bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Market‐based Governance and the Challenge for Rural Governments: US Trends
Authors: Warner Mildred E.
Published: October 2006

Privatization and decentralization represent market‐based approaches to government. Designed to increase efficiency and responsiveness of government, these approaches also limit the potential for redistribution. A key question is: how will rural governments compete in such a market‐based system? Will they be favoured, as their reliance on market provision for public goods is higher due to the smaller number of services provided by government? Or will they be less able to compete due to the costs of sparsity, which may make them less attractive to market suppliers? Data from the United States covering the period 1992–2002, show that rural areas are not favoured by either of these trends – privatization or decentralization. Managerial weakness does not explain the shortfall. Rural areas are not as attractive to market suppliers and thus are disadvantaged under market‐based service delivery approaches. Although national policy continues to advance a privatization agenda, policy‐makers should be concerned about the uneven impacts of such market‐based approaches.
Child Health in Rural Mexico: Has Progresa Reduced Children's Morbidity Risks?
Authors: Huerta Maria C.
Published: October 2006

It is well known that ill health during early childhood can have deleterious consequences for future developmental outcomes. Furthermore, children growing up in poverty are at risk of experiencing frequent and severe episodes of illness because they are highly exposed to the risk factors associated with catching infectious diseases. Progresa, Mexico's main anti‐poverty programme, aims to support and promote parents living in rural areas to invest in children's education, health and nutrition. Poorer unhealthy children in remote rural areas have limited access to health care. This paper investigates whether this rural intervention improved children's health status during its first three years of operation. We examine whether Progresa reduces children's morbidity risks by looking at the changes over time in the incidence of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. Additionally, we assess whether there are differential treatment effects according to households’ severity of poverty. The analyses of this study have been carried out using longitudinal data from a randomized treatment and control survey. Our results indicate that there is some evidence that Progresa contributes to reducing morbidity rates. We find that for both diseases under study, the Programme effect is mainly due to a decrease in the morbidity risks of children aged between 24 and 59 months. However, the evidence of a Programme effect is stronger for diarrhoea than for respiratory infections.
Rurality and Social Inclusion: A Case of Preschool Education
Authors: Shucksmith Mark , Shucksmith Janet , Watt Joyce
Published: October 2006

This paper begins by reviewing several of the ways in which social inclusion has been conceptualized in the literature. The paper then explores these approaches in the context of the provision of preschool education in rural Scotland. Preschool education is viewed by government as a powerful weapon in the fight against social exclusion, but higher per capita costs in rural areas as well as the availability and cost of transport are major problems, raising questions in turn about inclusive models of provision. Moreover, many parents are sceptical about their ability to access preschool education for their children while also continuing their own engagement in the labour market (a central pillar of social inclusion policy). Issues of choice, quality and governance arise and these are discussed in depth. The paper concludes with some reflections on the concept of social inclusion in the light of this case study.
Jobs in the Bush: Global Industries and Inclusive Rural Development
Authors: Eversole Robyn , Martin John
Published: October 2006

How do rural communities manage the challenge of local governance and community capacity‐building, given the policy choices of central government (both state and national) in favour of global resource‐development industries? Central government policy choices expose rural communities to the vagaries of the global economy, even as the Australian government's stated intent vis‐à‐vis rural Australia is the exact opposite: to encourage locally driven economic and community sustainability. Rural development policy in Australia often has the effect of denying the very outcomes it hopes to achieve. On the one hand, government policies encourage rural communities to be independent, to build ‘social capital’, and to add value to their local produce; on the other hand, macroeconomic policies change the contexts within which these communities function, creating a tension which is difficult to reconcile. In the case of the Western District of Victoria, an established agricultural and pastoral region, the cycles of economic activity have been disrupted in recent years by new and exciting global industries whose trajectories sit largely outside local control. This paper questions whether governments have a systemic view of the impact of these competing demands on rural communities, and calls for a more informed, whole‐of‐government policy‐making for the development of Australia's rural regions.
Ticket‐splitting and strategic voting under mixed electoral rules: Evidence from Germany
Authors: GSCHWEND THOMAS
Published: October 2006

Abstract.  There is more to strategic voting than simply avoiding wasting one's vote if one is liberated from the corset of studying voting behavior in plurality systems. Mixed electoral systems provide different voters with diverse incentives to cast a strategic vote. They not only determine the degree of strategic voting, but also the kind of strategies voters employ. Strategic voters employ either a wasted‐vote or a coalition insurance strategy, but do not automatically cast their vote for large parties as the current literature suggest. This has important implications for the consolidation of party systems. Moreover, even when facing the same institutional incentives, voters vary in their proclivity to vote strategically.
Regional development policies and the constructions of gender equality: The Swedish case
Authors: HUDSON CHRISTINE , RÖNNBLOM MALIN
Published: October 2006

Abstract.  This article uses a discursive approach to analyze how gender equality has and is being constructed and given meaning in the context of Swedish regional policy. Drawing on Carole Bacchi's ‘What's the Problem? Approach’, we explore how arguments concerning the new forms of regional policy are assigning different categories of people different subject positions and, in particular, we focus on the kind of subject positions that are being given to women as a group in this context. The discourse being shaped in national policy is, however, interpreted in specific contexts. Accordingly, we compare the way this new discourse is being (re)interpreted and (re)constructed and the subject positions being ascribed to women in the regional development partnerships and growth strategies in two Swedish regions: Västerbotten and Jönköping. Finally, we draw attention to how both the form and the content of Swedish regional development policies create great difficulties for politicizing gender as a power dimension in society. We suggest that regional politics has become de‐politicized and argue for the need for it to be re‐politicized with gender included as a conflict dimension.
Pluralism and Universality of Environmental Discourse: The Dilemma Between Damage Caused by the Japanese Macaque and its Protection
Authors: Maruyama Yasushi
Published: October 2006

Abstract:  The subject of this paper is to describe the complexity of relations between man and wild monkeys, which causes difficulties in forming a social consensus related to their conservation and management. To present how the relations are in everyday life, and how they are simplified in universal discursive spaces, interviews and a questionnaire survey have been conducted. As a result, it is clarified that there are three kinds of discursive spaces, that of politics, natural science, and residents. People who share the land with wild monkeys have various terms and stories about their relations with monkeys. The monkeys have various values in the discourse of residents, including many troubles. The existence of monkeys is vivid and close, and can be described as “accessible” nature. However, in discussion of politics or natural sciences, there is less diversity in monkeys’ values. In these discursive spaces, monkeys are described simply in the framework of “distant” nature, and wild monkey issues are constructed as a “pest animal issue”. The simplified protocol between accessible and distant nature makes the wild monkey issues simple. And the attitudes of residents are shown as controversial through the contradiction between simple‐complex issues. In conclusion, this contradiction cannot be solved only by filling the gap between accessible and distant nature with social consensus, but also by connecting the two and enhancing the dynamism of society as a whole.
Localized Pain Associated with Seizures Originating in the Parietal Lobe
Authors: Siegel Adrian M. , Williamson Peter D. , Roberts David W. , Thadani Vijay M. , Darcey Terrance M.
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Ictal pain is a rare symptom of seizures. Epileptic pain may be experienced unilaterally (lateral/peripheral), cephalically, or in the abdomen. Painful seizures have been associated with seizure origin in both the parietal and the temporal lobes. We report on the different types of epileptic pain and discuss its etiology and possible localizing value.

Methods: We reviewed the records of patients referred to our epilepsy program over the last 6 years. Eight (1.4%) of 573 patients had pain as an early prominent symptom of their seizures.

Results: Pain was predominantly unilateral in three patients, cephalic in two, and abdominal in three patients. Seizure onset was in or involving the parietal lobe in all patients, and when the painful symptoms were lateralized, they were contralateral to the side of seizure origin. Parietal lobe seizure origin was determined by both intracranial EEG recording and neuroimaging [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)] in five patients, and by both scalp EEG and neuroimaging in three patients.

Conclusions: We conclude that ictal pain is a rare symptom of parietal lobe seizure origin with lateralizing potential.
Prediction of Surgical Outcome by Interictal Epileptiform Abnormalities During Intracranial EEG Monitoring in Patients with Extrahippocampal Seizures
Authors: Bautista Ramon Edmundo D. , Cobbs Mark A. , Spencer Dennis D. , Spencer Susan S.
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Ictal intracranial EEG recordings obtained during continuous preoperative monitoring are often used to localize the region of seizure onset for purposes of surgical resection in patients with extrahippocampal seizures. Whether interictal epileptiform abnormalities during long‐term monitoring can predict surgical outcome in this group is not established.

Methods: Intracranial EEGs of patients who underwent extrahippocampal resective epilepsy surgery were reviewed for interictal epileptiform abnormalities before medication discontinuation or first seizure occurrence. Interictal abnormalities were categorized as within or beyond the confines of surgical resection. We correlated these findings with the region of seizure onset, the pathologic substrate, and surgical outcome (by using Engel criteria) at 1‐year minimum follow‐up.

Results: Of 13 patients with interictal epileptiform abnormalities, six patients had interictal epileptiform discharges extending beyond the confines of surgical resection. These patients all had poor surgical outcome even if the region of electrographic seizure onset was resected. Seven patients had focal interictal epileptiform discharges, the entire extent of which were resected. All had good outcomes. All patients with structural lesions had focal interictal epileptiform abnormalities and good surgical outcomes. The spatial extent of interictal epileptiform discharges varied among patients with nonstructural lesions. However, those whose regions of interictal epileptiform abnormality were included in surgical resection also had good surgical outcome.

Conclusions: The presence of interictal epileptiform discharges extending beyond the area of resection correlates with poor surgical outcome in patients with extrahippocampal epilepsy. In contrast, patients with focal interictal epileptiform discharges included in surgical resection have good surgical outcomes.
Seizure Frequency and Duration of Epilepsy are Not Risk Factors for Postoperative Seizure Outcome in Patients with Hippocampal Sclerosis
Authors: Kilpatrick Christine , Cook Mark , Matkovic Zelko , O'Brien Terence , Kaye Andrew , Murphy Michael
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Despite accurate localization of the seizure focus, not all patients are seizure free after temporal lobectomy. This study determined risk factors for seizure recurrence in patients with proven hippocampal sclerosis.

Methods: The outcome from surgery was assessed in 56 consecutive patients with proven hippocampal sclerosis. The age at surgery, duration of epilepsy, history and age of febrile seizures, age of onset of epilepsy, sex ratio, laterality of seizure focus, and seizure frequency were compared between patients seizure free and those not seizure free, and those seizure and aura free and those with seizure recurrence including auras.

Results: During a mean follow‐up of 38 months, 48 (86%) of 56 are seizure free. The mean age at surgery (37 vs. 36 years), duration of epilepsy (26 vs. 22 years), age (1.6 vs. 1.1 years), and occurrence (58 vs. 75%) of febrile seizures, age of onset of epilepsy (11 vs. 14 years), sex ratio (50 vs. 75% female), laterality of seizure focus (42 vs. 50% left), greater than weekly seizures (40 vs. 38%), and a history of (69 vs. 75%) and frequency of (2.10 vs. 2.38 per year) secondarily generalized seizures did not differ significantly between the two groups. Similarly there was no significant difference between patients seizure and aura free and those with seizure recurrence including auras.

Conclusions: Clinical factors such as seizure frequency and duration of epilepsy are not risk factors for postoperative seizure recurrence.
[18F]FDG‐PET and Whole‐Scalp MEG Localization of Epileptogenic Cortex
Authors: Lamusuo S. , Forss N. , Ruottinen H‐M. , Bergman J. , Mäkelä J. P. , Mervaala E. , Solin O. , Rinne J. K. , Ruotsalainen U. , Ylinen A. , Vapalahti M. , Hari R. , Rinne J. O.
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To evaluate combined [18F]fluorodeoxy‐glucose (18F‐FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and 122‐channel whole‐scalp magnetoencephalography (MEG) in lateralizing the epileptogenic cortex in patients whose routine presurgical evaluations gave discordant results about the location of the epileptic focus.

Methods: Nine patients (five women, four men) aged 13–40 years were studied. Subdural EEG (SEEG) was recorded from eight patients. Six patients were operated on.

Results: In seven of nine patients, PET and MEG agreed in localizing the epileptogenic cortex. When PET and MEG were in congruence, SEEG agreed with the findings. In five of six operated‐on patients, PET and MEG results were congruent, and the outcome of the operation was successful. Two patients had discordant PET and MEG results. In one patient, PET showed bitemporal hypometabolism, whereas MEG showed epileptiform activity in the right parietal lobe. The surgical outcome of the palliative temporal lobectomy was poor. Another patient had unilateral temporal hypometabolism in PET and bitemporal activity in MEG. She was not operated on.

Conclusions: In most patients, PET and MEG were congruent in locating the epileptogenic cortex. Thus the combination of these techniques may provide useful support for the localization of the seizure onset and reduce the need for invasive procedures.
Safety and Tolerability of Gabapentin as Adjunctive Therapy in a Large, Multicenter Study
Authors: McLean Michael J. , Morrell Martha J. , Willmore L. James , Privitera Michael D. , Faught R. Edward , Holmes Gregory L. , Magnus‐Miller Leslie , Bernstein Paula , Rose‐Legatt Andrea
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To evaluate the tolerability and safety of gabapentin (GBP) as add‐on therapy for seizure control.

Methods: Conducted in an outpatient setting and reflecting usual practice, this study compared tolerability of GBP dosages ≤1,800 versus >1,800 mg/day, when these doses were required to achieve the most effective seizure control. Two analyses of adverse events are presented: tolerability and safety. In the tolerability analysis, each patient served as his or her own control to compare the occurrence of adverse events at GBP ≤1,800 versus >1,800 mg/day. The safety analysis required patients to receive at least one dose of GBP and have a follow‐up contact.

Results: A total of 2,216 patients enrolled in this open‐label, 16‐week study and were evaluable for safety. Of these, 74.0% completed the 16‐week study, and 281 met the tolerability criteria. Within these 281 patients, two mutually exclusive groups were compared (a) those reporting adverse events at only≤1,800 mg/day (low dose); and (b) those reporting adverse events at only >1,800 mg/day (high dose). Three adverse events (asthenia, headache, and dizziness) were observed in a statistically significantly larger number of patients at only the low dose than in the group reporting these same adverse events at only the high dose, suggesting that patients who tolerated GBP at ≤1,800 mg/day did not experience a significant increase in adverse events with dosages >1,800 mg/day. Overall, 10.6% of the 2,216 patients in the safety population prematurely withdrew because of adverse events, and 3.5% discontinued because of lack of efficacy. Safety and tolerability of GBP was rated as excellent or good for 78.5% of all patients.

Conclusions: Gabapentin doses >1,800 mg/day were as well tolerated as doses ≤1,800 mg/day and were not associated with more adverse events.
Lamotrigine‐Associated Rash: Risk/Benefit Considerations in Adults and Children
Authors: Guberman Alan H. , Besag Frank M. C. , Brodie Martin J. , Dooley Joseph M. , Duchowny Michael S. , Pellock John M. , Richens Alan , Stern Robert S. , Trevathan Edwin
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Lamotrigine (LTG) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) recently released in several countries. It is effective for a variety of seizure types in adults and children both as an add‐on agent and in monotherapy, and is generally well tolerated. This report reviews the apparent risk factors for rash associated with LTG to determine whether and how the risk of serious rash can be minimized in practice.

Methods: The panel of experts reviewed all published and unpublished data related to the incidence and risk factors for serious rash with LTG.

Results: An allergic skin reaction occurs in ∼10% of patients, usually in the first 8 weeks. Rashes leading to hospitalization, including Stevens—Johnson syndrome and hypersensitivity syndrome, occurred in approximately one of 300 adults and one of 100 children in clinical trials and appeared to be increased with overrapid titration when starting therapy and with concurrent valproate (VPA).

Conclusions: Recommendations are made for both minimizing the likelihood of serious rash and for management of rash in patients taking LTG. Risk of serious rash may possibly be lessened by strict adherence to manufacturer's dosing guidelines, particularly in patients who are at higher risk: those on concurrent VPA and in the pediatric population.
Prevalence of Childhood Epilepsy in Estonia
Authors: Beilmann A. , Napa A. , Sööt A. , Talvik I. , Talvik T.
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To establish the prevalence rate (PR) and main characteristics of childhood epilepsy in Estonia.

Methods: We performed a population‐based case ascertainment of all the possible sources of medical care in seven counties of Estonia from January 1995 to December 1997. Only cases of patients from 1 month to 19 years of age with active epilepsy (i.e., at least one seizure during the last 5 years, regardless of treatment) were included. All patients were examined by a pediatric neurologist.

Results: Five hundred sixty cases met the study criteria on the prevalence day, December 31, 1997. The total PR was 3.6 per 1,000 population (boy/girl ratio, 1.2:1.0). The PR was the highest—4.3 per 1,000—in the 5‐to‐9‐year‐old age group. The prevalence declined markedly in children age 14 years and on. The correlation between age and PR was negative (‐0.542, p < 0.0001) by regression analyses. The most frequent seizure types in the total group were primarily generalized seizures— PR 2.1/1,000 [rate ratio (RR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2, 1.6]. The predominance of generalized seizures was significant in those younger than 10 years. In 14.8% of cases, there was a history of epilepsy among first‐ and second‐degree relatives. Benign rolandic epilepsy—PR 0.2/1,000—was the most frequent among idiopathic syndromes, and Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome—PR 0.08/1,000—was the most frequent among cryptogenic ones. Perinatal factors—PR 0.8/1,000 were the most frequently found cause of epilepsy. In 304 cases (54.2%), additional medical problems existed.

Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood epilepsy was comparable with that found in developed countries. Generalized seizures predominated, and the main cause was perinatal factors.
Fatal Liver Failure Associated with Valproate Therapy in a Patient with Friedreich's Disease: Review of Valproate Hepatotoxicity in Adults
Authors: König S. A. , Schenk M. , Sick C. , Holm E. , Heubner C. , Weiss A. , König I. , Hehlmann R.
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: Valpróate (VPA)‐associated hepatotoxicity is usually considered a problem of young children with polytherapy, mental retardation, and underlying metabolic defects.

Methods: An adult patient with fatal liver failure during treatment with VPA is presented, and a review of the literature on other adult patients is given.

Results: A 29‐year‐old female patient with Friedreich's ataxia and partial seizures with acute liver failure during VPA treatment is reported. The first symptoms of liver failure (i.e., apathy during febrile upper airway infection) occurred 2 months after starting VPA therapy. VPA was discontinued 10 days later on hospital admission, when she had hepatic encephalopathy and severe bleeding diathesis. The patient died of severe liver failure and bronchopneumonia after 4 weeks of supportive treatment.

Conclusions: Twenty‐six adult patients (>17 years) with VPA‐associated fatal hepatotoxicity have been reported in the literature. Of the 26 adult patients, three were receiving VPA monotherapy. The age ranged between 17 and 62 years. The duration of VPA treatment before the first symptom varied between 7 days and 6 years. Twelve of the 26 affected adults had no underlying disease or a clearly nonmetabolic and non‐hepatic disease. Therefore VPA‐associated severe side effects also must be considered in adult patients without any evidence of a metabolic defect or underlying neurologic disease.
Update on Bioabsorbable Stents: From Bench to Clinical
Authors: WAKSMAN RON
Published: October 2006

Permanent metallic stents are associated with limitations such as continued mechanical stress, transfer to the tissue, and continued biological interaction with the surrounding tissue. They are also associated with late stent thrombosis and artifacts when non‐invasive technologies such as MRI and MSCT are used. The potential advantages of bioabsorbable polymeric or metallic stents are to leave no stent behind, they are fully compatible with MRI and MSCT imaging, and are not associated with late stent thrombosis. This review covers the different stent programs as they move from bench to bed and clinical trials. Bioabsorbable stents are considered the next frontier of stenting and we will discuss their potential to fulfill this promise in interventional cardiology.
ORGANIC ‐ INORGANIC INTERACTIONS IN OILFIELD SANDSTONES: EXAMPLES FROM TURBIDITE RESERVOIRS IN THE CAMPOS BASIN, OFFSHORE EASTERN BRAZIL
Authors: Prochnow E.A. , Remus M.V. D. , Ketzer J. M. , Gouvea J. C. R. , Schiffer de Souza R. , De Ros L. F.
Published: October 2006

Turbidite sandstone reservoir rocks in the Campos Basin, offshore eastern Brazil, show evidence of a number of interactions among organic and mineral phases during diagenesis. These include extensive dissolution of plagioclase, precipitation of kaolinite into intergranular and intragranular pores, dissolution of carbonate cements and grains, as well as selective deposition of organic films on kaolinite aggregates, dissolved plagioclase and carbonate grains. These processes are connected with the biodegradation of hydrocarbons within the reservoir, related to the influx of meteoric fluids possibly during sea‐level lowstands, through major stratigraphic sequence boundaries and large‐scale faults. Oil biodegradation generated organic solvents responsible for mineral alteration, as well as heavy oils rich in asphaltenes. The action of organic solvents in the reservoirs is indicated by the extensive dissolution of feldspars, quartz, garnets and kaolinite, and the negative mass balance between dissolved feldspar and precipitated kaolinite, indicating aluminum mobilization. Asphaltene films and coatings may affect the wettability of the reservoir rocks and the evaluation of hydrocarbon saturation in the reservoirs by resistivity logs.

These various inorganic and organic processes are apparently interrelated in the diagenesis of the Campos Basin turbidite reservoir sandstones. These interactions should be considered in future models of the basin and its petroleum system, as well as for the creation of geochemical models capable of predicting the quality of the reservoirs and the occurrence of degraded heavy oils.
THE ORIGIN OF DOLOMITE IN THE ASMARI FORMATION (OLIGOCENE‐LOWER MIOCENE), DEZFUL EMBAYMENT, SW IRAN
Authors: Aqrawi A.A.M. , Keramati M. , Ehrenberg S. N. , Pickard N. , Moallemi A. , Svånå T. , Darke G. , Dickson J.A.D. , Oxtoby N.H.
Published: October 2006

Dolomitisation is an important factor controlling reservoir quality in the Asmari Formation in many producing fields in SW Iran. Dolostones have higher average porosities than limestones. Petrographic and geochemical studies have been used to determine the causes of Asmari dolomitisation at the Bibi Hakimeh and Marun fields and at the Khaviz anticline. The formation is generally characterized by a large‐scale trend of upward‐decreasing accommodation. Basal strata were deposited under relatively open‐marine, high‐energy conditions, whereas the Middle to Upper Asmari succession was deposited in relatively protected settings with more frequent evidence of exposure and evaporitic conditions. There is a general upward increase in the abundance of both anhydrite (occurring as nodules and cement) and dolomite.

Two main types of dolomite fabric are recognised, reflecting the textures of the precursor limestones: (1) finely crystalline pervasive dolomite (commonly <20μ) replacing mud‐rich facies; and (2) combinations of finely crystalline replacive dolomite and surrounding areas of coarser dolomite cement (crystals up to 100μ) in grain‐supported facies. Fluid inclusion data indicate that finely crystalline dolomites formed at low temperatures (ca. <50°C), while the coarser dolomite formed at higher temperatures (50–;140°C).

Whole rock‐carbonate oxygen and carbon isotope analyses of pure dolostone samples show no apparent correlation with either depositional or diagenetic textures: δ18O is generally 0 to 2.7‰ PDB, and δ13C is −1 to 4‰ PDB. The importance of evaporated seawater to Asmari dolomitisation is indicated by the ubiquitous occurrence of felty‐textured anhydrite nodules in dolostone beds and the presence of high‐salinity fluid inclusions in dolomite. The derivation of dolomitising fluids from contemporaneous seawater is supported by the general correspondence between age estimates derived from the strontium isotope composition of anhydrites and dolomites and those derived from stratigraphic considerations. This suggested synsedimentary dolomitisation.

Dolomitisation of the upper half of the Asmari Formation may have occurred as a result of two syn‐sedimentary mechanisms: (1) by the reflux of evaporative brines concentrated in shallow lagoons or sabkhas, through immediately underlying strata (mainly during highstands); and (2) by the flushing of platform‐top carbonates by basinal evaporated waters during lowstand/early transgression. Continued dolomitisation during deeper burial is supported by the presence of high‐temperature fluid inclusions and iron‐rich crystal rims. Dolomite within the lower part of the Asmari Formation probably mostly formed during burial as a result of compaction of, and fluid exclusion from, the underlying Pabdeh marls and shales.
Breeding performance, mate fidelity, and nest site fidelity in a long‐lived seabird: behaving against the current?
Authors: C. Naves Liliana , Yves Monnat Jean , Cam Emmanuelle
Published: October 2006

There is evidence that breeding failure is associated with divorce and dispersal in many bird species. However, deviations from the general pattern “success‐stay/failure‐leave” seem to be common, suggesting that factors other than breeding performance may importantly influence mate and habitat selection. Moreover, variability in response to performance suggests coexistence of different evolutionary strategies of mate and site selection within a population. In this study, we assessed how individuals conform to the success‐stay/failure‐leave pattern in kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and aimed to identify categories of individuals presenting different behavioural patterns. We considered individual attributes (experience, prior residence at the nest site, performance in multiple breeding attempts), pair attributes (arrival asynchrony, timing of failure, pair duration), and productivity in habitat patches. Timing of failure was an important factor. Pair reunion probability was close to 0.5 in failed pairs, but it was consistently higher in early failed than in late failed pairs. Prior residence better explained variability in probability of reunion in failed pairs than pair duration. However, the positive influence of prior residence on the probability of reunion was perceptible only in early failed pairs. Divorce probability in successful pairs increased with arrival asynchrony, and was higher in first‐time than in experienced breeders. Local productivity positively influenced site fidelity probability in early failed birds, but not in late failed ones. Using memory models, we found that dispersal decisions integrate information on individual breeding performance in a temporal scale longer than one year. This study contributed to the identification of relevant states to be considered when addressing mate and nest site choice. Natural selection may operate on slight fitness differences that cannot be detected without high levels of stratification according to the appropriate individual and habitat attributes.
Accounting for regional niche variation in habitat suitability models
Authors: Murphy Helen T. , Lovett‐Doust Jon
Published: October 2006

Ecological niche modeling has become an increasingly important tool to address issues in many fields of basic and applied ecology. The ecological niche space occupied across the geographic range, particularly for wide‐ranging species, may vary for a variety of evolutionary and non‐evolutionary reasons. However, ecological niche models are often applied over large geographic areas without regard for the potential effects of regional variation in adaptation, environmental conditions and their interactions, and species responses, thus significantly reducing their accuracy and utility. We develop regionally partitioned ecological niche models, using GARP, for the wide‐ranging North American tree Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae). Models were constructed based on known tree occurrences at peripheral and range‐centre locations, as well as across the geographic range as a whole.

Our results suggest that the niche space occupied by G. triacanthos varies regionally and that between some regions in particular there may be a complete absence of niche overlap. In particular, while there is some overlap between the niche space occupied by trees in the western and central regions of the range, there appears to be virtually no overlap in the niche space occupied by trees in the south of the range and that occupied by western and central trees. This lack of overlap appears to be driven primarily by regional differences in abiotic conditions, rather than regional adaptation per se. The results of our study have several important implications for the future development of habitat suitability models over large geographic areas. Spatial partitioning of data is clearly necessary to improve predictions of models where regional niche variation occurs. For wide‐ranging species in particular, regional differences in ecological characteristics may cause apparent niche variation.
Host traits and parasite species richness in even and odd‐toed hoofed mammals, Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla
Authors: Ezenwa Vanessa O. , Price Samantha A. , Altizer Sonia , Vitone Nicholas D. , Cook Katherine C.
Published: October 2006

Host social, ecological and life history traits are predicted to influence both parasite establishment within host species and the distribution of parasites among host species. Yet only a few studies have investigated the role multiple host traits play in determining patterns of infection across diverse parasite groups. To explore the association between host traits and parasite species richness (PSR), we assembled a comprehensive database encompassing 601 parasites (including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths and arthropods) reported to infect 96 species from two well‐studied and diverse host clades: even‐ and odd‐toed hoofed mammals (Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla). Comparative analyses were used to examine associations between three sets of host variables (life history and body mass, social and mating behavior, and ecological traits) and PSR for all parasites combined and for distinct parasite sub‐groups. Results from a combination of phylogenetic and non‐phylogenetic tests showed that PSR increased with host body size across all parasites groups. Counter to expectations, measures of parasite diversity decreased with host longevity and social group size, and associations between group size and PSR further depended on the underlying mating system of the host species. Our results suggest that body mass, longevity, and social organization influence the diversity and types of parasites reported to infect wild populations of hoofed mammals, and that multiple host and parasite traits can combine in unexpected ways to shape observed patterns.
Compensating in the wild: is flexible growth the key to early juvenile survival?
Authors: Gagliano Monica , McCormick Mark I.
Published: October 2006

We explore the mechanisms underlying the survival of a cohort of a coral reef fish (Pomacentrus amboinensis) in the first month following settlement. To investigate the extent to which growth history immediately following settlement is linked to early survival, we tagged 900 fish the morning after settlement and recaptured the survivors (n=34) 30 days later. Otolith analysis showed that individuals that were larger at settlement preferentially survived the first month in benthic habitats. We also compared these survivors with conspecifics from the same cohort that were collected at settlement and then outgrown in two experimental feeding conditions to produce fast‐ and slow‐growing fish. Comparison of the growth histories exhibited by the survivors to those of experimental conspecifics revealed that survivors exhibited relatively slow initial growth during their first few days on the reef, followed by a period of accelerated growth. We suggest that the flexibility in growth potential of young fish allows for the occurrence of periods of rapid (and compensatory) growth that might enhance post‐settlement survival by attenuating the high risk of size‐selective mortality.
Zugunruheof migratory and non‐migratory birds in a circannual context
Authors: Helm Barbara
Published: October 2006

Recent findings in non‐migratory birds have reopened questions about the interpretation and seasonal organization ofZugunruhe. I address the relationship betweenZugunruheand migration by comparing underlying circannual patterns in captive populations of migratory and non‐migratory stonechats.Zugunruhewas highly variable and lacked clear periodicity, indicating its sensitivity to external cues. Patterns ofZugunruhewere similar in African residents, European short‐distance migrants, and Siberian long‐distance migrants, revealing no major difference in circannual organization. Moult was regulated independently ofZugunruheand timed more rigidly, particularly in stonechats from equatorial Africa. The persistent and variable circannual patterns ofZugunruhesuggest that non‐migratory and migratory stonechats have similar underlying programs but have modified the expression of actual migration. The findings, together with published observations from other species, emphasize the importance of considering programs for migration in a wide range of species, without losing sight of its environmental context.
Pleiotropic Role of Quorum-Sensing Autoinducer 2 inPhotorhabdus luminescens
Authors: Krin Evelyne , Chakroun Nesrine , Turlin Evelyne , Givaudan Alain , Gaboriau François , Bonne Isabelle , Rousselle Jean-Claude , Frangeul Lionel , Lacroix Céline , Hullo Marie-Françoise , Marisa Laetitia , Danchin Antoine , Derzelle Sylviane
Published: October 2006

Bacterial virulence is an integrative process that may involve quorum sensing. In this work, we compared by global expression profiling the wild-type entomopathogenicPhotorhabdus luminescenssubsp.laumondiiTT01 to aluxS-deficient mutant unable to synthesize the type 2 quorum-sensing inducer AI-2. AI-2 was shown to regulate more than 300 targets involved in most compartments and metabolic pathways of the cell. AI-2 is located high in the hierarchy, as it controls the expression of several transcriptional regulators. The regulatory effect of AI-2 appeared to be dose dependent. TheluxS-deficient strain exhibited decreased biofilm formation and increased type IV/V pilus-dependent twitching motility. AI-2 activated its own synthesis and transport. It also modulated bioluminescence by regulating the synthesis of spermidine. AI-2 was further shown to increase oxidative stress resistance, which is necessary to overcome part of the innate immune response of the host insect involving reactive oxygen species. Finally, we showed that theluxS-deficient strain had attenuated virulence against the lepidopteranSpodoptera littoralis. We concluded that AI-2 is involved mainly in early steps of insect invasion inP. luminescens.
Whole-Genome Reciprocal BLAST Analysis Reveals that
Planctomycetes
Do Not Share an Unusually Large Number of Genes with
Eukarya
and
Archaea
Authors: Fuchsman Clara A. , Rocap Gabrielle
Published: October 2006

The genome sequences of
Rhodopirellula baltica
, formerly
Pirellula
sp. strain 1,
Blastopirellula marina
,
Gemmata obscuriglobus
, and
Kuenenia stuttgartiensis
were used in a series of pairwise reciprocal best-hit analyses to evaluate the contested evolutionary position of
Planctomycetes
. Contrary to previous reports which suggested that
R. baltica
had a high percentage of genes with closest matches to
Archaea
and
Eukarya
, we show here that these
Planctomycetes
do not share an unusually large number of genes with the
Archaea
or
Eukarya
, compared with other
Bacteria
. Thus, best-hit analyses may assign phylogenetic affinities incorrectly if close relatives are absent from the sequence database.
Introducing SONS, a Tool for Operational Taxonomic Unit-Based Comparisons of Microbial Community Memberships and Structures
Authors: Schloss Patrick D. , Handelsman Jo
Published: October 2006

The recent advent of tools enabling statistical inferences to be drawn from comparisons of microbial communities has enabled the focus of microbial ecology to move from characterizing biodiversity to describing the distribution of that biodiversity. Although statistical tools have been developed to compare community structures across a phylogenetic tree, we lack tools to compare the memberships and structures of two communities at a particular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) definition. Furthermore, current tests of community structure do not indicate the similarity of the communities but only report the probability of a statistical hypothesis. Here we present a computer program, SONS, which implements nonparametric estimators for the fraction and richness of OTUs shared between two communities.
Bdellovibrio
Predation in the Presence of Decoys: Three-Way Bacterial Interactions Revealed by Mathematical and Experimental Analyses
Authors: Hobley Laura , King John R. , Sockett R. Elizabeth
Published: October 2006

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus
is a small, gram-negative, motile bacterium that preys upon other gram-negative bacteria, including several known human pathogens. Its predation efficiency is usually studied in pure cultures containing solely
B. bacteriovorus
and a suitable prey. However, in natural environments, as well as in any possible biomedical uses as an antimicrobial,
Bdellovibrio
is predatory in the presence of diverse decoys, including live nonsusceptible bacteria, eukaryotic cells, and cell debris. Here we gathered and mathematically modeled data from three-member cultures containing predator, prey, and nonsusceptible bacterial decoys. Specifically, we studied the rate of predation of planktonic late-log-phase
Escherichia coli
S17-1 prey by
B. bacteriovorus
HD100, both in the presence and in the absence of
Bacillus subtilis
nonsporulating strain 671, which acted as a live bacterial decoy. Interestingly, we found that although addition of the live
Bacillus
decoy did decrease the rate of
Bdellovibrio
predation in liquid cultures, this addition also resulted in a partially compensatory enhancement of the availability of prey for predation. This effect resulted in a higher final yield of
Bdellovibrio
than would be predicted for a simple inert decoy. Our mathematical model accounts for both negative and positive effects of predator-prey-decoy interactions in the closed batch environment. In addition, it informs considerations for predator dosing in any future therapeutic applications and sheds some light on considerations for modeling the massively complex interactions of real mixed bacterial populations in nature.
Generation of Useful Insertionally Blocked Sterol Degradation Pathway Mutants of Fast-Growing Mycobacteria and Cloning, Characterization, and Expression of the Terminal Oxygenase of the 3-Ketosteroid 9α-Hydroxylase in
Mycobacterium smegmatis
mc
2
155
Authors: Andor Attila , Jekkel Antónia , Hopwood David A. , Jeanplong Ferenc , Ilkőy Éva , Kónya Attila , Kurucz István , Ambrus Gábor
Published: October 2006

Integration of the pCG79 temperature-sensitive plasmid carrying Tn
611
was used to generate libraries of mutants with blocked sterol-transforming ability of the sterol-utilizing strains
Mycobacterium smegmatis
mc
2
155 and
Mycobacterium phlei
M51-Ept. Of the 10,000 insertional mutants screened from each library, 4 strains with altered activity of the sterol-degrading enzymes were identified. A blocked 4-androstene-3,17-dione-producing
M. phlei
mutant transformed sitosterol to 23,24-dinorcholane derivatives that are useful starting materials for corticosteroid syntheses. A recombinant plasmid, pFJ92, was constructed from the genomic DNA of one of the insertional mutants of
M. smegmatis
, 10A12, which was blocked in 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylation and carrying the transposon insertion and flanking DNA sequences, and used to isolate a chromosomal fragment encoding the 9α-hydroxylase. The open reading frame encodes the 383-amino-acid terminal oxygenase of 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase in
M. smegmatis
mc
2
155 and has domains typically conserved in class IA terminal oxygenases.
Escherichia coli
containing the gene could hydroxylate the steroid ring at the 9α position.
Occurrence of
sep
Insecticidal Toxin Complex Genes in
Serratia
spp. and
Yersinia frederiksenii
Authors: Dodd Steven J. , Hurst Mark R. H. , Glare Travis R. , O'Callaghan Maureen , Ronson Clive W.
Published: October 2006

Some strains of
Serratia entomophila
and
S. proteamaculans
cause amber disease of the grass grub
Costelytra zealandica
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Three genes required for virulence,
sepABC
, are located on a large plasmid, pADAP. Sequence analysis suggests that the
sepABC
gene cluster may be part of a horizontally mobile region. This study presents evidence for the putative mobility of the
sep
genes of pADAP. Southern blot analysis showed that orthologues of the
sep
genes reside on plasmids within
S. entomophila
,
S. liquefaciens
,
S. proteamaculans
, and a plasmid from
Yersinia frederiksenii
. Three plasmids hybridized to the pADAP
sep
virulence-associated region but not the pADAP replication and conjugation regions. Subsequent DNA sequence analysis of the
Y. frederiksenii sep
-like genes, designated
tcYF1
and
tcYF2
, showed that they had 88% and 87% DNA identity to
sepA
and
sepB
, respectively. These results indicate that the
sep
genes are part of a discrete horizontally mobile region.
Natural Genetic Transformation: a Novel Tool for Efficient Genetic Engineering of the Dairy BacteriumStreptococcus thermophilus
Authors: Blomqvist Trinelise , Steinmoen Hilde , Håvarstein Leiv Sigve
Published: October 2006

Streptococcus thermophilusis widely used for the manufacture of yoghurt and Swiss or Italian-type cheeses. These products have a market value of approximately $40 billion per year, makingS. thermophilusa species that has major economic importance. Even though the fermentation properties of this bacterium have been gradually improved by classical methods, there is great potential for further improvement through genetic engineering. Due to the recent publication of three complete genome sequences, it is now possible to use a rational approach for designingS. thermophilusstarter strains with improved properties. Progress in this field, however, is hampered by a lack of genetic tools. Therefore, we developed a system, based on natural transformation, which makes genetic manipulations inS. thermophiluseasy, rapid, and highly efficient. The efficiency of this novel tool should make it possible to construct food-grade mutants ofS. thermophilus, opening up exciting new possibilities that should benefit consumers as well as the dairy industry.