bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-ohmic behavior of metal-insulator granular thin films in low-field regime (eΔV ≪ kBT)
Authors: Boff M. A. S. , Canto B. , Mesquita F. , Hinrichs R. , Fraga G. L. F. , Pereira L. G.
Published: October 2016

Non-ohmic behavior is not expected in metal–insulator granular systems in a low-field regime. There is no model to explain this behavior, even though it has been reported in several metal-insulator granular thin films (Fe-Al2O3, Co-Al2O3, and Ti-SiO2). In this paper, we show additional experimental results of Fe-SiO2 granular films and propose an explanation for the electrical properties of all above mentioned systems, based on Mott variable range hopping. The experimental results show that the localization length increases and the electrical resistance decreases with the increase of electrical potential or current. The non-ohmic behavior of the resistance and the increase of the localization length with increasing current are explained by the activation of new pathways for electrons in granular thin films that contain variable grain sizes and/or have different distances between grains.
Iron isotope effect in SmFeAsO0.65 and SmFeAsO0.77H0.12 superconductors: A Raman study
Authors: Singh Birender , Shirage P. M. , Iyo A. , Kumar Pradeep
Published: October 2016

We report the inelastic light scattering studies on SmFeAsO0.65 and SmFeAsO0.77H0.12 with iron isotopes namely 54Fe and 57Fe. In both of these systems under investigation we observed a significant shift in the frequency of the phonon modes associated with the displacement of Fe atoms around ∼ 200 cm-1. The observed shift in the Fe mode (B1g) for SmFeAsO0.65 is ∼ 1.4 % and lower in case of SmFeAsO0.77H0.12, which is ∼ 0.65 %, attributed to the lower percentage of isotopic substitution in case of SmFeAsO0.77H0.12. Our study reveals the significant iron isotope effect in these systems hinting towards the crucial role of electron-phonon coupling in the pairing mechanism of iron based superconductors.
Ion-exchange technique (IET) for measuring Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ activities in soils contaminated with metal mixtures
Authors: Schwertfeger D. M. , Hendershot W. H.
Published: October 2016

Environmental contextTerrestrial environments receiving trace metal contaminants are often impacted by more than one metal. This study demonstrates the adaptation of an ion-exchange technique to simultaneously obtain Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ activities in soil extracts. These measurements can be used to better understand and predict the behaviour and bioavailability of soil metals in metal–mixture contamination scenarios. AbstractReliable estimates of metal speciation are critical for predicting metal bioavailability and the toxicological effects of metal mixtures in the soil environment; however, simultaneous measurements of metal free ion activities in complex matrices pose a challenge. Although speciation models maybe useful, the uncertainty of metal binding to natural organic matter requires that such models be validated with empirical data. In this study, an ion-exchange resin technique (IET) was adapted for the analysis of Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ in soil extracts. The analysis was performed with three different soil types spiked with single and multiple metal additions to obtain a range of metal concentrations and combinations. Method detection limits of 0.006, 0.04 and 0.05µM for Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ were achieved. The values obtained by IET were comparable with those estimated by Visual MINTEQ, giving a root mean squared error of 0.21, 0.30 and 0.34 (n=30) for the Cu, Ni and Zn data. The Cu2+ activities obtained by IET were within an order of magnitude of those obtained by a Cu ion-selective electrode, being on average 6-fold greater, with better agreement occurring in samples having lower organic matter contents. The resulting soil metal speciation data revealed that the partitioning of soil Cu to the potentially bioavailable Cu2+ pool differed in the binary mixture with Ni compared with the single-metal Cu treatments. These data can be used to assess metal bioavailability and aid in the interpretation of ecotoxicological effects observed in soils where multiple metals are a concern.
General practitioners’ perceptions of different practice models: a qualitative study
Authors: Joyce Catherine , McDonald Hayley , Lawlor-Smith Laureen
Published: October 2016

Ownership of general practices is changing, but perceptions of GPs about ownership and the factors influencing their decisions about this are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore GPs’ perceptions and attitudes towards different practice models. GPs (n=138) in the Southern Adelaide-Fleurieu-Kangaroo Island Medicare Local region participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Thirty-nine per cent of participants were practice owners, and 64% were working in a practice with six or more GPs. Factors driving practice ownership were flexibility, autonomy and financial reward. Factors discouraging ownership were increased responsibility, time commitment and the potential for financial burden. Some interest in future practice ownership was evident, but concerns were also raised about the knowledge and skills required. Strategies are needed both to support GPs who do wish to be practice owners and to facilitate a range of practice models to ensure continued delivery of accessible, quality primary medical care to patients.
Induced sub-lethal oxidative damage affects osmotic tolerance and cryosurvival of spermatozoa
Authors: Ertmer Franziska , Oldenhof Harriëtte , Schütze Saskia , Rohn Karl , Wolkers Willem F. , Sieme Harald
Published: October 2016

If the physiological balance between production and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is shifted towards production of ROS this may result in accumulation of cell damage over time. In this study stallion spermatozoa were incubated with xanthine and xanthine oxidase (X–XO) to artificially generate defined levels of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide resulting in sub-lethal oxidative damage. The effects of X–XO treatment on various sperm characteristics were studied. Special emphasis was placed on sperm osmotic tolerance pre-freeze and its correlation with cryosurvival, given that cryopreservation exposes cells to osmotic stress. ROS accumulation occurred predominantly in the sperm midpiece region, where the mitochondria are located. Exposing spermatozoa to increasing X–XO concentrations resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in sperm motility. Percentages of plasma membrane-intact spermatozoa were not affected, whereas stability of membranes towards hypotonic stress decreased with increasing levels of induced oxidative stress. Infrared spectroscopic studies showed that X–XO treatment does not alter sperm membrane phase behaviour. Spermatozoa exposed to higher oxidative stress levels pre-freeze exhibited reduced cryosurvival. Centrifugation processing and addition of catalase were found to have little beneficial effect. Taken together, these results show that treatment of spermatozoa with X–XO resulted in different levels of intracellular ROS, which decreased sperm osmotic tolerance and cryosurvival.
Infants’ preferences for native speakers are associated with an expectation of information
Authors: Begus Katarina , Gliga Teodora , Southgate Victoria
Published: October 2016

Significance

This paper addresses the possible developmental origins of humans’ preference for native speakers. Infants’ preference to attend to someone speaking their native language is well documented and has been interpreted as a developmental precursor of our adult tendency to divide the social world into groups, preferring members of one’s own group and disfavoring others. Here we propose that this preference may originate from infants’ desire to acquire information and therefore preferentially interact with social partners who are more likely to provide them with relevant learning opportunities. We demonstrate that 11-mo-old infants indeed expect to receive information from native as opposed to foreign speakers, suggesting that infants’ selective social interactions may be driven by their motivation to learn.
Chloroplast-mediated regulation of CO
2
-concentrating mechanism by Ca
2+
-binding protein CAS in the green alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Wang Lianyong , Yamano Takashi , Takane Shunsuke , Niikawa Yuki , Toyokawa Chihana , Ozawa Shin-ichiro , Tokutsu Ryutaro , Takahashi Yuichiro , Minagawa Jun , Kanesaki Yu , Yoshikawa Hirofumi , Fukuzawa Hideya
Published: October 2016

Significance

Ca
2+
and CO
2
are fundamental biological signaling molecules in microbes, animals, and plants. Although Ca
2+
was proposed to act as a second messenger in CO
2
signaling in guard cells of terrestrial plants, the role of Ca
2+
in CO
2
signal transduction pathways in aquatic photosynthetic organisms remains largely unknown. We show here that a chloroplast Ca
2+
-binding protein, CAS, changes its localization in response to environmental CO
2
conditions and regulates the expression of nuclear-encoded limiting-CO
2
–induced genes, including two key bicarbonate transporters. These findings led us to propose a model for the participation of Ca
2+
signals in chloroplast-regulated CO
2
signal transduction of aquatic photosynthetic organisms and help us to further understand the role of Ca
2+
in CO
2
signal transduction in eukaryotes.
Human Vδ2 T cells are a major source of interleukin-9
Authors: Peters Christian , Häsler Robert , Wesch Daniela , Kabelitz Dieter
Published: October 2016

Significance

We describe in vitro cell culture conditions that induce strong secretion of IL-9 in human peripheral blood γδ T cells. IL-9 plays a role in allergy and increases the antitumor immunity of conventional CD4 and CD8 T cells. Human γδ T cells with a Vδ2 T-cell receptor kill many different tumor cells because they recognize intermediates of a metabolic pathway that is frequently dysregulated in cancer cells. Vδ2 T cells have already been used in cancer immunotherapy, as yet with limited success. Our study demonstrates that TGF-β, together with IL-15, strongly enhances IL-9 production in Vδ2 T cells. We postulate that IL-9–producing Vδ2 T cells might have enhanced therapeutic efficacy upon adoptive transfer into patients who have cancer.
Kinetics of DNA uptake during transformation provide evidence for a translocation ratchet mechanism
Authors: Hepp Christof , Maier Berenike
Published: October 2016

Significance

Transport of macromolecules through nanometer-sized membrane pores is a ubiquitous theme in cell biology. Examples include the linear import of precurser proteins into mitochondria and DNA transport during bacterial gene transfer. However, little is known about the biophysical mechanisms that bias the direction of macromolecular movement within membrane pores. Here, we used a single-molecule approach for studying a key step of bacterial gene transfer, the import of macromolecular DNA from the environment into the periplasm of the bacterial pathogen
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
. We show that the force-dependent kinetics of DNA uptake are in remarkable agreement with a translocation ratchet model, whereby the periplasmic ComE protein acts as a chaperone that rectifies DNA diffusion through the outer membrane by reversible binding.
Oxygen delivery using engineered microparticles
Authors: Seekell Raymond P. , Lock Andrew T. , Peng Yifeng , Cole Alexis R. , Perry Dorothy A. , Kheir John N. , Polizzotti Brian D.
Published: October 2016

Significance

The clinical treatment of profound oxygen deprivation (hypoxemia) is time sensitive and requires skill and specialized equipment. When the airways or lungs become incapacitated (e.g., due to airway obstruction or lung injury), resuscitation is ineffective until oxygenation is restored. Many critically ill patients suffer organ dysfunction, cardiac arrest, or death within minutes. In this work, we describe a polymeric microparticle-based oxygen delivery technology capable of rapidly administering large volumes of oxygen gas through an intravenous line.
Thermodynamic origin of surface melting on ice crystals
Authors: Murata Ken-ichiro , Asakawa Harutoshi , Nagashima Ken , Furukawa Yoshinori , Sazaki Gen
Published: October 2016

Significance

Phase transitions of ice are a major source of a diverse set of natural phenomena on Earth. In particular, quasi-liquid layers (QLLs) resulting from surface melting are recognized to be key players involved in various natural phenomena spanning from making snowballs to electrification of thunderclouds. With the aid of in situ observations with our advanced optical microscopy combined with two-beam interferometry, we elucidate a thermodynamic origin of the formation of QLLs and their unique wetting behavior (pseudo-partial wetting and wetting transitions) on ice surfaces. We show that QLLs are a metastable transient state formed through vapor growth and sublimation of ice that are absent at equilibrium.
Extracellular RNA is transported from one generation to the next in
Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Marré Julia , Traver Edward C. , Jose Antony M.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Changes in the environment or in physiology can induce an animal cell to secrete signaling molecules that move through circulation to regulate distant cells. Extracellular RNAs can accumulate in circulation in humans, can change during disease, and can potentially act as signaling molecules, but their source and destination are typically unclear. When extracellular RNAs enter cells, they can regulate genes of matching sequence. We show that double-stranded RNA introduced into the circulation of the animal
Caenorhabditis elegans
can be transported to the next generation through oocytes and can silence matching genes in progeny. These results demonstrate that extracellular RNA can carry gene regulatory information between generations. Such intergenerational messages could transmit effects of ancestral experience to descendants in animals.
Structural basis for nonneutralizing antibody competition at antigenic site II of the respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein
Authors: Mousa Jarrod J. , Sauer Marion F. , Sevy Alexander M. , Finn Jessica A. , Bates John T. , Alvarado Gabriela , King Hannah G. , Loerinc Leah B. , Fong Rachel H. , Doranz Benjamin J. , Correia Bruno E. , Kalyuzhniy Oleksandr , Wen Xiaolin , Jardetzky Theodore S. , Schief William R. , Ohi Melanie D. , Meiler Jens , Crowe James E.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Respiratory syncytial virus is a highly contagious human pathogen, infecting the majority of infants before age 2 y, and is the leading cause of viral bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia in infants and children. An approved prophylactic humanized mouse monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, is currently the standard-of-care treatment for immunocompromised individuals, and competition with palivizumab has been proposed as the basis for measuring effective immune responses for vaccine trials. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and saturation alanine mutagenesis scanning, we show the structural basis for neutralization by a human antibody at the palivizumab antigenic site. Furthermore, we describe nonneutralizing antibodies that directly compete with palivizumab and another human antibody 14N4. Taken together, the data presented provide unique concepts in structure-based vaccine design.
Unidirectional allostery in the regulatory subunit RIα facilitates efficient deactivation of protein kinase A
Authors: Guo Cong , Zhou Huan-Xiang
Published: October 2016

Significance

Activation and deactivation of protein kinase A (PKA) are triggered by cAMP binding to and unbinding from two tandem domains of the regulatory subunit. Evidence indicates that both binding and unbinding of two cAMPs are ordered. Whereas sequential binding to the inactive holoenzyme complex can be attributed to masking of one binding site by the catalytic subunit, sequential unbinding from the regulatory subunit appears related to unidirectional allosteric communication between the two domains, although the mechanism for unidirectionality has been a mystery. Here, we present a solution through molecular dynamics simulations. One of the two cAMPs acts as a bridge between the domains and thereby gates interdomain communication. Directionality of allostery can facilitate PKA deactivation and may have broad functional importance.
Cross-talk between amyloidogenic proteins in type-2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Horvath Istvan , Wittung-Stafshede Pernilla
Published: October 2016

Significance

Protein assembly into ordered so-called amyloid fibers is a process that promotes several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Also type-2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease involving amyloid formation, although it occurs in the pancreas. Since the protein that forms amyloids in PD, α-synuclein (aS), is also expressed in the pancreas, we investigated whether it could affect aggregation of the peptide involved in T2D, and vice versa. Using in vitro methods and purified proteins, we here demonstrate that the two proteins cross-react and, importantly, the T2D amyloid protein (both as monomer and amyloid seed) can accelerate aS aggregation. This result provides a possible explanation for why patients with T2D are more prone to getting PD.
How the hydrophobic factor drives protein folding
Authors: Baldwin Robert L. , Rose George D.
Published: October 2016

Significance

A study of how hydrophobicity (HY) drives protein folding reveals two kinds of HY: intrinsic (proportional to surface area) and extrinsic (augmented by hydration shells). The Nozaki–Tanford method of measuring HY has been modified to use gaseous solutes. Hydration shells on alkanes explain the unusual HY of alkanes. Transfer of alkanes from water to cyclohexane causes release of alkane hydration shells. Comparing the energetics of formation and release shows that hydration shells are clearly present on alkanes and supports Kauzmann's 1959 mechanism for how the hydrophobic factor drives protein folding. A space-filling model is given for the hydration shells on linear alkanes.
The fear gasping face as a threat display in a Melanesian society
Authors: Crivelli Carlos , Russell James A. , Jarillo Sergio , Fernández-Dols José-Miguel
Published: October 2016

Significance

Humans interpret others’ facial behavior, such as frowns and smiles, and guide their behavior accordingly, but whether such interpretations are pancultural or culturally specific is unknown. In a society with a great degree of cultural and visual isolation from the West—Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea—adolescents interpreted a gasping face (seen by Western samples as conveying fear and submission) as conveying anger and threat. This finding is important not only in supporting behavioral ecology and the ethological approach to facial behavior, as well as challenging psychology’s approach of allegedly pancultural “basic emotions,” but also in applications such as emotional intelligence tests and border security.
Increasing seed size and quality by manipulating
BIG SEEDS1
in legume species
Authors: Ge Liangfa , Yu Jianbin , Wang Hongliang , Luth Diane , Bai Guihua , Wang Kan , Chen Rujin
Published: October 2016

Significance

One of the most important agronomic traits in crop breeding is yield, which includes increased seed size and weight in grain crops and leaf biomass in forage crops. In this work, we demonstrate that a transcription regulator encoded by the
BIG SEEDS1
(
BS1
) gene from the model legume
Medicago truncatula
, negatively regulates primary cell proliferation in plants. The deletion of this gene in
M. truncatula
and down-regulation of its orthologs in soybean (
Glycine max
) lead to significant increases in the size of plant organs, including leaf and seed. Understanding the
BS1
gene function and its regulatory mechanism offers an opportunity for increasing plant yield in legumes and other grain crops.
Glutamate-induced RNA localization and translation in neurons
Authors: Yoon Young J. , Wu Bin , Buxbaum Adina R. , Das Sulagna , Tsai Albert , English Brian P. , Grimm Jonathan B. , Lavis Luke D. , Singer Robert H.
Published: October 2016

Significance

Local translation in dendrites of neurons has been shown to be important for neuronal function and synaptic biology. We imaged changes in the localization of β-actin mRNA and protein in dendritic spines. Our results showed that activating specific synapses can drive changes in the localization of endogenous mRNA and the translation of reporter RNA in dendrites of hippocampal neurons. Enhancing our understanding of the spatial and temporal kinetics of mRNA localization in dendrites informs local protein synthesis in neurons. These results provide direct evidence of protein synthesis away from the soma and allow us to determine how the kinetics of mRNA localization and translation could influence synaptic physiology and plasticity.
Motivation, second language learning and CLIL
Authors: Sylvén Liss Kerstin
Published: October 2016

One of the most decisive factors influencing the learning of a second language (L2/FL) seems to be learner motivation. Studies into motivation and L2/FL learning abound, but studies specifically targeting the role of language learning motivation in CLIL are scarce. This chapter will further illuminate this relationship. The chapter accounts for the theoretical underpinnings of motivation research, primarily in the form of the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS; Dörnyei 2005, 2009), but also integrative and instrumental motivation (Gardner & Lambert 1959). Further, an overview of existing studies on motivation and CLIL is presented. The chapter ends with a discussion on the pedagogical implications of previous research and how to move forward with CLIL, language learning and motivation.
Investigating pragmatics in CLIL through students’ requests
Authors: Sobhy Nashwa Nashaat
Published: October 2016

The study compares how three groups of learners at different educational levels in CLIL, post-CLIL and EFL classes modify their requests which were elicited by means of a written discourse completion task with two situations (different power relations). Data analysis is based on earlier request taxonomies (Alcón-Soler et al. 2005; Blum-Kulka et al. 1989), but the study also introduces new pragmatic features that appeared in the learners’ data. Qualitative and quantitative differences point to a duality in how learners use softening and aggravating request modifications, attributed to insufficient sociopragmatic knowledge. Among other finer results, the study shows that CLIL, as an educational approach, does not necessarily contribute to enhancing learners’ pragmatic competence if seen through the lens of making requests.
Classroom interactional competence in content and language integrated learning
Authors: Escobar Urmeneta Cristina , Walsh Steve
Published: October 2016

This chapter problematizes the Classroom Interactional Competence (CIC) of learners and teachers working in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) contexts. Through Multimodal Conversation Analysis (CA), we consider how CIC is enacted in dialogues which focus on both subject content and English. Our analysis reveals that (a) teachers’ deployment of multimodal resources ensures comprehension and self-selection; (b) teachers’ questions and evaluative feedback may play a major role in guiding the students; (c) the scarcity of teacher elicitations aimed at more elaborated learner responses may limit the development of academic discourse; and (d) groupwork may become a privileged environment for students to deploy and develop L2 interactional resources.
Multimodal conversation analysis and CLIL classroom practices
Authors: Evnitskaya Natalia , Jakonen Teppo
Published: October 2016

This chapter introduces multimodal Conversation Analysis (CA) as a research framework for CLIL classroom interaction. We begin by presenting key methodological principles of CA and discussing how CA has recently broadened its analytical focus to examine how modalities such as gestures and texts are used as resources for interaction. Following this, we review recent (multimodal) CA work that has investigated teaching and learning practices in classrooms involving second language users, such as in CLIL and immersion settings. To illustrate the described methodological orientation, we briefly analyse one video-recorded interaction and conclude by suggesting research areas related to CLIL classrooms that could benefit from a multimodal CA perspective.
“I always speak English in my classes”
Authors: Lasagabaster David
Published: October 2016

The L1’s role in the foreign language classroom has always been fraught with controversy due to the dominance of the target language only principle. This chapter analyses this issue by letting teachers have their say, sharing their teaching experiences and reflecting upon how they use the L1 and L2 in their CLIL classes. Three discussion groups were organised, as this method serves to capture and analyse ideological discourses and encourages participants to express their perspectives and unearth contradictions. Analysis of the results indicates that current practices are arbitrary and that most teachers make decisions based on their beliefs, teaching experience and intuition.
CLIL teachers’ professionalization
Authors: Bonnet Andreas , Breidbach Stephan
Published: October 2016

This chapter presents a reflexive approach to teacher identity in CLIL, which is structurally similar to the sociolinguistic approach to language acquisition (e.g., Norton 2013), replacing psychological concepts (e.g., motivation) with sociological ones (e.g., investment). Teacher professionalization is understood as a reflexive, biographically embedded process of identity construction that can be modelled using the concept of Bildung as a transformation of a teacher’s relation to him‑ or herself and to the (professional) world s/he is acting in (Bonnet & Hericks 2013). We use this theoretical framework to explore the state of the art of international CLIL teacher research. Findings from the literature will be complemented by data from an ongoing research project.
A sociolinguistic approach to the multifaceted Roles of English in English-medium education in multilingual university settings
Authors: Dafouz Emma , Smit Ute
Published: October 2016

Over the last twenty years, English-medium education in tertiary settings has turned into a global reality, with higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world aiming to become increasingly international. Yet this apparently uniform move towards English-medium instruction comes in such a variety of highly diverse local realisations that, when looked at in detail, the homogenising function of English turns out to be more complex and multifaceted than initially expected (Smit & Dafouz 2012). Within this context, the chapter draws on a recently developed conceptual framework for describing English-medium education in multilingual university settings (or EMEMUS), known by the acronym ROAD-MAPPING (Dafouz & Smit 2016) and focuses specifically on one of the six core dimensions, namely Roles of English (in relation to other languages). With the help of illustrative discursive examples from two different HEIs, we contend that well-established notions (such as EFL, EAP, ESP and ELF) while useful for initial categorizations of English language usage, are, firstly, complex in themselves and, secondly, adopt predominantly linguistic perspectives, potentially sidelining other relevant societal, institutional, pedagogical and communicational factors.
Short-Term Effects of Albendazole on the Oxidative Stress Markers and Hematological Parameters in Tissues of African Catfish Clarias gariepinus
Authors: Nwani Christopher Didigwu , Odo Gregory Ejike , Nwadinigwe Alfreda O. , Onyeke Christopher C. , Atama Chinedu Ifeanyi , Ngwu Godwin , Oluah Stanley N. , Ukonze Juliana Adimonye , Ezeibe Bridget Chidi A.
Published: October 2016

Albendazole (ABZ) is a typical broad-spectrum benzimidazole drug used for the treatment of parasitic worm infestations in humans and animals. The present study investigated the oxidative stress biomarkers and hematological parameters in juvenile African Catfish (also known as Sharptooth Catfish) Clarias gariepinus exposed to ABZ for 96 h. Fish were exposed to 0 (control) 20, 40, and 60 mg/L ABZ. The liver and gill tissues were sampled at regular intervals of 24 h, and the results showed significant concentration- and time-dependent increases in the values of lipid peroxidation but reductions in glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase in both tissues. Erythrocytes were sampled to evaluate hematological parameters. The results showed significant concentration- and time-dependent increases in white blood cells but no significant differences in mean cellular hemoglobin. Hemoglobin values, red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, mean cell volume, and mean cellular hemoglobin concentration decreased significantly over the experimental period. The activities of lymphocytes and neutrophils increased significantly, whereas there were no significant differences in basophils, eosinophils, and monocytes among the treatment groups. Albendazole should be used with caution, as sublethal concentrations induced oxidative stress in the liver and gill tissues along with hematological changes that were more evident in liver cells.

Received November 20, 2015; accepted May 4, 2015 Published online October 18, 2016
Influence of Maternal Gestational Hypertensive Disorders on Microvasculature in School-Age Children
Authors: Yesil Gizem Dilan , Gishti Olta , Felix Janine F. , Reiss Irwin , Ikram Mohammad Kamran , Steegers Eric A. P. , Hofman Albert , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. , Gaillard Romy
Published: October 2016

Gestational hypertensive disorders may lead to vascular changes in the offspring. We examined the associations of maternal blood pressure development and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy with microvasculature adaptations in the offspring in childhood. This study was performed as part of the Generation R Study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (2002–2012), among 3,748 pregnant mothers and their children for whom information was available on maternal blood pressure in different periods of pregnancy and gestational hypertensive disorders. Childhood retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were assessed at the age of 6 years. We found that higher maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressures in early pregnancy were associated with childhood retinal arteriolar narrowing (P < 0.05). Higher maternal systolic blood pressure in late pregnancy, but not in middle pregnancy, was associated with childhood narrower retinal venular caliber (standard deviation score per standardized residual increase in systolic blood pressure: −0.05; 95% confidence interval: −0.08, −0.01). Paternal blood pressure was not associated with childhood retinal vessel calibers. Children of mothers with gestational hypertensive disorders tended to have narrower retinal arteriolar caliber (standard deviation score: −0.13, 95% confidence interval: −0.27, 0.01). Our results suggest that higher maternal blood pressure during pregnancy is associated with persistent microvasculature adaptations in their children. Further studies are needed to replicate these observations.
Einasto Profiles and the Dark Matter Power Spectrum
Authors: Ludlow Aaron D. , Angulo Raúl E.
Published: October 2016

We study the mass accretion histories (MAHs) and density profiles of dark matter halos using N-body simulations of self-similar gravitational clustering from scale-free power spectra, P(k)∝kn. We pay particular attention to the density profile curvature, which we characterize using the shape parameter, α, of an Einasto profile. In agreement with previous findings our results suggest that, despite vast differences in their MAHs, the density profiles of virialized halos are remarkably alike. Nonetheless, clear departures from self-similarity are evident: for a given spectral index, α increases slightly but systematically with “peak height”, ν ≡ δsc/σ(M, z), regardless of mass or redshift. More importantly, however, the “α − ν” relation depends on n: the steeper the initial power spectrum, the more gradual the curvature of both the mean MAHs and mean density profiles. These results are consistent with previous findings connecting the shapes of halo mass profiles and MAHs and imply that dark matter halos are not structurally self-similar but, through the merger history, retain a memory of the linear density field from which they form.
Imaging in knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Oo Win M. , Linklater James M. , Hunter David J.
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent and disabling disease still necessitating research in pathogenic mechanisms, predictors of disease progression and responsive techniques to detect the slow structural changes within a short time frame. In this scenario, imaging modalities are essential. With recent advancements in technology and availability of large longitudinal datasets, tremendous advances are occurring. The present review discusses and summarizes recent original publications in this area.

Recent findings

MRI has been the most popular modality used to evaluate the different roles of structural disorders in incident knee osteoarthritis, to compare predictability of individual features of semiquantitative scores for knee replacement and to formulate different disease progression models. More ultrasound studies have been published, including the proposed semiquantitative scoring system by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trial group.

As more advanced emerging technologies are developed in imaging, there are great opportunities to formulate new incident and prediction osteoarthritis models and to discover tissue-targeted disease-modifying drugs.
Conservative Treatment for Bony Healing in Pediatric Lumbar Spondylolysis
Authors: Sakai Toshinori , Tezuka Fumitake , Yamashita Kazuta , Takata Yoichiro , Higashino Kosaku , Nagamachi Akihiro , Sairyo Koichi
Published: October 2016

Study Design.

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to investigate recent outcomes of conservative treatment for bony healing in pediatric patients with lumbar spondylolysis (LS) and to identify the problems that need to be resolved.

Summary of Background Data.

Several diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for LS have been developed recently, leading to better outcomes for bony healing.

Methods.

Overall, 63 consecutive pediatric patients (53 boys and 10 girls) with LS (average age: 13.8 years; range: 6–17 years) were analyzed. Diagnosis and staging (very early, early, progressive, and terminal) were based on multidetector computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For all patients except those with terminal-stage pars defect, conservative treatment included rest, avoidance of sports, and the use of a thoraco-lumbo-sacral-type trunk brace. Follow-up MRI was performed monthly. When the signal changes resolved, CT scans were obtained to assess bony healing.

Results.

Three patients dropped out during the study period. A total of 60 patients were included (50 boys and 10 girls) in this study (follow-up rate: 95.2%), with 86 instances of LS (very early: 36, early: 16, progressive: 15, terminal: 19) in 65 laminae. In the very early stage, the bony healing rate was 100%, and average treatment period was 2.5 months (range: 1–7 months). In the early stage, the bony healing rate was 93.8%, and the average treatment period was 2.6 months (range: 1–6 months). In the progressive stage, the bony healing rate was 80.0%, and the average treatment period was 3.6 months (range: 3–5 months). The average overall recurrence rate was 26.1%. All patients showing recurrence eventually achieved bony healing.

Conclusion.

High bony healing rates and short treatment periods were observed with conservative treatment in pediatric patients with LS. However, the recurrence rates were relatively high. This issue should be targeted in future studies.

Level of Evidence: 2
Pre-infection transcript levels of FAM26F in peripheral blood mononuclear cells inform about overall plasma viral load in acute and post-acute phase after simian immunodeficiency virus infection
Authors: Javed Aneela , Leuchte Nicole , Salinas Gabriela , Opitz Lennart , Stahl-Hennig Christiane , Sopper Sieghart , Sauermann Ulrike
Published: October 2016

CD8+ cells from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected long-term non-progressors and some uninfected macaques can suppress viral replication in vitro without killing the infected cells. The aim of this study was to identify factors responsible for non-cytolytic viral suppression by transcriptional profiling and to investigate their potential impact on SIV replication. Results of microarray experiments and further validation with cells from infected and uninfected macaques revealed that FAM26F RNA levels distinguished CD8+ cells of controllers and non-controllers (P=0.001). However, FAM26F was also expressed in CD4+ T-cells and B-cells. FAM26F expression increased in lymphocytes after in vitro IFN-γ treatment on average 40-fold, and ex vivo FAM26F RNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlated with plasma IFN-γ but not with IFN-α. Baseline FAM26F expression appeared to be stable for months, albeit the individual expression levels varied up to tenfold. Investigating its role in SIV-infection revealed that FAM26F was upregulated after infection (P<0.0008), but did not directly correlate with viral load in contrast to MX1 and CXCL10. However, pre-infection levels of FAM26F correlated inversely with overall plasma viral load (AUC) during the acute and post-acute phases of infection (e.g. AUC weeks post infection 0–8; no AIDS vaccine: P<0.0001, Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs)=−0.89, n=16; immunized with an AIDS vaccine: P=0.033, rs=−0.43; n=25). FAM26F transcript levels prior to infection can provide information about the pace and strength of the antiviral immune response during the early stage of infection. FAM26F expression represented, in our experiments, one of the earliest prognostic markers, and could supplement major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-typing to predict disease progression before SIV-infection.
Lateral, not medial, prefrontal cortex contributes to punishment and aversive instrumental learning
Authors: Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel Philip , McNally Gavan P.
Published: October 2016

Aversive outcomes punish behaviors that cause their occurrence. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in punishment learning and behavior, although the exact roles for different PFC regions in instrumental aversive learning and decision-making remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the role of the orbitofrontal (OFC), rostral agranular insular (RAIC), prelimbic (PL), and infralimbic (IL) cortex in instrumental aversive learning and decision-making. Rats that pressed two individually presented levers for pellet rewards rapidly suppressed responding to one lever if it also caused mild punishment (punished lever) but continued pressing the other lever that did not cause punishment (unpunished lever). Inactivations of OFC, RAIC, IL, or PL via the GABA agonists baclofen and muscimol (BM) had no effect on the acquisition of instrumental learning. OFC inactivations increased responding on the punished lever during expression of well-learned instrumental aversive learning, whereas RAIC inactivations increased responding on the punished lever when both levers were presented simultaneously in an unpunished choice test. There were few effects of medial PFC (PL and IL) inactivation. These results suggest that lateral PFC, notably OFC and RAIC, have complementary functions in aversive instrumental learning and decision-making; OFC is important for using established aversive instrumental memories to guide behavior away from actions that cause punishment, whereas RAIC is important for aversive decision-making under conditions of choice.
The sensory features of a food cue influence its ability to act as an incentive stimulus and evoke dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core
Authors: Singer Bryan F. , Bryan Myranda A. , Popov Pavlo , Scarff Raymond , Carter Cody , Wright Erin , Aragona Brandon J. , Robinson Terry E.
Published: October 2016

The sensory properties of a reward-paired cue (a conditioned stimulus; CS) may impact the motivational value attributed to the cue, and in turn influence the form of the conditioned response (CR) that develops. A cue with multiple sensory qualities, such as a moving lever-CS, may activate numerous neural pathways that process auditory and visual information, resulting in CRs that vary both within and between individuals. For example, CRs include approach to the lever-CS itself (rats that “sign-track”; ST), approach to the location of reward delivery (rats that “goal-track”; GT), or an “intermediate” combination of these behaviors. We found that the multimodal sensory features of the lever-CS were important to the development and expression of sign-tracking. When the lever-CS was covered, and thus could only be heard moving, STs not only continued to approach the lever location but also started to approach the food cup during the CS period. While still predictive of reward, the auditory component of the lever-CS was a much weaker conditioned reinforcer than the visible lever-CS. This plasticity in behavioral responding observed in STs closely resembled behaviors normally seen in rats classified as “intermediates.” Furthermore, the ability of both the lever-CS and the reward-delivery to evoke dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens was also altered by covering the lever—dopamine signaling in STs resembled neurotransmission observed in rats that normally only GT. These data suggest that while the visible lever-CS was attractive, wanted, and had incentive value for STs, when presented in isolation, the auditory component of the cue was simply predictive of reward, lacking incentive salience. Therefore, the specific sensory features of cues may differentially contribute to responding and ensure behavioral flexibility.
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors act in synergy to facilitate learning and memory
Authors: Leaderbrand Katherine , Chen Helen J. , Corcoran Kevin A. , Guedea Anita L. , Jovasevic Vladimir , Wess Jurgen , Radulovic Jelena
Published: October 2016

Understanding how episodic memories are formed and retrieved is necessary if we are to treat disorders in which they malfunction. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) in the hippocampus and cortex underlie memory formation, but there is conflicting evidence regarding their role in memory retrieval. Additionally, there is no consensus on which mAChR subtypes are critical for memory processing. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we found that (1) encoding and retrieval of contextual memory requires mAChR in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and retrosplenial cortex (RSC), (2) memory formation requires hippocampal M3 and cooperative activity of RSC M1 and M3, and (3) memory retrieval is more impaired by inactivation of multiple M1–M4 mAChR in DH or RSC than inactivation of individual receptor subtypes. Contrary to the view that acetylcholine supports learning but is detrimental to memory retrieval, we found that coactivation of multiple mAChR is required for retrieval of both recently and remotely acquired context memories. Manipulations with higher receptor specificity were generally less potent than manipulations targeting multiple receptor subtypes, suggesting that mAChR act in synergy to regulate memory processes. These findings provide unique insight into the development of therapies for amnestic symptoms, suggesting that broadly acting, rather than receptor-specific, mAchR agonists and positive allosteric modulators may be the most effective therapeutic approach.
Subsecond fear discrimination in rats: adult impairment in adolescent heavy alcohol drinkers
Authors: DiLeo Alyssa , Wright Kristina M. , McDannald Michael A.
Published: October 2016

Discriminating safety from danger must be accurate and rapid. Yet, the rapidity with which fear discrimination emerges remains unknown. Rapid fear discrimination in adulthood may be susceptible to impairment by adolescent heavy alcohol drinking, which increases incidence of anxiety disorders. Rats were given voluntary, adolescent alcohol access, and heavy drinkers were identified. In adulthood, rapid fear discrimination of safety, uncertainty, and danger cues was assessed. Normal rats, but not heavy drinkers, showed discriminative fear <1 sec following cue onset. This provides the first demonstration of subsecond fear discrimination and its adult impairment in adolescent heavy alcohol drinkers.
The Effect of Leaf Temperature and Photorespiratory Conditions on Export of Sugars during Steady-State Photosynthesis in Salvia splendens
Authors: Jiao J. , Grodzinski B.
Published: October 2016

Export and photosynthesis in leaves of Salvia splendens were measured concurrently during steady-state 14CO2 labeling conditions. Under ambient CO2 and O2 conditions, photosynthesis and export rates were similar at 15 and 25[deg]C, but both declined as leaf temperature was raised from 25 to 40[deg]C. Suppressing photorespiration between 15 and 40[deg]C by manipulating CO2 and O2 levels resulted in higher rates of leaf photosynthesis, total sugar synthesis, and export. There was a linear relationship between the rate of photosynthesis and the rate of export between 15 and 35[deg]C. At these temperatures, 60 to 80% of the carbon fixed was readily exported with sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose, which together constituted over 90% of phloem mobile assimilates. Above 35[deg]C, however, export during photosynthesis was inhibited both in photorespiratory conditions, which inhibited photosynthesis, and in nonphotorespiratory conditions, which did not inhibit photosynthesis. Sucrose and raffinose but not stachyose accumulated in the leaf at 40[deg]C. When leaves were preincubated at 40[deg]C and then cooled to 35[deg]C, export recovered more slowly than photosynthesis. These data are consistent with the view that impairment of export processes, rather than photosynthetic processes associated with light trapping, carbon reduction, and sucrose synthesis, accounted for the marked reduction in export between 35 and 40[deg]C. Taken together, the data indicated that temperature changes between 15 and 40[deg]C had two effects on photosynthesis and concurrent export. At all temperatures, suppressing photorespiration increased both photosynthesis and export, but above 35[deg]C, export processes were more directly inhibited independent of changes in photorespiration and photosynthesis.