bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microsatellite data show evidence for male‐biased dispersal in the Caribbean lizardAnolis roquet
Authors: JOHANSSON HELENA , SURGET‐GROBA YANN , THORPE ROGER S
Published: September 2008

Dispersal is a key component of an organism's life history and differences in dispersal between sexes appear to be widespread in vertebrates. However, most predictions of sex‐biased dispersal have been based on observations of social structure in birds and mammals and more data are needed on other taxa to test whether these predictions apply in other organisms. Caribbean anole lizards are important model organisms in various biological disciplines, including evolutionary biology. However, very little is known about their dispersal strategies despite the importance of dispersal for population structure and dynamics. Here we use nine microsatellite markers to assess signatures of sex‐biased dispersal on two spatial sampling scales inAnolis roquet, an anole endemic to the island of Martinique. Significantly higher gene diversity (HS) and lower mean assignment value (mAIC) was found in males on the larger spatial sampling scale. Significant heterozygote deficit (FIS), lower population differentiation (FST), mAIC and variance of assignment index (vAIC) was found in males on the smaller spatial scale. The observation of male biased dispersal conform with expectations based on the polygynous mating system ofAnolis roquet, and contributes to an explanation of the contrasting patterns of genetic structure between maternal and biparental markers that have been reported previously in this, and other anoline, species.
Linking movement behaviour to dispersal and divergence in plethodontid salamanders
Authors: LOWE WINSOR H. , MCPEEK MARK A. , LIKENS GENE E. , COSENTINO BRADLEY J.
Published: September 2008

To better understand the evolutionary and ecological effects of dispersal, there is growing emphasis on the need to integrate direct data on movement behaviour into landscape‐scale analyses. However, little is known about the general link between movement behaviour and large‐scale patterns of dispersal and gene flow. Likewise, although recent studies suggest that nonrandom, directionally biased movement and dispersal can promote evolutionary divergence, the generality of this mechanism is unknown. We test the hypothesis that directionally biased movement and dispersal by plethodontid salamanders interact with the topography of headwater areas to affect genetic and phenotypic divergence. Movements by Gyrinophilus porphyriticus and Eurycea bislineata show contrasting directional biases: upstream bias in G. porphyriticus and downstream bias in E. bislineata. Consistent with predictions of how these biases interact with slope to affect dispersal and gene flow, genetic distance increased with slope in G. porphyriticus and decreased with slope in E. bislineata over a standardized distance of 1 km along six headwater streams. In both species, phenotypic divergence in relative trunk length was positively related to genetic divergence. These results indicate that landscape‐scale patterns of dispersal and gene flow are closely related to movement behaviour in G. porphyriticus and E. bislineata, and underscore the value of information on movement behaviour for predicting and interpreting patterns of dispersal and gene flow in complex landscapes. This study also provides new evidence that directionally biased movement and dispersal can be important sources of intra‐ and interspecific variation in population divergence, and highlights the value of explicit, a priori predictions in landscape genetic studies.
Transfer and fate of male ejaculate in female Queensland fruit flies
Authors: RADHAKRISHNAN PREETHI , NAIR SHAM , RAFTOS DAVID , TAYLOR PHILLIP W.
Published: September 2008

Abstract Insect seminal fluid commonly comprises a complex cocktail of proteins and other biochemical components that migrate away from the female reproductive tract to sites elsewhere in the female body and elicit changes in female reproductive behaviour. The transfer of male seminal fluid molecules to reproductive and somatic tissues of the female Queensland fruit fly (‘Q‐fly’) Bactrocera tryoni is examined and some putative target sites identified. Male Q‐flies are fed a diet containing radiolabelled (35S) amino acids, which are incorporated into male accessory gland products. Radioactivity diminishes within the accessory glands and increases in all assessed parts of the female body during copulation, indicating the transfer of these products into the female soma via the reproductive tract. There are significant changes in the absolute and proportional radioactivity profiles among female tissues over the next 22 h, with substantial reductions in the thorax and increases in the head. This is consistent with accumulation of behaviour‐modifying male products at binding sites in the female head. Parallels can be drawn between the data in the present study and seminal fluid distribution profiles and receptor binding documented in other insects.
A method for the rapid measurement of thermal tolerance traits in studies of small insects
Authors: HAZELL STEAPHAN P. , PEDERSEN BOLETTE P. , WORLAND M. ROGER , BLACKBURN TIM M. , BALE JEFFREY S.
Published: September 2008

Abstract A technique for rapidly measuring non‐lethal thermal tolerance traits in small insects and terrestrial arthropods of similar size is described. Single or multiple individuals are heated or cooled in an arena milled into a temperature‐controlled aluminium block and their behaviour recorded continuously using a digital video camera. Data are collected retrospectively by playback of the stored images. To illustrate this technique measurement of six thermal tolerance traits using this method is described using first instar nymphs (body length = 0.66 mm) of the aphid Myzus persicae. These traits are high and low temperatures at which individual aphids cease walking, high and low temperatures at which aphids move for the final time, the temperature at which aphids begin to recover from chill coma, and the temperature at which they begin to walk again. The method is validated by comparing the results of multiple low temperature assays. No significant differences are detected between assays. Potential applications, limitations and technical problems are discussed.
Regulation of heat shock proteins in the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella during hot summer days and overwintering diapause
Authors: LOPEZ‐MARTINEZ GIANCARLO , DENLINGER DAVID L.
Published: September 2008

Abstract Developing larvae of the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella are frequently exposed to summertime apple temperatures that exceed 40 °C and, during their overwintering diapause, pupae are exposed to sub‐zero soil temperatures for prolonged periods. To investigate the potential involvement of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in response to these environmental extremes, the genes encoding Hsp70 and Hsp90 in R. pomonella are cloned and expression monitored during larval feeding within the apple and during overwintering pupal diapause. Larvae reared in the laboratory at constant temperatures of 25, 28 or 35 °C express Hsp90 but very little Hsp70. Larvae do not survive rearing at 40 °C. The temperature cycles to which larvae were exposed inside apples in the field, ranging 16–46.9 °C over a 24‐h period, elicit strong Hsp70 and Hsp90 expression, which begins at mid‐day and reaches a peak in late afternoon, coinciding with peak air and apple temperatures. Heat shock proteins are also expressed strongly by pupae during their overwintering diapause. Hsp70 is not expressed in nondiapausing pupae but is highly expressed throughout diapause. Hsp90 is constitutively expressed in both diapausing and nondiapausing pupae. Rhagoletis pomonella thus strongly expresses its Hsps during pupal diapause, presumably as a protection against low temperature injury, and during larval development to cope with natural temperature cycles prevailing in late summer.
Sediment provenance in a tropical fluvial and marine context by magnetic ‘fingerprinting’ of transportable sand fractions
Authors: MAHER B. A. , WATKINS S. J. , BRUNSKILL G. , ALEXANDER J. , FIELDING C. R.
Published: September 2008

The sources and fluxes of sediment to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from north‐eastern Australian rivers have been the subject of much concern and study, with the large catchments of the Burdekin and Fitzroy Rivers thought to be the key sources at present. Here, the utility of newly developed magnetic ‘fingerprinting’ methods for identifying sediment provenance, both onshore and offshore, and in association with individual large flood events, is investigated. Within the Burdekin catchment, sediments are mobilized from different subcatchments by runoff generated by intense, localized rainfall events. Magnetic measurements were made on untreated and acid‐treated samples of river channel sediments within the Burdekin River subcatchments and from the estuarine and inner shelf depocentres of Burdekin River sediments. The acid treatment removes all discrete magnetic particles and coatings, and leaves magnetic inclusions (protected within host silicate grains) as the basis of the measured magnetic signature of a sample. The magnetic properties of the acid‐treated samples display statistically distinct sediment provenance groupings. Sand samples from the Upper Burdekin River appear magnetically distinct from samples from tributaries of the Burdekin (e.g. Hann Creek, Fanning River) and also from nearby coastal rivers, including the Haughton. Suspended sand samples from a Burdekin flood event in 2000 appear to have a different source compared with those from floods in 1998 and 1999. Comparisons of the terrestrial, acid‐treated sand fractions with the same, acid‐treated, sand‐size fractions from transects taken offshore suggest that the surface sediments in Upstart Bay and Bowling Green Bay have different sources. Some of these sources are as yet unidentified but may represent the unsampled, lower‐discharge south‐western Burdekin subcatchments, and/or along‐shore drift of sand from the south, perhaps even from the Fitzroy River, over millennial timescales of cyclone pumping. The magnetic inclusion method precludes any obfuscation or confounding of sediment source, which might arise from hydraulic sorting and/or post‐depositional magnetic diagenesis or authigenesis.
Correlates of HIV testing among women in Malawi: results from the 2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
Authors: Siziya Seter , Muula Adamson S. , Rudatsikira Emmanuel , Mataya Ronald H.
Published: September 2008

We report a study of women 15–49 years aimed at assessing correlates of HIV testing and having received test results in a nationally representative survey of women in Malawi. A total of 26 259 women were recruited into the study, of whom 3712 (14.1%) had ever been tested for HIV infection and received their results. We found that age and education were not significantly associated with HIV testing but marital status, wealth, region were. Contrary to our expectations that women who had delivered a child were more likely to have been ever tested when accessing prenatal and intra‐partum care, we found that women who had delivered a child in the 2 years before the survey were less likely to have ever been tested. We suggest that by 2006 when the survey was conducted, prenatal and intra‐partum care were not important avenues for HIV testing in Malawi.
Analysis of circulating populations of Plasmodium falciparum in mild and severe malaria in two different epidemiological patterns in Madagascar
Authors: Durand Rémy , Ariey Frédéric , Cojean Sandrine , Fontanet Arnaud , Ranaivo Louise , Ranarivelo Lanto‐Alisoa , Vonimpaisomihanta Jeanne Aimée , Menard Didier , Pietra Virginio , Le Bras Jacques , Modiano David , Randrianarivelojosia Milijaona
Published: September 2008

Objective  To investigate whether the severity of Plasmodium falciparum attack in endemic areas was associated with the multiplicity of infection (MOI) and/or with a particular genotype(s).

Method  In two areas of different malaria transmission pattern in Madagascar (Sainte‐Marie – mesoendemic and Tsiroanomandidy – hypoendemic) the number and the proportions of msp‐2 genotypes within isolates were determined for each patient using a capillary electrophoresis genotyping method. DNA sequencing was performed to identify the msp‐2 allelic family of dominant clones.

Results  Eighty six uncomplicated and 33 severe cases were included in Sainte‐Marie and 48 uncomplicated and 69 severe cases were included in Tsiroanomandidy. We found no association between the MOI and severity of malaria as the same mean number of msp‐2 genotypes was found in isolates from uncomplicated and from severe malaria cases (3.72 and 3.73, respectively, P>0.05). The study of the association of dominant clones with clinical status showed no particular genotype or allelic family associated with malaria severity.

Conclusions  Severity of malaria was not associated with higher MOI in our study. Severity did not appear restricted to some particular genotypes either. On the contrary, severe malaria appeared to be caused by very common genotypes in the studied areas. More comprehensive explorations including immunity and genetic factors of the host are needed to acquire new information about this complex condition.
Determination of threshold concentrations of multiple allergenic extracts for equine intradermal testing using normal horses in three seasons
Authors: Baxter Christina G. , Vogelnest Linda J.
Published: September 2008

Forty‐one normal horses were evaluated for reactivity to intradermally injected aqueous allergens to determine allergen threshold concentrations (TC), with potential relevance to equine intradermal testing (IDT). Horses were tested three times over 1 year to assess seasonal variation in reactivity, using three to five serial dilutions of 27 allergens each time. Injection sites were evaluated after 15 min, 1 h, 4 h and 24 h. The highest allergen concentration at which < 10% of horses demonstrated positive reactivity (subjective score of ≥ 2, scale of 0 to 4) at 15 min was considered the TC. The TC was determined for nine pollens (2000 to > 6000 PNU mL−1), four moulds (4000 to > 6000 PNU mL−1), seven insects (ant, horse fly 125 PNU mL−1; house fly, cockroach 250 PNU mL−1; moth 60 PNU mL−1; mosquito 1000 PNU mL−1;Culicoides nebeculosis1 : 5000 w v−1) and three of four storage mites (1 : 10 000 w v−1). The TC was not determined due to excessive reactivity at the lowest concentrations tested for dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae[< 1 : 12000 w v−1],D. pteronyssinus[< 1 : 30 000 w v−1]), andAcarus siro(< 1 : 10 000 w v−1). Minor variation in the TC for specific allergens occurred in different seasons. Progressive sensitization with repeat testing occurred for grain mill dust mix. Positive reactivity at 1 h and 4 h occurred in > 10% of horses for nine of 19 allergens (pollens, mosquito, storage mites) at their determined TC. Positive reactivity was rare at 24 h. This study in normal horses suggests that appropriate testing concentrations of allergens for equine IDT in atopic horses may be ≥ 1000 PNU mL−1for pollens and moulds, 60 to 250 PNU mL−1for most insects and < 1 : 12 000 w v−1for dust mites; and that reactions at 1–4 h may be insignificant.
Microsporidiosis in solid organ transplant recipients: two Enterocytozoon bieneusi cases and review
Authors: Lanternier F. , Boutboul D. , Menotti J. , Chandesris M.O. , Sarfati C. , Mamzer Bruneel M.F. , Calmus Y. , Mechaï F. , Viard J.P. , Lecuit M. , Bougnoux M.E. , Lortholary O.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Microsporidiosis first came to prominence as an opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Microsporidia are now emerging pathogens responsible for severe diarrhea during solid organ transplantation. Two main clinical entities can be identified: infection by Enterocytozoon bieneusi, causing diarrhea with limited treatment options; and infection by Encephalitozoon intestinalis, which may disseminate and usually responds to albendazole treatment. We describe here 2 cases of microsporidiosis caused by E. bieneusi in a renal and a liver transplant recipient, respectively, in whom complete clinical efficacy of a short course of fumagillin therapy was obtained. Long‐term microbiological eradication was assessed using classical methods and monitored using a real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction‐based method. Both patients experienced drug‐induced thrombocytopenia, which resolved after withdrawal of the treatment. We also review the 18 other previously reported cases of microsporidiosis in transplant recipients. In case of persistent diarrhea in solid organ transplant patients, microsporidiosis should be considered. Based on the present experience, treating E. bieneusi infection with 7 days of fumagillin therapy is adequate to eradicate E. bieneusi in this context.
CT‐Soft Tissue Window of the Cranial Abdomen in Clinically Normal Dogs: An Anatomical description using Macroscopic Cross‐Sections with Vascular Injection
Authors: Rivero M. A. , Vázquez J. M. , Gil F. , Ramírez J. A. , Vilar J. M. , De Miguel A. , Arencibia A.
Published: September 2008

The aim of this study was to provide a detailed anatomic atlas of the cranial abdomen by means of computed tomography (CT). Three mature dogs, all mixed breed males, were used. The dogs were sedated, anaesthetized and positioned in sternal recumbency. CT scans from the eighth thoracic vertebra to the fourth lumbar vertebra were performed using a third‐generation equipment (TOSHIBA 600HQ scanner) with 1 cm slice thickness. CT‐images of the cranial abdomen were taken with soft‐tissue window (WL: −14, WW: 658) settings. Dogs were killed and vascular‐injection technique was performed: red and blue latex filled the vascular system. Injected dogs were frozen in the same position as used for CT examination and sectioned with an electric bandsaw at 1‐cm‐thick intervals. The cuts matched as closely as possible to the CT‐images. The anatomic sections were compared and studied with the corresponding CT‐images, and clinically relevant abdominal anatomic structures were identified and labelled on the corresponding CT‐images. The results of our study could be used as a reference for evaluating CT‐images of the canine cranial abdomen with abdominal diseases.
Tympanic Ossicles and Pharyngeal Arches
Authors: Whyte J. , Cisneros A. , Yus C. , Fraile J. , Obón J. , Vera A.
Published: September 2008

We have performed a study on 11 human embryos regarding the development of the tympanic ossicles and their relationship with the first pharyngeal arch. After performing measurements to date the embryos and foetuses chronologically, we performed a meticulous dissection of the temporal bones. Subsequently, they were fixed in 10% formol, decalcified with 2% nitric acid, embedded in Paraplast, sectioned in 7‐mm sequences and stained with Martin’s trichrome technique. In the 21‐ and 24‐mm cranium‐raquis (CR) length human embryos, we have observed the head of the malleus and the body of the incus close to Meckel’s cartilage, in addition to the handle of the malleus, the long limb of the incus and the stapes. Between them there was a mesenchymal band inside the primordium of the tympanic cavity. In the 27‐mm CR embryo, the various components of the malleus and incus were fusing, and in the 30‐mm CR embryo the union was complete. From our observations, we can conclude that the malleus and the incus are derived from the first and second pharyngeal arches.
Expression of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α in Developing Mice
Authors: Kanazawa T. , Konno A. , Hashimoto Y. , Kon Y.
Published: September 2008

Hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 4α, a transcription factor of the nuclear hormone receptor family, is generally expressed in some endoderm‐derived epithelial tissues such as hepatocytes. In mice, an alternative promoter referred to as the P2 promoter is located upstream from the P1 promoter, resulting in the transcription of at least nine isoforms. In this study, we investigated the expression of Hnf4α in adult and embryonic mouse tissues, paying special attention to the developing metanephros by using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction for the detection of P1 and/or P2 promoter‐derived products. In adult mouse tissues, the kidney was the only organ expressing Hnf4α controlled only by the P1 promoter, and HNF4α was detected in the nuclei of epithelial cells in the proximal tubules, but not in other components of the nephron. In the metanephros, HNF4α was detected first at the epithelial cell nuclei in part of the comma‐shaped body, distributed widely throughout the developing nephron and finally restricted to the proximal tubules. Interestingly, it was noted that Hnf4α mRNAs from stomach, pancreas and kidney tissues in embryonic periods were transcribed by both promoters. Immunohistochemistry for HNF4α and HNF1α revealed that both factors involved the same network of transcription factors, giving the impression that HNF4α was upstream of HNF1α.
Activation of Antioxidant System by KCl Improves the Chilling Tolerance in Hybrid Maize
Authors: Farooq M. , Aziz T. , Cheema Z. A. , Hussain M. , Khaliq A.
Published: September 2008

As maize is a chilling‐sensitive crop, low temperatures during the early stages of development can be injurious to crop growth and development. Prime mechanism behind chilling‐induced damage is oxidative stress. This study was undertaken to improve the chilling tolerance in hybrid maize by seed priming with KCl. For priming, seeds of the maize hybrid Hycorn 8288 were soaked in 50, 100 and 150 mg l−1 aerated solution of KCl for 24 h and then re‐dried close to original weight. Primed and untreated seeds were sown at 27 °C (optimal temperature) and at 15 °C (chilling stress) under controlled conditions. Seed priming improved the performance of maize under both normal and stress conditions. It was found that the chilling tolerance in maize is well associated with the enhanced capacity of the anti‐oxidative system. Priming with KCl significantly improved the chilling tolerance mainly by the activation of antioxidants including catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes. KCl treatments also improved the germination rate and time, root and shoot length, and fresh and dry weights of seedlings compared with control. Soluble sugars and α‐amylase activity determined as general metabolic indicators of stress were also improved by seed priming with KCl. Other possible bases of chilling tolerance in maize included maintenance of high tissue water contents, reduced electrolyte leakage and carbohydrate metabolism. Seed treatment with 100 mg l−1 KCl was the best treatment to improve the performance of hybrid maize both under normal and chilling stress conditions.
Three allometric relations of population density to body mass: theoretical integration and empirical tests in 149 food webs
Authors: Reuman Daniel C. , Mulder Christian , Raffaelli Dave , Cohen Joel E.
Published: September 2008

Predicting species population density–body mass scaling in community food webs (henceforthwebs) is important for conservation and to understand community structure. Very different types of scaling have been studied, based on either individuals or species. Theindividual size distribution(ISD) describes the distribution of individual‐organism body masses regardless of taxonomy, and contains the same information as the abundance spectrum. Focusing instead on species, thelocal size–density relationship(LSDR) plots population densities vs. mean body masses of species. The distribution of species mean body masses (thespecies‐mean‐size distribution, SMSD) is also important but previously little studied in webs. We here combine and formalize theory of several authors to predict: how these three descriptions are related; the forms of the LSDR and ISD; and variation in scaling among webs. We describe empirically the SMSDs of two pelagic, one estuarine, and 146 soil webs by power laws and generalizations. We test theory and find it broadly validated.
Duration of remission and long‐term prognosis according to the extent of disease in patients with ulcerative colitis on continuous mesalamine treatment
Authors: Bresci G. , Parisi G. , Capria A.
Published: September 2008

Aims  To describe the long‐term prognosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and to establish whether a correlation exists between the different anatomic locations of the disease and the risk of relapse in a homogeneous cohort of patients with UC in clinical remission, all treated with fixed doses of oral mesalamine from the date of enrolment to the appearance of the first relapse.

Method  We distinguished the patients with pancolitis and left‐sided colitis from those with distal colitis. The follow‐up lasted up to 5 and 6 years for the patients with pancolitis and left‐sided colitis, respectively, and up to 9 years for the patients with distal colitis.

Results  One hundred and fifty patients satisfied the enrolment criteria. We registered 19 drop‐outs. All the patients had relapsed within 9 years. In most cases relapses arose within 2–3 years. The patients with pancolitis had a shorter time to relapse (100% relapsed after 5 years) than the patients with left‐sided colitis (100% after 6 years) or distal colitis (100% after 9 years). None of the enrolled patients developed a cancer. Extraintestinal complications were observed in 9% of cases and surgery was needed in five patients only.

Conclusion  The first 2–3 years after the enrolment of patients with UC in remission was the period at higher risk of relapse. No relationship was found between the different anatomic locations of the disease and the risk of relapse, even if distal colitis showed a slightly better course.
A morphological reappraisal of Tubifex blanchardi Vejdovský, 1891 (Clitellata: Tubificidae)
Authors: Marotta Roberto , Crottini Angelica , Prada Valeria , Ferraguti Marco
Published: September 2008

Tubifex blanchardi Vejdovský, 1891 is a freshwater tubificid, often living in sympatry with Tubifex tubifex (Müller 1774). Although considered from its discovery as a species on its own, its biological status is debated. During the early seventies T. blanchardi was reduced to a mere form of T. tubifex, as a particular case of polymorphism in chaetal pattern. Using classical histological techniques, microdissections of portions of the male genital apparatus and phalloidin staining of dissected copulatory organs we investigated 163 mixed individuals of T. blanchardi and T. tubifex belonging to sympatric populations from the Lambro River (Milan, Northern Italy). The internal morphology of T. blanchardi is described for the first time. Our results show that T. tubifex and T. blanchardi differ in several characters concerning both their external and internal morphology, and in the fine organization of their copulatory organs. Several independent character sets support the separation of T. blanchardi from T. tubifex, suggesting that it is an independent species. This study also supports the idea that T. blanchardi and T. bergi (Hrabě, 1935), another species closely related to T. tubifex, are not conspecific. The observed morphological differences between allopatric populations of T. tubifex are discussed.
A joint transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic analysis of maize endosperm development and starch filling
Authors: Prioul Jean Louis , Méchin Valérie , Lessard Philippe , Thévenot Claudine , Grimmer Mike , Chateau‐Joubert Sophie , Coates Steve , Hartings Hans , Kloiber‐Maitz Monica , Murigneux Alain , Sarda Xavier , Damerval Catherine , Edwards Keith J.
Published: September 2008

The maize endosperm transcriptome was investigated through cDNA libraries developed at three characteristic stages: (i) lag phase [10 days after pollination (DAP)]; (ii) beginning of storage (14 DAP); and (iii) maximum starch accumulation rate (21 DAP). Expressed sequence tags for 711, 757 and 384 relevant clones, respectively, were obtained and checked manually. The proportion of sequences with no clear function decreased from 35% to 20%, and a large increase in storage protein sequences (i.e. 5% to 38%) was observed from stages (i) to (iii). The remaining major categories included metabolism (11%–13%), transcription–RNA processing–protein synthesis (13%–20%), protein destination (5%–9%), cellular communication (3%–9%) and cell rescue–defence (4%). Good agreement was generally found between category rank in the 10‐DAP transcriptome and the recently reported 14‐DAP proteome, except that kinases and proteins for RNA processing were not detected in the latter. In the metabolism category, the respiratory pathway transcripts represented the largest proportion (25%–37%), and showed a shift in favour of glycolysis at 21 DAP. At this stage, amino acid metabolism increased to 17%, whereas starch metabolism surprisingly decreased to 7%. A second experiment focused on carbohydrate metabolism by comparing gene expression at three levels (transcripts, proteins and enzyme activities) in relation to substrate or product from 10 to 40 DAP. Here, two distinct patterns were observed: invertases and hexoses were predominant at the beginning, whereas enzyme patterns in the starch pathway, at the three levels, anticipated and paralleled starch accumulation, suggesting that, in most cases, transcriptional control is responsible for the regulation of starch biosynthesis.
Housing and the Welfare State in Norway
Authors: Stamsø Mary Ann
Published: September 2008

This article discusses housing and the welfare state in Norway in 1980 and 2005 by applying Esping‐Andersen's theories of welfare state regimes to this sector. How should Norwegian housing policy be understood in light of Esping‐Andersen's conceptual framework, and what is the impact of post‐industrial change? In 1980, Norwegian housing policy was mainly characterised by social‐democratic traits such as market regulation, substantial public expenditure and universal subsidies for both renters and a large owner‐occupied housing sector. The effects of post‐industrial changes, including deregulation of the credit and housing markets, marked a major turn in housing policy and the housing market in Norway. By 2005, Norwegian housing policy was mainly characterised by traits that are typical of a liberal welfare regime: market economics, low public expenditure and subsidies for small, targeted groups, while other segments of the Norwegian welfare state remain characterised by social‐democratic traits. Esping‐Andersen's claim that the effect of post‐industrial transformation was different in different welfare regimes is thus not supported by the case of the Norwegian housing sector.
Manpower of neurologists in the post‐socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Lisnic V. , Grisold W. , Müller E. ,   Education Committee of the EFNS
Published: September 2008

Background and purpose:  Manpower of neurologists from the post‐socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe differs very much from the number of neurologists in most of the countries of Western Europe. With the enlargement of the European Union (EU), it is necessary to consider the tendencies of manpower evolution amongst the ‘new’ European countries to be able to consider future developments, particularly in regard to education and migration.

Methods:  A survey was performed to study distribution and tendencies to migrate amongst neurologists from the post‐socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Results:  The number of neurologists per 10 000 inhabitants varies from one country to another, but is higher in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe than in most Western European countries. There are almost no available positions for neurologists in Eastern Europe, and the majority of neurologists are keen to migrate to EU countries – for further education and for financial reasons.

Conclusions:  The number of neurologists in the ‘reforming and transition’ countries is considerably higher than in the countries of the EU. Many neurologists from these countries would like to migrate to countries of the EU or USA, but the existing barriers are difficult to overcome.
CSF total and phosphorylated tau protein, regional glucose metabolism and dementia severity in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Haense C. , Buerger K. , Kalbe E. , Drzezga A. , Teipel S. J. , Markiewicz P. , Herholz K. , Heiss W. D. , Hampel H.
Published: September 2008

Background and purpose:  We investigated associations between severity of cognitive impairment, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of total‐tau (t‐tau) protein and tau phosphorylated at threonin 181 (p‐tau181) and regional glucose metabolism measured with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET) in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods:  In 38 patients (mean age 66.5 ± 8.0 years) with AD, Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were evaluated and CSF levels of t‐tau and p‐tau181 measured. All patients underwent an 18F‐FDG‐PET scan. Image analysis including correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed using SPM5 and VINCI.

Results:  Dementia severity (MMSE 21.2 ± 4.9) correlated well with metabolic impairment especially in left hemisphere association areas that are typically affected in patients with AD (e.g. inferior parietal lobule, r = 0.512; medial temporal gyrus, r = 0.478; inferior temporal gyrus, r = 0.488; precuneus, r = 0.468; PCA: r = 0.639, F = 7.751; all P < 0.001). There were no associations between t‐tau and p‐tau181 with dementia severity and only weak correlations between t‐tau and cerebral glucose metabolism (superior parietal gyrus, r = −0.325, P < 0.05; precentral gyrus r = −0.418, P < 0.01; amygdala r = −0.362, P < 0.05). No correlations were found between p‐tau181 and regional hypometabolism in FDG‐PET.

Conclusion:  MMSE and CSF t‐tau represent different aspects of disease severity. Whilst MMSE is closely related to impaired cerebral glucose metabolism, CSF t‐tau is less closely related and appears to be less well suited for assessment of disease progression.
CSF levels of β‐amyloid 1‐42, tau and phosphorylated tau protein in CADASIL
Authors: Formichi P. , Parnetti L. , Radi E. , Cevenini G. , Dotti M. T. , Federico A.
Published: September 2008

Background and purpose:  Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) can be considered a useful model of pure subcortical vascular dementia (SVD) because it occurs in young adults, unlikely to have concomitant age‐ and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)‐related pathology. In patients with CADASIL we evaluated the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of β‐amyloid 1‐42 (Aβ42), total tau protein (t‐tau) and phosphorylated tau protein (p‐tau), which are well‐accepted biomarkers of AD.

Methods:  The CSF Aβ42, t‐tau and p‐tau levels were determined with Innotest β‐amyloid 1‐42, Innotest hTAU‐Ag and Innotest Phospho‐tau 181p sandwich enzyme‐linked immunoassay, in 10 CADASIL patients and 17 healthy age‐matched subjects. A case–control statistical analysis was carried out.

Results:  CSF Aβ42 levels were significantly lower in CADASIL patients than in controls, whereas CSF t‐tau and p‐tau levels did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusions:  The pattern found in CADASIL patients is similar to that reported in those with sporadic SVD, suggesting that decreased CSF Aβ42 might be related to the subcortical vascular lesions in the white matter.
Anxiety undermines quality of life in ALS patients and caregivers
Authors: Vignola A. , Guzzo A. , Calvo A. , Moglia C. , Pessia A. , Cavallo E. , Cammarosano S. , Giacone S. , Ghiglione P. , Chiò A.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Although depression has been widely studied in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), there is little information on anxiety.

Objective:  To detect anxiety in patients with ALS and their caregivers, comparing the diagnostic and the follow‐up phases of the disease and assessing its impact on quality of life (QoL).

Methods:  Anxiety has been evaluated with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory in a series of 75 consecutive ALS patients and their primary caregivers. Anxiety has been related to depression, QoL, and satisfaction with life.

Results:  In patients, state anxiety was significantly higher during the diagnostic phase, whilst in caregivers it was similar in the two phases. Patients’ state anxiety was related to depression, shorter disease duration and lower satisfaction with life. Caregivers’ state anxiety was related to their trait anxiety. Whilst in patients QoL and satisfaction with life were similar in the two phases, in caregivers there was a significant decrease of satisfaction with life in the follow‐up phase.

Conclusions:  Treating neurologists should recognize that the diagnostic phase and the earlier period after the diagnosis is characterized by a high level of anxiety both in ALS patients and in their caregivers, and should propose pharmacological and psychological interventions to relieve this highly distressing disturbance.
In search of the Pre‐ and Post‐Neolithic Genetic Substrates in Iberia: Evidence from Y‐Chromosome in Pyrenean Populations
Authors: López‐Parra A. M. , Gusmão L. , Tavares L. , Baeza C. , Amorim A. , Mesa M. S. , Prata M. J. , Arroyo‐Pardo E.
Published: September 2008

The male‐mediated genetic legacy of the Pyrenean population was assessed through the analysis of 12 Y‐STR and 27 Y‐SNP loci in a sample of 169 males from 5 main geographical areas in the Spanish Pyrenees: Cinco Villas (Western Pyrenees), Jacetania and Valle de Arán (Central Pyrenees) and Alto Urgel and Cerdaña (Eastern Pyrenees). In the Iberian context, the Pyrenean samples present some specificities, being characterizeded by a high proportion of chromosomes R1b1b2‐M269 (including the usually uncommon R1b1b2d‐SRY2627 and R1b1b2c‐M153 types) or I2a2‐M26 and low proportions of other haplogroups. Our results indicate that an old pre‐Neolithic substrate is preponderant in populations of the whole Pyrenean fringe. However, AMOVA revealed a high level of substructure within Pyrenean populations, partially explained by drift effects as well as by the signature of an ancient genetic differentiation between Western and Eastern Pyrenees.
Attentional capture by visual singletons is mediated by top‐down task set: New evidence from the N2pc component
Authors: Kiss Monika , Jolicœur Pierre , Dell'Acqua Roberto , Eimer Martin
Published: September 2008

To investigate whether attentional capture by salient visual stimuli is mediated by current task sets, we measured the N2pc component as a marker of the spatial locus of visual attention during visual search. In each trial, a singleton stimulus that could either be a target (color task: red circle; shape task: green diamond) or a nontarget (blue circle or green square) was presented among uniform distractors (green circles). As predicted by the view that attentional capture is contingent on task set, the N2pc was strongly affected by task instructions. It was maximal for targets, attenuated but still reliably present for nontarget singletons defined in the target dimension (even when these were accompanied by an irrelevant‐dimension singleton), and small or absent for equally salient irrelevant‐dimension singletons. Results demonstrate that attentional capture is not a purely bottom‐up phenomenon, but is strongly determined by top‐down task set.
The error‐related negativity is related to risk taking and empathy in young men
Authors: Santesso Diane L. , Segalowitz Sidney J.
Published: September 2008

We related self‐report measures of risk taking and empathy to the error‐related negativity (ERN) elicited during a flanker task in boys in late adolescence. We found that risk propensity (risk taking, sensation seeking, and sensitivity to reward) and empathy related to ERN amplitude (negatively and positively, respectively) but not to each other or to behavioral measures of response time, accuracy, and post‐error slowing. They accounted for separate sources of variance in the ERN amplitude, suggesting that there are multiple routes to activation of its generator in the anterior cingulate. Impulsivity and sensitivity to punishment were unrelated to the ERN. The present study provides support that risk‐taking traits and empathy affect anterior cingulate responsiveness to errors, and the ERN reflects the influence of the extent of individuals' concern with the outcome of events.
Event‐related potentials to auditory stimuli in monozygotic twins discordant for combat: Association with PTSD
Authors: Metzger Linda J. , Clark C. Richard , McFarlane Alexander C. , Veltmeyer Melinda D. , Lasko Natasha B. , Paige Stephen R. , Pitman Roger K. , Orr Scott P.
Published: September 2008

Studies have demonstrated ERP abnormalities related to concentration difficulties in post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We used an identical‐twin, case‐control design to investigate whether these abnormalities reflect pre‐trauma vulnerability or the acquired consequence of PTSD. Vietnam combat veterans and their non‐combat‐exposed, identical twins completed a three‐tone oddball task. Veterans with PTSD had delayed target N2 latencies compared to veterans without PTSD. In a small nonmedicated, nonsmoking subsample, veterans with PTSD also had significantly diminished target P3b amplitudes. A mixed‐model, random‐effects analysis on the nonmedicated, nonsmoking subsample that included the combat‐unexposed co‐twins showed a significant Diagnosis × Combat Exposure interaction for target P3b amplitude. Results replicate increased N2 latency and diminished P3b amplitude in PTSD and suggest that diminished P3b amplitude is an acquired condition in PTSD.
Oscillometric blood pressure measurement: a simple method in screening for peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Mehlsen Jesper , Wiinberg Niels , Bruce Christopher
Published: September 2008

Blood pressure at the ankle level is a reliable indicator of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and the ankle brachial index (ABI) is a useful non‐invasive screening tool for the early detection of atherosclerosis. In the first part of the study, systolic blood pressures obtained by oscillometry and plethysmography were compared in 80 subjects referred for possible vascular disease. In the second part of the study, 31 general practitioners enrolled 1258 consecutive patients aged more than 60 years. ABI was estimated by oscillometry. Patients with an ABI lower than 0·9 were referred to the local hospital for standardized measurements. In the first part, oscillometry showed a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 62% with a positive and negative predictive value of 71% and 96%, respectively. In the second part, significant PAD was found in 111 cases corresponding to a prevalence of 12·2%. In this population, the oscillometry showed a positive predictive value of 47%. The presence of PAD was significantly correlated to exercise related leg pain, a diagnosis of hypertension and smoking, whereas no correlation could be found with a diagnosis of heart disease, stroke, or with the presence of diabetes. The prevalence of PAD was sufficiently high in subjects over the age of 60 years to warrant screening. The ankle brachial index based on measurements with an oscillometric device was shown reliable in the exclusion of PAD, thereby fulfilling an important criterion for the use in screening.
Severe postictal laryngospasm as a potential mechanism for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: a near‐miss in an EMU
Authors: Tavee Jinny , Morris III Harold
Published: September 2008

A 42‐year‐old man with refractory epilepsy experienced a 1‐min generalized tonic–clonic seizure followed by persistent inspiratory stridor and cyanosis while being monitored in our epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). Although his cardiac parameters remained stable throughout the event, the patient’s respiratory status rapidly declined, despite the urgent administration of oxygen via bag‐valve‐mask. He was subsequently intubated by the emergency code team, who noted severe laryngospasm while trying to insert the endotracheal tube. The patient was successfully resuscitated. This monitored case demonstrates that postictal laryngospasm may represent another potential cause of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
BENTHIC METABOLISM ON A SHELTERED ROCKY SHORE: ROLE OF THE CANOPY IN THE CARBON BUDGET1
Authors: Golléty Claire , Migné Aline , Davoult Dominique
Published: September 2008

While the importance of canopy‐forming algae in structuring ecosystems is recognized, their role in the carbon budget is still not well understood. To our knowledge, no measurements of rocky shores primary production and respiration under emersion periods have been carried out in situ. A benthic chamber coupled to a CO2‐infrared gas analyzer was used to measure gross primary production and respiration on theAscophyllum nodosum(L.) Le Jol. zone of a sheltered rocky shore in Brittany, France. Over a year of monthly measurements on the zone with and without theA. nodosumcanopy showed fairly high production and respiration values for the global community as well as carbon fluxes due to the canopy that largely dominated the benthic metabolism of the zone. The strong canopy respiration relative to the primary production also suggested a high metabolic activity by microscopic heterotrophs on the surface of the alga. Both the canopy and the understory annual primary production and respiration were under the control of light and temperature seasonal variations. Finally, the range of the amount of carbon produced on theA. nodosumzone during diurnal emersions was estimated. Additional measures accounting for the day–night cycles and seasonal light variations over an entire tidal cycle are, however, necessary to establish an annual carbon budget. Such measures using the benthic chamber together with complementary techniques would allow a better understanding of the functioning of sheltered rocky shores.
SHORT‐TERM TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF AMMONIUM AND UREA UPTAKE BY ALEXANDRIUM CATENELLA (DINOPHYTA) IN CULTURES1
Authors: Jauzein Cécile , Collos Yves , Garcés Esther , Vila Magda , Maso Mercedes
Published: September 2008

In batch cultures of four Mediterranean strains (from France, Italy, and Spain) of Alexandrium catenella (Whedon et Kof.) Balech growing on a daily light cycle, ammonium and urea uptake were estimated by the 15N tracer technique. Ammonium uptake could be described by Michaelis–Menten kinetics along a substrate gradient of 0.1–10 μgat N · L−1 for the four strains, while two different patterns were observed for urea uptake with Michaelis–Menten kinetics for one strain and linear kinetics for the others. In all cases, an increase in uptake rates with time was noted over the daylight period. This trend led to a net increase in the maximum uptake rate (Vmax; for saturable kinetics) and in the initial slope α. For ammonium, Vmax increased by a factor of 2–10 depending on the strain, and, for urea, the maximal uptake rates measured increased by a factor of 2–18. Temporal variations of half‐saturation constants (Ks) for both nutrients did not show a clear trend. Increases in Vmax and α showed an acclimation of the cells’ uptake system over time to a N pulse, which may be explained by the light periodicity. For two strains, extensive ammonium release was observed during urea assimilation. This mechanism removes urea from the medium, so it is no longer available to other potential competitors, but supplies N back to the medium in the form of ammonium. From a methodological point of view, the phenomenon leads to considerable underestimates of the contribution of urea to phytoplankton growth.