bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Stable Six‐Coordinate Intermediate in Ammonia–Dinitrogen Exchange at Schrock's Molybdenum Catalyst
Authors: Schenk Stephan , Kirchner Barbara , Reiher Markus
Published: April 2009

Juggling N2 and NH3: Exchange of ammonia by dinitrogen at Schrock's five‐coordinate dinitrogen‐fixating molybdenum catalyst is likely to involve stable six‐coordinate intermediates (see figure).

magnified image

In this work, we investigate the mechanism of the ammonia–dinitrogen exchange reaction, which is the decisive step to close the catalytic cycle of Schrock's dinitrogen reduction sequence under ambient conditions. We identify several viable pathways for the approach of dinitrogen to the five‐coordinate molybdenum center of the ammonia complex by means of first‐principles molecular‐dynamics simulations. These exploratory simulations are then complemented by rigorous quantum‐chemical structure optimizations. Our calculations have been performed for the full Schrock catalyst without simplifying the large chelate ligand, and are hence not affected by model assumptions. We show that the reaction obeys an addition–elimination mechanism via a stable six‐coordinate intermediate. This intermediate has been fully characterized by stationary quantum‐chemical methods. The predicted infrared spectrum of this species features an NN stretching vibration, which is well separated in frequency from all other NN stretching vibrations of N2‐binding complexes involved in the Schrock cycle. Depending on the life time of this intermediate in the reaction liquor, the production of this intermediate might even be monitored by the absorption of the NN stretching vibration.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of an Unprecedented Supramolecular Complex [Co(µ2‐ClO4)2(H2O)2]·2MA
Authors: XU Jing , BAI Zhengshuai , SUN Weiyin
Published: April 2009

A new supramolecular framework [Co(µ2‐ClO4)2(H2O)2]·2MA (1) [MA=melamine (C3H6N6)] has been synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Interestingly, there are inorganic and organic building blocks with two different supramolecular synthons: (a) 2D (4,4) network constructed by infinite inorganic 1D chains through interchain hydrogen bonding interactions; (b) 1D zigzag organic chains formed by hydrogen bonds, which further stack up through π‐π interactions between the two adjacent MA molecules. The entire structure of 1 is a 3D supramolecular framework resulting from the presence of abundant hydrogen bonds between infinite [Co(µ2‐ClO4)2(H2O)2]n chains and zigzag MA chains in different sheets. 1 gives a nice example of supramolecular framework based on non‐covalent interactions including hydrogen bonding and π‐π interactions.
Toxicity Effect of Pb(II) on Two Different Kinds of Microbes Measured by Microcalorimetry
Authors: GAI Nan , YAO Jun , TIAN Lin , CHEN Huilun , ZHOU Yong , WANG Fei , CHEN Yanjiao , CHEN Haiyan , CHEN Ke , TREBSE Polonca , ZARAY Gyula
Published: April 2009

In this work, microcalorimetric technique was used to analyze Pb(II) toxic action on the metabolic activities of Candida humicola and Bacillus subtilis. The experimental results revealed that Pb(II) had a stimulating effect on C. humicola and B. subtilis growth at a relatively low concentration (10.0 g·mL−1); while, C. humicola and B. subtilis were inhibited completely when the concentrations were up to 320.0 and 160.0 g·mL−1, respectively, and the relationships between growth rate constant (k) and doses of Pb(II) were approximately linear for the two microbes at certain concerntrations. At the same time, their cell dry weight and turbidity (OD600) during growth were also obtained. Their thermogenic curves of the growth coincided well with their turbidity curves, elucidating that the microcalorimetric method agreed with the routine microbiology methods. All of these corroborate the validity and sensitivity of the microcalorimetric technique to investigate the toxic effect of Pb(II) on soil microorganisms.
Predictors of entering 24‐h care for people with Alzheimer's disease: results from the LASER‐AD study
Authors: Habermann Stephanie , Cooper Claudia , Katona Cornelius , Livingston Gill
Published: April 2009

Objectives

Many studies have investigated predictors of people with dementia entering 24‐h care but this is the first to consider a comprehensive range of carer and care recipient (CR) characteristics derived from a systematic review, in a longitudinal cohort study followed up for several years.

Methods

We interviewed 224 people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their carers, recruited to be representative in terms of their severity, sex and living situation as part of the LASER‐AD study; and determined whether they entered 24‐h care in the subsequent 4.5 years. We tested a comprehensive range of characteristics derived from a systematic review, and used Cox proportional hazard regression to determine whether they independently predicted entering 24‐h care.

Results

The main independent predictors of shorter time to enter 24‐h care were the patient being: more cognitively or functionally impaired (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.06–1.12) and (HR = 1.04 95% CI = 1.03–1.05), having a paid versus a family carer (HR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.39–3.57), the carer being less educated (HR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.12–1.83) and spending less hours caring (HR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.00–1.01).

Conclusion

As having a family carer who spent more time caring (taking into account illness severity) delayed entry to 24‐h care, future research should investigate how to enable carers to provide this. Other interventions to improve patients' impairment may not only have benefits for patients' health but also allow them to remain longer at home. This financial benefit could more than offset the treatment cost. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
RB1CC1 activates the promoter and expression of RB1 in human cancer
Authors: Ikebuchi Kaichiro , Chano Tokuhiro , Ochi Yasuko , Tameno Hitosuke , Shimada Taketoshi , Hisa Yasuo , Okabe Hidetoshi
Published: April 2009

RB1‐inducible coiled‐coil 1 (RB1CC1, also known as FIP200) is a tumor suppressor implicated in the regulation of RB1 (retinoblastoma 1) expression. However, the molecular mechanism of RB1 regulation by RB1CC1 has not been elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that nuclear RB1CC1 binds to the RB1 promoter using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays with anti‐RB1CC1 antibody. Luciferase assays with RB1 promoter reporter plasmids revealed that RB1CC1 activated the RB1 promoter through the 201 bp upstream GC‐rich region (from the initiation ATG). Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and Western blot analysis supported RB1CC1 binding to the GC‐rich region of the RB1 promoter. In addition, the C‐terminus of RB1CC1 was required for nuclear localization and subsequent RB1 promoter activation. Furthermore, the expression levels of RB1CC1 and RB1 significantly correlated with in vivo breast cancer tissues as determined by immunohistochemical analysis. These data indicate that nuclear RB1CC1 directly activates the RB1 promoter to enhance RB1 expression in cancer cells. Evaluation of RB1CC1 in various types of human cancer tissues is expected to provide useful information for clinical practice and future therapeutic strategies. © 2009 UICC
Preparation of resorbable collagen‐based beads for direct use in tissue engineering and cell therapy applications
Authors: Glattauer Veronica , White Jacinta F. , Tsai Wei‐Bor , Tsai Chen‐Chi , Tebb Tracy A. , Danon Stephen J. , Werkmeister Jerome A. , Ramshaw John A. M.
Published: April 2009

For tissue engineering and cell therapy applications, expansion of cells such as chondrocytes on beads in spinner culture can provide advantages compared with monolayer culture. The use of resorbable beads that can be included as an integral part of the construct provides the advantage of minimizing the extent of cell handling and eliminating a final trypsin treatment to detach cells from the bead. In this study, we have made various types of beads based on native collagen and denatured collagen (gelatin). The beads have been stabilized by different extents of glutaraldehyde cross‐linking, and characterized by a combination of chemical analysis, thermal stability, and microscopy. In vitro examination in the presence and absence of chondrocytes showed that stability increased with the extent of crosslinking and could also be influenced by the manner of fabrication. On the basis of the in vitro stability studies, gelatin beads of a defined stability were shown to resorb over time in subcutaneous implants in nude mice compared with more stable demineralized bone particle (DMB) carriers. These data indicate that for direct use in tissue engineering or cell therapy applications, where resorbable beads can be used for cell expansion and then direct delivery of cells, it is possible to design suitable carrier beads with a range of stabilities that match the implant requirements. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2010
Chondrogenesis, joint formation, and articular cartilage regeneration
Authors: Onyekwelu Ikemefuna , Goldring Mary B. , Hidaka Chisa
Published: April 2009

The repair of joint surface defects remains a clinical challenge, as articular cartilage has a limited healing response. Despite this, articular cartilage does have the capacity to grow and remodel extensively during pre‐ and post‐natal development. As such, the elucidation of developmental mechanisms, particularly those in post‐natal animals, may shed valuable light on processes that could be harnessed to develop novel approaches for articular cartilage tissue engineering and/or regeneration to treat injuries or degeneration in adult joints. Much has been learned through mouse genetics regarding the embryonic development of joints. This knowledge, as well as the less extensive available information regarding post‐natal joint development is reviewed here and discussed in relation to their possible relevance to future directions in cartilage tissue repair and regeneration. J. Cell. Biochem. 107: 383–392, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mass spectra of thiazolidines
Authors: Vestling Martha M. , Ogren R. Lee
Published: April 2009

The electron impact mass spectra of twelve thiazolidines have been measured and the fragmentation patterns examined. The three most intense fragmentations common to all the thiazolidines examined are: (a) the cleavage of the substituent at C‐2, (b) 1,4‐ring cleavage, and (c) 2,5‐ring cleavage. The 1,4‐ and 2,5‐cleavages occur with and without rearrangement of a proton.
Reactions of salicylamides with thionyl chloride
Authors: Morris L. R. , Collins L. R.
Published: April 2009

A series of compounds having the 1,2,3‐benzoxathiazin‐4 (3H) one 2‐oxide structure have been synthesized by the interaction of thionyl chloride with the appropriate salicylamide. Some properties of these compounds as well as some by‐products are described.
Nucleophilic displacement of aromatic fluorine. Part IV. Quinolinoquinolines and benzochromenoquinolines
Authors: Walser A. , Flynn T. , Fryer R. Ian
Published: April 2009

The title compounds were obtained by facile intramolecular nucleophilic displacement of aromatic fluorine from 4‐(2‐fluorophenyl)quinolines bearing substituents such as a carboxamide, carboxaldehyde, carboxaldoxime or a hydroxymethyl group in the 3‐position.
Etude théorique et expérimentale des spectres électroniques d'absorption de cyclohepta[b ou c] thiophénones‐6 et des hydroxy‐5 cyclohepta[b ou c] thiophenones‐6
Authors: Perben Rosine , Marey Thèrése , Arrinu Jean
Published: April 2009

Les spectres électroniques d'absorption de cyclohepta (b ou c) thiophénones‐6 et des hydroxy‐5 cyclohepta(b ou c)thiophénones ‐ 6 sont étudiés par la méthode C.N.D.O./S de Jaffé étendue à la troisième période longue. Les résultats des calculs sont en accord satisfaisants avee les données expérimentales. Une nouvelle interprétation du spectre de la tropone est proposée.
1,3‐Dipolar cycloaddition reaction of phenanthridinium N‐imines and N‐benzoylimine with acetylenic compounds
Authors: Tamura Yasumitsu , Miki Yasuyoshi , Nishikawa Yoshinori , Ikeda Masazumi
Published: April 2009

N‐Aminophenanthridinium salt reacted with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of potassium carbonate to give a 3,3a‐dihydropyrazolo[1,5‐f]phenanthridine but with mono‐substituted acetylenes (ethyl propiolate and benzoylacetylene) it produced aromatized pyrazolo‐[1,5‐f]phenanthridines (XII and XIII). The reaction of the N‐benzoylimine with di‐substituted acetylenes (dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and methyl phenylpropiolate) and mono‐substituted acetylenes (ethyl propiolate and benzoylacetylene) yielded 1,3a‐dihydropyrazolo[1,5‐f]phenanthridines and the aromatized products (XII and XIII), respectively.
Photoaddition of benzophenone to azaindole, synthesis of the oxetane of 7‐azaindole
Authors: Nakano Tatsuhiko , Santana Magaly
Published: April 2009

7‐Azaindole did not react with benzophenone on irradiation. However, irradiation of benzophenone in the presence of 1‐acetyl‐7‐azaindole produced an oxetane by cycloaddition of the ketone to the 7‐azaindole 2,3‐double bond. The nmr and the mass spectra of the oxetane have also been studied in some detail.
The Alkylation of 6‐Bromo‐1,4‐dihydro‐4‐oxo‐3‐cinnolinecarboxylic Acid
Authors: Brundage R. Pauline , Lesher George Y.
Published: April 2009

Alkylation of the title compound gave 3a, b + c and 2a, b + c in ca. equivalent yields. Intermediate 4a was isolated and its facile decarboxylation to 2a was studied.
Early acoustic discrimination experience ameliorates auditory processing deficits in male rats with cortical developmental disruption
Authors: Threlkeld Steven W. , Hill Courtney A. , Rosen Glenn D. , Fitch R. Holly
Published: April 2009

Auditory temporal processing deficits have been suggested to play a causal role in language learning impairments, and evidence of cortical developmental anomalies (microgyria (MG), ectopia) has been reported for language‐impaired populations. Rodent models have linked these features, by showing deficits in auditory temporal discrimination for rats with neuronal migration anomalies (MG, ectopia). Since evidence from human studies suggests that training with both speech and non‐speech acoustic stimuli may improve language performance in developmentally language‐disabled populations, we were interested in whether/how maturation and early experience might influence auditory processing deficits seen in male rats with induced focal cortical MG.

Results showed that for both simple (Normal single tone), as well as increasingly complex auditory discrimination tasks (silent gap in white noise and FM sweep), prior experience significantly improved acoustic discrimination performance—in fact, beyond improvements seen with maturation only. Further, we replicated evidence that young adult rats with MG were significantly impaired at discriminating FM sweeps compared to shams. However, these MG effects were no longer seen when experienced subjects were retested in adulthood (even though deficits in short duration FM sweep detection were seen for adult MG rats with no early experience). Thus while some improvements in auditory processing were seen with normal maturation, the effects of early experience were even more profound, in fact resulting in amelioration of MG effects seen at earlier ages.

These findings support the clinical view that early training intervention with appropriate acoustic stimuli could similarly ameliorate long‐term processing impairments seen in some language‐impaired children.
Time and Truth: The Presentism-Eternalism Debate
Authors: Stoneham Tom
Published: April 2009

There are many questions we can ask about time, but perhaps the most fundamental is whether there are metaphysically interesting differences between past, present and future events. An eternalist believes in a block universe: past, present and future events are all on an equal footing. A gradualist believes in a growing block: he agrees with the eternalist about the past and the present but not about the future. A presentist believes that what is present has a special status. My first claim is that the familiar ways of articulating these views result in there being no substantive disagreement at all between the three parties. I then show that if we accept the controversial truthmaking principle, we can articulate a substantive disagreement. Finally, I apply this way of formulating the debate to related questions such as the open future and determinism, showing that these do not always line up in quite the way one would expect.
Preference Gaps and Inequality in
Representation
Authors: Gilens Martin
Published: April 2009

In a recent article in PS, Soroka and Wlezien (2008) argue that the policy
preferences of low- and high-income Americans rarely differ, and
therefore that “regardless of whose preferences policymakers follow
… policy will end up in essentially the same place” (325). In this
article, I analyze a much larger and more diverse set of policies
than those examined by Soroka and Wlezien and show that income-based
preference gaps are much larger and more widespread than their data
suggest. In terms of federal government policy, the affluent are far
better represented than the poor; the findings in this paper
indicate that this representational inequality has substantial
repercussions across a wide range of policy issues.
Myeloperoxidase-mediated lipoprotein carbamylation as a mechanistic pathway for atherosclerotic vascular disease
Authors: Sirpal Sanjeev
Published: April 2009

There is an emerging and significant body of research that suggests that MPO (myeloperoxidase) may be a critical mediator in dysfunctional lipoprotein formation and, hence, atherogenic initiation and progression. MPO is a haem peroxidase found in leucocytes and is abundant in macrophages surrounding atherosclerotic lesions. Several lines of evidence support the role of MPO-mediated carbamylation of proteins in atherogenesis. The generic mechanism of MPO-mediated protein carbamylation has been elucidated recently and has been identified as a potentially crucial pathway that links smoking, inflammation and atherogenesis. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) exerts a physiologically beneficial effect of reducing arterial cholesterol deposition; however, there are considerable gaps in current understanding of the molecular basis of dysfunctional HDL formation. Especially deserving of attention is a contextual understanding of dysfunctional pro-atherogenic HDL formation in light of inflammatory changes in atheroma. The present review is especially timely in light of the solved structures of nascent and discoidal HDL and integrates the biochemical significance of MPO carbamylation in the context of these structures. Various avenues of experimental investigation are explored which will be crucial in understanding the vascular consequences of dysfunctional HDL formation and the identification of novel mechanistic pathways in vascular disease. It is anticipated that further knowledge on the intricacies of dysfunctional HDL formation, potentially by an MPO-driven pathway, will lead to considerable progress in identifying novel drug targets for atherosclerosis and characterization of the primary atherogenic process.
Effect of resonant helical magnetic fields on plasma rotation
Authors: Yu Q. , Günter S. , Finken K. H.
Published: April 2009

The effect of a resonant helical magnetic field on plasma rotation is investigated numerically based on the two fluid equations. It is found that depending on the frequency and the direction of the original plasma rotation, a static helical field of a small amplitude can either increase or decrease the rotation speed. With increasing the field amplitude, the plasma rotation frequency approaches the electron diamagnetic drift frequency but rotates in the ion drift direction. These results provide a new understanding of the recent experimental observations of TEXTOR [K. H. Finken et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 015003 (2005)].
Anisotropy of the thermal conductivity in a crystalline polymer: Reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation of the δ phase of syndiotactic polystyrene
Authors: Rossinsky Eddie , Müller-Plathe Florian
Published: April 2009

The thermal conductivity of the crystalline δ phase of syndiotactic polystyrene has been investigated by reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The results are in the expected range. An anisotropy is found for the thermal conductivity, with the component in chain direction being 2.5–3 larger than perpendicular to it. Any increase in the density causes an increase also in the thermal conductivity, particularly in the perpendicular directions. As side results, the simulations confirm an earlier finding on the force field dependence of the thermal conductivity: The thermal conductivity has a tendency to decrease when the number of active degrees of freedom in the system is reduced by the introduction of constraints. This dependence is, however, weaker and more erratic than previously found for molecular liquids and amorphous polymers.
A metrological large range atomic force microscope with improved performance
Authors: Dai Gaoliang , Wolff Helmut , Pohlenz Frank , Danzebrink Hans-Ulrich
Published: April 2009

A metrological large range atomic force microscope (Met. LR-AFM) has been set up and improved over the past years at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). Being designed as a scanning sample type instrument, the sample is moved in three dimensions by a mechanical ball bearing stage in combination with a compact z-piezostage. Its topography is detected by a position-stationary AFM head. The sample displacement is measured by three embedded miniature homodyne interferometers in the x, y, and z directions. The AFM head is aligned in such a way that its cantilever tip is positioned on the sample surface at the intersection point of the three interferometer measurement beams for satisfying the Abbe measurement principle. In this paper, further improvements of the Met. LR-AFM are reported. A new AFM head using the beam deflection principle has been developed to reduce the influence of parasitic optical interference phenomena. Furthermore, an off-line Heydemann correction method has been applied to reduce the inherent interferometer nonlinearities to less than 0.3 nm (p-v). Versatile scanning functions, for example, radial scanning or local AFM measurement functions, have been implemented to optimize the measurement process. The measurement software is also improved and allows comfortable operations of the instrument via graphical user interface or script-based command sets. The improved Met. LR-AFM is capable of measuring, for instance, the step height, lateral pitch, line width, nanoroughness, and other geometrical parameters of nanostructures. Calibration results of a one-dimensional grating and a set of film thickness standards are demonstrated, showing the excellent metrological performance of the instrument.
LULL1 Retargets TorsinA to the Nuclear Envelope Revealing an Activity That Is Impaired by theDYT1Dystonia Mutation
Authors: Vander Heyden Abigail B. , Naismith Teresa V. , Snapp Erik L. , Hodzic Didier , Hanson Phyllis I.
Published: April 2009

TorsinA (TorA) is an AAA+ ATPase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen that is mutated in early onset DYT1 dystonia. TorA is an essential protein in mice and is thought to function in the nuclear envelope (NE) despite localizing throughout the ER. Here, we report that transient interaction of TorA with the ER membrane protein LULL1 targets TorA to the NE. FRAP and Blue Native PAGE indicate that TorA is a stable, slowly diffusing oligomer in either the absence or presence of LULL1. Increasing LULL1 expression redistributes both wild-type and disease-mutant TorA to the NE, while decreasing LULL1 with shRNAs eliminates intrinsic enrichment of disease-mutant TorA in the NE. When concentrated in the NE, TorA displaces the nuclear membrane proteins Sun2, nesprin-2G, and nesprin-3 while leaving nuclear pores and Sun1 unchanged. Wild-type TorA also induces changes in NE membrane structure. Because SUN proteins interact with nesprins to connect nucleus and cytoskeleton, these effects suggest a new role for TorA in modulating complexes that traverse the NE. Importantly, once concentrated in the NE, disease-mutant TorA displaces Sun2 with reduced efficiency and does not change NE membrane structure. Together, our data suggest that LULL1 regulates the distribution and activity of TorA within the ER and NE lumen and reveal functional defects in the mutant protein responsible for DYT1 dystonia.
Allopathic versus Homeopathic Strategies and the Recurrence of Prescriptions: Results from a Pharmacoeconomic Study in Italy
Authors: Basili Andrea , Lagona Francesco , Roberti di Sarsina Paolo , Basili Corallina , Valeria Paterna Teresa
Published: April 2009

This is a pharmaeconomic study to assess the impact of different, cost‐specific pharmacological strategies on the recurrence rate of prescriptions in the treatment of cold symptoms. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort study reporting individual prescriptions histories of subjects experiencing cold symptoms, obtained by a stratified random sample of 316 subjects, clustered into 139 Italian families, followed up for 40 months. Costs of homeopathic and allopathic treatments were recorded within each prescription. A Cox proportional hazards model with random effects was exploited to regress time elapsed between subsequent prescriptions over the relative difference between homeopathic‐ and allopathic‐related costs, adjusting for age and gender and accounting for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Relative risks of event (prescription) re‐occurrence have been estimated. The recurrence rate of prescriptions raise when allopathic strategies are preferred to homeopathic alternatives. No significant differences were observed between gender groups, while age was marginally significant. Inter‐subjects heterogeneity was not significant.
The Royal Society and the ‘brain drain’: natural scientists meet social science
Authors: Balmer Brian , Godwin Matthew , Gregory Jane
Published: April 2009

Although concerns about the loss of British scientists to the USA and elsewhere grew slowly throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the Royal Society's 1963 report on the emigration of scientists sparked a very public debate about the ‘brain drain’. This paper concentrates on the Society's key role in creating focus and impetus for the debate through the report and questionnaire survey that informed it. In this engagement with social science research, the tension between the Society's political neutrality, as a representative of science, and political intervention, as an advocate for science, manifested itself in the planning, execution and reporting of its study on scientific migration.
Poor horse traders: large mammals trade survival for reproduction during the process of feralization
Authors: Grange Sophie , Duncan Patrick , Gaillard Jean-Michel
Published: April 2009

We investigated density dependence on the demographic parameters of a population of Camargue horses (
Equus caballus
), individually monitored and unmanaged for eight years. We also analysed the contributions of individual demographic parameters to changes in the population growth rates. The decrease in resources caused a loss of body condition. Adult male survival was not affected, but the survival of foals and adult females decreased with increasing density. Prime-aged females maintained high reproductive performance at high density, and their survival decreased. The higher survival of adult males compared with females at high density presumably results from higher investment in reproduction by mares. The high fecundity in prime-aged females, even when at high density, may result from artificial selection for high reproductive performance, which is known to have occurred in all the major domestic ungulates. Other studies suggest that feral ungulates including cattle and sheep, as these horses, respond differently from wild ungulates to increases in density, by trading adult survival for reproduction. As a consequence, populations of feral animals should oscillate more strongly than their wild counterparts, since they should be both more invasive (as they breed faster), and more sensitive to harsh environmental conditions (as the population growth rate of long-lived species is consistently more sensitive to a given proportional change in adult survival than to the same change in any other vital rate). If this principle proves to be general, it has important implications for management of populations of feral ungulates.
Angiosperm leaf vein evolution was physiologically and environmentally transformative
Authors: Boyce C. Kevin , Brodribb Tim J. , Feild Taylor S. , Zwieniecki Maciej A.
Published: April 2009

The veins that irrigate leaves during photosynthesis are demonstrated to be strikingly more abundant in flowering plants than in any other vascular plant lineage. Angiosperm vein densities average 8 mm of vein per mm
2
of leaf area and can reach 25 mm mm
−2
, whereas such high densities are absent from all other plants, living or extinct. Leaves of non-angiosperms have consistently averaged close to 2 mm mm
−2
throughout 380 million years of evolution despite a complex history that has involved four or more independent origins of laminate leaves with many veins and dramatic changes in climate and atmospheric composition. We further demonstrate that the high leaf vein densities unique to the angiosperms enable unparalleled transpiration rates, extending previous work indicating a strong correlation between vein density and assimilation rates. Because vein density is directly measurable in fossils, these correlations provide new access to the physiology of extinct plants and how they may have impacted their environments. First, the high assimilation rates currently confined to the angiosperms among living plants are likely to have been unique throughout evolutionary history. Second, the transpiration-driven recycling of water that is important for bolstering precipitation in modern tropical rainforests might have been significantly less in a world before the angiosperms.
Fludarabine‐based reduced intensity conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with aplastic anemia and fungal infections
Authors: George Biju , Mathews Vikram , Viswabandya Auro , Srivastava Alok , Chandy Mammen
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  Eighteen patients (12 men and 6 women) with aplastic anemia and active fungal infections (10 proven/probable; 8 possible) underwent stem cell transplantation using fludarabine combined with cyclophosphamide or total body irradiation. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) were the main graft source and a combination of cyclosporine with either methotrexate or methylprednisolone was used for graft versus host disease prophylaxis. Fourteen patients (77.8%) achieved neutrophil engraftment after a median time of 11 d, while four died of fungal sepsis. Resolution of fungal infection occurred in 60% of patients with proven/probable infections and in 100% with possible fungal infections. At a median follow up of 30 months, 11 patients (61.1%) were alive and well. Fludarabine‐based conditioning regimens with PBSC transplantation can be used successfully in patients with aplastic anemia and fungal infections.
Parainfluenza virus 3 pneumonia in a kidney transplant recipient
Authors: Park S.Y. , Sung H. , Park K.T. , Kim S.C. , Kim S.‐H. , Choi S.‐H. , Kim Y.S. , Woo J.H. , Lee S.‐O. , Han D.J.
Published: April 2009

Abstract: We report the first case of parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3) pneumonia in a kidney transplant recipient. A 39‐year‐old man developed pneumonia during hospitalization 6 years after kidney transplantation. He became hypoxic and underwent noninvasive ventilation. PIV3 was detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. He was treated successfully with aerosolized ribavirin and intravenous immunoglobulin. Although he recovered from pneumonia, his graft function deteriorated and he had to restart peritoneal dialysis.
TASTE FOR VARIETY AND OPTIMUM PRODUCT DIVERSITY IN AN OPEN ECONOMY
Authors: Coto‐Martínez Javier , García‐Alonso María D. C. , Levine Paul
Published: April 2009

We extend the Benassy‘taste for variety’ model to an open economy setting. With the Benassy effect, the market equilibrium is inefficient, openness reduces the varieties provided in the unconstrained optimum and there are potential gains from international coordination.
SUSTAINABILITY IN A MULTIPRODUCT AND MULTIPLE AGENT CONTESTABLE MARKET
Authors: Iehlé Vincent
Published: April 2009

We prove that a natural monopoly can set subsidy free pricing and sustainable pricing schedules in a general economic environment. The setting is a multiproduct and multiple agent contestable market where demands are elastic and where rivals can enter the submarkets composed by a set of the products line and a set of agents. Our results suggest that the existence results of the extant literature admit analogues even in an environment where rivals have enlarged possibilities to enter the market and where demands react to prices. The approach makes use of cooperative games to deduce the main results under conditions of fair sharing cost, a threshold in consumption and regularity of the profit function.
Subtle Systolic Dysfunction May Be Associated with the Tendency to Develop Diastolic Heart Failure in Patients with Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
Authors: Sürücü Hüseyin , Tatlı Ersan , Değirmenci Ali , Okudan Selnur , Boz Hakkı
Published: April 2009

Background: We looked for an answer to the question of whether diastolic heart failure (DHF) is a reality or all heart failures are systolic. Method: 300 cases (hypertensive, aged, obese, etc.), not being diagnosed DHF, with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) but having the tendency to develop DHF in future were examined. One hundred and eighty cases without exclusion criteria were selected. Cases were assigned to three groups according to noninvasively obtained pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Results: In cases with higher PCWP (>10 mmHg), transmitral A velocity was increased (P < 0.001) and among the pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging (pw‐TDI) parameters Ea velocity was decreased (P < 0.001) and Ea‐dt was prolonged (P < 0.005). In cases with lower PCWP (<8 mmHg), transmitral E velocity was higher (P< 0.001). Furthermore, a more meaningful relationship was found between PCWP and systolic pw‐TDI parameters. In all the groups, it was observed that Sa velocity was progressively decreased and Q‐Sa interval was progressively prolonged as PCWP increased (for all the groups P < 0.046). Conclusion: The question whether DHF is a reality or all heart failures are systolic may be answered as follows. Subtle systolic dysfunction may be associated with the tendency to develop DHF in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction. As in systolic heart failure (EF < 45%), in patients with preserved systolic function (EF ≥ 45%), systolic and diastolic functions may impair together. The pw‐TDI method may be more sensitive than standard echocardiography parameters in detection of systolic dysfunction in cases with preserved EF.
ACCURACY, PRECISION AND RESPONSE TIME OF CONSUMER FORK, REMOTE, DIGITAL PROBE AND DISPOSABLE INDICATOR THERMOMETERS FOR COOKED GROUND BEEF PATTIES AND CHICKEN BREASTS*
Authors: LIU M.N. , VINYARD B. , CALLAHAN J.A. , SOLOMON M.B.
Published: April 2009

Nine different commercially available instant‐read consumer thermometers (forks, remotes, digital probe and disposable color change indicators) were tested for accuracy and precision compared with a calibrated thermocouple in 80 and 90% lean ground beef patties and boneless and bone‐in chicken breasts cooked on gas grills, electric griddles and baked in consumer ovens. All models registered less than 42% of the products as cooked at the recommended insertion time except for one indicator model which registered greater than 50% of the products as cooked in five meat product/cooking method combinations. Average thermometer readings deviated from the thermocouple by as much as 64F. Increasing insertion time increased percentage of product registering as cooked and decreased the temperature difference. Measurement repeatability (precision) was high within and between individual thermometers of the same model. These results indicate that consumers using these thermometers would cook meat products to higher temperatures than necessary to destroy harmful microorganisms.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Consumers are urged to use thermometers when cooking meat products. Consumer fork, remote, digital probe and disposable indicator thermometers are aggressively marketed for their convenience to the consumer. There is relatively little scientific information regarding the accuracy and response time for these types of thermometers. The results of this study conclude that these thermometers register temperatures much lower than the thermocouple temperatures. As a result, consumers will cook meat products to a higher end point temperature, which provides extra food safety but in some cases may cause detrimental quality changes.
DEFINITION OF THE OPTIMUM FREEZING TIME POSTMORTEM FOR MANUFACTURING PORK MEAT
Authors: YU X.L. , LI X.B. , XU X.L. , ZHOU G.H. , BOLES J.A.
Published: April 2009

Paired experimental design was adopted to investigate the quality difference between pork meat frozen at different times postmortem. Freezing loss, thawing loss, cooking loss, pressing loss, protein solubility, pH and scanning electron microscopy of the meat were measured. Freezing meat 45 min postmortem significantly reduced total loss, thawing loss, cooking loss and pressing loss when compared with meat frozen at 4 and 24 h postmortem. Freezing meat 4 h postmortem also significantly reduced these traits except for pressing loss when compared with meat frozen at 24 h postmortem. So, freezing meat closer to slaughter resulted in higher water‐holding capacity. Sarcoplasmic protein solubility of pork meat was significantly higher in meat frozen at 45 min than meat frozen at 4 and 24 h postmortem, and 4 h than 24 h; while the total protein solubility and myofibrillar protein solubility were lower in meat frozen at 45 min postmortem. Increasing the time postmortem before freezing resulted in larger interspaces between fibers of fresh muscle, and led to more and larger intercellular ice crystals, and so decreased the water‐holding capacity of the frozen and thawed meat. No differences were seen in the scanning electron micrographs of thawed meat samples frozen at different times postmortem and thawed under the same conditions.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Frozen storage is an economically favorable way of meat storage. Most of the research had concentrated on freezing temperature or freezing rates, and many researchers had no requirement on the rigor state of the meat before freezing or held the postmortem time constant. No research reported the effects of freezing meat at different times postmortem on the water‐holding capacity and structure of pork. In our experiment, we found that the earlier after slaughter the meat was frozen, the better the water‐holding capacity. So for manufacturing pork meat it would be better to freeze it earlier after slaughter to lower the amount of total loss, including thawing loss, freezing loss, cooking loss and pressing loss, and enhance the eating quality and the monetary value and improve the freezing procedure. These provide a valuable datum for meat freezing.
Transfer characteristics and bias-stress stability of amorphous indium zinc oxide thin-film transistors
Authors: Choi Jun Hyuk , Han Un Bin , Lee Ki Chang , Lee Joon-Hyung , Kim Jeong-Joo , Cho In-Tak , Lee Jong-Ho , Heo Young-Woo
Published: April 2009

The transfer characteristics of amorphous indium zinc oxide thin-film transistors were investigated. The active layer in the bottom gate structure of the transistor was fabricated using room-temperature rf-magnetron sputtering. The device operated as an n-type enhancement mode exhibited a clear pinch-off behavior and an on/off ratio of ∼106. The field-effect mobility of 9.6cm2∕Vs and subthreshold slope of 0.3V∕decade were obtained. The positive threshold voltage shift was observed under the positive gate bias stress. The field-effect mobility and subthreshold slope remained nearly unchanged within the time of the gate bias stress. The time dependence of the threshold voltage shift was well matched with the stretched-exponential time dependence model.
Temporal Dynamics of Neuronal Activation by Channelrhodopsin-2 and TRPA1 Determine Behavioral Output inDrosophilaLarvae
Authors: Pulver Stefan R. , Pashkovski Stanislav L. , Hornstein Nicholas J. , Garrity Paul A. , Griffith Leslie C.
Published: April 2009

In recent years, a number of tools have become available for remotely activating neural circuits in Drosophila. Despite widespread and growing use, very little work has been done to characterize exactly how these tools affect activity in identified fly neurons. Using the GAL4-UAS system, we expressed blue light–gated Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and a mutated form of ChR2 (H134R-ChR2) in motor and sensory neurons of the Drosophila third-instar locomotor circuit. Neurons expressing H134R-ChR2 show enhanced responses to blue light pulses and less spike frequency adaptation than neurons expressing ChR2. Although H134R-ChR2 was more effective at manipulating behavior than ChR2, the behavioral consequences of firing rate adaptation were different in sensory and motor neurons. For comparison, we examined the effects of ectopic expression of the warmth-activated cation channel Drosophila TRPA1 (dTRPA1). When dTRPA1 was expressed in larval motor neurons, heat ramps from 21 to 27°C evoked tonic spiking at ∼25°C that showed little adaptation over many minutes. dTRPA1 activation had stronger and longer-lasting effects on behavior than ChR2 variants. These results suggest that dTRPA1 may be particularly useful for researchers interested in activating fly neural circuits over long time scales. Overall, this work suggests that understanding the cellular effects of these genetic tools and their temporal dynamics is important for the design and interpretation of behavioral experiments.
Immunologic Characterization and Allergenicity of Recombinant Tyr p 3 Allergen from the Storage Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae
Authors: Liao En-Chih , Hsu Err-Lieh , Tsai Jaw-Ji , Ho Chau-Mei
Published: April 2009

Background: The involvement of the storage mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae in allergies has been increasingly reported in many countries. Molecular analysis has shown that group 3 mite allergens are homologous to trypsin. Similar allergens have not been identified in T. putrescentiae. Our aims were to characterize group 3 allergens in T. putrescentiae and to investigate their significance in allergenicity. Methods: cDNAs of PreTyr p 3 and rTyr p 3 from T. putrescentiae were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Native Tyr p 3 (nTyr p 3) was purified from spent growth medium with an affinity column coupling of antibody. Biological activities of rTyr p 3 were compared with nTyr p 3 in terms of IgE activity, enzymatic activity and histamine release. Results: Full-length cDNA of PreTyr p 3 encodes a 285-amino acid trypsin-like protease and acquires enzymatic activity after removing the pre- and pro-sequences. rTyr p 3 is a 26-kDa protein with equivalent IgE reactivity but weaker enzymatic activity than that of nTyr p 3. A limited level of cross-reactivity has been found between rTyr p 3, Der p 3 and Blomia. Eight of 10 T. putrescentiae-sensitized individuals showed >50% histamine release after triggering with rTyr p 3. Conclusions: Our studies demonstrate that Tyr p 3 is a frequent allergen (58%) in T. putrescentiae-sensitized patients. Since rTyr p 3 displays equivalent biological activities as nTyr p 3, the role of group 3 allergens can be studied using rTyr p 3 to elucidate the pathogenic effects and diagnostic applications of Tyr p 3.
Allergy Therapy by Intranasal Administration with Recombinant Lactococcus lactis Producing Bovine β-Lactoglobulin
Authors: Cortes-Perez Naima G. , Ah-Leung Sandrine , Bermúdez-Humarán Luis G. , Corthier Gérard , Langella Philippe , Wal Jean-Michel , Adel-Patient Karine
Published: April 2009

Background: In the last years, the use of probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been proposed as an attractive alternative for the management of allergic diseases. A partial prevention from sensitization to bovine β-lactoglobulin (BLG), one of the major cows’ milk allergens, could be achieved in mice after intranasal administration with a recombinant LAB strain, Lactococcus lactis, producing BLG (LL-BLG). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the LL-BLG strain in a therapeutic protocol. Methods: Three groups of mice were first orally sensitized to cows’ milk and then intranasally administered with either the LL-BLG strain, BLG protein alone or saline solution. Serum samples were collected to analyze BLG-specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a, and mice were further intranasally challenged with BLG to elicit a specific allergic reaction. Results: Treatment with LL-BLG, but not with BLG alone, contributed to diminish IgG1 production in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. This was associated with decreased IL-4 production and enhanced IFN-γ production by BLG-reactivated splenocytes, suggesting a switch from Th2- to Th1-immune response. Furthermore, we observed that administration of LL-BLG or LL locally reduced the allergic reaction induced after intranasal challenge, as evidenced by decreased release of IL-4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. Conclusion: These preliminary results demonstrate the efficiency of the intranasal administration of LL-BLG for specific therapy against cows’ milk-related allergy.
New Horny Layer Marker Proteins for Evaluating Skin Condition in Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Yamane Yumiko , Moriyama Kayano , Yasuda Chie , Miyata Satoshi , Aihara Michiko , Ikezawa Zenro , Miyazaki Kaoru
Published: April 2009

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a complicated pathogenesis and its clinical features vary greatly among patients. Although many clinical parameters have been reported, it remains difficult to evaluate AD skin conditions adequately. Objective: To support better evaluation of AD patients, we attempted to develop a new, objective and noninvasive method that assesses skin condition in AD using biochemical markers in the skin’s horny layer (HL). Methods: Thirty-six patients with AD, 8 with psoriasis and 16 healthy volunteers were recruited. HL samples were obtained by tape stripping from involved and uninvolved skin of the forearms. Expression levels of 6 proteins in the HL [fatty acid-binding protein-5 (FABP-5), squamous cell carcinoma antigens 2 (SCCA2), α-enolase, annexin II, apolipoprotein A-I and albumin] were analyzed by immunoblotting and compared with clinical data. Results: The 6 proteins were detected at a high level in AD skin lesions, but scarcely in the normal controls. FABP-5 showed correlation with the local severity of the involved skin. Annexin II, apoprotein A-I and albumin showed correlation with the severity of specific eruptions. SCCA2 correlated significantly with total serum IgE level. Albumin levels in the uninvolved skin of AD patients showed significant correlation with the local severity in the involved skin of the same patient and with the trans-epidermal water loss. Albumin levels in psoriatic skin were very low, even with scratch marks, compared to those in AD skin. Conclusion: FABP-5, albumin and some other proteins in HL seem to be useful as biomarkers to evaluate inflammation and skin barrier conditions in AD patients.