bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A community outbreak of tuberculosis in Southern Austria: lessons learned for a targeted use of molecular epidemiological methods and tuberculin skin testing
Authors: SCHMID D. , INDRA A. , HÖGER G. , HASENBERGER P. , ROBL B. , SCHÖFFMANN M. , MAIERON B. , OLEXSINSKI G. , STONITSCH B. , PRODINGER W. M. , ALLERBERGER F.
Published: September 2005

A cluster of 10 cases of tuberculosis disease (one of them extrapulmonary) occurred from July 2001 until November 2003 in a health district in Southern Austria. Eight patients were culture confirmed and shared an identical strain. One of these eight cases was identified as outbreak-related by molecular strain typing only. Due to public pressure, a further 600 persons received chest X-ray and clinical examinations. Apart from one case which could be excluded from the outbreak because of a different strain pattern, no outbreak-related case of active tuberculosis was detected by this non-targeted procedure. Tuberculin skin testing, not part of the Austrian routine protocol of contact investigation in adults, was initiated after diagnosis of case 8. Forty-nine latently infected contacts were detected. Population-based genotyping of all isolates, prioritization of contact investigations and early use of targeted tuberculin skin testing are critical for effective tuberculosis control in low-incidence countries.
Outbreak of Legionnaires' disease on a cruise ship linked to spa-bath filter stones contaminated with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 5
Authors: KURA F. , AMEMURA-MAEKAWA J. , YAGITA K. , ENDO T. , IKENO M. , TSUJI H. , TAGUCHI M. , KOBAYASHI K. , ISHII E. , WATANABE H.
Published: September 2005

In January 2003, two cases of Legionnaires' disease associated with a ship's cruise were registered in the database of National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases. A 70-year-old male heavy smoker with mild emphysema contracted the disease during a cruise. Legionella pneumophila serogroup (sg) 5 was isolated from the patient's sputum and the ship's indoor spa. The isolate from the spa matched the patient's isolate by genotyping performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The second case was in a 73-year-old female. During epidemiological investigation, a third case of Legionnaire's disease in a 71-year-old male was subsequently diagnosed among passengers on the same ship on the following cruise. Environmental investigation revealed that porous natural stones (Maifanshi) in the filters of the spas had harboured L. pneumophila, a phenomenon which has not been reported except in Japan. This is the first documented evidence of L. pneumophila sg 5 infection on a ship and of porous stones as a source of Legionella infection.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community in West Essex
Authors: MILLERSHIP S. , HARRIS J. , BATCHELOR N.
Published: September 2005

The study was undertaken in response to local concerns of a rising number of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. All patients resident in the community in Essex at the time of diagnosis with a first isolate of MRSA between 1994 and 2001 identified by the diagnostic microbiology laboratory were included. Although the annual incidence rose throughout the study period the majority of those with MRSA (82%) had had hospital contact within the last 5 years. The subset of patients without hospital contact had a median age of 79·5 years, 63% were female and 32% were residents of care homes. Carriage in this population was detected for up to 41 months post-diagnosis. Neither antibiogram nor clinical presentation distinguished these isolates from local hospital-acquired strains.
FUNCTIONAL PEARLS: Finding celebrities: A lesson in functional programming
Authors: BIRD RICHARD , CURTIS SHARON
Published: September 2005

The setting is a class on functional programming. There are four students, Anne, Jack, Mary and Theo.
EDUCATIONAL PEARL: Biological sequence similarity
Authors: WAKELING DAVID
Published: September 2005

Functional languages provide an excellent framework for formulating biological algorithms in a naive form and then transforming them into an efficient form. This helps biologists understand what matters about programming and brings functional programming into the realm of the practical. In this column, we present an example from our MSc course on bioinformatics and report on our experiences teaching functional programming in this context.
A modeling study of moist and dynamic vorticity vectors associated with two‐dimensional tropical convection
Authors: Gao Shouting , Cui Xiaopeng , Zhou Yushu , Li Xiaofan , Tao Wei‐Kuo
Published: September 2005

Moist ( × ∇qv/ρ, MVV) and dynamic ( × /ρ, DVV) vorticity vectors are introduced to study 2‐D tropical convection with 2‐D cloud‐resolving simulation data. The cloud model is forced by vertical velocity, zonal wind, horizontal advection, and sea surface temperature data obtained from TOGA COARE and is integrated for a selected 10‐day period. The MVV and DVV have zonal and vertical components in the 2‐D x‐z frame. Analysis of zonally averaged and mass‐integrated quantities shows that the vertical (zonal) component of the MVV and the sum of the cloud hydrometeor mixing ratios are in phase with a correlation coefficient of 0.78 (0.32), and the vertical (zonal) component of the DVV and the sum of the mixing ratios are in (out of) phase with a correlation coefficient of 0.52 (−0.62), indicating that the vertical component of the MVV and both zonal and vertical component of the DVV are closely associated with tropical convection. The tendency equations for the MVV and DVV are derived, and the zonally averaged and mass‐integrated tendency budgets are analyzed. The tendency of the vertical component of the MVV is mainly determined by the interaction between the vorticity and the zonal gradient of condensational/depositional heating. The tendency of the zonal component of the DVV is controlled by the interaction between the vorticity, buoyancy, and vertical pressure gradient, whereas the tendency of the vertical component is determined by the interaction between the vorticity and zonal pressure gradient.
Sahel rainfall variability and response to greenhouse warming
Authors: Haarsma Reindert J. , Selten Frank M. , Weber Suzanne L. , Kliphuis Michael
Published: September 2005

The NCEP/NCAR re‐analyses as well as ensemble integrations with an atmospheric GCM indicate that interannual variations in Sahel rainfall are related to variations in the mean sea level pressure (MSLP) over the Sahara. In turn the MSLP variations are related to the global distribution of surface air temperature (SAT). An increase in SAT over the Sahara, relative to the surrounding oceans, decreases the MSLP over the Sahara, thereby increasing the Sahel rainfall. We hypothesize that through this mechanism greenhouse warming will cause an increase in Sahel rainfall, because the warming is expected to be more prominent over the summer continents than over the oceans. This has been confirmed using an ensemble of 62 coupled model runs forced with a business as usual scenario. The ensemble mean increase in Sahel rainfall between 1980 and 2080 is about 1–2 mm day−1 (25–50%) during July–September, thereby strongly reducing the probability of prolonged droughts.
Effect of short‐term organoid culture on the pharmaco‐mechanical properties of rat extra‐ and intrapulmonary arteries
Authors: Guibert Christelle , Savineau Jean Pierre , Crevel Huguette , Marthan Roger , Rousseau Eric
Published: September 2005

Organoid cultured explants from differentiated tissues have gained renewed interest in the undertaking of physiological and pharmacological studies. In the work herein, we examined the pharmaco‐mechanical properties of an in vitro model consisting of organoid cultured rings derived from rat extra‐ and intrapulmonary arteries, over a period of 4 days in culture.

Mechanical changes were quantified using isometric tension measurements on both fresh and cultured pulmonary arterial tissues, with experiments performed in the presence or absence of 10% foetal calf serum. Conventional histochemical and immunofluorescent stainings were also performed to assess tissue structure integrity and apoptosis.

The explants developed spontaneous rhythmic contractions (SRC) in approximately half of the vessels. SRC amplitude and time course were modified by conditions and agents acting on membrane potential (high‐potassium solutions – levcromakalim, a potassium channel opener), while nitrendipine, an L‐type calcium channel blocker, suppressed SRC.

Cultured explants also developed a hyper‐reactivity to high potassium challenges (10–40 mM). Whereas contraction to serotonin (5‐HT) was enhanced in intrapulmonary arteries, contraction to endothelin‐1 remained unchanged after 4 days of culture. Serum did not alter contractile properties during the culture period.

Endothelial‐dependent relaxation was maintained in response to A23187 500 μM, but was abolished in response to 10 μM carbamylcholine.

Histological and immuno‐histological analyses revealed the absence of hypertrophied vascular wall or apoptosis.

In conclusion, the contractile phenotype as well as tissue structure integrity of organoid explants remain essentially intact during short‐term culture, making this model suitable for pharmaco‐genomic studies.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 692–701. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706379
Effects of combined inhibition of the Na+–H+ exchanger and angiotensin‐converting enzyme in rats with congestive heart failure after myocardial infarction
Authors: Ruetten Hartmut , Gehring Doris , Hiss Katrin , Schindler Ursula , Gerl Martin , Busch Andreas E , Schaefer Stefan
Published: September 2005

We investigated the single vs the combined long‐term inhibition of Na+–H+ exchanger‐1 (NHE‐1) and ACE in rats with congestive heart failure induced by myocardial infarction (MI).

Rats with MI were randomized to receive either placebo, cariporide (3000 p.p.m. via chow), ramipril (1 mg kg−1 day−1 via drinking water) or their combination for 18 weeks starting on day 3 after surgery.

Cardiac morphology and function was assessed by echocardiography and by means of a 2.0 F conductance catheter to determine left ventricular (LV) pressure volume relationships.

MI for 18 weeks resulted in an increase in LV end‐diastolic diameter (LVDed) in the placebo‐treated group when compared to sham (placebo: 1.1±0.04 cm; sham: 0.86±0.01; P<0.05). Combined inhibition of NHE‐1 and ACE, but not the monotherapies, significantly reduced LVDed (1.02±0.02 cm).

Preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW), dp/dtmax (parameter of systolic function) and end‐diastolic pressure volume relationship (EDPVR, diastolic function) were significantly impaired in placebo‐treated MI group (PRSW: 39±7 mmHg; dp/dtmax: 5185±363 mmHg s−1; EDPVR: 0.042±0.001 mmHg μl−1; all P<0.05). Cariporide treatment significantly improved PRSW (64±7 mmHg), dp/dtmax (8077±525 mmHg s−1) and EDPVR (0.026±0.014 mmHg μl−1), and reduced cardiac hypertrophy in rats with MI. Combined inhibition of NHE‐1 and ACE had even a more pronounced effect on PRSW (72±5 mmHg) and EDPVR (0.026±0.014 mmHg μl−1), as well as cardiac hypertrophy that, however, did not reach statistical significance compared to cariporide treatment alone.

The NHE‐1 inhibitor cariporide significantly improved LV remodeling and function in rats with congestive heart failure induced by MI. The effect of cariporide was comparable or tended to be stronger (e.g. systolic function) compared to ramipril. Combined treatment with cariporide and ramipril tended to be more effective on LV remodeling in rats with heart failure than the single treatments. Thus, inhibition of the NHE‐1 may be a promising novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of congestive heart failure.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 723–731. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706381
Ketamine impairs excitability in superficial dorsal horn neurones by blocking sodium and voltage‐gated potassium currents
Authors: Schnoebel Rose , Wolff Matthias , Peters Saskia C , Bräu Michael E , Scholz Andreas , Hempelmann Gunter , Olschewski Horst , Olschewski Andrea
Published: September 2005

Ketamine shows, besides its general anaesthetic effect, a potent analgesic effect after spinal administration. We investigated the local anaesthetic‐like action of ketamine and its enantiomers in Na+ and K+ channels and their functional consequences in dorsal horn neurones of laminae I–III, which are important neuronal structures for pain transmission receiving most of their primary sensory input from Aδ and C fibres.

Combining the patch‐clamp recordings in slice preparation with the ‘entire soma isolation’ method, we studied action of ketamine on Na+ and voltage‐activated K+ currents. The changes in repetitive firing behaviour of tonically firing neurones were investigated in current‐clamp mode after application of ketamine.

Concentration–effect curves for the Na+ peak current revealed for tonic block half‐maximal inhibiting concentrations (IC50) of 128 μM and 269 μM for S(+) and R(−)‐ketamine, respectively, showing a weak stereoselectivity. The block of Na+ current was use‐dependent. The voltage‐dependent K+ current (KDR) was also sensitive to ketamine with IC50 values of 266 μM and 196 μM for S(+) and R(−)‐ketamine, respectively. Rapidly inactivating K+ currents (KA) were less sensitive to ketamine. The block of KDR channels led to an increase in action potential duration and, as a consequence, to lowering of the discharge frequency in the neurones.

We conclude that ketamine blocks Na+ and KDR channels in superficial dorsal horn neurones of the lumbar spinal cord at clinically relevant concentrations for local, intrathecal application. Ketamine reduces the excitability of the neurones, which may play an important role in the complex mechanism of its action during spinal anaesthesia.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 826–833. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706385
Stability and admittance of a channel flow over a permeable interface
Authors: de Socio L. M. , Marino L. , Seminara G.
Published: September 2005

The stability and the admittance analysis are considered for a Poiseuille flow running over a permeable slab. The case where a suction, due to a cross flow, is present through both the channel and the porous slab is also dealt with. An analytic solution is found for the basic flow in the entire field whereas the stability analysis and the evaluation of the admittance at the interface are numerically carried out. The errors made in the usually simplified analyses are fully discussed.
Free-electron attachment to coronene and corannulene in the gas phase
Authors: Denifl S. , Ptasińska S. , Sonnweber B. , Scheier P. , Liu D. , Hagelberg F. , Mack J. , Scott L. T. , Märk T. D.
Published: September 2005

Electron attachment to the polyaromatic hydrocarbons coronene and corannulene is studied in the electron energy range of about 0–14eV using a high-resolution crossed electron-neutral beam setup. The major anions observed are the parent anions peaking at about 0eV with cross sections of 3.8×10−20 and 1×10−19m2, respectively. The only fragment anions formed in coronene and corannulene are the dehydrogenated coronene and corannulene anions. Other anions observed in the negative mass spectra at about 0eV can be ascribed to impurities of the sample. High-level quantum-mechanical studies are carried out for the determination of electron affinities, hydrogen binding energies, and structures of both molecules. The behavior of coronene and corannulene upon electron attachment is compared with that of other polyaromatic hydrocarbons studied previously.
Critical current distribution in spin-transfer-switched magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Pakala Mahendra , Huai Yiming , Valet Thierry , Ding Yunfei , Diao Zhitao
Published: September 2005

The spin transfer switching current distribution within a cell was studied in magnetic-tunnel-junction-based structures having alumina barriers with a resistance-area product (RA) of 10–30Ωμm2 and a tunneling magnetoresistance of ∼20%. These were patterned into current perpendicular to plane configured nanopillars having elliptical cross sections of area ∼0.02μm2. The width of the critical current distribution (sigma∕average of distribution), measured using 30-ms current pulse width, was found to be 7.5% and 3.5% for cells with thermal factor (KuV∕kBT) of 40 and 65, respectively. The distribution width did not change significantly for pulse widths between 1s and 4ms. An analytical expression for probability density function, p(I∕Ic0) was derived considering the thermally activated spin transfer model, which supports the experimental observation that the thermal factor is the most significant parameter in determining the within-cell critical current distribution width.
Strong optical nonlinearity in strain-induced laterally ordered In0.4Ga0.6As quantum wires on GaAs (311)A substrate
Authors: Mazur Yu. I. , Wang Zh. M. , Tarasov G. G. , Wen H. , Strelchuk V. , Guzun D. , Xiao M. , Salamo G. J. , Mishima T. D. , Lian Guoda D. , Johnson M. B.
Published: September 2005

Strain-induced laterally ordered In0.4Ga0.6As on (311)A GaAs template quantum wires have been fabricated and identified with cross-section transmission electron microscopy technique to be of average length ∼1μm, and on average width and height of 23 and 2nm, respectively, under InGaAs coverage of six monolayers. The photoluminescence spectrum of a sample demonstrates unusually strong optical nonlinearity even at moderate excitation densities. The excitonic peak energy blueshifts by ∼25meV without essential contribution of the quantum wire excited states at elevating excitation density. Strong decrease of the polarization anisotropy and increase of the energy of excitonic photoluminescence are attributed to a combined action of the phase-space filling effects and the screening of the internal piezoelectric field by free carriers.
Thermal annealing of blended-layer organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Ahn J. H. , Wang C. , Widdowson N. E. , Pearson C. , Bryce M. R. , Petty M. C.
Published: September 2005

The effects of thermal annealing on the electro-optical and morphological properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) containing a blend of poly[2-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-5-methoxy-1, 4-phenylenevinylene] and an electron-transporting material, 2,7-bis[2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]-9,9-dihexylfluorene (DFD) are reported. Improvements in the efficiency were found to depend on the composition of the blend film. Devices with a higher concentration of the electron-transport material showed a smaller increase in efficiency following the annealing step. The thermal treatment is thought to result in the formation of an interfacial layer between the organic film and the aluminum cathode, improving the injection of electrons from this electrode. Blended-layer OLEDs containing a high DFD concentration (⩾70%) retained their emission color following thermal processing.
Investigation of stability of a laminar flow in a parallel-plate channel filled with a fluid saturated porous medium
Authors: Avramenko A. A. , Kuznetsov A. V. , Basok B. I. , Blinov D. G.
Published: September 2005

Instability of a laminar flow in a parallel-plate channel filled with a fluid saturated porous medium is investigated on the basis of a modified Orr-Sommerfeld equation. This equation takes into account three drag terms: the Darcy term that describes friction between the fluid and the porous matrix, the Forchheimer quadratic drag term that describes a form drag due to the solid obstacles, and the Brinkman term, which is a viscous term similar to the Laplacian term in the Navier-Stokes equations. Numerical analysis is carried out using the collocation method. The dependence of the critical Reynolds number on porosity and permeability of the porous medium is analyzed numerically.
Exchange spring structures and coercivity reduction in FePt∕FeRh bilayers: A comparison of multiscale and micromagnetic calculations
Authors: Garcia-Sanchez F. , Chubykalo-Fesenko O. , Mryasov O. , Chantrell R. W. , Guslienko K. Yu.
Published: September 2005

Calculations of magnetization reversal mechanism and coercivity reduction in exchange coupled FePt∕FeRh bilayers are presented. It is shown by comparison with atomistic model calculations that the use of a standard micromagnetic model leads to an underestimation of the exchange energy at the interface, leading to a reduced coercivity decrease for small interfacial exchange energy constant. This is due to the failure of the domain wall (DW) to penetrate the hard FePt phase in the micromagnetic calculations. A multiscale model is proposed based an atomic level simulation in the interface region coupled with a micromagnetic approach elsewhere. This leads to improved calculations of DW structures at the interface, allowing a detailed study of the magnetization reversal mechanism. The new approach predicts a saturation in the coercivity reduction as a function of interface exchange energy at 4% of the bulk value, which is associated with complete continuity of the DW across the interface.
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pulsed power from resonantly diode-laser-pumped 1.6-μm Er:YAG laser
Authors: Garbuzov Dmitri , Kudryashov Igor , Dubinskii Mark
Published: September 2005

110 W pulse power and 0.93J pulse energy have been obtained with direct resonant pumping of a 1.6-μm Er3+-doped bulk solid-state laser with two-dimensional stacks of 1.5μm InGaAsP∕InP diode lasers.
Chemical fluctuation-induced nanodomains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films
Authors: Yan Yanfa , Noufi R. , Jones K. M. , Ramanathan K. , Al-Jassim M. M. , Stanbery B. J.
Published: September 2005

The microstructure and chemistry of CuInSe2 single-crystals and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films from high-efficiency devices are investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. We find strong chemical fluctuations at the nanoscale, which result in a lattice comprising a mixture of relatively Cu-poor and Cu-rich nanodomains in both cases. These nanodomains are crystallographically coherent, and no structural lattice defects are found at the interfaces between them. These nanodomains may interconnect, forming three-dimensional, interpenetrating Cu-poor and Cu-rich percolation networks. Such interconnected structures may play a role in the high device performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film photovoltaics.
On the magnetic mirror effect in Hall thrusters
Authors: Keidar M. , Boyd I. D.
Published: September 2005

The magnetic mirror effect is studied in the channel of a Hall thruster. It is shown that gradients in magnetic field affect the presheath structure and electric potential distribution. The length of the radial presheath region decreases in the presence of a magnetic field gradient. The two-dimensional potential shape can be affected by proper choice of the magnetic mirror ratio. In particular, it is possible to obtain a concave shape of the potential profile in the channel even in the case of a primarily radial magnetic field. This, in turn, can be used to efficiently control the ion dynamics in the acceleration region.
Structure and dynamics of a rainforest frog (Litoria genimaculata) population in northern Queensland
Authors: Richards Stephen J. , Alford Ross A.
Published: September 2005

We studied a population of the rainforest frog Litoria genimaculata over a 7-year period at Birthday Creek, an upland rainforest stream in northern Queensland. Estimated population size on a 60-m transect fluctuated seasonally, decreasing to zero during most winters and reaching a maximum of over 130 during most warmer spring and summer months with an influx of young adult males. Summer population estimates were much smaller during 1990–93, coinciding with the disappearance of two sympatric species. However the L. genimaculata population subsequently recovered to pre-‘decline’ levels. Females were rarely captured along the stream so the operational sex ratio of adult frogs was strongly biased in favour of males (overall sex ratio 1 : 0.04). Sexual dimorphism in this species is extreme. The mean weight of gravid females (23.35 g) was nearly five times that of males (4.68 g) and the ratio of female SVL to male SVL was 1.65. Reproductive and fat-body condition changed seasonally, with males reaching peak reproductive condition in late spring and summer when population densities were greatest. Our data suggest that Litoria genimaculata uses Birthday Creek largely or exclusively as a reproductive habitat. The extent to which this species uses habitats away from stream environments remains to be determined.
Geographic variation in advertisement calls of Crinia signifera (Anura:Myobatrachidae) in the Bass Strait area of south-eastern Australia
Authors: Littlejohn M. J.
Published: September 2005

The structure of recorded advertisement calls of a total of 176 males of Crinia signifera from eight localities on the south-eastern Australian mainland and Tasmania was investigated. On the basis of number of pulses per call (samples from all localities) and call duration adjusted to 13.0°C (samples from six localities), two geographic groups are recognised: (1) south-central Victoria, and (2) the extreme south-eastern mainland and Tasmania. This pattern of variation is postulated to reflect expansion of a differentiated Tasmanian stock on to the extreme south-eastern Australian mainland along the eastern sill of the Bassian Isthmus during the lower sea levels of the Late Pleistocene. Geographic variation in pulse rate (derived from number of pulses and call duration) was also considered because of its use in previous studies. The variation in dominant frequency in samples from five localities, adjusted for snout–vent length, does not conform to that for number of pulses and call duration, and is attributed to differences in demographic structure and recruitment.
Evolution in the suite of semiochemicals secreted by the sternal gland of Australian marsupials
Authors: Zabaras R. , Richardson B. J. , Wyllie S. G.
Published: September 2005

The nature and distribution of the components, and evolution of the suite of compounds, secreted by the sternal gland of marsupials were studied. Individuals from nine families (18 species) of marsupials and from the echidna were sampled over an 18-month period. The assay system used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and utilised thermal desorption with cryofocusing. Parsimony analysis, constrained by an assumed phylogeny, was used to examine the evolution of the suite of compounds detected. Large interspecies variation in secretion composition was observed with acetic acid, short-chain (C6–C10) aldehydes, long-chain (>C15) hydrocarbons and 1,1-bis-(p-tolyl)-ethane being constituents of the secretion of most species. The suite of compounds, however, varied from three compounds in the yellow-bellied and feathertail gliders to 41 in the koala. The most complex suites of compounds were found in the brown antechinus, red kangaroo, tammar wallaby and koala. Radical differences were observed between the secretions of related species (for example, brown antechinus and mulgara, tammar and parma wallabies, wombat and koala). Compounds appeared and disappeared repeatedly across the phylogeny. No compound constituted a synapomorphy for the Australian marsupials and only one compound was considered a synapomorphy for the Diprotodontia.
Breeding biology of a migratory Australian passerine, the golden whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)
Authors: van Dongen Wouter F. D. , Yocom Larissa L.
Published: September 2005

The breeding biology of Australian passerines is characterised by long breeding seasons and the potential to produce multiple broods within a single season. However, many species undergo a yearly migration from their breeding sites to climatically milder wintering grounds. This migratory behaviour may impose constraints on the breeding biology of these species. We studied a migratory population of golden whistlers (Pachycephala pectoralis) at Toolangi State Forest, Victoria. Individuals typically arrived in early September, attempted to produce a single successful brood over a 3-month period and departed again in late April. Both site- and pair-fidelity were high, with an average of 66% of males returning to the same site, re-pairing with the same female in up to 100% of cases. Nest predation was common, with 45% of nesting attempts failing due to predation. Each pair initiated an average of 1.7 nests per season, resulting in an average of 1.2 fledglings per pair each season. The short breeding season and single-broodedness of the golden whistlers at Toolangi is atypical amongst Australian passerines and suggests that constraints may be imposed on species undergoing annual migration. In this regard, golden whistlers show more similarities to Northern Hemisphere migratory passerines than to the sedentary passerines of the Southern Hemisphere.
The life history of Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus (Phalangeridae) in the jarrah forest of south-western Australia
Authors: Wayne A. F. , Ward C. G. , Rooney J. F. , Vellios C. V. , Lindenmayer D. B.
Published: September 2005

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is noted for its morphological, biological and ecological variability across its range. Despite having suffered substantial population declines since European settlement, relatively little has been published on the south-western Australian subspecies, the koomal (T. v. hypoleucus). This study reports morphological, reproductive and general life-history data from an 18-month study of a population in the southern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest at Chariup (part of Perup), near Manjimup, in south-western Australia. As one of the smallest subspecies, adult males of T. v. hypoleucus averaged 1616 g and females averaged 1470 g. Sexual dimorphism also occurred with head length and pes length, but not tail length. A single autumn breeding season occurred in both 2002 and 2003, in which all adult females bred and produced a single young between February and May. The onset of autumn births was associated with the end of the summer drought. Unlike many other Trichosurus populations, no spring breeding pulse or ‘double-breeding’ events were observed. At least 83% of pouch young survived to pouch emergence. The growth rate of offspring was initially linear, but became curvilinear and approached an asymptote after ~5 months. Most females bred for the first time when they were 1 year old. On the basis of testis size, males also matured at 1 year old. The body condition of adult males, but not adult females, changed significantly over time and followed an apparently seasonal pattern in which their condition was poorest in winter and best in summer. While many of the life-history traits of the Chariup population were similar to those of other south-western Australian populations of T. v. hypoleucus, the most striking variations included age at maturity, extent of spring breeding pulse and female fecundity. Further comparisons with conspecifics elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand also highlight the variability exhibited by T. vulpecula across its range. Some aspects of the biology of T. v. hypoleucus were particularly similar to those observed for T. v. arnhemensis in northern Australia.
Milk composition and growth in wild and captive Tasmanian pademelons, Thylogale billardierii (Marsupialia)
Authors: Rose R. W. , Flowers K.
Published: September 2005

Changes in milk composition (total solids, carbohydrate, protein, lipid and calculated gross energy content) during lactation in three groups of wild (recently culled) and one captive group (fed ad libitum) of Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) were related to growth rates and body condition. The habitats of the three wild groups differed. Total milk solids were generally greater in the captive group but this difference disappeared in late lactation. Milk carbohydrates showed a general increase to mid-lactation in all groups, decreasing subsequently, but were always greater in the captive group. The captive group’s milk protein was always greater than those of wild Groups 1 and 2 but differed from wild Group 3 only in mid-lactation. Milk lipid concentrations started low in all groups; thereafter, the captive group had higher concentrations of lipid in mid-lactation but there were considerable differences between the groups in late lactation with Group 2 having the highest concentrations. Other than in the captive group there was little difference in energy content between early and mid-lactation. Growth rates of young differed between all wild groups, with the captive population exhibiting more rapid growth than all others. Thus, differences in milk composition resulting from different planes of nutrition can lead to differences in growth rates of marsupial young.
Reproductive biology and stress of captivity in male brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam
Authors: Aldridge Robert D. , Arackal Anna A.
Published: September 2005

This study was designed to describe the reproductive biology of a sample of wild-caught brown treesnakes and to determine the effect of increased food intake (nutrition) on the development of the testis and sexual segment of the kidney, and on sperm storage in the vas deferens in captive males. The wild snakes were trapped and preserved within 24 h, in December 1999, from a snake trap-line in northern Guam. In the nutrition experiment adult snakes were matched for snout–vent length and separated into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 were fed a high-calorie diet for 8 and 4 weeks, respectively. Group 3 males, the control group, received a low-calorie diet and were preserved at 7 weeks. In the wild sample all snakes above 1035 mm snout–vent length were undergoing spermatogenesis, had a well developed sexual segment of the kidney, and had sperm stored in the vas deferens. In all experimental groups, spermatogenesis and development of the sexual segment of the kidney was terminated or inhibited, and in most snakes sperm were absent from the vas deferens. Blood levels of stress hormones (i.e. corticosterone) and reproductive hormones (androgens) were not measured. However, a previous study reported that the stress of captivity causes an increase in plasma levels of corticosterone in brown treesnakes, and other studies on squamates indicate that high corticosterone levels can disrupt reproductive hormones and shut down the reproductive cycle.
Contractile properties of single-skinned skeletal muscle fibres of the extensor digitorum longus muscle of the Australian short-nosed echidna
Authors: Bakker Anthony J. , Parkinson Ann L. , Head Stewart I.
Published: September 2005

Eutherian mammal fast-twitch muscle fibres share similar contractile activation properties, suggesting that these properties are highly conserved in mammals. To investigate this hypothesis, we examined the contractile properties of skeletal muscle from the order Monotremata, a mammalian order that separated from eutherians 150 million years ago. The Ca2+- and Sr2+-activation properties of single mechanically skinned skeletal muscle fibres from the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of the short-nosed echidna were determined. Sigmoidal curves fitted to force response data plotted as a function of pCa (–log[Ca2+]), had a mean slope of 4.32 ± 0.28 and a mean pCa50 and pCa10 value of 6.18 ± 0.01 and 6.41 ± 0.02 respectively (n = 20). The mean pSr50, pSr10 and slope values of curves fitted to the force-response data after activation with Sr2+ were 4.80 ± 0.03, 5.29 ± 0.07 and 2.75 ± 0.18 respectively (n = 20). The mean pCa50–pSr50 value for the echidna EDL fibres was 1.37 ± 0.04. In five of the echidna fibres, exposure to submaximal Ca2+ concentrations produced myofibrillar force oscillations (mean frequency, 0.13 ± 0.01 Hz), a phenomenon found only in eutherian slow and intermediate muscle fibres. These results show that echidna EDL fibres generally have similar contractile properties to eutherian fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibres, such as those found in the EDL of the rat.
Cooperative interaction of Angiopoietin-like proteins 1 and 2 in zebrafish vascular development
Authors: Kubota Yoshiaki , Oike Yuichi , Satoh Shinya , Tabata Yoko , Niikura Yuichi , Morisada Tohru , Akao Masaki , Urano Takashi , Ito Yasuhiro , Miyamoto Takeshi , Nagai Norihiro , Koh Gou Young , Watanabe Sumiko , Suda Toshio
Published: September 2005

Angiopoietin-like protein (Angptl) 1 and Angptl2, which are considered orphan ligands, are highly homologous, particularly in the fibrinogen-like domain containing the putative receptor binding site. This similarity suggests potentially cooperative functions between the two proteins. In this report, the function of Angptl1 and Angptl2 is analyzed by using morpholino antisense technology in zebrafish. Knockdown of both Angptl1 and Angptl2 produced severe vascular defects due to increased apoptosis of endothelial cells at the sprouting stage.
In vitro
studies showed that Angptl1 and Angptl2 have antiapoptotic activities through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway, and coinjection of constitutively active Akt/protein kinase B mRNA rescued impaired vascular development seen in double knockdown embryos. These results provide a physiological demonstration of the cooperative interaction of Angptl1 and Angptl2 in endothelial cells through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt mediated antiapoptotic activities.
The endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica reprograms barley to salt-stress tolerance, disease resistance, and higher yield
Authors: Waller Frank , Achatz Beate , Baltruschat Helmut , Fodor József , Becker Katja , Fischer Marina , Heier Tobias , Hückelhoven Ralph , Neumann Christina , von Wettstein Diter , Franken Philipp , Kogel Karl-Heinz
Published: September 2005

Disease resistance strategies are powerful approaches to sustainable agriculture because they reduce chemical input into the environment. Recently,
Piriformospora indica
, a plant-root-colonizing basidiomycete fungus, has been discovered in the Indian Thar desert and was shown to provide strong growth-promoting activity during its symbiosis with a broad spectrum of plants [Verma, S.
et al.
(1998)
Mycologia
90, 896-903]. Here, we report on the potential of
P. indica
to induce resistance to fungal diseases and tolerance to salt stress in the monocotyledonous plant barley. The beneficial effect on the defense status is detected in distal leaves, demonstrating a systemic induction of resistance by a root-endophytic fungus. The systemically altered “defense readiness” is associated with an elevated antioxidative capacity due to an activation of the glutathione-ascorbate cycle and results in an overall increase in grain yield. Because
P. indica
can be easily propagated in the absence of a host plant, we conclude that the fungus could be exploited to increase disease resistance and yield in crop plants.
A chimeric photoreceptor gene, NEOCHROME, has arisen twice during plant evolution
Authors: Suetsugu Noriyuki , Mittmann Franz , Wagner Gottfried , Hughes Jon , Wada Masamitsu
Published: September 2005

Although most plant species from algae to flowering plants use blue light for inducing phototropism and chloroplast movement, many ferns, some mosses, and green algae use red as well as blue light for the regulation of these responses, resulting in better sensitivity at low light levels. During their evolution, ferns have created a chimeric photoreceptor (phy3 in
Adiantum
) between phytochrome (phy) and phototropin (phot) enabling them to use red light effectively. We have identified two genes resembling
Adiantum PHY3
,
NEOCHROME1
and
NEOCHROME2
(
MsNEO1
and
MsNEO2
), in the green alga
Mougeotia scalaris
, a plant famous for its light-regulated chloroplast movement. Like
Adiantum PHY3
, both
MsNEO
gene products show phytochrome-typical bilin binding and red/far-red reversibility, the difference spectra matching the known action spectra of light-induced chloroplast movement in
Mougeotia
. Furthermore, both genes rescue red-light-induced chloroplast movement in
Adiantum phy3
mutants, indicating functional equivalence. However, the fern and algal genes seem to have arisen independently in evolution, thus providing an intriguing example of convergent evolution.
Reproductive benefits derived from defensive plant alkaloid possession in an arctiid moth (
Utetheisa ornatrix
)
Authors: del Campo Marta L. , Smedley Scott R. , Eisner Thomas
Published: September 2005

The moth
Utetheisa ornatrix
(family Arctiidae) depends on pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) for defense. It sequesters the toxins as a larva from its food plants (
Crotalaria
species: family Fabaceae) and retains them through metamorphosis. We report here that PA-possession in the adult female
U. ornatrix
has a life-shortening effect, suggesting that, by putting the compounds to use, the moth may be incurring a cost. However, PA-possession also induces the female to oviposit at an accelerated rate, so that she does not, by dying earlier, incur a loss in fecundity. We argue that by “compressing” their adult existence into a shorter period, female
U. ornatrix
may actually accrue benefits.
The B1-subunit of the H+ATPase is required for maximal urinary acidification
Authors: Finberg Karin E. , Wagner Carsten A. , Bailey Matthew A. , Păunescu Teodor G. , Breton Sylvie , Brown Dennis , Giebisch Gerhard , Geibel John P. , Lifton Richard P.
Published: September 2005

The multisubunit vacuolar-type H+ATPases mediate acidification of various intracellular organelles and in some tissues mediate H+secretion across the plasma membrane. Mutations in the B1-subunit of the apical H+ATPase that secretes protons in the distal nephron cause distal renal tubular acidosis in humans, a condition characterized by metabolic acidosis with an inappropriately alkaline urine. To examine the detailed cellular and organismal physiology resulting from this mutation, we have generated mice deficient in the B1-subunit (Atp6v1b1-/-mice). Urine pH is more alkaline and metabolic acidosis is more severe inAtp6v1b1-/-mice after oral acid challenge, demonstrating a failure of normal urinary acidification. InAtp6v1b1-/-mice, the normal urinary acidification induced by a lumen-negative potential in response to furosemide infusion is abolished. After an acute intracellular acidification, Na+-independent pH recovery rates of individualAtp6v1b1-/-intercalated cells of the cortical collecting duct are markedly reduced and show no further decrease after treatment with the selective H+ATPase inhibitor concanamycin. Apical expression of the alternative B-subunit isoform, B2, is increased inAtp6v1b1-/-medulla and colocalizes with the H+ATPase E-subunit; however, the greater severity of metabolic acidosis inAtp6v1b1-/-mice after oral acid challenge indicates that the B2-subunit cannot fully functionally compensate for the loss of B1. Our results indicate that the B1 isoform is the major B-subunit isoform that incorporates into functional, plasma membrane H+ATPases in intercalated cells of the cortical collecting duct and is required for maximal urinary acidification.
Encoding of learned importance of sound by magnitude of representational area in primary auditory cortex
Authors: Rutkowski Richard G. , Weinberger Norman M.
Published: September 2005

We hypothesized that learning-induced representational expansion in the primary auditory cortex (AI) directly encodes the degree of behavioral importance of a sound. Rats trained on an operant auditory conditioning task were variably motivated to the conditioned stimulus (CS) through different levels of water deprivation. Mean performance values correlated with deprivation level, validating them as a measure of the overall control and, therefore, behavioral importance of the CS. Electrophysiological mapping revealed expanded representations of the CS, compared with other frequencies in experimental subjects, but not in naive or visually trained controls that received noncontingent CS tones. Importantly, representational area showed a significant positive correlation with mean performance levels for only the CS band, with significant effects for relative area in contrast to only modest changes in absolute area. CS representational expansion was asymmetric into high-frequency zones, thus performance level also was significantly correlated with the relative anterior-posterior location of the enlarged representation. An increased representation of low frequencies, related to the acoustic spectrum of the reward delivery equipment, also was discovered in both experimental and control trained subjects, supporting the conclusion that behaviorally important sounds gain representational area. Furthermore, there was a surprising reduction in total AI area for the experimental and control groups, compared with untrained naive subjects, indicating that the functional dimensions of AI are not fixed. Overall, the findings support the encoding of acquired stimulus importance based on representational size in AI.
The self invented personality?  Reflections on authenticity and writing analytic papers
Authors: Astor James
Published: September 2005

Abstract:  One of the great themes of American literature is the self‐invented personality, whether it is Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby or one of Philip Roth's alter egos, such as Nathaniel Zuckerman. This is just one of several approaches which novelists employ. They take a problem from life, perhaps their own, and then embark on solving the problem of the book—which is how to write about this. Sometimes, as in Tobias Wolff's novel Old School, the personality of the narrator is woven into an exploration of the creative process itself. Wolff's novel concerns itself not just with writing but with how to become a writer. I explore how this process is similar to both writing about analysis and becoming an analyst.

In doing this I discuss issues of authenticity, fiction, art, the effects of identification, the power of the super‐ego, supervision and learning, integrity of life and work, envy and the xenocidal impulse, the regulation of our profession and the loss of trust, and in so doing join in discussion with Plaut, Wharton, Tuckett and others about professional communications, the internal world and the mysteriousness of our relation to our internal objects.
The roots of empathy and aggression in analysis
Authors: Kradin Richard
Published: September 2005

Abstract:  Empathy and interpretation have complementary roles in analysis. Empathy diminishes psychological arousal, ego‐defences, and promotes the therapeutic relationship. Interpretation, when adopted in the service of character analysis and the uncovering of unconscious conflict, represents one element of a larger set of interventions termed analytic aggression, whose primary goal is to promote insight. Psychoanalysis has been increasingly influenced by derivative theories that promote the therapeutic relationship. Clinical observations suggest that the application of analytic aggression has diminished and that many modern treatments may have become overly skewed towards empathic approaches. This paper explores ethical humanism, Jamesian typology, and feminine psychology, as factors that have contributed to the diminished emphasis on analytic aggression in practice. Eastern myth and Buddhist psychology are used to explicate the core features of narcissistic mental structuring and to support the continued importance of analytic aggression in its treatment. Case material is examined to elucidate the benefits and limits of analytic aggression.
An ethical attitude in the analytic relationship
Authors: Allphin Claire
Published: September 2005

Abstract:  An ethical attitude in the analytic process is essential. This paper presents a brief overview of theories of moral development and the origins of an ethical attitude. Moral development and integrity are discussed as basic aspects of an ethical attitude. An analytic attitude encompasses an ethical attitude. Differences between these attitudes are noted. Ethical dilemmas are presented in the context of the complexities involved in maintaining an ethical attitude in relation to the proscriptions of legal and ethical codes in the profession. An ethical attitude involves struggling with an outer authority as well as inner authority.