bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unique Characteristics of Emergency Care Research: Scope, Populations, and Infrastructure
Authors: Mark Courtney D. , Neumar Robert W. , Venkatesh Arjun K. , Kaji Amy H. , Cairns Charles B. , Lavonas Eric , Richardson Lynne D.
Published: October 2009

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program and the 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report on the future of emergency care highlight the need for coordinated emergency care research (ECR) to improve the outcomes of acutely ill or injured patients. In response, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) sponsored the Emergency Care Research Network (ECRN) Conference in Washington, DC, on May 28, 2008. The conference objectives were to identify the unique nature of ECR and the infrastructure needed to support ECR networks and to understand the optimal role of emergency medicine (EM) and other acute care specialties in research networks. Prior to the conference, participants responded to questions addressing the relevant issues that would form the basis of breakout session discussions; two of these breakout questions are summarized in this report: 1) what makes EM research unique? and 2) what are the critical components needed to establish and maintain networked ECR? Emergency care research was defined as “the systematic examination of patient care that is expected to be continuously available to diverse populations presenting with undifferentiated symptoms of acute illness, or acutely decompensated chronic illness, and whose outcomes depend on timely diagnosis and treatment.” The chain of ECR may extend beyond the physical emergency department (ED) in both place and time and integrate prehospital care, as well as short‐ and long‐term outcome determination. ECR may extend beyond individual patients and have as the focus of investigation the actual system of emergency care delivery itself and its effects on the community with respect to access to care, use of resources, and cost. Infrastructure determinants of research network success identified by conference participants included multidisciplinary collaboration, accurate long‐term outcome determination, novel information technology, intellectual infrastructure, and wider network relationships that extend beyond the ED.
Salivary interleukin‐1β concentration and the presence of multiple pathogens in periodontitis
Authors: Gursoy Ulvi Kahraman , Könönen Eija , Uitto Veil‐Jukka , Pussinen Pirkko J. , Hyvärinen Kati , Suominen‐Taipale Liisa , Knuuttila Matti
Published: October 2009

Aim: This study aimed to find salivary enzymes and/or cytokines that would reflect periodontitis, alone or in combination with salivary microbial markers.

Material and Methods: The salivary concentrations of elastase, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), interleukin‐6, and tumour necrosis factor‐α, and the presence of five periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola, were analysed from salivary specimens of 165 subjects, a subpopulation of Health 2000 Health Examination Survey in Finland; 84 of the subjects had probing pocket depth (PPD) of 4 mm at 14 or more teeth (the advanced periodontitis group), while 81 subjects had no teeth with PPD of 4 mm (the control group). All subjects had at least 20 teeth and no systemic diseases.

Results: Among the salivary cytokines and enzymes tested, IL‐1β was the only biomarker associated with periodontitis. An association was also found with the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens. Salivary IL‐1β and the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens were associated with periodontitis at the same magnitude, when they were in the logistic regression model individually or together.

Conclusion: We suggest that salivary IL‐1β and the presence of multiple periodontal pathogens in saliva should be studied more thoroughly as markers of periodontitis.
Increased levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in subjects with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis
Authors: Li Xiao , Tse Hung Fat , Yiu Kai Hang , Jia Na , Chen Hua , Li Leonard Sheung Wai , Jin Lijian
Published: October 2009

Aim: Emerging evidence shows that periodontal disease is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between chronic periodontitis (CP) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC).

Materials and Methods: Eighty‐six non‐smoking subjects (36 males and 50 females, aged 35–80 years) were recruited, including 23 subjects with no or mild CP and 63 subjects with moderate to severe CP. The levels of circulating EPC were quantitatively determined by fluorescence‐activated cell analysis, including CD34+/kinase insert domain‐containing receptor (KDR)+ (more mature EPC) and CD133+/KDR+ (less mature EPC). Periodontal conditions, the intima–media thickness of carotid arteries and circulating biomarkers were examined.

Results: Subjects with moderate to severe CP exhibited an increased risk of high EPC count, compared with those with no or mild CP: CD34+/KDR+ EPC [odds ratio (OR)=9.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5–61.0, p=0.018; CD133+/KDR+ EPC, OR=4.6, 95% CI 1.1–19.5, p=0.039]. C‐reactive protein was significantly associated with high CD34+/KDR+ EPC count and age was inversely related with high EPC count. Age, gender and CD34+/KDR+ EPC were independent variables of increased carotid intima–media thickness (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study shows for the first time that moderate to severe CP is associated with an increased level of circulating EPC.
Anthropogenic alterations of lotic food web structure: evidence from the use of nitrogen isotopes
Authors: Anderson Caroline , Cabana Gilbert
Published: October 2009

Understanding the processes that regulate food chain length in nature is a classic theme in ecology. Two factors expected to explain variation in food chain length are resource availability (productivity) and environmental stress. We examined the impact of anthropogenic activities, both a source of stress and productivity, on lotic food webs using two simple food web descriptors based on stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). We used 1) trophic position of small fish and 2) slopes of δ15N‐size class relationships in the invertebrate community as variables related to food chain length. Trophic positions and δ15N‐size slopes changed significantly across the 23 study sites selected to vary in productivity and impact from industrial activities (trophic position=0.4 to 1.9; slopes=−1 to +2.8). Fish trophic position was not affected by productivity (chlorophyll a) or environmental stress (number of factories on the watershed) and was not modulated by the proportion of predatory invertebrates in the food web leading to fish. This lack of relationship suggests that variation in trophic position is likely influenced by fish feeding behaviour and is therefore not a good integrator of changes in food chain length induced by anthropogenic activities. δ15N‐size slopes significantly increased with productivity and decreased with stress, suggesting that trophic organization by size within invertebrate communities is affected by these factors. These slopes also tended to be greater when the proportion of predators in the community increased in larger size classes. These results suggest that when productivity is high and stress is low, proportions of higher δ15N‐value predators in lotic food webs tend to increase, contributing to the lengthening of food chains. They also suggest that δ15N‐size relationships of invertebrate communities may be used as indicators of food web structure alteration by human activities.
Responses of a specialist and a generalist seed predator to variation in their common resource
Authors: Östergård Hannah , Hambäck Peter A. , Ehrlén Johan
Published: October 2009

Fluctuations of resources in time and space will influence not only species abundance but also interactions among species. For plant–consumer interactions, the effects of resource variation have mostly been studied in systems with high resource variability. Systems with moderate variations are less studied, although ecological and evolutionary dynamics of plants and consumers are likely to be affected also by less extreme variability. The effects of variation in a particular resource should depend on consumer diet width.

We examined how spatial and temporal variation in seed production in the perennial herbLathyrus vernusinfluenced population dynamics and resource utilization in two beetle pre‐dispersal seed predators with different host ranges over six years. The monophagousApion opeticumoccupied fewer patches and had lower densities than the oligophagousBruchus atomarius. The proportion of seeds attacked increased with increases in seed production between years for both seed predators. A possible explanation for these patterns is that population dynamics of beetles are driven largely by local factors and that the same factors influence both beetle performance and seed production. InB. atomarius, patterns may also be influenced by a more pronounced preference forL. vernusin years with a high seed production inL. vernus. We conclude that relatively modest variation in seed production may result in responses that differ in both direction and extent from those usually observed in systems with high variation in seed production.
Melatonin promotes neurogenesis in dentate gyrus in the pinealectomized rat
Authors: Rennie Kerry , De Butte Maxine , Pappas Bruce A.
Published: October 2009

Abstract:  It was previously shown that pinealectomy causes delayed loss of pyramidal neurons in rat hippocampal layers CA1/3 and that this is reversed by melatonin supplementation. Here, we used immunohistologic detection of doublecortin, a protein expressed in newborn neurons, to determine if melatonin supplementation promotes neurogenesis after pinealectomy. It was found that melatonin supplementation significantly increased the number of doublecortin immunoreactive neurons in the dentate gyrus over the postsurgical intervals of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 17 months. The increase was most evident at 6 months postsurgery and thereafter, and was apparent despite a severe decline in doublecortin‐labeled cells over the 17 month postsurgical interval in all groups of rats. Doublecortin immunoreactive cells were not observed in the pyramidal layer itself. These results indicate that melatonin promotes neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of pinealectomized rats. However, it is equivocal that these newborn neurons migrate to the pyramidal layer and account for the reappearance of neurons at this location in these rats. This study provides further evidence for a role of melatonin in promoting neurogenesis, adding another role to its already remarkably pleiotropic profile. The scope and significance of this newly discovered role remains to be determined.
Comparison of the effects of different virus infections on performance of three Majorcan grapevine cultivars in field conditions
Authors: Cretazzo E. , Padilla C. , Carambula C. , Hita I. , Salmerón E. , Cifre J.
Published: October 2009

The effects of viruses on grape production and must quality are not fully understood. In this study, the evaluation of the impact of different virus infections on performance of the main autochthonous grapevine varieties of Mallorca (Callet, Manto Negro and Moll) was pursued. Therefore, a large number of vines were observed in field conditions over 4 years and tested by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for viruses listed by the international certification programmes. In each variety, some specific virus infections resulted to be more effective than the others in inducing losses in production. In Callet, yield (Y) reduction was over 20% in plants infected by Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV). In Moll, plants subject to more than one infection showed over 40% Y decrease. In Manto Negro, the most surprising results were obtained, because plants showed almost 40% Y reduction because of Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus‐1 (GLRaV‐1) infection. In addition, virus infections were linked to some must quality parameter increase in Manto Negro and Moll, but in the majority of cases it was an indirect effect, because the decrease in production parameters played a predominant role by producing an important concentration effect. However, in Manto Negro, anthocyanin content decrease was directly related to GFLV infection.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and community violence: An update for nurse practitioners
Authors: Blizzard Sarah J. , Kemppainen Jeanne , Taylor Julie
Published: October 2009

Purpose: An update on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and community violence for nurse practitioners (NPs) and other healthcare providers is required.

Data Sources: A review of current literature on PTSD related to community violence is presented as well as an overview of PTSD disorders.

Conclusions: Violence takes place in our communities and in our larger social world every day. In the face of increasing disasters and violent events, there is growing concern over the overall impact of violence on mental health. PTSD, a type of anxiety disorder, may develop as a result of exposure to these events.

Implications for Practice: NPs have an important role to play in recognizing and treating PTSD symptoms in persons following exposure to a severe psychological trauma.
Role of orexins in the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐ovarian relationships
Authors: Silveyra P. , Cataldi N. I. , Lux‐Lantos V. A. , Libertun C.
Published: October 2009

Appropriate nutritional and vigilance states are needed for reproduction. In previous works, we described the influence of the hormonal milieu of proestrus on the orexinergic system and we found that orexin receptor 1 expression in the hypothalamus, but not other neural areas, and the adenohypophysis was under the influence of oestradiol and the time of the day. Information from the sexual hormonal milieu of proestrous afternoon impacts on various components of the orexinergic system and alertness on this particular night of proestrus would be of importance for successful reproduction. In this review, we summarize the available experimental data supporting the participation of orexins in the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐ovarian relationships. All together, these results suggest a role of the orexinergic system as an integrative link among vital functions such as reproduction, food intake, alertness and the inner biological clock.
Psychosocial group rehabilitation for lonely older people: favourable processes and mediating factors of the intervention leading to alleviated loneliness
Authors: Savikko Niina , Routasalo Pirkko , Tilvis Reijo , Pitkälä Kaisu
Published: October 2009

savikko n., routasalo p., tilvis r. & pitkälä k. (2009) Psychosocial group rehabilitation for lonely older people: favourable processes and mediating factors of the intervention leading to alleviated loneliness. International Journal of Older People Nursing 5, 16–24 doi: 10.1111/j.1748‐3743.2009.00191.x

Background.  Loneliness among community‐dwelling older people is a common problem, with serious health consequences.

Objectives.  The favourable processes and mediating factors of a psychosocial group rehabilitation intervention in alleviating older people’s loneliness were evaluated.

Design.  Altogether, 117 lonely, home‐dwelling individuals (aged ≥ 75 years) participated in a psychosocial group rehabilitation intervention. The content comprised (i) art and inspiring activities, (ii) group exercise and discussions or (iii) therapeutic writing and group therapy.

Methods.  The psychosocial group rehabilitation intervention was evaluated from the group leaders’ diaries and by observing the groups. Experiences of loneliness and social participation were collected by postintervention questionnaires from the participants. Data were analysed using methodological triangulation.

Results.  Doing things together and sharing experiences with their peers inspired lively discussions, created a feeling of togetherness and led to participants’ empowerment and increased self‐esteem. The intervention socially activated the participants, and their feelings of loneliness had been alleviated during the intervention.

Conclusion.  Several common favourable processes and mediating factors were identified in the psychosocial group rehabilitation intervention that led to alleviation of loneliness among older people.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The psychosocial group rehabilitation intervention gives nurses an effective tool to support older people’s psychosocial resources by activating them and alleviating their loneliness.
Effect of surgical technique on radiographic fusion of the anconeus in the treatment of ununited anconeal process
Authors: Pettitt R. A. , Tattersall J. , Gemmill T. , Butterworth S. J. , O’Neill T. J. , Langley‐Hobbs S. J. , Comerford E. J. , Innes J. F.
Published: October 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if internal fixation of the anconeus combined with a proximal ulnar osteotomy was more likely to result in fusion of the anconeus to the ulna compared with a proximal ulnar osteotomy alone.

Methods: A total of 12 orthopaedic referral clinics reviewed their clinical databases for cases of ununited anconeal process. Demographic and clinical parameters were collected along with radiographic follow‐up at a minimum of four weeks. Cases treated with proximal ulnar osteotomy alone were compared with those treated with proximal ulnar osteotomy + internal fixation. Both groups were compared for background and disease variables. We tested for an association between treatment method and whether radiographic anconeal union had occurred.

Results: A total of 47 elbows (44 dogs) were identified. Of these, 28 cases (average age 7·6 months) were treated with proximal ulnar osteotomy (of which eight were stabilised with an intramedullary pin) alone. Nineteen cases (average age 7·1 months) were treated with proximal ulnar osteotomy + internal fixation. The two groups were not significantly different in age (P=0·638, Mann‐Whitney U test). Fourteen of 28 cases with proximal ulnar osteotomy alone displayed anconeal union at follow‐up compared with 16 of 19 cases of proximal ulnar osteotomy + internal fixation, and this difference was statistically significant (P=0·029, Fisher's exact test).

Clinical Significance: These data suggest that use of a lag screw to stabilise and compress the ununited anconeal process in addition to proximal ulnar osteotomy produces a better radiographic outcome. It is argued that radiographic union of the anconeus is likely to be associated with better long‐term clinical outcome but further studies are required to confirm this.
Effects of Varying Dietary Protein Levels and Feeding Frequencies on Condition and Reproductive Performance of Channel Catfish to Produce Hybrid Catfish
Authors: Quintero Herbert E. , Hutson Alison , Chaimongkol Atra , Davis Allen , Dunham Rex , Abebe Asheber
Published: October 2009

The interspecific hybridization of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, females with blue catfish, I. furcatus, males has been identified as a method to further improve production; however, lack of spawning success has affected its commercial application. To facilitate our understanding of the interaction of brood stock nutrition and reproductive performance, we evaluated the interaction of feed quality and feeding frequency. Channel catfish females were classified into two genetic groups, namely, high and low spawning. The treatments were offered during the spring season 70–90 d prior to the start of the spawning season. Induced reproduction was performed using luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog. Condition of the fish as well as reproductive performance using spawning success, egg production, egg size, and fertilization at 48 h were determined. Changing protein level of the diet from 32 to 42% did not influence spawning, fecundity, or fertilization, but affected egg size and biochemical composition of the eggs. Increasing the feeding frequency from three to six times per week negatively affected spawning in one of the two genetics groups, did not affect egg production and egg fertilization, but had a significant effect on egg size. Older fish performed better than younger fish in terms of spawning success and egg production.
Cultivation of the Paracalanid Copepod, Bestiolina similis (Calanoida: Crustacea)
Authors: VanderLugt Kyle , Cooney Michael J. , Lechner Anna , Lenz Petra H.
Published: October 2009

First feed production continues to be a major barrier to the cultivation of many fish species. Although copepod nauplii are a suitable food, consistency and high production have been difficult. Temporal changes in production in batch cultures of the calanoid copepod, Bestiolina similis, were investigated to develop management strategies for the use of copepod nauplii as a live food. Population abundances and female egg production rates were measured, and recruitment and mortality rates were calculated. Relative expression levels of a molecular biomarker for stress, heat shock protein hsp70, were determined using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The population cycle included a period of rapid increase in abundances, followed by a steep decline and a period of stable but low population densities. Initially, egg production exceeded 25 eggs per female per day and low mortality rates prevailed. The population decline was preceded by upregulation of hsp70 and followed by an 80–90% decline in female fecundity and an increase in mortality rates. Egg production rates remained below four eggs per female per day even after new generations of females reached adulthood. The predictable population cycle provides opportunities to coordinate nauplius production rates with first feed needs of fish larvae.
The Difference between a Recession and a Depression*
Authors: Eslake Saul
Published: October 2009

The global financial crisis and the ensuing sharp downturns in economic activity around the world have rekindled interest in the question of the circumstances under which a “recession” can be appropriately labelled a “depression.” The differences are more profound than simply depth and duration, but reflect differences in causation and accompanying consequences. Moreover macroeconomic policies, which have been effective in responding to “recessions,” may be less effective in “depressions.”
Financial Plans for Baby Boomers: How Much Risk?*
Authors: Kingston Geoffrey
Published: October 2009

In June 2008, the Financial Planning Association issued an “example” financial plan. The hypothetical clients are John and Joan, a married couple. The plan would reduce the couple’s tax bill from $38,000 to $22,941 per annum, a good outcome. More questionable is a recommendation that the percentage of financial assets invested in growth assets be raised to 70 per cent. An aggressive asset allocation could well suit if the couple were aged either 37 or 77, but John and Joan are 57. The long investment horizon faced by the couple is actually a reason for caution on the cusp of their retirement.
Community Valuations of Environmental Quality in Coastal Lakes: Lake Illawarra Case Study*
Authors: Hodgkinson Ann , Valadkhani Abbas
Published: October 2009

This is the first Australian study to apply the hedonic pricing method to value environmental quality of an urban water body. It demonstrates the technique using a case study of a degraded urban lake that is currently undergoing a programme of water quality restoration and foreshore improvements. The results show that the community places significant value on proximity to the lake and on waterfront location. A range of other data was also generated that adds to the usefulness of this approach for general planning purposes. It is suggested that this technique would be a useful tool to aid in the allocation of public funds among competing environmental improvement projects.
Old, Single and Poor: Using Microsimulation and Microdata to Analyse Poverty and the Impact of Policy Change among Older Australians*
Authors: Tanton Robert , Vidyattama Yogi , McNamara Justine , Vu Quoc Ngu , Harding Ann
Published: October 2009

In recent months in Australia there has been extended debate about whether the age pension, particularly with regard to single pensioners, is sufficiently high to allow older Australians to attain an acceptable standard of living. This is an important policy consideration given Australia’s rapidly ageing population. By using microdata and microsimulation models, this paper examines the national and spatial impacts on the distribution of poverty among older single people of an increase in the single age‐pension rate. This paper shows that the cost of increasing the single age‐pension to 66 per cent of the couple‐age pension rate would be about $A1.3 billion and would benefit about 824,000 single age‐pensioners. Further, it is estimated that such an increase would reduce poverty rates for lone older persons from 46.5 per cent to 36.5 per cent, a 10‐percentage point reduction. Looking at the spatial distribution of such benefits, the effect of the policy change seems to be generally stronger in capital cities, and in bands of rural areas in New South Wales and Victoria.
The Economics of Carbon Abatement: An Integrated Diagrammatic Framework
Authors: Guest Ross
Published: October 2009

The aim of this article is to present the economics of carbon abatement in an integrated framework with application to key policy questions. While the core ideas are well known, the innovation here is to integrate the marginal costs and benefits of carbon abatement with the market for carbon permits in a diagrammatic framework. This framework is then used to analyse a range of issues in the public debate about carbon abatement and carbon trading schemes, such as special assistance for certain industries, tax concessions on particular carbon‐intensive goods such as petrol, government subsidies for renewable energy, and the effects of uncertainty and technological change.
From Public To Private: Evidence From a Transitional Economy Setting
Authors: Carlin Tyrone M. , Pham Cuong Duc
Published: October 2009

The literature on public financial management reform has devoted comparatively little attention to the detail and effect of reform process implementation in developing economies. This study contributes to an understanding of this phenomenon by examining the impact of privatisation on a sample of previously state‐owned enterprises in Vietnam. Using a detailed, financially focused methodology and drawing on data sourced from audited general purpose financial statements, our analysis suggests evidence of material variation in financial performance and position post‐privatisation compared to the position observed immediately prior to privatisation. Specifically, our data suggest that after being privatised, firms generally exhibit reductions in profitability, some degree of improvement in working capital management, an increase in financial leverage accompanied by a higher degree of solvency risk and greater calls on cash resources for the purpose of funding capital expenditure. Our results assist with understanding the impact of privatisation as a reform technique in developing economies, and may help policymakers and managers better target areas of likely risk, during the process of transition from public to private ownership.
An Analysis of ASX Price Queries
Authors: Marsden Alastair , Poskitt Russell
Published: October 2009

This study examines ‘no news’ responses to stock price queries issued by the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). We find strong evidence that the pre‐query changes in price are driven by informed traders rather than by speculators. First, there is only a partial reversion in prices following a ‘no news’ response by a company in receipt of a price query. Second, the adverse selection component of market spreads rise during the immediate pre‐query period and then decline following the company response. Last, the mean level of institutional shareholder ownership increases in the period immediately prior to an ASX query of a price increase.
CD4
+
Regulatory T Cells Control T
H
17 Responses in a Stat3-Dependent Manner
Authors: Chaudhry Ashutosh , Rudra Dipayan , Treuting Piper , Samstein Robert M. , Liang Yuqiong , Kas Arnold , Rudensky Alexander Y.
Published: October 2009

Outfoxing Immune Excess

Immune responses are kept in check by Foxp3-expressing CD4
+
-regulatory T cells (T
regs
) through a variety of mechanisms. Expression of specific transcription factors directs T
reg
responses into distinct T helper cell lineages; however, the transcription factors that regulate particular helper lineages have not been completely characterized.

Chaudhry
et al.

(p.
986
, published online 1 October) show that the transcription factor Stat3, that is required for the initial differentiation of T
H
17-effector T cells, is also required for T
reg
cell-mediated suppression of T
H
17-mediated immune responses. Mice carrying a T
reg
cellspecific deletion in Stat3 succumb to an intestinal inflammatory disease driven by uncontrolled T
H
17 responses. Thus, different classes of immune responses can result from the expression of helper lineage–specific transcription factors.
Ardipithecus ramidus
and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids
Authors: White Tim D. , Asfaw Berhane , Beyene Yonas , Haile-Selassie Yohannes , Lovejoy C. Owen , Suwa Gen , WoldeGabriel Giday
Published: October 2009

Hominid fossils predating the emergence of
Australopithecus
have been sparse and fragmentary. The evolution of our lineage after the last common ancestor we shared with chimpanzees has therefore remained unclear.
Ardipithecus ramidus
, recovered in ecologically and temporally resolved contexts in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift, now illuminates earlier hominid paleobiology and aspects of extant African ape evolution. More than 110 specimens recovered from 4.4-million-year-old sediments include a partial skeleton with much of the skull, hands, feet, limbs, and pelvis. This hominid combined arboreal palmigrade clambering and careful climbing with a form of terrestrial bipedality more primitive than that of
Australopithecus
.
Ar. ramidus
had a reduced canine/premolar complex and a little-derived cranial morphology and consumed a predominantly C
3
plant–based diet (plants using the C
3
photosynthetic pathway). Its ecological habitat appears to have been largely woodland-focused.
Ar. ramidus
lacks any characters typical of suspension, vertical climbing, or knuckle-walking.
Ar. ramidus
indicates that despite the genetic similarities of living humans and chimpanzees, the ancestor we last shared probably differed substantially from any extant African ape. Hominids and extant African apes have each become highly specialized through very different evolutionary pathways. This evidence also illuminates the origins of orthogrady, bipedality, ecology, diet, and social behavior in earliest Hominidae and helps to define the basal hominid adaptation, thereby accentuating the derived nature of
Australopithecus
.
Careful Climbing in the Miocene: The Forelimbs of
Ardipithecus ramidus
and Humans Are Primitive
Authors: Lovejoy C. Owen , Simpson Scott W. , White Tim D. , Asfaw Berhane , Suwa Gen
Published: October 2009

The
Ardipithecus ramidus
hand and wrist exhibit none of the derived mechanisms that restrict motion in extant great apes and are reminiscent of those of Miocene apes, such as
Proconsul
. The capitate head is more palmar than in all other known hominoids, permitting extreme midcarpal dorsiflexion.
Ar. ramidus
and all later hominids lack the carpometacarpal articular and ligamentous specializations of extant apes. Manual proportions are unlike those of any extant ape. Metacarpals 2 through 5 are relatively short, lacking any morphological traits associable with knuckle-walking. Humeral and ulnar characters are primitive and like those of later hominids. The
Ar. ramidus
forelimb complex implies palmigrady during bridging and careful climbing and exhibits none of the adaptations to vertical climbing, forelimb suspension, and knuckle-walking that are seen in extant African apes.
What Powers Have Words?
Can Poetry Save the Earth?
A Field Guide to Nature Poems

by John Felstiner

Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2009. 434 pp. $35. ISBN 9780300137507.
Authors: Garrard Greg
Published: October 2009

In this combination of anthology and commentary, Felstiner argues that poetic language effectively leads people to appreciate nature, recognize the imperiled state of the environment, and take steps toward better stewardship of the world.
Two Chemoreceptors Mediate Developmental Effects of Dauer Pheromone in
C. elegans
Authors: Kim Kyuhyung , Sato Koji , Shibuya Mayumi , Zeiger Danna M. , Butcher Rebecca A. , Ragains Justin R. , Clardy Jon , Touhara Kazushige , Sengupta Piali
Published: October 2009

Life Histories to Suit

Nematode worms can profoundly manipulate their life histories in several ways. For example,
Caenorhabditis elegans
has two genders: males and hermaphrodites. Some clues for the evolution of this peculiar mating system have been revealed by

Baldi
et al.

(p.
1002
), who turned females of a related species,
Caenorhabditis remanei
, into hermaphrodites by modifying a gene involved in making sperm and another gene required for activating the spermatids. In most animals, the germ line is fully established during adulthood and a reproductive period is determined, at least in part, by aging of the germ line and the viability of oocytes. The reproductive longevity of hermaphrodite
C. elegans
can be increased at least 15-fold by starvation.
Angelo and Van Gilst
(p.
954
, published online 27 August; see the Perspective by

Ogawa and Sommer

) found that in starved worms, the germline component of the reproductive system is actively killed, with the exception of a small set of preserved stem cells. When the worms are able to feed again, these cells regenerate into an entirely new and functional germ line. But this is not all.

Kim
et al.

(p.
994
, published online 1 October; see the Perspective by

Ogawa and Sommer

) show that subsets of the complex mixture of structurally related molecules in dauer pheromone act via distinct G protein–coupled receptors either to initiate longterm effects on development and physiology by modulating the neuroendocrine axis, or to trigger short-term acute effects on behavior by altering neuronal responses.
Probing the Magnetic Field of Light at Optical Frequencies
Authors: Burresi M. , van Oosten D. , Kampfrath T. , Schoenmaker H. , Heideman R. , Leinse A. , Kuipers L.
Published: October 2009

Measuring Magnetic Light

Compared to its electric component, the coupling between the magnetic field component of light and matter is usually extremely weak. With no effective way to measure it, we are effectively blind to light's magnetic component.

Burresi
et al.

(p.
550
, published online 1 October; see the Perspective by

Giessen and Vogelgesang

) coupled a metamaterial split-ring resonator to the tip of a scanning probe to measure the magnetic field vector of light at optical frequencies. The ability to measure the magnetic component of light should prove useful for the nanoscale characterization of optical waveguides and other optical devices.
Understanding Human Origins
Authors: Alberts Bruce
Published: October 2009

Responding to a question about his soon-to-be-published
On the Origin of Species
, Charles Darwin wrote in 1857 to Alfred Russel Wallace, “You ask whether I shall discuss ‘man’; I think I shall avoid the whole subject, as so surrounded with prejudices, though I freely admit that it is the highest and most interesting problem for the naturalist.” Only some 14 years later, in
The Descent of Man
, did Darwin address this “highest problem” head-on: There, he presciently remarked in his introduction that “It has often and confidently been asserted, that man's origin can never be known: but … it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”
Comparison of Lateral Flow Technology and Galactomannan and (1→3)-β-
d
-Glucan Assays for Detection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Wiederhold Nathan P. , Thornton Christopher R. , Najvar Laura K. , Kirkpatrick William R. , Bocanegra Rosie , Patterson Thomas F.
Published: October 2009

We compared a lateral flow device to galactomannan and (1→3)-β-
d
-glucan assays to detect invasive aspergillosis in an established guinea pig model of pulmonary disease. The lateral flow device became positive earlier (day 3) than the (1→3)-β-
d
-glucan and galactomannan assays (day 5), with all samples positive by each assay on day 7.
Mycoplasma genitalium-Derived Lipid-Associated Membrane Proteins Activate NF-κB through Toll-Like Receptors 1, 2, and 6 and CD14 in a MyD88-Dependent Pathway
Authors: He Jun , You Xiaoxing , Zeng Yanhua , Yu Minjun , Zuo Lingling , Wu Yimou
Published: October 2009

Mycoplasma genitaliumis a leading pathogen of nongonoccocal chlamydia-negative urethritis, which has been implicated directly in numerous other genitourinary and extragenitourinary tract pathologies. The pathogenesis of infection is attributed in part to excessive immune responses.M. genitalium-derived lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) are a mixture of bacterial lipoproteins, exposed at the surface of mycoplasma, that are potent inducers of the host innate immune system. However, the interaction ofM. genitalium-derived LAMPs as pathogenic agents with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the signaling pathways responsible for active inflammation and NF-κB activation have not been fully elucidated. In this study, LAMPs induced the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a dose-dependent manner. Blocking assays showed that TLR2- and CD14-neutralizing antibodies reduced the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, LAMP-induced NF-κB activation was increased in 293T cells transfected with TLR2 plasmid. The activity of NF-κB was synergically augmented by cotransfected TLR1, TLR6, and CD14. Additionally, LAMPs were shown to inhibit NF-κB expression by cotransfection with dominant-negative MyD88 and TLR2 plasmids. These results suggest thatM. genitalium-derived LAMPs activate NF-κB via TLR1, TLR2, TLR6, and CD14 in a MyD88-dependent pathway.
Endemic and Epidemic
Acinetobacter
Species in a University Hospital: an 8-Year Survey
Authors: van den Broek P. J. , van der Reijden T. J. K. , van Strijen E. , Helmig-Schurter A. V. , Bernards A. T. , Dijkshoorn L.
Published: October 2009

The prevalence of the currently known
Acinetobacter
species and related trends of antimicrobial resistance in a Dutch university hospital were studied. Between 1999 and 2006,
Acinetobacter
isolates from clinical samples were collected prospectively. Isolates were analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting. For species identification, a profile similarity cutoff level of 50% was used, and for strain identification, a cutoff level of 90% was used. Susceptibility for antimicrobial agents was tested by disk diffusion by following the CLSI guideline. The incidences of
Acinetobacter
isolates ranged from 1.7 to 3.7 per 10,000 patients per year, without a trend of increase, during the study years. Twenty different species were distinguished.
Acinetobacter baumannii
(27%) and
Acinetobacter
genomic species (gen. sp.) 3 (26%) were the most prevalent. Other species seen relatively frequently were
Acinetobacter lwoffii
(11%),
Acinetobacter ursingii
(4%),
Acinetobacter johnsonii
(4%), and
Acinetobacter junii
(3%). One large cluster of
A. baumannii
, involving 31 patients, and 16 smaller clusters of various species, involving in total 39 patients, with at most 5 patients in 1 cluster, occurred. Overall, 37% of the
A. baumannii
isolates were fully susceptible to the tested antibiotics. There was a borderline significant (
P
= 0.059) trend of decreasing susceptibility.
A. baumannii
was the
Acinetobacter
species causing the largest burden of multiple-antibiotic resistance and transmissions in the hospital.
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein EB2 Contains an N-Terminal Transferable Nuclear Export Signal That Promotes Nucleocytoplasmic Export by Directly Binding TAP/NXF1
Authors: Juillard Franceline , Hiriart Edwige , Sergeant Nicolas , Vingtdeux-Didier Valérie , Drobecq Hervé , Sergeant Alain , Manet Evelyne , Gruffat Henri
Published: October 2009

The Epstein-Barr virus early protein EB2 (also called BMLF1, Mta, or SM), which allows the nuclear export of a subset of early and late viral mRNAs derived from intronless genes, is essential for the production of infectious virions. An important feature of mRNA export factors is their capacity to shuttle continuously between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In a previous study, we identified a novel CRM1-independent transferable nuclear export signal (NES) at the N terminus of EB2, between amino acids 61 and 146. Here we show that this NES contains several small arginine-rich domains that cooperate to allow efficient interaction with TAP/NXF1. Recruitment of TAP/NXF1 correlates with this NES-mediated efficient nuclear export when it is fused to a heterologous protein. Moreover, the NES can export mRNAs bearing MS2 RNA-binding sites from the nucleus when tethered to the RNA via the MS2 phage coat protein RNA-binding domain.
Targeted Transduction via CD4 by a Lentiviral Vector Uses a Clathrin-Mediated Entry Pathway
Authors: Liang Min , Morizono Kouki , Pariente Nonia , Kamata Masakazu , Lee Benhur , Chen Irvin S. Y.
Published: October 2009

We recently developed a novel targeting Sindbis virus envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vector, 2.2ZZ, which acquires specific transduction capacity by antibody conjugation and binding with specific antigens on the surface of targeted cells. Here we characterize the virological properties of this vector by examining its targeting to CD4 antigen. Our results show that entry is dependent on CD4 cell surface density and occurs via the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of infection by a new viral vector with combined properties of Sindbis virus and lentiviruses and infectivity conferred by monoclonal antibody-ligand interactions.
Identification of B-Cell Epitopes on Virus-Like Particles of Cutaneous Alpha-Human Papillomaviruses
Authors: Senger Tilo , Becker Maria R. , Schädlich Lysann , Waterboer Tim , Gissmann Lutz
Published: October 2009

Human papillomavirus (PV) (HPV) types 2, 27, and 57 are closely related and, hence, represent a promising model system to study the correlation of phylogenetic relationship and immunological distinctiveness of PVs. These HPV types cause a large fraction of cutaneous warts occurring in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, they constitute a target for the development of virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines. However, the immunogenic structure of HPV type 2, 27, and 57 capsids has not been studied yet. Here we provide, for the first time, a characterization of the B-cell epitopes on VLPs of cutaneous alpha-HPVs using a panel of 94 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) generated upon immunization with capsids from HPV types 2, 27, and 57. The MAbs generated were characterized regarding their reactivities with glutathioneS-transferase-L1 fusion proteins from 18 different PV types, the nature of their recognized epitopes, their isotypes, and their ability to neutralize HPV type 2, 27, 57, or 16. In total, 33 of the 94 MAbs (35%) showed type-specific reactivity. All type-specific MAbs recognize linear epitopes, most of which map to the hypervariable surface loop regions of the L1 amino acid sequence. Four of the generated MAbs neutralized pseudovirions of the inoculated HPV type efficiently. All four MAbs recognized epitopes within the BC loop, which is required and sufficient for their neutralizing activity. Our data highlight the immunological distinctiveness of individual HPV types, even in comparison to their closest relatives, and they provide a basis for the development of VLP-based vaccines against cutaneous alpha-HPVs.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator 1α and Small Heterodimer Partner Differentially Regulate Nuclear Receptor-Dependent Hepatitis B Virus Biosynthesis
Authors: Ondracek Caitlin R. , Rushing Christel N. , Reese Vanessa C. , Oropeza Claudia E. , McLachlan Alan
Published: October 2009

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) biosynthesis involves the transcription of the 3.5-kb viral pregenomic RNA, followed by its reverse transcription into viral DNA. Consequently, the modulation of viral transcription influences the level of virus production. Nuclear receptors are the only transcription factors known to support viral pregenomic RNA transcription and replication. The coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) and corepressor small heterodimer partner (SHP) have central roles in regulating energy homeostasis in the liver by modulating the transcriptional activities of nuclear receptors. Therefore, the effect of PGC1α and SHP on HBV transcription and replication mediated by nuclear receptors was examined in the context of individual nuclear receptors in nonhepatoma cells and in hepatoma cells. This analysis indicated that viral replication mediated by hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α, retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) plus peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), and estrogen-related receptor (ERR) displayed differential sensitivity to PGC1α activation and SHP inhibition. The effects of PGC1α and SHP on viral biosynthesis in the human hepatoma cell line Huh7 were similar to those observed in the nonhepatoma cells expressing ERRα and ERRγ. This suggests that these nuclear receptors, potentially in combination with RXRα plus PPARα, may have a major role in governing HBV transcription and replication in this cell line. Additionally, this functional approach may help to distinguish the transcription factors in various liver cells governing viral biosynthesis under a variety of physiologically relevant conditions.
DOMAIN GROWTH IN COMPRESSIBLE 2D ISING MODELS UNDERGOING PHASE SEPARATION
Authors: MITCHELL S. J. , LANDAU D. P.
Published: October 2009

High precision Monte Carlo simulations are used to study domain growth in a compressible two-dimensional spin-exchange Ising model with continuous particle positions and zero total magnetization. For mismatched systems, we measure significant deviations from the theoretically expected late-time domain growth, R(t) = A + Btn with n = 1/3. For a compressible model with no mismatch, we measure only a slight deviation from n = 1/3. Our results indicate that our current understanding of domain growth is incomplete.
A MEAN-FIELD APPROACH TO A DISCRETE DIPOLAR SPIN MODEL WITH UNIAXIAL MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY
Authors: TOMITA YUSUKE , YANAI SHUNSUKE , TAKAYAMA HAJIME
Published: October 2009

Using the mean-field approximation, we study the reorientation transition in a discrete dipolar spin model. We array the d-dimensional spins in the d-1-dimensional hypercubic lattice points, and apply the magnetic anisotropy in the dth direction. Even though the long-range dipolar interaction is truncated to the nearest-neighbor interaction, the model exhibits the reorientation transition. The effects of the exchange interaction on the dipolar system are also studied.