bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality and Regional Competitiveness
Authors: Jansson Johan , Waxell Anders
Published: October 2011

Recent literature on competitiveness has focused on innovation and industrial dynamics. In this paper it is argued that innovation is not enough when competing on global markets, at least in certain types of industries where performance, standards, and perceptions of the product are at the forefront. In addition to existing theory, we focus on the role of ‘quality’ in creating and sustaining regional competitive advantage. A theoretical framework for identifying and analyzing processes creating and recreating understandings, perceptions, and experiences of quality, that is, a quality promise, is presented. In the framework, the quality process is divided into three dimensions, labelled performance, projection, and protection. Regional competitiveness is arguably achieved when: (a) a good or a service is well represented in one or more of the quality dimensions; (b) quality perception and knowledge permeate all actors and their activities and are inherent throughout the value chain; and (c) space is an integral part of these processes in that it facilitates (i) localized learning/localization economies, and (ii) place-based branding. It is argued that ‘quality’ should be viewed as deeply embedded in space and that quality processes have both homogeneous and heterogeneous characteristics.
Visual Chimaeras Obtained with the Riesz Transform
Authors: Sierra-Vázquez Vicente , Serrano-Pedraza Ignacio
Published: October 2011

Similar to an auditory chimaera (Smith et al, 2002 Nature416 87–90), a visual chimaera can be defined as a synthetic image which has the fine spatial structure of one natural image and the envelope of another image in each spatial frequency band. Visual chimaeras constructed in this way could be useful to vision scientists interested in the study of interactions between first-order and second-order visual processing. Although it is almost trivial to generate 1-D chimaeras by means of the Hilbert transform and the analytic signal, problems arise in multidimensional signals like images given that the partial directional Hilbert transform and current 2-D demodulation algorithms are anisotropic or orientation-variant procedures. Here, we present a computational procedure to synthesise visual chimaeras by means of the Riesz transform—an isotropic generalisation of the Hilbert transform for multidimensional signals—and the associated monogenic signal—the vector-valued function counterpart of the analytic signal in which the Riesz transform replaces the Hilbert transform. Examples of visual chimaeras are shown for same/different category images.
Cast Shadows in Wide Perspective
Authors: Pont Sylvia C , Wijntjes Maarten W A , Oomes Augustinus H J , van Doorn Andrea , van Nierop Onno , de Ridder Huib , Koenderink Jan J
Published: October 2011

We investigated the apparent spatial layout of cast shadows up to very wide fields of view. We presented up to 130° wide images in which two ‘flat poles’ were standing on a green lawn under a cloudless blue sky on a sunny day. The poles threw sharp cast shadows on the green, of which one was fixed. The observer's task was to adjust the azimuth of the shadow of the other pole such that it fitted the scene. The source elevation was kept constant. The two cast shadows are, of course, parallel in physical space, but generically not in the picture plane because of the wide perspective. We found that observers made huge systematic errors, indicating that, generically, they fail to account for these perspective effects. The systematic deviations could be well described by a weighted linear combination of the directions in the picture plane and in the physical space, with weights that depended on the positions of, and distance between, the poles.
Static and Dynamic Visual Information about the Size and Passability of an Aperture
Authors: Fath Aaron J , Fajen Brett R
Published: October 2011

The role of static eyeheight-scaled information in perceiving the passability of and guiding locomotion through apertures is well established. However, eyeheight-scaled information is not the only source of visual information about size and passability. In this study we tested the sufficiency of two other sources of information, both of which are available only to moving observers (ie are dynamic) and specify aperture size in intrinsic body-scaled units. The experiment was conducted in an immersive virtual environment that was monocularly viewed through a head-mounted display. Subjects walked through narrow openings between obstacles, rotating their shoulders as necessary, while head and shoulder position were tracked. The task was performed in three virtual environments that differed in terms of the availability of eyeheight-scaled information and the two dynamic sources of information. Analyses focused on the timing and amplitude of shoulder rotation as subjects walked through apertures, as well as walking speed and the number of collisions. Subjects successfully timed and appropriately scaled the amplitude of shoulder rotation to fit through apertures in all three conditions. These findings suggest that visual information other than eyeheight-scaled information can be used to guide locomotion through apertures.
Detection Thresholds and Bias Correction in Polarized Intensity
Authors: George Samuel J. , Stil Jeroen M. , Keller Ben W.
Published: October 2011

Detection thresholds in polarized intensity and polarization bias correction are investigated for surveys where the polarization information is obtained from rotation measure (RM) synthesis. Considering unresolved sources with a single RM, a detection threshold of 8 σQU applied to the Faraday spectrum will retrieve the RM with a false detection rate less than 10−4, but polarized intensity is more strongly biased than Ricean statistics suggest. For a detection threshold of 5 σQU, the false detection rate increases to ∼4%, depending also on λ2 coverage and the extent of the Faraday spectrum. Non-Gaussian noise in Stokes Q and U due to imperfect imaging and calibration can be represented by a distribution that is the sum of a Gaussian and an exponential. The non-Gaussian wings of the noise distribution increase the false detection rate in polarized intensity by orders of magnitude. Monte Carlo simulations assuming non-Gaussian noise in Q and U give false detection rates at 8 σQU similar to Ricean false detection rates at 4.9 σQU.
Furan fatty acid as an anti-inflammatory component from the green-lipped mussel
Perna canaliculus
Authors: Wakimoto Toshiyuki , Kondo Hikaru , Nii Hirohiko , Kimura Kaori , Egami Yoko , Oka Yusuke , Yoshida Masae , Kida Eri , Ye Yiping , Akahoshi Saeko , Asakawa Tomohiro , Matsumura Koichi , Ishida Hitoshi , Nukaya Haruo , Tsuji Kuniro , Kan Toshiyuki , Abe Ikuro
Published: October 2011

A lipid extract of
Perna canaliculus
(New Zealand green-lipped mussel) has reportedly displayed anti-inflammatory effects in animal models and in human controlled studies. However, the anti-inflammatory lipid components have not been investigated in detail due to the instability of the lipid extract, which has made the identification of the distinct active components a formidable task. Considering the instability of the active component, we carefully fractionated a lipid extract of
Perna canaliculus
(Lyprinol) and detected furan fatty acids (F-acids). These naturally but rarely detected fatty acids show potent radical-scavenging ability and are essential constituents of plants and algae. Based on these data, it has been proposed that F-acids could be potential antioxidants, which may contribute to the protective properties of fish and fish oil diets against chronic inflammatory diseases. However, to date, in vivo data to support the hypothesis have not been obtained, presumably due to the limited availability of F-acids. To confirm the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of F-acids in comparison with that of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), we developed a semisynthetic preparation and examined its anti-inflammatory activity in a rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis. Indeed, the F-acid ethyl ester exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than that of the EPA ethyl ester. We report on the in vivo activity of F-acids, confirming that the lipid extract of the green-lipped mussel includes an unstable fatty acid that is more effective than EPA.
Accounting for carbon sequestration and its implications for land-use change and forestry projects.
Authors: Cacho O. , Hean R. , Karanja F.
Published: October 2011

As carbon becomes a valuable commodity traded in markets for greenhouse-gas emissions, there will be incentives to adopt land uses that capture carbon payments as well as produce other marketable outputs, including biofuels. These production systems may be more sustainable than many of those in current use, but there is also the risk that the growing demand for biofuels will cause land degradation, deforestation and food scarcity. The land-use patterns that arise as a result of carbon markets will largely depend on the 'rules of the game', which will be determined by governments and international agencies. This paper addresses these issues by reviewing the literature on the potential for terrestrial carbon pools to contribute to mitigating climate change. The review covers studies from forestry, ecology, economics, agriculture and other disciplines, reflecting the complexity of the issues and the range of research priorities that will need to be addressed in the next few decades. There is strong evidence that the potential for land-use systems to contribute to climate mitigation efforts is significant, but for this to occur it will be necessary that landholders receive incentives to change their current land uses. These incentives are linked to scientific, institutional and economic factors. An essential component will be the development of markets that allow the trade of emission reductions from both the energy sector and the land-use change and forestry (LUCF) sector. Technical factors that will contribute to success include: creation and analysis of remote-sensing and socio-economic datasets to estimate credible baselines; development of simple and inexpensive techniques for measuring soil carbon; and development of agreed standards that relate land-use and biophysical characteristics of a site to carbon content. Much research is being done to address these factors, and monitoring and reporting systems for LUCF activities are operational under the Kyoto Protocol, but obstacles remain for widespread implementation. There is a window of opportunity for projects to be developed that restore degraded croplands, avoid deforestation and encourage reforestation. This opportunity has a limited life span that depends on the duration of the transition period to low-carbon energy technologies that will ultimately carry the burden of climate change mitigation.
Use of neural networks and neural network inverse in optimizing food processes.
Authors: Hernández J. A.
Published: October 2011

Artificial neural networks (ANN) are widely accepted as a tool that offers an alternative way to tackle complex problems in optimizing the food processes. The interest in using ANN in optimization arises from their capacity to model without any assumptions about the nature of underlying mechanisms and their ability to take into account non-linearities and iterations between variables as well as to perform rapid calculations. They have been used in optimization of parameters, resulting in optimal production of the food preparation. ANN inverse (ANNi) is also being applied to optimize the operating conditions or parameters in food processes. ANNi is a new tool that inverts an ANN and uses an optimization method to find the optimum parameter value (or unknown parameter) for given required conditions in the processes. In order to perform ANNi, it is necessary to build the ANN that simulates the output parameters of a food process. In general, this class of ANN model is constituted of a feedforward network with one hidden layer, considering one or more well-known input parameter(s) of the process. Normally, a Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm, a hyperbolic tangent sigmoid and a linear transfer-function with several neurons in the hidden layer (because of the process complexity) are considered in the built model. With the required or optimized output and some input parameters in ANNi, it is possible to calculate the unknown input parameters. Consequently, the ANNi is applied to determine the optimal parameters and it already has applications in different process with very short elapsed time (seconds). The great advantage of using ANNi lies in the fact that it makes it faster and easier to predict optimal parameters to control the food preparation.
The application of RNA interference libraries to functional genomics studies in mammals.
Authors: Shen He Shen He , Fan Bin Fan Bin , Zhao ShuHong Zhao ShuHong
Published: October 2011

RNA interference (RNAi) technology is a gene-silencing tool with high specificity and efficiency for gene function studies. The use of RNAi libraries, which is based on this technology, promotes the significance of RNAi in gene silencing, and furthermore it provides a basis for the large-scale gene function analyses and high-throughput gene scan studies. This paper reviews the several types of RNAi library preparation, their respective construction approaches and some critical issues during RNAi library construction.
Functions of glutamine in critical illness.
Authors: Eaton S. , Aufieri R. , Pierro A.
Published: October 2011

The question of glutamine supplementation has long been of interest in the intensive care unit. Although many studies have been carried out, the results have been inconclusive. This may be because of the very wide variety of functions that glutamine performs and the heterogeneous nature of bodily dysfunction in the intensive care unit. In this paper, we review the functions of glutamine, with a particular focus on critical illness, and summarize the current knowledge regarding glutamine depletion during critical illness and the safety and efficacy of glutamine supplementation.
The potential for C
4
rice.
Authors: Liu Zheng Liu Zheng , Li RunZhi Li RunZhi
Published: October 2011

C
3
plants, especially some crops such as wheat, rice and soybean and potato, assimilate atmospheric CO
2
directly through the C
3
photosynthetic pathway. C
4
plants, such as maize and sugarcane, evolved independently at least 45 times from C
3
plants, acquired the C
4
photosynthetic pathway with increased photosynthesis efficiency, 50% higher than for C
3
plants. Transgenic C
3
rice lines overexpressing multiple C
4
enzymes are now being produced for improving rice photosynthesis and grain yield to meet the increasing demand of the world food. In this paper, we review recent advances in molecular engineering of C
4
genes in C
3
plants. Furthermore, we argue that the final solution to produce C
4
rice is dependent on mechanistic understanding of the following aspects: formation of Kranz structure, evolution of photorespiration or CO
2
concentration mechanism of single cell photosynthesis.
Mitigating the biodiversity impacts of oil palm development.
Authors: Yaap B. , Struebig M. J. , Paoli G. , Koh LianPin Koh LianPin
Published: October 2011

Impacts of oil palm plantation agriculture on biodiversity have proven severe, leading to increased human-wildlife conflict, homogenization of structurally and species diverse ecosystems, and destruction of habitat for globally threatened species. Growing international demand is likely to drive further expansion of this strategic commodity in producer countries. In response, a diverse set of tools and approaches with significant potential to mitigate future impacts have been developed and are being widely applied throughout Southeast Asia, the global centre of palm oil production. This paper aims to profile these mitigation tools, beginning first with a brief review of the documented biodiversity impacts of oil palm, followed by a description of conceptual frameworks for mitigation, and a critique of five emerging mitigation tools: (1) the High Conservation Value (HCV) approach, (2) land-use advocacy, (3) carbon offsets (4), biodiversity banking and (5) enhanced regulation and enforcement. A feature shared by all is the essential role played by civil society in the development and successful implementation of these tools. We conclude by highlighting further research needs and/or activist efforts most likely to yield lasting positive impacts to redirect the location, size and shape of the oil palm 'biodiversity footprint'.
Technical, epidemiological and financial implications of large-scale national vaccination campaigns to control HPAI H5N1.
Authors: Hinrichs J. , Otte J. , Rushton J.
Published: October 2011

This paper reviews the literature on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccination of poultry and the resulting technical, epidemiological and financial implications for the control of HPAI H5N1 through national vaccination campaigns. Large-scale HPAI vaccination programmes have been implemented in a number of Southeast Asian countries and in Egypt, requiring substantial financial and human resources. HPAI remains endemic in these countries and it thus appears warranted to comprehensively assess all major aspects of large-scale vaccination campaigns for the control of HPAI. The paper reviews existing data and literature on HPAI vaccines, HPAI epidemics and large-scale HPAI H5N1 vaccination programmes and draws on calculations carried out by the authors to assess and evaluate the potential contribution and the financial implications of mass vaccination in the control of HPAI H5N1 in domestic poultry in developing countries. We conclude that the high and recurrent costs, technical difficulties and epidemiological drawbacks of large-scale, open-ended, blanket vaccination programmes in national efforts to control HPAI call for careful targeting of vaccination in national control strategies, which 'intelligently' combine available disease control measures.
What does it mean to be poor-framing differences and implications for development initiatives.
Authors: Misturelli F.
Published: October 2011

'Poverty' is probably one of the most contested terms within development discourse. Development professionals have, over the years, attempted to capture the essence of what being poor means by applying a number of criteria focusing on economics and monetary factors, by defining basic needs, or concentrating on the capabilities of the poor. Lately, the notion that poverty is multidimensional and therefore cannot be reduced to a sum of lacks, but includes a number of material, social and psychological deprivations, has become widespread. However, using one or another definition is not without implication both for targeting and the solutions proposed. Indeed, the focus on the economic poverty implies a number of actions addressing economic issues, whereas the focus on the multidimensional aspects requires a wider perspective. An important point is to ensure that our notion of poverty corresponds to what poverty means to the poor. Indeed, with the inclusion of the 'voices of the poor', development professionals hoped to obtain a better understanding of the experience of poverty. Nevertheless, despite the efforts, the definition of poverty is still contested. Thus, the objective of the paper is to review the various notions of poverty presented within the development discourse and to discuss their implications for policy initiatives and development interventions.
Using electronic tongues and noses to assess food.
Authors: Rudnitskaya A. , Legin A.
Published: October 2011

Electronic noses and tongues are analytical instruments based on an array of partially selective chemical sensors and multivariate data processing tools. They have become popular analytical tools during the last two decades and a wide range of applications have been reported. Such tasks as classification of samples according to the properties of interest, quantification, process control and taste and flavour prediction have been addressed. This review deals with the applications of electronic nose and tongue systems to the food analysis published in the last 5 years. The review is organized according to food type rather than type of system or analytical task. Also a brief history of the development of electronic noses and tongues is presented. An overview of existing sensor systems and types of sensors used in them is given together with the information about commercial instruments. Practical aspects of electronic nose and tongue application are briefly discussed.
Fat and taste perception.
Authors: Besnard P. , Gaillard D. , Passilly-Degrace P. , Martin C. , Chevrot M.
Published: October 2011

An obesity epidemic is spreading rapidly across the world, especially in children. It constitutes a major risk in serious diet-related chronic diseases, thus decreasing life expectancy. The origin of the obesity epidemic is clearly dependent on multiple parameters. Increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods might be a contributory factor to the epidemic. Behavioural experiments in rats and mice show that both have a spontaneous preference for fatty foods. This lipid attraction is so strong that a mouse with free access to a source of oil in addition to standard laboratory chow becomes rapidly obese. In humans, studies also report that obese subjects have a greater preference than lean subjects for lipids. This last observation suggests that an inappropriate lipid perception might influence obesity risk by impacting feeding behaviour. Why we like fatty foods is not yet fully understood. Recent data demonstrate that low quantities of long-chain fatty acids can be specifically detected in the oral cavity by humans and laboratory rodents. Interestingly, lipid sensors have been found in rodent taste buds, suggesting that gustation can also play a role in the orosensory perception of lipids in combination with textural and olfactory cues. The sense of taste informs the organism about the quality of ingested food. It encompasses five sub-modalities: allowing the perception of sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami stimuli. The discovery of lipid sensors raises the possibility for a sixth taste modality ('fatty') directed to dietary fat detection. This mini-review highlights recent findings in this new field of investigation in both rodents and humans.
Use of high-density marker genotyping for genetic improvement of livestock by genomic selection.
Authors: Dekkers J. C. M.
Published: October 2011

Genomic or whole-genome selection represents a technological development in the use of a large number of genetic markers for genetic improvement, which is expected to lead to a paradigm shift in the design and implementation of livestock breeding programmes. Genomic selection (GS) is based on the simultaneous use of large numbers (>50 000) of genetic markers for selection of individuals without phenotype and has been made possible by recent developments in genomics and in statistical methods for analysis and prediction. The objectives of this review are to describe the principles of whole-genome selection analyses, opportunities that are provided by GS to enhance and redesign breeding programmes, summarize results of recent implementations of GS analyses in dairy cattle and describe issues associated with current implementations of GS analyses. Finally, future avenues of research that can be pursued to address these issues and develop statistical methods and breeding programme designs that capitalize on the opportunities provided by GS are described.
Rice hoja blanca: a complex plant-virus-vector pathosystem.
Authors: Morales F. J. , Jennings P. R.
Published: October 2011

Rice hoja blanca (RHB; white leaf) devastated rice (
Oryza sativa
) plantings in tropical America for half a century, before scientists could either identify its causal agent or understand the nature of its cyclical epidemics. The association of the planthopper
Tagosodes orizicolus
with RHB outbreaks, 20 years after its emergence in South America, suggested the existence of a viral pathogen. However,
T. orizicolus
could also cause severe direct feeding damage (hopperburn) to rice in the absence of hoja blanca, and breeders promptly realized that the genetic basis of resistance to these problems was different. Furthermore, it was observed that the causal agent of RHB could only be transmitted by a relatively low proportion of the individuals in any given population of
T. orizicolus
and that the pathogen was transovarially transmitted to the progeny of the planthopper vectors, affecting their normal biology. An international rice germplasm screening effort was initiated in the late 1950s to identify sources of resistance against RHB and the direct feeding damage caused by
T. orizicolus
, making better progress in the development of hopperburn-resistant than for hoja-blanca-resistant rice lines. In the 1980s, the identification of a novel virus as the causal agent of RHB, and genetic studies on the interaction of this virus with its planthopper vector, confirmed previous studies on the pathogenic nature of the virus to
T. orizicolus
and helped explain the cyclical nature of RHB epidemics. This disease is best controlled by hybridization of susceptible
indica
and resistant
japonica
rice genotypes and the adoption of integrated disease control practices.
System approach to sustainable management of inland floodplains - declaration on sustainable floodplain management.
Authors: Zalewski M. , Kiedrzyńska E.
Published: October 2011

In the face of a dramatic acceleration of global environmental degradation and a progressing shortage of water and energy, there is increasing scientific evidence that the biogeosphere is a self-stabilizing system controlled by feedback mechanisms between climate, water and biota, which has developed during Earth's evolution. At present, we are in the Anthropocene period, during which 80% of Earth's surface has been influenced by human activities. Consequently, the natural homoeostatic regulation of hydrological and biogeochemical processes has been dramatically reduced, resulting in the decline of biodiversity and ecosystem services. River valleys and floodplains usually occupy lower elevations in the landscape and thus they are highly exposed to cumulative human impacts from the surrounding catchment, yet they are also havens for aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and therefore should be-particularly protected, restored and managed. This paper introduces a new ecohydrological approach to sustainable management of inland floodplains and presents the general assumptions of the international Declaration on Sustainable Floodplain Management.
Embryo cryopreservation in domestic mammalian livestock species.
Authors: Youngs C. R. , Leibo S. P. , Godke R. A.
Published: October 2011

The cryopreservation of preimplantation embryos of domestic mammalian livestock species has become a routine practice in animal production. Embryo cryopreservation is an integral part of genetic improvement programmes utilizing embryo transfer and also is vital to germplasm preservation programmes. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with the background and history of embryo cryopreservation as well as insights into current trends in the cryopreservation of preimplantation embryos of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses.
Pros and cons of somatic embryogenesis for mass multiplication of perennial plantation crops.
Authors: Sujatha R.
Published: October 2011

Conventionally, horticultural plants have been produced in farmer-managed nurseries by seed propagation or using traditional vegetative propagation methods such as cutting, grafting, budding, etc. Plantation crops are perennial and must pass through a long juvenile phase of vegetative development before they are capable of seed production and propagation. In addition, it is not possible to obtain true-to-type plants by seed propagation in these crops because of cross pollination, which leads to high heterozygosity. Vegetative propagation through conventional methods cannot match the demand for elite genotypes for cultivation. However, in the recent past, propagation through biotechnological approaches has made a great contribution to large-scale production of plantation crops. Reproducible protocols of plant tissue culture that are cost effective and efficient will benefit the horticulture industry. During the last three decades, considerable evidence has accumulated to establish the embryogenic potential of somatic plant cells, and there has been an explosion in the number of species that form somatic embryos. This review gives an overview of general strategies followed in somatic embryogenesis and the progress made in important plantation crops.
Remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Authors: Xu XiaoWei Xu XiaoWei , Huang SuiLiang Huang SuiLiang , Scholz M. , Dong Yu Dong Yu
Published: October 2011

Hydrocarbon pollution is a threat to the agricultural industry and the natural environment. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants known for their carcinogenesis, teratogenesis and mutagenesis, making them harmful to humans and the ecological environment. This review paper critically assesses the environmental contamination issues associated with PAHs, with particular attention given to surface waters. An overview of the transport and transformation behaviours of various types of PAHs within surface waters, including the exchange between water and air, photodegradation, adsorption-desorption on particles, uptake by plants and biodegradation is given. Recent findings in areas such as phytoremediation and microbial degradation processes, which are relevant to agriculture, water resources management and environmental science, are highlighted. Finally, the paper recommends further research on the mechanisms of PAHs sorption to particles, and remediation and degradation of PAH by plants and microbes.
Coverage of Russian psychological contributions in American psychology textbooks
Authors: Aleksandrova‐Howell Maria , Abramson Charles I. , Craig David Philip Arthur
Published: October 2011

Internationalizing psychology is an important component of current globalization trends. American textbooks on the history of psychology and introductory psychology were surveyed for the presence of historical and contemporary important Russian psychologists to assess the current status of Russian–American crossfertilization. Of a list of 97 important Russian psychologists, as determined by the editors of the Russian journal Methodology and History in Psychology, less than 22% are mentioned in the reviewed texts. The most common names were Pavlov, Luria, and Vygotsky. As the internet is arguably the single most important factor affecting the increase of international communication and dissemination of knowledge, we also searched for these 97 names on various websites, most notably Wikipedia and Google. Forty‐one internet sites contained some amount of biographical information about Russian psychologists. On Wikipedia, 14 Russian psychologists had articles documenting biographical information. We also developed a rubric to determine the amount of information available on the internet for these psychologists and compared Wikipedia's mean score with various other websites. Wikipedia pages on average had a significantly higher score than the rest of the internet. Recommendations to improve Russian coverage in America are provided and include: (1) developing pages on Wikipedia and other virtual venues highlighting Russian contributions, (2) soliciting articles for US journals from Russian psychologists, and (3) incorporating Russian contributions in introductory and historical textbooks. We provide a partial bibliography of Russian contributions that can be used by authors of such textbooks.
Microarray Analysis Shows That Recessive Resistance to Watermelon mosaic virus in Melon Is Associated with the Induction of Defense Response Genes
Authors: Gonzalez-Ibeas Daniel , Cañizares Joaquin , Aranda Miguel A.
Published: October 2011

Resistance to Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) in melon (Cucumis melo L.) accession TGR-1551 is characterized by a significant reduction in virus titer, and is inherited as a recessive, loss-of-susceptibility allele. We measured virus RNA accumulation in TGR-1551 plants and a susceptible control (‘Tendral’) by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and also profiled the expression of 17,443 unigenes represented on a melon microarray over a 15-day time course. The virus accumulated to higher levels in cotyledons of the resistant variety up to 9 days postinoculation (dpi) but, thereafter, levels increased in the susceptible variety while those in the resistant variety declined. Microarray experiments looking at the early response to infection (1 and 3 dpi), as well as responses after 7 and 15 dpi, revealed more profound transcriptomic changes in resistant plants than susceptible ones. The gene expression profiles revealed deep and extensive transcriptome remodeling in TGR-1551 plants, often involving genes with pathogen response functions. Overall, our data suggested that resistance to WMV in TGR-1551 melon plants is associated with a defense response, which contrasts with the recessive nature of the resistance trait.
A Rapid, Sensitive Assay for Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2 in Plant and Soil Samples Using Magnetic Beads and Real-Time PCR
Authors: Ha Youngsil , Kim Joo-Sung , Denny Timothy P. , Schell Mark A.
Published: October 2011

The Ralstonia solanacearum species complex causes economically significant diseases in many plant families worldwide. Although generally limited to the tropics and subtropics, strains designated race 3 biovar 2 (R3Bv2) cause disease in cooler tropical highlands and temperate regions. R3Bv2 has not become established in North America but, due to concerns that it could devastate the U.S. potato industry, it has been designated a Select Agent, and is subject to strict quarantine regulations. Quarantine screening for R3Bv2 requires rapid and robust assays applicable to small populations present in plant tissues or soil, and must distinguish R3Bv2 from the multiple other R. solanacearum subgroups. We developed a 100%-accurate real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay that can detect R3Bv2 populations >1,000 cells ml–1. However, detection by RT-PCR was inhibited by compounds present in some plant and soil samples. Therefore, we developed simple immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and magnetic capture hybridization (MCH) methods to purify R. solanacearum cells or DNA from PCR inhibitors. When coupled with RT-PCR, these tools permitted detection of R3Bv2 at levels >500 cells ml–1 in stem, tuber, and soil samples when direct RT-PCR failed, and reduced detection time from days to hours. IMS-RT-PCR was usually more sensitive than MCH-RT-PCR, especially at lower population levels.
Hypothyroidism Is a Rare Cause of Isolated Constipation
Authors: Bennett William E. , Heuckeroth Robert O.
Published: October 2011

The prevalence of constipation in children is high and accounts for a large percentage of pediatric and pediatric gastroenterology visits. Thyroid testing is frequently ordered to evaluate constipation and other gastrointestinal complaints in children. We reviewed all of the patients with thyroid testing ordered by our pediatric gastroenterology division during a 5‐year period. We found 873 patients on whom thyroid testing was performed, and 56 patients had evidence of hypothyroidism. Nine patients had constipation and clinically significant hypothyroidism in this group; however, only 1 child had constipation as their sole presenting symptom. The contribution of occult hypothyroidism to isolated constipation in children may have been previously overestimated.
Male sexual harassment alters female social behaviour towards other females
Authors: Darden Safi K. , Watts Lauren
Published: October 2011

Male harassment of females to gain mating opportunities is a consequence of an evolutionary conflict of interest between the sexes over reproduction and is common among sexually reproducing species. Male Trinidadian guppies
Poecilia reticulata
spend a large proportion of their time harassing females for copulations and their presence in female social groups has been shown to disrupt female–female social networks and the propensity for females to develop social recognition based on familiarity. In this study, we investigate the behavioural mechanisms that may lead to this disruption of female sociality. Using two experiments, we test the hypothesis that male presence will directly affect social behaviours expressed by females towards other females in the population. In experiment one, we tested for an effect of male presence on female shoaling behaviour and found that, in the presence of a free-swimming male guppy, females spent shorter amounts of time with other females than when in the presence of a free-swimming female guppy. In experiment two, we tested for an effect of male presence on the incidence of aggressive behaviour among female guppies. When males were present in a shoal, females exhibited increased levels of overall aggression towards other females compared with female only shoals. Our work provides direct evidence that the presence of sexually harassing males alters female–female social behaviour, an effect that we expect will be recurrent across taxonomic groups.
A Bayesian approach to phylogeographic clustering
Authors: Manolopoulou Ioanna , Legarreta Lorenza , Emerson Brent C. , Brooks Steve , Tavaré Simon
Published: October 2011

Phylogeographic methods have attracted a lot of attention in recent years, stressing the need to provide a solid statistical framework for many existing methodologies so as to draw statistically reliable inferences. Here, we take a flexible fully Bayesian approach by reducing the problem to a clustering framework, whereby the population distribution can be explained by a set of migrations, forming geographically stable population clusters. These clusters are such that they are consistent with a fixed number of migrations on the corresponding (unknown) subdivided coalescent tree. Our methods rely upon a clustered population distribution, and allow for inclusion of various covariates (such as phenotype or climate information) at little additional computational cost. We illustrate our methods with an example from weevil mitochondrial DNA sequences from the Iberian peninsula.
Bayesian design strategies for synthetic biology
Authors: Barnes Chris P. , Silk Daniel , Stumpf Michael P. H.
Published: October 2011

We discuss how statistical inference techniques can be applied in the context of designing novel biological systems. Bayesian techniques have found widespread application and acceptance in the systems biology community, where they are used for both parameter estimation and model selection. Here we show that the same approaches can also be used in order to engineer synthetic biological systems by inferring the structure and parameters that are most likely to give rise to the dynamics that we require a system to exhibit. Problems that are shared between applications in systems and synthetic biology include the vast potential spaces that need to be searched for suitable models and model parameters; the complex forms of likelihood functions; and the interplay between noise at the molecular level and nonlinearity in the dynamics owing to often complex feedback structures. In order to meet these challenges, we have to develop suitable inferential tools and here, in particular, we illustrate the use of approximate Bayesian computation and unscented Kalman filtering-based approaches. These partly complementary methods allow us to tackle a number of recurring problems in the design of biological systems. After a brief exposition of these two methodologies, we focus on their application to oscillatory systems.
Seasonal migration dynamics: periodicity, transition delay and finite-dimensional reduction
Authors: Wang Xiang-Sheng , Wu Jianhong
Published: October 2011

We study a model of bird migration between the summer breeding ground and the winter refuge site. The model involves time lags for the transition time between the patches, and the model parameters are periodic in time as the biological activities related to the migration and reproduction are seasonal. It has been shown in previous studies that the model system exhibits threshold dynamics: either all solutions converge to the trivial solution, or the system has a positive and globally attractive periodic solution. Two issues remain and will be addressed in this paper: how to express the threshold condition in terms of model parameters explicitly (rather than the abstract spectral radius of a certain monodromy operator) and how to describe the temporal pattern of the positive periodic solution. We make an interesting and surprising observation that the delay differential system is completely characterized by a finite-dimensional ordinary differential system and then a finite-dimensional map in the sense that the bird population at the initial time of spring migration determines the future status of the system. As a consequence, we derive the threshold condition, explicitly in terms of the model parameters, for the extinction and persistence of the considered bird species.
Effective attraction between oscillating electrons in a plasmoid via acoustic wave exchange
Authors: Dvornikov Maxim
Published: October 2011

We consider the effective interaction between electrons owing to the exchange of virtual acoustic waves in a low-temperature plasma. Electrons are supposed to participate in rapid radial oscillations, forming a spherically symmetric plasma structure. We show that under certain conditions, this effective interaction can result in the attraction between oscillating electrons and can be important for the dynamics of a plasmoid. Some possible applications of the obtained results to the theory of natural long-lived plasma structures are also discussed.
Asymptotics of eigenfrequencies in the dynamic response of elongated multi-structures
Authors: Brun M. , Giaccu G. F. , Movchan A. B. , Movchan N. V.
Published: October 2011

The paper addresses a mathematical model describing the dynamic response of an elongated bridge supported by elastic pillars. The elastic system is considered as a multi-structure involving subdomains of different limit dimensions connected via junction regions. Analytical formulae have been derived to estimate eigenfrequencies in the low frequency range. The analytical findings for Bloch–Floquet waves in an infinite periodic structure are compared with the finite element numerical computations for an actual bridge structure of finite length. The asymptotic estimates obtained here have also been used as a design tool in problems of asymptotic optimization.
Climate change intensification of herbivore impacts on tree recruitment
Authors: Brodie Jedediah , Post Eric , Watson Fred , Berger Joel
Published: October 2011

Altered species interactions are difficult to predict and yet may drive the response of ecological communities to climate change. We show that declining snowpack strengthens the impacts of a generalist herbivore, elk (
Cervus elaphus
), on a common tree species. Thick snowpack substantially reduces elk visitation to sites; aspen (
Populus tremuloides
) shoots in these areas experience lower browsing rates, higher survival and enhanced recruitment. Aspen inside herbivore exclosures have greatly increased recruitment, particularly at sites with thick snowpack. We suggest that long-term decreases in snowpack could help explain a widespread decline of aspen through previously unconsidered relationships. More generally, reduced snowpack across the Rocky Mountains, combined with rising elk populations, may remove the conditions needed for recruitment of this ecologically important tree species. These results highlight that herbivore behavioural responses to altered abiotic conditions are critical determinants of plant persistence. Predictions of climate change impacts must not overlook the crucial importance of species interactions.
The genomic response to courtship song stimulation in femaleDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Immonen Elina , Ritchie Michael G.
Published: October 2011

Courtship behaviour involves a complex exchange of signals and responses. These are usually studied at the phenotypic level, and genetic or transcriptional responses to courtship are still poorly understood. Here, we examine the gene-expression changes inDrosophila melanogasterfemales in response to one of the key male courtship signals in mate recognition, song produced by male wing vibration. Using long oligonucleotide microarrays, we identified several genes that responded differentially to the presence or absence of acoustic courtship stimulus. These changes were modest in both the number of genes involved and fold-changes, but notably dominated by antennal signalling genes involved in olfaction as well as neuropeptides and immune response genes. Second, we compared the expression patterns of females stimulated with synthetic song typical of either conspecific or heterospecific (Drosophila simulans) males. In this case, antennal olfactory signalling and innate immunity genes were also enriched among the differentially expressed genes. We confirmed and investigated the time course of expression differences of two identified immunity genes using real-time quantitative PCR. Our results provide novel insight into specific molecular changes in females in response to courtship song stimulation. These may be involved in both signal perception and interpretation and some may anticipate molecular interactions that occur between the sexes after mating.
Multiple shifts between violet and ultraviolet vision in a family of passerine birds with associated changes in plumage coloration
Authors: Ödeen Anders , Pruett-Jones Stephen , Driskell Amy C. , Armenta Jessica K. , Håstad Olle
Published: October 2011

Colour vision in diurnal birds falls into two discrete classes, signified by the spectral sensitivity of the violet- (VS) or ultraviolet-sensitive (UVS) short wavelength-sensitive type 1 (SWS1) single cone. Shifts between sensitivity classes are rare; three or four are believed to have happened in the course of avian evolution, one forming UVS higher passerines. Such shifts probably affect the expression of shortwave-dominated plumage signals. We have used genomic DNA sequencing to determine VS or UVS affinity in fairy-wrens and allies, Maluridae, a large passerine family basal to the known UVS taxa. We have also spectrophotometrically analysed male plumage coloration as perceived by the VS and UVS vision systems. Contrary to any other investigated avian genus,Malurus(fairy-wrens) contains species with amino acid residues typical of either VS or UVS cone opsins. Three bowerbird species (Ptilonorhynchidae) sequenced for outgroup comparison carry VS opsin genes. Phylogenetic reconstructions render one UVS gain followed by one or more losses as the most plausible evolutionary scenario. The evolution of avian ultraviolet sensitivity is hence more complex, as a single shift no longer explains its distribution in Passeriformes. Character correlation analysis proposes that UVS vision is associated with shortwave-reflecting plumage, which is widespread in Maluridae.