bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cattle performed as well as sheep when grazing a river saltbush (Atriplex amnicola)-based pasture
Authors: Fancote C. R. , Norman H. C. , Williams I. H. , Masters D. G.
Published: October 2009

In Mediterranean-type climates, saltbush grown on saline land offers producers valuable feed during the autumn feed gap. Saltbush has high crude protein concentrations, moderate to low energy concentrations and accumulates very high concentrations of soluble salt. As ruminants cannot store quantities of salt, intake of saltbush is limited by the individuals’ ability to excrete salt. The aim of this 6-week study was to compare the relative performance, diet selection and urine concentrating ability of mature sheep and cattle grazing a young stand of river saltbush (Atriplex amnicola) with a volunteer annual understorey, consisting of senesced and germinating annual grasses. We measured liveweight and condition score of 30 mature Merino wethers and 15 mature Hereford-cross cows grazing the same saltbush stand, with a volunteer understorey of predominantly annual grasses, for 6 weeks during late autumn. Saltbush intake and diet selection were estimated at the same time using sodium (Na) : creatinine ratios in urine and carbon isotope ratios in faeces. During the first 3 weeks of grazing, the data indicated that cattle significantly outperformed sheep with a 15% increase in liveweight compared with sheep with an average increase of 4%. It is possible that some of this difference may be associated with different rates of loss of digesta associated with restricted access to food in the 2 h before weighing. No differences were found between the proportion of plants with a C4 photosynthetic pathway (saltbushes) in the diets selected by sheep and cattle for the majority of grazing. The specific gravity and Na concentration of urine was similar across livestock species. While this provided no indication of a difference in ability to concentrate or excrete Na, sheep did have a consistently higher Na : creatinine ratio in urine. The higher ratio is consistent with more efficient Na excretion and this may be significant when the species graze saltbush without low salt supplement or if water is restricted. Historically, it has been thought that cattle would not perform as well as sheep when grazing saltbush, but under the conditions of this study, when feed on offer is not limiting dry matter intake and fresh water is available, cattle are able to utilise this out of season feed source as well as, or possibly better than, sheep.
Measure conjugacy invariants for actions of countable sofic groups
Authors: Bowen Lewis
Published: October 2009

Sofic groups were defined implicitly by Gromov and explicitly by Weiss. All residually finite groups (and hence all linear groups) are sofic. The purpose of this paper is to introduce, for every countable sofic group

G
G

, a family of measure-conjugacy invariants for measure-preserving

G
G

-actions on probability spaces. These invariants generalize Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy for actions of amenable groups. They are computed exactly for Bernoulli shifts over

G
G

, leading to a complete classification of Bernoulli systems up to measure-conjugacy for many groups, including all countable linear groups. Recent rigidity results of Y. Kida and S. Popa are utilized to classify Bernoulli shifts over mapping class groups and property (T) groups up to orbit equivalence and von Neumann equivalence, respectively.
Positivity of the universal pairing in 3 dimensions
Authors: Calegari Danny , Freedman Michael , Walker Kevin
Published: October 2009

Associated to a closed, oriented surface

S
S

is the complex vector space with basis the set of all compact, oriented

3
3

-manifolds which it bounds. Gluing along

S
S

defines a Hermitian pairing on this space with values in the complex vector space with basis all closed, oriented

3
3

-manifolds. The main result in this paper is that this pairing is positive, i.e. that the result of pairing a nonzero vector with itself is nonzero. This has bearing on the question of what kinds of topological information can be extracted in principle from unitary

(
2
+
1
)

(2+1)

-dimensional TQFTs.

The proof involves the construction of a suitable complexity function

c
c

on all closed

3
3

-manifolds, satisfying a gluing axiom which we call the topological Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, namely that

c
(
A
B
)
≤
max
(
c
(
A
A
)
,
c
(
B
B
)
)

c(AB) \le \max (c(AA),c(BB))

for all

A
,
B

A,B

which bound

S
S

, with equality if and only if

A
=
B

A=B

.

The complexity function

c
c

involves input from many aspects of

3
3

-manifold topology, and in the process of establishing its key properties we obtain a number of results of independent interest. For example, we show that when two finite-volume hyperbolic

3
3

-manifolds are glued along an incompressible acylindrical surface, the resulting hyperbolic

3
3

-manifold has minimal volume only when the gluing can be done along a totally geodesic surface; this generalizes a similar theorem for closed hyperbolic

3
3

-manifolds due to Agol-Storm-Thurston.
Hypergraph Ramsey numbers
Authors: Conlon David , Fox Jacob , Sudakov Benny
Published: October 2009

The Ramsey number

r
k

(
s
,
n
)

r_k(s,n)

is the minimum

N
N

such that every red-blue coloring of the

k
k

-tuples of an

N
N

-element set contains a red set of size

s
s

or a blue set of size

n
n

, where a set is called red (blue) if all

k
k

-tuples from this set are red (blue). In this paper we obtain new estimates for several basic hypergraph Ramsey problems. We give a new upper bound for

r
k

(
s
,
n
)

r_k(s,n)

for

k
≥
3

k \geq 3

and

s
s

fixed. In particular, we show that
\[

r
3

(
s
,
n
)
≤

2

n

s
−
2

log
⁡
n

,

r_3(s,n) \leq 2^{n^{s-2}\log n},

\]
which improves by a factor of

n

s
−
2

/

polylog

n

n^{s-2}/\textrm {polylog}\,n

the exponent of the previous upper bound of Erdős and Rado from 1952. We also obtain a new lower bound for these numbers, showing that there is a constant

c
>
0

c>0

such that
\[

r
3

(
s
,
n
)
≥

2

c

s
n

log
⁡
(

n
s

+
1
)

r_3(s,n) \geq 2^{c \, sn \, \log (\frac {n}{s}+1)}

\]
for all

4
≤
s
≤
n

4 \leq s \leq n

. For constant

s
s

, this gives the first superexponential lower bound for

r
3

(
s
,
n
)

r_3(s,n)

, answering an open question posed by Erdős and Hajnal in 1972. Next, we consider the

3
3

-color Ramsey number

r
3

(
n
,
n
,
n
)

r_3(n,n,n)

, which is the minimum

N
N

such that every

3
3

-coloring of the triples of an

N
N

-element set contains a monochromatic set of size

n
n

. Improving another old result of Erdős and Hajnal, we show that
\[

r
3

(
n
,
n
,
n
)
≥

2

n

c
log
⁡
n

.

r_3(n,n,n) \geq 2^{n^{c \log n}}.

\]
Finally, we make some progress on related hypergraph Ramsey-type problems.
The Effectiveness of Moxibustion: An Overview During 10 Years
Authors: Kim Song-Yi , Chae Younbyoung , Lee Seung Min , Lee Hyejung , Park Hi-Joon
Published: October 2009

Moxibustion has been used to treat various types of disease. However, there is still insufficient evidence regarding its effectiveness. This study was performed to summarize and evaluate the effectiveness of moxibustion. A search was performed for all randomized controlled trials in PubMed between January 1998 and July 2008 with no language restriction. The results yielded 47 trials in which six moxibustion types were applied to 36 diseases ranging from breech presentation to digestive disorders. Moxibustion was compared to three types of control group: general care, Oriental medical therapies or waiting list. Moxibustion was superior to the control in 14 out of 54 control groups in 46 studies. There were no significant differences among groups in 7 studies, and the outcome direction was not determined in 33 studies. Seven studies were included in a meta‐analysis. Moxibustion was more effective than medication in two ulcerative colitis studies (relative risk (95% CI), 2.20 (1.37, 3.52), P = .001, I2 = 0%). Overall, our results did not support the effectiveness of moxibustion in specific diseases due to the limited number and low quality of the studies and inadequate use of controls. In order to provide appropriate evidence regarding the effectiveness of moxibustion, more rigorous clinical trials using appropriate controls are warranted.
Germination‐Improved Ethanol Fermentation Performance of High‐Tannin Sorghum in a Laboratory Dry‐Grind Process
Authors: Yan S. , Wu X. , MacRitchie F. , Wang D.
Published: October 2009

A high‐tannin sorghum cultivar with 3.96% tannin content was used to study the effects of germination on its ethanol fermentation performance in a laboratory dry‐grind process. High‐tannin sorghum sample was germinated for 3 and 4 days. Original and germinated samples were analyzed for tannin, starch, protein, free amino nitrogen (FAN), and glucose content. Endosperm structures and flour pasting properties of germinated and nongerminated sorghum samples were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and rapid visco analyzer (RVA). Germination reduced tannin content from 3.96% to negligible levels. The free fermentable sugars (glucose, maltose, and maltotriose) in the germinated samples were significantly higher than those in the nongerminated control. Judged by the starch (starch plus dextrin) and free amino nitrogen contents in the mashed samples, germination improved degree of hydrolysis for starch by 13–20% and for protein by 5‐ to 10‐fold during mashing. Germination significantly shortened the required fermentation time for ethanol production by 24–36 hr, increased ethanol fermentation efficiency by 2.6–4.0%, and reduced the residual starch content in the distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) compared to the nongerminated control. Ethanol yield for the 3‐day germinated samples was 2.75 gallons/bushel, which was 3.1% higher than the 2.67 gallons for the nongerminated control. Ethanol yield for the 4‐day germinated sorghum was 2.63 gallons/bushel due to excessive loss of starch during germination.
In situdiffraction strain analysis of elastically deformed polycrystalline thin films, and micromechanical interpretation
Authors: Faurie D. , Castelnau O. , Brenner R. , Renault P.-O. , Le Bourhis E. , Goudeau Ph.
Published: October 2009

In situtensile tests have been carried out under synchrotron radiation on supported gold (Au) thin films exhibiting a pronounced crystallographic texture. The 2θ shift of X-ray diffraction lines has been recorded for different specimen orientations and several loading levels in the elastic domain. The data obtained demonstrate the large strain heterogeneities generated within the specimen because of the intergranular interactions associated with the large elastic anisotropy of Au grains. To interpret these results, the use of a multi-scale micromechanical approach is unavoidable. The theoretical background of such methods is described, and the points where exact results can be obtained and where approximations have to be introduced are highlighted. It is shown that the Vook–Witt model, for which a general formulation is provided, is the exact solution for polycrystals exhibiting a laminate microstructure, which is a significant departure from the standard thin-film microstructures. Among several standard models used in the field, the self-consistent model is the only one that reproduces the experimental data correctly. This is achieved by accounting for the actual crystallographic texture of the specimen, and assuming pancake-shaped two-point statistics for the morphological texture. A discussion of the limitations of this approach, originally developed for bulk materials, is given for the specific case of thin films.
VIBRATE!A program to compute irreducible representations for atomic vibrations in crystals
Authors: Glazer A. M.
Published: October 2009

VIBRATE!is a computer program that uses group theory to carry out factor group analysis of a crystal structure. The symmetry species of the normal modes of vibration are derived, together with information relating to the symmetry-adapted vectors. The program is simple to use, relying on input mainly from a crystallographic information file. The output is presented in a form that should be familiar not only to crystallographers but also to others such as chemical spectroscopists.
Review article: anti‐fibrotic agents for the treatment of Crohn’s disease – lessons learnt from other diseases
Authors: SZABÒ H. , FIORINO G. , SPINELLI A. , ROVIDA S. , REPICI A. , MALESCI A. C. , DANESE S.
Published: October 2009

Background  The current therapies for Crohn’s disease (CD) are mainly focused on blockade of inflammation. Fibrosis remains one of the major complications of CD often leading to surgery, affecting patients’ quality‐of‐life.

Aim  To summarize the published data regarding the potential anti‐fibrotic role of drugs commonly used in CD and the most effective anti‐fibrotic drugs used in other diseases evaluating their potential use to treat intestinal fibrosis in CD.

Methods  A literature search was performed in the PubMed, Medline, Cochrane and EMBASE databases, considering in vitro, animal and human studies on fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease and other similar chronic pathologies.

Results  Treatment of fibrosis in CD is limited to surgery or endoscopic dilatation, although some of the drugs currently used may have anti‐fibrotic activity. In other diseases, anti‐fibrotic agents are already used or are in preclinical or clinical trials. ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, and HMG‐CoA inhibitors merit further investigation in CD because of their role in preventing fibrosis in cardiovascular and renal diseases.

Conclusions  Anti‐fibrotic drugs are under evaluation or already used in clinical practice in other chronic inflammatory diseases. In CD, there is a great need for investigation into agents that may prevent, reduce or reverse intestinal fibrosis.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 189–201
Responses of generalist invertebrate predators to pupal densities of autumnal and winter moths under field conditions
Authors: HEISSWOLF ANNETTE , KLEMOLA NETTA , AMMUNÉT TEA , KLEMOLA TERO
Published: October 2009

Generalist natural enemies are usually not considered as being capable of causing population cycles in forest insects, but they may influence the population dynamics of their prey in the low density cycle phase when specialist enemies are largely absent.

In the present field study, the total response of the generalist invertebrate predator community to experimentally established pupal densities of the closely related autumnal (Epirrita autumnata) and winter moths (Operophtera brumata) was analysed.

Due to the high amount of variation in the dataset, the exact shape of the response curve could not be convincingly estimated. Nevertheless, two important conclusions can be drawn from the analyses.

Firstly, the natural invertebrate predator community seems to become saturated at rather low densities of both autumnal and winter moth pupae. Secondly, the predator community seems to become saturated at much lower densities of autumnal than of winter moth pupae.

Furthermore, pupal mass was significantly negatively correlated with invertebrate predation probability in autumnal moth pupae.

These results indicate that differences in the predator assemblage being able to consume pupae of the two moth species, as well as different handling times, could be responsible for the substantially higher predation rates in winter than in autumnal moth pupae.

As a consequence, the population dynamics of autumnal moths might be less affected by generalist invertebrate predators than those of winter moths, as autumnal moths seem able to escape from the regulating influence of generalist predators at much lower population densities than winter moths.
Allometry between leg and body length of insects: lack of support for the size–grain hypothesis
Authors: TEUSCHER MIRIAM , BRÄNDLE MARTIN , TRAXEL VERENA , BRANDL ROLAND
Published: October 2009

The size–grain hypothesis (Kaspari & Weiser, 1999) states that (1) as organisms decrease in size, they perceive their environment as being more rugose; (2) long legs allow organisms to step over obstacles but hinder them from entering small gaps; and (3) as the size of an organism decreases, the benefits of long legs begin to be outweighed by the costs of construction. Natural selection should therefore favour proportionally longer legs in larger organisms, thereby leading to a positive allometry between leg and body length (scaling exponent b > 1).

Here we compare the scaling exponent of leg‐to‐body length relationships among insects that walk, walk and fly, and predominantly fly. We measured the lengths of the hind tibia, hind femur, and body length of each species.

The taxa varied considerably in the scaling exponent b. In seven out of ten groups (Formicidae, Isoptera, Carabidae, Pentatomidae, Apidae, Lepidoptera, Odonata adult), b was significantly greater than one. However, there was no gradual decrease in b from walking to walking/flying to flying insects.

The results of the present study provide no support for the size–grain hypothesis. We propose that leg length is not only affected by the rugosity of the environment, but also by (1) functional adaptations, (2) phylogeny, (3) lifestyle, (4) the type of insect development (hemimetabolism or holometabolism), and (5) constraints of gas exchange.
Symbionts of societies that fission: mites as guests or parasites of army ants
Authors: BERGHOFF STEFANIE M. , WURST EBERHARD , EBERMANN ERNST , SENDOVA‐FRANKS ANA B. , RETTENMEYER CARL W. , FRANKS NIGEL R.
Published: October 2009

Recently, Hughes et al. (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 23, 672–677, 2008) have theorised that symbionts of large, long‐lived, homeostatic, and well defended social insect colonies should mostly be of low virulence. If the symbionts are rare, i.e. few workers are co‐infected, competition between symbionts should be minimal and they should be selected to avoid over‐exploiting their hosts.

Here we analyse the mites that occur on Eciton burchellii army ant workers and note that our findings are consistent with the predictions from evolutionary theory.

The mites were species diverse but rare; only 5% of the 3146 workers we examined from 20 army ant colonies had mites. Only one worker was co‐infected by mites of different species and the one relatively common parasitic mite (Rettenmeyerius carli) was limited to only two individuals per ant.

We also showed that certain mites are more common on workers in nomadic rather than statary army ant colonies and that different worker castes differed in their infestation patterns.

We suggest that the three traits E. burchellii and honey bees (Apis mellifera) have in common (queens with very high mating frequencies, propagation by colony fission, and low number of parasites among the mite species they host) are associated with one another. Colonies that fission are likely to inherit symbionts and multiple mating will promote genetic diversity within colonies, which may help to limit the abundance of deleterious mites.

We conclude that most of the symbiotic mites found on workers of the army ant E. burchellii are probably relatively harmless guests, exploiting their hosts for phoresis or, for example, to use their waste deposits.
Advances in characterization of soil clay mineralogy using X‐ray diffraction: from decomposition to profile fitting
Authors: Hubert F. , Caner L. , Meunier A. , Lanson B.
Published: October 2009

Structural characterization of soil clay minerals often remains limited despite their key influence on soil properties. In soils, complex clay parageneses result from the coexistence of clay species with contrasting particle sizes and crystal chemistry and from the profusion of mixed layers with variable compositions. The present study aimed to characterize the mineralogy and crystal chemistry of the <2 μm fraction along a profile typical of soils from Western Europe and North America (Neo Luvisol). X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were interpreted using: (i) the combination of XRD pattern decomposition and indirect identification from peak positions commonly applied in soil science; and (ii) the multi‐specimen method. This latter approach implies direct XRD profile fitting and has recently led to significant improvements in the structural characterization of clay minerals in diagenetic and hydrothermal environments. In contrast to the usual approach, the multi‐specimen method allowed the complete structural characterization of complex clay parageneses encountered in soils together with the quantitative analysis of their mineralogy. Throughout the profile, the clay paragenesis of the studied Neo Luvisol systematically includes discrete smectite, illite and kaolinite in addition to randomly interstratified illite‐smectite and chlorite‐smectite. Structural characteristics of the different clay minerals, including the composition of mixed layers, did not vary significantly with depth and are thus indicative of the parent material. The relative proportion of the <2 μm fraction increased with increasing depth simultaneously with smectite relative proportion. These results are consistent with the leaching process described for Luvisols in the literature.
The effect of nitrogen deposition on forest carbon sequestration: a model‐based analysis
Authors: DEZI S. , MEDLYN B. E. , TONON G. , MAGNANI F.
Published: October 2009

The perturbation of the global nitrogen (N) cycle due to the increase in N deposition over the last 150 years will likely have important effects on carbon (C) cycling, particularly via impacts on forest C sequestration. To investigate this effect, and the relative importance of different mechanisms involved, we used the Generic Decomposition And Yield (G'DAY) forest C–N cycling model, introducing some new assumptions which focus on N deposition. Specifically, we (i) considered the effect of forest management, (ii) assumed that belowground C allocation was a function of net primary production, (iii) assumed that foliar litterfall and specific leaf area were functions of leaf N concentration, (iv) assumed that forest canopies can directly take up N, and (v) modified the model such that leaching occurred only for nitrate N. We applied the model with and without each of these modifications to estimate forest C sequestration for different N deposition levels. Our analysis showed that N deposition can have a large effect on forest C storage at ecosystem level. Assumptions (i), (ii) and (iv) were the most important, each giving rise to a markedly higher level of forest C sequestration than in their absence. On the contrary assumptions (iii) and (v) had a negligible effect on simulated net ecosystem production (NEP). With all five model modifications in place, we estimated that the C storage capacity of a generic European forest ecosystem was at most 121 kg C kg−1 N deposited. This estimate is four times higher than that obtained with the original version of G'DAY (27.8 kg C kg−1 N). Thus, depending on model assumptions, the G'DAY ecosystem model can reproduce the range of dC : dNdep values found in the literature. We conclude that effects of historic N deposition must be taken into account when estimating the C storage capacity of a forest ecosystem.
Variability in exchange of CO2 across 12 northern peatland and tundra sites
Authors: LUND MAGNUS , LAFLEUR PETER M. , ROULET NIGEL T. , LINDROTH ANDERS , CHRISTENSEN TORBEN R. , AURELA MIKA , CHOJNICKI BOGDAN H. , FLANAGAN LAWRENCE B. , HUMPHREYS ELYN R. , LAURILA TUOMAS , OECHEL WALTER C. , OLEJNIK JANUSZ , RINNE JANNE , SCHUBERT PER , NILSSON MATS B.
Published: October 2009

Many wetland ecosystems such as peatlands and wet tundra hold large amounts of organic carbon (C) in their soils, and are thus important in the terrestrial C cycle. We have synthesized data on the carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange obtained from eddy covariance measurements from 12 wetland sites, covering 1–7 years at each site, across Europe and North America, ranging from ombrotrophic and minerotrophic peatlands to wet tundra ecosystems, spanning temperate to arctic climate zones. The average summertime net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) was highly variable between sites. However, all sites with complete annual datasets, seven in total, acted as annual net sinks for atmospheric CO2. To evaluate the influence of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) on NEE, we first removed the artificial correlation emanating from the method of partitioning NEE into GPP and Reco. After this correction neither Reco (P= 0.162) nor GPP (P= 0.110) correlated significantly with NEE on an annual basis. Spatial variation in annual and summertime Reco was associated with growing season period, air temperature, growing degree days, normalized difference vegetation index and vapour pressure deficit. GPP showed weaker correlations with environmental variables as compared with Reco, the exception being leaf area index (LAI), which correlated with both GPP and NEE, but not with Reco. Length of growing season period was found to be the most important variable describing the spatial variation in summertime GPP and Reco; global warming will thus cause these components to increase. Annual GPP and NEE correlated significantly with LAI and pH, thus, in order to predict wetland C exchange, differences in ecosystem structure such as leaf area and biomass as well as nutritional status must be taken into account.
Can compensatory culling offset undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting?
Authors: Mysterud Atle , Bischof Richard
Published: October 2009

1.  There is growing concern about the evolutionary consequences of human harvesting on phenotypic trait quality in wild populations. Undesirable consequences are especially likely with trophy hunting because of its strong bias for specific phenotypic trait values, such as large antlers in cervids and horns in bovids. Selective hunting can cause a decline in a trophy trait over time if it is heritable, thereby reducing the long‐term sustainability of the activity itself.

2.  How can we build a sustainable trophy hunting tradition without the negative trait‐altering effects? We used an individual‐based model to explore whether selective compensatory culling of ‘low quality’ individuals at an early life stage can facilitate sustainability, as suggested by information from managed game populations in eastern and central Europe. Our model was rooted in empirical data on red deer, where heritability of sexual ornaments has been confirmed and phenotypic quality can be assessed by antler size in individuals as young as 1 year.

3.  Simulations showed that targeted culling of low‐quality yearlings could counter the selective effects of trophy hunting on the distribution of the affected trait (e.g. antler or horn size) in prime‐aged individuals. Assumptions of trait heritability and young‐to‐adult correlation were essential for compensation, but the model proved robust to various other assumptions and changes to input parameters. The simulation approach allowed us to verify responses as evolutionary changes in trait values rather than short‐term consequences of altered age structure, density and viability selection.

4.  We conclude that evolutionarily enlightened management may accommodate trophy hunting. This has far reaching implications as income from trophy hunting is often channelled into local conservation efforts and rural economies. As an essential follow‐up, we recommend an analysis of the effects of trophy hunting in conjunction with compensatory culling on the phenotypic and underlying genetic variance of the trophy trait.
Genistein Induces Phosphorylation of cAMP Response Element‐binding Protein in Neonatal Hypothalamus In Vivo
Authors: Sárvári M. , Szegő É. M. , Barabás K. , Jávor A. , Tóth S , Kovács Z. , Ábrahám I. M.
Published: October 2009

We investigated the effect of the phytoestrogen, genistein and 17β‐oestradiol on cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in the neonatal female rat hypothalamus in vivo using western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Although CREB expression was insensitive to the compounds we tested, administration of genistein and 17β‐oestradiol induced rapid CREB phosphorylation (< 15 min) in the hypothalamus and its level remained elevated at 4 h. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis showed that genistein and 17β‐oestradiol had no effect on CREB phosphorylation in the magnocellular subdivision of paraventricular nucleus. By contrast, genistein induced a dose‐dependent increase in CREB phosphorylation in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). Administration of 17β‐oestradiol also caused a rapid, dose‐dependent increase in CREB phosphorylation in the hypothalamus, mPOA and AVPV. These results demonstrate that genistein induces oestrogen‐like rapid action on CREB phosphorylation in the neonatal central nervous system in vivo.
Oromandibular dystonia and hormonal factors: twelve years follow‐up of a case report
Authors: MICHELOTTI A. , SILVA R. , PADUANO S. , CIMINO R. , FARELLA M.
Published: October 2009

Summary  Oromandibular dystonia (OMD) is a focal neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary sustained and often painful muscle contraction, usually producing repetitive movements or abnormal positions of the mouth, jaw and/or tongue. We report on a 30‐year‐old woman affected with OMD with a 12‐year follow‐up. Focal dystonia involved an involuntary activity of the lateral pterygoid muscles causing forceful jaw displacement in the maximal protrusive position. These episodes initially occurred during jaw function and increased up to an open‐lock with bilateral pre‐auricular pain. Dystonic spasms were absent during sleep and were reduced temporarily by sensory tricks. Treatment with botulinum toxin type A (BTX) was performed during three different sessions over a 1‐year period. Electromyographic‐guided BTX injections into the lateral pterygoid muscles were given with cannula electrodes. Botox reduced the involuntary activity of the muscles. Recurrence and exacerbation of dystonic symptoms occurred during the two pregnancies and completely disappeared immediately after both deliveries with prolonged symptom‐free periods. During the last 8 years, the patient had a slight relapse of symptoms during flu attacks, periods of stress and during menses. The temporal pattern of these symptoms indicates a possible relationship between OMD and hormonal factors.
Sleep and physical growth in infants during the first 6 months
Authors: TIKOTZKY LIAT , DE MARCAS GALI , HAR‐TOOV JOSEPH , DOLLBERG SHAUL , BAR‐HAIM YAIR , SADEH AVI
Published: October 2009

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between infant sleep patterns and infant physical growth (weight for length ratio) using both objective and subjective sleep measures. Ninety‐six first‐born, healthy 6‐month‐old infants and their parents participated in the study. Infant sleep was assessed by actigraphy for four consecutive nights and by the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ). In addition, parents were asked to complete background and developmental questionnaires. Questions about feeding methods were included in the developmental questionnaire. Infants’ weight and length were assessed during a standard checkup at the infant‐care clinic when the infants were 6 months old. Significant correlations were found between infant sleep and growth after controlling for potential infant and family confounding factors. Actigraphic sleep percentage and reported sleep duration were correlated negatively with the weight‐to‐length ratio measures. Sex‐related differences in the associations between sleep and physical growth were found. Breast feeding at night was correlated with a more fragmented sleep, but not with physical growth. These findings suggest that sleep is related significantly to physical growth as early as in the first months of life. The study supports increasing evidence from recent studies demonstrating a link between short sleep duration and weight gain and obesity in young children.
Female‐biased dispersal under conditions of low male mating competition in a polygynous mammal
Authors: PÉREZ‐GONZÁLEZ J. , CARRANZA J.
Published: October 2009

Sex‐biased dispersal is a common phenomenon in birds and mammals. Competition for mates has been argued to be an important selective pressure favouring dispersal. Sexual differences in the level of intrasexual competition may produce asymmetries in the costs‐benefits balance of dispersal and philopatry for males and females, which may favour male‐biased dispersal in polygynous species such as most mammals. This being the case, condition‐dependent dispersal predicts that male‐bias should decrease if mating competition relaxes. We test this expectation for red deer, where male‐biased dispersal is the norm. In southwestern Spain, red deer populations located in nonfenced hunting estates presented altered structures with sex ratio strongly biased to females and high proportion of young males. As a consequence, mate competition in these populations was lower than in other, most typical red deer populations. We found that, under such conditions of altered population structure, dispersal was female‐biased rather than male‐biased. Additionally, mate competition positively related to male dispersal but negatively to female dispersal. Other factors such as resource competition, age of individuals and sex ratio were not related to male or female dispersal. Males may not disperse if intrasexual competition is low and then females may disperse as a response to male philopatry. We propose hypotheses related to female mate choice to explain female dispersal under male philopatry. The shift of the sex‐biased dispersal pattern along the gradient of mate competition highlights its condition‐dependence as well as the interaction between male and female dispersal in the evolution of sex‐biased dispersal.
Analysis of the salt‐stress response at cell‐type resolution
Authors: DINNENY JOSÉ R.
Published: October 2009

Albert Einstein said that one should make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. Likewise, biologists have often relied upon simplifying assumptions to study the fundamental properties of biological systems. To understand how complex multicellular plants respond to stresses such as high salinity, organ or organism‐scale experiments have often been the standard and have led to important discoveries. However, recently, through the use of cell‐type‐specific analyses, it has become clear that most salt‐stress regulation occurs at the scale of the cell or tissue type. Salt stress has been revealed to cause complex changes in growth, development and physiology that are dynamically regulated in both space and time. Thus, the next most important discoveries regarding how plants perceive, respond and adapt to this environmental stimulus will require approaches that enable high‐resolution spatial and temporal observations to be made. In this review, we highlight studies taking both a genomic and sub‐genomic approach to understand the salt response at high spatial resolution. These present and future studies will help lead to a more sophisticated understanding of the root as a complex system, which integrates information from different cell layers to generate synchronized changes necessary for the survival of the plant.
A novel allele, HLA‐A*110203, was identified in a Chinese individual
Authors: Li Z. , Zou H.‐Y. , Wang D.‐M. , Cheng X.
Published: October 2009

This allele is characterized by a nucleotide substitution (C>T) in exon 4 at position nt 672, codon 200 (ACC>ACT), no coding change.
A novel HLA‐B*54 allele, B*5417, identified in a Northern Chinese Han individual
Authors: Cheng L.‐H. , Zhu W.‐G. , Lan Y.‐X , Zou H.‐Y. , Li Z. , Jin S.‐Z.
Published: October 2009

The full‐length sequence of HLA‐B*5417 differs from HLA‐B*5401 only by single‐nucleotide change at nt 709 where A→C resulting in a amino acid substitution from Ile (ATC) to Val (GTC) at codon 213 in exon 4.
High‐resolution, high‐throughput HLA genotyping by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Bentley G. , Higuchi R. , Hoglund B. , Goodridge D. , Sayer D. , Trachtenberg E. A. , Erlich H. A.
Published: October 2009

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and class II loci are the most polymorphic genes in the human genome. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation requires allele‐level HLA typing at multiple loci to select the best matched unrelated donors for recipient patients. In current methods for HLA typing, both alleles of a heterozygote are amplified and typed or sequenced simultaneously, often making it difficult to unambiguously determine the sequence of the two alleles. Next‐generation sequencing methods clonally propagate in parallel millions of single DNA molecules, which are then also sequenced in parallel. Recently, the read lengths obtainable by one such next‐generation sequencing method (454 Life Sciences, Inc.) have increased to >250 nucleotides. These clonal read lengths make possible setting the phase of the linked polymorphisms within an exon and thus the unambiguous determination of the sequence of each HLA allele. Here we demonstrate this capacity as well as show that the throughput of the system is sufficiently high to enable a complete, 7‐locus HLA class I and II typing for 24 or 48 individual DNAs in a single GS FLX sequencing run. Highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing is facilitated by the use of sample‐specific internal sequence tags (multiplex identification tags or MIDs) in the primers that allow pooling of samples yet maintain the ability to assign sequences to specific individuals. We have incorporated an HLA typing software application developed by Conexio Genomics (Freemantle, Australia) that assigns HLA genotypes for these 7 loci (HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C, DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPB1), as well as for DRB3, DRB4, and DRB5 from 454 sequence data. The potential of this HLA sequencing system to analyze chimeric mixtures is demonstrated here by the detection of a rare HLA‐B allele in a mixture of two homozygous cell lines (1/100), as well as by the detection of the rare nontransmitted maternal allele present in the blood of a severe combined immunodeficiency disease syndrome (SCIDS) patient.
Cigarette smoking is associated with suicidality in bipolar disorder
Authors: Ostacher Michael J , LeBeau Richard T , Perlis Roy H , Nierenberg Andrew A , Lund Hannah G , Moshier Samantha J , Sachs Gary S , Simon Naomi M
Published: October 2009

Objectives:  Cigarette smoking in individuals with bipolar disorder has been associated with suicidal behavior, although the precise relationship between the two remains unclear.

Methods:  In this prospective observational study of 116 individuals with bipolar disorder, we examined the association between smoking and suicidality as measured by Linehan’s Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ) and prospective suicide attempts over a nine‐month period. Impulsivity was measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.

Results:  Smoking was associated with higher baseline SBQ scores in univariate and adjusted analyses, but was not significant after statistical adjustment for impulsivity in a regression model. A higher proportion of smokers at baseline made a suicide attempt during the follow‐up period (5/31, 16.1%) compared to nonsmokers (3/85, 3.5%); p = 0.031, odds ratio = 5.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.2–23.5). Smoking at baseline also significantly predicted higher SBQ score at nine months.

Conclusions:  In this study, current cigarette smoking was a predictor of current and nine‐month suicidal ideation and behavior in bipolar disorder, and it is likely that impulsivity accounts for some of this relationship.
A 3‐week, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial of asenapine in the treatment of acute mania in bipolar mania and mixed states
Authors: McIntyre Roger S , Cohen Miriam , Zhao Jun , Alphs Larry , Macek Thomas A , Panagides John
Published: October 2009

Objective:  Asenapine is approved for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This was a 3‐week, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of asenapine for treating acute bipolar mania.

Methods:  After a single‐blind placebo run‐in period, adults (n = 488) experiencing manic or mixed episodes were randomized to flexible‐dose sublingual asenapine (10 mg BID on day 1; 5 or 10 mg BID thereafter; n = 194), placebo (n = 104), or oral olanzapine (15 mg BID on day 1; 5–20 mg QD thereafter; n = 191). Primary efficacy, change in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score from baseline to day 21, was assessed using analysis of covariance with last observation carried forward [(LOCF); primary analysis]. A mixed model for repeated measures [(MMRM); prespecified secondary analysis] was also used to assess efficacy. Tolerability and safety assessments included adverse events, physical examinations, extrapyramidal symptom ratings, and laboratory values.

Results:  Mean daily dosages were asenapine 18.2 mg and olanzapine 15.8 mg. Significantly greater least squares (LS) mean ± SE changes in YMRS scores were observed on day 2 with asenapine (−3.0 ± 0.4) and olanzapine (−3.4 ± 0.4) versus placebo (−1.5 ± 0.5, both p < 0.01) and were maintained until day 21 (−10.8 ± 0.8 with asenapine, −12.6 ± 0.8 with olanzapine; both p ≤ 0.0001 versus placebo, −5.5 ± 1.1) with LOCF. The results of MMRM analyses were consistent with those of LOCF. Asenapine had a modest impact on weight and metabolic measures.

Conclusions:  These results indicate that asenapine is rapidly acting, efficacious, and well tolerated for patients with bipolar I disorder experiencing an acute manic episode.
Asenapine versus olanzapine in acute mania: a double‐blind extension study
Authors: McIntyre Roger S , Cohen Miriam , Zhao Jun , Alphs Larry , Macek Thomas A , Panagides John
Published: October 2009

Objective:  To assess the efficacy and tolerability of asenapine versus olanzapine in the extended treatment of bipolar mania.

Methods:  Patients with bipolar I disorder experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes who completed either of two 3‐week, double‐blind trials with asenapine 5 or 10 mg twice daily, olanzapine 5 to 20 mg once daily, or placebo were eligible for this 9‐week, double‐blind extension study. Patients receiving active medication in the 3‐week trials continued the same regimen; those who had received placebo were blindly switched to asenapine but were assessed for safety outcomes only. The primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline to day 84 on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score in the per‐protocol population. Results on the primary efficacy outcome were used to determine the noninferiority of asenapine versus olanzapine.

Results:  A total of 504 patients (placebo/asenapine, n = 94; asenapine, n = 181; olanzapine, n = 229) were enrolled in the extension study. At day 84, the mean (SD) change from baseline in YMRS total score was −24.4 (8.7) for asenapine and −23.9 (7.9) for olanzapine. Prespecified statistical analysis for noninferiority indicated no significant difference between asenapine and olanzapine. The overall incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events was similar across treatment groups (77% placebo/asenapine, 77% asenapine, 78% olanzapine). Clinically significant weight gain occurred in 10%, 19%, and 31% of the placebo/asenapine, asenapine, and olanzapine groups, respectively.

Conclusions:  Asenapine was efficacious, showed noninferiority to olanzapine, and was well tolerated in the extended treatment of patients experiencing manic symptoms associated with bipolar I disorder.
Risperidone for the treatment of acute mania in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Haas Magali , DelBello Melissa P , Pandina Gahan , Kushner Stuart , Van Hove Ilse , Augustyns Ilse , Quiroz Jorge , Kusumakar Vivek
Published: October 2009

Objectives:  To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of risperidone monotherapy for the treatment of an acute mixed or manic episode in children and adolescents with bipolar I disorder.

Methods:  This randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, 3‐arm study (N = 169) included children and adolescents (ages 10–17 years) with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, experiencing a manic or mixed episode. Study participants were randomized to placebo (n = 58), risperidone 0.5–2.5 mg/day (n = 50), or risperidone 3–6 mg/day (n = 61) for 3 weeks. The primary efficacy measure was change in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score from baseline to end point. Safety assessments included adverse event (AE) monitoring and scores on extrapyramidal symptom rating scales.

Results:  Improvement in mean YMRS total score was significantly greater in risperidone‐treated subjects than in placebo‐treated subjects [mean change (SD) −9.1 (11.0) for placebo; −18.5 (9.7) for risperidone 0.5–2.5 mg (p < 0.001); −16.5 (10.3) for risperidone 3–6 mg (p < 0.001)]. The most common risperidone‐associated AEs were somnolence, headache, and fatigue. Mean (SD) weight gain was 0.7 (1.9) kg, 1.9 (1.7) kg, and 1.4 (2.4) kg in the placebo, risperidone 0.5–2.5 mg, and risperidone 3–6 mg groups, respectively, during this 3‐week study.

Conclusions:  At daily doses of 0.5–2.5 mg and 3–6 mg, risperidone was effective and well tolerated in children and adolescents experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder. Results indicate that risperidone 0.5–2.5 mg has a better benefit–risk profile than risperidone 3–6 mg.
Association study of 21 circadian genes with bipolar I disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia
Authors: Mansour Hader A , Talkowski Michael E , Wood Joel , Chowdari Kodavali V , McClain Lora , Prasad Konasale , Montrose Debra , Fagiolini Andrea , Friedman Edward S , Allen Michael H , Bowden Charles L , Calabrese Joseph , El‐Mallakh Rif S , Escamilla Michael , Faraone Stephen V , Fossey Mark D , Gyulai Laszlo , Loftis Jennifer M , Hauser Peter , Ketter Terence A , Marangell Lauren B , Miklowitz David J , Nierenberg Andrew A , Patel Jayendra , Sachs Gary S , Sklar Pamela , Smoller Jordan W , Laird Nan , Keshavan Matcheri , Thase Michael E , Axelson David , Birmaher Boris , Lewis David , Monk Tim , Frank Ellen , Kupfer David J , Devlin Bernie , Nimgaonkar Vishwajit L
Published: October 2009

Objective:  Published studies suggest associations between circadian gene polymorphisms and bipolar I disorder (BPI), as well as schizoaffective disorder (SZA) and schizophrenia (SZ). The results are plausible, based on prior studies of circadian abnormalities. As replications have not been attempted uniformly, we evaluated representative, common polymorphisms in all three disorders.

Methods:  We assayed 276 publicly available ‘tag’ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 21 circadian genes among 523 patients with BPI, 527 patients with SZ/SZA, and 477 screened adult controls. Detected associations were evaluated in relation to two published genome‐wide association studies (GWAS).

Results:  Using gene‐based tests, suggestive associations were noted between EGR3 and BPI (p = 0.017), and between NPAS2 and SZ/SZA (p = 0.034). Three SNPs were associated with both sets of disorders (NPAS2: rs13025524 and rs11123857; RORB: rs10491929; p < 0.05). None of the associations remained significant following corrections for multiple comparisons. Approximately 15% of the analyzed SNPs overlapped with an independent study that conducted GWAS for BPI; suggestive overlap between the GWAS analyses and ours was noted at ARNTL.

Conclusions:  Several suggestive, novel associations were detected with circadian genes and BPI and SZ/SZA, but the present analyses do not support associations with common polymorphisms that confer risk with odds ratios greater than 1.5. Additional analyses using adequately powered samples are warranted to further evaluate these results.