bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of salicylic acid glucosyltransferase, OsSGT1, to chemically induced disease resistance in rice plants
Authors: Umemura Kenji , Satou Junji , Iwata Michiaki , Uozumi Nobuyuki , Koga Jinichiro , Kawano Tomonori , Koshiba Tomokazu , Anzai Hiroyuki , Mitomi Masaaki
Published: September 2008

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a natural disease response in plants, can be induced chemically. Salicylic acid (SA) acts as a key endogenous signaling molecule that mediates SAR in dicotyledonous plants. However, the role of SA in monocotyledonous plants has yet to be elucidated. In this study, the mode of action of the agrochemical protectant chemical probenazole was assessed by microarray‐based determination of gene expression. Cloning and characterization of the most highly activated probenazole‐responsive gene revealed that it encodes UDP‐glucose:SA glucosyltransferase (OsSGT1), which catalyzes the conversion of free SA into SA O‐β‐glucoside (SAG). We found that SAG accumulated in rice leaf tissue following treatment with probenazole or 2,6‐dichloroisonicotinic acid. A putative OsSGT1 gene from the rice cultivar Akitakomachi was cloned and the gene product expressed in Escherichia coli was characterized, and the results suggested that probenazole‐responsive OsSGT1 is involved in the production of SAG. Furthermore, RNAi‐mediated silencing of the OsSGT1 gene significantly reduced the probenazole‐dependent development of resistance against blast disease, further supporting the suggestion that OsSGT1 is a key mediator of development of chemically induced disease resistance. The OsSGT1 gene may contribute to the SA signaling mechanism by inducing up‐regulation of SAG in rice plants.
The GhACS1 gene encodes an acyl‐CoA synthetase which is essential for normal microsporogenesis in early anther development of cotton
Authors: Wang Xiu‐Lan , Li Xue‐Bao
Published: September 2008

Microsporogenesis, associated with the functional expression of many genes, is a highly programmed and regulated process in flowering plants. To elucidate the roles of genes during anther development, two anther‐specific cDNAs (designated GhACS1 and GhACS2) encoding acyl‐CoA synthetases (ACSs) were isolated from a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) flower cDNA library. Subsequently, the corresponding GhACS1 gene was isolated from a cotton genomic DNA library. Real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR and northern blot analyses revealed that GhACS1 transcripts were predominantly accumulated in the developing anthers of cotton. The specificity of GhACS1 expression in primary sporogenous cells (PSCs), pollen mother cells (PMCs), microspores, and tapetal cells was demonstrated by in situ hybridization as well as histochemical assay of GUS expression controlled under the GhACS1 promoter. High levels of GhACS1 activity are crucial for fatty acid metabolism in PSCs, PMCs, microspores and particularly tapetal cells. Reduction of ACS enzymatic activity by suppressing GhACS1 expression severely affected the tapetal cells and consequently blocked normal microsporogenesis in early anther development. Aberrant and defective microspores were generated in the transgenic anthers. As a result, the transgenic plants failed to produce functional pollen grains and were male‐sterile, suggesting that the GhACS1 gene is required for normal microsporogenesis in early anther development of cotton.
Internet addiction among Norwegian adults: A stratified probability sample study
Authors: BAKKEN INGER JOHANNE , WENZEL HANNE GRO , GÖTESTAM K. GUNNAR , JOHANSSON AGNETA , ØREN ANITA
Published: September 2008

Most Norwegians are Internet users. We conducted a stratified probability sample study (Norway, 2007, age‐group 16–74 years, N= 3,399, response rate 35.3%, 87.1% Internet users) to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction and at‐risk Internet use by the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). The prevalence of Internet addiction (YDQ score 5–8) was 1.0% and an additional 5.2% were at‐risk Internet users (YDQ score 3–4). Internet addiction and at‐risk Internet use was strongly dependent on gender and age with highest prevalences among young males (16–29 years 4.1% and 19.0%, 30–39 years 3.3% and 10.7%). Logistic regression showed that male gender, young age, university level education, and an unsatisfactory financial situation were factors positively associated with “problematic Internet use” (at‐risk and addicted use combined). Time spent on the Internet and prevalence of self‐reported sleeping disorders, depression, and other psychological impairments increased linearly with YDQ score. Problematic Internet use clearly affects the lives of many people.
Brain activation on pre‐reading tasks reveals at‐risk status for dyslexia in 6‐year‐old children
Authors: SPECHT KARSTEN , HUGDAHL KENNETH , OFTE SONJA , NYGÅRD MERETHE , BJØRNERUD ATLE , PLANTE ELENA , HELLAND TURID
Published: September 2008

In this fMRI‐study, 6‐year‐old children considered at risk for dyslexia were compared with an age‐/gender‐matched control group for differences in brain activation when presented with visual stimuli differing in demands for literacy processing. Stimuli were nameable pictures, brand logos familiar to children, and written words – these were either regularly spelled using early‐acquired rules (“alphabetic”) or more complex (“orthographic”). Brain responses distinguished between the presentation conditions, as a function of group, within many cortical areas. Activation in the alphabetic and orthographic conditions in the left angular gyrus correlated with individual at‐risk index scores, and activation in inferior occipito‐temporal regions further indicated differential activation for the two groups related to orthographic processing, especially. Since similar patterns are reported in adult dyslexics when processing written words, it appears that sensitivity to the cortical differentiation of reading networks is established prior to formal literacy training.
Emotionally controlled decision‐making and a gene variant related to serotonin synthesis in women with borderline personality disorder
Authors: MAUREX LISELOTTE , ZABOLI GHAZAL , WIENS STEFAN , ÅSBERG MARIE , LEOPARDI ROSARIO , ÖHMAN ARNE
Published: September 2008

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was used to examine (i) social decision‐making in women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and (ii) the relationship between impaired decision‐making and the tryptophan hydroxylase‐1 (TPH‐1) gene, involved in serotonin synthesis. Forty‐two women with BPD and a history of suicide attempts were genotyped, and the frequency of a TPH‐1 haplotype previously uniquely associated with BPD was calculated. The BPD group scored significantly lower than a control group in the IGT. Furthermore, the TPH‐1 haplotype displayed a significantly higher frequency in BPD participants with impaired decision making, compared to BPD participants with normal scores. These findings suggest that impaired decision‐making as determined by the IGT is a feature of BPD and may be (i) associated with serotonin dysfunction, and (ii) possibly relevant for suicidal behavior.
The pastoral boom, the rural land market, and long swings in New Zealand economic growth, 1873–19391
Authors: GREASLEY DAVID , OXLEY LES
Published: September 2008

Higher farm and manufacturing productivity associated with refrigerated exports led to New Zealand's attainment of the world's highest Human Development Index in 1913. Local responses to export opportunities increased the social depth of land ownership and fostered intensive growth. Closer settlement meant that land‐related income gains spread widely, but land market volatility also created instability. New Zealand had the world's highest GDP per capita in 1938, but it experienced long swings in its growth rates. Dramatic swings in rural land market activity engendered by the pastoral boom contributed greatly to a long depression in the 1920s; subsequently a new monetary regime facilitated fast recovery.
List of publications on the economic and social history of Great Britain and Ireland published in 2007
Authors: Hale Matthew , Hawkins Richard , Wright Catherine
Published: September 2008

(The place of publication is London and the date 2007 unless otherwise stated.)
‘I'm Home for the Kids’: Contradictory Implications for Work–Life Balance of Teleworking Mothers
Authors: Hilbrecht Margo , Shaw Susan M. , Johnson Laura C. , Andrey Jean
Published: September 2008

This study explores the experience of time flexibility and its relationship to work–life balance among married female teleworkers with school‐aged children. Drawing from a larger study of teleworkers from a Canadian financial corporation, 18 mothers employed in professional positions discussed work, leisure and their perceptions of work–life balance in in‐depth interviews. Telework was viewed positively because flexible scheduling facilitated optimal time management. A key factor was the pervasiveness of caregiving, which could result in ongoing tensions and contradictions between the ethic of care and their employment responsibilities. The ideology of ‘intensive mothering’ meant that work schedules were closely tied to the rhythms of children's school and leisure activities. The different temporal demands of motherhood and employment resulted in little opportunity for personal leisure. Time ‘saved’ from not having to commute to an office was reallocated to caregiving, housework or paid employment rather than to time for their self. The women also experienced a traditional gendered division of household labour and viewed telework as a helpful tool for combining their dual roles. Time flexibility enhanced their sense of balancing work and life and their perceived quality of life. At the same time, they did not question whether having the primary responsibility for caregiving while engaged in paid employment at home was fair or whether it was a form of exploitation.
Technology, Gender and Time: A Contribution to the Debate
Authors: Araújo Emília Rodrigues
Published: September 2008

Using the data collected from research carried out at two Portuguese universities, this article highlights the way university lecturers currently deal with space and time. Their professional activity is not externally subjected to a specific time geometry that defines their working day. Teaching and researching time–spaces are basically task oriented. Furthermore, university lecturers are increasingly requested to perform tasks in very short time periods in order to secure financial support. To a certain extent, this pressure upon their work is facilitated by the use of technology. However, technology also causes a profound reconfiguration of working times and spaces, especially because it allows lecturers to work at any time from anywhere. This not only renders university physical spaces and times virtual, but it also leads to the colonization of several other time–spaces of their social lives. This article analyses the ambivalence and difficulty of managing time–spaces, as described by the lecturers themselves, with the objective of providing a more accurate awareness of the implications of technology on their lives, as well as the hazards of the progressive externalization of academic work, particularly for women.
Experimental disturbance by walkers affects behaviour and territory density of nesting Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Authors: HOLM THOMAS ESKE , LAURSEN KARSTEN
Published: September 2008

In Europe, the number of areas supporting breeding Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa has halved over the last 30 years. Although the decline has been primarily attributed to habitat deterioration, human disturbance has also been implicated. We undertook a controlled experimental study at the Danish Special Protection Area (SPA) reserve at Tipperne, comparing bird behaviour and breeding densities from two baseline years with those in 3 years with two experimental levels of disturbance. Black‐tailed Godwits flushed and showed mobbing behaviour significantly more often when disturbed. The duration of simultaneous flights by breeding pairs was greater when disturbed, leaving nests susceptible to predation. Behavioural observations suggested birds were highly sensitive to human disturbance and unlikely to habituate. Disturbance levels of seven walkers/day affected territory densities up to 500 m from routes taken by walkers, causing effective habitat loss to breeding Black‐tailed Godwits. The species’ sensitivity to disturbance may help explain why it has disappeared from many areas. Effective conservation of important breeding areas and maintenance of high densities of Black‐tailed Godwit and other meadow birds necessitates control of public disturbance to breeding areas.
FLOW PATTERN AROUND THE RIGID CEPHALIC SHIELD OF THE DEVONIAN AGNATHANERRIVASPIS WAYNENSIS(PTERASPIDIFORMES: HETEROSTRACI)
Authors: BOTELLA HÉCTOR , FARIÑA RICHARD A.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Palaeozoic armoured agnathans (or ostracoderms) are characterised by having an external, bone shield enclosing the anterior part of their bodies, which demonstrate great diversity of both forms and sizes. The functional significance of these cephalic shields remains unclear (they may have been a functional analogue of the vertebral column, or merely afforded protection). Here we assess the importance of the cephalic shield in terms of locomotion. In order to do this, we have studied flow patterns of the Devonian heterostracanErrivaspis waynensis(White, 1935), using an anatomically correct model ofE.waynensispositioned at different pitching angles. The fluid flow was visualised in a wind tunnel, using planar light sheet techniques, adding vaporised propylene glycol to the fluid. The flow pattern over the cephalic shield ofErrivaspisis dominated by the formation of leading‐edge vortices (LEVs). When the model was positioned at angles of attack of ‐2 degrees or higher a pair of nearly symmetrical, counter‐rotating primary vortices were produced, which flowed downstream over the upper surface of the cephalic shield. At moderate angles of attack, LEVs remained attached to the dorsal surface, but, as the angle of attack increased above 7 degrees, vortices began to separate from the surface at posterior locations. At a high angles of attack (around 12 degrees or 13 degrees), vortex breakdown (or vortex burst) occured. The body‐induced vortical flow around the cephalic shield is very similar to the that described over delta wing aircraft. This strategy generates lift forces through vortex generation (vortex lift). Based on this analogue and knowing thatErrivaspislacked pectoral fins or any other obvious control surfaces, vortex lift forces added through this mechanism may have played a major role in the locomotion of these primitive fishes, not only to counteract the negative buoyancy of the fish, but also as a means of manoeuvring.
Cryptostomid Bryozoans From The Sassito Formation, Upper Ordovician Cool‐Water Carbonates of the Argentinean Precordillera
Authors: ERNST ANDREJ , CARRERA MARCELO
Published: September 2008

Abstract:  Two new bryozoan species are described from the Upper Ordovician Sassito Formation of the Argentinean Precordillera: Moyerella  spinata sp. nov. and Phylloporina  sassitoensis sp. nov. The bryozoans are found in cool‐water carbonates. The Silurian genus Moyerella is reported the first time in the Ordovician, showing palaeobiogeographic connections with Estonia and Siberia.
THE MIDDLE ORDOVICIANPROVENTOCITUM PROCERULUMRADIOLARIAN ASSEMBLAGE OF SPITSBERGEN AND ITS BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC CORRELATION
Authors: MALETZ JÖRG , BRUTON DAVID L.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: TheProventocitum procerulumradiolarian assemblage from the Valhallfonna Formation of Spitsbergen is described for the first time in some detail from material investigated in transmitted light. A number of species are recognized in the well‐preserved material, showing unexpected diversity. The age of the fauna is restricted to the early Darriwilian (Da1‐2), based on comparison with precisely dated radiolarian assemblages from the Cow Head and Table Head Groups of western Newfoundland. Most species, however, are left in open nomenclature until additional material is available for SEM investigation.Inanigutta magnifican. sp. is described as new.
SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF PSEUDOBEACONIA BORDAS, 1944, AND MENDOCINICHTHYS WHITLEY, 1953 (ACTINOPTERYGII: ‘PERLEIDIFORMES’) FROM THE TRIASSIC OF ARGENTINA
Authors: LÓPEZ‐ARBARELLO ADRIANA , ZAVATTIERI ANA M.
Published: September 2008

Abstract:  The ‘perleidiform’Mendocinichthys and Pseudobeaconia from the Potrerillos and Santa Clara Abajo formations (Upper Triassic; Argentina) are reviewed. Mendocinichthys has been known from a review of this species that is not based on the type material, but on referred specimens in the American Museum of Natural History. However, those specimens are found here to represent a new species of Pseudobeaconia, P. celestae sp. nov. Consequently, Mendocinichthys is restricted here to the type material and, within it, to the only specimen that clearly represents a distinct taxon and is thus designated lectotype. We further performed a cladistic analysis and propose a new family, Pseudobeaconiidae for these two South American Triassic genera, which is mainly characterized by the presence of an incomplete dorsal ridge of spine‐like scales between the skull and the dorsal fin, and scales with straight posterior border, an elevated central region and marginal concentric ridges of ganoine. The cladistic analysis further indicates the existence of some lineages endemic to certain areas of Gondwana and Europe. Pseudobeaconia celestae sp. nov. represents the first record of Pseudobeaconia in the Cacheuta sub‐basin of the Cuyana Basin. The genus was previously known from the Santa Clara sub‐basin of the Cuyana Basin only, and the new record confirms the previous hypothesis of correlation between the sedimentary infilling of these sub‐basins.
Party Competition and Government Formation in Multilevel Settings: Evidence from Germany
Authors: Debus Marc
Published: September 2008

Governing in multilevel settings has become a prominent research field in comparative political science. This article asks if German state parties adopt similar ideological positions and coalition strategies to the parties on the federal stage. The results of a content analysis of state and federal election manifestos show that German political parties on the state level indeed adopt different programmatic positions to the federal parties'. Government formation on the state level, however, is not only influenced by the state parties' programmatic viewpoints, but also by the predominant patterns of coalition politics at the federal level.
The Swedish Conservative Party and the Welfare State: Institutional Change and Adapting Preferences
Authors: Lindbom Anders
Published: September 2008

After the 2006 elections, a bourgeois government came to power in Sweden. This article argues that the popularity of the ‘universal’ Swedish welfare state has led the dominant ‘neoliberal’ party (Moderaterna) to adapt its policies; the party has accepted that the modern welfare state is irreplaceable. In the short run the party can only hope to achieve incremental changes, but at the same time the party wants to change society (lower taxes) in the long run. The differences between the allegedly neoliberal 1980s and 2006 should not conceal that the mechanism of welfare popularity remains largely the same. The party's policy proposals tend to suggest only incremental changes in both periods.
“Trust me, I'm a Scientist (Not a Developer)”: Perceived Expertise and Motives as Predictors of Trust in Assessment of Risk from Contaminated Land
Authors: Eiser J. Richard , Stafford Tom , Henneberry John , Catney Philip
Published: September 2008

Previous authors have argued that trust may be based on the extent to which risk communicators are seen as good at discriminating safety from danger, are unbiased in their assessments, and share their audience's values. Residents of two English urban regions rated their trust in six potential sources of information about the risk of contaminated land in their neighborhood (independent scientists; local council property developers; residents' groups; friends and family; local media), and how expert, open, accurate, or biased these sources were and how much they had residents' interests at heart. Overall, scientists were trusted most and developers least, but this was only partly due to their greater perceived expertise. Resident groups and friends/family were also trusted, despite being seen as relatively inexpert, since they scored highly on openness and shared interests, these latter two attributes being more important predictors of trust in individual sources than perceived expertise. We conclude that, where a source is seen as motivated to withhold, distort, or misinterpret information, this will undermine public trust even in apparently knowledgeable sources, hence supporting the view that trust depends on a combination of perceived expertise and perceived motives as complementary processes.
Stability Phase‐Fields and Pyrochlore Formation in Sections of the Bi2O3–Al2O3–Fe2O3–Nb2O5 System
Authors: Vanderah Terrell A. , Guzman Julian , Nino Juan C. , Roth Robert S.
Published: September 2008

Bismuth‐niobate‐based ceramic materials are of interest for embedded elements such as capacitors and filters because they exhibit high relative dielectric permittivities and tend to be processible at temperatures in the 1000°–1200°C range. As part of ongoing studies of phase equilibria and structure–property relations in this class of electroceramics, a limited study of sections in the Bi2O3–Al2O3–FeO3–Nb2O5 system was conducted. In contrast to published reports, a pyrochlore phase was not found in the ternary subsystem Bi2O3–Al2O3–Nb2O5, despite detailed syntheses, which included controlled heatings up to and above the solidus: except for solid solutions of Al2O3 in binary Bi2O3–Nb2O5 phases (i.e., fluorite‐related Bi3NbO7 and Bi5Nb3O15), no distinct ternary compounds were observed to form. In the quaternary Bi2O3–Al2O3–FeO3–Nb2O5 system, a pyrochlore solid solution was confirmed along a line from Bi1.657Fe1.092Nb1.150O7 (=42.50:28.00:29.50 Bi2O3:Fe2O3:Nb2O5) up to the limiting composition Bi1.657Al0.328Fe0.764Nb1.150O7 (=42.50:8.400:19.60:29.50 Bi2O3:Al2O3:Fe2O3:Nb2O5), corresponding to substitution of 30% of the Fe3+ with Al3+. This result suggests that the large pyrochlore phase‐field in the Bi–Fe–Nb–O system extends into the quaternary Bi–Al–Fe–Nb–O system to form a single‐phase volume of pyrochore solid solutions by dissolving appreciable amounts of Al2O3. The Bi–Al–Fe–Nb–O pyrochlore phases exhibited low‐temperature dielectric relaxation characteristic of bismuth‐based pyrochlores. The substitution of Al for Fe resulted in a small increase in relative dielectric permittivity (from 125 to ≈135 at 1 MHz, ≈200 K), and a decrease in the temperature (from ≈130 to ≈120 K) corresponding to the peak in the dielectric loss.
Yttrium Aluminum Garnet as a Scavenger for Ca and Si
Authors: Kuru Yener , Savasir Onur , Nergiz Saide Z. , Oncel Cinar , Gulgun Mehmet A. , Haug Siglinde , Van Aken Peter A.
Published: September 2008

Doped yttrium aluminum garnet, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), has drawn considerable attention for solid‐state industrial, medical, and scientific laser applications. The crystal optical activity is closely related to the type and amount of doping element. Studies on highly yttrium‐doped, creep‐resistant alumina ceramics with Ca and Si contamination have indicated that YAG precipitates in the ceramic had a propensity to allow the simultaneous incorporation of Ca and Si impurities on the order of 1% into their structure. The cosolubility potential for Ca and Si in YAG crystals was investigated through systematic doping and codoping of YAG polycrystals with Ca2+ and/or Si4+. It was shown via X‐ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis techniques that the ceramic can accommodate more than an order of magnitude amounts of Ca2+ and Si4+ when they are incorporated in equal amounts simultaneously than when they are introduced alone. The cosolubility limit for Ca and Si was determined to be between 3% and 4% of the cation amount in pure YAG. Enhanced co‐solubility was discussed in terms of size and charge compensations in the lattice. Codoping with a suitable element is introduced as a possible way to increase the solubility of useful cations in this ceramic, which is the host material for lasers.
The Influence of Oxide Interphases on the Toughness of the Interface Between α‐Al2O3 and Ni(Al) Intermetallic
Authors: Hasegawa Makoto , Cao Ningyuan , Kagawa Yutaka , Rühle Manfred , Evans Anthony G.
Published: September 2008

The effects of a reaction interlayer on the fracture toughness of an interface between α‐Al2O3 and a γ′‐Ni3Al intermetallic has been assessed. The interfaces have been fabricated by diffusion‐bonding, subject to O chemical potentials that result in the formation of a thin (120 nm) interlayer. High‐resolution characterization has revealed that the interlayer consists of mixed oxide/metallic phases, consistent with phase equilibrium for the system. The interface toughness has been measured as, ΓI≈6 J/m2, much lower than that for interfaces between Ni alloys and α‐Al2O3. Spectra obtained from the fracture surfaces indicate that the oxide‐containing interphases are present on both, consistent with the low toughness.
Dense YMn2O5 Ceramics Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wu Yong Jun , Chen Xiang Ming , Cheng Ji Peng , Lin Yi Qi , Ma Yan
Published: September 2008

Dense multiferroic YMn2O5 ceramics with a single orthorhombic phase are quite difficult to prepare because the orthorhombic phase decomposes at about 1180°C. In this study, spark plasma sintering (SPS) was investigated to synthesize YMn2O5 ceramics. The sample sintered at 900°C for 5 min by SPS consisted of the main orthorhombic YMn2O5 phase and a small amount of hexagonal YMnO3 phase and Mn3O4. After heat treatment at 1100°C for 9 h, YMn2O5 ceramics in a single orthorhombic phase with a relative density of 94% were obtained. The results suggested that SPS is a promising process for preparing ceramics whose optimal sintering temperatures are higher than their decomposition temperatures.
Teaching and Assessing Procedural Skills Using Simulation: Metrics and Methodology
Authors: Lammers Richard L. , Davenport Moira , Korley Frederick , Griswold‐Theodorson Sharon , Fitch Michael T. , Narang Aneesh T. , Evans Leigh V. , Gross Amy , Rodriguez Elliot , Dodge Kelly L. , Hamann Cara J. , Robey III Walter C.
Published: September 2008

Simulation allows educators to develop learner‐focused training and outcomes‐based assessments. However, the effectiveness and validity of simulation‐based training in emergency medicine (EM) requires further investigation. Teaching and testing technical skills require methods and assessment instruments that are somewhat different than those used for cognitive or team skills. Drawing from work published by other medical disciplines as well as educational, behavioral, and human factors research, the authors developed six research themes: measurement of procedural skills; development of performance standards; assessment and validation of training methods, simulator models, and assessment tools; optimization of training methods; transfer of skills learned on simulator models to patients; and prevention of skill decay over time. The article reviews relevant and established educational research methodologies and identifies gaps in our knowledge of how physicians learn procedures. The authors present questions requiring further research that, once answered, will advance understanding of simulation‐based procedural training and assessment in EM.
Remittance Patterns of Southern Sudanese Refugee Men: Enacting the Global Breadwinner Role*
Authors: Johnson Phyllis J. , Stoll Kathrin
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Questionnaire data from 172 Sudanese refugee men in Western Canada revealed that most of the men were sending money (i.e., remittances) to family in Africa, although doing so created considerable financial and emotional strain. Those who experienced greater emotional strain had more social support and spent a smaller proportion of their income on remittances. Those who experienced greater financial strain had less support, were in Canada a shorter time, and had higher (over $20,000) compared to lower income (less than $20,000). Understanding the continuing financial obligations of global breadwinners, who are providing financially for relatives elsewhere, is critical content for social service programs that serve refugee and immigrant newcomers.
Intergenerational Relationships in a Transnational Context: The Case of Turkish Families
Authors: Şenyürekli Ayşem R. , Detzner Daniel F.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: This study explores how intergenerational relationships are experienced in a transnational context. Principles of grounded theory are used to describe how 28 Turkish immigrants living in the United States stay connected with their parents in Türkiye. Results indicate that these immigrants experience and manage significant structural, associational, and functional changes in their intergenerational relationships. These changes then contribute to the development of ambivalence. These findings are discussed, and implications for practice and policy are presented.
Transnational Older Adults and Their Families*
Authors: Treas Judith
Published: September 2008

Abstract: This qualitative study explores the international migration patterns and the family lives of older adults. Informants (N = 54) reported that they came to the United States to help out their grown children with housekeeping, child care, and domestic economizing. They described how they strategically navigated U.S. immigration laws choosing to visit, immigrate, or naturalize in order to balance their ties to the United States and their homeland. Their transnational loyalties sometimes led to lives that did not strictly match their visa categories. There were “permanent” temporary visitors, U.S. permanent residents who maintained a “permanent” home elsewhere, and U.S. citizens who had naturalized in order to spend more time abroad. Implications of the findings for immigration policy and family practice are discussed.
The Joint Effects of Neighborhoods, Schools, Peers, and Families on Changes in the School Success of Middle School Students*
Authors: Bowen Gary L. , Rose Roderick A. , Powers Joelle D. , Glennie Elizabeth J.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Longitudinal self‐report data from 4,071 students are used to examine the degree to which students’ perceptions of their social environments (people and places) are associated with changes in 3 school success outcomes: school engagement, trouble avoidance, and grades. Specific variable dimensions within the neighborhood, peer, and family domains had significant effects on one or more of these school outcomes. Implications of the findings for further research and intervention practice are discussed, including the availability of a Web‐based resource for linking these findings with evidence‐based intervention and prevention strategies.
Purification and characterization of cathepsin B‐like cysteine protease from cotyledons of daikon radish, Raphanus sativus
Authors: Tsuji Akihiko , Kikuchi Yayoi , Ogawa Kentaro , Saika Hiroko , Yuasa Keizo , Nagahama Masami
Published: September 2008

Plant cathepsin B‐like cysteine protease (CBCP) plays a role in disease resistance and in protein remobilization during germination. The ability of animal cathepsin B to function as a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase has been attributed to the presence of a dihistidine (His110‐His111) motif in the occluding loop, which represents a unique structure of cathepsin B. However, a dihistidine motif is not present in the predicted sequence of the occluding loop of plant CBCP, as determined from cDNA sequence analysis, and the loop is shorter. In an effort to investigate the enzymatic properties of plant CBCP, which possesses the unusual occluding loop, we have purified CBCP from the cotyledons of daikon radish (Raphanus sativus) by chromatography through Sephacryl S‐200, DEAE–cellulose, hydroxyapatite and organomercurial–Sepharose. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 28 kDa by SDS/PAGE under reducing conditions. The best synthetic substrate for CBCP was t‐butyloxycarbonyl Leu‐Arg‐Arg‐4‐methylcoumaryl 7‐amide, as is the case with human cathepsin B. However, the endopeptidase activity of CBCP towards glucagon and adrenocorticotropic hormone showed broad cleavage specificity. Human cathepsin B preferentially cleaves model peptides via its dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity, whereas daikon CBCP displays both endopeptidase and exopeptidase activities. In addition, CBCP was found to display carboxymonopeptidase activity against the substrate o‐aminobenzoyl‐Phe‐Arg‐Phe(4‐NO2). Daikon CBCP is less sensitive (1/7000) to CA‐074 than human cathepsin B. Expression analysis of CBCP at the protein and RNA levels indicated that daikon CBCP activity in cotyledons is regulated by post‐transcriptional events during germination.
On the anomalous silicate emission features of active galactic nuclei: a possible interpretation based on porous dust
Authors: Li M. P. , Shi Q. J. , Li Aigen
Published: September 2008

The recent Spitzer detections of the 9.7 μm Si–O silicate emission in type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide support for the AGN unification scheme. The properties of the silicate dust are of key importance to understand the physical, chemical and evolutionary properties of the obscuring dusty torus around the AGN. Compared to that of the Galactic interstellar medium (ISM), the 10 μm silicate emission profile of type 1 AGN is broadened and has a clear shift of peak position to longer wavelengths. In literature, this is generally interpreted as an indication of the deviations of the silicate composition, size and degree of crystallization of the AGN from that of the Galactic ISM. In this Letter, we show that the observed peak shift and profile broadening of the 9.7 μm silicate emission feature can be explained in terms of porous composite dust consisting of ordinary interstellar amorphous silicate, amorphous carbon and vacuum. Porous dust is naturally expected in the dense circumnuclear region around the AGN, as a consequence of grain coagulation.
A Modern Paradigm for Campaign Finance: Economic Markets and Lessons from History
Authors: Werfel Seth
Published: September 2008

Campaign finance is a perennially contentious issue in American politics, with increased significance in the upcoming presidential election. Historically, legislation has attempted to balance the corrupting effects of money in politics with the Constitutional right to free speech. This article argues for a modern paradigm of market‐based reform that relaxes controls on the supply of money and aims to limit the demand for private contributions. Specifically, this model introduces affordable government vouchers and secret donation booths, adapted to further expand consumer choice and increase incentives for political participation. Ultimately, applying principles of the market to campaign finance reform will enhance political efficacy and strengthen American democracy.
The Value of Proposed Earned Income Tax Credits to the Office of Child Support Enforcement's Caseload: A Comparison and Recommendations
Authors: Coan James
Published: September 2008

Child support is a successful program that gives financial support to children from low‐income households who do not live with both biological parents. However, requiring the absent noncustodial parent (NCP)—the father in over 80 percent of cases—to pay child support leads to a moral hazard that the NCP may impoverish himself when helping his child or children. To overcome this drawback, New York and the District of Columbia have implemented noncustodial earned income tax credits (NC‐EITC) that award tax rebates to NCPs who fully pay their child support. This article compares the New York NC‐EITC with two other less targeted and, likely, more expensive proposals that increase the EITC for all low‐income individuals without dependents regardless of whether they have children. Using a variety of metrics, the article concludes that if the goal of these proposals is to prevent NCPs from impoverishing themselves when paying child support, they all accomplish that mission similarly well. Only a small group of NCPs who do not have past‐due payments can benefit from any of the proposals. A policy proposal to help NCPs escape impoverishment must find methods to reduce the prevalence and magnitude of arrears in addition to proposing an expanded EITC.
Adverse impact of industrial animal agriculture on the health and welfare of farmed animals
Authors: D'SILVA Joyce
Published: September 2008

Industrial animal agriculture is grounded in the concept of maximizing productivity and profit. Selective breeding for maximum productivity in one characteristic of the animal (e.g. milk yield in cows, or breast meat in broiler chickens) has resulted in genotypes and phenotypes that may predispose the animals to poor health and welfare. The conditions in which these individuals are kept may also frustrate many inherited behaviors that they are strongly motivated to perform. In order to curb the resulting harmful aberrant behaviors, such as feather‐pecking in chickens, we sometimes resort to mutilating the animals. In many places chickens are routinely de‐beaked by means of a hot metal guillotine. Compassion in World Farming (an international organization that promotes the humane treatment of farm animals) believes that it is unethical to treat sentient beings in such ways. We have a duty to respect farm animals' sentience by providing them with housing conditions that take their needs and wants into account, and by reverting to the use of dual‐purpose, slower‐growing breeds that have the potential for good welfare. Alternatives to current farming practices are available, and we owe it to the animals, and to our consciences, to pursue them.
Adiabatic limit of the eta invariant over cofinite quotients of PSL(2, ℝ)
Authors: Loya Paul , Moroianu Sergiu , Park Jinsung
Published: September 2008

The eta invariant of the Dirac operator over a non-compact cofinite quotient of PSL(2,ℝ) is defined through a regularized trace following Melrose. It reduces to the standard definition in terms of eigenvalues in the case of a totally non-trivial spin structure. When the S1-fibers are rescaled, the metric becomes of non-exact fibered-cusp type near the ends. We completely describe the continuous spectrum of the Dirac operator with respect to the rescaled metric and its dependence on the spin structure, and show that the adiabatic limit of the eta invariant is essentially the volume of the base hyperbolic Riemann surface with cusps, extending some of the results of Seade and Steer.
Chebyshev’s bias in function fields
Authors: Cha Byungchul
Published: September 2008

We study a function field analog of Chebyshev’s bias. Our results, as well as their proofs, are similar to those of Rubinstein and Sarnak in the case of the rational number field. Following Rubinstein and Sarnak, we introduce the grand simplicity hypothesis (GSH), a certain hypothesis on the inverse zeros of Dirichlet L-series of a polynomial ring over a finite field. Under this hypothesis, we investigate how primes, that is, irreducible monic polynomials in a polynomial ring over a finite field, are distributed in a given set of residue classes modulo a fixed monic polynomial. In particular, we prove under the GSH that, like the number field case, primes are biased toward quadratic nonresidues. Unlike the number field case, the GSH can be proved to hold in some cases and can be violated in some other cases. Also, under the GSH, we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for which primes are unbiased and describe certain central limit behaviors as the degree of modulus under consideration tends to infinity, all of which have been established in the number field case by Rubinstein and Sarnak.
Quasi-elementary contractions of Fano manifolds
Authors: Casagrande Cinzia
Published: September 2008

Let X be a smooth complex Fano variety. We study ‘quasi-elementary’ contractions of fiber type of X, which are a natural generalization of elementary contractions of fiber type. If f:X→Y is such a contraction, then the Picard numbers satisfy ρX≤ρY+ρF, where F is a general fiber of f. We show that, if dim Y ≤3 and ρY≥4, then Y is smooth and Fano; if moreover ρY≥6, then X is a product. This yields sharp bounds on ρX when dim X=4 and X has a quasi-elementary contraction of fiber type, and other applications in higher dimensions.
Saliva production and surface tension: influences on patency of the passive upper airway
Authors: Lam J. C. M. , Kairaitis K. , Verma M. , Wheatley J. R. , Amis T. C.
Published: September 2008

Pharyngeal patency is influenced by the surface tension (γ) of the upper airway lining liquid (UAL), of which saliva is a major component. We investigated the influences of saliva production on γ of the UAL, and upper airway re‐opening and closing pressures. In 10 supine, male, anaesthetized, tracheostomised, mechanically ventilated New Zealand White rabbits, we measured re‐opening and closing of the passive isolated upper airway at baseline and following graded (cumulative) doses of methacholine or atropine. Upper airway liquid volume index (UALVI) was assessed using a standardized suction procedure (secretion weight obtained per second) expressed as the natural logarithm (LnUALVI). The γ of UAL samples were measured using the ‘pull‐off’ force technique. Across all animals, baseline values were: LnUALVI −6.2 (−8.6 to −5.4) median (interquartile range), γ of UAL 58.9 (56.6–59.9) mN m−1, re‐opening 8.6 (6.9–11.1) cmH2O, and closing pressures 3.2 (1.8–5.7) cmH2O. LnUALVI increased by ∼0.17 per μg kg−1 methacholine and decreased by ∼0.14 per 100 μg kg−1 atropine (both P < 0.03, linear mixed effects modelling). Surface tension was unchanged by methacholine but increased by ∼0.6 mN m−1 per 100 μg kg−1 atropine (P < 0.004). When data were analysed across all animals, both re‐opening and closing pressures increased as surface tension increased (by ∼0.4 cmH2O mN−1 and by ∼0.7 cmH2O mN−1, respectively; both P < 0.05). We conclude that saliva production influences upper airway mechanical properties partly via alterations in γ of UAL. We speculate that in obstructive sleep apnoea, altered autonomic activity may reduce saliva production and increase surface tension of the upper airway lining liquid, thus increasing the likelihood of upper airway obstruction.
Expression of the SK2 calcium‐activated potassium channel is required for cholinergic function in mouse cochlear hair cells
Authors: Kong Jee‐Hyun , Adelman John P. , Fuchs Paul A.
Published: September 2008

Efferent inhibition of cochlear hair cells is mediated by ‘nicotinic’ cholinergic receptors functionally coupled to calcium‐activated, small conductance (SK2) potassium channels. We recorded from cochlear hair cells in SK2 knockout mice to evaluate further the role of this channel in efferent function. Since cholinergic inhibitory synapses can be found on inner or outer hair cells, depending on developmental age, both cell types were studied. To determine if SK channel activity was indeed eliminated, seconds‐long voltage‐gated calcium influx was used to activate slowly rising and falling calcium‐dependent potassium currents. These were identified as SK currents by their time course, calcium dependence and sensitivity to block by apamin in wild‐type IHCs. IHCs from knockout mice had no SK current by these same criteria. Thus, the SK2 gene is solely responsible for encoding the SK channels of inner hair cells. Other aspects of hair cell excitability remained relatively unaffected. Unexpectedly, cholinergic synaptic currents were entirely absent from both inner and outer SK2‐knockout hair cells. Further, direct application of ACh caused no change in membrane current, implying absent or otherwise dysfunctional ACh receptors. Immunohistology of whole‐mounts using the antibody to the synaptic vesicle protein 2 (SV2) revealed a pronounced reduction of efferent innervation to outer hair cells (OHCs) in the knockout cochleas. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis, however, showed no change in the mRNA levels of α9 and α10 nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) genes. Thus, some aspect of translation or subsequent protein processing leads to non‐functional or absent ACh receptors. These results indicate that SK2 channels are required both for expression of functional nAChRs, and for establishment and/or maintenance of efferent terminals in the cochlea.
A potential role for Akt/FOXO signalling in both protein loss and the impairment of muscle carbohydrate oxidation during sepsis in rodent skeletal muscle
Authors: Crossland Hannah , Constantin‐Teodosiu Dumitru , Gardiner Sheila M. , Constantin Despina , Greenhaff Paul L.
Published: September 2008

Sepsis causes muscle atrophy and insulin resistance, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced endotoxaemia on the expression of Akt, Forkhead Box O (FOXO) and its downstream targets, to identify any associations between changes in FOXO‐dependent processes influencing muscle atrophy and insulin resistance during sepsis. Chronically instrumented male Sprague–Dawley rats received a continuous intravenous infusion of LPS (15 μg kg−1 h−1) or saline for 24 h at 0.4 ml h−1. Animals were terminally anaesthetized and the extensor digitorum longus muscles from both hindlimbs were removed and snap‐frozen. Measurements were made of mRNA and protein expression of selected signalling molecules associated with pathways regulating protein synthesis and degradation and carbohydrate metabolism. LPS infusion induced increases in muscle tumour necrosis factor‐α (8.9‐fold, P < 0.001) and interleukin‐6 (8.4‐fold, P < 0.01), paralleled by reduced insulin receptor substrate‐1 mRNA expression (−0.7‐fold, P < 0.01), and decreased Akt1 protein and cytosolic FOXO1 and FOXO3 phosphorylation. These changes were accompanied by significant increases in muscle atrophy F‐box mRNA (5.5‐fold, P < 0.001) and protein (2‐fold, P < 0.05) expression, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 mRNA (15‐fold, P < 0.001) and protein (1.6‐fold, P < 0.05) expression. There was a 29% reduction in the muscle protein: DNA ratio, a 56% reduction in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) activity (P < 0.05), and increased glycogen degradation and lactate accumulation. The findings of this study suggest a potential role for Akt/FOXO in the simultaneous impairment of carbohydrate oxidation, at the level of PDC, and up‐regulation of muscle protein degradation, in LPS‐induced endotoxaemia.