bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcified macroalgae - critical to coastal ecosystems and vulnerable to change: a review
Authors: Nelson W. A.
Published: August 2011

Calcified macroalgae are distributed in marine habitats from polar to tropical latitudes and from intertidal shores to the deepest reaches of the euphotic zone. These algae play critical ecological roles including being key to a range of invertebrate recruitment processes, functioning as autogenic ecosystem engineers through provision of three-dimensional habitat structure, as well as contributing critical structural strength in coral reef ecosystems. Calcified macroalgae contribute significantly to the deposition of carbonates in coastal environments. These organisms are vulnerable to human-induced changes resulting from land and coastal development, such as altered patterns of sedimentation, nutrient enrichment through sewage and agricultural run-off, and are affected by coastal dredging and aquaculture. The consequences of increasing sea surface temperatures and fundamental changes in the carbon chemistry of seawater due to CO2 emissions from anthropogenic activities will have serious impacts on calcifying macroalgae. It is not yet understood how interactions between a range of variables acting at local and global scales will influence the viability of calcifying macroalgae and associated ecosystems. Research is urgently needed on all aspects of the taxonomy, biology and functional ecology of calcifying macroalgae. Without an understanding of the species present, measurement of change and understanding species-specific responses will not be possible.
Cis
-regulatory code of stress-responsive transcription in
Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zou Cheng , Sun Kelian , Mackaluso Joshua D. , Seddon Alexander E. , Jin Rong , Thomashow Michael F. , Shiu Shin-Han
Published: August 2011

Environmental stress leads to dramatic transcriptional reprogramming, which is central to plant survival. Although substantial knowledge has accumulated on how a few plant
cis
-regulatory elements (CREs) function in stress regulation, many more CREs remain to be discovered. In addition, the plant stress
cis
-regulatory code, i.e., how CREs work independently and/or in concert to specify stress-responsive transcription, is mostly unknown. On the basis of gene expression patterns under multiple stresses, we identified a large number of putative CREs (pCREs) in
Arabidopsis thaliana
with characteristics of authentic
cis
-elements. Surprisingly, biotic and abiotic responses are mostly mediated by two distinct pCRE superfamilies. In addition, we uncovered
cis
-regulatory codes specifying how pCRE presence and absence, combinatorial relationships, location, and copy number can be used to predict stress-responsive expression. Expression prediction models based on pCRE combinations perform significantly better than those based on simply pCRE presence and absence, location, and copy number. Furthermore, instead of a few master combinatorial rules for each stress condition, many rules were discovered, and each appears to control only a small subset of stress-responsive genes. Given there are very few documented interactions between plant CREs, the combinatorial rules we have uncovered significantly contribute to a better understanding of the
cis
-regulatory logic underlying plant stress response and provide prioritized targets for experimentation.
Frames of reference in spatial span
Authors: Bernardis Paolo , Shallice Tim
Published: August 2011

In four experiments, a computerized Corsi-like paradigm was used to assess which of the many reference frames are used in visuospatial short-term memory. By varying the relative orientation (slanted +/–45° or in an upright position) of the head and the displays, we modulate the utility of the allocentric, egocentric (eye- and head-centred), and template-centred reference frames. The results of all experiments showed the crucial importance of the gravitational allocentric reference frames while using visuospatial short-term memory to retain a spatial sequence of elements. The results also provide some support for a mental rotation process involved in recognition following angular displacement of a multi-item display.
Einstellung Defused: Interactivity and Mental Set
Authors: Vallée-Tourangeau Frédéric , Euden Gemma , Hearn Vanessa
Published: August 2011

Mental set is observed when a familiar problem-solving strategy is applied to new problems that can be solved in simpler, more efficient ways. It is most famously illustrated in the water jar problems (Luchins, 1942). In these volume measurement problems, participants learn a rule to obtain an exact volume of liquid involving a complex combination of liquid transfer. Participants persevere in using this rule for new problems that can be solved with a much simpler rule. In two experiments presented here, participants completed the water jar task either in interactive conditions with actual water jars at a sink or in noninteractive conditions, with the problems presented on paper, as in the original Luchins procedure. Interactivity significantly reduced the degree of perseverance. In addition, participants' visuospatial skills significantly predicted the rate of perseverance (and the latencies to solution) in interactive but not in noninteractive conditions. These results underscore the importance of designing problem-solving experiments that engineer distributed cognitive systems in which participants coordinate internal and external resources in thinking.
Characteristic elements for 𝑝-torsion Iwasawa modules
Authors: Ardakov Konstantin , Wadsley Simon
Published: August 2011

Let

G
G

be a compact

p
p

-adic analytic group with no elements of order

p
p

. We provide a formula for the characteristic element (J. Coates, et. al., The

G

L
2

GL_2

main conjecture for elliptic curves without complex multiplication, preprint) of any finitely generated

p
p

-torsion module

M
M

over the Iwasawa algebra

Λ
G

\Lambda _G

of

G
G

in terms of twisted

μ
\mu

-invariants of

M
M

, which are defined using the Euler characteristics of

M
M

and its twists. A version of the Artin formalism is proved for these characteristic elements. We characterize those groups having the property that every finitely generated pseudo-null

p
p

-torsion module has trivial characteristic element as the

p
p

-nilpotent groups. It is also shown that these are precisely the groups which have the property that every finitely generated

p
p

-torsion module has integral Euler characteristic. Under a slightly weaker condition on

G
G

we decompose the completed group algebra

Ω
G

\Omega _G

of

G
G

with coefficients in

F

p

\mathbb {F}_p

into blocks and show that each block is prime; this generalizes a result of Ardakov and Brown (Primeness, semiprimeness and localisation in Iwasawa Algebras, submitted). We obtain a generalization of a result of Osima (On primary decomposable group rings, Proc. Phy-Math. Soc. Japan (3) 24 (1942) 1–9), characterizing the groups

G
G

which have the property that every block of

Ω
G

\Omega _G

is local. Finally, we compute the ranks of the

K
0

K_0

group of

Ω
G

\Omega _G

and of its classical ring of quotients

Q
(

Ω
G

)

Q(\Omega _G)

whenever the latter is semisimple.
Ekedahl-Oort strata and the first Newton slope strata
Authors: Harashita Shushi
Published: August 2011

We investigate stratifications on the moduli space

A

g

\mathcal {A}_g

of principally polarized abelian varieties of dimension

g
g

in characteristic

p
>
0

p>0

. In this paper we give an easy algorithm determining the first Newton slope of any generic point of each Ekedahl-Oort stratum.
The cohomology of a variation of polarized Hodge structures over a quasi-compact Kähler manifold
Authors: Jost Jürgen , Yang Yi-Hu , Zuo Kang
Published: August 2011

In this article, we consider the cohomologies with coefficients in a variation of polarized Hodge structures on a quasi-compact Kaehler manifold. We show that the

L
2

L^2

-Dolbeault cohomology can be identified with the

L
2

L^2

cohomology; we also give several direct applications of the result above.
Clathrin light chain directs endocytosis by influencing the binding of the yeast Hip1R homologue, Sla2, to F-actin
Authors: Boettner Douglas R. , Friesen Helena , Andrews Brenda , Lemmon Sandra K.
Published: August 2011

The role of clathrin light chain (CLC) in clathrin-mediated endocytosis is not completely understood. Previous studies showed that the CLC N-terminus (CLC-NT) binds the Hip1/Hip1R/Sla2 family of membrane/actin–binding factors and that overexpression of the CLC-NT in yeast suppresses endocytic defects of clathrin heavy-chain mutants. To elucidate the mechanistic basis for this suppression, we performed synthetic genetic array analysis with a clathrin CLC-NT deletion mutation (clc1-Δ19-76). clc1-Δ19-76 suppressed the internalization defects of null mutations in three late endocytic factors: amphiphysins (rvs161 and rvs167) and verprolin (vrp1). In actin sedimentation assays, CLC binding to Sla2 inhibited Sla2 interaction with F-actin. Furthermore, clc1-Δ19-76 suppression of the rvs and vrp phenotypes required the Sla2 actin-binding talin-Hip1/R/Sla2 actin-tethering C-terminal homology domain, suggesting that clc1-Δ19-76 promotes internalization by prolonging actin engagement by Sla2. We propose that CLC directs endocytic progression by pruning the Sla2-actin attachments in the clathrin lattice, providing direction for membrane internalization.
Simultaneous recognition and segmentation of cells: application in C.elegans
Authors: Qu Lei , Long Fuhui , Liu Xiao , Kim Stuart , Myers Eugene , Peng Hanchuan
Published: August 2011

Motivation: Automatic recognition of cell identities is critical for quantitative measurement, targeting and manipulation of cells of model animals at single-cell resolution. It has been shown to be a powerful tool for studying gene expression and regulation, cell lineages and cell fates. Existing methods first segment cells, before applying a recognition algorithm in the second step. As a result, the segmentation errors in the first step directly affect and complicate the subsequent cell recognition step. Moreover, in new experimental settings, some of the image features that have been previously relied upon to recognize cells may not be easy to reproduce, due to limitations on the number of color channels available for fluorescent imaging or to the cost of building transgenic animals. An approach that is more accurate and relies on only a single signal channel is clearly desirable.

Results: We have developed a new method, called simultaneous recognition and segmentation (SRS) of cells, and applied it to 3D image stacks of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Given a 3D image stack of the animal and a 3D atlas of target cells, SRS is effectively an atlas-guided voxel classification process: cell recognition is realized by smoothly deforming the atlas to best fit the image, where the segmentation is obtained naturally via classification of all image voxels. The method achieved a 97.7% overall recognition accuracy in recognizing a key class of marker cells, the body wall muscle (BWM) cells, on a dataset of 175 C.elegans image stacks containing 14 118 manually curated BWM cells providing the ‘ground-truth’ for accuracy. This result was achieved without any additional fiducial image features. SRS also automatically identified 14 of the image stacks as involving ±90○ rotations. With these stacks excluded from the dataset, the recognition accuracy rose to 99.1%. We also show SRS is generally applicable to other cell types, e.g. intestinal cells.

Availability: The supplementary movies can be downloaded from our web site http://penglab.janelia.org/proj/celegans_seganno. The method has been implemented as a plug-in program within the V3D system (http://penglab.janelia.org/proj/v3d), and will be released in the V3D plugin source code repository.

Contact:  pengh@janelia.hhmi.org
Error patterns in age estimation of harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus): results from a transatlantic, image-based, blind-reading experiment using known-age teeth
Authors: Frie Anne K. , Fagerheim Kjell-Arne , Hammill Mike O. , Kapel Finn O. , Lockyer Christina , Stenson Garry B. , Rosing-Asvid Aqqalu , Svetochev Vladislav
Published: August 2011

Frie, A. K., Fagerheim, K-A., Hammill, M. O., Kapel, F. O., Lockyer, C., Stenson, G. B., Rosing-Asvid, A., and Svetochev, V. 2011. Error patterns in age estimation of harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus): results from a transatlantic, image-based, blind-reading experiment using known-age teeth. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1942–1953. Blind readings of known-age samples are the ultimate quality control method for age estimates based on hard tissues. Unfortunately, this is often not feasible for many species because of the scarcity of known-age samples. Based on a unique collection of known-age teeth of harp seals (age range: 1–18 years), ageing errors were evaluated in relation to true age, reader experience, sex, and tooth format (images vs. originals). Bias was estimated by linear models fitted to deviations from true age, and precision was estimated as their residual standard error. Image-based blind readings of 98 tooth sections by 14 readers, representing different levels of experience, generally showed high accuracy and precision up to a seal age of ∼8 years, followed by an increasingly negative bias and increased variance. Separate analyses were therefore conducted for young seals (1–7 years) and older seals. For young seals, moderate associations were found between reader experience and levels of bias, precision, and proportions of correct readings. For older seals, only precision levels showed a significant association with reader experience. Minor effects of sex and tooth format are unlikely to affect these main patterns. Observed errors, even for highly experienced readers, may affect important age-related parameters, emphasizing the importance of known-age calibration of the output from all readers.
Estimation of total retained catch based on frequency of fishing trips, inspections at sea, transhipment, and VMS data
Authors: Aanes Sondre , Nedreaas Kjell , Ulvatn Sigbjørn
Published: August 2011

Aanes, S., Nedreaas, K., and Ulvatn, S. 2011. Estimation of total retained catch based on frequency of fishing trips, inspections at sea, transhipment, and VMS data. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1598–1605. The satellite-based vessel monitoring system in the Norwegian Economic Zone provides detailed information about individual trips by vessels. Vessel sizes are available through official registries, and the storage capacity for fish is estimated using the established conversion factors as a function of the vessel's gross registered tonnage. Scientists have had access to the database of both transport and fishing vessels, with records for individual trips, in addition to information about the total round weight (whole fish) of cod and haddock for trips inspected by the coastguard. The analysis assumes that trips with complete documentation of the fish on board are a random sample, so allowing estimation of the mean amount of both cod and haddock per trip, and annual totals give the number of trips per vessel annually. ICES has accepted this methodology for estimating illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) catches, which has resulted in 15 000–166 000 t (3–35%) being added to the officially reported landings of Northeast Arctic cod during the years 2002–2008. IUU landings have decreased in recent years, but are so important for assessment and management that estimates continue to be made annually.
Disruption of essential habitat by a coastal invader: new evidence of the effects of green crabs on eelgrass beds
Authors: Malyshev Andrey , Quijón Pedro A.
Published: August 2011

Malyshev, A., and Quijón, P. A. 2011. Disruption of essential habitat by a coastal invader: new evidence of the effects of green crabs on eelgrass beds. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1852–1856. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds have been declining in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere, partly as a result of sediment disruption and direct feeding/cutting of basal meristems by the green crab (Carcinus maenas). Green crabs are detrimental to eelgrass beds, and field and laboratory experiments have confirmed that the deleterious role of this invasive species is mediated by at least two mechanisms, depending on the size/age of the crabs: uprooting by adults and grazing by juveniles. Eelgrass uprooting and grazing by green crabs are likely to contribute to further declines or a lack of recovery of eelgrass beds.
In situ measurements of target strength with optical and model verification: a case study for blue grenadier, Macruronus novaezelandiae
Authors: Kloser Rudy J. , Ryan Tim E. , Macaulay Gavin J. , Lewis Mark E.
Published: August 2011

Kloser, R. J., Ryan, T. E., Macaulay, G. J., and Lewis, M. E. 2011. In situ measurements of target strength with optical and model verification: a case study for blue grenadier, Macruronus novaezelandiae. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1986–1995. In situ measurements of target strength (TS) of isolated fish surrounding dense schools need to be representative of the schooling fish to calculate their echo-integrated biomass. Using synchronous optical and acoustic measurements from a pelagic fishing net, the standard length (81 cm, n = 128), tilt-angle (−9°), and net-disturbed in situ TS (−34.4 dB) of Australian Macruronus novaezelandiae (blue grenadier) were confirmed at depth. In situ drift experiments of assumed undisturbed but dispersed blue grenadier recorded a mean TS of −31.8 dB (CI −33.1 to −30.9 dB) with attributed fish standard lengths of 83 cm (s.d. 7.5 cm) and weight 2.5 kg. Modelling the gasbladder showed that uncertainties in fish length, orientation, and gasbladder size could explain the differences observed. Blue grenadiers have negative buoyancy because the cavity size of their gasbladder is smaller than the volume of gas required for neutral buoyancy at depth. For the same species and length, New Zealand hoki weigh less and have smaller gasbladders than Australian blue grenadier, suggesting a conversion factor of 1.10 in length for comparative measurements. Net-attached acoustic and optical measurements indicate that model and drift in situ measurements are biased high by 2.9 and 1.0 dB, respectively. Net-attached acoustic and optical measurements are a cost-effective method of monitoring TS routinely at depth for changes in species length and weight.
Improving marketability through translocation: a lobster case study from southern Australia
Authors: Chandrapavan Arani , Gardner Caleb , Green Bridget S. , Linnane Adrian , Hobday David
Published: August 2011

Chandrapavan, A., Gardner, C., Green, B. S., Linnane, A., and Hobday, D. 2011. Improving marketability through translocation: a lobster case study from southern Australia. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1842–1851. Translocation as a method to increase the value of less-marketable, deep-water southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii was explored. First, variation in the commercially important shell colouration and body shape between deep- and shallow-water Tasmanian populations and among South Australian and Victorian populations was quantified. Deep-water J. edwardsii were pale in colour, with longer walking legs but less meat content than shallow-water, red-coloured J. edwardsii. Traits in body shape were variable among deep-water populations across the three states and between sexes in each population. Deep-water lobsters were then translocated to a shallow-water inshore reef to determine whether the observed variation in traits was plastic and whether translocation could be used to improve the quality of deep-water lobsters. Translocated lobsters were then monitored over a 14-month post-release period, and during this time, they changed from a pale/white colour to the more marketable red colour within a single moult. Plasticity was observed in tail morphology, but not in leg morphology. The translocation experiment was successful in transforming pale/white deep-water lobsters into red lobsters with higher market value in a phenotypic response to habitat manipulation. Translocation appears to have commercial application for exploiting natural plasticity in the market traits of lobsters to increase price.
An introduction to the proceedings and a synthesis of the 2010 ICES Symposium on Fishery-Dependent Information
Authors: Graham Norman , Grainger Richard , Karp William A. , MacLennan David N. , MacMullen Philip , Nedreaas Kjell
Published: August 2011

Graham, N., Grainger, R., Karp, W. A., MacLennan, D. N., MacMullen, P., and Nedreaas, K. 2011. An introduction to the proceedings and a synthesis of the 2010 ICES Symposium on Fishery-Dependent Information. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1593–1597. Current problems and issues concerning the collection and use of fishery-dependent information are reviewed and selected papers in the pages following highlight emergent findings in the field. Key issues include relationships between stakeholders, especially fishers and scientists, and how to develop these constructively, the increasing demands on the quality and range of data on fishing activities and exploitation rates needed to promote the ecosystem approach to fishery management, and technological advances that have allowed new approaches and insights.
Modelling the dynamics of viral suppressors of RNA silencing
Authors: Groenenboom Marian A. C. , Hogeweg Paulien
Published: August 2011

Virus infection in plants is limited by RNA silencing. In turn, viruses can counter RNA silencing with silencing suppressors. Viral suppressors of RNA silencing have been shown to play a role in symptom development in plants. We here study four different strategies employed by silencing suppressors: small interfering RNA (siRNA) binding, double-strand RNA (dsRNA) binding and degrading or inactivating Argonaute. We study the effect of the suppressors on viral accumulation within the cell as well as its spread on a tissue with mathematical and computational models. We find that suppressors which target Argonaute are very effective in a single cell, but that targeting dsRNA or siRNA is much more effective at the tissue level. Although targeting Argonaute can be beneficial for viral spread, it can also cause hindrance in some cases owing to raised levels of siRNAs that can spread to other cells.
Estimation of gestational age from fundal height: a solution for resource-poor settings
Authors: White Lisa J. , Lee Sue J. , Stepniewska Kasia , Simpson Julie A. , Dwell Saw Lu Mu , Arunjerdja Ratree , Singhasivanon Pratap , White Nicholas J. , Nosten Francois , McGready Rose
Published: August 2011

Many women in resource-poor settings lack access to reliable gestational age assessment because they do not know their last menstrual period; there is no ultrasound (US) and methods of newborn gestational age dating are not practised by birth attendants. A bespoke multiple-measures model was developed to predict the expected date of delivery determined by US. The results are compared with both a linear and a nonlinear model. Prospectively collected early US and serial symphysis-pubis fundal height (SFH) data were used in the models. The data were collected from Karen and Burmese women attending antenatal care on the Thai–Burmese border. The multiple-measures model performed best, resulting in a range of accuracy depending on the number of SFH measures recorded per mother (for example six SFH measurements resulted in a prediction accuracy of ±2 weeks). SFH remains the proxy for gestational age in much of the resource-poor world. While more accurate measures should be encouraged, we demonstrate that a formula that incorporates at least three SFH measures from an individual mother and the slopes between them provide a significant increase in the accuracy of prediction compared with the linear and nonlinear formulae also using multiple SFH measures.
Butterfly proboscis: combining a drinking straw with a nanosponge facilitated diversification of feeding habits
Authors: Monaenkova Daria , Lehnert Matthew S. , Andrukh Taras , Beard Charles E. , Rubin Binyamin , Tokarev Alexander , Lee Wah-Keat , Adler Peter H. , Kornev Konstantin G.
Published: August 2011

The ability of Lepidoptera, or butterflies and moths, to drink liquids from rotting fruit and wet soil, as well as nectar from floral tubes, raises the question of whether the conventional view of the proboscis as a drinking straw can account for the withdrawal of fluids from porous substrates or of films and droplets from floral tubes. We discovered that the proboscis promotes capillary pull of liquids from diverse sources owing to a hierarchical pore structure spanning nano- and microscales. X-ray phase-contrast imaging reveals that Plateau instability causes liquid bridges to form in the food canal, which are transported to the gut by the muscular sucking pump in the head. The dual functionality of the proboscis represents a key innovation for exploiting a vast range of nutritional sources. We suggest that future studies of the adaptive radiation of the Lepidoptera take into account the role played by the structural organization of the proboscis. A transformative two-step model of capillary intake and suctioning can be applied not only to butterflies and moths but also potentially to vast numbers of other insects such as bees and flies.
Oviposition strategy as a means of local adaptation to plant defence in native and invasive populations of the viburnum leaf beetle
Authors: Desurmont Gaylord A. , Hérard Franck , Agrawal Anurag A.
Published: August 2011

Herbivores have been hypothesized to adapt locally to variation in plant defences and such adaptation could facilitate novel associations in the context of biological invasions. Here, we show that in the native range of the viburnum leaf beetle (VLB,
Pyrrhalta viburni
), two populations of geographically isolated hosts—
Viburnum opulus
and
Viburnum tinus
—have divergent defences against VLB oviposition: negative versus positive density-dependent egg-crushing wound responses, respectively. Populations of beetles coexisting with each host show an adaptive behavioural response: aggregative versus non-aggregative oviposition on
V. opulus
and
V. tinus
, respectively. In parallel, we show that in North America, where VLB is invasive, defences of three novel hosts are negatively density-dependent, and beetles' oviposition behaviour is aggregative. Thus, local adaptation to plant defences has the potential to facilitate the invasion of herbivores onto novel hosts.
Validation of MdmX as a therapeutic target for reactivating p53 in tumors
Authors: Garcia Daniel , Warr Matthew R. , Martins Carla P. , Brown Swigart Lamorna , Passegué Emmanuelle , Evan Gerard I.
Published: August 2011

MdmX, also known as Mdm4, is a critical negative regulator of p53, and its overexpression serves to block p53 tumor suppressor function in many cancers. Consequently, inhibiting MdmX has emerged as an attractive approach to restoring p53 function in those cancers that retain functional p53. However, the consequences of acute systemic MdmX inhibition in normal adult tissues remain unknown. To determine directly the effects of systemic MdmX inhibition in normal tissues and in tumors, we crossed mdmX−/− mice into the p53ERTAM knockin background. In place of wild-type p53, p53ERTAM knockin mice express a variant of p53, p53ERTAM, that is completely dependent on 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen for its activity. MdmX inhibition was then modeled by restoring p53 function in these MdmX-deficient mice. We show that MdmX is continuously required to buffer p53 activity in adult normal tissues and their stem cells. Importantly, the effects of transient p53 restoration in the absence of MdmX are nonlethal and reversible, unlike transient p53 restoration in the absence of Mdm2, which is ineluctably lethal. We also show that the therapeutic impact of restoring p53 in a tumor model is enhanced in the absence of MdmX, affording a significant extension of life span over p53 restoration in the presence of MdmX. Hence, systemic inhibition of MdmX is both a feasible therapeutic strategy for restoring p53 function in tumors that retain wild-type p53 and likely to be significantly safer than inhibition of Mdm2.
Context-specific α-to-β-cell reprogramming by forced Pdx1 expression
Authors: Yang Yu-Ping , Thorel Fabrizio , Boyer Daniel F. , Herrera Pedro L. , Wright Christopher V.E.
Published: August 2011

Using single transcription factors to reprogram cells could produce important insights into the epigenetic mechanisms that direct normal differentiation, or counter inappropriate plasticity, or even provide new ways of manipulating normal ontogeny in vitro to control lineage diversification and differentiation. We enforced Pdx1 expression from the Neurogenin-3-expressing endocrine commitment point onward and found during the embryonic period a minor increased β-cell allocation with accompanying reduced α-cell numbers. More surprisingly, almost all remaining Pdx1-containing glucagon/Arx-producing cells underwent a fairly rapid conversion at postnatal stages, through glucagon–insulin double positivity, to a state indistinguishable from normal β cells, resulting in complete α-cell absence. This α-to-β conversion was not caused by activating Pdx1 in the later glucagon-expressing state. Our findings reveal that Pdx1 can work single-handedly as a potent context-dependent autonomous reprogramming agent, and suggest a postnatal differentiation evaluation stage involved in normal endocrine maturation.
A Large-Scale Genetic Screen in Arabidopsis to Identify Genes Involved in Pollen Exine Production
Authors: Dobritsa Anna A. , Geanconteri Aliza , Shrestha Jay , Carlson Ann , Kooyers Nicholas , Coerper Daniel , Urbanczyk-Wochniak Ewa , Bench Bennie J. , Sumner Lloyd W. , Swanson Robert , Preuss Daphne
Published: August 2011

Exine, the outer plant pollen wall, has elaborate species-specific patterns, provides a protective barrier for male gametophytes, and serves as a mediator of strong and species-specific pollen-stigma adhesion. Exine is made of sporopollenin, a material remarkable for its strength, elasticity, and chemical durability. The chemical nature of sporopollenin, as well as the developmental mechanisms that govern its assembly into diverse patterns in different species, are poorly understood. Here, we describe a simple yet effective genetic screen in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) that was undertaken to advance our understanding of sporopollenin synthesis and exine assembly. This screen led to the recovery of mutants with a variety of defects in exine structure, including multiple mutants with novel phenotypes. Fifty-six mutants were selected for further characterization and are reported here. In 14 cases, we have mapped defects to specific genes, including four with previously demonstrated or suggested roles in exine development (MALE STERILITY2, CYP703A2, ANTHER-SPECIFIC PROTEIN6, TETRAKETIDE α-PYRONE REDUCTASE/DIHYDROFLAVONOL-4-REDUCTASE-LIKE1), and a number of genes that have not been implicated in exine production prior to this screen (among them, fatty acid ω-hydroxylase CYP704B1, putative glycosyl transferases At1g27600 and At1g33430, 4-coumarate-coenzyme A ligase 4CL3, polygalacturonase QUARTET3, novel gene At5g58100, and nucleotide-sugar transporter At5g65000). Our study illustrates that morphological screens of pollen can be extremely fruitful in identifying previously unknown exine genes and lays the foundation for biochemical, developmental, and evolutionary studies of exine production.
The association between the incidence of emergency department attendances for alcohol problems and assault incidents attended by police in New South Wales, Australia, 2003–2008: a time–series analysis
Authors: Descallar Joseph , Muscatello David J. , Weatherburn Don , Chu Matthew , Moffatt Steve
Published: August 2011

Aim  To assess the short‐term temporal relationship between emergency department (ED) attendances for acute alcohol problems and assaults reported to police.

Design  Cross‐sectional time–series analysis.

Setting  Population of New South Wales (NSW), Australia between 2003 and 2008.

Participants  All patients who attended any of 56 large NSW public hospital EDs and had a recorded diagnosis of acute alcohol problems, and all persons involved in assault incidents reported to the NSW Police Force.

Measurements  Weekly count time–series were formed for ED attendances, assault incidents and persons of interest in assault incidents. Cross‐correlation analysis was used to determine any time lag in the relationship between the alcohol and the assault series. Poisson regression was used to assess the magnitude of the relationship. Splines of week controlled for seasonality.

Findings  There was no time lag found between the ED and police series. A weekly increase of 100 attendances in people aged 15 years and above to EDs for alcohol problems was associated with an 11% [95% confidence interval (CI): 7–15%] increase in the number of incident assaults attended by police. The relationship was similar and statistically significant for domestic and non‐domestic assaults and urban areas. The association was stronger between ED attendances and persons of interest aged 15–24 years (27%, 95% CI: 15–41%), 15–24‐year‐old males (39%, 95% CI: 16–66%) and 15–24‐year‐old females (66%, 95% CI: 20–129%).

Conclusions  There is a clear, short‐term temporal association between independent population‐level markers of excessive alcohol use and violence.
Pectate lyase affects pathogenicity in natural isolates of Colletotrichum coccodes and in pelA gene‐disrupted and gene‐overexpressing mutant lines
Authors: BEN‐DANIEL BAT‐HEN , BAR‐ZVI DUDY , TSROR (LAHKIM) LEAH
Published: August 2011

Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr.) S. Hughes, the causal agent of black dot on potato and anthracnose on tomato, reduces yield and crop quality. We explored the role of secreted pectate lyase (PL), a cell wall‐degrading enzyme, in the aggressiveness of C. coccodes. In vitro‐cultivated highly aggressive isolates secreted immunologically detectable PL levels 6 h after transfer to secondary medium versus 12 h for mildly aggressive isolates, suggesting that secreted PL is a virulence factor. The gene encoding PL, CcpelA, was cloned and used for the genetic manipulation of highly (US‐41 and Si‐72) and mildly (Si‐60) aggressive isolates. CcpelA gene‐disrupted mutants showed reduced aggressiveness towards tomato fruits and impaired PL secretion and extracellular activity. Conversely, overexpression of CcpelA in the Si‐60 isolate increased its aggressiveness and PL secretion. Comparison of CcpelA cloned from isolates US‐41 and Si‐60 revealed that both encode identical proteins, but differ in their promoters. Bioinformatics analysis for cis‐acting elements suggested that the promoters of the US‐41 and Si‐60 isolates contain one and no AreA‐binding site (GATA box), respectively. AreA has been suggested to be involved in fungal aggressiveness; therefore, CcpelA may be a key virulence factor in C. coccodes pathogenicity, and the differences in isolate aggressiveness might result from promoter activity. Quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed the higher level of CcpelA transcript in isolate US‐41 versus Si‐60.
Clinical evaluation of stethoscope‐guided inflation of tracheal tube cuffs
Authors: Kumar R. D. C. , Hirsch N. P.
Published: August 2011

Tracheal tube cuffs are commonly inflated to pressures exceeding the recommended upper limit of 30 cmH2O. We evaluated whether a stethoscope‐guided method of cuff inflation results in pressures within the recommended range. Patients were randomly assigned to receive one of two methods of cuff inflation. In the standard ‘just seal’ group, air was introduced into the tracheal cuff until the audible leak at the mouth disappeared. In the stethoscope‐guided group, air was introduced into the cuff until a change from harsh to soft breath sounds occurred, whilst listening with a stethoscope bell placed over the thyroid cartilage. Twenty‐five patients were recruited to each group. The median (IQR [range]) cuff pressure in the ‘just seal’ group was 34 (28–40 [18–49]) cmH2O, and in the stethoscope‐guided group was 20 (20–26 [16–28]) cmH2O, p < 0.0001. The stethoscope‐guided method of tracheal tube cuff inflation is a novel, simple technique that reliably results in acceptable tracheal cuff pressures.
Anaesthesia for 1131 patients undergoing proximal femoral fracture repair: a retrospective, observational study of effects on blood pressure, fluid administration and perioperative anaemia
Authors: Wood R. J. , White S. M.
Published: August 2011

Intra‐operative hypotension is a frequent occurrence during anaesthesia for hip fracture surgery in older patients with co‐morbidities. We analysed retrospective data from the Brighton Hip Fracture Database to determine the intra‐operative fall in systolic blood pressure, and the incidence of absolute (lowest systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg) and relative (> 20% fall in systolic blood pressure from baseline) hypotension during general or spinal anaesthesia among 1131 non‐consecutive patients with hip fracture. General anaesthesia for 489 patients (43.2%) produced a greater mean (SD) fall in systolic blood pressure than spinal anaesthesia for 578 patients (51.1%): 34.2% (13.0%) vs 29.7% (10.8%), respectively (p < 0.0001), mean difference 4.5% (95% CI 3.1–5.9%), and was associated with greater mean (SD) intra‐operative fluid administration (1555 (801) ml vs 1375 (621) ml, respectively, p < 0.0001). We observed a correlation between the volume of subarachnoid hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% and fall in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.004): compared with patients receiving > 1.5 ml (n = 463), fewer patients receiving ≤ 1.5 ml bupivacaine 0.5% (n = 97) experienced episodes of absolute (31.1% vs 11.3%, p < 0.0001) or relative (83.9% vs 26.8%, p < 0.0001) hypotension. Both mean (SD) intravenous fluid administration (1097 ml (439) vs 1431 ml (638), p < 0.0001) and mean peri‐operative fall in haemoglobin concentration (2.1 (1.8) g.dl−1 vs 2.6 (1.7) g.dl−1 , p = 0.009) were lower in the low‐dose spinal group. If these data are confirmed by other researchers, intra‐operative hypotension (and consequent haemodilution secondary to reactive fluid administration) in this patient group may be reduced by the simple expedient of administering more cautious general anaesthesia, or reduced volumes of subarachnoid local anaesthetic.
Studies on the spread of local anaesthetic solution in transversus abdominis plane blocks*
Authors: Carney J. , Finnerty O. , Rauf J. , Bergin D. , Laffey J. G. , Mc Donnell J. G.
Published: August 2011

The extent of analgesia provided by transversus abdominis plane blocks depends upon the site of injection and pattern of spread within the plane. There are currently a number of ultrasound‐guided approaches in use, including an anterior oblique‐subcostal approach, a mid‐axillary approach and a more recently proposed posterior approach. We wished to determine whether the site of injection of local anaesthetic into the transversus abdominis plane affects the spread of the local anaesthetic within that plane, by studying the spread of a local anaesthetic and contrast solution in four groups of volunteers. The first group underwent the classical landmark‐based transversus abdominis plane block whereby two different volumes of injectate were studied: 0.3 ml.kg−1 vs 0.6 ml.kg−1. The second group underwent transversus abdominis plane block using the anterior subcostal approach. The third group underwent transversus abdominis plane block using the mid‐axillary approach. The fourth group underwent transversus abdominis plane block using the posterior approach, in which local anaesthetic was deposited close to the antero‐lateral border of the quadratus lumborum. All volunteers subsequently underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 1, 2 and 4 h following each block to determine the spread of local anaesthetic over time. The studies demonstrated that the anterior subcostal and mid‐axillary ultrasound approaches resulted in a predominantly anterior spread of the contrast solution within the transversus abdominis plane and relatively little posterior spread. There was no spread to the paravertebral space with the anterior subcostal approach. The mid‐axillary transversus abdominis plane block gave faint contrast enhancement in the paravertebral space at T12‐L2. In contrast, the posterior approaches, using both landmark and ultrasound identifications, resulted in predominantly posterior spread of contrast around the quadratus lumborum to the paravertebral space from T5 to L1 vertebral levels. We concluded that the pattern of spread of local anaesthetic differs depending on the site of injection into the transversus abdominis plane. This may have important implications for the extent of analgesia produced with each approach.
Dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ) can suppress tumour necrosis factor-α production in lipopolysaccharide-injected mice, resulting in rescuing mice from deathin vivo
Authors: Shimo T , Adachi Y , Umezawa K , Okigaki M , Takaya J , Taniuchi S , Ikehara S , Kaneko K
Published: August 2011

Dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), a new nuclear factor (NF)-κB inhibitor, has several beneficial effects, including the suppression of tumour growth and anti-inflammatory effects. DHMEQ can also suppress the production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. In the present study, we examine the effects of DHMEQ on TNF-α production in vivo and on the survival of mice injected with LPS. When DHMEQ was injected into mice 2 h before LPS injection, the survival of the LPS-injected mice was prolonged. When DHMEQ was injected twice (2 h before LPS injection and the day after LPS injection), all the mice were rescued. The injection of DHMEQ 1 h after LPS injection and the day after LPS injection also resulted in the rescue of all mice. The serum levels of TNF-α in the mice that received both LPS and DHMEQ were suppressed compared to the mice that received only LPS. These results suggest that DHMEQ can be utilized for the prevention and treatment of endotoxin shock.
The effect of parathyroidectomy on neuropsychological symptoms and biochemical parameters in patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Kahal Hassan , Aye Mo , Rigby Alan S. , Sathyapalan Thozhukat , England R. J. A. , Atkin Stephen L.
Published: August 2011

Background  With increased biochemical screening, primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is often discovered incidentally whilst patients are asymptomatic.

Objective  To assess the impact of parathyroidectomy on neuropsychological symptoms and biochemical parameters in people with asymptomatic pHPT, whilst controlling for the surgical procedure.

Patients/design/measurements  Twenty‐four patients with asymptomatic pHPT requiring parathyroidectomy, in accordance with National Institutes for Health recommendations, were recruited prospectively. A control group of 23 subjects was recruited simultaneously from consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic hemithyroidectomy (HT) for benign thyroid nodules. Operations were performed by a single surgeon. Biochemical investigations and neuropsychological symptoms were measured preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. Neuropsychological symptoms were measured using the Hospital Anxiety (HAD‐A) and Depression (HAD‐D) scales and the Mood Rating Scale (MRS).

Results  Postoperatively, calcium and parathyroid hormone normalized in all patients in the pHPT group. Patients with pHPT showed a significant improvement in neuropsychological symptoms with a pre‐ and postoperative mean change of 2·45 ± 2·57 (P < 0·05) on HAD‐A, 2·79 ± 3·85 (P < 0·05) on HAD‐D, and 3·2 ± 4·57 (P < 0·05) on MRS, parameters that were unaltered in the HT group. The differences between the two groups remained statistically significant after adjustment for age and sex for HAD‐D (mean change 2·8, 95% CI = 0·3, 5·3, P = 0·025) and MRS (mean difference 3·5, 95% CI = 0·4, 6·7, P = 0·027) but not for HAD‐A (mean difference 1·5, 95% CI = −0·8, 3·8, P = 0·20). For all three mental health scores, there were no significant associations with either age or sex.

Conclusions  Asymptomatic pHPT is associated with neuropsychological symptoms that improve after parathyroidectomy.
Effect of experimental jaw‐muscle pain on the spatial distribution of surface EMG activity of the human masseter muscle during tooth clenching
Authors: CASTROFLORIO T. , FALLA D. , WANG K. , SVENSSON P. , FARINA D.
Published: August 2011

Summary  This study tested the hypothesis that painful injections of glutamate into the human masseter muscle differentially affect the distribution of the electromyographic (EMG) activity in the masseter muscle at rest and during tooth clenching. Surface EMG signals were recorded bilaterally from the superficial masseter of nine healthy men with a grid of 32 electrodes, before and after intramuscular injection of glutamate or isotonic saline, during rest and isometric contractions at 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the maximal voluntary bite force. Intramuscular injection of glutamate evoked moderate pain (0–10 visual analogue scale: 6·4 ± 1·4), with sensory‐discriminative characteristics of the perceived pain, evaluated with the use of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), similar to those previously reported for patients with temporomandibular disorders. There was no effect of the glutamate injection on EMG amplitude during rest, whereas during tooth clenching, the spatial distribution of the masseter EMG activity on both sides was more uniform in the painful condition compared to the control condition. Moreover, the overall EMG amplitude decreased on both sides during the more forceful tooth clenching following glutamate injection. In conclusion, a unilateral painful stimulation was associated with a bilateral inhibition of the masseter muscles during tooth clenching which resulted in a more uniform distribution of EMG activity.
The effectiveness of community day‐long CBT‐I workshops for participants with insomnia symptoms: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: SWIFT NAOMI , STEWART ROBERT , ANDIAPPAN MANOHARAN , SMITH ANNA , ESPIE COLIN A. , BROWN JUNE S. L.
Published: August 2011

Insomnia is a very common and disabling symptom. Whilst evidence for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for people diagnosed with insomnia (CBT‐I) is strong, few people seek help and not many services offer CBT‐I. Less intensive adaptations of CBT‐I have been shown to be valuable, and given the size of the problem and low rates of help‐seeking, an accessible intervention with a large capacity is needed. Day‐long CBT‐I psycho‐educational workshops (each for up to 30 people), to which members of the public with insomnia symptoms could self‐refer, have been developed. This randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of these workshops. Baseline measures were taken from 151 participants, who were then randomised to experimental or waiting‐list control groups. Scores of the experimental group and the control group were compared 3 months after baseline. Random effects models found a significant interaction between time and group, indicating differences between the control and experimental groups on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Post hoc analyses indicated that ISI scores decreased significantly in the experimental group, but not in the control group. Promising results were also found on corroborative sleep diary measures. Access to the workshops was good, with 50% of participants having never previously sought help for sleep difficulties from their GP. CBT‐I workshops proved to be both accessible and effective in reducing insomnia symptoms in the medium term. They may represent a feasible brief intervention with the potential to address unmet treatment needs of adults complaining of insomnia symptoms.