bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Array‐CGH reveals hidden gene dose changes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and a normal or failed karyotype by G‐banding
Authors: Kuchinskaya Ekaterina , Heyman Mats , Nordgren Ann , Schoumans Jacqueline , Staaf Johan , Borg Åke , Söderhäll Stefan , Grandér Dan , Nordenskjöld Magnus , Blennow Elisabeth
Published: February 2008

A tiling path 33K BAC array was used to study 28 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who had normal or failed G‐banded karyotypes. Twenty‐two patients (79%) had a total of 135 copy number alterations (CNA) (69 gains and 66 losses); most of these patients showed CNA that were below the resolution of G‐banding. Molecular cytogenetic and array comparative genomic hybridization results enabled the division of B‐precursor ALL patients into five groups: high hyperdiploidy, intrachromosomal amplification of 21q, ETV6/RUNX1 rearrangement, others and no CNA. Apart from a shared deletion of 9p21.3, T‐ALL patients had additional small CNA, with no region in common.
Immunoglobulin G‐mediated regulation of the murine immune response to transfused red blood cells occurs in the absence of active immune suppression: implications for the mechanism of action of anti‐D in the prevention of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn?
Authors: Brinc Davor , Le‐Tien Hoang , Crow Andrew R. , Siragam Vinayakumar , Freedman John , Lazarus Alan H.
Published: February 2008

Anti‐D has been widely and effectively used in Rhesus blood group D negative mothers for the prevention of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn; its mechanism of action however, often referred to as antibody‐mediated immune suppression (AMIS), remains largely unresolved. We investigated, in a murine model, whether active immune suppression or clonal deletion mediated by anti‐red blood cell (RBC) immunoglobulin G (IgG) could explain the phenomenon of AMIS. Transfusion of IgG‐opsonized foreign RBCs (i.e. AMIS) strongly attenuated antibody responses compared to transfusion of untreated foreign RBCs. When the AMIS‐mice were subsequently transfused with untreated RBCs, no immune suppression was observed at 5 and 35 days after AMIS induction; in fact, the mice responded to retransfusion with untreated RBCs in a manner that was characteristic of a secondary immune response. When IgG‐opsonized RBCs were transfused concurrently with untreated RBCs, a dose‐dependent reduction of the antibody response was observed. This work suggests that the attenuation of the antibody responsiveness by anti‐RBC IgG is not associated with active immune suppression or clonal deletion at either the T‐cell or B‐cell level; rather, the effect appears more characteristic of B‐cell unresponsiveness to IgG‐opsonized RBCs. These results may have implications for the understanding of the mechanism of action of anti‐D in haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn.
Factors influencing commitment to abstinence from alcohol: a model grounded from client perceptions of disulfiram therapy
Authors: MACHIN T. A.
Published: February 2008

This paper describes the findings of a qualitative research study aimed at eliciting the perspectives of problem drinkers concerning the drug disulfiram (Antabuse). A grounded theory model of Commitment to Abstinence, which was generated from the study data, is presented. The influence of disulfiram upon this model is examined via the perspectives of disulfiram users. It is suggested that the drug could be used in a flexible way with some clients to their advantage. The significance of the study and the derived model for mental health nursing is discussed, the value of the model as an assessment tool is explored and other more generic applications are suggested.
Moving beyond survival: coping behaviours of low‐income single mothers
Authors: SACHS B. , HALL L. A. , PIETRUKOWICZ M. A.
Published: February 2008

Moving beyond survival: coping behaviours of low‐income single mothers.

The purposes of this study were to describe the psychosocial and environmental contexts affecting the lives of low‐income, single mothers and to explore their everyday coping strategies. Nine mothers of preschool children participated in multiple, unstructured and semi‐structured in‐home interviews. Traumatic childhood experiences including death of a parent and abuse contributed to the mothers' depression and to their coping strategies for survival. The women used creative economic survival strategies such as bartering to meet their families' basic needs. Social isolation, downward social comparison, conflict avoidance, and self‐reliance were the emotional self‐protective survival strategies used. Strategies to move up economically and emotionally related to the women's desire for a better life for themselves and their families.
Responses and needs in a changing situation: staff who work with people with learning disability
Authors: SMITH B. , CHEUNG MAN
Published: February 2008

Responses and needs in a changing situation: staff who work with people with learning disability

Questionnaires were sent to residential care staff working with people with learning disability both in hospital and community settings, to explore any changes resulting from implementation of the policy of care in the community. Information was obtained on the current job situation of staff, their opinions on the effect of the policy of care in the community, their training needs, and perceived job prospects for the future. Findings for staff working in a hospital setting are compared with those of staff working in the community and discussed in the context of changing demands and conditions.
The last post? Defending nursing against the postmodernist maze
Authors: CLARKE L.
Published: February 2008

Is postmodernism in many ways the empiricist‐liberal tradition at the inevitable end of its intellectual and political tether? Or is postmodernism the ‘laughter of genius’ that art and argument in their traditional forms are dead? Can postmodernism be applied to social and economic issues whilst carrying a denial of the manner by which Western thought has shaped these issues? Can postmodernism provide moral pathways to help us with contemporary ethical issues? How can postmodernist thought encompass the activities of nurses, particularly in the area of psychiatric care? Can nurses afford postmodernist suppositions in the face of suffering and pain? If postmodernism exists, does it exist everywhere (as does nursing) or is it a more localized event?
Ability to host regulate determines host choice and reproductive success in the gregarious ectoparasitoid Eulophus pennicornis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Authors: BELL HOWARD A. , WEAVER ROBERT J.
Published: February 2008

Abstract The age of Lacanobia oleracea (L.) in the final (sixth) larval stadium influences host choice and developmental success significantly in the gregarious ectoparasitoid Eulophus pennicornis (Nees). In choice tests, parasitoids with prior oviposition experience parasitize hosts in the second day of the sixth stadium most frequently. Parasitoid brood survival on normally‐reared (i.e. fed) hosts declines monotonically with age such that mean progeny survival (egg–adult) is less than 20% for wasps developing on hosts parasitized on day 5 of the sixth stadium, as opposed to almost 50% when developing on those parasitized on day 1. Neck ligation of hosts increases the survival of wasp larvae developing on older hosts (days 4 and 5), whereas starved hosts produce progeny in similar numbers to fed hosts on most days during the final larval stadium. Hosts parasitized early in the stadium (days 1–3), although continuing to grow, do not exhibit the characteristic physical changes that non‐parasitized larvae exhibit prior to pupation. However, hosts parasitized on days 4 and 5 form prepupae in appreciable numbers, particularly on day 5 where, regardless of treatment, over 80% of hosts attain this stage. Envenomated hosts behave similarly, an observation that suggests that it is the wasp’s inability to arrest completely development in older hosts that is the significant factor in reducing the developmental success of the wasp. The findings are discussed in the light of the known endocrinological events in the host, and in relation to previously reported host manipulations induced by this wasp.
FOREIGN TRADE, COMMERCIAL POLICIES AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE SONG AND MING DYNASTIES OF CHINA
Authors: Chan Kenneth S.
Published: February 2008

The paper presents a framework to explore the trade‐off between pro‐authority and pro‐efficiency foreign trade policy. The former is exemplified by the tributary foreign trade system in Imperial China, while the latter by the government‐supervised private foreign trade. In the Song Dynasty (960–1276), a strong external enemy compelled the monarchy to choose a pro‐efficiency trade policy to finance the army, whereas during the early Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) when China was strong a pro‐authority trade policy was favoured. During the late Ming, as the dynasty weakened, accompanied by external threats and internal mismanagement, the imperial government once again chose a pro‐efficiency trade policy.
Unexpected Pathways Through Education: Why Do Some Students Not Succeed in School and What Helps Others Beat the Odds?
Authors: Feinstein Leon , Peck Stephen C.
Published: February 2008

In this overview of Volume 64, Issue 1, of the
Journal of Social Issues, we describe why it is important to consider the diversity of student pathways through time and in context and why it is important to focus particularly on youth who defy predictions. We describe the ways in which expectations are formed in statistical analysis and also in real‐world education systems and how the structural rigidity inherent in such systems can lead to poor person–environment fit for young people in education or training and to misleading statistical analysis. Our intention is to move beyond analytic approaches that assume “one size fits all” while recognizing both that policy cannot provide fully individualized environments for everyone and that research cannot focus only on the unique characteristics of each individual. By focusing on individuals for whom our models typically do not apply, we highlight the value of research on complex but meaningful patterns of commonality among people, not in terms of the average person or effects, but in terms of coherent, distinct, and relatively homogenous subgroups of people experiencing systematic and consequential differences in their lives and lifepaths.
Comparison of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2 Compression‐to‐Ventilation Ratios for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in a Canine Model of a Simulated, Witnessed Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Hwang Sung Oh , Kim Sun Hyu , Kim Hyun , Jang Yong Soo , Zhao Pei Ge , Lee Kang Hyun , Choi Han Joo , Shin Tae Yong
Published: February 2008

Objectives:  This experimental study compared the effect of compression‐to‐ventilation (CV) ratios of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2 on hemodynamics and resuscitation outcome in a canine model of a simulated, witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest.

Methods:  Thirty healthy dogs, irrespective of species (mean ± SD, 19.2 ± 2.2 kg), were used in this study. A VF arrest was induced. The dogs received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and were divided into three groups based on the applied CV ratios of 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2. After 1 minute of untreated VF, 4 minutes of basic life support (BLS) was performed. At the end of the 4 minutes, the dogs were defibrillated with an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) efforts were continued for 10 minutes or until restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was attained, whichever came first.

Results:  None of the hemodynamic parameters, and arterial oxygen profiles was significantly different between the three groups during BLS‐ and ACLS‐CPR. Eight dogs (80%) from each group achieved ROSC during BLS and ACLS. The survival rate was not different between the three groups. In the 15:1 and 30:2 groups, the number of compressions delivered over 1 minute were significantly greater than in the 15:2 group (73.1 ± 8.1 and 69.0 ± 6.9 to 56.3 ± 6.8; p < 0.01). The time for ventilation during which compressions were stopped at each minute was significantly lower in the 15:1 and 30:2 groups than in the 15:2 group (15.4 ± 3.9 and 17.1 ± 2.7 to 25.2 ± 2.6 sec/min; p < 0.01).

Conclusions:  In a canine model of witnessed VF using a simulated scenario, CPR with three CV ratios, 15:1, 15:2, and 30:2, did not result in any differences in hemodynamics, arterial oxygen profiles, and resuscitation outcome among the three groups. CPR with a CV ratio of 15:1 provided comparable chest compressions and shorter pauses for ventilation between each cycle compared to a CV ratio of 30:2.
Availability of Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in Academic Emergency Departments
Authors: Ehrenkranz Peter D. , Ahn Christina J. , Metlay Joshua P. , Camargo Carlos A. , Holmes William C. , Rothman Richard
Published: February 2008

Objectives:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening of emergency department (ED) patients aged 13 to 64 years. The study objectives were to determine the accessibility of rapid HIV testing in academic EDs, to identify factors that influence an ED’s adoption of testing, and to describe current HIV testing practices.

Methods:  Online surveys were sent to EDs affiliated with emergency medicine (EM) residency programs (n = 128), excluding federal hospitals and facilities in U.S. territories. Eighty percent (n = 102) responded. Most e‐mail recipients (n = 121) were Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet) investigators; remaining contacts were obtained from residency‐related Web sites.

Results:  Most academic EDs (n = 58; 57%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 47% to 66%) offer rapid HIV testing. Among this group, 26 (45%) allow providers to order tests without restrictions. Of the other 32 EDs, 100% have policies allowing for rapid HIV testing following occupational exposures, but less than 10% have guidelines for testing in other clinical situations. Forty‐seven percent expect to routinely offer HIV testing in the next 2 to 3 years. Only 59% of the EDs that offered rapid tests in any situation could link an HIV‐positive patient to subspecialty care. The facility characteristic most important to availability of rapid HIV testing was the presence of on‐site HIV counselors.

Conclusions:  Most academic EDs now offer rapid HIV testing (57%), but few use it in situations other than occupational exposure. Less than half of academic EDs expect to implement CDC guidelines regarding routine screening within the next few years. The authors identified facility characteristics (e.g., counseling, ability to refer) that may influence adoption of rapid HIV testing.
Comparison of Pediatric Emergency Physicians’ and Surgeons’ Evaluation and Diagnosis of Appendicitis
Authors: Kharbanda Anupam B. , Fishman Steven J. , Bachur Richard G.
Published: February 2008

Objectives:  To compare the interexaminer reliability and ability to predict appendicitis between pediatric emergency physicians (EPs) and senior surgical residents.

Methods:  The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of children aged 3 to 18 years of age with signs and symptoms suspicious for appendicitis. Patients were initially examined by a pediatric EP attending and then by a consulting senior surgical resident. Physicians reported the presence or absence of specific historical and physical exam findings and predicted the likelihood the patient had appendicitis. Interexaminer reliability of historical and physical exam findings was compared (kappa statistic). Distributions and median probabilities of appendicitis were calculated for pediatric EP and surgeon predictions.

Results:  The authors evaluated 350 patients with acute abdominal pain. Historical questions revealed slight to very good agreement (kappa statistic range 0.33–0.82) between physician types, whereas physical examination findings exhibited poor to fair agreement (range 0.14–0.48). Physicians predicted similar median probabilities of appendicitis for patients who were ultimately diagnosed with appendicitis (75% vs. 70%; p = 0.73) and patients without appendicitis (25% vs. 30%; p = 0.59). For a subset of patients given a ≥ 90% predicted probability of appendicitis, pediatric EPs and senior surgical residents had similar accuracy (80% vs. 79%; p = 0.92). Similarly, among patients with ≤ 10% predicted probability, pediatric EPs were correct in 95% and senior surgical residents correct in 94% of patients (p = 0.63).

Conclusions:  Pediatric EPs and senior surgical residents elicit historical findings from patients with suspected appendicitis with a greater degree of similarity than physical examination findings, which exhibit a wide degree of variability. Pediatric EPs and senior surgical residents do not differ in their ability to clinically predict appendicitis. These findings may be helpful in developing institutional management protocols.
Tracking Inner City Substance Users from the Emergency Department: How Many Contacts Does It Take?
Authors: Cunningham Rebecca , Walton Maureen A. , Tripathi Shanti P. , Outman Ryan , Murray Regan , Booth Brenda M.
Published: February 2008

Background:  Longitudinal studies of substance users report difficulty in locating and completing 12‐month interviews, which may compromise study validity.

Objectives:  This study examined rates and predictors of contact difficulty and in‐person follow‐up completion among patients presenting with cocaine‐related chest pain to an inner‐city emergency department (ED). The authors hypothesize that less staff effort in contacting patients and lower follow‐up rates would bias subsequent substance use analysis by missing those with heavier substance misuse.

Methods:  A total of 219 patients aged 19 to 60 years (65% males; 78% African American) with cocaine‐related chest pain were interviewed in the ED and then in person at 3, 6, and 12 months. Demographics, substance use measures, and amount/type of research staff contacts (telephone, letters, home visits, and locating patient during return ED visits) were recorded. Poisson and negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to predict quantity of patient contacts for the 12‐month follow‐up.

Results:  Interview completion rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 78, 82, and 80%, respectively. Average contact attempts to obtain each interview were 10 at 3 months (range 3–44), 8 at 6 months (1–31), and 8 at 12 months (1–49); 13% of patients required a home visit to complete the 12‐month interview. Participants requiring more contact attempts by staff were younger and reported more frequent binge drinking at baseline (p < 0.05), but were less likely to meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence (p < 0.5), or to report prior mental health treatment (p < 0.05). Comparisons of parallel regressions predicting contact difficulty based on the entire sample, the low‐effort group, and the difficult‐to‐reach group showed variation in findings.

Conclusions:  This study demonstrates that substantial staff effort is required to achieve adequate retention over 12 months of patients with substance misuse. Without these extensive efforts at follow‐up, longitudinal analyses may be biased.
The effect of radiation pressure on dusty absorbing gas around active galactic nuclei
Authors: Fabian A. C. , Vasudevan R. V. , Gandhi P.
Published: February 2008

Many active galactic nuclei (AGN) are surrounded by gas which absorbs the radiation produced by accretion on to the central black hole and obscures the nucleus from direct view. The dust component of the gas greatly enhances the effect of radiation pressure above that for Thomson scattering so that an AGN which is sub-Eddington for ionized gas in the usual sense can appear super-Eddington for cold dusty gas. The radiation pressure enhancement factor depends on the AGN spectrum but ranges between unity and about 500, depending on the column density. It means that an AGN for which the absorption is long-lived should have a column density of NH > 5 × 1023λ cm−2, where λ is its Eddington fraction Lbol/LEdd, provided that NH > 5 × 1021 cm−2. We have compared the distribution of several samples of AGN – local, Chandra Deep Field-South and Lockman Hole – with this expectation and find good agreement. We show that the limiting enhancement factor can explain the black hole mass–bulge mass relation and note that the effect of radiation pressure on dusty gas may be a key component in the feedback of momentum and energy from a central black hole to a galaxy.
Does a detection team shorten duration of untreated psychosis?
Authors: Nordentoft Merete , Thorup Anne , Petersen Lone , Øhlenschlæger Johan , Christensen Torben Østergaard , Krarup Gertrud , Jørgensen Per , Jeppesen Pia
Published: February 2008

Introduction: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is shown to be associated with poor outcome in many domains. It has been shown that it is possible to shorten DUP when combining a detection team and an information campaign. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether DUP was shortened during the first 3 years after establishing detection teams without a concomitant information campaign.

Methods: All patients included in the OPUS trial were examined with the Instrument for Retrospective Assessment of Onset of Psychosis to determine DUP. A total of 552 patients with first episode psychotic disorder (n = 470) or schizotypal disorder (n = 82) were included in the study. The 3‐year inclusion period was divided into six consecutive periods of 6 months each.

Results: The median DUP was 52 weeks. DUP was not significantly reduced during the 3‐year inclusion period, but a larger proportion of patients with symptoms below the threshold for frank psychosis were included compared with the beginning of the trial. The proportion referred from primary care remained small (8–10%) and unchanged during the inclusion period.

Discussion: The availability of a detection team increased the referral of patients with schizotypal disorder, but the DUP among psychotic patients remained almost unaltered throughout the period. It seems that an information campaign and possibilities for direct access and self‐referral are necessary in order to shorten DUP.
Preliminary neuropsychological findings in individuals at high genetic risk for schizophrenia
Authors: Bertisch Hilary C. , Fava Joanna , Kattan Ayelet , DeLisi Lynn E.
Published: February 2008

Aims: An understanding of baseline cognitive function in individuals at high genetic risk for schizophrenia could provide important information about the neurodevelopmental course of the illness and assist with early detection. In an effort to identify potential markers for the illness, this study investigates domains of neuropsychological functioning in a sample of young individuals at risk for developing schizophrenia.

Methods: Twenty‐two individuals with schizophrenia, 16 participants at high risk and 31 controls participated in comprehensive cognitive assessments.

Results: Results support reports of a trend for high‐risk participants to score intermediate to the other groups on a general cognitive battery, as well as evidencing deficits in specific skills like visual memory. The pattern appears to exist independently of and prior to the onset of prodromal symptoms.

Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that a common cognitive pattern exists across individuals with genetic risk that may later develop into a clear psychotic illness. Further longitudinal investigation with larger cohorts is crucial to understanding these findings.
Dwork’s conjecture on the logarithmic growth of solutions of p-adic differential equations
Authors: André Yves
Published: February 2008

This is a study of the asymptotic behaviour of solutions of p-adic linear differential equations near the boundary of their convergence disks. We prove Dwork’s conjecture on the logarithmic growth of solutions in generic versus special disks.
Biomass Ash-Bed Material Interactions Leading to Agglomeration in FBC
Authors: Visser H. J. M. , van Lith S. C. , Kiel J. H. A.
Published: February 2008

In (bubbling) fluidized-bed combustion and gasification of biomass, several potential problems are associated with the inorganic components of the fuel. A major problem area is defluidization due to bed agglomeration. The most common found process leading to defluidization in commercial-scale installations is “coating-induced” agglomeration. During reactor operation, a coating is formed on the surface of bed material grains and at certain critical conditions (e.g., coating thickness or temperature) sintering of the coatings initiates the agglomeration. In an experimental approach, this work describes a fundamental study on the mechanisms of defluidization. For the studied process of bed defluidization due to sintering of grain-coating layers, it was found that the onset of the process depends on (a) a critical coating thickness, (b) on the fluidization velocity when it is below approximately four times the minimum fluidization velocity, and (c) on the viscosity (stickiness) of the outside of the grains (coating).
Look Around to Learn Physics
Authors: Mohammadpour Hassan
Published: February 2008

I always tell my students: “Physics is all around,” and “Just observe carefully to learn physics.” This paper describes one of my own experiences in looking carefully at light reflection and, in particular, the difference between specular reflection and diffuse reflection. I also describe how I have adapted this experience for use with my students. During my years as a high school teacher, I have read many papers in TPT that describe other teachers' interesting physics-related experiences. It was those accounts that stimulated me to write this paper.
Change of Time over Changing Time
Authors: Mullaney Thomas S.
Published: February 2008

One Time Fits All
. The Campaigns for Global Uniformity.
By Ian R. Bartky
. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 2007. 320 pp. $49.95. ISBN 9780804756426.

Focusing on the International Date Line, the system of Standard Time zones, and Daylight Saving-time, Barkty explores aspects of the global adoption of uniform civil time.
Facing the Flames
Authors: Rosa Eugene A.
Published: February 2008

On the Fireline
. Living and Dying with Wildland Firefighters.
By Matthew Desmond
. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007. 379 pp. $24, £15. ISBN 9780226144085.

Incorporating his own experiences from time spent as a seasonal firefighter in Arizona, Desmond provides a sociological analysis of his fellow firefighters to argue against explanations for risk-taking that stress traits such as courage, toughness, and aggressiveness or cold calculations by individuals.
Reproducing in Cities
Authors: Mace Ruth
Published: February 2008

Reproducing in cities has always been costly, leading to lower fertility (that is, lower birth rates) in urban than in rural areas. Historically, although cities provided job opportunities, initially residents incurred the penalty of higher infant mortality, but as mortality rates fell at the end of the 19th century, European birth rates began to plummet. Fertility decline in Africa only started recently and has been dramatic in some cities. Here it is argued that both historical and evolutionary demographers are interpreting fertility declines across the globe in terms of the relative costs of child rearing, which increase to allow children to outcompete their peers. Now largely free from the fear of early death, postindustrial societies may create an environment that generates runaway parental investment, which will continue to drive fertility ever lower.
Mechanisms of Varicella-Zoster Virus Neuropathogenesis in Human Dorsal Root Ganglia
Authors: Reichelt Mike , Zerboni Leigh , Arvin Ann M.
Published: February 2008

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alphaherpesvirus that infects sensory ganglia and reactivates from latency to cause herpes zoster. VZV replication was examined in human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency using multiscale correlative immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. These experiments showed the presence of VZV genomic DNA, viral proteins, and virion production in both neurons and satellite cells within DRG. Furthermore, the multiscale analysis of VZV-host cell interactions revealed virus-induced cell-cell fusion and polykaryon formation between neurons and satellite cells during VZV replication in DRG in vivo. Satellite cell infection and polykaryon formation in neuron-satellite cell complexes provide mechanisms to amplify VZV entry into neuronal cell bodies, which is necessary for VZV transfer to skin in the affected dermatome during herpes zoster. These mechanisms of VZV neuropathogenesis help to account for the often severe neurologic consequences of herpes zoster.
Host selection by the white pine weevil, Pissodesstrobi Peck: feeding bioassays using host and nonhost plants
Authors: Alfaro Rene I. , Borden John H.
Published: February 2008

Thirty-three species of native and exotic conifers in seven genera, five broadleaved trees and shrubs, and a fern species were tested in single-stimulus bioassays to determine the presence or absence of chemical feeding stimulants for Sitka spruce infesting white pine weevils, Pissodesstrobi Peck. Feeding stimulants were present in nearly all conifers tested and absent in all nonconifers. The response varied in intensity among genera, being stronger in Pinus and Picea. Two-choice feeding bioassays demonstrated that the chemical blend inducing maximum feeding response by P. strobi is optimal only in the host Sitka spruce and a few other conifers. Four nonconifers and five conifers, including the weevil's eastern host, eastern white pine, were shown to contain feeding deterrents. It was concluded that the complex mixture of chemicals that determine feeding by P. strobi differs in quality and quantity among the various species tested.
The phenology of white spruce and the spruce budworm in northern Alberta
Authors: Volney W.J.A. , Cerezke H.F.
Published: February 2008

Studies on the development of spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) on white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) were conducted in northern Alberta in 1969 and again in 1990. The phenology of this insect and its host were described using stochastic models. The synchrony between host and insect is remarkable; each instar specializes on a particular shoot developmental stage, with feeding ceasing when shoots start to become lignified. There was little difference between estimates for the duration of the feeding stages of populations observed in 1969 and those studied in 1990. The models also described the variation that might be encountered in treatment blocks when operational considerations of scheduling treatments over large areas are a concern. When measured in degree-days, the initiation of emergence is later and the postemergence period is shorter in these northern populations than those reported for populations in southern Canada on the same host. The nature of the seasonal controls of spruce budworm development is unknown, but the differences between northern and southern populations of the insect suggest that knowledge of these controls will be invaluable if the status of these populations is to be evaluated under climate-change scenarios. The synchrony with host development and the short duration of the early instars together with their habit of feeding in protected locations under bud caps suggest that aerially applied controls that depend on the insect acquiring lethal doses through ingestion have to be targeted to the last, sixth, instar. These observations also suggest that population suppression, rather than foliage protection, would be the better control strategy.
Mechanisms of Salinity Tolerance
Authors: Munns Rana , Tester Mark
Published: February 2008

The physiological and molecular mechanisms of tolerance to osmotic and ionic components of salinity stress are reviewed at the cellular, organ, and whole-plant level. Plant growth responds to salinity in two phases: a rapid, osmotic phase that inhibits growth of young leaves, and a slower, ionic phase that accelerates senescence of mature leaves. Plant adaptations to salinity are of three distinct types: osmotic stress tolerance, Na+or Cl−exclusion, and the tolerance of tissue to accumulated Na+or Cl−. Our understanding of the role of the HKT gene family in Na+exclusion from leaves is increasing, as is the understanding of the molecular bases for many other transport processes at the cellular level. However, we have a limited molecular understanding of the overall control of Na+accumulation and of osmotic stress tolerance at the whole-plant level. Molecular genetics and functional genomics provide a new opportunity to synthesize molecular and physiological knowledge to improve the salinity tolerance of plants relevant to food production and environmental sustainability.
Platelet inhibition by low-dose aspirin but not by clopidogrel reduces the axon-reflex current-induced vasodilation in humans
Authors: Rousseau P. , Tartas M. , Fromy B. , Godon A. , Custaud M.-A. , Saumet J. L. , Abraham P.
Published: February 2008

We previously showed a prolonged inhibition of current-induced vasodilation (CIV) after a single oral high dose of aspirin. In this study, we tested the hypothesis of platelet involvement in CIV. Nine healthy volunteers took 75 mg aspirin/day, 98 mg of clopidogrel bisulfate/day, or placebo for 4 days. CIV was induced by two consecutive 1-min anodal current applications (0.08 mA/cm2) through deionized water with a 10-min interval. CIV was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry and expressed as a percentage of baseline cutaneous vascular conductance: %Cb. In a second experiment in 10 volunteers, aspirin and placebo were given as in experiment 1, but a 26-h delay from the last aspirin intake elapsed before ACh iontophoresis and postocclusive hyperemia were studied in parallel to CIV. In experiment 1, the means ± SE amplitude of CIV was 822 ± 314, 313 ± 144, and 746 ± 397%Cb with placebo, aspirin ( P < 0.05 from placebo and clopidogrel), and clopidogrel (NS from placebo), respectively. In experiment 2, CIV impairment with aspirin was confirmed: CIV amplitudes were 300 ± 99, and 916 ± 528%Cb under aspirin and placebo, respectively ( P < 0.05), whereas vasodilation to ACh iontophoresis (322 ± 74 and 365 ± 104%Cb) and peak postocclusive hyperemia (491 ± 137 and 661 ± 248%Cb) were not different between aspirin and placebo, respectively. Low-dose aspirin, even 26 h after oral administration, impairs CIV, while ACh-mediated vasodilation and postocclusive hyperemia are preserved. If platelets are involved in the neurovascular mechanism triggered by galvanic current application in humans, it is likely to occur through the cyclooxygenase but not the ADP pathway.
Short-Term Effects of Perichondrium Preservation on Chondrocyte Survival and Chondrogenesis of Auricular Cartilage Grafted in Rabbit Tympanic Bullae
Authors: Tu Tzong-Yang , Yang An-Hang , Fan Chi-Chen
Published: February 2008

Introduction: Obliteration of the mastoid cavities with auricular cartilage is a frequently used method to minimize the open cavity problem in cholesteatoma surgery. However, the method of cartilage preparation and histopathologic changes of the grafted cartilage in patients receiving mastoid obliteration are rarely reported. Hence, the authors developed rabbit tympanic bulla obliteration with auricular cartilage as an animal model and studied the effects of perichondrium preservation on the grafted cartilage. Materials and Methods: Auricular cartilage with or without perichondrium was prepared and cut into small pieces to obliterate rabbit tympanic bullae. Four weeks after surgery, the viable chondrocyte ratio indicated by the number of viable chondrocytes divided by the total number of chondrocytes, the microvascular density shown by CD31-labeled vessels, and the chondrogenesis ratio represented by the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of the newly formed cartilage and the originally grafted cartilage were calculated and compared. Results: The viable chondrocyte ratio was 49.21 ± 10.17% in the perichondrium-preserved group (n = 12) and 35.46 ± 3.96% in the perichondrium-removed group (n = 12, p = 0.001). The CD31 microvascular density was significantly higher in the perichondrium-preserved group than in the perichondrium-removed group (167.77 ± 15.83 vs. 77.17 ± 19.67 microvessels/mm2, p < 0.001). The chondrogenesis ratios were 27.58 ± 12.44% in the perichondrium-preserved group and 0.45 ± 0.63% in the perichondrium-removed group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Obliteration of tympanic bullae with perichondrium-preserved cartilage results in faster restoration of circulation, higher survival of chondrocytes and more cartilage regeneration than with perichondrium-removed cartilage.
Development of an improved Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 strain for recombinant protein secretion at low temperature
Authors: Parrilli Ermenegilda , De Vizio Daniela , Cirulli Claudia , Tutino Maria Luisa
Published: February 2008

Background

In a previous paper, we reported the accomplishment of a cold gene-expression system for the recombinant secretion of heterologous proteins in Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125. This system makes use of the psychrophilic α-amylase from P. haloplanktis TAB23 as secretion carrier, and allows an effective extra-cellular addressing of recombinant proteins. However, Pseudoalteromonales are reported to secrete a wide range of extra-cellular proteases. This feature works against the efficiency of the cold-adapted secretion system, because of the proteolytic degradation of recombinant products. The aim of this study is the construction of a P. haloplanktis TAC125 mutant strain with reduced extra-cellular proteolytic activity.

Results

P. haloplanktis TAC125 culture medium resulted to contain multiple and heterogeneous proteases. Since the annotation of the Antarctic bacterium genome highlighted the presence of only one canonical secretion machinery, namely the Type II secretion pathway (T2SS), we have inactivated this secretion system by a gene insertion strategy. A mutant strain of P. haloplanktis TAC125 in which the gspE gene was knocked-out, actually displayed a remarkable reduction of the extra-cellular protease secretion. Quite interestingly this strain still retained the ability to secrete the psychrophilic amylase as efficiently as the wild type. Moreover, the decrease in extra-cellular proteolytic activity resulted in a substantial improvement in the stability of the secreted amylase-β-lactamase chimera.

Conclusion

Here we report a cell engineering approach to the construction of a P. haloplanktis TAC125 strain with reduced extra-cellular protease activity. The improved strain is able to secrete the psychrophilic α-amylase (the carrier of our recombinant secretion system), while it displays a significant reduction of protease content in the culture medium. These features make the gspE mutant an improved host with a remarkable biotechnological potential in recombinant protein secretion at low temperature. Moreover this work demonstrates that P. haloplanktis TAC125 is a versatile psychrophilic host for recombinant protein production since it can be easily improved by a directed engineering approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first described example of a strain improvement strategy applied to an Antarctic bacterium.
Heaven and Hell: The representation of Paraguay as a Utopian space
Authors: Phillips Thomas
Published: February 2008

This article concerns the way in which Paraguay and by extension Latin America have been represented in European literature and film, ranging from Robert Southey's 1825 poem A Tale of Paraguay, through Joseph Conrad's Nostromo and Graham Greene's Travels with my Aunt
and The Honorary Consul to Roland Joffe's 1986 film The Mission. From the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492 the America's have been a fertile terrain for locating utopias, and as one of the most politically and geographically isolated of American states Paraguay has come to
act as a privileged topos for locating both utopias and dystopias. In this article, the progression of this utopian / dystopian train of thought is traced as it changes with different world historical situations.
Ambient Intelligence: Basic Elements and Insights (Ambient Intelligence: Grundelemente und Einsichten)
Authors: Aarts Emile
Published: February 2008

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is about smart everyday technology that makes sense. The concept refers to electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. The paradigm relates to a vision on digital systems for the years 2010–2020 which was developed in the late nineties of the past century, and which has become quite influential worldwide in the development of new concepts for information processing. The novel and disruptive element of the vision is that it combines in a unique way elements from multi-disciplinary fields such as electrical engineering, computer science, industrial design, user interfaces, and cognitive sciences into highly integrated systems by a user-centered design approach.
Zellulare Transportsysteme – Den Dingen Beine machen im „Internet der Dinge” (Cellular Transport Systems – Making Things Move in the “Internet of Things”)
Authors: ten Hompel Michael , Nagel Lars
Published: February 2008

Hochautomatisierte intralogistische Systeme sind ein in der Anwendung befindliches Domänenbeispiel intelligenter Umgebungen. Ausgehend vom Status Quo in der Kommissionierung über den Einsatz von Agenten- und RFID-Technologien, die Multiagentensimulation und die Entwicklung von intelligenten Behältern wird konsequent der Weg hin zur vollkommen autonomen Gestaltung des Materialflusses im Konzept der zellularen Transportsysteme aufgezeigt.
Instability of Si3N4/, SiC/, and MoSi2/ethanol suspensions
Authors: Fukada Yoko , Nicholson Patrick S.
Published: February 2008

Time-dependent suspension behavior is reported for nonoxide ceramic powders (Si3N4, SiC, and MoSi2) in ethanol. The suspension pH (and therefore the stability) changed with time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inert gas fusion, inductively coupled plasma, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to track changes of surface chemistry. The adsorption of the base, tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH), is examined. The pH drop on powder addition to pure EtOH was used to gain insight into the role of TMAH coverage of the powder surfaces.
Global Breakdancing and the Intercultural Body
Authors: Osumare Halifu
Published: February 2008

When I arrived at nine o'clock, the deejay was spinning “trip hop” style disks in the “chill room” upstairs until the formal dance show was supposed to start at ten o'clock downstairs. Critical mass is important: the event did not begin until midnight; size of crowd and group energy are the determining factors for starting time in hip hop culture. Eventually, the audience of about two hundred consisted of black, white, Asian, Hawaiian, military, and civilian patrons who were mostly in their late twenties. “What's up, y'all? Y'all ready for the show?” asked Jamal, Honolulu hip hop promoter and emcee, to open the event.

Jamal proceeded to read from a script about the beginnings of American society's acceptance of “African American culture in the 1920s Jazz Age,” putting what was about to happen in historical context and giving the event an informative purpose. This scripted narration of hip hop's historical context at a club event reflected an interest in specific African American origins of the pop culture form expressed by many global hip hop leaders. Thus began “Urban Movement,” a November 1998 b-boy (breakdance) event produced at the Wave Waikiki nightclub in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. What followed was a demonstration of the current-day variations of hip hop dance that began in the 1970s with virtuosic athletic b-boying or b-girling and “popping,” the phenomenal muscular control of the rapid-fire rhythmic isolations. Urban Movement provided several hip hop enactments that illuminated what I investigate in this essay—the interdependence of performance and performativity as dual forces in global breakdancing.
Self‐modelling regression for longitudinal data with time‐invariant covariates
Authors: Altman Naomi , Villarreal Julio
Published: February 2008

The authors propose the use of self‐modelling regression to analyze longitudinal data with time invariant covariates. They model the population time curve with a penalized regression spline and use a linear mixed model for transformation of the time and response scales to fit the individual curves. Fitting is done by an iterative algorithm using off‐the‐shelf linear and nonlinear mixed model software. Their method is demonstrated in a simulation study and in the analysis of tree swallow nestling growth from an experiment that includes an experimentally controlled treatment, an observational covariate and multi‐level sampling.
The use of the weighted likelihood in the natural exponential families with quadratic variance
Authors: Ghosh Malay , Zidek James V. , Maiti Tapabrata , White Rick
Published: February 2008

The authors propose a weighted likelihood concept for the estimation of parameters in natural exponential families with quadratic variance. They apply the results to both simulated and real data.
Optimal sampling for repeated binary measurements
Authors: Quintana Fernando A. , Müller Peter
Published: February 2008

The authors consider the optimal design of sampling schedules for binary sequence data. They propose an approach which allows a variety of goals to be reflected in the utility function by including deterministic sampling cost, a term related to prediction, and if relevant, a term related to learning about a treatment effect To this end, they use a nonparametric probability model relying on a minimal number of assumptions. They show how their assumption of partial exchangeability for the binary sequence of data allows the sampling distribution to be written as a mixture of homogeneous Markov chains of order k. The implementation follows the approach of Quintana & Müller (2004), which uses a Dirichlet process prior for the mixture.
Ideological Distance from the Majority Party and Public Approval of Congress
Authors: JONES DAVID R. , MCDERMOTT MONIKA L.
Published: February 2008

Abstract: We analyze whether or not perceived ideological distance from the congressional majority party influences individuals' approval of the way Congress as a whole handles its job. We argue that, to the extent citizens see the majority party as representing an ideological stance that is distant from their own, they are unlikely to feel that Congress is representing them and therefore will be less supportive toward Congress. In contrast, when members of the public feel that the congressional majority is close to them ideologically, they are likely to feel well represented by and thereby approve of Congress. Using cross‐sectional data covering periods of Democratic, Republican, and split party control of Congress (1980–98), this analysis provides strong support for the ideological proximity argument.
Whistle While You Work: Job Satisfaction and Retirement from the U.S. House
Authors: III SAMUEL H. FISHER , HERRICK REBEKAH
Published: February 2008

Abstract: The literature analyzing the effects of job satisfaction on congressional retirement has been inconclusive. The problem with this literature is its reliance on indirect measures of job satisfaction. We use a direct measure of job satisfaction to demonstrate that job satisfaction does have a significant independent effect on congressional retirement. The findings imply that the indirect measures of job satisfaction measure frustration as opposed to job dissatisfaction, a conceptually different variable. The fact that members' job satisfaction affects their career length suggests that a Congress that keeps its members happy will have greater retention and will, presumably, keep its best members.