bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Exocytosis and Fusion Pores by Synaptotagmin-Effector Interactions
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Hui Enfu , Chapman Edwin R. , Jackson Meyer B.
Published: June 2010

Synaptotagmin (syt) serves as a Ca2+sensor in the release of neurotransmitters and hormones. This function depends on the ability of syt to interact with other molecules. Syt binds to phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing lipid bilayers as well as to soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor receptors (SNAREs) and promotes SNARE assembly. All these interactions are regulated by Ca2+, but their specific roles in distinct kinetic steps of exocytosis are not well understood. To explore these questions we used amperometry recording from PC12 cells to investigate the kinetics of exocytosis. Syt isoforms and syt I mutants were overexpressed to perturb syt-PS and syt-SNARE interactions to varying degrees and evaluate the effects on fusion event frequency and the rates of fusion pore transitions. Syt I produced more rapid dilation of fusion pores than syt VII or syt IX, consistent with its role in synchronous synaptic release. Stronger syt-PS interactions were accompanied by a higher frequency of fusion events and more stable fusion pores. By contrast, syt-SNARE interactions and syt-induced SNARE assembly were uncorrelated with rates of exocytosis. This associates the syt-PS interaction with two distinct kinetic steps in Ca2+triggered exocytosis and supports a role for the syt-PS interaction in stabilizing open fusion pores.
Do Food Stamps Contribute to Obesity in Low‐Income Women? Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979
Authors: Fan Maoyong
Published: June 2010

This article estimates the effects of food stamp benefits on obesity, overweight and body mass index of low‐income women. My analysis differs from previous research in three aspects. First, we exploit a rich longitudinal dataset, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, to distinguish between full‐time and part‐time participation. Second, instead of making parametric assumptions on outcomes, we employ a variety of difference‐in‐difference matching estimators to control for selection bias. Third, we estimate both short‐term (one‐year participation) and long‐term (three‐year participation) treatment effects. We find little evidence that food stamps are responsible for obesity in female participants.
Determinants of World Demand for U.S. Corn Seeds: The Role of Trade Costs
Authors: Jayasinghe Sampath , Beghin John C. , Moschini GianCarlo
Published: June 2010

The expansion of the U.S. corn seed trade is not well understood. This article econometrically investigates world demand for U.S. corn seeds, focusing on trade costs impeding exports, including transportation, tariffs, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations. The analysis estimates a derived demand for seed by foreign corn producers using data from 48 countries for the years 1989 to 2004. An SPS count variable captures shifts in the cost of seeds faced by foreign users. A sample selection framework accounts for the large presence of zero trade flows. All trade costs have a significantly negative impact on U.S. corn seed exports.
The acute and long‐term effects of intracoronary Stem cell Transplantation in 191 patients with chronic heARt failure: the STAR‐heart study
Authors: Strauer Bodo‐Eckehard , Yousef Muhammad , Schannwell Christiana M.
Published: June 2010

Aims

Despite accumulated evidence that intracoronary bone marrow cell (BMC) therapy may be beneficial in acute myocardial infarction, there are only limited data available on the effectiveness of BMC's in chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to quantitatively investigate ventricular haemodynamics, geometry, and contractility as well as the long‐term clinical outcome of BMC treated patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) due to chronic ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods and results

Patients with chronic heart failure (n = 391 LVEF ≤35%) due to ischaemic cardiomyopathy were enrolled in the present study. Of these, 191 patients (mean NYHA class 3.22) underwent intracoronary BMC therapy. The control group (mean NYHA class 3.06) consisted of 200 patients with comparable LVEF. Assessments of haemodynamics at rest and exercise, quantitative ventriculography, spiroergometry, 24 h Holter ECG, late potentials, and heart rate variability were analysed. Over 3 months to 5 years after intracoronary BMC therapy there was a significant improvement in haemodynamics (e.g. LVEF, cardiac index), exercise capacity, oxygen uptake, and LV contractility. Importantly, there was a significant decrease in long‐term mortality in the BMC treated patients compared with the control group.

Conclusion

Intracoronary BMC therapy improves ventricular performance, quality of life and survival in patients with heart failure. These effects were present when BMC were administered in addition to standard therapeutic regimes. No side effects were observed.
Stock collapses and their recovery: mechanisms that establish and maintain life-cycle closure in space and time
Authors: Petitgas Pierre , Secor Dave H. , McQuinn Ian , Huse Geir , Lo Nancy
Published: June 2010

Petitgas, P., Secor, D. H., McQuinn, I., Huse, G., and Lo, N. 2010. Stock collapses and their recovery: mechanisms that establish and maintain life-cycle closure in space and time. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1841–1848. Experience has established that the recovery of many collapsed stocks takes much longer than predicted by traditional fishery population models. We put forward the hypothesis that stock collapse is associated with disruption of the biological mechanisms that sustain life-cycle closure of intrapopulation contingents. Based on a review of case studies of nine marine fish stocks, we argue that stock collapses not only involve biomass loss, but also the loss of structural elements related to life-cycle diversity (contingents), as well as the breakdown of socially transmitted traditions (through a curtailed age range). Behavioural mechanisms associated with these structural elements could facilitate recovery of depleted populations. Migratory behaviour is argued to relate to phenotypic plasticity and the persistence of migration routes to social interactions. The case studies represent collapsed or depleted populations that recovered after a relatively short period (striped bass, capelin), after more than a decade (herring and sardine), or not at all (anchovy, cod). Contrasting the population dynamics from these stocks leads us to make a distinction between a depleted and a collapsed population, where, in addition to biomass depletion, the latter includes damage to contingent structure or space-use pattern. We also propose a mechanism to explain how lost habitats are recolonized.
The Bagrada Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): A New Invasive Pest of Cole Crops in Arizona and California
Authors: Palumbo John C. , Natwick Eric T.
Published: June 2010

A new pest of cole crops, the Bagrada bug, was recently found infesting commercial Brassica crops throughout the southwestern desert growing areas of Arizona and California. The authors anticipate that this pest will become permanently established. Development of information on the Bagrada bug's biology and ecology on our local crops will be important for developing pest management recommendations.

Accepted for publication 2 May 2010. Published 21 June 2010.
Kin recognition and adjustment of reproductive effort in zebra finches
Authors: Arct Aneta , Rutkowska Joanna , Martyka Rafał , Drobniak Szymon M. , Cichoń Mariusz
Published: June 2010

The differential allocation theory predicts that females should invest more in offspring produced with attractive partners, and a number of studies support this prediction in birds. Females have been shown to increase reproductive investment when mated to males showing elaborated sexual traits. However, mate attractiveness might also depend on the interaction between male and female genotypes. Accordingly, females should invest more in offspring sired by individuals that are genetically dissimilar or carry superior alleles. Here, we show in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) that pairs of unfamiliar genetic brothers and sisters are less likely to reproduce in comparison with randomly mated pairs. Among the brother–sister pairs, those that attempted to breed laid smaller clutches and of lower total clutch mass. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that females adjust their reproductive effort in response to the genetic similarity of their partners. Importantly, these results imply a female ability to assess relatedness of a social mate without prior association.
Optimization of the sintering atmosphere for high-density hydroxyapatite–carbon nanotube composites
Authors: White Ashley A. , Kinloch Ian A. , Windle Alan H. , Best Serena M.
Published: June 2010

Hydroxyapatite–carbon nanotube (HA–CNT) composites have the potential for improved mechanical properties over HA for use in bone graft applications. Finding an appropriate sintering atmosphere for this composite presents a dilemma, as HA requires water in the sintering atmosphere to remain phase pure and well hydroxylated, yet CNTs oxidize at the high temperatures required for sintering. The purpose of this study was to optimize the atmosphere for sintering these composites. While the reaction between carbon and water to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen at high temperatures (known as the ‘water–gas reaction’) would seem to present a problem for sintering these composites, Le Chatelier's principle suggests this reaction can be suppressed by increasing the concentration of carbon monoxide and hydrogen relative to the concentration of carbon and water, so as to retain the CNTs and keep the HA's structure intact. Eight sintering atmospheres were investigated, including standard atmospheres (such as air and wet Ar), as well as atmospheres based on the water–gas reaction. It was found that sintering in an atmosphere of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with a small amount of water added, resulted in an optimal combination of phase purity, hydroxylation, CNT retention and density.
Mixed diffusion-controlled growth of pearlite in binary steel
Authors: Pandit A. S. , Bhadeshia H. K. D. H.
Published: June 2010

A kinetic theory for the diffusion-controlled growth of pearlite is presented, which accounts simultaneously for diffusion through the austenite and via the transformation front. The simplified method abandons the need for mechanical equilibrium at the phase junctions and yet is able to explain experimental data on the growth rate of pearlite. Furthermore, unlike previous analyses, the deduced value for the activation energy for the interfacial diffusion of carbon is found to be realistic when compared with corresponding data for volume diffusion.
Evolutionary bet-hedging in the real world: empirical evidence and challenges revealed by plants
Authors: Childs Dylan Z. , Metcalf C. J. E. , Rees Mark
Published: June 2010

Understanding the adaptations that allow species to live in temporally variable environments is essential for predicting how they may respond to future environmental change. Variation at the intergenerational scale can allow the evolution of bet-hedging strategies: a novel genotype may be favoured over an alternative with higher arithmetic mean fitness if the new genotype experiences a sufficiently large reduction in temporal fitness variation; the successful genotype is said to have traded off its mean and variance in fitness in order to ‘hedge its evolutionary bets’. We review the evidence for bet-hedging in a range of simple plant systems that have proved particularly tractable for studying bet-hedging under natural conditions. We begin by outlining the essential theory, reiterating the important distinction between conservative and diversified bet-hedging strategies. We then examine the theory and empirical evidence for the canonical example of bet-hedging: diversification via dormant seeds in annual plants. We discuss the complications that arise when moving beyond this simple case to consider more complex life-history traits, such as flowering size in semelparous perennial plants. Finally, we outline a framework for accommodating these complications, emphasizing the central role that model-based approaches can play.
Condition-dependent ejaculate size and composition in a ladybird beetle
Authors: Perry Jennifer C. , Rowe Locke
Published: June 2010

Sexually selected male ejaculate traits are expected to depend on the resource state of males. Theory predicts that males in good condition will produce larger ejaculates, but that ejaculate composition will depend on the relative production costs of ejaculate components and the risk of sperm competition experienced by low- and high-condition males. Under some conditions, when low condition leads to poorer performance in sperm competition, males in low condition may produce ejaculates with higher sperm content relative to their total ejaculate and may even transfer more sperm than high-condition males in an absolute sense. Previous studies in insects have shown that males in good condition transfer larger ejaculates or more sperm, but it has not been clear whether increased sperm content represents a shift in allocation or simply a larger ejaculate, and thus the condition dependence of ejaculate composition has been largely untested. We examined condition dependence in ejaculate by manipulating adult male condition in a ladybird beetle (
Adalia bipunctata
) in which males transfer three distinct ejaculate components during mating: sperm, non-sperm ejaculate retained within the female reproductive tract, and a spermatophore capsule that females eject and ingest following mating. We found that high condition males indeed transferred larger ejaculates, potentially achieved by an increased rate of ejaculate transfer, and allocated less to sperm compared with low-condition males. Low-condition males transferred ejaculates with absolutely and proportionally more sperm. This study provides the first experimental evidence for a condition-dependent shift in ejaculate composition.
Learning in a game context: strategy choice by some keeps learning from evolving in others
Authors: Dubois Frédérique , Morand-Ferron Julie , Giraldeau Luc-Alain
Published: June 2010

Behavioural decisions in a social context commonly have frequency-dependent outcomes and so require analysis using evolutionary game theory. Learning provides a mechanism for tracking changing conditions and it has frequently been predicted to supplant fixed behaviour in shifting environments; yet few studies have examined the evolution of learning specifically in a game-theoretic context. We present a model that examines the evolution of learning in a frequency-dependent context created by a producer–scrounger game, where producers search for their own resources and scroungers usurp the discoveries of producers. We ask whether a learning mutant that can optimize its use of producer and scrounger to local conditions can invade a population of non-learning individuals that play producer and scrounger with fixed probabilities. We find that learning provides an initial advantage but never evolves to fixation. Once a stable equilibrium is attained, the population is always made up of a majority of fixed players and a minority of learning individuals. This result is robust to variation in the initial proportion of fixed individuals, the rate of within- and between-generation environmental change, and population size. Such learning polymorphisms will manifest themselves in a wide range of contexts, providing an important element leading to behavioural syndromes.
Female and male genetic contributions to post-mating immune defence in female
Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Short Sarah M. , Lazzaro Brian P.
Published: June 2010

Post-mating reduction in immune defence is common in female insects, and a trade-off between mating and immunity could affect the evolution of immunity. In this work, we tested the capacity of virgin and mated female
Drosophila melanogaster
to defend against infection by four bacterial pathogens. We found that female
D. melanogaster
suffer post-mating immunosuppression in a pathogen-dependent manner. The effect of mating was seen after infection with two bacterial pathogens (
Providencia rettgeri
and
Providencia alcalifaciens
), though not after infection with two other bacteria (
Enterococcus faecalis
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
). We then asked whether the evolution of post-mating immunosuppression is primarily a ‘female’ or ‘male’ trait by assaying for genetic variation among females for the degree of post-mating immune suppression they experience and among males for the level of post-mating immunosuppression they elicit in their mates. We also assayed for an interaction between male and female genotypes to test the specific hypothesis that the evolution of a trade-off between mating and immune defence in females might be being driven by sexual conflict. We found that females, but not males, harbour significant genetic variation for post-mating immunosuppression, and we did not detect an interaction between female and male genotypes. We thus conclude that post-mating immune depression is predominantly a ‘female’ trait, and find no evidence that it is evolving under sexual conflict.
Crime and punishment in a roaming cleanerfish
Authors: Mills Suzanne C. , Côté Isabelle M.
Published: June 2010

Cheating is common in cooperative interactions, but its occurrence can be controlled by various means ranging from rewarding cooperators to active punishment of cheaters. Punishment occurs in the mutualism involving the cleanerfish
Labroides dimidiatus
and its reef fish clients. When
L. dimidiatus
cheats, by taking scales and mucus rather than ectoparasites, wronged clients either chase or withhold further visits to the dishonest cleaner, which leads to more cooperative future interactions. Punishment of cheating
L. dimidiatus
may be effective largely because these cleaners are strictly site-attached, increasing the potential for repeated interactions between individual cleaners and clients. Here, we contrast the patterns of cheating and punishment in
L. dimidiatus
with its close relative, the less site-attached
Labroides bicolor
. Overall,
L. bicolor
had larger home ranges, cheated more often and, contrary to our prediction, were punished by cheated clients as frequently as, and not less often than,
L. dimidiatus
. However, adult
L. bicolor
, which had the largest home ranges, did not cheat more than younger conspecifics, suggesting that roaming, and hence the frequency of repeated interactions, has little influence on cheating and retaliation in cleaner–client relationships. We suggest that roaming cleaners offer the only option available to many site-attached reef fish seeking a cleaning service. This asymmetry in scope for partner choice encourages dishonesty by the partner with more options (i.e.
L. bicolor
), but to be cleaned by a cleaner that sometimes cheats may be a better option than not to be cleaned at all.
A comparison between coral colonies of the genusMadracisand simulated forms
Authors: Filatov Maxim V. , Kaandorp Jaap A. , Postma Marten , van Liere Robert , Kruszyński Kris J. , Vermeij Mark J. A. , Streekstra Geert J. , Bak Rolf P. M.
Published: June 2010

In addition to experimental studies, computational models provide valuable information about colony development in scleractinian corals. Using our simulation model, we show how environmental factors such as nutrient distribution and light availability affect growth patterns of coral colonies. To compare the simulated coral growth forms with those of real coral colonies, we quantitatively compared our modelling results with coral colonies of the morphologically variable Caribbean coral genusMadracis. Madracisspecies encompass a relatively large morphological variation in colony morphology and hence represent a suitable genus to compare, for the first time, simulated and real coral growth forms in three dimensions using a quantitative approach. This quantitative analysis of three-dimensional growth forms is based on a number of morphometric parameters (such as branch thickness, branch spacing, etc.). Our results show that simulated coral morphologies share several morphological features with real coral colonies (M. mirabilis,M. decactis, M. formosaandM. carmabi). A significant correlation was found between branch thickness and branch spacing for both real and simulated growth forms. Our present model is able to partly capture the morphological variation in closely related and morphologically variable coral species of the genusMadracis.
Adaptive evolution of lateral plates in three‐spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus: a case study in functional analysis of natural variation
Authors: Barrett R. D. H.
Published: June 2010

The three‐spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus is a model species for studying questions in ecology and evolution. The rapid diversification of G. aculeatus in post‐glacial freshwater environments, combined with recently developed molecular tools, provides a unique opportunity to study the functional basis of fitness variation in natural populations. In derived freshwater populations, a number of morphological traits have diverged in parallel from the marine ancestral state, including the number of lateral armour plates. Evolution of reduced armour in freshwater populations is due to positive selection from both abiotic and biotic mechanisms. The major effect gene (ectodysplasin‐A or Eda), along with several minor effect genetic regions, has recently been shown to control lateral plate variation. Field experiments have further determined the fitness consequences of allelic variation at the major effect locus. This work helps elucidate the mechanisms connecting genetic variation with phenotypic variation and fitness in the wild, a synthesis that should be applicable to many other phenotypic traits and species of fishes.
Plasma cortisol and 11‐ketotestosterone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit validation for three fish species: the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula, the orangefin anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus and the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus
Authors: Mills S. C. , Mourier J. , Galzin R.
Published: June 2010

Commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits were validated for measuring steroid hormone concentrations in blood plasma from three fish species: the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula, the orangefin anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus and the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus. A minimum of 5 µl plasma was required to estimate hormone concentrations with both kits. These EIA kits are a simple method requiring minimal equipment, for measuring hormone profiles under field conditions.
Interviews with Children Exposed to Violence
Authors: Eriksson Maria , Näsman Elisabet
Published: June 2010

The aim of this article is to show how research practices may simultaneously follow principles of children’s citizenship rights to participation and principles of protection and support when children exposed to violence are informants. The article focuses upon organisation of interview processes and interactions between adult researchers and child informants in interview encounters. We point to a number of ways in which one may negotiate the tensions between, on the one hand, victimised children’s vulnerability and dependence upon adults for protection and support, and on the other these children’s agency and rights to participation.
'My Mum and Dad said it Calms You Down': Children's Perceptions of Smoking as a Coping Strategy
Authors: Milton Beth S. , Dugdill Lindsey , Porcellato Lorna A. , Jane Springett R.
Published: June 2010

While studies have shown that adults use smoking to deal with stress, little research has been carried out with children to explore their perceptions of smoking as a coping strategy. Qualitative questionnaire and interview data were generated with children aged 9–11 years. Participants perceived that adults smoked to relieve boredom and stress, and suggested that children might smoke for the same reasons. Children were more likely to know that adults smoked to deal with stress if they lived in a deprived area. Girls were more likely to believe that some children need to smoke as a coping strategy.
Life Satisfaction Among Children in Different Family Structures: A Comparative Study of 36 Western Societies
Authors: Bjarnason Thoroddur , Bendtsen Pernille , Arnarsson Arsaell M. , Borup Ina , Iannotti Ronald J. , Löfstedt Petra , Haapasalo Ilona , Niclasen Birgit
Published: June 2010

This paper examines differences in life satisfaction among children in different family structures in 36 western, industrialised countries (n = 184 496). Children living with both biological parents reported higher levels of life satisfaction than children living with a single parent or parent–step‐parent. Children in joint physical custody reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction than their counterparts in other types of non‐intact families. Controlling perceived family affluence, the difference between joint physical custody families and single mother or mother–stepfather families became non‐significant. Difficulties in communicating with parents were strongly associated with less life satisfaction but did not mediate the relation between family structure and life satisfaction. Children in the Nordic countries characterised by strong welfare systems reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction in all living arrangements except in single father households. Differences in economic inequality between countries moderated the association between certain family structures, perceived family affluence and life satisfaction.
Beneficial role of l‐arginine in cardiac matrix remodelling in insulin resistant rats
Authors: Monti L. D. , Galluccio E. , Lucotti P. , Setola E. , Costa S. , Fontana B. , Oldani M. , Merante D. , Di Blasi P. , Bosi E. , Piatti P. M.
Published: June 2010

Background  The study was performed to determine whether sucrose‐induced insulin resistance could increase the expression of cardiac matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), indices of matrix remodelling, and whether the addition of 1·25 g die−1 of L‐arginine (ARG) to a sucrose diet could prevent both the sucrose‐induced metabolic abnormalities and elevated cardiac expression of matrix metalloproteinases in an insulin resistant stage that precedes frank type 2 diabetes.

Materials and methods  Experiments were performed on 38 male Sprague‐Dawley rats, 16 rats maintained a standard chow diet (ST), 12 rats were switched to a sucrose enriched diet (SU) and 10 rats to a sucrose plus L‐arginine (1·25 g die−1) enriched diet (SU + ARG) for a period of 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of different diets, an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was performed and samples were drawn for the measurements of insulin, glucose, triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA), plasma cyclic guanosine‐monophosphate (c‐GMP) and retroperitoneal, omental, epididymal fat pad and heart were dissected and weighed.

Results  At the end of the study, retroperitoneal fat, heart weight/body weight ratio, fasting plasma glucose, serum insulin, and serum triglyceride levels and integrated insulin area after IVGTT were significantly higher in SU than in SU + ARG and ST. All these parameters were comparable between SU + ARG and ST animals. FFA levels were significantly different among groups, with highest levels in SU and lowest levels in ST. Fasting plasma c‐GMP levels and the integrated c‐GMP area after IVGTT, an index of nitric oxide activity, were significantly lower in SU than in SU + ARG and ST, the result was similar in SU + ARG and in ST MMP‐9 protein expression increased 10·5‐fold, MMP‐2 protein expression increased 2·4‐fold and the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP‐1) increased 1·7‐fold in SU rats as compared to ST animals. This was accompanied with a significant increase of cardiac triglyceride concentrations. In contrast, cardiac MMP‐9, MMP‐2, and TIMP‐1 protein expressions were not different between SU + ARG and ST animals. Cardiac triglyceride levels were not significantly different between SU + ARG and ST rats.

Conclusions  SU rats developed insulin resistance and hyperlipidaemia, accompanied with increased fat deposition in the heart and enhanced MMP protein expression. Conversely, ARG supplementation prevents these metabolic abnormalities and restored MMP/TIMP‐1 balance.
Beneficial effects of oral tilactase on patients with hypolactasia
Authors: Portincasa P. , Di Ciaula A. , Vacca M. , Montelli R. , Wang D. Q.‐H. , Palasciano G.
Published: June 2010

Background A lactose‐free diet is commonly prescribed to subjects with hypolactasia. We tested the effectiveness of a single ingestion of tilactase (a β‐d‐galactosidase fromAspergillus oryzae) in adults with hypolactasia, previously assessed by lactose H2‐breath test.

Materials and methods After measurement of orocecal transit time (OCTT, by lactulose H2‐breath test) and lactose H2‐breath testing plus placebo, a total of 134 subjects were positive to hypolactasia and underwent lactose H2‐breath testing plus either low (6750 U) or standard (11 250 U) doses of tilactase. The appearance of gastrointestinal symptoms during the tests was monitored.

Results OCTT was longer in malabsorbers (subjects without bloating, abdominal pain and/or diarrhoea,n = 25) than in intolerants (bloating, abdominal pain and/or diarrhoea,n = 109,P < 0·02). Malabsorbers had longer time to H2peak (P < 0·03), lower H2peak levels (P < 0·002) and smaller integrated H2excretion levels (P < 0·005) than intolerants. After tilactase ingestion, integrated H2levels were decreased by 75% (low dose) and 87% (standard dose) in malabsorbers, and by 74% (low dose) and 88% (standard dose) in intolerants. In the latter group, total symptom score were decreased by 76% (low dose) and by 88% (standard dose) (P < 0·0001).

Conclusion A single oral administration of tilactase is highly effective in decreasing symptoms and hydrogen excretion of hypolactasia assessed by lactose H2‐breath test. If confirmed by long‐term observations, ingestion of tilactase might be a better option than exclusion diets in intolerant subjects with hypolactasia.
A marvellous and authentic account: the first written report of haemophilia in America
Authors: ATWOOD R. J.
Published: June 2010

Summary.  The first written record of haemophilia in America is reputed to be the 1791 newspaper obituary of Isaac Zoll. The earlier, original publication of this obituary is identified.
Image analysis as an adjunct to manual HER‐2 immunohistochemical review: a diagnostic tool to standardize interpretation
Authors: Dobson Lynne , Conway Catherine , Hanley Alan , Johnson Alex , Costello Sean , O’Grady Anthony , Connolly Yvonne , Magee Hilary , O’Shea Daniel , Jeffers Michael , Kay Elaine
Published: June 2010

Dobson L, Conway C, Hanley A, Johnson A, Costello S, O’Grady A, Connolly Y, Magee H, O’Shea D, Jeffers M & Kay E (2010) Histopathology 57, 27–38 Image analysis as an adjunct to manual HER‐2 immunohistochemical review: a diagnostic tool to standardize interpretation

Aims:  Accurate determination of HER‐2 status is critical to identify patients for whom trastuzumab treatment will be of benefit. Although the recommended primary method of evaluation is immunohistochemistry, numerous reports of variability in interpretation have raised uncertainty about the reliability of results. Recent guidelines have suggested that image analysis could be an effective tool for achieving consistent interpretation, and this study aimed to assess whether this technology has potential as a diagnostic support tool.

Methods and results:  Across a cohort of 275 cases, image analysis could accurately classify HER‐2 status, with 91% agreement between computer‐aided classification and the pathology review. Assessment of the continuity of membranous immunoreactivity in addition to intensity of reactivity was critical to distinguish between negative and equivocal cases and enabled image analysis to report a lower referral rate of cases for confirmatory fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing. An excellent concordance rate of 95% was observed between FISH and the automated review across 136 informative cases.

Conclusions:  This study has validated that image analysis can robustly and accurately evaluate HER‐2 status in immunohistochemically stained tissue. Based on these findings, image analysis has great potential as a diagnostic support tool for pathologists and biomedical scientists, and may significantly improve the standardization of HER‐2 testing by providing a quantitative reference method for interpretation.
Interleukin‐17A is required to suppress invasion of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to enteric mucosa
Authors: Mayuzumi Hirokazu , Inagaki‐Ohara Kyoko , Uyttenhove Catherine , Okamoto Yuko , Matsuzaki Goro
Published: June 2010

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) causes a localized enteric infection and its elimination is dependent on a T helper type 1 immune response. However, the mechanism of the protective immune response against the pathogen in gut‐associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) at an early stage of the infection is not yet clarified. Here, we show that interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) was constitutively expressed in GALT; it was also detected on crypt and epithelial cells of the small intestine. Neutralization of the IL‐17A in the intestinal lumen exacerbated epithelial damage induced by intestinal S. typhimurium infection at an early stage of the infection. The result suggests that IL‐17A has a pivotal role in the immediate early stage of protection against bacterial infection at the intestinal mucosa. As IL‐17A neutralization also suppressed the constitutive localization of β‐defensin 3 (BD3), an IL‐17A‐induced antimicrobial peptide, at the apical site of the intestinal mucosa, it is estimated that IL‐17A constitutively induces the expression of the antimicrobial peptide to kill invading pathogens at the epithelial surface immediately after the infection. In contrast, interferon‐γ is induced around 3 days after S. typhimurium infection, and its expression level increases thereafter. Taken together, the findings lead to the hypothesis that IL‐17A participates in the immediate early stage of protection against S. typhimurium intestinal infection whereas interferon‐γ is important at a later stage of the infection.
Prey dispersal rate affects prey species composition and trait diversity in response to multiple predators in metacommunities
Authors: Howeth Jennifer G. , Leibold Mathew A.
Published: June 2010

1. Recent studies indicate that large‐scale spatial processes can alter local community structuring mechanisms to determine local and regional assemblages of predators and their prey. In metacommunities, this may occur when the functional diversity represented in the regional predator species pool interacts with the rate of prey dispersal among local communities to affect prey species diversity and trait composition at multiple scales.

2. Here, we test for effects of prey dispersal rate and spatially and temporally heterogeneous predation from functionally dissimilar predators on prey structure in pond mesocosm metacommunities. An experimental metacommunity consisted of three pond mesocosm communities supporting two differentially size‐selective invertebrate predators and their zooplankton prey. In each metacommunity, two communities maintained constant predation and supported either Gyrinus sp. (Coleoptera) or Notonecta ungulata (Hemiptera) predators generating a spatial prey refuge while the third community supported alternating predation from Gyrinus sp. and N. ungulata generating a temporal prey refuge. Mesocosm metacommunities were connected at either low (0·7% day−1) or high (10% day−1) planktonic prey dispersal. The diversity, composition and body size of zooplankton prey were measured at local and regional (metacommunity) scales.

3. Metacommunities experiencing the low prey dispersal rate supported the greatest regional prey species diversity (H’) and evenness (J’). Neither dispersal rate nor predation regime affected local prey diversity or evenness. The spatial prey refuge at low dispersal maintained the largest difference in species composition and body size diversity between communities under Gyrinus and Notonecta predation, suggesting that species sorting was operating at the low dispersal rate. There was no effect of dispersal rate on species diversity or body size distribution in the temporal prey refuge.

4. The frequency distribution, but not the range, of prey body sizes within communities depended upon prey dispersal rate and predator identity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that prey dispersal rate can moderate the strength of predation to influence prey species diversity and the local frequency distribution of prey traits in metacommunities supporting ecologically different predators.
Food‐web composition affects cross‐ecosystem interactions and subsidies
Authors: Romero Gustavo Q. , Srivastava Diane S.
Published: June 2010

1. Ecosystems may affect each other through trophic interactions that cross ecosystem boundaries as well as via the transfer of subsidies, but these effects can vary depending on the identity of species involved in the interaction.

2. In this study, we manipulated two terrestrial bromeliad‐living spider species (Aglaoctenus castaneus, Corinna gr. rubripes) that have variable hunting modes, to test their individual and combined effects on aquatic invertebrate community structure and ecosystem processes (i.e. decomposition rate and nitrogen cycling). We predicted that these terrestrial predators can affect aquatic invertebrates and nutrient dynamics within water‐filled bromeliads.

3. Aglaoctenus spiders reduced the richness, abundance and biomass of aquatic insect larvae via consumptive or non‐consumptive effects on ovipositing terrestrial adults, but effects of the two spider species in combination were usually the linear average of their monoculture effects. In contrast, invertebrates with entirely aquatic life cycles were unaffected or facilitated by spiders. Spiders did not affect either net detritivore biomass or the flux of detrital nitrogen to the bromeliad. Instead, Corinna spiders contributed allochthonous nitrogen to bromeliads.

4. Our results provide the novel observations that predators in one ecosystem not only directly reduce taxa whose life cycles cross‐ecosystem boundaries, but also indirectly facilitate taxa whose life cycles are entirely within the second ecosystem. This compensatory response between cross‐ecosystem and within‐ecosystem taxa may have led to an attenuation of top‐down effects across ecosystem boundaries. In addition, our results add to a growing consensus that species identity is an important determinant of community structure and ecosystem functioning. Thus, the composition of both terrestrial and aquatic food webs may affect the strength of cross‐ecosystem interactions.
Empirical evidence of senescence in adult damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera)
Authors: Sherratt T. N. , Laird R. A. , Hassall C. , Lowe C. D. , Harvey I. F. , Watts P. C. , Cordero‐Rivera A. , Thompson D. J.
Published: June 2010

1. Age‐dependent increases in mortality have been documented in a variety of species of insect under laboratory conditions. However, while strong statistical evidence has been presented for senescence in vertebrate populations in the wild, we know little about the rate and shape of senescence in wild populations of insects.

2. Odonates (damselflies and dragonflies) provide excellent candidate species for evaluating demographic senescence as they are large enough to be marked individually and they are easily re‐sighted without recapture. The prevailing opinion – based entirely on qualitative examination of the declines in log numbers alive with time since marking – is that odonates exhibit age‐independent daily survivorship.

3. Here, we examine mark–recapture data on the Azure DamselflyCoenagrion puellaover two consecutive seasons. For the first time, we evaluate and compare the fit of quantitative models that not only account for weather‐dependent daily variation in daily re‐sighting rates, but also age‐dependent variation in daily survivorship.

4. Models with age‐dependent declines in daily survivorship provide a more parsimonious explanation for the data than similar models without these age‐dependent effects. In general, models in which mortality increases in an exponential (Gompertz) fashion explain the mark–recapture sequences more efficiently than a range of alternative models, including those in which mortality increases as a power function (Weibull) or reaches a plateau (logistic). These results are indicative of a general senescent decline in physiological functioning, which is particularly marked after 15 days as a mature adult.

5. Weather (temperature, sun and precipitation) and initial mite load influenced the probability of daily re‐sighting. Weather and mite load also influenced daily survivorship, but their effects differed between seasons.

6. Overall, fitting models with age as an explicit covariate demonstrates that odonates do indeed senesce. This contradicts previously held assumptions that Odonata do not exhibit age‐dependent survivorship in the wild.
Contrasting responses to water deficits of Nothofagus species from tropical New Guinea and high‐latitude temperate forests: can rainfall regimes constrain latitudinal range?
Authors: Read Jennifer , Hill Robert S. , Hope Geoffrey S.
Published: June 2010

Aim  Comparative responses of Nothofagus species to water deficits were studied to determine whether rainfall regimes could limit the latitudinal ranges of tropical and temperate forest species.

Location  The study species are native to New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina.

Methods  Seedlings of Nothofagus species from a broad latitudinal range were grown in a common environment. Changes in conductance, relative water content and water potential were measured in detached shoots, and together with measurements of tissue injury and biomass allocation, were compared between tropical and temperate species.

Results  Differences in responses to water deficits between tropical and temperate species appear to reflect differences in climate regimes. In particular, species native to ever‐wet rainfall regimes in New Guinea, where water deficits are generally likely to be short‐lived, were effective at conserving water by reduced stomatal conductance. In contrast, high‐latitude evergreen species on average showed greater development of traits that should enhance water uptake. This was particularly evident in Nothofagus cunninghamii from southern Australia, which developed low water potentials at moderate levels of tissue water deficit and higher root:leaf biomass than tropical species, potentially allowing carbon assimilation to be maximized during warmer, but drier, summer months. However, water relations varied among high‐latitude species. In particular, deciduous species on average showed higher rates of conductance, even during moderate levels of tissue water deficit, than evergreen species.

Main conclusions  The tropical species appear to conserve water during periods of water deficit (relative to temperate species), which is unlikely to have substantial opportunity costs for growth in ever‐wet climates. However, spread of tropical species to higher latitudes may be limited by water conservation strategies that limit carbon gain in climates in which temperature seasonality is often paired with drier summers. Evergreen species from high latitudes, such as N. cunninghamii, commonly showed traits that should increase water uptake. However, this strategy, while probably maximizing growth in temperate climates with cool winters and drier summers, must limit competitiveness at lower latitudes in summer‐wet climates. We conclude that responses to water regimes may make a significant contribution to the latitudinal limits of some evergreen rain forest species.
The costs of guideline‐concordant care and of care according to patients' needs in anxiety and depression
Authors: Prins Marijn , Bosmans Judith , Verhaak Peter , van der Meer Klaas , van Tulder Maurits , van Marwijk Harm , Laurant Miranda , Smolders Mirrian , Penninx Brenda , Bensing Jozien
Published: June 2010

Aim  To describe the direct and indirect costs for people with anxiety and depressive disorders where guidelines are adhered to and patients' perceived needs are fully met.

Method  Data were derived from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. At baseline, adult patients were interviewed and they completed questionnaires to measure DSM‐IV diagnoses, socio‐demographic characteristics and perceived need for care. Actual care data were also derived from electronic medical records. Criteria for guideline adherence were based on general practice guidelines, issued by the Dutch College of General Practitioners. Direct and indirect costs were inferred from the Perceived Need for Care Questionnaire administered at baseline, and the Trimbos and iMTA questionnaire on Costs associated with Psychiatric illness administered at 1‐year follow‐up.

Results  For 568 patients with a current anxiety or depressive disorder a complete dataset on health care use and absenteeism was available. Guideline adherence was significantly associated with increased care use and corresponding costs, while fully met perceived need was unrelated to costs. Socio‐demographic characteristics, severity of symptoms and guideline adherence all affected the societal costs of patients with fully met perceived needs compared with patients with perceived unmet needs.

Conclusion  It appears that guideline‐concordant care for anxiety and depression costs more than non‐concordant care, while care that has fulfilled all of a patient's needs seems not to be more expensive than care that has not met all perceived needs. However, randomized controlled trials should first confirm this conclusion.
Evidence for Suprachiasmatic Vasopressin Neurones Innervating Kisspeptin Neurones in the Rostral Periventricular Area of the Mouse Brain: Regulation by Oestrogen
Authors: Vida B. , Deli L. , Hrabovszky E. , Kalamatianos T. , Caraty A. , Coen C. W. , Liposits Z. , Kalló I.
Published: June 2010

In rodents, a circadian signal from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is essential for the pro‐oestrous surge of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH), which, in turn, induces luteinising hormone (LH) surge and ovulation. We hypothesised that kisspeptin (KP) neurones in the anteroventral periventricular and periventricular preoptic nuclei (AVPV/PeN) form part of the communication pathway between the SCN and GnRH neurones. In anterograde track tracing studies, we first identified vasopressin (VP)‐containing axons of SCN origin in apposition to KP‐immunoreactive (IR) neurones. Studies to quantify this input relied on the observation that VP‐synthesising neurones in the SCN differ from other VP systems in their lack of galanin expression. In ovariectomised mice, 30.79 ± 1.63% of KP‐IR perikarya and proximal dendrites within the AVPV/PeN received galanin‐negative VP‐IR varicosities. Oestrogen‐treatment significantly increased the number of KP‐IR neurones, with their percentage apposed by galanin‐negative VP‐IR varicosities (46.95 ± 1.88%) and the number of VP‐IR appositions on individual KP‐IR neurones. At the ultrastructural level, the VP‐IR terminals formed symmetric synapses with KP‐IR neurones, which was in accordance with the morphology of inhibitory synapses established by SCN neurones. By contrast to VP, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), which is synthesised by a distinct subset of SCN neurones, occurred only rarely in axons apposed to KP‐IR neurones. Altogether, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that KP neurones located in the mouse AVPV/PeN receive circadian information from the SCN via a vasopressinergic monosynaptic pathway, which is enhanced by oestrogen.