bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonreciprocal emission of spin-wave packet in FeNi film
Authors: Sekiguchi K. , Yamada K. , Seo S. M. , Lee K. J. , Chiba D. , Kobayashi K. , Ono T.
Published: July 2010

We report a time-resolved propagating spin wave spectroscopy for Fe19Ni81 film. We show that the amplitude of the spin-wave packet depends on the direction of magnetization and that its phase can be controlled by the polarity of pulsed magnetic field for the excitation. The nonreciprocal emission of spin-wave packet can be utilized for the binary spin-wave input into the spin-wave logic circuit.
O-vacancy as the origin of negative bias illumination stress instability in amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin film transistors
Authors: Ryu Byungki , Noh Hyeon-Kyun , Choi Eun-Ae , Chang K. J.
Published: July 2010

We find that O-vacancy (VO) acts as a hole trap and plays a role in negative bias illumination stress instability in amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin film transistors. Photoexcited holes drift toward the channel/dielectric interface due to small potential barriers and can be captured by VO in the dielectrics. While some of VO+2 defects are very stable at room temperature, their original deep states are recovered via electron capture upon annealing. We also find that VO+2 can diffuse in amorphous phase, inducing hole accumulation near the interface under negative gate bias.
Photochemical Triggering of the Bergman and Myers - Saito Cyclizations
Authors: Polukhtine Andrei , Karpov Grigori , Pandithavidana Dinesh R. , Kuzmin Alexander , Popik Vladimir V.
Published: July 2010

Two strategies for the photochemical generation of reactive enediyne compounds and their subsequent cycloaromatization to p-benzyne or α,3-didehydrotoluene derivatives are discussed in this account. The first method employs a photo-Wolff reaction of stable 11- or 12-membered ring precursor enediynes containing the 2-diazo-1,3-diketone moiety. Irradiation of these compounds results in ring contraction and the formation of two isomeric enediynes possessing an enolized β-ketoester fragment. One of the isomers undergoes the conventional Bergman cyclization, whereas the other isomerizes into the enyne-allene tautomer, which rapidly cyclizes via a Myers–Saito mechanism. The second strategy consists of replacing the triple bond in a cyclic enediyne or enyne-allene structure with a cyclopropenone group, rendering them thermally stable. Photolysis of cyclopropenones results in efficient decarbonylation and the regeneration of a triple bond, restoring the enediyne π-system. The generation of reactive enediynes by non-resonant two-photon excitation using wavelengths within a ‘phototherapeutic window’ was also demonstrated. Photogenerated enediynes show significant nuclease activity, efficiently inducing single-strand dDNA cleavage.
Sirtuin 1 regulation of developmental genes during differentiation of stem cells
Authors: Calvanese Vincenzo , Lara Ester , Suárez-Álvarez Beatriz , Abu Dawud Raed , Vázquez-Chantada Mercedes , Martínez-Chantar Maria Luz , Embade Nieves , López-Nieva Pilar , Horrillo Angelica , Hmadcha Abdelkrim , Soria Bernat , Piazzolla Daniela , Herranz Daniel , Serrano Manuel , Mato Jose María , Andrews Peter W. , López-Larrea Carlos , Esteller Manel , Fraga Mario F.
Published: July 2010

The longevity-promoting NAD
+
–dependent class III histone deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in stem cell function by controlling cell fate decision and/or by regulating the p53-dependent expression of NANOG. We show that SIRT1 is down-regulated precisely during human embryonic stem cell differentiation at both mRNA and protein levels and that the decrease in Sirt1 mRNA is mediated by a molecular pathway that involves the RNA-binding protein HuR and the arginine methyltransferase coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1). SIRT1 down-regulation leads to reactivation of key developmental genes such as the neuroretinal morphogenesis effectors DLL4, TBX3, and PAX6, which are epigenetically repressed by this histone deacetylase in pluripotent human embryonic stem cells. Our results indicate that SIRT1 is regulated during stem cell differentiation in the context of a yet-unknown epigenetic pathway that controls specific developmental genes in embryonic stem cells.
Induction of complete and molecular remissions in acute myeloid leukemia by Wilms’ tumor 1 antigen-targeted dendritic cell vaccination
Authors: Van Tendeloo Viggo F. , Van de Velde Ann , Van Driessche Ann , Cools Nathalie , Anguille Sébastien , Ladell Kristin , Gostick Emma , Vermeulen Katrien , Pieters Katrien , Nijs Griet , Stein Barbara , Smits Evelien L. , Schroyens Wilfried A. , Gadisseur Alain P. , Vrelust Inge , Jorens Philippe G. , Goossens Herman , de Vries I. Jolanda , Price David A. , Oji Yusuke , Oka Yoshihiro , Sugiyama Haruo , Berneman Zwi N.
Published: July 2010

Active immunization using tumor antigen-loaded dendritic cells holds promise for the adjuvant treatment of cancer to eradicate or control residual disease, but so far, most dendritic cell trials have been performed in end-stage cancer patients with high tumor loads. Here, in a phase I/II trial, we investigated the effect of autologous dendritic cell vaccination in 10 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The Wilms’ tumor 1 protein (WT1), a nearly universal tumor antigen, was chosen as an immunotherapeutic target because of its established role in leukemogenesis and superior immunogenic characteristics. Two patients in partial remission after chemotherapy were brought into complete remission after intradermal administration of full-length
WT1
mRNA-electroporated dendritic cells. In these two patients and three other patients who were in complete remission, the AML-associated tumor marker returned to normal after dendritic cell vaccination, compatible with the induction of molecular remission. Clinical responses were correlated with vaccine-associated increases in WT1-specific CD8
+
T cell frequencies, as detected by peptide/HLA-A*0201 tetramer staining, and elevated levels of activated natural killer cells postvaccination. Furthermore, vaccinated patients showed increased levels of WT1-specific IFN-γ–producing CD8
+
T cells and features of general immune activation. These data support the further development of vaccination with
WT1
mRNA-loaded dendritic cells as a postremission treatment to prevent full relapse in AML patients.
Belief in a just world and subjective well‐being: Mothers of normal and Down syndrome children
Authors: Fatima Iram , Suhail Kausar
Published: July 2010

A cross‐sectional study examined the relationship between three dimensions of the belief in a just world and the subjective well‐being of Pakistani mothers of normal and Down syndrome children (n = 100 each). Personal belief in a just world and two dimensions of general belief in a just world—beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice—were assessed along with four dimensions of subjective well‐being: life satisfaction, mood, state anxiety, and depression. It was hypothesized that personal belief in a just world and belief in ultimate justice would be positively associated with subjective well‐being for both groups of mothers. Results were obtained through moderated regression analyses. In line with our hypothesis, personal belief in a just world positively predicted life satisfaction and mood level and negatively predicted state anxiety and depression in both groups of mothers. In contrast, beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice were not consistently adaptive. In particular, the more the mothers of a Down syndrome child believed in immanent justice, the more anxiety they experienced the previous week. In addition, the more the mothers of normal children believed in ultimate justice, the more they experienced anxiety. The pattern of results persisted when controlled for mothers’ education, the total number of their children and marital status. Overall, the results support the role of personal belief in a just world as a personal resource in adverse as well as normal life circumstances.
A note to “Mappings of finite distortion: formation of cusps II”
Authors: Koskela Pekka , Takkinen Juhani
Published: July 2010

We consider planar homeomorphisms

f
:

R

2

→

R

2

f\colon \mathbb {R}^2\to \mathbb {R}^2

that are of finite distortion and map the unit disk onto a specific cusp domain 

Ω
s

\Omega _s

. We study the relation between the degree 

s
s

of the cusp and the integrability of the distortion function 

K
f

K_f

by sharpening a previous result where 

K
f

K_f

is assumed to be locally exponentially integrable.
Differential Requirements for Clathrin-dependent Endocytosis at Sites of Cell–Substrate Adhesion
Authors: Batchelder Erika M. , Yarar Defne
Published: July 2010

Clathrin-dependent endocytosis is a major route for the cellular import of macromolecules and occurs at the interface between the cell and its surroundings. However, little is known about the influences of cell–substrate attachment in clathrin-coated vesicle formation. Using biochemical and imaging-based methods, we find that cell–substrate adhesion reduces the rate of endocytosis. Clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) in proximity to substrate contacts exhibit slower dynamics in comparison to CCPs found more distant from adhesions. Direct manipulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to modulate adhesion demonstrates that tight adhesion dramatically reduces clathrin-dependent endocytosis and extends the lifetimes of clathrin structures. This reduction is in part mediated by integrin-matrix engagement. In addition, we demonstrate that actin cytoskeletal dynamics are differentially required for efficient endocytosis, with a stronger requirement for actin polymerization in areas of adhesion. Together, these results reveal that cell–substrate adhesion regulates clathrin-dependent endocytosis and suggests that actin assembly facilitates vesicle formation at sites of adhesion.
Cdc42 Regulates Apical Junction Formation in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells through PAK4 and Par6B
Authors: Wallace Sean W. , Durgan Joanne , Jin Dan , Hall Alan
Published: July 2010

Cdc42 has been implicated in numerous biochemical pathways during epithelial morphogenesis, including the control of spindle orientation during mitosis, the establishment of apical-basal polarity, the formation of apical cell–cell junctions, and polarized secretion. To investigate the signaling pathways through which Cdc42 mediates these diverse effects, we have screened an siRNA library corresponding to the 36 known Cdc42 target proteins, in a human bronchial epithelial cell line. Two targets, PAK4 and Par6B, were identified as necessary for the formation of apical junctions. PAK4 is recruited to nascent cell–cell contacts in a Cdc42-dependent manner, where it is required for the maturation of primordial junctions into apical junctions. PAK4 kinase activity is essential for junction maturation, but overexpression of an activated PAK4 mutant disrupts this process. Par6B, together with its binding partner aPKC, is necessary both for junction maturation and for the retention of PAK4 at sites of cell–cell contact. This study demonstrates that controlled regulation of PAK4 is required for apical junction formation in lung epithelial cells and highlights potential cross-talk between two Cdc42 targets, PAK4 and Par6B.
Probabilistic analysis of gene expression measurements from heterogeneous tissues
Authors: Erkkilä Timo , Lehmusvaara Saara , Ruusuvuori Pekka , Visakorpi Tapio , Shmulevich Ilya , Lähdesmäki Harri
Published: July 2010

Motivation: Tissue heterogeneity, arising from multiple cell types, is a major confounding factor in experiments that focus on studying cell types, e.g. their expression profiles, in isolation. Although sample heterogeneity can be addressed by manual microdissection, prior to conducting experiments, computational treatment on heterogeneous measurements have become a reliable alternative to perform this microdissection in silico. Favoring computation over manual purification has its advantages, such as time consumption, measuring responses of multiple cell types simultaneously, keeping samples intact of external perturbations and unaltered yield of molecular content.

Results: We formalize a probabilistic model, DSection, and show with simulations as well as with real microarray data that DSection attains increased modeling accuracy in terms of (i) estimating cell-type proportions of heterogeneous tissue samples, (ii) estimating replication variance and (iii) identifying differential expression across cell types under various experimental conditions. As our reference we use the corresponding linear regression model, which mirrors the performance of the majority of current non-probabilistic modeling approaches.

Availability and Software: All codes are written in Matlab, and are freely available upon request as well as at the project web page http://www.cs.tut.fi/∼erkkila2/. Furthermore, a web-application for DSection exists at http://informatics.systemsbiology.net/DSection.

Contact:  timo.p.erkkila@tut.fi; harri.lahdesmaki@tut.fi
ANAIS: Analysis of NimbleGen Arrays Interface
Authors: Simon Adeline , Biot Eric
Published: July 2010

Summary: ANAIS is a user-friendly web-based tool for the processing of NimbleGen expression data. The interface reads single-channel microarray files generated by NimbleGen platforms and produces easily interpretable graphical and numerical results. It provides biologists six turnkey analysis modules—normalization, probe to gene, quality controls, differential expression, detection, queries and clustering—to explore quickly, freely and without the need for computer programming, NimbleGen transcriptome data.

Availability:  http://anais.versailles.inra.fr

Contact:  simon@versailles.inra.fr
‘Divine right’ or democracy? The Royal Society ‘revolt’ of 1935
Authors: Hughes Jeff
Published: July 2010

In October 1934, several Fellows of the Royal Society submitted a petition critical of the oligarchic nature of the Society's Council and the power wielded by a small elite in the Society's activities. The ‘Royal Society Reform Group’ also voiced concern over the Society's neglect of the increasingly pressing public issue of the ‘social responsibility of science’, and fundamentally questioned the role of the Royal Society as a representative body for science. Against a background of national economic crisis and political upheaval, the reformers sought to ensure that the Royal Society should act as an authoritative public voice for
scientists
rather than for establishment science. In so doing they raised profound political issues concerning the relationships between the Society, working scientists, other scientific institutions and the wider polity. The Reform Group's campaign culminated in the first contested Council election in living memory in November 1935, when more than half of the Fellowship attended in person to vote. In this paper I explore the activities and changing public role of the Royal Society in the inter-war years, the reformers' campaign, the Royal Society's response and the outcomes of this ‘Revolt in the Royal Society’.
Periodic climate cooling enhanced natural disasters and wars in China during AD 10–1900
Authors: Zhang Zhibin , Tian Huidong , Cazelles Bernard , Kausrud Kyrre L. , Bräuning Achim , Guo Fang , Stenseth Nils Chr
Published: July 2010

Recent studies have linked climatic and social instabilities in ancient China; the underlying causal mechanisms have, however, often not been quantitatively assessed. Here, using historical records and palaeoclimatic reconstructions during AD 10–1900, we demonstrate that war frequency, price of rice, locust plague, drought frequency, flood frequency and temperature in China show two predominant periodic bands around 160 and 320 years where they interact significantly with each other. Temperature cooling shows direct positive association with the frequency of external aggression war to the Chinese dynasties mostly from the northern pastoral nomadic societies, and indirect positive association with the frequency of internal war within the Chinese dynasties through drought and locust plagues. The collapses of the agricultural dynasties of the Han, Tang, Song and Ming are more closely associated with low temperature. Our study suggests that food production during the last two millennia has been more unstable during cooler periods, resulting in more social conflicts owing to rebellions within the dynasties or/and southward aggressions from northern pastoral nomadic societies in ancient China.
Sexual selection in mushroom-forming basidiomycetes
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Bart P. S. , Debets Alfons J. M. , Aanen Duur K.
Published: July 2010

We expect that sexual selection may play an important role in the evolution of mushroom-forming basidiomycete fungi. Although these fungi do not have separate
sexes
, they do play female and male
roles
: the acceptance and the donation of a nucleus, respectively. The primary mycelium (monokaryon) of basidiomycete fungi, growing from a germinating sexual spore, is hermaphroditic, but it loses female function upon the acceptance of a second nucleus. The resulting dikaryon with two different nuclei in each cell retains a male potential as both nuclei can fertilize receptive mycelia. We tested the occurrence of sexual selection in the model species of mushroom-forming basidiomycetes,
Schizophyllum commune
, by pairing monokaryons with fully compatible dikaryons. In most pairings, we found a strong bias for one of the two nuclei although both were compatible with the monokaryon when paired alone. This shows that sexual selection can occur in mushroom-forming basidiomycetes. Since the winning nucleus of a dikaryon occasionally varied depending on the receiving monokaryon, we infer that sexual selection can operate through choosiness of the receiving individual (analogous to female choice). However, in other cases the same nucleus won, irrespective of the receiving monokaryon, suggesting that competition between the two nuclei of the donating mycelium (analogous to male–male competition) might also play a role.
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay maintains translational fidelity by limiting magnesium uptake
Authors: Johansson Marcus J.O. , Jacobson Allan
Published: July 2010

Inactivation of the yeast nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway stabilizes nonsense mRNAs and promotes readthrough of premature translation termination codons. Although the latter phenotype is thought to reflect a direct role of NMD factors in translation termination, its mechanism is unknown. Here we show that the reduced termination efficiency of NMD-deficient cells is attributable to increased expression of the magnesium transporter Alr1p and the resulting effects of elevated Mg2+ levels on termination fidelity. Alr1p levels increase because an upstream ORF in ALR1 mRNA targets the transcript for NMD. Our results demonstrate that NMD, at least in yeast, controls Mg2+ homeostasis and, consequently, translational fidelity.
Confining euchromatin/heterochromatin territory: jumonji crosses the line
Authors: Tamaru Hisashi
Published: July 2010

Heterochromatin is typically highly condensed, gene-poor, and transcriptionally silent, whereas euchromatin is less condensed, gene-rich, and more accessible to transcription. Besides acting as a graveyard for selfish mobile DNA repeats, heterochromatin contributes to important biological functions, such as chromosome segregation during cell division. Multiple features of heterochromatin—including the presence or absence of specific histone modifications, DNA methylation, and small RNAs—have been implicated in distinguishing heterochromatin from euchromatin in various organisms. Cells malfunction if the genome fails to restrict repressive chromatin marks within heterochromatin domains. How euchromatin and heterochromatin territories are confined remains poorly understood. Recent studies from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa have revealed a new role for Jumonji C (JmjC) domain-containing proteins in protecting euchromatin from heterochromatin marks.
Loss of Topoisomerase I leads to R-loop-mediated transcriptional blocks during ribosomal RNA synthesis
Authors: El Hage Aziz , French Sarah L. , Beyer Ann L. , Tollervey David
Published: July 2010

Pre-rRNA transcription by RNA Polymerase I (Pol I) is very robust on active rDNA repeats. Loss of yeast Topoisomerase I (Top1) generated truncated pre-rRNA fragments, which were stabilized in strains lacking TRAMP (Trf4/Trf5–Air1/Air2–Mtr4 polyadenylation complexes) or exosome degradation activities. Loss of both Top1 and Top2 blocked pre-rRNA synthesis, with pre-rRNAs truncated predominately in the 18S 5′ region. Positive supercoils in front of Pol I are predicted to slow elongation, while rDNA opening in its wake might cause R-loop formation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed substantial levels of RNA/DNA hybrids in the wild type, particularly over the 18S 5′ region. The absence of RNase H1 and H2 in cells depleted of Top1 increased the accumulation of RNA/DNA hybrids and reduced pre-rRNA truncation and pre-rRNA synthesis. Hybrid accumulation over the rDNA was greatly exacerbated when Top1, Top2, and RNase H were all absent. Electron microscopy (EM) analysis revealed Pol I pileups in the wild type, particularly over the 18S. Pileups were longer and more frequent in the absence of Top1, and their frequency was exacerbated when RNase H activity was also lacking. We conclude that the loss of Top1 enhances inherent R-loop formation, particularly over the 5′ region of the rDNA, imposing persistent transcription blocks when RNase H is limiting.
The effects of clonidine on symptoms and anorectal sensorimotor function in women with faecal incontinence
Authors: Bharucha A. E. , Seide B. M. , Zinsmeister A. R.
Published: July 2010

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 681–688

Background  Women with faecal incontinence and rectal urgency have increased rectal stiffness and sensation.

Aim  To evaluate the effects of clonidine, an α2‐adrenergic agonist, in faecal incontinence.

Methods  In this open‐label uncontrolled study, bowel symptoms and anorectal functions (anal pressures, rectal compliance, and sensation) were assessed before and during treatment with transdermal clonidine (0.2 mg daily, 4 weeks) in 12 women with urge‐predominant faecal incontinence.

Results  Clonidine reduced the frequency (17.8 ± 3.1 before vs. 8.8 ± 3.9 after, P = 0.03) and number of days with faecal incontinence (11.8 ± 1.6 before vs. 6.1 ± 1.8 after, P = 0.02), faecal incontinence symptom severity score (max = 13, 8.3 ± 0.7 vs. 5.6 ± 0.9, P < 0.01), and allowed patients to defer defecation for a longer duration (P = 0.03). Although overall effects on anorectal functions were not significant, the treatment‐associated reduction in faecal incontinence episodes was associated with increased rectal compliance (r = −0.58, P < 0.05) and reduced rectal sensation. (r = −0.73, P = 0.007 vs. desire to defecate pressure threshold).

Conclusions  Clonidine improves symptoms in women with faecal incontinence; this improvement is associated with increased rectal compliance and reduced rectal sensitivity. A controlled study is necessary to confirm these observations.
Effects of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of rivaroxaban, an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor
Authors: Kubitza Dagmar , Becka Michael , Mueck Wolfgang , Halabi Atef , Maatouk Haidar , Klause Norbert , Lufft Volkmar , Wand Dominic D. , Philipp Thomas , Bruck Heike
Published: July 2010

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• Prior to the commencement of this study, it was already known that rivaroxaban is partially cleared via the kidneys and an influence of renal insufficiency on rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics and exposure was anticipated.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• As many patients in the target indications of rivaroxaban will be elderly, a precise quantitative knowledge of the influence of renal function on rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics and exposure is mandatory for adequate labelling recommendations (in the context of benefit/risk provided by phase III studies) to guide therapy. This study provided detailed insight on both rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic behaviour in renal impairment including severely renally impaired subjects.

AIM

This study evaluated the effects of impaired renal function on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of rivaroxaban (10 mg single dose), an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor.

METHODS

Subjects (n= 32) were stratified based on measured creatinine clearance: healthy controls (≥80 ml min−1), mild (50–79 ml min−1), moderate (30–49 ml min−1) and severe impairment (<30 ml min−1).

RESULTS

Renal clearance of rivaroxaban decreased with increasing renal impairment. Thus, plasma concentrations increased and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) LS‐mean values were 1.44‐fold (90% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 1.9; mild), 1.52‐fold (90% CI 1.2, 2.0; moderate) and 1.64‐fold (90% CI 1.2, 2.2; severe impairment) higher than in healthy controls. Corresponding values for the LS‐mean of the AUC for prolongation of prothrombin time were 1.33‐fold (90% CI 0.92, 1.92; mild), 2.16‐fold (90% CI 1.51, 3.10 moderate) and 2.44‐fold (90% CI 1.70, 3.49 severe) higher than in healthy subjects, respectively. Likewise, the LS‐mean of the AUC for Factor Xa inhibition in subjects with mild renal impairment was 1.50‐fold (90% CI 1.07, 2.10) higher than in healthy subjects. In subjects with moderate and severe renal impairment, the increase was 1.86‐fold (90% CI 1.34, 2.59) and 2.0‐fold (90% CI 1.44, 2.78) higher than in healthy subjects, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Rivaroxaban clearance is decreased with increasing renal impairment, leading to increased plasma exposure and pharmacodynamic effects, as expected for a partially renally excreted drug. However, the influence of renal function on rivaroxaban clearance was moderate, even in subjects with severe renal impairment.
Preparation and planning for face‐to‐face contact after adoption: the experience of adoptive parents in a UK study
Authors: Logan Janette
Published: July 2010

Whilst there is a general international trend towards more open adoption, there is considerable variation between agencies in the extent to which they are prepared to support different forms of contact arrangements. Agencies have a pivotal role to play in decisions about contact and early planning that is integrated into the assessment and preparation of prospective adopters is fundamental to its success. This paper reports on adoptive parents' experiences of the process of preparation and planning for direct, face‐to‐face contact. During preparation, agencies were clearly getting the message across to prospective adopters about the importance of contact for the child's well being. However, insufficient attention was directed at helping adopters to anticipate their feelings towards birth relatives and their responses to the kinds of management issues that might arise after adoption. There was considerable variation in the extent to which adopters were involved in the process of planning detailed contact arrangements, and this seemed to bear relevance on the success or otherwise of subsequent contact arrangements.
Negotiating cultural values and expectations within the public child welfare system: A look atfamilismoandpersonalismo
Authors: Ayón Cecilia , Aisenberg Eugene
Published: July 2010

This paper examines, from the perspective of parents and child welfare workers, how cultural values and expectations are integrated and negotiated in public child welfare cases. The study focuses on the experiences and interactions of Mexican families with the public child welfare system in Southern California. Grounded theory is used to complete the content analysis. Findings indicate that workers' efforts to provide culturally congruent services are limited by organizational structural factors. Consistent with the value ofpersonalismo, parents stress the importance of a good relationship with their worker and the implications to their case. Specific recommendations to enhance service delivery include (1) developing services models that are informed by families served; (2) developing/providing ongoing training and evaluation to ascertain if services are in fact culturally competent; and (3) promoting a change in child welfare policy that reflects the diverse needs of families.
The Parent Concerns Questionnaire and Parenting Stress Index: comparison of two Common Assessment Framework‐compatible assessment instruments
Authors: Sheppard Michael , McDonald Paula , Welbourne Penelope
Published: July 2010

There is a long‐standing interest in finding ways to develop systematic and consistent means for conducting assessments. Behind this lies a concern with issues such as adequate responses to need, prevention, early intervention and evidence‐based practice. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) has been developed for wide use for families with additional needs, for various contexts, including children's centres. This, however, has been subject to some criticism. Two instruments with considerable potential relevance to areas consistently important in child and family assessment, focusing on parents (and hence likely to be of generic use with CAF), are the Parent Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ), developed specifically in relation to children's social care populations, and Parenting Stress Index (PSI). The way forward is to investigate empirically what they offer to practice. This paper examines their potential for practice in children's centres through a comparative methodology, an approach particularly suitable to identifying the distinctive qualities and contribution of each. The findings demonstrate both have considerable potential relevance for practice, outlines what each offers, with the detailed individual assessments and its ecological framework characteristic of the PCQ providing benefits additional to the PSI.
Occurrence, ecology and potential impact of the New Zealand wheat bug Nysius huttoni White (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Belgium
Authors: Bonte J. , Casteels H. , Maes M. , De Clercq P.
Published: July 2010

In 2002 the New Zealand wheat bug Nysius huttoni White was observed for the first time in the Netherlands and Belgium. The introduction of N. huttoni to these regions presumably occurred via overseas transport of apple and kiwi fruits from New Zealand. Laboratory experiments showed that both eggs and adults of N. huttoni were capable of surviving cold conditions similar to those in overseas transportation. Specimens were sampled in Belgium and the Netherlands, and a DNA sequence analysis indicated a 100% similarity with N. huttoni material collected in Christchurch, New Zealand. The distribution of the lygaeid in Belgium in 2008 was studied based on a systematic sampling at 105 locations. The bug had been able to spread over most of the Belgian territory, with the exception of the most southern and eastern provinces. Given the poor flight capacity of Belgian N. huttoni populations, other methods of dispersal may be involved. N. huttoni occurred primarily in ruderal habitats, and its weedy host plants belong to very common plant families. Several observations support N. huttoni not being a threat for agricultural crops in Belgium under the present conditions of climate and soil usage.
First record of the grapevine aphid, Aphis illinoisensis Shimer, in Tunisia
Authors: Kamel‐Ben Halima M. , Mdellel L.
Published: July 2010

Aphis illinoisensis Shimer is recorded for the first time on Vitis vinifera in Tunisia. A brief description of its morphology, biology and distribution is given in this paper.
The spiculum: an additional useful character for the identification of Ditylenchus dipsaci and D. destructor (Nematoda: Anguinidae)
Authors: Karssen G. , Willemsen N. M.
Published: July 2010

The quarantine nematodes Ditylenchus dipsaci and D. destructor are often routinely identified by morphology. This study identifies optimal conditions for specimen preparation of samples in order that the spiculum shape is clearly observable without distortion and allows the 2 species to be distinguished.
Evaluation of eradication measures against Anoplophora chinensis in early stage infestations in Europe
Authors: Van Der Gaag D. J. , Sinatra G. , Roversi P. F. , Loomans A. , Hérard F. , Vukadin A.
Published: July 2010

Eradication efforts are described at 5 sites where infestations of Anoplophora chinensis have been detected in Europe since 2003. The infestations were in France (declared eradicated in 2006), in Croatia, in Italy (Rome) and in the Netherlands (Westland and Boskoop). Each of these infestations was on or nearby a nursery or location where plants originating from Eastern Asia had (probably) been stocked or sold. Infested plants were all found within a distance of 30 m from the presumed source of infestation except in the Rome‐infestation where infested plants, in total 40, were found within 500 m of the presumed source of infestation. The history of plant imports and local observations at 3 sites (France, Croatia and Westland in the Netherlands) suggests that larvae arrived in imported plants and adults emerged and laid eggs on plants in the surroundings between 1 and 5 years before the infestation was detected. It was not possible to make such an estimate for the Boskoop infestation in the Netherlands and the Rome infestation in Italy.
Tetranychus evansi (Baker & Pritchard) (Acari:Tetranychidae) acarien invasif signalé sur culture de tomate à Mostaganem dans le nord‐ouest de l’Algérie
Authors: Guenaoui Y.
Published: July 2010

Une population établie de Tetranychus evansi a été signalée pour la première fois sur cultures de tomate dans le nord‐ouest de l’Algérie. Des données sur l’origine, la répartition géographique actuelle, l’identification et les plantes‐hôtes sont également présentées.
Sensitivity of multi‐coil frequency domain electromagnetic induction sensors to map soil magnetic susceptibility
Authors: Simpson D. , Van Meirvenne M. , Lück E. , Rühlmann J. , Saey T. , Bourgeois J.
Published: July 2010

Magnetic susceptibility is an important indicator of anthropogenic disturbance in the natural soil. This property is often mapped with magnetic gradiometers in archaeological prospection studies. It is also detected with frequency domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) sensors, which have the advantage that they can simultaneously measure the electrical conductivity. The detection level of FDEM sensors for magnetic structures is very dependent on the coil configuration. Apart from theoretical modelling studies, a thorough investigation with field models has not been conducted until now. Therefore, the goal of this study was to test multiple coil configurations on a test field with naturally enhanced magnetic susceptibility in the topsoil and with different types of structures mimicking real archaeological features. Two FDEM sensors were used with coil separations between 0.5 and 2 m and with three coil orientations. First, a vertical sounding was conducted over the undisturbed soil to test the validity of a theoretical layered model, which can be used to infer the depth sensitivity of the coil configurations. The modelled sounding values corresponded well with the measured data, which means that the theoretical models are applicable to layered soils. Second, magnetic structures were buried in the site and the resulting anomalies measured to a very high resolution. The results showed remarkable differences in amplitude and complexity between the responses of the coil configurations. The 2‐m horizontal coplanar and 1.1‐m perpendicular coil configurations produced the clearest anomalies and resembled best a gradiometer measurement.
Taller and larger: shifts in Arctic tundra leaf traits after 16 years of experimental warming
Authors: HUDSON J. M. G. , HENRY G. H. R. , CORNWELL W. K.
Published: July 2010

Understanding plant trait responses to elevated temperatures in the Arctic is critical in light of recent and continuing climate change, especially because these traits act as key mechanisms in climate‐vegetation feedbacks. Since 1992, we have artificially warmed three plant communities at Alexandra Fiord, Nunavut, Canada (79°N). In each of the communities, we used open‐top chambers (OTCs) to passively warm vegetation by 1–2 °C. In the summer of 2008, we investigated the intraspecific trait responses of five key species to 16 years of continuous warming. We examined eight traits that quantify different aspects of plant performance: leaf size, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), plant height, leaf carbon concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf carbon isotope discrimination (LCID), and leaf δ15N. Long‐term artificial warming affected five traits, including at least one trait in every species studied. The evergreen shrub Cassiope tetragona responded most frequently (increased leaf size and plant height/decreased SLA, leaf carbon concentration, and LCID), followed by the deciduous shrub Salix arctica (increased leaf size and plant height/decreased SLA) and the evergreen shrub Dryas integrifolia (increased leaf size and plant height/decreased LCID), the forb Oxyria digyna (increased leaf size and plant height), and the sedge Eriophorum angustifolium spp. triste (decreased leaf carbon concentration). Warming did not affect δ15N, leaf nitrogen concentration, or LDMC. Overall, growth traits were more sensitive to warming than leaf chemistry traits. Notably, we found that responses to warming were sustained, even after many years of treatment. Our work suggests that tundra plants in the High Arctic will show a multifaceted response to warming, often including taller shoots with larger leaves.
Dental pulp fibroblasts express neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor but not neuropeptide Y
Authors: Killough S. A. , Lundy F. T. , Irwin C. R.
Published: July 2010

Killough SA, Lundy FT, Irwin CR. Dental pulp fibroblasts express neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor but not neuropeptide Y. International Endodontic Journal, 43, 835–842, 2010.

Aim  To investigate whether dental pulp fibroblasts express neuropeptide Y (NPY) and NPY‐Y1 in vitro and to determine the effects of the cytokines including interlukin‐1β (IL‐1β), TGF‐ β1, substance P and NPY on the expression of NPY Y1.

Methodology  Three primary fibroblast cell strains were obtained from freshly extracted human third molar teeth. RT‐PCR was utilized to detect expression of NPY and mRNA expression. Membrane protein samples were isolated, and protein expression was determined by Western blotting. Radioimmunoassay was used to quantify NPY expression in healthy (n = 35) and carious (n = 39) whole pulp samples, and the student’s t‐test was used to test for statistical significance. In addition, the 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol,2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assay fibroblast cell growth.

Results  mRNA transcripts were found in all three fibroblast cell populations with the cytokines having a stimulatory effect on its expression (P < 0.05). NPY mRNA was not detected in the cell strains. NPY‐Y1 receptor protein expression was visualized by Western blotting, and there was no effect of IL‐1β or TGF‐ β1 on its expression. The mean concentration of NPY‐Ir determined by radioimmunoassay in non‐carious teeth was 19.40 ng g−1 (±17.03 SD) compared to 29.95 ng g−1 (±20.99 SD) in carious teeth (P < 0.05).

Conclusion  Human dental pulp fibroblasts express, but do not synthesize, NPY, demonstrating that the fibroblast is a target cell for NPY. The effect of proinflammatory cytokines suggests that fibroblasts play a neuroimmunomodulatory role in the pulpal response to dental caries and injury.
Composites made of flame‐sprayed bioactive glass 45S5 and polymers: bioactivity and immediate sealing properties
Authors: Mohn D. , Bruhin C. , Luechinger N. A. , Stark W. J. , Imfeld T. , Zehnder M.
Published: July 2010

Mohn D, Bruhin C, Luechinger NA, Stark WJ, Imfeld T, Zehnder M. Composites made of flame‐sprayed bioactive glass 45S5 and polymers: bioactivity and immediate sealing properties. International Endodontic Journal, 43, 1037–1046, 2010.

Aim  To engineer systems using polyisoprene (PI) or polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanometric bioactive glass 45S5 (BG) that could create a hydroxyapatite interface and thus ultimately make the use of an endodontic sealer unnecessary.

Methodology  Different composites using PI or PCL as matrix material were prepared with BG contents of up to 30 wt%. Unfilled PI and PCL, commercially available filled PI (Obtura gutta‐percha) and PCL pellets (Resilon) served as control materials. Bioactivity (in vitro precipitate formation in simulated body fluid) was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. To test immediate sealing ability, simulated root canals were filled with heated materials, and dye leakage was assessed. Leakage was statistically compared between groups using Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Mann–Whitney U tests and Bonferroni correction. The alpha‐type error was set at 0.05.

Results  Both composite systems revealed hydroxyapatite formation on their surface. This was not observed on control materials. Incorporating 30 wt% BG into PI and PCL significantly (P < 0.05) improved their immediate sealing ability compared to that of unfilled polymers, so that dye leakage in simulated root canals was prevented completely.

Conclusion  Polyisoprene and PCL composites with BG showed promising results as single root canal filling materials. Incorporation of BG fillers into the polymers under investigation made the resulting composite materials bioactive and improved their immediate sealing ability.
Disentangling the mechanistic drivers of ecosystem‐size effects on species diversity
Authors: Blakely Tanya J. , Didham Raphael K.
Published: July 2010

1. Species richness is typically positively correlated with ecosystem size, yet there is no general consensus on the proximate mechanisms (resource concentration, disturbance, colonization–extinction dynamics or habitat heterogeneity) driving this relationship. Ecosystem‐size effects are often attributed to increasing resource concentration, but the inherent intercorrelation of resource concentration with other potential proximate mechanisms has led to strong debate over its significance as a mediator of ecosystem‐size effects.

2. We disentangle the proximate mechanisms underlying ecosystem‐size effects on species richness by experimentally reversing resource concentration and enhancing drought disturbance, while holding colonization–extinction dynamics and habitat heterogeneity constant, in field microcosms.

3. Contrary to theory and much empirical evidence, species richness decreased with increasing ecosystem size, due explicitly to experimental manipulation of the resource‐concentration gradient. Structural equation modelling revealed that resource concentration was the principal driver of ecosystem‐size effects on species richness, while drought disturbance and habitat quality strongly determined the identity and composition of colonizing species.

4. Our results support the logical contention that ‘ecosystem size’ is not a mechanism of effect in its own right, and that with appropriate experimental manipulation it is possible to tease apart the multiple underlying proximate drivers of ecosystem‐size effects on species richness.

5. Our results imply that the universally accepted relationship between ecosystem size and biodiversity can be reversed by nutrient enrichment, an increasingly observed human‐induced driver of global environmental change.
Phylogeography of Ophiorrhiza japonica (Rubiaceae) in continental islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan
Authors: Nakamura Koh , Denda Tetsuo , Kokubugata Goro , Suwa Rempei , Yang T. Y. Aleck , Peng Ching‐I , Yokota Masatsugu
Published: July 2010

Aim  Phylogeographical patterns in the Ryukyu Archipelago have been explained primarily by landbridge formation and the opening of two straits in the Pliocene, namely the Tokara and Kerama gaps. These old straits have been considered to be the barriers most likely to determine genetic boundaries. To test this, we conducted a molecular analysis of the herb Ophiorrhiza japonica. We discuss the causes of and processes involved in its phylogeographical structure and explore aspects of island separation other than the duration of the straits to explain genetic boundaries at the gaps.

Location  Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan.

Methods  Plants were collected from 40 localities in the archipelago and vicinity. Non‐coding regions of chloroplast DNA were sequenced. The genealogical relationships among haplotypes were estimated using a statistical parsimony network. To examine the phylogeographical structure, we compared two parameters of population differentiation, namely GST and NST, and conducted correlation analysis of genetic and geographical distances. Genetic boundaries were identified using Monmonier’s maximum difference algorithm. To test vicariance–dispersal hypotheses, that is, vicariance after migration via the Pliocene landbridge or over‐sea dispersal in the Pleistocene, molecular dating analysis was conducted.

Results  A statistical parsimony network revealed that the haplotypes from the Ryukyu Archipelago and northwards coalesce to one ancestral haplotype in Taiwan. A clear phylogeographical structure was observed: plants within the same population and populations in geographical proximity were phylogenetically close. A genetic boundary was recognized across the Kerama Gap, but not across the Tokara Gap. Dating analysis suggested that population divergence across the Kerama Gap occurred in the early to late Pleistocene.

Main conclusions  The statistical parsimony network suggests migration from Taiwan and northward range expansion in the archipelago. Based on the divergence time, over‐sea dispersal in the Pleistocene is likely, although migration via a Pliocene landbridge is not totally rejected. Negligible genetic differentiation across the Tokara Gap suggests recent over‐sea dispersal, possibly facilitated by the small geographical width of the gap. Conversely, the large genetic differentiation across the Kerama Gap is probably explained by the large geographical distance across it. The past splitting of a landbridge would have had a significant influence on population differentiation after a certain geographical distance was reached.
Perceptions about intellectual disability: a qualitative study from Vellore, South India
Authors: Edwardraj S. , Mumtaj K. , Prasad J. H. , Kuruvilla A. , Jacob K. S.
Published: July 2010

Background  Cultural and religious beliefs influence perceptions about health and illness. Data, from India, on perceptions about intellectual disability are scant. This study explored people's cultural beliefs and attitudes about intellectual disability, perceived needs and burden associated with care in Vellore, south India.

Method  A qualitative methodology using focus groups was employed. Eight focus groups were conducted in three settings and included the mothers of children and adolescents with intellectual disability (four groups, n = 29), community health workers (two groups, n = 17) and schoolteachers (two groups, n = 16).

Results  Our results suggest that cultural and religious beliefs perpetuated negative attitudes towards disability. This meant that caregivers bore a high burden of care with little support from family or society. The study confirmed the presence of diverse, multiple and contradictory models of disability drawing from biomedical and local religious, social and cultural constructs.

Conclusions  Public awareness, education and community‐level interventions for reducing the misconceptions and stigma related to intellectual disability are needed in addition to culturally sensitive treatment methods to improve the attitude towards and management of intellectual disability.