bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bipolar II disorder: arguments for and against a distinct diagnostic entity
Authors: Vieta Eduard , Suppes Trisha
Published: August 2009

Objective:  As a commitment to the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), a Task Force was developed to investigate the diagnostic value of bipolar II disorder.

Methods:  Task Force members worked jointly reviewing all relevant literature (original articles, reviews, letters, book chapters and congress presentations) that included ‘bipolar II disorder’ and/or ‘hypomania’ as key words.

Results:  Bipolar II disorder appears to be a reasonably valid and reliable diagnostic category yet often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as unipolar disorder or personality disorder. Moreover, it is officially recognized as a mental disorder in DSM‐IV‐TR but not in ICD‐10, and many clinicians still regard it as a milder form of manic‐depressive illness, despite data supporting high morbidity and mortality rates. In fact, bipolar II may be the most prevalent bipolar phenotype, although current diagnostic boundaries are seen as quite restrictive concerning the required duration for hypomania (4 days), the exclusion of hypomanic episodes potentially triggered by antidepressants and other substances, and the negligence of hypomanic mixed states. The course of bipolar II disorder is characterized by depressive predominant polarity, and its treatment is still controversial and poorly evidence‐based.

Conclusions:  Bipolar II disorder is supported as a distinct category within mood disorders, but the definition and boundaries deserve a greater clarification in the DSM‐V and ICD‐11.
Heritability of resting metabolic rate in a wild population of blue tits
Authors: NILSSON J.‐Å. , ÅKESSON M. , NILSSON J. F.
Published: August 2009

We report the first study with the aim to estimate heritability in a wild population, a nest box breeding population of blue tits. We estimated heritability as well as genetic and phenotypic correlations of resting metabolic rate (RMR), body mass and tarsus length with an animal model based on data from a split cross‐fostering experiment with brood size manipulations. RMR and body mass, but not tarsus length, showed significant levels of explained variation but for different underlying reasons. In body mass, the contribution to the explained variation is mainly because of a strong brood effect, while in RMR it is mainly because of a high heritability. The additive variance in RMR was significant and the heritability was estimated to 0.59. The estimates of heritability of body mass (0.08) and tarsus length (0.00) were both low and based on nonsignificant additive variances. Thus, given the low heritability (and additive variances) in body mass and tarsus length the potential for direct selection on RMR independent of the two traits is high in this population. However, the strong phenotypic correlation between RMR and mass (0.643 ± 0.079) was partly accounted for by a potentially strong, although highly uncertain, genetic correlation (1.178 ± 0.456) between the two traits. This indicates that the additive variance of body mass, although low, might still somewhat constrain the independent evolvability of RMR.
The determinants of queen size in a socially polymorphic ant
Authors: MEUNIER J. , CHAPUISAT M.
Published: August 2009

In social animals, body size can be shaped by multiple factors, such as direct genetic effects, maternal effects, or the social environment. In ants, the body size of queens correlates with the social structure of the colony: colonies headed by a single queen (monogyne) generally produce larger queens that are able to found colonies independently, whereas colonies headed by multiple queens (polygyne) tend to produce smaller queens that stay in their natal colony or disperse with workers. We performed a cross‐fostering experiment to investigate the proximate causes of queen size variation in the socially polymorphic ant Formica selysi. As expected if genetic or maternal effects influence queen size, eggs originating from monogyne colonies developed into larger queens than eggs collected from polygyne colonies, be they raised by monogyne or polygyne workers. In contrast, eggs sampled in monogyne colonies were smaller than eggs sampled in polygyne colonies. Hence, eggs from monogyne colonies are smaller but develop into larger queens than eggs from polygyne colonies, independently of the social structure of the workers caring for the brood. These results demonstrate that a genetic polymorphism or maternal effect transmitted to the eggs influences queen size, which probably affects the social structure of new colonies.
Influence of an aerobic fungus grown on solid culture on ruminal degradability and on a mixture culture of anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria
Authors: Hernández‐Díaz R , Pimentel‐González D. J , Figueira A. C , Viniegra‐González G , Campos‐Montiel R. G
Published: August 2009

In this work, the effect of a solid fungal culture of Aspergillus niger (An) grown on coffee pulp on the in situ ruminal degradability (RD) of corn stover was evaluated. In addition, the effect of its extracts on the in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) and on a mixed culture of anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria (MCACB) was also investigated. The solid ferment was a crude culture of An, grown on coffee pulp. Regarding in situ RD, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between treatment with 200 g/day of the solid culture and control (no solid culture added) on dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre on RD. All the water extracts (pH 4, 7 and 10) enhanced IVDMD and stimulated the cellulolytic activity on a MCACB. Ultrafiltration results showed that active compounds with a molecular weight lower than 30 kDa were responsible for the effect on MCACB. Such results suggest that the effects of the solid An culture in RD are related to the presence of water soluble compounds having a molecular weight lower than 30 kDa.
Effects of supplementing low‐quality roughages with tree foliages on digestibility, nitrogen utilization and rumen characteristics in sheep: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Patra A. K.
Published: August 2009

Thirty‐six published studies containing 219 treatment means and 1069 sheep were included in the dataset for meta‐analysis to elucidate responses of foliage supplementation on digestibility, nitrogen balance and rumen parameters. Major predictive variables were percentages of foliages in diets (FL), crude protein (CP) in foliages (FCP), NDF in foliages (FNDF), NDF in basal forages (BNDF), CP in basal forages (BCP), CP in total diets (DCP) and foliage CP intake (FCPI). Organic matter digestibility increased linearly (p = 0.10) with increasing FL, but responded quadratically to DCP (p = 0.021) and BCP (p < 0.001), with maximal OM digestibility occurred at 14.6% of CP in diets (R2 = 0.12). The digestibility of CP was affected by FL (p = 0.01), FCPI (p < 0.026), FCP (p < 0.001), FNDF (p < 0.001) and DCP (p < 0.032) positively and quadratically, and maximal response was at 14.1% DCP (p < 0.001), 51% FL (p < 0.001), 29% FCP (p < 0.001) and FCPI of 122 g/day (p < 0.001). The digestibility of NDF increased quadratically (p = 0.09) with increasing FL, peaking at 16% foliage levels, decreased quadratically (p = 0.001) with increasing FNDF and decreased linearly (p = 0.048) with increasing FCPI. Digestible OM and CP intakes were the highest at 37.2% and 42.1% FL, respectively. Fecal N excretion increased linearly with increasing FL (p < 0.001) and DCP (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.66). However, FCPI (p = 0.082), FCP (p = 0.003) and BCP (p < 0.001) affected fecal N excretion positively and quadratically. Urinary N excretion increased linearly (p < 0.001) with increasing FL (R2 = 0.45), FCPI (R2 = 0.79), FCP (R2 = 0.51), BCP (R2 = 0.72) and DCP (R2 = 0.77). Rumen NH3 concentration was affected positively and quadratically (p = 0.023) by FL with a peak rumen NH3 level of 160 mg/l at 17.3% FL. However, rumen NH3 concentration (mg/l) increased linearly with increasing FCP (p = 0.001), FCPI (p = 0.01) and DCP (p < 0.001). In conclusion, catalytic foliage supplementation at low levels, preferably, at 16% may enhance nutrient utilization, while foliage levels up to 42% may result greater performance of sheep fed on low‐quality roughages.
Effects of toxic and non‐toxic blue mussel meal on health and product quality of laying hens
Authors: Jönsson L. , Holm L.
Published: August 2009

Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are a potential protein source in poultry feeds because of their high methionine and cystein content. However, mussels may temporarily be contaminated with the toxin, okadaic acid. The aim of this small scale study was to evaluate the effects on animal health and morphology of the digestive tract of laying hens fed three different diets; a commercial feed and diets containing 15% normal or 15% toxic mussel meal, i.e. a concentration of 198.6 μg toxin per kg feed. Twelve laying hens were divided into six groups and fed the experimental diets for 8 weeks. Animal health, production performance and egg quality were recorded. At sacrifice, tissue samples were prepared for histological evaluation using light microscopy. Okadaic acid did not have any adverse effects on animal health or production parameters and no histological changes indicating disturbances in the digestive tract was observed. Internal egg quality was improved as eggs from hens fed either of the two mussel meal diets had an increased yolk colour. These results show that mussel meal functions as a novel protein source for laying hens and those toxic mussels at this level may be included in the feed without negative effects on parameters evaluated in this study.
Differential response of male and female emerald ash borers (Col., Buprestidae) to (Z)‐3‐hexenol and manuka oil
Authors: Grant G. G. , Ryall K. L. , Lyons D. B. , Abou‐Zaid M. M.
Published: August 2009

We conducted two trapping experiments in green ash plantations in Ontario, Canada to compare the response of the emerald ash borer (EAB),Agrilus planipennis, to (Z)‐3‐hexenol (Z3‐6:OH) and manuka oil. In the first experiment, Z3‐6:OH (7.6 mg/day) in purple prism traps hung 1.5 m above ground caught significantly more EAB than the unbaited controls, with male catches significantly greater than female catches at two locations. Manuka oil (50 mg/day) attracted equal numbers of males and females but they were significantly greater than the controls at only one location. Adding (Z)‐3‐hexenal or (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate in binary or ternary combinations with Z3‐6:OH did not enhance trap catch. In the second experiment, Z3‐6:OH released at two rates (7.6 or 80 mg/day) in light green prism traps placed in the ash canopy also caught significantly more males than females and more males than the unbaited controls or manuka oil‐baited traps. Manuka oil had no significant effect on catches relative to the controls. Combining Z3‐6:OH with manuka oil did not enhance catches of EAB. We conclude that there was a strong male‐biased EAB response to Z3‐6:OH lures, whereas manuka oil, when effective, attracted both sexes equally. Z3‐6:OH in light green prism traps in the canopy is an effective lure for EAB, particularly for males.
Multi‐centre research in Australia: Analysis of a recent National Health and Medical Research Council‐funded project
Authors: KIDD Timothy J. , MARKS Guy B. , BYE Peter T.P. , WAINWRIGHT Claire E. , ROBINSON Philip J. , ROSE Barbara R. , HARBOUR Colin , BELL Scott C. ,   The ACPinCF INVESTIGATORS
Published: August 2009

Background and objective:  Human research ethics committees provide essential review of research projects to ensure the ethical conduct of human research. Several recent reports have highlighted a complex process for successful application for human research ethics committee approval, particularly for multi‐centre studies. Limited resources are available for the execution of human clinical research in Australia and around the world.

Methods:  This report overviews the process of ethics approval for a National Health and Medical Research Council‐funded multi‐centre study in Australia, focussing on the time and resource implications of such applications in 2007 and 2008.

Results:  Applications were submitted to 16 hospital and two university human research ethics committees. The total time to gain final approval from each committee ranged between 13 and 77 days (median = 46 days); the entire process took 16 months to complete and the research officer's time was estimated to cost $A34 143.

Conclusions:  Obstacles to timely human research ethics committee approval are reviewed, including recent, planned and potential initiatives that could improve the ethics approval of multi‐centre research.
Use of oral midazolam in pediatric upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: Rafeey Mandana , Ghojazadeh Morteza , Feizo Allah Zadeh Hosain , Majidi Hamideh
Published: August 2009

Background: The purpose of this prospective, randomized study was to compare the safety and efficacy of oral versus i.v. midazolam in providing sedation for pediatric upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy.

Methods: Sixty‐one children (age <16 years) scheduled for upper GI endoscopy were studied. Patients were randomly assigned to receive oral or i.v. midazolam. Measurements were made and compared for vital signs, level of sedation, pre‐ and post‐procedure comfort, anxiety during endoscopy, ease of separation from parents, ease and duration of procedure, and recovery time.

Results: Patients were aged 1–16 years (mean 7.5 ± 3.42 years); 30 patients received oral medication, and 31 received i.v. medication. There were no statistically significant differences in age or gender between groups. There were no significant differences in level of sedation, ease of separation from parents, ease of ability to monitor the patient during the procedure, heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, or respiratory rate. Oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the i.v. group than the oral group 10 and 30 min after removal of the endoscope, and recovery time was longer in the oral than the i.v. group.

Conclusions: Oral administration of midazolam is a safe and effective method of sedation that significantly reduces anxiety and improves overall tolerance for children undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
Tunica albuginea urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures: A urethroscopic analysis
Authors: Mathur Raj K , Sharma Adittya K , Odiya Sudarshan
Published: August 2009

Objective:  To assess the efficacy of tunica albuginea urethroplasty (TAU) for anterior urethral strictures.

Methods:  We assessed 206 patients with anterior urethral strictures who underwent TAU. The procedure involves mobilization of strictured urethra and laying it open with a dorsal slit. Edges of the slit‐open urethra are sutured to edges of the urethral groove with a silicon catheter in situ. Thus in neourethra, the roof is formed by tunica albuginea of the urethral groove. Results were assessed at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months by comparative analysis of patient satisfaction along with retrograde urethrogram, urethrosonogram, uroflowmetry, and were categorized as good, fair and poor. Good and fair results were considered as successful. Thirty patients were taken for postoperative urethroscopic analysis to allow better understanding of both successful and failed cases.

Results:  Postoperative evaluation at 6 months showed a 96.6% success rate, which decreased to 94.7% at 1 year, 93.2% at 2 years and over 90% at the end of 3 years. The overall failure rate was 9.2%, which required revision surgery. Urethroscopic visualization of the reconstruction site showed wide, patent and distensible neourethra uniformly lined by urothelium over roof formed by tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa in successful cases. Failure cases showed diffuse fibrotic narrowing or circumferential scarring.

Conclusion:  Tunica albuginea is a locally available distensible tissue, sufficient to maintain the patency of the neourethra, without any graft or flap. TAU is easier and useful when patients have unhealthy oral mucosa due to tobacco chewing.
c‐Fos expression in preoptic nuclei as a marker of sleep rebound in the rat
Authors: Dentico Daniela , Amici Roberto , Baracchi Francesca , Cerri Matteo , Del Sindaco Elide , Luppi Marco , Martelli Davide , Perez Emanuele , Zamboni Giovanni
Published: August 2009

Thermoregulation is known to interfere with sleep, possibly due to a functional interaction at the level of the preoptic area (POA). Exposure to low ambient temperature (Ta) induces sleep deprivation, which is followed by sleep rebound after a return to laboratory Ta. As two POA subregions, the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) and the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO), have been proposed to have a role in sleep‐related processes, the expression of c‐Fos and the phosphorylated form of the cAMP/Ca2+‐responsive element‐binding protein (P‐CREB) was investigated in these nuclei during prolonged exposure to a Ta of −10 °C and in the early phase of the recovery period. Moreover, the dynamics of the sleep rebound during recovery were studied in a separate group of animals. The results show that c‐Fos expression increased in both the VLPO and the MnPO during cold exposure, but not in a specific subregion within the VLPO cluster counting grid (VLPO T‐cluster). During the recovery, concomitantly with a large rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) rebound and an increase in delta power during non‐rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), c‐Fos expression was high in both the VLPO and the MnPO and, specifically, in the VLPO T‐cluster. In both nuclei, P‐CREB expression showed spontaneous variations in basal conditions. During cold exposure, an increase in expression was observed in the MnPO, but not in the VLPO, and a decrease was observed in both nuclei during recovery. Dissociation in the changes observed between c‐Fos expression and P‐CREB levels, which were apparently subject to state‐related non‐regulatory modulation, suggests that the sleep‐related changes observed in c‐Fos expression do not depend on a P‐CREB‐mediated pathway.
A systematic fMRI investigation of the brain systems subserving different working memory components in schizophrenia
Authors: Henseler I. , Falkai P. , Gruber O.
Published: August 2009

Working memory impairment is one of the cardinal cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and considerable evidence suggests that it can be traced to functional alterations in the brain. The exact allocation of specific deficits to regional specific dysfunctions, however, remains elusive. The aim of this study was to examine the functional integrity of three distinguishable brain systems underlying maintenance‐related subprocesses of working memory (articulatory rehearsal, non‐articulatory maintenance of phonological information, maintenance of visuospatial information) in patients with schizophrenia. Using an experimental paradigm, which had been designed to selectively activate these different brain systems, we assessed the brain activation of patients and controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Compared with controls, patients showed reduced activation of the fronto‐opercular, intraparietal and anterior cingulate cortex during the non‐articulatory maintenance of phonological information, as well as attenuated deactivation of the hippocampus. Additionally, we found prefrontal activation to depend critically on the patients’ current symptom status. During visuospatial maintenance, patients showed impaired activation of the superior parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, combined with enhanced activation of the frontal eye field and the inferior parietal cortex. No abnormal activations were observed during the articulatory rehearsal task. All activation differences were independent of group differences in task performance. Our fine‐grained analysis of dysfunctions in particular aspects of working memory circuitry provides evidence for a differential impairment of the brain systems supporting working memory subcomponents in schizophrenia and extends knowledge of the relationship between cognitive deficits, brain activation abnormalities and symptoms in schizophrenia.
Effects of thyroid hormone replacement on associative learning and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in adult hypothyroid rats
Authors: Fernández‐Lamo Iván , Montero‐Pedrazuela Ana , Delgado‐García José María , Guadaño‐Ferraz Ana , Gruart Agnès
Published: August 2009

Activity‐dependent changes taking place at the hippocampal perforant pathway–dentate gyrus synapse during classical eyeblink conditioning were recorded in adult thyroidectomized (hypothyroid) and control (euthyroid) rats, and in animals treated with thyroid hormones 20 days after thyroidectomy (recovery rats). The aim was to determine the contribution of thyroid hormones and the consequences of adult‐onset hypothyroidism to both associative learning and the physiological potentiation of hippocampal synapses during the actual learning process in alert behaving animals. Control and recovery rats presented similar learning curves, whereas hypothyroid animals presented lower values. A single pulse presented to the perforant pathway during the conditioned–unconditioned inter‐stimulus interval evoked a monosynaptic field excitatory postsynaptic potential in dentate granule cells (whose slope was linearly related to the rate of acquisition in the control group), but not in hypothyroid and recovery animals. Input–output relationships and long‐term potentiation evoked by train stimulation of the perforant pathway were significantly depressed in hypothyroid animals. Thyroid hormone treatment failed to normalize these two neurophysiological abnormalities observed in hypothyroid animals. In contrast, paired‐pulse facilitation was not affected by thyroidectomy. The results indicate that thyroid hormone treatment after a short period of adult hypothyroidism helps to restore some hippocampally dependent functions, such as classical conditioning, but not other hippocampal properties, such as the synaptic plasticity evoked during associative learning and during experimentally induced long‐term potentiation. The present results have important clinical implications for the handling of patients with adult‐onset thyroid diseases.
Atrophy of the sphincters of continence in an experimental model
Authors: Banahan M. , Peirce C. , Buffini M. , O’Herlihy C. , O’Connell P. R. , Jones J. F. X.
Published: August 2009

Background  Pudendal nerve injury during childbirth may result in external anal sphincter (EAS) atrophy. Recently, balloon compression of the pelvic side wall has been shown to result in EAS atrophy in an experimental model. The aim of this study was to determine whether other sphincters of continence are similarly affected.

Method  Sixteen adult female virgin Wistar rats (eight controls) were studied 4 weeks after surgery. Anal and urethral canals were dissected, snap frozen and sectioned using a cryostat (100 μm thickness). Masses of EAS, internal anal sphincter (IAS) and external urethral sphincter (EUS) were calculated stereologically and stained with succinate dehydrogenase histochemistry to differentiate striated from smooth muscle. Sphincter length was determined and total sphincter mass calculated. Data were analysed with an unpaired Student’s t‐test.

Results  Atrophy of EAS (30.9 ± 1.7 to 21.3 ± 1.7 mg/ kg, P = 0.001), IAS (98.1 ± 11.3 to 67.1 ± 5.0 mg/kg, P = 0.01) and EUS (9.6 ± 0.98 to 7.4 ± 0.8 mg/kg, P = 0.05) was found 4 weeks after the injury.

Conclusion  In an experimental model of obstetric pudendal nerve injury, significant atrophy of striated and smooth muscle sphincters of continence occurs and may contribute to altered continence following vaginal childbirth.
Global trends in senesced‐leaf nitrogen and phosphorus
Authors: Yuan Zhiyou , Chen Han Y. H.
Published: August 2009

Aim  Senesced‐leaf litter plays an important role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. While green‐leaf nutrients have been reported to be affected by climatic factors at the global scale, the global patterns of senesced‐leaf nutrients are not well understood.

Location  Global.

Methods  Here, bringing together a global dataset of senesced‐leaf N and P spanning 1253 observations and 638 plant species at 365 sites and of associated mean climatic indices, we describe the world‐wide trends in senesced‐leaf N and P and their stoichiometric ratios.

Results  Concentration of senesced‐leaf N was highest in tropical forests, intermediate in boreal, temperate, and mediterranean forests and grasslands, and lowest in tundra, whereas P concentration was highest in grasslands, lowest in tropical forests and intermediate in other ecosystems. Tropical forests had the highest N : P and C : P ratios in senesced leaves. When all data were pooled, N concentration significantly increased, but senesced‐leaf P concentration decreased with increasing mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The N : P and C : P ratios also increased with MAT and MAP, but C : N ratios decreased. Plant functional type (PFT), i.e. life‐form (grass, herb, shrub or tree), phylogeny (angiosperm versus gymnosperm) and leaf habit (deciduous versus evergreen), affected senesced‐leaf N, P, N : P, C : N and C : P with a ranking of senesced‐leaf N from high to low: forbs ≈ shrubs ≈ trees > grasses, while the ranking of P was forbs ≈ shrubs ≈ trees < grasses. The climatic trends of senesced‐leaf N and P and their stoichiometric ratios were similar between PFTs.

Main conclusions  Globally, senesced‐leaf N and P concentrations differed among ecosystem types, from tropical forest to tundra. Differences were significantly related to global climate variables such as MAT and MAP and also related to plant functional types. These results at the global scale suggest that nutrient feedback to soil through leaf senescence depends on both the climatic conditions and the plant composition of an ecosystem.
Spatial subdivision among assemblages of Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commerson (Pisces: Scombridae) across northern Australia: implications for fisheries management
Authors: Newman Stephen J. , Buckworth Rik C. , Mackie Michael C. , Lewis Paul D. , Wright Ian W. , Williamson Peta C. , Bastow Trevor P. , Ovenden Jennifer R.
Published: August 2009

Aim  This study investigated the use of stable δ13C and δ18O isotopes in the sagittal otolith carbonate of narrow‐barred Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commerson, as indicators of population structure across Australia.

Location  Samples were collected from 25 locations extending from the lower west coast of Western Australia (30°), across northern Australian waters, and to the east coast of Australia (18°) covering a coastline length of approximately 9500 km, including samples from Indonesia.

Methods  The stable δ13C and δ18O isotopes in the sagittal otolith carbonate of S. commerson were analysed using standard mass spectrometric techniques. The isotope ratios across northern Australian subregions were subjected to an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis to define subregions. Isotope ratios within each of the subregions were compared to assess population structure across Australia.

Results  Cluster analysis separated samples into four subregions: central Western Australia, north Western Australia, northern Australia and the Gulf of Carpentaria and eastern Australia. Isotope signatures for fish from a number of sampling sites from across Australia and Indonesia were significantly different, indicating population separation. No significant differences were found in otolith isotope ratios between sampling times (no temporal variation).

Main conclusions  Significant differences in the isotopic signatures of S. commerson demonstrate that there is unlikely to be any substantial movement of fish among these spatially discrete adult assemblages. The lack of temporal variation among otolith isotope ratios indicates that S. commerson populations do not undergo longshore spatial shifts in distribution during their life history. The temporal persistence of spatially explicit stable isotopic signatures indicates that, at these spatial scales, the population units sampled comprise functionally distinct management units or separate ‘stocks’ for many of the purposes of fisheries management. The spatial subdivision evident among populations of S. commerson across northern and western Australia indicates that it may be advantageous to consider S. commerson population dynamics and fisheries management from a metapopulation perspective (at least at the regional level).
Use of geometry for spatial reorientation in children applies only to symmetric spaces
Authors: Lew Adina R. , Gibbons Bryony , Murphy Caroline , Gavin Bremner J.
Published: August 2009

Proponents of the geometric module hypothesis argue that following disorientation, many species reorient by use of macro‐environment geometry. It is suggested that attention to the surface layout geometry of natural terrain features may have been selected for over evolutionary time due to the enduring and unambiguous location information it provides. Paradoxically, however, tests of the hypothesis have been exclusively conducted in symmetric (hence ‘unnatural’ and geometrically ambiguous) environments. The present series of studies examines reorientation by 18‐month–3‐year‐old children in a rectangular versus irregular quadrilateral enclosure (Study 1), a rectangular versus irregular quadrilateral array (Study 2) and an isosceles versus irregular triangular array (Study 3). Children were successful in symmetric but not asymmetric environments, casting doubt on the functional argument for an empirical basis of the geometric module hypothesis.
Forms of Our Life: Wittgenstein and the Later Heidegger
Authors: Weston Michael
Published: August 2009

The paper argues that an internal debate within Wittgensteinian philosophy leads to issues associated rather with the later philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Rush Rhees's identification of the limitations of the notion of a “language game” to illuminate the relation between language and reality leads to his discussion of what is involved in the “reality” of language: “anything that is said has sense‐if living has sense, not otherwise.” But what is it for living to have sense? Peter Winch provides an interpretation and application of Rhees's argument in his discussion of the “reality” of Zande witchcraft and magic in “Understanding a Primitive Society”. There he argues that such sense is provided by a language game concerned with the ineradicable contingency of human life, such as (he claims) Zande witchcraft to be. I argue, however, that Winch's account fails to answer the question why Zande witchcraft can find no application within our lives. I suggest that answering this requires us to raise the question of why Zande witchcraft “fits” with their other practices but cannot with ours, a question of “sense” which cannot be answered by reference to another language game. I use Joseph Epes Brown's account of Native American cultures (in Epes Brown 2001) as an exemplification of a form of coherence that constitutes what we may call a “world”. I then discuss what is involved in this, relating this coherence to a relation to the temporal, which provides an internal connection between the senses of the “real” embodied in the different linguistic practices of these cultures. I relate this to the later Heidegger's account of the “History of Being”, of the historical worlds of Western culture and increasingly of the planet. I conclude with an indication of concerns and issues this approach raises, ones characteristic of “Continental” rather than Wittgensteinian philosophy.
Revisiting the notion of maturation in new Englishes
Authors: ANCHIMBE ERIC A.
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT:  For the past thirty years or so, research on new Englishes has been predominantly based on identifying at what point and to what extent these varieties of English deviate from the native or older varieties (typically British and American). Often considered and treated as outcomes of deficient or inadequate acquisition of the native and/or as heavily influenced by co‐existing indigenous languages, these Englishes have been conceptually interpreted as growing or advancing or maturing in a progressive manner towards (rather than away from) the native or older Englishes. This paper refutes this notion of maturation and rather proposes that new Englishes are evolving according to the ecological realities of their present contexts.
Expanding Circles within the Outer Circle: The rural Kisii in Kenya
Authors: MICHIEKA MARTHA M.
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT:  This paper evaluates a range of factors that have contributed to the limited spread of English to rural Kisii, Kenya, making the presence of English in this non‐urban context fall closer to an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or Expanding Circle continuum than to the expected English as a Second Language (ESL) context. Kenya is an Outer Circle country, which means that it is an ESL context where English is not only available in the school, but it is also available and used widely outside the classroom. As in most ESL/Outer Circle countries, English is the official language in Kenya and, consequently, it may be logical to assume that this language is easily available to all Kenyan users. The findings of this discussion show that due to historical, educational, political and economic factors, the spread of English into rural Kisii, Kenya is limited, and clearly English is a foreign language in this rural context, despite Kenya being in the Outer Circle. A discussion of the functional allocations of English in rural Kisii is included to illustrate the limited roles English plays to emphasize the fact that rural Kisii shares more characteristics with the EFL/Expanding Circle contexts than with the ESL/Outer Circle contexts.
Differential effect of three‐repeat and four‐repeat tau on mitochondrial axonal transport
Authors: Stoothoff Will , Jones Phillip B. , Spires‐Jones Tara L. , Joyner Daniel , Chhabra Ekta , Bercury Kathryn , Fan Zhanyun , Xie Hong , Bacskai Brian , Edd Jon , Irimia Daniel , Hyman Bradley T.
Published: August 2009

Tau protein is present in six different splice forms in the human brain and interacts with microtubules via either 3 or 4 microtubule binding repeats. An increased ratio of 3 repeat to 4 repeat isoforms is associated with neurodegeneration in inherited forms of frontotemporal dementia. Tau over‐expression diminishes axonal transport in several systems, but differential effects of 3 repeat and 4 repeat isoforms have not been studied. We examined the effects of tau on mitochondrial transport and found that both 3 repeat and 4 repeat tau change normal mitochondrial distribution within the cell body and reduce mitochondrial localization to axons; 4 repeat tau has a greater effect than 3 repeat tau. Further, we observed that the 3 repeat and 4 repeat tau cause different alterations in retrograde and anterograde transport dynamics with 3 repeat tau having a slightly stronger effect on axon transport dynamics. Our results indicate that tau‐induced changes in axonal transport may be an underlying theme in neurodegenerative diseases associated with isoform specific changes in tau’s interaction with microtubules.
Differential CRX and OTX2 expression in human retina and retinoblastoma
Authors: Glubrecht Darryl D. , Kim Ji‐Hyeon , Russell Laurie , Bamforth J. Stephen , Godbout Roseline
Published: August 2009

The histogenesis of retinoblastoma tumors remains controversial, with the cell‐of‐origin variably proposed to be an uncommitted retinal progenitor cell, a bipotent committed cell, or a cell committed to a specific lineage. Here, we examine the expression of two members of the orthodenticle family implicated in photoreceptor and bipolar cell differentiation, cone‐rod homeobox, CRX, and orthodenticle homeobox 2, OTX2, in normal human retina, retinoblastoma cell lines and retinoblastoma tumors. We show that CRX and OTX2 have distinct expression profiles in the developing human retina, with CRX first expressed in proliferating cells and cells committed to the bipolar lineage, and OTX2 first appearing in the photoreceptor lineage. In the mature retina, CRX levels are highest in photoreceptor cells whereas OTX2 is preferentially found in bipolar cells and in the retinal pigmented epithelium. Both CRX and OTX2 are widely expressed in retinoblastoma cell lines and in retinoblastoma tumors, although CRX is more abundant than OTX2 in the differentiated elements of retinoblastoma tumors such as large rosettes, Flexner‐Wintersteiner rosettes and fleurettes. Widespread expression of CRX and OTX2 in retinoblastoma tumors and cell lines suggests a close link between the cell‐of‐origin of retinoblastoma tumors and cells expressing CRX and OTX2.
The environmental disaster of Aznalcóllar (southern Spain) as an approach to the Cretaceous–Palaeogene mass extinction event
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ‐TOVAR F. J. , MARTÍN‐PEINADO F. J.
Published: August 2009

Biotic recovery after the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K–Pg) impact is one unsolved question concerning this mass extinction event. To evaluate the incidence of the K–Pg event on biota, and the subsequent recovery, a recent environmental disaster has been analysed. Areas affected by the contamination disaster of Aználcollar (province of Sevilla, southern Spain) in April 1998 were studied and compared with the K–Pg event. Several similarities (the sudden impact, the high levels of toxic components, especially in the upper thin lamina and the incidence on biota) and differences (the time of recovery and the geographical extension) are recognized. An in‐depth geochemical analysis of the soils reveals their acidity (between 1.83 and 2.11) and the high concentration of pollutant elements, locally higher than in the K–Pg boundary layer: values up to 7.0 mg kg−1 for Hg, 2030.7 mg kg−1 for As, 8629.0 mg kg−1 for Pb, 86.8 mg kg−1 for Tl, 1040.7 mg kg−1 for Sb and 93.3–492.7 p.p.b. for Ir. However, less than 10 years after the phenomenon, a rapid initial recovery in biota colonizing the contaminated, ‘unfavourable’, substrate is registered. Nesting of the ant Tapinoma nigerrima (Nylander) has taken place through the tailing layer, with arranged particles from inside the soils showing similar values in pollutant elements as the deep soils. This agrees with recent ichnological evidence of a rapid colonization of the K–Pg boundary layer, classically interpreted as an inhabitable substrate, by organisms with a high independence with respect to substrate features (i.e. Chondrites trace makers). The dramatic consequences of the K–Pg boundary impact and the generalized long‐time recovery interpreted after the event (in the order of 104–105 years) could have been overestimated due to the absence of a high‐temporal resolution in the range of 102–103 years.
The effect of treatment zone diameter in hyperopic orthokeratology
Authors: Gifford Paul , Swarbrick Helen A.
Published: August 2009

Purpose:  To investigate the time course of treatment zone (TZ) diameter changes in hyperopic orthokeratology (OK) lens wear from 1 h in the open eye through to seven nights in the closed eye.

Methods:  Twelve subjects were fitted with rigid hyperopic OK lenses. Lenses were worn in the open eye for 1 h then one night in the closed eye, separated by a washout period of 4 days. Changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and corneal topography (Medmont E‐300) were measured on lens removal. The TZ, comprising the central steepened zone (CSZ) and surrounding annular flattened zone (AFZ), was measured from corneal topography. Subsequently, ten subjects wore the same lens design overnight for seven nights, and measurements were taken on lens removal and 8 h later on Days 1 and 7.

Results:  Both CSZ and AFZ were apparent after 1 h of hyperopic OK lens wear. CSZ decreased while AFZ increased with longer periods of lens wear. BCVA reduced with longer periods of lens wear and was associated with decreasing CSZ (r = −0.866, p < 0.001) and increasing AFZ (r = 0.447, p < 0.05).

Conclusions:  The association of changes of treatment zone size with reductions in BCVA suggests that increasing CSZ may lead to better visual outcomes in hyperopic OK.
The role of lysimeters in the development of our understanding of soil water and nutrient dynamics in ecosystems
Authors: Goss M. J. , Ehlers W.
Published: August 2009

This paper considers the development of lysimeters and their role in the evolution of our understanding of the dynamics of water and plant nutrients in ecosystems. Lysimeters are delineated volumes of soil. They can be divided into those filled with repacked soil, and those enclosing an undisturbed monolith. The original repacked lysimeter was developed to investigate the concept that all life stems from water, and is considered to be the first quantitative experiment in history. It focussed on the growth of a willow tree and how much of the increment was derived from the soil solids. From this start some 360 years ago lysimeters quickly contributed to the quantification of the transpiration stream and the differentiation of water loss by evaporation from the soil from loss via the leaves of plants. Chronologically, further development began about 210 years ago with the exploration of whether precipitation could account for all the water moving from the land to the oceans, and was the origin of springs. In part, this required a careful quantification of soil evaporation, runoff and deep drainage. This in turn led to the quantification of the soil water balance. As a result, we are able to predict indices, such as crop water use efficiency, drainage and irrigation requirements, contributions to stream flow, groundwater recharge and nutrient loss by leaching. Recognition that the quantification of drainage and leaching required soils of natural structure and profile integrity resulted in the building of the first monolith lysimeter and the development of ‘pan’ or ‘Ebermayer’ lysimeters. Improved technology allowed a better understanding of the role of soil in the regional water balance through the development of small diameter lysimeters that could be transported to a central location subject to the same climatic variables. In contrast, other technological changes allowed the impact of typical soil management operations carried out using regular machinery to be applied on field‐scale lysimeters. The contribution of the different types of lysimeter to the development of our understanding of soil use and management is considered.
Immunogenetic susceptibility to diabetes mellitus in patients with liver disease
Authors: Montano‐Loza Aldo J. , Sultan Aqib , Falanga Debbie , Loss George , Mason Andrew L.
Published: August 2009

Background/Aim: Genetic, environmental, metabolic and infectious influences, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, are thought to impact on the development of diabetes in patients with liver disease. As specific human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles provide the major genetic risk factors for type 1 diabetes, our aim was to investigate whether HLA class I and II alleles constitute additional risk factors for diabetes in patients with liver disease.

Methods: We evaluated two independent databases of 193 and 728 adult patients with chronic liver disease for the diagnosis of diabetes and the presence of specific HLA subtypes.

Results: In each database, 24 and 19% of patients met criteria for diabetes. In the first database, specific class I and II alleles were observed more frequently in diabetics compared with non‐diabetics: Cw7 (50 vs. 32%, P=0.04), DR51 (17 vs. 3%P=0.003) and DQ6 (37 vs. 18%, P=0.02). In the second database, DQ6 was observed in 16% of diabetics vs. 8% of non‐diabetics (P=0.04). The DR2–DR51–DQ6 haplotype was higher in patients with diabetes in both databases (22 vs.7%, P=0.02 and 12 vs. 5%, P=0.02). In a subgroup analysis of patients with HCV infection, increased frequencies of Cw7, DR2/DR51, DQ6 and DR2–DR51–DQ6 were also observed to be higher in subjects with diabetes compared with those without diabetes.

Conclusions: Patients with chronic liver disease, especially those with HCV infection, have an immunogenetic risk for diabetes characterized by the presence of Cw7, DR51, DQ6 and DR2–DR51–DQ6.
Some Input on the Easy/Difficult Grammar Question: An Empirical Study
Authors: COLLINS LAURA , TROFIMOVICH PAVEL , WHITE JOANNA , CARDOSO WALCIR , HORST MARLISE
Published: August 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to distinguish between “difficult” and “easy” constructions for second language (L2) learners by examining characteristics of the structures as they occur in aural input. In a multidimensional analysis of 3 English structures with different acquisition profiles—the simple past, possessive determiners his/her, and the progressive aspect—we examined the phonological, morphosyntactic, and lexicosemantic characteristics of the forms as they occurred in a 110,000‐word corpus of instructional talk to L2 learners. We analyzed the type/token distributions of the forms, their lexical properties, and their perceptual salience. Our findings revealed key input factors that distinguished between the early‐acquired progressive, on the one hand, and the later‐acquired past and his/her determiners, on the other hand. These results lend support to theoretical accounts of the input–acquisition relationship and also generate hypotheses for manipulating instructional input to increase the salience of opaque constructions.
Korean Speakers' Acquisition of the English Ditransitive Construction: The Role of Verb Prototype, Input Distribution, and Frequency
Authors: YEAR JUNGEUN , GORDON PETER
Published: August 2009

Recent studies in usage‐based linguistics have found that construction learning is more effective when input is skewed toward a prototypical exemplar of the construction, thereby reflecting the frequency distribution in natural language. This study investigates the extent to which a prototypical ditransitive verb with high frequency (give) facilitates the acquisition of the English ditransitive construction in Korean children learning English in a community in which exposure to English is rare outside of the formal classroom setting. Six classes were randomly assigned to either a skewed frequency group, where the input was skewed toward give, or a balanced frequency group, where the input was evenly distributed among the training ditransitive verbs. This experiment found little evidence for the facilitative effects of skewed input on construction learning. Instead, the results suggest that construction learning in this situation is superior with a more balanced set of verbs rather than a focus on a single prototype.
Reading Progress Monitoring for Secondary‐School Students: Reliability, Validity, and Sensitivity to Growth of Reading‐Aloud and Maze‐Selection Measures
Authors: Tichá Renáta , Espin Christine A. , Wayman Miya Miura
Published: August 2009

The validity and reliability of curriculum‐based measures in reading as indicators of performance and progress for secondary‐school students were examined. Thirty‐five grade 8 students completed reading aloud and maze‐selection measures weekly for 10 weeks. Criterion measures were the state standards test in reading and the Woodcock–Johnson III Test of Achievement. Different time frames for each measure were compared. Most alternate‐form reliability coefficients were above .80. Criterion‐related validity coefficients ranged from .77 to .89. No differences related to time were found. Only maze selection reflected significant growth, with an average increase of 1.29 correct choices per week. Maze growth was related to the reading performance level and to change on the Woodcock–Johnson III from pre‐ to posttest.