bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Military Occupations: Methodological Approaches and the Military–Academy Research Nexus
Authors: Jenkings K. Neil , Woodward Rachel , Williams Alison J. , Rech Matthew F. , Murphy Ann L. , Bos Daniel
Published: January 2011

Military occupations are continually evolving in relation to the geopolitical changes of societies, their conflicts and conflict management strategies, and technological developments in military hardware and software. Military occupations studies undertaken by the academy have been key to informing government strategy towards the maintenance of functioning armed forces. Since the 1950s, such studies have prioritised ‘top‐down’ quantitative sociological methodologies. This paper reviews these studies and the role of the dominant Institutional/Occupational model. The paper then considers less influential ‘bottom up’ interpretive methodological studies of military occupations. It is suggested that the reliance on ‘top down’ modelling approaches has led to the paucity of studies describing the range and experiential detail of military occupations. The Military–Academy nexus, and the priorities of the discipline of sociology are suggested as reasons for this emphasis.
Deception in the Workplace: Recent Research and Promising New Directions
Authors: Shulman David
Published: January 2011

This review identifies some of the promising new directions that scholars are pursuing in current research on deceptions in places of work. I identify and explore five main emphases that have emerged. These directions are comprised of studies that count the pervasiveness of deceptions; examine deception in service provision and emotional labor; identify varied workplace cultures of deception; examine accounts for deception in the wake of corruption, financial misconduct and other misbehaviors; and studies of Internet and computer technologies as new territories for deception. I conclude by suggesting some additional arenas for research into workplace deception, specifically, on professions that produce deception as a form of legitimate work; on deceptions in non‐profit organizations, and research into the technical and dramaturgical efforts that people put into making lies appear believable.
Bridging the Gap: ‘Doing Gender’, ‘Hegemonic Masculinity’, and the Educational Troubles of Boys
Authors: Morris Edward W.
Published: January 2011

This article reviews popular and social scientific perspectives on the academic gender gap in education, specifically the finding that boys underperform compared to girls. The article highlights the utility of sociology in analyzing the gender gap and in guiding how educators respond to students’ gender. It suggests that contemporary gender theories ‘doing gender’ and ‘hegemonic masculinity’ offer the best lenses through which to view academic gender differences. These perspectives can frame boys’ academic troubles as an important social problem, but one that is rooted in the social construction of masculinity rather than institutional discrimination against boys.
The Dark brown plumage color in chickens is caused by an 8.3‐kb deletion upstream of SOX10
Authors: Gunnarsson Ulrika , Kerje Susanne , Bed’hom Bertrand , Sahlqvist Anna‐Stina , Ekwall Olov , Tixier‐Boichard Michele , Kämpe Olle , Andersson Leif
Published: January 2011

The Dark brown (DB) mutation in chickens reduces expression of black eumelanin and enhances expression of red pheomelanin, but only in certain parts of the plumage. Here, we present genetic evidence that an 8.3‐kb deletion upstream of the SOX10 transcription start site is the causal mutation underlying the DB phenotype. The SOX10 transcription factor has a well‐established role in melanocyte biology and is essential for melanocyte migration and survival. Previous studies have demonstrated that the mouse homolog of a highly conserved element within the deleted region is a SOX10 enhancer. The mechanism of action of this mutation remains to be established, but one possible scenario is that the deletion leads to reduced SOX10 expression which in turn down‐regulates expression of key enzymes in pigment synthesis such as tyrosinase. Lower tyrosinase activity leads to a shift toward a more pheomelanistic (reddish) plumage color, which is the characteristic feature of the DB phenotype.
Growth of Pseudomonas putida at low temperature: global transcriptomic and proteomic analyses
Authors: Fonseca Pilar , Moreno Renata , Rojo Fernando
Published: January 2011

In its natural habitats (soil, water and rhizosphere), Pseudomonas putida can suffer frequent and long‐term changes in temperature that affect its growth and survival. Pseudomonas putida KT2440, a well‐characterized model strain, grows optimally at 30°C but can proliferate at temperatures as low as 4°C. However, little information is available on the physiological changes that occur when P. putida grows at low temperatures. To investigate this area, the transcriptome and proteome profiles of cells exponentially growing in a complex medium at 10°C were compared with those of cells exponentially growing at 30°C. Low temperature modified the expression of at least 266 genes (some 5% of the genome). Many of the genes showing differential expression were involved in energy metabolism or in the transport and binding of substrates, although genes implicated in other cellular functions were also affected. Several changes seemed directed towards neutralizing problems created by low temperature, such as increased protein misfolding, the increased stability of DNA/RNA secondary structures, reduced membrane fluidity and a reduced growth rate. The present results improve our understanding of the P. putida lifestyle at low temperature, which may be relevant for its applications in bioremediation and in promotion of plant growth.
Pedagogical strategies for teaching literacy to ESL immigrant students: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Adesope Olusola O. , Lavin Tracy , Thompson Terri , Ungerleider Charles
Published: January 2011

Background. Many countries rely on immigrants for population growth and to maintain a skilled workforce. However, many such immigrants face literacy‐related barriers to success in education and in the labour force.

Aims. This meta‐analysis reviews experimental and quasi‐experimental studies to examine strategies for teaching English literacy to immigrant students.

Method. Following an exhaustive and systematic search for studies meeting pre‐determined inclusion criteria, two researchers independently extracted data from 26 English as a Second Language (ESL) studies involving 3,150 participants. These participants consisted of ESL immigrant students in kindergarten through grade 6 who were exposed to English literacy instructional interventions. Measured outcomes were reading and writing.

Results and Conclusions. Mean effect sizes vary from small to large, depending on instructional interventions and outcome constructs. Across several different grade levels, settings, and methodological features, pedagogical strategies used in teaching ESL to immigrant students are associated with increased competence in reading and writing. Collaborative reading interventions, in which peers engage in oral interaction and cooperatively negotiate meaning and a shared understanding of texts, produced larger effects than systematic phonics instruction and multimedia‐assisted reading interventions. The results show that the pedagogical strategies examined in this meta‐analysis produced statistically significant benefits for students in all grade levels. The findings also show that students from low socio‐economic status (SES) background benefit from ESL literacy interventions. However, significant heterogeneity was found in each subset. Educators and policy makers are encouraged to consider specific school contexts when making decisions about optimal pedagogical strategies. It is possible that contextual factors as well as ESL learner characteristics may influence the effectiveness of these strategies. To ensure literacy acquisition for immigrant students whose primary language is not English, it is important to continue to research successful literacy practices in ways that better inform educators and policy makers.
Children's social groups and intergroup prejudice: Assessing the influence and inhibition of social group norms
Authors: Nesdale Drew , Dalton Davina
Published: January 2011

A simulation group study examined whether the effects of group norms on 7‐ and 9‐year‐old children's intergroup attitudes can be moderated by a contrary school norm. Children learnt that their school had an inclusion norm, were assigned to a group with an outgroup inclusion or exclusion norm, and indicated their ingroup and outgroup attitudes under teacher surveillance or not. Results revealed reduced outgroup liking when the group had an exclusion norm, but that the effect was moderated when the school had an inclusion norm, especially among the older children. The participants’ ingroup liking was also reduced, but teacher surveillance had no effect on attitudes. The findings are discussed in relation to possible strategies to moderate social group norm effects.
Gender and racial favouritism in Black and White preschool girls
Authors: Kurtz‐Costes Beth , DeFreitas Stacie C. , Halle Tamara G. , Kinlaw C. Ryan
Published: January 2011

The authors examined gender and racial preferential behaviour in 108 3‐ and 5‐year‐old Black and White girls. Children set up a birthday party for dolls that differed in gender and racial physical characteristics. Whereas White girls showed favouritism towards the doll most closely resembling themselves in both gender and race, Black girls showed most favouritism towards the White girl doll. Black girls were more likely to show preference based on gender rather than race, whereas White girls were equally likely to show race‐ or gender‐based favouritism. Among White 5‐year‐olds, greater prior interaction with Blacks was positively associated with race‐related favouritism (i.e., secondary preference to the White boy doll rather than the Black girl doll). Interracial contact was unrelated to racial favouritism among the other three groups. Results demonstrate the salience of gender identity during the preschool years, and indicate that majority/minority status and intergroup contact shape the development of collective identity and social behaviour.
Intraparticle Mass Transfer in Adsorption Heat Pumps: Limitations of the Linear Driving Force Approximation
Authors: Raymond Alexander , Garimella Srinivas
Published: January 2011

Adsorption heat pumps and chillers (ADHPCs) can utilize solar or waste heat to provide space conditioning, process heating or cooling, or energy storage. In these devices, intraparticle diffusion is shown to present a significant mass transfer resistance compared with interparticle permeation. Therefore, accurate modeling of intraparticle adsorbate mass transfer is essential for the accurate prediction of overall ADHPC performance. The linear driving force (LDF) approximation is often used to model intraparticle mass transfer in place of more detailed equations because of its computational simplicity. This paper directly compares the adsorbate contents predicted using the LDF and Fickian diffusion (FD) equations for cylindrical and spherical geometries. These geometries are typical of adsorbents commonly used in adsorption refrigeration such as cylindrical activated carbon fibers (ACFs) and spherical silica gel particles. In addition to the conventional LDF approximation, an empirical LDF approximation proposed by El-Sharkawy et al. (2006, “A Study on the Kinetics of Ethanol-Activated Carbon Fiber: Theory and Experiments,” Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 49(17–18), pp. 3104–3110) for ACF-ethanol (cylindrical geometry) is compared with the FD solution. By analyzing the relative error of the LDF approximation compared with the FD solution for an isothermal step-change boundary condition, the conditions under which the LDF approximation agrees with the FD equation are evaluated. It is shown that for a given working pair, agreement between the LDF and FD equations is affected by diffusivity, particle radius, half-cycle time, initial adsorbate content, and equilibrium adsorbate content. A step change in surface adsorbate content for an isothermal particle is shown to be the boundary condition that yields the maximum LDF error, and therefore provides a conservative bound for the LDF error under nonisothermal conditions. The trends exhibited by the ACF-ethanol and silica gel-water working pairs are generalized through dimensionless time and dimensionless driving adsorbate content, and LDF error is mapped using these two variables. This map may be used to determine ranges of applicability of the LDF approximation in an ADHPC model.
Correlation of Subatmospheric Pressure, Saturated, Pool Boiling of Water on a Structured-Porous Surface
Authors: Penley Sean J. , Wirtz R. A.
Published: January 2011

Saturated pool-boiling experiments at 1 atm and subatmospheric pressure assess the utility of fine-filament screen-laminate enhanced surfaces as effective bubble nucleation sites. Experiments were conducted on vertically oriented, multilayer laminates in saturated distilled water at pressures of 0.2–1.0 atm. The performance of 12 different copper-filament surfaces, having pore hydraulic diameters ranging from 14 μm to 172 μm, is documented. Experimental results show that boiling performance is a strong function of screen-laminate geometry. In the present work, enhancement of up to 27 times that of an unenhanced surface was obtained at a superheat of 8 K and a pressure of 0.2 atm. Dimensional analysis and multiparameter regression are used to develop a heat transfer correlation that relates the boiling heat transfer coefficient to the lamination geometry.
Ion Diffusion and DNA Stretching in an Open Nanofluidic System
Authors: Yeo Woon-Hong , Lee Kyong-Hoon , Guo Qingjiang , Liu Yaling , You Xia , Stamatoyannopoulos John A. , Chung Jae-Hyun
Published: January 2011

The ion diffusion in an open nanofluidic system is studied by using an array of nanochannels. The mechanism of the ion diffusion was described through electrowetting-based nanofluidics. An ion diffusion experiment was conducted to validate the theoretical study of the relationship between the diffusion length and the ionic concentration using sodium chloride and phosphate buffer solutions. Shadow edge lithography was utilized to fabricate an array of open nanochannels, which allowed for a direct observation of the molecular diffusion through optical microscopy. The open channel configuration was then applied to stretching λ-DNA molecules in the nanochannels. The stretched length was measured by fluorescence microscopy. The presented nanofluidic device can be applied to the single-molecule study, which can benefit nanoengineered medicine and biology.
Ventilation of Compost Heating System by Permanent Magnets
Authors: Toriyama Harumi , Asako Yutaka
Published: January 2011

The effect of a permanent magnet on ventilation of an air duct through compost has been investigated numerically. Some composts yield heat over 60°C in the fermentation process. This exothermic reaction produces a considerable amount of heat, which could be a potential heating source. Fermentation reaction requires ventilation, sufficient supply of oxygen, and exhaust of metabolized diamagnetic carbon dioxide gas. Continuous and forced air supply is more efficient rather than the conventional manual turn or stirring as ventilation means. In magneto-aero-dynamics, the magnetizing force acting on a paramagnetic oxygen gas is applied to enhance air flow, heat, and mass transfer. In our research, the enhancement of the air flow through air ducts of various sizes has been numerically investigated by applying a permanent magnet on an air duct. Numerical results show that a permanent magnet enhances the air flow, where we obtained a maximum inlet air velocity (uin) of 6.24×10−2 m/s. The application of a permanent magnet to an air duct is useful for compost heating system, a promising alternative energy system.
Evaluation of Different Projectiles in Matched Experimental Eye Impact Simulations
Authors: Weaver Ashley A. , Kennedy Eric A. , Duma Stefan M. , Stitzel Joel D.
Published: January 2011

Eye trauma results in 30,000 cases of blindness each year in the United States and is the second leading cause of monocular visual impairment. Eye injury is caused by a wide variety of projectile impacts and loading scenarios with common sources of trauma being motor vehicle crashes, military operations, and sporting impacts. For the current study, 79 experimental eye impact tests in literature were computationally modeled to analyze global and localized responses of the eye to a variety of blunt projectile impacts. Simulations were run with eight different projectiles (airsoft pellets, baseball, air gun pellets commonly known as BBs, blunt impactor, paintball, aluminum, foam, and plastic rods) to characterize effects of the projectile size, mass, geometry, material properties, and velocity on eye response. This study presents a matched comparison of experimental test results and computational model outputs including stress, energy, and pressure used to evaluate risk of eye injury. In general, the computational results agreed with the experimental results. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to establish the stress and pressure thresholds that best discriminated for globe rupture in the matched experimental tests. Globe rupture is predicted by the computational simulations when the corneoscleral stress exceeds 17.21 MPa or the vitreous pressure exceeds 1.01 MPa. Peak stresses were located at the apex of the cornea, the limbus, or the equator depending on the type of projectile impacting the eye. A multivariate correlation analysis revealed that area-normalized kinetic energy was the best single predictor of peak stress and pressure. Additional incorporation of a relative size parameter that relates the projectile area to the area of the eye reduced stress response variability and may be of importance in eye injury prediction. The modeling efforts shed light on the injury response of the eye when subjected to a variety of blunt projectile impacts and further validate the eye model’s ability to predict globe rupture. Results of this study are relevant to the design and regulation of safety systems and equipment to protect against eye injury.
Epitaxial growth of Dy2O3 films on SrTiO3(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Bhuiyan Md. Nurul Kabir , Menghini Mariela , Locquet Jean-Pierre , Won Seo Jin , Dieker Christel , Jäger Wolfgang , Marchiori Chiara
Published: January 2011

Epitaxial Dy2O3 thin films are grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Structural, morphological, and interfacial properties of the Dy2O3 film are investigated by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), ex situ x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RHEED patterns and XRD spectra show that the Dy2O3 film is grown epitaxially in a cubic phase with a (001) orientation. The surface of the film is smooth with a rms roughness of 4 Å. The TEM image shows that the Dy2O3 film is crystalline with an abrupt interface between the film and substrate without any indication of a chemical reaction or interdiffusion occurring at the interface.
Fluorescence microscopy investigations of ligand propagation and accessibility under adherent cells
Authors: Swift Jody L. , Sergeev Mikhail , Wiseman Paul W.
Published: January 2011

Fluorescence microscopy methods including total internal reflection fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy have played a major role in modern cell biology research by permitting imaging of fluorescently tagged macromolecules in living cells. These methods are often used to examine the initial events in signal transduction, which involve interactions occurring between membrane receptors and ligands such as antibodies and growth factors. Most quantitative biophysical applications using these fluorescence imaging methods, including ligand binding assays, are based on the assumption that the fluorophore label of interest has equal access to all areas of the membrane on the cell. Our findings suggest that there is limited accessibility of fluorophores (25±2%)- under the basal membrane of adherent CHO-K1 cells expressing epidermal growth factor receptor plated on a bare glass in standard two-dimensional tissue cultures. The authors present a detailed study of the extent to which a small fluorescent dye molecule (Alexa 647) is able to propagate under the basal membrane of cells plated on a variety of biologically compatible substrates: fibronectin, bovine serum albumin, poly-d-lysine, collagen I, collagen IV, GeltrexTM, and fibronectin such as binding polymer. For nonspecific dye propagation the best overall accessibility was achieved using a thin layer preparation of a commercially available basement membrane matrix, GeltrexTM (67±8%). Coupling of a specific high affinity ligand (epidermal growth factor) to the dye did result in a moderate increase in propagation for most substrates examined. Despite the overall increase in propagation for most substrates (60%-80%), large areas under the central regions of the adherent cells still remained inaccessible to the fluorescently labeled ligand. More importantly, the presence of the specific ligand did not result in consistent increase in ligand propagation. Taken together these results suggest that the reduced accessibility is not exclusively due to steric effects, and the chemistry of both the ligand and the substrate may be important when working under conditions of reduced dimensionality.
What Gay-Lussac didn’t tell us
Authors: Holbrow C. H. , Amato J. C.
Published: January 2011

Gay-Lussac’s 1801 experiments establishing the law of volumes for gases are brilliantly simple, and he described them with a level of detail that was new to physics writing. But he did not present his actual measurements or tell us how he analyzed them to conclude that between 0 to 100 °C, a volume of any gas will expand by about 37.5%. We review his experiments and conclude that he measured initial and final volumes at slightly different pressures. By using the gas laws and his apparatus diagrams, we corrected his data so that they correspond to constant pressure. His corrected results give ΔV/V=36.6%, the currently accepted value for nearly ideal gases. Aside from their intrinsic interest, our analyses can provide students intriguing applications of the gas laws and Pascal’s law and motivate them to consider Pascal’s paradox. We also note the influence of ballooning and of the French Revolution on Gay-Lussac.
Connecting symbolic difficulties with failure in physics
Authors: Torigoe Eugene T. , Gladding Gary E.
Published: January 2011

We find that symbolic physics questions are significantly more difficult than their analogous numerical versions. Very few of the errors are due to manipulation errors of the symbolic equations. Instead, most errors are due to confusions of symbolic meaning. We also find that performance on symbolic questions is more highly correlated with the overall performance than performance on numeric questions. We devised a coding scheme that distinguishes questions based only on the mathematical structure of the solutions. The coding scheme can be used to identify both difficult and discriminating physics questions. The questions identified by this coding scheme require an algebraic representation and discourage problem solving strategies that do not require an understanding of symbolic equations. Our results suggest that an inability to interpret physics equations may be a major contributor to student failure in introductory physics.
Listening to student conversations during clicker questions: What you have not heard might surprise you!
Authors: James Mark C. , Willoughby Shannon
Published: January 2011

When instructors provide time for students to discuss their ideas in Peer Instruction, instructors minimally expect that the conversation partners will discuss their opinions relating to the physical attributes posed in a question and submit clicker responses that coincide with individual opinions. We defined conversations that met these two criteria as “standard conversations.” In our study of 361 recorded Peer Instruction conversations from large introductory astronomy classrooms taught by experienced instructors, we found that 38% of student conversations were standard conversations. Of the remaining 62%, we identified three broad categories consisting of ten types of “nonstandard” conversations. The first category of conversations describes student ideas that were not reflected in any of the given multiple choice answers. The second category includes issues related to the interpretation of the statistical feedback provided by electronic classroom response systems. The third category describes common pitfalls experienced by students during conversations that led to unproductive interactions. Our analysis of nonstandard Peer Instruction conversations will be useful to practitioners and researchers seeking to improve the implementation of Peer Instruction.
Teaching laser physics by experiments
Authors: Henningsen Jes
Published: January 2011

Experimental activities in the undergraduate physics curriculum often suffer from a lack of connection with the courses they are designed to support. This paper describes a set of experiments in laser physics based on a commercially available HeNe gain tube with one internal and one external mirror. The experiments take students through several important topics including the spatial and temporal properties of laser radiation, a rate equation based model for the laser, and elements of the underlying spectroscopy. The experiments can be integrated into existing courses or provide the backbone of a complete course with close integration of theory and experiment.
The significance of the Schott energy for energy-momentum conservation of a radiating charge obeying the Lorentz–Abraham–Dirac equation
Authors: Grøn Ø.
Published: January 2011

It is shown that energy and momentum are conserved during the runaway motion of a radiating charge and during free fall of a charge in a gravitational field. The runaway motion demonstrates the consistency of classical electrodynamics and the Lorentz–Abraham–Dirac equation. The important role of the Schott (acceleration) energy in this connection is made clear, and it is shown that the Schott energy is the part of the electromagnetic field energy that is proportional to (minus) the scalar product of the velocity and acceleration of a moving accelerated charged particle. The Schott energy is negative if the acceleration is in the same direction as the velocity and positive if it is opposite. During runaway motion, the Schott energy becomes more and more negative, and for a charged particle, it is localized at the particle. It is also shown that a proton and a neutron fall with the same acceleration in a uniform gravitational field, although the proton radiates and the neutron does not. The radiation energy comes from the Schott energy.
When action is not least for orbits in general relativity
Authors: Gray C. G. , Poisson Eric
Published: January 2011

In Newtonian mechanics, the action for a true trajectory between two spacetime events A and B is a minimum if the final event B occurs before the kinetic focus of the initial event A; otherwise, the action is a saddle point. We give a simplified proof of an analogous theorem in differential geometry for worldlines in a curved spacetime. We locate the kinetic focus for orbits in a Schwarzschild field in the lowest-order post-Newtonian approximation and show that the kinetic focus is shifted beyond its Newtonian value of one angular cycle by a fractional amount of order O(v2/c2).
On the exact electric and magnetic fields of an electric dipole
Authors: Kort-Kamp W. J. M. , Farina C.
Published: January 2011

We make a multipole expansion directly in Jefimenko’s equations to obtain the exact expressions for the electric and magnetic fields of an electric dipole with an arbitrary time dependence. Some comments are made about the usual derivations in most undergraduate and graduate textbooks and in literature.
Less than perfect quantum wavefunctions in momentum-space: How ϕ(p) senses disturbances in the force
Authors: Belloni M. , Robinett R. W.
Published: January 2011

We develop a systematic approach to determine the large |p| behavior of the momentum-space wave function, ϕ(p), of a one-dimensional quantum system for which the position-space wave function, ψ(x), has a discontinuous derivative at any order. We find that if the kth derivative of the potential energy function for the system has a discontinuity, there is a corresponding discontinuity in ψ(k+2)(x) at the same point. This discontinuity leads directly to a power-law tail in the momentum-space wave function proportional to 1/pk+3. A number of familiar pedagogical examples are examined in this context, leading to a general derivation of the result.
Electrical Synapses Control Hippocampal Contributions to Fear Learning and Memory
Authors: Bissiere Stephanie , Zelikowsky Moriel , Ponnusamy Ravikumar , Jacobs Nathan S. , Blair Hugh T. , Fanselow Michael S.
Published: January 2011

Neuronal gap-junction channels containing connexin 36 proteins participate in consolidation of fear memories.
Biscrolling Nanotube Sheets and Functional Guests into Yarns
Authors: Lima Márcio D. , Fang Shaoli , Lepró Xavier , Lewis Chihye , Ovalle-Robles Raquel , Carretero-González Javier , Castillo-Martínez Elizabeth , Kozlov Mikhail E. , Oh Jiyoung , Rawat Neema , Haines Carter S. , Haque Mohammad H. , Aare Vaishnavi , Stoughton Stephanie , Zakhidov Anvar A. , Baughman Ray H.
Published: January 2011

Carbon nanotube sheets can support very large fractions of a second material, such as a superconductor or a catalyst.
Innate or Adaptive Immunity? The Example of Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Vivier Eric , Raulet David H. , Moretta Alessandro , Caligiuri Michael A. , Zitvogel Laurence , Lanier Lewis L. , Yokoyama Wayne M. , Ugolini Sophie
Published: January 2011

Natural killer (NK) cells were originally defined as effector lymphocytes of innate immunity endowed with constitutive cytolytic functions. More recently, a more nuanced view of NK cells has emerged. NK cells are now recognized to express a repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors that is calibrated to ensure self-tolerance while allowing efficacy against assaults such as viral infection and tumor development. Moreover, NK cells do not react in an invariant manner but rather adapt to their environment. Finally, recent studies have unveiled that NK cells can also mount a form of antigen-specific immunologic memory. NK cells thus exert sophisticated biological functions that are attributes of both innate and adaptive immunity, blurring the functional borders between these two arms of the immune response.
Studies Point to Possible Contamination in XMRV Findings
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: January 2011

Four papers have appeared in
Retrovirology
suggesting that previous reports linking the virus XMRV to chronic fatigue syndrome were based on false positives.
A Genome-Wide RNAi Screen Identifies Core Components of the G
2
-M DNA Damage Checkpoint
Authors: Kondo Shu , Perrimon Norbert
Published: January 2011

The DNA damage response in
Drosophila
requires the replication preinitiation complex and the MUS312 nuclease complex.
Protein
S
-Nitrosylation in Plants: Photorespiratory Metabolism and NO Signaling
Authors: Gupta Kapuganti J.
Published: January 2011

S
-nitrosylation of mitochondrial proteins induces cell death in the plant pathogen defense response.
Understanding Atrophy
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: January 2011

The scaffold and ubiquitin ligase TRAF6 plays a key role in muscle wasting.
PP2A, the Key to Life and Death
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: January 2011

By recruiting active protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexes or a PP2A inhibitor, the UNC5H2 dependence receptor triggers death or survival, respectively.
Exploiting Variation
Authors: Riddihough Guy
Published: January 2011

A molecular chaperone both buffers and potentiates the adaptive nature of genetic variation in yeast.
Nonthermal Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Plasma-Induced Inactivation Involves Oxidative DNA Damage and Membrane Lipid Peroxidation in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Joshi Suresh G. , Cooper Moogega , Yost Adam , Paff Michelle , Ercan Utku K. , Fridman Gregory , Friedman Gary , Fridman Alexander , Brooks Ari D.
Published: January 2011

Oxidative stress leads to membrane lipid peroxidation, which yields products causing variable degrees of detrimental oxidative modifications in cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the key regulators in this process and induce lipid peroxidation in
Escherichia coli
. Application of nonthermal (cold) plasma is increasingly used for inactivation of surface contaminants. Recently, we reported a successful application of nonthermal plasma, using a floating-electrode dielectric-barrier discharge (FE-DBD) technique for rapid inactivation of bacterial contaminants in normal atmospheric air (S. G. Joshi et al., Am. J. Infect. Control 38:293-301, 2010). In the present report, we demonstrate that FE-DBD plasma-mediated inactivation involves membrane lipid peroxidation in
E. coli
. Dose-dependent ROS, such as singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide-like species generated during plasma-induced oxidative stress, were responsible for membrane lipid peroxidation, and ROS scavengers, such as α-tocopherol (vitamin E), were able to significantly inhibit the extent of lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage. These findings indicate that this is a major mechanism involved in FE-DBD plasma-mediated inactivation of bacteria.
Influence of Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration and Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration on the Disposition of Doripenem
Authors: Cirillo Iolanda , Vaccaro Nicole , Balis Dainius , Redman Rebecca , Matzke Gary R.
Published: January 2011

The pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a single 1-hour, 500-mg intravenous infusion of doripenem were assessed in dialysis-dependent subjects with stage 5 chronic kidney disease undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) via 12-hour continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) (
n
= 6) or continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) (
n
= 5). Healthy volunteers were also assessed (
n
= 12). Concentrations of doripenem and the primary metabolite doripenem-M-1 were measured in plasma and ultrafiltrate or ultrafiltrate/dialysate by a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. In dialysis-dependent subjects, levels of systemic exposure to doripenem and doripenem-M-1 were approximately 3- and 5-fold greater, respectively, than those in healthy subjects: for doripenem, 98 μg·h/ml for CVVH and 77 μg·h/ml for CVVHDF versus 32 μg·h/ml for healthy subjects, and for doripenem-M-1, 24 μg·h/ml for CVVH and 22 μg·h/ml for CVVHDF versus 4.7 μg·h/ml for healthy subjects. The mean sieving coefficients and saturation coefficients were >0.67 for both doripenem and doripenem-M-1. During CVVH and CVVHDF, respectively, the percentages of administered doripenem dose removed were 38% and 29%, and clearances of doripenem were 22 and 25 ml/min. Both CVVH and CVVHDF efficiently removed doripenem and doripenem-M-1. Despite significant removal of drug by CVVH and CVVHDF, a single 1-hour, 500-mg doripenem infusion produced significantly higher plasma concentrations of doripenem, higher systemic exposure (area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 12 h after the start of infusion [AUC
0-12
]), and longer half-life (
t
1/2
) in subjects receiving CVVH or CVVHDF than in healthy volunteers. The recovery of drug in ultrafiltrate and ultrafiltrate/dialysate and the enhanced rate of reduction of plasma concentrations indicate that CVVH and CVVHDF significantly augmented residual total body clearance of doripenem in subjects receiving CRRT. Doripenem dosage regimens for patients receiving CRRT thus need to be adjusted.
The Chimeric Protein Domain III-Capsid of Dengue Virus Serotype 2 (DEN-2) Successfully Boosts Neutralizing Antibodies Generated in Monkeys upon Infection with DEN-2
Authors: Valdés Iris , Gil Lázaro , Romero Yaremis , Castro Jorge , Puente Pedro , Lazo Laura , Marcos Ernesto , Guzmán María G. , Guillén Gerardo , Hermida Lisset
Published: January 2011

Use of a heterologous prime-boost strategy based on a combination of nonreplicative immunogens and candidate attenuated virus vaccines against dengue virus in the same schedule is an attractive approach. These combinations may result in a condensed immunization regime for humans, thus reducing the number of doses with attenuated virus and the time spacing. The present work deals with the evaluation of the heterologous prime-boost strategy combining a novel chimeric protein (domain III-capsid) of dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN-2) and the infective homologous virus in the same immunization schedule in monkeys. Primed monkeys received one dose of infective DEN-2 and were then vaccinated with the recombinant protein. We found that animals developed a neutralizing antibody response after the infective dose and were notably boosted with a second dose of the chimeric protein 3 months later. The neutralizing antibodies induced were long lasting, and animals also showed the ability to induce a specific cellular response 6 months after the booster dose. As a conclusion, we can state that the domain III region, when it is properly presented as a fusion protein to the immune system, is able to recall the neutralizing antibody response elicited following homologous virus infection in monkeys. Further prime-boost approaches can be performed in a condensed regime combining the chimeric domain III-capsid protein and candidate live attenuated vaccines against DEN-2.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Activation by
Chlamydia trachomatis
Is Plasmid Dependent, and Plasmid-Responsive Chromosomal Loci Are Coordinately Regulated in Response to Glucose Limitation by
C. trachomatis
but Not by
C. muridarum
Authors: O'Connell Catherine M. , AbdelRahman Yasser M. , Green Erin , Darville Hillary K. , Saira Kazima , Smith Bennett , Darville Toni , Scurlock Amy M. , Meyer Christopher R. , Belland Robert J.
Published: January 2011

We previously demonstrated that plasmid-deficient
Chlamydia muridarum
retains the ability to infect the murine genital tract but does not elicit oviduct pathology because it fails to activate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). We derived a plasmid-cured derivative of the human genital isolate
Chlamydia trachomatis
D/UW-3/Cx, strain CTD153, which also fails to activate TLR2, indicating this virulence phenotype is associated with plasmid loss in both
C. trachomatis
and
C. muridarum.
As observed with plasmid-deficient
C. muridarum
, CTD153 displayed impaired accumulation of glycogen within inclusions. Transcriptional profiling of the plasmid-deficient strains by using custom microarrays identified a conserved group of chromosomal loci, the expression of which was similarly controlled in plasmid-deficient
C. muridarum
strains CM972 and CM3.1 and plasmid-deficient
C. trachomatis
CTD153. However, although expression of glycogen synthase, encoded by
glgA
, was greatly reduced in CTD153, it was unaltered in plasmid-deficient
C. muridarum
strains. Thus, additional plasmid-associated factors are required for glycogen accumulation by this chlamydial species. Furthermore, in
C. trachomatis
,
glgA
and other plasmid-responsive chromosomal loci (PRCLs) were transcriptionally responsive to glucose limitation, indicating that additional regulatory elements may be involved in the coordinated expression of these candidate virulence effectors. Glucose-limited
C. trachomatis
displayed reduced TLR2 stimulation in an
in vitro
assay. During human chlamydial infection, glucose limitation may decrease chlamydial virulence through its effects on plasmid-responsive chromosomal genes.
New Methods for Detection of Campylobacters in Stool Samples in Comparison to Culture
Authors: Bessède Emilie , Delcamp Adline , Sifré Elodie , Buissonnière Alice , Mégraud Francis
Published: January 2011

Campylobacter
species, especially
Campylobacter jejuni
and
Campylobacter coli
, are a major cause of human bacterial enteritis. Current detection in stools is done essentially by culture on selective and nonselective media with filtration. These methods were compared to 2 molecular biology methods, an in-house real-time PCR and a multiplex PCR named Seeplex Diarrhea ACE Detection, and 3 immunoenzymatic methods, Premier Campy, RidaScreen Campylobacter, and ImmunoCard Stat!Campy. Out of 242 stool specimens tested, 23 (9.5%) fulfilled the positivity criteria, i.e., they were positive by one or both culture methods or, in case of a negative culture, by a positive molecular method and a positive immunoenzymatic method. The striking feature of this study is the low sensitivity of culture, in the range of 60%, in contrast to immunoenzymatic and molecular tests.
High Prevalence and Predominance of Hepatitis Delta Virus Genotype 1 Infection in Cameroon
Authors: Foupouapouognigni Yacouba , Noah Dominique Noah , Sartre Michèle Tagni , Njouom Richard
Published: January 2011

Antibodies to the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) were found in 17.6% of 233 hepatitis B virus surface antigen-positive subjects in Cameroon. Phylogenetic analyses showed the presence of HDV-1, HDV-5, HDV-6, and HDV-7 genotypes. These results enrich the limited data on HDV prevalence and molecular diversity in Cameroon.
Complex Cell Cycle Abnormalities Caused by Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Tax
Authors: Yang Liangpeng , Kotomura Naoe , Ho Yik-Khuan , Zhi Huijun , Bixler Sandra , Schell Michael J. , Giam Chou-Zen
Published: January 2011

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a malignancy of CD4
+
T cells whose etiology is thought to be associated with the viral
trans
-activator Tax. We have shown recently that Tax can drastically upregulate the expression of p27
Kip1
and p21
CIP1/WAF1
through protein stabilization and mRNA
trans
-activation and stabilization, respectively. The Tax-induced surge in p21
CIP1/WAF1
and p27
Kip1
begins in S phase and results in cellular senescence. Importantly, HeLa and SupT1 T cells infected by HTLV-1 also arrest in senescence, thus challenging the notion that HTLV-1 infection causes cell proliferation. Here we use time-lapse microscopy to investigate the effect of Tax on cell cycle progression in two reporter cell lines, HeLa/18x21-EGFP and HeLa-FUCCI, that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of 18 copies of the Tax-responsive 21-bp repeat element and
f
luorescent
u
biquitin
c
ell
c
ycle
i
ndicators, respectively. Tax-expressing HeLa cells exhibit elongated or stalled cell cycle phases. Many of them bypass mitosis and become single senescent cells as evidenced by the expression of senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Such cells have twice the normal equivalent of cellular contents and hence are enlarged, with exaggerated nuclei. Interestingly, nocodazole treatment revealed a small variant population of HeLa/18x21-EGFP cells that could progress into mitosis normally with high levels of Tax expression, suggesting that genetic or epigenetic changes that prevent Tax-induced senescence can occur spontaneously at a detectable frequency.
Global Landscape of Structural Proteins of Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus
Authors: Dong Chuan-Fu , Xiong Xiao-Peng , Shuang Fan , Weng Shao-Ping , Zhang Jing , Zhang Ye , Luo Yong-wen , He Jian-Guo
Published: January 2011

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus
(ISKNV), the type species of the genus
Megalocytivirus
in the family
Iridoviridae
, causes severe damage to mandarin fish cultures in China. Little is known about the proteins of ISKNV virions. In this study, a total of 38 ISKNV virion-associated proteins were identified by four different workflows with systematic and comprehensive proteomic approaches. Among the 38 identified proteins, 21 proteins were identified by the gel-based workflows (one-dimensional [1-D] and two-dimensional [2-D] gel electrophoresis). Fifteen proteins were identified by 1-D gel electrophoresis, and 16 proteins were identified by 2-D gel electrophoresis, with 10 proteins identified by both methods. Another 17 proteins were identified only by liquid chromatography (LC)-based workflows (LC-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization [MALDI] and linear trap quadrupole [LTQ]-Orbitrap). Among these 17 LC-identified proteins, 5 proteins were identified uniquely by the LC-MALDI workflow, whereas another 6 proteins were identified only by the LTQ-Orbitrap workflow. These results underscore the importance of incorporation of multiple approaches in identification of viral proteins. Based on viral genomic sequence, genes encoding these 38 viral proteins were cloned and expressed
in vitro
. Antibodies were produced against these 38 proteins to confirm the ISKNV structural proteins by Western blotting. Of the newly identified proteins, ORF 056L and ORF 118L were identified and confirmed as two novel viral envelope proteins by Western blotting and immunoelectron microscopy (IEM). The ISKNV proteome reported here is currently the only characterized megalocytivirus proteome. The systematic and comprehensive identification of ISKNV structural proteins and their localizations in this study will facilitate future studies of the ISKNV assembly process and infection mechanism.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Induced Angiogenin Plays Roles in Latency via the Phospholipase Cγ Pathway: Blocking Angiogenin Inhibits Latent Gene Expression and Induces the Lytic Cycle
Authors: Sadagopan Sathish , Valiya Veettil Mohanan , Paudel Nitika , Bottero Virginie , Chandran Bala
Published: January 2011

During
de novo
infection of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-d), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) induced the multifunctional angiogenin (ANG) protein, which entered the nuclei and nucleoli of infected cells and stimulated 45S rRNA gene transcription, proliferation, and tube formation, which were inhibited by blocking ANG nuclear translocation with the antibiotic neomycin (S. Sadagopan et al., J. Virol.
83:
3342-3364, 2009). ANG was induced by KSHV latency protein LANA-1 (open reading frame 73 [ORF73]). Here we examined the presence and functions of ANG in KSHV-positive (KSHV
+
) primary effusion lymphoma (PEL/BCBL) cells. Significant ANG gene expression and secretion were observed in KSHV
+
(BCBL-1 and BC-3) and KSHV
+
and Epstein-Barr virus-positive (KSHV
+
EBV
+
) (JSC-1) PEL cells and in BJAB-KSHV cells but not in EBV
−
KSHV
−
lymphoma cells (Akata, Loukes, Ramos, and BJAB), EBV
+
lymphoma cells (Akata-EBV and Raji), and cells from an EBV
+
lymphoblastoid cell line, thus suggesting a specific association of ANG in KSHV biology. Inhibition of nuclear translocation of ANG resulted in reduced BCBL-1 and TIVE-LTC (latently infected endothelial) cell survival and proliferation, while EBV
−
and EBV
+
Akata cells were unaffected. Blocking nuclear transport of ANG inhibited latent ORF73 gene expression and increased lytic switch ORF50 gene expression, both during
de novo
infection and in latently infected cells. A greater quantity of infectious KSHV was detected in the supernatants of neomycin-treated BCBL-1 cells than 12-
O
-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-treated cells. Neomycin treatment and ANG silencing inhibited phospholipase Cγ (PLC-γ) and AKT phosphorylation, and in contrast, ANG induced ORF73 expression and PLC-γ and AKT phosphorylation. Further studies provided evidence that blockage of PLC-γ activation by neomycin appears to be mediating the inhibition of latent gene expression, since treatment with the conventional PLC-γ inhibitor U73122 also showed similar results. Silencing of ANG also resulted in reduced cell survival, reduced ORF73 gene expression, and lytic gene activation in BCBL-1 and TIVE-LTC cells and during
de novo
infection. Taken together, these studies suggest that KSHV has evolved to exploit ANG for its advantage via a so-far-unexplored PLC-γ pathway for maintaining its latency.