bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phylogenetic relationships of antlered flies, Phytalmia Gerstaecker (Diptera: Tephritidae): the evolution of antler shape and mating behaviour
Authors: Schutze Mark K , Yeates David K , Graham Glenn C , Dodson Gary
Published: October 2007

Abstract  The genus Phytalmia (antlered flies, Diptera: Tephritidae) contains remarkable flies with elaborate male head projections known as antlers. The antlers are used in antagonistic intraspecific interactions between males competing to occupy oviposition sites. Phylogenetic relationships between the seven known species of Phytalmia were chosen to be investigated in order to determine the current monophyly of the genus and to assess the evolution of secondary sexual characters and associated behaviours, especially male antlers, fore‐femoral, spines and stilting. A phylogenetic analysis of Phytalmia was conducted using two closely related species from the same tribe (Phytalmiini): Sessilina nigrilinea (Walker) and Diplochorda minor Malloch, and one species from a different tribe (Dacini): the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) as outgroups. A total of 1259 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA (COII and 16S) and 35 morphological characters were included in the analysis, using parsimony and maximum likelihood inference methods. A phylogenetic tree generated from combined data was used to infer the evolution of antler shapes and associated behaviours in the genus. The results of this paper support the monophyly of Phytalmia, with P. cervicornis Gerstaecker the sister group of the remaining species. The phylogeny suggests a general decrease in antler complexity over evolutionary time; however, the behavioural sequence of male flies becomes more complex over time, with steps (e.g. stilting) being added to the repertoire during antagonistic encounters. Finally, there are strong correlations between functionally constrained morphological and behavioural characters, therefore allowing the authors to make predications for species whose behaviours are unknown based on morphological attributes and the authors' hypothesised evolution of Phytalmia.
Identification of aphid species (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae) using a rapid polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene
Authors: Valenzuela Isabel , Hoffmann Ary A , Malipatil Mallik B , Ridland Peter M , Weeks Andrew R
Published: October 2007

Abstract  The identification of immature aphids is often difficult or impossible. This can be a problem when there is a need for a rapid and accurate diagnosis of any aphid life stage, such as for quarantine inspections and horticultural surveys. A polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism technique is described on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to develop a molecular identification key for immature aphids from Victoria, Australia. The restriction enzymes HpyCH4 IV, DraI, HinfI, TaqI and SspI characterised 26 haplotypes that corresponded to 25 aphid species commonly found in southern Australian aphid surveys, including the currant‐lettuce aphid Nasonovia ribis‐nigri (Mosley) that has recently invaded Australia, presumably from New Zealand. Overseas specimens of Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach) and N. ribis‐nigri showed no significant sequence difference when compared with their Australian counterparts. The COI gene provides a useful marker for diagnostic aphid surveys.
The effect of laser power density on the fatigue life of laser‐shock‐peened 7050 aluminium alloy
Authors: LIU Q. , YANG C. H. , DING K. , BARTER S. A. , YE L.
Published: October 2007

Laser shock peening (LSP) is an innovative surface treatment method that can result in significant improvement in the fatigue life of many metallic components. The process produces very little or no surface profile modification while producing a considerably deeper compressive residual stress layer than traditional shot peening operations. The work discussed here was designed to: (a) quantify the fatigue life improvement achieved by LSP in a typical high strength aircraft aluminium alloy and (b) identify any technological risks associated with its use. It is shown that when LSP conditions are optimal for the material and specimen configuration, a —three to four times increase in fatigue life over the as‐machined specimens could be achieved for a representative fighter aircraft loading spectrum when applied at a representative load level. However, if the process parameters are not optimal for the material investigated here, fatigue lives of LSP treated specimens may be reduced instead of increased due to the occurrence of internal cracking. This paper details the effect of laser power density on fatigue life of 7050‐T7451 aluminium alloy by experimental and numerical analysis.
Mechanical and focal electrical stimuli applied to the skin of the index fingertip induce both inhibition and excitation in low‐threshold flexor carpi radialismotor units
Authors: Lourenço George , Caronni Antonio , Cavallari Paolo
Published: October 2007

It has been observed that mechanical stimulation of the skin of the index fingertip causes a weak short‐latency inhibition followed by a strong long‐lasting facilitation of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) H‐reflex. Based on threshold and latency, these cutaneous reflexes are thought to be routed to motoneurons by parallel pathways. As recent studies have shown predominant inhibitory potentials in slow motoneurons and predominant excitatory potentials in faster ones, the question arises as to whether or not the two cutaneous pathways converge onto the same motoneuron. The poststimulus time histogram technique was used to investigate the changes in firing frequency of low‐threshold FCR motor units (MUs), induced by passive mechanical or focal electrical stimuli to the index skin. After gently tapping the finger pulp a small sharp inhibition appeared in 20 MUs. On average, inhibition started 10.2 ± 1.6 ms from the homonymous Ia monosynaptic effect, and its central delay was estimated to be 1.2 ± 1.6 ms. The subsequent facilitation, more consistent, had a mean latency of 13.5 ± 1.7 ms. Inhibition and excitation were statistically significant (P < 0.05). A similar biphasic effect was observed in seven other FCR‐MUs, also after focal electrical stimulation of the same skin area. Comparison with the time course of the H‐reflex, representing the whole population of MUs, showed striking similarities in time course and latency to the present MU effect. It is thus suggested that cutaneous spinal pathways may have a homogeneous distribution within the FCR motoneuron pool, and that the skewed distribution of cutaneous afferents onto motoneurons should be not taken as a rule.
Responses of aerobic microbial communities and soil respiration to water‐level drawdown in a northern boreal fen
Authors: Jaatinen Krista , Laiho Raija , Vuorenmaa Anita , Del Castillo Urko , Minkkinen Kari , Pennanen Taina , Penttilä Timo , Fritze Hannu
Published: October 2007

On a global basis, peatlands are a major reserve of carbon (C). Hydrological changes can affect the decomposition processes in peatlands and in turn can alter their C balance. Since 1959, a groundwater extraction plant has generated a water‐level gradient at our study site that has gradually changed part of the wet fen into a dry peatland forest. The average water‐level drawdown of the gradient (from a pristine 9 cm to 26 cm in the dry end) is close to an estimate predicted by an increase in mean global temperature of 3°C. We studied the total microbial community of the aerobic surface peat in four locations along the gradient through phospholipid fatty acid and PCR‐DGGE methods. Additionally, field measurements of soil respiration showed a threefold increase in the C‐emission rate at the driest location compared with the wettest one, indicating enhanced decomposition. Also, both fungal and bacterial biomass increased in the drier locations. At the species level, the fungal community changed due to water‐level drawdown whereas actinobacteria were less sensitive to drying. The majority of fungal sequences were similar to ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, which dominated throughout the gradient. Our results indicate that ECM fungi might act as important facultative decomposers in organic‐rich environments such as peatlands.
Patients with distant metastases from renal cell carcinoma can be accurately identified: external validation of a new nomogram
Authors: Hutterer Georg C. , Patard Jean‐Jacques , Jeldres Claudio , Perrotte Paul , De La Taille Alexandre , Salomon Laurent , Verhoest Gregory , Tostain Jacques , Cindolo Luca , Ficarra Vincenzo , Artibani Walter , Schips Luigi , Zigeuner Richard , Mulders Peter F. , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical variables that can accurately predict the presence of distant metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Age, symptom classification, tumour size and the prevalence of distant metastases at diagnosis before nephrectomy were available for 5376 patients with pathologically confirmed RCC. The data of 2660 (49.5%) patients from 11 centres were used to develop a multivariable logistic regression model‐based nomogram predicting the individual probability of distant metastases. The remaining data from 2716 (50.5%) patients from three institutions were used for external validation.

RESULTS

In the development cohort, 269/2660 (10.1%) had distant metastases, vs 285/2716 (10.5%) in the external validation cohort. Symptom classification and tumour size were independent predictors of distant metastases in the development cohort; age was not an independent predictor. A nomogram based on symptom classification and tumour size was 85.2% accurate in predicting the individual probability of distant metastases in the external validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

Although distant metastases might be easily identifiable in some patients, their diagnosis might be a challenge in others. The current nomogram provides a simple, user‐friendly and, most importantly, an accurate tool aimed at predicting the probability of distant metastases in patients with RCC.
Income Uncertainty and Wealth Accumulation: How Precautionary are Taiwanese Households?*
Authors: Chyi Yih‐Luan , Liu Yu‐Lun
Published: October 2007

To assess how recent job loss impacts wealth accumulation of Taiwanese households, the present study investigates the empirical relevance of the precautionary saving motive to explain measures of wealth during the past 2 decades. This study demonstrates that households facing increased transitory shock accumulate increased amounts of financial and housing wealth, whereas permanent shocks cause households to accumulate housing wealth only. Empirical results suggest an important policy implication: households in Taiwan will save less when social insurance policies are effective in reducing future transitory and permanent shocks to household income.
Continental Drift: On Unemployment Policy Change in Bismarckian Welfare States
Authors: Clegg Daniel
Published: October 2007

This article analyses the development of unemployment policies over the past 20 years in four continental European countries: Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It shows that, far from being as ‘frozen’ as many analysts have suggested, each of these Bismarckian welfare states has in fact seen considerable change in this policy sector in recent decades. In Belgium, France and Germany, significant changes in unemployment policy reforms have unfolded gradually, through an accumulation of small changes. This finding offers some support to recent theorizing on the potential for policy changes that are both incremental and transformative. However, while such processes have led to shifts in unemployment policy that are far from negligible, the article also argues that they fall short of those seen in this policy sector in other welfare institutional contexts as well as in the Netherlands, where substantive reforms have in the last decade been complemented with changes to the institutional framework for unemployment policy. Through its analysis of the relationship between the institutional features of these welfare states and the possibility frontier of unemployment policy reform, the article develops a nuanced perspective on the scope for and resistance to social policy change in continental Europe.
From Subsidiarity to ‘Free Choice’: Child‐ and Elder‐care Policy Reforms in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands
Authors: Morel Nathalie
Published: October 2007

This article analyses the patterns of reform in care policies in Bismarckian welfare systems since the early 1980s. Based on a comparison of France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the article shows that these reforms share similar logics and trajectories, which can be explained by the shared conservative and corporatist traits of Bismarckian labour markets and welfare state institutions and their impact on labour market adjustment possibilities and preferences. Indeed, we argue that care policy reforms have been very closely linked to specific employment strategies, and the politics of welfare without work and subsequent attempts to shift away from such a labour‐shedding strategy go a long way in explaining both the nature and the timing of child‐ and elder‐care policy reforms in Bismarckian welfare systems. The article also shows how a focus on promoting ‘free choice’ in all four countries has justified the introduction of measures that have simultaneously reinforced social stratification in terms of access to the labour market – meaning that some women have much more ‘free choice’ than others – and weakened certain labour market rigidities. To conclude, we argue that care policy reforms have provided a backdoor for the introduction of labour‐cheapening measures and for increasing employment flexibility in otherwise very rigid labour markets.
Investigation of Neuromuscular Transmission in Some Rare Types of Migraine
Authors: Baslo MB , Coban A , Baykan B , Tutkavul K , Karli N , Saip S , Orhan EK , Ertas M
Published: October 2007

The aim of this study was to delineate any dysfunction of neuromuscular transmission (NMT) by single-fibre electromyography (SFEMG) in some rare types of migraine. Recent studies have shown subclinical dysfunction of NMT in migraine with aura and cluster headache by using SFEMG, whereas another recent study has shown NMT to be normal in familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) with CACNA1A mutations. Thirty patients with rare primary headache syndromes [18 with sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM), six with FHM and six with basilar-type migraine (BM)] and 15 healthy control subjects without any headache complaints underwent nerve conduction studies, EMG and SFEMG during voluntary contraction of the extensor digitorum communis muscle. Ten to 20 different potential pairs were recorded and individual jitter values calculated. The results obtained from patient groups were compared with those from the normal subjects. Of 600 individual jitter values of the patients, 27 (4.5%) were abnormally high, whereas only 3/205 (1.5%) jitter values from normal subjects were abnormal. Abnormal NMT was found in 4/30 (13.3%) patients (three SHM and one BM), but in none of the control subjects. Only in SHM patients was the number of individual abnormal jitter values slightly but significantly different from normal controls. The present study demonstrates that subclinical NMT abnormality is slightly present in only SHM and BM patients, but not in FHM patients.
Headache Associated With Sexual Activity: Prognosis and Treatment Options
Authors: Frese A , Rahmann A , Gregor N , Biehl K , Husstedt I-W , Evers S
Published: October 2007

The aim of this study was to provide data on the prognosis and treatment options of headache associated with sexual activity (HSA). Sixty patients diagnosed with HSA between 1996 and 2004 were followed up between 2003 and 2006 at least 12 months after the first interview. The further course of the disease and their contentedness with therapy were requested. On average, the second interview was performed 35.9 months after the first examination. Of the 45 patients who had suffered from single attacks or bouts prior to baseline examination, 37 had no further attacks. Seven patients suffered from at least one further bout with an average duration of 2.1 months. One patient developed a chronic course of the disease after an episodic start. Of the 15 patients with chronic disease at the first examination, seven were in remission and five had ongoing attacks at follow-up. Ten patients received indomethacin for preemptive therapy, with good results in nine patients. Eighteen patients received β-blockers for prophylaxis, with good results in 15 patients. Episodic HSA occurs in approximately three-quarters and chronic HSA in approximately one-quarter of patients. Even in chronic HAS, the prognosis is favourable, with remission rates of 69% during an observation period of 3 years. For patients with longer-lasting bouts or with chronic HSA, prophylactic treatment with β-blockers or preemptive therapy with indomethacin are often successful.
Parents’ experiences of pain and discomfort in people with learning disabilities
Authors: Clarke Zara Jane , Thompson Andrew R. , Buchan Linda , Combes Helen
Published: October 2007

Accessible summary

Eight parents of adults with learning disabilities were interviewed about their  experience of managing their son or daughter’s pain.

Parents developed trial and error methods of identifying pain and managing this.

Parents reported having mixed experiences of the services their sons/daughters  had received.

Parental carers play a crucial role in the pain management of adults with learning  disabilities.

This research matters to people with learning disabilities because it  informs professionals of the importance of listening to parental carers’ views and  experiences in the successful management of ill health and pain in situations  where the sufferer has limited verbal communication.

Good practice statement  The results of this study have already been presented to health professionals who work with people with learning disabilities, within the first author’s organization, as well as at a conference about pain in people with learning disabilities. Further work is intended to publicize the findings to people with learning disabilities and their carers.

There are few measures of pain for people with limited ability to communicate. Eight parents of adults with a known learning disability and associated physical health complaint were interviewed to explore their experience of identifying and managing the pain felt by their children. The parents did not often perceive their son or daughter to be in pain or discomfort, which was an unexpected finding given the sampling strategy. They described, however, specific ways of recognizing pain and would use a trial and error process to determine the cause. Parents had strategies for dealing with pain and reported mixed experiences of service interactions. The emerging themes can be related back to the pain literature and psychological theory. They emphasize the importance of involving parents in pain assessment and represent the first stage of research into a previously unexplored area.
Genetic and environmental influences on socio‐emotional behavior in toddlers: an initial twin study of the infant–toddler social and emotional assessment
Authors: Van Hulle C.A. , Lemery‐Chalfant K. , Goldsmith H.H.
Published: October 2007

Background:  Relatively little is known about the genetic architecture of childhood behavioral disorders in very young children.

Method:  In this study, parents completed the Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment, a questionnaire that assesses symptoms of childhood disorders, as well as socio‐emotional competencies, for 822 twin pairs (49.3% female; age 17–48 months) participating in the Wisconsin Twin Project. Psychometric, rater bias, and sex‐limitation models explored the role of genetic and environmental influences on (1) externalizing and internalizing behavior; (2) less commonly assessed behaviors pertaining to physical and emotional dysregulation, general competencies, social relatedness; and (3) infrequent behaviors such as those associated with pervasive developmental delays.

Results:  Heritable influences accounted for the majority (56% or more) of variation in behavior that was commonly observed by both parents. The remaining variance was associated with non‐shared environmental factors, with the exception of competency and atypical behavior, which were also influenced by shared environmental factors. In contrast, for most behaviors, the variation unique to mother and father ratings was split between variation due to shared environment or rater biases and to measurement error. Little evidence emerged for sex differences in the underlying causes of variation.
Gender differences in the behavioral associates of loneliness and social dissatisfaction in kindergarten
Authors: Coplan Robert J. , Closson Leanna M. , Arbeau Kimberley A.
Published: October 2007

Background:  Much of the evidence suggesting that loneliness is a risk factor for socio‐emotional adjustment difficulties comes from studies with older children and adolescents. Comparatively less is known about the mental health implications of loneliness in early childhood. The goals of the present study were to provide additional convergent validity of the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire for Young Children (Cassidy & Asher, 1992) and explore potential gender differences in relations between loneliness and behavior problems in early childhood.

Methods:  A multiple source assessment of 139 kindergarten‐aged children (Mage = 64.76 mos., SD = 4.48) was undertaken, including parental ratings, behavioral observations, child interviews, and teacher ratings.

Results:  Overall, loneliness was positively associated with anxiety, aggression, and peer exclusion. However, several gender differences were also observed.

Conclusions:  Loneliness may be a marker variable for both early internalizing and externalizing problems. However, gender differences in the behavioral associates of loneliness are also evident.
Foraging behaviour and prey size of the painted stork
Authors: Kalam A. , Urfi A. J.
Published: October 2007

The foraging behaviour of painted stork Mycteria leucocephala was studied during 2004–2006 at 14 different sites in the Delhi region, India. Observations were recorded on 131 individuals, including 29 juvenile birds using a video camera. Recordings were also made at the nesting colony in Delhi zoo to study the prey sizes regurgitated to nestlings. The results confirm that the painted stork is a tactile forager and exclusively piscivorous. Foraging group size ranged from 1 to 18 individuals. Per 5 min foot stirring rates in the vegetated habitats were significantly higher than in non‐vegetated habitats. The attempt rate and feeding rate in the breeding season were significantly higher than that in the non‐breeding season. Prey sizes taken in the breeding season were significantly smaller than those taken in the non‐breeding season. About 80% fish fed to the chicks were smaller than 10 cm. Young chicks were offered smaller prey compared with older chicks. The variations in foraging parameters are discussed in relation to habitats and their conservation in the Delhi region.
Different structural stability and toxicity of PrPARR and PrPARQ sheep prion protein variants
Authors: Paludi Domenico , Thellung Stefano , Chiovitti Katia , Corsaro Alessandro , Villa Valentina , Russo Claudio , Ianieri Adriana , Bertsch Uwe , Kretzschmar Hans A. , Aceto Antonio , Florio Tullio
Published: October 2007

The polymorphisms at amino acid residues 136, 154, and 171 in ovine prion protein (PrP) have been associated with different susceptibility to scrapie: animals expressing PrPARQ [PrP(Ala136/Arg154/Gln171)] show vulnerability, whereas those that express PrPARR [PrP(Ala136/Arg154/Arg171)] are resistant to scrapie. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro toxic effects of PrPARR and PrPARQ variants in relation with their structural characteristics. We show that both peptides cause cell death inducing apoptosis but, unexpectedly, the scrapie resistant PrPARR form was more toxic than the scrapie susceptible PrPARQ variant. Moreover, the α‐helical conformation of PrPARR was less stable than that of PrPARQ and the structural determinants responsible of these different conformational stabilities were characterized by spectroscopic analysis. We observed that PrP toxicity was inversely related to protein structural stability, being the unfolded conformation more toxic than the native one. However, the PrPARQ variant displays a higher propensity to form large aggregates than PrPARR. Interestingly, in the presence of small amounts of PrPARR, PrPARQ aggregability was reduced to levels similar to that of PrPARR. Thus, in contrast to PrPARR toxicity, scrapie transmissibility seems to reside in the more stable conformation of PrPARQ that allows the formation of large amyloid fibrils.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES: A microarray for large‐scale genomic and transcriptional analyses of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and other passerines
Authors: NAURIN SARA , BENSCH STAFFAN , HANSSON BENGT , JOHANSSON TOMAS , CLAYTON DAVID F. , ALBREKT ANN‐SOFIE , VON SCHANTZ TORBJÖRN , HASSELQUIST DENNIS
Published: October 2007

The microarray technology has revolutionized biological research in the last decade. By monitoring the expression of many genes simultaneously, microarrays can elucidate gene function, as well as scan entire genomes for candidate genes encoding complex traits. However, because of high costs of sequencing and design, microarrays have largely been restricted to a few model species. Cross‐species microarray (CSM) analyses, where microarrays are used for other species than the one they were designed for, have had varied success. We have conducted a CSM analysis by hybridizing genomic DNA from the common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) on a newly developed Affymetrix array designed for the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the Lund‐zf array. The results indicate a very high potential for the zebra finch array to act as a CSM utility in other passerine birds. When hybridizing zebra finch genomic DNA, 98% of the gene representatives had higher signal intensities than the background cut‐off, and for the common whitethroat, we found the equivalent proportion to be as high as 96%. This was surprising given the fact that finches and warblers diverged 25–50 million years ago, but may be explained by a relatively low sequence divergence between passerines (89–93%). Passerine birds are widely used in studies of ecology and evolution, and a zebra finch array that can be used for many species may have a large impact on future research directions.
A microarray system for Y chromosomal and mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphism analysis in chimpanzee populations
Authors: ANDRÉS OLGA , RÖNN ANN‐CHARLOTTE , BONHOMME MAXIME , KELLERMANN THOMAS , CROUAU‐ROY BRIGITTE , DOXIADIS GABY , VERSCHOOR ERNST J. , GOOSSENS BENOÎT , DOMINGO‐ROURA XAVIER , BRUFORD MICHAEL W. , BOSCH MONTSERRAT , SYVÄNEN ANN‐CHRISTINE
Published: October 2007

Chimpanzee populations are diminishing as a consequence of human activities, and as a result this species is now endangered. In the context of conservation programmes, genetic data can add vital information, for instance on the genetic diversity and structure of threatened populations. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are biallelic markers that are widely used in human molecular studies and can be implemented in efficient microarray systems. This technology offers the potential of robust, multiplexed SNP genotyping at low reagent cost in other organisms than humans, but it is not commonly used yet in wild population studies. Here, we describe the characterization of new SNPs in Y‐chromosomal intronic regions in chimpanzees and also identify SNPs from mitochondrial genes, with the aim of developing a microarray system that permits the simultaneous study of both paternal and maternal lineages. Our system consists of 42 SNPs for the Y chromosome and 45 SNPs for the mitochondrial genome. We demonstrate the applicability of this microarray in a captive population where genotypes accurately reflected its large pedigree. Two wild‐living populations were also analysed and the results show that the microarray will be a useful tool alongside microsatellite markers, since it supplies complementary information about population structure and ecology. SNP genotyping using microarray technology, therefore, is a promising approach and may become an essential tool in conservation genetics to help in the management and study of captive and wild‐living populations. Moreover, microarrays that combine SNPs from different genomic regions could replace microsatellite typing in the future.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: STEM CELL RESEARCH REGULATION AND ARGENTINA
Authors: HARMON SHAWN H.E.
Published: October 2007

Given its intimate relationship with the human body and its environment, biotechnology innovation, and more particularly stem cell research innovations as a part thereof, implicate diverse social and moral/ethical issues. This paper explores some of the most important and controversial moral concerns raised by human embryonic stem cell research (and the closely associated field of cloning), focusing on concerns relating to the wellbeing of the embryo and the wellbeing of society (the collective). It then considers how and whether these concerns are dealt with in regulatory instruments in Argentina, a southern developing country, examining in particular whether the values underlying these concerns have been translated into practical and effective rules reflective of the primary moral positions advanced. It concludes that Argentina's current state of stem cell research governance fails to consistently reflect the moral positions that have formed and is inadequate given Argentina's activity in this field.
The energetic implications of precocial development for three shorebird species breeding in a warm environment
Authors: TJØRVE K. M. C. , UNDERHILL L. G. , VISSER G. H.
Published: October 2007

We investigated the effect of body size, parental behaviour and timing of breeding on the chick growth and energetics of three precocial shorebird (Charadrii) species in a warm sub‐tropical environment: the Kittlitz's PloverCharadrius pecuarius, Blacksmith LapwingVanellus armatus, and Crowned LapwingV. coronatus. The three species exhibited slower growth, longer pre‐fledging periods and lower energy expenditure during the pre‐fledging period than Arctic and temperate zone relatives of similar size. It was found that relative growth rates of charadriid and scolopacid species increased by 1.77% per degree latitude. Blacksmith and Crowned Lapwings are of similar size (i.e. about 160 g), about four times the mass of Kittlitz's Plovers. Taking body mass into account, the resting metabolic rate and daily energy expenditure of the three study species were similar. The relative amounts of energy needed for chicks to grow from a hatchling to a fledgling were low for the three species studied. The relative amount of energy needed to complete growth in charadriid and scolopacid species increased by 2.54% per degree latitude. Because Crowned Lapwings exhibited faster growth than Blacksmith Lapwings but similar daily energy expenditure we suggest that Blacksmith Lapwings compensate for greater energy expenditure in colder weather by growing more slowly. We suggest that small growth rate coefficient, low resting metabolic rate and low daily energy expenditure are adaptations to lower food availability and milder ambient temperatures in sub‐tropical breeding habitats compared to temperate or Arctic regions.
The New Zealand designer fashion industry: making industries and co‐constituting political projectsa
Authors: Lewis Nick , Larner Wendy , Heron Richard Le
Published: October 2007

This paper uses the New Zealand designer fashion industry as an analytical lens through which to examine the co‐constitution of political projects in what we label ‘after‐neoliberalism’. The paper begins by tracing the making of New Zealand designer fashion as an industry, and relates this process to four political projects in which designer fashion is understood to have different possibilities – globalisation, the knowledge economy, creative cities and social development. We examine two key sites of the constitution of the industry – the scoping reports that created it, and New Zealand Fashion Week, when designer fashion can be seen to mobilise the different political projects and to be harnessed to them. We show how ‘the designer fashion industry’ is expected to articulate diverse state aspirations. Our emphasis on the co‐constitution of political projects highlights a new style of post‐structural political economic analysis, as does our concern with industry as a space in which political projects become mobilised.
Understanding the materialities and moralities of property: reworking collective claims to land
Authors: Brown Katrina Myrvang
Published: October 2007

The assertion of collective rights over land has been noted as a key form of resistance to the enclosing propensities of globalisation. However, insufficient attention is paid to the everyday practices of property enactment that shape the ability to exercise, and benefit from, rights within particular collective arrangements. This paper uses the example of crofting common grazings to demonstrate how struggles are invoked over the legibility and priority of legally equivalent common property claims, and how such property relations can be reworked as rural space is (re)produced. It highlights how demographic change and shifting de/re‐valorisation frontiers problematise established material and moral grounds upon which property rights are enacted, producing varying dynamics of intra‐collective (dis)enfranchisement. Such complexities preclude an assumption that common property will be inherently ‘good’ or ‘just’, and instead impel us to examine in more detail how processes at the nexus of property, morality and materiality shape how ‘justice’ is practised.
Toward a Geographically‐Integrated, Connected World History: Employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Authors: Owens J. B.
Published: October 2007

Over the past decade, historical groups, ranging from the Organization of American Historians to the World History Association, have called for research and teaching focused on the ways that the history of any place has been shaped by the place's interactive connections to other geographic locations. This work demands the aggregation and connection of a huge amount of information, which is increasingly possible due to advances in information management technologies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) appears to be a particularly attractive technology for data management, visualization, and analysis by world historians. However, historians relying on existing off‐the‐shelf GIS software must exercise care that the technology does not begin to control their questions. Instead, historians must shape the software development agenda to get what they need to pursue the issues they feel are most important for understanding world history. To expose the limitations and possibilities of current GIS, this article presents the research difficulties of two giants of the field who did not use this information technology, Joseph R. Levenson and Andre Gunder Frank. On the basis of this discussion, the article suggests how GIS can be used effectively to create a more geographically‐integrated, connected world history, which can be queried at any scale from the global to the individual in order to improve understanding.
Conservation Value of Multiple‐Use Areas in East Africa
Authors: GARDNER TOBY A. , CARO TIM , FITZHERBERT EMILY B. , BANDA TASILA , LALBHAI PUNIT
Published: October 2007

Abstract: Despite wide agreement that strictly protected areas (World Conservation Union categories I–III) are the best strategy for conserving biodiversity, they are limited in extent and exclude many species of key conservation importance. In contrast, multiple‐use management areas (categories IV–VI), comprising >60% of the world's protected‐area network, are often considered of little value to biodiversity conservation, particularly in Africa, where they typically contain few charismatic large mammals. We sampled small mammals, amphibians, birds, butterflies, and trees at 41 sites along a four‐step gradient of increasing human activity and decreasing conservation protection, from a well‐protected Tanzanian national park to nonintensive agricultural land. Although preliminary, our results indicate that species richness of these five taxa did not decline along this gradient, but different management areas, occupying areas of largely similar habitat, hosted distinct communities of each taxon. Differences in species composition in the absence of manifest differences in species richness highlight the importance of developing landscape‐scale conservation strategies and the danger of using either a limited suite of indicator taxa or umbrella species as surrogates for biodiversity. Although strictly protected areas perform a unique and vital conservation service in East Africa by protecting large mammals, areas that allow varied resource extraction activities still possess vital and complementary conservation value.
Socioeconomic Thresholds That Affect Use of Customary Fisheries Management Tools
Authors: CINNER JOSHUA E. , SUTTON STEPHEN G. , BOND TREVOR G.
Published: October 2007

Abstract:  Customary forms of resource management, such as taboos, have received considerable attention as a potential basis for conservation initiatives in the Indo‐Pacific. Yet little is known about how socioeconomic factors influence the ability of communities to use customary management practices and whether socioeconomic transformations within communities will weaken conservation initiatives with a customary foundation. We used a comparative approach to examine how socioeconomic factors may influence whether communities use customary fisheries management in Papua New Guinea. We examined levels of material wealth (modernization), dependence on marine resources, population, and distance to market in 15 coastal communities. We compared these socioeconomic conditions in 5 communities that used a customary method of closing their fishing ground with 10 communities that did not use this type of management. There were apparent threshold levels of dependence on marine resources, modernization, distance to markets (<16.5 km), and population (>600 people) beyond which communities did not use customary fisheries closures. Nevertheless, economic inequality, rather than mean modernization levels seemed to influence the use of closures. Our results suggest that customary management institutions are not resilient to factors such as population growth and economic modernization. If customary management is to be used as a basis for modern conservation initiatives, cross‐scale institutional arrangements such as networks and bridging organizations may be required to help filter the impacts of socioeconomic transformations.
Ischemic rabbit ear model created by minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Chien Sufan
Published: October 2007

A rabbit ear ischemic model was created using a minimally invasive surgical technique. On one ear, three small skin incisions were made on the vascular pedicles about 1 cm from the base of the ear. The central and cranial arteries were ligated and divided along with their accompanying nerves. A circumferential subcutaneous tunnel was made through the incisions to cut subcutaneous tissues, muscles, nerves, and small vessels. The other ear was used as a normal control. Wounds were made on the ventral side of the ear. Twenty‐two rabbits (14 young adults, four aged, and four diabetic) were used. In the 26 pairs of wounds in young adult rabbits, the mean healing time on the ischemic ear was 20.5±3.4 days vs. 14.9±1.6 days on the normal ear (mean±SD) when normal saline was used as a dressing. Tissue high‐energy phosphate contents were higher in the normal ear than in the ischemic ear. The skin temperature on the ischemic ear was 1–7 °C lower than that on the normal ear. Wound‐healing times were longer in the aged and diabetic rabbits, but no complications occurred in these rabbits. The model created by minimally invasive procedure results in little skin disruption, a longer ischemic time, and a higher success rate as compared with many other models. It can be used in normal animals as well as aged animals, and for the first time, was used successfully in diabetic animals.
Aminated β‐1,3‐d‐glucan improves wound healing in diabetic db/db mice
Authors: Berdal Margrete , Appelbom Hege I. , Eikrem Jorunn H. , Lund Åse , Zykova Svetlana , Busund Lill‐Tove , Seljelid Rolf , Jenssen Trond
Published: October 2007

Delayed wound healing in diabetes is caused by neuropathy, vascular changes, and impaired cellular response to the injury. Macrophages are crucial in normal wound healing, and impaired functions of these cells have been shown in diabetes. β‐1,3‐d‐glucans stimulate macrophage function. This open‐label study was performed to see if aminated β‐1,3‐d‐glucan (AG) stimulates wound healing in diabetes. Four groups (1–4) of diabetic db/db mice and one nondiabetic control group, db/+(5) were studied: group 1 (n=11): topical AG; group 2 (n=10): topical AG and subcutaneous insulin; group 3 (n=14): topical placebo and subcutaneous insulin; group 4 (n=10): diabetic control (placebo); group 5 (n=12): normal control (placebo). At the end of the experiments fasting blood glucose and A1C were (mean ± SE) as follows: Group 1: 30.5 ± 1.9 mmol/L and 11.3 ± 0.6%; group 2: 12.0 ± 1.7 mmol/L and 8.0 ± 0.6%; group 3: 15.4 ± 2.4 mmol/L and 7.4 ± 0.3%; group 4: 32.6 ± 2.6 mmol/L and 12.3 ± 0.6%; group 5: 7.2 ± 0.4 mmol/L and 3.9 ± 0.04%, respectively. The closed wound area was the same in group 1 (AG alone) and group 2 (AG plus insulin) after 17 days, 57.3 ± 4.7 vs. 50.1 ± 4.9% (p=0.7).The results of these two groups were superior to group 3 (insulin treatment alone, 32.0 ± 4.3%, p<0.001) and diabetic controls (38.2 ± 5.1%, p=0.001). The macrophage‐stimulant AG improves wound healing in db/db mice.
Effects of negative pressure wound therapy on fibroblast viability, chemotactic signaling, and proliferation in a provisional wound (fibrin) matrix
Authors: McNulty Amy K. , Schmidt Marisa , Feeley Teri , Kieswetter Kris
Published: October 2007

Vacuum Assisted Closure® brand Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (V.A.C.® NPWT) has been shown to be an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of recalcitrant wounds; however, the mechanism of action at the cellular level remains to be elucidated. Here, we examined the effects of negative pressure wound therapy, manifolded with two different dressings, on fibroblast viability, chemotactic signaling, and proliferation in a fibrin clot matrix. Fibroblasts were grown in a three‐dimensional fibrin matrix and were treated for 48 hours with either V.A.C.® NPWT and GranuFoam® Dressing, or with gauze under suction, or as static controls without negative pressure or dressings. Cells treated by gauze under suction showed significantly greater cell death and stimulated less migration and proliferation than static and V.A.C.® NPWT‐treated cells (p<0.05). Apoptosis was also significantly higher in gauze under suction than in static treatments. These results indicate that the dressing material has a significant effect on cell response following negative pressure wound therapy. The ability to support cell growth, stimulate chemotaxis, and proliferation without increasing apoptosis may provide an insight into the mechanisms of action of V.A.C.® NPWT.
Pathogenesis and Pharmacology of Epilepsy in the Lithium‐pilocarpine Model
Authors: André Véronique , Dubé Céline , François Jennifer , Leroy Claire , Rigoulot Marie‐Aude , Roch Catherine , Namer Izzie J. , Nehlig Astrid
Published: October 2007

Summary:  To try to identify the critical structures during epileptogenesis, we used the lithium‐pilocarpine model that reproduces most clinical and neuropathological features of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We used imaging techniques as well as a disease modifying approach and pharmacological strategy. With [14C]‐2‐deoxyglucose autoradiography, we assessed changes in cerebral glucose utilization. T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 4.7 T) allowed follow‐up of structures involved in epileptogenesis. A potential disease‐modifying effect was studied using preconditioning with brief seizures (amygdala kindling, maximal electroshocks) and pharmacological strategies including vigabatrin (250 mg/kg), caffeine (0.3 g/L in drinking water), topiramate (10–60 mg/kg), pregabalin (50 mg/kg followed by 10 mg/kg), or RWJ‐333369 (10–120 mg/kg). In adult and PN21 rats that became epileptic, entorhinal, and piriform cortices were the initial structures exhibiting significant signal changes on MRI scans, from 6 h after status epilepticus (SE) onset, reflecting neuronal death. In PN21 rats that did not become epileptic, no signal occurred in parahippocampal cortices. In hippocampus, MRI signal change appeared 36–48 h after SE, and progressively worsened to sclerosis. During the latent and chronic phases, the metabolic level in the hilus of adult and PN21 epileptic rats was normal although neuronal loss reached 60–75%. Protection limited to CA1 and/or CA3 (caffeine, topiramate, vigabatrin, amygdala kindling) did not affect the latency to spontaneous seizures. Protection limited to the entorhinal and piriform cortices (pregabalin) delayed epileptogenesis. The combined protection of Ammon's horn and parahippocampal cortices (RWJ‐333369) prolonged the latency before the onset of seizures in a dose‐dependent manner or, in some cases, prevented the epilepsy. The entorhinal and piriform cortices are critically involved in the early phase of the epileptogenesis while the hilus may initiate and/or maintain epileptic seizures. Pharmacological protection of the basal cortices is necessary for a beneficial disease‐modifying effect but this must be combined with protection of the hippocampus to prevent epileptogenesis in this model of TLE.
Neurodevelopment in Seizure‐prone and Seizure‐resistant Rat Strains: Recognizing Conflicts in Management
Authors: Gilby Krista L. , Crino Peter , McIntyre Dan C.
Published: October 2007

Summary: Cytoarchitectural alterations during central nervous system (CNS) development are believed to underlie aberrations in brain morphology that lead to epilepsy. We have recently reported marked reductions in hippocampal and white matter volumes along with relative ventriculomegaly in a rat strain bred to be seizure‐prone (FAST) compared to a strain bred to be seizure‐resistant (SLOW) (Gilby et al., 2002, American Epilepsy Society 56th Annual Meeting). This study was designed to investigate deviations in gene expression during late‐phase embryogenesis within the brains of FAST and SLOW rats. In this way, we hoped to identify molecular mechanisms operating differentially during neurodevelopment that might ultimately create the observed differences in brain morphology and/or seizure susceptibility. Using Superarray technology, we compared the expression level of 112 genes, known to play a role in neurodevelopment, within whole brains of embryonic day 21 (E21) FAST and SLOW rats. Results revealed that while most genes investigated showed near equivalent expression levels, both Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and the β2 subunit of the voltage‐gated sodium channel (SCN2β) were significantly underexpressed in brains of the seizure‐prone embryos. Currently, these transcripts have no known interactions during embryogenesis; however, they have both been independently linked to seizure disposition and/or neurodevelopmental aberrations leading to epilepsy. Thus, alterations in the timing and/or degree of expression for APOE and SCN2β may be important to developmental cascades that ultimately give rise to the differing brain morphologies, behaviors, and/or seizure vulnerabilities that characterize these strains.