bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RN as gatekeeper: gatekeeping as monitoring and supervision
Authors: Brammer Jillian D
Published: June 2008

Aims and objectives.  To understand the variation of ways that students understand the informal or buddy registered nurse role during facilitated clinical experience, and to identify the relationship between student learning and student understanding and experience of the registered nurse role during clinical experience.

Background.  Student clinical experience is an essential aspect of all undergraduate nursing programs. Students expect registered nurses to supervise and support them and to provide learning experiences during clinical placement. Both positive and negative experiences have been reported in the research literature. The quality of the relationship between the registered nurse and the student directly affects the learning outcome for students.

Design.  Qualitative research using a phenomenographic approach.

Methods.  Semi‐structured individual interviews with 24 students from all three years of an undergraduate nursing program at a metropolitan university in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, who voluntarily participated in this study. Interviews were conducted at the completion of a recent clinical experience.

Results.  While adequate monitoring and supervision is an expectation of students, there is a wide variation in the way registered nurses appear to understand this aspect of student learning. In the category of description, ‘registered nurse as gatekeeper: gatekeeping as monitoring and supervision’, student conceptions were identified as: registered nurse awareness, registered nurse vigilance, promoting learning/developing learning and growing (as) students. Students identified their experiences and the strategies they used when monitoring and supervision were lacking or limited.

Conclusions.  The findings of this study illuminate the need for recognition of the complexity of the informal registered nurse role with students and highlight the areas that should be addressed to promote quality student learning experiences.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Registered nurses need adequate preparation for their informal role to support and supervise undergraduate students in clinical placement to ensure the safe development of student competence and confidence for their graduate registered nurse role.
Dispersal and demography contributions to population spread of Carduus nutans in its native and invaded ranges
Authors: Jongejans Eelke , Shea Katriona , Skarpaas Olav , Kelly Dave , Sheppard Andy W. , Woodburn Tim L.
Published: June 2008

Invasive species usually exhibit different spatial population dynamics in their native and invaded range. This is often attributed to demographic differences, but may be due to differences in dispersal as well.

Regardless of how these dispersal and demographic differences from the native range arose, studying how they contributed to increases in population spread rates will increase our understanding of what has made these species invasive. Here we investigate which vital rates and dispersal parameters of the invasive thistle Carduus nutans drive the increases in spread rate in different invaded ranges compared to that in the native range in Eurasia.

We construct and analyse spatial integrodifference models that combine structured, local population models with mechanistic (WALD) models of seed dispersal by wind across a homogeneous landscape. Published and new demographic and dispersal data for single populations from the native (France) and invaded (Australia, New Zealand, Kansas and Pennsylvania) ranges were used for the parameterization.

We developed a variance decomposition method (c*‐LTRE) to analyse the contributions of the changes in the vital rates and dispersal parameters to the increases in the invasion wave speed (c*) estimates for the different invaded ranges compared to that for the native range.

The c*‐LTRE analysis showed that the net contribution of the dispersal parameters to c* increases varied among the populations from 51% (Australia), to 79% (Kansas), to 80% (New Zealand) and to 85% (Pennsylvanian experiment). Escape from natural enemies that reduce seed set by floral herbivory was important in all invaded ranges. Large positive contributions were also made by increases in rapid growth of seedlings and small rosettes, increases in flowering probabilities and potential seed production, as well as by increased plant height and lower falling velocities of the plumed seeds.

Synthesis. By incorporating a mechanistic dispersal model with a structured population model, and by linking this joint model to field data from several continents, we demonstrate the relative importance of dispersal and demography to invasion success. This approach can be used to analyse which aspects of an invader's life history have changed most importantly from the native range.
Modelling long‐distance seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes
Authors: Levey Douglas J. , Tewksbury Joshua J. , Bolker Benjamin M.
Published: June 2008

Long‐distance seed dispersal is difficult to measure, yet key to understanding plant population dynamics and community composition.

We used a spatially explicit model to predict the distribution of seeds dispersed long distances by birds into habitat patches of different shapes. All patches were the same type of habitat and size, but varied in shape. They occurred in eight experimental landscapes, each with five patches of four different shapes, 150 m apart in a matrix of mature forest. The model was parameterized with small‐scale movement data collected from field observations of birds. In a previous study we validated the model by testing its predictions against observed patterns of seed dispersal in real landscapes with the same types and spatial configuration of patches as in the model.

Here we apply the model more broadly, examining how patch shape influences the probability of seed deposition by birds into patches, how dispersal kernels (distributions of dispersal distances) vary with patch shape and starting location, and how movement of seeds between patches is affected by patch shape.

The model predicts that patches with corridors or other narrow extensions receive higher numbers of seeds than patches without corridors or extensions. This pattern is explained by edge‐following behaviour of birds. Dispersal distances are generally shorter in heterogeneous landscapes (containing patchy habitat) than in homogeneous landscapes, suggesting that patches divert the movement of seed dispersers, ‘holding’ them long enough to increase the probability of seed defecation in the patches. Dispersal kernels for seeds in homogeneous landscapes were smooth, whereas those in heterogenous landscapes were irregular. In both cases, long‐distance (> 150 m) dispersal was surprisingly common, usually comprising approximately 50% of all dispersal events.

Synthesis. Landscape heterogeneity has a large influence on patterns of long‐distance seed dispersal. Our results suggest that long‐distance dispersal events can be predicted using spatially explicit modelling to scale‐up local movements, placing them in a landscape context. Similar techniques are commonly used by landscape ecologists to model other types of movement; they offer much promise to the study of seed dispersal.
Trait interactions help explain plant invasion success in the German flora
Authors: Küster Eva C. , Kühn Ingolf , Bruelheide Helge , Klotz Stefan
Published: June 2008

The search for characteristics that promote invasion success constitutes one of the most challenging tasks in invasion ecology. So far the main focus in multispecies studies of plant invasion success has been on single traits. Only few generalizations have emerged from this work and single traits yielded very limited explanatory power for invasion success. Here we hypothesize that the consideration of ecological strategies, determined by different combinations of traits, will improve explanatory power.

To test this hypothesis we analysed the relative importance of 40 traits for species’ invasion success in the German neophytic flora. Success was expressed as map grid cell frequency. After quantifying the relevance of single traits, we quantified the importance of different trait combinations for invasion success by calculating a multiple trait model, with explicit consideration of trait interactions. In all analyses we considered the effects of phylogeny.

In general, neither single traits nor phylogenetic relatedness held much explanatory power. In contrast, the amount of variation explained in the multiple trait model was distinctly higher, mainly due to the incorporation of trait interactions. Thus, particular combinations of trait attributes rather than distinctive attributesper seappear to be associated with invasion success.

In single trait analysis, traits associated with flowering and reproductive biology, and with ecological tolerance and the residence time of the species were significantly associated with invasion success. Multiple trait analysis revealed that the relationship between the length of flowering season and invasion success was contingent upon pollination modes. Moreover, the success of polyploids and of species with certain vegetative reproductive trait attributes depended on the species’ flowering phenology.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that different ecological strategies, determined by particular combinations of traits, can facilitate plant invasion success. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating trait interactions when testing for characteristics that promote plant invasion success. Improved explanatory power of traits suggests that our new approach can provide an important step forward in the risk assessment and management of new arrivals in regional floras.
Relationships between craniofacial pain and bruxism*
Authors: SVENSSON P. , JADIDI F. , ARIMA T. , BAAD‐HANSEN L. , SESSLE B. J.
Published: June 2008

Summary  A still commonly held view in the literature and clinical practice is that bruxism causes pain because of overloading of the musculoskeletal tissue and craniofacial pain, on the other hand, triggers more bruxism. Furthermore, it is often believed that there is a dose–response gradient so that more bruxism (intensity, duration) leads to more overloading and pain. Provided the existence of efficient techniques to treat bruxism, it would be straightforward in such a simple system to target bruxism as the cause of pain and hence treat the pain. Of course, human biological systems are much more complex and therefore, it is no surprise that the relationship between bruxism and pain is far from being simple or even linear. Indeed, there are unexpected relationships, which complicate the establishment of adequate explanatory models. Part of the reason is the complexity of the bruxism in itself, which presents significant challenges related to operationalized criteria and diagnostic tools and underlying pathophysiology issues, which have been dealt with in other reviews in this issue. However, another important reason is the multifaceted nature of craniofacial pain. This review will address our current understanding of classification issues, epidemiology and neurobiological mechanisms of craniofacial pain. Experimental models of bruxism may help to further the understanding of the relationship between craniofacial pain and bruxism in addition to insights from intervention studies. The review will enable clinicians to understand the reasons why simple cause–effect relationships between bruxism and craniofacial pain are inadequate and the current implications for management of craniofacial pain.
Rehabilitation of the worn dentition*
Authors: JOHANSSON A. , JOHANSSON A.‐K. , OMAR R. , CARLSSON G. E.
Published: June 2008

Summary  The purpose of this review was to evaluate the literature on the rehabilitation of tooth wear, with some pertinent historical, epidemiological and aetiological aspects of tooth wear provided as background information. In historical skull material, extensive tooth wear, assumed to be the result of coarser diets, was found even in relatively young individuals. Such wear is seldom seen in current populations. Although many of the factors associated with extensive tooth wear in historical material are no longer present or prevalent, new risk factors have emerged. In the young individual, the literature points to a global rise in soft drink consumption as the most significant factor in the development of tooth wear through dental erosion. Among older individuals, lifestyle changes and chronic diseases that are controlled with medications that may, in turn, result in regurgitation and/or dry mouth, are possible reasons amongst others for the widespread clinical impression of an increasing prevalence of tooth wear. The aetiology of tooth wear is multifactorial and the role of bruxism is not known. Clinical controlled trials of restorative and prosthodontic approaches for the range of clinical conditions that wear can give rise to, are limited in number and quality. Equally, the striking lack of evidence regarding the long‐term outcomes of treatment methods and materials calls for caution in clinical decision‐making. Notwithstanding these observations, clinicians have provided and continue to provide rehabilitative strategies for managing their patients’ worn dentitions that range traditionally from extensive prosthodontics to an increasing reliance on adhesive techniques.
A Proliferation of Pathogens through the 20th Century
Authors: Cunliffe J.
Published: June 2008

A substantial proportion of immunologists, microbiologists and health professionals – and, indeed, many dictionaries – currently regard the term pathogen as a synonym for a pathogenic organism (most often a micro‐organism). I will argue that this is a distortion of its original meaning –‘a specific causative agent of disease’. An analysis of the historical use of the term pathogen together with a comparison of the meanings of pathogen, pathogenic and pathogenesis suggest that this was an insidious change. It began as a convenient abbreviation, escalated into a misappropriation and is now lodged in bio‐medicine’s popular lexicon. In science, we should resist the pressures brought about by the mass action of common usage – unless there is a good, logical reason to accept this change. I propose that this common usage results in a distortion and leads to conceptual confusion, particularly when we try to understand the interaction between hosts and invasive organisms. This drift, in which pathogen becomes exclusively a living organism, is corrupting. There is a strong case for correcting and reversing it.
A critical role of two positively charged amino acids in the Jas motif of Arabidopsis JAZ proteins in mediating coronatine‐ and jasmonoyl isoleucine‐dependent interactions with the COI1 F‐box protein
Authors: Melotto Maeli , Mecey Christy , Niu Yajie , Chung Hoo Sun , Katsir Leron , Yao Jian , Zeng Weiqing , Thines Bryan , Staswick Paul , Browse John , Howe Gregg A. , He Sheng Yang
Published: June 2008

Coronatine is an important virulence factor produced by several pathovars of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. The structure of coronatine is similar to that of a class of plant hormones called jasmonates (JAs). An important step in JA signaling is the SCFCOI1 E3 ubiquitin ligase‐dependent degradation of JAZ repressor proteins. We have recently shown that jasmonoyl isoleucine (JA‐Ile) promotes physical interaction between Arabidopsis JAZ1 and COI1 (the F‐box component of SCFCOI1) proteins, and that the JA‐Ile‐dependent COI1–JAZ1 interaction could be reconstituted in yeast cells (i.e. in the absence of other plant proteins). Here we show that coronatine, but not its two biosynthetic precursors, also promotes interaction between Arabidopsis COI1 and multiple JAZ proteins. The C‐terminal Jas motif, but not the N‐terminal (NT) domain or central ZIM domain of JAZ proteins, is critical for JA‐Ile/coronatine‐dependent interaction with COI1. Two positively charged amino acid residues in the Jas domain were identified as essential for coronatine‐dependent COI1–JAZ interactions. Mutations of these two residues did not affect the ability of JAZ1 and JAZ9 to interact with the transcription factor AtMYC2. Importantly, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing JAZ1 carrying these two mutations exhibited JA‐insensitive phenotypes, including male sterility and enhanced resistance to P. syringae infection. These results not only suggest that coronatine and JA‐Ile target the physical interaction between COI1 and the Jas domain of JAZ repressors, but also illustrate the critical role of positively charged amino acids in the Jas domain in mediating the JA‐Ile/coronatine‐dependent JAZ interaction with COI1.
AtEHDs, novel Arabidopsis EH‐domain‐containing proteins involved in endocytosis
Authors: Bar Maya , Aharon Maya , Benjamin Sigi , Rotblat Barak , Horowitz Mia , Avni Adi
Published: June 2008

Endocytosis is an essential process by which the eukaryotic cell internalizes exogenous material. Studies in yeast and mammalian cells have revealed that endocytosis is a complex molecular process depending on regulated interactions between a variety of proteins and lipids through specific modules. One such module is the Eps15 homology (EH) domain, a conserved modular protein‐interaction domain found in several endocytic proteins. The EH‐domain‐containing proteins function as regulators of endocytosis through their ability to interact with other proteins involved in this process. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of two Arabidopsis EH‐domain‐containing proteins (AtEHD1 and AtEHD2). We show that the two proteins are involved in endocytosis in plant systems and demonstrate that the Arabidopsis EHD proteins function similarly to mammalian EHDs. Similarly to hEHD2, over‐expression of AtEHD2 has an inhibitory effect on endocytosis. While transgenic plants over‐expressing AtEHD1 had no detectable phenotype, downregulation of AtEHD1 caused retardation of entry of endocytosed material into plant cells.
BARE retrotransposons produce multiple groups of rarely polyadenylated transcripts from two differentially regulated promoters
Authors: Chang Wei , Schulman Alan H.
Published: June 2008

The BARE retrotransposon family comprises more than 104 copies in the barley (Hordeum vulgare) genome. The element is bounded by long terminal repeats (LTRs, 1829 bp) containing promoters and RNA‐processing motifs required for retrotransposon replication. Members of the BARE1 subfamily are transcribed, translated, and form virus‐like particles. Very similar retrotransposons are expressed as RNA and protein in other cereals and grasses. The BARE2 subfamily is, however, non‐autonomous because it cannot produce the GAG capsid protein. The pattern of plant development implies that inheritance of integrated copies should critically depend, in the first instance, on cell‐specific and tissue‐specific expression patterns. We examined transcription of BARE within different barley tissues and analyzed the promoter function of the BARE LTR. The two promoters of the LTR vary independently in activity by tissue. In embryos TATA1 was almost inactive, whereas transcription in callus appears to be less tightly regulated than in other tissues. Deletion analyses of the LTR uncovered strong positive and negative regulatory elements. The promoters produce multiple groups of transcripts that are distinct by their start and stop points, by their sequences, and by whether they are polyadenylated. Some of these groups do not share the common end structures needed for template switching during replication. Only about 15% of BARE transcripts are polyadenylated. The data suggest that distinct subfamilies of transcripts may play independent roles in providing the proteins and replication templates for the BARE retrotransposon life cycle.
Differential regulation of two glutamine synthetase genes by a single Dof transcription factor
Authors: Rueda‐López Marina , Crespillo Remedios , Cánovas Francisco M. , Ávila Concepción
Published: June 2008

The PpDof5 transcription factor from maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) is a regulator of the expression of glutamine synthetase (GS) genes in photosynthetic and non‐photosynthetic tissues. PpDof5 mRNA is detected almost ubiquitously during pine development with low levels of gene expression in green tissues and much higher levels in roots and lignified shoots. The PpDof5 protein expressed in bacteria binds to oligonucleotide probes containing the AAAG core sequence derived from the promoters of GS1a and GS1b genes. Transient expression experiments in agroinfiltrated tobacco leaves and in pine protoplasts demonstrated that PpDof5 is able to trans‐regulate differentially the transcription of both GS1a and GS1b. PpDof5 activated transcription of the GS1b promoter and, in contrast, behaved as a transcriptional repressor of the GS1a promoter. These results support a regulatory mechanism for the transcriptional control of the spatial distribution of cytosolic GS isoforms in pine. Considering the precise expression patterns of GS1 genes required to fulfil the ammonium assimilation requirements during tree development, we hypothesize that PpDof5 could have a key role in the control of ammonium assimilation for glutamine biosynthesis in conifers. A regulatory model of GS1 gene expression in pine is proposed.
Activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma suppresses mast cell maturation involved in allergic diseases
Authors: Tachibana M. , Wada K. , Katayama K. , Kamisaki Y. , Maeyama K. , Kadowaki T. , Blumberg R. S. , Nakajima A.
Published: June 2008

Background:  Mast cells play a central role in allergic and inflammatory diseases. Several reports indicated role of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) on mast cell function. However, there is no report about the role of PPARγ on differentiation of mast cells from the progenitors. In this study, we investigated the role of PPARγ in regulating bone marrow‐derived mast cell maturation and the therapeutic implications for mast cell‐related diseases such as atopic or contact dermatitis.

Methods:  We used in vitro cell culture system for mast cell differentiation from bone marrow‐progenitors using specific ligands and lentiviral‐mediated short hairpin RNA of PPARγ, and in vivo murine dermatitis models.

Results:  Activation of PPARγ inhibited the maturation of bone marrow progenitors into connective tissue‐type mast cells (CTMCs) through up‐regulation of GATA‐4 and GATA‐6 resulting in a decrease in expression of histidine decarboxylase and mast cell histamine content. In comparison, the differentiation of bone marrow progenitors into CTMCs was significantly accelerated by the knockdown of PPARγ expression by lentiviral‐mediated short hairpin RNA. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma ligand administration to mice inhibited the maturation of mast cells resulting in attenuation of atopic and contact dermatitis via diminishment of the number of mature mast cells.

Conclusion:  Our results indicate that PPARγ is one of master regulators on mast cell maturation and potentially useful for the therapy in various disorders involving mast cell activation.
Corticosteroid therapy increases membrane‐tethered while decreases secreted mucin expression in nasal polyps
Authors: Martínez‐Antón A. , De Bolós C. , Alobid I. , Benítez P. , Roca‐Ferrer J. , Picado C. , Mullol J.
Published: June 2008

Background:  Mucus hypersecretion is a hallmark of nasal polyposis (NP). Corticosteroids (CS) are first‐line treatment for NP, decreasing their size and inflammatory component. However, their effect on mucin production is not well‐understood. The aim of this (pilot) study was to investigate CS effect on mucin expression in NP.

Methods:  Patients were randomized in control (n = 9) and treatment (oral prednisone for 2 weeks and intranasal budesonide for 12 weeks; n = 23) groups. Nasal polyposis from nonasthmatic (NP; n = 13), aspirin‐tolerant (NP‐ATA; n = 11) and aspirin‐intolerant (NP‐AIA; n = 8) asthmatics were studied. Nasal polyposis biopsies were obtained before (w0) and after 2 (w2) and 12 (w12) weeks of CS treatment. Secreted (MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC8) and membrane‐tethered (MUC1, MUC4) mucins (immunohistochemistry) and goblet cells (Alcian blue‐periodic acid Schiff) were quantified in both epithelium and glands. Rhinorrea and nasal obstruction were also assessed.

Results:  At w2, steroids increased MUC1 (from 70 to 97.5) and MUC4 (from 80 to 100) in NP‐ATA patients’ epithelium compared with baseline (w0). At w12, steroids decreased MUC5AC (from 40 to 5) and MUC5B (from 45 to 2.5) in NP‐ATA patients’ epithelium and glands, respectively, compared with baseline. No mucin presented significant changes in NP‐AIA patients. MUC5AC and MUC5B expression correlated with goblet and mucous cell numbers, respectively, and MUC5AC also with rhinorrea score.

Conclusions:  These results suggest: (i) CS up‐regulate membrane (MUC1, MUC4) while down‐regulate secreted (MUC5AC, MUC5B) mucins; (ii) there exists a link between secreted mucin expression and goblet cell hyperplasia; and (iii) NP from AIA may develop resistance to CS treatment.
Morphological convergence as a consequence of extreme functional demands: examples from the feeding system of natricine snakes
Authors: HERREL A. , VINCENT S. E. , ALFARO M. E. , VAN WASSENBERGH S. , VANHOOYDONCK B. , IRSCHICK D. J.
Published: June 2008

Despite repeated acquisitions of aquatic or semi‐aquatic lifestyles revolving around piscivory, snakes have not evolved suction feeding. Instead, snakes use frontally or laterally directed strikes to capture prey under water. If the aquatic medium constrains strike performance because of its physical properties, we predict morphological and functional convergence in snakes that use similar strike behaviours. Here we use natricine snakes to test for such patterns of convergence in morphology and function. Our data show that frontal strikers have converged on a similar morphology characterized by narrow elongate heads with a reduced projected frontal surface area. Moreover, simple computational fluid dynamics models show that the observed morphological differences are likely biologically relevant as they affect the flow of water around the head. In general, our data suggest that the direction of evolution may be predictable if constraints are strong and evolutionary solutions limited.
Adaptation to the most abundant host genotype in an agricultural plant–pathogen system – potato late blight
Authors: MONTARRY J. , GLAIS I. , CORBIERE R. , ANDRIVON D.
Published: June 2008

This study investigated local adaptation ofPhytophthora infestanspopulations, the causal agent of potato late blight, to two susceptible potato cultivars, each grown for a number of years and over large areas in separate French regions. We measured aggressiveness (quantitative pathogenicity) of each pathogen population to sympatric and allopatric hosts in a reciprocal cross‐inoculation experiment. There was no evidence for specific host adaptation in this pathosystem. At both local and regional scales, the distribution of aggressiveness fits a pattern of adaptation to the most common host genotype. Our observations support the theoretical predictions that large pathogen dispersal rates and genetic drift, revealed by the comparisons of the genotypic structures of the populations tested, can lead to a local adaptation pattern detectable only at a large spatial scale. The unravelling of adaptive patterns at different spatial scales can be used for a more efficient management of the disease.
Indirect mate choice, direct mate choice and species recognition in a bower‐building cichlid fish lek
Authors: GENNER M. J. , YOUNG K. A. , HAESLER M. P. , JOYCE D. A.
Published: June 2008

Sexual selection arising through female mate choice typically favours males with larger, brighter and louder signals. A critical challenge in sexual selection research is to determine the degree to which this pattern results from direct mate choice, where females select individual males based on variation in signalling traits, or indirect mate choice, where male competition governs access to reproductively active females. We investigated female mate choice in a lekking Lake Malawi cichlid fish, Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus, in which males build and aggressively defend sand ‘bowers’. Similar to previous studies, we found that male reproductive success was positively associated with bower height and centrality on the lek. However, this pattern resulted from males holding these territories encountering more females, and thus their greater success was due to indirect mate choice. Following initial male courtship, an increase in the relative mating success of some males was observed, but this relative increase was unrelated to bower size or position. Crucially, experimentally manipulating bowers to resemble those of a co‐occurring species had no appreciable effect on direct choice by females or male spawning success. Together, these results suggest indirect mate choice is the dominant force determining male‐mating success in this species, and that bowers are not signals used in direct mate choice by females. We propose that, in this species, bowers have a primary function in intraspecific male competition, with the most competitive males maintaining larger and more central bowers that are favoured by sexual selection due to higher female encounter rates.
The inheritance of the red colour character in European pear (Pyrus communis) and its map position in the mutated cultivar ‘Max Red Bartlett’
Authors: Dondini L. , Pierantoni L. , Ancarani V. , D’Angelo M. , Cho K.‐H. , Shin I.‐S. , Musacchi S. , Kang S.‐J. , Sansavini S.
Published: June 2008

The inheritance of the red colour character in European pear (Pyrus communis L.) was studied over 3 years in seven progeny obtained by using the cultivars ‘Max Red Bartlett’, ‘Cascade’ and ‘California’ as red‐skinned fruit parental lines. One of these progeny (derived from the cross ‘Abbé Fétel’ × ‘Max Red Bartlett’, a red mutation of ‘Bartlett’) was already used to construct two linkage maps and, being ‘red colour’ a monogenic dominant trait, it was possible to locate it as morphological marker in the linkage group 4 of ‘Max Red Bartlett’. For the first time, this trait has been mapped out of linkage group 9 in a species belonging to the Maloideae subfamily moreover in a mutated sport. An improved knowledge of the genetic basis of production and accumulation of red pigments in the fruit skin will better support the pear breeding programmes aimed to select new cultivars carrying this appealing trait.
Remifentanil for percutaneous intravenous central catheter placement in preterm infant: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: LAGO PAOLA , TIOZZO CATERINA , BOCCUZZO GIOVANNA , ALLEGRO ANTONELLA , ZACCHELLO FRANCO
Published: June 2008

Background:  There is limited evidence on the analgesic efficacy of opioids during percutaneous intravenous central catheter (PICC) insertion in preterm infants.

Aim:  To assess the analgesic and procedural efficacy of low‐dose remifentanil infusion during PICC in preterm infants.

Methods:  Fifty‐four neonates [mean gestational age (±sd) 28 ± 2 weeks; birth weight 1126 ± 337 g] were randomly assigned to remifentanil infusion at 0.03 mcg·kg−1·min−1 (R) or placebo (C) in addition to 0.3 ml of 12% sucrose per os and non‐nutritive sucking.

Results:  Validated pain scales [Neonatal Infants Pain Scale (NIPS) and Premature Infants Pain Profile (PIPP)] administered at the baseline T0, skin preparation T1, needle insertion T2, and recovery T3, revealed differences in mean NIPS scores (C 5.3 ± 1.3 vs R 4.2 ± 1.4 at T1 and C 5.0 ± 1.3 vs R 3.4 ± 1.3 at T2) and PIPP scores (C 9.3 ± 1.6 vs R 7.1 ± 1.5 at T1 and C 8.6 ± 1.7 vs R 6.1 ± 1.4 at T2); P < 0.05. Cardiovascular and respiratory response, and body movements during PICC suggested better pain and distress control with remifentanil (P < 0.05), but the time to complete the maneuver and the number of attempts needed remained the same in the two groups.

Conclusions:  Low‐dose remifentanil has a measurable, synergic analgesic effect in combination with 12% sucrose and non‐nutritive sucking, but does not make PICC easier or quicker.
Comparison of sevoflurane and ketamine for anesthetic induction in children with congenital heart disease
Authors: SUNGUR ULKE ZERRIN , KARTAL UMUT , ORHAN SUNGUR MUKADDER , CAMCI EMRE , TUGRUL MEHMET
Published: June 2008

Background:  Sevoflurane is widely used in pediatric anesthesia for induction. Ketamine has been preferred in pediatric cardiovascular anesthesia. Aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamic effects and the speed of ketamine and sevoflurane for anesthesia induction in children with congenital heart disease.

Materials and methods:  Children with congenital heart disease undergoing corrective surgery were included in the study. After oral premedication with midazolam (0.5 mg·kg−1), anesthesia induction was started with 5 mg·kg−1 intramuscular ketamine (group K). In the second group, induction was achieved with sevoflurane (group S); the first concentration was 3% and increased after every three breaths. Intravenous access time and intubation times were enrolled for each child. Hemodynamic data and oxygen saturation were recorded every 2 min and any event during induction period was also noted.

Results:  Forty‐seven children were included in the study; 23 in group K and 24 in group S. Heart rates and oxygen saturation values were similar between groups during the study. No difference was found between intravenous access time and intubation times. However, blood pressure levels were significantly lower in group S after recording baseline values till the intubation time (at 4, 6, and 8 min). Respiratory complications observed during the study were mild and were less frequent in group K than in group S (4 vs 13).

Conclusion:  Ketamine appears a good alternative for induction in patients with congenital heart disease. It permits preservation of hemodynamic stability with minimal side effects.
Insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes in everyday clinical practice: 7 years experience
Authors: Schreiber S. A.
Published: June 2008

Insulin therapy is often essential in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but is typically not initiated early enough or aggressive enough, leading to worsening of glycaemic control and the majority of people staying above recommended haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) targets of <7%. The extensive clinical experience gained with insulin glargine, in particular, the low risk of hypoglycaemia and consistent improvements in HbA1c, suggests that insulin glargine can be initiated aggressively to help patients reach such HbA1c targets. However, many clinicians may be unaware of how easy it is to initiate insulin glargine. Indeed, the once‐daily injection of insulin glargine plus once‐daily measurement of blood glucose should provide little difficulty for patients. In the current review, the options for the initiation of insulin glargine in T2DM and how the patient can become more involved in management of their diabetes are discussed. The advantages of insulin glargine in randomized controlled trials and how these have translated into everyday clinical practice are also discussed.
Options for the intensification of insulin therapy when basal insulin is not enough in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Raccah D.
Published: June 2008

In the early treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the addition of a basal insulin, such as insulin glargine, to existing oral therapy can help patients attain recommended glycaemic control targets, including haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7% and fasting blood glucose <5.5 mmol/l (<100 mg/dl). For patients close to but not at target, the management of postprandial glucose excursions with a rapid‐acting insulin, such as insulin glulisine, can provide further improvements in glycaemic control. In this review, the options for intensifying insulin therapy with the addition of one or more daily doses of prandial insulin are discussed. In addition, the advantages/disadvantages of choosing a basal–bolus vs. a premixed insulin strategy are discussed. A conceptually simple approach for the treatment of T2DM is for optimization of the basal insulin dose (added to oral antidiabetic drugs) to target fasting glycaemia followed by the addition of a single prandial dose of rapid‐acting insulin to target the largest glucose excursion. A second and third dose of prandial insulin can then be added if HbA1c remains above target and to manage postprandial glucose excursions at other meals. Prospective studies are underway to further examine this concept and determine the benefit of this approach not only on overall glycaemic control but also on cardiovascular risk.
Molecular systematics of Vetigastropoda: Trochidae, Turbinidae and Trochoidea redefined
Authors: Williams Suzanne T. , Karube Satoshi , Ozawa Tomowo
Published: June 2008

Trochoidea are a large superfamily of morphologically and ecologically diverse marine gastropods. We present here an appraisal of the composition and relationships amongtrochoideanfamilies based on molecular data, with an especial focus on the family Trochidae. Bayesian analyses of sequences from three genes (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and COI) including data from 162 vetigastropod species show that the gastropod family Trochidae (sensu Hickman & McLean (1990),Natural History Museum Los Angeles County Science Series,35, 1–169) is not monophyletic. Recognition of Chilodontidae, Solariellidae and Calliostomatidae at the family level is supported. Our new, more limited, definition of Trochidae includes the subfamilies Stomatellinae, Lirulariinae and Umboniinae and redefined Trochinae, Cantharidinae and Monodontinae. Halistylinae are provisionally retained in the Trochidae based on previous morphological studies. As redefined, Trochidae are a predominantly shallow‐water radiation in the tropics and subtropics. Some subfamilies and genera previously included in Trochidae have been moved to an enlarged family Turbinidae. The family Turbinidae has been redefined to include Turbininae, Skeneinae, Margaritinae, Tegulinae, Prisogasterinae and most surprisingly the commercially important genusTectusMontfort, 1810. The new definition of Turbinidae means that the family includes both predominantly shallow and deep‐water clades as well as genera that are distributed across the globe from the poles to the tropics. A greater range of habitat is now seen in Turbinidae than in Trochidae. The redefined Trochidae and Turbinidae, together with Solariellidae, Calliostomatidae and Liotiidae, make up the superfamily Trochoidea. Phasianellidae and Colloniidae are recognized as belonging in a new superfamily, Phasianelloidea, andAngariaRöding, 1798 is recognized as belonging in a new superfamily, Angarioidea. Placement of Areneidae into a superfamily awaits further work.
Reward Redemption Behaviour in Retail Loyalty Schemes*
Authors: Smith Andrew , Sparks Leigh
Published: June 2008

In most retailer loyalty schemes, cardholders obtain ‘points’ based on their purchases. These points may be redeemed for rewards. This paper uses individual cardholder transaction records from a leading UK retailer and a related qualitative study to investigate this redemption behaviour. It provides a description and taxonomy of reward redemption behaviour, including non‐redemption. Amongst those that do redeem points, different types of redemption behaviour are found. Cluster analysis produced a three‐cluster solution. Explanations of this behaviour and the taxonomy are developed through the qualitative research. Implications for loyalty scheme management and research into loyalty schemes are identified.
Innovation by Teams in Shanghai, China: Cooperative Goals for Group Confidence and Persistence*
Authors: Wong Alfred , Tjosvold Dean , Liu Chunhong
Published: June 2008

Organizations increasingly ask teams to stimulate innovation but research is needed to identify the conditions when teams have the confidence and persistence to innovate successfully. Using the concepts of cooperation, competition, group potency and initiative, this study proposes that relationships where team members believe that their goals are cooperative in that one person's goal attainment helps others reach their goals lay the foundation for innovation. Specifically, cooperative goals convince team members that they have the group potency to complete a range of tasks and the initiative to persist to overcome obstacles and innovate. In contrast, competitive, negatively related goals and independent, unrelated goals are hypothesized to undermine confidence, persistence and innovation. Group members from 101 teams from various organizations in Shanghai, China, completed a survey with measures of cooperative, competitive and independent goals, group potency, and initiative; their project leader completed the measure of innovation. Structural equation analysis supports the theoretical framework that cooperative goals help group members develop the confidence of group potency and the initiative to persist to accomplish tasks and innovate. These results suggest that cooperative goals and group potency and initiative are important conditions that help teams innovate for organizations and thereby specify conditions that can help groups realize their potential to achieve innovation for organizations.
Content Validity of Measures of Abstract Constructs in Management and Organizational Research
Authors: Rossiter John R.
Published: June 2008

It is argued that construct validity is content validity and that prior content validity is necessary for predictive validity. Too many measures of abstract (multicomponential) constructs in management and organizational research exhibit poor content validity or else lose much of their content validity following unnecessary statistical ‘purification’ to select items. The measures produce misleading empirical results and can lead to erroneous acceptance or rejection of hypotheses or entire theories. Both problems – inadequate content validation and unnecessary statistical purification – are illustrated here for two new measures of the construct of ‘export coordination’ (Diamantopoulos and Siguaw, British Journal of Management, 2006, 17 (4), pp. 263–282). Corrections according to Rossiter's C‐OAR‐SE procedure for scale development are specified.
The Face of Bimodal Bilingualism
Authors: Pyers Jennie E. , Emmorey Karen
Published: June 2008

Bimodal bilinguals, fluent in a signed and a spoken language, provide unique insight into the nature of syntactic integration and language control. We investigated whether bimodal bilinguals who are conversing with English monolinguals produce American Sign Language (ASL) grammatical facial expressions to accompany parallel syntactic structures in spoken English. In ASL, raised eyebrows mark conditionals, and furrowed eyebrows mark wh-questions; the grammatical brow movement is synchronized with the manual onset of the clause. Bimodal bilinguals produced more ASL-appropriate facial expressions than did nonsigners and synchronized their expressions with the onset of the corresponding English clauses. This result provides evidence for a dual-language architecture in which grammatical information can be integrated up to the level of phonological implementation. Overall, participants produced more raised brows than furrowed brows, which can convey negative affect. Bimodal bilinguals suppressed but did not completely inhibit ASL facial grammar when it conflicted with conventional facial gestures. We conclude that morphosyntactic elements from two languages can be articulated simultaneously and that complete inhibition of the nonselected language is difficult.
Knowing Too Much
Authors: Chambers John R. , Epley Nicholas , Savitsky Kenneth , Windschitl Paul D.
Published: June 2008

People have more information about themselves than others do, and this fundamental asymmetry can help to explain why individuals have difficulty accurately intuiting how they appear to other people. Determining how one appears to observers requires one to utilize public information that is available to observers, but to disregard private information that they do not possess. We report a series of experiments, however, showing that people utilize privately known information about their own past performance (Experiments 1 and 2), the performance of other people (Experiment 3), and imaginary performance (Experiment 4) when intuiting how they are viewed by others. This tendency can help explain why people's beliefs about how they are judged by others often diverge from how they are actually judged.
Who Shalt Not Kill? Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity, Executive Control, and Moral Judgment
Authors: Moore Adam B. , Clark Brian A. , Kane Michael J.
Published: June 2008

Recent findings suggest that exerting executive control influences responses to moral dilemmas. In our study, subjects judged how morally appropriate it would be for them to kill one person to save others. They made these judgments in 24 dilemmas that systematically varied physical directness of killing, personal risk to the subject, inevitability of the death, and intentionality of the action. All four of these variables demonstrated main effects. Executive control was indexed by scores on working-memory-capacity (WMC) tasks. People with higher WMC found certain types of killing more appropriate than did those with lower WMC and were more consistent in their judgments. We also report interactions between manipulated variables that implicate complex emotion-cognition integration processes not captured by current dual-process views of moral judgment.
Peak of Desire
Authors: Huang Julie Y. , Bargh John A.
Published: June 2008

In three studies, we explored the existence of an evolved sensitivity to the peak that would be consistent with the evolutionary origins of many basic human preferences. Activating the evolved motive of mating activates related adaptive mechanisms, including a general sensitivity to cues of growth and decay associated with determining mate value in human courtship. These studies show that priming the mating goal also activates an evaluative bias that influences how people evaluate cues of growth. Specifically, living kinds that are immature or past their prime are devalued, whereas living kinds that are at their peak become increasingly valued. Study 1 establishes this goal-driven effect for human stimuli indirectly related to the mating goal. Studies 2 and 3 establish that the evaluative bias produced by the activated mating goal extends to living kinds, but not artifacts.
Linguistic differentiation and Mayan language revitalization in Guatemala1
Authors: Barrett Rusty
Published: June 2008

This paper presents a quantitative study of syntactic change in the context of Mayan language revitalization in Guatemala. Quantitative analyses of grammatical variation and code‐switching patterns were used to examine the degree of Spanish influence in the speech of three generations of Sipakapense‐Spanish bilinguals. The younger generations show lower frequencies of code‐switching compared to the oldest generation. In terms of syntactic variation, younger speakers show patterns that suggest a resistance to influence from Spanish. The results suggest that younger speakers are hyperdifferentiating the two languages by avoiding traditional Sipakapense constructions that could be interpreted as resulting from Spanish influence. The analysis highlights the important role of language ideology in cases of language change due to contact and language shift.