bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Substock variation in reproductive traits in North Sea cod (Gadus morhua)
Authors: Harrald Marion , Wright Peter J. , Neat Francis C. 
Published: April 2010

The North Sea stock of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) is comprised of a number of subcomponents that differ both genetically and phenotypically. A potential cause for such spatial variability is adaptive divergence, which may be linked to differences in thermal environment and (or) historical fishing pressure. Here we present evidence that spatial variation in maturity–size relationships in the wild has a significant intrinsic component. Using a common-environment experiment on wild-caught juveniles raised through to maturity, we demonstrate that cod from the southern North Sea (SNS) mature at larger sizes than those from the northwestern North Sea (NWNS) despite broadly similar growth rates. Consistent with these experimental results, year-class-specific maturity ogives for recent maturing year classes (1999–2001) suggested that the length at which 50% of females reached maturity was 11 cm greater for SNS than for NWNS cod. Under a common environment, smaller female size at maturity partly reflected higher relative liver weight, with NWNS females having a higher relative liver weight than SNS females. By investigating maturation under controlled conditions, our study provides evidence for life history trade-offs in energy allocation between growth, energy storage, and reproduction that may underlie the spatial variation observed in the field.
Length and Timescales of Rift Faulting and Magma Intrusion: The Afar Rifting Cycle from 2005 to Present
Authors: Ebinger Cynthia , Ayele Atalay , Keir Derek , Rowland Julie , Yirgu Gezahegn , Wright Tim , Belachew Manahloh , Hamling Ian 
Published: April 2010

Although fault and magmatic processes have achieved plate spreading at mid-ocean ridges throughout Earth's history, discrete rifting episodes have rarely been observed. This paper synthesizes ongoing seismic, structural, space-based geodetic, and petrologic studies from the subaerial Red Sea rift in Ethiopia where a major rifting episode commenced in September 2005. Our aims are to determine the length and timescales of magmatism and faulting, the partitioning of strain between faulting and magmatism, and their implications for the maintenance of along-axis segmentation. Most of the magma for the initial and subsequent 12 intrusions was sourced from the center of the Dabbahu-Manda Hararo rift segment. Strain is accommodated primarily by axial dike intrusions fed from mid-segment magma chamber(s). These findings show that episodic (approximate century interval), rapid opening of discrete rift segments is the primary mechanism of plate boundary deformation. The scale (∼65 km × 8 km) and intensity of crustal deformation (∼6 m), as well as the volume of intrusive and extrusive magmatism (>3 km3), provokes a re-evaluation of seismic and volcanic hazards in subaerial rift zones.
Placoderms (Armored Fish): Dominant Vertebrates of the Devonian Period
Authors: Young Gavin C. 
Published: April 2010

Placoderms, the most diverse group of Devonian fishes, were globally distributed in all habitable freshwater and marine environments, like teleost fishes in the modern fauna. Their known evolutionary history (Early Silurian–Late Devonian) spanned at least 70 million years. Known diversity (335 genera) will increase when diverse assemblages from new areas are described. Placoderms first occur in the Early Silurian of China, but their diversity remained low until their main evolutionary radiation in the Early Devonian, after which they became the dominant vertebrates of Devonian seas. Most current placoderm data are derived from the second half of the group's evolutionary history, and recent claims that they form a paraphyletic group are based on highly derived Late Devonian forms; 16 shared derived characters are proposed here to support placoderm monophyly. Interrelationships of seven placoderm orders are unresolved because Silurian forms from China are still poorly known. The relationship of placoderms to the two major extant groups of jawed fishes—osteichthyans (bony fishes) and chondrichthyans (cartilaginous sharks, rays, and chimaeras)—remains uncertain, but the detailed preservation of placoderm internal braincase structures provides insights into the ancestral gnathostome (jawed vertebrate) condition. Placoderms provide the most complex morphological and biogeographic data set for the Middle Paleozoic; marked discrepancies in stratigraphic occurrence between different continental regions indicate strongly endemic faunas that were probably constrained by marine barriers until changes in paleogeography permitted range enlargement into new areas. Placoderm distributions in time and space indicate major faunal interchange between Gondwana and Laurussia near the Frasnian-Famennian boundary; closure of the Devonian equatorial ocean is a possible explanation.
Late Neogene Erosion of the Alps: A Climate Driver?
Authors: Willett Sean D. 
Published: April 2010

As with many mountain belts globally, the Alps have seen a large increase in sediment yield in the late Neogene. The hypothesis that this increase results from climate-change impacts on erosion rate over the past ∼5 Ma is testable, given the extensive work completed in the Alps. Sediment budgets, thermochronology-based cooling rates, and estimates of modern rock uplift and erosion in the Western Alps are reviewed to search for correlation in space and time that might fingerprint climatic events. Major increases in sediment yield are apparent starting in the late Messinian (5.5 Mya) and accelerating toward the present day; this suggests the occurrence of a series of climatic changes that increased erosion rates, even as tectonic processes appear to have slowed or stopped. At present, tight correlations in time are difficult to establish and there remain open questions about the role of tectonics in the coupled system.
Combining CD19 Redirection and Alloanergization to Generate Tumor-Specific Human T Cells for Allogeneic Cell Therapy of B-Cell Malignancies
Authors: Davies Jeff K. , Singh Harjeet , Huls Helen , Yuk Dongin , Lee Dean A. , Kebriaei Partow , Champlin Richard E. , Nadler Lee M. , Guinan Eva C. , Cooper Laurence J.N. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractAllogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation can cure some patients with high-risk B-cell malignancies, but disease relapse following transplantation remains a significant problem. One approach that could be used to augment the donor T-cell–mediated antitumor effect is the infusion of allogeneic donor–derived T cells expressing a chimeric antibody receptor (CAR) specific to the B-cell antigen CD19. However, the use of such cells might result in toxicity in the form of graft-versus-host disease mediated by CD19-specific (CD19-CAR) T cells possessing alloreactive endogenous T-cell receptors. We therefore investigated whether nonalloreactive tumor-specific human T cells could be generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors by the combination of CD19 redirection via CAR expression and subsequent alloanergization by allostimulation and concomitant blockade of CD28-mediated costimulation. Alloanergization of CD19-CAR T cells resulted in efficient and selective reduction of alloresponses in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, including allospecific proliferation and cytokine secretion. Importantly, T-cell effector functions including CAR-dependent proliferation and specific target cytolysis and cytokine production were retained after alloanergization. Our data support the application of CD19 redirection and subsequent alloanergization to generate allogeneic donor T cells for clinical use possessing increased antitumor activity but limited capacity to mediate graft-versus-host disease. Immunotherapy with such cells could potentially reduce disease relapse after allogeneic transplantation without increasing toxicity, thereby improving the outcome of patients undergoing allogeneic transplantation for high-risk B-cell malignancies. Cancer Res; 70(10); 3915–24. ©2010 AACR.
Derivation of Endothelial Cells From Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Directed Differentiation
Authors: Kane Nicole M. , Meloni Marco , Spencer Helen L. , Craig Margaret A. , Strehl Raimund , Milligan Graeme , Houslay Miles D. , Mountford Joanne C. , Emanueli Costanza , Baker Andrew H. 
Published: April 2010

Objective—To develop an embryoid body-free directed differentiation protocol for the rapid generation of functional vascular endothelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and to assess the system for microRNA regulation and angiogenesis.Methods and Results—The production of defined cell lineages from hESCs is a critical requirement for evaluating their potential in regenerative medicine. We developed a feeder- and serum-free protocol. Directed endothelial differentiation of hESCs revealed rapid loss of pluripotency markers and progressive induction of mRNA and protein expression of vascular markers (including CD31 and vascular endothelial [VE]-cadherin) and angiogenic growth factors (including vascular endothelial growth factor), increased expression of angiogenesis-associated microRNAs (including miR-126 and miR-210), and induction of endothelial cell morphological features. In vitro, differentiated cells produced nitric oxide, migrated across a wound, and formed tubular structures in both the absence and the presence of 3D matrices (Matrigel). In vivo, we showed that cells that differentiated for 10 days before implantation were efficient at the induction of therapeutic neovascularization and that hESC-derived cells were incorporated into the blood-perfused vasculature of recipient mice.Conclusion—The directed differentiation of hESCs is efficient and effective for the differentiation of functional endothelial cells from hESCs.
Differential Regulation of Vascular Tone and Remodeling via Stimulation of Type 2 and Type 6 Adenylyl Cyclases in the Ductus Arteriosus
Authors: Yokoyama Utako , Minamisawa Susumu , Katayama Ayako , Tang Tong , Suzuki Sayaka , Iwatsubo Kousaku , Iwasaki Shiho , Kurotani Reiko , Okumura Satoshi , Sato Motohiko , Yokota Shumpei , Hammond H. Kirk , Ishikawa Yoshihiro 
Published: April 2010

Rationale:Prostaglandin (PG)E2, which increases intracellular cAMP via activation of adenylyl cyclases (ACs), induces vasodilation and hyaluronan-mediated intimal thickening (IT) in the ductus arteriosus (DA) during late gestation. After birth, however, differential regulation of vasodilation and IT is preferable for treatment of patients with patent DA and DA-dependent congenital cardiac malformations.Objective:Our objectives were to examine whether AC isoforms play differential roles in DA vasodilation and IT.Methods and Results:AC2 and AC6 were more highly expressed in rat DA than in the aorta during the perinatal period. AC6-targeted siRNA counteracted PGE1-induced hyaluronan production in rat DA smooth muscle cells. Overexpression of AC6 enhanced PGE1-induced hyaluronan production and induced IT in DA explants. Furthermore, IT of the DA was less marked in mice lacking AC6 than in wild-type and AC5-deficient mice. Stimulation of AC2 attenuated AC6-induced hyaluronan production via inhibition of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and AC6-induced IT of the DA. An AC2/6 activator, 6-[N-(2-isothiocyanatoethyl) aminocarbonyl] forskolin (FD1), did not induce hyaluronan-mediated IT in DA explants, although an AC5/6 activator, 6-[3-(dimethylamino)propionyl]-14,15-dihydroforskolin (FD6) did. Moreover, FD1 induced longer vasodilation of the DA than did PGE1without significant adverse effects in vivo.Conclusions:AC6 is responsible for hyaluronan-mediated IT of the DA and AC2 inhibited AC6-induced hyaluronan production. Stimulation of both AC2 and AC6 by FD1 induced longer vasodilation without hyaluronan-mediated IT in the DA in vivo. FD1 may be a novel alternative therapy to currently available PGE therapy for patients with DA-dependent congenital heart disease.
An Evolutionary Approach to Synthetic Biology: Zen and the Art of Creating Life
Authors: Ray Thomas S. 
Published: April 2010

Our concepts of biology, evolution, and complexity are constrained by having observed only a single instance of life, life on earth. A truly comparative biology is needed to extend these concepts. Because we cannot observe life on other planets, we are left with the alternative of creating Artificial Life forms on earth. I will discuss the approach of inoculating evolution by natural selection into the medium of the digital computer. This is not a physical/chemical medium; it is a logical/informational medium. Thus, these new instances of evolution are not subject to the same physical laws as organic evolution (e.g., the laws of thermodynamics) and exist in what amounts to another universe, governed by the “physical laws” of the logic of the computer. This exercise gives us a broader perspective on what evolution is and what it does.An evolutionary approach to synthetic biology consists of inoculating the process of evolution by natural selection into an artificial medium. Evolution is then allowed to find the natural forms of living organisms in the artificial medium. These are not models of life, but independent instances of life. This essay is intended to communicate a way of thinking about synthetic biology that leads to a particular approach: to understand and respect the natural form of the artificial medium, to facilitate the process of evolution in generating forms that are adapted to the medium, and to let evolution find forms and processes that naturally exploit the possibilities inherent in the medium. Examples are cited of synthetic biology embedded in the computational medium, where in addition to being an exercise in experimental comparative evolutionary biology, it is also a possible means of harnessing the evolutionary process for the production of complex computer software.
Plant-Herbivore Coevolution in a Spatially and Genetically Explicit Model
Authors: Hartvigsen Gregg , Starmer William T. 
Published: April 2010

A coevolutionary model was developed to test interactions between diploid plants and herbivores using genetic algorithms on a spatial lattice. Simulated plants carried defensive genes and herbivores carried genes coding for resistance (metabolism of herbivore defense) in gene-for-gene synchrony. Collectively these genes are referred to as defensive/resistance genes (DR-genes). Genes were linked on chromosomes. Regulatory genes modified both dominance at these DR loci and the tradeoff cost involved in producing either defense or resistance. We tested the effects of varying a) the number of DR-loci, b) the ratio of the number of herbivore:plant generations, c) the shape (square vs. long and thin) and function (torus vs. island) of the lattice, and d) herbivore encounter rate on plant progeny dispersal distance. Increasing both the number of DR-genes and the ratio of herbivore:plant generations caused a tighter coevolutionary response between plants and herbivores. Plant defense was highly sensitive to herbivory but not to increasing encounter rates. Plant DR-genes were selectively disadvantageous with only one lucus but selectively favored with two or more loci. Increasing the number of herbivore:plant generations caused increased fluctuations in herbivore resistance gene frequencies and a decrease in the lag time in herbivore response to changes in plant defensive gene frequencies. The relationship between heterotroph and autotroph DR-genes increased exponentially with increasing numbers of DR-loci. This relationship suggests that autotrophs benefit from increased diversity of defense that causes a relative increase in cost for the heterotrophs. The shape of the lattice interacted with lattice function, resulting in high species persistence on wraparound habitats and the greatest extinction likelihood on rectangular islands. Low to moderate herbivore encounter rates increased plant progeny dispersal distance while high herbivore encounter rates tended to reduce dispersal distance. The frequencies of genes coding for plant defense and herbivore resistance were dynamic for thousands of generations, despite the homogeneous lattice. This interaction may increase extinction probabilities in fragmented habitats.
Eco-Grammar Systems: A Grammatical Framework for Studying Lifelike Interactions
Authors: Csuhaj-Varjú Erzsébet , Kelemen Jozef , Kelemenová Alica , Păun Gheorghe 
Published: April 2010

A formal framework for studying systems made up of a community of agents and their environment is proposed. The suggested model, technically based on the theory of formal grammars and called an eco-grammar system, captures some common features of ecological, economic, social, and collective robotic systems. The article contains an informal presentation as well as the formal definition of the model, presents some properties of variants of eco-grammar systems, and discusses the emergence of important lifelike features such as birth and death. Emphasis is put on results with relevance for artificial life. Some recent developments are also briefly reported.
Manipulation of Length and Lexicality Localizes the Functional Neuroanatomy of Phonological Processing in Adult Readers
Authors: Church Jessica A. , Balota David A. , Petersen Steven E. , Schlaggar Bradley L. 
Published: April 2010

Abstract
In a previous study of single word reading, regions in the left supramarginal gyrus and left angular gyrus showed positive BOLD activity in children but significantly less activity in adults for high-frequency words [Church, J. A., Coalson, R. S., Lugar, H. M., Petersen, S. E., & Schlaggar, B. L. A developmental fMRI study of reading and repetition reveals changes in phonological and visual mechanisms over age. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 2054–2065, 2008]. This developmental decrease may reflect decreased reliance on phonological processing for familiar stimuli in adults. Therefore, in the present study, variables thought to influence phonological demand (string length and lexicality) were manipulated. Length and lexicality effects in the brain were explored using both ROI and whole-brain approaches. In the ROI analysis, the supramarginal and angular regions from the previous study were applied to this study. The supramarginal region showed a significant positive effect of length, consistent with a role in phonological processing, whereas the angular region showed only negative deflections from baseline with a strong effect of lexicality and other weaker effects. At the whole-brain level, varying effects of length and lexicality and their interactions were observed in 85 regions throughout the brain. The application of hierarchical clustering analysis to the BOLD time course data derived from these regions revealed seven clusters, with potentially revealing anatomical locations. Of note, a left angular gyrus region was the sole constituent of one cluster. Taken together, these findings in adult readers (1) provide support for a widespread set of brain regions affected by lexical variables, (2) corroborate a role for phonological processing in the left supramarginal gyrus, and (3) do not support a strong role for phonological processing in the left angular gyrus.
Conditions that do not Reach the Threshold for Mental Disorder in Spanish Psychiatric Outpatients: Prevalence, Treatment and Management
Authors: Ortiz-Lobo Alberto , García-Moratalla Beatriz , Lozano-Serrano Carolina , De La Mata-Ruiz Iván , Rodríguez-Salvanés Francisco 
Published: April 2010

Background: In recent years there has been controversy around the treatment demands of people who, without meeting diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder, have certain symptoms and are referred to mental health professionals. Aims: To determine the prevalence of individuals assessed by mental health service, referred from primary care, who do not meet the diagnosis criteria of mental disorders according to ICD-10. To analyze the medical treatment given to these individuals, measured by the indication for discharge or follow-up and by the pharmacological intervention decided in the first interview, as well as the associated variables. Method: Design: descriptive study. Scope: urban area. Population: all patients referred to the Salamanca mental health service during a year, without any exclusion ( n = 1,187). Variables: sociodemographics; clinical and health service utilization gathered through clinical interview, GHQ-28, SCL-90-R and an expectations scale. Results: Of the 1,004 patients who attended interview, 24.4% (CI 95%: 21.6—27.0) did not present any diagnosable mental disorder (Z codes); they constitute the body of this study. 50.8% of these were referred from primary care with a psychotropic drug treatment already prescribed. Any drug intervention (addition, suspension or modification) was performed in 37.2% of the cases by the mental health service. Regardless of the treatment indicated, 52% were discharged after the first interview. Conclusions: The prevalence of patients who failed to reach diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder in this health service is similar to other studies, in spite of the filter provided by primary care. Many individuals without a diagnosable mental disorder received treatment both in primary care and in the mental health service.
Till Death Us Do Part and the BBC: Racial Politics and the British Working Classes 1965–75
Authors: Schaffer Gavin 
Published: April 2010

Historians have struggled to unpick the complex relationship between the British working classes and heightened Commonwealth immigration to postwar Britain and have tended to explain the development of racial politics in this period in terms of the agenda of the Conservative Party and broader forces of the political right. Within this historical analysis, Labour's position has been less clear. This article argues that an analysis of Johnny Speight's BBC comedy series Till Death Us Do Part informs historical discussion about changing racial sensibilities within the Labour Party and its working-class constituencies. Till Death Us Do Part was one of the most popular and controversial programmes of its generation. The story focused on the working-class Garnett family and specifically on the anti-hero Alf Garnett, played by Warren Mitchell. Speight claimed that he utilized this character to explode popular prejudices and attack the British class system. Whilst the relationship between Speight and his character was somewhat more complicated, this article argues that Till Death Us Do Part does offer critical insight into the political and social dynamics of the British working classes and ultimately can enhance historical understanding of British race relations in this period.
The Political Economy of the Human Right to Water
Authors: Couret Branco Manuel , Damião Henriques Pedro 
Published: April 2010

This paper concerns the role played by mainstream economics in the unequal assertion of people’s right to clean water. First of all there is a conflict between satisfying wants and asserting rights. Second there is also a contradiction between aiming at maximizing social utility and ensuring rights. Finally, the market being considered the default regulation institution, the human right to water is hindered because markets are both inefficient in reaching universal coverage and unaccountable. JEL Codes: A13, B40, I30
The Political Nexus between Water and Economics in Brazil: A Critique of Recent Policy Reforms
Authors: Ioris Antonio A. R. 
Published: April 2010

The reform of water policies in Brazil has involved a combination of regulatory norms and economic-incentive instruments. Nonetheless, contrary to its formal objectives, the process has largely failed to prevent widespread environmental impacts and growing spatial and sectoral conflicts. The main reason for such failures is the perverse influence of market rationality, which is particularly evident in the reorganization of the public sector, the quantification of the monetary value of water, and the payment for environmental services. JEL codes: Q25, Q28, Q, 56