bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
After‐effects reported by women following colposcopy, cervical biopsies and LLETZ: results from the TOMBOLA trial
Authors: The TOMBOLA (Trial Of Management of Borderline and Other Low
Published: July 2009

Objective  Few studies have investigated physical after‐effects of colposcopy. We compared post‐colposcopy self‐reported pain, bleeding, discharge and menstrual changes in women who underwent: colposcopic examination only; cervical punch biopsies; and large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ).

Design  Observational study nested within a randomised controlled trial.

Setting  Grampian, Tayside and Nottingham.

Population  Nine hundred‐and‐twenty‐nine women, aged 20–59, with low‐grade cytology, who had completed their initial colposcopic management.

Methods  Women completed questionnaires on after‐effects at approximately 6‐weeks, and on menstruation at 4‐months, post‐colposcopy.

Main outcome measures  Frequency of pain, bleeding, discharge; changes to first menstrual period post‐colposcopy.

Results  Seven hundred‐and‐fifty‐one women (80%) completed the 6‐week questionnaire. Of women who had only a colposcopic examination, 14–18% reported pain, bleeding or discharge. Around half of women who had biopsies only and two‐thirds treated by LLETZ reported pain or discharge (biopsies: 53% pain, 46% discharge; LLETZ: 67% pain, 63% discharge). The frequency of bleeding was similar in the biopsy (79%) and LLETZ groups (87%). Women treated by LLETZ reported bleeding and discharge of significantly longer duration than other women. The duration of pain was similar across management groups. Forty‐three percent of women managed by biopsies and 71% managed by LLETZ reported some change to their first period post‐colposcopy, as did 29% who only had a colposcopic examination.

Conclusions  Cervical punch biopsies and, especially, LLETZ carry a substantial risk of after‐effects. After‐effects are also reported by women managed solely by colposcopic examination. Ensuring that women are fully informed about after‐effects may help to alleviate anxiety and provide reassurance, thereby minimising the harms of screening.
Intestinal gaboxadol absorption via PAT1 (SLC36A1): modified absorption in vivo following co‐administration of L‐tryptophan
Authors: Larsen M , Holm R , Jensen KG , Brodin B , Nielsen CU
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  Gaboxadol has been in development for treatment of chronic pain and insomnia. The clinical use of gaboxadol has revealed that adverse effects seem related to peak serum concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of intestinal absorption of gaboxadol in vitro and in vivo.

Experimental approach:  In vitro transport investigations were performed in Caco‐2 cell monolayers. In vivo pharmacokinetic investigations were conducted in beagle dogs. Gaboxadol doses of 2.5 mg·kg−1 were given either as an intravenous injection (1.0 mL·kg−1) or as an oral solution (5.0 mL·kg−1).

Key results:  Gaboxadol may be a substrate of the human proton‐coupled amino acid transporter, hPAT1 and it inhibited the hPAT1‐mediated L‐[3H]proline uptake in Caco‐2 cell monolayers with an inhibition constant Ki of 6.6 mmol·L−1. The transepithelial transport of gaboxadol was polarized in the apical to basolateral direction, and was dependent on gaboxadol concentration and pH of the apical buffer solution. In beagle dogs, the absorption of gaboxadol was almost complete (absolute bioavailability, Fa, of 85.3%) and Tmax was 0.46 h. Oral co‐administration with 2.5–150 mg·kg−1 of the PAT1 inhibitor, L‐tryptophan, significantly decreased the absorption rate constant, ka, and Cmax, and increased Tmax of gaboxadol, whereas the area under the curve and clearance of gaboxadol were constant.

Conclusions and implications:  The absorption of gaboxadol across the luminal membrane of the small intestinal enterocytes is probably mediated by PAT1. This knowledge is useful for reducing gaboxadol absorption rates in order to decrease peak plasma concentrations.
Resolvins and protectins: mediating solutions to inflammation
Authors: Kohli Payal , Levy Bruce D
Published: July 2009

Resolution of inflammation has historically been viewed as a passive process, occurring as a result of the withdrawal of pro‐inflammatory signals, including lipid mediators such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins. Thus, most anti‐inflammatory drugs have traditionally targeted primarily mediator pathways that are engaged at the onset of inflammation. Only recently has it been established that inflammation resolution is an active process with a distinct set of chemical mediators. Several clinical and epidemiological studies have identified beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for a variety of inflammatory diseases, yet without mechanistic explanations for these beneficial effects. Resolvins and protectins are recently identified molecules that are generated from ω‐3 PUFA precursors and can orchestrate the timely resolution of inflammation in model systems. Dysregulation of pro‐resolving mediators is associated with diseases of prolonged inflammation, so designing pharmacological mimetics of naturally occurring pro‐resolving mediators offers exciting new targets for drug design. This review describes the discovery and synthesis of these novel lipid mediators, their receptors and mechanisms of action, and summarizes the studies to date that have uncovered roles for resolvins and protectins in disease states.

This article is part of a themed issue on Mediators and Receptors in the Resolution of Inflammation. To view this issue visit http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2009
Molecular mechanisms for the persistent bronchodilatory effect of the β2‐adrenoceptor agonist salmeterol
Authors: Szczuka A , Wennerberg M , Packeu A , Vauquelin G
Published: July 2009

Background: β2‐adrenoceptor agonists are effective bronchodilators.In vitrostudies demonstrated long‐lasting airway smooth muscle relaxation by salmeterol after washout, the quick disappearance of this effect in presence of antagonists and its recovery after antagonist removal. Current explanations invoke salmeterol accumulation in the membrane (‘diffusion microkinetic’ model) or the existence of salmeterol‐binding ‘exosites’. An alternative model based on ‘rebinding’ of a dissociated ligand to the receptor molecules also produces an apparent decrease in the ligand's dissociation rate in the absence of competing ligands.

Purpose and approach: Computer‐assisted simulations were performed to follow the receptor‐occupation by a salmeterol‐like ligand and a competing ligand as a function of time. The aptness of the models to describe the abovein vitrofindings was evaluated.

Key results: The ‘diffusion microkinetic’ model is sufficient to explain a long‐lasting β2‐adrenoceptor stimulation and reassertion as long as the membrane harbors a high concentration of the agonist. At lower concentration, ‘rebinding’ and, in second place, ‘exosite’ binding are likely to become operational.

Conclusions and implications: The ‘rebinding’ and ‘exosite’ binding mechanisms take place at a sub‐cellular/molecular scale. Pending their demonstration by experiments on appropriate, simple models such as intact cells or membranes thereof, these mechanisms remain hypothetical in the case of salmeterol. Airway smooth muscle contraction could also be governed by additional mechanisms that are particular to this macroscopic approach.
Fluvastatin inhibits expression of the chemokine MDC/CCL22 induced by interferon‐γ in HaCaT cells, a human keratinocyte cell line
Authors: Qi Xu‐Feng , Kim Dong‐Heui , Yoon Yang‐Suk , Li Jian‐Hong , Jin Dan , Teng Yung‐Chien , Kim Soo‐Ki , Lee Kyu‐Jae
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  The macrophage‐derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) is a prototypic Th2‐type chemokine intimately involved in Th2‐skewed allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. The statins (3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) have been demonstrated to relieve allergic inflammation. However, the immunological effects and mechanisms of statins against atopic dermatitis remain unknown, at least in vitro. This study aimed to define how different statins affect MDC expression in HaCaT cells, a human keratinocyte cell line.

Experimental approach:  To measure the effects of statins on MDC expression in HaCaT cells, we used a cell viability assay, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting analyses.

Key results:  Fluvastatin, but not atorvastatin or simvastatin, inhibited MDC expression induced by interferon (IFN)‐γ and NF‐κB activation. A NF‐κB inhibitor, but not a STAT1 inhibitor, suppressed MDC expression in HaCaT cells. Further, inhibition of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) significantly suppressed IFN‐γ‐induced MDC expression and NF‐κB activation. Interestingly, fluvastatin suppressed IFN‐γ‐induced NF‐κB activation in parallel with p38 MAPK phosphorylation.

Conclusions and implications:  These results indicate that fluvastatin inhibited expression of the CC chemokine MDC induced by IFN‐γ in HaCaT cells, by inhibiting NF‐κB activation via the p38 MAPK pathway. This blockade of a Th2 chemokine by fluvastatin may suppress the infiltration of Th2 cells into skin lesions and lessen the skin inflammation seen in atopic dermatitis, suggesting a potential therapeutic use of fluvastatin for this condition.
Protective effects of mildronate in an experimental model of type 2 diabetes in Goto‐Kakizaki rats
Authors: Liepinsh Edgars , Vilskersts Reinis , Zvejniece Liga , Svalbe Baiba , Skapare Elina , Kuka Janis , Cirule Helena , Grinberga Solveiga , Kalvinsh Ivars , Dambrova Maija
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  Mildronate [3‐(2,2,2‐trimethylhydrazinium) propionate] is an anti‐ischaemic drug whose mechanism of action is based on its inhibition of L‐carnitine biosynthesis and uptake. As L‐carnitine plays a pivotal role in the balanced metabolism of fatty acids and carbohydrates, this study was carried out to investigate whether long‐term mildronate treatment could influence glucose levels and prevent diabetic complications in an experimental model of type 2 diabetes in Goto‐Kakizaki (GK) rats.

Experimental approach:  GK rats were treated orally with mildronate at doses of 100 and 200 mg·kg−1 daily for 8 weeks. Plasma metabolites reflecting glucose and lipids, as well as fructosamine and β‐hydroxybutyrate, were assessed. L‐carnitine concentrations were measured by ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. An isolated rat heart ischaemia‐reperfusion model was used to investigate possible cardioprotective effects. Pain sensitivity was measured with a tail‐flick latency test.

Key results:  Mildronate treatment significantly decreased L‐carnitine concentrations in rat plasma and gradually decreased both the fed‐ and fasted‐state blood glucose. Mildronate strongly inhibited fructosamine accumulation and loss of pain sensitivity and also ameliorated the enhanced contractile responsiveness of GK rat aortic rings to phenylephrine. In addition, in mildronate‐treated hearts, the necrosis zone following coronary occlusion was significantly decreased by 30%.

Conclusions and implications:  These results demonstrate for the first time that in GK rats, an experimental model of type 2 diabetes, mildronate decreased L‐carnitine contents and exhibited cardioprotective effects, decreased blood glucose concentrations and prevented the loss of pain sensitivity. These findings indicate that mildronate treatment could be beneficial in diabetes patients with cardiovascular problems.
Intracellular sequestration of amiodarone: role of vacuolar ATPase and macroautophagic transition of the resulting vacuolar cytopathology
Authors: Morissette G , Ammoury A , Rusu D , Marguery MC , Lodge R , Poubelle PE , Marceau F
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  Tissue deposits of the anti‐arrhythmic drug amiodarone are a major source of side effects (skin discoloration, etc.). We addressed the mechanism of the concentration of amiodarone in cells, and characterized the resulting vacuolar cytopathology and its evolution towards macroautophagy.

Experimental approach:  Sequestration of amiodarone in human cells (macrophages, smooth muscle cells, HEK 293a cells) was evaluated using its violet fluorescence and cytopathology using GFP‐conjugated subcellular markers. Autophagic signalling was probed by immunoblotting for the effector protein LC3. A patient biopsy of amiodarone‐induced blue‐gray skin discoloration was investigated for the presence of macroautophagy (immunofluorescence for LC3).

Key results:  Most of the amiodarone (1–20 µM, 4–24 h) captured by cultured cells (macrophages were most avid) was present in enlarged vacuoles. The specific vacuolar ATPase (V‐ATPase) inhibitors, bafilomycin A1 or FR167356, prevented vacuolization and drug uptake. Vacuoles in HEK 293a cells were positive for markers of late endosomes and lysosomes (GFP‐Rab7, ‐CD63) and for an effector of macroautophagy, GFP‐LC3. The vacuoles accumulated endogenous LC3 and filled with lipids (Nile red staining) following longer amiodarone treatments (≥24 h). The electrophoretic mobility of both GFP‐LC3 and endogenous LC3 changed, showing activation in response to amiodarone. Paraffin tissue sections of the pigmented skin exhibited granular LC3 accumulation in superficial dermis macrophages.

Conclusion and implications:  Vacuolar sequestration of amiodarone occurs at concentrations close to therapeutic levels, is mediated by V‐ATPase and evolves towards persistent macroautophagy and phospholipidosis. This cytopathology is not cell type specific, but tissue macrophages appear to be particularly susceptible.
Prevalence of cryoglobulinaemia in hepatitis C virus‐ and hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus‐infected individuals: implications for renal function
Authors: Lapinski Tadeusz Wojciech , Parfieniuk Anna , Rogalska‐Plonska Magdalena , Czajkowska Jolanta , Flisiak Robert
Published: July 2009

Background and aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) demonstrate an affinity towards lymphocytes B, stimulating the production of cryoglobulins. Deposits of cryoprecipitates contribute to glomerulonephritis and renal failure. The presence of cryoglobulins was investigated in the sera of HCV‐monoinfected and HCV/HIV‐coinfected individuals. Associations between types of cryoglobulins and HCV genotypes, viral load and renal function tests were also evaluated.

Patients and methods: Seventy‐seven patients were enrolled in this study. Forty‐four were HCV infected and 33 were HCV/HIV coinfected. Cryoglobulins were detected in the sera by electrophoresis and immunofixation. Serum urea and creatinine concentration, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and serum cystatin C concentration (CC) were analysed to evaluate renal function. The control group included 16 healthy individuals.

Results: The occurrence of cryoglobulinaemia in HCV‐monoinfected patients was 55%, whereas in HCV/HIV‐coinfected patients it was 64%. Mixed cryoglobulinaemia type II was determined in 34%, whereas type III in 25%. The prevalence of cryoglobulinaemia was significantly higher in infection with HCV genotype 1 vs. genotype 3 (65 vs. 50%; P<0.01). The most frequently occurring heavy chains were γ‐type (96%). Light chains, the κ‐type, were detected in all patients. The CC concentration was significantly higher in HCV/HIV‐coinfected patients compared with controls (718 vs. 392 ng/ml; P<0.005) or HCV‐monoinfected patients (508 ng/ml; P<0.007). There was correlation between the serum CC concentration and the incidence of cryoglobulinaemia (R=0.44; P<0.00015), which was particularly evident in HCV monoinfection (R=0.43; P<0.0034).

Conclusions: Genotype‐1 infection is an important risk factor for cryoglobulinaemia. Standard renal function tests are not sufficient for the prediction of renal failure in HCV‐infected patients. Serum CC concentration allows to establish an early diagnosis of renal insufficiency related to cryoglobulinaemia.
Superficial morphea: 20‐year follow up in a patient with concomitant psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Saleh Zenus , Arayssi Thuraya , Saleh Zeinab , Ghosn Samer
Published: July 2009

Superficial morphea, a newly described variant of morphea, manifests clinically with hypopigmented or hyperpigmented patches that lack induration. The lesions show on biopsy dermal sclerosis in the superficial to mid‐reticular dermis. So far, all cases reported in the literature were skin limited. In this report, we describe a 24‐year‐old female patient who developed at the age of 4 years plaques characteristic, both clinically and histologically, of superficial morphea. The patient developed later on psoriasis vulgaris. Although the association of scleroderma and psoriasis is rarely reported in the literature, most reports describe a progressive systemic course of scleroderma whenever the two diseases co‐exist. This is the first report to describe superficial morphea in association with psoriasis and to provide a 20‐year follow‐up period during which the superficial morphea remained relatively stable with no evidence of systemic involvement.
Gadolinium‐Induced Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Is Associated with Insoluble Gd Deposits in Tissues: In Vivo Transmetallation Confirmed by Microanalysis
Authors: Thakral Charu , Abraham Jerrold L.
Published: July 2009

Background: Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is an extremely debilitating systemic fibrosing disorder affecting renal failure patients. The association of NSF with gadolinium (Gd) containing magnetic resonance contrast agents was noted in 2006. Gd deposition in skin biopsies was demonstrated shortly thereafter.

Methods: We used automated scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy for in situ quantitative analysis of insoluble Gd‐containing deposits, recording multi‐elemental composition and spatial distribution of detected features.

Results: Gd was detected in all 29 patients (53 of 57 skin biopsies) with NSF, biopsied from 2 weeks to 3 years after Gd exposure. Gd concentration ranged from 1 to 2270 cps/mm2 and was detected predominantly in the deep dermis and subcutaneous fibrous septa. Gd was found associated with Ca, P and sometimes Fe or Zn. Patients with sequential biopsies showed persistence or increase of Gd in tissues (6 of 11). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) identified the intracellular deposits in fibrocytes and macrophages.

Conclusions: The demonstration of insoluble tissue deposits of Gd with co‐associated elements clearly confirms in vivo transmetallation and dissociation of soluble Gd‐chelates. Toxic Gd3+ may trigger fibrosis under permissive conditions, e.g., in renal insufficiency. Pathologists and clinicians need to be aware of this serious but preventable disease.
Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung presenting as a cutaneous metastasis
Authors: Terada Tadashi
Published: July 2009

The author reports a very rare case of cutaneous metastasis of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung. The skin metastasis was an initial presentation. A 67‐year‐old man consulted our hospital because of left chest skin mass. An excisional biopsy was performed, and it showed proliferation of malignant sarcomatoid spindle and polygonal cells in the deep dermis and subcutis remote from the epidermis and appendages. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for pancytokeratins, cytokeratin (CK) 7, CK 18, vimentin, p53, Ki‐67 (95%) and PDGFRA. They were negative for high molecular weight CK, CK 5/6, CK 14, CK 19, CK 20, epithelial membrane antigen, TTF‐1, CEA, desmin, S100 protein, α‐smooth muscle actin, p63, CD34, surfactant apoprotein A, chromogranin, synaptophysin, neuron‐specific enolase, CD68, CD56, D2‐40, calretinin and KIT. A pathological diagnosis of metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma probably originating from the lung was made. Then, the patient was admitted to our hospital, and imaging modalities including compured tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tumor in the left lung. No other tumors were detected in the imaging techniques. Lung biopsy was planned, but the patient suddenly died; the cause of death was unclear. Autopsy was not performed. The present report suggests that sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung should be considered in cutaneous metastatic lesions.

Terada T. Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung presenting as a cutaneous metastasis.
The “Humpty Dumpty Problem” in the Study of Early Cognitive Development: Putting the Infant Back Together Again
Authors: Oakes Lisa M.
Published: July 2009

In this article, I propose that the big question for the field of infant cognitive development is best characterized as the “Humpty Dumpty problem”: Now that we have studied cognitive abilities in isolation, how do we put the developing cognitive system (and the infant) back together again? This problem is significant because cognitive abilities do not occur in isolation. Infants remember the items they have attended to and perceived, and their emotional state will influence their perception and representation of the events they encounter. Moreover, by examining the development of the whole cognitive system, or the whole child, we gain a deeper understanding of mechanisms developmental change. Thus, the big question for the study of infant cognition is like the question confronting all the king's horses and all the king's men: How do we put the infant's cognitive system back together again?
How Can Decision Making Be Improved?
Authors: Milkman Katherine L. , Chugh Dolly , Bazerman Max H.
Published: July 2009

The optimal moment to address the question of how to improve human decision making has arrived. Thanks to 50 years of research by judgment and decision-making scholars, psychologists have developed a detailed picture of the ways in which human judgment is bounded. This article argues that the time has come to focus attention on the search for strategies that will improve bounded judgment because decision-making errors are costly and are growing more costly, decision makers are receptive, and academic insights are sure to follow from research on improvement. In addition to calling for research on improvement strategies, this article organizes the existing literature pertaining to improvement strategies and highlights promising directions for future research.
Giving Debiasing Away: Can Psychological Research on Correcting Cognitive Errors Promote Human Welfare?
Authors: Lilienfeld Scott O. , Ammirati Rachel , Landfield Kristin
Published: July 2009

Despite Miller's (1969) now-famous clarion call to “give psychology away” to the general public, scientific psychology has done relatively little to combat festering problems of ideological extremism and both inter- and intragroup conflict. After proposing that ideological extremism is a significant contributor to world conflict and that confirmation bias and several related biases are significant contributors to ideological extremism, we raise a crucial scientific question: Can debiasing the general public against such biases promote human welfare by tempering ideological extremism? We review the knowns and unknowns of debiasing techniques against confirmation bias, examine potential barriers to their real-world efficacy, and delineate future directions for research on debiasing. We argue that research on combating extreme confirmation bias should be among psychological science's most pressing priorities.
Unpacking Intuition: A Conjecture
Authors: Seligman Martin E.P. , Kahana Michael
Published: July 2009

Can intuition be taught? The way in which faces are recognized, the structure of natural classes, and the architecture of intuition may all be instances of the same process. The conjecture that intuition is a species of recognition memory implies that human intuitive decision making can be enormously enhanced by virtual simulation.
Translations of the Bible into Karaim
Authors: Jankowski Henryk
Published: July 2009

The aim of this paper is to present the state of research on Bible translations into Karaite Turkic, which in Turkic studies is called Karaim. The term Bible is employed in its narrower meaning, which designates the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. This article tries to show how the translators approached the original text and gives a few samples to demonstrate differences between several selected translations.
Synthesis of (purin-6-yl)acetates and their transformations to 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)- and 6-(carbamoylmethyl)purines
Authors: Hasník Zbyněk , Pohl Radek , Klepetářová Blanka , Hocek Michal
Published: July 2009

A novel approach to the synthesis of (purin-6-yl)acetates was developed based on Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of 6-chloropurines with a Reformatsky reagent. Their reduction with NaBH4 and treatment with MnO2 gave 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)purines, while reactions with amines in presence of NaCN afforded 6-(carbamoylmethyl)purines. Mesylation of the 6-(2-hydroxyethyl)purines followed by nucleophilic substitutions gave rise to several 6-(2-substituted ethyl)purines. This methodology was successfully applied to the synthesis of substituted purine bases and nucleosides for cytostatic and antiviral activity screening. None of the compounds exerted significant activity.
Molecular modification of triacylglycerol accumulation by over-expression ofDGAT1to produce canola with increased seed oil content under field conditionsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.
Authors: Taylor David C. , Zhang Yan , Kumar Arvind , Francis Tammy , Giblin E. Michael , Barton Dennis L. , Ferrie James R. , Laroche André , Shah Saleh , Zhu Weiming , Snyder Crystal L. , Hall Linda , Rakow Gerhard , Harwood John L. , Weselake Randall J.
Published: July 2009

The final step in the Kennedy pathway for seed oil synthesis is catalyzed by an acyl-CoA-dependent diacylglycerol acyltransferase, DGAT1 (EC. 2.3.1.20). We have cloned DGAT1 genes from both Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh ecotype Columbia and Brassica napus ‘Jet Neuf’ and over-expressed them in canola under the control of the seed-specific promoter, napin. DGAT1 from A. thaliana was inserted into B. napus ‘Quantum,’ whereas DGAT1 from B. napus was introduced into the B. napus double haploid breeding line DH12075. Both sets of transgenic plants exhibited increased seed oil content in both greenhouse and in field trial settings, ranging from 2.5% to 7% of dried mass on an absolute basis. The ‘Quantum’ transgenic lines were field-tested in plots at Watrous, Saskatchewan, in 2006 and 2007. Larger scale field trials of the DH12075 transgenics were carried out in 2007 at Ellerslie and Vegreville, Alberta. This is the first study wholly dedicated to DGAT1 over-expression and the resultant oil-content increases in transgenic canola under field conditions. Collectively, the field trial results strongly support the hypothesis that the level of DGAT1 activity during seed development in an oilseed crop can have a substantial effect on the flow of carbon into seed oil. Therefore, the over-expression of DGAT1 is a positive strategy for increasing oil content and cultivar performance in canola.
The role of diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 and -2 in the incorporation of hydroxy fatty acids into triacylglycerol in Arabidopsis thaliana expressing a castor bean oleate 12-hydroxylase geneThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.
Authors: Dauk Melanie , Lam Patricia , Smith Mark A.
Published: July 2009

Expression of oleate 12-hydroxylase genes in Arabidopsis results in the accumulation of hydroxy fatty acids in seed triacylglycerol (TAG). The pathways by which these unusual fatty acids become incorporated into TAG are not well understood. We expressed a fatty acid hydroxylase cDNA in Arabidopsis mutant lines to assess the role of three enzymes implicated in TAG assembly in this species. Plants deficient in the expression of phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 or -2 accumulated hydroxy fatty acids and showed no differences to equivalent transformed wild-type plants. Plants lacking diacylglylcerol acyltransferase activity were also able to accumulate hydroxy fatty acids in seed neutral lipids. Triacylglycerol species containing one and two hydroxy fatty acids were abundant, and small amounts of trihydroxy-TAG were detected. These results indicate that individually, the three enzymes do not play a major role in the incorporation of hydroxy fatty acids into TAG.
Metabolic and hormonal processes associated with the induction of secondary dormancy inBrassica napusseedsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.
Authors: Fei Houman , Ferhatoglu Yurdagul , Tsang Edward , Huang Daiqing , Cutler Adrian J.
Published: July 2009

Polyethylene glycol treatment induces secondary seed dormancy in Brassica napus  L. cultivar ‘AC Excel’ (ACE), but not in ‘DH12075’ (DH). Gene expression, metabolite profiles, and hormone profiles were obtained from seeds of both cultivars following polyethylene glycol 8000 treatment. ACE seeds were more transcriptionally active: 28 genes were up-regulated in both cultivars and 10 and 158 genes were specifically up-regulated in DH and ACE, respectively. Nontargeted metabolite analyses combined with gene expression analyses showed significant differences in lipid, sugar, and phenylpropanoid metabolism between the cultivars. Abscisic acid (ABA) levels were higher and many ABA-inducible genes were expressed more in ACE. An association of ABA with secondary dormancy was supported by the observation that secondary dormancy was induced by polyethylene glycol 8000 in Arabidopsis wild-type seeds, but was reduced in ABA-deficient and ABA-insensitive mutants. Therefore, secondary dormancy appears to be realized through an active ABA-related mechanism that may involve changes in primary and secondary metabolism.
PolA2is required for embryo development inArabidopsisThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in a Special Issue from the National Research Council of Canada – Plant Biotechnology Institute.
Authors: Yang Hui , Xiang Daoquan , Venglat Sathya Prakash , Cao Yongguo , Wang Edwin , Selvaraj Gopalan , Datla Raju
Published: July 2009

DNA replication machinery is highly conserved in eukaryotes. DNA polymerase is essential for the synthesis of new DNA strands and for DNA repair. Despite the significant progress in the understanding of these processes in yeast and animal model systems, there is only scant information available for their counterparts in plants. Among different multisubunit-containing DNA polymerases, DNA polymerase α (POLA complex) is composed of four subunits. In this study, we report on the characterization of PolA2, which encodes the putative B subunit of DNA polymerase α in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. PolA2 is a single copy gene in Arabidopsis and shows highly conserved regions with putative homologs in other plant species. Insertional inactivation of PolA2 in Arabidopsis leads to embryo lethality, with developmental arrest at or before the four-cell stage during embryogenesis. The apical cell lineage is strongly affected in the mutant embryos and the endosperm initial cell fails to divide. PolA2 is expressed broadly in the early phases of embryo development during the period of active cell divisions, while during the later stages of development expression is reduced and more localized. Ectopic overexpression of PolA2 produced dominant negative phenotypes with gametic and embryo lethality suggesting that coordinated and parallel expression with other subunits is critical for its proper function in DNA replication and plant development.
A Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) reefal bryozoan fauna from Anticosti Island, eastern Canada: taxonomy and chemostratigraphy
Authors: Ernst Andrej , Munnecke Axel
Published: July 2009

The Natiscotec outcrop on Anticosti Island, Canada (Ellis Bay Formation, Laframboise Member, Hirnantian, Late Ordovician), exposes a patch reef some 20–30 m in diameter, 2–3 m thick, with abundant rugose corals, as well as favositids and heliolitids. Reef capping and flanking sediments include typical Hirnantian brachiopods, such as Hirnantia , Hindella , and Eospirigerina . Within the reef peloidal microbialites encrusting bryozoan colonies are common. The bryozoan fauna includes three cystoporates, seven trepostomes, and three phylloporines. Two genera and two species are new: the cystoporate Natiscotecella tenuis n. gen. and n. sp. and the phylloporine Dilaminocladia natiscotecensis n. gen. and n. sp. Three more species are also new: the cystoporates Ceramopora clara n. sp. and Acanthoceramoporella spinigera n. sp. and the trepostome Revalotrypa honguedensis n. sp. Furthermore, we identify the three trepostomes Atactoporella aff. ortoni (Nicholson, 1874), Hallopora elegantula (Hall, 1852), and Monotrypella cf. aequalis Ulrich, 1882, and a phylloporine Parachasmatopora porkunensis Lavrentjeva, 1985. Four species are identified at generic level and in open nomenclature: the three trepostomes Lioclemella sp., Calloporella sp., and Trepostomata sp. and a phylloporine ? Ralfinella sp. The bryozoan fauna shows some affinities with the Late Ordovician fauna of Scandinavia. Stable carbon isotope investigations from brachiopod shells of the same outcrop yield values for δ13C of up to +6.7‰, which represent the highest values reported from the Anticosti succession so far. This indicates that the stratigraphic position of the outcrop is at or close to the peak of the globally recognized Hirnantian δ13C excursion.
Dolomitization of the Lower Ordovician Watts Bight Formation of the St. George Group, western Newfoundland: evidence of hydrothermal fluid alterationGeological Survey of Canada Contribution 20080544.
Authors: Conliffe James , Azmy Karem , Knight Ian , Lavoie Denis
Published: July 2009

The Watts Bight Formation in western Newfoundland consists of a Lower Ordovician succession of shallow-water carbonates and has been extensively dolomitized. These dolomites occur as both replacements and cements and are associated with complex changes in the rock porosity and permeability. Early replacement micritic dolomites (D1) are finely crystalline and indicate that dolomitization began during early stages of diagenesis. The calculated δ18O values of the earliest (D1) dolomitizing fluids (–6.4‰ to –9.5‰ VSMOW, Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) fall between the estimated δ18O values of Tremadocian seawater and meteoric waters and suggest mixing-zone dolomitization. A second phase of coarsely crystalline (up to 400 μm) dolomite (D2) replaces D1 dolomite and early calcite and is associated with enhancement in porosity and permeability through the development of intercrystalline pores. A late-stage saddle dolomite (D3) and late burial calcite cements significantly occluded the pores in some horizons. Petrography, fluid inclusions, and geochemistry show that D2 and D3 dolomites formed from warm (65–125 °C) saline (10 to 25 eq. wt.% NaCl + CaCl2) hydrothermal fluids. The calculated δ18Ofluid of D2 ranges from –4.5‰ to 3.6‰ VSMOW, and for D3 dolomites, calculated δ18Ofluid ranges from 1.4‰ to 8.4‰ VSMOW, suggesting an influx of basinal brines. The occurrence of high porosity associated with D2, combined with the laterally sealing tight limestone beds, presence of favourable source rocks, and thermal maturation, may suggest that the Watts Bight carbonates are possible potential hydrocarbon reservoirs and suitable targets for future hydrocarbon exploration in western Newfoundland.
Density-dependent individual growth and size dynamics of central Appalachian brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Authors: Utz Ryan M. , Hartman Kyle J.
Published: July 2009

Density-dependent aggression, emigration, mortality, and individual growth have been identified in wild lotic salmonid populations. However, most work is limited to fish in the genus Salmo , and few studies consider density dependency coupled with observations of energy acquisition. We attempt to quantify density-dependent growth, size, and energy acquisition for a population of brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) in Appalachia, where the species is food-limited and population densities are low. Brook trout populations were intensely monitored over the course of 2 years at several sites within a watershed in eastern West Virginia. Tagging provided specific growth estimates, and diet analyses allowed for estimation of energy acquisition relative to maintenance requirements for adult fish. Young-of-the-year (YOY) brook trout exhibited density-dependent size relationships, but the intensity of density dependency varied substantially among months, with progressively decreasing slopes. Adult individual growth and excess energy acquisition was density-dependent, but only during periods when temperatures were warm and energy intake was low. The strong influence of temporal variability in density dependence of YOY size, as well as adult fish size, individual growth, and energy acquisition, suggests that density dependency in Appalachian brook trout may be driven by periodic prey resource scarcity.
Recent sedimentary legacy of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and climate change in an ultraoligotrophic, glacially turbid British Columbia nursery lake
Authors: Hill Aaron C. , Stanford Jack A. , Leavitt Peter R.
Published: July 2009

Paleolimnological studies of sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) nursery lakes have shown that lake trophic status is often regulated by climate and harvest via marine-derived nutrients (MDN) from adult spawners. However, these controls are not well understood for sockeye nursery lakes in coastal British Columbia, many of which are ultraoligotrophic and glacially turbid. We examined climate, sockeye population dynamics, and sedimentary indicators of lake algal production from 1958 to 2005 using a radioisotope-dated sediment core from Kitlope Lake, British Columbia. Despite high sedimentation rates (~4.7 mm·year–1), significant influence of terrestrial and aquatic organic matter from the main tributary, and the lowest mean (± standard deviation) δ15N (–0.28‰ ± 0.79‰; a proxy for MDN flux) yet reported from a sockeye nursery lake, sedimentary δ15N, C–N ratio, and fossil pigments were coherent with order-of-magnitude changes in sockeye escapements. Moreover, air temperatures were positively correlated with δ15N, indicating a climate influence counteracting declines of MDN import related to declining spawner returns. Despite elevated production potential, Kitlope Lake remains nutrient-limited with a declining sockeye population, and the productivity of this system would benefit from increased sockeye returns.
Spatial and temporal spawning dynamics of native westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, introduced rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and their hybrids
Authors: Muhlfeld Clint C. , McMahon Thomas E. , Belcer Durae , Kershner Jeffrey L.
Published: July 2009

We used radiotelemetry to assess spatial and temporal spawning distributions of native westslope cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi ; WCT), introduced rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ; RBT), and their hybrids in the upper Flathead River system, Montana (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), from 2000 to 2007. Radio-tagged trout (N = 125) moved upriver towards spawning sites as flows increased during spring runoff and spawned in 29 tributaries. WCT migrated greater distances and spawned in headwater streams during peak flows and as flows declined, whereas RBT and RBT hybrids (backcrosses to RBT) spawned earlier during increasing flows and lower in the system. WCT hybrids (backcrosses to WCT) spawned intermediately in time and space to WCT and RBT and RBT hybrids. Both hybrid groups and RBT, however, spawned over time periods that produced temporal overlap with spawning WCT in most years. Our data indicate that hybridization is spreading via long-distance movements of individuals with high amounts of RBT admixture into WCT streams and stepping-stone invasion at small scales by later generation backcrosses. This study provides evidence that hybridization increases the likelihood of reproductive overlap in time and space, promoting extinction by introgression, and that the spread of hybridization is likely to continue if hybrid source populations are not reduced or eliminated.
Phenomenological implications of the generalized uncertainty principleThis paper was presented at the Theory CANADA 4 conference, held at Centre de recherches mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada on 4–7 June 2008.
Authors: Das Saurya , Vagenas Elias C.
Published: July 2009

Various theories of quantum gravity argue that near the Planck scale, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle should be replaced by the so called generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). We show that the GUP gives rise to two additional terms in any quantum mechanical Hamiltonian, proportional to βp4 and β2p6, respectively, where β ∼ 1/(MPlc)2 is the GUP parameter. These terms become important at or above the Planck energy. Considering only the first of these and treating it as a perturbation, we show that the GUP affects the Lamb shift, Landau levels, reflection and transmission coefficients of a potential step and potential barrier, and the current in a scanning tunnel microscope (STM). Although these are too small to be measurable at present, we speculate on the possibility of extracting measurable predictions in the future.
Holography and fermions at a finite chemical potentialThis paper was presented at the Theory CANADA 4 conference, held at Centre de recherches mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada on 4–7 June 2008.
Authors: Rozali Moshe , Brits Lionel
Published: July 2009

We review the Sakai–Sugimoto model of holographic QCD at zero temperature and finite chemical potential, comparing the results to those expected at large-Nc QCD, and those in a closely related holographic model. We find that as the baryon chemical potential is increased above a critical value, there is a phase transition to a nuclear matter phase, the details of which depend on the model. We argue that the nuclear matter phase is necessarily inhomogeneous to arbitrarily high density, which suggests an explanation of the “chiral density wave” instability of the quark Fermi surface in large-Nc QCD. Some details of the instanton distribution in the holographic dual are reminiscent of a Fermi surface. This short manuscript summarizes a talk given by M.R. at Theory CANADA 4 conference and is based largely (but not entirely) on the results of (Rozali et al. JHEP. 53, 01 (2008)).
Characterizing measurement-based quantum gates in quantum many-body systems using correlation functionsThis paper was presented at the Theory CANADA 4 conference, held at Centre de recherches mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada on 4–7 June 2008.
Authors: Chung Thomas , Bartlett Stephen D. , Doherty Andrew C.
Published: July 2009

In measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC), local adaptive measurements are performed on the quantum state of a lattice of qubits. Quantum gates are associated with a particular measurement sequence, and one way of viewing MBQC is that such a measurement sequence prepares a resource state suitable for “gate teleportation”. We demonstrate how to quantify the performance of quantum gates in MBQC by using correlation functions on the pre-measurement resource state.
Negative energy, instability, and AdS–CFT This paper was presented at the Theory CANADA 4 conference, held at Centre de recherches mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada on 4–7 June 2008.
Authors: Copsey Keith , Mann Robert B.
Published: July 2009

We consider a freely orbifolded AdS5 × S5 and demonstrate that standard boundary conditions allow states of arbitrarily negative energy. These states describe bubbles that are regular up to singularities due to smeared D3-branes. We discuss the evolution of this data and point out that if the usual boundary conditions are enforced such bubbles may never reach infinity.
Quantum trajectory equation for multiple qubits in circuit QED: Generating entanglement by measurementThis paper was presented at the Theory CANADA 4 conference, held at Centre de recherches mathématiques, Montréal, Québec, Canada on 4–7 June 2008.
Authors: Hutchison Chantal L. , Gambetta J. M. , Blais Alexandre , Wilhelm F. K.
Published: July 2009

In this paper we derive an effective master equation and quantum trajectory equation for multiple qubits in a single resonator and in the large resonator decay limit. We show that homodyne measurement of the resonator transmission is a weak measurement of the collective qubit inversion. As an example of this result, we focus on the case of two qubits and show how this measurement can be used to generate an entangled state from an initially separable state. This is realized without relying on an entangling Hamiltonian. We show that, for current experimental values of both the decoherence and measurement rates, this approach can be used to generate highly entangled states. This scheme takes advantage of the fact that one of the Bell states is decoherence-free under Purcell decay.
Low-energy electron elastic scattering from complex atoms: Nd, Eu, and Tm
Authors: Felfli Z. , Msezane A. Z. , Sokolovski D.
Published: July 2009

The recent Regge-pole methodology, which includes the essential electron correlations, is employed together with a Thomas–Fermi type potential incorporating the vital core-polarization interaction to calculate low-energy (E less than or equal to 1 eV) electron elastic total and Mulholland cross sections for the complex atoms Nd, Eu, and Tm, found to be characterized by subtle Regge resonances, for a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of the near-threshold electron attachment. The binding energies of the complex negative ions Nd–, Eu–, and Tm– formed through the collisions as Regge resonances are extracted for the first time from the resonances and compared with the latest theoretical and experimental values. Ramsauer–Townsend minima, shape resonances, and the Wigner threshold behavior are also obtained.
Viscous dissipation effect on mixed convection flow of a micropolar fluid over an exponentially stretching sheet
Authors: Abd El-Aziz Mohamed
Published: July 2009

Micropolar boundary-layer flow and heat transfer characteristics associated with a heated exponential stretching continuous sheet being cooled by a mixed convection flow are examined. The relevant heat transfer mechanisms are of interest in a wide variety of practical applications such as hot rolling, continuous casting, extrusion, and drawing. The wall temperature and stretching velocity are assumed to vary according to specific exponential forms. The contributions of buoyancy along with viscous dissipation on the convective transport in the boundary-layer region is analyzed in the opposing and assisting flow situations. Local similarity solutions are obtained for the boundary-layer equations governing the problem. A parametric study of the mixed convection parameter ξ, the micropolar parameter Δ, the Eckert number Ec, the parameter of temperature distribution n, and Prandtl number Pr is conducted and a representative set of numerical results for the velocity, angular velocity, temperature profiles, local skin friction coefficient, wall couple stress parameter, and local Nusselt number are illustrated graphically to show typical trends of the solutions.