín J. , Alvarez A. , Malvar R. A.
Published: April 2012

Selection for reduced stalk tunnel length by the Mediterranean corn borer (MCB) (Sesamia nonagrioides Lef.) while maintaining yield under infestation has already been evaluated. Significant reductions for tunnel length were reported, but yield showed a nonsignificant tendency to decrease with selection that could be due to increased inbreeding or significant genetic correlation between yield and resistance. Simultaneously, the presence of major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance in chromosome 4 has been suggested. In the present study, we investigated the genetic relationship between yield and stalk tunneling resistance by conducting one generation of selection each for yield alone, resistance alone, and yield and resistance combined in a broad‐based population. In addition, we tested the effectiveness of marker‐assisted selection at two markers on chromosome 4 for reducing tunnels by MCB. Evaluations were made for 2 yr at two locations under MCB infestation. Unfavorable genetic correlation between stalk tunnel length and yield has been confirmed and could prevent detection of major QTL for tunnel length by using selection mapping. Markers phi076 and umc1329 could be linked to QTL for plant height but are not useful markers for reducing tunnel length and hence damage caused by borers. Finally, results advise against selection for reduced tunnel length by MCB or any index involving yield and tunnel length.
Effective Resources in Wheat and Wheat–Thinopyrum Derivatives for Resistance to Heterodera filipjevi in China
Authors: Li Hongjie , Cui Lei , Li Honglian , Wang Xiaoming , Murray T.D. , Conner R.L. , Wang Lijian , Gao Xiu , Sun Yu , Sun Shancheng , Tang Wenhua
Published: April 2012

Cereal cyst nematode (CCN) is becoming one of the important soil‐borne pathogens in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) monocropping or wheat–maize (Zea mays L.)–wheat cropping systems of central China. Heterodera filipjevi (Madzhidov, 1981) Stelter, 1984 was recently recognized as a causal agent of CCN in China, but little information is available on sources of resistance against this nematode species. The present study was initiated to determine the current status of resistance in wheat cultivars against H. filipjevi and to identify effective resources for improvement of CCN resistance in China. A 3‐yr field study of CCN resistance that involved 174 wheat cultivars or wheat–Thinopyrum derivatives was conducted in a wheat field in Xuchang, Henan Province, China, where H. filipjevi had been present for years. Greenhouse experiments were conducted with representative resistant entries from each group of accessions. None of the 78 wheat cultivars and breeding lines from China was resistant in field tests. Wheat cultivar Madsen from Washington State was most resistant among the entries tested both in field and under controlled environment. New sources of resistance to H. filipjevi were identified in some wheat–intermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D. R. Dewey] and wheat–tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & D. R. Dewey] partial amphiploids, which will diversify resistance resources in enhancing resistance of wheat against CCN.
Evaluation of Near‐Isogenic Lines for Three Height‐Reducing Genes in Hard Red Spring Wheat
Authors: Lanning S. P. , Martin J. M. , Stougaard R. N. , Guillen‐Portal F. R. , Blake N. K. , Sherman J. D. , Robbins A. M. , Kephart K. D. , Lamb P. , Carlson G. R. , Pumphrey M. , Talbert L. E.
Published: April 2012

The most common genes for semidwarf habit in modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars are found at the Rht‐B1 and Rht‐D1 loci on chromosomes 4B and 4D, respectively. An alternative gene for semidwarf habit, Rht8, has shown potential as a replacement for Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b in some environments. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of the height‐reducing gene Rht8 relative to Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b on performance of spring wheat in Montana and Washington environments characterized by terminal drought stress. Evaluation of near‐isogenic lines developed in four genetic backgrounds showed that Rht‐B1b, Rht‐D1b, and Rht8 caused height reduction of 19, 20, and 6.5%, respectively, relative to wild‐type near‐isogenic lines over 12 environments. An increase in grain yield was associated with reduced height for lines containing Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b based on means over the four genetic backgrounds and 10 environments. Height reduction and yield increase associated with Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b were significant in most environments. Lines with Rht8 yielded less than wild‐type based on means over environments and in 3 of 10 individual environments. Reduced height lines with Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b tended to have a higher harvest index and more seed per spike than wild‐type lines and reduced height lines with Rht8. In sum, our results suggest that Rht‐B1b and Rht‐D1b are superior to Rht8 as a source for height reduction for spring wheat in the tested environments.
The Scientific Grand Challenges of the 21st Century for the Crop Science Society of America
Authors: Lauer Joseph G. , Bijl Caron Gala , Grusak Michael A. , Baenziger P. Stephen , Boote Ken , Lingle Sarah , Carter Thomas , Kaeppler Shawn , Boerma Roger , Eizenga Georgia , Carter Paul , Goodman Major , Nafziger Emerson , Kidwell Kimberlee , Mitchell Rob , Edgerton Michael D. , Quesenberry Ken , Willcox Martha C.
Published: April 2012

Crop science is a highly integrative science employing expertise from multiple disciplines to broaden our understanding of agronomic, turf, and forage crops. A major goal of crop science is to ensure an adequate and sustainable production of food, feed, fuel, and fiber for our world's growing population. The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) identified key Grand Challenges which, when addressed, will provide the tools, technologies, and solutions required to meet these challenges. The Grand Challenges are: (i) Crop adaptation to climate change: Increase the speed with which agriculture can adapt to climate change by using crop science to address abiotic stresses such as drought and heat. (ii) Resistance to biotic stresses: Increase durability of resistance to biotic stresses that threaten yield and quality of major crops. (iii) Management for resource limited systems: Create novel crop cultivars and management approaches designed for problem soils and low‐input farming to increase economic prosperity for farmers and overcome world hunger. (iv) Crop management systems: Create novel crop management systems that are resilient in the face of changes in climate and rural demographics. (v) Biofuels: Develop sustainable biofuel feedstock cropping systems that require minimal land area, optimize production, and improve the environment. (vi) Bioresources: Genotyping the major crop germplasm collections to facilitate identification of gene treasures for breeding and genetics research and deployment of superior genes into adapted germplasm around the globe. These challenges are intended to be dynamic and change as societal needs evolve. Available funding and national prioritization will determine the rate that they will be addressed.
Investigations of genotoxic activity of the antimicrobial/antiviral agent FS-1 in rodents by means of the micronucleus and the comet assays
Authors: Nersesyan Armen , Ilin Alexander , Kulmanov Marat , Muradyan Rafael , Parsadanyan Gohar , Zalinyan Gayane , Chobanyan Naira
Published: April 2012

Background: FS-1 is a complex of iodine and synthesized polysaccharides and
it is very effective against a number of microbe and virus strains. The aim
of the study was to evaluate possible genotoxic properties of FS-1. Methods:
The compound was studied in rat and mouse bone marrow micronucleus (MN) assay
and the comet assay in murine peripheral blood leukocytes, hepatocytes, and
kidney cells. Two treatment protocols were applied, namely acute and subacute
ones. In the first protocol, the compound was administered orally once and in
subacute treatment two times, 24 h apart. The animals were sacrificed 24 h
after the last treatment, and appropriate cells were used to assess DNA
damage and MN induction. Results: In none of the tests (MN and comet assays)
significant increase compared with respective negative controls was observed.
Conclusion: The fact that the compound neither induces DNA damage in various
organs of mice nor is effective in the induction of MN in bone marrow cells
of rats and mice is important for future genotoxicity studies of FS-1, which
can be used in clinical medicine after additional testing of safety for
humans.
Cyanotoxins: A dermatological problem
Authors: Vranjes Nenad , Jovanovic Marina
Published: April 2012

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), that are common inhabitants of water and
terrestrial environments throughout the world, produce a broad spectrum of
secondary metabolites - biologically active products that could be toxic
(cyano?toxins). Scientific literature data unequivocally showed adverse
effects of cyanotoxins on animal and human health, above all their
hepatotoxic and neurotoxic activities. However, the cutaneous adverse effects
of cyanobacteria and their cyanotoxins are often under-diagnosed,
misdiagnosed or under reported together with a long-standing lack of
knowledge about it, not only amongst primary healthcare providers, but also
amongst dermatologists. The seaweed dermatitis is the first described
cutaneous adverse effect that occurred after contact with marine waters in
cyanobac?terial toxic bloom condition. This acute irritant dermatitis was
connected with the benthic marine filamentous cyano?bacterium Lyngbya
majuscula (Gomont) and its toxins (debromoaplysiatoxin, aplysiatoxin and
lyngbyatoxin A). Apart from irritant cutaneous adverse effects, the
hypersensitivity immune responses were reported as well, i.e. allergic
con?tact dermatitis due to cylindrospermopsin from Cylindrospermopsis
raciborski. Aside from direct or indirect (airborne dermatitis) local effects
of cyanotoxins on the skin and/or mucous membranes, a severe systemic
manifestations were also diagnosed, such as hay fever, asthma and generalized
urticarial rash, as well as ocular symptoms and signs e.g., itchy edematous
eyelids associated with conjunctivitis. Potentially toxic cyanobacteria and
their toxins are present in water resources of the Republic of Serbia, which
means that an adequate, relevant and more-coordinated monitoring of all water
environments is crucial for preventing human exposure to cyanobacteria and
their toxins. A significant role in all of these could and should be taken by
dermatologists, above all in the identification of the cyanobacterial adverse
effect on skin and mucous membranes, as well as in diagnostic allergy
testing.
Clear cell sarcoma of the nuchal region with metastasis in stomach
Authors: Tegeltija Dragana , Lovrenski Aleksandra , Panjkovic Milana , Knezevic-Usaj Slavica , Eri Zivka , Klem Istvan
Published: April 2012

Clear cell sarcoma/malignant melanoma of soft parts is a rare malignant tumor
that originates from the neural crest. It is most common in young men in the
lower limbs, grows slowly in the form of deep localized nodes around the
tendons, fascia, and aponeurosis. Prognosis is poor, local recurrences and
metastases are common. We present a case of a 53-year-old patient who sought
medical attention due to the presence of a tumefaction in the nuchal neck
region, followed by pain, heightened sensitivity, and numbness in his right
hand. After excision, histological examination, and application of
immunohistochemical and histochemical methods, malignant melanoma of soft
tissues was diagnosed. Fourteen months after the excision of the neck tumor,
a metastatic stomach disease was diagnosed. Larger tumors with necrosis,
expressed pleomorphisam, and increased mitotic activity give metastases
before local recurrence. Diagnosis is set using immunohistochemical methods
after surgical excision of the tumor and the prognosis of the disease depends
on the size of tumor and complete surgical excision.
Using Low-Fidelity Simulation to Maintain Competency in Central Line Care
Authors: Taylor John T.
Published: April 2012

Purpose: Many healthcare facilities require staff nurses to complete annual competency assessments on central line care. However, the question arises, could simulation provide a better assessment of competency and possibly help nurses retain competence longer?

Review of Relevant Literature: A thorough review of the literature revealed that limited investigation has been done regarding the perception or effectiveness of simulation as a tool for competency evaluation. Multiple authors have identified simulation as an advantageous method for training health care providers in central line care. Several studies have linked simulation based training with decreased central line associated bacteremia rates. There is also evidence in the literature that simulation has great potential as a competency validation technique.

Discussion: A sample of staff nurses participated in one of four central line care scenarios in a simulation environment. The participants were asked to complete a demographics survey as well as a self-assessment on central line competency prior to the simulation experience. Debriefing followed the simulation, offering the participant feedback on performance and verification of correct and incorrect actions. The self-assessment was then repeated to measure participant perception post-simulation.

Implications for Clinical Practice: No significant difference of performance in the simulation was inferred from baccalaureate-prepared nurses versus diploma or associate-prepared nurses. Almost all participants rated their competence in caring for a central line as either “competent” or “highly competent.” However upon demonstration of central line skills in the simulation, all but two participants omitted a critical step. Omitting these steps places the patient at risk for infection or other complications.
Using Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithms for Optimization of the Cooling System in Polymer Injection Molding
Authors: Fernandes C. , Pontes A. J. , Viana J. C. , Gaspar-Cunha A.
Published: April 2012

The cooling process in polymer injection molding is of great importance as it has a direct impact on both productivity and product quality. In this paper a Multi-objective Optimization Genetic Algorithm, denoted as Reduced Pareto Set Genetic Algorithm with Elitism (RPSGAe), was applied to optimize both the position and the layout of the cooling channels in the injection molding process. The optimization model proposed in this paper is an integration of genetic algorithms and Computer-Aided Engineering, CAE, technology applied to polymer process simulations. The main goal is to implement an automatic optimization scheme capable of defining the best position and layout of the cooling channels and/or setting the processing conditions of injection moldings. In this work the methodology is applied to an L-shape molding with the aim of minimizing the part warpage quantified by two different conflicting measures. The results produced have physical meaning and correspond to a successful process optimization.
A Study of Fiber Breakage during Compounding in a Buss Kneader
Authors: Ville J. , Inceoglu F. , Ghamri N. , Pradel J. L. , Durin A. , Valette R. , Vergnes B.
Published: April 2012

This paper is devoted to the study of fiber breakage during compounding with a polyamide matrix in a Buss kneader. Results showed a drastic decrease of glass fiber length during compounding, typically from 3500 to 350 μm. Fiber breakage depended on processing conditions: it increased with screw speed, but the effect of feed rate was less clear. Fiber breakage increased also with the severity of the screw profile. Characterizations of fiber length evolution along the screw profile have also been performed after dead-stop experiments. Generally speaking, fiber length evolution can be described using a modified Shon-Liu-White model, in which either the number of turns or the specific energy is considered.
Functionalization of Polystyrene with Cyclic Anhydrides and their Spectroscopic, Adhesive and Corrosive Characterizations
Authors: Onder I. L. , Okudan A.
Published: April 2012

Polystyrene (PS) has been chemically modified with cyclic anhydrides such as glutaric anhydride (GA), citraconic anhydride (CA) and phthalic anhydride (PA) in the presence of BF3·O(C2H5)2 in chloroform and succinic anhydride (SA) in 1,2-dichloroethane. Some important reaction parameters were determined in order to optimize the acylation process. ATR FT-IR and 1H NMR studies indicate that the acylation reaction can introduce both carboxyl group and double bond (for only citraconic anhydride) onto pendant aromatic groups of the polymer. The adhesion properties and corrosion resistance of the acylated PS on metal surface under various conditions have been investigated.
Lifelong Learning in Palestine
Authors: Hammond Keith
Published: April 2012

Palestine's universities are recognised as being involved in outstanding work in the difficult conditions of a belligerent occupation. Internal travel restrictions and over 600 checkpoints and barriers have unsuccessfully tried to atomise higher education. Lifelong Learning in Palestine (LLIP) is a Tempus project that sees universities as central influences in broader societal change. LLIP works on cooperating in formal and informal education and training that give the organic connections of a future learning society. This paper outlines the aims and objectives of the LLIP project that began in 2011 and runs up to October 2013. LLIP is exploring new student-centred pedagogies that create a learning culture that sees Palestinians determining their own future as any other people around the world and participating in the creation of a global knowledge based society.
‘[T]he anguish and horror of her mind defied all control’: The Fragmented Manuscript and Representations of the Past in Ann Radcliffe'sThe Romance of the Forest(1791)
Authors: Dent Jonathan
Published: April 2012

Focusing on the Gothic trope of the discovered manuscript, this essay examines Ann Radcliffe's representations of the past in The Romance of the Forest ( 1791 ). Radcliffe's third Gothic novel is set in seventeenth-century Roman Catholic France, but was published in the immediate aftermath of the French Revolution. The narrative follows the plight of its orphan heroine, Adeline, who finds herself taking refuge in a ruined abbey located in a gloomy French forest under the protection of Pierre de la Motte (a Frenchman fleeing Paris with his family). During her stay, Adeline enters a secret room and unearths a decaying manuscript. From this point onwards, the narrative is interspersed with fragments of the script, which records the harrowing experiences of someone who was murdered there many years ago. Concentrating on the manuscript and Radcliffe's utilisation of the Burkean sublime for historical purposes, this paper contends that The Romance of the Forest can be read as a complex response to shifting notions of history engendered by the outbreak of the French Revolution. What does Radcliffe's representation of the script reveal about the past and to what extent are her historical attitudes shaped by the culturally chaotic events of the early 1790s?
English Purisms
Authors: Roper Jonathan
Published: April 2012

William Barnes’ lifelong concern with restoring and renovating English was something of key importance to him. His work should not be dismissed as eccentricity, at least not before serious examination. But such examination need not involve taking him exclusively on his own terms. Indeed, he is better seen as one of a group of language reformers, and his work is best seen as one example, provisional and clumsy-beautiful, of the several English purisms. This essay attempts to bring this out by placing his work in the comparative context of those with similiar ideas, such as John Cheke, Nathaniel Fairfax, and Percy Grainger. Seen so, we recognise that although purists claim to be restoring an original, their work creates a new language, and it is the artistic nature of their work that is its greatest strength, one of the many ironies associated with purism (and anti-purism).
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-Specific Perforin and Granzyme B ELISPOT Assays Detect Reactivation of CMV Infection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Nowacki Tobias M. , Bettenworth Dominik , Ross Matthias , Heidemann Jan , Lehmann Paul V. , Lügering Andreas
Published: April 2012

The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has been unresolved. Typically, the CMV genome remains dormant in infected cells, but a breakdown of immune surveillance can lead to re-activation of viral replication in the gut mucosa, which is not necessarily associated with viremia or changes in antibody titers. We hypothesized that the detection of CMV-specific CD8 effector T cells should permit the distinction between dormant and active CMV infection. As CD8 effector T cells, unlike memory CD8 T cells, have perforin (PFN) and granzyme B (GzB) preformed in their cytoplasmic granules, we employed single cell resolution ELISPOT assays to measure the CMV antigen-triggered release of these molecules by CD8 T cells isolated from subjects with IBD, and age-matched healthy controls. The frequencies of CMV-specific (GzB) and PFN-producing CD8 T cells were increased in IBD patients compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the increased CMV reactivity was associated with active IBD disease and with longer disease duration. Notably, PCR on serum frequently failed to detect CMV DNA during flares. The data show that during active IBD there is a flare of CD8 T cell activity against CMV in a substantial proportion of IBD patients, suggesting CMV reactivation that serum PCR does not detect. While it remains open whether CMV reactivation is a cause or consequence of IBD, our data suggest that monitoring CMV antigen-specific effector CD8 T cells with GzB and PFN ELISPOT analysis can provide novel insights into the role of CMV infection in IBD. Additionally, our data have implications for the fields of transplantation, HIV, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, in all of which patient care critically depends on sensitive and reliable detection of a reactivation of CMV infection.
New BEDT-TTF Radical Cation Salt with Mixed Anions: α'-[BEDT-TTF]2[CuBr2]0.4[CuCl2]0.6
Authors: Kubo Kazuya , Yamashita Masahiro
Published: April 2012

A new mixed-anion crystal composed of BEDT-TTF radical cation salt [BEDT-TTF]2(CuBr2)0.4(CuCl2)0.6 with an α'-type donor arrangement with a formal charge of +0.5 per BEDT-TTF was prepared by using a chemical oxidation method and characterized by using X-ray diffraction, four-probe electrical resistivity measurements (semiconductor: ρrt = 2 × 102 Ω cm, Ea = 0.2 eV), and energy band calculations. The results showed that this system had a quasi-one dimensional Fermi surface.
Nonselective Blocking of the Sympathetic Nervous System Decreases Detrusor Overactivity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Kim Khae-Hawn , Jin Long-Hu , Choo Gwoan-Youb , Lee Hun-Jae , Choi Bo-Hwa , Kwak Jiyeon , Yoon Sang-Min , Park Chang-Shin , Lee Tack
Published: April 2012

The involuntary dual control systems of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the bladder of awake spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were investigated through simultaneous registrations of intravesical and intraabdominal pressures to observe detrusor overactivity (DO) objectively as a core symptom of an overactive bladder. SHRs (n = 6) showed the features of overactive bladder syndrome during urodynamic study, especially DO during the filling phase. After injection of the nonselective sympathetic blocking agent labetalol, DO disappeared in 3 of 6 SHRs (50%). DO frequency decreased from 0.98 ± 0.22 min−1 to 0.28 ± 0.19 min−1 (p < 0.01), and DO pressure decreased from 3.82 ± 0.57 cm H2O to 1.90 ± 0.86 cm H2O (p < 0.05). This suggests that the DO originating from the overactive parasympathetic nervous system is attenuated by the nonselective blocking of the sympathetic nervous system. The detailed mechanism behind this result is still not known, but parasympathetic overactivity seems to require overactive sympathetic nervous system activity in a kind of balance between these two systems. These findings are consistent with recent clinical findings suggesting that patients with idiopathic overactive bladder may have ANS dysfunction, particularly a sympathetic dysfunction. The search for newer and better drugs than the current anticholinergic drugs as the mainstay for overactive bladder will be fueled by our research on these sympathetic mechanisms. Further studies of this principle are required.
Identification of Important Chemical Features of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type1 Inhibitors: Application of Ligand Based Virtual Screening and Density Functional Theory
Authors: Sakkiah Sugunadevi , Meganathan Chandrasekaran , Sohn Young-Sik , Namadevan Sundaraganesan , Lee Keun Woo
Published: April 2012

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11ßHSD1) regulates the conversion from inactive cortisone to active cortisol. Increased cortisol results in diabetes, hence quelling the activity of 11ßHSD1 has been thought of as an effective approach for the treatment of diabetes. Quantitative hypotheses were developed and validated to identify the critical chemical features with reliable geometric constraints that contribute to the inhibition of 11ßHSD1 function. The best hypothesis, Hypo1, which contains one-HBA; one-Hy-Ali, and two-RA features, was validated using Fischer’s randomization method, a test and a decoy set. The well validated, Hypo1, was used as 3D query to perform a virtual screening of three different chemical databases. Compounds selected by Hypo1 in the virtual screening were filtered by applying Lipinski’s rule of five, ADMET, and molecular docking. Finally, five hit compounds were selected as virtual novel hit molecules for 11ßHSD1 based on their electronic properties calculated by Density functional theory.
Structural Characterization and Anti-HSV-1 and HSV-2 Activity of Glycolipids from the Marine Algae Osmundaria obtusiloba Isolated from Southeastern Brazilian Coast
Authors: De Souza Lauro M. , Sassaki Guilherme L. , Romanos Maria Teresa Villela , Barreto-Bergter Eliana
Published: April 2012

Glycolipids were extracted from the red alga Osmundaria obtusiloba from Southeastern Brazilian coast. The acetone insoluble material was extracted with chloroform/methanol and the lipids, enriched in glycolipids, were fractionated on a silica gel column eluted with chloroform, acetone and then methanol. Three major orcinol-positive bands were found in the acetone and methanol fractions, being detected by thin layer chromatography. The structures of the corresponding glycolipids were elucidated by ESI-MS and 1H/13C NMR analysis, on the basis of their tandem-MS behavior and HSQC, TOCSY fingerprints. For the first time, the structure of sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol from the red alga Osmundaria obtusiloba was characterized. This molecule exhibited potent antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2 with EC50 values of 42 µg/mL to HSV-1 and 12 µg/mL to HSV-2, respectively. Two other glycolipids, mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, were also found in the alga, being characterized by ESI-MS/MS. The structural elucidation of algae glycolipids is a first step for a better understanding of the relation between these structures and their biological activities.
Co-circulation of Four Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs) in Queensland Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Illnesses in 2004
Authors: Mackay Ian M. , Arden Katherine E. , Speicher David J. , O’Neil Nicholas T. , McErlean Peter K. , Greer Ristan M. , Nissen Michael D. , Sloots Theo P.
Published: April 2012

Acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) with unconfirmed infectious aetiologies peak at different times of the year. Molecular diagnostic assays reduce the number of unconfirmed ARIs compared to serology- or culture-based techniques. Screening of 888 inpatient and outpatient respiratory specimens spanning late autumn through to early spring, 2004, identified the presence of a human coronavirus (HCoV) on 74 occasions (8.3% of all specimens and 26.3% of all respiratory virus detections). Prevalence peaked in August (late winter in the southern hemisphere) when they were detected in 21.9% of specimens tested. HCoV-HKU1 and HCoV-OC43 comprised 82.4% of all HCoVs detected. Positive specimens were used to develop novel reverse transcriptase real-time PCRs (RT-rtPCRs) for HCoV detection. An objective clinical severity score was assigned to each positive HCoV patient. Severity scores were similar to those from a random selection of young children who were positive for respiratory syncytial virus at a different time but from the same specimen population. During the cooler months of 2004, sensitive and specific RT-rtPCRs identified the concurrent circulation of all four HCoVs, a quarter of which co-occurred with another virus and most of which were from children under the age of two years.
Transformational leadership in the South African public service after the April 2009 national elections
Authors: Mokgolo Manasseh M. , Mokgolo Patricia , Modiba Mike
Published: April 2012

Orientation: The implementation of transformational leadership in public services after national elections has been well recorded in other parts of the world. However, this is not the case in South Africa. Research purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine whether transformational leadership has a beneficial relationship with subordinate leadership acceptance, job performance and job satisfaction.Motivation for the study: Leadership is a critical issue that the public sector needs to address in order to survive and succeed in today’s unstable environment. According to Groenewald and Ashfield (2008), transformational leadership could reduce the effects of uncertainty and change that comes with new leaders and help employees to achieve their objectives.Research design, approach and method: The sample comprised 1050 full-time employees in the public sector based in head offices. The measuring instruments included the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), the Leadership Acceptance Scale (LAS), the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and the Job Performance Survey (JPS).Main findings: Transformational leadership had a positive correlation with subordinate leadership acceptance, performance and job satisfaction.Practical/managerial implications: Managers can train public sector leaders to be transformational leaders because of the adverse effect lack of transformation can have on employees’ attitudes in areas like satisfaction, performance and commitment.Contribution/value-add: This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of transformational leadership processes and to how the public service can improve its practices in order to render quality service to South Africans.
Sentra PM (a Medical Food) and Trazodone in the Management of Sleep Disorders
Authors: Md William E. Shell , Md Lawrence A. May , Crc Debora H. Bullias Bs, Cra, , Cra Stephanie L. Pavlik , Md David S. Silver
Published: April 2012

Sleep disorders are a common and poorly treated disease state. This double blind, four arm placebo-controlled, randomized trial compared (1) low dose trazodone, (2) Sentra PM, a neurotransmitter based medical food, (3) the joint administration of trazodone and the medical food Sentra PM and (4) placebo. There were 111 subjects studied in 12 independent sites. Subjects underwent baseline screening, informed consent and an initial sleep questionnaire. After 14 days subjects underwent a second evaluation by questionnaire. At baseline and Day 14 the subjects underwent 24 hour ECG recordings that were analyzed in the frequency domain of heart rate variability. The specific high frequency parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity was analyzed. The primary endpoints were sleep latency and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system improvement in sleeping hours. The results showed improvement in sleep latency for the Sentra PM and combination of Sentra PM and trazodone (−41 and −56 minutes P < 0.001). There was an improvement in quality of sleep for the amino acid formulation Sentra PM and the combination (3.86 and 6.48 Likert units on a 10 point scale P < 0.001). There was an activation of circadian activity percent at night in the medical food and combination groups while there was no change in parasympathetic activity in either the placebo or trazodone group. These data indicate that Sentra PM can improve the quality of sleep, the response to trazodone as a sleep medication and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity.
Constrained ephemeral continua
Authors: Capriz Gianfranco , Fried Eliot , Seguin Brian
Published: April 2012

The theory of ephemeral continua was proposed to model bodies for which the basic tenet of permanence of material elements fails. The goal of the proposal was, principally, to lessen the impact of critical arguments against the imposition of the principle of material frame-indifference in continuum mechanics. Those arguments were based on the remark that, in any case, any mathematical model of reality is necessarily observer dependent; however, as it happens, they were urged on by noticing that some corollaries in the kinetic theory of gases appear to contradict requirements of frame-indifference. The proposed theory cures that wound via a definition of peculiar velocities which assures their exact observer independence. Besides, that theory o¤ers a wider base, allowing one to breed models for bodies where the processes are irremediably influenced by events at a lower scale, models based so far on a bottom up approach with partly uncertain steps up from the standard case. Here, we proceed via a top down approach, by introducing progressively stronger constraints. Largely, earlier results are confirmed, securer ground is given to some interpretations or alternatives offered. Briefly, the general requirements for any linear constraint to have physical content are stated and their immediate implications are derived. These requirements are applied to study certain special cases of the general constraint. Connections are provided between the consequent simplifications and results available by bottom-up approaches, so to speak—including, in particular, hypocontinua and Navier–Stokes-

\alpha, \beta

continua. To show that the value of our general approach transcends the building of an all-encompassing framework, we conclude by deriving the reduced balance laws consistent with the most general version of the constraint. These laws open an easy approach to obtaining potentially useful special cases.
Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and multispectral studies of disturbed Lake Superior coastal environments
Authors: Kerfoot W. Charles , Yousef Foad , Green Sarah A. , Regis Robert , Shuchman Robert , Brooks Colin N. , Sayers Mike , Sabol Bruce , Graves Mark
Published: April 2012

Due to its high spatial resolution and excellent water penetration, coastal light detection and ranging (LiDAR) coupled with multispectral imaging (MSS) has great promise for resolving shoreline features in the Great Lakes. Previous investigations in Lake Superior documented a metal‐rich “halo” around the Keweenaw Peninsula, related to past copper mining practices. Grand Traverse Bay on the Keweenaw Peninsula provides an excellent Great Lakes example of global mine discharges into coastal environments. For more than a century, waste rock migrating from shoreline tailings piles has moved along extensive stretches of coast, damming stream outlets, intercepting wetlands and recreational beaches, suppressing benthic invertebrate communities, and threatening critical fish breeding grounds. In the bay, the magnitude of the discarded wastes literally “reset the shoreline” and provided an intriguing field experiment in coastal erosion and spreading environmental effects. Employing a combination of historic aerial photography and LiDAR, we estimate the time course and mass of tailings eroded into the bay and the amount of copper that contributed to the metal‐rich halo. We also quantify underwater tailings spread across benthic substrates by using MSS imagery on spectral reflectance differences between tailings and natural sediment types, plus a depth‐correction algorithm (Lyzenga Method). We show that the coastal detail from LiDAR and MSS opens up numerous applications for ecological, ecosystem, and geological investigations.
Progress in turbulence detection via GNSS occultation data
Authors: Cornman L. B. , Goodrich R. K. , Axelrad P. , Barlow E.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The increased availability of radio occultation (RO) data offers the ability to detect and study turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. An analysis of how RO data can be used to determine the strength and location of turbulent regions is presented. This includes the derivation of a model for the power spectrum of the log-amplitude and phase fluctuations of the permittivity (or index of refraction) field. The bulk of the paper is then concerned with the estimation of the model parameters. Parameter estimators are introduced and some of their statistical properties are studied. These estimators are then applied to simulated log-amplitude RO signals. This includes the analysis of global statistics derived from a large number of realizations, as well as case studies that illustrate various specific aspects of the problem. Improvements to the basic estimation methods are discussed, and their beneficial properties are illustrated. The estimation techniques are then applied to real occultation data. Only two cases are presented, but they illustrate some of the salient features inherent in real data.
Probabilistic projection of sea-level change along the world's coastlines
Authors: Perrette M. , Landerer F. , Riva R. , Frieler K. , Meinshausen M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Climate change causes global mean sea level to rise due to thermal expansion of seawater and loss of land ice from mountain glaciers, ice caps and ice-sheets. Locally, sea-level changes can strongly deviate from the global mean due to ocean dynamics. In addition, gravitational adjustments redistribute seawater away from shrinking ice masses, an effect currently not incorporated in climate models. Here, we provide probabilistic projections of sea level changes along the world's coastlines for the end of the 21st century under the new RCP emission scenarios, taking into account uncertainties across the cause-effect chain from greenhouse-gas emissions to ocean heat uptake and regional land-ice melt. At low latitudes, especially in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, sea level will likely rise more than the global mean (mostly by 10–20%, but up to 45% in Tokyo area). Around the North Atlantic and the North-Eastern Pacific coasts, sea level will rise less than the global average or, in some rare cases, even fall. Our probabilistic regional sea level projections provide an improved basis for coastal impact analysis and infrastructure planning for adaptation to climate change.
A subgrid parameterization scheme for precipitation
Authors: Turner S. , Brenguier J.-L. , Lac C.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. With increasing computing power, the horizontal resolution of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models is improving and today reaches 1 to 5 km. Nevertheless, clouds and precipitation formation are still subgrid scale processes for most cloud types, such as cumulus and stratocumulus. Subgrid scale parameterizations for water vapor condensation have been in use for many years and are based on a prescribed probability density function (PDF) of relative humidity spatial variability within the model grid box, thus providing a diagnosis of the cloud fraction. A similar scheme is developed and tested here. It is based on a prescribed PDF of cloud water variability and a threshold value of liquid water content for droplet collection to derive a rain fraction within the model grid. Precipitation of rainwater raises additional concerns relative to the overlap of cloud and rain fractions, however. The scheme is developed following an analysis of data collected during field campaigns in stratocumulus (DYCOMS-II) and fair weather cumulus (RICO) and tested in a 1-D framework against large eddy simulations of these observed cases. The new parameterization is then implemented in a 3-D NWP model with a horizontal resolution of 2.5 km to simulate real cases of precipitating cloud systems over France.