bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Converting structural information into an allosteric-energy-based picture for elongation factor Tu activation by the ribosome
Authors: Adamczyk Andrew J. , Warshel Arieh
Published: May 2011

The crucial process of aminoacyl-tRNA delivery to the ribosome is energized by the GTPase reaction of the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). Advances in the elucidation of the structure of the EF-Tu/ribosome complex provide the rare opportunity of gaining a detailed understanding of the activation process of this system. Here, we use quantitative simulation approaches and reproduce the energetics of the GTPase reaction of EF-Tu with and without the ribosome and with several key mutants. Our study provides a novel insight into the activation process. It is found that the critical H84 residue is not likely to behave as a general base but rather contributes to an allosteric effect, which includes a major transition state stabilization by the electrostatic effect of the P loop and other regions of the protein. Our findings have general relevance to GTPase activation, including the processes that control signal transduction.
Investigation of the population structure of Legionella pneumophila by analysis of tandem repeat copy number and internal sequence variation
Authors: Visca Paolo , D'Arezzo Silvia , Ramisse Françoise , Gelfand Yevgeniy , Benson Gary , Vergnaud Gilles , Fry Norman K. , Pourcel Christine
Published: May 2011

The population structure of the species Legionella pneumophila was investigated by multilocus variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) and sequencing of three VNTRs (Lpms01, Lpms04 and Lpms13) in selected strains. Of 150 isolates of diverse origins, 136 (86 %) were distributed into eight large MLVA clonal complexes (VACCs) and the rest were either unique or formed small clusters of up to two MLVA genotypes. In spite of the lower degree of genome-wide linkage disequilibrium of the MLVA loci compared with sequence-based typing, the clustering achieved by the two methods was highly congruent. The detailed analysis of VNTR Lpms04 alleles showed a very complex organization, with five different repeat unit lengths and a high level of internal variation. Within each MLVA-defined VACC, Lpms04 was endowed with a common recognizable pattern with some interesting exceptions. Evidence of recombination events was suggested by analysis of internal repeat variations at the two additional VNTR loci, Lpms01 and Lpms13. Sequence analysis of L. pneumophila VNTR locus Lpms04 alone provides a first-line assay for allocation of a new isolate within the L. pneumophila population structure and for epidemiological studies.
The autoregulator receptor homologue AvaR3 plays a regulatory role in antibiotic production, mycelial aggregation and colony development of Streptomyces avermitilis
Authors: Miyamoto Kiyoko T. , Kitani Shigeru , Komatsu Mamoru , Ikeda Haruo , Nihira Takuya
Published: May 2011

The γ-butyrolactone autoregulator receptor has been shown to control secondary metabolism and/or morphological differentiation across many Streptomyces species. Streptomyces avermitilis produces an important anthelmintic agent (avermectin) and two further polyketide antibiotics, filipin and oligomycin. Genomic analysis of S. avermitilis revealed that this micro-organism has the clustered putative autoregulator receptor genes distant from the antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters. Here, we describe the characterization of avaR3, one of the clustered receptor genes, which encodes a protein containing an extra stretch of amino acid residues that has not been found in the family of autoregulator receptors. Disruption of avaR3 resulted in markedly decreased production of avermectins, with delayed expression of avermectin biosynthetic genes, suggesting that AvaR3 positively controls the avermectin biosynthetic genes. Moreover, the disruption caused increased production of filipin without any changes in the transcriptional profile of the filipin biosynthetic genes, suggesting that filipin production is indirectly controlled by AvaR3. The avaR3 disruptant displayed fragmented growth in liquid culture and conditional morphological defects on solid medium. These findings demonstrated that AvaR3 acts as a global regulator that controls antibiotic production and cell morphology.
Molecular typing methods for outbreak detection and surveillance of invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, a review
Authors: Harrison Odile B. , Brueggemann Angela B. , Caugant Dominique A. , van der Ende Arie , Frosch Matthias , Gray Stephen , Heuberger Sigrid , Krizova Paula , Olcen Per , Slack Mary , Taha Muhamed-Kheir , Maiden Martin C. J
Published: May 2011

Invasive disease caused by the encapsulated bacteriaNeisseria meningitidis,Haemophilus influenzaeandStreptococcus pneumoniaeremains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite the introduction of successful conjugate polysaccharide vaccines that target disease-associated strains. In addition, resistance, or more accurately reduced susceptibility, to therapeutic antibiotics is spreading in populations of these organisms. There is therefore a continuing requirement for the surveillance of vaccine and non-vaccine antigens and antibiotic susceptibilities among isolates from invasive disease, which is only partially met by conventional methods. This need can be met with molecular and especially nucleotide sequence-based typing methods, which are fully developed in the case ofN. meningitidisand which could be more widely deployed in clinical laboratories forS. pneumoniaeandH. influenzae.
Redundancy and specificity of multiple trigger factor chaperones in Desulfitobacteria
Authors: Maillard Julien , Genevaux Pierre , Holliger Christof
Published: May 2011

The ribosome-bound trigger factor (TF) chaperone assists folding of newly synthesized polypeptides and participates in the assembly of macromolecular complexes. In the present study we showed that multiple distinct TF paralogues are present in genomes of Desulfitobacteria, a bacterial genus known for its ability to grow using organohalide respiration. Two full-length TF chaperones and at least one truncated TF (lacking the N-terminal ribosome-binding domain) were identified, the latter being systematically linked to clusters of reductive dehalogenase genes encoding the key enzymes in organohalide respiration. Using a well-characterized heterologous chaperone-deficient Escherichia coli strain lacking both TF and DnaK chaperones, we demonstrated that all three TF chaperones were functional in vivo, as judged by their ability to partially suppress bacterial growth defects and protein aggregation in the absence of both major E. coli chaperones. Next, we found that the N-terminal truncated TF-like protein PceT functions as a dedicated chaperone for the cognate reductive dehalogenase PceA by solubilizing and stabilizing it in the heterologous system. Finally, we showed that PceT specifically interacts with the twin-arginine signal peptide of PceA. Taken together, our data define PceT (and more generally the new RdhT family) as a class of TF-like chaperones involved in the maturation of proteins secreted by the twin-arginine translocation pathway.
Discovery and assessment of conserved Pax6 target genes and enhancers
Authors: Coutinho Pedro , Pavlou Sofia , Bhatia Shipra , Chalmers Kevin J. , Kleinjan Dirk A. , van Heyningen Veronica
Published: May 2011

The characterization of transcriptional networks (TNs) is essential for understanding complex biological phenomena such as development, disease, and evolution. In this study, we have designed and implemented a procedure that combines in silico target screens with zebrafish and mouse validation, in order to identify cis-elements and genes directly regulated by Pax6. We chose Pax6 as the paradigm because of its crucial roles in organogenesis and human disease. We identified over 600 putative Pax6 binding sites and more than 200 predicted direct target genes, conserved in evolution from zebrafish to human and to mouse. This was accomplished using hidden Markov models (HMMs) generated from experimentally validated Pax6 binding sites. A small sample of genes, expressed in the neural lineage, was chosen from the predictions for RNA in situ validation using zebrafish and mouse models. Validation of DNA binding to some predicted cis-elements was also carried out using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and zebrafish reporter transgenic studies. The results show that this combined procedure is a highly efficient tool to investigate the architecture of TNs and constitutes a useful complementary resource to ChIP and expression data sets because of its inherent spatiotemporal independence. We have identified several novel direct targets, including some putative disease genes, among them Foxp2; these will allow further dissection of Pax6 function in development and disease.
Thethick aleurone1Mutant Defines a Negative Regulation of Maize Aleurone Cell Fate That Functions Downstream ofdefective kernel1
Authors: Yi Gibum , Lauter Adrienne M. , Scott M. Paul , Becraft Philip W.
Published: May 2011

The maize (Zea mays) aleurone layer occupies the single outermost layer of the endosperm. The defective kernel1 (dek1) gene is a central regulator required for aleurone cell fate specification. dek1 mutants have pleiotropic phenotypes including lack of aleurone cells, aborted embryos, carotenoid deficiency, and a soft, floury endosperm deficient in zeins. Here we describe the thick aleurone1 (thk1) mutant that defines a novel negative function in the regulation of aleurone differentiation. Mutants possess multiple layers of aleurone cells as well as aborted embryos. Clonal sectors of thk1 mutant tissue in otherwise normal endosperm showed localized expression of the phenotype with sharp boundaries, indicating a localized cellular function for the gene. Sectors in leaves showed expanded epidermal cell morphology but the mutant epidermis generally remained in a single cell layer. Double mutant analysis indicated that the thk1 mutant is epistatic to dek1 for several aspects of the pleiotropic dek1 phenotype. dek1 mutant endosperm that was mosaic for thk1 mutant sectors showed localized patches of multilayered aleurone. Localized sectors were surrounded by halos of carotenoid pigments and double mutant kernels had restored zein profiles. In sum, loss of thk1 function restored the ability of dek1 mutant endosperm to accumulate carotenoids and zeins and to differentiate aleurone. Therefore the thk1 mutation defines a negative regulator that functions downstream of dek1 in the signaling system that controls aleurone specification and other aspects of endosperm development. The thk1 mutation was found to be caused by a deletion of approximately 2 megabases.
Interfamily Transfer of TomatoVe1MediatesVerticilliumResistance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Fradin Emilie F. , Abd-El-Haliem Ahmed , Masini Laura , van den Berg Grardy C.M. , Joosten Matthieu H.A.J. , Thomma Bart P.H.J.
Published: May 2011

Vascular wilts caused by soil-borne fungal species of the Verticillium genus are devastating plant diseases. The most common species, Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum, have broad host ranges and are notoriously difficult to control. Therefore, genetic resistance is the preferred method for disease control. Only from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has a Verticillium resistance locus been cloned, comprising the Ve1 gene that encodes a receptor-like protein-type cell surface receptor. Due to lack of a suitable model for receptor-like protein (RLP)-mediated resistance signaling in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), so far relatively little is known about RLP signaling in pathogen resistance. Here, we show that Ve1 remains fully functional after interfamily transfer to Arabidopsis and that Ve1-transgenic Arabidopsis is resistant to race 1 but not to race 2 strains of V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum, nor to the Brassicaceae-specific pathogen Verticillium longisporum. Furthermore, we show that signaling components utilized by Ve1 in Arabidopsis to establish Verticillium resistance overlap with those required in tomato and include SERK3/BAK1, EDS1, and NDR1, which strongly suggests that critical components for resistance signaling are conserved. We subsequently investigated the requirement of SERK family members for Ve1 resistance in Arabidopsis, revealing that SERK1 is required in addition to SERK3/BAK1. Using virus-induced gene silencing, the requirement of SERK1 for Ve1-mediated resistance was confirmed in tomato. Moreover, we show the requirement of SERK1 for resistance against the foliar fungal pathogen Cladosporium fulvum mediated by the RLP Cf-4. Our results demonstrate that Arabidopsis can be used as model to unravel the genetics of Ve1-mediated resistance.
Genetic characterization of Latin‐American Creole cattle using microsatellite markers
Authors: Delgado J. V. , Martínez A. M. , Acosta A. , Álvarez L. A. , Armstrong E. , Camacho E. , Cañón J. , Cortés O. , Dunner S. , Landi V. , Marques J. R. , Martín‐Burriel I. , Martínez O. R. , Martínez R. D. , Melucci L. , Muñoz J. E. , Penedo M. C. T. , Postiglioni A. , Quiróz J. , Rodellar C. , Sponenberg P. , Uffo O. , Ulloa‐Arvizu R. , Vega‐Pla J. L. , Villalobos A. , Zambrano D. , Zaragoza P. , Gama L. T. , Ginja C.
Published: May 2011

Genetic diversity in and relationships among 26 Creole cattle breeds from 10 American countries were assessed using 19 microsatellites. Heterozygosities, F‐statistics estimates, genetic distances, multivariate analyses and assignment tests were performed. The levels of within‐breed diversity detected in Creole cattle were considerable and higher than those previously reported for European breeds, but similar to those found in other Latin American breeds. Differences among breeds accounted for 8.4% of the total genetic variability. Most breeds clustered separately when the number of pre‐defined populations was 21 (the most probable K value), with the exception of some closely related breeds that shared the same cluster and others that were admixed. Despite the high genetic diversity detected, significant inbreeding was also observed within some breeds, and heterozygote excess was detected in others. These results indicate that Creoles represent important reservoirs of cattle genetic diversity and that appropriate conservation measures should be implemented for these native breeds in order to minimize inbreeding and uncontrolled crossbreeding.
Accuracy of genotype imputation in sheep breeds
Authors: Hayes B. J. , Bowman P. J. , Daetwyler H. D. , Kijas J. W. , van der Werf J. H. J.
Published: May 2011

Although genomic selection offers the prospect of improving the rate of genetic gain in meat, wool and dairy sheep breeding programs, the key constraint is likely to be the cost of genotyping. Potentially, this constraint can be overcome by genotyping selection candidates for a low density (low cost) panel of SNPs with sparse genotype coverage, imputing a much higher density of SNP genotypes using a densely genotyped reference population. These imputed genotypes would then be used with a prediction equation to produce genomic estimated breeding values. In the future, it may also be desirable to impute very dense marker genotypes or even whole genome re‐sequence data from moderate density SNP panels. Such a strategy could lead to an accurate prediction of genomic estimated breeding values across breeds, for example. We used genotypes from 48 640 (50K) SNPs genotyped in four sheep breeds to investigate both the accuracy of imputation of the 50K SNPs from low density SNP panels, as well as prospects for imputing very dense or whole genome re‐sequence data from the 50K SNPs (by leaving out a small number of the 50K SNPs at random). Accuracy of imputation was low if the sparse panel had less than 5000 (5K) markers. Across breeds, it was clear that the accuracy of imputing from sparse marker panels to 50K was higher if the genetic diversity within a breed was lower, such that relationships among animals in that breed were higher. The accuracy of imputation from sparse genotypes to 50K genotypes was higher when the imputation was performed within breed rather than when pooling all the data, despite the fact that the pooled reference set was much larger. For Border Leicesters, Poll Dorsets and White Suffolks, 5K sparse genotypes were sufficient to impute 50K with 80% accuracy. For Merinos, the accuracy of imputing 50K from 5K was lower at 71%, despite a large number of animals with full genotypes (2215) being used as a reference. For all breeds, the relationship of individuals to the reference explained up to 64% of the variation in accuracy of imputation, demonstrating that accuracy of imputation can be increased if sires and other ancestors of the individuals to be imputed are included in the reference population. The accuracy of imputation could also be increased if pedigree information was available and was used in tracking inheritance of large chromosome segments within families. In our study, we only considered methods of imputation based on population‐wide linkage disequilibrium (largely because the pedigree for some of the populations was incomplete). Finally, in the scenarios designed to mimic imputation of high density or whole genome re‐sequence data from the 50K panel, the accuracy of imputation was much higher (86–96%). This is promising, suggesting that in silico genome re‐sequencing is possible in sheep if a suitable pool of key ancestors is sequenced for each breed.
Identification of an FBN1 mutation in bovine Marfan syndrome‐like disease
Authors: Hirano T. , Matsuhashi T. , Kobayashi N. , Watanabe T. , Sugimoto Y.
Published: May 2011

Mutations in the gene encoding fibrillin‐1 (FBN1), a component of the extracellular microfibril, cause Marfan syndrome (MFS). Frequent observation of cattle with a normal withers height, but lower body weight than age‐matched normal cattle, was recently reported among cattle sired by phenotypically normal Bull A, in Japanese Black cattle. These cattle also showed other characteristic features similar to the clinical phenotype of human MFS, such as a long phalanx proximalis, oval face and crystalline lens cloudiness. We first screened a paternal half‐sib family comprising 36 affected and 10 normal offspring of Bull A using the BovineSNP50 BeadChip (illumina). Twenty‐two microsatellite markers mapped to a significant region on BTA10 were subsequently genotyped on the family. The bovine Marfan syndrome‐like disease (MFSL) was mapped onto BTA10. As FBN1 is located in the significant region, FBN1 was sequenced in Bull A, and three affected and one normal cattle. A G>A mutation at the intron64 splicing accepter site (c.8227‐1G>A) was detected in 31 of 36 affected animals (84.7%). The c.8227‐1G>A polymorphism was not found in 20 normal offspring of Bull A or in 93 normal cattle unrelated to Bull A. The mutation caused a 1‐base shift of the intron64 splicing accepter site to the 3′ direction, and a 1‐base deletion in processed mRNA. This 1‐base deletion creates a premature termination codon, and a 125‐amino acid shorter Fibrillin‐1 protein is produced from the mutant mRNA. We therefore conclude that the c.8227‐1G>A mutation is causative for MFSL. Furthermore, it was suggested that Bull A exhibited germline mosaicism for the mutation, and that the frequency of the mutant sperm was 14.9%.
The effectiveness of training and support for carers and other professionals on the physical and emotional health and well‐being of looked‐after children and young people: a systematic review
Authors: Everson‐Hock E. S. , Jones R. , Guillaume L. , Clapton J. , Goyder E. , Chilcott J. , Payne N. , Duenas A. , Sheppard L. M. , Swann C.
Published: May 2011

Looked‐after children and young people (LACYP) are recognized as a high‐risk group for behavioural and emotional problems, and additional specialist training for foster carers may reduce such problems. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of additional training and support provided to approved carers, professionals and volunteers on the physical and emotional health and well‐being of LACYP (including problem behaviours and placement stability). Searches of health and social science databases were conducted and records were screened for inclusion criteria. Citation and reference list searches were conducted on included studies. Included studies were synthesized and critically appraised. Six studies were included (five randomized controlled trials and one prospective cohort study), all of which focused on foster carers. Three studies reported a benefit of training and three reported no benefit but no detriment. Those reporting a benefit of training were conducted in the USA, and had longer‐duration training, shorter follow‐up assessment and recruited carers of younger children than studies that reported no benefit of training, which were conducted in the UK. Whether the difference in results is due to the type of training or to cultural or population differences is unclear. The findings suggest a mixed effect of training for foster carers on problem behaviours of LACYP. The evidence identified appears to suggest that longer‐duration training programmes have a beneficial effect on the behaviour problems of LACYP, although future research should examine the impact of training durations and intensity on short–medium and longer‐term outcomes of LACYP of different ages. Only training and support for foster carers was identified.
Effect of plant development during first and second growth cycle on chemical composition, condensed tannins and nutritive value of three sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) varieties and lucerne
Authors: Theodoridou K. , Aufrère J. , Andueza D. , Le Morvan A. , Picard F. , Stringano E. , Pourrat J. , Mueller‐Harvey I. , Baumont R.
Published: May 2011

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a temperate legume that contains condensed tannins (CT), i.e., polyphenols that are able to bind proteins and thus reduce protein degradation in the rumen. Few studies have investigated the relation between plant phenology, CT characteristics and nutritive value of sainfoin. In this study we investigated differences among three sainfoin varieties (Esparcette, Ambra and Villahoz) that were of different geographical origin, and which were cultivated at the same site over the course of two growth cycles and compared with a tannin‐free legume, lucerne (Aubigny). Plants were harvested on nine dates in the first and four dates in the second growth cycle. Phenological stages were analysed for leaf‐to‐whole‐plant ratio, nitrogen (N), organic matter digestibility (OMd) by the pepsin‐cellulase method, cell‐wall concentration, N solubility (solN) plus CT concentration, biological activity and structures. Leaf‐to‐whole‐plant, cell‐wall concentration, N of sainfoin and lucerne were closely related to the phenological stage. Although sainfoin developed earlier than lucerne, its pepsin‐cellulase digestibility was higher than or close to lucerne. Esparcette had the lowest OMd, N and solN and the highest CT concentration. CT concentration, proportion of prodelphinidins (PD) and mean degree of polymerization (mDP) increased with the phenological stage (or plant maturity), and these parameters were associated with lower biological activity of CT. Sainfoin varieties differed in their relationships between phenological stages, nutritional parameters and CT characteristics. The results demonstrated that sainfoin can be a valuable alternative forage legume to lucerne.
Reliability and validity of Web‐SPAN, a web‐based method for assessing weight status, diet and physical activity in youth
Authors: Storey K. E. , McCargar L. J.
Published: May 2011

Background:  Web‐based surveys are becoming increasing popular. The present study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Web‐Survey of Physical Activity and Nutrition (Web‐SPAN) for self‐report of height and weight, diet and physical activity by youth.

Methods:  School children aged 11–15 years (grades 7–9; n = 459) participated in the school‐based research (boys, n = 225; girls, n = 233; mean age, 12.8 years). Students completed Web‐SPAN (self‐administered) twice and participated in on‐site school assessments [height, weight, 3‐day food/pedometer record, Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ‐C), shuttle run]. Intraclass (ICC) and Pearson’s correlation coefficients and paired samples t‐tests were used to assess the test–retest reliability of Web‐SPAN and to compare Web‐SPAN with the on‐site assessments.

Results:  Test–retest reliability for height (ICC = 0.90), weight (ICC = 0.98) and the PAQ‐C (ICC = 0.79) were highly correlated, whereas correlations for nutrients were not as strong (ICC = 0.37–0.64). There were no differences between Web‐SPAN times 1 and 2 for height and weight, although there were differences for the PAQ‐C and most nutrients. Web‐SPAN was strongly correlated with the on‐site assessments, including height (ICC = 0.88), weight (ICC = 0.93) and the PAQ‐C (ICC = 0.70). Mean differences for height and the PAQ‐C were not significant, whereas mean differences for weight were significant resulting in an underestimation of being overweight/obesity prevalence (84% agreement). Correlations for nutrients were in the range 0.24–0.40; mean differences were small but generally significantly different. Correlations were weak between the web‐based PAQ‐C and 3‐day pedometer record (r = 0.28) and 20‐m shuttle run (r = 0.28).

Conclusions:  Web‐SPAN is a time‐ and cost‐effective method that can be used to assess the diet and physical activity status of youth in large cross‐sectional studies and to assess group trends (weight status).
Comparison of the oral bioavailability and tissue disposition of monensin and salinomycin in chickens and turkeys
Authors: HENRI J. , MAURICE R. , POSTOLLEC G. , DUBREIL‐CHENEAU E. , ROUDAUT B. , LAURENTIE M. , SANDERS P.
Published: May 2011

Henri, J., Maurice, R., Postollec, G., Dubreil‐Cheneau, E., Roudaut, B., Laurentie, M., Sanders, P. Comparison of the oral bioavailability and tissue disposition of monensin and salinomycin in chickens and turkeys.J. Vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 35, 73–81.

The current study describes the pharmacokinetic parameters of two carboxylic polyether ionophores: monensin in turkeys and salinomycin in chickens. These data can be used to understand and predict the occurrence of undesirable residues of coccidiostats in edible tissues of these animal species. Special attention is paid to the distribution of residues between the different edible tissues during and at the end of the treatment period. For the bioavailability studies, monensin was administered to turkeys intravenously, in the left wing vein, at a dose of 0.4 mg /kg and orally at a dose of 20 mg /kg. Salinomycin was administered to chickens intravenously, in the left wing vein, at a dose of 0.25 mg /kg and orally at a dose of 2.5 mg /kg. Residue studies were carried out with supplemented feed at the rate of 100 mg /kg of feed for monensin in turkeys and 70 mg /kg for salinomycin in chickens, respectively. Coccidiostats had a low bioavailability in poultry (around 30% for monensin in chickens, around 1% for monensin in turkeys and around 15% for salinomycin in chickens). Monensin in chickens had a longer terminal half‐life (between 3.07 and 5.55 h) than both monensin in turkeys (between 1.36 and 1.55 h) and salinomycin in chickens (between 1.33 and 1.79 h). The tissue /plasma partition coefficients showed a higher affinity of both monensin and salinomycin for fat, followed by liver and muscle tissue. The depletion data showed a fairly rapid elimination of coccidiostats in all the tissues after cessation of treatment. According to the results of depletion studies, a withdrawal period of 1 day seems sufficient to avoid undesirable exposure of consumers.
Monophyletic Polyneoptera recovered by wing base structure
Authors: YOSHIZAWA KAZUNORI
Published: May 2011

Phylogenetic relationships among the winged orders of Polyneoptera [Blattodea, Dermaptera, Embiodea (=Embioptera), Isoptera, Mantodea, Orthoptera, Phasmatodea, Plecoptera and Zoraptera] were estimated based on morphological data selected from the hindwing base structure. Cladistic analyses were carried out using hindwing base data alone and in combination with other, more general, morphological data. Both datasets resulted in similar trees and recovered the monophyly of Polyneoptera. Deepest phylogenetic relationships among the polyneopteran orders were not confidently estimated, but the monophyly of Mystroptera (= Embiodea + Zoraptera), Orthopterida (= Orthoptera + Phasmatodea) and Dictyoptera (= Blattodea + Mantodea + Isoptera) was supported consistently. In contrast, placements of Plecoptera and Dermaptera were unstable, although independent analysis of the wing base data supported their sister‐group relationship with two nonhomoplasious synapomorphies (unique conditions in the ventral basisubcostale, and in the articulation between the antemedian notal wing process and first axillary sclerite). Results from the combined wing base plus general morphology data were consistent, even if the wingless orders Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea were included in the analysis. Generally, trees obtained from the present analyses were concordant with the results from other morphological and molecular analyses, but Isoptera were placed inappropriately to be the sister of Blattodea + Mantodea by the inclusion of the wing base data, probably as a result of morphological regressions of the order.
Effects of shock‐induced incongruent melting within Earth’s crust: the case of biotite melting
Authors: Silva Dailto , Lana Cristiano , Stevens Gary , Souza Filho Carlos R.
Published: May 2011

Terra Nova, 23, 225–231, 2011

Biotite is an abundant hydrous silicate in the Earth’s crust and plays a critical role in the formation of felsic magmas via incongruent melting. Although biotite incongruent melting reactions have been described for various contact and regional metamorphic environments, the effects of impact‐induced melting of biotite remain poorly understood. Our observations from the 40‐km‐wide Araguainha impact structure indicate that biotite can undergo incongruent melting during impact processes, producing aluminous melts that can accumulate as pockets or fracture networks in crystalline target rocks. We observed that as much as 9% of the crystalline target at Araguainha is a crystallization product after biotite breakdown. Given the relatively low shock pressures recorded in the Araguainha central uplift (20–25 GPa), our results imply that impacts in the size of Araguainha or larger are capable of generating substantial volumes of incongruent aluminous melts in crystalline crust underlying large (>40 km diameter) impact structures.
Pulse steroids as induction therapy for children with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Kudo Takahiro , Nagata Satoru , Ohtani Kiyotaka , Fujii Tohru , Wada Mariko , Haruna Hidenori , Shoji Hiromichi , Ohtsuka Yoshikazu , Shimizu Toshiaki , Yamashiro Yuichiro
Published: May 2011

Background:  Corticosteroids therapy, classically the first‐line treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC), often causes serious side‐effects. Theoretically, pulse steroid therapy where high doses are given for a shorter period may have maximal beneficial effects and minimal side‐effects as induction therapy for UC. We have therefore retrospectively compared induction therapy using pulse steroids with conventional steroid treatment for children and adolescents with moderate‐to‐severe UC.

Methods:  We utilized conventional steroid treatment (prednisolone 1–1.5 mg/kg/day) as an induction treatment in 17 UC patients between 1985 and 2006. Alternatively we used a 3‐day megadose pulse steroid therapy (methylprednisolone intravenously 20–30 mg/kg/day, max. 1000mg/day) in 20 UC patients from 1993 to 2006.

Results:  Pulse steroid therapy successfully induced rapid remission in UC patients with moderate‐to‐severe disease compared with conventional treatment (13.2 days vs 25.1 days; P < 0.05). The amelioration of Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index score between before and 1 week after pulse steroid therapy was significantly more than that of conventional treatment (P < 0.01). No serious adverse effects were observed in the patients treated with pulse steroid therapy. However, the rate of the relapse episodes during the next 12 months after pulse steroid therapy was not significantly different from that after conventional treatment.

Conclusion:  These findings suggest that pulse steroid therapy is an option to be considered in children with moderate‐to‐severe UC.
Risk and Private Military Work
Authors: Gallaher Carolyn
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  To date geography has paid scant attention to private military contracting. Other disciplines have studied the topic, but their work is state‐centric. In this paper I examine private military contracting through a geoeconomic lens and make four arguments. First, the heightened security risks of the contemporary era cannot be explained solely as a result of states’ decision to cede their monopolies over the means of violence. We must also examine the private military firms that have created new monopolies and the strategies they use to manage and distribute risk. Second, the industry has increased risk in the world system by offloading security risks onto their employees. This “responsibility over rights” management model provides inadequate human rights training and battlefield adjudication procedures for contractors and civilians alike. Third, the geography of private military work does not always conform to the global division of labor between north and south. Instead, private military work creates a class of work that cuts across social and geographic divides. Finally, while activists should encourage states to regulate the industry, they should also push it to reform employment practices since private military firms are increasingly global in scope.
Becoming Smaller: Autobiographical Spaces of Weight Loss
Authors: Longhurst Robyn
Published: May 2011

Abstract: This research focuses on the spaces and politics ofweight loss. It is informed by “fat studies”, critical geographical scholarship on fat, and two contrasting feminist readings of Michel Foucault's notion of “care of the self”. Using autobiography as a method of inquiry I share my experience of “becoming smaller” through weight loss dieting. I argue that losing weight for me has been paradoxical on at least three counts: first, by being a feminist scholar who critiques discourses around women and slimness while at the same time desiring to be slim; second, by my new eating patterns marking me simultaneously as both a disciplined and a disordered subject; and third, by publically and politically supporting the Health at Every Size movement but privately in my “quest” to recreate myself emphasizing shedding kilos over fitness. The article concludes that understanding these paradoxes that surround weight loss is useful for furthering understanding of a complex embodied, gendered and spatialized process.
The New Maternal State: The Gendered Politics of Governing through Behaviour Change
Authors: Pykett Jessica
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  Policies explicitly aimed at changing people's behaviour and recasting state–citizen relations are becoming prevalent in the UK. New political rationalities of “co‐production”, “personalisation” and ‘soft” or “libertarian paternalism” seek to cultivate a relationship between the adaptive state and the active citizen which is increasingly pedagogical. Informing these new pedagogies of governing is research from behavioural economics, psychology and the neurosciences, from which policy strategists draw insights aimed at improving the effectiveness of behaviour‐changing interventions across a range of policy spheres. This paper develops perspectives from feminist economics, critical psychology and feminist political theory in order to demonstrate how such research offers a gendered account of human behaviour and thus is used to assert a conversely gender‐blind explanation of the legitimate role of the state in governing through behaviour change.
Homosexuality and Publicness: Towards a Political Theory of the Taboo
Authors: Tebble Adam James
Published: May 2011

This article examines the relationship between homosexuality and the concept of publicness, including the idea of the political. Building upon the liberal feminism of Susan Okin, as well as upon recent work in queer theory, this article outlines an account of the ethic of unacknowledgeability, understood as the socially constituted physical disappearance of, and discursive silence about, homosexuality. It will be claimed that the ethic of unacknowledgeability explains why, unlike gendered marginalisation, the marginalisation of gays, lesbians and homosexuality as a subject matter is beyond both public and private and, as such, distinct. To conclude, this article will sketch a political theory of the taboo in which the implications of the ethic of unacknowledgeability for normative political theory are explored. More specifically, it will be claimed that the political theory of the taboo presents a new and unique challenge to politics, and establishes as a new standard of justice the extent to which a theory of justice grapples with the undiscussable.
Revisiting Lipsky: Front-Line Work in UK Local Governance
Authors: Durose Catherine
Published: May 2011

Lipsky's work on ‘street-level bureaucracy’ drew attention to the significant contribution to policy making made by front-line workers. This article revisits Lipsky's seminal analysis to explore whether contemporary front-line work in local governance presents a challenge to the ‘street-level bureaucrat’ characterisation. Since Lipsky's analysis, local government has been the subject of extensive reforms which have eroded traditional structures. In order to make local governance work, front-line workers need to be entrepreneurial to innovate and work the emergent spaces of local governance. This research uses an interpretive analysis to explore how front-line workers understand and relate their everyday work through storytelling. Front-line workers articulate a series of strategies which they employ to enable them to build relationships with the community. The article concludes that the emergent spaces at the periphery of local governance require front-line work that is less like ‘street-level bureaucracy’ and more like ‘civic entrepreneurship’.
The impact of team‐member exchange, differentiation, team commitment, and knowledge sharing on R&D project team performance
Authors: Liu Yuwen , Keller Robert T. , Shih Hsi‐An
Published: May 2011

This paper integrates team‐member exchange (TMX), affective commitment, and knowledge sharing to examine how work unit TMX influences employees' R&D project team commitment and intention to share knowledge, and how team knowledge‐sharing intention and TMX differentiation influences team performance. The results support the relationships between work unit TMX and employees' intention to share knowledge and team commitment. In addition, the results show that work unit TMX increases intention to share knowledge through increasing group members' team commitment. At the group level, the results support the relationships between team knowledge‐sharing intention and team performance. The results also show that TMX differentiation moderates the relationship between work unit TMX and team performance. That is, greater work unit TMX is more likely to achieve higher team performance in a team with low TMX differentiation as opposed to a team with high TMX differentiation. Implications for theory building, future research, and R&D management are discussed.
Achieving contextual ambidexterity in R&D organizations: a management control system approach
Authors: McCarthy Ian P. , Gordon Brian R.
Published: May 2011

Research on how managers control R&D activities has tended to focus on the performance measurement systems used to exploit existing knowledge and capabilities. This focus has been at the expense of how broader forms of management control could be used to enable R&D contextual ambidexterity, the capacity to attain appropriate levels of exploitation and exploration behaviors in the same R&D organizational unit. In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework for understanding how different types of control system, guided by different R&D strategic goals, can be used to induce and balance both exploitation and exploration. We illustrate the elements of this framework and their relations using data from biotechnology firms, and then discuss how the framework provides a basis to empirically examine a number of important control relationships and phenomena.
LOW PAY, IN‐WORK POVERTY AND ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS USING EU‐SILC*
Authors: MAITRE BERTRAND , NOLAN BRIAN , WHELAN CHRISTOPHER T.
Published: May 2011

We explore the potential of data from EU‐SILC (‘Statistics on Income and Living Conditions’) for the enlarged European Union for the study of low pay and its relationship to household poverty and vulnerability. Limitations of the earnings data currently available mean the analysis covers only 14 of these countries. For employees who are not low paid, income poverty is seen to be rare. The low paid face a much higher risk of being in a household below relative income poverty thresholds, ranging from 7 per cent in Belgium and the Netherlands up to 17–18 per cent in Austria, Estonia and Lithuania. The likelihood of their being in a poor household is clearly linked to gender, age and social class. In most of the countries only a minority of low‐paid individuals are in vulnerable households.
Ain't about Politics? The Wicked Power‐Geometry of Sydney's Greening Governance
Authors: ACUTO MICHELE
Published: May 2011

The globalization of Sydney and its rise to world city status tell us a profoundly political story that presents critical challenges both in terms of local development and long‐term sustainability. Green is at the centre of this imagineering, which situates environmental sustainability at the core of Sydney's competitive and innovative edge. Yet the Harbour City, while rising to worldwide fame, has also been progressively troubled by wicked challenges that question its increasingly entrepreneurial and largely unproblematized approach to urban governance. At present, the metropolis has tackled these challenges by means of ad hoc solutions and policy‐making processes that, on deeper analysis, reveal little coordination beyond an impetus for growth as the driver of collective action at the urban scale. Due to the lack of a clear metropolis‐wide authority and the multiscalar nature of urban governance, the city has turned too much towards tackling sustainability within its urban dimension as a source of global competitiveness, while social polarization questions are steadily advancing to the forefront. It is time, I argue, for a Greater Sydney Authority.

La mondialisation de Sydney et son ascension au rang de ville mondiale racontent une histoire profondément politique où apparaissent des problèmes cruciaux, à la fois en termes de développement local et de viabilitéà long terme. Défini comme pivot de cet ‘ingéniomaginaire’ ou imagineering, le thème ‘vert’ place la viabilité environnementale au cœur de l’avantage compétitif et novateur de Sydney. Pourtant, tout en bâtissant sa renommée mondiale, ‘Harbour City’ a peu à peu rencontré des ‘problèmes pernicieux’ qui menacent son approche de plus en plus entrepreneuriale de la gouvernance urbaine, approche dont la problématique est largement ignorée. La métropole a répondu à ces difficultés par des solutions ponctuelles et des processus de décision politique qui, une fois analysés en profondeur, révèlent une faible coordination hormis l’élan en faveur de la croissance comme moteur de l’action collective à l’échelon urbain. En l’absence d’autorité métropolitaine claire et à cause des multiples échelons de gouvernance, la ville s’est trop intéressée à la durabilité dans sa dimension urbaine en tant que source de compétitivité mondiale, alors que des problèmes de polarisation sociale prennent peu à peu le devant de la scène. Il est temps que soit instaurée une ‘Autorité du Grand Sydney’.
Influence of subjective difficulty on the degree of configural and featural processing in face recognition1
Authors: HINE KYOKO , NOUCHI RUI , ITOH YUJI
Published: May 2011

This study aimed to assess the effect of subjective difficulty on the degree of featural or configural processing in face recognition. It could be assumed that featural processing is analytic processing (Peterson & Rhodes, 2003), while configural processing is automatic processing (Dunning & Stern, 1994). It has been suggested that task difficulty affected the automaticity of processing. Task difficulty was manipulated using a number of alternatives or time pressure. Subjective difficulty could also affect the automaticity of processing. If so, then subjective difficulty may in turn affect the degree of featural or configural processing. Participants in a difficult condition were given instructions mentioning that the face‐recognition task was difficult, while participants in the control condition were given no such instruction. The amount of retrieved featural information in the former condition was less than that in the latter. These results suggested that the degree of featural processing decreased when the participants found the task difficult.
How Outlandish Can Imaginary Cases Be?
Authors: ELSTER JAKOB
Published: May 2011

abstract

It is common in moral philosophy to test the validity of moral principles by proposing counter‐examples in the form of cases where the application of the principle does not give the conclusion we intuitively find valid. These cases are often imaginary and sometimes rather ‘outlandish’, involving ray guns, non‐existent creatures, etc. I discuss whether we can test moral principles with the help of outlandish cases, or if only realistic cases are admissible. I consider two types of argument against outlandish cases: 1) Since moral principles are meant for guiding action in this world, cases drawn from other worlds are irrelevant. 2) We lack the capacity to apply our intuitive moral competence to outlandish cases. I argue that while the first approach is importantly flawed, the second approach is plausible, not because our moral competence per se is limited to cases from this world, but because we lack the capacity to imagine outlandish cases, and we cannot apply our moral competence to a case we fail to imagine properly.
Sensory attributes of low‐fat strawberry yoghurt as influenced by honey from different floral sources, sucrose and high‐fructose corn sweetener
Authors: POPA DARCLEE , USTUNOL ZEYNEP
Published: May 2011

Low‐fat strawberry yoghurts were prepared with each of five alternative sweeteners: sucrose, high‐fructose corn syrup and honey from three different floral sources. A ninety‐nine‐member consumer panel evaluated the yoghurts for flavour, aroma, sweetness and overall acceptance. Degree of liking was scored by the panellists on a nine‐point hedonic scale. Panellists preferred sucrose‐sweetened yoghurts over those sweetened with high‐fructose corn syrup and honey (P < 0.05). Among the honey‐sweetened yoghurts, sage honey was the most liked (P < 0.05), followed by alfalfa‐ and sourwood‐sweetened yoghurts.
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN BLACK‐PATINATED COPPER ALLOYS*
Authors: MOHAMED W. , DARWEESH S.
Published: May 2011

This analytical study aims to investigate ancient Egyptian black‐patinated copper alloys. The study group was selected from the collections of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and from the Faculty of Archaeology Museum in Cairo University. Examination and analysis were undertaken using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), X‐ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The analysis results indicated that the black patina contained mainly tenorite (CuO). The study presents evidence of thermal patination and animal glue coating.