bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BDNF variability in opioid addicts and response to methadone treatment: preliminary findings
Authors: De Cid R. , Fonseca F. , Gratacòs M. , Gutierrez F. , Martín‐Santos R. , Estivill X. , Torrens M.
Published: March 2008

Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathways have been shown to be essential for opioid‐induced plasticity. We conducted an exploratory study to evaluate BDNF variability in opioid addict responders and nonresponders to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). We analyzed 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the BDNF genomic region. Responders and nonresponders were classified by means of illicit opioid consumption detected in random urinalysis. Patients were assessed by a structured interview (Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM)‐DSM‐IV) and personality was evaluated by the Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory. No clinical, environmental and treatment characteristics were different between the groups, except for the Cooperativeness dimension (P < 0.001). Haplotype block analysis showed a low‐frequency (2.7%) haplotype (13 SNPs) in block 1, which was more frequent in the nonresponder group than in the responder group (4/42 vs. 1/135; Pcorrected = 0.023). Fine mapping in block 1 allows us to identify a haplotype subset formed by only six SNPs (rs7127507, rs1967554, rs11030118, rs988748, rs2030324 and rs11030119) associated with differential response to MMT (global P sim = 0.011). Carriers of the CCGCCG haplotype had an increased risk of poorer response, even after adjusting for Cooperativeness score (OR = 20.25 95% CI 1.46–280.50, P = 0.025). These preliminary results might suggest the involvement of BDNF as a factor to be taken into account in the response to MMT independently of personality traits, environmental cues, methadone dosage and psychiatric comorbidity.
Impact of Mental Health Training for Frontline Staff Working With Children With Severe Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Whitehurst Teresa
Published: March 2008

Abstract  The risk factors for young people with intellectual disabilities developing a mental health disorder are higher than those found in the general population, yet training is very rarely available to frontline staff. A recent study in the United Kingdom cited prevalence rates of mental ill health among adults with intellectual disabilities ranging from 35.2 to 40.9%, depending upon the sensitivity of the diagnostic tool used (Cooper et al., 2007). The ability to identify mental health problems is crucial to early intervention, but is particularly difficult when the symptoms of intellectual disability often mask emerging problems and confound differential diagnosis. The literature relating to mental health training focuses largely on changes in knowledge base and attitude, falling short of considering the primary focus of training—its impact upon practice and how this ultimately benefits people with intellectual disabilities. This study highlights the need for training, considers a training package provided to all frontline (direct care) staff in a residential school in the United Kingdom, catering to young people between the ages of 6 and 19 with severe intellectual disabilities, and investigates the impact of training upon practice and its influence upon the organization.
Abstracts from the 16th Annual Roundtable of the IASSID Special Interest Research Group in Aging and Intellectual Disabilities1
Authors:   IASSID Aging and Intellectual Disabilities Special Research Interest Group
Published: March 2008

The 16th Annual Roundtable of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability's Special Interest Research Group on Aging and Intellectual Disability was held May 31 and June 1, 2007 in Oslo, Norway, with over 50 participants from Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia. The roundtable theme was “Models of practice: Research and current practice in supporting aging adults with intellectual disabilities.” The Norwegian Development Program, “Aging in People with Intellectual Disabilities” (UAU) at the Aging and Health Norwegian Centre for Research, Education and Service Development organized and sponsored the roundtable, under the leadership of Frode K. Larsen and Britt‐Evy Westergaard. The program featured papers reporting burning issues and cutting‐edge research on aging and intellectual disabilities organized into six symposia, “Communication,”“Service Developments,”“Dementia,”“Relationships,”“Health and Risk Factors,” and “Work in Progress,” as well as a generic topics poster session.
Organization of a Family Training Service Pertaining to Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Zingale Marinella , Belfiore Giovanni , Mongelli Vita , Trubia Grazia , Buono Serafino
Published: March 2008

Abstract  The authors present the outcomes of three parent training experiences carried out at the Research Institute “OASI MARIA SS” in Troina, Italy, which were designed to facilitate the acquisition of specific competencies and to promote educational effectiveness within the family. Some 30 families (all with a member with autistic disorder or with severe and profound intellectual disability) were followed for a four‐week period. Treatments were carried out according to a multidisciplinary approach (a social worker, physician, psychologist, pedagogist, and educator were involved). The main objectives of the training were to promote families' willingness to collaborate, to improve educational abilities, to foster problem solving, and to create a local support network. To assess change, a pre‐ and post‐questionnaire was administered to families. In the three different training models, relevant improvements in coping abilities as well as development of educational self‐confidence were noted.
Edentulous patients’ knowledge of dental hygiene and care of prostheses
Authors: De Castellucci Barbosa Luciano , Ferreira Manoela Rejane Maia , De Carvalho Calabrich Carolina Freire , Viana Aline Cavalcanti , De Lemos Maria Catarina Lavigne , Lauria Roberta Andrade
Published: March 2008

Objective:  The aim of this study was to analyse denture users’ oral care habits with regard to the use of their prostheses.

Background:  Rehabilitative treatment is only successful when patients are motivated and aware of correct prosthesis use and hygiene.

Materials and methods:  Questionnaires were distributed to 150 complete denture users at the Federal University of Bahia School of Dentistry, the Esmeralda Natividade Health Center, the Bahian Science Development Foundation and a Salvador nursing home. The questionnaire included information on gender, age, length of prosthesis use, cleaning methods and materials, etc. The data were analysed using EpiInfo version 6 software. The chi‐squared test was used for statistical analysis, with a significance level of 5%.

Results:  Questionnaire results showed that 78% of the subjects, with an average age of 67.3 years, had used the same complete denture for over 5 years. 64% slept with their prostheses and 44% removed them from the mouth only for cleaning. None of the patients interviewed knew anything about brushes designed specifically for complete dentures. 37.3% had a restricted diet and 44% believed that a complete denture would last for more than 10 years.

Conclusion:  Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that the edentulous patients surveyed had limited awareness of prosthetic hygiene and long‐term oral care despite extended periods of denture use.
LABOR LAW INSIDE OUT
Authors: Liebman Wilma B.
Published: March 2008

Today, some sixty years after passage of the Taft‐Hartley amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, it seems that the centerpiece of the Act has become the right to refrain from protected, concerted or union activity. The original 1935 legislation was enacted, of course, to protect the right to engage in that activity, and to encourage the practice of collective bargaining. For nearly sixty years after Taft‐Hartley added the “right to refrain” to Section 7's employee protections, the Board has struggled to reconcile the sometimes competing statutory goals of promoting the stability of collective bargaining relationships and the individual freedom of choice, preserved by Section 7. That has changed, however, as the National Labor Relations Board, in several recent decisions, has said for the first time, that freedom of choice—which is to say, the freedom to reject union representation—prevails in the statutory scheme. It is as if the law, in abandoning the primacy of achieving economic justice through collective action, has been turned inside out. The stakes for this shift in policy are great.
LABOR'S NEW OPENING TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS
Authors: Compa Lance
Published: March 2008

Most trade unionists were oblivious to international human rights movement in the last half of the twentieth century. For their part, human rights advocates did not include workers' rights on their agenda. But in the late 1990s, labor and human rights advocates came together to reframe workers' collective action as a human rights mission rather than a self‐interested syndical action. A new labor–human rights alliance built a wide‐ranging discourse of workers' rights as human rights. The expertise and knowledge attributable to human rights actors gave their critique of workers' rights violations in the U.S. a high measure of authoritativeness compared with trade unionists making the same claims.

Critics suggest that a human rights frame moves away from a class analysis, de‐emphasizing principles of industrial democracy and mass action in favor of individual rights. This article argues that a human rights argument can help win needed labor law reform to protect workers' rights.
Contractile Changes of the Clitoral Cavernous Smooth Muscle in Female Rabbits with Experimentally Induced Overactive Bladder
Authors: Myung Soon-Chul , Lee Moo-Yeol , Lee Shin-Young , Yum Seung-Hee , Park Soo-Hyun , Kim Sae-Chul
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Recently, growing clinical evidence has suggested that sexual dysfunction is more prevalent in women with overactive bladder (OAB).

Aims

However, there has been no basic research to clarify the relationship between OAB and female sexual dysfunction. Therefore, we investigated this issue using a rabbit model of OAB.

Methods

Twenty-seven New Zealand white female rabbits were randomly divided into the OAB and control groups.

Main Outcome Measures

The contractile responses of clitoral cavernous strips to K+, phenylephrine (PE), Bay K 8644, and endothelin (ET)-1, and the relaxation responses of acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and Y-27632 to PE-induced contraction by measuring isometric tension.

Results

The contractile responses to K+, PE, Bay K 8644, and ET-1 were significantly more increased in the OAB group in a dose-dependant manner than in the control group (P < 0.05), and the responses to ET-1 were more prominent than those to the remaining substances (P < 0.01). The increased contractile responses to ET-1 were blocked by BQ123 (ETA receptor antagonist) but not by BQ788 (ETB receptor antagonist). Clitoral cavernosal strips from the OAB group were more difficult to relax than those from the control group in terms of ACh- and SNP-induced relaxation (P < 0.05). The Y-27632-induced relaxant responses to PE- and ET-1-induced contraction were less prominent in the OAB group than in the control group.

Conclusions

The results of this study provide evidence that female OAB may deteriorate clitoral engorgement, which is associated with a greater force generation by increased calcium sensitization and subsequently decreased of relaxation. The activation of ET and Rho-kinase system may be crucial to negatively effect the clitoral smooth muscle relaxation in experimentally induced OAB animal model. But whether these vasomotor effects are revived in human clitoris is still debatable.
Sexual Function in Well Women: Stratification by Sexual Satisfaction, Hormone Use, and Menopause Status
Authors: Davison Sonia L. , Bell Robin J. , LaChina Maria , Holden Samantha L. , Davis Susan R.
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Satisfaction with sexual function in community-based women has not been well-described, and little is known of differences in sexual function between pre-(PreM) and postmenopausal (PM) women.

Aim

The aim of this article was to describe sexual function in PreM and PM women who self-identify as being satisfied or dissatisfied with their sexual life.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 349 sexually active community-based women, aged 20–65 years, who self-identified as being either satisfied or dissatisfied with their sexual life.

Main Outcome Measures

Scores from a daily diary of sexual function for 4 weeks, examining the frequency of sexual thoughts, interest, and activity.

Results

One hundred and eighty-four women (53%) were PreM, and 165 (47%) were dissatisfied with their sexual life. The median number of days with sexual activity or events per month for all women was 8 (ranges 2–28 days; 2–57 events). Ninety-two percent of reported events involved a partner, 86% involved intercourse, and in 40% the woman initiated the activity. Women satisfied with their sexual life had higher frequencies of sexual thoughts, interest, events, and initiation of activity than dissatisfied women (P < 0.0001). PreM satisfied women had higher frequencies of sexual thoughts, numbers of days with sexual activity, and events per month than PM satisfied women (P < 0.05). PreM oral contraceptive pill (OCP) users had significantly lower average frequencies of sexual thoughts, interest, and days of sexual activity per month (P < 0.05), whereas PM women hormone therapy (HT) users had higher frequencies of sexual thoughts and sexual interest (P = 0.04 and P = 0.05, respectively) compared to nonusers. There were no differences in sexual function between PreM and PM women who were sexually dissatisfied.

Conclusions

Sexual activity mostly involved a partner, partner initiation, and intercourse. Sexually satisfied women reported more sexual thoughts, interest, events, and initiation of sexual activity than dissatisfied women. PreM sexually satisfied women reported more sexual thoughts, days with sexual activity, and sexual events per month compared to PM satisfied women. OCP and HT use appeared to have contrasting effects on sexual function.
Sexual Function and Psychological Status among Males and Females with Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Kazemi-Saleh Davoud , Pishgoo Bahram , Farrokhi Farhat , Fotros Aryandokht , Assari Shervin
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) may also suffer from mental and sexual problems, and we should consider the mutual influence such conditions have on each other. However, the interrelation between sexual and mental problems in the context of CAD has not been fully investigated, especially when it comes to gender.

Aim

Our aim was to evaluate sexuality and psychiatric symptoms among patients with CAD and the relation between them in each gender.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 550 (397 men and 153 women) patients with documented CAD were surveyed for anxiety and depression using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) self-administered questionnaire as well as the relation and sexuality scale (RSS). Three subscores were calculated for sexual function, frequency, and fear, with higher scores indicative of a poorer condition.

Main Outcome Measures

The HADS and the RSS.

Results

Depressive symptoms and anxiety were more severe among our female subjects than they were among the male ones. In addition, the scores for sexual frequency, sexual function, and the total RSS were significantly higher in women, while men had a significantly higher score for sexual fear. The total RSS score correlated with depressive symptoms in women (r = 0.19, P = 0.03), but not in the male subjects. Considering the subscores, a higher score for sexual frequency correlated with depressive symptoms in both genders; however, being afraid of sexual relation correlated with depressive symptoms only in men with CAD and their spouses (r = 0.18, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

We found that women with CAD have poorer sexual relation and more severe depressive symptoms than men do. Among men with CAD and their wives, fear of sexual relationship is a more serious problem. Such gender-specific characteristics and their interrelations ought to receive due consideration in the management of CAD.
The Functional and Structural Consequences of Cavernous Nerve Injury are Ameliorated by Sildenafil Citrate
Authors: Mulhall John P. , Müller Alexander , Donohue John F. , Mullerad Michael , Kobylarz Keith , Paduch Darius A. , Tal Raanan , Li Philip S. , Cohen-Gould Leona , Scardino Peter T.
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Radical prostatectomy (RP) is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). A single, placebo-controlled, human study has assessed the effects of regular sildenafil use after RP and demonstrated an increased chance of preservation of preoperative erectile function.

Aim

This study was undertaken to define the effects of such a regimen in an animal model.

Methods

Using the cavernous nerve (CN) crush injury model, animals were divided into a number of groups: no CN injury (sham), bilateral CN injury exposed to either no sildenafil (control) or sildenafil at two doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) subcutaneously daily for three different durations (3, 10, 28 days).

Main Outcome Measures

At these time points, CN electrical stimulation was used to assess erectile function by mean intracavernosal pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio. For the structural analyses, whole rat penes were harvested. Staining for Masson's trichrome was utilized to calculate the smooth muscle-collagen ratio. Immunohistochemical antibody staining was performed for endothelial (CD31 and eNOS) and neural (GAP43, NGF, and nNOS) factors and immunoblotting was performed to analyze the AKT/eNOS pathway. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used for the assessment of apoptotic indices and the CN architecture was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Results

Erectile function was improved with sildenafil in a time- and dose-dependent fashion with maximization of erectile function recovery occurring with daily 20 mg/kg at the 28-day time point. Sildenafil use resulted in smooth muscle-collagen ratio protection and CD31 and eNOS expression preservation. Sildenafil reduced apoptotic indices significantly compared with control. Animals exposed to sildenafil had increased phosphorylation of akt and eNOS. Tem demonstrated distinct differences in architecture between control and sildenafil groups toward an increased amount of myelinized nerve fibers.

Conclusions

Sildenafil use in the CN crush injury model preserves erectile function that appears to be mediated predominantly through preservation of smooth muscle content and endothelial function as well as through reduction in apoptosis.
An Unusual Staged Labial Rejuvenation
Authors: Di Saia John P.
Published: March 2008

Introduction

There have been concerns about the safety and effectiveness of publicized procedures in elective female genital rejuvenation.

Aim

To present an interesting case in which a staged approach to rejuvenation of both the Labia majora and minora was performed safely and effectively.

Methods

A patient with an unusual redundancy of both the Labia minora and majora presented interested in reduction. The procedure was performed in two parts.

Results

Despite her complication following the first stage, 6 weeks after her second stage, the patient is satisfied.

Conclusions

Cosmetic reduction of the Labia minora is well tolerated and can offer pleasing results with little morbidity. Surgery of the Labia majora may be more commonly complicated by bleeding.
The MMP2 rs243865‐T allele is not a major genetic factor for rheumatoid arthritis in the French Caucasian population
Authors: Jacq L. , Teixeira V. H. , Garnier S. , Petit‐Teixeira E. , Cornélis F.
Published: March 2008

The MMP2 rs243865‐T allele was recently suggested to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a case–control study. MMP2 is a positional RA candidate gene. Our aim was to test rs243865 in a French family based study. No significant result was shown. The MMP2 rs243865‐T allele is not a major rheumatoid arthritis genetic factor in this population.
The frequency of transforming growth factor‐β1 gene polymorphisms in a normal southern Iranian population
Authors: Amani D. , Farjadian S. , Ghaderi A.
Published: March 2008

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the transforming growth factor‐β1 gene (TGFB1) have been reported. Determination of TGFB1 SNPs allele frequencies in different ethnic groups is useful for both population genetic analyses and association studies with immunological diseases. In this study, five SNPs of TGFB1 were determined in 325 individuals from a normal southern Iranian population using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism method. This population was in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for these SNPs. Of the 12 constructed haplotypes, GTCGC and GCTGC were the most frequent in the normal southern Iranian population. Comparison of genotype and allele frequencies of TGFB SNPs between Iranian and other populations (meta‐analysis) showed significant differences, and in this case the southern Iranian population seems genetically similar to Caucasoid populations. However, neighbour‐joining tree using Nei's genetic distances based on TGF‐β1 allele frequencies showed that southern Iranians are genetically far from people from the USA, Germany, UK, Denmark and the Czech Republic. In conclusion, this is the first report of the distribution of TGFB1 SNPs in an Iranian population and the results of this investigation may provide useful information for both population genetic and disease studies.
Association of interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist +2018 gene polymorphism with Japanese chronic periodontitis patients using a novel genotyping method
Authors: Komatsu Y. , Galicia J. C. , Kobayashi T. , Yamazaki K. , Yoshie H.
Published: March 2008

Genetic variants at multiple loci have been shown to be associated with periodontitis risk. In this study, we have focused on nine functional gene polymorphisms encoding immunoregulation‐related molecules such as cytokines (interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1)) and cell surface receptors (immunoglobulin G and A Fc receptors (FcγR and FcαR)). In total, 113 Japanese patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) and 108 race‐matched healthy controls were genotyped with the modified serial invasive signal amplification reaction. There was a significant difference in the distribution of IL‐1 receptor antagonist (RN) +2018 T/C allele between the patient and control groups, with enrichment of the +2018 C in controls (P = 0.021, odds ratio = 0.38). An increased frequency of the IL‐1 haplotype comprising IL‐1A +4845 G, IL‐1B –31 C, and IL‐1RN +2018 C was observed in controls (P = 0.004). Moreover, a multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that subjects with IL‐1RN +2018 C allele were less likely to have CP (P = 0.016, odds ratio = 0.29). These findings document the association of IL‐1RN +2018 C with reduced susceptibility to CP in the Japanese.
Where Are We Now?: Concept Analysis as Foundational to Nursing Diagnosis Research Georgia Griffith Whitley, EdD, RN
Authors: Whitley Georgia Griffith
Published: March 2008

“Where Are We Now” is a regular feature of Nursing Diagnosis. The column focuses on current issues and trends related to nursing diagnosis development, implementation, and evaluation. The writing in this issue focuses on the critical nature of concept analysis as it relates to clinical validation of nursing diagnosis. Dr. Georgia Whitley addresses the importance of concept analysis as a foundation for validation research on a specific diagnosis, particularly as it can be used in identifying defining characteristics und developing their operational definitions.
Use of the Nursing Minimum Data Set to Describe Nursing Interventions for Select Nursing Diagnoses and Related Factors in an Acute Care Setting
Authors: Coenen Amy , Ryan Polly , Sutton Janice , Devine Elizabeth C. , Werley Harriet H. , Kelber Sheryl
Published: March 2008

This study describes the prevalence of nursing interventions across six nursing diagnoses and their related factors using the framework of the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS). Six nursing diagnoses (pain, potential for injury, anxiety, decreased cardiac output, potential for infection, and knowledge deficit) were among the most prevalent in an acute care setting studied in 1992. The NMDS and a nursing information system using standardized classification systems for nursing diagnoses and interventions provided an opportunity to describe nursing practice. Multiple related factors were identified across all six nursing diagnoses; three or four were selected frequently within each diagnostic category. The related factors also influenced the selection of interventions. Implications for the development of nursing classification systems and recommendations for further research are described.
The host range of some English isolates of beet yellowing viruses
Authors: RUSSELL G. E.
Published: March 2008

Of sixty herbaceous plant species, which were inoculated with beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV), fourteen species were susceptible to isolates of BMYV collected from sugar beet in eastern England. Three of these, Beta vulgaris L., Claytonia perfoliata Donn. and Capsella bursa‐pastoris (L.) Medic, had already been used as test plants for BMYV. The new hosts were six species in the genus Beta, Spinacea oleracea L., Senecio vulgaris L., Sinapis alba L., Spergula arvensis L. and Armaria leptoclados (Rchb.) Guss. Stellaria media L. (Vill.) is also probably a host of BMYV but results of susceptibility tests were inconclusive. Senecio vulgaris produced well‐defined symptoms when infected with BMYV and was a useful additional test plant. Similar experiments on the host range of beet yellows virus (BYV) generally confirmed the results of previous work. It seems likely that in recent years weeds have been important primary foci of BMYV infection, but probably not of BYV infection, in Great Britain.

The host range studies have indicated that BMYV may be related to at least one part of the American beet western yellows virus (BWYV) complex.
Bioassay and other laboratory methods for testing formulations of potato blight fungicides
Authors: McINTOSH A. H. , EVELING D. W.
Published: March 2008

Three laboratory methods are described for comparing formulations of potato blight fungicides; all use the upper surfaces of leaflets detached from glasshouse‐grown King Edward plants, and artificial rain in some form.

Rain‐fastness (tenacity) was quickly estimated by measuring advancing acute contact angles of distilled water (representing rain) on dry spray deposits. Tenacity itself was measured by 'rain‐washing' deposits with 0·65 in. of tap water in 30 min. (light 'rain') or up to 2·5 in. in 40 mm. (heavy 'rain'). Contact angles and tenacities of copper oxychloride deposits were usually positively correlated. In bioassay tests, deposits were washed with 2·5 in. of heavy 'rain', inoculated with sporangia of Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, and later classed as infected or not infected; results were analysed by the probit method. With copper oxychloride and triphenyl tin (fentin) acetate, differences in effectiveness of 2·5 times or more were usually significant when fifty to sixty leaflets were used per formulation.
The incidence of Ganoderma disease of oil palms in Malaya and its relation to previous crop
Authors: TURNER P. D.
Published: March 2008

Results of surveys on oil‐palm estates in Malaya have shown that the incidence of Ganoderma infection of oil palms is greatest: (1) on old trees over 25 years of age, and (2) on younger plantings on sites which had previously borne coconut palms. The incidence of disease in stands either newly cleared from jungle or formerly planted with rubber was not serious.

On former coconut sites disease levels were variable and probably due to a soil factor. On these sites infection appeared typically at about the fifth or sixth year after planting, and in some instances disease levels approaching 50% were reached by the fifteenth year. Coconut tissues colonized by Ganoderma are considered to become infection foci for disease spread, principally by root contact with stumps left in the ground. From limited information, disease hazard also appears serious in replanting oil palms on old oil‐palm stands. The survey results are discussed in relation to potential losses and disease control. Complete removal and destruction of all coconut‐palm and oil‐palm tissues is suggested as the only method of disease control available at present.
A comparative study of the phytotoxic effects of siricid woodwasps on conifers
Authors: SPRADBERY J. P.
Published: March 2008

The effects of siricid mucus and the symbiotic fungus injected artificially, or by oviposition of caged females on young conifer trees were investigated in a comparative study of the phytotoxicity caused by seven species of siricid woodwasps. Dilute solutions of mucus were bioassayed using detached shoots. Rapid physiological changes in the radial growth of the stem, quantity of starch in the leaves, leaf pressure and colour of the foliage of living trees were induced by only one species, Sirex noctilio. Solutions of S. noctilio and S. cyaneus mucus caused premature senescence of needles on detached shoots. The other species, Sirex juvencus, Urocerus gigas, U. augur, U. sah and Xeris spectrum, produced no phytotoxic symptoms in living trees and less rapid senescence of needles on detached shoots. These differences are discussed in relation to the ecology of siricids in the northern hemisphere and the successful establishment of S. noctilio in pine plantations of Australasia.
Incidence and effects of Septoria nodorum on wheat cultivars
Authors: SCOTT P. R.
Published: March 2008

Wheat cultivars were grown in two field trials in which half the plots were artificially inoculated with Septoria nodorum. There were differences between cultivars in the degree of 5. nodorum infection on flag leaves and on ears. Hybrid 46, Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon were among those with the least infection, and Maris Ranger and Maris Templar among those with the most. Severity of infection was positively correlated with both short stature and earliness of maturity. Infection on leaves was positively correlated with infection on ears. Inoculation reduced yield by decreasing two of its components, grain number per ear and 1000‐grain weight. A very early maturing cultivar, Sterling, sustained no yield loss despite severe infection; for the remaining cultivars, yield loss was positively correlated with degree of infection.
Some problems of evaluating fungicides for use on coffee in Kenya
Authors: VINE B. H. , VINE P. A. , GRIFFITHS ELLIS
Published: March 2008

As part of a programme testing fungicides for control of coffee berry disease (CBD) promising materials were also tested in the field against leaf rust of coffee. In all, fourteen fungicides were tested, five of which have been recommended for control of CBD. Only Perenox (representative of 50% copper fungicides) and Du‐Ter (not highly effective against CBD and no longer recommended) gave good control of rust; Difolatan gave some control but Benlate and Daconil were virtually ineffective.

Where only CBD is present there is generally a good relationship between disease control and yield, but in these experiments where leaf rust was also present, this relationship was seriously disturbed. The implications of this for testing fungicides for use on coffee in Kenya are discussed.
Field control of brown leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) of wheat with a triazole compound in north India
Authors: TYAGI P. D. , GROVER R. K. , AHUJA S. C.
Published: March 2008

RH‐124 (4‐n‐butyl‐i,2,4‐triazole) when applied as one or two foliar applications (at the rate of i‐6 1 a.i./ha) or given by watering soil (at the rate of 0–8 1 a.i./ha) controlled brown leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) of wheat in microplot experiments. In north India where the rust appears 80–90 days before harvest, one foliar or soil application was sufficient to mitigate loss in yield. Seed treatment was not found useful when tested in one trial.
The effect of light and temperature late in the season on the growth of sugar beet
Authors: MILFORD G. F. J. , THORNE GILLIAN N.
Published: March 2008

Sugar‐beet plants were subjected to all combinations of two day temperatures (12‐5 and 18‐5 oC), two night temperatures (8‐o and 14‐0 oC) and two light intensities (275 and 550 J cm‐2 of visible radiation in a 12 h day) during the last month of their growth. Cold day or night temperatures resulted in the plants having slightly smaller leaf areas, final dry weights and amounts of sugar in their roots than plants grown in warm temperatures. Plants grown in the cold also contained less water, particularly those given cold nights, so that they had smaller fresh weights and a greater concentration of sugar in the fresh, but not in the dry roots, than plants grown in warm conditions. Halving the light intensity had little effect on leaf area but decreased the net assimilation rate. The final dry weight of the shoot was not affected by changing the light intensity, but the dry weights of the roots of plants grown in dim light were 20 % smaller than in plants grown in bright light and they contained correspondingly less sugar. There was no effect of varying the light intensity on the concentrations of sugar in the fresh or dry roots. There was no evidence that cold night temperatures, either alone or in conjunction with bright conditions during the day, induced the storage root to accumulate sugar faster relative to non‐sugar dry matter, i.e. to ‘ripen’.
The growth and development of the storage root of sugar beet
Authors: MILFORD G. F. J.
Published: March 2008

A study was made of the growth of the storage root of sugar beet as a sugar accumulating organ. The storage root grew by simultaneous cell multiplication and expansion from a series of peripheral secondary meristems laid down during the early stages of development. The weight of water and of non‐sugar dry matter per cell increased in proportion to the increase in cell volume. The amount of sugar per cell was proportional to cell volume only during the initial stage of cell expansion up to volumes of about 15 times 10‐8 cm3; thereafter it was less proportional. Thus, average cell size is a major determinant of the sugar concentration of the storage root. The implications of this are discussed.
Seasonal variations in the activity in soil of Phytophthora cactorum, P. syringae and P. citricola in relation to collar rot disease of apple
Authors: SEWELL G. W. F. , WILSON J. F. , DAKWA J. T.
Published: March 2008

Phytophthora species were isolated from infested orchard soils using apple fruit as bait at intervals during the periods July 1956 to August 1957, January 1957 to June 1958, and January 1969 to June 1970. When baited soils were kept out of doors P. cactorum and P. citricola were isolated only from April or May to October, when mean temperatures exceeded 8 and 10 °C respectively; P. syringae was isolated in all months except June, July and August.

The results did not suggest that the incidence of these species was particularly associated with apple as a host plant, but the periods of activity of P. cactorum and P. syringae in soils coincided closely with the periods when apple trees were susceptible to infection by either pathogen. With collar rot disease caused by P. cactorum it was considered that, the time of commencement of activity of the pathogen in the soil, together with the availability of water, might be critical in determining the severity of disease outbreaks.
Field studies of potato leaf roll virus spread in south‐eastern Scotland, 1962–1969, in relation to aphid populations and other factors
Authors: HOWELL P. J.
Published: March 2008

Between 1962 and 1967 spread of potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and the pattern of potato crop infestation by common potato aphids was investigated at sites in the counties of East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian and Berwickshire. Within this area aphid activity and the extent of PLRV spread varied considerably both within years and between years.

Macrosiphum euphorbiae activity as measured by the angle of colonization method was as well correlated with PLRV spread as that for Myzus persicae, and in certain years Aulacorthum solani and Aphis fabae may become common enough to have an effect. Spread was not well correlated with site altitude or with distance from the market garden area of Musselburgh, previously thought to be the main regional overwintering centre for aphids. Evidence is presented of the more general distribution of market gardening in the area which may account for these variations. Results from infector units of different sizes and bulk samples suggest, as do earlier findings, that in southern Scotland PLRV spread is mainly from sources within the crop. The practical implications for potato certification in the region are discussed.
Sperm transfer is affected by mating history in the simultaneously hermaphroditic snail Lymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Loose Mathieu J. , Koene Joris M.
Published: March 2008

Abstract. Males are predicted to strategically allocate sperm across mating partners in order to maximize their chances of paternity. This requires that males have the ability to detect aspects of their partner's mating history or the number of potential mates. We investigated whether simultaneous hermaphrodites mating in the male role strategically adjust sperm transfer depending on rearing conditions. The pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Basommatophora) is known to donate sperm repeatedly to different partners during a breeding season and store received sperm for >3 months. The rearing conditions of the donor as well as the recipient affect the amount of sperm transferred. Sperm donors raised in isolation transfer more sperm than those raised in groups. Furthermore, isolated sperm donors transfer less sperm to partners that were raised in groups than to those raised in isolation, i.e., virgins. These findings suggest that snails raised in isolation shift their sex allocation toward the male function and indicate that they can somehow assess the mating status of their partner.
Isolation and Molecular Characterization of High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit Genes 1Bx13 and 1By16 from Hexaploid Wheat
Authors: Pang Bin‐Shuang , Zhang Xue‐Yong
Published: March 2008

The high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW‐GS) pair 1Bx13 + 1By16
are recognized to positively correlate with bread‐making quality; however, their molecular data remain unknown. In order to reveal the mechanism by which 1By16 and 1Bx13 creates high quality, their open reading frames (ORFs) were amplified from common wheat Atlas66 and Jimai 20 using primers that were designed based on published sequences of HMW glutenin genes. The ORF of 1By16 was 2 220 bp, deduced into 738 amino acid residues with seven cysteines including 59 hexapeptides and 22 nanopeptides motifs. The ORF of 1Bx13 was 2 385 bp, deduced into 795 amino acid residues with four cysteines including 68 hexapeptides, 25 nanopeptides and six tripeptides motifs. We found that 1By16 was the largest y‐type HMW glutenin gene described to date in common wheat. The 1By16 had 36 amino acid residues inserted in the central repetitive domain compared with 1By15. Expression in bacteria and western‐blot tests confirmed that the sequence cloned was the ORF of HMW‐GS 1By16, and that 1Bx13 was one of the largest 1Bx genes that have been described so far in common wheat, exhibiting a hexapeptide (PGQGQQ) insertion in the end of central repetitive domain compared with 1Bx7. A phylogenetic tree based on the deduced full‐length amino acid sequence alignment of the published HMW‐GS genes showed that the 1By16 was clustered with Glu‐1B‐2, and that the 1Bx13 was clustered with Glu‐1B‐1 alleles.
Growth Inhibition Occurs Independently of Cell Mortality in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Exposed to High Cadmium Concentrations
Authors: Delpérée Christine , Lutts Stanley
Published: March 2008

In order to analyze the adaptation potential of tomato shoots to a sudden increase in Cd concentration, tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. Ailsa Craig) were exposed under controlled environmental conditions to a high dose of this heavy metal (250 μM CdCl2) in nutrient solution for 7 and 14 d. Both root and shoot growth was completely inhibited but all plants remained alive until the end of the treatment. Cell viability remained unaffected but the activity of the mitochondrial alternative pathway was stimulated by Cd stress at the expense of the cytochrome pathway. Cadmium concentration was higher in roots than in shoots and a decrease in the rate of net Cd translocation was noticed during the second week of stress. Cadmium decreased both leaf conductance (gl) and chlorophyll concentration. However, the effect on net CO2 assimilation remained limited and soluble sugars accumulated in leaves. Photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was not affected despite a decrease in the number of reaction centers and an inhibition of electron transfer to acceptors of PSII. It is concluded that tomato shoot may sustain short term exposure to high doses of cadmium despite growth inhibition. This property implies several physiological strategies linked to both avoidance and tolerance mechanisms.
Alfvén quasi-periodic oscillations in magnetars
Authors: Sotani H. , Kokkotas K. D. , Stergioulas N.
Published: March 2008

We investigate torsional Alfvén oscillations of relativistic stars with a global dipole magnetic field, via two-dimensional numerical simulations. We find that (i) there exist two families of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) with harmonics at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency, (ii) the lower-frequency QPO is related to the region of closed field lines, near the equator, while the higher-frequency QPO is generated near the magnetic axis, (iii) the QPOs are long-lived, (iv) for the chosen form of dipolar magnetic field, the frequency ratio of the lower to upper fundamental QPOs is ∼0.6, independent of the equilibrium model or of the strength of the magnetic field, and (v) within a representative sample of equations of state and of various magnetar masses, the Alfvén QPO frequencies are given by accurate empirical relations that depend only on the compactness of the star and on the magnetic field strength. The lower and upper QPOs can be interpreted as corresponding to the edges or turning points of an Alfvén continuum, according to the model proposed by Levin (2007). Several of the low-frequency QPOs observed in the X-ray tail of SGR 1806-20 can readily be identified with the Alfvén QPOs we compute. In particular, one could identify the 18- and 30-Hz observed frequencies with the fundamental lower and upper QPOs, correspondingly, while the observed frequencies of 92 and 150 Hz are then integer multiples of the fundamental upper QPO frequency (three and five times, correspondingly). With this identification, we obtain an upper limit on the strength of the magnetic field of SGR 1806-20 (if is dominated by a dipolar component) between ∼3 and 7 × 1015 G. Furthermore, we show that an identification of the observed frequency of 26 Hz with the frequency of the fundamental torsional ℓ= 2 oscillation of the magnetar's crust is compatible with a magnetar mass of about from 1.4 to 1.6 M⊙ and an equation of state (EOS) that is very stiff (if the magnetic field strength is near its upper limit) or moderately stiff (for lower values of the magnetic field).
War and Peace: Possible Approaches to Reducing Intergroup Conflict
Authors: Cohen Taya R. , Insko Chester A.
Published: March 2008

We discuss four potential ways to reduce conflict between groups: consideration of future consequences, independent leadership, outgroup empathy, and coordination. We review relevant empirical findings for each method and discuss how each can be used to promote intergroup cooperation.
Self-Enhancement: Food for Thought
Authors: Sedikides Constantine , Gregg Aiden P.
Published: March 2008

Self-enhancement denotes a class of psychological phenomena that involve taking a tendentiously positive view of oneself. We distinguish between four levels of self-enhancement—an observed effect, an ongoing process, a personality trait, and an underlying motive—and then use these distinctions to organize the wealth of relevant research. Furthermore, to render these distinctions intuitive, we draw an extended analogy between self-enhancement and the phenomenon of eating. Among the topics we address are (a) manifestations of self-enhancement, both obvious and subtle, and rival interpretations; (b) experimentally documented dynamics of affirming and threatening the ego; and (c) primacy of self-enhancement, considered alongside other intrapsychic phenomena, and across different cultures. Self-enhancement, like eating, is a fundamental part of human nature.
Ideology: Its Resurgence in Social, Personality, and Political Psychology
Authors: Jost John T. , Nosek Brian A. , Gosling Samuel D.
Published: March 2008

We trace the rise, fall, and resurgence of political ideology as a topic of research in social, personality, and political psychology. For over 200 years, political belief systems have been classified usefully according to a single left—right (or liberal-conservative) dimension that, we believe, possesses two core aspects: (a) advocating versus resisting social change and (b) rejecting versus accepting inequality. There have been many skeptics of the notion that most people are ideologically inclined, but recent psychological evidence suggests that left-right differences are pronounced in many life domains. Implicit as well as explicit preferences for tradition, conformity, order, stability, traditional values, and hierarchy—versus those for progress, rebelliousness, chaos, flexibility, feminism, and equality—are associated with conservatism and liberalism, respectively. Conservatives score consistently higher than liberals on measures of system justification. Furthermore, there are personality and lifestyle differences between liberals and conservatives as well as situational variables that induce either liberal or conservative shifts in political opinions. Our thesis is that ideological belief systems may be structured according to a left-right dimension for largely psychological reasons linked to variability in the needs to reduce uncertainty and threat.
Through the Front Door: The Housing Outcomes of New Lawful Immigrants
Authors: McConnell Eileen Diaz , Akresh Ilana Redstone
Published: March 2008

Immigrants represent an increasingly vital component of the U.S. housing market, though there is a substantial and growing gap in homeownership rates between natives and the foreign born. We employ the New Immigrant Survey-2003 to examine the housing tenure of immigrants recently adjusted to new legal permanent resident status. The results reveal important cross-national differences in the linkages between transfers to the origin country relationships with U.S. mainstream financial institutions, previous unauthorized experience, and housing tenure. Analyses also document that immigrants occupy three distinct housing outcomes in America; renting, owning, and living for free.