bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relevance of the Mi23 Marker and the Potato Aphid Biology as Indicators of Tomato Plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Resistance to Some Pests
Authors: Godzina Monika , Staniaszek Mirosława , Kiełkiewicz Małgorzata
Published: July 2010

Relevance of the Mi23 Marker and the Potato Aphid Biology as Indicators of Tomato Plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Resistance to Some Pests

Mi-1.2 gene, expressed in tomato plants, contributes to endogenous resistance against nematodes and some Hemiptera insects. The aim of this study was to screen the presence of dominant/recessive locus of the Mi-1.2 gene in tomato cultivars with different allelic combination using Mi23 SCAR method and to assess the capacity of the local potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas) population to develop on different tomato cultivars (dominant and recessive homozygotes in Mi-1.2 locus). The results showed that both Mi23 marker and potato aphid performance are relevant methods in screening tomato cultivars with a different allelic combination of Mi-1.2 gene. The assessment of biological potential of M. euphorbiae proved that, in comparison with control (tomato plants with recessive alleles of Mi-1.2 gene), the aphid mortality increased 9- and 4 - fold (in the first and second experimental series, respectively) and the female longevity decreased 3 - fold when fed on tomato cvs with dominant alleles of Mi-1.2 gene. Furthermore, the resistance against aphids manifests as an antibiosis mechanism in tomato plants carrying dominant alleles.
The Influence of Grafting and Biostimulators on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse Tomato CV. (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Grown in the Field
Authors: Gajc-Wolska Janina , Łyszkowska Mariola , Zielony Teresa
Published: July 2010

The Influence of Grafting and Biostimulators on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse Tomato CV. (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Grown in the Field

Four tomato cultivars Macarena F1, Faustine F1, Cathy F1 and Fanny F1 were used in the study. Seeds were sown at the end of March and transplants were grown in a greenhouse. The plants were grafted on Maxifort F1 rootstock on April 5, 6 and 21 in the years 2006, 2007, 2008 respectively without the use of biostimulators. In the case of the other combinations each year the following treatments with biostimulators were performed: watering with Goteo 0.1% solution (twice - 4 and 2 weeks before planting and three times after planting at three-week intervals), spraying with BM 86 0.1% solution (four times every three weeks starting at the blooming of first cluster). In the control combination plants were neither-nor grafted or treated with biostimulators. Plants were planted in the field at 70×100 cm spacing - 20 plants per plot. For the ripe fruits analyses the following parameters were determined: dry matter, total sugars, vitamin C, carotenoids and macroelements: N, P, K, Ca.

A higher total and marketable yield was obtained after grafting and Goteo treatments. There was a significant influence of grafting and the application of the biostimulators on the content of dry matter and total sugars, however, the highest content of vitamin C and carotenoids were obtained in the control. There was a slight increase of the content of nitrates and calcium in the fruit in the case of grafting and Goteo biostimulator watering treatments, whereas the highest content of potassium in the fruit was obtained in plants treated with BM 86 and phosphorus in the fruits from control combination plants.
The Effect of Foliar Nutrition with Nitrogen, Molybdenum, Sucrose and Benzyladenine on the Nitrogen Metabolism in Carrot Plants
Authors: Smoleń Sylwester , Sady Włodzimierz , Wojciechowska Renata
Published: July 2010

The Effect of Foliar Nutrition with Nitrogen, Molybdenum, Sucrose and Benzyladenine on the Nitrogen Metabolism in Carrot Plants

The Kazan F1 carrot was cultivated in years 2004-2005 in open-work containers sized 60×40×20 cm filled in with silt loam and located on the open field under shade providing fabric. The following combinations of experiments were arranged: (1) control - without foliar nutrition, and foliar nutrition with: (2) urea, (3) solution of urea+Mo, (4) urea+Mo+BA (benzyladenine - BA), (5) urea+Mo+BA+sucrose, (6) BA in the concentration of 5 mg·dm-3 and (7) BA in the concentration of 10 mg·dm-3. In combinations 2-5 the following concentrations of components in solution were applied: urea and sucrose each in 20 g·dm-3, molybdenum 1 mg·dm-3, benzyladenine 5 mg·dm-3. Foliar nutrition was applied three times. In leaves sprayed with urea and with solution of urea+Mo as well as urea+Mo+BA, an increased concentration of NO3
- was observed when compared to other sites. Foliar nutrition did not result in any significant changes in content of N-total and dry weight in leaves. Foliar application of urea, as well as the solution of urea+Mo+BA, caused an increase in the activity of nitrate reductase (NR) in leaves when compared to the control. Whereas, after spraying the plants with BA only, a noticeable decline in NR activity was revealed in comparison with the control; interestingly, a higher concentration of BA (10 mg·dm-3) was more effective. Foliar nutrition with urea+Mo+BA+sucrose and spraying with benzyladenine only (independently from the concentration) resulted in a significant decrease of the content of NO3
- in storage roots when compared to other combinations. The highest level of nitrogen uptake by single storage root and leaves of one carrot plant was found after urea+Mo+BA+sucrose nutrition. In case of N uptake by yield of leaves and biological yield of whole carrot plants (roots+leaves) the highest values were observed in combination no. 6.
Sedimentation style of a Pleistocene kame terrace from the Western Sudety Mountains, S Poland
Authors: Pisarska-Jamroży Małgorzata , Machowiak Katarzyna , Krzyszkowski Dariusz
Published: July 2010

Sedimentation style of a Pleistocene kame terrace from the Western Sudety Mountains, S Poland

The depositional conditions of kame terraces in a mountain valley were analysed sedimentologically and petrologically through a series of kame terraces in the Rudawy Janowickie mountains. The kame terraces comprise five lithofacies associations. Lithofacies association GRt, Sp originates from deposition in the high-energy, deep gravel-bed channel of a braided river. Lithofacies association GC represents a washed out glacial till. Probably a thin layer of till was washed out by sandy braided rivers (Sp). The fourth association (Fh, Fm) indicates a shallow and quite small glaciomarginal lake. The last association (GRt, GRp) indicates the return of deposition in a sandy-bed braided channel. The petrography of the Janowice Wiekie pit and measurements of cross-stratified beds indicate a palaeocurrent direction from N to S. The Janowice Wielkie sedimentary succession accumulated most probably during the Saalian (Odranian, Saale I, Drenthe) as the first phase of ice-sheet melting, because the kame terrace under study is the highest one, 25-27 m above the Bóbr river level. The deposits under study are dominated by local components. The proglacial streams flowed along the margin of the ice sheet and deposited the kame terrace. The majority of the sedimentary succession was deposited in a confined braided-river system in quite deep channels.
Preparing for Consultancy: Setting Up a New Psychiatry Service as an Advanced Trainee
Authors: Wand Anne , Orr Frances
Published: July 2010

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to describe the experience of an advanced trainee establishing a new psychiatry service, and to demonstrate how such an activity is a viable option for advanced training and helps develop consultancy skills. A detailed description of this process is provided, with a particular focus on consultation, training issues, service evaluation and the challenges encountered.

Conclusions: Involvement in establishing a new psychiatric service provides an advanced training experience which may prepare the trainee for consultancy by developing core skills such as communication, administration, leadership, teaching and experience in quality assurance.
Implementing Metabolic Risk Assessment in a Secondary Care Mental Health Service
Authors: Dunbar Lucy , Wheeler Amanda , Harrison Jeff , Brandt Theo , Pulford Justin , Condell Wanda , Stoepker Jeremy
Published: July 2010

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe a metabolic risk assessment programme that was established by community mental health teams working within one locality of a District Health Board in Auckland.

Conclusions: Physical health disparities between people with serious mental illness and the general population are of great concern. We have described a systematic way to engage with clients about the prevention of two important contributors to these disparities: cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Around 15% of all adult service users of the mental health service in the locality attended this metabolic risk assessment clinic in the first 12 months of its operation.
Barriers and Solutions to Implementing Metabolic Risk Assessment in a Secondary Mental Health Service
Authors: Dunbar Lucy , Brandt Theo , Wheeler Amanda , Harrison Jeff
Published: July 2010

Objectives: The aim of this study is to understand the barriers and resulting solutions encountered by mental health service staff during the implementation of a metabolic risk assessment programme.

Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were held with key programme staff. Thematic analysis was performed on the resulting data.

Results: Barriers identified included an existing mindset that care of service users’ physical health is not part of Mental Health Service ‘core business’; the lack of processes that ensure consistent implementation of risk assessment; and lack of resources in terms of equipment and staff time/manpower. Solutions identified were categorized as: systems and process issues; staff training or education issues; issues requiring attention at an organizational level; and issues relating to service users, their family and communities.

Conclusions: A valuable programme that contributes to the improved physical health of service users has been developed and implemented. However, a number of barriers to wider adoption were identified. Solutions to a number of these barriers were identified during implementation.
Up Close and Personal: Medical Students Prefer Face-To-Face Teaching in Psychiatry
Authors: Lampe Lisa , Coulston Carissa , Walter Garry , Malhi Gin
Published: July 2010

Objective: The aim of this paper was to determine the teaching activities most valued by medical students in the psychiatry rotation and to examine whether this varies with age, gender or stage of training.

Method: Medical students at Sydney Medical School were surveyed following an 8-week clinical attachment in psychiatry. Differences in ratings between activities were examined by means of ANOVA and post hoc contrasts.

Results: The learning activities involving face-to-face teaching received the highest ratings. The most valued tutorial was that given weekly by a dedicated academic clinician. No differences were seen with respect to age and gender. Inconsistent differences were seen between stages of training for skills sessions, but no other learning activities.

Conclusions: Face-to-face clinical teaching should be a priority in clinical attachments in psychiatry as it is highly valued by students and contributes to positive attitudes towards psychiatry.
Reconstruction of the Spring Ligament Using a Peroneus Longus Autograft Tendon Transfer
Authors: Williams Benjamin R. , Ellis Scott J. , Deyer Timothy W. , Pavlov Helene , Deland Jonathan T.
Published: July 2010

Background: The spring (calcaneonavicular) ligament provides one of the main static supports of the medial arch of the foot. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the results of patients having undergone reconstruction of the spring ligament using a peroneus longus tendon autograft left at its distal attachment and passed through the navicular followed by either a calcaneal or tibial drill hole, a technique not previously reported. Materials and Methods: Thirteen consecutive patients (14 feet) (mean age, 63.5 ± 12.3 years) undergoing flatfoot surgery with spring ligament reconstruction for cases in which lateral column lengthening failed to correct talonavicular deformity were reviewed. The AOFAS, FAOS, and SF-36 were assessed along with standard weight-bearing radiographs at a followup visit at a mean of 8.9 ± 1.8 years after surgery. Hindfoot alignment and eversion strength were measured. Results: The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score increased from 43.1 to 90.3 ( p 0.001). The postoperative FAOS pain subscale and overall SF-36 were 83.7 (range, 67.9 to 100), and 77.3 (range 37.8 to 95.6) respectively. The AP first tarsometatarsal angle ( p = 0.015), talonavicular coverage angle ( p = 0.003), lateral calcaneal pitch ( p = 0.002), and lateral talonavicular angle ( p = 0.017) improved significantly and were within normal ranges postoperatively. The mean hindfoot alignment measured 2.7 degrees of valgus. All but one patient had normal (5/5) eversion strength. Conclusion: Reconstruction of the spring ligament resulted in few complications and might be considered as an alternative to arthrodesis in patients with ruptures of the spring ligament and deformity that does not correct fully with bony procedures alone.

Level of Evidence: IV, Retrospective Case Series
Analysis of the Clinical Score Progressions During the First Year After First MTPJ Fusion
Authors: Poggio Daniel , Retana Pablo Fernández de , Borda David , Hortua Pedro , Asunción Jordi , Rios Jose
Published: July 2010

Background: Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is an effective procedure for many foot pathologies. Many studies have focused on the moment at which joint fusion is carried out, or on the medium- and long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical progression of patients, evaluating both pain and changes on the AOFAS scale at various points during the first postoperative year. Material and Methods: A prospective study with 49 patients was conducted. The AOFAS scale and pain was collect both preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months after first metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis with 20-mm memory compression staples. The data obtained were analyzed for functional status and pain during the first year after surgery. Results: The mean preoperative AOFAS score was 39 compared with a mean postoperative score at 1-year followup of 85. The results of the AOFAS scale at 3- and 6-months post-surgery showed considerable variation. In contrast, at 12 months the mean results tended to converge, thus suggesting greater reliability in the prognosis. The change in pain over time differs from the AOFAS. Pain improved rapidly during the first 6 months; it peaked during the first 3 months, but the data suggests that it was from 6 months onward that prediction of pain levels begin to be more predictable and consistent. Conclusion: The present results show that scores on the AOFAS scale and for pain improve progressively throughout the first year following first MTPJ fusion. At 3 months the results for both pain and the AOFAS scale had a low predictive value due to the wide variation in scores. However, at 6 months, pain stabilized and scores showed greater precision, thus increasing the predictive value of the results. With the AOFAS scale, there continued to be considerable variation at 6 months, and it was not until 1-year post surgery that scores showed an acceptable degree of precision.

Level of Evidence: IV, Case Series
Mid-term Results of the MOJE Hallux MP Joint Replacement
Authors: McGraw Iain W. W. , Jameson Simon S. , Kumar C. Senthil
Published: July 2010

Background: There are reports of good early results in small numbers of patients implanted with the ‘Moje’ ceramic prosthesis. Published evidence thus far involves only small groups of patients with short-term followup. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the emerging mid-term clinical and radiographic results from our center. Materials and Methods: We describe our single-surgeon experience of 63 components in 48 patients at a mean followup of 44 months. Patient satisfaction was assessed by questionnaire and radiographic assessment performed immediately post operatively and at the latest followup. Results: Mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hallux score increased from 56 to 72 ( p >0.01) and mean satisfaction score was 7.6 (scale 1–10). Sixty-seven percent reported minimal or no pain. Five implants have been removed (8%), four because of pain associated with implant loosening and subsidence, and one because of deep infection. Fifty-seven percent of metatarsal and 56% of phalangeal components had subsided and we found radiographic evidence of loosening in 58% of X-rays analyzed at latest followup. Prosthetic subsidence was associated with greater margin of uncovered bone under the prosthesis ( p = 0.05 for metatarsal, p = 0.03 for proximal phalanx component) and longer followup ( p >0.001). Conclusion: In spite of the good clinical outcome at the mid-term stage with 91% implant survival, given the widespread loosening and subsidence encountered in our study, the long-term outcome following this procedure is uncertain.

Level of Evidence: III, Prospective, Case Control Study
Incidence of Pulmonary Embolism Following Surgical Treatment of Metatarsal Fractures
Authors: SooHoo Nelson F. , Farng Eugene , Zingmond David S.
Published: July 2010

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the rates of readmission to the hospital for pulmonary embolism following open reduction and internal fixation of metatarsal fractures using observational, population-based data from all inpatient admissions in California over an 11-year period. Materials and Methods: We identified patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation of a metatarsal fracture in the years 1995 to 2005 as inpatients using California's discharge database. The outcomes analyzed included readmission within 90 days of surgery for pulmonary embolism. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the impact of patient factors such as age, race/ethnicity and gender in predicting the rates of thromboembolic disease. Results: A total of 1,477 metatarsal ORIF procedures were performed as inpatients during the study period. We identified four patients (0.27%) readmitted with pulmonary embolism within 90 days of their initial ORIF procedure. There were three (0.20%) cases of mortality, none of which occurred in the four patients readmitted with pulmonary embolism. Given the low incidence, we did not identify age, gender, or race/ethnicity as statistically significant predictors of a higher risk of thromboembolic disease. Conclusion: The rate of readmission for pulmonary embolism was low. This suggests that the routine use of thromboprophylaxis may not be necessary for isolated metatarsal fractures to prevent pulmonary embolism.

Level of Evidence: II, Prognostic Study
Open Versus Closed Treatment of the Fibula in Maissoneuve Injuries
Authors: Pelton Kevin , Thordarson David B. , Barnwell Jonathan
Published: July 2010

Background: Masissoneuve fractures of the proximal half of the fibula are infrequently reported with only a few reports existing recommending closed reduction of the syndesmosis and percutaneous syndesmotic fixation. The purpose of this study was to compare the reduction obtained with open and closed reduction techniques of the fibular fracture with screw fixation of the syndesmosis. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with acute displaced fibula fractures in the proximal one-half with syndesmotic disruption were enrolled in the study. One orthopedic traumatology team at the time of the study routinely treated these injuries with open reduction of the fibular fracture site with screw fixation of the syndesmosis. The other orthopedic traumatology service routinely treated these patients with a closed reduction of the syndesmosis and percutaneous syndesmotic screw fixation. All syndesmotic injuries were treated with two stainless steel screws. Postoperative reduction was analyzed with a CT scan and plain radiographs to assess rotation, AP translation of the distal fibula, medial and lateral joint space (talofibular space), talocrural angle and superior ankle joint space. Control data from 20 normal ankle CT scans collected in a previous study were used for comparison. Results: There were eight patients in the closed group and four in the open treatment group. A statistically significant difference in the reduction of the syndesmosis was found with the open group showing anatomic or near anatomic reductions in all patients while the closed fibular reduction group showed variable reductions. The talocrural angle was 12.8 degrees in the open group and 9.9 degrees in the closed group. Conclusion: Proximal fibular fractures with syndesmotic disruption can be difficult to treat, especially with closed reduction and percutaneous fixation of the syndesmosis. In this limited series of patients, we found an unacceptable rate of malreduction with closed reduction and percutaneouso fixation and have now abandoned this technique.

Level of Evidence: III, Retrosepctive Case Control Study
A New Method for Measuring Deformity Distal to the Hallux Metatarsophalangeal Joint
Authors: Elliot Robin R. , Saxby Terry S.
Published: July 2010

Level of Evidence: V, Expert Opinion
One-Stage Complex Achilles Tendon Defect Reconstruction with an Achilles Tendon Allograft and a Gracilis Free Flap
Authors: Lykoudis Efstathios G. , Contodimos George V. , Ristanis Stavros , Georgoulis Anastasios D. , Lazarou Spyros A.
Published: July 2010

Level of Evidence: V, Expert Opinion
The Economic Returns to the Knowledge and Use of a Second Official Language: English in Quebec and French in the Rest-of-Canada
Authors: Christofides Louis N. , Swidinsky Robert
Published: July 2010

Knowledge of an additional language may be associated with enhanced earnings because of its actual value in the workplace, or its value as a screen for ability. Previously available data did not indicate whether bilingualism was actually practiced. The 2001 Census reports, for the first time, the primary and secondary languages used at work. Conditioning on both language knowledge and language use determines the additional earnings that can be attributed to the use of a second official language. We find substantial, statistically significant, rewards to second official language use in Quebec and insignificant effects in the Rest-of-Canada.
Another Look at the Francophone Wage Gap in Canada: Public and Private Sectors, Quebec and Outside Quebec
Authors: Nadeau Serge
Published: July 2010

Using a variant of the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method, I find that outside Quebec, in both public and private sectors, the wage premium enjoyed by anglophones between 1970 and 2000 can be fully explained by a higher relative demand for English skills. However, I find that in Quebec's public sector between 1970 and 2000, francophones enjoyed a wage premium that may have reflected more than a higher relative demand for French skills, opening the possibility of discrimination as a factor. Such a premium also seems to have been present in Quebec's private sector in 2000. In particular, as was the case in 1970 for francophones, in 2000 anglophones in Quebec's private sector could not gain access to the market premium for the other language group by becoming bilingual.
BSE in Canada: Were Economic Losses to the Beef Industry Covered by Government Compensation?
Authors: Klein K.K. , Le Roy Danny G.
Published: July 2010

The objectives of this paper are (a) to estimate the overall losses to the beef industry in Canada from BSE by identifying and estimating the increased costs and reduced revenues to the industry from May 2003 to September 2007; and (b) to assess the extent to which compensation paid by federal and provincial governments to producers of cattle and beef products covered these losses. The analysis suggests that in aggregate, the industry in Canada was fully indemnified through federal and provincial assistance programs, but the gains or losses to various sectors within the beef industry cannot be identified.
Perpetrators and victims
Authors: Selimovic Johanna Mannergren
Published: July 2010

This article juxtaposes local understandings and narratives on justice and reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with those of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). By looking at notions of collective innocence/guilt, the development of victim identities, and the relativization of the suffering of the other, it explores the failure of the ICTY to offer a convincing model of transitional justice in Bosnia. Although the ICTY disciplines the boundary between victim and perpetrator through measures for shared truth and individual justice, local discourses resist or transform these representations, thus tending to entrench rather than transcend national divisions. The findings of this article challenge prevalent instrumentalist understandings of transitional justice and its role in facilitating reconciliation. The article focuses on the communities of Konjic and Srebrenica and the ICTY outreach conferences held in these towns in 2004 and 2005.
Coffee after cleansing?
Authors: Stefansson Anders H.
Published: July 2010

This article critically addresses the idea that ethnic remixing alone fosters reconciliation and tolerance after sectarian conflict, a vision that has been forcefully cultivated by international interventionists in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the town of Banja Luka, it presents a multi-faceted analysis of the effects of ethnic minority return on the (re)building of social relations across communal boundaries. Although returnees were primarily elderly Bosniacs who settled in parts of the town traditionally populated by their own ethnic group, some level of inter-ethnic co-existence and co-operation had developed between the returnees and displaced Serbs who had moved into these neighborhoods. In the absence of national reconciliation, peaceful co-existence in local everyday life was brought about by silencing sensitive political and moral questions related to the war, indicating a preparedness among parts of the population to once again share a social space with the Other.
Classifying the “ideal migrant worker”
Authors: McLaughlin Janet
Published: July 2010

This article analyzes the ideology and practice of multi-unit competition that pervades neoliberal subjectivities and produces the “ideal” flexible worker within contemporary global capitalism. It demonstrates how state and capitalist interests converge to influence the selection of the ideal transnational migrant worker, how prospective migrants adapt to these expectations, and the consequences of such enactments, particularly for migrants, but also for the societies in which they live and work. Multiple levels of actors—employers, state bureaucrats, and migrants themselves—collude in producing the flexible, subaltern citizen, which includes constructions and relations of class, race, gender, and nationality/citizenship. The case study focuses on Mexican and Jamaican participants in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, a managed migration program that legally employs circular migrant farmworkers from Mexico and several English-speaking Caribbean countries in Canadian agriculture.
Coastal and Offshore Wind Energy Generation: Is It Environmentally Benign?
Authors: Wilson Jennifer C. , Elliott Mike , Cutts Nick D. , Mander Lucas , Mendão Vera , Perez-Dominguez Rafael , Phelps Anna
Published: July 2010

Offshore and coastal wind power is one of the fastest growing industries in many areas, especially those with shallow coastal regions due to the preferable generation conditions available in the regions. As with any expanding industry, there are concerns regarding the potential environmental effects which may be caused by the installation of the offshore wind turbines and their associated infrastructure, including substations and subsea cables. These include the potential impacts on the biological, physical and human environments. This review discusses in detail the potential impacts arising from offshore wind farm construction, and how these may be quantified and addressed through the use of conceptual models. It concludes that while not environmentally benign, the environmental impacts are minor and can be mitigated through good siting practices. In addition, it suggests that there are opportunities for environmental benefits through habitat creation and conservation protection areas.
Situational Analysis of Household Energy and Biomass Use and Associated Health Burden of Indoor Air Pollution and Mitigation Efforts in Pakistan
Authors: Fatmi Zafar , Rahman Asma , Kazi Ambreen , Kadir M. Masood , Sathiakumar Nalini
Published: July 2010

Biomass fuel burning leads to high levels of suspended particulate matter and hazardous chemicals in the indoor environment in countries where it is in common use, contributing significantly to indoor air pollution (IAP). A situational analysis of household energy and biomass use and associated health effects of IAP was conducted by reviewing published and un-published literature about the situation in Pakistan. In addition to attempt to quantify the burden of ill health due to IAP, this paper also appraises the mitigation measures undertaken to avert the problem in Pakistan. Unfortunately, IAP is still not a recognized environmental hazard in Pakistan and there are no policies and standards to control it at the household level. Only a few original studies related to health effects of IAP have been conducted, mainly on women’s health and birth outcome, and only a few governmental, non-governmental and academic institutions are working to improve the IAP situation by introducing improved stoves and renewable energy technology at a small scale. Control of IAP health hazards in Pakistan requires an initial meeting of the stakeholders to define a policy and an action agenda. Simultaneously, studies gathering evidence of impact of intervention through available technologies such as improved stoves would have favorable impact on the health, especially of women and children in Pakistan.
Discourses of Consumption in US-American Culture
Authors: Turner Rita
Published: July 2010

This paper explores varieties and examples of discourses of consumption, focusing primarily on US-American cultural discourses. The international community has in recent years developed an extremely valuable body of literature examining strategies for facilitating sustainable consumption; economic ramifications of varying consumption behaviors; attitudes and social structures that encourage or discourage sustainable consumption; approaches to consumption as a component of a sustainable or “green” lifestyle; and considerations of consumption practices in relation to inequities between North and South. The United States has made relatively few contributions to this body of literature thus far. But although the U.S. has not been one of the primary sources of academic literature on sustainable consumption, several types of discourses on consumption have become prominent in U.S. popular culture. These types of discourses include examinations of the moral status of consumption; investigations of the environmental or health consequences of modern consumption behaviors; explorations and critiques of green consumerism; and discourses that either construct or critique the commodification of the nonhuman world to produce objects for consumption. Throughout this paper I outline and offer examples of these strains of popular discourse, drawing on a newly-emerging body of U.S. literature and critically analyzing instances of discourse about sustainable consumption in film, television, internet, and print media. I conclude by examining new perspectives on sustainable coexistence that offer transformative possibilities for establishing relationships with the more-than-human world that are not based primarily on consumption.
Out of the Rubble and Towards a Sustainable Future: The “Greening” of Greensburg, Kansas
Authors: White Stacey Swearingen
Published: July 2010

Following a devastating tornado there in 2007, the tiny city of Greensburg, Kansas has engaged in a sustainability-oriented recovery process through which it hopes to serve as a model for other communities planning for a sustainable future. This article uses innovation theory to consider how and why the sustainability focus emerged in Greensburg and to explore the potential transferability of those factors to other contexts. An analysis of 535 newspaper articles reveals key factors as: the shared vision of persistent local leaders, the framing of sustainability as an “opportunity” with an energy efficiency focus, community pride and resilience, and a “clean slate” rebuilding effort with substantial available funding. While Greensburg’s future is intimately connected to the specifics of its recent past, the analysis does reveal lessons that other communities can draw from in crafting sustainability plans of their own.
An evaluation of candidate plant DNA barcodes and assignment methods in diagnosing 29 species in the genus Agalinis (Orobanchaceae)
Authors: Pettengill James B. , Neel Maile C.
Published: July 2010

• Premise of the study: DNA barcoding has been proposed as a useful technique within many disciplines (e.g., conservation biology and forensics) for determining the taxonomic identity of a sample based on nucleotide similarity to samples of known taxonomy. Application of DNA barcoding to plants has primarily focused on evaluating the success of candidate barcodes across a broad spectrum of evolutionary divergence. Less attention has been paid to evaluating performance when distinguishing congeners or to differential success of analytical techniques despite the fact that the practical application and utility of barcoding hinges on the ability to distinguish closely related species.

• Methods: We tested the ability to distinguish among 92 samples representing 29 putative species in the genus Agalinis (Orobanchaceae) using 13 candidate barcodes and three analytical methods (i.e., threshold genetic distances, hierarchical tree‐based, and diagnostic character differences). Due to questions regarding evolutionary distinctiveness of some taxa, we evaluated success under two taxonomic hypotheses.

• Key results: The psbA‐trnH and trnT‐trnL barcodes in conjunction with the “best close match” distance‐based method best met the objectives of DNA barcoding. Success was also a function of the taxonomy used.

• Conclusions: In addition to accurately identifying query sequences, our results showed that DNA barcoding is useful for detecting taxonomic uncertainty; determining whether erroneous taxonomy or incomplete lineage sorting is the cause requires additional information provided by traditional taxonomic approaches. The magnitude of differentiation within and among the Agalinis species sampled suggests that our results inform how DNA barcoding will perform among closely related species in other genera.
Ecological genetics of the Bromus tectorum (Poaceae)–Ustilago bullata (Ustilaginaceae) pathosystem: A role for frequency‐dependent selection?
Authors: Meyer Susan E. , Nelson David L. , Clement Suzette , Ramakrishnan Alisa
Published: July 2010

• Premise of the study: Evolutionary processes that maintain genetic diversity in plants are likely to include selection imposed by pathogens. Negative frequency‐dependent selection is a mechanism for maintenance of resistance polymorphism in plant–pathogen interactions. We explored whether such selection operates in the Bromus tectorum–Ustilago bullata pathosystem. Gene‐for‐gene relationships between resistance and avirulence loci have been demonstrated for this pathosystem.

• Methods: We used molecular markers and cross‐inoculation trials to learn whether the SSR genotypes of the host exhibited resistance to co‐occurring pathogen races, whether host genotypes within a population had equal disease probability, and whether a common resistance locus and its corresponding avirulence locus exhibited predicted allele frequency changes during an epidemic.

• Key results: Five of six putative resistance loci that conferred resistance to co‐occurring pathogen races occurred in common host SSR genotypes. Some common genotypes within populations were more likely to be diseased than others, and genotype frequencies sometimes changed across years in patterns consistent with frequency‐dependent selection. Observed changes in frequency of resistance and virulence alleles during an epidemic provided further support, but evidence was inconclusive.

• Conclusions: Frequency‐dependent selection may operate at endemic disease levels in this pathosystem, but is difficult to detect because many susceptible plants escape infection. Most pathogen isolates were virulent on most host genotypes, minimizing the apparent importance of frequency‐dependent selection even during epidemics.
Species‐specificity of nurse plants for the establishment, survivorship, and growth of a columnar cactus
Authors: Landero Juan Pablo Castillo , Valiente‐Banuet Alfonso
Published: July 2010

• Premise of the study: Seedling establishment and early survivorship are crucial steps for the regeneration of plant populations because both have long‐lasting effects on plant population dynamics. For species recruiting through facilitation, species‐specific facilitative effects might affect early fitness, an overlooked aspect in studies of facilitation considering groups of nurse species.

• Methods: We experimentally evaluated the roles of 10 nurse species and open space on the early performance of the columnar cactus Neobuxbaumia mezcalaensis. We measured establishment, survivorship, and growth of individuals over 3 years. Moreover, to study an extended period of the ontogeny of the interaction between this cactus and its nurse plants, we also monitored survivorship and growth rates of individuals between 3 to 12 cm tall during a 3‐year period.

• Key results: Neobuxbaumia mezcalaensis performance varied significantly among nurse species, and only six yielded positive effects on early fitness. Densely canopied plants were the best nurses for this cactus. However, even among densely canopied species, some produced negative effects on the early fitness of N. mezcalaensis, indicating that similar nurse plants may elicit either facilitative or interference effects on beneficiary species.

• Conclusions: Our results emphasize the importance of species‐specific facilitative interactions in the crucial early stages in the life cycle of N. mezcalaensis and how different nurse species modify the effect of seed‐rain and contribute significantly to the population dynamics of the species.
OPTIMIZATION OF SIGNAL FEATURES UNDER OBJECT’S DYNAMIC TEST
Authors: Babak Vitaly , Filonenko Sergey , Kornienko-Miftakhova Irina , Ponomarenko Alexander
Published: July 2010

The results of investigating the influence of the time constant of acceleration signal transformation or vibration speed into a displacement signal are given. Regularities of displacement signal amplitude change after transformation of acceleration and speed signals have been determined. It is shown that the error of displacement signal amplitude change depends on the transformation time constant for the intended frequency of the input signal. Thus, its minimum value corresponds to the value of the transformation time constant, equal to half an input signal period. The results of displacement measurements obtained by using vibration speed sensors and the results of their comparison with data, obtained by employing the displacement master sensor, are given.
Alternative Adaptive Immunity in Jawless Vertebrates
Authors: Herrin Brantley R. , Cooper Max D.
Published: July 2010

Jawless vertebrates use variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs) that are generated by RAG-independent combinatorial assembly of leucine-rich repeat cassettes for Ag recognition, instead of the Ig-based Ag receptors used by jawed vertebrates. The VLR genes encode for crescent-shaped proteins that use variable β-strands and a C-terminal loop to bind to Ags rather than the six CDR loops used by BCRs and TCRs. VLR mAbs have been isolated recently, which enabled the structure of VLR–Ag complexes to be defined. The jawless vertebrate adaptive immune system has many similarities to the Ig-based system of jawed vertebrates, including the compartmentalized development of B-like and T-like lymphocyte lineages that proliferate and differentiate into VLR-secreting plasmacytes and proinflammatory cytokine-producing cells in response to Ags. The definition of common features of the VLR-based and Ig-based systems offers fresh insight into the evolution of adaptive immunity.
Proinflammatory Clearance of Apoptotic Neutrophils Induces an IL-12lowIL-10high Regulatory Phenotype in Macrophages
Authors: Filardy Alessandra A. , Pires Dayana R. , Nunes Marise P. , Takiya Christina M. , Freire-de-Lima Celio G. , Ribeiro-Gomes Flavia L. , DosReis George A.
Published: July 2010

Clearance of apoptotic exudate neutrophils (efferocytosis) induces either pro- or anti-inflammatory responses in mouse macrophages depending on host genetic background. In this study, we investigated whether neutrophil efferocytosis induces a stable macrophage phenotype that could be recalled by late restimulation with LPS. Bone marrow-derived macrophages previously stimulated by pro- but not anti-inflammatory neutrophil efferocytosis expressed a regulatory/M2b phenotype characterized by low IL-12 and high IL-10 production following restimulation, increased expression of LIGHT/TNF superfamily 14, Th2-biased T cell responses, and permissive replication of Leishmania major. Induction of regulatory/M2b macrophages required neutrophil elastase activity and was partially dependent on TLR4 signaling. These results suggested that macrophage differentiation to a regulatory phenotype plays a role in resolution of inflammation but could contribute to increased humoral Ab responses and parasite persistence in the infected host.
Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
Authors: Walker Peter A. , Harting Matthew T. , Shah Shinil K. , Day Mary-Clare , El Khoury Ramy , Savitz Sean I. , Baumgartner James , Cox Charles S.
Published: July 2010

Recent preclinical work investigating the role of progenitor cell therapies for central nervous system (CNS) injuries has shown potential neuroprotection in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and ischemic stroke. Mechanisms currently under investigation include engraftment and transdifferentiation, modulation of the locoregional inflammatory milieu, and modulation of the systemic immunologic/inflammatory response. While the exact mechanism of action remains controversial, the growing amount of preclinical data demonstrating the potential benefit associated with progenitor cell therapy for neurological injury warrants the development of well-controlled clinical trials to investigate therapeutic safety and efficacy. In this paper, we review the currently active or recently completed clinical trials investigating the safety and potential efficacy of bone marrow-derived progenitor cell therapies for the treatment of TBI, SCI, and ischemic stroke. Our review of the literature shows that while the preliminary clinical trials reviewed in this paper offer novel data supporting the potential efficacy of stem/progenitor cell therapies for CNS injury, a great deal of additional work is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of progenitor cell therapy prior to widespread clinical trials.
Pathogenic and Epiphenomenal Anti-DNA Antibodies in SLE
Authors: Pavlovic Mirjana , Kats Anna , Cavallo Michelle , Chen Ran , Hartmann James X. , Shoenfeld Yehuda
Published: July 2010

The discoveries of natural and the development of manufactured highly efficient catalytic antibodies (abzymes) opens the door to many practical applications. One of the most fascinating is the use of such antibodies in human therapy and prevention (vaccination), of cancer, AIDS, autoimmune diseases. A special entity of naturally occurring DNA hydrolytic anti-DNA antibodies is emerging within past decades linked to autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), Sjogren Syndrome (SS), B - Chronic lymphocytic leucosis (B-CLL), and Multiple Myeloma (MM). The origin of the antibodies is unknown. The underlying mechanisms of these activities are suggested to be penetration into the living cells and translocation in the nucleus, with recognition of the specific binding sites at particular (ss or ds) DNA. There are controversies in the literature whether hydrolysis is a sequence-specific event. The interplay between anti-DNA antibodies and DNA is not yet elucidated. This molecular “twist” also suggests that anti-DNA antibodies with DNA hydrolytic capacity could be the organism's immune response to a microbial attack, with microbial DNA, or specific genes within microbial DNA sequence, as a target for neutralization. The catalytic antibody-based approach can become a key tool in selective chemotherapeutic strategies.
Population modelling of Acartia spp. in a water column ecosystem model for the South-Eastern Baltic Sea
Authors: Dzierzbicka-Glowacka L. , Żmijewska I. M. , Mudrak S. , Jakacki J. , Lemieszek A.
Published: July 2010

Abstract. This paper describes numerical simulations of the seasonal dynamics of Acartia spp. in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea. The studies were carried out using a structured zooplankton population model adapted to Acartia spp. The population model with state variables for eggs, nauplii, five copepodites stages and adults was coupled with a marine ecosystem model. Four state variables for the carbon cycle represent the functional units of phytoplankton, pelagic detritus, benthic detritus, and bulk zooplankton, which represent all zooplankton other than the structured population. The annual cycle simulated for 2000 under realistic weather and hydrographic conditions was studied with the coupled ecosystem-zooplankton model applied to a water column in the Gdansk Gulf (South-Eastern Baltic Sea). The vertical profiles of selected state variables were compared to the physical forcing to study differences between bulk and structured zooplankton biomass. The simulated population dynamics of Acartia spp. and zooplankton as one biomass state variable were compared with observations in the Gdansk Gulf. Simulated generation times are more affected by temperature than food conditions except during the spring phytoplankton bloom. The numerical studies are a following step in understanding how the population dynamics of a dominant species in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea interact with the environment.