bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
N-{[2,5-Dichloro-4-(1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoropropoxy)phenyl]aminocarbonyl}-2,6-difluorobenzamide
Authors: Liu Yin-hong , Li Fang-shi , Li Yi
Published: August 2008

In the molecule of the title compound, C17H8Cl2F8N2O3, the two aromatic rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 50.12 (3)°. Intramolecular N—H...O, C—H...O and N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds result in the formation of two six- and one five-membered rings. The six-membered rings have flattened-boat conformations, while the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation. In the crystal structure, intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into centrosymmetric dimers.
Poly[[bis(μ2-4-aminobenzenesulfonato-κ2
N:O)diaquamanganese(II)] dihydrate]
Authors: Li Zhan Ling , Xuan Ya Wen , Wu Wen , Xie Dong Po
Published: August 2008

The title compound, {[Mn(NH2C6H4SO3)2(H2O)2]·2H2O}
n
, was prepared under mild hydrothermal conditions. The unique MnII ion is located on a crystallographic inversion center and is coordinated by two –NH2 and two –SO3 groups from four 4-aminobenzenesulfonate ligands and by two water molecules in the axial positions, forming a slightly distorted octahedral coordination environment. The 4-aminobenzenesulfonate anions behave as μ2-bridging ligands to produce a two-dimensional structure. In the crystal structure, intermolecular N—H...O, O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds link the layers into a three-dimensional network.
Ethyl 6-methyl-2-oxo-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate
Authors: Nizam Mohideen M. , Rasheeth A. , Huq C. A. M. A. , Nizar S. Syed
Published: August 2008

The title compound, C14H16N2O3, belongs to a group of esters of 2-oxo- and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acids, which exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activities. The dihydropyrimidine ring adopts a screw-boat conformation. The crystal packing is stabilized by strong N—H...O and weak C—H...O intermolecular hydrogen bonds. An intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond is also present.
Members of the S100 family bind p53 in two distinct ways
Authors: Fernandez‐Fernandez Maria Rosario , Rutherford Trevor J. , Fersht Alan R.
Published: August 2008

p53 binds to some members of the S100 family (S100B, S100A4, S100A2, and S100A1). We previously showed that both S100B and S100A4 bind to the p53 tetramerization domain, and consequently control its oligomerization state, but only S100B binds to the C‐terminal negative regulatory domain (NRD). Here, we investigate other binding partners for p53 within the S100 family (S100A6 and S100A11), and show that binding to the p53 tetramerization domain seems to be a general feature of the S100 family, while binding to the NRD is a characteristic of a subset of the family.
Age‐specific variation in survival, reproductive success and offspring quality in red squirrels: evidence of senescence
Authors: Descamps Sébastien , Boutin Stan , Berteaux Dominique , Gaillard Jean‐Michel
Published: August 2008

Individual performance is expected to decrease with age because of senescence. We analyzed long‐term data collected on a North American red squirrel population to assess the influence of age on body mass, survival and reproductive performance, and to study the effects of sex and of environmental conditions during early life on senescence patterns. Mass of males and females did not decrease at the end of life, possibly because body mass mostly reflects overall size in income breeders such as red squirrels. On the other hand, we found evidence of senescence in survival of both sexes and, to a lesser extent, in female reproductive traits. When compared to females, males had both higher survival and delayed decrease in survival, suggesting a weaker senescence in males. The offspring survival from weaning to one year of age also decreased with increasing mother age. This suggests that older females produce juveniles of lower quality, providing evidence of an intergenerational effect of mother's age on juveniles’ fitness. Finally, our results indicate that variations in food conditions during early life influenced the reproductive tactics of females in the first years of their life, but not senescence patterns.
Heterogeneous selection promotes maintenance of polymorphism in host–parasite interactions
Authors: Laine Anna‐Liisa , Tellier Aurélien
Published: August 2008

Polymorphism in loci affecting host resistance and parasite virulence is characteristic for nearly all species and this genetic variation is considered to have profound consequences for the patterns of disease incidence, prevalence and evolution. The gene‐for‐gene (GFG) system is a well‐characterized genetic interaction of host recognition and parasite antigenic loci for a wide range of plant‐parasite interactions. Long‐term maintenance of polymorphism in GFG systems has remained puzzling for both theoreticians and empiricists. Traditionally this diversity has been explained by tradeoffs with other life‐history traits closely linked with fitness, yet empirical evidence for such costs has remained mixed. Here we argue that incorporating simple ecological reality – spatial structuring and gradient of environmental conditions – into host–parasite research will help us understand how polymorphism is maintained. While environmental conditions (biotic and abiotic factors) have been studied in depth in plant pathology for their influence on disease severity and plant yield, they have been rarely set into an evolutionary framework. We briefly review recent data on natural plant–parasite metapopulations and theoretical models moving from single population models towards metapopulation theory to reveal in just how many ways spatial structuring may affect the coevolutionary process. We clarify also how spatially heterogeneous selection, through G×E (or G×G×E) interactions, may be particularly important for natural host–parasite interactions and suggest that this provides the unifying ground upon which future theoretical and empirical work should be build on.
Species‐specific positive effects in an annual plant community
Authors: Lortie Christopher J. , Turkington Roy
Published: August 2008

Plant facilitation studies commonly test the nurse‐plant hypothesis wherein an adult shrub species enhances the establishment of associated herbaceous species under its canopy. Using field and glasshouse experiments, this hypothesis is extended by testing the following four predictions: (1) nurse‐plant effects can occur between species with similar life‐forms and phenologies (2) positive effects are species specific, (3) the outcome of interactions is life‐stage dependent, and (4) facilitative interactions among annuals are primarily commensal. In the Negev Desert in Israel, the response of an annual plant community to removal of relatively larger annuals, Erodium laciniatum, Erucaria pinnata and Trifolium tomentosum, was tested in the field and in the glasshouse. Removal of these dominants was applied early in the growing season, immediately after germination but before establishment of seedlings, and again mid‐season following establishment and growth to adults. In both the field and glasshouse, the presence of E. laciniatum increased establishment and survival to reproduction of neighbouring plants. These positive effects were life‐stage dependent with more positive effects occurring early in the season, and there was no cost of facilitation to E. laciniatum. This positive effect was species specific in that neither E. pinnata nor T. tomentosum had an effect on the plant community. There was also a cost of association with the nurse E. laciniatum in that biomass of neighbours was reduced. These experiments demonstrate that the positive effects typically detected at larger scales between species of different life‐forms are also occurring at finer spatial scales amongst annuals. This study clearly supports the predictions made in the facilitation literature that effects are species‐specific and highly life‐stage dependent.
Increasing intraspecific facilitation in exposed environments: consistent results from mountain birch populations in two subarctic stress gradients
Authors: Eränen Janne K. , Kozlov Mikhail V.
Published: August 2008

The stress‐gradient hypothesis predicts that the importance of facilitation relative to competition should increase with increasing stress. The hypothesis has received support from several environments, but multi‐gradient studies on the generality of the hypothesis are exceptionally rare. A within‐species experiment with mountain birchBetula pubescenssubsp.czerepanoviiwas conducted to test the hypothesis in the extreme ends of two subarctic stress gradients (elevation and seashore) in the Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia. The high stress sites were characterized by strong winds, temperature extremes and potentially drought. The negative effects of abiotic stress on the study seedlings were verified from performance characteristics. Effects of adult hosts as well as seedling–seedlings interactions were studied. Positive host–seedling interactions dominated in each study site, and three out of four performance variables indicated stronger positive net effects in the high stress sites. In the seashore gradient also seedling survival gave similar interpretations. Also a temporal shift towards host–seedling competition was detected in a low stress site after two study years. In seedling–seedling interactions competition dominated, but the effects were weak, likely due to the ‘noise’ caused by genetic and environmental factors. Our results support the stress‐gradient hypothesis and its generality in subarctic environments, as the interpretations were similar for both stress gradients and several fitness‐related variables. The temporal variation in host–seedling interactions and the difference between host–seedling and seedling–seedling effects hint on size‐dependency of plant interactions: facilitation might dominate when the benefactor is substantially larger than the beneficiary, while competition may be stronger when the plants are of similar size and developmental status.
The maximum power principle predicts the outcomes of two‐species competition experiments
Authors: DeLong John P.
Published: August 2008

The maximum power principle (MPP) states that biological systems organize to increase power whenever the system constraints allow. The MPP has the potential to explain a variety of ecological patterns because biological power (metabolism) is a component of all ecological interactions. I empirically tested the MPP by reanalyzing three two‐species competition experiments by Gause, Vandermeer, and Fox and Morin. These experiments investigated competitive outcomes in microcosms of heterotrophic protists. I introduce metabolic state‐space graphs to portray the metabolic trajectories of the communities and show that the steady‐state outcomes of these experiments are consistent with the MPP. Winning species were successfully predicted a priori from their status as the species with the highest power when alone. In addition, periods of coexistence, although not predictable a priori, were consistent with the MPP because coexistence states had community‐level power that was higher than either species could achieve alone. Thus, the outcomes of all ten trials were the maximum power states, given the options. The results suggest that the maximum power principle may represent a useful energetic organizing principle for communities.
How reliable are harvesting data for analyses of spatio‐temporal population dynamics?
Authors: Ranta Esa , Lindström Jan , Lindén Harto , Helle Pekka
Published: August 2008

Harvest data are commonly used as proxy for count data, especially in studies of long‐term temporal and spatial patterns of population fluctuations. However, usually the concurrence of the conclusions based on different types of data is impossible to verify due to the lack of count data. Here, we use annual (1964–2004) harvest and population census data for capercaillie, black grouse and hazel grouse from 14 game management districts covering Finland, and demonstrate some mismatch in the information that these data sets provide. Overall, linear regressions of annual harvest against population count give a reasonable fit, but the slopes are less than 1 in every species. Harvest bags have been proportionally larger in north and eastern Finland than in southwestern Finland, with marked species‐specific differences. Considering population variation, the CV% in the census data (30–50%) is consistently smaller than it is in the harvest data (60–70%). Most importantly, conclusions on the spatio‐temporal patterns of the population dynamics are different if based on harvest rather than count data. In capercaillie, synchrony decreases faster with distance according to the harvest data, while in black grouse and hazel grouse the census data show the steeper decline. In addition, the autocorrelation coefficients in the census time series are higher in capercaillie and black grouse than in harvest data, but in hazel grouse the opposite is true. Finally, the parameter estimates for a second order autoregressive model using different data sets differ, and these differences are species‐specific. Despite the fact that annual harvest is a positive and linear function of annual grouse population density, the pattern of population dynamics derived from the bag data is different from that shown by the census data. This result urges caution in using wildlife bag data as reliable indices of population dynamics.

deceased August 2008.
Phosphorylation of pRb by cyclin D kinase is necessary for development of cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: Hinrichsen R. , Hansen A. H. , Haunsø S. , Busk P. K.
Published: August 2008

Abstract. Objectives: A number of stimuli induce cardiac hypertrophy and may lead to cardiomyopathy and heart failure. It is believed that cardiomyocytes withdraw from the cell cycle shortly after birth and become terminally differentiated. However, cell cycle regulatory proteins take part in the development of hypertrophy, and it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of how these proteins are involved in the hypertrophic response in cardiomyocytes.Materials and methods, and Results: In the present study, by immunohistochemistry with a phosphorylation‐specific antibody, we found that cyclin D‐cdk4/6‐phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb) during hypertrophy and expression of an unphosphorylatable pRb mutant impaired hypertrophic growth in cardiomyocytes. Transcription factor E2F was activated by hypertrophic elicitors but activation was impaired by pharmacological inhibition of cyclin D‐cdk4/6. Inhibition of cyclin E‐cdk2 complex only partly impaired E2F activity and did not prevent hypertrophic growth, but diminished endoreplication during hypertrophy.Conclusions: These results indicate that cyclin D‐cdk4/6‐dependent phosphorylation of pRb and activation of E2F is necessary for hypertrophic growth in cardiomyocytes, whereas cyclin E‐cdk2 kinase is not necessary for hypertrophy but regulates endoreplication in these cells. The data support the notion that hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes involves a partial progression through the G1phase of the cell cycle.
Recent advances in refractory coeliac disease: a review
Authors: Ho‐Yen C , Chang F , Van Der Walt J , Mitchell T , Ciclitira P
Published: August 2008

Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune‐mediated disease of the small intestine caused by intolerance to gluten. Removal of gluten from the diet results in a return to normal health for the majority of patients. A significant proportion of patients do not respond to a gluten‐free diet and are considered to be suffering from refractory coeliac disease (RCD). Two types of RCD are now recognized: type 1 RCD is characterized by a polyclonal population of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) with a normal immunophenotype, and type 2 RCD shows monoclonal IELs with an aberrant immunoprofile. Patients with RCD have a high risk of complications such as ulcerative jejunitis (UJ) and enteropathy‐type T‐cell lymphoma (ETTL). RCD2 may represent an early stage in the development of overt lymphoma. The diagnosis of RCD, therefore, has important implications, but remains a challenging area. In this paper we review the latest developments in RCD, including the diagnostic approach and a discussion of the key clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and molecular features of RCD and its complications.
Evaluation of a new laboratory model for pulp healing: preliminary study
Authors: Simon S. , Cooper P. , Smith A. , Picard B. , Naulin Ifi C. , Berdal A.
Published: August 2008

Aim  To assess the feasibility of using the mouse as an in vivo model for studying pulpal healing in response to restorative procedures.

Methodology  Direct pulp capping on maxillary first molar teeth with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), overlaid with light‐cured composite resin, was performed on nineteen 3‐month‐old mice. For control teeth, the composite resin was placed in direct contact with the pulp. Animals were killed at 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 5 weeks and 11 weeks postoperatively. Extracted dental tissues were subsequently analysed by haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry for dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) expression, scanning electronic microscopy and X‐ray analysis to determine both pulpal response and dentine bridge formation.

Results  Of the 19 mice initially used, 16 were subsequently studied. Histological analyses of pulps directly exposed to MTA for up to 2 weeks demonstrated a distinct structural change in the extracellular matrix. By weeks 5 and 11, a dentine bridge was present in all MTA‐treated specimens in which DSPP immunoreactivity was clearly apparent. Scanning electronic microscopy and X‐ray analysis enabled confirmation of calcification of the dentine bridge, and demonstrated that it had a globular surface morphology as opposed to the tubular appearance associated with orthodentine.

Conclusions  This is the first description of the utilization of a murine model for study of in vivo pulpal repair. This approach provides a novel opportunity to enable the use of genetically modified animals to explore cellular and molecular processes during reparative events.
Characterization and chemical activity of Portland cement and two experimental cements with potential for use in dentistry
Authors: Camilleri J.
Published: August 2008

Aim  To evaluate the chemical activity of Portland cement and two other cement types with similar chemical composition to mineral trioxide aggregate with the aim of developing these cements for further applications in dentistry.

Methodology  The chemical composition of the three cement types namely Portland cement, calcium sulpho‐aluminate cement and calcium fluoro‐aluminate cement was evaluated by elemental analysis using energy dispersive analysis with X‐ray under the scanning electron microscope and by X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD) to determine the phases. The constituents of the hydration reaction by‐products were evaluated by XRD analysis of the set cements at 1, 7, 28 and 56 days and by analysis of the leachate by ion chromatography. The pH of both cements and leachate was determined at different time intervals. Cements admixed with micro‐silica were also tested to determine the effect of micro‐silica on the reaction by‐products.

Results  All three cement types were composed of tricalcium silicate as the main constituent phase. The hydration reaction of Portland cement produced calcium hydroxide. However, this was not present in the other cements tested at all ages. Admixed micro‐silica had little or no effect on the cements with regard to reaction by‐products. The pH of all cements tested was alkaline.

Conclusions  Both the experimental calcium sulpho‐aluminate cement and calcium flouro‐aluminate cement had different hydration reactions to that of Portland cement even though calcium silicate was the major constituent element of both cement types. No calcium hydroxide was produced as a by‐product to cement hydration. Micro‐silica addition to the cement had no effect on the hydration reaction.
Analysis of fin and non‐fin fish products for azamethiphos and dichlorvos residues from the Canadian retail market
Authors: Rawn Dorothea F. K. , Krakalovich Tom , Forsyth Donald S. , Roscoe Veronica
Published: August 2008

The organophosphate pesticides, azamethiphos and dichlorvos, have been used in the aquaculture industry for sea lice control around the globe. Only azamethiphos was registered for aquaculture purposes in the 1990s and early 2000s in Canada; however, dichlorvos is used for this activity in other countries. Canada imports fish and shellfish from around the world for human consumption. To complete human exposure assessments, the determination of these organophosphate pesticides in fin and non‐fin fish products from Canada and other countries was performed (n = 140) using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Neither of these compounds was found at levels above the method detection limit (0.01–2 and 0.1–14 ng g−1 of azamethiphos and dichlorvos, respectively) in any fish product analysed in the present study, suggesting that their use does not contribute to dietary intake via consumption of fish.
Partitioning the effects of biodiversity and environmental heterogeneity for productivity and mortality in a tropical tree plantation
Authors: Healy Chrystal , Gotelli Nicholas J. , Potvin Catherine
Published: August 2008

Over 5000 trees were grown in plots of differing diversity levels (1, 3 and 6 species) in a plantation established in Panama. Four and five years after establishment, we analysed parameters related to the productivity of this tropical plantation (tree survival, height and biomass as well as plot basal area) to test for the presence of biodiversity effects. The relative importance of environmental heterogeneity (such as soil, topography, and drainage) and biodiversity on tree growth and mortality was determined using partial redundancy analysis.

Hierarchical clustering revealed nine different soil clusters based on soil quality and drainage. By chance, the six‐species plots were apparently established on more variable soils then on the other diversity levels. We found little evidence for spatial autocorrelation between subplots, with the exception of four subplots located on a ridge that extends on the North–South axis of the plantation and corresponds to a zone of higher productivity.

The redundancy analysis indicated that environmental heterogeneity and biodiversity together explained around 50% of the variation in subplot productivity and tree mortality. Environment explained 35–57% of the variation in productivity and mortality, respectively, whereas diversity explained an additional 23–30%.

Our simulation model revealed a significant positive effect of biodiversity on growth but no effect of biodiversity on mortality. The standardized effect sizes that we used to detect over‐ or under‐yielding or no effect in comparison with monoculture were highly variable and the variability was largely explained by traits related to site topography.

Synthesis. In our tropical tree plantation, we detected biodiversity effects at a scale relevant to conservation and quantified the relative importance of environmental heterogeneity and diversity on tree growth and mortality. Our results support the idea that environmental factors could act as hidden sources of variability in biodiversity experiments. Environmental and spatial heterogeneity induced variable responses to biodiversity and amplified the differences between three‐ and six‐species plots. Species identity explained more variation in productivity than did the species diversity. One species,Cedrela odorata, was associated with increased productivity.
The relative importance of the species pool, productivity and disturbance in regulating grassland plant species richness: a field experiment
Authors: Dickson Timothy L. , Foster Bryan L.
Published: August 2008

Ecologists have generally focused on how species interactions and available niches control species richness. However, the number of species in the regional species pool may also control richness. Moreover, the relative influence of the species pool and species interactions on plant richness may change along productivity and disturbance gradients.

We test the hypothesis that many species from the propagule pool will colonize into habitats of moderate productivity and moderate disturbance, and the number of species in the pool will, therefore, primarily control plant species richness in such habitats. The hypothesis also states that few species from the propagule pool will colonize into habitats of high productivity and minimal disturbance because competitive species interactions primarily control plant richness in such habitats.

To test this hypothesis, we experimentally varied resource availability via fertilization and irrigation, the size of the available propagule pool via sowing the seeds of 49 species and disturbance via vegetation clipping.

A larger propagule pool increased species richness 80% in the absence of fertilization and the presence of clipping but had no significant effect on richness in the presence of fertilization and the absence of clipping (significant fertilization × clipping × seed addition interaction). Irrigation increased species richness primarily in the absence of fertilization and the presence or clipping (significant fertilization × clipping × irrigation interaction).

Synthesis. These results support the assertion that the control of plant species richness shifts from the number of species in the propagule pool to the intensity of species interactions as productivity due to soil fertility increases and disturbance decreases. However, increases in productivity due to irrigation caused an increase in species richness, probably because of reduced seedling desiccation. Other studies have found similar outcomes along natural productivity gradients where productivity is confounded with other variables, but this study is the first to find such an outcome along an experimental productivity gradient. These results suggest habitats with moderate soil fertility and disturbance may be more open to colonization from the propagule pool than other habitats, a finding that has implications for plant restoration and invasive species management.
Re‐evaluation of heterogeneity in HLA‐B*510101 associated with Behçet’s disease
Authors: Takemoto Y. , Naruse T. , Namba K. , Kitaichi N. , Ota M. , Shindo Y. , Mizuki N. , Gul A. , Madanat W. , Chams H. , Davatchi F. , Inoko H. , Ohno S. , Kimura A.
Published: August 2008

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. Etiology and pathogenesis of BD are not fully elucidated, but the association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B51 or B*5101 has been repeatedly reported. Previous studies have shown that there are few sequence variations in the protein‐coding region of B51, while there is a report on many variations in the 5′‐flanking region and intron. In this study, HLA‐B*5101 gene from 37 individuals including Japanese, Turkish, Jordanian and Iranian patients and healthy controls were fully sequenced to further clarify the B*5101 gene in association with BD. We found that all the patients and healthy controls carried B*510101 with no variation in the 5′‐flanking region, exon and intron. However, seven polymorphisms were found in the 3′‐flanking region. These polymorphisms composed of six haplotypes that were shared and stretched over the ethnic groups, suggesting that the susceptibility to BD was conferred by the B*510101 itself and not by any genes in linkage disequilibrium with B*510101. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of B*510101 showed that the 3′‐flanking sequences followed an evolutional divergence differently from that of the other regions, implying that a unifying selection might operate to conserve B*510101.
The effect of mixing and changing the order of feeding oats and chopped alfalfa to horses on: glycaemic and insulinaemic responses, and breath hydrogen and methane production
Authors: Vervuert I. , Voigt K. , Hollands T. , Cuddeford D. , Coenen M.
Published: August 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding oats alone before or after feeding chopped alfalfa or, in admixture with the alfalfa on the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses of horses as well as post‐prandial breath hydrogen and methane excretion. Horses were fed in a randomized order, chopped alfalfa as a source of dietary fibre and unprocessed oats as a source of starch. Chopped alfalfa intake was adjusted to a crude fibre intake of 0.5 g/kg bodyweight (BW) per meal and the oats intake was adjusted to a starch intake of 2 g/kg BW per meal. The feeds were offered in three different ways: (i) alfalfa followed by oats (A/O), (ii) oats followed by alfalfa (O/A) or (iii) a mixture of alfalfa and oats (A + O). Oats alone were used as a control. Blood and breath were collected after the test meal was fed at the end of a 11.5‐h overnight fast following a 10‐day acclimatization period. The highest glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were measured when the A/O and O/A diets orders were fed, whereas most hydrogen was produced after feeding oats alone. It was concluded that adding alfalfa chaff to a meal of oats prolonged the pre‐caecal digestion of starch, but there was no evidence for any effect on pre‐caecal starch digestibility.
The comparison of in vivo antigenotoxic and antioxidative capacity of two propylene glycol extracts of Calendula officinalis (marigold) and vitamin E in young growing pigs
Authors: Frankič T. , Salobir K. , Salobir J.
Published: August 2008

The objective of the study was to evaluate the protective effect of Calendula officinalis propylene glycol extracts against oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation induced by high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake in young growing pigs. Forty young growing pigs were assigned to five treatment groups: control; oil (linseed oil supplementation); C. officinalis 1 and 2 groups (linseed oil plus 3 ml/day of C. officinalis propylene glycol extracts); and vitamin E group (linseed oil plus 100 mg/kg of vitamin E). Lymphocyte DNA fragmentation and 24‐h urinary 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) excretion were measured to determine DNA damage. Lipid peroxidation was studied by analysing plasma and urine malondialdehyde (MDA), and urine isoprostane concentrations (iPF2α‐VI), total antioxidant status of plasma and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) assays. C. officinalis 1 (extract from petals) effectively protected DNA from oxidative damage. It indicated a numerical trend towards the reduction of plasma MDA and urinary iPF2α‐VI excretion. Its effect was comparable with that of vitamin E. C. officinalis 2 (extract from flower tops) showed less antioxidant potential than the extract from petals. We can conclude that the amount of C. officinalis extracts proposed for internal use by traditional medicine protects the organism against DNA damage induced by high PUFA intake.
Selection and sharing of sheltered nest sites by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in grasslands of the Australian Capital Territory
Authors: Robinson Wayne A
Published: August 2008

Abstract In this study, it was investigated whether ants nesting under artificial rocks in a mesic south‐eastern Australian grassland showed preference for nest sites with different temperature regimes. The study also allowed evaluation of competition between species for nest sites and observations of seasonality in brood and alate production in the nests of four common ant groups. On every sampling occasion more than 90% of nests were eitherIridomyrmexspp.,Rhytidoponera ‘metallica’,Paratrechinasp. orPheidolespp. Soil underneath thinner artificial rocks had higher average temperatures and warmed up earlier in the day andIridomyrmexspp. andR. ‘metallica’showed preference for establishing nests under these. While all ant nests had summer peaks in brood production,Iridomyrmexspp. andR. ‘metallica’had brood observed throughout the year. Winged reproductives were commonly encountered inIridomyrmexspp.,R. ‘metallica’andParatrechinasp. nests, but only occasionallyPheidolespp. nests. Alates were present in the nests from February but released by all taxa after spring rains and were scarcely recorded in November, December and January when brood production was observed in most nests. Nest sites that offer protection from predators are an obvious advantage, but improved reproductive success can be gained in cool regions such as the mesic grasslands of the Australian Capital Territory by choosing nest sites with an optimal thermal regime.
Pachydellus hades (Halliday) (Acari: Pachylaelapidae), a European mite species described from Australia
Authors: Halliday Bruce , Mašán Peter
Published: August 2008

Abstract  Pachydellus hades (Halliday) (Acari: Pachylaelapidae) was described from Jenolan Caves, NSW, Australia, and was thought to be an Australian endemic species. It is now known that this species is abundant in Slovakia and other parts of Europe, but its presence there was not recognised because it had been misidentified as other species. It appears likely that this species was introduced from Europe into Australia through human activities. The Australian type locality of this species gives a misleading impression of its native range.
Paroster peelensis sp. nov.: a new stygobitic water beetle from alluvial gravels in northern New South Wales (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)
Authors: Watts Chris H S , Hancock Peter J , Leys Remko
Published: August 2008

Abstract  A second stygobitic carnivorous water beetle is reported from eastern Australia. Unlike the recently discovered Carabhydrus stephanieae (Watts et al.) from the same general region, the new species is from the inland draining Peel River, part of the Murray‐Darling basin. Its morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences, place it in the Hydroporine genus Paroster Sharp. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the new species is more closely related to the Western Australian species of Paroster than to the geographical less distant Paroster species of the Northern Territory.
Natural enemies of Paropsis atomaria Olivier (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in south‐eastern Queensland eucalypt plantations
Authors: Nahrung Helen F , Duffy Michael P , Lawson Simon A , Clarke Anthony R
Published: August 2008

Abstract  A field survey for natural enemies of Paropsis atomaria was conducted at two south‐eastern Queensland Eucalyptus cloeziana plantation sites during 2004–2005. Primary egg and larval parasitoids and associated hyperparasitoids were identified to genus or species, and parasitism rates were determined throughout the season. Predators were identified to family level but their impact was not quantified. P. atomaria adults were also examined as potential hosts for parasitic mites and nematodes. An undescribed species of Neopolycystus (Pteromalidae) was the major primary egg parasitoid species reared from egg batches, parasitising half of all egg batches collected. Three hyperparasitoid species (Baeoanusia albifunicle (Encyrtidae), Neblatticida sp. (Encyrtidae) and Aphaneromella sp. (Platygasteridae) were present, representing around one‐quarter to one‐third of all emergent wasps; this is the first host association record for Neopolycystus–B. albifunicle. In contrast to populations of P. atomaria from the Australian Capital Territory, primary larval parasitism was very low, around 1%, and attributable only to the tachinid flies Anagonia sp. and Paropsivora sp. However, the presence of the sit‐and‐wait larval hyperparasitoid, Perilampus sp. (Perilampidae) was high, emerging from around 17% of tachinid pupae, with planidia infesting a further 40% of unparasitised hosts. Three species of podapolipid mites parasitised sexually mature P. atomaria adults, while no nematodes were found in this study. Spiders were the most common predators and their abundance was positively correlated with P. atomaria adult and egg numbers. Although natural enemy species composition was identical between our two study sites, significant differences in abundance and frequency were found between sites.
The global biogeography of semi‐arid periodic vegetation patterns
Authors: Deblauwe Vincent , Barbier Nicolas , Couteron Pierre , Lejeune Olivier , Bogaert Jan
Published: August 2008

Aim  Vegetation exhibiting landscape‐scale regular spatial patterns has been reported for arid and semi‐arid areas world‐wide. Recent theories state that such structures are bound to low‐productivity environments and result from a self‐organization process. Our objective was to test this relationship between periodic pattern occurrence and environmental factors at a global scale and to parametrize a predictive distribution model.

Location  Arid and semi‐arid areas world‐wide.

Methods  We trained an empirical predictive model (Maxent) for the occurrence of periodic vegetation patterns, based on environmental predictors and known occurrences verified on Landsat satellite images.

Results  This model allowed us to discover previously unreported pattern locations, and to report the first ever examples of spotted patterns in natural systems. Relationships to the main environmental drivers are discussed.

Main conclusions  These results confirm that periodic patterned vegetations are ubiquitous at the interface between arid and semi‐arid regions. Self‐organized patterning appears therefore to be a biome‐scale response to environmental conditions, including soil and topography. The set of correlations between vegetation patterns and their environmental conditions presented in this study will need to be reproduced in future modelling attempts.
Parts and ‘holes’: gaps in rational number sense among children with vs. without mathematical learning disabilities
Authors: Mazzocco Michèle M.M. , Devlin Kathleen T.
Published: August 2008

Many middle‐school students struggle with decimals and fractions, even if they do not have a mathematical learning disability (MLD). In the present longitudinal study, we examined whether children with MLD have weaker rational number knowledge than children whose difficulty with rational numbers occurs in the absence of MLD. We found that children with MLD failed to accurately name decimals, to correctly rank order decimals and/or fractions, and to identify equivalent ratios (e.g. 0.5 =

); they also ‘identified’ incorrect equivalents (e.g. 0.05 = 0.50). Children with low math achievement but no MLD accurately named decimals and identified equivalent pairs, but failed to correctly rank order decimals and fractions. Thus failure to accurately name decimals was an indicator of MLD; but accurate naming was no guarantee of rational number knowledge – most children who failed to correctly rank order fractions and decimals tests passed the naming task. Most children who failed the ranking tests at 6th grade also failed at 8th grade. Our findings suggest that a simple task involving naming and rank ordering fractions and decimals may be a useful addition to in‐class assessments used to determine children's learning of rational numbers.
Children's understanding of idioms and theory of mind development
Authors: Caillies Stéphanie , Le Sourn‐Bissaoui Sandrine
Published: August 2008

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis according to which theory of mind competence was a prerequisite to ambiguous idioms understanding. We hypothesized that the child needs to understand that the literal interpretation could be a false world representation, a false belief, and that the speaker's intention is to mean something else, to correctly process idiomatic expressions. Two kinds of ambiguous idioms were of interest: decomposable and nondecomposable expressions (

Titone & Connine, 1999

). An experiment was designed to assess the figurative developmental changes that occur with theory of mind competence. Five‐, 6‐ and 7‐year‐old children performed five theory of mind tasks (an appearance–reality task, three false‐belief tasks and a second‐order false‐belief task) and listened to decomposable and nondecomposable idiomatic expressions inserted in context, before performing a multiple choice task. Results indicated that only nondecomposable idiomatic expression was predicted from the theory of mind scores, and particularly from the second‐order competences. Results are discussed with respect to theory of mind and verbal competences.
Children's use of geometry for reorientation
Authors: Lee Sang Ah , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: August 2008

Research on navigation has shown that humans and laboratory animals recover their sense of orientation primarily by detecting geometric properties of large‐scale surface layouts (e.g. room shape), but the reasons for the primacy of layout geometry have not been clarified. In four experiments, we tested whether 4‐year‐old children reorient by the geometry of extended wall‐like surfaces because such surfaces are large and perceived as stable, because they serve as barriers to vision or to locomotion, or because they form a single, connected geometric figure. Disoriented children successfully reoriented by the shape of an arena formed by surfaces that were short enough to see and step over. In contrast, children failed to reorient by the shape of an arena defined by large and stable columns or by connected lines on the floor. We conclude that preschool children's reorientation is not guided by the functional relevance of the immediate environmental properties, but rather by a specific sensitivity to the geometric properties of the extended three‐dimensional surface layout.
Three‐year‐old children can access their own memory to guide responses on a visual matching task
Authors: Balcomb Frances K. , Gerken LouAnn
Published: August 2008

Many models of learning rely on accessing internal knowledge states. Yet, although infants and young children are recognized to be proficient learners, the ability to act on metacognitive information is not thought to develop until early school years. In the experiments reported here, 3.5‐year‐olds demonstrated memory‐monitoring skills by responding on a non‐verbal task originally developed for non‐human animals, in which they had to access their knowledge states. Children learned a set of paired associates, and were given the option to skip uncertain trials on a recognition memory test. Accuracy for accepted items was significantly higher than for skipped on a subsequent memory task that included all items. Additionally, children whose memory‐monitoring assessments more closely matched actual memory performance showed superior overall learning, suggesting a correlation between memory‐monitoring and memory itself. The results suggest that children may have implicit access to internal knowledge states at very young ages, providing an explanation for how they are able to guide learning, even as infants.
Children assess informant reliability using bystanders’ non‐verbal cues
Authors: Fusaro Maria , Harris Paul L.
Published: August 2008

Recent findings show that preschool children are selective with respect to whom they ask for information and whose claims they endorse. In particular, they monitor an informant's record of past accuracy or inaccuracy and use that record to gauge future trustworthiness. We ask if preschoolers also monitor the non‐verbal cues of assent or dissent that bystanders display toward an informant's claims and use that information to gauge an informant's trustworthiness. In familiarization trials, 4‐year‐olds watched as two adult informants made conflicting claims regarding the name of an unfamiliar object. Two adult bystanders consistently signaled assent – via nods and smiles – to the claims of one informant, and dissent – via head shakes and frowns – from the claims of the other informant. When invited to endorse one of the two claims, 4‐year‐olds mostly agreed with the informant who had received bystander assent. Thus, in the absence of background knowledge about an object's name, children use third‐party non‐verbal signals to assess the accuracy of conflicting labels. On subsequent test trials, the informants again made conflicting claims about novel object names, but in the absence of the two bystanders. Despite the lack of any informative bystander signals, children with more advanced understanding of mental states continued to display greater trust in the informant who had received bystander assent in the earlier trials.
Clinical risk–benefit assessment of dopamine agonists
Authors: Möller J. C. , Eggert K. M. , Unger M. , Odin P. , Chaudhuri K. R. , Oertel W. H.
Published: August 2008

Dopamine agonists (DAs) have proven efficacy as monotherapy in early Parkinson’s disease (PD) for preventing motor complications such as dyskinesia and as adjunct therapy as the disease progresses. Further, it is increasingly evident that at least some DAs may provide additional benefits, such as reduction in depressive symptoms and treatment of refractory tremor. Different side‐effect profiles have been associated with levodopa and ergot or non‐ergot DA treatment, such as sudden onset of sleep, reduced impulse control, hallucination, and cardiovascular fibrosis. This paper discusses the evidence for specific associations between particular treatments and side effects as well as the clinical implications for patient care. Ultimately, the choice depends on the risk–benefit assessment as it applies to the individual patient’s clinical profile and the physician’s preference.
A Pilot of Interventions to Improve Health Care in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Lennox Nicholas G. , Rey‐Conde Therese F. , Faint Sonya L.
Published: August 2008

Background  People with intellectual disability often have poor health which may be improved through better health advocacy and enhanced communication with their general practitioner. To this end, we examined the use of the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) and the Ask health diary previously developed for adults with intellectual disability and trialled their use in adolescents attending a Special School.

Materials and methods  A CHAP health review completed by both carers and General Practitioners was used to collect information about adolescents’ health. An Ask health diary was used in school to learn health advocacy and communication skills. Thirty students, their parents and their eight teachers participated in the trial.

Results  The CHAP health review resulted in a mean of 5.2 health conditions being found, and 1.4 planned actions by the general practitioner per adolescent. The Ask health diary was highly accepted by the students and teachers. There did not appear to be any increase in communication skills of the students after using the diary in the school for one term.

Conclusion  The CHAP health review and Ask health diary have the potential to improve the health of adolescents with intellectual disability.
The cleaning goby mutualism: a system without punishment, partner switching or tactile stimulation
Authors: Soares M. C. , Côté I. M. , Cardoso S. C. , Bshary R.
Published: August 2008

In the cleanerfish–client mutualism involving the Indo‐Pacific cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusand its reef fish clients, mechanisms such as ‘tactile stimulation’, partner switching and punishment are used by clients to control cheating by cleaners. We sought to establish whether these behaviours are general features of cleaning mutualisms by examining their presence in interactions between Caribbean cleaning gobies (Elacatinusspp.) and their clients. The cleaning goby–client mutualism bears several similarities to the cleaner wrasse system: clients visit cleaners frequently to have their ectoparasites removed while cleaners depend heavily on these visits for food, and cheating by cleaning gobies is also prevalent. However, our data revealed striking differences between the two cleanerfish systems: clients did not seem to attempt to control cheating by cleaning gobies and cleaning gobies did not perform tactile stimulation on their clients. We suggest three hypotheses that might explain these major differences between both systems, based on differences in mutual dependence between cleaners and clients or cognitive ability of cleaners, differences in costs of being cheated and differences in foraging preferences by cleaners. Interactions betweenL. dimidiatusand its clients should probably not be seen as the ‘standard’ marine fish cleaning mutualism.