bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of second malignant neoplasms among childhood cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy: meta‐analysis of nine epidemiological studies
Authors: Doi Kazutaka , Mieno Makiko N. , Shimada Yoshiya , Yoshinaga Shinji
Published: May 2009

In the light of notable advances made in childhood cancer therapies, an understanding of the late effects of treatment is important for continued medical care. We conducted a meta‐analysis of studies on the excess relative risk (ERR) of second malignant neoplasm (SMN) among childhood cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy. Relevant studies were retrieved by searching the PubMed database, supplemented by hand‐searching of reference lists of already retrieved papers. Nine studies were identified and overall ERR estimates were calculated using a fixed effects model and a random effects model.

The overall ERR per Gy (absorbed dose of ionising radiation) estimates of radiotherapy by a fixed effect model and a random effects model were 0.50 [95% CI 0.20, 1.21] and 0.53 [95% CI 0.22, 1.31] respectively. Heterogeneity among studies was suggested by Cochran's Q statistic (Q = 40.4, d.f. = 8, P < 0.001). The estimate obtained using a random effects model was far smaller than the corresponding estimate of 1.7 [95% CI 1.1, 2.5] from the study on atomic bomb survivors exposed as young children, suggesting underestimation of ERR estimates among the nine studies compared with the estimates from the study of atomic bomb survivors. In view of the heterogeneity and underestimation in ERR estimates, more studies concerning the risk of SMN among childhood cancer survivors are still needed for further understanding of the carcinogenic effects of radiotherapy on children.
Segregation distortion in common wheat of a segment of Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome 7E carrying Bdv3 and development of a Bdv3 marker
Authors: Kong L. , Anderson J. M. , Ohm H. W.
Published: May 2009

Yellow dwarf (YD) disease is one of the most destructive diseases of cereals worldwide. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–Thinopyrum intermedium 7E(7D) substitution line P29 carries resistance to YD, known as Bdv3, that originates on the long arm of chromosome 7E of Th. intermedium, and the resistance was introgressed into wheat chromosome 7D as T7DS.7DL–7EL in the translocation lines P961341 and P98134. Until now, quantification of YD viruses in cereal crops was usually done by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is time consuming and laborious. To facilitate this analysis, SSR‐Bdv3, a diagnostic molecular marker, was developed in this study. The transmission of the Th. intermedium segment with Bdv3 was investigated using the SSR‐Bdv3 marker and ELISA in F2 and testcross progeny derived by crossing two wheat–Th. intermedium translocation lines to four common wheat cultivars. A Th. intermedium chromosome 7E segment in the translocation line P98134 was preferentially transmitted through male gametes in all of its crosses with the four wheat cultivars. However, the transmission frequency of the Th. intermedium 7E segment in another wheat–Th. intermedium translocation line, P961341, varied in different genetic backgrounds. The F2 populations from reciprocal crosses of Chinese Spring and P961341 showed good fits to the expected ratio of 1 : 2 : 1. In this study, male preferential transmission for either chromosome 7E or chromosome 7D was observed in the progeny derived by crossing P961341 to other wheat cultivars.
Glial and axonal responses in areas of Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal and dorsal ascending tracts after spinal cord dorsal funiculotomy
Authors: Wang Li , Hu Bing , Wong Wai M. , Lu Peihua , Wu Wutian , Xu Xiao‐Ming
Published: May 2009

Wallerian degeneration (WD), composed of the breakdown and phagocytosis of damaged axons and their myelin sheaths distal to the injury, is a major sequela of spinal cord injury (SCI). To understand the microenvironment within WD that may affect repair following SCI, we investigated the fate of major glial types and axons in this region following acute (1 h), subacute (10 days), and chronic (30 days) dorsal funiculotomy at the eighth thoracic (T8) level. This lesion induces a confined WD in two distinct functional pathways, that is, the corticospinal tract (CST) and dorsal ascending tract (DAT) in opposite directions. Here we report that astrocytes, reactive microglia and macrophages were all significantly increased in areas of WD in both the CST and DAT at subacute and chronic stages compared to the sham‐operated or acute stage. While the level of GFAP+ astrocytes remained stable after the subacute stage, the number of OX‐42+ microglia and ED‐1+ macrophages markedly decreased at the chronic stage. Interestingly, a mild but significant increase in ED‐1+ macrophages was also found in the intact fiber tracts 3 mm proximal to the injury at the chronic stage, coinciding with axonal dieback observed at that level. Axons distal to the injury experienced a continued and prolonged degeneration in both fiber tracts. Finally, although a significant decrease of Olig2+ oligodendrocyte lineage (OL) cells was found in areas of WD, the presence of these cells at the chronic stage indicates that they are available for endogenous repair. Taken together, our data have provided spatiotemporal evidence for the dynamic pathogenic changes of major cellular components in areas of WD remote to an SCI. Information obtained in this study should be useful for designing experiments aimed at modifying this region to accommodate endogenous or exogenous repair following SCI.
Fibrin matrix provides a suitable scaffold for bone marrow stromal cells transplanted into injured spinal cord: A novel material for CNS tissue engineering
Authors: Itosaka Hiroyuki , Kuroda Satoshi , Shichinohe Hideo , Yasuda Hiroshi , Yano Shunsuke , Kamei Shintaro , Kawamura Ryoichi , Hida Kazutoshi , Iwasaki Yoshinobu
Published: May 2009

Recent basic experiments have strongly suggested that cell transplantation therapy may promote functional recovery in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, a safe and efficient transplantation technique still remains undetermined. This study, therefore, was aimed to clarify whether fibrin matrix could be a useful scaffold in bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation for the injured spinal cord. To clarify the issue, three‐dimensional structure of fibrin matrix was assessed and the green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing BMSC were cultured in fibrin matrix. The rats were subjected to spinal cord hemisection at T8 level, and the vehicle, BMSC or BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct was implanted into the cavity. Neurologic function was serially evaluated. Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the survival, migration and differentiation of the transplanted cells at 4 weeks after transplantation. In the initial in vitro study, the BMSC could survive in fibrin matrix for 2 weeks. The animals treated with the BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct showed significantly more pronounced recovery of neurologic function than vehicle‐ or BMSC‐treated animals. Fibrin scaffold markedly improved the survival and migration of the transplanted cells. There was no significant difference in the percentage of cells doubly positive for GFP and microtubule‐associated protein 2 between the animals treated with BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct and those treated with BMSC, but a certain subpopulation of GFP‐positive cells morphologically simulated the neurons in the animals treated with BMSC‐fibrin matrix construct. These findings strongly suggest that fibrin matrix may be one of the promising candidates for a potential, minimally invasive scaffold for injured spinal cord, and that such strategy of tissue engineering could be a hopeful option in regeneration therapy for patients with SCI.
Severe eosinophilic cholangitis with parenchymal destruction of the left hepatic lobe due to hydatid disease
Authors: Raptou Georgia , Pliakos Ioannis , Hytiroglou Prodromos , Papavramidis Spyridon , Karkavelas Georgios
Published: May 2009

Hydatid cysts of the liver are known to occasionally rupture into the bile ducts and cause cholangitis. The histological features of this complication have not been adequately described in the literature. Herein is reported a case of severe eosinophilic cholangitis of the left hepatic lobe, occurring in a 24‐year‐old man with a large (16 cm) hydatid cyst, which obstructed and eroded the left hepatic duct. The patient presented with upper abdominal discomfort and low‐grade fever of 3 weeks' duration. Sections of the left lobectomy specimen showed marked inflammatory infiltrates in the portal tracts, predominantly composed of eosinophils, extensively involving bile ducts of all sizes. Occasional small bile ducts were replaced by epithelioid cell granulomas surrounding eosinophilic microabscesses. The inflammatory infiltrates extended into the lobules, resulting in marked hepatocyte loss. This case demonstrates that echinococcosis may cause severe eosinophilic cholangitis with extensive parenchymal destruction, apparently resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction to parasitic antigens.
Development of a user‐centered health information service system for depressive symptom management
Authors: Bae Jeongyee , Wolpin Seth , Kim Eunjung , Lee Sowoo , Yoon Sookhee , An Kyungeh
Published: May 2009

A user‐centered, Web‐based depressive symptoms management system might be particularly useful in Korea, where those who seek mental health care face stigmatism and where personal computers and the Internet have reached saturation levels. The purpose of this article is to describe the development process of a Web‐based system for depressive symptom management through user‐centered design principles. Our design process included four distinct phases: a needs assessment, analysis, design/development/testing, and the application release. The final revised website was released with the URL address, “http://www.baejy.com/smiles/”. In the 3 years since the site was made available publicly, it is notable that 161 604 Koreans have accessed this website, either for educational purposes or for managing their depressive symptoms. A Web‐based depressive symptom management system with a high degree of usability was developed. This website can be used to assess depressive symptoms and to serve as an intervention strategy to improve mental health.
Outcomes following acute primary angle closure in an Asian population
Authors: Tan Anna M , Loon Seng C , Chew Paul T K
Published: May 2009

Abstract

Background:  Data regarding development of primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) following acute primary angle closure (APAC) is conflicting. This study looks at outcomes after an APAC episode with a secondary aim to identify any risk factors that could predict progression to PACG.

Methods:  This is a retrospective review of the charts of consecutive patients who were diagnosed with APAC from December 2003 to June 2006. All were treated in a standard manner with initial intensive medical therapy or laser iridoplasty followed by early laser peripheral iridotomy within 24 h of presentation.

Results:  Forty‐two eyes of 41 patients were analysed. The mean follow‐up period was 27.3 ± 16.2 months. Nine eyes (21.4%) developed an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) within a mean of 11.9 months (median 5 months) after resolution of APAC. Eight eyes went on to have trabeculectomy or glaucoma drainage device. At final follow up, the mean IOP of attack eye was 13.3 ± 2.92 mmHg. None of the eyes, including those that underwent surgery, required topical medication to control IOP. Thirty‐eight eyes (90.5%) have BCVA of 6/6 to 6/12. The duration of symptoms before presentation (P = 0.00) and duration taken to abort the acute attack (P = 0.01) were found to be significantly associated with development of PACG.

Conclusion:  The results of this study suggest that outcomes following successful treatment of APAC may not be as poor as described previously. Early aggressive management of the acute episode may have a role to play in preventing development of PACG after APAC.
The outer and inner retinal function in patients with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome
Authors: Cheng Jacob Y C , Luu Chi D , Yeo Ian Y S , Chee Soon‐Phaik
Published: May 2009

Abstract

Background:  To investigate the outer and inner retinal function in patients with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS).

Methods:  The retinal function of three subjects with MEWDS was investigated using one or a combination of full‐field electroretinography (ERG), multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) or recording of multifocal oscillatory potentials (mfOP).

Results:  In case 1, the scotopic, maximal, photopic and flicker ERG responses of the two eyes were similar but the amplitudes of the dark‐ and light‐adapted OPs were markedly reduced in the affected eye. In cases 2 and 3, the ERG responses were grossly reduced in amplitude and as expected the OPs were also diminished. However, using the mfERG a residual area of ‘normal’ retinal function in the affected eye was identified. The local OP, assessed by the mfOP, within the residual ‘normal’ retinal area was reduced as compared with the corresponding retinal area of the fellow unaffected eye. Subsequently, the mfERG responses of the ‘normal’ retinal area were also reduced.

Conclusion:  The OPs were reduced throughout the retina in patients with MEWDS, even in the area with a normal mfERG. The electrophysiological findings suggest that functional abnormality in MEWDS may occur initially in the inner retina and subsequently involves the outer retina.
Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) as a treatment of the neovascular complications of laser‐induced chorioretinal anastomosis for nonischaemic central retinal vein occlusion
Authors: Fong Kenneth C S , Barry Chris , McAllister Ian L
Published: May 2009

Abstract

Purpose:  To describe the use of intravitreal bevacizumab followed by sectorial retinal photocoagulation to treat the neovascular complications of laser‐induced chorioretinal anastomosis (L‐CRA) for nonischaemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Methods:  Prospective interventional case series of three patients with nonischaemic CRVO who were treated with L‐CRA. Patients were followed up every 2 weeks after the laser treatment. If neovascularization occurred at the site of the anastomosis, intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) was injected followed by laser photocoagulation to areas of retinal ischaemia and the area of retina anterior to the L‐CRA 1 week later. Fluorescein angiography was performed to confirm the presence of neovascularization. Best‐corrected visual acuity measurements were performed at every visit.

Results:  Three patients (one woman, two men) with a mean age of 76.3 years developed neovascularization at the L‐CRA site and underwent treatment as described with a mean follow‐up time of 7 months. The neovascularization developed within 1 month after the laser anastomosis in all three cases. All patients only required one intravitreal bevacizumab injection to control the neovascularization. No complications of the intravitreal injections were noted.

Conclusions:  Intravitreal bevacizumab appears to be an effective tool in the immediate control of neovascularization following L‐CRA for nonischaemic CRVO. This appears to cause immediate regression of the neovascular frond and allows time for the laser, which is applied subsequently to have its effect.
Parasitic weeds of the Orobanchaceae family and their natural hosts in Jordan
Authors: QASEM JAMAL R.
Published: May 2009

A field survey of the Orobanchaceae family members and their hosts in Jordan was carried out from 2003 to 2007. The intensity of parasite infection on different hosts and the severity of the infestation were evaluated. The results showed the presence of seven species ofOrobancheand three species ofCistanche. TheOrobanchespecies were found parasitizing 86 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families. Most of the species attacked byOrobanchewere from the Compositae (20 species), Solanaceae (11 species), Leguminosae (nine species), Umbelliferae (seven species), Cruciferae (seven species), Cucurbitaceae (four species), Labiatae (four species), and Rosaceae (four species) families. Other families were represented by one‐to‐three species.Cistancheattacked 20 species of forage wild shrubs, fruit trees, and forest trees of seven families, mostly belonging to the Chenopodiaceae (seven species) and Leguminosae (three species) families. Previously unreported hosts for both genera include:Amygdalus communis,Olea europaea, andQuercus coccifera, which were parasitized byOrobanche palaestina;A. communis,O. europaea,Prunus armeniaca, andPrunus persica, which were parasitzed byOrobanche cernua;O. europaeaandA. communis, which were parasitzed byOrobanche schultzii;Haloxylon persicum, which was parasitzed byCistanche lutea;Punica granatum,Alhagi maurorum,Casuarina equisetifolia,Centaurea postii, andProsopis farcta, which were parasitzed byCistanche tubulosa; andAchilleaspp.,Anabasis syriaca,H. persicum,Haloxylon salicornicum, Suaedaspp., andZilla spinosa, which were parasitzed byCistanche salsa. CertainOrobanchespecies were completely destructive to the cultivated crops. The results indicated the high potential of both parasitic genera to spread and to attack new hosts, while the threat they impose to agriculture in Jordan will probably result from poor management and deficiences in farmers' training.
Response of black, cranberry, kidney, and white bean to linuron
Authors: SIKKEMA PETER H. , HEKMAT SHARAREH , SHROPSHIRE CHRISTY , SOLTANI NADER
Published: May 2009

Dry bean producers in Ontario, Canada, have few herbicide options available for annual broad‐leaved weed management and there is little information on the tolerance of dry bean to linuron. The tolerance of black, cranberry, kidney, and white bean to the pre‐emergence (PRE) application of linuron at the rates of 0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 g ai ha−1 was evaluated in field studies conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Exeter and in 2006 at Ridgetown, Ontario. The four market classes differed in their response to linuron. Cranberry and kidney bean were more tolerant to the PRE application of linuron than black and white bean. Linuron applied PRE caused as much as 12% injury in cranberry and kidney bean, 47% injury in black bean, and 56% injury in white bean. Linuron applied PRE at 500–2500 g ai ha−1 had no effect on the height of cranberry and kidney bean but decreased the height by 7, 8, and 15% in black bean and by 10, 13, and 23% in white bean at 1500, 2000, and 2500 g ai ha−1, respectively. Linuron applied PRE at the rates evaluated did not cause any adverse affect on the yield of cranberry, kidney, and white bean but black bean yield was reduced by 16% at 2500 g ai ha−1. Based on these results, there is not an adequate margin of crop safety for the PRE application of linuron in black and white bean at rates >1000 g ai ha−1. However, there is a potential for the use of linuron PRE for weed management in cranberry and kidney bean at the rates evaluated.
Speed of expansion and extinction in experimental populations
Authors: Drake John M. , Griffen Blaine D.
Published: May 2009

Although the causes of population extinction are well understood, the speed at which populations decline to extinction is not. A testable, counter‐intuitive prediction of stochastic population theory is that, on average, for any interior interval of the domain of biologically attainable population sizes, the expected duration of increase equals the expected duration of decline. Here we report the first empirical tests of this hypothesis. Using data from two experiments in which replicate populations ofDaphnia magnawere observed to go extinct under different experimental conditions, we failed to reject the null hypothesis of no difference between the growth and decline phases in populations under constant conditions and conditions with modest environmental variability, but find strong evidence to reject equal first passage time in highly variable environments. These results confirm the prediction of equal passage times entailed by diffusion models of population dynamics, supporting continued application in both population theory and conservation decision making under the restricted conditions where the approximation can be expected to hold.
Learning and Innovation in International Strategic Alliances: An Empirical Test of the Role of Trust and Tacitness
Authors: Nielsen Bo Bernhard , Nielsen Sabina
Published: May 2009

abstract

Drawing on knowledge‐based, organizational learning, and social capital perspectives, we propose and test an integrated framework in which knowledge tacitness and trust act as mediating mechanisms in the relationship between partner characteristics and alliance outcomes. We distinguish between learning and innovation outcomes and suggest that while innovation may result from alliance learning, it can also be created by combining separate knowledge baseswithoutlearning from each other. We contend that tacitness and trust play differing roles in the pursuit of learning and innovation and test this proposition on a sample of 120 international strategic alliances.
Professional Competence as Ways of Being: An Existential Ontological Perspective
Authors: Sandberg Jörgen , Pinnington Ashly H.
Published: May 2009

abstract

Current theories propose that professional competence is primarily constituted by scientific and tacit knowledge, knowing‐in‐action, understanding of work or practice. While providing valuable insights we contend that they present a fragmented understanding of professional competence. In particular, they do not adequately explain how central aspects of practice such as knowledge and understanding are integrated into a specific professional competence in work performance. An existential ontological perspective is proposed as offering a more comprehensive and integrative analysis of professional competence. It is explored through an empirical study of corporate lawyers and the findings suggest that professional competence should be understood as ways of being. The results show that different ways of practising corporate law distinguish and integrate a specific understanding of work, a particular self‐understanding, other people, and tools into distinct forms of competence in corporate law.
Is self‐esteem a universal need? Evidence from The People's Republic of China
Authors: Cai Huajian , Wu Qiuping , Brown Jonathon D.
Published: May 2009

In a provocative article, Heine et al. concluded that self‐esteem needs are less important in collectivistic, East Asian countries than in individualistic, Western ones. Their conclusion was based, in part, on evidence that: (i) self‐esteem scores are less positively biased in Japan than in Western countries; and that (ii) low self‐esteem is less predictive of psychological distress in Japan than in Western countries. The present research examined whether these cultural differences occur in another collectivistic culture: The People's Republic of China. Two meta‐analyses were conducted. Study 1 found that, for young and old alike, self‐esteem was positively biased, with most participants reporting high levels of self‐esteem. Study 2 found that low self‐esteem in China is associated with three indicators of psychological distress: depression, anxiety and low subjective well‐being. These findings are consistent with results in Western samples and suggest that high self‐esteem may indeed be a universal psychological imperative.
Typology and psychological effects of adolescents' interpersonal relationships in Taiwan
Authors: Jou Yuh‐Huey
Published: May 2009

The present research explored Taiwanese adolescent students' interpersonal relationships and examined whether teachers' evaluations of these students' health and academic performances varied with the students' interpersonal relationship patterns. Data (n = 2310) were based on a panel study conducted by the Taiwan Youth Project in 2001 (eighth grade) and 2002 (ninth grade). Latent class models and hierarchical linear models were used to analyse the data. Adolescent students' interpersonal relationships were categorized as Multiple Contacts, Parents‐ and Peers‐Close, Peers‐Close, and Few Contacts. The research results showed that not only adolescents' self‐reports of self‐esteem and depressed mood but also teachers' evaluations of adolescents' health and academic performances varied with adolescents' interpersonal relationship patterns. An influence of teachers' character and work environment on their evaluations of students was found. Teachers who had more years of teaching and higher job satisfaction rated their students as having better health, and teachers who felt greater respect from their students reported that their students had better academic performance. The connection between adolescents' psychological well‐being and the roles of parents, peers and teachers is also discussed.
Thinking about product attributes: Investigating the role of unconscious valence processing in attribute framing
Authors: McElroy Todd , Conrad Jacob
Published: May 2009

In the present investigation we conducted three studies to examine how unconscious valence processing influences participants' quality judgments in an attribute‐framing task. In Studies 1 and 2 we observed how individuals who had depleted cognitive resources, through distraction (Study 2) and time constraint (Study 3), differed in their responses to an attribute‐framing task. In Study 3 we subliminally primed participants with attribute frames and then presented them with a frameless decision task. Our results revealed that attribute framing arises from unconscious valence processing and conscious processing may only play a role when the frame is especially salient.
Towards a Variety of Meanings – Multiple Representations of Reputation in the Small Business Context
Authors: Lähdesmäki Merja , Siltaoja Marjo
Published: May 2009

This paper examines the discursively constructed meanings for reputation in the small business context – an area of reputation research that has so far attracted little attention. We argue that viewing reputation as a social construction makes it possible to uncover and understand the variety of meanings attached to the concept in small businesses. On the basis of 25 thematic interviews with owner‐managers we (re)constructed four meanings for reputation: reputation as an economic resource, as social recognition, as a restrictive control mechanism and as a risk for personal status. We also investigate the variety of discursive events in which these meanings are created. The study further emphasizes reputation as a phenomenon in which a small business becomes identified with its owner‐manager, adding to the complex and conflicting nature of reputation, including both positive and negative aspects.
A Multi‐theory Perspective of Board Leadership Structure: What Does the Egyptian Corporate Governance Context Tell Us?
Authors: Elsayed Khaled
Published: May 2009

Much of the existing research in corporate governance has been directed at examining the consequences of board leadership structure on various organizational issues, with little to say about the determinants of this structure. By exploring either agency theory or stewardship theory, researchers provide contested conclusions regarding board leadership structure. The underlying premise of both theories is that ‘one universal structure fits all’. However, the main argument of this paper is that the appropriate board leadership structure varies with some contextual variables and certain actors in a given environment. Econometric analysis demonstrates that board leadership structure varies with firm size, age and ownership structure. The implication of this result is that the assertion of both agency theory (CEO non‐duality structure) and stewardship theory (CEO duality structure) may be valid under certain conditions. Thus, existing theories might need to be treated as complementary viewpoints, each of which draws upon a part of the whole picture, because depending on just one single perspective is more likely to result in misleading conclusions about the structure as a whole.
Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility: the Role of Formal Strategic Planning and Firm Culture
Authors: Galbreath Jeremy
Published: May 2009

Scholars have paid considerable attention to studying the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance. Yet, little empirical research demonstrates what actually shapes or drives CSR. This paper builds a case that formal strategic planning is one such driver in that it creates awareness of and formulates responses to stakeholder demands for CSR. However, exploring single variable relationships is problematic, as other important endogenous factors need to be considered in explaining CSR. Specifically, firm culture is identified as influencing a firm's orientation towards the responsible treatment of stakeholders. One such cultural factor, humanistic culture, is argued to have a positive effect on CSR. By studying a sample of heterogeneous firms in Australia, results demonstrate that a formal strategic planning effort is positively linked to CSR. Further, a humanistic culture positively impacts CSR, after accounting for a firm's formal planning efforts.
MS and clinically isolated syndromes: Shared specificity but diverging clonal patterns of virus‐specific IgG antibodies produced in vivo and by CSF B cells in vitro
Authors: Skorstad G. , Vandvik B. , Vartdal F. , Holmøy T.
Published: May 2009

Background:  Intrathecal synthesis of oligoclonal IgG antibodies against measles virus (MeV), varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus type‐1 (HSV‐1) is a characteristic feature multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods:  We have used isoelectric focusing‐immunoblot to define the clonal patterns of IgG and of IgG antibodies to MeV, VZV and HSV‐1 in supernatants of in vitro cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells and in sera and CSF from three patients with MS and three patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suspective of demyelinating disease.

Results:  In vitro synthesis of IgG by PBL was not detected in any patient. In contrast, in vitro synthesis by CSF cells of oligoclonal IgG and oligoclonal IgG antibodies to one or two of the three viruses tested was observed in all six patients. The clonal patterns of the in vitro synthesized IgG and virus specific IgG differed to varying extent from those synthesized intrathecally in vivo. However, in each patient, the in vitro and in vivo intrathecally produced antibodies displayed specificity for the same viruses. The addition of B cell activating factor (BAFF) had no effect on the amounts or clonal patterns of either total IgG or virus‐specific IgG produced by CSF cells in vitro.

Conclusion:  Virus specific B cells capable of spontaneous IgG synthesis are clonally expanded in the CSF of patients with MS. The B‐cell repertoire in CSF samples is only partially representative of the intrathecal B‐cell repertoire.
The von Bertalanffy growth model fitted to Planigale tenuirostris (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) post‐weaning data
Authors: Read D. G.
Published: May 2009

Post‐weaning growth of head length in the dasyurid marsupial Planigale tenuirostris was studied in laboratory raised individuals. Some lived to almost three years and growth continued throughout life, following the von Bertalanffy model. Males were larger than females in each age class and two‐year‐old females were larger than one‐year‐old males. The mean head lengths were: one‐year‐olds, 20·1 and 19·8 mm; and two‐year‐olds, 21·3 and 20·7 mm, for males and females, respectively. Based on the laboratory findings, in a free‐living population approximately 21% of males and 13% of females were aged two years or older. The range of head lengths produced by these growth patterns has possibly an important influence on resource partitioning and, as a consequence, on the structure of dasyurid communities.

Growth of head length in P. tenuirostris from the end of weaning throughout life was studied in the laboratory. The growth curves for males and females followed the von Bertalanffy model. Growth continued throughout life and in each age class males were larger than females, resulting in a range of head lengths among mature planigales. This range in sizes has potentially important implications with respect to population niche breadth, resource partitioning and species diversity in dasyurid communities.
Locomotion in hatchling leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea
Authors: Davenport J.
Published: May 2009

Hatchling leatherback turtles can only swim forwards, and employ synchronized beating of the forelimbs whether swimming slowly or quickly. The hind limbs make no contribution to propulsion. Effectively, the hatchlings have two swimming speeds; subsurface and fast (30 cm s‐1) or surfaced and slow (8 cm s‐1). Intermediate velocities are transitory; the hatchlings were never seen to rest without movement, nor did they exhibit gliding of the type seen in green turtles. During fast (‘vigorous’) swimming, power is developed on both the upstroke and downstroke of the limb cycle. During slow swimming, power is only developed during the upstroke—a consequence of the orientation of the axis of limb beat which is opposite in direction to that of cheloniid sea turtles. Terrestrial locomotion is laboured and features an unstable gait which involves simultaneous movement of all four limbs and forward overbalancing during each limb cycle.
The social ecology of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) (Insectivora: Talpidae), as revealed by radiotelemetry
Authors: Stone R. David
Published: May 2009

The social organization, spatial utilization and movement patterns of free‐ranging desmans (Galemys pyrenaicusG.) were studied by radiotracking individuals in the French Pyrenees. During the period of study, May to July, single adult male and female desmans formed a pair and defended their shared territory from neighbouring conspecifics by vigilance and scent‐marking behaviour. Other adults did not form pair bonds and remained solitary. In such pairs, the territory of the adult male was always larger than, and completely enclosed, that of the paired female. Neighbouring pairs occupied contiguous territories of similar length. The territories of neighbouring males overlapped to a small extent, but the territory of one male and that of a neighbouring female were never seen to overlap. Juveniles were observed to utilize the territory of resident pairs, prior to their dispersal. Paired adults and juveniles exploited their ranges on a regular daily basis, whilst those of solitary adults, being larger than those of the former, were utilized on a 48–hour basis. Paired males appeared to invest more time in defending the borders of their shared territory than did females which, in contrast, spent most of their time within the centre of the territory. Despite some degree of territorial overlap between neighbouring conspecifics, their mutual avoidance, achieved through a system of temporal range utilization, resulted in few agonistic encounters.
Microhabitat use in a stream fish assemblage
Authors: Grossman G. D. , Freeman Mary C.
Published: May 2009

We examined microhabitat use among fishes in a 37‐m section of Coweeta Creek, North Carolina. Numerical abundances of species changed substantially during the 17‐month study period. Microhabitat availability, however, did not change markedly during our investigation. Seasonal principal component analyses of microhabitat availability and fish microhabitat use data extracted two main patterns of non‐random microhabitat use. Clinostomus funduloides, Notropis eoccogenis and Semotilus atromaculatm were significantly over‐represented in deep areas with low to intermediate velocities and depositional substrata. Campostoma oligolepis, Coitus bairdi, Etheostoma blennioides, Rhinichthys cataractae and Salmo gairdneri all occurred in intermediate to deep microhabitats with moderate to high velocities and erosional substrata. Five of seven species exhibited seasonal variation in microhabitat utilization, whereas six species displayed size‐related variation in use. Size‐related variation was probably ontogenetic. We attributed most seasonal changes in microhabitat use to variations in microhabitat availability.

We used canonical analysis of discriminants to identify factors maximizing interspecific differences in microhabitat use. This analysis indicated that species could be assigned to either a benthic or a water column guild. Species within a guild generally could not be differentiated statistically, whereas members of different guilds were readily separable. These patterns persisted throughout the study, despite changes in numerical abundances of assemblage members. There was no evidence of either exploitation or interference competition for microhabitat, consequently it is unlikely that spatial resources were limiting during our study.
The ecology of the scorpion Euscorpius flavicaudis in England
Authors: Benton T. G.
Published: May 2009

A large colony of Euscorpius flavicaudis was studied at Sheerness Docks, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. It was probably established in the late nineteenth century. The scorpions inhabit cracks in the dockyard perimeter wall where the mortar pointing has crumbled away. They are nocturnal, “sit‐and‐wait”, generalist predators. They are extremely sedentary: females leave their cracks fewer than 10 times per year; males are more active as they become vagrant prior to the mating season, which occurs in summer. Marked adults were resighted at intervals of over a year and the distance scorpions moved between resightings was not proportional to the interval. The number of scorpions seen per night was influenced by temperature, amount of rainfall and phase of the moon. In winter, the scorpions retreated far into the wall and, by doing so, reduced the risk of suffering mortality due to cold. During this time, they were seldom active. In general, this species does not behave in any way that can be correlated with living in a temperate rather than a desert area. This illustrates the extreme adaptability of scorpions.
Ecology of lacertid lizards in a desert area of eastern Morocco
Authors: Pérez‐Mellado Valentin
Published: May 2009

Some basic aspects of the ecology of five lacertid lizards inhabiting the desert area of Tafilalet, in south‐eastern Morocco, are considered: Mesalina guttulata, occupying almost exclusively the hammada habitat; Mesalina olivieri, Acanthodactylus boskianus and Acanthodactylus scutellatus found on sand and bare‐ground reg; and Acanthodactylus longipes, inhabiting the sand‐dune habitat, the erg.

Acanthodactylus scutellatus, A. boskianus, A. longipes and M. olivieri had a bimodal diel activity pattern; in M. guttulata daily activity was centred on the morning hours. All species exhibit fairly precise thermoregulation with a strong relation between body and substratum temperature, particularly for species occupying softer substrata. Mesalina guttulata had a diverse diet during both seasons observed, while in the remaining species termites and ants formed the bulk of the food.

The foraging behaviour, diet and ecological characteristics of Lacertidae from the Tafilalet, especially the genus Acanthodactylus, seem to be optimal for the challenging environmental conditions of this desert area. The implications of the foraging strategy of Tafilalet's Acanthodactylus for other species of the genus are discussed.
Microbial digestion in the herbivorous lizard Uromastyx aegyptius (Agamidae)
Authors: Foley W. J. , Bouskila A. , Shkolnik A. , Choshniak I.
Published: May 2009

The utilization of a diet rich in plant cell walls was studied in a large, desert‐dwelling, herbivorous lizard, Uromastyx aegyptius (Agamidae). The diet eaten by U. aegyptius in spring in the ‘Arava Valley, Israel, consisted almost entirely of leaves and fruits of short‐lived annual plant species. The leaves contained only moderate levels of fibre compared with grasses and tree leaves, but those fruits eaten were markedly higher in fibre and lignin. All items had notably high contents of ash.

Following oral doses of [14C] cellulose, 14CO2 was detected in respired air from U. aegyptius, demonstrating that the cellulose was digested and that the lizards gained oxidative energy from cellulose degradation. The hind gut was the principal site of microbial activity and the apparent digestibility of the cell‐wall fraction was 69%. Similarly, the caecum/proximal colon had the highest concentrations of SCFA (76–120 mM).

The mean rate of SCFA production at 40 C in vitro was 31 mmol/1 h‐1. Assuming that this is representative of daily production rate, 69 kJ/kg d‐1 would be made available to the animal. This is 47% of the mean digestible energy intake estimated in free‐living animals. Microbial fermentation contributes an important part of the energy budget of U. aegyptius but the effects of variation in body temperature on digestion and fermentation need further consideration.
Reduction in the number of young during pouch‐life in a small marsupial
Authors: Wooller R. D. , Richardson K. C.
Published: May 2009

The honey possum Tarsipes rostratus, a shrew‐sized marsupial endemic to south‐western Australia, feeds exclusively upon nectar and pollen. Tarsipes has fewer pouch‐young, which remain in the pouch longer, than the young of sympatric insect‐feeding marsupials of comparable size. Tarsipes pouch‐young were recorded in every month of the year. Of all adult females caught, 68% had pouch‐young and 36% of the remainder had recently carried young. This continual reproduction is offset by an average lifespan of only about one year.

Although Tarsipes have four teats, only very few of the largest females reared four young to independence. The number of pouch‐young was inversely related to their size, changing, on average, from 3.6 young immediately after birth to 2.4 young at pouch‐exit. Larger females gave birth to larger litters than smaller females and appeared more successful in rearing them. Variation in the initial litter size, and any subsequent reduction in litter size, might allow females to optimize offspring production during their short lifetime in relation to an unpredictable and specialized food supply.
Allometry and curvature in the long bones of quadrupedal mammals
Authors: Bertram J. E. A. , Biewener A. A.
Published: May 2009

The allometric relationships between basic structural proportions in long bones are examined in the humerus, radius, femur and tibia for a diverse group of 42 terrestrial quadrupedal mammals that span a size range from 0.02–6000 kg. Non‐linear scaling is found for length vs. diameter in the tibia and radius, suggesting that the mechanical constraints on the skeleton differ within large and small body‐size mammals. Curvature normalized to mid‐shaft radius scales differently in the different long bones. Curvature is poorly related to size in the proximal limb bones (humerus and femur) while it decreases systematically with size in the tibia (mass exponent −0.13). The scaling of normalized curvature in the radius is unique among long bones. Variability of curvature in the radius is reduced at any size in comparison to that found in the other long bones. Normalized curvature is constant within the small body size group (0.02 to approximately 100 kg) while it decreases sharply with size within animals over 100 kg body mass. The unusual scaling found in the radius is probably the result of this bone's close alignment with the extrinsic forces which act on it during locomotion. The change in scaling within the radius for animals of different size may be indicative of more general size‐dependent mechanical trade‐offs which are masked by the complex loading circumstances of the other long bones.
A histological study of the accessory reproductive organs of female Loligo forbesi (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae)
Authors: Lum‐Kong A.
Published: May 2009

In Loligo forbesi Steenstrup, the female reproductive system consists of the ovary and accessory reproductive organs which include the oviducal gland, the nidamental gland, the accessory nidamental gland and seminal receptacle. Histological studies were made on the accessory reproductive organs of female L. forbesi. The various changes observed during maturation are described and the functional significance discussed. The secretions produced by the oviducal gland and nidamental gland apparently form the egg coats. The seminal receptacle serves to store spermatozoa after mating. The function of the accessory nidamental gland is unknown.
Biology of antlers
Authors: Lincoln G. A.
Published: May 2009

Antlers are developed in 36 of the 40 species of deer. The shape of the antlers is characteristic of the species and the size varies allometrically with body size. In most species, the antlers are produced only by males and grow at puberty under the stimulus of testosterone from the developing testes. The antlers then undergo an annual cycle of calcification, cleaning, casting and regeneration which is also regulated by the changes in the secretion of testosterone from the testes. Regeneration of the new antlers occurs during the period of minimal testicular activity, while maturation of the antlers occurs in response to increasing circulating concentrations of testosterone as the testes redevelop before the mating season. At this stage, the antlers become fully calcified and cleaned of the velvet‐like skin, and the underlying bone dies forming the insensitive hard antlers which are used as weapons and display symbols when males compete for dominance and access to females in the rut. The hard antlers remain attached to the living pedicles on the skull as long as the testosterone levels remain increased. This varies from 3–9 months between species and usually reflects the period of male fertility. Once testicular activity declines, the hard antlers are cast and a new set rapidly regenerate through a process resembling wound healing. The successive sets of antlers developed by an individual increase in size and complexity in parallel with the increase in body size. Males continue to grow for at least half their life‐span and are usually most successful in gaining access to females for mating when physically mature with large antlers. In reindeer/caribou, both males and females grow antlers, and the growth and seasonal replacement of the antlers is not totally dependent on the activity of the gonads, unlike other species. However, gonadal hormones still act to synchronize the antler cycle with the seasonal reproductive cycle. Female reindeer use their antlers as weapons in intra‐sexual competition and the main conflict occurs over access to food in winter.
Note on the venous drainage of the gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) diploe
Authors: Cave A. J. E.
Published: May 2009

One‐quarter or more of gorilla skulls manifest a canonically unrecognized foramen in the dorsal parieto‐occipital region. This orifice (foramen obelionicum) affords exit to a notably large ‘emergent’ vein (vena obehonicd) draining the cranial vault diploe. These correlated structures affirm the presence of a mechanism of vault diploe drainage supplementary to that basic to all gorilla crania. Their anatomy is described herein. It is possible that the vena obelionica represents a Breschet formation, known so far for the human diploe only.