bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxoplasma gondiiCyclophilin 18-Mediated Production of Nitric Oxide Induces Bradyzoite Conversion in a CCR5-Dependent Manner
Authors: Ibrahim Hany M. , Bannai Hiroshi , Xuan Xuenan , Nishikawa Yoshifumi
Published: June 2009

Toxoplasma gondiimodulates pro- and anti-inflammatory responses to regulate parasite multiplication and host survival. Pressure from the immune response causes the conversion of tachyzoites into slowly dividing bradyzoites. The regulatory mechanisms involved in this switch are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory role ofT. gondiicyclophilin 18 (TgCyp18) in macrophages and the consequences of the cellular responses on the conversion machinery. Recombinant TgCyp18 induced the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and tumor necrosis factor alpha through its binding with cysteine-cysteine chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and the production of gamma interferon and IL-6 in a CCR5-independent manner. Interestingly, the treatment of macrophages with TgCyp18 resulted in the inhibition of parasite growth and an enhancement of the conversion into bradyzoites via NO in a CCR5-dependent manner. In conclusion,T. gondiipossesses sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate host cell responses in a TgCyp18-mediated process.
Blockade of CD137 Signaling Counteracts Polymicrobial Sepsis Induced by Cecal Ligation and Puncture
Authors: Nguyen Quang-Tam , Ju Seong-A , Park Sang-Min , Lee Sang-Chul , Yagita Hideo , Lee In Hee , Kim Byung-Sam
Published: June 2009

Sepsis, a leading cause of death worldwide, involves proinflammatory responses and inefficient bacterial clearance. Previously, we have shown that CD137 (4-1BB), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, plays critical roles in eradicating infectiveListeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterium, and that stimulation of CD137 protects mice from sepsis-induced death. In this study, we unexpectedly found that CD137 activation aggravated polymicrobial sepsis due to mixed gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). CD137-deficient (CD137−/−) mice showed significantly lower mortality than CD137-sufficient (CD137+/+) mice in the CLP model. Administration of an agonistic anti-CD137 monoclonal antibody (MAb) to CD137+/+mice decreased their survival in this infection model, while administration of a blocking anti-CD137 ligand MAb (TKS-1) to such mice increased their survival. CD137−/−mice and TKS-1-treated CD137+/+mice had lower levels of chemokines/proinflammatory cytokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-12) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), exhibited improved bacterial clearance in the peritoneum, liver, and blood, and had greater numbers of infiltrated peritoneal neutrophils and macrophages in the CLP model than control mice. Our data suggest that CD137 activation aggravates polymicrobial sepsis induced by CLP.
Bicarbonate InducesVibrio choleraeVirulence Gene Expression by Enhancing ToxT Activity
Authors: Abuaita Basel H. , Withey Jeffrey H.
Published: June 2009

Vibrio choleraeis a gram-negative bacterium that is the causative agent of cholera, a severe diarrheal illness. The two biotypes ofV. choleraeO1 capable of causing cholera, classical and El Tor, require different in vitro growth conditions for induction of virulence gene expression. Growth under the inducing conditions or infection of a host initiates a complex regulatory cascade that results in production of ToxT, a regulatory protein that directly activates transcription of the genes encoding cholera toxin (CT), toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP), and other virulence genes. Previous studies have shown that sodium bicarbonate induces CT expression in theV. choleraeEl Tor biotype. However, the mechanism for bicarbonate-mediated CT induction has not been defined. In this study, we demonstrate that bicarbonate stimulates virulence gene expression by enhancing ToxT activity. Both the classical and El Tor biotypes produce inactive ToxT protein when they are cultured statically in the absence of bicarbonate. Addition of bicarbonate to the culture medium does not affect ToxT production but causes a significant increase in CT and TCP expression in both biotypes. Ethoxyzolamide, a potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, inhibits bicarbonate-mediated virulence induction, suggesting that conversion of CO2into bicarbonate by carbonic anhydrase plays a role in virulence induction. Thus, bicarbonate is the first positive effector for ToxT activity to be identified. Given that bicarbonate is present at high concentration in the upper small intestine whereV. choleraecolonizes, bicarbonate is likely an important chemical stimulus thatV. choleraesenses and that induces virulence during the natural course of infection.
Transcription Factor PrtT Controls Expression of Multiple Secreted Proteases in the Human Pathogenic Mold
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Sharon Haim , Hagag Shelly , Osherov Nir
Published: June 2009

The role of secreted proteases in the virulence of the pathogenic fungus
Aspergillus fumigatus
remains controversial. Recently, the
Aspergillus niger
transcription factor PrtT was shown to control the expression of multiple secreted proteases. In this work, the gene which encodes the PrtT homolog in
A. fumigatus
was cloned and its function analyzed using a deletion mutant strain. Deletion of
A. fumigatus prtT
resulted in the loss of secreted protease activity. The expression of six secreted proteases (ALP, MEP, Dpp4, CpdS, AFUA_2G17330, and AFUA_7G06220) was markedly reduced. Culture filtrates from the
prtT
deletion strain exhibited reduced killing of lung epithelial cells and lysis of erythrocytes. However, the
prtT
deletion strain did not exhibit altered virulence in lung-infected mice. These results suggest that PrtT is not a significant virulence factor in
A. fumigatus
.
Macrophage-Mediated Responses toCandida albicansin Mice Expressing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Transgene
Authors: Goupil Mathieu , Trudelle Émilie Bélanger , Dugas Véronique , Racicot-Bergeron Catherine , Aumont Francine , Sénéchal Serge , Hanna Zaher , Jolicoeur Paul , de Repentigny Louis
Published: June 2009

The critical impairments of innate and adaptive immunity that cause susceptibility to mucosal candidiasis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have not been fully determined. We therefore conducted an analysis of macrophage-mediated responses toCandida albicansin transgenic (Tg) mice expressing Nef, Env, and Rev of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) in CD4+T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages and developing an AIDS-like disease (CD4C/HIVMutATg mice). Macrophages were successfully recruited to the oral and gastric mucosae of these Tg mice in response to chronic carriage ofC. albicansand displayed polarization toward an alternatively activated phenotype. Functionally, peritoneal macrophages from uninfected Tg mice exhibited increased phagocytosis ofC. albicansand enhanced production of interleukin 6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, demonstrating that the HIV-1 transgene independently activates selected macrophage functions. Production of H2O2by macrophages from Tg mice primed with gamma interferon and treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate orC. albicanswas moderately reduced, but expression of the HIV-1 transgene did not alter production of nitric oxide or reduce killing ofC. albicans. A knockout of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) gene in these Tg mice did not augment oral or gastrointestinal burdens during chronic carriage ofC. albicansor cause systemic dissemination, likely due to a redundancy provided by partially preserved production of H2O2and oxygen-independent candidacidal mechanisms. Thus, the macrophage response toC. albicansis largely preserved in these Tg mice, and no functional macrophage defect appears to primarily determine the susceptibility to mucosal candidiasis.
Protection against Intestinal Amebiasis by a Recombinant Vaccine Is Transferable by T Cells and Mediated by Gamma Interferon
Authors: Guo Xiaoti , Barroso Lisa , Becker Steven M. , Lyerly David M. , Vedvick Thomas S. , Reed Steven G. , Petri William A. , Houpt Eric R.
Published: June 2009

We have previously shown that vaccination with purifiedEntamoeba histolyticaGal/GalNAc lectin or recombinant subunits can protect mice from intestinal amebiasis upon intracecal challenge. In this study, we demonstrated with adoptive-transfer experiments that this lectin vaccine protection is mediated by T cells but not serum. The cell-mediated immune (CMI) response was characterized by significant gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin 12 (IL-12), IL-2, IL-10, and IL-17 production. To move toward a human vaccine, we switched to a recombinant protein and tested a range of adjuvants and routes appropriate for humans. We found that subcutaneous delivery of LecA with IDRI's adjuvant system EM014 elicited a potent Th1-type CMI profile and provided significant protection, as measured by culture negativity (79% efficacy); intranasal immunization with cholera toxin provided 56% efficacy; and alum induced a Th2-type response that protected 62 to 68% of mice. Several antibody and CMI cytokine responses were examined for correlates of protection, and prechallenge IFN-γ+or IFN-γ-, IL-2-, and tumor necrosis factor alpha-triple-positive CD4 cells in blood were statistically associated with protection. To test the role of IFN-γ in LecA-mediated protection, we neutralized IFN-γ in LecA-immunized mice and found that it abrogated the protection conferred by vaccination. These data demonstrate that CMI is sufficient for vaccine protection from intestinal amebiasis and reveal an important role for IFN-γ, even in the setting of alum.
Antibiotic Treatment of
Clostridium difficile
Carrier Mice Triggers a Supershedder State, Spore-Mediated Transmission, and Severe Disease in Immunocompromised Hosts
Authors: Lawley Trevor D. , Clare Simon , Walker Alan W. , Goulding David , Stabler Richard A. , Croucher Nicholas , Mastroeni Piero , Scott Paul , Raisen Claire , Mottram Lynda , Fairweather Neil F. , Wren Brendan W. , Parkhill Julian , Dougan Gordon
Published: June 2009

Clostridium difficile
persists in hospitals by exploiting an infection cycle that is dependent on humans shedding highly resistant and infectious spores. Here we show that human virulent
C. difficile
can asymptomatically colonize the intestines of immunocompetent mice, establishing a carrier state that persists for many months.
C. difficile
carrier mice consistently shed low levels of spores but, surprisingly, do not transmit infection to cohabiting mice. However, antibiotic treatment of carriers triggers a highly contagious supershedder state, characterized by a dramatic reduction in the intestinal microbiota species diversity,
C. difficile
overgrowth, and excretion of high levels of spores. Stopping antibiotic treatment normally leads to recovery of the intestinal microbiota species diversity and suppresses
C. difficile
levels, although some mice persist in the supershedding state for extended periods. Spore-mediated transmission to immunocompetent mice treated with antibiotics results in self-limiting mucosal inflammation of the large intestine. In contrast, transmission to mice whose innate immune responses are compromised (Myd88
−/−
) leads to a severe intestinal disease that is often fatal. Thus, mice can be used to investigate distinct stages of the
C. difficile
infection cycle and can serve as a valuable surrogate for studying the spore-mediated transmission and interactions between
C. difficile
and the host and its microbiota, and the results obtained should guide infection control measures.
Landslide mapping in Seattle, Washington
Authors: Laprade William T. , Tubbs Donald W.
Published: June 2009

Seattle, Washington, has one of the most progressive landslide ordinances and mitigation programs in the United States. The necessity for this is driven by concentrated winter precipitation, steep slopes, and glacial soils that are susceptible to instability. Early in the European development, engineers recognized the vulnerability of Seattle hillsides to landslides, particularly when the hillsides were disturbed. In this paper, we trace the history of mapping of landslide-prone ground in Seattle, started by Miller (1973), detailed by Tubbs (1974, 1975), and most recently catalogued by Shannon & Wilson (2000, 2003).

Owing to the relative homogeneity of geology (glacial and other Pleistocene nonglacial soils), landsliding consists mainly of debris landslides, debris avalanches, and slumps. Debris avalanches that engage the shallow colluvial soils are by far the most common. Deep-seated slumps are not as common but can encompass a large area and affect many property owners. Several studies agree that ~80% of the landslides include one or more human influences.

To limit the amount of damage that landslides cause to private properties and City of Seattle infrastructure, rules were promulgated by the city in 1984. These rules have been revised three times, and they now serve as an example for the rest of the state of Washington. Following destructive, widespread slope instability in 1997 and the Shannon & Wilson studies in 2000 and 2003, Seattle Public Utilities instituted a state-of-the-industry landslide mitigation program that has already paid dividends for the city.
Numerical modeling of rainfall thresholds for shallow landsliding in the Seattle, Washington, area
Authors: Godt Jonathan W. , McKenna Jonathan P.
Published: June 2009

The temporal forecasting of landslide hazard has typically relied on empirical relations between rainfall characteristics and landslide occurrence to identify conditions that may cause shallow landslides. Here, we describe an alternate, deterministic approach to define rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrence in the Seattle, Washington, area. This approach combines an infinite slope-stability model with a variably saturated flow model to determine the rainfall intensity and duration that leads to shallow failure of hillside colluvium. We examine the influence of variation in particle-size distribution on the unsaturated hydraulic properties of the colluvium by performing capillary-rise tests on glacial outwash sand and three experimental soils with increasing amounts of fine-grained material. Observations of pore-water response to rainfall collected as part of a program to monitor the near-surface hydrology of steep coastal bluffs along Puget Sound were used to test the numerical model results and in an inverse modeling procedure to determine the in situ hydraulic properties. Modeling results are given in terms of a destabilizing rainfall intensity and duration, and comparisons with empirical observations of landslide occurrence and triggering rainfall indicate that the modeling approach may be useful for forecasting landslide occurrence.
Modeling rainfall Conditions for Shallow landsliding in Seattle, Washington
Authors: Godt Jonathan W. , Schulz William H. , Baum Rex L. , Savage William Z.
Published: June 2009

We describe the results from an application of a distributed, transient infiltration–slope-stability model for an 18 km2 area of southwestern Seattle, Washington, USA. The model (TRIGRS) combines an infinite slope-stability calculation and an analytic, one-dimensional solution for pore-pressure diffusion in a soil layer of finite depth in response to time-varying rainfall. The transient solution for pore-pressure response can be superposed on any steady-state groundwater-flow field that is consistent with model assumptions. Applied over digital topography, the model computes a factor of safety for each grid cell at any time during a rainstorm. Input variables may vary from cell to cell, and the rainfall rate can vary in both space and time. For Seattle, topographic slope derived from an airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM)–based 3 m digital elevation model (DEM), maps of soil and water-table depths derived from geotechnical borings, and hourly rainfall intensities were used as model inputs. Material strength and hydraulic properties used in the model were determined from field and laboratory measurements, and a tension-saturated initial condition was assumed. Results are given in terms of a destabilizing intensity and duration of rainfall, and they were evaluated by comparing the locations of 212 historical landslides with the area mapped as potentially unstable. Because the equations of groundwater flow are explicitly solved with respect to time, the results from TRIGRS simulations can be portrayed quantitatively to assess the potential landslide hazard based on rainfall conditions.
Peat flow in Mercer Slough, Lake Washington
Authors: Badger Thomas C.
Published: June 2009

Over the past four decades, ongoing deformation of an 18-m-thick peat deposit within the flat-lying Mercer Slough has resulted in damaging deflections, and near-collapse in three cases, of pile-supported Interstate 90 bridges and a major water line on the east side of the slough. The peat is partially underlain by a dense sand unit, which includes a highly pressurized aquifer that produces artesian flow 1–2.5 m above the ground surface. Inclinometers on the east side of the slough show the peat flowing toward the structures and then apparently directed west along the interstate centerline. Large displacements recorded in several inclinometers near the center of the slough suggest a length of deforming peat that approaches 600 m, which is likely initiating retrogressively. Potential causal mechanisms include poor engineering characteristics of the peat, presence of high hydrostatic pressure transmitted within and beneath the peat, seasonal water-level variations of Lake Washington and induced hydraulic gradients within the peat, dredging of the Mercer Slough channel, puncturing of the underlying aquifer by numerous pile foundations, and fill placement along the eastern margin of the slough. The peat is flowing around the pile/shaft foundations; however, excessive lateral loads are still being applied to the foundations in a poorly understood and unpredictable manner. The most severe deflections have occurred in the outermost structures where the peat is primarily flowing transverse to the structures.
The Ross Point landslide
Authors: Moses Lynn J.
Published: June 2009

In September 1998, a geotechnical investigation was initiated by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to assess stability of a slope in the vicinity of Ross Point, located along the State Route 166 (SR 166) corridor. The roadway lies at the base of a marine bluff composed of Pleistocene glacial and interglacial deposits, and it has a history of roadway closures associated with landslides and embankment failures. As part of the investigation, geotechnical test borings were drilled to define subsurface conditions, and inclinometer casing and open-standpipe piezometers were installed to monitor slope movement and groundwater levels. All drilling was completed and inclinometer and piezometer installations initialized by 30 December 1998.

The Ross Point landslide occurred on 29 January 1999. This landslide is unique in that the subsurface conditions had been thoroughly characterized in a geotechnical investigation prior to failure, and rainfall and groundwater levels were being frequently monitored at the time of the failure. Although slope failures are common in the landslide sequence of Esperance Sand overlying Lawton Clay, monitoring of rainfall and groundwater levels prior to and during landslide failure is unique. The groundwater levels monitored within the Ross Point landslide mass showed a rapid response to intense rainfall events, whereas the groundwater response measured in boreholes located outside of the failure was subdued. Excessive pore-water pressures rapidly developed within the landslide mass following significant rainfall events. This rapid increase in pore-water pressure, coupled with high antecedent groundwater levels, is considered to be the critical factor in triggering the Ross Point landslide. Wood sampled from the lowest nonglacial sediments exposed at Ross Point yielded a 14C date of 40,570 ± 700 yr B.P. and are considered to be the Olympia beds.
Limits to research risks
Authors: Miller F G , Joffe S
Published: June 2009

Risk–benefit assessment is a routine requirement for research ethics committees that review and oversee biomedical research with human subjects. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how to weigh and balance risks to research participants against the social benefits that flow from generating biomedical knowledge. In this article, we address the question of whether there are any reasonable criteria for defining the limit of permissible risks to individuals who provide informed consent for research participation. We argue against any a priori limit to permissible research risks. However, attention to the uncertainty of potential social benefit that can be derived from any particular study warrants caution in exposing prospective research participants to a substantial likelihood of serious harm.
Genetic enhancements and expectations
Authors: Sorensen K
Published: June 2009

Some argue that genetic enhancements and environmental enhancements are not importantly different: environmental enhancements such as private schools and chess lessons are simply the old-school way to have a designer baby. I argue that there is an important distinction between the two practices—a distinction that makes state restrictions on genetic enhancements more justifiable than state restrictions on environmental enhancements. The difference is that parents have no settled expectations about genetic enhancements.
HIV testing of junior doctors: exploring their experiences, perspectives and accounts: Table 1
Authors: Salkeld L R , McGeehan S J , Chaudhuri E , Kerslake I M
Published: June 2009

Objective:

To explore the accounts and perspectives of junior doctors who were offered an HIV test by their employing National Health Service (NHS) trust and discuss ethical issues posed by this new policy.

Design:

Qualitative in-depth interview study.

Setting:

4 NHS hospital trusts.

Participants:

24 junior doctors who had been offered an HIV test as part of their pre-employment occupational health checks.

Results:

The manner in which HIV tests were offered to junior doctors varied both between and within the NHS trusts. Overall, the doctors were highly critical of the way the HIV test was offered. Recurrent themes surrounding a lack of discussion and information regarding the indications for the test and implications of a positive result influenced the the doctors’ perception of their experiences. As a consequence of the shortcomings of how the test was offered, most of the doctors held the misperception that HIV testing was mandatory and many felt unable to decline the test. The majority of doctors referred to patient protection as adequate justification for being offered an HIV test.

Conclusions:

Junior doctors offered an HIV test under new Department of Health occupational health guidance were disparaging about how the test was offered. The findings of this study affect thousands of junior doctors in the UK, and the impact of these results is extensive. Participants’ suggestions regarding how the process of offering an HIV test can be improved are discussed and ethical issues regarding the new Department of Health policy are highlighted.
Understanding respect: learning from patients
Authors: Dickert N W , Kass N E
Published: June 2009

Background:

The importance of respecting patients and participants in clinical research is widely recognised. However, what it means to respect persons beyond recognising them as autonomous is unclear, and little is known about what patients find to be respectful.

Objective:

To understand patients’ conceptions of respect and what it means to be respected by medical providers.

Design:

Qualitative study from an academic cardiology clinic, using semistructured interviews with 18 survivors of sudden cardiac death.

Results:

Patients believed that respecting persons incorporates the following major elements: empathy, care, autonomy, provision of information, recognition of individuality, dignity and attention to needs.

Conclusions:

Making patients feel respected, or valued as a person, is a multi-faceted task that involves more than recognising autonomy. While patients’ views of respect do not determine what respect means, these patients expressed important intuitions that may be of substantial conceptual relevance.
To kill is not the same as to let die: a reply to Coggon
Authors: McLachlan H V
Published: June 2009

Coggon’s remarks on a previous paper on active and passive euthanasia elicit a clarification and an elaboration of the argument in support of the claim that there is a moral difference between killing and letting die. The relevant moral duties are different in nature, strength and content. Moreover, not all people who are involved in the relevant situations have the same moral duties. The particular case that is presented in support of the claim that to kill is not the same as to let die is based upon a rejection of consequentialism.
Vulnerability in palliative care research: findings from a qualitative study of black Caribbean and white British patients with advanced cancer: Table 1
Authors: Koffman J , Morgan M , Edmonds P , Speck P , Higginson I J
Published: June 2009

Introduction:

Vulnerability is a poorly understood concept in research ethics, often aligned to autonomy and consent. A recent addition to the literature represents a taxonomy of vulnerability developed by Kipnis, but this refers to the conduct of clinical trials rather than qualitative research, which may raise different issues.

Aim:

To examine issues of vulnerability in cancer and palliative care research obtained through qualitative interviews.

Method:

Secondary analysis of qualitative data from 26 black Caribbean and 19 white British patients with advanced cancer.

Results:

Four domains of vulnerability derived from Kipnis’s taxonomy were identified and included: (i) communicative vulnerability, represented by participants impaired in their ability to communicate because of distressing symptoms; (ii) institutional vulnerability, which referred to participants who existed under the authority of others—for example, in hospital; (iii) deferential vulnerability, which included participants who were subject to the informal authority or the independent interests of others; (iv) medical vulnerability, which referred to participants with distressing medical conditions; and (v) social vulnerability, which included participants considered to belong to an undervalued social group. Participants from both ethnic groups populated all these domains, but those who were black Caribbean were more present among the socially vulnerable.

Conclusions:

Current classifications of vulnerability require reinterpretation when applied to qualitative research at the end of life. We recommend that researchers and research ethics committees reconceptualise vulnerability using the domains identified in this study and consider the research context and interviewers’ skills.
Exploring morally relevant issues facing families in their decisions to monitor the health-related behaviours of loved ones
Authors: Gammon D , Christiansen E K , Wynn R
Published: June 2009

Patient self-management of disease is increasingly supported by technologies that can monitor a wide range of behavioural and biomedical parameters. Incorporated into everyday devices such as cell phones and clothes, these technologies become integral to the psychosocial aspects of everyday life. Many technologies are likely to be marketed directly to families with ill members, and families may enlist the support of clinicians in shaping use. Current ethical frameworks are mainly conceptualised from the perspective of caregivers, researchers, developers and regulators in order to ensure the ethics of their own practices. This paper focuses on families as autonomous decision-makers outside the regulated context of healthcare. We discuss some morally relevant issues facing families in their decisions to monitor the health-related behaviours of loved ones. An example – remote parental monitoring of adolescent blood glucose – is presented and discussed through the lens of two contrasting accounts of ethics; one reflecting the predominant focus on health outcomes within the health technology assessment (HTA) framework and the other that attends to the broader sociocultural contexts shaping technologies and their implications. Issues discussed include the focus of assessments, informed consent and child assent, and family co-creation of system characteristics and implications. The parents’ decisions to remotely monitor their child has relational implications that are likely to influence conflict levels and thus also health outcomes. Current efforts to better integrate outcome assessments with social and ethical assessments are particularly relevant for informed decision-making about health monitoring technologies in families.
Is all fair in biological warfare? The controversy over genetically engineered biological weapons
Authors: Appel J M
Published: June 2009

Advances in genetics may soon make possible the development of ethnic bioweapons that target specific ethnic or racial groups based upon genetic markers. While occasional published reports of such research generate public outrage, little has been written about the ethical distinction (if any) between the development of such weapons and ethnically neutral bioweapons. The purpose of this paper is to launch a debate on the subject of ethnic bioweapons before they become a scientific reality.
Detergent protease exposure and respiratory disease: case–referent analysis of a retrospective cohort
Authors: Brant A , Upchurch S , van Tongeren M , Zekveld C , Helm J , Barnes F , Newman Taylor A J , Cullinan P
Published: June 2009

Objectives:

To examine the relationship between protease exposure and respiratory disease in a cohort of detergent enzyme manufacturers.

Methods:

Case–referent analysis of a cohort of employees working in a European detergent factory between 1989 and 2002. Cases with new lower or upper respiratory disease were ascertained by examination of occupational health records and matched to referents on date of first employment. Personal exposures to airborne detergent protease were estimated, using a job exposure matrix, from >12 000 measurements taken in the factory during the period of study.

Results:

We found clear, monotonic relationships between estimated protease exposure and both lower and upper respiratory disease. After control for age, sex and smoking, the odds ratio of lower respiratory disease was significantly elevated (1.98, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.79) in those employees working in jobs in the highest quartile of protease exposure (geometric mean 7.9 ng.m−3). For employees with upper respiratory disease, the risk was significantly elevated at a lower level of estimated protease exposure (geometric mean 2.3 ng.m−3).

Conclusions:

These findings provide strong evidence of an association between detergent enzyme exposure and the development of respiratory disease in an occupational setting. Using the routinely collected information on specific sensitisation and the close attention to workplace exposures that are characteristic of this industry, it should be possible to derive meaningful occupational exposure standards for most detergent enzymes.
The value of cytological criteria in distinguishing sponges at the species level: the example of the genus Polymastia
Authors: Boury-Esnault Nicole , Hajdu Eduardo , Klautau Michelle , Custodio Márcio , Borojević Radovan
Published: June 2009

We examined the value of using cytological criteria for sponge taxonomy within the well-defined genus Polymastia and redescribe the species Polymastia janeirensis comb.nov. Comparison of the anatomical, morphological, and skeletal characteristics of P. janeirensis with those of the 17 other known Atlantic species demonstrated that P. janeirensis is closely related to P. agglutinans and P. mammillaris. The study confirmed that the close relationship between P. janeirensis and P. mammillaris can also be recognized at the cytological level. We conclude that cytological criteria can be used for the identification of sponges at the species level, and that these criteria may provide useful information about phylogenetic relationships among sponges belonging to genera with many species and a wide geographical distribution.
Influence of photoperiod on the timing of reproductive maturation in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and its application to genetic transfers between odd- and even-year spawning populations
Authors: Beacham Terry D. , Murray Clyde B. , Barner L. Walter
Published: June 2009

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) embryos were obtained in April 1991 from the first generation of a 1989 brood line, which had been induced to spawn 6 months earlier than wild populations, which spawn in October. These embryos and subsequent juveniles were reared at a development temperature and under a photoperiod regime that induced some fish from this second generation to mature in October 1992, the correct time of year for spawning of wild populations. Other captive groups of pink salmon also matured in April 1993, permitting a comparison of fecundity, egg fertility, and egg size among female spawners in different photoperiods. Although the wild population spawns only in odd years, the captive population, originally derived from odd-year spawners, has been manipulated to spawn in even years. This shifting of the spawning time of the captive population may permit a transplant of odd-year genes into an even-year line, perhaps allowing the development of a run of even-year pink salmon in the Fraser River, British Columbia.
Feeding of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) postsmolts in a fjord in central Norway
Authors: Levings C. D. , Hvidsten N. A. , Johnsen B. Ø.
Published: June 2009

The feeding habits of postsmolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) caught by two-boat trawling were studied in Trondheimsfjord in central Norway. Fish caught in the inner fjord near the estuaries of the Orkla and Gaula rivers had recently fed on food produced in freshwater and estuarine habitats, namely stonefly and mayfly nymphs and gammarid amphipods. Stomach contents of postsmolts caught farther seaward were dominated by adult insects, with smaller proportions of the food volume originating from marine pelagic (larval fish, hyperiid amphipods, calanoid copepods) and nearshore (gammarid amphipods) habitats.
Demography of the Porcupine caribou herd, 1983–1992
Authors: Fancy Steven G. , Whitten Kenneth R. , Russell Donald E.
Published: June 2009

Population size, parturition rates, and sex- and age-specific survival rates were determined for the Porcupine caribou herd (Rangifer tarandus granti) in northeastern Alaska and northwestern Canada between 1983 and 1992. The herd increased at an annual rate of r = 0.0467 between censuses in July 1983 (n = 135 000), July 1987 (n = 165 000), and July 1989 (n = 178 000). The mean parturition rate for 225 radio-collared cows aged ≥3 years monitored for 603 reproductive attempts between 1982 and 1992 was 80% and did not differ among years. First-year survival of calves was 51%. The survival rate of calves through their first month differed among years (range 57–90%). The mean annual survival rate for ≥3-year-old caribou was 84.2% for 225 females and 82.6% for 42 males. Hunting mortality for the herd averaged 2–3% annually. Population estimates generated by a computer model using parturition and survival rates for the herd closely tracked population trends determined from photocensus data. Growth of the herd is most sensitive to the survival of females 3 years of age and older, followed by calf production and survival.
The diving behaviour of Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba) off southern Vancouver Island
Authors: Clowater James S. , Burger Alan E.
Published: June 2009

The foraging behaviour of Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba) was observed off southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Diving bouts comprised 1–24 dives. Birds returned to the surface with prey in 22 of 248 (9%) dives, and mean handling time for prey was 34.7 s. Dives averaged 87 s (ranging from 37 s in water 14 m deep to 144 s at 34 m) and the mean postdive pause lasted 98 s (range 24–232 s). Birds foraged in water depths from 6 to 45 m. The duration of both dives and pauses increased with water depth. Our model of Pigeon Guillemot diving behaviour predicts foraging time at the bottom to be maximized during dives to depths of 22–24 m, while foraging efficiency, (foraging time)/(dive + recovery time), is maximized at 10 m. Calculated work to resist buoyancy and drag during descent and foraging phases of the dive cycle suggest that energetic savings from reduced buoyancy at depth may not explain how birds increase dive duration with increasing depth. Pigeon Guillemots appear to maximize time spent in the foraging patch. In 82% of transects, the most frequently chosen foraging depth was 15–20 m (mode). Model predictions were supported by observations that 43.6% of Pigeon Guillemots preferred water depths of 15–20 m, while 19% preferred water depths of 10–15 m.
DNA sequence from the SRY gene of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) for use in molecular sexing
Authors: Richard Kenny R. , McCarrey Steven W. , Wright Jonathan M.
Published: June 2009

We sequenced a 152 base pair fragment of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) SRY gene in order to obtain species-specific primers for determination of sex by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence identity between the sperm whale SRY fragment and the homologous motif in a variety of other mammals was high, though generally higher with ungulates (~88%) than with the human (85%), rabbit (80%), mouse (75%), or marsupial mouse (66%). When primers based on the sperm whale sequence were employed for PCR, a single product was amplified from male sperm whale DNA, whereas no product was amplified from female DNA. This SRY fragment was also amplified from other cetacean male DNA, but not from human DNA. Thus, under appropriate PCR conditions, the use of the cetacean-specific primers in an assay to determine sex eliminates the possibility of false results owing to contamination by human DNA. To confirm the results of the SRY analysis we sexed the same individual sperm whales by restriction analysis of PCR-amplified fragments from the ZFY and ZFX genes, using universal primers and methods previously reported to work for other cetacean species.
Assessing cercarial transmission of Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus by use of sentinel snails
Authors: Lepitzki Dwayne A. W. , Scott Marilyn E. , McLaughlin J. Daniel
Published: June 2009

Sentinel snails (Bithynia tentaculata) were used to assess spatial and temporal variation in cercarial transmission of Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus at two field locations in southern Quebec and southeastern Ontario from mid-August to the end of October, 1989. Sentinels acquired infections with both digeneans; however, low levels of metacercariae of C. bushiensis precluded any conclusions regarding transmission of this parasite from being reached. In contrast, extensive spatial heterogeneity existed in the S. pseudoglobulus – snail system. Sentinel snails within 10 m of each other were apparently exposed to vastly different levels of naturally occurring cercariae. All size classes of sentinels were apparently equally susceptible to cercarial infections but no consistent temporal differences in infection levels were found.
Geographical variation of harp seal underwater vocalizations
Authors: Terhune J. M.
Published: June 2009

Underwater vocalizations of harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) were recorded during the breeding season in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and north of Jan Mayen Island. Each herd had one unique call type and shared (often in different proportions) an additional 17 call types. Of these 17, 13 common call types had sample sizes large enough to permit statistical analysis of five duration, repetition, and pitch features. Only one of these call types exhibited no interherd differences; the others exhibited 1 – 5 different features. The average and maximum numbers of elements per call were higher in the Gulf than the Jan Mayen herd. Within each herd there were no differences in the call types and numbers of call elements over a 19-year period. An implication of these findings and other separate tagging studies is that the two herds are reproductively isolated.
The influence of season, temperature, and absorptive state on sage grouse metabolism
Authors: Sherfy Mark H. , Pekins Peter J.
Published: June 2009

We used indirect respiration calorimetry to measure the metabolism of six adult sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) during winter, spring, and summer. During winter the metabolic rate of fed birds was higher (P < 0.05) than that of fasted birds. The standard metabolic rate (SMR) of females (0.692 mL O2∙g−1∙h−1) was higher than of males (0.583 mL O2∙g−1∙h−1) in winter; in both sexes SMR was higher in winter than in summer. Females' SMR was lower (P = 0.0001) in spring than in winter. Lower critical temperatures of both males and females were substantially lower in winter (−0.6 °C, −4.8 °C) than in summer (14.9 °C, 14.8 °C). Although seasonally elevated, the SMR of sage grouse in winter is low in comparison with that of other galliforms with northern distributions. Thermoregulation during a winter night at −10 °C would result in minimal (<5%) expenditure of endogenous reserves by either sex. Thermoregulation and SMR in winter are more energetically costly to female sage grouse than to males, and may necessitate increased behavioral thermoregulation by females. Seasonal change in SMR differs between the sexes, and is probably influenced by the energetic demands of the breeding season.
The demise of a class of protists: taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions proposed for the protest phylum Myxozoa Grassé, 1970
Authors: Kent M. L. , Margolis L. , Corliss J. O.
Published: June 2009

The phylum Myxozoa has been considered to comprise two classes, Myxosporea Bütschli, 1881 (primarily of fishes) and Actinosporea Noble in Levine et al., 1980 (primarily of aquatic oligochaetes). About 10 years ago it was demonstrated that the life cycle of Myxobolus cerebralis Hofer, 1903 (Myxobolidae: Platysporina) of salmonid fishes requires transformation of the myxosporean into an actinosporean stage in the oligochaete worm Tubifex tubifex (Tubificidae), and that the stage infective to fish is the actinosporean spore. This type of two-host life cycle has now been demonstrated or strongly implicated for 14 myxosporean species, belonging to 6 genera in 4 families. In light of these findings, the taxonomy of the Myxozoa is revised. We propose the following: suppression of the newer class Actinosporea and the order Actinomyxidia Štolc, 1899; and suppression of all families in the Actinosporea except Tetractinomyxidae. This family and its one genus, Tetractinomyxon Ikeda, 1912, are transferred to the order Multivalvulida Shulman, 1959 (Myxosporea). We also propose that actinosporean generic names be treated as collective-group names, thus they do not compete in priority with myxosporean generic names. Triactinomyxon dubium Granata, 1924 and Triactinomyxon gyrosalmo Wolf and Markiw, 1984 are suppressed as junior synonyms of Myxobolus cerebralis. The myxosporean stage of no other previously named actinosporean has been identified. Other actinosporean species are therefore retained as species inquirendae until their myxosporean stages are identified. A revised description of the phylum Myxozoa is provided that includes our proposed taxonomic and nomenclatural changes.
STRUCTURAL, DIELECTRIC AND TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF (PbSm)(ZrTi)O3 CERAMICS
Authors: RANJAN RAJIV , KUMAR RAJIV , BEHERA BANARJI , CHOUDHARY R. N. P.
Published: June 2009

The solid solutions of Pb 1-x Sm x( Zr 0.50 Ti 0.50)1-x/4 O 3 (PSZT), x = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 were prepared by a mixed oxide method at high temperature (sintering temperature 1200°C). Preliminary X-ray structural analysis suggests the formation of single-phase compounds at room temperature in tetragonal crystal system. The microstructural SEM analysis shows that the grains of the materials are almost spherical and also uniformly distributed over the surface. Detailed studies of dielectric properties (ε, tan δ and σ) of the materials in a wide temperature range (30–500°C) at different frequencies (103–106 Hz) reveal that the compounds have transition temperatures well above the room temperature. The analysis of the diffusivity of the dielectric peaks in these compounds provides values between 1 and 2, where the higher values indicate great disorder in the system. The temperature dependence of ac conductivity and the value of activation energy in different regions suggest that the conduction process is of mixed type (i.e. singly ionized in ferroelectric region and doubly ionized in paraelectric phase).
MAGNETIC CHARACTERISTICS OFNd-Fe-BMAGNETS RELATED TO FIELD THEORY, DIGITAL COMPUTATIONS, AND MEASUREMENTS
Authors: RI EUIJAE
Published: June 2009

Some magnetic characteristics of Nd - Fe - B sintered magnets have been clarified, especially in the near vicinity within three times their length for cylindrical magnets. The flux densities as a function of distance (z) along the z-axis from the center of a single magnet were determined by utilizing Hall sensors. The repulsions between two magnets possessing identical shape were directly measured, also as a function of z, by using a home-made apparatus adopting piezoelectric device. The respective result has turned out well, coinciding with that of corresponding finite element method analysis and some analytical solutions. Also in this investigation, the correct formula directly applicable to the near H-field strength along the magnetic moment of a cylindrical magnet has been determined to be the exact solution that defies all confusing approximations or assumptions in theory, which were seen in textbooks or published in papers. Furthermore an analytical solution for the repulsion of magnet twins (cylindrical or hexagonal in shape), which can be handy in designing a variety of superconducting and/or electromagnetic devices, has been derived basically from Biot–Savart Law.
THE OPTICAL KERR EFFECT IN WURTZITEGaN-BASED DOUBLE QUANTUM WELLS: INFLUENCES OF PIEZOELECTRICITY AND SPONTANEOUS POLARIZATION
Authors: ZHANG L.
Published: June 2009

Taking the influences of piezoelectricity and spontaneous polarization into consideration, the nonlinear optical Kerr effect in a nitride semiconductor coupling double quantum well (DQW) has been theoretically investigated by using the compact density matrix approach and iterative treatment. The electronic eigenstates in a nitride DQW are exactly solved based on the built-in electric field model already constituted in recent reference. The band non-parabolicity effect of nitride heterostructures has been taken into account. A typical wurtzite GaN / AlGaN DQW is chosen to perform numerical calculations. The calculated results reveal that the optical Kerr coefficients sensitively depend on the structural parameters of the coupling DQW system. Moreover, a strong optical Kerr effect can be realized in the nitride DQW by choosing a group of optimum structural parameters and doped fraction.
SOLUTIONS OF HELMHOLTZ EQUATIONS BY VARIATIONAL ITERATION METHOD
Authors: CHEN RUYUN , XIANG SHUHUANG
Published: June 2009

In this letter, we discuss an application of the variational iteration method on obtaining series solution and exact solution of Helmholtz equation with initial conditions. The suggested algorithms are quite efficient and are practically well-suited for use in this class of equation. The proposed iterative schemes find the solution without any need to discretize the variables. The results reveal the advantages of the method for Helmholtz equation.