bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A REGIONAL MODEL OF OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN THE UKCS
Authors: Kemp Alexander , Kasim Sola
Published: March 2006

Existing exploration–discovery models are generally characterised by equations describing the behaviour of exploration, success rates, and discoveries. The present paper adds two equations describing the behaviour of finding costs and exploration efficiency. The model was disaggregated along regional lines. Applying the model to UK Continental Shelf data over the period 1964–2002 produced results that supported the new approach. Analysis of the model dynamics and simulation forecast reveals similarities, but also important differences in the responsiveness of activity in the regions to policy multipliers, implying that uniform policy instruments will produce unequal responses in areas with different levels of maturity.
A MODEL OF AN OPPORTUNISTIC‐PARTISAN POLITICAL BUSINESS CYCLE
Authors: Sieg Gernot
Published: March 2006

According to political business cycle theory, separate opportunistic and partisan approaches exist. It is obvious, as seen from theoretical and empirical points of view, that politicians aim for both opportunistic as well as partisan goals. This paper presents a model of a pre‐election political business cycle that manifests an indication of competence and a post‐election political business cycle that occurs because of the uncertainty of an election's winner monetary policy. In the pre‐election period competent governments expand the economy. The post‐election cycle depends on whether a leftist or a conservative government is in power in the pre‐election period, and if they are re‐elected or not.
The Qualitative Doctoral Dissertation Proposal
Authors: Kilbourn Brent
Published: March 2006

This article discusses the primary qualities of a doctoral dissertation proposal and how those qualities relate to the qualities of a dissertation and to the nature of a research university. Typical parts of a proposal are discussed—problem, significance, literature review, theoretical perspective, questions, methods, and ethics—and reasons are given for the role that each part plays in the development of a dissertation. Emphasis is placed on the nature of argument and on the integrity of the proposal as a whole. Examples, including notes on writing, are drawn from several qualitative proposals.
Deciding to Forgo College: Non-College Attendees’ Reflections on Family, School, and Self
Authors: Lindholm Jennifer A.
Published: March 2006

This article, based on work funded by the American Association of University Women, examines how personal and environmental factors shape non-college attendees’ decisions to forgo college directly after high school. Group interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 48 racially diverse recent high school graduates (27 men and 21 women) who had not attended any 2-year or 4-year college since completing high school. All graduated from public high schools in Los Angeles, California, and were between 18 and 21 years of age at the time that were interviewed. Findings highlight study participants’ current pursuits, their perspectives on college, the factors that influenced their post-high school life decisions (particularly home and school environments), and their reflections on whether they would do anything differently given the opportunity to turn back time. Considered within Persell's multidimensional framework, the findings lend support to the combined effects of societal, institutional, interactional, and intrapsychic variables in producing differential educational outcomes and post-high school life paths. Especially noteworthy is the transcendent effect across race, gender, and socioeconomic status of efficacy beliefs in shaping educational choices.
Stories of Boy Scouts, Barbie Dolls, and Prom Dresses: Challenging College Students to Explore the Popular Culture of Their Childhood
Authors: Damico Amy M. , Quay Sara E.
Published: March 2006

This self-reflective article addresses the experiences two professors encountered when teaching a class about the popular culture of girls and boys to undergraduates at a small liberal arts college. The issues addressed include student reactions, teaching strategies, and the use of an online discussion platform and assessment. The instructors note that adjusting their teaching styles contributed to the eventual success of the course.
High-Stakes Testing: Can Rapid Assessment Reduce the Pressure?
Authors: Yeh Stuart S.
Published: March 2006

This article presents findings about the implementation of a system for rapidly assessing student progress in math and reading in grades K-12—a system that potentially could reduce pressure on teachers resulting from high-stakes testing and the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Interviews with 49 teachers and administrators in one Texas school district suggest that the assessments allowed teachers to individualize and target instruction; provide more tutoring; reduce drill and practice; and improve student readiness for, and spend more time on, critical thinking activities, resulting in a more balanced curriculum. Teachers reported that the assessments provided a common point for discussion, increased collaboration among teachers to improve instruction and resolve instructional problems, and supported both new and experienced teachers in implementing sound teaching practices. The individualized curriculum and rapid feedback on progress reportedly gave students the feeling that they were successful and in control of their own learning, engaging students who previously disliked reading and math—including dyslexic children and children in special education—reducing stress, and improving student achievement. These findings are interpreted through Corbett and Wilson's framework for understanding why high-stakes testing often has negative effects and why the implementation of rapid assessment systems could reduce unintended negative consequences of testing.
KNOWLEDGE AND IMAGINATION IN FICTION AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Authors: SKILLEÅS OLE MARTIN
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Autobiographies are particularly interesting in the context of moral philosophy because they offer us rare and extended examples of how other people think, feel and reflect, which is of crucial importance in the development of phronesis (practical wisdom). In this article, Martha Nussbaum's use of fictional literature is shown to be of limited interest, and her arguments in Poetic Justice against the use of personal narratives in moral philosophy are shown to be unfounded. An analysis of Aristotle's concept of mimesis shows that Nussbaum's claims for fictional literature also apply to personal narratives. A case is then made for the importance of personal narratives in developing practical wisdom, and three sub‐genres of autobiography are discussed: (1) the confession, (2) the apology and (3) the testimonial. These sub‐genres exemplify some of the unique features of personal narratives.
SHAPING YOUR OWN LIFE
Authors: PEIJNENBURG JEANNE
Published: March 2006

Abstract: A distinction is made between imagination in the narrow sense and in the broad sense. Narrow imagination is characterised as the ability to “see” pictures in the mind's eye or to “hear” melodies in the head. Broad imagination is taken to be the faculty of creating, either in the strict sense of making something ex nihilo or in the looser sense of seeing patterns in some data. The article focuses on a particular sort of broad imagination, the kind that has to do with creating, not a work of art, a scientific theory or a political vision but one's own life. We shape our lives through our actions, and these actions not only influence our future—a commonplace—but also determine our past, which is a new and more controversial perspective.
CONCEIVABILITY AND MODAL KNOWLEDGE
Authors: VAN WOUDENBERG RENÉ
Published: March 2006

Abstract: This article is a discussion of Hume's maxim Nothing we imagine is absolutely impossible. First I explain this maxim and distinguish it from the principle Whatever cannot be imagined (conceived), is impossible. Next I argue that Thomas Reid's criticism of the maxim fails and that the arguments by Tamar Szábo Gendler and John Hawthorne for the claim that “it is uncontroversial that there are cases where we are misled” by the maxim are unconvincing. Finally I state the limited but real value of the maxim: it does help us, in certain cases, reliably to make up our minds. Along the way I show that Reid, his criticism of the maxim notwithstanding, actually employs it, and I furthermore argue that the principle What is inconceivable, is impossible is spurious.
CHANGING THE PAST: RETROCAUSALITY AND NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION
Authors: VAN PUTTEN CORNELIS
Published: March 2006

Abstract: This article is a reply to Jeanne Peijnenburg's argument for retrocausality in “Shaping Your Own Life.” Although it is perfectly possible to make sense of the way Peijnenburg deals with the subject of changing the past, there is no need to think this implies retrocausality.
TOUCH, SOUND, AND THINGS WITHOUT THE MIND
Authors: VAN CLEVE JAMES
Published: March 2006

Abstract: Two notable thought experiments are discussed in this article: Reid's thought experiment about whether a being supplied with tactile sensations alone could acquire the conception of extension and Strawson's thought experiment about whether a being supplied with auditory sensations alone could acquire the conception of mind‐independent objects. The experiments are considered alongside Campbell's argument that only on the so‐called relational view of experience is it possible for experiences to make available to their subjects the concept of mind‐independent objects. I consider how the three issues ought to be construed as raising questions about woulds, coulds, or shoulds—and argue that only on the normative construal of them are they resolvable as intended by the a priori methods of the philosophers who pose them.
IMAGINATION'S GRIP ON SCIENCE
Authors: DE MEY TIM
Published: March 2006

Abstract: In part because “imagination” is a slippery notion, its exact role in the production of scientific knowledge remains unclear. There is, however, one often explicit and deliberate use of imagination by scientists that can be (and has been) studied intensively by epistemologists and historians of science: thought experiments. The main goal of this article is to document the varieties of thought experimentation, not so much in terms of the different sciences in which they occur but rather in terms of the different functions they fulfil. I argue that thought experimentation (and hence imagination) plays a role not only in theory choice but in singular causal analysis and scientific discovery as well. I pinpoint, moreover, some of the rules governing the use of thought experiments in theory choice and in singular causal analysis, that is, some of the criteria they should meet in order to fulfil those functions successfully.
INTRODUCTION: KNOWLEDGE THROUGH IMAGINATION
Authors: VAN WOUDENBERG RENÉ
Published: March 2006

Abstract: This introduction presents an overview of the articles in this special issue, within the framework of an argument for the conclusion that there are various roads leading from imagination to knowledge.
BELIEF AND PRETENSE: A REPLY TO GENDLER
Authors: BLAAUW MARTIJN
Published: March 2006

Abstract: In cases of imaginative contagion, imagining something has doxastic or doxastic‐like consequences. In this reply to Tamar Szabó Gendler's article in this collection, I investigate what the philosophical consequences of these cases could be. I argue (i) that imaginative contagion has consequences for how we should understand the nature of imagination and (ii) that imaginative contagion has consequences for our understanding of what belief‐forming mechanisms there are. Along the way, I make some remarks about what the consequences of the contagion cases are for the relation between knowledge and imagination.
Granulomatous amebic encephalitis in a multivisceral transplant recipient
Authors: Mendez O. , Kanal E. , Abu‐Elmagd K. M. , McFadden K. , Thomas S. , Bond G. , Živković S. A.
Published: March 2006

A 40‐year‐old man with multivisceral allograft developed acutely right‐sided numbness 9 months after transplantation. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a small left parietal lesion, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis was unremarkable. Stereotactic brain biopsy was non‐diagnostic. The patient continued to deteriorate, developed cerebral edema and died at 13 days after the onset of symptoms. Unexpectedly, autopsy demonstrated acanthamebic encephalitis. This case highlights diagnostic difficulties encountered with amebic encephalitis and expands the spectrum of opportunistic central nervous system (CNS) infections in solid and visceral organ transplant recipients.
Emergency department delays in acute stroke – analysis of time between ED arrival and imaging
Authors: Jungehulsing G. J. , Rossnagel K. , Nolte C. H. , Muller‐Nordhorn J. , Roll S. , Klein M. , Wegscheider K. , Einhaupl K. M. , Willich S. N. , Villringer A.
Published: March 2006

We determined the factors leading to emergency department (ED) delays in patients with acute stroke. Data were collected prospectively in four Berlin inner‐city hospitals by ED documentation, medical records, imaging files and patient interviews. An extended Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to the data. Analyses were performed in 558 patients with confirmed diagnosis of stroke. Median time from admission at ED to beginning of computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) was 108 min. In a subgroup of patients potentially eligible for thrombolysis with a pre‐hospital delay <120 min and a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) >4 (n = 74), the median interval to imaging was 68 min. Multivariable analysis revealed that a more severe initial NIHSS, a pre‐hospital delay <3 h, admission at two specific hospitals, admission at weekends, and private health insurance were significantly associated with reduced delays. In stroke patients, the time interval between ED admission and imaging depends both on factors that emerge from clinical needs and on factors independent of clinical necessities. Considering the urgency of therapeutic measures in acute stroke, there is necessity and room for both improvement of in‐hospital management and of medical and non‐medical factors influencing pre‐hospital delays.
Sleep disruption, daytime somnolence and ‘sleep attacks’ in Parkinson's disease: a clinical survey in PD patients and age‐matched healthy volunteers
Authors: Ferreira J. J. , Desboeuf K. , Galitzky M. , Thalamas C. , Brefel‐Courbon C. , Fabre N. , Senard J.‐M. , Montastruc J.‐L. , Sampaio C. , Rascol O.
Published: March 2006

Recent case reports of ‘sleep attacks’ (SA) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) generated concerns about drug‐induced daytime somnolence in this population. However, there are nearly no comparative data on sleep and vigilance problems between PD patients and normal controls. We performed a cross‐sectional survey in PD patients and age‐matched controls using a structured questionnaire on PD history, treatments, co‐morbidity, activities of daily living, habits, exercise, sleep pattern, driving, pre‐existing nocturnal problems, daytime somnolence, episodes of SA and the circumstances in which such episodes occurred. Daytime somnolence was also measured with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). 176 PD patients and 174 controls were included. The same proportion of PD patients (27%) and controls (32%) reported episodes of SA, but these were more frequent in PD patients and occurred more frequently during situations requiring attention (10.8% vs. 1.7%, p<10−3). More PD patients had abnormal daytime somnolence (ESS) and poor sleeping quality (PSQI). The most consistent factor associated with SA was the duration of levodopa therapy and the predictive value of an abnormal ESS score was rather poor (40.7%). Abnormal daytime somnolence and poor sleep quality at night are more frequent in PD patients than in normals. However, SA are reported in both groups, although less frequently in the normals during activities that requires attention.
Migraine-Mimicking Headache and Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Silva GS , Vicari P , Figueiredo MS , Junior HC , Idagawa MH , Massaro AR
Published: March 2006

Headache occurs in sickle cell disease (SCD), but its characteristics and frequency have not previously been studied. Our aim was to study patterns of headache in adults with SCD and to correlate its presence with blood flow velocities measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) and with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities. We studied 56 adults with SCD. Twenty-eight patients (50%) had severe and frequent headaches. In 20 patients (35.7%) the headache met the International Headache Society criteria for migraine without aura. Patients with frequent and severe headache presented TCD velocities significantly higher than those without headache, or with milder headache. No correlation was found between headache and abnormalities in brain MRI. A migraine-mimicking headache occurs in SCD but we should not understand it as a primary headache because the blood flow abnormalities secondary to SCD detected by TCD seem to play an important role in these patients.
Headache in United States Emergency Departments
Authors: Goldstein JN , Camargo CA , Pelletier AJ , Edlow JA
Published: March 2006

Headache is a common complaint in the emergency department (ED). In order to examine headache work-ups and diagnoses across the USA, we queried a representative sample of adult ED visits (the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey) for the years 1992–2001. Headache accounted for 2.1 million ED visits per year (2.2% of visits). Of the 14% of patients who underwent neuroimaging, 5.5% received a pathological diagnosis. Of the 2% of patients who underwent lumbar puncture, 11% received a pathological diagnosis. On multivariable analysis, a decreased rate of imaging was noted for patients without private insurance [odds ratio (OR) 0.61, confidence interval (CI) 0.44, 0.86] and for those presenting off-hours (OR 0.55, CI 0.39, 0.77). Patients over 50 were more likely to receive a pathological diagnosis (OR 3.3, CI 1.2, 9.3). In conclusion, clinicians should ensure that appropriate work-ups are performed regardless of presentation time or insurance status, and be vigilant in the evaluation of older patients.
Influence of fault map resolution on pore pressure distribution and secondary hydrocarbon migration; Tune area, North Sea
Authors: LOTHE A. E. , SYLTA Ø. , LAUVRAK O. , SPERREVIK S.
Published: March 2006

Pressure and hydrocarbon migration modelling was carried out in the Tune Field area, Viking Graben, offshore Norway. The pressures are considered to be controlled by compartments bounded by mapped faults. Two different interpreted fault maps at the top reservoir level (Brent Group) are used as input to the modelling. First, a low‐resolution fault map is used, with only the large faults interpreted, and next, both large and small faults are included. The simulations show high overpressures generated in the western area, in the deeper part of the Viking Graben, and hydrostatic in the eastern areas. A sharp transition zone results from using the low‐resolution fault map in the simulations. Small N–S striking faults situated in between the wells have to have higher sealing capacity than expected from juxtaposition analysis alone, to be able to match the overpressures measured in well 30/5‐2 and 30/8‐1S in the Tune Field, and well 30/8‐3 east of Tune. The intermediate pressure in the western part is probably related to flow in the deeper parts of the sedimentary column in the compartment, where well 30/8‐3 is situated. The secondary oil migration models show that overpressures have major effects on the migration pathways of hydrocarbons. The level of detail in the fault interpretation is important for simulation results, both for pressure distribution and for hydrocarbon migration.
Can intrinsic factors explain population declines in North American breeding shorebirds? A comparative analysis
Authors: Thomas G. H. , Lanctot R. B. , Székely T.
Published: March 2006

Many shorebirds that breed in North America are declining. These trends reflect global patterns in shorebird populations. Here we ask what factors make some shorebird species more prone to decline than others. Specifically, we test the influence of migratory behaviour (route and distance), biogeography (population size and range), life history (body size, clutch size) and sexual selection (social mating system and testis size) on population trends in North American breeding shorebirds. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we show that species that migrate across continental North America are more prone to decline than species that do not. Our finding that continental migrants are associated with population decline indicates that intrinsic factors may play an important role in predisposing a species to decline. Previous studies within the class Aves have failed to identify migration route as a correlate of decline or extinction risk. Two other intrinsic factors (oceanic migrants and threats on the non‐breeding grounds) were also important in our overall models, although neither was significant alone. The moderate explanatory power of our variables indicates that other factors are also important for explaining shorebird declines. We suggest that contemporary threats, most notably habitat loss and degradation at migratory stopover sites, are likely to be important.
Estimating Human Inbreeding Coefficients: Comparison of Genealogical and Marker Heterozygosity Approaches
Authors: Carothers A. D. , Rudan I. , Kolcic I. , Polasek O. , Hayward C. , Wright A. F. , Campbell H. , Teague P. , Hastie N. D. , Weber J. L.
Published: March 2006

We have used genealogies and genomic polymorphisms to estimate individual inbreeding coefficients (F) in 50 subjects with an expected range (based on recent genealogies) of F from 0.0 to 0.0625. The estimates were based on two approaches, using genotypes respectively from 410 microsatellite markers (410‐STR panel) and from 10,000 SNPs (10K‐SNP panel). The latter was performed in a sub‐sample of 15 individuals. We concluded that for both marker panels measures of inbreeding based on the excess of homozygosity over Hardy‐Weinberg expectation were not closely correlated with 4‐5 generation genealogical F‐values. For the 10K‐SNP panel we found two alternative measures which correlated more closely with F, based respectively on standard errors and on paired homozygosity of nearby SNPs over distances of 2‐4 cM. We propose an empirical method for estimating standard errors and hence individual F‐values, based on the variation between individual autosomes. This method could provide useful estimates of average F‐values for groups of individuals in population‐based studies of the effects of inbreeding/homozygosity on quantitative traits.
The Merits of Testing Hardy‐Weinberg Equilibrium in the Analysis of Unmatched Case‐Control Data: A Cautionary Note
Authors: Yong Zou Guang , Donner Allan
Published: March 2006

Testing for departures from the assumption of Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) has been widely recommended as a preliminary step in the analysis of genetic case‐control studies. Some authors suggest using a two‐stage procedure in which gene/disease associations are ultimately evaluated using either the Pearson chi‐square procedure or the Cochran‐Armitage test for trend. Other authors go further and encourage investigators to discard data that are in violation of HWE, essentially using the test as a tool for identifying genotyping errors. In this paper we show that 1) testing for HWE should not be used as a tool to identify genotyping errors; and 2) it is not necessary, and possibly even harmful, to test the HWE assumption before testing for association between alleles and disease. Instead one should inherently account for deviations from HWE with an adjusted chi‐square test statistic, a procedure which in the present context is identical to the trend test. Examples from previous reports are used to illustrate the methodology.
Investigating the Relationship Between FMR1 Allele Length and Cognitive Ability in Children: A Subtle Effect of the Normal Allele Range on the Normal Ability Range?
Authors: Loat C. S. , Craig G. , Plomin R. , Craig I. W.
Published: March 2006

The FMR1 gene contains a trinucleotide repeat tract which can expand from a normal size of around 30 repeats to over 200 repeats, causing mental retardation (Fragile X Syndrome). Evidence suggests that premutation males (55‐200 repeats) are susceptible to a late‐onset tremor/ataxia syndrome and females to premature ovarian failure, and that intermediate alleles (∼41‐55 repeats) and premutations may be in excess in samples with special educational needs. We explored the relationship between FMR1 allele length and cognitive ability in 621 low ability and control children assessed at 4 and 7 years, as well as 122 students with high IQ. The low and high ability and control samples showed no between‐group differences in incidence of longer alleles. In males there was a significant negative correlation between allele length and non‐verbal ability at 4 years (p = 0.048), academic achievement in maths (p = 0.003) and English (p = 0.011) at 7 years, and IQ in the high ability group (p = 0.018). There was a significant negative correlation between allele length and a standardised score for IQ and general cognitive ability at age 7 in the entire male sample (p = 0.002). This suggests that, within the normal spectrum of allele length, increased repeat numbers may have a limiting influence on cognitive performance.
Winter distribution of small mammals in relation to snow cover in the subalpine zone, Australia
Authors: Sanecki G. M. , Cowling A. , Green K. , Wood H. , Lindenmayer D.
Published: March 2006

We present the results of a study that is the first to investigate the landscape‐scale distribution of small mammals in direct relation to the spatial and temporal variation of snow cover. We investigated the distribution of the dusky antechinus Antechinus swainsonii and bush rat Rattus fuscipes in the subalpine zone of Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of south‐eastern Australia. A new hair tube technique was used to detect the presence of small mammals active in the subnivean space. In 2002, we sampled 72 sites stratified by elevation (1501–1600, 1601–1700, 1701–1800 m), aspect (accumulating, ablating) and habitat type (woodland, wet heath, dry heath, grassland). These factors were considered important in influencing snow accumulation and generally reflected the types of habitats available to small mammals. In 2003, the presence of small mammals was investigated at 30 high‐elevation sites including six boulderfields. The development of the subnivean space in the Snowy Mountains is dependent on the presence of structures such as shrubs, boulders and microtopographic features that are capable of supporting a snow layer above ground level. When snow was present, small mammal detections were negatively correlated with snow depth and duration, and positively correlated with the complexity of structures and microtopography. At high elevations detections were largely confined to boulderfields, and at mid and low elevations small mammals were detected primarily in habitats where the subnivean space was most extensive. Antechinus swainsonii and R. fuscipes responded differently to snow cover, with the latter seeming better able to overwinter where snow cover was shallow and patchy, in contrast to A. swainsonii whose occurrence was correlated to the size of the subnivean space.
Seasonal, sexual and anatomical variability in the adipose tissue of polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Authors: Thiemann G. W. , Iverson S. J. , Stirling I.
Published: March 2006

We collected 245 adipose tissue biopsies from adult polar bears Ursus maritimus in north‐eastern Manitoba during the course of long‐term population studies between fall 2001 and spring 2004. In summer, the sea ice of Hudson Bay melts completely and the entire polar bear population is forced to fast on land for c. 4 months. During this period, the adipose tissue of females contained significantly more lipid than that of males, consistent with preparation for pregnancy and lactation. The adipose tissue of females with cubs contained less lipid than that of solitary females, likely reflecting greater mobilization of lipid during lactation. Although most of the population returns to the sea ice to hunt after freeze‐up in mid‐November, pregnant females enter maternity dens where they continue to fast for an additional 4 months. As a result, the adipose tissue of females emerging from dens at the end of this 8‐month ‘reproductive fast’ contained significantly less lipid than females in the fall. There was also evidence of a decline in the adipose tissue lipid content of females emerging from dens over the course of the study. Although this trend was based on limited sample sizes, it suggests that the overall condition of new mothers may be declining. Fat biopsies collected from 20 adult polar bears during a mark–recapture survey on the winter sea ice of south‐eastern Beaufort Sea showed that the fatty acid (FA) composition of the superficial adipose layer was largely uniform with depth; however, lipid content significantly increased from skin to muscle. Finally, adipose tissue collected from the belly, rump and baculum depots of bears killed by native subsistence hunters showed no site‐specific differences in either FA composition or lipid content. These data suggest that a single sample from any large superficial depot will accurately reflect a polar bear's total superficial adipose store. We suggest that lipid content of adipose tissue may provide valuable information on changes in polar bear condition in response to changes in arctic climate and prey distribution.
Short communication: Is intrapartum temporary pacing required for women with complete atrioventricular block? An analysis of seven cases
Authors: Hidaka N , Chiba Y , Kurita T , Satoh S , Nakano H
Published: March 2006

Women with complete atrioventricular heart block without a permanent pacemaker normally receive temporary pacing for labour and birth. Here, we report seven women who were managed without pacing. All women had a temporary pacing lead inserted prior to induction of labour, but none of the women required pacing during labour or birth. Our experience suggests that women with complete atrioventricular block and without permanent pacing do not routinely require temporary pacing for labour and birth.
Gynaecological oncology: The role of colposcopy in the follow up of women treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Soutter WP , Butler JSB , Tipples M
Published: March 2006

Objective  To determine the effect of colposcopy on the sensitivity and specificity of follow‐up procedures in the detection of residual or recurrent disease after treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

Design  A retrospective study of information held in a colposcopy database.

Setting  A teaching hospital colposcopy clinic.

Population  A total of 2244 women treated in Hammersmith Hospital for histologically confirmed CIN between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 2002.

Methods  Data from the records of women treated with some form of local conservative therapy for CIN1–CIN3 between January 1988 and December 2002 were extracted from the colposcopy database. Women with histological confirmation of post‐treatment disease were identified.

Main outcome measures  The sensitivity and specificity of cytology alone was compared with the sensitivity and specificity of the combination of colposcopy and cytology.

Results  Colposcopy improved the sensitivity of cytology for the detection of high‐grade disease from 64 to 91% but reduced the specificity from 95 to 88%. With a 3% rate of post‐treatment high‐grade disease, colposcopy detected 8 extra cases per 1000 women but resulted in 88 more false alarms per 1000 women. Among women in whom the treatment margins were involved or uncertain, colposcopy detected 13 extra cases per 1000 women but resulted in 12 fewer false alarms per 1000 women because the prevalence of post‐treatment disease was higher.

Conclusions  Colposcopy does improve the detection rate of post‐treatment disease but at a cost of additional false alarms. The benefit of colposcopy will be greater in high‐risk groups of women with higher rates of treatment failure.
Species‐specific PCR primers for the mitochondrial genome control region hypervariable region 1 of the reef fish Lutjanus sebae
Authors: ASPDEN WILLIAM , PEGG GRAHAM , BRISKEY LEICA , SINCLAIR WILLIAM
Published: March 2006

Lutjanus sebae is an important commercial and recreational fish found throughout the Indo‐West Pacific region. Using universal primers for the mitochondrial genome control region hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), we isolated a 385‐bp fragment of HVR1 then designed specific primers near each end of this sequence in the conserved regions flanking the hypervariable region. These primers were shown to yield good quantity and quality of product and to be species specific. Of 20 L. sebae studied, there were eight segregating sites and eight haplotypes. These primers will provide a useful tool for population genetics studies, identification of larvae and eggs and for wildlife forensics.
Primers for 10 polymorphic microsatellites from Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae, and cross‐amplification in other species within the Streptanthoid Complex (Brassicaceae)
Authors: BURRELL A. MILLIE , PEPPER ALAN E.
Published: March 2006

Ten microsatellite primer pairs, developed from Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (J. Howell) Munz, specifically amplified target loci across a diverse range of taxa from the Streptanthoid Complex, Brassicaceae. All primer pairs produced amplification products from at least 22 of the 23 accessions tested. Product size variation and observable heterozygosity were consistent with what would be expected from the amplification of polymorphic microsatellites across the complex. Our findings demonstrate that microsatellites developed for C. amplexicaulis var. barbarae will be useful for population‐genetic studies in taxa throughout the Streptanthoid Complex.
Effect of Spirulina, a blue green algae, on gentamicin‐induced oxidative stress and renal dysfunction in rats
Authors: Kuhad Anurag , Tirkey Naveen , Pilkhwal Sangeeta , Chopra Kanwaljit
Published: March 2006

Gentamicin (GM), an aminoglycoside, is widely employed in clinical practice for the treatment of serious Gram‐negative infections. The clinical utility of GM is limited by the frequent incidence of acute renal failure. Experimental evidences suggest that oxidative and nitrosative stress play an important role in GM nephrotoxicity. Spirulina fusiformis is a blue green algae with potent free radical scavenging properties. The present study was designed to investigate renoprotective potential of S. fusiformis, against GM‐induced oxidative stress and renal dysfunction. Spirulina fusiformis (500, 1000, 1500 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered 2 days before and 8 days concurrently with GM (100 mg/kg, i.p.). Renal injury was assessed by measuring serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine clearance and serum nitrite levels. Renal oxidative stress was determined by renal malondialdehyde levels, reduced glutathione levels and by enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Chronic GM administration resulted in marked renal oxidative and nitrosative stress and significantly deranged renal functions. Treatment with S. fusiformis significantly and dose‐dependently restored renal functions, reduced lipid peroxidation and enhanced reduced glutathione levels, SOD and catalase activities. The results of present study clearly demonstrate the pivotal role of reactive oxygen species and their relation to renal dysfunction and point to the therapeutic potential of S. fusiformis in GM‐induced nephrotoxicity.
Clinical methods for the evaluation of endothelial function – a focus on resistance arteries
Authors: Joannides Robinson , Bellien Jeremy , Thuillez Christian
Published: March 2006

Endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases and appears as a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular events. In this context, biological evaluation of endothelial circulating markers can be helpful. However, functional tests using pharmacological stimuli appear more specific for the study of resistance arteries. These methods consist in the evaluation of the endothelium‐dependent changes in regional vascular flow in response to local infusion of substances that act through endothelial receptors without modification of systemic arterial pressure and in comparison with a non endothelium‐dependent relaxation. Flow is measured by Doppler and intravascular ultrasound in coronary circulation, laser Doppler in skin and by venous occlusion plethysmography in peripheral muscular arteries. Similar studies can be performed ex vivo using isolated resistance arteries obtained from fat subcutaneous biopsies. In addition, other information can be obtained from reactive hyperemia and the study of the flow‐mediated dilatation of conduit arteries to enable a selective and comprehensive approach of the heterogeneity of endothelial function in pathophysiology.
Tidal Barrages and Birds
Authors: CLARK NIGEL A.
Published: March 2006

This paper reviews the main effects that building tidal power barrages would have on the bird populations using Britain's estuaries. The changes in the tidal prism that would occur after a tidal power barrage is built are discussed in the context of their effect on the ecology of the estuary. Three main issues are discussed; the effect of changes in size and nature of the intertidal areas of the estuary, effects on saltmarshes, and the displacement of birds at closure. Recently, tidal stream technologies have been developed which are individually likely to have small effects on birds. However the cumulative effects of large scale tidal stream arrays need to be investigated. Finally, the effects of tidal barrages are put in the context of Britain's energy policy and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Should tidal power barrages be considered in the future, there will be a need for strategic assessments to be used to select sites that maximize the energy produced while minimizing the impacts on bird populations.
Age‐specific fecundity and life table of Trissolcus semistriatus, an egg parasitoid of the sunn pest Eurygaster integriceps
Authors: KIVAN Müjgan , KILIC Nihal
Published: March 2006

The effects of temperature on age‐specific fecundity and life table parameters of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus semistriatus (Nees, 1834) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) were examined under four constant temperature conditions (17, 20, 26 and 32°C), using eggs of the sunn pest Eurygaster integriceps Puton, 1881 (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), an important pest of wheat, as hosts. The intrinsic rate of increase increased linearly, while the mean generation time and the doubling time decreased with increases in temperature. The net reproductive rate, however, varied without clear correlation with temperature. Fecundity tended to be higher at higher temperatures. The total number of eggs per female was estimated as 52.0 and 116.4 eggs, respectively, at 17°C and 32°C, with the highest fecundity rate during the first day of oviposition. The oviposition rate fluctuated from 4.4 to 14.3 eggs per day. Oviposition and postoviposition periods and longevity decreased when temperature increased. Maximum longevity for females was 21.6 days at 20°C, and female parasitoids lived longer than males at all temperatures. The development period ranged from 7.1 days (32°C) to 35.6 days (17°C) for males and from 8.4 days (32°C) to 37.2 days (17°C) for females. The development of female T. semistriatus required 166.7 degree‐days (DD) above a theoretical threshold of 11.8°C and the development of males required 142.9 DD above 13.1°C. The numbers of generations per year for female and male T. semistriatus, given the temperature in Tekirdag, Turkey, were estimated to be 9.0 and 8.8, respectively. The potential of the egg parasitoid for the control of E. integriceps is discussed.
Induced sterility of Glossina pallidipes Austen males after irradiation in a nitrogen atmosphere
Authors: MUTIKA Gratian N. , PARKER Andrew G.
Published: March 2006

The sterile insect technique relies on sterilization of males using ionizing radiation. Life cycle stage, and the environmental conditions under which irradiation is carried out are crucial to the provision of good‐quality insects. To identify an optimal radiation strategy for Glossina pallidipes Austen, 1903, 13‐day‐old males were irradiated at different doses in a nitrogen atmosphere. The following day the males were mated with 8‐day‐old virgin females. Pupal production of mated females was monitored for 6 weeks, and induced sterility was determined by probit analysis. Survival of the males that mated was also monitored. At least 95% sterility of irradiated males was achieved with a 158 Gy dose in nitrogen and a 125 Gy in air. Irradiation significantly lowered the probability of survival between 30 and 100 days of age (especially flies irradiated in air), but probabilities of survival were similar outside this period for irradiated and unirradiated flies. Exposure of 2‐ or 13‐day‐old males to sterilizing radiation induced similar levels of sterility in both air and nitrogen.
Phylogenetic analysis of the insect order Odonata using 28S and 16S rDNA sequences: a comparison between data sets with different evolutionary rates
Authors: HASEGAWA Eisuke , KASUYA Eiiti
Published: March 2006

Molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted for the insect order Odonata with a focus on testing the effectiveness of a slowly evolving gene to resolve deep branching and also to examine: (i) the monophyly of damselflies (the suborder Zygoptera); and (ii) the phylogenetic position of the relict dragonfly Epiophlebia superstes. Two independent molecular sources were used to reconstruct phylogeny: the 16S rRNA gene on the mitochondrial genome and the 28S rRNA gene on the nuclear genome. A comparison of the sequences showed that the obtained 28S rDNA sequences have evolved at a much slower rate than the 16S rDNA, and that the former is better than the latter for resolving deep branching in the Odonata. Both molecular sources indicated that the Zygoptera are paraphyletic, and when a reasonable weighting for among‐site rate variation was enforced for the 16S rDNA data set, E. superstes was placed between the two remaining major suborders, namely, Zygoptera and Anisoptera (dragonflies). Character reconstruction analysis suggests that multiple hits at the rapidly evolving sites in the 16S rDNA degenerated the phylogenetic signals of the data set.
Pollination mutualism between a new species of the genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and Steudnera colocasiifolia (Araceae) in Yunnan, China
Authors: TAKENAKA Kohei , YIN Jian‐Tao , WEN Shuo‐Yang , TODA Masanori J.
Published: March 2006

A new species of the genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere (Diptera: Drosophilidae) was discovered from inflorescences of Steudnera colocasiifolia K. Koch (Araceae) in Yunnan, China. The new species is described as Colocasiomyia steudnerae Takenaka and Toda, sp. nov., and we investigated the reproductive ecology of both the fly and the plant species. This fly species reproduces in the inflorescences/infructescences of the plant, and depends almost throughout its entire life cycle on the host plant. The fly species is the most abundant flower visitor for S. colocasiifolia and behaves intimately with the flowering events, suggesting that it is the unique and most efficient pollinator for the host plant. Bagging (insect‐exclusion) treatment of inflorescences resulted in no fruits. These findings strongly suggest that intimate pollination mutualism has evolved between the fly and the host plant, as are known in other Colocasiomyia flies and Araceae plants. One notable feature of this system is that the new species almost monopolizes the host‐plant inflorescence as a visitor, without any cohabiting Colocasiomyia species. In comparison to other cases where two Colocasiomyia species share the same inflorescence and infructescence of Araceae host plants for reproduction by separating their breeding niches microallopatrically between the staminate (upper male‐flower) and the pistillate (lower female‐flower) regions on the spadix, C. steudnerae exhibits a mixture of stamenicolous and pistillicolous breeding habits.
Maintaining Low Ca2+ Level in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Restores Abnormal Endogenous F508del‐CFTR Trafficking in Airway Epithelial Cells
Authors: Norez Caroline , Antigny Fabrice , Becq Frédéric , Vandebrouck Clarisse
Published: March 2006

The most common mutation in cystic fibrosis, F508del, results in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR) that is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Retention is dependent on chaperone proteins, many of which, like calnexin, require calcium for optimal activity. Here, we show that a limited and a maintained ER calcium level is sufficient to inhibit the F508del–CFTR/calnexin interaction and to restore the cAMP‐dependent CFTR chloride transport, thus showing the correction of abnormal trafficking. We used Western blot analysis, iodide efflux and calcium measurement techniques applied to the human airway epithelial cystic fibrosis cell line CF15 (F508del/F508del). The inhibition of ER calcium pump, with thapsigargin, curcumin, 2,5‐di(t‐butyl)hydroquinone or cyclopiazonic acid, maintains a threshold levels of calcium that is correlated to the recovery of endogenous F508del‐CFTR transport activity. In particular, cyclopiazonic acid restores a 2‐aminoethyoxydiphenyl borate‐sensitive F508del‐CFTR trafficking with an EC50 of 915 nm. By contrast, the 1,4,5‐trisphosphate or IP3 receptor activators, i.e., ATP and histamine, while transiently emptying the ER intracellular calcium store, did not affect the trafficking of F508del‐CFTR. Our data suggest that decreasing the ER calcium level is not sufficient to restore the defective trafficking of F508del‐CFTR, whereas decreasing and also maintaining low ER calcium level allow correction of defective biosynthetic pathway of endogenous F508del‐CFTR in human airway epithelial cells.
Tooth survival and periodontal tissues healing of allogenic‐transplanted teeth in the mice
Authors: Kim E , Cho SW , Yang JY , Cai J , Lee SJ , Ohshima H , Jung HS
Published: March 2006

Objective:  For the successful organ transplantation, immune rejection has to be considered. Autogenic transplantation of human teeth is generally carried out free of clinical difficulty because of the lack of immune reaction, whereas allogenic tooth transplantations easily induce host immune rejection to donor tissues. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the replacement of donor tissue by host cells after allogenic tooth transplantation

Materials and methods:  First molars extracted from lacZ transgenic ROSA26 mice were transplanted into the alveolar socket and the tongue of host wildtype mice, where the first molar had existed.

Results:  Donor cells from lacZ transgenic mice were not detected in the periodontal ligament space, but rather in the pulp chamber of the donor tooth. Furthermore, if the pulp chamber was widely open to an affluent blood supply, odontoblasts and fibroblasts in the donor tissue survived in the dental pulp.

Conclusions:  Our experimental models using lacZ transgenic ROSA26 mice clearly demonstrate that donor periodontal tissue cells are replaced by host cells and that periodontal tissue can regenerate after allogenic tooth transplantation. Furthermore, our models suggest that donor pulpal cells can survive if the vascular supply into the pulp chamber is sufficient.