bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of precipitates size distribution: validation of low‐voltage STEM
Authors: ACEVEDO‐REYES D. , PEREZ M. , VERDU C. , BOGNER A. , EPICIER T.
Published: September 2008

The size distribution of second phase precipitates is frequently determined using conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM). However, other techniques, which present different advantages, can also be used for this purpose. In this paper, we focus on high angle annular dark field (HAADF) in TEM and scanning TEM (STEM) in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging modes. The mentioned techniques will be first described, then compared to more conventional ones for the measurement of carbides size distribution in two FeCV and FeCVNb model alloys. This comparative study shows that STEM in SEM, a technique much easier to undertake compared to TEM, is perfectly adapted for size distribution measurements of second phase particles, with sizes ranging between 5 and 200 nm in these systems.
Electron tomography of regularly shaped nanostructures under non‐linear image acquisition
Authors: SAGHI Z. , XU X. , MÖBUS G.
Published: September 2008

Electron tomography allows the 3D quantitative characterization of nanostructures, provided a monotonic relationship is fulfilled between the projected signal and the atomic number and thickness of the specimen. This requirement is not satisfied if the micrographs are affected by (i) diffraction contrast, (ii) detector saturation or (iii) contrast inversion due to absorption (high‐angle scattering) at high thickness. Artefacts related to the non‐monotonic tomography acquisition are examined using computer simulations and experimental tilt series of tungsten tips and CeO2 nanoparticles. Conditions are derived under which in spite of the non‐linear artefacts the information is sufficient for reconstructing the 3D morphology of convex objects by geometric tomography.
A shifty stop for a hairy tail
Authors: Olia Adam S. , Cingolani Gino
Published: September 2008

The tail apparatus of the bacteriophage SPP1 is an extraordinary ∼1600‐Å‐long molecular machine. The tail mediates attachment of the virus to the host surface receptor, as well‐as ejection of the viral genome into the host. The distal tip of the tail binds the extracellular ectodomain of the Bacillus subtilis receptor YueB, while the tail tube provides a conduit to funnel the viral genome into the host. This process, which culminates with the ejection of the ∼44 kb of viral DNA across the thick, cell envelope of the Gram‐positive bacterial cell, takes place in a time scale of seconds to minutes and represents a remarkable example of biotransformation. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Auzat et al. provide compelling evidence that the two major structural proteins of the SPP1 tail, gp17.1 (∼19.1 kDa) and gp17.1* (∼28 kDa), share a common N‐terminal sequence, and that gp17.1* is generated by a translational frameshift in the gene 17.1. The extra domain fused to gp17.1* is synthesized by a +1 programmed translational frameshift at the end of gene 17.1, which leads to the synthesis of approximately one gp17.1* for every three equivalents of gp17.1. This finding extends our current knowledge of translational frameshifts and provides a framework to understand how Siphoviridae phages like SPP1 have developed long‐tail machines using only two major structural proteins.
Intrinsic properties of the two replicative DNA polymerases of Pyrococcus abyssi in replicating abasic sites: possible role in DNA damage tolerance?
Authors: Palud Adeline , Villani Giuseppe , L'Haridon Stéphane , Querellou Joël , Raffin Jean‐Paul , Henneke Ghislaine
Published: September 2008

Spontaneous and induced abasic sites in hyperthermophiles DNA have long been suspected to occur at high frequency. Here, Pyrococcus abyssi was used as an attractive model to analyse the impact of such lesions onto the maintenance of genome integrity. We demonstrated that endogenous AP sites persist at a slightly higher level in P. abyssi genome compared with Escherichia coli. Then, the two replicative DNA polymerases, PabpolB and PabpolD, were characterized in presence of DNA containing abasic sites. Both Pabpols had abortive DNA synthesis upon encountering AP sites. Under running start conditions, PabpolB could incorporate in front of the damage and even replicate to the full‐length oligonucleotides containing a specific AP site, but only when present at a molar excess. Conversely, bypassing activity of PabpolD was strictly inhibited. The tight regulation of nucleotide incorporation opposite the AP site was assigned to the efficiency of the proof‐reading function, because exonuclease‐deficient enzymes exhibited effective TLS. Steady‐state kinetics reinforced that Pabpols are high‐fidelity DNA polymerases onto undamaged DNA. Moreover, Pabpols preferentially inserted dAMP opposite an AP site, albeit inefficiently. While the template sequence of the oligonucleotides did not influence the nucleotide insertion, the DNA topology could impact on the progression of Pabpols. Our results are interpreted in terms of DNA damage tolerance.
Responses to stepwise photoperiodic changes for the larval diapause of the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella
Authors: KIKUKAWA SHIGERU , MINAMIZUKA TAISUKE , MATOBA WATARU
Published: September 2008

Abstract The Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) diapauses as a last‐instar (fifth) larva. At 30 °C, no larvae enter diapause under any photoperiodic conditions; at 25 °C, the photoperiodic response curve is a long‐day type with a critical length of approximately 13 h light; at 20 °C, diapause is induced moderately even under long days (> 13 h). Cumulative effects of short days or long days on diapause induction are determined by alternate, stepwise and gradually changing regimes of photoperiod at 25 °C. When the larvae are repeatedly exposed to LD 16 : 8 h and LD 12 : 12 h photoperiods every other day, the incidence of diapause is 37%. When the larvae are placed under an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 2 days and then under an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod for 1 day, it is 38 %. Exposure to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 1 day and then to an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod for 2 days induces only 15% diapause. This may indicate that the photoperiodic information is not accumulated in a simple fashion despite the generally accepted hypothesis (i.e. photoperiodic counter). Larvae exposed to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 5 days after oviposition express a very high incidence of diapause even under short days between an LD 2 : 22 h and LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod. After 10 days exposure to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod, however, the short day does not induce diapause strongly. On the other hand, an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod in the early larval life is highly effective in the induction of diapause. A gradual increase or decrease of photoperiod (2 min day−1) shows that the direction of photoperiodic change does not affect the diapause determination.
A case of simultaneously occurring lichen sclerosus and segmental vitiligo: connecting the underlying autoimmune pathogenesis
Authors: Weisberg Eric L. , Le Lu Q. , Cohen Jack B.
Published: September 2008

A 41‐year‐old African‐American woman reported a 6‐month history of asymptomatic white macules and patches that started on her left foot, and then spread proximally up her leg to her thigh, and then to her buttocks. She also noted that several of her pubic hairs had turned white, but only on the left side of the midline. She also complained of concomitant severe burning and itching in the vaginal area and that her vaginal skin had turned whitish pink. The patient denied contact with industrial or hazardous chemicals, and her medical history included childhood iron deficiency anemia only.

 On examination, the patient had linear guttate hypo‐ and depigmented macules on the left dorsal foot, extending up the medial calf, the medial and posterior thigh, and coalescing into scalloped patches across her left medial buttock (Fig. 1). There was sharp midline demarcation in the suprapubic region. Her pubic hairs on the left side were predominantly depigmented. Examination of the genital area revealed areas of atrophy, together with slightly hyperkeratotic pink and hypopigmented plaques covering the entire perineal area, with a slightly irregular rim of gray–brown hyperpigmentation almost encircling the introitus. The lichen sclerosus of the labia minora extended directly into the perianal region (Fig. 2). The vulvar area was tender to the touch.

Hypo‐ and depigmented macules and patches on the medial left calf, thigh, and pubic area

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Depigmented pubic hair on the left side and pink–white sclerotic plaques in the perineal area

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 A punch biopsy specimen taken from the perineum adjacent to the introitus showed a lichenoid infiltrate and papillary dermal sclerosis that was compatible with lichen sclerosus (Fig. 3). A Fontana–Masson stain showed complete absence of melanin in the epidermis, but melanophages were found in the dermis and in the lichenoid inflammatory infiltrate (Fig. 4). Melanin was also absent from the follicular epithelium of a hair follicle, but was present in the hair shaft of that follicle. Based on the clinical presentation and histology, a diagnosis was made of segmental vitiligo of the left lower extremity with overlapping lichen sclerosus in the perineal region.

Histology shows hyperkeratosis, epidermal atrophy, and a lichenoid infiltrate with papillary dermal sclerosis (hematoxylin and eosin stain, ×4)

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Complete absence of melanocytes demonstrated in the epidermis (Fontana–Masson stain, ×10)

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 On two follow‐up evaluations spanning 6 weeks after a treatment regimen of clobetasol ointment 0.05% twice daily to all affected areas had been initiated, some repigmentation of the left lower leg was observed. There was markedly less erythema and the symptoms in the genital area had resolved, although slight scale remained in the vulvar plaques.
Goeckerman's therapy for psoriasis with special reference to serum pentraxin 3 level
Authors: Ctirad Andrys , Lenka Borska , David Pohl , Zdenek Fiala , Kveta Hamakova , Karel Ettler , Jan Krejsek
Published: September 2008

Background  Goeckerman's therapy (GT) of psoriasis is based on daily application of pharmacy grade coal tar on affected skin with subsequent exposure to UV light. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a newly identified acute phase reactant with non redundant functions in innate immunity. PTX3 has been shown to be a reliable prognostic marker in patients with various inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and psoriasis.

Methods  The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Goeckerman's therapy of psoriasis on levels of two pentraxins: long pentraxin PTX3 and C reactive protein in 49 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. CRP was assessed by immunonephelometry on IMMAGE 800 (Beckman, USA). PTX3 was detected using sandwich ELISA detection set (Alexis Biochemicals, Switzerland).

Results  The serum levels of both parameters (expressed as average ± 1 SD) were significantly diminished after GT. The level of PTX3 dropped from 1.92 ± 0.72 ng/ml before GT to 1.66 ± 0.58 ng/ml after GT (P= 0.0396) and the level of CRP fell from 4.64 ± 3.93 mg/l to 1.66 ± 0.58 mg/l (P < 0.0001).Comparing to healthy controls, the serum levels of both parameters before GT were significantly higher than those found in healthy blood donors and remained significantly increased after GT.

Conclusion  Increased serum concentrations of pentraxin 3 and CRP are alleviated by GT in patients with psoriasis.
Necrolytic acral erythema: successful treatment with topical tacrolimus ointment
Authors: Manzur Amir , Siddiqui Abdul Hameed
Published: September 2008

Necrolytic acral erythema is a relatively recently described psoriasis‐like skin eruption seen in people infected with hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C virus infection is endemic in many parts of the world with a steady increase of incidence in Pakistan. Recognition of this disorder is crucial to an early treatment of the underlying liver disease. Herein, we report the first case of necrolytic acral erythema from Asia and also describe good therapeutic response to topical tacrolimus ointment.
Pityriasis rubra pilaris exacerbation with topical use of imiquimod
Authors: Yang F. Clarissa , Jessup Chad , Dahiya Madhu , Reynolds Rachel
Published: September 2008

The role of immune response modifiers is increasing in the treatment of dermatologic diseases. Imiquimod, a toll‐like receptor agonist, results in up‐regulation of proinflammatory cytokines for improved immune surveillance. Although topical use is generally well‐tolerated, imiquimod can potentially result in systemic effects and exacerbate generalized inflammatory papulosquamous diseases of the skin. We report the case of a 67‐year‐old man who was treated with imiquimod for actinic keratosis and developed fever and a progressive erythematous papulosquamous eruption that was histologically consistent with pityriasis rubra pilaris.
Etiology and management of axillary bromidrosis: a brief review
Authors: Mao Guang‐Yu , Yang Song‐Lin , Zheng Jiang‐Hong
Published: September 2008

Background  Axillary bromidrosis is a distressing condition that poses significant social embarrassment in almost all the countries over the world. However, its definite etiology has not been generalized yet. There have been a lot of treatments for bromidrosis, which can be roughly divided into two types: conservative management and radical surgical therapy. In order to summarize the possible causes of axillary bromidrosis, a brief review of the literatures regarding bromidrosis was performed.

Methods  An English literature search from 1975 to June 2007 was completed with references to treatments for bromidrosis. A total of 29 papers about the treatment were selected to review. After a close reading, all the extracted information was imported into Microsoft Excel.

Results  Many therapies were carried out to treat bromidrosis, including nonoperative and operative ones. Almost all the authors thought that the nonoperative management, such as topical antiperspirants, systemic agents, and iontophoresis, did not have a permanent effect. Most surgeons (90%) chose surgical methods to remove axillary sweat glands for bromidrosis and 90.69% of the axillae had good results.

Conclusion  Axillary sweat glands may play the most important role in the etiology of bromidrosis. In addition, axillary microorganism, hormone, and inherent also contribute to bromidrosis.
A comparison between BSA, PASI, PLASI and SAPASI as measures of disease severity and improvement by therapy in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Henseler Tilo , Schmitt‐Rau Karlheinz
Published: September 2008

Background  This study investigates four measures of disease severity in patients with psoriasis, both before and after therapy.

Methods  Data records were analyzed from 33 patients with moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis who were treated with efalizumab, 1 mg/kg/week subcutaneously, for 12 weeks. Four measures of disease severity were used: body surface area (BSA), psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), psoriasis log‐based area and severity index (PLASI) and self‐administered PASI (SAPASI).

Results  At the end of the 12‐week therapy, the mean percent improvement shown by each measure varied considerably, ranging from 48.6% (PASI) to 70.6% (SAPASI). PASI and PLASI were the most comparable (67.3% and 66.5%). These differences were smaller when a dermatologist's opinion about the improvement was taken into account, for example “very good improvement” ranged from mean percent improvement of 63.8% (BSA) to 83.8% (PASI). The correlation between all measures revealed a high level of significance (P≤ 10−5).

Conclusions  Comparing the slopes and intercepts of the regression lines revealed PLASI as the most reliable measure for the severity and therapeutic improvement in patients with moderate‐to‐severe chronic plaque psoriasis. PLASI proved to be a marginally more accurate than PASI, and much more accurate than SAPASI and BSA. The superiority of PLASI may be a result of the logarithmic scale of the affected skin surface.
Structural characterization of the skin glycosaminoglycans in patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Authors: Maccari Francesca , Volpi Nicola
Published: September 2008

Background  Complex polysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), their amount, and fine structure were determined in the skin (epidermis + dermis) of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE)‐affected patients in comparison with healthy subjects.

Methods  Nonlesional skin GAGs were extracted and specifically determined by enzymatic treatment and high‐performance liquid chromatography separation.

Results  Dermatan sulfate (DS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) were found to be the major GAG species in normal subjects, with contents of approximately 20% for DS and 58% for HA. The chondroitin sulfate (CS) content (unsaturated six‐sulfated disaccharide) was approximately 21%. Skin from patients with PXE showed similar HA (61%), DS (22%), and CS (16.7%) contents. No change in the total charge density or nonsulfated/sulfated GAG ratio was noted in PXE‐affected subjects, and no modification of the position of the sulfate groups (4s/6s) on the CS/DS backbone. A significant increase (approximately 88%; P < 0.01) in the total amount of GAGs (HA + DS + CS) was found in the PXE group vs. normal subjects, however.

Conclusions  In the skin of PXE‐affected patients, the altered metabolic processes produce an increase in the total amount of GAGs able to accumulate salts, in particular calcium ions, within the elastic fibers, producing ion precipitates that affect the organization of the matrix fiber.
Association of serotonin transporter gene‐linked polymorphic region and variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene in lichen simplex chronicus patients with psychiatric status
Authors: Kirtak Necmettin , Inaloz H. Serhat , Akçali Cenk , Erdal Emin , Herken Hasan , Yildirim Mehmet , Erguven H. Gulcin
Published: September 2008

Background  The serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine; 5‐HT) is a key neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and a responsible mediator for the itch. Dysregulation of serotonergic pathways has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many complex neuropsychiatric diseases.

Objectives  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between lichen simplex chronicus and dysfunction and serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) gene polymorphism.

Methods  Thirty‐nine patients with lichen simplex chronicus and 61 healthy control subjects were examined.

Results  The results for the patients and control subjects were not significantly different (P > 0.05) in long/long (L/L) and long/short (L/S) genotypes of 5‐HTT gene‐linked polymorphic region (HTTLPR) polymorphism, but short/short S/S genotype was lower in lichen simplex chronicus patients (17.9%) than in controls (42.6%). This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.028). The results for the patients and control subjects were not significantly different in 12/12, 10/12 and 10/10 genotypes of variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism (P > 0.05).

Beck depression inventory (BDI) scores and symptom checklist‐90‐revised (SCL‐90) psychotic subscale were overrepresented significantly in the 12/12 genotypes than 10/12 genotypes. State and Trait Anxiety Inventory tests (STAI‐I and ‐II) point averages were not statistically significant (P > 0.05)

Conclusion  S/S genotypes of HTTLPR polymorphism in the 5‐HTT gene may be related to lichen simplex chronicus and that patients who have 12/12 genotypes of VNTR polymorphism may be affected psychiatrically.
Differentiation of CD24− pancreatic ductal cell‐derived cells into insulin‐secreting cells
Authors: Wang Chun‐You , Gou Shan‐Miao , Liu Tao , Wu He‐Shui , Xiong Jiong‐Xin , Zhou Feng , Tao Jing
Published: September 2008

Pancreatic progenitor cells represent both a potential source of transplantable islets for the treatment of diabetes and a valuable instrument for the investigation of the tumorigenesis of pancreatic carcinoma. It has been reported that pancreatic ductal cells of adults have the characteristics of pancreatic progenitors, but whether these cells can generate endocrine cells requires verification. Here, the differentiation of daughter cells of CD24− pancreatic ductal cells into insulin‐secreting cells in vitro is reported. Crude pancreatic ductal cells were first obtained from adult mice by gradient centrifugation, and then the CD24− cells were isolated with a fluorescence‐activated cell sorter. The isolated cells were cultured in serum‐containing medium at clonal density to form epithelial colonies (ECs). The ECs were then stimulated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). After 72 h, insulin‐secreting cells were observed in the ECs. These results indicate that the daughter cells of CD24− pancreatic ductal cells can differentiate into insulin‐secreting cells in vitro when stimulated with exogenous bFGF. Therefore, CD24− pancreatic ductal cells have the potential to be pancreatic progenitor cells.
Two‐year pilot study of newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperlasia in New South Wales compared with nationwide case surveillance in Australia
Authors: Gleeson Helena K , Wiley Veronica , Wilcken Bridget , Elliott Elizabeth , Cowell Christopher , Thonsett Michael , Byrne Geoffrey , Ambler Geoffrey
Published: September 2008

Aim:  To assess the benefits and practicalities of setting up a newborn screening (NBS) program in Australia for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) through a 2 year pilot screening in ACT/NSW and comparing with case surveillance in other states.

Methods:  The pilot newborn screening occurred between 1/10/95 and 30/9/97 in NSW/ACT. Concurrently, case reporting for all new CAH cases occurred through the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) across Australia. Details of clinical presentation, re‐sampling and laboratory performance were assessed.

Results:  185,854 newborn infants were screened for CAH in NSW/ACT. Concurrently, 30 cases of CAH were reported to APSU, twelve of which were from NSW/ACT. CAH incidence was 1 in 15 488 (screened population) vs 1 in 18,034 births (unscreened) (difference not significant). Median age of initial notification was day 8 with confirmed diagnosis at 13(5–23) days in the screened population vs 16(7–37) days in the unscreened population (not significant). Of the 5 clinically unsuspected males in the screened population, one had mild salt‐wasting by the time of notification, compared with salt‐wasting crisis in all 6 males from the unscreened population. 96% of results were reported by day 10. Resampling was requested in 637 (0.4%) and median re‐sampling delay was 11(0–28) days with higher resample rates in males (p < 0.0001). The within‐laboratory cost per case of clinically unsuspected cases was A$42 717.

Conclusion:  There seems good justification for NBS for CAH based on clear prevention of salt‐wasting crises and their potential long‐term consequences. Also, prospects exist for enhancing screening performance.
The population distributions, upper normal limits and correlations between liver tests among Australian adolescents
Authors: George Jacob , Denney‐Wilson Elizabeth , Okely Anthony D , Hardy Louise L , Aitken Robert
Published: September 2008

Aim:  Relatively little is known about the results of liver tests among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to describe the distributions of liver tests, to identify the upper normal limits (UNLs) and to describe the correlations among liver tests.

Methods:  Overnight fasting blood samples were collected from a representative population sample of 500 Grade 10 students (15 years old) attending schools in Sydney, Australia. Weight, height and waist girth were measured. UNLs were calculated for each enzyme as the 95th percentiles of the healthy body mass index category, after excluding those with high blood pressure, elevated low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥3.4 mmol/L) or triglyceride concentration (≥2.25 mmol/L) (n = 246). The distributions of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were described, UNLs were identified and the correlations between enzyme concentrations were described.

Results:  The UNLs for ALT were 32 and 20 U/L; for GGT, 24 and 19 U/L; for AST, 33 and 26 U/L; and for ALP, 385 and 183 U/L, for boys and girls, respectively. ALT concentration was strongly correlated with GGT and AST (r = 0.5–0.6). Neither ALT nor GGT concentrations were correlated with ALP concentration, but AST concentration was moderately correlated with ALP concentration.

Conclusions:  These data are valuable in defining the distributions of liver tests, normal liver test ranges and relationships between liver tests among adolescents.
Does epilepsy occur more frequently in children with Type 1 diabetes?
Authors: O'Connell Michele A , Harvey A Simon , Mackay Mark T , Cameron Fergus J
Published: September 2008

Aim:  Hypoglycaemic seizures are common in children with diabetes and electroencephalogram abnormalities are well recognised in this patient group. Elevated antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, a major auto‐antigen in Type 1 diabetes, are also implicated in a number of neurological disorders. Despite these associations, the question of whether children with diabetes are more prone to epilepsy, possibly as a result of lowered seizure threshold, has not been previously studied. We aimed to determine the prevalence and type of epilepsy in a large paediatric diabetes clinic.

Methods:  An audit by chart review was carried out at the Diabetes Clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Clinical, demographical, biochemical, EEG and neuro‐imaging data were recorded.

Results:  Of 1384 children and adolescents aged 0–19 years with Type 1 diabetes, we identified 12 with active epilepsy (prevalence of 8.7/1000), the majority of whom had idiopathic generalised epilepsy and benign focal epilepsy of childhood. These findings are similar to those in the general population.

Conclusion:  Childhood epilepsy is no more frequently encountered in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes than in the general paediatric population.
Use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire to predict outcome after hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy in the neonate
Authors: Lindsay Natalie M , Healy Genevieve N , Colditz Paul B , Lingwood Barbara E
Published: September 2008

Background:  Infants who suffer hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth are at increased risk of developmental disability. In this at‐risk population, reliable, inexpensive and early identification of those children who are likely to require formal developmental assessment and intervention is needed.

Aim:  To evaluate the ability of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) to detect developmentally delayed children in an Australian population of infants who suffered HIE at birth.

Methods:  Fifty‐five children who survived HIE were followed until 12–14 months of age. Test characteristics were calculated to examine the ability of the ASQ to appropriately identify developmentally delayed infants against this study's ‘gold standard’: the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.

Results:  Comparing the ASQ with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II, the questionnaire had the following test characteristics: sensitivity 92%, specificity 95%, positive predictive value 92%, negative predictive value 95% when used to detect severe developmental delay; and sensitivity 67%, specificity 93%, positive predictive value 92%, negative predictive value 68% when used to detect both severe and mild developmental delay. However, the ASQ used at standard cut‐offs failed to detect any of the children with mild delay.

Conclusions:  The ASQ is extremely effective for the detection of severe developmental delay in children who have suffered HIE at birth. Its capacity to identify those with milder delay is limited. The ability of the test to detect only those with severe developmental delay means that the ASQ is of little value as a screening tool in this population.
Biology of the European large raspberry aphid (Amphorophora idaei): its role in virus transmission and resistance breakdown in red raspberry
Authors: McMenemy Lindsay S. , Mitchell Carolyn , Johnson Scott N.
Published: September 2008

1 The European large raspberry aphid Amphorophora idaei Börner is the most important vector of viral diseases afflicting commercially grown red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) in Northern Europe, with European raspberry production amounting to 416 000 tonnes per annum. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on its biology and interactions with other organisms, including its host plant and the viral pathogens it vectors.

2 Information about trophic interactions with other insect herbivores and natural enemies is reviewed. Vine weevils Otiorhynchus sulcatus compromise aphid resistance in some raspberry cultivars, increasing A. idaei abundance by 80%. Parasitoids show mixed success in parasitizing A. idaei, although Aphidius ervi attack rates more than doubled when A. idaei fed on a partially susceptible raspberry cultivar, compared with a resistant variety. These findings are discussed in the context of potential biological control as part of an integrated pest and disease management framework.

3 Amphorophora idaei transmits four known viruses: Black raspberry necrosis virus, Raspberry leaf mottle virus, Raspberry leaf spot virus and Rubus yellow net virus, with A. idaei taking as little as 2 min to transmit some viruses.

4 Existing control strategies, including resistant cultivars, insecticides and eradication of disease from parent plants, are described. In particular, strong selection pressures have resulted in A. idaei overcoming genetic resistance in many raspberry cultivars and most insecticides are now ineffective.

5 Future directions for the sustained control of A. idaei are suggested, taking into consideration the possible effects of climate change and also changes in agronomic practices in U.K. agriculture.
Monophyly of terrestrial adephagan beetles as indicated by three nuclear genes (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Trachypachidae)
Authors: Maddison David R. , Moore Wendy , Baker Michael D. , Ellis Tana M. , Ober Karen A. , Cannone Jamie J , Gutell Robin R.
Published: September 2008

The beetle suborder Adephaga is traditionally divided into two sections on the basis of habitat, terrestrial Geadephaga and aquatic Hydradephaga. Monophyly of both groups is uncertain, and the relationship of the two groups has implications for inferring habitat transitions within Adephaga. Here we examine phylogenetic relationships of these groups using evidence provided by DNA sequences from all four suborders of beetles, including 60 species of Adephaga, 4 Archostemata, 3 Myxophaga, and 10 Polyphaga. We studied 18S ribosomal DNA and 28S ribosomal DNA, aligned with consideration of secondary structure, as well as the nuclear protein‐coding genewingless. Independent and combined Bayesian, likelihood, and parsimony analyses of all three genes supported placement of Trachypachidae in a monophyletic Geadephaga, although for analyses of 28S rDNA and some parsimony analyses only if Coleoptera is constrained to be monophyletic. Most analyses showed limited support for the monophyly of Hydradephaga. Outside of Adephaga, there is support from the ribosomal genes for a sister group relationship between Adephaga and Polyphaga. Within the small number of sampled Polyphaga, analyses of 18S rDNA,wingless, and the combined matrix supports monophyly of Polyphaga exclusive of Scirtoidea. Unconstrained analyses of the evolution of habitat suggest that Adephaga was ancestrally aquatic with one transition to terrestrial. However, in analyses constrained to disallow changes from aquatic to terrestrial habitat, the phylogenies imply two origins of aquatic habit within Adephaga.
Structural alignment of 18S and 28S rDNA sequences provides insights into phylogeny of Phytophaga (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea and Chrysomeloidea)
Authors: Marvaldi Adriana E. , Duckett Catherine N. , Kjer Karl M. , Gillespie Joseph J.
Published: September 2008

We performed a comparative study of partial rDNA sequences from a variety of Coleoptera taxa to construct an annotated alignment based on secondary structure information, which in turn, provides improved rRNA structure models useful for phylogenetic reconstruction. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis was performed to test monophyly and interfamilial relationships of the megadiverse plant feeding beetle group known as ‘Phytophaga’ (Curculionoidea and Chrysomeloidea), as well as to discover their closest relatives among the Cucujiformia. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed based on the structural alignment of segments of 18S rRNA (variable regions V4‐V5, V7‐V9) and 28S rRNA (expansion segment D2). A total of 104 terminal taxa of Coleoptera were included: 96 species of Cucujiformia beetles, representing the families and most ‘subfamilies’ of weevils and chrysomeloids (Phytophaga), as well as several families of Cleroidea, Tenebrionoidea and Cucujoidea, and eight outgroups from three other polyphagan series: Scarabaeiformia, Elateriformia and Bostrichiformia. The results from the different methods of analysis agree — recovering the monophyly of the ‘Phytophaga’, including Curculionoidea and Chrysomeloidea as sister groups. The curculionoid and chrysomeloid phylogeny recovered from the aligned 18S and 28S rDNA segments, which is independent of morphological data, is in agreement with recent hypotheses or concepts based on morphological evidence, particularly with respect to familial relationships. Our results provide clues about the evolutionary origin of the phytophagan beetles within the megaclade Cucujiformia, suggesting that the sister group of ‘Curculionoidea + Chrysomeloidea’ is a clade of the ‘Cucujoidea’, represented in this study by species in Boganiidae, Erotylidae, Nitidulidae, Cucujidae and Silvanidae. The Coccinellidae and Endomychidae are not grouped with the latter, and the remaining terminal taxa are nested in Tenebrionoidea and Cleroidea. We propose that the combination of structurally aligned ribosomal RNA gene regions 18S (V4‐V5, V7‐V9) and 28S (D2) are useful in testing monophyly and resolving relationships among beetle superfamilies and families.
Formalizing reliability in the taxonomic congruence approach
Authors: Li Blaise , Lecointre Guillaume
Published: September 2008

In the ‘total evidence’ approach to phylogenetics, the reliability of a clade is implicitly measured by its degree of support, often embodied in a robustness index such as a bootstrap proportion. In the taxonomic congruence approach, the measurement of reliability has been implemented by various consensus or supertree methods, but was seldom explicitly discussed as such. We explore a reliability index for clades using their repetition across independent data sets. All possible combinations of the elementary data sets are used to compose the sets of independent data sets, across which the repetitions are counted. The more a clade occurs across such independent combinations, the higher its index. However, if other repeated clades occur that are incompatible with that clade, its index is decreased to take into account the uncertainty resulting from conflicting hypotheses. Results can be summarized through a greedy consensus tree in which clades appear according to their repetition indices. This index is tested on a 73 acanthomorph taxa data set composed of five independent molecular markers and multiple combinations of them. On this particular application, we confirm that reliability as defined here and robustness (estimated by bootstrap proportions obtained from a ‘total evidence’ approach) should be clearly distinguished.
Identifying unreliable informants: do children excuse past inaccuracy?
Authors: Nurmsoo Erika , Robinson Elizabeth J.
Published: September 2008

In three experiments (N = 123; 148; 28), children observed a video in which two speakers offered alternative labels for unfamiliar objects. In Experiment 1, 3‐ to 5‐year‐olds endorsed the label given by a speaker who had previously labeled familiar objects accurately, rather than that given by a speaker with a history of inaccurate labeling, even when the inaccurate speaker erred only while blindfolded. In Experiments 2 and 3, 3‐ to 7‐year‐olds showed no preference for the label given by a previously inaccurate but blindfolded speaker, over that given by a second inaccurate speaker with no obvious excuse for erring. Children based their endorsements on speakers’ history of accuracy or inaccuracy irrespective of the speakers’ information access at the time, raising doubts that children made mentalistic interpretations of speakers’ inaccuracy.
THE NORTH LOOKS SOUTH: GIORGIO VASARI AND EARLY MODERN VISUAL CULTURE IN THE KINGDOM OF NAPLES
Authors: LOCONTE AISLINN
Published: September 2008

This article considers how the artist, writer and critic Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) in his canonical text Le vite de più eccellenti pittori scultori e architettori characterized the artists working in the city of Naples and the monuments they produced. Through his own experience working in Naples (1544–45) Vasari acquired significant first‐hand knowledge of the city and its artistic culture. His account of his experiences and those of other artists who worked in the city portrays Naples as lacking a dominant local artistic tradition and the support of active and interested patrons. With the intention of furthering the central themes and aims of his text, Vasari created a carefully constructed image of Naples as a rhetorical foil for the alleged superior virtue and strength of northern artists and urban centres where art and architecture played a key role in civic pride.
THE RISE OF THE COURT ARTIST: CAVALLINI AND GIOTTO IN FOURTEENTH‐CENTURY NAPLES
Authors: FLECK CATHLEEN A.
Published: September 2008

This article explores the ways in which the Roman artist Pietro Cavallini and the Florentine artist Giotto were received in Naples and subsequently influenced Neapolitan art. Using documents and monuments, it analyses their contribution to the artistic and political image of the Neapolitan court. A number of scholars have based their assessment of the oeuvres of Cavallini and Giotto on the writings of Lorenzo Ghiberti and Giorgio Vasari, circa one hundred and two hundred and fifty years, respectively, after the artists lived. This article considers the stylistic, aesthetic, technological and political reasons for the appointment of Cavallini and Giotto to the Angevin court, and the subsequent spread of their style in Naples. As Martin Warnke has discussed in The Court Artist (first published in German in 1985), the late medieval court gave dignities to an artist that affected his reputation. The evidence of this article indicates that the court of Naples in the fourteenth century recognized each artist's individual identity and influence, thus affirming his image and thereby promoting its own.
THE LOCAL EYE: FORMAL AND SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS IN LATE QUATTROCENTO NEAPOLITAN TOMBS
Authors: MICHALSKY TANJA
Published: September 2008

The importation of foreign sculptors to Naples was a common phenomenon which both led to the amalgamation of divergent artistic forms of expression and also paved the way for innovative combinations which fulfilled the desire of the local nobility for hybrid, palimpsest‐like tombs. This article examines the broader historical sensorium through which fifteenth‐ and sixteenth‐century Neapolitans drew distinctions between local traditions and imported innovations when choosing artists, types and decorative styles for their funerary monuments. It demonstrates that the Neapolitan nobility was able to assimilate new and imported representational styles because it was accustomed to distinguishing between different styles and forms. A network of visually related monuments and surviving contracts testify to the typological rigour of the visual frameworks and to the recognized potentiality inherent in reinterpretations of earlier formulae.
‘THE FACE IS A MIRROR OF THE SOUL’: FRONTISPIECES AND THE PRODUCTION OF SANCTITY IN POST‐TRIDENTINE NAPLES
Authors: HILLS HELEN
Published: September 2008

This article investigates frontispiece images of saints, including portraits of would‐be saints, published in saints' and would‐be‐saints' Vite in post‐Tridentine Naples. It argues that these images, together with their accompanying texts, form part of the manufacturing of the new faces of sanctity of Catholic Reform, with specifically local (Neapolitan) overtones. Frontispiece images of saints operated less as passive adornment of the lives they accompany, than as re‐routings of the authority of sanctity in relation to specific‐interest groups within Naples, such as enclosed convents. The city of Naples itself is variously figured in these images, but emerges as a perhaps increasingly significant force. Thus, frontispiece depictions of saints participated in the staging of a new Naples as a pious city in special relation to pious reader–inhabitants. The portrait frontispieces accompanying the Vite of female would‐be saints depart significantly from the textual lives, which emphasize pain‐filled piety rather than ecstatic transports. It is suggested here that they thus evoked both for ecclesiastical authorities overseeing the processes of canonization and for their female devout readers an ideal of modern female religious devotion not as transgressive and miraculous, but as respectable and everyday.
PATRONAGE, STANDARDS AND TRANSFERT CULTUREL: NAPLES BETWEEN ART HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORY
Authors: BOCK NICOLAS
Published: September 2008

This article focuses on an evaluation of Naples as an artistic centre in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Art‐historical theories of centre and periphery as proposed by Kenneth Clark (1962), Enrico Castelnuovo and Carlo Ginzburg (1979), and Thomas DaKosta Kaufmann (1995) are based primarily on an assessment of the production and export of art works. They fail to explain the impact of consumer‐orientated court societies on artistic development. Taking Naples as an example, the applicability of more recent sociological models are considered – those by Saskia Sassen (1991) and Ulf Hannerz (1992), both based on Immanuel Wallerstein's ‘World System Theory’ (1974). The criteria Hannerz set forth for a cultural definition of a world city can be applied convincingly to fourteenth‐ and fifteenth‐century Naples. The import of foreign artists and artefacts into Naples was not a one‐sided affair but was counterbalanced by the export of cultural standards to other centres, where they influenced in return the artistic reception and production. This article argues that the complex dynamics of patronage are, therefore, a question of polycentricity, not only geographically but also socially, and that the dynamics of patronage should be studied with more attention to sociological methods.
623. DACTYLICAPNOS MACROCAPNOS
Authors: Frisby Sue , Hind Nicholas
Published: September 2008

Summary Dactylicapnos macrocapnos (Prain) Hutch., a tuberous rooted perennial climber from China, India and Nepal, is described and illustrated. Characters distinguishing it from D. scandens are provided, although the two species in cultivation are easily recognized.
625. DACTYLICAPNOS TORULOSA
Authors: Frisby Sue , Hind Nicholas
Published: September 2008

Summary Dactylicapnos torulosa (Hook.f. & T. Thomson) Hutch., an annual or short‐lived perennial, is described and illustrated and its fruit dehiscence is discussed.
626. PASSIFLORA POSLAE
Authors: Vanderplank John , Boender Ronald
Published: September 2008

Summary A new leaf‐tip egg mimic Passiflora poslae Vanderplank & Boender from Peru is described; its history, taxonomy, distribution, ecology and cultivation are discussed.
627. PHILIBERTIA BARBATA
Authors: Goyder D. J.
Published: September 2008

Summary Philibertia barbata is illustrated, its habitat is described and its taxonomic relationships outlined.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND CONTEMPORARY BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION
Authors: Simpson Niki , Barnes Peter G.
Published: September 2008

Summary New applications for photography in the scientific illustration of plants are offered by digital image manipulation, but have, to date, been little exploited. The evolving role of photography in botanical illustration is discussed, with particular emphasis on recently developed techniques of digitally created composite illustrations, their benefits and the potential of such images for further development. The technique is seen as a natural development of the composite watercolour or line illustrations that are familiar to all botanists.
The coding‐synonymous polymorphism rs1045280 (Ser280Ser) in β‐arrestin 2 (ARRB2) gene is associated with tardive dyskinesia in Chinese patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Liou Y.‐J. , Wang Y.‐C. , Chen J.‐Y. , Chen M.‐L. , Chen T.‐T. , Bai Y.‐M. , Lin C.‐C. , Liao D.‐L. , Lai I.‐C.
Published: September 2008

Background:  Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a severe and potentially irreversible adverse effect of long‐term antipsychotic treatment. Typical antipsychotics are commonly binding to the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), but the occurrence of antipsychotic‐induced TD is rather delayed; therefore, the development of TD may be associated with mediators or signalling complexes behind DRD2, such as β‐arrestin 2 (ARRB2), an important mediator between DRD2 and serine–threonine protein kinase (AKT) signal cascade.

Methods:  A case–control study to evaluate the association between rs1045280 (Ser280Ser) and antipsychotic‐induced TD was performed amongst 381 patients (TD/non‐TD = 228/153).

Results:  There was a significant difference in the genotype distribution between TD and non‐TD groups (P = 0.025); furthermore, the allelic analysis indicated that patients with T allele had increased risk of TD occurrence (ORT = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.14–2.19, P = 0.007).

Conclusions:  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting a positive association between the SNP rs1045280 and TD in schizophrenic patients.
Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E deficiency in Friedreich’s ataxia: predictor of efficacy of vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 therapy
Authors: Cooper J. M. , Korlipara L. V. P. , Hart P. E. , Bradley J. L. , Schapira A. H. V.
Published: September 2008

Background and purpose:  A pilot study of high dose coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)/vitamin E therapy in Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) patients resulted in significant clinical improvements in most patients. This study investigated the potential for this treatment to modify clinical progression in FRDA in a randomized double blind trial.

Methods:  Fifty FRDA patients were randomly divided into high or low dose CoQ10/ vitamin E groups. The change in International Co‐operative Ataxia Ratings Scale (ICARS) was assessed over 2 years as the primary end‐point. A post hoc analysis was made using cross‐sectional data.

Results:  At baseline serum CoQ10 and vitamin E levels were significantly decreased in the FRDA patients (P < 0.001). During the trial CoQ10 and vitamin E levels significantly increased in both groups (P < 0.01). The primary and secondary end‐points were not significantly different between the therapy groups. When compared to cross‐sectional data 49% of all patients demonstrated improved ICARS scores. This responder group had significantly lower baseline serum CoQ10 levels.

Conclusions:  A high proportion of FRDA patients have a decreased serum CoQ10 level which was the best predictor of a positive clinical response to CoQ10/vitamin E therapy. Low and high dose CoQ10/vitamin E therapies were equally effective in improving ICARS scores.