bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations Between Children’s Sleep and Cognitive Functioning: The Moderating Role of Parent Education
Authors: Buckhalt Joseph A. , El‐Sheikh Mona , Keller Peggy S. , Kelly Ryan J.
Published: May 2009

Relations between children’s sleep and cognitive functioning were examined over 2 years, and race and socioeconomic status were assessed as moderators of effects. Third‐grade African American and European American children (N = 166; M = 8.72 years) participated at Time 1 and again 2 years later (N = 132). At both Time 1 and Time 2, sleep was examined via self‐report and actigraphy. Children were administered selected tests from the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and Stanford Achievement Test scores were obtained from schools. Children’s sleep was related to intellectual ability and academic achievement. Results build substantially on an emerging literature supportive of the importance of sleep in children.
THE INTERTWINED ROLES OF GENES AND CULTURE IN HUMAN EVOLUTION
Authors: Irons William
Published: May 2009

This essay critiques dual‐inheritance theory as presented in Peter Richerson and Robert Boyd's book Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution (2005). The theory states that culture became prominent in human evolution because it allowed relatively rapid adaptation to changing environments by means of imitation. Imitating the behavior of other members of one's community produces adaptive behaviors more readily than either genetic evolution or individual learning. Imitation follows a number of patterns: imitating high‐status individuals, imitating the most common forms of behavior, imitating behaviors perceived to be the most effective solutions to various problems relevant to survival. This process combined with occasional innovations in behavior lead to a process of cultural evolution involving populations of cultural variants. Different local human populations were associated with different local populations of cultural variants, and both the human and the cultural populations evolved over time. Human evolution cannot be understood without taking into account these parallel processes of genetic and cultural evolution. Not by Genes Alone traces the implication of dual‐inheritance theory for understanding human evolution and refers to various bodies of evidence relevant to the theory.
REREADING THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IN TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Taves Ann
Published: May 2009

William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience is one of the world's most popular attempts to meld science and religion. Academic reviews of the book were mixed in Europe and America, however, and prominent contemporaries, unsure whether it was science or theology, struggled to interpret it. James's reliance on an inherently ambiguous understanding of the subconscious as a means of bridging between religion and science accounts for some of the interpretive difficulties, but it does not explain why his overarching question was so obscure, why psychopathology and unusual experiences figured so prominently, or why he gave us so many examples and so little argument. To understand these persistent puzzles we need to do more than acknowledge James's indebtedness to Frederic Myers's conception of the subconscious. We need to read VRE in the context of the transatlantic network of experimental psychologists and psychical researchers who provided the primary intellectual inspiration for the book. Doing so not only locates and clarifies the underlying question that animated the work but also illuminates the structural and rhetorical similarities between VRE and Myers's Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death. In contrast to the individual case studies of hysterics, mediums, and mystics produced by others in this network, both Myers and James adopted a natural‐history approach in which they arranged examples of automatisms to produce a rhetorical effect, thus invoking science in order to evoke a religious response. Where Myers organized his examples to make a case for human survival of death, James organized his to make a case for the involvement of higher powers in the transformation of the self. Read in this way, VRE marks a dramatic shift from a religious preoccupation with life after death to a religious preoccupation with this‐worldly self‐transformation.
MINDING QUANTA AND COSMOLOGY
Authors: Pribram Karl H.
Published: May 2009

The revolution in science inaugurated by quantum physics has made us aware of the role of observation in the construction of data. Eugene Wigner remarked that in quantum physics we no longer have observables (invariants), only observations. Tongue in cheek, I asked him whether that meant that quantum physics is really psychology, expecting a gruff reply to my sassiness. Instead, Wigner beamed understanding and replied “Yes, yes, that's exactly correct.” David Bohm pointed out that were we to look at the cosmos without the lenses of our telescopes we would see a hologram. I extend Bohm's insight to the lens in the optics of the eye. The receptor processes of the ear and skin work in a similar fashion. Without these lenses and lenslike operations all of our perceptions would be entangled as in a hologram. Furthermore, the retina absorbs quanta of radiation so that quantum physics uses the very perceptions that become formed by it. In turn, higher‐order brain systems send signals to the sensory receptors so that what we perceive is often as much a result of earlier rather than just immediate experience. This influence from inside out becomes especially relevant to our interpretation of how we experience the contents and bounds of cosmology that come to us by way of radiation.
Hooliganism and Police Tactics
Authors: POUTVAARA PANU , PRIKS MIKAEL
Published: May 2009

In this paper, we introduce a model of hooliganism to study how different types of policing can be expected to affect violence and the number of hooligans in violent supporter clubs. Hooligans differ in their preferred level of fighting, and obtain utility also from social identity that belonging to a supporter club gives. We find that an increase in discriminative policing, like intelligence units, always reduces violence. Indiscriminate policing, such as the use of teargas or random jailing of potential law breakers, may, however, backfire and result in smaller and more brutal groups.
HOW LONG SHOULD WE STAY IN EDUCATION IF ABILITY IS SCREENED?
Authors: Oshio Takashi , Yasuoka Masaya
Published: May 2009

We examine how ability‐screening affects demand for education and the shape of an optimal education system. Explicitly incorporating gradual screening by education into the model, we illustrate how individuals of different abilities decide to stay in education or drop out. Gradual screening induces low‐ability individuals to receive over‐education, reducing the net benefit obtained from education by society as a whole, as well as such individuals. A mixed education system, in which public education is provided before private education, is superior to a wholly private system, in terms of both efficiency and equity, because it reduces the over‐education of low‐ability individuals.
Sunrise-Related Headache: Case Report
Authors: Ulas UH , Korkmaz A , Karadas O , Odabasi Z , Reiter RJ
Published: May 2009

A male, 34 years of age, suffers from headaches, red and watery eyes. The headaches began in childhood; the frequency of headaches has increased over the years and in the last decade headaches have occurred on a daily basis. If he wakes up before sunrise he feels much better and free of a headache; however, once he continues to sleep during and after sunrise, he suffers from tiredness, headache and nervousness. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), benign neuroepithelial cysts or a chronic infarct area was reported at the junction of the left medio-lateral zone of hypothalamus. After repeated MRI examinations, it was decided that the lesion on the left medio-lateral zone of hypothalamus may have disrupted the pineal gland and changed melatonin secretion. It was decided to treat him with 3 mg melatonin daily before going to bed. After a week of treatment, the patient reported that he felt very fresh and was virtually free of headaches.
Satisfaction of disabled rural elders and adults with the quality of community‐based long‐term care services
Authors: Kolodinsky Jane
Published: May 2009

This study estimates the probability of being satisfied with community‐based health care services in a rural area and compares the formation of satisfaction for elders and younger disabled adults. Using data from a state in New England, USA, a multivariate binomial logit model was used to estimate the probability of being satisfied. The formation of satisfaction differs for rural disabled adults and elders. Two out of five need characteristics were found to influence satisfaction with quality of care, and four out of six enabling characteristics were found to influence satisfaction. The impact of these characteristics differs for disabled elders and adults, pointing to the need to differentiate the disabled population when developing systems of home‐based care.
Manganese disrupts astrocyte glutamine transporter expression and function
Authors: Sidoryk‐Węgrzynowicz Marta , Lee Eunsook , Albrecht Jan , Aschner Michael
Published: May 2009

Glutamine (Gln) plays an important role in brain energy metabolism and as a precursor for the synthesis of neurotransmitter glutamate and GABA. Previous studies have shown that astrocytic Gln transport is impaired following manganese (Mn) exposure. The present studies were performed to identify the transport routes and the respective Gln transporters contributing to the impairment. Rat neonatal cortical primary astrocytes treated with Mn displayed a significant decrease in Gln uptake mediated by the principle Gln transporting systems, N and ASC. Moreover, systems N, ASC and L were less efficient in Gln export after Mn treatment. Mn treatment caused a significant reduction of both in mRNA expression and protein levels of SNAT3 (system N), SNAT2 (system A) and LAT2 (system L), and lowered the protein but not mRNA expression of ASCT2 (system ASC). Mn exposure did not affect the expression of the less abundant systems N transporter SNAT5 and the system L transporter LAT1, at either the mRNA or protein level. Hence, Mn‐induced decrease of inward and outward Gln transport can be largely ascribed to the loss of the specific Gln transporters. Consequently, deregulation of glutamate homeostasis and its diminished availability to neurons may lead to impairment in glutamatergic neurotransmission, a phenomenon characteristic of Mn‐induced neurotoxicity.
MORTAR STUDIES TOWARDS THE REPLICATION OF ROMAN CONCRETE
Authors: GOLDSWORTHY HELEN , ZHU MIN
Published: May 2009

The use of strong and durable materials is one essential ingredient leading to the survival of many monumental Roman concrete structures. Replicated concrete mortars with different lime to pozzolan ratios, encompassing the range likely to have been used by the Romans, have been studied here to determine their relative compressive strengths as a function of time. This has been supplemented by the use of the scanning electron microscope to delve into the structure and composition of the binders formed within the strongest and weakest mortars, leading to a deeper understanding of the reasons for the differences in compressive strength.
The ubiquitous role of zinc in health and disease
Authors: Cummings Julia E. , Kovacic Jan P.
Published: May 2009

Objective –To review zinc physiology and pathophysiology and the importance of zinc toxicity and deficiency in veterinary patients.

Data Sources –A review of human and veterinary medical literature.

Human Data Synthesis –There is a significant amount of original research in humans and animals on the role of zinc in multiple organ systems. There is also significant data available on human patients with zinc abnormalities.

Veterinary Data Synthesis –Zinc deficiency has been studied in dogs with genetic disease and dietary deficiency leading to dermatological disease and immune deficiency. Zinc toxicity has been described after ingestion of metallic foreign bodies containing zinc.

Conclusions –Historically, the role of zinc in health and disease has been studied through patients with toxicity or severe deficiency with obvious clinical signs. As the ubiquitous contribution of zinc to structure and function in biological systems was discovered, clinically significant but subtle deficiency states have been revealed. In human medicine, mild zinc deficiencies are currently thought to cause chronic metabolic derangement leading to or exacerbating immune deficiency, gastrointestinal problems, endocrine disorders, neurologic dysfunction, cancer, accelerated aging, degenerative disease, and more. Determining the causal relationships between mild zinc deficiency and concurrent disease is complicated by the lack of sensitive or specific tests for zinc deficiency. The prevalence of zinc deficiency and its contribution to disease in veterinary patients is not well known. Continued research is warranted to develop more sensitive and specific tests to assess zinc status, to determine which patients are at risk for deficiency, and to optimize supplementation in health and disease.
The Codex Rustici and the fifteenth‐century Florentine artisan
Authors: Olive Kathleen
Published: May 2009

Ostensibly the description of a Holy Land pilgrimage, the Codex Rustici (c. 1442) is better known for its watercolour illustrations of Florence's churches. Detailed biographical information on the author, Marco di Bartolomeo Rustici, has not previously been offered. Here I present new data on Rustici's biography and analyse what he read and wrote about himself, eliding statistical data and Rustici's textual divagations. In the process, the paper builds on previous scholarship about Italian artisans in the fifteenth century. It gives an indication of the literary possibilities open to such men, and adds to what scholars understand of Florentine artistic and poetic self‐representations in this period.
Combining the Species‐Area‐Habitat Relationship and Environmental Cluster Analysis to Set Conservation Priorities: a Study in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China
Authors: CHEN YOU‐HUA
Published: May 2009

Abstract: Identification of priority areas is a fundamental goal in conservation biology. Because of a lack of detailed information about species distributions, conservation targets in the Zhoushan Archipelago (China) were established on the basis of a species–area–habitat relationship (choros model) combined with an environmental cluster analysis (ECA). An environmental‐distinctness index was introduced to rank areas in the dendrogram obtained with the ECA. To reduce the effects of spatial autocorrelation, the ECA was performed considering spatial constraints. To test the validity of the proposed index, a principal component analysis–based environmental diversity approach was also performed. The priority set of islands obtained from the spatially constrained cluster analysis coupled with the environmental‐distinctness index had high congruence with that from the traditional environmental‐diversity approach. Nevertheless, the environmental‐distinctness index offered the advantage of giving hotspot rankings that could be readily integrated with those obtained from the choros model. Although the Wilcoxon matched‐pairs test showed no significant difference among the rankings from constrained and unconstrained clustering process, as indicated by cophenetic correlation, spatially constrained cluster analysis performed better than the unconstrained cluster analysis, which suggests the importance of incorporating spatial autocorrelation into ECA. Overall, the integration of the choros model and the ECA showed that the islands Liuheng, Mayi, Zhoushan, Fodu, and Huaniao may be good candidates on which to focus future efforts to conserve regional biodiversity. The 4 types of priority areas, generated from the combination of the 2 approaches, were explained in descending order on the basis of their conservation importance: hotspots with distinct environmental conditions, hotspots with general environmental conditions, areas that are not hotspots with distinct environmental conditions, and areas that are not hotspots with general environmental conditions.
Participatory Planning of Interventions to Mitigate Human–Wildlife Conflicts
Authors: TREVES ADRIAN , WALLACE R. B. , WHITE S.
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  Conservation of wildlife is especially challenging when the targeted species damage crops or livestock, attack humans, or take fish or game. Affected communities may retaliate and destroy wildlife or their habitats. We summarize recommendations from the literature for 13 distinct types of interventions to mitigate these human–wildlife conflicts. We classified eight types as direct (reducing the severity or frequency of encounters with wildlife) and five as indirect (raising human tolerance for encounters with wildlife) interventions. We analyzed general cause‐and‐effect relationships underlying human–wildlife conflicts to clarify the focal point of intervention for each type. To organize the recommendations on interventions we used three standard criteria for feasibility: cost‐effective design, wildlife specificity and selectivity, and sociopolitical acceptability. The literature review and the feasibility criteria were integrated as decision support tools in three multistakeholder workshops. The workshops validated and refined our criteria and helped the participants select interventions. Our approach to planning interventions is systematic, uses standard criteria, and optimizes the participation of experts, policy makers, and affected communities. We argue that conservation action generally will be more effective if the relative merits of alternative interventions are evaluated in an explicit, systematic, and participatory manner.
ASDIN: Percutaneous Renal Biopsy: Outpatient Observation without Hospitalization Is Safe
Authors: Maya Ivan D. , Allon Michael
Published: May 2009

Percutaneous renal biopsy may be complicated by hemorrhage. Patients are frequently hospitalized for overnight observation. We evaluated prospectively the feasibility and safety of an outpatient renal biopsy protocol. During a 20‐month period, 100 consecutive patients underwent outpatient renal biopsy using a standardized protocol. The biopsy was performed by Nephrology Fellows, under direct faculty supervision. All biopsies were carried out under real‐time ultrasound guidance with a 16‐gauge spring‐loaded biopsy gun, and followed immediately by color Doppler ultrasound to exclude active bleeding. Blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were monitored for 8 hours postbiopsy. If there were no complications, the patients were discharged home after the observation period. A total of 91 patients required one or two needle passes, and nine needed three or four passes. A mean of 12.7 ± 9.7 glomeruli were obtained per patient. No major complications were encountered. A small (<2 × 2 cm) perinephric hematoma was observed postbiopsy in 13 patients. Four patients were hospitalized for overnight observation due to a >4% decrease in their hematocrit, but none required a transfusion or intervention. No patient experienced a delayed biopsy‐related complication. Outpatient, real‐time, ultrasound‐guided percutaneous renal biopsy is safe and effective, and minimizes the need for postbiopsy hospitalization. It can result in significant cost savings without exposing the patients to an increased risk of complications.
Validation of the Portuguese Version of ID‐Migraine™
Authors: Gil‐Gouveia Raquel , Martins Isabel
Published: May 2009

(Headache 2010;50:396‐402)

Background.— Migraine is a highly prevalent disorder that imposes an important burden of disability to patients and has social and economic impact in developed countries. A good screening tool for migraine diagnosis is useful to improve disease identification and therapeutic approaches, hopefully reducing the burden of migraine. Although Portuguese is currently the sixth most spoken language in the world, no migraine screening instrument exists in Portuguese.

Objective.— To validate the Portuguese version of ID‐Migraine™.

Methods.— Consecutive adults of 2 headache outpatient clinics in Lisbon, Portugal fulfilled the Portuguese version of ID‐Migraine™ before evaluation by a trained neurologist in clinic, blinded to the questionnaire's results. The gold standard was the neurologists' clinical diagnosis, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition. A subset of patients was randomly selected to revaluation, in order to determine test–retest reliability. The validity measures of the test were calculated.

Results.— A total of 142 patients were included, 83.8% of which women, with an age average of 39.2 years. Clinical diagnosis of migraine was made in 63.4% of the patients. The Portuguese version of ID‐Migraine™ presented a sensitivity of 0.94 (95% CI 0.87‐0.97), specificity of 0.60 (95% CI 0.46‐0.73) and a positive predictive value of 0.80 (95% CI 0.71‐0.87). Calculated Cronbachs' alpha was 0.78 and kappa coefficient 0.60.

Conclusions.— The Portuguese version of ID‐Migraine™ was of easy and rapid application and well accepted by patients. Its validity measures were identical to the 3 other versions of the same questionnaire – English (original), Italian, and Turkish. The Portuguese version of ID‐Migraine™ is a valid screening tool for migraine, the first that can be used in Portuguese speaking communities although the low literacy rates in some of these countries may prevent its generalized application throughout the world.
A Novel Technique for Treatment of Intractable Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension: Lumbar Dural Reduction Surgery
Authors: Schievink Wouter I.
Published: May 2009

Background and Objective.— Spontaneous intracranial hypotension has become a well‐described cause of headache particularly among young and middle‐aged individuals. Treatment of the underlying spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is effective in relieving symptoms in the vast majority of patients but symptoms may become refractory. The author describes a novel surgical technique to treat intractable spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

Methods.— A lumbar laminectomy is performed, a strip of dura is resected, and the dural defect is closed. The resulting decrease in lumbar CSF volume is believed to increase intracranial CSF volume and pressure.

Results.— The technique was utilized in a patient who suffered with intractable positional headaches because of a spinal CSF leak for 6 years in spite of numerous surgical and nonsurgical therapies. Significant improvement of symptoms was sustained during a 1‐year period of follow‐up.

Conclusion.— Dural reduction surgery may be considered in carefully selected patients with intracranial hypotension.
Traumatic injuries to permanent teeth in Turkish children, Ankara
Authors: Altun Ceyhan , Ozen Buğra , Esenlik Elçin , Guven Günseli , Gürbüz Taşkın , Acikel Cengizhan , Basak Feridun , Akbulut Erman
Published: May 2009

Abstract –  The aim of this study was to identify the types and etiologies of dento‐alveolar injuries among patients who were treated for injuries to maxillary and/or mandibular permanent teeth at the Gulhane Medical Academy, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Center of Dental Sciences in Ankara, Turkey to provide a basis for determining optimal treatment approaches and educational needs. From a total of 4956 children aged 6–12 years (mean age: 8.91 ± 1.95) applying to the Center, 472 children (9.5%) were found to have suffered dental injuries during a period of 2 years. Injuries were classified according to drawings and texts based on the WHO classification system, as modified by Andreasen and Andreasen. Injury rates were highest among children age 6 and ages 8–10. The most frequently injured permanent teeth were the maxillary central incisors (88.2%), and the maxillary right central permanent incisor made up 47.2% of all injured teeth. The most common cause of dental trauma was falling while walking or running (40.3%). Most injuries involved a single tooth (64.8%). The most common type of injury was enamel fracture (44.6%). There was a significant difference in gender, where boys more often suffered from a dental hard tissue and pulp injury than girls (P = 0.019), whereas there was no difference in gender (P = 0.248) in the distribution of periodontal injuries. Injuries were found to occur more frequently during the summer (P < 0.001). Children with increased overjet were 2.19 times more likely to have dental injuries than other children. Considering that the incidence of traumatic dental injury is highest among children ages 6 and ages 8–10 as well as the fact that patients with increased overjet are more prone to dental trauma, preventive orthodontic treatment in early mixed dentition may play an important role in reducing traumatic dental injuries.
First‐aid knowledge about tooth avulsion among dentists, doctors and lay people
Authors: Qazi Samir Riaz , Nasir Khawaja Shehryar
Published: May 2009

Abstract –  In avulsion, teeth are bodily displaced out of the bony socket. Boys, aged 7–9 years, are most prone to avulsion of maxillary central incisors. Tooth avulsion should ideally be treated with immediate replantation. Because of the urgency in treatment, personnel dealing with this injury should have knowledge about the first‐aid treatment. This study was conducted to assess the first‐aid knowledge about tooth avulsion among dentists, doctors, students, school teachers and the general public in Lahore, Pakistan. Data were collected using a form with one open‐ended question about the first‐aid treatment of traumatic avulsion. Immediate replantation of the avulsed tooth was suggested by 10.1% of 377 respondents. Among dentists, 45.8% suggested immediate replantation, with the rest suggesting transport of the tooth to a dentist for replantation. Among all other groups (non‐dentists) immediate replantation was suggested by 4.6% and transport to a dentist by 3.3%. Non‐dentists in Pakistan, including doctors, have insufficient knowledge about the immediate treatment of tooth avulsion. Dentists, in comparison, have significantly more knowledge, but may need training in selection of the appropriate treatment option and handling and care of the avulsed tooth.
Decoronation of an ankylosed permanent incisor: alveolar ridge preservation and rehabilitation by an implant supported porcelain crown
Authors: Sapir Shabtai , Kalter Ariel , Sapir Minda Rose
Published: May 2009

Abstract –  Replacement resorption and ankylosis are frequently diagnosed following severe dental trauma. The complications that may develop as a result of ankylosis of a permanent incisor in children and adolescent include: esthetic compromise, orthodontic complications because of: arch irregularity; lack of mesial drift; tilting of adjacent teeth, arch length loss and local arrest of alveolar ridge growth. To avoid such complications, an ankylosed tooth should be removed before the changes become so pronounced that they compromise future prosthetic treatment. The purpose of this article was to present a case of preservation of the alveolar ridge for implant rehabilitation by utilizing decoronation for the treatment of a young permanent central incisor. An implant was inserted, without any bone augmentation procedures, followed by prosthetic porcelain crown rehabilitation. We conclude that treatment of an ankylosed young permanent incisor by decoronation may maintain the alveolar bone ridge width, height and continuity, and facilitate future rehabilitation with minimal, if any, ridge augmentation procedures.
The American Grotesque
Authors: Balkun Mary McAleer
Published: May 2009

The nightmare visions described by early American writers such as William Bradford, Mary Rowlandson, and Cotton Mather, with their allusions to a terrifying wilderness and its even more terrifying inhabitants, represent the nascent elements of the American grotesque, a tradition that emerged in full force in the early nineteenth century with writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville. While the interest in this genre has varied over the years, it has been a consistent stream in American literature up to the present day, one evident in the work of authors as diverse as Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, William Faulkner, and John Irving. Taking a wide variety of forms, including the comic grotesque, the frontier grotesque, and the southern grotesque, it has proved an enduring genre for examining social and cultural concerns, as well as issues of race, gender, and class.
A Streamflow Forecasting Framework using Multiple Climate and Hydrological Models1
Authors: Block Paul J. , Souza Filho Francisco Assis , Sun Liqiang , Kwon Hyun‐Han
Published: May 2009

Abstract: Water resources planning and management efficacy is subject to capturing inherent uncertainties stemming from climatic and hydrological inputs and models. Streamflow forecasts, critical in reservoir operation and water allocation decision making, fundamentally contain uncertainties arising from assumed initial conditions, model structure, and modeled processes. Accounting for these propagating uncertainties remains a formidable challenge. Recent enhancements in climate forecasting skill and hydrological modeling serve as an impetus for further pursuing models and model combinations capable of delivering improved streamflow forecasts. However, little consideration has been given to methodologies that include coupling both multiple climate and multiple hydrological models, increasing the pool of streamflow forecast ensemble members and accounting for cumulative sources of uncertainty. The framework presented here proposes integration and offline coupling of global climate models (GCMs), multiple regional climate models, and numerous water balance models to improve streamflow forecasting through generation of ensemble forecasts. For demonstration purposes, the framework is imposed on the Jaguaribe basin in northeastern Brazil for a hindcast of 1974‐1996 monthly streamflow. The ECHAM 4.5 and the NCEP/MRF9 GCMs and regional models, including dynamical and statistical models, are integrated with the ABCD and Soil Moisture Accounting Procedure water balance models. Precipitation hindcasts from the GCMs are downscaled via the regional models and fed into the water balance models, producing streamflow hindcasts. Multi‐model ensemble combination techniques include pooling, linear regression weighting, and a kernel density estimator to evaluate streamflow hindcasts; the latter technique exhibits superior skill compared with any single coupled model ensemble hindcast.
Equine Herpesvirus‐1 Consensus Statement
Authors: Lunn D.P. , Davis‐Poynter N. , Flaminio M.J.B.F. , Horohov D.W. , Osterrieder K. , Pusterla N. , Townsend H.G.G.
Published: May 2009

Equine herpesvirus‐1 is a highly prevalent and frequently pathogenic infection of equids. The most serious clinical consequences of infection are abortion and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). In recent years, there has been an apparent increase in the incidence of EHM in North America, with serious consequences for horses and the horse industry. This consensus statement draws together current knowledge in the areas of pathogenesis, strain variation, epidemiology, diagnostic testing, vaccination, outbreak prevention and control, and treatment.
Molecular Evidence for Persistence ofAnaplasma phagocytophilumin the Absence of Clinical Abnormalities in Horses after Recovery from Acute Experimental Infection
Authors: Franzén P. , Aspan A. , Egenvall A. , Gunnarsson A. , Karlstam E. , Pringle J.
Published: May 2009

Background:Anaplasma phagocytophiluminfects several mammalian species, and can persist in sheep, dogs, and calves. However, whether this organism persists in horses or induces long‐term clinical abnormalities is not known.

Objectives:To evaluate whetherA. phagocytophilumcan persist in horses and to document clinical findings for 3 months after complete recovery from acute disease.

Animals:Five clinically normal adult horses that had recovered spontaneously from experimentally induced acute disease caused by a Swedish equine isolate ofA. phagocytophilum.

Methods:Horses were monitored for up to 129 days post inoculation (PI) by daily clinical examination and at least alternate day blood sampling for evidence ofA. phagocytophilumon polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and blood smears. All horses were euthanized and underwent postmortem examination.

Results:All horses were periodically PCR positive after recovery from acute infection. Before day 66 PI 2 horses were persistently PCR negative whereas 3 horses were intermittently PCR positive. Subsequently, 4 of 5 horses were intermittently PCR positive, particularly after stress mimicking interventions. One animal was positive immediately before postmortem examination. Clinical abnormalities related to persistence of anaplasma were not observed. No specific changes were found at postmortem examination, and all sampled tissues from all horses were negative on PCR forA. phagocytophilum.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:Infection withA. phagocytophilumcan persist in the horse for at least 129 days. However, the continued presence of the organism is not associated with detectable clinical or pathological abnormalities.
The association between theCOL12A1gene and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures
Authors: Posthumus Michael , September Alison V , O'Cuinneagain Dion , van der Merwe Willem , Schwellnus Martin P , Collins Malcolm
Published: May 2009

Background

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are among the most severe musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries. However, the exact mechanisms which cause these acute injuries are unknown. Recently, sequence variants within two genes, namelyCOL1A1andCOL5A1, which code for the α1 chains of types I and V collagen respectively, were shown to be associated with ACL ruptures. Type XII collagen, similarly to types I and V collagen, is a structural component of the ligament fibril and is encoded by a single gene,COL12A1.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate whether sequence variants withinCOL12A1are associated with ACL ruptures.

Methods

One hundred and twenty-nine (38 female) participants with clinically and surgically diagnosed ACL ruptures, as well as 216 (83 female) physically active controls participants (CON) without any history of ACL injury were included in this case-control genetic association study. All participants were genotyped for theAluI andBsrI restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) withinCOL12A1.

Results

The AA genotype of theCOL12A1 AluI RFLP was significantly over-represented in the female (OR=2.4, 95% CI 1.0 to 5.5, p=0.048), but not male (p=0.359) ACL participants. There were no genotype differences between the ACL and CON group for theBsrI RFLP.

Conclusion

TheCOL12A1 AluI RFLP is associated with ACL ruptures among female participants in this study. The results suggest that females with an AA genotype are at increased risk of ACL ruptures. These initial genetic association studies should be explored further and, if repeated, incorporated into multifactorial models developed to identify predisposed individuals.
QTL mapping of protein content and seed characteristics under water-stress conditions in sunflower
Authors: Ebrahimi A. , Maury P. , Berger M. , Calmon A. , Grieu P. , Sarrafi A.
Published: May 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify genomic regions controlling seed protein content, kernel and hull weights, and seed density in water-stress conditions in sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.). The experiments consisted of a split-plot design (water treatment and recombinant inbred lines) with three blocks in two environments (greenhouse and field). High significant variation was observed between genotypes for all traits as well as for water treatment × genotype interaction. Several specific and nonspecific QTLs were detected for all traits under well-watered and water-stress conditions. Two SSR markers, ORS671_2 and HA2714, linked to protein content were identified that have no interaction with water treatments in greenhouse conditions. We also detected the E35M60_4 marker associated with kernel weight that had no interaction with water treatments. A specific QTL for protein content was detected with important phenotypic variance (17%) under water-stress conditions. Overlapping QTLs for protein content and seed density were identified in linkage group 15. This region probably has a peliotropic effect on protein content and seed density. QTLs for protein content colocated with grain weight traits were also identified.
The first complete mitochondrial genome sequences of Amblypygi (Chelicerata: Arachnida) reveal conservation of the ancestral arthropod gene order
Authors: Fahrein Kathrin , Masta Susan E. , Podsiadlowski Lars
Published: May 2009

Amblypygi (whip spiders) are terrestrial chelicerates inhabiting the subtropics and tropics. In morphological and rRNA-based phylogenetic analyses, Amblypygi cluster with Uropygi (whip scorpions) and Araneae (spiders) to form the taxon Tetrapulmonata, but there is controversy regarding the interrelationship of these three taxa. Mitochondrial genomes provide an additional large data set of phylogenetic information (sequences, gene order, RNA secondary structure), but in arachnids, mitochondrial genome data are missing for some of the major orders. In the course of an ongoing project concerning arachnid mitochondrial genomics, we present the first two complete mitochondrial genomes from Amblypygi. Both genomes were found to be typical circular duplex DNA molecules with all 37 genes usually present in bilaterian mitochondrial genomes. In both species, gene order is identical to that of Limulus polyphemus (Xiphosura), which is assumed to reflect the putative arthropod ground pattern. All tRNA gene sequences have the potential to fold into structures that are typical of metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs, except for tRNA-Ala, which lacks the D arm in both amblypygids, suggesting the loss of this feature early in amblypygid evolution. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in weak support for Uropygi being the sister group of Amblypygi.
Role of the AMP-activated protein kinase in regulating fatty acid metabolism during exerciseThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Steinberg Gregory R.
Published: May 2009

During moderate-intensity exercise, fatty acids are the predominant substrate for working skeletal muscle. The release of fatty acids from adipose tissue stores, combined with the ability of skeletal muscle to actively fine tune the gradient between fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism, depending on substrate availability and energetic demands, requires a coordinated system of metabolic control. Over the past decade, since the discovery that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was increased in accordance with exercise intensity, there has been significant interest in the proposed role of this ancient stress-sensing kinase as a critical integrative switch controlling metabolic responses during exercise. In this review, studies examining the role of AMPK as a regulator of fatty acid metabolism in both adipose tissue and skeletal muscle during exercise will be discussed. Exercise induces activation of AMPK in adipocytes and regulates triglyceride hydrolysis and esterfication through phosphorylation of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and glycerol-3-phosphate acyl-transferase, respectively. In skeletal muscle, exercise-induced activation of AMPK is associated with increases in fatty acid uptake, phosphorylation of HSL, and increased fatty acid oxidation, which is thought to occur via the acetyl-CoA carboxylase-malony-CoA-CPT-1 signalling axis. Despite the importance of AMPK in regulating fatty acid metabolism under resting conditions, recent evidence from transgenic models of AMPK deficiency suggest that alternative signalling pathways may also be important for the control of fatty acid metabolism during exercise.
Changes in muscle mass with mechanical load: possible cellular mechanismsThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Spangenburg Espen E.
Published: May 2009

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle mass has remained a focus of numerous researchers for many years. Recent investigations have begun to elucidate cellular signaling mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with significant effort being focused on the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. The Akt/mTOR pathway plays a major role in regulating the initiation of protein synthesis after the onset of mechanical loading of skeletal muscle. Although a number of downstream substrates for Akt/mTOR have been elucidated, very little is known about the upstream mechanisms that mechanical load employs to activate the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, the purpose of this review is to discuss potential mechanisms that may contribute to the activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling mechanism in mechanically loaded skeletal muscle.
Exercise training, energy metabolism, and heart failureThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Ventura-Clapier Renée
Published: May 2009

Energy metabolism is at the crossroad of cell function and dysfunction. Cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, the energy metabolism of which is high, fluctuating, and adaptable to the special needs of the body, have developed sophisticated strategies for synthesizing, transferring, and utilizing energy in accordance with the needs of the body. Adaptation to endurance training mainly involves energetic remodelling in skeletal muscles, but less is known for the cardiac muscle. Alterations in energy metabolism participate in many pathophysiological processes, among which is heart failure. Because endurance training improves symptoms and quality of life and decreases mortality rate and hospitalization, it is increasingly recognized as a beneficial practice for heart failure patients. The mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of exercise training are far from being understood. Proper evaluation of these mechanisms is thus a major health issue for populations living in industrialized countries. This review mainly focuses on oxidative metabolism and intracellular energy transfer in muscles and the heart, their alterations in heart failure, and the effects of endurance exercise training.
Mechanisms of excitation-contraction uncoupling relevant to activity-induced muscle fatigueThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Lamb Graham D.
Published: May 2009

If the free [Ca2+] in the cytoplasm of a skeletal muscle fiber is raised substantially for a period of seconds to minutes or to high levels just briefly, it leads to disruption of the normal excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling process and a consequent long-lasting decrease in force production. It appears that the disruption to the coupling occurs at the triad junction, where the voltage-sensor molecules (dihydropyridine receptors) normally interact with and open the Ca2+release channels (ryanodine receptors) in the adjacent sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). This disruption results in inadequate release of SR Ca2+upon stimulation. Such E-C uncoupling may underlie the long-duration low-frequency fatigue that can occur after various types of exercise, as well as possibly being a contributing factor to the muscle weakness in certain muscle diseases. The process or processes causing the disruption of the coupling between the voltage sensors and the release channels is not known with certainty, but might be associated with structural changes at the triad junction, possibly caused by activation of the Ca2+-dependent protease, µ-calpain.
Tuning of mitochondrial pathways by muscle work: from triggers to sensors and expression signaturesThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Flueck Martin
Published: May 2009

Performance of striated muscle relies on the nerve-driven activation of the sarcomeric motor and coupled energy supply lines. This biological engine is unique; its mechanical and metabolic characteristics are not fixed, but are tailored by functional demand with exercise. This remodelling is specific for the imposed muscle stimulus. This is illustrated by the increase in local oxidative capacity with highly repetitive endurance training vs. the preferential initiation of sarcomerogenesis with strength training regimes, where high-loading increments are imposed. The application of molecular biology has provided unprecedented insight into the pathways that govern muscle plasticity. Time-course analysis indicates that the adjustments to muscle work involve a broad regulation of transcript expression during the recovery phase from a single bout of exercise. Highly resolving microarray analysis demonstrates that the specificity of an endurance-exercise stimulus is reflected by the signature of the transcriptome response after muscle work. A quantitative match in mitochondrial transcript adjustments and mitochondrial volume density after endurance training suggests that the gradual accumulation of expressional microadaptations underlies the promotion of fatigue resistance with training. This regulation is distinguished from control of muscle growth via the load-dependent activation of sarcomerogenesis. Discrete biochemical signalling systems have evolved that sense metabolic perturbations during exercise and trigger a specific expression program, which instructs the remodelling of muscle makeup. A drop in muscle oxygen tension and metabolite perturbations with exercise are recognized as important signals in the genome-mediated remodelling of the metabolic muscle phenotype in humans.
Toll-like receptor signalling induced by endurance exerciseThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process.
Authors: Francaux Marc
Published: May 2009

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are transmembrane proteins that detect a variety of molecular components mostly derived from microorganisms. TLR2 and TLR4 are amongst others present in liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Extracellular long-chain fatty acids bind TLR2 and 4 and induce downstream signalling cascades implicated in cellular stress and inflammatory processes. Evidence indicates that TLR activation by non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) may participate in the development of insulin resistance. Exercise seems to induce a downregulation of TLR expression in various tissues, a mechanism that may take part in the protective effect of exercise against insulin resistance. Moreover, TLRs seem to mediate the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 and Jun-amino-terminal kinase by extracellular NEFAs during endurance exercise. During this type of exercise, circulating NEFAs are known to regulate the expression of various genes including pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4, uncoupling protein 3, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 alpha. Whether these events are initiated by a TLR-dependent signal transduction remains to be investigated.