bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probiotic Lactobacilli in Breast Milk and Infant Stool in Relation to Oral Intake During the First Year of Life
Authors: Abrahamsson Thomas R , Sinkiewicz Gabriela , Jakobsson Ted , Fredrikson Mats , Björkstén Bengt
Published: August 2009

Objectives:

This is to identify factors affecting the prevalence of Lactobacillus reuteri in maternal faeces and breast milk and infant faeces after oral supplementation with L reuteri and to assess the influence on microbial ecology, particularly Clostridium difficile and Bifidobacterium colonization.

Materials and Methods:

In this double‐blind trial, 232 mothers with a family history of atopic disease were randomized to a daily intake of either L reuteri American‐type culture collection (ATCC) 55730 (1 × 108 colony‐forming units [CFU]) or placebo for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. Their babies then continued with the same study product daily from birth until 12 months of age. Bacterial counts and prevalence were assessed in maternal breast milk and faeces and infant faeces, using conventional cultivation methods.

Results:

The prevalence of L reuteri was higher during the first year of life in the stool samples from infants in the active as compared with the placebo‐treated group. The highest prevalence was recorded at 5 to 6 days of age (82% in the treated vs 20% in the placebo group, P < 0.001). Lactobacillus reuteri was isolated from 12% and 2%, respectively, in the colostrum samples (P < 0.05). Breast‐feeding seemed to reduce faecal L reuteri counts, although antibiotics did not influence the levels of L reuteri. The administration of L reuteri did not affect bifidobacteria or C difficile colonization.

Conclusion:

Lactobacillus reuteri may be detected in breast milk after oral supplementation to the mother and in almost all infants after oral supplementation during the first year of life, as well as occasionally in many untreated infants.
Growth Assessment of Paediatric Patients With CF Comparing Different Auxologic Indicators: A Multicentre Italian Study
Authors: Lucidi Vincenzina , Alghisi Federico , Raia Valeria , Russo Beatrice , Valmarana Lauretta , Valmarana Rossella , Coruzzo Anna , Beschi Stefano , Dester Silvia , Rinaldi Daniela , Maglieri Marica , Guidotti Maria L , Ravaioli Emanuela , Pesola Marisa , De Alessandri Alessandra , Padoan Rita , Grynzich Luigi , Ratclif Luigi , Repetto Teresa , Ambroni Maura , Provenzano Ettore , Tozzi Alberto E , Colombo Carla
Published: August 2009

Objectives:

To evaluate growth in Italian patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Patients and Methods:

A multicentre cross‐sectional study was carried out on patients with CF attending Italian reference centres. Anthropometric data were evaluated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000 reference data. Nutritional failure was defined as height‐for‐age percentile (HAP) <5th (all patients); weight‐for‐length percentile (WLP) <10th (patients <2 years); body mass index percentile (BMIp) <15th (patients between 2 and 18 years). The risk of malnutrition (defined as HAP, WLP, and BMIp <25th) and the proportion of patients below the “BMIp goal” (BMIp ≥50th) were also evaluated. Nutritional status was evaluated in the whole population and in relation to age, sex, pancreatic insufficiency, meconium ileus, and lung function.

Results:

A total of 892 patients with CF (50.7% males, mean age 9.2 years, range 0.1–18 years) were enrolled. The proportion of children with HAP <5th, WLP<10th and BMIp<15th was 12.2%. 12.9%, 20.9%, respectively, and 54.4% did not fulfill the BMIp ≥50th goal. HAP <25th identified the highest proportion of children at risk of malnutrition, whereas BMIp <15th identified the highest proportion of children with nutritional failure. Whatever the criterion used to define malnutrition, the highest proportion of children with nutritional failure was found in adolescence (11–18 years). z scores for height, weight, and BMI were significantly associated with pancreatic status and lung function. Differences among centres for the auxologic parameters were not significant, except for BMIp.

Conclusions:

Nutritional failure is present in a minority of Italian patients with CF, particularly during adolescence. Different auxologic indicators should be used for identifying children at risk for or with actual malnutrition.
Variation in Care in Pediatric Crohn Disease
Authors: Colletti Richard B , Baldassano Robert N , Milov David E , Margolis Peter A , Bousvaros Athos , Crandall Wallace V , Crissinger Karen D , D'Amico Michael A , Day Andrew S , Denson Lee A , Dubinsky Marla , Ebach Dawn R , Hoffenberg Edward J , Kader Howard A , Keljo David J , Leibowitz Ian H , Mamula Petar , Pfefferkorn Marian D , Qureshi M Azim ,   PIBDNet, the Pediatric IBD Network for Research and Improvement
Published: August 2009

Objectives:

Variation in medical care can be a barrier to improving clinical outcomes. We aim to describe the variation in care of Crohn disease as provided by a broad sample of pediatric gastroenterologists.

Methods:

Two hundred forty‐six Crohn disease patients of 93 pediatric gastroenterologists from 48 practice sites starting treatment with either thiopurine or infliximab were studied. We assessed variation in diagnostic testing that had been performed to establish the diagnosis of Crohn disease and to assess the phenotype, extent, and severity of disease. We also assessed variation in initial thiopurine and infliximab dosage and in nutritional therapy.

Results:

Diagnostic studies in which care was uniform included complete blood count, performed in 100% of patients, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and colonoscopy in 96%, and upper endoscopy in 89%. However, imaging of the small bowel had not been performed in 19%, and a stool test for pathogens had not been performed in 29%. Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) had been measured in 61% of patients before treatment with a thiopurine; in 85%, TPMT was normal. Nonetheless, even when TPMT was normal, 40% of patients received an initial dose of thiopurine that was lower than recommended. Testing for tuberculosis before initiating treatment with infliximab was not performed in 30%. In addition, 36% of severely underweight patients were not receiving a multivitamin supplement, supplemental formula, or tube feeding.

Conclusions:

There is variation in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in the management of pediatric Crohn disease, and gaps exist between recommended and actual care.
Quantitative Analysis of Dopant Distribution and Activation Across p-n Junctions in AlGaAs/GaAs Light-Emitting Diodes Using Off-Axis Electron Holography
Authors: Chung Suk , Johnson Shane R. , Ding Ding , Zhang Yong-Hang , Smith David J. , McCartney Martha R.
Published: August 2009

Off-axis electron holography has been used to measure the electrostatic potential profile across the p-n junction of an AlGaAs/GaAs light-emitting diode with linearly graded triangular AlGaAs barriers. Simulations of the junction profile showed small discrepancies with experiment when the nominal dopant concentrations of Si and Be impurities were used. Revised simulations reproduced the measurements reasonably using reduced dopant levels that reflected the efficiency of dopant activation. Band-edge diagrams simulated with the nominal and revised dopant concentrations were also compared in terms of the effect that activation efficiency had on the AlGaAs barrier shape and carrier transport. It is concluded that electron holography measurements combined with modeling offer device designers and growers a helpful tool for analyzing and confirming doping profiles in complex heterostructures.
Multistep outflow experiments to derive a soil hydraulic database for forest soils
Authors: Puhlmann H. , Von Wilpert K. , Lukes M. , Dröge W.
Published: August 2009

Forest soils are under‐represented throughout the existing soil hydraulic databases. Classical measurement methods for the hydraulic soil characteristics are very time‐consuming and are not suited for routine application in the course of soil survey. We are presently engaged in establishing a database of the hydraulic properties of forest soils using multistep outflow experiments together with an inverse optimization of the Mualem/van Genuchten parameters from the tension and outflow measurements. The lower boundary in the multistep outflow experiments was modified such that, firstly, the experiment can be conducted as fast as possible and hence can be incorporated in the framework of routine soil monitoring. Secondly, the experimental design should be identical for a large texture range and therefore allow for a statistical comparison of the hydraulic properties of a broad variety of soils. Thirdly, the experiments must be designed such that they yield sufficient measurements for a unique and stable inverse parameter estimation. The inverse parameter estimates of the presently available 141 multistep outflow experiments were compared with predictions of two pedotransfer functions. For most soil samples, the PTF predictions differed highly from the MSO estimates. Reasons for this are, among others, insufficient hydraulic measurements included in the datasets used for establishing the PTFs and, specifically, insufficient information on water retention/conductivity in the range of the air entry value. Here, the MSO experiments can provide much more detailed information on the water retention and conductivity curves because they yield measurements over a continuous pressure range and are conducted such that the pressure range of the air entry value is covered by sufficient tension and outflow measurements. The presented research aims to: (i) introduce the measurement of soil hydraulic properties in an ongoing soil monitoring campaign, (ii) complement existing soil hydraulic databases with data from forest soils, and (iii) enhance the reliability of soil hydraulic databases through a standardization of the measuring approaches.
Colonisation by Dreissena of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems: how suitable are wetlands?
Authors: NELSON KRISTIN M. , RUETZ CARL R. , UZARSKI DONALD G.
Published: August 2009

1. Invasive zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) have become widespread throughout the Great Lakes basin. However, some types of Great Lakes coastal wetlands may be unsuitable for Dreissena invasion.

2. To test this observation, artificial substrata were placed in wetlands (with emergent vegetation) and in adjacent open water (without emergent vegetation) habitats in two types of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems: drowned river mouth (DRM) and coastal fringing systems. Wetlands in DRM systems generally have deep organic sediment and limited water movement, whereas coastal fringing wetlands generally have low to moderate amounts of organic sediment and intense wind and wave action.

3. We did not find a significant difference in Dreissena colonisation between wetlands and adjacent open water habitat in fringing systems. However, Dreissena colonisation was significantly lower in DRM wetlands than in the adjacent open water. We also found significantly lower survival in DRM wetlands than adjacent open water habitats, whereas survival did not differ significantly in coastal fringing wetlands and the adjacent open water.

4. Our results suggest that vulnerability to Dreissena invasion varied among wetland types with DRM wetlands being less suitable than fringing wetlands. We suggest that colonisation and survival of Dreissena is lower in wetlands with deep organic sediment and less turbulent water.
Manipulating the jasmonate response: How do methyl jasmonate additions mediate characteristics of aboveground and belowground mutualisms?
Authors: Toby Kiers E. , Adler Lynn S. , Grman Emily L. , Van Der Heijden Marcel G. A.
Published: August 2009

1. Plants use a range of sophisticated strategies to protect themselves against herbivores and pathogens, such as the production of jasmonates, a group of plant hormones that prime the plant’s defense system upon attack. However, defense‐related mechanisms, such as the jasmonate response, play a more diverse role than previously appreciated. Jasmonates also regulate key mutualist relationships, leading to a suit of potential conflicting selection pressures as a single response is employed to mediate multiple species interactions.

2. Here, we experimentally manipulate the host’s jasmonate response and document the impact on two key plant mutualisms: (i) changes to arbuscular mycorrhizal symbionts belowground (ii) modifications to floral traits affecting pollinator mutualists aboveground. By exogenously applying a range of methyl jasmonate solutions to cucumber plant roots grown with and without mycorrhizal fungi, we are able to examine the potential costs of the jasmonate response to both above and belowground mutualists.

3. We demonstrate that the negative effect of jasmonates on floral traits depends on whether the plant is mycorrhizal or nonmycorrhizal. Mycorrhization had a positive effect on floral traits, but benefits were lost with jasmonate application. While low levels of jasmonate decreased floral traits, these same jasmonate levels increased colonization by the mycorrhizal symbiont three‐fold, but only under high phosphorus conditions.

4. Our results highlight potential conflicts for the host in the regulation of their mutualists under different conditions and suggest that the overall impact of the jasmonate response depends on the plant mycorrhizal status and its nutrient context.

5. These findings suggest that increasing the jasmonate response may lead to differential costs and benefits for plants and their mutualists, and highlight potential conflictin planta, with mycorrhizal symbionts benefiting from intermediate levels of jasmonates while certain floral traits can be depressed at this same level.
Disturbance facilitates rapid range expansion of aspen into higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains under a warming climate
Authors: Landhäusser Simon M. , Deshaies Dominique , Lieffers Victor J.
Published: August 2009

Aim  Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is absent in the upper foothills region of west‐central Alberta because of the cold conditions and short growing season at this high elevation. However, in recent years it appears that aspen has been establishing from seed in this zone and that it has been doing so mainly as a result of forest harvesting. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of and types of microsite required for the successful establishment of aspen seedlings at these higher elevations.

Location  Rocky Mountains Upper Foothills Natural Subregion of west‐central Alberta, Canada.

Methods  The current distribution of mature aspen and the presence and absence of aspen seedlings in harvested areas were determined in an area c. 300 km2 in size, using ground and aerial surveys. In an intensive study, 12 belt transects (180 m long and 5 m wide) were established in areas disturbed by forest harvesting at high elevations where no aspen was present prior to harvesting. Transects were surveyed seven growing seasons after disturbance and the microsites occupied by aspen seedlings were characterized according to their substrate and microtopography. Similarly, the availability of different substrates and microtopographic positions were assessed by systematic point sampling on these sites.

Results  On level surfaces, aspen seedling regeneration was found up to 200 m higher in elevation than the mature aspen in the original undisturbed forests. Overall, there were 428 seedlings ha−1 established on these transects, and the age distribution indicates that aspen seedlings had established in each of the seven growing seasons since the disturbance. Nearly all of the seedlings (93%) were established on mineral soil microsites and virtually no seedlings were established on undisturbed forest floor layers. Significantly more seedlings were found in concave microtopographic positions.

Main conclusions  This study indicates that aspen establishment from seed is currently not a stochastic event and demonstrates that aspen is rapidly expanding its range upslope in the Canadian Rocky Mountain region as a result of forest management practices that expose mineral soil substrates in conjunction with a warming climate. The change in canopy composition from conifer to deciduous forests at these higher elevations will have far‐reaching implications for ecosystem processes and functions.
Molecular clocks keep dispersal hypotheses afloat: evidence for trans‐Atlantic rafting by rodents
Authors: Rowe Diane L. , Dunn Katherine A. , Adkins Ronald M. , Honeycutt Rodney L.
Published: August 2009

Aim In order to resolve disputed biogeographical histories of biota with Gondwanan continental distributions, and to assess the null hypothesis of vicariance, it is imperative that a robust geological time‐frame be established. As an example, the sudden and coincident appearance of hystricognath rodents (Rodentia: Hystricognathi) on both the African and South American continents has been an irreconcilable controversy for evolutionary biologists, presenting enigmas for both Gondwanan vicariance and Late Eocene dispersal hypotheses. In an attempt to resolve this discordance, we aim to provide a more robust phylogenetic hypothesis and improve divergence‐date estimates, which are essential to assessing the null hypothesis of vicariance biogeography.

Location The primary centres of distribution are in Africa and South America.

Methods We implemented parsimony, maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian methods to generate a phylogeny of 37 hystricognath taxa, the most comprehensive taxonomic sampling of this group to date, on the basis of two nuclear gene regions. To increase phylogenetic resolution at the basal nodes, these data were combined with previously published data for six additional nuclear gene regions. Divergence dates were estimated using two relaxed‐molecular‐clock methods, Bayesianmultidivtimeand nonparametric rate smoothing.

Results Our data do not support reciprocal monophyly of African and South American lineages. Indeed, Old World porcupines (i.e. Hystricomorpha) appear to be more closely related to New World lineages (i.e. Caviomorpha) than to other Old World families (i.e. Bathyergidae, Petromuridae and Thryonomyidae). The divergence between the monophyletic assemblage of South American lineages and its Old World ancestor was estimated to have occurredc. 50 Ma.

Main conclusions Our phylogenetic hypothesis and divergence‐date estimates are strongly at odds with Gondwanan‐vicariance isolating mechanisms. In contrast, our data suggest that transoceanic dispersal has played a significant role in governing the contemporary distribution of hystricognath rodents. Molecular‐clock analyses imply a trans‐Tethys dispersal event, broadly confined to the Late Cretaceous, and trans‐Atlantic dispersal within the Early Eocene. Our analyses also imply that the use of the oldest known South American rodent fossil as a calibration point has biased molecular‐clock inferences.
The outer membrane of a heterocyst‐forming cyanobacterium is a permeability barrier for uptake of metabolites that are exchanged between cells
Authors: Nicolaisen Kerstin , Mariscal Vicente , Bredemeier Rolf , Pernil Rafael , Moslavac Sunčana , López‐Igual Rocío , Maldener Iris , Herrero Antonia , Schleiff Enrico , Flores Enrique
Published: August 2009

The multicellular Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that can fix N2 in differentiated cells called heterocysts, which exchange nutritional and regulatory compounds with the neighbour photosynthetic vegetative cells. The outer membrane of this bacterium is continuous along the filament defining a continuous periplasmic space. The Anabaena alr0075, alr2269 and alr4893 gene products were characterized as Omp85‐like proteins, which are generally involved in outer membrane protein biogenesis. Open reading frame alr2269 is the first gene of an operon that also carries genes for lipopolysaccharide lipid A biosynthesis including alr2270 (an lpxC homologue). Strains carrying inactivating alr2269 or alr2270 constructs showed enhanced sensitivity to erythromycin, SDS, lysozyme and proteinase K suggesting that they produce an outer membrane with increased permeability. These strains further exhibited increased uptake of sucrose, glutamate and, to a lesser extent, a few other amino acids. Increased uptake of the same metabolites was obtained by mechanical fragmentation of wild‐type Anabaena filaments. These results document that the outer membrane is a permeability barrier for metabolites such as sucrose and glutamate, which are subjected to intercellular exchange in the diazotrophic filament of heterocyst‐forming cyanobacteria.
Small heat‐shock proteins and leaf cooling capacity account for the unusual heat tolerance of the central spike leaves inAgave tequilanavar. Weber
Authors: LUJÁN ROSARIO , LLEDÍAS FERNANDO , MARTÍNEZ LUZ MARÍA , BARRETO RITA , CASSAB GLADYS I. , NIETO‐SOTELO JORGE
Published: August 2009

Agaves are perennial crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants distributed in tropical and subtropical arid environments, features that are attractive for studying the heat‐shock response. In agaves, the stress response can be analysed easily during leaf development, as they form a spirally shaped rosette, having the meristem surrounded by folded leaves in the centre (spike) and the unfolded and more mature leaves in the periphery. Here, we report that the spike ofAgave tequilanais the most thermotolerant part of the rosette withstanding shocks of up to 55 °C. This finding was inconsistent with the patterns of heat‐shock protein (Hsp) gene expression, as maximal accumulation ofHsptranscripts was at 44 °C in all sectors (spike, inner, middle and outer). However, levels of small HSP (sHSP)‐CI and sHSP‐CII proteins were conspicuously higher in spike leaves at all temperatures correlating with their thermotolerance. In addition, spike leaves showed a higher stomatal density and abated more efficiently their temperature several degrees below that of air. We propose that the greater capacity for leaf cooling during the day in response to heat stress, and the elevated levels of sHSPs, constitute part of a set of strategies that protect the SAM and folded leaves ofA. tequilanafrom high temperatures.
Reassessment of the enigmatic Lepidopteran family Lypusidae (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea; Gelechioidea)
Authors: HEIKKILÄ MARIA , KAILA LAURI
Published: August 2009

Abstract.The genusLypusaZeller, 1852has been assigned to Tineoidea (Lepidoptera) with varying family positions. The systematic affinities of this genus, currently placed in its own family Lypusidae, were studied using extensive data derived from larval, pupal and adult morphology and certain behavioural traits. In total, 193 characters were considered. On the basis of the results of a parsimony analysis,Lypusais transferred to the superfamily Gelechioidea, in a monophyletic, exclusively Palaearctic assemblage with the generaAmphisbatisandPseudatemelia. Several phylogenetically relevant characters support this position, including similarly constructed larval cases, densely porose larval head, and a modification of the pupal abdominal segment 8. The composition of the family Amphisbatidae is discussed and it is proposed that it be delimited as comprising solely the Palaearctic generaPseudatemelia, AmphisbatisandLypusa. A detailed diagnosis of the genusLypusais given.
Phylogenetic systematics of the gondwanan Empis macrorrhyncha group (Diptera, Empididae, Empidinae)
Authors: DAUGERON CHRISTOPHE , D’HAESE CYRILLE A. , PLANT ADRIAN R.
Published: August 2009

The Empis macrorrhyncha group (Diptera: Empididae) from cool to warm temperate areas of South America and Australia is diagnosed and cladistically analysed, and five new species, Empis animosasp.n., E. austerasp.n., E. maculosasp.n., E. occidentalissp.n. and E. pedivillosulasp.n., are described. Cladistic analysis of 23 adult morphological characters for 14 species of the group generated a single tree of 28 steps (CI = 0.82; RI = 0.93). Monophyly was established on the basis of a single apomorphy, possession of a bilobed cercus of the male hypopygium. Three main clades were inferred: clade 1 included three Patagonian and a single southwestern Australian species; clade 2 included two species from southeastern Australia; clade 3 included a large Patagonian group of five species and a single southeastern Australian species. The E. fulvicollis complex (clade 1) is a sister‐group of the E. macrorrhyncha complex (clades 2 + 3). A provisional historical biogeographic hypothesis is advanced correlating the appearance of the South American and Australian sister lineages with the timing of the break‐up of Gondwana.
Systematic position of Triplosoba, hitherto the oldest mayfly, from Upper Carboniferous of Commentry in Central France (Insecta: Palaeodictyopterida)
Authors: PROKOP JAKUB , NEL ANDRÉ
Published: August 2009

A revision of the holotype of Triplosoba pulchella (Brongniart, 1883), the ‘oldest mayfly’, provides evidence for new attribution to Palaeodictyopterida sensu Bechly. New character states derived from the venation pattern, namely the basal connection of the median anterior with the radius and radius posterior in the forewing, the median anterior remote from the radius posterior and basally fused with the median posterior in the hindwing, and a strong costal margin formed by two connected or fused veins with a series of small spines (costa and subcosta anterior), support an ordinal placement of Triplosoba into Palaeodictyopterida (inclusive of Diphanopterodea sensu Bechly) versus Ephemeroptera as supposed by previous authors. It shares with Diaphanopterodea a potential synapomorphy in the presence of long curved connections between the three stems of the radius, media, and cubitus in the basal part of the forewing, a character not present in other groups of Palaeodictyopterida.
The gymnosperm Pinus pinea contains both AOX gene subfamilies, AOX1 and AOX2
Authors: Frederico António Miguel , Zavattieri Maria Amely , Campos Maria Doroteia , Cardoso Hélia Guerra , McDonald Allison E. , Arnholdt‐Schmitt Birgit
Published: August 2009

The gymnosperm Pinus pinea L. (stone pine) is a typical Mediterranean pine used for nuts and timber production, and as an ornamental around the world. Pine genomes are large in comparison to other species. The hypothesis that retrotransposons, such as gymny, made a large contribution to this alteration in genome size was recently confirmed. However, P. pinea is unique in other various aspects. P. pinea demonstrates a different pattern of gymny organization than other Pinus subgenera. Additionally, P. pinea has a highly recalcitrant behaviour in relation to standard conifer protocols for the induction of somatic embryogenesis or rooting. Because such types of cell reprogramming can be explained as a reaction of plant cells to external stress, it is of special interest to study sequence peculiarities in stress‐inducible genes, such as the alternative oxidase (AOX). This is the first report containing molecular evidence for the existence of AOX in gymnosperms at the genetic level. P. pinea AOXs were isolated by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach and three genes were identified. Two of the genes belong to the AOX1 subfamily and one belongs to the AOX2 subfamily. The existence of both AOX subfamilies in gymnosperms is reported here for the first time. This discovery supports the hypothesis that AOX1 and AOX2 subfamilies arose prior to the separation of gymnosperms and angiosperms, and indicates that the AOX2 is absent in monocots because of subsequent gene loss events. Polymorphic P. pinea AOX1 sequences from a selected genetic clone are presented indicating non‐allelic, non‐synonymous and synonymous translation products.
Differential expression and co‐regulation of carrot AOX genes (Daucus carota)
Authors: Campos Maria Doroteia , Cardoso Hélia Guerra , Linke Bettina , Costa José Hélio , De Melo Dirce Fernandes , Justo Lígia , Frederico António Miguel , Arnholdt‐Schmitt Birgit
Published: August 2009

Alternative oxidase (AOX) is a mitochondrial protein encoded by the nuclear genome. In higher plants AOX genes form a small multigene family mostly consisting of the two subfamilies AOX1 and AOX2. Daucus carota L. is characterized by a unique extension pattern of AOX genes. Different from other plant species studied so far it contains two genes in both subfamilies. Therefore, carrot was recently highlighted as an important model in AOX stress research to understand the evolutionary importance of both AOX subfamilies. Here we report on the expression patterns of DcAOX1a, DcAOX1b and DcAOX2a and DcAOX2b. Our results demonstrate that all of the four carrot AOX genes are expressed. Differential expression was observed in organs, tissues and during de novo induction of secondary root phloem explants to growth and development. DcAOX1a and DcAOX2a indicated a differential transcript accumulation but a similar co‐expression pattern. The genes of each carrot AOX sub‐family revealed a differential regulation and responsiveness. DcAOX2a indicated high inducibility in contrast to DcAOX2b, which generally revealed low transcript abundance and rather weak responses. In search for within‐gene sequence differences between both genes as a potential reason for the differential expression patterns, the structural organization of the two genes was compared. DcAOX2a and DcAOX2b showed high sequence similarity in their open reading frames (ORFs). However, length variability was observed in the N‐terminal exon1 region. The predicted cleavage site of the mitochondrial targeting sequence in this locus is untypical small for both genes and consists of 35 amino acids for DcAOX2a and of 21 amino acids for DcAOX2b. The importance of structural gene organization and the relevancy of within‐gene sequence variations are discussed. Our results strengthen the value of carrot as a model plant for future studies on the importance of AOX sub family evolution.
Diel and daily fluctuations in virioplankton production in coastal ecosystems
Authors: Winget Danielle M. , Wommack K. Eric
Published: August 2009

Viruses saturate the world around us, yet a basic understanding of how viral impacts on microbial host organisms vary over days to hours, which typify the replication cycles of aquatic viruses, remains elusive. Thus, diel patterns of viral production (VP) in Chesapeake Bay surface waters were examined on five sampling dates. Day‐to‐day variations in VP in the Chesapeake and coastal California surface waters were also investigated. Significant variations in VP were detected over 24 h cycles during four of five studies, but rates did not vary significantly over the course of a few days in either location. Diel patterns of VP displayed seasonality with shorter viral assemblage turnover times and shorter times to maximum viral abundance in summer, implying shorter replication cycles for virus–host systems in warmer months. No correlation was found between VP and time of day, likely due to seasonal changes in the diel patterns of VP. This analysis significantly increases our knowledge of the short‐term patterning of in situ VP, and thus viral impacts, and suggests that variations in viral biology in response to changes in host communities or physio‐chemical properties affect both diel and seasonal cycles and magnitudes of VP.
The Participation Divide? Political Participation, Trust in Government, and E‐government in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Goldfinch Shaun , Gauld Robin , Herbison Peter
Published: August 2009

Drawing on 438 telephone interview surveys in Australia and 500 in New Zealand, we find evidence of a ‘participation divide’ where those participating in politics do so using a range of means, including electronic ones. Those less likely to participate in politics, are less likely to participate across all means measured. Those with higher levels of education and income and of European ethnicity are more likely to participate. We confirm the existence of the so‐called ‘digital divide’ with those that use e‐government means and those that do not, being stratified by education, ethnicity, income, gender and age. Contrary to our expectations we find that lower levels of trust in government are associated with higher levels of some types of participation, including e‐government ones.
Using avatars and virtual environments in learning: What do they have to offer?
Authors: Falloon Garry
Published: August 2009

This paper explores and discusses arguments for the use of virtual environments and interactive avatars in supporting the achievement of student learning goals within conventional educational contexts. It describes and evaluates arguments promoted by some authors (eg,van den Brekel, 2007;Deuchar & Nodder, 2003;Dickey, 2003;Facer, 2004;de Freitas, 2006;de Freitas & Oliver, 2006;Garris, Ahlers & Driskell, 2002;JISC, 2007;Martino, 2007;Prensky, 2004;Prensky, 2007) relating to advantages from gaming and avatar use, ranging from enhanced engagement in learning activities, through to more purposeful and focussed communication, and, when used in group situations, better cooperation and collaboration between students. It explores the potential of avatar environments to act as powerful communication mediums for students to display knowledge and understanding, and engage in the development of ‘higher order thinking skills, such as interpreting, analysing, evaluating, synthesising and solving complex problems’.

It also introduces and discusses the avatar‐based authoring program MARVIN, and identifies potential for its use as a digital storytelling tool to assist students in communicating outcomes from units of learning, and in supporting the development of a range of key learning competencies identified in the New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 2007). It profiles a successful example of the classroom‐based use of MARVIN within a community project undertaken by groups of year 7 and 8 students at two Hamilton intermediate schools, and identifies how the program supported studentthinkingandrelating to otherskey competencies (Ministry of Education, 2007).
Gazing at the Colonial Gaze: Photographic Observation and Observations on Photography Based on a Comparison between Aspects of the Work of Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron
Authors: Robbins Derek
Published: August 2009

The paper was provoked by viewing various selections of the photos taken by Bourdieu in Algeria in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part considers three stages in the production and consumption of Bourdieu's photos. The possibility that the third of these stages – the gallery display of Bourdieu's photos in the present – might be a betrayal of the sociology of photography and of art galleries that Bourdieu attempted in the 1960s leads to the discussion of the second part of the paper. Part 2 first contextualises the work on photography undertaken within the Centre de Sociologie Européenne in the early 1960s and then, secondly, discusses the emergence of divergent sociologies of photography in the work of Bourdieu and Passeron. The purpose of the discussion is to ask which of the theories of photography which developed in association with Bourdieu's photographic activity now enables us better to respond to Bourdieu's photographic products.
In Algeria: Pierre Bourdieu's Photographic Fieldwork
Authors: Schultheis Franz , Holder Patricia , Wagner Constantin
Published: August 2009

Today Pierre Bourdieu is well known as one of the most important social scientists of the 20th century. One of the outstanding qualities of his work has been his innovative combination of different methods and research strategies as well as his analytical skills in interpreting the obtained data (his ‘sociological gaze’). In this paper, we attempt to retrace the development of an extraordinary way of doing social research and show the benefit of Bourdieu's visual sociology for his empirical fieldwork and sociological theory. The article particularly stresses the significance of his photographic archive, which has long been ignored within the appreciation of Bourdieu's work. Studying Bourdieu's photography gives access to his æuvre in several new ways: not only can we understand how Bourdieu became an unconventional sociologist practicing his craft in the midst of a colonial war. Bourdieu's visual anthropology also offers an insight into the status nascendi of Bourdieu's sociology in all its elementary forms and contents. Through his photography Boudieu demonstrated the concepts of ‘ habitat and habitus’, the material and symbolic living conditions of the Algerian population.
Portrayal and Betrayal: Bourdieu, Photography and Sociological Life
Authors: Back Les
Published: August 2009

Through an examination of Bourdieu's Algerian fieldwork the article raises general questions regarding the place of photography in sociological research. In the midst of a colonial war Bourdieu used photography to make visual fieldnotes and record the mixed realities of Algeria under colonialism. Bourdieu also used photography to communicate to the Algerians an ethical and political commitment to their cause and plight. It is argued that his photographs do not simply portrayal or communicate the realities of Algeria. They are, paradoxically, at the same time full of information and mysterious and depthless. In order to read them it is necessary to ethnographically situate them in their social and historical context. It is suggested that the photographs can also be read as an inventory of Bourdieu's attentiveness as a researcher, his curiosity and ultimately his sociological imagination. They betray his concerns as a researcher but also can be used to raise ethical and political questions beyond Bourdieu's own attempts at reflexive self-analysis. The article concludes with a discussion of how Bourdieu's sociological life might contribute to the craft of sociology today.
Search Costs and Re‐Employment Wage Gains for Displaced Workers
Authors: D’ARCY LAURA P. , STATER MARK , WENGER JEFFREY B.
Published: August 2009

Involuntary job separation generally leads to lower re‐employment wages. However, 20–30 percent of displaced workers experience re‐employment wage gains. Theoretically, workers with higher search costs accept jobs when the marginal benefit of search is relatively high. When displaced, these workers experience wage gains because they are forced into additional search. Using data from the Displaced Worker Survey, we find that higher search costs (measured as the wage residual from the predisplacement job) are associated with higher re‐employment wages.
Labor Market Regulation and Productivity Growth: Evidence for Twenty OECD Countries (1984–2004)
Authors: STORM SERVAAS , NAASTEPAD C.W.M.
Published: August 2009

We present empirical evidence for a cross section of twenty OECD countries (1984–2004) that a relatively regulated and coordinated (“rigid”) industrial relations system promotes long‐run labor productivity growth. This conclusion is reinforced when we differentiate between (three) categories of OECD industrial relations systems and test for differences in productivity performance.
Re‐Thinking Migrants’ Networks and Social Capital: A Case Study of Iranians in Turkey
Authors: Koser Akcapar Sebnem
Published: August 2009

Existing research on international migration has focused on the importance of social networks and social capital in the countries of origin and destination. However, much less is known about the importance of social networks and associated social capital in transit countries. Drawing on ethnographic research on Iranian transit migrants in Turkey, this paper argues that migrant networks and social capital are equally important in transit countries. These networks, however, do not always generate positive social capital for Iranian migrants as there are scarce resources and there is no “enforceable trust”. Iranian migrant networks reorganized in a transit country like Turkey are not static structures and they are largely affected by macro‐variables such as current immigration and asylum policies of Turkey and Europe, transnationalism and globalization, and other place‐specific features like Turkey’s location bridging East and West, the existence of human smuggling networks, and its proximity to Iran. But Iranian migrant networks in Turkey are also affected by micro‐variables, such as gender, religion, and ethnicity of individual migrants.
Adaptation of Sudanese Refugees in an Australian Context: Investigating Helps and Hindrances
Authors: Shakespeare‐Finch Jane , Wickham Kylie
Published: August 2009

The present study investigates the experiences of Sudanese refugees by exploring the themes that characterize participants’ experiences in Sudan, en route, and at their Australian destination. In particular, the research identifies several factors that may be seen as ‘helps’ or ‘hindrances’ to Sudanese refugees’ adaptation. Participants were 12 Sudanese refugees aged between 19 and 40 years old who had been residing in Australia for five years or less. A qualitative phenomenological approach to data collection and analysis was employed. Examination of the interview transcripts revealed that all participants identified both ‘hindrances’ and ‘helps’ toward adaptation and indicated that positive adaptation is not only possible, but probable for Sudanese refugees in spite of their past experiences of trauma and present resettlement difficulties. Several practical implications were elicited from the research including a need for programs that actively promote refugees’ adaptation by encouraging the broadening of social networks.
Come Back or Stay? Spend Here or There? Return and Remittances: The Case of Moldova
Authors: Pinger Pia
Published: August 2009

This paper examines the determinants and consequences of temporary and permanent migration from the perspective of migrant source countries. Based on a large and detailed household dataset on migration in the Republic of Moldova, the most important factors that influence a respective migrant’s decision whether to return to the home country or to stay abroad for good are presented first. Second, the remittance behaviour of temporary and permanent migrants is analysed to investigate how developing countries benefit from either type of migration. The results indicate that the most important determinants of permanent migration relate to the economic conditions at home and abroad, as well as to the legal status of a migrant in the host country. Furthermore, economic and political frustration plays an important role in the decision of permanent migrants not to come back. On the contrary, family ties as measured by the number of close family members at home act as a pull factor for migrant return. Interestingly, permanent migrants use source country networks that differ from those of temporary migrants, indicating that the return decision of individuals is influenced by the decision of their migrant peers. Concerning remittances, the results reveal that, in absolute terms, temporary migrants remit around 30 per cent more than their permanent counterparts. This outcome is surprising, because temporary migrants often reside in countries where wages are much lower. Overall, the findings indicate that when compared to permanent migration, temporary migration is favourable for developing countries, as it fosters not only repatriation of skills, but also higher remittances, and home savings.
Moving Through Social Networks: The Case of Armenian Migrants in the Czech Republic
Authors: Klvaňová Radka
Published: August 2009

This paper brings attention to the role of social networks in the migration of asylum seekers and explores how the embeddedness of the migrants in social networks both facilitates and constrains their mobility in different phases of the migration process. It reconstructs the migration paths of eight Armenian migrant families who arrived in the Czech Republic as asylum seekers during the 1990s and the beginning of the twenty‐first century. By examining the narrated stories of the Armenian migrants it shows that social networks formed an important context for employing various migration strategies in all phases of the migration process, and that the meaning and character of migrants’ social networks changed over time. In the initial phase of decision‐making about migration as well as on their journey, it was mainly weak ties of random acquaintances that played a dominant role. The position of the migrants in those networks was rather insecure. They held a little control over the information they received, but in these vulnerable situations they had to rely on their weak ties, which strongly influenced their mobility. In the arrival and settlement phases the social context of the refugee camp hindered the cultivation of social ties outside the migrants’ circle on one hand, and facilitated development of bonding ties among the migrants on the other. Bonding social networks enabled inclusion of the Armenian migrants into various social spheres especially at the beginning of the settlement process. However, the bounded character of these networks was also recognized as excluding them from access to resources of the dominant society and preventing their social mobility in later phases of their settlement. Thus, bridging networks that provide access to certain resources of the dominant society were sought.
Occipital involvement in female pattern hair loss: histopathological evidences
Authors: Ekmekci TR , Sakiz D , Koslu A
Published: August 2009

Background  Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is characterized by diffuse thinning of hair in the frontal and parietal areas of the scalp, and preservation of the frontal hairline is the norm. Hair on the occipital scalp is thought to be preserved.

Objective  To investigate whether the occipital area is involved in FPHL or whether there is a diffuse type of FPHL.

Methods  Forty female patients who had complained about hair loss for more than a year and were diagnosed with FPHL according to the Ludwig classification were included. Two punch biopsies from both the midscalp and the occiput were taken. Histological sections were prepared horizontally and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Terminal follicles, vellus like follicles, anagen, telogen, catagen follicles, hair bulbs and telogen germinal units were counted in two sections of the upper dermis and the dermal‐subcutaneous junction. If the terminal/vellus ratio was lower than 4:1, the diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) was made. When the ratio was between four and seven to one, AGA was suspected.

Results  While 29 of 40 patients (72.5%) had findings consistent with AGA on the midscalp, 11 of 40 (27.5%) displayed signs of suspected AGA. Ten of 40 patients (25%) had AGA involving the occiput.

Conclusion  The involvement of the occipital scalp is significant in FPHL. In some patients, this situation may be so apparent that clinically visible alopecia is seen. However, in other patients, it may also present only as thinning.