bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in pheno-morphological and agronomic traits among burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) populations collected in Sicily, Italy
Authors: Graziano D. , Di Giorgio G. , Ruisi P. , Amato G. , Giambalvo D.
Published: December 2009

The present study assessed the diversity of pheno-morphological and agronomic traits among 31 natural populations of burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) from different environments throughout Sicily, and analysed the patterns of phenotypic diversity in relation to the environmental parameters of each collection site. Three commercial cultivars (Cavalier, Santiago, and Anglona) were also included in the study as check cultivars. Two field experiments were performed in 2005–06 in a hilly area of the Sicilian inland. Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on the sites using geographic, climatic, and pedological data to assess the differences in types of collection sites. PCA was also performed on the accessions using pheno-morphological and agronomic data to establish the importance of different traits in explaining multivariate polymorphisms. Sicilian burr medic populations showed highly significant inter-population differences for all of the recorded pheno-morphological and agronomic traits, and several populations had agronomic attributes that were more pronounced than those of the check cultivars. PCA did not clearly differentiate the accessions according to their habitats of origin, but in some cases, accessions from the same habitat had a tendency to stay together. Populations from drier and warmer habitats flowered earlier and were less productive than those from wetter and colder ones. The large variability in both pheno-morphological and agronomic traits among Sicilian populations may be valuable when searching for suitable M. polymorpha material to exploit in pastures and crop–livestock farming systems in the Mediterranean region.
NCLX is an essential component of mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+exchange
Authors: Palty Raz , Silverman William F. , Hershfinkel Michal , Caporale Teresa , Sensi Stefano L. , Parnis Julia , Nolte Christiane , Fishman Daniel , Shoshan-Barmatz Varda , Herrmann Sharon , Khananshvili Daniel , Sekler Israel
Published: December 2009

Mitochondrial Ca2+efflux is linked to numerous cellular activities and pathophysiological processes. Although it is established that an Na+-dependent mechanism mediates mitochondrial Ca2+efflux, the molecular identity of this transporter has remained elusive. Here we show that the Na+/Ca2+exchanger NCLX is enriched in mitochondria, where it is localized to the cristae. Employing Ca2+and Na+fluorescent imaging, we demonstrate that mitochondrial Na+-dependent Ca2+efflux is enhanced upon overexpression of NCLX, is reduced by silencing of NCLX expression by siRNA, and is fully rescued by the concomitant expression of heterologous NCLX. NCLX-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+transport was inhibited, moreover, by CGP-37157 and exhibited Li+dependence, both hallmarks of mitochondrial Na+-dependent Ca2+efflux. Finally, NCLX-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+exchange is blocked in cells expressing a catalytically inactive NCLX mutant. Taken together, our results converge to the conclusion that NCLX is the long-sought mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+exchanger.
Host structural carbohydrate induces vector transmission of a bacterial plant pathogen
Authors: Killiny Nabil , Almeida Rodrigo P. P.
Published: December 2009

Many insect-borne pathogens have complex life histories because they must colonize both hosts and vectors for successful dissemination. In addition, the transition from host to vector environments may require changes in gene expression before the pathogen's departure from the host.
Xylella fastidiosa
is a xylem-limited plant-pathogenic bacterium transmitted by leafhopper vectors that causes diseases in a number of economically important plants. We hypothesized that factors of host origin, such as plant structural polysaccharides, are important in regulating
X. fastidiosa
gene expression and mediating vector transmission of this pathogen. The addition of pectin and glucan to a simple defined medium resulted in dramatic changes in
X. fastidiosa
's phenotype and gene-expression profile. Cells grown in the presence of pectin became more adhesive than in other media tested. In addition, the presence of pectin and glucan in media resulted in significant changes in the expression of several genes previously identified as important for
X. fastidiosa
's pathogenicity in plants. Furthermore, vector transmission of
X. fastidiosa
was induced in the presence of both polysaccharides. Our data show that host structural polysaccharides mediate gene regulation in
X. fastidiosa
, which results in phenotypic changes required for vector transmission. A better understanding of how vector-borne pathogens transition from host to vector, and vice versa, may lead to previously undiscovered disease-control strategies.
Food webs are more than the sum of their tritrophic parts
Authors: Cohen Joel E. , Schittler Daniella N. , Raffaelli David G. , Reuman Daniel C.
Published: December 2009

Many studies have aimed to understand food webs by investigating components such as trophic links (one consumer taxon eats one resource taxon), tritrophic interactions (one consumer eats an intermediate taxon, which eats a resource), or longer chains of links. We show here that none of these components (links, tritrophic interactions, and longer chains), individually or as an ensemble, accounts fully for the properties of the next higher level of organization. As a cell is more than its molecules, as an organ is more than its cells, and as an organism is more than its organs, in a food web, new structure emerges at every organizational level up to and including the whole web. We demonstrate the emergence of properties at progressively higher levels of structure by using all of the directly observed, appropriately organized, publicly available food web datasets with relatively complete trophic link data and with average body mass and population density data for each taxon. There are only three such webs, those of Tuesday Lake, Michigan, in 1984 and 1986, and Ythan Estuary, Scotland. We make the data freely available online with this report. Differences in web patterns between Tuesday Lake and Ythan Estuary, and similarities of Tuesday Lake in 1984 and 1986 despite 50% turnover of species, suggest that the patterns we describe respond to major differences between ecosystem types.
Predictors of Treatment Outcomes for Substance-Abusing Women: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Comfort Marilee , Kaltenbach Karol A.
Published: December 2009

This study examined whether client characteristics at admission predict Retention, Abstinence, and utilization of Required Services and Specialized Services for pregnant women in outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment. Retrospective data were collected with the Psychosocial History (PSH), a structured clinical interview that is an expansion of the Addiction Severity Index, designed specifically to assess substance abusing women. The PSH was administered at intake for 183 pregnant women admitted to outpatient (n = 133) or residential (n = 50) treatment. Factor analysis reduced predictors to five factors with composite scores, and multiple regression procedures determined client characteristics that predict treatment outcomes. The findings suggest the complexity of predicting treatment outcomes for pregnant women. Significant predictors were composites of variables that encompassed all aspects of women's personal and family lives including medical and psychiatric needs, family and parenting issues, housing, victimization, and clients’ perceived needs for treatment and assistance in all of these areas. The results suggest the need for a holistic approach to substance abuse treatment and continued exploration of a broad range of psychosocial assessments at intake in order to develop substance abuse treatment programs that effectively address multiple aspects of women's lives.
An Integrated Approach for Dually Diagnosed Patients in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program: Case Presentation
Authors: Primm Annelle B. , Tzolova‐Iontchev Ilina , Taylor Crista M.
Published: December 2009

Patients with co‐occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders experience worse social and clinical outcomes and are in need of adequate and simultaneous treatment for both disorders. The case presented illustrates the diversity of psychosocial, health, and behavioral problems and the complexity of treatment of a dually diagnosed patient. The authors discuss the benefits of using an integrated approach in an addiction treatment setting. The authors also review the importance of an integrated treatment model for populations with inadequate health care resources who are at high risk for medical and psychiatric complications.
Life Stage, Alcohol Consumption Patterns, Alcohol‐Related Consequences, and Gender
Authors: Plant Moira , Miller Patrick , Thornton Christine , Plant Martin , Bloomfield Kim
Published: December 2009

This paper presents findings from a European collaborative study. A common framework for reanalysis of existing data was devised. Alcohol‐related problems encountered were classified as “internal”; and “external.”; Logistic regression analyses were then conducted to predict lifetime presence of any internal problem, any external problem, and any problem at all. The predictor variables were gender, life stage (corresponding roughly to young, middle and older age), past year's drinking level in four categories of grams of alcohol per month, and past year's “binge”; drinking. All four predictor variables were associated with the presence of alcohol‐related problems, with women and retired people having fewer problems and heavy drinkers and binge drinkers having more. At all levels of alcohol consumption, men were more likely than women to experience at least one adverse consequence. Internal problems were more common than external problems. Country differences are discussed and recommendations are made for further studies.
MSWs with and without Long–Term Substance Abuse Training: Agency, Community, and Personal Outcomes
Authors: Amodeo Maryann , Fassler Irene , Griffin Margaret
Published: December 2009

Behavioral outcomes in agency, community, and personal arenas were examined for 81 social workers with Masters degrees (MSWs) who completed a clinical postgraduate substance abuse (SA) training program (trainees) and a matched group of 78 MSWs not enrolled in such a program (comparison subjects). Subject self–report data was collected via telephone interviews of 30–40 min. With little or limited prior SA training, trainees took this clinical training to a broader level: they were significantly more likely than comparison subjects to provide agency SA training, receive SA training and supervision outside the agency, engage in SA community service, present SA papers at conferences, and intervene with their SA–troubled significant others. With more MSW students now receiving SA training in their graduate programs, the impact of such postgraduate education is likely to be even greater.
The Health–Related Effects of Alcohol Use in Older Persons: A Systematic Review
Authors: Reid M. Carrington , Boutros Nashaat N. , O'Connor Patrick G. , Cadariu Arina , Concato John
Published: December 2009

Increased alcohol consumption is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in young and middle–aged adult populations, but its effects on the health of older adults have received less attention. The objective of the study was to review published studies that assessed the effects of alcohol on falls or fall injuries, functional impairment, cognitive impairment, and all–cause mortality among older adults. MEDLINE database and bibliographies of selected citations were searched for English language studies published between 1966 and 1998 that examined the relationship between alcohol and one or more of the above outcomes. Also a study was analyzed if it included participants 60 years of age or older, or a broader age range of participants and reported results for older subgroups, or predominantly older participants as evidenced by a mean age of 65 years of age or above. Information on studies’ sample sizes, exposure and outcome measures, and risk estimates were extracted, and articles were evaluated for methodologic quality using predetermined criteria. Eighty–four studies were identified that examined 91 potential exposure–outcome associations including falls or fall injuries (n = 26); functional impairment (n = 13); cognitive impairment (n = 32); and all–cause mortality (n = 20). The percentage of studies demonstrating harm, no association, or benefit by outcome included falls (15% vs. 81% vs. 4%); functional disability (38% vs. 46% vs. 16%); cognitive impairment (31% vs. 66% vs. 3%); and all–cause mortality (15% vs. 65% vs. 20%). Studies (n = 84) inconsistently adhered to methodologic standards. Although 90% provided eligibility criteria; 61 % cited participation rates; and 73% described the methods used to measure alcohol exposure; only 44% adjusted for potentially important confounding factors; and 26% distinguished former drinkers from nondrinkers. Of the cohort studies (n = 47), 30% assessed for change in participants’ exposure status over time, and 17% determined whether losses to follow–up varied by exposure status. The magnitude of risk posed by alcohol use for falls or fall injuries, functional disability, cognitive impairment, and all–cause mortality among older adults remains uncertain. Prospective studies are needed to better define the health–related effects of alcohol use in older populations.
Megadose Intranasal Methylphenidate (Ritalin) Abuse in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Coetzee Martha , Kaminer Yifrah , Morales Arthuro
Published: December 2009

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly co–occurring with other psychiatric disorders including substance use disorders. Stimulants have proven to be the pharmacological treatment of choice of ADHD along the life span. Contrary to media hype which compared the addictive potential of methylphenidate (MPD) to cocaine, only a handful of case studies on the abuse of prescription MPD by ADHD patients have been published. This case study centers on the treatment management and aftercare implications of an adult ADHD patient who abused 700 mg of prescribed MPD intranasally during a 3–day binge.
Training Primary Health Care Professionals to Prvide Buprenorphine and LAAM Treatment
Authors: Lintzeris Nicholas , Ritter Alison , Dunlop Adrian , Muhleisen Peter
Published: December 2009

This paper describes the development and implementation of training programs for primary care medical practitioners and pharmacists in the delivery of buprenorphine and LAAM treatment in the management of opiate dependence. Separate training programs were developed for each medication. Each training package included learning objectives, training materials, and assessment instruments. Findings of the evaluation of these initiatives and the subsequent Australian postregistration training program for buprenorphine are described.
Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of a Skills–Based Workshop on Medical Students’ Management of Problem Drinking and Alcohol Dependence
Authors: Kahan Meldon , Wilson Lynn , Midmer Deana , Borsoi Diane , Martin Dawn
Published: December 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a skills–based workshop will improve medical students’ management of problem drinking and alcohol dependence in simulated patients. Seventy–six 3rd and 4th year Ontario medical students were randomized to receive a 3–h workshop on either problem drinking and alcohol dependence or depression (control condition). Students then completed eight simulated office visits (OSCE stations) with simulated patients presenting with depression, problem drinking or alcohol dependence. Examiners completed a checklist of the questions asked and advice given by the student, and simulated patients and examiners completed a global rating scale. Four months later, students were sent a survey on their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards patients with alcohol problems. The alcohol group received significantly higher assessment and management checklist scores and global rating scores than did the depression group (p < 0.01) and performed better on almost all aspects of clinical management of both problem drinking and alcohol dependence. On the follow–up survey (n = 55) the alcohol group showed a significant increase in beliefs about self–efficacy in managing alcohol problems (p < 0.05) and had greater knowledge of reduced drinking strategies, but the two groups did not differ on other measures. A skills–based workshop causes marked short–term improvements in medical students’ management of problem drinking and alcohol dependence, an increase from baseline to postworkshop in self–efficacy beliefs that was sustained through to follow–up, and greater knowledge of reduced drinking strategies. Repeated reinforcement of clinical skills may be required for a long–term impact on clinical behavior.
The Role of Therapeutic Alliance in Network Therapy: A Family and Peer Support–Based Treatment for Cocaine Abuse
Authors: Glazer Samuel S. , Galanter Marc , Megwinoff Olga , Dermatis Helen , Keller Daniel S.
Published: December 2009

The therapeutic alliance is a well–studied construct factor that is important to outcome in many forms of individual therapy. Therapeutic alliance has been rarely studied in group therapy and results in addiction treatment have been mixed. In this paper, we studied the presence of a therapeutic alliance in Network Therapy: an approach that uses peer and family support in addiction treatment. Twenty–one participants undergoing Network Therapy for cocaine addiction were observed on videotape, and were rated on therapeutic alliance using the Working Alliance Inventory and the Penn Helping Alliance Rating Scale. Results showed a significant positive correlation between therapeutic alliance and outcome as measured by the percentage of cocaine–free urine toxicology screens and by eight consecutive cocaine–free urines.
Learning the Language of Abstinence in Addiction Treatment: Some Similarities between Relapse–Prevention with Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Other Pharmacological Antagonists and Intensive “Immersion” Methods of Foreign Language Teaching
Authors: Brewer Colin , Streel Emmannuel
Published: December 2009

Relapse–prevention (RP) is an educational process. Learning to abstain from alcohol or opiates after years of dependence involves selectively suppressing old, maladaptive habits of thought and behavior and establishing new, adaptive ones. This process resembles foreign language (FL) learning. Effective FL teaching techniques are relevant to RP. “Immersion,”; the most effective FL teaching method, discourages students from using their first language ab initio, requiring them to use the FL instead, however inexpertly. It resembles exposure and response–prevention for phobic or compulsive disorders. Supervised disulfiram aids RP by discouraging alcoholics from responding to real–life drinking cues in the “language”; of excessive drinking, requiring them, ab initio, to practice new, alcohol–free responses. Supervised or depot naltrexone acts similarly in opiate dependence. We discuss the concept of antagonist–assisted abstinence.
Evaluation of Medical Student Attitudes toward Alcoholics Anonymous
Authors: Fazzio Lydia , Galanter Marc , Dermatis Helen , Levounis Petros
Published: December 2009

This is a two–phase study on attitudes of medical students toward Alcoholics Anonymous. The first phase compares views of addiction faculty to third–year medical students on the importance of spirituality in addiction treatment. We administered a questionnaire to assess attitudes toward spiritual, biological, and psychosocial approaches to addiction treatment. The faculty viewed spirituality as relatively more important in addiction treatment than did the students. The second phase was designed to assess whether medical student attitudes toward spiritually based treatments changed over the course of a psychiatry clerkship. At the beginning of the clerkship, students rated a spiritually oriented approach as important in addiction treatment as a biological approach, whereas, at the end of the clerkship, they rated the biological approach as more important. It may be important to educate medical students about the spiritual dimensions of recovery so they can integrate this into their treatment of addiction.
Long‐term impact of addictions training for medical residents
Authors: Sobell Linda C. , Sdao‐Jarvie Kathy , Frecker Richard C. , Brown Joanne C. , Cleland Patricia A.
Published: December 2009

The present survey was conducted to determine the long‐term impact of addictions training on the practice patterns of physicians who completed a specialized addictions residency training program. Medical residents and medical research fellows who participated in a residency training program in addictions from 1981 through 1991 at the Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto were mailed a brief questionnaire about their training experience. Of the 27 physicians who responded to the questionnaire (73% response rate), 52% were currently working in the addictions field. Of the 13 who were not working in the field, 77% reported using their addictions training in their current practice. Thus, 89% of the physicians who participated in the specialized addictions residency training program and responded to the survey reported continued utilization of their training several years after the experience.
A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Auricular Acupuncture on Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal Symptoms
Authors: Killeen Therese K. , Brady Kathleen T.
Published: December 2009

Substance abuse remains one of the leading health care problems in the United States. Traditional treatment efforts are costly and patients continue to suffer high attrition and relapse rates. Alternative treatment interventions have increasingly gained popularity among Americans. Auricular acupuncture, one category of alternative treatment, has been used to ease many stress related physical and emotional disorders. Sixty patients presenting for substance abuse treatment were administered the Alcohol and Drug Withdrawal Questionnaire at baseline and after receiving their first acupuncture intervention. Twenty‐three patients were primarily cocaine dependent and 25 patients were primarily alcohol dependent. The remainder were dependent on opiates, cannabis, benzodiazapines, or amphetamines. Subjects were asked to rate their current level of general distress and symptomatology on a scale from 1 (indicating none) to 10 (indicating extreme). After post hoc corrections, there were statistically significant improvements on all measures from pre to post testing.
Coping Styles of Female Cocaine Addicts
Authors: Kouzekanani Kamiar , Neeley Mary Ann
Published: December 2009

There is an abundance of support in the literature that coping styles may influence frequency of use, treatment completion, and relapse among cocaine addicts. This study reports on the predominant coping styles of a sample of female cocaine addicts upon admission to treatment for substance abuse. This sample demonstrated a great deal of already‐experienced life stressors with little social support to deal with them. They were using emotion‐focused coping more frequently than problem‐focused coping; the overwhelming majority of them were not satisfied with their coping skills, and using cocaine was one way for them to cope with life stressors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Predictors of Attrition from an Outpatient Chemical Dependency Program
Authors: White Joseph M. , Winn Krista I. , Young Wayne
Published: December 2009

This study investigated differences between completers and noncompleters of an intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program to identify key predictors of attrition. Participants (n= 138) completed a comprehensive intake/assessment package that included the Addiction Severity Index as a precursor to participation in the program. Discriminant function analyses (DFA) suggested that ASI composite scores and severity ratings were not useful predictors. However, analysis of individual items was useful in identifying “red flags”; as predictors for treatment attrition. The subsequent DFA identified the following variables as significant predictors: Hispanic ethnicity, absence of a professional skill, shorter time since last hospitalization, cocaine or cannabis use in the last 30 days, total number of family members with drug problems, presence of emotional abuse in last 30 days, concern with family problems, and number of family group meetings that family members attended. These red flags can serve the important function of providing clinicians with enough information to intervene early with patients at risk for treatment dropout.
Change in Alcohol Effect and Self‐Efficacy Expectancies during Addiction Treatment
Authors: Brown Sandra A. , Carrello Patrice D. , Vik Peter W. , Porter Robert J.
Published: December 2009

Alcohol effect expectancies and situational self‐efficacy are important factors in addiction relapse. The extent to which these cognitive factors change during alcohol treatment and the relations between change in these two domains may facilitate our understanding of the transition out of addictive lifestyles. To evaluate such change, 101 male and female participants in an abstinence focused inpatient alcohol and drug treatment program completed measures of alcohol effect expectancies (AEQ) and self‐efficacy (SCQ) during the first and fourth (final) week of inpatient treatment. Analyses confirmed our predictions that alcohol effect expectancies and self‐efficacy were inversely correlated at the beginning of treatment, and that both alcohol expectancies and self‐efficacy changed significantly during the four‐week treatment program. Larger decreases in alcohol effect expectancies were evident for individuals who entered treatment with less confidence in their ability to resist drinking compared to those with more confidence in potential drinking situations. Results suggest that both expectancies and self‐efficacy are useful factors to target in alcohol treatment.
Coping Strategies of Alcoholic Women
Authors: Michels Philip J. , Johnson N. Peter , Mallin Robert , Thornhill J. T. , Sharma Sunil , Gonzales Harold , Kellett Robert
Published: December 2009

Recent efforts have increased research on alcoholic women. Few studies have examined the coping mechanisms characteristic of alcoholic women relative to their nonalcoholic controls. Conforming to DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol dependence, 159 alcoholic women stratified by race (black and white) and age (20–29, 30–39, and 40–49 years) were compared to 150 nonalcoholic women from a variety of public and private inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities regarding the types of coping strategies used. Alcoholic women were significantly more likely to favor maladaptive styles of coping, while nonalcoholic women employed significantly more problem‐solving and emotion‐based coping strategies. Neither race nor age differences significantly influenced the types of coping utilized by these women. The profile of coping strategies utilized by the alcoholic group is consistent with a poor quality of life and compounding of problems.
Test‐Retest Reliability of the Computerized CIDI (CIDI‐Auto): Substance Abuse Modules
Authors: Rubio‐Stipec Maritza , Peters Lorna , Andrews Gavin
Published: December 2009

This paper discusses the reliability of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse modules of the CIDI‐Auto in two countries, Australia and Puerto Rico, and two languages, English and Spanish. CIDI‐Auto is a computer‐assisted version of the CIDI. Reliability estimates for DSM/ICD are presented at the diagnostic and symptom level. In total, 286 subjects, ages 17–60 years, who had at least 12 drinks of alcohol in their lifetime participated in the study. A dequate to good test‐retest reliability estimates were obtained, with no major differences by nosology, site, substance, or time. Harmful use/ abuse showed lower kappas than dependence. Reliability estimates for dependence ranged from 0.70 to 0.95. For harmful use, k's ranged from 0.45 to 0.66. The findings are encouraging; CIDI‐Auto produces reliable classification across two settings and in two languages with an instrument that has good coverage of different manifestations of the illness.
The sunrise of the Third Republic? The evolution of the Italian party-system after the 2008 general election and the prospects for constitutional reform
Authors: Massetti Emanuele
Published: December 2009

The results of the 2008 Italian general election were welcomed by many as the ‘sunrise of the Third Republic’, heralding a new political system which would emerge from a comprehensive constitutional reform agreed between the main parties of government and opposition. The party system now looks significantly different from that (or those) of the ‘Second Republic’. In particular, the disappearance of the radical left from Parliament and a clear reduction in the number of parties are the main factors underpinning optimistic predictions about a possible compromise on constitutional reform. Drawing on Sartori's classic work as well as on more recent conceptualisations of party systems, this article analyses the evolution of the Italian party system over the medium and long term. It is cautious, if not pessimistic, about the prospects for reform. High levels of polarisation, stemming from different conceptions of democracy maintained by the two main parties, can be expected to hinder bipartisan reform. In particular, the figure of Berlusconi appears to represent both the cornerstone of the ‘reconstructed’ party system and the main obstacle to a widely agreed re-drafting of the Constitution.
Alcide De Gasperi and Trentino
Authors: Tonezzer Elena
Published: December 2009

This article reviews one of the many leitmotifs that have linked Alcide De Gasperi to Trentino. It will focus attention on De Gasperi's experience as the Catholic representative of a national minority within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In that period, he was challenged on a daily basis by the difficulties of the relationship between the minority and the majority and the nation-state, and the importance of enforcing the laws that could guarantee the very existence of minorities. The same themes also recurred after the annexation of the Trentino region to the Kingdom of Italy, when De Gasperi continued to defend local institutions and associations against the centralist homogenisation imposed by the Rome government. In the phase of Liberation and the birth of the Republic, De Gasperi took on a leading political position, at both the Italian and European levels. In managing the border with Austria and resolving the Trentino Alto Adige/South Tyrol question, there are echoes of a Hapsburg approach to the region–State relationship, where minorities could coexist within the same State framework provided they subscribed to a pact of collaboration and trust under the constitution.
Degenerate Sobolev spaces and regularity of subelliptic equations
Authors: Sawyer Eric , Wheeden Richard
Published: December 2009

We develop a notion of degenerate Sobolev spaces naturally associated with nonnegative quadratic forms that arise from a large class of linear subelliptic equations with rough coefficients. These Sobolev spaces allow us to make the widest possible definition of a weak solution that leads to local Hölder continuity of solutions, extending our results in an earlier work, where we studied regularity of classical weak solutions. In cases when the quadratic forms arise from collections of rough vector fields, we study containment relations between the degenerate Sobolev spaces and the corresponding spaces defined in terms of weak derivatives relative to the vector fields.
Orbit decidability and the conjugacy problem for some extensions of groups
Authors: Bogopolski O. , Martino A. , Ventura E.
Published: December 2009

Given a short exact sequence of groups with certain conditions,

1
→
F
→
G
→
H
→
1

1\rightarrow F\rightarrow G\rightarrow H\rightarrow 1

, we prove that

G
G

has solvable conjugacy problem if and only if the corresponding action subgroup

A
⩽
A
u
t
(
F
)

A\leqslant Aut(F)

is orbit decidable. From this, we deduce that the conjugacy problem is solvable, among others, for all groups of the form

Z

2

⋊

F
m

\mathbb {Z}^2\rtimes F_m

,

F
2

⋊

F
m

F_2\rtimes F_m

,

F
n

⋊

Z

F_n \rtimes \mathbb {Z}

, and

Z

n

⋊
A

F
m

\mathbb {Z}^n \rtimes _A F_m

with virtually solvable action group

A
⩽
G

L
n

(

Z

)

A\leqslant GL_n(\mathbb {Z})

. Also, we give an easy way of constructing groups of the form

Z

4

⋊

F
n

\mathbb {Z}^4\rtimes F_n

and

F
3

⋊

F
n

F_3\rtimes F_n

with unsolvable conjugacy problem. On the way, we solve the twisted conjugacy problem for virtually surface and virtually polycyclic groups, and we give an example of a group with solvable conjugacy problem but unsolvable twisted conjugacy problem. As an application, an alternative solution to the conjugacy problem in

A
u
t
(

F
2

)

Aut(F_2)

is given.
Fundamental groups of Galois closures of generic projections
Authors: Liedtke Christian
Published: December 2009

For the Galois closure

X

gal

X_{\textrm {gal}}

of a generic projection from a surface

X
X

, it is believed that

π
1

(

X

gal

)

\pi _1(X_{\textrm {gal}})

gives rise to new invariants of

X
X

. However, in all examples this group is surprisingly simple. In this article, we offer an explanation for this phenomenon: We compute a quotient of

π
1

(

X

gal

)

\pi _1(X_{\textrm {gal}})

that depends on

π
1

(
X
)

\pi _1(X)

and data from the generic projection only. In all known examples, this quotient is in fact isomorphic to

π
1

(

X

gal

)

\pi _1(X_{\textrm {gal}})

. As a byproduct, we simplify the computations of Moishezon, Teicher and others.
The Li-Yau-Hamilton inequality for Yamabe flow on a closed CR 3-manifold
Authors: Chang Shu-Cheng , Chiu Hung-Lin , Wu Chin-Tung
Published: December 2009

We deform the contact form by the (normalized) CR Yamabe flow on a closed spherical CR

3
3

-manifold. We show that if a contact form evolves with positive Tanaka-Webster curvature and vanishing torsion from initial data, then we obtain a new Li-Yau-Hamilton inequality for the CR Yamabe flow. By combining this parabolic subgradient estimate with a compactness theorem of a sequence of contact forms, it follows that the CR Yamabe flow exists for all time and converges smoothly to, up to the CR automorphism, a unique limit contact form of positive constant Webster scalar curvature on a closed CR

3
3

-manifold, which is CR equivalent to the standard CR

3
3

-sphere with positive Tanaka-Webster curvature and vanishing torsion.
Christoffel functions on curves and domains
Authors: Totik Vilmos
Published: December 2009

Asymptotics for Christoffel functions are established for measures supported on unions of smooth Jordan curves and for area-like measures on unions of smooth Jordan domains. For example, in the former casenntimes thenn-th Christoffel function tends to the Radon-Nikodym derivative of the measure with respect to the equilibrium distribution of the support of the measure.
Insulin‐Mimetic Action of Rhoifolin and Cosmosiin Isolated from Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck Leaves: Enhanced Adiponectin Secretion and Insulin Receptor Phosphorylation in 3T3‐L1 Cells
Authors: Rao Yerra Koteswara , Lee Meng-Jen , Chen Keru , Lee Yi-Ching , Wu Wen-Shi , Tzeng Yew-Min
Published: December 2009

Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (red wendun) leaves have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat several illnesses including diabetes. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting these actions and its active compounds. Two flavone glycosides, rhoifolin and cosmosiin were isolated for the first time from red wendun leaves and, identified these leaves are rich source for rhoifolin (1.1%, w/w). In differentiated 3T3‐L1 adipocytes, rhoifolin and cosmosiin showed dose‐dependent response in concentration range of 0.001–5 μM and 1–20 μM, respectively, in biological studies beneficial to diabetes. Particularly, rhoifolin and cosmosiin at 0.5 and 20 μM, respectively showed nearly similar response to that 10 nM of insulin, on adiponectin secretion level. Furthermore, 5 μM of rhoifolin and 20 μM of cosmosiin showed equal potential with 10 nM of insulin to increase the phosphorylation of insulin receptor‐β, in addition to their positive effect on GLUT4 translocation. These findings indicate that rhoifolin and cosmosiin from red wendun leaves may be beneficial for diabetic complications through their enhanced adiponectin secretion, tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor‐β and GLUT4 translocation.
Hesperides, or the Muses' Garden and its Manuscript History
Authors: Tianhu Hao
Published: December 2009

This article provides an analysis of Hesperides, or the Muses’ Garden, a seventeenth-century manuscript commonplace book, beginning with an account scholarly claims regarding the different manuscripts. By comparing the different versions, as well as material evidence, much can be established about the production and dating of these texts. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of Humphrey Moseley, who had initially entered Hesperides in the Stationers’ Register. Transcriptions of the respective catalogues as they appear in the two Folger manuscripts are provided in the appendices.
Cain and Abel reloaded? Kin recognition and male–male aggression in three‐spined sticklebacksGasterosteus aculeatusL.
Authors: Mehlis M. , Bakker T. C. M. , Langen K. , Frommen J. G.
Published: December 2009

The influence of relatedness on male–male aggression was tested in three‐spined sticklebacksGasterosteus aculeatus. The intensity of aggression against brothers and non‐kin males did not differ significantly, indicating that kin recognition plays at most a minor role in aggressive interactions between maleG. aculeatus.
Mutational analysis of interaction between coat protein and helper component‐proteinase ofSoybean mosaic virusinvolved in aphid transmission
Authors: SEO JANG‐KYUN , KANG SUNG‐HWAN , SEO BO YOON , JUNG JIN KYO , KIM KOOK‐HYUNG
Published: December 2009

Soybean mosaic virus(SMV), a member of the genusPotyvirus, is transmitted by aphids in a non‐persistent manner. It has been well documented that the helper component‐proteinase (HC‐Pro) plays a role as a ‘bridge’ between virion particles and aphid stylets in the aphid transmission of potyviruses. Several motifs, including the KITC and PTK motifs on HC‐Pro and the DAG motif on the coat protein (CP), have been found to be involved in aphid transmission. Previously, we have shown strong interaction between SMV CP and HC‐Pro in a yeast two‐hybrid system (YTHS). In this report, we further analysed this CP–HC‐Pro interaction based on YTHS and anin vivobinding assay to identify crucial amino acid residues for this interaction. Through this genetic approach, we identified two additional amino acid residues (H256 on CP and R455 on HC‐Pro), as well as G12 on the DAG motif, crucial for the CP–HC‐Pro interaction. We introduced mutations into the identified residues using an SMV infectious clone and showed that these mutations affected the efficiency of aphid transmission of SMV. We also investigated the involvement of the PTK and DAG motifs in the CP–HC‐Pro interaction and aphid transmission of SMV. Our results support the concept that physical interaction between CP and HC‐Pro is important for potyviral aphid transmission. Based on the combination of our current results with previous findings, the possibility that aphid transmission may be regulated by more complex molecular interactions than the simple involvement of HC‐Pro as a bridge is discussed.
Microbial mechanism for rice variety control on methane emission from rice field soil
Authors: MA KE , QIU QIONGFEN , LU YAHAI
Published: December 2009

Rice variety is one of the key factors regulating methane (CH4) production and emission from the paddy fields. However, the relationships between rice varieties and populations of microorganisms involved in CH4dynamics are poorly understood. Here we investigated CH4dynamics and the composition and abundance of CH4‐producing archaea and CH4‐oxidizing bacteria in a Chinese rice field soil planted with three types of rice. Hybrid rice produced 50–60% more of shoot biomass thanIndica and Japonicacultivars. However, the emission rate of CH4was similar to Japonica and lower than Indica. Furthermore, the dissolved CH4concentration in the rhizosphere of hybrid rice was markedly lower than Indica and Japonica cultivars. The rhizosphere soil of hybrid rice showed a similar CH4production potential but a higher CH4oxidation potential compared with the conventional varieties. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the archaeal 16S rRNA genes showed that the hydrogenotrophic methanogens dominated in the rhizosphere whereas acetoclastic methanogens mainly inhabited the bulk soil. The abundance of total archaea as determined by quantitative (real‐time) PCR increased in the later stage of rice growth. However, rice variety did not significantly influence the structure and abundance of methanogenic archaea. The analysis of pmoA gene fragments (encoding the α‐subunit of particulate methane monooxygenase) revealed that rice variety also did not influence the structure of methanotrophic proteobacteria, though variable effects of soil layer and sampling time were observed. However, the total copy number of pmoA genes in the rhizosphere of hybrid rice was approximately one order of magnitude greater than the two conventional cultivars. The results suggest that hybrid rice stimulates the growth of methanotrophs in the rice rhizosphere, and hence enhances CH4oxidation which attenuates CH4emissions from the paddy soil. Hybrid rice is becoming more and more popular in Asian countries. The present study demonstrated that planting of hybrid rice will not enhance CH4emissions albeit a higher grain production than the conventional varieties.
Effect of increased atmospheric CO2 on the performance of an aquatic detritivore through changes in water temperature and litter quality
Authors: FERREIRA VERÓNICA , GONÇALVES ANA LÚCIA , GODBOLD DOUGLAS L. , CANHOTO CRISTINA
Published: December 2009

Cold water woodland streams, where terrestrially derived organic matter fuels aquatic food webs, can be affected by increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, as these are predicted to lead to increases in water temperature and decreases in organic matter quality. In fact, elevated CO2 (580 ppm) decreased the initial phosphorus concentration of birch litter by 30% compared with litter grown under ambient conditions (380 ppm). Here, we first assessed the effect of differences in litter quality on mass loss, microbial colonization and conditioned litter quality after submersion in a mountain stream for 2 weeks. Leaching did not change the relative differences between litter types, while fungal biomass was two fold higher in elevated litter. We then offered this litter (conditioned ambient and elevated) to a stream detritivore that was kept at 10 and 15 °C to assess the individual and interactive effects of increased temperature and decreased litter quality on invertebrate performance. When given a choice, the detritivore preferred elevated litter, but only at 10 °C. When fed litter types singularly, there was no effect of litter quality on consumption rates; however, the effect of temperature depended on individual size and time of collection. Growth rates were higher in individuals fed ambient litter at 10 °C when compared with individuals fed elevated litter at 15 °C. Mortality did not differ between litter types, but was higher at 15 °C than at 10 °C. Increases in temperature led to alterations in the individual body elemental composition and interacted with litter type. The performance of the detritivore was therefore more affected by increases in temperature than by small decreases in litter quality. However, it seems conceivable that in a future global warming scenario the simultaneous increases in water temperature and decreases in litter quality might affect detritivores performance more than predicted from the effects of both factors considered individually.
Cost‐effectiveness analysis of different imaging strategies for diagnosis of haemophilic arthropathy
Authors: KHAN U. , BOGUE C. , UNGAR W. J. , HILLIARD P. , CARCAO M. , MOINEDDIN R. , DORIA A. S.
Published: December 2009

Summary. Physiotherapy and radiography of the joints are standard diagnostic strategies for assessment of haemophilic arthropathy. The use of ultrasonography as an adjunct tool for early diagnosis of haemophilic arthropathy may optimize factor replacement therapy. The objective of this study was to compare costs and effectiveness of physiotherapy, radiography and ultrasonography (intervention strategy, IS) with physiotherapy and radiography alone (standard care strategy, SCS) for diagnosing soft tissue and osteocartilaginous changes in haemophilic joints. We retrospectively compared costs and effectiveness of IS vs. SCS in knees, ankles and elbows of 31 children (age range, 4–17 years) with haemophilia A (n = 30) or B (n = 1) (IS,n = 11; SS,N = 20). Direct health care costs were measured from the provincial health care perspective. Effectiveness was measured by false‐negative (FN) rates in each study arm by comparing presence or absence of abnormalities of physiotherapy and imaging exams to the reference standard measure (MRI). In scenario 1, all diagnostic tests matched with MRI. In scenario 2, at least one diagnostic test matched with MRI. The IS was more costly [incremental cost/100 patients, Canadian (CND) $4987] and more effective (incremental effectiveness, FNs/100 patients for scenario 1, –4.09, and for scenario 2, –41) for both scenarios. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios for scenario 1 and for scenario 2 were CND$1166 and CDN$116 per FN result averted per 100 patients, respectively. In conclusion, in the short‐term, the incorporation of ultrasonography in a test set for diagnosis of haemophilic arthropathy substantially improved the diagnostic performance of this test set, however at an increased cost.
Assessing the benefits of FEIBA prophylaxis in haemophilia patients with inhibitors
Authors: VALENTINO L. A.
Published: December 2009

Summary.  Prophylaxis with concentrates of factor VIII has become the standard of care for patients with severe haemophilia A because of its ability to prevent joint and other bleeding events. Recent evidence suggests that the prophylactic use of bypassing therapy – activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC) and recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) – provides similar benefits to haemophilia patients with inhibitors. To assess the efficacy and safety of prophylaxis with the aPCC FEIBA, a meta‐analysis was conducted of six studies and a total of 34 inhibitor patients. The mean prophylactic dose was 78.5 U kg−1, typically infused three to four times weekly. A total of 31 of 33 patients (94%) for whom bleeding data were available prior to prophylaxis experienced a decrease in the rate of haemorrhage, albeit minor in some patients, and, regardless of the type of haemorrhage measured, had on average a 63.9% reduction in bleeding episodes during FEIBA prophylaxis. In the three studies that specifically assessed all joint bleeding, the 18 patients evaluated experienced an average reduction in annual joint bleeding of 74% while on prophylactic regimens. Among the four patients in this group who received concurrent immune tolerance induction and the 14 patients treated with prophylaxis only, annual joint bleeding decreased by an average of 79% and 78%, respectively. Anamnesis following FEIBA exposure was observed in some patients but had no impact on prophylactic efficacy. No thrombotic or other complications were reported. These results suggest that the prophylactic administration of FEIBA can be an effective and safe method for reducing bleeding events in patients with haemophilia A and inhibitors.