bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The General Point of View: Love and Moral Approval in Hume's Ethics
Authors: Korsgaard Christine M.
Published: January 2009

Hume thinks moral judgments are based on sentiments of approval and disapproval we feel when we contemplate someone from a “general point of view.” But why do we take up the general point of view? Hume argues that we take up the general point of view in order to avoid contradictions in our moral judgments, but this argument does not work because we do not make moral judgments until we take up the general point of view. This chapter proposes a different account. Hume argues that approval is a calm form of love, love of character, which sets a normative standard for other forms of love. The chapter argues that character, as a form of causality, is constructed from the general point of view. We take up the general view to view people as agents with characters, that is, as possible objects of love.
Host–parasite relations of bacteria and phages can be unveiled by Oligostickiness, a measure of relaxed sequence similarity
Authors: Ahmed Shamim , Saito Ayumu , Suzuki Miho , Nemoto Naoto , Nishigaki Koichi
Published: January 2009

Motivation: The recent metagenome analysis has been producing a large number of host-unassigned viruses. Although assigning viruses to their hosts is basically important not only for virology but also for prevention of epidemic, it has been a laborious and difficult task to date. The only effective method for this purpose has been to find them in a same microscopic view. Now, we tried a computational approach based on genome sequences of bacteria and phages, introducing a physicochemical parameter, SOSS (set of oligostickiness similarity score) derived from oligostickiness, a measure of binding affinity of oligonucleotides to template DNA.

Results: We could confirm host–parasite relationships of bacteria and their phages by SOSS analysis: all phages tested (25 species) had a remarkably higher SOSS value with its host than with unrelated bacteria. Interestingly, according to SOSS values, lysogenic phages such as lambda phage (host: Escherichia coli) or SPP1 (host: Bacillus subtilis) have distinctively higher similarity with its host than its non-lysogenic (excretive or virulent) ones such as fd and T4 (host: E.coli) or phages gamma and PZA (host: B.subtilis). This finding is very promising for assigning host-unknown viruses to its host. We also investigated the relationship in codon usage frequency or G+C content of genomes to interpret the phenomenon revealed by SOSS analysis, obtaining evidences which support the hypothesis that higher SOSS values resulted from the cohabitation in the same environment which may cause the common biased mutation. Thus, lysogenic phages which stay inside longer resemble the host.

Contact:  koichi@fms.saitama-u.ac.jp

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Convergent evolution of ‘creepers’ in the Hawaiian honeycreeper radiation
Authors: Reding Dawn M , Foster Jeffrey T , James Helen F , Pratt H. Douglas , Fleischer Robert C
Published: January 2009

Natural selection plays a fundamental role in the ecological theory of adaptive radiation. A prediction of this theory is the convergent evolution of traits in lineages experiencing similar environments. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are a spectacular example of adaptive radiation and may demonstrate convergence, but uncertainty about phylogenetic relationships within the group has made it difficult to assess such evolutionary patterns. We examine the phylogenetic relationships of the Hawaii creeper (Oreomystis mana), a bird that in a suite of morphological, ecological and behavioural traits closely resembles the Kauai creeper (Oreomystis bairdi), but whose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and osteology suggest a relationship with the amakihis (Hemignathusin part) and akepas (Loxops). We analysed nuclear DNA sequence data from 11 relevant honeycreeper taxa and one outgroup to test whether the character contradiction results from historical hybridization and mtDNA introgression, or convergent evolution. We found no evidence of past hybridization, a phenomenon that remains undocumented in Hawaiian honeycreepers, and confirmed mtDNA and osteological evidence that the Hawaii creeper is most closely related to the amakihis and akepas. Thus, the morphological, ecological and behavioural similarities between the evolutionarily distant Hawaii and Kauai creepers represent an extreme example of convergent evolution and demonstrate how natural selection can lead to repeatable evolutionary outcomes.
The movement of motion-defined contours can bias perceived position
Authors: Durant Szonya , Zanker Johannes M
Published: January 2009

Illusory position shifts induced by motion suggest that motion processing can interfere with perceived position. This may be because accurate position representation is lost during successive visual processing steps. We found that complex motion patterns, which can only be extracted at a global level by pooling and segmenting local motion signals and integrating over time, can influence perceived position. We used motion-defined Gabor patterns containing motion-defined boundaries, which themselves moved over time. This ‘motion-defined motion’ induced position biases of up to 0.5°, much larger than has been found with luminance-defined motion. The size of the shift correlated with how detectable the motion-defined motion direction was, suggesting that the amount of bias increased with the magnitude of this complex directional signal. However, positional shifts did occur even when participants were not aware of the direction of the motion-defined motion. The size of the perceptual position shift was greatly reduced when the position judgement was made relative to the location of a static luminance-defined square, but not eliminated. These results suggest that motion-induced position shifts are a result of general mechanisms matching dynamic object properties with spatial location.
Indirect cues of nest predation risk and avian reproductive decisions
Authors: Mönkkönen Mikko , Forsman Jukka T , Kananoja Tiina , Ylönen Hannu
Published: January 2009

Current life-history theory predicts that increased mortality at early stages of life leads to reduced initial investment (e.g. clutch size) but increased subsequent investment during the reproduction attempt. In a field experiment, migratory pied flycatchers
Ficedula hypoleuca
perceived differences in mammalian nest predation risk and altered their reproductive strategies in two respects. First, birds avoided nest sites manipulated to reflect the presence of a predator. Second, birds breeding in risky areas nested 4 days earlier and laid 10 per cent larger clutches than those in safe areas, a result that runs counter to the prevailing life-history paradigm. We suggest that the overwhelming importance of nest predation to individual fitness reduces the value of collecting other information on habitat features leading to expedited onset of nesting, and, consequently, to larger clutch size.
Evidence for egg discrimination preceding failed rejection attempts in a small cuckoo host
Authors: Antonov Anton , Stokke Bård G , Moksnes Arne , Røskaft Eivin
Published: January 2009

Given the high costs of avian obligate brood parasitism, host individuals are selected to reject parasitic eggs they recognize as foreign. We show that rejection may not necessarily follow egg discrimination when selective removal of the parasitic egg is difficult. We studied egg rejection behaviour in a small host of the common cuckooCuculus canorus, the eastern olivaceous warblerHippolais pallida, by experimental parasitism with model and real non-mimetic cuckoo eggs and video recordings of host behaviour. Hosts pecked 87 per cent (20 out of 23) of the model eggs but eventually accepted 43.5 per cent (10 out of 23) of them. A similar pattern was found for real cuckoo eggs, which were all pecked, but as many as 47 per cent (7 out of 15) of them were accepted. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a cuckoo host discriminating against real parasitic eggs but often accepting them. Our results also show that in host species experiencing difficulties in performing puncture ejection, non-mimetic cuckoo eggs may avoid rejection by means of their unusually high structural strength.
Modelling control of epidemics spreading by long-range interactions
Authors: Dybiec Bartłomiej , Kleczkowski Adam , Gilligan Christopher A.
Published: January 2009

We have studied the spread of epidemics characterized by a mixture of local and non-local interactions. The infection spreads on a two-dimensional lattice with the fixed nearest neighbour connections. In addition, long-range dynamical links are formed by moving agents (vectors). Vectors perform random walks, with step length distributed according to a thick-tail distribution. Two distributions are considered in this paper, anα-stable distribution describing self-similar vector movement, yet characterized by an infinite variance and an exponential power characterized by a large but finite variance. Such long-range interactions are hard to track and make control of epidemics very difficult. We also allowed for cryptic infection, whereby an infected individual on the lattice can be infectious prior to showing any symptoms of infection or disease. To account for such cryptic spread, we considered a control strategy in which not only detected, i.e. symptomatic, individuals but also all individuals within a certain control neighbourhood are treated upon the detection of disease. We show that it is possible to eradicate the disease by using such purely local control measures, even in the presence of long-range jumps. In particular, we show that the success of local control and the choice of the optimal strategy depend in a non-trivial way on the dispersal patterns of the vectors. By characterizing these patterns using the stability index of theα-stable distribution to change the power-law behaviour or the exponent characterizing the decay of an exponential power distribution, we show that infection can be successfully contained using relatively small control neighbourhoods for two limiting cases for long-distance dispersal and for vectors that are much more limited in their dispersal range.
‘Where are your intelligent mothers to come from?’: marriage and family in the scientific career of Dame Kathleen Lonsdale FRS (1903–71)
Authors: Baldwin Melinda
Published: January 2009

Although she was one of the most successful female scientists in twentieth-century Britain, the X-ray crystallographer Kathleen Yardley Lonsdale (1903–71) has received relatively little attention from historians of science. This paper, based on material from the recently opened Dame Kathleen Lonsdale Papers, argues that Lonsdale's scientific career was shaped in particular ways by her identity not just as a woman, but as a
married
woman and a mother. When interacting with her scientific colleagues, Lonsdale frequently had to confront the assumption that married women should not pursue scientific careers, an attitude shaped by British concerns about reasserting traditional gender roles after the World Wars I and II. Furthermore, although Lonsdale's husband, Thomas, was an ardent supporter of her career, in the early 1930s Lonsdale left research temporarily to care for her small children. Her desire to work from home during this period led her to pursue one of her most significant scientific projects: the creation of crystallographic reference tables. Lonsdale's own experiences, and those of her female students, led her to focus on issues of marriage and family when she began speaking and writing about women in science during the late 1960s.
Assessing Family Problems: An Evaluation of Key Elements of the Children’s Review Schedule
Authors: Sheppard Michael , Wilkinson Tina
Published: January 2009

The importance of providing consistent methods for the assessment of need for practice and research in child and family social work has been accepted for some considerable time. One feature identified by key stakeholders, such as Directors of Children’s and Social Services, is the need for rigour in the development of such instruments. This paper reports on an evaluation of the Children’s Review Schedule, an instrument developed in collaboration with one Children’s Department. It focuses on a key aspect of the assessment of need: the measurement of the nature, range and severity of family problems.
TGFβ inhibits GM‐CSF‐induced phosphorylation of ERK and MEK in human myeloid leukaemia cell lines via inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3‐k)
Authors: Montenegro D. E. , Franklin T , Moscinski L. C. , Zuckerman K. S. , Hu X.‐T.
Published: January 2009

Objectives:  Activation of SMAD‐independent p44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) signalling by TGFβ has been recently reported in various cell types. However, the mechanisms for the linkage between the SMAD‐dependent and ‐independent pathways are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether TGF‐β activates the ERK pathway and how TGFβ communicates with the MAP kinase signals induced by a mitogen, in human myeloid leukaemia cells.

Materials and methods and results:  TGFβ dramatically suppressed proliferation of MV4–11 and TF‐1 cells without detectable phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and MEK1/2 for the duration of 48 h, as detected by MTT assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. In contrast, GM‐CSF induced rapid and transient phosphorylation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 and up‐regulated cell proliferation. Both GM‐CSF‐induced ERK1/2 activation and cell proliferation were significantly inhibited by TGFβ. GM‐CSF also induced transient phosphorylation of the p85 subunit of PI3‐kinase. Corresponding to this change, phosphorylated p85 was found to bind to the GM‐CSF receptor‐α subunit, as detected by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. PD98059, a selective inhibitor of MEK, blocked GM‐CSF‐induced phosphorylation of MEK and ERK but not p85. However, TGFβ and LY294002, a potent inhibitor of PI3‐kinase, significantly inhibited phosphorylation of both p85 and ERK1/2.

Conclusions:  These studies thus indicate that TGFβ does not activate the ERK pathway but turns off the GM‐CSF‐induced ERK signal via inhibition of the PI3‐kinase‐Akt pathway, in these human laeukemia cells.
Capacity of robot handling for Epstein‐Barr virus transformation
Authors: Chang I.‐C. , Ko H.‐W. , Hwang S.‐M.
Published: January 2009

Objectives:  Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) transformation has been described as a routine method to establish human B lymphoblastoid cell lines. Each established lymphoblastoid cell line represents one unique genetic information carrier and can produce unlimited quantities of DNA materials available for downstream applications and research. Undoubtedly, it is of great value to human clinical and experimental genetic studies. However, the current process of EBV transformation requires much manpower in the routine renewal of medium, which is time‐consuming. This situation can become a serious problem especially when establishing a human B lymphoblastoid cell bank. A modified and cost‐effective protocol for EBV transformation should be considered.

Materials and methods:  In the present study, process in EBV transformation was modified to fit the requirements of robot handling.

Results:  1 mL of whole blood was demonstrated to be sufficient to perform EBV transformation. Additionally, EBV transformation can performed in 96‐deep‐well plates that are directly and widely used with automatic work platforms.

Conclusions:  Based on these facts, a process of EBV transformation can be modified to fit the requirements of robot handling.
Manufacturing ghost fathers: the paradox of father presence and absence in child welfare
Authors: Brown Leslie , Callahan Marilyn , Strega Susan , Walmsley Christopher , Dominelli Lena
Published: January 2009

Fathers exist in the lives of women and children involved with child welfare authorities, and yet, they are rarely seen by child welfare. This invisibility exists whether or not fathers are deemed as risks or as assets to their families. Using an analysis of fundamental child welfare policies and practices and relevant literature, the paper examines how ‘ghost’ fathers are manufactured, and how this phenomenon affects families and professionals in child welfare. An analysis of gender, class, race and culture of child welfare discourses shows how these fathers are seen as deviant, dangerous, irresponsible and irrelevant, and even further, how absence in child welfare is inextricably linked to blaming mothers. In failing to work with fathers, child welfare ignores potential risks and assets for both mothers and children.
Developing congruent children's services to improve child well‐being
Authors: Axford Nick
Published: January 2009

This paper explores whether different concepts of child well‐being call for different ‘service styles’ and, if so, whether these styles can dovetail together to form a congruent pattern of children's services. The first part draws on the distinguishing features of five approaches to conceptualizing well‐being – need, rights, poverty, quality of life and social exclusion – and their empirical manifestations (‘conditions’) to identify different emphases or ‘styles’ in service provision. The second, more discursive part of the paper explores potential contradictions between these service styles, for example, between needs‐led and rights‐based approaches or between policies to tackle poverty and combat social exclusion. The third part examines whether and how such contradictions can be minimized to achieve greater congruence and discusses the need to consider the orientation of children's services in respect of interpretations of child well‐being.
Numbers of children looked after in England: a historical analysis
Authors: Rowlands John , Statham June
Published: January 2009

This paper is an analysis of the relationship between policy, practice and the rates of children looked after by local authorities in England. It examines the trends in the numbers of children looked after by local authorities in England over a period of approximately 40 years. The increase in children looked after in the decade after 1994 is shown to be the result of fewer children entering care, but those that do tend to stay longer. This two‐part dynamic appears to have been the underlying determinant of the care population over a long period of time. The fact that time spent in care is such a key factor suggests that planning for children who are already looked after is a crucial determinant of the numbers in care. However, it is argued that poorly developed family support services limit current options for reducing the size of the care population. A range of effective family support services could potentially have an impact on the number of children in care in three ways: by helping to maintain more children within their families; by identifying those children who need care earlier; and by improving the chances of some children being successfully returned home.
Protein biochip array technology to monitor rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Fabre S , Guisset C , Tatem L , Dossat N , Dupuy A M , Cohen J D , Cristol J P , Daures J P , Jorgensen C
Published: January 2009

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) there are currently no good indicators to predict a clinical response to rituximab. The purpose of this study was to monitor and determine the role of peripheral blood cytokine profiling in differentiating between a good versus poor response to rituximab in RA. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 3 months from 46 RA patients who were treated with rituximab. Responders are defined by the presence of three of four American College of Rheumatology criteria: ≥ 20% decrease in C-reactive protein, visual analogical score of disease activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and improvement of the disease activity score (28) (four values) by ≥ 1·2 obtained at 3 months. Twelve cytokines were measured from serum collected on days 0 and 90 by proteomic array, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α, IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-2, IL-8, interferon-γ, IL-4, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, epidermal growth factor and vascular growth factor. We showed that C-reactive protein and IL-6 levels decrease significantly at 3 months in the responder group compared with baseline. At day 90 we identified a cytokine profile which differentiates responders and non-responders. High serum levels of two proinflammatory cytokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and epidermal growth factor, were significantly higher in the responder group at day 90 compared with non-responders. However, we were not able to identify a baseline cytokine profile predictive of a good response at 3 months. These findings suggest that cytokine profiling by proteomic analysis may be a promising tool for monitoring rituximab and may help in the future to identify responder RA patients.
Host kairomone learning and foraging success in an egg parasitoid: a simulation model
Authors: DAUPHIN GUILLAUME , COQUILLARD PATRICK , COLAZZA STEFANO , PERI EZIO , WAJNBERG ÉRIC
Published: January 2009

Abstract 1. Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is an egg parasitoid that recognises chemical residues left by its host the green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) as kairomone signals, enabling it to find egg masses in which to lay eggs.

2. Kairomones are usually present as patches deposited by N. viridula females, and recent results (Peri et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, 209, 3629–3635, 2006) indicated that females of T. basalis are able to learn the features of their foraging environment and to adjust accordingly the amount of time spent on the patches of kairomones they are visiting, depending on whether or not host eggs are found.

3. In order to assess the impact of this learning ability, a Monte Carlo, spatially explicit and individual‐based simulation model was built to quantify the foraging efficiency of T. basalis females in environments with different levels of host abundance and distribution. In all cases, the present study compared the foraging efficiency of simulated T. basalis females having the ability to learn with those lacking this ability.

4. Learning females always visited a higher number of kairomone patches and attacked a higher number of hosts than non‐learning females, especially when there was a high density of kairomone patches in the environment.

5. Learning ability globally appears to allow the maintenance of efficient foraging success, especially when there is a low probability for the kairomone patches to contain discoverable hosts.

6. The increase in foraging efficiency for learning females appears to depend on the characteristics of the habitat in which they are foraging. Results thus suggest that significant variation in learning ability is likely to occur in natural wasp populations facing different environments with different host spatial distributions.
Abnormal red body coloration of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, is caused by a mutation in a novel kynureninase
Authors: Meng Yan , Katsuma Susumu , Mita Kazuei , Shimada Toru
Published: January 2009

Larvae of the body color mutant red blood (rb) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, display reddish skin whose hemolymph becomes red in air, whereas hemolymphs of normal strains become black during melanization. The irregular coloring was assumed to result from an abnormal accumulation of 3‐hydroxykynurenine. However, the gene responsible for the rb phenotype is not yet known. Here, we provide evidence that the rb gene corresponds to a novel bacterial‐type kynureninase gene, BmKynu. Kynureninase (KYNU) hydrolyzes kynurenine and 3‐hydroxykynurenine to anthranilic acid and 3‐hydroxyanthranilic acid, respectively. KYNU has been identified in microorganisms and animals but not in insects. Therefore, BmKynu is the first KYNU gene observed in insects. Our results clearly showed that a point mutation (T102I) in BmKYNU of the rb strain led to a marked decrease in KYNU activity, presumably resulting in abnormal accumulation of 3‐hydroxykynurenine. Additionally, linkage analysis indicated that no recombination between rb and BmKynu was detected. We conclude that T102I in BmKYNU causes the red body coloration in the rb strain. Our study proves that B. mori has a unique side branch in the kynurenine pathway, distinctly different from other insects.
Fast free surface multiples attenuation workflow for three‐dimensional ocean bottom seismic data
Authors: Traub Bärbel , Nguyen Anh Kiet , Riede Matthias
Published: January 2009

Water multiples can be very strong and contaminate the primary reflections. This can cause problems in the processing flow and the interpretation of the subsurface image. Hence, multiples suppression is an important part of the preprocessing flow. We present a fast workflow for attenuation of free surface related multiples for 2D and 3D ocean bottom seismic data based on the wave equation approach. Included in the workflow are: 1. Calibration of the pressure and vertical velocity components by using wavefield splitting. 2. Data interpolation by using offset projection. 3. Fast Radon transform by using fast fractional Fourier transform. Advantages of this workflow are that it is fast, efficient and the only requirements are the recording of both pressure and vertical particle components at some point below the source in the water column.
A moving magnetic dipole in a conductive medium
Authors: Sampaio Edson E.S.
Published: January 2009

A thorough investigation of the role that the source velocity has in the spatial and temporal variation of the secondary electromagnetic energy scattered by the Earth is necessary because marine controlled‐source electromagnetic geophysical surveys employ moving sources. A first step towards this goal is the analysis, for this type of survey, of the difference of the measured value of the secondary electromagnetic energy between two systems: one with a moving source and the other with a fixed source. The model that suffices to stress this kinematic aspect is a vertical magnetic dipole moving at a constant speed along a horizontal line in a homogeneous medium separated from two homogeneous half‐spaces by horizontal boundaries both above and below the dipole. The results show that both the velocity and the relative displacement between the source and the medium may cause a measurable variation relative to the static condition. Therefore, it may be necessary to take them into account in geophysical interpretation and to adapt the concepts of time and frequency domain for electromagnetic systems with moving sources.
Maturation trends in red deer females over 39 years in harvested populations
Authors: Mysterud Atle , Yoccoz Nigel G. , Langvatn Rolf
Published: January 2009

There is increasing awareness that heavy harvesting can lead to rapid evolution towards earlier sexual maturation. With increased harvest pressure, individuals that begin reproduction at light weights have a greater chance of reproducing at least once compared with individuals that begin reproduction at heavier weights and hence later in life. Although well documented in fish, this has not been empirically tested for harvested populations of mammals in terrestrial ecosystems differing in many environmental aspects.

Using data from 3856 female red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from three harvested populations, we tested whether red deer maturity changed from 1967 to 2006. In these populations, density has increased markedly over the time period reducing body mass of deer, which has decreased the proportion of females maturing as yearlings. We therefore assessed trends in maturation as yearlings after controlling for body mass. Long‐lived iteroparous ungulate females are expected to have a prudent life history not risking their future survival and reproduction under harsh conditions (e.g. at high density). An alternative to the harvest‐induced evolution hypothesis is that maturation is driven mainly by phenotypic responses to increased density, and we predicted later maturation even after controlling for the reduction in body mass.

There was a marked trend towards later age at maturation in one out of three populations (after controlling for the effect of reduced body mass due to increased density), while there was no marked trend in the two other populations. The harvesting‐induced evolution hypothesis was therefore not supported. However, although the decline was predicted from the prudent life‐history tactic hypothesis, the estimate for the density effect was positive rather than negative after accounting for the year trend. Although we did not find support for the harvest‐induced earlier maturation hypothesis, evidence was not clearly in favour of the alternative hypothesis.

Our study contrasts results from trophy‐hunting traditions targeting large males, and points to a potential role of the cultural tradition. Harvesting in Scandinavia mainly aims for meat targeting calves and yearlings (and males), which is less likely to yield an evolutionary response in maturation of females. Our results, although being on a plastic trait and not directly on genetic make‐up, are indicative that harvesting‐induced evolution is weak on age at maturation in these populations under the current management regime.
Infertility, infertility treatment and psychomotor development: the Danish National Birth Cohort
Authors: Zhu Jin Liang , Basso Olga , Obel Carsten , Hvidtjørn Dorte , Olsen Jørn
Published: January 2009

Babies born of infertile couples, regardless of treatment, have a higher risk of preterm birth and low birthweight, conditions associated with delayed development. We examined developmental milestones in singletons as a function of parental infertility [time to pregnancy (TTP) > 12 months] and infertility treatment. From the Danish National Birth Cohort (1997–2003), we identified 37 897 singletons born of fertile couples (TTP ≤ 12 months), 4351 born of infertile couples conceiving naturally (TTP > 12 months), and 3309 born after infertility treatment. When the children were about 18 months old, mothers reported 12 developmental milestones by responding to structured questions. We defined a failure to achieve the assessed milestone or the minimal numbers of milestones in a summary (motor, or cognitive/language skills) as delay.

Naturally conceived children born of infertile couples had a pattern of psychomotor development similar to that of children born of fertile couples, but increasing TTP correlated with a modest delay. When the analysis was restricted to infertile couples (treated and untreated), children born after treatment showed a slight delay in cognitive/language development (odds ratio 1.24, [95% confidence interval 1.01, 1.53]) for not meeting at least three out of six cognitive/language milestones); children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) had the highest estimated relative risk of delay for most milestones, especially motor milestones. These results suggest that a long TTP may be associated with a modest developmental delay. Infertility treatment, especially ICSI, may be associated with a slight delay for some of these early milestones.
Phylogenetic relationships within the Cimicomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): a total‐evidence analysis
Authors: SCHUH RANDALL T. , WEIRAUCH CHRISTIANE , WHEELER WARD C.
Published: January 2009

AbstractA phylogenetic analysis for the Cimicomorpha was conducted using 92 taxa, including eight outgroups and six species of Thaumastocoridae. Density of taxon sampling allows for tests of relationships at the family level for most taxa, whereas in the Miridae denser sampling allows for doing so on the tribal level. This level of sampling also corresponds with the availability of testable published hypotheses of relationships. Morphological data for 73 characters are coded for all taxa. Approximately 3500 base pairs of DNA were sequenced for the following gene regions for 83 taxa: 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA and COI. Results are presented for analysis of morphological data, individual molecular partitions, combined molecular data, combined morphological and molecular data for 83 taxa and combined morphological and molecular data for 92 taxa. Analyses of morphological data were performed using the parsimony programsnonaandpiwe: molecular and combined data were analysed using direct optimization with the programpoy. Major conclusions of the present study include recognition of the following monophyletic groups: The Geocorisae is a monophyletic group. The monophyly of the Cimicomorpha – including Thaumastocoridae – is not supported in most analyses. The Reduviidae is monophyletic, with the Phymatinae Complex being the sister‐group of the remaining subfamilies. The circumscription of the Cimiciformes is altered from the prior conception of Schuh and Štys to also include the Joppeicidae, Microphysidae and Velocipedidae, as well as the recently described family Curaliidae; the monophyly of the Cimiciformes is supported in most analyses; the Cimiciformes is treated as the sister‐group of the Miroidea in most analyses. The monophyly of the Cimicoidea, including Curaliidae, is supported in all analyses including molecular data, whereas Curaliidae is treated as a more basal cimiciform in all other analyses. The monophyly and placement of the Thaumastocoridae is ambiguous across the range of analyses, and the monophyly of the Miroidea sensu Schuh and Štys receives limited support in the combined analyses of morphology + molecular data. The Tingidae and Miridae are each monophyletic and together almost invariably form a monophyletic group. Within the Miridae, several inclusive monophyletic groups at the subfamily/tribal level are more or less consistently recognized when molecular data are included; however, the interrelationships of the subfamilies vary substantially across the range of analyses. Of the individual molecular partitions, only 18S rDNA shows significant congruence with combined analyses of morphological, combined molecular or combined morphological and molecular data. Scenarios are discussed for the evolution of the metathoracic scent‐efferent system and the origin of the fossula spongiosa.
Description, circumscription and phylogenetics of the new tribe Zaeucoilini (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae), including a description of a new genus
Authors: BUFFINGTON MATTHEW L.
Published: January 2009

Abstract Neotropical eucoiline genera that have been included in and allied with the Zaeucoila genus group are redescribed. Following character analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction (25 taxa, 96 morphological characters, 1452 ribosomal and mitochondrial characters), this informal genus group was found to be monophyletic, and hence raised to formal recognition as a tribe of eucoilines, namely Zaeucoilini new tribe. Through phylogenetic reconstruction, Aegeseucoela Buffington was determined to be polyphyletic; the type species of Aegeseucoela, A. grenadensis (Ashmead), is transferred to Agrostocynipscomb.n.; the orphaned species, A. flavotincta (Kieffer), is transferred to Marthiella Buffington gen.n., comb.n. Based on the examination of the holotype of Diranchis flavipesAshmead, 1900, this species is transferred to Rhabdeucoelacomb.n., where it is both a junior, subjective synonym of flavipes (Ashmead, 1894) syn.n. and a junior, secondary homonym. Zaeucoilini contains the following genera: Agrostocynips Diaz, Dettmeria Borgmeier, Dicerataspis Ashmead, Lopheucoila Weld, Marthiella Buffington, Moneucoela Kieffer, Moritiella Buffington, Penteucoila Weld, Preseucoela Buffington, Rhabdeucoela Kieffer, Tropideucoila Ashmead and Zaeucoila Ashmead. Characters and character states applicable specifically to Zaeucoilini are defined and illustrated. Characters supporting the monophyly of each genus are discussed. The plesiomorphic host for members of the Zaeucoilini are postulated as agromyzid leaf‐mining Diptera, with one shift within the clade containing Dettmeria, Dicerataspis and Lopheucoila to fruit‐infesting Diptera. New host records are reported for species of Preseucoela, Rhabdeucoela and Zaeucoila. All known hosts for the species of each genus are reported, as are known distributions and locations of type specimens.
Genetic variation in ORM1‐like 3 (ORMDL3) and gasdermin‐like (GSDML) and childhood asthma
Authors: Wu H. , Romieu I. , Sienra‐Monge J.‐J. , Li H. , Del Rio‐Navarro B. E. , London S. J.
Published: January 2009

Background:  A genome‐wide association study identified ORM1‐like 3 (orosomucoid 1‐like 3, ORMDL3) as an asthma candidate gene. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the region including ORMDL3 on chromosome 17q21 were related to childhood asthma risk and ORMDL3 expression levels in Europeans.

Objective:  We examined whether polymorphisms in ORMDL3 and the adjacent gasdermin‐like (GSDML) gene associated with asthma in the genome‐wide association study are related to childhood asthma and atopy in a Mexico City population.

Methods:  We genotyped rs4378650 in ORMDL3 and rs7216389 in GSDML in 615 nuclear families consisting of asthmatic children aged 4–17 years and their parents. Atopy was determined by skin prick tests to 25 aeroallergens.

Results:  Individuals carrying the C allele of rs4378650 or the T allele of rs7216389 had increased risk of asthma [relative risk (RR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–2.53, P = 0.003 for one or two copies of rs4378650 C, and RR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.12–2.38, P = 0.009 for one or two copies of rs7216389 T). Linkage disequilibrium between the two SNPs was high (r2 = 0.92). Neither of the SNPs was associated with the degree of atopy. A meta‐analysis of five published studies on rs7216389 in nine populations gave an odds ratio for asthma of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.35–1.54, P < 0.00001).

Conclusions:  Our results and the meta‐analysis provide evidence to confirm the finding from a recent genome‐wide association study that polymorphisms in ORMDL3 and the adjacent GSDML may contribute to childhood asthma.
Investigations into the role of ST2 in acute asthma in children
Authors: Ali M. , Zhang G. , Thomas W. R. , McLean C. J. , Bizzintino J. A. , Laing I. A. , Martin A. C. , Goldblatt J. , Le Souëf P. N. , Hayden C. M.
Published: January 2009

The ST2 gene is a member of the interleukin‐1 receptor family and is located on chromosome 2q12, an area of the genome that has been associated with asthma. The soluble product of the ST2 gene, serum ST2 (sST2), has previously been shown to be elevated in adult asthmatic patients. This study investigated the potential role of ST2 in children with acute asthma. Children aged 2–16 years (n = 186) were recruited on presentation with acute asthma in the emergency department. Blood was obtained on presentation and during convalescence. Variables assessed included sST2 levels, a comprehensive assembly of clinical parameters and two polymorphisms in the ST2 gene, −26999G/A, located in the distal promoter region, and ala78glu polymorphism, on exon 3. The A allele of the −26999G/A polymorphism occurred more frequently in asthmatics compared with an unselected control group (P = 0.031). Serum ST2 levels were substantially higher during acute asthma compared with levels after the attack: 0.29 ng/ml (95% confidence interval: 0.23–0.36) and 0.14 ng/ml (0.12–0.17), respectively (P = 0.001) and were inversely related to eosinophil counts during an acute asthma attack (P = 0.002). The −26999AA genotype, as well as the AC haplotype, was associated with asthma severity scores (P = 0.05 and 0.02) compared with the −26999GA and GG genotypes. Serum ST2 levels were not associated with any of the studied genotypes or haplotypes. The observed associations of ST2 genotypes and haplotypes with acute asthma and asthma severity scores as well as the phenotypic differences associated with ST2 polymorphisms suggest that ST2 may play a role in the pathophysiology of asthma.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐A*3217 allele in two Caucasian Spanish donors
Authors: Sánchez‐Gordo F , Balas A , García‐Sánchez F , Bustamante L , Vicario J. L.
Published: January 2009

A novel human leukocyte antigen‐A allele, officially named A*3217, was found in two unrelated Spanish donors. A*3217 differs from A*320101 in a point mutation at codon 70 (CAC→CAG), generating an amino acid substitution of His to Gln.
Transmission of type 1 diabetes by bone marrow transplantation: A case report
Authors: Mellouli Fethi , Ksouri Habib , Torjmen Lamia , Abdelkefi Abderrahman , Ladeb Saloua , Ben Othman Tarek , Ben Hassen Assia , Béjaoui Mohamed
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  T1D after BMT constitutes a human model of autoimmune disease transmission. This case report refers to T1D onset after allogeneic HLA‐matched BMT in a six‐yr‐old recipient affected by aplastic anemia. The donor was his sister who had T1D. The recipient had a complication free course apart from grade 1 acute GVHD, which was resolved spontaneously. With the predictive value and significance of T1D‐associated autoantibodies, we tried to consolidate the T1D transfer possibility based on our patient characteristics and a literature review.
Stability over 36 months of a new liquid 10% polyclonal immunoglobulin product (IgPro10, Privigen©) stabilized with L‐proline
Authors: Cramer M. , Frei R. , Sebald A. , Mazzoletti P. , Maeder W.
Published: January 2009

Background and Objectives  IgPro10 (Privigen©) is a new liquid intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) product that is formulated with 250 mM L‐proline at pH 4·8. A 3‐year study was performed to assess its stability.

Materials and Methods  Physicochemical, biological and immunological parameters of Privigen were assessed during storage under controlled conditions over up to 36 months at 25°C.

Results  Privigen was shown to be stable after storage for 3 years at room temperature (25°C). Of all parameters tested, only a few showed changes during storage. The appearance of the solution complied with the specifications given by the European Pharmacopeia over the full study period, with a single exception. The IgG fraction in Privigen displayed high purity (≥ 98%), which did not change during storage over 36 months. No relevant amounts of aggregated IgG molecules were formed in Privigen samples and the ratio between monomers and dimers shifted slightly towards the equilibrium over time. Testing of reference antibody contents and the Fc function demonstrated that the biological activity and effector functions of Privigen were preserved over the full study period of 36 months.

Conclusion  Thirty‐six months room temperature stability of Privigen was achieved at pH 4·8 with an innovative formulation containing the physiological stabilizer L‐proline.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN LIGHT OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH RESEARCH
Authors: VENKATAPURAM SRIDHAR , MARMOT MICHAEL
Published: January 2009

The present article identifies how social determinants of health raise two categories of philosophical problems that also fall within the smaller domain of ethics; one set pertains to the philosophy of epidemiology, and the second set pertains to the philosophy of health and social justice. After reviewing these two categories of ethical concerns, the limited conclusion made is that identifying and responding to social determinants of health requires inter‐disciplinary reasoning across epidemiology and philosophy. For the reasoning used in epidemiology to be sound, for its scope and (moral) purpose as a science to be clarified as well as for social justice theory to be relevant and coherent, epidemiology and philosophy need to forge a meaningful exchange of ideas that happens in both directions.
TACKLING SOCIALLY DETERMINED DENTAL INEQUALITIES: ETHICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDSMILE, THE NATIONAL CHILD ORAL HEALTH DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMME IN SCOTLAND
Authors: SHAW DAVID , MACPHERSON LORNA , CONWAY DAVID
Published: January 2009

Many ethical issues are posed by public health interventions. Although abstract theorizing about these issues can be useful, it is the application of ethical theory to real cases which will ultimately be of benefit in decision‐making. To this end, this paper will analyse the ethical issues involved in Childsmile, a national oral health demonstration programme in Scotland that aims to improve the oral health of the nation's children and reduce dental inequalities through a combination of targeted and universal interventions. With Scotland's level of dental caries among the worst in Europe, Childsmile represents one of the largest programmes of work aimed at combating oral health inequalities in the UK. The areas of ethical interest include several contrasting themes: reducing health inequalities and improving health; universal and targeted interventions; political values and evidence base; prevention and treatment; and underlying all of these, justice and utility.
GLOBALIZATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Authors: CHAPMAN AUDREY R.
Published: January 2009

Globalization, a process characterized by the growing interdependence of the world's people, impacts health systems and the social determinants of health in ways that are detrimental to health equity. In a world in which there are few countervailing normative and policy approaches to the dominant neoliberal regime underpinning globalization, the human rights paradigm constitutes a widely shared foundation for challenging globalization's effects. The substantive rights enumerated in human rights instruments include the right to the highest attainable level of physical and mental health and others that are relevant to the determinants of health. The rights stipulated in these documents impose extensive legal obligations on states that have ratified these documents and confer health entitlements on their residents. Human rights norms have also inspired civil society efforts to improve access to essential medicines and medical services, particularly for HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, many factors reduce the potential counterweight human rights might exert, including and specifically the nature of the human rights approach, weak political commitments to promoting and protecting health rights on the part of some states and their lack of institutional and economic resources to do so. Global economic markets and the relative power of global economic institutions are also shrinking national policy space. This article reviews the potential contributions and limitations of human rights to achieving greater equity in shaping the social determinants of health.
Fighting the Elephant in the Room: Ethical Reflections on White Privilege and Other Systems of Advantage in the Teaching of Religion
Authors: Hill Jack A.
Published: January 2009

This article contends that teaching more effectively for diversity requires a radical re‐envisioning of pedagogical practice. Drawing on qualitative interviews with religion and theology professors of color throughout the United States, it explores how faculty can re‐imagine their teaching by engaging students where they are, acknowledging the reality of oppression, and dealing with resistance. Stressing mindfulness of social location, it provides examples of liberating teaching activities and competences and shows how literary and visual “texts” from the margins and personal metaphors of embodiment can challenge captivities to hegemonic paradigms in the classroom. The article concludes with responses from colleagues who have worked closely with the author. Ethicist Melanie Harris brings Hill's method into dialogue with Womanist pedagogy, and historian of religion Hjamil Martínez‐Vázquez reflects on the role of suffering in building a revolutionary/critical pedagogy.