bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Atypical hotspot chains: evidence for a secondary melting zone below the Marquesas (French Polynesia)
Authors: Legendre Christelle , Maury René C. , Blais Sylvain , Guillou Hervé , Cotten Joseph 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe atypical age/distance to the hotspot relationships observed for the Marquesas linear chain, which present a considerable scatter, are best explained considering (1) a Pacific plate motion of 10.5 cm yr−1 in the N115°E direction and (2) rejuvenation of volcanism in Ua Huka island. New K–Ar ages show that the main hotspot activity in Ua Huka emplaced successively shield olivine tholeiites and post‐shield alkali basalts between 3.11 ± 0.04 and 2.43 ± 0.04 Ma. Then, after a quiescence period of 1.28 ± 0.06 Myr, two small basanitic volcanoes were emplaced between 1.15 ± 0.02 and 0.763 ± 0.013 Ma. With respect to the main hotspot volcanics, their lavas originated from weaker partial melting rates of a deeper source. Field, petrologic and geochemical arguments are consistent with the existence of a secondary melting zone located c. 140 km downstream the Marquesas hotspot, which produced the rejuvenated volcanics.
Effect of Manganese Deficiency on Chloroplasts of Lemon Leaves
Authors: LERER MICHAEL , BAR‐AKIVA AVIGDOR 
Published: April 2006

AbstractManganese deficiency in chloroplasts of Eureka lemon leaves resulted in 23% and 40% increase of chloroplast nitrogen and protein, respectively, on a chlorophyll unit basis. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis carried out on extracts of these chloroplasts disclosed also qualitative differences between the normal and deficient leaves. Calculated on chloroplast N basis there is an increase of 17% in the chloroplast protein under Mn deficiency. This increase apparently indicates a more intense protein synthesis in the Mn deficient chloroplasts. Hill activity of the –Mn leaves was about one‐third of the analog control leaves. Manganese infiltration into detached but intact leaves restored the activity in the –Mn leaves up to 70% of the control. Lemon leaves affected by other macro‐ and micro‐ nutrient deficiencies did not respond to the manganese infiltration; therefore, the use of this infiltration method is suggested for the evaluation of the manganese nutrition status of citrus and probably other higher plants.
Soil Water Stress and Photosynthesis in Cotton
Authors: PARSONS J. E. , PHENE C. J. , BAKER D. N. , LAMBERT J. R. , McKINION J. M. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAn experiment was conducted in SPAR systems at Florence, S.C., to obtain a data set for use in the simulation of the effect of drying soil on photosynthetic rates in cotton. The plant water status was monitored using leaf water potential and stem diameter meaurements. Reductions were noted in apparent photosynthesis rates after only 5 days of soil drying, and as anticipated, there was uniform displacement of the diurnal cycle of leaf water potential, and corresponding decreases in transpiration and CO2 uptake. The photosynthesis‐light response curves indicated that an average two‐fold reduction in photosynthesis rates occurred for solar radiation greater than 250 W/m2. Stem diameter change (from a nonstress pre‐sunrise value) and integrated stem stress were found to be good indicators of maximum daily plant water stress. The integrated stem stress gave a measure of the duration of the stress along with its magnitude. A simulation method for predicting leaf water potential from stem diameter measurements was used to show that the magnitude and duration of plant water stress increased uniformly during the experiment. This increase was representative of the decreased rates of photosynthesis measured. These data will be used in the simulation of cotton growth and yield.
Nitrate Absorption and Acetylene Reduction by Soybeans during Reproductive Development
Authors: WYCH R. D. , RAINS D. W. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractNodulated and unnodulated soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) were grown in N‐free or N‐containing nutrient solutions, respectively. Starting at the initial flowering stage, and throughout reproductive growth, the NO3‐ absorption capacity of roots of intact plants from both treatments was determined in short‐term uptake experiments. Acetylene reduction activity was determined for nodulated plants. Nitrate absorption rate, expressed on a root dry weight basis, was greatest at early flowering for both nodulated and unnodulated plants. At 33 days after germination, the NO3‐ absorption rate of unnodulated plants was twice as great as that of nodulated plants. During the remainder of the sampling period, NO3‐ absorption rates of both nodulated and unnodulated plants decreased progressively and similarly. Maximum nodule specific activity occurred 30 days after germination, or initial flowering. However, maximum total C2H2 reduction activity, oner plant basis, was observed during the early stages of pod‐filling. Compared to unnodulated plants dependent on NO3‐ assimilation, nodulated plants were smaller, had less N in vegetative tissues, and produced less seed per plant. We suggest that the higher NO3‐ absorption rate of unnodulated soybean roots, particularly during early reproductive growth, may have reflected a more favorable supply of photosynthate translocated to the roots from larger, more vigorous, non‐N‐stressed shoots.
Metabolism of auxin in pine tissues: Indole‐3‐acetic acid conjugation
Authors: RIOV JOSEPH , GOTTLIEB HUGO E. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIncubation of sections of various tissues of Pinus pinea L. with a relatively low concentration (3.6 μM) of indole‐3‐acetic acid‐2‐14C (IAA) resulted in the formation of two major metabolites. The first, which has not been identified, seemed to be a polar acidic compound and the second was identified as indole‐3‐acetylaspartic acid (IAAsp). The polar acidic metabolite has been found to be the major metabolite in needles, shoot wood and roots, while IAAsp has been found to be the major metabolite in shoot bark. Increasing the concentration of IAA in the incubation medium resulted in an increase in the formation of a third metabolite which proved to be l‐O‐(indole‐3‐acetyl)‐β‐d‐glucose (IAGlu) and a concomitant decrease in the amount of the polar acidic metabolite. This phenomenon was prominent particularly in needles. IAGlu was isolated from needles and IAAsp was isolated from shoot bark by means of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone column chromatography and preparative thin‐layer chromatography. IAGlu was identified by comparison with authentic material by co‐chromatography in three different solvent systems and by 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. IAAsp was identified by comparison with authentic material by gas‐liquid chromatography and 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Several aspects of formation, separation and isolation of IAA metabolites are discussed.
Effect of exogenous gibberellins on flowering in Pinus sylvestris grafts
Authors: LUUKKANEN OLAVI , JOHANSSON STIG 
Published: April 2006

AbstractEthanolic sprays of gibberellins were applied to developing shoots of about 12‐year‐old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) grafts during the shoot elongation period in two consecutive years. Both male and female flowering was increased by these treatments in both years. The effect was particularly distinct in male flowering. However, different clones showed varying responses to the treatment. This variation was associated with both the genotype and the environmentally determined year‐to‐year fluctuation in flowering. Differences among clones were analysed further by introducing a model earlier developed for comparisons of the growth rhythm in various woody and herbaceous species.
AUSTRALIAN VASCULAR QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX (AUSVIQUOL): A PILOT STUDY OF A DISEASE‐SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURE
Authors: Borchard Kate L. A. , Hewitt Peter M. , Wotherspoon Simon , Scott Alan R. 
Published: April 2006

Background:  To develop and test a quality of life (QOL) index specific for patients with vascular disease and appropriate for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in the clinical setting.Methods:  The questions and domains of the Australian Vascular Quality of Life Index (AUSVIQUOL) were determined by examination of a prospective database for frequency of symptoms and an in‐depth interview of a sample population. The validity of the AUSVIQUOL was tested by comparing it with the Medical Outcomes Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) in a study involving 60 patients who underwent endovascular AAA repair and 48 open AAA repair. A subpopulation of 22 patients representative of the two groups was then reassessed using the SF‐36 and the AUSVIQUOL, to compare the reliability of the two indices.Results:  Similar domains of the SF‐36 and the AUSVIQUOL measured common QOL elements. The correlation between the two indices was moderate; the AUSVIQUOL measured additional disease‐specific QOL factors. The AUSVIQUOL showed better reliability than the SF‐36 in all domains and statistically better in the physical function domain (P < 0.05).Conclusion:  The AUSVIQUOL is an appropriate tool for the QOL assessment of patients with AAA in the clinical setting.
POSTOPERATIVE PAIN FOLLOWING COBLATION TONSILLECTOMY: RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL
Authors: Polites Nastasha , Joniau Sander , Wabnitz David , Fassina Rob , Smythe Clinton , Varley Paul , Carney A. Simon 
Published: April 2006

Background:  Tonsillectomy is one of the commonest surgical procedures, with postoperative pain being an important source of morbidity. Coblation (cold ablation) is a new technique for tonsillectomy, promoted by claims of reduced postoperative pain levels. This study was designed to compare postoperative pain after tonsillectomy using coblation and tonsillectomy using the standard dissection techniques.Methods:  Twenty adult patients underwent tonsillectomy, each having one randomly selected tonsil removed by dissection and the other removed by coblation. For each side, subjective pain levels were recorded on a daily basis for 10 postoperative days, using a visual analogue scale.Results:  Coblation tonsillectomy was significantly less painful than dissection tonsillectomy on day 1 (P < 0.001), day 2 (P = 0.003) and day 3 (P = 0.018). For all subsequent postoperative days, there was no significant difference in pain levels between the techniques.Conclusion:  Coblation tonsillectomy causes significantly less pain during the first three postoperative days, when compared with dissection tonsillectomy. No demonstrable benefit was shown on days 4–10. The beneficial effects of coblation on early postoperative pain make it a potentially attractive technique for day‐case tonsillectomy in adults with recurrent or chronic tonsillitis.
Partnership and the Limits to Local Governance in England: Institutionalist Analysis and Neoliberalism
Authors: GEDDES MIKE 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThere is much debate about the shift from a pattern of traditional local government to one of local governance, and about the impact of such a tendency on the effectiveness of governance processes and outcomes. This article argues that it is necessary in exploring such issues to bring together contributions informed by new institutionalist perspectives with others concerned with the political economy of neoliberalism. Partnerships are widely seen to be a significant element in the shift from government to governance, and the article focuses on the role of partnerships at both local (ie local authority) and neighbourhood level. Key questions about ‘local partnership governance’ concern its democratic legitimacy and the capacity of its institutions. Drawing on the examples of local strategic partnerships and the New Deal for Communities programme in England, it is recognized that such partnerships can appear to open up new approaches to legitimacy and new possibilities of enhancing the capacity of the local governance system. In fact, however, they are more likely to undermine democracy and accountability, and lack the capacity to be effective, while limiting local policy options to those consistent with New Labour's neoliberal policy agenda.
Multi‐level Environmentalism and the European Union: The Case of Trans‐European Transport Networks
Authors: VAN DER HEIJDEN HEIN‐ANTON 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIn the European Union, trans‐European transport networks (TENs) are a vital element in the constitution of one European space in order to enable the free movement of people and goods throughout the Union. Their construction, however, often causes environmental degradation. Opposition to EU politics is mostly voiced at the level of individual nation‐states. As the case of TENs reveals, however, protest against European policy projects with environmental side effects can take the form of ‘multi‐level environmentalism’, linking lobbying and ‘conscientization’ in Brussels with direct action at the national and local levels. Civil society theory, social movement theory and governance theory help ensure a theoretically informed answer to the question of how the resistance to TENs is organized and framed. By questioning dominant problem definitions and solution strategies, environmental movements and movement organizations, both in Brussels and in the individual nation‐states, point to the possibility of looking at social and political reality from another, non‐hegemonic point of view. In this way, they contribute to challenging the often biased technocratic, growth‐oriented character of the European Union.
Recentering the City
Authors: LAKE ROBERT W. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIn The City and the Grassroots, Manuel Castells recentered the city as the site of distinctively urban social movements and reaffirmed the role of purposive social action in constructing a distinctively urban space. Although Castells’ recitation of five centuries of urban political activism documents the consistent failure of such movements to achieve their goals, his account is persistently optimistic on at least three counts. First, recentering the city reminds us that, despite the failure of transitory political movements, the city endures as an opportunity for renewed political activism. The continual possibility of change offered by the city's ontological persistence is separate from the fate of any given political intervention. Second, regardless of its specific success or failure, each episode of urban activism establishes a new context for the next encounter, its legacy persisting in the collective memories — the stock of mnemonic capital — of which the city is the repository. Third, Castells’ emphasis on political agency affirms that, while all action is ephemeral, its constitutive re‐enactment ceaselessly provides openings for insurgency and transgression. This optimistic message is worth repeating today.
The Impact on Coronary Artery Disease of Common Polymorphisms Known to Modulate Responses to Pathogens
Authors: O'Halloran A. M. , Stanton A. , O'Brien E. , Shields D. C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThere are two distinct models to explain how genetic variants contributing to cardiovascular disease may have arisen. Firstly, variants may result from random, initially neutral, mutations whose effects are largely revealed in post‐reproductive individuals in industrialized societies. Alternatively, the introduced variants may confer an adaptive advantage in certain circumstances. Resistance to pathogens is one of the strongest selection pressures on human proteins. To determine whether this evolutionary pressure has made a large contribution to heart disease we tested whether seventeen polymorphisms in fourteen innate‐immunity genes, with documented evidence of modulating response to pathogens, had an impact on heart disease. Genotyping was performed in 1,598 CAD subjects (ACS or stable angina) and 332 controls. The TLR4 399Ile allele had the greatest impact on ACS risk (uncorrected p = 0.006); however there was no evidence overall that the resistance alleles cumulatively influenced the risk of ACS compared to controls or stable angina patients (p = 0.12, and p = 0.40, respectively). We did note a significant interaction between age at onset of disease and combined resistance allele carriership when the ACS and non‐thrombotic, stable angina groups were compared (p = 0.04, 16 d.f.). This suggests that innate immunity factors could have a greater impact on thrombus formation among younger CAD patients
Egr‐1 transcription activation exists in placental endothelium when vascular disease is present
Authors: Wang X , Athayde N , Trudinger B 
Published: April 2006

Objective  To seek evidence of early vascular injury in the placental villous microcirculation in placental insufficiency identified by a high‐resistance umbilical Doppler study by examining for expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 (FGFR‐1), its transcription factor, early growth response factor‐1 (Egr‐1) and plasma fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2).Design  Case–control study.Setting  University teaching hospital.Sample  Placentas and umbilical vein blood were collected at delivery from 12 women with normal pregnancy delivered at term and 14 with placental vascular disease defined by an abnormal umbilical artery Doppler study.Methods  Microvascular endothelial cells were isolated from fresh human placentas using collagenase digestion and Dynabeads coated with monoclonal antibody against CD31. RNA was extracted from the isolated endothelial cells. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of FGFR‐1 and Egr‐1 production were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and factored relative to 18S ribosomal RNA. To confirm that FGF‐2 was playing a significant role in this microvascular endothelial cell injury in the placenta, we also measured the soluble fraction of FGF‐2 in fetal plasma from same groups of pregnancies using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.Main outcome measures  Microvascular endothelial cells expression of Egr‐1mRNA, FGFR‐1 mRNA and presence of soluble FGF‐2 in fetal plasma.Results  The soluble level of FGF‐2 in the fetal placental circulation from pregnancy with placental vascular disease was increased when compared with normal pregnancy (median 10.15 pg/ml and interquartile range 5.34–21.83 pg/ml versus 4.46 pg/ml and 3.69–5.66 pg/ml; P < 0.05). Microvascular endothelial cells from the placental villi with placental vascular disease showed upregulation of both FGFR‐1 mRNA expression (median 0.72 and interquartile range 0.40–1.64 versus 0.34 and 0.19–0.71; P < 0.05) and Egr‐1 expression (median 0.79 and interquartile range 0.27–1.86 versus 0.23 and 0.17–0.67; P < 0.05) in comparison with normal pregnancy.Conclusions  Endothelial cells from the placental villi are upregulated for expression of Egr‐1 transcription factor gene in placental vascular disease. The FGFR‐1 activation and increase in FGF‐2 in the fetal circulation are known to be very early features of the response of endothelium to injury. Egr‐1 is a promoter of many key pathophysiologically relevant target genes, which influence the development of subsequent vascular lesions. This change may occur before the pathological features recognised on microscopy.
Use of case fatality and readmission measures to compare hospital performance in gynaecology
Authors: Mason A , Goldacre M , Meddings D , Woolfson J 
Published: April 2006

Objective  To identify suitable outcome measures for comparing gynaecology performance between hospitals.Design  Analysis of routinely collected statistics.Setting  England.Population  A total of 1.45 million gynaecology admissions in 1999/2001.Methods  The database used was a linked file of English NHS hospital admission statistics and death certificate data. Case fatality rates (CFRs)and emergency readmission (ERA) rates were calculated for different components of gynaecology workload. Funnel plots, using age–sex standardised measures, were displayed to compare the outcomes.Main outcome measures  CFRs and ERA rates.Results  The CFR within 30 days after admission for patients with cancer was 5.1%. These patients accounted for only 3% of all the admissions but for 73% of all 30‐day deaths. All other 30‐day CFRs were extremely low—below 0.5%. The 30‐day ERA rates ranged from 1.8% after day case care to 17.4% after emergency admissions for people who did not have an operation. Funnel plots showed considerable variation between hospitals for ERA after day case care but not after elective abdominal hysterectomy.Conclusions  There are no measures of mortality that could be used routinely and meaningfully to compare the performance of gynaecology units. We suggest that two suitable comparative measures of outcome, derivable from routine hospital statistics, are 30‐day ERA rates after day case admissions and after elective abdominal hysterectomy, excluding those records with a cancer diagnosis. These measures are relatively homogeneous with respect to their likely rates of adverse events and have sufficient numbers to produce potentially useful comparative results.
Factors affecting success of PCR amplification of microsatellite loci from otter faeces
Authors: HÁJKOVÁ P. , ZEMANOVÁ B. , BRYJA J. , HÁJEK B. , ROCHE K. , TKADLEC E. , ZIMA J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractWe investigated the effect of multiple variables on the amplification success rate of microsatellite DNA extracted from faeces of wild Eurasian otters. The success rate was affected by (i) type of sample, with higher success rates in anal jelly samples than faeces, and (ii) temperature, with a negative effect of increased temperature at time of collection. To increase the effectiveness of microsatellite genotyping of otter faeces, we recommend collecting samples in cold months and early in the morning, preferably in a frozen state, and the collection of anal jelly samples, or the jelly part from faeces, whenever possible.
Characterization of di‐ and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers in rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Authors: COULSON M. W. , PATERSON I. G. , GREEN A. , KEPKAY R. , BENTZEN P. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractTwelve tetra‐ and di–tetra compound microsatellite loci are described for the rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). These loci were screened among a minimum of 79 individuals and the average number of alleles per locus was 16 with an average heterozygosity of 0.86. These microsatellites are being used to examine population structure and life‐history evolution among natural populations of rainbow smelt.
The Impact of Formal Assessment Procedures on Teaching and Learning in Art and Design in Secondary Schools
Authors: Mason Rachel , Steers John 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAssessment is widely considered to be the most significant issue affecting art and design practice at secondary level. The article begins with an historical overview of developments in and critiques of assessment procedures in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the inception of GCSE examination. This is followed by a report of an attempt to carry out a systematic review of research on the impact of assessment on the art and design curriculum in secondary schools. Author conclusions and findings from eight studies subjected to in‐depth analysis are discussed together with the implications of the review exercise for art education policy, practice and research.
Problem Based Learning in Constructed Textile Design
Authors: Sayer Kate , Wilson Jacquie , Challis Simon 
Published: April 2006

AbstractStaff observing undergraduate students enrolled on the BSc Hons Textile Design and Design Management programme in The School of Materials, The University of Manchester, identified difficulties with knowledge retention in the area of constructed textile design. Consequently an experimental pilot was carried out in seamless knitwear design using a Problem Based Learning approach, to determine whether or not this method of learning was more effective for design students. This article investigates the effects of the trial on the student volunteers and documents the shift of focus from teacher to student centred learning. It also outlines plans for future curriculum developments in other areas of constructed textile design.