bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validating and Improving Life History Data in FishBase
Authors: Patrick Wesley S , Cope Jason M , Thorson James T
Published: April 2014

Life history parameters of fish stocks are central to ecological research and management, including the fields of macro-ecology, fisheries science, and ecosystem modeling. The need for such information has led to several life history databases being developed to support and disseminate this information publicly. However, there has been little independent evaluation of the precision and accuracy of the life history values in these databases. This article summarizes a recent evaluation of FishBase, one of the largest and oldest life history databases, by distinguishing biases among seven life history parameters, two types of information available in FishBase (i.e., Entered vs. Generated data), and two taxa (i.e., Teleost vs. Chondrichthyan). In general, the study shows that certain types of information like data “entered” by experts are relatively accurate and precise, while empirically “generated” were not. We conclude with some ideas on how American Fisheries Society members can improve upon the data already available within FishBase.

RESUMEN

los parámetros de la historia de vida de los stocks de peces son parte fundamental de la investigación ecológica y del manejo, lo que incluye a disciplinas como la macroecología, la ciencia pesquera y la modelación ecológica. La necesidad de conocer estos aspectos ha impulsado la creación y desarrollo de distintas bases de datos de historia de vida con el fin de mantener y difundir públicamente esta información. Sin embargo, ha habido pocas evaluaciones de carácter independiente acerca de la precisión y exactitud de los valores de historia de vida en dichas bases. En este artículo se sintetiza una evaluación hecha recientemente a FishBase, una de las bases de datos más grande y antigua de historias de vida, en la que se hizo una distinción de sesgos entre siete parámetros de historia de vida, entre dos tipos de información disponible en FishBase (i.e. capturada vs. datos generados) y entre dos taxa (i.e. teleósteos vs. condrictios). En general, el estudio muestra que ciertos tipos de información como datos “capturados” por expertos son relativamente precisos y exactos, mientras que aquellos “generados” empíricamente no lo fueron. Se concluye con algunas ideas sobre cómo los miembros de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías pueden mejorar los datos disponibles en FishBase.
An evaluation of alternative assessment approaches for intermixing fish populations: a case study with Great Lakes lake whitefish
Authors: Li Yang , Bence James R. , Brenden Travis O.
Published: April 2014

We used simulation modeling to explore how three statistical catch-at-age approaches for assessing intermixed fisheries performed in terms of assessment accuracy and management performance, under differing productivity, mixing, and harvest levels. Simulations were based on intermixing lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) populations in the upper Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. We found that with intermixing, the “separate” assessment approach, which ignored intermixing and treated mixed populations as unit stocks, produced biased estimates of spawning stock biomass (SSB); however, the “pooled” assessment approach, which lumped populations and assessed them as a single stock, was nearly unbiased in estimating SSB. The “overlap” assessment approach, which estimated the populations in one combined assessment model by incorporating actual mixing rates, was most strongly biased in estimating SSB in the absence of mixing, with bias decreasing as mixing levels increased. With high mixing levels, the overlap method had difficulty converging on unique solutions. The pooled approach provided better management performance than the separate approach with intermixing. When the overlap method could be applied, it provided the greatest SSB with little reductions in yield and the lowest inter-annual variation in yield. Relative performances of the assessment approaches were robust to assumed harvest levels.
Impacts of seasonal stock mixing on the assessment of Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine
Authors: Cao Jie , Truesdell Samuel B. , Chen Yong
Published: April 2014

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Northwest Atlantic off New England and southern Atlantic Canada exhibit a complex population structure. This region has three independently assessed stocks [Georges Bank, Gulf of Maine (GOM), and the 4X stock], all of which are known to mix with each other. Assessments of these stocks, however, assume no interpopulation mixing. Using simulations, we evaluated impacts of ignoring mixing resulting from seasonal migrations on the GOM assessment. The dynamics of the three stocks were simulated according to different scenarios of interstock mixing, and a statistical catch-at-age stock assessment model was fitted to the simulated GOM data with and without mixing. The results suggest that, while mixing causes measurable bias in the assessment, under the conditions tested, this model still performed well. Of the bias that does exist, spawning-stock biomass estimates are relatively sensitive to mixing compared with estimates of recruitment and exploitation rate. The relative timing of seasonal migration of the three stocks plays a critical role in determining the magnitude of bias. The scale and trends among years in the bias were driven by how representative the catch and survey data were for the GOM stock; this representation changed with the mixing rates.
Comparative Studies on Composition and Distribution of Phenolic Acids in Cereal Grain Botanical Fractions
Authors: Ndolo Victoria U. , Beta Trust
Published: April 2014

The phenolic acid composition and concentration of four manually separated fractions (pericarp, aleurone layer, germ, and endosperm fractions) as well as whole grains of yellow corn, wheat, barley, and oats were analyzed by HPLC‐MS/MS following microwave‐assisted alkaline aqueous extraction. Phenolic acid compositions in whole grains and their fractions were similar, with minor differences among the grain fractions. Significant differences (P < 0.05), however, were observed in phenolic acid concentrations among cereal types, within cereal varieties, and among grain fractions, with yellow corn exhibiting the highest values. The concentrations of p‐coumaric and syringic acid in the pericarp were 10‐ to 15‐fold and 6‐ to 10‐fold higher, respectively, in yellow corn than in wheat, barley, and oats. In the aleurone layer, sinapic and vanillic acids in yellow corn were about 8‐ and 30‐fold more than in wheat. The germ fraction of wheat had 1.8 times more syringic acid than yellow corn germ. Grain fractions, excluding endosperm, had enhanced levels of phenolic acids compared with whole grain. Sinapic acid was more concentrated in the pericarp and germ of wheat, whereas isoferulic acid was concentrated in the germ of purple barley. Syringic and vanillic acids were concentrated in the pericarp and sinapic acid in the aleurone layer of yellow corn. These findings are important in understanding the composition and distribution of phenolic acids, and they act as a guide in identification of grain fractions for use as food ingredients. In addition, yellow corn fractions (aleurone and pericarp) may be potential alternative phenolic‐rich functional food ingredients in grain‐based food products.
Reductive Iron Assimilation and Intracellular Siderophores Assist Extracellular Siderophore-Driven Iron Homeostasis and Virulence
Authors: Condon Bradford J. , Oide Shinichi , Gibson Donna M. , Krasnoff Stuart B. , Turgeon B. Gillian
Published: April 2014

Iron is an essential nutrient and prudent iron acquisition and management are key traits of a successful pathogen. Fungi use nonribosomally synthesized secreted iron chelators (siderophores) or reductive iron assimilation (RIA) mechanisms to acquire iron in a high affinity manner. Previous studies with the maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus identified two genes, NPS2 and NPS6, encoding different nonribosomal peptide synthetases responsible for biosynthesis of intra- and extracellular siderophores, respectively. Deletion of NPS6 results in loss of extracellular siderophore biosynthesis, attenuated virulence, hypersensitivity to oxidative and iron-depletion stress, and reduced asexual sporulation, while nps2 mutants are phenotypically wild type in all of these traits but defective in sexual spore development when NPS2 is missing from both mating partners. Here, it is reported that nps2nps6 mutants have more severe phenotypes than both nps2 and nps6 single mutants. In contrast, mutants lacking the FTR1 or FET3 genes encoding the permease and ferroxidase components, respectively, of the alternate RIA system, are like wild type in all of the above phenotypes. However, without supplemental iron, combinatorial nps6ftr1 and nps2nps6ftr1 mutants are less virulent, are reduced in growth, and are less able to combat oxidative stress and to sporulate asexually, compared with nps6 mutants alone. These findings demonstrate that, while the role of RIA in metabolism and virulence is overshadowed by that of extracellular siderophores as a high-affinity iron acquisition mechanism in C. heterostrophus, it functions as a critical backup for the fungus.
Distinct tissue-specific requirements for the zebrafishtbx5genes during heart, retina and pectoral fin development
Authors: Pi-Roig Aina , Martin-Blanco Enrique , Minguillon Carolina
Published: April 2014

The transcription factorTbx5is expressed in the developing heart, eyes and anterior appendages. Mutations in humanTBX5cause Holt–Oram syndrome, a condition characterized by heart and upper limb malformations.Tbx5-knockout mouse embryos have severely impaired forelimb and heart morphogenesis from the earliest stages of their development. However, zebrafish embryos with compromisedtbx5function show a complete absence of pectoral fins, while heart development is disturbed at significantly later developmental stages and eye development remains to be thoroughly analysed. We identified a noveltbx5gene in zebrafish—tbx5b—that is co-expressed with its paralogue,tbx5a, in the developing eye and heart and hypothesized that functional redundancy could be occurring in these organs in embryos with impairedtbx5afunction. We have now investigated the consequences oftbx5aand/ortbx5bdownregulation in zebrafish to reveal thattbx5genes have essential roles in the establishment of cardiac laterality, dorsoventral retina axis organization and pectoral fin development. Our data show that distinct relationships betweentbx5paralogues are required in a tissue-specific manner to ensure the proper morphogenesis of the three organs in which they are expressed. Furthermore, we uncover a novel role fortbx5genes in the establishment of correct heart asymmetry in zebrafish embryos.
Streptosporangium jomthongense sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from rhizospheric soil and emendation of the genus Streptosporangium
Authors: Intra Bungonsiri , Matsumoto Atsuko , Inahashi Yuki , Ōmura Satoshi , Panbangred Watanalai , Takahashi Yōko
Published: April 2014

A novel actinomycete, strain 30EHST, was isolated from the rhizospheric soil under an elephant ear plant (Caladium bicolor) in Jomthong district, Bangkok, Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 30EHST fell within the cluster of the genus

Streptosporangium

. Chemical composition analysis confirmed that the strain represented a member of the genus

Streptosporangium

even though this strain produced a tightly packed single spore on aerial hyphae. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that strain 30EHST was most closely related to

Streptosporangium fragile

NBRC 14311T (98.1 %),

Streptosporangium carneum

NBRC 15562T (97.8 %) and

Streptosporangium violaceochromogenes

NBRC 15560T (97.4 %). The DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness values between strain 30EHST and the above three strains were below 70 %. Based on combined data for phylogenetic analysis, DNA–DNA hybridization relatedness and physiological characteristics, it was concluded that strain 30EHST should be classified as representing a novel species of the genus

Streptosporangium

. We propose the name Streptosporangium jomthongense sp. nov., with the type strain 30EHST ( = BCC 53154T = NBRC 110047T). An emended description of the genus

Streptosporangium

is also proposed.
Characterization of IL-22 and antimicrobial peptide production in mice protected against pulmonary Cryptococcus neoformans infection
Authors: Wozniak Karen L. , Hole Camaron R. , Yano Junko , Fidel Paul L. , Wormley Floyd L.
Published: April 2014

Cryptococcus neoformansis a significant cause of fungal meningitis in patients with impaired T cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Experimental pulmonary infection with aC. neoformansstrain engineered to produce IFN-γ, H99γ, results in the induction of Th1-type CMI, resolution of the acute infection, and protection against challenge with WTCryptococcus. Given that individuals with suppressed CMI are highly susceptible to pulmonaryC. neoformansinfection, we sought to determine whether antimicrobial peptides were produced in mice inoculated with H99γ. Thus, we measured levels of antimicrobial peptides lipocalin-2, S100A8, S100A9, calprotectin (S100A8/A9 heterodimer), serum amyloid A-3 (SAA3), and their putative receptors Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in mice during primary and recall responses againstC. neoformansinfection. Results showed increased levels of IL-17A and IL-22, cytokines known to modulate antimicrobial peptide production. We also observed increased levels of lipocalin-2, S100A8, S100A9 and SAA3 as well as TLR4+and RAGE+macrophages and dendritic cells in mice inoculated with H99γ compared with WT H99. Similar results were observed in the lungs of H99γ-immunized, compared with heat-killedC. neoformans-immunized, mice following challenge with WT yeast. However, IL-22-deficient mice inoculated with H99γ demonstrated antimicrobial peptide production and no change in survival rates compared with WT mice. These studies demonstrate that protection against cryptococcosis is associated with increased production of antimicrobial peptides in the lungs of protected mice that are not solely in response to IL-17A and IL-22 production and may be coincidental rather than functional.
Physiological impact of transposable elements encoding DDE transposases in the environmental adaptation of Streptococcus agalactiae
Authors: Fléchard Maud , Gilot Philippe
Published: April 2014

We have referenced and describedStreptococcus agalactiaetransposable elements encoding DDE transposases. These elements belonged to nine families of insertion sequences (ISs) and to a family of conjugative transposons (TnGBSs). An overview of the physiological impact of the insertion of all these elements is provided. DDE-transposable elements affectS. agalactiaein a number of aspects of its capability to adapt to various environments and modulate the expression of several virulence genes, thescpB–lmBgenomic region and the genes involved in capsule expression and haemolysin transport being the targets of several different mobile elements. The referenced mobile elements modifyS. agalactiaebehaviour by transferring new gene(s) to its genome, by modifying the expression of neighbouring genes at the integration site or by promoting genomic rearrangements. Transposition of some of these elements occursin vivo, suggesting that by dynamically regulating some adaptation and/or virulence genes, they improve the ability ofS. agalactiaeto reach different niches within its host and ensure the ‘success’ of the infectious process.
A bi-cistronic, reporter-encoding bovine viral diarrhea virus applied in a new, effective diagnostic test
Authors: Gebauer Mandy , Behrens Martina , König Matthias , Behrens Sven-Erik
Published: April 2014

Infections with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) have a huge economic impact on cattle production and reproduction worldwide. A key factor for BVDV surveillance and eventual eradication is to efficiently detect infections and to monitor herd immunity. In this study, we generated a stable, bi-cistronic BVDV that encoded EGFP in addition to the viral proteins. Applying this recombinant virus, a new flow-cytometry-based virus neutralization test was established that enabled accurate and reliable detection of field-virus-infected and vaccinated animals. The test, which is simple and fast, is expected to support novel, effective screening procedures in eradication and vaccination programmes.
Disentangling Multidimensional Spatio-Temporal Data into their Common and Aberrant Responses
Authors: Chang Young Hwan , Korkola Jim , Amin Dhara N. , Moasser Mark M. , Carmena Jose M. , Gray Joe W. , Tomlin Claire J.
Published: April 2014

With the advent of high-throughput measurement techniques, scientists and engineers are starting to grapple with massive data sets and encountering challenges with how to organize, process and extract information into meaningful structures. Multidimensional spatio-temporal biological data sets such as time series gene expression with various perturbations with different cell lines, or neural spike data sets across many experimental trials have the potential to acquire insight across multiple dimensions. For this potential to be realized, we need a suitable representation to turn data into insight. Since a wide range of experiments and the (unknown) complexity of underlying system make biological data more heterogeneous than those in other fields, we propose the method based on Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA), which is well suited for extracting principal components where we have corrupted observations. The proposed method provides us a new representation of these data sets which consists of its common and aberrant response. This representation might help users to acquire a new insight from data. %For example, identifying common event-related neural features across many experimental trials can be used as a signature to detect discrete events or state transitions. Also, the proposed method can be useful to biologists in clustering and analyzing gene expression time series data with a new perspective, for example, it can not only extract canonical cell signaling response but also inform them to get insight into the heterogeneity of different responses across different cell lines.
Integrated Analysis Platform: An Open-Source Information System for High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping
Authors: Klukas Christian , Chen Dijun , Pape Jean-Michel
Published: April 2014

High-throughput phenotyping is emerging as an important technology to dissect phenotypic components in plants. Efficient image processing and feature extraction are prerequisites to quantify plant growth and performance based on phenotypic traits. Issues include data management, image analysis, and result visualization of large-scale phenotypic data sets. Here, we present Integrated Analysis Platform (IAP), an open-source framework for high-throughput plant phenotyping. IAP provides user-friendly interfaces, and its core functions are highly adaptable. Our system supports image data transfer from different acquisition environments and large-scale image analysis for different plant species based on real-time imaging data obtained from different spectra. Due to the huge amount of data to manage, we utilized a common data structure for efficient storage and organization of data for both input data and result data. We implemented a block-based method for automated image processing to extract a representative list of plant phenotypic traits. We also provide tools for build-in data plotting and result export. For validation of IAP, we performed an example experiment that contains 33 maize (Zea mays ‘Fernandez’) plants, which were grown for 9 weeks in an automated greenhouse with nondestructive imaging. Subsequently, the image data were subjected to automated analysis with the maize pipeline implemented in our system. We found that the computed digital volume and number of leaves correlate with our manually measured data in high accuracy up to 0.98 and 0.95, respectively. In summary, IAP provides a multiple set of functionalities for import/export, management, and automated analysis of high-throughput plant phenotyping data, and its analysis results are highly reliable.
Purification, crystallization and phase determination of the DR1998 haembcatalase fromDeinococcus radiodurans
Authors: Borges Patrícia T. , Miranda Cecília S. , Santos Sandra P. , Carita João N. , Frazão Carlos , Romão Célia V.
Published: April 2014

The protective mechanisms ofDeinococcus radioduransagainst primary reactive oxygen species involve nonenzymatic scavengers and a powerful enzymatic antioxidant system including catalases, peroxidases and superoxide dismutases that prevents oxidative damage. Catalase is an enzyme that is responsible for the conversion of H2O2to O2and H2O, protecting the organism from the oxidative effect of H2O2. This study reports the purification and crystallization of the DR1998 catalase fromD. radiodurans. The crystals diffracted to 2.6 Å resolution and belonged to space groupC2221, with unit-cell parametersa= 97.33,b= 311.88,c= 145.63 Å, suggesting that they contain four molecules per asymmetric unit. The initial phases were determined by molecular replacement and the obtained solution shows the typical catalase quaternary structure. A preliminary model of the protein structure has been built and refinement is currently in progress.
The purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of two isoforms ofmeso-diaminopimelate decarboxylase fromArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Oliver Michael R. , Crowther Jennifer M. , Leeman Mary M. , Kessans Sarah A. , North Rachel A. , Donovan Katherine A. , Griffin Michael D. W. , Suzuki Hironori , Hudson André O. , Kasanmascheff Müge , Dobson Renwick C. J.
Published: April 2014

Diaminopimelate decarboxylase catalyses the last step in the diaminopimelate-biosynthetic pathway leading toS-lysine: the decarboxylation ofmeso-diaminopimelate to formS-lysine. Lysine biosynthesis occurs only in microorganisms and plants, and lysine is essential for the growth and development of animals. Thus, the diaminopimelate pathway represents an attractive target for antimicrobial and herbicide treatments and has received considerable attention from both a mechanistic and a structural viewpoint. Diaminopimelate decarboxylase has only been characterized in prokaryotic species. This communication describes the first structural studies of two diaminopimelate decarboxylase isoforms from a plant. TheArabidopsis thalianadiaminopimelate decarboxylase cDNAs At3g14390 (encoding DapDc1) and At5g11880 (encoding DapDc2) were cloned from genomic DNA and the recombinant proteins were expressed and purified fromEscherichia coliRosetta (DE3) cells. The crystals of DapDc1 and DapDc2 diffracted to beyond 2.00 and 2.27 Å resolution, respectively. Understanding the structural biology of diaminopimelate decarboxylase from a eukaryotic species will provide insights for the development of future herbicide treatments, in particular.
Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the C-terminal NHL domain of human TRIM2
Authors: Guan Xiaotao , Li Jun , Lü Xingru , Dong Yu , Chen Weimin , Li Xuemei
Published: April 2014

The tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2) functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Loss of function of TRIM2 has been shown to result in early-onset axonal neuropathy. As a member of the TRIM–NHL family of proteins, TRIM2 has a conserved modular architecture that includes N-terminal RING finger and B-box domains, a middle coiled-coil domain and a C-terminal NHL domain. To characterize the functional role of its NHL domain from the perspective of structural biology, a truncation of human TRIM2 (residues 465–744) was expressed, purified and crystallized. Rod-shaped crystals were obtained that diffracted X-rays to 1.7 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to space groupP21, with unit-cell parametersa= 43.6,b= 76.4,c= 107.4 Å, α = 90.0, β = 94.0, γ = 90.0°. A Matthews coefficient of 1.97 Å3 Da−1, corresponding to a solvent content of 37.6%, indicated the presence of three molecules per asymmetric unit, which was further confirmed by the phasing solution from molecular replacement.
The Temporal Landscape of Shoes: A Life Course Perspective
Authors: Hockey Jenny , Dilley Rachel , Robinson Victoria , Sherlock Alexandra
Published: April 2014

This empirically grounded article draws on an ESRC-funded project on footwear, identity and transition to offer new understandings of how a linear model of the life course may, in practice, be disrupted, subverted or reconfigured. Combining the insights of material culture and life course studies, it develops the notion of a temporal landscape of shoes within which their scope for interrupting life course temporalities can be explored. In particular, it identifies four temporal strategies made possible through the symbolic efficacy of footwear: the retrieval of an earlier identity through the purchase of styles previously worn; the deferral of later life by rejecting comfortable shoes that might symbolically reposition someone as ‘old’; the release of former age-based identities and the embracing of freedom from a felt need to wear impractical or painful shoes; the appropriation or reconfiguring of the past as a contemporary resource through the wearing of vintage/hand-me-down shoes.
The Middle Class ‘at Home among the Poor’ — How Social Mix is Lived in Parisian Suburbs: Between Local Attachment and Metropolitan Practices
Authors: Bacqué Marie‐Hélène , Charmes Eric , Vermeersch Stéphanie
Published: April 2014

How do households belonging to the middle classes decide to come live in a ‘poor’ city in the Parisian suburbs? What makes them stay? What are the judgements and strategies that have been brought to bear both individually in their daily lives and as a social group in terms of their collective involvement and their relationships with other social groups? What does this kind of ‘social mix’ imply in terms of social practices, local and social belonging? This article shows that attitudes towards social mixing have to be considered in terms of their sociological dimensions. This analysis thus takes into account middle‐class diversity in socio‐residential terms, in terms of trajectories, values and attachment to a particular area. The article also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between different dimensions of attitudes towards social mixing: depending on the issues at stake, people can accept and sometimes promote a form of cohabitation, or, quite to the contrary, reject it. Finally, the article emphasizes the importance of local contexts and their temporality: for someone belonging to the middle classes, living in a poor city may also mean holding a relatively higher position than elsewhere.
Disparities in pre‐eclampsia and eclampsia among immigrant women giving birth in six industrialised countries
Authors: Urquia ML , Glazier RH , Gagnon AJ , Mortensen LH , Nybo Andersen A‐M , Janevic T , Guendelman S , Thornton D , Bolumar F , Río Sánchez I , Small R , Davey M‐A , Hjern A ,   the ROAM Collaboration
Published: April 2014

Objective

To assess disparities in pre‐eclampsia and eclampsia among immigrant women from various world regions giving birth in six industrialised countries.

Design

Cross‐country comparative study of linked population‐based databases.

Setting

Provincial or regional obstetric delivery data from Australia, Canada, Spain and the USA and national data from Denmark and Sweden.

Population

All immigrant and non‐immigrant women delivering in the six industrialised countries within the most recent 10‐year period available to each participating centre (1995–2010).

Methods

Data was collected using standardised definitions of the outcomes and maternal regions of birth. Pooled data were analysed with multilevel models. Within‐country analyses used stratified logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Main outcome measures

Pre‐eclampsia, eclampsia and pre‐eclampsia with prolonged hospitalisation (cases per 1000 deliveries).

Results

There were 9 028 802 deliveries (3 031 399 to immigrant women). Compared with immigrants from Western Europe, immigrants from Sub‐Saharan Africa and Latin America & the Caribbean were at higher risk of pre‐eclampsia (OR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.63, 1.80 and 1.63; 95% CI: 1.57, 1.69) and eclampsia (OR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.61, 2.79 and 1.55; 95% CI: 1.26, 1. 91), respectively, after adjustment for parity, maternal age and destination country. Compared with native‐born women, European and East Asian immigrants were at lower risk in most industrialised countries. Spain exhibited the largest disparities and Australia the smallest.

Conclusion

Immigrant women from Sub‐Saharan Africa and Latin America & the Caribbean require increased surveillance due to a consistently high risk of pre‐eclampsia and eclampsia.
Radiation Resistance and Loss of Crystal Violet Binding Activity in Yersinia enterocolitica Suspended in Raw Ground Pork Exposed to Gamma Radiation and Modified Atmosphere
Authors: Bhaduri Saumya , Sheen Shiowshuh , Sommers Christopher H.
Published: April 2014

Virulence of many foodborne pathogens is directly linked to genes carried on self‐replicating extra‐chromosomal elements, which can transfer genetic material, both vertically and horizontally, between bacteria of the same and different species. Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica harbors a 70‐kb virulence plasmid (pYV) that encodes genes for low calcium response, crystal violet (CV) binding, Congo red uptake, autoagglutination (AA), hydrophobicity (HP), type III secretion channels, host immune suppression factors, and biofilm formation. Ionizing radiation and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) are used to control foodborne pathogens and meat spoilage. In this study, the effect of gamma radiation and modified atmosphere (air, 100% N2, 75% N2: 25% CO2, 50% N2: 50% CO2, 25% N2: 75% CO2, 100% CO2) were examined by using the CV binding phenotype, for the presence or absence of pYV in Y. enterocolitica, suspended in raw ground pork. All Y. enterocolitica serovars used (O:3, O:8, and O5,27) were more sensitive to radiation as the CO2 concentration increased above 50%. Crystal violet binding following a radiation dose of 1.0 kGy, which reduced the Y. enterocolitica serovars >5 log, was greatest in the presence of air (ca. 8%), but was not affected by N2 or CO2 concentration (ca. 5%). Following release from modified atmosphere after irradiation, the loss of CV binding rose from 5% to 8% immediately following irradiation to >30% after outgrowth at 25 °C for 24 h. These results, using Y. enterocolitica as a model system, indicate that the risk of foodborne illness could be affected by the loss of virulence factors when postprocess intervention technologies are used.

Practical Application

Provides gamma radiation D10 data for inactivation data for Y. enterocolitica irradiated under modified atmosphere and information to risk assessors regarding the difference between pathogen presence versus actual virulence.
Impact of Formulation and Saliva on Acid Milk Gel Friction Behavior
Authors: Joyner (Melito) Helen S. , Pernell Chris W. , Daubert Christopher R.
Published: April 2014

Rheological analysis is commonly used to evaluate mechanical properties in studies of food behavior. However, rheological analysis is often insufficient to describe food texture as evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis. Additionally, traditional rheometry does not account for changes in food behavior as a function of saliva incorporation into the food during mastication. The objectives of this study were to evaluate friction behavior of acid milk gels with and without the addition of saliva, and to determine relationships between frictional behaviors and mechanical and sensory behaviors. Acid milk gels were prepared with 12.5% total solids comprising nonfat dry milk, whey protein isolate, waxy maize starch, and gelatin in different ratios. The addition of starch was found to have significant impact on acid milk gel frictional behavior. Addition of saliva resulted in a change in frictional behavior over the entire sliding speed range measured. Correlations were found between rheological, tribological, and sensory behavior, suggesting that an underlying mechanism may impact both viscosity and friction behavior. Additional study is needed to further explore the links between food structure, rheology, tribology, and sensory texture.

Practical Application

Application of tribology in food science allows measurement of friction behavior of foods. Matching both rheological and tribological behavior is important to creating reduced‐fat or reduced‐sugar products with similar mouthfeel to the original product.
Assessment of Microbiological Contamination of Fresh, Minimally Processed, and Ready‐to‐Eat Lettuces (Lactuca sativa), Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Authors: Brandão Marcelo L. L. , Almeida Davi O. , Bispo Fernanda C. P. , Bricio Silvia M. L. , Marin Victor A. , Miagostovich Marize P.
Published: April 2014

This study aimed to assess the microbiological contamination of lettuces commercialized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to investigate detection of norovirus genogroup II (NoV GII), Salmonella spp., total and fecal coliforms, such as Escherichia coli. For NoV detection samples were processed using the adsorption‐elution concentration method associated to real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A total of 90 samples of lettuce including 30 whole fresh lettuces, 30 minimally processed (MP) lettuces, and 30 raw ready‐to‐eat (RTE) lettuce salads were randomly collected from different supermarkets (fresh and MP lettuce samples), food services, and self‐service restaurants (RTE lettuce salads), all located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from October 2010 to December 2011. NoV GII was not detected and PP7 bacteriophage used as internal control process (ICP) was recovered in 40.0%, 86.7%, and 76.7% of those samples, respectively. Salmonella spp. was not detected although fecal contamination has been observed by fecal coliform concentrations higher than 102 most probable number/g. E. coli was detected in 70.0%, 6.7%, and 30.0% of fresh, MP, and RTE samples, respectively. This study highlights the need to improve hygiene procedures at all stages of vegetable production and to show PP7 bacteriophage as an ICP for recovering RNA viruses’ methods from MP and RTE lettuce samples, encouraging the evaluation of new protocols that facilitate the establishment of methodologies for NoV detection in a greater number of food microbiology laboratories.

Practical Application

The PP7 bacteriophage can be used as an internal control process in methods for recovering RNA viruses from minimally processed and ready‐to‐eat lettuce samples.
Isolation, Purification, and Structural Features of a Polysaccharide from Phellinus linteus and Its Hypoglycemic Effect in Alloxan‐Induced Diabetic Mice
Authors: Zhao Chao , Liao Zunsheng , Wu Xiaoqi , Liu Yanling , Liu Xiaoyan , Lin Zhanxi , Huang Yifan , Liu Bin
Published: April 2014

Phellinus linteus is a medicinal mushroom that has been used in Oriental countries for centuries for its antitumor, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and biological activity on hyperglycemia. A water‐soluble crude polysaccharide was extracted using hot water from P. linteus mycelia grown under submerged culture. An orthogonal experiment was used to optimize the extraction conditions of P. linteus mycelia polysaccharides (PLP). The crude polysaccharide was purified using DEAE Sephadex A‐50 and Sephadex G‐200 chromatography. Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy were used to investigate the structure of the purified P. linteus polysaccharide (PLP‐I), revealing that it was mainly a branched‐type glycan with both α‐ and β‐linkages and a pyranoid sugar ring conformation. PLP orally administered at 100 mg/kg body weight/d could significantly reduce the blood glucose level by 35.60% in alloxan‐induced diabetic mice. The results of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) revealed that PLP had an effect on glucose disposal after 28 d of treatment. The result revealed that PLP from a submerged culture of P. linteus mycelia possessed potent hypoglycemic properties. The polysaccharide may be useful as a functional food additive and a hypoglycemic agent.
Engaged Universals and Community Economies: The (Human) Right to Water in Colombia
Authors: Perera Verónica
Published: April 2014

While the United Nations' sanctioning of the human right to water was widely celebrated, many debate the adequacy and political potency of the rights discourse to frame water justice. Drawing on multi‐sited, ethnographic‐based fieldwork in Colombia in 2010 and 2011, and prioritizing activists' reflexivity, the paper explores how water activists in the 2007–2011 referendum campaign engaged the universal human right while making user‐run community aqueducts more visible as place‐based, not‐for‐profit, culturally attuned, and valid alternatives to the corporate model of water supply. This case study suggests that the human right to water cannot be separated from water commons, and that communal users and activists engage the universal under their own terms. It also suggests we think of these water models as “economic communities” in Gibson‐Graham's sense: ethical spaces to make explicit our social relations with water, and to cultivate selves and practices that enact alternative socio‐natural relations through water's circulations.
Pharmacological characterization of tachykinin tetrabranched derivatives
Authors: Ruzza Chiara , Rizzi Anna , Malfacini Davide , Cerlesi Maria Camilla , Ferrari Federica , Marzola Erika , Ambrosio Caterina , Gro Cristina , Severo Salvadori , Costa Tommaso , Calo Girolamo , Guerrini Remo
Published: April 2014

Background and Purpose

Peptide welding technology (PWT) is a novel chemical strategy that allows the synthesis of multibranched peptides with high yield, purity and reproducibility. Using this technique, we have synthesized and pharmacologically characterized the tetrabranched derivatives of the tachykinins, substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA) and B (NKB).

Experimental Approach

The following in vitro assays were used: calcium mobilization in cells expressing human recombinant NK receptors, BRET studies of G‐protein – NK1 receptor interaction, guinea pig ileum and rat urinary bladder bioassays. Nociceptive behavioural response experiments were performed in mice following intrathecal injection of PWT2‐SP.

Key Results

In calcium mobilization studies, PWT tachykinin derivatives behaved as full agonists at NK receptors with a selectivity profile similar to that of the natural peptides. NK receptor antagonists display similar potency values when tested against PWT2 derivatives and natural peptides. In BRET and bioassay experiments PWT2‐SP mimicked the effects of SP with similar potency, maximal effects and sensitivity to aprepitant. After intrathecal administration in mice, PWT2‐SP mimicked the nociceptive effects of SP, but with higher potency and a longer‐lasting action. Aprepitant counteracted the effects of PWT2‐SP in vivo.

Conclusions and Implications

The present study has shown that the PWT technology can be successfully applied to the peptide sequence of tachykinins to generate tetrabranched derivatives characterized with a pharmacological profile similar to the native peptides. In vivo, PWT2‐SP displayed higher potency and a marked prolongation of action, compared with SP.
Carbon monoxide and the CNS: challenges and achievements
Authors: Queiroga Cláudia S F , Vercelli Alessandro , Vieira Helena L A
Published: April 2014

Haem oxygenase (HO) and its product carbon monoxide (CO) are associated with cytoprotection and maintenance of homeostasis in several different organs and tissues. This review focuses upon the role of exogenous and endogenous CO (via HO activity and expression) in various CNS pathologies, based upon data from experimental models, as well as from some clinical data on human patients. The pathophysiological conditions reviewed are cerebral ischaemia, chronic neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases), multiple sclerosis and pain. Among these pathophysiological conditions, a variety of cellular mechanisms and processes are considered, namely cytoprotection, cell death, inflammation, cell metabolism, cellular redox responses and vasomodulation, as well as the different targeted neural cells. Finally, novel potential methods and strategies for delivering exogenous CO as a drug are discussed, particularly approaches based upon CO‐releasing molecules, their limitations and challenges. The diagnostic and prognostic value of HO expression in clinical use for brain pathologies is also addressed.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of the Gasotransmitters. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-6
Spatial Patterns of Breeding Success of Grizzly Bears Derived from Hierarchical Multistate Models
Authors: FISHER JASON T. , WHEATLEY MATTHEW , MACKENZIE DARRYL
Published: April 2014

Conservation programs often manage populations indirectly through the landscapes in which they live. Empirically, linking reproductive success with landscape structure and anthropogenic change is a first step in understanding and managing the spatial mechanisms that affect reproduction, but this link is not sufficiently informed by data. Hierarchical multistate occupancy models can forge these links by estimating spatial patterns of reproductive success across landscapes. To illustrate, we surveyed the occurrence of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains Alberta, Canada. We deployed camera traps for 6 weeks at 54 surveys sites in different types of land cover. We used hierarchical multistate occupancy models to estimate probability of detection, grizzly bear occupancy, and probability of reproductive success at each site. Grizzly bear occupancy varied among cover types and was greater in herbaceous alpine ecotones than in low‐elevation wetlands or mid‐elevation conifer forests. The conditional probability of reproductive success given grizzly bear occupancy was 30% (SE = 0.14). Grizzly bears with cubs had a higher probability of detection than grizzly bears without cubs, but sites were correctly classified as being occupied by breeding females 49% of the time based on raw data and thus would have been underestimated by half. Repeated surveys and multistate modeling reduced the probability of misclassifying sites occupied by breeders as unoccupied to <2%. The probability of breeding grizzly bear occupancy varied across the landscape. Those patches with highest probabilities of breeding occupancy—herbaceous alpine ecotones—were small and highly dispersed and are projected to shrink as treelines advance due to climate warming. Understanding spatial correlates in breeding distribution is a key requirement for species conservation in the face of climate change and can help identify priorities for landscape management and protection.

Patrones Espaciales del Éxito Reproductivo de Osos Pardos, Derivados de Modelos Jerárquicos Multi‐Estado
Proselytizing Nationalism: Protestant Missionaries and theArab Awakening Debate
Authors: Borders Samantha Allison
Published: April 2014

This article examines the historiographical debate concerning the origins ofArab nationalism as postulated byGeorgeAntonius in his book,The Arab Awakening: The Story of the Arab National Movementand the theory of historical construction. After establishing the theoretical framework of the study with an overview ofHaydenWhite's views on how history is written, it progresses into a study of the historiography ofArab nationalism. Here, the scholarsSylviaG.Haim,C.ErnestDawn,RashidKhalidi, andFrumaZachs and their writings are chronologically dissected, with each academic analyzed via White's theories of historical construction. Through studying their respective positions, it is shown that these texts are culturally relative according to the era in which they were written.

It is argued that no work of scholarship can be fully removed from outside influences. Specifically, politicization of academics and the consequences of such endeavors are shown as inextricable from the created narrative. Because of the need for culturally relative knowledge so that it can be applicable to audiences outside of academia, scholars who write for an express purpose (such as answering a question for the benefit of others) should not be considered inherently biased. This article poses that academics have a moral obligation to disseminate knowledge to their respective societies due to their assumed removed status as academics. By doing so, human error is acknowledged and room is made for improvement within the field of history. Knowledge does not need to be created for its own sake, but rather so that it might be utilized by society at large. It is suggested that to foster a deeper understanding of a scholar's relationship with society, there should be an increase in academics' civic engagement. This additionally requires serious reflection and enquiry into the standards that would consequently need to be implemented to maintain the integrity of the produced scholarship.
Language Policy and State in Morocco: The Status of Berber
Authors: Zouhir Abderrahman
Published: April 2014

Moroccan society has had a long tradition of multilingualism. It is socially and linguistically diverse, and its cultural makeup is one of the richest in North African countries. Its strategic location at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East has made Morocco open to a variety of linguistic influences. Morocco has been invaded by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greek, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, and French. All these civilizations have deeply influenced Moroccan language policy and cultural diversity. The cultural and linguistic context of Morocco is characterized by the significant use of Arabic, as well as the presence of Berber, French, Spanish, and English. Berbers are the indigenous populations of Morocco and have existed in North Africa since time immemorial. Despite its complexity, the language policy of Morocco reveals an overarching monolingualism, with the hegemony of Classical Arabic as the only official language of the country. Recently, however, language education policy in Morocco has attempted to accommodate multilingualism. The linguistic situation of Berber has taken a new twist as it has been incorporated into the realm of Moroccan schools. The new Moroccan constitution also represents a historical turn in that it has acknowledged Berber as an official language, a move that has raised several questions with regard to the real motivation behind it. Berber implementation policy was based on an entirely top‐down bureaucratic model of language policy. Moroccan policymakers and the state seem to be aware of how other dramas are playing out in Morocco and around the world as theories of multiculturalism and effects of globalization are influencing their decisions. However, this language policy encounters many hurdles, from the improvisation to lack of qualified teachers. This article is an attempt to understand the intricate diversity and plurality of Moroccan language situation and the role of the state in Berber language policy. It also examines the invisible politics behind implementing it.