bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The possible role of selenium status in adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Mariath Aline B. , Bergamaschi Denise P. , Rondó Patrícia H. C. , Tanaka Ana C. D'A. , Hinnig Patrícia de Fragas , Abbade Joélcio F. , Diniz Simone G.
Published: February 2011

The present study reviews the possible role of Se status during pregnancy regarding adverse pregnancy outcomes, with emphasis on those related to diminished antioxidant activity and increased oxidative stress. Studies have reported that Se could play an important role in adverse outcomes such as miscarriages, neural tube defects, diaphragmatic hernia, premature birth, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, glucose intolerance and gestational diabetes. Also, low Se status has been associated with adverse outcomes among HIV-infected pregnant women and their offspring. Nevertheless, the function of Se in the aetiology of pregnancy complications is yet to be elucidated. Available evidence presents the following limitations: most study designs do not allow conclusions about causal relationships; study populations, selection of subjects, research setting, procedures for defining sample size and analytical methods are often poorly described; many studies fail to adjust for important confounding variables. In addition, population studies assessing the relationship between Se intake during pregnancy and health outcomes are scarce. Further research is still needed to clarify the role of Se status in adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially those related to augmented oxidative stress.
Protein and fat modify the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to a mashed potato-based meal
Authors: Hätönen Katja A. , Virtamo Jarmo , Eriksson Johan G. , Sinkko Harri K. , Sundvall Jouko E. , Valsta Liisa M.
Published: February 2011

Potatoes, especially mashed potatoes, are known to result in high glycaemic and insulinaemic responses. However, in most meals, potatoes are accompanied by other foods. The objective of the present study was to investigate how glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to a mashed potato meal changed when a high-fat food (rapeseed oil), a high-protein food (chicken breast) and/or salad were added to the meal. Healthy subjects (n11) ingested the test meals once and the reference food (glucose solution) twice in a random order at 1-week intervals. Capillary blood samples were then drawn for 2 h, and glucose and insulin were analysed. The 2 h glycaemic responses to six mashed potato-containing meals varied more than twofold. The glycaemic index (GI) of pure mashed potato was 108, whereas combined with chicken breast, rapeseed oil and salad, it was only 54. The latter GI also differed considerably from its predicted value of 103, which was based on the individual GI of the components of the meal. The insulinaemic indices of the mashed potato-based meals varied between 94 and 148. Chicken breast in the meal increased the insulinaemic response, and rapeseed oil diminished it. However, the insulinaemic response to mashed potato with chicken breast and rapeseed oil was lower than that to mashed potato alone. In conclusion, the protein, fat and salad contents of a meal exert considerable influence on the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to mashed potatoes. Furthermore, the estimation of the GI of a mixed meal by calculation is imprecise.
A global event with a regional character: the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event in the Pindos Ocean (northern Peloponnese, Greece)
Authors: KAFOUSIA N. , KARAKITSIOS V. , JENKYNS H. C. , MATTIOLI E.
Published: February 2011

The Early Toarcian (Early Jurassic, c. 183 Ma) was characterized by an Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE), primarily identified by the presence of globally distributed approximately coeval black organic-rich shales. This event corresponded with relatively high marine temperatures, mass extinction, and both positive and negative carbon-isotope excursions. Because most studies of the T-OAE have taken place in northern European and Tethyan palaeogeographic domains, there is considerable controversy as to the regional or global character of this event. Here, we present the first high-resolution integrated chemostratigraphic (carbonate, organic carbon, δ13Ccarb, δ13Corg) and biostratigraphic (calcareous nannofossil) records from the Kastelli Pelites cropping out in the Pindos Zone, western Greece. During the Mesozoic, the Pindos Zone was a deep-sea ocean-margin basin, which formed in mid-Triassic times along the northeast passive margin of Apulia. In two sections through the Kastelli Pelites, the chemostratigraphic and biostratigraphic (nannofossil) signatures of the most organic-rich facies are identified as correlative with the Lower Toarcian, tenuicostatum/polymorphum–falciferum/serpentinum/levisoni ammonite zones, indicating that these sediments record the T-OAE. Both sections also display the characteristic negative carbon-isotope excursion in organic matter and carbonate. This occurrence reinforces the global significance of the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event.
Transport of passive scalar in turbulent shear flow under a clean or surfactant-contaminated free surface
Authors: KHAKPOUR HAMID R. , SHEN LIAN , YUE DICK K. P.
Published: February 2011

Direct numerical simulation is performed to study the turbulent transport of passive scalars near clean and surfactant-contaminated free surfaces. As a canonical problem, a turbulent shear flow interacting with a flat free surface is considered, with a focus on the effect of splats and anti-splats on the scalar transport processes. Using conditional averaging of strong surface flux events, it is shown that these are associated with coherent hairpin vortex structures emerging from the shear flow. The upwelling at the splat side of the oblique hairpin vortices greatly enhances the scalar surface flux. In the presence of surfactants, the splats at the surface are suppressed by the surface tension gradients caused by spatial variation of surfactant concentration; as a result, scalar flux is reduced. Conditional averaging of weak surface flux events shows that these are caused by anti-splats with which surface-connected vortices are often associated. When surfactants are present, the downdraught transport at the surface-connected vortices is weakened. Turbulence statistics of the velocity and scalar fields are performed in terms of mean and fluctuation profiles, scalar flux, turbulent diffusivity and scalar variance budget. Using surface layer quantification based on an analytical similarity solution of the mean shear flow, it is shown that the depth of the scalar statistics variation is scaled on the basis of the Schmidt number. In the presence of surfactants, the scalar statistics have the characteristics of those near a solid wall in contrast to those near a clean surface, which leads to thickened scalar boundary layer and reduced surface flux.
Levels of infection of gastric nematodes in a flock of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) from Lake Biwa, Japan
Authors: El-Dakhly Kh.M. , El-Nahass E. , Uni S. , Tuji H. , Sakai H. , Yanai T.
Published: February 2011

A high prevalence (86.7%) of various species of nematodes was observed in the stomach of great cormorants living in Lake Biwa, Japan. There were varying numbers of adults belonging to two common genera, Eustrongylides Jagerskiold 1909 (Nematoda: Dioctophymatidae) and Contracaecum Railliet & Henry 1912 (Nematoda: Anisakidae). The first included common adenophorean nematodes comprising a single species, Eustrongylides tubifex and the second comprised ascaroid nematodes that contained four named species: Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964, Contracaecum microcephalum Yamaguti, 1961, Contracaecum multipapillatum Drasche, 1882 and Contracaecum chubutensis Garbin, 2008. After the prevalence and intensity of the infection had been noted, both types of nematodes were frequently observed to penetrate the mucosa and intrude into the wall of the glandular stomach, where they caused gross haemorrhage and ulceration. The Eustrongylides sp. was predominantly found in a nodular lesion of the proventricular wall, while Contracaecum spp. were observed either free in the lumen of the proventriculus or, on occasion, deeply penetrating its wall. Of the Contracaecum spp., C. rudolphii was the most prevalent. Grossly, large numbers of nematodes were present in infected stomachs (for C. rudolphii intensity was 1–34 and 3–57 nematodes in male birds and 1–21 and 1–32 in females; for C. microcephalum 1–2 and 1 in male birds and 1–2 in females; for C. multipapillatum 2 in male cormorants and no infection in females; for C. chubutensis 1–2 and 1 in male birds and 1–5 and 1 in females and for E. tubifex 1–5 nematodes in male birds and 2–8 in females). Ulcerative inflammation and hyperaemia were the most common pathological presentations, especially in areas that had been invaded by parasites. Microscopically, varying degrees of granulomatous inflammatory reactions were seen, in addition to degenerated nematodes which appeared to have deeply penetrated mucosal surfaces and were surrounded by fibrous connective tissues.
Unmaking the Chinese Nationalist State: Administrative Reform among Fiscal Collapse, 1937–1945
Authors: BOECKING FELIX
Published: February 2011

The defeat of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Guomindang) in the Chinese Civil War in 1949 is often explained as a consequence of Nationalist fiscal incompetence during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which led to the collapse of the Nationalist state. In this paper, I argue that from 1937 until 1940, GMD fiscal policy managed to preserve a degree of relative stability even though, by early 1939, the Nationalists had already lost control over ports yielding 80 per cent of Customs revenue which, during the Nanjing decade (1928–1937), had accounted for more than 40 per cent of annual central government revenue. The loss of this revenue forced the Nationalists to introduce wartime fiscal instruments, taxation in kind, and transit taxes, both previously condemned as outdated and inequitable by the Nationalists. Further territorial losses led to the introduction of deficit financing, which in turn became a cause of hyperinflation. The introduction of war-time fiscal instruments led to administrative changes in the revenue-collecting agencies of the Nationalist state, and to the demise of the Maritime Customs Service as the pre-eminent revenue-collecting and anti-smuggling organization. The administrative upheavals of the war facilitated the rise of other central government organizations nominally charged with smuggling suppression, which in fact frequently engaged in trade with the Japanese-occupied areas of China. Hence, administrative reforms at a time of fiscal collapse, far from strengthening the war-time state, created one of the preconditions for the disintegration of the Nationalist state, which facilitated the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) victory in 1949.
Review of doctoral research in second language acquisition in Germany (2006–2009)
Authors: Behrent Sigrid , Doff Sabine , Marx Nicole , Ziegler Gudrun
Published: February 2011

Our overview of current dissertation work at German universities has identified four main strands of research interest within the field of second language acquisition (SLA). The 38 Ph.D. theses reviewed here were all read between 2006 and 2009 and fall into the subject areas of: foreign language (FL) teaching in primary school, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and multilingual pedagogy, language learner autonomy, and multimedia and language learning. Research methods are mostly qualitative in nature, although method and instrument triangulation are common, and studies often involve smaller research groups. The focus of study tends to be quite practical, reflecting the need to adapt teaching curriculums and learning materials to changing learning situations and populations.
American Association for Applied Linguistics Colloquia, 2010
Authors: Cenoz Jasone , Gorter Durk
Published: February 2011

Presented at the AAAL Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 6 March, 2010.

This colloquium discussed a multilingual approach to language learning, language teaching and language assessment in school settings. This approach implies looking at language acquisition and use from a holistic perspective, taking into account not only the target language but all the languages known by the learner; such a perspective brings together the traditions of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and bi/multilingualism because it looks at the whole linguistic repertoire of learners when acquiring and using languages. This perspective does not regard the boundaries between languages as clear-cut; nevertheless, those boundaries are themselves used as a resource in communication. In contrast to traditional teaching approaches, code-mixing, code-switching and translanguaging are considered common practices in the behavior of multilingual learners. The multilingual approach also represents a reaction against the ‘monolingual bias’, which leads to the judging of multilingual speakers' competencies by native speaker norms. It also goes beyond common practices not only in foreign language classrooms but also in bilingual and multilingual schools.
American Association for Applied Linguistics Colloquia, 2010
Authors: Kinginger Celeste
Published: February 2011

Presented at the AAAL Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 6 March 2010.

The purpose of this colloquium was to update professional appreciation of language learning in study abroad, with special reference to projects illustrating contemporary interest in the socially situated nature of this phenomenon. Introducing the panel, Celeste Kinginger (Pennsylvania State University) noted that while a sojourn abroad can enhance every aspect of language ability, it is most effective in domains related to social interaction. The colloquium was motivated by several limitations of current research on study abroad. First, the vast majority of studies address the experiences of US-based students learning commonly taught languages. Second, the research would benefit from a shift away from conservative, academic views of language to more usage-based models reflecting the full range of living language that students encounter abroad. Finally, an exclusive focus on the student perspective, in qualitative studies, may yield incomplete and potentially ethnocentric findings.
Continued increase in numbers of spectacled petrels Procellaria conspicillata
Authors: Ryan Peter G. , Ronconi Robert A.
Published: February 2011

Until recently, the spectacled petrel Procellaria conspicillata Gould was listed as Critically Endangered due to its small population size and ongoing incidental mortality on fishing gear. Surveys at its sole breeding locality, Inaccessible Island in the central South Atlantic Ocean, indicated that the population increased from 1999–2004, resulting in the species being down-listed to Vulnerable. We repeated the census of breeding spectacled petrels during the early incubation period in October–November 2009. Numbers of burrows increased by 55% from 2004–09, with increases in all count zones, and the greatest changes in peripheral populations. Burrow occupancy estimates remained high, averaging 81% during one-off checks. Our best estimate of the population in 2009 was 14 400 pairs, continuing the c. 7% per year increase inferred since the 1930s following the disappearance of introduced pigs. This confirms the rapid recovery of this species despite ongoing mortality on fishing gear. Our results suggest that at least some procellariiforms are able to sustain strong growth rates in the face of fishing mortality when colony based threats are removed.
Fluxes and budgets of biogenic elements at the sediment-water interface of Marian Cove, King George Island
Authors: Shim JeonGhee , Kang Young Chul , Kang Dong-Jin , Han Myung Woo
Published: February 2011

Fluxes of dissolved oxygen and nutrients and vertical fluxes of particulate organic elements were investigated in the subtidal benthic environment of Marian Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, usingin situbenthic chambers and near-bottom sediment traps. Fluxes of dissolved oxygen, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate were comparable to those measured in temperate regions. Sediment oxygen consumption was a good indicator of organic respiration and elemental efflux at the benthic boundary layer of Marian Cove, with good positive correlations with ammonia (r2= 0.67), phosphate (r2= 0.57), and the C:N:P ratio (106:11.5:1.15) in the chamber water. A positive relationship (r2= 0.58) between settling particulate organic carbon flux and chlaconcentration suggests that water column biomass and production are direct sources of settling particles. According to element budgets in summer assessed using the fluxes, Jinand the sum of Joutand Jburialwere 15.9 ± 8.1 and 22.6 ± 8.2 mmol m-2d-1for carbon, 2.02 ± 0.54 and 2.46 ± 0.82 mmol m-2d-1for nitrogen, 0.07 ± 0.03 and 0.23 ± 0.08 mmol m-2d-1for phosphorus, and 12.4 ± 2.7 and 13.5 ± 5.0 mmol m-2d-1for silicon, respectively. There was a broad balance between sediment organic input and remineralized output for carbon and nitrogen at the benthic boundary layer of Marian Cove.
Negative Dependence and Srinivasan's Sampling Process
Authors: KRAMER JOSH BROWN , CUTLER JONATHAN , RADCLIFFE A. J.
Published: February 2011

Dubhashi, Jonasson and Ranjan Dubhashi, Jonasson and Ranjan (2007) study the negative dependence properties of Srinivasan's sampling processes (SSPs), random processes which sample sets of a fixed size with prescribed marginals. In particular they prove that linear SSPs have conditional negative association, by using the Feder–Mihail theorem and a coupling argument. We consider a broader class of SSPs that we call tournament SSPs (TSSPs). These have a tree-like structure and we prove that they have conditional negative association. Our approach is completely different from that of Dubhashi, Jonasson and Ranjan. We give an abstract characterization of TSSPs, and use this to deduce that certain conditioned TSSPs are themselves TSSPs. We show that TSSPs have negative association, and hence conditional negative association. We also give an example of an SSP that does not have negative association.
Alterations of Responsibility Beliefs Through Cognitive-Behavioural Group Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Haraguchi Tadashi , Shimizu Eiji , Ogura Hiroshi , Fukami Goro , Fujisaki Mihisa , Iyo Masaomi
Published: February 2011

Background: Inflated responsibility is the main feature of cognitive-behavioural models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, few studies have examined the effect of cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) on inflated responsibility. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of CBGT on OCD symptoms and responsibility beliefs. Methods: Thirty-six subjects meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for OCD were recruited to CBGT, and 28 of them completed 12 sessions. Subjects were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS), and the Responsibility Interpretations Questionnaire (RIQ) at pre- and post-treatment. Results: Y-BOCS, RAS and RIQ (belief) scores were significantly improved at the end of the treatment. Conclusion: This study indicates that CBGT improves not only obsessive-compulsive symptoms but also inflated responsibility beliefs in patients with OCD.
Cognitive Dysfunction and White Matter Abnormalities in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Kozora Elizabeth , Filley Christopher M.
Published: February 2011

Brain abnormalities have been documented by neuropsychological assessment as well as a variety of neuroimaging techniques in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Conventional neuroimaging in patients with neuropsychiatric disease (NPSLE) typically discloses periventricular white matter (WM) hyperintensities, infarcts, hemorrhages, and cerebral atrophy. In SLE patients with none of these findings, sophisticated neuroimaging techniques have recently supported associations between microstructural WM abnormalities and abnormal attention, executive function, and processing speed. This mild cognitive dysfunction in SLE (MCD-SLE), which may result from early myelinopathy, precedes the more severe cognitive dysfunction of NPSLE, related to more obvious WM and neuronal damage. (JINS, 2011,17, 385–392)
Learning to parse liaison-initial words: An eye-tracking study
Authors: TREMBLAY ANNIE
Published: February 2011

This study investigates the processing of resyllabified words by native English speakers at three proficiency levels in French and by native French speakers. In particular, it examines non-native listeners’ development of a parsing procedure for recognizing vowel-initial words in the context of liaison, a process that creates a misalignment of the syllable and word boundaries in French. The participants completed an eye-tracking experiment in which they identified liaison- and consonant-initial real and nonce words in auditory stimuli. The results show that the non-native listeners had little difficulty recognizing liaison-initial real words, and they recognized liaison-initial nonce words more rapidly than consonant-initial ones. By contrast, native listeners recognized consonant-initial real and nonce words more rapidly than liaison-initial ones. These results suggest that native and non-native listeners used different parsing procedures for recognizing liaison-initial words in the task, with the non-native listeners’ ability to segment liaison-initial words being phonologically abstract rather than lexical.
Awareness and knowledge about weight status and management: results from the 1 d sensitization campaign ‘Obesity Day’ in northern Italy
Authors: Barichella Michela , Malavazos Alexis E , Fatati Giuseppe , Cereda Emanuele
Published: February 2011

Objective

To evaluate the awareness and knowledge about weight status and its management.

Design

A 1 d cross-sectional survey. Basic anthropometric assessments (weight, height, BMI and waist circumference) and a self-administered questionnaire were considered.

Setting

Nineteen Clinical Nutrition or Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders Units or Dietetics Services in the Italian region of Lombardy.

Subjects

All adults attending the ‘Obesity Day’ initiative.

Results

A total of 914 participants (605 female and 309 male) were recruited. Although most of the participants (83·5 %) considered obesity to be a disease, 38·5 % were likely to misperceive their weight status. In particular, 38·8 % of normal-weight adults believed themselves to be overweight, whereas 71·1 % and 37·5 % of classes I and II/III obese adults classified themselves as being overweight and mildly obese, respectively. However, most of the overweight (90·2 %), mildly (96·8 %) and moderately/severely obese adults (99·1 %) recognized the need to lose weight. In all, 37·8 % of the sample underestimated the role of physical activity in weight management. Interestingly, only 17·2 % of dieters (previous or current) declared being advised by their doctor to lose weight. Multivariate models revealed that higher age, low education and higher BMI were important determinants of poor weight control and management. In addition, previous dieting appeared not to provide better knowledge, whereas the role of physical activity was recognized mainly by those practising it.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that in Italy knowledge about weight management should be improved not only in the general population but also among health-care professionals. To confirm this finding, there is now the rationale for a nationally representative survey. New educational programmes can be designed on the basis of the information collected.
Interactions between genetic variants of folate metabolism genes and lifestyle affect plasma homocysteine concentrations in the Boston Puerto Rican population
Authors: Huang Tao , Tucker Katherine L , Lee Yu-Chi , Crott Jimmy W , Parnell Laurence D , Shen Jian , Smith Caren E , Ordovas Jose M , Li Duo , Lai Chao-Qiang
Published: February 2011

Objective

To investigate genetic and lifestyle factors and their interactions on plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations in the Boston Puerto Rican population.

Design

Cross-sectional study. Plasma concentrations of Hcy, folate, vitamin B12and pyridoxal phosphate were measured, and genetic polymorphisms were determined. Data on lifestyle factors were collected in interviews.

Setting

A population survey of health and nutritional measures.

Subjects

A total of 994 Puerto Rican men and women residing in the Boston metropolitan area.

Results

Smoking status was positively associated with plasma Hcy. Genetic polymorphismsMTHFR677C→T,FOLH11561C→T,FOLH1rs647370 andPCFT928A→G interacted significantly with smoking for Hcy.MTHFR1298A→C (P= 0·040) andPCFT928A→G (P= 0·002) displayed significant interactions with alcohol intake in determining plasma Hcy. Subjects withPCFT928GGgenotype had significantly higher plasma Hcy concentrations compared with carriers of theAallele (AA+AG;P= 0·030) among non-drinking subjects. When consuming alcohol,GGsubjects had lower plasma Hcy levels compared withAA+AGsubjects. Physical activity interacted significantly withMTR2756A→G in determining plasma Hcy (Pfor interaction = 0·002). Smoking interacted with physical activity for plasma Hcy (Pfor interaction = 0·023).

Conclusions

Smoking and drinking were associated plasma Hcy concentrations. Genetic variants involved in folate metabolism further modify the effects of lifestyle on plasma Hcy.
Food and drink intake during television viewing in adolescents: the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study
Authors: Rey-López Juan Pablo , Vicente-Rodríguez German , Répásy Judith , Mesana Maria Isabel , Ruiz Jonatan R , Ortega Francisco B , Kafatos Anthony , Huybrechts Inge , Cuenca-García Magdalena , León J Francisco , González-Gross Marcela , Sjöström Michael , de Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Moreno Luis A
Published: February 2011

Objective

To compare food consumption during television (TV) viewing among adolescents who watched >2 h/d v. ≤2 h/d; and to examine the association between sociodemographic variables (age, gender and socio-economic status (SES)) and the consumption of energy-dense foods and drinks during TV viewing.

Design

The data are part of the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) cross-sectional survey. Data on time watching TV, types of foods and drinks consuming during TV viewing and parental SES (parental education, parental occupation and family affluence) were measured by questionnaires completed by adolescents. Binary logistic regression tested the association between energy-dense foods and drinks and (i) sociodemographic variables and (ii) TV time.

Setting

Ghent (Belgium), Heraklion (Greece), Pecs (Hungary) and Zaragoza (Spain).

Subjects

Girls (n 699) and boys (n 637) aged 12·5–17·5 years.

Results

Boys reported more frequent consumption of beer and soft drinks whereas girls selected more fruit juice, water, herbal infusions and sweets (all P ≤ 0·05). Watching TV for >2 h/d was associated with the consumption of energy-dense foods and drinks. Girls whose mothers achieved the lowest education level had an adjusted OR of 3·22 (95 % CI 1·81, 5·72) for the consumption of energy-dense drinks during TV viewing v. those whose mothers had the highest educational level.

Conclusions

Excessive TV watching may favour concurrent consumption of energy-dense snacks and beverages. Adolescents from low-SES families are more likely to consume unhealthy drinks while watching TV.
A model to predict the evolution of a gravel bed river under an imposed cyclic hydrograph and its application to the Trinity River
Authors: Viparelli Enrica , Gaeuman David , Wilcock Peter , Parker Gary
Published: February 2011

Major changes in the morphology of the Trinity River in California, such as narrowing of the cross section and sedimentation of fine sediment in pools, occurred after the closure of a system of dams. These changes caused a dramatic reduction in the salmonid population and a resulting decline of the fishery. Gravel augmentation, regulated flood releases, and mechanical channel rehabilitation are currently being implemented to help restore the aquatic habitat of the river. The present paper describes a tool, named the Spawning Gravel Refresher, for designing and predicting the effects of gravel augmentation in gravel bed rivers. The tool assumes an imposed, cycled hydrograph. The model is calibrated and applied to the regulated reach of the Trinity River in four steps: (1) zeroing runs to reproduce conditions of mobile bed equilibrium as best can be estimated for the predam Trinity River, (2) runs to compare the predictions with the results of previous studies, (3) runs at an engineering time scale to reproduce the effects of the dams, and (4) runs to design gravel augmentation schemes. In the fourth group of runs, the combined effects of engineered flood flow releases and gravel augmentation are predicted. At an engineering time scale, the model indicates that the fraction of fine sediment in the surface layer and in the topmost part of the substrate should decrease when subjected to these two restoration measures, with a consequent improvement of the quality of the spawning gravel.
Operational real‐time modeling with ensemble Kalman filter of variably saturated subsurface flow including stream‐aquifer interaction and parameter updating
Authors: Hendricks Franssen H. J. , Kaiser H. P. , Kuhlmann U. , Bauser G. , Stauffer F. , Müller R. , Kinzelbach W.
Published: February 2011

Urban groundwater is frequently contaminated, and the exact location of the pollution spots is often unknown. Intelligent monitoring of the temporal variations in groundwater flow in such an area assists in selectively extracting groundwater of drinking water quality. Here an example from the city of Zurich (Switzerland) is shown. The monitoring strategy consists of using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) for optimally combining online observations and online models for the real‐time characterization of groundwater flow. We conducted numerical simulation experiments for the period January 2004 to December 2007 with a 3‐D finite element model for variably saturated groundwater flow. It was found that the daily assimilation of piezometric head data with EnKF results in a better characterization of piezometric heads than does a model which is inversely calibrated with historical data but not updated in real time. The positive impact of model updating with observations can still be observed 10 days after the update. These simulations also suggest that parameters (hydraulic conductivity and leakage) are successfully updated: 1 and 10 day piezometric head predictions are better with than without updating of parameters. Additional experiments with a synthetic model for the same site, in which the only difference is that certain parameter values are selected as the unknown “true” conditions, show that EnKF also successfully updates unknown parameters. However, this is only the case if spatially distributed hydraulic conductivities and leakage coefficients are jointly updated and if a damping parameter is used. The mean absolute error of estimated log leakage coefficients decreased by up to 63%; for log hydraulic conductivity a decrease of up to 27% was observed. From January 2009 the method has been operational at the Water Works Zurich and showed a remarkable performance until present (October 2010).
Signaling thresholds govern heterogeneity in IL‐7‐receptor‐mediated responses of naïve CD8+ T cells
Authors: Palmer Megan J , Mahajan Vinay S , Chen Jianzhu , Irvine Darrell J , Lauffenburger Douglas A
Published: February 2011

Variable sensitivity to T‐cell‐receptor (TCR)‐ and IL‐7‐receptor (IL‐7R)‐mediated homeostatic signals among naïve T cells has thus far been largely attributed to differences in TCR specificity. We show here that even when withdrawn from self‐peptide‐induced TCR stimulation, CD8+ T cells exhibit heterogeneous responses to interleukin‐7 (IL‐7) that are mechanistically associated with IL‐7R expression differences that correlate with relative CD5 expression. Whereas CD5hi and CD5lo T cells survive equivalently in the presence of saturating IL‐7 levels in vitro, CD5hi T cells proliferate more robustly. Conversely, CD5lo T cells exhibit prolonged survival when withdrawn from homeostatic stimuli. Through quantitative experimental analysis of signaling downstream of IL‐7R, we find that the enhanced IL‐7 responsiveness of CD5hi T cells is directly related to their greater surface IL‐7R expression. Further, we identify a quantitative threshold in IL‐7R‐mediated signaling capacity required for proliferation that lies well above an analogous threshold requirement for survival. These distinct thresholds allow subtle differences in IL‐7R expression between CD5lo and CD5hi T cells to give rise to significant variations in their respective IL‐7‐induced proliferation, without altering survival. Heterogeneous IL‐7 responsiveness is observed similarly in vivo, with CD5hi naïve T cells proliferating preferentially in lymphopenic mice or lymphoreplete mice administered with exogenous IL‐7. However, IL‐7 in lymphoreplete mice appears to be maintained at an effective level for preserving homeostasis, such that neither CD5hi IL‐7Rhi nor CD5lo IL‐7Rlo T cells proliferate or survive preferentially. Our findings indicate that IL‐7R‐mediated signaling not only maintains the size but also impacts the diversity of the naïve T‐cell repertoire.
Recombinant Deg/HtrA proteases from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 differ in substrate specificity, biochemical characteristics and mechanism
Authors: Huesgen Pitter F. , Miranda Helder , Lam XuanTam , Perthold Manuela , Schuhmann Holger , Adamska Iwona , Funk Christiane
Published: February 2011

Cyanobacteria require efficient protein-quality-control mechanisms to survive under dynamic, often stressful, environmental conditions. It was reported that three serine proteases, HtrA (high temperature requirement A), HhoA (HtrA homologue A) and HhoB (HtrA homologue B), are important for survival of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under high light and temperature stresses and might have redundant physiological functions. In the present paper, we show that all three proteases can degrade unfolded model substrates, but differ with respect to cleavage sites, temperature and pH optima. For recombinant HhoA, and to a lesser extent for HtrA, we observed an interesting shift in the pH optimum from slightly acidic to alkaline in the presence of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions. All three proteases formed different homo-oligomeric complexes with and without substrate, implying mechanistic differences in comparison with each other and with the well-studied Escherichia coli orthologues DegP (degradation of periplasmic proteins P) and DegS. Deletion of the PDZ domain decreased, but did not abolish, the proteolytic activity of all three proteases, and prevented substrate-induced formation of complexes higher than trimers by HtrA and HhoA. In summary, biochemical characterization of HtrA, HhoA and HhoB lays the foundation for a better understanding of their overlapping, but not completely redundant, stress-resistance functions in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
Dengue protease activity: the structural integrity and interaction of NS2B with NS3 protease and its potential as a drug target
Authors: Phong Wai Y. , Moreland Nicole J. , Lim Siew P. , Wen Daying , Paradkar Prasad N. , Vasudevan Subhash G.
Published: February 2011

Flaviviral NS3 serine proteases require the NS2B cofactor region (cNS2B) to be active. Recent crystal structures of WNV (West Nile virus) protease in complex with inhibitors revealed that cNS2B participates in the formation of the protease active site. No crystal structures of ternary complexes are currently available for DENV (dengue virus) to validate the role of cNS2B in active site formation. In the present study, a GST (glutathione transferase) fusion protein of DENV-2 cNS2B49–95 was used as a bait to pull down DENV-2 protease domain (NS3pro). The affinity of NS3pro for cNS2B was strong (equilibrium-binding constant <200 nM) and the heterodimeric complex displayed a catalytic efficiency similar to that of single-chain DENV-2 cNS2B/NS3pro. Various truncations and mutations in the cNS2B sequence showed that conformational integrity of the entire 47 amino acids is critical for protease activity. Furthermore, DENV-2 NS3 protease can be pulled down and transactivated by cNS2B cofactors from DENV-1, -3, -4 and WNV, suggesting that mechanisms for activation are conserved across the flavivirus genus. To validate NS2B as a potential target in allosteric inhibitor development, a cNS2B-specific human monoclonal antibody (3F10) was utilized. 3F10 disrupted the interaction between cNS2B and NS3 in vitro and reduced DENV viral replication in HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells. This provides proof-of-concept for developing assays to find inhibitors that block the interaction between NS2B and NS3 during viral translation.
Effect of cobalt‐60 (γ radiation) on multidrug‐resistant multiple myeloma cell lines
Authors: Mutlu Pelin , Baran Yusuf , Ural A Ugur , Avcu Ferit , Dirican Bahar , Beyzadeoglu Murat , Gündüz Ufuk
Published: February 2011

Emergence of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is a major obstacle for the successful treatment of MM (multiple myeloma). Prednisone, vincristine and melphalan are commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of MM. In the current study, we examined the presence of possible cross‐resistance between these drugs and gamma (γ) radiation. Prednisone, vincristine and melphalan resistant RPMI‐8226 and U‐266 MM cells were generated by stepwise increasing concentrations of the drugs. The sensitive and resistant cells were exposed to 200‐ and 800 cGy γ radiation, and proliferation was examined by XTT {2,3‐bis(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)‐5‐[(phenylamino)carbonyl]‐2H‐tetrazolium hydroxide} assay. The results showed that Prednisone‐ and melphalan‐resistant RPMI‐8226 cells were also cross‐resistant to 200 and 800 cGy γ radiation application, while vincristine‐resistant cells did not show resistance. On the other hand, Prednisone‐, vincristine‐ and melphalan‐resistant U‐266 cells showed cross‐resistance to 200‐ and 800 cGy γ radiation application. These results demonstrated that MM cells resistant to anticancer agents respond to radiation in different levels. These findings may be important in the clinical applications of radiation therapy in the treatment of vincristine resistant MM.
Endopolyploid and proliferating trophoblast cells express different patterns of intracellular cytokeratin and glycogen localization in the rat placenta
Authors: Zybina Tatiana G. , Stein Grigori I. , Zybina Eugenia V.
Published: February 2011

The presence of keratin intermediate filaments is a characteristic of trophoblast differentiation. Meantime, their intracellular localization in the functionally different subtypes of placental trophoblast is poorly investigated in rodent, whereas their placentae are being broadly investigated in recent years as a model of the feto‐maternal interaction. The purpose was to study the intracellular distribution of cytokeratin filaments in correlation with glycogen deposits, both being important constituents of the trophoblast cells in rat placenta. Different rat trophoblast cell populations exhibited different patterns of cytokeratin immunolocalization. The most intensive immunostaining was observed in the highly endopolyploid SGTCs (secondary giant trophoblast cells) at the border with decidua basalis. The most prominent cytokeratin‐positive threads were found at the periphery of cytoplasm and in the extensive system of cytoplasmic sprouts by which the SGTC connect each other. Similar cytokeratin intensity and distribution was detected in the TSC (trabecular spongiotrophoblast cells) of the junctional zone of placenta that line the lacunae with the maternal blood. Clusters of highly proliferative pre‐glycogen as well as glycogen cells showed some weaker cytokeratin signals mostly in the perinuclear and peripheral zones of cytoplasm. At the 11.5th to the 13.5th day of gestation, the interstitial and endovascular invasive endopolyploid TGTCs (tertiary giant trophoblast cells) prove the intensive cytokeratin staining throughout the cytoplasm and its sprouts. Meantime, the TGTCs were glycogen negative. By contrast, glycogen was heavily accumulated in the glycogen cells that belong both to the junctional zone of placenta and the cuff of the central arterial channel underlying the monolayer of endovascularly invading TGTCs. Thus, the TGTCs that are first to penetrate into the depth of the uterine wall do not contain glycogen but are accompanied by the glycogen‐rich cells. The SGTC also contained the prominent deposits of glycogen at the periphery of cytoplasm and in the cytoplasmic sprouts. At the 16th day of gestation, an extensive interstitial invasion of the cytokeratin‐positive glycogen trophoblast cells from the junctional zone was observed. The patterns of cytokeratin and glycogen intracellular localization are specific for each subtype of the rat trophoblast; that is, most probably, accounted for by the functional diversity of different trophoblast populations, i.e. patterns of invasion/phagocytosis and their involvement in a barrier at the feto—maternal interface.
Roles of the ERK, JNK/AP‐1/cyclin D1–CDK4 pathway in silica‐induced cell cycle changes in human embryo lung fibroblast cells
Authors: Jia Xiaowei , Liu Bingci , Shi Xianglin , Ye Meng , Zhang Fengmei , Liu Haifeng
Published: February 2011

Silica is a potent occupational fibrogenic agent capable of inducing lung fibrosis and many other lung diseases. Our current study focused on the signalling pathways regulating cell cycle changes in HELF (human embryo lung fibroblast) after silica (α‐quartz) exposure. Our results showed silica exposure could lead to cell cycle changes. The cell cycle alternations were accompanied with overexpression of cyclin D1 and CDK4 (cyclin‐dependent kinase 4) in a time‐dependent manner. Silica exposure also decreased E2F‐4 expression in HELF. These changes were blocked by overexpression of dominant‐negative mutants of ERK (extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase) or the JNK (stress‐activated c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase), respectively. Moreover, pretreatment of cells with curcumin, an activation of AP‐1 (activator protein‐1) inhibitor, inhibited silica‐induced cell cycle alteration, the decreased expression of E2F‐4 and overexpression of cyclin D1 and CDK4. Furthermore, both antisense cyclin D1 and antisense CDK4 can block silica‐induced cell cycle changes. These results suggest that silica exposure can induce cell cycle changes, which may be mediated through ERK, JNK/AP‐1/cyclin D1–CDK4‐dependent pathway.
Role of CD2‐associated protein in albumin overload‐induced apoptosis in podocytes
Authors: He Fang‐Fang , Zhang Chun , Chen Shan , Deng Bing‐Qing , Wang Hui , Shao Ning , Tian Xiu‐Juan , Fang Zhan , Sun Xi‐Feng , Liu Jian‐She , Zhu Zhong‐Hua , Meng Xian‐Fang
Published: February 2011

Proteinuria is a well‐established exacerbating factor of chronic kidney diseases. However, the harmful effects of protein overload on podocytes and the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the effects of high concentrations of albumin on podocytes and investigated the role of CD2AP (CD2‐associated protein) in albumin overload‐induced podocyte apoptosis. Conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of BSA. In addition, CD2AP eukaryotic expression vector or siRNA (small interfering RNA) was transfected into podocytes before they were exposed to BSA. Podocyte apoptosis, expressions of active caspase‐3 (p17) and CD2AP, and the distribution of F‐actin cytoskeleton were detected by flow cytometry, Western‐blot analysis and fluorescent staining respectively. It was found that exposure of podocytes to BSA induced podocyte apoptosis in a concentration‐dependent manner that was accompanied by up‐regulation of active caspase‐3, the disruption of F‐actin cytoskeleton, and decreased expression of CD2AP. Transfection of CD2AP eukaryotic expression vector into podocytes increased CD2AP expression, partially restored F‐actin distribution, blocked active caspase‐3 expression and inhibited podocyte apoptosis. In contrast, transfection of CD2AP siRNA deteriorated the above changes induced by BSA. It is concluded that protein overload induces podocyte apoptosis via the down‐regulation of CD2AP and subsequent disruption of cytoskeleton of podocytes, and CD2AP may play an important role in protein overload‐induced podocyte injury.
Cell‐surface nucleolin is involved in lipopolysaccharide internalization and signalling in alveolar macrophages
Authors: Wang Yi , Mao Mei , Xu Jian‐cheng
Published: February 2011

C23 (nucleolin) shuttling between the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell surface has been implicated in controlling regulatory processes and may play a role in pathogen infection and autoimmune diseases. It has been reported that cell surface‐expressed C23 on THP‐1 monocytes is involved in the inflammatory response induced by LPS (lipopolysaccharide). This study investigates whether C23 is a membrane receptor for LPS during LPS‐induced AMs (alveolar macrophages) activation. First, using immunofluorescence and microscopy, we detected the expression of C23 on the surface of AMs. Second, using LPS affinity columns, we demonstrated that C23 directly binds to LPS. Third, we found that LPS colocalized with C23 on both the cell surface and in the cytoplasm. Finally, knockdown of C23 expression on the cell surface using siRNA (small interfering RNA) led to significant reductions in the internalization of LPS, in LPS‐induced NF‐κB (nuclear factor κB)–DNA binding and in the protein expression of TNF (tumour necrosis factor)‐α and IL‐6 (interleukin‐6). These findings provide evidence that cell‐surface C23 on AMs may serve as a receptor for LPS and are essential for internalization and transport of LPS. Furthermore, C23 participates in the regulation of LPS‐induced inflammation of AMs, which indicates that cell‐surface C23 is a new and promising therapeutic target for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Putative Arabidopsis homologues of metazoan coiled‐coil cytoskeletal proteins
Authors: Gardiner John , Overall Robyn , Marc Jan
Published: February 2011

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes about 386 proteins with coiled‐coil domains of at least 50 amino acids in length. In mammalian systems, many coiled‐coil proteins are part of various cytoskeletal networks including intermediate filament protein, actin‐binding proteins and MAP (microtubule‐associated proteins). Immunological evidence suggests that some of these cytoskeletal proteins, such as lamins, keratins and tropomyosins, may be conserved in Arabidopsis. However, coiled‐coil proteins are of low complexity, and thus, traditional sequence comparison algorithms, such as BLAST may not detect homologies. Here, we use the PROPSEARCH algorithm to detect putative coiled‐coil cytoskeletal protein homologues in Arabidopsis. This approach reveals putative intermediate filament protein homologues of filensin, lamin and keratin; putative actin‐binding homologues of ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin), periplakin, utrophin, tropomyosin and paramyosin, and putative MAP homologues of restin/CLIP‐170 (cytoplasmic linker protein‐170). We suggest that the AtFPP (Arabiopsis thaliana filament‐like plant protein) and AtMAP70 (Arabidopsis microtubule‐associated protein 70) families of coiled‐coil proteins may, in fact, be related to lamins and function as intermediate filament proteins.