bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial probability modelling of eelgrass (Zostera marina) distribution on the west coast of Norway
Authors: Bekkby Trine , Rinde Eli , Erikstad Lars , Bakkestuen Vegar , Longva Oddvar , Christensen Ole , Isæus Martin , Isachsen Pål Erik
Published: June 2008

Bekkby, T., Rinde, E., Erikstad, L., Bakkestuen, V., Longva, O., Christensen, O., Isæus, M., and Isachsen, P. E. 2008. Spatial probability modelling of eelgrass (Zostera marina) distribution on the west coast of Norway. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1093–1101. Based on modelled and measured geophysical variables and presence/absence data of eelgrass Zostera marina, we developed a spatial predictive probability model for Z. marina. Our analyses confirm previous reports and show that the probability of finding Z. marina is at its highest in shallow, gently sloping, and sheltered areas. We integrated the empirical knowledge from field samples in GIS and developed a model-based map of the probability of finding Z. marina using the model-selection approach Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the spatial probability modelling extension GRASP in S-Plus. Spatial predictive probability models contribute to a better understanding of the factors and processes structuring the distribution of marine habitats. Additionally, such models provide a useful tool for management and research, because they are quantitative and defined objectively, extrapolate knowledge from sampled to unsurveyed areas, and result in a probability map that is easy to understand and disseminate to stakeholders.
Differential Effectiveness of Microbially Induced Resistance Against Herbivorous Insects in Arabidopsis
Authors: Van Oosten Vivian R. , Bodenhausen Natacha , Reymond Philippe , Van Pelt Johan A. , Van Loon L. C. , Dicke Marcel , Pieterse Corné M. J.
Published: June 2008

Rhizobacteria–induced systemic resistance (ISR) and pathogen-induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR) have a broad, yet partly distinct, range of effectiveness against pathogenic microorganisms. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of ISR and SAR in Arabidopsis against the tissue-chewing insects Pieris rapae and Spodoptera exigua. Resistance against insects consists of direct defense, such as the production of toxins and feeding deterrents and indirect defense such as the production of plant volatiles that attract carnivorous enemies of the herbivores. Wind-tunnel experiments revealed that ISR and SAR did not affect herbivore-induced attraction of the parasitic wasp Cotesia rubecula (indirect defense). By contrast, ISR and SAR significantly reduced growth and development of the generalist herbivore S. exigua, although not that of the specialist P. rapae. This enhanced direct defense against S. exigua was associated with potentiated expression of the defense-related genes PDF1.2 and HEL. Expression profiling using a dedicated cDNA microarray revealed four additional, differentially primed genes in microbially induced S. exigua-challenged plants, three of which encode a lipid-transfer protein. Together, these results indicate that microbially induced plants are differentially primed for enhanced insect-responsive gene expression that is associated with increased direct defense against the generalist S. exigua but not against the specialist P. rapae.
PR-13/Thionin But Not PR-1 Mediates Bacterial Resistance in Nicotiana attenuata in Nature, and Neither Influences Herbivore Resistance
Authors: Rayapuram Cbgowda , Wu Jianqiang , Haas Christiane , Baldwin Ian T.
Published: June 2008

Increases in pathogenesis-related (PR) transcripts are commonly interpreted as evidence of plants' resistance responses to pathogens; however, few studies have examined whether increases in PR proteins protect plants growing under natural conditions. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, which is virulent and causes disease in Arabidopsis, is also pathogenic to the native tobacco Nicotiana attenuata. N. attenuata responds to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000's challenges with increases in salicylic acid and transcripts of at least two PR genes, PR-1 and PR13/Thionin. To determine if either of these PR proteins functions in bacterial resistance, we independently silenced both genes by RNAi and found that only PR-13/Thionin mediates resistance to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in glasshouse experiments. When NaPR-1- and NaThionin-silenced plants were transplanted into the plant's native habitat in the Great Basin Desert of Utah, opportunistic Pseudomonas spp. performed better on NaThionin-silenced plants compared with NaPR-1-silenced and wild-type (WT) plants, and accounted for increased plant mortality. The native herbivore community of N. attenuata attacked both NaPR-1- and PR-13/NaThionin-silenced plants to the same degree as it did in WT plants, indicating that neither PR protein provides resistance to herbivores. Although PR-1 is generally considered a marker gene of disease resistance, we found no evidence that it has an antimicrobial function. In contrast, PR-13/NaThionin is clearly an ecologically relevant defense protein involved in resisting pathogens in N. attenuata.
Mitochondrial sequence divergence among Antarctic killer whale ecotypes is consistent with multiple species
Authors: LeDuc Richard G , Robertson Kelly M , Pitman Robert L
Published: June 2008

Recently, three visually distinct forms of killer whales (Orcinus orca) were described from Antarctic waters and designated as types A, B and C. Based on consistent differences in prey selection and habitat preferences, morphological divergence and apparent lack of interbreeding among these broadly sympatric forms, it was suggested that they may represent separate species. To evaluate this hypothesis, we compared complete sequences of the mitochondrial control region from 81 Antarctic killer whale samples, including 9 type A, 18 type B, 47 type C and 7 type-undetermined individuals. We found three fixed differences that separated type A from B and C, and a single fixed difference that separated type C from A and B. These results are consistent with reproductive isolation among the different forms, although caution is needed in drawing further conclusions. Despite dramatic differences in morphology and ecology, the relatively low levels of sequence divergence in Antarctic killer whales indicate that these evolutionary changes occurred relatively rapidly and recently.
Body temperature predicts maximum microsatellite length in mammals
Authors: Amos William , Clarke Andrew
Published: June 2008

A long-standing mystery in genome evolution is why short tandem repeats vary so much in length and frequency. Here, we test the hypothesis that body temperature acts to influence the rate and nature of slippage-based mutations. Using the data from both 28 species where genome sequencing is advanced and 76 species from which marker loci have been published, we show that in mammals, maximum repeat number is inversely correlated with body temperature, with warmer-blooded species having shorter ‘long’ microsatellites. Our results support a model of microsatellite evolution in which maximum length is limited by a temperature-dependent stability threshold.
Phylogenomics reveals a new ‘megagroup’ including most photosynthetic eukaryotes
Authors: Burki Fabien , Shalchian-Tabrizi Kamran , Pawlowski Jan
Published: June 2008

Advances in molecular phylogeny of eukaryotes have suggested a tree composed of a small number of supergroups. Phylogenomics recently established the relationships between some of these large assemblages, yet the deepest nodes are still unresolved. Here, we investigate early evolution among the major eukaryotic supergroups using the broadest multigene dataset to date (65 species, 135 genes). Our analyses provide strong support for the clustering of plants, chromalveolates, rhizarians, haptophytes and cryptomonads, thus linking nearly all photosynthetic lineages and raising the question of a possible unique origin of plastids. At its deepest level, the tree of eukaryotes now receives strong support for two monophyletic
megagroups
comprising most of the eukaryotic diversity.
John Lighton Synge. 23 March 1897 — 30 March 1995
Authors: Florides Petros S.
Published: June 2008

John Lighton Synge was arguably the greatest Irish mathematician and theoretical physicist since Sir William Rowan Hamilton(1806–65). He was a prolific researcher of great originality and versatility, and a writer of striking lucidity and ‘clarity of expression'. He made outstanding contributions to a vast range of subjects, and particularly to Einstein's theory of relativity. His approach to relativity, and theoretical physics in general, is characterized by his extraordinary geometrical insight. In addition tobringing clarity and new insights to relativity, his geometrical approach profoundly influenced the development of the subject since the 1960s. His crusade in his long academic career was ‘to make space–time a real workshop for physicists, and not a museum visited occasionally with a feeling of awe‘ (31)*.
Dispersal of sibling coalitions promotes helping among immigrants in a cooperatively breeding bird
Authors: Sharp Stuart P , Simeoni Michelle , Hatchwell Ben J
Published: June 2008

Kin selection is a major force in social evolution, but dispersal is often assumed to reduce its impact by diluting kinship. In most cooperatively breeding vertebrates, in which more than two individuals care for young, juveniles delay dispersal and become helpers in family groups. In long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus), however, offspring disperse to breed and helpers are failed breeders that preferentially aid kin. Helping also occurs among immigrants, but their origins are unknown and cooperation in these cases is poorly understood. Here, we combine long-term demographic and genetic data from our study population to investigate immigration and helping in this species. We first used a novel application of parentage analysis to discriminate between immigrants and unknown philopatric recruits. We then cross-checked sibship reconstruction with pairwise relatedness estimates to show that immigrants disperse in sibling coalitions and helping among them is kin biased. These results indicate that dispersal need not preclude sociality, and dispersal of kin coalitions may help maintain kin-selected cooperation in the absence of delayed dispersal.
Extreme temperatures increase the deleterious consequences of inbreeding under laboratory and semi-natural conditions
Authors: Kristensen Torsten N , Barker J.Stuart F , Pedersen Kamilla S , Loeschcke Volker
Published: June 2008

The majority of experimental studies of the effects of population bottlenecks on fitness are performed under laboratory conditions, which do not account for the environmental complexity that populations face in nature. In this study, we test inbreeding depression in multiple replicates of inbred when compared with non-inbred lines ofDrosophila melanogasterunder different temperature conditions. Egg-to-adult viability, developmental time and sex ratio of emerging adults are studied under low, intermediate and high temperatures under laboratory as well as semi-natural conditions. The results show inbreeding depression for egg-to-adult viability. The level of inbreeding depression is highly dependent on test temperature and is observed only at low and high temperatures. Inbreeding did not affect the developmental time or the sex ratio of emerging adults. However, temperature affected the sex ratio with more females relative to males emerging at low temperatures, suggesting that selection against males in pre-adult life stages is stronger at low temperatures. The coefficient of variation (CV) of egg-to-adult viability within and among lines is higher for inbred flies and generally increases at stressful temperatures. Our results contribute to knowledge on the environmental dependency of inbreeding under different environmental conditions and emphasize that climate change may impact negatively on fitness through synergistic interactions with the genotype.
Disruptive sexual selection on male nuptial coloration in an experimental hybrid population of cichlid fish
Authors: Stelkens Rike B , Pierotti Michele E.R , Joyce Domino A , Smith Alan M , van der Sluijs Inke , Seehausen Ole
Published: June 2008

Theory suggests that genetic polymorphisms in female mating preferences may cause disruptive selection on male traits, facilitating phenotypic differentiation despite gene flow, as in reinforcement or other models of speciation with gene flow. Very little experimental data have been published to test the assumptions regarding the genetics of mate choice that such theory relies on. We generated a population segregating for female mating preferences and male colour dissociated from other species differences by breeding hybrids between species of the cichlid fish genusPundamilia. We measured male mating success as a function of male colour. First, we demonstrate that non-hybrid females of both species use male nuptial coloration for choosing mates, but with inversed preferences. Second, we show that variation in female mating preferences in an F2hybrid population generates a quadratic fitness function for male coloration suggestive of disruptive selection: intermediate males obtained fewer matings than males at either extreme of the colour range. If the genetics of female mate choice inPundamiliaare representative for those in other species of Lake Victoria cichlid fish, it may help explain the origin and maintenance of phenotypic diversity despite some gene flow.
A high-resolution small-angle light scattering instrument for soft matter studies
Authors: Nishida Koji , Ogawa Hiroki , Matsuba Go , Konishi Takashi , Kanaya Toshiji
Published: June 2008

A small-angle light scattering (SALS) instrument with a high resolution at low angles and a high signal-to-noise ratio has been developed. Both a wide dynamic range and a wide scattering vector range are achieved using a two-dimensional array of complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensors. These instrument characteristics have enabled us to obtain high-quality light scattering data from soft matter systems. This setup is especially well suited to studies of systems with a weak scattering power and/or a time-dependent structure evolution in a wide spatial range from submicrometre to submillimetre. An application of this instrument to a polyelectrolyte blend and an extremely thin blend film are reported.
Simultaneous reverse Monte Carlo refinements of local structures in perovskite solid solutions using EXAFS and the total scattering pair-distribution function
Authors: Krayzman Victor , Levin Igor , Tucker Mathew G.
Published: June 2008

Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) refinements using a combined real-space fit of the neutron/X-ray total scattering pair-distribution function (PDF) and the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) were developed and implemented as an extension to the public domain computer softwareRMCProfile. The effectiveness of combined PDF/EXAFS RMC refinements was tested using perovskite Ca(Zr,Ti)O3solid solutions. The analyses revealed that combining two types of data yields correct distributions of the Ti—O and Zr—O distances that could not be recovered using either of the techniques alone because of the substantial overlap between the Ti—O and Zr—O partial PDFs. The combined refinements enabled reasonably accurate reproduction of most of the local structure characteristics, including the dependence of Ca displacements on the localB-cation coordination around Ca.
VCIF2: extended CIF validation software
Authors: Todorov Georgi , Bernstein Herbert J.
Published: June 2008

Recent revisions to the CIF standard, the growing number of dictionaries and the critical role played by CIF in the IUCr publication process led the IUCr to fund a two-year project to upgrade portions of the existing CIF software base to support longer lines and more rigorous validation of CIFs against multiple layered dictionaries. A database-based approach to validation to ensure compliance with data-range and enumeration specifications, to ensure compliance with parent–child relationships, and to detect missing and duplicated tags is presented here. This approach to validation is being extended to support the handling of binary synchrotron imgCIF data.
The ecology of 3‐D space use in a sexually dimorphic mammal
Authors: Harvey Valérie , Côté Steeve D. , Hammill Mike O.
Published: June 2008

The distribution of animals is the result of habitat selection according to sex, reproductive status and resource availability. Little is known about how marine predators investigate their 3‐dimensional space along both the horizontal and vertical axes and how temporal variation affects space use. In this study, we assessed the spatio‐temporal movement of a sexually dimorphic marine mammal, the grey sealHalichoerus grypusby 1) determining seasonal home range size, 2) testing whether space use of seals was affected by water depth, and 3) investigating the vertical movement of seals according to the maximum depth of each dive. Between 1993 and 2005, we fitted 49 grey seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with satellite transmitters. We estimated seasonal 95% fixed‐kernel home ranges for each individual. For each seal, we tested for selectivity and preference for 4 water depth classes at the home range scale and within the home range. We also evaluated the proportional number of dives made in each water depth classes according to the maximum depth of each dive. Home ranges were 10 times larger in winter than in summer. Seals generally selected habitats <50 m deep. They also mainly dove to depths of 40 m or less. At both scales of selection, preference for shallow areas decreased in winter. We also observed that adults used shallow habitats more than juveniles to establish their home range. A spatial segregation based on sex also occurred at the finer scale of selection where females were more concentrated in the shallowest parts of their home range than males. Segregation in space use according to age and sex classes occurred at both the horizontal and vertical scales. Our results emphasise the importance of studying habitat selection of marine predators in 3‐dimensional space, in addition to the temporal scale.
Clinical impact of HLA‐DR15, a minor population of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria‐type cells, and an aplastic anaemia‐associated autoantibody in children with acquired aplastic anaemia
Authors: Yoshida Nao , Yagasaki Hiroshi , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Yamamoto Tomoko , Liang Juan , Wang Yue , Tanaka Makito , Hama Asahito , Nishio Nobuhiro , Kobayashi Ryoji , Hotta Noriko , Asami Keiko , Kikuta Atsushi , Fukushima Takashi , Hirano Naoto , Kojima Seiji
Published: June 2008

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is defined as a pancytopenia caused by bone marrow failure, and its pathogenesis is thought to involve autoimmune processes. Several predictive markers of the response to immunosuppressive therapy (IST) have been proposed, which appear to reflect the immune pathophysiology. We prospectively investigated the presence of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐DR15, a minor population of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH)‐type cells, and antibodies to the recently identified autoantigen postmeiotic segregation increased 1 (PMS1) in 103 children with AA enrolled in a multicentre study. In contrast to adults, children with AA did not show an increased frequency of HLA‐DR15. In addition, a sensitive flow cytometric assay revealed that children with AA have a much lower prevalence of PNH‐type cells (21·4%) than reported for adults with this disease. An immunoblotting assay detected anti‐PMS1 antibody in 15 of 103 (14·6%) of the children. Finally, the response rate to IST was not significantly different between patients with and without DR15 (45·5% vs. 54·0%), PNH‐type cells (68·2% vs. 53·1%) or anti‐PMS1 antibody (40·0% vs. 59·1%). The current study did not confirm a correlation between these markers and the response to IST, suggesting that there is a difference in the pathophysiologies of adult and paediatric AA.
Thiols in the αIIbβ3 integrin are necessary for platelet aggregation
Authors: Manickam Nagaraj , Sun Xiuhua , Hakala Kevin W. , Weintraub Susan T. , Essex David W.
Published: June 2008

Sulfhydryl groups of platelet surface proteins are important in platelet aggregation. While p‐chloromercuribenzene sulphonate (pCMBS) has been used in most studies on platelet surface thiols, the specific thiol‐proteins that pCMBS reacts with to inhibit aggregation have not been well defined. Since the thiol‐containing P2Y12 ADP receptor is involved in most types of platelet aggregation, we used the ADP scavenger apyrase and the P2Y12 receptor antagonist 2‐MeSAMP to examine thiol‐dependent reactions in the absence of contributions from this receptor. We provide evidence for a non‐P2Y12 thiol‐dependent reaction near the final αIIbβ3‐dependent events of aggregation. We then used 3‐(N‐maleimidylpropionyl)biocytin (MPB) and pCMBS to study thiols in αIIbβ3. As previously reported, disruption of the receptor was required to obtain labelling of thiols with MPB. Specificity of labelling for thiols in the αIIb and β3 subunits was confirmed by identification of the purified proteins by mass spectrometry and by inhibition of labelling with 5,5′‐dithiobis‐(2‐nitrobenzoic acid). In contrast to MPB, pCMBS preferentially reacted with thiols in αIIbβ3 and blocked aggregation under physiological conditions. Similarly, pCMBS preferentially inhibited signalling‐independent activation of αIIbβ3 by Mn2+. Our results suggest that the thiols in αIIbβ3 that are blocked by pCMBS are important in the activation of this integrin.
Associated features of Asperger Syndrome and their relationship to parenting stress
Authors: Epstein T. , Saltzman‐Benaiah J. , O’Hare A. , Goll J. C. , Tuck S.
Published: June 2008

Background  Studies have shown an increased level of stress in parents of autistic children relative to parents of non‐autistic children. Few studies have examined parenting stress specifically within the Asperger Syndrome (AS) population. Children with AS often have associated difficulties such as sensory sensitivities and problems with executive functioning (i.e. planning, inhibiting, shifting set). This study was designed to study parenting stress as well as to consider the relationship between parenting stress and some of the associated difficulties of AS. More specifically, the aims of this study were to demonstrate the following: that, as a group, parents of children with AS would report elevated levels of parenting stress, a finding which may be more significant for mothers than fathers; that children with AS show impairment in executive functioning as well as heightened sensory sensitivity according to parent report; that parent report of their child's demanding characteristics would be positively associated with their self‐reported levels of parenting stress.

Methods  Participants in this study were the parents of 39 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years, reflecting a 71% response rate, in the Lothian region of Scotland who completed The Parenting Stress Index, the Behavioural Rating Inventory of Executive Function and the Short Sensory Profile.

Results  The study revealed that both mothers and fathers of AS children reported elevated levels of parenting stress. There was a significant positive correlation between mother's parenting stress and the child's level of impairment, both with respect to executive dysfunction as well as sensory difficulties.

Conclusion  The challenges of parenting a child with AS should not be underestimated. Further study is needed to explore the causative role that child impairments play in parenting stress and what types of interventions may prove most helpful to these families.
Parenting stress in mothers and fathers of a child with a hemiparesis: sources of stress, intervening factors and long‐term expressions of stress
Authors: Butcher P. R. , Wind T. , Bouma A.
Published: June 2008

Background  In a substantial minority of children with a hemiparesis, motor impairments are accompanied by behavioural problems. This combination confronts parents with several persistent, frequently intense, sources of stress. At the same time, it is likely to reduce the effectiveness of psychosocial resources, such as feelings of competence, which would normally buffer the impact of the stressors.

Aim  To investigate the association between motor and behavioural problems in children with a hemiparesis and symptoms of stress in their parents, with particular attention to psychosocial factors which may mediate between the child's problems and parents’ symptoms of stress.

Method  Questionnaires assessing the medical, functional and behaviour problems of the child, and the parents’ experience of stress were completed by the mothers and fathers of 108 children with a hemiparesis who were members of the Association for the Motor Handicapped in the Netherlands.

Results  Both parents reported (extremely) high levels of long‐term stress significantly more frequently than parents in a normative sample. Indices of long‐term stress were associated with the child's behavioural problems and, less strongly, with dysfunctionality in daily life. However, behavioural problems and dysfunctionality also reduced parents’ feelings of competence and social support. A mediation analysis showed that feelings of incompetence and social isolation mediated between the child's problems and the parents’ symptoms of stress. Fathers and mothers did not differ in level of reported stress, or in the associations between the child's problems and degree of experienced stress.

Conclusion  Both parents of a child with a hemiparesis experience high levels of stress, which are strongly associated with feelings of incompetence and social isolation. This suggests that one focus of intervention should be the alleviation of parenting stress with particular attention to increasing perceived competence in the parenting role and reducing feelings of social isolation.
School‐based drama interventions in health promotion for children and adolescents: systematic review
Authors: Joronen Katja , Rankin Sally H. , Åstedt‐Kurki Päivi
Published: June 2008

Title.  School‐based drama interventions in health promotion for children andadolescents: systematic review.

Aim.  The paper is a report of a review of the literature on the effects of school‐based drama interventions in health promotion for school‐aged children and adolescents.

Background.  Drama, theatre and role‐playing methods are commonly used in health promotion programmes, but evidence of their effectiveness is limited. The educational drama approach and social cognitive theory is share the assumption that learning is based on self‐reflection and interaction between environment and person. However, educational drama also emphasizes learning through the dialectics between actual and fictional contexts.

Data sources.  A search was carried out using 10 databases and hand searching for the period January 1990 to October 2006.

Methods.  A Cochrane systematic review was conducted.

Results.  Nine studies met the criteria for inclusion. Their topics included health behaviour (five studies), mental health (two) and social health (two). Actor‐performed drama or theatre play followed by group activities was the intervention in five studies, and classroom drama in four studies. Four of the studies were randomized controlled trials and five were non‐randomized controlled studies. Four reports gave the theory on which the intervention was based, and in eight studies at least some positive effects or changes were reported, mostly concerning knowledge and attitudes related to health behaviour. The diversity of designs and instruments limited comparisons.

Conclusion.  There is a need for well‐designed and theory‐based studies that address drama interventions in health promotion for children and families. The challenge is to find or develop a theory, which combines educational, drama and health theories with valid and reliable measurements to examine the effects of the intervention.
‘Making the best of it’: Chinese women’s experiences of adjusting to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Fu Mei R. , Xu Bo , Liu Yang , Haber Judith
Published: June 2008

Title.  'Making the best of it': Chinese women's experiences of adjusting to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to describe Chinese women’s experiences of adjusting to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Background.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and its diagnosis and treatment are pivotal life‐changing events that prompt women to make immediate adjustments. Adjustment to breast cancer has been studied as a way of coping with a stressful event and adapting to chronic illness. Adequate adjustment through coping and adaptation leads to successful completion of treatment and improved quality of life.

Method.  A descriptive phenomenological method was used, and 22 Chinese women were interviewed at a large cancer centre in Beijing, China, in 2004–2005.

Findings.  Facing breast cancer, Chinese women tried to ‘make the best of it’. The essences of Chinese women’s experiences were: facing the reality of cancer diagnosis, taking an active part in the cancer treatment, sustaining an optimistic spirit, sustaining physically, lessening the impact of cancer on others, and reflecting and moving on. Chinese women had similar perceptions of breast cancer to women in western countries as a fearful, stressful, life‐threatening and life‐changing event, and some of their intentions and actions were also similar to western women’s coping strategies. However, their experiences of adjusting to breast cancer also reflected Chinese historical, social and cultural influences.

Conclusions.  Our findings have implications for healthcare professionals also in countries with Chinese migrants, and could be used as a basis for information and emotional and social support interventions as these can be effective in promoting adjustment to breast cancer.
A disaster preparedness and response project in Afghanistan: participants’ perceptions
Authors: Tuhkanen Sirpa , Maijala Hanna , Kernohan W. George
Published: June 2008

Title.  A disaster preparedness and response project in Afghanistan: participants' perceptions.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to describe Emergency Mobile Unit team members’ and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of a disaster preparedness and response project and to explore the elements of participation that could support its sustainability.

Background.  Many developing countries have limited preparedness for disaster response. There is a need to better understand the role of national and local participation, and their interplay. We also need to consider the moderation and eventual planned withdrawal of international humanitarian organizations’ support. Afghanistan is one example of a country in postdisaster development where the opportunity arose for an in‐depth study of disaster preparedness and response.

Method.  Data were collected in Finland and Afghanistan in 2004 using an ethnographic approach, with seven thematic interviews (n = 8) and two focus groups (n = 7). The participants were Afghan healthcare professionals and expatriates who had facilitated Emergency Mobile Unit training.

Findings.  Constraints in the project arose from uncoordinated implementation and poor job satisfaction, in addition to intrinsic characteristics of the situation. A second theme to emerge was that participation was a positive response to health emergencies. Thirdly, a need for further development and overall support for Emergency Mobile Units was clearly evident.

Conclusion.  Improved coordination and measures to increase job satisfaction for national aid workers are needed, and a more positive knowledge‐based response system and continued overall support for emergency mobile teams. Involving disaster‐affected people and the local community, especially women, in health development projects will help to ensure both success and sustainability.
Infectious diseases in pediatric transplantation: Literature review 2006–2007
Authors: Flagg Aron , Danziger‐Isakov Lara A.
Published: June 2008

Abstract:  Pediatric transplantation medicine is universally complicated by infection, with research interests divided roughly into the domains of prevention, surveillance, treatment, and the description of novel pathogens. Publication of these results is not easily centralized; here we review several key studies published in 2006–2007.
Prevalence of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria as Genital Pathogens in Dairy Cattle
Authors: Petit T , Spergser J , Rosengarten R , Aurich J
Published: June 2008

Contents

Bacteria on the genital mucosa have been studied less in healthy, non‐puerperal cows than in cows with puerperal endometritis. We have thus analysed bacteria in swabs from the vagina and cervix of post‐puerperal cattle (n = 644). Out of the animals, 6.8% had aborted within the last 12 months, 2.6% and 11.6% showed signs of vaginitis and endometritis, respectively. In 17.2% of cervical swabs pathogenic gram‐positive and in 11.5% pathogenic gram‐negative bacteria were found.Arcanobacterium pyogeneswas isolated from 41.3% of cows with endometritis and from 3.5% without endometritis (p < 0.05). From 12.5% of cows with abortion but from no cow without abortion,Staphylococcus aureuswas recovered (p < 0.05). Out of 383 vaginal swabs, 88.3% were positive. In 3.4% of swabs pathogenic gram‐positive and in 16.7% pathogenic gram‐negative microorganisms were found. The percentage of positive vaginal swabs did not differ between pregnant and non‐pregnant animals. In the genital tract, the percentage of swabs positive for normal mucosal bacteria decreased from caudally to cranially (p < 0.05). Pathogenic bacteria were found more often in cervical than in vaginal swabs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, bacteria on the vaginal and cervical mucosa in cattle involve a wide range of species. In animals without endometritis or vaginitis, colonization of the mucosa rather than infection has to be assumed.
Immunohistochemical expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)‐2 in epilepsy‐associated malformations of cortical development (MCDs)
Authors: Sugiura Chitose , Miyata Hajime , Ueda Manami , Ohama Eisaku , Vinters Harry V. , Ohno Kousaku
Published: June 2008

To elucidate the biological significance of dysplastic cells in malformations of cortical development, an immunohistochemical study was performed to investigate fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) expression in corticectomy specimens from epilepsy patients, including focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) with balloon cells (BCs) (n = 4; age/sex = 2M, 14F, 24M, 45M), tubers of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC‐tubers) (n = 2; 1F, 3F), FCD without BCs (n = 3; 23F, 23M, 25M), and gliotic lesions (n = 3; 12M, 25M, 29M). The nucleus and/or cytoplasm of astrocytes in all cases examined were positive for FGF‐2; however, FGF‐2 immunoreactivity was not detected in oligodendroglial cells. In all dysplastic lesions, FGF‐2 was detected in the astrocytic nuclei, and cytoplasm and/or nuclei of BCs. Dysplastic neurons (DNs) in FCD with BCs and TSC‐tubers were variably positive for FGF‐2 in the cytoplasm, but FGF‐2 was not detected in the neurons of FCD without BCs. The number of FGF‐2 immunoreactive cells (FGF‐2‐IR%) in FCD with BCs (46.0 ± 4.1%) was higher than that in FCD without BCs (19.8 ± 3.1%) and gliotic lesions (19.5 ± 3.3%) with statistical significance (P < 0.001). These results, together with previous reports showing FGF‐2 expression in neuroblasts and glioblasts in human fetal brain, and mainly in astrocytes in adult brain, suggest that FGF‐2 expression in MCDs reflects incomplete differentiation and maturation of dysplastic cells, and that FGF‐2‐IR% is associated with histological subtypes of MCD, reflecting the timing of insults underlying the pathogenesis of each disorder.
Quantal mEPSCs and residual glutamate: how horizontal cell responses are shaped at the photoreceptor ribbon synapse
Authors: Cadetti Lucia , Bartoletti Theodore M. , Thoreson Wallace B.
Published: June 2008

At the photoreceptor ribbon synapse, glutamate released from vesicles at different positions along the ribbon reaches the same postsynaptic receptors. Thus, vesicles may not exert entirely independent effects. We examined whether responses of salamander retinal horizontal cells evoked by light or direct depolarization during paired recordings could be predicted by summation of individual miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). For EPSCs evoked by depolarization of rods or cones, linear convolution of mEPSCs with photoreceptor release functions predicted EPSC waveforms and changes caused by inhibiting glutamate receptor desensitization. A low‐affinity glutamate antagonist, kynurenic acid (KynA), preferentially reduced later components of rod‐driven EPSCs, suggesting lower levels of glutamate are present during the later sustained component of the EPSC. A glutamate‐scavenging enzyme, glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase, did not inhibit mEPSCs or the initial component of rod‐driven EPSCs, but reduced later components of the EPSC. Inhibiting glutamate uptake with a low concentration of dl‐threo‐β‐benzoyloxyaspartate (TBOA) also did not alter mEPSCs or the initial component of rod‐driven EPSCs, but enhanced later components of the EPSC. Low concentrations of TBOA and KynA did not affect the kinetics of fast cone‐driven EPSCs. Under both rod‐ and cone‐dominated conditions, light‐evoked currents (LECs) were enhanced considerably by TBOA. LECs were more strongly inhibited than EPSCs by KynA, suggesting the presence of lower glutamate levels. Collectively, these results indicate that the initial EPSC component can be largely predicted from a linear sum of individual mEPSCs, but with sustained release, residual amounts of glutamate from multiple vesicles pool together, influencing LECs and later components of EPSCs.
Two differential frequency‐dependent mechanisms regulating tonic firing of thalamic reticular neurons
Authors: Mistry Rajen B. , Isaac John T. R. , Crabtree John W.
Published: June 2008

Transmission through the thalamus activates circuits involving the GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). TRN cells receive excitatory inputs from thalamocortical and corticothalamic cells and send inhibitory projections to thalamocortical cells. The inhibitory output of TRN neurons largely depends on the level of excitatory drive to these cells but may also be partly under the control of mechanisms intrinsic to the TRN. We examined two such possible mechanisms, short‐term plasticity at glutamatergic synapses in the TRN and intra‐TRN inhibition. In rat brain slices, responses of TRN neurons to brief trains of stimuli applied to glutamatergic inputs were recorded in voltage‐ or current‐clamp mode. In voltage clamp, TRN cells showed no change in α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid (AMPA) receptor‐mediated excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes to stimulation at non‐gamma frequencies (< 30 Hz), simulating background activity, but exhibited short‐term depression in these amplitudes to stimulation at gamma frequencies (> 30 Hz), simulating sensory transmission. In current clamp, TRN cells increased their spike outputs in burst and tonic firing modes to increasing stimulus‐train frequencies. These increases in spike output were most likely due to temporal summation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials. However, the frequency‐dependent increase in tonic firing was attenuated at gamma stimulus frequencies, indicating that the synaptic depression selectively observed in this frequency range acts to suppress TRN cell output. In contrast, intra‐TRN inhibition reduced spike output selectively at non‐gamma stimulus frequencies. Thus, our data indicate that two intrinsic mechanisms play a role in controlling the tonic spike output of TRN neurons and these mechanisms are differentially related to two physiologically meaningful stimulus frequency ranges.
Suppression of activity in the forelimb motor cortex temporarily enlarges forelimb representation in the homotopic cortex in adult rats
Authors: Maggiolini Emma , Viaro Riccardo , Franchi Gianfranco
Published: June 2008

After forelimb motor cortex (FMC) damage, the unaffected homotopic motor cortex showed plastic changes. The present experiments were designed to clarify the electrophysiological nature of these interhemispheric effects. To this end, the output reorganization of the FMC was investigated after homotopic area activity was suppressed in adult rats. FMC output was compared after lidocaine‐induced inactivation (L‐group) or quinolinic acid‐induced lesion (Q‐group) of the contralateral homotopic cortex. In the Q‐group of animals, FMC mapping was performed, respectively, 3 days (Q3D group) and 2 weeks (Q2W group) after cortical lesion. In each animal, FMC output was assessed by mapping movements induced by intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) in both hemispheres (hemisphere ipsilateral and contralateral to injections). The findings demonstrated that in the L‐group, the size of forelimb representation was 42.2% higher than in the control group (P < 0.0001). The percentage of dual forelimb–vibrissa movement sites significantly increased over the controls (P < 0.0005). The dual‐movement sites occupied a strip of the map along the rostrocaudal border between the forelimb and vibrissa representations. This form of interhemispheric diaschisis had completely reversed, with the recovery of the baseline map, 3 days after the lesion in the contralateral FMC. This restored forelimb map showed no ICMS‐induced changes 2 weeks after the lesion in the contralateral FMC. The present results suggest that the FMCs in the two hemispheres interact continuously through predominantly inhibitory influences that preserve the forelimb representation and the border vs. vibrissa representation.
Brain‐derived neurotropic factor and neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus: interactions with corticosterone
Authors: Pinnock Scarlett B. , Herbert Joe
Published: June 2008

Flattening the diurnal corticosterone rhythm prevented the stimulating action of l‐NAME (a nitric oxide synthase, NOS, inhibitor) on progenitor cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus in Lister‐Hooded adult male rats. The increased expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and trkB mRNA in the dentate gyrus which otherwise occurred after l‐NAME was also prevented by clamping the corticoid rhythm in adrenalectomized rats, but was restored by daily additional injections of corticosterone (which replicates the diurnal rhythm). Unilateral infusions of BDNF into the lateral ventricle increased proliferation in the dentate gyrus on the side of the infusion, but this was not observed following implantation of subcutaneous corticosterone, which flattened the diurnal corticosterone rhythm. 5HT1A mRNA in the dentate gyrus was increased on both sides of the brain by unilateral BDNF infusions, but this was also prevented by subcutaneous corticosterone pellets. These results show that the diurnal rhythm of corticosterone regulates the stimulating action of NOS inhibitors on BDNF as well as on neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, and that BDNF becomes ineffective on both proliferation rates and 5HT1A expression in the absence of a rhythm in corticosterone. This, together with our previous findings, suggests that corticoid rhythms permit both serotonin and NO access to BDNF, and the latter to regulate progenitor cell activity.
Ecological niche partitioning in the picoplanktonic green alga Micromonas pusilla: evidence from environmental surveys using phylogenetic probes
Authors: Foulon Elodie , Not Fabrice , Jalabert Fabienne , Cariou Thierry , Massana Ramon , Simon Nathalie
Published: June 2008

Very few studies have analysed the niches of pelagic protist in details. This is because for most protists, both an accurate species definition and methods for routine detection and quantification of cells are lacking. The morphospecies Micromonas pusilla, a marine unicellular green alga, is the most ubiquitous and cosmopolitan picoeukaryote described to date. This species comprises several independent genetic lineages or clades, which are not currently distinguishable based on comparison of their morphology or biogeographical distribution. Molecular probes were used to detect and quantify the genetic clades of M. pusilla in samples from temperate, polar and tropical environments in order to assess potential ecological niche partitioning. The three clades were detected in all biogeographical regions studied and were commonly found in sympatry. Cell abundances recorded for clades A and B were high, especially at coastal stations. Clade C, when detected, was always at low abundances and is suggested to be a low‐light clade. Shifts in the contribution of clades to total M. pusilla abundance were observed along environmental gradients, both at local and basin‐wide scales. This suggests that the phylogenetic clades occupy specific niches and confirms the existence of cryptic species within the morphospecies M. pusilla. Parameters which can precisely explain the distribution of these cryptic species remain to be elucidated.
Agency Accountability Strategies After Liberalization: Universal Service in the United Kingdom, France, and Sweden
Authors: REISS DORIT RUBINSTEIN
Published: June 2008

Liberalization of key network industries is often said to reduce accountability by undermining its traditional mechanisms. Liberalization, others say, promotes accountability by creating new channels and mechanisms. This article suggests that neither view is sufficiently nuanced. Accountability comes in many forms, and the question is less “how much” accountability there is, but what form it takes. And accountability will take different forms in relation to different issues, even within the same organization. Examining accountability in relation to the provision of universal service in electricity and telecommunications, this article demonstrates that in the regimes studied, agencies were generally accountable for providing universal service by deferring, to the maximum possible extent, to political actors or stakeholders. However, when faced with an expert technical question—in this case, determining the costs of the universal service—agencies stressed their professional judgment and transparency. This observation supports a wider hypothesis concerning the conditions under which a variety of agency accountability strategies may be adopted.
Age discrimination and working life: Perspectives and contestations – a review of the contemporary literature
Authors: Wood Geoffrey , Wilkinson Adrian , Harcourt Mark
Published: June 2008

This review highlights some of the principal issues and debates surrounding age discrimination at the workplace. Essentially, the existing research in this area can be divided into three broad, although somewhat overlapping, categories. The first explores the underlying causes and consequences of age discrimination at the workplace from one or other theoretical tradition. The second broad body of literature encompasses empirical studies which document the nature and extent of age discrimination, based on the use of official statistics, and/or firm‐level survey evidence. The third explores the effects of various governmental initiatives to reduce the incidence of age discrimination and policy options in this area. Even though age discrimination is widely accepted to be prevalent, its causes are rather more contentious. Age discrimination has variously been ascribed to market imperfections, the product of rational choices and the effects of long‐term changes in the nature of the economy. Policy interventions may be prompted by economic pressure, demographic changes or cultural shifts, and have involved voluntary codes as well as legislation. Although voluntary codes have generally proved ineffective, the literature indicates that more formal regulations may still have only limited efficacy, underscoring the deeply rooted nature of age discrimination in society.