bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘It Takes Two Hands to Clap’: How Gaddi Shepherds in the Indian Himalayas Negotiate Access to Grazing
Authors: AXELBY RICHARD
Published: December 2006

This article examines the effects of state intervention on the workings of informal institutions that coordinate the communal use and management of natural resources. Specifically it focuses on the case of the nomadic Gaddi shepherds and official attempts to regulate their access to grazing pastures in the Indian Himalayas. It is often predicted that the increased presence of the modern state critically undermines locally appropriate and community‐based resource management arrangements. Drawing on the work of Pauline Peters and Francis Cleaver, I identify key instances of socially embedded ‘common’ management institutions and explain the evolution of these arrangements through dynamic interactions between individuals, communities and the agents of the state. Through describing the ‘living space’ of Gaddi shepherds across the annual cycle of nomadic migration with their flocks I explore the ways in which they have been able to creatively reinterpret external interventions, and suggest how contemporary arrangements for accessing pasture at different moments of the annual cycle involve complex combinations of the formal and the informal, the ‘traditional’ and the ‘modern’.
The Politics of Land Reform: Tenure and Political Authority in Rural Kwazulu‐Natal
Authors: MATHIS SARAH M.
Published: December 2006

When South Africa's land reform programme finally reached rural Umbumbulu, a potential for conflict over land emerged unexpectedly. Strategically located near a major urban centre, residents of this region have long relied on wages and social welfare grants. Land was valued primarily for residential security and as a symbolic representation of community membership, rather than for productive purposes. This emphasis on community membership, however, created the potential for conflict when a local chief challenged a civil society group over their authority to claim land. With the government's continued hesitancy to challenge the authority of chiefs, land reform provided an opportunity for local chiefs to reinforce their position and potentially to expand the amount of land under their jurisdiction. This agenda conflicted both with the government's interest in developing commercial agriculture and local residents’ desire for rural land as security in the context of high levels of unemployment.
International labour migration and tacit knowledge transactions: a multi‐level perspective
Authors: WILLIAMS ALLAN M.
Published: December 2006

Abstract
There has been limited research on the role of international migration in the transfer of tacit knowledge, as opposed to skills and capital. In part, this results from lack of engagement between research on migration and that on knowledge and learning, even in debates concerning the relative importance of distanciated versus localized knowledge transfers. However, positioning international migration in relation to the literature on knowledge management opens up new perspectives on its role in the overall transfer of knowledge in the economy. Starting from the premise that all tacit knowledge transactions are socially situated, in this article I set out a multi‐level approach to understanding the role of migrants in knowledge exchanges. The national, the urban and the firm constitute key levels in this study, although these are understood as interfolded rather than as discrete sites of analysis.
Mobile locations: construction of home in a group of mobile transnational professionals
Authors: NOWICKA MAGDALENA
Published: December 2006

AbstractHow do professionals constitute their homes under conditions of extensive mobility? The study is based on interviews with professionals working for an international organization who are chronically mobile. Despite their high mobility, they describe little difficulty constructing homes. Home can best be understood here not as a fixed location, but as a set of relationships, to both humans and non‐humans. There are elements of spatial proximity, but also of distance, and homes may be defined by both objects present and excluded. They may be a focal point, but at the same time part of a heterogeneous network that spans localities as well as binds past and present. Home is therefore territorially defined, but only as an extended network rather than as a bounded location.
The epidemiology of preterm labour—why have advances not equated to reduced incidence?
Authors: Steer PJ
Published: December 2006

The major burden of preterm birth is in the developing world, where most of the increasing death and morbidity is secondary to infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, bacterial vaginosis and intestinal parasites. In some developing countries, the growth of medical care has outstripped the growth of preventive public health, with an associated increase in iatrogenic preterm births. In developed countries, more than one‐third of preterm births are medically indicated because of conditions such as fulminating pre‐eclampsia or severe intrauterine growth restriction. Neither of these conditions is currently preventable. One in five preterm births is associated with multiple pregnancy, and these have been greatly increased by assisted reproduction techniques. The use of tocolytics has proved disappointing perhaps because inflammation rather than spontaneous uterine activity is increasingly recognised as the final common pathway. Inappropriate antibiotics used late in pregnancy are ineffective and may have adverse effects. Currently, the most promising interventions are public health related and include reducing the transmission of communicable diseases, improvements in the management of diabetes and reduction in harmful behaviours such as smoking and drug abuse.
EPICure: facts and figures: why preterm labour should be treated
Authors: Costeloe K ,   EPICure Study Group
Published: December 2006

The principal objective of the EPICure studies was to determine both short‐ and long‐term outcomes of extremely preterm birth. Data were collected for all births before 26 completed weeks of gestation in the UK and Republic of Ireland for 10 months in 1995. Of 811 infants admitted to neonatal units, 314 (39%) survived. Of these, 283 (92%) were assessed at 2.5 years and 241 (78%) at 6 years, together with a comparator group selected from classmates in normal schools. At 6 years, 32 (13%) of those assessed had disabling cerebral palsy and 31 (13%) had severe sensory impairment. Cognitive impairment was a more frequent adverse outcome: the mean intelligence quotient (IQ) was 82 (SD 19). Fifty children (21%) had IQs > 3 SD less than that of the comparator group, and in 48 children (20%), IQ was 2–3 SD less than that of the comparator group. Infants whose mothers had received antenatal steroids had fewer severely abnormal head scan findings. In this population, abnormal head scan findings are independent predictors of reduced, severe motor disability at 2.5 years. Using step‐wise logistic regression analysis, postnatal transfer was associated with severe motor disability; prolonged membrane rupture with reduced Mental Development Index (MDI) and antenatal steroid with increased MDI. It is clear that factors around the time of birth are critical in determining outcome, irrespective of later complications during neonatal intensive care. Since 1995, there is good evidence of improved survival, but it is not clear whether or not the number of survivors with severe adverse outcomes has changed. A new cohort of births <27 completed weeks is currently being collected in English maternity units. Data collection around the time of birth is more detailed than in 1995 in order to better explore the relationship between perinatal factors and later outcomes.
Should every unit have a 24‐hour transvaginal ultrasound available?
Authors: Robson M , Murphy T
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this debate is to argue the merits of whether the availability of 24‐hour transvaginal ultrasound service in every unit will help predict and, subsequently, prevent preterm birth. Any new test introduced will need to fulfil certain criteria. It must be acceptable in terms of risk, cost and patient convenience. It must be an improvement over existing alternatives, and it must aid clinicians to improve care. While the 24‐hour availability of transvaginal ultrasound to every maternity unit may be useful to research and teaching, there is, as yet, little evidence that a 24‐hour transvaginal ultrasound service improves perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Results from our own centre suggest that experienced clinicians can make an acceptable diagnosis of spontaneous preterm labour (PTL) using only history and digital examination. Based on these findings, the availability of 24‐hour vaginal ultrasound in every unit cannot be justified for the diagnosis of spontaneous PTL.
Preterm birth: the value of sonographic measurement of cervical length
Authors: Kagan KO , To M , Tsoi E , Nicolaides KH
Published: December 2006

Transvaginal ultrasound scanning of cervical length at approximately 20 weeks of gestation in women attending for routine antenatal care is useful for predicting the likelihood of spontaneous early preterm birth. The risk of early birth increases exponentially with decreasing cervical length in both singleton and multiple pregnancies. In such women, individualisation of risk would lead to rationalisation of antenatal care, including frequency of visits, patient education in recognising and reporting symptoms of spontaneous preterm labour and timely administration of steroids. It is also possible that in women identified as being at high risk, the rate of preterm birth might be reduced by the prophylactic use of progesterone. In women presenting with threatened spontaneous preterm labour, transvaginal measurement of cervical length provides a useful distinction between those who are likely to deliver within the subsequent 7 days and those who are not. Since only 10–20% of such women are in true spontaneous preterm labour, the cervical length measurement in rational care can avoid the current practice of hospitalisation and administration of steroids and tocolytics to all. This article reviews the evidence in support of the clinical introduction of transvaginal sonography for both the prediction and management of spontaneous preterm labour.
Diagnosis of early preterm labour
Authors: Herbst A , Nilsson C
Published: December 2006

While preterm contractions occur almost as often extremely preterm as they do closer to term, birth due to spontaneous preterm labour before 27 weeks of gestation is rare, accounting for 0.05–0.7% of all births in different populations. Although the likelihood that uterine contractions before 27 weeks of gestation represent true preterm labour is low, the risk of adverse outcome in such cases is high. A correct diagnosis is important, and a useful diagnostic test should have a high sensitivity. In most reports, only 30–40% of women hospitalised for spontaneous preterm labour experience a preterm birth, suggesting a low positive predictive value of clinical diagnosis based on uterine contractions and vaginal examination. Transvaginal ultrasonographic scanning (TVUSS) of cervical length has shown a high sensitivity for preterm birth, 90–100% for preterm birth before 33–35 weeks, using a liberal cutoff at 30 mm. Assessment of cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin (FFN) levels has shown a sensitivity of about 80%. Adding FFN assessment to TVUSS might contribute insignificantly to the prediction of preterm birth. In a retrospective study of 147 women with spontaneous preterm labour and intact membranes before 27 weeks in our department, 61% of hospitalised women and 77% of women receiving tocolytic infusion therapy delivered before 32 weeks. Among 66 singleton pregnancies delivered before 32 weeks, at admission, 94% either had an effaced cervix or cervix with ≥2 cm dilation (74%), vaginal bleeding (61%) or serum C‐reactive protein level >20 mg/l (40%), whereas one of these findings only was present in 18% of women who delivered at later gestations. Among 132 women with symptoms of spontaneous preterm contractions before 27 weeks not admitted for hospital care, only 2 (1.5%) delivered before 32 weeks, not significantly higher than for all other women (0.6%). Although TVUSS may be useful when the diagnosis of spontaneous preterm labour is in doubt, the main predicament in early spontaneous preterm labour may not be to predict preterm birth but to prevent it, since many women appear in advanced labour or with manifest chorioamnionitis.
The quality of randomised trials of tocolysis
Authors: Thornton JG
Published: December 2006

Tocolytic treatment of suspected preterm labour has been evaluated in at least 75 randomised controlled trials. These have been included in six Cochrane reviews. If the trials are poorly designed, such reviews may mislead or, at best, provide weaker evidence than those based on well‐designed ones. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of the trials included in the Cochrane reviews of tocolytic therapy. Trial group sizes; the methods used by each trial to avoid selection, performance, attrition, and detection bias; and evidence that the statistical analysis plan was prespecified were abstracted from each Cochrane review. Except where noted, the judgement of the Cochrane reviewers was used. The number of trials graded A (sealed envelopes or third‐party randomisation) for allocation concealment was as follows: beta‐agonists 5/16, magnesium sulphate 9/23, oxytocin receptor antagonists 6/6, cox inhibitors 12/13, calcium channel blockers 9/12, and nitric oxide donors 5/5. The number blinding the intervention was as follows: beta‐agonists 9/16, magnesium sulphate 2/23, oxytocin receptor antagonists 5/6, cox inhibitors 7/13, calcium channel blockers 0/12, and nitric oxide donors 1/5. The number reporting a sample size calculation was as follows: beta‐agonists 2/16, magnesium sulphate 3/23, oxytocin receptor antagonists 6/6, cox inhibitors 4/13, calcium channel blockers 4/12, and nitric oxide donors 1/5. The mean sample size of each treatment group was as follows: beta‐agonists 53, magnesium sulphate 41, oxytocin receptor antagonists 126, cox inhibitors 31, calcium channel blockers 43, and nitric oxide donors 46. Data on avoiding attrition bias (follow‐up rates) are difficult to summarise because there is no agreed standard for ‘complete follow up’. Data on avoiding detection bias (blinding of outcome assessments) appeared unreliable because reviewers reported this in different ways. In conclusion, the trials of oxytocin antagonists and beta‐agonists were of the highest quality. There remains considerable scope for bias in many of the trials included in the current Cochrane systematic reviews of tocolytics.
Regulatory and methodologic challenges to tocolytic development
Authors: Goodwin TM
Published: December 2006

The development of tocolytic medications faces challenges common to all drug development programmes, principally related to evolving understanding of the pathophysiology. There are unique impediments to drug development for pregnancy‐related conditions in general and for tocolysis in particular. The purpose of this brief overview is to familiarise the obstetrician with the current challenges to drug development, focusing in particular on the problems of tocolytic development. A strategy for encouraging drug development for preterm labour and for pregnancy‐related problems in general is presented.
Emerging tocolytics for maintenance therapy of preterm labour: oxytocin antagonists and calcium channel blockers
Authors: Kim A , Shim J‐Y
Published: December 2006

The incidence of spontaneous preterm labour and preterm birth has increased, and its management worldwide remains suboptimal. While considerable debate remains as to whether long‐term maintenance tocolysis is appropriate after an episode of spontaneous preterm labour, many practitioners support its use. Several drugs have been used for maintenance tocolysis, but they differ in terms of safety and efficacy. Atosiban and nifedipine are preferable for maintenance tocolysis, as they have been shown to be as effective as ritodrine while being associated with fewer adverse effects. Nifedipine is not licensed for use as a tocolytic. An ideal tocolytic should be utero specific, with few fetomaternal and fetal adverse effects, and should significantly improve perinatal outcome. To warrant the use of maintenance therapy, larger trials in women at particular gestational age ranges may be needed, in which the primary endpoints are perinatal outcomes. The inclusion of cost‐effectiveness analyses would also be of benefit.
Prematurity or immaturity?
Authors: Steer PJ
Published: December 2006

Birth in the human is particularly difficult compared with that in the other primates. Bipedalism has evolved over the past 6 or 7 million years, and has resulted in a small pelvis, adapted to the upright posture. In recent millennia, the increasing size of the fetal head at birth has made childbirth difficult. Haig has suggested that the mother and fetus do not have identical interests; the baby benefits from being large at birth, while it is easier for the mother to deliver a small baby. Many of the 500 000 maternal deaths per year around the world are due to obstructed labour, especially in Africa. Even in London, black African women have the highest caesarean section rates. Black African babies are on average smaller than white European babies, due mainly to earlier delivery. In a 13‐year study of births in North West Thames, African babies were 2.5 times more likely to be born between 24 and 31 weeks inclusive than white European babies. Between 33 and 38 weeks of gestation, black African babies behaved in a more mature way, are more likely to pass meconium and have jaundice, but less likely to have respiratory problems leading to admission to the special care baby unit. Preterm black African babies have lower gestation‐specific perinatal mortality than white European babies, while at term and beyond the reverse is true. Preterm birth may have evolved partly as a response to disproportion.
Continuing challenges in treating preterm labour: preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes
Authors: Helmer H
Published: December 2006

Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM) is defined as prelabour rupture of the membranes prior to 37 weeks of gestation. It occurs in approximately 3% of pregnancies and is responsible for one‐third of all preterm births. Effective treatment relies on accurate diagnosis, and it is gestational age dependent because the potential complications change with gestational age. Diagnosis itself is made by clinical suspicion, patient history and simple testing. Studies have shown that if a combination of patient history, nitrazine testing and ferning was used, the accuracy of at least two positive tests was 93.1%. PPROM is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality from infection, umbilical cord compression, placental abruption and preterm birth. Subclinical uterine infection has been implicated as a major aetiological factor in the pathogenesis and subsequent morbidity associated with PPROM and antenatal antibiotics, together with corticosteroid therapies, have clear benefits and should be offered to all women without contraindications. Women with PPROM after 32 weeks should be considered for delivery, and after 34 weeks of gestation the benefits of elective delivery appear to outweigh the risks. Here, two cases are discussed that were experienced in our unit.
Tropisetron modulation of the glycine receptor: femtomolar potentiation and a molecular determinant of inhibition
Authors: Yang Zhe , Ney Agnieszka , Cromer Brett A. , Ng Hooi‐Ling , Parker Michael W. , Lynch Joseph W.
Published: December 2006

The 5‐hydroxytryptamine type‐3 receptor antagonist tropisetron is in clinical use as an anti‐emetic drug. This compound also exerts both potentiating and inhibitory effects on the glycine receptor chloride channel. The inhibitory effects occur at micromolar concentrations, whereas the potentiating effects are shown here to occur at femtomolar concentrations at the homomeric α1 receptor. Potentiation occurred only when tropisetron was applied in the presence of glycine. We also sought to identify molecular determinants of tropisetron inhibition at the α1 glycine receptor by serially mutating residues located in or near known ligand‐binding sites. We discovered that conservative mutations to N102 ablated tropisetron inhibition without affecting the magnitude or sensitivity of tropisetron potentiation. Several lines of evidence, including a structure‐activity analysis of tropisetron, atropine and SB203186, suggest that N102 may bind to the tropisetron tropane nitrogenviaH‐bonding. Mutation of the N125 residue in the β subunit, which corresponds to N102 in the α1 subunit, had little effect on tropisetron inhibitory potency. These results show that N102 is required for tropisetron inhibition but not potentiation and that inhibitory tropisetron binds in different orientations at different subunit interfaces. To our knowledge, tropisetron is the most exquisitely sensitive modulator yet identified for a cys‐loop receptor.
CCR7, CCR8, CCR9 and CCR10 in the mouse hippocampal CA1 area and the dentate gyrus during and after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus
Authors: Liu Jian Xin , Cao Xia , Tang Yong Cheng , Liu Yong , Tang Feng Ru
Published: December 2006

The present study showed CCR7, CCR8, CCR9 and CCR10 in the normal Swiss mouse hippocampus at both protein and mRNA levels. CCR7, CCR9 and CCR10 were mainly localized in hippocampal principal cells and some interneurons. CCR9 was also found in the mossy fibres and/or terminals, suggesting an axonal or presynaptic localization, and CCR10 in apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area. CCR8 was observed in interneurons. Double‐labelling immunocytochemistry revealed that most of calbindin (CB)‐, calretinin (CR)‐ and parvalbumin (PV)‐immunopositive neurons expressed CCR7–10, except CR‐immunopositive cells in which only 10 to 12% expressed CCR8. During and after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus, progressive changes of each of CCR7, CCR8, CCR9 and CCR10 proteins occurred in different patterns at various time points. Sensitive real‐time PCR showed similar change patterns at mRNA level. At the chronic stage, i.e. at 2 months after pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus, significant reduction of CCR7–10 expression in CB‐, CR‐ and PV‐immunpositive interneurons may suggest the phenotype change of surviving interneurons. Double labelling of CCR7, CCR8 and CCR9 with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) at the chronic stage may suggest an induced expression in reactive astrocytes. The present study may, therefore, for the first time, provide evidence that CCR7–10 may be involved in normal hippocampal activity. The demonstration of the progressive changes of CCR7–10 during and after status epilepticus may open a new area to reveal the mechanism of neuronal loss after status epilepticus and of epileptogenesis.
Differential coupling of α7 and non‐α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to calcium‐induced calcium release and voltage‐operated calcium channels in PC12 cells
Authors: Dickinson Jane A. , Hanrott Katharine E. , Mok M. H. Selina , Kew James N. C. , Wonnacott Susan
Published: December 2006

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand‐gated cation channels that can modulate various neuronal processes by altering intracellular Ca2+levels. Following nAChR stimulation Ca2+can enter cells either directly, through the intrinsic ion channel, or indirectly following voltage‐operated Ca2+channel (VOCC) activation; Ca2+levels can subsequently be amplified via Ca2+‐induced Ca2+release from intracellular stores. We have used subtype‐selective nAChR agonists to investigate the Ca2+sources contributing to α7 and non‐α7 nAChR‐mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+in PC12 cells. Application of the α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulator PNU 120596 (10 μm), in conjunction with the α7 nAChR agonist, compound A [(R)‐N‐(1‐azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct‐3‐yl)(5‐(2‐pyridyl)thiophene‐2‐carboxamide), 10 nm], produces a rapid increase in fluo‐3 fluorescence that is prevented by the selective α7 nAChR antagonist α‐bungarotoxin. The non‐α7 nAChR agonist 5‐Iodo‐A‐85380 produces α‐bungarotoxin‐insensitive increases in intracellular Ca2+(EC50 = 11.2 μm). Using these selective agonists or KCl in conjunction with general and selective VOCC inhibitors, we demonstrate that the primary route of Ca2+entry following either non‐α7 nAChR activation or KCl stimulation is via L‐type VOCCs. In contrast, the α7 nAChR‐mediated response is unaffected by VOCC blockers but is inhibited by modulators of intracellular Ca2+stores. These results indicate that α7 and non‐α7 nAChRs are differentially coupled to Ca2+‐induced Ca2+release and VOCCs, respectively.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 kinase domain mutation increases cortical progenitor proliferation via mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation
Authors: Thomson Rachel E. , Pellicano Francesca , Iwata Tomoko
Published: December 2006

We have previously shown that mice carrying the K644E kinase domain mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (Fgfr3) (EIIa;Fgfr3+/K644E) have enlarged brains with increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of the cortical progenitors. Despite its unique rostral‐low caudal‐high gradient expression in the cortex, how Fgfr3 temporally and spatially influences progenitor proliferation is unknown. In vivo BrdU labelling now showed that progenitor proliferation was 10–46% higher in the EIIa;Fgfr3+/K644E cortex compared with wild type during embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5)–E13.5. The difference in proliferation between the EIIa;Fgfr3+/K644E and wild‐type cortices was the greatest in the caudal cortex at E12.5 and E13.5. Inhibition of mitogen‐activated or extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (MEK) in vitro at E11.5 reduced the proliferation rate of the EIIa;Fgfr3+/K644E cortical progenitors to similar levels observed in the wild type, indicating that the majority of the increase in cell proliferation caused by the Fgfr3 mutation is mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway‐dependent at this stage. In addition, elevated levels of Sprouty were observed in the EIIa;Fgfr3+/K644E telencephalon at E14.5, indicating the presence of negative feedback that may have suppressed further MAPK activation. We suggest that temporal activation of MAPK is largely responsible for cell proliferation caused by the Fgfr3 mutation during early stages of cortical development.
Characterization of wild‐type and mutant forms of human tryptophan hydroxylase 2
Authors: Winge Ingeborg , McKinney Jeffrey A. , Knappskog Per M. , Haavik Jan
Published: December 2006

Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) catalyses the rate‐limiting step in the biosynthesis of serotonin. In vertebrates, the homologous genes tph1 and tph2 encode two different enzymes with distinct patterns of expression, enzyme kinetics and regulation. Variants of TPH2 have recently reported to be associated with reduced serotonin production and behavioural alterations in man and mice. We have produced the human forms of these enzymes in Esherichia coli and in human embryonic kidney cell lines (HEK293) and examined the effects of mutations on their heterologous expression levels, solubility, thermal stability, secondary structure, and catalytic properties. Pure human TPH2 P449R (corresponds to mouse P447R) had comparable catalytic activity (Vmax) and solubility relative to the wild type, but had decreased thermal stability; whereas human TPH2 R441H had decreased activity, solubility and stability. Thus, we consider the variations in kinetic values between wild‐type and TPH2 mutants to be of secondary importance to their effects on protein stability and solubility. These findings provide potential molecular explanations for disorders related to the central serotonergic system, such as depression or suicidal behaviour.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the razor clam Ensis siliqua
Authors: VARELA M. A. , GONZÁLEZ‐TIZÓN A. , FRANCISCO‐CANDEIRA M. , MARTÍNEZ‐LAGE A.
Published: December 2006

Five polymorphic microsatellite loci in the razor clam Ensis siliqua are described. A collection consisting of 34 individuals from Finisterre, Spain, was analysed. Loci were isolated from the sequences of intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Detailed analysis of 42 ISSR markers led to the design of 16 primer pairs. Five of these yielded consistent and polymorphic products. The number of alleles ranged from five to 23 per locus with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.46 to 0.94. Linkage equilibrium was observed in all loci and three of them showed significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.
Cross‐amplification of 10 new isolated polymorphic microsatellite loci for red mullet (Mullus barbatus) in striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus)
Authors: GALARZA J. A. , TURNER G. F. , MACPHERSON E. , CARRERAS‐CARBONELL J. , RICO C.
Published: December 2006

Ten polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for the red mullet (Mullus barbatus). Allele variability was tested on both the red mullet and its congener the striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus). Characterization of 30 individuals of both species from the western Mediterranean showed moderate to high allelic diversity ranging from two to 26 alleles per locus (mean 10.9). Three loci showed departures from Hardy–Weinberg proportions. No evidence of significant association between genotypes at pairs of loci was observed. These polymorphic loci could be suitable for population genetic assessments of both species.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in Cacopsylla melanoneura Förster (Homoptera: Psyllidae)
Authors: MALAGNINI VALERIA , PEDRAZZOLI FEDERICO , FORNO FLAVIA , KOMJANC MATTEO , IORIATTI CLAUDIO
Published: December 2006

Cacopsylla melanoneura is one of the main vectors of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’. We developed and described 10 microsatellite markers. Forty‐five psyllids from one population were analysed. The number of alleles ranged from six to 24 and the observed heterozygosity from 0.42 to 0.84. These markers will be useful tools for population genetic studies on C. melanoneura.
Identification and characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica
Authors: BOOTH W. , BOGDANOWICZ S. M. , PRODÖHL P. A. , HARRISON R. G. , SCHAL C. , VARGO E. L.
Published: December 2006

Primer sequences and initial characterization are presented for 10 microsatellite loci isolated from the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. In a sample of 30 individuals from a single population sample, all loci were polymorphic with two to 12 alleles segregating per locus and levels of observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.27 to 0.92. One locus showed a deficit of heterozygotes. Experimental conditions are described for polymerase chain reaction multiplexing, which enables the genotyping of eight loci in three electrophoretic runs consisting of one set of three and two sets of two markers. Seven primer sets cross‐amplify in the related Blattella asahinai.
Isolation and characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite markers in the two‐banded sea bream (Diplodus vulgaris) and cross‐species amplification in the white sea bream (Diplodus sargus) and the saddled bream (Oblada melanura)
Authors: ROQUES S. , GALARZA J. A. , MACPHERSON E. , TURNER G. F. , RICO C.
Published: December 2006

We have developed nine new microsatellite markers for the two‐banded sea bream (Diplodus vulgaris) from an enriched genome library protocol. All these loci are polymorphic, with mean allelic diversity of 13 (range 5 –21), and expected and observed heterozygosities from 0.641 to 0.932 and 0.428 to 0.914, respectively. Cross‐species tests in two close‐related species of the genus Diplodus (D. sargus and O. melanura) revealed successful amplifications at 8 out of 9 loci, with mean allele number of 4.75 (range 2–8) and 5.50 (range 3 –10), respectively. These results are consistent with the close phylogenetic relationships between the three species, indicating this set of primers might prove useful for studying the levels of genetic diversity and population differentiation in these three species and in other phylogenetically close species of the genus Diplodus and Sparus.
Development of sequence‐tagged microsatellites for the barley net blotch pathogen, Pyrenophora teres
Authors: KEIPER FELICITY J. , CAPIO ESTER , GRCIC MILICA , WALLWORK HUGH
Published: December 2006

A modified sequenced‐tagged microsatellite (STM) profiling procedure was used to develop 80 STMs for the barley net blotch pathogen, Pyrenophora teres. Of these, 60 STMs amplified 67 loci in one or both of the spot (P. teres f. maculata) and net (P. teres f. teres) forms of the pathogen. When screened on six field‐sampled isolates of each pathogen form, 25 STMs revealed 26 polymorphic loci, with an average of 3.2 ± 1.0 alleles and mean gene diversity of 0.59 ± 0.12.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii)
Authors: WANG DENG , SHI DAZHAO
Published: December 2006

Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci from Lasiopodomys brandtii have been isolated and characterized. Two to 11 alleles per locus were detected from 52 Brandt's voles samples collected from a single population. Expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.406 to 0.840. For the majority of loci observed heterozygosities were similar to or greater than the expected heterozygosity. One locus pair appeared to be in linkage disequilibrium. The microsatellite markers will enable the studies of genetic diversity, population structure and relatedness in this species, and perhaps in closely related species of vole.
Analysis of archaeal core ether lipids using Time of Flight–Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS): Exploring a new prospect for the study of biomarkers in geobiology
Authors: THIEL V. , TOPORSKI J. , SCHUMANN G. , SJÖVALL P. , LAUSMAA J.
Published: December 2006

The capability of Time of Flight–Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) of analysing molecular archaeal biomarkers in geobiological samples was tested and demonstrated. Using a bismuth cluster primary ion source, isopranyl glycerol di‐ and tetraether core lipids were detected in small amounts of total organic extracts from methanotrophic microbial mats, simultaneously and without further chemical treatment and chromatographic separation. ToF‐SIMS was also employed to track the distribution of fossilized ether lipids in a massive carbonate (aragonite) microbialite that precipitated as a result of the microbial anaerobic oxidation of methane. An unambiguous signal was obtained when analysing a freshly broken rock surface (base of a microdrill core). Though some limitation occurred due to µm‐topographical effects (sample roughness), it was possible to display the abundance of high molecular weight (C86) of tetraethers exposed in particular regions of the rock surface. ‘Molecular mapping’ revealed that a part of these molecules was encased within the rock fabric in a cluster‐like distribution that might trace the arrangement of the calcifying microbial colonies in the once active mat system. The results reveal promising perspectives of ToF‐SIMS for (i) the quasi‐nondestructive analysis of lipids in extremely small geobiological samples at low concentrations; (ii) resolving the spatial distribution of these compounds on a µm2‐ to cm2‐scale; and (iii) the more exact assignment of lipid biomarkers to their biological source.
Carbon‐isotopic analysis of microbial cells sorted by flow cytometry
Authors: EEK K. M. , SESSIONS A. L. , LIES D. P.
Published: December 2006

One of the outstanding current problems in both geobiology and environmental microbiology is the quantitative analysis of in situ microbial metabolic activities. Techniques capable of such analysis would have wide application, from quantifying natural rates of biogeochemical cycling to identifying the metabolic activity of uncultured organisms. We describe here a method that represents one step towards that goal, namely the high‐precision measurement of 13C in specific populations of microbial cells that are purified by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS). Sorted cells are concentrated on a Teflon membrane filter, and their 13C content is measured by coupling an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with a home‐built spooling wire microcombustion (SWiM) apparatus. The combined instrumentation provides measurements of δ13C in whole cells with precision better than 0.2‰ for samples containing as little as 25 ng of carbon. When losses associated with sample handling are taken into account, isotopic analyses require sorting roughly 104 eukaryotic or 107 bacterial cells per sample. Coupled with 13C‐labelled substrate additions, this approach has the potential to directly quantify uptake of metabolites in specific populations of sorted cells. The high precision afforded by SWiM‐IRMS also permits useful studies of natural abundance variations in 13C. The approach is equally applicable to specific populations of cells sorted from multicellular organisms.
Playback experiments indicate absence of vocal recognition among temporally and geographically separated populations of Madeiran Storm‐petrels Oceanodroma castro
Authors: BOLTON MARK
Published: December 2006

A number of lines of evidence suggest that temporally segregated sympatric populations of Madeiran Storm‐petrels Oceanodroma castro breeding in the Azores are reproductively isolated and morphologically and genetically distinct from each other. Within the Galapagos Islands, similar sympatric populations may also be isolated from each other, as individuals are not known to switch breeding seasons. The taxonomic relationships among populations of this species that are seasonally and spatially separated are unclear and in need of revision. In this study, playback experiments were used to determine the level of vocal response among prospecting Madeiran Storm‐petrels at colonies in the Azores, Galapagos and Cape Verde islands to recordings from different populations. Vocalizations of all populations studied here differ in their structural characteristics and in all but one case prospecting Storm‐petrels showed far greater response to playback of burrow calls from their own colony type than to calls recorded at other seasonally or geographically distinct colonies. Additionally, the level of response to foreign colony types was no different to playback of vocalizations of an unrelated control species present at the same location. Although not all combinations of geographical and seasonal populations could be examined, the finding that prospecting hot‐season (breeding April–August) Storm‐petrels in the Azores did not differ in their response level to playback from Azores cool‐season (breeding August–March) storm‐petrels and Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea is of particular significance and suggests the existence of a pre‐mating isolation mechanism that would prevent interbreeding between these two sympatric populations. Furthermore, Azores hot‐season Storm‐petrels showed a similar absence of response to playback from Galapagos dry‐season (May–July) populations, indicating that they are also taxonomically distant from this group. Madeiran Storm‐petrels in the Cape Verde islands showed a low response rate to Azores hot‐season vocalizations, which did not differ from the response to unrelated controls. These data provide further evidence that the hot‐season Azores population represents a distinct taxon that is reproductively isolated from the sympatrically breeding cool‐season population, as well as from more distant populations in the Cape Verde and Galapagos islands.
Cryptic sexual dichromatism occurs across multiple types of plumage in the Green‐backed Tit Parus monticolus
Authors: HOFMANN CHRISTOPHER , LO WEN‐SUI , YAO CHENG‐TE , LI SHOU‐HSIEN
Published: December 2006

Several recent studies have found instances of cryptic sexual dichromatism within avian taxa. Although this dichromatism has been found in plumage produced through a variety of proximate mechanisms, little is known about how dichromatism varies across these types of plumage within a single species. We used a reflectance spectrometer to measure colour within the Green‐backed Tit Parus monticolus, a species which displays multiple types of pigment and structural colours. We found significant differences in spectral measurements corresponding to hue, chroma, and brightness between male and female carotenoid, melanin, structural white, grey and structural blue plumage. The only plumage that did not appear to show sexual dichromatism was the olive plumage of the back. These findings suggest that the mechanism(s) producing cryptic dichromatism in the Green‐backed Tit are non‐specific and act across multiple types of plumage, rather than within a single type, such as carotenoid‐based or structurally produced.
The functional costs and benefits of dietary restriction in Drosophila
Authors: Burger Joep M. S. , Hwangbo Dae Sung , Corby‐Harris Vanessa , Promislow Daniel E. L.
Published: December 2006

Dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan in an impressively wide array of species spanning three eukaryotic kingdoms. In sharp contrast, relatively little is known about the effects of DR on functional senescence, with most of the work having been done on mice and rats. Here we used Drosophila melanogaster to test the assumption that lifespan extension through DR slows down age‐related functional deterioration. Adult virgin females were kept on one of three diets, with sucrose and yeast concentrations ranging from 7% to 11% to 16% (w/v). Besides age‐specific survival and fecundity, we measured starvation resistance, oxidative stress resistance, immunity, and cold‐stress resilience at ages 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks. We confirmed that DR extends lifespan: median lifespans ranged from 38 days (16% diet) to 46 days (11% diet) to 54 days (7% diet). We also confirmed that DR reduces fecundity, although the shortest‐lived flies only had the highest fecundity when males were infrequently available. The most striking result was that DR initially increased starvation resistance, but strongly decreased starvation resistance later in life. Generally, the effects of DR varied across traits and were age dependent. We conclude that DR does not universally slow down functional deterioration in Drosophila. The effects of DR on physiological function might not be as evolutionarily conserved as its effect on lifespan. Given the age‐specific effects of DR on functional state, imposing DR late in life might not provide the same functional benefits as when applied at early ages.
When similars do not attract: Tests of a prediction from the self‐expansion model
Authors: ARON ARTHUR , STEELE JODIE L , KASHDAN TODD B , PEREZ MAX
Published: December 2006

This study tested the hypothesis from the self‐expansion model that the usual effect of greater attraction to a similar (vs. dissimilar) stranger will be reduced or reversed when a person is given information that a relationship would be likely to develop (i.e., that they would be very likely to get along) with the other person. The study employed the “bogus stranger” paradigm and focused on similarity/dissimilarity of interests in the context of attraction to a same‐gender other. The effect for similarity under conditions in which no information is given about relationship likelihood replicated the usual pattern of greater attraction to similars. However, as predicted, a significant similarity by information interaction demonstrated that this effect was significantly reduced (and slightly reversed) when participants had been given information that the partner will like self. In analyses for each gender separately, both of these effects were significant only for men, suggesting that the focus on interest similarity may have been less relevant for women.
Marital closeness, autonomy, mastery, and depressive symptoms in a U.S. Internet sample
Authors: TOWER RONI B. , KRASNER MIREL
Published: December 2006

This Internet survey tests a theory that meeting needs through marital closeness (naming spouse confidant and emotional support; perceiving oneself to be named both by the spouse; and sexual satisfaction), autonomy, and mastery protects against depressive symptoms. The U.S. sample includes 1,163 relatively wealthy and educated married respondents aged 19–84 years. The regression model, controlling for sociodemographic factors, social integration, self‐rated health, and gender interactions, explained more than half the variability in respondents’ depressive symptoms. Regardless of age, wives who were closer to their husbands were less depressed than those who were less close. Older husbands were less depressed than younger ones. Marital closeness was protective for husbands at all ages with its absence particularly problematic at younger ages.
“I can’t get no satisfaction”: Insecure attachment, inhibited sexual communication, and sexual dissatisfaction
Authors: DAVIS DEBORAH , SHAVER PHILLIP R. , WIDAMAN KEITH F. , VERNON MICHAEL L. , FOLLETTE WILLIAM C. , BEITZ KENDRA
Published: December 2006

An Internet survey was conducted to extend the investigation of attachment style to the domains of sexual communication and sexual satisfaction. We hypothesized that insecure attachment would be associated with sexual dissatisfaction, mediated by inhibited communication of sexual needs. Further, the association of attachment with inhibited communication was expected to be mediated by attachment‐related tendencies toward deference to partners’ needs, concern with the relationship implications of sexual choices, general anxiety regarding sex, and feelings for one’s partner. Somewhat different mediational pathways were predicted for each of the 2 dimensions of attachment insecurity: anxiety and avoidance. Respondents (N= 1,989, around half of them involved in a sexual relationship at the time of the study and half not involved but with previous sexual relationship experience) completed measures of attachment‐related anxiety and avoidance, neuroticism (a possible confound), and sexual communication and satisfaction. Results generally supported the hypotheses and provided additional evidence regarding the associations between attachment style, sexual communication, and sexual satisfaction.
Receiving and providing support in couples dealing with multiple sclerosis: A diary study using an equity perspective
Authors: KLEIBOER ANNET M. , KUIJER ROELINE G. , HOX JOOP J. , SCHREURS KARLEIN M. G. , BENSING JOZIEN M.
Published: December 2006

This study examined the effects of daily support exchanges in couples facing multiple sclerosis (MS). Two issues were examined: the imbalance between received and provided support, and the extent to which reciprocal exchanges of received and provided support are associated with end‐of‐day well‐being (positive and negative mood and self‐esteem). Guided by equity theory, we expected that one‐sided support provision or receipt would be harmful for well‐being for both patients and partners. We argued that these negative outcomes could be offset by reciprocating support, that is, when both partners receive and provide support. Sixty‐one patients and their partners filled out questionnaires on demographics and disease‐related characteristics and subsequently completed computerized daily diaries for 14 days. At the end of each day, both partners completed diaries on end‐of‐day mood, self‐esteem, received and provided emotional and instrumental support, and several control variables (daily hassles and MS‐related symptoms for patients). Reciprocity in instrumental support transactions was associated with higher levels of self‐esteem among both patients and partners. However, the other results all showed independent effects of support received and provided. Patients’ well‐being was related to providing emotional support and instrumental support, whereas partners’ well‐being was related to receiving emotional support from patients.