bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between human cytomegalovirus transcription and symptomatic apical periodontitis in Iran
Authors: Yazdi K. A. , Sabeti M. , Jabalameli F. , Eman eini M. , Kolahdouzan S. A. , Slots J.
Published: October 2008

Background/aims:  Apical periodontitis of endodontic origin may develop as a result of cooperative interactions among herpesviruses, specific pathogenic bacteria and tissue‐destructive inflammatory mediators. This study sought to identify the presence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) transcripts in symptomatic and asymptomatic periapical lesions of individuals living in Iran.

Material and methods:  Fifty endodontic patients (28 with symptomatic periapical lesions and 22 with asymptomatic periapical lesions) were included in the study. In each study subject, a microbiological periapical sample was collected using a curette in conjunction with periapical surgery. A reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assay was used to identify transcripts of EBV and HCMV.

Results:  Human cytomegalovirus transcript was detected in 15 of the 28 (53.6%) symptomatic and in six of the 22 (27.3%) asymptomatic periapical study lesions (significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions; P = 0.03, chi‐square test). Epstein–Barr virus transcript was identified in one symptomatic and in two asymptomatic periapical lesions.

Conclusion:  This study establishes that HCMV transcription is common in apical periodontitis and is most frequent in symptomatic lesions. The high frequency of active herpesvirus infections in severe apical periodontitis changes the pathogenic paradigm of the disease and may also have preventive and therapeutic implications.
Testing multiple hypotheses for the maintenance of male homosexual copulatory behaviour in flour beetles
Authors: LEVAN K. E. , FEDINA T. Y. , LEWIS S. M.
Published: October 2008

Diverse animal groups exhibit homosexual interactions, yet the evolutionary maintenance of such behaviours remains enigmatic as they do not directly increase reproductive success by generating progeny. Here, we use Tribolium castaneum flour beetles, which exhibit frequent male homosexual copulations, to empirically test several hypotheses for the maintenance of such behaviours: (1) establishing social dominance; (2) practice for future heterosexual encounters; and (3) indirect sperm translocation. We found no evidence that Tribolium males use homosexual copulations either to establish dominance or to practice behaviours that increase their subsequent heterosexual reproductive performance. Our results provide limited support for the hypothesis of indirect sperm translocation: when males from two genetic strains mated with females immediately following a homosexual copulation, females produced progeny sired not only by the directly mating male, but also by that male’s homosexual partner. However, this phenomenon was detected in only 7% of homosexual pairs, and in each case such indirectly sired progeny accounted for < 0.5% of females’ total progeny. Direct observations indicated that mounting males often released spermatophores during homosexual copulations. These observations suggest that homosexual copulations may be a behavioural mechanism that allows males to expel older, potentially low‐quality sperm. Additional work is needed to test this new hypothesis, and to determine whether sperm release during homosexual copulations occurs in other groups.
Effects of zinc levels on activities of gastrointestinal enzymes in growing rats
Authors: Jing M. Y. , Sun J. Y. , Weng X. Y. , Wang J. F.
Published: October 2008

The present study investigated the effect of different zinc (Zn) levels on activities of gastrointestinal digestive enzymes of growing rats. Four diets including Zn‐adequate (ZA; 46 mg/kg, control), Zn‐deficient (ZD; 3 mg/kg), high Zn supply (ZH; 234 mg/kg) and pair‐fed in which animals received the ZA diet at restricted amounts reflecting feed intake of the ZD group were fed to rats for 5 weeks. Dietary Zn was supplemented with ZnO. The results showed that Zn deficiency resulted in decreases in body weight, while ZH supply stimulated growth. The activities of sucrase, lactase and lipase were unaffected by dietary Zn levels. Maltase activity, however, was reduced in ZD group and elevated in ZH group. Amylase and protease activities were depressed by zinc deficiency. However, rats fed the Zn‐repletion diet displayed higher activity of pepsin, pancreatic amylase and protease. In particular, ZH supply did have no effect on intestinal hydrolases activities. The present study suggested that zinc deficiency impaired the activities of digestive enzymes and growth of animals. However, ZH supply might improve the digestion of nutrients via increasing activities of gastrointestinal hydrolase and probably enhanced animal health.
Resistance to Fusarium head Blight and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Chinese Barley
Authors: Ma Hongxiang , Ge Hejing , Zhang Xu , Lu Weizhong , Yu Dazhao , Chen He , Chen Jianming
Published: October 2008

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe is a devastating barley disease world‐wide, causing significant yield losses and contaminating cereal products with mycotoxins. Barley grain contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) is associated with gushing and may be rejected by the malting and brewing industry. Genetically inherited resistance is the most effective option for the control of the disease. A total of 266 barley cultivars and breeding lines originating from China were evaluated for FHB resistance and concentration of DON in grain. Plants were inoculated with isolates of F. graminearum under field conditions by injecting conidia into a single spikelet of each spike. FHB symptoms were evaluated by visual inspection, and DON content was analysed by HPLC. Significant differences in FHB ratings and DON levels were observed among cultivars. Visual symptoms of FHB varied from 4.88 to 71.75% of infected spikelets 21 days after inoculation and from 7.86 to 113.33 area under the disease progress curve units (AUDPC). Twenty‐seven lines were more resistant to FHB than the control resistant cultivar Zhedar 2 and with fewer than 12% infected spikelets. Twenty‐one of the above lines originated from the area in the mid to low valley of Yangtze River, where FHB epidemics are frequent. DON levels ranged from 0.05 to 24.39 mg/kg among the tested barley lines. Correlation coefficients were significant between FHB symptom ratings and DON levels. However, there was no significant correlation between symptom rating and plant height and no significant correlation between symptom rating and heading date.
Diversity among Single Zoospore Isolates Derived from Single‐zoosporangia of Phytophthora sojae Kauf. and Gerd
Authors: Chen Chang‐Qing , Huang Li‐Li , Buchenauer Heinrich , Zhao Hai‐Yan , Zuo Yu‐Hu , Kang Zhen‐Sheng
Published: October 2008

Phytophthora sojae Kauf. and Gerd, a host specific pathogen to soybean, causes pre and postemergence damping‐off and root and stem rot on soybean. The pathogen evokes severe yield losses in most soybean growing areas worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among single zoospore isolates (SZIs) originating from two single zoosporangia (Ps411‐1 and Ps411‐2) derived from the same parental isolate of P. sojae Ps411. Results showed that colony morphology and growth rate of 32 SZIs derived from sporangium Ps411‐1 and 35 SZIs released from sporangium Ps411‐2 did not significantly differ from the parental isolate Ps411. Pathogenicity of the SZIs was tested on three resistant and three susceptible Chinese soybean cultivars. While the majority of SZIs derived from sporangium Ps411‐1(59.4%) and sporangium Ps411‐2(71.4%) retained the same virulence spectrum as the parental isolate, the other SZIs of both progenies demonstrated either a higher or a lower level of virulence compared to that of parental isolate. A low level genetic variability in the populations of both single zoospore progenies was also demonstrated using the sequence‐related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) technique. Cluster analysis separated the SZIs from both zoosporangia, Ps411‐1 and Ps411‐2, into four and three SRAP groups, respectively. No close correlation among SRAP and virulence could be established among SZIs. The results of this study suggest that virulence variability may be regarded as part of the total genetic changes among the zoospore progenies derived from single‐zoosporangia. The pathogenic variability during asexual reproduction may play a role in changing the virulence structure of P. sojae.
Association of a Distinct Begomovirus and a Betasatellite with Leaf Curl Symptoms in Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , Haider Muhammad Saleem , Iqbal Javed , Briddon Rob William
Published: October 2008

Pedilanthus tithymaloides (Redbird flower) is an ornamental shrub that occasionally exhibits leaf curl and enation symptoms in Pakistan. Symptoms were shown to be associated with a monopartite begomovirus and a betasatellite. The complete nucleotide sequence of the begomovirus was found to be 2764 nucleotides in length and have the highest nucleotide sequence identity to a begomovirus previously isolated from tomato (90.3% nucleotide sequence identity), followed by Radish leaf curl virus (86.3%). The complete betasatellite sequence was determined to be 1358 nucleotides in length and has the highest sequence identity (97%) with Tobacco leaf curl betasatellite. The analysis shows the begomovirus associated with leaf curl disease of Pedilanthus to be a distinct and previously unreported begomovirus for which the name Pedilanthus leaf curl virus (PedLCV) is proposed. This virus is one of an increasing number of monopartite begomoviruses shown to be associated with a betasatellite.
Relationships among adaptation patterns, morphophysiological traits and molecular markers in durum wheat
Authors: Annicchiarico P. , Royo C. , Bellah F. , Moragues M.
Published: October 2008

Breeding for specific or wide adaptation would be more cost‐efficient if preliminary indications on genotype adaptive responses could be provided by easily‐detectable morphophysiological or molecular characteristics. We investigated the consistency among adaptation parameters, morphophysiological traits and SSR markers in estimating and structuring the genetic diversity among 24 durum wheat genotypes. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction adaptation parameters were estimated across 14 Algerian locations belonging to a low‐ or a high‐elevation subregion. Eight morphophysiological traits were assessed in two locations per subregion. Genotype Euclidean distances based on adaptation parameters were closely related to those based on morphophysiological traits (r = 0.75, P = 0.01). Marker‐based distances exhibited low correlation with those based on adaptation parameters (r = 0.26, P = 0.01) or morphophysiological traits (r = 0.32). The consistency between adaptation parameters and morphophysiological traits for genotype ordination and classification was greater than that between either information layer and SSR markers. Optima of phenology and plant height differed between subregions, whereas many kernels per spike and fertile tillers were associated with adaptation to both subregions.
Effects of Melatonin Implants During Non‐Breeding Season on Sperm Motility and Reproductive Parameters in Rasa Aragonesa Rams
Authors: Casao A , Vega S , Palacín I , Pérez‐Pe R , Laviña A , Quintín FJ , Sevilla E , Abecia JA , Cebrián‐Pérez JA , Forcada F , Muiño‐Blanco T
Published: October 2008

Contents

The effect of melatonin implants administered during non‐breeding season in Rasa Aragonesa rams on sperm motility parameters and other reproductive traits was assessed. In a first experiment, two Rasa Aragonesa rams were implanted (with melatonin group M), remaining other two males as control group (C). Semen of each group was collected from 1 May to 23 June, twice or three times a week, and motility parameters were assessed using a computer‐assisted sperm analysis system. Melatonin increased the percentage of progressive motile spermatozoa, particularly during 46–75 days after melatonin implantation (p < 0.01). In experiment 2, M and C in vitro fertilization ability had been determined by zona‐pellucida binding assays, using spermatozoa from experiment 1, obtained 60–70 days after melatonin was implanted. A significantly higher number of spermatozoa attached per oocyte was observed in frozen‐thawed immature ovine oocytes incubated with sperm from M animals than in those incubated with sperm from the C group (p < 0.01). Finally, a field assay (experiment 3) was performed. In this case, five Rasa Aragonesa rams were implanted with melatonin and three remained as control group. Sperm doses from those animals were used for artificial insemination of 2608 Rasa Aragonesa ewes from 39 different farms at non‐breeding season. Fertility, litter size and fecundity were studied. Semen from melatonin implanted rams seemed to increase both fertility and fecundity in ewes inseminated with spermatozoa obtained 46–60 days after implantation (p < 0.1). Thus, melatonin treatment in rams during non‐breeding season modifies sperm motility parameters and seems to improve the fertilization parameters obtained.
Chondroid syringoma of the scrotum
Authors: Okuda Hidenobu , Tei Norihide , Shimizu Kiyonori , Imazu Tetsuo , Yoshimura Kazuhiro , Kiyohara Hisakazu
Published: October 2008

A 70‐year‐old Japanese man complained of a nodular, non‐tender scrotal mass, which had been gradually increasing in size over the last 10 years. Excisional biopsy of the scrotal specimen revealed chondroid syringoma, a very rare benign tumor, more likely to occur in the head and neck region. This is the eighth such case reported, and is an important type of scrotal tumor.
Guidelines for management of urinary incontinence
Authors: Nishizawa Osamu , Ishizuka Osamu , Okamura Kikuo , Gotoh Momokazu , Hasegawa Tomonori , Hirao Yoshihiko
Published: October 2008

In Japan, only the following two guidelines are available: ‘Guidelines on Urinary Incontinence in the Elderly’ based on research funded by the Longevity Sciences Research Grant (chief investigator: Kikuo Okamura) and ‘Guidelines on Urinary Incontinence in Women’ based on ‘Research on Treatment Standardization in the Urological Field’ funded by the Health Sciences Research Grant (group leader: Osamu Nishizawa). This paper is an English translation of these two guidelines originally published in Japanese.
Naftopidil versus tamsulosin hydrochloride for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia with special reference to the storage symptom: A prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Ukimura Osamu , Kanazawa Motohiro , Fujihara Atsuko , Kamoi Kazumi , Okihara Koji , Miki Tsuneharu ,   Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Research Group
Published: October 2008

Objectives: In order to compare the clinical efficacy of naftopidil (Naf) and tamsulosin hydrochloride (Tam), which differ in their selectivity to alpha receptor subtypes, we performed a multi‐center prospective randomized controlled study.

Methods: Men complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hypertrophy, were randomized into two treatment groups: one receiving 50 mg Naftopidil daily (Naf group,n = 31 pts), and one receiving 0.2 mg Tam once daily (Tam group,n = 28 pts). Baseline symptom scores were compared to those at 2 weeks and at the end of the observation period (6–8 weeks).

Results: In the Naf group at 2 weeks, the score of the daytime frequency significantly improved from 3.5 to 2.2 (P = 0.03), and the score of nocturia improved significantly from 3.5 to 2.2 (P = 0.0004), respectively. In the Tam group at 2 weeks, however, no significant improvement was noted in the increased score of daytime frequency (P = 0.1) or nocturia (P = 0.2). At 2 weeks, the storage symptom score of the frequency to the combined score of daytime frequencies and the score of nocturia was better in the Naf group (improved from 7.0 to 4.4,P = 0.0017) than in the Tam group (from 6.8 to 4.9,P = 0.08) (P < 0.05). At 6–8 weeks, the effects of the two drugs on lower urinary tract symptoms were comparable.

Conclusions: Naf demonstrated a significant early response to improve storage symptoms at 2 weeks, including daytime frequency and nocturia, compared with Tam.
Cavitation peening to improve the fatigue strength of nitrocarburized steel
Authors: FUKUDA S. , MATSUI K. , ISHIGAMI H. , ANDO K.
Published: October 2008

Shot peening is a commonly employed technique used to improve the fatigue strength of nitrocarburized components. However, the compound layer of the component can be broken by this technique. Cavitation peening (CP) is an alternative shotless technique, which can increase the fatigue strength of the component without separation of the compound layer. To evaluate the potential of CP as a means for improving fatigue strength, nitrocarburized carbon steel (JIS S50C) has been analyzed in the non‐peened and CP conditions. The fatigue strength of CP specimens was increased by 15% in comparison with that of non‐peened specimens. This increase in the fatigue strength of CP specimen was achieved by the increase in the maximum hardness and compressive residual stress within the diffusion zone.
Surface damage evolution of engineering steel
Authors: BESEL M. , BRUECKNER‐FOIT A.
Published: October 2008

The surface damage evolution of ordinary low carbon steel under mechanical fatigue loading was observed using a long‐distance microscope. Fatigue cracks initiated at pits, sulfide inclusions and in the soft ferrite phase. Damage evolution was not only pronounced by the initiation of well‐defined cracks. Areas of high plastic activity interspersed with microcracks exist. Coalescence of propagating well‐defined cracks with these areas of high plastic activity shows clearly the contribution of such plastified areas to the damage accumulation. Therefore, well‐known damage parameters such as line counts (i.e. maximum crack length) are unsuitable to describe the damage evolution. In this paper, a new damage parameter is defined based on the observation that cracks and plastified areas appear as dark regions. It is shown that this parameter satisfies the basic conditions for a damage parameter. It is used to evaluate the damage accumulation quantitatively based on surface observations even for complex damage patterns.
What a reviewer wants
Authors: DAVIDSON ANDREW J. , CARLIN JOHN B.
Published: October 2008

Understanding what a reviewer wants helps authors write better papers and design better research studies. Central to any research study is the research question. This is the first thing the reviewer looks for. The question, or research aim, should be relevant, original and very clearly defined. The paper should also be scientifically valid; the methods should achieve the aim by addressing the question, and the conclusions should match the results. The statistical analysis often attracts criticism, especially the relatively simple problems arising with the use of P‐values and the concepts of statistical and clinical significance. There are several agreed guidelines describing exactly how studies should be reported. Following these is a great help to reviewers.
Phylogenetic beta diversity: linking ecological and evolutionary processes across space in time
Authors: Graham Catherine H. , Fine Paul V. A.
Published: October 2008

A key challenge in ecological research is to integrate data from different scales to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that influence current patterns of biological diversity. We build on recent attempts to incorporate phylogenetic information into traditional diversity analyses and on existing research on beta diversity and phylogenetic community ecology. Phylogenetic beta diversity (phylobetadiversity) measures the phylogenetic distance among communities and as such allows us to connect local processes, such as biotic interactions and environmental filtering, with more regional processes including trait evolution and speciation. When combined with traditional measures of beta diversity, environmental gradient analyses or ecological niche modelling, phylobetadiversity can provide significant and novel insights into the mechanisms underlying current patterns of biological diversity.
Population dynamics of cereal aphids: influence of a shared predator and weather
Authors: Leslie T. W. , Van Der Werf W. , Bianchi F. J. J. A. , Honěk A.
Published: October 2008

1 Aphid populations may show strong year‐to‐year fluctuations, but questions remain regarding the dominance of factors that cause this variation, especially the role of natural enemies. To better understand the dynamics of aphid species that occur as pests in cereals, we investigated the relative influence of top‐down control by a predator and weather (temperature and precipitation) on population fluctuations of three cereal aphid species.

2 From 1987 to 2005, populations of Metopolophium dirhodum, Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi in insecticide‐free stands of winter wheat were monitored in the Praha‐Ruzyné region of the Czech Republic. Densities of an aphidophagous predator, the ladybeetle Coccinella septempunctata, were recorded from an overwintering site in the landscape. Weather was quantified using historical records.

3 A significant bottom‐up effect of densities of aphids on those of C. septempunctata was found, but evidence of direct top‐down regulation of aphids by C. septempunctata was only significant in the case of R. padi. There was no significant periodicity in the dynamics of the aphid or C. septempunctata, suggesting that there was no clear predator‐prey cycle. Combinations of C. septempunctata and weather variables could be used to explain M. dirhodum and R. padi per capita rate of change. There were also indications that weather directly affected peak density of M. dirhodum.

4 We conclude that regional estimates of C. septempunctata densities are not sufficient to determine whether aphid population dynamics are driven by predator–prey interactions. Feasibility of time series analysis as an investigative tool in aphid population dynamics studies is discussed.
Do exotic generalist predators alter host plant preference of a native willow beetle?
Authors: Cha Dong H. , Hochwender Cris G. , Bosecker Elizabeth M. , Tucker Rachel E. , Kaufman Arlen D. , Fritz Robert S. , Smyth Rebecca R.
Published: October 2008

1 Selection can favour herbivores that choose host plants benefitting their offspring either by enhancing growth rates or by increasing larval defences against native predators. For exotic predator species that feed on herbivores, their success with invading new habitats may depend upon overcoming defences used by native prey. Whether exotic predators can alter herbivore host choice has remained unexamined. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of larval defence by Chrysomela knabi (a native beetle species) that had fed on two native willow hosts: Salix sericea (a phenolic glycoside (PG)‐rich species) and Salix eriocephala (a PG‐poor species), when attacked by exotic generalist predators. In addition, the preference and performance of C. knabi on S. sericea and S. eriocephala was examined.

2 Chrysomela knabi preferred and performed better on S. sericea. In a common garden, adult C. knabi were nine‐fold more common and oviposited five‐fold more frequently on S. sericea than on S. eriocephala. In the laboratory, adult feeding preference on leaf discs and survival rates of larvae were both greater on S. sericea, and time to pupation was shorter.

3 Chrysomela knabi larvae produced significantly more salicylaldehyde when fed S. sericea leaves than when fed S. eriocephala leaves. Additionally, those larvae with greater salicylaldehyde had reduced predation by two exotic generalist predators, Harmonia axyridis larvae and juvenile Tenodera aridifolia sinensis.

4 The results obtained in the present study suggest that selection favoured the preference of C. knabi for PG‐rich willow plants because larvae grew and survived better and that selection by common exotic generalist predators would reinforce this preference.
Successful colonization, reproduction, and new generation emergence in live interior hybrid spruce Picea engelmannii×glauca by mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae
Authors: Huber Dezene P. W. , Aukema Brian H. , Hodgkinson Robert S. , Lindgren B. Staffan
Published: October 2008

1 Although mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins are able to utilize most available Pinus spp. as hosts, successful colonization and reproduction in other hosts within the Pinaceae is rare.

2 We observed successful reproduction of mountain pine beetle and emergence of new generation adults from interior hybrid spruce Picea engelmannii×glauca and compared a number of parameters related to colonization and reproductive success in spruce with nearby lodgepole pine Pinus contorta infested by mountain pine beetle.

3 The results obtained indicate that reduced competition in spruce allowed mountain pine beetle parents that survived the colonization process to produce more offspring per pair than in more heavily‐infested nearby pine.

4 We also conducted an experiment in which 20 spruce and 20 lodgepole pines were baited with the aggregation pheromone of mountain pine beetle. Nineteen pines (95%) and eight spruce (40%) were attacked by mountain pine beetle, with eight (40%) and three (15%) mass‐attacked, respectively.

5 Successful attacks on nonhost trees during extreme epidemics may be one mechanism by which host shifts and subsequent speciation events have occurred in Dendroctonus spp. bark beetles.
Apoptosis as a post‐phagocytic winnowing mechanism in a coral–dinoflagellate mutualism
Authors: Dunn Simon R. , Weis Virginia M.
Published: October 2008

This study was aimed at detecting apoptosis as a post‐phagocytic mechanism of symbiont selection during the onset of symbiosis in larvae of the scleractinian coralFungia scutaria.Larvae were infected with one of threeSymbiodiniumtypes: freshly isolated homologous ITS‐type C1f from adultF. scutaria, heterologous C31 from adultMontipora capitata, known to be unable to successfully colonizeF. scutarialarvae, and type B1 from the symbiotic sea anemoneAiptasiaspp. Apoptosis was detected by the activation of caspases, enzymes specific to apoptosis. Caspase activity was measuredin situby cleavage of a specific fluorophore and detection with confocal microscopy. At 6 h post infection, there was a significant increase in caspase activation in gastrodermal cells in C31‐infected larvae, compared with larvae infected with C1f or B1 types. Compared with control larvae infected with C31, which had decreased infection rates present by 24 h post infection, when C31‐infected larvae were incubated with a broad‐scale caspase inhibitor, the per cent of larvae infected with C31 did not significantly decrease over time. This indicates that the reduction in infection success observed in untreated C31‐infected larvae can be rescued with inhibition of caspases and apoptosis. This suggests the presence of a post‐phagocytic recognition mechanism. Larvae infected with freshly isolated B1 retained infection success over time compared with C31‐infected larvae, suggesting that there is host discrimination between heterologous algae. Initiation of this post‐phagocytic response may occur more readily with a highly specific heterologous symbiont type such as C31, compared with a generalist heterologous type such as clade B1.
Molecular characterization of the arginine deiminase system in Listeria monocytogenes: regulation and role in acid tolerance
Authors: Ryan Sheila , Begley Máire , Gahan Cormac G. M. , Hill Colin
Published: October 2008

The capacity of Listeria monocytogenes to withstand low pH is important for growth in low‐pH foods, successful passage through the gastric barrier and survival within the macrophage phagosome. The ability of this pathogen to survive and adapt to acidic conditions is therefore predicted to play a significant role in the infectious cycle. In silico analysis of the L. monocytogenes genome revealed the presence of putative arginine deiminase (ADI) genes, which have been shown to play a role in the acid tolerance of other bacterial genera. In the present study, we show that L. monocytogenes possesses a functional ADI system and analysis of deletion mutants reveals that it contributes to both growth and survival of the bacterium under acidic conditions. An RT‐PCR approach demonstrated that expression of ADI genes is increased in environments of low pH and anaerobicity and in the presence of arginine. A putative activator of ADI genes, namely ArgR, was identified and was shown to contribute to transcriptional regulation at this locus. Furthermore, expression of ADI genes was shown to be modulated by both the alternative stress sigma factor σB and the central virulence regulator PrfA. Finally, using the murine model of infection, we have established a role for the ADI system in the virulence of L. monocytogenes.
Quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Authors: De Kievit T. R.
Published: October 2008

In nature, the bulk of bacterial biomass is believed to exist as an adherent community of cells called a biofilm. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a model organism for studying this mode of growth. Over the past decade, significant strides have been made towards understanding biofilm development in P. aeruginosa and we now have a clearer picture of the mechanisms involved. Available evidence suggests that construction of these sessile communities proceeds by many different pathways, rather than a specific programme of biofilm development. A cell‐to‐cell communication mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS) has been found to play a role in P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. Because both QS and biofilms are impacted by the surrounding environment, understanding the full involvement of cell‐to‐cell signalling in establishing these complex communities represents a challenge. Nevertheless, under set conditions, several links between QS and biofilm formation have been recognized, which is the focus of this review. A role for antibiotics as alternative QS signalling molecules influencing biofilm development is also discussed.
Tetradecylthioacetic acid attenuates dyslipidaemia in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, possibly by dual PPAR‐α/δ activation and increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation
Authors: Løvås K. , Røst T. H. , Skorve J. , Ulvik R. J. , Gudbrandsen O. A. , Bohov P. , Wensaas A. J. , Rustan A. C. , Berge R. K. , Husebye E. S.
Published: October 2008

Aim:  We previously demonstrated that a modified fatty acid, tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA), improves transport and utilization of lipids and increases mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in animal and cell studies. We conducted an exploratory study of safety and effects of this novel drug in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and investigated the mechanism of action in human cell lines.

Methods:  Sixteen male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus received 1 g TTA daily for 28 days in an open‐labelled study, with measurement of parameters of lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism and safety (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00605787). The mechanism of action was further investigated in a human liver cell line (HepG2) and in cultured human skeletal muscle cells (myotubes).

Results:  Mean LDL cholesterol level declined from 4.2 to 3.7 mmol/l (p < 0.001), accompanied by increased levels of the HDL apolipoproteins A1 and A2, and a decline in LDL/HDL ratio from 4.00 to 3.66 (p = 0.008). Total fatty acid levels declined, especially the fraction of the polyunsaturated n‐3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (−13%, p = 0.002) and eicosapentaenoic acid (−10%, p = 0.07). Glucose metabolism was not altered and the drug was well tolerated. In cultured liver cells, TTA acted as a pan‐PPAR agonist with predominant PPAR‐α and PPAR‐δ activation at low TTA concentrations. In myotubes, TTA and a PPAR‐δ agonist, but not the PPAR‐α or PPAR‐γ agonists, increased the fatty acid oxidation.

Conclusions:  We demonstrate for the first time that TTA attenuates dyslipidaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. These effects may occur through mechanisms involving PPAR‐α and PPAR‐δ activation, resulting in increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
Pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus when combined with portion control diet modifies the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Gupta A. K. , Smith S. R. , Greenway F. L. , Bray G. A.
Published: October 2008

Background:  Treatment with thiazolidinediones (TZDs) produces weight gain.

Objective:  To test whether a portion control diet could prevent weight gain during treatment with pioglitazone in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design:  This 16‐week randomized, open‐label, parallel arm study compared three groups: (i) pioglitazone plus the American Diabetes Association diet (Pio + ADA); (ii) pioglitazone plus a portion control weight loss diet (Pio + PC); (iii) metformin plus the American Diabetes Association diet (Met + ADA). All participants received the same advice about calorie reduction, lifestyle change and exercise.

Methods:  Fifty‐one men and women with T2DM, naive to TZDs, were randomized to a 16‐week study. Pioglitazone (Pio) was titrated to a dose of 45 mg/day and metformin (Met) to a dose of 2 g/day. Fasting blood was collected for lipids, insulin and glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at baseline and 16 weeks.

Results:  Forty‐eight of fifty‐one randomized subjects completed the study. Patients treated with Pio + ADA gained 2.15 ± 1.09 kg (mean ± SD) compared with a weight loss of 2.59 ± 1.25 kg (p < 0.05) in the Pio + PC group, and a weight loss of 3.21 ± 0.7 kg (p < 0.05) in the Met + ADA group. Waist circumference and visceral adipose tissue decreased significantly more in the Pio + PC group than in the Pio + ADA group. High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the Pio + PC group compared with the Met + ADA group. Pioglitazone reduced insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR)) more than metformin. No significant differences between groups were seen for glucose, insulin, HbA1c or low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Conclusions:  Pio + PC, prevented weight gain, reduced waist circumference and visceral fat compared with Pio + ADA diet.
Effects of elevated fatty acid and glucose concentrations on pancreatic islet function in vitro
Authors: Hong J. , Jeppesen P. B. , Hermansen K.
Published: October 2008

Aims/Hypothesis:  The aims of this study were to elucidate long‐term effects of increased fatty acids and glucose concentrations on islet hormone secretion, triglyceride (TG) accumulation and fuel metabolism, and to determine the role of insulin on glucagon secretion.

Methods:  Isolated normal mouse islets were exposed to palmitate (0.6 mM) in the presence of high glucose (16.7 mM). After 48 h culture, glucagon secretion and content, insulin secretion and content, TG content and glucose oxidation were measured. The impact of etomoxir, an inhibitor of carnitine palmitoyl transferase‐1, as well as of insulin, and alterations in gene expression were also investigated.

Results:  In the presence of palmitate, (i) high glucose caused no statistically significant suppression of glucagon while this was seen in the absence of palmitate; (ii) the insulin response to high glucose was impaired and (iii) an accumulation of TG and a decline in glucose oxidation were detected, whereas the glucagon content remained unchanged. However, etomoxir was capable of reducing glucagon secretion. Addition of exogenous insulin (10−10–10−6 M) failed to restore alpha cell response to normal. Furthermore, 0.6 mM palmitate reduced the mRNA levels of acetyl‐CoA carboxylase‐1 and sterol regulatory element–binding protein‐1c.

Conclusions/Interpretation:  In summary, high concentrations of palmitate and glucose cause a relative increase in glucagon secretion, a decline in insulin secretion, a loss of alpha cell sensitivity to glucose and an accumulation of TG. The inability of insulin to suppress glucagon may be because of insulin resistance of alpha cells.
Adherence in patients transferred from immediate release metformin to a sustained release formulation: a population‐based study
Authors: Donnelly L. A. , Morris A. D. , Pearson E. R.
Published: October 2008

Aim:  Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral agent used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is effective at reducing glycosylated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and decreasing microvascular and macrovascular disease. However, up to 25% of patients develop gastrointestinal side effects leading to cessation in 5–10% of users. Metformin XL (glucophage SR) is a once a day preparation that delays absorption, leading to decreased peak metformin concentrations. We hypothesised that the XL preparation of metformin would be better tolerated than the standard immediate release (IR) preparation leading to improved adherence to therapy.

Methods:  In a retrospective observational study, we studied adherence and glycaemic control in patients prescribed metformin IR and XL preparations in Tayside, UK.

Results:  Metformin XL was used by 137 patients during the study period. Overall adherence was greater in the XL group (80%) compared with the 10 772 patients in the IR group (72%, p = 0.0026). In the 40 patients who changed from metformin IR to metformin XL who had sufficient data to determine adherence, the adherence increased from 62% in the IR group to 81% in the XL group (p < 0.0001). This was associated with an HbA1c reduction from 9.1 to 8.4% (p = 0.0739, n = 29).

Conclusions:  Metformin XL use is associated with increased adherence compared with the IR preparation, although the mechanism for this cannot be determined from this study. In patients intolerant of metformin IR the XL preparation should be considered.
Morphology and phylogenetic position of two novel marine gregarines (Apicomplexa, Eugregarinorida) from the intestines of North‐eastern Pacific ascidians
Authors: Rueckert Sonja , Leander Brian S.
Published: October 2008

Eugregarine apicomplexans parasitize marine, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, and have lifecycles involving trophozoites (feeding stages) with complex morphologies and behaviour. The genus Lankesteria refers to marine aseptate eugregarines that parasitize ascidians. We described the surface ultrastructure of two new gregarine species, L. chelyosomae sp. n. and L. cystodytae sp. n. that inhabit the intestines of Chelyosoma columbianum and Cystodytes lobatus, respectively, collected from the North‐eastern Pacific Ocean. Apart from inhabiting different hosts and major differences in the cell size of L. chelyosomae sp. n. (mean length 182 µm) and L. cystodytae sp. n. (mean length 70 µm), the morphology of both gregarine species was quite similar. The trophozoites ranged from elliptoid to obdeltoid in shape and were brownish in colour. The nucleus was situated at the anterior end of the cell just behind a pointed mucron. A dense array of epicytic knobs was present over the entire surface of trophozoites in both species, and longitudinal epicytical folds were only weakly developed. We also sequenced the small subunit rDNA from the gregarines collected from both hosts, which supported the establishment of two new Lankesteria species. Phylogenetic analyses of the new DNA sequences and those derived from other alveolates, demonstrated that both new species clustered in a strongly supported clade consisting of other Lankesteria species, Lecudina species, and some environmental sequences. These morphological and molecular phylogenetic data suggested that improved knowledge of gregarine diversity could lead to the recognition of more than one distinct clade (genus) of gregarines within ascidian hosts.
Cystectomy in women
Authors: Schilling David , Horstmann Marcus , Nagele Udo , Sievert Karl‐Dietrich , Stenzl Arnulf
Published: October 2008

The technique for radical cystectomy in women is described, with special consideration given to the pelvic anatomy, and the urethra‐ and nerve‐sparing approach in female patients. Advances in understanding female pelvic anatomy, following detailed animal, cadaveric and clinical studies, merged to give a better intraoperative identification of the sphincteric apparatus and neurovascular structures. Respecting the oncological premises, cystectomy in female patients can be done with a nerve‐sparing technique. In rare cases the entire inner genitalia, including the anterior vaginal wall, can be preserved, which might lead to improved functional results with greater patient satisfaction. However, the oncological result should never be endangered by organ preservation.
Laparoscopic radical cystectomy for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: pathological and oncological outcomes
Authors: Stephenson Andrew J. , Gill Inderbir S.
Published: October 2008

Open radical cystectomy (ORC) has been the mainstay of treatment for invasive bladder cancer for decades and remains the standard by which new treatments are judged. Despite improvements in technique and perioperative care, the development of effective perioperative chemotherapy, continent urinary diversion, and extending the limits of pelvic lymphadenectomy, an estimated 35–50% of patients will die from progressive cancer. Likewise, the impact of RC on the patient in terms of treatment‐related morbidity and health‐related quality of life is substantial. Laparoscopic RC (LRC) offers patients the potential of decreased morbidity and quicker convalescence, while maintaining oncological efficacy by recapitulating the open technique. We and others have investigated this procedure in selected patients with invasive bladder cancer, with slow and measured progress. We favour an open‐assisted approach, performing the urinary diversion through a small midline incision. Preliminary comparative data suggest that open‐assisted LRC is associated with reduced blood loss and transfusion requirements and it might improve convalescence. These results are achieved while being comparable with ORC for postoperative complications, positive soft‐tissue margin rates, and lymph node counts. This procedure is difficult to learn, and ideally it should be restricted to patients with clinically organ‐confined cancers, and carried out by surgeons with extensive experience in pelvic laparoscopic procedures. Randomized trials are necessary to determine if the results achieved with LRC are equivalent to those of ORC.
Effects of auditory input in individuation tasks
Authors: Robinson Christopher W. , Sloutsky Vladimir M.
Published: October 2008

Under many conditions auditory input interferes with visual processing, especially early in development. These interference effects are often more pronounced when the auditory input is unfamiliar than when the auditory input is familiar (e.g. human speech, pre‐familiarized sounds, etc.). The current study extends this research by examining how auditory input affects 8‐ and 14‐month‐olds’ performance on individuation tasks. The results of the current study indicate that both unfamiliar sounds and words interfered with infants’ performance on an individuation task, with cross‐modal interference effects being numerically stronger for unfamiliar sounds. The effects of auditory input on a variety of lexical tasks are discussed.
Whatever Happened to the Balance of Payments ‘Problem’? The Contingent (Re)Construction of British Economic Performance Assessment
Authors: Clift Ben , Tomlinson Jim
Published: October 2008

This article analyses the changing political significance of UK balance of payments assessment in the post-war era, seeking to explain its disappearance as a policy issue today. We demonstrate the historically contingent nature of balance of payments performance assessment by comparing its shifting, conjunctural, constructions, rooted in underlying political economic assumptions, across four periods in the 20th and 21st centuries. We argue that the political salience of UK balance of payments assessment is contingent upon structural changes (both ideational and material) within the global political economy and domestic politics. Changes in the prevailing policy paradigm through which balance of payments was interpreted (for example from ‘embedded liberalism’ to neo-liberalism), and redefinitions of balance of payments assessment techniques, both of which happened on numerous occasions in the post-war world, had the effect of reshaping the nature of the external international political economic constraints to which UK governments were subjected.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something True? A Comment on Lister's ‘Institutions, Inequality and Social Norms: Explaining Variations in Participation’
Authors: Arzheimer Kai
Published: October 2008

Michael Lister makes a useful contribution to the discussion on aggregate variables that foster or depress turnout by drawing attention to societal factors, but his analysis is fraught with methodological problems. While his article builds on an interesting theoretical argument about the impact of institutions on attitudes, his claims about causal relationships are not backed by data. There is no rationale for the selection of countries, and most explanatory variables are actually constant within countries. The specification of the model is problematic in many ways. A careful re-analysis shows that the t-values reported in Lister's article are far too large, while the estimates are unstable and dependent on the selection of observations. Moreover, the effects are trivial in terms of their political implications. There is no robust evidence for a universal, politically relevant relationship between inequality and turnout.
Islamic Radicalisation among North Africans in Britain
Authors: Githens-Mazer Jonathan
Published: October 2008

This article examines how symbols of Islamic repression and massacre affect radicalisation among North Africans living in the UK. It suggests that these symbols are an insufficient but necessary cause in the larger process of ‘radicalisation’, because they provide a basis for perceptions of injustice. In this context, myths, memories and symbols of colonial repression, contemporary repression of free political expression in North African states and current perceptions of western ‘oppression’ of Islam may be perceived as rationales for ‘oxygenation’. Oxygenation here denotes exchanges among different Muslim communities throughout Britain which potentially facilitate terrorist networks. Oxygenation in turn contributes to ‘blowback’, here in the guise of perceptions among British Muslims of global oppression of the Umma, especially understood in light of the Iraqi and Afghani insurgencies. This article also explores how these symbols may be cultivated and disseminated at popular and elite levels.
Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders, and the Transdiagnostic Perspective
Authors: Harvey Allison G.
Published: October 2008

Insomnia commonly occurs along with other psychiatric disorders. I aim to address two issues that arise from this observation. First, insomnia is commonly assumed to be epiphenomenal to the so-called “primary” psychiatric disorder. On the basis of new evidence, I argue instead that insomnia may be an important but under-recognized mechanism in the multifactorial cause and maintenance of psychiatric disorders. Second, insomnia may be a transdiagnostic process—a process that is common across psychiatric disorders. The move to identify and study transdiagnostic processes contrasts with the standard “disorder focused” approach in which classification systems and research programs specialize in a single disorder. The latter approach can neglect the intriguing and potentially important similarities across disorders. If it were feasible to develop transdiagnostic treatments, the public health implications would be startling. Research on the role of sleep in psychiatric disorders and tests of the validity and utility of a transdiagnostic approach provide rich opportunities for improving our understanding of, and the treatment of, psychiatric disorders.