bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of lactoferrin oil-in-water emulsions and their stability in recombined milk
Authors: A Acero-Lopez , P Schell , M Corredig , M Alexander
Published: September 2010

Emulsions were prepared with 20% soy oil and different concentrations of lactoferrin, and tested at pH values from 3 to 7·5. The stability of the emulsions decreased as the pH got closer to the isoelectric point of the protein. A concentration of 1% lactoferrin was determined to be sufficient to provide full coverage of the emulsion droplets. Lactoferrin-stabilized emulsions were then prepared in water at pH 6·6 and their behaviour when added to reconstituted milk was studied. It was observed that lactoferrin emulsions were stable when reconstituted in milk, but they showed aggregation when diluted in milk serum alone. The destabilization was caused by shielding of the charges on the surface of the oil droplets. Stabilization in milk occurred due to interactions at the interface with other soluble proteins. In fact, when β-lactoglobulin or sodium caseinate were added to the serum, stability of the emulsion droplets was restored, indicating that these proteins were able to adsorb at the interface and aid in the stabilization. Since ζ-potential measurements did not show significant overall charge on the emulsion droplets, this suggests that the stabilization forces are not only electrostatic in nature, but that there are other mechanisms at play.
Measurement of thyroid hormones in donkey (Equus asinus) blood and milk: validation of ELISA kits and evaluation of sample collection, handling and storage
Authors: Todini Luca , Malfatti Alessandro , Salimei Elisabetta , Fantuz Francesco
Published: September 2010

Donkey's milk is well tolerated by human infants with cow's milk allergy and is useful in the treatment of human immune-related diseases and in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Thyroid hormones (TH) stimulate lactation and active triiodothyronine (T3) in colostrum and milk could take paracrine action supporting lactogenesis in the mother, and play physiological roles for the suckling offspring (systemic or within the gastrointestinal tract). The aims were to measure TH concentrations in donkey blood and milk, validate ELISA methods, evaluate the effects of sample collection and post-collection handling and the stability of TH in milk and blood serum and plasma samples. In milk and blood samples obtained from lactating jennies total concentrations of TH were assayed using competitive-type ELISA kits. Good validation results were obtained for both TH concentrations in blood serum and plasma and T3 in milk samples extracted with cold (−20°C) ethanol alkalinized (pH 9·0) with NH4OH. In most of the milk extract samples, thyroxine (T4) concentrations resulted below the sensitivity threshold. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variations of TH concentrations in different blood and milk samples were below 10%. Parallelism tests gave displacement lines parallel to those of the calibrators for both TH in blood serum and plasma and for T3 in milk extracts. Mean recovery rates were between 95% and 123%, but the concentration values approaching the highest calibrators were overestimated. Therefore, serum and plasma samples for T3 assay must be previously diluted with buffer. Both TH concentrations in blood serum and plasma and T3 in milk did not change during storage for up to 6 months at −20°C. In conclusion, the ELISA methods tested in the present study are suitable for determination of both TH concentrations in donkey blood samples, and for T3 measurement in milk, after extraction with cold alkaline ethanol.
Composition of poorly and non-coagulating bovine milk and effect of calcium addition
Authors: Hallén Elin , Lundén Anne , Tyrisevä Anna-Maria , Westerlind Maria , Andrén Anders
Published: September 2010

Ninety-nine individual milk samples from 37 cows in lactation week 10–35, selected for producing well or poorly/non-coagulating milk, were compared regarding protein composition, total calcium content, casein micelle size, pH, and coagulating properties after addition of 0·05% CaCl2. The results showed that a low κ-casein concentration in milk was a risk factor for non-coagulation. CaCl2 addition improved coagulating properties (coagulation time, curd firmness) of nearly all samples and eliminated differences between poorly/non-coagulating and well-coagulating milk, particularly regarding curd firmness. A second, independent data set with 18 non-coagulating or well-coagulating milk samples were analysed for protein composition, where indications of a similar association with κ-casein was observed.
Solutions of barotropic trapped waves around seamounts
Authors: SANSÓN LUIS ZAVALA
Published: September 2010

In this paper, solutions of free, barotropic waves around axisymmetric seamounts are derived. Even though this type of oscillation has been studied before, we revisit this problem for two main reasons: (i) the linear, barotropic, shallow-water equations with a rigid lid are now solved with no further approximations, in contrast with previous studies; (ii) the solutions are applied to a wide family of seamounts with profiles proportional to exp(rs), with r being the radial distance from the centre of the mountain and s any positive real number. (Most previous works are restricted to the special case s = 2.) The resulting dispersion relation possesses a remarkable simplicity that reveals a number of wave characteristics, for instance, the discrete wave frequencies and the angular phase speed of the waves around the seamount are easily derived as a function of the seamount shape. By varying the shape parameter one can study trapped waves around flat-topped seamounts or guyots (s > 2) or sharp, cone-shaped topographies (s < 2).
Controlling the onset of turbulence by streamwise travelling waves. Part 1. Receptivity analysis
Authors: MOARREF RASHAD , JOVANOVIĆ MIHAILO R.
Published: September 2010

We examine the efficacy of streamwise travelling waves generated by a zero-net-mass-flux surface blowing and suction for controlling the onset of turbulence in a channel flow. For small-amplitude actuation, we utilize a weakly nonlinear analysis to determine base-flow modifications and assess the resulting net power balance. Receptivity analysis of the velocity fluctuations around this base flow is then employed to design the travelling waves. Our simulation-free approach reveals that, relative to the flow with no control, the downstream travelling waves with properly designed speed and frequency can significantly reduce receptivity, which makes them well suited for controlling the onset of turbulence. In contrast, the velocity fluctuations around the upstream travelling waves exhibit larger receptivity to disturbances. Our theoretical predictions, obtained by perturbation analysis (in the wave amplitude) of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations with spatially periodic coefficients, are verified using full-scale simulations of the nonlinear flow dynamics in the companion paper (Lieu et al., J. Fluid Mech., 2010, doi:10.1017/S002211201000340X).
Experiments on the generation of internal waves over continental shelf topography
Authors: LIM K. , IVEY G. N. , JONES N. L.
Published: September 2010

Experiments were performed to examine the generation of internal waves by a barotropic tide forcing a continuously stratified fluid over idealized continental shelf/slope topography. A range of responses was observed, including the generation of both internal wave beams and boundary layer boluses, primarily dependent on the values of both the Reynolds number and the topographic steepness parameter. The formation of beams required a critical bottom slope, whilst for bolus formation a large vertical fluid excursion was necessary. A bolus formed when the non-dimensional vertical excursion parameter ΔhN/W0 > 3.2. Here Δh is the vertical excursion, N is the buoyancy frequency and W0 is the near-bottom vertical velocity associated with the local depth-averaged velocity. We simplified the classification of the observed flow regimes using a generation parameter G, defined as the ratio of a Reynolds number to the topographic steepness parameter. The estimated flow regime boundaries were: for G < 3 only a beam was observed, for 3 < G < 50 there was a transitional regime with both a beam and a bolus observed, for 50 < G < 400 there was another transitional regime with no beam but a bolus observed, and finally for the regime with G > 400 there was no bolus observed. We estimated that approximately 4% of the barotropic energy was converted to baroclinic energy when beams were generated.
Deformation of a hydrophobic ferrofluid droplet suspended in a viscous medium under uniform magnetic fields
Authors: AFKHAMI S. , TYLER A. J. , RENARDY Y. , RENARDY M. , St. PIERRE T. G. , WOODWARD R. C. , RIFFLE J. S.
Published: September 2010

The effect of applied magnetic fields on the deformation of a biocompatible hydrophobic ferrofluid drop suspended in a viscous medium is investigated numerically and compared with experimental data. A numerical formulation for the time-dependent simulation of magnetohydrodynamics of two immiscible non-conducting fluids is used with a volume-of-fluid scheme for fully deformable interfaces. Analytical formulae for ellipsoidal drops and near-spheroidal drops are reviewed and developed for code validation. At low magnetic fields, both the experimental and numerical results follow the asymptotic small deformation theory. The value of interfacial tension is deduced from an optimal fit of a numerically simulated shape with the experimentally obtained drop shape, and appears to be a constant for low applied magnetic fields. At high magnetic fields, on the other hand, experimental measurements deviate from numerical results if a constant interfacial tension is implemented. The difference can be represented as a dependence of apparent interfacial tension on the magnetic field. This idea is investigated computationally by varying the interfacial tension as a function of the applied magnetic field and by comparing the drop shapes with experimental data until a perfect match is found. This estimation method provides a consistent correlation for the variation in interfacial tension at high magnetic fields. A conclusion section provides a discussion of physical effects which may influence the microstructure and contribute to the reported observations.
TheglmSribozyme: use of a small molecule coenzyme by a gene-regulatory RNA
Authors: Ferré-D'Amaré Adrian R.
Published: September 2010

TheglmSribozyme is the first known example of a natural ribozyme that has evolved to require binding of an exogenous small molecule for activity. In Gram-positive bacteria, this RNA domain is part of the messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding the essential enzyme that synthesizes glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P). When present at physiologic concentration, this small molecule binds to theglmSribozyme and uncovers a latent self-cleavage activity that ultimately leads to degradation of the mRNA. Biochemical and structural studies reveal that the RNA adopts a rigid fold stabilized by three pseudoknots and the packing of a peripheral domain against the ribozyme core. GlcN6P binding to this pre-organized RNA does not induce conformational changes; rather, the small molecule functions as a coenzyme, providing a catalytically essential amine group to the active site. The ribozyme is not a passive player, however. Active site functional groups are essential for catalysis, even in the presence of GlcN6P. In addition to being a superb experimental system with which to analyze how RNA catalysts can exploit small molecule coenzymes to broaden their chemical versatility, the presence of theglmSribozyme in numerous pathogenic bacteria make this RNA an attractive target for the development of new antibiotics and antibacterial strategies.
Institutions, Rulemaking, and the Politics of Judicial Retrenchment
Authors: Staszak Sarah
Published: September 2010

This article examines the efforts of political and legal actors to scale back access to the courts and judicial authority in the decades since the rights revolution of the 1950s and 1960s.  Despite the importance and consequences that such efforts have had for the judicial system and rights protections in the United States, public law and American Political Development (APD) scholars have only begun to study this phenomenon within existing theories of institutional change.  Through an examination of efforts to reform procedural rules that govern courtroom access, adjudication, and potential remedies, this article presents evidence that both builds on and pushes this scholarship in new directions.  In contrast to law and APD scholars who have promoted a ‘regime politics’ model of judicial authority that focuses on the interests of national elected officials and Supreme Court majorities, this article finds that actors pursuing retrenchment come from both within and outside the judiciary, evidencing a robust set of individuals and interests (far beyond judges and politicians) who might be considered “judicial” actors.  Building on and complicating current understandings of the politics of retrenchment, moreover, I find that the groups involved in judicial retrenchment change significantly over time, are motivated by more than partisan backlash, and that the availability of malleable institutional “rules” enhances the likelihood of their success.  Finally, I find that the processes of judicial retrenchment are distinctive but not static, unfolding in a series of methods for attempted change that are not only path dependent, but also path breaking.
Drugs targeting Bcl-2 family members as an emerging strategy in cancer
Authors: Leber Brian , Geng Fei , Kale Justin , Andrews David W.
Published: September 2010

Inhibiting apoptosis is widely accepted as a necessary step in the transition from normal to cancer cells, and most cancer therapies exert their effects by indirectly reversing this process. Commitment to apoptosis is caused by permeabilisation of the outer mitochondrial membrane – a process regulated by the binding between different members of the Bcl-2 family. Furthermore, Bcl-2 family members also bind to the endoplasmic reticulum, where they modify processes such as the unfolded-protein response and autophagy that also cause or modify different types of cell death. With the growing understanding of the importance of the Bcl-2 family as crucial regulators of the decision to initiate apoptosis, much effort has been directed at developing small molecules that modify function by directly binding to Bcl-2 proteins. Preclinical experiments have confirmed that these agents kill cancer cells and overcome chemotherapy resistance. Two of these drugs are in the initial stages of clinical development (ABT-263 and obatoclax), and early results show clinical efficacy at tolerable doses. Important questions for the future include the role of these drugs as monotherapy versus combination therapy with other anticancer drugs, and the related issue of the relative toxicity to cancerous versus normal cells.
Legal Taxonomy From Sweet & Maxwell
Authors: Scott Mark , Smith Nigel
Published: September 2010

Mark Scott and Nigel Smith provide the background to the development of Sweet & Maxwell's Legal Taxonomy before outlining its structure and explaining how it is used by Sweet & Maxwell and other Thomson Reuters companies.
The Copyright Problems of ‘Orphan Works’ for University Lecturers and Researchers
Authors: Kendall Malcolm
Published: September 2010

Malcolm Kendall offers guidance on how to establish whether a work is in fact an orphan work and examines efforts being made here and overseas in devising systems to make the search easier.
The Digital Economy Act: What are the Implications for Libraries?
Authors: Holland Chris
Published: September 2010

Chris Holland analyses the provisions of the new Digital Economy Act 2010 and considers its potential effect on the work of information professionals.
Intellectual Property Issues and Europeana, Europe's Digital Library, Museum and Archive
Authors: Purday Jonathan
Published: September 2010

Europeana is the focus of a number of IPR issues. The portal provides access to three sets of assets: the Open Source code base, the authority-controlled metadata and the digitised content. Europeana has integrated metadata standards across the heritage domains and will now licence the metadata as a resource for the development of linked data and semantic web applications. The main rights issues concern the digitisation of public domain content and orphan works. Digitisation of out-of-copyright analogue material does not create new rights and the Europeana Public Domain Charter provides guidelines for the sector. An inhibitor to digitisation is the problem of orphan works, now under review by the European Commission.
The Case of AACR2 Versus RDA
Authors: Chapman Ann
Published: September 2010

The introduction of the Resource Description and Access cataloguing code to replace the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules is considered by Ann Chapman, the Research Officer at UKOLN. She explains why the latter was becoming unsuitable for the digital age whilst the former has been specifically developed to deal with all types of media.
Research and Resources for Employment Law
Authors: Keys Julie
Published: September 2010

Employment is one of the five main departments at City law firm Fox Williams LLP. In the following article, Julie Keys considers the resources needed to support an employment practice and how these relate to the research requirements of employment lawyers.
«Arteriosklerotisches» Aneurysma der Aorta abdominalis
Authors: Stein  , Baldi  , Uthoff  , Jäger
Published: September 2010

Anhand eines Fallbeispiels präsentieren wir die Epidemiologie, Ätiologie, das Screening, die Klinik und die Therapiemöglichkeiten von abdominalen Aortenaneurysmen. Als Aortenaneurysma wird eine Aufweitung der abdominalen Aorta auf über 3 cm oder eine Erweiterung um mehr als 100% bezeichnet. Patienten mit Aortenaneurysma sind in der Regel bis zur Ruptur oligosymptomatisch. In den USA versterben jährlich etwa 30’000 Menschen an einem rupturierten Aortenaneurysma, weshalb den Risikopopulationen (Raucher und erblich belastete Menschen) auch ein Screening mittels Duplexsonographie empfohlen wird. Die medikamentöse Therapie ist nach wie vor auf die Thrombozytenfunktionshemmung und die optimale Einstellung der Risikofaktoren beschränkt. Als Alternative zur offenen Sanierung von Aneurysmen >5.5 cm ist nun der «endovascular aortic repair» (EVAR) etabliert und mit einer niedrigeren 30-Tage-Mortalität, jedoch höheren Reinterventionsrate verbunden.
Check-up, was sonst?
Authors: Uthoff  , Stein  , Baldi  , Jäger
Published: September 2010

﻿Ein evidenzbasierter Check-up sollte neben Anamnese und körperlicher Untersuchung eine Beratung bezüglich indizierter Impfungen sowie Screening bezüglich Prostata, kolorektalem Karzinom und den kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren beinhalten. Patienten mit peripherer arterieller Verschlusskrankheit (PAVK) haben ein deutlich erhöhtes kardiovaskuläres Risiko, Claudicatio intermittens wird häufig bei der Anamnese jedoch nicht spontan oder nicht als typisches Bild angegeben – es muss deshalb gezielt nach belastungsabhängigen Beinbeschwerden gefragt werden. Die spezifische Symptomerhebung lohnt sich. Neben Konsequenzen für die medikamentöse (sekundäre) Prävention stehen z.B. mit systematischem Gehtraining und Katheterinterventionen spezifische Therapien zur Verfügung.
Irrungen und Wirrungen im Alter – eine medikamentöse Gratwanderung
Authors: Breil
Published: September 2010

Der akute Verwirrtheitszustand, das Delir und die als Verwirrtheitszustand imponierenden, nicht kognitiven Störungen des Verhaltens bei Demenz, wie z.B. Wahn und Aggression, gehören zu den häufigsten psychischen Störungen des alten Menschen. Nosologisch handelt es sich um zwei verschiedene Entitäten, deren Ätiologie bei Konfrontation im klinischen Alltag primär oft unklar ist, insbesondere dann, wenn der Patient gleichzeitig auch von einem dementiellen Abbauprozess betroffen ist. So steht «umtriebiges Verhalten» oft als gemeinsame Endstrecke für eine Vielzahl von Auslösern. Entsprechend der Vielfalt möglicher Einflussfaktoren erfordern sowohl Diagnose und Behandlung, wie auch die Prävention ein interdisziplinäres Vorgehen. Welche pharmakologischen Interventionen sollen in Erwägung gezogen werden, wenn die nicht medikamentösen Massnahmen nicht mehr ausreichen?
Harmonic growth of ion‐cyclotron waves in Saturn's magnetosphere
Authors: Rodríguez‐Martínez Mario , Blanco‐Cano X. , Russell C. T. , Leisner J. S. , Wilson R. J. , Dougherty M. K.
Published: September 2010

Ion‐cyclotron waves have been observed by the Cassini spacecraft in Saturn's middle magnetosphere. Waves have frequencies near the gyrofrequencies of water‐group ions, they are left handed, and in most regions they propagate at small angles to the ambient magnetic field. Their origin is explained in terms of the ion‐cyclotron instability generated by water‐group ions picked up from Saturn's neutral cloud. Additionally, in some regions dynamic spectra reveal the existence of fluctuations at approximately twice the value of the ion gyrofrequency. These waves have a significant compressional component and propagate at oblique angles to the magnetic field. Their characteristics suggest that these fluctuations can be identified as a harmonic mode (n = 2) generated by the ring distributions of pickup ions. In this work we study in detail the characteristics of these harmonic mode waves. We also evaluate growth rates using a kinetic dispersion analysis.
Effect of mechanical heterogeneity in arc crust on volcano deformation with application to Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies
Authors: Hautmann Stefanie , Gottsmann Joachim , Sparks R. Stephen J. , Mattioli Glen S. , Sacks I. Selwyn , Strutt Michael H.
Published: September 2010

Analyses of volcano surface deformation are commonly based on models that assume mechanical homogeneity of rocks surrounding the causative pressure source. Here we present a detailed study that shows the differences in deduced surface deformation caused by source pressurization accounting for either mechanical homogeneity or mechanical heterogeneity of encasing rocks in a volcanic arc setting using finite element models. Accounting for crustal heterogeneity from seismic data, we test for a range of source geometries and intermediate crustal depths and explore the misfits of deduced source parameters from the two families of models. In the second part of this study, we test the results from the generic study against cGPS data from two deformation periods (the 2003–2005 ground inflation and the 2005–2007 ground deflation) at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies, to inform on source parameters. Accounting for a variable crustal rigidity with depth as deduced by seismic analysis beneath Montserrat, we find the data to be best explained by pressurization and depressurization of a slightly prolate midcrustal magma chamber that is centered between 11.5 and 13 km below sea level, about 640 m NE of the active vent. Considering source dimension and source pressure changes, we demonstrate that magma compressibility and viscoelasticity of host rocks considerably affect dynamics in the midcrustal magmatic system of Soufrière Hills Volcano and need to be accounted for as first‐order effects in geodetic data analyses and modeling.
Relative contributions of climate change, stomatal closure, and leaf area index changes to 20th and 21st century runoff change: A modelling approach using the Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE) land surface model
Authors: Alkama Ramdane , Kageyama Masa , Ramstein Gilles
Published: September 2010

The recent evolution of continental runoff is still an open question. A related and controversial question is the attribution of this change and its consequences on our predictions of the behavior of future runoff. Here, the Land Surface Model Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems is used to perform a set of transient simulations of the runoff from 1900 to 2100. We first show that the model's simulated runoff increases for the 20th century from a global point of view as well as its geographical pattern changes are close to the observations made in this paper. Moreover this trend is simulated to increase further during the 21st century under the SRES A2 scenario. We have designed a set of simulations to test the impact on global runoff evolution of three factors: climate, stomatal conductance, and vegetation growth, all sensitive to CO2 increase. A complete factor‐separation analysis of the influence of these three factors and of their interactions shows that climate change largely drives the 20th and 21st century runoff increase. The other two factors (stomatal conductance and vegetation growth) play a minor role in the 20th century runoff trend but we show that these contributions increase for the 21st century simulations. Although the interactions between the factors also plays a negligible role in the 20th century global runoff increase, our results show that they become significant during the 21st century, usually reducing the direct effect of each factor. However, our study does not reveal any important negative feedback to counteract the effect of climate warming on the hydrological cycle.
Impact of the Atlantic Ocean on the multidecadal fluctuation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation–South Asian monsoon relationship in a coupled general circulation model
Authors: Chen Wei , Dong Buwen , Lu Riyu
Published: September 2010

The multidecadal variability of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)–South Asian monsoon relationship is elucidated in a 1000 year control simulation of a coupled general circulation model. The results indicate that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), resulting from the natural fluctuation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), plays an important role in modulating the multidecadal variation of the ENSO‐monsoon relationship. The sea surface temperature anomalies associated with the AMO induce not only significant climate impact in the Atlantic but also the coupled feedbacks in the tropical Pacific regions. The remote responses in the Pacific Ocean to a positive phase of the AMO which is resulted from enhanced AMOC in the model simulation and are characterized by statistically significant warming in the North Pacific and in the western tropical Pacific, a relaxation of tropical easterly trades in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, and a deeper thermocline in the eastern tropical Pacific. These changes in mean states lead to a reduction of ENSO variability and therefore a weakening of the ENSO‐monsoon relationship. This study suggests a nonlocal mechanism for the low‐frequency fluctuation of the ENSO‐monsoon relationship, although the AMO explains only a fraction of the ENSO–South Asian monsoon variation on decadal‐multidecadal timescale. Given the multidecadal variation of the AMOC and therefore of the AMO exhibit decadal predictability, this study highlights the possibility that a part of the change of climate variability in the Pacific Ocean and its teleconnection may be predictable.
Glycogenolysis in Astrocytes Supports Blood-Borne Glucose Channeling Not Glycogen-Derived Lactate Shuttling to Neurons: Evidence from Mathematical Modeling
Authors: DiNuzzo Mauro , Mangia Silvia , Maraviglia Bruno , Giove Federico
Published: September 2010

In this article, we examined theoretically the role of human cerebral glycogen in buffering the metabolic requirement of a 360-second brain stimulation, expanding our previous modeling study of neurometabolic coupling. We found that glycogen synthesis and degradation affects the relative amount of glucose taken up by neurons versus astrocytes. Under conditions of 175:115 mmol/L (∼1.5:1) neuronal versus astrocytic activation-induced Na+ influx ratio, ∼12% of astrocytic glycogen is mobilized. This results in the rapid increase of intracellular glucose-6-phosphate level on stimulation and nearly 40% mean decrease of glucose flow through hexokinase (HK) in astrocytes via product inhibition. The suppression of astrocytic glucose phosphorylation, in turn, favors the channeling of glucose from interstitium to nearby activated neurons, without a critical effect on the concurrent intercellular lactate trafficking. Under conditions of increased neuronal versus astrocytic activation-induced Na+ influx ratio to 190:65 mmol/L (∼3:1), glycogen is not significantly degraded and blood glucose is primarily taken up by neurons. These results support a role for astrocytic glycogen in preserving extracellular glucose for neuronal utilization, rather than providing lactate to neurons as is commonly accepted by the current ‘thinking paradigm’. This might be critical in subcellular domains during functional conditions associated with fast energetic demands.
Baseline CBF, and BOLD, CBF, and CMRO2 fMRI of Visual and Vibrotactile Stimulations in Baboons
Authors: Wey Hsiao-Ying , Wang Danny J , Duong Timothy Q
Published: September 2010

Neurovascular coupling associated with visual and vibrotactile stimulations in baboons anesthetized sequentially with isoflurane and ketamine was evaluated using multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a clinical 3-Tesla scanner. Basal cerebral blood flow ( CBF), and combined blood-oxygenation-level-dependent ( BOLD) and CBF fMRI of visual and somatosensory stimulations were measured using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling. Changes in stimulus-evoked cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen ( CMRO2) were estimated using calibrated fMRI. Arterial transit time for vessel, gray matter (GM), and white matter (WM) were 250, 570, and 823 ms, respectively. Gray matter and WM CBF, respectively, were 107.8 ± 7.9 and 47.8 ± 3.8 mL per 100 g per minute under isoflurane, and 108.8 ± 10.3 and 48.7 ± 4.2 mL per 100 g per minute under ketamine (mean ± s.e.m., N = 8 sessions, five baboons). The GM/WM CBF ratio was not statistically different between the two anesthetics, averaging 2.3 ± 0.1. Hypercapnia evoked global BOLD and CBF increases. Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent, CBF, and CMRO2 signal changes by visual and vibrotactile stimulations were 0.19% to 0.22%, 18% to 23%, and 4.9% to 6.7%, respectively. The CBF/CMRO2 ratio was 2.9 to 4.7. Basal CBF and fMRI responses were not statistically different between the two anesthetics. This study establishes a multimodal fMRI protocol to probe clinically relevant functional, physiological and metabolic information in large nonhuman primates.
Decreased Cortical Serotonin in Neonatal Rabbits Exposed to Endotoxin in Utero
Authors: Kannan Sujatha , Saadani-Makki Fadoua , Balakrishnan Bindu , Dai Hui , Chakraborty Pulak K , Janisse James , Muzik Otto , Romero Roberto , Chugani Diane C
Published: September 2010

Maternal intrauterine inflammation is implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. Serotonin is crucial for regulating maturation in the developing brain, and maternal inflammation may result in disruption of the serotonergic system in the perinatal period. Saline or endotoxin was injected intrauterine in pregnant rabbits term. Newborn rabbits underwent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with α[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan (AMT) to evaluate tryptophan metabolism in vivo. Decrease in standard uptake value for AMT and decrease in serotonin concentration was noted in the frontal and parietal cortices of endotoxin kits when compared with controls. In addition, a significant decrease in serotonin-immunoreactive fibers and decreased expression of serotonin transporter (5HTT) was measured in the somatosensory cortex. There was a three-fold increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the ventrobasal (VB) thalamus without loss of raphe serotonergic cell bodies in endotoxin kits when compared with controls. Glutamateric VB neurons projecting to somatosensory cortex transiently express 5HTT and store serotonin, regulating development of the somatosensory cortex. Intrauterine inflammation results in alterations in cortical serotonin and disruption of serotonin-regulated thalamocortical development in the newborn brain. This may be a common link in neurodevelopmental disorders resulting in impairment of the somatosensory system, such as cerebral palsy and autism.
Safe Management of Chemical Contaminants for Planned Potable Water Recycling
Authors: Khan Stuart
Published: September 2010

Planned potable water recycling has become an important strategy for managing drinking water supplies in a growing number of countries including Australia, the USA, Namibia, Singapore and some parts of Europe. This involves the advanced treatment of municipal wastewaters (treated sewage) prior to reuse by supplementation of drinking water supplies. In order to ensure the protection of public health, careful assessment and management of trace chemical contaminants is essential. Important chemical contaminants include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, steroidal hormones, pesticides, industrial chemicals, perfluorochemicals, antiseptics and disinfection by-products. Monitoring of key toxic chemicals of concern is important and can be supplemented by techniques for direct toxicological assessment of whole water samples. Furthermore, monitoring of a limited range of identified indicator chemicals and surrogate parameters can be an effective means for confirming ongoing treatment performance of individual unit treatment processes. This chapter provides a description of some of the most significant planned potable water recycling schemes currently in operation or under development around the world. It highlights the various approaches used in the assessment of chemical safety for these schemes, and hence the alternatives that are available for the assessment of future potable water recycling schemes.
Non-radioactive labelling of calcium oxalate crystals for investigations of crystal-cell interactions and internalization
Authors: Chaiyarit Sakdithep , Mungdee Siriwan , Thongboonkerd Visith
Published: September 2010

In the present study, we have developed non-radioactive techniques for labelling COM and COD crystals using different dyes and labels that will be very useful to investigate crystal-cell interactions, adhesion and internalization.
A wide diversity of epicormic structures is present in Myrtaceae species in the northern Australian savanna biome - implications for adaptation to fire
Authors: Burrows G. E. , Hornby S. K. , Waters D. A. , Bellairs S. M. , Prior L. D. , Bowman D. M. J. S.
Published: September 2010

Recent research has shown that the eucalypts of southern Australia have an unusual and apparently fire-adapted epicormic structure. By studying a range of myrtaceous species from northern Australia we hoped to determine if this structure was also present in northern eucalypts. We anatomically examined the epicormic structures from 21 myrtaceous species in 11 genera from the north of the Northern Territory, Australia. An extremely wide diversity of epicormic structures was found, ranging from buds absent, buds at or near the bark surface, to bud-forming meristems in the innermost bark. These Myrtaceae species displayed a far greater variation in epicormic structure than recorded in any other family. This is possibly a reflection of the importance of the resprouter strategy, a long fire history in Australia and the ecological diversification of the Myrtaceae. Nonetheless, all the investigated eucalypts (northern and southern) possessed the same specialised, apparently fire-adapted, epicormic structure. This is remarkably consistent given the taxonomic, geographical and morphological diversity of the eucalypts.
Decades-scale vegetation change in burned and unburned alpine coniferous heath
Authors: Kirkpatrick J. B. , Bridle K. L. , Dickinson K. J. M.
Published: September 2010

Fire appears to be a rare event in alpine vegetation, suggesting that its effects might be more persistent than in most lowland vegetation types. However, it has been suggested that the Australian alpine biota is resilient to infrequent large fires. This paper describes decades-scale vegetation and soil change after fire in paired plots over fire boundaries in Tasmanian alpine coniferous heath. The effect of fire on soils persisted for decades. Recovery of vegetation was extremely slow by global standards, with delayed reinvasion of previously dominant species. There was low cover of the most fire-sensitive species 43–69 years after fire and much bare ground still evident, with the rate of revegetation declining through time. Gymnosperm shrubs increased at the expense of angiosperms in the unburned plots in the same period and cryptogams declined in both burned and unburned plots. These results suggest that the Tasmanian alpine flora cannot be characterised as resilient to infrequent large fire, although most species survive its incidence. The many centuries that it appears are necessary for coniferous heath to recover to its pre-burn state suggest that fires caused by increased ignitions from lightning and arsonists are the major issue for conservation of the vegetation type.
A Regioselective One-Pot, Three Component Synthesis of 6-Aryl-4-cyano-3(2H)-pyridazinones in Water
Authors: Rimaz Mehdi , Khalafy Jabbar , Moghadam Peyman Najafi
Published: September 2010

A series of 4-cyano-3(2H)-pyridazinones bearing different aryl substituents in the 6-position of the pyridazinone ring was synthesized regioselectively using a novel efficient one-pot three component reaction of alkyl 2-cyanoacetates with arylglyoxals in the presence of hydrazine hydrate at room temperature in water.
Monocyclic Electrocyclic Transition States are Neither Favoured Nor Disfavoured if the Incipient Ring Bears More Than Two Odd Substituents
Authors: Langler Richard F.
Published: September 2010

A general case is presented that supports the conclusion that incipient π-bond orders, op1,j, are approximately zero if the incipient alternant ring bears more than two odd substituents. Hence, corresponding electrocyclic transition states are neither favoured nor disfavoured. The case is made using permethylene polyenes. After presentation of the novel application of dense Sachs’ subgraphs to the problem of convenient, rapid access to permethylene polyene characteristic polynomials, permethylene polyenes are shown to belong to the newly defined Hückel symmetrenes. Employing novel expressions for permethylene polyene molecular orbital coefficients, a general relationship for pairs of terms that lead to π-bond orders, op1,j, is obtained that, in turn, allows the key generalization to be made.
X-ray-Triggered Thermoluminescence and Density Functional Theory Characterization of a gem-Diphenyltrimethylenemethane Biradical
Authors: Ikeda Hiroshi , Matsui Yasunori , Akimoto Ikuko , Kan'no Ken-ichi , Mizuno Kazuhiko
Published: September 2010

Thermoluminescence (TL) from the excited triplet state of a gem-diphenyltrimethylenemethane biradical (34••*) is triggered by X-irradiation at 77 K followed by annealing to ~140 K. The new X-irradiation method reported here is simpler and more convenient than the previously employed γ-irradiation method. The TL spectrum of 34••* is similar to the photoluminescence spectrum of the 1,1-diphenylethyl radical (5•). The results of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent-DFT calculations of the ground state biradical 34•• suggest that no significant electronic interaction takes place between the diphenylmethyl and allyl radical moieties owing to its twisted geometry. Accordingly, the results also suggest that the excited state biradical 34••* has a similar molecular geometry and electronic structure as the triplet ground state. Both the experimental and computational results obtained for 34•• and 5• confirm that the main fluorophore of 34••* is the diphenylmethyl radical moiety.
Brain size, life history, and metabolism at the marsupial/placental dichotomy
Authors: Weisbecker Vera , Goswami Anjali
Published: September 2010

The evolution of mammalian brain size is directly linked with the evolution of the brain's unique structure and performance. Both maternal life history investment traits and basal metabolic rate (BMR) correlate with relative brain size, but current hypotheses regarding the details of these relationships are based largely on placental mammals. Using encephalization quotients, partial correlation analyses, and bivariate regressions relating brain size to maternal investment times and BMR, we provide a direct quantitative comparison of brain size evolution in marsupials and placentals, whose reproduction and metabolism differ extensively. Our results show that the misconception that marsupials are systematically smaller-brained than placentals is driven by the inclusion of one large-brained placental clade, Primates. Marsupial and placental brain size partial correlations differ in that marsupials lack a partial correlation of BMR with brain size. This contradicts hypotheses stating that the maintenance of relatively larger brains requires higher BMRs. We suggest that a positive BMR–brain size correlation is a placental trait related to the intimate physiological contact between mother and offspring during gestation. Marsupials instead achieve brain sizes comparable to placentals through extended lactation. Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings. We propose that placentals circumvent this constraint because of their focus on gestation, as opposed to the marsupial emphasis on lactation. Marsupials represent a less constrained condition, demonstrating that hypotheses regarding placental brain size evolution cannot be generalized to all mammals.
Long-term reductions in anthropogenic nutrients link to improvements in Chesapeake Bay habitat
Authors: Ruhl Henry A. , Rybicki Nancy B.
Published: September 2010

Great effort continues to focus on ecosystem restoration and reduction of nutrient inputs thought to be responsible, in part, for declines in estuary habitats worldwide. The ability of environmental policy to address restoration is limited, in part, by uncertainty in the relationships between costly restoration and benefits. Here, we present results from an 18-y field investigation (1990–2007) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) community dynamics and water quality in the Potomac River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. River and anthropogenic discharges lower water clarity by introducing nutrients that stimulate phytoplankton and epiphyte growth as well as suspended sediments. Efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay are often viewed as failing. Overall nutrient reduction and SAV restoration goals have not been met. In the Potomac River, however, reduced in situ nutrients, wastewater-treatment effluent nitrogen, and total suspended solids were significantly correlated to increased SAV abundance and diversity. Species composition and relative abundance also correlated with nutrient and water-quality conditions, indicating declining fitness of exotic species relative to native species during restoration. Our results suggest that environmental policies that reduce anthropogenic nutrient inputs do result in improved habitat quality, with increased diversity and native species abundances. The results also help elucidate why SAV cover has improved only in some areas of the Chesapeake Bay.
Charge-density-based analysis of the current–voltage response of polythiophene/fullerene photovoltaic devices
Authors: Shuttle C. G. , Hamilton R. , O’Regan B. C. , Nelson J. , Durrant J. R.
Published: September 2010

A key challenge for organic electronics research is to develop device models that correctly account for the structural and energetic disorder typically present in such materials. In this paper we report an approach to analyze the electrical performance of an organic electronic device based upon charge extraction measurements of charge densities and transient optoelectronic measurements of charge carrier dynamics. This approach is applied to a poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT)/6,6 phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend photovoltaic device. These measurements are employed to determine the empirical rate law for bimolecular recombination losses, with the energetic disorder present in the materials being accounted for by a charge-density-dependent recombination coefficient. This rate law is then employed to simulate the current/voltage curve. This simulation assumes the only mechanism for the loss of photogenerated charges is bimolecular recombination and employs no fitting parameters. Remarkably the simulation is in good agreement with the experimental current/voltage data over a wide range of operating conditions of the solar cell. We thus demonstrate that the primary determinant of both the open-circuit voltage and fill factor of P3HT∶PCBM devices is bimolecular recombination. We go on to discuss the applicability of this analysis approach to other materials systems, and particularly to emphasize the effectiveness of this approach where the presence of disorder complicates the implementation of more conventional, voltage-based analyses such as the Shockley diode equation.
LIL3, a light-harvesting-like protein, plays an essential role in chlorophyll and tocopherol biosynthesis
Authors: Tanaka Ryouichi , Rothbart Maxi , Oka Seiko , Takabayashi Atsushi , Takahashi Kaori , Shibata Masaru , Myouga Fumiyoshi , Motohashi Reiko , Shinozaki Kazuo , Grimm Bernhard , Tanaka Ayumi
Published: September 2010

The light-harvesting chlorophyll-binding (LHC) proteins are major constituents of eukaryotic photosynthetic machinery. In plants, six different groups of proteins, LHC-like proteins, share a conserved motif with LHC. Although the evolution of LHC and LHC-like proteins is proposed to be a key for the diversification of modern photosynthetic eukaryotes, our knowledge of the evolution and functions of LHC-like proteins is still limited. In this study, we aimed to understand specifically the function of one type of LHC-like proteins, LIL3 proteins, by analyzing
Arabidopsis
mutants lacking them. The
Arabidopsis
genome contains two gene copies for LIL3,
LIL3:1
and
LIL3:2
. In the
lil3:1/lil3:2
double mutant, the majority of chlorophyll molecules are conjugated with an unsaturated geranylgeraniol side chain. This mutant is also deficient in α-tocopherol. These results indicate that reduction of both the geranylgeraniol side chain of chlorophyll and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, which is also an essential intermediate of tocopherol biosynthesis, is compromised in the
lil3
mutants. We found that the content of geranylgeranyl reductase responsible for these reactions was severely reduced in the
lil3
double mutant, whereas the mRNA level for this enzyme was not significantly changed. We demonstrated an interaction of geranylgeranyl reductase with both LIL3 isoforms by using a split ubiquitin assay, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and combined blue-native and SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We propose that LIL3 is functionally involved in chlorophyll and tocopherol biosynthesis by stabilizing geranylgeranyl reductase.