bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addressing vulnerability amongst imprisoned juvenile offenders: An evaluation of the Access course
Authors: Welfare Heather , Mitchell Jonathan
Published: March 2006

A number of initiatives within Her Majesty’s Prison Service have explored how best to support the needs of vulnerable young people. One such is the Access programme, which employs a combination of simple cognitive‐behavioural techniques and physical activity to build confidence and increase levels of coping. Results from the evaluation of three Access courses facilitated at Her Majesty’s Young Offender Institute Warren Hill, a UK institution for juvenile offenders, indicate a significant reduction in reports of bullying and fear of bullying, and significantly reduced levels of self‐injury and the desire to self‐injure. Psychometric measures of hopelessness, self‐esteem, locus of control and assertiveness were administered before, immediately after and six weeks after the course. Measures of hopelessness were reduced after the course, and reduced levels were maintained six weeks post‐intervention. Locus of control and self‐esteem scores rose by the end of the course and were maintained or increased six weeks later. In general, findings were encouraging, given the level of need in this vulnerable group of young people. It is suggested that programmes such as this may provide a promising addition to
strategies for dealing with problems of bullying and self‐injury in juvenile prisoners.
Women in prison: Responses of European prison systems to problematic drug users
Authors: Zurhold Heike , Haasen Christian
Published: March 2006

Problematic drug use in prison remains a pervasive and increasing concern throughout the European Union (EU) in terms of costs to the individual, community and the state. Drug‐related problems in prison seem to be more prominent among female prisoners, as a high proportion of them are problematic drug users whose use continues in prison. Assuming that women’s drug use is an indication of need for treatment and health care, it becomes increasingly interesting how the European penal institutions differ in their response to this need. For this reason, a survey of the prison drug services for adult female drug users has been carried out among the Ministries of Justice of all 25 EU member states. The main purpose of the survey was to gain comprehensive and systematic information on the prevalence of female problematic drug users in European prisons and the availability of treatment and healthcare services. Altogether, 27 European countries and autonomous regions completed the questionnaire developed for this survey. The results of the data analyses
indicate that there is poor availability and quality of data relating to the extent of problematic drug use in women’s prisons and, where it is available, it seems to underestimate the proportion of female problematic drug users in prisons. However, most of the European countries provide a range of different harm‐reduction and drug treatment services to respond to the reported health and rehabilitation problems of female problematic drug users. At the same time, however, it is evident that there is a need for further action in some countries, due to their low provision of prison drug treatment and healthcare services for this group. This article is based upon the European research project ‘Female drug users in European prisons’, which was conducted between 2003 and 2004 and funded by the AGIS Programme, Directorate General Justice and Home Affairs, of the European Commission.
Prison cultures and social representations: The case of Hinseberg, a women’s prison in Sweden
Authors: Lindberg Odd
Published: March 2006

Women represent approximately 6% of the prison population of Sweden (total ‐ 5000). This article presents a study of female inmates in the closed prison for women, Hinseberg, in Sweden. The study examines the inmates and staff culture on the basis of concepts such as interaction rituals, status, role conflicts and social representations. The methodology included questionnaires to all inmates, qualitative interviews with inmates and staff and observation within the prison. Among the findings, it was clear that some inmates have a higher status than others, which is linked to the type of crime committed, years of imprisonment, previous imprisonment, relations to male gang members, and charisma. So‐called ‘Queens’ rule the wings and maintain the inmates’ codes. Examples of these codes are: do not associate with the staff, do not talk too long with staff, do not be an informer, do not seek treatment programmes, and do not trust anybody. Those who challenge the codes are seen as an informer or traitor, and the culture in the prison was found to be oppressive towards women who want to seek treatment and support from staff. The study also shows that there are similarities in the staff and the inmates’ cultures. Experienced prison officers often have a significant impact on the staff culture, and among staff there are informal codes, i.e. that you should not be ‘too close’ to the inmates and do not trust the inmates. This leads to an objectifying and distancing approach in relation to the inmates. In both cultures stereotypical social representations of ‘the other’ is created, which have a negative impact on the possibilities for working with rehabilitation.
The future of mandatory drug testing in Scottish prisons: A review of policy
Authors: Dean Jeanne
Published: March 2006

This article reviews the procedures for the management of drug misuse in Scottish prisons 10 years after the introduction of the legislative framework permitting the introduction of mandatory drug testing (MDT). In April 2005 the Scottish Prison Service announced its decision to discontinue mandatory random drug tests (MRDTs) in Scottish prisons. This decision was not without controversy and was met by criticisms in the media that the prison service had given up on the fight against controlling substance abuse among inmates within Scottish prisons. This research examines the reality of the problem and some of the issues that have arisen over the past 10 years. The current usage of mandatory drug testing and some possible future implications of its usage are researched through the realistic but forward‐looking approach currently utilised at Edinburgh prison.
Female offenders at HMP Holloway needing hospital transfer: An examination of failure to achieve hospital admission and associated factors
Authors: Chao Oriana , Taylor Richard
Published: March 2006

Previous studies have demonstrated high rates of psychiatric morbidity in the female prison population and difficulty in transferring women to psychiatric hospital. This study examines whether female prisoners found by consultant forensic psychiatrists to need hospital are admitted and explores the factors affecting this. All women referred to a specialist prison forensic mental health in‐reach service during 2003 were identified and written documentation from assessing consultant forensic psychiatrists was obtained. This was used to identify demographic, offence, clinical and outcome data. Missing data were sought from the prison database, and individual clinicians were interviewed to clarify clinical records. 119 women were referred for assessment. Of these, 50% of those with personality disorder were rejected compared with only 38% of those with a psychotic illness.
A sizeable minority of those identified by specialist forensic mental health in‐reach services as needing treatment in hospital were not transferred. There appears to be a particular problem for those with personality disorders. Long delays in transfer to hospital remain a problem for prison mental health services.
Women’s post‐release experiences in the U.S: Recidivism and re‐entry
Authors: O’Brien Patricia , Bates Robin
Published: March 2006

A survey of 166 women exiting prison in a large mid‐western U.S. state examined the extent to which demographics, family history and relationships, institutional experiences, offence history, and physical and emotional needs were associated with re‐arrest one year after release. Analyses revealed that three independent variables and two interactional effects accounted for 40% of the variability in re‐arrest: employment in the year prior to incarceration, history of psychiatric hospitalization, participation in prison industries programs, and the interaction of prior psychiatric hospitalization with in‐prison substance abuse programming and with employment history. Interviews with 55 women over five points in time revealed important interpersonal and environmental elements for 20 women six months out who had not been arrested. Implications for program and policy development are discussed.
Mental health needs of women in prison: An international perspective with an Australian angle
Authors: Wilmoth Deborah
Published: March 2006

This paper will present the mental health needs that women in prison have, both in terms of the mental health problems they have prior to going into prison and those that they may develop while in prison. These issues will be discussed in the context of the international research data. This paper will also provide information on the special needs that Aboriginal and non‐Australian born women in Australian prisons may have.
A “traffic control” role for TGFβ3: orchestrating dermal and epidermal cell motility during wound healing
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Balaji , Fan Jianhua , Guan Shengxi , Li Yong , Chen Mei , Woodley David T. , Li Wei
Published: March 2006

Cell migration is a rate-limiting event in skin wound healing. In unwounded skin, cells are nourished by plasma. When skin is wounded, resident cells encounter serum for the first time. As the wound heals, the cells experience a transition of serum back to plasma. In this study, we report that human serum selectively promotes epidermal cell migration and halts dermal cell migration. In contrast, human plasma promotes dermal but not epidermal cell migration. The on-and-off switch is operated by transforming growth factor (TGF) β3 levels, which are undetectable in plasma and high in serum, and by TGFβ receptor (TβR) type II levels, which are low in epidermal cells and high in dermal cells. Depletion of TGFβ3 from serum converts serum to a plasmalike reagent. The addition of TGFβ3 to plasma converts it to a serumlike reagent. Down-regulation of TβRII in dermal cells or up-regulation of TβRII in epidermal cells reverses their migratory responses to serum and plasma, respectively. Therefore, the naturally occurring plasma→serum→plasma transition during wound healing orchestrates the orderly migration of dermal and epidermal cells.
Serpin squamous cell carcinoma antigen inhibits UV-induced apoptosis via suppression of c-JUN NH2-terminal kinase
Authors: Katagiri Chika , Nakanishi Jotaro , Kadoya Kuniko , Hibino Toshihiko
Published: March 2006

Protection from ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is a fundamental issue for living organisms. Although melanin's critical role in the protection of basal keratinocytes is well understood, other factors remain essentially unknown. We demonstrate that up-regulation of squamous cell carcinoma antigen-1 (SCCA1) suppresses c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) and thus blocks UV-induced keratinocyte apoptosis. We found that serpin SCCA1 is markedly elevated in the top layers of sun-exposed or UV-irradiated epidermis. UV-induced apoptosis was significantly decreased when SCCA was overexpressed in 3T3/J2 cells. It was significantly increased when SCCA was down-regulated with small interfering RNA in HaCaT keratinocytes. A search for SCCA-interacting molecules showed specific binding with phosphorylated JNK. Interestingly, SCCA1 specifically suppressed the kinase activity of JNK1. Upon exposure of keratinocytes to UV, SCCA1 was bound to JNK1 and transferred to the nucleus. Involucrin promoter–driven SCCA1 transgenic mice showed remarkable resistance against UV irradiation. These findings reveal an unexpected serpin function and define a novel UV protection mechanism in human skin.
In vivo analysis of the role of aberrant histone deacetylase recruitment and RARα blockade in the pathogenesis of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors: Matsushita Hiromichi , Scaglioni Pier Paolo , Bhaumik Mantu , Rego Eduardo M. , Cai Lu Fan , Majid Samia M. , Miyachi Hayato , Kakizuka Akira , Miller Wilson H. , Pandolfi Pier Paolo
Published: March 2006

The promyelocytic leukemia–retinoic acid receptor α (PML-RARα) protein of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is oncogenic in vivo. It has been hypothesized that the ability of PML-RARα to inhibit RARα function through PML-dependent aberrant recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and chromatin remodeling is the key initiating event for leukemogenesis. To elucidate the role of HDAC in this process, we have generated HDAC1–RARα fusion proteins and tested their activity and oncogenicity in vitro and in vivo in transgenic mice (TM). In parallel, we studied the in vivo leukemogenic potential of dominant negative (DN) and truncated RARα mutants, as well as that of PML-RARα mutants that are insensitive to retinoic acid. Surprisingly, although HDAC1-RARα did act as a bona fide DN RARα mutant in cellular in vitro and in cell culture, this fusion protein, as well as other DN RARα mutants, did not cause a block in myeloid differentiation in vivo in TM and were not leukemogenic. Comparative analysis of these TM and of TM/PML−/− and p53−/− compound mutants lends support to a model by which the RARα and PML blockade is necessary, but not sufficient, for leukemogenesis and the PML domain of the fusion protein provides unique functions that are required for leukemia initiation.
Quantum catalysis in enzymes: beyond the transition state theory paradigm. A Discussion Meeting held at the Royal Society on 14 and 15 November 2005
Authors: Scrutton Nigel S , Sutcliffe Michael J , Leslie Dutton P
Published: March 2006

How do enzymes work? What is the physical basis of the phenomenal rate enhancements achieved by enzymes? Do we have a theoretical framework that accounts for observed catalytic rates? These are the foremost questions—with particular emphasis on tunnelling phenomena—debated at this Discussion Meeting by the leading practitioners in the field.
Mechanical instability and pore generation in anodic alumina
Authors: Garcia-Vergara S.J , Iglesias-Rubianes L , Blanco-Pinzon C.E , Skeldon P , Thompson G.E , Campestrini P
Published: March 2006

This paper examines the mechanism of pore formation in anodic films on aluminium. For this purpose, the dimensional changes of specimens during growth of porous films on aluminium in phosphoric and sulphuric acid electrolytes are examined using transmission and scanning electron microscopies. Further, the compositions of films and the efficiencies of anodizing are determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis. Significantly, the efficiency of anodizing is about 60%, while the surface of the anodic film is located above the original aluminium surface, i.e. before anodizing. The ratio of the thickness of the anodic film relative to the thickness of the consumed aluminium is about 1.35 for the selected conditions of anodizing. The behaviour runs counter to the widely accepted mechanism of pore formation by field-assisted dissolution of alumina. It is explained by the high plasticity of the anodic alumina in the barrier region in the presence of ionic transport, with film growth stresses displacing material from the barrier layer towards the cell wall region during anodizing. The response of the film to volume constraints on growth indicates a major role of stress and stress-relief processes in determining the morphology and self-regulating organization of pores.
Size, frequency, and phylogenetic signal of multiple‐residue indels in sequence alignment of introns
Authors: Pons Joan , Vogler Alfried P.
Published: March 2006

Indels in DNA sequences frequently affect more than a single nucleotide, creating problems for alignment, character coding and phylogenetic analysis. However, the size and frequency of multiple‐residue indels is not usually tested, and with popular alignment packages their reconstruction is indirectly acheived by reducing the affine (gap extension) cost. We explored the length distribution of indels in intron sequences of the gene Mp20 by modifying the gap opening and gap extension costs. Given a “known” tree for the study group, global homology levels were greatest under low gap cost, with gap extension costs of roughly 0.4‐fold the opening cost. Different approaches to gap coding and weighting suggested that taxonomic congruence was correlated with high frequencies of multiple‐position indels, with a maximum indel length of 2–5 bp and few indels above 15 bp, but also including a proportion of indels > 100 bp. Only a small minority of indels could be reconstructed as single‐position indels. Consequently, tree topologies improved when homologous multinucleotide indels were recoded as binary characters which are otherwise highly homoplastic and weighted characters in single‐position coding. In tree‐generating alignment procedures as implemented in POY, where gap penalty determines the character weight during tree search, the problem of assigning inappropriately high weight to multiple‐residue indels could partly be overcome by setting the extension costs to about 0.4‐fold lower than gap opening costs. We conclude that multiple consecutive gap positions are not independent characters and hence methods for parsimony reconstruction of long indels are required. Finally, we also observed a general lack of correlation between taxonomic and character congruence, demonstrating the difficulties of applying congruence criteria to decide among competing alignments. This highlights the value of recent model‐based alignment procedures which can implement the statistical distributions of indel size classes, and do not rely on potentially circular strategies for optimizing overall congruence.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
Phylogenetic relationships within Luzula DC. and Juncus L. (Juncaceae): A comparison of phylogenetic signals of trnL‐trnF intergenic spacer, trnL intron and rbcL plastome sequence data
Authors: Drábková Lenka , Kirschner Jan , Vlček Čestmír
Published: March 2006

Juncus and Luzula are the largest, almost cosmopolitan, genera in the Juncaceae. Relationships within Juncus and Luzula and among other genera of Juncaceae (Distichia, Marsippospermum, Oxychloë, Patosia and Rostkovia) remain incompletely resolved. RbcL sequence data resolved a part of the supraspecific phylogeny, but many clades remain polytomic. For this reason, the non‐coding cpDNA regions, trnL intron and trnL‐trnF intergenic spacer, were sequenced. We intended to create hypotheses of relationships within Juncaceae and to test the classification of the sections, but a primary goal to this study was to assess the relationships within Juncus and Luzula and to test for monophyly of groups recognized from rbcL data (especially the monophyly of genus Luzula and the Southern Hemisphere Clade (SHC)). Furthermore, we tested the influence of different rooting and ingroup composition on the tree topology. The parsimony analyses revealed several well‐supported lineages. The traditionally distinguished genus Luzula is monophyletic and Juncus is non‐monophyletic. Two subgenera of Luzula (Pterodes and Luzula) are non‐monophyletic, while subg. Marlenia forms a sister group to the whole Luzula clade (trnL‐F data set). Within Juncus, both subgenus Juncus and subgenus Agathryon are non‐monophyletic. SHC is clustered not only with the South African J. lomatophylus and J. capensis, but also together with members of the section Juncus, Caespitosi and Graminifolii. These sections form a well‐separated sister group to the SHC. Within the genera Juncus and Luzula, monophyly is demonstrated for a number of groups (e.g., Juncus section Stygiopsis, Luzula section Luzula) but questioned for others (e.g., Juncus section Graminifolii). The unusual, separate positioning of Juncus trifidus and J. monanthos were clarified by trnL‐trnF sequence data, but vary within the tree topology depending on outgroup selection and also due to LBA phenomenon.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
The PhyloCode: a critical discussion of its theoretical foundation
Authors: Rieppel Olivier
Published: March 2006

The definition of taxon names as formalized by the PhyloCode is based on Kripke's thesis of “rigid designation” that applies to Millian proper names. Accepting the thesis of “rigid designation” into systematics in turn is based on the thesis that species, and taxa, are individuals. These largely semantic and metaphysical issues are here contrasted with an epistemological approach to taxonomy. It is shown that the thesis of “rigid designation” if deployed in taxonomy introduces a new essentialism into systematics, which is exactly what the PhyloCode was designed to avoid. Rigidly designating names are not supposed to change their meaning, but if the shifting constitution of a clade is thought to cause a shift of meaning of the taxon name, then the taxon name is not a “rigid designator”. Phylogenetic nomenclature either fails to preserve the stability of meaning of taxon names that it propagates, or it is rendered inconsistent with its own philosophical background. The alternative explored here is to conceptualize taxa as natural kinds, and to replace the analytic definition of taxon names by their explanatory definition. Such conceptualization of taxa allows taxon names to better track the results of ongoing empirical research. The semantic as well as epistemic gain is that if taxon names are associated with natural kind terms instead of being proper names, the composition of the taxon will naturally determine the meaning of its name.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
The relative performance of Bayesian and parsimony approaches when sampling characters evolving under homogeneous and heterogeneous sets of parameters
Authors: Simmons Mark P. , Zhang Li‐Bing , Webb Colleen T. , Reeves Aaron , Miller Jeremy A.
Published: March 2006

We tested whether it is beneficial for the accuracy of phylogenetic inference to sample characters that are evolving under different sets of parameters, using both Bayesian MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo) and parsimony approaches. We examined differential rates of evolution among characters, differential character‐state frequencies and character‐state space, and differential relative branch lengths among characters. We also compared the relative performance of parsimony and Bayesian analyses by progressively incorporating more of these heterogeneous parameters and progressively increasing the severity of this heterogeneity. Bayesian analyses performed better than parsimony when heterogeneous simulation parameters were incorporated into the substitution model. However, parsimony outperformed Bayesian MCMC when heterogeneous simulation parameters were not incorporated into the Bayesian substitution model. The higher the rate of evolution simulated, the better parsimony performed relative to Bayesian analyses. Bayesian and parsimony analyses converged in their performance as the number of simulated heterogeneous model parameters increased. Up to a point, rate heterogeneity among sites was generally advantageous for phylogenetic inference using both approaches. In contrast, branch‐length heterogeneity was generally disadvantageous for phylogenetic inference using both parsimony and Bayesian approaches. Parsimony was found to be more conservative than Bayesian analyses, in that it resolved fewer incorrect clades.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
Pathology of supraclavicular lymphadenopathy in Chandigarh, north India: an audit of 200 cases diagnosed by needle aspiration
Authors: Gupta N. , Rajwanshi A. , Srinivasan R. , Nijhawan R.
Published: March 2006

Objective:  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of lymph nodes can be used routinely as a first‐line diagnostic test. The majority of studies reveal a malignant cause for palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes. The present audit further emphasizes the use of FNAC as a first‐line investigation for the evaluation of enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes.

Methods:  A total of 200 cases of palpable supraclavicular lymph node(s) were included in the present study.

Results:  Left supraclavicular lymph nodes were found to be more commonly involved (59.5% cases). Sixty‐four per cent cases showed metastatic deposits and 13.5% cases were diagnosed as tuberculosis. Ten per cent cases showed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia; 0.5% (one) case showed only necrosis and on autopsy, a microscopic focus of choriocarcinoma was found in the testis. In 7.5% cases, diagnostic material could not be aspirated despite repeated attempts. Common metastatic tumours were from lung (22% cases), breast (16.4% cases), cervix (11% cases) and oesophagus (8.6% cases). In 13.3% cases the primary site was unknown and the diagnosis of malignancy first came from FNAC.

Conclusion:  The present study further highlights the importance of FNAC as a first‐line diagnostic modality in the evaluation of supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. A full history, radiological findings and immunochemistry in difficult cases can help to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.
Liquid‐based cytology can improve efficiency of cervical smear readers: evidence from timing surveys in two NHS cytology laboratories
Authors: Dowie R. , Stoykova B. , Crawford D. , Desai M. , Mather J. , Morgan K. , Shirt M.
Published: March 2006

Objective:  Cervical screening programmes in England and Wales were advised by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in 2003 to adopt liquid‐based cytology (LBC) in place of conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) cytology to facilitate laboratory efficiency. Pilot evaluations in England and Scotland monitored daily or weekly workloads of smear readers and concluded that LBC could increase hourly throughput rates. This study, instead, used timing surveys to determine screening rates.

Methods:  Two National Health Service cytology laboratories in Manchester and Stockport were partially converted to the LBC ThinPrep® process for a cervical screening trial. Three 1‐week timing surveys were conducted over 7 months. The surveys covered all LBC‐trained staff. The first survey in Manchester also covered staff undertaking conventional Pap screening. The smear readers used timers to record time taken for examining and reporting each slide.

Results:  In Manchester, in the first survey, nearly 1 minute per slide was saved by the LBC method during primary microscopy. In both laboratories, the mean microscopy time for primary screening of LBC slides was reduced by almost 1 minute between the first and second surveys. There was no difference between the second and third surveys. Microscopy by cytopathologists was also 1 minute per slide quicker with LBC than conventional Pap. The LBC inadequate rates for both laboratories were <2.0%. Organizational factors impacted on the hourly LBC primary screening rates in the laboratories, the rate for Stockport being higher than the rates in the pilot evaluations.

Conclusions:  The timing surveys confirm that the LBC ThinPrep® technology can improve laboratory efficiency. However, decision‐makers should also consider the overall costs and benefits of introducing the technology in screening programmes, including the capital investment and workforce implications.
Liquid‐based cytology and conventional smears compared over two 12‐month periods
Authors: Williams A. R. W.
Published: March 2006

Background and objective:  Liquid based cytology (LBC) was introduced across the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme in 2003–2004. The objective of this study was to compare in a large cytopathology laboratory the results of cervical samples over two twelve‐month periods, 2001–2002, when the great majority of smears were conventional, with 2003–2004, when all were LBC.

Methods:  The results of smears in both periods were analysed to give overall reporting profiles, and correlated with results of cervical biopsies. The numbers of patients referred for colposcopy were compared.

Results:  The percentage of unsatisfactory smears fell from 13.6% to 1.9%. Colposcopic referrals for repeated unsatisfactory smears fell from almost 25% to 0.5%. There was a decrease in overall smear numbers, but despite this there was an increase in the number of smears reported as showing dyskaryosis of any grade. There was an increase in positive predictive value for moderate dyskaryosis and above, from 79.5% to 86.1%. The outcome of biopsies from patients referred with mild dyskaryosis showed no decrease in accuracy of predicting a low grade histological lesion. Workload in the laboratory decreased, due to fewer smears received overall, more rapid primary screening times and fewer multi‐slide cases. Primary screening backlogs all but disappeared, and reporting times greatly improved.

Conclusions:  Introduction of liquid based cytology led to improvements in unsatisfactory smear rates, with significant benefits to colposcopic referrals and laboratory turnaround times. Pick‐up rates of dyskaryosis were maintained, and the positive predictive value of a dyskaryotic smear report was improved.
Comparative study of the ThinPrep Pap test and conventional cytology results in a Canadian cohort
Authors: Duggan M. A. , Khalil M. , Brasher P. M. A. , Nation J. G.
Published: March 2006

Objective:  To compare the frequency of Pap test results in a prospective series of direct to vial ThinPrep tests to a cohort of conventionally prepared tests. To follow‐up all test results for a minimum of 2 years and assess performance based on this outcome.

Methods:  All women presenting for either routine screening or colposcopic examination in 2001 were enrolled in the ThinPrep cohort. A similar, population of conventionally prepared tests was extracted from the year 2000 laboratory data. Information on all concurrent and follow‐up cervical specimens over the ensuing 2 years was retrieved.

Results:  The ThinPrep cohort comprised 2288 Pap tests and the conventional, 2211. The frequency of normal [within normal limits (WNL) and benign cellular changes (BCC)] results in the ThinPrep cohort was 6% lower and the frequency of abnormal [≥atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS)] results was 6.8% higher. Respective ThinPrep and conventional cohort results were 1156 (51%) and 1291 (58%) WNL, 625 (27%) and 561 (25%) BCC, 101 (4%) and 65 (3%) ASCUS, 21 (1%) and 2 (0.1%) atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance, 301 (13%) and 224 (10%) low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), and 74 (3%) and 40 (2%) high‐grade SIL (HSIL) (P < 0.0001). Follow‐up was available for nearly 80% of each cohort. LSIL or higher was confirmed in 57.5% (n = 266) of the abnormal ThinPrep and 60.9% (n = 190) of the abnormal conventional tests. The ThinPrep yield of confirmed tests however was almost 50% higher than the conventional test.

Conclusion:  In this population, ThinPrep was superior to the conventional Pap test.
Causes and consequences of post‐growth age‐dependent differences in small intestine size in a migratory sandpiper (Calidris mauri, Western Sandpiper)
Authors: STEIN R. W. , WILLIAMS T. D.
Published: March 2006

Calidris mauriCabanis (Western Sandpiper) exhibits a pronounced post‐growth age‐dependent difference in small intestine size during southward migration, such that the later‐migrating juveniles have larger small intestines than do the adults. Potential causes and consequences of this age‐dependent difference are examined.

Premigrant juveniles of full structural size had small intestines that were 10% longer than those of the premigrant adults, even though the juveniles had not attained asymptotic body mass. The elongated small intestines of premigrant juveniles appear to be growth‐related.

Adults and juveniles exhibited parallel increases in intestinal length (7·0%) and circumference (9·5%) in association with the initiation of migration; these effects are consistent with migratory hyperphagia.

Refuelling juveniles had small intestines that were 8·5% longer than those of the refuelling adults. Retaining an enlarged small intestine during migration confers increased digestive capacity to the juveniles, which may be under selection to minimize stopover duration.

Refuelling juveniles had a higher prevalence of cestode infection than refuelling adults in one of two years, and the length‐corrected mass of the small intestine was 9·7% heavier in infected individuals. Cestode infection may be an important determinant of migration‐related mortality for juveniles, by compromising their health and increasing stopover duration.
Huddling in groups leads to daily energy savings in free‐living African Four‐Striped Grass Mice, Rhabdomys pumilio
Authors: SCANTLEBURY M. , BENNETT N. C. , SPEAKMAN J. R. , PILLAY N. , SCHRADIN C.
Published: March 2006

Free‐living animals make complex decisions associated with optimizing energy and nutrient intake. In environments where ambient temperatures fall below the thermoneutral zone, homeotherms must choose whether or not to forage, how long and what to forage for, and whether or not to perform activities that conserve energy.

Huddling in groups has long been thought of as a possible means of conserving energy. Laboratory studies have shown that at low ambient temperatures individuals in groups expend less energy than individuals by themselves. However, studies have yet to demonstrate that thermoregulatory savings can have an impact on the overall daily energy expenditure (DEE) of free‐living animals.

Here we show that, in the laboratory, African Four‐Striped Grass Mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) expend less energy per individual in large groups than smaller groups. We also show that when free‐living groups were experimentally reduced to one‐half of their original size, DEE and water turnover increased by 19% and 37%, respectively.

The magnitudes of the reduction in free‐living DEE were comparable with calculated energy savings from the laboratory. One of the reasons why this species may sometimes occur in groups is that energetic benefits can be gained through huddling in habitats in which food and water are scarce.
Root strength and trampling tolerance in the grass Paspalum dilatatum and the dicot Lotus glaber in flooded soil
Authors: STRIKER G. G. , INSAUSTI P. , GRIMOLDI A. A. , LEÓN R. J. C.
Published: March 2006

We studied the differences in root strength of species with contrasting root structural types (the grass Paspalum dilatatum and the dicot Lotus glaber), and their relationship with tolerance to simulated cattle trampling under flooding conditions.

Root strength was analysed through measurement of the pressure required to cause root collapse. The responses of aerenchyma and plant mass to flooding and trampling were studied.

Root aerenchyma increased from 28·0 to 40·2% in P. dilatatum and from 12·9 to 19·7% in L. glaber under flooding conditions. The increase in aerenchyma did not affect root strength in the relatively trampling‐resistant roots of P. dilatatum: roots cracked at >380 kPa in all treatments. In contrast, roots of L. glaber were weaker, cracking at 260 kPa; flooded roots with air spaces irregularly dispersed in the cortex cracked at 115 kPa.

Trampling, flooding or their combination did not affect the biomass of P. dilatatum. Conversely, the isolated effects of either trampling or flooding both decreased biomass accumulation in L. glaber. The combination of both treatments killed all Lotus plants.

In conclusion, root strength was positively associated with soil trampling tolerance. The effect of aerenchyma tissue generation on root strength varies among root structural types. Aerenchyma tissue increases root weakness in the less stable structural type of the dicot species, but had no effect on the strength of the grass.
Possible fitness consequences of experimentally advanced laying dates in Great Tits: differences between populations in different habitats
Authors: GIENAPP P. , VISSER M. E.
Published: March 2006

In birds, early breeding individuals generally reproduce more successfully than late breeding individuals. The lack of response to this selection could be explained by resource constraints during the egg production period.

Parus species can learn from the mismatch experienced between breeding time and nestling food availability and subsequently adjust their breeding time accordingly. In two Great Tit populations, breeding time was manipulated by creating an artificial food peak. This allowed us to study fitness consequences of manipulated breeding time in the following year without the confounding effects of food supplementation.

In one population, manipulated females advanced their laying dates in response to the artificial food peak. However, sample sizes were too low to quantify fitness consequences. In the other population, no response to the treatment was found. This difference could be caused by differences in resource availability in early spring between the two habitats. Low resource availability in early spring could also explain the lack of response to selection observed in one population.
Does parental age affect offspring performance through differences in egg quality?
Authors: BOGDANOVA M. I. , NAGER R. G. , MONAGHAN P.
Published: March 2006

Poorer performance in young compared with older age classes is common among iteroparous animals, and may result from age effects acting on different phases of reproduction. However, such effects have generally not been teased apart, and as a result their separate consequences for offspring fitness have remained unclear.

We tested whether young and mature Herring Gulls produce offspring of different quality due to differences in their egg‐production capacity. An experimental protocol was used to standardize incubation and rearing conditions.

Eggs laid by young females were smaller than eggs of mature birds. They had a reduced absolute amount of albumen, which reflected mainly lower water content.

Within the young age class, female eggs were smaller than male eggs and had significantly paler yolk. This was due to young birds having reduced water content of the albumen, as well as carotenoid content in eggs containing a female embryo. In the mature class there were no such differences in resource allocation in relation to embryo sex. The sex ratio of clutches did not vary with parental age.

Hatchlings from eggs produced by young pairs were smaller skeletally but had similar mass to hatchlings from eggs laid by mature birds. When reared by mature foster parents, they did not differ in structural growth or survival. However, they showed a different pattern of growth in body mass.

Our results suggest that poorer reproductive performance of young breeders is not simply a consequence of poorer egg quality, as this was largely compensated for when the eggs of young pairs were incubated and reared by mature foster parents. However, it is also possible that adverse effects of lower egg quality are not manifest in the offspring until later in life.
Antagonistic regulation of the Drosophila PCNA gene promoter by DREF and Cut
Authors: Seto Hirokazu , Hayashi Yuko , Kwon Eunjeong , Taguchi Osamu , Yamaguchi Masamitsu
Published: March 2006

The gene promoter of Drosophila proliferating cell nuclear antigen (dPCNA) contains several transcriptional regulatory elements, such as upstream regulatory element (URE), DNA replication‐related element (DRE, 5′‐TATCGATA), and E2F recognition sites. In the present study, a yeast one‐hybrid screen using three tandem repeats of DRE in dPCNA promoter as the bait allowed isolation of a cDNA encoding Cut, a Drosophila homolog of mammalian CCAAT‐displacement protein (CDP)/Cux. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that Cut bound to both DRE and the sequence 5′‐AATCAAAC in URE, with much higher affinity to the former. Measurement of dPCNA promoter activity by transient luciferase expression assays in Drosophila S2 cells after an RNA interference for Cut or DREF showed DREF activates the dPCNA promoter while Cut functions as a repressor. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in the presence or absence of 20‐hydroxyecdysone further showed both DREF and Cut proteins to be localized in the genomic region containing the dPCNA promoter in S2 cells, especially in the Cut case upon induction of differentiation. These results indicate that Cut functions as a transcriptional repressor of dPCNA gene by binding to the promoter region in the differentiated state, while DREF binds to DRE to promote expression of dPCNA during cell proliferation.
EDEM accelerates ERAD by preventing aberrant dimer formation of misfolded α1‐antitrypsin
Authors: Hosokawa Nobuko , Wada Ikuo , Natsuka Yuko , Nagata Kazuhiro
Published: March 2006

Misfolded glycoproteins are degraded by a mechanism known as ERAD (ER‐associated degradation) after retrotranslocation out of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This mechanism plays an important role in ER quality control. We previously reported that an ER membrane protein, EDEM, accelerates ERAD of a misfolded α1‐antitrypsin variant, null (Hong Kong) (NHK), suggesting that EDEM may function as an acceptor of terminally misfolded glycoproteins. In this study, we constructed several genetically manipulated cell lines to test this hypothesis. EDEM expression did not alter the secretion rate of properly folded molecules and the forced retention of wild‐type α1‐antitrypsin in the ER did not cause its association with EDEM, suggesting that EDEM may function as a molecular chaperone. To examine this possibility, we analyzed the effect of EDEM over‐expression on the structure of NHK, and found that the accumulation of covalent NHK dimers was selectively prevented by the over‐expression of EDEM. Co‐expression of NHK with two other ER membrane proteins, calnexin and H+/K+‐ATPase (β subunit), did not inhibit NHK dimer formation or accelerate NHK ERAD. These results indicate that EDEM may maintain the retrotranslocation competence of NHK by inhibiting aggregation so that unstable misfolded proteins can be accommodated by the dislocon for ERAD.
Diffraction patterns of artificial two‐dimensional crystals synthesized in situ in an environmental scanning transmission electron microscope
Authors: VAN DORP W. F. , VAN SOMEREN B. , HAGEN C. W. , KRUIT P. , CROZIER P. A.
Published: March 2006

In this study, we demonstrated the use of electron‐beam‐induced deposition for synthesis of artificial two‐dimensional crystals with an in situ scanning transmission electron microscope. The structures were deposited from W(CO)6 in an environmental scanning transmission electron microscope on a 30‐nm‐thick Si3N4 substrate. We present clear electron beam diffraction patterns taken from those structures. The distance between the diffraction peaks corresponded to the dot spacing in the self‐made surface crystal. We propose using these arrays of dots as anchor points for making artificial crystals for diffraction analysis of weakly scattering or beam‐sensitive molecules such as proteins.
Accurate measure of laser irradiance threshold for near‐infrared photo‐oxidation with a modified confocal microscope
Authors: DENTON MICHAEL L. , SCHUSTER KURT J. , ROCKWELL BENJAMIN A.
Published: March 2006

Femtosecond mode‐locked lasers are now being used routinely in multiphoton fluorescence and autofluorescence spectroscopy, are just beginning to be used in refractive surgery, and may be used in the future diagnosis of skin cancer. Pulses from these lasers induce non‐linear effects in resultant tissue interactions. Using a modified confocal microscope with dispersion compensation and accurate measurements of beam diameter, a very low threshold was measured for photochemical oxidation in cultured cells. The measured threshold showed non‐linear photo‐oxidation at a peak irradiance and photon‐flux density of 8.4 × 108 W cm−2 and 3.4 × 1027 photons cm−2 s−1, respectively (90‐fs pulse). The impact of these findings is significant to those using ultrashort lasers because they provide a tangible reference point (microscope‐independent) for the generation of photo‐oxidative stress in laser‐exposed tissues, and because they highlight the importance of dispersion compensation in minimizing collateral tissue damage.
Methods of studying the planar distribution of objects in histological sections of brain tissue
Authors: ARMSTRONG R. A.
Published: March 2006

This article reviews the statistical methods that have been used to study the planar distribution, and especially clustering, of objects in histological sections of brain tissue. The objective of these studies is usually quantitative description, comparison between patients or correlation between histological features. Objects of interest such as neurones, glial cells, blood vessels or pathological features such as protein deposits appear as sectional profiles in a two‐dimensional section. These objects may not be randomly distributed within the section but exhibit a spatial pattern, a departure from randomness either towards regularity or clustering. The methods described include simple tests of whether the planar distribution of a histological feature departs significantly from randomness using randomized points, lines or sample fields and more complex methods that employ grids or transects of contiguous fields, and which can detect the intensity of aggregation and the sizes, distribution and spacing of clusters. The usefulness of these methods in understanding the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease is discussed.
Role of bacteria in the oviposition behaviour and larval development of stable flies
Authors: Romero A. , Broce A. , Zurek L.
Published: March 2006

Abstract.  Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are the most important pests of cattle in the United States. However, adequate management strategies for stable flies, especially for pastured cattle, are lacking. Microbial/symbiont‐based approaches offer novel venues for management of insect pests and/or vector‐borne human and animal pathogens. Unfortunately, the fundamental knowledge of stable fly–microbial associations and their effect on stable fly biology is lacking. In this study, stable flies laid greater numbers of eggs on a substrate with an active microbial community (> 95% of total eggs oviposited) than on a sterilized substrate. In addition, stable fly larvae could not develop in a sterilized natural or artificial substrate/medium. Bacteria were isolated and identified from a natural stable fly oviposition/developmental habitat and their individual effect on stable fly oviposition response and larval development was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Of nine bacterial strains evaluated in the oviposition bioassays, Citrobacter freundii stimulated oviposition to the greatest extent. C. freundii also sustained stable fly development, but to a lesser degree than Serratia fanticola. Serratia marcescens and Aeromonas spp. neither stimulated oviposition nor supported stable fly development. These results demonstrate a stable fly bacterial symbiosis; stable fly larval development depends on a live microbial community in the natural habitat, and stable fly females are capable of selecting an oviposition site based on the microbially derived stimuli that indicate the suitability of the substrate for larval development. This study shows a promising starting point for exploiting stable fly–bacterial associations for development of novel approaches for stable fly management.