bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolutionary ecology of vegetative dormancy in mature herbaceous perennial plants
Authors: Shefferson Richard P.
Published: June 2009

1. I present an evolutionary ecology interpretation of vegetative dormancy in mature herbaceous perennials. This kind of vegetative dormancy has been noted for at least 40 years, but has only recently become a topic of study.

2. Vegetative dormancy may be considered in a life‐history context. Both vegetative dormancy and mortality typically decrease with increasing size. Vegetative dormancy’s relationship to reproduction is more complex, because some species increase flowering and fruiting after dormancy while others do the opposite.

3. If vegetative dormancy is adaptive, then it is most likely a bet‐hedging trait. Dormancy‐prone plants are often long‐lived, and in such organisms, bet‐hedging traits should counter the effects of environmental stochasticity on adult survival. This adaptive context may vary by life span, because in shorter‐lived plants, fitness is most sensitive to changes in reproduction rather than survival.

4. Vegetative dormancy could evolve if the costs of sprouting ever outweigh the benefits. The benefits of sprouting include: (i) photosynthesis and (ii) the opportunity to flower and reproduce. The costs include: (i) greater chance of herbivory, (ii) greater need for limiting nutrients, and (iii) greater maintenance costs. The many losses of photosynthesis among plants suggest that these benefits may not always outweigh the costs.

5. Vegetative dormancy may be an evolutionary step towards the loss of photosynthesis. Many non‐photosynthetic plants acquire carbon from their mycorrhizal fungi. Many autotrophic, dormancy‐prone plants also acquire some carbon from their mycorrhizal fungi. Further, non‐photosynthetic plants often become dormant to an even greater extent than autotrophic, dormancy‐prone plants.

6.
Synthesis Vegetative dormancy often occurs in clades with non‐photosynthetic, myco‐heterotrophic plants, with implications for the evolution of traits involved in carbon nutrition. The links between vegetative dormancy, other life‐history traits, mycorrhizas and the loss of photosynthesis should provide exciting directions for further research in plant evolutionary ecology. Particularly needed is an assessment of the physiology of vegetative dormancy, including whether the mycorrhiza is a carbon source in all dormancy‐prone plant species. Equally important is a better understanding of the genetic relationships among photosynthesis, myco‐heterotrophy and dormancy.
Impact of prosthodontic status on oral wellbeing: a cross‐sectional cohort study
Authors: MONTERO J. , LÓPEZ J. F. , GALINDO M. P. , VICENTE P. , BRAVO M.
Published: June 2009

Summary  To assess the impact of the prosthodontic status on oral health‐related quality of life and satisfaction. We performed a cohort study at the University Clinic in Salamanca in which a group requesting prosthetic treatment (P0; n = 31) was compared with a group treated with conventional prostheses (P1; n = 29) and a control group (C; n = 18) not requesting or treated with prostheses. A clinical examination for the presence of caries, periodontal disease and edentulism was carried out. An assessment was made on the impact on the quality of life employing the oral impacts on daily performance‐Spanish version and the oral health impact profile 14‐Spanish version, and wellbeing was assessed by the self‐rated satisfaction on a 0–10 scale. The P0 cohort was significantly less satisfied and suffered a greater level of impact as regard their quality of life than the other cohorts. The main benefit of conventional prosthetic treatment was perceived by most of the treated patients (P1) in dimensions related to chewing, the aesthetic function and the assessment of the general state of the mouth. However, an unexpected proportion of patients underwent a worsening of their oral wellbeing after prosthetic treatment, mainly in the chewing ability (23%) and pain discomfort (19%) dimensions. Satisfaction and quality of life were higher in the treated group (P1) and controls (C) than in those requesting prosthetic treatment (P0).
Structural characterization of the active form of PerR: insights into the metal‐induced activation of PerR and Fur proteins for DNA binding
Authors: Jacquamet L. , Traoré D. A. K. , Ferrer J.‐L. , Proux O. , Testemale D. , Hazemann J.‐L. , Nazarenko E. , El Ghazouani A. , Caux‐Thang C. , Duarte V. , Latour J.‐M.
Published: June 2009

In Bacillus subtilis, the transcription factor PerR is an iron dependant sensor of H2O2. The sensing mechanism relies on a selective metal catalysed oxidation of two histidine residues of the regulatory site. Here we present the first crystal structure of the active PerR protein in complex with a Mn2+ ion. In addition, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy experiments were performed to characterize the corresponding iron form of the protein. Both studies reveal a penta‐coordinate arrangement of the regulatory site that involves three histidines and two aspartates. One of the histidine ligand belongs to the N‐terminal domain. Binding of this residue to the regulatory metal allows the protein to adopt a caliper‐like conformation suited to DNA binding. Since this histidine is conserved in all PerR and a vast majority of Fur proteins, it is likely that the allosteric switch induced by the regulatory metal is general for this family of metalloregulators.
Regulatory mutations in Sin recombinase support a structure‐based model of the synaptosome
Authors: Rowland Sally‐J. , Boocock Martin R. , McPherson Arlene L. , Mouw Kent W. , Rice Phoebe A. , Stark W. Marshall
Published: June 2009

The resolvase Sin regulates DNA strand exchange by assembling an elaborate interwound synaptosome containing catalytic and regulatory Sin tetramers, and an architectural DNA‐bending protein. The crystal structure of the regulatory tetramer was recently solved, providing new insights into the structural basis for regulation. Here we describe the selection and characterization of two classes of Sin mutations that, respectively, bypass or disrupt the functions of the regulatory tetramer. Activating mutations, which allow the catalytic tetramer to assemble and function independently at site I (the crossover site), were found at ∼20% of residues in the N‐terminal domain. The most strongly activating mutation (Q115R) stabilized a catalytically active synaptic tetramerin vitro. The positions of these mutations suggest that they act by destabilizing the conformation of the ground‐state site I‐bound dimers, or by stabilizing the altered conformation of the active catalytic tetramer. Mutations that block activation by the regulatory tetramer mapped to just two residues, F52 and R54, supporting a functional role for a previously reported crystallographic dimer–dimer interface. We suggest how F52/R54 contacts between regulatory and catalytic subunits might promote assembly of the active catalytic tetramer within the synaptosome.
Stimulatory action of mitemcinal (GM‐611), an acid‐resistant non‐peptide motilin receptor agonist, on colonic motor activity and defecation: spontaneous and mitemcinal‐induced giant migrating contractions during defecation in dogs
Authors: Hirabayashi T. , Morikawa Y. , Matsufuji H. , Hoshino K. , Hagane K. , Ozaki K.
Published: June 2009

Abstract  The aim of this study was to characterize giant migrating contractions (GMCs) during spontaneous defecation in dogs and to investigate the effect of mitemcinal (an orally active and highly acid‐resistant motilin receptor agonist) on colonic motility to assess the possibility of using it for the treatment of colonic motility disorders. To assess colonic motility, strain‐gauge force transducers were implanted on the gastrointestinal tract of five dogs, and the behaviour of the dogs was monitored with a noctovision‐video camera system. The effect of mitemcinal (0, 3, 10 or 30 mg per dog) and sennoside (300 mg per dog) on colonic motility was assessed 24 h after oral administration. During a 39‐day period, the starting point of most of the 140 GMCs was between the transverse colon and the descending colon, but some variation was observed. In the daytime, the GMCs originated from somewhat more proximal positions than at night. Mitemcinal caused an increase in the GMC‐index (integration of contractile amplitude and duration) and proximal translocation of the GMC starting point, but did not cause an increase in the number of defecations 12 h after administration. Sennoside, however, caused a significant increase in the number of defecations, an increase in the GMC‐index, and prolongation of the duration of GMCs. The GMC starting point in the canine colon varied during spontaneous defecation. Mitemcinal was a potent prokinetic drug to mimic a spontaneous defecation compared with sennoside. Mitemcinal evacuates more intestinal luminal contents during the defecation than does sennoside.
Studies on the epidemiology and yield losses from rice black‐streaked dwarf disease in a recent epidemic in Zhejiang province, China
Authors: Wang H.‐D. , Chen J.‐P. , Wang A.‐G. , Jiang X.‐H. , Adams M. J.
Published: June 2009

The spread of rice black‐streaked dwarf disease, which has emerged as a major problem on winter wheat and the two summer rice crops (early indica and late japonica) grown in central and southern Zhejiang province, China, is documented from 1995 to 2007. The late japonica crop suffered the most: up to 64 640 ha were affected with estimated losses of c. 120 000 t grain per year. Peak adult numbers of the small brown planthopper vector, Laodelphax striatellus, coincided with the seedling stages of both rice crops and the proportion of the insect population carrying virus increased during 1998–2005. Seedlings with three to four leaves were the most susceptible, whereas plants inoculated after the end of tillering developed few or no symptoms. Disease levels were strongly correlated with numbers of viruliferous vectors. In sowing‐date experiments with both rice crops, the earliest sowings had the most disease and suffered the greatest yield losses. With the last sowing date (25 days after the first), there were almost no losses. There were yield losses of 0·80% for every 1% increase in disease incidence in early indica rice and rather more (0·92%) in the late japonica crop. There were large differences in susceptibility between cultivars, indicating the possibility, within currently available germplasm, of using more resistant cultivars to help contain the disease. Changes in cropping practice and in recent winter weather conditions have probably contributed to the emergence of the virus as a major pathogen in eastern China.
Genetic variability of Candida albicans isolates in a university hospital in Hungary
Authors: Farkas Zoltán , Kocsubé Sándor , Tóth Mónika , Vágvölgyi Csaba , Kucsera Judit , Varga János , Pfeiffer Ilona
Published: June 2009

The occurrence and genetic variability of Candida albicans isolates in a Hungarian hospital were examined. Among the 103 Candida isolates, 44 (42.7%) proved to be C. albicans species. Comparing with a previous study carried out in 2002, the percentage of infections caused by C. albicans decreased in Hungary in this period with an increasing incidence of non‐albicans species, in accordance with the world‐wide trend. The genetic variability of the isolates was examined using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and electrophoretic karyotyping. The examined C. albicans isolates could be clustered into four groups based on their mtDNA profiles. The electrophoretic karyotypes of the isolates were mostly identical to that of the reference strain 1006, with the exception of mtDNA type II isolates. RAPD analysis could be used to cluster the isolates into different groups, but this clustering was not in complete agreement with their assignment to mtDNA types. Population genetic analyses of the data indicated low amounts of recombination among these C. albicans strains. None of the isolates exhibited decreased susceptibilities to 5‐fluorocytosine.
Retinal neuroprotection by hypoxic preconditioning is independent of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α expression in photoreceptors
Authors: Thiersch Markus , Lange Christina , Joly Sandrine , Heynen Severin , Le Yun Zheng , Samardzija Marijana , Grimm Christian
Published: June 2009

Hypoxic preconditioning stabilizes hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) 1α in the retina and protects photoreceptors against light‐induced cell death. HIF‐1α is one of the major transcription factors responding to low oxygen tension and can differentially regulate a large number of target genes. To analyse whether photoreceptor‐specific expression of HIF‐1α is essential to protect photoreceptors by hypoxic preconditioning, we knocked down expression of HIF‐1α specifically in photoreceptor cells, using the cyclization recombinase (Cre)–lox system. The Cre‐mediated knockdown caused a 20‐fold reduced expression of Hif‐1α in the photoreceptor cell layer. In the total retina, RNA expression was reduced by 65%, and hypoxic preconditioning led to only a small increase in HIF‐1α protein levels. Accordingly, HIF‐1 target gene expression after hypoxia was significantly diminished. Retinas of Hif‐1α knockdown animals did not show any pathological alterations, and tolerated hypoxic exposure in a comparable way to wild‐type retinas. Importantly, the strong neuroprotective effect of hypoxic preconditioning against light‐induced photoreceptor degeneration persisted in knockdown mice, suggesting that hypoxia‐mediated survival of light exposure does not depend on an autocrine action of HIF‐1α in photoreceptor cells. Hypoxia‐mediated stabilization of HIF‐2α and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT 3) were not affected in the retinas of Hif‐1α knockdown mice. Thus, these factors are candidates for regulating the resistance of photoreceptors to light damage after hypoxic preconditioning, along with several potentially neuroprotective genes that were similarly induced in hypoxic knockdown and control mice.
Comparison of the structure and composition of bacterial communities from temperate and tropical freshwater ecosystems
Authors: Humbert Jean‐F. , Dorigo Ursula , Cecchi Philippe , Le Berre Brigitte , Debroas Didier , Bouvy Marc
Published: June 2009

We used a partial 16S rRNA sequencing approach to compare the structure and composition of the bacterial communities in three large, deep subalpine lakes in France with those of communities in six shallow tropical reservoirs in Burkina Faso. Despite the very different characteristics of these ecosystems, we found that their bacterial communities share the same composition in regard to the relative proportions of the different phyla, suggesting that freshwater environmental conditions lead to convergence in this composition. In the same way, we found no significant difference in the richness and diversity of the bacterial communities in France and Burkina Faso. We defined core and satellite operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (sequences sharing at least 98% identity) on the basis of their abundance and their geographical distribution. The core OTUs were found either ubiquitously or only in temperate or tropical and subtropical areas, and they contained more than 70% of all the sequences retrieved in this study. In contrast, satellite OTUs were characterized by having a more restricted geographical distribution and by lower abundance. Finally, the bacterial community composition of these freshwater ecosystems in France and Burkina Faso was markedly different, showing that the history of these ecosystems and regional environmental parameters have a greater impact on the relative abundances of the different OTUs in each bacterial community than the local environmental conditions.
Europe, the bull and the Minotaur: the biological legacy of a Neolithic love story
Authors: Brüssow Harald
Published: June 2009

The European cattle was domesticated 10 000 years ago in eastern Turkey, 1000 years later pottery‐associated milk fats identify cattle‐based dairy activity in western Turkey. Subsequently, the Indo‐European language, domesticated animals and plants travel as a Neolithic package along two major routes across Europe. A striking south‐east to north‐west gradient of a mutation in the current European population (lactase persistence into adulthood) documents the expansion of a Neolithic dairy culture into a Mesolithic hunter society. Using oral tradition (myths), archaeological and written historical evidence and biological data, it is asked whether highly transmissible viral diseases like measles and smallpox entered during the Neolithic from domesticated animals into the human population. The bovine origin of paramyxovirus infections is likely; smallpox comes from camels or from rodents via cattle while mycobacteria and Helicobacter infected humans already before the Neolithic. Microbes adapt constantly and quickly to changing ecological situations. The current global environmental changes will lead to another highly dynamic phase of viral transmissions into the human population.
Transcriptome analysis of nitrogen‐efficient rice over‐expressing alanine aminotransferase
Authors: Beatty Perrin H. , Shrawat Ashok K. , Carroll Rebecka T. , Zhu Tong , Good Allen G.
Published: June 2009

Crop plants require nitrogen for key macromolecules, such as DNA, proteins and metabolites, yet they are generally inefficient at acquiring nitrogen from the soil. Crop producers compensate for this low nitrogen utilization efficiency by applying nitrogen fertilizers. However, much of this nitrogen is unavailable to the plants as a result of microbial uptake and environmental loss of nitrogen, causing air, water and soil pollution. We engineered rice over‐expressing alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) under the control of a tissue‐specific promoter that showed a strong nitrogen use efficiency phenotype. In this study, we examined the transcriptome response in roots and shoots to the over‐expression of AlaAT to provide insights into the nitrogen‐use‐efficient phenotype of these plants. Transgenic and control rice plants were grown hydroponically and the root and shoot gene expression profiles were analysed using Affymetrix Rice GeneChip microarrays. Transcriptome analysis revealed that there was little impact on the transgenic transcriptome compared with controls, with 0.11% and 0.07% differentially regulated genes in roots and shoots, respectively. The most up‐regulated transcripts, a glycine‐rich cell wall (GRP) gene and a gene encoding a hypothetical protein (Os8823), were expressed in roots. Another transgenic root‐specific up‐regulated gene was leucine rich repeat (LRR). Genes induced in the transgenic shoots included GRP, LRR, acireductone dioxygenase (OsARD), SNF2 ATP‐translocase and a putative leucine zipper transcription factor. This study provides a genome‐wide view of the response to AlaAT over‐expression, and elucidates some of the genes that may play a role in the nitrogen‐use‐efficient phenotype.
Intuitions about gravity and solidity in great apes: the tubes task
Authors: Cacchione Trix , Call Josep
Published: June 2009

We investigated whether great apes, like human infants, monkeys and dogs, are subject to a strong gravity bias when tested with the tubes task, and – in case of mastery – what the source of competence on the tubes task is. We presented 22 apes with three versions of the tubes task, in which an object is dropped down a tube connected to one of three potential hiding places and the subject is required to locate the object. In two versions, apes were confronted with a causal tube that varied in the amount of perceptual information it provided (i.e. presence or absence of acoustic cues). The third version was a non‐causal adaptation of the task in which a painted line ‘connected’ dropping and hiding places. Results indicate that apes neither have a reliable gravity bias when tested with the tubes, nor understand the causal function of the tube. Even though there is evidence that they can integrate tube‐related causal information to localize the object, they seem to depend mainly on non‐causal inferences when searching for an invisibly displaced object.
NEUROIMAGING IN PSYCHIATRY: EVALUATING THE ETHICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR PATIENT CARE
Authors: BOYCE ALISON C.
Published: June 2009

According to many researchers, it is inevitable and obvious that psychiatric illnesses are biological in nature, and that this is the rationale behind the numerous neuroimaging studies of individuals diagnosed with mental disorders. Scholars looking at the history of psychiatry have pointed out that in the past, the origins and motivations behind the search for biological causes, correlates, and cures for mental disorders are thoroughly social and historically rooted, particularly when the diagnostic category in question is the subject of controversy within psychiatry. This is obscured by neuroimaging studies that drive researchers to proclaim ‘revolutions’ in psychiatry, namely in the DSM. Providing neuroimaging evidence to support the contention that a condition is ‘real’ is likely to be extremely influential, as has been extensively discussed in the neuroethics literature. This type of evidence will also reinforce the pre‐existing beliefs of those researchers or clinicians who are already expecting a biological description. The uncritical credence given to neuroimaging research is an ethical issue, not in its potential for contributing to misdiagnosis per se but because of the motivations that often drive this research. My claim is that this research should proceed with an awareness of presumptions and motivations underlying the field as a whole, in addition to an explicit focus on the past and potential future consequences of classification and diagnosis on the groups of individuals under study.
OUR BRAINS ARE NOT US
Authors: GLANNON WALTER
Published: June 2009

Many neuroscientists have claimed that our minds are just a function of and thus reducible to our brains. I challenge neuroreductionism by arguing that the mind emerges from and is shaped by interaction among the brain, body, and environment. The mind is not located in the brain but is distributed among these three entities. I then explore the implications of the distributed mind for neuroethics.
Maturation of Corporate Governance Research, 1993–2007: An Assessment
Authors: Durisin Boris , Puzone Fulvio
Published: June 2009

Manuscript Type: Review

Research Question/Issue: This study seeks to investigate whether governance research in fact is a discipline or whether it is rather the subject of multi‐disciplinary research. We map the intellectual structure of corporate governance research and its evolution from 1993–2007.

Research Findings/Results: Based on the analysis of more than 1,000 publications and 48,000 citations in Corporate Goverance: An International Review (CGIR) and other academic journals, our study identifies the most influential works, the dominant subfields, and their evolution. Our study assesses the maturation of corporate governance research as a discipline; it finds increasing sophistication, depth and rigor, and consistency in its intellectual structure.

Theoretical Implications: There is a large body of accumulated corporate governance research in the US, yet there is an empirical gap on cross‐national studies in the literature. Furthermore, hardly any of the top cited works undertake their study in a cross‐national setting. Thus, corporate governance research and CGIR in its quest to contribute to a global theory of corporate governance might benefit if articles have a cross‐national methodological approach and empirical grounding in their research design and if articles explicitly aim at stating the theoretical underpinnings they draw on.

Practical Implications: Globalists find in CGIR an outlet addressing economics and finance (e.g., whether and how compensation or dismissal of CEOs is related to board characteristics), management (e.g., whether and how best practice codes adoption is related to board characteristics and performance), and accounting (e.g., whether and how earnings manipulations is related to board characteristics) issues globally.
Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda
Authors: Terjesen Siri , Sealy Ruth , Singh Val
Published: June 2009

Manuscript Type: Review

Research Question/Issue: This review examines how gender diversity on corporate boards influences corporate governance outcomes that in turn impact performance. We describe extant research on theoretical perspectives, characteristics, and impact of women on corporate boards (WOCB) at micro, meso, and macro levels: individual, board, firm, and industry/environment.

Research Finding/Results: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review of WOCBs, incorporating and integrating research from over 400 publications in psychology, sociology, leadership, gender, finance, management, law, corporate governance, and entrepreneurship domains. In addition, we organized our findings to provide a new lens enabling the field to be readily examined by level and by theoretical perspective. The review indicates that WOCB research is about improving corporate governance through better use of the whole talent pool's capital, as well as about building more inclusive and fairer business institutions that better reflect their present generation of stakeholders.

Theoretical Implications: With only one in 10 papers addressing theoretical development, the predominant perspectives are human and social capital theories and gender schema at the individual level; social identity, token, and social networks theories at board level; resource dependency, institution, and agency theories at the firm level; and institutional, critical, and political theories at the environmental level. We provide a short synopsis of findings at each level, and conclude with an outline of fruitful directions for future research.

Practical Implications: There are increasing pressures for WOCBs from diverse stakeholders, such as the European Commission, national governments, politicians, employer lobby groups, shareholders, Fortune and FTSE rankings, best places for women to work lists, as well as expectations from highly qualified women who are likely to leave if they see no women board members. Rationales generally draw on the business case; however, the moral justice case is also used by those who seek a fairer gender balance in all aspects of society. From our review, the “Impact” section charts the effect of WOCB at all four levels of analysis.
Local Power Analyses of Goodness‐of‐fit Tests for Copulas
Authors: BERG DANIEL , QUESSY JEAN‐FRANÇOIS
Published: June 2009

Abstract.  The asymptotic behaviour of several goodness‐of‐fit statistics for copula families is obtained under contiguous alternatives. Many comparisons between a Cramér–von Mises functional of the empirical copula process and new moment‐based goodness‐of‐fit statistics are made by considering their associated asymptotic local power curves. It is shown that the choice of the estimator for the unknown parameter can have a significant influence on the power of the Cramér–von Mises test and that some of the moment‐based statistics can provide simple and efficient goodness‐of‐fit methods.
Gendered Strategies of Self: Navigating Hierarchy and Contesting Masculinities
Authors: Pacholok Shelley
Published: June 2009

This article is based on a case study of a catastrophic wildfire that occurred in western Canada in 2003. The organization of the firefighting efforts and unequal support and praise from the public and the media resulted in a hierarchy between firefighting groups. This created inter‐group tension and conflicts that firefighters resolved using discursive strategies that positioned some occupational groups as superior and others as subordinate. I argue that we cannot fully understand firefighters' strategies for negotiating this hierarchy without examining masculinity dynamics; something that previous research on boundary work and the comparative self have yet to examine.
The Role of Gender in Varying Forms of Flexible Working
Authors: Atkinson Carol , Hall Laura
Published: June 2009

In this article we present empirical data from a research study investigating the implementation of the flexible working policies that emanate from the improving working lives standard in a National Health Service Trust in the UK. We argue that gender is accorded insufficient focus in the literature, considering the barriers that create a take‐up gap in formal flexible working practices. We further argue that gendered perceptions render unworkable attempts to portray flexible working as a gender‐neutral issue and demonstrate that such perceptions mean that formal mechanisms for flexible working continue to be considered to be a women's issue. We present data on informal flexible working mechanisms and suggest that a greater focus on combining these mechanisms with formal flexibility may help provide working time flexibility for a greater proportion of the workforce.
Pleasure and Affinity in W. G. Sebald and Robert Walser
Authors: Ruprecht Lucia
Published: June 2009

This article addresses the dialectic between melancholia and pleasure in W. G. Sebald by focusing on the author's affinity with Robert Walser. It explores Sebald's intertextual incorporation of the lost literary friend as both re‐enactment of Walserian pleasures and consoling melancholic practice which is pleasurable in itself. Much of the specific delight that Walser offers is based on his exuberant and idiosyncratic style of writing, and his extraordinary sense of bodily movement. Excessive precision, digression, and kinaesthetic experience are singled out in order to investigate the textual and physical performances which are relevant for the kinds of subversive enjoyment that Walser passes on to Sebald. (Inter)textual analysis is framed by an engagement with Eric Santner's claim that Walser's figures have in some sense passed beyond the condition of ‘creatureliness’. In adapting especially Walser's gestures of politeness, Sebald reaffirms his predecessor's deterritorialisation of the force field between the sovereign and the creature, and pays homage to the deceased.
The upper limit of normal CSF opening pressure is related to bilateral transverse sinus stenosis in headache sufferers
Authors: Bono F , Cristiano D , Mastrandrea C , Latorre V , D'Asero S , Salvino D , Fera F , Lavano A , Quattrone A
Published: June 2009

There are limited data on the relationship between normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) opening pressure and bilateral transverse sinus stenosis (BTSS); there are also several conflicting reports about the upper limit of normal CSF opening pressure. To evaluate the influence of BTSS on the upper limit of normal CSF opening pressure, we prospectively recorded lumbar CSF opening pressures in 217 adult patients with neurological symptoms who underwent cerebral magnetic resonance venography (MRV). The CSF opening pressures ranged between 65 and 286 mmH2O (mean = 149.3, s.d. = 47.5). The upper limit of opening pressure in patients with both normal appearance of transverse sinuses and unilateral transverse sinus stenosis on MRV ( n = 167) was 195 mmH2O with a range of 65–195 mmH2O. All patients with BTSS were headache sufferers, and the upper limit of opening pressure in patients with BTSS ( n = 50) was 286 mmH2O with a range of 91–286 mmH2O. All patients with opening pressures > 200 mmH2O displayed BTSS, whereas only 13% of patients with a pressure < 200 mmH2O displayed BTSS. Our findings demonstrate that the upper limit of normal CSF opening pressure is related to BTSS, and they also highlight that headache sufferers with opening pressures > 200 mmH2O should be tested for BTSS by MRV.
Cluster Headache and Alpha 1-antitrypsin Deficiency
Authors: Summ O , Gregor N , Marziniak M , Gralow I , Husstedt IW , Evers S
Published: June 2009

Little is known about the pathophysiology of cluster headache (CH), one of the most debilitating primary headaches. Interestingly, associations of lung affecting diseases or lifestyle habits such as smoking and sleep apnoea syndrome and CH have been described. Certain genotypes for alpha 1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) are considered risk factors for emphysema. Our aim was to investigate possible associations between common genotypes of the SERPINA1 gene and CH. Our study included 55 CH patients and 55 controls. α1-AT levels in serum and the genotype were analysed. Patients CH characteristics were documented. We could not detect any association between CH and a genotype that does not match the homozygous wild type for α1-AT. Interestingly, there is a significant difference of CH attack frequency in patients who are heterozygous or homozygous M allele carriers. We conclude that the presence of an S or Z allele is associated with higher attack frequency in CH.
Generalized Neck-Shoulder Hyperalgesia in Chronic Tension-Type Headache and Unilateral Migraine Assessed by Pressure Pain Sensitivity Topographical Maps of the Trapezius Muscle
Authors: Fernández-de-las-Peñas C , Madeleine P , Caminero AB , Cuadrado ML , Arendt-Nielsen L , Pareja JA
Published: June 2009

Spatial changes in pressure pain hypersensitivity are present throughout the cephalic region (temporalis muscle) in both chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) and unilateral migraine. The aim of this study was to assess pressure pain sensitivity topographical maps on the trapezius muscle in 20 patients with CTTH and 20 with unilateral migraine in comparison with 20 healthy controls in a blind design. For this purpose, a pressure algometer was used to assess pressure pain thresholds (PPT) over 11 points of the trapezius muscle: four points in the upper part of the muscle, two over the levator scapulae muscle, two in the middle part, and the remaining three points in the lower part of the muscle. Pressure pain sensitivity maps of both sides (dominant/non-dominant; symptomatic/non-symptomatic) were depicted for patients and controls. CTTH patients showed generalized lower PPT levels compared with both migraine patients ( P = 0.03) and controls ( P < 0.001). The migraine group had also lower PPT than healthy controls ( P < 0.001). The most sensitive location for the assessment of PPT was the neck portion of the upper trapezius muscle in both patient groups and healthy controls ( P < 0.001). PPT was negatively related to some clinical pain features in both CTTH and unilateral migraine patients (all P < 0.05). Side-to-side differences were found in strictly unilateral migraine, but not in those subjects with bilateral pain, i.e. CTTH. These data support the influence of muscle hyperalgesia in both CTTH and unilateral migraine patients and point towards a general pressure pain hyperalgesia of neck-shoulder muscles in headache patients, particularly in CTTH.
Migraine is associated with an increased risk of deep white matter lesions, subclinical posterior circulation infarcts and brain iron accumulation: The population-based MRI CAMERA study
Authors: Kruit MC , van Buchem MA , Launer LJ , Terwindt GM , Ferrari MD
Published: June 2009

Previous studies have suggested that migraine is a risk factor for brain lesions, but methodological issues hampered drawing definite conclusions. Therefore, we initiated the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ‘CAMERA’ (Cerebral Abnormalities in Migraine, an Epidemiological Risk Analysis) study. We summarize our previously published results. A total of 295 migraineurs and 140 controls were randomly selected from a previously diagnosed population-based sample ( n = 6039), who underwent an interview, physical examination and a brain MRI scan. Migraineurs, notably those with aura, had higher prevalence of subclinical infarcts in the posterior circulation [odds ratio (OR) 13.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7, 112]. Female migraineurs were at independent increased risk of white matter lesions (WMLs; OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.0, 4.1), and migraineurs had a higher prevalence of brainstem hyperintense lesions (4.4% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.04). We observed a higher lifetime prevalence of (frequent) syncope and orthostatic insufficiency in migraineurs; future research needs to clarify whether autonomic nervous system dysfunction could explain (part of) the increased risk of WMLs in female migraineurs. Finally, in migraineurs aged < 50 years, compared with controls, we found evidence of increased iron concentrations in putamen ( P = 0.02), globus pallidus ( P = 0.03) and red nucleus ( P = 0.03). Higher risks in those with higher attack frequency or longer disease duration were found consistent with a causal relationship between migraine and lesions. This summary of our population-based data illustrates that migraine is associated with a significantly increased risk of brain lesions. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether these lesions are progressive and have relevant (long-term) functional correlates.
Eliciting Proto‐Imperatives and Proto‐Declaratives in Children with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Vandereet Joke , Maes Bea , Lembrechts Dirk , Zink Inge
Published: June 2009

Background  Although high‐structured elicitation tasks have been shown to be efficient means to sample communication in children with intellectual disabilities, their validity and reliability remain to be evaluated. The aims of this study were threefold: (i) to evaluate the eliciting potential, (ii) to examine the utterance forms of proto‐imperative and proto‐declarative intentions, and (iii) to evaluate the reliability of two high‐structured elicitation tasks.

Methods  Twenty‐eight children with intellectual disabilities participated in a standard assessment battery, consisting of a formal language assessment, a parent questionnaire, an elicitation task for proto‐imperatives, and an elicitation task for proto‐declaratives.

Results  The elicitation tasks elicited significantly more proto‐imperatives than proto‐declaratives; with proto‐imperatives being predominantly expressed with gestures and proto‐declaratives predominantly with vocalizations. Furthermore, medium to large correlations were found between the elicitation tasks and the other communication and language instruments.

Conclusions  Several factors need to be considered to account for the observed differences in frequency and utterance forms of the elicited proto‐imperatives versus proto‐declaratives. Nevertheless, the results overall suggest that the elicitation tasks for proto‐imperatives and proto‐declaratives can be reliably used in children with intellectual disabilities.
Inside the wire: Aggression and functional interhemispheric connectivity in the human brain
Authors: HOFMAN DENNIS , SCHUTTER DENNIS J. L. G.
Published: June 2009

An aggressive personality style has been proposed to arise from a cortical asymmetry between the left and right frontal hemispheres. In the present transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study, evidence was sought for a link between an aggressive personality style and functional interhemispheric connectivity between the left and right frontal cortices. Functional interhemispheric connectivity was measured by determining transcallosal inhibition (TCI) using TMS in 20 healthy right‐handed volunteers, who were given the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) and a selective attention task. Analyses showed higher levels of left‐to‐right TCI significantly correlated with higher AQ scores. Furthermore, increased left‐to‐right together with reduced right‐to‐left TCI was associated with a stronger attentional bias for angry faces. This is the first study to provide a biological mechanism underlying the asymmetry between left and right frontal cortex activity in human aggression. We conclude that an aggressive personality style and selective attention to angry faces are positively correlated with functional interhemispheric connectivity.
Brachial artery hyperemic blood flow velocities are related to carotid atherosclerosis
Authors: Järhult Susann J. , Sundström Johan , Lind Lars
Published: June 2009

Objective:  Cardiovascular (CV) risk relates to the blood flow velocity pattern in the brachial artery during hyperemia, especially to the hyperaemic systolic to diastolic mean blood flow velocity (SDFV) ratio. Here, we investigated the relations between SDFV in the brachial artery and different characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis.

Material and methods:  Data were collected from 1016 70‐year‐olds participating in the Prospective Investigation of Uppsala Seniors study. Doppler recordings of blood flow velocity during hyperemia were analysed in the brachial artery. In the carotid artery, intima‐media thickness (IMT) was recorded together with an assessment of echogenicity by the Grey scale median (GSM) method in both overt plaques and in the intima‐media complex (IM‐GSM).

Results:  The SDFV ratio was related to the number of carotid arteries affected by plaque (P = 0·018) and inversely to plaque echogenicity (P = 0·0003). The SDFV ratio was also related to IMT (P = 0·0022) and inversely to IM‐GSM (P = 0·0001). These relations were statistically significant also after adjusting for major CV risk factors, individually as well as summarised as the Framingham risk score.

Conclusion:  Our results indicate that the hyperemic systolic to diastolic blood flow velocity ratio in the brachial artery is related to atherosclerosis in the carotid artery.
Comparison of approaches for estimating carbon sequestration at the regional scale
Authors: Falloon P. , Smith P. , Szabó J. , Pásztor L.
Published: June 2009

Abstract. Many former estimates of regional scale C sequestration potential have made use of linear regressions based on long‐term experimental data, whilst some have used dynamic soil organic matter (SOM) models linked to spatial databases. Few studies have compared the two methods. We present a case study in which the potential of different land management practices to sequester carbon in soil in arable land is estimated by different methods. Two dynamic SOM models were chosen for this study, RothC (a soil process model) and CENTURY (a whole ecosystem model with a SOM module). RothC and CENTURY are the two most widely used and validated SOM models worldwide. A Geographic Information System (GIS) containing soil, land use and climate layers, was assembled for a case study in central Hungary. GIS interfaces were developed for the RothC and CENTURY models, thus linking them to the spatial datasets at the regional level. This allowed a comparison of estimates of the C sequestration potential of different land management practices obtained using the two models and using regression based approaches. Although estimates obtained by the different approaches were of the same order of magnitude, differences were observed. Some of the land management scenarios studied here showed sufficient C mitigation potential to meet Hungarian CO2 reduction commitments. For example, afforestation of 12% current arable land could sequester 0.042–0.092 Tg yr–1 in the soil alone, or 0.285–0.588 Tg C yr–1 in both soil and biomass; 1990 level CO2 emissions for the study area were 4.7 Tg C with a corresponding reduction commitment of 0.282 Tg C. It is not, however, suggested that this is the only, or the most favourable way, in which to meet the commitments.
IMAGE: a physically‐based one dimensional irrigation management model for soil salinity control
Authors: Al‐Ajmi A. , Nortcliff S. , Simmonds L.P.
Published: June 2009

Abstract. This paper describes a study of 37 farms in the Batinah region of Oman where fodder crops and date palms are grown using saline irrigation water. Soil water salinities (εs) range from 2 to 50 dS m–1. Soil water salinity depends on irrigation water quality and management factors such as the amount and frequency of irrigation and the area of the irrigation basin relative to the vegetation canopy. An irrigation management model for soil salinity control IMAGE has been developed, based on the salt balance of the profile assuming that the εs is in equilibrium with the irrigation water. The input parameters required to run the model include the annual water application, irrigation interval, soil textural class, potential evaporation, the ratio of crop canopy to irrigation basin area and the salinity of irrigation water. Verification of the model using rather uncertain data from a survey of the farms showed that this simple approach predicted εs to within 2.5 dS m–1 in 82% of cases. The model showed that εs was highly sensitive to the size of irrigation basin and the amount and scheduling of irrigation, and so provides a tool for optimizing salinity management.
Revised soil parameter estimates for the soil types of the world
Authors: Batjes N.H.
Published: June 2009

Abstract. A revised set of physical and chemical parameter estimates is presented for the soil units of the world, as described by the two FAO soil legends (version 1974 and 1988). The study is based on 9607 soil profiles, which include profiles held in version 1.0 of the WISE database. Upon a screening of data integrity and comparability of analytical methods, derived statistics were generated for 28 soil chemical and physical attributes identified as being useful for assessment of land suitability, crop growth simulation datasets, and analyses of global environmental change.
Impact of Invasive Cane Toads on Australian Birds
Authors: BECKMANN CHRISTA , SHINE RICHARD
Published: June 2009

Abstract: The cane toad (Bufo marinus), a large, toxic, American anuran, was introduced to Australia in 1935. Populations of many of Australia's reptiles (snakes, varanid lizards, crocodiles) and carnivorous mammals (dasyurid marsupials) have declined because these predators are killed by the toad's powerful toxins. In contrast to these well‐studied species, little is known about the cane toads impacts on Australian birds. We reviewed published and unpublished data on behavioral interactions between Australian avian predators and cane toads and collated distributional and dietary information to identify avian taxa potentially at risk from cane toad invasion. Cane toads are sympatric with 172 frog‐eating bird species in Australia, and an additional 8 bird species overlap with the predicted future range of the toad. Although many bird species thus are potentially at risk, behavioral observations suggest the risk level is generally low. Despite occasional reports of Australian birds being killed when they ingest cane toads, most birds either ignore toads or survive the predation event. The apparently higher tolerance of Australian birds to toad toxins, compared with Australian reptiles and marsupials, may reflect genetic exchange between Australian birds and Asian populations that encounter other bufonid species regularly and hence have evolved the capacity to recognize or tolerate this toxic prey.
Economic impact of epilepsy in the United States
Authors: Yoon Dokyoung , Frick Kevin D. , Carr Deborah A. , Austin Joan K.
Published: June 2009

Purpose:  To assess differences in medical care expenditures and informal care received for adults and children by individuals’ self‐reported epilepsy status and to estimate the total economic impact of epilepsy in the United States.

Methods:  Pooled medical expenditure panel survey data from 1996–2004 were used. Children’s regression analyses were adjusted for race, sex, general self‐reported health status, family size, and age. Adults’ analyses were also adjusted for income and education. The national annual economic impact was estimated by multiplying the average individual differences by previously published national prevalence data.

Results:  The results of regressions appropriately weighted to account for study design indicate excess medical expenditures for those with epilepsy of $4,523 [95% confidence interval: $3,184–$5,862]. Excess expenditures were similar for adults and children. Adults with epilepsy received 1.2 extra days of informal care [95% confidence interval: 0.2–2.3]. The national impact included $9.6 billion of medical expenditures and informal care.

Discussion:  Epilepsy has significant impact on individual medical expenditure and generates a national impact in the billions of dollar.