bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A brief history of mammalian coat colour genetics.
Authors: Lauvergne J. J.
Published: October 2011

The study of coat colour genes of mammals can be traced back to the rediscovery of Mendel's laws in 1900. A phenotypic homology of coat colour loci based on a phenotypic similarity of allelic series has been demonstrated and is known as
comparative coat colour genetics
. This homology has been verified by molecular genetics. Loci controlling coat colour in mammals are numerous: more than 280 have been discovered in genetic analysis of the mouse, the leading laboratory species. Loci for which mutants have been kept in breeding species (mainly farm animals) are less numerous because only viable alleles have been saved. The colour loci are highly pleiotropic, being involved not only in coat colour pigmentation but also in many other biological processes. The comparative study of DNA chains of numerous variants in several species may help to follow evolution at the locus level in mammals. The colour mutants that segregate in those domesticated populations termed the
primary populations
may be used as markers to follow genetic dynamics after domestication.
Flowering time control in annual legumes: prospects in a changing global climate.
Authors: Nelson M. N. , Berger J. D. , Erskine W.
Published: October 2011

Precise control of the time of flowering is critically important for plants in natural and agricultural settings. This is achieved through complex interactions of external environmental cues with internal molecular signalling pathways. In this review, we summarize current understanding of floral induction pathways in model and legume crop species. We identify gaps in our mechanistic understanding of floral induction with special reference to the photothermal phenological model that is underpinned by a wealth of empirical data in many legume crop species. We discuss the importance of matching phenology with agricultural environment, using three case studies to highlight the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change expected over the coming decades. We discuss the significant role that gene-based, diagnostic markers could play in the phenological characterization of breeding populations. We conclude by outlining research priorities that will enable us to meet the challenges of adapting our crops to changing environments.
Prediction of plant diseases through modelling and monitoring airborne pathogen dispersal.
Authors: Pan Z. , Li X. , Yang X. B. , Andrade D. , Xue L. , McKinney N.
Published: October 2011

Many plant diseases that spread by airborne inocula have had major economic and social impacts worldwide. Plant diseases account for 16% of the yield losses in eight of the most important food and cash crops. Numerical models and monitoring networks have been developed to forecast the spread of these diseases both locally and over long distances. The epidemics of these airborne diseases depend on production of infectious propagules, their aerial transport, specific infectiousness and finally their reproduction. This article first reviews current understanding of these processes with an emphasis on their treatments in disease forecast models as well as the uncertainties the treatments introduce. Then we discuss the concepts and frameworks of forecast models that are broadly classified into epidemic models and aerobiological models and, finally, we present an example of the application of these modelling approaches to soybean rust forecasting.
Anthocyanins and weight loss.
Authors: Prior R. L.
Published: October 2011

This review evaluates the available scientific literature relative to anthocyanins and weight loss and/or obesity with mention of other effects of anthocyanins on pathologies that are closely related to obesity. Although there is considerable popular press coverage concerning anthocyanins and weight loss, there are no controlled clinical trials directly supporting beneficial effects of anthocyanins in a weight loss programme. Purified anthocyanins from varying sources have been shown to decrease lipid deposition in rodent models of obesity. However, in the few studies where the anthocyanins were consumed as a part of the whole food or berry, anti-obesity effects have not generally been observed. An exception is the case of whole blueberry, where effects were observed that protected against some of the pathologies associated with obesity including inflammation. Studies reviewed have provided an overview of the gene expression profiles in human and rodent adipocytes treated with anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have been shown to regulate adipocytokine gene expression, to ameliorate adipocyte dysfunction related to obesity and diabetes and merit further investigation. Additional research is needed to understand mechanisms whereby anthocyanins might influence obesity. Alterations in lipogenesis and lipolysis in adipose tissue as well as in numerous adipokine and cytokine signalling pathways have been suggested to explain the effects of anthocyanins on the development of obesity.
Assessing risk across the spectrum of weed management.
Authors: Downey P. O. , Johnson S. B. , Virtue J. G. , Williams P. A.
Published: October 2011

A range of risk assessment systems has been applied to the field of weed management globally to address the ever-growing problem of plant invasions. Here, we review the development of risk assessment and management systems across the spectrum of weed management, spanning pre-border (quarantine), post-border (generally aimed at eradication and containment) and the protection of environmental assets. These systems have been developed using broader risk management frameworks, enabling consistency with a range of other agreements and strategies (e.g. pre-border with international phytosanitary measures). While a weed risk assessment system (pre-border) has been developed and widely tested/adopted, post-border systems, especially for established weed species, have been more varied in their nature and application. For example, a triage system has been outlined only recently for managing the current risks of established or widespread weeds to native species. This review also highlights a range of other weed management areas in which risk assessment systems have been applied (e.g. invasion pathways) and where further progress is needed in the current systems to make them more robust. By assessing risk across the spectrum of weed management, we have demonstrated the role of each system and how they link together to address the majority of the spectrum. The application of risk assessment procedures has helped to create systems that aim to prevent, eradicate, contain and protect assets from the effects of weed invasions, the legacy of which will be long lasting, globally.
Myths based in science and medicine - how they initiate, propagate and the role of peer-review research in dispelling them.
Authors: Vetter R. S.
Published: October 2011

Myths are an integral aspect of the psychology of human culture. They function to help explain the mysteries of the vast world and beyond, providing explanations for natural phenomena, alleviating anxiety and attempting to make sense of a complex world. Although they abound in the general population, myths also occur in science and medicine such that their development within these specialized fields of assumed fastidiously derived knowledge can sometimes expand into the general public where the myths gain great acceptance. However, some of these myths are based on incorrect information and are honed or pushed forward by the psychological tendencies of humans to want explanations for what we see. The unknown is unsettling and possibly threatening, hence, an explanation, no matter how specious, functions to fill a void. There are many psychological and medical mechanisms that generate and propagate myths and prevent their destruction. Nonetheless, by subjecting these myths to the scientific process of falsifiability, the incorrect ones can be assailed and hopefully replaced with information that is more evidence based. After a general review of the psychology of myths and how science offers a regulating influence, several examples of myths are presented from the world of spiders. These spider myths differ in their origins, how they were propagated and how they were falsified by using the scientific process. Disproving a myth is merely one step; getting the believers of the myth to rescind their line of thinking is yet another matter.
Evaluating the benefits and risks of neutering dogs and cats.
Authors: McKenzie B.
Published: October 2011

Neutering consists of removing the source of the hormones that control reproduction and determine secondary sexual characteristics. In dogs and cats, this is most commonly accomplished by castration or ovariectomy. While the primary purpose of neutering is to prevent reproduction, the procedure may have other physical and behavioural effects. Epidemiologic research has identified many beneficial and harmful outcomes associated with neutering. A definitively causal relationship between these outcomes and neuter status cannot be accepted without consistent evidence from multiple studies of adequate size and quality. However, consideration of the possible health consequences of these associations is warranted when offering owners recommendations concerning neutering. An evidence-based decision about neutering a particular pet requires integrating relevant research data with the veterinarian's clinical expertise and the needs and circumstances of the patient and owner. It is impossible to precisely predict the outcome of neutering for any individual. However, existing research does allow some generalization about the magnitude and clinical importance of specific risks and benefits. Overall, it appears justified to recommend spaying all females not intended for breeding, because the procedure is more likely to prevent rather than cause disease. In male dogs, the benefits of castration are not so clearly greater than the risks. The evidence is also mixed regarding the risks and benefits of neutering dogs before 5-6 months of age, and so no strong recommendation for or against the practice can be made. However, it is clear that spaying female dogs before their first heat is preferable to spaying them later.
Food diaries: use of new technology versus the written record.
Authors: Yoshiuchi K. , Inada S. , Kikuchi H.
Published: October 2011

In this article, we review the recent literature on the use of personal digital assistant (PDA)-based diaries for self-monitoring of food intake. PDA-based food diaries may overcome some of the disadvantages of traditional paper-and-pencil diaries. For example, the date and time of recording can be stamped in the PDA at each entry, while paper-and-pencil diaries make it virtually impossible for clinicians or researchers to determine when data were entered; therefore, the date-and-time-stamp may improve the validity of the diary data. In addition, PDA-based food diaries do not require the subjects to look up nutrient values and calculate subtotal and total nutrient values for each meal. However, the accuracy of use of a PDA-based food diary has been validated only for a few applications, and several issues remain to be addressed. Many studies on adherence to the use of PDA-based food diaries have found that an ideal level of adherence was not achieved. Furthermore, the advantage of PDA-based food diaries over paper-and-pencil diaries has not been confirmed, although several pilot studies have shown the value of PDA-based diaries for weight loss and improvement of diabetes control. Therefore, future studies are needed to develop strategies to improve adherence and to establish the efficacy of PDA-based food diaries.
Contract law and wind energy on farms.
Authors: Geyer L. L.
Published: October 2011

Landowners may approach or may be approached by a wind development company to contract a portion of their land for a wind farm. Wind farms now produce 2% of electric energy needs. Some believe wind energy could provide 20% of our electrical needs. Touted as 'green' energy, wind farms have received tax incentives to build. But wind farms require two of a landowner's assets: wind and an access to land for turbines and transmission wire placement. As in any contractual arrangements, both parties must understand the terms of the contract and the pitfalls of the contract. The money for the farm may glitter until the landowner and their lawyer reviews the hundreds of contractual provisions that must be resolved. Mistakes on the part of parties can result in a transfer of wind or land rights for all time and allow practices that could cost the landowner money and land. Landowners must do their homework and review over 200 issues that can make or break a financial deal. Not all land is worthy of a wind turbine and not all developers have the ability to address the legal needs of the landowner. Wind farms can be forever. Never sign your name to a one-way prison ship or a wind farm contract without consulting your lawyer.
Molecular communication between plant pollen and pistils.
Authors: Allen A. M. , Hiscock S. J.
Published: October 2011

The pollen-pistil interaction comprises a diverse set of simultaneous and interacting processes between the male gametophyte (pollen) and the female reproductive organ (pistil). Determining the molecular basis of the cross-talk that occurs between pollen and pistil tissues during pollination is vital, because the world's population depends on the biological process of plant fertilization for food, both directly (cereal crops) and indirectly (the consumption of animals fed on fodder crops). Recently, several advances have been made to identify molecules that mediate specific events during the pollen-pistil interaction. However, despite the identification of an increasing number of molecules implicated in pollen-pistil interactions there are few examples of conserved genes between species, suggesting that different taxa have employed alternative molecular mechanisms for achieving successful reproduction, as has been illustrated by the diverse range of self-incompatibility (SI) mechanisms identified to date.
Tackling dog obesity by tackling owner attitudes.
Authors: Bland I. , Hill J.
Published: October 2011

Obesity is a growing welfare and health problem facing companion animals. While obesity has underlying genetic and environmental causes, the dog owners' almost complete control of food and exercise mean that any stratagem to control or treat the condition must include and allow for the attitudes of the owner. A greater understanding of how owner attitudes contribute both to the cause and prevention/treatment of dog obesity is required. Treatment and prevention regimes must involve education and constant, measurable outcomes, similar to the programmes seen in human obesity management.
Who's Your Momma? Recognizing Maternal Origin of Juvenile Steelhead Using Injections of Strontium Chloride to Create Transgenerational Marks
Authors: Shippentower Gene E. , Schreck Carl B. , Heppell Scott A.
Published: October 2011

We sought to determine whether a strontium chloride injection could be used to create a transgenerational otolith mark in steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss. Two strontium injection trials and a survey of strontium: calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios in juvenile steelhead from various steelhead hatcheries were conducted to test the feasibility of the technique. In both trials, progeny of fish injected with strontium had significantly higher Sr:Ca ratios in the primordial region of their otoliths, as measured by an electron wavelength dispersive microprobe. In trial 1, the 5,000‐mg/L treatment level showed that 56.8% of the otoliths were correctly classified, 12.2% being misclassified as belonging to the 0‐mg/L treatment. In trial 2, the 20,000‐mg/L treatment level showed that 30.8% of the otoliths were correctly classified, 13.5% being misclassified as belonging to the 0‐mg/L treatment. There were no differences in the fertilization rates of eggs or survival rates of fry between the treatment and control groups. The Sr:Ca ratios in otoliths collected from various hatchery populations of steelhead varied and were greater than those found in otoliths from control fish in both of our injection trials. This study suggests that the marking technique led to recognizable increases in Sr:Ca ratios in some otoliths collected from fry produced by injected females. Not all progeny showed such increases, however, suggesting that the method holds promise but requires further refinement to reduce variation. Overall, there was a correct classification of about 40% across all treatments and trials; the variation in Sr:Ca ratios found among experimental trials and hatcheries indicates that care must be taken if the technique is employed where fish from more than one hatchery could be involved.
Laser Doppler vibrometry on rotating structures in coast-down: resonance frequencies and operational deflection shape characterization
Authors: Martarelli M , Castellini P , Santolini C , Tomasini E P
Published: October 2011

In rotating machinery, variations of modal parameters with rotation speed may be extremely important in particular for very light and undamped structures, such as helicopter rotors or wind turbines. The natural frequency dependence on rotation speed is conventionally measured by varying the rotor velocity and plotting natural frequencies versus speed in the so-called Campbell diagram. However, this kind of analysis does not give any information about the vibration spatial distribution i.e. the mode shape variation with the rotation speed must be investigated with dedicated procedures. In several cases it is not possible to fully control the rotating speed of the machine and only coast-down tests can be performed. Due to the reduced inertia of rotors, the coast-down process is usually an abrupt transient and therefore an experimental technique, able to determine operational deflection shapes (ODSs) in short time, with high spatial density and accuracy, appears very promising. Moreover coast-down processes are very difficult to control, causing unsteady vibrations. Hence, a very efficient approach for the rotation control and synchronous acquisition must be developed. In this paper a continuous scanning system able to measure ODSs and natural frequencies excited during rotor coast-down is shown. The method is based on a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) whose laser beam is driven to scan continuously over the rotor surface, in order to measure the ODS, and to follow the rotation of the rotor itself even in coast-down. With a single measurement the ODSs can be recovered from the LDV output time history in short time and with huge data saving. This technique has been tested on a laboratory test bench, i.e. a rotating two-blade fan, and compared with a series of non-contact approaches based on LDV:

- traditional experimental modal analysis (EMA) results obtained under non-rotating conditions by measuring on a sequence of points on the blade surface excited by an impact hammer,

- continuous scanning LDV measuring the ODS of the structure excited by an impact hammer modulating the laser output,

- tracking laser Doppler vibrometry (TLDV) operating at different rotation speeds under stationary conditions,

- tracking continuous scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (TCSLDV) operating at different rotation speeds under stationary conditions.

EMA and TLDV have been performed over the same grid of points sufficiently dense to have ODSs with adequate spatial resolution, it requiring long measurement time. The application of different techniques allowed us to completely characterize the tested bladed rotor and to validate the continuous scanning application to transient rotator processes.
The Cucumber vein yellowing virus Silencing Suppressor P1b Can Functionally Replace HCPro in Plum pox virus Infection in a Host-Specific Manner
Authors: Carbonell Alberto , Dujovny Gabriela , García Juan Antonio , Valli Adrian
Published: October 2011

Plant viruses of the genera Potyvirus and Ipomovirus (Potyviridae family) use unrelated RNA silencing suppressors (RSS) to counteract antiviral RNA silencing responses. HCPro is the RSS of Potyvirus spp., and its activity is enhanced by the upstream P1 protein. Distinctively, the ipomovirus Cucumber vein yellowing virus (CVYV) lacks HCPro but contains two P1 copies in tandem (P1aP1b), the second of which functions as RSS. Using chimeras based on the potyvirus Plum pox virus (PPV), we found that P1b can functionally replace HCPro in potyviral infections of Nicotiana plants. Interestingly, P1a, the CVYV protein homologous to potyviral P1, disrupted the silencing suppression activity of P1b and reduced the infection efficiency of PPV in Nicotiana benthamiana. Testing the influence of RSS in host specificity, we found that a P1b-expressing chimera poorly infected PPV's natural host, Prunus persica. Conversely, P1b conferred on PPV chimeras the ability to replicate locally in cucumber, CVYV's natural host. The deleterious effect of P1a on PPV infection is host dependent, because the P1aP1b-expressing PPV chimera accumulated in cucumber to higher levels than PPV expressing P1b alone. These results demonstrate that a potyvirus can use different RSS, and that particular RSS and upstream P1-like proteins contribute to defining the virus host range.
Identification and Fine-Mapping of Xa33, a Novel Gene for Resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Authors: Kumar P. Natraj , Sujatha K. , Laha G. S. , Rao K. Srinivasa , Mishra B. , Viraktamath B. C. , Hari Y. , Reddy C. S. , Balachandran S. M. , Ram T. , Madhav M. Sheshu , Rani N. Shobha , Neeraja C. N. , Reddy G. Ashok , Shaik H. , Sundaram R. M.
Published: October 2011

Broadening of the genetic base for identification and transfer of genes for resistance to insect pests and diseases from wild relatives of rice is an important strategy in resistance breeding programs across the world. An accession of Oryza nivara, International Rice Germplasm Collection (IRGC) accession number 105710, was identified to exhibit high level and broad-spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. In order to study the genetics of resistance and to tag and map the resistance gene or genes present in IRGC 105710, it was crossed with the bacterial blight (BB)-susceptible varieties ‘TN1’ and ‘Samba Mahsuri’ (SM) and then backcrossed to generate backcross mapping populations. Analysis of these populations and their progeny testing revealed that a single dominant gene controls resistance in IRGC 105710. The BC1F2 population derived from the cross IRGC 105710/TN1//TN1 was screened with a set of 72 polymorphic simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers distributed across the rice genome and the resistance gene was coarse mapped on chromosome 7 between the SSR markers RM5711 and RM6728 at a genetic distance of 17.0 and 19.3 centimorgans (cM), respectively. After analysis involving 49 SSR markers located between the genomic interval spanned by RM5711 and RM6728, and BC2F2 population consisting of 2,011 individuals derived from the cross IRGC 105710/TN1//TN1, the gene was fine mapped between two SSR markers (RMWR7.1 and RMWR7.6) located at a genetic distance of 0.9 and 1.2 cM, respectively, from the gene and flanking it. The linkage distances were validated in a BC1F2 mapping population derived from the cross IRGC 105710/SM//2 × SM. The BB resistance gene present in the O. nivara accession was identified to be novel based on its unique map location on chromosome 7 and wider spectrum of BB resistance; this gene has been named Xa33. The genomic region between the two closely flanking SSR markers was in silico analyzed for putatively expressed candidate genes. In total, eight genes were identified in the region and a putative gene encoding serinethreonine kinase appears to be a candidate for the Xa33 gene.
Molecular Identification of Two Vegetative Compatibility Groups of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae
Authors: Southwood Michael J. , Viljoen Altus , Mostert Glaudina , McLeod Adéle
Published: October 2011

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae, which causes basal rot of onion, consists of seven vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs 0420 to 0426) and several single-member VCGs (SMVs). F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae populations in South Africa and Colorado each consist of one main VCG (namely, VCG 0425 and 0421, respectively). The aim of this study was to develop sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers for the identification of VCGs 0425 and 0421, using 79 previously characterized F. oxysporum isolates. A second aim was to investigate the prevalence of VCG 0425 among 88 uncharacterized South African onion F. oxysporum isolates using (i) the developed SCAR markers and (ii) inter-retrotransposon (IR)- and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting. Only two RAPD primers provided informative fingerprints for VCG 0425 isolates but these could not be developed into SCAR markers, although they provided diagnostic fragments for differentiation of VCG 0425 from VCG 0421. IR fingerprinting data were used to develop a multiplex IR-SCAR polymerase chain reaction method for the identification of VCG 0421, VCG 0425, and SMV 4 isolates as a group. Molecular identification of the uncharacterized collection of 88 F. oxysporum isolates (65 F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae and 23 F. oxysporum isolates nonpathogenic to onion) confirmed that VCG 0425 is the main VCG in South Africa, with all but 3 of the 65 F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae isolates having the molecular characteristics of this VCG. Genotyping and VCG testing showed that two of the three aforementioned isolates were new SMVs (SMV 6 and SMV 7), whereas the third (previously known as SMV 3) now belongs to VGC 0247.
The causes of epistasis
Authors: de Visser J. Arjan G. M. , Cooper Tim F. , Elena Santiago F.
Published: October 2011

Since Bateson's discovery that genes can suppress the phenotypic effects of other genes, gene interactions—called epistasis—have been the topic of a vast research effort. Systems and developmental biologists study epistasis to understand the genotype–phenotype map, whereas evolutionary biologists recognize the fundamental importance of epistasis for evolution. Depending on its form, epistasis may lead to divergence and speciation, provide evolutionary benefits to sex and affect the robustness and evolvability of organisms. That epistasis can itself be shaped by evolution has only recently been realized. Here, we review the empirical pattern of epistasis, and some of the factors that may affect the form and extent of epistasis. Based on their divergent consequences, we distinguish between interactions with or without mean effect, and those affecting the magnitude of fitness effects or their sign. Empirical work has begun to quantify epistasis in multiple dimensions in the context of metabolic and fitness landscape models. We discuss possible proximate causes (such as protein function and metabolic networks) and ultimate factors (including mutation, recombination, and the importance of natural selection and genetic drift). We conclude that, in general, pleiotropy is an important prerequisite for epistasis, and that epistasis may evolve as an adaptive or intrinsic consequence of changes in genetic robustness and evolvability.
A molecular palaeobiological hypothesis for the origin of aplacophoran molluscs and their derivation from chiton-like ancestors
Authors: Vinther Jakob , Sperling Erik A. , Briggs Derek E. G. , Peterson Kevin J.
Published: October 2011

Aplacophorans have long been argued to be basal molluscs. We present a molecular phylogeny, including the aplacophorans Neomeniomorpha (Solenogastres) and Chaetodermomorpha (Caudofoveata), which recovered instead the clade Aculifera (Aplacophora + Polyplacophora). Our relaxed Bayesian molecular clock estimates an Early Ordovician appearance of the aculiferan crown group consistent with the presence of chiton-like molluscs with seven or eight dorsal shell plates by the Late Cambrian (approx. 501–490 Ma). Molecular, embryological and palaeontological data indicate that aplacophorans, as well as chitons, evolved from a paraphyletic assemblage of chiton-like ancestors. The recovery of cephalopods as a sister group to aculiferans suggests that the plesiomorphic condition in molluscs might be a morphology similar to that found in monoplacophorans.
Experimental evidence that adult antipredator behaviour is heritable and not influenced by behavioural copying in a wild bird
Authors: Bize Pierre , Diaz Claris , Lindström Jan
Published: October 2011

Knowledge of the relative importance of genetics and behavioural copying is crucial to appraise the evolvability of behavioural consistencies. Yet, genetic and non-genetic factors are often deeply intertwined, and experiments are required to address this issue. We investigated the sources of variation of adult antipredator behaviour in the Alpine swift (
Apus melba
) by making use of long-term behavioural observations on parents and cross-fostered offspring. By applying an ‘animal model’ approach to observational data, we show that antipredator behaviour of adult Alpine swifts was significantly repeatable over lifetime (
r
= 0.273) and heritable (
h
2
= 0.146). Regression models also show that antipredator behaviours differed between colonies and sexes (females were more tame), and varied with the hour and year of capture. By applying a parent–offspring regression approach to 59 offspring that were exchanged as eggs or hatchlings between pairs of nests, we demonstrate that offspring behaved like their biological parents rather than like their foster parents when they were adults themselves. Those findings provide strong evidence that antipredator behaviour of adult Alpine swifts is shaped by genetics and/or pre-hatching maternal effects taking place at conception but not by behavioural copying.
Tissue-Autonomous Promotion of Palisade Cell Development by Phototropin 2 inArabidopsis
Authors: Kozuka Toshiaki , Kong Sam-Geun , Doi Michio , Shimazaki Ken-ichiro , Nagatani Akira
Published: October 2011

Light is an important environmental information source that plants use to modify their growth and development. Palisade parenchyma cells in leaves develop cylindrical shapes in response to blue light; however, the photosensory mechanism for this response has not been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the palisade cell response in phototropin-deficient mutants. First, we found that two different light-sensing mechanisms contributed to the response in different proportions depending on the light intensity. One response observed under lower intensities of blue light was mediated exclusively by a blue light photoreceptor, phototropin 2 (PHOT2). Another response was elicited under higher intensities of light in a phototropin-independent manner. To determine the tissue in which PHOT2 perceives the light stimulus to regulate the response, green fluorescent protein (GFP)–tagged PHOT2 (P2G) was expressed under the control of tissue-specific promoters in the phot1 phot2 mutant background. The results revealed that the expression of P2G in the mesophyll, but not in the epidermis, promoted palisade cell development. Furthermore, a constitutively active C-terminal kinase fragment of PHOT2 fused to GFP (P2CG) promoted the development of cylindrical palisade cells in the proper direction without the directional cue provided by light. Hence, in response to blue light, PHOT2 promotes the development of cylindrical palisade cells along a predetermined axis in a tissue-autonomous manner.
Current status of leprosy: Epidemiology, basic science and clinical perspectives
Authors: SUZUKI Koichi , AKAMA Takeshi , KAWASHIMA Akira , YOSHIHARA Aya , YOTSU Rie R. , ISHII Norihisa
Published: October 2011

Leprosy has affected humans for millennia and remains an important health problem worldwide, as evidenced by nearly 250 000 new cases detected every year. It is a chronic infectious disorder, caused byMycobacterium leprae, that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Recent advances in basic science have improved our knowledge of the disease. Variation in the cellular immune response is the basis of a range of clinical manifestations. The introduction of multidrug therapy has significantly contributed to a decrease in the prevalence of the disease. However, leprosy control activities, including monitoring and prevention programs, must be maintained.
Models predict that culling is not a feasible strategy to prevent extinction of Tasmanian devils from facial tumour disease
Authors: Beeton Nick , McCallum Hamish
Published: October 2011

1. Culling, either of all animals or infected animals only, is often suggested as a way of managing infectious diseases in wildlife populations. However, replicated experiments to investigate culling strategies are often impractical because of costs and ethical issues. Modelling therefore has an important role. Here, we describe a suite of models to investigate the culling of infected animals to control an infectious cancer in the Tasmanian devilSarcophilus harrisii.

2. The Tasmanian devil is threatened by an infectious cancer, Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease. We developed deterministic susceptible, exposed and infectious (SEI) models with differing ways of incorporating the time delays inherent in the system. We used these to investigate the effectiveness for disease suppression of various strategies for the removal of infected animals.

3. The predictions of our models were consistent with empirical time series on host population dynamics and disease prevalence. This implies that they are capturing the essential dynamics of the system to a plausible extent.

4. A previous empirical study has shown that removals every 3 months did not appear to be sufficient to suppress disease in a semi‐isolated infected population. Our models are in accordance with this observed result. The models further predict that while more frequent removals are more likely to be effective, the removal rate necessary to successfully eliminate disease may be too high to be achievable.

5. Synthesis and applications.Our results, in association with a previous experimental study, show that culling is unlikely to be a feasible strategy for managing Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease. Similar conclusions have been reached in studies of other wildlife diseases. We conclude that culling is rarely appropriate for controlling wildlife diseases and should only be attempted if models predict that it will be effective.
Interventions for children's language and literacy difficulties
Authors: Snowling Margaret J. , Hulme Charles
Published: October 2011

Against a backdrop of research on individual differences in reading disorders, this review considers a range of effective interventions to promote reading and language skills evaluated by our group. The review begins by contrasting the reading profiles seen in dyslexia and reading comprehension impairment and then argues that different interventions will be required. It is well established that effective interventions for decoding deficits (dyslexia) involve work on letter–sound knowledge, phonological awareness and reading practice to reinforce emergent skills. In contrast, effective interventions for reading comprehension difficulties involve training to promote oral language skills and text comprehension strategies. Together the findings of controlled trials provide a robust evidence base that can be used to devise plans for the management of pre‐school and school‐aged children with language learning difficulties.
Retail investors exonerated: the case of the January effect
Authors: Henker Julia , Paul Debapriya J.
Published: October 2011

We dispel the belief that the January effect is due to retail investor trading. Previous studies suggest that retail investors, affected by behavioural biases and disproportionally invested in small capitalization stocks, are the source of the January effect. Furthermore, the literature regards retail investor trading and the tax‐loss selling hypothesis as essentially the same explanation. We separate tax implications and market capitalization to show that retail traders are not the cause of the January effect. Our study is an important direct test of whether retail trading causes market anomalies.
Education‐Service Partnership to Promote Best Practices in a Latent Tuberculosis Infection Program
Authors: Belcher Anne , Conner Loretta , Anderson Jennifer M. , Branham Jaclyn , Levett Megan , Paddock Gregory , Printy Jessica , Showalter Rachel , Zonca Mary
Published: October 2011

The education‐service partnership described addresses the challenges presented to local health departments and public health nurses in completing required latent tuberculosis (LTBI) follow‐up in population groups. A service learning partnership between the local health department and a Midwestern university school of nursing resulted in the development of an LTBI follow‐up program that completed contacts with 193 subjects. Populations served by the program included immigrants to the community and workers from several occupational settings. Outcome data from the project included recommendations for the management of the information database for local health department LTBI follow‐up. Nursing students gained an appreciation for the complexities involved in TB surveillance, and improved their cultural competence in the interface with Latino, African, and East European immigrant populations. Students gained first‐hand experience with the current health care system, which resulted in communication challenges between health care providers and economic barriers in compliance with the CDC protocol for LTBI follow‐up. The program demonstrated a successful partnership between service and education with positive results for the LTBI clients and the local health department nurses.
Migraine and the Presidency
Authors: Evans Randolph W.
Published: October 2011

The disclosure that 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has migraines resulted in intense public and physician interest in the migraine of presidents, migraine and potential presidential disability, and the politics of migraine that are reviewed in this article. Jefferson had severe headaches that may have been a migraine variant. Lincoln, Grant, and Wilson were, John Adams and Eisenhower might have been, and Truman and Kennedy may have been migraineurs. First Ladies Abigail Adams, Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Kennedy all suffered from migraines. Although migraines can usually be effectively treated, disabling attacks could occur because of the accentuated triggers of office that could prevent a future president from being temporarily able to discharge the duties of office. The 25th amendment is available to voluntarily transfer powers of office to the vice president even for a short period of time. The current $13 million per year in research funding provided by the National Institutes of Health is clearly inadequate to the task of improving treatment for such a pervasive, disabling disease that so profoundly affects so many Americans including presidential candidates, presidents, and first ladies. A survey of the Southern Headache Society on migraine and presidential disability is also presented.
Rebuilding or Intruding? Media Coverage and Public Opinion on Latino Immigration in Post‐Katrina Louisiana
Authors: Dunaway Johanna , Goidel Robert K. , Kirzinger Ashley , Wilkinson Betina Cutaia
Published: October 2011

Objectives

Few studies fully integrate the interactive effects of political, geographic, and media contexts into studies of public opinion on immigration. We rectify this by utilizing the post‐Katrina Latino immigrant migration to Louisiana as an opportunity for study of these relationships.

Methods

We utilize survey data and content analysis of news coverage to examine the influence of news exposure on attitudes toward immigrants and immigration.

Results

Exposure to immigration news influences the relative importance of immigration to other issues, self‐reported personal contact with Spanish‐speaking populations, and perceptions of the legal status of immigrant populations.

Conclusions

Local news coverage of immigration increases awareness and concern about immigration and heightened news exposure increases perceptions about personal interactions with Spanish‐speaking populations. Additionally, local news coverage of immigration influences the importance of key characteristics of immigrant populations, particularly whether immigrants are here illegally. Tone of coverage, as opposed to amount, exerts the more consistent effect on immigration‐related attitudes.
Civic Engagement and Patriotism
Authors: Richey Sean
Published: October 2011

Objectives

Recent research has shown a link between patriotism and civic participation. This research assumes that the causal arrow flows from patriotism to civic participation, but a counterperspective in the social capital literature assumes that causation runs in the opposite direction, from civic participation to patriotism. I seek to untangle these relationships by positing a bicausal relationship between these beliefs and actions.

Methods

I use a structural equation model of survey data from the 2004 American National Election Studies.

Results

The findings show that constructive patriotism promotes civic participation, and that civic participation separately increases constructive patriotism. Conversely, I also find that blind patriotism lowers civic participation, and that civic participation lowers blind feelings.

Conclusions

This research provides a fuller picture of the relationship of patriotism with civic participation than has been provided previously in political theory or political psychology. These results are then tied to a current debate about the benefits of civic education and service learning.
Policy Venues and Policy Change: The Case of Education Finance Reform
Authors: Cann Damon , Wilhelm Teena
Published: October 2011

Objective

In theU.S. states, policy development can occur in multiple venues. In fact, the likelihood of policy success may be directly related to the policy arena chosen by advocates. In this article, we examine those conditions under which policy reform results in success within education finance reform.

Method

We model the likelihood that successful reform may take place via courts, legislatures, or referenda, and whether it occurs over multiple policy events. We simultaneously estimate the relative probability of the occurrence of different possible policy events (judicial action, legislative action, and referendum) in a given state and year. Our data comprise an exhaustive analysis of all litigation and policy events in education finance over time (1971–2005), for all states.

Results

Our findings indicate court‐ordered policy reform will most likely take place when judicial ideology supports it, while legislative‐ordered reform is meaningfully influenced by the passage of time. We also find that policy reform via direct democracy has a resounding and constraining effect on the other branches of government.

Conclusion

In our conclusions, we evaluate those scenarios in which reform will most likely occur within a specific policy venue, and the possible implications this may have for policy change in the states.
Social Network and Occupational Mobility: A Mathematical Model
Authors: Demchenko Oleg
Published: October 2011

Objectives

This article examines the comparative effectiveness of different types of social ties used by a job seeker and proposes an explanation for the inconsistency in empirical evidence for strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis.

Methods

Granovetter's strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis predicted that in a job search, weak ties (acquaintances) are a more valuable source of information as compared to strong ties (close friends or relatives). However, subsequent empirical research has provided ambiguous support for this hypothesis. To sort out the conflicting results, a mathematical model of the transmission of job information through a contact network has been constructed. Along with the strength of tie, a widely used characteristic of contact, the model also incorporates the work relation of tie.

Results

The model has numerous implications with strong empirical support, as well as propositions going beyond the findings of prior empirical work, which can be evaluated in subsequent studies. It is shown that the effectiveness of a certain type of contact depends on both the ego's status (weak and work‐related contacts are more advantageous for higher‐status workers) and the composition of the ego's network (work‐related contacts promote the effectiveness of weak ties, while strong‐tie contacts hinder the effectiveness of work‐related ties). In particular, it implies that the inconsistency in empirical evidence for the strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis can be explained by the differences in status or the proportion of work‐related contacts in the samples examined.

Conclusion

Work‐related ties play a significant role in the analysis of informal job‐search methods; their incorporation into the model allows one to account for a number of previously unexplained empirical results.
A Reassessment of the Association Between Social Disorganization and Youth Violence in Rural Areas
Authors: Kaylen Maria T. , Pridemore William Alex
Published: October 2011

Objective

To study the association between social disorganization and youth violence rates in rural communities.

Method

We employed rural Missouri counties (N = 106) as units of analysis, measured serious violent victimization data via hospital records, and the same measures of social disorganization as Osgood and Chambers (2000). Controlling for spatial autocorrelation, the negative binomial estimator was used to estimate the effects of social disorganization on youth violence rates.

Results

Unlike Osgood and Chambers, we found only one of five social disorganization measures, the proportion of female‐headed households, to be associated with rural youth violent victimization rates.

Conclusion

Although most research on social disorganization theory has been undertaken on urban areas, a highly cited Osgood and Chambers (2000) study appeared to extend the generalizeability of social disorganization as an explanation of the distribution of youth violence to rural areas. Our results suggest otherwise. We provide several methodological and theoretical reasons why it may be too early to draw strong conclusions about the generalizeability of social disorganization to crime rates in rural communities.
Effect of Insulation Material in Aging Pacing Leads: Comparison of Impedance and Other Electricals
Authors: JOHNSON W. BEN , BRALY ALAN , COBIAN KENNETH , CRAIG MARY B. , VOEGTLIN LOLINE , HADDAD TAREK , McVENES RICK
Published: October 2011

Background: There has been concern over declining bipolar (BP) impedance (Z) in aging polyurethane (PU) cardiac pacing leads. Subsequently, a prospective study was conducted comparing BP Z, threshold (Th), and R‐wave sensing amplitude of 55D PU‐insulated (Model 4024, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) and silicone‐insulated (Model 5024) leads.

Methods: This study was initiated by The Iowa Heart Center. Patients with Model 4024 (N = 162) or 5024 (N = 120) pacing leads with at least 6 years implant time were enrolled and followed for an additional 5 years.

Results: There was a significant drop in the mean BP Z for the Model 4024 population, between enrollment (6 years) and the final endpoint (11 years), which was in contrast to the Model 5024 which did not see a significant drop in its mean BP Z for this same period. The trend difference seen in the means between the two models was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). In addition, a statistically significant relationship was found between dropping BP Z and rising Th (P < 0.0001). The analysis showed that if BP Z dropped below 200 ohms, the probability of having a >3X increase over baseline, in Th at 2.5 V, increases from approximately 3–7% to as high as 30%.

Conclusions: A significant drop in BP Z observed in the PU‐insulated Model 4024 lead was not present in the silicone‐insulated Model 5024 lead. The statistically significant relationship between dropping BP Z and rising Th helps to understand how to better manage patients with aging leads. (PACE 2012; 35:51–57)