bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moisture sorption characteristics of mango–soy‐fortified yogurt powder
Authors: KUMAR PRADYUMAN , MISHRA HARI NIWAS
Published: January 2006

Moisture adsorption isotherms of plain yogurt, mango–soy‐fortified yogurt (MSFY) and MSFY containing 0.4% gelatin stabilizer (MSFYG) powder were determined at 20, 30, 40 and 50°C. A gravimetric static method was used under 0.11–0.81 water activity ranges for the determination of sorption isotherms that were found to be typical type II sigmoid. Experimental data were fitted to five mathematical models viz. modified Henderson, modified Chung–Pfost, Oswin, Smith and Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB). It was found that both Oswin and GAB models were acceptable in describing equilibrium moisture content–equilibrium relative humidity (EMC–ERH) relationships for yogurt powder samples over the entire range of temperatures.
Preliminary investigation of the combined effect of heat treatment and incubation temperature on the viability of the probiotic micro‐organisms in freshly made yogurt
Authors: MORTAZAVIAN A M , EHSANI M R , MOUSAVI S M , REINHEIMER J A , EMAMDJOMEH Z , SOHRABVANDI S , REZAEI K
Published: January 2006

The combined effects of heat treatment and incubation temperature were studied on the viability and fermentation time of probiotics in ABY 1 probiotic yogurt (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium spp. and yogurt bacteria). Three levels of heat treatment (85°C for 30 min, 95°C for 5 min and 95°C for 15 min) and three levels of incubation temperature (37, 40 and 44°C) were selected. At the end of fermentation, the maximum viability of probiotics (for both L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp.) was observed when the milk was heated at 95°C for 15 min and incubated at 37°C. Incubation time was only affected by the incubation temperature and, at 37°C, the longest incubation time of about 6 h was needed to achieve the highest viable counts of L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp.
The quality of plain and supplemented kefir from goat's and cow's milk
Authors: TRATNIK LJUBICA , BOŽANIĆ RAJKA , HERCEG ZORAN , DRGALIĆ IDA
Published: January 2006

Goat's or cow's milk was fortified with 2 g/100 g skimmed milk powder (SMP), whey protein concentrate (WPC) or inulin. All the milks were fermented with kefir grains at 25°C for 19 h and stored for 10 days at 5°C. All the kefir samples were analysed on the 1st, 5th and 10th day of storage. The acidity level remained very stable in all the samples during the storage period. Goat's samples have significantly lower viscosity and slightly lower sensory profiles, mostly due to softer consistency. Concentration of ethanol was low, regardless of milk type used, especially for control samples.
How to repair an anal sphincter injury after vaginal delivery: results of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Williams Abimbola , Adams Elisabeth J , Tincello Douglas G , Alfirevic Zarko , Walkinshaw Stephen A , Richmond David H
Published: January 2006

Objective  To compare two surgical techniques and two types of suture material for anal sphincter repair after childbirth‐related injury.

Design  Factorial randomised controlled trial.

Setting  Tertiary referral maternity unit.

Population  Women with an anal sphincter injury sustained during childbirth.

Method  Women were randomised into four groups: overlap repair with polyglactin (Vicryl); end‐to‐end repair with polyglactin (Vicryl); overlap repair with polydioxanone (PDS); and end‐to‐end repair with PDS. All repairs were completed as a primary procedure by staff trained in both methods.

Main outcome measures  Suture‐related morbidity at six weeks. Bowel symptoms at 3, 6 and 12 months. Anorectal physiology at three months. Quality of life scores at 3 and 12 months.

Results  One hundred and fifty women (1.5% of deliveries) were eligible and 112 (75%) were randomised. One hundred and three (92%) attended follow up visit at 6 weeks, 89 (80%) at 3 months, 79 (71%) at 6 months and 60 (54%) at 12 months. At six weeks, there was no difference in suture‐related morbidity between groups (P= 0.11) and 70% patients were completely asymptomatic. Incidence of bowel symptoms and quality of life disturbances were low, with no differences between the four groups.

Conclusion  Obstetric anal sphincter repair carried out by appropriately trained staff is associated with low morbidity, irrespective of the suture material and repair method used.
Post‐juvenile dispersal of Hazel GrouseBonasa bonasiain an expanding population of the southeastern French Alps
Authors: MONTADERT MARC , LÉONARD PATRICK
Published: January 2006

We studied the post‐juvenile dispersal of 18 radiotagged juvenile Hazel GrouseBonasa bonasia(14 males, four females) in an expanding population in the southeastern French Alps between 1998 and 2001. The mean dispersal distances between the capture sites of juveniles in September–October and the centre of the home range in the following spring was 4 km for males (range 0.1–24.9 km) and 2 km for females (range 0.2–5.6 km). The distances recorded for two long‐dispersing males (15 and 24.9 km) are greater than those reported to date for Hazel Grouse. Using our radiotracking data, we interpret the pattern of range expansion that has been occurring since the 1950s around our study area. Barriers to dispersal included rocky ground and other alpine habitats above 2000 m and over 1 km wide, but Hazel Grouse did cross open agricultural land at lower elevation. Two patterns of dispersal movements were recognized in juveniles: erratic movements that led to settlement on or near the natal site, and direct movements to a new range relatively far from the natal area. We discuss the adaptive consequences of these different behaviour patterns.
Mobbing behaviour: reciprocity‐based co‐operation in breeding Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca
Authors: KRAMS INDRIKIS , KRAMA TATJANA , IGAUNE KRISTINE
Published: January 2006

Recent non‐experimental evidence suggests that reciprocal altruism may be more common in nature than was previously thought. Here we present experimental evidence for mobbing behaviour as reciprocal altruism in breeding Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca, a small migratory passerine. Pied Flycatchers attended mobs initiated by their co‐operating neighbours. However, they did not join in mobbing initiated by their conspecific neighbours when not assisted in the test an hour before. The results suggest that birds followed a ‘tit‐for‐tat‐like’ strategy and that responses of neighbouring Flycatchers may be related to reciprocal altruism.
Effects of egg size, parental quality and hatch‐date on growth and survival of Common Tern Sterna hirundo chicks
Authors: ARNOLD JENNIFER M. , HATCH JEREMY J. , NISBET IAN C. T.
Published: January 2006

We examined the relative contributions of egg size, parental quality and hatch‐date to growth and survival of second‐hatched chicks (those chicks making the greatest contribution to differences in productivity among pairs) by exchanging clutches among nests of Common Terns Sterna hirundo matched for lay‐date (range 13 May to 9 June). The mass of a second‐laid egg in an exchanged clutch ranged from 17.70 to 23.80 g. Growth and survival were studied during three periods: early (days 0–3), middle (days 3–12) and late (days 12–25). Both egg mass and hatch‐date were important predictors of hatchling mass (positive relationships), although there was no seasonal trend in egg mass. During the middle period, hatch‐date was a significant predictor of mass gain and survival (inverse relationships). After controlling for hatch‐date, other indices of parental quality made only small contributions to chick mass gain and survival. Our results suggest that although breeding early generally leads to greater overall survival of chicks, several important interactions among egg ‘quality’, parental quality and early laying may affect breeding success under specific conditions.
Landscape and anti‐predation determinants of nest‐site selection, nest distribution and productivity in a Mediterranean population of Long‐eared Owls Asio otus
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ ALEJANDRO , GARCÍA ANA M. , CERVERA FRANCISCO , PALACIOS VICENTE
Published: January 2006

Nest predation is an important determinant of owl breeding success. We studied Long‐eared Owl Asio otus productivity and attributes of nest‐sites at the microhabitat and landscape scales in a Mediterranean locality over an 8‐year period. We examined the effect on nest location and productivity of protective cover in concealing the nest from aerial and terrestrial predators. A dense cover of ivy and tree‐foliage at canopy level favoured nest location but not productivity. By contrast, high shrub cover beneath the nest was selected by Owls and was positively related to both the site reoccupancy rate and the overall number of young fledged. Pre‐fledging Owls use the ground, where they are exposed to terrestrial predators, which are much more abundant in the study area than are aerial predators. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that Owls adapt nest‐site choice to local sources of predation risk. As reported elsewhere, Long‐eared Owls in our study area showed restricted territoriality and nested in clusters. As active nest‐sites during the same breeding season were more than 1 km apart on average, and their productivity was never greater for clustered nests than for more isolated nests, nest aggregation could not be interpreted as a case of facultative colonial breeding, which has been reported for this species in other areas. Neither landscape variables indicative of the availability of foraging areas nor structural attributes that protect young from predators explained the remarkable scarcity of nests in half of the study area. Unmeasured factors such as human disturbance could explain the pattern of distribution of Long‐eared Owl nests.
Testing habitat copying in breeding habitat selection in a species adapted to variable environments
Authors: PAREJO DESEADA , ORO DANIEL , DANCHIN ETIENNE
Published: January 2006

The habitat copying hypothesis states that animals use the reproductive performance of conspecifics to evaluate habitat quality and choose their future breeding site. We used data from Audouin's GullLarus audouinii(1992–2003), a species adapted to unpredictable environments, to analyse subcolony (as patch) choice within a colony (small spatial scale). We also assessed the suitability of alternative hypotheses to the habitat copying hypothesis. The probability of subcolonies being reoccupied annually increased with their size (as number of nests), which suggests the existence of group adherence effects. Subcolony growth rate was related to its average reproductive success (or patch reproductive success) in the previous year: the higher the reproductive success in a colony, the higher the probability of growth the following year. However, this last result was obtained without considering the effect of colony size on the response variable because colony size is related to it. Therefore, results suggest at the population level that in this system habitat copying might either be one of the strategies used by the species in selecting its breeding habitat, or one of the possible strategies operating alone. The other strategies are group adherence mechanisms, and also the effect of conspecific attraction. At the individual level we failed to find evidence of habitat copying and only the previous success of an individual affected its fidelity to a subcolony. The importance of the lack of environmental predictability in the system is discussed, as predictability is a prerequisite of habitat copying.
Regional and temporal variations in prey selected by Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos during the nestling period in Japan
Authors: TAKEUCHI TORU , SHIRAKI SAIKO , NASHIMOTO MAKOTO , MATSUKI RIKYU , ABE SEIYA , YATAKE HITOHO
Published: January 2006

We examined regional and temporal variations in prey selection by Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos during the nestling period in Japan. We made direct video recordings of a pair of Golden Eagles in Akita prefecture as they delivered prey to the nest for two consecutive nestling periods. We also assembled data from previous studies in Japan, eventually obtaining 14 data sets with which we compared prey composition during nestling periods. Among them, four sets of data were recorded daily by video and used to investigate the temporal change in prey selection and the amount delivered to the nest. The prey item composition varied considerably among the data sets. Japanese Hares Lepus brachyurus were predominantly selected in three data sets, reflecting the lowest dietary breadths that were determined by prey composition. Data sets with higher dietary breadths consisted mainly of Japanese Hares, snakes and Copper Pheasants Syrmaticus soemmerringii. Temporal change in prey selection during nestling periods showed marked variation, but similarities were found in later deliveries of snakes and in total prey weights (83.7–89.9 kg) delivered to successfully fledged broods. Taken together, our results suggest that during nestling periods Golden Eagles in Japan specialized on Japanese Hare. Diet breadth increased through feeding predominantly on snakes, a temporarily available prey, to satisfy the breeding dietary requirement. Regionally varied temporal prey selection may be a key factor for sustaining Eagle populations in the forested mountain habitats of Japan, where prey and habitat conditions change dramatically during the breeding season.
Why do goose parents adopt unrelated goslings? A review of hypotheses and empirical evidence, and new research questions
Authors: KALMBACH ELLEN
Published: January 2006

Adoption of unrelated offspring by successful breeders is one form of brood mixing and alloparental care that is widespread among geese and other waterfowl. Biparental care and long‐lasting family bonds in geese are likely to affect the costs and benefits of adoption. Most hypotheses that have been proposed to explain this behaviour assume that the separation of the gosling from its original family is accidental, and that adoption forms the ‘best of a bad job’ solution. For the gosling, adoption is therefore thought to be the only, and thus adaptive, option. For parents, some hypotheses assume that there are costs of adoption (intergeneration conflict), while others assume that there are benefits (mutually beneficial). The few studies of adoption in wild goose populations indicate cost‐neutrality or that there are small benefits to parents of adopting young. This agrees with studies of brood size, which suggest that large families provide benefits for goslings and parents alike. By contrast, most observed adoption attempts involve parental aggression against the lone gosling. However, incidental observations are likely to be biased towards adoptions that involve conspicuous behaviour, such as aggression, and might overlook inconspicuous adoptions. Studies of individually marked goslings are needed to identify the background of the adoption goslings in order to identify whether in geese, as in some larids and altricial species, adoption might be an active strategy of offspring to improve their fitness prospects. In addition, more experimental studies are needed to test predictions about the costs and benefits of large families in geese.
FOSSIL OONOPID SPIDERS IN CRETACEOUS AMBERS FROM CANADA AND MYANMAR
Authors: PENNEY DAVID
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  The spider family Oonopidae is described from Cretaceous ambers from Myanmar and Canada for the first time. Orchestina albertenis sp. nov. is the first spider to be described from Canadian Grassy Lake amber and only the second spider to be described from Canadian amber. The specimen in amber from Myanmar extends the known range of the extant genus Orchestina back another 10 million years from the previously oldest specimen in Turonian New Jersey amber. Despite being unknown as sedimentary fossils, Oonopidae occur in more fossil deposits than any other spider family and were already widespread by the Cretaceous. The family contains the oldest example of an extant spider genus along with Archaeidae, also from Burmese amber.
A NEW TITANOSAUR FROM WESTERN SÃO PAULO STATE, UPPER CRETACEOUS BAURU GROUP, SOUTH‐EAST BRAZIL
Authors: SANTUCCI RODRIGO MILONI , BERTINI REINALDO J.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  Material from a new titanosaur from the Bauru Basin (Bauru Group), Brazil is described and compared with well‐known titanosaurs. Adamantisaurus mezzalirai gen. et sp. nov. is based on six articulated anterior caudal vertebrae and two haemapophyses collected from the Adamantina Formation, which is considered to be Campanian–Maastrichtian? in age. Adamantisaurus mezzalirai is characterized by the following combination of characteristics: anterior caudal vertebrae with straight or slightly backwardly‐projecting neural spines with strongly expanded distal ends, stout prespinal lamina, very wide pre‐ and postzygapophyseal articular facets, and concave postzygapophyseal articular facets on anterior caudal vertebrae. Although our cladistic analysis has produced equivocal results, Adamantisaurus mezzalirai shares with DGM ‘Series B’ (Peirópolis titanosaur) and Aeolosaurus the presence of postzygapophyses with concave articular facets, and shares with DGM ‘Series B’ the presence of laterally expanded neural spines and stout prespinal lamina. Additionally, A. mezzalirai shares with DGM ‘Series’ C (other titanosaur from Peirópolis) the presence of short neural spines.
THE CARBONIFEROUS FISH GENERA STREPSODUS AND ARCHICHTHYS (SARCOPTERYGII: RHIZODONTIDA): CLARIFYING 150 YEARS OF CONFUSION
Authors: JEFFERY JONATHAN E.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  The Carboniferous genus Strepsodus contains several described species, but has been mired in taxonomic confusion for nearly 150 years. The little‐known genus Archichthys (with two described species) is usually treated as a junior synonym of Strepsodus. These problems have been caused by, among other things, the poor quality of most specimens, and a heavy reliance on tooth and scale morphology when erecting new species. Both genera are known from Upper and Lower Carboniferous river and lake deposits in the UK, particularly coal shales, cementstones and freshwater limestones. However, Strepsodus has also been discovered at a number of North American localities (e.g. Greer in Iowa, USA, and Horton Bluff in Nova Scotia, Canada) and more recently in Australia (Ducabrook, Queensland). Rhizodontid remains from two Upper Devonian sites (one in Colombia, one in Turkey) have been attributed to Strepsodus, due to a misunderstanding of the defining characteristics (autapomorphies) of the genus. This paper reviews what is known of Strepsodus and Archichthys, and advocates that each be treated as a monospecific genus until reliable morphological evidence of further speciation is found. A neotype specimen for Strepsodus sauroides is proposed, and a check‐list of published rhizodontid species is appended.
CAMPANIAN CRUSTACEAN BURROW SYSTEM FROM ISRAEL WITH BROOD AND NURSERY CHAMBERS REPRESENTING COMMUNAL ORGANIZATION
Authors: LEWY Z. , GOLDRING R.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  Phosphorite‐filled crustacean burrows associated with a Campanian‐age omission surface in the north‐western Negev are described. The phosphatic burrow casts weather out displaying scratches (bioglyphs) and two types of local swellings (chambers), which are flattened normal to the course of the burrow. The more abundant chamber type is a flattened spheroid (diameter 45–50 mm) or a flattened, highly prolate ellipsoid of larger dimensions, with bioglyphs. The other type is a flattened spheroid (diameter 45 mm), gently rounded on the upper side and flat on the base. Rings of elevations on the cast (representing moats) form interconnected circlets, each capped by about eight rounded hemispherical tubercles (4 × 4 mm) (pits on original), the whole forming a discrete network. The first type of chamber may have hosted the young (nursery chamber) and/or stored food. The second type of cast replicates a chamber with a pitted floor, which may have formed a brood chamber for 60–70 spherical eggs, each about 3 mm in diameter. Brood chambers in crustacean burrow systems were previously suspected, but only at burrow terminations. The interpreted K‐type breeding strategy, brood care and associated functions require a high degree of social organization, none of which has been observed in extant crustaceans, but all occur within social insects.
Explaining individual‐level support for privatization in European post‐Soviet economies
Authors: KALTENTHALER KARL C. , CECCOLI TEPHEN J. , MICHTA ANDREW
Published: January 2006

Abstract. This article explores the sources of individual‐level variation in support economic privatization in seven European post‐Soviet countries. It tests economic utilitarian and psychological explanations of variations in support for economic privatization. The economic utilitarian explanation posits that individuals seek to maximize their potential material gains from economic liberalization. The psychological explanation posits that if individuals are generally risk averse, they are not likely to support economic privatization. These hypotheses are then tested using two separate regression models. The first model estimates pooled data from across all seven European post‐Soviet economies. The second model is a pooled analysis that interacts country‐specific dummy variables with each of the independent variables in order to examine the country‐specific effects of the responses. The results show that the economic utilitarian and psychological explanations are both strong predictors of why some support and others oppose privatization in the seven European post‐Soviet countries.
Duverger's Laws: Between social and institutional determinism
Authors: DA SILVA VIRGÍLIO AFONSO
Published: January 2006

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to relocate Duverger's Laws within the debate about the effects of electoral systems on the number of parties. Although Duverger's theory has always been seen as the best example of a purely institutionalist approach to the issue, it is possible to argue that this is only true if one overemphasises the meaning of the laws without considering Duverger's justification and explanations for them. However, if one takes into consideration not only the laws, but also Duverger's theories about the effects of electoral systems on the number of parties as a whole, one can argue that his theses do not have a purely institutionalist character and can therefore coexist with theories that try to take into account variables other than electoral rules.
Why do so many people vote ‘unnaturally’? A cultural explanation for voting behaviour
Authors: ACHTERBERG PETER , HOUTMAN DICK
Published: January 2006

Abstract.The traditional class approach to politics maintains that the working class ‘naturally’ votes for left‐wing parties because they represent its economic interests. Such traditional voting patterns have, however, become less typical, giving rise to the ‘Death of Class Debate’ in political sociology. Against this background, using data collected in the Netherlands in 1997, this article examines why so many people, working and middle class alike, vote for parties that do not represent their ‘real class interests’. Critically elaborating Lipset's work on working‐class authoritarianism and Inglehart's on postmaterialism, the article confirms that ‘natural’ voting complies with the logic of class analysis. ‘Unnatural’ voting, however, is not driven by economic cues and class. Right‐wing working‐class voting behaviour is caused by cultural conservatism that stems from limited cultural capital. The pattern of voting for the two small leftist parties in Dutch politics underscores the significance of this cultural explanation: those with limited cultural capital and culturally conservative values vote for the Socialist Party (‘Old Left’) rather than the Greens (‘New Left’). Breaking the traditional monopoly of the one‐sided class approach and using a more eclectic and open theoretical approach enables political sociologists once again to appreciate the explanatory power of the class perspective.
Bowling the state back in: Political institutions and the creation of social capital
Authors: FREITAG MARKUS
Published: January 2006

Abstract. While some studies have revealed that social capital is shaped within civil society, the role of political institutions in forming social capital has not yet been clearly shown. This article, therefore, tries to evaluate the politico‐institutional foundations of social capital measured in terms of associational life in Switzerland. The purpose is to apply Putnam's method of comparing subsystems to the Swiss cantons. The empirical analyses show that government structures are strongly associated with social capital. More specifically, the availability of direct democracy promotes a lively associational life. In addition, consensus democracy and decentralized political structures contribute to social capital. In this vein, the access points of the politico‐institutional structure constitute a feasible ‘top‐down’ path to breaking out of the vicious circle of distrust, disengagement and weak democracy.
How Adults' Access to Outpatient Physician Services Relates to the Local Supply of Primary Care Physicians in the Rural Southeast
Authors: Pathman Donald E. , Ricketts Thomas C. , Konrad Thomas R.
Published: January 2006

Objective.To examine how access to outpatient medical care varies with local primary care physician densities across primary care service areas (PCSAs) in the rural Southeast, for adults as a whole and separately for the elderly and poor.

Data Sources.Access data from a 2002 to 2003 telephone survey of 4,311 adults living in 298 PCSAs within 150 rural counties in eight Southeastern states were linked geographically with physician practice location data from the American Medical and American Osteopathic Associations and population data from the U.S. Census.

Study Design.In a cross‐sectional study design, we used a series of logistic regression models to assess how 26 measures of various aspects of access to outpatient physician services varied for subjects arranged into five groups based on the population‐per‐physician ratios of the PCSAs where they lived.

Principal Findings.Among adults as a whole, more individuals reported traveling over 30 minutes for outpatient care in PCSAs with more than 3,500 people per physician than in PCSAs with fewer than 1,500 people per physician (39.1 versus 18.5 percent,p<.001) and more reported travel difficulties. Otherwise, PCSA density of primary care physicians was unrelated to reported barriers to care, unrelated to people's satisfaction with care, and unrelated to indicators of people's use of services. Use rates of six recommended preventive health services varied in no consistent direction with physician densities. Among the elderly, only the proportion traveling over 30 minutes for care was greater in areas with lowest physician densities. Among subjects covered under Medicaid or uninsured, lower local physician densities were associated with longer travel time, difficulties with travel and reaching one's physician by phone, and two areas of dissatisfaction with care.

Conclusions.For adults as a whole in the rural South and for the elderly there, low local primary care physician densities are associated with travel inconvenience but not convincingly with other aspects of access to outpatient care. Access for those insured under Medicaid and the uninsured, however, is in more ways sensitive to local physician densities.
Case‐Only Analysis of Treatment–Covariate Interactions in Clinical Trials
Authors: Vittinghoff E. , Bauer D. C.
Published: January 2006

Summary Differential effectiveness of treatments across subgroups defined by pretreatment variables are of increasing interest, particularly in the expanding research field of pharmacogenomics. When the pretreatment variable is difficult to obtain or expensive to measure, but can be assessed at the end of the study using stored samples, nested case–control and case–cohort methods can be used to reduce costs in large efficacy trials with rare outcomes. Case‐only methods are even more efficient, and reliable under a range of circumstances.
The Impact of Dydrogesterone Supplementation on Serum Cytokine Profile in Women with Threatened Abortion
Authors: Kalinka Jarosław , Radwan Michał
Published: January 2006

Problem  The role of increased Th1 cytokine expression in pregnancy failure has been questioned recently. The therapeutic value of progestogens in threatened abortion (TA) is still debated. The aim of this prospective study was to compare serum cytokine [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐12 and IL‐10] concentrations in women with TA to those in women with normal pregnancy and to evaluate the impact of dydrogesterone supplementation in the former group on cytokine concentration.

Methods of study  Twenty‐seven threatened aborters were treated for 10 days with dydrogesterone (30–40 mg/day). Sixteen healthy pregnant controls received no treatment. Serum cytokine concentrations were measured twice in both groups by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results  Mean serum concentrations of Th1‐ and Th2‐type cytokines in women with TA did not differ from those in women with normal pregnancy at first and second sampling. After dydrogesterone supplementation, mean TNF‐α/IL‐10 ratio changed from 1.08 to 1.75 while IL‐12/IL‐10 ratio remained almost the same (0.56–0.61) in the threatened aborters group and did not differ from those in healthy women.

Conclusions  The results of this study indicate that peripheral cytokine production in threatened aborters does not differ from that observed among healthy pregnant women. The protective effect of dydrogesterone supplementation in threatened aborters is manifested via restoring progesterone‐induced blocking factor concentration rather than controlling cytokine production.
Pregnancy Using Gonadotropins and Performing Intrauterine Insemination in a Woman with Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
Authors: Dragojević Svetlana , Pažin Vladimir , Rakić Snežana , Nikolić Branka , Jovanović Tanja
Published: January 2006

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is one of the causes of infertility. In women with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism both follicle‐stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are required to induce optimal follicular growth and steroidogenesis. We described a case of singleton pregnancy in a 38‐year‐old patient, presenting with primary hypogonadotropic amenorrhea and empty sella syndrome, treated with human menopausal gonadotropins and performing intrauterine insemination in first attempt. This therapy led to maturation of two follicles and one of them was fertilized. A singleton pregnancy ensued and a normal infant was delivered by cesarean section.
Preeclampsia: the Death of Goliath
Authors: Feinberg Bruce B.
Published: January 2006

In this review, a novel and unifying pathophysiologic mechanism of preeclampsia is presented whereby a minimal excess of placental immune complex production versus removal causes a proinflammatory autoamplification cascade of trophoblast apoptosis/necrosis and oxidative stress, culminating in clinical preeclampsia. This concept immediately leads to a plethora of new and robust therapeutic strategies.
Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Purple Acid Phosphatase Gene (MtPAP1) from Medicago truncatula Barrel Medic
Authors: Xiao Kai , Harrison Maria , Wang Zeng‐Yu
Published: January 2006

A novel purple acid phosphatase gene (MtPAP1) was isolated from the model legume Medicago truncatula Barrel Medic. The cDNA was 1 698 bp in length with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 398 bp capable of encoding an N‐terminal signal peptide of 23 amino acids. The transcripts of MtPAP1 were mainly detected in leaves under high‐phosphate conditions, whereas under low‐phosphate conditions the transcript level was reduced in leaves and increased in roots, with the strongest hybridization signal detected in roots. A chimeric gene construct fusing MtPAP1 and GFP was made in which the fusion was driven by the CaMV35S promoter. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants carrying the chimeric gene constructs showed that the fusion protein was mainly located at the apoplast based on confocal microscopic analysis, showing that MtPAP1 could be secreted to the outside of the cell directed by the signal peptide at the N‐terminal. The coding region of MtPAP1 without signal peptide was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pET‐30a (+) and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The acid phosphatase (APase) proteins extracted from bacterial culture were found largely based on sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. An enzyme activity assay demonstrated that the APase activity in the transformed bacteria was 3.16‐fold higher than that of control. The results imply that MtPAP1 functions to improve phosphorus acquisition in plants under conditions of phosphorus (P) stress.

(Managing editor: Li‐Hui Zhao)
Actomyosin is Involved in the Organization of the Microtubule Preprophase Band in Arabidopsis Suspension Cultured Cells
Authors: Li Chun‐Li , Chen Zhi‐Ling , Yuan Ming
Published: January 2006

The microtubule preprophase bands (PPBs) participate in the sequence of events to position cell plates in most plants. However, the mechanism of PPB formation remains to be clarified. In the present study, the organization of PPBs in Arabidopsis suspension cultured cells was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy combined with pharmacological treatments of reagents specific for the cytoskeleton elements. Double staining of F‐actin and microtubules (MTs) showed that actin filaments were arranged randomly and no colocalization with cortical MTs was observed in the interphase cells. However, cortical actin filaments showed colocalization with MTs during the formation of PPBs. A broad actin band formed with the broad MT band in the initiation of PPB and narrowed down together with the MT band to form the PPB. Nevertheless, broad MT bands were formed but failed to narrow down in cells treated with the F‐actin disruptor latrunculin A. In contrast, in the presence of the F‐actin stabilizer phalloidin, PPB formation did not exhibit any abnormality. Therefore, the integrity, but not the dynamics, of the actin cytoskeleton is necessary for the formation of normal PPBs. Treatment with 2, 3‐butanedine monoxime, a myosin inhibitor, also resulted in the formation of broad MT bands, indicating that actomyosin may be involved in the rearrangement of MTs to form the PPBs. Double staining of MTs and myosin revealed that myosin concentrated on the PPB region during PPB formation. It is suggested that the actin cytoskeleton at the PPB site may serve as a rack to transport cortical MTs by using myosin when the broad MT band narrows down to form the PPB.

(Managing editor: Li‐Hui Zhao)
Identification and Quantitative Analysis of Significantly Accumulated Proteins During the Arabidopsis Seedling De‐etiolation Process
Authors: Wang Bai‐Chen , Pan Ying‐Hong , Meng Da‐Zhe , Zhu Yu‐Xian
Published: January 2006

Proteomic analysis was performed on seedlings after different light treatments. A total of (1 350±31) protein spots was separated and visualized on each silver nitrate‐stained two‐dimensional gel using protein samples prepared from light‐grown or etiolated seedlings with or without 6–9 h light treatment. Twenty‐five protein spots (encoded by 19 genes) that were significantly accumulated upon light treatment were identified using the matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method. Functional proteomics indicated that these proteins involved mainly in chloroplast development, energy metabolism, cell cycle progression and membrane electron transport. For 18 of the protein‐coding genes we identified through an internet search, the transcript levels of 17 genes matched roughly with their protein content in etiolated and green seedlings, suggesting that these genes were regulated by light mainly at the transcriptional level. Despite a very significant increase in the amount of proteins upon light treatment, similar RNA levels were found in dark‐grown or green seedlings for the carbonic anhydrase gene At3g05100, indicating a possible post‐transcriptional regulatory mechanism. Elucidation of light‐induced protein accumulation will undoubtedly enhance our understanding of plant photomorphogenesis.

(Managing editor: Ya‐Qin Han)
EMG amplitude distribution changes over the upper trapezius muscle are similar in sustained and ramp contractions
Authors: Holtermann A. , Roeleveld K.
Published: January 2006

Aim:  To investigate whether global motor unit recruitment to compensate for muscle fatigue during sustained contraction and to regulate force increase during ramp contraction are controlled in similar manners in the upper trapezius muscle.

Methods:  Fourteen subjects performed a 10‐s ramp contraction from 0% to 90% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and a 3‐min sustained contraction at 25% MVC. Both contractions involved isometric shoulder elevation with a multi‐channel surface electromyographical grid placed on the skin above the muscle. To evaluate the global muscle activation pattern, the changes in spatial amplitude distribution of the sustained and the ramp contraction were examined and compared.

Results:  In both contraction types, the upper part of the trapezius muscle was spatially non‐uniform (inhomogeneous) activated. Throughout the sustained contraction, the amplitude distribution of the upper trapezius muscle became more similar to the amplitude distribution at higher force levels.

Conclusion:  These findings support the hypothesis that global motor unit recruitment to compensate for muscle fatigue during a sustained contraction, and to regulate force increase during a ramp contraction is controlled in a similar manner. Consequently, they confirm fundamental principles of motor unit activation based on recordings of limited motor unit samples.
Physiological and pathophysiological regulation of regional adipose tissue in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Rattarasarn C.
Published: January 2006

Aim:  To survey the latest state of knowledge concerning the regulation of regional adipocytes and their role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Methods:  Data from the English‐language literature on regional adipocytes, including abdominal, intramyocellular, intrahepatic and intra‐islet fat as well as the adipokines and their relations to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, were reviewed.

Results:  It is not the total amount of fat but the fat that resides within skeletal muscle cell (intramyocellular fat), hepatocytes and intra‐abdominally (visceral fat), via systemic and local secretion of several adipokines, that influences insulin resistance. Among the adipokines that relate to insulin resistance, adiponectin and leptin appear to have clinical relevance to human insulin resistance and others may also contribute, but their role is still inconclusive. The intra‐islet fat also adversely affects β‐cell function and number (β‐cell apoptosis), eventually leading to deterioration of glucose tolerance. The abnormal location of fat observed in patients with type 2 diabetes and their relatives is conceivably partly the results of the genetically determined, impaired mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity. Restriction or elimination of the fat load by weight control, regular exercise and thiazolidinediones has been shown to improve insulin resistance and β‐cell function and to delay the development of type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion:  These data support the plausibility of an essential role of regional adipose tissue in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Modeling of Dissolved Gas Effect on Liquid Transients
Authors: Kessal Mohand , Bennacer Rachid
Published: January 2006

Transient cavitation of a homogeneous gas-liquid mixture flow is modeled for an elastic pipeline by using the classical conservation equations of each phase, which are, later on, written in dimensionless form. The later is resolved by a second order finite difference scheme for which a flux corrective transport algorithm is added as an additional step, in order to accomplish a suitable treatment of the shock problem. The flow gives rise to a localized vapor+gas cavity for which time and space expansion is calculated from the corresponding compatibility relation, continuity equation and ideal gas law. Also, effect of the degassing phenomenon, on this cavity and on the dynamic parameters, is reproduced from a macroscopic bubble growth model. Obtained results are discussed and compared with ones given by experimental data.
Effective Properties of Nonlinear Laminated Composites With Perfect Adhesion
Authors: Lebon F. , Rodríguez-Ramos R. , Lopez-Realpozo J. C. , Bravo-Castillero J. , Guinovart-Diaz R. , Mesejo A.
Published: January 2006

This paper is devoted to the homogenization of a nonlinear one-dimensional problem as a particular case of laminated composite and its solution by a Wavelet-Galerkin method. This approach is an extension of this method to nonlinear problems. Theoretical results are given and numerical examples are presented.
Reciprocity and Related Topics in Elastodynamics
Authors: Achenbach Jan D.
Published: January 2006

Reciprocity theorems in elasticity theory were discovered in the second half of the 19th century. For elastodynamics they provide interesting relations between two elastodynamic states, say states A and B. This paper will primarily review applications of reciprocity relations for time-harmonic elastodynamic states. The paper starts with a brief introduction to provide some historical and general background, and then proceeds in Sec. 2 to a brief discussion of static reciprocity for an elastic body. General comments on waves in solids are offered in Sec. 3, while Sec. 4 provides a brief summary of linearized elastodynamics. Reciprocity theorems are stated in Sec. 5. For some simple examples the concept of virtual waves is introduced in Sec. 6. A virtual wave is a wave motion that satisfies appropriate conditions on the boundaries and is a solution of the elastodynamic equations. It is shown that combining the desired solution as state A with a virtual wave as state B provides explicit results for state A. Basic elastodynamic states are discussed in Sec. 7. These states play an important role in the formulation of integral representations and integral equations, as shown in Sec. 8. Reciprocity in 1-D and full-space elastodynamics are discussed in Secs. 910, respectively. Applications to a half-space and a layer are reviewed in Secs. 1112. Section 13 is concerned with reciprocity of coupled acousto-elastic systems. The paper is completed with a brief discussion of reciprocity for piezoelectric systems. There are 61 references cited in this review article.
Formation of Glaciers on Mars by Atmospheric Precipitation at High Obliquity
Authors: Forget F. , Haberle R. M. , Montmessin F. , Levrard B. , Head J. W.
Published: January 2006

Surface conditions on Mars are currently cold and dry, with water ice unstable on the surface except near the poles. However, geologically recent glacierlike landforms have been identified in the tropics and the midlatitudes of Mars. The ice has been proposed to originate from either a subsurface reservoir or the atmosphere. We present high-resolution climate simulations performed with a model designed to simulate the present-day Mars water cycle but assuming a 45° obliquity as experienced by Mars a few million years ago. The model predicts ice accumulation in regions where glacier landforms are observed, on the western flanks of the great volcanoes and in the eastern Hellas region. This agreement points to an atmospheric origin for the ice and reveals how precipitation could have formed glaciers on Mars.
Solvent-Free Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to Aldehydes Using Au-Pd/TiO
2
Catalysts
Authors: Enache Dan I. , Edwards Jennifer K. , Landon Philip , Solsona-Espriu Benjamin , Carley Albert F. , Herzing Andrew A. , Watanabe Masashi , Kiely Christopher J. , Knight David W. , Hutchings Graham J.
Published: January 2006

The oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with O
2
in place of stoichiometric oxygen donors is a crucial process for the synthesis of fine chemicals. However, the catalysts that have been identified so far are relatively inactive with primary alkyl alcohols. We showed that Au/Pd-TiO
2
catalysts give very high turnover frequencies (up to 270,000 turnovers per hour) for the oxidation of alcohols, including primary alkyl alcohols. The addition of Au to Pd nanocrystals improved the overall selectivity and, using scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we showed that the Au-Pd nanocrystals were made up of a Au-rich core with a Pd-rich shell, indicating that the Au electronically influences the catalytic properties of Pd.
Real-Space Observation of Helical Spin Order
Authors: Uchida Masaya , Onose Yoshinori , Matsui Yoshio , Tokura Yoshinori
Published: January 2006

Helical spin order in magnetic materials has been investigated only in reciprocal space. We visualized the helical spin order and dynamics in a metal silicide in real space by means of Lorentz electron microscopy. The real space of the helical spin order proves to be much richer than that expected from the averaged structure; it exhibits a variety of magnetic defects similar to atomic dislocations in the crystal lattice. The application of magnetic fields allows us to directly observe the deformation processes of the helical spin order accompanied by nucleation, movement, and annihilation of the magnetic defects.
Sampling the Antibiotic Resistome
Authors: D'Costa Vanessa M. , McGrann Katherine M. , Hughes Donald W. , Wright Gerard D.
Published: January 2006

Microbial resistance to antibiotics currently spans all known classes of natural and synthetic compounds. It has not only hindered our treatment of infections but also dramatically reshaped drug discovery, yet its origins have not been systematically studied. Soil-dwelling bacteria produce and encounter a myriad of antibiotics, evolving corresponding sensing and evading strategies. They are a reservoir of resistance determinants that can be mobilized into the microbial community. Study of this reservoir could provide an early warning system for future clinically relevant antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
Covalently Bridging Gaps in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Conducting Molecules
Authors: Guo Xuefeng , Small Joshua P. , Klare Jennifer E. , Wang Yiliang , Purewal Meninder S. , Tam Iris W. , Hong Byung Hee , Caldwell Robert , Huang Limin , O'Brien Stephen , Yan Jiaming , Breslow Ronald , Wind Shalom J. , Hone James , Kim Philip , Nuckolls Colin
Published: January 2006

Molecular electronics is often limited by the poorly defined nature of the contact between the molecules and the metal surface. We describe a method to wire molecules into gaps in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Precise oxidative cutting of a SWNT produces carboxylic acidâterminated electrodes separated by gaps of â¤10 nanometers. These point contacts react with molecules derivatized with amines to form molecular bridges held in place by amide linkages. These chemical contacts are robust and allow a wide variety of molecules to be tested electrically. In addition to testing molecular wires, we show how to install functionality in the molecular backbone that allows the conductance of the single-molecule bridges to switch with pH.