bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Left Ventricular Scar and Purkinje‐Like Potentials During Mapping and Ablation of Ventricular Fibrillation in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: SINHA ANIL‐MARTIN , SCHMIDT MARTIN , MARSCHANG HARALD , GUTLEBEN KLAUS , RITSCHER GUIDO , BRACHMANN JOHANNES , MARROUCHE NASSIR F.
Published: February 2009

Background: Purkinje‐like potentials (PLPs) have been described as important contributors to initiation of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients with normal hearts, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and early after‐myocardial infarction.

Methods: Of the 11 consecutive patients with VF storm, nonischemic cardiomyopathy (68 ± 22 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 28 ± 8%) who were given antiarrhythmic drugs and/or heart failure management, five had recurrent VF and underwent electrophysiology study (EPS) and catheter ablation.

Results: At EPS, frequent monomorphic premature ventricular contractions (PVC) and/or ventricular tachycardia did not occur. With isoproterenol, VF was induced in three patients, and sustained monomorphic PVCs were induced in one patient. Three‐dimensional electroanatomical mapping using CARTO (Biosense‐Webster Inc., Diamond Bar, CA) revealed posterior wall scar in four of the five patients. PLP in sinus rhythm were recorded around the scar border in these four patients, and radiofrequency ablation targeting PLP was successfully performed at these sites. The patient without PLP did not undergo ablation. During follow‐up (12 ± 5 months), only the patient without PLP had four VF recurrences requiring implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) shocks.

Conclusion: In patients with VF and dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricular posterior wall scar in the vicinity of the mitral annulus seems to be a common finding. Targeting PLP along the scar border zone for ablation seems to efficiently prevent VF recurrence in these patients.
A User‐Friendly Method of Cardiac Venous System Visualization in 64‐Slice Computed Tomography
Authors: MLYNARSKI RAFAL , SOSNOWSKI MACIEJ , WLODYKA AGNIESZKA , KARGUL WLODZIMIERZ , TENDERA MICHAL
Published: February 2009

Background: Previsualization of the cardiac venous system is very important for some techniques, for example, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of this study was to propose a new, user‐friendly method of cardiac venous system visualization in 64‐slice computed tomography (CT).

Methods: In 112 patients (66 M) aged 58 ± 11 standard deviation, a 64‐slice CT with a retrospective electrocardiogram gating was performed due to a suspicion of ischemic heart disease. Special attention was paid to the requirements for image reconstruction useful for CRT.

Results: In 74% of the patients, it was possible to obtain similar images to those during the CRT implantation procedure within anterior‐posterior, left anterior oblique, and right anterior oblique views. The coronary sinus was clearly visible in all cases, the ostium measured 12.9 ± 5.9 mm, and the angle of entrance 99 ± 12 degrees. In all patients it was possible to demonstrate more than one vein; in 95%, at least one vein was clearly visible in the target area. Among the target veins, the posterolateral vein was visible most frequently (78%) in the cases as well as the lateral vein (78%).

Conclusion: The proposed scheme in 64‐slice computed tomography enables images to be generated similar to the intraoperative fluoroscopy, which can be useful in techniques where previsualization of the cardiac venous system is recommended.
Disparities in Preferences for Receiving Support and Education Among Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Authors: SERBER EVA R. , FINCH NANCY J. , LEMAN ROBERT B. , STURDIVANT LACY J. , BARNES TAMMY , CLARKE ELIZABETH , GARRY JENNIFER , GOLD MICHAEL R.
Published: February 2009

Background: The implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) is the established treatment for patients with a history of or at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Patients receiving an ICD are diverse, and little is known regarding their preferences for support and education postimplantation. The purpose of this study was to examine race, gender, and age preferences for receiving support and education (e.g., written, verbal).

Methods: Participants (N = 108, 75% Caucasian, 74% male, age 65 ± 11 years) completed a research team‐designed survey at a regularly scheduled clinic visit with the cardiac electrophysiologist at an academic medical center or offsite clinic. Descriptive statistics, Pearson χ2, and independent t‐tests were conducted.

Results: The study demonstrates important associations between race, gender, and age with patient preferences for support and education with regard to ICD care. African Americans preferred written materials (P = 0.006) and a phone call with the cardiologist (P =0.036). Women preferred an ICD support group (P = 0.023), a phone call with the device nurse (P = 0.027), and a professional counselor (P = 0.049). Women's choice to receive education from their cardiologist approached significance (P = 0.055). Patients ≤67 years of age preferred to receive support via an Internet chat room with other ICD patients (P =0.036), and to receive education via an Internet Web site (P = 0.022).

Conclusions: Findings suggest methods of providing better care to ICD patients by offering them support and educational materials in their preferred modality. These data can aid in optimizing clinical care. Incorporating assessments of individual preferences into future clinical trial design is desirable.
Balamuthia mandrillaris: Staining Properties of Cysts and Trophozoites and the Effect of 2,6‐Dichlorobenzonitrile and Calcofluor White on Encystment
Authors: SIDDIQUI RUQAIYYAH , JARROLL EDWARD L. , KHAN NAVEED A.
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT.Here, we determined the staining properties ofBalamuthia mandrillariscysts, and assessed the effect of 2, 6‐dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB), a cellulose synthesis inhibitor, and calcofluor white, a brightening agent, on its encystment. Periodic acid‐Schiff reagent stained the inner wall intensely and middle and outer walls weakly suggesting that the cyst wall ofB. mandrillarismay contain glycans. Furthermore, cysts, but not trophozoites, fluoresced when stained with calcofluor white. Calcofluor white and DCB, a cellulose synthesis inhibitor, inhibitedB. mandrillarisencystment. This is the first report suggesting possible glycan biosynthesis inB. mandrillarisencystment, and this pathway may provide a potentially useful drug target and help improve treatment.
Evolving Insights into Protein Trafficking to the Multiple Compartments of the Apicomplexan Plastid1
Authors: PARSONS MARILYN , KARNATAKI ANURADHA , DEROCHER AMY E.
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT. The apicoplast is a relict plastid found in many medically important apicomplexan parasites, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis and the presence of four bounding membranes indicate that the apicoplast arose from a secondary endosymbiosis. Here we review what has been discovered about the complex journey proteins take to reach compartments of the apicoplast. The targeting sequences for luminal proteins are well‐defined, but those routing proteins to other compartments are only beginning to be studied. Recent work suggests that the trafficking mechanisms involve a variety of molecules of different phylogenetic origins. We highlight some remaining questions regarding protein trafficking to this divergent organelle.
Morphology, Phylogeny, and Diversity of Trichonympha (Parabasalia: Hypermastigida) of the Wood‐Feeding Cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus
Authors: CARPENTER KEVIN J. , CHOW LAWRENCE , KEELING PATRICK J.
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT. Trichonympha is one of the most complex and visually striking of the hypermastigote parabasalids—a group of anaerobic flagellates found exclusively in hindguts of lower termites and the wood‐feeding cockroach Cryptocercus—but it is one of only two genera common to both groups of insects. We investigated Trichonympha of Cryptocercus using light and electron microscopy (scanning and transmission), as well as molecular phylogeny, to gain a better understanding of its morphology, diversity, and evolution. Microscopy reveals numerous new features, such as previously undetected bacterial surface symbionts, adhesion of post‐rostral flagella, and a distinctive frilled operculum. We also sequenced small subunit rRNA gene from manually isolated species, and carried out an environmental polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey of Trichonympha diversity, all of which strongly supports monophyly of Trichonympha from Cryptocercus to the exclusion of those sampled from termites. Bayesian and distance methods support a relationship between Trichonympha species from termites and Cryptocercus, although likelihood analysis allies the latter with Eucomonymphidae. A monophyletic Trichonympha is of great interest because recent evidence supports a sister relationship between Cryptocercus and termites, suggesting Trichonympha predates the Cryptocercus‐termite divergence. The monophyly of symbiotic bacteria of Trichonympha raises the intriguing possibility of three‐way co‐speciation among bacteria, Trichonympha, and insect hosts.
Hydrogenosomes and Mitosomes: Conservation and Evolution of Functions1
Authors: VAN DER GIEZEN MARK
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT. The field studying unusual mitochondria in microbial eukaryotes has come full circle. Some 10–15 years ago it had the evangelical task of informing the wider scientific community that not all eukaryotes had mitochondria. Advances in the field indicated that although some protists might not have mitochondria, the presence of genes of mitochondrial ancestry suggested their lineage once had. The subsequent discovery of mitochondrial compartments in all supposedly amitochondriate protists studied so far indicates that all eukaryotes do have mitochondria indeed. This assertion has fuelled novel eukaryotic origin theories and weakened others. But what do we know about these unusual mitochondria from anaerobic protists? Have they all converged onto similar roles? Iron–sulphur cluster assembly is often hailed as the unifying feature of these organelles. However, the iron–sulphur protein that is so important that a complete organelle is being maintained has not been identified. Is it to be expected that all unusual mitochondria perform the same physiological role? These organelles have been found in numerous protists occupying different ecological niches. Different selection pressures operate on different organisms so there is no reason to suspect that their mitochondria should all be the same.
Bacillary angiomatosis
Authors: Lange Danica , Oeder Caroline , Waltermann Katharina , Mueller Anke , Oehme Albrecht , Rohrberg Robert , Marsch Wolfgang , Fischer Matthias
Published: February 2009

An infection with Bartonella henselae transmitted from domestic cats to humans by scratching normally leads to cat‐scratch disease. When the human host has severe immunosuppression or HIV infection, the potentially life‐threatening disease bacillary angiomatosis can develop. A 79‐year‐old man presented with livid‐erythematous, angioma‐like skin lesions. We considered a cutaneous infiltrate from his known chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Merkel cell carcinoma, cutaneous metastases of internal tumors, cutaneous sarcoidosis, mycobacterial infection and even atypical herpes simplex infection. The correct diagnosis was proven histologically and by PCR. Because of increasing numbers of immunosuppressed and HIV‐positive patients, as well as an infection rate of 13 % for B. henselae in domestic cats in Germany, one must be alert to the presence of bacillary angiomatosis.
Lessons from primary succession for restoration of severely damaged habitats
Authors: Walker Lawrence R. , del Moral Roger
Published: February 2009

Questions: How can studies of primary plant succession increase the effectiveness of restoration activities? Can restoration methods be improved to contribute to our understanding of succession?

Results: Successional studies benefit restoration in six areas: site amelioration, development of community structure, nutrient dynamics, species life history traits, species interactions, and modeling of transitions and trajectories. Primary succession provides valuable lessons for understanding temporal dynamics through direct, long‐term observations on severely disturbed habitats. These lessons assist restoration efforts on infertile or even toxic substrates. Restoration that uses scientific protocols (e.g., control treatments and peer‐reviewed publications) can offer insights into successional processes.

Conclusions: A century of studying successional dynamics has provided modern restoration activities with many useful lessons that are not being fully utilized.
The decline of metallophyte vegetation in floodplain grasslands: Implications for conservation and restoration
Authors: Lucassen Esther C.H.E.T. , Eygensteyn Jelle , Bobbink Roland , Smolders Alfons J.P. , Van de Riet Bas P. , Kuijpers Dimphy J.C. , Roelofs Jan G.M.
Published: February 2009

Question: Which biogeochemical processes are responsible for the decline of endemic metallophyte vegetation in floodplain grasslands?

Location: Floodplain grasslands along the River Geul (the Netherlands) and metalliferous mine spoils near the River Geul (Belgium).

Methods: In order to find factors and soil processes that have caused a decline of metallophytes and an increase of pseudo‐metallophytes in floodplain grasslands, a soil study was done at locations currently and formerly dominated by metallophytes. In addition, changes in soil chemistry in recent decades in floodplain grasslands were investigated. Finally, a 2‐year plant growth experiment was performed in the field, to test the effects of improving soil conditions by topsoil removal.

Results: Metallophytes only occur on acidic floodplain soils (pH‐H2O 5.0‐5.5) with relatively high Zn availability (total Zn >40 μmol g−1; Zn/Ca>0.8; Zn‐H2O>59 μmol kg−1) combined with low phosphate availability (Olsen‐P≪1250 μmol kg−1). The Olsen‐P and total Ca concentrations were relatively high in topsoil (0‐20 cm), while total Zn was high throughout the soil profile (0‐50 cm). Removal of topsoil led to recovery of P and Zn availability. Under the new soil conditions there was almost no growth and expansion of pseudo‐metalliferous grasses in time, wheras metallophytes easily established, maintained and reproduced with significant increases in cover over time.

Conclusions: On a global scale, metallophyte vegetation types are increasingly under threat of extinction. Our study shows that factors leading to higher soil alkalinity inhibit Zn availability at the expense of the metallophyte vegetation. Factors leading to a higher Olsen‐P concentration stimulate the growth of more competitive pseudo‐metallophyte grasses. Both eutrophication and alkalinisation have contributed to the decline of metallophyte vegetation in floodplains of the River Geul. Removal of the alkaline‐ and phosphate‐enriched soil top layer restores the original soil chemistry and enables re‐colonisation by the metallophyte vegetation. The results can be applied in conservation and restoration strategies for such sites.
The effect of restoration techniques on non‐target species: case studies in moorland ecosystems
Authors: Mitchell R.J. , Rose R.J. , Palmer S.C.F.
Published: February 2009

Questions:What is the impact on non‐target species of restoration methods to establishCalluna vulgarison grass‐dominated moorlands?

Location:ANardus stricta‐dominated moorland in Wales and aMolinia caerulea‐dominated moorland in Northern England, UK.

Methods:Two replicated experiments were established on grass‐dominated moorlands. The treatments comprised disturbance (rotavation and trampling by animals), addition ofCallunaseed, and three different grazing regimes, together with a no grazing control.

Results:The creation of bare ground and addition of seed increased the establishment of the desired dominant shrub,Calluna vulgaris. In theNardussward, rotavation and trampling were equally successful in establishingCalluna, but rotavation was more successful in theMoliniasward. Rotavation inhibited the growth of competitive grass species better than trampling. However, the disturbance techniques were detrimental to other components of the plant community, causing a decline in the cover of desirable species such asVaccinium myrtillusand other dwarf shrub species and a small increase in the occurrence of undesirable species such asJuncus effusus. Grazing also controlled competitive grass species:Festuca ovinadecreased in cover at a grazing intensity of 1.5 ewes/ha;Molinia caeruleaandAgrostisspp. declined when cattle were included in the grazing regime, but increased in cover when ungrazed or when grazed at 1.5 ewes/ha.

Conclusions:When restoration concentrates on the establishment of one or a few species, it is important to monitor how the techniques used affect the rest of the plant community – particularly with regard to losses of desirable species or increases in undesirable species.
Do Women Increase Their Use of Reproductive Health Care When It Becomes More Available? Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Frankenberg Elizabeth , Buttenheim Alison , Sikoki Bondan , Suriastini Wayan
Published: February 2009

Data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey are used to investigate the impact of a major expansion in access to midwifery services on women's use of antenatal care and delivery assistance. Between 1991 and 1998, Indonesia trained some 50,000 midwives, placing them in poor communities that were distant from health‐care centers. We analyze information from pregnancy histories to relate changes in the choices that individual women make across pregnancies to the arrival of a trained midwife in the village. We show that regardless of a woman's educational level, the placement of village midwives in communities is associated with significant increases in women's receipt of iron tablets and in their choices about care during delivery—changes that reflect their moving away from reliance on traditional birth attendants. For women with relatively low levels of education, the presence of village midwives has the additional benefit of increasing use of antenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy. The results of the study suggest that bringing services closer to women can change their patterns of use.
Contraceptive Use, Birth Spacing, and Autonomy: An Analysis of the Oportunidades Program in Rural Mexico
Authors: Feldman Becca S. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Ezzati Majid , Peterson Karen E. , Mitchell Marc
Published: February 2009

Oportunidades, a conditional cash‐transfer program instituted in Mexico in 1997, provides cash incentives to mothers to invest in the health and education of family members. Drawing from data gathered by Mexico's National Institute of Public Health, this study assesses the effect of the program on contraceptive use and birth spacing among titulares (female household heads) living in rural areas during the experimental period, 1998–2000, and during 2000–03, after incorporation of the control group. In 2000, titulares were more likely to use modern contraceptives than were women in the control group, although by 2003 all beneficiaries had the same probability of use. Change in autonomy was not a mediator, although baseline autonomy modified the program's influence on contraceptive use. Cox proportional hazard models produced estimates that birth spacing was similar between the beneficiaries and controls. Inconsistent findings may be the result of the way contraceptive use was defined in this study. Findings from this study may be useful for helping program planners better understand the role of conditional cash transfers in modifying family planning and fertility among poor rural women in Latin America.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROSTATOMEGALY, PROSTATIC MINERALIZATION, AND CYTOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS
Authors: BRADBURY CHRISTINA A. , WESTROPP JODI L. , POLLARD RACHEL E.
Published: February 2009

Canine prostatic disease is commonly evaluated with abdominal ultrasound and radiographs. Mineralization of the prostate is often reported, but the clinical relevance of this finding is currently not known. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between ultrasonographic and radiographic prostate mineralization and the final diagnosis. Medical records of 55 dogs with evidence of prostatomegaly or prostatic mineralization and a cytologic diagnosis were evaluated. Radiographs and ultrasound images were assessed for caudal retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, vertebral lesions, or other signs of metastasis, and mineralization was assessed semiquantitatively. Twenty‐two of 55 (40%) dogs had prostatic neoplasia. Regarding neoplasia, mineralization in neutered dogs had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 50%, and a sensitivity and specificity of 84% and 100%, respectively. Mineralization in intact dogs had a PPV of 22%, an NPV of 96%, and a sensitivity and specificity of 67% and 77%, respectively. All neutered dogs with prostatomegaly but not prostatic neoplasia had bacterial prostatitis and were castrated within the previous 3 months. Intact dogs with prostatomegaly and mineralization but not neoplasia had paraprostatic cysts (n=3), benign prostatic hyperplasia (n=2) or prostatitis (n=2). Mineralization score was not indicative of neoplasia. In conclusion, neutered dogs with prostatic mineralization were very likely to have prostatic neoplasia. Intact dogs were unlikely to have prostatic neoplasia if no mineralization was found on radiographs or ultrasound.
SCINTIGRAPHIC AND RADIOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF THE SACROILIAC REGION IN HORSES WITH GAIT ABNORMALITIES OR POOR PERFORMANCE
Authors: GORGAS DANIELA , LUDER PATRIC , LANG JOHANN , DOHERR MARCUS G. , UELTSCHI GOTTLIEB , KIRCHER PATRICK
Published: February 2009

Nuclear bone scintigraphy is commonly used in the diagnosis of sacroiliac disease in horses. The aim of the present retrospective study was to determine if there was an association between radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern and radiographic appearance of the sacroiliac region in horses. Seventy‐nine horses undergoing bone scintigraphy with Tc‐99 m‐HDP and radiography of the pelvis because of lameness or poor performance were studied. Subjective and semiquantitative methods were used to characterize and compare radiopharmaceutical uptake between horses. Ventrodorsal radiographs of the region were obtained and were evaluated. Subjectively, 70 horses (88.6%) had an abnormal uptake pattern. In nine horses, the sacroiliac region was normal (11.4%). There was no association between subjective evaluation of the scintigraphic images and semiquantitative methods. There was a significant association between radiopharmaceutical uptake and conformation (T‐ or Y‐like form) and shape (butterfly‐, wing‐, leaf‐, or horn‐like) of the sacrum. The radiopharmaceutical uptake of the tubera sacralia was significantly higher in males (left side P=0.002, right side P=0.003). In conclusion, the conformation of the sacrum may play an important role in the scintigraphic appearance and may be the cause of increased radiopharmaceutical uptake.
USE OF A PETROLEUM‐BASED BOLUS FOR PHOTON RADIATION THERAPY OF DISTAL EXTREMITIES IN DOGS
Authors: MAYER MONIQUE N. , YOSHIKAWA HIROTO , MORIARITY LEO , SIDHU NARINDER
Published: February 2009

While skin sparing is an advantage of megavoltage beams, in certain clinical situations the planning target volume includes the skin surface and a skin sparing effect is not desirable. A tissue equivalent material, termed build up bolus, is used in these situations to provide adequate absorbed dose at the surface of the skin. However, an irregular patient contour can lead to air gaps between the build up bolus and the skin surface, which may result in variability in radiation dose across the target volume. The shape of the canine distal hind extremity is irregular, and commercially available bolus materials do not conform well to this region. The purpose of this study was to assess the dose homogeneity achieved using a petroleum‐based bolus material, in combination with a commercially available sheet bolus, for radiation treatment of the canine tarsus. Repeated setups were performed to mimic daily treatment setups in the clinic setting, and computed tomographic scans were performed after each setup. Dose distribution achieved with a cobalt therapy machine and a 6 MV linear accelerator was assessed using three‐dimensional treatment planning software. The dose to the clinical target volume fell within 95% and 107% of the prescribed dose for both treatment machines, which is considered clinically acceptable by the authors. This petroleum‐based bolus is equivalent to water in its photon attenuation, conforms well to an irregular patient contour, and retains its shape after positioning. Applications to other anatomical sites could be considered.
Factors affecting the motivation for dental check‐ups and anxiety in the elderly in Tokyo
Authors: Takehara Sachiko , Shimoyama Kazuhiro
Published: February 2009

Objectives:  The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing the motivation for regular dental check‐ups and anxiety about future dental problems in the elderly.

Background:  Regular dental check‐ups are important to maintain oral health. Anxiety affects the quality of life of the elderly. However, few studies have investigated the factors influencing the motivation for regular dental check‐ups and anxiety in the elderly.

Materials and methods:  Among 452 elderly persons, 215 participants provided useful answers to our questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of items concerning oral and living conditions of the subjects. Logistic regression analysis was conducted.

Results:  The mean age of the study sample was 75.7 ± 5.8 years. The percentage of edentulous subjects was 12.1%. The motivation for regular dental check‐ups was significantly positively correlated with the number of teeth present (p < 0.01), using inter‐dental brushes (p < 0.01), being on regular prescribed medication (p < 0.05), and having experience of providing oral care for the bedridden (p < 0.05). Anxiety about future oral problems was significantly associated with self‐rated health status (p < 0.01) and the presence of dentists who could be counted on to provide domiciliary visits (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  The participants of this study had a high motivation for regular dental check‐ups, but were concerned about the future, particularly if they became bedridden.
The role of anti‐PAc (361–386) peptide SIgA antibody in professional oral hygiene of the elderly
Authors: Inaba Erika , Uematsu Hiroshi , Nishiyama Yoshihide , Watanabe Haruo , Senpuku Hidenobu
Published: February 2009

Objective:  Measurement of salivary IgA antibody (PAc‐peptide antibody, PPA) to amino acid residues 361–386 of Streptococcus mutans PAc, which possess a multiple binding motif to various HLA‐DR molecules and a B‐cell epitope that recognises the inhibiting antibody to S. mutans, is an indicator for the population numbers of mutans streptococci (MS) in human saliva. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of PPA in infection control of MS after professional oral hygiene care.

Materials and methods:  Thirty‐nine dependently living institutionalised elderly subjects (75.9 ± 7.5 years; 10 males, 29 females) participated in the study. The measurements of PPA, MS, total streptococci (TS) and lactobacilli (LB) were performed by ELISA and culture techniques from saliva, plaque and tongue samples from the elderly.

Results:  After treatment using professional oral care, the numbers of MS decreased significantly at 6 months in saliva and tongue samples from the group not having PPA in comparison with the primary data; whereas in the PPA‐detected group, a significant decrease in MS number was shown immediately following professional care at 1–12 months in all samples. There was little difference in the numbers of LB at any of the time points. The numbers of TS decreased rapidly in PPA‐not detected group in comparison with the PPA‐detected group.

Conclusion:  PPA may be more effective for controlling MS number in the oral cavity after professional treatment. The measurement of PPA may be used for preventive instruction to dental caries at the chair side in the clinical setting.
‘Apparitions, and Ghosts’: H(a)unting Donne's Letters
Authors: Hester M. Thomas
Published: February 2009

This paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster on the forthcoming Oxford edition of Donne's letters.

Margaret Maurer introduces the cluster which offers papers by the three editors and seeks to examine the new directions the edition will pursue. The papers were originally delivered to the members of the John Donne Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway’, Margaret Maurer, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00598.x.

‘“Apparitions, and Ghosts”: H(a)unting Donne's Letters’, M. Thomas Hester, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00599.x.

‘“Only in Obedience” to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent’, Dennis Flynn, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00600.x.

‘Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials’, Ernest W. Sullivan, II, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00601.x.

***

One way in which we might (in part) approach the problem of establishing the canon of Donne's familiar letters is indicated through a brief review of two of what Donne called his epistolary ‘apparitions, and ghosts’– letters lacking ‘a convenient handsome body of news. . . . spun out of nothing’ (Letters 121), two letters, that is, that lack (or at first hand seem to lack) any substantial internal data beyond their style that would identify them as Donne's: (a) his problematic letter ‘To the Lady G.’ (first printed in Marriott's 1635 Poems); and (b) the transcription of the unsigned, unaddressed, and undated ‘I promised a iorney’ in the even more problematic ‘Burley MS’. An examination of the approach of both nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century readings of the first letter provides an example of how we can determine Donne's authorship of the second letter through particular attention to the style of these two representative letters.
‘Only in Obedience’ to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent
Authors: Flynn Dennis
Published: February 2009

This paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster on the forthcoming Oxford edition of Donne's letters.

Margaret Maurer introduces the cluster which offers papers by the three editors and seeks to examine the new directions the edition will pursue. The papers were originally delivered to the members of the John Donne Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway’, Margaret Maurer, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00598.x.

‘“Apparitions, and Ghosts”: H(a)unting Donne's Letters’, M. Thomas Hester, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00599.x.

‘“Only in Obedience” to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent’, Dennis Flynn, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00600.x.

‘Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials’, Ernest W. Sullivan, II, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00601.x.

***

Work on the Oxford edition so far confirms that fifteen of the letters transcribed in the Burley manuscript are Donne's; most of their addressees have been established, and most of them have been dated within a period of about five years, in the late 1590s and early 1600s. In particular, this essay discusses the letter beginning ‘Only in obedience I send you my Paradoxes’– long thought to have been addressed by Donne to Henry Wotton. Though the matter has long been controverted, various evidence now suggests that this letter was instead addressed to Sir Henry Goodere.
Involuntary Metrics and the Physiology of Memory
Authors: Miller Ashley
Published: February 2009

This article is part of a cluster that draws material from the recent conference Metre Matters: New Approaches to Prosody, 1780–1914. It comprises an introduction by Jason David Hall and six articles presented at the conference, whose aim was to address renewed scholarly interest in versification and form across the long nineteenth century, as well as some of the methodologies underpinning it. The papers included in the cluster look both to the minutiae of Romantic and Victorian metres and to their cultural intertexts. The conference, hosted by the University of Exeter's Centre for Victorian Studies, was held 3–5 July 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles: Jason David Hall, ‘Metre, History, Context: Introduction to the Metre Matters Cluster’.

Emma Mason and Rhian Williams, ‘Reciprocal Scansion in Wordsworth's “There Was a Boy” ’.

Ross Wilson, ‘Robert Browning's Compounds’.

Margaret A. Loose, ‘The Internationalism of Ernest Jones's Dialectical Prosody’.

Nancy Jiwon Cho, ‘Gender and Authority in British Women Hymn‐Writers’ Use of Metre, 1760–1900’.

Ashley Miller, ‘Involuntary Metrics and the Physiology of Memory’.

Summer Star, ‘ “For the Inscape's Sake”: Sounding the Self in the Metres of Gerard Manley Hopkins’.

***

Metre has played a prominent role in the recent turn towards embodiment in criticism of nineteenth‐century poetry. The regular rhythms of poetry have an effect on the reader's body, both echoing the rhythms of the heart and assisting in the process of memorization. But what happens when metre is missing or disrupted? This paper examines the relationship between poetry and physiological memory, extending our understanding of poetry's impact on the body. In theories of the physiology of memory and hallucination, poetry becomes irregular but autonomous, subsuming the reader's body to its own textuality. Similarly, irregular metre (as in Coleridge's Christabel) promotes a kind of involuntary repetition – which is tied, in these studies, to the materiality of print.
Effect of sowing date and straw mulch on virus incidence and aphid infestation in organically grown faba beans (Vicia faba)
Authors: Saucke H. , Juergens M. , Döring T.F. , Fittje S. , Lesemann D.E. , Vetten H.J.
Published: February 2009

The effect of sowing date on aphid infestation and the incidence of aphid‐transmitted viruses were investigated in organically managed, small‐scale field experiments with two faba bean cultivars over 3 years (2002–04). As an additional factor, straw mulch was applied in 2 of the 3 years shortly before the start of vector activity in May. Virus incidence was determined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and immunoelectron microscopy. Aphid flight activity was monitored using standard yellow water traps. Bean colonising aphids were assessed throughout the vegetation period by counting the number of plants infested with Acyrthosiphon pisum, Megoura viciae and Aphis fabae. Pea enation mosaic virus and bean yellow mosaic virus were the most abundant aphid‐transmitted viruses, being detected in 22–54% and 9–69%, respectively, of the total number of virus‐infected plants analysed per year. Further aphid‐transmitted viruses found in faba bean were bean leaf roll virus, beet western yellows virus, clover yellow vein virus (in 2002) and soybean dwarf virus (in 2004). A. pisum was the predominant aphid species colonising faba bean plants. Early sowing compared with late sowing led to a significant reduction of the total virus incidence in faba bean in all 3 years. However, significantly decreased levels of A. pisum colonisation as a result of early sowing were observed only in 1 year and one cultivar. Irrespective of sowing date, straw mulching had no significant effects on virus incidence and aphid colonisation. Compared with late sowing, early sowing significantly increased bean yield in all 3 years and kernel weight in 2 years, whereas straw mulching had no effect on yield.
The latex capacity of opium poppy capsules is fixed early in capsule development and is not a major determinant in morphine yield
Authors: Harvest T. , Brown P.H. , Fist A. , Gracie A. , Gregory D. , Koutoulis A.
Published: February 2009

This study found that the latex capacity (mg latex mg−1 dry weight capsule) of opium poppy capsules is fixed early in capsule development. Latex capacity, which represents the proportion of the capsule wall allocated to laticifers (specialised cells for latex storage), had peaked in the capsule at 1 week after flowering. In contrast, the morphine content of capsules continued to increase with capsule development until commercial harvest. Morphine content was correlated with capsule mass and total latex mass, but there was no correlation between latex capacity and morphine yield. The most important morphological characteristic in terms of morphine end yield (commercial harvest stage) was capsule mass. The findings of this study demonstrate that although latex yield per plant is a highly heritable morphological characteristic, it may have limited potential for use in a breeding strategy aimed at increasing the morphine yield from capsules.
Surveys reveal the occurrence of phytoplasmas in plants at different geographical locations in Peru
Authors: Hodgetts J. , Chuquillangui C. , Muller G. , Arocha Y. , Gamarra D. , Pinillos O. , Velit E. , Lozada P. , Boa E. , Boonham N. , Mumford R. , Barker I. , Dickinson M.
Published: February 2009

Two independent surveys were performed in Peru during February and November 2007 to detect the presence of phytoplasmas within any crops showing symptoms resembling those caused by phytoplasmas. Molecular identifications and characterisations were based on phytoplasma 16S and 23S rRNA genes using nested PCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP). The surveys indicated that phytoplasmas were present in most of the locations sampled in Peru in both cultivated crops, including carrots, maize, native potatoes, improved potato, tomato, oats, papaya and coconut, and in other plants such as dandelion and the ornamental Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences confirmed that while most of the isolates belong to the 16SrI aster yellows group, which is ubiquitous throughout other parts of South America, one isolate from potato belongs to the 16SrII peanut witches’ broom group, and one isolate from tomato and one from dandelion belong to the 16SrIII X‐disease group. The use of T‐RFLP was validated for the evaluation of phytoplasma‐affected field samples and provided no evidence for mixed infection of individual plants with more than one phytoplasma isolate. These data represent the first molecular confirmation of the presence of phytoplasmas in a broad range of crops in Peru.
Mid-infrared period–magnitude relations for AGB stars
Authors: Glass I. S. , Schultheis M. , Blommaert J. A. D. L. , Sahai R. , Stute M. , Uttenthaler S.
Published: February 2009

Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) variables are found to obey period–luminosity relations in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) similar to those seen at KS (2.14 μm), even at 24 μm where emission from circumstellar dust is expected to be dominant. Their loci in the M, log P diagrams are essentially the same for the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and for NGC 6522 in spite of different ages and metallicities. There is no systematic trend of slope with wavelength. The offsets of the apparent magnitude versus log P relations imply a difference between the two fields of 3.8 in distance modulus. The colours of the variables confirm that a principal period with log P > 1.75 is a necessary condition for detectable mass loss. At the longest observed wavelength, 24 μm, many semiregular variables have dust shells comparable in luminosity to those around Miras. There is a clear bifurcation in LMC colour–magnitude diagrams involving 24 μm magnitudes.
Drivers of Unsustainable Land Use in the Semi‐Arid Khabur River Basin, Syria
Authors: HOLE FRANK
Published: February 2009

The semi‐arid zone of Southwest Asia, known as the Fertile Crescent, is under unprecedented stress because of agricultural development. Where rain‐fed agriculture and transhumant herding had prevailed over ten millennia, today intensive cultivation with irrigation threatens future sustainability. A number of interconnected, but uncoordinated drivers of change combine to shape the landscape and its future, and their changes make it hard to anticipate future requirements and opportunities, as well as to implement policies, whether by local stakeholders or at the national level. Among the factors that comprise the socio‐natural systems are (1) climate, (2) water and soil resources, (3) history of land use, (4) social, economic and political factors, (5) infrastructural developments (6) interstate impacts, and (7) legacies of the past. The example of the Khabur River drainage in northeastern Syria shows the dynamic interplay among these factors over the past 70 years, with implications for the way future policies and practices are developed.
History of Deforestation and Reforestation in the Dinaric Karst
Authors: KRANJC ANDREJ
Published: February 2009

The term karst derives from the Kras plateau, which is in the northwestern part of the area now known as the Dinaric Karst. The landscape consists mostly of Mesozoic carbonate rocks and stretches along the Adriatic Sea coast for a distance of 600 km. Although the region lies parallel to the sea, the Mediterranean temperature influence is limited to a narrow coastal belt, except for the amount of precipitation, which can reach 5000 mm yr−1. Forests belonging to the Mediterranean and Euro‐Siberian – North American region, covered the primary Dinaric Karst. Human deforestation of the Karst began during the Neolithic period, 6500–6000 BC. Throughout history there have been two main reasons for deforestation; economic (the requirements of new land, pastures, timber use and trade), and social (local increases in population, mass migration, wars, raids). Mankind's perception of forest protection and preservation can be traced through documents going back to the 12th century. Reforestation is mentioned in some of them, but successful reforestation did not begin until the 1850s. Nowadays dense natural forests, extensive forest plantations, dry karst shrublands and also completely barren karst areas can all be found on the Dinaric Karst.
Lesion Profiling at Primary Isolation in RIII Mice is Insufficient in Distinguishing BSE from Classical Scrapie
Authors: Beck Katy E. , Chaplin Melanie , Stack Michael , Sallis Rosemary E. , Simonini Sarah , Lockey Richard , Spiropoulos John
Published: February 2009

Primary isolation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in RIII mice generates a lesion profile believed to be reproducible and distinct from that produced by classical scrapie. This profile, which is characterized by peaks at gray matter areas 1, 4 and 7 (dorsal medulla, hypothalamus and septal nuclei), is used to diagnose BSE on primary isolation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the BSE agent could be present in sheep diagnosed with classical scrapie, using lesion profiles in RIII mice as a discriminatory method. Sixty‐two positive scrapie field cases were collected from individual farms between 1996 and 1999 and bioassayed in RIII mice. Fifty‐five of these isolates transmitted successfully to at least one mouse. Of the 31 that produced adequate data to allow lesion profile analysis, 10 showed a consistent profile with peaks at brain areas 1, 4 and 7. All inocula for this subgroup were derived from sheep of genotype ARQ/ARQ. While the 1‐4‐7‐scrapie profile exhibited similarities to BSE in RIII mice at primary isolation, it was distinguishable based on histopathology, immunohistochemistry and cluster analysis. We conclude that caution should be taken to distinguish this profile from BSE and that additional parameters should be considered to reach a final diagnosis.
Nine novel, polymorphic microsatellite markers for the study of threatened Caribbean acroporid corals
Authors: BAUMS I. B. , DEVLIN‐DURANTE M. K. , BROWN L. , PINZÓN J. H.
Published: February 2009

Caribbean reef‐building corals in the genus Acropora have been declining dramatically since the 1980s and are now listed as threatened. The study of their complex reproductive system (mixed asexual and sexual) and their population structure requires highly polymorphic nuclear genetic markers. Of eight previously developed microsatellite loci for A. palmata, only five behaved in a Mendelian fashion and only four reliably amplified the sister species, A. cervicornis. Here, nine novel microsatellite markers are presented that dramatically increase the power to distinguish between asexual and sexual reproductive events and may help to refine population boundaries and gene flow across their ranges.
Isomeric cysteinyldopas provide a (photo)degradable bulk component and a robust structural element in red human hair pheomelanin
Authors: Greco Giorgia , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Panzella Lucia , Ito Shosuke , Napolitano Alessandra , D’Ischia Marco
Published: February 2009

Alkaline H2O2 degradation of red hair pheomelanin gave, besides 6‐(2‐amino‐2‐carboxyethyl)‐2‐carboxy‐4‐hydroxybenzothiazole (BTCA), a new product which was identified as 7‐(2‐amino‐2‐carboxyethyl)‐2‐carboxy‐4‐hydroxybenzothiazole (BTCA‐2) originating from 2‐S‐cysteinyldopa (2SCD) derived units. BTCA‐2 was also obtained from a variety of pheomelanic tissues and synthetic pigments. Simultaneous determination of BTCA and BTCA‐2 in segments of red hair locks taken at variable distances from the scalp in a group of 19 individuals indicated an abrupt drop of BTCA yields on passing from root to tip, whereas BTCA‐2 values remained virtually constant throughout hair length. Analysis of 4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenylalanine (AHP) and 3‐aminotyrosine (AT) in the same lock segments showed a closely similar trend, whereas yields of thiazole‐2,4,5‐tricarboxylic acid (TTCA) increased with increasing the distance from the scalp. Prolonged exposure of hair locks to sunlight caused a significant decrease in BTCA‐, but not BTCA‐2‐yielding elements. Finally, model studies showed a substantial degradation of 5SCD‐, but not 2SCD‐derived units, during pheomelanin synthesis in vitro. It is concluded that red hair pheomelanin consists of a degradable 5SCD‐derived bulk component associated with stable 2SCD‐derived units. Structural degradation occurs during hair growth probably as a result of oxidative processes related in part to sun exposure.