bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Butterfly structure: Signature of vibrational flopping in dissociative acetylene
Authors: De Sankar , Rajput Jyoti , Roy A. , Ghosh P. N. , Safvan C. P.
Published: August 2007

We report experimental evidence for molecular deformation due to a vibrationally active transition state of multiply charged acetylene molecules under the impact of low energy Ar8+ projectiles. “Butterflylike” structures are observed in the experimental coincidence spectra between hydrogen and carbon ionic fragments. Such structures can be generated by numerical simulations and are found to originate from the bending motion of the dissociating molecule. Angular distributions for dissociation products from triply charged C2H2 ion are reported.
Height, health, and development
Authors: Deaton Angus
Published: August 2007

Adult height is determined by genetic potential and by net nutrition, the balance between food intake and the demands on it, including the demands of disease, most importantly during early childhood. Historians have made effective use of recorded heights to indicate living standards, in both health and income, for periods where there are few other data. Understanding the determinants of height is also important for understanding health; taller people earn more on average, do better on cognitive tests, and live longer. This paper investigates the environmental determinants of height across 43 developing countries. Unlike in rich countries, where adult height is well predicted by mortality in infancy, there is no consistent relationship across and within countries between adult height on the one hand and childhood mortality or living conditions on the other. In particular, adult African women are taller than is warranted by their low incomes and high childhood mortality, not to mention their mothers' educational level and reported nutrition. High childhood mortality in Africa is associated with taller adults, which suggests that mortality selection dominates scarring, the opposite of what is found in the rest of the world. The relationship between population heights and income is inconsistent and unreliable, as is the relationship between income and health more generally.
The TrkC receptor induces apoptosis when the dependence receptor notion meets the neurotrophin paradigm
Authors: Tauszig-Delamasure Servane , Yu Li-Ying , Cabrera Jorge Ruben , Bouzas-Rodriguez Jimena , Mermet-Bouvier Catherine , Guix Catherine , Bordeaux Marie-Claire , Arumäe Urmas , Mehlen Patrick
Published: August 2007

The TrkC/NT-3 receptor/ligand pair is believed to be part of the classic neurotrophic theory claiming that neuronal death occurs by default when neurotrophic factors become limited, through loss of survival signals. Here, we show that TrkC is a dependence receptor and, as such, induces caspase-dependent apoptotic death in the absence of NT-3 in immortalized cells, a proapoptotic activity inhibited by the presence of NT-3. This proapoptotic activity of TrkC relies on the caspase-mediated cleavage of the intracellular domain of TrkC, which permits the release of a proapoptotic fragment. This fragment induces apoptosis through a caspase-9-dependent mechanism. Finally, we show that the death of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons provoked by NT-3 withdrawal is inhibited when TrkC-proapoptotic activity is antagonized. Thus, the death of neurons upon disappearance of NT-3 is not only due to a loss of survival signals but also to the active proapoptotic activity of the unbound TrkC dependence receptor.
The economics, technology, and neuroscience of human capability formation
Authors: Heckman James J.
Published: August 2007

This article begins the synthesis of two currently unrelated literatures: the human capital approach to health economics and the economics of cognitive and noncognitive skill formation. A lifecycle investment framework is the foundation for understanding the origins of human inequality and for devising policies to reduce it.
Engineering metal ion coordination to regulate amyloid fibril assembly and toxicity
Authors: Dong Jijun , Canfield Jeffrey M. , Mehta Anil K. , Shokes Jacob E. , Tian Bo , Childers W. Seth , Simmons James A. , Mao Zixu , Scott Robert A. , Warncke Kurt , Lynn David G.
Published: August 2007

Protein and peptide assembly into amyloid has been implicated in functions that range from beneficial epigenetic controls to pathological etiologies. However, the exact structures of the assemblies that regulate biological activity remain poorly defined. We have previously used Zn
2+
to modulate the assembly kinetics and morphology of congeners of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) associated with Alzheimer's disease. We now reveal a correlation among Aβ-Cu
2+
coordination, peptide self-assembly, and neuronal viability. By using the central segment of Aβ, HHQKLVFFA or Aβ(13–21), which contains residues H13 and H14 implicated in Aβ-metal ion binding, we show that Cu
2+
forms complexes with Aβ(13–21) and its K16A mutant and that the complexes, which do not self-assemble into fibrils, have structures similar to those found for the human prion protein, PrP. N-terminal acetylation and H14A substitution, Ac-Aβ(13–21)H14A, alters metal coordination, allowing Cu
2+
to accelerate assembly into neurotoxic fibrils. These results establish that the N-terminal region of Aβ can access different metal-ion-coordination environments and that different complexes can lead to profound changes in Aβ self-assembly kinetics, morphology, and toxicity. Related metal-ion coordination may be critical to the etiology of other neurodegenerative diseases.
A lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein variant that is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum efficiently cross-primes CD8
+
T cell responses
Authors: Freigang Stefan , Eschli Bruno , Harris Nicola , Geuking Markus , Quirin Katharina , Schrempf Sabrina , Zellweger Raphael , Weber Jacqueline , Hengartner Hans , Zinkernagel Rolf M.
Published: August 2007

Recent studies indicate that T cell cross-priming preferentially occurs against long-lived, stable proteins. We have studied cross-priming by using the glycoprotein (GP) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a protein that normally is not MHC class I cross-presented. This study shows that a C-terminally truncated, noncleavable variant of LCMV-GP led to the accumulation of stable, soluble GP trimers in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the antigen donor cell, and thereby converted LCMV-GP into a potent immunogen for cytotoxic T lymphocyte cross-priming. Immunization of mice with tumor cells expressing an ER-retained LCMV-GP variant cross-primed protective antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses
in vivo
at least 10,000-fold better than immunization with cells expressing the cross-presentation-“resistant” wild-type LCMV-GP. Thus the ER is a cellular compartment that can provide antigen for cross-presentation, and modifications affecting stability and subcellular localization of the antigen significantly increase its availability for MHC class I cross-presentation. These findings impinge on vaccine strategies.
The post-stishovite phase transition in hydrous alumina-bearing SiO
2
in the lower mantle of the earth
Authors: Lakshtanov Dmitry L. , Sinogeikin Stanislav V. , Litasov Konstantin D. , Prakapenka Vitali B. , Hellwig Holger , Wang Jingyun , Sanches-Valle Carmen , Perrillat Jean-Philippe , Chen Bin , Somayazulu Maddury , Li Jie , Ohtani Eiji , Bass Jay D.
Published: August 2007

Silica is the most abundant oxide component in the Earth mantle by weight, and stishovite, the rutile-structured (P4
2
/mnm) high-pressure phase with silica in six coordination by oxygen, is one of the main constituents of the basaltic layer of subducting slabs. It may also be present as a free phase in the lower mantle and at the core–mantle boundary. Pure stishovite undergoes a displacive phase transition to the CaCl
2
structure (Pnnm) at ≈55 GPa. Theory suggests that this transition is associated with softening of the shear modulus that could provide a significant seismic signature, but none has ever been observed in the Earth. However, stishovite in natural rocks is expected to contain up to 5 wt % Al
2
O
3
and possibly water. Here we report the acoustic velocities, densities, and Raman frequencies of aluminum- and hydrogen-bearing stishovite with a composition close to that expected in the Earth mantle at pressures up to 43.8(3) GPa [where (3) indicates an uncertainty of 0.3 GPa]. The post-stishovite phase transition occurs at 24.3(5) GPa (at 298 K), far lower than for pure silica at 50–60 GPa. Our results suggest that the rutile–CaCl
2
transition in natural stishovite (with 5 wt % Al
2
O
3
) should occur at ≈30 GPa or ≈1,000-km depth at mantle temperatures. The major changes in elastic properties across this transition could make it visible in seismic profiles and may be responsible for seismic reflectors observed at 1,000- to 1,400-km depth.
DNA repair capacity of zebrafish
Authors: Sussman Raquel
Published: August 2007

Damage to the genome is unavoidable in living creatures, because of sunlight exposure as well as environmental chemicals present in food and drinking water. There is a need to monitor and purify the drinking water; therefore, several methods of detection have been developed. A very promising model system for this purpose is the zebrafish (
Danio rerio
), which is endowed with special qualities for detecting external as well as internal abnormalities. Grossman and Wei's assay [Grossman L, Wei Q (1995)
Clin Chem
12:1854–1863], which measures the expression level of a nonreplicating recombinant plasmid DNA containing a UV-damaged luciferase reporter gene, shows that zebrafish can repair chromosomal lesions to a much greater extent than the human population. This vertebrate model is still very promising after possible down-regulation of the DNA repair enzymes.
A miR-24 microRNA binding-site polymorphism in dihydrofolate reductase gene leads to methotrexate resistance
Authors: Mishra Prasun J. , Humeniuk Rita , Mishra Pravin J. , Longo-Sorbello Giuseppe S. A. , Banerjee Debabrata , Bertino Joseph R.
Published: August 2007

MicroRNAs are predicted to regulate ≈30% of all human genes by targeting sequences in their 3′ UTR. Polymorphisms in 3′ UTR of several genes have been reported to affect gene expression, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that 829C→T, a naturally occurring SNP, near the miR-24 binding site in the 3′ UTR of human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) affects DHFR expression by interfering with miR-24 function, resulting in DHFR overexpression and methotrexate resistance. miR-24 has a conserved binding site in DHFR 3′ UTR. DHFR with WT and 3′ UTR containing the 829C→T mutation were expressed in DG44 cells that lack DHFR. Overexpression of miR-24 in cells with WT DHFR resulted in down-regulation of DHFR protein, whereas no effect on DHFR protein expression was observed in the mutant 3′ UTR-expressing cells. Inhibition of endogenous miR-24 with a specific inhibitor led to up-regulation of DHFR in WT and not in mutant cells. Cells with the mutant 3′ UTR had a 2-fold increase in DHFR mRNA half-life, expressed higher DHFR mRNA and DHFR protein, and were 4-fold more resistant to methotrexate as compared with WT cells. SNP-829C→T, therefore, leads to a decrease in microRNA binding leading to overexpression of its target and results in resistance to methotrexate. We demonstrate that a naturally occurring miRSNP (a SNP located at or near a microRNA binding site in 3′ UTR of the target gene or in a microRNA) is associated with enzyme overproduction and drug resistance.
Medical Student Observations on a Career in Psychiatry
Authors: Wigney Tessa , Parker Gordon
Published: August 2007

Objective: Interest in training in psychiatry appears to be in decline. To pursue reasons why a career in psychiatry is not regarded as an attractive option for trainees, attitudes of senior Australian medical students were surveyed.

Method: Fifty five medical students from one university were set a question inviting them to detail reasons why doctors might be less likely to train in psychiatry as part of their written examination in psychiatry. Several major themes and salient statements were identified from a qualitative analysis.

Results: Analysis identified several multifaceted factors, including a difficult and pressured work environment and lack of resources due to chronic underfunding; perceived deficiency of personal skills, such as empathy; inadequate income; negative implications of stigma, low prestige, and limited patient gratitude and job satisfaction. These issues, coupled with the widespread belief that the discipline is unscientific and not “real medicine”, may contribute to later decisions not to pursue training in psychiatry.

Conclusions: While the framing of the research question was biased towards eliciting negative evaluations of a career in psychiatry, the responses are nonetheless instructive in helping to understand the reasons why potential trainees might be discouraged from the field. If psychiatry is to attract high-quality recruits, there is clearly a need to address stigmatizing attitudes within the medical hierarchy, and provide positive educational experiences for medical students that excite their imagination about a career or even a calling – as against its negative ‘job’ status.
Receptor editing: How B cells stay tolerant
Authors: Bashyam Hema
Published: August 2007

In 1993, David Nemazee and Martin Weigert independently showed that autoreactive B cells could proofread, alter, and reexpress modified receptors to become nonautoreactive. This process, called “receptor editing,” has since gained prominence as the main mechanism of B cell tolerance.
Europe and the Loss of Sovereignty
Authors: Schiemann Konrad
Published: August 2007

The concept of sovereignty plays too large a part in contemporary discussion. No nation is sovereign in the sense that it is free to do what it wants within its own borders and not subject to influences from outside. It is not self evident either that political systems have to be hierarchically organized or that there should be one final arbiter of law for all decisions. There are advantages in having different centres of power for decisions affecting differing matters. There is a case for the co-existence of overlapping power centres and for sharing in decision-making and being prepared to live with a decision which does not in itself reflect the wishes of your State. There are advantages in being part of a larger conglomerate. The State can then have some influence and control over what goes on outside its boundaries. There is no reason why that conglomerate should itself be a large sovereign State. The European Union offers the hope of transcending the sovereign State rather than simply replicating it in some new superstate. It may prove to be a model and an inspiration.
II. Ethiopia's Military Action Against the Union of Islamic Courts and Others in Somalia: Some Legal Implications
Authors: Warbrick Colin , Yihdego Zeray W
Published: August 2007

Somalia has been without government since 1991. A transitional government was established in 2004 under the presidency of Abdullahi Yusuf, with the backing of the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Arab League and the Inter-governmental Agency for Development (IGAD). The Government sat in Baidoa in southern Somalia from June 2005 until December 2006. In June 2006 the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control of much of southern and central Somalia, including the capital, Mogadishu, but not Puntland and Somaliland. They declared and tried to establish an Islamic State. Somalis were told to comply with stringent Islamic rules or face harsh punishment. In the meantime, efforts to achieve national reconciliation were ongoing under the auspices of IGAD, though without much success. It was reported that on 20 July 2006 Ethiopian troops crossed into Somalia. Ethiopia only admitted to having military trainers to help the Somali Government (estimated to be 400 military personnel). On 21 July, the UIC declared a ‘holy war’ against Ethiopia. In September 2006 the Somali interim President survived an assassination attempt in Baidoa. On 25 October 2006 Ethiopia said that it was ‘technically at war’ with the Islamic Courts. After few days the UIC claimed to have ambushed and killed Ethiopian troops near the Ethiopian border.1
Reply to Benoit and Laver
Authors: Martin Lanny W. , Vanberg Georg
Published: August 2007

We appreciate the positive reception of our transformation by Benoit and Laver (hereafter, BL), and we are grateful that they have incorporated it into the Wordscores package. Because their comment highlights a fundamental difference between the Martin-Vanberg (MV) and Laver-Benoit-Garry (LBG) approaches that is critical to the choice among transformations, we offer some brief comments that will allow users to make an informed decision regarding the appropriate use of the transformations. The central issue concerns comparisons between reference and virgin texts. As BL point out, researchers will often be interested in making such comparisons, and the LBG and MV transformations can yield substantially different results. In light of these differences, BL's primary suggestion is to focus analysis on the raw scores, which can be obtained for reference as well as virgin texts. We wholeheartedly agree with this prescription. In fact, it is precisely a concern for faithfully reporting the raw score information, while making it more intuitive, that motivates the MV transformation. As we show below, the MV transformation accurately reflects all and nothing but the information contained in raw scores. Therefore, “users [who] get eye strain” by looking at raw scores can safely substitute MV scores and be confident that the information provided is equivalent. The same will typically not be true of LBG scores.
Extraction, Quantification, and Characterization of Phenolics Extracted with the Aid of Sonication from Rice Bran
Authors: Onofre F. O. , Hettiarachchy N. S.
Published: August 2007

Phenolics are phytochemicals extensively distributed among plants that have been receiving great deal of attention for their functionality. Rice bran is a good source of phenolics, especially hydroxycinnamates. Although chemicals are commonly employed to isolate phenolics, the use of physical treatments such as sonication is still limited. This study was conducted to optimize a procedure to isolate phenolics from rice bran using sonication as a preextraction treatment. Sonication was optimized by varying output, time, and temperature. Extraction was optimized by varying solvent, extraction time, temperature, and sample‐to‐solvent ratio. After an optimum procedure was established, HPLC analyses were conducted to identify and quantify the major individual phenolic acids extracted. The optimum conditions for extracting phenolics from rice bran were sonication with water (1:100 sample‐to‐solvent ratio) for 1 min; output intensity of 10; holding at ambient temperature; and autoclave treatment for 20 min at 121°C. This procedure extracted 8.85 ± 0.18 mg of phenolics/g of dried rice bran. Benzoic, p‐coumaric, and trans‐ferulic acids were the major phenolics identified in the extract. The proposed procedure will be valuable in obtaining phenolics for increasing product functionality such as lipid oxidation inhibitors in food systems.
Genomics as a Tool for Cereal Chemistry
Authors: Henry Robert J.
Published: August 2007

Genomics is providing a new set of tools for cereal chemistry. Analysis of the DNA of the major cereals is increasing the understanding of the basis of grain quality at the gene level. Differences in the sequence of the gene in different cultivars or differences in the level of expression of the gene may be used to explain differences in processing or end‐use quality characteristics. For example, quantitative analysis of the levels of expression of genes at different stages during seed development in wheat or germination in barley can be used to define the genetic basis of differences in wheat and barley quality. Rice quality traits such as fragrance and gelatinization temperature (cooking temperature) can be explained by DNA sequence differences in specific genes identified using genomics approaches. Rapid and reliable species and cultivar identification based on DNA analysis methods developed using genomics tools can be applied to grain and to food products. This technology has special advantages in the analysis of complex mixtures of cereals. Technologies for very high‐throughput and very low‐cost analysis of large numbers of samples are now available. These may be applied by cereal chemists at many levels: selection in cereal breeding, optimizing processing, and analysis of the identity and composition of grain or food samples.
A Modified Laboratory Method to Remove Outer Layers from Cereal Grains Using a Barley Pearler
Authors: Liu Keshun
Published: August 2007

A variety of nutrients and some undesirable components are found and possibly concentrated in outer layers of cereal grains. There is a need to develop simple, efficient, and inexpensive laboratory methods in decorticating cereal grains for physicochemical and nutritional characterization and end‐use exploration. This study focused on using a Strong‐Scott barley pearler (BP) to abrade barleys and investigated factors that could affect kernel breakage, uniformity of abrading, repeatability, and quality of resulting fractions. Results show that the smaller the sample size, the higher the rate of surface removal. The difference in % removal among pearling times decreased as sample charge size increased. Screens with smaller holes (larger number of mesh per inch) decreased abrading efficiency but reduced kernel breakage significantly. The successive pearling mode (several pearling cycles per sample) not only provided a means to collect different fractions of outer layers and remaining kernels but also minimized kernel breakage and gave more uniform removal of outer layers among seeds as compared with the continuous pearling mode (only one pearling cycle per sample). As pearling progressed, the surface color of both outer layer and abraded kernel fractions became whiter. Subsequent trials with several other cereal grains (wheat, rice, sorghum, and oats) confirmed these findings. In conclusion, when modifications of equipment and procedures are made, the BP can be used as an efficient and inexpensive alternative for abrading various species of cereal grains.
Development of a Real-Time RT-PCR SYBR Green Assay forTomato ring spot virusin Grape
Authors: Stewart Elwin L. , Qu Xinshun , Overton Barrie E. , Gildow Fred E. , Wenner Nancy G. , Grove Deborah S.
Published: August 2007

Grapevines infected with Tomato ring spot virus (ToRSV) pose an economic risk for growers in the northeastern United States. This study describes a one-step real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) SYBR Green assay for detecting ToRSV in grapevines. Two newly designed primer pairs based on the ToRSV coat protein gene sequence were evaluated for specificity and optimized for a SYBR Green assay. The primer pair ToRSV1f/1r yielded a 130-bp product with strong primer-dimer products, whereas the primer pair ToRSV2f/2r yielded a 330-bp product with weak primer dimer products. Real-time RT-PCR detected ToRSV in more naturally infected grapevines maintained in the greenhouse than did enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The nucleotide sequences of the fragments amplified from grapevine growing in Pennsylvania using real-time PCR were divergent from previously published sequences.
Potato aucuba mosaic virus in Potato in New York State
Authors: Susaimuthu J. , Agindotan B. O. , Miller L. A. , Perry K. L.
Published: August 2007

Solanum tuberosum cv. Elmer's Blue is one of a number of heritage potato accessions maintained at Cornell University that exhibit virus-like symptoms of stunting and a leaf yellowing or a mottle mosaic. Testing of this cultivar by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA revealed that it was infected with Potato virus S (PVS) but none of the other common potato viruses screened for in North American potato certification programs (3). Mechanical inoculation of sap from potato cv. Elmer's Blue onto Nicotiana debneyii, N. megalosiphon, N. occidentalis, and N. tabacum produced a range of yellowing and mosaic symptoms (symptomless on N. tabacum), indicating the presence of a transmissible agent, but all these hosts tested negative for PVS. To identify possible viruses, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays involving generic primers for different groups of viruses were performed on the potato and the Nicotiana spp. Degenerate primers specific to members of the genus Potexvirus (4) amplified a 600-bp region from the symptomatic potato and N. debneyii. Nucleotide sequencing of the RT-PCR amplified product from potato cv. Elmer's Blue (Genbank Accession No. EF609120) and comparisons with GenBank sequences revealed the amplified sequence as having 91% identity with the genomic sequence of Potato aucuba mosaic virus (PAMV; Accession No. S73580). The presence of this virus in potato cv. Elmer's Blue and N. debneyii was confirmed by PAMV-specific antibodies (Agdia, Inc., Elkhart, IN) in a DAS-ELISA format. PAMV is reported to occur worldwide, but uncommonly, with most descriptive work from Europe (2). While this virus has been studied in North America (1,2), these reports employed virus stocks from Europe under experimental conditions or virus in tubers obtained directly from Europe; to our knowledge, there are no unambiguous reports of PAMV in naturally infected North American potato cultivars. By contrast, the PAMV-infected cultivar in this report is a selection originally from a Canadian grower, and although not grown commercially, it is maintained in garden and field plots in New York and other states.

References: (1) R. H. Bagnall. Phytopathology 50:460, 1960. (2) G. F. Kollmer and R. H. Larson. Res. Bull. Agric. Exp. Stn. Univ. Wis. 223:1, 1960. (3) S. A. Slack. Page 61 in: Potato Health Management. The American Phytopathological Society. St. Paul, MN, 1993. (4) R. A. A. van der Vlugt and M. Berendsen. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 108:367, 2002.
First Report of Rust Caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi on Soybean in Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Ojiambo P. S. , Bandyopadhyay R. , Twizeyimana M. , Lema A. , Frederick R. D. , Pedley K. F. , Stone C. L. , Hartman G. L.
Published: August 2007

Nigeria (1) and Uganda (3) are the closest countries to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi has been reported. In February 2007, during a disease survey in DRC, soybean (Glycine max) leaves with rust symptoms (tan, angular lesions with erumpent sori exuding urediniospores) were observed in 10 fields in the following areas in Bas Congo Province: Bangu, Kimpese, Kolo-Fuma, Lukala, Mbanza-Ngungu, Mpalukide, Mvuazi, and Ntemo. Rust incidence in these fields ranged from 85 to 100%, while severity ranged between 3 and 35% of the leaf area on infected plants. Urediniospores were hyaline, minutely echinulate, and 23 to 31 × 16 to 20 μm. Within a week of collection, infected leaf samples were sent to the USDA-ARS Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU) for pathogen identification. DNA was extracted from sections of leaves containing sori with the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini kit (Valencia, CA), and all 10 field samples amplified in a real-time fluorescent PCR with the P. pachyrhizi-specific primers Ppm1 and Ppa2 (2). Infected leaves of cultivar Vuangi collected from one field each in the INERA Research Station, Kimpese-Crawford, and Kimpese-Ceco were separately washed in sterile water to collect urediniospores that were used to separately inoculate three detached leaves of susceptible cultivar TGx 1485-1D (4). Lesions on inoculated leaves developed 5 days after inoculation (DAI), and pustules (110 to 130 μm) formed 7 DAI and erupted 2 days later exuding columns of urediniospores similar in size to the initially collected isolates. Inoculation of another set of detached leaves with a spore suspension (1 × 106 spores per ml) from the first set of detached leaves resulted in typical rust symptoms. Seedlings of cultivar Williams also showed typical rust symptoms when inoculated separately with urediniospores collected from nine fields (i.e., all except Kimpese-Ceco, which was infective in the detached leaf assay). Inoculation and incubation were carried out at the FDWSRU Plant Pathogen Containment Facility at Fort Detrick as described earlier (2). The PCR assay, morphological characters of the isolates, and pathogenicity tests demonstrate that P. pachyrhizi occurs in DRC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. pachyrhizi infecting soybean in DRC.

References: (1) O. A. Akinsanmi et al. Plant Dis. 85:97, 2001. (2) R. D. Frederick et al. Phytopathology 92:217, 2002. (3) E. Kawuki et al. J. Phytopathol. 151:7, 2003. (4) M. Twizeyimana et al. Online publication. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/ infocenter/topic/soybeanrust/2006/posters/41.asp. Plant Management Network, 2006.
Characterization of Resistance Mechanisms to Erysiphe pisi in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Prats Elena , Llamas María J. , Rubiales Diego
Published: August 2007

In this work, we studied the resistance of 277 Medicago truncatula accessions against powdery mildew and further characterized the defense mechanisms of resistant plants. Ten resistant accessions were selected according to macroscopic assessment. Histological studies showed a range of defense mechanisms, acting alone or combined, that impeded fungal development at different stages. Some accessions allowed a reduced spore germination frequency compared with that of the susceptible control. In others, the fungus was arrested at penetration stage due to papilla formation. Epidermal cells of several accessions were penetrated by the fungus but then hypersensitive response (HR) leading to cell death hampered fungal development. In some cases, cell death was very fast and no haustorium could be observed in epidermal cells, whereas in others, haustoria and secondary hyphae indicated a slow HR. Finally, in some accessions in which no HR was observed, colony growth was restricted through posthaustorial defense mechanisms. Characterization of defense mechanisms will be useful for further cellular and molecular studies to unravel the bases of resistance in this species in particular and in legume–powdery mildew interaction in general.
Gene Expression Patterns in Near Isogenic Lines for Wheat Rust Resistance Gene Lr34/Yr18
Authors: Hulbert S. H. , Bai J. , Fellers J. P. , Pacheco M. G. , Bowden R. L.
Published: August 2007

The Lr34/Yr18 resistance gene provides durable, adult-plant, slow rusting resistance to leaf rust, yellow rust, and several other diseases of wheat. Flag leaves may exhibit spontaneous leaf tip necrosis and tips are more resistant than leaf bases. Despite the importance of this gene, the mechanism of resistance is unknown. Patterns of expression for 55,052 transcripts were examined by microarray analysis in mock-inoculated flag leaves of two pairs of wheat near isogenic lines for Lr34/Yr18 (Jupateco 73S/Jupateco 73R and Thatcher/Thatcher-Lr34). The Thatcher isolines were also examined for patterns of expression after inoculation with leaf rust. Mock-inoculated leaf tips of resistant plants showed up-regulation of 57 transcripts generally associated with ABA inducibility, osmotic stress, cold stress, and/or seed maturation. Several transcripts may be useful as expression markers for Lr34/Yr18. Five transcripts were also up-regulated in resistant leaf bases. The possible role of these transcripts in resistance is discussed. In mock-inoculated plants, pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins were not up-regulated in resistant flag leaves compared with that in susceptible flag leaves. In inoculated plants, the same set of PR proteins was up-regulated in both resistant and susceptible flag leaves. However, expression was often higher in resistant plants, suggesting a possible role for Lr34/Yr18 in priming of defense responses.
Diagnostic Values and Utility of Immunological, Morphological, and Molecular Methods for In Planta Detection of Phytophthora ramorum
Authors: Kox L. F. F. , Brouwershaven I. R. van , Vossenberg B. T. L. H. van de , Beld H. E. van den , Bonants P. J. M. , Gruyter J. de
Published: August 2007

In this study, six methods for the detection of Phytophthora ramorum in planta were compared using naturally infested rhododendron plant material. The methods included two immunological methods, one an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the other using a lateral flow format (LFD). Three molecular tests based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using TaqMan chemistry also were assessed, including two assays designed for specific detection of P. ramorum and one designed for genus-level detection of Phytophthora. Isolation followed by morphological identification also was assessed. The diagnostic values of each of the methods, evaluated based on diagnostic sensitivity, diagnostic specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, were calculated based upon the test results from 148 field samples. The “gold standard” used for the calculations was the final diagnosis, which was based on either a positive PCR result or successful isolation of P. ramorum. The Phytophthora spp. TaqMan PCR, ELISA, and LFD had higher sensitivities than the P. ramorum-specific methods, which make them useful as prescreening methods, where positive results must be confirmed by PCR or isolation. The article discusses practical advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods and how they are valuable in the diagnostic process, according to the circumstances of use (that is, diagnosis or surveillance) and in relation to the prevalence of P. ramorum infestation in the population to be tested.
An analysis of calendar performance in two autistic calendar savants
Authors: Kennedy Daniel P. , Squire Larry R.
Published: August 2007

We acquired large data sets of calendar performance from two autistic calendar savants, DG and RN. An analysis of their errors and reaction times revealed that (1) both individuals had knowledge of calendar information from a limited range of years; (2) there was no evidence for the use of memorized anchor dates that could, by virtue of counting away from the anchors, allow correct responses to questions about other dates; and (3) the two individuals differed in their calendar knowledge, as well as in their ability to perform secondary tasks in which calendar knowledge was assessed indirectly. In view of the fact that there are only 14 possible annual calendars, we suggest that both savants worked by memorizing these 14 possible calendar arrangements.
Managing the Post‐acquisition Integration Process: How the Human Iintegration and Task Integration Processes Interact to Foster Value Creation
Authors: Birkinshaw Julian , Bresman Henrik , Håkanson Lars
Published: August 2007

The paper reports a study of the post‐acquisition integration process in three foreign acquisitions made by Swedish multinationals. Detailed interview data and questionnaire responses in both acquiring and acquired firms are presented. The sub‐processes of task integration and human integration are separated out and it is shown that effective integration in these cases was achieved through a two‐phase process. In phase one, task integration led to a satisficing solution that limited the interaction between acquired and acquiring units, while human integration proceeded smoothly and led to cultural convergence and mutual respect. In phase two, there was renewed task integration built on the success of the human integration that had been achieved, which led to much greater interdependencies between acquired and acquiring units.
Managerial Behaviour Research in Private and Public Sectors: Distinctiveness, Disputes and Directions
Authors: Noordegraaf Mirko , Stewart Rosemary
Published: August 2007

A managerial behaviour approach is identified that has sought to understand managerial work by analysing the day‐to‐day behaviour of individual managers: what do managers do? It is argued that this approach is distinctive and that its distinctiveness is valuable and has not received adequate attention. The distinctiveness is defined by its research background, object, focus and methodology. The managerial behaviour approach has developed from research over nearly fifty years: long enough for there to have been a variety of disputes about what has, or ought to have been, achieved. The relevance of these criticisms and what later research has done to meet them is assessed. Recent research directions are identified and suggestions are made for building on the distinctiveness. It is concluded that the institutional embeddedness of managerial work should attract further scholarly attention, and that the contribution of researchers in the public sector, who come from a differentdisciplinary background, needs to be integrated with that of researchers from organizational behaviour as they can contribute new conceptual approaches, which could help to revivify this field of research.
Full participation in harm reduction programmes is associated with decreased risk for human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus: evidence from the Amsterdam Cohort Studies among drug users
Authors: Van Den Berg Charlotte , Smit Colette , Van Brussel Giel , Coutinho Roel , Prins Maria
Published: August 2007

Objectives  To investigate the impact of harm‐reduction programmes on HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence among ever‐injecting drug users (DU) from the Amsterdam Cohort Studies (ACS).

Methods  The association between use of harm reduction and seroconversion for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) was evaluated using Poisson regression. A total of 714 DU were at risk for HIV and/or HCV during follow‐up. Harm reduction was measured by combining its two most important components—methadone dose and needle exchange programme (NEP) use—and looking at five categories of participation, ranging from no participation (no methadone in the past 6 months, injecting drug use in the past 6 months and no use of NEP) to full participation (≥ 60 mg methadone/day and no current injecting or ≥ 60 mg methadone/day and current injecting but all needles exchanged).

Results  Methadone dose or NEP use alone were not associated significantly with HIV or HCV seroconversion. However, with combination of these variables and after correction for possibly confounding variables, we found that full participation in a harm reduction programme (HRP) was associated with a lower risk of HIV and HCV infection in ever‐injecting drug users (DU), compared to no participation [incidence rate ratio 0.43 (95% CI 0.21–0.87) and 0.36 (95% CI 0.13–1.03), respectively].

Conclusions  In conclusion, we found that full participation in HRP was associated with a lower incidence of HCV and HIV infection in ever‐injecting DU, indicating that combined prevention measures—but not the use of NEP or methadone alone—might contribute to the reduction of the spread of these infections.
Is attributing smoking to genetic causes associated with a reduced probability of quit attempt success? A cohort study
Authors: Wright Alison J. , Aveyard Paul , Guo Boliang , Murphy Michael , Brown Karen , Marteau Theresa M.
Published: August 2007

Aims  Pharmacogenetic smoking cessation interventions would involve smokers being given information about the influence of genes on their behaviour. However, attributing smoking to genetic causes may reduce perceived control over smoking, reducing quit attempt success. This study examines whether attributing smoking to genetic influences is associated with reduced quitting and whether this effect is mediated by perceived control over smoking.

Design  Cohort study.

Participants  A total of 792 smokers, participating in a trial of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)‐assisted smoking cessation. Participants were informed that the trial investigated relationships between genetic markers and smoking behaviour, but personalized genetic feedback was not provided.

Setting  Primary care in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, UK.

Measurements  Perceived control over smoking and perceived importance of genetic factors in causing smoking assessed pre‐quit; abstinence 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after the start of treatment.

Findings  A total of 515 smokers (65.0%) viewed genetic factors as playing some role in causing their smoking. They had lower perceived control over smoking than smokers who viewed genetic factors as having no role in causing their smoking. Attributing smoking to genetic causes was not associated significantly with a lower probability of quit attempt success.

Conclusions  Attributing smoking to genetic factors was associated with lower levels of perceived control over smoking but not lower quit rates. This suggests that learning of one's genetic predisposition to smoking during a pharmacogenetically tailored smoking cessation intervention may not deter quitting. Further research should examine whether the lack of impact of genetic attributions on quit attempt success is also found in smokers provided with personalized genetic feedback.
Okey Lecture 2006: identifying the neurobiological mechanisms of addictive behaviour*
Authors: Schumann Gunter
Published: August 2007

Introduction  Substance use disorders are extremely costly to the individual and to society, and a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to the therapies offered. To improve existing treatments a better understanding of the neurobiological and genetic basis of addictive behaviour and substance use disorder is warranted. The aim of this lecture is to develop a model of integrated translational addiction research which may result in the establishment of individualized therapeutic approaches for patients with substance use disorders.

Methods  The genetic basis of substance use disorders is characterized by a contribution of multiple genes to the clinical phenotype. This genetic complexity is based on poly/oligogenicity and genetic heterogeneity, two parallel mechanisms which are present to varying extents in different substance use disorders. To disentangle the complexity and to identify the genetic and neurobiological basis of addictions an integrated, translational approach involving (functional) genetic analyses, animal behavioural experimentation and neuroimaging studies is proposed.

Results  Examples of this approach are provided by describing a line of work which identified the relevance of circadian rhythm genes in regulating alcohol drinking behaviour in animal models and humans, as well as a complementary approach using endophenotypes in human gene‐neuroimaging studies where the effect of single and combined genetic variations on processing of aversive emotional stimuli in the limbic system was demonstrated.

Discussion  While the combination of genetic, behavioural and neuroimaging analyses are shown to be useful tools to address oligogenicity and genetic heterogeneity in substance use disorders, the clinical relevance of this approach needs to be developed further. Thus, two current major research projects, the European integrated project ‘IMAGEN’ and the NIHR‐Biomedical Research Centre ‘Mental Health’ in the United Kingdom, which potentially integrate our proposed research strategy with clinically relevant outcomes, will be discussed.
Efficacy of central nervous system stimulant treatment for cocaine dependence: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials
Authors: Castells Xavier , Casas Miguel , Vidal Xavier , Bosch Rosa , Roncero Carlos , Ramos‐Quiroga Josep Antoni , Capellà Dolors
Published: August 2007

Aims  To evaluate the efficacy of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants compared with placebo for the treatment of cocaine dependence.

Methods  A systematic review and meta‐analysis was carried out. Bibliographic databases were searched, reference lists of retrieved studies were hand‐searched and the first authors of each study were contacted. All randomized controlled clinical trials (RCCT) comparing the efficacy of any CNS stimulant with placebo in cocaine‐dependent patients were included. Quantitative data synthesis was performed for each single CNS stimulant and for all CNS stimulants.

Results  Nine RCCT met the inclusion criteria. These RCCT included 640 patients and compared five CNS stimulants: mazindol, dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, modafinil and bupropion with placebo. No CNS stimulant improved study retention [RR = 0.94 (0.81–1.09)] or cocaine use [RR = 0.90 (0.79–1.02)]. An exploratory analysis using indirect estimations of cocaine use showed that the proportion of cocaine‐positive urine screens was lower with dexamphetamine than with placebo [RR = 0.73 (0.60–0.90)] and that all CNS stimulants pooled together also suggested a significant decrease of cocaine use [RR = 0.87 (0.77–0.99)]. Data on craving could not be meta‐analysed due to heterogeneity, but no RCCT found differences in cocaine craving between active drug and placebo except one, whose outcome favoured dexamphetamine. No serious adverse event (AE) was reported. Average of AE‐induced dropouts was low and was greater for CNS stimulants than placebo: 4.4% versus 1.3% (P = 0.03).

Conclusion  The main outcomes of this study do not support the use of CNS stimulants for cocaine dependence. Nevertheless, secondary analyses provide some hopeful results that encourage further research with these drugs, mainly with dexamphetamine and modafinil.
Association of seed‐borne Fusarium species on Pinus ponderosa with germination and seedling viability in Argentina
Authors: Salerno M. I. , Lori G. A.
Published: August 2007

Pinus ponderosa seedlots from eight seed orchards in Western Patagonia, Argentina, were evaluated for the presence of Fusarium species, and isolates obtained were subjected to pathogenicity tests. The following species were isolated: Fusariumoxysporum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium incarnatum, Fusarium acuminatum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium proliferatum. With the exception of F. proliferatum and F. graminearum all Fusarium species were recovered from P. ponderosa seedlings with symptoms of damping‐off. Five Fusarium species were re‐isolated from necrotic roots of seedlings showing chlorosis (F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. incarnatum, F. acuminatum and F. verticillioides). High damping‐off losses occurred in Fusarium‐contaminated seed of P. ponderosa and low disease incidence occurred on less contaminated seed. The role of seed‐borne inoculum in disease spread within forest nurseries is discussed.
Significance of glycosylation patterns of rat Zajdela ascitic hepatocellular carcinoma: Effect of enzymatic removal of surface sialic acid on humoral response
Authors: Sudhakar Cherukuri , Mangamoori Lakshmi N
Published: August 2007

Background and Aim:  Rat Zajdela ascitic hepatocellular carcinoma (ZAH) is a malignant cell type with some properties in common with rat hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to determine the glycosylation patterns of surface glycoproteins of two cell lines C and D of ZAH by lectin binding for identification and characterization of tumor‐specific markers.

Methods:  Plasma membrane proteins from these cells were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and probed using radio‐iodinated lectins.

Results:  We observed a decrease in the binding of concavalin A, and an increase in the binding of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to glycoproteins from the tumor cell lines as compared with those from normal liver cells. We showed that the increase in binding of WGA was mainly due to increased sialylation of the surface glycoproteins of the tumor cells. The major sialylated glycoproteins of the tumor cells contained O‐linked carbohydrate chains. It was also shown that removal of surface sialic acid by neuraminidase significantly decreased the lethality of the tumor and led to increased survival of tumor‐bearing animals. The decreased lethality of the tumor appears to be due to increased antigenicity of the desialylated tumor cells.

Conclusion:  Taken together, the presence of highly sialylated O‐linked glycosylation of gp120 in ZAH tumor cells and its absence in normal liver cells is of significance with respect to the biological properties of this tumor.