bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of seed dispersal, pollination and historical effects on genetic patterns of an insular plant that has lost its only seed disperser
Authors: Calviño‐Cancela María , Escudero Marcial , Rodríguez‐Pérez Javier , Cano Emilio , Vargas Pablo , Velo‐Antón Guillermo , Traveset Anna
Published: June 2012

Aim The genetic structure of many plant species is heavily dependent on their pollinators and seed dispersers, and can thus be altered if either of the associated mutualistic interactions is disrupted. In this study we assess the genetic diversity and structure and infer the seed/pollen gene‐flow patterns among insular populations ofDaphne rodriguezii, a shrub pollinated and dispersed by animals that has lost its only disperser (the lizardPodarcis lilfordi) in most of its populations.

Location The island of Menorca and the islet of Colom (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean).

Methods To assess the contribution of gene flow via pollen and seeds to the genetic structure ofD. rodrigueziiwe used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs; seeds and pollen) and plastid DNA sequences (cpDNA; seeds). We sampled individuals from all population nuclei of the species (12–19 adults per population): one population in Colom, where the plant–lizard interaction persists, and four in Menorca, where the seed dispersal mutualism disappeared with the extinction of the lizard.

Results The highest heterozygosity values were found in Colom and in its closest population (Favàritx), whereas values were lower in the smallest Menorcan populations, which also had higher relatedness among individuals. We found distinct genetic signals between AFLP and cpDNA analyses. While AFLP markers showed low differentiation between populations, cpDNA showed a clear differentiation between them.

Main conclusions Our results point to negative impacts of the disperser loss on genetic diversity and relatedness in the smaller and more isolated populations. They also suggest an old isolation by seeds, probably occurring well before the extinction of the lizard (c. 2000 years ago). Gene flow was maintained via pollination; however, the seed disperser loss may ultimately hinder pollinator‐mediated gene flow, as a result of reduced probabilities of effective pollination among increasingly distant and scarce individuals.
Global patterns of amphibian phylogenetic diversity
Authors: Fritz Susanne A. , Rahbek Carsten
Published: June 2012

Aim  Phylogenetic diversity can provide insight into how evolutionary processes may have shaped contemporary patterns of species richness. Here, we aim to test for the influence of phylogenetic history on global patterns of amphibian species richness, and to identify areas where macroevolutionary processes such as diversification and dispersal have left strong signatures on contemporary species richness.

Location  Global; equal‐area grid cells of approximately 10,000 km2.

Methods  We generated an amphibian global supertree (6111 species) and repeated analyses with the largest available molecular phylogeny (2792 species). We combined each tree with global species distributions to map four indices of phylogenetic diversity. To investigate congruence between global spatial patterns of amphibian species richness and phylogenetic diversity, we selected Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (PD) index and the total taxonomic distinctness (TTD) index, because we found that the variance of the other two indices we examined (average taxonomic distinctness and mean root distance) strongly depended on species richness. We then identified regions with unusually high or low phylogenetic diversity given the underlying level of species richness by using the residuals from the global relationship of species richness and phylogenetic diversity.

Results  Phylogenetic diversity as measured by either Faith’s PD or TTD was strongly correlated with species richness globally, while the other two indices showed very different patterns. When either Faith’s PD or TTD was tested against species richness, residuals were strongly spatially structured. Areas with unusually low phylogenetic diversity for their associated species richness were mostly on islands, indicating large radiations of few lineages that have successfully colonized these archipelagos. Areas with unusually high phylogenetic diversity were located around biogeographic contact zones in Central America and southern China, and seem to have experienced high immigration or in situ diversification rates, combined with local persistence of old lineages.

Main conclusions  We show spatial structure in the residuals of the relationship between species richness and phylogenetic diversity, which together with the positive relationship itself indicates strong signatures of evolutionary history on contemporary global patterns of amphibian species richness. Areas with unusually low and high phylogenetic diversity for their associated richness demonstrate the importance of biogeographic barriers to dispersal, colonization and diversification processes.
A diminution in ascorbate oxidase activity affects carbon allocation and improves yield in tomato under water deficit
Authors: GARCHERY CÉCILE , GEST NOÉ , DO PHUC T. , ALHAGDOW MOFTAH , BALDET PIERRE , MENARD GUILLAUME , ROTHAN CHRISTOPHE , MASSOT CAPUCINE , GAUTIER HÉLÈNE , AARROUF JAWAD , FERNIE ALISDAIR R. , STEVENS REBECCA
Published: June 2012

The regulation of carbon allocation between photosynthetic source leaves and sink tissues in response to stress is an important factor controlling plant yield. Ascorbate oxidase is an apoplastic enzyme, which controls the redox state of the apoplastic ascorbate pool. RNA interference was used to decrease ascorbate oxidase activity in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Fruit yield was increased in these lines under three conditions where assimilate became limiting for wild‐type plants: when fruit trusses were left unpruned, when leaves were removed or when water supply was limited. Several alterations in the transgenic lines could contribute to the improved yield and favour transport of assimilate from leaves to fruits in the ascorbate oxidase lines. Ascorbate oxidase plants showed increases in stomatal conductance and leaf and fruit sugar content, as well as an altered apoplastic hexose : sucrose ratio. Modifications in gene expression, enzyme activity and the fruit metabolome were coherent with the notion of the ascorbate oxidase RNAi lines showing altered sink strength. Ascorbate oxidase may therefore be a target for strategies aimed at improving water productivity in crop species.
Association of CFU‐Mk with total colony‐forming units in thawed cord blood units
Authors: Eskola M. , Arvola A. , Juutistenaho S. , Aranko K. , Kekomäki R.
Published: June 2012

Background and Objectives  Cord blood unit (CBU) total colony‐forming unit (CFU) count both pre‐cryo and post‐thaw has been shown to be associated with platelet (PLT) engraftment. Pre‐cryo CBUs show good growth of megakaryocytic CFUs (CFU‐Mk); however, CFU‐Mk have rarely been studied in post‐thaw CBUs.

Materials and Methods  Nucleated cells (NCs) from post‐thaw CB were cultured in a collagen‐based assay designed to support growth of CFU‐Mk. To ensure accurate counting two independent investigators evaluated four culture chambers per sample for CFU‐Mk growth. Post‐thaw CFU and other cellular characteristics of the CBUs were enumerated independently and compared to CFU‐Mk.

Results  The post‐thaw CBU total CFU count varied from 0·47 to 4·20 × 106 colonies (median, 0·99 × 106) and total CFU‐Mk count from 0·11 to 0·70 × 106 colonies (median, 0·21 × 106). Total CFU‐Mk count was closely associated with total CFU count (Spearman’s Rho = 0·86, P = 0·0072), haemoglobinized CFU (Rho = 0·86, P = 0·0072) and CFU‐granulocyte/macrophage (CFU‐GM; Rho = 0·81; P = 0·0154). Total CFU‐Mk count also correlated with the post‐thaw total CD34+ cell count (median, 2·55 × 106; range, 1·40–12·5 × 106; Rho = 0·83; P = 0·0154).

Conclusion  CFU‐Mk growth was associated with total CFU, haemoglobinized CFU, CFU‐GM and CD34+ cells in thawed CBUs. This study confirms the preservation of CFU‐Mk potential after CB cryopreservation.
Modelling the dependency of the Smith–Watson–Topper parameter on the cycles‐to‐failure using serial hybrid neural networks
Authors: KLEMENC J. , JANEZIC M. , FAJDIGA M.
Published: June 2012

Calculating the fatigue damage with a strain‐based approach requires an ɛ–Ndurability curve that links the strain amplitude to the corresponding number of cycles‐to‐failure. This ɛ–Ncurve is usually modelled by the Coffin–Manson relationship. If a loading mean‐level also needs to be considered, the original Coffin–Manson relationship is modified using a Smith–Watson–Topper parameter. In this article a methodology for modelling the dependence of the Smith–Watson–Topper parameter on the number of cycles‐to‐failure is presented. The core of the presented methodology represents a multilayer perceptron neural network combined with the Smith–Watson–Topper analytical model. The article presents the theoretical background of the methodology, which is applied for the case of the experimental fatigue data. The results show that it is possible to model ɛ–Ncurves for different influential parameters, such as the specimen's diameter and the testing temperature. The results further show that it is possible to predict ɛ–N curves even for those combinations of the influential parameters for which no experimental data about the material endurance is available. This fact makes the presented model very suitable for the application in an R&D process when a durability of a product should be estimated on the basis of a very limited set of experimental data about the material endurance characteristics.
Study on bending fretting fatigue of LZ50 axle steel considering ratchetting by finite element method
Authors: ZHU Y. , KANG G. , DING J. , ZHU M.
Published: June 2012

Based on the finite element simulation, the crack nucleation location and failure life of bending fretting fatigue are analysed and predicted for LZ50 axle steel, respectively. In the simulation, a simplified two‐dimensional finite element model with an equivalent normal force is proposed and the role of ratchetting is also considered by using a new cyclic elastoplastic constitutive model. The crack nucleation location and fatigue life are finally predicted by Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) critical plane criteria referring to the finite element calculation. It is shown that the predicted results are in fairly good agreement with the experimental ones.
Association between physical activity, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and prostate volume
Authors: Fowke Jay H. , Phillips Sharon , Koyama Tatsuki , Byerly Susan , Concepcion Raoul , Motley Saundra S. , Clark Peter E.
Published: June 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Greater leisure‐time physical activity (PA) levels or a lower body mass index have previously been associated with a lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia or less severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). However, separating the effects of PA from obesity can be difficult, and the types of PA and the mechanisms underlying any association with LUTS among older men are unclear.

The present analysis used multiple validated instruments to measure PA domains across workplace, leisure time, and home domains, and finds that PAs ranging from sports to light housework are associated with lower LUTS severity. The benefits of PA were seen with irritative symptoms, and also among obese men. Furthermore, this analysis begins the investigation of mechanism by finding that the relationship between PA and LUTS is not mediated by prostate enlargement.

Objectives

To determine the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) severity and physical activity (PA) across workplace, home, and leisure domains.

To determine the mediating role of prostate enlargement on LUTS severity and PA.

Patients and Methods

The study included 405 men without prostate cancer or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

LUTS severity was ascertained using the American Urological Association Symptom Index and prostate size by ultrasonography.

PA was assessed using validated questionnaires, with conversion to metabolic equivalent of task (MET)‐h/week to estimate leisure‐time PA energy expenditure.

Analysis used multivariable linear regression, controlling for body mass index (BMI), age, race, and treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Results

Higher leisure‐time PA energy expenditure and light housework activities were significantly associated with lower LUTS severity.

Prostate volume was not significantly associated with PA in adjusted analyses, and controlling for prostate volume did not affect the association between LUTS severity and PA.

Stratification by BMI showed a moderate interaction (P = 0.052), suggesting that PA was more strongly associated with LUTS severity among obese men.

Conclusions

In this cross‐sectional analysis, leisure‐time and home‐time PA was inversely associated with LUTS severity.

The association between PA and LUTS severity was stronger for irritative symptoms and among obese men, and was not mediated through changes in prostate size.

Our results indicate the need for further detailed investigation of PA and LUTS.
Contrasting landscape effects on species diversity and invasion success within a predator community
Authors: Hogg Brian N. , Daane Kent M.
Published: June 2012

Aim

The role of landscape variation in shaping invasion success remains unclear, particularly for exotic predators. We examined whether native and exotic predators responded similarly or differently to ecological change at the landscape scale.

Location

Vineyards and surrounding natural habitat in the Napa Valley, California, USA.

Methods

We surveyed spider communities in vineyards throughout the Napa Valley and used regression analysis to examine the effects of landscape context (proportion of vineyard monoculture and proportion of developed land surrounding vineyards) on spider species richness and on numbers and proportions of exotic spiders. We also compared spider composition and dominance of exotic spiders between vineyards and surrounding natural habitat using non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS).

Results

The success of the dominant exotic spider Cheiracanthium mildei was contingent on landscape context, and increased with proportions of vineyard and developed land in the surrounding landscape. Spider species richness and native spider abundance followed an opposing pattern. Cheiracanthium mildei was relatively unsuccessful near and in oak woodland, the primary type of natural habitat surrounding vineyards.

Main Conclusions

Results show that anthropogenic landscape change can have contrasting effects on native and exotic predators and that landscape context can influence the relationship between habitat modification and invasion success. Results suggest that it may be possible to limit the spread of invasions by increasing the availability of habitat for native species.
Fields, Logics, and Social Movements: Prison Abolition and the Social Justice Field*
Authors: Mayrl Damon
Published: June 2012

This essay argues that field analyses of social movements can be improved by incorporating more insights from Pierre Bourdieu. In particular, Bourdieu’s concepts of logic, symbolic capital, illusio, and doxa can enrich social movement scholarship by enabling scholars to identify new objects of study, connect organizational‐ and individual‐level effects, and shed new light on a variety of familiar features of social movements. I demonstrate this claim by delineating the contours of one such field, the “social justice field” (SJF). I argue that the SJF is a delimited, trans‐movement arena of contentious politics united by the logic of the pursuit of radical social justice. Drawing upon existing scholarship, as well as my own research on the prison abolition movement, I argue that the competitive demands of the field produce characteristic effects on organizations and individual activists within the field. I conclude by considering how a Bourdieuian approach can provide fresh insights into familiar problematics within the social movements literature.
Targeting voltage‐gated calcium channels: developments in peptide and small‐molecule inhibitors for the treatment of neuropathic pain
Authors: Vink S , Alewood PF
Published: June 2012

Chronic pain affects approximately 20% of people worldwide and places a large economic and social burden on society. Despite the availability of a range of analgesics, this condition is inadequately treated, with complete alleviation of symptoms rarely occurring. In the past 30 years, the voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCCs) have been recognized as potential targets for analgesic development. Although the majority of the research has been focused on Cav2.2 in particular, other VGCC subtypes such as Cav3.2 have recently come to the forefront of analgesic research. Venom peptides from marine cone snails have been proven to be a valuable tool in neuroscience, playing a major role in the identification and characterization of VGCC subtypes and producing the first conotoxin‐based drug on the market, the ω‐conotoxin, ziconotide. This peptide potently and selectively inhibits Cav2.2, resulting in analgesia in chronic pain states. However, this drug is only available via intrathecal administration, and adverse effects and a narrow therapeutic window have limited its use in the clinic. Other Cav2.2 inhibitors are currently in development and offer the promise of an improved route of administration and safety profile. This review assesses the potential of targeting VGCCs for analgesic development, with a main focus on conotoxins that block Cav2.2 and the developments made to transform them into therapeutics.
Utilization of Topiramate During Pregnancy and Risk of Birth Defects
Authors: Green Mark W. , Seeger John D. , Peterson Craig , Bhattacharyya Arun
Published: June 2012

Objective.— To evaluate the risk of oral cleft and major congenital malformation occurrence in infants born to women exposed to topiramate in their first trimester of pregnancy compared with women who used other anti‐epileptic drugs or those with disease states in which topiramate may have been used.

Methods.— Sourced from patients' pharmacy and medical claims from 2002 through 2010, this study identified infants born from mothers exposed to topiramate (n = 870) and other anti‐epileptic drugs (n = 3615) in the first trimester of pregnancy. First trimester exposure was based on prescription dispensing dates and days supplied relative to infant birth date, accounting for premature delivery. Infants born to women with migraine without epilepsy (n = 26,865), women with epilepsy (n = 2607), and women with diabetes mellitus (n = 13,062), as well as randomly sampled women (n = 99,761), were used for comparison. Topiramate use was excluded from all groups with the exception of the topiramate and random sample cohorts. Non‐anti‐epileptic drug teratogens were excluded from each cohort (except random sample). Unadjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for topiramate vs each comparator were calculated. Risks >1 indicate a higher risk with topiramate vs comparator, whereas risks <1 indicate a lower risk with topiramate vs comparator.

Results.— The frequency of oral clefts was 0.23% for topiramate use, 0.17% for other anti‐epileptic drug use (topiramate vs comparator relative risk = 1.39 [95% confidence interval: 0.28‐6.85]), 0.16% for migraineurs (1.47 [0.36‐6.06]), 0.31% for epileptics (0.75 [0.16‐3.52]), 0.26% for diabetics (0.88 [0.21‐3.67]), and 0.16% for the random sample (1.44 [0.36‐5.81]). The frequency of major congenital malformations was 4.33% for topiramate use, 3.21% for other anti‐epileptic drugs (1.33 [0.92‐1.90]), 3.79% for migraineurs (1.12 [0.81‐1.55]), 4.33% for epileptics (0.98 [0.68‐1.41]), 6.58% for diabetics (0.65 [0.47‐0.89]), and 3.77% for the random sample (1.13 [0.82‐1.55]).

Conclusions.— This retrospective study quantified the association between topiramate exposure during pregnancy and the risk of oral cleft or major congenital malformations, and suggested little or no increase in risk in comparison with exposure to other anti‐epileptic drugs or to disease states, such as migraine, epilepsy, or diabetes. However, small numbers of events limit the strength of inferences.
Neurochemical Heterogeneity of Rats Predicted by Different Measures to be High Ethanol Consumers
Authors: Barson Jessica R. , Fagan Shawn E. , Chang Guo‐Qing , Leibowitz Sarah F.
Published: June 2012

Background

Alcoholism is a heterogeneous disease, with subjects possibly differing both in the best measure that predicts their excess consumption and in their most effective pharmacotherapy. Two different measures, high novelty‐induced activity and high‐fat‐induced triglycerides (TGs), are known to identify subgroups of animals prone to consuming higher amounts of ethanol (EtOH). The question investigated here is whether these subgroups are, in fact, similar in their neurochemical phenotype that may contribute to their overconsumption.

Methods

EtOH‐naïve, Sprague–Dawley rats were subgrouped based on the 2 predictor measures of activity or TG levels, and then quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and digoxigenin‐labeled in situ hybridization were used to measure their expression of hypothalamic peptides that affect EtOH intake. In additional subgroups subsequently trained to drink 9% EtOH, the opioid antagonist and alcoholism medication, naltrexone, was tested at a low dose (0.02 mg/kg, s.c.) to determine the rats' sensitivity to its effects.

Results

The 2 measures, while both effective in predicting amount of EtOH intake, were found to identify distinctive subgroups. Rats with high compared to low activity exhibited significantly greater expression of galanin and enkephalin in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and of orexin in the perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PFLH), but no difference in melanin‐concentrating hormone in PFLH or neuropeptide Y in arcuate nucleus. This contrasts with rats having high TG, which exhibited greater expression only of PVN galanin, along with reduced PFLH orexin. The high‐activity rats with elevated enkephalin, but not high‐TG rats, were also unusually sensitive to naltrexone, which significantly reduced their alcohol intake.

Conclusions

In addition to revealing differences in endogenous peptides and drug responsiveness in predicted high EtOH drinkers, this study demonstrates that these disturbances differ markedly between the 2 at‐risk subgroups. This indicates that simple tests may be effective in identifying subjects most responsive to a specific pharmacotherapy.
A Unified Method for Dynamic and Cross‐Sectional Heterogeneity: Introducing Hidden Markov Panel Models
Authors: Park Jong Hee
Published: June 2012

Conventional statistical methods for panel data are based on the assumption that unobserved heterogeneity is time constant. Despite the central importance of this assumption for panel data methods, few studies have developed statistical methods for testing this assumption and modeling time‐varying unobserved heterogeneity. In this article, I introduce a formal test to check the assumption of time‐constant unobserved heterogeneity using Bayesian model comparison. Then, I present two panel data methods that account for time‐varying unobserved heterogeneity in the context of the random‐effects model and the fixed‐effects model, respectively. I illustrate the utility of the introduced methods using both simulated data and examples drawn from two important debates in the political economy literature: (1) the identification of shifting relationships between income inequality and economic development in capitalist countries and (2) the effects of the GATT/WTO on bilateral trade volumes.
Elections and the Politics of Pork in the U.S. Senate
Authors: Crespin Michael H. , Finocchiaro Charles J.
Published: June 2012

Objectives

We examine the connection between pork‐barrel projects and the election returns of members of the U.S. Congress. While previous researchers have uncovered little evidence of a direct link, we refine the perspective that pork has electoral implications by advancing the argument that its effects differ across geographic and partisan contexts.

Methods

Our empirical analysis focuses on the Senate—which has largely escaped attention—and utilizes a measure of pork that includes only those projects inserted by legislators as line items in appropriation bills from 1996 to 2004.

Results

We find a direct relationship between pork and electoral performance, albeit one that is conditioned upon ideological congruence, constituency size, and the political ideology of the legislator.

Conclusions

Electoral payoffs for pork‐barreling accrue to some but not all senators. Moreover, our findings demonstrate the pragmatic rationale for conservative opposition to earmarks.
Nucleus‐encoded mRNAs for Chloroplast Proteins GapA, PetA, and PsbO are Trans‐spliced in the Flagellate Euglena gracilis Irrespective of Light and Plastid Function
Authors: Mateášiková‐Kováčová Bianka , Vesteg Matej , Drahovská Hana , Záhonová Kristína , Vacula Rostislav , Krajčovič Juraj
Published: June 2012

Euglena gracilis is a fresh‐water flagellate possessing secondary chloroplasts of green algal origin. In contrast with organisms possessing primary plastids, mRNA levels of nucleus‐encoded genes for chloroplast proteins in E. gracilis depend on neither light nor plastid function. However, it remains unknown, if all these mRNAs are trans‐spliced and possess spliced leader sequence at the 5′‐end and if trans‐splicing depends on light or functional plastids. This study revealed that polyadenylated mRNAs encoding the chloroplast proteins glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GapA), cytochrome f (PetA), and subunit O of photosystem II (PsbO) are trans‐spliced irrespective of light or plastid function.
Cutaneous mastocytosis with atypical mast cells and giant cytoplasmic granules
Authors: Lachapelle Jonathan , Moroz Brenda , Nguyen Van‐Hung
Published: June 2012

A 12‐year‐old male presented with an 8‐year history of five firm cream colored papules on the right vertex of the scalp. A biopsy showed a dense infiltrate of monomorphous mast cells involving the dermis and extending into the subcutis. A relatively well‐circumscribed cluster of larger cells showed pleomorphic nuclei with bilobed and multilobed morphology. Both mast cell populations had an eosinophilic cytoplasm filled with granules ranging in size from small to giant forms. By immunohistochemistry, the cells expressed CD117, tryptase and CD68, and were negative for AE1/AE3, CD1a, CD2 and CD25. S‐100 staining revealed only faint cytoplasmic positivity and myeloperoxidase had an inhomogeneous patchy pattern, with an overall staining of less than 5% of the cells. A diagnosis of cutaneous mastocytosis was made and after 6 months follow‐up, no progression observed. Clinical correlation and awareness of these unusual morphologic features as being part of the spectrum of cutaneous mastocytosis are important to avoid an erroneous diagnosis of malignancy. Although pleomorphic, multilobed nuclear morphology and giant cytoplasmic granules have not been associated with an aggressive behavior or systemic mastocytosis, close clinical observation is warranted in this context.

Lachapelle J, Moroz B, Nguyen V‐H. Cutaneous mastocytosis with atypical mast cells and giant cytoplasmic granules.
Protoporphyrin IX formation and photobleaching in different layers of normal human skin: Methyl‐ and hexylaminolevulinate and different light sources
Authors: Togsverd‐Bo Katrine , Idorn Luise W. , Philipsen Peter A. , Wulf Hans Christian , Hædersdal Merete
Published: June 2012

Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used for various skin disorders, and selective targeting of specific skin structures is desirable. The objective was to assess accumulation of PpIX fluorescence and photobleaching within skin layers using different photosensitizers and light sources. Normal human skin was tape‐stripped and incubated with 20% methylaminolevulinate (MAL) or 20% hexylaminolevulinate (HAL) for 3 h. Fluorescence microscopy quantified PpIX accumulation in epidermis, superficial, mid and deep dermis, down to 2 mm. PpIX photobleaching by light‐emitting diode (LED, 632 nm, 18 and 37 J/cm2), intense pulsed light (IPL, 500–650 nm, 36 and 72 J/cm2) and long‐pulsed dye laser (LPDL, 595 nm, 7.5 and 15 J/cm2) was measured using fluorescence photography and microscopy. We found higher PpIX fluorescence intensities in epidermis and superficial dermis in HAL‐incubated skin than MAL‐incubated skin (P < 0.001). In mid and deep dermis, fluorescence intensities were higher (37%) in HAL‐treated skin than MAL‐treated skin, although not significant (P = ns). At skin surface, photobleaching was significantly higher (90–98%) after LED illumination (18 and 37 J/cm²) than IPL (29–53%, 36 and 72 J/cm²) and LPDL (43–62%, 7 and 15 J/cm²) (P < 0.001). Within the skin, photobleaching was steady from epidermis to deep dermis by LED illumination (37 J/cm², P = ns), but declined from epidermis to mid and deep dermis for IPL‐treated skin and LPDL‐treated skin (IPL 72 J/cm²: 26–15%; LPDL 15 J/cm²: 37–23%) (P < 0.04). Clinically, erythema correlated linearly with MAL and HAL‐induced photobleaching (r² = 0.175, P < 0.001). In conclusion, selective PpIX accumulation indicates HAL as an alternative to MAL for epidermal‐targeted PDT. In clinically relevant doses, PpIX photobleaching throughout the skin was more profound following LED than LPDL and IPL exposure.
The neuroendocrine control of the innate immune system in health and brain diseases
Authors: Bellavance Marc‐André , Rivest Serge
Published: June 2012

Summary:  The innate immune reaction takes place in the brain during immunogenic challenges, injury, and disease. Such a response is highly regulated by numerous anti‐inflammatory mechanisms that may directly affect the ultimate consequences of such a reaction within the cerebral environment. The neuroendocrine control of this innate immune system by glucocorticoids is critical for the delicate balance between cell survival and damage in the presence of inflammatory mediators. Glucocorticoids play key roles in regulating the expression of inflammatory genes, and they also have the ability to modulate numerous functions that may ultimately lead to brain damage or repair after injury. Here we review these mechanisms and discuss data supporting both neuroprotective and detrimental roles of the neuroendocrine control of innate immunity.
Bridging the gap from genetic association to functional understanding: the next generation of mouse models of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Attfield Kathrine E. , Dendrou Calliope A. , Fugger Lars
Published: June 2012

Summary:  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, which affects approximately 0.1% of the population with variable degrees of severity. Disease susceptibility is jointly determined by genetic predisposition and environmental contribution. However, as only a handful of genetic risk factors have been investigated beyond initial genome‐wide association studies and environmental factors are largely unidentified, the exact mechanism of how these associations interact remains speculative. Our current understanding of this complex and heterogeneous disease has been advanced by experimental data obtained from animal modeling, with particular focus on the mouse MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Manipulation of the mouse genome to study genetic risk factors has largely proved informative, but it also has limitations. Integration effects of transgene insertion, gene copy number, and expression variation, as well as differences in regulatory elements between mouse and human, are some of the hurdles faced when using such models to understand human gene variants in mice. Furthermore, as the list of MS disease‐associated genetic variants continues to increase, so does the demand to find new approaches to study them. A new generation of humanized mice aims to tighten the gap between mouse and human, such that MS‐associated genetic variants can be modeled more physiologically and systematically.
Immune checkpoints in central nervous system autoimmunity
Authors: Joller Nicole , Peters Anneli , Anderson Ana C. , Kuchroo Vijay K.
Published: June 2012

Summary:  A number of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, are mediated by self‐reactive T cells that have escaped the deletional mechanisms of central tolerance. Usually, these T cells are kept at bay through peripheral tolerance mechanisms, including regulation through coinhibitory receptors and suppression by regulatory T cells. However, if these mechanisms fail, self‐reactive T cells are activated and autoimmune responses ensue. This review outlines how the coinhibitory receptors CTLA‐4 (cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen‐4), PD‐1 (programed death‐1), Tim‐3 (T‐cell immunoglobulin‐ and mucin domain‐containing molecule 3), and TIGIT (T‐cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domains) act at different checkpoints to inhibit autoreactive T cells and suppress the development of central nervous system autoimmunity. Loss of each of these receptors predisposes to autoimmunity, indicating a non‐redundant role in maintaining peripheral tolerance. At the same time, their functional patterns seem to overlap to a large degree. Therefore, we propose that only the concerted action of a combination of inhibitory receptors is able to maintain peripheral tolerance and prevent autoimmunity.
Analysis of clinical and dermoscopic features for basal cell carcinoma neural network classification
Authors: Cheng Beibei , Joe Stanley R. , Stoecker William V. , Stricklin Sherea M. , Hinton Kristen A. , Nguyen Thanh K. , Rader Ryan K. , Rabinovitz Harold S. , Oliviero Margaret , Moss Randy H.
Published: June 2012

Background

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the USA. In this research, we examine four different feature categories used for diagnostic decisions, including patient personal profile (patient age, gender, etc.), general exam (lesion size and location), common dermoscopic (blue‐gray ovoids, leaf‐structure dirt trails, etc.), and specific dermoscopic lesion (white/pink areas, semitranslucency, etc.). Specific dermoscopic features are more restricted versions of the common dermoscopic features.

Methods

Combinations of the four feature categories are analyzed over a data set of 700 lesions, with 350 BCCs and 350 benign lesions, for lesion discrimination using neural network‐based techniques, including evolving artificial neural networks (EANNs) and evolving artificial neural network ensembles.

Results

Experiment results based on 10‐fold cross validation for training and testing the different neural network‐based techniques yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve as high as 0.981 when all features were combined. The common dermoscopic lesion features generally yielded higher discrimination results than other individual feature categories.

Conclusions

Experimental results show that combining clinical and image information provides enhanced lesion discrimination capability over either information source separately. This research highlights the potential of data fusion as a model for the diagnostic process.
Prologue
Authors: Gupta Subhas
Published: June 2012

In May 2011, an international panel of wound care experts from multiple disciplines convened to develop this document to summarise the evolution of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) technology devices over the past 15 years, specifically concentrating on the V.A.C.® Therapy (KCI USA, Inc., San Antonio, TX) family of products. The aim of this document, which will be comprised of six articles, is to describe appropriate use of current technology options across a variety of wound types. The articles will include literature reviews, initiation criteria, treatment outcomes, technical pearls and clinical cases that will show the enhanced outcomes and potential economic value of the various NPWT technologies in use today.
Population specific fitness response of Drosophila subobscura to lead pollution
Authors: Kenig Bojan , Stamenković‐Radak Marina , Andelković Marko
Published: June 2012

Abstract  Differences in heavy metal tolerance among separate populations of the same species have often been interpreted as local adaptation. Persistence of differences after removing the stressor indicates that mechanisms responsible for the increased tolerance were genetically determined. Drosophila subobscura Collin (Diptera: Drosophilidae) populations were sampled from two localities with different history of heavy metal pollution, and reared for eight generations in the laboratory on a standard medium and on media with different concentrations of lead (Pb). To determine whether flies from different natural populations exposed to the Pb‐contaminated media in the laboratory show population specific variability in fitness components over generations, experimental groups with different concentrations of lead were assayed in three generations (F2, F5, and F8) for fecundity, developmental time, and egg‐to‐adult viability. On the contaminated medium, fecundity was reduced in later generations and viability was increased, irrespective of the environmental origin of populations. For both populations, developmental time showed a tendency of slowing down on media with lead. Faster development was observed in later generations. Preadaptation to contamination, meaning higher fecundity, higher viability, and faster egg to adult development in all studied generations, was found in D. subobscura originating from the locality with a higher level of heavy metal pollution.
Limitations of RNAi of α6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits for assessing the in vivo sensitivity to spinosad
Authors: Rinkevich Frank D. , Scott Jeffrey G.
Published: June 2012

Abstract  Spinosad is a widely used insecticide that exerts its toxic effect primarily through interactions with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. The α6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit is involved in spinosad toxicity as demonstrated by the high levels of resistance observed in strains lacking α6. RNAi was performed against the Dα6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit in Drosophila melanogaster using the Gal4‐UAS system to examine if RNAi would yield results similar to those of Dα6 null mutants. These Dα6‐deficient flies were subject to spinosad contact bioassays to evaluate the role of the Dα6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit on spinosad sensitivity. The expression of Dα6 was reduced 60%–75% as verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. However, there was no change in spinosad sensitivity in D. melanogaster. We repeated RNAi experiments in Tribolium castaneum using injection of dsRNA for Tcasα6. RNAi of Tcasα6 did not result in changes in spinosad sensitivity, similar to results obtained with D. melanogaster. The lack of change in spinosad sensitivity in both D. melanogaster and T. castaneum using two routes of dsRNA administration shows that RNAi may not provide adequate conditions to study the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits on insecticide sensitivity due to the inability to completely eliminate expression of the α6 subunit in both species. Potential causes for the lack of change in spinosad sensitivity are discussed.
INFLUENCE OF MARINE WATER CONDITIONS ON SALMONELLA ENTERICA SEROVAR TYPHIMURIUM SURVIVAL
Authors: EL MEJRI SELMA , EL BOUR MONIA , BOUKEF IMEN , AL GALLAS NAZEK , MRAOUNA RADHIA , GOT PATRICE , TROUSSELLIER MARC , KLENA JOHN , BOUDABBOUS ABDELATIF
Published: June 2012

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains were isolated during a monitoring survey of the carpet shell clam (Ruditapes decussatus) collected from 23 stations along the Tunisian coast. The effect of starvation on Salmonella Typhimurium survival was investigated in vitro using microcosms composed of filtered (0.2 µm) marine water under dark and ambient temperature conditions (25C for 30 days). Eventual changes in physiological, biochemical properties, serotyping, biotyping and antimicrobial sensitivity for the environmentally adapted Salmonella Typhimurium were monitored. In response to stress conditions, the Salmonella Typhimurium strains progressively lost culturability in the absence of notable changes in the total cell count (during all the period of 30 days). Strains appeared to enter into a viable but noncultureable state as determined by epifluorescence method. We have also observed that the T90 value (time required for the reduction of 90% of cells) for the five different Salmonella strains ranged between 25 and 30 h; this indicated the survivability of Salmonella under stress conditions. This state was also characterized by biochemical and antimicrobial changes.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

This research highlighted the acquisition of the viable but nonculturable state of bacteria. This form of adaptation of certain pathogens does not really reflect their presence or absence in the marine environment and thus in foods of marine origin. Hence the use of conventional methods of bacterial identification must be completed more advanced research tools before declaring a healthy product or environment.
Synergistic Mechanism of Gene Expression and Pathways between Jasminoidin and Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Treating Focal Cerebral Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Liu Jun , Zhou Cai‐Xiu , Zhang Zhan‐Jun , Wang Li‐Ying , Jing Zhi‐Wei , Wang Zhong
Published: June 2012

Aim

Jasminoidin and ursodeoxycholic acid are 2 bioactive compounds extracted from Chinese medicine that have been proven to exert a synergistic effect as a combined administration for the treatment of stroke. The aim of this study was to reveal the pharmacogenomic mechanism of this synergistic effect of jasminoidin and ursodeoxycholic acid.

Methods

One hundred and fifteen mice with brain damage, induced by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, were divided into 5 groups: jasminoidin‐treated, ursodeoxycholic acid–treated, combination‐treated, vehicle group, and sham‐operated group. Comparative analysis of stroke‐related gene expression profiles and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways among the 3 treatment groups were performed to reveal the mechanism of this synergistic effect.

Results

This study demonstrated that (1) treatment with jasminoidin alone caused similar changes in the pattern of gene expression as those treated with the combination; (2) jasminoidin treatment and the combination treatment had more overlapping changes in gene expression and activated pathways than the ursodeoxycholic acid treatment; (3) Hspa1a and Ppm1e were only up‐regulated in the combination‐treated group; (4) the nonoverlapping genes Fgf12, Rarα, Map3k4, paxillin (PXN) in the combination‐treated group were markedly expressed, and P53 pathway was obviously activated in the combination‐treated group.

Conclusion

These findings may suggest that jasminoidin is the major component of the combination, and the combination plays an important role of the synergistic effect in up‐regulating expression of gene Hspa1a, genes Fgf12, Rarα, Map3k4 and down‐regulating gene PXN, as well as activating P53 pathway.
Challenging the Limited Liability of Parent Companies: A Reform Agenda for Piercing the Corporate Veil
Authors: Anderson Helen
Published: June 2012

This article examines the liability of parent corporations within company groups in Australia, to determine whether the law needs to be reformed. It gives an overview of the theory behind limited liability and situations in which piercing the corporate veil is arguably justified. It then considers whether the veil should be pierced to impose liability on parent companies. It makes the case that fault should be the basis of liability, and it looks at examples of veil‐piercing laws overseas to determine whether any of them might provide an appropriate template for liability. Recent Australian initiatives are considered before making suggestions for reform.
Numerical Investigations and Performance Experiments of a Deep-Well Centrifugal Pump With Different Diffusers
Authors: Zhou Ling , Shi Weidong , Lu Weigang , Hu Bo , Wu Suqing
Published: June 2012

In this paper, the design methodology of a new type of three-dimensional surface return diffuser (3DRD) is presented and described in detail. The main goal was to improve the hydrodynamic performance of the deep-well centrifugal pump (DCP). During this study, a two-stage DCP equipped with two different type diffusers was simulated employing the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANYSY-Fluent to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for three-dimensional steady flow. A sensitivity analysis of the numerical model was performed in order to impose appropriate parameters regarding grid elements number and turbulence model. The flow field and the static pressure distribution in the diffusers obtained by numerical simulation were analyzed, and the diffuser efficiency was defined to quantify the pressure conversion capability. The prototype experimental test results were acquired and compared with the data predicted from the numerical simulation, which showed that the performance of the pump with 3DRD is better than that of the traditional cylindrical return diffuser (CRD) under all operating conditions. The efficiency and single-stage head of the pump with 3DRD have been significantly improved compared with the standard DCP of the same class.
Use of Finite Element and Finite Segment Methods in Modeling Rail Flexibility: A Comparative Study
Authors: Hamper Martin B. , Recuero Antonio M. , Escalona José L. , Shabana Ahmed A.
Published: June 2012

Safety requirements and optimal performance of railroad vehicle systems require the use of multibody system (MBS) dynamics formulations that allow for modeling flexible bodies. This investigation will present three methods suited for the study of flexible track models while conclusions about their implementations and features are made. The first method is based on the floating frame of reference (FFR) formulation which allows for the use of a detailed finite element mesh with the component mode synthesis technique in order to obtain a reduced order model. In the second method, the flexible body is modeled as a finite number of rigid elements that are connected by springs and dampers. This method, called finite segment method (FSM) or rigid finite element method, requires the use of rigid MBS formulations only. In the third method, the FFR formulation is used to obtain a model that is equivalent to the FSM model by assuming that the rail segments are very stiff, thereby allowing the exclusion of the high frequency modes associated with the rail deformations. This FFR/FS model demonstrates that some rail movement scenarios such as gauge widening can be captured using the finite element FFR formulation. The three procedures FFR, FSM, and FFR/FS will be compared in order to establish differences among them and analyze the specific application of the FSM to modeling track flexibility. Convergence of the methods is analyzed. The three methods proposed in this investigation for modeling the movement of three-dimensional tracks are used with a three-dimensional elastic wheel/rail contact formulation that predicts contact points online and allows for updating the creepages to account for the rail deformations. Several conclusions will be drawn in view of the results obtained in this investigation.