Camarophyllus Rodwayi (Hygrophoraceae), a rediscovered fungus

Hygrophorus rodwayi Massee has been rediscovered and is redescribed. It has an irregular gill trama and consequently the new combination Camarophyllus rodwayi (Massee) Monks & Mills is proposed

Microcystins as Agents for Treatment of Cancer

This invention relates to the use of microcystins as agents for treatment of cancer. Also provided are methods of screening for microcystins with improved cytotoxicity

The development and validation of a teacher-reported low-level classroom disruption scale (LLCD-S)

Low-level classroom disruption (LLCD) is characterised by pupils swinging on chairs, whispering or fidgeting in class. This paper provides initial data on the development and validation of the teacher-rated Low-Level Classroom Disruption Scale (LLCD-S), with two samples of primary school pupils. Exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 (N= 120) revealed one factor accounting for 61% of the variance; supported by confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 (N= 274), with one factor accounting for 63% of the variance. Both studies reported high Cronbach’s alpha values of.82 and.93 respectively. The evidence supports LLCD being a unidimensional construct, measured by the eight item LLCD-S. Weak convergence validity was found between the LLCD-S and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’s (SDQ) externalising behaviours: conduct problems and hyperactivity. This preliminary evidence indicates that LLCD-S is a valid and reliable measure of low-level classroom disruption. Further research is needed to test the utility of the LLCD-S across different levels of education, cultures and as a pupil-reported measure

A Qualitative Exploration of Practitioners' Understanding of and Response to Child-to-Parent Aggression.

There has been limited research and policy directed toward defining and understanding child-to-parent aggression (CPA), resulting in inconsistent definitions, understandings, and responses, which has a detrimental impact on families. In particular, there have been limited qualitative studies of those working on the frontline of CPA, hindering the development of effective policy. The present qualitative study therefore aimed to explore practitioner perspectives of CPA. Twenty-five practitioners from diverse fields (e.g., youth justice, police, charities) participated in four focus groups relating to their experiences of working with CPA in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis of focus groups revealed three key themes: definitions of CPA, understanding of CPA risk factors, and responding to CPA. Practitioners understood CPA to be a broad use of aggression to intimidate and control parents and highlighted a range of individual (e.g., mental health, substance abuse) and social (e.g., parenting, gangs) risk factors for CPA. Further, practitioners felt that current methods of reporting CPA were ineffective and may have a detrimental impact on families. The findings of this study have implications for CPA policy and support the need for a multiagency and coordinated strategy for responding to CPA

Comparison of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites in detecting quantitative trait loci for alcoholism: The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism

BACKGROUND: The feasibility of effectively analyzing high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) maps in whole genome scans of complex traits is not known. The purpose of this study was to compare variance components linkage results using different density marker maps in data from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Marker maps having an average spacing of 10 cM (microsatellite), 0.78 cM (SNP1), and 0.31 cM (SNP2) were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting maximum number of alcoholic drinks consumed in a 24-hour period (lnmaxalc). RESULTS: Heritability of lnmaxalc was estimated to be 15%. Multipoint variance components linkage analysis revealed similar linkage patterns among the three marker panels, with the SNP maps consistently yielding higher LOD scores. Robust LOD scores > 1.0 were observed on chromosomes 1 and 13 for all three marker maps. Additional LODs > 1.0 were observed on chromosome 4 with both SNP maps and on chromosomes 18 and 21 with the SNP2 map. Peak LOD scores for lnmaxalc were observed on chromosome 1, although none reached genome-wide statistical significance. Quantile-quantile plots revealed that the multipoint distribution of SNP results appeared to fit the asymptotic null distribution better than the twopoint results. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, variance-components linkage analysis using high-density SNP maps provided higher LOD scores compared with the standard microsatellite map, similar to studies using nonparametric linkage methods. Widespread application of SNP maps will depend on further improvements in the computational methods implemented in current software packages

The TOMCAT global chemical transport model v1.6: description of chemical mechanism and model evaluation

This paper documents the tropospheric chemical mechanism scheme used in the TOMCAT 3-D chemical transport model. The current scheme includes a more detailed representation of hydrocarbon chemistry than previously included in the model, with the inclusion of the emission and oxidation of ethene, propene, butane, toluene and monoterpenes. The model is evaluated against a range of surface, balloon, aircraft and satellite measurements. The model is generally able to capture the main spatial and seasonal features of high and low concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and reactive nitrogen. However, model biases are found in some species, some of which are common to chemistry models and some that are specific to TOMCAT and warrant further investigation. The most notable of these biases are (1) a negative bias in Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter and spring CO and a positive bias in Southern Hemisphere (SH) CO throughout the year, (2) a positive bias in NH O3 in summer and a negative bias at high latitudes during SH winter and (3) a negative bias in NH winter C2 and C3 alkanes and alkenes. TOMCAT global mean tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations are higher than estimates inferred from observations of methyl chloroform but similar to, or lower than, multi-model mean concentrations reported in recent model intercomparison studies. TOMCAT shows peak OH concentrations in the tropical lower troposphere, unlike other models which show peak concentrations in the tropical upper troposphere. This is likely to affect the lifetime and transport of important trace gases and warrants further investigation