bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The CLIP-170 Homologue Bik1p Promotes the Phosphorylation and Asymmetric Localization of Kar9p
Authors: Moore Jeffrey K. , D'Silva Sonia , Miller Rita K.
Published: October 2005

Accurate positioning of the mitotic spindle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is coordinated with the asymmetry of the two poles and requires the microtubule-to-actin linker Kar9p. The asymmetric localization of Kar9p to one spindle pole body (SPB) and microtubule (MT) plus ends requires Cdc28p. Here, we show that the CLIP-170 homologue Bik1p binds directly to Kar9p. In the absence of Bik1p, Kar9p localization is not restricted to the daughter-bound SPB, but it is instead found on both SPBs. Kar9p is hypophosphorylated in bik1Δ mutants, and Bik1p binds to both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated isoforms of Kar9p. Furthermore, the two-hybrid interaction between full-length KAR9 and the cyclin CLB5 requires BIK1. The binding site of Clb5p on Kar9p maps to a short region within the basic domain of Kar9p that contains a conserved phosphorylation site, serine 496. Consistent with this, Kar9p is found on both SPBs in clb5Δ mutants at a frequency comparable with that seen in kar9-S496A strains. Together, these data suggest that Bik1p promotes the phosphorylation of Kar9p on serine 496, which affects its asymmetric localization to one SPB and associated cytoplasmic MTs. These findings provide further insight into a mechanism for directing centrosomal inheritance.
Dissecting the Role of Rho-mediated Signaling in Contractile Ring Formation
Authors: Kamijo Keiju , Ohara Naoya , Abe Mitsuhiro , Uchimura Takashi , Hosoya Hiroshi , Lee Jae-Seon , Miki Toru
Published: October 2005

In anaphase, microtubules provide a specification signal for positioning of the contractile ring. However, the nature of the signal remains unknown. The small GTPase Rho is a potent regulator of cytokinesis, but the involvement of Rho in contractile ring formation is disputed. Here, we show that Rho serves as a microtubule-dependent signal that specifies the position of the contractile ring. We found that Rho translocates to the equatorial region before furrow ingression. The Rho-specific inhibitor C3 exoenzyme and small interfering RNA to the Rho GDP/GTP exchange factor ECT2 prevent this translocation and disrupt contractile ring formation, indicating that active Rho is required for contractile ring formation. ECT2 forms a complex with the GTPase-activating protein MgcRacGAP and the kinesinlike protein MKLP1 at the central spindle, and the localization of ECT2 at the central spindle depends on MgcRacGAP and MKLP1. In addition, we show that the bundled microtubules direct Rho-mediated signaling molecules to the furrowing site and regulate furrow formation. Our study provides strong evidence for the requirement of Rho-mediated signaling in contractile ring formation.
Class II Histone Deacetylases Confer Signal Responsiveness to the Ankyrin-Repeat Proteins ANKRA2 and RFXANK
Authors: McKinsey Timothy A. , Kuwahara Koichiro , Bezprozvannaya Svetlana , Olson Eric N.
Published: October 2005

Class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) contain unique amino-terminal extensions that mediate interactions with members of the myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors and responsiveness to kinases, including Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK). Despite intense investigation of class II HDACs, little is known of MEF2-independent mechanisms for transcriptional repression by these chromatin-modifying enzymes. Here, we demonstrate that class II HDACs 4 and 5 physically associate with ankyrin-repeat proteins ANKRA2 and RFXANK (RFX-B/Tvl-1/ANKRA1). ANKRA2 is a megalin- and BKCa potassium channel-interacting factor, whereas RFXANK is a positive regulator of major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) gene expression. HDAC4 and HDAC5 interact with the ankyrin repeats of ANKRA2 and RFXANK and, through association with RFXANK, repress MHC II promoter activation. HDACs 4 and 5 also repress endogenous HLA-DRA gene expression induced by CIITA. Phosphorylation of class II HDACs by CaMK results in CRM1-dependent nuclear export of HDAC/RFXANK complexes. These results define a novel transcriptional pathway under the control of class II HDACs and suggest a role for these transcriptional repressors as signal-responsive regulators of antigen presentation.
GMx33 Associates with theTrans-Golgi Matrix in a Dynamic Manner and Sorts within Tubules Exiting the Golgi
Authors: Snyder Christopher M. , Mardones Gonzalo A. , Ladinsky Mark S. , Howell Kathryn E.
Published: October 2005

The trans-Golgi matrix consists of a group of proteins dynamically associated with the trans-Golgi and thought to be involved in anterograde and retrograde Golgi traffic, as well as interactions with the cytoskeleton and maintenance of the Golgi structure. GMx33 is localized to the cytoplasmic face of the trans-Golgi and is also present in a large cytoplasmic pool. Here we demonstrate that GMx33 is dynamically associated with the trans-Golgi matrix, associating and dissociating with the Golgi in seconds. GMx33 can be locked onto the trans-Golgi matrix by GTPγS, indicating that its association is regulated in a GTP-dependent manner like several other Golgi matrix proteins. Using live-cell imaging we show that GMx33 exits the Golgi associated with tubules and within these tubules GMx33 segregates from transmembrane proteins followed by fragmentation of the tubules into smaller tubules and vesicles. Within vesicles produced by an in vitro budding reaction, GMx33 remains segregated in a matrixlike tail region that sometimes contains Golgin-245. This trans-matrix often links a few vesicles together. Together these data suggest that GMx33 is a member of the trans-Golgi matrix and offer clues regarding the role of the trans-Golgi matrix in sorting and exit from the Golgi.
TheDrosophilaγ-Tubulin Small Complex Subunit Dgrip84 Is Required for Structural and Functional Integrity of the Spindle Apparatus
Authors: Colombié Nathalie , Vérollet Christel , Sampaio Paula , Moisand André , Sunkel Claudio , Bourbon Henri-Marc , Wright Michel , Raynaud-Messina Brigitte
Published: October 2005

γ-Tubulin, a protein critical for microtubule assembly, functions within multiprotein complexes. However, little is known about the respective role of γ-tubulin partners in metazoans. For the first time in a multicellular organism, we have investigated the function of Dgrip84, the Drosophila orthologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae γ-tubulin-associated protein Spc97p. Mutant analysis shows that Dgrip84 is essential for viability. Its depletion promotes a moderate increase in the mitotic index, correlated with the appearance of monopolar or unpolarized spindles, impairment of centrosome maturation, and increase of polyploid nuclei. This in vivo study is strengthened by an RNA interference approach in cultured S2 cells. Electron microscopy analysis suggests that monopolar spindles might result from a failure of centrosome separation and an unusual microtubule assembly pathway via centriolar triplets. Moreover, we point to an involvement of Dgrip84 in the spindle checkpoint regulation and in the maintenance of interphase microtubule dynamics. Dgrip84 also seems essential for male meiosis, ensuring spindle bipolarity and correct completion of cytokinesis. These data sustain that Dgrip84 is required in some aspects of microtubule dynamics and organization both in interphase and mitosis. The nature of a minimal γ-tubulin complex necessary for proper microtubule organization in the metazoans is discussed.
THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF PREVENTING RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITALIZATIONS
Authors: CHESTNUT LAURAINE G. , THAYER MARK A. , LAZO JEFFREY K. , VAN DEN EEDEN STEPHEN K.
Published: October 2005

This article provides estimates of the economic benefits of reducing respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations based on cost of illness and willingness to pay. The willingness‐to‐pay estimates indicate that individuals value prevention of a five‐day hospitalization event at an average of approximately $2,400. Average total costs of illness per hospitalization are $22,000–39,000. A comprehensive cost‐of‐illness estimate that includes value of time losses for the hospitalization and at‐home recovery periods provides a close approximation of total costs borne by third parties plus individual willingness to pay. Both exceed previous cost‐of‐illness estimates by about 10–25%. (JEL D61, I18, Q25)
IS THE CHINESE RENMINBI UNDERVALUED?
Authors: GOH MING HE , KIM YOONBAI
Published: October 2005

This article seeks to investigate whether the renminbi (RMB) has become grossly undervalued by empirically estimating China's equilibrium real exchange rate for the period 1978–2002. A reduced form based on Edwards's (1989, 1994) developing‐country model is estimated using the Engle‐Granger two‐step method. The results reveal that government expenditure, productivity, and the degree of trade restrictions in the economy affect the RMB. From these variables, the authors then derive the equilibrium rate and the degree of misalignments from it. The investigation shows that there is no evidence that the RMB is significantly undervalued in the last few years of the sample period. (JEL F31, F33, F42)
Apis melliferabees acquire long-term olfactory memories within the colony
Authors: Gil Mariana , De Marco Rodrigo J
Published: October 2005

Early studies indicate thatApis melliferabees learn nectar odours within their colonies. This form of olfactory learning, however, has not been analysed by measuring well-quantifiable learning performances and the question remains whether it constitutes a ‘robust’ form of learning. Hence, we asked whether bees acquire long-term olfactory memories within the colony. To this end, we used the bee proboscis extension response. We found that within-the-nest bees do indeed associate the odour (as the conditioned stimulus) with the sugar (as the unconditioned stimulus) present in the incoming nectar, and that the distribution of scented nectar within the colony allows them to establish long-term olfactory memories. This finding is discussed in the context of efficient foraging.
Solution to the phylogenetic enigma of
Tetraplatia
, a worm-shaped cnidarian
Authors: Collins Allen G , Bentlage Bastian , Matsumoto George I , Haddock Steven H.D , Osborn Karen J , Schierwater Bernd
Published: October 2005

Tetraplatia
is a genus containing two species of pelagic cnidarians of curious morphology. Their vermiform shape and four swimming flaps are difficult to relate to the features of other cnidarians, thus obscuring their phylogenetic affinities. Since their discovery in the mid-1800s, a number of prominent cnidarian workers have weighed in on this conundrum, some arguing that they are aberrant hydrozoans and others concluding that they are unusual scyphozoans. Current taxonomic practice conforms to the latter view. However, data presented here from the large and small subunits of the nuclear ribosome leave little doubt that
Tetraplatia
is in fact a hydrozoan genus. Indeed, its precise phylogenetic position is within Narcomedusae, as some authors had previously deduced based on structural characters. The distinctive body plan of
Tetraplatia
is remarkable because it appears to have a recent origin, in contrast to the prevailing pattern of metazoan history.
Moving from spatially segregated to transparent motion: a modelling approach
Authors: Durant Szonya , Donoso-Barrera Alejandra , Tan Sovira , Johnston Alan
Published: October 2005

Motion transparency, in which patterns of moving elements group together to give the impression of lacy overlapping surfaces, provides an important challenge to models of motion perception. It has been suggested that we perceive transparent motion when the shape of the velocity histogram of the stimulus is bimodal. To investigate this further, random-dot kinematogram motion sequences were created to simulate segregated (perceptually spatially separated) and transparent (perceptually overlapping) motion. The motion sequences were analysed using the
multi-channel gradient model
(McGM) to obtain the speed and direction at every pixel of each frame of the motion sequences. The velocity histograms obtained were found to be quantitatively similar and all were bimodal. However, the spatial and temporal properties of the velocity field differed between segregated and transparent stimuli. Transparent stimuli produced patches of rightward and leftward motion that varied in location over time. This demonstrates that we can successfully differentiate between these two types of motion on the basis of the time varying local velocity field. However, the percept of motion transparency cannot be based simply on the presence of a bimodal velocity histogram.
Latitudinal and longitudinal barriers in global biogeography
Authors: Procheş Şerban
Published: October 2005

Due to changes in climate and continental arrangement, plant and animal assemblages faced different dispersal barriers at different moments in Earth's history. It is generally accepted that groups which diversified during times of Gondwanan–Laurasian separation show different distribution patterns from those of more recent origin. Here I present principal component-derived maps for two globally distributed groups, with
ca
1000 species each. Gymnosperm assemblages perfectly illustrate the existence of southern and northern components, corresponding to the Gondwanan and Laurasian temperate floras at the time when angiosperms started becoming dominant in the tropics, thus imposing a latitudinal barrier. Bat (chiropteran) assemblages indicate that the major biogeographical barrier in their Cenozoic dispersal was the longitudinal separation between the Old and New World.
Calcium-binding phospholipids as a coating material for implant osteointegration
Authors: Santin Matteo , Rhys-Williams William , O'Reilly Josephine , Davies Martyn C , Shakesheff Kevin , Love William G , Lloyd Andrew W , Denyer Stephen P
Published: October 2005

Among the many biomolecules involved in the bone mineralization processes, anionic phospholipids play an important role because of their ability to bind calcium. In particular, phosphatidylserine is a natural component of the plasmalemma and of the matrix vesicles generated from the osteoblast membrane to create nucleation centres for calcium phosphate crystal precipitation. In the present work, we demonstrate that calcium-binding phospholipids can be used as biomimetic coating materials for improving the osteointegration of metal implants. Relatively thick phosphatidylserine-based coatings were deposited on titanium coupons by dip-coating. Upon dehydration in a simulated body fluid phospholipids were quickly crosslinked by calcium and re-arranged into a three-dimensional matrix able to induce rapid formation of a calcium phosphate mineral phase. The rate of mineralization was shown to be dependent on the adopted coating formulation. In the attempt to closely mimic the cell membrane composition, heterogeneous formulations based on the mixing of anionic phospholipids (either phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylinositol) with phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol were synthesized. However, surface plasmon resonance studies as well as scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis demonstrated that the homogeneous phosphatidylserine coating was a more effective calcification environment than the heterogeneous formulations.
Avian diversity and West Nile virus: testing associations between biodiversity and infectious disease risk
Authors: Ezenwa Vanessa O , Godsey Marvin S , King Raymond J , Guptill Stephen C
Published: October 2005

The emergence of several high profile infectious diseases in recent years has focused attention on our need to understand the ecological factors contributing to the spread of infectious diseases. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that was first detected in the United States in 1999. The factors accounting for variation in the prevalence of WNV are poorly understood, but recent ideas suggesting links between high biodiversity and reduced vector-borne disease risk may help account for distribution patterns of this disease. Since wild birds are the primary reservoir hosts for WNV, we tested associations between passerine (Passeriform) bird diversity, non-passerine (all other orders) bird diversity and virus infection rates in mosquitoes and humans to examine the extent to which bird diversity is associated with WNV infection risk. We found that non-passerine species richness (number of non-passerine species) was significantly negatively correlated with both mosquito and human infection rates, whereas there was no significant association between passerine species richness and any measure of infection risk. Our findings suggest that non-passerine diversity may play a role in dampening WNV amplification rates in mosquitoes, minimizing human disease risk.
Absence of phylogenetic signal in the niche structure of meadow plant communities
Authors: Silvertown Jonathan , McConway Kevin , Gowing David , Dodd Mike , Fay Michael F , Joseph Jeffrey A , Dolphin Konrad
Published: October 2005

A significant proportion of the global diversity of flowering plants has evolved in recent geological time, probably through adaptive radiation into new niches. However, rapid evolution is at odds with recent research which has suggested that plant ecological traits, including the β- (or habitat) niche, evolve only slowly. We have quantified traits that determine within-habitat α diversity (α niches) in two communities in which species segregate on hydrological gradients. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of these data shows practically no evidence of a correlation between the ecological and evolutionary distances separating species, indicating that hydrological α niches are evolutionarily labile. We propose that contrasting patterns of evolutionary conservatism for α- and β-niches is a general phenomenon necessitated by the hierarchical filtering of species during community assembly. This determines that species must have similar β niches in order to occupy the same habitat, but different α niches in order to coexist.
Nestling testosterone is associated with begging behaviour and fledging success in the pied flycatcher,
Ficedula hypoleuca
Authors: Goodship Nicola M , Buchanan Katherine L
Published: October 2005

Animal signals are hypothesized to be costly in order to honestly reflect individual quality. Offspring solicitation signals given by nestling birds are thought to have evolved to advertise either need or individual quality. We tested the potential role of testosterone (T) in controlling the intensity of these signals by measuring begging behaviour as: (i) duration of the begging display and (ii) maximum height of the begging stretch, and by sampling endogenous T levels in nestling blood. We tested nestling pied flycatchers (
Ficedula hypoleuca
) using well-established experimental paradigm involving transient food deprivation to encourage begging behaviour and then blood-sampled nestlings at the end of these tests for T levels. Our results show that individual nestlings with the most intense begging displays had the highest circulating levels of T immediately after testing. In addition, we found substantial differences between broods in terms of circulating T. Finally, we found evidence that broods with higher levels of T showed increased fledging success, indicating a benefit for increased T production in nestlings. The potential trade-offs involved in T-mediated begging behaviour are discussed.
The segregation and integration of colour in motion processing revealed by motion after-effects
Authors: McKeefry D.J , Laviers E.G , McGraw P.V
Published: October 2005

Analysis of the colour and motion of objects is widely believed to take place within segregated processing pathways in the primate visual system. However, it is apparent that this segregation cannot remain absolute and that there must be some capacity for integration across these sub-modalities. In this study, we have assessed the extent to which colour constitutes a separable entity in human motion processing by measuring the chromatic selectivity of two kinds of after-effect resulting from motion adaptation. First, the traditional motion after-effect, where prolonged inspection of a unidirectional moving stimulus results in illusory motion in the opposite direction, was found to exhibit a high degree of chromatic selectivity. The second type of after-effect, in which motion adaptation induces misperceptions in the spatial position of stationary objects, was completely insensitive to chromatic composition. This dissociation between the chromatic selectivities of these after-effects shows that chromatic inputs remain segregated at early stages of motion analysis, while at higher levels of cortical processing there is integration across chromatic, as well as achromatic inputs, to produce a unified perceptual output.
Virtual versus real water transfers within China
Authors: Ma Jing , Hoekstra Arjen Y , Wang Hao , Chapagain Ashok K , Wang Dangxian
Published: October 2005

North China faces severe water scarcity—more than 40% of the annual renewable water resources are abstracted for human use. Nevertheless, nearly 10% of the water used in agriculture is employed in producing food exported to south China. To compensate for this ‘virtual water flow’ and to reduce water scarcity in the north, the huge south–north Water Transfer Project is currently being implemented. This paradox—the transfer of huge volumes of water from the water-rich south to the water-poor north versus transfer of substantial volumes of food from the food-sufficient north to the food-deficit south—is receiving increased attention, but the research in this field has not yet reached further than rough estimation and qualitative description. The aim of this paper is to review and quantify the volumes of virtual water flows between the regions in China and to put them in the context of water availability per region. The analysis shows that north China annually exports about 52 billion m
3
of water in virtual form to south China, which is more than the maximum proposed water transfer volume along the three routes of the Water Transfer Project from south to north.
Behaviour of African turdid hosts towards experimental parasitism with artificial red‐chested cuckooCuculus solitariuseggs
Authors: Honza Marcel , Kuiper Saskia M. , Cherry Michael I.
Published: October 2005

The red‐chested cuckooCuculus solitariusparasitises many passerines in Africa, but some common species sympatric with this brood parasite are rarely used as hosts. We tested the responses of three turdid hosts to parasitism with artificial cuckoo eggs. The kurrichane thrushTurdus libonyana, which is not regularly parasitized by the cuckoo, rejected 60% of mimetic model eggs and 81% of non‐mimetic eggs. We observed female thrush behaviour during the first visit after parasitism, and thrushes appeared to be initially fooled by mimetic eggs in completed clutches in all cases, and incubated. By contrast, in half of the experiments with non‐mimetic eggs, these were ejected by the thrushes, with the host grasping the egg and flying away with it. The time spent nest checking prior to ejection was only one third of the time spent nest checking when females decided to incubate the clutch, suggesting that females were immediately aware of a foreign egg in the nest. By contrast, southern olive thrushesT. olivaceousrejected all non‐mimetic and accepted all mimetic model eggs, whereas cape robinsCossypha caffraaccepted all model eggs, irrespective of whether or not they were mimetic. Our results support the hypothesis that rejection behaviour in these two thrush species evolved as a defence against interspecific nest parasitism, with thrushes appearing to be ahead in this particular host‐parasite arms race. The cape robin, by contrast, appears not to reject cuckoo eggs, either because it is to unable to recognize them, or because the costs associated with removal may be too high.
Maternal compensation for hatching asynchrony in the collared flycatcherFicedula albicollis
Authors: Rosivall Balázs , Szöllősi Eszter , Török János
Published: October 2005

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptiveness of hatching asynchrony for the parents, but delayed hatching is generally detrimental for the late hatched young. These offspring often experience competitive disadvantage and delayed development. If hatching asynchrony has a reason other than producing competitive differences among offspring, it would be advantageous, not only for the offspring but even for the parents, to compensate for its detrimental effects. In some species, increasing investment into later laid eggs has been reported and discussed as a compensation mechanism, but its effect on nestling growth and fledging size has not been examined in details. In this study we investigated nestling growth and size at fledging in terms of body mass and length of primaries in relation to the accurate laying and hatching order in collared flycatcherFicedula albicollisbroods. We found that females laid larger eggs at the end of the laying sequence, and this helped to decrease the disadvantages for the last offspring. The last offspring had lower body mass growth rate and fledged with shorter feathers, but in both cases the larger the last egg was, the smaller the lag of the offspring was. We conclude, that even if females were not able to fully compensate for the detrimental effects of hatching asynchrony, larger eggs may improve the survival prospects of late hatched nestlings.
Nest temperature, incubation period, and investment decisions of incubating wood ducks Aix sponsa
Authors: R. Hepp Gary , Hayes Folk Travis , A. Manlove Chad
Published: October 2005

Incubating birds must balance their energetic demands with the time needed to provide care to developing embryos. Reduced care by incubating parents can result in longer incubation periods that increase predation risk and potentially influence neonate phenotype. We measured nest temperature, incubation period, and body mass dynamics of female wood ducks Aix sponsa, and used an information‐theoretic approach to investigate effects of several explanatory variables on incubation period and thermal characteristics of nests. A model that included clutch size and standard deviation of nest temperature best explained the variation in incubation period. Parameter estimates indicated that incubation period increased with increases in clutch size and standard deviation of nest temperature. Next, we examined relationships between maternal effects and the standard deviation of the nest temperature. The best fitting model included initiation date of incubation. There was little support for including early incubation body mass of females, incubation constancy, and percent change in female body mass in the model. The parameter estimate showed that standard deviation of nest temperature declined as initiation date of incubation advanced. Female body mass at the start of incubation was not related to structural size suggesting that heavy females were in better physical condition than were light females. Heavy females nested earlier and lost more body mass during incubation than light females, but heavy females did not reduce variation in nest temperature to decrease the incubation period. The fact that early nesting females in good physical condition did not shorten incubation periods by keeping nest temperatures less variable could have been due to either energetic limitations or restraints. Experimental manipulations of incubation costs will be needed to distinguish between these hypotheses.
Should males come first? The relationship between offspring hatching order and sex in the black‐headed gull Larus ridibundus
Authors: Ležalová Radka , Tkadlec Emil , Oborník Miroslav , Šimek Jaroslav , Honza Marcel
Published: October 2005

In birds with hatching asynchrony and sexual size dimorphism, chicks hatched earlier and later in the laying sequence usually suffer different mortalities due to uneven abilities to compete for food, especially in poor years. If sexes differ in vulnerability to environmental conditions, e.g., by having different food requirements due to differential growth rates, mothers can increase fitness by allocating sex according to the laying order, producing less vulnerable sex later rather than early in the clutch. By analysing variation in primary sex ratio using a PCR‐based DNA technique, we tested this prediction in black‐headed gull Larus ridibundus chicks where males may be the less viable sex under adverse conditions. The overall primary sex ratio of the population did not depart from parity. However, first hatched chicks were more likely to be males whereas last hatched chicks were more likely to be females. Both egg volume and hatchling body mass decreased with laying order irrespective of sex. Time of breeding had no effect on offspring sex or hatchling sex ratios.
Environmental factors shape cloacal bacterial assemblages in great titParus majorand blue titP. caeruleusnestlings
Authors: Lucas Françoise S. , Heeb Philipp
Published: October 2005

Despite their potential ecological and evolutionary importance, factors shaping the composition of bacterial communities in wild vertebrate populations remain poorly understood. The goal of this study was to examine the relative contributions of environmental factors and genetic factors (e.g. species and common origin) to the variation of cloacal bacterial assemblages in wild bird nestlings. We conducted a partial cross‐fostering experiment with two passerine species, the great titParus majorand the blue titP. caeruleus,sharing similar habitats and breeding biology. Nestlings of the two species were exchanged four days after hatching and cloacal bacteria were sampled nine days later. The structure of cloacal bacterial communities was determined by Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis. Our results showed that each nestling displayed a unique bacterial community. Furthermore, nestlings raised in the same nest shared significantly similar bacterial communities. The similarity of bacterial community was higher among heterospecific siblings raised within the same nest than between biological siblings raised in separate nests. Effects of common origin between species could not be detected and, if present, were dominated by nest‐based short‐term environmental effects. Our results show that growth conditions within nests and individually based endogenous factors have significant effects on cloacal bacteria assemblages and could affect post‐fledging condition.
Brood size and environmental conditions sex‐specifically affect nestling immune response in the European starlingSturnus vulgaris
Authors: Chin Eunice H. , Love Oliver P. , Clark Alison M. , Williams Tony D.
Published: October 2005

In sexually size‐dimorphic species, the larger sex can be more sensitive to stressful environmental conditions, often resulting in reduced growth and elevated mortality rates. Development of the immune system is regarded as highly resource dependent, and recent data suggest that nestling passerines experience a possible resource‐based trade‐off between growth and immunity. Given the hypothesized importance of maximizing growth for the larger sex, the corresponding immune system may also exhibit similar sensitivity to limited resources. To better understand how natural variation in brood size and resources might differentially affect growth and immune function in nestlings of a sexually size‐dimorphic species, we examined the relationship between brood size and inter‐sexual differences in cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) and survival in European starlingSturnus vulgarisnestlings where males are larger in both mass and structural size. We hypothesized that male CMI response should be negatively impacted by increasing sibling competition (brood size), especially during periods of low resource availability. In a year of reduced parental provisioning rates and reduced chick growth rates, male offspring exhibited the predicted negative relationship, whereas female CMI response was unaffected. However, in a year of improved provisioning rates and chick growth, neither sex exhibited a negative relationship between immune response and brood size. Thus, natural variation in brood size can affect sex‐specific immunity differently in offspring of a sexually size‐dimorphic passerine. However, this relationship appears resource‐dependent, suggesting that the hypothesized resource‐based trade‐off may be compensated for in years of adequate resource abundance.
Does male extra‐territory foray effort affect fertilization success in hooded warblers Wilsonia citrina?
Authors: Stutchbury Bridget J. M. , Pitcher Trevor E. , Norris D. Ryan , Tuttle Elaina M. , Gonser Rusty A.
Published: October 2005

Hooded warbler Wilsonia citrina males vary greatly in the frequency and duration of their off‐territory forays in search of extra‐pair copulations. We used radiotracking and microsatellite parentage analysis in high and low density populations to determine if (1) high foray rate or time off‐territory reduces within‐pair fertilization success, and (2) if a high foray rate onto the territory of a fertile female increases the likelihood of obtaining EPFs with that female. Males who left their territory often, or for longer periods, did not have lower within‐pair fertilization success. Some males repeatedly visited a neighboring fertile female, but in only 3 of 19 cases where radiotagged males visited a fertile female did the male actually sire offspring with that female. Male foray rate onto a fertile female's territory was not a good predictor of whether or not he sired extra‐pair offspring with that female. We suggest that mate choice and extra‐pair behavior by females may explain why male foray behavior does not correspond closely with actual fertilization success.
Host specialization and latitude among cuckoos
Authors: Yom‐Tov Yoram , Geffen Eli
Published: October 2005

We tested the prediction that at higher latitudes there will be an increase in the number hosts per cuckoo species. This prediction is confirmed, and the number of hosts exploited per cuckoo species increases with increasing latitude. Although this result is strongly influenced by a single species (the common cuckooCuculus canorus) in high latitudes, it is significant and holds even at lower latitudes where this species is absent. This trend may be explained as a case of competitive release and niche expansion by the few cuckoo species that have expanded their ranges north, despite the shortage of hairy caterpillar prey species at high latitudes.
How do red knots Calidris canutus leave Northwest Australia in May and reach the breeding grounds in June? Predictions of stopover times, fuelling rates and prey quality in the Yellow Sea
Authors: Battley Phil F. , Rogers Danny I. , Gils Jan A. van , Piersma Theunis , Hassell Chris J. , Boyle Adrian , Hong‐Yan Yang
Published: October 2005

In general, Arctic‐breeding waders leave non‐breeding grounds in Australasia from March (New Zealand) to mid‐April (Northwest Australia). Here we provide evidence from radio‐tracking and visual observations that many red knots Calidris canutus do not leave Roebuck Bay, Northwest Australia, until early or mid‐May. Late‐departing red knots probably belong to the subspecies piersmai, which breeds on the New Siberian Islands, 10,400 km from Northwest Australia. Based on comparisons of temperatures on the breeding grounds of different knot subspecies, we predict that piersmai knots would not arrive on the breeding grounds until early June, leaving at most 3–4 weeks refuelling in Asia. Using a model of fuelling capacity in relation to prey quality and gizzard mass, we show that these knots must fuel very differently in Australia and Asia. In Australia, knots have seemingly suboptimal gizzard sizes and deposit fuel slowly. In the Yellow Sea, birds could only fuel up within the available time if they either enlarged their gizzards substantially or encountered prey qualities much higher than in Australia, for which we provide quantitative predictions.
Characterization of the T cell response to the major hazelnut allergen, Cor a 1.04: evidence for a relevant T cell epitope not cross‐reactive with homologous pollen allergens
Authors: Bohle B. , Radakovics A. , Lüttkopf D. , Jahn‐Schmid B. , Vieths S. , Ebner C.
Published: October 2005

Background
IgE antibodies specific for the major birch‐pollen allergen, Bet v 1, cross‐react with homologous allergens in particular foods, e.g. apples, carrots and hazelnuts. In a high number of tree pollen‐allergic individuals, this cross‐reactivity causes clinical symptoms, commonly known as the ‘birch‐fruit‐syndrome’.

Objective
To characterize the T cell response to the Bet v 1‐related major allergen in hazelnuts, Cor a 1.04, and its cellular cross‐reactivity with Bet v 1 and the homologous hazel pollen allergen, Cor a 1.

Methods
Using recombinant Cor a 1.04, T cell lines (TCL) and T cell clones (TCC) were established from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of tree pollen‐allergic patients with associated food allergy. T cell epitopes were determined using overlapping synthetic peptides in Cor a 1.04‐reactive TCL and TCC. In parallel, reactivity to Bet v 1 and Cor a 1 was tested.

Results
In total, 20 distinct T cell epitopes on the hazelnut allergen were identified. Several Cor a 1.04‐specific TCL and TCC reacted with pollen allergens albeit less pronounced than with the hazelnut allergen. Several Cor a 1.04‐specific TCC did not react with pollen allergens. Interestingly, these clones were found to react with the Bet v 1‐related major allergen in carrots, Dau c 1. The cellular cross‐reactivity between both food allergens could be associated with the most frequently recognized T cell epitope of Cor a 1.04, Cor a 1.04142–153.

Conclusions
The major hazelnut allergen cross‐reacts with the major allergens of birch and hazel pollen but apparently contains a relevant T cell epitope not shared with pollen allergens. Our finding may have important implications for the specific immunotherapy of tree pollen‐allergic patients suffering from concomitant hazelnut allergy.
Impairment in quality of life is directly related to the level of allergen exposure and allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Roberts G. , Mylonopoulou M. , Hurley C. , Lack G.
Published: October 2005

Background
Allergic disease has been shown to impair health‐related quality of life (HRQL). The relationship between HRQL and either allergen exposure or allergic inflammation has not been previously assessed.

Objective
To assess the relationship between HRQL and both grass pollen exposure and airway inflammation using the Paediatric Allergic Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PADQLQ). This is a novel questionnaire previously developed to assess the multi‐system aspects of allergic disease.

Methods
Eighty‐four subjects, aged 6–17 years, with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma and/or cutaneous manifestations were assessed before and during the grass pollen season. They were assessed with the PADQLQ, a visual analogue scale (VAS) to assess quality of life, symptom diary and exhaled nitric oxide (FENO).

Results
HRQL, as measured by the PADQLQ, significantly correlated with the average pollen count in the previous week (regression coefficient 0.038, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.027–0.049, P<0.001). The PADQLQ score was also found to be significantly associated with airway inflammation as measured by FENO (regression coefficient 0.410, 95% CI 0.175–0.646, P=0.001). Additionally, PADQLQ showed a high degree of correlation with symptom scores and quality of life as measured by a VAS, good within‐subject reliability and a small minimal important difference (0.20, 95% CI −0.09 to 0.49 on a seven‐point scale).

Conclusion
HRQL is related to both allergen load and allergic inflammation and the PADQLQ has excellent cross‐sectional and longitudinal validity with respect to quality of life and symptoms.
Occupational sensitization to ribosome‐inactivating proteins in researchers
Authors: Szalai K. , Schöll I. , Förster‐Waldl E. , Polito L. , Bolognesi A. , Untersmayr E. , Riemer A. B. , Boltz‐Nitulescu G. , Stirpe F. , Jensen‐Jarolim E.
Published: October 2005

Background
Ribosome‐inactivating proteins (RIPs) are expressed in many plants. Because of their anti‐infectious and anti‐proliferative effects, intensive research is going on for applying these toxins in therapy against viral infections or malignancies. Recently, we demonstrated that type I allergy against RIPs from elderberry can occur.

Objective
Stimulated by our study, a group of RIP researchers reported that some of the employees had suspected allergy to RIPs.

Methods and Results
We tested their sera in ELISA on natural RIPs. Specific IgE in four subjects were found against dianthin30, gelonin, momordin, PAP‐S, saporin, ricin and volkensin. In contrast, asparin and lychnin did not show any IgE binding. When separating extracts of plants containing the toxins in SDS‐PAGE, RIPs appeared to be the predominant constituents. Interestingly, among the other plant proteins, they were exclusively recognized by IgE in immunoblot. RIPs derived from close botanical families share high sequence homologies. Nevertheless, in IgE inhibition experiments with human sera, cross‐reactivity between RIPs also derived from non‐related plants could be demonstrated.

Conclusion
We conclude that sensitization and IgE induction to RIPs may occur upon exposure. This has to be considered when applying them in therapy against malignancies or viral infections.
Multi‐dimensional phenotyping: towards a new taxonomy for airway disease
Authors: Wardlaw A. J. , Silverman M. , Siva R. , Pavord I. D. , Green R.
Published: October 2005

All the real knowledge which we possess, depends on methods by which we distinguish the similar from the dissimilar. The greater the number of natural distinctions this method comprehends the clearer becomes our idea of things. The more numerous the objects which employ our attention the more difficult it becomes to form such a method and the more necessary. [1].

Classification is a fundamental part of medicine. Diseases are often categorized according to pre‐20th century descriptions and concepts of disease based on symptoms, signs and functional abnormalities rather than on underlying pathogenesis. Where the aetiology of disease has been revealed (for example in the infectious diseases) a more precise classification has become possible, but in the chronic inflammatory diseases, and in the inflammatory airway diseases in particular, where pathogenesis has been stubbornly difficult to elucidate, we still use broad descriptive terms such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which defy precise definition because they encompass a wide spectrum of presentations and physiological and cellular abnormalities. It is our contention that these broad‐brush terms have outlived their usefulness and that we should be looking to create a new taxonomy of airway disease—a taxonomy that more closely reflects the spectrum of phenotypes that are encompassed within the term airway inflammatory diseases, and that gives full recognition to late 20th and 21st century insights into the disordered physiology and cell biology that characterizes these conditions in the expectation that these will map more closely to both aetiology and response to treatment. Development of this taxonomy will require a much more complete and sophisticated correlation of the many variables that make up a condition than has been usual to employ in an approach that encompasses multi‐dimensional phenotyping and uses complex statistical tools such as cluster analysis.
Comparison of purified Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens and extract by two‐dimensional immunoblotting and quantitative immunoglobulin E inhibitions
Authors: Weghofer M. , Thomas W. R. , Pittner G. , Horak F. , Valenta R. , Vrtala S.
Published: October 2005

Background
The allergens of the house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der p), one of the most important indoor allergen sources, occur as isoallergens that differ in their amino acid sequence. These variations may influence allergenic activity and thus may have impact on diagnostic tests and specific immunotherapy.

Objective
We investigated whether single purified recombinant mite allergens contain the IgE epitopes of the natural Der p isoallergens.

Methods
A panel of purified recombinant (rDer p 2, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 14) and two natural (nDer p 1 and 4) mite allergens were used to establish IgE reactivity profiles of Der p allergic patients and to inhibit IgE reactivity to two‐dimensionally separated Der p isoallergens. In addition, we determined the percentage of Der p extract‐specific IgE which could be preadsorbed with a mixture of purified mite allergens (nDer p 1, rDer p 2, 5, 7, 8 and 10) from sera of mite‐allergic patients (n=18) in a non‐denaturing RAST‐based inhibition.

Results
We demonstrate that single recombinant mite allergens inhibit IgE reactivity to the corresponding natural isoallergens. A mixture of purified mite allergens (nDer p 1, rDer p 2, 5, 7, 8 and 10) bound on an average 76% of Der p‐specific IgE antibodies.

Conclusion
The studied recombinant and natural mite allergens contain a large portion of Der p‐specific IgE and may be used for diagnostic tests and therapy of Der p allergy.
Effects of (R)‐ and (S)‐isomers of β‐adrenergic agonists on eosinophil response to interleukin‐5
Authors: Volcheck G. W. , Kelkar P. , Bartemes K. R. , Gleich G. J. , Kita H.
Published: October 2005

Background
Racemic β2‐adrenergic receptor agonists (β2‐agonists) are used frequently to treat patients with asthma. Potential differences in the biological activities and clinical efficacies among racemic β2‐agonists and their isomers are controversial, and research into these possible differences is limited.

Objective
We hypothesized that the (S)‐ and the (R)‐isomers of β2‐agonists have opposing effects on the activation of inflammatory cells.

Methods
Isolated human eosinophils were pretreated with 1 : 1 racemic (R,S)‐, (R)‐ or (S)‐albuterol, isobutyl methylxanthine (IBMX), and stimulated with IL‐5. The kinetics of superoxide production were examined by reduction of cytochrome c, and the effects of pharmacological agents on superoxide production were monitored for 180 min.

Results
(R,S)‐albuterol inhibited IL‐5‐induced superoxide production. This inhibition was enhanced by a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor, IBMX, and was reversed by the selective β2‐adrenergic receptor antagonist, ICI 118, 551, verifying the involvement of both cAMP and the β2‐adrenergic receptor. In addition, (R)‐albuterol alone, similarly to (R,S)‐albuterol, significantly inhibited IL‐5‐induced superoxide production up to 60 min (P<0.05, n=4), but the inhibition was lost with longer incubation. In contrast, (S)‐albuterol with IBMX did not inhibit IL‐5‐induced superoxide production before 60 min, but it significantly enhanced IL‐5‐mediated superoxide production after 60 min (P<0.05, n=4). When both were present as racemic (R,S)‐albuterol, the inhibitory effect of (R)‐albuterol was not affected by (S)‐albuterol.

Conclusion
When incubated with IL‐5‐activated eosinophils, (R)‐albuterol shows anti‐inflammatory effects and (S)‐albuterol shows pro‐inflammatory effects in the presence of IBMX. The kinetics of these effects are different, and when used simultaneously, (R)‐albuterol predominates. When marked usage of the (S)‐isomer is anticipated, racemic (R,S)‐albuterol should be used clinically with caution.