bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid detection of the cisAB allele consisting of a chimera of normal A and B alleles by PCR‐RFLPs
Authors: Fukumori Y. , Ohnoki S. , Yoshimura K. , Nagao N. , Shibata H. , Tomita T. , Okubo Y. , Yamaguchi H.
Published: April 2008

Summary. DNA samples were analysed from Japanese individuals with the very rare ABO variant phenotype, cisAB (A2B3), which is characterized by the apparent inheritance of both A and B genes on one chromosome. The nature of the bases present at nucleotide positions (nps) 261, 526, 703, 796 and 803 is important for the specificity of the alleles at the ABO locus and the DNA from the cis AB donors was analysed by polymerase chain reaction ‐ restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) to determine which nucleotides are present at these positions.

The results indicated that the cisAB allele had the AAAB‐structure, which was a chimera of normal A and B alleles, when the expression ‘AAAA’ and ‘BBBB’ indicated the nucleotides of normal A (C, G, C and G) and B (G, A, A and C) genes at nps 526, 703, 796 and 803, respectively. The AAAB allele was found in all 27 individuals (17 families) with the cisAB including three phenotypes A2B3, A1B3 and A2B and no other chimeric gene was found. The causative gene of cisAB was the AAAB allele, and the A and B alleles were not on one chromosome.

The cisAB allele appeared to be a product of the normal A allele due to a point mutation at nucleotide position 803, from G to C. The AAAB allele is thought to be normally transcribed and translated to produce an unusual transferase polypeptide, which has weak A‐ and weaker B‐specific activity.

PCR‐RFLP is a rapid and useful means of detecting the cisAB allele (the AAAB allele) without a family study, even when they have A1B3 and A2B phenotypes, because trans‐type A1B3 and A2B samples have obviously different PCR‐RFLP profiles.
Influence of intra‐shoot trophic competition on shoot development in two grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera)
Authors: Pallas Benoît , Louarn Gaëtan , Christophe Angélique , Lebon Eric , Lecoeur Jérémie
Published: April 2008

The effect of trophic competition between vegetative sources and reproductive sinks on grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) shoot development was analyzed. Two international cultivars (Grenache N and Syrah) grown in pots, which were well watered, were studied. A large range of trophic competition levels was obtained by modifying the cluster loads per plant. An analytical breakdown of the branching system was used to analyze the effects of trophic competition. Phytomer production on the primary axis and the probability and timing of axillary budburst were not affected by trophic competition. However, the duration of development and leaf production rate for secondary axes were both significantly affected. The impact of trophic competition differed within the P0–P1–P2 architectural module, locally within the shoot and between cultivars. Trophic competition reduced the organogenesis of secondary axes most strongly close to clusters, on P1–P2 phytomers and in Grenache N. Based on these results, a modeling approach simulating sink strength variation and the local effects of sink proximity would be more relevant than a model considering only development as a function of thermal time or the global distribution of available biomass.
Design of a village breeding programme for a llama population in the High Andes of Bolivia
Authors: Wurzinger M. , Willam A. , Delgado J. , Nürnberg M. , Zárate A.V. , Stemmer A. , Ugarte G. , Sölkner J.
Published: April 2008

No national breeding programme for llamas is in place in Bolivia. Initiatives for genetic improvement are rarely found and are usually carried out by NGOs working in rural development or improvement of livestock production or research stations. Farmers in the Province of Ayopaya in the District of Cochabamba have formed a breeders’ organization with the aim of improving fibre production. In this study, a detailed outline of a breeding programme with a focus on organizational and technical details is described. Facing constraints like illiteracy of farmers, bad infrastructure and lack of finances, a simple breeding programme is set up. The breeding goal is a higher fleece weight while keeping the fleece quality at the current high level. Greasy fleece weight and fibre diameter are identified as main selection criteria. Mass selection of males is carried out. Selected males are either exchanged between farmers and used in the herds or are kept during the mating season in a central mating station owned by the breeders’ organization. Model calculations were carried out with the program zplan, which is based on a deterministic approach. zplan evaluates the genetic and economic efficiency of breeding strategies considering one cycle of selection. Scenarios with only intra‐herd use, using only the central mating station or combinations of those were compared in terms of expected genetic gain and expected increase of inbreeding. Fastest genetic progress is achieved when the males are kept in a central mating station as the selection intensity is on a high level. Rates of inbreeding vary between 0.08 and 0.32% per generation.
QTL detection for milk production traits in goats using a longitudinal model
Authors: Roldán D.L. , Rabasa A.E. , Saldaño S. , Holgado F. , Poli M.A. , Cantet R.J.C.
Published: April 2008

Eight paternal half‐sib families were used to identify chromosomal regions associated with variation in the lactation curves of dairy goats. DNA samples from 162 animals were amplified by PCR for 37 microsatellite markers, from Capra hircus autosomes CHI3, CHI6, CHI14 and CHI20. Milk samples were collected during 6 years, and there were 897 records for milk yield (MY) and 814 for fat (FP) and protein percentage (PP). The analysis was conducted in two stages. First, a random regression model with several fixed effects was fitted to describe the lactation function, using a scale (α) plus four shape parameters: β and γ, both associated with a decrease in the slope of the curve, and δ and φ that are related to the increase in slope. Predictions of α, β, γ, δ and φ were regressed using an interval mapping model, and F‐tests were used to test for quantitative trait loci (QTL) effects. Significant (p < 0.05) QTLs were found for: (i) MY: CHI6 at 70–80 cM for all parameters; CHI14 at 14 cM for δ and φ; (ii) FP: CHI14, at 63 cM was associated with β; CHI20, at 72 cM, showed association with α; (iii) PP: chromosomal regions associated with β were found at 59 cM in CHI3 and at 55 cM in CHI20 with α and γ. Analyses using more families and more animals will be useful to confirm or to reject these findings.
Plasma leptin levels in pigs with different leptin and leptin receptor genotypes
Authors: Amills M. , Villalba D. , Tor M. , Mercadé A. , Gallardo D. , Cabrera B. , Jiménez N. , Noguera J.L. , Sànchez A. , Estany J.
Published: April 2008

A C3469T mutation at exon 3 of the pig leptin (Lep) gene has been genotyped in diverse pig breeds yielding controversial results with regard to its association with growth, fatness and carcass traits. A similar situation has been reported for a HpaII restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in the pig leptin receptor (Lepr) gene, where associations were found depending on the statistical model employed. The main objective of our work was to investigate if leptin plasma concentrations differ in pigs with different C3469T and Lepr HpaII RFLP genotypes. With this aim, we have measured plasma leptin levels at 160 days in 68 Landrace pigs with different Lep C3469T and Lepr HpaII RFLP genotypes. Neither Lep (TT: 11.68 ng/ml, TC: 10.71 ng/ml) nor Lepr (AA: 12.6 ng/ml, AB: 10.93 ng/ml, BB: 11.74 ng/ml) genotypes influenced significantly plasma Lep concentration. Moreover, we did not find any association between Lep and Lepr genotypes and phenotypic variation at growth and fatness traits in a commercial population of 320 Landrace pigs.
Use of a test day model for dairy goat milk yield across lactations in Germany
Authors: Zumbach B. , Tsuruta S. , Misztal I. , Peters K.J.
Published: April 2008

Breeding value prediction for dairy goats in Germany is still based on herd mate comparison within breeding society. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for milk yield based on a test day model. For the analysis 35 308, 30 551 and 23 640 test day records from lactations 1, 2 and 3 from 5079, 4118 and 3132 animals, respectively, were used. The data between 1987 and 2003 were obtained from six German breeding societies. The multiple trait (lactations 1, 2 and 3) repeatability model (RPT) included the fixed effects of breeding society–breed–herd–year, litter size, lambing season, and days in milk of third‐order Legendre polynomials nested within herd–year, and the random effects of animal additive and permanent environment. The three‐trait random regression model (RR) also included the random regressions based on second‐order Legendre polynomials for animal additive and permanent environmental effects. Heritability estimates in RPT were 0.27 ± 0.02, 0.20 ± 0.02 and 0.37 ± 0.02 for the first, second and third lactation, respectively. The genetic correlation between the first and second lactation was 0.69, between the second and third lactation 0.79, and between the first and third lactation 0.45. Heritability estimates from the RR in the first and second lactations decreased from the beginning to the end of the lactation, with average values of 0.28 and 0.27, respectively. Estimates in the third lactation showed a maximum in the middle of lactation, averaging 0.37. Genetic correlations between the first and second lactation averaged 0.64, between the second and third lactation 0.72, and between the first and third lactation 0.46. Despite the small data set and restricted relationship structure the estimates were reasonable with the exception of estimates from the third lactation, which seemed inflated. RR could be used for genetic evaluation of dairy goats in Germany.
Ex situ cultivation of Aplysinaaerophoba close to in situ conditions: ecological, biochemical and histological aspects
Authors: Klöppel Anne , Pfannkuchen Martin , Putz Annika , Proksch Peter , Brümmer Franz
Published: April 2008

Sponges provide the largest number of biologically active natural products known from the marine environment and continue to be a very well studied phylum of marine fauna. The Mediterranean sponge Aplysina aerophoba accumulates brominated isoxazoline alkaloids such as Aplysinamisin‐1, Aerophobin‐2, Isofistularin‐3 and the biotransformation product Aeroplysinin‐1, which possesses, for example, antibiotic and cytotoxic properties. Until now, it is still being discussed which organisms – the sponge itself or associated microorganisms – are responsible for metabolite production. For cultivating Aplysina individuals under ex situ conditions, we surveyed relevant ecological factors in situ and controlled them in our aquarium system. We maintained A. aerophoba for more than 9 months and analysed changes of metabolite content and composition, microbial association as well as morphology in situ and ex situ under different light exposure. Although sponges showed slight reduction during maintenance, ex situ cultivation similar to in situ conditions provides a promising method to keep sponges and obtain their bioactive metabolites.
An atypical autopsy case of Lewy Body disease with clinically diagnosed major depression: A clinical, radiological and pathological study
Authors: Iritani Shuji , Tsuchiya Kuniaki , Arai Tetsuaki , Akiyama Haruhiko , Ikeda Kenji
Published: April 2008

We report an 84‐year‐old woman who was clinically diagnosed with late‐life major depression (LLMD) and having a diffuse type of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) neuropathologically. Clinically, this case showed depressive mood, anxiety, and irritation, but did not show cognitive dysfunction, visual hallucination, fluctuation of alertness and parkinsonism, which define the criteria for diagnosing DLB. Neuropathological examination demonstrated abundant Lewy‐related pathology including Lewy bodies and neurites in the hippocampal region and the cerebral cortex, and moderate levels in brain stem nuclei including the substantia nigra, locus ceruleus and dorsal raphe nucleus. These findings suggest the possibility that Lewy‐related pathology is associated with the depressive symptoms. Furthermore, it must be noted that some patients diagnosed with LLMD clinically may develop pathology of DLB without the typical or usual clinical symptoms.
Bcl‐2 expression in a papillary tumor of the pineal region
Authors: Fèvre‐Montange Michelle , Grand Sylvie , Champier Jacques , Hoffmann Dominique , Pasquier Basile , Jouvet Anne
Published: April 2008

Neuroepithelial papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR) has been described by several groups and recognized by the 2007 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. The proto‐oncogen Blc‐2 can function as an apoptosis suppressor and can promote neoplastic transformation. It may also be involved in neuroendocrine differentiation in some tumors. As PTPRs express neuroendocrine markers, we investigated the expression of Bcl‐2 in tumoral cells of a new case of PTPR in a 42‐year‐old woman. Bcl‐2 immunostaining was detected in the cytoplasm of the tumoral cells; staining intensity was heterogeneous from cell to cell and more intense in papillary areas. This intense expression of Bcl‐2 in one case of PTPR with a high proliferation index (8%) might be related to the malignancy of this neoplasm. It will be interesting to investigate the prognosis impact of Bcl‐2 expression in a large series of PTPRs.
Neuromyelitis optica/Devic's disease: Gene expression profiling of brain lesions
Authors: Satoh Jun‐ichi , Obayashi Shinya , Misawa Tamako , Tabunoki Hiroko , Yamamura Takashi , Arima Kunimasa , Konno Hidehiko
Published: April 2008

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), also known as Devic's disease, is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects selectively the optic nerves and the spinal cord, possibly mediated by an immune mechanism distinct from that of multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent studies indicate that NMO also involves the brain. Here, we studied gene expression profile of brain lesions of a patient with NMO by using DNA microarray, along with gene expression profile of the brains of Parkinson disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. We identified more than 200 genes up‐regulated in NMO brain lesions. The top 20 genes were composed of the molecules closely associated with immune regulation, among which marked up‐regulation of interferon gamma‐inducible protein 30 (IFI30), CD163, and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1, osteopontin) was validated by real time RT‐PCR, Northern blot and Western blot analysis. Pathologically, CD68+ macrophages and microglia expressed intense immunoreactivities for IFI30 and CD163 in NMO lesions, consisting of inflammatory demyelination, axonal loss, necrosis, cavity formation, and vascular fibrosis. KeyMolnet, a bioinformatics tool for analyzing molecular interaction on the curated knowledge database, suggested that the molecular network of up‐regulated genes in NMO brain lesions involves transcriptional regulation by the nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) and B‐lymphocyte‐induced maturation protein‐1 (Blimp‐1). These results suggest that profound activation of the macrophage‐mediated proinflammatory immune mechanism plays a pivotal role in development of NMO brain lesions.
Oxygen‐dependent autoaggregation in Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1
Authors: McLean J. S. , Pinchuk G. E. , Geydebrekht O. V. , Bilskis C. L. , Zakrajsek B. A. , Hill E. A. , Saffarini D. A. , Romine M. F. , Gorby Y. A. , Fredrickson J. K. , Beliaev A. S.
Published: April 2008

In aerobic chemostat cultures maintained at 50% dissolved O2 tension (3.5 mg l−1 dissolved O2), Shewanella oneidensis strain MR‐1 rapidly aggregated upon addition of 0.68 mM CaCl2 and retained this multicellular phenotype at high dilution rates. Confocal microscopy analysis of the extracellular matrix material contributing to the stability of the aggregate structures revealed the presence of extracellular DNA, protein and glycoconjugates. Upon onset of O2‐limited growth (dissolved O2 below detection) however, the Ca2+‐supplemented chemostat cultures of strain MR‐1 rapidly disaggregated and grew as motile dispersed cells. Global transcriptome analysis comparing aerobic aggregated to O2‐limited unaggregated cells identified genes encoding cell‐to‐cell and cell‐to‐surface adhesion factors whose transcription increased upon exposure to increased O2 concentrations. The aerobic aggregated cells also revealed increased expression of putative anaerobic electron transfer and homologues of metal reduction genes, including mtrD (SO1782), mtrE (SO1781) and mtrF (SO1780). Our data indicate that mechanisms involved in autoaggregation of MR‐1 are dependent on the function of pilD gene which encodes a putative prepilin peptidase. Mutants of S. oneidensis strain MR‐1 deficient in PilD and associated pathways, including type IV and Msh pili biogenesis, displayed a moderate increase in sensitivity to H2O2. Taken together, our evidence indicates that aggregate formation in S. oneidensis MR‐1 may serve as an alternative or an addition to biochemical detoxification to reduce the oxidative stress associated with production of reactive oxygen species during aerobic metabolism while facilitating the development of hypoxic conditions within the aggregate interior.
A new global biome reconstruction and data‐model comparison for the Middle Pliocene
Authors: Salzmann U. , Haywood A. M. , Lunt D. J. , Valdes P. J. , Hill D. J.
Published: April 2008

Aim  To produce a robust, comprehensive global biome reconstruction for the Middle Pliocene (c. 3.6–2.6 Ma), which is based on an internally consistent palaeobotanical data set and a state‐of‐the‐art coupled climate–vegetation model. The reconstruction gives a more rigorous picture of climate and environmental change during the Middle Pliocene and provides a new boundary condition for future general circulation model (GCM) studies.

Location  Global.

Methods  Compilation of Middle Pliocene vegetation data from 202 marine and terrestrial sites into the comprehensive GIS data base TEVIS (Tertiary Environmental Information System). Translation into an internally consistent classification scheme using 28 biomes. Comparison and synthesis of vegetation reconstruction from palaeodata with the outputs of the mechanistically based BIOME4 model forced by climatology derived from the HadAM3 GCM.

Results  The model results compare favourably with available palaeodata and highlight the importance of employing vegetation–climate feedbacks and the anomaly method in biome models. Both the vegetation reconstruction from palaeobotanical data and the BIOME4 prediction indicate a general warmer and moister climate for the Middle Pliocene. Evergreen taiga as well as temperate forest and grassland shifted northward, resulting in much reduced tundra vegetation. Warm‐temperate forests (with subtropical taxa) spread in mid and eastern Europe and tropical savannas and woodland expanded in Africa and Australia at the expense of deserts. Discrepancies which occurred between data reconstruction and model simulation can be related to: (1) poor spatial model resolution and data coverage; (2) uncertainties in delimiting biomes using climate parameters; or (3) uncertainties in model physics and/or geological boundary conditions.

Main conclusions  The new global biome reconstruction combines vegetation reconstruction from palaeobotanical proxies with model simulations. It is an important contribution to the further understanding of climate and vegetation changes during the Middle Pliocene warm interval and will enhance our knowledge about how vegetation may change in the future.
The Problem of Free Riding in Voluntary Generic Advertising: Parallelism and Possible Solutions from the Lab
Authors: Messer Kent D. , Kaiser Harry M. , Schulze William D.
Published: April 2008

Producers of many commodities pay for generic advertising, which is a public good for producers and, in cases like healthy foods, enhances social welfare. Though most programs were initially funded through the Voluntary Contribution Mechanism, many became mandatory to mitigate free riding. This experimental research simulates key economic and psychological details of these programs and produces donation results strikingly similar to a historic example. Because mandatory programs may be declared unconstitutional, the Provision Point Mechanism is tested as an alternative. This research also shows that refund‐by‐request donation mechanisms establish a status quo of contributing and reduce free riding.
Pre‐Harvest Price Expectations for Corn: The Information Content of USDA Reports and New Crop Futures
Authors: McKenzie Andrew M.
Published: April 2008

This article examines the puzzle of why futures prices continue to react to USDA crop reports despite the fact that reports appear to be no longer “newsworthy,” that is, provide no better production estimates than private forecasts. The information value of reports is measured in terms of their influence on rational agents' harvest‐time corn price expectations, which are uncovered using a Hamilton‐type modeling approach. Results show that reports are still “newsworthy,” as they would contribute to agents' price expectations if released a day early. Thus futures price reactions, which closely reflect price expectations, are rational and consistent with efficient markets hypothesis.
An Incentive Compatible Conjoint Ranking Mechanism
Authors: Lusk Jayson L. , Fields Deacue , Prevatt Walt
Published: April 2008

A simple method for making ranking‐based conjoint analysis incentive compatible is proposed. The incentive compatible mechanism involves people purchasing a product profile with a probability proportional to its assigned rank. In an empirical application related to consumer preferences for beef attributes, we find that the forecasted market share for a new pasture‐raised steak obtained using incentive‐compatible rankings was significantly greater than that implied from traditional hypothetical conjoint rankings. People's rankings of ground beef products were not affected by the mechanism or by information about pasture‐raised beef.
Immigrant Parents and Children: An Analysis of Decisions Related to Return Migration
Authors: Djajić Slobodan
Published: April 2008

It is not unusual for immigrants to leave the host country and resettle permanently in their country of origin. This paper examines the interaction among some of the key factors that influence the return decision of immigrant households. These include purely economic variables such as wages of the two countries and the costs and benefits of accumulating country‐specific human capital, but also subjective factors such as the intensity of the locational preferences of immigrant parents and children and of their desire to remain together in a single location. The analysis is conducted under alternative assumptions with respect to the role of parents and children in the household's decision‐making process.
Marginal Likelihood Estimation via Power Posteriors
Authors: Friel N. , Pettitt A. N.
Published: April 2008

Model choice plays an increasingly important role in statistics. From a Bayesian perspective a crucial goal is to compute the marginal likelihood of the data for a given model. However, this is typically a difficult task since it amounts to integrating over all model parameters. The aim of the paper is to illustrate how this may be achieved by using ideas from thermodynamic integration or path sampling. We show how the marginal likelihood can be computed via Markov chain Monte Carlo methods on modified posterior distributions for each model. This then allows Bayes factors or posterior model probabilities to be calculated. We show that this approach requires very little tuning and is straightforward to implement. The new method is illustrated in a variety of challenging statistical settings.
Non-Crossing Non-Parametric Estimates of Quantile Curves
Authors: Dette Holger , Volgushev Stanislav
Published: April 2008

Since the introduction by Koenker and Bassett, quantile regression has become increasingly important in many applications. However, many non-parametric conditional quantile estimates yield crossing quantile curves (calculated for various p ∈ (0, 1)). We propose a new non-parametric estimate of conditional quantiles that avoids this problem. The method uses an initial estimate of the conditional distribution function in the first step and solves the problem of inversion and monotonization with respect to p ∈ (0, 1) simultaneously. It is demonstrated that the new estimates are asymptotically normally distributed with the same asymptotic bias and variance as quantile estimates that are obtained by inversion of a locally constant or locally linear smoothed conditional distribution function. The performance of the new procedure is illustrated by means of a simulation study and some comparisons with the currently available procedures which are similar in spirit with the method proposed are presented.
GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING IN NORWAY: A DISCUSSION WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Monsen Norvald
Published: April 2008

Accrual accounting is now being introduced in governmental organizations internationally. Some scholars have, however, questioned this development, implying that other accounting theories, like cameral accounting, should also be considered for use in these organizations. Since Norway is a country, which has not introduced accrual accounting in the governmental sector, the purpose of this paper is to study the evolution of governmental accounting in this country. Based on the Norwegian experiences, the paper aims to present some conclusions for the further international development of governmental accounting.
NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: PERSPECTIVES ON PERFORMANCE AND THE USE OF PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Authors: Jansen E. Pieter
Published: April 2008

Performance information is a key‐element of NPM, but politicians and managers rarely use this information. On the basis of three case studies, this paper seeks to explain the use of the newly developed performance information. The paper argues that there is a distinction between the customer perspective and the citizen perspective on performance. NPM implies a customer and an internal perspective on performance. These perspectives may be relevant to managers, but politicians are primarily interested in a citizen perspective and a financial perspective. Two situations are identified in which governmental organizations more actively use performance information with a customer perspective and an internal perspective (as implied in NPM): (1) a crisis in the organization's internal processes with political and/or financial consequences and (2) loose coupling of the performance reports to politicians and to managers, which stimulates the information use by both politicians and managers.
A 71‐nucleotide deletion in the periaxin gene in a Romani patient with early‐onset slowly progressive demyelinating CMT
Authors: Baránková L. , Šišková D. , Hühne K. , Vyhnálková E. , Sakmaryová I. , Bojar M. , Rautenstrauss B. , Seeman P.
Published: April 2008

Background:  Mutations in the periaxin (PRX) gene cause autosomal recessive demyelinating neuropathy Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) type 4F. To date, 10 non‐sense or frameshift PRX mutations have been reported in patients with early‐onset neuropathy and further disease course consistent with either Dejerine–Sottas neuropathy or slow‐progressive demyelinating CMT.

Methods:  We sequenced 59 patients from 55 Czech families including four unrelated patients of Romani (Gypsy) origin with early‐onset CMT displaying decreased nerve conduction velocities.

Results:  We identified a novel homozygous mutation c.3286_3356del71 (K1095fsX18) in one Romani patient showing very slow disease progression. Amongst non‐Romani Czech CMT patients, PRX mutations have been proven to be very rare.
A descriptive study on constructional impairment in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Gasparini M. , Masciarelli G. , Vanacore N. , Ottaviani D. , Salati E. , Talarico G. , Lenzi G. L. , Bruno G.
Published: April 2008

Background and purpose:  Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a degenerative disorder characterized, in its frontal variant, by psychiatric onset, deficits in executive functions and sparing of memory and visuo‐spatial abilities. Studies on visuo‐spatial abilities in FTD and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have mainly focused on constructional abilities (CA) and have yielded contrasting data, often depending either on the task used or biases in the clinical selection of patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of the CA impairment in FTD‐fv and AD patients at the early stage of the disease, and to verify if some distinctive features of this impairment can characterize each pathology.

Methods:  The copy‐drawing task (Rey Complex Figure, RCF) of 41 patients with probable mild AD and 15 patients with probable mild FTD‐fv were analysed by means of quantitative and qualitative indices.

Results:  Data showed that both AD and FTD patients displayed similar RCF scores, as well as execution strategies, type of errors and global analysis. The FTD group only had a significant deficit in the analysis of inner details.
Hypokalemic thyrotoxic periodic paralysis: clinical characteristics and predictors of recurrent paralytic attacks
Authors: Hsieh M.‐J. , Lyu R.‐K. , Chang W.‐N. , Chang K.‐H. , Chen C.‐M. , Chang H.‐S. , Wu Y.‐R. , Chen S.‐T. , Ro L.‐S.
Published: April 2008

Background and purpose:  To study the clinical characteristics of hypokalemic thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (hoTPP) and identify the predictors of recurrent paralytic attacks before achieving the euthyroid status.

Methods:  We retrospectively analyzed 45 hoTPP patients who were admitted during the 7‐year study period.

Results:  A tendency towards male predominance was observed among the 45 patients (91.1%, 41/45). The mean onset age was 32.9 ± 10.0 years (range: 16–54 years). No significant differences were observed in the onset age between male and female patients. Precipitating factors included rest/sleep at night, hot weather, upper respiratory tract infections (URIs), and excessive physical activities. Atypical weakness was observed in nine (20%, 9/45) patients. One patient initially diagnosed with sporadic periodic paralysis eventually developed hoTPP.

Discussion:  In provocative tests, hypokalemia was not a consistent finding during paralytic attacks. Before achieving the euthyroid status, the rate of recurrent attacks was as high as 62.2%, and peaked in the first 3 months after hoTPP was diagnosed. Patients with URIs exhibited a higher incidence of recurrent paralytic attacks than those without (odds ratio = 13.00; 95% confidence interval = 1.08–156.08; P = 0.04).
Assessment of idiopathic normal pressure patients in neurological practice: the role of lumbar infusion testing for referral of patients to neurosurgery
Authors: Brean A. , Eide P. K.
Published: April 2008

Background and purpose:  In neurological practice patients with tentative idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) usually are referred to neurosurgery based on clinical and radiological findings. Hydrodynamic assessment using lumbar infusion testing might be helpful in selecting patients. To retrospectively analyse lumbar infusion tests done in neurological practice in iNPH patients to see how infusion test results relate to the clinical course and shunt response.

Materials and methods:  Sixty‐three consecutive patients with Possible/Probable iNPH were tested during a 1‐year period. The pre‐operative lumbar infusion tests were assessed according to two strategies: (i) Determining the resistance to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow (Rout). (ii) Quantification of the CSF pressure (CSFP) pulsatility during lumbar infusion (Qpulse). The results were related to the prospectively followed clinical course and shunt response after 12 months.

Results:  The lumbar infusion‐derived parameters Rout and Qpulse related weakly. Shunt response after 12 months was not related to Rout, but was highly related to the Qpulse. False negative results of lumbar infusion testing were observed in 16% of the patients.

Discussion:  In neurological practice lumbar infusion testing may be useful for determining which patients to refer to neurosurgery. Our data favour determination of CSFP pulsatility (Qpulse) rather than Rout for prediction of shunt response.
Brain barrier dysfunction in Cuban Epidemic Optic Neuropathy
Authors: González‐Quevedo Monteagudo A. , Fernández Carriera R. , Santiesteban Freixas R. , Alfaro Capdegelle I. , Lara Rodríguez R. , Vicente Valdés I. , Santiago Luis González R.
Published: April 2008

Background and purpose:  There are practically no references to cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) studies in tropical or nutritional neuropathies. In the present paper we present the results of CSF studies in patients with Cuban Epidemic Optic Neuropathy (CEON) during epidemic and endemic periods, with an appraisal as to the contribution of brain barriers′ function in the pathophysiology of this disease.

Methods:  Two hundred and five patients with CEON were studied during the epidemic period (1992–1993) and 12 patients outside the outbreak (1995–1997). CSF protein determination and electrophoresis were carried out, as well as serum and CSF albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) quantitation for calculating IgG and Qalb indexes, in order to evaluate intrathecal IgG synthesis and the permeability of the blood–CSF barrier (B‐CSF B).

Results:  One fourth of the patients had increased permeability of the B‐CSF B, but damage was more frequent between 16 and 60 days from onset of disease, disappearing after 120 days. B‐CSF B dysfunction was more prevalent in patients with severe neurological impairment, although it was not related to the severity of ophthalmological damage. The group of patients studied outside of the outbreak (endemic period) showed similar results.

Discussion:  The possible association of increased permeability of the B‐CSF B with oxidative stress, which lies on the basis of this epidemic outbreak, is discussed.
Pathways Through Crime: The Development of Crime and Desistance in the Accounts of Men and Women Offenders
Authors: BYRNE CLARE FIONA , TREW KAREN J.
Published: April 2008

Abstract: Findings are presented of a qualitative exploration of offenders' accounts of themselves, their lives and their offending behaviour. Participants were nine male and nine female offenders, aged 19 to 50 years. A model of crime as described by these individuals was developed. Gendered meanings were explored in both men's and women's accounts. Pathways into crime described by the participants were shaped by a range of personal and social background influences and by processes related to negative social relations, positive evaluations of crime, and crime orientation. Changes in the same influences and processes, with a greater emphasis on the personal level, were apparent in participants' descriptions of their pathways out of crime.
Nail psoriasis: a combined treatment with 8% clobetasol nail lacquer and tacalcitol ointment
Authors: Sánchez Regaña M , Márquez Balbás G , Umbert Millet P
Published: April 2008

Background  Nail involvement is a common and distressing feature in the course of psoriasis. Although much progress has been made in the treatment of the disease, the presence of psoriasis in the nail continues to pose a challenge. In recent years, vitamin D3 analogs and a new formulation containing 8% clobetasol‐17‐propionate in a colourless nail lacquer vehicle have produced good results for the control of nail psoriasis.

Objective  To determine the efficacy and safety of the combined treatment of 8% clobetasol‐17‐propionate in a lacquer vehicle and tacalcitol ointment in nail psoriasis.

Methods  Fifteen patients with both nail bed and nail matrix psoriasis were included in the study. They were treated with a colourless nail lacquer containing 8% clobetasol‐17‐propionate applied at bedtime at the weekend, and with tacalcitol ointment under occlusion on the remaining days, for 6 months.

Results  All 15 patients responded well to treatment. The therapeutic effect was very fast and directly related to the length of therapy. All nail alterations, including nail pain, were reduced, and the modified target Nail Psoriasis Severity Index fell by an average of 78% compared to baseline levels (±59.6, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions  Combined treatment with tacalcitol ointment and 8% clobetasol‐17‐propionate in a nail lacquer is a safe, effective treatment for nail bed and nail matrix psoriasis.
Anti‐desmoglein IgG autoantibodies in patients with pemphigus in remission
Authors: Kwon EJ , Yamagami J , Nishikawa T , Amagai M
Published: April 2008

Background  Desmoglein (Dsg) enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a highly sensitive and specific method to detect anti‐Dsg3 and anti‐Dsg1 IgG autoantibodies in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF), respectively. Whereas ELISA index values fluctuate in parallel with disease activity, ELISA positivity during clinical remission has been observed.

Objective  To determine the prevalence of positive Dsg ELISA index values during clinical remission. To ascertain how positive Dsg ELISA scores during remission compare with those during active disease.

Methods  Dsg ELISA was performed on serum samples of PV and PF patients taken during remission (lesion‐free ≥ 3 months on ≤ 15 mg or ≤ 5 mg/day prednisolone) and active disease. We used a modified ELISA protocol with optimal serum dilutions in sera with very high initial index values, as we previously described.

Results  When remission was defined as no eruption ≥ 3 months with ≤ 15 mg/day prednisolone, 20 of 43 PV patients (46.5%) and 4 of 12 PF patients (33.3%) showed Dsg3 and Dsg1 ELISA positivity, respectively. With ≤ 5 mg/day, 6 of 17 PV (35.3%) and 1 of 6 PF patients (16.7%) showed Dsg3 and Dsg1 ELISA positivity, respectively. The index value of each ELISA‐positive remission serum was consistently lower than that of its corresponding active disease serum. We observed consistent correlation between ELISA index values and indirect immunofluorescence titres.

Conclusions  Circulating anti‐Dsg IgG autoantibodies are found in a considerable percentage of pemphigus patients in remission, who have high levels of antibody production during active stages.
Laboratory diagnostics for non‐viral sexually transmitted infections in St. Petersburg, Russia: current situation and hallmarks for improvements
Authors: Domeika M , Litvinenko I , Smirnova T , Gaivaronskaya O , Savicheva A , Sokolovskiy E , Ballard RC , Unemo M
Published: April 2008

Background  The numbers and performance characteristics of laboratories providing sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnostic services, as well as the rates of morbidity due to STIs in St. Petersburg, Russia, remain largely unknown.

Objective  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the range, quality and availability of diagnostic services for several non‐viral STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum and Trichomonas vaginalis) in St. Petersburg during the period September 2005 to June 2006.

Methods  Survey data focusing on organization and performance characteristics of STI diagnostic services were assessed using questionnaires, telephone interviews and site visits.

Results  A total of 118 laboratories providing STI diagnostic services were identified. Of the surveyed laboratories, 54% (64 of 118) diagnosed syphilis, 81% (96 of 118) gonorrhoea, 80% (94 of 118) trichomoniasis and 49% (58 of 118) chlamydial infections. Although most of the laboratories could provide a presumptive diagnosis for syphilis, most of the N. gonorrhoeae and T. vaginalis testing of women did not adhere to international recommendations. Of the laboratories with the capacity to diagnose C. trachomatis infection, 69% still used serological testing (enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay) to detect antibodies to C. trachomatis.

Conclusions  Overall, the diagnostic methods used to establish a laboratory diagnosis, the system of case reporting, the training of laboratory personnel and the level of interlaboratory communication clearly require improvement. This study represents the first step in a process of evaluation of the laboratory support for STI services and the establishment of an interlaboratory network in St. Petersburg.
Commissioning services for people with learning disabilities in Scotland: linking evidence and practice
Authors: Campbell Martin
Published: April 2008

Accessible summary

This paper describes how guidance about good practice for commissioning services for people with learning disabilities was developed in Scotland.

Helping people with learning disabilities to live in their own homes or in other homely settings has been a major shift in government policy and practice in the last 10 years in Scotland and in the rest of the UK. Commissioners from local authorities and from National Health Service services have the responsibility for organising good quality care, within a budget and within other constraints. Commissioners also have to develop professional relationships with organisations from the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, involved in commissioning. These are very demanding roles for commissioners.

Although commissioning is a complex process, the main goal and steps involved in achieving that goal are well understood: to get from the starting point of what the person with learning disabilities and commissioners ideally want, to the end point of good outcomes that can be sustained. The development of a set of suggested steps in this process and a number of key questions at each step are described in this paper.

Commissioning has been defined as ‘The process of translating aspirations and need into timely and quality services’ (CSCI 2006). This paper describes the development of some practical guidance for people involved in commissioning services for individuals with learning disabilities. A national conference was organised in November 2005 to look at the question of ‘What works in learning disability services?’, i.e. what approaches have proven effectiveness in the planning, commissioning and provision of services for people with learning disabilities. This was followed by four workshops around Scotland to seek practitioners’ views on commissioning, at a strategic and at an individual level. From this, written and online guidelines were devised, based on seven steps with a number of associated key questions. These guidelines aim to inform commissioners about available research and good practice, and provide a method of recording the basis on which commissioners make their decisions for models of care and their experiences in a way that could be shared with others.
Mediterranean heritage: ancient marvel, modern millstone
Authors: LOWENTHAL DAVID
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT. The wealth, variety and seaborne accessibility of Mediterranean societies since late prehistory have made the region's cultural heritage the world's most widely acclaimed. But since the fall of the Roman Empire the Mediterranean has been increasingly disadvantaged, its history compromised, its legacy beleaguered. Two millennia of invasion and rapine, religious vendetta, foreign conquest, imperial dominion and colonial subjugation have left Mediterranean peoples with fewer resources and weaker infrastructures than those of transalpine and transatlantic nation‐states. The consequences for the care and control of Mediterranean heritage are parlous. That heritage is both the region's self‐defining pride and its economic mainstay, yet a crippling burden to protect and maintain, let alone to interpret and celebrate. It is everywhere beset by natural and human attrition. Weathering and erosion, illicit excavation and pillage, tomb robbery and the international antiquities market exact tolls that legal codes and police forces are all but impotent to stem. Recent social and political trends suggest potential remedies for some of these dilemmas.
The ummah as nation: a reappraisal in the wake of the ‘Cartoons Affair’†
Authors: SAUNDERS ROBERT A.
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT. In the wake of the 2006 ‘Cartoons Affair’ which saw international protests by Muslims against the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, it is clear that identity based on membership in the Islamic ummah goes far beyond simple religious affiliation. This essay presents a novel argument for treating the ummah (the transnational community of Muslim believers) as a nation. I begin with a theoretical treatment of the ummah as nation which employs historic and current interpretations of what constitutes nationhood. I then turn to the current state of the ummah; my findings present a potent nexus of information and communications technology (ICT), emergent elites, and Muslim migration to the West that has facilitated a hitherto impossible reification of the ummah. I also discuss how globalisation, Western media practices, and the nature of European society allow ‘ummahist’ elites to marginalise other voices in the transnational Muslim community. Based on the global events surrounding the Danish cartoons controversy of 2005–06, I conclude that there is need to recognise ummah‐based identity as more than just a profession of faith – it represents a new form of postnational, political identity which is as profound as any extant nationalism.
Alternative identity, alternative religion? Neo‐paganism and the Aryan myth in contemporary Russia
Authors: LARUELLE MARLÈNE
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT. As in all post‐Soviet states, the Russian intelligentsia has been preoccupied with the construction of a new national identity since the beginning of the 1990s. Although the place of Orthodox religion in Russia is well documented, the subject of neo‐paganism and its consequent assertion of an Aryan identity for Russians remains little known. Yet specialists observing the political and intellectual life of contemporary Russia have begun to notice that the development of references to ‘Slavic paganism’ and to Russia's ‘Aryan’ origin can be found in the public speeches of some politicians and intellectual figures. This article will attempt, in its first section, to depict the historical depth of these movements by examining the existence of neo‐pagan and/or Aryan referents in Soviet culture, and focusing on how these discourses developed in different spheres of post‐Soviet Russian society, such as those of religion, historiography, and politics.
From nation to population: the racialisation of ‘Métis’ in the Canadian census†
Authors: ANDERSEN CHRIS
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT. Between 1996 and 2001 the ‘Métis population’ of Canada skyrocketed from 204,000 to 292,000, an astonishing and demographically improbable increase of 43 per cent. Most puzzling about this ‘increase’ is not so much the unpersuasive explanations offered by statisticians and others but, more fundamentally, the underlying assumption that such a thing as a ‘Métis population’ exists at all. In contrast, I argue that such an idea constitutes an artifact of Canada's racial/colonial episteme in which ‘the Métis’– formerly an indigenous nation invaded and displaced in the Canadian nation‐state's westward expansion – have been reduced in public and administrative discourse to include any indigenous individual who identifies as Métis: reduced, in other words, to (part of) a race. The paper argues further that the authority of the Canadian census as a privileged forum of contemporary meaning‐making in Canadian society is such that the lack of explicit Census categories to distinguish Métis Nation allegiance further naturalises a racialised construction of Métis at the expense of an indigenously national one.