bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aeciospores ofCronartium flaccidum, C. ribicolaandEndocronartium pinishow no differences in morphology
Authors: Kasanen R.
Published: June 2007

The morphology of the aeciospores of the pine stem rust fungiCronartium flaccidum, Cronartium ribicolaandEndocronartium pini, collected from nine locations in Finland, Sweden and Italy, was compared. Surface structures of 900 aeciospores were visually classified using a scanning electron microscope, and dimensions of 1100 aeciospores were measured from micrographs. The data grouping was tested with discriminant analysis. The spores had well‐defined smooth areas and annulate warts on their surface.E. pini, C. flaccidumandC. ribicolacould not be distinguished by the surface structures of the spores. The grouping of spores by dimensions into sample locations was statistically significant by one discriminant function, while the grouping into species was not. The observed similarities corroborated the current views on the close relationship ofC. flaccidum and E. pini.
Estimation of dispersal gradients of S‐ and P‐type basidiospores of Heterobasidion annosum
Authors: Möykkynen T. , von Weissenberg K. , Pappinen A.
Published: June 2007

The number of airborne deposits of the root pathogen Heterobasidion annosum was counted with a wood disc method at distances 5–1000 m from one S‐type and one P‐type infection centre in stands of Picea abies in June, July and August, 1995. The level of background deposition in the area was determined in four healthy control stands. Based on intersterility group determination of deposits, only measurements within 100 m of the infection centres could be used in estimations of dispersal gradients owing to confusion with background deposition. A power law gradient model adequately described the reduction of deposits with increasing distance from the infection centres. Gradients were fairly similar in four directions around the infection centres as the wind speeds were low (3.2m/s) during the collection periods. The gradients were steeper around the P‐type centre, probably due to its lower spore production capacity. The background deposition level (2.8 colonies/m2× h) was reached at distances 1255 m and 98 m from the S‐type and P‐type centre, respectively.
Detection of cherry leaf roll nepovirus (CLRV) in birch, beech and petunia by immuno‐capture RT‐PCR using a conserved primer pair
Authors: Werner R. , Mühlbach H.‐P. , Büttner C.
Published: June 2007

Viruses in woody forest plants are known to be difficult to detect owing to phenolic compounds in plant extracts and an often irregular distribution of the pathogens within the plants. We describe a modified immunocapture reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) to detect cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) in forest trees. The application of a conserved primer pair is shown to be suitable for the detection of different isolates of CLRV from birch from distant forest stands in Germany and also in strains of CLRV from other host plants, including beech, walnut and petunia hybrids. The CLRV isolates and strains could be distinguished by direct sequencing of their PCR products. CLRV was easily detectable throughout the year in tissue of male inflorescences, leaf buds, leaves, single seeds, cortical tissues of young twigs and also in single aphids and bugs (Kleidocerys resedae) collected from a CLRV‐infected birch‐ tree.
Growing clonal mixtures of willow to reduce effect of Melampsora epitea var. epitea
Authors: McCracken A. R. , Dawson W. M.
Published: June 2007

Rust (Melampsora epitea var. epitea) is the single most limiting factor in the production of biomass from short rotation coppice willow. The use of fungicides is unacceptable for economic, environmental and practical reasons. Consequently, clonal mixtures were investigated as an alternative disease control strategy. At one of two sites Salix × dasyclados, Salix burjatica ‘Korso', S. burjatica‘Germany’, Salix viminalis‘Bowles Hybrid’ and S. viminalis‘683’ were included in the clonal mix. At the second site six clones were used. These were as above with the exception of S. burjatica‘Korso’ and including, Salix × calodendron, Salix mollissima‐undulata‘SQ83’. At both sites all clones were also planted in monoclonal stands. Throughout each growing season disease levels were recorded on individual clones, both in monoclonal stands and mixtures. Fungicide treatments were included to compare their effectiveness to mixtures in reducing disease impact. Growing willow in mixed clonal stands delayed the onset of disease, slowed its build up and resulted in lower disease levels at the end of the growing season. These reductions in disease impact contributed to the increased yields obtained from clonal mixtures and were generally comparable to those achieved with fungicides.
A method for quantifying changes in the epicuticular wax structure of Norway spruce needles
Authors: Trimbacher C. , Egkmullner O.
Published: June 2007

A method for quantifying changes in the epicuticular wax structure of spruce needles (Pieea abies) has been developed for the scanning electron microscope. This evaluation system, based on a five‐point scale, classifies only the epistomatal waxes of current‐year needles. Two criteria, the different crystal wax forms and the amount of changed wax as a percentage of the total stomatal area have been used for classification. Statistically significant results (accuracy below ± 10% at 5% error level) were obtained under the following conditions. Mixed needle samples were taken from two adjacent trees per site. These were in a dominant and predominant social position in the stand. The needles were collected from the 7th whorl of sun crowns exposed to all wind directions. The wax quality was determined by evaluating three stomata per needle. One stoma was investigated at the needle base, one m the middle and the third at the apex of the needle. 24 needles were evaluated per site.

SEM‐Investigations of needle waxes of 25 Austrian forest sites with no local emission source (background sites) showed, that the mean wax quality ranged from 1.6 to 4.1, according to this classification method. Stepwise multiple regression analyses with site characteristics and element contents of the needles (nutrient elements, heavy metals) confirmed correlations between the wax quality and the manganese‐ and sulphur‐content of the needles and also the average degree of crown defoliation.
Development of fruiting bodies of large tree type of Gremmeniella abietina var. abietina and timing of infection on Scots pine inn northern Finland
Authors: Kaitera J. , Hantula J. , Jalkanen R.
Published: June 2007

The formation and maturing of the large tree type Gremmeniella abietina var. abietina fruiting bodies and their sporulation were investigated for 3 years on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in northern Finland. This was done by monthly assessment of shoots in the field and in the laboratory. Infection caused by G. abietina var. abietina was dated on Scots pine by monthly covering with pollination bags and exposing branches during the growing season. Pycnidia appeared between August and September, 1 year after infection, and they started to release conidia between late June and early July, 2 years after infection. Fresh pycnidia and microconidia were formed during the following August and September in the infected shoots. The causal large tree type of G. abietina var. abietina did not produce apothecia on branches within 3 years of infection. Monthly covering and exposing branches showed that infection took place mainly between June and July.
Dodder transmission of alder yellows phytoplasma to the experimental host Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle)
Authors: Marcone C. , Ragozzino A. , Seemuller E.
Published: June 2007

The alder yellows phytoplasma (ALY) was transmitted to the experimental host Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle) via dodder (Cuscuta odorata) bridges from naturally infected alder trees. The identity of the dodder‐transmitted phytoplasma has been confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐amplified ribosomal DNA.
Variability in pathogenicity ofMelampsora allii‐populinaexpressed on poplar cultivars
Authors: Frey P. , PlNON J.
Published: June 2007

A collection of 42 isolates ofMelampsora allii‐populinawas established. Fourteen isolates were collected from various poplar cultivars over several French localities and 28 isolates from the alternate hosts(Alliumspp.,Arumspp. andMuscari comosum)obtained from nature or after inoculation. These isolates were inoculated in the laboratory on a large range of poplar cultivars belonging to several species. No isolate proved pathogenic on all cultivars and many qualitative interactions were observed between isolates and cultivars. This is the first evidence for the existence of physiological races within this fungus. No link was found between pathogenicity on poplar and on the alternate hosts.

Among the inoculated cultivars, at least three were susceptible to all isolates (Beaupre, Candicans and Robusta), whereas the following showed qualitative reactions to the inoculated isolates: Altichiero, Carpaccio, Cima, Fritzi Pauley, I 154, Isieres, Luisa Avanzo, NL 2842, Rap and Spijk. Race‐specific resistance toM. allii‐populina(i.e. resistance to some races of the pathogen, but not to the others) has been found in two North American species(Populus deltoidesandPopulus trichocarpa)which have never coevolved with this fungus. The results are discussed in comparison withMelampsora larici‐populina.
Phylogenetic analysis of Japanese Armillaria based on the intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences of their ribosomal DNA
Authors: Terashima K. , Cha J. Y. , Yajima T. , Igarashi T. , Miura K.
Published: June 2007

To determine the phylogenetic positions of two new species, Armillaria jezoensis and Armillaria singula, and one new subspecies, Armillaria mellea suhsp. nipponica, the nucleotide sequences of the intergenic spacers (IGS) of their ribosomal DNA were investigated, and compared with those of tour other Armillaria species from Japan, and those of nine Armillaria species from Europe and North America. We conclude that Armillaria jezoensis, and Armillaria singula belong to the Armillaria gallica cluster as Armillaria cepistipes, Armillaria gallica and Armillaria sinapina from Japan. Two isolates of Armillaria ostoyae from Japan were placed within the Armillaria ostoyae cluster. Armillaria mellea subsp. nipponica had an IGS sequence as long as the IGS of Armillaria mellea from Europe and North America. However, the IGS sequences of Armillaria mellea subsp. nipponica, whose basidium base lacks a clamp connection could not be satisfactorily aligned with the IGS sequences of other species possessing this morphological feature.
Review of oak stand decline with special reference to the role of drought in Poland
Authors: Siwkcki R. , Ufnalski K.
Published: June 2007

Declines in oak‐forest ecosystems have been reported frequently throughout the world since the beginning of this century. They have been associated with the death of individual trees, of small groups of trees or of entire stands. In this paper, the phenomenon of oak decline is presented in the context of the local site conditions in selected countries. Oak decline is regarded as a result of the synergistic action between damaging agents, both biotic and abiotic. Periodic changes of the climate in selected experimental plots of Quercus robur stands in Poland were analysed by comparing Walter's climatic diagrams and annual growth rings. Climatic conditions have a major influence on the vigour of oaks. An increase in the frequency of dry years (especially when drought occurs at the beginning of the growing season, e.g. in May‐June) has contributed to the complex phenomenon of oak decline.
A decline‐model interpretation of genetic and habitat structure in oak populations and its implications for silviculture
Authors: Steiner K. C.
Published: June 2007

Oak decline is attributable to predisposing conditions of both biotic and abiotic origin, arid to numerous insects, pathogens, and abiotic events that act as intermediate or ultimate agents of mortality. The precise causal factors vary with circumstances, but the fundamental role of the tree genotype in the process appears to be one of predisposition. Trees are predisposed to oak decline when they are genetically incapable of surviving the stresses natural to the habitats they occupy. Quercus rubra is discussed as a ease study for which there is a considerable amount of genetic and ecological information. This species is characterized by (1) unusual sensitivity in growth to small‐scale environmental heterogeneity and (2) unusually high levels of within‐population variation in growth rate. Using growth rate as the best‐available surrogate measure of ecological fitness, it is clear that high levels of genetic variability are important, even necessary, for the ecological success of populations of this species. Differential adaptation of genotypes to microsites within even very small areas is likely. To minimize susceptibility to oak decline, forest practices should favour (1) the maintenance of high levels of genetic variation, (2) the use of local provenances in artificial regeneration, and (3) large seedling populations. A further implication is that high rates of seedling mortality in plantations may be normal and even desirable for long‐term forest health.
Gloeosporidina platani sp. nov., the spermatial state of the anthracnose fungus Apiognomonia veneta (Sacc. & Speg.) Höhn.
Authors: Butin H. , Kher R.
Published: June 2007

A new species of the coelomycetous genus Gloeosporidina found on leaves of Platanus × hispanica in Germany is described and illustrated. Culture trials and RAPD patterns demonstrate that the fungus is a part of the developmental cycle of Apiognomonia veneta, the cause of sycamore anthracnose. The relationship between Gloeosporidina moravica and Apiognomonia quercina on oak and between Gloeosporidina sp. and Apiognomonia errabunda on beech is described. The maintenance of the Apiognomonia spp. discussed as separate species is warranted because of differences in spermatial size among the Gloeosporidina states.
Comparison of bluestain fungi grown in vitro and in freshly cut pine billets
Authors: Uzunovic A. , Webber J. F.
Published: June 2007

Both moulds and bluestain fungi cause serious economic losses and much research is aimed at finding environmentally and economically acceptable methods of control. Despite this, there has been little study of the growth of these fungi in freshly cut wood unaltered by drying or sterilization and which therefore resembles the substratum normally invaded under natural field conditions. Thus, the growth of six sapstain fungi was compared at 20°C in freshly cut pine billets and on three types of artificial media (MEA, TWA and Pine Sapwood agar). The fungi comprised Ceratocystis coerulescens, Leptographium wingfieldii, Ophiostoma minus, Ophiostoma piceae, Phacidium coniferarum and Sphaeropsis sapinea. The six species varied markedly in their linear growth rate on agar media. In pine billets, they extended at different rates in longitudinal, radial and tangential directions, showing different pathogenic ability and patterns of colonization. Some species appeared to be ‘xylem preferring’ while others colonized the phloem tissue more readily. The growth of C. coerulescens in pine billets was very rapid (19.4 mm/day) and on average was more than twice as fast as on MEA, suggesting it was strongly stimulated by living pine tissue. The fungi also tended to grow more slowly in logs cut between autumn and spring compared with those harvested in mid‐ to late summer.
Increased testicular 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine in patients with varicocele
Authors: Ishikawa Tomomoto , Fujioka Hitoshi , Ishimura Takeshi , Takenaka Atsushi , Fujisawa Masato
Published: June 2007

OBJECTIVES

To assess immunohistochemically 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG, a sensitive biological marker of oxidative damage and stress) in testicular tissue from patients with varicocele, to determine whether 8‐OHdG is related to spermatogenesis, as oxidative stress in testicular DNA is associated with poor semen quality and reduced fertility.

PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 36 patients with varicocele and five normal volunteers. The mean (sd) age of the patients was 35.3 (5.4) years. The prevalence of immunostained germ cells among all the germ cells in >20 seminiferous tubules was calculated.

RESULTS

The mean (sd) sperm concentration and Johnsen’s score in the varicocele group was lower than in the normal group, at 27.6 (11.8) vs 80.4 (21.7) million/mL (P < 0.001) and 7.6 (1.1) vs 9.0 (0.7), respectively (P < 0.05). In all patients, 8‐OHdG was mainly expressed in the spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the seminiferous tubule. Immunostained germ cells correlated negatively with sperm concentration (r = −0.48, P = 0.01) and Johnsen’s score (r = −0.46, P = 0.02), but not with follicle‐stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone or testosterone level. Immunostained germ cells were significantly more prevalent in the varicocele group, at 53.6 (5.7)%, than that in the normal group, at 14.3 (2.3)% (P < 0.001). The prevalence of immunostained germ cells and clinical grades were positively related; the ratio recorded for varicocele grades I, II and III was 38.0 (10.0)%, 41.0 (9.1)%, and 57.0 (9.3)%, respectively (grade I vs grade III, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased 8‐OHdG expression in the testis was associated with deficient spermatogenesis in infertile men with varicocele.
Progression after docetaxel‐based chemotherapy in androgen‐independent prostate cancer
Authors: Sella Avishay , Sternberg Cora , Kovel Svetlana , Yarom Nirit , Skoneczna Iwona
Published: June 2007

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical pattern of progression and prostate‐specific antigen doubling time (PSA‐DT) after exposure to docetaxel‐based chemotherapy in patients with androgen‐independent prostate cancer (AIPC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty‐five patients received docetaxel‐based chemotherapy; data were collected retrospectively from three different departments. Progression was known in 44 (79%) and the PSA‐DT was available in 33 patients.

RESULTS

Of the 29 patients with soft‐tissue and soft‐tissue plus bone metastases, 22 (76%) developed soft‐tissue progression. Among the 35 patients with bone and bone plus soft‐tissue metastases, 27 (77%) had osseous progression. There was no difference between the PSA‐DT at progression before and after docetaxel‐based therapy (mean 3.1 vs 2.7 months, P = 0.592, Student’s t‐test.). However, the median (range) PSA‐DT at progression after docetaxel‐based therapy was 0.84 (0.3–4) months in patients with a PSA response, significantly shorter than the median of 3.1 (0.3–12) months of patients with no biochemical response (P = 0.002, Student’s t‐test). The PSA‐DT dynamics at progression had no effect on survival (P = 0.63, log‐rank test).

CONCLUSION

The pattern of progression after docetaxel‐based chemotherapy is predominantly osseous in patient with bone metastases and mostly soft‐tissue in those with soft‐tissue disease. Progression after docetaxel‐based chemotherapy in AIPC does not modify the PSA‐DT before docetaxel. Evaluation of a larger population is needed to assess the clinical relevance of PSA dynamics after docetaxel therapy.
Regional differences in the functional and biochemical properties of endothelin receptor subtypes in the rabbit prostatic urethra
Authors: Wada Yoshihiro , Takahashi Wataru , Latifpour Jamshid , Yamada Gen , Kai Nobuyuki , Honda Jiro , Nakanishi Juro , Weiss Robert M.
Published: June 2007

OBJECTIVE

To examine the regional differences in the functional (pharmacological) and biochemical properties of endothelin (ET) receptors in the rabbit prostatic urethra.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The properties of ET receptors in 6‐month‐old male rabbit prostatic urethras were examined using isolated muscle‐bath and radioligand receptor‐binding techniques. Using plasma membrane suspensions, saturation and inhibition experiments with [125I]ET‐1 and unlabelled agonists and antagonists (ETA‐selective antagonist BQ123, and ETB‐selective agonist sarafotoxin 6c, STX6c) were done to determine the ET receptor densities and their subtype specificities in the different regions of the urethra.

RESULTS

The ETs (ET‐1 and ET‐3) produced significant concentration‐dependent contractile responses in the smooth muscle strips from the different regions of the urethra. Although the maximum contractile responses induced by ET‐1 were similar in the different regions, the maximum contractile responses induced by ET‐3 were greater in the distal region than in the proximal or middle regions, suggesting that the contractile response to ET‐1 is more potent than that to ET‐3 in all regions, and that there are region‐specific differences in the responses to ET‐3 but not ET‐1. Moreover, the ET‐3‐induced contractile response was suppressed by BQ788 (a selective antagonist of the ETB receptor) suggesting that the ETB receptor subtype contributes to the contractile responses mediated by ET‐3. The ET receptors were expressed in higher concentrations in the distal than in the proximal or middle regions. BQ123 and STX6c inhibited [125I]ET‐1 binding in all regions with high and low affinity constants, indicating the presence of both ETA and ETB receptor subtypes. The proportions of high‐affinity binding sites for BQ123, representing ETA receptors, were ≈ 68%, 63% and 42% in the proximal, middle and distal regions, respectively. By contrast, the proportions of high‐affinity binding sites for STX6c, representing ETB receptors, were ≈ 27%, 35% and 52% in the proximal, middle, and distal regions, respectively. These data indicate the presence of regional differences in the densities and subtype specificities of ET receptor subtypes, and the existence of regional differences in the rabbit prostatic urethra.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest regional differences in ETB receptor subtypes that mediate contractile responses to ET‐3, reflecting differences in the densities and specificities of the ET receptor subtypes in the rabbit prostatic urethra.
Plasma endothelin response to acute hypoglycaemia in adults with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Wright R. J. , Macleod K. M. , Perros P. , Johnston N. , Webb D. J. , Frier B. M.
Published: June 2007

Aims  To determine whether acute insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia provokes a detectable alteration in peripheral plasma endothelin (ET) concentrations in humans with Type 1 diabetes.

Methods  Serial plasma concentrations of ET were measured in 20 patients with Type 1 diabetes during controlled hypoglycaemia induced by intravenous infusion of soluble insulin.

Results  A significant increase was observed in plasma ET concentrations, from 3.80 ± 0.31 pg/ml at baseline to 6.72 ± 1.47 pg/ml at 60 min after the onset of the hypoglycaemic reaction (P < 0.05).

Conclusions  Acute insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia induces a rise in plasma endothelin concentrations in people with Type 1 diabetes. This finding is consistent with a putative role for ET in the mediation of hypoglycaemia‐induced vasoconstriction, and the possible precipitation of macrovascular or microvascular events.
Teachers' Views on the Curriculum for Severe Learning Difficulties
Authors: Carden Nigel , Robson Colin
Published: June 2007

Teachers interviewed in special schools ‘did not feel they were provided with clear guidance on curriculum’ and appeared to get little advice from other professionals except physiotherapists and speech therapists. Nigel Carden, teacher at Wedgewood School, Bradford, previously psychologist at Anson House Pre‐school Project, and Professor Colin Robson, Huddersfield Polytechnic, report their findings
Using Computer Networks
Authors: Fluck Andrew
Published: June 2007

Two different kinds of communication which can be helped by computers are described here by Andrew Fluck, director of the Redbridge Special Education Microelectronics Resource Centre (SEMERC) in Essex. Both are being increasingly used with children who have special educational needs and have potential for changing styles of living and education.
More by Accident than Design?
Authors: Upton Graham , Beasley Frances
Published: June 2007

The scenes below are based on real events recorded during an investigation into the integration of children with moderate learning difficulties in secondary schools in four Welsh counties. The project was funded by the Welsh Office Education Department (WOED, 1988) and carried out from Cardiff by Professor Graham Upton and Frances Beasley from March 1985 to June 1986. Part of the study, on which the present article is based, focused on local authority policies and the practical implications of these policies for the provisions which they make. Professor Upton is head of the School of Education, Birmingham University, and Frances Beasley is a research fellow at Kent University.
English: Key Stages 2 to 4
Authors: Walsh Bernadette
Published: June 2007

Sections 3 and 4 of the 1988 Education Reform Act included English as one of the compulsory core subjects in the National Curriculum and empowered the Secretary of State to specify attainment targets, programmes of study, and assessment arrangements for English for children of compulsory school age. The English Working Group appointed to advise the Secretary of State on English reported in May and its recommendations for attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment for Key Stages 2 to 4 were published in June alongside the English proposals of the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Bernadette Walsh, language adviser, Rotherham LEA, discusses the proposals.
A New IT Network for Special Education
Authors: Fowler Peter
Published: June 2007

When it was first announced that central funding for SEMERCs would end in March 1989 teachers and teaching bodies expressed dismay. However, a regional network of new centres has now been established largely through local educational authorities. Peter Fowler, special needs coordinator, National Council for Educational Technology, describes the network.
A Model for Parent Participation
Authors: Hornby Garry
Published: June 2007

Garry Hornby, lecturer in special education at Hull University, suggests a model for parent participation in special education. The model focuses on meeting parents' needs and on using their contributions in order to offer guidelines to teachers on ways of working with parents.
Extending Portage into Schools
Authors: Cameron Robert , White Mollie
Published: June 2007

Since the Portage home teaching approach came here from the United States, in 1976, Portage projects have begun to extend into schools. Dr Robert Cameron, tutor for continuing professional development in educational psychology, Southampton University, and Mollie White, senior lecturer in early childhood education, King Alfred's College of Higher Education, trace Portage's growth and speculate about its future, including its relevance to the National Curriculum.
How Many Pupils are being Excluded?
Authors: Stirling Margaret
Published: June 2007

The rising number of pupils being excluded from school is causing alarm. Neither the Department for Education nor anyone else knows the extent of the problem. Statistics are unreliable. Margaret Stirling, who is researching exclusions for a higher degree at Warwick University, looks at unofficial exclusions in particular and at possible trends.
Behavioural Teaching: A Fact of Life?
Authors: Farrell Peter
Published: June 2007

In the last five years or more behavioural teaching methods seem to have become less popular than they were in the earlier 1980s. A reassessment of the ways they can contribute to the education of pupils with severe learning difficulties is timely. Peter Farrell, lecturer, Department of Education, Manchester University, discusses some widespread concerns about these methods, in the context of other teaching approaches which have developed since the late 1980s.
The effects of bereavement on children in Hulberside secondary schools
Authors: Holland John , Ludford Corinne
Published: June 2007

John Holland, of the Humberside Special Needs Support Service, and Corinne Ludford, who teaches at the Bridlington School, North Humberside, cosider the effects of bereavement on children in schools and suggest ways of helping them. Evidence indicates that bereavement can impact heavily on the child resulting in vulnerability. The consequent problems were recognied in the recent Code of Practice on the Identification & Assessment of Special Educational Needs (1994) as potentially affecting the progress of children. Bereavement and associated problems are discussed in the context of the authors' small scale research in secondary schools in Humberside, and ways of helping the bereaved child in order to reduce special educational needs are suggested.
Touching the Moon
Authors: McLinden Mike
Published: June 2007

Mike McLinden, formerly a teacher at Linden Lodge School, Wimbledon, and now a lecturer in special education in the School of Education at The University of Birmingham, reviews a prototype Progressive Tactile Timetable developed to enable a pupil with a visual impairment and severe learning difficulties to progress from the use of concrete symbols (objects of reference) to an abstract tactile code (Moon).
The number skills of children with specific language difficulties
Authors: Conti‐Ramsden Gina , North Tony , Ward Vivien
Published: June 2007

This research, undertaken by Dr Gina Conti‐Ramsden and her team at the University of Manchester, involved investigating three groups of children: children with specific language difficulties; ‘maths poor’ children; and a control group (n = 15, 12 and 15 respectively). These three groups of children were compared on a task of processing two and three digit numbers. Few differences were found between the children who had language difficulties and those who were ‘maths poor’. These findings suggest that both groups of children may have some form of language difficulty that contributes to a delayed performance on some maths related tasks.
The metamorphic fate of supernumerary caudal vertebrae in South Asian litter frogs (Anura: Megophryidae)
Authors: Handrigan Gregory R. , Wassersug Richard J.
Published: June 2007

Tadpoles of the Megophryidae, a South Asian family of litter frogs, are unique among anurans by virtue of their expanded caudal skeletons, which include supernumerary vertebral centra. The number of these vertebrae varies widely within the family, with tadpoles of Leptobrachella having as many as 30 and Leptolalax only five. Vertebral morphology is also quite variable, ranging from complete, perichordal centra to fragmentary ossifications. This variation in the caudal osteology of larval megophryids, however, is not manifested in the adult morphology. Post‐metamorphic litter frogs have a typical anuran axial skeleton, invariably comprising eight presacral vertebrae, a single sacral vertebra and, postsacrally, the urostyle. To resolve this incongruity between life phases and to determine the precise metamorphic fate of supernumerary caudal vertebrae in megophryids, we examined metamorphic specimens from the genera Leptobrachella, Leptolalax, Ophryophryne and Megophrys. In all four, the caudal larval skeleton undergoes massive reduction, leaving only the coccyx and hypochord untouched. Caudal centra are apparently degraded by osteoclasts, which have not previously been implicated in vertebral remodelling during anuran metamorphosis. In Megophrys and Ophryophryne metamorphs, presacral centra also undergo resorption, consistent with an epichordal mode of centrum formation. The conservation of megophryid adult axial osteology in the face of extensive larval skeletal diversity reveals the role of metamorphosis in constraining anuran morphology.
Insomnia and Circadian Variation of Attacks in Episodic Migraine
Authors: Alstadhaug Karl , Salvesen Rolf , Bekkelund Svein
Published: June 2007

Objectives.—To assess the influence of insomnia on the 24‐hour temporal pattern of migraine.

Background.—Migraine attacks have been reported to occur in a harmonic (monophasic) or a biphasic 24‐hour cyclic manner, and in some studies to have preponderance in the morning hours. The influence of insomnia on the circadian pattern has not been evaluated.

Method.—Based on a previous study of the circadian variation in migraine, an explorative data analysis was made to compare the circadian pattern of insomnia‐related migraine attacks to the circadian pattern of migraine attacks not related to insomnia. If the patients reported difficulties in falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep the night prior to the reported attack or the night the attack occurred, the attack was defined as insomnia‐related. Relapses were not counted as distinctive attacks.

Results.—Sixty‐eight female migraineurs (mean ± SD age: 35.5 ± 7.0) prospectively recorded 1869 migraine attacks. Five hundred‐and‐thirty‐three attacks (29%) were insomnia‐related. Insomnia‐related attacks had a biphasic temporal pattern with one peak in the morning hours and one peak after noon. They had a preponderance in the morning hours compared to attacks not related to insomnia (t= 3.27, df = 62, P= .002). In 79% of attacks insomnia was experienced prior to the headache.

Conclusions.—Episodic morning migraine is associated with insomnia. The cause and consequences of insomnia in migraine is not clarified, but sleep obviously protects against attacks rather than provokes them.
Chemotherapy‐Related Cardiomyopathy: All That Glitters Is Not Gold
Authors: Morshedi‐Meibodi Ali , Uber Patricia A. , Mehra Mandeep R.
Published: June 2007

As long‐term morbidity with chemotherapeutic exposure becomes a clinical reality, the development of cardiomyopathy with heart failure is rapidly growing. The type of chemotherapy agent, dose, rate of administration, use of combination chemotherapy, and concomitant radiation therapy are major factors that define the propensity to cardiotoxicity. Chemotherapy‐related cardiomyopathy is multifactorial in origin and requires a diligent etiologic survey to arrive at the appropriate diagnosis. A contemporary discussion of hemotherapy‐related cardiomyopathy with particular emphasis on the pathogenesis and ameliorative targets of this unique clinical isorder are described in this report.
Management of Arrhythmias in Heart Failure
Authors: Ellison Kristin E. , Stevenson William G. , Sweeney Michael O. , Epstein Laurence M. , Maisel William H.
Published: June 2007

Arrhythmias continue to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in heart failure. Implantable defibrillators have assumed an increasingly important role in preventing sudden death and are recommended for patients who have been resuscitated from cardiac arrest, have unexplained syncope, or exhibit inducible ventricular tachycardia in the setting of prior myocardial infarction. The extension of survival conferred by implantable defibrillators is likely to be limited in patients with advanced heart failure. Ongoing trials will help define the use of these devices in heart failure populations, in whom atrial fibrillation is common and rate control and anticoagulation are of major importance. Among pharmaceutical options, amiodarone and dofetilide are the major agents for maintenance of sinus rhythm. The complexity of coexistent heart failure and arrhythmia management warrants close collaboration between heart failure and arrhythmia specialists.
Growth Hormone Therapy in Heart Failure: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Demers Catherine , McKelvie Robert S.
Published: June 2007

Despite improvement in survival with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and blockers, clinical events for patients with heart failure remain elevated. New therapies for heart failure are needed to improve functional capacity, quality of life, and prognosis. Growth hormone exerts direct and indirect effects on cardiac structure and function. Experimental models of heart failure and small studies have demonstrated significant improvements in cardiac function, hemodynamic parameters, functional capacity, and quality of life. Despite the lack of benefit demonstrated in small, short‐term, randomized clinical trials, further studies are needed to assess the potential role of this adjuvant therapy in heart failure patients.
Heart Failure in the Elderly
Authors: Forman Daniel E. , Rich Michael W.
Published: June 2007

Inidence and prevalence of heart failure are particularly common with advancing age, with notoriously grim prognoses. The absolute number of heart failure patients will undoubtedly surge as the population of older adults continues to escalate. This review emphasizes the importance of factors inherent in aging itself and the resulting predisposition to disease. Physiologic changes associated with cardiovascular aging fundamentally increase susceptibility to heart failure and to complexity of heart failure management. Likewise, typical age‐associated diet and lifestyle changes compound risks of heart failure through mechanisms connected to the substrate of disease. In this review, the authors first summarize the demographics of heart failure and the intrinsic aspects of aging and lifestyle that predispose to heart failure. They then expand on related intricacies of diagnosis and therapy. Orientation to heart failure, particularly as a disease of aging, can help critically refine management of acute and chronic disease, as well as foster preventive strategies to reduce incidence of this common malady.
Heart Failure Disease Management: Impact on Hospital Care, Length of Stay, and Reimbursement
Authors: Discher Cheryl L. , Klein Dahlia , Pierce Lisa , Levine Arlene B. , Levine T. Barry
Published: June 2007

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major medical problem with significant hospital costs. The authors developed an inpatient disease management program for CHF in a community hospital setting to determine if it is possible to: 1) increase implementation of Agency for Health Care Policy and Research criteria for CHF; 2) improve the quality of patient care, while lowering length of stay and treatment cost for CHF; and 3) maintain nursing staff satisfaction. The program encompassed a clinical pathway incorporating Agency for Health Care Policy and Research criteria for CHF, CHF education, and patient educational materials. When compared to “unmanaged” patients (n=197) not participating in the algorithm due to physician choice, “managed” patients (n=396) had significantly increased documentation of left ventricular dysfunction and of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor use. In contrast to unmanaged patients, managed patients had a significantly lower length of stay (3.9±2.2 vs. 6.1±2.8 days; p<0.0001) with a significant reduction in cost per patient ($4404±$1989 vs. $6828±$3347; p<0.0001). These changes were sustained in follow‐up over 1 year and were associated with an improvement in nursing staff education and nursing care. Thus, a disease management program for CHF can be successfully implemented in a general community hospital setting, achieving improved compliance with Agency for Health Care Policy and Research treatment criteria and enhancing patient care, while reducing length of stay and cost.
Is Heart Failure in African Americans a Distinct Entity?
Authors: Scott Robert L.
Published: June 2007

Heart failure remains a major health problem in the United States and is particularly problematic in the African American community where the disease exhibits excessive morbidity and mortality. Hypertension is a predominant etiology for heart failure among African Americans with an aggressive incidence of end‐organ damage. Despite the advances in treatment of heart failure with neurohormonal attenuation, there appears to be inconsistency in the response of African Americans compared to Caucasians. This discordance with regard to response to treatment and etiology of heart failure between African Americans and Caucasians begets the question whether heart failure in African Americans is indeed a distinct clinical entity.
Beta‐Blocker Therapy and Severe Heart Failure: Myth or Reality?
Authors: Kalapura Thomachan , Ventura Hector O.
Published: June 2007

The medical management of heart failure has undergone remarkable progress in the past 10 years. The paradigm shift is toward long‐term reparative strategies that help in altering the biologic properties of the failing heart. Together with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, β blockers have emerged as standard therapy for heart failure, especially for patients with mild to moderate heart failure. Since most of the clinical trials demonstrating the benefits of β blockers have been done in patients with mild to moderate heart failure, some controversy exists about the utility of β‐blocking agents in patients with advanced heart failure. This review will summarize the rationale and the use of β blockers, a very challenging therapeutic strategy, in patients with severe heart failure.
Entry into Banking Markets and the Early‐Mover Advantage
Authors: BERGER ALLEN N. , DICK ASTRID A.
Published: June 2007

Using a sample for 1972–2002 with over 10,000 bank entries into local markets, we find a market share advantage for early entrants. In particular, the earlier a bank enters, the larger is its market share relative to other banks, controlling for firm, market, and time effects, with a market share advantage for early movers between 1 and 15 percentage points, depending on the order of entry. The strongest early‐mover advantage is for banks that were in our sample in 1972 and survive into the 1990s. Moreover, early entrants appear to have such hold in the market by strategically investing in larger branch networks. Even controlling for the potential survivorship bias, we find that a bank's share decreases by 0.1 percentage points for a change in its order of entry from nth to (n+ 1)th. High growth markets show a smaller difference between late and early movers, consistent with a larger fraction of consumers yet to be locked in with a bank in these markets.
Monetary Policy Rules in a New Keynesian Euro Area Model
Authors: CASARES MIGUEL
Published: June 2007

The first part of this paper is devoted to describe a New Keynesian model, which, after calibration, shows a great fit on Euro area macroeconomic data. Then, the stabilizing properties of alternative monetary policy rules are evaluated for consideration of the European Central Bank (ECB). Our main finding is that a simple rule that provides the reaction of the nominal interest rate to price inflation, wage inflation, and its previous observation can fairly well approximate the optimal monetary policy. This result is robust to including an ECB preference on interest‐rate smoothing.
Foreign Lenders and the Real Sector
Authors: FERRARIS LEO , MINETTI RAOUL
Published: June 2007

We develop a theory of the interaction between the entry of lenders and the real sector. The high liquidation skills of incumbent lenders render them too tough in terminating high‐risk/return projects. Being “foreign” to the market, newcomers have lower ability to liquidate than incumbents. This makes them softer in liquidating high‐risk/return projects but renders their funding more costly. We show that the entry of lenders and the share of high‐risk/return projects can reinforce each other through firms' liquidation values. This interaction dampens the output impact of liquidity shocks. Hence, financial liberalization can enhance stability.
Uncertainty and Export Performance: Evidence from 18 Countries
Authors: GRIER KEVIN B. , SMALLWOOD AARON D.
Published: June 2007

We study a sample of nine developed and nine developing countries to evaluate the questions of how foreign income uncertainty and real exchange rate (RER) uncertainty impact international trade and how those impacts vary according to stage of development. RER uncertainty has a negative and significant impact on export growth for six of the nine less developed countries in our sample, while it has an insignificant effect for a majority of the developed countries. In both groups, foreign income uncertainty has a more pervasively significant (and frequently larger) influence on trade than does RER uncertainty.
Exploring Contrasting Formulations of Expectancy Theory*
Authors: Baker Douglas D. , Ravichandran Ramarathnam , Randall Donna M.
Published: June 2007

The explanatory potential of four forms of expectancy theory with additive and multiplicative expectancy terms and linear and nonlinear valence functions were contrasted. A behavioral decision‐making theory approach was used when 101 subjects were asked to make 128 hypothetical job‐choice decisions. More than 25,800 decisions under a within‐subjects framework were analyzed. Results indicate that the majority (83 percent) of subjects employed additive or multiplicative expectancy models with linear valence functions. However, the predictive efficacy of the expectancy theory model was improved for 17 percent of the subjects when nonlinear valence terms were introduced. The findings imply that different functional forms of expectancy theory may be needed to model individuals' decision‐making processes.
Decision Models for Robot Selection: A Comparison of Ordinary Least Squares and Linear Goal Programming Methods
Authors: Imany Mohammad M. , Schlesinger Robert J.
Published: June 2007

The profusion of robot designs, the cost of testing, and the fact that robot operational parameter maximums are often mutually exclusive are factors that create a complex selection decision for the potential user. While formal robot testing standards are now in place, formal techniques to select robots for the testing process have not been addressed. A linear goal programming model is an effective tool for the decision maker for optimizing the robot selection process in terms of requirement priorities. It is also shown that this model provides a more stable result than the ordinary least squares estimator in the presence of statistical outliers of robot parameters. The methodology is illustrated through the use of current robot specifications.
Joint Lot Sizing and Scheduling of Multiple Items with Sequence‐Dependent Setup Costs
Authors: Dilts David M. , Ramsing Kenneth D.
Published: June 2007

The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of setup‐cost estimating methods on the lot sizing and scheduling of multiple products in multiple periods. These initial setup cost estimators (ISCEs) are used to estimate sequence‐independent initial setup costs from sequence‐dependent setup costs. A search of the literature reveals that, although sequence‐dependent setup costs are frequently found in practice and ISCEs are frequently used, there is a dearth of research concerning the effect of using ISCEs.

After a review of the literature, a mixed integer formulation of the joint problem of lot sizing and scheduling is presented, followed by a discussion of the difficulty in solving the formulation. Next, the six ISCEs evaluated are presented. These ISCEs range from simple (select the minimum setup cost) to complex (use the branch‐and‐bound solution to a traveling salesman‐type problem). Each ISCE is evaluated using a full factorial design with five independent variables: demand distribution (three levels), demand trend (three levels), setup to inventory level (six levels), setup distribution (three levels), and setup variability (two levels).

Two hypotheses are researched. Do the more computationally complex ISCEs produce lower overall costs than do the simpler ISCEs? Does the reduction in total cost justify the additional computation cost? The results of this study demonstrate that it may be incorrect to use “conventional wisdom'’when selecting an ISCE.