bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid algal toxicity assay using variable chlorophyll fluorescence for Chlorella kessleri (chlorophyta)
Authors: Kvíderová Jana
Published: June 2009

Three methods of algal assays—the standard assay, microassay, and the proposed fluorescence assay—are compared from the point of view of reliability of EC50 detection, the minimum required time for the detection, sensitivity of individual measurement, i.e. at which cell density the particular assay can be used for EC50 estimation, and the time stability of the EC50 values. The assays were performed with green alga Chlorella kessleri strain LARG/1 growing in potassium dichromate solution in Z‐medium ranging from 0.01 to 100 mg Cr L−1. The inoculation cell density was set according to the standards to 104 cells mL−1 and according to spectrophotometer/plate reader detection limit. The average EC50 ranged from 0.096 to 0.649 mg Cr L−1 and there were no significant differences in EC50 between the assay type and the inoculation methods with the exception of the significant difference between ECc5072 (EC50 established from biomass measured as chlorophyll a concentration after 72 h of cultivation) in the standard assay and ECr50 (EC50 derived from growth rate) in the microassay in the standard inoculation experiment due to low variability of their values. The ECf50 (EC50 derived from variable fluorescence measurement) values correspond to EC50 values derived from the growth rates. Fluorescence measurement revealed the toxic effect of the chromium after 24 h of exposure at cell density of 5 × 104 cells mL−1, less by half than other used assay methods. The positive correlation of ECf50 and time was found in the standard inoculation experiment but opposite effect was observed at the spectrophotometric one. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 25: 554–563, 2010.
Real‐time visualization of oxidative stress in a floating macrophyte Lemna minor L. exposed to cadmium, copper, menadione, and AAPH
Authors: Razinger Jaka , Drinovec Luka , Zrimec Alexis
Published: June 2009

An ultra‐sensitive digital imaging system was employed to visualize oxidative stress in intact L. minor plants exposed to Cd, Cu, menadione, AAPH, and ascorbate in real time. The increase of ROS production was assessed by measuring the rate of fluorescence intensity increases of the test medium supplemented with a fluorescing probe (dichlorofluorescein diacetate). The addition of 100 μM CdCl2 or 100 μM CuSO4 to the growth medium resulted in a significant increase of medium fluorescence. Additionally, CuSO4 caused a significantly higher fluorescence intensity than CdCl2 did. A strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.99) between menadione concentration and fluorescence intensity was observed. The positive correlation between AAPH concentration and fluorescence intensity was not as strong as in the case of menadione (R2 = 0.81). Menadione induced a stronger oxidative stress than similar concentration of AAPH. The addition of 100 μM ascorbate to L. minor treated with 50 μM menadione significantly reduced the fluorescence intensity increase. A linear trend of the fluorescence increase was observed in all treatments, indicating that chemical‐induced oxidative stress is a gradual process and that the applied concentrations of the chemicals caused a constant increased production of ROS with different intensities, depending on the treatment. This is the combined result of a gradual diminishing of antioxidant reserves and accumulating oxidative damage. The observed rates of ROS production were slower than those in the studies using cell cultures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 25: 573–580, 2010.
Simulation‐based real‐time routing protocol with load distribution in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Ali A. , Latiff L. A. , Fisal N.
Published: June 2009

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), sensors gather information about the physical world and the base station makes decision and then performs appropriate actions upon the environment. This technology enables a user to effectively sense and monitor from a distance in real‐time. WSNs demand real‐time forwarding which means messages in the network are delivered according to their end‐to‐end deadlines (packet lifetime). This paper proposes a novel real‐time routing protocol with load distribution (RTLD) that ensures high packet throughput with minimized packet overhead and prolongs the lifetime of WSN. The routing depends on optimal forwarding (OF) decision that takes into account of the link quality (LQ), packet delay time and the remaining power of next hop sensor nodes. The proposed mechanism has been successfully studied through simulation work. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cooperative cache consistency maintenance for pervasive internet access
Authors: Huang Yu , Cao Jiannong , Jin Beihong , Tao Xianping , Lu Jian
Published: June 2009

Cooperative caching is an important technique to support pervasive Internet access. In order to ensure valid data access, the cache consistency must be maintained properly. However, this problem has not been sufficiently studied in mobile computing environments, especially those with ad hoc networks. There are two essential issues in cache consistency maintenance: consistency control initiation and data update propagation. Consistency control initiation not only decides the cache consistency provided to the users, but also impacts the consistency maintenance cost. This issue becomes more challenging in asynchronous and fully distributed ad hoc networks. To this end, we propose the predictive consistency control initiation (PCCI) algorithm, which adaptively initiates consistency control based on its online predictions of forthcoming data updates and cache queries. In order to efficiently propagate data updates through multi‐hop wireless connections, the hierarchical data update propagation (HDUP) algorithm is proposed. Theoretical analysis shows that cooperation among the caching nodes facilitates data update propagation. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate performance of both PCCI and HDUP. Evaluation results show that PCCI cost‐effectively initiates consistency control even when faced with dynamic changes in data update rate, cache query rate, node speed, and number of caching nodes. The evaluation results also show that HDUP saves cost for data update propagation by up to 66%. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensor network localization using kernel spectral regression
Authors: Wang Chengqun , Chen Jiming , Sun Youxian
Published: June 2009

This paper addresses the localization problem in wireless sensor networks using signal strength. We use a kernel function to measure the similarities between sensor nodes. The kernel matrix can be naturally defined in terms of the signal strength matrix. We show that the relative locations of sensor nodes can be obtained by solving a dimension reduction problem. To capture the structure of the whole network, we use the kernel spectral regression (KSR) method to estimate the relative locations of the sensor nodes. Given sufficient anchor nodes, the relative locations can be aligned to global locations. The key benefits of adopting KSR are that it allows us to define a graph to optimally preserve the topological structure of the sensor network, and a kernel function can capture the nonlinear relationship in the signal space. Simulation results show that we can achieve small average location error with a small number of anchors. We also compare our method with several related methods, and the results show that KSR is more efficient than the others in our simulated sensor networks. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accelerated failure time (AFT) modeling for the development and survival of Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko)
Authors: Ma Zhanshan (Sam) , Bechinski Edward John
Published: June 2009

Accelerated failure time model (AFT) and Cox's proportional hazards model (PHM) are considered the two most significant models in survival analysis, which has become a de facto standard for biomedical data analysis and modeling. AFT not only plays an extremely significant role in survival analysis but also finds extensive applications in engineering reliability. Survival analysis studies a special type of random variables: time‐to‐event (also known as failure time, lifetime or survival time) random variables. Examples of time‐to‐event random variables include survival times of patients in a clinical trial and failure times of machine components. Since molting and death times of insect individuals are also perfect examples of time‐to‐event random variables, we argue that survival analysis including AFT modeling is ideal for analyzing insect development and survival data, and further for building dynamic models of insect development and survival. Here we demonstrate such an application with data collected by observing stage‐to‐stage development and survival of 1,800 Russian wheat aphids (RWA), Diuraphis noxia, reared in laboratory growth chambers arranged in 25 treatments (each with 72 individuals). The main advantages of survival analysis, including the unified modeling of survival and development as well as handling of information censoring, are also discussed.
Continuous infusion of enzyme replacement therapy is inferior to weekly infusions in MPS I dogs
Authors: Passage M. B. , Krieger A. W. , Peinovich M. C. , Lester T. , Le S. Q. , Dickson P. I. , Kakkis E. D.
Published: June 2009

Intravenous enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant human α‐l‐iduronidase (rhIDU) is used weekly to treat mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) I. We tested continuous administration of rhIDU at two dosing levels (0.58 mg/kg per week and 2 mg/kg per week) in MPS I dogs, and compared the efficacy of continuous infusion with the clinically used 0.58 mg/kg weekly three‐hour infusion. Peak plasma concentrations of rhIDU were much higher in weekly‐treated dogs (mean 256 units/ml) than steady‐state concentrations in dogs treated with continuous infusion (mean 1.97 units/ml at 0.58 mg/kg per week; 8.44 units/ml at 2 mg/kg per week). Dogs receiving continuous IV rhIDU, even at a higher (2 mg/kg per week) dose, had consistently lower iduronidase levels in tissues than dogs receiving a weekly (0.58 mg/kg per week) dose. GAG storage was also less improved by continuous intravenous infusion. Adverse events were similar in all dosing groups. We found that continuous administration of 2 mg/kg per week rhIDU to MPS I dogs was insufficient to achieve GAG storage reduction comparable to 0.58 mg/kg weekly dosing.
Persistent deep mechanical hyperalgesia induced by repeated cold stress in rats
Authors: Nasu Teruaki , Taguchi Toru , Mizumura Kazue
Published: June 2009

Chronic muscle pain of the neck, shoulder and low back is quite common and often related to a stressed condition. In this study we tried to make a model of long‐lasting muscle mechanical hyperalgesia based on one type of stress, repeated cold stress (RCS) (Kita T, Hata T, Yoneda R, Okage T. Stress state caused by alternation of rhythm in environmental temperature, and the functional disorders in mice and rats. Folia Pharmacol Jpn 1975;71:195–210). We first validated a method of measuring the muscle mechanical nociceptive threshold through skin, with surface anesthesia of the skin covering the muscle. We found that a pressure test using a Randall–Selitto analgesiometer equipped with a larger probe (φ 2.6 mm) can measure the deep mechanical withdrawal threshold even under the presence of cutaneous punctuate hyperalgesia. RCS was performed by changing the temperature from 22 °C to either 4 °C (RCS at 4 °C) or −3 °C (RCS at −3 °C) every 30 min, and then maintained at 4 °C/−3 °C from 17:30 to 10:00 the next day. RCS at 4 °C for 5 days induced bilateral deep mechanical hyperalgesia lasting 2–3 weeks without cutaneous punctuate hyperalgesia. Deep mechanical hyperalgesia observed after RCS at −3 °C lasted longer (∼6 weeks) and was severer than RCS at 4 °C. Bilateral cutaneous punctuate hyperalgesia was also observed with RCS at −3 °C. Intramuscular injection of lidocaine confirmed that the muscle was hyperalgesic. RCS might serve as a useful model for study of the mechanism of chronic muscle pain and its treatment.
Stability of Helicobacter pylori CagA oncoprotein in human gastric epithelial cells
Authors: Ishikawa Susumu , Ohta Tomomi , Hatakeyama Masanori
Published: June 2009

Upon delivery into gastric epithelial cells, Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin‐associated gene A (CagA) binds and deregulates cellular proteins such as Src homology 2 domain‐containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 and partitioning‐defective 1 (PAR1), thereby acting as an epigenetic oncoprotein that promotes early phases of gastric cancer development. To elucidate the spatial and temporal contribution of CagA to carcinogenesis, it is crucial to know the stability of CagA in host cells. Here we show that the biological half‐life of CagA is about 200 min in gastric epithelial cells. Furthermore, deletion of the PAR1‐binding sequence accelerates CagA degradation. Thus, CagA is a relatively short half‐life protein whose stability may be modulated through complex formation with PAR1.
Why do people give? The role of identity in giving
Authors: Aaker Jennifer L. , Akutsu Satoshi
Published: June 2009

Why do people give to others? One principal driver involves one's identity: who one is and how they view themselves. The degree to which identities are malleable, involve a readiness to act, and help make sense of the world have significant implications determining whether and how much people give. Drawing on the Identity‐Based Motivation model (IBM; Oyserman, D. (2009). Identity‐based motivation: Implications for action‐readiness, procedural‐readiness, and consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19.), we provide a tripartite framework to help advance the research on the psychology of giving.
Long‐Term Results of Endolymphatic Mastoid Shunt Surgery in Patients with Intractable Ménière's Disease
Authors: Yu Myeong Sang , Lee Kwang‐Sun , Chung Jong Woo
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate changes in vertigo and hearing from patients with Ménière's disease managed by endolymphatic mastoid shunt (EMS).

STUDY DESIGN

Case series with chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Data from 16 patients were analyzed using 1995 AAO–HNS criteria.

RESULTS

Among 16 patients, six had class A vertigo control two years after treatment, five had class B, one class C, three class D, and one class F. At four years after surgery, seven patients had class A, four class B, three class C, and two class F. The mean functional level before surgery was 4.8 and improved to 2.9 and 2.6 at two years and four years after surgery, respectively. The bone conduction pure‐tone averages (four frequencies) were 43.3 before surgery and improved to 33.5 dB HL and 35.5 dB HL at three and six months after surgery, respectively. At two years of follow‐up, the hearing level was 38.6 dB HL and was not different from the preoperative hearing level. Two years after surgery, the hearing level gradually decreased and was 42.0 dB HL at five years of follow‐up.

CONCLUSION

EMS appears to be beneficial in the short term for the symptomatic patients.
Oral supplementation of propionyl-l-carnitine reduces body weight and hyperinsulinaemia in obese Zucker rats
Authors: Mingorance Carmen , Gonzalez del Pozo Maria , Dolores Herrera Maria , Alvarez de Sotomayor Maria
Published: June 2009

Propionyl-l-carnitine (PLC) is an SCFA esterified to carnitine that plays an important role in fatty acid oxidation and energy expenditure, in addition to having a protective effect on the endothelium. In order to evaluate the effect of PLC on an animal model of obesity, insulin resistance and, consequently, endothelial dysfunction, lean and obese Zucker rats (OZR) received either vehicle- or PLC-supplemented drinking water (200 mg/kg per d) for 20 weeks. Body weight, food intake, systolic blood pressure and heart rate were controlled weekly and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Fasting glucose, TAG, cholesterol, HDL, NEFA, adiponectin and insulin were analysed in serum. Visceral adipose tissue and liver were weighed and liver TAG liver composition was evaluated. Endothelial and vascular functions were assessed in the aorta and small mesenteric arteries by response to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine (Phe); NO participation was evaluated after incubation with the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) and endothelial NOS protein expression by Western blotting. PLC decreased body-weight gain, food intake, adiposity, insulin serum concentration and TAG liver content and improved insulin resistance. Aortae from OZR receiving either vehicle or PLC exhibited a lower contractile response to Phe. PLC-treated OZR showed an enhanced release of endothelial NO upon the adrenergic stimulation. The protection of vascular function found after treatment with PLC in an animal model of insulin resistance supports the necessity of clinical trials showing the effect of l-carnitine supplements on metabolic disorders.
Practical application of induced resistance to plant diseases: an appraisal of effectiveness under field conditions
Authors: WALTERS D. R. , FOUNTAINE J. M.
Published: June 2009

Plants resist pathogen attack through a combination of constitutive and inducible defences. Different types of induced resistance have been defined based on differences in signalling pathways and spectra of effectiveness. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) occurs in distal plant parts following localized infection by a necrotizing pathogen. It is controlled by a signalling pathway that depends upon the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and the regulatory protein NPR1. In contrast, induced systemic resistance (ISR) is promoted by selected strains of non-pathogenic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). ISR functions independently of SA, but requires NPR1 and is regulated by jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET).

Resistance can be induced by treatment with a variety of biotic and abiotic inducers. The resistance induced is broad spectrum and can be long-lasting, but is rarely complete, with most inducing agents providing between 0·20 and 0·85 disease control. In the field, expression of induced resistance is likely to be influenced by the environment, genotype, crop nutrition and the extent to which plants are already induced. Unfortunately, understanding of the impact of these influences on the expression of induced resistance is rudimentary. So too is understanding of how best to use induced resistance in practical crop protection. This situation will need to change if induced resistance is to fulfil its potential in crop protection.
Soil changes following long-term cultivation of pulses
Authors: GANESHAMURTHY A. N.
Published: June 2009

Studies were conducted on Entisols to understand the effects of continuous pulse cultivation on soil chemical, physical and biological properties by comparing with continuous non-pulse crops and uncultivated soils. Soils of a Typic Ustochrept, developed from the same parent material, from 16-year-old pulse cultivation fields, non-pulse crop fields and uncultivated fallow fields in a location with uniform topography were analysed using a polyphasic approach combining traditional soil physical and chemical analysis, culture-dependent and independent microbiological analysis and enzymatic analysis. Among the soil physical properties, only soil aggregate stability and soil compaction showed significant improvement in soils under pulses than non-pulse crops. Compared to uncultivated fallows, the soil pH after pulse cultivation was about 1 unit lower while non-pulse crop cultivation reduced it by 0·36. The chemical and biological variables that contribute most to the discrimination of the pulses effect and non-pulse crops effect on soil quality are organic carbon (C), microbial biomass C, nitrogen (N) and biomass ninhydrin-N, and secondary variables related to N cycle:nitrate (NO3–N), organic and total soluble N. The enzyme activities were significantly higher in soils after pulse cultivation than after non-pulse crops or uncultivated fallow. The soil quality of pulse cultivation fields seems to be markedly different to that of non-pulse crop fields and uncultivated fallows in terms of all the variables studied.
Can the Cross-Sectional Variation in Expected Stock Returns Explain Momentum?
Authors: Bulkley George , Nawosah Vivekanand
Published: June 2009

It has been hypothesized that momentum might be rationally explained as a consequence of the cross-sectional variation of unconditional expected returns. Stocks with relatively high unconditional expected returns will on average outperform in both the portfolio formation period and in the subsequent holding period. We evaluate this explanation by first removing unconditional expected returns for each stock from raw returns and then testing for momentum in the resulting series. We measure the unconditional expected return on each stock as its mean return in the whole sample period. We find momentum effects vanish in demeaned returns.
The needle and the damage done: pericardial effusion with tamponade after needle ingestion in an infant
Authors: Fennessy B G , Rahbar R , Bunker N , Pigula F , Casta A
Published: June 2009

Objective:

Paediatric foreign bodies may present with vague and nonspecific symptoms. It is important to have a high index of suspicion when managing such cases.

Method:

We report the case of a nine-month-old infant who presented with a wheeze, cough and fever following ingestion of a needle.

Results:

This patient developed pericardial tamponade as a consequence of the needle ingestion, and required a thoracotomy for retrieval. We discuss the pathophysiology involved and the surgery required.

Conclusion:

Pericardial tamponade is a rare but potentially fatal manifestation of an ingested foreign body.
Lymphangioma circumscriptum of the tongue: successful treatment using intralesional bleomycin
Authors: Kataria P , Passey J C , Agarwal A K
Published: June 2009

Objective:

We report a case of lymphangioma circumscriptum of the tongue, a very rare site of occurrence, which was successfully managed with intralesional bleomycin therapy.

Method:

We present a case report and review of available literature regarding lymphangioma circumscriptum of the tongue and the role of bleomycin therapy.

Results:

The patient was a 19-year-old man with a long-standing lesion involving the tongue, who presented with spontaneous, episodic bleeding over the previous few months. A diagnosis of lymphangioma circumscriptum was established on biopsy. Intralesional bleomycin injection resulted in successful resolution, and the patient remained asymptomatic over more than one year's follow up.

Conclusion:

Lymphangioma circumscriptum is usually seen in the extremities and genitals. This case had a very rare site of occurrence, the tongue, and was successfully managed with conservative treatment, using intralesional bleomycin alone.
Organised haematoma of the sphenoid sinus mimicking a pituitary tumour
Authors: Nakagawa T , Kawai Y , Sakamoto T , Ito J
Published: June 2009

Objective:

We report an extremely rare case of an organised haematoma arising in the sphenoid sinus.

Case report:

An 85-year-old woman presented with an expansile soft tissue mass in the left sphenoid sinus, with bony destruction of the sella turcica, which mimicked the extrasellar extension of a pituitary tumour. The tumour was excised using an endoscopic, transsphenoidal approach. Histopathological examination revealed an organised haematoma.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge, this is the first report of an organised haematoma arising in the sphenoid sinus. This case indicates that organised haematoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of extensive sphenoid lesions; it also emphasises the importance of correct pre-operative diagnosis for therapeutic planning, as complete surgical resection by an endoscopic approach is curative.
Two siblings with progressive, fluctuating hearing loss after head trauma, treated with cochlear implantation
Authors: de Wolf M J F , Honings J , Joosten F B M , Hoefsloot L , Mylanus E A M , Cremers C W R J
Published: June 2009

Objective:

Description of two siblings with unexplained, progressive, perceptive hearing loss after head trauma.

Design:

Case report.

Subjects:

Two siblings aged six and eight years old with bilateral, intermittent but progressive hearing loss.

Results:

These patients had a c.1172G>A (p.Ser391Asn) mutation in the SLC26A4 gene, which has not previously been reported and which caused Pendred or enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome. The diagnosis was based on the perceptive hearing loss, computed tomography findings and mutation analysis. The patients were each fitted with a cochlear implant because of their severe, progressive, perceptive hearing loss with deep fluctuations. The results were good.

Conclusion:

Further testing for the presence of an enlarged vestibular aqueduct is recommended when children present with sudden progression in perceptive hearing loss, whether or not in combination with head trauma. Cochlear implantation is indicated in patients with persistent, progressive hearing loss that leads to deafness. Implantation can be undertaken successfully despite cochlear hypoplasia.
Cymbastela sodwaniensissp. nov. (Halichondrida: Axinellidae): a first record of this sponge genus in South Africa
Authors: Samaai Toufiek , Pillay Ruwen , Kelly Michelle
Published: June 2009

Cymbastela sodwaniensissp. nov. (order Halichondrida: family Axinellidae) is described from the subtropical waters of Sodwana Bay on the north-east coast of South Africa. The genus was previously unknown from southern Africa or the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean. This record represents the westernmost extent of this predominantly Indo-Pacific to Australasian genus. This new species record brings the number ofCymbastelaspecies described to a total of nine.
The invasion of Undaria pinnatifida to a Macrocystis pyrifera kelp in Patagonia (Argentina, south-west Atlantic)
Authors: Raffo M. Paula , Eyras M. Cecilia , Iribarne Oscar O.
Published: June 2009

Biological invasions can alter the biodiversity of native communities generating an ecological impact that in many cases is irreversible. In 2001, Undaria pinnatifida invaded Macrocystis pyrifera kelp in Cracker Bay (42°56′S, 64°27′W; Northern Patagonia, Argentina). The possible impact of that invasion was evaluated in March 2004 with a study of population and morphological parameters of both kelp species and their associated holdfast biodiversity. Three nearby areas of spatial distribution of the kelps were differentiated, one dominated by M. pyrifera (M), an intermediate area characterized by M. pyrifera and U. pinnatifida (M+U), and another dominated by U. pinnatifida (U). In each area, sporophytes in nine quadrats of 1 m2 were collected. The density and biomass m−2, the height of the sporophytes and the size of the holdfast of  M. pyrifera did not diminish in the presence of  U. pinnatifida. The richness, abundance and diversity of the flora associated with the holdfast of both kelps were similar, whereas these parameters were higher in the case of the fauna associated to M. pyrifera than U. pinnatifida Results obtained in this work suggest that, at this invasion stage, there is no evidence of interspecific competition. Nevertheless, since density and diversity of the fauna associated with the holdfast is different, we expect community changes if the U. pinnatifida invasion continues to expand.
Temporal genetic variation of microsatellite markers in the razor clamEnsis arcuatus(Bivalvia: Pharidae)
Authors: Varela Miguel A. , Martínez-Lage Andrés , González-Tizón Ana M.
Published: June 2009

The aim of this study was to characterize new microsatellite loci in the razor clamEnsis arcuatus(Bivalvia: Pharidae) and examine the temporal genetic variability of a natural bed in Cies Islands (Galicia, north-western Spain) exploited by apnoea divers and affected by the ‘Prestige’ oil tanker spill in November 2002. In this work, we characterized four polymorphic microsatellites using an alternative approach that relies on the amplification and sequencing of ISSR markers. Observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.1053–0.6800 and number of alleles from 4–19. Linkage equilibrium was observed in all loci and two of them showed significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Estimators ofFSTbetween samples were low (<0.05) and not different from zero with a confidence level of 5%. We did not detect a clear decreasing tendency in genetic diversity although we found a significant change in allelic frequencies among samples (P = 0.0024) after the ‘Prestige’ oil spill. We propose that both phenomena could be related to a high variance in genetic success and/or a movement of adults or larvae from different source populations.
Leucosolenia microspinata sp. nov. (Porifera: Calcarea), a new species from the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Longo Caterina
Published: June 2009

A new species of Leucosoleniidae, Leucosolenia microspinata sp. nov., from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Porto Vecchio pond, Marinello Marine Reserve, Messina) is here described. The species consists of a dense reticulation of ascon tubes having a colour ranging from white-cream to light-brown. Its spiculation consists of diactines sometimes serrated or microspined, not separable into size-classes, triactines of four types and tetractines with microspined apical actine. The comparison with other Mediterranean Leucosolenia is reported.
Rates of divergence of non-conventional ergodic averages
Authors: QUAS ANTHONY , WIERDL MÁTÉ
Published: June 2009

We first study the rate of growth of ergodic sums along a sequence (an) of times: SNf(x)=∑ n≤Nf(Tanx). We characterize the maximal rate of growth and identify a number of sequences such as an=2n, along which the maximal rate of growth is achieved. To point out though the general character of our techniques, we then turn to Khintchine’s strong uniform distribution conjecture that the averages (1/N)∑ n≤Nf(nx mod 1) converge pointwise to ∫ f for integrable functions f. We give a simple, intuitive counterexample and prove that, in fact, divergence occurs at the maximal rate.
Topological properties of full groups
Authors: KITTRELL JOHN , TSANKOV TODOR
Published: June 2009

We study full groups of countable, measure-preserving equivalence relations. Our main results include that they are all homeomorphic to the separable Hilbert space and that every homomorphism from an ergodic full group to a separable group is continuous. We also find bounds for the minimal number of topological generators (elements generating a dense subgroup) of full groups allowing us to distinguish between full groups of equivalence relations generated by free, ergodic actions of the free groups Fm and Fn if m and n are sufficiently far apart. We also show that an ergodic equivalence relation is generated by an action of a finitely generated group if an only if its full group is topologically finitely generated.
Equidistribution of dense subgroups on nilpotent Lie groups
Authors: BREUILLARD EMMANUEL
Published: June 2009

Let Γ be a dense subgroup of a simply connected nilpotent Lie group G generated by a finite symmetric set S. We consider the n-ball Sn for the word metric induced by S on Γ. We show that Sn (with uniform measure) becomes equidistributed on G with respect to the Haar measure as n tends to infinity. We also prove the analogous result for random walk averages.
On unipotent flows in ℋ(1,1)
Authors: CALTA KARIANE , WORTMAN KEVIN
Published: June 2009

We study the action of the horocycle flow on the moduli space of abelian differentials in genus two. In particular, we exhibit a classification of a specific class of probability measures that are invariant and ergodic under the horocycle flow on the stratum ℋ(1,1).
On the norm convergence of non-conventional ergodic averages
Authors: AUSTIN TIM
Published: June 2009

We offer a proof of the following non-conventional ergodic theorem: IfTi:ℤr↷(X,Σ,μ) fori=1,2,…,dare commuting probability-preserving ℤr-actions, (IN)N≥1is a Følner sequence of subsets of ℤr, (aN)N≥1is a base-point sequence in ℤrandf1,f2,…,fd∈L∞(μ) then the non-conventional ergodic averagesconverge to some limit inL2(μ) that does not depend on the choice of (aN)N≥1or (IN)N≥1. The leading case of this result, withr=1 and the standard sequence of averaging sets, was first proved by Tao, following earlier analyses of various more special cases and related results by Conze and Lesigne, Furstenberg and Weiss, Zhang, Host and Kra, Frantzikinakis and Kra and Ziegler. While Tao’s proof rests on a conversion to a finitary problem, we invoke only techniques from classical ergodic theory, so giving a new proof of his result.
Complexity and cohomology for cut-and-projection tilings
Authors: JULIEN ANTOINE
Published: June 2009

We consider a subclass of tilings: the tilings obtained by cut-and-projection. Under somewhat standard assumptions, we show that the natural complexity function has polynomial growth. We compute its exponentαin terms of the ranks of certain groups which appear in the construction. We give bounds forα. These computations apply to some well-known tilings, such as the octagonal tilings, or tilings associated with billiard sequences. A link is made between the exponent of the complexity, and the fact that the cohomology of the associated tiling space is finitely generated over ℚ. We show that such a link cannot be established for more general tilings, and we present a counterexample in dimension one.
Ruelle operator theorem for non-expansive systems
Authors: JIANG YUNPING , YE YUAN-LING
Published: June 2009

The Ruelle operator theorem has been studied extensively both in dynamical systems and iterated function systems. In this paper we study the Ruelle operator theorem for non-expansive systems. Our theorems give some sufficient conditions for the Ruelle operator theorem to be held for a non-expansive system.
An extension of the ergodic closing lemma
Authors: HAYASHI SHUHEI
Published: June 2009

An extended version of the ergodic closing lemma of Mañé is proved. As an application, we show that, C1 densely in the complement of the closure of Morse–Smale diffeomorphisms and those with a homoclinic tangency, there exists a weakly hyperbolic structure (dominated splittings with average hyperbolicity at almost every point on hyperbolic parts, and one-dimensional center direction when zero Lyapunov exponents are involved) over the supports of all non-atomic ergodic measures. As another application, we prove an approximation theorem, which claims that approximating the Lyapunov exponents of any non-atomic ergodic measure by those of an atomic ergodic measure by a C1 small perturbation is possible.
Morse and Lyapunov spectra and dynamics on flag bundles
Authors: SAN MARTIN LUIZ A. B. , SECO LUCAS
Published: June 2009

In this paper we study characteristic exponents of flows in relation with the dynamics of flows on flag bundles. The starting point is a flow on a principal bundle with semi-simple group G. Projection against the Iwasawa decomposition G=KAN defines an additive cocycle over the flow with values in 𝔞=log A. Its Lyapunov exponents (limits along trajectories) and Morse exponents (limits along chains) are studied. A symmetric property of these spectral sets is proved, namely invariance under the Weyl group. We also prove that these sets are located in certain Weyl chambers, defined from the dynamics on the associated flag bundles. As a special case linear flows on vector bundles are considered.
Real analyticity of Hausdorff dimension for expanding rational semigroups
Authors: SUMI HIROKI , URBAŃSKI MARIUSZ
Published: June 2009

We consider the dynamics of expanding semigroups generated by finitely many rational maps on the Riemann sphere. We show that for an analytic family of such semigroups, the Bowen parameter function is real-analytic and plurisubharmonic. Combining this with a result obtained by the first author, we show that if each semigroup of such an analytic family of expanding semigroups satisfies the open set condition, then the Hausdorff dimension of the Julia set is a real-analytic and plurisubharmonic function of the parameter. Moreover, we provide an extensive collection of examples of analytic families of semigroups satisfying all of the above conditions and we analyze in detail the corresponding Bowen’s parameters and Hausdorff dimension function.
Multiple polynomial correlation sequences and nilsequences
Authors: LEIBMAN A.
Published: June 2009

A basic nilsequence is a sequence of the form ψ(n)=f(Tnx), where x is a point of a compact nilmanifold X, T is a translation on X, and f∈C(X); a nilsequence is a uniform limit of basic nilsequences. Let X=G/Γ be a compact nilmanifold, Y be a subnilmanifold of X, g(n) be a polynomial sequence in G, and f∈C(X); we show that the sequence ∫ g(n)Yf, n∈ℤ, is the sum of a basic nilsequence and a sequence that converges to zero in uniform density. This implies that, given an ergodic invertible measure-preserving system (W,ℬ,μ,T), with μ(W)<∞, polynomials p1,…,pk∈ℤ[n], and sets A1,…,Ak∈ℬ, the sequence μ(Tp1(n)A1∩⋯∩Tpk(n)Ak) is the sum of a nilsequence and a sequence that converges to zero in uniform density. We also obtain a version of this result for the case where pi are polynomials in several variables.
Successful use of intravenous amiodarone in a child with combined postoperative junctional and ectopic tachycardias
Authors: Karacan Mehmet , Olgun Haşim , Becit Necip
Published: June 2009

Early postoperative arrhythmias are a known complication of cardiac surgery. It is unusual, however, to encounter postoperative junctional and ectopic atrial tachycardias in the same patient. We describe our experience with a 2-year-old girl who suffered both these tachycardias after repair of a ventricular septal defect, the abnormal rhythms being controlled solely with intravenous administration of amiodarone.
A Pilot Study of Telephone Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Young People
Authors: Turner Cynthia , Heyman Isobel , Futh Annabel , Lovell Karina
Published: June 2009

Background: Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is the recommended psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Access to CBT may be limited by a number of factors, including lack of trained therapists, and geographic or financial factors preventing access to a specialized service. Telephone delivery of CBT represents one way of overcoming some of these accessibility issues. This pilot study describes outcomes for a telephone-based cognitive-behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Method: Ten participants, aged 13 to 17 years, and their parents received up to 16 sessions of telephone CBT (TCBT). Measures of OCD symptoms were obtained using multiple informants and a repeated measures design. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results: Improvements were found for OCD symptoms across all informants. Family satisfaction with treatment over the telephone was high. Conclusions: The findings suggest that TCBT is a clinically effective, feasible and acceptable means of service delivery that offers the potential to make CBT a more accessible treatment for young people. TCBT requires further evaluation in randomized, controlled trials to compare effectiveness with face-to-face CBT, which currently represents the usual care model.
BMI centile curves for Japanese children aged 5–17 years in 2000–2005
Authors: Sakamoto Naoko , Yang Limin
Published: June 2009

Objectives

To examine changes in the age-specific prevalence of overweight and obesity in Japanese children between 2000 and 2005 and compare Japanese centile curves with international ones.

Design

A large, Japanese, representative cross-sectional growth study.

Setting

Japan.

Subjects

Japanese children aged 5–17 years, including 669 986 subjects in 2000, 670 143 in 2001, 668 760 in 2002, 670 785 in 2003, 669 120 in 2004 and 668 234 in 2005.

Main outcome measure

BMI (weight/height2).

Results

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children aged 5–17 years decreased from 2000 to 2005 in both males and females, according to the definitions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Obesity Taskforce. For each year, the centile curves were drawn so that at age 17 years they passed through respectively 24·46 kg/m2 and 24·70 kg/m2 for males, and 29·41 kg/m2 and 29·69 kg/m2 for females, which are the BMI values at age 17 years from the international reference curves.

Conclusions

The study results indicate that centile curves can change according to the time of observation, thus suggesting that international reference curves therefore need to be regularly revised while including more data from a larger range of countries.
Overweight in dogs, but not in cats, is related to overweight in their owners
Authors: Nijland Marieke L , Stam Frank , Seidell Jacob C
Published: June 2009

Objective

To quantify the environmental component of aetiology of overweight and obesity by examining the relationship between the degree of overweight in dogs and cats and the degree of overweight in their owners.

Design

Cross-sectional study. Main outcome measures of the owners were weight, height (stature) and BMI. Of the animals, weight and divergence from ideal weight were measured by a veterinarian.

Setting

Three veterinary clinics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Subjects

Dogs and cats, together with their owners, who visited the veterinary clinic. Dogs and cats had to be older than 1 year, and their owners had to be at least 21 years old. After exclusion, there remained forty-seven pairs of dogs and their owners and thirty-six pairs of cats and their owners.

Results

We found a significant relationship between the degree of overweight of dogs and the BMI of their owners (r = 0·31). Correction for length of ownership, gender and age of the animal, and gender, age, education level and activity score of the owner did not materially affect this relationship. However, after correction for the amount of time the dog was being walked each day, this relationship disappeared. No significant relationship was found between the degree of overweight of cats and the BMI of their owners.

Conclusions

The degree to which dogs are overweight is, in contrast to the degree to which cats are overweight, related to the BMI of their owners.
Diet quality of a population sample from coastal north-east Spain evaluated by a Mediterranean adaptation of the Diet Quality Index (DQI)
Authors: Bondia-Pons Isabel , Mayneris-Perxachs Jordi , Serra-Majem Lluís , Castellote Ana I , Mariné Abel , López-Sabater M Carmen
Published: June 2009

Objective

To assess the adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern in the population from a coastal region from north-east Spain and its relationship to diseases, applying the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (M-DQI) validated by the use of several biomarkers.

Design

Cross-sectional nutrition survey.

Setting

Population-based random sample derived from the Catalan Nutrition Survey.

Subjects

A total of 621 healthy adults.

Results

The Catalan representative sample presented a mean M-DQI score of 6·6 (sd2·3, median 7, range 0–14). The percentage of adherence to the Mediterranean diet was 53 %; 10 % of subjects showed high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, while only 2 % were categorized as poorest adherence. The plasma fatty acid profile of the Catalan sample progressed with perfect regularity throughout the index ranges. Both EPA and DHA presented a significant correlation to the M-DQI (r= −0·410 for EPA and −0·360 for DHA). A significant increase in palmitic, oleic and α-linolenic acids and a significant decrease in stearic, linoleic and arachidonic acids content were also observed. The mean values for the M-DQI according to the clinical characteristics of the Catalan sample were also calculated.

Conclusions

The M-DQI has been demonstrated a suitable tool for assessment of an individual’s nutritional status according to the Mediterranean dietary pattern and for clinical purposes. Although the current diet followed in Catalonia seems to agree with the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, the promotion of the Mediterranean pattern should be reinforced in the Catalan population, especially among young people.
The commercial marketing of healthy lifestyles to address the global child and adolescent obesity pandemic: prospects, pitfalls and priorities
Authors: Kraak Vivica I , Kumanyika Shiriki K , Story Mary
Published: June 2009

Public- and private-sector initiatives to promote healthy eating and physical activity, called ‘healthy lifestyles’, are a relatively recent response to the global obesity pandemic. The present paper explores different views about marketing healthy lifestyles with a special emphasis on private-sector initiatives and public–private partnerships designed to reach young people. We discuss aspects of these initiatives and partnerships from three perspectives: (i) the potential for commercial marketing practices to have a favourable influence on reversing global obesity trends (termed prospects); (ii) unresolved dilemmas and challenges that may hinder progress (termed pitfalls); and (iii) the implementation and evaluation of coordinated and systematic actions (termed priorities) that may increase the likelihood that commercially marketed healthy-lifestyle initiatives and public–private partnerships can make a positive contribution to reverse the rise in overweight and obesity among young people globally.
Diet quality, nutrition and physical activity among adolescents: the Web-SPAN (Web-Survey of Physical Activity and Nutrition) project
Authors: Storey Kate E , Forbes Laura E , Fraser Shawn N , Spence John C , Plotnikoff Ronald C , Raine Kim D , Hanning Rhona M , McCargar Linda J
Published: June 2009

Objective

To assess the overall diet quality of a sample of adolescents living in Alberta, Canada, and evaluate whether diet quality, nutrient intakes, meal behaviours (i.e. meal skipping and consuming meals away from home) and physical activity are related.

Design

A cross-sectional study design. Students completed the self-administered Web-Survey of Physical Activity and Nutrition (Web-SPAN). Students were classified as having poor, average or superior diet quality based on Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating (CFGHE).

Setting

One hundred and thirty-six schools (37 %) within forty-four public and private school boards (75 %) in Alberta, Canada.

Subjects

Grade 7 to 10 Alberta students (n4936) participated in the school-based research.

Results

On average, students met macronutrient requirements; however, micronutrient and fibre intakes were suboptimal. Median CFGHE food group intakes were below recommendations. Those with poor diet quality (42 %) had lower intakes of protein, fibre and low-calorie beverages; higher intakes of carbohydrates, fat and Other Foods (e.g. foods containing mostly sugar, high-salt/fat foods, high-calorie beverages, low-calorie beverages and high-sugar/fat foods); a lower frequency of consuming breakfast and a higher frequency of consuming meals away from home; and a lower level of physical activity when compared with students with either average or superior diet quality.

Conclusions

Alberta adolescents were not meeting minimum CFGHE recommendations, and thus had suboptimal intakes and poor diet quality. Suboptimal nutritional intakes, meal behaviours and physical inactivity were all related to poor diet quality and reflect the need to target these health behaviours in order to improve diet quality and overall health and wellness.
Delivering bad news: a vital skill for professionals involved in breast cancer care
Authors: Linver M. N.
Published: June 2009

Delivering bad news to patients being evaluated for and diagnosed with breast cancer requires a unique blend of medical knowledge, compassion, and sensitivity. Although many of the techniques involved are intuitive, one can enhance these skills by incorporating a few simple concepts into the patient encounter. By combining these with an understanding of appropriate responses to possible patient reactions to the news, one can create a more effective groundwork for the patient’s recovery on both physical and emotional levels.