bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The genus Hirschmanniella (Tylenchida: Pratylenchidae) in Europe, with description of H. halophila sp. n. from Germany and notes on H. caudacrena
Authors: Sturhan Dieter , Hallmann Johannes
Published: November 2010

Four Hirschmanniella species are known to occur in Europe: H. gracilis, H.
loofi, H. behningi and H. zostericola; a fifth species, H. halophila sp. n.,
is described from Germany, where it was found along the Elbe estuary and on
the adjoining coast of the North Sea. Three other species reported for
Europe are considered as species inquirendae or appear to be misidentified.
Based on sampling material from Germany, detailed morphological descriptions
of H. gracilis, H. loofi and H. behningi are given; H. zostericola has not
been found since its first description. The variability, even of characters
of diagnostic significance, may be enormous, which makes correct
identification difficult if little material is available. Hirschmanniella
halophila sp. n. is morphologically very close to H. caudacrena, which has
been isolated several times from aquarium plants imported from East Asia to
Germany and for which morphological details are given. In Germany, H.
gracilis is the most common species and is widely distributed; it is also
known from many other European countries. Hirschmanniella loofi (also known
from The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Italy) is less common.
Hirschmanniella behningi, previously reported only from Russia and Sweden,
was identified from nine places in Germany, including several coastal sites.
Most of the Hirschmanniella records refer to moist soils with reed and other
grasses or sedges; only H. gracilis was found exceptionally in arable soil.
At many sampling sites, two or even three Hirschmanniella species
co-occurred. A table for distinguishing the five European species is
presented.
Observations on Radopholus bridgei Siddiqi & Hahn, 1995 intercepted in exotic aquarium plants imported to Poland
Authors: Ryss Alexander Y. , Karnkowski Witold
Published: November 2010

Radopholus bridgei was intercepted in water-inhabiting plants (Anubias sp.,
Echinodores sp., Ophiopogon sp.) imported to Poland from southeast Asia.
This is only the second time that the species has been found and the first
time that it has been reported in Europe. Because of its potential
quarantine significance (Radopholus species are known to be highly
polyphagous) the nematode is described and illustrated, thereby providing
supplementary data to the original description. It was found that the
'rod-like' shape of the sperm in Radopholus (as often reported in the
literature) is actually due to viewing the lens-shaped sperm cells in
lateral aspect. This is a significant observation as sperm shape (rod-like
or rounded) has been used as a taxonomic character. The potential of R.
bridgei as a quarantine pest is currently unclear and its threat status
needs to be studied.
Legal Origins and Socio-economic Consequences: Can Legal Origins Really Explain the Main Differences in Economic and Juridical Performances?
Authors: Cappiello Antonio
Published: November 2010

Recently some analysts have focused the attention on the country's legal origins in order to explain the country's economic performances. Better performances in the economic and justice system have often been correlated to the flexibility and smooth framework of the common law. It has been also emphasised that the common law, more oriented toward private economic activity and civil law with greater orientation toward government intervention, have influenced countries' respective markets and socio-regulation. Without judging the appropriateness of entire juridical systems, our approach will take into consideration the criteria of the analysis in order to make some reflections on what could be a balanced approach to make comparisons and to conduct analysis with a significant output. Nevertheless, the debate generated by studies based on legal origins analysis such as Doing Business, ZERP, and LLSV is an important stimulus because it is related to the capacity of social science to recalibrate its instruments in order to give more complete explanation of complex phenomena that are difficult to gauge in unilateral models.
Major Depressive Disorder and Insulin Resistance in Nondiabetic Young Adults in the United States: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002
Authors: Qiuhua Shen  , Bergquist-Beringer Sandra , Sousa Valmi D.
Published: November 2010

Objective: The association between depression and insulin resistance has been evaluated in previous studies with conflicting results. This study aimed to explore the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and insulin resistance among nondiabetic young adult men and women in the United States. Method: Analyses of cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999—2002, were conducted. The nationally representative sample consisted of 279 men and 358 women aged 20—39 years. MDD was determined by the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance. Results: Of 637 subjects, 16 men and 18 women had MDD (weighted percentage = 6.6%, SE = 1.2). Using logistic regression, no significant association was found between MDD and insulin resistance among the nondiabetic young adults in bivariate analysis (β = -0.01, OR = 0.99, 95% CI = [0.38, 2.57], p = .98). A significant interaction effect between gender and MDD was observed. For men, MDD was negatively associated with insulin resistance after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, waist circumference, smoking status, systolic blood pressure and triglyceride level (β = -2.12, OR = 0.12, 95% CI = [0.02, 0.62], p = .01). No significant association between MDD and insulin resistance among women was found (β = 0.61, OR = 1.84, 95% CI = [0.47, 7.14], p = .38). Conclusions: Overall findings suggest there is no significant association between MDD and insulin resistance among nondiabetic young adults aged 20—39 years. However, gender differences in this relationship were noted.
CTLs respond with activation and granule secretion when serving as targets for T-cell recognition
Authors: Milstein Oren , Hagin David , Lask Assaf , Reich-Zeliger Shlomit , Shezen Elias , Ophir Eran , Eidelstein Yaki , Afik Ran , Antebi Yaron E. , Dustin Michael L. , Reisner Yair
Published: November 2010

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) suppress T cell responses directed against their antigens regardless of their own T cell receptor (TCR) specificity. This makes the use of CTLs promising for tolerance induction in autoimmunity and transplantation. It has been established that binding of the CTL CD8 molecule to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I α3 domain of the recognizing T cell must be permitted for death of the latter cell to ensue. However, the signaling events triggered in the CTL by this molecular interaction in the absence of TCR recognition have never been clarified. Here we use single-cell imaging to study the events occurring in CTLs serving as targets for recognition by specific T cells. We demonstrate that CTLs actively respond to recognition by polarizing their cytotoxic granules to the contact area, releasing their lethal cargo, and vigorously proliferating. Using CTLs from perforin knockout (KO) mice and lymphocyte specific kinase (Lck) knockdown with specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), we show that the killing of the recognizing CD8 T cell is perforin dependent and is initiated by Lck signaling in the CTL. Collectively, these data suggest a novel mechanism in which the entire cascade generally triggered by TCR engagement is “hijacked” in CTLs serving as targets for T cell recognition without TCR ligation.
The prognostic and functional role of microRNAs in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Marcucci Guido , Mrózek Krzysztof , Radmacher Michael D. , Garzon Ramiro , Bloomfield Clara D.
Published: November 2010

Expression of microRNAs, a new class of noncoding RNAs that hybridize to target messenger RNA and regulate their translation into proteins, has been recently demonstrated to be altered in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Distinctive patterns of increased expression and/or silencing of multiple microRNAs (microRNA signatures) have been associated with specific cytogenetic and molecular subsets of AML. Changes in the expression of several microRNAs altered in AML have been shown to have functional relevance in leukemogenesis, with some microRNAs acting as oncogenes and others as tumor suppressors. Both microRNA signatures and a single microRNA (ie, miR-181a) have been shown to supply prognostic information complementing that gained from cytogenetics, gene mutations, and altered gene expression. Moreover, it has been demonstrated experimentally that antileukemic effects can be achieved by modulating microRNA expression by pharmacologic agents and/or increasing low endogenous levels of microRNAs with tumor suppressor function by synthetic microRNA oligonucleotides, or down-regulating high endogenous levels of leukemogenic microRNAs by antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs). Therefore, it is reasonable to predict the development of novel microRNA-based therapeutic approaches in AML. We review herein results of current studies analyzing changes of microRNA expression in AML and discuss their potential biologic, diagnostic, and prognostic relevance.
Laparoscopic versus conventional appendectomy - a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Xiaohang , Zhang Jialin , Sang Lixuan , Zhang Wenliang , Chu Zhiqiang , Li Xin , Liu Yongfeng
Published: November 2010

Background

Although laparoscopic surgery has been available for a long time and laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been performed universally, it is still not clear whether open appendectomy (OA) or laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is the most appropriate surgical approach to acute appendicitis. The purpose of this work is to compare the therapeutic effects and safety of laparoscopic and conventional "open" appendectomy by means of a meta-analysis.

Methods

A meta-analysis was performed of all randomized controlled trials published in English that compared LA and OA in adults and children between 1990 and 2009. Calculations were made of the effect sizes of: operating time, postoperative length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, return to normal activity, resumption of diet, complications rates, and conversion to open surgery. The effect sizes were then pooled by a fixed or random-effects model.

Results

Forty-four randomized controlled trials with 5292 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Operating time was 12.35 min longer for LA (95% CI: 7.99 to 16.72, p < 0.00001). Hospital stay after LA was 0.60 days shorter (95% CI: -0.85 to -0.36, p < 0.00001). Patients returned to their normal activity 4.52 days earlier after LA (95% CI: -5.95 to -3.10, p < 0.00001), and resumed their diet 0.34 days earlier(95% CI: -0.46 to -0.21, p < 0.00001). Pain after LA on the first postoperative day was significantly less (p = 0.008). The overall conversion rate from LA to OA was 9.51%. With regard to the rate of complications, wound infection after LA was definitely reduced (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.59, p < 0.00001), while postoperative ileus was not significantly reduced(OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.57 to 1.47, p = 0.71). However, intra-abdominal abscess (IAA), intraoperative bleeding and urinary tract infection (UIT) after LA, occurred slightly more frequently(OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.43, p = 0.05; OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.54 to 4.48, p = 0.41; OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 0.58 to 5.29, p = 0.32).

Conclusion

LA provides considerable benefits over OA, including a shorter length of hospital stay, less postoperative pain, earlier postoperative recovery, and a lower complication rate. Furthermore, over the study period it was obvious that there had been a trend toward fewer differences in operating time for the two procedures. Although LA was associated with a slight increase in the incidence of IAA, intraoperative bleeding and UIT, it is a safe procedure. It may be that the widespread use of LA is due to its better therapeutic effect.
Testing for sexually transmitted infections in general practice: cross-sectional study
Authors: Sadler Katharine E , Low Nicola , Mercer Catherine H , Sutcliffe Lorna J , Islam M Amir , Shafi Shuja , Brook Gary M , Maguire Helen , Horner Patrick J , Cassell Jackie A
Published: November 2010

Background

Primary care is an important provider of sexual health care in England. We sought to explore the extent of testing for chlamydia and HIV in general practice and its relation to associated measures of sexual health in two contrasting geographical settings.

Methods

We analysed chlamydia and HIV testing data from 64 general practices and one genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic in Brent (from mid-2003 to mid-2006) and 143 general practices and two GUM clinics in Avon (2004). We examined associations between practice testing status, practice characteristics and hypothesised markers of population need (area level teenage conception rates and Index of Multiple Deprivation, IMD scores).

Results

No HIV or chlamydia testing was done in 19% (12/64) of general practices in Brent, compared to 2.1% (3/143) in Avon. In Brent, the mean age of general practitioners (GPs) in Brent practices that tested for chlamydia or HIV was lower than in those that had not conducted testing. Practices where no HIV testing was done had slightly higher local teenage conception rates (median 23.5 vs. 17.4/1000 women aged 15-44, p = 0.07) and served more deprived areas (median IMD score 27.1 vs. 21.8, p = 0.05). Mean yearly chlamydia and HIV testing rates, in practices that did test were 33.2 and 0.6 (per 1000 patients aged 15-44 years) in Brent, and 34.1 and 10.3 in Avon, respectively. In Brent practices only 20% of chlamydia tests were conducted in patients aged under 25 years, compared with 39% in Avon.

Conclusions

There are substantial geographical differences in the intensity of chlamydia and HIV testing in general practice. Interventions to facilitate sexually transmitted infection and HIV testing in general practice are needed to improve access to effective sexual health care. The use of routinely-collected laboratory, practice-level and demographic data for monitoring sexual health service provision and informing service planning should be more widely evaluated.
MicroRNA profiling of tomato leaf curl new delhi virus (tolcndv) infected tomato leaves indicates that deregulation of mir159/319 and mir172 might be linked with leaf curl disease
Authors: Naqvi Afsar R , Haq Qazi MR , Mukherjee Sunil K
Published: November 2010

Background

Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV), a constituent of the genus Begomovirus, infects tomato and other plants with a hallmark disease symptom of upward leaf curling. Since microRNAs (miRs) are known to control plants developmental processes, we evaluated the roles of miRNAs in Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) induced leaf curling.

Results

Microarray analyses of miRNAs, isolated from the leaves of both healthy and ToLCNDV agroinfected tomato cv Pusa Ruby, revealed that ToLCNDV infection significantly deregulated various miRNAs representing ~13 different conserved families (e.g., miR319, miR172, etc.). The precursors of these miRNAs showed similar deregulated patterns, indicating that the transcription regulation of respective miRNA genes was perhaps the cause of deregulation. The expression levels of the miRNA-targeted genes were antagonistic with respect to the amount of corresponding miRNA. Such deregulation was tissue-specific in nature as no analogous misexpression was found in flowers. The accumulation of miR159/319 and miR172 was observed to increase with the days post inoculation (dpi) of ToLCNDV agroinfection in tomato cv Pusa Ruby. Similarly, these miRs were also induced in ToLCNDV agroinfected tomato cv JK Asha and chilli plants, both exhibiting leaf curl symptoms. Our results indicate that miR159/319 and miR172 might be associated with leaf curl symptoms. This report raises the possibility of using miRNA(s) as potential signature molecules for ToLCNDV infection.

Conclusions

The expression of several host miRNAs is affected in response to viral infection. The levels of the corresponding pre-miRs and the predicted targets were also deregulated. This change in miRNA expression levels was specific to leaf tissues and observed to be associated with disease progression. Thus, certain host miRs are likely indicator of viral infection and could be potentially employed to develop viral resistance strategies.
Control of Gliotactin localization and levels by tyrosine phosphorylation and endocytosis is necessary for survival of polarized epithelia
Authors: Padash-Barmchi Mojgan , Browne Kristen , Sturgeon Kendra , Jusiak Barbara , Auld Vanessa J.
Published: November 2010

The tricellular junction (TCJ) forms at the convergence of bicellular junctions from three adjacent cells in polarized epithelia and is necessary for maintaining the transepithelial barrier. In the fruitfly Drosophila, the TCJ is generated at the meeting point of bicellular septate junctions. Gliotactin was the first identified component of the TCJ and is necessary for TCJ and septate junction development. Gliotactin is a member of the neuroligin family and associates with the PDZ protein discs large. Beyond this interaction, little is known about the mechanisms underlying Gliotactin localization and function at the TCJ. In this study, we show that Gliotactin is phosphorylated at conserved tyrosine residues, a process necessary for endocytosis and targeting to late endosomes and lysosomes for degradation. Regulation of Gliotactin levels through phosphorylation and endocytosis is necessary as overexpression results in displacement of Gliotactin away from the TCJ throughout the septate junction domain. Excessive Gliotactin in polarized epithelia leads to delamination, paired with subsequent migration, and apoptosis. The apoptosis and the resulting compensatory proliferation resulting from high levels of Gliotactin are mediated by the Drosophila JNK pathway. Therefore, Gliotactin levels within the cell membrane are regulated to ensure correct protein localization and cell survival.
Prospective Identification, Isolation, and Profiling of a Telomerase-Expressing Subpopulation of Human Neural Stem Cells, using sox2 Enhancer-Directed Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting
Authors: Wang Su , Chandler-Militello Devin , Lu Gang , Roy Neeta S. , Zielke Alex , Auvergne Romane , Stanwood Nancy , Geschwind Daniel , Coppola Giovanni , Nicolis Silvia K. , Sim Fraser J. , Goldman Steven A.
Published: November 2010

Sox2is expressed by neural stem and progenitor cells, and asox2enhancer identifies these cells in the forebrains of both fetal and adult transgenic mouse reporters. We found that an adenovirus encoding EGFP placed under the regulatory control of a 0.4 kbsox2core enhancer selectively identified multipotential and self-renewing neural progenitor cells in dissociates of human fetal forebrain. Upon EGFP-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), the E/sox2:EGFP+isolates were propagable for up to 1 yearin vitro, and remained multilineage competent throughout. E/sox2:EGFP+cells expressed more telomerase enzymatic activity than matched E/sox2:EGFP-depleted populations, and maintained their telomeric lengths with successive passage. Gene expression analysis of E/sox2:EGFP-sorted neural progenitor cells, normalized to the unsorted forebrain dissociates from which they derived, revealed marked overexpression of genes within thenotchandwntpathways, and identified multiple elements of each pathway that appear selective to human neural progenitors.Sox2enhancer-based FACS thus permits the prospective identification and direct isolation of a telomerase-active population of neural stem cells from the human fetal forebrain, and the elucidation of both the transcriptome and dominant signaling pathways of these critically important cells.
Failing to Ignore: Paradoxical Neural Effects of Perceptual Load on Early Attentional Selection in Normal Aging
Authors: Schmitz Taylor W. , Cheng Frederick H. T. , De Rosa Eve
Published: November 2010

We examined visual selective attention under perceptual load—simultaneous presentation of task-relevant and -irrelevant information—in healthy young and older adult human participants to determine whether age differences are observable at early stages of selection in the visual cortices. Participants viewed 50/50 superimposed face/place images and judged whether the faces were male or female, rendering places perceptible but task-irrelevant. Each stimulus was repeated, allowing us to index dynamic stimulus-driven competition from places. Consistent with intact early selection in young adults, we observed no adaptation to unattended places in parahippocampal place area (PPA) and significant adaptation to attended faces in fusiform face area (FFA). Older adults, however, exhibited both PPA adaptation to places and weak FFA adaptation to faces. We also probed participants' associative recognition for face-place pairs post-task. Older adults with better place recognition memory scores were found to exhibit both the largest magnitudes of PPA adaptation and the smallest magnitudes of FFA adaptation on the attention task. In a control study, we removed the competing perceptual information to decrease perceptual load. These data revealed that the initial age-related impairments in selective attention were not due to a general decline in visual cortical selectivity; both young and older adults exhibited robust FFA adaptation and neither group exhibited PPA adaptation to repeated faces. Accordingly, distracting information does not merely interfere with attended input in older adults, but is co-encoded along with the contents of attended input, to the extent that this information can subsequently be recovered from recognition memory.
Efficient Visual Recalibration from Either Visual or Haptic Feedback: The Importance of Being Wrong
Authors: Adams Wendy J. , Kerrigan Iona S. , Graf Erich W.
Published: November 2010

The human visual system adapts to the changing statistics of its environment. For example, the light-from-above prior, an assumption that aids the interpretation of ambiguous shading information, can be modified by haptic (touch) feedback. Here we investigate the mechanisms that drive this adaptive learning. In particular, we ask whether visual information can be as effective as haptics in driving visual recalibration and whether increased information (feedback from multiple modalities) induces faster learning.

During several hours' training, feedback encouraged observers to modify their existing light-from-above assumption. Feedback was one of the following: (1) haptic only, (2) haptic and stereoscopic (providing binocular shape information), or (3) stereoscopic only. Haptic-only feedback resulted in substantial learning; the perceived shape of shaded objects was modified in accordance with observers' new light priors. However, the addition of continuous visual feedback (condition 2) substantially reduced learning. When visual-only feedback was provided intermittently (condition 3), mimicking the time course of the haptic feedback of conditions 1 and 2, substantial learning returned.

The intermittent nature of conflict information, or feedback, appears critical for learning. It causes an initial, erroneous percept to be corrected. Contrary to previous proposals, we found no particular advantage for cross-modal feedback. Instead, we suggest that an “oops” factor drives efficient learning; recalibration is prioritized when a mismatch exists between sequential representations of an object property. This “oops” factor appears important both across and within sensory modalities, suggesting a general principle for perceptual learning and recalibration.
A Specific Class of Interneuron Mediates Inhibitory Plasticity in the Lateral Amygdala
Authors: Polepalli Jai S. , Sullivan Robert K. P. , Yanagawa Yuchio , Sah Pankaj
Published: November 2010

The lateral amygdala (LA) plays a key role in emotional learning and is the main site for sensory input into the amygdala. Within the LA, pyramidal neurons comprise the major cell population with plasticity of inputs to these neurons thought to underlie fear learning. Pyramidal neuron activity is tightly controlled by local interneurons, and GABAergic modulation strongly influences amygdala-dependent learning. Synaptic inputs to some interneurons in the LA can also undergo synaptic plasticity, but the identity of these cells and the mechanisms that underlie this plasticity are not known. Here we show that long-term potentiation (LTP) in LA interneurons is restricted to a specific type of interneuron that is defined by the lack of expression of synaptic NR2B subunits. We find that LTP is only present at cortical inputs to these cells and is initiated by calcium influx via calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. LTP is maintained by trafficking of GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors that require an interaction with SAP97 and the actin cytoskeleton. Our results define a novel population of interneurons in the LA that control principal neuron excitability by feed-forward inhibition of cortical origin. This selective enhanced inhibition may contribute to reducing the activity of principal neurons engaged during extinction of conditioned fear.
Safety of Bevacizumab in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Geiger-Gritsch Sabine , Stollenwerk Bjoern , Miksad Rebecca , Guba Beate , Wild Claudia , Siebert Uwe
Published: November 2010

Objective.

We performed a meta-analysis on adverse events seen with bevacizumab to combine the existing evidence about its safety in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods.

A systematic literature search was conducted to identify published, randomized controlled trials of bevacizumab in cancer patients with data on adverse events available. The primary endpoint was “severe adverse event,” a composite of grade 3 and 4 adverse events. Secondary endpoints for the exploratory analysis were individual adverse events. We used random-effects meta-analysis to combine data.

Results.

Thirteen eligible publications were identified and eight trials reported the primary endpoint. Compared with the control group, the bevacizumab group had a slightly higher risk for any severe adverse event (pooled relative risk, 1.10; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.01–1.19). The pooled risk difference was 7% (95% CI, 1%–13%), with a number needed to harm of 14 treated patients. Exploratory analyses showed a statistically significant higher risk for eight of the 15 evaluated secondary endpoints: bevacizumab was associated with a fourfold higher risk for hypertension, epistaxis, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage/perforation; a threefold higher risk for any bleeding events; and a lower, but elevated risk for proteinuria, leukopenia, diarrhea, and asthenia. No statistically significant differences were found for any thrombotic event (arterial or venous), hemoptysis, cardiac event, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, impaired wound healing, or death related to an adverse event.

Conclusion.

Treatment with bevacizumab was associated with a slightly higher risk for any severe (grade 3 or 4) adverse event in patients with cancer. The result may impact individual benefit–risk assessments and policy guidelines.
New early carnivoran specimens from the Puercan (Earliest Paleocene) of Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: Fox Richard C. , Scott Craig S. , Rankin Brian D.
Published: November 2010

New specimens of an as yet unidentified carnivoran from the earliest Paleocene of Saskatchewan are described. The new specimens augment the evidence on which the contentious earliest (middle Puercan) occurrence of Carnivora is based, provide novel information of the lower dentition of the earliest carnivorans, and provides evidence for the earliest taxonomic diversity in Carnivora.
Northeast Pacific record of the Cretaceous marine gastropodAtiraand a review of its paleobiogeography
Authors: Squires Richard L.
Published: November 2010

The Cretaceous record of the shallow-marine margaritine gastropod genusAtiraStewart, 1927 in the region extending from Vancouver Island, to northern Baja California is studied in detail for the first time. It is represented byA. popenoein. sp. (late Turonian to earliest Campanian),A. ornatissima(Gabb, 1864) (latest Santonian to late Campanian or possibly early Maastrichtian), andA. inornata(Gabb, 1864) (“mid” Maastrichtian), which is the youngest known species ofAtira.

Atiraoriginated in the tropical waters of the Tethys Sea in western Europe as early as the Early Cretaceous, possibly during the Hauterivian but was present there by the late Aptian to early Albian. The genus subsequently immigrated to other regions and became adapted to warm-temperate waters. By the late Turonian it had migrated westward to northern California. During the Campanian it reached south Sakhalin and in the earliest Maastrichtian it was present in southwest Japan. AlthoughAtira?nebrascensis(Meek and Hayden, 1856) has been questionably reported from Campanian to “mid” Maastrichtian deposits in the Wyoming area of the Western Interior Basin, this species does not belong in genusAtira.
EmilianiaSánchez, 1999 is not a homonym ofEmilianiaHay and Mohler, 1967
Authors: Streng Michael
Published: November 2010

In the July issue of Journal of Paleontology, 84(4), Sánchez (2010) proposed the new genus nameEmiliodontafor the Ordovician bivalve genusEmilianiaSánchez, 1999 because of assumed homonymy withEmilianiaHay and Mohler, 1967 (in Hay et al., 1967). The supposed senior name, the genusEmilianiaHay and Mohler, belongs to the coccolithophores, a group of unicellular eukaryotic algae, which have traditionally been treated as plants (e.g., Glaessner, 1945; Tappan, 1980; see also Green and Jordan, 1994; Andersen, 2004 for modern classification) and to which the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) applies. In the original description ofEmilianiaHay and Molher the ICBN was used (Hay et al., 1967, p. 447) and the name was validly published under its rules. Animals such as the bivalveEmilianiaSánchez, 1999, in contrast, are treated under the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Both codes are independent (ICBN, Principle I: Greuter et al., 1993, 2000; McNeill et al., 2006; ICZN Article 1: Ride et al., 1985, 1999), and therefore the same names (“homonyms” sensu lato) can coexist under different codes. Consequently,EmilianiaSánchez andEmilianiaHay and Molher are not homonyms in a taxonomic sense but are both legitimate names under the respective code. Furthermore, the nameEmiliodontaSánchez 2010 is superfluous and illegitimate, as “[…] the name of an animal taxon is not to be rejected merely because it is identical with the name of a taxon that is not animal.” (ICZN Article 1.4: Ride et al., 1999).
Sorption of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions in the presence of the methylglycinediacetic acid by microporous ion exchangers and sorbents from aqueous solutions
Authors: Jachuła Justyna , Kołodyńska Dorota , Hubicki Zbigniew
Published: November 2010

In the presented paper the use of a novel environmentally friendly aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent trisodium salt of methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) to inactivate various metal ions by complex formation in microporous anion exchangers and sorbents was tested. MGDA is a new generation of chelator, undergoing biodegradation. The removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions in the presence of MGDA on microporous anion exchangers of the Lewatit group with different basicity of functional centres as well as on nitrolite and clinoptilolite was described. The studies were carried out by the dynamic (column) and the static (batch) methods. The influence of several parameters such as the concentration of analyzed metal ions, pH and temperature were studied with respect to sorption equilibrium. The sorption isotherms were obtained and fitted using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models. Kinetic curves were also fitted using pseudo first order, pseudo second order as well as the intraparticle diffusion model equations to evaluate the most effective one.
IS SYSTEMIC RISK RELEVANT TO SECURITIES REGULATION?
Authors: Anand Anita I.
Published: November 2010

The global financial meltdown has led to a renewed focus on the purposes of securities regulation and on the expansion of these purposes to include considerations of systemic risk; yet the case for such an expansion has been assumed more than argued. This article derives an argument for expansion from developments in the financial markets. Traditionally, mitigating systemic risk has fallen within the realm of financial institution (i.e., prudential) regulation rather than securities law. However, developments in financial markets, including the bundling and sale of securitized products by a variety of complex institutions, are blurring the line between prudential regulation and securities law. This evolution makes systemic risk increasingly relevant to securities regulation. Consequently, the article argues, the securities regulatory regime should expand to encompass mitigating systemic risk.
French Translations: Elizabeth Bowen and the Idea of Character
Authors: Hepburn Allan
Published: November 2010

In order to sharpen her understanding of how narrative distance from character could be achieved in fiction, Elizabeth Bowen turned to French novelists, especially Gustave Flaubert, Henri de Montherlant, Guy de Maupassant, and Marcel Proust. She found in French novels examples of narratorial cruelty towards characters. She also adopted the Proustian idea that literature is always a translation of sorts, whether from one language to another or from reality to representation. As previously unexamined archival material proves, Bowen turned her hand to translating passages from Flaubert's L'Éducation sentimentale and Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu in the early 1930s. She also made an attempt to index Flaubert's correspondence. Throughout her career, Bowen commented frequently on French fiction. She reviewed Henri de Montherlant's Pitié pour les femmes and Les jeunes filles when those volumes appeared in an English translation in 1937. She wrote prefaces to Flaubert's major works. In part, she admired the way that national differences were inscribed in French and English fiction. But she principally looked to French fiction for examples of the grandiosity – or littleness – of character within historical frameworks.
Kinetics and mechanism of vanadium catalysed asymmetric cyanohydrin synthesis in propylene carbonate
Authors: North Michael , Omedes-Pujol Marta
Published: November 2010

Propylene carbonate can be used as a green solvent for the asymmetric synthesis of cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers from aldehydes and trimethylsilyl cyanide catalysed by VO(salen)NCS, though reactions are slower in this solvent than the corresponding reactions carried out in dichloromethane. A mechanistic study has been undertaken, comparing the catalytic activity of VO(salen)NCS in propylene carbonate and dichloromethane. Reactions in both solvents obey overall second-order kinetics, the rate of reaction being dependent on the concentration of both the aldehyde and trimethylsilyl cyanide. The order with respect to VO(salen)NCS was determined and found to decrease from 1.2 in dichloromethane to 1.0 in propylene carbonate, indicating that in propylene carbonate, VO(salen)NCS is present only as a mononuclear species, whereas in dichloromethane dinuclear species are present which have previously been shown to be responsible for most of the catalytic activity. Evidence from 51V NMR spectroscopy suggested that propylene carbonate coordinates to VO(salen)NCS, blocking the free coordination site, thus inhibiting its Lewis acidity and accounting for the reduction in catalytic activity. This explanation was further supported by a Hammett analysis study, which indicated that Lewis base catalysis made a much greater contribution to the overall catalytic activity of VO(salen)NCS in propylene carbonate than in dichloromethane.
The sensitivity of secondary organic aerosol component partitioning to the predictions of component properties – Part 1: A systematic evaluation of some available estimation techniques
Authors: McFiggans G. , Topping D. O. , Barley M. H.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. A large number of calculations of the absorptive partitioning of organic compounds have been made using a number of methods to predict the component vapour pressures, p0, and activity coefficients, γi, required in the calculations. The sensitivities of the predictions in terms of the condensed component masses, volatility, O:C ratio, molar mass and functionality distributions to the choice of p0 and γi models and to the number of components to represent the organic mixture have been systematically compared. The condensed component mass was found to be highly sensitive to the vapour pressure model, and less sensitive to both the activity coefficient model and the number of components used to represent the mixture although the sensitivity to the change in property estimation method increased substantially with increased simplification in the treatment of the organic mixture. This was a general finding and was also clearly evident in terms of the predicted component functionality, O:C ratio, molar mass and volatility distributions of the condensed organic components. Within the limitations of the study, this clearly demonstrates the requirement for more accurate representation of the p0 and γi of the semi-volatile organic proxy components used in simplified models as the degree of simplification increases. This presents an interesting paradox, since such reduction in complexity necessarily leads to divergence from the complex behaviour of real multicomponent atmospheric aerosol.
Testing the spatial and temporal framework of speciation in an ancient lake species flock: the leech genus Dina (Hirudinea: Erpobdellidae) in Lake Ohrid
Authors: Trajanovski S. , Albrecht C. , Schreiber K. , Schultheiß R. , Stadler T. , Benke M. , Wilke T.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. Ancient Lake Ohrid on the Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the oldest ancient lake in Europe with a suggested Plio-/Pleistocene age. Its exact geological age, however, remains unknown. Therefore, molecular clock data of Lake Ohrid biota may serve as an independent constraint of available geological data, and may thus help to refine age estimates. Such evolutionary data may also help unravel potential biotic and abiotic factors that promote speciation events. Here, mitochondrial sequencing data of one of the largest groups of endemic taxa in the Ohrid watershed, the leech genus Dina, is used to test whether it represents an ancient lake species flock, to study the role of potential horizontal and vertical barriers in the watershed for evolutionary events, to estimate the onset of diversification in this group based on molecular clock analyses, and to compare this data with data from other endemic species for providing an approximate time frame for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Based on the criteria speciosity, monophyly and endemicity, it can be concluded that Dina spp. from the Ohrid watershed, indeed, represents an ancient lake species flock. Lineage sorting of its species, however, does not seem to be complete and/or hybridization may occur. Analyses of population structures of Dina spp. in the Ohrid watershed indicate a horizontal zonation of haplotypes from spring and lake populations, corroborating the role of lake-side springs, particularly the southern feeder springs, for evolutionary processes in endemic Ohrid taxa. Vertical differentiation of lake taxa, however, appears to be limited, though differences between populations from the littoral and the profundal are apparent. Molecular clock analyses indicate that the most recent common ancestor of extant species of this flock is approximately 1.99 ± 0.83 million years (Ma) old, whereas the split of the Ohrid Dina flock from a potential sister taxon outside the lake is estimated at 8.30 ± 3.60 Ma. Comparisons with other groups of endemic Ohrid species indicated that in all cases, diversification within the watershed started ≤2 Ma ago. Thus, this estimate may provide information on a minimum age for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Maximum ages are less consistent and generally less reliable. But cautiously, a maximum age of 3 Ma is suggested. Interestingly, this time frame of approximately 2–3 Ma ago for the origin of Lake Ohrid, generated based on genetic data, well fits the time frame most often used in the literature by geologists.
Involvement of genetic instability in the downregulation of sFRP1 in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Qiu Yunqing , Xu Liqian , Zhou Yang‐Huai , Shi Ming , MA Yingyu , Li Meng , Li Ji‐Cheng
Published: November 2010

Secreted frizzled‐related protein 1 (sFRP1) is a new tumor suppressor based on recent researches, but the correlation of the genetic instability of sFRP1 gene with the clinicopathologic features of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been studied in Chinese people. In this study, 42 pairs of paraffin‐embedded HCC and adjacent non‐carcinoma tissues were examined for the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) of two microsatellite markers D8S532 and D8S1722 located in the vicinity of the sFRP1 gene. Envision immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of sFRP1. We found that the reduced expression of the sFRP1 protein was frequently observed in Chinese patients with HCC, which may at least partially result from the genetic instability, especially LOH. The LOH‐associated sFRP1 downregulation may play an important role in the development of HCC. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identifying and classifying hyperostosis frontalis interna via computerized tomography
Authors: May Hila , Peled Nathan , Dar Gali , Hay Ori , Abbas Janan , Masharawi Youssef , Hershkovitz Israel
Published: November 2010

The aim of this study was to recognize the radiological characteristics of hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) and to establish a valid and reliable method for its identification and classification. A reliability test was carried out on 27 individuals who had undergone a head computerized tomography (CT) scan. Intra‐observer reliability was obtained by examining the images three times, by the same researcher, with a 2‐week interval between each sample ranking. The inter‐observer test was performed by three independent researchers. A validity test was carried out using two methods for identifying and classifying HFI: 46 cadaver skullcaps were ranked twice via computerized tomography scans and then by direct observation. Reliability and validity were calculated using Kappa test (SPSS 15.0). Reliability tests of ranking HFI via CT scans demonstrated good results (K > 0.7). As for validity, a very good consensus was obtained between the CT and direct observation, when moderate and advanced types of HFI were present (K = 0.82). The suggested classification method for HFI, using CT, demonstrated a sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 90.5%, and positive predictive value of 91.3%. In conclusion, volume rendering is a reliable and valid tool for identifying HFI. The suggested three‐scale classification is most suitable for radiological diagnosis of the phenomena. Considering the increasing awareness of HFI as an early indicator of a developing malady, this study may assist radiologists in identifying and classifying the phenomena. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Development of the Dorsal Circumorbital Bones in the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) and Its Bearing on the Homology of These Elements in the Gekkota
Authors: Wise Patrick Arthur David , Russell Anthony Patrick
Published: November 2010

Five nominal elements comprise the circumorbital series of bones in gekkotans: prefrontal, postfrontal, postorbital, jugal, and lacrimal. Determination of the homology of two of these, the postfrontal and postorbital, has been particularly problematic. Two conflicting hypothesis exist relating to these: either the postorbital is lost and the postfrontal remains or they fuse during development to form a combined element, the postorbitofrontal. Such a combined element apparently occurs in at least some members of all lizard clades. There is, however, no direct developmental evidence that supports either theory. To overcome that, we investigate the sequence and pattern of ossification in the circumorbital region in a developmental series of the Leopard gecko. We posit that both the postfrontal and postorbital appear during development. Contrary to previous predictions they neither fuses to each other, nor do either degenerate. Instead, the postfrontal shifts anteriorly and fuses with the frontal to become indistinguishable from it by the time of hatching, and the postorbital persists as a robust independent element bounding the frontoparietal suture. These observations accord, in part, with both hypotheses of homology of these elements and result in the recognition of a new pattern, placing in doubt the existence of the composite postorbitofrontal. The phylogenetic implications of these findings may prove to be far reaching if similar and conserved patterns of development are encountered in other clades. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preparation and chiro‐optical characterization of polyaniline doped with (+) or (−)‐2‐pyrrolidone‐5‐carboxylic acid (PCA)
Authors: Dubey Rama , Dutta Dhiraj , Shami Trilok Chand , Bhasker Rao Kandepudi Udaya
Published: November 2010

Optically active polyaniline (PANI) salts were readily generated in solution via the enantioselective acid doping of neutral emeraldine base (EB) form of PANI with either (+) or (−)‐2‐pyrrolidone‐5‐carboxylic acid (PCA) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethylformamide (DMF) solvents. Strong mirror imaged circular dichroism (CD) spectra were obtained for the deep green polymer solutions obtained with (+) or (−) PCA, suggesting that the acid doping is enantioselective, with one helical screw of the polymer chain being preferentially produced depending on the nature of enantiomer. It was observed that molar concentration of PCA as well as nature of solvent plays a very important role in the generation of optically active PANI. The generated optically active PANI did not show any loss of optical activity up to 200 h. Chirality, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ductal carcinoma in situ treated with breast‐conserving surgery and accelerated partial breast irradiation
Authors: Goyal Sharad , Vicini Frank , Beitsch Peter D. , Kuerer Henry , Keisch Martin , Motwani Sabin , Jeruss Jacqueline S. , Lyden Maureen , Haffty Bruce G.
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND:

The purpose of this study was to determine the ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients treated in the American Society of Breast Surgeons MammoSite Breast Brachytherapy Registry Trial who met the criteria for E5194 treated with local excision and adjuvant accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI).

METHODS:

A total of 194 patients with DCIS were treated between 2002 and 2004 in the Mammosite registry trial; of these, 70 patients met the enrollment criteria for E5194: 1) low to intermediate grade (LIG)—pathological size >0.3 but <2.5 cm and margins ≥3 mm (n = 41) or 2) high grade (HG)—pathological size <1 cm and margins ≥3 mm (n = 29). All patients were treated with lumpectomy followed by adjuvant APBI using MammoSite. Median follow‐up was 52.7 months (range, 0‐88.4). SAS (version 8.2) was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS:

In the LIG cohort, the 5‐year IBTR was 0%, compared with 6.1% at 5 years in E5194. In the HG cohort, the 5‐year IBTR was 5.3%, compared with 15.3% at 5 years in E5194. The overall 5‐year IBTR was 2%, and there were no cases of elsewhere or regional failures in the entire cohort. The 5‐year contralateral breast event rate was 0% and 5.6% in LIG and HG patients, respectively (compared with 3.5% and 4.2%, respectively, in E5194).

CONCLUSIONS:

This study found that patients who met the criteria of E5194 treated with APBI had extremely low rates of recurrence (0% vs 6.1% in the LIG cohort and 5.3% vs 15.3% in the HG cohort). Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.