bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Silicon supply modifies C:N:P stoichiometry and growth of Phragmites australis
Authors: Schaller J. , Brackhage C. , Gessner M. O. , Bäuker E. , Gert Dudel E.
Published: December 2011

Silicon is a non‐essential element for plant growth. Nevertheless, it affects plant stress resistance and in some plants, such as grasses, it may substitute carbon (C) compounds in cell walls, thereby influencing C allocation patterns and biomass production. How variation in silicon supply over a narrow range affects nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake by plants has also been investigated in some detail. However, little is known about effects on the stoichiometric relationships between C, N and P when silicon supply varies over a broader range. Here, we assessed the effect of silicon on aboveground biomass production and C:N:P stoichiometry of common reed, Phragmites australis, in a pot experiment in which three widely differing levels of silicon were supplied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that elevated silicon supply promoted silica deposition in the epidermis of Phragmites leaves. This resulted in altered N:P ratios, whereas C:N ratios changed only slightly. Plant growth was slightly (but not significantly) enhanced at intermediate silicon supply levels but significantly decreased at high levels. These findings point to the potential of silicon to impact plant growth and elemental stoichiometry and, by extension, to affect biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems dominated by Phragmites and other grasses and sedges.
Transaminase in rotavirus gastroenteritis
Authors: Kawashima Hisashi , Ishii Chiako , Ioi Hiroaki , Nishimata Shigeo , Kashiwagi Yasuyo , Takekuma Kouji
Published: December 2011

Background:  Children infected with rotavirus often show increased levels of transaminase, and symptoms are characterized by white stool, similar to biliary atresia. Rotavirus infections are also sporadically accompanied with convulsions, encephalopathy and Reye syndrome. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate transaminase and interleukin (IL)‐6 levels in rotavirus infection, in order to better understand their clinical significance.

Methods:  Results of liver function tests, mainly the elevation of transaminase and IL‐6 in rotavirus gastroenteritis with or without convulsions, were evaluated.

Results:  Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were high in 23 of 26 samples (88.5%), and in three of 26 samples (11.5%), respectively. No significant differences in liver function tests could be found between the groups with or without convulsions. Three patients whose direct bilirubin levels were above the upper normal limit were all classified into the group without convulsions. Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.89 between increasing AST levels and IL‐6 levels.

Conclusion:  Rotavirus infection is occasionally accompanied with hepatitis, but only in a mild form, and does not correlate with neurological complications. High levels of transaminase might reflect high IL‐6.
The genetic signature of perineuronal oligodendrocytes reveals their unique phenotype
Authors: Szuchet Sara , Nielsen Joseph A. , Lovas Gabor , Domowicz Miriam S. , de Velasco Javier M. , Maric Dragan , Hudson Lynn D.
Published: December 2011

Oligodendrocytes – best known for assembling central nervous system myelin – can be categorized as precursors, myelin‐forming cells and non‐myelinating perineuronal cells. Perineuronal oligodendrocytes have been well characterized morphologically and ultrastructurally, but knowledge about their function remains scanty. It has been proposed that perineuronal oligodendrocytes support neurons and, following injury, transform into myelin‐synthesizing cells. Recent findings implicating perineuronal oligodendrocytes in cytoarchitectural abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders shed new light on these cells. We have obtained the genetic signature of perineuronal oligodendrocytes by identifying gene expression differences between oligodendrocyte subpopulations using cell‐specific tags, microarray technology, quantitative time‐resolved polymerase chain reaction and bioinformatics tools. We show that perineuronal cells are the progeny of oligodendrocyte progenitors and, hence, are members of the oligodendrocyte lineage. Physiologically they exhibit a novel phenotype. Their expression of PDGFR‐αβ and its growth factor ligand PDGF‐CC sets them apart from members of their lineage as this receptor precludes their response to the same growth factors that act on myelinating cells. Their coordinate expression and context‐specific usage of transcription factors Olig2, Ascl1 and Pax6, together with the prominent presence of transcription factors Pea3, Lhx2 and Otx2 – not hitherto linked to the oligodendrocyte lineage – suggested a cell with features that blur the boundary between a neuron and a glial cell. But they also maintain a reservoir of untranslated transcripts encoding major myelin proteins presumably for a demyelinating episode. This first molecular characterization of perineuronal oligodendrocytes revealed the striking difference between the myelinating and non‐myelinating phenotypes.
Recovery of axonal myelination sheath and axonal caliber in the mouse corpus callosum following damage induced by N,N‐diethyldithiocarbamate
Authors: Utrera Juana , Romero Rafael , Verdaguer Ester , Junyent Fèlix , Auladell Carme
Published: December 2011

Disulfiram is an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor used for the treatment of alcohol dependence and of cocaine addiction. It has been demonstrated that subchronic administration of disulfiram or N,N‐diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), the main derivative of disulfiram, to rats can produce central–peripheral distal axonopathy. However, few data regarding the axonal effects of these compounds in the central nervous system exist. Our previous studies have revealed DEDTC‐induced axonal damage in the mouse brain during the course of postnatal development, together with alterations in axonal pathfinding and in the myelination process, with partial recovery during the post‐treatment period. In order to gather new data about how this axonal damage and recovery occurs in the central nervous system, we performed an ultrastructural analysis of the axons located in the corpus callosum from mice treated with DEDTC during postnatal development. The axonal caliber throughout the axonal area, the maximum axonal diameter, the maximum fiber diameter, and the axonal circularity, at different postnatal stages [from postnatal day (P)9 to P30], were analyzed. In addition, parameters related to the myelinization process (number of myelinated axons, sheath thickness, and the ratio of myelinated axons to total axons) were evaluated. A reduction in the average value of axonal caliber during treatment and a delay in the axonal myelination process were detected. Whereas early recovery of individual axons occurred after treatment (P22), complete recovery of myelinated axons occurred at late postnatal stages (P42). Therefore, chronic treatment with dithiocarbamates requires periods of rest to encourage the recovery of myelinated axons.
Glycaemic control and weight 7 years after Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) structured education in Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Gunn D. , Mansell P.
Published: December 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 807–812 (2012)

Aims  The provision of structured education is increasingly prevalent in the management of Type 1 diabetes. There are little long‐term follow‐up data from such programmes. We have assessed HbA1c and weight over a 7‐year period following the Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) structured education course.

Methods  We obtained annual HbA1c and weight data in 111 patients who attended the initial series of DAFNE courses in our centre from June 2002 to end 2003 and in a matched group of 111 patients with Type 1 diabetes of similar age and duration of diabetes seen over the same period who had not undergone structured education.

Results  With DAFNE structured education, the mean (± sd) HbA1c fell from 71 ± 12 mmol/mol (8.6 ± 1.1%) at baseline to 65 ± 12 mmol/mol (8.1 ± 1.1%) at year 1, with a subsequent rise to 67 ± 13 mmol/mol (8.3 ± 1.2%) at year 7 (P = 0.0048 vs. baseline). In the comparator group, the baseline HbA1c level was 70 ± 14 mmol/mol (8.5 ± 1.3%) and remained approximately constant during 7 years of follow‐up. Weight increased by 2.4 ± 6.0 and 2.8 ± 6.6 kg in the DAFNE and comparator group, respectively, during follow‐up (not significant).

Conclusions  DAFNE structured education is associated with an improvement in glycaemic control at 1 year, and there remains a persistent and clinically relevant reduction in HbA1c of 3 mmol/mol (0.3%) after 7 years. The improvement in glycaemic control after DAFNE is achieved without excess weight gain.
Blood glucose testing and primary prevention of Type 2 diabetes—evaluation of the effect of evidence‐based patient information: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Genz J. , Haastert B. , Müller H. , Verheyen F. , Cole D. , Rathmann W. , Nowotny B. , Roden M. , Giani G. , Mielck A. , Ohmann C. , Icks A.
Published: December 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 1011–1020 (2012)

Aims  To compare the effect of our newly developed online evidence‐based patient information vs. standard patient information about sub‐threshold elevated blood glucose levels and primary prevention of diabetes on informed patient decision making.

Methods  We invited visitors to the cooperating health insurance company, Techniker Krankenkasse, and the German Diabetes Center websites to take part in a web‐based randomized controlled trial. The population after randomization comprised 1120 individuals aged between 40 and 70 years without known diabetes, of whom 558 individuals were randomly assigned to the intervention group receiving evidence‐based patient information, and 562 individuals were randomly assigned to the control group receiving standard information from the Internet. The primary endpoint was acquired knowledge of elevated blood glucose level issues and the secondary outcomes were attitude to metabolic testing, intention to undergo metabolic testing, decisional conflict and satisfaction with the information.

Results  Overall, knowledge of elevated glucose level issues and the intention to undergo metabolic testing were high in both groups. Participants who had received evidence‐based patient information, however, had significantly higher knowledge scores. The secondary outcomes in the evidence‐based patient information subgroup that completed the 2‐week follow‐up period yielded significantly lower intention to undergo metabolic testing, significantly more critical attitude towards metabolic testing and significantly higher decisional conflict than the control subgroup (n = 466). Satisfaction with the information was not significantly different between both groups.

Conclusions  Evidence‐based patient information significantly increased knowledge about elevated glucose levels, but also increased decisional conflict and critical attitude to screening and treatment options. The intention to undergo metabolic screening decreased. Future studies are warranted to assess uptake of metabolic testing and satisfaction with this decision in a broader population of patients with unknown diabetes.
Toward an electrocortical biomarker of cognition for newborn infants
Authors: Isler Joseph R. , Tarullo Amanda R. , Grieve Philip G. , Housman Elizabeth , Kaku Michelle , Stark Raymond I. , Fifer William P.
Published: December 2011

The event‐related potential (ERP) effect of mismatch negativity (MMN) was the first electrophysiological probe to evaluate cognitive processing (change detection) in newborn infants. Initial studies of MMN predicted clinical utility for this measure in identification of infants at risk for developmental cognitive deficits. These predictions have not been realized. We hypothesized that in sleeping newborn infants, measures derived from wavelet assessment of power in the MMN paradigm would be more robust markers of the brain’s response to stimulus change than the ERP‐derived MMN. Consistent with this premise, we found increased power in response to unpredictable and infrequent tones compared to frequent tones. These increases were present at multiple locations on the scalp over a range of latencies and frequencies and occurred even in the absence of an ERP‐derived MMN. There were two predominant effects. First, theta band power was elevated at middle and late latencies (200 to 600 ms), suggesting that neocortical theta rhythms that subserve working memory in adults are present at birth. Second, late latency (500 ms) increased power to the unpredictable and infrequent tones was observed in the beta and gamma bands, suggesting that oscillations involved in adult cognition are also present in the neonate. These findings support the expectation that frequency dependent measures, such as wavelet power, will improve the prospects for a clinically useful test of cortical function early in the postnatal period.
Anatomical study of the pelvis in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Authors: Qiu Xu‐Sheng , Zhang Jun‐Jie , Yang Shang‐Wen , Lv Feng , Wang Zhi‐Wei , Chiew Jonathan , Ma Wei‐Wei , Qiu Yong
Published: December 2011

Standing posterior–anterior (PA) radiographs from our clinical practice show that the concave and convex ilia are not always symmetrical in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Transverse pelvic rotation may explain this observation, or pelvic asymmetry may be responsible. The present study investigated pelvic symmetry by examining the volume and linear measurements of the two hipbones in patients with AIS. Forty‐two female patients with AIS were recruited for the study. Standing PA radiographs (covering the thoracic and lumbar spinal regions and the entire pelvis), CT scans and 3D reconstructions of the pelvis were obtained for all subjects. The concave/convex ratio of the inferior ilium at the sacroiliac joint medially (SI) and the anterior superior iliac spine laterally (ASIS) were measured on PA radiographs. Hipbone volumes and several distortion and abduction parameters were measured by post‐processing software. The concave/convex ratio of SI–ASIS on PA radiographs was 0.97, which was significantly < 1 (P < 0.001). The concave and convex hipbone volumes were comparable in patients with AIS. The hipbone volumes were 257.3 ± 43.5 cm3 and 256.9 ± 42.6 cm3 at the concave and convex sides, respectively (P > 0.05). Furthermore, all distortion and abduction parameters were comparable between the convex and concave sides. Therefore, the present study showed that there was no pelvic asymmetry in patients with AIS, although the concave/convex ratio of SI–ASIS on PA radiographs was significantly < 1. The clinical phenomenon of asymmetrical concave and convex ilia in patients with AIS in preoperative standing PA radiographs may be caused by transverse pelvic rotation, but it is not due to developmental asymmetry or distortion of the pelvis.
Isolating neural components of threat bias in pediatric anxiety
Authors: Britton Jennifer C. , Bar‐Haim Yair , Carver Frederick W. , Holroyd Tom , Norcross Maxine A. , Detloff Allison , Leibenluft Ellen , Ernst Monique , Pine Daniel S.
Published: December 2011

Background:  Attention biases toward threat are often detected in individuals with anxiety disorders. Threat biases can be measured experimentally through dot‐probe paradigms, in which individuals detect a probe following a stimulus pair including a threat. On these tasks, individuals with anxiety tend to detect probes that occur in a location previously occupied by a threat (i.e., congruent) faster than when opposite threats (i.e., incongruent). In pediatric anxiety disorders, dot‐probe paradigms detect abnormal attention biases toward threat and abnormal ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) function. However, it remains unclear if this aberrant vlPFC activation occurs while subjects process threats (e.g., angry faces) or, alternatively, while they process and respond to probes. This magnetoencephalography (MEG) study was designed to answer this question.

Methods:  Adolescents with either generalized anxiety disorder (GAD, n = 17) or no psychiatric diagnosis (n = 25) performed a dot‐probe task involving angry and neutral faces while MEG data were collected. Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM) beamformer technique was used to determine whether there were group differences in power ratios while subjects processed threats (i.e., angry vs. neutral faces) or when subjects responded to incongruent versus. congruent probes.

Results:  Group differences in vlPFC activation during the response period emerged with a 1–30 Hz frequency band. No group differences in vlPFC activation were detected in response to angry‐face cues.

Conclusions:  In the dot‐probe task, anxiety‐related perturbations in vlPFC activation reflect abnormal attention control when responding to behaviorally relevant probes, but not to angry faces. Given that motor responses to these probes are used to calculate threat bias, this study provides insight into the pathophysiology reflected in this commonly used marker of anxiety. In addition, this finding may inform the development of novel anxiety‐disorder treatments targeting the vlPFC to enhance attention control to task‐relevant demands.
Price assessments by consumers: influence of purchase context and price structure
Authors: Rosa Diaz Isabel Maria
Published: December 2011

Among the numerous factors that influence decisions on prices, consumer behaviour has special significance. This paper reviews and analyses relevant studies conducted during the last few decades. On the basis of our analysis, four categories of factors that determine consumer behaviour have been identified. Additionally, we have developed an experimental research design to analyse the influence that the following factors have on price perception: price structure (i.e. price level, order of presentation and price differences), purchase context (i.e. reason for purchase or product use) and demographic characteristics (i.e. gender). Results reveal a significant influence of these variables on consumer behaviour.
Reduced calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II activity in the hippocampus is associated with impaired cognitive function in MPTP‐treated mice
Authors: Moriguchi Shigeki , Yabuki Yasushi , Fukunaga Kohji
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 541–551.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients frequently reveal deficit in cognitive functions during the early stage in PD. The dopaminergic neurotoxin, MPTP‐induced neurodegeneration causes an injury of the basal ganglia and is associated with PD‐like behaviors. In this study, we demonstrated that deficits in cognitive functions in MPTP‐treated mice were associated with reduced calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) autophosphorylation and impaired long‐term potentiation (LTP) induction in the hippocampal CA1 region. Mice were injected once a day for 5 days with MPTP (25 mg/kg i.p.). The impaired motor coordination was observed 1 or 2 week after MPTP treatment as assessed by rota‐rod and beam‐walking tasks. In immunoblotting analyses, the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase protein and CaMKII autophosphorylation in the striatum were significantly decreased 1 week after MPTP treatment. By contrast, deficits of cognitive functions were observed 3–4 weeks after MPTP treatment as assessed by novel object recognition and passive avoidance tasks but not Y‐maze task. Impaired LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region was also observed in MPTP‐treated mice. Concomitant with impaired LTP induction, CaMKII autophosphorylation was significantly decreased 3 weeks after MPTP treatment in the hippocampal CA1 region. Finally, the reduced CaMKII autophosphorylation was closely associated with reduced AMPA‐type glutamate receptor subunit 1 (GluR1; Ser‐831) phosphorylation in the hippocampal CA1 region of MPTP‐treated mice. Taken together, decreased CaMKII activity with concomitant impaired LTP induction in the hippocampus likely account for the learning disability observed in MPTP‐treated mice.
Genetic variation in TERT and TERC and human leukocyte telomere length and longevity: a cross‐sectional and longitudinal analysis
Authors: Soerensen Mette , Thinggaard Mikael , Nygaard Marianne , Dato Serena , Tan Qihua , Hjelmborg Jacob , Andersen‐Ranberg Karen , Stevnsner Tinna , Bohr Vilhelm A. , Kimura Masayuki , Aviv Abraham , Christensen Kaare , Christiansen Lene
Published: December 2011

Telomerase is of key importance for telomere maintenance, and variants of the genes encoding its major subunits, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA component (TERC), are candidates for interindividual variation in telomere length. Recently, the two SNPs rs3772190 and rs12696304 in the TERC locus were reported to be associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in two genome‐wide association studies, while one haplotype of TERT (rs2853669, rs2736098, rs33954691, and rs2853691) has been reported to be associated with both LTL and longevity in a candidate gene study. In this study, we investigated the two TERC and four TERT SNPs in middle‐aged, old, and oldest‐old Danes (58–100 years) and their association with LTL (n = 864) and longevity (n = 1069). Furthermore, data on 11 TERT tagging SNPs in 1089 oldest‐old and 736 middle‐aged Danes were investigated with respect to longevity. For all SNPs, the association with longevity was investigated using both a cross‐sectional and a longitudinal approach. Applying an additive model, we found association of LTL with the minor TERC alleles of rs3772190 (A) and rs12696304 (G), such that a shorter LTL was seen in rs3772190 A carriers (regression coefficient = −0.08, P = 0.011) and in male rs12696304 G carriers (regression coefficient = −0.13, P = 0.014). No TERT variations showed association. Moreover, the A allele of rs3772190 (TERC) was found to be associated with longevity [hazard rate (AG + AA) = 1.31, P = 0.006]. No associations with longevity were observed for the TERT SNPs or haplotypes. Our study, thus, indicates that TERC is associated with both LTL and longevity in humans.
Asa Briggs and the Making of Modern British History
Authors: McWilliam Rohan
Published: December 2011

Asa Briggs was one of the most influential historians in the post‐war world. He not only put the history of 19th century Britain on the map and fostered Victorian Studies but he became a key figure in the development of social history. Briggs has been an innovator, launching urban history, local history, labour history, media history and the history of material culture. Both in his career as an historian and as a university manager, he has encouraged interdisciplinarity and cross‐fertilisation between academic disciplines. This article discusses his many works but also the wider significance of his career as an academic statesman.
Symptoms of Dis‐Ease: New Trends in the Histories of ‘Indigenous’ South Asian Medicines
Authors: Mukharji Projit Bihari
Published: December 2011

Contemporary historical scholarship on South Asia’s ‘indigenous’ medical traditions date from the mid‐1970s. It was not until the late 1990s, however, that this became a thriving area of historical research. As work in the area has grown exponentially over the past decade and a half, many of the older frameworks of analysis have been critiqued and modified. Most recent scholarship in the field clearly expresses symptoms of the dis‐ease with many of the well‐entrenched frameworks. This essay, by no means exhaustive, charts some of the major themes and approaches which have dominated the histories of ‘indigenous’ medicines in South Asia and signals the dis‐eases with them.
Whose City Is This? Hucksters, Domestic Servants, Wet‐Nurses, Prostitutes, and Slaves in Late Medieval Western Mediterranean Urban Society
Authors: Mummey Kevin , Reyerson Kathryn
Published: December 2011

Medieval urban studies have evolved more rapidly in some areas of Europe than in others. Mediterranean Europe (with the exception of Italy) has been slower to focus on urban society than northern polities such as England. However, in the last 30 years, the exploration of the urban population and marginal groups has been expanding. This article examines the experience of the latter in later medieval Mediterranean Europe under the categories of hucksters, wet‐nurses, and domestic servants; prostitution; and slavery, with a particular interest in their impact on the topography of the medieval city.
Addiction Treatment Dropout: Exploring Patients’ Characteristics
Authors: López‐Goñi José J. , Fernández‐Montalvo Javier , Arteaga Alfonso
Published: December 2011

This study explored the characteristics associated with treatment dropout in substance dependence patients. A sample of 122 addicted patients (84 treatment completers and 38 treatment dropouts) who sought outpatient treatment was assessed to collect information on sociodemographic, consumption (assessed by EuropASI), psychopathological (assessed by SCL‐90‐R), and personality variables (assessed by MCMI‐II). Completers and dropouts were compared on all studied variables. According to the results, dropouts scored significantly higher on the EuropASI variables measuring employment/support, alcohol consumption, and family/social problems, as well as on the schizotypal scale of MCMI‐II. Because most of the significant differences were found in EuropASI variables, three clusters analyses (2, 3, and 4 groups) based on EuropASI mean scores were carried out to determine clinically relevant information predicting dropout. The most relevant results were obtained when four groups were used. Comparisons between the four groups derived from cluster analysis showed statistically significant differences in the rate of dropout, with one group exhibiting the highest dropout rate. The distinctive characteristics of the group with highest dropout rate included the presence of an increased labor problem combined with high alcohol consumption. Furthermore, this group had the highest scores on three scales of the MCMI‐II: phobic, dependent, and schizotypal. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed. (Am J Addict 2011;21:78–85)
Frequency of Gambling Problems among Parents of Pathological, versus Nonpathological, Casino Gamblers Using Slot Machines
Authors: Versini Audrey , LeGauffre Cindy , Romo Lucia , Adès Jean , Gorwood Philip
Published: December 2011

Familial and twin studies suggest the implication of a genetic factor in pathological gambling, but mainly assess probands through treatment settings or advertisements. The question raised here is: are parents of casino pathological gamblers using slot machines more affected with pathological gambling than nonpathological gamblers, all interviewed on site at the same casino? Three hundred and fifty‐five casino gamblers on slot machines, which included 96 pathological gamblers, 116 problem gamblers, and 143 nonproblem gamblers, were recruited in situ at the largest casino in the Paris suburbs. We evaluated pathological gambling and two addictive disorders (alcohol dependence and tobacco consumption) in the gamblers and their 690 parents (through the proband). Familial aggregation of pathological gambling was confirmed, with a risk of 3.3 for being a pathological gambler when at least one of the parents has problematic gambling. No familial co‐aggregation of pathological gambling with alcohol or tobacco dependence was observed. Pathological gambling is found in excess in the parents of pathological casino gamblers, in accordance with previous aggregation studies devoted to other types of gambling, and with studies recruiting gamblers in different settings. (Am J Addict 2011;21:86–95)
Inferring Extinction of Mammals from Sighting Records, Threats, and Biological Traits
Authors: FISHER DIANA O. , BLOMBERG SIMON P.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  For species with five or more sightings, quantitative techniques exist to test whether a species is extinct on the basis of distribution of sightings. However, 70% of purportedly extinct mammals are known from fewer than five sightings, and such models do not include some important indicators of the likelihood of extinction such as threats, biological traits, search effort, and demography. Previously, we developed a quantitative method that we based on species’ traits in which we used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate the probability of rediscovery of species regarded as extinct. Here, we used two versions of the Cox regression model to determine the probability of extinction in purportedly extinct mammals and compared the results of these two models with those of stationary Poisson, nonparametric, and Weibull sighting‐distribution models. For mammals with five or more sightings, the stationary Poisson model categorized all but two critically endangered (flagged as possibly extinct) species in our data set as extinct, and results with this model were consistent with current categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The scores of probability of rediscovery for individual species in one version of our Cox regression model were correlated with scores assigned by the stationary Poisson model. Thus, we used this Cox regression model to determine the probability of extinction of mammals with sparse records. On the basis of the Cox regression model, the most likely mammals to be rediscovered were the Montane monkey‐faced bat (Pteralopex pulchra), Armenian myotis (Myotis hajastanicus), Alcorn's pocket gopher (Pappogeomys alcorni), and Wimmer's shrew (Crocidura wimmeri). The Cox model categorized two species that have recently disappeared as extinct: the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) and the Christmas Island pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi). Our new method can be used to test whether species with few records or recent last‐sighting dates are likely to be extinct.
Decoupling Fragmentation from Habitat Loss for Spiders in Patchy Agricultural Landscapes
Authors: GAVISH YONI , ZIV YARON , ROSENZWEIG MICHAEL L.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Habitat loss reduces species diversity, but the effect of habitat fragmentation on number of species is less clear because fragmentation generally accompanies loss of habitat. We compared four methods that aim to decouple the effects of fragmentation from the effects of habitat loss. Two methods are based on species‐area relations, one on Fisher's alpha index of diversity, and one on plots of cumulative number of species detected against cumulative area sampled. We used these methods to analyze the species diversity of spiders in 2, 3.2 × 4 km agricultural landscapes in Southern Judea Lowlands, Israel. Spider diversity increased as fragmentation increased with all four methods, probably not because of the additive within‐patch processes, such as edge effect and heterogeneity. The positive relation between fragmentation and species diversity might reflect that most species can disperse through the fields during the wheat‐growing season. We suggest that if a given area was designated for the conservation of spiders in Southern Judea Lowlands, Israel, a set of several small patches may maximize species diversity over time.
CARBON‐USE STRATEGIES IN MACROALGAE: DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES TO LOWERED PH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OCEAN ACIDIFICATION1
Authors: Cornwall Christopher E. , Hepburn Christopher D. , Pritchard Daniel , Currie Kim I. , McGraw Christina M. , Hunter Keith A. , Hurd Catriona L.
Published: December 2011

Ocean acidification (OA) is a reduction in oceanic pH due to increased absorption of anthropogenically produced CO2. This change alters the seawater concentrations of inorganic carbon species that are utilized by macroalgae for photosynthesis and calcification: CO2 and HCO3− increase; CO32− decreases. Two common methods of experimentally reducing seawater pH differentially alter other aspects of carbonate chemistry: the addition of CO2 gas mimics changes predicted due to OA, while the addition of HCl results in a comparatively lower [HCO3−]. We measured the short‐term photosynthetic responses of five macroalgal species with various carbon‐use strategies in one of three seawater pH treatments: pH 7.5 lowered by bubbling CO2 gas, pH 7.5 lowered by HCl, and ambient pH 7.9. There was no difference in photosynthetic rates between the CO2, HCl, or pH 7.9 treatments for any of the species examined. However, the ability of macroalgae to raise the pH of the surrounding seawater through carbon uptake was greatest in the pH 7.5 treatments. Modeling of pH change due to carbon assimilation indicated that macroalgal species that could utilize HCO3− increased their use of CO2 in the pH 7.5 treatments compared to pH 7.9 treatments. Species only capable of using CO2 did so exclusively in all treatments. Although CO2 is not likely to be limiting for photosynthesis for the macroalgal species examined, the diffusive uptake of CO2 is less energetically expensive than active HCO3− uptake, and so HCO3−‐using macroalgae may benefit in future seawater with elevated CO2.
The Physical Economy of the United States of America
Authors: Gierlinger Sylvia , Krausmann Fridolin
Published: December 2011

The United States is not only the world's largest economy, but it is also one of the world's largest consumers of natural resources. The country, which is inhabited by some 5% of the world's population, uses roughly one‐fifth of the global primary energy supply and 15% of all extracted materials. This article explores long‐term trends and patterns of material use in the United States. Based on a material flow account (MFA) that is fully consistent with current standards of economy‐wide MFAs and covers domestic extraction, imports, and exports of materials for a 135‐year period, we investigated the evolution of the U.S. industrial metabolism. This process was characterized by an 18‐fold increase in material consumption, a multiplication of material use per capita, and a shift from renewable biomass toward mineral and fossil resources. In spite of considerable improvements in material intensity, no dematerialization has happened so far; in contrast to other high‐income countries, material use has not stabilized since the 1970s, but has continued to grow. This article compares patterns and trends of material use in the United States with those in Japan and the United Kingdom and discusses the factors underlying the disproportionately high level of U.S. per capita resource consumption.
Real Estate, the External Finance Premium and Business Investment: A Quantitative Dynamic General Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Jin Yi , Leung Charles K.Y. , Zeng Zhixiong
Published: December 2011

This article studies the connection between the capital market and the real estate market. Empirically, we find that positive real house price shocks lower the external finance premium and stimulate nonresidential investment and real gross domestic product (GDP). Our theoretical framework is able to mimic the volatility of the external finance premium, the relative price of real estate and capital and the investment in real estate and capital. It also captures the cyclicality of the external finance premium and of real estate prices. The contribution of real estate price fluctuations to the variability of the external finance premium and the GDP is confirmed to be significant.
Attraction of the West Indian fruit fly to mango fruit volatiles
Authors: Malo Edi A. , Gallegos‐Torres Itanegüi , Toledo Jorge , Valle‐Mora Javier , Rojas Julio C.
Published: December 2011

In this study, we investigated the attraction of West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), to volatiles of three mango [Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae)] cultivars in field cage tests. The number of flies captured with Multilure traps baited with Amate mature green mangoes was significantly higher than that captured in traps baited with Coche and Ataulfo fruits. There was no significant difference between the number of flies captured in traps baited with Coche or Ataulfo mangoes. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of mango fruit volatiles identified 24, 22, and 19 compounds for Amate, Ataulfo, and Coche mango cultivars, respectively. A principal component analysis of the volatiles revealed that the Amate mango was more distant from the Ataulfo mango, and the latter cultivar was closer to the Coche mango. The compounds myrcene, α‐pinene, β‐selinene, and trans‐β‐ocimene were the most abundant in Amate mangoes, whereas 3‐carene, β‐selinene, terpinolene, and α‐pinene were the predominant compounds of Ataulfo cultivars. In the Coche mango, the predominant compounds were 3‐carene, β‐selinene, terpinolene, and limonene. Traps baited with a blend of myrcene, α‐pinene, and trans‐β‐ocimene captured more A. obliqua females and males than control traps. Flies were more attracted to the Super Q volatile extracts of Amate mango than to the three‐component blend formulated in a ratio of 1:1:1. However, there was no significant difference between the number of flies caught by traps baited with Amate mango extracts and that caught by traps baited with the three‐blend component when this was formulated according to the relative proportions in the mango extracts. Traps baited with myrcene, the major component, caught fewer flies than traps baited with Amate mango extracts.
Modelling the habitat requirement of riverine fish species at the European scale: sensitivity to temperature and precipitation and associated uncertainty
Authors: Logez Maxime , Bady Pierre , Pont Didier
Published: December 2011

Abstract –  Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely used for different purposes such as studying species niche or forecasting the effects of global change on species distribution. Nevertheless, these models are often calibrated on datasets that only cover a fraction of the species’ realised niches, which could lead to unrealistic results. The aim of this study was to model the habitat requirements of 21 freshwater fish species that are native to Europe, using a dataset that accurately reflects their realised niches. Both temperature and precipitation were used as climatic factors to model the habitat requirements of the species, and the uncertainty associated with the fitted environment–occurrence relationships was examined. The results demonstrated the importance of accounting for these two climatic components when estimating the habitat requirements of riverine fish species and whether the uncertainty associated with model expectations varies with the species and the environmental factor considered. These results are discussed with regard to the known ecology of the 21 riverine fish species and within the perspective of climate change.
Subclass‐Specific Localization and Trafficking ofArabidopsisp24 Proteins in theER–Golgi Interface
Authors: Chen Jun , Qi Xingyun , Zheng Huanquan
Published: December 2011

We describe a comprehensive analysis of the subcellular localization andin vivotrafficking ofArabidopsisp24 proteins. InArabidopsis, there are 11p24 proteins, which fall into only δ and β subfamilies. Interestingly, the δ subfamily ofp24 proteins inArabidopsis is elaborated spectacularly in evolution, which can be grouped into two subclasses:p24δ1 andp24δ2. We found that, although allp24δ proteins possess classicCOPII/COPIbinding motifs in their cytosolicC‐termini,p24δ1 proteins are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER),p24δ2 proteins are localized to bothERandGolgi. Twop24β proteins reside largely inGolgi. Similar toAtp24 (termedp24δ1cin this study),p24δ2dalso cycles between theERandGolgi. Interestingly, coexpression withp24β1 could retainp24δ2d, but notp24δ1dinGolgi. We revealed that the lumenal coiled‐coil domain ofp24δ2dis required for its steady‐state localization inGolgi, probably through its interaction withp24β1. Inp24β1, there is no classicCOPIIorCOPIbinding motif in itsC‐terminus. However, the protein also cycles between theERandGolgi. We found that a conservedRVmotif located at the extreme end of theC‐terminus ofp24β1 plays an important role in itsGolgi target.
Heme Oxygenase‐1 Expression in the Ovary Dictates a Proper Oocyte Ovulation, Fertilization, and Corpora Lutea Maintenance
Authors: Zenclussen Maria L. , Jensen Federico , Rebelo Sofia , El‐Mousleh Tarek , Casalis Pablo A. , Zenclussen Ana C.
Published: December 2011

Citation Zenclussen ML, Jensen F, Rebelo S, El‐Mousleh T, Casalis PA, Zenclussen AC. Heme oxygenase‐1 expression in the ovary dictates a proper oocyte ovulation, fertilization, and corpora lutea maintenance. Am J Reprod Immunol 2012; 67: 376–382

Problem  Animals deficient in Heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1, Hmox1−/− mice) have impaired pregnancies, characterized by intrauterine fetal death. HO‐1 expression has been shown to be essential for pregnancy by dictating placentation and intrauterine fetal development. Its absence leads to intrauterine fetal growth restriction and fetal loss, which is independent of the immune system. Defect in previous steps, e.g., ovulation, may, however, also count for their poor reproductive outcome.

Method of study  Here, we investigated ovulation after hormonal hyperstimulation in Hmox1 wild‐type and knockout animals.

Results and Conclusions  We observed that animals lacking HO‐1 produced significantly less oocytes after hormonal stimulation than wild type animals and this was mirrored by the number of corpora lutea in the ovary. Furthermore, ovulated oocytes from Hmox1−/− animals were poorly fertilized compared with those from wild‐type animals. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that HO‐1 plays a pivotal role in the process of oocyte ovulation as well as fertilization, bringing to light a new and unsuspected role for HO‐1.
Writing Intimate Lives: Mediations in Biographical Praxis
Authors: Morley Rachel
Published: December 2011

The essential provocation is this: that the biographer is not to be reduced to a simple symptomal subject, ‘but rather that we hear in his [and her] voice what is “unreal”, i.e. intractable’. Like Roland Barthes in A Lover’s Discourse, I have decided to give myself over to the experientiality and intimacy of the biographer’s work, to allow myself to be guided not by conventional thinking but by ‘amorous feeling’. Drawing on my experience of researching and writing a biography – a text that has come to take the shape of an assemblage of Barthesian figures– this paper will argue that, like the lover’s discourse, the biographer’s discourse need not be extraneous or merely a symptom of the research process, but instead has the potential to illuminate the affective power of biographical praxis itself, thereby expanding its field of significance.
On the Other Side of the Words: Family Trauma and the Ethics of Life Writing
Authors: Liu‐Devereux Pauline
Published: December 2011

In ‘The Ethics of Betrayal: Diary of a Memoirist’, Nancy K. Miller claims that, Philippe Lejeune, ‘somewhere made the claim that all theorists of autobiography are closet, or at least crypto‐, autobiographers’ and while not entirely agreeing with him, Miller admits that the more she worked on autobiography as a critic, the more tempted she was to write one (148). The diary begins in July 2002 and by September Miller is pondering on trust and betrayal. On September 16th she declares ‘I cannot name my own betrayal without producing another’ (151). At the IABA conference, Intimate Publics, held at Sussex University in June 2010, I witnessed other difficulties encountered by life writing critics when they quit the closet to become life writers: the puzzling reluctance of families to be ‘exposed’ and the vulnerability of self exposure, of speaking publicly about loved ones. For a life writer expected to provide critical commentary on her own writing, this role reversal seemed a suitable subject for study. How might the shift from theorist to memoirist inform future theory and in turn, enrich memoir? I returned from the conference full of ideas – after all, might not autobiographers also be closet theorists? My project was derailed almost immediately by a family tragedy. Naturally, my response was to write an account of it, titled On the Other Side of the Words, a line taken from a poem by W. S. Graham. But realising the implications of this title, I began, like Miller, to wonder about trust and betrayal and the ethics of autobiographical writing which is so much the biography of another. How could I write about my sister‐in‐law’s suicide? I thought of those who might be hurt by it and recognised my own vulnerability. But I kept on, and some of the questions arising from my writing are answered by Judith Butler in her conclusion to Giving an Account of Oneself:

To be undone by another is a primary necessity, an anguish to be sure, but also a chance … to be bound to what is not me, but also to be moved, to be prompted to act, to address myself elsewhere, and so to vacate the self sufficient ‘I’ as a kind of possession. If we speak and try to give an account from this place, we will not be irresponsible, or, if we are, we will surely be forgiven (136).
Introduction: Life Writing and Critical Practice
Authors: Jensen Meg , Jolly Margaretta
Published: December 2011

Contemporary critical practice is becoming increasingly self‐reflective, with first person commentary and subjective musings appearing in academic texts produced across disciplines. On the other hand, as the number of writing practitioners in the academy mounts, their works reflect a growing awareness of, and engagement with, the critical and theoretical debates that surround creative practice. Nowhere is this interchange between theory and practice more prevalent, however, than in the discipline of life writing, a field concerned with the forces at work on the borderland between the self or subject and the performance of that self in communicable form. Yet the two groups, life writing critics and life writing creatives, often remain mutually suspicious and their relationship under‐theorised. This Special Cluster of Literature Compass brings together scholarly readings, both critical and creative in form, which interrogate the place of life writing in critical practice. These essays were developed through discussions and debates at the 7th Biennial International Auto/Biographical Association Conference at University of Sussex in June 2010. IABA has led the professionalization of life writing as a field of literary critical debate and is increasingly being used as a forum for life writers as well. In this Special Cluster, leading figures in the field, both critics and practitioners, begin a dialogue on the developing phenomenon of creative/critical interface in life writing, and make suggestions for new pathways for the future.