ALBERT

Description: Ecological indicators for monitoring strategies are expected to combine three major characteristics: ecological significance, statistical credibility, and cost-effectiveness. Strategies based on stranding networks rank highly in cost-effectiveness, but their ecological significance and statistical credibility are disputed. Our present goal is to improve the value of stranding data as population indicator as part of monitoring strategies by constructing the spatial and temporal null hypothesis for strandings. The null hypothesis is defined as: small cetacean distribution and mortality are uniform in space and constant in time. We used a drift model to map stranding probabilities and predict stranding patterns of cetacean carcasses under H0 across the North Sea, the Channel and the Bay of Biscay, for the period 1990–2009. As the most common cetacean occurring in this area, we chose the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena for our modelling. The difference between these strandings expected under H0 and observed strandings is defined as the stranding anomaly. It constituted the stranding data series corrected for drift conditions. Seasonal decomposition of stranding anomaly suggested that drift conditions did not explain observed seasonal variations of porpoise strandings. Long-term stranding anomalies increased first in the southern North Sea, the Channel and Bay of Biscay coasts, and finally the eastern North Sea. The hypothesis of changes in porpoise distribution was consistent with local visual surveys, mostly SCANS surveys (1994 and 2005). This new indicator could be applied to cetacean populations across the world and more widely to marine megafauna.

Description: Phylogeographic patterns and sex-biased dispersal were studied in riverine populations of West Indian (Trichechus manatus) and Amazonian manatees (T. inunguis) in South America, using 410bp D-loop (Control Region, Mitochondrial DNA) sequences and 15 nuclear microsatellite loci. This multi-locus approach was key to disentangle complex patterns of gene flow among populations. D-loop analyses revealed population structuring among all Colombian rivers for T. manatus, while microsatellite data suggested no structure. Two main populations of T. inunguis separating the Colombian and Peruvian Amazon were supported by analysis of the D-loop and microsatellite data. Overall, we provide molecular evidence for differences in dispersal patterns between sexes, demonstrating male-biased gene flow dispersal in riverine manatees. These results are in contrast with previously reported levels of population structure shown by microsatellite data in marine manatee populations, revealing low habitat restrictions to gene flow in riverine habitats, and more significant dispersal limitations for males in marine environments. © 2012 Satizábal et al.

Description: by Johnatan Aljadeff, Ronen Segev, Michael J. Berry, Tatyana O. Sharpee Many biological systems perform computations on inputs that have very large dimensionality. Determining the relevant input combinations for a particular computation is often key to understanding its function. A common way to find the relevant input dimensions is to examine the difference in variance between the input distribution and the distribution of inputs associated with certain outputs. In systems neuroscience, the corresponding method is known as spike-triggered covariance (STC). This method has been highly successful in characterizing relevant input dimensions for neurons in a variety of sensory systems. So far, most studies used the STC method with weakly correlated Gaussian inputs. However, it is also important to use this method with inputs that have long range correlations typical of the natural sensory environment. In such cases, the stimulus covariance matrix has one (or more) outstanding eigenvalues that cannot be easily equalized because of sampling variability. Such outstanding modes interfere with analyses of statistical significance of candidate input dimensions that modulate neuronal outputs. In many cases, these modes obscure the significant dimensions. We show that the sensitivity of the STC method in the regime of strongly correlated inputs can be improved by an order of magnitude or more. This can be done by evaluating the significance of dimensions in the subspace orthogonal to the outstanding mode(s). Analyzing the responses of retinal ganglion cells probed with Gaussian noise, we find that taking into account outstanding modes is crucial for recovering relevant input dimensions for these neurons.

Description: Author(s): G. Berner, A. Müller, F. Pfaff, J. Walde, C. Richter, J. Mannhart, S. Thiess, A. Gloskovskii, W. Drube, M. Sing, and R. Claessen We present a detailed study of the electronic structure and band alignment in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 oxide heterostructures by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our spectroscopic measurements find no evidence for the strong potential gradient within the polar LaAlO 3 film predicted by band theory. Due to... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115111] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): Jifa Tian, Yongjin Jiang, Isaac Childres, Helin Cao, Jiangping Hu, and Yong P. Chen The Hall resistance of a homogeneous electron system is well known to be antisymmetric with respect to the magnetic field and the sign of charge carriers. We have observed that such symmetries no longer hold in planar hybrid structures consisting of partly single layer graphene (SLG) and partly bila... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 125410] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): A. Tan, J. Li, C. A. Jenkins, E. Arenholz, A. Scholl, C. Hwang, and Z. Q. Qiu Py/FeMn/Cu(001) and Py/FeMn/Ni/Cu(001) films were grown and studied as a function of both the FeMn and the Ni thicknesses using rotating magneto-optic Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. For Py/FeMn/Cu(001), we find that the FeMn antiferromagnetic order switches the sign of the Py fou... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 104404] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): Bettina Gertjerenken and Christoph Weiss For the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), differences between mean-field (Gross-Pitaevskii) physics and N -particle quantum physics often disappear if the BEC becomes larger and larger. In particular, the time scale for which both dynamics agree should thus become larger if the particle n... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033608] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): J. Ignacio Cirac, Spyridon Michalakis, David Pérez-García, and Norbert Schuch We analyze a criterion which guarantees that the ground states of certain many-body systems are stable under perturbations. Specifically, we consider PEPS, which are believed to provide an efficient description, based on local tensors, for the low energy physics arising from local interactions. In o... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115108] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): N. Drichko, R. Hackl, and J. Schlueter We compare the photoluminescence spectra of the low-temperature Mott insulator κ -(BEDT–TTF) 2 Cu[N(CN) 2 ]Cl ( T MIT =40 K) with spectra of metallic κ -(BEDT–TTF) 2 Cu[N(CN) 2 ]Br, which is superconducting below T c =11.8 K, in the temperature range between 300 and 20 K. In the Mott insulating state of κ -(BEDT–TT... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115109] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): G. Scherrer, M. Hofman, W. Śmigaj, M. Kadic, T.-M. Chang, X. Mélique, D. Lippens, O. Vanbésien, B. Cluzel, F. de Fornel, S. Guenneau, and B. Gralak Ground-plane cloaks, which transform a curved mirror into a flat one, and recently reported at wavelengths ranging from the optical to the visible spectrum, bring the realm of optical illusion a step closer to reality. However, all carpet-cloaking experiments have thus far been carried out in the fa... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115110] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): V. Kokoouline, A. Wearne, R. Lefebvre, and O. Atabek Exceptional points (EPs) corresponding to resonance coalescence (i.e., complex energy degeneracy and identical wave functions) occur in many areas of non-Hermitian physics and, in particular, in laser-induced molecular dynamics for specific choices of two control parameters. We have previously shown... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033408] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): Yiyan Sun, Houchen Chang, Michael Kabatek, Young-Yeal Song, Zihui Wang, Michael Jantz, William Schneider, Mingzhong Wu, E. Montoya, B. Kardasz, B. Heinrich, Suzanne G. E. te Velthuis, Helmut Schultheiss, and Axel Hoffmann Strong damping enhancement in nm-thick yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films due to Pt capping layers was observed. This damping is substantially larger than the expected damping due to conventional spin pumping, is accompanied by a shift in the ferromagnetic resonance field, and can be suppressed by the ... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 106601] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): Rintaro Inoue, Makoto Nakamura, Kazuya Matsui, Toshiji Kanaya, Koji Nishida, and Masahiro Hino We studied the distribution of glass transition temperature ( T g ) through neutron reflectivity in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin film supported on a silicon substrate with a five-layered PMMA thin film consisting of deuterated-PMMA and hydrogenated-PMMA. The depth distribution of T g was succ... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 032601] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: Author(s): Volodymyr Borshch, Sergij V. Shiyanovskii, and Oleg D. Lavrentovich Electrically induced reorientation of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) molecules caused by dielectric anisotropy of the material is a fundamental phenomenon widely used in modern technologies. Its Achilles heel is a slow (millisecond) relaxation from the field-on to the field-off state. We present an el... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 107802] Published Fri Sep 06, 2013

Description: by Lydia Nakiyingi, John Mark Bwanika, Bruce Kirenga, Damalie Nakanjako, Catherine Katabira, Gloria Lubega, Joseph Sempa, Barnabas Nyesiga, Heidi Albert, Yukari C. Manabe Introduction The existing diagnostic algorithms for sputum smear-negative tuberculosis (TB) are complicated, time-consuming, and often difficult to implement. The decision to initiate TB treatment in resource-limited countries is often largely based on clinical predictors. We sought to determine the clinical predictors and accuracy of empiric TB treatment initiation in HIV-infected sputum smear-negative TB suspects using sputum culture as a reference standard. Setting Out-patient HIV-TB integrated urban clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Methods HIV-infected TB suspects were screened using sputum smear microscopy, and mycobacterial sputum liquid and solid cultures were performed. Smear results were made available to the clinician who made a clinical decision on empiric TB treatment initiation for sputum smear-negative patients. Clinic records were reviewed for patients whose sputum smears were negative to collect data on socio-demographics, TB symptomatology, chest X-ray findings, CD4 cell counts and TB treatment initiation. Results Of 253 smear-negative TB suspects, 56% (142/253) were females, median age 38 IQR (31–44) years, with a median CD4 cell count of 291 IQR (150–482) cells/mm 3 . Of the 85 (33.6%) smear-negative patients empirically initiated on TB treatment, 35.3% (n = 30) were sputum culture positive compared to only 18 (10.7%) of the 168 untreated patients (p

Description: by Cyril Dégletagne, Damien Roussel, Jean Louis Rouanet, Fanny Baudimont, Elodie-Marie Moureaux, Steve Harvey, Claude Duchamp, Yvon Le Maho, Mireille Raccurt The evolutionary trade-off between tissue growth and mature function restricts the post natal development of polar birds. The present study uses an original integrative approach as it includes gene expression, plus biochemical and physiological analysis to investigate how Adélie penguin chicks achieve a rapid growth despite the energetic constraints linked to the cold and the very short breeding season in Antarctica. In pectoralis muscle, the main thermogenic tissue in birds, our data show that the transition from ectothermy to endothermy on Day 15 post- hatching is associated with substantial and coordinated changes in the transcription of key genes. While the early activation of genes controlling cell growth and differentiation (avGHR, avIGF-1R, T3Rβ) is rapidly down-regulated after hatching, the global increase in the relative expression of genes involved in thermoregulation (avUCP, avANT, avLPL) and transcriptional regulation (avPGC1α, avT3Rβ) underlie the muscular acquisition of oxidative metabolism. Adélie chicks only become real endotherms at 15 days of age with the development of an oxidative muscle phenotype and the ability to shiver efficiently. The persistent muscular expression of IGF-1 throughout growth probably acts as a local mediator to adjust muscle size and its oxidative capacity to anticipate the new physiological demands of future Dives in cold water. The up-regulation of T3Rβ mRNA levels suggests that circulating T3 may play an important role in the late maturation of skeletal muscle by reinforcing, at least in part, the paracrine action of IGF-1. From day 30, the metabolic shift from mixed substrate to lipid metabolism, with the markedly increased mRNA levels of muscle avLPL, avANT and avUCP, suggests the late development of a fatty acid-enhanced muscle non-shivering thermogenesis mechanism. This molecular control is the key to this finely-tuned strategy by which the Adélie penguin chick successfully heads for the sea on schedule.

Description: by Philip Wing-Lok Ho, Zero Ho-Man Tse, Hui-Fang Liu, Song Lu, Jessica Wing-Man Ho, Michelle Hiu-Wai Kung, David Boyer Ramsden, Shu-Leong Ho Xenoestrogens are either natural or synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of endogenous estrogen. These compounds, such as bisphenol-A (BPA), and phthalates, are commonly found in plastic wares. Exposure to these compounds poses major risk to human health because of the potential to cause endocrine disruption. There is huge demand for a wide range of chemicals to be assessed for such potential for the sake of public health. Classical in vivo assays for endocrine disruption are comprehensive but time-consuming and require sacrifice of experimental animals. Simple preliminary in vitro screening assays can reduce the time and expense involved. We previously demonstrated that catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is transcriptionally regulated by estrogen via estrogen receptor (ER). Therefore, detecting corresponding changes of COMT expression in estrogen-responsive cells may be a useful method to estimate estrogenic effects of various compounds. We developed a novel cell-based ELISA to evaluate cellular response to estrogenicity by reduction of soluble-COMT expression in ER-positive MCF-7 cells exposed to estrogenic compounds. In contrast to various existing methods that only detect bioactivity, this method elucidates direct physiological effect in a living cell in response to a compound. We validated our assay using three well-characterized estrogenic plasticizers - BPA, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). Cells were exposed to either these plasticizers or 17β-estradiol (E2) in estrogen-depleted medium with or without an ER-antagonist, ICI 182,780, and COMT expression assayed. Exposure to each of these plasticizers (10 -9 -10 -7 M) dose-dependently reduced COMT expression (p

Description: by Luca Laudani, Giuseppe Vannozzi, Zimi Sawacha, Ugo della Croce, Andrea Cereatti, Andrea Macaluso Maintaining adequate levels of physical activity is known to preserve health status and functional independence as individuals grow older. However, the relationship between determinants of physical activity (volume and intensity) and physiological factors underlying mobility (cardio-respiratory fitness, neuromuscular function and functional abilities) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between objectively quantified physical activity and a spectrum of physiological factors underlying mobility in young, middle-aged and older individuals living in a city district. Experiments were carried out on 24 young (28±2 years), 24 middle-aged (48±2 years) and 24 older (70±3 years) gender-matched volunteers. Physical activity was monitored by a wearable activity monitor to quantify volume and intensity of overall physical activity and selected habitual activities over 24 hours. Ventilatory threshold was assessed during an incremental cycling test. Torque, muscle fiber conduction velocity and agonist-antagonist coactivation were measured during maximal voluntary contraction of knee extensors and flexors. Ground reaction forces were measured during sit-to-stand and counter-movement jump. K-means cluster analysis was used to classify the participants’ physical activity levels based on parameters of volume and intensity. Two clusters of physical activity volume (i.e., high and low volume) and three clusters of physical activity intensity (i.e. high, medium and low intensity) were identified in all participants. Cardio-respiratory fitness was associated with volume of overall physical activity as well as lying, sitting, standing, walking and stair climbing. On the other hand, neuromuscular function and functional abilities showed a significant association with intensity of overall physical activity as well as postural transition, walking and stair climbing. As a practical application, the relative role played by volume and intensity of overall physical activity and selected habitual activities should be taken into account in the design of preventative training interventions to preserve mobility as individuals grow older.

Description: by Daniel Garcia de la serrana, Ian A. Johnston Heat shock proteins 90 (Hsp90) have an essential role in sarcomere formation and differentiation in skeletal muscle and also act as molecular chaperones during protein folding impacting a wide range of physiological processes. We characterised and provided a phylogenetically consistent nomenclature for the complete repertoire of six Hsp90 paralogues present in duplicated salmonid fish genomes (Hsp90α1a, Hsp90α1b, Hsp90α2a, Hsp90α2b, Hsp90ß1a and Hsp90ß1b). The expression of paralogues in fast skeletal muscle was investigated using in vivo fasting-feeding experiments and primary myogenic cultures. Fasted juvenile Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) showed a transient 2 to 8-fold increase in the expression of all 4 Hsp90α paralogues within 24h of satiation feeding. H sp90α1a and hsp90α1b also showed a pronounced secondary increase in expression after 10 days, concomitant with muscle differentiation and the expression of myogenin and sarcomeric proteins ( mlc2 , myhc ). Hsp90ß1b was constitutively expressed whereas Hsp90ß1a expression was downregulated 10-fold between fasted and fed individuals. Hsp90α1a and Hsp90α1b were upregulated 10 to 15-fold concomitant with myotube formation and muscle differentiation in vitro whereas other Hsp90 paralogues showed no change in expression. In cells starved of amino acid (AA) and serum for 72h the addition of AA, but not insulin-like growth factor 1, increased phosphorylation of mTor and expression of all 4 hsp90α paralogues and associated co-chaperones including hsp30 , tbcb , pdia4 , pdia6 , stga and fk504bp1 , indicating a general activation of the protein folding response. In contrast, Hsp90ß1a expression in vitro was unresponsive to AA treatment indicating that some other as yet uncharacterised signal(s) regulate its expression in response to altered nutritional state.

Description: by Monika Marejková, Květa Bláhová, Jan Janda, Angelika Fruth, Petr Petráš Background Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) cause diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D+ HUS) worldwide, but no systematic study of EHEC as the causative agents of HUS was performed in the Czech Republic. We analyzed stools of all patients with D+ HUS in the Czech Republic between 1998 and 2012 for evidence of EHEC infection. We determined virulence profiles, phenotypes, antimicrobial susceptibilities and phylogeny of the EHEC isolates. Methodology/Principal Findings Virulence loci were identified using PCR, phenotypes and antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined using standard procedures, and phylogeny was assessed using multilocus sequence typing. During the 15-year period, EHEC were isolated from stools of 39 (69.4%) of 56 patients. The strains belonged to serotypes [ fliC types] O157:H7/NM[ fliC H7 ] (50% of which were sorbitol-fermenting; SF), O26:H11/NM[ fliC H11 ], O55:NM[ fliC H7 ], O111:NM[ fliC H8 ], O145:H28[ fliC H28 ], O172:NM[ fliC H25 ], and Orough:NM[ fliC H25 ]. O26:H11/NM[ fliC H11 ] was the most common serotype associated with HUS (41% isolates). Five stx genotypes were identified, the most frequent being stx 2a (71.1% isolates). Most strains contained EHEC- hlyA encoding EHEC hemolysin, and a subset (all SF O157:NM and one O157:H7) harbored cdt-V encoding cytolethal distending toxin. espP α encoding serine protease EspPα was found in EHEC O157:H7, O26:H11/NM, and O145:H28, whereas O172:NM and Orough:NM strains contained espP γ. All isolates contained eae encoding adhesin intimin, which belonged to subtypes β (O26), γ (O55, O145, O157), γ2/θ (O111), and ε (O172, Orough). Loci encoding other adhesins ( efa1, lpfA O26 , lpfA O157OI-141 , lpfA O157OI-154 , iha ) were usually associated with particular serotypes. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated nine sequence types (STs) which correlated with serotypes. Of these, two STs (ST660 and ST1595) were not found in HUS-associated EHEC before. Conclusions/Significance EHEC strains, including O157:H7 and non-O157:H7, are frequent causes of D+ HUS in the Czech Republic. Identification of unusual EHEC serotypes/STs causing HUS calls for establishment of an European collection of HUS-associated EHEC, enabling to study properties and evolution of these important pathogens.

Description: by Hanneke K. M. Meeren, Beatrice de Gelder, Seppo P. Ahlfors, Matti S. Hämäläinen, Nouchine Hadjikhani Evidence from functional neuroimaging indicates that visual perception of human faces and bodies is carried out by distributed networks of face and body-sensitive areas in the occipito-temporal cortex. However, the dynamics of activity in these areas, needed to understand their respective functional roles, are still largely unknown. We monitored brain activity with millisecond time resolution by recording magnetoencephalographic (MEG) responses while participants viewed photographs of faces, bodies, and control stimuli. The cortical activity underlying the evoked responses was estimated with anatomically-constrained noise-normalised minimum-norm estimate and statistically analysed with spatiotemporal cluster analysis. Our findings point to distinct spatiotemporal organization of the neural systems for face and body perception. Face-selective cortical currents were found at early latencies (120–200 ms) in a widespread occipito-temporal network including the ventral temporal cortex (VTC). In contrast, early body-related responses were confined to the lateral occipito-temporal cortex (LOTC). These were followed by strong sustained body-selective responses in the orbitofrontal cortex from 200–700 ms, and in the lateral temporal cortex and VTC after 500 ms latency. Our data suggest that the VTC region has a key role in the early processing of faces, but not of bodies. Instead, the LOTC, which includes the extra-striate body area (EBA), appears the dominant area for early body perception, whereas the VTC contributes to late and post-perceptual processing.

Description: by Volkhard Göber, Andreas Hohl, Brigitta Gahl, Florian Dick, Verena Eigenmann, Thierry P. Carrel, Hendrik T. Tevaearai Background Peak levels of troponin T (TnT) reliably predict morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. However, the therapeutic window to manage CABG-related in-hospital complications may close before the peak is reached. We investigated whether early TnT levels correlate as well with complications after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Methods A 12 month consecutive series of patients undergoing elective isolated CABG procedures (mini-extra-corporeal circuit, Cardioplegic arrest) was analyzed. Logistic regression modeling was used to investigate whether TnT levels 6 to 8 hours after surgery were independently associated with in-hospital complications (either post-operative myocardial infarction, stroke, new-onset renal insufficiency, intensive care unit (ICU) readmission, prolonged ICU stay (〉48 hours), prolonged need for vasopressors (〉24 hours), resuscitation or death). Results A total of 290 patients, including 36 patients with complications, was analyzed. Early TnT levels (odds ratio (OR): 6.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-21.4, P=.001), logistic EuroSCORE (OR: 1.2, 95%CI: 1.0-1.3, P=.007) and the need for vasopressors during the first 6 postoperative hours (OR: 2.7, 95%CI: 1.0-7.1, P=.05) were independently associated with the risk of complications. With consideration of vasopressor use during the first 6 postoperative hours, the sum of specificity (0.958) and sensitivity (0.417) of TnT for subsequent complications was highest at a TnT cut-off value of 0.8 ng/mL. Conclusion Early TnT levels may be useful to guide ICU management of CABG patients. They predict clinically relevant complications within a potential therapeutic window, particularly in patients requiring vasopressors during the first postoperative hours, although with only moderate sensitivity.

Description: by Valentine S. Moullé, Christelle Le Foll, Erwann Philippe, Nadim Kassis, Claude Rouch, Nicolas Marsollier, Linh-Chi Bui, Christophe Guissard, Julien Dairou, Anne Lorsignol, Luc Pénicaud, Barry E. Levin, Céline Cruciani-Guglielmacci, Christophe Magnan Variations in plasma fatty acid (FA) concentrations are detected by FA sensing neurons in specific brain areas such as the hypothalamus. These neurons play a physiological role in the control of food intake and the regulation of hepatic glucose production. Le Foll et al. previously showed in vitro that at least 50% of the FA sensing in ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) neurons is attributable to the interaction of long chain FA with FA translocase/CD36 (CD36). The present work assessed whether in vivo effects of hypothalamic FA sensing might be partly mediated by CD36 or intracellular events such as acylCoA synthesis or β-oxidation. To that end, a catheter was implanted in the carotid artery toward the brain in male Wistar rats. After 1 wk recovery, animals were food-deprived for 5 h, then 10 min infusions of triglyceride emulsion, Intralipid +/− heparin (IL, IL H , respectively) or saline/heparin (S H ) were carried out and food intake was assessed over the next 5 h. Experimental groups included: 1) Rats previously injected in ventromedian nucleus (VMN) with shRNA against CD36 or scrambled RNA; 2) Etomoxir (CPT1 inhibitor) or saline co-infused with IL H /S H ; and 3) Triacsin C (acylCoA synthase inhibitor) or saline co-infused with IL H /S H . IL H significantly lowered food intake during refeeding compared to S H (p

Description: by Paul A. Stevenson, Jan Rillich Population density has profound influences on the physiology and behaviour of many animal species. Social isolation is generally reported to lead to increased aggressiveness, while grouping lowers it. We evaluated the effects of varying degrees of isolation and grouping on aggression in a territorial insect, the Mediterranean field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus . Substantiating early observations, we show that dyadic contests between weight-matched, adult male crickets taken from groups rarely escalate beyond threat displays, whereas interactions between pairs of previously isolated crickets typically escalate to physical fights lasting several seconds. No significant differences were found between 1, 2 and 6-day isolates, or between individuals grouped for a few hours or lifelong. Unexpectedly, crickets grouped in immediate proximity within individual mesh cages that precluded fighting while permitting visual, olfactory and mechanical, antennal contact, were as aggressive as free isolates. This suggests that reduced aggression of grouped animals may be an acquired result of fighting. Supporting this notion, isolated crickets initially engage in vigorous fights when first grouped, but fighting intensity and duration rapidly decline to the level of life-long grouped crickets within only 10 min. Furthermore, grouped crickets become as aggressive as life-long isolates after only 3 hours of isolation, and on the same time course required for crickets to regain their aggressiveness after social defeat. We conclude that the reduced aggressiveness of grouped crickets is a manifestation of the loser effect resulting from social subjugation, while isolation allows recovery to a state of heightened aggressiveness, which in crickets can be considered as the default condition. Given the widespread occurrence of the loser effect in the Animal Kingdom, many effects generally attributed to social isolation are likely to be a consequence of recovery from social subjugation.

Description: by Horst Kierdorf, Uwe Kierdorf, Kai Frölich, Carsten Witzel We studied the structural characteristics and periodicities of regular incremental markings in sheep enamel using fluorochrome injections for vital labeling of forming enamel and backscattered electron imaging in the scanning electron microscope. Microscopic analysis of mandibular first molars revealed the presence of incremental markings with a daily periodicity (laminations) that indicated successive positions of the forming front of interprismatic enamel. In addition to the laminations, incremental markings with a sub-daily periodicity were discernible both in interprismatic enamel and in enamel prisms. Five sub-daily increments were present between two consecutive laminations. Backscattered electron imaging revealed that each sub-daily growth increment consisted of a broader and more highly mineralized band and a narrower and less mineralized band (line). The sub-daily markings in the prisms of sheep enamel morphologically resembled the (daily) prisms cross striations seen in primate enamel. Incremental markings with a supra-daily periodicity were not observed in sheep enamel. Based on the periodicity of the incremental markings, maximum mean daily apposition rates of 17.0 µm in buccal enamel and of 13.4 µm in lingual enamel were recorded. Enamel extension rates were also high, with maximum means of 180 µm/day and 217 µm/day in upper crown areas of buccal and lingual enamel, respectively. Values in more cervical crown portions were markedly lower. Our results are in accordance with previous findings in other ungulate species. Using the incremental markings present in primate enamel as a reference could result in a misinterpretation of the incremental markings in ungulate enamel. Thus, the sub-daily growth increments in the prisms of ungulate enamel might be mistaken as prism cross striations with a daily periodicity, and the laminations misidentified as striae of Retzius with a supra-daily periodicity. This would lead to a considerable overestimation of crown formation times in ungulate teeth.

Description: by Zhu Huang, Xiao-Dong Pan, Ping-Gu Wu, Jian-Long Han, Qing Chen Environmental pollution with toxic heavy metals can lead to the possible contamination of the rice. Selected metals (As, Cd, Hg and Pb) and their accumulation in rice collected from Zhejiang, China were analyzed to evaluate the potential health risk to the local adults and children. The mean levels found in rice were as follows: As, 0.080 mg/kg; Cd, 0.037 mg/kg; Hg, 0.005 mg/kg; Pb, 0.060 mg/kg. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) were calculated in combination of the rice consumption data. The mean intakes of As, Cd, Hg and Pb through rice were estimated to be 0.49, 0.23, 0.03 and 0.37 µg/kg bw/day for adults, and 0.34, 0.29, 0.04 and 0.47 µg/kg bw/day for children. The 97.5th percentile (P97.5) daily intakes of As, Cd, Hg and Pb were 1.02, 0.64, 0.37 and 1.26 µg/kg bw/day for adults, and 0.63, 0.83, 0.47 and 1.63 µg/kg bw/day for children. The risk assessment in mean levels showed that health risk associated with these elements through consumption of rice was absent. However, estimates in P97.5 level of Cd and Pb for children, and Hg for adults have exceeded the respective safe limits.

Description: by Simone Picelli, Justo Lorenzo Bermejo, Jenny Chang-Claude, Michael Hoffmeister, Ceres Fernández-Rozadilla, Angel Carracedo, Antoni Castells, Sergi Castellví-Bel, Members of the EPICOLON Consortium (Gastrointestinal Oncology Group of the Spanish Gastroenterological Association): , Alessio Naccarati, Barbara Pardini, Ludmila Vodickova, Heiko Müller, Bente A. Talseth-Palmer, Geoffrey Stibbard, Paolo Peterlongo, Carmela Nici, Silvia Veneroni, Li Li, Graham Casey, Albert Tenesa, Susan M. Farrington, Ian Tomlinson, Victor Moreno, Tom van Wezel, Juul Wijnen, Malcolm Dunlop, Paolo Radice, Rodney J. Scott, Pavel Vodicka, Clara Ruiz-Ponte, Hermann Brenner, Stephan Buch, Henry Völzke, Jochen Hampe, Clemens Schafmayer, Annika Lindblom In the last four years, Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have identified sixteen low-penetrance polymorphisms on fourteen different loci associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). Due to the low risks conferred by known common variants, most of the 35% broad-sense heritability estimated by twin studies remains unexplained. Recently our group performed a case-control study for eight Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in 4 CRC genes. The present investigation is a follow-up of that study. We have genotyped six SNPs that showed a positive association and carried out a meta-analysis based on eight additional studies comprising in total more than 8000 cases and 6000 controls. The estimated recessive odds ratio for one of the SNPs, rs3219489 (MUTYH Q338H), decreased from 1.52 in the original Swedish study, to 1.18 in the Swedish replication, and to 1.08 in the initial meta-analysis. Since the corresponding summary probability value was 0.06, we decided to retrieve additional information for this polymorphism. The incorporation of six further studies resulted in around 13000 cases and 13000 controls. The newly updated OR was 1.03. The results from the present large, multicenter study illustrate the possibility of decreasing effect sizes with increasing samples sizes. Phenotypic heterogeneity, differential environmental exposures, and population specific linkage disequilibrium patterns may explain the observed difference of genetic effects between Sweden and the other investigated cohorts.

Description: by Takashi Ochiai, Yuji Suehiro, Katsuhiro Nishinari, Takeo Kubo, Hideaki Takeuchi Background Coordinated movement in social animal groups via social learning facilitates foraging activity. Few studies have examined the behavioral cause-and-effect between group members that mediates this social learning. Methodology/Principal Findings We first established a behavioral paradigm for visual food learning using medaka fish and demonstrated that a single fish can learn to associate a visual cue with a food reward. Grouped medaka fish (6 fish) learn to respond to the visual cue more rapidly than a single fish, indicating that medaka fish undergo social learning. We then established a data-mining method based on Kullback-Leibler divergence (KLD) to search for candidate behaviors that induce alignment and found that high-speed movement of a focal fish tended to induce alignment of the other members locally and transiently under free-swimming conditions without presentation of a visual cue. The high-speed movement of the informed and trained fish during visual cue presentation appeared to facilitate the alignment of naïve fish in response to some visual cues, thereby mediating social learning. Compared with naïve fish, the informed fish had a higher tendency to induce alignment of other naïve fish under free-swimming conditions without visual cue presentation, suggesting the involvement of individual recognition in social learning. Conclusions/Significance Behavioral cause-and-effect studies of the high-speed movement between fish group members will contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of social behaviors. The data-mining method used in the present study is a powerful method to search for candidates factors associated with inter-individual interactions using a dataset for time-series coordinate data of individuals.

Description: by Anthony Singhal, Simona Monaco, Liam D. Kaufman, Jody C. Culham Behavioral and neuropsychological research suggests that delayed actions rely on different neural substrates than immediate actions; however, the specific brain areas implicated in the two types of actions remain unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure human brain activation during delayed grasping and reaching. Specifically, we examined activation during visual stimulation and action execution separated by a 18-s delay interval in which subjects had to remember an intended action toward the remembered object. The long delay interval enabled us to unambiguously distinguish visual, memory-related, and action responses. Most strikingly, we observed reactivation of the lateral occipital complex (LOC), a ventral-stream area implicated in visual object recognition, and early visual cortex (EVC) at the time of action. Importantly this reactivation was observed even though participants remained in complete darkness with no visual stimulation at the time of the action. Moreover, within EVC, higher activation was observed for grasping than reaching during both vision and action execution. Areas in the dorsal visual stream were activated during action execution as expected and, for some, also during vision. Several areas, including the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), primary motor cortex (M1) and the supplementary motor area (SMA), showed sustained activation during the delay phase. We propose that during delayed actions, dorsal-stream areas plan and maintain coarse action goals; however, at the time of execution, motor programming requires re-recruitment of detailed visual information about the object through reactivation of (1) ventral-stream areas involved in object perception and (2) early visual areas that contain richly detailed visual representations, particularly for grasping.

Description: by Annabel Meyer, Andreas Focks, Viviane Radl, Daniel Keil, Gerhard Welzl, Ingo Schöning, Steffen Boch, Sven Marhan, Ellen Kandeler, Michael Schloter Understanding factors driving the ecology of N cycling microbial communities is of central importance for sustainable land use. In this study we report changes of abundance of denitrifiers, nitrifiers and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (based on qPCR data for selected functional genes) in response to different land use intensity levels and the consequences for potential turnover rates. We investigated selected grassland sites being comparable with respect to soil type and climatic conditions, which have been continuously treated for many years as intensely used meadows ( IM ), intensely used mown pastures ( IP ) and extensively used pastures ( EP ), respectively. The obtained data were linked to above ground biodiversity pattern as well as water extractable fractions of nitrogen and carbon in soil. Shifts in land use intensity changed plant community composition from systems dominated by s-strategists in extensive managed grasslands to c-strategist dominated communities in intensive managed grasslands. Along the different types of land use intensity, the availability of inorganic nitrogen regulated the abundance of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers. In contrast, the amount of dissolved organic nitrogen determined the abundance of denitrifiers ( nirS and nirK ). The high abundance of nifH carrying bacteria at intensive managed sites gave evidence that the amounts of substrates as energy source outcompete the high availability of inorganic nitrogen in these sites. Overall, we revealed that abundance and function of microorganisms involved in key processes of inorganic N cycling (nitrification, denitrification and N fixation) might be independently regulated by different abiotic and biotic factors in response to land use intensity.

Description: by Xiaofeng Wang, Liang Zhang, Zixian Chen, Yushui Ma, Yuan Zhao, Abudouaini Rewuti, Feng Zhang, Da Fu, Yusong Han Background The association between polymorphisms on 5p12 and breast cancer (BC) has been widely evaluated since it was first identified through genome-wide association approach; however, the studies have yielded contradictory results. We sought to investigate this inconsistency by performing a comprehensive meta-analysis on two wildly studied polymorphisms (rs10941679 and rs4415084) on 5p12. Methods Databases including Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to find relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of association. The random-effects model was applied, addressing heterogeneity and publication bias. Results A total of 19 articles involving 100,083 cases and 163,894 controls were included. An overall random-effects per-allele OR of 1.09 (95% CI: 1.06–1.12; P =  4.5×10 −8 ) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.05–1.12; P  = 4.2×10 −7 ) was found for the rs10941679 and rs4415084 polymorphism respectively. Significant results were found in Asians and Caucasians when stratified by ethnicity; whereas no significant associations were found among Africans/African-Americans. Similar results were also observed using dominant or recessive genetic models. In addition, we find both rs4415084 and rs10941679 conferred significantly greater risks of ER-positive breast cancer than of ER-negative tumors. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that rs10941679-G allele and rs4415084-T allele might be risk-conferring factors for the development of breast cancer, especially in Caucasians and East-Asians.

Description: Author(s): Azadeh Moradinezhad Dizgah, Scott Dodelson, and Antonio Riotto We study the impact of primordial non-Gaussianity on the density profile of dark matter halos by using the semianalytical model introduced recently by Dalal et al. which relates the peaks of the initial linear density field to the final density profile of dark matter halos. Models with primordial no... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 063513] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Sandipan Sengupta Motivated by a recent proposal (by Koslowski-Sahlmann) of a kinematical representation in loop quantum gravity (LQG) with a nondegenerate vacuum metric, we construct a polymer quantization of the parametrized massless scalar field theory on a Minkowskian cylinder. The diffeomorphism covariant kinema... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 064016] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Koji Ishiwata and Mark B. Wise We study the impact that a heavy generation of vectorlike leptons can have on the value of the electric dipole moment of the electron, and the rates for the flavor violating processes μ → e γ and μ →3 e . The smallness of the charged lepton masses suggests that at least some of the Yukawa coupling constan... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 055009] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Chiu Man Ho and Thomas J. Weiler [Phys. Rev. D 88, 069901] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Riccardo Borsato, Olof Ohlsson Sax, Alessandro Sfondrini, Bogdan Stefański, Jr., and Alessandro Torrielli We determine the all-loop dressing phases of the AdS 3 /CFT 2 integrable system related to type IIB string theory on AdS 3 ×S 3 ×T 4 by solving the recently found crossing relations and studying their singularity structure. The two resulting phases present a novel structure with respect to the ones appearin... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 066004] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Swetaprovo Chaudhuri, Fujia Wu, and Chung K. Law In this paper we clarify the role of Markstein diffusivity, which is the product of the planar laminar flame speed and the Markstein length, on the turbulent flame speed and its scaling, based on experimental measurements on constant-pressure expanding turbulent flames. Turbulent flame propagation d... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 033005] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): Cyril Desjouy, Pauline Labelle, Bruno Gilles, Jean-Christophe Bera, and Claude Inserra Acoustic cavitation-induced microbubbles in a cylindrical resonator filled with water tend to concentrate into ring patterns due to the cylindrical geometry of the system. The shape of these ring patterns is directly linked to the Bjerknes force distribution in the resonator. Experimental observatio... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 033006] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: Author(s): M. D. Campanell Most works on plasma-wall interaction predict that with strong electron emission, a nonmonotonic “space-charge-limited” (SCL) sheath forms where the plasma potential is positive relative to the wall. We show that a fundamentally different sheath structure is possible where the potential monotonicall... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 033103] Published Mon Sep 09, 2013

Description: by Dongnhu T. Truong, Ashley Bonet, Amanda R. Rendall, Glenn D. Rosen, Roslyn H. Fitch Disruption of neuronal migration in humans is associated with a wide range of behavioral and cognitive outcomes including severe intellectual disability, language impairment, and social dysfunction. Furthermore, malformations of cortical development have been observed in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism and dyslexia), where boys are much more commonly diagnosed than girls (estimates around 4 to 1). The use of rodent models provides an excellent means to examine how sex may modulate behavioral outcomes in the presence of comparable abnormal neuroanatomical presentations. Initially characterized by Rosen et al. 2012, the BXD29- Tlr4lps−2J /J mouse mutant exhibits a highly penetrant neuroanatomical phenotype that consists of bilateral midline subcortical nodular heterotopia with partial callosal agenesis. In the current study, we confirm our initial findings of a severe impairment in rapid auditory processing in affected male mice. We also report that BXD29- Tlr4lps−2J /J (mutant) female mice show no sparing of rapid auditory processing, and in fact show deficits similar to mutant males. Interestingly, female BXD29- Tlr4lps−2J /J mice do display superiority in Morris water maze performance as compared to wild type females, an affect not seen in mutant males. Finally, we report new evidence that BXD29- Tlr4lps−2J /J mice, in general, show evidence of hyper-social behaviors. In closing, the use of the BXD29- Tlr4lps−2J /J strain of mice – with its strong behavioral and neuroanatomical phenotype – may be highly useful in characterizing sex independent versus dependent mechanisms that interact with neural reorganization, as well as clinically relevant abnormal behavior resulting from aberrant neuronal migration.

Description: Author(s): R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration) A broad peaking structure is observed in the dimuon spectrum of B + → K + μ + μ - decays in the kinematic region where the kaon has a low recoil against the dimuon system. The structure is consistent with interference between the B + → K + μ + μ - decay and a resonance and has a statistical significance exceeding s... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 112003] Published Tue Sep 10, 2013

Description: Author(s): Serge Mora, Corrado Maurini, Ty Phou, Jean-Marc Fromental, Basile Audoly, and Yves Pomeau Under the effect of surface tension, a blob of liquid adopts a spherical shape when immersed in another fluid. We demonstrate experimentally that soft, centimeter-size elastic solids can exhibit a similar behavior: when immersed into a liquid, a gel having a low elastic modulus undergoes large, reve... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 114301] Published Tue Sep 10, 2013

Description: Author(s): V. P. Bhallamudi, C. S. Wolfe, V. P. Amin, D. E. Labanowski, A. J. Berger, D. Stroud, J. Sinova, and P. C. Hammel We present a new tool for imaging spin properties. We show that a spatially averaged spin signal, measured as a function of a scanned magnetic probe’s position, contains information about the local spin properties. In this first demonstration we map the injected spin density in GaAs by measuring spi... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 117201] Published Tue Sep 10, 2013

Description: Author(s): Nicolas Desreumaux, Jean-Baptiste Caussin, Raphael Jeanneret, Eric Lauga, and Denis Bartolo We address the collective dynamics of non-Brownian particles cruising in a confined microfluidic geometry and provide a comprehensive characterization of their spatiotemporal density fluctuations. We show that density excitations freely propagate at all scales, and in all directions even though the ... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 118301] Published Tue Sep 10, 2013

Description: Author(s): Uwe Thiele, Desislava V. Todorova, and Hender Lopez A thermodynamically consistent gradient dynamics model for the evolution of thin layers of liquid mixtures, solutions, and suspensions on solid substrates is presented which is based on a film-height- and mean-concentration-dependent free energy functional. It is able to describe a large variety of ... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 117801] Published Tue Sep 10, 2013

Description: by Peng Zhao, Xue-mei Zhou, Li-yao Zhang, Wei Wang, Li-gang Ma, Li-bo Yang, Xiong-bo Peng, Peter V. Bozhkov, Meng-xiang Sun Plant zygote divides asymmetrically into an apical cell that develops into the embryo proper and a basal cell that generates the suspensor, a vital organ functioning as a conduit of nutrients and growth factors to the embryo proper. After the suspensor has fulfilled its function, it is removed by programmed cell death (PCD) at the late stages of embryogenesis. The molecular trigger of this PCD is unknown. Here we use tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) embryogenesis as a model system to demonstrate that the mechanism triggering suspensor PCD is based on the antagonistic action of two proteins: a protease inhibitor, cystatin NtCYS, and its target, cathepsin H-like protease NtCP14. NtCYS is expressed in the basal cell of the proembryo, where encoded cystatin binds to and inhibits NtCP14, thereby preventing precocious onset of PCD. The anti-cell death effect of NtCYS is transcriptionally regulated and is repressed at the 32-celled embryo stage, leading to increased NtCP14 activity and initiation of PCD. Silencing of NtCYS or overexpression of NtCP14 induces precocious cell death in the basal cell lineage causing embryonic arrest and seed abortion. Conversely, overexpression of NtCYS or silencing of NtCP14 leads to profound delay of suspensor PCD. Our results demonstrate that NtCYS-mediated inhibition of NtCP14 protease acts as a bipartite molecular module to control initiation of PCD in the basal cell lineage of plant embryos.

Description: by William Henry Gilbert

Description: by Kaheina Aizel, Valérie Biou, Jorge Navaza, Lionel V. Duarte, Valérie Campanacci, Jacqueline Cherfils, Mahel Zeghouf The mechanisms whereby guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) coordinate their subcellular targeting to their activation of small GTPases remain poorly understood. Here we analyzed how membranes control the efficiency of human BRAG2, an ArfGEF involved in receptor endocytosis, Wnt signaling, and tumor invasion. The crystal structure of an Arf1–BRAG2 complex that mimics a membrane-bound intermediate revealed an atypical PH domain that is constitutively anchored to the catalytic Sec7 domain and interacts with Arf. Combined with the quantitative analysis of BRAG2 exchange activity reconstituted on membranes, we find that this PH domain potentiates nucleotide exchange by about 2,000-fold by cumulative conformational and membrane-targeting contributions. Furthermore, it restricts BRAG2 activity to negatively charged membranes without phosphoinositide specificity, using a positively charged surface peripheral to but excluding the canonical lipid-binding pocket. This suggests a model of BRAG2 regulation along the early endosomal pathway that expands the repertoire of GEF regulatory mechanisms. Notably, it departs from the auto-inhibitory and feedback loop paradigm emerging from studies of SOS and cytohesins. It also uncovers a novel mechanism of unspecific lipid-sensing by PH domains that may allow sustained binding to maturating membranes.

Description: by Shuncang Zhang, Pengda Ma, Dongfeng Yang, Wenjing Li, Zongsuo Liang, Yan Liu, Fenghua Liu Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is one of the most renowned traditional medicinal plants in China. Phenolic acids that are derived from the rosmarinic acid pathway, such as rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B, are important bioactive components in S. miltiorrhiza . Accumulations of these compounds have been reported to be induced by various elicitors, while little is known about transcription factors that function in their biosynthetic pathways. We cloned a subgroup 4 R2R3 MYB transcription factor gene ( SmMYB39 ) from S. miltiorrhiza and characterized its roles through overexpression and RNAi-mediated silencing. As the results showed, the content of 4-coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, salvianolic acid A and total phenolics was dramatically decreased in SmMYB39 -overexpressing S. miltiorrhiza lines while being enhanced by folds in SmMYB39 -RNAi lines. Quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme activities analyses showed that SmMYB39 negatively regulated transcripts and enzyme activities of 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT). These data suggest that SmMYB39 is involved in regulation of rosmarinic acid pathway and acts as a repressor through suppressing transcripts of key enzyme genes.

Description: by Sang-Eun Yeon, Da Yoon No, Sang-Hoon Lee, Suk Woo Nam, Il-Hoan Oh, Jaehwi Lee, Hyo-Jeong Kuh Intrinsic drug resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) warrants studies using models that are more clinically relevant for identifying novel resistance mechanisms as well as for drug development. Tumor spheroids (TS) mimic in vivo tumor conditions associated with multicellular resistance and represent a promising model for efficient drug screening, however, pancreatic cancer cells often fail to form spheroids using conventional methods such as liquid overlay. This study describes the induction of TS of human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Aspc-1, Capan-2) in concave polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell plates and evaluation of their usefulness as an anticancer efficacy test model. All three cell lines showed TS formation with varying degree of necrosis inside TS. Among these, Panc-1 spheroid with spherical morphology, a rather rough surface, and unique adhesion structures were successfully produced with no notable necrosis in concave microwell plates. Panc-1 TS contained growth factors or enzymes such as TGF-β1, CTGF, and MT1-MMP, and extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen type I, fibronectin, and laminin. Panc-1 cells grown as TS showed changes in stem cell populations and in expression levels of miRNAs that may play roles in chemoresistance. Visualization of drug penetration and detection of viability indicators, such as Ki-67 and MitoSOX, were optimized for TS for quantitative analysis. Water-soluble tetrazolium (MTS) and acid phosphatase (APH) assays were also successfully optimized. Overall, we demonstrated that concave PDMS microwell plates are a novel platform for preparation of TS of weakly aggregating cells and that Panc-1 spheroids may represent a novel three-dimensional model for anti-pancreatic cancer drug screening.

Description: by Duncan Howie, Hugo Garcia Rueda, Marion H. Brown, Herman Waldmann Most T cell responses to pathogens or self antigens are modulated through the action of regulatory T cells and tissue-specific inhibitory mechanisms. To this end, several receptor-ligand pairs have evolved which either augment or diminish T cell function. Here we describe the tissue ligand SECTM1A (Secreted and transmembrane1A) as an alternative murine CD7 ligand. We show that SECTM1A, like SECTM1B, binds strongly to CD7, and that SECTM1B was able to compete with SECTM1A for CD7 binding. SECTM1A is ubiquitously expressed and has two major alternative transcripts which differ in expression between tissues. Both immobilised soluble forms of SECTM1A and SECTM1B and cell surface anchored forms demonstrated opposing effects on CD4+ T cell activation. Whereas SECTM1A acted as a co-stimulator of T cells, enhancing IL-2 production and proliferation, SECTM1B proved inhibitory to TCR mediated T cell activation. Surprisingly, both functional outcomes proved to be CD7-independent, indicating the existence of alternative receptors for both ligands. We used a SECTM1A-Fc fusion protein to immunoprecipitate potential alternative ligands from detergent lysates of CD7 −/− T cells and, using mass spectrometry, identified GITR as a SECTM1A binder. SECTM1A was found to bind to activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as to CHO cells expressing cell surface GITR. Binding of SECTM1A to activated primary T cells was inhibited by either GITRL-Fc or anti GITR antibodies. Thus SECTM1A and SECTM1B represent novel reciprocal alternative ligands which may function to modulate the activation of effector and regulatory T cells. The ability of SECTM1A to activate T cells may be explained by its ability to bind to GITR.

Description: by Wei-Jun Zhou, Ren-Ying Wang, Yan Li, Dong-Rui Chen, Er-Zhen Chen, Ding-Liang Zhu, Ping-Jin Gao Objective β-blockers (BBs) with different pharmacological properties may have heterogeneous effects on sympathetic nervous activity (SNA) and central aortic pressure (CAP), which are independent cardiovascular factors for hypertension. Hence, we analyzed the effects of bisoprolol and atenolol on SNA and CAP in hypertensive patients. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study in 109 never-treated hypertensive subjects randomized to bisoprolol (5 mg) or atenolol (50 mg) for 4–8 weeks. SNA, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) were measured using power spectral analysis using a Finometer. CAP and related parameters were determined using the SphygmoCor device (pulse wave analysis). Results Both drugs were similarly effective in reducing brachial BP. However, central systolic BP (−14±10 mm Hg vs −6±9 mm Hg; P

Description: by Catherine J. Mondloch, Nicole L. Nelson, Matthew Horner The accuracy and speed with which emotional facial expressions are identified is influenced by body postures. Two influential models predict that these congruency effects will be largest when the emotion displayed in the face is similar to that displayed in the body: the emotional seed model and the dimensional model. These models differ in whether similarity is based on physical characteristics or underlying dimensions of valence and arousal. Using a 3-alternative forced-choice task in which stimuli were presented briefly (Exp 1a) or for an unlimited time (Exp 1b) we provide evidence that congruency effects are more complex than either model predicts; the effects are asymmetrical and cannot be accounted for by similarity alone. Fearful postures are especially influential when paired with facial expressions, but not when presented in a flanker task (Exp 2). We suggest refinements to each model that may account for our results and suggest that additional studies be conducted prior to drawing strong theoretical conclusions.

Description: by Robert Savit, Maria Riolo, Rick Riolo Co-adaptation (or co-evolution), the parallel feedback process by which agents continuously adapt to the changes induced by the adaptive actions of other agents, is a ubiquitous feature of complex adaptive systems, from eco-systems to economies. We wish to understand which general features of complex systems necessarily follow from the (meta)-dynamics of co-adaptation, and which features depend on the details of particular systems. To begin this project, we present a model of co-adaptation (“The Stigmergy Game”) which is designed to be as a priori featureless as possible, in order to help isolate and understand the naked consequences of co-adaptation. In the model, heterogeneous, co-adapting agents, observe, interact with and change the state of an environment. Agents do not, ab initio , directly interact with each other. Agents adapt by choosing among a set of random “strategies,” particular to each agent. Each strategy is a complete specification of an agent's actions and payoffs. A priori , all environmental states are equally likely and all strategies have payoffs that sum to zero, so without co-adaptation agents would on average have zero “wealth”. Nevertheless, the dynamics of co-adaptation generates a structured environment in which only a subset of environmental states appear with high probability (niches) and in which agents accrue positive wealth. Furthermore, although there are no direct agent-agent interactions, there are induced non-trivial inter-agent interactions mediated by the environment. As a function of the population size and the number of possible environmental states, the system can be in one of three dynamical regions. Implications for a basic understanding of complex adaptive systems are discussed.

Description: by Sandra Laner-Plamberger, Florian Wolff, Alexandra Kaser-Eichberger, Stefan Swierczynski, Cornelia Hauser-Kronberger, Anna-Maria Frischauf, Thomas Eichberger Sustained hedgehog (Hh) signaling mediated by the GLI transcription factors is implicated in many types of cancer. Identification of Hh/GLI target genes modulating the activity of other pathways involved in tumor development promise to open new ways for better understanding of tumor development and maintenance. Here we show that SOCS1 is a direct target of Hh/GLI signaling in human keratinocytes and medulloblastoma cells. SOCS1 is a potent inhibitor of interferon gamma (IFN-y)/STAT1 signaling. IFN-у/STAT1 signaling can induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and anti-tumor immunity. The transcription factors GLI1 and GLI2 activate the SOCS1 promoter, which contains five putative GLI binding sites, and GLI2 binding to the promoter was shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Consistent with a role of GLI in SOCS1 regulation, STAT1 phosphorylation is reduced in cells with active Hh/GLI signaling and IFN-у/STAT1 target gene activation is decreased. Furthermore, IFN-у signaling is restored by shRNA mediated knock down of SOCS1. Here, we identify SOCS1 as a novel Hh/GLI target gene, indicating a negative role of Hh/GLI pathway in IFN-y/STAT1 signaling.

Description: by Xuting Xu, Yunliang Wang, Lingyan Wang, Qi Liao, Lan Chang, Leiting Xu, Yi Huang, Huadan Ye, Limin Xu, Cheng Chen, Xiaowei Shen, Fuqiang Zhang, Meng Ye, Qinwen Wang, Shiwei Duan Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined contribution of 8 polymorphisms to the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods Through a comprehensive literature search for genetic variants involved in the AD association study, we harvested a total of 6 genes (8 polymorphisms) for the current meta-analyses. These genes consisted of A2M (5bp I/D and V1000I), ABCA2 (rs908832), CHAT (1882G 〉A, 2384G 〉A), COMT (Val158Met), HTR6 (267C 〉T) and LPL (Ser447Ter). Results A total of 33 studies among 9,453 cases and 10,833 controls were retrieved for the meta-analyses of 8 genetic variants. It was showed that A2M V1000I (odd ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07–1.49, P = 0.007), rs908832 allele of ABCA2 (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.12–2.16, P = 0.009), 2384G 〉A of CHAT (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.00–1.49, P = 0.05) and Ser447Ter of LPL in the Northern-American population (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.35–0.91, P = 0.02) were significantly associated with the risk of AD. No association was found between the rest of the 5 polymorphisms and the risk of AD. Conclusion Our results showed that A2M V1000I polymorphism in German, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Italian and Polish populations, rs90883 of ABCA2 gene in French, American, Swiss, Greek and Japanese populations, 2384G 〉A of CHAT gene in British and Korean populations and LPL Ser447Ter in the Northern-American population were associated with the risk of AD.

Description: Author(s): Mahdi Ebrahimi Kahou and David L. Feder One approach to the development of quantum search algorithms is the quantum walk. A spatial search can be effected by the continuous-time evolution of a single quantum particle on a graph containing a marked site. In many physical implementations, however, one might expect to have multiple particles... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 032310] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Jun Jiang and J. Mitroy The influence of hyperfine interactions on the tune-out wavelengths of the 39 K, 40 K, and 41 K isotopes of the potassium atom was investigated. The hyperfine interaction of the 4 s 1/2 ground state results in a shift and splitting of the primary tune-out wavelength near 769 nm. The 4 s 1/2 state hyperfine... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 032505] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Sougata Mukhopadhyay and C. Sinha We study quantum mechanically the influence of an external laser field on the antihydrogen (H̅ ) formation cross sections in ground and excited states (2 s ,2 p ) via the three-body recombination process inside a dense plasma of antiprotons and positrons, supposed to be the most efficient mechani... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033414] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Wenchen Luo and R. Côté At half-filling of the fourfold degenerate Landau levels | n |≥1 in graphene, the ground states are spin-polarized quantum Hall states that support spin skyrmion excitations for | n |=1,2,3. Working in the Hartree-Fock approximation, we compute the excitation energy of an unbound spin skyrmion-antiskyrm... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115417] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Bruno Amorim and Francisco Guinea Out of plane vibrations are suppressed in graphene layers placed on a substrate. These vibrations, in suspended samples, are relevant for the understanding of properties such as the electrical resistivity, the thermal expansion coefficient, and others. We use a general framework to study the propert... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115418] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Andreas Vogler, Ralf Labouvie, Felix Stubenrauch, Giovanni Barontini, Vera Guarrera, and Herwig Ott We investigate the thermodynamics of one-dimensional (1D) Bose gases in the strongly correlated regime. To this end, we prepare ensembles of independent 1D Bose gases in a two-dimensional optical lattice and perform high-resolution in situ imaging of the column-integrated density distribution. Using... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 031603] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Sergii Strelchuk There exist memoryless zero-capacity quantum channels that when used jointly result in a channel with positive capacity. This phenomenon is called superactivation. Making use of Parrondo's paradox, we exhibit examples of the superactivation-like effect for the capacity of classical communication cha... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 032311] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Benkang Liu, Yanqiu Wang, and Li Wang The photoelectron velocity-map image technique was employed to examine the one-photon detachment of Cu monomer and dimer anions using a linearly polarized infrared femtosecond laser. While the photoelectron angular distribution (PAD) in a single-photon detachment experiment of Cu − shows no dependenc... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033413] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Zhang-qi Yin, Tongcang Li, Xiang Zhang, and L. M. Duan We propose a method to generate and detect large quantum superposition states and arbitrary Fock states for the oscillational mode of an optically levitated nanocrystal diamond. The nonlinear interaction required for the generation of non-Gaussian quantum states is enabled through the spin-mechanica... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033614] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Sung Sakong, Peter Kratzer, Simone Wall, Annika Kalus, and Michael Horn-von Hoegen The dynamics of vibrations localized in a monolayer of Pb on Si(111) is studied using density functional theory and molecular dynamics methods. Recently, a pump-probe experiment has given direct access to the relaxation dynamics of the vibrational excitations in Pb, revealing two distinct time scale... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115419] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): R. L. Stillwell, D. E. Graf, W. A. Coniglio, T. P. Murphy, E. C. Palm, J. H. Park, D. VanGennep, P. Schlottmann, and S. W. Tozer We have observed a massive reconstruction of the Fermi surface of single crystal chromium as a function of high pressure and high magnetic fields caused by the spin-flip transition, with multiple new orbits appearing above 0.93 GPa. In addition, some orbits have field-induced effective masses of ∼0.... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 125119] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Florian Kühnel Stability about cosmological background solutions to the bimetric Hassan-Rosen theory is studied. The results of this analysis are presented, and it is shown that a large class of cosmological backgrounds is classically unstable. This sets serious doubts on the physical viability of the Hassan-Rosen... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 064024] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): R. Raut, A. P. Tonchev, G. Rusev, W. Tornow, C. Iliadis, M. Lugaro, J. Buntain, S. Goriely, J. H. Kelley, R. Schwengner, A. Banu, and N. Tsoneva We have carried out photodisintegration cross-section measurements on 86 Kr using monoenergetic photon beams ranging from the neutron separation energy, S n =9.86  MeV, to 13 MeV. We combine our experimental 86 Kr( γ , n ) 85 Kr cross section with results from our recent 86 Kr( γ , γ ′ ) measurement below the neutr... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 112501] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: Author(s): Eric A. Bergshoeff, Sjoerd de Haan, Olaf Hohm, Wout Merbis, and Paul K. Townsend We present a generally covariant and parity-invariant two-frame field (“zwei-dreibein”) action for gravity in three space-time dimensions that propagates two massive spin-2 modes, unitarily, and we use Hamiltonian methods to confirm the absence of unphysical degrees of freedom. We show how zwei-drei... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 111102] Published Wed Sep 11, 2013

Description: by Katerina Douka, Christopher A. Bergman, Robert E. M. Hedges, Frank P. Wesselingh, Thomas F. G. Higham The Out-of-Africa model holds that anatomically modern humans (AMH) evolved and dispersed from Africa into Asia, and later Europe. Palaeoanthropological evidence from the Near East assumes great importance, but AMH remains from the region are extremely scarce. ‘Egbert’, a now-lost AMH fossil from the key site of Ksar Akil (Lebanon) and ‘Ethelruda’, a recently re-discovered fragmentary maxilla from the same site, are two rare examples where human fossils are directly linked with early Upper Palaeolithic archaeological assemblages. Here we radiocarbon date the contexts from which Egbert and Ethelruda were recovered, as well as the levels above and below the findspots. In the absence of well-preserved organic materials, we primarily used marine shell beads, often regarded as indicative of behavioural modernity. Bayesian modelling allows for the construction of a chronostratigraphic framework for Ksar Akil, which supports several conclusions. The model-generated age estimates place Egbert between 40.8–39.2 ka cal BP (68.2% prob.) and Ethelruda between 42.4–41.7 ka cal BP (68.2% prob.). This indicates that Egbert is of an age comparable to that of the oldest directly-dated European AMH (Peştera cu Oase). Ethelruda is older, but on current estimates not older than the modern human teeth from Cavallo in Italy. The dating of the so-called “transitional” or Initial Upper Palaeolithic layers of the site may indicate that the passage from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic at Ksar Akil, and possibly in the wider northern Levant, occurred later than previously estimated, casting some doubts on the assumed singular role of the region as a locus for human dispersals into Europe. Finally, tentative interpretations of the fossil's taxonomy, combined with the chronometric dating of Ethelruda's context, provides evidence that the transitional/IUP industries of Europe and the Levant, or at least some of them, may be the result of early modern human migration(s).

Description: by Thomas Lund, Johan Hviid Andersen, Trine Nøhr Winding, Karin Biering, Merete Labriola Background Most previous studies on reliance on social benefits have focused on health, sickness absence, work environment and socioeconomic status in adulthood. Extending the focus to include early life circumstances may improve our understanding of processes leading to educational and occupational marginalisation and exclusion. The aim of this study was to investigate if multiple negative life events in childhood determined future labour market participation, and to identify important negative life events for labour market participation in young adulthood. Methods Of a cohort of 3,681 born in 1989 in the county of Ringkjoebing, Denmark, 3,058 (83%) completed a questionnaire in 2004. They were followed in a register on social benefits for 12 months in 2010-2011. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate associations between negative life events in childhood and future labour market participation, taking into account effects of socio-economic position, school performance, educational plans, vocational expectations and general health. Results A total of 17.1% (19.9% males, 14.4% females) received social benefits for at least 4 weeks during follow-up. Labour market participation decreased with number of negative life events, especially for females: Females who had experienced their parents’ divorce, had been abused, or had witnessed a violent event, showed decreased labour market participation, when adjusting for SES, school performance, educational plans, vocational expectations and general health at baseline. Attributable fractions ranged from 2.4% (parents’ alcohol/drug abuse) to 16.1% (parents’ divorce) for women. For men, risk estimates were lower and insignificant in the most adjusted models. Attributable fractions ranged from 1.0% (parents’ alcohol/drug abuse) to 4.9% for witnessing a violent event. Conclusions Information on childhood conditions may increase the understanding of determinants of labour market participation for young adults. Knowledge of negative life events in childhood should be taken into account when considering determinants of labour market participation and identifying high-risk groups.

Description: by Britt G. de Jong, Aart Lammers, Leonora A. A. Oberendorf, Mike G. B. Nieuwland, Huub F. J. Savelkoul, Henk K. Parmentier Specificity, antibody isotype distribution and levels of natural antibodies (NAb) may be potential informative parameters for immune mediated natural disease resistance, immune modulation, and maintenance of physiological homeostasis. A large proportion of mammalian NAb have affinity for or are directed against self-antigens; so called natural auto antibodies (N(A)Ab). In the present study we showed the presence and typed levels and isotypes (total immunoglobulins, IgG and IgM) of N(A)Ab in plasma binding the ‘auto-antigen’ complex chicken liver cell lysate (CLL) of one-year old chickens from different genotype and phenotype backgrounds by ELISA and quantitative Western blotting. Higher levels of N(A)Ab binding CLL were found in plasma from chickens genetically selected for high specific antibody responses. In all birds, extensive staining patterns of plasma antibodies binding CLL were found for all isotypes, with IgG binding the highest number of CLL antigens and also showing the highest variation in staining patterns between individuals. Patterns of IgM antibodies binding CLL appeared to be more similar in all lines. Significant differences of binding patterns of N(A)Ab (antigen fragments of CLL and staining intensity) were detected between the different chicken lines, and lines could be clustered on the basis of their auto-antibody profile. In addition, also individual differences within lines were found. The present results indicate that analysis of the levels and the N(A)Ab repertoire of poultry like in mammals could provide a new way of distinguishing differences of immune competence and immune maturation between individuals, and could provide tools to select birds for health traits, or optimize hygiene and husbandry procedures.

Description: by Pei-Yi Chu, Chih-Jen Cheng, Yi-Chang Wu, Yu-Wei Fang, Tom Chau, Shinichi Uchida, Sei Sasaki, Sung-Sen Yang, Shih-Hua Lin Stimulation of the OSR1 (Oxidative stress-responsive kinase-1)/SPAK [STE20 (sterile 20)/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase]-NCC (Na + -Cl − cotransporter) signaling cascade plays an important role in the WNK [With-No-Lysine (K)] kinase 4 D561A knock-in mouse model of pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHA II) characterized by salt-sensitive hypertension and hyperkalemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the respective roles of Osr1 and Spak in the pathogenesis of PHA II in vivo . Wnk4 D561A/+ mice were crossed with kidney tubule-specific (KSP) Osr1 knockout (KSP- Osr1 −/− ) and Spak knockout ( Spak −/− ) mice. Blood pressure, plasma and urine biochemistries, and the relevant protein expression in the kidneys were examined. Wnk4 D561A/+ , KSP- Osr1 −/− , and Spak −/− mice recapitulated the phenotypes of PHA II, Bartter-like syndrome, and Gitelman syndrome, respectively. Wnk4 D561A/+ .KSP- Osr1 −/− remained phenotypically PHA II while Wnk4 D561A/+ . Spak −/− mice became normotensive and lacked the PHA II phenotype. Phosphorylated Spak and Ncc were similarly increased in both Wnk4 D561A/+ and Wnk4 D561A/+ .KSP- Osr1 −/− mice while phosphorylated Ncc normalized in Wnk4 D561A/+ . Spak −/− mice. Furthermore, Wnk4 D561A/+ .KSP- Osr1 −/− mice exhibited exaggerated salt excretion in response to thiazide diuretics while Wnk4 D561A/+ . Spak −/− mice exhibited normal responses. Wnk4D561A/+.Spak −/− . KSP-Osr1 −/− triple mutant mice had low blood pressure and diminished phosphorylated Ncc. Both SPAK and OSR1 are important in the maintenance of blood pressure but activation of SPAK-NCC plays the dominant role in PHA II. SPAK may be a therapeutic target for disorders with salt-sensitive hypertension related to WNK4 activation.

Description: by Magdalena Migocka, Anna Warzybok, Anna Papierniak, Grażyna Kłobus Studies in the last few years have shed light on the process of nitrate accumulation within plant cells, achieving molecular identification and partial characterization of the genes and proteins involved in this process. However, contrary to the plasma membrane-localized nitrate transport activities, the kinetics of active nitrate influx into the vacuole and its adaptation to external nitrate availability remain poorly understood. In this work, we have investigated the activity and regulation of the tonoplast-localized H + /NO 3 − antiport in cucumber roots in response to N starvation and NO 3 − induction. The time course of nitrate availability strongly influenced H + /NO 3 − antiport activity at the tonoplast of root cells. However, under N starvation active nitrate accumulation within the vacuole still occurred. Hence, either a constitutive H + -coupled transport system specific for nitrate operates at the tonoplast, or nitrate uses another transport protein of broader specificity to different anions to enter the vacuole via a proton-dependent process. H + /NO 3 − antiport in cucumber was significantly stimulated in NO 3 − -induced plants that were supplied with nitrate for 24 hours following 6-day-long N starvation. The cytosolic fraction isolated from the roots of NO 3 − -induced plants significantly stimulated H + /NO 3 − antiport in tonoplast membranes isolated from cucumbers growing on nitrate. The stimulatory effect of the cytosolic fraction was completely abolished by EGTA and the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and slightly enhanced by the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid and cantharidin. Hence, we conclude that stimulation of H + /NO 3 − antiport at the tonoplast of cucumber roots in response to nitrate provision may occur through the phosphorylation of a membrane antiporter involving Ca-dependent, staurosporine-sensitive protein kinase.

Description: by I-Cheng Chen, Hsuan-Yuan Lin, Ya-Chin Hsiao, Chiung-Mei Chen, Yih-Ru Wu, Hsin-Chieh Shiau, Yu-Fang Shen, Kuo-Shiu Huang, Ming-Tsan Su, Hsiu-Mei Hsieh-Li, Guey-Jen Lee-Chen Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) involves the expansion of CTG/CAG repeats from the overlapping ataxin 8 opposite strand ( ATXN8OS ) and ataxin 8 ( ATXN8 ) genes located on chromosome 13q21. Although being transcribed, spliced and polyadenylated in the CTG orientation, ATXN8OS does not itself appear to be protein coding, as only small open reading frames (ORFs) were noted. In the present study we investigated the translation of a novel 102 amino acids containing-ORF in the ATXN8OS RNA. Expression of chimeric construct with an in-frame ORF-EGFP gene demonstrated that ATXN8OS RNA is translatable. Using antiserum raised against ORF, ATXN8OS ORF expression was detected in various human cells including lymphoblastoid, embryonic kidney 293, neuroblastoma IMR-32, SK-N-SH, SH-SY5Y cells and human muscle tissue. The biological role of the ATXN8OS ORF and its connection to SCA8 remains to be determined.

Description: by Carel P. van Schaik, Laura Damerius, Karin Isler The ability to plan for the future beyond immediate needs would be adaptive to many animal species, but is widely thought to be uniquely human. Although studies in captivity have shown that great apes are capable of planning for future needs, it is unknown whether and how they use this ability in the wild. Flanged male Sumatran orangutans ( Pongo abelii ) emit long calls, which females use to maintain earshot associations with them. We tested whether long calls serve to communicate a male's ever-changing predominant travel direction to facilitate maintaining these associations. We found that the direction in which a flanged male emits his long calls predicts his subsequent travel direction for many hours, and that a new call indicates a change in his main travel direction. Long calls given at or near the night nest indicate travel direction better than random until late afternoon on the next day. These results show that male orangutans make their travel plans well in advance and announce them to conspecifics. We suggest that such a planning ability is likely to be adaptive for great apes, as well as in other taxa.

Description: Author(s): Easwar Magesan, Alexandre Cooper, Honam Yum, and Paola Cappellaro Quantum systems have shown great promise for precision metrology thanks to advances in their control. This has allowed not only the sensitive estimation of external parameters but also the reconstruction of their temporal profile. In particular, quantum control techniques and orthogonal function the... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 032107] Published Thu Sep 12, 2013

Description: by M. H. Eileen Tan, X. Edward Zhou, Fen-Fen Soon, Xiaodan Li, Jun Li, Eu-Leong Yong, Karsten Melcher, H. Eric Xu Photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor (PNR, NR2E3) is a key transcriptional regulator of human photoreceptor differentiation and maintenance. Mutations in the NR2E3-encoding gene cause various retinal degenerations, including Enhanced S-cone syndrome, retinitis pigmentosa, and Goldman-Favre disease. Although physiological ligands have not been identified, it is believed that binding of small molecule agonists, receptor desumoylation, and receptor heterodimerization may switch NR2E3 from a transcriptional repressor to an activator. While these features make NR2E3 a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of retinal diseases, there has been a clear lack of structural information for the receptor. Here, we report the crystal structure of the apo NR2E3 ligand binding domain (LBD) at 2.8 Å resolution. Apo NR2E3 functions as transcriptional repressor in cells and the structure of its LBD is in a dimeric auto-repressed conformation. In this conformation, the putative ligand binding pocket is filled with bulky hydrophobic residues and the activation-function-2 (AF2) helix occupies the canonical cofactor binding site. Mutations designed to disrupt either the AF2/cofactor-binding site interface or the dimer interface compromised the transcriptional repressor activity of this receptor. Together, these results reveal several conserved structural features shared by related orphan nuclear receptors, suggest that most disease-causing mutations affect the receptor’s structural integrity, and allowed us to model a putative active conformation that can accommodate small ligands in its pocket.

Description: by Ayako Suzuki, Sachiyo Mimaki, Yuki Yamane, Akikazu Kawase, Koutatsu Matsushima, Makito Suzuki, Koichi Goto, Sumio Sugano, Hiroyasu Esumi, Yutaka Suzuki, Katsuya Tsuchihara We analyzed whole-exome sequencing data from 97 Japanese lung adenocarcinoma patients and identified several putative cancer-related genes and pathways. Particularly, we observed that cancer-related mutation patterns were significantly different between different ethnic groups. As previously reported, mutations in the EGFR gene were characteristic to Japanese, while those in the KRAS gene were more frequent in Caucasians. Furthermore, during the course of this analysis, we found that cancer-specific somatic mutations can be detected without sequencing normal tissue counterparts. 64% of the germline variants could be excluded using a total of 217 external Japanese exome datasets. We also show that a similar approach may be used for other three ethnic groups, although the discriminative power depends on the ethnic group. We demonstrate that the ATM gene and the PAPPA2 gene could be identified as cancer prognosis related genes. By bypassing the sequencing of normal tissue counterparts, this approach provides a useful means of not only reducing the time and cost of sequencing but also analyzing archive samples, for which normal tissue counterparts are not available.

Description: by Lin Huang Objective: Ischemic pre-conditioning and post-conditioning are useful manipulations to reduce the undesirable effects of ischemia-reperfusion skin flap each. But the impact of post-conditioning on the pre-conditioning skin flap is not manifested. Here we investigated the influence of ischemic post-conditioning in a preconditioned axial pattern skin flap model.Method: We used the skin flap in 40 rabbits and divided them into 5 groups randomly. At first we induced the ischemic pre-conditioning of the flap which was applied by 2 periods of 15 minutes of ischemia/15 minutes of reperfusion cycle. Next post-conditioning was performed by 6 cycles of 10 seconds of repeated ischemia/reperfusion periods at different times of just after the reperfusion,5 minutes after the reperfusion,10 minutes after the reperfusion. The animals were allocated into 5 groups: group 1 (Ischemia Group); group 2: (Pre-conditioning Group); group 3: (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning Group); group 4 (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning 5 minutes later Group); group5 (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning 10 minutes later). The neutrophil count was assessed with histologic analysis before the dissection of the skin flap. Flap viability was assessed 1 week after the operation, and surviving flap area was recorded as a percentage of the whole flap area. LSD test was used for statistical analysis among different groups to evaluate the effects of ischemic pre-conditioning against ischemia.Result: Among the varying groups, the neutrophil count varied: Group 1 was50.12±5.91; Group 2, 30.00±2.00, and Group 3, 18.87±3; Group 4, 22.50±1.92; Group 5, 30.12±1.88.The mean± SD surviving areas of the flaps for groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 31.76±4.59, 51.26±3.24,82.18±5.28,66.85±3.87 and 51.13±2.90 respectively. Spearman correlation analysis shows an increase relation between neutrophil count and flap survival rate in the different groups (P

Description: by Hiroyuki Nishi, Taichi Sakaguchi, Shigeru Miyagawa, Yasushi Yoshikawa, Satsuki Fukushima, Shunsuke Saito, Takayoshi Ueno, Toru Kuratani, Yoshiki Sawa Background Although microRNA (miRNA) regulates initiation and/or progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) in canine AF models, the underlying mechanism in humans remains unclear. We speculated that certain miRNAs in atrial tissue are related to AF, and evaluated the relationship of miRNA expression in human atrial tissue in cardiac surgery patients. Methods Right atrial tissues from 29 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery were divided into 3 groups [A: chronic AF or unsuccessful maze, n=6; B: successful maze, n=10; C: sinus rhythm (SR) n=13]. miRNA expression was determined using high density microarrays and with Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fibrosis was examined using Masson trichrome staining. Results miRNA microarray analysis showed elevated miRNA-21, miRNA-23b, miRNA-199b, and miRNA-208b in AF as compared to SR groups. RT-PCR showed elevated miRNA-21 (1.9-fold) and miRNA-208b (4.2-fold) in AF as compared to the SR groups. miRNA-21 expression increased from Group C to A (A: 2.1-fold, B: 1.8-fold, C: 1.0-fold). Fibrosis increased from C to A (A: 43.0±12.9%, B: 21.3±6.1%, C: 11.9±3.1%). Percent fibrosis and miRNA-21 expression were correlated (r=0.508, p

Description: by Habiba I. Ali, Amjad H. Jarrar, Mohamed El Sadig, Karin B. Yeatts Background Diet therapy is the cornerstone for the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Carbohydrate is the primary nutrient affecting postprandial blood glucose levels. Hence, knowledge of food containing carbohydrates can assist women with GDM optimize glycemic control. Despite that, there is a paucity of research on carbohydrate-related knowledge of women with GDM. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the highest prevalence of diabetes (19.2%) in the world. This study compared diet and knowledge of carbohydrate-containing foods among pregnant women with and without GDM in the UAE. Methods The sample consisted of multi-ethnic women with GDM (n = 94) and a control group of healthy pregnant women (n = 90) attending prenatal clinics in three hospitals in Al Ain, UAE. Data were collected using a questionnaire and a 24-hour recall. Knowledge of food sources of carbohydrate, dietary patterns, and nutrient intakes of the two groups were compared. Results There were no significant differences in the mean knowledge score of food sources of carbohydrate between women with GDM and that of pregnant women without GDM. Similarly, there were no significant differences in energy and nutrient intakes between the two groups with the exception of percent energy from protein. Women with GDM reported significantly lower intake of fruits and fruit juices (P = 0.012) and higher consumption of milk and yogurt (P = 0.004) compared to that of women without GDM. Twenty-two percent of women with GDM indicated they never visited a dietitian for counseling while 65% reported they visited a dietitian only once or twice during the pregnancy. Predictors of carbohydrate knowledge score were perceived knowledge of diet and GDM and parity among women with GDM and parity and educational level among those without GDM. Conclusion The results of the study highlight the urgent need to provide nutrition education for women with GDM in the UAE.

Description: Author(s): Guang-Yin Chen, Neill Lambert, Che-Ming Li, Yueh-Nan Chen, and Franco Nori We investigate, using the hierarchy method, the entanglement and the excitation transfer efficiency of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex under two different local modifications: the suppression of transitions between particular sites and localized changes to the protein environment. We find tha... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 032120] Published Thu Sep 12, 2013

Description: Author(s): M. J. B. Moura and M. Marder We examine the fracture mechanics of tearing graphene. We present a molecular dynamics simulation of the propagation of cracks in clamped, free-standing graphene as a function of the out-of-plane force. The geometry is motivated by experimental configurations that expose graphene sheets to out-of-pl... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 032405] Published Thu Sep 12, 2013

Description: Author(s): Fulvio Bisi, Giovanni De Matteis, and Silvano Romano We consider here a classical model, consisting of D 2 h -symmetric particles in a three-dimensional simple-cubic lattice; the pair potential is isotropic in orientation space, and restricted to nearest neighbors. The simplest potential model is written in terms of the squares of the scalar products bet... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 032502] Published Thu Sep 12, 2013

Description: Author(s): Hanjie Guo, Hiroshi Tanida, Riki Kobayashi, Ikuto Kawasaki, Masafumi Sera, Takashi Nishioka, Masahiro Matsumura, Isao Watanabe, and Zhu-an Xu The magnetic ground state of the Rh-doped Kondo semiconductor CeRu 2 Al 10 [Ce(Ru 1− x Rh x ) 2 Al 10 ] is investigated with the muon spin relaxation method. Muon spin precession with two frequencies is observed in the x =0 sample, while only one frequency is present in the x =0.05 and 0.10 samples, which is attr... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115206] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): A. Hillion, A. Tamion, F. Tournus, O. Gaier, E. Bonet, C. Albin, and V. Dupuis We propose a theoretical framework enabling the simulation of isothermal remanence magnetization (IRM) curves, based on the Stoner-Wohlfarth model combined with the Néel macrospin relaxation time description. We show how low temperature IRM curves, which have many advantages compared to hysteresis l... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 094419] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): C. W. Xiao, J. Nieves, and E. Oset We present a coupled channel unitary approach to obtain states dynamically generated from the meson-baryon interaction with hidden charm, using constraints of heavy quark spin symmetry. As a basis of states, we use D ̅ B , D ̅ * B states, with B baryon charmed states belonging to the 20 re... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 056012] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): A. A. Bush, N. Büttgen, A. A. Gippius, V. N. Glazkov, W. Kraetschmer, L. A. Prozorova, L. E. Svistov, A. M. Vasiliev, and A. Zheludev We present the results of magnetization, electron spin resonance (ESR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on single-crystal samples of the frustrated S =1/2 chain cuprate LiCu 2 O 2 doped with nonmagnetic Zn 2+ . As shown by the x-ray techniques, the crystals of Li(Cu 1− x Zn x ) 2 O 2 with x 〈0... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 104411] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): Nicolai Friis, Antony R. Lee, and Jorma Louko We analyze quantized scalar, spinor, and photon fields in a mechanically rigid cavity that is accelerated in Minkowski spacetime, in a recently introduced perturbative small-acceleration formalism that allows the velocities to become relativistic, with a view to applications in relativistic quantum ... [Phys. Rev. D 88, 064028] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): Parvendra Kumar and Amarendra K. Sarma We report a simple scheme to achieve ultrafast and selective population transfer in four-level atoms by utilizing a single nonlinearly chirped femtosecond pulse. It is demonstrated that the almost complete population may be transferred to the preselected state of atoms just by manipulating the so-ca... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 033823] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): G. H. Gossel, V. A. Dzuba, and V. V. Flambaum We calculate magnetic dipole transition amplitudes in s − s and s − d transitions of Rb, Cs, Ba + , Fr, Ra + , Yb + , Ac 2+ and Th 3+ . These transitions were used or considered to be used for parity-nonconservation (PNC) measurements. We also calculate the magnetic g -factor anomalies for a selection of states, ... [Phys. Rev. A 88, 034501] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): X. P. Shen, S. D. Chen, Q. Q. Ge, Z. R. Ye, F. Chen, H. C. Xu, S. Y. Tan, X. H. Niu, Q. Fan, B. P. Xie, and D. L. Feng We studied the low-lying electronic structure of the newly discovered iron-platinum-arsenide superconductor, Ca 10 (Pt 4 As 8 )(Fe 2− x Pt x As 2 ) 5 ( T c =22 K) with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found that the Pt 4 As 8 layer contributes to a small electronlike Fermi surface, indicative of metallic c... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115124] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): U. C. Mendes, M. Korkusinski, A. H. Trojnar, and P. Hawrylak We present a microscopic theory of the optical properties of self-assembled quantum dots doped with a single magnetic manganese (Mn) impurity and containing a controlled number of electrons. The single-particle electron and heavy-hole electronic shells are described by two-dimensional harmonic oscil... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 115306] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): F. Nilsson, R. Sakuma, and F. Aryasetiawan In this work we have calculated U from first principles for the early lanthanides (Ce-Gd) using the constrained random phase approximation (cRPA). We compare the static limit of U with experimental estimations from x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and bremsstrahlung isochromat spectroscopy (BI... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 125123] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): Lance J. Dixon and Ye Li We study the change in the diphoton-invariant-mass distribution for Higgs boson decays to two photons, due to interference between the Higgs resonance in gluon fusion and the continuum background amplitude for g g → γ γ . Previously, the apparent Higgs mass was found to shift by around 100 MeV in the sta... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 111802] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): M. R. Kamali, J. J. J. Gillissen, H. E. A. van den Akker, and Sankaran Sundaresan A lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is presented for solving the energy conservation equation in two phases when the phase change effects are included in the model. This approach employs multiple distribution functions, one for a pseudotemperature scalar variable and the rest for the various species. A ... [Phys. Rev. E 88, 033302] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013

Description: Author(s): C. Stock, S. R. Dunsiger, R. A. Mole, X. Li, and H. Luo A neutron scattering investigation of the magnetoelectric coupling in PbFe 1/2 Nb 1/2 O 3 has been undertaken. Ferroelectric order occurs below 400 K, as evidenced by the softening with temperature and subsequent recovery of the zone center transverse optic phonon mode energy ( ℏ Ω 0 ). Over the same tempera... [Phys. Rev. B 88, 094105] Published Fri Sep 13, 2013