bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A note on the stereological implications of irregular spacing of sections
Authors: BADDELEY A. , DORPH‐PETERSEN K.A. , VEDEL JENSEN E.B.
Published: July 2006

Stereological methods for serial sections traditionally assume that the sections are exactly equally spaced. In reality, the spacing and thickness of sections can be quite irregular. This may affect the validity and accuracy of stereological techniques, especially the Cavalieri estimator of volume. We present a new formula for the accuracy of the Cavalieri estimator that includes the effect of random variability in section spacing. A modest amount of variability in section spacing can cause a substantial increase in estimator variance.
Precision of stereological planar area predictors
Authors: KIÊU KIÊN , MORA MARIANNE
Published: July 2006

Total planar area can be estimated based on sampling by a lattice of figures (e.g. point patterns, line segments, quadrats). General formulae are provided for the approximation of mean squared errors. The approximation formulae are products of the boundary length and of a parameter that depends only on the sampling scheme. An R package is provided by the authors for the numerical computation of the mean squared error formulae. The speed of convergence of the mean squared error approximation is assessed on the basis of several simulations. Several sampling schemes are compared in view of the approximated mean squared errors.
On error prediction in circular systematic sampling
Authors: JÓNSDÓTTIR K. Ý. , HOFFMANN L. M. , HOBOLTH A. , VEDEL JENSEN E. B.
Published: July 2006

An extended covariogram model is discussed for estimating the precision of circular systematic sampling. The extension is motivated by recent developments in shape analysis of featureless planar objects. Preliminary simulation results indicate that it is important to consider the extended covariogram model.
Optimized HREM imaging of objects supported by amorphous substrates using spherical aberration adjustment
Authors: ALLSOP NICHOLAS A. , DOBSON PETER J. , HUTCHISON JOHN L.
Published: July 2006

High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) is often used to characterize objects supported by amorphous substrates, usually amorphous carbon. HREM is currently undergoing step change in performance due to aberration correctors. This paper examines the aberration corrected imaging of objects supported by amorphous substrates. In particular, we show that a substantial increase in the ratio of the object contrast to the substrate contrast can be achieved by utilizing the strong variation of phase contrast with height, which is present when the spherical aberration has been adjusted to a small value. This variation is examined using the familiar Weak Phase Object Approximation model from which it is determined that the contrast ratio achieves a maximum at a small nonzero value of the spherical aberration. This result is confirmed by multislice modelling which allows for deviations from the Weak Phase Object Approximation and delocalization effects. One important practical result of this study is the need to place the object of interest on the correct side of the amorphous carbon substrate.
Hard X‐ray microscopy with Zernike phase contrast
Authors: YOUN HWA SHIK , JUNG SUK‐WON
Published: July 2006

Zernike phase contrast has been added to a full‐field X‐ray microscope with Fresnel zone plates that was in operation at 6.95 keV. The spatial resolution has also been improved by increasing the magnification of the microscope objective looking at the CsI(Tl) scintillation crystal. Cu no. 2000 meshes and a zone plate have been imaged to see the contrast as well as the spatial resolution. A Halo effect coming from the Zernike phase contrast was clearly visible on the images of meshes.
Angular distribution of polarized photon‐pairs in a scattering medium with a Zeeman laser scanning confocal microscope
Authors: CHANG H. F. , CHOU C. , YAU H. F. , CHAN Y. H. , YIH J. N. , WU J. S.
Published: July 2006

A novel confocal microscope designed for use with turbid media is proposed. We use a Zeeman laser as the light source. Based on the properties of two‐frequency polarized photon‐pairs and the common‐path feature of polarized photon‐pairs with heterodyne detection employed in the proposed confocal microscope, three gatings (spatial filtering gating, polarization gating and spatial coherence gating) are thus simultaneously incorporated in the microscope. Experimental results for the angular distribution of polarized photon‐pairs in a scattering medium indicate that polarization gating and spatial coherence gating preclude the detection of multiply scattered photons, whereas the pinhole selects the least scattered photon‐pairs. Thus, better performance for axial resolution than can be obtained with a conventional confocal microscope is demonstrated experimentally. In addition, the proposed microscope is able to either look deeper into a turbid medium or work with a denser medium; furthermore, the axial resolution is improved.
Characterization of intact subcellular bodies in whole bacteria by cryo‐electron tomography and spectroscopic imaging
Authors: COMOLLI L. R. , KUNDMANN M. , DOWNING K. H.
Published: July 2006

We illustrate the combined use of cryo‐electron tomography and spectroscopic difference imaging in the study of subcellular structure and subcellular bodies in whole bacteria. We limited our goal and focus to bodies with a distinct elemental composition that was in a sufficiently high concentration to provide the necessary signal‐to‐noise level at the relatively large sample thicknesses of the intact cell. This combination proved very powerful, as demonstrated by the identification of a phosphorus‐rich body in Caulobacter crescentus. We also confirmed the presence of a body rich in carbon, demonstrated that these two types of bodies are readily recognized and distinguished from each other, and provided, for the first time to our knowledge, structural information about them in their intact state. In addition, we also showed the presence of a similar type of phosphorus‐rich body in Deinococcus grandis, a member of a completely unrelated bacteria genus. Cryo‐electron microscopy and tomography allowed the study of the biogenesis and morphology of these bodies at resolutions better than 10 nm, whereas spectroscopic difference imaging provided a direct identification of their chemical composition.
Neuropsychiatric findings of Möbius sequence – a review
Authors: Briegel W
Published: July 2006

Möbius sequence is a rare condition of heterogeneous, and in most cases, unclear; origin, usually defined as a unilateral or bilateral congenital facial weakness with impairment of ocular abduction, which is frequently associated with limb anomalies. Disturbances in psychomotor and speech development are very common, and mental retardation is estimated to occur in 10–15% of cases. The incidence of autistic spectrum disorders might be increased in patients with Möbius sequence. After a brief overview on aetiology and physical appearance, current knowledge of cognitive capacities and academic achievement; psychomotor development; development of speech, language and communication; behaviour problems; psychiatric comorbidity and possible therapeutic interventions are reviewed.
Microsatelite GT polymorphism in the toll‐like receptor 2 is associated with colorectal cancer
Authors: Boraska Jelavić T , Barišić M , Drmic Hofman I , Boraska V , Vrdoljak E , Peruzović M , Hozo I , Puljiz Ž , Terzić J
Published: July 2006

Factors underlying genetic predisposition for development of sporadic colorectal cancer are largely unknown. The fact that this cancer is more common in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease raises the question of the relationship between chronic inflammation and cancer. Toll‐like receptors 2 (TLR2) and 4 (TLR4) are critical in initiating innate immune response and inflammation toward various bacteria commonly found in the intestine. Recent evidence about the association of polymorphisms in these genes with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as other inflammatory conditions, was the basis for our investigation of their role in sporadic colorectal cancer. We assessed genotype and allele frequencies of TLR2 GT microsatelite polymorphism, TLR2 Arg753Gln, TLR4 Asp299Gly and TLR4 Thr399Ile polymorphisms in 89 colorectal cancer patients and 88 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. The frequency of TLR2 GT microsatelite alleles with 20 and 21 GT repeats was decreased (p = 0.0044 and p = 0.001, respectively), while the frequency of the allele with 31 GT repeats was increased (p = 0.0147) in patients. The mutant allele Asp299Gly of TLR4 gene was slightly more frequent in colorectal cancer patients (p = 0.0269). In conclusion, we report an association of microsatelite GT polymorphisms of TLR2 gene and Asp299Gly polymorphism of the TLR4 gene with sporadic colorectal cancer among Croatians.
The genotype–phenotype correlation of hereditary multiple exostoses
Authors: Alvarez C , Tredwell S , De Vera M , Hayden M
Published: July 2006

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal dominant condition with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the genotype and the phenotype in HME. Thirty‐two affected individuals from 10 families participated in the study. An extensive description of HME phenotype in terms of the anatomical burden of disease involved clinical and radiographic examinations and evaluation of 76 parameters. Mutations were determined by sequencing the EXT 1 and EXT 2 genes. Mutations were found in eight families (26 individuals), with one mutation previously reported in the literature and seven novel mutations. There were seven subjects with an EXT 1 mutation and 16 with an EXT 2 mutation. Patients with EXT 1 mutation were found to have more exostoses, more limb malalignment with shorter limb segments and height, and more pelvic and flatbone involvement. A genotype–phenotype correlation exists in HME, with patients with EXT 1 mutations having a higher degree of anatomical burden.
Phenotypic variability in isodicentric Y patients: study of nine cases
Authors: DesGroseilliers M , Beaulieu Bergeron M , Brochu P , Lemyre E , Lemieux N
Published: July 2006

Isodicentric chromosomes are the most commonly reported aberrations of the human Y chromosome. As they are unstable during cell division and can generate various types of cell lines, most reported patients are chromosomal mosaics, generally including a 45,X cell line. Phenotypes depend on the location of the breakpoints as well as on the proportion of each cell line and vary from male to abnormal female or individual with ambiguous genitalia. Although phenotypic variability is known to also depend on the degree of mosaicism in the various tissues, gonads are rarely studied. We report nine cases of isodicentric Y chromosomes studied by conventional and molecular cytogenetic: three males, five females, and one individual with sexual ambiguity. Two males had a non‐mosaic karyotype, while the third male was a mosaic with a predominant 46,XY cell line. Three of the females had a major 45,X cell line, while the last two females and the patient with ambiguous genitalia had a major 46,X,idic(Y) cell line. Analyses of gonadal tissues from the individual with sexual ambiguity and of three of the five female patients gave results concordant with their phenotype, allowing us to better understand the sexual differentiation of these patients.
The C‐480T hepatic lipase polymorphism is associated with HDL‐C but not with risk of coronary heart disease
Authors: McCaskie PA , Cadby G , Hung J , McQuillan BM , Chapman CML , Carter KW , Thompson PL , Palmer LJ , Beilby JP
Published: July 2006

High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) is a known predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD). Studies have shown that the C‐480T polymorphism of the hepatic lipase (HL) gene is predictive of HDL‐C; however, its observed relationship with the risk of CHD has been inconsistent. We analysed four biallelic polymorphisms in the HL gene in participants from three independent Western Australian populations. Samples were collected from two cross‐sectional studies of 1111 and 4822 community‐based subjects assessed for cardiovascular risk factors, and a third sample of 556 subjects with physician‐diagnosed CHD. Genotypes were tested for association with plasma lipids and the risk of CHD. All polymorphisms were highly correlated (D′ > 0.97, r2 > 0.90); therefore, only C‐480T was analysed. The −480T allele was significantly associated with an increase in HDL‐C of between 0.08 and 0.16 mmol/l in all three populations (p < 0.001). No associations with other lipids were observed, nor was an association with CHD in a case–control study of males. The TT genotype was however associated with decreased risk of myocardial infarction among cases (odds ratio = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.19–0.78, p = 0.008). These findings replicate those of previous studies in three independent populations and suggest that the genetic determinants of CHD are complex and cannot be entirely explained through intermediate phenotypes.
Identification of novel mutations in the RSK2 gene (RPS6KA3) in patients with Coffin–Lowry syndrome
Authors: Delaunoy JP , Dubos A , Marques Pereira P , Hanauer A
Published: July 2006

The Coffin–Lowry syndrome (CLS) is a rare X‐linked semidominant syndrome characterized by severe psychomotor retardation, facial dysmorphism, digit abnormalities and progressive skeletal deformations. CLS is caused by mutations in a gene located in Xp22.2, RPS6KA3. This gene encodes for a growth factor‐regulated serine/threonine protein kinase, RSK2 (ribosomal S6 kinase 2), acting in the Ras‐mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Mutations in the RPS6KA3 gene are extremely heterogeneous and lead to premature termination of translation and/or to loss of phosphotransferase activity of the RSK2 protein. Screening for RSK2 mutations is essential in most cases to confirm the diagnosis as well as for genetic counseling. Here we present 44 novel mutations in RSK2 causing CLS. The overall number of CLS mutations reported now is 128. Thirty‐three percent of mutations are missense mutations, 15% nonsense mutations, 20% splicing errors and 29% short deletion or insertion events. Only four large deletions have so far been found. They are distributed throughout the RPS6KA3 gene, and the majority has been found in a single family. This study further confirms the high rate of new mutations at the RSK2 locus. It is important to consider the possibility of mosaicism when providing genetic counseling in CLS families.
Co‐regulation of water channels and potassium channels in rice
Authors: Liu Hong‐Yan , Sun Wei‐Ning , Su Wei‐Ai , Tang Zhang‐Cheng
Published: July 2006

Aquaporins and potassium channel proteins are probably critical for a plant to maintain proper cytosolic osmolarity in response to drought or other stresses. However, evidence linking water channel and potassium channel functions in plants remains to be demonstrated. The present study examined K+ channel/transporters and water channels in rice (Oryza sativa L. spp. indica cv. Guangluai 4) to reveal a potential functional correlation. The mRNA expression levels of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) and K+ channel/transporters responded similarly to K+ starvation or water deprivation. Transcription of the PIP‐ and K+ channel‐encoding genes was induced by K+ starvation and could be downregulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐mediated water deficit. Consistent with the induced PIP expression, root hydraulic conductivity (Lp) also increased during K+ starvation. Furthermore, the K+ uptake capacity, but not the K+ content, was probably influenced by K+ starvation. Caesium chloride treatment decreased K+ content in the rice seedlings and reduced root Lp as did mercuric chloride. These results are compatible with the conclusion that PIP and K+ channel/transporters are functionally co‐regulated in rice osmoregulation.
Evaluation of different RNA extraction methods for small quantities of plant tissue: Combined effects of reagent type and homogenization procedure on RNA quality‐integrity and yield
Authors: Portillo Mary , Fenoll Carmen , Escobar Carolina
Published: July 2006

Highly sensitive techniques for transcriptome analysis, such as microarrays, complementary DNA‐amplified fragment length polymorphisms (cDNA‐AFLPs), and others currently used in functional genomics require a high RNA quality and integrity, as well as reproducibility among extractions of replicates from the same tissue. There are, however, few technical papers comparing different homogenization techniques and reagents to extract RNA from small quantities of plant tissue. We extracted RNA from tomato seedlings with the three different commercial reagents TRIZOL LS®, TRIZOL®, and TRI Reagent® in combination with pulverization, homogenization‐maceration in a mortar, and homogenization with mild vibration plus glass beads, and evaluated total RNA integrity‐quality and yield. Pulverization under liquid nitrogen combined with TRIZOL LS® as extraction reagent and homogenization‐maceration in mortar with TRI Reagent®, are the procedures that rendered higher RNA yield, integrity and quality, as well as reproducibility among independent RNA extractions. In contrast, short mild vibration pulses (4500 r.p.m. for 5 s) mixed with glass beads, rendered low extraction efficiency and caused, in most cases, partial RNA degradation.
Ethylene sensitivity affects changes in growth patterns, but not stem properties, in response to mechanical stress in tobacco
Authors: Anten Niels P. R. , Casado‐Garcia Raquel , Pierik Ronald , Pons Thijs L.
Published: July 2006

Plant responses to mechanical stress (e.g. wind or touch) involve a suite of physiologic and developmental changes, collectively known as thigmomorphogenesis, including reductions in height increment, Young’s modulus of stems, shoot growth, and seed production, and increased stem girth and root growth. A role of the phytohormone ethylene in thigmomorphogenesis has been proposed but the extent of this involvement is not entirely clear. To address this issue, wild‐type (WT) and ethylene‐insensitive transgenic (Tetr) tobacco (Nicotianum tabacum) plants were subjected to three levels of mechanical stress: 0, 25 and 75 daily flexures. Flexed plants produced shorter, thicker stems with a lower Young’s modulus than non‐flexed ones, and these responses occurred independently of genotype. This suggests that ethylene does not play a role in thigmomorphogenesis‐related changes in stem characteristics in tobacco. The effect of mechanical stress on dry mass increment (growth), on the other hand, differed between the genotypes: in the WT plants, shoot growth but not root growth was reduced under mechanical stress, resulting in reduced total growth and increased root mass fractions. In the Tetr plants, neither shoot nor root growth were affected. This suggests that ethylene is involved in the inhibition of tobacco shoot growth under mechanical stress.
Concentration and localization of zinc during seed development and germination in wheat
Authors: Ozturk Levent , Yazici Mustafa Atilla , Yucel Cemal , Torun Ayfer , Cekic Cemal , Bagci Ahmet , Ozkan Hakan , Braun Hans‐Joachim , Sayers Zehra , Cakmak Ismail
Published: July 2006

In a field experiment, the effect of foliar Zn applications on the concentration of Zn in seeds of a bread wheat cultivar (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Balatilla) was studied during different stages of seed development. In addition, a staining method using dithizone (DTZ: diphenyl thiocarbazone) was applied to (1) study the localization of Zn in seeds, (2) follow the remobilization of Zn during germination, and (3) develop a rapid visual Zn screening method for seed and flour samples. In all seed development stages, foliar Zn treatments were effective in increasing seed Zn concentration. The highest Zn concentration in the seeds was found in the first stage of seed development (around the early milk stage); after this, seed Zn concentration gradually decreased until maturity. When reacting with Zn, DTZ forms a redcolored complex. The DTZ staining of seed samples revealed that Zn is predominantly located in the embryo and aleurone parts of the seeds. After 36 h of germination, the coleoptile and roots that emerged from seeds showed very intensive red color formation and had Zn concentrations up to 200 mg kg−1, indicating a substantial remobilization of Zn from seed pools into the developing roots (radicle) and coleoptile. The DTZ staining method seems to be useful in ranking flour samples for their Zn concentrations. There was a close relationship between the seed Zn concentrations and spectral absorbance of the methanol extracts of the flour samples stained with DTZ. The results suggest that (1) accumulation of Zn in seeds is particularly high during early seed development, (2) Zn is concentrated in the embryo and aleurone parts, and (3) the DTZ staining method can be used as a rapid, semiquantitative method to estimate Zn concentrations of flour and seed samples and to screen genotypes for their Zn concentrations in seeds.
Scleroderma in South Australia: further epidemiological observations supporting a stochastic explanation
Authors: Roberts‐Thomson P. J. , Walker J. G. , Lu T. Y.‐T. , Esterman A. , Hakendorf P. , Smith M. D. , Ahern M. J.
Published: July 2006

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, prevalence, survival and selective demographic characteristics of scleroderma occurring in South Australia over the 10‐year period 1993–2002.

Methods: Analysis of the database of the South Australian Scleroderma Register: a population‐based register established in 1993. Patients with scleroderma resident in South Australia (n = 353 at 2002) were ascertained from multiple sources and clinical and demographic data were obtained from mailed questionnaire and from review of computerized hospital databases, case notes or referring letters. Time–space cluster analysis was carried out according to the Knox method. Control data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

Results: The mean prevalence was 21.4 per 105 (95% confidence interval 20.2–22.6) and the mean cumulative incidence of 1.5 per 105 (95% confidence interval 1.32–1.73) with no significant change in incidence over the study period (P = 0.13). Cumulative survival improved over the study period, with patients with diffuse disease having significantly reduced survival (as compared with limited disease, P < 0.001). The proportion with diffuse disease (∼22%) remained steady. There was a small but significant predisposition in patients with a continental European birthplace (P < 0.001). A family history of scleroderma was noted in 1.6% with λ1 (familial risk) of 14.3 (95% confidence interval 5.9–34.5). However, a family history of systemic autoimmunity (especially rheumatoid arthritis) was more common (6%). No socioeconomic stratification, temporal clustering nor spatio‐temporal clustering was observed either at time of initial symptom or at 10 years before disease onset.

Conclusion: Scleroderma occurs relatively infrequently in South Australia with no significant change in incidence observed over the 10‐year study period. However, cumulative survival has improved. Identified risk factors include family history of scleroderma (risk ∼14‐fold), female sex (risk ∼5‐fold) and European birthplace (risk ∼2.5‐fold); however, the majority of the disease variance appears unexplained. A stochastic explanation based on genetic instability is favoured to explain this paradox.
Thrombolytic therapy for acute ischaemic stroke: successful implementation in an Australian tertiary hospital
Authors: Bray J. E. , Coughlan K. , Bladin C.
Published: July 2006

Background: The use of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (t‐PA) in ischaemic stroke outside of experienced stroke centres remains controversial. The aim of this study was to present the initial experience with t‐PA in patients with ischaemic stroke at an institution with no prior experience in i.v. stroke thrombolysis and to compare results to published reports.

Methods: Prospective audit of 888 patients with consecutive stroke and transient ischaemic attack admitted to a 426‐bed tertiary referral hospital from March 2003 to October 2005. Main outcome measures were treatment rate, exclusion criteria, protocol violations, intracerebral haemorrhage, disability (modified Rankin scale) and mortality at 3 months.

Results: Over the study period, 72 patients received t‐PA (11% of ischaemic strokes). The main reason for exclusion was presentation beyond 3 h of onset (44%); if all eligible patients had arrived within 3 h, treatment rate was estimated at 32.5%. Protocol violations occurred in 15 (21%) patients. There were seven (10%) asymptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage and one (1%) non‐fatal symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. At 3 months, 37% had achieved excellent recovery (modified Rankin scale 0–1) and seven (10%) had died. The delivery and outcomes associated with the use of t‐PA were comparable to the results of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial and meta‐analysis of open‐labelled studies.

Conclusion: With appropriate infrastructure and protocols, previously inexperienced tertiary referral centres can replicate the experience and outcome measures reported by clinical trials of t‐PA in patients with stroke.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment in the Northern Territory: assessing health service performance for indigenous Australians
Authors: Condon J. R. , Cunningham J. , Barnes T. , Armstrong B. K. , Selva‐Nayagam S.
Published: July 2006

Background: Indigenous Australians with cancer are diagnosed with more advanced disease and have lower survival than other Australians.

Aim: To investigate reasons for these differences.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 1197 indigenous and nonindigenous people in the Northern Territory diagnosed with cancers of the colon and rectum, lung, breast, cervix and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma between 1991 and 2000. Outcome measures were stage at diagnosis and relative risk of cancer death.

Results: Indigenous people compared with nonindigenous people had higher relative odds of advanced stage of cancer at diagnosis (relative odds 1.9, 95% CI 1.3–2.7) for four cancers but lower relative odds for lung cancer (relative odds 0.3, 95% CI 0.2–0.5). None of the potentially contributing factors examined could explain this difference. Risk of cancer death (adjusted for cancer type and age and stage at diagnosis) was higher in indigenous than in nonindigenous people (relative risk 1.7, 95% CI 1.4–2.1). This difference, however, was confined to indigenous people with an indigenous first language (relative risk 2.9, 95% CI 2.2–3.8). Adjustment for cancer treatment variables further reduced but did not eliminate this higher risk of death.

Conclusion: Although more advanced stage at diagnosis appeared to be a sufficient explanation for poorer cancer outcome in indigenous people whose first language was English, poorer treatment also contributed to, but was still not sufficient to explain, poorer outcome in those who had an indigenous first language. Other factors, possibly including communication difficulties, knowledge of and attitudes to cancer symptoms and treatment and social and cultural ‘distance’ from mainstream health services, may also be involved.
Scleroderma: it has been a long hard journey
Authors: Roberts‐Thomson P. J. , Walker J. G.
Published: July 2006

Progress in the understanding of the aetiopathogenesis of scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) has been painfully slow and this has greatly impeded the application of specific disease modifying treatments. This article provides a brief historical overview of scleroderma (including the important Australian contribution of Dr Alfred Barnett and colleagues – see accompanying article in this issue on pages 513–18), highlights some recent pathogenic developments and summarises some exciting new therapies. Cautious optimism can now be offered to scleroderma sufferers.
Comparison of Australian and international guidelines for grading severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kyoong A. , Mol S. , Guy P. , Finlay P. , Strauss B. J. , Holmes P. , Bardin P. G.
Published: July 2006

Aim: To compare grading of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using Australian guidelines Confirm diagnosis, Optimize function, Prevent deterioration, Develop a self‐management plan and manage eXacerbations (COPD‐X) versus Global initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines and to assess whether this is associated with differences in other health domains affected by COPD.

Methods: Adult outpatients (n = 61) with COPD were studied using lung function measurements, six‐minute walk test and body composition assessments. Subjects also completed self‐rated dyspnoea scores and health‐related quality‐of‐life scales. For each patient, COPD severity was graded using both COPD‐X and GOLD guidelines, and results were collectively analysed. If significant discrepancies were observed, comparisons of other health domains were carried out.

Results: After grading severity using COPD‐X and GOLD guidelines, significant discrepancies were noted. Of nine subjects with no disease (normal) based on COPD‐X, seven were judged to be ‘mild’ according to GOLD. Similarly, 11 of 12 patients with mild disease (COPD‐X) had ‘moderate’ disease judged by GOLD, and 9 of 23 with moderate severity (COPD‐X) had ‘severe’ COPD using GOLD. Finally, 6 of 17 patients with COPD‐X‐rated severe disease had ‘very severe’ disease using the GOLD criteria. Among patients with COPD‐X severe disease, those with GOLD discordant (very severe) severity had a poorer quality of life compared with those with GOLD concordant (severe) severity (P = 0.006). Similarly, there was also a trend towards lower six‐minute walk test distance and greater subjective dyspnoea in GOLD very severe patients compared with GOLD severe patients.

Conclusion: Significant discrepancies in grading of severity exist between Australian and international COPD guidelines. Current Australian guidelines for severity grading may not fully reflect the effect COPD has on other key domains of health.
AUTHOR, CONTRIBUTOR OR JUST A SIGNER? A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF AUTHORSHIP TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF BIOETHICS
Authors: BORRY PASCAL , SCHOTSMANS PAUL , DIERICKX KRIS
Published: July 2006

Publications are primarily a means of communicating scientific information to colleagues, but they are much more than that. Publications in peer reviewed journals are proof of academic competence, are used as a crucial component in evaluation criteria for academic promotion and fundraising and increase the prestige of research centres and universities. The urgent need for publications has also led to abuses in authorship. In the past the single‐author article was the rule, but over the past decades, the average number of authors on scientific manuscripts has drastically increased. In the field of bioethics, however, no research has been undertaken to study whether the percentage of single‐author articles is decreasing, the proportion of multi‐author articles is increasing or the average number of authors per article is increasing. The objective of this research is to analyze these trends in authorship for the period 1990–2003 in peer reviewed journals in the field of bioethics. In the nine peer reviewed journals from the field of bioethics we studied, we observed a significant increase of the multi‐author article and of the average number of authors. This is mainly due to the increase in the number of publications with an empirical design. This growing trend is a challenge for the editors of journals in the field of bioethics to enhance awareness about the value and definition of authorship.
Social Complexity Can Drive Vocal Complexity
Authors: Freeberg Todd M.
Published: July 2006

One hypothesis to explain variation in vocal communication in animal species is that the complexity of the social group influences the group's vocal complexity. This social-complexity hypothesis for communication is also central to recent arguments regarding the origins of human language, but experimental tests of the hypothesis are lacking. This study investigated whether group size, a fundamental component of social complexity, influences the complexity of a call functioning in the social organization of Carolina chickadees, Poecile carolinensis. In unmanipulated field settings, calls of individuals in larger groups had greater complexity (more information) than calls of individuals in smaller groups. In aviary settings manipulating group size, individuals in larger groups used calls with greater complexity than individuals in smaller groups. These results indicate that social complexity can influence communicative complexity in this species.
Drug-Induced Amnesia Hurts Recognition, but Only for Memories That Can Be Unitized
Authors: Reder Lynne M. , Oates Joyce M. , Thornton Edward R. , Quinlan Joseph J. , Kaufer Abigail , Sauer Jennifer
Published: July 2006

Midazolam is a drug that creates temporary anterograde amnesia. In a within-subjects, double-blind experiment, participants studied a list of stimuli after receiving an injection of midazolam in one session and after receiving saline in another session. The lists consisted of three types of stimuli: words, photographs, and abstract pictures. Recognition memory was tested at the end of each session. Memory was reliably poorer in the midazolam condition than the saline condition, but this amnesic effect was significantly smaller for pictorial stimuli than for words and almost nonexistent for abstract pictures. We argue that the less familiar the stimulus, the less likely it is to be associated with an experimental context. These data bolster our claim that unitization increases the chances of episodic binding and that drug-induced amnesia prevents episodic binding regardless of unitization.
Reorientation and Landmark-Guided Search by Young Children
Authors: Lee Sang Ah , Shusterman Anna , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: July 2006

Disoriented 4-year-old children use a distinctive container to locate a hidden object, but do they reorient by this information? We addressed this question by testing children's search for objects in a circular room containing one distinctive and two identical containers. Children's search patterns provided evidence that the distinctive container served as a direct cue to a hidden object's location, but not as a directional signal guiding reorientation. The findings suggest that disoriented children's search behavior depends on two distinct processes: a modular reorientation process attuned to the geometry of the surface layout and an associative process linking landmarks to specific locations.
Preschoolers' Current Desires Warp Their Choices for the Future
Authors: Atance Cristina M. , Meltzoff Andrew N.
Published: July 2006

We introduce a new paradigm to assess how children's choices for the future are influenced by their current desires. Forty-eight 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds were assigned to one of four conditions. In two of these conditions (intervention), we manipulated children's current state of thirst by allowing them to eat pretzels. In the remaining two conditions (baseline), we did not give them pretzels. The children were then asked to choose between water and pretzels. In one intervention and one baseline condition, they chose what they would like “now,” whereas in the other intervention and baseline conditions, they chose what they would like “tomorrow.” Results revealed that, despite children's overwhelming desire for pretzels in the baseline conditions, children in both intervention conditions chose water. The data support the notion that children's current state influences not only their choices for the present, but also their choices for the future. We discuss this finding in terms of both cognitive-developmental and adult social-cognitive theory.
Integrating Gaze Direction and Expression in Preferences for Attractive Faces
Authors: Jones Benedict C. , DeBruine Lisa M. , Little Anthony C. , Conway Claire A. , Feinberg David R.
Published: July 2006

Few studies have investigated how physical and social facial cues are integrated in the formation of face preferences. Here we show that expression differentially qualifies the strength of attractiveness preferences for faces with direct and averted gaze. For judgments of faces with direct gaze, attractiveness preferences were stronger for smiling faces than for faces with neutral expressions. By contrast, for judgments of faces with averted gaze, attractiveness preferences were stronger for faces with neutral expressions than for smiling faces. Because expressions can differ in meaning depending on whether they are directed toward or away from oneself, it is only by integrating gaze direction, facial expression, and physical attractiveness that one can unambiguously identify the most attractive individuals who are likely to reciprocate one's own social interest.
Holistic Processing Is Finely Tuned for Faces of One's Own Race
Authors: Michel Caroline , Rossion Bruno , Han Jaehyun , Chung Chan-Sup , Caldara Roberto
Published: July 2006

Recognizing individual faces outside one's race poses difficulty, a phenomenon known as the other-race effect. Most researchers agree that this effect results from differential experience with same-race (SR) and other-race (OR) faces. However, the specific processes that develop with visual experience and underlie the other-race effect remain to be clarified. We tested whether the integration of facial features into a whole representation—holistic processing—was larger for SR than OR faces in Caucasians and Asians without life experience with OR faces. For both classes of participants, recognition of the upper half of a composite-face stimulus was more disrupted by the bottom half (the composite-face effect) for SR than OR faces, demonstrating that SR faces are processed more holistically than OR faces. This differential holistic processing for faces of different races, probably a byproduct of visual experience, may be a critical factor in the other-race effect.
Dissecting the Geometric Module
Authors: Sovrano Valeria Anna , Vallortigara Giorgio
Published: July 2006

Disoriented children can use geometric information in combination with featural information to reorient themselves in large but not in small spaces; somewhat similar effects have been found in nonhuman animals. These results call for an explanation. We trained young chicks to reorient to find food in a corner of a small or a large rectangular room with a distinctive featural cue (a blue wall)—a task similar to that used with children. Then we tested the chicks after displacement of the feature to an adjacent wall. In the large enclosure, chicks chose the corner that maintained the correct arrangement of the featural cue with respect to sense, whereas in the small enclosure, they chose the corner that maintained the correct metrical arrangement of the walls with respect to sense. On the basis of these findings, we propose a simple model that can explain the effects of room size on spatial reorientation.
Perl and Python codes to estimate Hardy–Weinberg‐ and linkage‐disequilibrium‐related parameters
Authors: SAMBATTI JULIANNO B. M. , SICKLER BRAD
Published: July 2006

We have developed two pieces of Perl and Python codes to calculate the natural log of lambda, a quantity that expresses deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, and R, a weighted correlation coefficient between alleles of locus pairs as a quantity that expresses linkage disequilibrium. These quantities can be used in an estimation approach as tools to facilitate the characterization and the comparison of populations.
Limited cross‐species microsatellite amplification and the isolation and characterization of new microsatellite markers for the greater stick‐nest rat (Leporillus conditor)
Authors: BARCLAY S. D. , COSTELLO B. , SHERWIN W. B.
Published: July 2006

The greater stick‐nest rat (Leporillus conditor) is a conilurid rodent whose recent history provides an opportunity to examine genetic changes in reintroduced populations. We trialled 63 known microsatellite primers from Rattus rattus and Mus musculus in L. conditor. Three primer pairs produced polymorphic loci (number of alleles = 2–3, mean, HE = 0.42). Subsequently, we isolated and characterized 12 novel polymorphic microsatellites (mean number of alleles = 5–16, mean HE = 0.76) from L. conditor from genomic libraries for use in population genetic studies.
Microsatellites loci isolated in the freshwater fish Brycon hilarii
Authors: SANCHES ALEXANDRA , GALETTI PEDRO MANOEL
Published: July 2006

We describe seven microsatellite loci, including tetra‐, tri‐ and dinucleotides, isolated from Brycon hilarii, which is a migratory fish inhabiting the Paraguay River basin (Brazil) and is highly valued for its meat quality. Three to eight alleles per locus were detected and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.31 to 0.81. Positive results were obtained with cross‐amplification in five other species of Brycon. These microsatellites provide a potential tool for wild population and aquaculture studies of B. hilarii and other species of the genus.
An inexpensive, automation‐friendly protocol for recovering high‐quality DNA
Authors: IVANOVA NATALIA V. , DEWAARD JEREMY R. , HEBERT PAUL D. N.
Published: July 2006

Although commercial kits are available for automated DNA extraction, ‘artisanal’ protocols are not. In this study, we present a silica‐based method that is sensitive, inexpensive and compliant with automation. The effectiveness of this protocol has now been tested on more than 5000 animal specimens with highly positive results.
dbEST‐derived microsatellite markers in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce)
Authors: ACQUADRO A. , MAGURNO F. , PORTIS E. , LANTERI S.
Published: July 2006

We report on the development of 11 (from database expressed sequence tags) dbEST‐derived microsatellite markers in celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce). The sequences were obtained from DNA accessions available from GenBank and contained di‐, tri‐ and pentanucleotidic motifs. All the microsatellites were found in expressed sequence tags and they are expected to become useful tools for ecological, genetic and evolutionary studies, as well as for celery breeding. Polymorphism was explored in 16 celery commercial varieties, and marker transferability was tested on three accessions of celeriac (A. graveolens var. rapaceum). Primers and PCR conditions for microsatellite amplification are reported.
Mass spectrometric analysis of sulphonated dyes based on diaminobiphenyls
Authors: Volná Kateřina , Holčapek Michal , Suwanruji Potjanart , Freeman Harold S
Published: July 2006

The title dyes, a group of new homo‐bireactive disazo reactive dyes having molecular masses of 1000–1400 Da, were developed because of their potential use as low salt, easy wash‐off colorants for cotton. Following dye synthesis from diaminobiphenyls with and without substituents in the 2,2′‐positions, negative‐ion electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) was used to characterise the dyes. The MS obtained were characterised by signals arising from [M − xH]x− ions plus fragment ions produced by cleavage at C–N bonds adjacent to the azo linkage. In addition, better results were produced when J‐acid was the coupler employed rather than H‐acid. The characteristic fragmentation behaviour of the studied dyes is discussed and illustrated on selected example.
Design, synthesis and application of easy wash‐off reactive dyes
Authors: Suwanruji Potjanart , Freeman Harold S
Published: July 2006

New dyes that not only give good fixation levels but also relatively low substantivity in the hydrolysed form were the targets of this research. Our approach involved lowering the substantivity of the hydrolysed dye by reducing the planarity that is required for dyes to have high substantivity on cotton. In this regard, bifunctional bis‐dichlorotriazine (bis‐DCT) and tetrafunctional bis‐monochlorotriazine/bis‐sulphatoethyl sulphone [bis‐(MCT/SES)] reactive dyes were made, using selected diaminobiphenyls. Bis‐DCT bifunctional reactive dyes were applied to cotton by a pad–batch method, while bis‐(MCT/SES) tetrafunctional reactive dyes were applied to cotton by a pad–dry–cure. Following dye application, it was found that the resultant hydrolysed dyes easily washed off the fibre surface and that the dyed cotton fabrics had colour fastness to rubbing and laundering properties that were comparable with the commercial prototypes used in this study. However, it is also apparent that the combination of relatively low water solubility and large molecular size has an adverse effect on fibre penetration.
Novel approach for antisetting of wool fabrics during dyeing
Authors: El‐Sayed H
Published: July 2006

New antisetting agents are proposed for wool fabrics during dyeing at the boil, viz., dithiodipropanoic acid (DTDPA) and dithiosalicylic acid (DTSA). DTDPA was found to be better than DTSA in the protection of wool during dyeing. The effect of the addition of these reagents to the dyeing bath of wool on some of its inherent mechanical properties was assessed. A proposed mechanism of reaction between the aforementioned dithiols and wool keratin is reported.
Functionalisation of lyocell. Part 1: Amination of lyocell with m‐phenylenediaminesulphonic acid derivatives
Authors: Xu J , Renfrew A H M , Phillips D A S
Published: July 2006

A series of four colourless, water‐soluble agents, based on m‐phenylenediaminesulphonic acid, and designed to aminate lyocell, have been synthesised. Each agent carried one or two aromatic amino groups ortho to a water solubilising sulphonic acid group, together with one or two electrophilic groups. The electrophilic groups studied were dichlorotriazinyl, monochlorotriazinyl, vinylsulphonyl and triazinyl betaine. The agents were applied to lyocell by padding techniques, and neutral‐exhaustion dyeing of the aminated fibres, with low, medium and high reactivity reactive dyes, in the presence of salt, were performed. Only the high reactivity dichlorotriazinyl dye gave encouraging results. The aminated fabrics, containing aromatic amino groups with an o‐sulphonic acid, were insufficiently nucleophilic to allow significant covalent bonding with the low/medium reactivity dyes at both 60 and 80 °C.
Mathematical relationship between the colour shade depth and the fibre count for disperse dyeing of polyester fibres
Authors: Park K H , Kim B
Published: July 2006

The colour shade depth of dyed microfibres is lighter than that of dyed conventional fibres even if there is no difference between the absorbed dye quantities (Mt) within the fibre. This difference is due to the different light reflectance on the fibre surface for microfibre and conventional fibre, which have a different specific surface area. In this study, the simple mathematical relationship between the colour shade depth, the fibre counts (0.22, 0.56 and 1.46 dtex) and the adsorbed dye quantity is developed for disperse dyeing. The experimental dyeing results and the obtained dyeing results from the simple mathematical relationship were compared for different fibre counts.
Improving the photostability of whitened wool by applying an anti‐oxidant and metal chelator rinse
Authors: Millington Keith R
Published: July 2006

The combination of a water‐soluble anti‐oxidant with a metal‐chelating agent improved the wet and dry photostability of wool treated with a fluorescent whitening agent (FWA) significantly when used as a rinse treatment after FWA application. The most effective anti‐oxidants identified were l‐ascorbic acid and N‐acetyl cysteine. Oxalic acid was the most effective metal chelator, capable of limiting visible yellowing under both wet and dry conditions, and its use as a rinse treatment on FWA‐treated wool also improved its initial whiteness. Although rinse treatments containing l‐ascorbic acid provided a high level of photoprotection when wool samples were examined immediately after exposure to light, it was unsatisfactory due to the slow reaction of its oxidation product dehydroascorbic acid with free amino groups in wool to produce pink chromophores after standing for a few days. These pink chromophores slowly turned yellow over several weeks.