bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The allometry of reproduction within plant populations
Authors: Weiner Jacob , Campbell Lesley G. , Pino Joan , Echarte Laura
Published: September 2009

1.
 The quantitative relationship between size and reproductive output is a central aspect of a plant’s strategy: the conversion of growth into fitness. As plant allocation is allometric in the broad sense, i.e. it changes with size, we take an allometric perspective and review existing data on the relationship between individual vegetative (V, x‐axis) and reproductive (R, y‐axis) biomass within plant populations, rather than analysing biomass ratios such as reproductive effort (R/(R+V)).

2.
 The allometric relationship between R and V among individuals within a population is most informative when cumulative at senescence (total R–V relationship), as this represents the potential reproductive output of individuals given their biomass. Earlier measurements may be misleading if plants are at different developmental stages and therefore have not achieved the full reproductive output their size permits. Much of the data that have been considered evidence for plasticity in reproductive allometry are actually evidence for plasticity in the rate of growth and development.

3.
 Although a positive x‐intercept implies a minimum size for reproducing, a plant can have a threshold size for reproducing without having a positive x‐intercept.

4.
 Most of the available data are for annual and monocarpic species whereas allometric data on long‐lived iteroparous plants are scarce. We find three common total R–V patterns: short‐lived, herbaceous plants and clonal plants usually show a simple, linear relationship, either (i) passing through the origin or (ii) with a positive x‐intercept, whereas larger and longer‐lived plants often exhibit (iii) classical log–log allometric relationships with slope <1. While the determinants of plant size are numerous and interact with one another, the potential reproductive output of an individual is primarily determined by its size and allometric programme, although this potential is not always achieved.

5.
 Synthesis. The total R–V relationship for a genotype appears to be a relatively fixed‐boundary condition. Below this boundary, a plant can increase its reproductive output by: (i) moving towards the boundary: allocating more of its resources to reproduction, or (ii) growing more to increase its potential reproductive output. At the boundary, the plant cannot increase its reproductive output without growing more first. Analysing size‐dependent reproduction is the first step in understanding plant reproductive allocation, but more integrative models must include time and environmental cues, i.e. development.
Factors affecting detection probability in plant distribution studies
Authors: Chen Guoke , Kéry Marc , Zhang Jinlong , Ma Keping
Published: September 2009

1.  Plant ecologists have been rather slow to appreciate the existence and the effects of imperfect detection probability in plants. Sources of heterogeneous detectability include differences in morphology or life‐form, patch size, observers and survey effort. Understanding the relationship between such factors and detectability is crucial for the efficient design of new plant distribution studies and for the interpretation of existing ones.

2.  We have studied the factors affecting detectability in a large permanent plot (24 ha) in East China where the true distribution of six shrub and tree species was known from a detailed earlier inventory. Two observers independently resurveyed and recorded detection and non‐detection of each species in each 20 × 20 m sampling quadrat. A total of 288 quadrats were resurveyed (218 by observer A, 211 by observer B and 141 by both). We used generalized linear mixed modelling to study the relationships between detection and species, observer, survey effort and patch size.

3.
 Detectability of an occupied quadrat was remarkably low and ranged from 0.09 to 0.34 on average for the six shrub and tree species. Differences of detection among species were mainly as a result of distinctive morphology rather than life‐form. There was no significant difference of overall detection probability between the two observers. Detectability increased to 0.95 as the survey path approached 20% area of the sampling quadrat and as a plant patch covered c. 19% of the area of the sampling quadrat.

4.
 Synthesis. Our results suggest that imperfect detection is much more widespread than currently acknowledged by most plant ecologists. We identify several sources of heterogeneity in detectability (species, survey effort and patch size) that ought to be considered when studying and modelling the distribution of plant species. Detectability should be accounted for in plant distribution studies to avoid spurious inferences.
Local versus landscape‐scale effects of savanna trees on grasses
Authors: Riginos Corinna , Grace James B. , Augustine David J. , Young Truman P.
Published: September 2009

1. Savanna ecosystems – defined by the coexistence of trees and grasses – cover more than one‐fifth the world’s land surface and harbour most of the world’s rangelands, livestock and large mammal diversity. Savanna trees can have a variety of effects on grasses, with consequences for the wild and domestic herbivores that depend on them.

2. Studies of these effects have focused on two different spatial scales. At the scale of individual trees, many studies have shown net positive effects of trees on sub‐canopy grass nutrient concentrations and biomass. At the landscape scale, other studies have shown negative effects of high tree densities on grass productivity. These disparate results have led to different conclusions about the effects of trees on forage quality and ungulate nutrition in savannas.

3. We integrate these approaches by examining the effects of trees on grasses at both spatial scales and across a range of landscape‐scale tree densities. We quantified grass biomass, species composition and nutrient concentrations in these different contexts in anAcacia drepanolobiumsavanna in Laikipia, Kenya.

4. Individual trees had positive effects on grass biomass, most likely because trees enrich soil nitrogen. Grass leaf phosphorus in sub‐canopy areas, however, was depressed. The effects of individual trees could explain the effects of increasing landscape‐scale tree cover for the biomass of only two of the four dominant grass species.

5. The negative effects of trees on grass and soil phosphorus, combined with depressed grass productivity in areas of high tree cover, suggest that ungulate nutrition may be compromised in areas with many trees.

6. Synthesis. We conclude that few, isolated trees may have positive local effects on savanna grasses and forage, but in areas of high tree density the negative landscape‐scale effects of trees are likely to outweigh these positive effects. In savannas and other patchy landscapes, attempts to predict the consequences of changes in patch abundances for ecosystem services (e.g. rangeland productivity and carbon sequestration) will depend on our understanding of the extent to which local, patch‐scale dynamics do or do not predict landscape‐scale dynamics.
Pre‐dispersal acorn predation in mixed oak forests: interspecific differences are driven by the interplay among seed phenology, seed size and predator size
Authors: Espelta Josep M. , Bonal Raúl , Sánchez‐Humanes Belén
Published: September 2009

1. Pre‐dispersal seed predation (PSP) often occurs in multi‐host–predator systems (e.g. several plant species exposed to a common array of granivorous insects). However, whether the interaction among seed phenology, seed size and predator size accounts for interspecific differences in PSP remains elusive.

2. We studied PSP in a mixed‐oak forest with two oaks (the larger‐seeded Quercus humilis and the smaller‐seeded Q. ilex), both depredated by two acorn weevils (the smaller Curculio glandium and the larger C. elephas). We intensively monitored acorn production and infestation phenology and we identified the weevil species depredating acorns by means of DNA taxonomy.

3. The minimum acorn size required for infestation was lower for C. glandium than for C. elephas, in accordance with their different body sizes. This resulted in an earlier infestation phenology in C. glandium and the ability of this species to infest both smaller and larger acorns. Above a minimum acorn size threshold, no selection for larger acorns by weevils was observed.

4. Initial acorn crop size was similar in the two oaks. Nonetheless, the earlier acorn phenology and the production of larger acorns in Q. humilis favoured the earlier infestation by C. glandium and the predation by both small and large weevils. Smaller acorns of Q. ilex almost excluded infestation by the larger C. elephas.

5. Although larger acorns of Q. humilis could better survive infestation (preserve the embryo), higher PSP in this species finally resulted in a lower mature acorn crop size than in Q. ilex.

6. Synthesis. In a multi‐host–predator system, smaller‐seeded species may benefit from a reduced PSP because they exclude larger granivorous insects, but also by means of a ‘free‐rider effect’, if larger‐seeded heterospecifics earlier reach a critical size to be depredated. These results also highlight the benefits of a small body size in granivorous insects to depredate seeds earlier and to forage on a wider range of seed sizes. Whether the advantage of ‘being small’ in this antagonistic plant–animal interaction is offset by other processes, or whether it results in a pressure towards seed and insect size reduction, deserves further attention.
The effect of landscape features on population genetic structure in Yunnan snub‐nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) implies an anthropogenic genetic discontinuity
Authors: LIU ZHIJIN , REN BAOPING , WU RUIDONG , ZHAO LIANG , HAO YANLI , WANG BOSHI , WEI FUWEN , LONG YONGCHENG , LI MING
Published: September 2009

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the top 10 biodiversity hotspots in the world and acts as a modern harbour for many rare species because of its relatively pristine state. In this article, we report a landscape genetic study on the Yunnan snub‐nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), a primate endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. DNA was extracted from blood, tissue and fecal samples of 135 wild individuals representing 11 out of 15 extant monkey groups. Ten microsatellite loci were used to characterize patterns of genetic diversity. The most striking feature of the population structure is the presence of five subpopulations with distinct genetic backgrounds and unique spatial regions. The population structure of R. bieti appears to be shaped by anthropogenic landscape features as gene flow between subpopulations is strongly impeded by arable land, highways and human habitation. A partial Mantel test showed that 36.23% (r = 0.51, P = 0.01) of the genetic distance was explained by habitat gaps after controlling for the effect of geographical distance. Only 4.92% of the genetic distance was explained by geographical distance in the partial Mantel test, and no significant correlation was found. Estimation of population structure history indicates that environmental change during the last glacial maximum and human impacts since the Holocene, or a combination of both, have shaped the observed population structure of R. bieti. Increasing human activity on the Plateau, especially that resulting in habitat fragmentation, is becoming an important factor in shaping the genetic structure and evolutionary potential of species inhabiting this key ecosystem.
Specific and pleiotropic patterns of mRNA regulation by ArcZ, a conserved, Hfq‐dependent small RNA
Authors: Papenfort Kai , Said Nelly , Welsink Tim , Lucchini Sacha , Hinton Jay C. D. , Vogel Jörg
Published: September 2009

The small RNA, ArcZ (previously RyhA/SraH), was discovered in several genome‐wide screens in Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Its high degree of genomic conservation, its frequent recovery by shotgun sequencing, and its association with the RNA chaperone, Hfq, identified ArcZ as an abundant enterobacterial ‘core’ small RNA, yet its function remained unknown. Here, we report that ArcZ acts as a post‐transcriptional regulator in Salmonella, repressing the mRNAs of the widely distributed sdaCB (serine uptake) and tpx (oxidative stress) genes, and of STM3216, a horizontally acquired methyl‐accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP). Both sdaCB and STM3216 are regulated by sequestration of the ribosome binding site. In contrast, the tpx mRNA is targeted in the coding sequence (CDS), arguing that CDS targeting is more common than appreciated. Transcriptomic analysis of an arcZ deletion strain further argued for the existence of a distinct set of Salmonella loci specifically regulated by ArcZ. In contrast, increased expression of the sRNA altered the steady‐state levels of > 16% (> 750) of all Salmonella mRNAs, and rendered the bacteria non‐motile. Deep sequencing detected a dramatically changed profile of Hfq‐bound sRNAs and mRNAs, suggesting that the unprecedented pleiotropic effects by a single sRNA might in part be caused by altered post‐transcriptional regulation.
Snf1‐independent, glucose‐resistant transcription of Adr1‐dependent genes in a mediator mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Young Elton T. , Yen Kuangyu , Dombek Kenneth M. , Law G. Lynn , Chang Ella , Arms Erin
Published: September 2009

Summary Glucose represses transcription of a network of co‐regulated genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ensuring that it is utilized before poorer carbon sources are metabolized. Adr1 is a glucose‐regulated transcription factor whose promoter binding and activity require Snf1, the yeast homologue of the AMP‐activated protein kinase in higher eukaryotes. In this study we found that a temperature‐sensitive allele of MED14, a Mediator middle subunit that tethers the tail to the body, allowed a low level of Adr1‐independent ADH2 expression that can be enhanced by Adr1 in a dose‐dependent manner. A low level of TATA‐independent ADH2 expression was observed in the med14‐truncated strain and transcription of ADH2 and other Adr1‐dependent genes occurred in the absence of Snf1 and chromatin remodeling coactivators. Loss of ADH2 promoter nucleosomes had occurred in the med14 strain in repressing conditions and did not require ADR1. A global analysis of transcription revealed that loss of Med14 function was associated with both up‐ and down‐ regulation of several groups of co‐regulated genes, with ADR1‐dependent genes being the most highly represented in the upregulated class. Expression of most genes was not significantly affected by the loss of Med14 function.
Molecular analysis meets morphology‐based systematics—a synthetic approach for Chalarinae (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)
Authors: KEHLMAIER CHRISTIAN , ASSMANN THORSTEN
Published: September 2009

Abstract. This study presents the first phylogenetic estimate for the pipunculid subfamily Chalarinae (genera Chalarus Walker, Jassidophaga Aczél and Verrallia Mik) based on an analysis of one mitochondrial coding (cytochrome oxidase 1) and two nuclear non‐coding genes (28s and ITS2), using parsimony under direct optimization as implemented in poy4. It completes earlier taxonomic works on these groups. The voucher material used was primarily of Palaearctic origin. The study strongly supports the monophyletic origin of Chalarinae as well as of Chalarus and Verrallia, but failed to recover a monophyletic lineage for Jassidophaga. Whereas the taxa of Jassidophaga with predominantly black‐coloured legs clustered as a monophyletic sister to Verrallia, an Oriental Jassidophaga species with predominantly yellow/light brown‐coloured legs represents a distinct genetic lineage. The Chalarus species included were resolved into eight well‐supported genetic clades: C. angustifrons group, C. basalis group, C. clarus lineage, C. holosericeus group, C. immanis lineage, C. indistinctus group, C. latifrons group and C. spurius group. A phenetic analysis focused on intra‐ and interspecific genetic distances within the subfamily. As a consequence, the eastern Palaearctic C. rectifrons Morakote is proposed as a junior synonym of C. angustifrons Morakote (syn.n.). The structure of the C. basalis species group was investigated further with the intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) primer (GACA)4.
Alexander Fleming, citrated blood and penicillin: paths not pursued and applications delayed
Authors: Mortimer P. P.
Published: September 2009

summary.

Ninety years ago Alexander Fleming (later to discover penicillin) jointly wrote a description of the use of indirect transfusions of citrated blood at a World War 1 (WW1) base hospital. It was the longest series yet to be published, incorporating what was then a novel procedure for treating war casualties. Returning to civilian life Fleming, a qualified surgeon and bacteriologist, chose a different career path, and not until the wars of the late 1930s were the advances in transfusion in WW1 fully incorporated into the management of trauma and haemorrhage. Like penicillin, the benefits of indirect transfusion were only slowly realised.
Growth and photosynthesis of four invasive aquatic plant species in Europe
Authors: HUSSNER A
Published: September 2009

Crassula helmsii, Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, Ludwigia grandiflora and Myriophyllum aquaticum are four well known invasive aquatic plants in European waters. In this study, plant growth at different nutrient availabilities, regeneration capacity and photosynthesis were investigated. Results show high relative growth rates (RGR) of the species of up to 0.132 ± 0.008 g g−1 dry weight (dw) day−1 (H. ranunculoides) and a significant increase in RGR with increasing nutrient availability. All species show a high regeneration capacity and the ability to form new shoots from single nodes, even though it differs between the species. Ludwigia grandiflora and M. aquaticum also show regeneration from single leaves. Species differed in maximal amounts, and in temperature and light optima of net assimilation rates: H. ranunculoides leaves reach maximum photosynthetic rates of up to 3500 μmol CO2 × h−1 g−1 dw, L. grandiflora (leaves) up to 2200 μmol CO2 × h−1 g−1 dw, M. aquaticum (shoots) 400 μmol CO2 × h−1 g−1 dw and C. helmsii (shoots) up to 200 μmol CO2 × h−1 g−1 dw. Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, L. grandiflora and M. aquaticum preferred high light intensity and high temperatures, whilst C. helmsii was negatively affected by intense sunlight. Summarising, it can be assumed that at least H. ranunculoides, L. grandiflora and M. aquaticum can grow well under current and likely future central European climate conditions.
An on‐farm approach to investigate the impact of diversified crop rotations on weed species richness and composition in winter wheat
Authors: ULBER L , STEINMANN H‐H , KLIMEK S , ISSELSTEIN J
Published: September 2009

Weed species diversity may benefit from organic farming due to enhanced temporal diversification of crop species in a rotation and omission of herbicide applications. However, in intensively managed conventional systems, little evidence exists as to what extent diversified crop rotations contribute to higher weed species richness. Using an on‐farm approach, the effect of crop rotation (organic, conventional diverse (CD) and conventional simple (CS) crop rotations) and weed control (with vs. without) on weed species richness, cover, community composition and crop biomass, was analysed in 24 winter wheat fields. Weed species with beneficial functions for invertebrates and birds were analysed separately. Weed species richness was higher in the organic crop rotation, but did not differ between CD and CS crop rotations. Weed control treatment reduced species richness in both conventional rotations, but not in the organic one. Redundancy analyses revealed that crop rotation intensity accounted for the largest part of the explained variation in weed species composition. Results from the study indicate that the maintenance of weed species richness and conservation of species with important ecological functions requires not only temporal diversification of crop species in the rotation, but also an adjustment of weed control strategies.
Standard criteria donor pancreas donation status is associated with improved kidney transplant outcomes
Authors: Weiss Andrew S. , Smits Gerard , Wiseman Alexander C.
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  Background:  Organ donor characteristics can be used to predict outcomes in kidney transplantation. We hypothesized that pancreas donation status could reflect organ quality and be predictive of kidney graft outcomes following Standard Criteria Donor (SCD) kidney transplantation.

Methods:  We performed a retrospective analysis of deceased donor kidney alone (DD KA) transplants reported to SRTR from 1992 to 2005. Group 1 = kidney alone recipients from pancreas donors (KA, P+) and Group 2 = kidney alone recipients from non‐pancreas donors (KA, P−). We compared patient and graft survival between groups at 10‐yr post‐transplant.

Results:  Group 1 (KA, P+) comprised 19 633 (20%) recipients and Group 2 (KA, P−) comprised 78 737 (80%) recipients. Ten‐yr graft survival for Group 1 vs. Group 2 was 42.6% and 36.9% (p < 0.0001), respectively. Pancreas donation status (non‐pancreas donor) was associated with a hazard ratio for graft loss of 1.23 on univariate analysis (p < 0.0001), and KA, P‐remained an independent risk factor for graft failure at 10 yr, HR 1.09 (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion:  Donor pancreas donation status is an independent predictor of improved outcomes of SCD kidney recipients. Further study of the pancreas organ donor pre‐procurement is warranted to optimize not only pancreas utilization but also kidney graft outcomes.
Favorable outcome of de novo hepatitis B infection after liver transplantation with lamivudine and adefovir therapy
Authors: Zhang F.K. , Zhang Y. , Zhang J.Y. , Jia J.D. , Wang B.E.
Published: September 2009

Abstract: De novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) always progresses to chronic hepatitis because of the patients' immunocompromised status, and only a few then acquire hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroconversion even with efficient antiviral therapy. Here we reported the case of a liver transplant recipient with de novo HBV infection who had a favorable outcome after lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) antiviral therapy. The patient received OLT because of end‐stage primary biliary cirrhosis and was found to have de novo HBV infection 3 months later. She was treated with LAM, and her serum HBV DNA turned undetectable 2 weeks later. However, serum HBV DNA turned detectable again after 9 months of LAM therapy and a YMDD mutation was detected. The addition of ADV was efficient to treat LAM‐resistant HBV. After 3 months of combination therapy, LAM was stopped and ADV monotherapy was continued. HBsAg seroconversion was achieved after an additional 12 months. The prevention and treatment of de novo HBV infection after OLT is discussed.
A case of acute rejection shortly after initiation of lamivudine therapy in a simultaneous pancreas and kidney recipient with viral hepatitis type B
Authors: Chudek J. , Kolonko A. , Ficek J. , Karkoszka H. , Baka‐Ćwierz B. , Więcek A.
Published: September 2009

Abstract: We describe a patient with hepatitis B antigenemia, who received a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant, developed reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection with aminotransferase elevation, and unexpectedly suffered an acute rejection episode within a few weeks after initiation of lamivudine therapy. At the time of rejection diagnosis, the cyclosporin A (CyA) trough level was 2 times lower than before the start of lamivudine therapy. Only an improvement in liver CyA metabolism in the course of lamivudine therapy can explain such an essential decline. Thus, it is important to emphasize how crucial it is to frequently monitor the CyA level in the early period of lamivudine therapy in transplanted patients with hepatitis to ensure adequate immunosuppression and to avoid acute rejection episodes.
Social Environment and Feeding State Influence Movement Decisions in a Web‐building Spider
Authors: Salomon Maxence
Published: September 2009

It is well recognized that feeding rate has a major influence on the amount of movement between microhabitats for many animals. However, the role of other extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and particularly how these factors may interact, is not well understood. This three‐part study examines the movement decisions of a web‐building spider, Latrodectus hesperus, by assessing microhabitat tenacity in established spiders and by testing how the presence of conspecific neighbours and the combined influence of individual feeding state (determined by prior feeding experience) and neighbour presence influence microhabitat residence time in unestablished spiders. The results show that naturally established spiders did not leave their microhabitats readily, emphasizing the importance of choosing a profitable location. Unestablished spiders stayed longer in microhabitats occupied by conspecifics than in unoccupied ones, and there was practically no cannibalism even though neighbours shared webs. Furthermore, feeding state and neighbour presence showed an interactive effect on microhabitat residence time. When spiders were housed alone, microhabitat residence time increased with feeding state. However, in the presence of conspecifics, spiders had a low propensity to move, regardless of feeding state. Together, these results demonstrate the combined importance of grouping dynamics and feeding state in shaping movement decisions.
The Round‐Eared Sengi and the Evolution of Social Monogamy: Factors that Constrain Males to Live with a Single Female
Authors: Schubert Melanie , Pillay Neville , Ribble David O. , Schradin Carsten
Published: September 2009

Animal dispersion in space and time results from environmental pressures, and affects the outcome of a species’ social organization. When females are solitary, males may either roam or be pair‐living. We studied possible environmental influences affecting the social organization of the round‐eared sengi (Macroscelides proboscideus) in a semi‐desert in South Africa, using trapping and radio‐tracking across 2.5 yr. Adult sex ratios did not deviate from 1:1 and we found no indication of sexual dimorphism in body mass. Females maintained exclusive areas, which had little overlap (<4%) with neighbouring females (NF), and males overlapped predominately only with the home range of single females. Generally, inter‐ and intra‐sexual overlap with neighbouring individuals was low (3–6%) for both sexes, indicating territoriality and pair‐living. Pairs were perennial and territories were maintained year‐round. However, males generally maintained much larger areas than females, which were sensitive to population density. Male space use appeared to be primarily limited by the presence of neighbouring males. Female home ranges were smaller‐sized despite changes in population density, possibly for energetic efficiency. Some paired males attempted to take over widowed females, but shifted back to their original home range following the intrusion of an un‐paired male. We conclude that social monogamy is the predominant social organization in round‐eared sengis in a semi‐desert that may have resulted from females living solitarily in small exclusive territories, balanced sex ratios, and from a low variation of body mass between males.
Understanding the use of Bayes factor for testing candidate genes
Authors: Varona Luis
Published: September 2009

After quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection, one of the main objectives of research is to identify the causal mutation explaining phenotypic differences. Candidate genes are usually selected according to the physiological mechanism of the trait and their location within the same region of the QTL. After detection of any polymorphism at the candidate gene sequence, it is important to determine whether the detected mutation is the one that causes the phenotypic variation. This is not, however, an easy task, because of the linkage disequilibrium between the genes located in the same region. Several methods have been proposed that consider the neutral marker information in validating the involvement of candidate genes. However, some statistical information may be lost because of the presence of both the QTL and candidate gene effects in the model of analysis. Here, the Bayes factor is suggested as an alternative and a procedure for its calculation between candidate gene and QTL models is presented. The procedure is illustrated with a simulation study and with an example consisting of three SNPs detected at the leptin receptor (LEPR) in an experimental intercross between Iberian and Landrace pigs. The results indicate that the Bayes factor procedure is more powerful than the classical approach.
Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung: Hazards of delayed diagnosis
Authors: COLLINS Anne M. , RIDGWAY Paul F. , KILLEEN Ronan P. , DODD Jonathan D. , TOLAN Michael
Published: September 2009

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation is a rare pulmonary developmental anomaly, which typically manifests in neonates and infants. Presentation in adulthood is uncommon, with <60 cases reported in the literature. The majority of cases involve one lobe only. We report a case of type 1 congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in an adult presenting with a respiratory tract infection and haemoptysis. At thoracotomy, complex cystic masses were noted in the right upper and lower lobes. Lung‐sparing surgery, in the form of two segmentectomies and a non‐anatomical resection, was performed in order to avoid pneumonectomy. Such presentations may be problematic as potentially incomplete resections may increase the risk of complications and malignant transformation. This suggests the importance of appropriate clinical and radiological follow up.
Resistance and reactance in oscillation lung function reflect basal lung function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness respectively
Authors: KIM Hyeong Yoon , SHIN Yun Ho , JUNG Da Woon , JEE Hye Mi , PARK Hye Won , HAN Man Yong
Published: September 2009

Background and objective:  Currently there are few data available regarding the use of impulse oscillometry parameters to assess airflow obstruction during standardized methacholine challenge testing.

Methods:  Methacholine challenge tests were performed using impulse oscillometry and conventional spirometry in 64 healthy and 39 asthmatic children, in order to determine airway resistance (R) and reactance (X) at frequencies of 5–35 Hz, as well as FEV1.

Results:  Baseline R and X were significantly different between the healthy and asthmatic children, with the most discriminating parameter being resistance at 5 Hz (R5). In asthmatic children BHR was well demonstrated by FEV1, X5 and X10, but not by R5. However, when the actual R5 values obtained in this study were compared with the predicted values, there appeared to be differences in the lung function measures that corresponded to varying methacholine concentrations. In addition, the PC20_FEV1 and PC70_X5 were significantly more sensitive than other parameters for methacholine challenge testing.

Conclusions:  Measuring resistance at 5 Hz using impulse oscillometry facilitates significant differentiation of baseline lung function between asthmatic and healthy children. Additionally, X may be a suitable replacement for PC20 in methacholine challenge testing.
Rolipram attenuates bleomycin A5‐induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats
Authors: PAN Jin Bing , HOU Yu Hong , ZHANG Guo Jun
Published: September 2009

Background and objective: Pulmonary fibrosis has a poor prognosis. The pathogenesis of fibrotic disorders is unclear, but the extent of lung damage due to persistent inflammation is regarded as a critical factor. Rolipram inhibits inflammation induced by various stimuli, as well as the chemotaxis of fibroblasts. In this study rolipram was used to treat pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5 in rats, and the possible mechanisms were investigated.

Methods: Rolipram (0.25 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally daily, following intratracheal instillation of bleomycin A5 (5 mg/kg). Animals were killed at 7 or 28 days after bleomycin A5 instillation, and indices of lung damage and fibrosis were evaluated.

Results: Bleomycin A5 induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, increased the levels of malondialdehyde and tumour necrosis factor‐α and enhanced accumulation of collagen in the lungs. Rolipram administration significantly attenuated these effects.

Conclusions: Rolipram ameliorated pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5 in rats. The effects of rolipram may be associated with its antioxidant activity and inhibition of tumour necrosis factor‐α production.
Correlation between serum biomarkers and BODE index in patients with stable COPD
Authors: LIU Shih‐Feng , CHIN Chien‐Hung , WANG Chin‐Chou , LIN Meng‐Chih
Published: September 2009

Background and objective:  The BODE index, based on BMI, obstructive ventilatory impairment, dyspnoea scale and exercise capacity, has been used to evaluate the severity of patients with COPD. However, the correlations between serum biomarkers and the BODE index in patients with stable COPD are not widely studied. This study evaluated potential serum biomarkers for their ability to identify smokers with COPD and reflect disease severity.

Methods:  A comparative study was conducted of 100 clinically stable COPD patients and 50 matched healthy smokers and the difference in levels of biomarkers between the COPD patients and healthy smokers was measured. Serum inflammatory mediators measured were growth‐related oncogene‐α (GRO‐α), IL‐8, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1). Variables included age, pack‐years, current or ex‐smoker status, inhaler or oral steroid use and BODE index components, including airflow obstruction, the distance walked in 6MWD, modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnoea scale and BMI. The association between serum biomarkers and the components of the BODE index was assessed in the COPD patients.

Results:  The level of serum MCP‐1 was significantly different between the COPD group and the healthy smoker group (P = 0.003). Significant results in univariate and multivariate analysis of the association between biomarkers and BODE components were: serum MCP‐1 correlated with FEV1% and 6MWD; serum IL‐8 and GRO‐α correlated with steroid use; serum TNF‐α correlated with steroid use and FEV1%; and serum MMP‐9 correlated with MMRC dyspnoea scale.

Conclusions:  No single specific serum inflammatory mediator was completely correlated with BODE variable parameters in patients with stable COPD. Serum MCP‐1 may be an important biomarker for identifying COPD subjects from healthy smokers and classifying COPD severity.
Endobronchial extension of granulomatous lymphadenitis in an HIV‐positive man with immune reconstitution syndrome
Authors: STEINFORT Daniel P. , SMALLWOOD David , ANTIPPA Phillip , IRVING Louis B.
Published: September 2009

Endobronchial granuloma is a rare manifestation of endobronchial tuberculosis (TB). This case report describes a patient with endobronchial granuloma due to contiguous extension of granulomatous mediastinal lymph node inflammation, occurring following commencement of highly active anti‐retroviral therapy in an HIV‐positive man. Bronchoscopic findings mirrored CT imaging of endobronchial involvement of sub‐carinal lymphadenopathy. Microbiologic studies were negative for acid‐fast bacilli, fungal elements and malignancy. Mycobacterial and fungal culture as well as PCR for TB were all negative. Empiric anti‐tuberculous therapy was commenced with complete resolution of symptoms. Immune reconstitution syndrome with development of active TB is common in patients commencing highly active retroviral therapy. Lymphadenitis is the commonest manifestation of this, and 20% of patients are culture negative for mycobacteria. Endobronchial granulomata due to TB are rare and no specific endobronchial therapy is required in such disease.
Management of complications from diagnostic and interventional bronchoscopy
Authors: LEE Pyng , MEHTA Atul C. , MATHUR Praveen N.
Published: September 2009

From the humble beginnings as a mere curiosity, the art of bronchoscopy has progressed at a rapid pace. The millennium ushers in new technologies and refinements in established techniques to facilitate early detection of cancer, precise targeting of pulmonary nodules and infiltrates, near‐total staging of the mediastinum with combined endoscopic modalities and more effective palliation of inoperable tumours. Bronchoscopists are faced with an increasing myriad of tools and equipment, each promising to carry out better than the previous. It is opportune to review the complications of established bronchoscopic techiques and how to manage them as well as new complications associated with novel technologies. In this article, we provide a concise overview of diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic modalities, discussion of associated complications and their management strategies.
Determinants of initiation and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: KOTTMANN Robert Matthew , HOGAN Christopher M. , PHIPPS Richard P. , SIME Patricia J.
Published: September 2009

IPF is a devastating disease with few therapeutic options. The precise aetiology of IPF remains elusive. However, our understanding of the pathologic processes involved in the initiation and progression of this disease is improving. Data on the mechanisms underlying IPF have been generated from epidemiologic investigations as well as cellular and molecular studies of human tissues. Although no perfect animal model of human IPF exists, pre‐clinical animal studies have helped define pathways which are likely important in human disease. Epithelial injury, fibroblast activation and repetitive cycles of injury and abnormal repair are almost certainly key events. Factors which have been associated with initiation and/or progression of IPF include viral infections, abnormal cytokine, chemokine and growth factor production, oxidant stress, autoimmunity, inhalational of toxicants and gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease. Furthermore, recent evidence identifies a role for a variety of genetic and epigenetic abnormalities ranging from mutations in surfactant protein C to abnormalities in telomere length and telomerase activity. The challenge remains to identify additional inciting agents and key dysregulated pathways that lead to disease progression so that we can develop targeted therapies to treat or prevent this serious disease.
How do plants know when other plants are flowering? Resource depletion, pollen limitation and mast‐seeding in a perennial wildflower
Authors: Crone Elizabeth E. , Miller Elizabeth , Sala Anna
Published: September 2009

Mast‐seeding is the synchronous and periodic reproduction by plant populations. This phenomenon has been widely studied from a community‐level perspective, but we know extremely little about how plants are able to synchronize reproduction. Here, we present the first experimental test of proximate mechanisms of mast‐seeding, by preventing reproduction in an iteroparous, mast‐seeding wildflower. Through a series of experiments, we show that mobile carbohydrate stores (NSC) control alternate‐year flowering by individual plants; seed set depletes NSC which prevents flowering the following year. Plants are synchronized by density‐dependent pollen limitation; when plants flower asynchronously, they set fewer seeds, which prevents NSC depletion. Therefore, these individual plants flower in subsequent years and become synchronized. Because mast‐seeding is a consequence of physiological controls of reproduction, differences in plant resource acquisition and allocation could dramatically change patterns of seed production, and changes in plant consumers and pollinators could change selection on physiological and developmental pathways.
Estimating the annual number of breeding attempts from breeding dates using mixture models
Authors: Cornulier Thomas , Elston David A. , Arcese Peter , Benton Tim G. , Douglas David J.T. , Lambin Xavier , Reid Jane , Robinson Robert A. , Sutherland William J.
Published: September 2009

Well‐established statistical methods exist to estimate variation in a number of key demographic rates from field data, including life‐history transition probabilities and reproductive success per attempt. However, our understanding of the processes underlying population change remains incomplete without knowing the number of reproductive attempts individuals make annually; this is a key demographic rate for which we have no satisfactory method of estimating. Using census data to estimate this parameter from requires disaggregating the overlying temporal distributions of first and subsequent breeding attempts. We describe a Bayesian mixture method to estimate the annual number of reproductive attempts from field data to provide a new tool for demographic inference. We validate our method using comprehensive data on individually‐marked song sparrowsMelospiza melodia, and then apply it to more typical nest record data collected over 45 years on yellowhammersEmberiza citrinella. We illustrate the utility of our method by testing, and rejecting, the hypothesis that declines in UK yellowhammer populations have occurred concurrently with declines in annual breeding frequency.
Actor‐Network Theory as a Critical Approach to Environmental Justice: A Case against Synthesis with Urban Political Ecology
Authors: Holifield Ryan
Published: September 2009

Abstract: Recent critiques of environmental justice research emphasize its disengagement from theory and its political focus on liberal conceptions of distributional and procedural justice. Marxian urban political ecology has been proposed as an approach that can both contextualize environmental inequalities more productively and provide a basis for a more radical politics of environmental justice. Although this work takes its primary inspiration from historical materialism, it also adapts key concepts from actor‐network theory (ANT)—in particular, the agency of nonhumans—while dismissing the rest of ANT as insufficiently critical and explanatory. This paper argues that ANT—specifically, the version articulated by Bruno Latour—provides a basis for an alternative critical approach to environmental justice research and politics. Instead of arguing for a synthesis of ANT and Marxism, I contend that ANT gives us a distinctive conception of the social and opens up new questions about the production and justification of environmental inequalities.
Gendered Geographies of Environmental Injustice
Authors: Buckingham Susan , Kulcur Rakibe
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  As environmental justice concerns become more widely embedded in environmental organizations and policymaking, and increasingly the focus of academic study, the gender dimension dissolves into an exclusive focus on race/ethnicity and class/income. While grassroots campaigning activities were often dominated by women, in the more institutionalized activities of organizations dominated by salaried professionals, gender inequality is neglected as a vector of environmental injustice, and addressing this inequality is not considered a strategy for redress. This paper explores some of the reasons why this may be so, which include a lack of visibility of gendered environmental injustice; professional campaigning organizations which are themselves gender blind; institutions at a range of scales which are still structured by gender (as well as class and race) inequalities; and an intellectual academy which continues to marginalize the study of gender—and women's—inequality. The authors draw on experience of environmental activism, participant observation, and other qualitative research into the gendering of environmental activity, to first explore the constructions of scale to see how this might limit a gender‐fair approach to environmental justice. Following this, the practice of “gender mainstreaming” in environmental organizations and institutions will be examined, demonstrating how this is limited in scope and fails to impact on the gendering of environmental injustice.
Digging Deep for Justice: A Radical Re‐imagination of the Artisanal Gold Mining Sector in Ghana
Authors: Tschakert Petra
Published: September 2009

Abstract: This article explores the concept of “contact zones” to counteract misrecognition and exclusion in the artisanal gold mining sector of Ghana. The large majority of the 300,000–500,000 Ghanaian artisanal miners work without an official license, illegally. Due to their encroachment on corporate concession lands, the use of toxic mercury in the gold extraction process, and the social disruption caused by their migratory activities, these miners are often marginalized and criminalized. Yet, devaluation and misrecognition hamper environmental stewardship and participation in political decision‐making. Through parity‐fostering participatory research, I propose a radical re‐imagination of the sector that encourages agency and flourishing among these ostracized men and women diggers.
Beyond Heritability
Authors: Johnson Wendy , Turkheimer Eric , Gottesman Irving I. , Bouchard Thomas J.
Published: September 2009

The heritability of human behavioral traits is now well established, due in large measure to classical twin studies. We see little need for further studies of the heritability of individual traits in behavioral science, but the twin study is far from having outlived its usefulness. The existence of pervasive familial influences on behavior means that selection bias is always a concern in any study of the causal effects of environmental circumstances. Twin samples continue to provide new opportunities to identify causal effects with appropriate genetic and shared environmental controls. We discuss environmental studies of discordant twin pairs and twin studies of genetic and environmental transactions in this context.
Making networks and (re)making trade union bureaucracy: a European‐wide case study of trade union engagement with the Internet and networking
Authors: Lucio Miguel Martínez , Walker Steve , Trevorrow Pip
Published: September 2009

The Internet increasingly forms part of formal trade union responses to changing economic and political challenges but in quite complex ways, due to the manner in which different constituents harness and mediate its development. The paper shows how networking is the object of competing meanings and interventions, and the subject of a range of issues in terms of organisational hierarchies, competing communities of practice and competing understandings and traditions of the Internet itself.
Predicting teleworker success: an exploration of personality, motivational, situational, and job characteristics
Authors: O'Neill Thomas A. , Hambley Laura A. , Greidanus Nathan S. , MacDonnell Rhiannon , Kline Theresa J.B.
Published: September 2009

This study explored personality and motivational traits related to teleworker performance and satisfaction, including sociability, need for achievement and autonomy, diligence and organisation. Situational factors were also compared between teleworkers and non‐teleworkers, such as number of children, job autonomy and job complexity. Implications for research and practice are discussed.