bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The timely deposition of callose is essential for cytokinesis in Arabidopsis
Authors: Thiele Knut , Wanner Gerhard , Kindzierski Viktoria , Jürgens Gerd , Mayer Ulrike , Pachl Fiona , Assaad Farhah F.
Published: December 2008

The primary plant cell wall is laid down over a brief period of time during cytokinesis. Initially, a membrane network forms at the equator of a dividing cell. The cross‐wall is then assembled and remodeled within this membrane compartment. Callose is the predominant luminal component of the nascent cross‐wall or cell plate, but is not a component of intact mature cell walls, which are composed primarily of cellulose, pectins and xyloglucans. Widely accepted models postulate that callose comprises a transient, rapid spreading force for the expansion of membrane networks during cytokinesis. In this study, we clone and characterize an Arabidopsis gene, MASSUE/AtGSL8, which encodes a putative callose synthase. massue mutants are seedling‐lethal and have a striking cytokinesis‐defective phenotype. Callose deposition was delayed in the cell plates of massue mutants. Mutant cells were occasionally bi‐ or multi‐nucleate, with cell‐wall stubs, and we frequently observed gaps at the junction between cross‐walls and parental cell walls. The results suggest that the timely deposition of callose is essential for the completion of plant cytokinesis. Surprisingly, confocal analysis revealed that the cell‐plate membrane compartment forms and expands, seemingly as far as the parental wall, prior to the appearance of callose. We discuss the possibility that callose may be required to establish a lasting connection between the nascent cross‐wall and the parental cell wall.
Successful resolution of dermatophyte mycetoma following terbinafine treatment in two cats
Authors: Nuttall T. J. , German A. J. , Holden S. L. , Hopkinson C. , McEwan N. A.
Published: December 2008

Microsporum canissensitive to itraconazole and terbinafine was isolated from two cats presented with generalized dermatophytosis and dermatophyte mycetoma. Itraconazole therapy was withdrawn through lack of efficacy in one cat (a Persian) and unacceptable adverse effects in the other (a Maine Coon). Both cats achieved clinical and mycological cure after 12–14 weeks therapy with 26–31 mg kg−1terbinafine every 24 h per os (PO). Clinical signs in the Maine Coon resolved completely after 7 weeks treatment. Four weeks of therapy with additional weekly washes with a 2% chlorhexidine/2% miconazole shampoo following clipping produced a 98% reduction in the Persian cat's mycetoma, which was then surgically excised. Recurrent generalized dermatophytosis in the Persian cat has been managed with pulse therapy with 26 mg kg−1terbinafine every 24 h PO for 1 week in every month. No underlying conditions predisposing to dermatophytosis were found in either cat despite extensive investigation. Terbinafine administration was associated with mild to moderate lethargy in the Persian cat, but no other adverse effects or changes in blood parameters were seen. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of a dermatophyte mycetoma in a Maine Coon and of successful resolution of this condition in cats following terbinafine therapy.
Stronger induction of callose deposition in barley by Russian wheat aphid than bird cherry‐oat aphid is not associated with differences in callose synthase or β‐1,3‐glucanase transcript abundance
Authors: Saheed Sefiu A. , Cierlik Izabela , Larsson Kristina A. E. , Delp Gabriele , Bradley Graeme , Jonsson Lisbeth M. V. , Botha Christiaan E. J.
Published: December 2008

The effects of infestation by the bird cherry‐oat aphid (BCA), (Rhopalosiphum padi L) and the Russian wheat aphid (RWA) (Diuraphis noxia Mordvilko) on callose deposition and transcription of genes related to callose accumulation were investigated in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Clipper). The BCA, which gives no visible symptoms, induced very limited callose deposition, even after 14 days of infestation. In contrast, RWA, which causes chlorosis, white and yellow streaking and leaf rolling, induced callose accumulation already after 24 h in longitudinal leaf veins. The deposition was pronounced after 72 h, progressing during 7 and 14 days of infestation. In RWA‐infested source leaves, callose was also induced in longitudinal veins basipetal to the aphid‐infested tissue, whereas in sink leaves, more callose deposition was found above the feeding sites. Eight putative callose synthase genes were identified in a database search, of which seven were expressed in the leaves, but with similar transcript accumulation in control and aphid‐infested tissue. Five out of 12 examined β‐1,3‐glucanases were expressed in the leaves. All five were upregulated in RWA‐infested tissue, but only two in BCA‐infested tissue, and to a lesser extent than by RWA. The results suggest that callose accumulation may be partly responsible for the symptoms resulting from RWA infestation and that a callose‐inducing signal may be transported in the phloem. Furthermore, it is concluded that the absence of callose deposition in BCA‐infested leaves is not because of a stronger upregulation of callose‐degrading β‐1,3‐glucanases in this tissue, as compared to RWA‐infested leaves.
Chlorophyll limitation in plants remodels and balances the photosynthetic apparatus by changing the accumulation of photosystems I and II through two different approaches
Authors: Hansson Andreas , Jensen Poul E.
Published: December 2008

Arabidopsis plants with a reduced expression of CHL27 (chl27), an enzyme (EC 1.14.13.81) required for the synthesis of Pchlide, are chlorotic and have a Chl a/b ratio two times higher than wild‐type (WT). Knockdown plants transformed with a construct constitutively expressing CHL27 recovered regarding Chl level, a/b ratio and 77K fluorescence. A negative correlation was found between total Chl and Chl a/b ratio in the examined plants. The chl27 plants fail to assemble WT amounts of complete PSI and PSII, leading to an elevated PSII/PSI ratio. The PSI remaining in chl27 is fully functional with a quantum yield higher than for WT. Despite a severe reduction of photosystem II antennae protein (LHCII) and an increased proportion of stroma lammella, the chl27 plants are able to perform state transitions. No major differences were found regarding PSII quantum yield, qN and 1 − qp whereas non‐photochemical quenching was decreased by a factor two in chl27 plants. The PSII quantum yield for dark‐adapted plants and plants given 10 min recovery after high light treatment were similar for both WT and chl27 showing that chl27 plants are not more susceptible to photoinhibition than WT. Taken together the plant manage to acclimate and to balance the two photosystems well even when it is severely limited in Chl. The way to achieve this differs for the two photosystems: regarding PSI a general reduction of core and antenna subunits occurs with no apparent change in the antenna composition; whereas for PSII there is a preferential loss of antenna proteins.
INF1 Elicitin Activates Jasmonic Acid‐ and Ethylene‐mediated Signalling Pathways and Induces Resistance to Bacterial Wilt Disease in Tomato
Authors: Kawamura Yoko , Hase Shu , Takenaka Shigehito , Kanayama Yoshinori , Yoshioka Hirofumi , Kamoun Sophien , Takahashi Hideki
Published: December 2008

Phytophthora infestans, the cause of potato and tomato late blight disease, produces INF1 elicitin, a 10 kDa extracellular protein. INF1 induces a hypersensitive response (HR) and systemic acquired resistance in species of the Nicotiana genus and a few other genera. We analysed the response of tomato to INF1 and INF1S3, which has a Cys to Ser substitution at position 3 of the processed protein and therefore lacks HR induction activity in tobacco. No HR cell death was induced in either INF1‐ or INF1S3‐treated tomato leaves. The expression of salicylic acid (SA)‐responsive PR‐1a(P6) and PR‐2a genes was not induced by treatment with either INF1 or INF1S3. However, the expression of jasmonic acid (JA)‐responsive PR‐6 encoding proteinase inhibitor II, LeATL6 encoding ubiquitin ligase E3, and LOX‐E encoding lipoxygenase, was up‐regulated in tomato leaves treated with INF1 but not in those treated with INF1S3. Their induction was completely compromised in INF1‐treated jai1‐1 mutant tomato, in which the JA signalling pathway is impaired. The accumulation of ethylene (ET) and the expression of ET‐responsive genes were also induced in tomato by INF1 but not INF1S3 treatment. The activation of JA and ET‐mediated signals but not the SA‐mediated signalling in INF1‐treated tomato was also demonstrated by global gene expression analysis. INF1‐treated tomatoes, but not those treated with INF1S3, exhibited resistance to bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Thus, INF1 seems to induce resistance to bacterial wilt disease in tomato and activate JA‐ and ET‐mediated signalling pathways without development of HR cell death.
Prognostic factors of persistently detectable PSA after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Naselli Angelo , Introini Carlo , Andreatta Rossana , Spina Bruno , Truini Mauro , Puppo Paolo
Published: December 2008

Objectives:  To determine predictive factors of detectable prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) in patients submitted to radical prostatectomy (RP) and to define the prognostic role of this event.

Methods:  A total of 318 patients who underwent RP between 2002 and 2007 were selected from our prospective database. Selection criteria were: no neo‐adjuvant therapy; surgical specimens analyzed and reviewed according to a standardized protocol by two pathologists; clinical stage T1,T2 or T3 N0; pathological stage T2–3/N0–1.

Results:  Median age was 65. 22 years. All patients had a PSA greater than 20 ng/mL (6.9%). Fifty‐six patients had poorly differentiated prostate cancer at biopsy (17.6%) and 77 after pathological examination. Cancer stage was cT2/3 in 128 (40.2%) patients, pT3 in 79 (24.8%) patients and pN1 in 20 patients (6.2%). Surgical margins were positive in 89 cases (28%). Thirty‐three of the 318 patients had detectable PSA (10.3%) after RP. Multivariate analysis confirmed PSA (odds ratio 3.07; P = 0.0008), pT3a/b stage (odds ratio 2.72; P = 0.0466) and nodal metastasis (odds ratio 5.68; P = 0.0060) as independent predictors of detectable PSA after RP. Detectable PSA had a great impact on prognosis. Twenty‐four of these 33 patients experienced a PSA progression and needed a second treatment. In a multivariate model, detectable PSA functioned as an independent predictor of PSA progression (hazard ratio 4.54; P = 0.0000).

Conclusions:  In our experience, a detectable PSA after RP can be predicted by preoperative PSA, pathological stage and nodal status. Moreover, it represents a significant risk factor of PSA progression. The strong imbalance towards risk factors of systemic disease supports the use of hormonal therapy in case of progression.
SELF‐CONSCIOUSNESS, OBJECTIVITY, AND TIME
Authors: YEHEZKEL GAL
Published: December 2008

Abstract: This article considers the conceptual connections between self‐consciousness, objectivity, and time. The model of conceptual analysis employed examines the necessary conditions of the meaningfulness of expressions in language. In the course of this analysis two distinct options for the explanation of self‐consciousness are identified and examined. According to the first (Strawsonian) view, self‐consciousness is based upon the distinction between the self and other subjects of consciousness; according to the second (Kantian) view, self‐consciousness is based upon the distinction between the self and the world. The first option is rejected, and a variation of the second option is adopted. According to it, in self‐consciousness one is conscious of oneself as a temporally extended point of view (consciousness) over an objective and temporal realm of reality.
THE FORMAL STRUCTURE OF METAPHYSICS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Authors: BARRIS JEREMY
Published: December 2008

Abstract: This article considers how the formal structure of metaphysical thought is displayed in Oscar Wilde's Importance of Being Earnest. One frequent aim of metaphysics is to understand the world as a whole. We cannot gain such a global vantage point without separating ourselves from all the particular meanings things have for us within the world. But we start within the world, and so can only proceed on the basis of those particular meanings. Consequently we can only separate ourselves from them if they work to cancel themselves in favor of the global understanding. When the separate range of meanings is established, however, it and the world it aims to understand no longer have any meaning for each other. Metaphysics therefore succeeds by establishing and canceling its relevant meaning, all at once. This self‐canceling moment or process of thought constitutes a grasp of the world as a whole. It also allows different understandings of reality as a whole to recognize and so enter into dialogue with each other. The climactic moments of The Importance of Being Earnest are structured as a map of this insight‐granting process of the self‐cancellation of a global range of meanings. That is, they express the formal structure of metaphysical thought.
CONTEXTUALIST RESOLUTIONS OF PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATES
Authors: MONTMINY MARTIN
Published: December 2008

Abstract: Despite all the critical scrutiny they have received recently, contextualist views in philosophy are still not well understood. Neither contextualists nor their opponents have been entirely clear about what contextualist theses amount to and what they are based on. In this article I show that there are actually two kinds of contextualist view that rest on two very different semantic phenomena, namely, semantic incompleteness and semantic indeterminacy. I explain how contextualist approaches can be used to dissolve certain debates in philosophy. According to such approaches, the same philosophical thesis can be correctly endorsed in some contexts and correctly denied in others: it is thus pointless to seek a context‐independent solution to debates about this thesis. My purpose is not to defend particular contextualist views but to lay out the general framework on which they rest: this allows us to see more clearly the similarities and differences among contextualist views defended in various areas of philosophy.
GRAMMATICAL THERAPY AND THE THIRD WITTGENSTEIN
Authors: HARRÉ ROM
Published: December 2008

Abstract: The argument for interpreting Wittgenstein's project as primarily therapeutic can be extended from the domain of intellectual pathologies that form the core of the Philosophical Investigations to the topics in On Certainty, carrying further Hutchinson's recent argument for the priority of therapy in Wittgenstein's project. In this article I discuss whether the line Hutchinson takes is extendable to the work of the Third Wittgenstein. For example, how does Wittgenstein's discussion of Moore's “refutation of idealism” in On Certainty work as therapy when we think of it in “practice” terms? What practice? I suggest a further, but more tentative, step applying the therapeutic idea to seemingly insurmountable practical problems, where method is also at issue.
GLOBAL DEPRIVATION—WHOSE DUTIES? SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTRIBUTION PRINCIPLE
Authors: MONTERO JULIO
Published: December 2008

Abstract: In this brief article, I claim that the Contribution Principle invoked by Christian Barry as a key principle for determining who owes what to the global destitute is mistaken as a definitive principle and unjustified as a provisional principle for dealing with global poverty. This principle assumes that merely causing, or contributing to the cause of, a state of affairs may be sufficient to have a special responsibility to bear the costs that this state of affairs entails. I argue that an agent will only have such a special responsibility if he or she has caused a state of affairs (for example, acute destitution) by violating a duty not to do so. Therefore, the Contribution Principle is mistaken. Finally, I tackle two possible responses to my argument. The first claims that states have a duty not to undertake actions that may cause, or contribute to the cause of, acute deprivations. The second claims that although the Contribution Principle may be mistaken as a definitive principle for dealing with global destitution, it is nonetheless correct as a provisional principle.
PHILOSOPHY AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
Authors: HANSSON SVEN OVE
Published: December 2008

Abstract: This article offers a perspective on the role of philosophy in relation to other academic disciplines and to society in general. Among the issues treated are the delimitation of philosophy, whether it is a science, its role in the community of knowledge disciplines, its losses of subject matter to other disciplines, how it is influenced by social changes and by progress in other disciplines, and its role in interdisciplinary work. It is concluded that philosophy has an important mission in promoting clarity, precision, and open‐mindedness in academic research and in society at large.
EXPLANATIONS OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA: COMPETING AND COMPLEMENTARY ACCOUNTS
Authors: JONES TODD
Published: December 2008

Abstract: Situations that social scientists and others explain by using concepts like “custom” and “norm” often tend to be situations in which many other kinds of explanations (for example, biological, psychological, economic, historical) seem plausible as well. Do these other explanations compete with the custom or norm explanations, or do they complement them? We need to consider this question carefully and not just assume that various accounts are all permissible at different levels of analysis. In this article I describe two families of noncompeting accounts: (1) explanations of different (but similarly described) facts, and (2) accounts that seem to differ but are really different parts or versions of the same underlying explanation. I argue that while many types of apparent competitors don't really compete with norms, there are usually some that do. These competing accounts will usually undermine the norm account.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE'S NEW FRONTIER: ARTIFICIAL COMPANIONS AND THE FOURTH REVOLUTION
Authors: FLORIDI LUCIANO
Published: December 2008

Abstract: In this article I argue that the best way to understand the information turn is in terms of a fourth revolution in the long process of reassessing humanity's fundamental nature and role in the universe. We are not immobile, at the centre of the universe (Copernicus); we are not unnaturally distinct and different from the rest of the animal world (Darwin); and we are far from being entirely transparent to ourselves (Freud). We are now slowly accepting the idea that we might be informational organisms among many agents (Turing), inforgs not so dramatically different from clever, engineered artefacts, but sharing with them a global environment that is ultimately made of information, the infosphere.
Intraspecific variation in life history traits of a land snail after a bacterial challenge
Authors: Février Y. , Russo J. , Madec L.
Published: December 2008

Life history theory suggests that variation in individual body size is often the result of resource availability and is controlled by trade‐offs between growth, reproductive features and subsequently, survival. In the land snail Cornu aspersum, body size and correlated life history traits vary strongly intraspecifically, leading to geographic patterns of life history tactics. This work investigates the potential role of repeated exposure to stress during the growth and reproduction stage on the life history responses of two subspecies. Cornu aspersum aspersa and Cornu aspersum maxima exhibit contrasting life history strategies, as shown morphologically by the giant size of maxima. In this study, we postulated that the two subspecies would respond differently when exposed to a similar, non‐specific stress. Thus, snails were regularly challenged with injections of Gram‐negative heat‐killed bacteria Escherichia coli suspensions. As expected, we found that stress induced by bacterial challenges leads to a significant decrease in fecundity in the two subspecies. We also observed differences between the challenged and the control snails in terms of the (1) growth features for C. a. maxima and (2) timing of the first egg‐laying for C. a. aspersa. Moreover, a delayed development of the reproductive organs in the post‐challenged animals suggested a trade‐off between growth and sexual maturity.
Linking behaviour and performance: intermittent locomotion in a climbing fish
Authors: Kemp P. S. , Tsuzaki T. , Moser M. L.
Published: December 2008

How locomotory performance is influenced by prior experience and behaviour is of adaptive significance. The relationship between kinematics, behaviour and performance was investigated by assessing a previously undescribed mode of climbing locomotion performed by adult Pacific lamprey. The lampreys were challenged with a 1.4 m vertical weir under an experimental setting. The majority of ascents used intermittent bouts of climbing (on an average approximately one‐fifth of total ascent time) via powerful cycles of axial undulation at 0.35–1.25 Hz, interspersed with periods of stationary attachment with the oral disk. However, two of the most rapid ascents (57 and 85 s) occurred during one continuous bout at a low cycle frequency (c. 0.38 and 0.50 Hz). Probability of success and ascent time was positively related to experience climbing the weir. The ratio of time spent actively climbing to time spent resting decreased with distance travelled, indicating fatigue. Ascents with long periods of activity had correspondingly high durations of recovery. Moreover, time to ascend was positively related to the proportion of time spent stationary in ascents that took <300 s. The findings suggest that modification of intermittent locomotion allows Pacific lamprey to compensate for variation in climbing performance and can extend distance travelled before exhaustion.
Education‐based group identity and consciousness in the authoritarian‐libertarian value conflict
Authors: STUBAGER RUNE
Published: December 2008

The increasing importance of New Politics or authoritarian‐libertarian values to electoral behaviour in advanced Western industrial democracies and the previously documented strong link between such values and educational attainment indicates that, contrary to the claims of some New Politics theorists, the ideological conflict is anchored in the social structure – in particular in educational groups. For this interpretation to be warranted, however, it should be possible to document the existence of education‐based group identity and group consciousness related to the value conflict. The article develops indicators of the core variables out of Social Identity Theory. Based on a unique survey from Denmark, which includes the new set of indicators, the analyses show that members of the high and low education groups have developed both group identity and consciousness reflecting a conflict between the groups and that these factors are related to authoritarian‐libertarian values. The results are interpreted as reflecting a relationship of dominance, which supports the view that the ideological conflict is structurally anchored.
THE COMPLEX EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDES OF MAINLY CHAIN‐FORMING FRESHWATER DIATOM SPECIES FROM EPILITHIC BIOFILMS1
Authors: Bahulikar Rahul A. , Kroth Peter G.
Published: December 2008

Diatoms are dominant organisms in phototrophic biofilms in aquatic habitats. They produce copious amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which mainly consist of carbohydrates and traces of proteins and glycoproteins. This study focuses on the characterization of EPS from a total of 14 diatoms belonging to the six genera Achnanthes, Cymbella, Fragilaria, Punctastriata, Staurosira, and Pseudostaurosira, all of which were isolated from epilithic biofilms of the littoral zone of Lake Constance. EPS from all isolates were extracted by a sequential extraction procedure resulting in five different fractions. The monosaccharide composition of each fraction was analyzed by HPLC equipped with a pulse amperiometric detector, yielding results similar to those obtained by probing the EPS structures with monomer‐specific fluorophore‐linked lectins. Significant differences in carbohydrate composition occurred in the different fractions of single isolates. Most of the diatom isolates in our study form chain‐like colonies in which the cells are attached to each other by intercellular pads. Here we demonstrate that these pads can be dissolved in hot bicarbonate and that they show a heterogeneous composition of monosaccharides in contrast to other fractions, which mostly were dominated by one or two monosaccharides. Principal component analysis indicates a correlation between carbohydrate composition of EPS fractions and the phylogenetic relationship of the respective species, indicating that EPS analyses under defined culture conditions may support taxonomic analyses.
PLANOZYGOTE DIVISION AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE SEXUAL CYCLE OF SEVERAL SPECIES OF DINOPHYSIS (DINOPHYCEAE, DINOPHYSIALES)1
Authors: Escalera Laura , Reguera Beatriz
Published: December 2008

A life‐cycle model has been proposed for Dinophysis, but several transitions between stages of this cycle needed more detailed description. In this study, the steps from mating gamete pairs, cell fusion, nuclear fusion, and the fate of planozygotes were tracked and described from incubations of different sexual‐cycle stages of D. acuminata Clap. et J. Lachm., D. cf. ovum F. Schütt, and D. acuta Ehrenb. There were several pathways for depauperating division and formation of small and intermediate cells; observed mating tubes that connect mating gamete pairs were more delicate than the feeding tube described in D. acuminata; nuclear fusion occurs following cell fusion. Planozygotes were able to divide and produce several vegetative cells 2–3 weeks after incubation. New pathways were added to the revised sexual life‐cycle model of Dinophysis spp. It is hypothesized that planozygotes are the main diploid sexual stage that may be involved in overwintering and seeding strategies. The importance of planozygote division, without further maturation into a resting cyst, as an adaptive strategy for holoplanktonic organisms is discussed.
Intergenerational Earnings Mobility Among Daughters and Sons: Evidence from Sweden and a Comparison with the United States
Authors: Hirvonen Lalaina H.
Published: December 2008

Abstract

This article adopts Chadwick and Solon's (2002) model by using family earnings in the study of intergenerational earnings mobility with a highlight on the role of assortative mating. I analyze mean and quantile regression coefficients as well as transition matrices to investigate family earnings mobility between parents and daughters and parents and sons from Swedish register data. My findings indicate that Sweden has a higher degree of mobility compared to the United States, and that assortative mating also plays an important role as a channel through which income status is transmitted across generations in Sweden. However, the difference in intergenerational mobility patterns between the two countries does not, inherently, depend on factors that affect the marriage match. Swedish daughters and sons exhibit a rather similar scheme of intergenerational earnings transmission. Daughters tend to be slightly more mobile than sons, and the difference between their elasticity estimates is small but statistically significant. The quantile regression approach reveals that parents' family earnings are less important as an explanatory variable at the upper end of the children's earnings distribution than they are at the bottom, while transition matrices show substantial earnings persistence in the top earnings class.
Using motion‐sensitive radio tags to record the activity and behavioural patterns of spawning Atlantic salmon
Authors: Karppinen P. , Erkinaro J.
Published: December 2008

Abstract –  In this paper, we describe a method employing motion‐sensing radio transmitters for recording and identifying behavioural patterns and activity of Atlantic salmon spawning under natural conditions. Simultaneous video monitoring verified recorded activity patterns originating from behaviours such as fighting, nest digging and quivering. The method described here enables more accurate determination of the timing and location of spawning compared to conventional location tracking. Motion‐sensing transmitters can also be applied to monitor other species and types of behaviour, and therefore the use and development of such methods deserves further attention in behavioural studies.
Health related quality of life in survivors of pneumococcal meningitis
Authors: Legood Rosa , Coen Pietro G , Knox Kyle , Viner Russell M , El Bashir Haitham , Christie Deborah , Patel Bharat C , Booy Robert
Published: December 2008

Aim: To estimate the overall long‐term health related quality of life implications of an episode of pneumococcal meningitis in childhood.

Method: Cases were identified through two regional UK surveillance studies and traced via their general practitioners (GPs) or local hospital paediatrician. Siblings were used as controls where available. Health related quality of life was assessed using the health utilities index (HUI). Mean utility scores were compared between cases and controls and univariate linear regression was used to identify factors that influenced the overall utility scores.

Results: HUI data were available for 71 cases and 66 controls. The mean overall utility score for cases 0.774 (95% CI 0.711– 0.837) was significantly lower than for controls 0.866 (95% CI 0.824–0.907) (p‐value = 0.0185). Hearing was the most significantly affected health attribute (p‐value < 0.006). In cases, males had lower quality of life scores than females (p‐value = 0.018), however this was not seen in controls.

Conclusion: An episode of pneumococcal meningitis results in a long‐term decrement in overall health related quality of life and is significantly related to hearing loss.
Age‐dependent basal insulin patterns in children with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion
Authors: Szypowska Agnieszka , Lipka Maria , Błazik Marlena , Golicka Dorota , Groele Lidia , Pańkowska Ewa
Published: December 2008

Aims: Identifying age‐dependent basal rates in type 1 diabetic children treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).

Methods: CSII‐treated children with type 1 diabetes exhibiting insulin requirement > 0.5U/kg and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) < 8%. The study population was composed of 198 Caucasian children (111 girls) with mean age of 9.8 ± 3.8 years, mean duration of diabetes of 4.3 ± 3.1 years and mean HbA1c value of 6.7 ± 0.7%. Data were evaluated for four age groups (0–6; 6–9; 9–12, 12–18 years). Basal rates records were downloaded from pump memory. HbA1c, weight, height were measured at scheduled visits.

Results: Significant differences in the average hourly basal rate between groups were observed: I gr. 0.14 versus II gr. 0.24 versus III gr. 0.39 versus IV gr. 0.72 units/h; p < 0.0001. The average hourly basal rate correlated with age, body weight, BMI, diabetes duration and total insulin daily dose. Insulin peaks were observed for: I gr. – before midnight, II gr. – before midnight and in the early morning, gr. III and IV – in the early morning.

Conclusion: Basal insulin infusion rate profiles in well‐controlled paediatric patients on CSII reflect the age‐dependent amount of basal insulin (20–40%) and affect circadian distribution of insulin needs.
Childhood Sexual Abuse, Selective Attention for Sexual Cues and the Effects of Testosterone with or Without Vardenafil on Physiological Sexual Arousal in Women with Sexual Dysfunction: A Pilot Study
Authors: Van Der Made Flip , Bloemers Jos , Van Ham Diana , Yassem Wadi El , Kleiverda Gunilla , Everaerd Walter , Olivier Berend , Tuiten Adriaan
Published: December 2008

Introduction

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) may be associated with reduced central sensitivity for sexual cues. A single dose of testosterone might induce an increase in sensitivity for sexual stimuli, which in turn allows a PDE5 inhibitor to be effective in boosting the physiological sexual response. Negative sexual experience—like childhood sexual abuse (CSA)—might be an important intervening factor in these drugs-induced alterations.

Aim

To investigate if the combination of testosterone and vardenafil causes an increase in sensitivity for sexual cues and an increase in physiological sexual responding in women suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

Methods

Thirteen women with HSDD underwent four different drug treatments: (i) placebo; (ii) vardenafil; (iii) testosterone; and (iv) combination of testosterone and vardenafil. During each treatment, they performed an emotional Stroop task and watched neutral and erotic film clips.

Main Outcome Measures

A masked version of the emotional Stroop task, and the vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA).

Results

We found different effects in women who had reported CSA (N = 5) compared with those who had not (N = 8). In women without CSA, testosterone induced an increase in their originally low levels of preconscious attention for sexual cues, while women with CSA showed a decrease in their originally high levels of attention. In these groups, we also found different effects of the combination of testosterone and vardenafil on the VPA: women without CSA revealed a statistically significant increase in their VPA during treatment with the combination of testosterone and vardenafil as compared with placebo. Women with CSA, however, showed no alterations in their physiological sexual responding during this combined drug treatment.

Conclusion

In women without CSA, testosterone appears to activate central sexual mechanisms resulting in higher VPA under the combination of testosterone and vardenafil. This effect did not occur in women with CSA.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Hidalgo-Tamola Josephine , Chitaley Kanchan
Published: December 2008

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for the development of erectile dysfunction (ED). Although most diabetic ED cases are in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), the majority of basic science studies examining mechanisms of diabetic ED have been conducted in animal models of type 1 diabetes.

Aim

Recently, however, clinical and laboratory-based studies have uncovered some key underlying factors of T2DM-associated ED, which we have compiled in this review of T2DM ED.

Main Outcome Measures

The outcomes discussed in this review include major mechanisms underlying T2DM, discussing both clinical and basic science studies.

Methods

We conducted an extensive search of pertinent clinical and basic science literature using PUBMED.

Results

Mechanisms causing ED in T2DM are multifactorial and often lead to resistance to current therapy. Systemic effects of hyperglycemia and hypogonadism contribute to the development of impaired vasodilatory signaling, smooth muscle cell hypercontractility, and veno-occlusive disorder in T2DM ED.

Conclusions

Understanding the different causes for ED in T2DM patients may allow targeted therapy for improved erectile function.
Ideas, Pictures, and the Directness of Perception in Descartes and Locke
Authors: Newman Lex
Published: December 2008

How are we to understand philosophical claims about sense perception being direct versus indirect? There are multiple relevant notions of perceptual directness, so I argue. Perception of external objects may be direct on some notions, while indirect on others. My interest is with the sense in which ideas count as perceptual mediators in the philosophy of Descartes and Locke. This paper has two broader aims. The first is to clarify four main notions of perceptual directness. The second is to support my contention that in the texts characterizing ideas as immediate objects of perception, Descartes and Locke are invoking the notion of directness I call ‘objectual’. This notion is modeled on the way a picture mediates perception of the pictured object. The upshot of my account is that – with respect to the objectual notion of directness – Descartes and Locke each hold an indirect theory of perception.
Disputes over Yasukuni Shrine and Its War Dead in Contemporary Japan
Authors: Okuyama Michiaki
Published: December 2008

Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto sanctuary located in Tokyo, has become the focus of a recent dispute in Japan, and a source of criticism against Japanese politicians by neighboring Asian countries. Especially since the former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun’ichirō visited Yasukuni once every year during the period of his administration (2001–2006), arguments have been accumulated both in Japan and abroad. This essay tries to review some of the arguments over the war dead and war memory in modern Japanese history, referring also to more specific issues such as the Class A war criminals and Li Ying's documentary film Yasukuni (2007).
Characterizing Storm Hydrograph Rise and Fall Dynamics With Stream Stage Data1
Authors: Shuster W.D. , Zhang Y. , Roy A.H. , Daniel F.B. , Troyer M.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Storm‐flow transients (i.e., hydrograph rise and fall dynamics) may represent an important aspect of understanding streamflow dynamics. However, little is known about how temporal resolution of transient data and climate variability may color these potential indicators of hydrologic pattern or condition. Warm‐season stream stage and rainfall were monitored continuously (5 min) during the 2002 water year in eight tributaries of the Little Miami River (Ohio), which drain 17‐58 km2 catchments. Rise rates generated using 5‐min data were different than those generated with mean daily data [calculated with the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) software], though fall rates were similar for fine and coarse temporal data. This result suggests that data with low temporal resolution may not be adequate to fully represent the dynamics of storm rise rates. Conversely, fall rates based on daily stage data (via IHA) were similar to those based on the 5‐min data, and so daily mean data may be appropriate for characterizing fall rates. We next analyzed the possible correlations between rainfall variability and storm‐flow stage dynamics. We derived rise and recession rates from storm stage hydrographs by assuming exponential rise and decay of a runoff peak. We found that raw rise rates (Rraw) were correlated with both the maximum rainfall rate and the time to the centroid of a rain event. We subsequently removed the trend based on these rainfall characteristics, which yielded new representations of rise rates abbreviated as Rrate and Rtcent, respectively, and that had lower variability than the uncorrected (raw) data. Fall rates were found to be independent of rainfall characteristics. Due to the predominant influence of stream hydrology upon aquatic biota and nutrient fluxes, our work suggests that these stage data analysis protocols can refine or otherwise reduce variability in these indices by accounting for relevant factors such as rainfall forcing. These protocols for derivation of transient indices should be tested for their potential to improve correlations between stream hydrology and temporally aligned biotic data and dissolved nutrient fluxes in streams.
Spatial Distribution of Water Supply in the Coterminous United States1
Authors: Brown Thomas C. , Hobbins Michael T. , Ramirez Jorge A.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Available water supply across the contiguous 48 states was estimated as precipitation minus evapotranspiration using data for the period 1953‐1994. Precipitation estimates were taken from the Parameter‐Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM). Evapotranspiration was estimated using two models, the Advection‐Aridity model and the Zhang model. The evapotranspiration models were calibrated using precipitation and runoff data for 655 hydrologically undisturbed basins, and then tested using estimates of natural runoff for the 18 water resource regions (WRR) of the 48 contiguous states. The final water supply coverage reflects a mixture of outputs from the two evapotranspiration models. Political, administrative, and land cover boundaries were mapped over the coverage of mean annual water supply. Across the entire study area, we find that 53% of the water supply originates on forested land, which covers only 29% of the surface area, and that 24% originates on federal lands, including 18% on national forests and grasslands alone. Forests and federal lands are even more important in the West (the 11 western contiguous states), where 65% of the water supply originates on forested land and 66% on federal lands, with national forests and grasslands contributing 51%.
Impact of Dredging on Phosphorus Transport in Agricultural Drainage Ditches of the Atlantic Coastal Plain1
Authors: Shigaki Francirose , Kleinman Peter J. A. , Schmidt John P. , Sharpley Andrew N. , Allen Arthur L.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Drainage ditches can be a key conduit of phosphorus (P) between agricultural soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and local surface waters, including the Chesapeake Bay. This study sought to quantify the effect of a common ditch management practice, sediment dredging, on fate of P in drainage ditches. Sediments from two drainage ditches that had been monitored for seven years and had similar characteristics (flow, P loadings, sediment properties) were sampled (0‐5 cm) after one of the ditches had been dredged, which removed fine textured sediments (clay = 41%) with high organic matter content (85 g/kg) and exposed coarse textured sediments (clay = 15%) with low organic matter content (2.2 g/kg). Sediments were subjected to a three‐phase experiment (equilibrium, uptake, and release) in recirculating 10‐m‐long, 0.2‐m‐wide, and 5‐cm‐deep flumes to evaluate their role as sources and sinks of P. Under conditions of low initial P concentrations in flume water, sediments from the dredged ditch released 13 times less P to the water than did sediments from the ditch that had not been dredged, equivalent to 24 mg dissolved P. However, the sediments from the dredged ditch removed 19% less P (76 mg) from the flume water when it was spiked with dissolved P to approximate long‐term runoff concentrations. Irradiation of sediments to destroy microorganisms revealed that biological processes accounted for up to 30% of P uptake in the coarse textured sediments of the dredged ditch and 18% in the fine textured sediments of the undredged ditch. Results indicate that dredging of coastal plain drainage ditches can potentially impact the P buffering capacity of ditches draining agricultural soils with a high potential for P runoff.
Tree Basal Growth Response to Flooding in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest in Central Ohio1
Authors: Anderson Christopher J. , Mitsch William J.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Tree basal growth in response to flooding regime was evaluated at a 5.2‐ha bottomland forest along the Olentangy River in central Ohio. Tree‐ring analysis was used to develop a 14‐year basal area increment (BAI) (cm2/year) series for 42 canopy trees (representing 10 species) throughout the bottomland. Mean annual BAI was evaluated relative to the frequency and duration of bankfull (>70 m3/s) and high‐flood (>154 m3/s) river discharge for a given water year (October 1‐September 30) and growing season (April 1‐September 30). A significant polynomial relationship was detected between the number of days of high‐flood river discharge over a combined two‐year period (Year i + Year i − 1) and mean annual BAI. No significant relationships were detected when only the concurrent‐year or previous‐year flood regimes were considered or when growing season was considered. A similar relationship was detected when duration of high‐flood discharge days and BAI were both evaluated in two‐year increments (Year i + Year i − 1). Mean annual BAI was most influenced by boxelder (Acer negundo) which was the dominant species and exhibited strong agreement with the overall BAI series. In each case, the resulting parabolic curve of tree basal growth in response to flooding suggests an optimal number of flooding days, a response to perturbation consistent with the subsidy‐stress model. Dendrochronology may be a useful tool for managers looking to restore environmental flows to regulated rivers.
A Fully Distributed Implementation of Mean Annual StreamFlow Regional Regression Equations1
Authors: Verdin Kristine L. , Worstell Bruce
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  Estimates of mean annual streamflow are needed for a variety of hydrologic assessments. Away from gage locations, regional regression equations that are a function of upstream area, precipitation, and temperature are commonly used. Geographic information systems technology has facilitated their use for projects, but traditional approaches using the polygon overlay operator have been too inefficient for national scale applications. As an alternative, the Elevation Derivatives for National Applications (EDNA) database was used as a framework for a fully distributed implementation of mean annual streamflow regional regression equations. The raster “flow accumulation” operator was used to efficiently achieve spatially continuous parameterization of the equations for every 30 m grid cell of the conterminous United States (U.S.). Results were confirmed by comparing with measured flows at stations of the Hydro‐Climatic Data Network, and their applications value demonstrated in the development of a national geospatial hydropower assessment. Interactive tools at the EDNA website make possible the fast and efficient query of mean annual streamflow for any location in the conterminous U.S., providing a valuable complement to other national initiatives (StreamStats and the National Hydrography Dataset Plus).
Bidding rings and the winner's curse
Authors: Hendricks Ken , Porter Robert , Tan Guofu
Published: December 2008

This article extends the theory of legal cartels to affiliated private value and common value environments. We show that efficient collusion is always possible in private value environments, but may not be in common value environments with a binding reserve price. In the latter case, collusion does more than simply transfer rents from the seller to the buyers, it also gives buyers a chance to pool their information prior to trade and make an efficient investment decision. However, full efficiency may not be compatible with information revelation. Buyers with high signals may be better off if no one colludes, leading to inefficient trade. This result provides a possible explanation for the low incidence of joint bidding, especially on marginal tracts, in U.S. federal government offshore oil and gas lease auctions.
Trade costs and multimarket collusion
Authors: Bond Eric W. , Syropoulos Constantinos
Published: December 2008

Contrary to conventional wisdom, this article argues that trade liberalization may facilitate collusion and reduce welfare. With the help of a duopoly model in which firms interact repeatedly in multiple markets, we first show that, if trade costs (i.e., tariffs/transport costs) and discount factors are not too high, efficient cartel agreements necessitate the cross‐hauling of goods, as that entails lower deviation incentives. In this setting, we then demonstrate that reciprocal trade liberalization always raises total output when trade costs are within a range whose lower bound exceeds a threshold level, but may reduce total output (and thus be pro‐collusive) when trade costs are below that threshold level.