bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical detection of ubiquitin‐positive intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies in diffuse alveolar damage
Authors: Yamada T , Uehara K , Kawanishi R , Mizutani T , Sunagawa K , Araya J , Kawabata Y
Published: May 2006

Aims : To clarify the relationship between ubiquitin‐positive pneumocytes and intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies (IB) in patients who died of diffuse alveolar damage (DAD).

Methods and results : Eighteen patients with DAD were studied, in whom hyaline membranes were present in one or more out of five sections from each lobe of the lungs and 15 patients with no DAD. Light microscopy revealed hyaline membrane in over 25% of lobes from 18 patients with DAD. The cytoplasm of pneumocytes from six of 18 cases of DAD contained IB. Immunohistochemically, all IBs were characteristically positive for both ubiquitin (Ub) and cytokeratin KL‐1. Cytoplasmic granules were also Ub+ in four cases of DAD without IB. IB+ or Ub+ pneumocytes were undetectable in non‐DAD patients. We evaluated DAD severity based on hyaline membrane formation; the mean score in DAD with IB (3.60; n = 6) was significantly higher than that in Ub– (2.92; n = 8). Ub+ pneumocytes were found with or without IB among those cases with high DAD scores.

Conclusions : These findings suggest that disordered proteolysis in the Ub‐mediated proteasome system leads to the accumulation of abnormal ubiquitinated protein, which includes cytokeratin, in pneumocytes. This is the first report to suggest that Ub+ pneumocytes are associated with disease severity in patients with DAD.
The effect of the spatial distribution of winter seed food resources on their use by farmland birds
Authors: SIRIWARDENA GAVIN M. , CALBRADE NEIL A. , VICKERY JULIET A. , SUTHERLAND WILLIAM J.
Published: May 2006

Agri‐environment measures providing winter seed are central to current management activities aiming to reverse granivorous farmland bird declines. Previous research has considered the effectiveness of particular agri‐environment options, but the influence of their distribution in the landscape, an important factor in determining cost‐effectiveness, has received less attention. We used a large‐scale field experiment in eastern England, featuring 10 replicates of a spatial arrangement of seven artificial feeding stations separated by different distances, to investigate bird movements between discrete winter food resources.

Feeding sites were established and bird use monitored at least weekly over two winters (November–March). Habitat type in the areas surrounding the feeding sites was also recorded. Two measures of feeding site use were analysed as functions of the distance from the nearest alternative feeding site, controlling for ambient resource availability, for 11 passerines (including chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus and yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella and non‐granivores such as blue tit Parus caeruleus).

Feeding site use varied significantly with separation distance for nine species. For most, both maximum counts and bird minutes were higher at more isolated sites, but the opposite was true for yellowhammer and reed bunting. Most relationships incorporated significant thresholds at separations of around 500 m, with low site use below the threshold and high above it (or vice versa).

The results suggested that species such as chaffinch and blue tit made disproportionately more use of food at isolated sites than at clumped ones, but that reed buntings and yellowhammers used food in proportion to its availability, moving freely between more clumped patches. In both cases, birds tended to share resources separated by 500 m or less. At greater separations, resources tended to be used by discrete groups of birds. Radio‐tracking and colour‐ringing work produced corroborative evidence.

Synthesis and applications. The response of birds to the experimental food resource distribution implies that creating resource patches more than 1 km apart should be most cost‐effective, a recommendation that can inform agri‐environment scheme planning directly. This distance may represent a minimum, however, because birds might locate standing crops more readily than inconspicuous artificial food patches.
Prevalence of monodominant vigorous tree populations in the tropics: herbivory pressure on Tabebuia species in very different habitats
Authors: RIBEIRO SÉRVIO P. , BROWN VALERIE K.
Published: May 2006

We have studied the reproductive performance, early establishment and insect herbivory in two Tabebuia species found in contrasting distant habitats. Tabebuia ochracea and T. aurea are sympatric in the cerrado (Brazilian savanna), whereas T. aurea also colonizes floodplains in the wetlands of the ‘Pantanal Matogrossense’ as large monodominant stands, but is sparsely distributed in the cerrado.

We test the hypothesis that T. aurea has a more vigorous genotype in the Pantanal than in the cerrado, which may be due to a lower negative selection caused by insect herbivory, positive selection for better soil conditions and an increased growth in the face of stochastic flooding. In addition, we predict that T. ochracea is better adapted to withstand higher herbivory rates than T. aurea, and is thus more successful in the cerrado.

Kruskal–Wallis analysis and Wilcoxon paired‐sample tests were used to compare adult tree reproductive traits. A reciprocal transplant experiment, combined with a glasshouse experiment, was used to investigate herbivory on half‐sib seed families found in each habitat.

Over a 2‐year period, T. ochracea had the higher investment in flower and seed production, which compensated for lower germination rates. However, in the Pantanal, T. aurea had the greatest conversion of flowers to fruit.

Fewer seeds of T. aurea survived and germinated in the cerrado than in the Pantanal, but seedlings from the Pantanal grew faster than those from the cerrado. The growth rate of T. ochracea was approximately four times lower than that of T. aurea.

Herbivory on seedlings was lower in the Pantanal than in the cerrado. Although seedlings of T. aurea from the Pantanal suffered the highest rates of herbivory in the cerrado, they survived equally to seedling genotypes from the cerrado. Tabebuia aurea had a higher mortality in both the cerrado and under controlled environmental conditions.

Faster growth rates may evolve when favourable abiotic conditions prevail. Although herbivores may promote habitat specialization by restricting colonization of poor soil environments by fast‐growing species, herbivory pressure may select for tree genotypes with conservative growth rates in newly colonized habitats with poor soil conditions and intense herbivory.
Abrupt population changes in treeline ecotones along smooth gradients
Authors: WIEGAND THORSTEN , CAMARERO J. JULIO , RÜGER NADJA , GUTIÉRREZ EMILIA
Published: May 2006

We developed a spatially explicit and individual‐based simulation model describing the dynamics of tree populations across treeline ecotones. Our aims were to identify minimal factors and processes able to generate treeline types with abrupt vs. smooth transitions in different variables (tree height, age, density), to investigate the role of positive feedback in pattern generation, and to determine why krummholz appears at some but not all treelines. We hypothesized that a different balance between smooth growth and mortality gradients across the treeline ecotone could account for differences between commonly observed treeline types.

The model contained only processes and factors regarded as essential for producing a treeline ecotone and was parameterized with an extensive, individual‐based data set from Pinus uncinata treelines in the Spanish Pyrenees. However, parameters expected to influence treeline type were systematically varied.

The simple model was able to generate major treeline types differing in abruptness and krummholz abundance. The most important factors determining treeline types were the relative strength of growth and mortality gradients, followed by facilitation strength, whereas demographic parameters accounted for more subtle differences.

Only certain combinations of growth inhibition, mortality and facilitation allowed for the emergence of certain treeline types characterized by contrasting abruptness values and the presence or absence of krummholz. High krummholz densities emerged only under positive feedback and strongly increasing growth inhibition across the ecotone. Abruptness in adult tree density was positively correlated with facilitation strength and growth inhibition. By contrast, treelines with abrupt height transitions occurred only where both low growth inhibition and a strongly increasing mortality occurred across the ecotone.

Our analysis suggests that treeline features are not arbitrary but that there is a clear signal in the pattern which allows for inference of the underlying processes. Our approach of a systematic comparison of model predictions and various observed patterns can be widely applied for testing hypotheses on the functioning of ecological systems and for deriving specific questions for further investigations in the field.
Plant mass–density relationship along a moisture gradient in north‐west China
Authors: DENG JIAN‐MING , WANG GEN‐XUAN , MORRIS E. CHARLES , WEI XIAO‐PING , LI DONG‐XIU , CHEN BAO‐MING , ZHAO CHANG‐MING , LIU JING , WANG YUN
Published: May 2006

Metabolic scaling theory predicts that the rate of resource use per unit area is independent of the average mass per individual and that the slope of the log mass–log density relationship should be −4/3.

Data were obtained from plant communities along a natural gradient of moisture and latitude in north‐west China to test the generality of this theory.

The allometric exponents (slopes of the log mass–log density relationship) for above‐ground biomass decreased with natural moisture levels and plant cover, deviating from the predictions of the energy equivalence theory. Allometric exponents for below‐ground and total biomass were similar among the three sites and were much closer to the predicted value of −4/3.

Metabolic scaling theory may be applicable under many growth conditions, but not when restricted to above‐ground biomass under drought stress. The rate of supply of the limiting resource per unit area determines which plant parts behave according to theory.
The effects of plant diversity and insect herbivory on performance of individual plant species in experimental grassland
Authors: SCHERBER CHRISTOPH , MILCU ALEXANDRU , PARTSCH STEPHAN , SCHEU STEFAN , WEISSER WOLFGANG W.
Published: May 2006

There is increasing evidence that components of biodiversity affect processes at the ecosystem level; yet, the effects of biodiversity on the performance of individual organisms or particular trophic interactions are largely unexplored.

We transplanted 10 individuals ofRumex acetosainto 82 experimental grassland plots differing in plant species and functional group richness. Half of the plants received an insecticide treatment to manipulate insect herbivory.

We measured the amount of herbivory, plant size, survival and reproductive parameters in 2003 and 2004.

Insect herbivores removed on average 4.3% (2003) and 5.1% (2004) of leaf area in unsprayed plants. Spraying significantly reduced damage levels on average by approximately 50%. Herbivory significantly decreased plant weight, leaf size and number, and inflorescence length and size.

Plant height and inflorescence size ofR. acetosasignificantly decreased with an increase in species diversity. Mortality was slightly higher in the species‐poor mixtures. Plant functional group diversity had little effect on plant performance. The presence of legumes generally increased, while the presence of grasses generally decreased, morphological parameters and fitness inR. acetosa.

Overall, the presence of particular plant functional groups was more important than functional group or species richnessper se, and insect herbivores had additive effects of the same magnitude as the presence of particular plant functional groups.

Insect herbivory and plant functional identity, rather than species richness, determine the performance of individual plant species in temperate grasslands.
A review of the shortened dental arch concept focusing on the work by the Käyser/Nijmegen group
Authors: KANNO T. , CARLSSON G. E.
Published: May 2006

summary  The aims of this paper were to review the literature on shortened dental arches with special focus on publications of the Käyser/Nijmegen group, and to evaluate the discussions on the shortened dental arch concept found in the literature. A MEDLINE (PubMed) search was conducted for articles in English published in the dental literature from 1966 to November 2005. The search revealed epidemiological, cross‐sectional and longitudinal clinical studies as well as opinion papers, the majority of which were published by the Dutch group. The studies found in general no clinically significant differences between subjects with shortened dental arches of three to five occlusal units and complete dental arches regarding variables such as masticatory ability, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, migration of remaining teeth, periodontal support, and oral comfort. The findings from cross‐sectional studies were corroborated longitudinally. No systematic clinical study with conflicting results was found. The shortened dental arch concept was accepted by a great majority of dentists but not widely practised. The studies reviewed showed that shortened dental arches comprising anterior and premolar teeth in general fulfil the requirements of a functional dentition. It may therefore be concluded that the concept deserves serious consideration in treatment planning for partially edentulous patients. However, with ongoing changes, e.g. in dental health and economy, the concept requires continuing research, evaluation and discussion. Patients’ needs and demands vary much and should be individually assessed but the shortened dental arch concept deserves to be included in all treatment planning for partially edentulous patients.
The struggle for social integration in the community – the experiences of people with mental health problems
Authors: GRANERUD A. , SEVERINSSON E.
Published: May 2006

The goal of social integration is part of the ideological motivation behind the transition from institutionalized to decentralized psychiatry. Modern community mental health care considers social integration as vital for improving mental health. However, reports suggest that efforts to socially integrate people who suffer from mental health problems have not been as successful as anticipated. The aim of this study was to explore how people with mental health problems experience their ability to integrate socially into a community in central Norway. Three multistage focus groups, consisting of 17 people with mental health problems, were set up in two counties of different sizes. In this explorative study, data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis method. The participants experienced shame and fear of exclusion in their struggle to become integrated in the community. They had a sense of loneliness, had to struggle for equality and experienced being neglected. The days passed very slowly and they reported a lack of financial resources. They wanted to work or take part in other daytime activities and sought reciprocal relationships. In conclusion, those working in community mental health care need to ensure that people suffering from mental health problems experience a sense of belonging in the community, thus enabling them to develop a network and achieve social integration.
Changes in eating behaviour following group therapy for women who binge eat: a pilot study
Authors: SEAMOORE D. , BUCKROYD J. , STOTT D.
Published: May 2006

Survey research is demonstrating that binge eating and compulsive eating may be a significant problem in the obese population. There is higher incidence of binge eating among women, associated with subjective distress and poor prognosis for weight control. Despite attendant health risks, researched clinical responses have not been developed. A before and after uncontrolled pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapy for women who binge eat and compulsively eat. Participants attended a weekly integrative therapy group for 6 months. Measurements before and after the group intervention were taken using the Binge Eating Scale and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation inventories. Before and after interviews were thematically analysed for changes in eating behaviour. Following the group intervention, all participants demonstrated changes in eating behaviour measured by the Binge Eating Scale, the overall effect from baseline to 1 year demonstrates statistical significance. Qualitative data revealed four categories that underpinned reduction in binge eating: changes in dichotomous thinking, awareness of eating behaviour, detachment from food and dietary changes. An integrative model of group therapy warrants further research and refinement for this population, a group protocol for nurses working in the field of obesity and eating disorders could be developed.
Chloroplast DNA phylogeography of European ashes,Fraxinussp. (Oleaceae): roles of hybridization and life history traits
Authors: HEUERTZ M. , CARNEVALE S. , FINESCHI S. , SEBASTIANI F. , HAUSMAN J. F. , PAULE L. , VENDRAMIN G. G.
Published: May 2006

We investigated range‐wide phylogeographic variation in three European ash species (Fraxinussp., Oleaceae). Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) microsatellites were typed in the thermophilousFraxinus angustifoliaandFraxinus ornusand the observed haplotypes and the geographic distribution of diversity were compared to cpDNA data previously obtained in the more cold‐tolerantFraxinus excelsior. We found wide‐ranging haplotype sharing between the phylogenetically closeF. angustifoliaandF. excelsior, suggesting hybridization (i) in common glacial refuges in the Iberian Peninsula, northern Italy, the eastern and/or Dinaric Alps and the Balkan Peninsula, and/or (ii) during postglacial recolonization. The data allowed us to propose additional glacial refuges forF. angustifoliain southern Italy and in Turkey, and populations from the latter region were particularly polymorphic. There was evidence for refuge areas in Italy, the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey forF. ornus, which did not share any single chloroplast haplotype with the other species. In bothF. angustifoliaandF. ornus, cpDNA diversity (hS = 0.027 andhS = 0.009, respectively) was lower and fixation levels (GST = 0.964 andGST = 0.983, respectively) higher than in sympatricF. excelsior(hS = 0.096,GST = 0.870). These diversity patterns could be due to temperature tolerance or the demographic history.
Cutaneous presentation on the eyelid of primary, systemic, CD30+, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐negative, anaplastic large‐cell lymphoma (ALCL)
Authors: Mencía‐Gutiérrez Enrique , Gutiérrez‐Díaz Esperanza , Salamanca Javier , Martínez‐González Miguel A.
Published: May 2006

Aim  To report an unusual case of cutaneous presentation on the eyelid of systemic (or nodal), CD30+, anaplastic large‐cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Methods  A 39‐year‐old man presented with a rapidly growing exophytic mass on the left upper eyelid, with a protuberant, ulcerated aspect and with discharge. The patient showed lymph node involvement 3 months after the appearance of the lesion on the eyelid (the lesion itself appeared 1 week before examination).

Results  The histopathologic and immunohistochemical diagnosis was ALCL, T‐cell phenotype, strongly positive for CD43 and CD30, and negative for CD3, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and B‐cell antigens. Treatment was by radiotherapy and, later, chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisolone, CHOP) for skin recurrences and lymphadenopathies over 5 years. There has been no recurrence for more than 6 years.

Conclusions  Primary, systemic, CD30+, ALK‐negative, ALCL presentations generally have a poor prognosis and tend to occur in older individuals, although the clinical outcome is highly variable and difficult to predict in individual cases. Only three cases of ALCL have been described in the ocular adnexae and none was ALK‐negative.
Quinine sulfate inhibits invasion of some bacterial skin pathogens
Authors: Wolf Ronni , Tufano Maria Antonietta , Ruocco Vincenzo , Grimaldi Elena , Ruocco Eleonora , Donnarumma Giovanna , Baroni Adone
Published: May 2006

Background  As some of the many patients who receive antimalarials for the treatment of noninfective inflammatory diseases (lupus erythematosus, collagen vascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and others) are also immunosuppressed because of their disease and/or treatments, and may have concomitant bacterial infections, we investigated the effect of these drugs on the growth and invasion of several bacteria that are commonly associated with skin and soft tissue infections to determine whether they could protect against such conditions and obviate the need for an additional antibiotic drug.

Methods  The effect of quinine sulfate (QS) at concentrations of 50 and 100 µm on the entry process of Enterobacter agglomerans, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae into Caco‐2 cells was studied during the infection period. The invasive efficiency was expressed as the number of viable internalized bacteria obtained by counting the colony‐forming units (CFUs).

Results  The invasive ability of E. agglomerans and S. aureus was significantly inhibited by 50 and 100 µm QS in a dose‐dependent manner when the drug was added to Caco‐2 cell monolayers during the infection period; however, QS had no significant effect on the internalization of P. aeruginosa or K. pneumoniae.

Discussion and conclusions  Antimalarial drugs are currently widely used to treat patients with autoimmune dermatologic and rheumatologic diseases, and have also been recently proposed as additional therapy for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These patients, who are often immunocompromised, may receive a secondary advantage from these antimalarials, which may provide some protection against staphylococci (amongst the most important human pathogens causing many superficial and systemic infections) and E. agglomerans.
Effect of indomethacin and selective cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors on proteinuria and renal function in patients with AA type renal amyloidosis
Authors: KAHVECIOGLU SERDAR , DILEK KAMIL , AKDAG IBRAHIM , GULLULU MUSTAFA , DEMIRCAN CELALETTIN , ERSOY ALPASLAN , YURTKURAN MUSTAFA
Published: May 2006

Aims:  Because the cardiovascular system (CVS) side‐effects of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) selective inhibitors have recently been questioned, we aimed to compare the renal and haemodynamic effects of cyclooxygenase selective (celecoxib and rofecoxib) and non‐selective non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (indomethacin) in patients with renal amyloidosis secondary to rheumatological diseases who required anti‐inflammatory agents and are taking maximum tolerable dose of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors.

Methods:  The present study was performed on 11 patients with stable proteinuria who were diagnosed as AA amyloidosis secondary to rheumatological diseases confirmed by renal biopsies. The study had three consecutive stages (celecoxib 200 mg/day; indomethacin 100 mg/day; rofecoxib 25 mg/day.) Each was given for 4 weeks and a wash‐out phase of 3 weeks was allowed between consecutive stages.

Results:  Although the decrease of proteinuria in the celecoxib period was higher than in the rofecoxib and indomethacin periods, the difference was not statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found between serum urea, creatinine, creatinine clearance and urinary sodium excretion.

Conclusion:  In this study, no differences were found between indomethacin and the two selective COX‐2 inhibitors in respect to proteinuria and renal functions in 11 patients with renal amyloidosis secondary to rheumatological diseases with varying degrees of proteinuria. Routine doses of NSAIDs brought no additional benefit to the ACE inhibitor use in terms of proteinuria and renal functions. The use of selective COX‐2 inhibitors should be limited to their anti‐inflammatory and analgesic effects in this population.
Acute focal bacterial nephritis in an 8‐year‐old girl (Case Report)
Authors: WAN KONG‐SANG , CHEN CHUN‐AN
Published: May 2006

SUMMARY:  Acute focal bacterial nephritis or acute lobar nephronia is an acute localized non‐liquefactive bacterial kidney infection. Clinically, it may develop as an abscess and present as acute pyelonephritis but is distinguishable by the presence of a focal mass on imaging studies. The authors report the case of an 8‐year‐old girl with fever up to 39°C and left flank pain of 6 days duration. On physical examination, she had nothing remarkable except tenderness and knocking pain over the left costovertebral angle. Post‐contrast abdominal computed tomography revealed several wedge‐shaped hypodense lesions in the left kidney. Urine culture grew Escherichia coli. Acute focal bacterial nephritis was diagnosed. The patient was treated with antibiotics and discharged on the 12th day of hospitalization.
Macrophage accumulation in human progressive diabetic nephropathy
Authors: NGUYEN DUY , PING FU , MU WEI , HILL PRUDENCE , ATKINS ROBERT C , CHADBAN STEVEN J
Published: May 2006

Background:  Diabetic nephropathy is a major global health problem. Progression to renal failure is common; however, the mechanisms are unknown. Experimental models suggest a role for macrophages. Therefore, macrophage accumulation and its relationship to the subsequent clinical course were studied.

Methods:  A retrospective study of baseline histology and the subsequent clinical course over at least 5 years involving 20 consecutive patients with a histological and clinical diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy was performed. The relationship between macrophage accumulation in renal biopsy tissue (KP‐1/anti‐CD68+ cells), baseline measures of known predictors of progression (proteinuria, tubulointerstitial damage, myofibroblast accumulation) and progression over 5 years (plot of reciprocal of serum creatinine) was quantified.

Results:  Accumulation of macrophages was apparent in the glomeruli (2.8 + 0.7/gcs vs 1.0 + 0.2 for normals, P = not significant) and interstitium (296.9 + 63.3/mm2vs 19.0 + 1.3/mm2 for normals, P = 0.002) of patients with diabetic nephropathy. Glomerular macrophage number correlated with baseline serum creatinine (r = 0.548, P = 0.012) but not with progression of renal failure as glomerular macrophages were prevalent in early, but not advanced diabetic nephropathy. Interstitial macrophage accumulation correlated strongly with serum creatinine (r = 0.649, P = 0.002), proteinuria (r = 0.779, P < 0.0001), interstitial fibrosis (r = 0.774, P < 0.0001) and inversely with the slope of 1/serum creatinine (r = −0.531, P = 0.023).

Conclusion:  Macrophages accumulate within glomeruli and the interstitium in diabetic nephropathy and the intensity of the interstitial infiltrate is proportional to the rate of subsequent decline in renal function. These human data support animal studies that suggest a pathogenic role for the macrophage in diabetic nephropathy.
Current status of dosing and quantification of acute renal replacement therapy. Part 2: Dosing paradigms and clinical implementation (Review Article)
Authors: MARSHALL MARK R
Published: May 2006

SUMMARY:  The dosing and quantification of acute renal replacement therapy has emerged as one of the most pressing issues in the management of critically‐ill patients with acute kidney injury. Although there is ongoing debate as to the best marker of uraemic injury in this setting, several landmark studies have identified clearance‐related expressions of acute renal replacement therapy dose as important determinants of survival. Part 1 of this review examined the factors affecting the delivery of prescribed acute renal replacement therapy dose. Part 2 summarises and contextualises findings from recent dose‐outcome studies, and reviews clinical tools to assist in the prescription and quantification of acute renal replacement therapy dose.
The evolution of virulence and host specialization in malaria parasites of primates
Authors: Garamszegi László Zsolt
Published: May 2006

Parasite virulence, i.e. the damage done to the host, may be a by‐product of the parasite's effort to maximize its fitness. Accordingly, several life‐history trade‐offs may explain interspecific differences in virulence, but such constraints remain little tested in an evolutionary context. In this phylogenetic study of primate malarias, I investigated the relationship between virulence and other parasite life‐history traits. I used peak parasitaemia as a proxy for virulence, because it reflected parasite reproductive success and parasite‐induced mortality. Peak parasitaemia was higher in specialist than in generalist species, even when confounding life‐history traits were controlled. While there was a significant phylogenetic relationship between the number of competitors per host and host specialization, peak parasitaemia was unrelated to within‐host competition. Therefore, the key evolutionary factor that favours virulence is host specialization, and the evolutionary success of virulent parasites, such as Plasmodium falciparum, may be better understood when the trade‐off in virulence between different hosts is considered. Such phylogenetic results may help us design better protection programmes against malaria.
The leader sequence triggers and enhances several functions of clusterin and is instrumental in the progression of human prostate cancer in vivo and in vitro
Authors: ZHANG QIANG , ZHOU WEI , KUNDU SHILAJIT , JANG THOMAS L. , YANG XIMING , PINS MICHAEL , SMITH NORM , JOVANOVIC BORKO , XIN DIANQI , LIANG LILI , GUO YINGLU , LEE CHUNG
Published: May 2006

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of the leader sequence (which during clusterin biosynthesis facilitates its proper post‐translational processing and secretion) in the functional activities of clusterin, a ubiquitous secretory glycoprotein with many biological functions, reported to be pro‐apoptotic and anti‐apoptotic in target cells, but for which the dual mechanism remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We designed an expression vector starting from the second in‐frame ATG on the full‐length human clusterin cDNA that was capable of driving the expression of both the full‐length and the truncated isoforms of clusterin. We established stable expression clones of the androgen‐dependent prostate cancer line LNCaP expressing clusterin with and without the leader sequence. This induced expression provided an opportunity to evaluate both the in vivo and in vitro actions of clusterin expression.

RESULTS

The LNCaP cells expressing clusterin with the leader sequence resisted apoptosis induced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, but clones with no leader sequence were highly susceptible to TNF‐α‐induced apoptosis. Furthermore, in the absence of the leader sequence, the expressed clusterin had a molecular weight consistent with that of the predicted holoprotein (40 kDa), suggesting a compromised post‐translational processing with diffuse distribution throughout the cytoplasm. However, cells transfected with the full‐length vector expressed clusterin of 60 and 35 kDa variants, and located exclusively in the Golgi apparatus. In vivo, only the overexpression of the full‐length clusterin is anti‐apoptotic and stimulates the proliferation of tumour.

CONCLUSION

The leader sequence is important in determining the functions of clusterin, which include anti‐apoptotic and anti‐necrotic properties. The lack of the leader sequence allowed the incompletely processed clusterin to induce apoptosis in target cells; without the leader sequence, clusterin functions differently. Thus, the leader sequence is a trigger for many functions of clusterin in the progression of human prostate cancer cells.
The legacy of past climate and landscape change on species’ current experienced climate and elevation ranges across latitude: a multispecies study utilizing mammals in western North America
Authors: Guralnick Robert
Published: May 2006

Aim Elevation and climate ranges across latitude experienced by 21 wide‐ranging mammal species in western North America were summarized to examine two questions: (1) do populations in the northern and southern portions of a species’ range experience different climates or are environments selected to remain similar to climates at the core of ranges; and (2) how do species’ elevational ranges, experienced temperature seasonality and temperature ranges change across latitude? Given the larger effects of climate oscillations in the north vs. the south, a predicted outcome is for species to conserve climate niches across latitude and to show reduced climate and elevation ranges in the north. An alternative outcome is latitudinal niche diversification and increased climate variation in the north.

Location Western North America.

Methods The questions above were examined using a combination of species occurrence data bases, climate data bases, simple summaries of means and standard deviations and by testing summaries against random distributions across latitude for 21 mammal species from a variety of orders.

Results The results showed that: (i) most species conserve their niche strongly or weakly given overall temperature gradients from north to south; (ii) seasonality experienced by species is relatively static until the highest latitudes despite directional trends across the region; and (iii) the elevation range and temperature variation that species experience decreases from south to north.

Main conclusions Populations at range edges appear to partition environments to remain closer to temperature values similar to those at the core of the range. In addition, seasonality is not a likely explanatory factor of genetic diversity in latitudinal gradients. The data are instead more consistent with predictions that a combination of higher gene‐flow, increasing environmental instability and decreasing elevation gradients in the north compared to the south may lead to negative correlations between latitude and species’ climate variation. The results corroborate risks faced by northern mammal populations to global climate changes.
HEALTH AND WELFARE: WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?
Authors: Buttimer Anne
Published: May 2006

“In the face of the number of people we have come to be and the powerful forces we must command, bureaucracy is fated to proliferate. Function will seek to mold us to its needs which we take to be our own. Nothing will help us except each man's countervailing conviction that he is personally responsible for his client and neighbor” (Schorr, 1968, p. 14).
INTRODUCTION
Authors: Hankins Tom
Published: May 2006

I used to think that what was needed was to bring the mountain people into the “economic mainstream.” I thought it would be possible to do this and still preserve some of the positive, humanizing qualities of mountain cultures. I no longer think that is either possible or desirable. Our challenge is not to join mainstream America. It is to recreate (and) renew … what the mountains have always been … an alternative to mainstream America. This alternative is nearer to being absorbed today than it has ever been in the past. The task before us is to renew this alternative and endow it with the capabilities it will need to survive in late Twentieth Century America. (Mike Smathers, Mountain Life and Work, February, 1973, p. 19).
COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY AND STRATEGIES IN AREA‐BASED INITIATIVES
Authors: SULLIVAN HELEN , BARNES MARIAN , MATKA ELIZABETH
Published: May 2006

Despite considerable evaluator investment in examining partnership activity in UK public policy initiatives, little attention has been paid to the role of strategy in supporting the generation and harnessing of the resources necessary to collaborate effectively. This paper focuses on one of the first New Labour initiatives – Health Action Zones (HAZ) – and draws on national evaluation findings to delineate local strategies, assess their application in practice and reflect on their contribution to collaborative action.

The paper argues that even within nationally constrained policy initiatives there is sufficient flexibility for local actors to select strategies to steer collaborative effort, but these strategies are informed by their operating context and are liable to change in response to experience and changes in context. In addition, the evaluation findings suggest that effective strategies are those which harness collaborative capacity across a range of dimensions. The paper concludes by identifying implications for theory, policy and evaluation.
INNOVATION TYPE AND DIFFUSION: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Authors: WALKER RICHARD M.
Published: May 2006

This paper presents the first empirical test of innovation type and diffusion in local government. Five types of innovations – one product, three process and one ancillary – were tested in a multivariate model that included environmental, organizational and diffusion variables. The research was conducted on 120 upper tier English local authorities using a multiple informant survey instrument. Results indicate that adoption of innovation is both complex and contingent – different factors drive the diffusion of different types of innovation across upper tier English local government. These findings suggest that further research is required on the interactions of types of innovation in public organizations and that policy instruments developed to assist adoption need to be sensitive to variations between innovations.
International briefing 16: training and development in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Heraty Noreen , Collings David G.
Published: May 2006

This paper explores the landscape of training and development in the Republic of Ireland, a country with an impressive economic record in recent years. Both the Irish economic context and business context are explored. The national system for training and development and the surrounding policy and strategy context are set down. Survey data are drawn upon to examine the nature of training and development at organizational level. Here influence on training and development, levels of expenditure, the number of days per employee category and the dominant methods employed training and development are all discussed. Finally the academic study of training and development in the Republic of Ireland is examined.
The Use of Derivatives by Investment Managers and Implications for Portfolio Performance and Risk*
Authors: FONG KINGSLEY , GALLAGHER DAVID R. , NG AARON
Published: May 2006

This study provides an empirical examination of derivative instruments used by institutional investors. Our analysis provides a unique insight into the role and benefits of derivative securities in active equity portfolio management. We contribute to the literature by using a database that comprises the periodic portfolio holdings and daily trades of institutional fund managers. The consequence of derivative use is analyzed using a number of performance and risk measures. Overall, we find the use of derivatives have a negligible impact on fund returns, and is primarily attributed to low levels of derivative exposure relative to total fund size. We also evaluate how derivatives are used by considering the trading strategies executed by active investment managers. Specifically, option trading patterns are consistent with the execution of momentum trading strategies. This study also documents that active investment managers prefer not to use options markets to engage in informed trading.
Pre‐attentive representation of sound duration in the human brain
Authors: Sysoeva Olga , Takegata Rika , Näätänen Risto
Published: May 2006

Studies using a brain index for pre‐attentive change detection, the mismatch negativity (MMN), suggested distinct neuronal populations for signaling changes in sound duration and frequency. However, these studies used only durations within the temporal window of loudness summation (ca. 200 ms) in which any duration change is accompanied by a loudness change. Hence, the present study employed stimulus durations both beyond and within this temporal window in order to examine the genuine duration representation in the brain. Magnetic mismatch responses (MMNm) for duration and frequency changes were compared with each other. The equivalent current dipole (ECD) of the duration MMNm was located in the auditory cortex slightly posterior to that for the frequency MMNm irrespective of stimulus duration. The results suggested separate memory representations for sound duration and frequency in the human brain.
The region‐specific activities of lipid rafts during axon growth and guidance
Authors: Kamiguchi Hiroyuki
Published: May 2006

The generation and control of cell polarity is a fundamental mechanism for directed migration of the cell. In developing neurons, the axonal growth cone recognizes environmental molecular cues and migrates toward its correct target, thereby forming neuronal networks. The spatial information provided by environmental cues directs axon growth and guidance through generating polarity of intracellular signals and cytoskeletal organization in the growth cone. This polarization process is dependent on lipid rafts, specialized microdomains in the cell membrane. Lipid rafts in specific regions of the growth cone are involved in axon growth and guidance. For example, forward migration of the growth cone requires raft membranes in its leading front. Recent experiments have suggested that lipid rafts function as a platform for localized signaling downstream of adhesion molecules and guidance receptors. The rafts assemble into an active membrane domain that captures and reorganizes the cytoskeletal machinery. In this way, the spatial control of signaling through raft membranes plays a critical role in translating extracellular information into polarized motility of the growth cone.
TETRASAT: a program for the population analysis of allotetraploid microsatellite data
Authors: MARKWITH S. H. , STEWART D. J. , DYER J. L.
Published: May 2006

Microsatellite markers are quite popular due to their degree of polymorphism and efficiency; however, the utility of such markers for analysing allotetraploid species is often hampered by an inability to determine allele copy number for partial heterozygotes. tetrasat is a program that uses an iterative substitution process to account for all probable combinations of allele copy numbers in populations with partial heterozygote samples. The program subsequently calculates allele frequencies, and mean Hardy–Weinberg expected heterozygosity (HE), Shannon–Weiner Diversity Index (H′) and Nei's measure of population differentiation (GST) are reported for each locus and population. Of equal importance is the calculation of statistical variability generated by the missing data and allele substitution process, which allows for assessment of the strength of conclusions drawn from the statistics.
A means of estimating the completeness of haplotype sampling using the Stirling probability distribution
Authors: DIXON CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: May 2006

I present a tool for use in phylogeography that helps estimate the completeness of haplotype sampling, based on the number of individuals analysed and the number of different haplotypes they show. Applying the Stirling probability distribution and Bayes’ theorem, a posterior probability distribution of the total number of haplotypes, including those yet to be observed, may be obtained. This enables one to deduce if the data are complete enough for further analysis. A program for calculating the posterior probabilities is available at http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/plantchorology/haplo.htm.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in the invasive shrub Mahonia aquifolium (Berberidaceae) and their applicability in related species
Authors: ROß C. , DURKA W.
Published: May 2006

Microsatellite loci were isolated from a Mahonia aquifolium cultivar. We describe the variability of 10 loci in invasive European and native North American M. aquifolium and their transspecies amplification in native Mahonia repens and Mahonia pinnata from North America and one species of the related genus Berberis (Berberis vulgaris), native to Europe. The markers should be useful to reveal the genetic origin of invasive Mahonia populations and differences in the genetic make up between invasive and native populations.
What Can a Young Labour Economist (or Any Economist) Learn from Bob Gregory?*
Authors: BORLAND JEFF
Published: May 2006

‘Knowing what to measure and how to measure it makes a complicated world much less so. If you learn how to look at data in the right way, you can explain riddles that otherwise might have seemed impossible.’ (Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner 2005, Freakonomics, William Morrow, p. 14)
The Gender Wage Gap in Four Countries*
Authors: DALY ANNE , MENG XIN , KAWAGUCHI AKIRA , MUMFORD KAREN
Published: May 2006

In a series of studies written during the 1980s, Bob Gregory and his co‐authors compared the gender wage gap in Australia with that found in other countries. They found it was not the difference in human capital endowments that explained different gender wage gaps but rather the rewards for these endowments. They concluded that country‐specific factors, especially the institutional environment, were important in explaining the gender wage gap. This study updates Gregory's work by comparing the gender wage gap across four countries, Australia, France, Japan and Britain. Our results concord with those of Gregory: institutions are still important in explaining the relative size of the gender wage gap.
Learning from Other Economies: The Unique Institutional and Policy Experiments Down Under
Authors: FREEMAN RICHARD B.
Published: May 2006

This paper argues that detailed studies of particular economies, such as Bob Gregory's work on Australia, are relevant to all of economics. The paper builds on the concept of a model species from biology to develop the notion of a model economy – one whose experiences illuminate fundamental economic issues; examines the criterion for an economy to serve as a model economy; and describes three areas – labour relations and the awards system of wage‐setting, marketising public services and growth through immigration and natural resources – where Australian experience provides insights into economic behaviour and the operation of markets broadly.
THE LACK OF CUMULATION IN FOREIGN POLICY STUDIES: THE CASE OF BRITAIN AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY *
Authors: FAURBY IB
Published: May 2006

In this article the lack of cumulation in foreign policy studies is discussed by way of analyzing fourteen books on British policy on Western European integration. A surprising non‐use of prior studies within the same subject area is found, and the possible reasons for this is discussed. Particularly the lack of explicit hypotheses and conclusions and the tendency to compile instead of select variables is noted. It appears that there is a gap between theoretical and empirical studies in international relations which cannot easily be closed. However, the article concludes with a plea for more comparative studies on foreign policy.
ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE CONCEPT OF ALIENATION IN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
Authors: ZWETKOFF CATHERINE
Published: May 2006

The alienation concept has been severely criticized on the grounds of its unspecificity and its uselessness in empirical social research. This paper aims to call into question these arguments and to show through a brief overview of the alienation literature that, whatever epistemological position one takes about its normative content, the concept is useful to promote empirical research related to existant theories, to bring significant modifications to these theories and to elaborate and test new theoretical paradigms.