bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pay-offs to zone management in a variable climate: an example of nitrogen fertiliser on wheat
Authors: Brennan L. E. , Robertson M. J. , Dalgliesh N. P. , Brown S.
Published: November 2007

Temporal variability affects the profitability of zone management of nitrogen, particularly in the north-eastern grain-growing region of Australia. This paper presents a framework for systematically investigating the effect of the interaction between spatial and temporal variability on economic performance, their relative importance, and the value of spatially variable nitrogen management to a farmer with and without knowledge about the coming season. The paper also addresses the degree to which economic performance is influenced by the relative sizes of management zones for fertiliser inputs, prices, and the shape of the biophysical response to fertiliser in each zone. The analysis was based on a single field exhibiting spatial variability. Scenario analysis of seasonally and/or spatially adjusted nitrogen management strategies was based on response functions generated by the cropping systems model APSIM. The analysis shows that seasonal and spatial interactions in nitrogen management are significant issues for decision makers. In this case, knowledge of the coming season is worth more than knowledge of spatial variability, but knowledge of both creates the greatest value. The functional relationship between yields and fertiliser levels for a given crop also determines the economic value of variable-rate nitrogen. A field may exhibit yield variability but this does not automatically present a case for spatially variable nitrogen management. If economic optima of different payoff curves are aligned then returns to zone management will be limited, despite significant differences in yield between different zones.
Boron uptake by the root cortex symplast of tomato and pea plants: evidence for low-boron-induced active transport
Authors: Savic Jasna , Nikolic Miroslav , Prodanovic Slaven , Römheld Volker
Published: November 2007

The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis of the existence of an active boron (B) uptake into the cortical cells induced by low B supply. The uptake of B was characterised in two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes: B-efficient FER and B-inefficient mutant T3238. In addition, pea (Pisum sativum L.) was used as an anatomically appropriate model for obtaining intact root cortex. Time course uptake studies in tomato indicate that the B-inefficient mutant was defective by the absence of an active low-B-induced uptake system in the cortex. Pea roots showed up to 10-fold higher accumulation of B into the cortex symplast at low (0.5 µm) external B supply in comparison to adequate B (10 µm) supply. Also, low-B-induced uptake of B was strongly inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol, indicating a metabolic energy-derived active component of B uptake at low external supply. Uptake of B by the cortical cells of tomato and pea plants appears to be a combination of both passive and active components, with a passive component prevailing at higher external B. An active component of B uptake suppressed by either adequate or high B supply might indicate a downregulation of plasma membrane-associated B transporter(s) in root cortical cells.
Acetylcholine Receptor Gating at Extracellular Transmembrane Domain Interface: the Cys-Loop and M2–M3 Linker
Authors: Jha Archana , Cadugan David J. , Purohit Prasad , Auerbach Anthony
Published: November 2007

Acetylcholine receptor channel gating is a propagated conformational cascade that links changes in structure and function at the transmitter binding sites in the extracellular domain (ECD) with those at a “gate” in the transmembrane domain (TMD). We used Φ-value analysis to probe the relative timing of the gating motions of α-subunit residues located near the ECD–TMD interface. Mutation of four of the seven amino acids in the M2–M3 linker (which connects the pore-lining M2 helix with the M3 helix), including three of the four residues in the core of the linker, changed the diliganded gating equilibrium constant (Keq) by up to 10,000-fold (P272 > I274 > A270 > G275). The average Φ-value for the whole linker was ∼0.64. One interpretation of this result is that the gating motions of the M2–M3 linker are approximately synchronous with those of much of M2 (∼0.64), but occur after those of the transmitter binding site region (∼0.93) and loops 2 and 7 (∼0.77). We also examined mutants of six cys-loop residues (V132, T133, H134, F135, P136, and F137). Mutation of V132, H134, and F135 changed Keq by 2800-, 10-, and 18-fold, respectively, and with an average Φ-value of 0.74, similar to those of other cys-loop residues. Even though V132 and I274 are close, the energetic coupling between I and V mutants of these positions was small (≤0.51 kcal mol−1). The M2–M3 linker appears to be the key moving part that couples gating motions at the base of the ECD with those in TMD. These interactions are distributed along an ∼16-Å border and involve about a dozen residues.
Acetylcholine Receptor Gating at Extracellular Transmembrane Domain Interface: the “Pre-M1” Linker
Authors: Purohit Prasad , Auerbach Anthony
Published: November 2007

Charged residues in the β10–M1 linker region (“pre-M1”) are important in the expression and function of neuromuscular acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). The perturbation of a salt bridge between pre-M1 residue R209 and loop 2 residue E45 has been proposed as being a principle event in the AChR gating conformational “wave.” We examined the effects of mutations to all five residues in pre-M1 (positions M207–P211) plus E45 in loop 2 in the mouse α1-subunit. M207, Q208, and P211 mutants caused small (approximately threefold) changes in the gating equilibrium constant (Keq), but the changes for R209, L210, and E45 were larger. Of 19 different side chain substitutions at R209 on the wild-type background, only Q, K, and H generated functional channels, with the largest change in Keq (67-fold) from R209Q. Various R209 mutants were functional on different E45 backgrounds: H, Q, and K (E45A), H, A, N, and Q (E45R), and K, A, and N (E45L). Φ values for R209 (on the E45A background), L210, and E45 were 0.74, 0.35, and 0.80, respectively. Φ values for R209 on the wt and three other backgrounds could not be estimated because of scatter. The average coupling energy between 209/45 side chains (six different pairs) was only −0.33 kcal/mol (for both α subunits, combined). Pre-M1 residues are important for expression of functional channels and participate in gating, but the relatively modest changes in closed- vs. open-state energy caused mutations, the weak coupling energy between these residues and the functional activity of several unmatched-charge pairs are not consistent with the perturbation of a salt bridge between R209 and E45 playing the principle role in gating.
Lifestyle limitations of children and young people with severe cerebral palsy: a population study protocol
Authors: Donnelly Collette , Parkes Jackie , McDowell Brona , Duffy Catherine
Published: November 2007

Title. Lifestyle limitations of children and young people with severe cerebral palsy: a population study protocol

Aim. This paper is a presentation of a study protocol to establish the prevalence of orthopaedic problems (hip dislocation, pelvic obliquity, spinal deformity and contractures) and their impact on pain, function, participation and health in a population of children and young people with severe cerebral palsy.

Background. Cerebral palsy is the commonest cause of motor impairment in childhood and is associated with life‐long disability. An estimated 30% of people with cerebral palsy have severe forms and are non‐ambulant. Although the underlying neurological damage is not amenable to correction, many health services are dedicated to providing therapeutic and adaptive support to help people with the condition reach their potential.

Method. A cross‐sectional survey of children and young people, aged 4–25 years with severe, non‐ambulant cerebral palsy as defined using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (Levels IV and V). Study participants will be identified from a pre‐existing, geographically defined case register and recruited via a healthcare professional known to them. Two assessments will be undertaken: one involving parents/carers at home and using questionnaires; the other involving the child/young person ideally in one of three settings and including X‐rays if clinically indicated.

Discussion. This study will contribute to our knowledge of the history and epidemiology of orthopaedic problems in children and young people with cerebral palsy and how these problems accumulate and impact on participation, health and well‐being. The study will also identify unmet need and make recommendations for good practice in relation to the orthopaedic care and management for people with severe cerebral palsy.
Verbal abuse experienced by nursing students
Authors: Ferns Terry , Meerabeau Liz
Published: November 2007

Title. Verbal abuse experienced by nursing students

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to describe the nature, severity, frequency and sources of verbal abuse experienced by nursing students while gaining clinical experience.

Background.  Verbal abuse of healthcare workers is currently receiving considerable attention and nursing students have been identified as a group vulnerable to experiencing workplace verbal abuse.

Method.  Questionnaires were distributed in 2005 to a convenience sample of 156 third year nursing students from one pre‐registration nursing programme in England. A total of 114 questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 73·0%.

Findings.  Experience of verbal abuse was reported by 45·1% of respondents, 34·5% had witnessed other students experiencing this and 65·5% reported that they were aware of other students experiencing verbal abuse. The incidents involved patients in 64·7% of cases, 15·7% involved visitors or relatives and 19·6% involved other healthcare workers. Students reported experiencing threats to kill them, racial abuse and sexually oriented verbal abuse, with the majority of incidents occurring in general medical, mental health and general surgical clinical areas.

Conclusion.  Education and healthcare providers should prepare students to manage negative verbal exchanges during nursing education, and policies and support networks relating to managing verbal abuse in clinical practice should be available to nursing students.
Living in the borderlands; writing in the margins: an autoethnographic tale
Authors: SHORT N. P. , GRANT A. , CLARKE L.
Published: November 2007

A prerequisite to helping others is, arguably, some semblance of understanding of one's own self. But, how does one do self in a way that satisfies the integrity of psychotherapeutic theory, or the tenets of qualitative research? Moreover, what are the implications for the morally marginalized and uncertain in an era of epistemological and ontological certainty? These questions preface the raw data that constitutes the bulk of this paper: messy‐text emails, reflections and comments from others, in relation to the breakdown experiences of two mental health academics/practitioners/teachers/supervisors. The methodology is autoethnography, thus the aim evocative. The textual presentation is in triple‐column form: in the first is the accounts of the protagonists, Short and Grant; the second contains reflections from friends and family, and the final is Clarke's pan‐theoretical reflections on both.
Evolutionary responses by native species to major anthropogenic changes to their ecosystems: Pacific salmon in the Columbia River hydropower system
Authors: WAPLES ROBIN S. , ZABEL RICHARD W. , SCHEUERELL MARK D. , SANDERSON BETH L.
Published: November 2007

The human footprint is now large in all the Earth's ecosystems, and construction of large dams in major river basins is among the anthropogenic changes that have had the most profound ecological consequences, particularly for migratory fishes. In the Columbia River basin of the western USA, considerable effort has been directed toward evaluating demographic effects of dams, yet little attention has been paid to evolutionary responses of migratory salmon to altered selective regimes. Here we make a first attempt to address this information gap. Transformation of the free‐flowing Columbia River into a series of slack‐water reservoirs has relaxed selection for adults capable of migrating long distances upstream against strong flows; conditions now favour fish capable of migrating through lakes and finding and navigating fish ladders. Juveniles must now be capable of surviving passage through multiple dams or collection and transportation around the dams. River flow patterns deliver some groups of juvenile salmon to the estuary later than is optimal for ocean survival, but countervailing selective pressures might constrain an evolutionary response toward earlier migration timing. Dams have increased the cost of migration, which reduces energy available for sexual selection and favours a nonmigratory life history. Reservoirs are a benign environment for many non‐native species that are competitors with or predators on salmon, and evolutionary responses are likely (but undocumented). More research is needed to tease apart the relative importance of evolutionary vs. plastic responses of salmon to these environmental changes; this research is logistically challenging for species with life histories like Pacific salmon, but results should substantially improve our understanding of key processes. If the Columbia River is ever returned to a quasinatural, free‐flowing state, remaining populations might face a Darwinian debt (and temporarily reduced fitness) as they struggle to re‐evolve historical adaptations.
Epidermal cell differentiation during leaf development in Anemarrhena asphodeloides
Authors: Rasmussen H.
Published: November 2007

The epidermis of Anemarrhena asphodeloides is composed of three distinct cell types: guard cells of the stomata, ordinary epidermal cells, and papilla cells occurring in files wedged between files of ordinary epidermal cells. Both stomata and papilla cells have their origin from formative mitoses in the young protoderm. Their differentiation described on the basis of light and polarization microscopy involves a decrease in cell contacts and changing orientation of cellulose microfibrils of the cell wall. These changes are discussed in relation to the pattern of cell divisions and to the modification of cell shape during epidermal development.
Chitin in the symbiotic protist Nephromyces
Authors: Saffo Mary Beth , Fultz Sara
Published: November 2007

The endosymbiotic marine protist Nephromyces was first classified as a chytridiomycete by Giard in 1888, yet its taxonomic affinities with chytridiomycetes, as well as with other groups traditionally considered fungi, remain in doubt. To supplement the morphological data on which taxonomic inferences have been based, we assayed Nephromyces for chitin, using three methods: chromatographic assays of acid hydrolysates of alkali-resistant cell residues; infrared spectral analysis; and observations of N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectin-binding properties of the surfaces of living cells. All three assays indicate the presence of chitin in Nephromyces. The possible phylogenetic implications of this finding are discussed.
Microfungal community structure from forest soils in southern Quebec, using discriminant function and factor analysis
Authors: Widden Paul
Published: November 2007

Fungal isolation data, from four forest soils, were analyzed using both discriminant analysis and factor analysis, to investigate the structure of fungal communities. The analyses indicated that the forest of origin was a major factor determining fungal community structure in these soils. Discriminant analysis separated the fungal communities of coniferous-forest soil samples from those of deciduous-forest soil samples. The pine-forest soil, which was in an early stage of invasion by hardwoods, had a fungal community intermediate in structure between the extremes. Of the microfungi isolated, Botryotrichum piluliferum, Farrowia seminuda, Geomyces pannorus, Mucor hiemalis, Penicillium janthinellum, Trichoderma polysporum, and Zygorrhynchus moelleri were associated with the coniferous sites, whereas an Acremonium species, Gliomastix murorum, Paecilomyces carneus, Pae. fumosoroseus, Penicillium spinulosum, and Pen. thomii characterized the deciduous-forest soils. Many pine-forest soil fungi were species abundant in the other soils, a possible reflection of the successional stage of the forest. Both factor analysis and discriminant analysis yielded similar interpretations of the data and indicated the importance of fungal interactions in determining community structure. The discriminant analyses also showed that fungal isolation data gave a better separation between the soils of the four forests than did abiotic data.
Growth and morphology in balsam fir: effects of gamma radiation
Authors: Dugle Janet R.
Published: November 2007

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) is one of the most radiosensitive tree species in the mixed boreal forest of southeastern Manitoba. Trees were exposed for 11 years to gamma radiation at dose rates ranging from background to 62 mGy/h. With increasing radiation dose, many trees and saplings were killed. After 11 years of chronic gamma irradiation the total accumulated dose resulting in 50% death (LD50) was 110 Gy while the dose rate required to kill 50% of the trees (LR50) was 1.5 mGy/h and was still decreasing. At dose rates > 1 mGy/h, growth of leaves and branches and the number of lateral and terminal buds were significantly depressed. At dose rates > 2 mGy/h, lateral and terminal buds were often killed. Few obvious morphological effects were seen on the leaves of irradiated firs, although the leaves were often significantly longer at dose rates ranging from 0.5 to 5 mGy/h. Extra lateral and terminal buds resulting in bushier trees were formed on some fir trees receiving long-term, low-level radiation (0.05 to 0.3 mGy/h). Annual branch growth was also significantly greater. In addition, sapling numbers were greater in plots receiving low levels of radiation (0.078 to 0.11 mGy/h) than in control plots. Other environmental factors, such as the amount of soil moisture and soil conditions, had an ameliorating effect on survival of balsam fir saplings exposed to radiaton.
Nuclear DNA content in the subgenus Coffea (Rubiaceae): inter- and intra-specific variation in African species
Authors: Cros J. , Combes M. C. , Chabrillange N. , Hamon S. , Duperray C. , des Angles A. Monnot
Published: November 2007

Flow cytometry has been used to estimate nuclear DNA content of 13 Coffea species (Rubiaceae) native to Africa. Twelve diploid (2n = 22) and one tetraploid (C. arabica, 2n = 44) species were investigated. Isolated nuclei from 77 genotypes were stained with propidium iodide (PI; not base specific). Thirty-nine genotypes were stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI; AT specific). Nuclear DNA content (2C values), estimated with PI, ranged from 0.95 to 1.78 pg. By aggregative clustering, three groups of accessions with increasing DNA content were identified. Three species, namely C. sessiliflora, C. racemosa, and C. pseudozanguebariae, had a low DNA content (0.90 – 1.30 pg). Three species, namely C. eugenioides, C. stenophylla, and C. sp. F, were exclusively found in the intermediate group (1.31 – 1.60 pg). The remaining species were distributed between the intermediate group and the last group (1.61 – 1.80 pg). The values determined for the Coffea species are compared, inter- and intra-specifically, to those of other angiosperm species. The observed differences are discussed according to the ecogeographic origin of the species, their phenological characteristics, and the fertility of the F1 interspecific hybrids. Key words: Africa, Coffea, flow cytometry, nuclear DNA content, genome evolution.
Structural – compositional variation in three age-classes of temperate rainforests in southern coastal British Columbia
Authors: Arsenault André , Bradfield Gary E.
Published: November 2007

Relationships between forest structure and species composition were examined in three age-classes of temperate rain forest in southern coastal British Columbia. Old forests (> 250 years) exhibited greater structural and compositional heterogeneity than young (31–60 years) and mature (61–80 years) forests. Size-class distributions of living and dead standing trees in the three age groups suggested both qualitative and quantitative differences in regeneration and mortality processes. The canonical correlation between structure and composition was high (Rc = 0.84), but a substantial amount of total variation remained unexplained by the analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) axis 1 of species composition separated the lower elevation (warmer and drier) mature forests from the higher elevation (cooler and wetter) young and old forests. PCA axis 1 of structure separated the young and mature forests as a group from the old forests. PCAs of the separate age-classes indicated weaker compositional – structural linkages than with all age-classes combined. Study area differences explained greater proportions of variation in young and mature forests (up to 53%) than in old forests (< 10%). The results indicate a slow recovery process following impacts from human disturbance in coastal forests. Key words: canonical correlation analysis, old-growth temperate rain forest, principal component analysis, species composition, forest structure.
Early stages of blue-stain fungus invasion of lodgepole pine sapwood following mountain pine beetle attack
Authors: Solheim Halvor
Published: November 2007

Invasion of lodgepole pine sapwood by blue-stain fungi was followed for 7 weeks after infestation by the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. During this period all sapwood was heavily stained blue and blue-stain fungi were always isolated close to the front of visible occlusion. Ophiostoma clavigerum and Ophiostoma montium were commonly isolated, both of which are known to be carried in the mycangia of the mountain pine beetle. Ophiostoma montium was most frequently isolated, but when both fungi were present O. clavigerum was always at the leading edge of fungal penetration. On average O. montium trailed 7.3 mm behind O. clavigerum. Other microorganisms were seldom isolated. Key words: lodgepole pine, Dendroctonus ponderosae, fungal succession, blue-stain fungi.
Distribution and chemistry of fine roots in a white spruce – subalpine fir stand in British Columbia: implications for management
Authors: Kimmins J. P. , Hawkes B. C.
Published: November 2007

The vertical distribution of fine-root biomass, its chemical content, and the vertical distribution of overstory root tips were measured in a mature white spruce – subalpine fir stand (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss – Abieslasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) growing on an infertile sandy soil near Prince George, British Columbia, during July and August, 1975. The study was part of a larger project which described the biomass and chemical content of the tree and minor vegetation. The objective of the project was to provide information on nutrient losses accompanying whole-tree logging and to estimate the possible consequences of such losses for future tree production. Questions concerning the magnitude of the soil nutrient capital available to the vegetation indicated the need for information on the exploitation of the soil by the roots. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the fine roots. Living fine roots (<6.4 mm) of overstory trees and understory plants were sampled separately from 11 soil pits to an average depth of 94 cm. Overstory fine-root biomass was estimated to be about 1870 kg/ha of which 67% was in the forest floor (LFH horizon) and the Ae horizon. The average combined depth of these two horizons was only 8.3 cm, but they contained 88% of the overstory root tips sampled. The 3.3-cm-thick forest floor alone contained half of the fine-root biomass and approximately 70% of the overstory root tips. Understory fine-root biomass was estimated to be about 7880 kg/ha of which 69% was in the forest floor and the Ae horizon. The concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg generally decreased with increasing depth, while Fe and Al exhibited the opposite pattern.The marked concentration of fine-root biomass and root tips in the forest floor is interpreted as reflecting the very low nutrient status of the mineral soil on the study site. The high value of fine-root biomass for understory vegetation results from the open structure of the stand and is thought to reflect the great importance of this vegetation in nutrient cycling on the study site. The biomass data, together with root chemical concentration data, are consistent with the hypothesis that the forest floor is the major source of several of the macronutrients for the vegetation on the site.
An assay of sequential application of Fenitrothion and Bacillusthuringiensis for an integrated control of the spruce budworm
Authors: Smirnoff W. A. , Hardy Y. J.
Published: November 2007

Three 40-ha blocks were sprayed by helicopter in order to assess the possibilities of integrating a biological and a chemical insecticide for the control of spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) on balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.). One block was sprayed with Fenitrothion alone before completion of emergence of the second instar larvae. A second block was also sprayed with Fenitrothion at the same timing, followed by an application of Bacillusthuringiensis at bud expansion. A third block was treated with B. thuringiensis alone. The highest larval mortality and best foliage protection were obtained in the block treated with B. thuringiensis alone. Unfavorable meteorological conditions prevailing when B. thuringiensis was applied in the block treated with both the chemical and the biological insecticides partially accounted for the less favorable results. Further it seemed probable that the Fenitrothion applied before completion of emergence affected only those larvae that were not mining old needles or buds.
Genetic variation and productivity of Populustrichocarpa and its hybrids. III. Structure and pattern of variation in a 3-year field test
Authors: Rogers D. L. , Stettler R. F. , Heilmann P. E.
Published: November 2007

Growth and morphology of 308 black cottonwood (Populustrichocarpa Torr & Gray) clones were studied at one plantation site in northwestern Washington. The material was derived from both open-pollinated seed and branch cuttings from 10 natural populations in major river valleys west of the Cascade Range, between central Oregon (latitude 44°44′) and southern British Columbia (latitude 49°05′). Most of the clones (258) were derived from open-pollinated seedlings, with approximately six from each of two to five selected parents per population. Fifty of the clones were ramets from five field-selected ortets per population. Each clone was represented by two ramets in each of two blocks in a randomized complete block design. Three-year height and diameter growth displayed the largest amount of variation at the clonal level, followed by lesser amounts at the family and population levels. A significant block × clone interaction, combined with some responses contrasting with earlier studies on a different site, suggests that the interaction of genotype with environment is important for this species. Weak clinal trends were observed, despite a large degree of within-population variation. Narrow-sense heritability estimates and their standard errors were 0.10 ± 0.08 and 0.13 ± 0.09 for 3rd-year height and diameter, respectively. Significant trait correlations were obtained between volume and branch characteristics. The implications of these results and their relationship to other ongoing work in black cottonwood are discussed.
Determination of hexazinone residue and its release from a granular formulation under forest conditions
Authors: Feng Joseph C. , Feng Cecilia C. , Sidhu S. S.
Published: November 2007

The release rate of hexazinone (3-cyclohexyl-6-(dimethylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione) applied as a surface coating on a new granular formulation, Pronone 10G, was determined by means of gas chromatography. The area under study was a 3-year-old forest cutover. The exposed granules were retrieved from the field 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13, 18, 34, and 37 days after field application. Percent release of hexazinone was 26, 31, 36, 44, 91, 98, 99, 99, 100, and 100%, respectively, at 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, 0.51, 11.7, 11.9, 12.2, 26.2, 104, and 106 mm of cumulative rainfall. Multiple regression analysis showed that percent release of hexazinone depended on cumulative rainfall as well as on the length of the exposure period (the multiple correlation coefficient (R) was 0.94). A table of estimates was derived from the multiple regression for determining the days of exposure required to achieve different levels of release of hexazinone after 0.25–25 mm of cumulative rainfall.
Mean stem size and total volume development of various loblolly pine seed sources planted at one location
Authors: Buford M. A.
Published: November 2007

Data from one location of the loblolly phase of the Southwide Pine Seed Source Study were analyzed to determine the effect of seed source on the self-thinning trajectory for loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.). Stand trajectories for mean stem size and total volume were examined. Seed source affected the level of both the mean stem size and total volume per unit area trajectories. The rate of change of mean stem size and of total volume per unit decrease in number of stems did not appear to be affected by seed source. The levels of the stand trajectories for total volume per unit area were positively correlated with the site indexes of the seed sources at this location. These results indicate that site productivity of loblolly pine, measured by total volume production per unit area and mean stem volume, varies by seed source.
CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTICAL LIMITING EFFECT OF XANTHENES DYE-BASED SIDE CHAIN POLY(METHACRYLATE) FILMS
Authors: HASSAN QUSAY MOHAMMED ALI
Published: November 2007

Investigation of nonlinear absorption coefficient of eosin blue dye based side chain poly(methacrylate) films is presented using diode pumped Nd:YAG laser radiation (λ=532 nm ) and the Z-scan technique. The effect of the concentration in polymer film and the increase in the number of methylene spacers, hooked to the eosin blue dye, on the nonlinear absorption coefficient is also discussed. It is shown that the nonlinear absorption coefficient in samples is due to the two-photon absorption effect. Moreover, the optical limiting characteristics of polymers film are explored.
Francisco Vallés and the Renaissance Reinterpretation of Aristotle's Meteorologica Iv as a Medical Text1
Authors: Martin Craig
Published: November 2007

In this paper I describe the context and goals of Francisco Vallés' In IV librum Meteorologicorum commentaria (1558). Vallés' work stands as a landmark because it interprets a work of Aristotle's natural philosophy specifically for medical doctors and medical theory. Vallés' commentary is representative of new understandings of Galenic-Hippocratic medi-cine that emerged as a result of expanding textual knowledge. These approaches are evident in a number of sixteenth-century commentaries on Meteorologica IV; in particular the works of Pietro Pomponazzi, Lodovico Boccadiferro, Jacob Schegk, and Francesco Vimercati. Vallés' conviction that Meteorologica IV is relevant to medical knowledge depends on his understanding of Aristotle's theory of homeomerous substances and their relation to composite substances. The application of Meteorologica IV to medical topics became commonplace in the following years, and this Aristotelian book became widely known as a bridge between natural philosophy and medicine.
Except for Law: Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, and the Politics of Exception
Authors: Spinks Lee
Published: November 2007

The concept of the “state of exception,” which is so crucial to Giorgio Agamben's claim for the continuity between the ancient founding of the polity and modern biopolitics, enables us to rethink more local and specified historical and aesthetic changes. By examining the genre of the roman noir in the works of Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy, I will argue that we can witness a generic shift in the status of the “state of exception.” This shift concerns the relation between commodity culture, the law, woman, and the border figure of the detective, who is at once within and beyond the legal code.
Witnessing the Inhuman: Agamben or Merleau-Ponty
Authors: Deranty Jean-Philippe
Published: November 2007

Much of twentieth-century continental philosophy has defined its task as “witnessing the inhuman.” With this is meant, first of all, a critical diagnostic aiming to uncover the nihilism that brought the modern world into the abyss. The philosophical side of this critique is famously the deconstruction of metaphysics. But witnessing the inhuman also has a positive meaning: the imperative to move beyond the separation of the human and the inhuman forces philosophy to correctly identify the inhuman at the heart of the human. This essay engages two attempts at solving the double task of witnessing the inhuman. In the first part, Giorgio Agamben's ethics of testimony is situated in his general project of a deconstruction of what he sees as the inherently dangerous metaphysics of Western logos, conducive to the destructive biopolitics that found in Auschwitz its fateful realization. Rather than a critique at a conceptual level, Agamben's overall project is questioned here on the basis of its practical consequences. Against the disempowering of praxis, Maurice Merleau-Ponty's alternative mode of constructing the witnessing of the inhuman is upheld. Merleau-Ponty's critique of humanism is the most fruitful one, I claim, because it is the one that opens the most promising horizon for truly effective models of ethical, political, and aesthetic praxis.
Serum Uric Acid and Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality: A Prospective Long-Term Study of 83 683 Austrian Men
Authors: Strasak Alexander , Ruttmann Elfriede , Brant Larry , Kelleher Cecily , Klenk Jochen , Concin Hans , Diem Günter , Pfeiffer Karl , Ulmer Hanno ,   and the VHM&PP Study Group
Published: November 2007

Background: The role of serum uric acid (SUA) as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial, and little is known about its prognostic importance for mortality from congestive heart failure (CHF) and stroke. Few large-scale epidemiologic studies with sufficient follow-up have addressed the association of SUA and CVD mortality in apparently healthy men across a wide age range.

Methods: A cohort of 83 683 Austrian men (mean age, 41.6 years) was prospectively followed for a median of 13.6 years. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for established risk factors to evaluate SUA as an independent predictor for CVD mortality.

Results: The highest quintile of SUA concentration (>398.81 μmol/L) was significantly related to mortality from CHF (P = 0.03) and stroke (P <0.0001); adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for the highest vs lowest quintiles of SUA were 1.51 (1.03–2.22) and 1.59 (1.23–2.04), respectively. SUA was not associated, however, with mortality from acute, subacute, or chronic forms of coronary heart disease (CHD) after adjustment for potential confounding factors (P = 0.12). Age was a significant effect modifier for the relation of SUA to fatal CHF (P = 0.05), with markedly stronger associations found in younger individuals.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrates for the first time in a large prospective male cohort that SUA is independently related to mortality from CHF and stroke. Although increased SUA is not necessarily a causal risk factor, our results suggest the clinical importance of monitoring and intervention based on the presence of an increased SUA concentration, especially because SUA is routinely measured.
Phylogenetic Footprinting Analysis in the Upstream Regulatory Regions of the DrosophilaEnhancer of splitGenes
Authors: Maeder Morgan L , Polansky Benjamin J , Robson Bryanne E , Eastman Deborah A
Published: November 2007

During Drosophila development Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)]-dependent Notch activation upregulates transcription of the Enhancer of split-Complex [E(spl)-C] genes. Drosophila melanogaster E(spl) genes share common transcription regulators including binding sites for Su(H), proneural, and E(spl) basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins. However, the expression patterns of E(spl) genes during development suggest that additional factors are involved. To better understand regulators responsible for these expression patterns, recently available sequence and annotation data for multiple Drosophila genomes were used to compare the E(spl) upstream regulatory regions from more than nine Drosophila species. The mγ and mβ regulatory regions are the most conserved of the bHLH genes. Fine analysis of Su(H) sites showed that high-affinity Su(H) paired sites and the Su(H) paired site plus proneural site (SPS + A) architecture are completely conserved in a subset of Drosophila E(spl) genes. The SPS + A module is also present in the upstream regulatory regions of the more ancient mosquito and honeybee E(spl) bHLH genes. Additional transcription factor binding sites were identified upstream of the E(spl) genes and compared between species of Drosophila. Conserved sites provide new understandings about E(spl) regulation during development. Conserved novel sequences found upstream of multiple E(spl) genes may play a role in the expression of these genes.
Variable Strength of Translational Selection Among 12 Drosophila Species
Authors: Heger Andreas , Ponting Chris P
Published: November 2007

Codon usage bias in Drosophila melanogaster genes has been attributed to negative selection of those codons whose cellular tRNA abundance restricts rates of mRNA translation. Previous studies, which involved limited numbers of genes, can now be compared against analyses of the entire gene complements of 12 Drosophila species whose genome sequences have become available. Using large numbers (6138) of orthologs represented in all 12 species, we establish that the codon preferences of more closely related species are better correlated. Differences between codon usage biases are attributed, in part, to changes in mutational biases. These biases are apparent from the strong correlation (r = 0.92, P < 0.001) among these genomes' intronic G + C contents and exonic G + C contents at degenerate third codon positions. To perform a cross-species comparison of selection on codon usage, while accounting for changes in mutational biases, we calibrated each genome in turn using the codon usage bias indices of highly expressed ribosomal protein genes. The strength of translational selection was predicted to have varied between species largely according to their phylogeny, with the D. melanogaster group species exhibiting the strongest degree of selection.
Extensive Concerted Evolution of Rice Paralogs and the Road to Regaining Independence
Authors: Wang Xiyin , Tang Haibao , Bowers John E , Feltus Frank A , Paterson Andrew H
Published: November 2007

Many genes duplicated by whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are more similar to one another than expected. We investigated whether concerted evolution through conversion and crossing over, well-known to affect tandem gene clusters, also affects dispersed paralogs. Genome sequences for two Oryza subspecies reveal appreciable gene conversion in the ∼0.4 MY since their divergence, with a gradual progression toward independent evolution of older paralogs. Since divergence from subspecies indica, ∼8% of japonica paralogs produced 5–7 MYA on chromosomes 11 and 12 have been affected by gene conversion and several reciprocal exchanges of chromosomal segments, while ∼70-MY-old “paleologs” resulting from a genome duplication (GD) show much less conversion. Sequence similarity analysis in proximal gene clusters also suggests more conversion between younger paralogs. About 8% of paleologs may have been converted since rice–sorghum divergence ∼41 MYA. Domain-encoding sequences are more frequently converted than nondomain sequences, suggesting a sort of circularity—that sequences conserved by selection may be further conserved by relatively frequent conversion. The higher level of concerted evolution in the 5–7 MY-old segmental duplication may reflect the behavior of many genomes within the first few million years after duplication or polyploidization.
Evolution in the Fast Lane: Rapidly Evolving Sex-Related Genes in Drosophila
Authors: Haerty Wilfried , Jagadeeshan Santosh , Kulathinal Rob J , Wong Alex , Ravi Ram Kristipati , Sirot Laura K , Levesque Lisa , Artieri Carlo G , Wolfner Mariana F , Civetta Alberto , Singh Rama S
Published: November 2007

A large portion of the annotated genes in Drosophila melanogaster show sex-biased expression, indicating that sex and reproduction-related genes (SRR genes) represent an appreciable component of the genome. Previous studies, in which subsets of genes were compared among few Drosophila species, have found that SRR genes exhibit unusual evolutionary patterns. Here, we have used the newly released genome sequences from 12 Drosophila species, coupled to a larger set of SRR genes, to comprehensively test the generality of these patterns. Among 2505 SRR genes examined, including ESTs with biased expression in reproductive tissues and genes characterized as involved in gametogenesis, we find that a relatively high proportion of SRR genes have experienced accelerated divergence throughout the genus Drosophila. Several testis-specific genes, male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs), and spermatogenesis genes show lineage-specific bursts of accelerated evolution and positive selection. SFP genes also show evidence of lineage-specific gene loss and/or gain. These results bring us closer to understanding the details of the evolutionary dynamics of SRR genes with respect to species divergence.
Molecular biological virus identification in dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Tátrai Enikő , ifj. Hartyánszky István , Lászik András , Hubay Márta , Acsády György , Sótonyi Péter
Published: November 2007

Régóta ismert, hogy főként az enterovírusok, azok közül is a Coxsackie-B3 játszik elsődleges szerepet a szívizomgyulladás patomechanizmusában, továbbá az annak lehetséges következményeként kialakuló dilatativ cardiomyopathiában.
Célkitűzés:
Jelen vizsgálatainkban ezeknek a vírusoknak feltételezett kóroki szerepét kívántuk kimutatni szívátültetésen átesett dilatativ cardiomyopathiás betegekben.
Módszer:
A víruskimutatás e betegek explantált szívizommintáiból történt. A szív öt különböző, előre meghatározott régióiból ún. nested polimeráz láncreakciót alkalmazva sokszoroztuk az Adenovírus-3, Humán herpeszvírus-6 típus és az enterovírus konzervatív régióit.
Eredmények:
Az eddig vizsgált 14 beteg mintáiból 3 esetben kaptunk Adenovírus-3-ra pozitív eredményt, melyet a későbbi szekvenálás is alátámasztott. További egy esetben az Adenovírus-3 mellett Humán herpeszvírus-6 típus szekvenciát is találtunk. Enterovírus genomot azonban nem sikerült detektálnunk egyik beteg mintájában sem.
Következtetés:
Vizsgálataink során adenovírus-genom fordult elő a leggyakrabban a vizsgált betegcsoportban. A kimutatott vírusszekvenciák egy korábban lezajlott vírusfertőzésre utalnak, mely hozzájárulhatott a dilatativ cardiomyopathia kialakulásához. A különböző víruspartikulumok molekuláris biológiai módszerrel szívizomból történő kimutatása segítséget nyújthat a betegség hatékony és költségkímélő kezelésében.
O desafio da mensuração nos direitos humanos
Authors: Raine Fernande
Published: November 2007

Até há pouco tempo, o movimento dos direitos humanos relutou em se engajar na questão da mensuração, diante das dificuldades envolvidas e resistindo à pressão dos patrocinadores para aceitar os padrões de avaliação de impacto desenvolvidos em outras áreas. Este artigo defende que as técnicas de mensuração são, na verdade, muito específicas de cada problema, e têm que estar ligadas a uma refinada compreensão da mecânica de cada um em particular. Considerando a necessidade de avançar nas questões prementes dos direitos humanos, é da maior importância que as organizações da sociedade civil saiam de sua posição defensiva em relação à mensuração e comecem a desenvolver modelos para os dois maiores desafios nesse aspecto: (1) como dimensionamos o problema e entendemos de que modo ele está se desenvolvendo ao longo do tempo? e (2) de que modo entendemos o impacto que estamos exercendo sobre o próprio problema? Este artigo destaca de que maneira as Organizações da Sociedade Civil podem aumentar sua eficácia usando mensurações e dados para obter uma idéia mais clara do problema que estão tentando resolver, uma idéia melhor de como marcar seu progresso na consecução de uma meta, e uma compreensão de que lugar têm os seus esforços no contexto mais amplo dos solucionadores de problemas da sociedade civil. Além de tratar das dificuldades específicas que as organizações de direitos humanos enfrentam no processo de auto-avaliação, este artigo propõe passos que podem guiar as organizações de direitos humanos no sentido de ampliar seu impacto. (Original em português.)
L'art des troubadours conçu comme un artisanat
Authors: Billy Dominique
Published: November 2007

D. Billy

Everybody knows how fine was the lyric art of the troubadours. Among the different aspects of this art, the most elaborate was the way they regulated the recurrence of the same sounds, and sometimes the same words, at the line-ends. This papers deals with this matter, proposing a grammar of these technical devices.
Remarques sur un petit couple rebelle :« an/année »
Authors: Flament-Boistrancourt Danièle
Published: November 2007

Daniele Flament-Boistrancourt : « Remarques sur un petit couple rebelle : an/année »

It has been noted by linguists that the pair an/année holds an exceptional position in the paradigm of time noun pairs with and without the suffix -éе (e.g. soir/soirée, matin/matinée, jour/journée) both from a distributional and from a semantic point of view. We propose a study of the pair an/année in the « discursive spaces » framework of J.-C. Anscombre. We defend the following thesis : année refers to a stative or active process which constitutes a « discursive space » in relation to the NP année. This analysis allows us to shed new light on certain difficult problems concerning the distribution of determiners and adjectives with an/année which have classically been considered to be idiosyncratic. allows us to shed new light on certain difficult problems concerning the distribution of determiners and adjectives with an/année which have classically been considered to be idiosyncratic.
L'agent peut-il verbaliser l'acteur ? Actualisation discursive et potentialités linguistiques
Authors: Cusin-Berche Fabienne
Published: November 2007

Fabienne Cusin-Berche : « L'agent peut-il verbaliser l'acteur ? Actualisations discursives et potentialités linguistiques »

An analysis of the frequency at which two terms such as agent/acteur appear in lexicograph discourses and in those of the company Electricité de France has proved productive to define the meaning, within the system of the language, of such lexical units and try to make clear which one of them will be used within the discourse of the company. This study attempts to prove that one cannot gain access to the manifolded linguistic potential of a given word except when you take into consideration all its varied uses and inversely, a too specific usage, that would be in contradiction with the language system, is bound to disappear.
Interférences et français populaire du Burkina
Authors: Coulibaly Bakary
Published: November 2007

Bakary Coulibaly : « Interférences et français populaire au Burkina Faso »

This paper tries to describe French spoken by illetarates in Burkina Faso, through phonological and morpho-semantical interferences with local languages. « Popular French », thus analysed, appears as the result of a linguistic hybridation, and presents itself as an original modality of appropriation.