bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laticifer-Specific cis-Prenyltransferase Silencing Affects the Rubber, Triterpene, and Inulin Content of Taraxacum brevicorniculatum
Authors: Post Janina , van Deenen Nicole , Fricke Julia , Kowalski Natalie , Wurbs David , Schaller Hubert , Eisenreich Wolfgang , Huber Claudia , Twyman Richard M. , Prüfer Dirk , Gronover Christian Schulze
Published: January 2012

Certain Taraxacum species, such as Taraxacum  koksaghyz and Taraxacum  brevicorniculatum, produce large amounts of high-quality natural rubber in their latex, the milky cytoplasm of specialized cells known as laticifers. This high-molecular mass biopolymer consists mainly of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) and is deposited in rubber particles by particle-bound enzymes that carry out the stereospecific condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate units. The polymer configuration suggests that the chain-elongating enzyme (rubber transferase; EC 2.5.1.20) is a cis-prenyltransferase (CPT). Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of transgenic T. brevicorniculatum plants in which the expression of three recently isolated CPTs known to be associated with rubber particles (TbCPT1 to -3) was heavily depleted by laticifer-specific RNA interference (RNAi). Analysis of the CPT-RNAi plants by nuclear magnetic resonance, size-exclusion chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated a significant reduction in rubber biosynthesis and a corresponding 50% increase in the levels of triterpenes and the main storage carbohydrate, inulin. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the laticifers in CPT-RNAi plants contained fewer and smaller rubber particles than wild-type laticifers. We also observed lower activity of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, the key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, reflecting homeostatic control of the isopentenyl diphosphate pool. To our knowledge, this is the first in planta demonstration of latex-specific CPT activity in rubber biosynthesis.
Kin and familiarity influence association preferences and aggression in the mangrove killifishKryptolebias marmoratus
Authors: Edenbrow M. , Croft D. P.
Published: January 2012

Association preferences and aggression intensity were investigated in relation to kin and familiarity in the self‐fertilizing, clonal vertebrate, the mangrove killifishKryptolebias marmoratus. Results indicated that fish preferentially associated with and exhibited less intense aggression towards members of their own genotype (kin), compared to members of a different genotype (non‐kin). Furthermore, when fish were presented with stimulus groups of the same genotype that were familiar or unfamiliar, fish preferentially associated with and exhibited lower aggression intensity directed towards familiar groups. These results indicate that this species prefer to associate with both kin and familiar individuals and modulate aggression accordingly. These results are discussed with reference to the adaptive benefits of kin recognition and preferences for familiars, and place results within the context of current knowledge of the ecology ofK. marmoratus.
Use of local knowledge for assessing vegetation changes in the Southern Gadarif Region, Sudan
Authors: Sulieman Hussein M. , Buchroithner Manfred F. , Elhag Muna M.
Published: January 2012

The vegetation cover in Gadarif Region, Sudan, underwent drastic changes within the last 60 years because of the combined effect of anthropogenic and climatic factors. As a consequence, a large number of plant species are threatened or even became extinct, and vast areas are now deforested. The purpose of this study is to use the local knowledge as a tool to identify and describe patterns of vegetation changes associated with the introduction of mechanized rain‐fed agriculture in the southern Gadarif Region. Data were collected by interviewing 10 key informants and 41 large‐scale farmers. The results provided rich ethnobotanical knowledge and a clear historical perspective of vegetation changes including plant species which have disappeared, decreased and increased in the area. The main factors leading to changes in plant species composition and abundance were vegetation clearance, charcoal and firewood production, wood cuttings, grazing and recently herbicides application. Respondents acknowledged that grazing, duration of abandonment, length of cultivation period, amount and variability of rainfall, fire events and weed composition are the major factors determining succession on fallow land. Farmers showed interest to preserve some multi‐purpose woody species (e.g. Acacia senegal, Balanites aegyptiaca) in their land. Such species should be given priority in rehabilitation activities.
Interspecific competition in pollination systems: costs to male fitness via pollen misplacement
Authors: Muchhala Nathan , Thomson James D.
Published: January 2012

1. Although competition for pollination is often invoked as a driver of broad‐scale evolutionary and ecological patterns, we still lack a clear understanding of the mechanics of such competition. When flower visitors alternate between two species of flower, heterospecific pollen transfer takes place. The impact of these mixed loads on the female reproductive success of a recipient has received considerable attention, but the concomitant loss of male reproductive success – because of pollens grains being lost to foreign stigmas – has received less. Furthermore, pollen losses are not limited to grains that land on stigmas, but can also include deposition on non‐stigmatic surfaces of the intervening flowers, or loss from the animal’s body through passive detachment or active grooming. We collectively term these losses because of competition ‘pollen misplacement’.

2. Here, we quantify pollen transferred by nectar bats between focal flowers (Aphelandra acanthus) with and without intervening visits to one of two competitor species. One competitor (Centropogon nigricans) places its pollen in the same region of bats’ heads as the focal species, while the other (Burmeistera sodiroana) places its pollen farther forward.

3. We found that (i) any intervening visit caused some reduction in the number of pollen grains transferred, (ii) competitor flowers with similar pollen‐placement locations caused greater reductions in pollen transfer and (iii) of these competitors, those in male phase (dispensing pollen) caused greater pollen loss than those in female phase (without pollen).

4. This study provides rare empirical support for the detrimental effects of competition for pollination on male fitness via pollen misplacement and is the first to show an added cost imposed by male‐phase competitors. Although this competition is especially strong when competitors overlap in pollen placement, diverging in pollen placement will not completely eliminate pollen loss during visits to foreign flowers, simply because pollen sheds or is groomed from pollinator’s bodies at some background rate over time. This suggests that any angiosperms that share pollinators face pervasive selection through male fitness to diverge in floral traits, alleviating competition by attracting different pollinators, altering floral phenology or encouraging floral constancy.
Bile acids induce monocyte differentiation toward interleukin‐12 hypo‐producing dendritic cells via a TGR5‐dependent pathway
Authors: Ichikawa Riko , Takayama Tetsuro , Yoneno Kazuaki , Kamada Nobuhiko , Kitazume Mina T. , Higuchi Hajime , Matsuoka Katsuyoshi , Watanabe Mitsuhiro , Itoh Hiroshi , Kanai Takanori , Hisamatsu Tadakazu , Hibi Toshifumi
Published: January 2012

Dendritic cells (DCs) are known as antigen‐presenting cells and play a central role in both innate and acquired immunity. Peripheral blood monocytes give rise to resident and recruited DCs in lymph nodes and non‐lymphoid tissues. The ligands of nuclear hormone receptors can modulate DC differentiation and so influence various biological functions of DCs. The role of bile acids (BAs) as signalling molecules has recently become apparent, but the functional role of BAs in DC differentiation has not yet been elucidated. We show that DCs derived from human peripheral blood monocytes cultured with a BA produce lower levels of interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) and tumour necrosis factor‐α in response to stimulation with commensal bacterial antigens. Stimulation through the nuclear receptor farnesoid X (FXR) did not affect the differentiation of DCs. However, DCs differentiated with the specific agonist for TGR5, a transmembrane BA receptor, showed an IL‐12 hypo‐producing phenotype. Expression of TGR5 could only be identified in monocytes and was rapidly down‐regulated during monocyte differentiation to DCs. Stimulation with 8‐bromoadenosine‐cyclic AMP (8‐Br‐cAMP), which acts downstream of TGR5 signalling, also promoted differentiation into IL‐12 hypo‐producing DCs. These results indicate that BAs induce the differentiation of IL‐12 hypo‐producing DCs from monocytes via the TGR5‐cAMP pathway.
Decoupling, re‐engaging: managing trust relationships in implementation projects
Authors: Rose Jeremy , Schlichter Bjarne Rerup
Published: January 2012

An important aspect of the successful implementation of large information systems (such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems) is trust. These implementations impact the legitimate interests of many groups of stakeholders, and trust is a critical factor for success. Trust in the project is contingent upon many factors, is likely to vary over time and should not be taken for granted. Previous studies have identified the relationship between trust and project outcomes and suggested trust‐building strategies but have largely ignored the dynamic quality of trust relations through the life of a major project and the complex demands of managing those fluctuations. We investigate evolving trust relationships in a longitudinal case analysis of a large integrated hospital system implementation for the Faroe Islands. Trust relationships suffered various breakdowns, but the project was able to recover and eventually meet its goals. Based on concepts from Giddens' later work on modernity, we develop two approaches for managing dynamic trust relationships in implementation projects: decoupling and re‐engaging.
Modelling perforated mediated modified atmospheric packaging of capsicum
Authors: Pandey Sushil Kumar , Goswami Tridib Kumar
Published: January 2012

Perforation of a film would otherwise have a low permeability is an alternative to obtain optimum oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration in modified atmosphere packages. In present study, gas exchange was studied through a macroperforated packet containing capsicum having different number of holes, 1–4, of diameter 0.3 mm at temperatures of 5 and 25 °C. A model combining the Michaelis–Menten kinetics to describe the respiration rate of the product with mass transfer equation to describe the gas transfer across the package provided a good fit to the experimental data. Its applicability was further validated in a dynamic test, subjecting a package to a variable temperature programme simulating conditions in distribution chains. Model showed good agreement between predicted and observed values for both storage conditions with constant temperatures and variable temperature conditions of distribution chain, as mean relative deviation modulus (E) value was <10%.
Complications after acute coronary syndrome are reduced by perceived control of cardiac illness
Authors: McKinley Sharon , Fien Mary , Riegel Barbara , Meischke Hendrika , AbuRuz Mohannad E. , Lennie Terry A. , Moser Debra K.
Published: January 2012

mckinley s., fien m., riegel b., meischke h., aburuz m.e., lennie t.a. & moser d.k. (2012) Complications after acute coronary syndrome are reduced by perceived control of cardiac illness. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(10), 2320–2330.

Aims.  To investigate the relationship between anxiety, perceived control and rate of in‐hospital complications after acute coronary syndrome.

Background.  Anxiety may be associated with higher risk of complications following acute myocardial infarction; perceived control may moderate this relationship.

Design.  Prospective observational study.

Methods.  Patients enrolled in a trial investigating delay in seeking treatment for acute coronary syndrome had anxiety measured at enrolment and 3 months using the Brief Symptom Inventory anxiety subscale. The acute coronary syndrome hospital presentations investigated occurred between 2001–2006. Patients with anxiety scores greater than the population norm at both time points were categorized as persistently anxious. Perceived control was measured at enrolment using the Control Attitudes Scale‐Revised. Data were collected from the medical record on in‐hospital complications in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome within 2 years of enrolment. Chi‐square and t‐tests were used for univariate analyses and multiple logistic regression to identify independent predictors of complications.

Results.  Patients (n = 171) were 64% men with mean age 69 years. Ischaemic or arrhythmic complications occurred in 26 patients (15%) with no difference in complication rates between those persistently anxious and others. Important univariate predictors of in‐hospital complications were lower perceived control, diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and higher pulse rate on admission. Low perceived control and diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were independent predictors of in‐hospital complications in the multiple logistic regression.

Conclusion.  Perceived control, but not persistent anxiety, prior to acute coronary syndrome was an important predictor of in‐hospital complications after acute coronary syndrome. Interventions to increase cardiac patients’ perceived control of their cardiac illness may reduce in‐hospital complications after acute coronary syndrome.
Music in mind, a randomized controlled trial of music therapy for young people with behavioural and emotional problems: study protocol
Authors: Porter Sam , Holmes Valerie , McLaughlin Katrina , Lynn Fiona , Cardwell Chris , Braiden Hannah‐Jane , Doran Jackie , Rogan Sheelagh
Published: January 2012

porter s., holmes v., mclaughlin k., lynn f., cardwell c., braiden h.‐j., doran j. & rogan s. (2012) Music in mind, a randomized controlled trial of music therapy for young people with behavioural and emotional problems: study protocol. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(10), 2349–2358.

Aims.  This article is a report of a trial protocol to determine if improvizational music therapy leads to clinically significant improvement in communication and interaction skills for young people experiencing social, emotional or behavioural problems.

Background.  Music therapy is often considered an effective intervention for young people experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. However, this assumption lacks empirical evidence.

Study design.  Music in mind is a multi‐centred single‐blind randomized controlled trial involving 200 young people (aged 8–16 years) and their parents. Eligible participants will have a working diagnosis within the ambit of International Classification of Disease 10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders and will be recruited over 15 months from six centres within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services of a large health and social care trust in Northern Ireland. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard care alone or standard care plus 12 weekly music therapy sessions delivered by the Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust. Baseline data will be collected from young people and their parents using standardized outcome measures for communicative and interaction skills (primary endpoint), self‐esteem, social functioning, depression and family functioning. Follow‐up data will be collected 1 and 13 weeks after the final music therapy session. A cost‐effectiveness analysis will also be carried out.

Discussion.  This study will be the largest trial to date examining the effect of music therapy on young people experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties and will provide empirical evidence for the use of music therapy among this population.

Trial registration.  This study is registered in the ISRCTN Register, ISRCTN96352204. Ethical approval was gained in October 2010.
Breach of the northern Rocky Mountain geoclimatic barrier: initiation of range expansion by the mountain pine beetle
Authors: de la Giroday Honey‐Marie C. , Carroll Allan L. , Aukema Brian H.
Published: January 2012

Aim  Our aim is to examine the historical breach of the geoclimatic barrier of the Rocky Mountains by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins). This recent range expansion from west of the North American continental divide into the eastern boreal forest threatens to provide a conduit to naïve pine hosts in eastern North America. We examine the initial expansion events and determine potential mechanism(s) of spread by comparing spread patterns in consecutive years to various dispersal hypotheses such as: (1) meso‐scale atmospheric dispersal of insects from source populations south‐west of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia (i.e. their historical range), (2) anthropogenic transport of infested plant material, and (3) spread of insect populations across adjacent stands via corridors of suitable habitat.

Location  British Columbia, Canada.

Methods  We explore potential mechanism(s) of invasion of the mountain pine beetle using spatial point process models for the initial 3 years of landscape‐level data collection, 2004–2006. Specifically, we examine observed patterns of infestation relative to covariates reflecting various dispersal hypotheses. We select the most parsimonious models for each of the initial 3 years of invasion using information criteria statistics.

Results  The initial range expansion and invasion of the beetle was characterized by aerial deposition along a strong north‐west to south‐east gradient, with additional aerial deposition and localized dispersal from persisting populations in following years.

Main conclusions  Following deposition of a wave front of mountain pine beetles parallel to the Rocky Mountains via meso‐scale atmospheric dispersal, the areas of highest intensity of infestations advanced up to 25 km north‐east towards jack pine (Pinus banksiana) habitat in a single year. There appeared to be no association between putative anthropogenic movement of infested materials and initial range expansion of the mountain pine beetle across the continental divide.
Fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity and incoming seed diversity additively determine plant establishment
Authors: Richardson Paul J. , MacDougall Andrew S. , Larson Douglas W.
Published: January 2012

1. Plant establishment is critical for community assembly, but mechanisms regulating establishment can be obscured by covarying influences of incoming seed diversity and fine‐scale spatial environmental heterogeneity (microhabitat heterogeneity). Both can maximize establishment, depending on whether species differences or environmental variability more fundamentally structures plant communities.

2. We experimentally assembled limestone‐pavement herb communities to examine the relative effects of seed diversity and microhabitat heterogeneity on establishment. This included testing (i) whether effects of seed diversity strengthen with heterogeneity, as would be expected if potential niche differences are more strongly expressed in more heterogeneous environments and (ii) whether a greater number of incoming species can establish in more heterogeneous environments due to environmental filtering. Species interaction theory predicts that increased facilitation and niche complementarity with realized diversity has the potential to increase overall community density.

3. Heterogeneity operated independently of seed biodiversity and explained establishment even when spatially averaged microhabitat conditions were accounted for. Homogeneous plots sown with six species supported establishment of plant density that could be increasedc.10% by doubling added seed diversity (while holding heterogeneity constant), but increasedc.40% by holding seed diversity constant and maximizing heterogeneity.

4. Ordinations revealed that species establishment was sorted by gradients in soil pH and surface cover by moss, litter and open bedrock. Regressions indicated more species established in plots featuring a greater diversity of surface cover types and/or greater soil depth variability. Community density increased with established richness, and heterogeneity ceased to explain variance in density once established richness was included as an explanatory variable. All but one of the sown species exhibited increased population density with increased plot richness.

5. Synthesis:Community density in a high‐stress environment increased with both fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity and added seed diversity. However, these effects were independent of one another, and impacts of heterogeneity were stronger than those of seed diversity. Our results suggest heterogeneity promotes density indirectly, through downstream effects of enhanced establishment diversity such as facilitation. These findings confirm establishment‐stage interrelationships among biodiversity, density and heterogeneity as overlooked determinants of community structure by providing important field support for ideas primarily tested in the greenhouse.
Does self‐reported clinical experience predict performance in medical school and internship?
Authors: Artino Anthony R , Gilliland William R , Waechter Donna M , Cruess David , Calloway Margaret , Durning Steven J
Published: January 2012

Medical Education 2012:

46

: 172–178

Context  Medical school admissions committees attempt to select the most qualified applicants. In addition to traditional performance measures, committees often look favourably upon applicants who report previous clinical experience.

Objectives  This study aimed to determine if self‐reported clinical experience is a valid indicator of future performance in medical school and internship.

Methods  We collected data for seven year groups (1993–1999; n = 1112) and operationalised trainee performance in terms of five outcomes: cumulative medical school grade point average (GPA); US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores, and scores on a validated programme director’s evaluation measuring intern expertise and professionalism. We then conducted a series of analyses of covariance to compare outcomes in applicants who self‐reported previous clinical experience with outcomes in those who did not. In these analyses, the independent variable was self‐reported clinical experience (yes/no), the covariate was undergraduate GPA, and the dependent variables were the five performance outcomes.

Results  In four of five analyses, we found no differences in the performance of the two groups (clinical experience versus no clinical experience). However, on the cumulative medical school GPA outcome, applicants who reported previous clinical experience had statistically significantly lower cumulative GPAs upon graduation than those who did not report such experience (F1,940 = 9.35, p = 0.002, partial η2 = 0.01 [small effect size]).

Conclusions  Our results suggest that applicants who self‐report previous clinical experience may not be better candidates. In fact, on some measures of performance, these applicants may actually perform worse than those who report no clinical experience.
Group processes in medical education: learning from social identity theory
Authors: Burford Bryan
Published: January 2012

Medical Education 2012: 46: 143–152

Context  The clinical workplace in which doctors learn involves many social groups, including representatives of different professions, clinical specialties and workplace teams. This paper suggests that medical education research does not currently take full account of the effects of group membership, and describes a theoretical approach from social psychology, the social identity approach, which allows those effects to be explored.

Methods  The social identity approach has a long history in social psychology and provides an integrated account of group processes, from the adoption of group identity through a process of self‐categorisation, to the biases and conflicts between groups. This paper outlines key elements of this theoretical approach and illustrates their relevance to medical education.

Results  The relevance of the social identity approach is illustrated with reference to a number of areas of medical education. The paper shows how research questions in medical education may be usefully reframed in terms of social identity in ways that allow a deeper exploration of the psychological processes involved. Professional identity and professionalism may be viewed in terms of self‐categorisation rather than simply attainment; the salience of different identities may be considered as influences on teamwork and interprofessional learning, and issues in communication and assessment may be considered in terms of intergroup biases.

Conclusions  Social identity theory provides a powerful framework with which to consider many areas of medical education. It allows disparate influences on, and consequences of, group membership to be considered as part of an integrated system, and allows assumptions, such as about the nature of professional identity and interprofessional tensions, to be made explicit in the design of research studies. This power to question assumptions and develop deeper and more meaningful research questions may be increasingly relevant as the nature and role of the medical profession change.
A longitudinal integrated placement and medical students’ intentions to practise rurally
Authors: Roberts Chris , Daly Michele , Kumar Koshila , Perkins David , Richards Deborah , Garne David
Published: January 2012

Medical Education 2012:

46

: 179–191

Context  Integrated longitudinal rural placements are designed to promote favourable student attitudes towards and facilitate return to rural practice upon graduation. We explored the impact of an integrated placement on medical students’ attitudes towards rural practice.

Methods  Data were available from interviews with 10 medical students, 15 clinical supervisors and teachers, three community health staff, and focus groups made up of medical students. Socio‐cognitive career theory gave insight into the personal, contextual and experiential factors, as well as the career barriers, that influence students’ rural practice intentions. Framework analysis was used to develop a thematic framework illustrating the key findings.

Results  The longitudinal placement enabled students to achieve personal goals, and enhanced self‐efficacy beliefs and orientation towards the complex personal and professional demands of rural practice. The informal curriculum, including multifaceted interactions with patients and their families, clinical teachers and other health care staff, was a vital experiential component. Students assimilated these rich experiences into their practice and evolving notions of professional identity as rural practitioners. Some students had little intention of practising rurally, partly as a result of contextual barriers such as geographic isolation, family and relationship needs, restricted postgraduate training opportunities and limited opportunities for specialist practice.

Conclusions  The richness of the informal curriculum in a longitudinal rural placement powerfully influenced students’ intentions to practise rurally. It provided an important context for learning and evolving notions of professionalism and rural professional identity. This richness could be reinforced by developing formal curricula using educational activities based around service‐led and interprofessional learning. To overcome the contextual barriers, the rural workforce development model needs to focus on socialising medical students into rural and remote medicine. More generic issues include student selection, further expansion of structured vocational training pathways that vertically integrate with longitudinal rural placements and the maintenance of rurally focused support throughout postgraduate training.
Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC) exerts a direct neuroprotective effect in a human cell culture model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Carroll C. B. , Zeissler M.‐L. , Hanemann C. O. , Zajicek J. P.
Published: January 2012

C. B. Carroll, M.‐L. Zeissler, C. O. Hanemann and J. P. Zajicek (2012) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology38, 535–547

Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC) exerts a direct neuroprotective effect in a human cell culture model of Parkinson's disease

Aims:Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC) is neuroprotective in models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although CB1 receptors are increased within the basal ganglia of PD patients and animal models, current evidence suggests a role for CB1 receptor‐independent mechanisms. Here, we utilized a human neuronal cell culture PD model to further investigate the protective properties of Δ9‐THC. Methods: Differentiated SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed to PD‐relevant toxins: 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP+), lactacystin and paraquat. Changes in CB1 receptor level were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Cannabinoids and modulatory compounds were co‐administered with toxins for 48 h and the effects on cell death, viability, apoptosis and oxidative stress assessed. Results: We found CB1 receptor up‐regulation in response to MPP+, lactacystin and paraquat and a protective effect of Δ9‐THC against all three toxins. This neuroprotective effect was not reproduced by the CB1 receptor agonist WIN55,212‐2 or blocked by the CB1 antagonist AM251. Furthermore, the antioxidants α‐tocopherol and butylhydroxytoluene as well as the antioxidant cannabinoids, nabilone and cannabidiol were unable to elicit the same neuroprotection as Δ9‐THC. However, the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐gamma (PPARγ) antagonist T0070907 dose‐dependently blocked the neuroprotective, antioxidant and anti‐apoptotic effects of Δ9‐THC, while the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone resulted in protection from MPP+‐induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, Δ9‐THC increased PPARγ expression in MPP+‐treated SH‐SY5Y cells, another indicator of PPARγ activation. Conclusions: We have demonstrated up‐regulation of the CB1 receptor in direct response to neuronal injury in a human PD cell culture model, and a direct neuronal protective effect of Δ9‐THC that may be mediated through PPARγ activation.
Egg developmental status and the complexity of synthetic kairomones combine to influence attraction behaviour in the blowfly Calliphora vicina
Authors: AAK ANDERS , KNUDSEN GEIR K.
Published: January 2012

The flight responses of 750 female Calliphora vicina Robineau‐Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are investigated in a wind tunnel bioassay. The attraction of C. vicina towards dead mice and seven different synthetic lures made from dimethyl trisulphide, mercaptoethanol and O‐cresol is compared. Responses towards natural odours and the three‐component synthetic kairomones depend on the flies' ovarian egg developmental status. The natural and three‐component lures also induce similar age‐dependent responses, although the dead mice lure yields a significantly higher attraction. Oriented flight increases with the number of chemicals in the synthetic kairomone; one‐, two‐ and three‐compound lures induce 13–25%, 32–43% and 62% attraction, respectively. Responses to one‐component lures are not significantly influenced by egg developmental status, whereas blends of two or three components are. Attraction levels increase in a stepwise manner both across egg developmental categories and with the number of compounds. The results suggest that the attractiveness of synthetic kairomones is influenced not only by the blowflies' physiological state, but also by the complexity of the lure.
Competing carboxylases: circadian and metabolic regulation of Rubisco in C3 and CAM Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.
Authors: DAVIES B. N. , GRIFFITHS H.
Published: January 2012

The temporal co‐ordination of ribulose 1·5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc) activities by Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. in C3 and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) modes was investigated under conventional light‐dark (LD) and continuous light (LL) conditions. When C3, net CO2 assimilation rate increased during each subjective night under LL with maximum carboxylation unrelated to Rubisco activation state. The CAM circadian rhythm of CO2 uptake was more pronounced, with CO2 assimilation rate maximal towards the end of each subjective night. In vivo and in vitro techniques were integrated to map carboxylase enzyme regulation to the framework provided by CAM LL gas exchange activity. Rubisco was activated in vitro throughout each subjective dark period and consistently deactivated at each subjective dawn, similar to that observed at true dawn in constitutive CAM species. Instantaneous carbon isotope discrimination showed in vivo carboxylase co‐dominance during the CAM subjective night, initially by Rubisco and latterly C4 (PEPc), despite both enzymes seemingly activated in vitro. The circadian rhythm in titratable acidity accumulation was progressively damped over successive subjective nights, but maintenance of PEPc carboxylation capacity ensures that CAM plants do not become progressively more ‘C3‐like’ with time under LL.
Long‐Term Persistence of BCG Pasteur in Lungs of C57BL/6 Mice Following Intranasal Infection
Authors: Leversen N. A. , Sviland L. , Wiker H. G. , Mustafa T.
Published: January 2012

Different Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) vaccine substrains may vary in their efficacy. Here, we describe differences in disease progression and pathology in the lungs of female C57BL/6 mice infected intranasally with BCG Russia or BCG Pasteur and followed for 17 months. The lungs were investigated for bacillary load, histopathology and expression of cytosolic and secreted proteins by immunohistochemistry. BCG Russia was cleared from the lungs by 8 months. BCG Pasteur reached a low‐level persistence at 8 months and remained at this level until the end of the experiment. BCG Pasteur induced greater pathology than BCG Russia, and there were more macrophage and lymphocyte infiltrates in animals infected with BCG Pasteur (P < 0.05). Bacterial growth correlated with cellular infiltration. All selected mycobacterial proteins were found to be expressed in the lesions by both BCG strains, and there were only minor variations between the strains. Furthermore, we identified isolated cells containing a high mycobacterial protein load in the normal‐looking lung parenchyma. The infected cells in the healthy areas of the lung may represent the ability of mycobacteria to evade immune activation and thereby persist in the host. Clearance of BCG Russia indicates that a more effective and sterilizing immune response is established by this strain. On the other hand, the ability of BCG Pasteur to persist could be important for long‐term protection against challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Identification of 23 novel MHC class I alleles in cynomolgus macaques of Philippine and Philippine/Mauritius origins
Authors: Lawrence J. , Orysiuk D. , Prashar T. , Pilon R. , Fournier J. , Rud E. , Sandstrom P. , Plummer F. A. , Luo M.
Published: January 2012

We report here novel Mafa‐A, ‐AG and ‐B alleles identified in two groups of cynomolgus macaques.
Attitudes toward genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis of X‐linked Alport syndrome in China
Authors: ZHANG HONGWEN , DING JIE , WANG FANG , YU LIXIA
Published: January 2012

Aim:  Alport syndrome (AS) is a progressive renal disease characterized by hematuria and progressive renal failure. X‐linked dominant AS (XLAS) is the predominant inheritance form caused by mutations in COL4A5 gene. Attitudes toward genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis for Chinese AS families were investigated. Attitudes toward genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis in Chinese XLAS families were evaluated in the current study.

Methods:  A total of 160 XLAS patients and their 126 healthy family members in China were interviewed. After providing background knowledge counselling and education on AS, their attitudes toward genetic diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis were evaluated by multiple‐choice questionnaire.

Results:  Majority of the respondents cared mostly about the prognosis and treatment effects of AS (89.9% vs 81.1%) since they considered that the worst outcome of XALS was renal insufficiency (92.3%). Of all the interviewees, 99.3% were interested in genetic research for the discovery of better treatments and more appropriate diagnostic tools (positive attitudes) (89.5% vs 73.2%). About 80% of the participants would accept prenatal testing and subsequent termination of pregnancy in cases of affected foetuses (boys: 86.8% and girls: 74.6%, respectively).

Conclusion:  Most Chinese XLAS families show positive attitudes and desire new discoveries in treatment and diagnosis. About 80% of respondents would approve prenatal testing with a desire for selective termination of pregnancy rather than predicting the health of a future child.
Assessment of arterial stiffness in women with gestational diabetes
Authors: Bulzico D. A. , Zajdenverg L. , Cabizuca C. A. , de Oliveira J. E. P. , Salles G. F.
Published: January 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 227–231 (2012)

Aims  Gestational diabetes mellitus may precede development of Type 2 diabetes and may be related to cardiovascular disease. Pulse wave velocity measurement is the gold‐standard method to evaluate arterial stiffness, a preclinical cardiovascular risk marker. However, the relationship between aortic stiffness and gestational diabetes is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate aortic pulse wave velocity in women with gestational diabetes in comparison with a matched control group of healthy pregnant women.

Methods  This case–control study included 24 women with gestational diabetes and 27 matched control subjects. Clinical, demographic and laboratory variables were obtained and aortic pulse wave velocity were measured.

Results  Both groups had similar age, gestational age, BMI, ethnicity, smoking status and blood pressure levels. Women with gestational diabetes had aortic pulse wave velocity comparable with control subjects: 7.2 ± 0.9 vs. 7.3 ± 1.2 m/s (P = 0.79). When categorized according to the median value of pulse wave velocity (7.3 m/s), age (P < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.03) and heart rate (P = 0.02) were associated with increased arterial stiffness. In the group with gestational diabetes, there was a non‐significant trend towards higher 1‐h postprandial glycaemia in patients with higher (above the median) pulse wave velocity (6.5 ± 0.8 vs. 7.1 ± 1.3 mmol/l, P = 0.22) and a lower prevalence of patients with good glycaemic control (38.5 vs. 72.7%, P = 0.09).

Conclusions  Although gestational diabetes may be a risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease, women with gestational diabetes do not have higher aortic stiffness than healthy pregnant women. Time of exposure to hyperglycaemia may have been insufficient to increase central arterial stiffness in women with gestational diabetes.
THE EXPERIMENTAL ECONOMICS OF RELIGION
Authors: Hoffmann Robert
Published: January 2012

This paper surveys the experimental economics approach to the study of religion. The field has a place in the context of the scientific study of religion generally and the social psychology of religion in particular, but employs distinct economic methods which promise new and different insights. In particular, certain features of the experimental approach as used by economists such as incentive compatibility are particularly appropriate for studying the effect of religion on individual behaviour. The paper discusses results obtained so far in terms of two roles of religion in shaping individual behaviour, that is, as a social group identifier and as a set of values.
Overexpression of miR156 in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) results in various morphological alterations and leads to improved biomass production
Authors: Fu Chunxiang , Sunkar Ramanjulu , Zhou Chuanen , Shen Hui , Zhang Ji‐Yi , Matts Jessica , Wolf Jennifer , Mann David G. J. , Stewart C. Neal , Tang Yuhong , Wang Zeng‐Yu
Published: January 2012

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been developed into a dedicated herbaceous bioenergy crop. Biomass yield is a major target trait for genetic improvement of switchgrass. microRNAs have emerged as a prominent class of gene regulatory factors that has the potential to improve complex traits such as biomass yield. A miR156b precursor was overexpressed in switchgrass. The effects of miR156 overexpression on SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE (SPL) genes were revealed by microarray and quantitative RT‐PCR analyses. Morphological alterations, biomass yield, saccharification efficiency and forage digestibility of the transgenic plants were characterized. miR156 controls apical dominance and floral transition in switchgrass by suppressing its target SPL genes. Relatively low levels of miR156 overexpression were sufficient to increase biomass yield while producing plants with normal flowering time. Moderate levels of miR156 led to improved biomass but the plants were non‐flowering. These two groups of plants produced 58%–101% more biomass yield compared with the control. However, high miR156 levels resulted in severely stunted growth. The degree of morphological alterations of the transgenic switchgrass depends on miR156 level. Compared with floral transition, a lower miR156 level is required to disrupt apical dominance. The improvement in biomass yield was mainly because of the increase in tiller number. Targeted overexpression of miR156 also improved solubilized sugar yield and forage digestibility, and offered an effective approach for transgene containment.
A Behavior‐Genetic Study of the Legacy of Early Caregiving Experiences: Academic Skills, Social Competence, and Externalizing Behavior in Kindergarten
Authors: Roisman Glenn I. , Fraley R. Chris
Published: January 2012

A critique of research examining whether early experiences with primary caregivers are reflected in adaptation is that relevant longitudinal studies have generally not employed genetically informed research designs capable of unconfounding shared genes and environments. Using the twin subsample (N = 485 pairs) of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort, the current study provides evidence that early parental support (derived from observations at 24 months and around age 4, in prekindergarten) is associated with academic skills (r = .32), social competence (r = .15), and externalizing behavior (r = −.11) in kindergarten. Crucially, the shared environment accounted for virtually all of the correlation between parenting and academic skills, roughly half of the association between parenting and social competence, and approximately one fourth of the correlation between parenting and externalizing behavior.
The Influence of Speaker Reliability on First Versus Second Label Learning
Authors: Krogh‐Jespersen Sheila , Echols Catharine H.
Published: January 2012

Children’s confidence in their own knowledge may influence their willingness to learn novel information from others. Twenty‐four‐month‐old children’s (N = 160) willingness to learn novel labels for either familiar or novel objects from an adult speaker was tested in 1 of 5 conditions: accurate, inaccurate, knowledgeable, ignorant, or uninformative. Children were willing to learn a second label for an object from a reliable informant in the accurate, knowledgeable, and uninformative conditions; children were less willing to apply a novel label to a familiar object if the speaker previously was inaccurate or had expressed ignorance. However, when the objects were novel, children were willing to learn the label regardless of the speaker’s knowledge level.
Arise, Novice Leader! The Continuing Rise of the Career Politician in Britain
Authors: Cowley Philip
Published: January 2012

In late 2010 the leaders of the major British political parties were the most inexperienced of the post-war era. This short article discusses this development. It shows how unusual this is, comparing the leaders of 2010 to their post-war predecessors. It demonstrates that this development is unlikely to be some fluke, before considering the causes of the transformation, which it suggests can be attributed to two things: the changes in the election methods used by the political parties – which seem to have led to less experienced candidates being elected – as well as the changing nature of political ‘experience’, with career politicians gaining political experience before entering the Commons.
Explaining Schizophrenia: Auditory Verbal Hallucination and Self‐Monitoring
Authors: WU WAYNE
Published: January 2012

Do self‐monitoring accounts, a dominant account of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, explain auditory verbal hallucination? In this essay, I argue that the account fails to answer crucial questions any explanation of auditory verbal hallucination must address. Where the account provides a plausible answer, I make the case for an alternative explanation: auditory verbal hallucination is not the result of a failed control mechanism, namely failed self‐monitoring, but, rather, of the persistent automaticity of auditory experience of a voice. My argument emphasizes the importance of careful examination of phenomenology as providing substantive constraints on causal models of the positive symptoms in schizophrenia.
Shaky Palaces? Analyzing Property Values and their Appreciation in Minority First Suburbs
Authors: ANACKER KATRIN B.
Published: January 2012

While property values and their appreciation in inner‐city neighborhoods with high proportions of minorities have been analyzed, not much systematic research has been undertaken on property values and their appreciation in minority suburbs. This article investigates differences among First Suburban census tracts, including property values, factors that have influenced property values and appreciation rates, by analyzing census tracts within select counties across the United States with Weighted Least Squares (WLS) regressions. Based on the results of this investigation, it is concluded that the assumption that homeownership in the First Suburbs automatically leads to a high appreciation rate needs to be differentiated.

La valeur et la réévaluation des biens immobiliers ont été analysées dans les quartiers centraux où vivent de fortes proportions de minorités, mais les études systématiques sur ces aspects sont rares dans les banlieues habitées par les minorités. Cet article étudie les secteurs de recensement des premières couronnes suburbaines et leurs différences liées notamment aux valeurs immobilières, aux facteurs qui affectent ces valeurs, et aux taux de réévaluation. Pour ce faire, il utilise une régression des moindres carrés pondérés et analyse les unités géostatistiques de certains comtés américains. D'après les résultats obtenus, il convient de moduler l'hypothèse selon laquelle la propriété du domicile dans les premières couronnes suburbaines entraîne automatiquement un taux de réévaluation élevé.