bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved pattern matching technique for lossy/lossless compression of binary printed Farsi and Arabic textual images
Authors: Grailu Hadi , Lotfizad Mojtaba , Sadoghi‐Yazdi Hadi
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a lossy/lossless binary textual image compression method based on an improved pattern matching (PM) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

In the Farsi/Arabic script, contrary to the printed Latin script, letters usually attach together and produce various patterns. Hence, some patterns are fully or partially subsets of some others. Two new ideas are proposed here. First, the number of library prototypes is reduced by detecting and then removing the fully or partially similar prototypes. Second, a new effective pattern encoding scheme is proposed for all types of patterns including text and graphics. The new encoding scheme has two operation modes of chain coding and soft PM, depending on the ratio of the pattern area to its chain code effective length. In order to encode the number sequences, the authors have modified the multi‐symbol QM‐coder. The proposed method has three levels for the lossy compression. Each level, in its turn, further increases the compression ratio. The first level includes applying some processing in the chain code domain such as omission of small patterns and holes, omission of inner holes of characters, and smoothing the boundaries of the patterns. The second level includes the selective pixel reversal technique, and the third level includes using the proposed method of prioritizing the residual patterns for encoding, with respect to their degree of compactness.

Findings

Experimental results show that the compression performance of the proposed method is considerably better than that of the best existing binary textual image compression methods as high as 1.6‐3 times in the lossy case and 1.3‐2.4 times in the lossless case at 300 dpi. The maximum compression ratios are achieved for Farsi and Arabic textual images.

Research limitations/implications

Only the binary printed typeset textual images are considered.

Practical implications

The proposed method has a high‐compression ratio for archiving and storage applications.

Originality/value

To the authors' best knowledge, the existing textual image compression methods or standards have not so far exploited the property of full or partial similarity of prototypes for increasing the compression ratio for any scripts. Also, the idea of combining the boundary description methods with the run‐length and arithmetic coding techniques has not so far been used.
Non‐fragile observer design for nonlinear switched systems with time delay
Authors: Xiang Zhengrong , Wang Ronghao
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the non‐fragile observer design method for nonlinear switched systems with time delay.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on dwell time approach and linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) technology, an exponential stability criterion for the delay switched system with Lipschitz nonlinearity is presented. By using the key technical lemma, the observer design problem can be transferred to the problem of solving a set of LMIs. Moreover, non‐fragile observer is designed by the Schur complement lemma, and the result is also transferred to LMIs, which can be easily realized by MATLAB toolbox.

Findings

Non‐fragile observer design is more effective than the common one and is robust to the observer gain variations.

Originality/value

The proposed non‐fragile observer guarantees the estimated state error dynamics can be exponentially convergent for observer gain perturbations.
Unscripted and interconnected: what happens to some of us affects us all
Authors: DiPadova‐Stocks Laurie N. , Kenworthy Amy L.
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the International Journal of Organizational Analysis special issue, “Shaping our unscripted future with service‐learning: when technology, globalism, and community engagement collide.”

Design/methodology/approach

The authors of this paper are the Guest Editors for the special issue. In this paper, they provide a brief history of why the special issue was created – what questions it was designed to address, what issues it was designed to highlight, and what future work it was hoped would arise from this collection.

Findings

The four papers that are published in this special issue are described and contextualized in terms of the issue's theme. The three commentary pieces that are included are also briefly summarized, as are their respective contributions to the issue.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this paper are those that relate to future service‐learning research and practice, as it is extended into the world of global and technological interconnectedness that it faces as part of our unscripted future.

Originality/value

As an introductory piece, this paper is unique in that it provides an overview of the entire special issue.
Global sustainability and service‐learning: paradigms for the future
Authors: Stuteville Rebekkah , Ikerd John
Published: March 2009

Purpose

Starting with the premise that the industrial age has ended, the paper seeks to examine how the underlying principles of sustainability will guide the creation of new economic and educational paradigms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes classical economics, the principles of sustainability, and social capital as its theoretical framework.

Findings

Based on the neoclassical economic concept of free‐market capitalism, it does not make economic sense to invest in economic, environmental, or social renewal. However, social and environmental indicators demonstrate that a neoclassical capitalist model simply is not sustainable. There is a need for a new paradigm for a sustainable future that is based on biological, living systems as opposed to mechanistic systems. The new paradigm will also rely on the principles of classical economics, civic and social responsibility for its foundation. Service‐learning, as an educational model that is intimately integrated with society, is poised to respond to the global transformations that are taking place. It is a responsive and responsible pedagogy that promotes the core values that will be essential for success in the future.

Originality/value

This paper provides guidance on how the principles of sustainability will affect future economic development and will inform education in the field of service‐learning.
Project‐based service‐learning for an unscripted world: the WPI IQP experience
Authors: Elmes Michael , Loiacono Eleanor T.
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) interactive qualifying project (IQP) as a unique, project‐based service‐learning opportunity that offers teams of undergraduate students the opportunity to frame and investigate complex, unscripted problems with social and technological dimensions for non‐profit organizations and government agency sponsors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses the relationship of the IQP to the service‐learning literature, describes the proposal and delivery phases of the IQP, and then offers two short illustrative cases.

Findings

The paper concludes that IQPs teach students how to frame and use background research to investigate unscripted, real world problems. It teaches students to think critically, to improve their presentation skills, and to become more aware of the social and cultural dimensions of technology. For faculty, IQP advising enriches their relationships with undergraduate students and can sometimes lead to co‐authored publications. For the university, the IQP program is a source of positive publicity and good will from project center communities around the world.

Practical implications

The findings of this study might be useful to those schools and faculty interested in starting a service‐learning project program with a technological focus.

Originality/value

Projects can provide a unique service‐learning experience for undergraduate students. By focusing on problems at the intersection of society and technology, the WPI IQP sensitizes engineering and science students to the human dimensions of technology. It teaches students to grapple with unscripted problems that require an extensive background research, rigorous data collection, and thoughtful analysis.
Service‐learning 2.0 for the twenty‐first century
Authors: Karakas Fahri , Kavas Mustafa
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce service‐learning 2.0 model based on four new paradigms in the global business landscape: connectivity, creativity, community, and complexity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews four paradigm shifts and their effects on service‐learning practices and methodology: wikinomics and mass collaboration, collective intelligence and open innovation, appreciative inquiry and positive organizational scholarship (POS), and self‐organizing systems and the new sciences.

Findings

Service‐learning 2.0 can be used to develop our students' twenty‐first century thinking skills through applied community engagement projects, namely: interactivity and interconnectedness, innovation and insight, and inspiration and intuition, integrative and interdisciplinary thinking.

Practical implications

Service‐learning 2.0 principles and pedagogy can help students appreciate and prepare for increasing complexity and paradox of management and organizations in the light of global, social and organizational changes of the twenty‐first century.

Originality/value

Service‐learning 2.0 model represents the pedagogy, principles, and processes that are better suited to the global, technological, and social changes and challenges of the 21st century.
Using service to transform learning: re‐scripted ABCs for our changing environment
Authors: de Janasz Suzanne C. , Whiting Vicki R.
Published: March 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a re‐scripting of how it should educate students in light of a changing environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper shares a conceptual framework and provide examples from the service learning (SL) courses and data from students (from course‐based reflection and evaluation) to support the framework and recommendations.

Findings

Through the experiences, SL to transform students' learning and ability to adapt to the changing, global marketplace has been found.

Practical implications

The paper hopes that faculty and educational institutions will consider the outcomes and recommendations to challenge traditional modes of educating and utilize SL as one means for building competencies that facilitate personal and professional success in the current environment.

Originality/value

The paper challenges the prevailing wisdom about the role of curricula to focus primarily on knowledge and skills. The context of the unscripted future can quickly render knowledge and skill sets obsolete. Due to this age of uncertainty, it argues that curricula be built around capabilities (adaptability, behaving morally, cultural sensitivity) that enable students/future employees to adapt to a changing, global marketplace to leverage the knowledge base, and that SL be utilized as a meaningful pedagogical approach to instill this capability.
Influence of gastric mucosal status on success of stepwise acid suppressive therapy for dyspepsia
Authors: VAN MARREWIJK C. J. , VAN OIJEN M. G. H. , PALOHEIMO L. I. , FRANSEN G. A. J. , MUJAKOVIC S. , MURIS J. W. M. , NUMANS M. E. , DE WIT N. J. , GROBBEE D. E. , KNOTTNERUS J. A. , LAHEIJ R. J. F. , JANSEN J. B. M. J.
Published: March 2009

Background  The most effective initial treatment strategy of dyspepsia is still under debate. Individual biological characteristics, such as condition of gastric mucosa, might contribute to selection of the most appropriate acid suppression treatment strategy.

Aim  To assess whether pre‐treatment testing of gastric mucosal status is relevant for treatment success in an RCT comparing step‐up and step‐down therapies in newly diagnosed dyspepsia patients.

Methods  Baseline serum samples were collected to assess gastric mucosal status using serum levels of pepsinogens‐I&II, gastrin‐17, and Helicobacter pylori IgA/IgG‐antibodies. The 6‐month treatment success was compared between step‐up and step‐down for patients with serum diagnoses: normal; gastritis; corpus atrophy or antrum atrophy.

Results  In all, 519 patients (M/F: 249/270, age: 47 (18–85) years, 29%H. pylori+) were randomized to step‐up (n = 293) or step‐down (n = 226). Normal mucosa, gastritis and corpus atrophy were diagnosed serologically in 70%, 28% and 2% of the patients, evenly distributed between the strategies (P = 0.65). Treatment success was achieved in respectively, 69%, 70% and 70% for the serum diagnosis groups, and did not differ between the strategies.

Conclusions  Dyspepsia treatment success could not be predicted by gastric mucosal status. Therefore, serum diagnosis of gastric mucosal status is no useful tool for patient allocation to acid suppressive treatment strategies.
Endothelin receptor antagonists in preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Pullamsetti S. S. , Schermuly R. T.
Published: March 2009

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), a chronic disorder of the pulmonary vasculature, is characterized by progressive elevation in pulmonary artery pressure and the ultimate development of right‐sided heart failure and death. Being a rapidly progressive disease with limited therapeutic options, the pathogenesis of PH is complex and multifactorial. The pathogenesis may result from a combination of vasoconstriction, inward vascular wall remodelling andin situthrombosis that involves dysfunction of underlying cellular pathways and mediators. Among these, the activation of endothelin (ET) system has been shown to be important in the development and perpetuation of PH. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen, exerts its biological effects by binding to two G‐protein‐coupled receptor isoforms, endothelin A (ETA) receptor and endothelin B (ETB) receptor. These two receptors are nonredundant and unique because of distinct localization, unique binding locations and affinities for the endothelin peptide and activation of distinct signalling pathways. Importantly, there is now substantial evidence that direct antagonism of ET receptors that can block either ETA‐ or ETA‐ and ETB receptors can be beneficial for the treatment of PH in both preclinical and clinical setting. This review provides an overview of endothelin biology, various preclinical models that have been widely used to investigate the pathophysiology of PH as well as the individual roles of the ET receptors (ETA and ETB) and their regulation in disease pathogenesis. We also review current data on the use of selective and nonselective ET receptor antagonism in the preclinical PH models.
Endothelin receptor selectivity: evidence fromin vitroand pre‐clinical models of scleroderma
Authors: Shiwen X. , Leask A. , Abraham D. J. , Fonseca C.
Published: March 2009

Scleroderma [systemic sclerosis (SSc)] is a spectrum of connective tissue diseases characterized by micro‐ and macro‐vasculopathy, inflammation and autoimmunity and tissue remodelling that often leads to excessive scarring and fibrosis in both interstitial and vascular compartments. Pre‐clinical investigations and gene association studies have led to improved understanding of the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis and to the identification of key molecular candidates that may represent potentially useful disease biomarkers and effective therapeutic targets. Studies on the endothelin (ET) system, pre‐dominantly ET‐1 and the cell surface receptors [type A (ETA)] and type B (ETB)], have provided evidence for an important role of this system in the vascular and fibrotic pathologies in SSc. To date, promising clinical results, utilizing dual/mixed ET receptor antagonism have been obtained in two of the vascular complications associated with SSc, ischaemic digital ulceration and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Evidence suggests that ET‐1 is able to activate and re‐program the functional phenotypes of vascular smooth muscle cells, microvascular pericytes and tissue fibroblasts into pro‐fibrogenic cell populations with myofibroblasts‐like properties. The impact of receptor‐selective, over mixed‐receptor, antagonism has also been studiedin vitrowith respect to cell differentiation and proliferation, extracellular matrix synthesis, production and deposition and in pathological cellular contraction. However, the complexity of the ET system, potential for receptor cross‐talk, interactions with down‐stream signal transduction cascades, as well as the potent inter‐relationships with other important ligand‐receptor pathways have madein vivostudies difficult to unravel. Moreover, little information is available on the role of the ET system and receptor selectivity in the recruitment and activation of mesenchymal progenitor cells in tissue remodelling and fibrosis or on the early inflammatory response. Here, we discuss the available pre‐clinical evidence for the role of the ET system in tissue repair, scarring and fibrosis, using the connective tissue diseases SSc and model systems of fibrogenesis.
The science of endothelin‐1 and endothelin receptor antagonists in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension: current understanding and future studies
Authors: Davie N. J. , Schermuly R. T. , Weissmann N. , Grimminger F. , Ghofrani H. A.
Published: March 2009

Pathological vascular remodelling is a key contributor to the symptomatology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and reversing this process may offer the best hope for improving this debilitating condition. The vascular remodelling process is believed to be due to endothelial cell dysfunction and to involve altered production of endothelial cell‐derived vasoactive mediators. The observation that circulating plasma levels of the vasoactive peptide endothelin (ET)‐1 are raised in patients with PAH, and that ET‐1 production is increased in the pulmonary tissue of affected individuals, makes it a particularly interesting target for a therapeutic intervention in PAH. Clinical trials with ET receptor antagonists (ETRAs) show that they provide symptomatic benefit in patients with PAH, thereby proving the clinical relevance of the ET system as a therapeutic target. In this paper, we review the role of ET‐1 together with the available data on the roles of the specific ET receptors and ETRAs in PAH. In particular, we discuss the possible role of ET receptor selectivity in the vascular remodelling process in PAH and whether selective ETA or nonselective ETA/ETB blockade offers the greatest potential to improve symptoms and alter the clinical course of the disease.
Superhydrophobic surfaces: a model approach to predict contact angle and surface energy of soil particles
Authors: Bachmann J. , McHale G.
Published: March 2009

Wettability of soil affects a wide variety of processes including infiltration, preferential flow and surface runoff. The problem of determining contact angles and surface energy of powders, such as soil particles, remains unsolved. So far, several theories and approaches have been proposed, but formulation of surface and interfacial free energy, as regards its components, is still a very debatable issue. In the present study, the general problem of the interpretation of contact angles and surface free energy on chemically heterogeneous and rough soil particle surfaces is evaluated by a reformulation of the Cassie‐Baxter equation, assuming that the particles are attached on to a plane and rigid surface. Compared with common approaches, our model considers a roughness factor that depends on the Young’s Law contact angle determined by the surface chemistry. Results of the model are discussed and compared with independent contact angle measurements using the Sessile Drop and the Wilhelmy Plate methods. Based on contact angle data, the critical surface tension of the grains were determined by the method proposed by Zisman. Experiments were made with glass beads and three soil materials ranging from sand to clay. Soil particles were coated with different loadings of dichlorodimethylsilane (DCDMS) to vary the wettability. Varying the solid surface tension using DCDMS treatments provided pure water‐wetting behaviours ranging from wettable to extremely hydrophobic, with contact angles > 150°. Results showed that the critical surface energy measured on grains with the highest DCDMS loadings was similar to the surface energy measured independently on ideal DCDMS‐coated smooth glass plates, except for the clay soil. Contact angles measured on plane surfaces were related to contact angles measured on rough grain surfaces using the new model based on the combined Cassie‐Baxter Wenzel equation, which takes into account the particle packing density on the sample surface.
Enabling technologies to improve area‐wide integrated pest management programmes for the control of screwworms
Authors: ROBINSON A. S. , VREYSEN M. J. B. , HENDRICHS J. , FELDMANN U.
Published: March 2009

Abstract The economic devastation caused in the past by the New World screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to the livestock industry in the U.S.A., Mexico and the rest of Central America was staggering. The eradication of this major livestock pest from North and Central America using the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of an area‐wide integrated pest management (AW‐IPM) programme was a phenomenal technical and managerial accomplishment with enormous economic implications. The area is maintained screwworm‐free by the weekly release of 40 million sterile flies in the Darien Gap in Panama, which prevents migration from screwworm‐infested areas in Columbia. However, the species is still a major pest in many areas of the Caribbean and South America and there is considerable interest in extending the eradication programme to these countries. Understanding New World screwworm fly populations in the Caribbean and South America, which represent a continuous threat to the screwworm‐free areas of Central America and the U.S.A., is a prerequisite to any future eradication campaigns. The Old World screwworm fly Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has a very wide distribution ranging from Southern Africa to Papua New Guinea and, although its economic importance is assumed to be less than that of its New World counterpart, it is a serious pest in extensive livestock production and a constant threat to pest‐free areas such as Australia. In the 1980s repeated introductions and an expansion of Old World screwworm populations were reported in the Middle East; in the 1990s it invaded Iraq and since late 2007 it has been reported in Yemen, where a severe outbreak of myiasis occurred in 2008. Small‐scale field trials have shown the potential of integrating the SIT in the control of this pest and various international organizations are considering using the release of sterile insects as part of an AW‐IPM approach on a much wider scale. Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) is a screwworm of temperate regions, which, although of limited agricultural importance, has invaded several new locations in the past few years. This special issue reports on the results of a 6‐year project funded by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/International Atomic Energy Agency (FAO/IAEA) Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture entitled ‘Enabling Technologies for the Expansion of the SIT for Old and New World Screwworm’. A major goal of the project was to better understand population genetic variation in screwworms as an aid to the identification of isolated populations. The project also addressed issues related to genetic sexing, cuticular hydrocarbons, population dynamics, genetic transformation and chromosome analysis.
Mark–recapture estimates of recruitment, survivorship and population growth rate for the screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax
Authors: MATLOCK R. B. , SKODA S. R.
Published: March 2009

Abstract Pradel model mark–release–recapture estimates of survivorship, φ, recruitment, f, and the rate of density‐independent population growth, λ, are presented for eight mark–recapture studies of the screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from Costa Rica, totalling 19 573 released and 4476 recaptured flies. Corroborative estimates of survivorship and the rate of population growth based on an extensive review of the literature are also reported. Weighted‐mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) mark–release–recapture estimates of survivorship, recruitment and the rate of population growth were φ = 0.798 ± 0.008, f  = 0.193 ± 0.008 and λ = 1.005 ± 0.002, respectively. Population doubling time was estimated from λ at 139 days. Estimates of φ and λ from the literature both exceeded those calculated by mark–recapture methods and estimates of population doubling times were consequently shorter.
Molecular genetic analysis of populations of Wohlfahrt’s wound myiasis fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica, in outbreak populations from Greece and Morocco
Authors: HALL M. J. R. , TESTA J. M. , SMITH L. , ADAMS Z. J. O. , KHALLAAYOUNE K. , SOTIRAKI S. , STEFANAKIS A. , FARKAS R. , READY P. D.
Published: March 2009

Abstract Wohlfahrt’s wound myiasis fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), is the most important cause of traumatic myiasis in the southern Palaearctic region. Larval stages are obligate parasites and the wounds caused by infestations are very similar to those caused by Old and New World screwworm flies. During the last decade, W. magnifica appears to have expanded its range to parts of northern and central Morocco, and to Crete, Greece. Specimens of W. magnifica were collected in Morocco and Crete either as larvae (preserved in 80% ethanol) or as adults (dry‐pinned). Comparison specimens were collected in Spain, Hungary and mainland Greece. A DNA fragment containing the 3′ 715 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from each of 132 larvae or adults of W. magnifica and the amplicons were directly sequenced and analysed phylogeographically. Twelve cytochrome b haplotypes were detected. All haplotypes from Morocco belonged to a lineage that included specimens from the Iberian peninsula, and restricted mixing of central and northern populations in Morocco was demonstrated. Cytochrome b haplotyping combined with an analysis of larval size provided clear evidence of multiple infestations of hosts in all geographical areas, with one quarter of wounds containing larvae from two to at least four females. More than 80% of specimens from Crete contained a haplotype predominating in mainland Greece and Hungary. Our survey indicated that wohlfahrtiosis was more widespread in northern and central Morocco than previously recorded by government veterinarians. However, the prevalence of wohlfahrtiosis was low (< 1%). The high genetic diversity of Moroccan populations is consistent with longterm endemicity, rather than recent introduction. Crete showed a higher prevalence of wohlfahrtiosis (≤ 15%) and less genetic diversity of W. magnifica, which is consistent with a recent introduction. The western and eastern Mediterranean lineages may have been isolated in different Pleistocene ice‐age refugia, from which there has been limited post‐glacial dispersal.
Immunopathogenic competences ofLeishmania(V.)braziliensisandL.(L.)amazonensisin American cutaneous leishmaniasis
Authors: SILVEIRA F. T. , LAINSON R. , DE CASTRO GOMES C. M. , LAURENTI M. D. , CORBETT C. E. P.
Published: March 2009

The immunopathogenic competences ofLeishmania (V.) braziliensisandL. (L.) amazonensiswere reviewed in the light of more recent features found in the clinical and immunopathological spectrum of American cutaneous leishmaniasis. It was shown a dichotomy in the interaction between theseLeishmaniaspecies and human T‐cell immune response; whileL. (V.) braziliensisshows a clear tendency to lead infection from the localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), a moderate T‐cell hypersensitivity form at the centre of the spectrum, toward to the mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) at the T‐cell hypersensitivity pole and with a prominent Th1‐type immune response,L. (L.) amazonensisshows an opposite tendency, leading infection to the anergic diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (ADCL) at the T‐cell hyposensitivity pole and with a marked Th2‐type immune response. Between the central LCL and the two polar MCL and ADCL, the infection can present an intermediary form known as borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis, characterized by an incomplete inhibition of T‐cell hypersensitivity but with a evident supremacy of Th1 over Th2 immune response (Th1 ≥ Th2). These are probably the main immunopathogenic competences ofL. (V.) braziliensisandL. (L.) amazonensisregarding the immune response dichotomy that modulates human infection outcome by theseLeishmaniaparasites.
Protein‐energy malnutrition as a risk factor for visceral leishmaniasis: a review
Authors: MALAFAIA G.
Published: March 2009

The protein‐energy malnutrition (PEM) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are important problems of public health, which affect millions of people worldwide. Currently, it has been accepted that the immunity or susceptibility to infect‐parasitic diseases are directly related to the nutritional status of the host. However, the mechanisms that govern the relationship between the PEM and the course of the VL are multiple and little explained. In this study the current most important aspects and the synergism between these two illnesses were presented. Bibliographic search includes empirical reports, reviews, commentaries, reports from professional associations, books, editorials and annals of congress published in diverse languages between 1960 and January 2009. As much the PEM as the infections caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus are frequent problems in the current days. As new studies are developed on the subject, it becomes essential that the society knows them.
A guide to using MapMan to visualize and compare Omics data in plants: a case study in the crop species, Maize
Authors: USADEL BJÖRN , POREE FABIEN , NAGEL AXEL , LOHSE MARC , CZEDIK‐EYSENBERG ANGELIKA , STITT MARK
Published: March 2009

MapMan is a software tool that supports the visualization of profiling data sets in the context of existing knowledge. Scavenger modules generate hierarchical and essentially non‐redundant gene ontologies (‘mapping files’). An ImageAnnotator module visualizes the data on a gene‐by‐gene basis on schematic diagrams (‘maps’) of biological processes. The PageMan module uses the same ontologies to statistically evaluate responses at the pathway or processes level. The generic structure of MapMan also allows it to be used for transcripts, proteins, enzymes and metabolites. MapMan was developed for use with Arabidopsis, but has already been extended for use with several other species. These tools are available as downloadable and web‐based versions. After providing an introduction to the scope and use of MapMan, we present a case study where MapMan is used to analyse the transcriptional response of the crop plant maize to diurnal changes and an extension of the night. We then explain how MapMan can be customized to visually and systematically compare responses in maize and Arabidopsis. These analyses illustrate how MapMan can be used to analyse and compare global transcriptional responses between phylogenetically distant species, and show that analyses at the level of functional categories are especially useful in cross‐species comparisons.
Evaluation of allergic sensitization and gastroesophageal reflux disease in children with recurrent croup
Authors: Arslan Zafer , Çipe Funda Erol , Özmen Serap , Kondolot Meda , Piskin I. Etem , Yöney Aysel
Published: March 2009

Background:  Croup, which is seen commonly in childhood, is a disorder that can be recurrent and progress to bronchial asthma. In the present study the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and atopy and the response to therapy were investigated in children with recurrent croup.

Methods:  Between October 2003 and June 2004, 57 patients with acute stridor were admitted to the emergency room. The patients who had at least three croup episodes and patients with first croup episode were compared.

Results:  Thirty‐two children had recurrent croup history, GER was found in of 62.5%, and atopy in 17.2%. Atopy was not found in any children with first croup episode. The difference was significant. In addition it was found that atopic dermatitis, previous history of wheezing and established atopy increased the risk of croup recurrence. Alone or combined inhaled corticosteroids and GER therapy were administered, and 77.7% of the patients responded very well.

Conclusion:  GER and atopy should be investigated in patients with recurrent spasmodic croup. Recurrent croup is a non‐specific manifestation of atopy. Patients with atopy should be followed closely for developing bronchial asthma.
RESEARCH SECTION: A qualitative comparison of perceived stress and coping in adolescents with and without autistic spectrum disorders as they approach leaving school
Authors: Browning James , Osborne Lisa A. , Reed Phil
Published: March 2009

During the research reported in this article, differences in perceived stress and coping between adolescents with and without autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) were examined by a series of interviews. Emphasis was placed on examining the issue with regard to the prospective transition at the point of leaving secondary education. Ten pupils with autism and seven without any identified disorder were interviewed. The participants with ASD indicated worry about specific objects and social relations; demonstrated a lack of external expression of their stress; and indicated a reliance on self, rather than others, for help. Those with ASD also indicated more concerns regarding items not affecting their education and were self‐admittedly poor at dealing with both current and future stress. Participants without a disorder were far more concerned with their education and outlined different methods of stress management. James Browning, an Educational Psychologist in training, Dr Lisa A. Osborne, a Research Fellow in the Learning and Adaptive Behaviour Group, in the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, and Professor Phil Reed, the Director of the Learning and Adaptive Behaviour Group, in the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, suggest that these differences should be addressed and argue that the further incorporation of techniques to improve coping with stress may ease the transition from school for students with ASD.
MENTAL HEALTH AND SEN: Mental health and special educational needs: exploring a complex relationship
Authors: Rose Richard , Howley Marie , Fergusson Ann , Jament Johnson
Published: March 2009

The relationship between mental health and special educational needs is both complex and misunderstood. In this article, Richard Rose, Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, Marie Howley, Senior Lecturer, Ann Fergusson, Senior Lecturer, and Johnson Jament, a PhD student, all from the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research directed by Richard Rose at the University of Northampton, discuss findings from a national research project which explored the perceptions of pupil mental health needs by staff working in residential special schools. Teachers and other professional colleagues often feel ill‐prepared to address mental health difficulties experienced by their pupils. This is, at times, exacerbated by a wider confusion when atypical behaviours are attributed to a diagnosed learning difficulty rather than being recognised as symptomatic of a mental health problem. The article suggests a need for clarification of the relationship between complex special educational needs and mental health and for increases in training opportunities and the development of resources for teaching about and supporting mental health and emotional well‐being.
Properties and function of extensible ligaments in the necks of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and other birds
Authors: Bennett M. B. , Alexander R. McN.
Published: March 2009

Highly extensible ligaments connect the neural spines of successive vertebrae in the proximal part of the neck in birds. Their elastic properties, and their lengths in different neck positions, have been investigated in experiments on turkeys. Their properties are very similar to those of the ligamentum nuchae of artiodactyls. They are stretched to large strains when the head is lowered but do not develop sufficient force to support the extended head and neck without the aid of muscles.
Observations on intraspecific aggression and coeval sibling cannibalism by larval and juvenile Claias gariepinus (Clariidae: Pisces) under controlled conditions
Authors: Hecht T. , Appelbaum S.
Published: March 2009

Factors influencing the rate of sibling cannibalism in larval and juvenile sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, were investigated under controlled conditions. The circum‐oral barbels were found to be more important for the capture of prey than the eyes. Cannibalism starts at a mean total length of 8 mm, three and a half days after the start of feeding and ceases to be of significance at approximately 80 mm, 47 days after the start of feeding. Two distinct types of cannibalism were evident, both of which are primary functions of the relationships between predator mouth width and prey head width. Type I cannibalism, which occurs in the length range from 8 to 45 mm, is characterized by the prey being caught tail‐first and swallowed up to the head, which is subsequently bitten off and discarded. Type II cannibalism on the other hand is characterized by the prey being swallowed head first and whole. During this phase, the larger fish in the population have a mouth width exceeding the head width of the smaller fishes. Type I induced mortality was higher than that induced by Type II. It was concluded that the rate of cannibalism is a consequence of intraspecific aggressive behaviour, the level of which is determined by experimental conditions. Sibling cannibalism was found to be positively density dependent, significantly suppressed by shelter and negatively correkated to food availability. Food availability was shown to have the greatest effect on the behaviour of the fish and hence on the rate of cannibalism. Cannibals grow at a faster rate than non–cannibals. It was concluded that the high rate of Type 1 cannibalism enhances the natural differential growth rate of the fish which leads to Type I1 cannibalism. There is a strong positive correlation between predator and prey size. Electivity analysis showed that the larvae and the juveniles appear to select for larger prey items. The applied implications of these observations are discussed. It was concluded that sibling cannibalism is a highly specialized predation strategy which, under a given set of environmentally induced limiting factors, acts as a density dependent population regulatory mechanism.
Two new species of phytoseiid mites from southern England with a redescription of Typhlodrornus tiliae
Authors: Evans Gwilym O.
Published: March 2009

Two new species of Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from southern England, Neoseiulus paramarinus and Typhlodromus ulex are described. A redescription is given of Typhlodromus tiliae Oudemans, 1929 based on the examination of the holotype female.
Mechanical behaviour of snake skin
Authors: Jayne Bruce C.
Published: March 2009

Forty‐nine samples of skin from the mid‐ventral, ventrolateral and mid‐dorsal regions of six species of snakes were mechanically tested in uniaxial extension at 0.05 strain/sec. The species of snakes studied ranged from generalists to specialists for arboreal or aquatic habitats. Analysis of the loading curves revealed substantial variation in loads and maximum stiffnesses among samples from different dorsoventral regions within an individual and among homologous samples from different species. Skin thickness varied by a factor of more than five, but this only partially accounts for the differences in the force per width of sample at a given extension. Qualitative differences in the dermal collagen fibres are implied by the shapes of the loading curves and the terminal elastic modulus which varied from about 15 to 585 MN/m2. The strain at beginning of failure ranged from 0.12 to 0.60. The size of the scales within a skin sample was not a reliable predictor of the loading behaviour of the sample. Correlations between the mechanical behaviour of skin and specializations in locomotion and associated musculature are discussed.
Seasonal and daily activity patterns of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in the Canadian prairies
Authors: Lariviere S. , Messier F.
Published: March 2009

We investigated the hypothesis that the daily and seasonal activity patterns of female and male striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) vary with reproductive constraints. Four biological periods were identified: pre‐parturition (1 April–14 May), parturition and rearing (15 May–30 June), pre‐dispersal (1–31 July), and dispersal (1–31 August). Tracking data (1873h) indicated that activity (percentage time active) of female skunks varied among seasons, being lowest during the pre‐parturition period (34 ± 10%), and highest during the pre‐dispersal period (66 ± 4%). Male activity did not vary among seasons (55 ± 3%). Animals of both sexes were mostly nocturnal, and had similar patterns of daily activity. Onset and cessation of activity were highly variable, but were not affected by season or sex. Daily activity typically started 13 ± 10 min before sunset, and was terminated 35 ± 8min before sunrise. Night‐time activity periods of both sexes were often (57%,n= 108) interrupted by at least one resting period (median = 1, range = 0–4). However, females rarely (5%,n= 89) returned to the maternal den to rest. We hypothesize that the nocturnal activity of adults is linked to prey activity and reduced predation risk, whereas apparent diurnal activity of juveniles represents an adaptation to daily fasting periods caused by the nocturnal foraging trips of females.
A comparative study of the ranging behaviour, activity rhythms and sociality of Lepilemur edwardsi (Primates, Lepilemuridae) and Avahi occidentalis (Primates, Indriidae) at Ampijoroa, Madagascar
Authors: Warren Ruth D. , Crompton Robin H.
Published: March 2009

Lepilemur edwardsi and Avahi occidentalis are both small, nocturnal folivores, but live sympatrically over a large part of their range, suggesting that niche differentiation has occurred. In order to establish whether ranging behaviour and activity patterns have contributed to niche differentiation, a field‐study was carried out at Ampijoroa, Madagascar, within the area of range overlap. Four individuals of each species were fitted with radiocollars and tracked, dusk to dawn, over 18 months. Data were collected on home‐range size, travel distances, activity and social behaviour. Neither showed the markedly biphasic activity patterns which have often been described for nocturnal prosimians; this might be explained by the combination of folivory and small body size. L. edwardsi spent long periods inactive, but engaged in considerable social interaction during the night, including extensive long‐range calling. The mean home range was 1.09 ha, and ranges were rather evenly used. Home ranges of females overlapped extensively, and the range of the single adult male which could be caught overlapped with the ranges of several females, as is common in nocturnal prosimians. The mean nightly travel distance was very low, only 343 metres. On the other hand, social interactions in A. occidentalis were primarily within a stable monogamous family unit, and long‐range calling was very limited. Home ranges were rather larger than in L. edwardsi, but less evenly used, and mean nightly travel distances were much greater, 1175 m. Differences in range‐use patterns may be explained by the contrast between Avahi's, selective feeding on relatively high‐quality young leaves and flowers, versus Lepilemur edwardsi's, unselective feeding on relatively low‐quality, but ubiquitous and evenly‐distributed, mature and old leaves. Similarly, while overlapping female ranges may be adequate when food resources are evenly distributed, monogamy in Avahi may be a response to selective feeding on a patchy food resource.
Structure and floristics of habitats associated with five rodent species in an agroecosystem in Central Argentina
Authors: Ellis B. A. , Mills J. N. , Childs J. E. , Muzzini M. C. , McKee K. T. , Enria D. A. , Glass G. E.
Published: March 2009

Microhabitat use for five rodent species (Calomys musculinus, Calomys laucha, Akodon azarae, Oligoryzomys flavescensandBolomys obscurus) inhabiting agroecosystems of the central Argentine pampa was investigated for 17 months at six mark‐recapture grids. Thirteen vegetation variables were measured along 748 transects at trap stations where rodents were captured and 252 stations where no captures were made. Principal components analysis was used to describe physiognomic differences among crop and post‐harvest habitats, as well as the less‐disturbed borders of crop fields. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the significance of principal components in predicting the presence of rodent species. Associations of rodents with plant species in border habitats were explored with Two‐Way‐Indicator‐Species Analysis and correspondence analysis.

Aerial coverage by vegetation, as well as ground cover by litter, and graminoid species richness, were important variables in predicting the presence of all rodent species, exceptC. laucha.Vertical vegetation density and maximum height were also important in determining the presence ofC. musculinusin soybean fields. Within border habitats,C. lauchawas found in lower quality microhabitats (increased bare ground, decreased vegetative cover, and decreased vertical vegetation density) and was associated with the invasive, introduced grass,Cynodon dactylon. C. lauchawas restricted to apparently sub‐optimal areas within border habitats during periods of high rodent density. These data indicate subtle differences in rodent‐plant associations among the members of the rodent assemblage and possible competitive exclusion ofC. lauchafrom stable habitats.

Calomys musculinusis the principal reservoir for Junin virus, aetiological agent of Argentine haemorrhagic fever. These results have practical implications in helping define the risk of human disease on a fine scale and provide a theoretical basis for reservoir control and risk reduction.
Systematics of white‐toothed shrews (Crocidura) (Mammalia: Insectivora: Soricidae) of Taiwan: Karyological and morphological Studies
Authors: Fang Yin‐Ping , Lee Ling‐Ling , Yew Fu‐Hsie , Yu Hon‐Tsen
Published: March 2009

We define the species boundaries of white‐toothed shrews (genus Crocidura) in Taiwan using karyological and morphological characteristics. Ninety‐nine animals were obtained from all over Taiwan at capture rates usually less than 10%. Three species are recognized by distinct cytotypes: Crocidura attenuata tanakae 2n = 40, FN = 56; Crocidura suaveolens hosletti 2n = 40, FN = 50; Crocidura kurodai 2n = 40, FN = 54. A suite of six morphological characters diagnose the three species: shape of skull, position of incisive foramina, shape of fourth upper premolar, shape of pinna, tail vibrissae, and foot pads. A species key and notes on the life history of each species are provided. Finally, we discuss chromosomal evolution and biolgeography of Crocidura in East and South East Asia.