bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the historical war against wildlife over in southern Europe?
Authors: Martínez‐Abraín A. , Crespo J. , Jiménez J. , Gómez J. A. , Oro D.
Published: March 2009

Most southern European regions have experienced a rapid economical change during the last decades, moving from a historical economy based on agriculture to a society based on industry and technology. We test here whether causes of admission of birds admitted to a large southern European rehabilitation centre, during a 14‐year period (1994–2007), reflect these socio‐economical changes. Specifically, we estimated the trends in the number of birds admitted to the centre by shooting (S) over the number of birds admitted due to impacts caused by infrastructures (I), for the 10 most commonly admitted species with complete time series available. Species were grouped in three groups following ecological traits: raptors (diurnal and nocturnal) and aquatic birds. Trends were estimated by means of the slope of a linear regression of the log‐transformed S/I ratio over time, which provided the finite population growth rate (λ) and its 95% confidence intervals. We used the ratio to prevent possible biases caused by changes in wild population densities over the years. We conclude that the overall trend in the S/I ratio, as well as the trends for all three bird groups considered, were negative, and indicated a c. 10% annual reduction in the number of birds admitted by shooting in relation to those admitted by infrastructure‐related injuries. Causal relationships were analysed by means of Poisson regressions on absolute numbers. Importantly we show that despite the direct historical war against wildlife seems to be coming to an end in southern Europe, impact to wildlife continues in an indirect way, as collateral damages caused by our post‐industrial way of life. So the overall scenario is most likely not one of improved conservation status in southern Europe, but rather one of shifting ways of impacting wildlife in parallel with socio‐economic changes.
Infant sex, obstetric risk factors, and 2‐year neurodevelopmental outcome among preterm infants
Authors: SPINILLO ARSENIO , MONTANARI LAURA , GARDELLA BARBARA , ROCCIO MARIANNA , STRONATI MAURO , FAZZI ELISA
Published: March 2009

Aim  To evaluate the effect of the interaction between fetal sex and obstetric variables on the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment among preterm infants.

Method  A cohort study of 394 male and 360 female surviving infants born at 24 to 33 completed weeks of gestational age. Neurological examination and cognitive assessment of the infants (Bayley Scales of Infant Development) were performed at 2 years corrected age.

Results  Mean gestational age was 30.4 weeks (SD 2.4). Rates of mild and moderate‐to‐severe neurodevelopmental impairment were 14.6% (110/754) and 7% (53/754) respectively. In logistic analysis, male sex was associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment (odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.21–2.68) compared with females. The excess risk of neurodevelopmental impairment associated with male sex was higher among preeclamptic than normotensive pregnancies (p for interaction=0.004), among infants who were either small for gestational age or delivered to a mother with preeclampsia (p for interaction=0.001) and in iatrogenic as opposed to spontaneous preterm birth or preterm premature rupture of membranes (p for interaction=0.035).

Interpretation  The excess risk of neurodevelopmental impairment associated with male sex among preterm infants is modulated by obstetric risk factors.
Long‐term stability of heart rate variability in chronic stable angina pectoris, and the impact of an acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Björkander Inge , Forslund Lennart , Ericson Mats , Rehnqvist Nina , Hjemdahl Paul , Kahan Thomas
Published: March 2009

Background:  Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the balance between cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic influences. Reduced HRV has adverse prognostic implications. The time course for changes in HRV over prolonged periods of time and the influence of an acute coronary event on HRV are not well established.

Methods:  Heart rate variability was assessed in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris, who were followed for 3 years within the Angina Prognosis Study in Stockholm. Patients who suffered an acute myocardial infarction after the study were re‐examined after this event. We assessed HRV by the simple geometric method differential index, and traditional time‐ and frequency‐domain measurements of HRV.

Results:  The differential index was essentially unchanged during the study (i.e. the ratio month 36/month 1 was 1·00 ± 0·06, n = 261). Also most other time and frequency indices of HRV (SDNN, r‐MSSD, SDNNIDX, total power, and VLF, LF, HF respectively; n = 63) remained largely unchanged; pNN50 and LF/HF were, however, less reproducible. In 21 patients with a subsequent acute myocardial infarction, SDNN, SDNNIDX, total power, LF and LF/HF were reduced following the event, whereas differential index, pNN50 and HF remained unchanged.

Conclusions:  Differential index and other indices of HRV are stable and reproducible in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. High‐frequency HRV (reflecting cardiac parasympathetic activity) and the differential index changed little following an acute coronary event, and may be suitable for predictions of the future risk of sudden death even in the presence of a recent acute coronary event.
Substrate choice of territorial male Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka) in the absence of sunfish (Lepomissp.)
Authors: Witte C. C. , Wildhaber M. L. , Arab A. , Noltie D. B.
Published: March 2009

Abstract – Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka), an endangered minnow species, typically spawn on or around breedingLepomissunfish (Centrarchidae) nests. Why spawning Topeka shiners are attracted to these nests is unclear, but having the nesting sunfish provide shiner eggs with improved aeration, a lessening of siltation, and protection from egg predators are possibilities. We tested the substrate utilisation of Topeka shiners in outdoor tanks in the absence of sunfish to determine the shiner’s fundamental choice. Shiners were provided with substrate patches of cleaned sand, small gravel, large gravel, and small cobble, and the bare floor of the tank. The substrate above which a male shiner established his territory was used as evidence of choice. A statistically significant choice for sand substrates was demonstrated. This fundamental choice might influence which sunfish nests Topeka shiners use, given that nest substrate characteristics differ both between sunfish species and within species by spawning site location.
The Fear of Death
Authors: Chappell Timothy
Published: March 2009

Taking a somewhat indirect route that includes some autobiographical reflection, I address three questions. One is what it might mean to say, with Socrates, that philosophy is “studying for death”. The second is why Christians should fear death at all, if the good of Heaven is really what they believe is beyond it. The third is the question what difference it makes to your philosophical view of death if you are a believer.
Two Theories of Soul
Authors: Charlton William
Published: March 2009

I (1) outline two accounts the Catholic Church gives of the human soul, calling them the Lateran and the Vienne doctrines, and (2) argue they are inconsistent. (3) I run over several difficulties in the more popular Lateran doctrine. (4) I look at three uses to which Catholics might want to put a theory of the soul, and question whether either of the theories on offer can meet their needs. (5) I distinguish the Biblical idea of resurrection from the Greek idea of immortality. Finally (6) I commend the Vienne doctrine as philosophy but advise supplementing it with a view of creation, salvation and sanctification as forming a continuum rather than a discontinuous series of episodes.
Julian of Norwich: Mysticism and Philosophy
Authors: Duran Jane
Published: March 2009

Parts of Julian's Showings are examined for their didactic quality, and her work is briefly compared to that of Mechthild and Hildegard. The commentary of Tobin, Chervin and others is alluded to, and it is concluded that Julian is an exemplary teacher.
Henri de Lubac: Reading Corpus Mysticum
Authors: Hemming Laurence Paul
Published: March 2009

Henri de Lubac's Corpus Mysticum, published during and immediately after the conditions of wartime France, had a profound influence on the theology and actual practice of not only Catholic, but also much Protestant liturgy in the course of the unfolding liturgical movement. The interpretative keys of the text were established primarily by Michel de Certeau and Hans Urs von Balthasar, and have emphasised a historical shift from understanding in the connections between a threefold hermeneutic of Christ's ‘mystical body’. The ‘mystical body’ is variously understood as the Eucharist itself, the extant body of the Church, and the actual body of Christ. The conventional reading of this text is to claim that de Lubac traces a shift, occurring in the High Middle Ages that points away from the body of the Church to an objectification of the eucharistic species, resulting in the highly individualistic piety that manifested itself in the Catholicism of the nineteenth century. This paper challenges that hermeneutic key as an oversimplification of a much more subtle reading suggested by de Lubac himself and intrinsic to the text of Corpus Mysticum, and suggests that de Lubac understood the real shift to be the triumph of a certain kind of rationalism, exemplified by Berengar's thought, emerging to assert itself as the basis and ground of theological thinking, eclipsing the grounding character of the liturgy as the source of meaning in theology. It examines de Lubac's late claim that Corpus Mysticum was ‘a naïve text’ and asks what kinds of naïvety are indicated in this statement.
Lumen Gentium No. 8, and Subsistit in, Again
Authors: Welch Lawrence J. , Mansini Guy
Published: March 2009

Francis A. Sullivan says that the one Church of Christ continues to exist perfectly in the Catholic Church, and is present imperfectly in other churches and ecclesial communities. However, he thinks Lumen Gentium 8 also enables us to say that the many churches, non-Catholic and Catholic, are all in the one Church of Christ, since to say the one Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church means no more than “continues to exist in” the Catholic Church. In this way, he denies the identity of the one Church of Christ and the Catholic Church. We point out that magisterial documents since Vatican II have consistently refused this proposal, and have instead spoken only of the one Church being present or operative, according to degrees, in non-Catholic churches and communities. We argue that while it is true there is “ecclesial reality” outside the Catholic Church, in that there are elements of truth and sanctification outside of her, the one Church of Christ of which Vatican II expressly speaks is the Church with all the gifts of unity and instruments for salvation with which Christ endowed it. The Catholic Church is not contained in any larger divinely willed and dominically instituted ecclesial reality, and it is without qualification the one Church of Christ and the one Church of Christ is without qualification the Catholic Church.
Seed germination ecology of Portulaca oleracea L.: an important weed of rice and upland crops
Authors: Chauhan B.S. , Johnson D.E.
Published: March 2009

Portulaca oleracea, a C4 species, is reported to be a serious weed in 45 crops in 81 countries. Experiments were conducted in the laboratory, the screenhouse and the field to determine the influence of environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of P. oleracea. In the laboratory, germination in the dark was low and was not influenced by the tested temperatures (35/25°C, 30/20°C and 25/15°C alternating day/night temperatures). In the light/dark regime, however, germination was lower at 25/15°C and 35/25°C than at 30/20°C (70%, 75% and 81% germination, respectively). In conditions of 106 mM sodium chloride or −0.34 MPa osmotic potential, seeds germinated to only 50% of maximum germination of the control. Germination was not influenced by buffered pH solutions ranging from 5 to 9. In the screenhouse, germination was greatest for seeds placed on the soil surface, but emergence declined with increasing seed burial depth in soil; no seedlings emerged from the depth of 2 cm. Seedling emergence and seedling dry matter were markedly reduced by the addition of rice residue to the soil surface at rates equivalent to 4 to 6 t ha−1. In the field, seedling emergence of P. oleracea was greater under zero till (ZT) (17–20%) than under minimum tillage (6–10%), a likely reflection of low seed burial and exposure of seeds to light with a ZT system. This study identifies some of the factors enabling P. oleracea to be a widespread weed in the humid tropics, and the information could contribute to improved control strategies.
Alternative Splicing and Differential Expression of Two Transcripts of Nicotine Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Oxidase B Gene from Zea mays
Authors: Lin Fan , Zhang Yun , Jiang Ming‐Yi
Published: March 2009

With the exception of rice, little is known about the existence of respiratory burst oxidase homolog (rboh) gene in cereals. The present study reports the cloning and analysis of a novel rboh gene, termed ZmrbohB, from maize (Zea mays L.). The full‐length cDNA of ZmrbohB encodes a 942 amino acid protein containing all of the respiratory burst oxidase homolog catalytically critical motifs. Alternative splicing of ZmrbohB has generated two transcript isoforms, ZmrbohB‐α and ‐β. Spliced transcript ZmrbohB‐β retains an unspliced intron 11 that carries a premature termination codon and probably leads to nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. Expression analysis showed that two splice isoforms were differentially expressed in various tissues and at different developmental stages, and the major product was ZmrbohB‐α. The transcripts of ZmrbohB‐α accumulated markedly when the maize seedlings were subjected to various abiotic stimuli, such as wounding, cold (4 °C), heat (40 °C), UV and salinity stress. In addition, several abiotic stimuli also affected the alternative splicing pattern of ZmrbohB except wounding. These results provide new insight into roles in the expression regulation of plant rboh genes and suggest that ZmrbohB gene may play a role in response to environmental stresses.
CHEF PROCEDURES: A RAPID HIGH‐TEMPERATURE METHOD FOR SAMPLE PREPARATION, A HIGH VOLTAGE HEPES BUFFER SYSTEM AND THE USE OF NUSIEVE® AGAROSE
Authors: KINSCHERF THOMAS G. , YAP MEE‐NGAN , CHARKOWSKI AMY O. , WILLIS DAVID K.
Published: March 2009

A rapid, high‐temperature method of sample preparation from gram‐negative bacteria for contour‐clamped homogenous electric field (CHEF) electrophoresis is described, which utilizes a diethylpyrocarbonate nuclease inactivation step for preventing latent degradation of DNA. Also described is a simple 4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐1‐piperazineethanesulfonic acid buffer system that permits high‐voltage CHEF electrophoresis in standard apparatus while preventing the strand scission events associated with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffers. Finally, the use of NuSieve agarose in combination with standard analytical agarose was compared to specialty CHEF agarose, demonstrating the potential use of this reagent in CHEF gel separations.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Contour‐clamped homogenous electric field (CHEF) gel electrophoresis is a widely used technique in epidemiological and comparative genetic studies of microorganisms. Standard techniques work variably well, making options that can be used to “tweak” methodology useful. In this article, we describe a rapid, higher‐temperature variation of sample preparation that yields inherently stable DNA with a more efficient usage of expensive reagents. Also detailed is a simple electrophoresis buffer that eliminates the tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane‐mediated strand scission events that have complicated the comparison of bacterial strains in some studies. This buffer permits the use of the higher‐voltage electrophoresis conditions used in many studies without the addition of potentially harmful chemicals. Finally, we demonstrate that the combination of NuSieve (Lonza) branded agarose with standard agarose can be used effectively in CHEF gels, thus expanding analytical options while also providing an alternative to maintaining other expensive specialty agaroses. The methods herein may be applied in whole or in part, allowing their possible inclusion in existing or future protocols as desired.
RAPID DETECTION OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS IN LUNG TISSUE USING A FIBER OPTIC BIOSENSOR
Authors: DENTON KIMBERLY A. , KRAMER MARIANNE F. , LIM DANIEL V.
Published: March 2009

There is no rapid diagnostic technique at medical examiners' offices to determine if a decedent is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Present diagnostic testing requires at least 1 month for results. The RAPTOR, a portable, automated fiber optic evanescent wave biosensor, was used as the platform to develop more rapid assays to detect M. tuberculosis from lung tissue. Positive biosensor detection was obtained 80% of the time at cell concentrations of 106 cells/mL, 96% of the time at 107 cells/mL, and 99% of the time at 108 cells/mL of live attenuated M. tuberculosis (ATCC 25177) suspended in phosphate‐buffered saline with 0.1% Tween 20 (PBST). Live attenuated M. tuberculosis suspended in PBST and seeded into decedent lung tissue was tested using the RAPTOR. Positive detection was obtained 96% of the time at 107 cells/mL and 100% of the time at 108 cells/mL. Detection of M. tuberculosis in lung tissue homogenate was possible within 3 h.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Development of a rapid method to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis from lung tissue at autopsy would be a significant benefit to medical examiners' offices and pathologists worldwide. Rapid diagnosis would enable those possibly exposed to an infected decedent to be informed of M. tuberculosis infection in a timely manner. Biosensor assays on seeded lung tissue show it is possible to detect M. tuberculosis in 3 h using the RAPTOR biosensor, instead of 1 month using current, conventional tests, when there are 107 or more cells in the assay sample. Tuberculous cavities may contain 107–109 activelymultiplying organisms. Sample preparation and assay protocols involve common laboratory practices and could easily and quickly be learned and implemented by laboratory staff. The RAPTOR is user friendly and could be used by medical examiner staff at time of need. The biosensor assay may also have potential applications for use on biopsy tissue from living individuals who have heavy pulmonary or disseminated infections by M. tuberculosis.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIWELL ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITY ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF BACTERIOCIN PRODUCTION BY LACTIC ACID BACTERIA
Authors: YAAKOUBI KAOUTAR , BENKERROUM NOREDDINE , WIOROWSKI FLORENT , SANSON FRANÇOISE , HAYDERSAH JULIEN , CHEVALLIER ISABELLE
Published: March 2009

A total of 300 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were screened for the production of bacteriocins active against Listeria innocua or Escherichia coli by using two different techniques: the conventional well‐diffusion assay and a newly developed one based on turbidity measurement of the growth of an indicator bacterium in the neutralized cell‐free supernatant of the putative bacteriocin‐producing strain. The latter technique, designated as the multiwell antagonistic activity assay (MW3A), offers advantages over the previously known methods. Notably, it allows testing simultaneously a large number of LAB for the production of bacteriocins against more than one indicator strain, while including appropriate controls for confirmation of the bacteriocinogenic nature of the inhibitory substances. Furthermore, five enterococcal strains were shown to produce bacteriocins active against the gram‐positive and gram‐negative indicator strains used in this study, suggesting that these enterococci or their bacteriocins have good potential to enhance food safety and keeping quality.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The present study describes a rapid and semiautomatic nephelometry method to screen for bacteriocin‐producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The method uses a microtiter plate where the inhibition of the growth of indicator strains in the presence of a bacteriocin is revealed by a decrease in OD as function of time. Concomitantly, this method determines the proteinaceous nature of the antimicrobial substance and its mode of action (i.e., bactericidal or bacteriostatic) while excluding the effect of interfering antimicrobials produced by LAB (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and organic acids). Furthermore, the newly described method differs from previously described ones by its ability to test for a relatively large number of putative bacteriocin‐producing strains using different controls and indicator strains, and allow early detection of bacteriocin‐producing strains (within 24 h). Another feature of this method is its ability to detect with confidence bacteriocins active against gram‐negative bacteria. These performances have potential to be used for rapid detection of LAB having strong capacity to inhibit pathogenic or spoilage bacteria by means of bacteriocins for possible applications in food preservation strategies.
DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A LOOP‐MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION METHOD FOR DETECTING ESCHERICHIA COLI O157 IN RAW MILK
Authors: WANG DEGUO , LIU FEI , HUO GUICHENG , REN DAXI , LI YONGGANG
Published: March 2009

In the present study, we report the performance of a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay detecting foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157. Three pairs of primers were specially designed for recognizing eight distinct sequences of rfbE gene. Time and temperature conditions for amplification of E. coli O157 were optimized to be 40 min at 65C. The LAMP assay gave artificially contaminated raw milk sample detection limit level of 410 cfu/mL which corresponds to three to five cells per reaction tube, while the detection level of conventional polymerase chain reaction was 4.1 × 104 cfu/mL. Data on naturally contaminated raw milk samples indicated that the LAMP method was highly specific and sensitive, giving 100% concordance with the ISO 16654: 2001 reference method.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The loop‐mediated isothermal amplification method reported here provides a powerful tool for the detection of Escherichia coli O157 in raw milk samples because of its specificity, sensitivity and rapidity.
IDENTIFICATION OF NEW TARGET SEQUENCES FOR PCR DETECTION OF VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS BY GENOME COMPARISON
Authors: ZHU DONG‐SHENG , ZHOU MIN , FAN YI‐LING , SHI XIAN‐MING
Published: March 2009

A genome comparison method was used to identify specific target sequences for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and the CDS value of this bacterium was compared with that of 139 other bacterial genomes. It was found that 20 CDS of V. parahaemolyticus were relatively specific according to their E value in BLAST (a new tool for comparing protein and nucleotide sequences), and four of them were selected for the design of PCR primers. There were positive amplification products of these four pairs of primers from nine V. parahaemolyticus strains, whereas there were no amplification products from nine other Vibrionaceae strains and four non‐Vibrionaceae strains. An evaluation of detection sensitivities revealed that these four pairs of primers can be used in a PCR assay for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

An automatic BLAST method was developed in this study, by which species‐specific sequences can be screened out rapidly. In this way, new and specific genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were identified to be used as target sequences for PCR detection. In terms of acceptable specificity and sensitivity, the four pairs of primers were selected by screening, which can be applied in PCR assays and other molecular methods. These kinds of methods might become commercial detection products in the new future. In addition, this method for searching specific DNA sequences can also be used for the mining specific sequences in other genus and species, such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus, etc.
IDENTIFICATION OF CELLULOLYTIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM THE TERMITE COPTOTERMES CURVIGNATHUS (HOLMGREN)
Authors: RAMIN M. , ALIMON A.R. , ABDULLAH N.
Published: March 2009

The aim of the present research was to isolate and identify cellulolytic bacteria from the gut of the local termite Coptotermes curvignathus (Holmgren) present in the vicinity of the University of Putra Malaysia. The isolates were cultured in a medium containing carboxymethyl‐cellulose and cellobiose. The bacterial species were tentatively identified by using the Biolog reader as well as the Bergey's manual and later confirmed by 16S rRNA sequence homology. The species were all novel strains and identified as Bacillus cereus strain Razmin A, Enterobacter aerogenes strain Razmin B, Enterobacter cloacae strain Razmin C, Chryseobacterium kwangyangense strain Cb and Acinetobacter strain Raminalimon. Biolog reader was not able to identify one of the bacterial species in which it was identified as C. kwangyangense strain Cb by 16S rRNA sequence homology. The GenBank NCBI/EMBL accession numbers for the bacterial strains are EU294508, EU305608, EU305609, EU169201 and EU332791 for B. cereus Razmin A, E. aerogenes strain Razmin B, E. cloacae strain Razmin C, C. kwangyangense strain Cb and Acinetobacter strain Raminalimon, respectively.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The experiment describes the isolation and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from termites, using Biolog reader and polymerase chain reaction technique. Termites are common insects in tropical regions and thrive on wood and cellulolytic materials. Hence, the bacteria isolated may be useful in the degradation of cellulosic materials to increase their digestibility and possibly production of metabolites and enzymes.
WHERE OFFENDERS CHOOSE TO ATTACK: A DISCRETE CHOICE MODEL OF ROBBERIES IN CHICAGO*
Authors: BERNASCO WIM , BLOCK RICHARD
Published: March 2009

Why do robbers choose a particular area to commit an offense? Do they rob close to home? Do they search for areas with suitable and attractive targets? What keeps them away from certain areas? To answer these questions, a model is developed of how robbers choose target areas. The model draws on various theoretical and empirical traditions, which include environmental criminology, journey to crime research, gang research, and social disorganization theory. Testing the model on cleared robbery cases in Chicago in the years 1996–1998, we demonstrate that robbery location choice is related to characteristics of target areas, to areas where offenders live, to joint characteristics of the resident and target areas, and to characteristics of the offenders themselves. The presence of illegal markets and other crime generators and crime attractors make areas attractive for robbers, whereas collective efficacy seems to keep them out. Distance as well as racial and ethnic segregation restrict the mobility of offenders.
GENERAL STRAIN THEORY: ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE USING CROSS‐CULTURAL DATA*
Authors: BOTCHKOVAR EKATERINA V. , TITTLE CHARLES R. , ANTONACCIO OLENA
Published: March 2009

Data from random samples of residents in major cities of Russia, Ukraine, and Greece are employed to test hypotheses about linkages among objective strain, subjective strain, anger, and criminal probability specified in general strain theory (GST). In addition, the potential conditioning effects of religiosity and self‐control on the strain/criminal probability relationship are investigated. Results show more challenge than support for GST. In particular, all supportive results are for the Ukrainian sample with the Greek and Russian samples providing little confirmation to the study's hypotheses. Although analyses show some support for the basic premises of GST, using a measure of subjective strain does not improve results, and self‐control and religiosity do not seem to condition the effects of strain on criminal probability. Overall, the findings point to contextual specificity of GST as currently formulated and suggest the need for further theorizing.
“YOUTH IS ENMESHED IN A HIGHLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY SYSTEM”: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES, PARENTAL INCARCERATION, AND JUVENILE COURT DECISION MAKING*
Authors: RODRIGUEZ NANCY , SMITH HILARY , ZATZ MARJORIE S.
Published: March 2009

Although prior work has substantiated the role of external attributes in juvenile court decision making, no study to date has examined how family situational factors as well as maternal and paternal incarceration affect juvenile court officials' responses to troubled youth. Using quantitative and qualitative juvenile court data from a large urban county in the southwest, this study draws on attribution theory to examine how family structure, perceptions of family dysfunction, and parental incarceration influence out‐of‐home placement decisions. Findings reveal that juvenile court officials' perceptions of good and bad families inform their decision making. This study emphasizes the need to unravel the intricate effects of maternal and paternal incarceration and officials' attributions about families and family structure on juvenile court decision making.
RACIAL THREAT, PARTISAN POLITICS, AND RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PRISON ADMISSIONS: A PANEL ANALYSIS*
Authors: KEEN BRADLEY , JACOBS DAVID
Published: March 2009

Why are racial disparities in imprisonment so pronounced? Studies of alternative outcomes in the criminal justice system find positive relationships between minority presence and punitive outcomes. Therefore, it is puzzling that the studies of racial incarceration ratios find negative relationships between this presence and such discrepancies. We use a pooled time‐series design to resolve this dilemma. Successful Republican attempts to link crime with public concerns about a dangerous racial underclass also suggest that where these racial appeals are successful, African Americans should face higher incarceration rates than whites. In contrast to prior research, our results are consistent with findings about other criminal justice outcomes. They show that an inverted, U‐shaped, nonlinear relationship is present between African‐American presence and racial disparities in imprisonments. Additional results indicate that the presence of African Americans in deep southern states and greater support for Republican presidential candidates together with increases in the most menacing crime (which often is blamed on African Americans) also help to explain these discrepant racial prison admission rates.
Migrant Assimilation in Europe: A Transnational Family Affair
Authors: Scott Sam , Cartledge Kim H.
Published: March 2009

The paper advances our empirical and theoretical understanding of migrant assimilation. It does so by focusing on a very particular group of individuals who appear more likely than other migrant types to “go native.” We call these individuals “mixed nationality relationship migrants” (i.e., migrants who have committed to a life outside their home country because of the presence of a foreign partner). The paper argues that the transnational family milieus that emerge from this form of international migration are critical to the assimilation process. Empirical material from 11 in-depth interviews with female migrants in Britain (Sheffield) and France (Paris) supports our argument. We also suggest that such “extreme” assimilation is more likely within a regional migratory system – like the EU – where the “identity frontiers” crossed in the formation of a transnational family are relatively shallow.
Educationally Channeled International Labor Mobility: Contemporary Student Migration from China to Japan
Authors: Liu-Farrer Gracia
Published: March 2009

International education is an important channel of labor migration. Most commonly, this form of labor migration is considered as “brain drain,” represented by the retention of graduate students in science and engineering in the host labor market. This case study of contemporary Chinese student migration to Japan shows that international students have different credentials, interests, and motivations for migrating abroad, and consequently provide the host society both unskilled and skilled labor power. Moreover, Chinese students’ labor market practices as skilled labor migrants show their important roles in the economic globalization. Aside from scientific and engineering skills, Chinese students use their linguistic and cultural competencies to act as intermediaries between their host and home economies.
Safety and efficacy of mid‐term pregnancy termination using aglepristone in dogs
Authors: Pettersson C. H. , Tidholm A.
Published: March 2009

Objectives:To investigate effects and side effects of aglepristone in terminating pregnancy in bitches.

Methods:Twenty‐two bitches were treated in mid‐pregnancy with subcutaneous injections of aglepristone at a total dose of 20 mg/kg. Short‐term follow‐up (one to two weeks after treatment) included clinical examination and abdominal ultrasonography in 18 of the dogs. Long‐term telephone follow‐up was recorded for all 22 dogs.

Results:Pregnancy was terminated in 21 bitches (95 per cent). Signs of abortion occurred one to eight days after treatment. Vaginal discharge was evident in 17 (77 per cent) dogs. Obvious signs of parturition were seen in nine (41 per cent) dogs. Eight dogs (36 per cent) developed anorexia, and in two (9 per cent) of the dogs a local reaction at the injection site was evident. Two dogs developed pyometra two and four years after treatment, respectively.

ClinicalSignificance:Aglepristone, when administered in mid‐gestation, is effective in terminating pregnancy. Side effects are few and transient.
Elevated canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentration in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a negative outcome
Authors: Kathrani A. , Steiner J. M. , Suchodolski J. , Eastwood J. , Syme H. , Garden O. A. , Allenspach K.
Published: March 2009

Objectives:To investigate whether elevated canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (CPLI) concentrations in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with a worse clinical outcome.

Methods:Serum CPLI assays were performed on serum stored from cases diagnosed with IBD. Thirty‐two dogs with CPLI results within the reference range were designated as the control group and 15 dogs had CPLI above the reference range. Clinical signs, age, serum lipase and amylase activities, serum albumin and cobalamin concentrations, abdominal ultrasound examination, histopathology on small intestinal biopsies, management of IBD and outcome were compared between the two groups.

Results:No significant differences were found in clinical activity score (P=0·54), number of antibiotic‐responsive disease cases (P=0·480), number of steroid‐responsive disease cases (P=0·491), serum amylase activity (P=0·058), serum cobalamin concentration (P=0·61), serum albumin concentration (P=0·052), abdominal ultrasound score (P=0·23) and histopathology scores for IBD (P=0·74) between the two groups. Dogs with increased CPLI concentration were significantly older and had a higher serum lipase activity than dogs with a CPLI concentration within the normal reference range (P=0·001, P=0·001, respectively). Moreover, dogs with increased CPLI concentration responded poorly to steroid treatment (P=0·01) and were significantly more likely to be euthanased at follow‐up (P=0·02).

ClinicalSignificance:CPLI should be measured in cases of canine IBD as elevated CPLI was associated with a worse outcome.
Tracheal granuloma because of infection with a novel mycobacterial species in an old FIV‐positive cat
Authors: De Lorenzi D. , Solano‐Gallego L.
Published: March 2009

A 15‐year‐old domestic shorthair feline immunodeficiency virus‐positive cat was presented with a five day history of productive cough and acute respiratory distress. Physical examination revealed inspiratory dyspnoea and diffuse gingivostomatitis. Radiographs showed an intratracheal mass located at the level of the sixth and the seventh cervical vertebrae. Bronchoscopy revealed a unique intratracheal mass occluding about 85 per cent of the tracheal lumen. The tracheal mass was removed bronchoscopically. A diagnosis of pyogranulomatous inflammation referable to a mycobacterial infection was made based on cytological and histopathological findings. 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction testing and sequence analysis identified a novel mycobacterial species, likely a slow grower, with 95 per cent identity withMycobacterium xenopi. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a tracheal mycobacterial granuloma in a cat, and the first time, a mycobacterium with this sequence has been identified.
Caudal mediastinal thyroglossal duct cyst in a cat
Authors: Lynn A. , Dockins J. M. , Kuehn N. F. , Kerstetter K. K. , Gardiner D.
Published: March 2009

An eight‐year‐old domestic shorthair cat was evaluated because of dyspnoea secondary to pleural effusion. Ultrasound examination identified a large anechoic cyst‐like structure in the caudal thorax. A median sternotomy was performed, and the cystic mass was removed. Microscopically, the excised tissue was identified as a multilocular thyroglossal duct cyst with ectopic thyroid tissue. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a mediastinal thyroglossal duct cyst in a cat. Despite the rarity of this lesion, it should be considered when a cystic thoracic structure is identified on thoracic ultrasound. Surgical excision of the cyst resulted in complete resolution of the pleural effusion and clinical signs.
Serum lipid concentrations in dogs with tail chasing
Authors: Yalcin E. , Ilcol Y. O. , Batmaz H.
Published: March 2009

Objective:To characterise lipid profile in dogs with tail chasing.

Methods:Fifteen dogs with tail chasing were included in this study. A behavioural diagnosis was made for each dog on the basis of the dog’s behavioural history, clinical signs and results of other medical assessments. None of the dogs had concurrent medical disease that would account for compulsive tail chasing. Blood samples were taken from each dog after a fasting period of 12 to 16 hours to measure total cholesterol, triglyceride, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Fifteen control dogs were also enrolled on the basis of normal physical examination results, complete blood count and serum biochemistry profiles.

Results:Dogs with tail chasing had significantly higher total cholesterol (P<0·01), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0·05) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0·001) compared with control dogs. Very low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not differ significantly between the groups.

ClinicalSignificance:Tail chasing may be associated with serum cholesterol elevations in dogs. High serum cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels may be used as biochemical parameters of compulsive tail chasing in clinical settings.
Behavioral ontogeny in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calves during their residence in Hawaiian waters
Authors: Cartwright Rachel , Sullivan Matthew
Published: March 2009

Abstract

The ontogeny of behavior in young offspring is a key component of a species life history, influencing short‐term survival and life‐long future fitness. In this study, we examine the behavioral ontogeny of humpback whale calves during their natal season on the winter breeding grounds. Behavioral data were collected during focal follows for 69 calves. Their relative age was estimated based on the degree of unfurling of the dorsal fin, and analysis of their time budgets revealed that behavior changed as the calves matured. Among the youngest group of calves (n= 27), persistent travel accounted for median 85% (interquartile range 34%) of the calves' time budget, they spent little time alone at the surface and the breathing regime included frequent intermittent breaths. Within the oldest group of calves (n= 26), time spent traveling dropped to a median 47% (IQR 42%) of the time budget, they spent more time at rest, surfaced alone more frequently, and the breathing regime more closely resembled that of adult humpbacks. We suggest potential functions for these and other components of calf behavior during this period, and review our findings in light of recent discussions on the role of predation pressure as a driving force in mysticete migration.
Coriaria duthiei sp. nov. (Coriariaceae) from the Indo–Pak region
Authors: Singh D. K. , Pusalkar Prashant K.
Published: March 2009

A new species of Coriaria L. (Coriariaceae), C. duthiei D. K. Singh & Pusalkar is described and illustrated from the Indo–Pak region. A key to the species of the genus and their distribution is provided.
Landmarks in the History of Cancer Epidemiology
Authors: Greenwald Peter , Dunn Barbara K.
Published: March 2009

The application of epidemiology to cancer prevention is relatively new, although observations of the potential causes of cancer have been reported for more than 2,000 years. Cancer was generally considered incurable until the late 19th century. Only with a refined understanding of the nature of cancer and strategies for cancer treatment could a systematic approach to cancer prevention emerge. The 20th century saw the elucidation of clues to cancer causation from observed associations with population exposures to tobacco, diet, environmental chemicals, and other exogenous factors. With repeated confirmation of such associations, researchers entertained for the first time the possibility that cancer, like many of the infectious diseases of the time, might be prevented. By the mid-20th century, with antibiotics successfully addressing the majority of infectious diseases and high blood pressure treatment beginning to affect the prevalence of heart disease in a favorable direction, the focus of much of epidemiology shifted to cancer. The early emphasis was on exploring, in greater depth, the environmental, dietary, hormonal, and other exogenous exposures for their potential associations with increased cancer risk. The first major breakthrough in identifying a modifiable cancer risk factor was the documentation of an association between tobacco smoking and lung cancer. During the past four decades, epidemiologic studies have generated population data identifying risk factors for cancers at almost every body site, with many cancers having multiple risk factors. The development of technologies to identify biological molecules has facilitated the incorporation of these molecular manifestations of biological variation into epidemiologic studies, as markers of exposure as well as putative surrogate markers of cancer outcome. This technological trend has, during the past two decades, culminated in emphasis on the identification of genetic variants and their products as correlates of cancer risk, in turn, creating opportunities to incorporate the discipline of molecular/genetic epidemiology into the study of cancer prevention. Epidemiology will undoubtedly continue contributing to cancer prevention by using traditional epidemiologic study designs to address broad candidate areas of interest, with molecular/genetic epidemiology investigations honing in on promising areas to identify specific factors that can be modified with the goal of reducing risk. [Cancer Res 2009;69(6):2151–62]
Brain Accumulation of Dasatinib Is Restricted by P-Glycoprotein (ABCB1) and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (ABCG2) and Can Be Enhanced by Elacridar Treatment
Authors: Lagas Jurjen S. , van Waterschoot Robert A.B. , van Tilburg Vicky A.C.J. , Hillebrand Michel J. , Lankheet Nienke , Rosing Hilde , Beijnen Jos H. , Schinkel Alfred H.
Published: March 2009

Purpose: Imatinib, a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a substrate of the efflux transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp; ABCB1) and ABCG2 (breast cancer resistance protein), and its brain accumulation is restricted by both transporters. For dasatinib, an inhibitor of SCR/BCR-ABL kinases, in vivo interactions with P-gp and ABCG2 are not fully established yet.

Experimental Design: We used Abcb1a/1b−/−, Abcg2−/−, and Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice to establish the roles of P-gp and ABCG2 in the pharmacokinetics and brain accumulation of dasatinib.

Results: We found that oral uptake of dasatinib is limited by P-gp. Furthermore, relative brain accumulation, 6 hours after administration, was not affected by Abcg2 deficiency, but absence of P-gp resulted in a 3.6-fold increase after oral and 4.8-fold higher accumulation after i.p. administration. Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice had the most pronounced increase in relative brain accumulation, which was 13.2-fold higher after oral and 22.7-fold increased after i.p. administration. Moreover, coadministration to wild-type mice of dasatinib with the dual P-gp and ABCG2 inhibitor elacridar resulted in a similar dasatinib brain accumulation as observed for Abcb1a/1b;Abcg2−/− mice.

Conclusions: Brain accumulation of dasatinib is primarily restricted by P-gp, but Abcg2 can partly take over this protective function at the blood-brain barrier. Consequently, when both transporters are absent or inhibited, brain uptake of dasatinib is highly increased. These findings might be clinically relevant for patients with central nervous system Philadelphia chromosome–positive leukemia, as coadministration of an inhibitor of P-gp and ABCG2 with dasatinib might result in better therapeutic responses in these patients.
Two Seventeenth-Century Conversion Narratives from Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Authors: Strong Robert
Published: March 2009

Two extraordinarily rare documents, the seventeenth-century spiritual autobiographies of William and Elisabeth Adams, residents of Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony, are here introduced, transcribed, and annotated. So intense were the couple's spiritual struggles that, at one point, William fears that he might “cut the throat of my own soul.”
Butter, Milk, and a “Spare Ribb”: Women's Work and the Transatlantic Economic Transition in Seventeenth-Century Massachusetts
Authors: McWilliams James E.
Published: March 2009

Exploring the generally unappreciated connection between local economic behavior and the emergence of larger commercial endeavors in seventeenth-century Massachusetts, the article demonstrates, through a close analysis of contemporary account books, that “women's work” was a vital element in the colony's pivotal transition to a transatlantic economy.
The Civic Intent of George Perkins Marsh's Anthrocentric Environmentalism
Authors: Garvey T. Gregory
Published: March 2009

Thoreau's contemporary George Perkins Marsh imagined a mode of environmentalism sharply different from ecocentrism. Defining non-human nature as created for human use, Marsh nonetheless argued for sustainable, moral relationships between humans and nature and drew connections between government and science that laid foundations for modern institutions like the EPA and the Forest Service.
The Power Elite and Their Challengers
Authors: Domhoff G. William
Published: March 2009

Drawing on findings in the literature on power structure research, this article argues that many of the biggest and most important nonprofit organizations are central components in the ongoing conflict between the corporate community and the power elite on the one side and the liberal—labor coalition and progressive social movements on the other. The article overviews five case studies to demonstrate the role of various types of nonprofits in specific policy conflicts.