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We live in times when our culture is obsessed with happiness. The value of almost every aspect of our lives is increasingly judged in terms of their contribution to our happiness. Happiness has become the ultimate goal by which values and priorities are constructed and the only thing for which any action in pursuit of does not require justification. In contrast, sadness is increasingly abnormalized and pathologized. In this paper, an effort is made to counteract the narrative that sadness, a critical aspect of human life is abnormal or a pathological condition. The evolutionary benefits of sadness and its place in human flourishing are discussed. A rebranding of sadness is proposed that emphasizes the free expression of sadness in everyday greetings to remove it from its current negative state and promote many of its benefits including post-traumatic growth and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of New Zealand Journal of Crop & Horticultural Science includes papers describing some current research activities in mānuka. The research projects were planned and undertaken with various degree of Māori involvement. Here we give a perspective as three of the senior authors, and discuss science at the intersection of Māori and Pākehā cultures, focusing on mānuka. The underlying conclusion is that the processes for accessing plant material, engaging with Māori on the use of this material in science, and the ownership and dissemination of resulting data, have not often been appropriate and there should be a greater degree of inclusion of Māori in research involving taonga species. There is increasing recognition amongst non-Māori scientists within the Aotearoa New Zealand science community that research involving taonga species must follow the country's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, and be led by Māori cultural values, concepts and practices. On this basis future research involving taonga species should include co-design and co-management of research projects, analysis of the risks and benefits, and prior discussion and agreement on the use and implications of any new knowledge generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a moss sample collected in Costa Rica, 63 specimens and 13 eggs of the new species were found.Mesobiotus pseudopatienssp. nov. belongs to theharmsworthigroup and is most similar toMesobiotus patiens, but it differs from it mainly by smaller eggs, longer flexible portions of egg processes and certain morphometric characters of adults. In addition, after re-examination of specimens of the genusMilnesiumcollected in Costa Rica, a new record ofMilnesium koguimay be added to Costa Rican fauna. The paper also discusses taxonomical problems and the zoogeography of Costa Rican tardigrades, which partially agree with hypotheses of Great American Biotic Interchange and Mexican Transition Zone. A large number of so-called ‘Costa Rican species’ are doubtful taxa with ‘cosmopolitan’ distribution; the largest number of species, however, have tropical/subtropical or neotropical distribution. Certain species from colder regions are also present in the mountains of Costa Rica. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F6F6195E-0888-4279-A3AF-422642F8B40 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper argues that whether developing countries will be able to protect their plant genetic resources and the right of local communities to control and enjoy the benefits of their traditional knowledge will be determined both by policies adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and by the domestic policies these nations implement within their respective countries. Drawing on empirical data from a survey of various stakeholders on the issue of 'patenting of life forms', we argue that developing countries must unite behind the demand for a minimum WTO standard that recognises and upholds the principle of 'prior informed consent'. The paper also presents a number of domestic policy options available to developing countries to protect their key social, cultural and economic rights with regard to the patentability of life forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific and technical reports on farm animal genetic resources (AnGR) cryoconservation activities, and related costs, are needed to optimise conservation programmes. In this paper, we presented the recent Italian AnGR gene banking development, including the creation of the first regional animal cryobank, the ‘Lombardia Farm Animal Genetic Resources Cryobank’ (LABank). In order to provide indications on cryobanking costs, a detailed analysis of the expenses incurred during the creation of LABank was carried out. Currently, in LABank genetic material (spermatozoa, blood and hair bulbs) of Italian cattle, sheep and goat local breeds is cryopreserved, for a total amount of approximately 2500 semen doses collected from 46 donors of five local breeds. The costs incurred by creating the semen storage showed differences among species and semen collection procedures, providing indications to enhance the setting up of regional cryobanks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eimeria maxima is one of the seven species of protozoan parasites that cause intestinal coccidiosis in chickens. Discovered and first described exactly 70 years ago, the parasite has some unique features that both distinguish it from the other members of the genus and make it of relevance to the world's poultry industry. Of special interest is the balanced immunological relationship that E. maxima achieves with its host. The marked immunogenicity of the parasite results in swift and complete protection to homologous challenge, but is counterbalanced by the ubiquity of antigenically different strains that provide a significantly heterologous challenge and are only poorly controlled—essentially two sides of the same coin. In this paper, we will describe some of the features of the biology of E. maxima, with an emphasis on the immunogenicity and antigenic diversity of the parasite, and discuss some of the ways in which these features impinge on attempts to control infection. The review is, of necessity, brief and selective by choice; for more information, the reader is referred to the definitive paper on E. maxima by Tyzzer (1929) and to reviews on other aspects of Eimeria spp., including E. maxima, by Rose (1997) and Chapman (1997). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture, like terrestrial farming, cannot achieve economic and sustainable production without high performing genetic stocks tailored to the conditions under which they are grown. It is essential, therefore, that aquaculture investment includes genetics and biotechnology to adapt marine livestock to the novel conditions of intensive aquaculture and to the demanding markets into which they are sold. The return on investment in well-structured breeding programmes can be very high, and significant performance and economic gains have been demonstrated in multiple species. Many factors must be considered in designing a genetic improvement programme, including the reproductive biology of the species and the identification of realistic and commercially relevant breeding goals based on the resources and facilities available. This paper reviews the options available to aquaculturists and provides examples of how these are being applied to six aquaculture species in New Zealand: king salmon, hāpuku, kingfish, GreenshellTMmussels, Pacific oysters and pāua (abalone). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the authors' comments on the paper "Semilinear High-Dimensional Model for Normalization of Microarray Data: A Theoretical Analysis and Partial Consistency," by Jianqing Fan, Heng Peng, and Tao Huang, published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Statistical Association." Congratulations to the authors for their interesting, innovative, and important contribution on microarray normalization; Analysis of the main contributions made by the authors; Suggestions for some possible extensions to the results of the authors; Views on the goal of significance analysis; Appreciation of the paper for its computational simplicity.

Presents the author's comments on the paper "Semilinear High-Dimensional Model for Normalization of Microarray Data: A Theoretical Analysis and Partial Consistency," by Jianqing Fan, Heng Peng and Tao Huang, published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Statistical Association." Appreciation of the authors for their significant contribution in enlarging the bag of statistical tools available for normalization; Opinion on the normalization strategy described; Importance of the iterative procedure suggested; Views on the focus of the paper from a methodological standpoint; Contexts in which the methodology described may be applicable.

The Italian Podolian is an autochthonous breed belonging to the grey steppe cattle group. In the past, the Podolian was present throughout all of the Adriatic and the southern part of Italy, but now it is restricted to four regions and displays morphological differences according to the region. It is thought that the Podolian contributed heavily to the genetic make-up of the Chianina and Romagnola breeds, while contrasting opinions exist regarding the relationship between the Podolian and the Piemontese. This paper aimed at characterizing genetic variability and structure by means of microsatellite loci to assess the relationship between the Podolian and the most relevant European breeds, and to detect evidence of selection in the considered breeds by investigating the existence of outlier loci. The DNA of 134 Italian Podolian individuals from 14 different herds in 4 breeding areas were collected, genotyped at 30 microsatellite loci and compared to 13 Italian and European breeds, including the grey type ones and using N'dama as the outgroup. The Podolian showed the highest values of observed heterozygosity and polymorphism content. Moreover in a subset of 50 samples (chosen according to geographic origin), polymorphism data analysis evidenced the absence of a geographically determined genetic structure. The hierarchical population clustering evidenced a Podolian cluster at K=5 and the phylogenetic tree based on Reynold's distances confirmed the genetic links between the Podolian breeds. Two loci presented significantly low FST values, suggesting that they could be under the effect of balancing selection. It can be concluded that Italian Podolian has no genetic subdivision, contains a notable amount of genetic variability and is closely related to the other Podolian type breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the morphological variability observed in hectocotyli of Sepietta oweniana specimens caught in the Sardinian seas (central western Mediterranean) is reported and measured. Atypical variants from the normal hectocotylus are described and illustrated. DNA sequencing of specimens with both the typical and atypical hectocotylization shows no genetic differences. The percentage occurrence of atypical hectocotylization and the possible causes of the origin of this phenomenon are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes core innovations in the strategy of research on demographic behaviour. One aim is a shift of attention away from events and towards a focus on dynamic processes and their interplay: away from a preoccupation with marriage and divorce, births, deaths, migrations, and household structure towards a broader perspective that takes account of partnership and intimacy, parenthood, potential and well-being, position in society and space, and personal ties. Another aim is a much closer engagement with genetics, neuroscience, psychology, and behavioural economics. A third aim is a strategy that pays more attention to pathways within the individual, to the processes entailed when the individual interacts with various contexts, and to progressions that involve the interplay of the pathways and processes through the life course. These shifts of emphasis, which have already begun to occur, require a systematic reassessment of priorities for research on demographic behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the authors' comments on the paper "Semilinear High-Dimensional Model for Normalization of Microarray Data: A Theoretical Analysis and Partial Consistency," by Jianqing Fan, Heng Peng and Tao Huang, published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Statistical Association." Appreciation of the authors for their significant contribution to the semiparametric estimation theory; Suggestions for a two-way semilinear model for normalization and analysis of cDNA microarray data; Comments on multiway semilinear models; Description of models for location normalization; Opinion on the relationship between the relationship between the multiway semilinear models and the semilinear in-slide model.

Presents the authors' views in response to comments on their paper "Semilinear High-Dimensional Model for Normalization of Microarray Data: A Theoretical Analysis and Partial Consistency," published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Statistical Association." Acknowledgement of the critics for their comments; Account of progress made in the field of statistical techniques for the design and analysis of microarray data; Explanations for the suggestions made by the critics for inclusion of more statistical understanding of various procedures.

Background Previously, we demonstrated that murine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) injected intracranially into neonatal mice expand throughout the central nervous system (CNS). This paper describes real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays that enable accurate quantification of transplanted cells in vivo . Methods RT-PCR assays that amplify sequences in the mouse Y chromosome or human Alu repeats were developed and used to quantify the number of male, murine or human MSCs in the CNS at various times after intracranial injection into neonatal mice, or in various organs of adult mice after i.p. injection of cells into 13 day-old embryos. Results In the CNS, levels of male mouse DNA in female transplant recipients increased on average 30-fold between 3 and 60 days post-injection, but then was unchanged at 140 days post-transplant (P=0.107). Male DNA accounted for up to 0.309% of the total DNA content of brain, representing maximally 600 000 donor cells. Human DNA was detected in the CNS up to 300 days post-transplant, but levels never exceeded 7.63×10 -4 % of total brain DNA content. After in utero transplantation, human DNA levels ranged from 0.36×10 -5 % to 2.14×10 -5 % of the total DNA content of liver, kidney and spleen. Significantly higher levels were found in heart (P=0.06), femur and brain (P=0.02), and lung (P=0.0025). Discussion RT-PCR assays were developed to quantify levels of male, murine and human cells in vivo following sex-mismatched or xeno-transplants. Due to their accuracy, precision, and sensitivity, these assays provide a versatile alternative to measuring stem-cell engraftment in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inferences concerning the variance ratios of a random linear model are important in genetics and other areas of scientific investigation. For example, in genetics, the heritability parameters are functions of the variance ratios of a random model. This paper derives simultaneous confidence intervals for all or certain subsets of the parameters of a balanced incomplete random model. This procedure is based on the mean squares of the analysis of variance, and the mean squares are linear functions of a set of minimal sufficient statistics for estimating the parameters of the model. The procedure is demonstrated for a layout of six treatments, ten blocks, and five observations per block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the author's comments on the paper "Semilinear High-Dimensional Model for Normalization of Microarray Data: A Theoretical Analysis and Partial Consistency," by Jianqing Fan, Heng Peng, and Tao Huang, published in the September 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Statistical Association." Opinion that the paper presents an interesting method for normalizing data from cDNA microarrays; Criticism of the Q-Q-plot for being unconvincing; Suggestions for carrying out studies to determine the practical utility of the proposed methods.

There is an alarming tide of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) sweeping across Africa. This may be a result of an increasingly urbanized lifestyle characterized by the growing consumption of processed and calorie-dense food, combined with physical inactivity and more sedentary behaviour. While the link between lifestyle and public health has been extensively studied in Caucasian and African American populations, few studies have been conducted in Africa. This paper describes the detailed methods for Phase 1 of the AWI-Gen study that were used to capture phenotype data and assess the associated risk factors and end points for CMD in persons over the age of 40 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We developed a population-based cross-sectional study of disease burden and phenotype in Africans, across six centres in SSA. These centres are in West Africa (Nanoro, Burkina Faso, and Navrongo, Ghana), in East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) and in South Africa (Agincourt, Dikgale and Soweto). A total of 10,702 individuals between the ages of 40 and 60 years were recruited into the study across the six centres, plus an additional 1021 participants over the age of 60 years from the Agincourt centre. We collected socio-demographic, anthropometric, medical history, diet, physical activity, fat distribution and alcohol/tobacco consumption data from participants. Blood samples were collected for disease-related biomarker assays, and genomic DNA extraction for genome-wide association studies. Urine samples were collected to assess kidney function. The study provides base-line data for the development of a series of cohorts with a second wave of data collection in Phase 2 of the study. These data will provide valuable insights into the genetic and environmental influences on CMD on the African continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the author's comments on a paper on microarray data analysis, published in the "Journal of Computational and Graphic Statistics." Appreciation of the article authors for including the critical step of normalization in their study; Criticism of improper representation of the properties of alpha estimators; Comments on the smoothing function m(X) that represents the intensity effect; Comments about the implementation in the parameter estimation model.