bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treaties Establishing Objective Regimes
Authors: Salerno Francesco
Published: October 2011

The issue of treaties establishing objective regimes has been neglected by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Building on the principle of relativity of treaties, the Convention only deals with the effects of specific treaty rules on third states. This chapter argues that third states never acquire the same status of states parties, even when they consent to the specific treaty rules that affect them. Analysing the significance of treaties establishing objective regimes under general international law, it clarifies that such treaties may affect third states even when they do not embody rules of customary law. Due to the relevance for the international legal order of the unique erga omnes regime created by the treaty, the situation regulated by it can no longer fall within the scope of the absolute ‘freedom’ previously accorded to third states.
Invalidity of Treaties: Anything New in/under the Vienna Conventions?
Authors: Verhoeven Joe
Published: October 2011

This chapter analyses the alleged customary character of the grounds of invalidity as provided for in articles 46–53 of the Vienna Convention. It considers both merits and deficiencies. It asks: What are the other possible grounds of invalidity? The chapter also covers the originality of the procedural mechanism as organized in articles 65–67. Further topics include: validity of (direct or indirect) reservations to those articles, especially to article 66.a; analysis of states entitled to claim invalidity; and the effects of invalidity (ratione materiae, ratione personae, and ratione temporis).
Coercion as a Ground Affecting the Validity of Peace Treaties
Authors: Forlati Serena
Published: October 2011

The rule enshrined in Article 52 of the Vienna Convention is not a mere statement of principle: international practice confirms that it reflects a customary rule which, however, does not play a significant role as regards coerced peace treaties. Cases such as those concerning the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement between Congo and Uganda or the Military and Technical Agreement between Serbia and KFOR show that victims of coercion tend to waive their claim as to the validity of peace treaties, since they have a strong interest in their implementation. The possibility of such a waiver is discussed in the light of Article 45 of the Vienna Convention and of the peremptory nature of the prohibition of the use of force.
Invalidity and Termination of Treaties and Rules of Procedure
Authors: Ciampi Annalisa
Published: October 2011

As a rule, treaties do not come to an end automatically but entitle the injured state or all states parties to the treaty (as the case may be) to plead on the basis thereof the invalidity or termination of a treaty. In principle, therefore, it is up to the discretion of the party(ies) concerned to make the relevant choices. In this respect, no general role of the judiciary can be grounded in specific national provisions, application by analogy of the rules on the treaty-making power, or the courts' power to interpret the applicable law. A customary rule, however, has emerged on the basis of which courts of the parties concerned are under an obligation to impeach the validity, or terminate the operation, of treaties concluded under the threat of use of force or conflicting with jus cogens. It is also reasonable to conceive a rule of customary law allowing any third party to invoke invalidity or termination in accordance with Article 52, 53, or 64 (or the corresponding customary rules).
The FirstHomeric Hymnto Dionysus
Authors: West Martin
Published: October 2011

This chapter examines carefully the fragmentary remains of the first Homeric Hymn to Dionysus and provides a reconstruction of the poem's narrative, which, it is argued, told the story of Hera's binding and Dionysus' successful arrival on Olympus. Detailed attention is given to the possible interaction of this narrative with the narratives found in other early hexameter poetry, particularly the Iliad and Odyssey. It is suggested that the Hymn's narrative may have served as a model.
TheHomeric Hymnsas Poetic Offerings
Authors: Calame Claude
Published: October 2011

This chapter considers, from the point of view of enunciative modes, the nature of the Homeric Hymns as musical offerings to the divinities which they celebrate. The formal constituents of the Hymns, which are shown to consist of the evocatio, epica laus, and preces are treated in detail in three separate sections. Particular attention is given to the portrayal of musical performance in the Homeric Hymns and it is argued that the Hymns serve as poetic contracts between gods and mortals. Attention is throughout given to the performance context of the Hymns in ancient Greece.
Constitutionalism, the Rule of Law, and the Cold War
Authors: Mahoney Joan
Published: October 2011

This chapter explores the interaction of constitutionalism, the rule of law, and politics in the context of civil liberties in Britain during the Cold War. It is fairly well known that during what is known as the McCarthy period, the United States failed to observe the rule of law, despite the written Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is less well known that there was no comparable red scare in Britain at the time. The one area in which there were actions by the British government that could be compared to those in the United States were in the introduction of processes to determine whether members of the civil service posed a security threat and to remove any who were deemed to do so. The chapter compares the way these processes were introduced and applied to see the interaction of constitutionalism, politics, and the rule of law in Britain and the United States in the early Cold War period. It concludes that the Bill of Rights failed to contain anti-Communism in the US during the Cold War period while politics did in Britain what constitutionalism did not do in the US.
Constitutional Law Meets Comparative Politics: Socio-economic Rights and Political Realities
Authors: Rosevear Evan , Hirschl Ran
Published: October 2011

This chapter presents comparative evidence of the lack of correlation between variations in court-based human rights protection for social welfare rights and the reality of welfare provisions in different countries. The extensive research done on the empirical relation between levels of welfare provision and various non-judicial factors is brought to bear on assessing the relationship between constitutional rights and their impact on inequality. The chapter examines the causal links between constitutional protection and the political salience of socio-economic inequality, poverty, and/or labour unions and other leftists forces and constituencies in a given polity; regional and international political economy factors that explain the expansion or shrinkage of public economy; the political context for ‘aspirational’ statements at the time of constitutionalization; levels of extra-constitutional commitment to, and existence of, a well developed welfare regime (Keynesian, Marxist-socialist, or otherwise) in that polity; attempts by courts to expand the ambit of their influence by acting when elected official will not; and the net effect of constitutionalization or of its prevalent modes of interpretation on the actual realization of welfare rights.
Judicial Constitutional Review as a Last Resort
Authors: Tuori Kaarlo
Published: October 2011

This chapter starts by outlining the chapter's moderately critical analysis of external constitutional review of legislation and moves on to describes the ex post concrete constitutional review of legislation introduced in 2000 as it relates to the Finnish case, which was added to the pre-existing system of abstract ex ante review exercised by the Constitutional Law Committee of Parliament. The latter is a quasi-judicial body composed of Members of Parliament and advised by constitutional experts whose opinions tend to be adopted by the Committee and are respected by the courts, but does not have to be followed by the Parliament. Ex post judicial review can bypass the legislation it considers ‘in evident conflict with the Constitution’ but the primary duty of the courts is to interpret legislation consistently with constitutional provisions. This is presented as a hybrid model which has retained a strong parliamentary involvement, although the chapter accepts that there is a certain juridification of legislative politics through the input of the Constitutional Law Committee of Parliament.
9 Phylogeny
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After having introduced the general concept of evolution, the action of natural selection is considered. The issue of populations of genotypes and phenotypes as well as the problem of variation are examined. Then, a short summary of the concept of species is provided. The relations between evolution and complexity theory are examined as well as a very helpful approach to evolution: Game theory. Another important question is: How many systems of inheritance there are? Then, an investigation into the problem of entropy and order at different time scales follows. Finally, the Baldwin effect is discussed and some general principles of evolution are considered.
10 Ontogeny
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After having considered the flow of information as an irreversible process during the life of an individual, the chapter deals with the three main stages of ontogeny: Development, maturity, and aging. Then, the intrinsic randomness of the organism as one of the main sources of variations among individuals is considered as well as the most important aspect in which the ontogenetic information control of the organism is displayed: The construction of environmental niches.
13 The Brain as an Information‐Control System
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After some general considerations, this chapter discusses the phylogenetic brain stratification (the mammal’s brain becomes the center of the analysis), and study the brain as a system for integrating information from different sources and for developing coordinated behaviors.
15 Behavior
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

In this chapter the first fundamental function connecting the three main subsystems of the brain (sensory–cognitive, emotional, motor–decisional) is presented: Behavior. After having studied the classical behaviorist approach to the problem and considered some of its intrinsic limitations, the school of ethology is presented, which has preferred observational studies on the field to laboratory experiments. Finally, the true revolutionary discovery of mirror neurons that allows us to treat the high forms of behavior as determined by the third-order representational system in a very precise and rich form is presented.
19 What Symbols Are
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After considering the main differences and connections between symbol and sign, similarities and differences between symbol and information are examined. A new dimension of symbols is introduced: Pragmatics, as well as the other two dimensions constituting it: Semantics and syntax. Finally, the three main symbolic functions are presented: Intentionality, consciousness, and culture.
20 Intentionality and Conceptualization
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After having introduced some brief philosophical considerations, the nature of intentionality is considered. Then, the delicate issue of the extent to which children show intentionality is discussed. Successively concepts, schemata, and categories are again analyzed. We are now in the position to deal with one of the most difficult problems of this book: The nature of concepts. Finally, the issue of the relation between development and acquisition of concepts is discussed.
22 Development and Culture
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

After having recalled Piaget’s main contribution to epigeny, his historical work on children’s postnatal development is considered. Then, some expansions of these frameworks into both directions, that of ontogeny and that of culture and social interaction, are worked out. The question of up to which point it is possible to speak of innate endowment of the child is raised. Finally, the important issue of culture is examined.
23 Language
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

This chapter deals with human natural languages, the most important and widespread form of symbolic system we know. The richness of this symbolic system relative to the so-called formal languages is likely to be a consequence of the fact that it has arisen at the evolutionary scale thanks to the contribution of spontaneous teleonomic processes, and not engineeringly. After having introduced some basic notions, the chapter deals with the most important linguistic school of the last decades, the cognitivist school led by N. Chomsky. Then, some specific problems are considered that do not seem to receive a satisfactory answer in that context: The articulatory problem, language modularity, the relations between syntax and semantics, the evolutionary origin of language and language acquisition by children. Many important developments have arisen from this school. The final part of the chapter is devoted to the issue of whether other primates are able to use language. Three different theoretical approaches and their results are analyzed.
24 Mind and Brain (Body)
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

As is well known, Descartes proposed treating the mind and the body as two different substances. The cost of modern philosophy having split the universe into two different substances was the blocking of any empirical investigation about consciousness and mind. As a matter of fact, the physical world is not only causally closed but is also directly involved in all other processes of our world at any level of complexity. This does not mean that mind cannot be considered as an emergent phenomenon. In the following, both the physical and the mental will be considered as relevant.After some introductory remarks, some philosophical positions are examined. Thereafter, a solution to the problem is proposed: to consider three kinds of interactions and interconnections: mind–physical world, mind–brain, brain–physical world. The consequence of this proposal is a new understanding of the integration of mind and body. Then, some philosophical questions are raised.
25 Final Philosophical Remarks
Authors: Auletta Gennaro
Published: October 2011

A revision of Penrose’s theory of the three worlds is presented in this chapter.
Sense identity
Authors: Horty John
Published: October 2011

This chapter examines various available options to develop Frege's schematic explication for categorizing the range of particular statements as informative or uninformative as well as to settle questions of identity both between the senses of particular expressions and psychological states. Also demonstrated here is Frege's notion of sense itself with the idea of speakers as creatures subject to psychological limitations. Rather than classifying expressions as identical in sense simply on the basis of a priori equivalence, Frege's writings suggest a view of sense identity at least as strong as one's ordinary concept of synonymy, and very much stronger in the case of an ideal language.
Senses of incomplete expressions
Authors: Horty John
Published: October 2011

This chapter attempts to discover the senses found in complex incomplete and defined expressions. It considers two alternatives on how the senses of these expressions can be reified within the semantic framework. The first alternative that is analyzed in this chapter is a kind of “de re” proposal in which complex incomplete and defined expressions are designated with particular basic procedures as their senses, just as if they were basic expressions. However, this is deemed problematic as an interpretation of Frege. Thus, the second alternative introduces complex incomplete senses along the lines of “macros” in computer languages to serve as its senses. Both alternatives are examined in this chapter.
British grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) abundance in 2008: an assessment based on aerial counts and satellite telemetry
Authors: Lonergan Mike , Duck Callan D. , Thompson Dave , Moss Simon , McConnell Bernie
Published: October 2011

Lonergan, M., Duck, C. D., Thompson, D., Moss, S., and McConnell, B. 2011. British grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) abundance in 2008: an assessment based on aerial counts and satellite telemetry. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 2201–2209. Recent estimates of the total size of the British grey seal population have been based on fitting age-structured models to estimates of pup production. The estimates were sensitive to whether density-dependence was considered to act on fecundity or pup survival. This study provides an alternative estimate for abundance in 2008: 91 800 animals (95% confidence interval, CI, 78 400–109 900). The estimate is consistent with the results of existing models where population density influences pup survival. It suggests that reductions in fecundity are unlikely to have been the cause of the recent slowing of the rate of growth of the population. The estimate presented is based on aerial surveys of the entire Scottish coast and the east coast of England. The surveys were carried out in August of 2007–2009 and restricted to the 2 h each side of daylight low water. Data from 107 electronic tags deployed between 1995 and 2008 were used to estimate the proportion of animals hauled out during the surveys. Overall, the animals hauled out for 31% (95% CI 15–50%) of the survey windows. No significant effects on the proportion of animals hauled out were detected from year, location, age, sex, temperature, rainfall, or the timing of low tide.
Decadal-scale changes in southern California sciaenids under different levels of harvesting pressure
Authors: Miller Eric F. , Pondella Daniel J. , Beck D. Shane , Herbinson Kevin T.
Published: October 2011

Miller, E. F., Pondella II, D. J., Beck, D. S., and Herbinson, K. T. 2011. Decadal-scale changes in southern California sciaenids under different levels of harvesting pressure. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 2123–2133. A unique 38-year time-series of power-plant entrapment data collected across ∼170 km of the southern California coastline was examined to describe the decadal-scale trends in common Southern California Bight sciaenid abundance in relation to oceanographic conditions. Adult catches for five of seven species declined at differing rates and severity. Declines of up to 94% were detected in historically common species such as Genyonemus lineatus, whereas historically less abundant species have increased dramatically, e.g. Umbrina roncador (2626%). Over time, the entrapped community became increasingly influenced by species with more southerly distributions, indicated by a significant decline in the average latitudinal midpoint of the community. This shift was significantly related to rising ocean temperature and took place in the early to mid-1980s. The observed species-specific abundance changes in all species except Atractoscion nobilis were significantly correlated with sea surface temperature, nearshore plankton volumetric biomass, G. lineatus or Seriphus politus nearshore larval density, or a combination of these. Patterns in A. nobilis abundance were the most isolated, likely reflecting its standing as an intensively fished species, unlike the other six species evaluated. The consistent relationship with environmental indices strongly supported the notion of a faunal shift driven by bottom-up forcing.
Nutritional Profile of Whole‐Grain Soft Wheat Flour
Authors: Souza Edward J. , Guttieri Mary , Sneller Clay
Published: October 2011

Whole‐grain wheat flour is used in baking to increase fiber content and to provide vitamins from the bran layers of the kernel. We surveyed whole‐grain soft flour samples from North America to determine the nutritional profile using recently revised fiber quantification protocols, Codex 2009.1. Standard compositional and vitamin analyses were also included in the survey. Three separate studies were included in the survey: sampling of commercial whole‐grain soft wheat flour, a controlled study of two cultivars across three years and two locations, and a regional study of soft white and soft red grain from commercial grain production. The Codex method for fiber measurement estimated total fiber concentration in the commercial sampling at 15.1 g/100 g, dry weight basis (dwb). In the controlled research trial, the largest source of variation in total fiber concentration was attributed to year effects, followed by genotype effects. For the two locations used in this study, location effects on fiber concentration were significant but an order of magnitude less important than the year and genotype effects. The third study of regional variation within North America found limited variation for total fiber, with the resistant oligosaccharide fraction having the greatest variation in concentration. When all three studies were combined into a meta‐analysis, the average total fiber concentration was 14.8 g/100 g dwb. In the meta‐analysis, concentrations of folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine were lower than in previous summary reports. Vitamin E and pantothenic acid were the exceptions, with concentrations that were nearly identical to previous standard reports. Several other recent studies also point to current cultivars and production systems as producing lower concentrations of the essential vitamins than previously reported. The results suggest that vitamin concentrations in diets of populations using grain‐based diets from modern cereal‐production systems may require review to determine if previous assumptions of vitamin consumption are accurate.
Competition for Oxygen Among Oxidative Systems During Bread Dough Mixing: Consequences of Addition of Glucose Oxidase and Lipoxygenase on Yeasted Dough Rheology
Authors: Buche F. , Davidou S. , Pommet M. , Potus J. , Rouillé J. , Verté F. , Nicolas J.
Published: October 2011

The effect on O2 uptake during the mixing of yeasted dough, either unsupplemented or supplemented with glucose oxidase (GOX), horsebean flour (HB), soybean flour (SB), or combinations thereof, was studied using an airtight mixer. Two wheat flours with a low (flour A) and a high (flour B) content of free polyunsaturated fatty acids were used. Addition of HB or SB provokes a similar increase of O2 uptake for both wheat flours, whereas addition of GOX causes a larger increase for flour A than for flour B. When the wheat flours were supplemented with HB or SB, addition of GOX caused a small but significant increase of O2 uptake for flour A. This increase was not observed for flour B. The mixing tolerance of dough A, determined with the Chopin Consistograph, is increased by GOX addition. However, this effect is less pronounced when flour A is supplemented with HB or SB. Similarly, the relaxation index of dough B is decreased by GOX addition, but the decrease is less distinct in the presence of HB or SB. These results can be explained by a competition among yeast, GOX, and lipoxygenases (present in wheat, HB, and SB flours) for the O2 uptake by dough, which likely decreases the amount of hydrogen peroxide produced by GOX during dough mixing. This competition for O2 consequently also modifies the rheological properties of dough.
Descriptions of Rhodopseudomonas parapalustris sp. nov., Rhodopseudomonas harwoodiae sp. nov. and Rhodopseudomonas pseudopalustris sp. nov., and emended description of

Rhodopseudomonas palustris
Authors: Ramana V. Venkata , Chakravarthy S. Kalyana , Raj P. Shalem , Kumar B. Vinay , Shobha E. , Ramaprasad E. V. V. , Sasikala Ch. , Ramana Ch. V.
Published: October 2011

Four strains (JA310T, JA531T, JA447 and JA490) of red to reddish brown pigmented, rod-shaped, motile and budding phototrophic bacteria were isolated from soil and freshwater sediment samples from different geographical regions of India. All strains contained bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spirilloxanthin series. The major cellular fatty acid of strains JA310T and JA531T was C18 : 1ω7c, the quinone was Q-10 and polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an aminohopanoid and an unidentified aminolipid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that all strains clustered with species of the genus

Rhodopseudomonas

in the class

Alphaproteobacteria

. Strains JA531T, JA447 and JA490 were genotypically (>80 % related based on DNA–DNA hybridization) and phenotypically closely related to each other and the three strains were distinct from strain JA310T (33 % related). Furthermore, all four strains had less than 48 % relatedness (DNA–DNA hybridization) with type strains of members of the genus

Rhodopseudomonas

, i.e.

Rhodopseudomonas palustris

ATCC 17001T,

Rhodopseudomonas faecalis

JCM 11668T and

Rhodopseudomonas rhenobacensis

DSM 12706T. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains JA310T and JA531T were 63.8 and 62.4 mol%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular genetic evidence, it is proposed that strains JA310T ( = NBRC 106083T = KCTC 5839T) and JA531T ( = NBRC 107575T = KCTC 5841T) be classified as the type strains of two novel species of the genus

Rhodopseudomonas

, Rhodopseudomonas parapalustris sp. nov. and Rhodopseudomonas harwoodiae sp. nov., respectively. In addition, we propose that strain DSM 123T ( = NBRC 100419T) represents a novel species, Rhodopseudomonas pseudopalustris sp. nov., since this strain differs genotypically and phenotypically from

R. palustris

ATCC 17001T and other members of the genus

Rhodopseudomonas

. An emended description of

R. palustris

is also provided.
Nucleobindin 2 in human breast carcinoma as a potent prognostic factor
Authors: Suzuki Shiho , Takagi Kiyoshi , Miki Yasuhiro , Onodera Yoshiaki , Akahira Jun‐ichi , Ebata Akiko , Ishida Takanori , Watanabe Mika , Sasano Hironobu , Suzuki Takashi
Published: October 2011

It is well‐known that estrogens immensely contribute to the progression of human breast carcinoma, but their detailed molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2) as a gene associated with recurrence based on microarray data of estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive breast carcinoma cases (n = 10), and subsequent in vitro study showed that NUCB2 expression was upregulated by estradiol in ER‐positive MCF‐7 cells. However, NUCB2 has not yet been examined in breast carcinoma, and its significance remains unknown. Therefore, we further examined the biological functions of NUCB2 in breast carcinoma using immunohistochemistry and in vitro studies. NUCB2 immunoreactivity was detected in carcinoma cells in 77 of 161 (48%) breast cancer cases, and positively associated with lymph node metastasis and ER status of the patients. In addition, NUCB2 status was significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrence and adverse clinical outcome of the patients using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results of siRNA transfection experiments showed that NUCB2 significantly increased cell proliferation, and migration and invasion properties in both MCF‐7 and ER‐negative SK‐BR‐3 cells. These results suggest that NUCB2 is upregulated by estrogens and plays an important role, especially in the process of metastasis, in breast carcinomas. NUCB2 status is considered a potent prognostic factor in human breast cancer. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 136–143)
Missense SNP of the MC1R gene is associated with plumage variation in the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
Authors: Zhan X. J. , Dixon A. , Fox N. C. , Bruford M. W.
Published: October 2011

A single nucleotide polymorphism (MC1R: c.376A>G) in the MC1R gene was found to be highly correlated with pigment phenotype in the Gyrfalcon. Homozygous genotypes c.376GG and c.376AA were found to dominate the extreme white and dark plumage types respectively, and heterozygotes occurred mainly in intermediate phenotypes. However, some heterozygotes were associated with extreme phenotypes, indicating that melanism/albinism might also involve other loci.
Alcoholic neuropathy: possible mechanisms and future treatment possibilities
Authors: Chopra Kanwaljit , Tiwari Vinod
Published: October 2011

Chronic alcohol consumption produces painful peripheral neuropathy for which there is no reliable successful therapy, mainly due to lack of understanding of its pathobiology. Alcoholic neuropathy involves coasting caused by damage to nerves that results from long term excessive drinking of alcohol and is characterized by spontaneous burning pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia. The mechanism behind alcoholic neuropathy is not well understood, but several explanations have been proposed. These include activation of spinal cord microglia after chronic alcohol consumption, oxidative stress leading to free radical damage to nerves, activation of mGlu5 receptors in the spinal cord and activation of the sympathoadrenal and hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis. Nutritional deficiency (especially thiamine deficiency) and/or the direct toxic effect of alcohol or both have also been implicated in alcohol‐induced neuropathic pain. Treatment is directed towards halting further damage to the peripheral nerves and restoring their normal functioning. This can be achieved by alcohol abstinence and a nutritionally balanced diet supplemented by all B vitamins. However, in the setting of ongoing alcohol use, vitamin supplementation alone has not been convincingly shown to be sufficient for improvement in most patients. The present review is focused around the multiple pathways involved in the development of peripheral neuropathy associated with chronic alcohol intake and the different therapeutic agents which may find a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for both prevention and management of alcoholic neuropathy.
Hereditary lysozyme amyloidosis – phenotypic heterogeneity and the role of solid organ transplantation
Authors: Sattianayagam P. T. , Gibbs S. D. J. , Rowczenio D. , Pinney J. H. , Wechalekar A. D. , Gilbertson J. A. , Hawkins P. N. , Lachmann H. J. , Gillmore J. D.
Published: October 2011

Abstract.  Sattianayagam PT, Gibbs SDJ, Rowczenio D, Pinney JH, Wechalekar AD, Gilbertson JA, Hawkins PN, Lachmann HJ, Gillmore JD (University College London Medical School, London, UK). Hereditary lysozyme amyloidosis – phenotypic heterogeneity and the role of solid organ transplantation. J Intern Med 2012; 272: 36–44.

Objectives.  Lysozyme amyloidosis (ALys) is a form of hereditary systemic non‐neuropathic amyloidosis, which is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Lysozyme, which is the amyloidogenic precursor protein in ALys, is a ubiquitous bacteriolytic enzyme synthesized by hepatocytes, polymorphs and macrophages. The aim of this study is to describe the phenotype and outcome of patients with ALys including the role of solid organ transplantation.

Design.  Retrospective evaluation of patients with ALys.

Setting.  UK National Amyloidosis Centre.

Patients.  All 16 patients with ALys followed at the centre.

Results.  A family history of amyloidosis was present in every affected individual. Although the phenotype was broadly similar amongst those from the same kindred, there were marked phenotypic differences between kindreds who possessed the same amyloidogenic mutation. Symptomatic gastrointestinal (GI) amyloid was prevalent, and macroscopically visible amyloidotic lesions were present in nine of 10 patients who underwent GI endoscopy. All symptomatic ALys individuals had hepatic amyloid. Four patients received orthotopic liver transplants (OLT), three for spontaneous hepatic rupture and one case, who had extensive hepatic amyloid and a strong family history of hepatic rupture, pre‐emptively. All of the liver grafts were functioning at censor 1.7, 5.8, 9.0 and 11.0 years after OLT. Five patients had progressive amyloidotic renal dysfunction culminating in end‐stage renal failure, three of whom underwent renal transplantation (RTx). There was no evidence of renal allograft dysfunction at censor 6.6, 1.8 and 0.8 years after RTx.

Conclusions.  Lysozyme amyloidosis is a disease of the GI tract, liver and kidneys, which has a slow natural history. There was a clear family history in all cases within this cohort, demonstrating a high clinical penetrance in the presence of an amyloidogenic lysozyme mutation. There is currently no amyloid‐specific therapy for the condition which is managed symptomatically. OLT and RTx appear to be successful treatments for patients with liver rupture or end‐stage renal disease, respectively, with excellent outcomes in terms of medium‐term graft function and patient survival.
Convergence and divergence in gene expression profiles induced by leaf senescence and 27 senescence‐promoting hormonal, pathological and environmental stress treatments
Authors: GUO YONGFENG , GAN SU‐SHENG
Published: October 2011

In addition to age and developmental progress, leaf senescence and senescence‐associated genes (SAGs) can be induced by other factors such as plant hormones, pathogen infection and environmental stresses. The relationship is not clear, however, between these induced senescence processes and developmental leaf senescence, and to what extent these senescence‐promoting signals mimic age and developmental senescence in terms of gene expression profiles. By analysing microarray expression data from 27 different treatments (that are known to promote senescence) and comparing them with that from developmental leaf senescence, we were able to show that at early stages of treatments, different hormones and stresses showed limited similarity in the induction of gene expression to that of developmental leaf senescence. Once the senescence process is initiated, as evidenced by visible yellowing, generally after a prolonged period of treatments, a great proportion of SAGs of developmental leaf senescence are shared by gene expression profiles in response to different treatments. This indicates that although different signals that lead to initiation of senescence may do so through distinct signal transduction pathways, senescence processes induced either developmentally or by different senescence‐promoting treatments may share common execution events.
Bacterial community transcription patterns during a marine phytoplankton bloom
Authors: Rinta‐Kanto Johanna M. , Sun Shulei , Sharma Shalabh , Kiene Ronald P. , Moran Mary Ann
Published: October 2011

Bacterioplankton consume a large proportion of photosynthetically fixed carbon in the ocean and control its biogeochemical fate. We used an experimental metatranscriptomics approach to compare bacterial activities that route energy and nutrients during a phytoplankton bloom compared with non‐bloom conditions. mRNAs were sequenced from duplicate bloom and control microcosms 1 day after a phytoplankton biomass peak, and transcript copies per litre of seawater were calculated using an internal mRNA standard. Transcriptome analysis revealed a potential novel mechanism for enhanced efficiency during carbon‐limited growth, mediated through membrane‐bound pyrophosphatases [V‐type H(+)‐translocating; hppA]; bloom bacterioplankton participated less in this metabolic energy scavenging than non‐bloom bacterioplankton, with possible implications for differences in growth yields on organic substrates. Bloom bacterioplankton transcribed more copies of genes predicted to increase cell surface adhesiveness, mediated by changes in bacterial signalling molecules related to biofilm formation and motility; these may be important in microbial aggregate formation. Bloom bacterioplankton also transcribed more copies of genes for organic acid utilization, suggesting an increased importance of this compound class in the bioreactive organic matter released during phytoplankton blooms. Transcription patterns were surprisingly faithful within a taxon regardless of treatment, suggesting that phylogeny broadly predicts the ecological roles of bacterial groups across ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ environmental backgrounds.
Which fast track elements predict early recovery after colon cancer surgery?
Authors: Vlug M. S. , Bartels S. A. L. , Wind J. , Ubbink D. T. , Hollmann M. W. , Bemelman W. A. ,   on behalf of the collaborative LAFA study group
Published: October 2011

Aim  It is questioned whether all separate fast track elements are essential for enhanced postoperative recovery. We aimed to determine which baseline characteristics and which fast track elements are independent predictors of faster postoperative recovery in patients undergoing resection for colon cancer.

Method  Data from the LAFA trial database were used. In this trial, fast track care was compared with standard perioperative care in 400 patients undergoing laparoscopic or open surgery for colonic cancer. During admission 19 fast track elements per patient were prospectively evaluated and scored whether or not they were successfully applied. To identify predictive factors six baseline characteristics and those fast track items that were successfully achieved were entered in a univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis with total postoperative hospital stay (THS) as the primary outcome.

Results  In 400 patients, two baseline characteristics and two fast track elements were found to be significant independent predictors of THS: female sex [B = 0.85; 95% CI 0.75–0.96; reduction of 15% (CI 14–25%) in THS], laparoscopic resection [B = 0.85; 95% CI 0.75–0.96; reduction of 15% (CI 14–25%) in THS], ‘normal diet at postoperative days 1, 2 and 3’ [B = 0.70; 95% CI 0.61–0.81; reduction of 30% (CI 19–39%) in THS] and ‘enforced mobilization at postoperative days 1, 2 and 3’ [B = 0.68; 95% CI 0.59–0.80; reduction of 32% (CI 20–41%) in THS].

Conclusion  Evaluating only those fast track elements that were successfully achieved, enforced advancement of oral intake, early mobilization, laparoscopic surgery and female sex were independent determinants of early recovery.
Biomarkers for diabetes prediction, pathogenesis or pharmacotherapy guidance? Past, present and future possibilities
Authors: Sattar N.
Published: October 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 5–13 (2012)

An ideal biomarker should refine identification of those at risk of disease occurrence or progression, improve prediction of complications of disease, and/or guide and help tailor responses to different therapies. Biomarkers that give insights into disease pathogenesis are also of interest. With this in mind, this review describes biomarker studies relevant to diabetes, focusing on those conducted by the author, his colleagues and collaborators. The review highlights several points. (1) Novel biomarkers may not improve prediction of new‐onset diabetes in a meaningful way beyond what can be achieved with simple measures combined with HbA1c, and a sensible way ahead may be to combine diabetes and cardiovascular disease prediction using HbA1c and such measures. (2) In terms of disease pathogenesis, associations do not necessarily infer causality; potential for residual confounding and reverse causality should always be borne in mind. The potential relevance of such issues to understanding the relationship of some topical variables/pathways, namely adiponectin, inflammation and vitamin D, with diabetes will be highlighted. (3) How baseline and serial data on biomarkers arising from the liver have improved our understanding of the role of hepatic fat in diabetes pathogenesis will be explored. (4) Future goals for diabetes biomarker research should focus on predicting complications and determining subgroups who may respond better to particular therapies. (5) All novel biomarker research (regardless of analytical platforms used) needs to be tested against information available from commonly measured variables in clinical practice. Otherwise, many claims of clinical utility can be exaggerated. In summary, biomarker research in diabetes is continuing apace in a number of areas, but it remains to be seen whether the promise of biomarker research to improve the care of our patients becomes a reality.
Clones, hermaphrodites and pregnancies: nature's oddities offer evolutionary lessons on reproduction
Authors: Avise J.C.
Published: October 2011

I love the term ‘natural history’ because it encapsulates the sentiment that nature's operations have evolutionary etiologies.CharlesDarwin was a natural historianpar excellenceand his elucidation of natural selection, artificial selection, and sexual selection fundamentally changed how scientists interpret the origins of biological features previously ascribed to sentient craftsmanship by supernatural agents.Darwin's insights on evolutionary forces grew from his exceptional knowledge of natural history, yet two key topics steeped in natural history – sex and reproductive genetics – remained poorly understood (and probably even shunned) inDarwin'sVictorian era. That situation changed dramatically in the latter half of the 20th century with societal awakenings about sexuality that also happened to coincide with the introduction of molecular parentage analyses that unveiled a plethora of formerly hidden ‘sexcapades’ throughout the biological world. Here I summarize some of the evolutionary revelations that have emerged from selection theory as applied to genetic and phylogenetic information on clonality, hermaphroditism, and pregnancy, three procreative phenomena that are relatively rare in vertebrate animals and thus offer alternative evolutionary perspectives on standard reproductive modes. Collectively, these three peculiarities of nature illustrate how the abnormal in biology can enlighten evolutionary thought about the norm.
Regional and local patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and community structure along an altitudinal gradient in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran
Authors: Bahram Mohammad , Põlme Sergei , Kõljalg Urmas , Zarre Shahin , Tedersoo Leho
Published: October 2011

Altitudinal gradients strongly affect the diversity of plants and animals, yet little is known about the altitudinal effects on the distribution of microorganisms, including ectomycorrhizal fungi.

By combining morphological and molecular identification methods, we addressed the relative effects of altitude, temperature, precipitation, host community and soil nutrient concentrations on species richness and community composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi in one of the last remaining temperate old‐growth forests in Eurasia.

Molecular analyses revealed 367 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi along three altitudinal transects. Species richness declined monotonically with increasing altitude. Host species and altitude were the main drivers of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition at both the local and regional scales. The mean annual temperature and precipitation were strongly correlated with altitude and accounted for the observed patterns of richness and community.

The decline of ectomycorrhizal fungal richness with increasing altitude is consistent with the general altitudinal richness patterns of macroorganisms. Low environmental energy reduces the competitive ability of rare species and thus has a negative effect on the richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Because of multicollinearity with altitude, the direct effects of climatic variables and their seasonality warrant further investigation at the regional and continental scales.
Inherited thrombophilias and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a case–control study in an Australian population
Authors: SAID JOANNE M. , HIGGINS JOHN R. , MOSES ERIC K. , WALKER SUSAN P. , MONAGLE PAUL T. , BRENNECKE SHAUN P.
Published: October 2011

Objective. The primary aim of this study was to examine the association between inherited thrombophilias and adverse pregnancy outcomes in an Australian population. Design. Case–control study. Setting. Two Australian tertiary level maternity hospitals. Population. One hundred and fifteen cases with adverse pregnancy outcomes, comprising severe pre‐eclampsia (n=45), fetal growth restriction (n=44), placental abruption (n=16) or stillbirth (n=10), and 115 controls matched for ethnicity, parity and maternal age. Methods. Genotyping for factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene mutation, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 and 1298 and thrombomodulin polymorphism was performed using Taqman assays in an ABI prism 7700 Sequencer. Pregnancy outcome data were extracted from the medical record at the time of recruitment. Main Outcome Measures. Prevalence of inherited thrombophilias in women with adverse pregnancy outcomes and matched control women. Results. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between cases and control women, apart from duration of gestation and neonatal birthweight. Overall, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of these inherited thrombophilia polymorphisms between cases and control women. Heterozygosity for the factor V Leiden mutation, however, was significantly associated with an increased risk of both stillbirth (odds ratio 9.33, 95% confidence interval 1.36–64.15, p=0.02) and placental abruption (odds ratio 8.62, 95% confidence interval 1.57–47.17, p=0.01). Conclusions. Overall, this study does not support a significant association between inherited thrombophilia polymorphisms and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our two statistically significant findings should be interpreted with caution given the small number of patients in these subgroups (10 stillbirths and 16 placental abruption cases) and the wide confidence intervals.
Aims and background
Authors: OLSEN J. H.
Published: October 2011

In 1989, an action plan was adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers with the aim of reducing cancer mortality in the Nordic countries by 15% around the year 2000. This was to be achieved by removing the causes of cancer, by the early diagnosis of cancer and by improving cancer treatment. The results so far have been disappointing. As the causes of many cancers have been identified over the past 40–50 years, the most efficient way of reducing cancer mortality on the basis of current knowledge would be to reduce the prevalence of exposure of the population to cancer‐causing agents. Such preventive measures take time to implement, however; furthermore, since the process of carcinogenesis entails a lag period that varies from several years to decades, a decrease in cancer mortality will not be immediately evident. We review here the methodological background for estimating the numbers and proportions of cancers in the Nordic countries that could be avoided through primary prevention.