bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depletion of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells enhances interleukin‐2‐induced antitumor immunity in a mouse model of colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Imai Hisashi , Saio Masanao , Nonaka Kenichi , Suwa Tatsuhiko , Umemura Naoki , Ouyang Guan‐Feng , Nakagawa Jiro , Tomita Hiroyuki , Osada Shinji , Sugiyama Yasuyuki , Adachi Yosuke , Takami Tsuyoshi
Published: January 2007

Interleukin 2 (IL)‐2 induces antitumor immunity and clinical responses in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. However, IL‐2 also increases the number of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells that suppress antitumor immune responses. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effect of depletion of Treg cells on IL‐2‐induced antitumor immunity. IL‐2‐transfected mouse colon adenocarcinoma (MC38/IL‐2) cells were implanted subcutaneously or intrahepatically into male C57BL/6 mice, and tumor growth and the proportion of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes with Treg‐cell depletion in response to treatment with anti‐CD25 monoclonal antibody (PC61) were determined. In mice treated with phosphate‐buffered saline, 40–60% of MC38/IL‐2 tumors were rejected. In contrast, all MC38/IL‐2 tumors were rejected in mice treated with PC61. The number of tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ T cells in mice treated with PC61 was approximately twice that in mice treated with PBS. The numbers of tumor‐infiltrating CD4+ and natural killer cells were also increased significantly. To test the antimetastatic effects of IL‐2 treatment in combination with Treg‐cell depletion, human recombinant IL‐2 (rIL‐2) and PC61 were administered to mice implanted with MC38/mock cells in the spleen, and hepatic metastasis was investigated. The average liver weight in mice treated with rIL‐2 plus PC61 was 1.04 ± 0.03 g, less than that in mice treated with rIL‐2 (2.04 ± 0.51 g) or PC61 alone (1.81 ± 0.38 g). We conclude that IL‐2‐induced antitumor immunity is enhanced by Treg‐cell depletion and is due to expansion of the tumor‐infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T‐cell population. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 416–423)
Genomic profiling of malignant pleural mesothelioma with array‐based comparative genomic hybridization shows frequent non‐random chromosomal alteration regions including JUN amplification on 1p32
Authors: Taniguchi Tetsuo , Karnan Sivasundaram , Fukui Takayuki , Yokoyama Toshihiko , Tagawa Hiroyuki , Yokoi Kohei , Ueda Yuichi , Mitsudomi Tetsuya , Horio Yoshitsugu , Hida Toyoaki , Yatabe Yasushi , Seto Masao , Sekido Yoshitaka
Published: January 2007

Genome‐wide array‐based comparative genomic hybridization analysis of malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPM) was carried out to identify regions that display DNA copy number alterations. Seventeen primary tumors and nine cell lines derived from 22 individuals were studied, some of them originating from the same patients. Regions of genomic aberrations observed in >20% of individuals were 1q, 5p, 7p, 8q24 and 20p with gains, and 1p36.33, 1p36.1, 1p21.3, 3p21.3, 4q22, 4q34‐qter, 6q25, 9p21.3, 10p, 13q33.2, 14q32.13, 18q and 22q with losses. Two regions at 1p32.1 and 11q22 showed a high copy gain. The 1p32.1 region contained a protooncogene, JUN, and we further demonstrated overexpression of JUN with real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis. As MPM cell lines did not overexpress JUN, our findings suggested that induction of JUN expression was involved in the development of MPM cells in vivo, which also might result in gene amplification in a subset of MPM. Meanwhile, the most frequent alteration was the 9p21.3 deletion, which includes the p16INK4a/p14ARF locus. With polymerase chain reaction analysis, we determined the extent of the homozygous deletion regions of the p16INK4a/p14ARF locus in MPM cell lines, which indicated that the deletion regions varied among cell lines. Our results with array comparative genomic hybridization analysis provide new insights into the genetic background of MPM, and also give some clues to develop a new molecular target therapy for MPM. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 438–446)
Evidence of a novel antiapoptotic factor: Role of inhibitor of differentiation or DNA binding (Id‐1) in anticancer drug‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Xiaomeng , Ling Ming‐Tat , Wong Yong‐Chuan , Wang Xianghong
Published: January 2007

Id‐1 (inhibitor of differentiation or DNA binding), a member of the basic helix‐loop‐helix transcription factor family, is up‐regulated in many types of human cancer and its expression levels are correlated with poor treatment outcome and shorter survival. In this study, we provided evidence to suggest that Id‐1 is a universal survival factor that plays a key role in protection against anticancer drug‐induced apoptosis. Using nine anticancer drugs and five cancer cell lines derived from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (CNE1), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), breast cancer (MCF7), hepatocarcinoma (Huh7) and prostate cancer (PC3), we found that down‐regulation of Id‐1 expression at both transcriptional and protein levels was associated with increased apoptosis rates and increased cleaved PARP after exposure to all anticancer agents. Treatment with a caspase 9 inhibitor, Z‐LEHD‐FMK, protected cancer cells from drug‐induced PARP cleavage. However, overexpression of Id‐1 in a p53 mutated cell line, CNE1, was able to suppress PARP cleavage in response to all anticancer drugs examined. In contrast, down‐regulation of Id‐1 through small RNA technology in CNE1 cells led to increased sensitivity to all six types of chemotherapeutic drugs. Our results demonstrate that Id‐1 may be a general negative regulator of anticancer drug‐induced apoptosis and suggest a novel therapeutic target in inducing chemosensitization in cancer cells. Our evidence also provides a possible underlying mechanism responsible for the positive role of Id‐1 in the progression of human cancer. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 308–314)
Non‐conventional uses of the Aintree Intubating Catheter in management of the difficult airway
Authors: Cook T. M. , Seller C. , Gupta K. , Thornton M. , O'Sullivan E.
Published: January 2007

We present 14 cases, of which three have been previously reported, in which non‐conventional use was made of the Aintree Intubating Catheter (AIC). In seven cases the AIC was used via a ProSeal Laryngeal mask airway (PLMA™). Two patients had anticipated difficult intubation, two unexpected difficult intubation and two required rescue of an obstructed airway prior to AIC‐assisted intubation. In two cases of tracheal stenosis the AIC was used as a ‘long narrow tracheal tube’ during fibre‐optic intubation: the AIC facilitated passage through the narrowed trachea and smooth railroading of a tracheal tube. In two cases the AIC was used in an awake patient. In three cases the AIC was used successfully despite gross laryngeal oedema. In three cases attempted AIC deployment failed: two patients had undergone radiotherapy to the mouth and PLMA placement failed; in the third, supraglottic oedema prevented visualisation of the larynx. The AIC via an LMA Classic™ was successful in one of these cases. In all cases where the larynx was visualised the AIC was rapidly successful without complications. In eight cases the anaesthetist had no experience of the technique outside workshops. These cases demonstrate general utility of the technique and successful use of the AIC via the PLMA, in awake patients, as an adjunct to fibre‐optic intubation and in patients with an oedematous larynx. Finally, cases where the combination of the PLMA and AIC was unsuccessful demonstrate the technique, like many, is not always successful.
Minimum and optimum light output of Macintosh size 3 laryngoscopy blades: a manikin study*
Authors: Scholz A. , Farnum N. , Wilkes A. R. , Hampson M. A. , Hall J. E.
Published: January 2007

Illumination provided by laryngoscope blades varies widely. It is not known what the optimum level of illumination should be during laryngoscopy. So far, no published standards exist for light intensity provided by laryngoscopes. Fifty anaesthetists were recruited to perform laryngoscopy on a manikin with three different laryngoscopes attached to a variable voltage supply. Anaesthetists were asked to find the minimum and optimum level of light they would wish to have for intubation. This study demonstrated that anaesthetists can see the larynx at very low light levels. The optimum level was significantly greater than the minimum level. The vacuum bulb laryngoscopes provides a significant lower light output than halogen and xenon laryngoscopes. There is a large variation in illumination requirements amongst anaesthetists which may make setting standards difficult. A brighter laryngoscope, as suggested by some manufacturers, may not necessarily be a better one.
Peri‐operative atrioventricular block as a result of chemotherapy with epirubicin and paclitaxel
Authors: Wheeler D. W. , Liew T. V. , Bailey A. R.
Published: January 2007

A 47‐year‐old woman presented for mastectomy and immediate latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction having been diagnosed with carcinoma of the breast 6 months previously. In the preceding months she had received neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin, paclitaxel (Taxol®) and cyclophosphamide. This had been apparently uncomplicated and she had maintained a remarkably high level of physical activity. She was found to be bradycardic at pre‐operative assessment but had no cardiac symptoms. Second degree Mobitz type II atrioventricular block was diagnosed on electrocardiogram, and temporary transvenous ventricular pacing instituted in the peri‐operative period. We discuss how evidence‐based guidelines would not have been helpful in this case, and how chemotherapy can exhibit substantial cardiotoxicity that may develop over many years. We suggest that patients who have received chemotherapy at any time should have a pre‐operative electrocardiogram even if they are asymptomatic.
Composite splenic marginal zone lymphoma and classic Hodgkin lymphoma – an unusual combination
Authors: ELMAHY H. , HAWLEY I. , BEARD J.
Published: January 2007

The simultaneous occurrence of Hodgkin lymphoma with a variety of B‐cell Non‐Hodgkin lymphomas (composite lymphoma) has been described. We report the first case of composite Hodgkin lymphoma and splenic marginal zone lymphoma occurring simultaneously in the same lymph node of a 64‐year‐old man who presented with cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy and massive splenomegaly. He had a peripheral blood lymphocytosis and a bone marrow infiltrated by small lymphocytes. However, cervical lymph node biopsy showed classic Hodgkin lymphoma. His splenomegaly showed only a partial response to six cycles of ABVD chemotherapy so he underwent splenectomy with biopsy of remaining nodes. Histology of the spleen and nodes showed splenic marginal zone lymphoma. Review of the original biopsy confirmed the presence of both diseases in the original lymph node.
Stress response of a freshwater clam along an abiotic gradient: too much oxygen may limit distribution
Authors: JOYNER‐MATOS JOANNA , CHAPMAN LAUREN J. , DOWNS CRAIG A. , HOFER TIM , LEEUWENBURGH CHRISTIAAN , JULIAN DAVID
Published: January 2007

Distribution and abundance patterns are influenced by cellular responses to abiotic stressors.

The freshwater clamSphaeriumsp. inhabits swamp/stream systems in Uganda, in which dissolved O2(DO), pH and water transparency form ecotonal gradients along tributary streams. Along a swamp/stream transect, clam abundance was negatively related to DO, pH and transparency; clams were most abundant in the hypoxic/acidic swamp, less abundant in the ecotone, and absent from stream sites (neutral pH and higher DO).

We tested the hypothesis that individuals living in low abundance at the distribution edge have increased stress by assessing cellular‐level stress indicators in clams from four sites: dense swamp interior (reference site), swamp margin, ecotone and stream. Compared with swamp interior clams, stream clams had decreased RNA : DNA ratio (decreased protein synthesis and growth) and increased DNA and RNA oxidation (free radical damage). Of seven stress proteins related to general damage and free radical detoxification, expression of nearly all were higher in margin and ecotone clams than in swamp interior or stream clams.

This pattern, which includes the first measurement of DNA and RNA oxidation in a natural population, demonstrates that stress increases along the transect, inversely to clam abundance. Additionally, this pattern is consistent with free radical stress, which suggests that inhabiting swamp conditions minimizes oxidative damage in this species.
Low temperature limits of root growth in deciduous and evergreen temperate tree species
Authors: ALVAREZ‐URIA P. , KÖRNER C.
Published: January 2007

To assess low temperature limits of root growth in woody plants from periodically cold climates, we exposed seedlings of broadleaved and conifer taxa to contrasting soil temperature gradients under unlimited nutrient supply.

Five of the six species tested (Alnus viridis, Alnus glutinosa, Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus cembra) produced hardly any (<3%) new roots at temperatures below 6 °C, while Betula pendula did produce a few roots. Across all species, 85% of all new roots in the cold profile were confined to the rooting zone above 9 °C. Total root production in the gradual 16 to 2 °C temperature profile was only 40% of that obtained at a constant temperature of 16 °C.

New shoot growth (21–23 °C) was unaffected by these soil temperature differences. Neither specific root length nor root width responded to treatments. Low and high elevation taxa did not differ in any of the traits or responses tested.

Given that shoots were experiencing optimal conditions, the root data suggest a direct growth (sink) limitation by low temperatures during spring at low elevation, and potentially year‐round limitation at the high‐elevation climatic treeline. The critical temperature for significant root growth is ≈6 °C, which is close to the worldwide mean soil temperature at climatic treelines.
Habitat avoidance and speciation for phytophagous insect specialists
Authors: FEDER JEFFREY L. , FORBES ANDREW A.
Published: January 2007

Models of sympatric speciation via host shifting for phytophagous insect specialists are based on a synergistic feedback between habitat‐specific mating and performance genes. Under these models, insects are presumed to choose host plants based on the cumulative, additive effects of attraction alleles at one or several host preference loci.

Host choice for insects may not be based solely on attraction genes, however. Habitat avoidance may also play an important role in host use and the evolutionary implications of avoidance may differ from attraction. Insects that are heterozygous for avoidance alleles to alternate host plants may be behaviourally conflicted and have difficulty accepting any suitable host to feed, mate or oviposit on in a timely manner.

Here, we perform computer simulations of a three locus, epistatic model for ecological specialization involving host attraction, avoidance and performance genes. We show that the role habitat avoidance potentially plays in sympatric speciation is predicated on the strength of host‐specific mating and fitness trade‐offs.

When host discrimination and performance trade‐offs are relatively strong, avoidance alleles that reduce the host‐finding ability of hybrids (heterozygotes) can be favoured by selection and drive sympatric divergence to completion. The effect is similar to reinforcement, except that habitat avoidance not only strengthens pre‐zygotic barriers to gene flow, but also causes post‐zygotic isolation due to the behavioural sterility of hybrids.

In contrast, when host discrimination and performance trade‐offs are weak, avoidance alleles with negative fitness effects in hybrids tend to be eliminated from populations. Habitat avoidance genes under these conditions are therefore akin to attraction alleles, increasing in frequency only if they have minimal or no detrimental effects on hybrids.
The potential of cropping systems and soil amendments for carbon sequestration in soils under long‐term experiments in subtropical India
Authors: MANDAL B. , MAJUMDER B. , BANDYOPADHYAY P. K. , HAZRA G. C. , GANGOPADHYAY A. , SAMANTARAY R. N. , MISHRA A. K. , CHAUDHURY J. , SAHA M. N. , KUNDU S.
Published: January 2007

An understanding of the dynamics of carbon (C) stock in soils, as impacted by management strategies, is necessary to identify the pathways of C sequestration in soils and for maintaining soil organic C (SOC) at a level critical for upkeeping soil health and also for restraining global warming. This is more important in tropical and subtropical region where soils are inherently low in organic C content and the production system is fragile. We evaluated the long‐term role of crop residue C inputs to soil in SOC sequestration and also the critical value of C inputs for maintenance of SOC across five different rice‐based cropping systems and four soil management practices including a fallow (no cultivation since initiation of the experiments) using five long‐term (7–36 years) fertility experiments in subtropical India. Croppingper sealways caused a net depletion of SOC. Such depletion was inversely proportional to the amount of crop residue C incorporated into the soils (r=−0.92,P=0.001). Balanced fertilization with NPK, however, caused an enrichment (9.3–51.8% over the control) of SOC, its extent being influenced by the cropping systems. Long‐term application of organic amendments (5–10 Mg ha−1 yr−1) through farmyard manure (FYM) or compost could increase SOC hardly by 10.7% constituting only 18% of the applied C, the rest getting lost through oxidation. The total quantity of soil C sequestered varied from −11.5 to 14.5 Mg C ha−1and was linearly related (r2=0.40,P=0.005) with cumulative crop residue C inputs to the soils. On an average, the rate of its conversion to SOC came out to be 6.4%. This was more in presence of added organics (6.9%) than in its absence (4.2%). For sustenance of SOC level (zero change due to cropping) we found that a minimum quantity of 2.9 Mg C is required to be added per hectare per annum as inputs. The cropping systems and the management practices that could provide C input higher than the above critical level are likely to sustain the SOC level and maintain good soil health in the subtropical regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Identifying reading problems with computer‐adaptive assessments
Authors: Merrell C. , Tymms P.
Published: January 2007

Abstract
This paper describes the development of an adaptive assessment called Interactive Computerised Assessment System (InCAS) that is aimed at children of a wide age and ability range to identify specific reading problems. Rasch measurement has been used to create the equal interval scales that form each part of the assessment. The rationale for the structure and content of InCAS is discussed and then different formats of feedback supplied to teachers are explained. This feedback is accompanied by research‐based strategies for remediation, following the principle of ‘assessment for learning’, which promotes the provision of feedback on how to improve.
Learning gains associated with annotation and communication software designed for large undergraduate classes
Authors: Wentling T. L. , Park J. , Peiper C.
Published: January 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore the potential of annotation and communication software (eFuzion) developed for the improvement of students' learning and to determine the effectiveness of the software. eFuzion is designed to be useful in a significantly large classroom by allowing instructors and teaching assistants to provide immediate responses to students' questions and to provide a broader array of options for the lucid presentation of complex concepts. To determine the effectiveness of the software, two groups that took the same course were compared in terms of their learning scores, one group having used the software, the other having not used it. In the three measures of learning, the students who used the software showed significantly higher learning scores than students who did not use it. In addition, students indicated that they felt closer to the instructor and that their understanding of the lecture material was increased by using the software. The results imply that the software has great potential for improving students' learning when it is appropriately used and free of technical difficulties.
Linking growth strategies to long‐term population dynamics in a guild of desert annuals
Authors: ANGERT A. L. , HUXMAN T. E. , BARRON‐GAFFORD G. A. , GERST K. L. , VENABLE D. L.
Published: January 2007

Combining long‐term observational studies with comparative physiological ecology can yield a deeper understanding of the contribution of individual function to population and community dynamics. Sonoran Desert winter annuals exhibit striking year‐to‐year variation in population dynamics that is driven by variable precipitation, but species differ in the strength of demographic response to precipitation and hence in the degree of temporal variance in population dynamics. To understand the physiological mechanisms of differing population dynamic responses to environmental variation, we investigated interspecific differences in functional traits that mediate responsiveness to precipitation.

We conducted sequential harvests throughout the growing season to examine relative growth rate and biomass allocation patterns. We then related growth parameters to leaf‐level carbon isotope discrimination (a time‐integrated measure of water‐use efficiency) and long‐term demographic variation.

We hypothesized that water‐use efficiency should trade‐off with rapid growth rates. Furthermore, we hypothesized that species having efficient water use should have buffered population dynamics in dry years but sacrifice high growth and fecundity in wet years, resulting in low long‐term variance in demographic success. Conversely, species with high growth capacity should be very responsive to infrequent periods of high precipitation and thus exhibit high temporal variance.

Species differed in seasonal relative growth rate and allocation patterns. Species with the highest relative growth rates rapidly deployed large leaf area displays following mid‐season rainfall. Species with intermediate relative growth rates exhibited high biomass assimilation rates per unit leaf area. Species with low relative growth rates exhibited low leaf area ratios and low assimilation rates per unit leaf area.

Relative growth rate was positively related to leaf carbon isotope discrimination, consistent with a trade‐off between growth rate and water‐use efficiency.

Seasonal relative growth rate did not predict long‐term demographic variance. However, leaf area plasticity in response to precipitation was positively related to long‐term demographic variance. Our results illustrate how morphological and physiological traits influence demographic tracking of environmental variability and demonstrate how species differences in functional strategies determine population and community dynamics.
Effects of rooting volume and nutrient availability as an alternative explanation for root self/non‐self discrimination
Authors: HESS LINDE , DE KROON HANS
Published: January 2007

An increasing number of studies have shown that plants produce more root mass when sharing rooting space with an intraspecific neighbour as compared with plants growing alone. This so‐called self/non‐self discrimination has been suggested as a mechanism by which plants may prevent wasteful competition with their own roots and enhance their competitive ability for nutrients with roots of neighbouring plants. The overproduction of root biomass is said to result in a ‘tragedy of the commons’, because it appears to occur at the expense of reproductive biomass.

Studies on self/non‐self root discrimination have commonly used a split‐root design to distinguish self from non‐self competition, while keeping the total amount of nutrients available per plant the same. This design has recently been criticized because the rooting volume differs between treatments.

Here, we use three general hypotheses to explain the published results without invoking the mechanism of self/non‐self discrimination. The hypotheses propose that differences in root mass are due to differences in rooting volume, and differences in nutrient availability determine whole plant growth. More root mass without more growth results in less reproductive biomass.

A reanalysis of the results of root self/non‐self discrimination confirms these hypotheses. Root overproduction in the presence of another plant, as found in nearly all studies, is consistent with effects of a larger soil volume available to these plants as compared with plants growing alone. Under the same total nutrient availability, total plant weight was the same or higher when more roots were produced. Inevitably, a larger root production with the same total biomass implies that less reproductive biomass is produced.

Although our analysis can explain most of the results of the split‐root experiments, we cannot rule out the possibility that self/non‐self root discrimination did take place. We discuss a limited set of experiments for which volume effects cannot explain the results, suggesting, in fact, that direct self/non‐self root interactions have operated. We suggest experimental designs that can demonstrate their ecological significance in the future.

We conclude that there is ample evidence that plants can sense the volume of available rooting space, and a limited number of studies on individual roots show that plant roots may sense the identity of neighbouring roots and respond accordingly. The significance of these responses for whole plant growth and reproduction in relation to well‐known resource competition effects is yet largely unknown and in urgent need of further study.
Carbohydrate storage enhances seedling shade and stress tolerance in a neotropical forest
Authors: MYERS JONATHAN A. , KITAJIMA KAORU
Published: January 2007

To survive in forest understoreys, seedlings must depend on carbohydrate reserves when they experience negative carbon balance imposed by occasional light reduction and tissue loss to herbivores and diseases. We present the first experimental evidence in support of this hypothesis, using seven woody neotropical species.

We transplanted seedlings that had recently expanded their first photosynthetic cotyledon or leaf to the forest understorey (1% of full sun) and quantified initial biomass and total non‐structural carbohydrate (TNC) in stems, roots and storage cotyledons. We then randomly assigned seedlings to control and two stress treatments: light reduction (0.08% of full sun for 8 weeks) and complete defoliation.

First‐year survival of control seedlings, a comparative measure of shade tolerance, differed widely among species. The two stress treatments reduced survival and relative growth rates (RGR) of all species. Shade‐tolerant species were little impacted by the stress treatments, whereas the two least shade‐tolerant species experienced 100% mortality.

In all treatments, 8‐week and first‐year survival was positively correlated with initial TNC pool size in stems and roots. By contrast, survival was generally not correlated with initial TNC concentration in any organ, TNC pools in cotyledons, seed mass or seedling biomass.

TNC in stems and roots, but not in cotyledons, decreased in response to light reduction and defoliation over 8 weeks. Leaf area recovery of defoliated seedlings was positively correlated with initial TNC pools in stems and roots.

First‐year survival in each treatment was negatively correlated with 0–8 week RGR of control seedlings, suggesting higher stress tolerance of species with inherently slow growth rates in shade. RGR of control seedlings from 0 to 8 weeks was negatively correlated with initial TNC pools, but not concentrations, in stems and roots. After 8 weeks, RGR was positive for all species, without clear relationships with survival or TNC.

We conclude that carbohydrate storage in stems and roots enhances long‐term survival in shade by enabling seedlings to cope with periods of biotic and abiotic stress. Carbohydrate storage is a key functional trait that can explain species differences in growth and survival that lead to species coexistence through niche assembly processes and life‐history trade‐offs.
Phytochrome mediates germination responses to multiple seasonal cues
Authors: DONOHUE KATHLEEN , HESCHEL M. SHANE , CHIANG GEORGE C.K. , BUTLER COLLEEN M. , BARUA DEEPAK
Published: January 2007

We identified a new role of phytochrome in mediating germination responses to seasonal cues and thereby identified for the first time a gene involved in maternal environmental effects on germination. We examined the germination responses of a mutant, hy2‐1, which is deficient in the phytochrome chromophore. The background genotype, Landsberg erecta (Ler), lacked dormancy in most treatments, while hy2‐1 required cold stratification for germination in a manner that resembled a more dormant ecotype, Columbia (Col). Unlike Col, hy2‐1 was not induced into dormancy by warm stratification. Therefore, the down‐regulation of phytochrome‐mediated germination pathways results in sensitivity to cold, but we found no evidence that reduced phytochrome activity enables the warm‐induction of dormancy. Cool temperatures during seed maturation induced dormancy. The hy2‐1 mutants did not overcome this dormancy, indicating that phytochrome‐mediated pathways are required to break cold‐induced dormancy. Ler did not respond to post‐stratification temperature, but hy2‐1 did respond, suggesting phytochrome pathways are involved in germination responses to temperature. In summary, phytochromes mediate dormancy and germination responses to seasonal cues experienced both during seed maturation and after dispersal. Phytochromes therefore appear to be involved in mediating seasonal germination timing, a trait of great ecological importance and one that is under strong natural selection.
Biophysical properties and functional significance of stem water storage tissues in Neotropical savanna trees
Authors: SCHOLZ FABIAN G. , BUCCI SANDRA J. , GOLDSTEIN GUILLERMO , MEINZER FREDERICK C. , FRANCO AUGUSTO C. , MIRALLES‐WILHELM FERNANDO
Published: January 2007

Biophysical characteristics of sapwood and outer parenchyma water storage compartments were studied in stems of eight dominant Brazilian Cerrado tree species to assess the impact of differences in tissue capacitance on whole‐plant water relations. The rate of decline in tissue water potential with relative water content (RWC) was greater in the outer parenchyma than in the sapwood for most of the species, resulting in tissue‐and species‐specific differences in capacitance. Sapwood capacitance on a tissue volume basis ranged from 40 to 160 kg m−3 MPa−1, whereas outer parenchyma capacitance ranged from 25 to only 60 kg m−3 MPa−1. In addition, osmotic potentials at full turgor and at the turgor loss point were more negative for the outer parenchyma compared with the sapwood, and the maximum bulk elastic modulus was higher for the outer parenchyma than for the sapwood. Sapwood capacitance decreased linearly with increasing sapwood density across species, but there was no significant correlation between outer parenchyma capacitance and tissue density. Midday leaf water potential, the total hydraulic conductance of the soil/leaf pathway and stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs) all increased with stem volumetric capacitance, or with the relative contribution of stored water to total daily transpiration. However, the difference between the pre‐dawn water potential of non‐transpiring leaves and the weighted average soil water potential, a measure of the water potential disequilibrium between the plant and soil, increased asymptotically with total stem capacitance across species, implying that overnight recharge of water storage compartments was incomplete in species with greater capacitance. Overall, stem capacitance contributes to homeostasis in the diurnal and seasonal water balance of Cerrado trees.
Long‐term effects of leisure time physical activity on risk of insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance, allowing for body weight history, in Danish men
Authors: Berentzen T. , Petersen L. , Pedersen O. , Black E. , Astrup A. , Sørensen T. I. A.
Published: January 2007

Aims To determine if the level of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in young adulthood in obese and non‐obese men reduces the risk of insulin resistance (IR) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in middle age, and if such an effect is explained by the current level of LTPA, or by the body mass index (BMI) history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA.

Methods Longitudinal study of groups of obese and randomly selected non‐obese men identified at around age 19, and re‐examined at mean ages of 32, 44 and 51. BMI was measured at all four examinations. LTPA was assessed by self‐administrated questionnaires at the last three examinations. IR and the presence of IGT was determined by an oral glucose tolerance test at the last examination.

Results LTPA in young adulthood reduced the risk of IR and IGT in middle age throughout the range of BMI. Adjustment for the BMI history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA attenuated the association with IR and IGT, but active men remained at low risk of IR and IGT. Adjustment for subsequent and current levels of LTPA, smoking habits, alcohol intake, educational level and family history of diabetes had no notable influence on the results.

Conclusion LTPA appears to reduce the risk of IR and IGT, an effect which is not explained by the current level of physical activity, and only partially explained by the BMI history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA.
Stability of an empirical psychosocial taxonomy across type of diabetes and treatment
Authors: Nouwen A. , Breton M.‐C. , Urquhart Law G. , Descôteaux J.
Published: January 2007

Aims  The aims of the study were (i) to examine whether an empirical psychosocial taxonomy, based on key diabetes‐related variables, is independent of type of diabetes and treatment, and (ii) to further establish the external validation of the taxonomy.

Methods  In a cross‐sectional study, 82 patients with Type 1 and 86 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were assigned to one of three psychosocial patient profiles based on their Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire (MDQ) scores. General psychological and diabetes‐specific measures were obtained through self‐report and HbA1c was measured.

Results  Equal proportions of Type 1 and Type 2 patients, and of patients using insulin and oral medication/diet only were classified within each of the three psychosocial profiles. External validation confirmed the validity and distinctiveness of the patients’ profiles. The patient profiles were independent of demographic variables, body mass index, duration of diabetes, complexity of treatment, number of complications, social desirability, and major stress levels.

Conclusions  The Psychosocial Taxonomy for Patients with Diabetes provides a new way to categorize individuals who may have more in common than just their type of diabetes and/or its treatment and can help target interventions to individual patients’ needs.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, the metabolic syndrome and the risk of cardiovascular disease: the plot thickens
Authors: Targher G.
Published: January 2007

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects a substantial proportion of the general population and is frequently associated with many features of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Currently, the importance of NAFLD and its relationship with the MetS is being increasingly recognized, and this has stimulated an interest in the possible role of NAFLD in the development of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have reported the association of NAFLD with multiple classical and non‐classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moreover, there is a strong association between the severity of liver histopathology in NAFLD patients and greater carotid artery intima‐media thickness and plaque, and lower endothelial flow‐mediated vasodilation (as markers of subclinical atherosclerosis) independent of obesity and other MetS components. Finally, it has recently been demonstrated that NAFLD is associated with an increased risk of all‐cause death and predicts future CVD events independently of other prognostic factors, including MetS components. Overall, therefore, the evidence from these recent studies strongly emphasizes the importance of assessing the global CVD risk in patients with NAFLD. Moreover, these novel findings suggest a more complex picture and raise the possibility that NAFLD, as a component of the MetS, might not only be a marker but also an early mediator of CVD.
Bone loss in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Rigalleau V. , Lasseur C. , Raffaitin C. , Perlemoine C. , Barthe N. , Chauveau P. , Aparicio M. , Combe C. , Gin H.
Published: January 2007

Objective  We investigated whether loss of bone is detectable during follow‐up of diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Research design and methods  In 40 initially non‐dialysed diabetic patients with CKD (isotopic glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or albumin excretion rate > 30 mg/24 h), body composition (DEXA scan) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR determined from 51Cr‐EDTA clearance) were measured at a 2‐year interval, and compared by paired t‐tests.

Results  The 40 patients, mainly with Type 2 diabetes (n = 28), were men (n = 28), aged 65 ± 11 years, with diabetes duration 18 ± 11 years. GFR was initially 38.0 (range 8–89) ml/min/1.73 m2. CKD progressed during follow‐up: eight started haemodialysis and GFR declined in the 32 others (P < 0.05 vs. initial). T‐scores for total body (initial −0.61 ± 1.11, final −1.11 ± 1.40; P < 0.001) and femoral neck (initial −1.88 ± 0.15, final −2.07 ± 0.15; P < 0.05) declined. Ten patients were osteopaenic at baseline (no osteoporosis), whereas most were osteopaenic (n = 21, P < 0.05) and five were osteoporotic at final assessment. The 16 patients who became osteopaenic or osteoporotic during follow‐up did not differ from the others for the type of diabetes, age, GFR, albumin excretion rate, HbA1c, GFR reduction and the requirement for dialysis during follow‐up. They were all men (P < 0.01 by chi‐squared test), with reduced initial total body T‐score (−1.20 ± 0.82, others −0.32 ± 1.13; P < 0.05) and a lower body mass index (24.6 ± 4.3; others 27.7 ± 4.3; P < 0.05).

Conclusion  Bone loss, especially in the femoral neck, is progressive in diabetic patients with CKD.
Coaching Behaviors Associated With Changes in Fear of Failure: Changes in Self‐Talk and Need Satisfaction as Potential Mechanisms
Authors: Conroy David E. , Coatsworth J. Douglas
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT
Cognitive‐interpersonal and motivational mechanisms may regulate relations between youth perceptions of interpersonal aspects of the social ecology and their fear‐of‐failure (FF) levels. Youth (N=165) registered for a summer swim league rated their fear of failure at the beginning, middle, and end of the season. Extensive model comparisons indicated that youths' end‐of‐season ratings of coach behaviors could be reduced to three factors (affiliation, control, blame). Perceived control and blame from coaches predicted residualized change in corresponding aspects of youths' self‐talk, but only changes in self‐blame positively predicted changes in FF levels during the season. Perceived affiliation from coaches predicted autonomy need satisfaction which, in turn, negatively predicted the rate of change in FF levels during the season. These findings indicate that (a) youth perceptions of coaches were directly and indirectly related to acute socialization of FF and (b) both cognitive‐interpersonal and motivational mechanisms contributed to this socialization process. Further research is needed to test for developmental differences in these mechanisms to determine whether findings generalize to more heterogeneous and at‐risk populations and to investigate other potential social‐ecological influences on socialization.
Structure of Sectoral Decomposition of Aggregate Poverty Changes in Cameroon
Authors: Baye Francis Menjo
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  This paper reviews theoretical frameworks for sectoral decomposition and assesses the within‐ and between‐sector contributions to changes in aggregate poverty in Cameroon informed by the Shapley Value decomposition rule. Between 1984 and 1996 poverty remained a rural phenomenon in Cameroon. It became more widespread, deeper and severer in both rural and urban areas, but more so in urban than rural areas. While the within‐sector effects disproportionately accounted for the increase in poverty in the period 1984–96, the between‐sector contributions in both rural and semi‐urban areas played a mitigating role on the worse effects of the increase in poverty. These findings infer the potential positive feedback effects of migration such as remittances, and/or increases in rural consumption expenditure in the face of rural underemployment, as effective strategies used by migrants to lift their families and villages out of the worse effects of poverty. The implication of this interpretation is that decision‐makers need to better understand the factors that push or pull potential migrants. Rural–urban mobility could, therefore, be viewed as a strategy used by households to moderate the worse effects of poverty and a vector of shared growth. The implications for public policy, in terms of open unemployment and associated social and insecurity problems at the receiving end, point to the wisdom of addressing the push‐factors via targeting more in favour of rural areas.
The European Parliament in Treaty Reform: Predefining IGCs through Interinstitutional Agreements
Authors: Kietz Daniela , Maurer Andreas
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  Despite the fact that Interinstitutional Agreements (IIAs) are an established part of the mass of informal and formal rules structuring EU decision‐making and interinstitutional relations, there is as yet no common understanding of their role and functions in the institutional and legal system of the EU—neither in political science nor legal studies. Tracking the evolution of the European Parliament's competencies in three areas where IIAs figure prominently—comitology, legislative planning, and the establishment of procedures to hold the Commission accountable—this article seeks to show that the European Parliament strategically uses IIAs as instruments to wrest competencies from the Council and the Commission. Having no formal say in treaty reform, the European Parliament ‘creates facts’ through informal but politically binding IIAs hoping that, once established, it can achieve a later codification of its new rights at IGCs. Viewed this way, the analysis of the role of IIAs in Treaty Reform could help to explain a still under‐researched puzzle in European integration theory, namely the incremental parliamentarisation of the institutional system of the EU over the last two decades.
From ‘Interinstitutional Agreements’ to ‘Interinstitutional Agencies/Offices’?
Authors: Hummer Waldemar
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  This article tries to trace a line between Interinstitutional Agreements (IIAs) and Interinstitutional Agencies/Offices, recently established on the basis of the new ‘externalisation policy’ of the European Commission. Both phenomena serve, to a certain extent, to achieve the same objective, namely a smoother and more effective cooperation between the main institutions within the European Union. On the basis of an empirical documentation of more than 100 IIAs, the article classifies and assesses the extraordinary variety and diversity of IIAs collected in this compilation—according to their chronological distribution, number of parties involved in the conclusion, denomination, and substantial content. The evaluation of these IIAs first addresses the question of their permissibility, proceeding with the examination of their legal nature and effects. The article concludes by asking which of the two dichotomous instruments—IIAs or Interinstitutional Agencies/Offices—will prevail, and hence ensure a more expeditious discharge of the Commissions bureaucracy.
Karl Barth and the concursus Dei – A Chalcedonianism Too Far?
Authors: NIMMO PAUL T.
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  This article considers the account in the work of Karl Barth of the concursus Dei– that part of the doctrine of providence which deals with the fatherly lordship of God as it accompanies the free activity of the creature. In recent Barth literature, the term ‘Chalcedonian’ has regularly been used to describe Barth's construal of the concursus Dei, on the basis of the christocentric derivation of his doctrine of providence. Nevertheless, this article suggests that this particular use of christological vocabulary is unhelpful, and concludes that, on historical, material and methodological grounds, the term ‘Chalcedonian’ in this context should be avoided.
Augustine and Karl Rahner on the Relationship between the Immanent Trinity and the Economic Trinity
Authors: BENNER DRAYTON C.
Published: January 2007

Abstract:  Karl Rahner developed his influential axiom concerning the identity of the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity largely as a polemical reaction to their separation in the Western tradition, a tradition heavily shaped by Augustine. An analysis of Augustine's De Trinitate, however, reveals that Augustine was not guilty of most of the charges of which Rahner accuses him. Furthermore, Rahner's outworking of his fundamental axiom leads him into numerous difficulties that he could have avoided had he adhered to Augustine's view of a close but differentiated relationship between the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity.
Social security pensionable ages in OECD countries: 1949‐2035
Authors: Turner John
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the pensionable or early retirement age in social security in 23 OECD countries over the years 1949‐2035. The policies for future years are those in current law, with some not being fully effective until 2035. The paper documents a pattern of decreasing pensionable ages that reversed in the 1990s, with many countries raising pensionable ages since the beginning of that decade, though generally with future effective dates. Pensionable‐age policy provides insight into broader issues in social policy, such as whether social policies across countries have converged over time. The paper also examines the time pattern in the movement toward gender equality in social programmes.
Political Opposition and the European Union
Authors: Mair Peter
Published: January 2007

This paper applies categories developed in the classic literature on political opposition to the developing European Union. It is clear that the EU has never developed the third great milestone identified by Dahl in his analysis of the path to democratic institutions. That is, we still lack the capacity to organize opposition within the European polity. This failure to allow for opposition within the polity is likely to lead either (a) to the elimination of opposition altogether, or (b) to the mobilization of an opposition of principle against the EU polity. This problem is also beginning to reach down into the domestic sphere, in that the growing weight of the EU, through its indirect impact on national politics, helps to encourage domestic democratic deficits, hence limiting the scope for classical opposition at the national level. Here too, then, we might expect to see either the elimination of opposition or the mobilization of a new – perhaps populist – opposition of principle.