bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of 20 polymorphic microsatellite loci in European crow (Corvus corone) from existing passerine loci
Authors: HAAS FREDRIK , HANSSON BENGT 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe European crow (Corvus corone) occurs in two subspecies (or species) with distinct plumage coloration: the black carrion crow (C. c. corone) and the grey and black hooded crow (C. c. cornix). We tested 42 passerine microsatellite loci for amplification in the European crow and identified 20 loci that were both polymorphic and easy to score. In 50 individuals sampled in the Danish part of the species’ pan‐European hybrid zone, the number of alleles ranged between two and 21. One locus deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and had a high estimated null allele frequency. These 20 loci were highly successful in amplifying polymorphic products also in other crow populations and in another Corvidae species, the rook (Corvus frugilegus).
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Coccoloba cereifera (Polygonaceae), an endangered species endemic to the Serra do Cipó, Brazil
Authors: MOREIRA RENNAN G. , MCCAULEY ROSS A. , CORTÉS‐PALOMEC AUREA C. , LOVATO M. BERNADETE , FERNANDES G. WILSON , OYAMA KEN 
Published: June 2008

AbstractMicrosatellite primers were isolated from the microendemic and threatened species Coccoloba cereifera, a shrub known only from a small region in the Serra do Cipó, Brazil. Thirteen primer pairs amplifying perfect and imperfect microsatellite regions were tested in 40 individuals from the one known occurrence of the species. Number of alleles ranged from two to six and levels of observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.21 to 0.95. These markers will be useful for the analysis of questions concerning population genetic structure and will assist in providing information for future conservation management programmes.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite and COI loci from the whelk Kelletia kelletii
Authors: WHITE CROW , TOONEN ROBERT J. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThere is considerable interest in the genetic structure of Kelletia kelletii because of its economic, ecological and scientific importance. To that end, we developed species‐specific primers which amplify mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I as well as 13 hypervariable nuclear microsatellite loci. Using dye‐labelled primers, the microsatellite loci can be co‐amplified in two multiplex polymerase chain reactions and scored simultaneously on an automated sequencer.
Pseudoexfoliation as a risk factor for prevalent open‐angle glaucoma
Authors: Ekström Curt , Alm Albert 
Published: June 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  To estimate the risk of open‐angle glaucoma (OAG) associated with exposure to pseudoexfoliation (PEX) and increased intraocular pressure (IOP).Methods:  In 1984−86, a cross‐sectional, population‐based survey was conducted in the municipality of Tierp, central Sweden. Its target population comprised 2429 residents aged 65–74 years. In addition to a sample of 760 people, patients previously diagnosed with glaucoma were examined. The prevalence of OAG in the target population was estimated from the prevalence in the sample and patients already diagnosed. A review of prevalent cases in 1984–86 was undertaken in 2006.Results:  Definite OAG was established in 77 cases, corresponding to a prevalence of 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4–6.2). Of these, 23 represented newly detected cases. The prevalence of PEX was 17.2% (95% CI 14.6–19.9), calculated from 134 cases in the population sample. When adjusting for gender, PEX was associated with a 4.7‐fold (95% CI 2.2–9.4) increased risk of OAG. For clinical cases only, the risk was 16‐fold (95% CI 4.8–56) greater in subjects with PEX, compared with those without PEX. In individuals without a previous diagnosis of glaucoma, an IOP ≥ 20 mmHg was associated with a 9.7‐fold (95% CI 3.7–27) increased risk, but PEX alone was not a risk factor for OAG (adjusted odds ratio = 0.96).Conclusions:  Pseudoexfoliation was associated with OAG only in people previously diagnosed with the disease. In cases detected in the population‐based survey, increased IOP was a serious risk factor.
Systems-Level Analysis of ErbB4 Signaling in Breast Cancer: A Laboratory to Clinical Perspective
Authors: Chuu Chih-Pin , Chen Rou-Yu , Barkinge John L. , Ciaccio Mark F. , Jones Richard B. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Although expression of the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase in breast cancer is generally regarded as a marker for favorable patient prognosis, controversial exceptions have been reported. Alternative splicing of ErbB4 pre-mRNAs results in the expression of distinct receptor isoforms with differential susceptibility to enzymatic cleavage and different downstream signaling protein recruitment potential that could affect tumor progression in different ways. ErbB4 protein expression from nontransfected cells is generally low compared with ErbB1 in most cell lines, and much of our knowledge of the role of ErbB4 in breast cancer is derived from the ectopic overexpression of the receptor in non–breast-derived cell lines. One of the primary functions of ErbB4 in vivo is in the maturation of mammary glands during pregnancy and lactation induction. Pregnancy and extended lactation durations have been correlated with reduced risk of breast cancer, and the role of ErbB4 in tumor suppression may therefore be linked with its role in lactation. Most reports are consistent with a role for ErbB4 in reversing growth stimuli triggered by other ErbB family members during puberty. In this report, we provide a systems-level examination of several reports highlighting the seemingly opposing roles of ErbB4 in breast cancer and potential explanations for the discrepancies and draw the conclusion that future studies examining the function of ErbB4 in breast cancer should also take into account the pregnancy history, lactation status, and hormone supplementation or ablation history of the patient from whom the tumor or tumor cells are derived. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):885–91)
Active Ras Triggers Death in Glioblastoma Cells through Hyperstimulation of Macropinocytosis
Authors: Overmeyer Jean H. , Kaul Aparna , Johnson Erin E. , Maltese William A. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Expression of activated Ras in glioblastoma cells induces accumulation of large phase-lucent cytoplasmic vacuoles, followed by cell death. This was previously described as autophagic cell death. However, unlike autophagosomes, the Ras-induced vacuoles are not bounded by a double membrane and do not sequester organelles or cytoplasm. Moreover, they are not acidic and do not contain the autophagosomal membrane protein LC3-II. Here we show that the vacuoles are enlarged macropinosomes. They rapidly incorporate extracellular fluid-phase tracers but do not sequester transferrin or the endosomal protein EEA1. Ultimately, the cells expressing activated Ras detach from the substratum and rupture, coincident with the displacement of cytoplasm with huge macropinosome-derived vacuoles. These changes are accompanied by caspase activation, but the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor carbobenzoxy-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone does not prevent cell death. Moreover, the majority of degenerating cells do not exhibit chromatin condensation typical of apoptosis. These observations provide evidence for a necrosis-like form of cell death initiated by dysregulation of macropinocytosis, which we have dubbed “methuosis.” An activated form of the Rac1 GTPase induces a similar form of cell death, suggesting that Ras acts through Rac-dependent signaling pathways to hyperstimulate macropinocytosis in glioblastoma. Further study of these signaling pathways may lead to the identification of other chemical and physiologic triggers for this unusual form of cell death. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):965–77)
The Effect of Transforming Growth Factor β on Human Neuroendocrine Tumor BON Cell Proliferation and Differentiation Is Mediated through Somatostatin Signaling
Authors: Leu Frank P. , Nandi Minesh , Niu Congrong 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe dual effect of the ubiquitous inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ) on cellular proliferation and tumor metastasis is intriguing but complex. In epithelial cell– and neural cell–derived tumors, TGFβ serves as a growth inhibitor at the beginning of tumor development but later becomes a growth accelerator for transformed tumors. The somatostatin (SST) signaling pathway is a well-established antiproliferation signal, and in this report, we explore the interplay between the SST and TGFβ signaling pathways in the human neuroendocrine tumor cell line BON. We defined the SST signaling pathway as a determinant for neuroendocrine tumor BON cells in responding to TGFβ as a growth inhibitor. We also determined that TGFβ induces the production of SST and potentially activates the negative growth autocrine loop of SST, which leads to the downstream induction of multiple growth inhibitory effectors: protein tyrosine phosphatases (i.e., SHPTP1 and SHPTP2), p21Waf1/Cip1, and p27Kip1. Concurrently, TGFβ down-regulates the growth accelerator c-Myc protein and, collectively, they establish a firm antiproliferation effect on BON cells. Additionally, any disruption in the activation of either the TGFβ or SST signaling pathway in BON leads to “reversible” neuroendocrine-mesenchymal transition, which is characterized by the loss of neuroendocrine markers (i.e., chromogranin A and PGP 9.5), as well as the altered expression of mesenchymal proteins (i.e., elevated vimentin and Twist and decreased E-cadherin), which has previously been associated with elevated metastatic potential. In summary, TGFβ-dependent growth inhibition and differentiation is mediated by the SST signaling pathway. Therefore, any disruption of this TGFβ-SST connection allows BON cells to respond to TGFβ as a growth accelerator instead of a growth suppressor. This model can potentially apply to other cell types that exhibit a similar interaction of these pathways. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):1029–42)
Cell Cycle Regulator GeneCDC5L, a Potential Target for 6p12-p21 Amplicon in Osteosarcoma
Authors: Lu Xin-Yan , Lu Yaojuan , Zhao Yi-Jue , Jaeweon Kim , Kang Jason , Xiao-Nan Li , Ge Gouqing , Meyer Rene , Perlaky Laszlo , Hicks John , Chintagumpala Murali , Cai Wei-Wen , Ladanyi Marc , Gorlick Richard , Lau Ching C. , Pati Debananda , Sheldon Michael , Rao Pulivarthi H. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractOsteosarcoma is a primary malignant tumor of bone arising from primitive bone-forming mesenchymal cells and accounts for ∼60% of malignant bone tumors. Our comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) studies have identified frequent amplification at 6p12-p21, 12q13-q15, and 17p11.2 in osteosarcoma. Of these amplified regions, 6p12-p21 is particularly interesting because of its association with progression and poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma. In an attempt to identify aberrantly expressed gene(s) mapping to the 6p12-p21 amplicon, a region-specific array was generated using 108 overlapping BAC and P1 clones covering a 28.8-Mb region at 0.26-Mb intervals. Based on array CGH analysis, the 6p amplicon was refined to 7.9 Mb between the clones RP11-91E11 and RP1-244F2 and 10 amplified clones, with possible target genes, were identified. To study the expression pattern of the target genes from the hotspot amplicon and known candidate genes from 6p12-21, we did quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis of MAPK14, MAPK13, CDKN1A, PIM1, MDGA1, BTB9, DNAH8, CCND3, PTK7, CDC5L, and RUNX2 on osteosarcoma patient samples and seven cell lines. The combined array CGH and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis identified amplification and overexpression of CDC5L, CCND3, and RUNX2. We screened these three genes for protein expression by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry and detected overexpression of CDC5L. Furthermore, we used an in vivo assay to show that CDC5L possesses potential oncogenic activity. These results indicate that CDC5L, a cell cycle regulator important for the G2-M transition, is the most likely candidate oncogene for the 6p12-p21 amplicon found in osteosarcoma. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):937–46)
Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 Regulates Two Wnt7a Signaling Pathways and Inhibits Proliferation in Endometrial Cancer Cells
Authors: Carmon Kendra S. , Loose David S. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
In the endometrium, hormonal effects on epithelial cells are often elicited through stromal hormone receptors via unknown paracrine mechanisms. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that Wnts participate in stromal-epithelial cell communication. Wnt7a is expressed in the luminal epithelium, whereas the extracellular modulator of Wnt signaling, secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4), is localized to the stroma. Studies have reported that SFRP4 expression is significantly decreased in endometrial carcinoma and that both SFRP4 and Wnt7a genes are differentially regulated in response to estrogenic stimuli. Aberrant Wnt7a signaling irrevocably causes organ defects and infertility and contributes to the onset of disease. However, specific frizzled receptors (Fzd) that bind Wnt7a and the particular signal transduction pathway each Wnt7a-Fzd pair activates have not been identified. Additionally, the function of SFRP4 in the endometrium has not been addressed. We show here that Wnt7a coimmunoprecipitates with Fzd5, Fzd10, and SFRP4 in Ishikawa cells. Wnt7a binding to Fzd5 was shown to activate β-catenin/canonical Wnt signaling and increase cellular proliferation. Conversely, Wnt7a signaling mediated by Fzd10 induced a noncanonical c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase–responsive pathway. SFRP4 suppresses activation of Wnt7a signaling in both an autocrine and paracrine manner. Stable overexpression of SFRP4 and treatment with recombinant SFRP4 protein inhibited endometrial cancer cell growth in vitro. These findings support a mechanism by which the nature of the Wnt7a signal in the endometrium is dependent on the Fzd repertoire of the cell and can be regulated by SFRP4. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):1017–28)
Prostate-Specific Kallikreins-2 and -4 Enhance the Proliferation of DU-145 Prostate Cancer Cells through Protease-Activated Receptors-1 and -2
Authors: Mize Gregory J. , Wang Wenbin , Takayama Thomas K. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractA major characteristic of prostate cancer is the elevation of serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (hK3) and hK2, which are tumor markers that correlate with advancing stages of disease. Including hK4, these three kallikrein serine proteases are almost exclusively produced by the prostate. Prostate cancer cells have been recently shown to overexpress protease-activated receptors (PAR), which can be potentially activated by kallikreins and can regulate tumor growth. Here, we show that recombinant hK2 and hK4 activate ERK1/2 signaling of DU-145, PC-3, and LNCaP prostate cancer cells, which express both PAR1 and PAR2. These kallikreins also stimulate the proliferation of DU-145 cells. Pretreatment of hK2 and hK4 with the serine protease inhibitor, aprotinin, blocks the responses in DU-145 cells, and small interfering RNA against PAR1 and PAR2 also inhibits ERK1/2 signaling. To determine which PAR is activated by hK2 and hK4, a cell line that expresses a single PAR, a PAR1 knockout mouse lung fibroblast cell line transfected with PAR1 (KOLF-PAR1) or PAR2 (KOLF-PAR2) was used. hK4 activates both PAR1 and PAR2, whereas hK2 activates PAR2. hK4 generates more phosphorylated ERK1/2 than hK2. These data indicate that prostatic kallikreins (hK2 and hK4) directly stimulate prostate cancer cell proliferation through PAR1 and/or PAR2 and may be potentially important targets for future drug therapy for prostate cancer. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(6):1043–51)
Assimilation of GRACE Terrestrial Water Storage Data into a Land Surface Model: Results for the Mississippi River Basin
Authors: Zaitchik Benjamin F. , Rodell Matthew , Reichle Rolf H. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
Assimilation of data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) system of satellites yielded improved simulation of water storage and fluxes in the Mississippi River basin, as evaluated against independent measurements. The authors assimilated GRACE-derived monthly terrestrial water storage (TWS) anomalies for each of the four major subbasins of the Mississippi into the Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM) using an ensemble Kalman smoother from January 2003 to May 2006. Compared with the open-loop CLSM simulation, assimilation estimates of groundwater variability exhibited enhanced skill with respect to measured groundwater in all four subbasins. Assimilation also significantly increased the correlation between simulated TWS and gauged river flow for all four subbasins and for the Mississippi River itself. In addition, model performance was evaluated for eight smaller watersheds within the Mississippi basin, all of which are smaller than the scale of GRACE observations. In seven of eight cases, GRACE assimilation led to increased correlation between TWS estimates and gauged river flow, indicating that data assimilation has considerable potential to downscale GRACE data for hydrological applications.
Evaluation of the ERS Scatterometer-Derived Soil Water Index to Monitor Water Availability and Precipitation Distribution at Three Different Scales in China
Authors: Zhao Deming , Kuenzer Claudia , Fu Congbin , Wagner Wolfgang 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
In this paper, the capability of the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS) scatterometer-derived soil water index (SWI) data to disclose water availability and precipitation distribution in China is investigated. Monthly averaged SWI data for the years 1992–2000 are analyzed to evaluate the use of the SWI as an index to monitor water availability and water stress at three different scales in China and to investigate if it reflects general precipitation distribution characteristics in China. Monthly averaged in situ relative soil moisture from Chinese meteorological gauge stations, as well as monthly precipitation data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), are employed to perform comparisons with SWI on local, regional, and countrywide scales. First, since soil moisture is highly affected by the precipitation, area-averaged SWI is compared with in situ relative soil moisture and GPCC precipitation data in one local area. Second, area-averaged SWI and GPCC precipitation data are used to perform comparisons in three regions of China. Finally, the relationship between SWI and GPCC precipitation data in China is investigated on a countrywide scale. Such multiscale analyses with SWI data have not been performed before, and SWI has never been investigated in detail for China. ERS-derived SWI data in China for the years 1992–2000 are evaluated to be a good indicator for water availability on local, regional, and countrywide scales. SWI and SWI anomaly data correlate well with precipitation and in situ soil moisture data. SWI has furthermore been demonstrated to reflect extreme events such as droughts and floods in China, occurring during the investigated period between 1992 and 2000. Additionally, the SWI allows one to monitor increasing soil moisture resulting from snowmelt, which cannot be deduced from precipitation data. The freely available 15-yr (1992–2007) time series SWI data are thus a valuable tool to overcome the scarcity of in situ soil moisture observations, which are usually not available on regional and countrywide scales.
Scale Analysis for Large-Scale Tropical Atmospheric Dynamics
Authors: Yano Jun-Ichi , Bonazzola Marine 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
A systematic scale analysis is performed for large-scale dynamics over the tropics. It is identified that two regimes are competing: 1) a dynamics characterized by balance between the vertical advection term and diabatic heating in the thermodynamic equation, realized at horizontal scales less than L ∼ 103 km given a velocity scale U ∼ 10 m s−1, and 2) a linear equatorial wave dynamics modulated by convective diabatic heating, realized at scales larger than L ∼ 3 × 103 km given U ∼ 3 m s−1. Under the first dynamic regime (balanced), the system may be approximated as nondivergent to leading order in asymptotic expansion, as originally pointed out by Charney.
Inherent subtleties of scale analysis at large scales for the tropical atmosphere are emphasized. The subtleties chiefly arise from a strong sensitivity of the nondimensional β parameter to the horizontal scale. This amounts to qualitatively different dynamic regimes for scales differing only by a factor of 3, as summarized above. Because any regime under asymptotic expansion may have a wider applicability than a formal scale analysis would suggest, the question of which one of the two identified regimes dominates can be answered only after extensive modeling and observational studies. Preliminary data analysis suggests that the balanced dynamics, originally proposed by Sobel, Nilsson, and Polvani, is relevant for a wider range than the strict scale analysis suggests.
A rather surprising conclusion from the present analysis is a likely persistence of balanced dynamics toward scales as small as the mesoscale L ∼ 102 km. Leading-order nondivergence also becomes more likely the case for the smaller scales because otherwise the required diabatic heating rate becomes excessive compared to observations by increasing inversely proportionally with decreasing horizontal scales.
The Impact of Air–Sea Interactions on the Simulation of Tropical Intraseasonal Variability
Authors: Pegion Kathy , Kirtman Ben P. 
Published: June 2008

Abstract
The impact of coupled air–sea feedbacks on the simulation of tropical intraseasonal variability is investigated in this study using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System. The simulation of tropical intraseasonal variability in a freely coupled simulation is compared with two simulations of the atmospheric component of the model. In one experiment, the uncoupled model is forced with the daily sea surface temperature (SST) from the coupled run. In the other, the uncoupled model is forced with climatological SST from the coupled run. Results indicate that the overall intraseasonal variability of precipitation is reduced in the coupled simulation compared to the uncoupled simulation forced by daily SST. Additionally, air–sea coupling is responsible for differences in the simulation of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation between the coupled and uncoupled models, specifically in terms of organization and propagation in the western Pacific. The differences between the coupled and uncoupled simulations are due to the fact that the relationships between precipitation and SST and latent heat flux and SST are much stronger in the coupled model than in the uncoupled model. Additionally, these relationships are delayed by about 5 days in the uncoupled model compared to the coupled model. As demonstrated by the uncoupled simulation forced with climatological SST, some of the intraseasonal oscillation can be simulated by internal atmospheric dynamics. However, the intraseasonally varying SST appears to be important to the amplitude and propagation of the oscillation beyond the Maritime Continent.