bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ascospore ontogeny and discharge in megalosporousTrypetheliaceaeandGraphidaceae(Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes and Lecanoromycetes) suggest phylogenetic relationships and ecological constraints
Authors: SWEETWOOD Garrett , LÜCKING Robert , NELSEN Matthew P. , APTROOT André
Published: February 2012

We studied ascospore dispersal and ontogeny in several species ofTrypetheliaceaeand one species ofGraphidaceaewith megalosporous (very large) ascospores, includingAptrootia terricola(Aptroot) Lücking, Umaña & Chaves,Architrypethelium nitens(Fée) Aptroot,A. seminudum(Mont.) Aptroot,Astrothelium diplocarpoidesMüll. Arg.,Laurera gigantospora(Müll. Arg.) Zahlbr., andOcellularia subpraestansHale. Although mature ascospores are very different among species ofTrypetheliaceae, all species studied share plesiomorphic ontogenetic features such as the formation of a single central euseptum and subsequent development of a variable number of transverse distosepta with diamond-shaped lumina (astrothelioid ascospore type). Even the dark brown, richly muriform ascospores ofAptrootia terricolago through an astrothelioid stage. This suggests that ascospore types may be more closely related than suggested by their mature morphology, and could explain why related taxa can develop markedly different ascospore types. We discuss the implications for systematic classification ofTrypetheliaceaein the light of recent molecular studies, and also speculate about the ecological importance of large ascospores, especially with muriform septation.
Rinodina chrysidiata, a new species from far eastern Asia and the Appalachian Mountains of North America
Authors: LENDEMER James C. , SHEARD John W. , THOR Göran , TØNSBERG Tor
Published: February 2012

A new isidiate, xanthone-producing species,Rinodina chrysidiata, is described and compared in detail withR. xanthophaea, a species with which it co-occurs in eastern Asia. The two species have an identical chemistry but are clearly separated by their differing lichenized diaspores, thallus morphology and ascospore type.
Lecanora coppinsiarum, a new Tasmanian lichen related to Lecanora symmicta
Authors: KANTVILAS Gintaras
Published: February 2012

The new species Lecanora coppinsiarum Kantvilas is described, based on collections from Tasmania. It is characterized by an entirely sorediate thallus containing atranorin only, and the anatomy of its biatorine apothecia, its Lecanora-type asci and small, hyaline, simple ascospores suggest a relationship to L. symmicta (Ach.) Ach. The South American species L. subviridis de la Rosa & Messuti is recorded for the first time for Tasmania.
A new microsporidian parasite,Heterosporis sauridan. sp. (Microsporidia) infecting the lizardfish,Saurida undosquamisfrom the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia: ultrastructure and phylogeny
Authors: AL-QURAISHY S. , ABDEL-BAKI A. S. , AL-QAHTANI H. , DKHIL M. , CASAL G. , AZEVEDO C.
Published: February 2012

A new microsporidian that infects the lizardfishSaurida undosquamis(Richardson, 1848) that are caught in the Arabian Gulf in Saudi Arabia is described here. This parasite invades the skeletal muscle of the abdominal cavity forming white, cyst-like structures containing numerous spores. The prevalence of the infection was 32·1% (135/420). The spores were oval to pyriform in shape and measured approximately 3·3μm×2·0μm. The developing spores were found within parasitophorous vacuoles. In mature spores, the polar filament was arranged into 5 coils in a row. Molecular analysis of the rRNA genes, including the ITS region, and phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference were performed. The ultrastructural characteristics and phylogenetic analyses support the recognition of a new species, herein namedHeterosporis sauridan. sp.
Isolation and culture of Sphaerothecum destruens from Sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) in the UK and pathogenicity experiments in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Authors: PALEY RICHARD K. , ANDREOU DEMETRA , BATEMAN KELLY S. , FEIST STEPHEN W.
Published: February 2012

The sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus), a cyprinid fish native to continental Europe and now established in the UK, is experiencing population decline which appears to be linked to the spread of the invasive Asian cyprinid (Pseudorasbora parva). A population of sunbleak in the UK has previously been identified as infected with S. destruens at low prevalence. Because Sphaerothaecum destruens has, on occasion, caused severe disease in cultured and wild salmonids the aim of this work was to establish laboratory cultures of S. destruens from sunbleak in the UK and use these cultures in challenge experiments to determine if the UK isolate of S. destruens from cyprinid species is a potential threat to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The first isolation and culture of S. destruens in the UK and from a cyprinid species is described. Cultured S. destruens spores from sunbleak are infective to EPC, CHSE and FHM cells, replicating most rapidly in FHM and EPC cells. Spores can be induced to zoosporulate in water forming motile, uni-flagellated zoospores. Challenge experiments indicated the spores are able to replicate and disperse in Atlantic salmon and are associated with increased mortality (up to 90%) when injected intraperitonealy.
On infinitely cohomologous to zero observables
Authors: DE LIMA AMANDA , SMANIA DANIEL
Published: February 2012

We show that for a large class of piecewise expanding maps T, the bounded p-variation observables u0 that admit an infinite sequence of bounded p-variation observables ui satisfying \[ u_{i}= u_{i+1}\circ T-u_{i+1} \] are constant. The method of the proof consists of finding a suitable Hilbert basis for L2(hm), where hm is the unique absolutely continuous invariant probability of T. On this basis, the action of the Perron–Frobenius and the Koopman operator on L2(hm) can be easily understood. This result generalizes earlier results by Bamón, Kiwi, Rivera-Letelier and Urzúa for the case T(x)=ℓx mod   1 , ℓ∈ℕ∖ {0,1} and Lipschitzian observables u0.
Canonical compactifications for Markov shifts
Authors: FIEBIG DORIS
Published: February 2012

We give a complete characterization of the compact metric dynamical systems that appear as boundaries of the canonical compactification of a locally compact countable state mixing Markov shift. Consider such a compact metric dynamical system. Then there is a pair of non-conjugate Markov shifts with conjugate canonical compactifications, one of which has the given compact system as canonical boundary.
The Right to a Father's Name: A Historical Perspective on State Efforts to Combat the Stigma of Illegitimate Birth in Brazil
Authors: Caulfield Sueann
Published: February 2012

Over the past decade, state agencies throughout Brazil have launched initiatives that aim to defend children's rights to their father's name. These initiatives take the form of discrete programs in different states, all of which seek to identify children who lack a paternal last name—an estimated 10–25 percent of all Brazilian children —in hopes of finding their fathers and encouraging or obligating them to legally recognize their paternity and inscribe their names on the children's birth registries. Project staff also sometimes formalize child support arrangements, although this is not the primary objective. Instead, Responsible Paternity projects (as most of them are known) seek to free children from the social stigma of illegitimate birth, thus protecting their constitutional right to equality and human dignity.
Marriage on the Margins: Free Wives, Enslaved Husbands, and the Law in Early Virginia
Authors: Snyder Terri L.
Published: February 2012

In 1725, Jane Webb, a free woman of color, sued Thomas Savage, a slave owner and middling planter, in Northampton County Court, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.Webb v. Savagewas an unusual lawsuit, the culmination of over twenty years of legal wrangling between two parties who had an uncommon and intimate connection. The case originated in a 1703 contract between the pair, and at the time it was written, its terms, assumedly, were clear and mutually agreed upon. Two decades later, however, a tangled skein of circumstances obscured the stipulations of that original agreement. Over the course of those same years, the legal meaning of freedom for individuals like Jane Webb had fundamentally changed. Both fraught interpersonal relations and the evolution of race-based law mattered to the 1725 chancery case for one simple reason: Thomas Savage owned Jane Webb's husband. Despite the fact that Webb's spouse, named only in the records as Left, was enslaved, their marriage was legally recognized, and the seven children born to the couple, following the legal doctrinepartus sequitur ventrum, took their free status as well as their surname from their mother.
Modulation of Early Perceptual Processing by Emotional Expression and Acquired Valence of Faces
Authors: Aguado Luis , Valdés-Conroy Berenice , Rodríguez Sonia , Román Francisco J. , Diéguez-Risco Teresa , Fernández-Cahill María
Published: February 2012

Modulation of early perceptual processing by emotional expression and the affective valence of faces was explored in an event-related potential (ERP) study. An associative procedure was used where different neutral faces changed to happy, to angry or, in a control condition, stayed the same. Based on these changes in expression, participants had then to identify each neutral face as belonging to a friendly, hostile, or neutral individual. ERP measures revealed modulations at occipital-temporal sites of the P100 and N170 components by both the emotional expression and the valence of the associated neutral faces. The early posterior negativity (EPN) component, however, was only sensitive to emotional expression. These results are consistent with previous findings showing that emotional expression influences face perception since early stages of visual processing and provide new evidence that this influence can also be transferred to neutral faces through associative learning.
Relating Individual Differences in Trait-Anxiety to Memory Functioning in Young Children
Authors: Cheie Lavinia , Visu-Petra Laura
Published: February 2012

There is extensive evidence indicating cognitive biases at several stages of information processing in high-anxious children. Little research, however, has investigated a potential memory bias toward negative information in high-anxious young children. We studied immediate and delayed verbal recall as well as delayed visual recognition in a sample of high-trait-anxious (HA) and low-trait-anxious (LA) preschoolers (N = 76, mean age = 65 months), using stimuli containing task-irrelevant emotional valence (positive, negative, neutral). The findings revealed that, compared to their LA counterparts, HA preschoolers displayed (1) a tendency to be less accurate in the immediate verbal recall task, (2) poorer recall of negative words in the immediate condition and poorer recall of neutral words in the delayed condition, (3) impaired delayed recognition of identities with happy facial expressions and a tendency to better recognize identities expressing anger. Results are discussed considering the dynamic interplay between personality, emotion and cognitive factors during early development.
Passionate Thinkers Feel Better
Authors: Bertrams Alex , Dickhäuser Oliver
Published: February 2012

The present study tested a possible explanation for the positive relationship between the motivation to engage in cognitive endeavors (need for cognition, NFC) and indicators of affective adjustment (e.g., higher self-esteem, lower depression) that has been demonstrated in previous studies. We suggest that dispositional self-control capacity mediates this relationship, since NFC has been found to be related to self-control capacity, and self-control capacity is crucial for adjustment. NFC, dispositional self-control capacity, self-esteem, habitual depressive mood, and tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner were measured among 150 university students via self-report. Regression analyses and Sobel tests revealed that self-control capacity was a potential mediator of the positive relationship between NFC and affective adjustment. The findings were robust in terms of social desirability.
Isotopic signals (18O, 2H, 3H) of six major rivers draining the pan‐Arctic watershed
Authors: Yi Y. , Gibson J. J. , Cooper L. W. , Hélie J.‐F. , Birks S. J. , McClelland J. W. , Holmes R. M. , Peterson B. J.
Published: February 2012

We present the results of a 4‐year collaborative sampling effort that measuredδ18O, δ2H values and 3H activities in the six largest Arctic rivers (the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Kolyma, Yukon and Mackenzie). Using consistent sampling and data processing protocols, these isotopic measurements provide the best available δ2H and 3H estimates for freshwater fluxes from the pan‐Arctic watershed to the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas, which complements previous efforts withδ18O and other tracers. Flow‐weighted annualδ2H values vary from −113.3‰ to −171.4‰ among rivers. Annual 3H fluxes vary from 0.68 g to 4.12 g among basins. The integration of conventional hydrological and landscape observations with stable water isotope signals, and estimation of areal yield of 3H provide useful insights for understanding water sources, mixing and evaporation losses in these river basins. For example, an inverse correlation between the slope of the δ18O‐δ2H relation and wetland extent indicates that wetlands play comparatively important roles affecting evaporation losses in the Yukon and Mackenzie basins. Tritium areal yields (ranging from 0.760 to 1.695 10−6 g/km2per year) are found to be positively correlated with permafrost coverage within the studied drainage basins. Isotope‐discharge relationships demonstrate both linear and nonlinear response patterns, which highlights the complexity of hydrological processes in large Arctic river basins. These isotope observations and their relationship to discharge and landscape features indicate that basin‐specific characteristics significantly influence hydrological processes in the pan‐Arctic watershed.
Large submarine landslides in the Japan Trench: A new scenario for additional tsunami generation
Authors: Kawamura Kiichiro , Sasaki Tomoyuki , Kanamatsu Toshiya , Sakaguchi Arito , Ogawa Yujiro
Published: February 2012

We describe in detail possible large submarine landslides, several tens of kilometers in length and width, on the trench landward slope of the Japan Trench on the basis of high‐resolution topographic surveys and detailed seafloor observations. These slides stopped at the toe of the trench slope. After initial movement of the toe along a basal decollement or thrust of the trench landward slope wedge during an earthquake, the basal frictional condition(s) might change drastically from static to dynamic, thus reducing the frictional strength. As a result, rapid submarine landsliding push downward on the toe, generating large horizontal displacements for tsunamis. This hypothesis should explain suitably the relation between large displacement of the thrust fault and tsunami generation by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake as well as tsunami generation by the 1896 Tohoku earthquake.
Why does the Loop Current tend to shed more eddies in summer and winter?
Authors: Chang Y.‐L. , Oey L.‐Y.
Published: February 2012

The observed seasonal preferences of Loop Current eddy shedding, more in summer and winter and less in fall and spring, are shown for the first time to be due to a curious combination of forcing by the seasonal winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The conditions are favorable for the Loop to shed eddies in summer and winter when strong trade winds in the Caribbean produce large Yucatan transport and Loop's intrusion, and concurrently when weak easterlies in the Gulf offer little impediment to eddy shedding. The conditions are less favorable in fall and spring as the trade winds and Yucatan transport weaken, and the strengthening of the Gulf's easterlies impedes shedding.
Geodynamic models of mature continental collision: Evolution of an orogen from lithospheric subduction to continental retreat/delamination
Authors: Gray R. , Pysklywec R. N.
Published: February 2012

The behavior of deep lithospheric processes in continental collision are frequently speculated on, but poorly understood. In this study we build on previous work to explore the styles of continental lithosphere deformation during mature collision where ∼1800 km of convergence has been accommodated by horizontal shortening. We conducted a suite of numerical geodynamic experiments that test the sensitivity of mature continent collision to varying mantle lithosphere density, mantle lithosphere yield stress, lower crustal strength and to the presence of phase change‐related density changes in the lower crust (i.e., eclogitization of mafic lower crust). The models suggest that the early stages of collision are accommodated by subduction of lower crust and mantle lithosphere along a discrete shear zone beneath the overriding plate. Following this initial stage of subduction, the subducting lower crust and mantle lithosphere can retreat from the collision zone, permitting the sub‐lithospheric mantle to upwell and intrude the overriding plate. As a result, the lower crust and mantle lithosphere of the overriding plate delaminate from the overlying crust. With local isostatic adjustment, subduction‐ and delamination‐driven crustal processes plateau‐like uplift occurs. The sub‐crustal evolution also causes bands of syn‐convergent crustal extension to develop. In models with a rheologically weaker lower crust, surface crustal response to the deep lithosphere dynamics becomes more diffuse. As an example, the numerical experiments satisfy a number of surface observables of the Himalayan‐Tibetan orogen, namely: (1) the current general mantle lithosphere architecture as defined by seismic analyses; (2) the long‐wavelength plateau uplift of the western Tibetan Plateau; (3) the surface heat flow measurements in India, the Tethyan Himalaya, Qiangtang and in Qaidam basin; and (4) the anomalous syn‐convergent extension in the southern portion of the orogen.
Acoustic‐gravity waves interacting with the shelf break
Authors: Kadri Usama , Stiassnie Michael
Published: February 2012

A mathematical solution of the two‐dimensional linear problem of an acoustic‐gravity wave propagating over a bottom with a step, in a slightly compressible ocean, is presented. Expressions for the flow field on both sides of the step are derived. Furthermore, an extended problem is given that provides a solution for a group of acoustic‐gravity waves, generated by a submarine earthquake, propagating toward a continental shelf. The dynamic bottom pressure produced by the acoustic‐gravity waves is probably measurable, especially at the vicinity of the seaward face of the shelf break where incident and reflected modes appear simultaneously. A successful recording of such bottom pressures could assist in the early detection of tsunami.
The associations between El Niño–Southern Oscillation and tropical South American climate in a regional climate model
Authors: McGlone Dana , Vuille Mathias
Published: February 2012

High‐resolution regional climate models (RCMs), run over a limited domain, are increasingly used to simulate seasonal to interannual climate variability over South America and to assess the spatiotemporal impact of future climate change under a variety of emission scenarios. These models often give a better spatiotemporal representation of climate at a regional scale; however, they are subject to errors introduced by the driving global models. Here we analyze two different simulations with the Hadley Centre Regional Climate Modeling System Providing Regional Climate for Impact Studies (PRECIS) model over tropical South America. The two simulations cover the same 30 year period (1961–1990) but were forced with different lateral boundary conditions. The first simulation was forced with the Hadley Centre Atmospheric Model version 3 (baseline), and the second was forced with European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Re‐analysis (ERA) data. Our results indicate that the ERA‐forced simulation more accurately portrays seasonal temperature and precipitation, consistent with previous studies. Empirical orthogonal function and spatial regression analyses further indicate that the ERA‐forced simulation more realistically simulates the El Niño–Southern Oscillation related fingerprint on interannual climate variability over South America during austral summer. The two gridded observational data sets used for model validation display large differences, which highlight significant uncertainties and errors in observational data sets over this region. In some instances the observational data quality is rivaled or even surpassed by the ERA‐forced RCM results.
Landscape controls on total and methyl Hg in the upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA
Authors: Burns D. A. , Riva‐Murray K. , Bradley P. M. , Aiken G. R. , Brigham M. E.
Published: February 2012

Approaches are needed to better predict spatial variation in riverine Hg concentrations across heterogeneous landscapes that include mountains, wetlands, and open waters. We applied multivariate linear regression to determine the landscape factors and chemical variables that best account for the spatial variation of total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in 27 sub‐basins across the 493 km2upper Hudson River basin in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. THg concentrations varied by sixfold, and those of MeHg by 40‐fold in synoptic samples collected at low‐to‐moderate flow, during spring and summer of 2006 and 2008. Bivariate linear regression relations of THg and MeHg concentrations with either percent wetland area or DOC concentrations were significant but could account for only about 1/3 of the variation in these Hg forms in summer. In contrast, multivariate linear regression relations that included metrics of (1) hydrogeomorphology, (2) riparian/wetland area, and (3) open water, explained about 66% to >90% of spatial variation in each Hg form in spring and summer samples. These metrics reflect the influence of basin morphometry and riparian soils on Hg source and transport, and the role of open water as a Hg sink. Multivariate models based solely on these landscape metrics generally accounted for as much or more of the variation in Hg concentrations than models based on chemical and physical metrics, and show great promise for identifying waters with expected high Hg concentrations in the Adirondack region and similar glaciated riverine ecosystems.
The Profile of Hippocampal Metabolites Differs between Alzheimer's Disease and Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Dementia, as Measured by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Shiino Akihiko , Watanabe Toshiyuki , Shirakashi Yoshitomo , Kotani Emi , Yoshimura Masahiro , Morikawa Shigehiro , Inubushi Toshiro , Akiguchi Ichiro
Published: February 2012

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD) have overlapping pathologies and risk factors, but their underlying neurodegenerative mechanisms are basically different. We performed magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to study metabolite differences between the two diseases in vivo. The subjects were 31 patients with SIVD and 99 with AD. Additionally, 45 elderly subjects were recruited as controls. We measured N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamine and glutamate (Glx), and myoinositol (mIns) concentration quantitatively using a 1.5-T MR scanner. N-acetylaspartate and Glx concentrations decreased in the hippocampus and cingulate/precuneal cortices (PCC) in both AD and SIVD patients, and the NAA decrease in the hippocampus was more prominent in AD than in SIVD. Interestingly, the pattern of mIns concentration changes differed between the two disorders; mIns was increased in AD but not increased in SIVD. If one differentiates between AD and SIVD by the mIns concentration in the hippocampus, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.95, suggesting a high potential for discrimination. Our results suggest that proton MRS can provide useful information to differentiate between AD and SIVD. The difference of mIns concentrations in the hippocampus and PCC seems to reflect the different neurodegenerative mechanisms of the two disorders.
Low Macrophage Accumulation in Skeletal Muscle of Obese Type 2 Diabetics and Elderly Subjects
Authors: Tam Charmaine S. , Sparks Lauren M. , Johannsen Darcy L. , Covington Jeffrey D. , Church Timothy S. , Ravussin Eric
Published: February 2012

In addition to adipose tissue, recent studies suggest that skeletal muscle may also be a source of low‐grade inflammation, particularly in inactive and/or overweight individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of macrophages in skeletal muscle from obese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) before and after a 9‐month exercise program (vs. a non‐exercising control group) (Study 1) and in young vs. elderly subjects (Study 2). In both studies, CD68+ macrophages in vastus lateralis biopsies were determined by immunohistochemistry and inflammation gene expression measured. Macrophage content (%) was calculated by the number of macrophages per 100 muscle fibers. In Study 1, we found relatively low numbers (2–3%) of CD68+ macrophages in skeletal muscle in obese T2D subjects (BMI = 37.3 ± 5.2 kg/m2), which were unchanged after a 9‐month exercise program (P = 0.42). Similarly, in Study 2 (BMI = 27.1 ± 2.5 kg/m2), CD68+ macrophages were relatively low in muscle (4–5%) and were not different between young and elderly individuals (P = 0.42). However, elderly subjects had twofold higher CD68 and CD206 gene expression (both P < 0.002) than young participants. In both studies, CD68+ muscle macrophages were not associated with BMI. In conclusion, we found little evidence of macrophage accumulation in skeletal muscle in obese T2D subjects or in elderly individuals. A 9‐month exercise program was not associated with a decrease in macrophage content.
Calcium/calmodulin inhibition of the Arabidopsis BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 1 receptor kinase provides a possible link between calcium and brassinosteroid signalling
Authors: Oh Man-Ho , Kim Hyoung Seok , Wu Xia , Clouse Steven D. , Zielinski Raymond E. , Huber Steven C.
Published: February 2012

The receptor kinase BRI1 (BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 1) is a key component in BR (brassinosteroid) perception and signal transduction, and has a broad impact on plant growth and development. In the present study, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis CaM (calmodulin) binds to the recombinant cytoplasmic domain of BRI1 in a Ca2+-dependent manner in vitro. In silico analysis predicted binding to Helix E of the BRI1 kinase subdomain VIa and a synthetic peptide based on this sequence interacted with Ca2+/CaM. Co-expression of CaM with the cytoplasmic domain of BRI1 in Escherichia coli strongly reduced autophosphorylation of BRI1, in particular on tyrosine residues, and also reduced the BRI1-mediated transphosphorylation of E. coli proteins on tyrosine, threonine and presumably serine residues. Several isoforms of CaM and CMLs (CaM-like proteins) were more effective (AtCaM6, AtCaM7 and AtCML8, where At is Arabidopsis thaliana) than others (AtCaM2, AtCaM4 and AtCML11) when co-expressed with BRI1 in E. coli. These results establish a novel assay for recombinant BRI1 transphosphorylation activity and collectively uncover a possible new link between Ca2+ and BR signalling.
An organised approach to the podiatric care of people with diabetes in regional Australia
Authors: Perrin Byron M. , Gardner Marcus J. , Kennett Susan R. , Cornelius Jodie L. , Fanning Michael J.
Published: February 2012

Objective. To ensure an efficient publicly funded podiatric service for people with diabetes in regional Victoria, a Podiatry Diabetes Model (PDM) of care was developed. The aim of this study was to determine if people with diabetes attended the most appropriate podiatric service as depicted by the model. Methods. A 3-month prospective clinical audit of the PDM was undertaken. Primary variables of interest were the podiatric service where the patients were seen and the patients’ risk of future foot morbidity. Chi-square analyses for each service category were undertaken to compare the expected number of patients seen according to foot-health risk as predicted by the model, with what was observed. Results. Five hundred and seventy-six people with diabetes were seen in the 3-month period. There was no statistically significant difference between the proportion of patients seen by each podiatric service according to risk status, with what was expected (community: χ2 = 3.3, P = 0.4; subacute: χ2 = 8.0, P = 0.05; acute: χ2 = 6.6, P = 0.09). Conclusions. The Podiatry Diabetes Model is a sound podiatric model of care and is an example of cross-organisational collaboration that could be implemented in other areas of Australia. What is known about the topic? Diabetes-related foot complications are a significant burden on health systems and individuals with diabetes. Podiatric services are important in the prevention and management of complications such as peripheral neuropathy, ulceration and lower limb amputation. It is important to organise healthcare systems to ensure appropriate and efficient services are provided for people with diabetes. What does this paper add? This paper describes and tests a novel collaborative, multi-organisation podiatric model of care for people with diabetes in a large regional Australian setting. What are the implications for practitioners? This paper demonstrates that it is possible to collaborate across multiple organisations to provide a comprehensive publicly funded podiatric service to people with diabetes that encompasses the entire risk spectrum for future diabetes-related foot complications.
Active Site Elucidation in Heterogeneous Catalysis via In Situ X-Ray Spectroscopies
Authors: Lee Adam F.
Published: February 2012

Nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts will play a key role in the development of robust artificial photosynthetic systems for water photooxidation and CO2 photoreduction. Identifying the active site responsible for driving these chemical transformations remains a significant barrier to the design of tailored catalysts, optimized for high activity, selectivity, and lifetime. This highlight reveals how select recent breakthroughs in the application of in situ surface and bulk X-ray spectroscopies are helping to identify the active catalytic sites in a range of liquid and gas phase chemistry.
Inter- and intra-annual profiles of fire regimes in the managed forests of Canada and implications for resource sharing
Authors: Magnussen Steen , Taylor Stephen W.
Published: February 2012

Year-to-year variation in fire activity in Canada constitutes a key challenge for fire management agencies. Interagency sharing of fire management resources has been ongoing on regional, national and international scales in Canada for several decades to better cope with peaks in resource demand. Inherent stressors on these schemes determined by the fire regimes in constituent jurisdictions are not well known, nor described by averages. We developed a statistical framework to examine the likelihood of regional synchrony of peaks in fire activity at a timescale of 1 week. Year-to-year variations in important fire regime variables and 48 regions in Canada are quantified by a joint distribution and profiled at the Provincial or Territorial level. The fire regime variables capture the timing of the fire season, the average number of fires, area burned, and the timing and extent of annual maxima. The onset of the fire season was strongly correlated with latitude and longitude. Regional synchrony in the timing of the maximum burned area within fire seasons delineates opportunities for and limitations to sharing of fire suppression resources during periods of stress that were quantified in Monte Carlo simulations from the joint distribution.
Hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) metabolism in mitochondria and its regulatory role in energy production
Authors: Fu Ming , Zhang Weihua , Wu Lingyun , Yang Guangdong , Li Hongzhu , Wang Rui
Published: February 2012

Although many types of ancient bacteria and archea rely on hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) for their energy production, eukaryotes generate ATP in an oxygen-dependent fashion. We hypothesize that endogenous H
2
S remains a regulator of energy production in mammalian cells under stress conditions, which enables the body to cope with energy demand when oxygen supply is insufficient. Cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) is a major H
2
S-producing enzyme in the cardiovascular system that uses cysteine as the main substrate. Here we show that CSE is localized only in the cytosol, not in mitochondria, of vascular smooth-muscle cells (SMCs) under resting conditions, revealed by Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy of SMCs transfected with GFP-tagged CSE plasmid. After SMCs were exposed to A23187, thapsigargin, or tunicamycin, intracellular calcium level was increased, and CSE translocated from the cytosol to mitochondria. CSE was coimmunoprecipitated with translocase of the outer membrane 20 (Tom20) in mitochondrial membrane.
Tom20
siRNA significantly inhibited mitochondrial translocation of CSE and mitochondrial H
2
S production. The cysteine level inside mitochondria is approximately three times that in the cytosol. Translocation of CSE to mitochondria metabolized cysteine, produced H
2
S inside mitochondria, and increased ATP production. Inhibition of CSE activity reversed A23187-stimulated mitochondrial ATP production. H
2
S improved mitochondrial ATP production in SMCs with hypoxia, which alone decreased ATP production. These results suggest that translocation of CSE to mitochondria on specific stress stimulations is a unique mechanism to promote H
2
S production inside mitochondria, which subsequently sustains mitochondrial ATP production under hypoxic conditions.
Highly neurotoxic monomeric α-helical prion protein
Authors: Zhou Minghai , Ottenberg Gregory , Sferrazza Gian Franco , Lasmézas Corinne Ida
Published: February 2012

Prion diseases are infectious and belong to the group of protein misfolding neurodegenerative diseases. In these diseases, neuronal dysfunction and death are caused by the neuronal toxicity of a particular misfolded form of their cognate protein. The ability to specifically target the toxic protein conformer or the neuronal death pathway would provide powerful therapeutic approaches to these diseases. The neurotoxic forms of the prion protein (PrP) have yet to be defined but there is evidence suggesting that at least some of them differ from infectious PrP (PrP
Sc
). Herein, without making an assumption about size or conformation, we searched for toxic forms of recombinant PrP after dilution refolding, size fractionation, and systematic biological testing of all fractions. We found that the PrP species most neurotoxic in vitro and in vivo (toxic PrP, TPrP) is a monomeric, highly α-helical form of PrP. TPrP caused autophagy, apoptosis, and a molecular signature remarkably similar to that observed in the brains of prion-infected animals. Interestingly, highly α-helical intermediates have been described for other amyloidogenic proteins but their biological significance remains to be established. We provide unique experimental evidence that a monomeric α-helical form of an amyloidogenic protein represents a cytotoxic species. Although toxic PrP has yet to be purified from prion-infected brains, TPrP might be the equivalent of one highly neurotoxic PrP species generated during prion replication. Because TPrP is a misfolded, highly neurotoxic form of PrP reproducing several features of prion-induced neuronal death, it constitutes a useful model to study PrP-induced neurodegenerative mechanisms.
Central diabetes insipidus associated with impaired renal aquaporin-1 expression in mice lacking liver X receptor β
Authors: Gabbi Chiara , Kong Xiaomu , Suzuki Hitoshi , Kim Hyun-Jin , Gao Min , Jia Xiao , Ohnishi Hideo , Ueta Yoichi , Warner Margaret , Guan Youfei , Gustafsson Jan-Åke
Published: February 2012

The present study demonstrates a key role for the oxysterol receptor liver X receptor β (LXRβ) in the etiology of diabetes insipidus (DI). Given free access to water, LXRβ−/−but not LXRα−/−mice exhibited polyuria (abnormal daily excretion of highly diluted urine) and polydipsia (increased water intake), both features of diabetes insipidus. LXRβ−/−mice responded to 24-h dehydration with a decreased urine volume and increased urine osmolality. To determine whether the DI was of central or nephrogenic origin, we examined the responsiveness of the kidney to arginine vasopressin (AVP). An i.p. injection of AVP to LXRβ−/−mice revealed a partial kidney response: There was no effect on urine volume, but there was a significant increase of urine osmolality, suggesting that DI may be caused by a defect in central production of AVP. In the brain of WT mice LXRβ was expressed in the nuclei of magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. In LXRβ−/−mice the expression of AVP was markedly decreased in the magnocellular neurons as well as in urine collected over a 24-h period. The persistent high urine volume after AVP administration was traced to a reduction in aquaporin-1 expression in the kidney of LXRβ−/−mice. The LXR agonist (GW3965) in WT mice elicited an increase in urine osmolality, suggesting that LXRβ is a key receptor in controlling water balance with targets in both the brain and kidney, and it could be a therapeutic target in disorders of water balance.
Low-Dose Hydrogen Peroxide Application in Closed Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
Authors: Pedersen Lars-Flemming , Good Christopher M , Pedersen Per B
Published: February 2012

The aim of the present work was to simulate water treatment practices with hydrogen peroxide (HP) in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Six identical 1,700-L pilot-scale RAS were divided into two experimental groups based on daily feed allocation and operated under constant conditions for a period of 3 months. The organic and nitrogenous loadings of the systems differed fourfold between the two groups and were achieved by predefined constant daily feed loads and constant additions of water. The fixed cumulative feed burden was 1.6 × 103 mg feed/L in the low-intensity RAS and 6.3 × 103 mg/L in the high-intensity RAS. The decay of HP in rearing tanks and disconnected biofilter units was investigated by means of HP spiking experiments. The decay in high-intensity RAS rearing units and biofilters was orders of magnitude faster than that in low-intensity units. The application of HP impaired biofilter nitrite oxidation in low-intensity RAS but not in high-intensity RAS. The impact of HP exposure time on biofilter nitrification capacity was then assessed in biofilter bench-scale experiments with nitrite spiking. Exposure time was found to significantly affect nitrite oxidation. Compared with unexposed biofilter elements, nitrite oxidation was reduced more than 90% following 3 h of exposure to 15 mg HP/L, whereas 30 min of exposure had only minor negative effects on nitrite oxidation. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential for developing HP water treatment practices for RAS and contradict prevailing notions that HP cannot be used safely in RAS that employ biofiltration. The development of effective new HP treatment protocols for recirculating aquaculture could reduce the current dependence on formalin to improve water quality and control parasitic loads.
Computation of the two regular super-exponentials to base exp(1/e)
Authors: Trappmann Henryk , Kouznetsov Dmitrii
Published: February 2012

The two regular super-exponentials to base exp(1/e) are constructed. An efficient algorithm for the evaluation of these super-exponentials and their inverse functions is suggested and compared to the already published results.
EDS1 Contributes to Nonhost Resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana Against Erwinia amylovora
Authors: Moreau Manon , Degrave Alexandre , Vedel Régine , Bitton Frédérique , Patrit Oriane , Renou Jean-Pierre , Barny Marie-Anne , Fagard Mathilde
Published: February 2012

Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight in rosaceous plants. In nonhost Arabidopsis thaliana, E. amylovora triggers necrotic symptoms associated with transient bacterial multiplication, suggesting either that A. thaliana lacks a susceptibility factor or that it actively restricts E. amylovora growth. Inhibiting plant protein synthesis at the time of infection led to an increase in necrosis and bacterial multiplication and reduced callose deposition, indicating that A. thaliana requires active protein synthesis to restrict E. amylovora growth. Analysis of the callose synthase–deficient pmr4-1 mutant indicated that lack of callose deposition alone did not lead to increased sensitivity to E. amylovora. Transcriptome analysis revealed that approximately 20% of the genes induced following E. amylovora infection are related to defense and signaling. Analysis of mutants affected in NDR1 and EDS1, two main components of the defense-gene activation observed, revealed that E. amylovora multiplied ten times more in the eds1-2 mutant than in the wild type but not in the ndr1-1 mutant. Analysis of mutants affected in three WRKY transcription factors showing EDS1-dependent activation identified WRKY46 and WRKY54 as positive regulators and WRKY70 as a negative regulator of defense against E. amylovora. Altogether, we show that EDS1 is a positive regulator of nonhost resistance against E. amylovora in A. thaliana and hypothesize that it controls the production of several effective defenses against E. amylovora through the action of WRKY46 and WRKY54, while WRKY70 acts as a negative regulator.
Baseline Sensitivity of Monilinia fructicola from China to the DMI Fungicide SYP-Z048 and Analysis of DMI-Resistant Mutants
Authors: Chen F. P. , Fan J. R. , Zhou T. , Liu X. L. , Liu J. L. , Schnabel G.
Published: February 2012

Sterol 14α-demethylase inhibitors (DMIs) continue to be important in the management of brown rot of Monilinia spp. worldwide. In this study, the sensitivity of 100 Monilinia fructicola isolates from four unsprayed orchards and two packinghouses in Beijing, China, to the new DMI fungicide SYP-Z048 was evaluated and ranged from 0.003 to 0.039 and 0.016 to 0.047 μg/ml, respectively. Laboratory mutants resistant to SYP-Z048 were generated using UV irradiation but no mutants occurred spontaneously. Resistance was stable after 10 weekly consecutive transfers on fungicide-free medium. Three parameters, including growth rate, sporulation in vitro, and lesion area, were significantly different when sensitive isolates and resistant mutants were analyzed as groups. Mutants grew more slowly and developed significantly smaller lesions on detached fruit, and their sporulation ability in vitro was reduced. Cross resistance was found between SYP-Z048 and propiconazole (ρ = 0.82, P < 0.0001) but not between SYPZ048 and tridemorph, carbendazim, procymidone, azoxystrobin, or pyrimethanil. SYP-Z048 resistance in mutants exhibiting 50% mycelial growth inhibition values greater than 0.3 μg/ml was correlated with the presence of a mutation in the CYP51 gene that encodes the target protein for DMI fungicides. The mutation caused an amino acid change from tyrosine to phenylalanine at position 136 (Y136F). To our knowledge, this is the first baseline sensitivity of M. fructicola collected from China to a DMI fungicide. The inability of M. fructicola to generate spontaneous DMI-resistant mutants coupled with reduced fitness of Y136F mutants can explain why this target site mutation has not yet emerged as a DMI fungicide resistance determinant in M. fructicola field populations worldwide.
Turing's theory of morphogenesis of 1952 and the subsequent discovery of the crucial role of local self-enhancement and long-range inhibition
Authors: Meinhardt Hans
Published: February 2012

In his pioneering work, Alan Turing showed that de novo pattern formation is possible if two substances interact that differ in their diffusion range. Since then, we have shown that pattern formation is possible if, and only if, a self-enhancing reaction is coupled with an antagonistic process of longer range. Knowing this crucial condition has enabled us to include nonlinear interactions, which are required to design molecularly realistic interactions. Different reaction schemes and their relation to Turing's proposal are discussed and compared with more recent observations on the molecular–genetic level. The antagonistic reaction may be accomplished by an inhibitor that is produced in the activated region or by a depletion of a component that is used up during the self-enhancing reaction. The autocatalysis may be realized by an inhibition of an inhibition. Activating molecules can be processed into molecules that have an inhibiting function; patterning of theWntpathway is proposed to depend on such a mechanism. Three-component systems, as discussed in Turing's paper, are shown to play a major role in the generation of highly dynamic patterns that never reach a stable state.
The role of curvature in silica mesoporous crystals
Authors: Miyasaka Keiichi , Garcia Bennett Alfonso , Han Lu , Han Yu , Xiao Changhong , Fujita Nobuhisa , Castle Toen , Sakamoto Yasuhiro , Che Shunai , Terasaki Osamu
Published: February 2012

Silica mesoporous crystals (SMCs) offer a unique opportunity to study micellar mesophases. Replication of non-equilibrium mesophases into porous silica structures allows the characterization of surfactant phases under a variety of chemical and physical perturbations, through methods not typically accessible to liquid crystal chemists. A poignant example is the use of electron microscopy and crystallography, as discussed herein, for the purpose of determining the fundamental role of amphiphile curvature, namely mean curvature and Gaussian curvature, which have been extensively studied in various fields such as polymer, liquid crystal, biological membrane, etc. The present work aims to highlight some current studies devoted to the interface curvature on SMCs, in which electron microscopy and electron crystallography (EC) are used to understand the geometry of silica wall surface in bicontinuous and cage-type mesostructures through the investigation of electrostatic potential maps. Additionally, we show that by altering the synthesis conditions during the preparation of SMCs, it is possible to isolate particles during micellar mesophase transformations in the cubic bicontinuous system, allowing us to view and study epitaxial relations under the specific synthesis conditions. By studying the relationship between mesoporous structure, interface curvature and micellar mesophases using electron microscopy and EC, we hope to bring new insights into the formation mechanism of these unique materials but also contribute a new way of understanding periodic liquid crystal systems.
Computing by molecular self-assembly
Authors: Jonoska Nataša , Seeman Nadrian C.
Published: February 2012

The paper reviews two computing models by DNA self-assembly whose proof of principal have recently been experimentally confirmed. The first model incorporates DNA nano-devices and triple crossover DNA molecules to algorithmically arrange non-DNA species. This is achieved by simulating a finite-state automaton with output where golden nanoparticles are assembled to read-out the result. In the second model, a complex DNA molecule representing a graph emerges as a solution of a computational problem. This supports the idea that in molecular self-assembly computing, it may be necessary to develop the notion of shape processing besides the classical approach through symbol processing.