bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of N, S‐Codoped TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Lv Yingying , Ding Yan , Zhou Jiahong , Xiao Wenmin , Feng Yuying
Published: March 2009

The doping of titanium dioxide (TiO2) with various metal or nonmetal elements has been considered as an effective strategy to extend the photoactive wavelength region to visible light. In this paper (nitrogen [N] and sulfur [S])‐codoped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared via a sol–gel route, followed by a heat treatment at elevated temperatures. The as‐prepared samples were extensively characterized by X‐ray diffraction, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The N, S‐codoped TiO2 nanoparticles showed a strong visible light absorption and exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue as compared with the pure, N‐ or S‐doped TiO2 under either UV light or solar light irradiation.
Preparation of Nano BaTiO3‐Based Ceramics for Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor Application by Chemical Coating Method
Authors: Tian Zhibin , Wang Xiaohui , Shu Like , Wang Tian , Song Tae‐Ho , Gui Zhilun , Li Longtu
Published: March 2009

The base‐metal‐electrode multilayer ceramic capacitors (BME MLCCs) for future application require much thinner dielectric layers (<1 μm). Therefore, the grain size and uniformity of BME MLCC powders should be effectively controlled. In this paper, the nanosized BME MLCC powders were prepared by chemical coating method. The well‐coated BaTiO3 particles were obtained by adjusting an appropriate pH value. Transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectrum were utilized for the study of microstructures and element analysis. The high‐performance X7R dielectric ceramics were produced in reducing atmosphere by “two‐step” sintering method at a low temperature of 950°C. The dielectric constant at room temperature could reach ∼2400, with low dielectric loss below 1.0% and high insulation resistivity ∼1012Ω·cm. The ceramic grains were very homogenous with the average size below 150 nm.
Prenuptial agreements: mating frequency predicts gift‐giving inHeliconiusspecies
Authors: Cardoso Márcio Zikán , Roper James J. , Gilbert Lawrence E.
Published: March 2009

Theory predicts that when males provision females with nuptial gifts that include nutrients, the degree of polyandry should be positively correlated with the size or quality of the gift. This is because larger and more nutritious gifts tend to increase female refractory period, reducing the chances the female will remate soon. This decreases the likelihood of sperm competiton and consequently increases the donor male fitness. Butterflies in the genusHeliconiusKluk (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconini) exhibit variable mating systems that include monandry and polyandry. In addition to protein in the spermatophore, males increase gift quality by providing females with cyanide, which may contribute to protection of the female or her eggs. We tested whether degree of polyandry and gift quality (spermatophore weight and cyanide content) were correlated in nineHeliconiusspecies from greenhouse populations. As predicted, both spermatophore weight and cyanide content were correlated with mating frequency. This is the first report to show that degree of polyandry correlates with allocation of defensive chemical as part of a nuptial gift.
Pre‐release feeding on yeast hydrolysate enhances sexual competitiveness of sterile male Queensland fruit flies in field cages
Authors: Pérez‐Staples Diana , Weldon Christopher W. , Smallridge Catherine , Taylor Phillip W.
Published: March 2009

Recent laboratory studies of mass‐reared flies in small cages have found that periods of just 24‐ or 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate can substantially enhance mating performance of mass‐reared male Queensland fruit flies, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) (‘Q‐flies’). Using field cage tests that provide a better approximation of nature, we here investigated whether access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h after adult emergence improves the ability of male and female mass‐reared, sterile Q‐flies to compete sexually with wild‐type flies that had been provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate. Mating probability of sterile males was significantly increased by 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate; sterile males provided 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate had mating probability similar to that of wild males provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate, whereas sterile males deprived of access to yeast hydrolysate had much lower mating probability. Unlike males, access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h did not increase mating probability of sterile female Q‐flies. We instead found that wild females provided continuous access to yeast hydrolysate had higher mating probability than sterile females that did or did not have 48‐h access to yeast hydrolysate. This result raises the possibility that a bisexual Q‐fly strain might operate essentially as a male‐only release when the flies are given access to yeast hydrolysate during a 48‐h pre‐release holding period. Sterile males given access to yeast hydrolysate for 48 h mated significantly earlier in the evening than wild males and, as in other recent studies, this tendency was associated with an increased tendency to mate on the trees rather than the cage walls. There was no evidence of sexual isolation in this study, as wild and sterile mass‐reared flies showed no evidence of preferential mating with their own kind. Further studies are now needed to assess the potential for pre‐release access to yeast hydrolysate to improve sexual performance and longevity of sterile, mass‐reared, Q‐flies in the field.
Do museum specimens accurately represent wild birds? A case study of carotenoid, melanin, and structural colours in long‐tailed manakins Chiroxiphia linearis
Authors: Doucet Stéphanie M. , Hill Geoffrey E.
Published: March 2009

Museum specimens continue to be an invaluable resource for taxonomic, systematic, and comparative studies, and are increasingly relied upon for novel research purposes. Evaluating variation in the colour of avian study skins forms the basis for a broad range of research questions, yet few studies have investigated whether the plumage colouration of museum specimens accurately reflects colouration in wild birds. In this study, we use reflectance spectrometry to compare the plumage reflectance of avian museum skins and wild birds. We use long‐tailed manakins Chiroxiphia linearis, to investigate these potential differences in colour. Long‐tailed manakins are ideal for this type of study as their colourful plumage patches result from three primary plumage colouration mechanisms found in birds: melanin pigmentation, carotenoid pigmentation, and structural colouration. These features of their plumage allowed us to independently assess variation in each plumage colouration mechanism. Reflectance spectra obtained from museum specimens were very similar to those obtained from wild birds, and the colouration of specimens was usually well within the range of variation observed in wild birds. As such, museum specimens can accurately represent the colouration of wild birds. Nevertheless, we found significant differences in colouration between museum skins and wild birds. We documented differences in brightness, hue, saturation, and chroma, although the direction and magnitude of these differences varied by mechanism of colouration. Multivariate analyses revealed that the age of museum specimens and the time of year at which they were collected contributed to some of these differences. We discuss potential proximate causes of these changes in colour, many of which apply to both museum specimens and wild birds, and identify the types of studies that are likely to be most sensitive to these changes.
Seasonal, sexual and developmental differences in hoopoe Upupa epops preen gland morphology and secretions: evidence for a role of bacteria
Authors: Martín‐Vivaldi Manuel , Ruiz‐Rodríguez Magdalena , José Soler Juan , Manuel Peralta‐Sánchez Juan , Méndez María , Valdivia Eva , Manuel Martín‐Platero Antonio , Martínez‐Bueno Manuel
Published: March 2009

The uropygial glands of birds serve multiple functions, and there is great interspecific variability in the composition and properties of their secretions. A special case is the secretion in the hoopoes Upupa epops, and green woodhoopoes Phoeniculus purpureus, which, contrary to the commonly white and odourless secretions, are dark with pungent odour. Recently, bacteria have been isolated from glands of both woodhoopoes and hoopoes and here we test the hypothesis that bacteria are responsible of some of the special properties of glands and secretions of this group of birds. We explore natural seasonal changes and intersexual differences in the properties of hoopoe glands and secretions, check the natural occurrence of bacteria within secretions, and analyse the effect of experimental injection of antibiotics on uropygial gland properties. Male glands underwent no seasonal changes, and their secretions were invariably white and odourless, very similar to female glands outside the breeding season. However, in comparison to the uropygial gland of non‐breeding females, those of incubating females showed a marked increase in size and volume of secretion produced, which became dark and pungent. All these parameters increased until the hatching date and returned to values similar to those in the prelaying phase towards the end of the nestling period. Nestling glands produced secretions similar to those of females in colour and odour. Gland size of both females and nestlings predicted the amount of secretion produced. Microscopic techniques confirmed the presence of bacteria at high density and in active division in all dark secretions examined. The antibiotic treatment significantly reduced the load of enterococci in nestling glands, did not affect size of glands, but diminished the volume of secretion, which was lighter in colour than that of control nestlings. In nesting females, the experimental injection of antibiotic affected some measurements of gland size and secretion colour. Because the experiment did not affect general health estimates (immunocompetence, body condition or growing) of nestlings, our results suggest that some of the special properties of hoopoe glands are mediated by the presence of symbiotic bacteria.
Tuning towards tomorrow? Common nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos change and increase their song repertoires from the first to the second breeding season
Authors: Kiefer Sarah , Sommer Christina , Scharff Constance , Kipper Silke , Mundry Roger
Published: March 2009

In many oscines, song repertoire size correlates with male quality and female mate choice, and can vary with age. In a cross‐sectional field study in common nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos, one y old birds had substantially smaller repertoires than did older ones. In laboratory experiments males can acquire new song types during this period. This longitudinal field study therefore investigates whether individual nightingales increase their repertoires from the first to the second breeding season. We report a striking repertoire turnover, with an average overall increase of 24% of the first season's repertoire, resulting from added and dropped song types (54% and 30%, respectively). The number of added song types correlated positively with the size of the first season's repertoire. These results are consistent with the notion that repertoire size in nightingales correlates with male quality, although the overlap between repertoire sizes of first and second season birds makes it impossible to discriminate age based solely on repertoire size. Comparing the number of song types an individual sang in both seasons (‘permanent song types’) revealed a lower overlap than reported for subsequent seasons. The frequencies with which these were sung in the first season were less predictive of how often they were sung in the second season than was the case between later years. This drastic repertoire turnover from the first to the second season may be a selective process in response to the local song types, constrained by genetic makeup and shaped by early experience.
A molecular systematic revision of two historically problematic songbird clades: Aimophila and Pipilo
Authors: DaCosta Jeffrey M. , Spellman Garth M. , Escalante Patricia , Klicka John
Published: March 2009

The emberizid genera Aimophila and Pipilo represent longstanding taxonomic conundrums. Each is comprised of sub‐clades whose members appear to share diagnostic morphological and behavioral characters; however, relationships among sub‐clades within each of these genera remain unclear, and numerous authors have suggested that either one or both of these genera may be polyphyletic. We addressed this taxonomic problem by sequencing and analyzing complete mitochondrial cytochrome‐b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes for all members of Aimophila and Pipilo along with 33 species representing 17 additional emberizid genera. Our maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses indicate that both Aimophila and Pipilo are polyphyletic. Aimophila is divided into a minimum of three distinct groups. The forms notosticta, ruficeps, and rufescens are part of a well‐supported clade that includes all members of Melozone and some members of Pipilo. Aimophila quinquestriata is placed within Amphispiza, and the remaining members of Aimophila are placed within a clade that includes all members of Arremonops and some members of Ammodramus. Within Pipilo, the “rufous‐sided” and “brown” towhee groups do not form sister groups. Rather, the former are most closely related to the tropical genus Atlapetes whereas the latter are placed nearest Melozone and some Aimophila. Our analyses reject traditional taxonomic arrangements for both genera, and we present suggestions for a revised taxonomy for all members of Aimophila and Pipilo. These results provide further evidence of discordance among phylogenetic hypotheses based on morphological and molecular characters for groups of birds with generally conserved morphology.
Extra‐pair paternity in the socially monogamous mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides and its effect on the potential for sexual selection
Authors: Balenger Susan L. , Scott Johnson L. , Mays Jr Herman L. , Masters Brian S.
Published: March 2009

Sexual selection theory posits that ornamental traits can evolve if they provide individuals with an advantage in securing multiple mates. That male ornamentation occurs in many bird species in which males pair with a single female is therefore puzzling. It has been proposed that extra‐pair mating can substantially increase the variance in reproductive success among males in monogamous species, thus increasing the potential for sexual selection. We documented the frequency of extra‐pair paternity and examined its effect on variation in male reproductive success in the mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides, a socially monogamous songbird in which males possess brilliant plumage ornamentation. Extra‐pair paternity was common in our Wyoming study population, with 72% of broods containing at least one extra‐pair offspring. The standardized variance in actual male reproductive success (i.e., the total number of within‐pair and extra‐pair offspring sired) was more than seven times higher than the variation in apparent success (i.e., success assuming that no extra‐pair mating occurred). Success at siring within‐pair and extra‐pair offspring both contributed to the variation in overall male reproductive success. Within‐pair success, however, did not predict a male's level of extra‐pair success, suggesting that males do not sacrifice within‐pair paternity to gain extra‐pair paternity. Calculation of the sexual selection (Bateman) gradient showed that males sire approximately two additional offspring for each extra‐pair mate that we identified. Thus, in this sexually dichromatic species, extra‐pair mating increases the variance in male reproductive success and provides the potential for sexual selection to act.
Micro‐CT analysis of alveolar bone healing using a rat experimental model of critical‐size defects
Authors: Ebina H , Hatakeyama J , Onodera M , Honma T , Kamakura S , Shimauchi H , Sasano Y
Published: March 2009

Objective:  This study was designed to establish a rat model of a critical size alveolar bone defect.

Materials and methods:  Standardized buccal or mesiobuccal alveolar bone defects were made around the right first mandibular molar of 12‐week‐old rats, and the left was used as a control. Alveolar bone healing was examined quantitatively by three‐dimensional micro‐computed tomographic imaging. Bone matrix production of osteoblasts and osteocytes during repair of alveolar bone defects was examined with in situ hybridization for type I collagen.

Results:  Buccal defects were repaired significantly and the volume decreased by 88.3% in week 24, whereas mesiobuccal defects were repaired little. Osteoblasts and osteocytes expressed type I collagen in both defects in week 3 but showed little expression by week 6 and thereafter, leaving the mesiobuccal defects largely unrepaired.

Conclusion:  The mesiobuccal defect is a critical‐size defect that is not ultimately repaired with bone. It may be an appropriate experimental model for investigating the effectiveness of bone regenerative agents in human alveolar bone loss.
DNA content in malignant salivary gland tumours
Authors: Monteiro LS , Palmeira C , Bento MJ , Lopes C
Published: March 2009

Objective:  Our aim was to evaluate the DNA content in malignant salivary gland tumours using image cytometry and its possible relationships with clinical and morphologic findings, disease course and prognosis.

Patients and methods:  The study sample comprised 31 patients diagnosed and treated for primary malignant salivary gland tumours. Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded surgical specimens of all patients were Feulgen‐stained for DNA content analysis by image cytometry. Statistical analysis was used to investigate possible relationships between DNA content variables and clinical and histological findings, disease course and patient survival.

Results:  Seventeen (55%) cases of our sample were graded as DNA diploid, four (13%) as DNA aneuploid and 10 (32%) as DNA multiploid. In 15 (48%) cases, the 5c exceeding rate (5cER) was higher than 1.7%. DNA ploidy correlated with N stage and tumour size. DNA ploidy and 5cER had a statistically significant prognostic influence on overall and disease‐free survival in univariate analysis. However, in multivariate analysis, stage classification was the only parameter with an independent prognosis value.

Conclusion:  Abnormal DNA content is a common finding in salivary gland cancers. Our results suggest an important role of DNA content analysis in the evaluation of these tumours.
The effect of the duration of the dialysis in hemodialysis patients on dental and periodontal findings
Authors: Cengiz MI , Sümer P , Cengiz S , Yavuz U
Published: March 2009

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to investigate the dental and periodontal health status of patients on regular hemodialysis (HD) maintenance therapy, and the effect of duration of HD on oral status.

Study design:  Sixty‐eight HD patients and 41 controls were examined. Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth (DMFT index), plague index (PI), gingival index (GI), Probing pocket depth (PPD) and loss of periodontal attachment (LPA) were examined.

Results:  Except DMFT index, significant differences were found in the other index values between patients and controls (P < 0.01). Dialysis duration significantly correlated not with DMFT but with the others. Also, DMFT values showed no significant differences between the five HD subgroups. For the PI, GI and PPD values, the first 5‐year period revealed no significant variation, whereas the second 5‐year period included significant increases. After 10 years, a much more significant increase was observed. The LPA values did not show any significant differences between the HD subgroups, but after 10 years a significant progressive increase can be observed.

Conclusions:  The dental and periodontal health is poor in HD patients and becomes worse with time on dialysis. Thus, oral health maintenance is of utmost importance in this patient group.
SNPs in CHRNA6 and CHRNB3 are associated with alcohol consumption in a nationally representative sample
Authors: Hoft N. R. , Corley R. P. , McQueen M. B. , Huizinga D. , Menard S. , Ehringer M. A.
Published: March 2009

The CHRNA6 and CHRNB3 genes have been associated with nicotine dependence and early subjective response to nicotine. Here we present evidence, using a nationally representative sample of adults, that this region is also associated with alcohol behaviors. Six SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) spanning the CHRNB3/A6 genes were analyzed using the statistical genetics software FBAT‐PC, which allows one to examine a collection of multiple phenotypes to generate a maximally heritable composite phenotype for each SNP. The six SNPs were tested using FBAT‐PC including four alcohol phenotypes: average number of drinks, blackouts, total number of DSM‐IV abuse and dependence symptoms endorsed, and quit attempts. Three SNPs in CHRNA6 (rs1072003,P= 0.015; rs892413,P= 0.0033 and rs2304297,P= 0.012) and one SNP in CHRNB3 (rs13280604,P= 0.0053) were associated with a composite of the alcohol phenotypes. The association was primarily driven by the average number of drinks.
Decomposing socio‐economic inequality in childhood malnutrition in Nigeria
Authors: Uthman Olalekan A.
Published: March 2009

This paper measures and decomposes socio‐economic inequality in childhood malnutrition in Nigeria. Individual data records were constructed for a nationally representative sample of 4187 under‐5 children. The data were taken from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey in 2003. The household's socio‐economic status was measured using principal component analysis. The concentration index of childhood malnutrition was used as a measure of socio‐economic inequality and decomposed into its determining factors. The largest contributions to inequality in childhood malnutrition were household economic status (31%), health service index (17%), maternal education (13%) and proper sanitation (11%). Breastfeeding duration (8%), geopolitical regions (8%) and residency in rural/urban areas (5%) also proved important contributors to the measured inequality. The findings indicate that socio‐economic inequality in childhood malnutrition in Nigeria is determined not only by health system functions, but also by factors beyond the scope of health authorities and care delivery system. Scaling up universal approach linking the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education with other ministries may speed up the reduction of inequalities in social determinants of childhood malnutrition.
The use of video support for infant feeding after hospital discharge: a study in remote and rural Scotland
Authors: Roberts Anne , Hoddinott Pat , Heaney David , Bryers Helen
Published: March 2009

This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of future infant feeding video support after hospital discharge, and investigates general views on the potential of other communication technology in a remote and rural area of Scotland. Mixed survey and qualitative methods were used. A consecutive sample of 403 women were given a questionnaire at discharge from post‐natal wards and 91 responded. From the respondents, 20 volunteers were purposively selected for in‐depth semi‐structured telephone interviews 6–8 weeks after birth. Results demonstrated that two‐thirds of survey respondents had access to video communication technology, and 86% supported the availability of an infant feeding video link to the National Health Service, dependent on reassurance that it would be timely, maintain continuity of care and be available from home any time of day or night. However, less than 25% of the survey respondents stated that they would definitely or probably use video via mobile or Internet for advice on breastfeeding problems. When provided with four common post‐natal scenarios, the majority preferred face‐to‐face, followed by telephone support. Rural respondents had reservations about the potential impact of video support on existing face‐to‐face services, and concerns were raised about ensuring privacy and security. There was no evidence to suggest that support for video link varied depending upon feeding method or experience. No single technology solution suited all women; therefore, any innovations should take account of difference in preference and be multifaceted in terms of encompassing a range of means of communication.
Romantic c/China: The Literature of Chinoiserie
Authors: Tong Joanne
Published: March 2009

As the popularity of Chinese‐style textiles, lacquers, and especially porcelain increased in Britain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, chinoiserie objects inevitably found their way into literature. Porcelain, or ‘china’ begins to be troped as the reified sign of its geographical and cultural referent, ‘China’. In Romantic writings about porcelain, writers render porcelain as a legible object with a story to be told, or even make the object itself speak, so that c/China teapots and dishes seemed less and less like mass‐produced things and more and more like auratic works of art that had the power of mediating relations between British consumers and Chinese producers. In the chinoiserie poems of Joanna Baillie and Thomas Hood, we can witness the literary development of a unique version of commodity fetishism that invests great cultural and historical significance in the imagined lives of objects.
Material Meanings and the Social Signs of Manuscript Letters in Early Modern England
Authors: Daybell James
Published: March 2009

This article investigates the physical features and characteristics of early modern manuscript letters – paper, ink, handwriting, physical layout, signatures, seals and fastenings, and addresses and endorsements – paying attention to the significant meanings generated by such material forms. It is thus concerned more with the kinds of analysis traditionally associated with codicology, palaeography, sigillography and diplomatics, than with what might be termed social materiality, that is the social and cultural practices of letter‐writing and the contexts in which letters were composed, delivered, read and preserved, though the two areas of investigation are closely interrelated. The article argues thatmaterialreadings must reside alongside and complement literary, stylistic, linguistic, historical and more recent gender‐based approaches to letters in order to understand more fully the culture, practices and social signs of early modern letter‐writing.
Does Performance Studies Speak to Restoration Theatre?
Authors: Payne Fisk Deborah
Published: March 2009

The rise of Performance Studies (PS) has been nothing short of phenomenal, but the field of Restoration drama and theatre has resisted this popular methodology, preferring critical approaches grounded in theatre history, literary exegesis, and, more recently, gender studies and queer theory. In part, the resistance is understandable: the dominant themes of PS – ethical research, social action, non‐scripted events, hybridity, and marginality – hardly apply to a theatre as resolutely textual and elite as the Restoration. Then too, Restoration drama's institutional history, which has traditionally privileged the ‘literary’ over the ‘theatrical’, additionally explains its disregard of PS. The field, however, has paid a price for not jumping on the PS bandwagon as evidenced by the decline in scholarly interest over the past decade. Arguably, criticism informed by ‘materialist semiotics’ and ‘site‐specific performance analysis’ might not only revive interest in Restoration theatre and drama but also avoid the theoretical shortcomings of PS.
Boz, Ba and Derry Down Derry: Names and Pseudonyms in Victorian Literature
Authors: Barton Anna
Published: March 2009

In nineteenth‐century fiction and poetry, names are frequently shown to be unstable, unreliable and occasionally dangerous. From the limericks of Edward Lear to the fiction of Charles Dickens, Victorian literature seems to pre‐empt Jacques Derrida's deconstructionist reading of name and signature, which insists that a name can never belong to the thing or person that it names, but has an independent existence in the system of signs that make up language. However, the Victorian interest in names and naming, which was rooted in both the philosophy of the period and in the prominence of names in the newly commodified marketplace, was also characterised by a faith in the power of naming and a concern about the responsibility that a name entailed.
Modified PCR methods for 3′ end amplification from serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) tags
Authors: Xu Wang‐Jie , Wang Zhao‐Xia , Qiao Zhong‐Dong
Published: March 2009

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) is a powerful technique to study gene expression at the genome level. However, a disadvantage of the shortness of SAGE tags is that it prevents further study of SAGE library data, thus limiting extensive application of the SAGE method in gene expression studies. However, this problem can be solved by extension of the SAGE tags to 3′ cDNAs. Therefore, several methods based on PCR have been developed to generate a 3′ longer fragment cDNA corresponding to a SAGE tag. The list of modified methods is extensive, and includes rapid RT‐PCR analysis of unknown SAGE tags (RAST‐PCR), generation of longer cDNA fragments from SAGE tags for gene identification (GLGI), a high‐throughput GLGI procedure, reverse SAGE (rSAGE), two‐step analysis of unknown SAGE tags (TSAT‐PCR), etc. These procedures are constantly being updated because they have characteristics and advantages that can be shared. Development of these methods has promoted the widespread use of the SAGE technique, and has accelerated the speed of studies of large‐scale gene expression.
In vivo RNA interference in oyster –vasa silencing inhibits germ cell development
Authors: Fabioux Caroline , Corporeau Charlotte , Quillien Virgile , Favrel Pascal , Huvet Arnaud
Published: March 2009

This study investigated the potential of RNA interference, which is technically challenging in bivalve mollusc species, to assess gene function in the oyster Crassostrea gigas. We designed dsRNA targeting the oyster vasa‐like gene (Oyvlg), specifically expressed in oyster germ cells. In vivo injection of oyvl‐dsRNA into the gonad provokes a knockdown phenotype corresponding to germ cell underproliferation and prematurely arrested meiosis througout the organ. The most severe phenotype observed is sterile. This knockdown phenotype is associated with a decrease in Oyvlg mRNA level of between 39% and 87%, and a strong reduction in OYVLG protein, to an undetectable level. Therefore, Oyvlg appears to be essential for germ cell development in Crassostrea gigas, particularly for mitotic proliferation and early meiosis. Our results demonstrate for the first time that in vivo RNA interference works efficiently in a bivalve species, opening major perspectives for functional genetic studies.
Nuclear actin and actin‐binding proteins in the regulation of transcription and gene expression
Authors: Zheng Bin , Han Mei , Bernier Michel , Wen Jin‐kun
Published: March 2009

Nuclear actin is involoved in the transcription of all three RNA polymerases, in chromatin remodeling and in the formation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes, as well as in recruitment of the histone modifier to the active gene. In addition, actin‐binding proteins (ABPs) control actin nucleation, bundling, filament capping, fragmentation and monomer availability in the cytoplasm. In recent years, more and more attention has focused on the role of actin and ABPs in the modulation of the subcellular localization of transcriptional regulators. This review focuses on recent developments in the study of transcription and transcriptional regulation by nuclear actin, and the regulation of muscle‐specific gene expression, nuclear receptor and transcription complexes by ABPs. Among the ABPs, striated muscle activator of Rho signaling and actin‐binding LIM protein regulate actin dynamics and serum response factor‐dependent muscle‐specific gene expression. Functionally and structurally unrelated cytoplasmic ABPs interact cooperatively with nuclear receptor and regulate its transactivation. Furthermore, ABPs also participate in the formation of transcription complexes.
Enhanced resistance to foliar fungal pathogens in carrot by application of elicitors
Authors: Jayaraj J. , Rahman M. , Wan A. , Punja Z.K.
Published: March 2009

Treatment of greenhouse‐grown carrot plants with salicylic acid (SA) (100 μm), chitosan (0.02%) and the nutrient‐chelate product Alexin (1%) followed 10 h later by inoculation with the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Alternaria radicina and Botrytis cinerea significantly reduced disease development 10 days after inoculation (d.a.i.) compared with control plants sprayed with water. The most effective treatment was chitosan, followed by Alexin and SA. Additional sprays of elicitors resulted in significantly lower disease development 25 d.a.i. Treated plants had elevated transcript levels of pathogenesis‐related protein 1 (PR1), chitinase, lipid transfer protein (LTP), chalcone synthase, nonexpressor of PR1 and pathogenesis‐related protein 5 (PR5) genes compared with control plants when assayed 10–70 h after treatment. The activity of peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase, chitinase, β‐1,3‐glucanase and lipoxygenase was significantly increased in elicitor‐treated plants compared with control plants 12–72 h after treatment. Microscopic examination of treated leaves revealed reduced fungal growth and colonisation, 48 h after treatment, accompanied by fewer lesions at 120 h, compared with the control. Protein extracts from elicitor‐treated plants reduced spore germination and germ tube elongation of the pathogens in vitro by 30–45%. Elicitor‐treated plants accumulated higher amounts of total phenolics, 6‐methoxymellin and H2O2 compared with the control. Both chitosan and Alexin induced responses similar to that of SA, suggesting that these elicitors may activate the salicylate pathway, leading to induction of defence genes, enzymes, phytoalexin and phenolics, which collectively reduced fungal colonisation.
Grape powdery mildew as a food source for generalist predatory mites occurring in vineyards: effects on life‐history traits
Authors: Pozzebon A. , Loeb G.M. , Duso C.
Published: March 2009

In several perennial cropping systems, generalist or omnivorous species represent important biocontrol agents. They can persist on plants by feeding on alternative foods when prey is scarce and potentially limit pest outbreaks. Among beneficials characterised by a wide food range, those belonging to the acarine family Phytoseiidae represent important biocontrol agents. Generalist predatory mites can develop and reproduce using various food sources as alternatives to their tetranychid prey. The presence of alternative food sources can also induce switching feeding behaviour of generalist predators from prey to alternative foods. We evaluated in the laboratory the role of the grape powdery mildew (GPM) for the survival, development and reproduction of Amblyseius andersoni and Typhlodromus pyri, two important beneficial phytoseiid mites, in European and North‐American vineyards. We also compared life‐history parameters obtained when feeding on GPM with those obtained feeding on tetranychids mite prey or cattail pollen. Results indicated that GPM is an adequate food source for generalist mite survival and development. Results suggest that GPM can sustain mite populations in the absence of higher quality food sources. Based on optimal foraging theory, comparison of life‐history parameters on GPM and mite prey suggests that the disruption of phytophagous mite control by these predatory mites in the presence of GPM appears unlikely. Implications for biological control in vineyards are discussed.
Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship Modeling of Antioxidant Activities of Hydroxybenzalacetones Using Quantum Chemical, Physicochemical and Spatial Descriptors
Authors: Mitra Indrani , Saha Achintya , Roy Kunal
Published: March 2009

We have modeled antioxidant activities of hydroxybenzalacetones against lipid peroxidation induced by t‐butyl hydroperoxide (pC1), γ‐irradiation (pC2) and also their 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity (pC3) using quantitative structure–activity relationship technique. The quantitative structure–activity relationship models were developed using different statistical methods like stepwise multiple linear regression, genetic function approximation and genetic partial least squares with descriptors of different categories (quantum chemical, physicochemical, spatial and substituent constants). The models were validated by internal validation and randomization techniques. The model predictivity was judged on the basis of their cross‐validated squared correlation coefficient (Q2) and modified r2 () values. The best models for the two responses, pC1 and pC2, were obtained by genetic partial least squares technique while the best model for the third response, pC3, was obtained by genetic function approximation technique. The developed models suggest that the distribution of charges on the phenolic nucleus and the phenolic oxygen as well as the charged surface areas of the molecules together with the geometry and orientation of the substituents significantly influence all the three types of responses (pC1, pC2 and pC3). The developed models may be used to design hydroxybenzalacetones with better antioxidant activities.
Chalcone Derivatives Inhibit Glutathione S‐Transferase P1‐1 Activity: Insights into the Interaction Mode of α, β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds
Authors: Wang Jian , Wang Shaojie , Song Dandan , Zhao Dongmei , Sha Yu , Jiang Yuting , Jing Yongkui , Cheng Maosheng
Published: March 2009

Resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs has long been a considerable barrier to successful treatment of many cancers and over‐expression of glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1 is correlated to carcinogenesis and resistance of cancer cells against chemotherapeutic agents. This study throws light on the role of chalcone derivatives, a new class of glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1 inhibitors potentially to overcome glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1‐mediated chemotherapy resistance. Nineteen α‐substituted chalcone derivatives were synthesized and their in vitro inhibitory effects on glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1 were determined. We interestingly found that most of these compounds showed inhibitory effect on glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1 activity. In addition, molecular field‐based similarity analysis provides the necessary three‐dimensional molecular field properties of α, β‐unsaturated carbonyl derivatives to inhibit glutathione S‐transferase P1‐1 activity. Thus, these compounds have great potential to be developed into novel chemotherapeutic sensitizers.
DIAGENETIC‐GEOCHEMICAL PATTERNS AND FLUID EVOLUTION HISTORY OF A LOWER JURASSIC PETROLEUM SOURCE ROCK, MIDDLE ATLAS, MOROCCO
Authors: Rachidi M. , Neuweiler F. , Kirkwood D.
Published: March 2009

Pliensbachian to earliest Toarcian marls and argillaceous limestones exposed at the surface near Aït Moussa (Boulemane Province, Middle Atlas) include the only examples of effective petroleum source rocks so far known in the Moroccan Atlas rift basins. The outcrop interval includes hemipelagic, peri‐Tethyan low latitude source rocks with Type II kerogen (total thickness of 2.5 m with mean TOC of around 3.2%). Early diagenetic, anoxic remineralisation of sedimentary organic matter resulted in hydraulic fractures, calcite cementation, a negative shift of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes relative to marine values (Δδ13C = ‐1.1; Δδ18O = ‐2.0), framboidal pyrite, and relative enrichment of the middle weight rare earth elements (REE). In combination, these attributes of early diagenesis may assist in the identification of other source rock intervals of similar age and setting.

Progressive burial produced three generations of Fe‐calcite cemented veins, followed by three generations of replacive dolomite and concluded by ankerite replacing dolomite. Compaction fluids initially caused a slight positive shift of δ13C values (Δδ13C =+0.4), a flattening of the REE distribution pattern and an increase in REE content, together related to the dewatering of clay. Dolomitizing fluids (dol‐2 and dol‐3) record a positive shift of δ13C values (Δδ13C =+0.9) suggesting the effects of methanogenesis or an uptake of heavy δ13C from underlying rock formations during fluid migration. Dol‐3 is an Fe‐bearing saddle dolomite that carries a positive Eu‐anomaly (Eu/Eu*= 8.1) best explained by ascending hydrothermal fluids which are presumably of Middle Eocene age.

A first migration of bitumen is recorded as fluorescent inclusions in dol‐2 (Late Jurassic ‐ Cretaceous), but bituminous fluids remained normally pressured until the establishment of inclined stylolites during Late Eocene tectonic compression. Comparative organic‐geochemical analyses (GC, NMR of inclusions, non‐expelled and expelled bitumen) indicate that thermal maturation advanced significantly after the onset of migration. Differences in terms of Pr/n‐C17, Ph/n‐C18 ratios and aromaticity corroborate the effects of differential expulsion. An exploration strategy should consider both secondary migration via opened tectonic stylolites in association with late‐diagenetic fractures and a persisting tightness that then could have created an unconventional oil reservoir.
BURIAL HISTORY RECONSTRUCTION USING LATE DIAGENETIC PRODUCTS IN THE EARLY PERMIAN SILICICLASTICS OF THE FARAGHAN FORMATION, SOUTHERN ZAGROS, IRAN
Authors: Zamanzadeh S. M. , Amini A. , Kamali M. R.
Published: March 2009

In spite of the increasing importance to hydrocarbon exploration and production of the Palaeozoic succession in the Zagros area of SW Iran, few burial history and palaeothermal modelling studies of the interval have been carried out. This paper attempts to assess the burial and palaeotemperature history of the Lower Permian Faraghan Formation which is composed of stromatolitic dolomites overlain by mainly cross‐bedded sandstones. The formation grades up into the thick bedded carbonates of the Upper Permian Dalan Formation. The Faraghan and Dalan Formations are major hydrocarbon reservoir units in SW Iran and are time‐equivalents of the Unayzah and Khuff Formations in Saudi Arabia, respectively.

The Faraghan Formation consists of shallow‐marine siliciclastics and foreshore deposits, including tidal‐flat and tidal‐channel, estuarine, sabkha, shoreface and offshore facies. In this study, diagenetic constituents are used to evaluate the formation's burial history in the Southern Zagros, an area for which only limited subsurface data is available. A burial history diagram for the formation was constructed for well Finu # 1 using WinBuryTM software. The diagram shows that the formation underwent progressive burial at variable rates between its deposition and the mid‐Tertiary, since when it has undergone rapid uplift.

Burial diagenetic products in the Faraghan Formation comprise saddle, ferroan and zoned dolomites, together with dickite, illite/sericite and chlorite minerals. Additional burial‐related features include stylolites and dissolution seams. Isotopic signatures (δ18O versus δ13C) of the ferroan dolomites suggest a burial trend for the formation. Reconstruction of the paragenetic sequence together with the burial history diagram suggests a maximum burial depth of about 5000 m and a wide palaeotemperature range of 80‐160°C. However considering the saddle dolomites as a palaeothermometer, the temperature range narrows to 78 to 138 °C. The burial depth and temperature ranges closely correlate with the main stage of oil generation to the dry gas zone.
THE INFLUENCE OF CEMENTATION ON THE RESERVOIR QUALITY OF THE RISHA SANDSTONE MEMBER (UPPER ORDOVICIAN), RISHA GASFIELD, NE JORDAN
Authors: Tamar‐Agha M. Y.
Published: March 2009

Shallow‐marine sandstones of the Upper Ordovician Risha Member of the Dubaydib Formation constitute important reservoir rocks for natural gas in the Risha area of NE Jordan. However, reservoir quality is frequently reduced by diagenetic effects including extensive cementation. This paper reports on the petrology of the Risha Sandstones and the nature of diagenetic alteration, based on standard petrographic analyses of 147 core samples collected from nine wells at Risha gasfield. In addition ten representative samples were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The sandstones comprise subarkoses and quartzarenites which are texturally submature to supermature. Petrographic analyses suggest a continental provenance, most probably from precursor plutonic rocks from the Arabian Shield. A generalized model of paragenesis includes early compaction and development of syntaxial feldspar overgrowths with quartz cementation of variable intensity. Carbonate cements occur as replacement and pore‐filling phases. Dolomite and siderite cementation occurred during later‐stage burial, together with pressure solution and the growth of authigenic clays. Most of the cements originated from meteoric or compaction‐derived waters. Separate pathways of sandstone diagenesis were recognized for the texturally supermature and submature sandstones, both of which were facies‐controlled.

Occlusion of most of the porosity preceded hydrocarbon accumulation, which is therefore restricted to areas where cementation was minimized or where cements were dissolved.
Introduction to the Special Section: Prevention and Remediation of Emotional and Academic Problems in Youth
Authors: Pina Armando A. , Eisenberg Nancy
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT—
Accessibility to prevention and remediation programs is critical for today’s children who face a broad range of adversities placing them at risk for emotional and academic problems. This introduction briefly summarizes the articles in the special section, which provide an overview of different interventions aimed at preventing or ameliorating various youths’ emotional and behavioral problems. The special section concludes with an article and related commentary pertaining to school‐related functioning.
Psychosocial Interventions for School Refusal Behavior in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Pina Armando A. , Zerr Argero A. , Gonzales Nancy A. , Ortiz Claudio D.
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT—
This article reviews empirical evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for school refusal behavior. Data corresponding to 8 experimental single‐case and 7 group‐design studies are presented. Across studies, behavioral and cognitive‐behavioral treatments emerged as promising lines of intervention. These interventions produced improvements in school attendance and youths’ symptom levels (e.g., anxiety, fear, depression, anger) based on this study’s examination of effect sizes. The article concludes with suggestions for interventionists, researchers, and policy makers attempting to deal with the problem of school refusal.
Response to Intervention Models as Alternatives to Traditional Views of Learning Disabilities: Response to the Commentaries
Authors: Fletcher Jack M. , Vaughn Sharon
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT—
Two commentaries in this issue, 1 by J. K. Torgesen (2009) and 1 by L. S. Fuchs and D. Fuchs (2009), are largely supportive of our views of the value of implementing response to intervention (RTI) models in schools. In contrast, C. R. Reynolds and S. E. Shaywitz’s (2009) criticisms of RTI represent traditional and often nonempirical views of learning disabilities (LDs). The evidence base on RTI is not empty, and Reynolds and Shaywitz fail to provide research support for their views of either LDs or RTI.