bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phased Control of Expansin Activity during Leaf Development Identifies a Sensitivity Window for Expansin-Mediated Induction of Leaf Growth
Authors: Sloan Jennifer , Backhaus Andreas , Malinowski Robert , McQueen-Mason Simon , Fleming Andrew J.
Published: September 2009

Expansins are cell wall proteins associated with the process of plant growth. However, investigations in which expansin gene expression has been manipulated throughout the plant have often led to inconclusive results. In this article, we report on a series of experiments in which overexpression of expansin was targeted to specific phases of leaf growth using an inducible promoter system. The data indicate that there is a restricted window of sensitivity when increased expansin gene expression leads to increased endogenous expansin activity and an increase in leaf growth. This phase of maximum expansin efficacy corresponds to the mid phase of leaf growth. We propose that the effectiveness of expansin action depends on the presence of other modulating factors in the leaf and we suggest that it is the control of expression of these factors (in conjunction with expansin gene expression) that defines the extent of leaf growth. These data help to explain some of the previously observed variation in growth response following manipulation of expansin gene expression and highlight a potential linkage of the expression of modifiers of expansin activity with the process of exit from cell division.
Replication Stress Leads to Genome Instabilities inArabidopsisDNA Polymerase Δ Mutants
Authors: Schuermann David , Fritsch Olivier , Lucht Jan M. , Hohn Barbara
Published: September 2009

Impeded DNA replication or a deficiency of its control may critically threaten the genetic information of cells, possibly resulting in genome alterations, such as gross chromosomal translocations, microsatellite instabilities, or increased rates of homologous recombination (HR). We examined an Arabidopsis thaliana line derived from a forward genetic screen, which exhibits an elevated frequency of somatic HR. These HR events originate from replication stress in endoreduplicating cells caused by reduced expression of the gene coding for the catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase Δ (POLΔ1). The analysis of recombination types induced by diverse alleles of polΔ1 and by replication inhibitors allows the conclusion that two not mutually exclusive mechanisms lead to the generation of recombinogenic breaks at replication forks. In plants with weak polΔ1 alleles, we observe genome instabilities predominantly at sites with inverted repeats, suggesting the formation and processing of aberrant secondary DNA structures as a result of the accumulation of unreplicated DNA. Stalled and collapsed replication forks account for the more drastic enhancement of HR in plants with strong polΔ1 mutant alleles. Our data suggest that efficient progression of DNA replication, foremost on the lagging strand, relies on the physiological level of the polymerase Δ complex and that even a minor disturbance of the replication process critically threatens genomic integrity of Arabidopsis cells.
Cellular Pathways Regulating Responses to Compatible and Self-Incompatible Pollen inBrassicaandArabidopsisStigmas Intersect at Exo70A1, a Putative Component of the Exocyst Complex
Authors: Samuel Marcus A. , Chong Yolanda T. , Haasen Katrina E. , Aldea-Brydges May Grace , Stone Sophia L. , Goring Daphne R.
Published: September 2009

In the Brassicaceae, compatible pollen–pistil interactions result in pollen adhesion to the stigma, while pollen grains from unrelated plant species are largely ignored. There can also be an additional layer of recognition to prevent self-fertilization, the self-incompatibility response, whereby self pollen grains are distinguished from nonself pollen grains and rejected. This pathway is activated in the stigma and involves the ARM repeat–containing 1 (ARC1) protein, an E3 ubiquitin ligase. In a screen for ARC1-interacting proteins, we have identified Brassica napus Exo70A1, a putative component of the exocyst complex that is known to regulate polarized secretion. We show through transgenic studies that loss of Exo70A1 in Brassica and Arabidopsis thaliana stigmas leads to the rejection of compatible pollen at the same stage as the self-incompatibility response. A red fluorescent protein:Exo70A1 fusion rescues this stigmatic defect in Arabidopsis and is found to be mobilized to the plasma membrane concomitant with flowers opening. By contrast, increased expression of Exo70A1 in self-incompatible Brassica partially overcomes the self pollen rejection response. Thus, our data show that the Exo70A1 protein functions at the intersection of two cellular pathways, where it is required in the stigma for the acceptance of compatible pollen in both Brassica and Arabidopsis and is negatively regulated by Brassica self-incompatibility.
Fresh and pickled vegetable consumption and gastric cancer in Japanese and Korean populations: A meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Kim Hyun Ja , Lim Sun Young , Lee Jung‐Sug , Park Sohee , Shin Aesun , Choi Bo Youl , Shimazu Taichi , Inoue Manami , Tsugane Shoichiro , Kim Jeongseon
Published: September 2009

It is widely known that vegetable consumption contributes to reducing the risk of gastric cancer (GC). However, the incidence rates of GC remain high in both Japanese and Korean populations, even though they have a high consumption of total vegetables. This may be due to the fact that Japanese and Koreans mainly consume processed vegetables, such as cooked, salted, or pickled vegetables, rather than fresh vegetables. To determine whether the intakes of fresh and pickled vegetables have different effects on the risk of GC in Japanese and Korean populations, we carried out a meta‐analysis of published epidemiological reports. Eight studies on the consumption of fresh vegetables and 14 studies on the consumption of pickled vegetables related to GC risk were included in this meta‐analysis. Four studies exploring differences in GC risk in men and women were considered separately. We observed that a high intake of fresh vegetables was significantly associated with a decreased risk of GC (overall summary OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46–0.85) but that a high intake of pickled vegetables was significantly associated with an increased risk of GC (overall summary OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.06–1.53). The results of this meta‐analysis provide evidence that a high intake of pickled vegetables may increase GC risk and suggest that a high consumption of fresh vegetables, rather than a large total amount of vegetables including pickled vegetables, is important to reduce GC risk. (Cancer Sci 2009)
Postdispersal seed predation and seed viability in forest soils: implications for the regeneration of tree species in Ethiopian church forests
Authors: Wassie Alemayehu , Bekele Tesfaye , Sterck Frank , Teketay Demel , Bongers Frans
Published: September 2009

Almost all dry Afromontane forests of Northern Ethiopia have been converted to agricultural, grazing or scrub lands except for small fragments left around churches (‘Church forests’). Species regeneration in these forests is limited. We investigated (i) how intense postdispersal seed predation was in church forest, and if this seed predation varied with species and/or habitat, and (ii) for how long tree seeds maintained their viability while buried in forest soil. In the seed predation experiment, we monitored seeds of six tree species in four habitats for a period of 14 weeks (the peak seeding season). In the seed viability experiment, we assessed seed viability of five species in four habitats after being buried 6, 12, or 18 months. Ninety‐two percent of the tree seeds were predated within 3.5 months. Predation was mainly dependent on species whereas habitat had a weaker effect. Seed viability decreased sharply with burial time in soil for all species except for Juniperus. To minimize seed availability limitation for regeneration of such species in the forest, the standing vegetation needs to be persistently managed and conserved for a continuous seed rain supply. Additional seed sowing, and seed and seedling protection (by e.g. animal exclosures) may increase successful regeneration of important species in these forests.
Spatial variations in the composition and abundance of zooplankton in the Bahir Dar Gulf of Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Authors: Imoobe Tunde Ohiokhioya Thadeus , Christopher Akoma Osondu
Published: September 2009

The zooplankton in the littoral and open water zones of Bahir Dar Gulf, Lake Tana, collected in June and July 2007, were investigated using basic statistical measurement of diversity indices and one way analysis of variance to characterize the zooplankton fauna, with respect to its composition, abundance and spatial distribution patterns. The zooplankton composition was typical of a tropical freshwater lake, with a total of 44 species made up of sixteen rotifers, sixteen c1adocerans and twelve copepods and their developing stages in the following order of dominance; Rotifera > Cladocera > Cylopoida > Calanoida. Variation in spatial distribution was noticeable, the abundance of zooplankton was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at the littoral zone (Stations 2 and 3) than the open water (Station 1) as a result of the preponderance of the small‐bodied nauplii stages, small rotifers and c1adocerans particularly Bosmina longirostris. Species richness, evenness, and diversity also increased as abundance increased in the littoral zones of the lake. The rotifers, particularly the brachionids Keratella and Brachionus spp., which are considered good indicators of lake trophic status constituted the dominant zooplankton group in terms of abundance and diversity, thus indicating that the lake has a high fisheries potential.
Acoustic estimation of wildlife abundance: methodology for vocal mammals in forested habitats
Authors: Thompson Mya E. , Schwager Steven J. , Payne Katharine B. , Turkalo Andrea K.
Published: September 2009

Habitat loss and hunting pressure threaten mammal populations worldwide, generating critical time constraints on trend assessment. This study introduces a new survey method that samples continuously and non‐invasively over long time periods, obtaining estimates of abundance from vocalization rates. We present feasibility assessment methods for acoustic surveys and develop equations for estimating population size. As an illustration, we demonstrate the feasibility of acoustic surveys for African forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Visual surveys and vocalizations from a forest clearing in the Central African Republic were used to establish that low‐frequency elephant calling rate is a useful index of elephant numbers (linear regressionP < 0.001,radj.2 = 0.58). The effective sampling area was 3.22 km2per acoustic sensor, a dramatic increase in coverage over dung survey transects. These results support the use of acoustic surveys for estimating elephant abundance over large remote areas and in diverse habitats, using a distributed network of acoustic sensors. The abundance estimation methods presented can be applied in surveys of any species for which an acoustic abundance index and detection function have been established. This acoustic survey technique provides an opportunity to improve management and conservation of many acoustically‐active taxa whose populations are currently under‐monitored.
Preliminary investigations into a potential ant invader in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Authors: Sithole Hendrik , Smit Izak P.J. , Parr Catherine L.
Published: September 2009

The super‐abundance of Lepisiota incisa (Forel) in settlement areas of Kruger National Park, South Africa has raised concerns that it might be exotic and could negatively impact on natural ecosystems. We documented the current distribution of this ant species around the main settlement in Kruger, assessed how ant diversity varies across habitats, and investigated potential mechanisms facilitating dominance by L. incisa. Around the main camp of Skukuza, pitfall traps were set in five habitats differing in anthropogenic influence. Baiting trails were conducted to determine whether L. incisa and native ants differed in numerical and behavioural dominance. Aggression assays were performed on L. incisa to provide information on colony structure. Although L. incisa was found in all habitats, it had a significantly higher abundance in gardens and appears confined to human‐disturbed areas. It was numerically dominant recruiting more workers to food baits than all other ant species combined. Aggression levels were low between most nests of L. incisa indicating a potential supercolony structure. More information is urgently needed on the genetics, physiology and origins of L. incisa, and monitoring of its current distribution is recommended. This species warrants attention because there may be significant potential for overseas invasion.
Plant species richness–environment relationships across the Subantarctic–Patagonian transition zone
Authors: Speziale Karina Lilian , Ruggiero Adriana , Ezcurra Cecilia
Published: September 2009

Aim  To evaluate the relative importance of climate, productivity, environmental heterogeneity, biotic associations and habitat use by cattle to account for the species richness of trees, shrubs and herbs across the Subantarctic–Patagonian transition.

Location  An area of c. 150 × 150 km, within the transition zone between the Subantarctic and Patagonian subregions on the eastern slope of the Andes (c. 39–42° S, 70–72° W).

Methods  All vascular plants found at each one of 50 (10 × 10 m) sampling plots were counted to estimate the local tree, shrub and herb species richness. Path analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the richness of the three life‐forms and plant cover, dried litter biomass, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, daily temperature range, substrate heterogeneity and number of faecal pats. Principal coordinates of neighbour matrices was used to model the spatial autocorrelation of the data.

Results  Total plant species richness showed a unimodal pattern of spatial variation across the transition. Richness responded positively to indirect effects of precipitation mediated through plant cover, but there was a negative overall effect of precipitation on richness towards the west of the transition, most strongly for trees. An increase in substrate heterogeneity promoted a local increase in herb and shrub richness; the richness of trees increased in sites with steeper slopes. Canopy closure had a direct negative impact on herb richness; it also increased the local accumulation of litter, which negatively affected shrub and herb richness. The impact of habitat use by cattle negatively affected herb richness in areas to the east of the biogeographical transition.

Main conclusions  We suggest that the importance of indirect climatic effects mediated by vegetation cover can account for species richness patterns across this transition, most strongly for woody species, which supports the productivity hypothesis. The southern temperate forests towards the west may represent a deviation from the predictions of the water–energy dynamics hypothesis. Dissimilar spatial patterns of variation in the richness of woody and herbaceous species, and their different responses to climatic and heterogeneity variables across the transition, suggest that plant life‐form influences the plant species richness–environment relationships.
Immigration history of amphidromous species on a Greater Antillean island
Authors: Cook Benjamin D. , Pringle Catherine M. , Hughes Jane M.
Published: September 2009

Aim  To use molecular data to test for dispersal structuring in the immigration history of an amphidromous community on an island.

Location  The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.

Methods  Mitochondrial DNA sequences were obtained from 11 amphidromous species, including shrimps, fish and a gastropod, sampled from throughout the island. The timing of population expansion (TE) in each species was calculated using nucleotide variation and molecular clock dating methods. The order of species accumulation was then reconstructed (oldest to most recent estimate for TE), and groups of species with non‐overlapping estimates for TE were identified. The temporal span and average immigration rate for each group were calculated and compared with expectations of two previously published models of island immigration [the ‘dispersal‐structured model of island recolonization’ (Whittaker & Jones, Oikos, 1994, 69, 524–529), which predicts short phases of rapid immigration followed by extended phases with relatively slow immigration rates; and the ‘colonization window hypothesis’ (Carine, Taxon, 2005, 54, 895–903), which suggests that opportunities for island colonization are temporally constrained to discrete waves of colonization].

Results  The molecular data indicated the immigration history of Puerto Rican amphidromous fauna from the late Pleistocene through the Holocene and identified two groups of species with non‐overlapping estimates for TE and one group that overlapped with the other two groups. The temporal span, average immigration rate and lack of discreteness between all three groups indicated a continuum of immigration rather than distinct phases of species arrivals.

Main conclusions  This study did not support the expectations of the immigration models and suggested that amphidromous species from Puerto Rico comprise a single class of marine‐based dispersers. The immigration sequence we report probably reflects a recolonization chronology in this community, in keeping with the notion of species turnover through time. Four areas of future research into the immigration history of amphidromous species on islands are identified, and indicated the possibility that equilibrium processes govern long‐term community change in amphidromous biota on islands.
Renal function assessed by two different formulas and incidence of myocardial infarction and death in middle‐aged men and women
Authors: Holzmann M. J. , Ivert T. , Jungner I. , Nordqvist T. , Walldius G. , Östergren J. , Hammar N.
Published: September 2009

Abstract.  Holzmann MJ, Ivert T, Jungner I, Nordqvist T, Walldius G, Östergren J, Hammar N (Karolinska University Hospital, Institute of Environmental Medicine, King Gustaf V Research Institute, Karolinska Institutet; Stockholm; AstraZeneca Sverige AB, Södertälje; AstraZeneca Research & Development, Mölndal, Sweden). Renal function assessed by two different formulas and incidence of myocardial infarction and death in middle‐aged men and women. J Intern Med 2010; 267: 357–369.

Background.  Chronic kidney disease predicts mortality in the general population, but less is known about the association with incidence of first myocardial infarction. We evaluated glomerular filtration rates (GFR) estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study (GFR‐MDRD) equation and the Mayo formula (GFR‐Mayo) as predictors of myocardial infarction and death.

Methods.  In 571 353 Swedish men and women, undergoing health controls, with mean age 45 years, and no previous myocardial infarction, hazard ratios were calculated to assess the association between renal function and incidence of myocardial infarction and all‐cause mortality, respectively. Glomerular filtration rate 60–90, 30–60 and <30 mL per minute per 1.73 m2, was defined as mildly, moderately and severely decreased GFR, respectively.

Results.  There were 19 510 myocardial infarctions and 56 367 deaths during 11.6 years of follow‐up. Hazard ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for myocardial infarction, using GFR‐Mayo were 1.11 (1.06–1.16) for mildly, 1.32 (1.18–1.48) for moderately and 2.54 (1.90–3.40) for severely decreased GFR. The corresponding figures for GFR‐MDRD were 1.01 (0.96–1.05), 1.23 (1.14–1.32) and 2.49 (1.85–3.35). Mortality was increased at all levels of reduced GFR‐Mayo and at moderately or severely decreased GFR‐MDRD.

Conclusions.  Already mildly decreased GFR increase the risk of myocardial infarction and death in the general population. The association with adverse outcomes is stronger when GFR‐Mayo rather than GFR‐MDRD is used to assess renal function.
Revised dental beliefs survey: reliability and validity of a 22‐item modified Turkish version
Authors: ERCİYAS K. , HAMAMCİ Z. , BUYUKOZTURK S. , ERCİYAS A. F.
Published: September 2009

Summary  The aim of this study is to create a Turkish version of the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey (DBS‐R) and describe its psychometric properties. The participants were 420 general dental patients. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed that the DBS‐R consisted of three factors consisting of 22 items. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that the 22‐item three‐factor version fit the data better than the original 28‐item English language four‐factor structure model proposed in Odontol Scand (2004;62:21). The internal reliability of the Turkish version of the DBS‐R was Cronbach alpha of 0·88. The correlation between the Turkish version of the DBS‐R and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was 0·29. Scores on the 22‐item version were higher for anxious participants (MDAS ≥ 15) than those determined to be not anxious [59·4 ± 15·5 vs. 51·1 ± 17·2 (t = −4·38, P < 0·0001)]. In conclusion, a 22‐item modified version of the DBS‐R in Turkish appears reliable and valid.
Phytoplasmas associated with disease of coconut in Malaysia: phylogenetic groups and host plant species
Authors: Nejat N. , Sijam K. , Abdullah S. N. A. , Vadamalai G. , Dickinson M.
Published: September 2009

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) with symptoms indicative of phytoplasma disease were collected from different locations in Malaysia. PCR assays employing phytoplasma universal rRNA gene primers P1/P7 alone or P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 detected phytoplasmas in eight out of 20 Malayan Red Dwarf (MRD), nine out of 12 Malayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD) and 12 out of 12 Malayan Tall (MT) coconut palms displaying coconut yellow decline symptoms. Positive detections were also obtained from six out of six oil palm seedlings showing symptoms of yellowing and necrosis, from 10 out of 10 Bermudagrass samples with white leaf symptoms, and from eight out of eight periwinkle plants showing phyllody, virescence, little leaf, proliferation and foliar yellowing. Phytoplasmas were not detected in any of the symptomless plants tested. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of PCR products determined that phytoplasmas infecting both MRD and MT coconuts and Bermudagrass in Serdang, Selangor State, were all members of the 16SrXIV ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’ group, whereas isolates in periwinkle in Serdang were all members of the 16SrI ‘Ca. Phytoplasma asteris’ group. However, the phytoplasmas detected in MYD coconuts and oil palms from Banting, Selangor State, and in periwinkle from Putrajaya were collectively very similar (99%), but shared <97·5% similarity with 16S rDNA sequences of all other known phytoplasmas, indicating that they represent a novel taxonomic group. Thus, at least two phylogenetically distinct phytoplasmas are associated with the coconut yellow decline syndrome in Malaysia, both of which were also detected in other plant species.
Characterization of mutations in the membrane‐anchored subunits AaSDHC and AaSDHD of succinate dehydrogenase from Alternaria alternata isolates conferring field resistance to the fungicide boscalid
Authors: Avenot H. , Sellam A. , Michailides T.
Published: September 2009

The molecular basis of resistance to the fungicide boscalid in 25 Alternaria alternata field mutants exhibiting resistance to boscalid and previously tested negative for AaSDHB mutations conferring boscalid resistance was investigated by cloning and sequencing the A. alternata SDHC (AaSDHC) and SDHD (AaSDHD) genes from a boscalid‐sensitive isolate. The SDHB and SDHC/SDHD genes encode the iron sulphur and two membrane‐anchored subunits of succinate:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (SQR) that constitute the boscalid fungicide molecular targets. The deduced amino acid sequences exhibited low similarities with SDHC and SDHD peptides from other organisms, but residues essential to form the ubiquinone binding site or important in SQR assembly were particularly conserved. Sequence comparisons of the AaSDHC and AaSDHD genes between resistant mutants and wild‐type isolates revealed that two highly conserved histidine residues implicated in the heme b ligation and located at codon 134 in AaSDHC (22 mutants) and codon 133 in AaSDHD (two mutants) were replaced by arginine residues (H134R and H133R). In another mutant, a substitution of an aspartate by a glutamic acid occurred at amino acid position 123 (D123E) in AaSDHD. Additional tests revealed that mycelial growth of boscalid‐resistant isolates was reduced when isolates were subjected to oxidative stress. The identified mutations were confirmed using PCR‐RFLP assays. This is apparently the first report of mutations located in the heme b ligands of the cytochrome II gene associated with carboxamide resistance.
Epidemiological evidence that vegetatively propagated, solanaceous plant species act as sources ofPotato spindle tuber viroidinoculum for tomato
Authors: Verhoeven J. Th. J. , Jansen C. C. C. , Botermans M. , Roenhorst J. W.
Published: September 2009

In autumn 2006 in the Netherlands,Potato spindle tuber viroid(PSTVd) infections were detected in 42·3 and 71·9% of professionally grown lots ofBrugmansiaspp. andSolanum jasminoidesrespectively. The infected lots contained 73 985 and 431 374 plants, respectively, demonstrating the presence of many potential viroid sources for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). PSTVd was identified in cultivars ofBrugmansia × candida,B. × flava,B. sanguinea,B. suaveolensand unspecifiedBrugmansiaspecies/cultivars. Most infected lots ofBrugmansiaspp. originated from a single Dutch nursery; most infected lots ofS. jasminoidesoriginated abroad. Sequence analysis revealed that the PSTVd genomes fromBrugmansiaspp. contained an average of 360 nt, whereas all genomes fromS. jasminoidesexcept one consisted of 357 nt. Furthermore, the collective PSTVd genotypes showed polymorphism at four or more positions, except for two cases in which genotypes fromBrugmansiaspp. andS. jasminoideswere identical. Phylogenetic studies showed that PSTVd genotypes fromBrugmansiaspp. andS. jasminoidesgrouped apart from each other and from PSTVd isolates from potato (Solanum tuberosum) andPhysalis peruviana. The PSTVd genotypes from tomato did not form a separate cluster, but were dispersed over clusters of vegetatively or partly vegetatively propagated plant species, i.e. potato,P. peruvianaandS. jasminoides. Moreover, mechanical inoculation of the predominant PSTVd genotypes fromS. jasminoidesto tomato was successful. These results provide evidence that vegetatively propagated, solanaceous plant species have been sources of infection for tomato crops in the past.
Immunization with Cry1Ac from Bacillus Thuringiensis Increases Intestinal IgG Response and Induces the Expression of FcRn in the Intestinal Epithelium of Adult Mice
Authors: Verdin‐Terán S. L. , Vilches‐Flores A. , Moreno‐Fierros L.
Published: September 2009

We have shown that Cry1Ac protoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis is a potent mucosal and systemic immunogen with adjuvant properties. Interestingly, we have observed that Cry1Ac preferentially induces high specific IgG responses in intestinal fluid when it is intraperitoneally administered to mice; therefore, in the present study, we used this protocol, as a model to address the influence of systemic immunization on the induction of the intestinal IgG response. The data shown indicate that upon intraperitoneal immunization with Cry1Ac, significant intestinal specific IgG cell responses were produced in the lamina propria, accompanied by an increased frequency of intestinal IgG+ lymphocytes and epithelial cells containing IgG. Considering that FcRn is the receptor responsible for the transport of IgG in neonatal intestinal epithelia, but it is developmentally downregulated in the rodent intestine, we analysed whether upon intestinal IgG induction, FcRn mRNA expression was induced in intestinal epithelial cells, of adult mice. Whereas in intestinal epithelia of unimmunized adult mice FcRn mRNA was not detected, in Cry1Ac immunized mice it was expressed, although the level was lower in comparison with that found in neonatal epithelia. Then using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence we confirmed that the expression of the protein FcRn was induced in the intestines of adult immunized mice especially in the large intestine. Finally, we found that Cry1Ac also increased FcRn expression in isolated intestinal epithelial cells stimulated in vitro. The outcomes suggest that the expression of FcRn in intestinal epithelium might be reactivated upon immunization, and possibly facilitate IgG transport.
Structural Difference in the Complement Activation Site of Human IgG1 and IgG3
Authors: Michaelsen T. E. , Sandlie I. , Bratlie D. B. , Sandin R. H. , Ihle O.
Published: September 2009

The C1q binding epicentre on IgG molecules involves residues Asp270, Lys322, Pro329 and Pro331 in the CH2 domain. IgG1 and IgG3 are usually the most efficient of the four human IgG subclasses in activating complement and they both share all these residues. To reveal possible differences in the structural requirement for complement activation, we created a number of NIP (5‐iodo‐4‐hydroxy‐3‐nitro‐phenacetyl) specific IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies with parallel mutations in or near the putative C1q binding site. The mutants were tested simultaneously for antibody induced, antibody‐dependent complement‐mediated lysis (ADCML) at high and low antigen concentration on the target cells using sera of human, rabbit and guinea pig as complement source. In addition, we tested the antibodies against target cells decorated with the NP hapten, which has 10‐fold lower affinity for the antibodies compared to the NIP hapten. We also used ELISA methods to measure complement activation. We observed a clear difference between IgG1 and IgG3 localized to residues Asp270, Leu334, Leu335. For all these residues, and especially for Asp270, IgG1 was heavily reduced in complement activation, while IgG3 was only moderated reduced, by alanine substitution. This difference was independent of the long hinge region of IgG3, demonstrated by hinge region truncation of this isotype such that it resembles that of IgG1. This report indicates the presence of structural differences between human IgG1 and IgG3 in the C1q binding site, and points to a specialization of the two isotypes with respect to complement activation.
The relationship between birth with a health professional and maternal mortality in observational studies: a review of the literature
Authors: Scott S. , Ronsmans C.
Published: September 2009

Objective  To examine the nature of the association between maternal mortality and birth with a health professional in observational studies.

Methods  Review of ecological studies relating the overall proportion of births with a health professional with the maternal mortality ratio at national level, and studies exploring the relationship between the presence of a health professional at birth and the risk of dying at the individual level. We report methodological challenges, including data quality and sources and the analytical approaches used. For the individual studies, crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results  The 10 ecological studies are largely descriptive, a causal inference is tentative and there is poor controlling of confounders. The 10 individual studies examining the risk of death with and without a health professional showed little evidence that giving birth with a health professional reduces a woman’s risk of dying, and in some settings it appears to be associated with an increased risk of death.

Conclusions  None of these study designs are optimal in evaluating the impact of births with a health professional on reducing maternal mortality. Analytically, greater insights can be gained by examining ecological relationships within countries, and by complementing the individual analyses with information on the health status of women when they first reach the health professional and whether or not the women planned to have a health professional present during birth.
A direct‐fired steam weeder
Authors: MERFIELD C N , HAMPTON J G , WRATTEN S D
Published: September 2009

Flame weeders are a valuable weed management tool for organic growers and potentially for non‐organic producers, if the number of registered herbicides continues to decrease. However, they have a number of problems including low‐energy efficiency, fire risk and reduced performance in windy conditions. Steam has been shown to be a superior means of heat transfer to weeds and therefore steam weeders should outperform flame weeders. However, producing sufficient quantities of steam on tractor‐mounted equipment has been problematic, because the standard designs of pressurised steam boilers are ill‐suited for agricultural use. The ‘direct‐fired steam’ weeder described here, is considered to resolve this problem, by spraying water as a fine mist directly into hot exhaust gases from a burner, causing it to evaporate quickly, thus negating the needs for a pressurised system. This design is diesel powered, but could also be run on renewable fuels such as vegetable oil, addressing concerns about the use of non‐renewable ‘fossil fuels’ for thermal weeding. This approach is considered both effective in terms of steam generation and sufficiently practical and low enough in inherent risk for agricultural use. Production of commercial steam weeders based on this concept has commenced in New Zealand.
Does the shade avoidance response contribute to the critical period for weed control in maize (Zea mays)?
Authors: PAGE E R , TOLLENAAR M , LEE E A , LUKENS L , SWANTON C J
Published: September 2009

The effect of early weed emergence on crop seedling development has not been analysed within the context of a critical period study. Experiments were conducted to quantify the influence of a low light quality environment (i.e., low ratio of reflected red to far‐red light (R/FR)) on maize seedling growth and development under non‐limiting resource conditions. Weed‐addition and ‐removal series were constructed, such that the effects of R/FR on seedling growth and development were isolated from those of direct competition. Maize seedlings responded to the presence of weeds within 24 h of addition by increasing plant height, which was followed by a subsequent reduction in the rate of leaf appearance. Seedling biomass and leaf area decreased linearly in the weed removal series with increasing duration of weed presence. Conversely, seedlings in the weed‐addition series were unaffected. These results demonstrate that early exposure to weeds reduced the rate of seedling growth and development and that this effect was most pronounced if it was initiated upon emergence. This suggests that the existence of a period of developmental sensitivity to R/FR precedes the defined critical period for weed control in maize. These early physiological changes triggered by the R/FR ratio may contribute to the onset of the critical time of weed removal.
Weed–crop competition relationships differ between organic and conventional cropping systems
Authors: RYAN M R , SMITH R G , MORTENSEN D A , TEASDALE J R , CURRAN W S , SEIDEL R , SHUMWAY D L
Published: September 2009

Experiments comparing conventional and organic systems often report similar yields despite substantially higher weed abundance in the organic systems. A potential explanation for this observation is that weed–crop competition relationships differ between the two types of systems. We analysed weed and crop yield data from the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial (FST), which provides a unique 27‐year dataset of a conventional (CNV) and two organic [manure (MNR) and legume (LEG)] soyabean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems. Average soyabean yields were similar between the MNR and CNV systems and only slightly reduced in the LEG system, whereas average maize yields did not differ among systems despite the two organic systems having more than four and six times greater weed biomass in soyabean and maize respectively. Plot‐level weed biomass–crop yield relationships indicated that weed–crop competition differed between the two organic and CNV systems in maize, and was strongest in the CNV system, intermediate in the LEG system and weakest in the MNR system. These results suggest that organic cropping systems may be able to tolerate a greater abundance of weeds compared to conventional systems and that fertility management within organic systems may influence weed–crop competition.
The prognosis of wheat hypersensitivity in children
Authors: Kotaniemi‐Syrjänen Anne , Palosuo Kati , Jartti Tuomas , Kuitunen Mikael , Pelkonen Anna S. , Mäkelä Mika J.
Published: September 2009

Kotaniemi‐Syrjänen A, Palosuo K, Jartti T, Kuitunen M, Pelkonen AS, Mäkelä MJ. The prognosis of wheat hypersensitivity in children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: e421–e428. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S

The study was aimed to determine the natural history of wheat hypersensitivity, to define risk factors for persistent wheat hypersensitivity, and to evaluate the development of respiratory allergy in children with wheat hypersensitivity. The development and subsequent disappearance of wheat hypersensitivity, clinical findings, skin prick test (SPT) reactivity, and the development of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma were charted retrospectively in 28 children with wheat hypersensitivity proven by the open oral challenge at the median age of 21 months (range 6 to 75 months). Appearance of skin symptoms during the diagnostic wheat challenge was related to SPT‐positive wheat hypersensitivity, while the appearance of gastrointestinal symptoms alone was associated with SPT‐negative wheat hypersensitivity (p = 0.002). Wheat was tolerated by 59%, 69%, 84%, and 96%, by age 4, 6, 10, and 16, respectively. Sensitization to gliadin with a SPT wheal of ≥5 mm at the time of the diagnostic challenge was associated with a slower course of recovery from wheat hypersensitivity (p = 0.019), and a SPT wheal of ≥3 mm to gliadin at any time was associated with the development of asthma (p = 0.022). SPT reactivity to wheat was associated with later SPT reactivity to birch pollen (p = 0.001), and the development of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (p = 0.001). In conclusion, almost all children with wheat hypersensitivity can tolerate wheat by adolescence. Sensitization to gliadin is associated with a slower achievement of tolerance and an increased risk of asthma.
Is a repeat urine culture useful during antibiotic therapy for febrile urinary tract infection?
Authors: ANANTASIT NATTACHAI , DISSANEEWATE PORNSAK , MCNEIL EDWARD , VACHVANICHSANONG PRAYONG
Published: September 2009

Aim:  To evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of a repeat urine culture after a few days of antibiotic therapy in childhood urinary tract infection (UTI) in southern Thailand.

Methods:  A retrospective review of the medical record of children diagnosed with UTI aged less than 15 years in Songklanagarind Hospital from January 1995 to December 2004 was performed. Patient demographics were collected. The results of repeat urine culture after starting antibiotic were evaluated. The risk factors that indicated positive repeat urine culture were determined.

Results:  Four hundred and forty‐nine patients (245 boys and 204 girls) with 533 UTI episodes were analyzed, of which 49 (9.2%) had a repeat urine culture with significant growth. Multivariate analysis showed that age less than 1 year, aetiological agents Enterococci spp., fever of more than 72 h, inappropriate antibiotics and kidney, ureter and bladder anomalies were the most significant risk factors for a positive repeat culture, while sex, vesicoureteral reflux and recurrent UTI episodes were not significant risk factors. If the treatment protocol during the study period had indicated that children with at least one of the above risk factors should receive a repeat urine culture, then only 356 cases (66.8% ± 2.0%) would have received a repeat test and $US 655 would have been saved, while five positive repeat urine cultures would have been missed.

Conclusion:  The present study in a group of Thai children indicates that a repeat urine culture during antibiotic therapy should still be recommended.
Short report: suboptimal diabetes care in high‐risk diabetic patients attending a specialist retina clinic
Authors: Al‐Ansari S. A. , Tennant M. T. S. , Greve M. D. J. , Hinz B. J. , Senior P. A.
Published: September 2009

Aims  Individuals with diabetic retinopathy (DR) represent a high‐risk group who would benefit from intensive metabolic control and risk factor management. This brief report examines quality of care among diabetic patients attending a tertiary retinal clinic.

Methods  A cross‐sectional survey, notes review, and slit‐lamp examination was conducted in 139 diabetic patients attending a specialist retinal clinic to assess the quality of comprehensive diabetes care. DR was graded according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scale.

Results  The prevalence of non‐proliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR) was 39.6 and 35.2%, respectively. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in patients with no DR, NPDR and PDR was 32, 54.1 and 68.8%, respectively. Glycaemic control was suboptimal (mean HbA1c 8.0 ± 1.8%) and 15.8% were current smokers. Drugs affecting the renin–angiotensin system were used by only 61.9% of patients with both DR and microalbuminuria, and aspirin by only 35.3%.

Conclusions  These data suggest that diabetes care in this high‐risk population with established microvascular complications was suboptimal. Specialist clinics dealing with diabetic complications may be a setting where quality improvement strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality should be focused.
A Multi‐Dimensional Framework of Organizational Innovation: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Crossan Mary M. , Apaydin Marina
Published: September 2009

abstract

This paper consolidates the state of academic research oninnovation. Based on a systematic review of literature published over the past 27 years, we synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive multi‐dimensional framework of organizational innovation – linking leadership, innovation as a process, and innovation as an outcome. We also suggest measures of determinants of organizational innovation and present implications for both research and managerial practice.
Prevalence of obesity in Indian women
Authors: Garg C. , Khan S. A. , Ansari S. H. , Garg M.
Published: September 2009

Comparison of two major studies conducted by National family health survey (NFHS‐2) in 1998–1999 and NFHS‐3 in 2005–2006 shows that prevalence of obesity among Indian women has elevated from 10.6% to 12.6% (increased by 24.52%). The prevalence is more profound in the women of age between 40–49 years (23.7%), residing in cities (23.5%), having high qualification (23.8%), belonging to Sikh community (31.6%) and households in the highest wealth quintile (30.5%). Highest percentage of obese women is found in Punjab (29.9%). Although this number seems small in the international perspective, it is significant because of the sheer size of population in India. While the problem of under‐nutrition still exists in many parts of India, the additional burden of obesity due to increasing sedentary lifestyle, junk food habits in some urban and economically sound areas is really alarming. Prevention and control of this serious problem through awareness programmes to adopt diversified nutritional food and healthy lifestyle are strongly recommended.
THE CROSS‐CULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF SATISFYING VITAL NEEDS
Authors: ALVAREZ ALLEN ANDREW A.
Published: September 2009

Ethical beliefs may vary across cultures but there are things that must be valued as preconditions to any cultural practice. Physical and mental abilities vital to believing, valuing and practising a culture are such preconditions and it is always important to protect them. If one is to practise a distinct culture, she must at least have these basic abilities. Access to basic healthcare is one way to ensure that vital abilities are protected. John Rawls argued that access to all‐purpose primary goods must be ensured. Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum claim that universal capabilities are what resources are meant to enable. Len Doyal and Ian Gough identify physical health and autonomy as basic needs of every person in every culture. When we disagree on what to prioritize, when resources to satisfy competing demands are scarce, our common needs can provide a point of normative convergence. Need‐based rationing, however, has been criticized for being too indeterminate to give guidance for deciding which healthcare services to prioritize and for tending to create a bottomless‐pit problem. But there is a difference between needing something (first‐order need) and needing to have the ability to need (second‐order need). Even if we disagree about which first‐order need to prioritize, we must accept the importance of satisfying our second‐order need to have the ability to value things. We all have a second‐order need for basic healthcare as a means to protect our vital abilities even if we differ in what our cultures consider to be particular first‐order needs.
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: THE ETHICS OF RECOGNITION, RESPONSIBILITY, AND RESPECT
Authors: HÄYRY MATTI
Published: September 2009

Ethics can be understood as a code of behaviour or as the study of codes of behaviour. While the mission of the International Association of Bioethics is a scholarly examination of moral issues in health care and the biological sciences, many people in the field believe that it is also their task to create new and better codes of practice. Both ways of doing bioethics are sound, but it is important to be aware of the distinction. In this paper, I will study the sources and aims of ethics and suggest a code of conduct for bioethicists based on recognition, responsibility, and respect.
Inside Knowledge: Second Order Measures of Skill
Authors: Pinch Trevor , Collins H.M. , Carbone Larry
Published: September 2009

This paper is intended as a contribution to the sociology of skill. Research which suggests that skills and their transmission are the properties of communities leaves unanswered the question of how information may be explicitly transmitted and acquired as part of the process of leaning a skill. Second-order studies of skill accept that skill acquisition occurs within a culture, but then go on to examine in detail which aspects of skills can be explicated and which cannot. Such a second-order study is presented here. Observations of veterinary surgery are used to identify a quasi-quantitative measure of skill acquisition – hardness. This measure is useful in understanding how task uncertainty is resolved in practice and how new skills are learnt.
The Confidential Patient: The Social Construction of Therapeutic Relationships in General Medical Practice
Authors: May Carl , Dowrick Christopher , Richardson Michael
Published: September 2009

The interpersonal relationship between doctor and patient is fundamental to general medical practice. In this paper we explore the ways in which general practitioners make sense of the changing political economy of this relationship, as it is restructured by ideas about the patient as consumer, and as it increasingly constitutes the consultation as a point of interaction that may be intrinsically therapeutic. In particular, we explore the ways in which the consultation is the site of negotiated power relations between doctor and patient, and is the site of the doctor's negotiation of powerful discourses of professional and institutional identity.