bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deliberate self‐harm within an international community sample of young people: comparative findings from the Child & Adolescent Self‐harm in Europe (CASE) Study
Authors: Madge Nicola , Hewitt Anthea , Hawton Keith , Wilde Erik Jan de , Corcoran Paul , Fekete Sandor , Heeringen Kees van , Leo Diego De , Ystgaard Mette
Published: March 2008

Background: Deliberate self‐harm among young people is an important focus of policy and practice internationally. Nonetheless, there is little reliable comparative international information on its extent or characteristics. We have conducted a seven‐country comparative community study of deliberate self‐harm among young people.

Method: Over 30,000 mainly 15‐ and 16‐year‐olds completed anonymous questionnaires at school in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. Study criteria were developed to identify episodes of self‐harm; the prevalence of self‐harm acts and thoughts, methods used, repetition, reasons given, premeditation, setting for the act, associations with alcohol and drugs, hospitalisation, and whether other people knew, were examined.

Results: Self‐harm was more than twice as common among females as males and, in four of the seven countries, at least one in ten females had harmed herself in the previous year. Additional young people had thought of harming themselves without doing so. More males and females in all countries except Hungary cut themselves than used any other method, most acts took place at home, and alcohol and illegal drugs were not usually involved. The most common reasons given were ‘to get relief from a terrible state of mind’ followed by ‘to die’, although there were differences between those cutting themselves and those taking overdoses. About half the young people decided to harm themselves in the hour before doing so, and many did not attend hospital or tell anyone else. Just over half those who had harmed themselves during the previous year reported more than one episode over their lifetime.

Conclusions: Deliberate self‐harm is a widespread yet often hidden problem in adolescents, especially females, which shows both similarities and differences internationally.
Early phonological and sociocognitive skills as predictors of later language and social communication outcomes
Authors: Chiat Shula , Roy Penny
Published: March 2008

Background:  Previous studies of outcome for children with early language delay have focused on measures of early language as predictors of language outcome. This study investigates whether very early processing skills (VEPS) known to underpin language development will be better predictors of specific language and social communication outcomes than measures of language itself.

Method:  Participants were 163 children referred to clinical services with concerns about language at 2;6–3;6 years and followed up at 4–5 years. Novel assessments of phonological and sociocognitive processing were administered at Time 1 (T1), together with a standardised test of receptive and expressive language, and parental report of expressive vocabulary. The language test was re‐administered at Time 2 (T2), together with assessments of morphosyntax and parental reports of social communication.

Results:  Intercorrelations at and between T1 and T2 were high, and dissociations were rare. Ordinal regressions were run, entering predictors singly and simultaneously. With the exception of the phonological task, every early measure on its own was significantly predictive of most outcomes, and receptive language was the strongest all‐round predictor. Results of simultaneous entry, controlling for the effect of other predictors, showed that early language was the strongest predictor of general language outcome, but early phonology was the strongest predictor of a measure of morphosyntax, and early sociocognition the strongest predictor of social communication.

Conclusions:  Language measures which draw on a wide range of skills were the strongest overall predictors of general language outcomes. However, our VEPS measures were stronger predictors of specific outcomes. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Methoxyl groups of plant pectin as a precursor of atmospheric methane: evidence from deuterium labelling studies
Authors: Keppler Frank , Hamilton John T. G. , McRoberts W. Colin , Vigano Ivan , Braß Marc , Röckmann Thomas
Published: March 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02468.xCommentary p 693
Regulation of dendritic spine morphology by an NMDA receptor‐associated Rho GTPase‐activating protein, p250GAP
Authors: Nakazawa Takanobu , Kuriu Toshihiko , Tezuka Tohru , Umemori Hisashi , Okabe Shigeo , Yamamoto Tadashi
Published: March 2008

The NMDA receptor regulates spine morphological plasticity by modulating Rho GTPases. However, the molecular mechanisms for NMDA receptor‐mediated regulation of Rho GTPases remain elusive. In this study, we show that p250GAP, an NMDA receptor‐associated RhoGAP, regulates spine morphogenesis by modulating RhoA activity. Knock‐down of p250GAP increased spine width and elevated the endogenous RhoA activity in primary hippocampal neurons. The increased spine width by p250GAP knock‐down was suppressed by the expression of a dominant‐negative form of RhoA. Furthermore, p250GAP is involved in NMDA receptor‐mediated RhoA activation. In response to NMDA receptor activation, exogenously expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐tagged p250GAP was redistributed. Thus, these data suggest that p250GAP plays an important role in NMDA receptor‐mediated regulation of RhoA activity leading to spine morphological plasticity.
Regulation of CB1cannabinoid receptor internalization by a promiscuous phosphorylation‐dependent mechanism
Authors: Daigle Tanya L. , Kwok Mary Lee , Mackie Ken
Published: March 2008

Agonists stimulate cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) internalization. Previous work suggests that the extreme carboxy‐terminus of the receptor regulates this internalization – likely through the phosphorylation of serines and threonines clustered within this region. While truncation of the carboxy‐terminus (V460Z CB1) and consequent removal of these putative phosphorylation sites prevents endocytosis in AtT20 cells, the residues necessary for CB1R internalization remain elusive. To determine the structural requirements for internalization, we evaluated endocytosis of carboxy‐terminal mutant CB1Rs stably expressed in HEK293 cells. In contrast to AtT20 cells, V460Z CB1R expressed in HEK293 cells internalized to the same extent and with similar kinetics as the wild‐type receptor. However, mutation of serine and/or threonine residues within the extreme carboxy‐terminal attenuated internalization when these receptors were expressed in HEK293 cells. These results establish that the extreme carboxy‐terminal phosphorylation sites are not required for internalization of truncated receptors, but are required for internalization of full‐length receptors in HEK293 cells. Analysis of β‐arrestin‐2 recruitment to mutant CB1R suggests that putative carboxy‐terminal phosphorylation sites mediate β‐arrestin‐2 translocation. This study indicates that the local cellular environment affects the structural determinants of CB1R internalization. Additionally, phosphorylation likely regulates the internalization of (full‐length) CB1Rs.
What drives long‐distance movements in the nomadic Grey TealAnas gracilisin Australia?
Authors: ROSHIER DAVID , ASMUS MARTIN , KLAASSEN MARCEL
Published: March 2008

In contrast to northern temperate environments, where day length and temperature changes are obvious proximate cues for movement to resource‐rich breeding habitats, the cues for movement used by birds in an often resource‐poor, stochastic environment are less obvious. We recorded long‐distance movements of 23 Grey TealAnas gracilisusing satellite telemetry for up to 879 days and examined the relationship between those movements and environmental factors, such as heavy rainfall and flooding, at the destination site. We identified 32 long‐distance (> 150 km) movements that met our criterion for minimally interrupted flight between origin and destination. Thirteen of these flights coincided with rainfall and/or flooding events up to 1050 km from the origin. However, some ducks moved without any clear beneficial conditions at the destination onto small wetlands in regions with little surface water. The data suggest that there are two types of long‐distance movement – ranging and directed. These flights occurred over distances up to 1200 km across the arid inland. The rates and distances of movement suggest that long‐distance movements of Grey Teal entail high energy costs as in waterfowl elsewhere. We conclude that the proximate controls of directed movements need not be very different from those of their temperate counterparts.
Body mass of prefledging Emperor GeeseChen canagica: large‐scale effects of interspecific densities and food availability
Authors: LAKE BRYCE C. , SCHMUTZ JOEL A. , LINDBERG MARK S. , ELY CRAIG R. , ELDRIDGE WILLIAM D. , BROERMAN FRED J.
Published: March 2008

We studied body mass of prefledging Emperor GeeseChen canagicaat three locations across the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, during 1990–2004 to investigate whether large‐scale variation in body mass was related to interspecific competition for food. From 1990 to 2004, densities of Cackling GeeseBranta hutchinsii minimamore than doubled and werec. 2–5× greater than densities of Emperor Geese, which were relatively constant over time. Body mass of prefledging Emperor Geese was strongly related (negatively) to interspecific densities of geese (combined density of Cackling and Emperor Geese) and positively related to measures of food availability (grazing lawn extent and net above‐ground primary productivity (NAPP)). Grazing by geese resulted in consumption of ≥ 90% of the NAPP that occurred in grazing lawns during the brood‐rearing period, suggesting that density‐dependent interspecific competition was from exploitation of common food resources. Efforts to increase the population size of Emperor Geese would benefit from considering competitive interactions among goose species and with forage plants.
Manganese superoxide dismutase activity regulates transitions between quiescent and proliferative growth
Authors: Sarsour Ehab H. , Venkataraman Sujatha , Kalen Amanda L. , Oberley Larry W. , Goswami Prabhat C.
Published: March 2008

In recent years, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels have gained increasing attention as a critical regulator of cellular proliferation. We investigated the hypothesis that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity regulates proliferative and quiescent growth by modulating cellular ROS levels. Decreasing MnSOD activity favored proliferation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), while increasing MnSOD activity facilitated proliferating cells’ transitions into quiescence. MnSOD (+/–) and (–/–) MEFs demonstrated increased superoxide steady‐state levels; these fibroblasts failed to exit from the proliferative cycle, and showed increasing cyclin D1 and cyclin B1 protein levels. MnSOD (+/–) MEFs exhibited an increase in the percentage of G2 cells compared to MnSOD (+/+) MEFs. Overexpression of MnSOD in MnSOD (+/–) MEFs suppressed superoxide levels and G2 accumulation, decreased cyclin B1 protein levels, and facilitated cells’ transit into quiescence. While ROS are known to regulate differentiation and cell death pathways, both of which are irreversible processes, our results show MnSOD activity and, therefore, mitochondria‐derived ROS levels regulate cellular proliferation and quiescence, which are reversible processes essential to prevent aberrant proliferation and subsequent exhaustion of normal cell proliferative capacity. These results support the hypothesis that MnSOD activity regulates a mitochondrial ‘ROS‐switch’ favoring a superoxide‐signaling regulating proliferation and a hydrogen peroxide‐signaling supporting quiescence.
Dietary restriction suppresses proteotoxicity and enhances longevity by an hsf‐1‐dependent mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Steinkraus Katherine A. , Smith Erica D. , Davis Christina , Carr Daniel , Pendergrass William R. , Sutphin George L. , Kennedy Brian K. , Kaeberlein Matt
Published: March 2008

Dietary restriction increases lifespan and slows the onset of age‐associated disease in organisms from yeast to mammals. In humans, several age‐related diseases are associated with aberrant protein folding or aggregation, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. We report here that dietary restriction dramatically suppresses age‐associated paralysis in three nematode models of proteotoxicity. Similar to its longevity‐enhancing properties, dietary restriction protects against proteotoxicity by a mechanism distinct from reduced insulin/IGF‐1‐like signaling. Instead, the heat shock transcription factor, hsf‐1, is required for enhanced thermotolerance, suppression of proteotoxicity, and lifespan extension by dietary restriction. These findings demonstrate that dietary restriction confers a general protective effect against proteotoxicity and promotes longevity by a mechanism involving hsf‐1.
Impact of reduced insulin‐like growth factor‐1/insulin signaling on aging in mammals: novel findings
Authors: Bartke Andrzej
Published: March 2008

Growth hormone deficiency or resistance resulting from spontaneous or experimentally produced mutations in laboratory mice delay aging and increase lifespan. Alterations in insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and insulin signaling emerged as likely mechanisms linking growth hormone and aging, and increased longevity was reported in mice with selective deletion of IGF‐1 receptor in all tissues or insulin receptor in fat. Recent studies in mice with reduced IGF‐1 levels or deletion of pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A, a protease that cleaves one of the IGF‐1 binding proteins, strongly support the role of IGF‐1 in the control of longevity. Reports of increased lifespan in mice with deletion of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) 1, reduced expression of IRS2, or selective deletion of IRS2 in the brain specifically implicate the IRS‐PI3K‐Akt‐Foxo signaling pathway (which is shared by IGF‐1 and insulin) in the control of aging. These important novel findings also strengthen the evidence for evolutionary conservation of mechanisms regulating lifespan in worms, insects and mammals.
Specific nasal symptoms and symptom‐provoking factors may predict increased risk of developing COPD
Authors: Nihlén Ulf , Montnémery Peter , Andersson Morgan , Persson Carl G. A. , Nyberg Per , Löfdahl Claes‐Göran , Greiff Lennart
Published: March 2008

In a 1992 questionnaire study, we found that certain nasal symptoms and symptom‐provoking factors were associated with prevalence of self‐reported chronic bronchitis/emphysema (CBE). In this follow‐up study, we examined whether any nasal features could predict an increased incidence of self‐reported physician’s diagnosis of CBE/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2000, a survey was performed similar to the one in 1992. Of a paired follow‐up group of 4933 participants aged 28–67 years, 4280 (86·8%) returned the questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) for cumulative incidence (between 1992 and 2000) of self‐reported physician‐diagnosed CBE/COPD and asthma, respectively, were calculated by logistic regression with adjustment for age, gender and smoking habits. Reports of thick, yellow nasal discharge and nasal blockage in 1992 predicted incidence of CBE/COPD: OR 2·3 (1·2–4·2) and 1·8 (1·1–2·8) respectively. Moreover, nasal symptoms provoked by exposure to damp/cold air and tobacco smoke predicted CBE/COPD: OR 3·4 (1·9–6·0) and 2·5 (1·4–4·2). Nasal itching and nasal symptoms provoked by exposure to grass pollen and furred animals predicted incidence of asthma. These results suggest that certain nasal symptoms and nasal symptom‐provoking exposures, different from those commonly associated with asthma, may predict increased risk of developing CBE/COPD. This supports the possibility of nasal co‐morbidity in COPD.
Mixing qualitative research methods in children's geographies
Authors: Hemming Peter J
Published: March 2008

Human geographers are increasingly employing mixed‐method approaches in their research, including in children's geographies, where ‘child‐centred’ methods are often used alongside participant observation and semi‐structured interviews to investigate children's perceptions and experiences. Mixing qualitative methods in this way raises a number of ethical and methodological issues, particularly regarding the changing power relationships between researchers and participants. This article considers the challenges and potential benefits of combining methods from participatory and interpretive approaches through triangulation or ‘crystallisation’. The issues are illustrated through an empirical case study on children, health and exercise in the everyday spaces of the primary school.
Hospital Quality: A PRIDIT Approach
Authors: Lieberthal Robert D.
Published: March 2008

Background. Access to high quality medical care is an important determinant of health outcomes, but the quality of care is difficult to determine.

Objective. To apply the PRIDIT methodology to determine an aggregate relative measure of hospital quality using individual process measures.

Design. Retrospective analysis of Medicare hospital data using the PRIDIT methodology.

Subjects. Four‐thousand‐two‐hundred‐seventeen acute care and critical access hospitals that report data to CMS' Hospital Compare database.

Measures. Twenty quality measures reported in four categories: heart attack care, heart failure care, pneumonia care, and surgical infection prevention and five structural measures of hospital type.

Results. Relative hospital quality is tightly distributed, with outliers of both very high and very low quality. The best indicators of hospital quality are patients given assessment of left ventricular function for heart failure and patients given β‐blocker at arrival and patients given β‐blocker at discharge for heart attack. Additionally, teaching status is an important indicator of higher quality of care.

Conclusions. PRIDIT allows us to rank hospitals with respect to quality of care using process measures and demographic attributes of the hospitals. This method is an alternative to the use of clinical outcome measures in measuring hospital quality. Hospital quality measures should take into account the differential value of different quality indicators, including hospital “demographic” variables.
A randomised controlled trial comparing birthing centre care with delivery suite care in Adelaide, Australia
Authors: Byrne Jennifer P. , Crowther Caroline A. , Moss John R.
Published: March 2008

Birthing centre care offers women with a low risk of complication in pregnancy an alternative to conventional care for the birthing of their baby It is important these two forms of care are appropriately assessed.

A randomised controlled trial comparing the newly opened birthing centre with the established conventional delivery suite was conducted at the then Queen Victoria Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia. The outcomes measured included maternal satisfaction, costs and clinical outcomes both for mother and baby which related to the need for Caesarean section, episiotomy or tear rate and method of feeding.

Two hundred and one women attending the hospital's antenatal clinic were randomly allocated to either birthing centre or delivery suite care. One hundred women were allocated to the birthing centre. No differences were found in either group related to clinical outcomes or costs. The only difference in maternal satisfaction was the choice women made for their next birth. More women in the birthing centre group felt they were encouraged to breastfeed immediately after birth.

While the numbers in this study were too small to detect any but large differences in outcome, birthing centre care should remain an option for women and further studies undertaken with larger numbers.
First trimester ultrasound with nuchal translucency measurement for Down syndrome risk estimation using software developed by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, United Kingdom ‐ the first 2000 examinations in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Authors: O'Callaghan Stephen P. , Giles Warwick B. , Raymond Steve P. , McDougall Veronica , Morris Kris , Boyd Jan
Published: March 2008

In September 1997 screening for Down syndrome using first trimester ultrasound to measure nuchal translucency, with risk estimation by the software program developed in the United Kingdom by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, was introduced in Newcastle, New South Wales.

In the first 2000 such risk estimations 134 women (6.7 %) were screen positive (with a risk of greater than 1 in 300 at that gestation for Trisomy 21). In the first 1000 of these 2000 fetuses delivered thus far there were 8 cases of Trisomy 21, 2 of Trisomy 18 and 1 of 47 XXX. Nine of these 11 were screen positive, the only false negative results being for 2 cases of Trisomy 21. The detection rate for Trisomy 21 was 6 out of 8 (75%) and for every case of Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) detected by this process, 11.3 invasive tests would have been needed to make that diagnosis in a screen positive woman.
Improved patient acceptability with a transdermal drug‐in‐adhesive oestradiol patch
Authors: Lake Yvonne , Pinnock Sylvia
Published: March 2008

The aim of this trial was to assess the relative patient acceptability of two transdermal oestradiol patches used in treatment of oestrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women.

Thirty‐five hysterectomised postmenopausal women with no previous experience of transdermal oestradiol delivery systems received treatment with either once‐weekly drug‐in‐adhesive (DIA) patches or twice‐weekly reservoir patches for 4 weeks, and were then switched to the alternative treatment for a further 4 weeks. At the end of the study, the patients completed a questionnaire to assess their relative preference for a number of characteristics of the 2 transdermal systems and, where possible, their preference for transdermal compared with oral hormone replacement therapy.

Thirty‐one patients completed the study; four withdrew during treatment with the reservoir patch. The DIA patch was preferred for being ‘easiest to remember to apply’ by 80% of patients (p < 0.01), ‘easiest to open’ and ‘easiest to apply’ by 68% (p = 0.025), and as having ‘best cosmetic appearance’ by 65% (p = 0.05) and ‘best overall skin adhesion’ by 61% (p < 0.01). While 10% of patients rated the reservoir patch as ‘least irritating to the skin’ (p = 0.03), only one patient found this patch ‘most comfortable to wear’ (p < 0.01). The DIA patch was selected by 87% of patients as their preferred treatment overall (p = 0.001). Ninety‐one per cent of 22 responding patients were at least as confident of treatment with transdermal patches as with oral hormone replacement therapy (p = 0.006) and 74% of 27 responders preferred transdermal to oral treatment (p = 0.004).

The DIA patch appears to be more acceptable to patients than the reservoir patch as a transdermal oestradiol delivery system for the treatment of postmenopausal oestrogen deficiency. Characteristics of the DIA patch which may account for improved patient acceptance include ease of remembering once‐weekly patch application, improved cosmetic appearance and comfort, and better adhesion.
A prospective study of gestation and birthweight in Aboriginal pregnancies in far north Queensland
Authors: Humphrey Michael , Holzheimer Deborah
Published: March 2008

This study aimed to determine the cause(s) of the increased incidence of low birthweight birth in Aboriginal pregnancies.

The study prospectively examined a cohort of Aboriginal women presenting for antenatal care before 20 weeks gestation (ultrasound proven) and a reference cohort of Caucasian women in four remote North Queensland communities served by the Far North Regional Obstetric and Gynaecological Service (FROGS) and the antenatal clinic at Cairns Base Hospital.

Women with no known medical factors affecting fetal growth or gestation were recruited. Of the 102 Aboriginal and 101 Caucasian women recruited, 96 Aboriginal and 96 Caucasian women completed the study, providing groups of sufficient size to allow statistical assessment at 80% power and 95% significance.

Outcomes measured were gestation at delivery, planned or spontaneous birth, neonatal anthropometric measurements and Dubowitz score.

The phenotypic and demographic characteristics of the women, their pregnancies, and their babies were also compared to understand the major associations with low birthweight birth in the Aboriginal women.

Apart from Aboriginal ethnicity, excessive alcohol use in pregnancy, low maternal body mass index (BMI), and low maternal age had significant negative correlations with birthweight, and excessive tobacco use in pregnancy and high maternal gravidity showed strong similar trends.

Culturally appropriate programs need to be funded and developed to reduce the incidence of low birthweight Aboriginal birth, rather than medical programs primarily aimed at the reduction of the incidence of preterm labour.
Maternal stress and obstetric and infant outcomes: epidemiological findings and neuroendocrine mechanisms
Authors: Austin Marie‐Paule , Leader Leo
Published: March 2008

This review examines the associations between antenatal maternal stress and obstetric and infant outcomes using preterm delivery as the key outcome indicator. This was done by means of a Medline search focusing predominantly on prospective, controlled studies which investigated both the associated epidemiological factors and putative neuroendocrine mechanisms.

There is evidence from a number of United States studies in economically deprived African American women for an association between perceived maternal life event (LE) stress and preterm delivery. The findings from the European studies are conflicting, partly because they combine outcome measures ie. preterm delivery and low birth weight. However the three largest Scandinavian epidemiological studies examining preterm delivery and controlling for con‐founders such as smoking, age and obstetric history, have confirmed this association. These studies taken together suggest that this may be a robust finding not limited to socioeconomically deprived African American samples and independent of other significant risk factors.

Two small prospective studies examining the relationship between the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, psychosocial status and premature delivery have reported a significant association between a set of adverse psychosocial factors on the one hand, and levels of adrenocorticcotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and Cortisol levels, and on the other hand, a significant correlation between CRH levels and premature delivery Clearly, these findings remain preliminary and indicate a complex relationship between perceived stress in pregnancy, the HPA axis and premature delivery. The impact of antenatal maternal stress on infant temperament and psychopathology remains to be examined more fully in prospective controlled trials.
Malignant lymphoma of uterus: a case report with a review of the literature
Authors: Agrawal A. , Oflli G. , Allan TL , Mann BS
Published: March 2008

The female genital tract is rarely the initial manifestation site of malignant lymphomas. Most genital lymphomas arise in the vagina or cervix while those of the uterine corpus are extremely rare. Patients usually present with bleeding, abdominal or pelvic discomfort or back pain but, very infrequently, the tumours are discovered as a result of a routine examination.

Our patient was a 67‐year‐old postmenopausal woman presenting with haematuria and upper abdominal pain. She had several investigations for haematuria including cystoscopy, intravenous urography (IVU) and both renal and pelvic scans. The pelvic scan revealed an enlarged uterus with some calcification suggestive of a fibroid uterus. An abdominal hysterectomy was performed. Histo‐pathology revealed non‐Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma of the uterine corpus. She subsequently had post‐operative chemotherapy.
False metamorphic events inferred from misinterpretation of microstructural evidence and P–T data
Authors: VERNON R. H. , WHITE R. W. , CLARKE G. L.
Published: March 2008

Geometrical relationships involving inclusions and partial inclusions in metamorphic microstructures can be inadequate for inferring an order of crystallization and hence a metamorphic reaction. Unique spatial and/or chemical relationships need to be defined for mineral inclusions, in the context of a reference paragenesis, commonly the matrix assemblage. Corona microstructures are reliable indicators of metamorphic reactions, but require considerable care when used to infer reactions or changes in P–T conditions, owing to kinetic problems, as well as to changes in the effective reaction volume during changes across relatively broad P–T stability fields of assemblages. Mineral equilibria models, most commonly implemented through P–T pseudosections, may allow the order in which different minerals become stable along a given P–T path to be inferred. However, the order in which two minerals become stable may be different from the order in which two grains of these minerals nucleate. Furthermore, such diagrams cannot make predictions about which minerals will form porphyroblasts and which minerals will form inclusions in porphyroblasts. An evaluation of three examples from the Australian Proterozoic shows that modelling, in combination with inclusion‐host relationships, is a powerful tool for understanding the metamorphic evolution of a rock, but involves considerable uncertainty.
Trace‐element distributions in silicates during prograde metamorphic reactions: implications for monazite formation
Authors: CORRIE S. L. , KOHN M. J.
Published: March 2008

To assess the petrogenetic relationship between monazite and major silicates during prograde metamorphism, REE were measured across coexisting zoned silicates in garnet through kyanite‐grade pelitic schists from the Great Smoky Mountains, western Blue Ridge terrane, southern Appalachians, to establish REE concentrations and distributions before and after the monazite‐in isograd, and to identify the role major silicates play in the formation of monazite. Results indicate significant scavenging of light rare‐earth elements (LREE) from silicates during the monazite‐in isograd reaction; however, the absolute concentration of LREE hosted in the silicates was insufficient to produce monazite in the quantity observed in these schists. Monazite must have formed mainly from either the dissolution of allanite or some other source of concentrated LREE (possibly adsorbed onto grain boundaries), even though direct evidence for allanite is lacking in a majority of the samples. Laser‐ablation ICP‐MS analyses and theoretical thermodynamic calculations show that monazite may have formed as a result of contributions from both allanite and major silicates. Allanite breakdown initially formed monazite, and monazite production drew LREE liberated from allanite, major silicates and possibly from crystal boundaries. In many rocks the reaction was further promoted by the staurolite‐in reaction, allowing for rapid, isogradic monazite growth.
Success of Active Revegetation after Tamarix Removal in Riparian Ecosystems of the Southwestern United States: A Quantitative Assessment of Past Restoration Projects
Authors: Bay Robin F. , Sher Anna A.
Published: March 2008

Invasion by the non‐native tree Tamarix has led to implementation of restoration projects aimed at maintaining the ecological integrity of many riparian communities in the southwestern United States. These restoration efforts may include Tamarix removal, manipulation of hydrologic regimes, and active revegetation of native species. The goal of this study was to determine which site characteristics are correlated with restoration success, defined in terms of reductions of undesirable species such as Tamarix and establishment of desirable, native species. To accomplish this, vegetative and environmental data were collected at 28 sites in the southwestern United States where active revegetation was completed after Tamarix removal. These data were incorporated into regression tree models with predictor variables that included number of years since removal (1–18 years) and multiple management, climate, soils, and hydrological variables to determine success of Tamarix control, revegetation success, and general plant community responses. Our results suggest that there are easily measurable site characteristics that are associated with greater native cover and richness, planting success, and Tamarix control. Close proximity to perennial water, sufficient precipitation, recent flooding, and good drainage as well as coarser soil texture, and lower soil pH all favored native species. Overall, those site characteristics associated with native species success were the same as those related to lower Tamarix cover. These quantitative models are intended to assist researchers and land managers to design more effective riparian restoration efforts in this critical arid lands ecosystem.
Impact of Non‐Native Plant Removal on Lizards in Riparian Habitats in the Southwestern United States
Authors: Bateman Heather L. , Chung‐MacCoubrey Alice , Snell Howard L.
Published: March 2008

Many natural processes in the riparian cottonwood (Populus deltoides) forest of the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) in the southwestern United States have been disrupted or altered, allowing non‐native plants such as saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) to establish. We investigated reptilian responses to restoration efforts by sampling communities of lizards at 12 study sites invaded by non‐native plants along the MRG in New Mexico for 7 years (2000–2006). Sites within three regions were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments to remove non‐native plants and woody debris, or as untreated controls. We used pitfall and funnel traps to capture, mark, and release lizards from June to September. Principal components analysis of 15 vegetation variables identified five factors that best explained variation among sites before and after removal of non‐native plants. Relative abundances for four of six common species of lizards were associated with vegetation characteristics that significantly changed after plant removal. Species were either positively associated with the more open, park‐like understory found in treated sites or negatively associated with debris heaps and thickets of non‐native plants found in untreated sites. Eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus consobrinus) and New Mexico whiptails (Aspidoscelis neomexicana) increased in relative abundance after non‐native plants were removed. Overall, removal of non‐native plants seems beneficial, or at least is non‐damaging, to lizard communities of the MRG forest. Providing information on habitat associations of lizard communities will help land managers balance management objectives with other considerations, such as providing important wildlife habitat.
First‐Year Responses of Cheatgrass Following Tamarix spp. Control and Restoration‐Related Disturbances
Authors: Sher Anna A. , Gieck Stephanie , Brown Cynthia S. , Nissen Scott J.
Published: March 2008

Current invasion ecology theory predicts that disturbance will stimulate invasion by exotic plant species. Cheatgrass or Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) was surveyed in three sites near Florence, Colorado, U.S.A., immediately following Tamarisk or Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) control and restoration activities that caused disturbance. Despite predictions to the contrary, neither mowing with heavy machinery nor tilling for seedbed preparation stimulated invasion, with a trend for the opposite pattern such that highest percent cover of B. tectorum was observed in the least disturbed transects. Aerial application of imazapyr for Tamarix spp. control caused mortality of nearly all B. tectorum and other understory plant species in all sites. Mechanical control of Tamarix spp. will not necessarily result in increased abundance of invasive species already present, possibly due to the effects of mulch usually left on‐site. Imazapyr will control B. tectorum and other herbaceous understory species when applied aerially for Tamarix spp. control. These results are encouraging for managers of riparian systems who may fear that control of woody invasives will stimulate herbaceous invasions.
Wide‐Area Estimates of Stand Structure and Water Use of Tamarix spp. on the Lower Colorado River: Implications for Restoration and Water Management Projects
Authors: Nagler Pamela L. , Glenn Edward P. , Didan Kamel , Osterberg John , Jordan Fiona , Cunningham Jack
Published: March 2008

Tamarix spp. removal has been proposed to salvage water and allow native vegetation to recolonize western U.S. riparian corridors. We conducted wide‐area studies on the Lower Colorado River to answer some of the scientific questions about Tamarix water use and the consequences of removal, combining ground surveys with remote sensing methods. Tamarix stands had moderate rates of evapotranspiration (ET), based on remote sensing estimates, averaging 1.1 m/yr, similar to rates determined for other locations on the river and other rivers. Leaf area index values were also moderate, and stands were relatively open, with areas of bare soil interspersed within stands. At three Tamarix sites in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, groundwater salinity at the site nearest to the river (200 m) was relatively low (circa 2,250 mg/L) and was within 3 m of the surface. However, 750 and 1,500 m from the river, the groundwater salinity was 5,000–10,000 mg/L due to removal of water by the Tamarix stands. Despite the high groundwater salinity, the sites away from the river did not have saline surface soils. Only 1% of the mean annual river flow is lost to Tamarix ET on the Lower Colorado River in the United States, and the opportunities for water salvage through Tamarix removal are constrained by its modest ET rates. A possible alternative to Tamarix removal is to intersperse native plants among the stands to improve the habitat value of the riparian zone.
Triosephosphate Isomerase Genes in Two Trophic Modes of Euglenoids (Euglenophyceae) and Their Phylogenetic Analysis
Authors: SUN GUI‐LING , SHEN WANG , WEN JIAN‐FAN
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT. Two different length cDNAs encoding triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) were identified in the two trophic modes of euglenoids, the phototrophic Euglena gracilis and Euglena intermedia and the saprotrophic Astasia longa. Sequence analyses and presequence prediction indicated that the shorter cDNA encodes a cytosolic TIM and the longer cDNA encodes a plastid TIM (pTIM). The typical presequence of the putative A. longa pTIM and the high sequence similarity between A. longa pTIM and E. gracilis pTIM imply that A. longa pTIM is targeted to plastids. Therefore, although the plastids of A. longa have lost the ability of photosynthesis, they might retain other TIM‐related function(s), such as glycolysis and the synthesis of isopentenyl diphosphate or fatty acids. Including the TIM sequences obtained by us from chlorophytes and rhodophytes, our phylogenetic analyses indicated that euglenoid TIMs group neither with TIMs of kinetoplastids, which share the nearest common ancestor with euglenoids, nor are closely related to TIMs of chlorophytes, which are considered to be the donors of euglenoid plastids through secondary endosymbiosis. Instead, they group with TIMs of rhodophytes. In addition, our amino acid sequence alignment and structure modeling showed that TIMs of euglenoids and rhodophytes share a unique 2‐aa insertion within their loop‐4 areas. Therefore, either tim convergent evolution or lateral gene transfer (more probably) might have occurred between euglenoids and rhodophytes after the divergence of euglenoids with kinetoplastids.
Morphology and Infraciliature of Two New Marine Urostylid Ciliates: Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. and Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from China
Authors: SHAO CHEN , SONG WEIBO , AL‐RASHEID KHALED A. S. , YI ZHENZHEN , CHEN XUMIAO , AL‐FARRAJ SALEH A. , AL‐QURAISHY SALEH A.
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT. The morphology and infraciliature of two new marine urostylid ciliates, Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. and Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp., collected from the coastal waters off Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, have been investigated. Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. is characterized by the slender body shape, small size, rose‐reddish cell colour, and having two kinds of pigment‐like granules. The larger pigment‐like granules are yellow–green or grass‐green in colour, oval in shape, and flattened, whereas the smaller ones are wine‐reddish. Infraciliature and nuclear apparatus are similar to the well‐known Metaurostylopsis marina. Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp. is characterized by its large size with dark brown cell colour and grass‐green cortical granules, which are large, blood‐cell shaped, and sparsely distributed. The thigmotactic ciliature is conspicuous: 11–14 rows of densely arranged cirri occupy the most postoral area. Keys are provided for all the known species in both genera.
Encephalopathy with combined lithium‐risperidone administration
Authors: Boora K. , Xu J. , Hyatt J.
Published: March 2008

Objective:  Lithium‐neuroleptics induced encephalopathy is a rare drug interaction. Here I am reporting a patient who developed reversible encepatholopathy with lithium‐risperidone combination.

Method:  A single case report.

Result:  A patient of bipolar disorder, who presented with manic symptoms with psychotic feature, started with a combination of lithium and risperidone. Within few days, the patient developed encepatholopathy, which reversed upon discontinuation of lithium and risperidone.

Conclusion:  Combining lithium and neuroleptic is useful in treatment of bipolar disorder. However, encepatholapthy can be anticipated to result when lithium is used with high potency anti‐psychotic such as haloperidol and risperidone and there are baseline EEG abnormalities.
The cutaneous manifestations of atypical complete DiGeorge syndrome: a histopathologic and immunohistochemical study
Authors: Selim Maria Angelica , Markert Mary L. , Burchette James L. , Herman Christopher M. , Turner John W.
Published: March 2008

DiGeorge syndrome is a congenital anomaly with a constellation of findings that includes thymic hypoplasia. Only a small subset of patients with DiGeorge syndrome has complete athymia, classified as complete DiGeorge anomaly; one third of these patients show an eczematous dermatitis, oligoclonal T‐cells and lymphadenopathy, known as atypical complete DiGeorge anomaly. Six biopsies from six patients with the distinctive clinical phenotype of atypical complete DiGeorge anomaly were studied. Every biopsy showed exocytosis (100%), parakeratosis, often confluent and spongiosis (100%). Neutrophilic abscesses (50%), dyskeratosis (67%) and satellite cell necrosis (50%) were seen. Perieccrine and perivascular inflammation were seen in half of the cases. Eosinophils were identified (83%); most commonly in both the epidermis and dermis. All of lymphocytes were CD3 positive. Most (83%) of cases contained T‐cell intracellular antigen 1 (TIA‐1) positive cells. Special testing of the selected patients using spectratyping identified oligoclonal T‐cell populations. The presence of dyskeratotic keratinocytes, satellite cell necrosis and parakeratotic scale with neutrophils characterizes the cutaneous rash seen in this subset of complete DiGeorge syndrome patients. Such skin lesions from patients with DiGeorge anomaly should alert the pathologist to the potential diagnosis of atypical complete DiGeorge anomaly. The pathophysiologic role of the oligoclonal T‐cells in this entity requires additional study.
Clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue: diagnostic utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Curry Choladda V. , Dishop Megan K. , Hicks M. John , Naeem Rizwan , Reed Jon A. , López‐Terrada Dolores H.
Published: March 2008

A 7‐year‐old girl presented with pain and progressive swelling on the left plantar surface. Biopsy of a 2.5 cm mass showed nests of large round to oval neoplastic cells with abundant amphophilic to clear cytoplasm, prominent nucleoli and high mitotic activity. Occasional cells showed spindled morphology. Infrequent melanin pigment was present. Melanocytic markers (HMB45, S‐100) were diffusely positive. A diagnosis of clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue (CCSS) was made, and the mass was re‐excised with negative margins. 28 months later, a 1.0 cm pulmonary nodule was identified and wedge excision showed metastatic CCSS. Cytogenetics showed a complex karyotype (unbalanced translocation der(12;14)(q10;q10), additional chromosome 22 material of unknown origin). Although the CCSS translocation t(12;22)(q13;q12) was not identified, EWSR1 gene rearrangement was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) showed an EWS‐ATF1 fusion transcript, confirmed by direct sequencing. CCSS requires differentiation from malignant melanoma, because of overlapping clinical presentations, sites of involvement, histomorphology, immunocytochemical profiles and ultrastructure. In many circumstances, definitive diagnosis is only possible with confirmation of the CCSS‐defining translocation.
Atypical distinctive dermal clear cell mesenchymal neoplasm arising in the scalp
Authors: Gavino Alde Carlo P. , Pitha Jan V. , Bakshi Nasir A.
Published: March 2008

Distinctive dermal clear cell mesenchymal neoplasm (DDCCMN) is a newly described entity characterized by a dermal proliferation of neoplastic cells with clear to reticulated cytoplasm and vesicular nuclei. Atypical features in the form of nuclear pleomorphism and mitoses may be found. The histogenesis of these neoplastic clear cells is not currently known but they are thought to be mesenchymal in origin. Immunohistochemically, they stain positively for NKI‐C3 and negatively for melanocytic, epithelial and lymphoid markers. All five cases originally reported by Lazar and Fletcher occurred in the lower extremities. We report herein a case of DDCCMN with atypical features arising in the scalp.
Synchronous onset of multiple cutaneous neuroendocrine (Merkel cell) carcinomas localized to the scalp
Authors: Satter Elizabeth K. , DeRienzo Damian P.
Published: March 2008

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare aggressive neoplasm that typically presents as a solitary nodule or plaque on sun‐exposed skin of the elderly. Although multiple MCC have been described, they are rare, and metastases must be excluded. We report a case of a 59‐year‐old white male who presented with abrupt onset of multiple small bluish papules on his frontal scalp. On low power, the tumor had the overall histological silhouette of a nodular basal cell carcinoma. However, because of the lack of an epithelial connection and the cell’s cytomorphological features, a MCC was considered and was subsequently confirmed using immunohistochemical stains. The MCC described in this report is unusual in that it presented as multiple cutaneous lesions that arose synchronously, along with micrometastases to sentinel lymph nodes.