bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Captive breeding of the barndoor skate (Dipturus laevis) at the Montreal Biodome, with comparison notes on two other captive‐bred skate species
Authors: Parent Serge , Pépin Serge , Genet Jean‐Pierre , Misserey Laurent , Rojas Salvador 
Published: January 2008

AbstractIn 1997, the Montreal Biodome obtained five barndoor skates (Dipturus laevis) from the waters off Boston, Massachusetts. Six years later, those specimens began reproducing, and the first egg case was collected in November 2003. Since then, 73 hatchlings have been born and raised. Egg cases were observed year round, and annual fecundity was measured for the first time: one female laid 69 eggs in 2005, 85 in 2006 and 115 in 2007. Egg incubation was longer than believed previously, ranging from 342 to 494 days. Hatching occurred throughout the year. Hatchlings averaged 193 mm total length and 128 mm disk width and weighed 32 g. They were fed krill and diced fish. All but one survived the first month. A photo identification system was useful in recognizing two groups of 10 specimens during their first year, and transponders could be inserted in the wing muscles of 1‐year‐old skates. Total lengths at birth and at age 2 were similar to the data reported from the wild, suggesting a similar growth pattern in captivity. The reproduction characteristics of the barndoor skate were compared with those of two other skate species currently bred at the Montreal Biodome, the winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) and the thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata). Zoo Biol 27:145–153, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of an OsPR10a promoter region responsive to salicylic acid
Authors: Hwang Seon-Hee , Lee In Ah , Yie Se Won , Hwang Duk-Ju 
Published: January 2008

AbstractOrysa sativa pathogenesis-related protein 10a (OsPR10a) was induced by pathogens, salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), ethephon, abscisic acid (ABA), and NaCl. We tried to analyze the OsPR10a promoter to investigate the transcriptional regulation of OsPR10a by SA. We demonstrated the inducibility of OsPR10a promoter by SA using transgenic Arabidopsis carrying OsPR10a:GFP as well as by transient expression assays in rice. To further identify the promoter region responsible for its induction by SA, four different deletions of the OsPR10a promoter were made, and their activities were measured by transient assays. The construct containing 687-bp OsPR10a promoter from its start codon exhibited a six-fold increase of induction compared to the control in response to SA. Mutation in the W-box like element 1 (WLE 1) between 687 and 637-bp from TGACA to TGAAA completely abolished induction of the OsPR10a promoter by SA, indicating that the WLE 1 between −687 and −637 of OsPR10a promoter is important in SA-mediated OsPR10a expression. We show for the first time that the W-box like element plays a role in SA mediated PR gene expression.
Fungal colonization and decomposition ofCastanopsis sieboldiileaves in a subtropical forest
Authors: Osono Takashi , Ishii Yukari , Hirose Dai 
Published: January 2008

AbstractFungi play a crucial role in the decomposition of lignin in fallen leaves but few studies have examined the functional roles of ligninolytic fungi associated with the decomposition of fallen leaves on tropical forest soils. This study examined fungal populations responsible for lignin decomposition inCastanopsis sieboldiileaves in a subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest in southern Japan. Fallen leaves ofC. sieboldiiare characterized by the occurrence of bleached portions attributable to fungal colonization of leaf tissues and decomposition of lignin. The bleached area accounted for 29.7%, on average, of the total area ofC. sieboldiifallen leaves in the study site. Leaf mass per unit area (LMA) and lignin content were lower in the bleached area than in the surrounding nonbleached area of the same leaves, indicating that removal of lignin enhanced mass loss from leaf tissues and created small‐scale heterogeneity of decomposition within single leaves. An unidentified species of Lachnocladiaceae (Basidiomycetes) was isolated frequently from the bleached area and caused selective decomposition of lignin in leaves under pure culture conditions, indicating that this fungus was responsible for the bleaching. The greater hyphal length of basidiomycetes in the bleached area than in the nonbleached area supported the finding that this Lachnocladiaceae sp. was associated with the bleaching. The relatively rapid decomposition ofC. sieboldiileaves on the subtropical forest soil is partly attributable to colonization of the litter by this Lachnocladiaceae sp.
Mitochondrial ROS burst as an early sign in sarsasapogenin‐induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells
Authors: Ni Yuan , Gong Xing‐guo , Lu Min , Chen Han‐min , Wang Yong 
Published: January 2008

AbstractSarsasapogenin is a steroidal sapogenin with antitumor properties. To explain the mechanism of its apoptotic effect, mitochondrial activity was assessed via a 3,(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to estimate the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cellular‐reduced glutathione (GSH) level. Laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) recorded instantaneous ROS burst after application of sarsasapogenin. Western blotting was used to determine the expression level and intracellular distribution of cytochrome c (cyt c). It is demonstrated that during apoptosis, ROS burst acted as an early event followed by depolarization of MMP, prolonged ROS generation, and significantly declined GSH level. Cyt c was upregulated and released from mitochondria to cytosol during the process. These findings show that a mitochondrial ROS burst is an early upstream apoptotic signal which may trigger the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and play a vital role in sarsasapogenin‐induced HepG2 cell apoptosis.
β‐Catenin can bind directly to CRM1 independently of adenomatous polyposis coli, which affects its nuclear localization and LEF‐1/β‐catenin‐dependent gene expression
Authors: Ki Hyunkyoung , Oh Minsoo , Chung Su Wol , Kim Kwonseop 
Published: January 2008

AbstractNuclear β‐catenin affects the developmental process and progression of tumors. However, the precise mechanism for the nuclear export of β‐catenin is not completely understood. We found that β‐catenin can bind directly to CRM1 through its central armadillo (ARM) repeats region, independently of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein. CRM1 overexpression transports nuclear β‐catenin into the cytoplasm and decreases LEF‐1/β‐catenin‐dependent transcriptional activity, which is also affected by the co‐overexpression of E‐cadherin. CRM1 competed with E‐cadherin and LEF‐1 for binding to β‐catenin. β‐catenin could interact directly with APC through its essential sequences between amino acids 342 and 350. The site‐directed β‐catenin mutant (NES2−), which could interact with CRM1, but not with APC, still retained its ability to export from the nucleus and its transactivational activity. This suggests that CRM1 can function as an efficient nuclear exporter for β‐catenin independently of APC. These results strongly suggest that the CRM1‐mediated pathway is involved in the efficient transport of nuclear β‐catenin in the nucleus of cells.
Involvement of peroxiredoxin IV in the 16α‐hydroxyestrone‐induced proliferation of human MCF‐7 breast cancer cells
Authors: Lee Su‐Ui , Rhee Myung Chull , Min Yong Ki , Kim Seong Hwan 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA variety of investigations on peroxiredoxins (Prxs) in different types of cancer have been carried out, but the estrogen‐related function of Prxs in breast cancer has not yet been studied. In order to study the involvement of Prxs in the growth of breast cancer cells by estrogen, we evaluated the effect of mitogenic estrogen metabolites on the expression of Prx isoforms (I to VI) in MCF‐7 cells and found that the transcript/protein expression of Prx IV was significantly induced by 16α‐hydroxyestrone (OHE1) under both serum‐free and serum conditions. In addition, treatment with Prx IV‐specific siRNA significantly inhibited the 16α‐OHE1‐induced proliferation of MCF‐7 cells. These results suggested that Prx IV involved in the 16α‐OHE1‐induced proliferation of MCF‐7 cells has a proliferative effect and may be related to cancer development or progression.
Androgens act synergistically to enhance estrogen‐induced upregulation of human tissue kallikreins 10, 11, and 14 in breast cancer cells via a membrane bound androgen receptor
Authors: Paliouras Miltiadis , Diamandis Eleftherios P. 
Published: January 2008

The regulation of gene expression by steroid hormones plays an important role in the normal development and function of many organs, as well as in the pathogenesis of endocrine‐related cancers, especially breast cancer. However, clinical data suggest that combined testosterone and estrogen treatments on post‐menopausal women increase the risk of breast cancer. Experiments have shown that many, if not all kallikreins are under steroid hormone regulation in breast cancer cell lines. Their implication as prognostic and diagnostic markers has also been well‐documented. Thus, we investigated the effect of combined hormone stimulation with androgens and 17β‐estradiol on the ductal caricinoma cell line BT474. This cell line has been shown to be sensitive to both, androgens (secreting PSA) and estrogens (secreting a number of kallikreins including KLK10, 11, and KLK14). We found that PSA expression was downregulated upon combined hormone stimulation, confirming reports that estrogen can antagonize and block the activity of the androgen receptor. Upon analysis of estrogen‐sensitive kallikreins 10, 11, and 14, all showed to be synergistically enhanced in their expression three‐ to fourfold, upon joint hormone treatment versus individual hormone stimulation. The enhancement is dependent upon the action of androgens as treatment with the androgen receptor antagonist cyproterone actetate normalized the expression of KLK10, 11, and KLK14 to estrogen‐stimulation levels. The synergistic effects between estrogens and androgens on estrogen‐sensitive genes may have implications on the role of the kallikreins in associated risk of breast cancer and progression.
Feeding pregnant rats a protein-restricted diet persistently alters the methylation of specific cytosines in the hepatic PPARα promoter of the offspring
Authors: Lillycrop Karen A. , Phillips Emma S. , Torrens Christopher , Hanson Mark A. , Jackson Alan A. , Burdge Graham C. 
Published: January 2008

Induction of an altered phenotype by prenatal under-nutrition involves changes in the epigenetic regulation of specific genes. We investigated the effect of feeding pregnant rats a protein-restricted (PR) diet with different amounts of folic acid on the methylation of individual CpG dinucleotides in the hepatic PPARα promoter in juvenile offspring, and the effect of the maternal PR diet on CpG methylation in adult offspring. Pregnant rats (five per group) were fed 180 g/kg casein (control) or 90 g/kg casein with 1 mg/kg folic acid (PR), or 90 g/kg casein and 5 mg/kg folic acid (PRF). Offspring were killed on postnatal day 34 (five males and females per group) and day 80 (five males per group). Methylation of sixteen CpG dinucleotides in the PPARα promoter was measured by pyrosequencing. Mean PPARα promoter methylation in the PR offspring (4·5 %) was 26 % lower than controls (6·1 %) due to specific reduction at CpG dinucleotides 2 (40 %), 3 (43 %), 4 (33 %) and 16 (48 %) (P < 0·05). There was no significant difference in methylation at these CpG between control and PRF offspring. Methylation of CpG 5 and 8 was higher (47 and 63 %, respectively, P < 0·05) in the PRF offspring than control or PR offspring. The methylation pattern in day 80 PR offspring was comparable to day 34 PR offspring. These data show for the first time that prenatal nutrition induces differential changes to the methylation of individual CpG dinucleotides in juvenile rats which persist in adults.
Low bioavailability of dietary epoxyxanthophylls in humans
Authors: Asai Akira , Yonekura Lina , Nagao Akihiko 
Published: January 2008

Epoxyxanthophylls (epoxide-containing xanthophylls), a group of carotenoids, are ubiquitously distributed in edible plants. Among them, neoxanthin in green leafy vegetables and fucoxanthin in brown algae have been reported to exhibit an antiproliferative effect on several human cancer cells in vitro. However, there is little information about the intestinal absorption and metabolic fate of dietary epoxyxanthophylls in humans. To estimate the intestinal absorption of neoxanthin and fucoxanthin in humans, we evaluated the plasma epoxyxanthophyll concentrations before and after 1-week dietary interventions with spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and wakame (Undaria pinnatifida). The epoxyxanthophylls and their metabolites in the plasma extracts were determined by HPLC after partial purification and concentration with solid-phase extraction cartridges. Even after 1 week of spinach intake (3·0 mg neoxanthin/d), the plasma concentrations of neoxanthin and its metabolites (neochrome stereoisomers) remained very low (about 1 nmol/l), whereas those of β-carotene and lutein were markedly increased. Similarly, the plasma concentration of fucoxanthinol, a gastrointestinal metabolite of fucoxanthin, was < 1 nmol/l after 1 week of wakame intake (6·1 mg fucoxanthin/d). These results indicated that the plasma response to dietary epoxyxanthophylls was very low in humans even after 1-week intake of epoxyxanthophyll-rich diets.
Motivation in the Nyāyasūtra and Brahmasiddhi
Authors: FRAMARIN CHRISTOPHER G. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractOne common interpretation of the orthodox Indian prohibition on desire is that it is a prohibition on phenomenologically salient desires. The Nyāyasūtra and Brahmasiddhi seem to support this view. I argue that this interpretation is mistaken. The Vedāntins draw a distinction between counting some fact as a reason for acting (icchā) and counting one's desire (rāga) as a reason for acting, and prohibit the latter. The Naiyāyikas draw a distinction between desiring to avoid some state of affairs (dveṣa) and believing that some state of affairs is unimportant (vairāgya), and advocate the latter. Both deny that the state to which the English word ‘desire’ refers is a necessary condition of acting.
A user's guide to design arguments
Authors: DOUGHERTY TRENT , POSTON TED 
Published: January 2008

AbstractWe argue that there is a tension between two types of design arguments: the fine-tuning argument (FTA) and the biological design argument (BDA). The tension arises because the strength of each argument is inversely proportional to the value of a certain currently unknown probability. Since the value of that probability is currently unknown, we investigate the properties of the FTA and BDA on different hypothetical values of this probability. If our central claim is correct this suggests three results: (1) It is not very plausible that a cumulative case for theism include both the FTA and the BDA (with one possible qualification); (2) Self-organization scenarios do not threaten theism but in fact provide the materials for a good FTA; (3) A plausible design argument of one sort or another (either FTA or BDA) will be available for a wide variety of values of the key probability.
The accessibility property of expansive geodesic flows without conjugate points
Authors: RUGGIERO RAFAEL OSWALDO 
Published: January 2008

AbstractLet (M,g) be a compact, smooth Riemannian manifold without conjugate points whose geodesic flow is expansive. We show that the geodesic flow of (M,g) has the accessibility property, namely, given two pointsθ1,θ2in the unit tangent bundle, there exists a continuous path joiningθ1,θ2formed by the union of a finite number of continuous curves, each of which is contained either in a strong stable set or in a strong unstable set of the dynamics. Since expansive geodesic flows of compact surfaces have no conjugate points, the accessibility property holds for every two-dimensional expansive geodesic flow.
The singularity spectrum of the fish’s boundary
Authors: BRÉMONT JULIEN , SEURET STÉPHANE 
Published: January 2008

AbstractLet ${\mathcal M}(\T ^1,T)$ be the convex set of Borel probability measures on the circle $\T ^1$ invariant under the action of the transformation $T:x\mapsto 2x$ (mod 1). Its projection on the complex plane by the application $\mu \mapsto \int e^{2i\pi x}\, d\mu (x)$ is a compact convex subset of the unit disc, symmetric with respect to the x-axis, called the ‘fish’ by Bousch. Seeing the boundary of the upper half-fish as a function, we focus on its local regularity. We show that its multifractal spectrum is concentrated at $\infty $, but that every pointwise regularity $\alpha \in [1,\infty ]$ is realized in an uncountable dense set of points. The results rely on fine properties of Sturm measures.
Genericity in topological dynamics
Authors: HOCHMAN MICHAEL 
Published: January 2008

AbstractWe study genericity of dynamical properties in the space of homeomorphisms of the Cantor set and in the space of subshifts of a suitably large shift space. These rather different settings are related by a Glasner–King type correspondence: genericity in one is equivalent to genericity in the other. By applying symbolic techniques in the shift-space model we derive new results about genericity of dynamical properties for transitive and totally transitive homeomorphisms of the Cantor set. We show that the isomorphism class of the universal odometer is generic in the space of transitive systems. On the other hand, the space of totally transitive systems displays much more varied dynamics. In particular, we show that in this space the isomorphism class of every Cantor system without periodic points is dense and the following properties are generic: minimality, zero entropy, disjointness from a fixed totally transitive system, weak mixing, strong mixing and minimal self joinings. The latter two stand in striking contrast to the situation in the measure-preserving category. We also prove a correspondence between genericity of dynamical properties in the measure-preserving category and genericity of systems supporting an invariant measure with the same property.
Review of: Genetic variation at the CYP19A1 locus predicts circulating estrogen levels but not breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
Authors: Severi G. 
Published: January 2008

Citation of original article:C. A. Haiman, L. Dossus, V. W. Setiawan, D. O. Stram, A. M. Dunning, G. Thomas, M. J. Thun, D. Albanes, D. Altshuler, E. Ardanaz, H. Boeing, J. Buring, N. Burtt, E. E. Calle, S. Chanock, F. Clavel-Chapelon, G. A. Colditz, D. G. Cox, H. S. Feigelson, S. E. Hankinson, R. B. Hayes, B. E. Henderson, J. N. Hirschhorn, R. Hoover, D. J. Hunter, R. Kaaks, L. N. Kolonel, L. Le Marchand, P. Lenner, E. Lund, S. Panico, P. H. Peeters, M. C. Pike, E. Riboli, A. Tjonneland, R. Travis, D. Trichopoulos, S. Wacholder, R. G. Ziegler. Cancer Research 2007; 67(5): 1893–1897.Abstract of the original article:The CYP19A1 gene encodes the enzyme aromatase, which is responsible for the final step in the biosynthesis of estrogens. In this study, we used a systematic two-step approach that included gene resequencing and a haplotype-based analysis to comprehensively survey common genetic variation across the CYP19A1 locus in relation to circulating postmenopausal steroid hormone levels and breast cancer risk. This study was conducted among 5,356 invasive breast cancer cases and 7,129 controls comprised primarily of White women of European descent drawn from five large prospective cohorts within the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium. A high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map of 103 common SNPs (⩾5% frequency) was used to identify the linkage disequilibrium and haplotype patterns across the CYP19A1 locus, and 19 haplotype-tagging SNPs were selected to provide high predictability of the common haplotype patterns. We found haplotype-tagging SNPs and common haplotypes spanning the coding and proximal 5′ region of CYP19A1 to be significantly associated with a 10% to 20% increase in endogenous estrogen levels in postmenopausal women [effect per copy of the two-SNP haplotype rs749292-rs727479 (A-A) versus noncarriers; P = 4.4 × 10(−15)]. No significant associations were observed, however, with these SNPs or common haplotypes and breast cancer risk. Thus, although genetic variation in CYP19A1 produces measurable differences in estrogen levels among postmenopausal women, the magnitude of the change was insufficient to contribute detectably to breast cancer.
The Progression of Inflammation Parallels the Dermal Angiogenesis in a Keratin 14 IL‐4‐Transgenic Model of Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Chen Lin , Marble Deborah J. , Agha Rania , Peterson Jennifer D. , Becker Robert P. , Jin Tianquan , Li Jianxun , Chan Lawrence S. 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTThe role angiogenesis plays in atopic dermatitis is not well understood. The authors previously demonstrated ultrastructurally dermal microvascular angiogenesis in the IL‐4‐transgenic mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Here, they determine the angiogenic factors involved in dermal microvascular angiogenesis, regulatory function of inflammatory cytokines on the VEGF‐A production, and microvascular permeability in this model. Computer‐assisted photometric analyses for immunofluorescence‐labeled CD31 demonstrated a progressive increase in blood vessel number, diameter, and percent dermal areas occupied by CD31+ vessels as the disease evolves in transgenic mice from before disease onset through early and late skin lesions. Similar findings were documented for VEGR2+ vessels. Quantification of skin angiogenic factor mRNAs showed progressive increase of transcripts of VEGF‐A, but not VEGF‐B, VEGF‐C, or VEGF‐D. ELISA showed a similar increase of VEGF‐A in the serum and skin of transgenic mice. IL‐6 and IFN‐γ stimulated VEGF‐A mRNA production in the skin and in primary keratinocytes of transgenic mice. Other skin angiogenic factors that increased included Ang‐1, Ang‐2, GBP‐1, and VE‐cadherin. Microvascular leakage began in the transgenic mouse skin before disease onset and peaked in the late stage. In conclusion, IL‐6 and IFN‐γ may play important roles in upregulation of VEGF‐A, along with other pro‐angiogenic factors, to induce dermal microvascular angiogenesis.