bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Breakfast Prior to Morning Exercise on Cognitive Performance, Mood and Appetite Later in the Day in Habitually Active Women
Authors: Veasey Rachel , Haskell-Ramsay Crystal , Kennedy David , Tiplady Brian , Stevenson Emma
Published: July 2015

Pre-exercise nutritional practices for active females exercising for mood, cognitive and appetite benefits are not well established. Results from an initial field pilot study showed that higher energy intake at breakfast was associated with lower fatigue and higher overall mood and alertness post-exercise (all p < 0.05). In a follow-up, randomised, controlled trial, 24 active women completed three trials in a balanced, cross-over design. At 0815 h participants completed baseline cognitive tasks, mood and appetite visual analogue scales (VAS) and were administered a cereal breakfast (providing 118 or 236 kcal) or no breakfast. After 45 min, they completed a 30 min run at 65% heart rate reserve (HRR). Parameters were re-assessed immediately after exercise, then hourly until lunch (~1240 h), immediately post-lunch and at 1500 and 1900 h via a mobile phone. Breakfast enhanced feelings of relaxation before lunch (p < 0.05, d > 0.40), though breakfast was detrimental for working memory mid-afternoon (p = 0.019, d = 0.37) and mental fatigue and tension later in the day (all p < 0.05, d > 0.038). Breakfast was also beneficial for appetite control before lunch irrespective of size (all p < 0.05, d > 0.43). These data provide information on pre-exercise nutritional practices for active females and suggest that a small breakfast eaten prior to exercise can benefit post-exercise mood and subjective appetite ratings.
Cell Wall Amine Oxidases: New Players in Root Xylem Differentiation under Stress Conditions
Authors: Ghuge Sandip , Tisi Alessandra , Carucci Andrea , Rodrigues-Pousada Renato , Franchi Stefano , Tavladoraki Paraskevi , Angelini Riccardo , Cona Alessandra
Published: July 2015

Polyamines (PAs) are aliphatic polycations present in all living organisms. A growing body of evidence reveals their involvement as regulators in a variety of physiological and pathological events. They are oxidatively deaminated by amine oxidases (AOs), including copper amine oxidases (CuAOs) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent polyamine oxidases (PAOs). The biologically-active hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a shared compound in all of the AO-catalyzed reactions, and it has been reported to play important roles in PA-mediated developmental and stress-induced processes. In particular, the AO-driven H2O2 biosynthesis in the cell wall is well known to be involved in plant wound healing and pathogen attack responses by both triggering peroxidase-mediated wall-stiffening events and signaling modulation of defense gene expression. Extensive investigation by a variety of methodological approaches revealed high levels of expression of cell wall-localized AOs in root xylem tissues and vascular parenchyma of different plant species. Here, the recent progresses in understanding the role of cell wall-localized AOs as mediators of root xylem differentiation during development and/or under stress conditions are reviewed. A number of experimental pieces of evidence supports the involvement of apoplastic H2O2 derived from PA oxidation in xylem tissue maturation under stress-simulated conditions.
Structural Performance of Polymer Fiber Reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites Subjected to Static and Fatigue Flexural Loading
Authors: Sherir Mohamed , Hossain Khandaker , Lachemi Mohamed
Published: July 2015

This paper presents the influence of silica sand, local crushed sand and different supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) to Portland cement (C) ratio (SCM/C) on the flexural fatigue performance of engineered cementitious composites (ECCs). ECC is a micromechanically-based designed high-performance polymer fiber reinforced concrete with high ductility which exhibits strain-hardening and micro-cracking behavior in tension and flexure. The relative high cost remains an obstacle for wider commercial use of ECC. The replacement of cement by SCMs, and the use of local sand aggregates can lower cost and enhance greenness of the ECC. The main variables of this study were: type and size of aggregates (local crushed or standard silica sand), type of SCMs (fly ash “FA” or slag), SCM/cement ratio of 1.2 or 2.2, three fatigue stress levels and number of fatigue cycles up to 1 million. The study showed that ECC mixtures produced with crushed sand (with high volume of fly ash and slag) exhibited strain hardening behavior (under static loading) with deformation capacities comparable with those made with silica sand. Class F-fly ash combined with crushed sand was the best choice (compared to class CI fly ash and slag) in order to enhance the ECC ductility with slag–ECC mixtures producing lowest deflection capacity. FA–ECC mixtures with silica sand developed more damage under fatigue loading due to higher deflection evolution than FA–ECC mixtures with crushed sand.
Preparation and Properties of Cellulose Laurate (CL)/Starch Nanocrystals Acetate (SNA) Bio-nanocomposites
Authors: Huang Feng-Yuan , Wu Xiao-Jie , Yu Yan , Lu Yan-Hua
Published: July 2015

In the present paper, a series of totally novel bio-nanocomposite films from cellulose laurate (CL) and starch nanocrystals acetate (SNA) were fabricated, and the properties of nanocomposite films were investigated in detail. SNA was obtained by modifying starch nanocrystals (SNs) produced by sulfuric acid hydrolysis of corn starch with acetic anhydride. The favorable dispersity of SNA in chloroform made it ready to convert into nanocomposite films with CL via casting/evaporation method. The transmittance, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, barrier properties and hydrophobicity of CL/SNA nanocomposite films were investigated with UV-vis spectrophotometer, simultaneous thermal analyzer (STA), universal tensile tester/dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA), water vapor permeation meter/oxygen permeability tester, and contact angle tester, respectively. The transmittance of nanocomposite films decreased with the increase of SNA content. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the introduction of SNA into CL matrix did not severely decrease the thermal behavior of CL/SNA nanocomposites. Moreover, non-linear and linear mechanical analysis reflected the enhancement of SNA. At lower contents of SNA (<5.0 wt%), the values of Young’s modulus, tensile strength and the elongation at break of nanocomposite films were comparable with those of neat CL. However, with the increase of SNA, the Young’s modulus and tensile strength were improved significantly and were accompanied by the decreased elongation at break. The water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (PO2) of CL/SNA nanocomposite films were significantly improved by the addition of SNA.
Integrating Paper Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection for the Trace Analysis of TNT in Soil
Authors: Ryan Patrick , Zabetakis Daniel , Stenger David , Trammell Scott
Published: July 2015

We report on the development of an electrochemical probe for the trace analysis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil samples. The probe is a combination of graphite electrodes, filter paper, with ethylene glycol and choline chloride as the solvent/electrolyte. Square wave chromatovoltammograms show the probes have a sensitivity for TNT of 0.75 nA/ng and a limit of detection of 100 ng. In addition, by taking advantage of the inherent paper chromatography step, TNT can be separated in both time and cathodic peak potential from 4-amino-dinitrotolene co-spotted on the probe or in soil samples with the presence of methyl parathion as a possible interferent.
A User Authentication Scheme Based on Elliptic Curves Cryptography for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Chen Huifang , Ge Linlin , Xie Lei
Published: July 2015

The feature of non-infrastructure support in a wireless ad hoc network (WANET) makes it suffer from various attacks. Moreover, user authentication is the first safety barrier in a network. A mutual trust is achieved by a protocol which enables communicating parties to authenticate each other at the same time and to exchange session keys. For the resource-constrained WANET, an efficient and lightweight user authentication scheme is necessary. In this paper, we propose a user authentication scheme based on the self-certified public key system and elliptic curves cryptography for a WANET. Using the proposed scheme, an efficient two-way user authentication and secure session key agreement can be achieved. Security analysis shows that our proposed scheme is resilient to common known attacks. In addition, the performance analysis shows that our proposed scheme performs similar or better compared with some existing user authentication schemes.
Systems Biology Approach for Cancer Vaccine Development and Evaluation
Authors: Circelli Luisa , Petrizzo Annacarmen , Tagliamonte Maria , Tornesello Maria , Buonaguro Franco , Buonaguro Luigi
Published: July 2015

Therapeutic cancer vaccines do not hold promise yet as an effective anti-cancer treatment. Lack of efficacy or poor clinical outcomes are due to several antigenic and immunological aspects that need to be addressed in order to reverse such trends and significantly improve cancer vaccines’ efficacy. The newly developed high throughput technologies and computational tools are instrumental to this aim allowing the identification of more specific antigens and the comprehensive analysis of the innate and adaptive immunities. Here, we review the potentiality of systems biology in providing novel insights in the mechanisms of the action of vaccines to improve their design and effectiveness.
Desalination of Water Using ZVI (Fe0)
Authors: Antia David
Published: July 2015

Batch treatment of water (0.2 to 240 L) using Fe0 (44,000–77,000 nm) in a diffusion environment operated (at −8 to 25 °C) using: (a) no external energy; (b) pressurized (<0.1 MPa) air; (c) pressurized (<0.1 MPa) acidic gas (CO2); (d) pressurized (<0.1 MPa) anoxic gas (N2); (e) pressurized (<0.1 MPa) anoxic, acidic, reducing gas (H2 + CO + CO2 + CH4 + N2), reduces the salinity of water. Desalination costs increase with increasing NaCl removal. The cost of reducing water salinity from: (i) 2.65 to 1.55 g·L−1 (over 1–24 h) is $0.002–$0.026 m−3; (ii) 38.6 to 0.55 g·L−1 (over 210 days) is $67.6–$187.2 m−3. Desalination is accompanied by the removal, from the water, of one or more of: nitrate, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, phosphate, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S, Si, Sr, Zn. The rate of desalination is enhanced by increasing temperatures and increasing HCO3−/CO32− concentrations. The rate of desalination decreases with increasing SO42− removal under acidic, or pH neutral, operating conditions.
Flood Risk Management in Remote and Impoverished Areas—A Case Study of Onaville, Haiti
Authors: Heimhuber Valentin , Hannemann Johann-Christian , Rieger Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

In this study, geographic information system (GIS)-based hydrologic and hydraulic modeling was used to perform a flood risk assessment for Onaville, which is a fairly new, rapidly growing informal settlement that is exposed to dangerous flash-flood events. Since records of historic floods did not exist for the study area, design storms with a variety of significant average return intervals (ARIs) were derived from intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves and transformed into design floods via rainfall-runoff modeling in hydrologic engineering center’s hydrologic modeling system (HEC-HMS). The hydraulic modeling software hydrologic engineering center’s river analysis system (HEC-RAS) was used to perform one-dimensional, unsteady-flow simulations of the design floods in the Ravine Lan Couline, which is the major drainage channel of the area. Topographic data comprised a 12 m spatial resolution TanDEM-X digital elevation model (DEM) and a 30 cm spatial resolution DEM created with mapping drones. The flow simulations revealed that large areas of the settlement are currently exposed to flood hazard. The results of the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling were incorporated into a flood hazard map which formed the basis for flood risk management. We present a grassroots approach for preventive flood risk management on a community level, which comprises the elaboration of a neighborhood contingency plan and a flood risk awareness campaign together with representatives of the local community of Onaville.
Comparative Analysis of Water Quality between the Runoff Entrance and Middle of Recycling Irrigation Reservoirs
Authors: Zhang Haibo , Richardson Patricia , Belayneh Bruk , Ristvey Andrew , Lea-Cox John , Copes Warren , Moorman Gary , Hong Chuanxue
Published: July 2015

Recycling irrigation reservoirs (RIRs) are an emerging aquatic ecosystem of critical importance, for conserving and protecting increasingly scarce water resources. Here, we compare water quality between runoff entrance and middle of four RIRs in nurseries in Virginia (VA) and Maryland (MD). Surface water temperature (T) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) were lower in the middle than at the entrance, while the trend was opposite for dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and chlorophyll a (Chla). The magnitude of these differences between the entrance and middle decreased with increasing depth. These differences were magnified by water stratification from April to October. Minimum differences were observed for electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and turbidity (TUR). Cluster analyses were performed on water quality difference data to evaluate whether the differences vary with respect to reservoirs. Two clusters were formed with one consisting primarily of VA reservoirs, and the other consisting mostly of MD reservoirs in both years. Water quality in the middle and at the entrance of RIRs was expected to vary greatly because of runoff inflow. The two-point water quality differences observed here, although statistically significant, are not large enough to cause significant impact on crop health and productivity for most water quality parameters except pH. Additional analysis of outlet data shows that the range and magnitude of water quality difference between the middle and the outlet are comparable to those between the middle and entrance of RIRs. These results indicate that monitoring at a single point is sufficient to obtain reliable water quality estimates for most water quality parameters in RIRs except pH. This is important when considering the cost of labor and equipment necessary for documenting water quality in agricultural production systems. However, additional pH measurements are still necessary to make practical water quality management decisions.
Review of Risk Status of Groundwater Supply Wells by Tracing the Source of Coliform Contamination
Authors: Somaratne Nara , Hallas Gary
Published: July 2015

Coliform source tracking was undertaken on 48 water sources of which 42 are potable in 26 water supply systems spread across South Australia. The water sources in the study vary from unprotected springs in creek beds to deep confined aquifers. The frequency analysis of historical coliform detections indicate that aquifer types, depth to water and casing depth are important considerations; whilst maintaining well integrity and the presence of low permeable clay layers above the production zone are the dominant parameters for minimizing coliform contamination of water supply wells. However, in karst and fractured rock aquifers, pathways for coliform transport exist, as evidenced in the >200 MPN/100 mL level of coliform detection. Data indicate that there is no compelling evidence to support the contention that the wells identified as low risk are contaminated through geological strata and clay barriers. However, data strongly supports the suggestion that coliform detection from sample taps and wellheads stem from the surrounding groundwater and soil-plant sources as a result of failed well integrity, or potentially from coliform bacteria that can persist within biofilms formed on well casings, screens, pump columns and pumps. Coliform sub-typing results show that most coliform bacteria detected in town water supply wells are associated with the soil-water-plant system and are ubiquitous in the environment: Citrobacter spp. (65%), Enterobacter spp. (63%), Pantoea spp. (17%), Serratia spp. (19%), Klebsiella spp. (34%), and Pseudomonas spp. (10%). Overall, 70% of wells harbor detectable thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) with potentially 36% of species of animal origin, including Escherichia coli species found in 12% of wells.
Adventitious root primordia formation and development in stem nodes of ‘Georgia Jet’ sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas
Authors: Ma Jun , Aloni Roni , Villordon Arthur , Labonte Don , Kfir Yanir , Zemach Hanita , Schwartz Amnon , Althan Leviah , Firon Nurit
Published: July 2015

• Premise of the study: Yield in sweetpotato is determined by the number of storage roots produced per plant. Storage roots develop from adventitious roots (ARs) present in stem cuttings that serve as propagation material. Data on the origin of sweetpotato ARs and the effect of nodal position on AR establishment and further development are limited.

• Methods: We anatomically described root primordium initiation using stem sections and measured number of root primordia formed at different nodal positions using light microscopy and correlated nodal positions with AR number and length 14 d after planting (DAP).

• Key results: Primordia for ARs initiate at the junction of the stem pith ray and the cambium, on both sides of the leaf gap, and they are well developed before emerging from the stem. The number of ARs that develop from isolated stem nodes 14 DAP corresponded to the number of AR primordia detected inside the stem. The total length of established roots at nodes 9–13 from the apex is about 2‐fold longer than at nodes 5–8.

• Conclusions: Nodal position (age) has a significant effect on the developmental status and number of root primordia inside the stem, determining the number and length of ARs that have developed by 14 DAP. Adventitious roots originating from nodes 9–13 possess similar AR systems and develop better than those originating from younger nodes 3–8. The mechanism regulating AR initiation in nodes is discussed. This system can serve for studying the effect of environmental conditions on AR initiation, development, and capacity to form storage roots.
Cathodic hydrodimerization of nitroolefins
Authors: Weßling Michael , Schäfer Hans J
Published: July 2015

Nitroalkenes are easily accessible in high variety by condensation of aldehydes with aliphatic nitroalkanes. They belong to the group of activated alkenes that can be hydrodimerized by cathodic reduction. There are many olefins with different electron withdrawing groups used for cathodic hydrodimerization, but not much is known about the behaviour of the nitro group. Synthetic applications of this group could profit from the easy access to nitroolefins in large variety, the C–C bond formation with the introduction of two nitro groups in a 1,4-distance and the conversions of the nitro group by reduction to oximes and amines, the conversion into aldehydes and ketones via the Nef reaction and base catalyzed condensations at the acidic CH bond. Eight 1-aryl-2-nitro-1-propenes have been electrolyzed in an undivided electrolysis cell to afford 2,5-dinitro-3,4-diaryl hexanes in high yield. The 4-methoxy-, 4-trifluoromethyl-, 2-chloro- and 2,6-difluorophenyl group and furthermore the 2-furyl and 2-pyrrolyl group have been applied. The reaction is chemoselective as only the double bond but not the nitro group undergoes reaction, is regioselective as a ß,ß-coupling with regard to the nitro group and forms preferentially two out of six possible diastereomers as major products.
A Degree Account of Exclamatives
Authors: Rett Jessica
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
More on Quantifiers in Comparative Clauses
Authors: Gajewski Jon
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
'Even' and Biased Questions: The Case of Spanish 'Siquiera'
Authors: Alonso-Ovalle Luis
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
Aspect and Adverbials
Authors: Hitzeman Janet
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
Exceptive Constructions
Authors: Von Fintel Kai
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
Point of View as a Factor of Content
Authors: Doron Edit
Published: July 2015

No abstract.
The meanings of positive polarity minimizers in Japanese: a unified approach
Authors: Sawada Osamu
Published: July 2015

In Japanese there are multiple lexical items for positive polarity minimizers (hereinafter, minimizer PPIs), each of which can differ in meaning/use. For example, while sukoshi ‘lit. a bit/a little’ can only express a quantitative (amount) meaning, chotto ‘lit. a bit/a little’ can express either a quantitative meaning or an ‘expressive’ meaning (i.e. attenuation in degree of the force of a speech act). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the semantics and pragmatics of the Japanese minimizer PPIs chotto and sukoshi and to consider (i) the parallelism/non-parallelism between truth conditional scalar meanings and non-truth conditional scalar meanings, and (ii) what mechanism can explain the cross-linguistic and language internal variation between minimizer PPIs. As for the semantics/pragmatics of minimizers, I will argue that although the meanings of the amount and expressive minimizers are logically and dimensionally different (non-parallelism), they can systematically be captured by positing a single lexical item (parallelism). As for the language internal and cross-linguistic variations, it will be shown that there is a point of variation with respect to whether a particular degree morpheme allows a dimensional shift (i.e. an extension from a semantic scale to a pragmatic scale). Based on the above proposals, this paper will also investigate the pragmatic motivation behind the use of minimizers in an evaluative context.
Type-theoretical semantics with coercive subtyping
Authors: Luo Zhaohui
Published: July 2015

In the formal semantics based on modern type theories, common nouns are interpreted as types, rather than as functional subsets of entities as in Montague grammar. This brings about important advantages in linguistic interpretations but also leads to a limitation of expressive power because there are fewer operations on types as compared with those on functional subsets. The theory of coercive subtyping adequately extends the modern type theories with a notion of subtyping and, as shown in this paper, plays a very useful role in making type theories more expressive for formal semantics. In particular, it gives a satisfactory treatment of the type-theoretic interpretation of modified common nouns and allows straightforward interpretations of interesting linguistic phenomena such as copredication, whose interpretations have been found difficult in a Montagovian setting. We shall also study some type-theoretic constructs that provide useful representational tools for formal lexical semantics, including how the so-called dot-types for representing logical polysemy may be expressed in a type theory with coercive subtyping.
Universal laziness of pronouns
Authors: Ivlieva Natalia
Published: July 2015

The goal of the paper is to try to account for an interesting binding phenomenon, namely the fact that pronouns sometimes appear to be bound by universal quanti?ers out of islands. Speci?cally, my claim is that the appearance of binding is an illusion which results from the fact that pronouns can stand for universal quanti?ers, i.e. there is a new type of pronouns of laziness. However, the distribution of such pronouns of laziness is highly restricted. These restrictions can be derived by means of Maximize Presupposition principle and situation semantics. The structure of the paper is as follows. In section 1, I illustrate the phenomenon. In section 2, I show that this phenomenon is not a case of real binding but a binding illusion which is made possible by the fact that pronouns can stand for universal quanti?ers like everyone. In sections 3 and 4, I show that there are certain restrictions on the environments in which such a binding illusion is possible. First, it is ruled out in cases where it is in con?ict with Maximize Presupposition principle (section 3). Second, it is only possible when the clause containing a quanti?er and the clause containing a pronoun in a sense describe the same situation (section 4). In section 5, two readings of illusive binding sentences are discussed and an analysis of how they are derived is proposed. Section 6 concludes the paper.
Weak definites and reference to kinds
Authors: Aguilar-Guevara Ana , Zwarts Joost
Published: July 2015

Weak definite NPs do not presuppose the existence of uniquely identifiable entities. In addition, they display a range of other peculiar properties such as sloppy readings in VPs ellipsis, narrow scope interpretations, lexical restrictions and enriched meaning. In order to account for these, in this paper we analyze weak definites as expressions that refer to the same sort of kind individuals that definite generics refer to. We propose that the combination of weak definites with object- level predicates is made possible by a lexical rule that lifts object-level relations to ‘enriched’ kind-level relations.
What projects and why
Authors: Simons Mandy , Tonhauser Judith , Beaver David , Roberts Craige
Published: July 2015

Projection is widely used as a diagnostic for presupposition, but many expression types yield projection even though they do not have standard properties of presupposition, for example appositives, expressives, and honorifics (Potts 2005). While it is possible to analyze projection piecemeal, clearly a unitary explanation is to be preferred. Yet we show that standard explanations of projective behavior (common ground based theories, anaphoric theories, and multi-dimensional theories) do not extend to the full range of triggers. Instead, we propose an alternative explanation based on the following claim: Meanings project IFF they are not at-issue, where at-issueness is defined in terms of the Roberts' (1995) discourse theory. Thus, and despite their apparent heterogeneity, projective meaning triggers emerge as a natural class on the basis of the not at-issue status of their projective inference.
Expressing Negation
Authors: Ladusaw William A.
Published: July 2015

No abstract
Front matter
Authors: Harvey Mandy , Santelmann Lynn
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the 4th Semantics and Linguistic Theory Conference, held May 6-8, 1994 at the University of Rochester, edited by Mandy Harvey and Lynn Santelmann.
Selective Expression of the MAPK Phosphatase Dusp9/MKP-4 in Mouse Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Regulation of IFN-β Production
Authors: Niedzielska Magdalena , Raffi Faizal A. M. , Tel Jurjen , Muench Sandra , Jozefowski Katrin , Alati Nour , Lahl Katharina , Mages Jörg , Billmeier Ulrike , Schiemann Matthias , Appelt Uwe K. , Wirtz Stefan , Sparwasser Tim , Hochrein Hubertus , Figdor Carl G. , Keyse Stephen M. , Lang Roland
Published: July 2015

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) efficiently produce large amounts of type I IFN in response to TLR7 and TLR9 ligands, whereas conventional DCs (cDCs) predominantly secrete high levels of the cytokines IL-10 and IL-12. The molecular basis underlying this distinct phenotype is not well understood. In this study, we identified the MAPK phosphatase Dusp9/MKP-4 by transcriptome analysis as selectively expressed in pDCs, but not cDCs. We confirmed the constitutive expression of Dusp9 at the protein level in pDCs generated in vitro by culture with Flt3 ligand and ex vivo in sorted splenic pDCs. Dusp9 expression was low in B220− bone marrow precursors and was upregulated during pDC differentiation, concomitant with established pDC markers. Higher expression of Dusp9 in pDCs correlated with impaired phosphorylation of the MAPK ERK1/2 upon TLR9 stimulation. Notably, Dusp9 was not expressed at detectable levels in human pDCs, although these displayed similarly impaired activation of ERK1/2 MAPK compared with cDCs. Enforced retroviral expression of Dusp9 in mouse GM-CSF–induced cDCs increased the expression of TLR9-induced IL-12p40 and IFN-β, but not of IL-10. Conditional deletion of Dusp9 in pDCs was effectively achieved in Dusp9flox/flox; CD11c-Cre mice at the mRNA and protein levels. However, the lack of Dusp9 in pDC did not restore ERK1/2 activation after TLR9 stimulation and only weakly affected IFN-β and IL-12p40 production. Taken together, our results suggest that expression of Dusp9 is sufficient to impair ERK1/2 activation and enhance IFN-β expression. However, despite selective expression in pDCs, Dusp9 is not essential for high-level IFN-β production by these cells.
Nuclear Receptor Nur77 Attenuates Airway Inflammation in Mice by Suppressing NF-κB Activity in Lung Epithelial Cells
Authors: Kurakula Kondababu , Vos Mariska , Logiantara Adrian , Roelofs Joris J. , Nieuwenhuis Maartje A. , Koppelman Gerard H. , Postma Dirkje S. , van Rijt Leonie S. , de Vries Carlie J. M.
Published: July 2015

Allergic asthma is characterized by persistent chronic airway inflammation, which leads to mucus hypersecretion and airway hyperresponsiveness. Nuclear receptor Nur77 plays a pivotal role in distinct immune and inflammatory cells and is expressed in eosinophils and lung epithelium. However, the role of Nur77 in allergic airway inflammation has not been studied so far. In the present study, we determined the role of Nur77 in airway inflammation using a murine model of OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation. We found that OVA-challenged Nur77 knockout (KO) mice show significantly enhanced infiltration of inflammatory cells, including eosinophils and lymphocytes, and aggravated mucus production. The infiltration of macrophages is limited in this model and was similar in wild-type and Nur77 KO mice. Higher levels of Th2 cytokines were found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and draining lymph node cells of Nur77-KO mice, as well as increased serum IgG1 and IgG2a levels. Knockdown of Nur77 in human lung epithelial cells resulted in a marked increase in IκBα phosphorylation, corresponding with elevated NF-κB activity, whereas Nur77 overexpression decreased NF-κB activity. Consistently, Nur77 significantly decreased mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines and Muc5ac expression and also attenuated mucus production in lung epithelial cells. To further corroborate these findings, we searched for association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Nur77 gene with asthma and with the severity of bronchial hyperresponsiveness. We identified three Nur77 single nucleotide polymorphisms showing association with severity of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma patients. Collectively, these findings support a protective role of Nur77 in OVA-induced airway inflammation and identify Nur77 as a novel therapeutic target for airway inflammation.
Innate Response to Human Cancer Cells with or without IL-2 Receptor Common γ-Chain Function in NOD Background Mice Lacking Adaptive Immunity
Authors: Nishime Chiyoko , Kawai Kenji , Yamamoto Takehiro , Katano Ikumi , Monnai Makoto , Goda Nobuhito , Mizushima Tomoko , Suemizu Hiroshi , Nakamura Masato , Murata Mitsuru , Suematsu Makoto , Wakui Masatoshi
Published: July 2015

Immunodeficient hosts exhibit high acceptance of xenogeneic or neoplastic cells mainly due to lack of adaptive immunity, although it still remains to be elucidated how innate response affects the engraftment. IL-2R common γ-chain (IL-2Rγc) signaling is required for development of NK cells and a subset of dendritic cells producing IFN-γ. To better understand innate response in the absence of adaptive immunity, we examined amounts of metastatic foci in the livers after intrasplenic transfer of human colon cancer HCT116 cells into NOD/SCID versus NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγcnull (NOG) hosts. The intravital microscopic imaging of livers in the hosts depleted of NK cells and/or macrophages revealed that IL-2Rγc function critically contributes to elimination of cancer cells without the need for NK cells and macrophages. In the absence of IL-2Rγc, macrophages play a role in the defense against tumors despite the NOD Sirpa allele, which allows human CD47 to bind to the encoded signal regulatory protein α to inhibit macrophage phagocytosis of human cells. Analogous experiments using human pancreas cancer MIA PaCa-2 cells provided findings roughly similar to those from the experiments using HCT116 cells except for lack of suppression of metastases by macrophages in NOG hosts. Administration of mouse IFN-γ to NOG hosts appeared to partially compensate lack of IL-2Rγc–dependent elimination of transferred HCT116 cells. These results provide insights into the nature of innate response in the absence of adaptive immunity, aiding in developing tumor xenograft models in experimental oncology.
Oil-in-Water Emulsion MF59 Increases Germinal Center B Cell Differentiation and Persistence in Response to Vaccination
Authors: Lofano Giuseppe , Mancini Francesca , Salvatore Giulia , Cantisani Rocco , Monaci Elisabetta , Carrisi Corrado , Tavarini Simona , Sammicheli Chiara , Rossi Paccani Silvia , Soldaini Elisabetta , Laera Donatello , Finco Oretta , Nuti Sandra , Rappuoli Rino , De Gregorio Ennio , Bagnoli Fabio , Bertholet Sylvie
Published: July 2015

Induction of persistent protective immune responses is a key attribute of a successful vaccine formulation. MF59 adjuvant, an oil-in-water emulsion used in human vaccines, is known to induce persistent high-affinity functional Ab titers and memory B cells, but how it really shapes the Ag-specific B cell compartment is poorly documented. In this study, we characterized the Ab- and Ag-specific B cell compartment in wild-type mice immunized with HlaH35L, a Staphylococcus aureus Ag known to induce measurable functional Ab responses, formulated with MF59 or aluminum salts, focusing on germinal centers (GC) in secondary lymphoid organs. Taking advantage of single-cell flow cytometry analyses, HlaH35L-specific B cells were characterized for the expression of CD38 and GL-7, markers of memory and GC, respectively, and for CD80 and CD73 activation markers. We demonstrated that immunization with MF59-, but not aluminum salt–adjuvanted HlaH35L, induced expanded Ag-specific CD73+CD80− GC B cells in proximal- and distal-draining lymph nodes, and promoted the persistence of GC B cells, detected up to 4 mo after immunization. In addition to increasing GC B cells, MF59-adjuvanted HlaH35L also increased the frequency of T follicular helper cells. This work extends previous knowledge regarding adaptive immune responses to MF59-adjuvanted vaccines, and, to our knowledge, for the first time an adjuvant used in human licensed products is shown to promote strong and persistent Ag-specific GC responses that might benefit the rational design of new vaccination strategies.
DC-SCRIPT Regulates IL-10 Production in Human Dendritic Cells by Modulating NF-κBp65 Activation
Authors: Søndergaard Jonas Nørskov , Poghosyan Susanna , Hontelez Saartje , Louche Pauline , Looman Maaike W. G. , Ansems Marleen , Adema Gosse J.
Published: July 2015

The balance between tolerance and immunity is important for the outcome of an infection or cancer, and dendritic cells (DCs) are key regulators of this balance. DC-specific transcript (DC-SCRIPT) is a protein expressed by DCs and has been demonstrated to suppress both TLR-mediated expression of IL-10 and glucocorticoid receptor–mediated transcription of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ). Because GILZ is known to promote IL-10 production, we investigated whether these two processes are linked. Dual-knockdown and inhibition experiments demonstrated that neither GILZ nor glucocorticoid receptor play a role in TLR-induced IL-10 production after DC-SCRIPT knockdown. The NF-κB pathway is another route involved in IL-10 production after DC activation. Strikingly, inhibition of NF-κB led to a decreased TLR-mediated IL-10 production in DC-SCRIPT knockdown DCs. Moreover, DC-SCRIPT knockdown DCs showed enhanced phosphorylation, acetylation, and IL10 enhancer binding of the NF-κB subunit p65. These data demonstrate that besides nuclear receptor regulation, DC-SCRIPT also modulates activation of NF-κBp65 after TLR activation in human DCs.
β-Glucuronidase, a Regulator of Lyme Arthritis Severity, Modulates Lysosomal Trafficking and MMP-9 Secretion in Response to Inflammatory Stimuli
Authors: Bramwell Kenneth K. C. , Mock Kelton , Ma Ying , Weis John H. , Teuscher Cory , Weis Janis J.
Published: July 2015

The lysosomal enzyme β-glucuronidase (Gusb) is a key regulator of Lyme-associated and K/B×N-induced arthritis severity. The luminal enzymes present in lysosomes provide essential catabolic functions for the homeostatic degradation of a variety of macromolecules. In addition to this essential catabolic function, lysosomes play important roles in the inflammatory response following infection. Secretory lysosomes and related vesicles can participate in the inflammatory response through fusion with the plasma membrane and release of bioactive contents into the extracellular milieu. In this study, we show that GUSB hypomorphism potentiates lysosomal exocytosis following inflammatory stimulation. This leads to elevated secretion of lysosomal contents, including glycosaminoglycans, lysosomal hydrolases, and matrix metalloproteinase 9, a known modulator of Lyme arthritis severity. This mechanistic insight led us to test the efficacy of rapamycin, a drug known to suppress lysosomal exocytosis. Both Lyme and K/B×N-associated arthritis were suppressed by this treatment concurrent with reduced lysosomal release.
Cytomegalovirus-Induced Expression of CD244 after Liver Transplantation Is Associated with CD8+ T Cell Hyporesponsiveness to Alloantigen
Authors: de Mare-Bredemeijer Emmy L. D. , Shi Xiao-lei , Mancham Shanta , van Gent Rogier , van der Heide-Mulder Marieke , de Boer Renate , Heemskerk Mirjam H. M. , de Jonge Jeroen , van der Laan Luc J. W. , Metselaar Herold J. , Kwekkeboom Jaap
Published: July 2015

The chronic presence of viral Ags can induce T cell exhaustion, which is characterized by upregulation of coinhibitory receptors and loss of T cell function. We studied whether a similar phenomenon occurs after liver transplantation (LTx), when there is continuous exposure to alloantigen. Expression of coinhibitory receptors on circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was analyzed longitudinally in 19 patients until 6 mo after LTx and cross-sectionally in 38 patients late (1–12 y) after LTx. Expression of the coinhibitory receptors CD160 and CD244 on circulating CD8+ T cells was already higher 6 mo after LTx compared with pre-LTx, and the elevated expression was sustained late after LTx, with CD244 showing the more prominent increase. The strongest upregulation of CD244 on circulating CD8+ T cells was observed in patients who experienced CMV infection after LTx. CMV infection also was associated with reduced CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytotoxic degranulation in response to alloantigen late after LTx. Purified CD244+CD8+ T cells from LTx patients showed lower proliferative responses to alloantigen, as well as to polyclonal stimulation, than did their CD244− counterparts. In addition, the CD244+CD8+ T cell population contained the majority of CMV peptide–loaded MHC class I tetramer-binding cells. In conclusion, CMV infection after LTx, rather than persistence of alloantigen, induces the accumulation of dysfunctional CD244+CD8+ T cells in the circulation that persist long-term, resulting in reduced frequencies of circulating alloreactive CD8+ T cells. These results suggest that CMV infection restrains CD8+ T cell alloresponses after LTx.
Restriction of Nonpermissive RUNX3 Protein Expression in T Lymphocytes by the Kozak Sequence
Authors: Kim Byungil , Sasaki Yo , Egawa Takeshi
Published: July 2015

The transcription factor Runx3 promotes differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into type-1 effector T (TH1) cells at the expense of TH2. TH1 cells as well as CD8+ T cells express a subset-specific Runx3 transcript from a distal promoter, which is necessary for high protein expression. However, all T cell subsets, including naive CD4+ T cells and TH2 cells, express a distinct transcript of Runx3 that is derived from a proximal promoter and that produces functional protein in neurons. Therefore, accumulation of RUNX3 protein generated from the proximal transcript needs to be repressed at the posttranscriptional level to preserve CD4+ T cell capability of differentiating into TH2 cells. In this article, we show that expression of RUNX3 protein from the proximal Runx3 transcript is blocked at the level of translational initiation in T cells. A coding sequence for the proximal Runx3 mRNA is preceded by a nonoptimal context sequence for translational initiation, known as the Kozak sequence, and thus generates protein at low efficiencies and with multiple alternative translational initiations. Editing the endogenous initiation context to an “optimal” Kozak sequence in a human T cell line resulted in enhanced translation of a single RUNX3 protein derived from the proximal transcript. Furthermore, RUNX3 protein represses transcription from the proximal promoter in T cells. These results suggest that nonpermissive expression of RUNX3 protein is restricted at the translational level, and that the repression is further enforced by a transcriptional regulation for maintenance of diverse developmental plasticity of T cells for different effector subsets.
Notes on glaciation in central Yukon Territory
Authors: Bostock H S
Published: July 2015

Two clearly defined series of glacial limit features, readily correlated and traced from place to place are inferred to mark the limits of the last glacial advance in central Yukon. These are the McConnell Moraine and an earlier advance, the Reid Moraine. In
addition, older glacial drift, till, erratics and modified landforms have been found beyond the clearly marked limits and perhaps record two earlier glaciations. These earlier features are referred to as the Klaza Drift (the younger) and the Nansen Drift (the older).
Rocks and minerals for the collector : Buckingham, Mont Laurier, Grenville, Quebec; Hawkesbury, Ottawa, Ontario
Authors: Sabina A P
Published: July 2015

Occurrences of rocks, minerals and fossils are described from over one hundred and fifty localities from Buckingham to Mont-Laurier, St-Jovite and Grenville in Quebec, and in Ontario between Hawkesbury and Ottawa. These occurrences provide a variety of specimens
including some potential ornamental types such as feldspar, serpentine, marble, and granite.
Probably the best known area is the du Livre River valley where the intense mining activity that began nearly a century ago has left numerous former apatite, mica, feldspar and graphite mines. Their dumps still furnish the collector with good specimens of the ore minerals as well as a variety of
accessory minerals. Other deposits in the region yield specimens of hematite, asbestos, barite, galena, etc.
In the region between Mont-Laurier, St-Jovite and Grenville, dumps of old mines and quarries contain specimens of ilmenite, graphite, garnet, serpentine, kaolinite, marble, granite, etc. Only the serpentine and marble occur in specimens sufficiently large to be used for lapidary purposes.
Ordovician limestones containing some fossils are exposed along the highway, the shoreline, and in quarries between Hawkesbury and Ottawa. These rocks are not rich in minerals except for calcite.
Bovine mastitis prevalence and associated risk factors in dairy cows in Nyagatare District, Rwanda
Authors: Iraguha Blaise , Hamudikuwanda Humphrey , Mushonga Borden
Published: July 2015

In response to farmer requests after milk from their herds was rejected by processors due to poor quality, a study was carried out from April to October 2011 to determine the prevalence of sub clinical mastitis, associated risk factors and causative micro-organisms. Samples were collected from 195 dairy cows on 23 randomly selected dairy farms delivering milk to Isangano, Kirebe and Nyagatare milk collection centres in Nyagatare District, Rwanda. The Draminski® Mastitis Detector was used to detect sub clinical mastitis in individual cows based on milk electrical conductivity changes. Risk factors for mastitis that were evaluated included teat-end condition, cow dirtiness, breed, parity, age and stage of lactation. Relationships of these factors with mastitis status were determined using Chi-square analysis, and relative importance as causes of mastitis was assessed using logistic regression. Samples from 16 sub clinical mastitis positive dairy cows were analysed to identify causative micro-organisms using Dairy Quality Control Inspection analytical kits. Sub clinical mastitis prevalence was 52% across the farms. It was higher with increases in, amongst other risk factors, teat-end damage severity, cow dirtiness, and level of pure dairy breed genetics. The risk factors considered accounted for 62% of mastitis prevalence; teat-end condition alone accounted for 30%. Most of the mastitis cases (87.5%) were caused by coliform bacteria. Considering that farmers are upgrading their local Ankole cows to cross-breed dairy cows that are more susceptible to mastitis, results from this study indicate the need to dip the teats of cows in sanitisers, improve cow hygiene, and introduce mastitis prevention and control programmes.
The role of master regulators in gene regulatory networks
Authors: Hernández Lemus Enrique , Baca López K. , Lemus R. , García Herrera R.
Published: July 2015

Gene regulatory networks present a wide variety of dynamical responses to intrinsic and extrinsic perturbations. Arguably, one of the most important of such coordinated responses is the one of amplification cascades, in which activation of a few key-responsive transcription factors (termed master regulators, MRs) lead to a large series of transcriptional activation events. This is so since master regulators are transcription factors controlling the expression of other transcription factor molecules and so on. MRs hold a central position related to transcriptional dynamics and control of gene regulatory networks and are often involved in complex feedback and feedforward loops inducing non-trivial dynamics. Recent studies have pointed out to the myocyte enhancing factor 2C (MEF2C, also known as MADS box transcription enhancer factor 2, polypeptide C) as being one of such master regulators involved in the pathogenesis of primary breast cancer. In this work, we perform an integrative genomic analysis of the transcriptional regulation activity of MEF2C and its target genes to evaluate to what extent are these molecules inducing collective responses leading to gene expression deregulation and carcinogenesis. We also analyzed a number of induced dynamic responses, in particular those associated with transcriptional bursts, and nonlinear cascading to evaluate the influence they may have in malignant phenotypes and cancer.Received: 20 Novembre 2014,  Accepted: 24 June 2015; Edited by: C. A. Condat, G. J. Sibona; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.070011Cite as: E Hernández-Lemus, K Baca-López, R Lemus, R García-Herrera, Papers in Physics 7, 070011 (2015)This paper, by E Hernández-Lemus, K Baca-López, R Lemus, R García-Herrera, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0.