bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
U.S. Tobacco Control: Public Health, Political Economy, or Morality Policy?
Authors: Studlar Donley T.
Published: September 2008

Tobacco control policy usually has been framed in terms of public health and political economy, but it also has been called a morality issue. Through a systematic historical analysis, this paper examines dimensions of morality policy and evaluates tobacco control in the United States for its fit with those characteristics. Moral concerns have been a part of tobacco control policy at certain times, first in the early twentieth century, and, more recently, since the mid‐1980s with the rise of “denormalization” of tobacco as a goal of some antitobacco organizations. Drawing from recent studies of other “morality” policy issues, it argues that tobacco control is a “blended” issue, one which can take on different dimensions depending on successful interest group framing. The adoption of Healthy Public Policy as a governmental goal has coincided with a movement toward a “secular morality” in the political culture, facilitating a broader appeal to the public.
Not‐for‐Profit Advocacy: Challenging Policy Images and Pursuing Policy Change
Authors: Vaughan Shannon K. , Arsneault Shelly
Published: September 2008

The not‐for‐profit sector has long played an important role in the policy process through encouraging political engagement, policy research and advocacy, and service delivery. This paper examines two not‐for‐profit organizations, National Children's Alliance and National Alliance on Mental Illness, both of which are grassroots organizations formed to radically change public and professional perceptions of their respective issues and reform the way services are offered to those in need. Borrowing from the literature on policy image and agenda setting, we identify the strategies used by these two highly successful not‐for‐profit groups in their efforts to change the system through redefining problems, reframing issues, and securing legislation with the help of policy entrepreneurs and politicians sympathetic to their causes.
Coastal Oil Spill Preparedness and Response: The Morris J. Berman Incident
Authors: Kurtz Rick S.
Published: September 2008

On January 7, 1994, the disabled tank barge Morris J. Berman ran aground spilling 750,000 gallons of heavy‐grade fuel oil on the beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The spill impacted a variety of resources and temporarily shut down a portion of the tourist industry during the height of the winter season. The spill is noteworthy as the first major incident in U.S. coastal waters following passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). A landmark provision passed as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe. The Berman spill provides a test case for assessing the robustness of policy mandates incorporated in the OPA 90. Mandates that compelled the oil transportation and response network to assume high‐reliability organization characteristics. The study finds that although high‐reliability characteristics were seemingly adopted their implementation during the Berman spill evidenced a significant number of shortcomings.
Intravenous immune globulin reduces the need for exchange transfusions in Rhesus and AB0 incompatibility
Authors: Huizing KMN , Røislien J , Hansen TWR
Published: September 2008

Aim: To conduct a quality control review of a single institution experience with intravenous immune globulin in the treatment of Rhesus and AB0 incompatibility.

Methods: Intravenous immune globulin as treatment for Rhesus and AB0 incompatibility was introduced in our hospital in 1998. We performed a chart review of 176 infants with Rhesus or AB0 incompatibility treated in our hospital between 1993 and 2003, divided into a historical control group (1993–1998) and a treatment group (1999–2003). The project was approved through institutional ethics procedures.

Results: The use of exchange transfusion as a therapeutic modality was significantly reduced in the cohort treated with intravenous immune globulin (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.046–0.26, p < 0.001). We found no difference between the intravenous immune globulin group and the infants receiving only exchange transfusion as far as the duration of phototherapy. Infants with Rhesus incompatibility had a higher need for top‐up transfusions than those with AB0 incompatibility.

Conclusion: This study supports the evidence from previous studies suggesting that intravenous immune globulin significantly reduces the need for exchange transfusion in infants with Rhesus and AB0 incompatibility.
Hereditary urea cycle diseases in Finland
Authors: Keskinen Päivi , Siitonen Anna , Salo Matti
Published: September 2008

Aim: To estimate the incidence of urea cycle diseases (UCDs) in Finland and determine the course of the various disorders as well as the outcome.

Methods: The original data were collected in the years 1998–2001. The diagnoses made after 2001, as well as the current status of the patients, were updated by surveys in the spring of 2007.

Results: We found a total of 55 cases of UCDs in Finland by 2007: 30 cases of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, 20 of argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency, 3 of carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS‐I) deficiency, 1 of type 1 citrullinaemia and 1 of argininaemia. The estimated total incidence of UCDs was 1:39 000. The incidences of individual disorders were: OTC deficiency 1:62 000, ASL deficiency 1:144 000, CPS deficiency 1:539 000 and citrullinaemia 1:1 616 000. Eighteen (33%) of the patients with a diagnosis of UCD have died, most during their first hyperammonaemic crisis. One patient with OTC deficiency has had a liver transplant. Neurological symptoms of varying severity are common among these patients, particularly those with ASL deficiency.

Conclusion: The first survey on the incidence of UCDs in Finland shows some differences in the occurrence rates compared to other countries. Hyperammonaemia, and the neurological symptoms caused by it, can be avoided in most patients with late‐onset UCDs with a standard treatment. However, in patients with ASL deficiency, the development of neurological symptoms seems to be inevitable in spite of careful treatment and avoidance of hyperammonaemia.
Academic achievement, behavioural outcomes and MRI findings at 15 years of age in very low birthweight children
Authors: Gäddlin Per‐Olof , Finnström Orvar , Samuelsson Stefan , Wadsby Marie , Wang Chen , Leijon Ingemar
Published: September 2008

Aim: To assess cognitive, academic and behavioural functions in 15‐year‐old very low birthweight (VLBW) children and relate results to gender, neonatal risk factors, growth and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Methods: Sixty‐one out of 86 VLBW children and 57/86 term controls born in the south‐east region of Sweden were assessed regarding cognition (WISC III), school outcome, behaviour and growth. VLBW children were examined using cerebral MRI.

Results: VLBW children performed significantly lower than their term controls on WISC III and 49% had IQ lower than 85. Ten VLBW children with IQ < 70 had not been clinically identified earlier and a majority of these children attended mainstream school. VLBW girls had significantly lower total problems scores. Using MRI, white matter damage (WMD) was detected in 16 (27%) children. VLBW boys with WMD had significantly lower IQ than those without. Small occipito‐frontal circumference (OFC) correlated with low IQ. Mechanical ventilation and intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) showed significant correlations with lower IQ and reading skills.

Conclusion: VLBW children achieved poorer results compared with their controls in cognitive tests. Mechanical ventilation and IVH were related to poorer academic outcome. Many of the children with low IQ had not been identified earlier. Therefore, we recommend that VLBW children undergo an IQ test before beginning school in order to receive adequate support.
Correlation between severity of disease and reimbursement of costs in neonatal and paediatric intensive care patients
Authors: Hoehn Thomas , Drabik Attyla , Lehmann Christian , Christaras Andreas , Stannigel Hans , Mayatepek Ertan
Published: September 2008

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between neonatal, paediatric and adult disease severity scores and reimbursement by health insurances.

Methods: The setting was a university hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We performed a prospective study of all patients admitted over the 3‐month study period. Data collected included five scoring systems to predict mortality or to quantify disease severity (Paediatric Index of Mortality [PIM], Paediatric Risk of Mortality [PRISM], Simplified Acute Physiological Score [SAPS], Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology [SNAP], Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System [TISS]) on a daily basis, the total reimbursement as calculated by the grouper according to the German diagnosis‐related groups (DRG) system, age of the patient, length of stay (LOS), International Classification of Diseases (ICD)‐10 and DRG diagnosis. Our intention was to determine the correlation between different neonatal, paediatric and adult scores (PIM, PRISM III, SAPS‐II, SNAP, Core‐10‐TISS), and reimbursement by the health insurance on the basis of the German DRG system in its 2005 and 2007 version.

Results: No positive correlation between any score applied and reimbursement by the health insurance could be identified. Reimbursement was positively correlated to the length of hospital stay. Positive correlations could also be shown for some of the scores among each other.

Conclusion: We conclude that other scoring systems or measures of disease severity urgently need to be established to terminate the chronic underfunding of paediatric intensive care medicine in the developed countries.
Correlation of 8‐isoprostane, interleukin‐6 and cardiac functions with clinical score in childhood obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Biltagi Mohammed A , Maguid Mohammed A , Ghafar Mohammed A , Farid Eman
Published: September 2008

Objective: Adeno‐tonsillar hypertrophy is the commonest cause of childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Our aim of the study is to correlate the severity of OSA with levels of 8‐isoprostane and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and with cardiac diastolic dysfunctions.

Methods: Forty children with adenoidal hypertrophy and 20 control children were recruited. The OSA clinical score was evaluated and IL‐6 and 8‐isoprostane were measured in exhaled breath condensate. The cardiac functions were evaluated by conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE).

Results: Higher concentrations of isoprostane‐8 and IL‐6 were found in group with clinical score >40 (58.595 ± 2.86 pg/mL and 38 ± 1.77 pg/mL, respectively) than in control group (34.9 ± 1.5 pg/mL and 7.02 ± 0.3 pg/mL, respectively) {p < 0.0001*}. There was positive correlation between level of isoprostane‐8 and IL‐6 and value of clinical score {p < 0.0001*} and also with the degree of the cardiac dysfunction in those children.

Conclusion: The severity of OSA as indicated by clinical score was positively correlated with degree of elevation of 8‐Isoprostane and IL‐6 in breath condensate of children with OSA and also with degree of cardiac dysfunction. Echocardiography and tissue Doppler modality are advised to examine these children.
Human placental IGF‐I and IGF‐II expression: correlating maternal and infant anthropometric variables and micronutrients at birth in the Pakistani population
Authors: Akram SK , Akram M , Bhutta ZA , Soder O
Published: September 2008

Aim: To correlate infant birth weight with maternal and infant biometric data, including the expression of placental IGF‐I and IGF‐II at birth, and levels of serum zinc and ferritin.

Methods: The data consisted of observations from 89 women from Karachi, Pakistan. Placental and cord blood samples were taken immediately following delivery and were subsequently divided into two groups, small and large for gestational age (SGA and LGA).

Results: The mean birth weight was 2.79 kg; the prevalence of SGA being 13.4% (≤10th percentile); the prevalence of LGA being 23.6% (≥90th percentile). Placental IGF‐I and IGF‐II mRNA expression was greater in the LGA group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant correlation was noted between infant birth weight and maternal anthropometric parameters (p < 0.01). Cord zinc levels were also significantly higher in the LGA group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Maternal anthropometry, along with placental IGF‐I and IGF‐II mRNA levels, correlated significantly with infant birth weight suggesting the importance of these growth factors for birth weight outcomes. The higher zinc levels in the LGA group also suggest the importance of this micronutrient in foetal growth. Our results suggest that growth problems have a multifactorial aetiology arising from within the infant rather than due to maternal constraint alone.
Taller stature after postnatal rapid weight gain in early infancy predicts overweight status at age 3
Authors: Akaboshi Izumi , Haraguchi Yougo , Mizumoto Yuuji , Kitano Akito , Kan Hiroaki
Published: September 2008

Aim: To evaluate whether postnatal rapid weight gain in early infancy is associated with subsequent tall stature and being overweight at age 3, and taller stature after postnatal rapid weight gain predicts overweight status at age 3.

Methods: Data from a retrospective cohort study (time period 2003–2004, total number = 1353 subjects in Kumamoto, Japan) were used. The rate of weight gain during the first 3–4 months was calculated as 100 g/month, and postnatal rapid and slow growth were calculated by using weight standard deviation (SD). Overweight status at 3 years of age was determined according to the definition of the International Obesity Task Force.

Results: In total, 4.7% of subjects were overweight at age 3. Postnatal rapid weight gain, associated with height increases until age 3 (p < 0.0001), and the rate of weight gain were significant risk factors for being overweight in children at age 3. Taller heights at 6–9 months and 17–20 months of age following postnatal rapid weight gain were associated with overweight status at age 3 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Taller stature following postnatal rapid weight gain in early infancy predicts overweight status at age 3; additionally, rapid infancy weight gain contributes to the acceleration of statural growth in overweight children.
Hand washing soap as a source of neonatal Serratia marcescens outbreak
Authors: Rabier V , Bataillon S , Jolivet‐Gougeon A , Chapplain J‐M , Beuchée A , Bétrémieux P
Published: September 2008

Objective: To describe an outbreak of Serratia marcescens infections in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to report investigations and interventions having led to the cessation of the outbreak.

Design: Observational study of microbiological and epidemiological investigations realised during a S. marcescens outbreak between March and October 2006.

Methods: Nine cases were observed in a 5 months period. A Serratia outbreak was therefore identified, and all the strains were compared by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Data from medical notes were gathered retrospectively. Environmental samples were gathered prospectively.

Results: Four infants were colonized and five infants were infected by S. marcescens. PFGE revealed that three different strains were present. Seven of the nine babies were infected by only one of these strains. This same strain was found in a nonantimicrobial soap bottle (NAS) that could be the source of contamination.

Conclusion: It is the first time that S. marcescens is found in a NAS during a neonatal nosocomial outbreak. Molecular analysis is a method of choice to compare different strains. Identification and elimination of the nosocomial source and adherence to the infection control policies are essential to succeed in the containment of a nosocomial epidemic.
HTR2Avariation and sudden infant death syndrome: a case–control analysis
Authors: Rand Casey M , Berry‐Kravis Elizabeth M , Fan Wenqing , Weese‐Mayer Debra E
Published: September 2008

Aim: The serotonergic (5‐HT) system functions in central autonomic regulation with homeostatic roles in cardiorespiratory control, thermoregulation, arousal and sleep‐wake cycling. Altered function and development of this system in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have been established, but the aetiology of these disturbances remains unclear. The serotonin receptor, HTR2A, functions within this system with roles in the homeostatic response to hypoxia including excitatory effects on respiration, gasping and rhythm generation, all functions potentially compromised in SIDS. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between SIDS risk andHTR2Avariation.

Methods: All coding regions, intron–exon boundaries and the promoter region ofHTR2Awere PCR amplified and analysed by standard sequencing in 96 SIDS cases and 96 matched controls.

Results: Twenty‐oneHTR2Avariations were identified in this case–control cohort, including four novel variations (c.C‐1185A, c.T‐923C, c.T‐17C and c.C50T). None of the variations identified showed a significant association with SIDS.

Conclusion: This report provides evidence that despite known alterations of the 5‐HT system in SIDS, and the logical role for the HTR2A receptor, genetic variation ofHTR2Aas studied in our cohort is not responsible for these alterations. These results represent a further step in the investigation of the aetiology of the altered serotonin system in SIDS cases.
A Theory of the Emergence, Persistence, and Expression of Geographic Variation in Psychological Characteristics
Authors: Rentfrow Peter J. , Gosling Samuel D. , Potter Jeff
Published: September 2008

Volumes of research show that people in different geographic regions differ psychologically. Most of that work converges on the conclusion that there are geographic differences in personality and values, but little attention has been paid to developing an integrative account of how those differences emerge, persist, and become expressed at the geographic level. Drawing from research in psychology and other social sciences, we present a theoretical account of the mechanisms through which geographic variation in psychological characteristics emerge and persist within regions, and we propose a model for conceptualizing the processes through which such characteristics become expressed in geographic social indicators. The proposed processes were examined in the context of theory and research on personality traits. Hypotheses derived from the model were tested using personality data from over half a million U.S. residents. Results provided preliminary support for the model, revealing clear patterns of regional variation across the U.S. and strong relationships between state-level personality and geographic indicators of crime, social capital, religiosity, political values, employment, and health. Overall, this work highlights the potential insights generated by including macrolevel perspectives within psychology and suggests new routes to bridging theory and research across several disciplines in the social sciences.
Explaining Away: A Model of Affective Adaptation
Authors: Wilson Timothy D. , Gilbert Daniel T.
Published: September 2008

We propose a model of affective adaptation, the processes whereby affective responses weaken after one or more exposures to emotional events. Drawing on previous research, our approach, represented by the acronym AREA, holds that people attend to self-relevant, unexplained events, react emotionally to these events, explain or reach an understanding of the events, and thereby adapt to the events (i.e., they attend less and have weaker emotional reactions to them). We report tests of new predictions about people's reactions to pleasurable events and discuss the implications of the model for how people cope with negative events, experience emotion in different cultures, and other topics.
Familiarity Breeds Attempts: A Critical Review of Dual-Process Theories of Recognition
Authors: Mandler George
Published: September 2008

Recognition memory and recall/recollection are the major divisions of the psychology of human memory. Theories of recognition have shifted from a “strength” approach to a dual-process view, which distinguishes between knowing that one has experienced an object before and knowing what it was. In this article, I discuss the history of this approach and the two processes of familiarity and recollection and locate their origin in pattern matching and organization. I evaluate various theories in terms of their basic requirements and their defining research and propose the extension of the original two process theory to domains such as pictorial recognition. Finally, I present the main phenomena that a dual-process theory of recognition must account for and discuss future needs and directions of research and development.
Rethinking Rumination
Authors: Nolen-Hoeksema Susan , Wisco Blair E. , Lyubomirsky Sonja
Published: September 2008

The response styles theory ( Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991 ) was proposed to explain the insidious relationship between rumination and depression. We review the aspects of the response styles theory that have been well-supported, including evidence that rumination exacerbates depression, enhances negative thinking, impairs problem solving, interferes with instrumental behavior, and erodes social support. Next, we address contradictory and new findings. Specifically, rumination appears to more consistently predict the onset of depression rather than the duration, but rumination interacts with negative cognitive styles to predict the duration of depressive symptoms. Contrary to original predictions, the use of positive distractions has not consistently been correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in correlational studies, although dozens of experimental studies show positive distractions relieve depressed mood. Further, evidence now suggests that rumination is associated with psychopathologies in addition to depression, including anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking, and self-harm. We discuss the relationships between rumination and worry and between rumination and other coping or emotion-regulation strategies. Finally, we highlight recent research on the distinction between rumination and more adaptive forms of self-reflection, on basic cognitive deficits or biases in rumination, on its neural and genetic correlates, and on possible interventions to combat rumination.
The Studies on the Aetiology of Diarrhoea in Neonatal Calves and Determination of Virulence Gene Markers ofEscherichia coliStrains by Multiplex PCR
Authors: Ok M. , Güler L. , Turgut K. , Ok Ü. , Şen I. , Gündüz I. K. , Birdane M. F. , Güzelbekteş H.
Published: September 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine aetiological agents of diarrhoea in neonatal calves and to investigate virulence gene markers ofEscherichia colistrains isolated from calves by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Eighty‐two diarrhoeic calves and 18 healthy calves were used as subjects. Faeces were taken from the rectums of all the calves and were subjected to bacterial culture. Antigen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect rotavirus, coronavirus andE. coliK99 in faeces of all the calves. A multiplex PCR was used to characterizeE. colistrains in all the calves.Escherichia coliwas isolated from 37 faeces samples,Enterococcusssp. was isolated from 22 faeces samples andSalmonellawas isolated from one faeces sample in diarrhoeic calves. Furthermore, onlyE. coliwas isolated from all 18 faeces samples of healthy calves. Of the 37E. coliisolated from diarrhoeic calves, K99 (18.9%), F41 (18.9%), heat‐stable enterotoxin a (STa) (18.9%), Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1; 13.5%) and Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2; 5.4%) and intimin (8.1%) genes were identified by multiplex PCR. Of the 18E. coliisolated from healthy calves, K99 (16.6%) and intimin (55.5%) genes were identified by PCR. A total of 15 rotavirus, 11 coronavirus and 11E. coliK99 were detected in diarrhoeic calves by the antigen ELISA. As a result, this study shows that rotavirus, coronavirus,E. coliandEnterococcus ssp.were determined to play a role in the aetiology of diarrhoea in the neonatal calves. K99, F41, STa, Stx1 and Stx2 were found as the most common virulence gene markers ofE. colistrains isolated from calves with diarrhoea. Multiplex PCR may be useful for characterization ofE. coliisolated from calves.
Effect of Organic Acids in Drinking Water During the Last 2 weeks Prior to Slaughter onSalmonellaShedding by Slaughter Pigs and Contamination of Carcasses
Authors: De Busser E. V. , Dewulf J. , Nollet N. , Houf K. , Schwarzer K. , De Sadeleer L. , De Zutter L. , Maes D.
Published: September 2008

In this study, we investigated the effect of adding organic acids to the drinking water of finishing pigs 2 weeks prior to slaughter on the shedding and prevalence rate ofSalmonellaat slaughter. Approximately 600 animals from four Belgian pig herds infected withSalmonellawere included. At two herds, the study was conducted twice. Before the start of the study, overshoes were taken at the different herds. Two weeks prior to the expected slaughter date, the pigs were randomly divided into two groups (treatment and control group) each containing on average 50 animals within each herd. The treatment group received from this day onwards acidified drinking water (pH = 3.6–4.0), the control group received non‐treated water (pH = 7.8–8.5). All other housing, feeding and management factors were identical in both groups. At the slaughterhouse, 10 pigs of each group (20 pigs for each group of study group 6) were randomly selected and sampled (blood, contents of ileum and rectum, mesenteric lymph nodes and carcass swabs). All samples were immediately transported to the laboratory and submitted toSalmonellaisolation.Salmonellawas isolated out of 11.9% (66/554) of the samples taken at the slaughterhouse, with the highest frequency found in the content of the ileum (18.7%), followed by 17.8% in the lymph nodes, 7.2% in the content of the rectum and 3.6% in the carcass swabs. The results did not reveal a significant difference between the treatment and control groups for the different slaughterhouse samples. The study documented that the investigated control strategy namely, the strategic application of organic acids during the last 2 weeks prior to slaughter was insufficient to decreaseSalmonellashedding and contamination shortly before and during slaughter.
Risk Factors Associated withCryptosporidium parvumInfection in Cattle
Authors: Duranti A. , Cacciò S. M. , Pozio E. , Di Egidio A. , De Curtis M. , Battisti A. , Scaramozzino P.
Published: September 2008

A 2‐year, cross‐sectional study was conducted to identify risk factors forCryptosporidiumsp. infection in bovine farms in central Italy. Faecal samples were collected on 248 farms, from 2024 calves and analysed using ELISA and immunofluorescent assay (IFA) commercial kits. In all 101 samples confirmed to be positive with IFA, the aetiological agent was identified asCryptosporidium parvumand a large genetic variability was detected by subtype analysis. The prevalence of farm infection ranged from 3.4% to 35.6%. Univariate analysis showed a number of putative risk factors, including the type of farm, stalling of calves, late supply of colostrum, number of heads and contact between calves and adults. However, multivariate analysis confirmed that the higher risk for calves was associated with housing calves separately from their dams, a characteristic practice of dairy herd, whereas calves being nursed by their dams, a characteristic of cow–calf herd resulted as a protective factor.
Prevalence ofCampylobacter jejuniand its Resistance to Antibiotics in Poultry in the Czech Republic
Authors: Bardon J. , Kolar M. , Cekanova L. , Hejnar P. , Koukalova D.
Published: September 2008

ThermotolerantCampylobacterspp., in particularCampylobacter jejuni, are among the most frequently identified pathogens, found to be causing human gastrointestinal infections in Europe, with the Czech Republic being no exception. The presented work aimed at assessing results of the first nationwide monitoring of prevalence and antibiotic resistance ofCampylobacterspp. in broiler flocks in the Czech Republic, including a comparison of antibiotic resistance ofC. jejuniisolates collected from poultry and the human community. The monitoring was carried out in poultry slaughterhouses in 2006 and 2007. From broilers, cloacal swabs were collected and examined. The human isolates ofC. jejuniwere acquired from rectal swabs in community patients with diarrhoeal diseases. Suspected isolates of both animal and human origin were confirmed by the PCR methods. Antibiotic resistance to selected anti‐microbial agents was tested by the microdilution method. In the monitored period, the prevalence of thermotolerantCampylobacterspp. in broilers in the Czech Republic reached almost 50%. In 2006,C. jejuniwas detected in 46% andCampylobacter coliin 3% of the tested samples. In 2007,C. jejuniwas found in 43% andC. coliin 2% of the samples. The results of anti‐microbial susceptibility testing ofC. jejunishowed higher resistance in animals when compared with humans. The only exception was tetracycline with higher resistance in isolates of human origin. The highest resistance detected was to quinolone antibiotics. Resistance to oxolinic acid was 77% in animal and 60% in human isolates, to ciprofloxacin 72% in isolates from poultry and 55% in those from humans. In ampicillin, 26% of poultry isolates and 16% of human isolates were resistant. Moreover, 9% of animal isolates demonstrated resistance to streptomycin, undetected in human isolates. In erythromycin, resistance was found in 6% of poultry and 1% of human isolates.
Polarized Gamma-Ray Emission from the Crab
Authors: Dean A. J. , Clark D. J. , Stephen J. B. , McBride V. A. , Bassani L. , Bazzano A. , Bird A. J. , Hill A. B. , Shaw S. E. , Ubertini P.
Published: September 2008

Pulsar systems accelerate particles to immense energies. The detailed functioning of these engines is still poorly understood, but polarization measurements of high-energy radiation may allow us to locate where the particles are accelerated. We have detected polarized gamma rays from the vicinity of the Crab pulsar using data from the spectrometer on the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory satellite. Our results show polarization with an electric vector aligned with the spin axis of the neutron star, demonstrating that a substantial fraction of the high-energy electrons responsible for the polarized photons are produced in a highly ordered structure close to the pulsar.
Cavity Optomechanics: Back-Action at the Mesoscale
Authors: Kippenberg T. J. , Vahala K. J.
Published: September 2008

The coupling of optical and mechanical degrees of freedom is the underlying principle of many techniques to measure mechanical displacement, from macroscale gravitational wave detectors to microscale cantilevers used in scanning probe microscopy. Recent experiments have reached a regime where the back-action of photons caused by radiation pressure can influence the optomechanical dynamics, giving rise to a host of long-anticipated phenomena. Here we review these developments and discuss the opportunities for innovative technology as well as for fundamental science.
Magmatically Triggered Slow Slip at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Authors: Brooks Benjamin A. , Foster James , Sandwell David , Wolfe Cecily J. , Okubo Paul , Poland Michael , Myer David
Published: September 2008

We demonstrate that a recent dike intrusion probably triggered a slow fault-slip event (SSE) on Kilauea volcano's mobile south flank. Our analysis combined models of Advanced Land Observing Satellite interferometric dike-intrusion displacement maps with continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) displacement vectors to show that deformation nearly identical to four previous SSEs at Kilauea occurred at far-field sites shortly after the intrusion. We model stress changes because of both secular deformation and the intrusion and find that both would increase the Coulomb failure stress on possible SSE slip surfaces by roughly the same amount. These results, in concert with the observation that none of the previous SSEs at Kilauea was directly preceded by intrusions but rather occurred during times of normal background deformation, suggest that both extrinsic (intrusion-triggering) and intrinsic (secular fault creep) fault processes can lead to SSEs.
Comment on "Determining Chondritic Impactor Size from the Marine Osmium Isotope Record"
Authors: Morgan Joanna V.
Published: September 2008

Paquay
et al
. (Reports, 11 April 2008, p. 214) reported that osmium isotope ratios in marine sediments can be used to determine the size of a chondritic impactor. Their assumptions on the fate of an impacting projectile may need to be reassessed, however, because only a small, unpredictable fraction of the impactor ends up dissolved in seawater.
Response to Comment on "Determining Chondritic Impactor Size from the Marine Osmium Isotope Record"
Authors: Paquay François S. , Ravizza Gregory E. , Dalai Tarun K. , Peucker-Ehrenbrink Bernhard
Published: September 2008

Morgan argues that excursions in the marine Os record are of little value for estimating impactor size. This claim is based on computer simulations of the formation of the Chicxulub crater and distribution of the ejecta, which are difficult to validate. More important, by narrowly focusing on the Cretaceous-Tertiary event Morgan's comment misses the broader implications of our study.
The Structure of an Open Form of anE. coliMechanosensitive Channel at 3.45 Å Resolution
Authors: Wang Wenjian , Black Susan S. , Edwards Michelle D. , Miller Samantha , Morrison Emma L. , Bartlett Wendy , Dong Changjiang , Naismith James H. , Booth Ian R.
Published: September 2008

How ion channels are gated to regulate ion flux in and out of cells is the subject of intense interest. TheEscherichia colimechanosensitive channel, MscS, opens to allow rapid ion efflux, relieving the turgor pressure that would otherwise destroy the cell. We present a 3.45 angstrom–resolution structure for the MscS channel in an open conformation. This structure has a pore diameter of ∼13 angstroms created by substantial rotational rearrangement of the three transmembrane helices. The structure suggests a molecular mechanism that underlies MscS gating and its decay of conductivity during prolonged activation. Support for this mechanism is provided by single-channel analysis of mutants with altered gating characteristics.
Bang! Month-Scale Eruption Triggering at Santorini Volcano
Authors: Martin Victoria M. , Morgan Daniel J. , Jerram Dougal A. , Caddick Mark J. , Prior David J. , Davidson Jon P.
Published: September 2008

The time lag between intrusion of fresh, hot magma and an ensuing eruption is of critical importance in both understanding the triggering and mitigating the consequences of volcanic eruptions. This work looks at material erupted during 1925‐28 at the Nea Kameni volcanic center in Santorini, Greece, to determine this time scale. By exploiting Fe-Mg diffusion in olivine crystals, we constrained the intrusion-to-eruption time lag to between 3 and 10 weeks. These techniques have potential application at many volcanic centers; previously erupted material can be used to calibrate records of the short‐time scale processes common to many volcanic centers.
Hydrodefluorination of Perfluoroalkyl Groups Using Silylium-Carborane Catalysts
Authors: Douvris Christos , Ozerov Oleg V.
Published: September 2008

Carbon-fluorine bonds are among the most unreactive functionalities in chemistry. Interest in their activation arises in part from the high global warming potentials of anthropogenic polyfluoroorganic compounds. Conversion to carbon-hydrogen bonds (hydrodefluorination) is the simplest modification of carbon-fluorine bonds, but efficient catalytic hydrodefluorination of perfluoroalkyl groups has been an unmet challenge. We report a class of carborane-supported, highly electrophilic silylium compounds that act as long-lived catalysts for hydrodefluorination of trifluoromethyl and nonafluorobutyl groups by widely accessible silanes under mild conditions. The reactions are completely selective for aliphatic carbon-fluorine bonds in preference to aromatic carbon-fluorine bonds.
Inverse Velocity Dependence of Vibrationally Promoted Electron Emission from a Metal Surface
Authors: Nahler N. H. , White J. D. , LaRue J. , Auerbach D. J. , Wodtke A. M.
Published: September 2008

All previous experimental and theoretical studies of molecular interactions at metal surfaces show that electronically nonadiabatic influences increase with molecular velocity. We report the observation of a nonadiabatic electronic effect that follows the opposite trend: The probability of electron emission from a low–work function surface—Au(111) capped by half a monolayer of Cs—increases as the velocity of the incident NO molecule decreases during collisions with highly vibrationally excited NO(X
2
π
½
,
V
= 18;
V
is the vibrational quantum number of NO), reaching 0.1 at the lowest velocity studied. We show that these results are consistent with a vibrational autodetachment mechanism, whereby electron emission is possible only beyond a certain critical distance from the surface. This outcome implies that important energy-dissipation pathways involving nonadiabatic electronic excitations and, furthermore, not captured by present theoretical methods may influence reaction rates at surfaces.
Field Experiments with Transformed Plants Reveal the Sense of Floral Scents
Authors: Kessler Danny , Gase Klaus , Baldwin Ian T.
Published: September 2008

Plants use many means to attract pollinators, including visual cues and odor. We investigated how nonpigment floral chemistry influences nectar removal, floral visitation, florivory, rates of outcrossing, and fitness through both male and female functions. We blocked expression of biosynthetic genes of the dominant floral attractant [benzyl acetone (
Nachal1
)] and nectar repellent [nicotine (
Napmt1/2
)] in all combinations in the native tobacco
Nicotiana attenuata
and measured their effects on plants in their native habitat. Both repellent and attractant were required to maximize capsule production and seed siring in emasculated flowers and flower visitation by native pollinators, whereas nicotine reduced florivory and nectar robbing.
Redox-Active Antibiotics Control Gene Expression and Community Behavior in Divergent Bacteria
Authors: Dietrich Lars E. P. , Teal Tracy K. , Price-Whelan Alexa , Newman Dianne K.
Published: September 2008

It is thought that bacteria excrete redox-active pigments as antibiotics to inhibit competitors. In
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, the endogenous antibiotic pyocyanin activates SoxR, a transcription factor conserved in Proteo- and Actinobacteria. In
Escherichia coli
, SoxR regulates the superoxide stress response. Bioinformatic analysis coupled with gene expression studies in
P. aeruginosa
and
Streptomyces coelicolor
revealed that the majority of SoxR regulons in bacteria lack the genes required for stress responses, despite the fact that many of these organisms still produce redox-active small molecules, which indicates that redox-active pigments play a role independent of oxidative stress. These compounds had profound effects on the structural organization of colony biofilms in both
P. aeruginosa
and
S. coelicolor
, which shows that “secondary metabolites” play important conserved roles in gene expression and development.
Limits for Combustion in Low O
2
Redefine Paleoatmospheric Predictions for the Mesozoic
Authors: Belcher C. M. , McElwain J. C.
Published: September 2008

Several studies have attempted to determine the lower limit of atmospheric oxygen under which combustion can occur; however, none have been conducted within a fully controlled and realistic atmospheric environment. We performed experimental burns (using pine wood, moss, matches, paper, and a candle) at 20°C in O
2
concentrations ranging from 9 to 21% and at ambient and high CO
2
(2000 parts per million) in a controlled environment room, which was equipped with a thermal imaging system and full atmospheric, temperature, and humidity control. Our data reveal that the lower O
2
limit for combustion should be increased from 12 to 15%. These results, coupled with a record of Mesozoic paleowildfires, are incompatible with the prediction of prolonged intervals of low atmospheric O
2
levels (10 to 12%) in the Mesozoic.
Amyloid-β Dynamics Correlate with Neurological Status in the Injured Human Brain
Authors: Brody David L. , Magnoni Sandra , Schwetye Kate E. , Spinner Michael L. , Esparza Thomas J. , Stocchetti Nino , Zipfel Gregory J. , Holtzman David M.
Published: September 2008

The amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) plays a central pathophysiological role in Alzheimer's disease, but little is known about the concentration and dynamics of this secreted peptide in the extracellular space of the human brain. We used intracerebral microdialysis to obtain serial brain interstitial fluid (ISF) samples in 18 patients who were undergoing invasive intracranial monitoring after acute brain injury. We found a strong positive correlation between changes in brain ISF Aβ concentrations and neurological status, with Aβ concentrations increasing as neurological status improved and falling when neurological status declined. Brain ISF Aβ concentrations were also lower when other cerebral physiological and metabolic abnormalities reflected depressed neuronal function. Such dynamics fit well with the hypothesis that neuronal activity regulates extracellular Aβ concentration.
Effect of temperature on the growth of wheat. II. "Grass-clump" dwarfs and dwarf varieties
Authors: Yao Yun-te , Canvin David T.
Published: September 2008

Six F1 "grass-clump" hybrids, two "grass-clump" selections, three normal varieties (Timstein, Redman, and Federation), and three dwarf varieties (Sonora 64, CB 151, and Norin 10) were grown in growth cabinets under 1200 ft-c of continuous light at various temperatures. The normal and dwarf varieties grew tallest at 16 °C and produced maximum shoot and seed yields at 16–19 °C.The Marquillo × Timstein "grass-clump" dwarf selection (F6) tillered extensively in temperature regimes that included 16 h of 16 °C in 24 h or 16 h of 21 °C and 8 h of 16 °C. Fertile tillers were produced in all temperature regimes except 16 °C. Growth at temperatures above 21 °C was essentially normal. The Redman × Federation "grass-clump" dwarf selection (F6) produced many tillers, but no fertile tillers when grown in a temperature regime that included 16 h of 16 °C. Fertile tillers were produced in all other temperature regimes, but extensive tillering was observed if the temperature treatment included 8 h of 16 °C. Completely normal growth was observed at temperatures above 26 °C.The six F1 "grass-clump" hybrids elongated and produced seed when grown at 30 °C.All "grass-clump" dwarf hybrids and dwarf selections investigated to date differ from normal varieties of wheat in that they are sterile dwarfs when grown at low temperature but grow essentially "normal" above a threshold temperature. Depending on the particular hybrid or selection the required temperature may be 21, 26, or 30 °C. In general, if the precise temperature requirements are not known, it appears probable that elongation and seed production by "grass-clump" dwarf can be induced by growing them under continuous light at 26 to 30 °C.
Genetic complementation in Ustilago hordei
Authors: Dinoor A. , Person Clayton
Published: September 2008

The dikaryotic phase of U. hordei, generally considered to be obligately parasitic, was forced to grow in culture by mixing auxotrophs of opposite mating types together in pairs on minimal medium. This in vitro system was used to carry out complementation tests with a group of 58 different arginine-requiring mutants, which were thus classified into 10 different complementation groups. More efficient methods for mating type determination and for screening of particular mutants from certain crosses were described.
Floral ontogeny and an interpretation of the inferior ovary in Agave parryi
Authors: Mogensen H. Lloyd
Published: September 2008

A study of the histogenesis of the flower of Agave parryi was made using serial sections as well as three-dimensional views of dissected floral primordia. It is shown that floral ontogeny supports the appendicular interpretation of the inferior ovary of Agave parryi in that the flower parts do not arise from a smooth, ring-like meristem located at the tip of the pedicel but, rather, the flower parts arise as separate primordia. This study corroborates an investigation by Kaplan which shows that ontogeny can be used to support, rather than contradict, floral vasculature in interpreting the appendicular nature of the inferior ovary.
Canonical correlations of seed viability, seed-borne fungi, and environment in bulk grain ecosystems
Authors: Sinha R. N. , Wallace H. A. H. , Chebib F. S.
Published: September 2008

Canonical correlation analyses were performed to determine relationships among seed-viability, fungi, and environment in two bulk grain ecosystems. Measurements of 20 variables were made on 8135 samples from two wheat bulks in a farm granary in Winnipeg during 1959–1967. The canonical vectors were interpreted by correlating each set of two canonical variates with the original variates on which they were based. The highest and the second highest significant (P < 0.001) canonical correlation for each combination were field fungi and germination vs. non-biological environment, 0.91 and 0.32; storage fungi vs. non-biological environment, 0.77 and 0.42; field fungi and germination vs. storage fungi, 0.78 and 0.35. In aging grain bulks the attack of the storage fungi Chaetomium funicolum, Streptomyces griseus, Aspergillus spp., and Rhizopus arrhizus involves the loss of grain viability and decrease in the field fungi, Alternaria tenuis, Cochliobolus sativus, and Gonatobotrys simplex. Collectively grain temperature and the granary conditions are most important in the reduction of the field fungi; whereas temperature, moisture content, and time are most involved in the infestation of S. griseus, Penicillium spp., C. funicolum, Aspergillus spp., and R. arrhizus.
Effect of temperature on the growth of wheat. III. Chemical constituents of Marquillo, Kenya Farmer, and two dwarf progeny grown at three temperatures
Authors: Yao Yun-Te , Canvin David T.
Published: September 2008

Marquillo × Kenya Farmer wheat dwarfs 1 and 2 were grown at 16 °C (inhibited "grass-clump" habit), at 21 °C and at 26° (normal habit). The parent varieties were grown under the same conditions for comparison.Analysis of the dwarf strains grown at 16 °C revealed that there was no deficiency of soluble carbohydrate, amino acids, organic acids or chlorophyll when compared to the parent varieties or to the dwarf strains grown at 26 °C. Rather there was marked accumulation of most of these substances in the non-growing plants at 16 °C. The results are consistent with the view that the suspension of growth in the dwarf plants is not due to the lack of ability to synthesize organic metabolites but rather that an inhibitor is accumulated during the low temperature treatment that blocks growth by some other mechanism.
Crumenulopsis, a new name to replace Crumenula Rehm
Authors: Groves J. Walton
Published: September 2008

Crumenulopsis nom. nov. is proposed to replace the illegitimate name Crumenula Rehm, together with a discussion of the nomenclatural problems involved. Two new combinations, Crumenulopsis pinicola (Fr.) and C. sororia (Karst.), are proposed.