bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion and comparison with magnetic confinement
Authors: Betti R. , Chang P. Y. , Spears B. K. , Anderson K. S. , Edwards J. , Fatenejad M. , Lindl J. D. , McCrory R. L. , Nora R. , Shvarts D.
Published: April 2010

The physics of thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is presented in the familiar frame of a Lawson-type criterion. The product of the plasma pressure and confinement time Pτ for ICF is cast in terms of measurable parameters and its value is estimated for cryogenic implosions. An overall ignition parameter χ including pressure, confinement time, and temperature is derived to complement the product Pτ. A metric for performance assessment should include both χ and Pτ. The ignition parameter and the product Pτ are compared between inertial and magnetic-confinement fusion. It is found that cryogenic implosions on OMEGA [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] have achieved Pτ∼1.5 atm s comparable to large tokamaks such as the Joint European Torus [P. H. Rebut and B. E. Keen, Fusion Technol. 11, 13 (1987)] where Pτ∼1 atm s. Since OMEGA implosions are relatively cold (T∼2 keV), their overall ignition parameter χ∼0.02–0.03 is ∼5× lower than in JET (χ∼0.13), where the average temperature is about 10 keV.
Effect of light rare earth element Nd doping on magnetization dynamics in Co–Nb films
Authors: Zhang Zhengmei , Lin Min , Zhu Jingyi , Guo Dangwei , Chai Guozhi , Fan Xiaolong , Yang Yuancai , Xue Desheng
Published: April 2010

( Co 0.85 Nb 0.15 ) 100 − x Nd x (x=0, 1.1, 3.4, and 6.4) soft magnetic thin films have been prepared on Si substrates by oblique sputtering ∼16°. The dynamic properties of the films were systematically investigated in a wide frequency range from 0.1 to 7 GHz. Strong enhancement of the damping parameter which is one key materials parameter that controls the dynamic response and the full width at half maximum of the imaginary permeability spectra were observed when Nd element was doped. The fitted value of the damping parameter for (Co0.85Nb0.15)93.6Nd6.4 film is around 0.1, which is almost one order larger than that 0.015 of (Co0.85Nb0.15)100 film.
Ion imaging in a high-gradient magnetic guide
Authors: Vaidya V. D. , Traxler M. , Hempel C. , Mhaskar R. R. , Raithel G.
Published: April 2010

We study a photoionization method to detect and image a narrow beam of cold atoms traveling along a high-gradient two-wire magnetic guide that is continuously on. Ions are accelerated in a compact acceleration region, directed through a drift region several centimeters in length, and detected using a position-sensitive ion detector. The potentials of several electrodes can be varied to adjust the imaging properties. Using ion trajectory simulations as well as experiments, we study the passage of the ions through the detection system, the magnification of the detection system, and the time-of-flight characteristics.
Note: An advanced in situ diagnostic system for characterization of electric propulsion thrusters and ion beam sources
Authors: Bundesmann C. , Tartz M. , Scholze F. , Leiter H. J. , Scortecci F. , Gnizdor R. Y. , Neumann H.
Published: April 2010

We present an advanced diagnostic system for in situ characterization of electric propulsion thrusters and ion beam sources. The system uses a high-precision five-axis positioning system with a modular setup and the following diagnostic tools: a telemicroscopy head for optical imaging, a triangular laser head for surface profile scanning, a pyrometer for temperature scanning, a Faraday probe for current density mapping, and an energy-selective mass spectrometer for beam characterization (energy and mass distribution, composition). The capabilities of our diagnostic system are demonstrated with a Hall effect thruster SPT-100D EM1.
Note: Phase compensation in the fiber optical quadrature passive demodulation scheme
Authors: Jiang Yi , Tang Caijie , Guo Guirong
Published: April 2010

A phase compensation technique in the fiber optical quadrature passive demodulation scheme is presented. The phase error between the two interferometric signals is calculated first, and a new signal is generated which has an accurate phase difference of 90° with respect to another one. The experimental results show that the distortion in the demodulated signal is removed and the input signal is correctly recovered. The technique is successfully used in fiber optical interferometric sensors.
Enhanced diode characteristics of organic solar cells using titanium suboxide electron transport layer
Authors: Lee Jae Hyun , Cho Shinuk , Roy Anshuman , Jung Hee-Tae , Heeger Alan J.
Published: April 2010

The (dark) diode characteristics of the organic bulk heterojunction solar cell based on the phase separated blend of poly[N-9″-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4′,7′-di-2-thenyl-2′,1′,3′-benzothiadiazole)] with [6,6]-phenyl C70-butyric acid methyl ester have been analyzed with a focus on the effect of the titanium suboxide (TiOx) electron transport layer. The addition of the TiOx layer into the device structure causes the saturation current density to decrease by a factor of 26 and the shunt resistance to increase by a factor of 12. The diode ideality factor and series resistance are, respectively, almost the same for diodes made with and without the TiOx layer. The results indicate that the TiOx layer increases the energy barrier for hole transport and reduces the minority carrier density.
Effects of capping HfO2 with multivalent oxides toward reducing the number of charged defects
Authors: Umezawa Naoto
Published: April 2010

Electrical properties of field-effect transistors are significantly degraded by charged defects formed in dielectric oxides. Here, we propose a simple method for eliminating charged defects in HfO2. Our computational and thermodynamic investigations have revealed that multivalent oxides act as an oxygen reservoir when deposited on HfO2, playing an important role in keeping the oxygen chemical potential constant throughout the oxide film. This is due to the coexistence of two stoichiometric phases in the multivalent oxide, which allows absorption or desorption of oxygen atoms depending on the ambient conditions. Our theory predicts europium oxide is the best capping material for minimizing oxygen-related charged defects in HfO2.
Investigation of the effects of Mg incorporation into InZnO for high-performance and high-stability solution-processed thin film transistors
Authors: Kim Gun Hee , Jeong Woong Hee , Du Ahn Byung , Shin Hyun Soo , Kim Hee Jin , Kim Hyun Jae , Ryu Myung-Kwan , Park Kyung-Bae , Seon Jong-Baek , Lee Sang-Yoon
Published: April 2010

We have fabricated high-performance and high-stability sol-gel-processed MgInZnO thin films transistors with varying Mg content. As the Mg content was increased, the turn-on-voltage increased and the off-current decreased. This is because the incorporation of Mg (with low standard electrode potential and high optical band gap, Eopt, when oxidized) causes reduction in the oxygen vacancy, acting as a carrier source, and an increase in Eopt of the film. This results in reduction in carrier concentration of the film. Small grains and smooth morphology by varying the Mg content lead to an improvement of the mobility, on-current, and subthreshold gate swing.
Biographical Myth and the Publication of Mozart's Piano Quartets
Authors: Ridgewell Rupert
Published: April 2010

The story that Mozart was commissioned to write three piano quartets for publication in Franz Anton Hoffmeister's subscription series has proved to be remarkably resilient in the Mozart literature. According to the account that first appeared in Georg Nikolaus von Nissen's biography (1828), Hoffmeister gave Mozart an advance payment for the works, but decided to withdraw after the first quartet, K.478, was poorly received. The article exposes a series of flaws in this narrative by locating Hoffmeister's edition of K.478 in a wider contextual and bibliographical framework than has been hitherto attempted. A revised chain of events, based on a new understanding of Hoffmeister's business, suggests a more complex narrative for Mozart's dealings with the publisher. It also prompts us to reconsider the circumstances surrounding Mozart's composition of his two completed piano quartets and the reception of his chamber music in Vienna before 1791.
On the Structure and Proportions of Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Authors: Atlas Allan W.
Published: April 2010

The large-scale structure of Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is defined by three major articulations: at E.5, I.1 and T.5. The proportions these define are remarkably constant across 12 recordings and Vaughan Williams's own metronome indications. Those at E.5 and T.5 help create a state of structural stability defined by quarter–half–quarter symmetry, while the articulation at I.1 coincides almost precisely with the ‘short’ Golden Section. These proportions find fascinating analogues in the structure of Gloucester Cathedral, for which venue the piece was composed, although this connection (especially with regard to the Golden Section) was probably not conscious. The proportions defined by E.5 and T.5 in the original version (1910) differed from those in the version we hear today (second revision, 1919), and Vaughan Williams's motive in making two waves of cuts (1913 and 1919) may have arisen from an instinctual desire to establish the sense of quarter–half–quarter symmetry.
Where is Here? An Issue of Deictic Projection in Recorded Song
Authors: Moore Allan F.
Published: April 2010

This article develops a theoretic base for the hermeneutics of spatialization in recorded popular song, drawing from work in ecological perception, cognitive linguistics, proxemics and some music semiotics. It uses this base in order specifically to observe a range of uses of the deictic expression ‘here’ in the lyrics of popular songs, and from this observation to construct a typology. It draws from a very wide range of Anglophone genres, stretching across most of the previous century and beyond, exploring the varying extents to which the music that encompasses such lyrics helps to fix a type of location indexed by ‘here’. Such an exercise forms part of a larger programme to establish a grounding that permits a reasoned response to Ricoeur's call to interpret the text by means of disclosing a ‘possible way of looking at things'.
Innovative moments and poor outcome in narrative therapy
Authors: Santos Anita , Gonçalves Miguel M. , Matos Marlene
Published: April 2010

Aims: To analyse a poor outcome case of narrative therapy with a woman victim of intimate violence. Method: The Innovative Moments Coding System: version 1 was applied to all sessions to track the innovative moments (i‐moments) in the therapeutic process. I–moments are the narrative details that occur in psychotherapeutic conversations that are outside the influence of the problematic narrative. This research aims to describe the processes involved in the stability of meanings in psychotherapy through a dialogical approach to meaning making. Findings: Contrarily to what usually occurs in good outcome cases, re‐conceptualization i‐moments are absent. Moreover, two specific types of i‐moments emerged with higher duration: reflection and protest. Qualitative analysis showed that the potential meanings of these i‐moments were surpassed by a return to the problematic narrative. Conclusion: The therapeutic stability seems to be maintained by a systematic return to the problematic narrative after the emergence of novelties. This process was referred from a dialogical perspective as a mutual in‐feeding of voices, one that emerges in the i‐moment and another one that supports the problematic narrative, which is maintained by an oscillation between these two types of voices during therapy.
Semantic Influences from a Brief Peripheral Cue Depend on Task Set
Authors: Weaver Matthew D. , Phillips Joseph , Lauwereyns Johan
Published: April 2010

Previous research has shown semantic influence from irrelevant peripheral cues on the spatial allocation of covert visual attention. The present study explored whether the task set determines the extent of such semantic influence. A spatial cueing paradigm with strict eye movement control was used, where cues were either first names (male or female) or emotionally charged words (positive or negative) followed by a face target. Participants discriminated either the gender (male or female) or the emotion (positive or negative) of the face. When there was high information overlap between cue and task set, responses were faster when the cue and target value were semantically congruent than when they were incongruent. It was concluded that the semantically related cues primed a task-influencing response independently of spatial attention allocation processes, showing that semantic influences from brief peripheral cues depend on the degree of information overlap between cue and task set.
Persistent infection of rhesus monkeys with ‘Helicobacter macacae’ and its isolation from an animal with intestinal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Marini Robert P. , Muthupalani Sureshkumar , Shen Zeli , Buckley Ellen M. , Alvarado Cynthia , Taylor Nancy S. , Dewhirst Floyd E. , Whary Mark T. , Patterson Mary M. , Fox James G.
Published: April 2010

A novel helicobacter, ‘Helicobacter macacae’, was previously isolated from a colony of rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys in which diarrhoea from chronic idiopathic colitis was enzootic. A survey performed in a second colony of rhesus monkeys without a history of chronic diarrhoea determined that 57 % were faecal-culture positive for Helicobacter species. Ten years after the survey, one of the animals from which ‘H. macacae’ had been isolated, a 23-year-old, intact male rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), presented with partial inappetence and progressive weight loss. Subsequent evaluation of the monkey revealed anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and a palpable abdominal mass. Contrast radiography suggested partial intestinal obstruction. The animal was euthanized and a diagnosis was made of intestinal adenocarcinoma of the ileocaecocolic junction with metastasis to regional lymph nodes and liver. Microaerobic culture of caecal tissue yielded a helicobacter organism identified as ‘H. macacae’ by 16S rRNA gene sequencing – the same species of bacteria isolated 10 years previously. The liver, small intestine and colon were also positive by PCR for Helicobacter species. Intestinal adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy of aged macaques. Faeces or caecal tissue from five out of five monkeys that remained from the original cohort and that were colonized with ‘H. macacae’ in the initial survey were positive for the organism. The apparent persistence of ‘H. macacae’ in these animals, the isolation of the bacterium from animals with colitis and the recognition of the importance of inflammation in carcinogenesis raise the possibility of an aetiological role in the genesis of intestinal adenocarcinoma in aged rhesus monkeys.
A real-time quantitative PCR assay for evaluating Clostridium difficile adherence to differentiated intestinal Caco-2 cells
Authors: Dingle Tanis , Mulvey George L. , Humphries Romney M. , Armstrong Glen D.
Published: April 2010

Herein we describe a real-time quantitative PCR assay for evaluating the adherence of Clostridium difficile to differentiated human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Our investigations demonstrated that the method, employing the C. difficile-specific triose-phosphate isomerase gene, is as reliable but less time-consuming than counting c.f.u. We conclude that the method will be useful for evaluating the role of host cell adherence in the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection.
Autoregulation of Sinorhizobium meliloti exoR gene expression
Authors: Lu Hai-Yang , Cheng Hai-Ping
Published: April 2010

The successful nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between the Gram-negative soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti and its leguminous plant host alfalfa (Medicago sativa) requires the bacterial exopolysaccharide succinoglycan. Succinoglycan and flagellum production, along with the ability to metabolize more than 20 different carbon sources and control the expression of a large number of S. meliloti genes, is regulated by the ExoR–ExoS/ChvI signalling pathway. The ExoR protein interacts with and suppresses the sensing activities of ExoS, the membrane-bound sensor of the ExoS/ChvI two-component regulatory system. Here we show that exoR expression is clearly upregulated in the absence of any functional ExoR protein. This upregulation was suppressed by the presence of the wild-type ExoR protein but not by a mutated ExoR protein lacking signal peptide. The levels of exoR expression could be directly modified in real time by changing the levels of total ExoR protein. The expression of exoR was also upregulated by the constitutively active sensor mutation exoS96, and blocked by two single mutations, exoS* and exoSsupA
, in the ExoS sensing domain. Presence of the wild-type ExoS protein further elevated the levels of exoR expression in the absence of functional ExoR protein, and reversed the effects of exoS96, exoS* and exoSsupA
mutations. Altogether, these data suggest that ExoR protein autoregulates exoR expression through the ExoS/ChvI system, allowing S. meliloti cells to maintain the levels of exoR expression based on the amount of total ExoR protein.
Spectroscopic properties of rubber oxygenase RoxA from Xanthomonas sp., a new type of dihaem dioxygenase
Authors: Schmitt Georg , Seiffert Grazyna , Kroneck Peter M. H. , Braaz Reinhard , Jendrossek Dieter
Published: April 2010

Natural rubber [poly-(cis-1,4-isoprene)] is cleaved to 12-oxo-4,8-dimethyltrideca-4,8-diene-1-al (ODTD) by rubber oxygenase A (RoxA) isolated fromXanthomonassp. RoxA has twoc-type haem centres that show two distinctα-bands at 549 and 553 nm in the dithionite-reduced state. A well-resolved midpoint potential (E0′) of –65 mV was determined for one haem by spectrophotometric titrations in the absence of dioxygen with dithionite and ferricyanide as reductant and oxidant, respectively. The midpoint potential of the second haem was not resolvable (E0′ about −130 to –160 mV). One of the two haems was reduced by NADH (549 nmα-band), similar to bacterial dihaem peroxidases. Evidence for an electron transfer between the two haems was provided by slow reduction of the second haem (553 nmα-band) upon incubation of the partially reduced enzyme at room temperature. Addition of imidazole or related compounds to RoxA led to UV/vis spectral features similar to those observed for partially reduced RoxA. Notably, reduction of RoxA with dithionite or NADH, or binding of compounds such as imidazole, resulted in a reversible inactivation of the enzyme, unlike dihaem peroxidases. In line with this result, RoxA did not show any peroxidase activity. EPR spectra of RoxA as isolated showed two low-spin Fe(III) haem centres, with apparentg-values of 3.39, 3.09, 2.23, 1.92 and 1.50. A weak signal in theg=6 region resulting from a high-spin Fe(III) haem was also observed with a preparation-dependent intensity that disappeared in the presence of imidazole. Attempts to provide spectroscopic evidence for binding of the natural substrate (polyisoprene latex) to RoxA failed. However, experimental data are presented that RoxA is able to subtract redox equivalents from its substrate or from model compounds. In conclusion, RoxA is a novel type of dihaem dioxygenase with features clearly different from classical cytochromecperoxidases.
Precise temporal control of the eye regulatory gene Pax6 via enhancer-binding site affinity
Authors: Rowan Sheldon , Siggers Trevor , Lachke Salil A. , Yue Yingzi , Bulyk Martha L. , Maas Richard L.
Published: April 2010

How transcription factors interpret the cis-regulatory logic encoded within enhancers to mediate quantitative changes in spatiotemporally restricted expression patterns during animal development is not well understood. Pax6 is a dosage-sensitive gene essential for eye development. Here, we identify the Prep1 (pKnox1) transcription factor as a critical dose-dependent upstream regulator of Pax6 expression during lens formation. We show that Prep1 activates the Pax6 lens enhancer by binding to two phylogenetically conserved lower-affinity DNA-binding sites. Finally, we describe a mechanism whereby Pax6 levels are determined by transcriptional synergy of Prep1 bound to the two sites, while timing of enhancer activation is determined by binding site affinity.
Defining the RNA polymerase III transcriptome: Genome-wide localization of the RNA polymerase III transcription machinery in human cells
Authors: Canella Donatella , Praz Viviane , Reina Jaime H. , Cousin Pascal , Hernandez Nouria
Published: April 2010

Our view of the RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription machinery in mammalian cells arises mostly from studies of the RN5S (5S) gene, the Ad2 VAI gene, and the RNU6 (U6) gene, as paradigms for genes with type 1, 2, and 3 promoters. Recruitment of Pol III onto these genes requires prior binding of well-characterized transcription factors. Technical limitations in dealing with repeated genomic units, typically found at mammalian Pol III genes, have so far hampered genome-wide studies of the Pol III transcription machinery and transcriptome. We have localized, genome-wide, Pol III and some of its transcription factors. Our results reveal broad usage of the known Pol III transcription machinery and define a minimal Pol III transcriptome in dividing IMR90hTert fibroblasts. This transcriptome consists of some 500 actively transcribed genes including a few dozen candidate novel genes, of which we confirmed nine as Pol III transcription units by additional methods. It does not contain any of the microRNA genes previously described as transcribed by Pol III, but reveals two other microRNA genes, MIR886 (hsa-mir-886) and MIR1975 (RNY5, hY5, hsa-mir-1975), which are genuine Pol III transcription units.
Complete mitochondrial genome phylogeographic analysis of killer whales (Orcinus orca) indicates multiple species
Authors: Morin Phillip A. , Archer Frederick I. , Foote Andrew D. , Vilstrup Julia , Allen Eric E. , Wade Paul , Durban John , Parsons Kim , Pitman Robert , Li Lewyn , Bouffard Pascal , Abel Nielsen Sandra C. , Rasmussen Morten , Willerslev Eske , Gilbert M. Thomas P. , Harkins Timothy
Published: April 2010

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) currently comprise a single, cosmopolitan species with a diverse diet. However, studies over the last 30 yr have revealed populations of sympatric “ecotypes” with discrete prey preferences, morphology, and behaviors. Although these ecotypes avoid social interactions and are not known to interbreed, genetic studies to date have found extremely low levels of diversity in the mitochondrial control region, and few clear phylogeographic patterns worldwide. This low level of diversity is likely due to low mitochondrial mutation rates that are common to cetaceans. Using killer whales as a case study, we have developed a method to readily sequence, assemble, and analyze complete mitochondrial genomes from large numbers of samples to more accurately assess phylogeography and estimate divergence times. This represents an important tool for wildlife management, not only for killer whales but for many marine taxa. We used high-throughput sequencing to survey whole mitochondrial genome variation of 139 samples from the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and southern oceans. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that each of the known ecotypes represents a strongly supported clade with divergence times ranging from ∼150,000 to 700,000 yr ago. We recommend that three named ecotypes be elevated to full species, and that the remaining types be recognized as subspecies pending additional data. Establishing appropriate taxonomic designations will greatly aid in understanding the ecological impacts and conservation needs of these important marine predators. We predict that phylogeographic mitogenomics will become an important tool for improved statistical phylogeography and more precise estimates of divergence times.
Influence of selected factors on the dietary compositions of three targeted and co‐occurring temperate species of reef fishes: implications for food partitioning
Authors: Platell M. E. , Hesp S. A. , Cossington S. M. , Lek E. , Moore S. E. , Potter I. C.
Published: April 2010

The dietary compositions of three medium to large targeted fish species, which co‐occur over reefs in temperate waters of south‐western Australia, were determined. These data were then used to ascertain statistically the extent to which body size, season and habitat influence the diets of these species and the degree to which food resources were partitioned among and within those species, and thus reduced the potential of interspecific and intraspecific competition. On the west coast, Bodianus frenchii (Labridae) and Epinephelides armatus (Serranidae) spent their whole life over prominent limestone reefs, as did Glaucosoma hebraicum (Glaucosomatidae) in all but juvenile life, when it lived over low‐relief, limestone substrata. The dietary composition of each species changed with increasing body size, which, in G. hebraicum, was particularly pronounced at c. 300 mm total length (LT) and therefore at the size when this species shifts habitat. When the three species co‐occurred over the same reefs, their dietary compositions were significantly different, with that of B. frenchii being by far the most discrete, reflecting a far greater contribution by sedentary taxa. Thus, the diet of B. frenchii was distinguished from those of the other two species in containing substantial volumes of bivalve and gastropod molluscs and echinoid echinoderms and essentially no teleosts. Although the diets of G. hebraicum and particularly E. armatus were dominated by teleosts, and especially for larger individuals, the former species ingested greater volumes of cephalopods and small crustaceans. The pointed jaws of B. frenchii, with their forwardly directed and interlocking anterior incisors, are ideally adapted for biting and retaining their invertebrate prey, which are attached to or reside within reef crevices. In contrast, the mouths of G. hebraicum and E. armatus are broader and rounder and contain numerous small, slender and inward‐pointing teeth. These teeth, in conjunction with prominent backward‐curved canines in E. armatus, facilitate the capture and retention of fish prey. Observations in situ indicate that G. hebraicum is a suction feeder, while E. armatus is predominantly a ram feeder. Although reef environments on the west and south coasts differ, the diet of B. frenchii on these coasts differed only slightly. Interspecific differences in diet, combined with size‐related changes in dietary compositions and the occupation of different habitats by juvenile and adult G. hebraicum, reduce the potential for competition for food resources among and within B. frenchii, G. hebraicum and E. armatus and thus helps facilitate the coexistence of these species which historically have been abundant over reefs in south‐western Australia.
Reproductive biology of the Panama graysbyCephalopholis panamensis(Teleostei: Epinephelidae)
Authors: Erisman B. E. , Craig M. T. , Hastings P. A.
Published: April 2010

The reproductive biology of the Panama graysbyCephalopholis panamensiswas studied from collections and behavioural observations made in the Gulf of California from 2001 to 2006. Histological examinations, particularly the identification of gonads undergoing sexual transition, confirmed a protogynous hermaphroditic sexual pattern. The population structure and mating behaviour provided further support for protogyny. Size and age distributions by sex were bimodal, with males larger and older than females and sex ratios biased towards females. Mating groups consisted of a large male and several smaller females, and courtship occurred in pairs during the evening. Results on spawning periodicity and seasonality were incomplete, but histological data, monthly gonado‐somatic indices (IG) and behavioural observations suggest that adults spawned around the full moon from May to September. Certain aspects of their reproductive biology (e.g. protogyny and low egg production) indicate thatC. panamensisis particularly vulnerable to fishing and would benefit from a management policy in Mexico.
Lunar and seasonal patterns in fecundity of an indeterminate, multiple‐spawning surgeonfish, the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens
Authors: Bushnell M. E. , Claisse J. T. , Laidley C. W.
Published: April 2010

Reproduction was investigated in relation to lunar and annual cycles in a population of yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens, a popular aquarium species commercially harvested in Hawaii. Lunar periodicity was determined to be an inherent characteristic of reproduction; peaks in mean daily egg production, female gonado‐somatic index (IG) and the fraction of females with eggs were observed at the full moon of each sampled month. An increase in the fraction of late‐stage vitellogenic oocytes within the ovaries was also observed at the full moon. Reproductive effort peaked in the late spring and summer as indicated by high values of mean daily egg production, female IG and the recorded incidence of females spawning for at least two consecutive days. Mean daily egg production and IG of monthly samples were lowest in November to February, although some level of egg production continued throughout the year. Large individual variation in batch fecundity was observed, with a range from 44 to > 24 000 eggs per female produced on a single sampling date. Smaller females, 80–120 mm standard length (LS), produced limited numbers of eggs, while females ≥ 120 mm LS were capable of maximal egg production (> 20 000 eggs per batch). In contrast to trends observed in many fish species, no significant relationship between batch fecundity and adult LS > 120 mm was observed in female Z. flavescens. An estimate of annual fecundity (mean ±s.e. 1 055 628 ± 120 596 eggs) was also generated using a simple model of the lunar variability in egg production. This study illustrates the importance of accounting for potential variation in egg production over time, especially with respect to diel and lunar cycles, in the design of reproductive studies of multiple‐spawning fishes. Greater insight into the environmental factors that regulate reproductive activity may be gained by determining the relative reproductive investment allocated at each spawning event. The ability to estimate annual fecundity for more multiple‐spawning species will facilitate examination of the effects of fishing on the reproductive characteristics of these populations and permit examination of life‐history evolution across a broader suite of fishes.
Relationships between maternal body size, condition and potential fecundity of four north‐west Atlantic demersal fishes
Authors: Rideout R. M. , Morgan M. J.
Published: April 2010

Fecundity data for four species (American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides, yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea, witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus and Atlantic cod Gadus morhua) of north‐west Atlantic demersal fishes, corresponding to nine populations, were examined in relation to fish size and condition in an attempt to explain the observed variability in potential fecundity. Both relative body (Kr) and liver condition (Hr) were poor single‐factor predictors of fecundity, and in almost all cases fish body mass (M) was the best single‐factor predictor. Annual variability in mean Kr and Hr existed for most populations. The inclusion of Kr and Hr in total length (LT)‐based predictive models improved model fit only slightly and not significantly in all cases. Multiple regression analyses to determine the best model for explaining the variability in fecundity often excluded Kr, Hr and LT in favour of M. The amount of variability in fecundity that could be explained by the factors analysed here was species specific, with the highest proportion explained for H. platessoides and the lowest for L. ferruginea. The highly variable, and sometimes unpredictable, nature of north‐west Atlantic groundfish fecundity suggests the need to continue collecting such reproductive data on an ongoing basis.
Maturation and sexual ontogeny in the spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus
Authors: Marriott R. J. , Jarvis N. D. C. , Adams D. J. , Gallash A. E. , Norriss J. , Newman S. J.
Published: April 2010

The reproductive development and sexual ontogeny of spangled emperor Lethrinus nebulosus populations in the Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP) were investigated to obtain an improved understanding of its evolved reproductive strategy and data for fisheries management. Evidence derived from (1) analyses of histological data and sampled sex ratios with size and age, (2) the identification of residual previtellogenic oocytes in immature and mature testes sampled during the spawning season and (3) observed changes in testis internal structure with increasing fish size and age, demonstrated a non‐functional protogynous hermaphroditic strategy (or functional gonochorism). All the smallest and youngest fish sampled were female until they either changed sex to male at a mean 277·5 mm total length (LT) and 2·3 years old or remained female and matured at a larger mean LT (392·1 mm) and older age (3·5 years). Gonad masses were similar for males and females over the size range sampled and throughout long reproductive lives (up to a maximum estimated age of c. 31 years), which was another correlate of functional gonochorism. That the mean LT at sex change and female maturity were below the current minimum legal size (MLS) limit (410 mm) demonstrated that the current MLS limit is effective for preventing recreational fishers in the NMP retaining at least half of the juvenile males and females in their landed catches.
On the occurrence ofAnaecypris hispanica, an extremely endangered Iberian endemism, in the Guadalquivir River basin
Authors: De Miguel R. , Pino E. , Ramiro A. , Aranda F. , Peña J. P. , Doadrio I. , Fernández‐Delgado C.
Published: April 2010

The jarabugoAnaecypris hispanica, considered endemic to the Guadiana River basin, has been found in the Guadalquivir River. First genetic data showed a high degree of similarity to those of the Guadiana River populations. The genetic study recovered five different groups of haplotypes, the Guadalquivir River specimens belong to the largest and most widely extended group.
Dietary carotenoid levels affect carotenoid and retinoid allocation in female Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Authors: Garner S. R. , Neff B. D. , Bernards M. A.
Published: April 2010

This study examined the effect of dietary carotenoid availability on carotenoid and retinoid concentrations in the flesh, plasma, skin and eggs of female Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Carotenoid concentrations in all tissues were closely related to dietary availability. Early in the breeding season, carotenoids were stored primarily in the muscle, with a flesh carotenoid concentration of 9·9 µg g−1 in fish fed a high carotenoid diet compared with 1·9 µg g−1 in fish fed a low carotenoid diet. During the breeding season, carotenoid reserves were mobilized predominantly to the eggs and also to the skin. By the end of the breeding season, carotenoid concentrations in the eggs were 17·9 µg g−1 in fish fed a high carotenoid diet and 3·9 µg g−1 in fish fed a low carotenoid diet. Conversely, egg retinoid concentrations were only c. 20% lower in fish fed a low v. high carotenoid diet, which suggests that retinoid concentrations were not limited by the availability of carotenoid precursors. Egg carotenoid concentrations were not correlated with either skin carotenoid concentration or colouration, which suggests that female carotenoid displays are not a reliable signal that males can use to evaluate egg carotenoid resources.
Priming of host resistance to protect cultured rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss against eye flukes and parasite‐induced cataracts
Authors: Karvonen A. , Halonen H. , SeppÄLÄ O.
Published: April 2010

In the present study, immunologically naive rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were experimentally exposed to a low‐level Diplostomum spathaceum (Trematoda) infection to stimulate acquired resistance and, along with unexposed controls, were subsequently exposed to natural infection for 8 weeks. The priming of the host resistance, designed to simulate a procedure applicable in aquaculture, decreased the number of establishing parasites compared to untreated controls by the end of the experiment. This effect was slow and did not protect the fish against the parasite‐induced cataracts. The results suggest that this type of priming of host resistance is probably inefficient in preventing the deleterious effects of D. spathaceum infection in aquaculture conditions.
P300/CBP‐associated factor regulates Y‐box binding protein‐1 expression and promotes cancer cell growth, cancer invasion and drug resistance
Authors: Shiota Masaki , Yokomizo Akira , Tada Yasuhiro , Uchiumi Takeshi , Inokuchi Junichi , Tatsugami Katsunori , Kuroiwa Kentaro , Yamamoto Ken , Seki Narihito , Naito Seiji
Published: April 2010

Twist1 has been proposed to have oncogenic properties. Although Twist1 was reported to interact with p300/CBP‐associated factor (PCAF) and to inhibit the functions of PCAF, it remains unclear how PCAF affects the functions of Twist1, cell growth, invasive ability, and cellular sensitivity to anticancer agents. We found that PCAF, Twist1, and Y‐box binding protein‐1 (YB‐1) expressions were elevated in cisplatin‐ and doxorubicin‐resistant cancer cells. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that PCAF manipulation modulated YB‐1 transcription in a Twist1‐dependent manner. In addition, PCAF regulated the Twist1 intracellular localization and the Twist1 transcriptional activity through its acetylation function to the Twist1. Suppression of PCAF expression reduced YB‐1 expression in human urothelial cancer KK47 cells. As a result, the cell growth and invasive ability of KK47 cells was retarded by PCAF knockdown, and PCAF knockdown rendered KK47 cells sensitive to cisplatin and doxorubicin, but not to 5‐fluorouracil. The present data suggest that Twist1 and YB‐1 as well as PCAF may be promising molecular therapeutic targets. (Cancer Sci 2010)
Comparison between self‐reported facial flushing after alcohol consumption and ALDH2 Glu504Lys polymorphism for risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer in a Japanese population
Authors: Oze Isao , Matsuo Keitaro , Hosono Satoyo , Ito Hidemi , Kawase Takakazu , Watanabe Miki , Suzuki Takeshi , Hatooka Shunzo , Yatabe Yasushi , Hasegawa Yasuhisa , Shinoda Masayuki , Tajima Kazuo , Tanaka Hideo
Published: April 2010

Some Japanese exhibit facial flushing after drinking alcohol. Facial flushing was considered to be caused by acetaldehydemia. The concentration of blood acetaldehyde was concerned with the catalytic activity of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)‐2 polymorphism (rs671, Glu504Lys) was known to be associated with upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancer due to modulation of ALDH2 enzyme activity. It remains controversial whether facial flushing is useful in predicting UAT cancer risk as a surrogate marker of ALDH2 polymorphism. We conducted a case–control study to assess the risk of UAT cancer and facial flushing and ALDH2 polymorphism. Cases and controls were 585 UAT cancer patients and matched 1170 noncancer outpatients of Aichi Cancer Center Hospital. Information on facial flushing and other lifestyle factors was collected via a self‐administered questionnaire. Association between facial flushing, polymorphism, and UAT cancer was assessed by odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals by using conditional logistic regression models. The facial flushing had no significant association with UAT cancer, although ALDH2 Lys allele was significantly associated with UAT cancer. No significant interaction between facial flushing and alcohol consumption was observed in this study, whereas ALDH2 Lys allele had significant association with UAT cancer. The misclassification between facial flushing and ALDH2 genotype was observed in 18% of controls with ALDH2 Glu/Glu genotype and in 16% of controls with ALDH2 Glu/Lys genotype. Facial flushing was less useful to predict UAT cancer risk than genotyping ALDH2 polymorphism. (Cancer Sci 2010)
The autophagy genes atg8 and atg1 affect morphogenesis and pathogenicity in Ustilago maydis
Authors: NADAL MARINA , GOLD SCOTT E.
Published: April 2010

Autophagy is a complex degradative process in which cytosolic material, including organelles, is randomly sequestered within double‐membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the autophagy genes ATG1 and ATG8 are crucial for autophagy induction and autophagosome assembly, respectively, and their deletion has an impact on the autophagic potential of the corresponding mutant strains. We were interested in the role of autophagy in the development and virulence of U. maydis. Using a reverse genetic approach, we showed that the U. maydis ATG8 orthologue, atg8, is associated with autophagy‐dependent processes. Deletion of atg8 abolished autophagosome accumulation in the vacuoles of carbon‐starved cells and drastically reduced the survival of U. maydisΔatg8 mutant strains during these conditions. In addition, atg8 deletion had an impact on the budding process during saprobic haploid growth. The infection of maize with compatible Δatg8 strains resulted in fewer galled plants, and fungal gall colonization was strongly reduced, as reflected by the very low hyphal density in these tissues. Δatg8 infections resulted in the formation of very few teliospores. To corroborate the role of autophagy in U. maydis development, we also deleted the ATG1 orthologue, atg1. Deletion of atg1 yielded phenotypes similar to the Δatg8 strains during saprobic growth, but of lower magnitude. The Δatg1 strains were only slightly less pathogenic than the wild‐type and teliospore production was not affected. Surprisingly, atg1 deletion in the Δatg8 background exacerbated those phenotypes already observed in the Δatg8 and Δatg1 single‐mutant strains, strongly suggesting an additive phenotype. In particular, the double mutant was completely suppressed for plant gall induction.
Targeted biological therapies for Graves’ disease and thyroid‐associated ophthalmopathy. Focus on B‐cell depletion with Rituximab
Authors: Hegedüs Laszlo , Smith Terry J. , Douglas Raymond S. , Nielsen Claus H.
Published: April 2010

Based on experience from the treatment of other autoimmune diseases and because of the limitations imposed by existing therapeutic options for Graves’ disease (GD) and thyroid‐associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), rituximab (RTX) was recently proposed as a novel therapy option. Here, we summarize the rationale for using RTX; give an overview of the possible mechanisms of action; and give an account of its effects and side‐effects when used in GD and TAO. Scant evidence, originating from only a few methodologically inhomogeneous studies, suggests that RTX may prolong remission for hyperthyroidism over that seen with antithyroid drugs, at least in mild GD. Furthermore, in patients with TAO, who are unresponsive to conventional immunosuppressive therapy, RTX seems efficacious. As we wait for larger‐scale randomized studies, RTX, should be considered experimental and reserved for patients who do not respond favourably to conventional therapy. It is the first in what is likely to be a series of new and emerging treatments specifically targeting relevant components of the immune system. Further studies will hopefully lead to improved and better tailored, individualized therapy for GD and especially TAO.
Outcome of 100 pregnancies initiated under treatment with cabergoline in hyperprolactinaemic women
Authors: Lebbe Marie , Hubinont Corinne , Bernard Pierre , Maiter Dominique
Published: April 2010

Context  Data concerning the safety for pregnancy of cabergoline treatment in hyperprolactinaemic women are still scarce.

Objective  To exclude a higher than normal risk for miscarriage and congenital malformation in pregnancies initiated under cabergoline treatment.

Design  A retrospective study of 100 pregnancies in 72 hyperprolactinaemic women treated with cabergoline at the time of conception and follow‐up of the 88 newborn children.

Methods  Cabergoline was interrupted in 99 pregnancies and continued in one case. Foetal exposure dose to cabergoline was calculated for each pregnancy. Complications of pregnancy and neonatal status were compared to those observed in an age‐and delivery time‐matched control group of 163 women.

Results  The mean foetal exposure dose to cabergoline was 3·6 ± 4·7 mg. The rate of spontaneous miscarriages was 10%. Three medical terminations of pregnancy were performed for a foetal malformation (3%). Minor to moderate complications were observed in 31% of the pregnancies, a figure similar to that found in the control group. An increase in tumour size (2–8 mm) was observed in 17/37 evaluated cases, needing reintroduction of cabergoline during pregnancy in five patients. The 84 deliveries resulted in 88 infants, three of them presenting with a malformation (3·4%). Neonatal status was comparable to the control group, where a malformation rate of 6·3% was observed. Postnatal development of the children was normal.

Conclusion  Cabergoline treatment at the time of conception appears to be safe for both the pregnancy and the neonate, although more data are still needed on a larger number of pregnancies.
Evidence for a temperature acclimation mechanism in bacteria: an empirical test of a membrane‐mediated trade‐off
Authors: Hall Edward K. , Singer Gabriel A. , Kainz Martin J. , Lennon Jay T.
Published: April 2010

1. Shifts in bacterial community composition along temporal and spatial temperature gradients occur in a wide range of habitats and have potentially important implications for ecosystem functioning. However, it is often challenging to empirically link an adaptation or acclimation that defines environmental niche or biogeography with a quantifiable phenotype, especially in micro‐organisms.

2. Here we evaluate a possible mechanistic explanation for shifts in bacterioplankton community composition in response to temperature by testing a previously hypothesized membrane mediated trade‐off between resource acquisition and respiratory costs.

3. We isolated two strains of Flavobacterium sp. at two temperatures (cold isolate and warm isolate) from the epilimnion of a small temperate lake in North Central Minnesota.

4. Compared with the cold isolate the warm isolate had higher growth rate, higher carrying capacity, lower lag time and lower respiration at the high temperature and lower phosphorus uptake at the low temperature. We also observed significant differences in membrane lipid composition between isolates and between environments that were consistent with adjustments necessary to maintain membrane fluidity at different temperatures.

5. Our results suggest that temperature acclimation in planktonic bacteria is, in part, a resource‐dependent membrane‐facilitated phenomenon. This study provides an explicit example of how a quantifiable phenotype can be linked through physiology to competitive ability and environmental niche.