bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone mineral density in diabetes mellitus patients with and without a Charcot foot
Authors: Christensen Tomas M. , Bülow Jens , Simonsen Lene , Holstein Per E. , Svendsen Ole L.
Published: January 2010

Objective:  To measure bone mineral density in patients with diabetes mellitus and the complication Charcot osteoarthropathy (CA).

Research design and methods:  A total of 49 patients with diabetes were investigated. The population consisted of patients with an acute CA (n = 17) or chronic CA (n = 7). Control groups consisted of diabetes patients with (n = 9) and without neuropathy (n = 11) and who had an amputation of the first toe (n = 5). Values measured were bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar spine, hip and calcaneus, using lunar DEXA scanner. The bone turnover markers CTX‐1 and N‐MID were measured.

Results:  There were no differences in BMD measured in the spine and hip. There was an increase in the markers of bone turnover in the patients with acute CA. The BMD of the calcaneus was statistically lower in the affected foot in patients with chronic Charcot (P < 0·01), than in the unaffected foot, but there were no statistically significant differences between the BMD of the calcaneus in the feet in the other groups.

Conclusions:  From this study, we can conclude that there were no differences in BMD values in the spine and hip between groups. There were no differences between BMD of the calcaneus between groups, except that patients with chronic Charcot had a significantly lower calcaneal BMD in the affected foot than in the healthy foot. Furthermore, there was an increased bone turnover in the group with acute CA, which was not found in the other patients groups. This suggests that the Charcot foot is a rather local phenomenon, with little effect on the skeleton in general.
A revision of the sauropod dinosaur genus ‘Bothriospondylus’ with a redescription of the type material of the Middle Jurassic form ‘B. madagascariensis’
Authors: MANNION PHILIP D.
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  The sauropod dinosaur ‘Bothriospondylus’, originally named on the basis of Late Jurassic remains from England, is demonstrated to be invalid, and the characters used to diagnose it are shown to be obsolescent features which are widespread throughout Sauropoda. Material referred to this genus spans a temporal range from the Middle Jurassic until the early Late Cretaceous and has been described from five different countries, across three continents. These remains represent a wide array of sauropod groups, comprising non‐neosauropod eusauropods, a macronarian, titanosauriforms (including at least one definite brachiosaurid) and a rebbachisaurid. The type material of the Middle Jurassic ‘B. madagascariensis’ represents a derived non‐neosauropod eusauropod and possesses two potential autapomorphies. However, as a result of the fragmentary nature of the material and the uncertainty surrounding its association, a new taxon is not erected. Of the numerous specimens referred to ‘Bothriospondylus’, however, several remains are considered diagnostic: Ornithopsis hulkei (Early Cretaceous, UK), Lapparentosaurus madagascariensis (Middle Jurassic, Madagascar) and Nopcsaspondylus alarconensis (early Late Cretaceous, Argentina). At least three types of sauropod were present in the Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) of north‐west Madagascar, with a basal eusauropod (Archaeodontosaurus), a more derived eusauropod (‘B. madagascariensis’) and a titanosauriform (Lapparentosaurus) all approximately contemporaneous. Palaeocontinental reconstructions suggest that Middle Jurassic Madagascan sauropods would still have been capable of global biotic interchange, and this is perhaps reflected in their diverse assemblage. Re‐evaluation of these Malagasy forms has shed new light on this important time period in sauropod evolution.
Rethinking the Petrucci Pavement
Authors: Miller Elizabeth , Graves Alun
Published: January 2010

This paper presents an important new piece of research on the layout and sources of the maiolica Petrucci Pavement (c.1509; V&A: 4915–5386–1857) commissioned by Pandolfo Petrucci, ruler of Siena, for his palace in that city.

It proposes a new layout for the pavement that exhibits a coherence and underlying logic absent in previous reconstructions. This layout is not only believed to come close to the original configuration of the floor, thus providing a more authentic view of the object, it also demonstrates the hitherto concealed impact of Islamic design on the Petrucci pavement. This then reveals its relationship to important works by Pinturicchio dating from the 1490s. The pavement can now also be seen to exemplify a type of cultural exchange taking place across Europe and the Middle East dating back until at least the twelfth century. This challenges traditional binary oppositions such as East/West and medieval/Renaissance.
Finding fame: painting and the making of careers in Renaissance Italy
Authors: O'Malley Michelle
Published: January 2010

Most of the papers in this collection consider issues concerning the design and function of objects; they address their intended sites, the requirements of their owners and the import they held for their users. The objects made by artists and artisans were also nexus points in their careers: objects stood as much for their makers as for their owners. They constituted connections between artists and their clients, and they often acted as agents for the creation of new objects. This paper looks at the design and function of works of art from the point of view of the profession. Specifically, it considers the role key commissions played in the creation of reputations and the launch of stellar careers. Looking at the very early careers of Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino, the paper investigates connections among clients and the paths individuals took to hiring the painters, examines the response the painters made to their early commissions, and looks at the associations and reputations these painters built up in the years before they were hired to paint the walls of the Sistine chapel in 1481. It considers the role of Cosimo Rosselli, the fourth member of the Sistine team, in identifying and defining fame, and proposes a new way of considering the route Florentine painters took to painting the chapel newly built by Sixtus IV. The paper aims to demonstrate the significance of works for the trajectory of their makers’ professional lives and to suggest how certain works, in specific contexts, attracted clients and drew new works into being.
Epidermal growth factor receptor gene numerical aberrations are frequent events in actinic keratoses and invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Toll Agustí , Salgado Rocío , Yébenes Mireia , Martín‐Ezquerra Gemma , Gilaberte Montserrat , Baró Teresa , Solé Francesc , Alameda Francisco , Espinet Blanca , Pujol Ramon Maria
Published: January 2010

Please cite this paper as: Epidermal growth factor receptor gene numerical aberrations are frequent events in actinic keratoses and invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: 151–153.

Abstract:  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene amplification and protein overexpression are common in several cancers. EGFR status has seldom been studied in cutaneous squamous carcinomas (SCCs), or their precursors, actinic keratoses (AKs). We evaluated the presence of EGFR genomic aberrations and EGFR protein overexpression in 25 AKs and 35 invasive SCCs by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry. EGFR numerical aberrations were detected in 52% of AKs and 77.1% of SCCs (P = 0.042). EGFR amplification was identified in 12% of AKs and 20% of SCCs. No differences regarding EGFR numerical aberrations were observed when AKs with high‐grade dysplasia were compared with SCCs. A good correlation was observed between EGFR numerical aberrations and EGFR overexpression. Our results suggest that EGFR numerical aberrations occur in the early stages of epithelial carcinogenesis in skin, not playing a role in the progression from low‐grade SCCs into more aggressive phenotypes.
Drug prescribing by Italian family paediatricians: an exception?
Authors: Clavenna A , Sequi M , Bonati M
Published: January 2010

Aims:  To identify which drugs are considered ‘essential’ by Italian family paediatricians based on their prescriptions.

Methods:  Prescriptions reimbursed by the National Health System, involving 923 177 children < 14 years old, and dispensed during 2005 by the retail pharmacies of 15 local health units (LHUs) in the Lombardy Region, were analysed. The percentage of family paediatricians prescribing each single drug was calculated. A percentage ≥75% was considered as a high degree of agreement.

Results:  In all, 746 different drugs were prescribed to 486 405 children (52.7%). The median number of drugs prescribed by each paediatrician was 60 (interquartile range 51–71). A total of 22 drugs were prescribed by at least 75% of paediatricians and six were prescribed by all the paediatricians. In all, 95% of the paediatricians prescribed four or more cephalosporins and 92% prescribed four inhaled steroids. Only eight of the 22 most frequent drugs are included in the World Health Organization Essential Medicines for children list.

Conclusion:  Despite the huge number of drugs prescribed, only for 22 there was a concordance between family paediatricians. Initiatives to evaluate and promote a more rational use of drugs in Italian children are necessary.
Early severe weight loss in newborns after discharge from regular nurseries
Authors: Tjora E , Karlsen LC , Moster D , Markestad T
Published: January 2010

Aims:  To study incidence and risk factors of early neonatal dehydration in a Norwegian population based cohort.

Methods:  Term neonates admitted to a paediatric department during 2002–2008 with a weight loss ≥ 12% within three weeks of age were identified retrospectively through review of medical records. For each patient a sex‐matched control group of two full‐term infants was selected to assess risk factors for dehydration.

Results:  A total of 38 of 37 321 infants (1.0‰) were admitted at a median age of 6 (interquartile range 5–12) days, and the admission rate increased during the study period (p for trend = 0.008). Simultaneously, mean nursery stay decreased from 3.5 to 2.7 days (p = 0.022). Mean weight loss was 15.0% of birth weight and 17 of 29 (58.6%) had serum sodium above 145 mmol/L. The only significant difference between patients and controls was that mothers of patients were older (32.3 ± 5.0 vs. 29.4 ± 5.4 years, p = 0.005).

Conclusion:  Short nursery stay may be a risk factor for dehydration in newborn infants.
Modeling spatially explicit forest structural attributes using Generalized Additive Models
Authors: Frescino Tracey S. , Edwards Thomas C. , Moisen Gretchen G.
Published: January 2010

We modelled forest composition and structural diversity in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, as functions of satellite spectral data and spatially‐explicit environmental variables through generalized additive models. Measures of vegetation composition and structural diversity were available from existing forest inventory data. Satellite data included raw spectral data from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), a GAP Analysis classified TM, and a vegetation index based on raw spectral data from an advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR).

Environmental predictor variables included maps of temperature, precipitation, elevation, aspect, slope, and geology. Spatially‐explicit predictions were generated for the presence of forest and lodgepole cover types, basal area of forest trees, percent cover of shrubs, and density of snags. The maps were validated using an independent set of field data collected from the Evanston ranger district within the Uinta Mountains. Within the Evanston ranger district, model predictions were 88% and 80% accurate for forest presence and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), respectively. An average 62% of the predictions of basal area, shrub cover, and snag density fell within a 15% deviation from the field validation values. The addition of TM spectral data and the GAP Analysis TM‐classified data contributed significantly to the models' predictions, while AVHRR had less significance.
Pinus monophylla establishment in an expanding Pinus‐Juniperus woodland: Environmental conditions, facilitation and interacting factors
Authors: Chambers Jeanne C.
Published: January 2010

Abstract. The tree species comprising Pinus‐Juniperus woodlands are rapidly expanding into shrub‐grasslands throughout their range. Observational studies indicate that establishment is facilitated by nurse plants, but little information exists on the mechanisms involved. I examined both abiotic and biotic factors influencing Pinus monophylla establishment in Artemisia tridentata steppe with expanding populations of P. monophylla and Juniperus osteosperma. I determined soil water contents, temperatures, and nutrient characteristics for the primary establishment microhabitats, i.e. under Pinus, under Juniperus, under Artemisia, tree interspace and sage interspace, and evaluated the emergence and survival response of two seedling cohorts over a 3‐yr period for the different microhabitats.

I also examined the effects of seed burial and predation on seedling establishment. Microhabitats under trees and shrubs had higher extractable P and K, higher organic matter, total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity than interspace microhabitats. Soil water contents (0–15 cm) were lower in interspaces than under shrubs or trees due to dry surface (0–5 cm) soils. Soil temperatures (at 1 and 15 cm) were lowest under trees, intermediate under shrubs, and highest in interspaces. Timing and rate of seedling emergence were temperature dependent with the order of emergence paralleling mean growing season temperatures: tree interspace = shrub interspace > under shrub > under Juniperus under Pinus. Seed burial was required for rooting and the highest emergence occurred from depths of 1 and 3 cm indicating that caching by birds and rodents is essential and that animals bury seeds at adequate if not optimal depths for emergence. Seedlings required microenvironmental modification for survival; all seedlings, including those that emerged from seeds and transplants, died within the first year in interspace microhabitats. Survival in under‐tree or under‐shrub microhabitats depended on soil water availability and corresponded closely to soil water contents over the 3‐yr study. Under‐shrub microhabitats had more favourable soil and micro‐environmental characteristics than under‐tree microhabitats and had the highest seedling life spans for the first‐year seedling cohort. Predation of Pinus seedlings by rodents was a significant cause of mortality with caged transplants exhibiting life spans that were 74% longer overall than uncaged transplants. Emergence and survival of P. monophylla within the expanding woodland were dependent upon a complex set of interacting factors including growing season conditions, microhabitat characteristics, and animal species.
Environmental factors influencing spatial patterns of shrub diversity in chaparral, Santa Ynez Mountains, California
Authors: Moody Aaron , Meentemeyer Ross K.
Published: January 2010

We examined patterns of shrub species diversity relative to landscape‐scale variability in environmental factors within two watersheds on the coastal flank of the Santa Ynez Mountains, California. Shrub species richness and dominance was sampled at a hierarchy of spatial units using a high‐powered telescope from remote vantage points. Explanatory variables included field estimates of total canopy cover and percentage rock cover, and modeled distributions of slope, elevation, photosynthetically active radiation, topographic moisture index, and local topographic variability. Correlation, multiple regression, and regression tree analyses showed consistent relationships between field‐based measurements of species richness and dominance, and topographically‐mediated environmental variables. In general, higher richness and lower dominance occurred where environmental conditions indicated greater levels of resource limitation with respect to soil moisture and substrate availability. Maximum richness in shrub species occurred on high elevation sites with low topographic moisture index, rocky substrate, and steep slopes. Maximum dominance occurred at low elevation sites with low topographic variability, high potential solar insolation, and high total shrub canopy cover. The observed patterns are evaluated with respect to studies on species‐environment relations, resource use, and regeneration of shrubs in chaparral and coastal sage scrub. The results are discussed in the context of existing species‐diversity hypotheses that hinge on reduced competitive dominance and increased resource heterogeneity under conditions of resource limitation.
Classification and ordination of plant communities of the Naukluft Mountains, Namibia
Authors: Burke Antje
Published: January 2010

Abstract. To determine the relationship between vegetation and environmental parameters in a desert‐savanna ecotone, vegetation in the Naukluft Mountains of Namibia (southern Africa) was described and analysed in terms of environmental parameters determining the observed patterns. 12 plant communities, largely characterized by low shrubs, were described on the basis of a classification. Through ordination altitude, clay, potassium content of the substrate and, to a lesser extent, habitats were identified as underlying environmental factors determining the composition of these plant communities. The edaphic parameters showed some correlation with subsurface geology, but microclimatic conditions, water availability and level of disturbance appeared to override the effect of nutrient composition provided by different substrate.

Communities of conservation importance, such as plant communities composed of Karoo shrubs, are prevalent on the mountain plateau, presenting an isolated outpost of Nama Karoo vegetation. The transitional status between desert and savanna, remnant patches of Nama Karoo and the high habitat diversity mark the importance of this high altitude area for biodiversity conservation.
Abiotic determinants of the fynbos/succulent karoo boundary, South Africa
Authors: Lechmere‐Oertel Richard G. , Cowling Richard M.
Published: January 2010

This study investigates the influence of texture, soil moisture and nutrient status on the growth and survival of seedlings of two typical fynbos (Leucadendron pubescens and Passerina vulgaris) and succulent karoo (Ruschia spp.) species, which grow in the boundary zone between these two vegetation types. Seedlings of each species were grown in shalederived and sandstone‐derived soils and under xeric and mesic regimes. Under the xeric regime, the shale‐derived and sandstone‐derived soils represented fine and coarse‐textured soils, respectively. Under the mesic regime, the same soils represented nutrient‐rich and nutrient‐poor soils, respectively.

The seedlings of both fynbos species died rapidly under the xeric regime, irrespective of soil type. In contrast, the succulent karoo seedlings survived for over 77 days without water. Under mesic conditions, the fynbos seedlings grew faster than the succulent karoo seedlings, irrespective of soil type. Fynbos seedlings appear to be directly limited by the environment (moisture and salinity), whereas succulent karoo seedlings may be limited by interactions with other plants.
Timing of disturbance and vegetation development: how sowing date affects the weed flora in spring‐sown crops
Authors: Milberg P. , Hallgren E. , Palmer M.W.
Published: January 2010

Abstract. The number of annual weeds were recorded in 752 field experiments in spring‐sown cereal crops conducted in Sweden 1972–1993. Two null hypotheses were tested regarding how the sowing date influenced the weed flora. 1. There is no relationship between the weed flora composition and sowing date. A pCCA (with geographic regions, crop species and soil types as covariables) clearly refuted this hypothesis. Hence, the composition of the weed flora varied depending on sowing date. 2. Species classified as summer annuals, winter annuals and germination generalists (that can germinate substantially in both spring and autumn) do not differ in their placement along the first ordination axis in the pCCA, i.e. according to sowing date. An ANOVA was unable to reject this hypothesis. Hence, germination syndrome classification did not explain the observed community differences related to sowing date. These results illustrate the importance of the date of disturbance for any secondary succession involving a seed bank and also the importance of annual dormancy cycles in seed banks.
Fagus sylvatica forest vegetation in Greece: Syntaxonomy and gradient analysis
Authors: Bergmeier Erwin , Dimopoulos Panayotis
Published: January 2010

Abstract. This is the first comprehensive study on Fagus sylvatica s.l. forest communities in Greece. It is based on the multivariate analysis of more than 1100 relevés throughout the distribution area of Fagus in Greece, 60 % of which have been sampled within the last 15 years. The data were compiled from all relevant literature and from unpublished field studies. Prior to data analysis, taxonomic and floristic inaccuracies in older literature have been corrected, and some taxa aggregated. Status and distribution of Fagus in Greece, as well as historical and silvicultural aspects, are outlined. Classification resulted in 16 vegetation types defined by species composition, of which 10 units are ranked as association (of which two were described as new) or community, with six subcommunities included. Synonyms from the literature are given to all types. The floristic structure of the data set is displayed by a synoptic table and by DCA ordination. Community differentiation follows a complex edaphic‐climatic‐phytogeographic pattern. Apart from Fagus sylvatica ssp. orientalis forests of warm and dry habitats and low to medium altitudes which are related to deciduous Quercus forests, four Fagion community groups are distinguished which represent different habitat types: (1) cool, humid, mesotrophic; (2) cool, acidic; (3) high altitude, calcareous; (4) medium altitude, moderately warm and dry. The communities may be assigned to three regional suballiances, viz. (a) Doronico orientalis‐Fagenion at medium altitudes of North‐Central and East‐Central Greece; (b) Doronico columnae‐Fagenion in the far north and at high altitudes southward to East‐Central Greece; (c) Geranio striati‐Fagenion in the Northwest. Various types of thermophilous beech forest are assigned to (a) and (c), acidic forest to (b), and mesic Fagus forest to (b) and (c).
Can isotropy vs. anisotropy in the spatial association of plant species reveal physical vs. biotic facilitation?
Authors: Haase Peter
Published: January 2010

In dryland ecosystems and other harsh environments, a large part of the vegetation is often clustered, appearing as ‘islands’. If ‘independent’ species, usually colonizers, can be distinguished from species which are ‘dependent’ on the presence of the colonizing species for successful establishment and/or persistence, the type of spatial pattern of the association ‐ isotropic (spatially symmetric) or anisotropic (spatially asymmetric) ‐ can give information on the underlying environmental factors driving the process of association. Modified spatial pattern analysis based on Ripley'sK‐function can be applied to bivariate clustered patterns by cardinal direction in order to detect possible anisotropy in the pattern of association. The method was applied to mapped distribution patterns of two types of semi‐arid shrubland in southeastern Spain. In shrubland ofRetama sphaerocarpa, low shrubs ofArtemisia barrelieriwere significantly clustered under the canopy of theRetamashrubs in all four cardinal directions, suggesting an isotropic facilitation effect. In low shrubland dominated byAnthyllis cytisoidesandArtemisia barrelieri, Anthyllisshrubs occurred more frequently than expected on the eastern side (and downslope) of anArtemisiashrub. The possible environmental factors driving the two association patterns are discussed and recommendations for further applications of the analytical method are given.
Carbon balance gradient in European forests: should we doubt ‘surprising’ results? A reply to Piovesan & Adams
Authors: Jarvis P.G. , Dolman A.J. , Schulze E.‐D. , Matteucci G. , Kowalski A.S. , Ceulemans R. , Rebmann C. , Moors E.J. , Granier A. , Gross P. , Jensen N.O. , Pilegaard K. , Lindroth A. , Grelle A. , Bernhofer Ch. , Grünwald T. , Aubinet M. , Vesala T. , Rannik Ü. , Berbigier P. , Loustau D. , Guômundsson J. , Ibrom A. , Morgenstern K. , Clement R. , Moncrieff J. , Montagnani L. , Minerbi S. , Valentini R.
Published: January 2010

This paper responds to the Forum contribution by Piovesan & Adams (2000) who criticized the results obtained by the EUROFLUX network on carbon fluxes of several European forests. The major point of criticism was that the data provided by EUROFLUX are inconsistent with current scientific understanding. It is argued that understanding the terrestrial global carbon cycle requires more than simply restating what was known previously, and that Piovesan & Adams have not been able to show any major conflicts between our findings and ecosystem or atmospheric‐transport theories.
Vitamin D stimulates apoptosis in gastric cancer cells in synergy with trichostatin A /sodium butyrate‐induced and 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine‐induced PTEN upregulation
Authors: Pan Lina , Matloob Ammar F. , Du Juan , Pan Hong , Dong Zhixiong , Zhao Jing , Feng Yu , Zhong Yun , Huang Baiqu , Lu Jun
Published: January 2010

Previous studies have shown an anticancer effect of vitamin D, but the mechanisms underlying this action have not been fully explored. Here we show that 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3, the active form of vitamin D) significantly promoted apoptosis in the undifferentiated gastric cancer cell line HGC‐27, and this was accompanied by a concurrent increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression on VD3 treatment. In contrast, knockdown of PTEN expression by stable transfection of PTEN small interfering RNA greatly decreased the apoptosis rate. We further demonstrated that VD3 induced PTEN expression through vitamin D receptor. In addition, our evidence showed that vitamin D receptor, Egr‐1 and p300 induced PTEN expression in a synergistic fashion. Furthermore, we found that the histone deacetylase inhibitors trichostatin A and sodium butyrate and the methylation inhibitor 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine played important roles in vitamin D‐induced apoptosis through PTEN upregulation. The data presented in this article suggest potential benefits of vitamin D in gastric cancer therapies in association with the use of trichostatin A/sodium butyrate and 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine.

Structured digital abstract

MINT‐7306489, MINT‐7306501, MINT‐7306512: P300 (uniprotkb:Q09472) physically interacts (MI:0914) with VDR (uniprotkb:P11473) and EGR1 (uniprotkb:P18146) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
Crystal structure of a designed tetratricopeptide repeat module in complex with its peptide ligand
Authors: Cortajarena Aitziber L. , Wang Jimin , Regan Lynne
Published: January 2010

Tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) are protein domains that mediate key protein–protein interactions in cells. Several TPR domains bind the C‐termini of the chaperones heat shock protein (Hsp)90 and/or Hsp70, and exchange of such binding partners is key for the heat shock response. We have previously described the design of a TPR protein that binds tightly and specifically to the C‐terminus of Hsp90, and in doing so, is able to inhibit chaperone function in vivo. Here we present the X‐ray crystal structure of the designed TPR domain (CTPR390) in complex with its peptide ligand – the C‐terminal residues of Hsp90 (peptide MEEVD). This structure reveals two interesting aspects of the TPR modules. First, a new packing arrangement of 3‐TPR modules is observed. The TPR units stack against each other in an unusual fashion to form infinite superhelices in the crystal. Second, the structure provides insights into the molecular basis of TPR–ligand recognition.
Hand position on the bunch and source–sink ratio influence the banana fruit susceptibility to crown rot disease
Authors: Lassois L. , Bastiaanse H. , Chillet M. , Jullien A. , Jijakli M. H. , De Lapeyre de Bellaire L.
Published: January 2010

The postharvest development of crown rot of bananas depends notably on the fruit susceptibility to this disease at harvest. It has been shown that fruit susceptibility to crown rot is variable and it was suggested that this depends on environmental preharvest factors. However, little is known about the preharvest factors influencing this susceptibility. The aim of this work was to evaluate the extent to which fruit filling characteristics during growth and the fruit development stage influence the banana susceptibility to crown rot. This involved evaluating the influence of (a) the fruit position at different levels of the banana bunch (hands) and (b) changing the source–sink ratio (So–Si ratio), on the fruit susceptibility to crown rot. The fruit susceptibility was determined by measuring the internal necrotic surface (INS) after artificial inoculation of Colletotrichum musae. A linear correlation (r = −0.95) was found between the hand position on the bunch and the INS. The So–Si ratio was found to influence the pomological characteristics of the fruits and their susceptibility to crown rot. Fruits of bunches from which six hands were removed (two hands remaining on the bunch) proved to be significantly less susceptible to crown rot (INS = 138.3 mm 2) than those from bunches with eight hands (INS = 237.9 mm 2). The banana susceptibility to crown rot is thus likely to be influenced by the fruit development stage and filling characteristics. The present results highlight the importance of standardising hand sampling on a bunch when testing fruit susceptibility to crown rot. They also show that hand removal in the field has advantages in the context of integrated pest management, making it possible to reduce fruit susceptibility to crown rot while increasing fruit size.
Employment Effectiveness of China's Economic Stimulus Package
Authors: Cai Fang , Wang Dewen , Zhang Huachu
Published: January 2010

Using an input‐output method, this paper simulates the impacts of the global financial crisis and the decline of exports on China's economy and employment. With shrinking external demand, boosting domestic demand becomes crucial for maintaining economic growth and promoting employment. Our simulated results indicate that an investment scenario with employment as a priority can achieve the objective of employment maximization without significantly reducing growth. Public investment should focus on employment, education, health, housing and social security to rebalance China's economy so that it can realize sustained and stable economic growth.
External Demand Decline‐caused Industry Collapse in China
Authors: Lai Pingyao
Published: January 2010

Industry collapse has become an important phenomenon in China's recent economic growth fluctuation. This paper develops a simple model to analyze this phenomenon. Our analysis focuses on an external demand decline‐caused industry collapse. The model reveals that the combination of large‐scale decline in external demand with a horizontal domestic supply curve causes the domestic export industry to undergo a sharp decrease in output in a short period of time, which further leads to a sharp decline in employment. The conventional stabilization policy is less effective in coping with this sudden industry collapse. The Chinese Government needs to formulate an appropriate structural industry stabilization policy to cope with the sudden industry collapse, and, in particular, to implement a direct employment aid program to deal with unemployment resulting from the industry collapse.
Renminbi's Potential to Become a Global Currency
Authors: Wu Friedrich , Pan Rongfang , Wang Di
Published: January 2010

This paper is a tentative endeavor to delineate the potential of the renminbi to become a global currency. It first analyzes the critical economic, financial and policy attributes that are required to support a currency to gain an international role. It then examines whether China has the potential to acquire these attributes. The paper concludes by offering some provisional observations on the implications for Asia and the global economy, should the renminbi evolve into a world currency in the coming decades.
Uncovering the Relationship between FDI, Human Capital and Technological Progress in Chinese High‐technology Industries
Authors: Zhao Guoqing , Zhang Zhongyuan
Published: January 2010

Using a panel dataset for 28 sub‐industries from 5 Chinese industries from 1995 to 2006, this paper examines the impact of human capital, R&D expenditure and FDI spillover on the productivity improvement of Chinese high‐technology industries. The whole industry sample results suggest that human capital promotes total factor productivity, technical change and technical efficiency change, but that FDI lowers all of these factors in Chinese high‐technology industry. When we distinguish between types of ownership structure in the industries, we find that human capital improves technical change but lowers technical efficiency change, whereas FDI only improves technical efficiency change in state‐owned and state‐controlled enterprises but reduces technical change in state‐owned and state‐controlled enterprises and joint ventures.
The phytotelmata and foliage macrofauna assemblages of a bromeliad species in different habitats and seasons
Authors: MONTERO GUILLERMO , FERUGLIO CÉSAR , BARBERIS IGNACIO M.
Published: January 2010

Abstract.  1. The macrofauna living inside the phytotelmata or on the foliage of bromeliads could be directly affected by habitat and seasonality. Habitat may also have indirect effects by affecting plant morphology.

2. In Chaco forests, a facultative epiphytic bromeliad (Aechmea distichantha) shows different morphology when growing in sun and shade conditions. Therefore, the abundance and assemblage composition of the macrofauna living on this bromeliad were analysed in different habitats and seasons.

3. Sun plants were shorter, had higher tank water content, but lower litter mass than shade ones. Phytotelmata water temperature and pH were similar between habitats.

4. In the phytotelmata, the macrofauna abundance and richness per plant, as well as total richness, were similar between habitats and among seasons. Detritivores were more abundant than predators in all habitats and seasons. Shade plants had a higher proportion of detritivores than sun plants in spring and summer, but not in winter.

5. On the bromeliad foliage, the macrofauna abundance and richness per plant were lower in winter. There were no differences in abundance between habitats, but shade plants had higher species richness than sun plants. In spring and summer, total richness was higher in shade plants than in sun plants. In spring and summer, detritivores were more abundant for shade, whereas ants were more abundant in sun plants. The proportion of hunting spiders was higher in the shade in spring and summer.

6. Our study showed that habitat mainly affects bromeliad‐foliage macrofauna, but not the phytotelmata macrofauna.
The Reciprocal Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Alcohol Consumption: Group Comparison by Employment Status
Authors: Kwon Tae Yeon , Kahng Sang Kyoung , Kim Hyemee
Published: January 2010

As most previous studies have focused on a unidirectional relationship between depression and alcohol use using cross‐sectional data, not much is known about the reciprocal relationship between them. Using two waves of longitudinal data, this study examines their reciprocal relationship and whether it varies by employment status, using structural equation modeling (SEM). A theory‐based SEM was developed based on the tension reduction hypothesis and the intoxication hypothesis. The reciprocal relationship between alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms was found to be statistically significant. However, the relationship between the two varied by employment status. For the unemployed, the effect of depressive symptoms on alcohol consumption was significant whereas the effect of alcohol consumption on depressive symptoms was significant among the employed. These findings suggest that alcohol and mental health prevention programs should be tailored in terms of the users’ employment status.
Animal models for hepatitis C and related liver disease
Authors: Koike Kazuhiko , Moriya Kyoji , Matsuura Yoshiharu
Published: January 2010

Persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major risk toward development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The elucidation of pathogenesis of HCV‐associated liver disease is hampered by the absence of appropriate animal models: there has been no animal model for HCV infection/pathogenesis except for the chimpanzee. In contrast, a number of transgenic mouse lines carrying the cDNA of the HCV genome have been established and evaluated in the study of HCV pathogenesis. The studies using transgenic mouse models, in which the HCV proteins such as the core protein are expressed, indicate the direct pathogenicity of HCV, including oncogenic activities. HCV transgenic mouse models also show a close relationship between HCV and some hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations such as hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance or Sjögren's syndrome. A crucial role of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of liver disease in HCV infection has been demonstrated, implying hepatitis C to be a metabolic disease. Besides the data connecting liver fibrosis progression and the disturbance in lipid and glucose metabolisms in hepatitis C patients, a series of evidence was found showing the association between these two conditions and HCV infection, chiefly using transgenic mouse carrying the HCV genome. Furthermore, the persistent activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐α has recently been found, yielding dramatic changes in the lipid metabolism and oxidative stress overproduction in cooperation with the mitochondrial dysfunction. These results would provide a clue for further understanding of the role of lipid metabolism in pathogenesis of hepatitis C including liver injury and hepatocarcinogenesis.
Pregnancy and chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Sinha Swati , Kumar Manoj
Published: January 2010

The combination of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and pregnancy presents unique management questions. Aspects of care that need to be considered include effects of hepatitis B on pregnancy, effects of pregnancy itself on the course of hepatitis B infection, treatment of hepatitis B during pregnancy and prevention of mother‐to‐infant transmission. Chronic HBV infection is usually mild in pregnant women, but may flare shortly after delivery. Effect of HBV infection on pregnancy outcomes are generally favorable, but may depend on severity of liver disease. Mother‐to‐infant transmission can be minimized by current immunoprophylaxis strategies, however, high levels of viremia in mothers may be a factor in the small but reproducible failure rate of current immunoprophylaxis strategies. Use of antivirals during pregnancy needs to be individualized. Careful planning and management of pregnancy must be done among patients with chronic HBV infection.
Geographical and genetic diversity of the human hepatitis B virus
Authors: Kurbanov Fuat , Tanaka Yasuhito , Mizokami Masashi
Published: January 2010

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most widely distributed viruses that infect humankind. Distinct clinical and virological characteristics of the HBV‐infection have been reported in different geographical parts of the world and are increasingly associated with genetic diversity of the infecting virus. HBV is classified into genotypes and subgenotypes that are associated with ethnicity and geography. The genetic diversity of HBV in its various aspects has been the subject of extensive investigations during the last few decades. Since molecular epidemiology research tools have become widely available, the number of new publications in this field has grown exponentially. This review summarises the recent publications on the geographical distribution of genetic variants of HBV, and proposes updated criteria for the identification of new genotypes and subgenotypes of the virus.
Isotopic composition and origin of lacustrine brines in the Arctic
Authors: Pagé P. , Michaud J. , Ouellet M. , Dickman M.
Published: January 2010

Meromictic lakes in the Arctic Archipelago were analyzed to determine whether the isotope content of the water molecule might confirm their oceanic origin. The 25 m bottom layer of Lake Garrow, on Little Cornwallis Island, is filled with a homogeneous sodium chloride solution with 2.6 times the chloride concentration of seawater (52 g L−1). Its δ18O value is around −10‰ with respect to V-SMOW, and its δ2H is eight times the oxygen value (~ −85‰). In Lake Sophia on Cornwallis Island, the deep stratum (25 m thick) is less concentrated (35 g L−1 Cl−1) and shows slightly higher δ18O and δ2H values (−9 and −75‰, respectively).Chemocline and surficial waters result from mixing between bottom waters and meteoric waters. The chemical and isotopic signals are interpreted as evidence of diagenesis through subpermafrost or intrapermafrost freezing of aquifers once filled with seawater, at some time during postglacial emergence.
Sense of displacement on the Cobequid–Chedabucto fault system, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Mawer C. K. , White J. C.
Published: January 2010

The Cobequid–Chedabucto fault system of the Canadian Appalachians is a major anastomosing fault system over 300 km in length. It separates the Meguma Terrane of southern Nova Scotia from the Avalon Terrane to the north. These terranes are distinct tectonic and lithological entities in the Appalachian Orogen. Two areas at either end of this fault system have been examined in detail to determine the sense and history of offset along it. Both areas are situated on major component fault zones of the system, and both exhibit structures due to early intense ductile shearing that are overprinted by semi-brittle to brittle structures caused by later faulting. Along the eastern Chedabucto fault zone (area A), ductile structures were examined. This area is characterized by the progressive development of S–C textures and shear bands, rotated syntectonic porphyroblasts, and asymmetric minor folds, features indicative of and caused by ductile shearing. Along the western Cobequid fault zone (area B), semi-brittle and brittle structures were studied. A distinctive asymmetric geometrical package of faults, self-similar at a variety of scales, is developed throughout this part of the fault system. Ductile and brittle displacement sense (kinematic) indicators at both sites indicate a protracted history of dextral strike-slip movement. No evidence was observed for major sinistral movement.
Pearya: a composite terrane with Caledonian affinities in northern Ellesmere Island
Authors: Trettin H. P.
Published: January 2010

In Ellesmere Island, the Canadian Shield and Arctic Platform are flanked on the northwest by the lower Paleozoic Franklinian mobile belt, which comprises an unstable shelf (miogeocline) and a deep-water basin, divisible into an inner sedimentary belt and an outer sedimentary–volcanic belt. Both are tied to the shelf by interlocking facies changes, but additional exotic units may be present in the outer belt.Pearya, bordering the deep-water basin on the northwest, is divisible into four successions. Succession I comprises sedimentary and(?) volcanic rocks, deformed, metamorphosed to amphibolite grade, and intruded by granitic plutons at 1.0–1.1 Ga. Succession II consists mainly of platformal sediments (carbonates, quartzite, mudrock), with smaller proportions of mafic and siliceous volcanics, diamictite, and chert ranging in age from Late Proterozoic (Hadrynian) to latest Cambrian or Early Ordovician. Its concealed contact with succession I is tentatively interpreted as an angular unconformity. Succession III (Lower to Middle Ordovician?) includes arc-type and ocean-floor volcanics, chert, mudrock, and carbonates and is associated with fault slices of Lower Ordovician (Arenig) ultramafic–mafic complexes–possibly dismembered ophiolites. The faulted contact of succession III and the ultramafics with succession II is unconformably overlapped by succession IV, 7–8 km of volcanic and sedimentary rocks ranging in age from late Middle Ordovician (Blackriverian = early Caradoc) to Late Silurian (late Ludlow?). The angular unconformity at the base of succession IV represents the early Middle Ordovician (Llandeilo–Llanvirn) M'Clintock Orogeny, which was accompanied by metamorphism up to amphibolite grade and granitic plutonism. Pearya is related to the Appalachian–Caledonian mobile belt by the Grenville age of its basement, the age of its ultramafic–mafic complexes, and evidence for a Middle Ordovician orogeny, comparable in age and character to the Taconic. By contrast, the Franklinian mobile belt has a Lower Proterozoic (Aphebian) – Archean basement and was not deformed in the Ordovician. Stratigraphic–structural evidence suggests that Pearya was transported by sinistral strike slip as three or more slices and accreted to the Franklinian deep-water basin in the Late Silurian under intense deformation. The inferred sinistral motion is compatible with derivation from the northern Caledonides.
U–Pb age determinations on Proterozoic to Devonian rocks from northern Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada
Authors: Trettin H. P. , Parrish R. , Loveridge W. D.
Published: January 2010

This paper presents age determinations on six units of the Franklinian deep-water basin and the Pearya Terrane of northern Ellmere Island and discusses their tectonic implications.Four different fractions of detrital zircon from the Lower Cambrian Grant Land Formation of the deep-water basin all have average 207Pb/206Pb ages of 2.2–2.4 Ga, suggesting that the sediments were derived mainly from Aphebian–Archean parts of the Canadian Shield rather than from the Neohelikian crystalline basement of Pearya, as assumed earlier. The first evidence for Ordovician arc-type volcanism in the northern part of the deep-water basin is provided by a Llandeilo(?) zircon age of [Formula: see text] but the fault-bounded volcanic unit could be exotic.Four major stratigraphic successions are recognized in Pearya. Present zircon studies confirm that succession I has been affected by a 1.0–1.1 Ga orogeny, as inferred earlier by Sinha and Frisch from a Rb–Sr isochron. A zircon age of [Formula: see text] on a rhyolite demonstrates that succession II extended into the Late Cambrian or Early Ordovician.Granitic intrusions in the Pearya Terrane, at Cape Richards and Cape Woods, are, respectively, Middle Ordovician (463 ± 5 Ma) and Devonian (382 ± 18 Ma or, more likely, 390 ± 10 Ma) in age on the basis of combined zircon and sphene determinations. They are post-tectonic with regard to major deformations in the Middle Ordovician and Late Silurian. Both have a significant component of xenocrystic zircon, which appears to have been derived from succession I of Pearya on the basis of upper intercept ages.