bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic three‐dimensional anisotropic geometries by uniaxial stretching of poly(ε‐caprolactone) films: Degradation and mesenchymal stem cell responses
Authors: Wang Zu‐Yong , Lim Jing , Ho Yeow Siong , Zhang Qin‐Yuan , Chong Mark S. K. , Tang Min , Hong Ming‐Hui , Chan Jerry K. Y. , Teoh Swee Hin , Thian Eng San
Published: July 2013

Geometric cues have been used for a variety of cell regulation and tissue regenerative applications. While the function of geometric cues is being recognized, their stability and degradation behaviors are not well known. Here, we studied the influence of degradation on uniaxial‐stretch‐induced poly(ε‐caprolactone) (UX‐PCL) ridge/groove arrays and further cellular responses. Results from accelerated hydrolysis in vitro showed that UX‐PCL ridge/groove arrays followed a surface‐controlled erosion, with an overall geometry remained even at ∼45% film weight loss. Compared to unstretched PCL flat surfaces and/or ridge/groove arrays, UX‐PCL ridge/groove arrays achieved an enhanced morphological stability against degradation. Over the degradation period, UX‐PCL ridge/groove arrays exhibited an “S‐shape” behavior of film weight loss, and retained more stable surface hydrophilicity and higher film mechanical properties than those of unstretched PCL surfaces. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) aligned better toward UX‐PCL ridge/groove arrays when the geometries were remained intact, and became sensitive with gradually declined nucleus alignment and elongation to the geometric degradation of ridges. We speculate that uniaxial stretching confers UX‐PCL ridge/groove arrays with enhanced stability against degradation in erosive environment. This study provides insights of how degradation influences geometric cues and further cell responses, and has implications for the design of biomaterials with stability‐enhanced geometric cues for long‐term tissue regeneration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2197–2207, 2014.
Immunotherapy with injectable hydrogels to treat obstructive nephropathy
Authors: Soranno Danielle E. , Lu Hoang D. , Weber Heather M. , Rai Reena , Burdick Jason A.
Published: July 2013

Hydrogels are gaining attention as injectable vehicles for delivery of therapeutics for a range of applications. We describe self‐assembling and injectable Dock‐and‐Lock hydrogels for local delivery of interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) to abate the progression of inflammation and fibrosis that leads to chronic kidney disease. As monitored with a fluorescent tag, hydrogels degraded within a few days in vitro and matched IL‐10 release profiles; however, hydrogels remained in the kidney for up to 30 days in vivo. A unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model was used to investigate in vivo outcomes after hydrogel injection and IL‐10 delivery. Eight groups were investigated (7, 21, 35 days, n = 4): healthy, sham, healthy injected with mouse serum albumin (MSA), healthy + hydrogel, UUO, UUO + IL‐10, UUO + hydrogel, UUO + hydrogel/IL‐10. 15 μL of IL‐10, hydrogel, or hydrogel/IL‐10 was injected under the renal capsule 3 days after the UUO. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on paraffin sections to identify macrophages and apoptotic cells and trichrome staining was used to evaluate fibrosis. There were no significant differences in inflammatory markers between all control groups. With hydrogel delivery, macrophage infiltration and apoptosis were significantly reduced at days 21 and 35 compared to untreated animals. By day 35, IL‐10 delivery via hydrogel reduced macrophage infiltration and apoptosis more than IL‐10 injection alone. Fibrosis was decreased by day 35 in all treatment groups. This work supports the use of hydrogel delivery of IL‐10 to treat chronic kidney disease. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2173–2180, 2014.
A Truncated‐Flt1 Isoform of Breast Cancer Cells Is Upregulated by Notch and Downregulated by Retinoic Acid
Authors: Mezquita Belén , Mezquita Jovita , Barrot Carme , Carvajal Silvia , Pau Montserrat , Mezquita Pau , Mezquita Cristóbal
Published: July 2013

We have previously reported that the major isoform of Flt1/VEGFR‐1 expressed in MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells was a truncated intracellular isoform transcribed from intron 21 (i21Flt1). This isoform upregulated the active form of Src and increased breast cancer cell invasiveness. Since expression of the transmembrane and soluble Flt1 isoforms of HUVEC is activated by Notch signaling, we wondered whether the expression of the intracellular isoform i21Flt1 was also dependent on Notch activation. We report here that the expression of i21Flt1 in HUVEC and MDA‐MB‐231 cells is downregulated by the γ‐secretase inhibitor DAPT. In addition, treatment of MDA‐MB‐231 cells with siRNA specific for Notch‐1 and Notch‐3 downregulates the expression of i21Flt1. In agreement with these findings, HUVEC and MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells, cultured on dishes coated with recombinant human Dll4 extracellular domain, express higher levels of i21Flt1. In cancer cells, Flt1 is a target of the micro RNA family miR‐200. In MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells, the truncated intracellular isoform i21Flt1 is also negatively regulated by miR‐200c. Retinoic acid interferes i21Flt1 expression by downregulating Notch‐3 and upregulating miR‐200 expression. Treatment of MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells with both a γ‐secretase inhibitor and retinoic acid suppresses the expression of i21Flt1, providing a new mechanism to explain the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 52–61, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stability of Alfvén eigenmodes in the vicinity of auroral arc
Authors: Hiraki Yasutaka
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this study is to give a theoretical suggestion to the essential question why east‐west elongated auroral arc can keep its anisotropic structure for a long time. It could be related to the stability of east‐westward traveling modes in the vicinity of arc, which may develop into wavy or spiral structures, whereas north‐southward modes are related to splitting of arcs. Taking into account the arc‐inducing field‐aligned current and magnetic shears, we examine changes in the stability of Alfvén eigenmodes that are coupled to perpendicular modes in the presence of convection electric field. It is demonstrated that the poleward current shear suppresses growth of the westward mode in case of the westward convection electric field. Only the poleward mode is still unstable because of the properties of feedback shear waves. It is suggested that this tends to promote (poleward) arc splitting as often observed during quiet times. We further draw a diagram of the westward mode growth rate as a function of convection electric field and current shear, evaluating critical fields for instabilities of lower Alfvén harmonics. It is discovered that a switching phenomenon of fast‐growing mode from fundamental to the first harmonic occurs for a high electric field regime. Our stability criterion is applied to some observed situations of auroral arc current system during pre‐breakup active times.
Total Factor Productivity, Pollution and ‘Green’ Economic Growth in China
Authors: Jiang Yanqing
Published: July 2013

This paper investigates the linkage between China's output growth and its pollution emissions. We find that growth of total factor productivity in the Chinese provinces over the period of 1997–2011 was accompanied by increasing pollution emissions. Our study shows that over this period, a significant part of China's output growth previously attributed to total factor productivity growth is actually due to increasing environmental inputs. On the basis of the general ideas of the green Solow model and our empirical analyses, long‐run green sustainable growth in China would be unachievable under current conditions of pollution abatement efforts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of substituents and conjugated chain length on the UV spectra of α,ω‐di‐substituted phenyl polyenes
Authors: Cao Chenzhong , Zhu Yun , Chen Guanfan
Published: July 2013

A series of α,ω‐di‐substituted phenyl polyenes, p‐X–Ph(CH = CH)nPh–p‐Y (n = 1, 2, or 3) were synthesized, and their ultraviolet (UV) absorption maximum wavelength were determined. The correlation between molecular structure and the maximum wavelength energy (wavenumber/cm−1) was carried out. The results show that the maximum wavelength energy of the title compounds is mainly affected by both substituent excited‐state parameters and maximum wavelength energy of the parent molecule. However, the two influence factors are not independent, and the action of substituent is governed by the parent molecular absorption energy. In the case of the compounds containing NO2 or NH2 groups, the influence of interaction of polarity parameters on the maximum wavelength energy must also be considered. In addition, the exploration was also made for the quantifying correlation of UV absorption maximum wavelength energy with the conjugated polarizability potential CPP replacing the parent molecular absorption energy. And the results indicate that the equation with CPP parameters is more accurate and convenient. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maskless and targeted creation of arrays of colour centres in diamond using focused ion beam technology
Authors: Lesik Margarita , Spinicelli Piernicola , Pezzagna Sébastien , Happel Patrick , Jacques Vincent , Salord Olivier , Rasser Bernard , Delobbe Anne , Sudraud Pierre , Tallaire Alexandre , Meijer Jan , Roch Jean‐François
Published: July 2013

The creation of nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centres in diamond is nowadays well controlled using nitrogen implantation and annealing. Although the high‐resolution placement of NV centres has been demonstrated using either collimation through pierced tips of an atomic force microscope (AFM) or masks with apertures made by electron beam lithography, a targeted implantation into pre‐defined structures in diamond may not be achieved using these techniques. We show that a beam of nitrogen ions can be focused to approximately 100 nm using focused ion beam (FIB) technology. The nitrogen ion beam is produced using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source. Combined with a scanning electron microscope, the nitrogen‐FIB offers new possibilities for the targeted creation of single defects in diamond. This maskless technology is suitable for example for the creation of optical centres in the cavities of photonic crystals or in diamond tips for scanning magnetometry.
Shape‐controlled nanocrystal γ‐MnO2: Preparation and electrochemical features
Authors: Ma Pei‐Pei , Du Jie , He Zhan‐Bing , Xing Xiang‐Ying , Ren Tie‐Zhen
Published: July 2013

The shape‐controlled star‐like and rod‐like γ‐MnO2 nanocrystals are prepared by vitriolization of synthesized manganese oxides with the adjustment of the molar ratio of Mn precursors in the ammonia solution. The properties of the product, γ‐MnO2, are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, etc. The prepared rod‐like γ‐MnO2 nanocrystals have a high surface area of 129 cm2 g−1. Charge/discharge tests of the obtained nanorods particle shows a capacitance of 218 F g−1 but with a high capacitance of 261 F g−1 at the first cycle. The star‐like nanoparticles show a better stability with less capacitance loss.

The scheme of the phase transition of the manganese oxides.
Imidazolium salts with varying anions as charge carriers for detection of neutral bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Walton Barbara L. , Joshi Ubisha , Dzyuba Sergei V. , Youngblood W. Justin , Verbeck Guido F.
Published: July 2013

RATIONALE

While electrospray ionization is a popular technique for mass analysis, without a charged species it is ineffective. This coupled with solvent restrictions hinders the analysis of organometallic complexes. Detecting neutral species whose solubility is limited to nonconventional solvents is a problemthat can be overcome with the right charge carrier, which is described in this study.

METHODS

Ionic liquids were synthesized and analyzed by electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. The neutral palladium complex was also analyzed using different imidazolium salts as the charge carrier with the same method and instrumentation. Theoretical complementswere also performed using Gaussian 09 at the density functional theory levels, using B3LYP functionals and the 6‐31 g (d,p) basis set for geometry optimizations.

RESULTS

Low concentration imidazolium salts in methanol showed aggregation behavior of the ionic liquid, where the cation peak and [cation]n+1[anion]n peaks were observed in positive mode, while the [cation]n[anion]n+1 peaks were seen in negative mode. The unbound anion was observed in all the negative mode spectra except for the salt with the SCN anion when in THF. Solutions of PdCl2(PPh3)2 and a small amount of ionic liquid in THF showed the palladium complex adducted with the imidazolium cation for each of the ionic liquids studied.

CONCLUSIONS

A charge carrier for a neutral organometallic complex was found in imidazolium salts, where the cation was observed as the ionizing agent. Differing ion intensities of the complex‐adduct peak resulted from the anions ability to dissociate from the cation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of personality, family influences, and prosocial risk‐taking behavior on substance use in early adolescence
Authors: Wood Andrew P. , Dawe Sharon , Gullo Matthew J.
Published: July 2013

Impulsivity is clearly associated with adolescent substance use. However, contemporary models of impulsivity argue against a unitary construct and propose at least two potential facets of impulsivity: reward drive and disinhibition. This study investigated the mediating role of prosocial risk‐taking in the association between these two facets of impulsivity, family environment, and substance use in Grade 8 students, age 12–14 years (N = 969). For girls, traits related to disinhibition referred to as rash impulsivity were directly associated with greater substance use and, unexpectedly, reward drive was indirectly associated with greater substance use through participation in physical‐risk activities, which itself predicted greater use. For boys, participation in physical‐risk activities was the only direct predictor of substance use and, as in girls, reward drive conveyed indirect risk through this pathway. Family environment, reward drive, and rash impulsivity were associated with participation in performance‐risk activities, and prosocial behavior more generally, but neither of these hypothesized mediators was related to substance use.
Toward a Theology of Infertility and the Role ofDonum Vitae
Authors: Cox Kathryn Lilla
Published: July 2013

A theology of infertility is needed to help couples and the broader ecclesial community understand the theological implications of infertility. Infertility raises questions about human freedom, finitude, embodiment, childlessness, and parenthood. In this article, dominant cultural assumptions surrounding each of these areas when considering reproductive technologies are sketched. Official Roman Catholic teaching on reproductive technologies (Donum Vitae), while rejecting most forms of such technologies, does provide a viable response to the presupposition that reproductive technologies resolve infertility. Given the dominant cultural assumptions and insights from Roman Catholic teaching, this article advocates for several ecclesial changes when considering infertility. Finally, theological resources for developing a theology of infertility are offered. Specifically, insights from Karl Rahner's theology of concupiscence are examined with an eye toward how they provide a framework for rethinking the cultural assumptions about freedom and finitude when considering reproductive technologies.
IV. Note on Plicatula sigillina, an undescribed Fossil of the Upper Chalk and Cambridge Phosphate-bed
Authors: Woodward S. P.
Published: July 2013

Everyone who has collected the fossils of the Upper Chalk will have noticed how the Echinoderms and Belemnites are overgrown by small oyster-like shells with a striated disk, commonly passed by as the fry of Ostrea vesiculosa. There is a beautiful example of Micraster cor-anguinum in the Museum of the Geological Society (given by Mr. Bayfield, of Norwich, to the late Daniel Sharpe), on which a dozen of these little shells, each about half an inch across, have left their lower valves; and above twenty are congregated on a fragment of Ananchytes (occupying a space of about three square inches) in the British Museum.
I. On the Nature and Origin of Banded Flints
Authors: Woodward S. P.
Published: July 2013

The idler picking up pebbles on the sea-shore, and the geologist breaking stones in a gravel-pit, frequently meet with banded flints, which display their markings like a painting on the smoothly fractured internal surface, or, in other cases, in the form of lines more or less deeply engraved on the exterior by the action of the weather. The bands seen in section are often accompanied by discolorations of fanciful shape, in which imaginative people find pictures of their friends and others.
II. Outline of the Raætic Formation in West and Central Somerset
Authors: Dawkins W. Boyd
Published: July 2013

The identification of the Rhætic Formation in Britain, previously discovered to be intercalated between the Keuper Marls and Lower Lias Shales in Germany, we owe to the labours of Dr. Wright, F.G.S., and Mr. Charles Moore, F.G.S., In the year 1860, the former published an account of the strata beneath the Lias, characterized by the occurrence of Avicula contorta; the latter, in the following year, showing in a most valuable paper the true relation of the sandstones, shales, and limestones to the White Lias above and the Keuper below, added upwards of twenty-eight new species to the list of British Fossils.
CHALLENGING THESTATUS QUO: YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN IN BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS COMMUNITY WORK, 1970s SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Hadfield Leslie
Published: July 2013

Young activists who took part in South Africa's Black Consciousness movement challenged the apartheidstatus quowith their bold calls for black psychological liberation. This article uses new evidence to elucidate the work these youthful activists did in health and economic projects in the rural Eastern Cape that, in part, upheld certain customs. The article also brings young professional women into the history of African youth, arguing that the involvement of professional black female activists changed the way activists and villagers perceived the abilities and roles of young black women.
A NOTE ON VANSINA'S INVENTION OF MATRILINEARITY
Authors: MACGAFFEY WYATT
Published: July 2013

Jan Vansina's Paths in the Rainforests (1990) provides an instructive example of progress in overcoming the continuing burden of nineteenth-century evolutionary theory in studies of precolonial Africa in both historiography and anthropology. This article focuses on a critical section of the book, which outlines social evolution and ‘the invention of matrilinearity’ in the area around the lower Congo, showing both the strengths and the weaknesses of Vansina's approach.
‘Yours Neutrally, Habitational Action’: Performance between Theatre and Dance
Authors: Camilleri Frank
Published: July 2013

A milestone development in a practice-as-research investigation led to the identification of ‘habitational action’ as a term that resists a priori restrictions of inner–outer problematics when discussing performer processes. In this article Frank Camilleri cross-references the term with ‘neutral action’ to locate it conceptually and historically; first with Jacques Lecoq's pedagogical mask work, and then with Yvonne Rainer's conceptualization of the ‘neutral doer’. The cross-referencing to specific theatre and dance contexts is also intended to problematize psychophysicality as a central aspect of current actor training discourse. Frank Camilleri is Associate Professor in Theatre Studies at the University of Malta and Artistic Director of Icarus Performance Project. In 2007 he co-founded Icarus Publishing with Odin Teatret and the Grotowski Institute. He is also Visiting Professor in Theatre and Performance at the University of Huddersfield.
‘Scott of the Antarctic’ on the German Stage: Reinhard Goering's Die Südpolexpedition des Kapitäns Scott
Authors: Nielsen Hanne , Leane Elizabeth
Published: July 2013

Reinhard Goering's play Die Südpolexpedition des Kapitäns Scott (1929) tells the story of the famously tragic British polar expedition led by Robert F. Scott in 1911–12. As the first public staging of the story, the play created considerable controversy in Britain when it premiered in Berlin in 1930. A late Expressionist drama, it offered perspectives on the expedition quite different to those coming out of Scott's homeland. In this article, Hanne Nielsen and Elizabeth Leane contextualize the play within Goering's own career; outline its performance history; examine its reception in both Germany and Britain; and analyze the play text in terms of its innovative treatment of Scott's story. Hanne Nielsen is a postgraduate student at Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury. Her background is in Antarctic Studies and German literature and she is currently undertaking a study of representations of Antarctica on stage. Elizabeth Leane is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Tasmania, where she holds a research position split between the School of Humanities and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. She has written and edited several books, most recently Antarctica in Fiction (Cambridge University Press).
Domestic Courts as Agents of Development of the International Law of Jurisdiction
Authors: O'KEEFE ROGER
Published: July 2013

The role of domestic courts in the development of the international law of jurisdiction is less direct and less important than might be supposed. As a manifestation of the practice and opinio juris of the forum state, domestic judicial decisions take a back seat to legislation and, like legislation, represent the position of a single state alone. The more influential part that domestic judicial decisions and, indeed, proceedings can play in the evolution of the international rules on jurisdiction is as triggers both for reactive practice on the part of other states and for international litigation. Domestic decisions can also shape international law when looked to by foreign courts as persuasive judicial authority.
Silent Enim Leges Inter Arma– but Beware the Background Noise: Domestic Courts as Agents of Development of the Law on the Conduct of Hostilities
Authors: RONEN YAËL
Published: July 2013

This article highlights the challenges to the operation of domestic courts as agents of development of the laws of armed conflict and particularly of the law on the conduct of hostilities. The first part of the article concerns the spillover from various branches of the laws of armed conflict to the law regarding the conduct of hostilities. The second part of the article addresses the structural constraints on domestic courts in deciding issues relating to the laws of armed conflict, focusing on the conflict between their role as guardians of national interests and their judicial commitment to protecting the individual. The cumulative effect of these characteristics of domestic litigation suggests that the laws of armed conflict, and particularly the law on the conduct of hostilities, are not necessarily well served by development through domestic jurisprudence.
Die Interpersonale Theorie suizidalen Verhaltens
Authors: Wachtel Sarah , Teismann Tobias
Published: July 2013

Theoretischer Hintergrund: Im Rahmen der Interpersonalen Theorie suizidalen Verhaltens postuliert Joiner (2005) , dass die Wahrnehmung, nicht Teil einer wertgeschätzten Gruppe zu sein (thwarted belongingness), und der Eindruck, für andere eine Belastung (perceived burdensomeness) darzustellen, assoziiert sind mit dem Wunsch zu sterben. Zu suizidalem Verhalten soll es hingegen erst dann kommen, wenn dieser Wunsch einhergeht mit einer erworbenen Befähigung (acquired capability) sich zu suizidieren. Fragestellung: Inwieweit werden die theoretischen Annahmen durch empirische Arbeiten gestützt? Methode: Im Rahmen einer Literaturrecherche konnten 29 Studien identifiziert werden, die im Zeitraum von 2002 bis 2011 zum Thema publiziert wurden. Ergebnisse: Die Befundlage verweist darauf, dass perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness und acquired capability mit verschiedenen Facetten suizidalen Erlebens und Verhaltens assoziiert sind. Studien zum interaktiven Zusammenwirken der Modellkomponenten sind bislang unterrepräsentiert. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Studienlage stützt verschiedene Annahmen der Interpersonalen Theorie. Die Aussagekraft der Befundlage ist eingeschränkt, da bislang nahezu ausschließlich Querschnittsuntersuchungen durchgeführt wurden und kaum Studien alle drei Faktoren der Interpersonalen Theorie erfasst haben.
Es ging mir schlechter, als ich dachte!
Authors: Ülsmann Dominik , Fydrich Thomas
Published: July 2013

Theoretischer Hintergrund: Bei retrospektiven Einschätzungen des Erlebens und Verhaltens werden meist Gedächtnis- und Urteilsfehler vermutet. Fragestellung: Wie zuverlässig sind retrospektive Symptomeinschätzungen in der Psychotherapie? Wie valide sind Therapieerfolgsmaße auf Basis retrospektiver Symptomeinschätzungen? Methode: Psychotherapiepatienten (N = 83) rekonstruieren zu Therapieende ihre Symptomausprägung vom Beginn der Therapie auf dem Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) und dem Beck Depressions Inventar (BDI). Ergebnisse: Neben einer bedeutsamen retrospektiven Überschätzung zeigen retrospektive und reguläre Prä-Messungen bedeutsame Zusammenhänge. Das Ausmaß der retrospektiven Symptomeinschätzungen ist vom Therapieerfolg weitgehend unabhängig. Prä-Post Effektstärken auf Basis der retrospektiven Prä-Messungen zeigen vergleichbare Zusammenhänge mit anderen Therapieerfolgsmaßen wie reguläre Prä-Post Effektstärken. Schlussfolgerungen: Retrospektive Symptomeinschätzungen sind zuverlässig aber nicht akkurat. Pauschale Annahmen über Urteilsfehler und eine wenig valide Darstellung des Therapieerfolgs bei retrospektiver Erfassung von Symptomen müssen zurückgewiesen werden.
Reversibly crosslinked thermo- and redox-responsive nanogels for controlled drug release
Authors: Liu Ji , Detrembleur Christophe , Hurtgen Marie , Debuigne Antoine , De Pauw-Gillet Marie-Claire , Mornet Stéphane , Duguet Etienne , Jérôme Christine
Published: July 2013

Reversibly crosslinked thermo- and redox-responsive PVOH-b-PNVCL nanogels designed for controlled drug release.
Effect of cholesterol nanodomains on monolayer morphology and dynamics
Authors: Kim KyuHan , Choi Siyoung Q. , Zell Zachary A. , Squires Todd M. , Zasadzinski Joseph A.
Published: July 2013

Significance

Replacement lung surfactants have dramatically reduced premature infant mortality owing to respiratory distress syndrome. However, clinical lung surfactant varies widely in composition, and even the existence of cholesterol in native lung surfactants remains controversial. Improving replacement surfactants will require an understanding of each molecular component’s role in a film’s static and dynamic properties. Here, we show that small cholesterol fractions reduce the viscosity of model lung surfactant interfaces by orders of magnitude while leaving compressibility and collapse unchanged, offering control over surfactant spreadability. Lipid–cholesterol nanodomain complexes are observed, which act as line-active sources of free area to reduce surface viscosity.
Structural basis for the stabilization of the complement alternative pathway C3 convertase by properdin
Authors: Alcorlo Martín , Tortajada Agustín , Rodríguez de Córdoba Santiago , Llorca Oscar
Published: July 2013

Complement is an essential component of innate immunity. Its activation results in the assembly of unstable protease complexes, denominated C3/C5 convertases, leading to inflammation and lysis. Regulatory proteins inactivate C3/C5 convertases on host surfaces to avoid collateral tissue damage. On pathogen surfaces, properdin stabilizes C3/C5 convertases to efficiently fight infection. How properdin performs this function is, however, unclear. Using electron microscopy we show that the N- and C-terminal ends of adjacent monomers in properdin oligomers conform a curly vertex that holds together the AP convertase, interacting with both the C345C and vWA domains of C3b and Bb, respectively. Properdin also promotes a large displacement of the TED (thioester-containing domain) and CUB (complement protein subcomponents C1r/C1s, urchin embryonic growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 1) domains of C3b, which likely impairs C3-convertase inactivation by regulatory proteins. The combined effect of molecular cross-linking and structural reorganization increases stability of the C3 convertase and facilitates recruitment of fluid-phase C3 convertase to the cell surfaces. Our model explains how properdin mediates the assembly of stabilized C3/C5-convertase clusters, which helps to localize complement amplification to pathogen surfaces.
Hypolipidemic and Body Fat–Lowering Effects of Giant Embryo Brown Rice (Seonong 17 and Keunnunjami) in High‐Fat‐Fed Mice
Authors: Chung Soo Im , Rico Catherine W. , Lee Sang Chul , Kang Mi Young
Published: July 2013

The effects of giant embryo brown rice Seonong 17 and Keunnunjami, in comparison with that of ordinary normal brown rice, on the body weight and lipid profile in mice under a high‐fat diet condition were investigated. The animals were fed with experimental diets for eight weeks: normal control, high fat (HF), and high fat supplemented with normal brown rice, Seonong 17 rice, or Keunnunjami rice powder. Their body and fat weights, lipid profiles, lipogenic enzyme activities, and adipokine concentrations were determined. Significant differences between the animal groups were analyzed with Tukey's test (P < 0.05). A marked increase in the body weight and fat, plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations, and free fatty acid level were found in HF mice relative to the control group. On the other hand, diet supplementation with rice, particularly the giant embryo rice samples, significantly suppressed this high‐fat‐induced body weight gain and hyperlipidemia via regulation of lipogenesis and adipokine production. Both the Seonong 17 and Keunnunjami exhibited greater hypolipidemic and body fat–lowering effects than the normal brown rice. The results demonstrate that these giant embryo mutants may be beneficial as biomaterials for functional foods with antiobesity and hypolipidemic effects.
Global Aspects of pacC Regulation of Pathogenicity Genes inColletotrichum gloeosporioidesas Revealed by Transcriptome Analysis
Authors: Alkan Noam , Meng Xiangchun , Friedlander Gilgi , Reuveni Eli , Sukno Serenella , Sherman Amir , Thon Michael , Fluhr Robert , Prusky Dov
Published: July 2013

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides alkalinizes its surroundings during colonization of host tissue. The transcription factor pacC is a regulator of pH-controlled genes and is essential for successful colonization. We present here the sequence assembly of the Colletotrichum fruit pathogen and use it to explore the global regulation of pathogenicity by ambient pH. The assembled genome size was 54 Mb, encoding 18,456 genes. Transcriptomes of the wild type and ΔpacC mutant were established by RNA-seq and explored for their global pH-dependent gene regulation. The analysis showed that pacC upregulates 478 genes and downregulates 483 genes, comprising 5% of the fungal genome, including transporters, antioxidants, and cell-wall-degrading enzymes. Interestingly, gene families with similar functionality are both up- and downregulated by pacC. Global analysis of secreted genes showed significant pacC activation of degradative enzymes at alkaline pH and during fruit infection. Select genes from alkalizing-type pathogen C. gloeosporioides and from acidifying-type pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were verified by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis at different pH values. Knock out of several pacC-activated genes confirmed their involvement in pathogenic colonization of alkalinized surroundings. The results suggest a global regulation by pacC of key pathogenicity genes during pH change in alkalinizing and acidifying pathogens.
The Immunity Regulator BAK1 Contributes to Resistance Against Diverse RNA Viruses
Authors: Kørner Camilla Julie , Klauser Dominik , Niehl Annette , Domínguez-Ferreras Ana , Chinchilla Delphine , Boller Thomas , Heinlein Manfred , Hann Dagmar R.
Published: July 2013

The plant's innate immune system detects potential biotic threats through recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) or danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRR). A central regulator of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) is the BRI1-associated kinase 1 (BAK1), which undergoes complex formation with PRR upon ligand binding. Although viral patterns inducing PTI are well known from animal systems, nothing similar has been reported for plants. Rather, antiviral defense in plants is thought to be mediated by post-transcriptional gene silencing of viral RNA or through effector-triggered immunity, i.e., recognition of virus-specific effectors by resistance proteins. Nevertheless, infection by compatible viruses can also lead to the induction of defense gene expression, indicating that plants may also recognize viruses through PTI. Here, we show that PTI, or at least the presence of the regulator BAK1, is important for antiviral defense of Arabidopsis plants. Arabidopsis bak1 mutants show increased susceptibility to three different RNA viruses during compatible interactions. Furthermore, crude viral extracts but not purified virions induce several PTI marker responses in a BAK1-dependent manner. Overall, we conclude that BAK1-dependent PTI contributes to antiviral resistance in plants.
Sawadaea tulasnei Powdery Mildew of Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) in Oregon
Authors: Stanosz G. , Smith D.
Published: July 2013

In August 2012, Norway maple ‘Crimson Century’ trees affected by powdery mildew were observed in Portland, OR. A majority of leaves throughout the crowns on each of the five trees planted in the street terrace on one side of a single city block were affected. White mycelium was present in irregular, discrete, scattered spots or almost continuously on the upper surfaces of leaves and also was present on some petioles. The affected area of the upper surface of leaf blades was estimated to typically be >50%. Chasmothecia were present singly or in groups on the mycelium, and bore simple and bifid appendages (originating from the upper half of the chasmothecia) including some with uncinate or circinate apices that allowed tentative identification to the genus Sawadaea (1). Mean diameter of the chasmothecia was 160 (standard error [SE] = 3.9) μm, and mean appendage length was 72 (SE = 4.9) μm. Asci averaged 77 (SE = 1.2) × 52 (SE = 1.2) μm and ascospores averaged 24 (SE = 0.4) × 12 (SE = 0.3) μm. Braun (1) reported ranges in dimensions of these features as: chasmothecia, (min. 125) 140 to 190 μm; appendages, 40 to 80 μm; asci, 60 to 80 (max. 100) × (min. 30) 35 to 50 (max. 55) μm; and ascospores 15 to 25 (max. 30) × 10 to 15 μm. Nuclear rDNA sequence data was obtained for ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 regions using primers PMITS1 and PMITS2. A BLASTn search revealed that the data (430 bp) obtained (GenBank Accession No. KF258718) exactly matched respective sequences of Sawadaea tulasnei (AB193363, AB193385, AB193390, AB193391, and EU247884), and differed from respective sequence data for S. bicornis (AB193380) by 22 nucleotides. S. tulasnei is a European species previously found on maples including Acer platanoides. However, this pathogen has been reported only rarely in North America in the states of New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and the province of Quebec (2,3,4). Although not likely to seriously affect the growth or survival of established trees, severe powdery mildew can detract from the aesthetic value of trees. Further, S. tulasnei might seriously damage small seedlings, and detection of this exotic pathogen in nurseries should restrict movement of stock. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. tulasnei in western North America, and it indicates the distribution of this pathogen is transcontinental. Specimens have been deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI 892675).

References (1) U. Braun. The Powdery Mildews (Erysiphales) of Europe. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena-Stuttgart-New York, 1995. (2) S. Hirose, et al. Mycol. Res. 109:912, 2005. (3) B. Hudelson, et al. Plant Dis. 92:485, 2008. (4) J. Weiland and G. Stanosz. Plant Dis. 90:830, 2006.
First Report of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa from the Sedge Trichophorum cespitosum in Eastern Canada, Which Causes Dollar Spot Disease on Lolium perenne and Poa pratensis but not on Agrostis stolonifera
Authors: Hsiang T. , Shi F. , Darbyson A.
Published: July 2013

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa is a fungal pathogen that causes dollar spot disease on more than 40 plant species, mostly in the family Poaceae (1), and is considered the most widespread pathogen of golf course turfgrasses in the St. Lawrence River Region. In June 2011, lesions were observed on tufted bulrush, Trichophorum cespitosum (Poales, Cyperaceae), on the sea shore near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. Single bunches had up to 40% of the leaves affected. The foliar symptoms resembled large hourglass lesions, up to 5 cm long, with a straw colored portion capped at two ends by dark zone lines on surrounding green foliar tissue. Leaf segments were taken, surface sterilized, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 3 days of incubation at room temperature, white fluffy mycelia covered the entire petri dish. Brown columnar structures formed in the colony centers after 7 days and cultures became cinnamon colored after 14 days. Dark brown or black substratal stroma were formed on or in the agar, and cultures appeared dark brown from the bottom. DNA was extracted and amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS4 (2), and the amplicon sequenced (GenBank Accession No. KF447776). The sequence showed a top match of 522/524 bp identity with the ITS of an isolate of S. homoeocarpa, with the next 40 top matches also identified as S. homoeocarpa. Two-week-old seedlings of Agrostis stolonifera cv. Penncross, Poa pratensis cv. Touchdown, and Lolium perenne cv. Express were inoculated by placing 5-mm-diameter mycelial plugs from 5-day-old PDA cultures onto the leaves of plants grown in small containers, and incubating under enclosed humid conditions throughout the test. White aerial hyphae on the leaves and straw-colored leaf lesions were observed by 7 days after inoculation on P. pratensis and L. perenne, but no lesions or hyphal growth were observed on A. stolonifera. No signs or symptoms were observed on leaves where sterile agar plugs were used as inoculum. These tests were repeated three times with the same results, and a positive control was included by using an S. homoeocarpa isolate known to be pathogenic to A. stolonifera under the same test conditions. Disease was observed on A. stolonifera with the control isolate. S. homoeocarpa was re-isolated from the lesions on P. pratensis and L. perenne to satisfy Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. homoeocarpa on T. cespitosum worldwide, an isolate that was found to cause disease on P. pratensis and L. perenne, but was not pathogenic to A. stolonifera in vitro. The original host was not used in pathogenicity tests because it is considered an endangered species in many locations.

References: (1) B. Walsh et al. HortScience 34:13, 1999. (2) T. J. White et al. PCR protocols, a guide to methods and applications 18:315, 1990.
Limitations to Photosynthesis in Leaves of Wheat Plants Infected byPyricularia oryzae
Authors: Debona Daniel , Rodrigues Fabrício Ávila , Rios Jonas Alberto , Martins Samuel Cordeiro Vitor , Pereira Lucas Felisberto , DaMatta Fábio Murilo
Published: July 2013

Blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, has become an economically important disease in wheat in Brazil, but little effort has been devoted to understanding the wheat–P. oryzae interaction. This study was intended to determine the effects of P. oryzae infection on the photosynthetic process in wheat plants using a susceptible (BR 18) and a partially resistant cultivar (BRS 229). It was found that the net carbon assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate were dramatically reduced in both cultivars due to P. oryzae infection but to a lesser degree in BRS 229. Photosynthesis was impaired in asymptomatic leaf tissues, indicating that blast severity is not an acceptable indicator for predicting P. oryzae-induced reductions in A. The proportionally larger decreases in A than in gs, in parallel with increases in internal CO2concentration (Ci), suggest that the lower influx of CO2into the diseased leaves caused by stomatal closure was not a prominent factor associated with the reduction in A. Additional support for this conclusion comes from the nonsignificant correlation between A and gs, the negative correlation between A and Ciand the positive correlation between blast severity and Ci. Both the maximum rate of carboxylation and the maximum rate of electron transport were dramatically depressed at advanced stages of P. oryzae infection, mainly in BR 18, although the reduction in A was not closely related to the decrease in the electron transport rate. In conclusion, biochemical limitations likely related to the reduced activity of Rubisco, rather than diffusive limitations, were the main factor associated with decreases in A during the infection process of P. oryzae on wheat leaves.
Fluctuating food resources influence developmental plasticity in wild boar
Authors: Gamelon Marlène , Douhard Mathieu , Baubet Eric , Gimenez Olivier , Brandt Serge , Gaillard Jean-Michel
Published: July 2013

To maximize long-term average reproductive success, individuals can diversify the phenotypes of offspring produced within a reproductive event by displaying the ‘coin-flipping’ tactic. Wild boar(Sus scrofa scrofa)females have been reported to adopt this tactic. However, whether the magnitude of developmental plasticity within a litter depends on stochasticity in food resources has not been yet investigated. From long-term monitoring, we found that juvenile females produced similar-sized fetuses within a litter independent of food availability. By contrast, adult females adjusted their relative allocation to littermates to the amount of food resources, by providing a similar allocation to all littermates in years of poor food resources but producing highly diversified offspring phenotypes within a litter in years of abundant food resources. By minimizing sibling rivalry, such a plastic reproductive tactic allows adult wild boar females to maximize the number of littermates for a given breeding event.
The price of anarchy in mobility-driven contagion dynamics
Authors: Nicolaides Christos , Cueto-Felgueroso Luis , Juanes Ruben
Published: July 2013

Public policy and individual incentives determine the patterns of human mobility through transportation networks. In the event of a health emergency, the pursuit of maximum social or individual utility may lead to conflicting objectives in the routing strategies of network users. Individuals tend to avoid exposure so as to minimize the risk of contagion, whereas policymakers aim at coordinated behaviour that maximizes the social welfare. Here, we study agent-driven contagion dynamics through transportation networks, coupled to the adoption of either selfish- or policy-driven rerouting strategies. In analogy with the concept of price of anarchy in transportation networks subject to congestion, we show that maximizing individual utility leads to a loss of welfare for the social group, measured here by the total population infected after an epidemic outbreak.
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and Islam
Authors: Chester David K. , Duncan Angus M. , Al Ghasyah Dhanhani Hamdan
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This research aims to examine the extent to which eruptions and earthquakes are explained using religious terms of reference within Islamic countries, and those where Muslims constitute a significant minority. Is the notion that disasters represent divine punishment so pervasive that the only reaction for the devout believer is passive acceptance of suffering or, alternatively, is the innovation of policies of disaster reduction acceptable theologically?

Design/methodology/approach

Information is derived from: bibliographic sources; archives; questionnaires; and interviews.

Findings

There is a distinctive theological perception of natural disasters within Islamic thought. Although the inhabitants of Islamic countries may explain earthquake and eruption losses in religious terms, there is little evidence to suggest that this inhibits the introduction of programmes of planned loss reduction. Relief is a generally acceptable response for both aid donors and recipients.

Research limitations/implications

The impact of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes is not as well researched as those occurring in countries with a Christian ethos. Generalizations have had to be made from a more limited set of examples. More detailed research is required both within the countries affected and in the languages used in hazard‐exposed Islamic states (e.g. Arabic, Urdu and Farsi).

Practical implications

Introduction of programmes of hazard reduction is generally possible in Islamic countries, but requires theological justification.

Originality/value

In comparison with the study of earthquake and eruption impacts in countries with a Christian ethos, little has been published on disasters and Islam.
Energy status in Qatar
Authors: Darwish Mohamed Ali
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Natural gas (NG) consumption is increasing at an alarming rate, and more than 50 percent of this gas is used in generating electric power (EP) and desalted seawater (DW) in what is called cogeneration power desalting plants (CPDP). In this context, the purpose of this paper is to study the energy status in Qatar. More specifically, Qatar energy supply side is studied through the CPDP. In an effort to decrease the energy consumption by raising the efficiency of the CPDP (at the supply side), and conserving energy at the demand side, primarily energy footprint is performed.

Design/methodology/approach

The status of CPDP, in terms of the type, capacity, fuel consumption is studied, and measures that should be taken to improve their performance and reduce their consumed fuel are presented.

Findings

Study of the EP and DW sector showed that the fuel consumed in the CPDP can be reduced substantially by converting the simple gas turbine cycle to combined cycle to raise its efficiency from 30 percent to up to 50 percent. On the demand side, it was shown that air conditioning (AC) of buildings consumes about two‐third of the summer peak load; and about half of the annual EP output. So, measures to decrease the AC cooling load are suggested by implementing building code to decrease the consumed energy in buildings.

Originality/value

Data on the NG and oil proven reserve, production, and consumption are limited and scattered. It is necessary to have a clear picture of Qatar showing the flow of energy supply, demand, consumption, and losses in certain sectors to know where energy can be conserved; and this paper is the first trial in that direction. Although prime energy looks abundant today, it can be consumed locally within few decades if consumption is not controlled.