bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying morphometrics to early land plant systematics: A new Leclercqia (Lycopsida) species from Washington State, USA
Authors: Benca Jeffrey P. , Carlisle Maureen H. , Bergen Silas , Strömberg Caroline A. E.
Published: March 2014

• Premise of the study: Early land plant fossils can be challenging to interpret due to their morphological simplicity and often fragmentary nature. Morphometric techniques using commonly preserved characters might increase diagnostic value of such material. To evaluate the utility of morphometrics in assessing morphospecies boundaries in the Devonian, we compared degrees of variation within the cosmopolitan lycopsid genus Leclercqia with that of living relatives (Lycopodium‐Spinulum spp.) Of particular interest was determining whether a new morphotype of Leclercqia from the Middle Devonian Chilliwack flora of Washington State fell within or outside the range of variation of previously described species.

• Methods: Morphological variation of Leclercqia was assessed across the geographic range of the genus using six vegetative and three reproductive characters. The new morphotype and two previously described species (L. complexa, L. andrewsii) were compared using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Extant Lycopodium‐Spinulum species and variants were similarly analyzed to assess inter‐ vs. intraspecific variation in living lycopsids.

• Key results: The LDA comparisons of Lycopodium‐Spinulum yielded notable morphological disparity between species but substantial overlap between intraspecific variants. Among the fossils, LDA separates the new morphotype, Leclercqia complexa, and L. andrewsii to a similar degree as Lycopodium and Spinulum species. Based on these results and further study, we describe a new species of Leclercqia: Leclercqia scolopendra Benca et Strömberg sp. nov.

• Conclusions: Morphometric analyses can aid in informing taxonomic assignment of fragmentary early land plant fossils using readily preserved features, even in the absence of reproductive structures. Applications of this approach to the Chilliwack flora suggest Leclercqia displayed greater morphological variation, taxonomic diversity, and biogeographic extent than previously thought.
Exploring bud dormancy completion with a combined architectural and phenological analysis: The case of apple trees in contrasting winter temperature conditions
Authors: Schmitz Juliano Dutra , Guédon Yann , Herter Flavio Gilberto , Leite Gabriel Berenhauser , Lauri Pierre‐Éric
Published: March 2014

• Premise of the study: The branching pattern and phenology of trees result from interactions between the tree's genetic constitution and environmental conditions. Temperature strongly affects the duration of bud dormancy and further shoot growth. Our hypothesis was that shoot architecture is strongly affected by winter temperatures determining both the position and budburst of vegetative laterals with a lower effect on their outgrowth.

• Methods: The study was conducted on four apple cultivars characterized by various chilling requirements and grown in two contrasting winter temperature conditions. A two‐step approach was designed to quantify at the shoot scale first the branching pattern and second two phenological stages of vegetative laterals, budburst and outgrowth. A categorical variable, the branching zone, was built to summarize the lateral position along the shoot. It was integrated into the phenological analysis as a factor together with the cultivar and the winter temperature.

• Key results: Temperature had a main effect on the distribution of vegetative laterals along the shoot. It also strongly affected budburst, which was also affected by the cultivar and the branching zone. The outgrowth of the lateral was not significantly affected by temperature but was significantly affected by the cultivar and the branching zone. Furthermore, the delayed senescence and subsequent leaf persistence during winter, characterizing the apple tree in the mild winter temperature condition, had only a weak effect on the distribution of vegetative laterals and on budburst and lateral outgrowth.

• Conclusions: The actual shoot architecture and budburst result from an ordered sequence of events with a pivotal role of winter temperatures on the dormancy completion of individual lateral buds. Endogenous factors related to the cultivar branching pattern overtake the temperature effect on the lateral outgrowth.
Morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological diversity of the new model species Setaria viridis (Poaceae: Paniceae) and its close relatives
Authors: Layton Daniel J. , Kellogg Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2014

• Premise of the study: Species limits of the emerging model organism Setaria viridis (tribe Paniceae, subtribe Cenchrinae) are not well defined. It is thought to be related to S. adhaerens, S. faberi, S. verticillata, and S. verticilliformis and in North America occurs with the morphologically similar S. pumila. An integrated approach was taken to evaluate its variation and relationships with the other taxa.

• Methods: Statistical morphology, flow cytometry, molecular phylogenetics, and growth experiments were employed to examine the group's physical variation, polyploidy, evolutionary relationships, and drought ecology, respectively.

• Key results: Setaria viridis contributed one genome to the tetraploids S. faberi, S. verticillata, and S. verticilliformis; the other genome of the latter two was contributed by S. adhaerens. Setaria pumila is unrelated. Morphologically, S. viridis is most similar to S. faberi, but all tested accessions of S. viridis were diploid, whereas those of S. faberi were all tetraploid. Principal component analysis of 70 morphological characters consistently separated S. viridis from S. faberi, largely by spikelet characters. The diagnostic morphological characters are not affected by watering. Setaria faberi is far more sensitive to drought, in terms of mortality and morphological stunting, than S. viridis or S. pumila.

• Conclusions: Setaria viridis is a diploid species and has contributed to several polyploid derivatives. The most morphologically similar of the polyploids is S. faberi, which differs in spikelet features, phylogenetics, genome size, and ecological response to drought. Researchers using field‐collected S. viridis as a model organism will benefit from the clear delimitation provided in this study.
Suppression of nativeMelaleuca ericifoliaby the invasivePhragmites australisthrough allelopathic root exudates
Authors: Uddin Md. Nazim , Robinson Randall William , Caridi Domenic , Al Harun Md. Abdullah Yousuf
Published: March 2014

•Premise of the study:Invasive plants are a great threat to the conservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Allelopathy as a mechanism for invasion of plants such asPhragmites australis, one of the most aggressive invaders, has the potential to suppress neighboring plant species. Allelopathic interference, through root exudates ofP. australison nativeMelaleuca ericifolia, was investigated to find out the underlying invasion mechanisms.

•Methods:Germination and growth effects ofP. australisonM. ericifoliawere studied in the greenhouse using potting mix both with and without activated carbon, and a combination of single and repeated cuttings ofP. australisas the management tool.

•Key results: P. australishad significant negative effects on germination and growth ofM. ericifoliaby inhibiting germination percentage, maximum root length and plant height, biomass, stem diameter, and number of growth points with little effect on leaf physiology. Activated carbon (AC) in turn moderately counteracted these effects. The cutting ofP. australisshoots significantly reduced the suppressive effects onM. ericifoliacompared to the addition of AC to soil. Furthermore, significant changes in soil such as pH, electrical conductivity, osmotic potential, phenolics, and dehydrogenase activity were identified among cutting treatments with little variation between AC treatments.

•Conclusion:The results demonstrated that allelopathy through root exudates ofP. australishad relatively low contribution in suppressingM. ericifoliain comparison to other competitive effects. Management tools combining repeated cutting ofP. australisshoots with AC treatments may assist partly in the restoration of native ecosystems invaded byP. australis.
Tree genotype and genetically based growth traits structure twig endophyte communities
Authors: Lamit Louis J. , Lau Matthew K. , Sthultz Christopher M. , Wooley Stuart C. , Whitham Thomas G. , Gehring Catherine A.
Published: March 2014

• Premise of the study: Fungal endophytes asymptomatically inhabit plant tissues where they have mutualistic, parasitic, or commensal relationships with their hosts. Although plant–fungal interactions at the genotype scale have broad ecological and evolutionary implications, the sensitivity of endophytes in woody tissues to differences among plant genotypes is poorly understood. We hypothesize that (1) endophyte communities in Populus angustifolia (Salicaceae) twigs vary among tree genotypes, (2) endophyte variation is linked to quantitative tree traits, and (3) tree genotype influences interspecific fungal interactions.

• Methods: Endophytes were isolated from twigs of replicated P. angustifolia genotypes in a common garden and characterized with PCR‐RFLP and DNA sequencing. Twig length and diameter, aboveground tree biomass, and condensed tannins were also quantified.

• Key results: (1) Aspects of fungal community structure, including composition and total isolation frequency (i.e., abundance), varied among genotypes. (2) Aboveground biomass and twig diameter were positively associated with isolation frequency and covaried with composition, whereas twig length and condensed tannin concentration were not significantly correlated to endophytes. (3) Fungal co‐occurrence patterns suggested negative species interactions, but the presence of significant co‐occurrences was genotype dependent.

• Conclusions: The species is often assumed to be the most important ecological unit; however, these results indicate that genetically based trait variation within a species can influence an important community of associated organisms. Given the dominance of plants as primary producers and the ubiquity of endophytes, the effect of host genetic variation on endophytes has fundamental implications for our understanding of terrestrial ecosystems.
Longterm Safety and Effectiveness of the Anti-interleukin 6 Receptor Monoclonal Antibody Tocilizumab in Patients with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Japan
Authors: Yokota Shumpei , Imagawa Tomoyuki , Mori Masaaki , Miyamae Takako , Takei Syuji , Iwata Naomi , Umebayashi Hiroaki , Murata Takuji , Miyoshi Mari , Tomiita Minako , Nishimoto Norihiro , Kishimoto Tadamitsu
Published: March 2014

Objective.

To assess the longterm safety and effectiveness of tocilizumab (TCZ) in systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA).

Methods.

The longterm extension phase of 2 pivotal studies (phase II with 11 patients and phase III with 56 patients) in patients with active sJIA was analyzed. Patients received open-label TCZ (8 mg/kg, every 2 weeks) without concomitant use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Results.

In total, 67 patients were enrolled. All patients received corticosteroid at baseline. Median duration of exposure to TCZ was 3.4 years. Nine patients withdrew from the study [4 because of adverse events (AE), 4 because of the development of anti-TCZ antibodies, and 1 because of inadequate response]. Rates of AE and serious AE were 803.7/100 patient-years (PY) and 34.7/100 PY, respectively. The most common serious AE were infections (13.2/100 PY). No cases of malignancy or death were reported. Two serious infusion reactions were reported in patients testing negative for anti-TCZ antibodies. One definite macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) case and 1 potential MAS case were identified. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response rates attained early in the TCZ treatment period were maintained throughout the study: at Week 168, JIA ACR 30, 50, 70, 90, and 100 response rates were 80.3%, 80.3%, 75.4%, 60.7%, and 18.0%, respectively. In total, 22 of 67 patients (32.8%) completely discontinued corticosteroids without flare.

Conclusion.

TCZ has demonstrated durability of effectiveness in the longterm treatment of children with sJIA and has shown good tolerability and a low discontinuation rate associated with AE, development of anti-TCZ antibodies, or inadequate response. (ClinicalTrials.govNCT00144599 and NCT00144612).

(First Release March 15 2014; J Rheumatol 2014;41:759-67; doi:10.3899/jrheum.130690)
Une passion de l'égalité particulièrement insatiable en France
Authors: Forsé Michel
Published: March 2014

Pour les opinions de la population d’une majorité de pays dans le monde, les inégalités salariales sont en hausse et contribuent à former une société injuste, tandis que dans le même temps la mondialisation accroît les écarts entre les pays riches et les pays pauvres. Cette perception des inégalités et de leur évolution n’est pas nécessairement en adéquation avec les niveaux ou les mouvements de ces inégalités tels que révélés par les indices statistiques usuels appliqués nationalement. Ainsi, en France, on juge davantage qu’ailleurs que les inégalités de revenus sont trop grandes, bien qu’elles se situent dans la moyenne des pays suivis par l’OCDE. Et là où elles sont élevées, comme aux États-Unis, on les trouve peu importantes. La France se caractérise au total par une « passion de l’égalité » très prégnante qui s’explique par le décalage entre un idéal égalitaire de justice sociale (commun à tous les pays) et cette perception d’inégalités plus fortes qu’ailleurs.
De la monnaie cosmopolitique
Authors: Parodi Maxime
Published: March 2014

Une monnaie cosmopolitique est une monnaie unique à plusieurs nations et fondée explicitement sur une forme de co-souveraineté. Une telle monnaie n’est possible qu’en acceptant une politique monétaire et des politiques budgétaires et fiscales fondées sur des raisons partagées, où chacun est responsable des engagements monétaires qu’il prend et coresponsable de la capacité de chacun à mener une politique économique adéquate. Pour durer, cette monnaie exige une attention soutenue sur les divergences macroéconomiques entre les partenaires et les difficultés que rencontre chacun ; elle impose une concertation ouverte sur les raisons de ces divergences et de ces difficultés ; elle nécessite une force de propositions sur les remèdes possibles, à court, moyen et long terme ; enfin, elle exige la coopération volontaire de chacun, à condition toutefois d’en avoir la capacité. Une telle coopération monétaire repose sur une union cosmopolitique, qui est comme une société toujours en train de se faire mais jamais achevée entre des partenaires conservant leur souveraineté. Une telle union n’écrit pas de contrat social ; elle ne promulgue pas nécessairement de lois ou de traités pour résoudre ses problèmes, même lorsqu’elle est convaincue de la nécessité d’une réponse collective au problème. Face à certains problèmes hautement conflictuels, il n’y aura ainsi pas d’autre choix que d’en passer par le jugement commun des gouvernements cosouverains. Dans ce cas, la seule garantie que peuvent espérer obtenir les partenaires de l’union, c’est que le jugement commun traduira le mieux possible l’esprit de l’union, la volonté de continuer à faire le chemin ensemble.
La macroéconomie à l'épreuve des faits
Authors: Gaffard Jean-Luc
Published: March 2014

L’objet de cet article est de proposer une lecture de l’évolution des faits et des idées économiques dans la perspective de montrer que les vieilles idées resurgissent sous de nouveaux atours, au point d’en cacher les lacunes et de rendre les crises, non seulement difficiles à prévoir, mais même à imaginer. Vouloir incriminer la seule finance et l’incapacité des économistes à en cerner les véritables arcanes pour les expliquer ne saurait suffire, pas plus d’ailleurs que ne le saurait la tentative d’avoir une macroéconomie des temps de crise différente de celle des temps calmes. Les crises ne viennent pas de nulle part. Elles sont le fruit d’une longue maturation dont les clés sont difficilement perceptibles par temps calme, mais existent bel et bien. La principale leçon de cette courte histoire est, sans doute, qu’il faut aller vers une macroéconomie réunifiée, permettant d’articuler court et long terme et de mettre en scène des agents hétérogènes.
cultural economics of performance space: Negotiating fan, labor, and marketing practice in "Glee"'s transmedia geography
Authors: Stork Matthias
Published: March 2014

The Fox television show Glee (2009–present) constitutes a cultural phenomenon of the digital age. Through its multiplatform marketing of musical and theatrical performance, the show has attracted a substantial fan base and created a self-sustaining economy of cultural expression. As a serialized narrative with a focus on the underdog's struggle for fame, it constructs a populist forum for fans to live their dream of becoming a star vicariously and learn how to realize it in real life—how to make it. Glee's marketing approach postulates performance as the essential element in forming an intimate relationship between the show and its core fans, the Gleeks. Performances are distributed across several spaces, including a multitude of video and audio channels, to satisfy Gleeks' desire for maximum content. The show's cast and crew further offer to discuss these performances and grant special insights into their creation. Glee's promotional discourse overtly characterizes fans as equals, positioning its programming as a gift to them. The overarching message of this marketing methodology is that Glee rewards its fans for their investment and loyalty by offering up content and interaction in a variety of performative spaces—a transmedia geography—that transcend television. By using an interdisciplinary framework of political economy, cultural geography, and transmedia communications, Glee may be examined in relation to its diegetic and nondiegetic conceptualization and commodification of performance space. Doing this illuminates how the show negotiates—indeed exploits—the concepts of fan and labor practice in contemporary media industries.
Modding a free and open source software video game: "Play testing is hard work"
Authors: Poderi Giacomo , Hakken David James
Published: March 2014

Video game modding is a form of fan productivity in contemporary participatory culture. We see modding as an important way in which modders experience and conceptualize their work. By focusing on modding in a free and open source software video game, we analyze the practice of modding and the way it changes modders' relationship with their object of interest. The modders' involvement is not always associated with fun and creativity. Indeed, activities such as play testing often undermine these dimensions of modding. We present a case study of modding that is based on ethnographic research done for The Battle for Wesnoth, a free and open source software strategy video game entirely developed by a community of volunteers.
"Chuck" versus the ratings: Savvy fans and "save our show" campaigns
Authors: Savage Christina
Published: March 2014

Fans rarely have the opportunity to affect the production of their favorite television shows, but sometimes they can save them. "Save our show" campaigns provide an example of fan labor that can influence the decision to renew or cancel a show. These campaigns have previously appeared as fans wrote to the networks en masse and sent in paraphernalia related to the show. The "Finale and a Footlong" "save our show" campaign for NBC's Chuck (2007–12) demonstrates a change in the way that fans understand their role in television consumption and production. By examining this campaign and situating it within a history of these types of campaigns, we can see how the "save our show" campaign for Chuck emphasizes the role of fan as both television viewer and advertisement consumer in a way that privileges the power of the fan as never before.
Fifty shades of exploitation: Fan labor and "Fifty Shades of Grey"
Authors: Jones Bethan
Published: March 2014

This exploration of the debates that have taken place in fandom over the ethics of pulling fan fiction and publishing it as original work draws on the notion of the fannish gift economy, which postulates that gifts such as fan fiction and fan art have value in the fannish community because they are designed to create and cement its social structure. Tension exists between fans who subscribe to the notion of a fannish gift economy and those who exploit fandom by using it to sell their pulled-to-publish works. An examination of E. L. James's 2012 Fifty Shades trilogy (comprising the books Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed), which began as Twilight fan fiction, in addition to Twilight fan art sold through sites such as Redbubble and Etsy, demonstrates a tension between the two modes of fan expression: sale of artworks appears to be an acceptable practice in fandom, but the commercial sale of fan fic, even when marketed as original fiction, is widely contested.
media festival volunteer: Connecting online and on-ground fan labor
Authors: Peaslee Robert Moses , El-Khoury Jessica , Liles Ashley
Published: March 2014

In this initial attempt to bring volunteering, or what we call on-ground fan labor, into the ongoing discussion of fan productivity, we examine volunteer motivations as elicited through interview and participant observation data collected at a 2012 genre film festival, Fantastic Fest, held in Austin, Texas. This case study is a first step toward integrating the volunteer and fan labor literatures and interrogating the role of social capital and civic engagement in volunteerism. We conclude that the media festival (a term intended to encompass such sites as film festivals and fan conventions) is a site of particular and emergent importance for those studying the audience's increasing delivery of free labor.
Sherlockology and Galactica.tv: Fan sites as gifts or exploited labor?
Authors: Chin Bertha
Published: March 2014

Current scholarship on fandom has been preoccupied with examining the changing relationship between media industry professionals and fans. Media producers, celebrities, and industry insiders are increasingly establishing contact with fans, bypassing traditional media entertainment outlets to provide them with information directly. This contact is facilitated by social media networks. Fans serve as grassroots campaigners, promoters, and sometimes even public relations officers, acting as liaisons between media producers, celebrities, or industry insiders and fandom in general. In doing so, they take on roles traditionally fulfilled by professional PR and marketing personnel, and they do it for free, resulting in accusations that they are being exploited for their labor. However, fans do not necessarily view themselves as being exploited. We need to consider the possibility that they may regard their contributions as a service—or gift—to fandom. In examining the roles played by two popular fan sites, Sherlockology and Galactica.tv, I propose to examine how fan labor may be considered an act of gift giving in fandom.
Fan work: Labor, worth, and participation in fandom's gift economy
Authors: Turk Tisha
Published: March 2014

Fandom's gift economy should be understood as involving a wide variety of gifts, a complex system of reciprocation, and the use of gifts as a sign of their reception.
Better Badges: Image as virus
Authors: MacFie Joly
Published: March 2014

A brief personal history of the premier maker of punk badges, 1976–82.
"Cognitive capitalism, education, and digital labor," edited by Michael A. Peters and Ergin Bulut
Authors: Becque Simone D.
Published: March 2014

Review of Michael A. Peters and Ergin Bulut, eds. Cognitive capitalism, education, and digital labor. New York: Peter Lang, 2011. Paperback, $38.95 (341p) ISBN 978-1-4331-0981-2.
"Gaga feminism: Sex, gender, and the end of normal," by J. Jack Halberstam
Authors: Kustritz Anne
Published: March 2014

Review of J. Jack Halberstam. Gaga feminism: Sex, gender, and the end of normal. Boston: Beacon, 2012. Hardcover, $26.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0807010983.
Fandom and/as labor
Authors: Stanfill Mel , Condis Megan
Published: March 2014

Editorial providing an overview of the topic of fan studies and labor; and outlining the special issue's contents.
Evaluation du bien-être et de la pauvreté en économie : théorie normative et expérimentation
Authors: Magdalou Brice
Published: March 2014

L'objectif de ce chapitre est de présenter le cadre conceptuel généralement utilisée par l'économiste pour appréhender, puis évaluer la pauvreté. En tout premier lieu, notre objectif sera de montrer que les mesures proposées en économie ne sont pas de simples indicateurs statistiques, mais plutôt des outils incorporant des jugements de valeurs portés sur la façon d'envisager le bien-être social. Nous présenterons à cette fin l'économie normative, sa méthode et ses principaux objectifs. Nous exposerons ensuite le mode de sélection d'un indice particulier, sur la base des propriétés que l'on souhaite imposer à ce dernier.
Un prototype SIG pour analyser la résilience urbaine : application à la ville de Dublin
Authors: Lhomme Serge , Laganier Richard , Diab Youssef , Serre Damien
Published: March 2014

La résilience fait l’objet de nombreux débats dans le domaine académique notamment concernant sa pertinence pratique. C’est pourquoi les travaux concernant le développement de méthodologies et d’outils afin d’analyser la résilience se révèlent particulièrement importants. Cette recherche propose alors une méthodologie pour analyser la résilience urbaine et introduit le développement d’un prototype permettant de rendre opérationnelle cette méthodologie. Après avoir détaillé une méthodologie focalisée sur une analyse préalable de la résilience des réseaux techniques, celle-ci est mise en œuvre, à l’aide d’un prototype Web-SIG. Plus précisément, la méthodologie et l’outil ont été appliqués à la ville de Dublin qui est une ville fortement exposée aux inondations. L’identification de relations complexes entre les risques et les territoires, permise par cette recherche, semble démontrer la pertinence pratique du prototype développé.
Du double affrontement ontologique/axiologique autour de la résilience aux risques de catastrophe : les spécificités de l’approche française
Authors: Quenault Béatrice
Published: March 2014

L’engouement croissant autour de la résilience dans les sociétés urbanisées peut s’interpréter comme le signe d’une impuissance assumée face à un certain nombre de risques, climatiques notamment, dont la réduction serait désormais jugée inaccessible. Toutefois, derrière la quête implicite de la « catastrophe acceptable » que sous-tend la mise en avant du concept de résilience se profile une double occasion d’affrontement, « ontologique » (à caractère épistémologique) entre deux visions opposées de la résilience, et « axiologique » (de nature politique) entre deux approches de la gestion des risques en vue de prévenir les catastrophes. Face à ce constat, cet article s’attache au travers des spécificités de l’approche française des politiques publiques en matière de gestion des risques de catastrophe d’origine climatique en milieu urbain à souligner l’opposition entre, d’une part, la vision dominante focalisée sur la résilience réactive de court terme, et, d’autre part, celle systémique plus marginalement répandue mettant l’accent sur la résilience proactive de long terme. Alors que la première participe d’une simple instrumentalisation de la résilience dans la gestion des risques et la planification urbaine en continuité avec le « business as usual » pour rendre acceptable ce qui a priori ne l’est pas, la seconde participe au contraire d’une revendication de rénovation politique profonde destinée à rendre effective la transition soutenable des systèmes urbains.
Tissue Requirements for Establishing Long-Term CD4+ T Cell–Mediated Immunity following Leishmania donovani Infection
Authors: Bunn Patrick T. , Stanley Amanda C. , de Labastida Rivera Fabian , Mulherin Alexander , Sheel Meru , Alexander Clare E. , Faleiro Rebecca J. , Amante Fiona H. , Montes De Oca Marcela , Best Shannon E. , James Kylie R. , Kaye Paul M. , Haque Ashraful , Engwerda Christian R.
Published: March 2014

Organ-specific immunity is a feature of many infectious diseases, including visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani. Experimental visceral leishmaniasis in genetically susceptible mice is characterized by an acute, resolving infection in the liver and chronic infection in the spleen. CD4+ T cell responses are critical for the establishment and maintenance of hepatic immunity in this disease model, but their role in chronically infected spleens remains unclear. In this study, we show that dendritic cells are critical for CD4+ T cell activation and expansion in all tissue sites examined. We found that FTY720-mediated blockade of T cell trafficking early in infection prevented Ag-specific CD4+ T cells from appearing in lymph nodes, but not the spleen and liver, suggesting that early CD4+ T cell priming does not occur in liver-draining lymph nodes. Extended treatment with FTY720 over the first month of infection increased parasite burdens, although this associated with blockade of lymphocyte egress from secondary lymphoid tissue, as well as with more generalized splenic lymphopenia. Importantly, we demonstrate that CD4+ T cells are required for the establishment and maintenance of antiparasitic immunity in the liver, as well as for immune surveillance and suppression of parasite outgrowth in chronically infected spleens. Finally, although early CD4+ T cell priming appeared to occur most effectively in the spleen, we unexpectedly revealed that protective CD4+ T cell–mediated hepatic immunity could be generated in the complete absence of all secondary lymphoid tissues.
Distinct Requirements for Activation of NKT and NK Cells during Viral Infection
Authors: Tyznik Aaron J. , Verma Shilpi , Wang Qiao , Kronenberg Mitchell , Benedict Chris A.
Published: March 2014

NK cells are key regulators of innate defense against mouse CMV (MCMV). Like NK cells, NKT cells also produce high levels of IFN-γ rapidly after MCMV infection. However, whether similar mechanisms govern activation of these two cell types, as well as the significance of NKT cells for host resistance, remain unknown. In this article, we show that, although both NKT and NK cells are activated via cytokines, their particular cytokine requirements differ significantly in vitro and in vivo. IL-12 is required for NKT cell activation in vitro but is not sufficient, whereas NK cells have the capacity to be activated more promiscuously in response to individual cytokines from innate cells. In line with these results, GM-CSF–derived dendritic cells activated only NK cells upon MCMV infection, consistent with their virtual lack of IL-12 production, whereas Flt3 ligand–derived dendritic cells produced IL-12 and activated both NK and NKT cells. In vivo, NKT cell activation was abolished in IL-12−/− mice infected with MCMV, whereas NK cells were still activated. In turn, splenic NK cell activation was more IL-18 dependent. The differential requirements for IL-12 and IL-18 correlated with the levels of cytokine receptor expression by NK and NKT cells. Finally, mice lacking NKT cells showed reduced control of MCMV, and depleting NK cells further enhanced viral replication. Taken together, our results show that NKT and NK cells have differing requirements for cytokine-mediated activation, and both can contribute nonredundantly to MCMV defense, revealing that these two innate lymphocyte subsets function together to fine-tune antiviral responses.
IL-13 Orchestrates Resolution of Chronic Intestinal Inflammation via Phosphorylation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β
Authors: Fichtner-Feigl Stefan , Kesselring Rebecca , Martin Maria , Obermeier Florian , Ruemmele Petra , Kitani Atsushi , Brunner Stefan M. , Haimerl Michael , Geissler Edward K. , Strober Warren , Schlitt Hans J.
Published: March 2014

Spontaneous amelioration of inflammation (often accompanied by fibrosis) is a well-known, but poorly understood, outcome of many chronic inflammatory processes. We studied this phenomenon in a chronic trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid–induced colitis model, an experimental colitis in mice that we showed to ultimately undergo spontaneous resolution, despite continued trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid stimulation. Analysis of the mechanism of this resolution revealed that it was critically dependent on IL-13 activation of STAT6, followed by phosphorylation (inactivation) of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, at least in part via STAT6 induction of p38 MAPK. Such glycogen synthase kinase-3β inactivation causes changes in CREB and p65 DNA-binding activity that favors decreased proinflammatory IL-17 production and increased anti-inflammatory IL-10 production. Thus, in this case, IL-13 acts as a molecular switch that leads to resolution of inflammation.
Innate PI3K p110δ Regulates Th1/Th17 Development and Microbiota-Dependent Colitis
Authors: Steinbach Erin C. , Kobayashi Taku , Russo Steven M. , Sheikh Shehzad Z. , Gipson Gregory R. , Kennedy Samantha T. , Uno Jennifer K. , Mishima Yoshiyuki , Borst Luke B. , Liu Bo , Herfarth Hans , Ting Jenny P. Y. , Sartor R. Balfour , Plevy Scott E.
Published: March 2014

The p110δ subunit of class IA PI3K modulates signaling in innate immune cells. We previously demonstrated that mice harboring a kinase-dead p110δ subunit (p110δKD) develop spontaneous colitis. Macrophages contributed to the Th1/Th17 cytokine bias in p110δKD mice through increased IL-12 and IL-23 expression. In this study, we show that the enteric microbiota is required for colitis development in germfree p110δKD mice. Colonic tissue and macrophages from p110δKD mice produce significantly less IL-10 compared with wild-type mice. p110δKD APCs cocultured with naive CD4+ Ag-specific T cells also produce significantly less IL-10 and induce more IFN-γ– and IL-17A–producing CD4+ T cells compared with wild-type APCs. Illustrating the importance of APC–T cell interactions in colitis pathogenesis in vivo, Rag1−/−/p110δKD mice develop mild colonic inflammation and produced more colonic IL-12p40 compared with Rag1−/− mice. However, CD4+CD45RBhigh/low T cell Rag1−/−/p110δKD recipient mice develop severe colitis with increased percentages of IFN-γ– and IL-17A–producing lamina propria CD3+CD4+ T cells compared with Rag1−/− recipient mice. Intestinal tissue samples from patients with Crohn’s disease reveal significantly lower expression of PIK3CD compared with intestinal samples from non–inflammatory bowel disease control subjects (p < 0.05). PIK3CD expression inversely correlates with the ratio of IL12B:IL10 expression. In conclusion, the PI3K subunit p110δ controls homeostatic APC–T cell interactions by altering the balance between IL-10 and IL-12/23. Defects in p110δ expression and/or function may underlie the pathogenesis of human inflammatory bowel disease and lead to new therapeutic strategies.
MAPK Phosphotase 5 Deficiency Contributes to Protection against Blood-Stage Plasmodium yoelii 17XL Infection in Mice
Authors: Cheng Qianqian , Zhang Qingfeng , Xu Xindong , Yin Lan , Sun Lin , Lin Xin , Dong Chen , Pan Weiqing
Published: March 2014

Cell-mediated immunity plays a crucial role in the development of host resistance to asexual blood-stage malaria infection. However, little is known of the regulatory factors involved in this process. In this study, we investigated the impact of MAPK phosphotase 5 (MKP5) on protective immunity against a lethal Plasmodium yoelii 17XL blood-stage infection using MKP5 knockout C57BL/6 mice. Compared with wild-type control mice, MKP5 knockout mice developed significantly lower parasite burdens with prolonged survival times. We found that this phenomenon correlated with a rapid and strong IFN-γ–dependent cellular immune response during the acute phase of infection. Inactivation of IFN-γ by the administration of a neutralizing Ab significantly reduced the protective effects in MKP5 knockout mice. By analyzing IFN-γ production in innate and adaptive lymphocyte subsets, we observed that MKP5 deficiency specifically enhanced the IFN-γ response mediated by CD4+ T cells, which was attributable to the increased stimulatory capacity of splenic CD11c+ dendritic cells. Furthermore, following vaccination with whole blood-stage soluble plasmodial Ag, MKP5 knockout mice acquired strongly enhanced Ag-specific immune responses and a higher level of protection against subsequent P. yoelii 17XL challenge. Finally, we found the enhanced response mediated by MKP5 deficiency resulted in a lethal consequence in mice when infected with nonlethal P. yoelii 17XNL. Thus, our data indicate that MKP5 is a potential regulator of immune resistance against Plasmodium infection in mice, and that an understanding of the role of MKP5 in manipulating anti-malaria immunity may provide valuable information on the development of better control strategies for human malaria.
Gene Expression in the Gitr Locus Is Regulated by NF-κB and Foxp3 through an Enhancer
Authors: Tone Yukiko , Kidani Yoko , Ogawa Chihiro , Yamamoto Kouhei , Tsuda Masato , Peter Christian , Waldmann Herman , Tone Masahide
Published: March 2014

Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR (Gitr) and Ox40, two members of the TNFR superfamily, play important roles in regulating activities of effector and regulatory T cells (Treg). Their gene expression is induced by T cell activation and further upregulated in Foxp3+ Treg. Although the role of Foxp3 as a transcriptional repressor in Treg is well established, the mechanisms underlying Foxp3-mediated transcriptional upregulation remain poorly understood. This transcription factor seems to upregulate expression not only of Gitr and Ox40, but also other genes, including Ctla4, Il35, Cd25, all critical to Treg function. To investigate how Foxp3 achieves such upregulation, we analyzed its activity on Gitr and Ox40 genes located within a 15.1-kb region. We identified an enhancer located downstream of the Gitr gene, and both Gitr and Ox40 promoter activities were shown to be upregulated by the NF-κB–mediated enhancer activity. We also show, using the Gitr promoter, that the enhancer activity was further upregulated in conjunction with Foxp3. Foxp3 appears to stabilize NF-κB p50 binding by anchoring it to the enhancer, thereby enabling local accumulation of transcriptional complexes containing other members of the NF-κB and IκB families. These findings may explain how Foxp3 can activate expression of certain genes while suppressing others.
IFN-γ or IFN-α Ameliorates Chronic Proliferative Dermatitis by Inducing Expression of Linear Ubiquitin Chain Assembly Complex
Authors: Tamiya Hironari , Terao Mika , Takiuchi Tsuyoshi , Nakahara Masaki , Sasaki Yoshiteru , Katayama Ichiro , Yoshikawa Hideki , Iwai Kazuhiro
Published: March 2014

The linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) ubiquitin ligase complex, composed of HOIL-1L–interacting protein (HOIP), heme-oxidized IRP2 ubiquitin ligase-1L (HOIL-1L), and SHANK-associated RH domain protein, specifically generates linear polyubiquitin chains and is involved in NF-κB activation. Lack of SHANK-associated RH domain protein, which drastically reduces the amount of HOIP and HOIL-1L, causes chronic proliferative dermatitis (cpdm) in mice. Impaired NF-κB activation and augmented apoptosis have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cpdm in mice. In this study, we found that IFN-γ increased the amount of LUBAC by inducing HOIP and HOIL-1L mRNA transcription and enhanced the signal-induced NF-κB activation in embryonic fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and bone marrow–derived macrophages from wild-type and/or cpdm mice; however, IFN-γ failed to augment NF-κB activation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking linear polyubiquitination activity of LUBAC. Moreover, s.c. injection of IFN-γ for 3 wk into the skin of cpdm mice increased the amount of HOIP, suppressed apoptosis, and ameliorated the dermatitis. Inhibition of keratinocyte apoptosis by IFN-γ injection suppressed neutrophil, macrophage, and mast cell infiltration and the amount of TNF-α in the skin of cpdm mice. Similarly, IFN-α also enhanced the amount of HOIP as well as NF-κB activation, inhibited apoptosis, and ameliorated cpdm dermatitis. These results indicate that the IFNs enhance NF-κB activation and ameliorate cpdm dermatitis by augmenting expression of HOIP and HOIL-1L and linear polyubiquitination activity of LUBAC.
Functional NK Cell Repertoires Are Maintained through IL-2Rα and Fas Ligand
Authors: Felices Martin , Lenvik Todd R. , Ankarlo Dave E. M. , Foley Bree , Curtsinger Julie , Luo Xianghua , Blazar Bruce R. , Anderson Stephen K. , Miller Jeffrey S.
Published: March 2014

Acquisition of a functional NK cell repertoire, known as education or licensing, is a complex process mediated through inhibitory receptors that recognize self. We found that NK cells containing self-killer Ig-like receptors for cognate HLA ligand in vivo were less susceptible to apoptosis. In vitro IL-15 withdrawal showed that uneducated NK cells upregulated Bim and Fas. Conversely, educated NK cells upregulated Fas ligand (FasL) under these conditions. Induction of cell death and Bim expression on uneducated cells correlated with increased IL-2Rα expression. Overexpression and knockdown studies showed that higher IL-2Rα limits NK cell survival in a novel manner that is independent from the role of IL-2 in activation-induced cell death. To study the role of FasL in induction of IL-2Rαhi NK cell death, a coculture assay with FasL-blocking Abs was used. IL-15 withdrawal led to FasL-dependent killing of IL-2Rαhi NK cells by more educated IL-2Rαlo NK cells. Finally, CMV reactivation induces a potent long-lasting population of licensed NK cells with enhanced survival. These findings show that education-dependent NK cell survival advantages and killing of uneducated NK cells result in the maintenance of a functional repertoire, which may be manipulated to exploit NK cells for cancer immunotherapy.
B Cell Differentiation Is Associated with Reprogramming the CCCTC Binding Factor–Dependent Chromatin Architecture of the Murine MHC Class II Locus
Authors: Majumder Parimal , Scharer Christopher D. , Choi Nancy M. , Boss Jeremy M.
Published: March 2014

The transcriptional insulator CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) was shown previously to be critical for human MHC class II (MHC-II) gene expression. Whether the mechanisms used by CTCF in humans were similar to that of the mouse and whether the three-dimensional chromatin architecture created was specific to B cells were not defined. Genome-wide CTCF occupancy was defined for murine B cells and LPS-derived plasmablasts by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. Fifteen CTCF sites within the murine MHC-II locus were associated with high CTCF binding in B cells. Only one-third of these sites displayed significant CTCF occupancy in plasmablasts. CTCF was required for maximal MHC-II gene expression in mouse B cells. In B cells, a subset of the CTCF regions interacted with each other, creating a three-dimensional architecture for the locus. Additional interactions occurred between MHC-II promoters and the CTCF sites. In contrast, a novel configuration occurred in plasma cells, which do not express MHC-II genes. Ectopic CIITA expression in plasma cells to induce MHC-II expression resulted in high levels of MHC-II proteins, but did not alter the plasma cell architecture completely. These data suggest that reorganizing the three-dimensional chromatin architecture is an epigenetic mechanism that accompanies the silencing of MHC-II genes as part of the cell fate commitment of plasma cells.
Sea extreme events during the last millennium in north-east of Morocco
Authors: Raji O. , Dezileau L. , Von Grafenstein U. , Niazi S. , Snoussi M. , Martinez P.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The Moroccan Mediterranean coast is located in one of the most vulnerable area to extreme weather events or tsunami hazards. The objective of this research is to reconstruct the historical extreme submersion-events record using sea-induced deposits preserved in coastal lagoon. The Nador lagoon is the largest Moroccan lagoon (115 km2) located along the Western Mediterranean which presents a high cyclogenetic character and is exposed to tsunamis from Alboran Sea. The sandy barrier which separates the lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea is marked by many overwashes, which indicate how intensely has been exposed to the adverse sea events through history. Using the UWITEC coring platform, an undisturbed MC4.5 core (1.15 m long) was successfully sampled in the studied lagoon. To identify sea extreme events, a multi-proxy approach was applied combining sedimentogical and geochemical data. The preliminary results show that the identified paleo-events are concentrated over the last 500 years. The challenge that remains now is to distinguish between the tsunami and the storm deposits.
Factors driving carbon mineralization priming effect in a soil amended with different types of biochar
Authors: Cely P. , Tarquis A. M. , Paz-Ferreiro J. , Méndez A. , Gascó G.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The effect of biochar on soil carbon mineralization priming effect depends on the characteristics of the raw materials, production method and pyrolysis conditions. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the impact of three different types of biochar on soil CO2 emissions and in different physicochemical properties. For this purpose, a sandy-loam soil was amended with the three biochars (BI, BII and BIII) at a rate of 8 wt % and soil CO2 emissions were measured for 45 days. BI is produced from a mixed wood sieving's from wood chip production, BII from a mixture of paper sludge and wheat husks and BIII from sewage sludge. Cumulative CO2 emissions of biochars, soil and amended soil were well fit to a simple first-order kinetic model with correlation coefficients (r2) greater than 0.97. Results shown a negative priming effect in the soil after addition of BI and a positive priming effect in the case of soil amended with BII and BIII. These results can be related with different biochar properties such as ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, organic carbon oxidised with dichromate, soluble carbon and metal and phenolic substances content in addition to surface biochar properties. Three biochars increased the values of soil field capacity and wilting point, while effects over pH and cation exchange capacity were not observed.
Correlation Analysis Between Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemicals in Korean Colored Corns Using Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Ku Kang Mo , Kim Hye Suk , Kim Soon Kwon , Kang Young-Hwa
Published: March 2014

The colored corns are used as food as well as for feed in Asian countries; however, the active component of antioxidant activity in Korean colored corns has not been investigated. Thus, we measured the total content of carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins from 40 Korean colored corn genotypes for correlation analysis between antioxidant activity and these phytochemicals. The ferric reducing ability power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) activity were measured in order to study this correlation. As a result, there was large variation in total anthocyanin (coefficient of variation, CV 85.0%) and total carotenoid contents (CV 87.8%), while CVs of total phenol, total flavonoid contents, ABTS and FRAP was relatively low (CV 15.0%, 22.8%, 15.5%, and 16.3% respectively). There were meaningful correlations between ABTS and anthocyanins, phenols, and flavonoids, as well as correlations between FRAP and phenols as well as FRAP and flavonoids. We also obtained a more informative and easily visualized result by using principal component analysis (PCA). Anthocyanins and carotenoids showed a large variation as compared to other compounds. Anthocyanins are a good target to increase antioxidant activity in colored corns.