bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Multifaceted Living Well Approach to the Management of Hearing Loss With Adults and Their Frequent Communication Partners
Authors: Marrone Nicole , Harris Frances
Published: May 2012

Often in the context of rehabilitation for adults with hearing loss, we hear the voices of cynics. “It costs too much. It takes too much time. People are not interested.” In this paper, we advocate for an alternative viewpoint of the process of rehabilitation, one that can be implemented for low costs and has value within a community. We explain the process that occurred to secure, develop, and expand an endowed community-based program on Living Well with Hearing Loss based out of the University of Arizona with a vision of sustainability. Since its inception in 2009, the program has grown substantially. We describe the program’s early journey and underlying bases, outline preliminary outcomes, and provide suggestions for audiologists in clinical practice based on our experience to date.
Using Single Subject Methodology To Improve Decision-Making in Stuttering Treatment
Authors: Gottwald Sheryl R. , Ness Bryan
Published: May 2012

With the proliferation of evidence-based practice and the need to quantify therapy effects, it is imperative for speech-language pathologists to adapt a systematic approach when planning therapy. In this tutorial, we describe a 5-step decision making sequence that permitted us to systematically assess our clinical assumptions about the most effective treatments for eliciting perceptually fluent speech for a client with Down syndrome. We used single subject methodology to compare the effects of 3 intervention protocols—scripting, pacing board, and intonation training—on the fluency of an adult client with Down syndrome. This case study demonstrated that scripting allowed the subject to produce the largest number of normally fluent sentences with the least amount of clinician prompting.
The Logopenic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia: Effects on Linguistic Communication
Authors: Mahendra Nidhi
Published: May 2012

Recently, researchers have detailed the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (LV-PPA) as the third subtype of primary progressive aphasia. In this article, I will present a case study of an individual with the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia. I will describe the performance of an individual client on tests of cognitive and language function and present recommendations for intervention.

I will integrate data from neurological examination, neuroimaging investigation, speech-language pathology evaluations, and caregiver report to offer clinicians a better understanding of LV-PPA.

The logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia has a profound effect on communicative and cognitive functions. Speech-language pathologists can add much to the clinical assessment and management of LV-PPA by carefully documenting cognitive-communicative functioning and implementing interventions that can optimize communicative interactions and maximize patient and caregiver coping skills.
Vibrationally averaged isotropic dispersion energy coefficients of the parahydrogen dimer
Authors: Lillestolen Timothy C. , Hinde Robert J.
Published: May 2012

We compare the sum-over-states and coupled cluster linear response formalisms for the determination of imaginary-frequency polarizabilities of H2. Using both approaches, we compute isotropic dispersion energy coefficients Cn (n = 6, 8, 10) for H2–H2 molecular pairs over a wide range of H2 bond lengths. We present vibrationally averaged dispersion energy coefficients for H2–H2, H2–D2, and D2–D2 molecular pairs and examine the coefficients’ convergence with respect to basis set.
Complexes of type ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+·L (L = N2 and CO2) studied by explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory
Authors: Botschwina Peter , Oswald Rainer
Published: May 2012

Complexes of the benzenium ion (${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+) with N2 or CO2 have been studied by explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory at the CCSD(T)-F12x (x = a, b) level [T. B. Adler et al., J. Chem. Phys. 127, 221106 (2007)10.1063/1.2817618] and the double-hybrid density functional B2PLYP-D [T. Schwabe and S. Grimme, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 9, 3397 (2007)10.1039/b704725h]. Improved harmonic vibrational wavenumbers for ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+ have been obtained by CCSD(T*)-F12a calculations with the VTZ-F12 basis set. Combining them with previous B2PLYP-D anharmonic contributions we arrive at anharmonic wavenumbers which are in excellent agreement with recent experimental data from p-H2 matrix isolation IR spectroscopy [M. Bahou et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 154304 (2012)10.1063/1.3703502]. The energetically most favourable conformer of ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+·N2 shows a π-bonded structure similar to ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+·Rg (Rg = Ne, Ar) [P. Botschwina and R. Oswald, J. Phys. Chem. A 115, 13664 (2011)10.1021/jp207905t] with De ≈ 870 cm−1. For ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+·CO2, a slightly lower energy is calculated for a conformer with the CO2 ligand lying in the ring-plane of the ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+ moiety (De ≈ 1508 cm−1). It may be discriminated from other conformers through a strong band predicted at 1218 cm−1, red-shifted by 21 cm−1 from the corresponding band of free ${\rm C}_6 {\rm H}_7^ +$C6H7+.
A photonic crystal cavity-optical fiber tip nanoparticle sensor for biomedical applications
Authors: Shambat Gary , Rajasekhar Kothapalli Sri , Khurana Aman , Provine J. , Sarmiento Tomas , Cheng Kai , Cheng Zhen , Harris James , Daldrup-Link Heike , Sam Gambhir Sanjiv , Vučković Jelena
Published: May 2012

We present a sensor capable of detecting solution-based nanoparticles using an optical fiber tip functionalized with a photonic crystal cavity. When sensor tips are retracted from a nanoparticle solution after being submerged, we find that a combination of convective fluid forces and optically induced trapping cause an aggregation of nanoparticles to form directly on cavity surfaces. A simple readout of quantum dot photoluminescence coupled to the optical fiber shows that nanoparticle presence and concentration can be detected through modified cavity properties. Our sensor can detect both gold and iron oxide nanoparticles and can be utilized for molecular sensing applications in biomedicine.
Comprehensive vacuum ultraviolet photoionization study of the CF3• trifluoromethyl radical using synchrotron radiation
Authors: Dossmann (Soldi-Lose) Héloïse , Garcia Gustavo A. , Nahon Laurent , de Miranda Barbara K. C. , Alcaraz Christian
Published: May 2012

The trifluoromethyl radical, CF3•, is studied for the first time by means of threshold photoelectron spectroscopy (TPES). The radical is produced in the gas phase using the flash-pyrolysis technique from hexafluoroethane as a precursor. CF3+ total ion yield and mass-selected TPES of the radical are recorded using a spectrometer based upon velocity map imaging and Wiley-McLaren time-of-flight coupled to the synchrotron radiation. The high resolution of the instrument and of the photons allows the observation of rich vibrational progressions in the TPES of CF3•. By using Franck-Condon factors computed by Bowman and coworkers, we have been able to simulate the TPES. The initial vibrational temperature of the radical beam has been evaluated at 350 ± 70 K. The structures have been identified as transitions between (n1,n2) and (n1+,n2+) vibrational levels of CF3 and CF3+ with small excitation of the breathing mode, ν1+, and large excitation (n2+ = 10–26) of the umbrella mode, ν2+, in the cation. From the energy separation between the two resolved peaks of each band, a value of 994 ± 16 cm−1 has been derived for the ν1+ breathing frequency of CF3+. For the high-lying n2+ levels, the apparent ν2+ umbrella spacing, 820 ± 14 cm−1, is fairly constant. Taking into account the ν2+ anharmonicity calculated by Bowman and coworkers, we have deduced ν2+ = 809 ± 14 cm−1, and semi-empirical estimations of the adiabatic ionization energy IEad.(CF3•) are proposed in good agreement with most of previous works. A value of the vertical ionization potential, IEvert.(CF3•) = 11.02 eV, has been derived from the observation of a photoelectron spectrum recorded at a fixed photon energy of 12 eV.
Conservation of the injection and transit time ratio in organic field-effect transistors: A thermally accelerated aging study
Authors: Lee Keanchuan , Weis Martin , Manaka Takaaki , Iwamoto Mitsumasa
Published: May 2012

A thermally accelerated aging for degradation study was used to evaluate the degradation of organic transistor with shallow and deeps traps. A negative threshold voltage shift related to the increase of trapped charge density during the aging was only observed for device with initial shallow traps, while no shift was recorded for devices with deep traps. However, a decrease in the mobility was detected, and an almost constant contact resistance was estimated for both types of devices. Analysis of the potential distribution revealed the conservation of the potential drop on the injection electrode and across the channel region during the entire degradation process. As a result, the ratio of the injection and transit times was conserved and was independent from the shallow traps that were induced by accelerated aging.
Shape evolution in glancing angle deposition of arranged Germanium nanocolumns
Authors: Bauer Jens , Weise Michael , Rauschenbach Bernd , Geyer Nadine , Fuhrmann Bodo
Published: May 2012

The temporal shape evolution in glancing angle deposition was examined for a-Ge nanocolumns on honeycomb templates. The column shape formation is closely related to the particular stage of deposition and two shape regions were observed. (1) A broadening shape develops in the initial stage. Interdistance deposits were found to result from insufficient shadowing of the early nanostructures. On top of the nanocolumns, a characteristic cap is observed, which results from next-neighbor shadowing. (2) When the equilibrium cross-section shape is reached, a columnar region with parallel border planes follows. The shape of the cross-section can be tuned from triangular to hexagonal/round by adjusting the honeycomb lattice periodicity and the deposition angle. Based on quantitative investing on the axial sizes of the shape regions, conclusions regarding the influencing growth processes in glancing angle deposition on pre-patterned substrates are drawn.
Lectin-functionalized microchannels for characterizing pluripotent cells and early differentiation
Authors: Vickers Dwayne A. L. , Kulik Michael , Hincapie Marina , Hancock William S. , Dalton Stephen , Murthy Shashi K.
Published: May 2012

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are capable of proliferating and differentiating to form cells of the three embryonic germ layers, namely, endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. The utilization of human ES cell derivatives requires the ability to direct differentiation to specific lineages in defined, efficient, and scalable systems. Better markers are needed to identify early differentiation. Lectins have been reported as an attractive alternative to the common stem cell markers. They have been used to identify, characterize, and isolate various cell subpopulations on the basis of the presentation of specific carbohydrate groups on the cell surface. This article demonstrates how simple adhesion assays in lectin-coated microfluidic channels can provide key information on the interaction of lectins with ES and definitive endoderm cells and thereby track early differentiation. The microfluidic approach incorporates both binding strength and cell surface receptor density, whereas traditional flow cytometry only incorporates the latter. Both approaches are examined and shown to be complementary with the microfluidic approach providing more biologically relevant information.
Broadband aperiodic air coupled ultrasonic lens
Authors: Welter John T. , Sathish Shamachary , Dierken Josiah M. , Brodrick Philip G. , Cherry Matthew R. , Heebl Jason D.
Published: May 2012

This paper demonstrates the possibility of subwavelength, defined as less than the incident wavelength, broadband focusing in an aperiodic air coupled ultrasonic lens. A near field probe is used to detect well defined resonances from 75 to 125 kHz. The spatial resolution at each of the resonant frequencies is determined and demonstrated to be smaller than the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves. The strongest resonance is observed at 82.9 kHz with a focal spot size of 3.12 mm. The subwavelength spatial resolution of the lens structures at the resonances is attributed to the near field scattering of the acoustic waves.
Temperature dependence of the energy gap and spin-orbit splitting in a narrow-gap InGaAsSb solid solution
Authors: Motyka M. , Janiak F. , Sęk G. , Misiewicz J. , Moiseev K. D.
Published: May 2012

Temperature dependence of the energy gap and the spin-orbit split off transition in a thick layer of narrow-gap InGaAsSb material with high In content has been determined by a combination of photoluminescence and photoreflectance. The respective temperature coefficients have been found to be equal for both the transitions and determined to be α = −0.41 meV/K. For the investigated In0.86Ga0.14As0.83Sb0.17 alloy, the separation energy of the split-off band has been obtained to be Δso = 0.460 eV and experimentally evidenced to be independent on temperature, which opens broad application prospects for these multinary (multicomponent) narrow gap compounds and their heterostructures.
In situ study of self-assembled GaN nanowires nucleation on Si(111) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Hestroffer K. , Leclere C. , Cantelli V. , Bougerol C. , Renevier H. , Daudin B.
Published: May 2012

Nucleation of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is studied through a combination of two in situ tools: grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and reflection high energy electron diffraction. Growth on bare Si(111) and on AlN/Si(111) is compared. A significantly larger delay at nucleation is observed for nanowires grown on bare Si(111). The difference in the nucleation delay is correlated to a dissimilarity of chemical reactivity between Al and Ga with nitrided Si(111).
Divergent responses to spring and winter warming drive community level flowering trends
Authors: Cook Benjamin I. , Wolkovich Elizabeth M. , Parmesan Camille
Published: May 2012

Analyses of datasets throughout the temperate midlatitude regions show a widespread tendency for species to advance their springtime phenology, consistent with warming trends over the past 20–50 y. Within these general trends toward earlier spring, however, are species that either have insignificant trends or have delayed their timing. Various explanations have been offered to explain this apparent nonresponsiveness to warming, including the influence of other abiotic cues (e.g., photoperiod) or reductions in fall/winter chilling (vernalization). Few studies, however, have explicitly attributed the historical trends of nonresponding species to any specific factor. Here, we analyzed long-term data on phenology and seasonal temperatures from 490 species on two continents and demonstrate that (
i
) apparent nonresponders are indeed responding to warming, but their responses to fall/winter and spring warming are opposite in sign and of similar magnitude; (
ii
) observed trends in first flowering date depend strongly on the magnitude of a given species’ response to fall/winter vs. spring warming; and (
iii
) inclusion of fall/winter temperature cues strongly improves hindcast model predictions of long-term flowering trends compared with models with spring warming only. With a few notable exceptions, climate change research has focused on the overall mean trend toward phenological advance, minimizing discussion of apparently nonresponding species. Our results illuminate an understudied source of complexity in wild species responses and support the need for models incorporating diverse environmental cues to improve predictability of community level responses to anthropogenic climate change.
Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of altered stress responses
Authors: Crews David , Gillette Ross , Scarpino Samuel V. , Manikkam Mohan , Savenkova Marina I. , Skinner Michael K.
Published: May 2012

Ancestral environmental exposures have previously been shown to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and influence all aspects of an individual’s life history. In addition, proximate life events such as chronic stress have documented effects on the development of physiological, neural, and behavioral phenotypes in adulthood. We used a systems biology approach to investigate in male rats the interaction of the ancestral modifications carried transgenerationally in the germ line and the proximate modifications involving chronic restraint stress during adolescence. We find that a single exposure to a common-use fungicide (vinclozolin) three generations removed alters the physiology, behavior, metabolic activity, and transcriptome in discrete brain nuclei in descendant males, causing them to respond differently to chronic restraint stress. This alteration of baseline brain development promotes a change in neural genomic activity that correlates with changes in physiology and behavior, revealing the interaction of genetics, environment, and epigenetic transgenerational inheritance in the shaping of the adult phenotype. This is an important demonstration in an animal that ancestral exposure to an environmental compound modifies how descendants of these progenitor individuals perceive and respond to a stress challenge experienced during their own life history.
Pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine induces a recall response in humans that favors broadly cross-reactive memory B cells
Authors: Li Gui-Mei , Chiu Christopher , Wrammert Jens , McCausland Megan , Andrews Sarah F. , Zheng Nai-Ying , Lee Jane-Hwei , Huang Min , Qu Xinyan , Edupuganti Srilatha , Mulligan Mark , Das Suman R. , Yewdell Jonathan W. , Mehta Aneesh K. , Wilson Patrick C. , Ahmed Rafi
Published: May 2012

We have previously shown that broadly neutralizing antibodies reactive to the conserved stem region of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) were generated in people infected with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain. Such antibodies are rarely seen in humans following infection or vaccination with seasonal influenza virus strains. However, the important question remained whether the inactivated 2009 pandemic H1N1 vaccine, like the infection, could also induce these broadly neutralizing antibodies. To address this question, we analyzed B-cell responses in 24 healthy adults immunized with the pandemic vaccine in 2009. In all cases, we found a rapid, predominantly IgG-producing vaccine-specific plasmablast response. Strikingly, the majority (25 of 28) of HA-specific monoclonal antibodies generated from the vaccine-specific plasmablasts neutralized more than one influenza strain and exhibited high levels of somatic hypermutation, suggesting they were derived from recall of B-cell memory. Indeed, memory B cells that recognized the 2009 pandemic H1N1 HA were detectable before vaccination not only in this cohort but also in samples obtained before the emergence of the pandemic strain. Three antibodies demonstrated extremely broad cross-reactivity and were found to bind the HA stem. Furthermore, one stem-reactive antibody recognized not only H1 and H5, but also H3 influenza viruses. This exceptional cross-reactivity indicates that antibodies capable of neutralizing most influenza subtypes might indeed be elicited by vaccination. The challenge now is to improve upon this result and design influenza vaccines that can elicit these broadly cross-reactive antibodies at sufficiently high levels to provide heterosubtypic protection.
H3K4 demethylation by Jarid1a and Jarid1b contributes to retinoblastoma-mediated gene silencing during cellular senescence
Authors: Chicas Agustin , Kapoor Avnish , Wang Xiaowo , Aksoy Ozlem , Evertts Adam G. , Zhang Michael Q. , Garcia Benjamin A. , Bernstein Emily , Lowe Scott W.
Published: May 2012

Cellular senescence is a tumor-suppressive program that involves chromatin reorganization and specific changes in gene expression that trigger an irreversible cell-cycle arrest. Here we combine quantitative mass spectrometry, ChIP deep-sequencing, and functional studies to determine the role of histone modifications on chromatin structure and gene-expression alterations associated with senescence in primary human cells. We uncover distinct senescence-associated changes in histone-modification patterns consistent with a repressive chromatin environment and link the establishment of one of these patterns—loss of H3K4 methylation—to the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor and the H3K4 demethylases Jarid1a and Jarid1b. Our results show that Jarid1a/b-mediated H3K4 demethylation contributes to silencing of retinoblastoma target genes in senescent cells, suggesting a mechanism by which retinoblastoma triggers gene silencing. Therefore, we link the Jarid1a and Jarid1b demethylases to a tumor-suppressor network controlling cellular senescence.
Role of semiconductivity and ion transport in the electrical conduction of melanin
Authors: Mostert Albertus B. , Powell Benjamin J. , Pratt Francis L. , Hanson Graeme R. , Sarna Tadeusz , Gentle Ian R. , Meredith Paul
Published: May 2012

Melanins are pigmentary macromolecules found throughout the biosphere that, in the 1970s, were discovered to conduct electricity and display bistable switching. Since then, it has been widely believed that melanins are naturally occurring amorphous organic semiconductors. Here, we report electrical conductivity, muon spin relaxation, and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of melanin as the environmental humidity is varied. We show that hydration of melanin shifts the comproportionation equilibrium so as to dope electrons and protons into the system. This equilibrium defines the relative proportions of hydroxyquinone, semiquinone, and quinone species in the macromolecule. As such, the mechanism explains why melanin at neutral pH only conducts when “wet” and suggests that both carriers play a role in the conductivity. Understanding that melanin is an electronic-ionic hybrid conductor rather than an amorphous organic semiconductor opens exciting possibilities for bioelectronic applications such as ion-to-electron transduction given its biocompatibility.
Heat shock factor-1 knockout induces multidrug resistance gene, MDR1b, and enhances P-glycoprotein (ABCB1)-based drug extrusion in the heart
Authors: Krishnamurthy Karthikeyan , Vedam Kaushik , Kanagasabai Ragu , Druhan Lawrence J. , Ilangovan Govindasamy
Published: May 2012

Heat-shock factor 1 (HSF-1), a transcription factor for heat-shock proteins (HSPs), is known to interfere with the transcriptional activity of many oncogenic factors. In the present work, we have discovered that HSF-1 ablation induced the multidrug resistance gene, MDR1b, in the heart and increased the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1), an ATP binding cassette that is usually associated with multidrug-resistant cancer cells. The increase in P-gp enhanced the extrusion of doxorubicin (Dox) to alleviate Dox-induced heart failure and reduce mortality in mice. Dox-induced left ventricular (LV) dysfunction was significantly reduced in HSF-1
−/−
mice. DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was higher in HSF-1
−/−
mice. IκB, the NF-κB inhibitor, was depleted due to enhanced IκB kinase (IKK)-α activity. In parallel, MDR1b gene expression and a large increase in P-gp and lowering Dox loading were observed in HSF-1
−/−
mouse hearts. Moreover, application of the P-gp antagonist, verapamil, increased Dox loading in HSF-1
−/−
cardiomyocytes, deteriorated cardiac function in HSF-1
−/−
mice, and decreased survival. MDR1 promoter activity was higher in HSF-1
−/−
cardiomyocytes, whereas a mutant MDR1 promoter with heat-shock element (HSE) mutation showed increased activity only in HSF-1
+/+
cardiomyocytes. However, deletion of HSE and NF-κB binding sites diminished luminescence in both HSF-1
+/+
and HSF-1
−/−
cardiomyocytes, suggesting that HSF-1 inhibits MDR1 activity in the heart. Thus, because high levels of HSF-1 are attributed to poor prognosis of cancer, systemic down-regulation of HSF-1 before chemotherapy is a potential therapeutic approach to ameliorate the chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and enhance cancer prognosis.
Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP
3
receptors
Authors: Tunaru Sorin , Althoff Till F. , Nüsing Rolf M. , Diener Martin , Offermanns Stefan
Published: May 2012

Castor oil is one of the oldest drugs. When given orally, it has a laxative effect and induces labor in pregnant females. The effects of castor oil are mediated by ricinoleic acid, a hydroxylated fatty acid released from castor oil by intestinal lipases. Despite the wide-spread use of castor oil in conventional and folk medicine, the molecular mechanism by which ricinoleic acid acts remains unknown. Here we show that the EP
3
prostanoid receptor is specifically activated by ricinoleic acid and that it mediates the pharmacological effects of castor oil. In mice lacking EP
3
receptors, the laxative effect and the uterus contraction induced via ricinoleic acid are absent. Although a conditional deletion of the EP
3
receptor gene in intestinal epithelial cells did not affect castor oil-induced diarrhea, mice lacking EP
3
receptors only in smooth-muscle cells were unresponsive to this drug. Thus, the castor oil metabolite ricinoleic acid activates intestinal and uterine smooth-muscle cells via EP
3
prostanoid receptors. These findings identify the cellular and molecular mechanism underlying the pharmacological effects of castor oil and indicate a role of the EP
3
receptor as a target to induce laxative effects.
CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ facilitates bacterial dissemination during pneumococcal pneumonia in a platelet-activating factor receptor-dependent manner
Authors: Duitman JanWillem , Schouten Marcel , Groot Angelique P. , Borensztajn Keren S. , Daalhuisen Joost B. , Florquin Sandrine , van der Poll Tom , Spek C. Arnold
Published: May 2012

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) recently emerged as an essential player in the inflammatory response to bacterial infections. C/EBPδ levels increase rapidly after a proinflammatory stimulus, and increasing C/EBPδ levels seem to be indispensable for amplification of the inflammatory response. Here we aimed to elucidate the role of C/EBPδ in host defense in community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia. We show that C/EBPδ
−/−
mice are relatively resistant to pneumococcal pneumonia, as indicated by delayed and reduced mortality, diminished outgrowth of pneumococci in lungs, and reduced dissemination of the infection. Moreover, expression of platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR), which is known to potentiate bacterial translocation of Gram-positive bacteria, was significantly reduced during infection in C/EBPδ
−/−
mice compared with WT controls. Importantly, cell stimulation experiments revealed that C/EBPδ potentiates PAFR expression induced by lipoteichoic acid and pneumococci. Thus, C/EBPδ exaggerates bacterial dissemination during
Streptococcus pneumoniae
-induced pulmonary infection, suggesting an important role for PAFR-dependent bacterial translocation.
Cell type-specific targeting dissociates the therapeutic from the adverse effects of protein kinase inhibition in allergic skin disease
Authors: Ritprajak Patcharee , Hayakawa Morisada , Sano Yasuyo , Otsu Kinya , Park Jin Mo
Published: May 2012

The kinase p38α, originally identified because of its endotoxin- and cytokine-inducible activity and affinity for antiinflammatory compounds, has been posited as a promising therapeutic target for various immune-mediated disorders. In clinical trials, however, p38α inhibitors produced adverse skin reactions and other toxic effects that often outweighed their benefits. Such toxicity may arise from a perturbation of physiological functions unrelated to or even protective against the disease being treated. Here, we show that the effect of interfering with p38α signaling can be therapeutic or adverse depending on the targeted cell type. Using a panel of mutant mice devoid of p38α in distinct cell types and an experimental model of allergic skin disease, we find that dendritic cell (DC)-intrinsic p38α function is crucial for both antigen-specific T-cell priming and T-cell–mediated skin inflammation, two independent processes essential for the immunopathogenesis. By contrast, p38α in other cell types serves to prevent excessive inflammation or maintain naïve T-cell pools in the peripheral lymphoid tissues. These findings highlight a dilemma in the clinical use of p38α inhibitors, yet also suggest cell-selective targeting as a potential solution for improving their therapeutic index.
Revised paradigm of aquatic biofilm formation facilitated by microgel transparent exopolymer particles
Authors: Bar-Zeev Edo , Berman-Frank Ilana , Girshevitz Olga , Berman Tom
Published: May 2012

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) are planktonic, organic microgels that are ubiquitous in aqueous environments. Increasing evidence indicates that TEPs play an active role in the process of aquatic biofilm formation. Frequently, TEPs are intensely colonized by bacteria and other microorganisms, thus serving as hot spots of intense microbial activity. We introduce the term “protobiofilm” to refer to TEPs with extensive microbial outgrowth and colonization. Such particles display most of the characteristics of developing biofilm, with the exception of being attached to a surface. In this study, coastal seawater was passed through custom-designed flow cells that enabled direct observation of TEPs and protobiofilm in the feedwater stream by bright-field and epifluorescence microscopy. Additionally, we could follow biofilm development on immersed surfaces inside the flow cells. Within minutes, we observed TEP and protobiofilm patches adhering to these surfaces. By 30 min, confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed numerous patches of Con A and SYTO 9 staining structures covering the surfaces. Atomic force microscopy showed details of a thin, highly sticky, organic conditioning layer between these patches. Bright-field and epifluorescence microscopy and CLSM showed that biofilm development (observed until 24 h) was profoundly inhibited in flow cells with seawater prefiltered to remove most large TEPs and protobiofilm. We propose a revised paradigm for aquatic biofilm development that emphasizes the critical role of microgel particles such as TEPs and protobiofilm in facilitating this process. Recognition of the role of planktonic microgels in aquatic biofilm formation can have applied importance for the water industry.
In vivo excitation of nanoparticles using luminescent bacteria
Authors: Dragavon Joe , Blazquez Samantha , Rekiki Abdessalem , Samson Chelsea , Theodorou Ioanna , Rogers Kelly L. , Tournebize Régis , Shorte Spencer L.
Published: May 2012

The lux operon derived from
Photorhabdus luminescens
incorporated into bacterial genomes, elicits the production of biological chemiluminescence typically centered on 490 nm. The light-producing bacteria are widely used for in vivo bioluminescence imaging. However, in living samples, a common difficulty is the presence of blue-green absorbers such as hemoglobin. Here we report a characterization of fluorescence by unbound excitation from luminescence, a phenomenon that exploits radiating luminescence to excite nearby fluorophores by epifluorescence. We show that photons from bioluminescent bacteria radiate over mesoscopic distances and induce a red-shifted fluorescent emission from appropriate fluorophores in a manner distinct from bioluminescence resonance energy transfer. Our results characterizing fluorescence by unbound excitation from luminescence, both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrate how the resulting blue-to-red wavelength shift is both necessary and sufficient to yield contrast enhancement revealing mesoscopic proximity of luminescent and fluorescent probes in the context of living biological tissues.
Social status predicts wound healing in wild baboons
Authors: Archie Elizabeth A. , Altmann Jeanne , Alberts Susan C.
Published: May 2012

Social status can have striking effects on health in humans and other animals, but the causes often are unknown. In male vertebrates, status-related differences in health may be influenced by correlates of male social status that suppress immune responses. Immunosuppressive correlates of low social status may include chronic social stress, poor physical condition, and old age; the immunosuppressive correlates of high status may include high testosterone and energetic costs of reproduction. Here we test whether these correlates could create status-related differences in immune function by measuring the incidence of illness and injury and then examining healing rates in a 27-y data set of natural injuries and illnesses in wild baboon males. We found no evidence that the high testosterone and intense reproductive effort associated with high rank suppress immune responses. Instead, high-ranking males were less likely to become ill, and they recovered more quickly than low-ranking males, even controlling for differences in age. Notably, alpha males, who experience high glucocorticoids, as well as the highest testosterone and reproductive effort, healed significantly faster than other males, even other high-ranking males. We discuss why alpha males seem to escape from the immunosuppressive costs of glucocorticoids but low-ranking males do not, including the idea that glucocorticoids' effects depend on an individual's physiological and social context.
Quantitative model for predicting lymph formation and muscle compressibility in skeletal muscle during contraction and stretch
Authors: Causey Laura , Cowin Stephen C. , Weinbaum Sheldon
Published: May 2012

Skeletal muscle is widely perceived as nearly incompressible despite the fact that blood and lymphatic vessels within the endomysial and perimysial spaces undergo significant changes in diameter and length during stretch and contraction. These fluid shifts between fascicle and interstitial compartments have proved extremely difficult to measure. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework based on a space-filling hexagonal fascicle array to provide predictions of the displacement of blood and lymph into and out of the muscle’s endomysium and perimysium during stretch and contraction. We also use this model to quantify the distribution of blood and initial lymphatic (IL) vessels within a fascicle and its perimysial space using data for the rat spinotrapezius muscle. On average, there are 11 muscle fibers, 0.4 arteriole/venule pairs, and 0.2 IL vessels per fascicle. The model predicts that the blood volume in the endomysial space increases 24% and decreases 22% for a 20% contraction and stretch, respectively. However, these significant changes in blood volume in the endomysium produce a change of only ∼2% in fascicle cross-sectional area. In contrast, the entire muscle deviates from isovolumetry by 7% and 6% for a 20% contraction and stretch, respectively, largely attributable to the significantly larger blood volume changes that occur in the perimysial space. This suggests that arcade blood vessels in the perimysial space provide the primary pumping action required for the filling and emptying of ILs during muscular contraction and stretch.
Energetics, lifestyle, and reproduction in birds
Authors: Sibly Richard M. , Witt Christopher C. , Wright Natalie A. , Venditti Chris , Jetz Walter , Brown James H.
Published: May 2012

Theoretical and empirical studies of life history aim to account for resource allocation to the different components of fitness: survival, growth, and reproduction. The pioneering evolutionary ecologist David Lack [(1968)
Ecological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds
(Methuen and Co., London)] suggested that reproductive output in birds reflects adaptation to environmental factors such as availability of food and risk of predation, but subsequent studies have not always supported Lack’s interpretation. Here using a dataset for 980 bird species (
Dataset S1
), a phylogeny, and an explicit measure of reproductive productivity, we test predictions for how mass-specific productivity varies with body size, phylogeny, and lifestyle traits. We find that productivity varies negatively with body size and energetic demands of parental care and positively with extrinsic mortality. Specifically: (
i
) altricial species are 50% less productive than precocial species; (
ii
) species with female-only care of offspring are about 20% less productive than species with other methods of parental care; (
iii
) nonmigrants are 14% less productive than migrants; (
iv
) frugivores and nectarivores are about 20% less productive than those eating other foods; and (
v
) pelagic foragers are 40% less productive than those feeding in other habitats. A strong signal of phylogeny suggests that syndromes of similar life-history traits tend to be conservative within clades but also to have evolved independently in different clades. Our results generally support both Lack’s pioneering studies and subsequent research on avian life history.
Quantification of the relative roles of niche and neutral processes in structuring gastrointestinal microbiomes
Authors: Jeraldo Patricio , Sipos Maksim , Chia Nicholas , Brulc Jennifer M. , Dhillon A. Singh , Konkel Michael E. , Larson Charles L. , Nelson Karen E. , Qu Ani , Schook Lawrence B. , Yang Fang , White Bryan A. , Goldenfeld Nigel
Published: May 2012

The theoretical description of the forces that shape ecological communities focuses around two classes of models. In niche theory, deterministic interactions between species, individuals, and the environment are considered the dominant factor, whereas in neutral theory, stochastic forces, such as demographic noise, speciation, and immigration, are dominant. Species abundance distributions predicted by the two classes of theory are difficult to distinguish empirically, making it problematic to deduce ecological dynamics from typical measures of diversity and community structure. Here, we show that the fusion of species abundance data with genome-derived measures of evolutionary distance can provide a clear indication of ecological dynamics, capable of quantifying the relative roles played by niche and neutral forces. We apply this technique to six gastrointestinal microbiomes drawn from three different domesticated vertebrates, using high-resolution surveys of microbial species abundance obtained from carefully curated deep 16S rRNA hypervariable tag sequencing data. Although the species abundance patterns are seemingly well fit by the neutral theory of metacommunity assembly, we show that this theory cannot account for the evolutionary patterns in the genomic data; moreover, our analyses strongly suggest that these microbiomes have, in fact, been assembled through processes that involve a significant nonneutral (niche) contribution. Our results demonstrate that high-resolution genomics can remove the ambiguities of process inference inherent in classic ecological measures and permits quantification of the forces shaping complex microbial communities.
The Relationship between Personal Commitment to Angling and the Opinions and Attitudes of German Anglers towards the Conservation and Management of the European Eel Anguilla anguilla
Authors: Dorow Malte , Arlinghaus Robert
Published: May 2012

In response to the dramatic decline of the European eel Anguilla anguilla population, the European Union member states developed eel conservation programs. To facilitate program development, a thorough understanding of eel angler perceptions about the degree of the current eel decline, their potential contribution, and their perceptions about the ways forward is important. In 2007, we sent a self-administered mail questionnaire to 640 anglers living in northeastern Germany asking them about a range of eel conservation and management issues. Respondents were segmented according to their degree of eel angling commitment. We tested a range of hypotheses, including whether highly committed eel anglers would feel greater concern about the eel decline than less committed anglers. In contrast to expectations, all identified angler groups had experienced a similarly pronounced eel decline. While high-centrality eel anglers were found to be somewhat more concerned with the decline, they exhibited less willingness to limit current eel angling effort than other anglers to help conserve eels. Highly committed eel anglers also rated the potential contribution of the recreational eel harvest as less important a contributor to the current state of the eel population than did less involved anglers. These findings can be explained by the greater resource dependency of highly committed anglers in light of the belief that recreational harvesting is not a significant issue for eel conservation. We conclude that the evaluation of fisheries conservation and management by differently committed anglers is affected by their perception of contributing to stock declines, the consumptive nature of the fishery, the dependency on the resource to meet experience preferences, and the degree to which potential regulations are perceived as threatening access to a fishery with a limited number of acceptable substitutes.

Received May 2, 2011; accepted January 11, 2012
Effects of Culverts on Stream Fish Assemblages in the Alberta Foothills
Authors: MacPherson Laura M. , Sullivan Michael G. , Lee Foote A. , Stevens Cameron E.
Published: May 2012

Watercourse-crossing structures are ubiquitous anthropogenic features in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta. We performed physical and habitat assessments at 295 watercourse-crossing sites in 15 subbasins of the Athabasca River during the summer and early fall of 2007, 2008, and 2009, sampling for fish at 110 sites (32 bridges and 78 culverts). We used bootstrapping analysis to examine how several culvert parameters (hang height, outlet plunge pool depth, water velocity, length, and slope) altered the upstream abundances of eight fish species relative to those at reference bridge sites. Physical drops at the outlet (hang heights), slope, and outlet water velocities were the most important culvert parameters shaping non-sport-fish distributions. Some culvert types (e.g., hanging culverts) acted as complete barriers to burbot Lota lota and partially impeded the movements of spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei, suckers Catostomus spp., and minnows (family Cyprinidae). For example, at culverts with high outlet water velocities (>0.59 m/s), the upstream proportion of the total catch for burbot was 0.32 units lower than that at bridge crossings. We did not find evidence that culverts acted as barriers to the upstream passage of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss; rather, the abundances of rainbow trout significantly increased upstream of the highest-hanging, steepest, and longest culverts. One explanation may be that culverts that exclude burbot, a voracious predator, offer a competitive release for rainbow trout upstream of culverts. However, culverts had significantly higher water temperatures and silt and sand substrates upstream (versus downstream), whereas instream habitat did not differ at bridges. Given the large number of culverts that may be barriers in the Alberta foothills, our research emphasizes the need to better understand how species respond to the characteristics of culverts. Such data are needed to assist with making informed regulatory and planning decisions.

Received March 26, 2011; accepted January 19, 2012
Female Length and Mass Quantify the Difference between Atlantic Salmon Ova Fecundity and Ova Deposition
Authors: Bacon P. J. , Malcolm I. A. , MacLean J. C. , McLaren I. , Thorne A.
Published: May 2012

The population status of salmonids is often assessed as ova deposition relative to “ova conservation densities.” Traditional approaches to assessing ova deposition predict log(ova numbers) from log(female length) for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar based on calibrations for unspawned females. Better ova deposition predictions are obtained by using both female length and female mass, especially when part-spawned females arrive at or leave local study sites, which are crucial to parameterizing such relationships. Improved estimates of ova deposition could help reduce the noise in crucial stock–recruitment relationships and thus improve both mortality estimates at other life stages and management understanding.

Received August 23, 2011; accepted January 12, 2012
Rhetoric, Civic Consciousness, and Civic Conscience: The Invention of Citizenship in Classical Greece
Authors: Johnstone Christopher Lyle
Published: May 2012

The orthodox liberal conception of society and politics has proven incapable in this country of sustaining a system of social relations in which individualistic and communitarian impulses are balanced, and in which personal freedoms and community controls are not seen as being mutually antagonistic. William Sullivan looks to the classical notion of citizenship for a vision of life that is simultaneously political and moral. The “classical notion” he promotes has its roots in theAthenian conception of citizenship both as aform of consciousness and as a call to duty. Thisform of consciousness grows out of an awareness that we are communal beings and that members of a community can influence the course of both civic and natural events. It ultimately embraces the ideas that social knowledge is fluid and tentative, that multiple viewpoints can claim legitimacy, and that resolutions of social conflicts are achieved through persuasion. Thus, the essential. act of citizenship is “doing rhetoric,” and its most fundamental duties are to participate in governance, to listen and respond to others, to acknowledge our own fallibility, and to advocate for our own views as we participate in civic life.
Who Measures “Due Measure”? or, Karos Meets Couuter-Kairos: Implications of Isegotia fOr Classical Notions of Kakos
Authors: Blitefield Jerry
Published: May 2012

This essay grows out of a larger project, one in which I look to account theoretically for ways in which underpowered groups creatively manage limited physical resourcesfor maximum rhetoricaleffect. My assumption in that larger project is that underpowered groups - groups whose publicness must be either granted or commandeered from same more greatly pouered group (e.g., government) - suchgroups encounter and engage constraints ofpublic rhetoric in way not necessarily of concern to the overpowered. For example, the mayor of any city can, at his or her choosing, call together a press conference inside City Hall to address tbe issue of homelessness: the homeless do not possess tbat same rhetorical option. Of the three terms central to that larger project - place, kairos, and delivery - it is upon kairos that I will focus this essay. My argument here is that. while I am respectful of the literature accounting for kairos as a rhetorical concern in ancient Athens, most of that literature focuses on the etymology, philosophy, or theology of the term, Fully acknowledging that literature, I wish to add politial dimension, and propose that kairos becomes even more complex when coupled with perhaps the most Significant political development in the democratization of classical Athens: isegoria, or the right of any citizen to address the Assembly.
Nck by the numbers
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: May 2012

Meshing experiments and simulations, study uncovers the stoichiometry of actin-polymerizing proteins.