bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Policy and Institutional Failures: Photovoltaic Solar Household System (PV/SHS) Dissemination in Ghana
Authors: Bawakyillenuo Simon
Published: October 2009

The introduction of photovoltaic solar household systems (PV/SHSs) into rural electrification programmes in the developing world has brought in its wake dissemination/adoption and sustainability challenges. In order to stimulate wider dissemination, some authors have advocated the greater involvement of the private sector. While the private sector has played a key role, this paper argues that effective government institutional and policy frameworks are the most pivotal elements in the push to disseminate PV/SHSs to the rural poor in the developing world. Using two case studies, the paper contextualises the link between what, at present are inadequate government institutional and policy frameworks and the low level of PV/SHS dissemination in rural Ghana.
A Surfeit of Cycles
Authors: Schaffer W. M.
Published: October 2009

Chaotic sets are organized about “skeletons” of periodic orbits in the sense that every point on a chaotic set is arbitrarily close to such an orbit. The orbits have the stability property of saddles: attracting in some directions; repelling in others. This topology has implications for changing climates that evidence pronounced variability on time scales ranging from decades to tens of thousands of years. Among these implications are the following: 1. A wide range of periodicities should be (and are) observed. 2. Periodicities should (and do) shift – often abruptly – as the evolving climatic trajectory sequentially shadows first one periodic orbit and then another. 3. Models that have been “tuned” (parametric adjustment) to fit trajectorial evolution in the vicinity of one periodic orbit are likely to fail when the real system moves to another region of the phase space. 4. In response to secular forcing, chaotic sets simplify via the elimination of periodic orbits. If one accepts the reality of anthropogenic warming, the long-term prediction is loss of intrinsic variability. 5. In response to periodic forcing, nonlinear systems can manifest subharmonic resonance i.e., “cyclic” behavior with periods and rotation numbers rationally related to the period of the forcing. Such cycling has been implicated in millennial and stadial variations in paleoclimatic time series. 6. Generically, the dynamics of system observables, such as climate sensitivity, are qualitatively equivalent to those of the whole. If the climate is chaotic, so too is sensitivity. These considerations receive minimal attention in consensus views of climate change that emphasize essentially one-to-one correspondence between global temperatures and exogenous forcing. Caveat emptor.
Formal vs. Informal Coach Education
Authors: Mallett Clifford J. , Trudel Pierre , Lyle John , Rynne Steven B.
Published: October 2009

The training of coaches is considered central to sustaining and improving the quality of sports coaching and the ongoing process of professionalisation. Sports coaches participate in a range of learning opportunities (informal to formal) that contribute to their development to varying degrees. In this article, we present our collective understanding on the varying types of learning opportunities and their contribution to coach accreditation and development. The authors presented these views (from a sports pedagogy perspective) as part of a workshop entitled “Formal vs. Informal Coach Education” at the 2007 International Council of Coach Education Master Class in Beijing. These reflections seek to stimulate the on-going, and often sterile, debate about formal versus informal coach education/learning in order to progress scholarship in coaching.
An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise
Authors: Côté Jean , Gilbert Wade
Published: October 2009

The purpose of the current paper is to present an integrative definition of coaching effectiveness and expertise that is both specific and conceptually grounded in the coaching, teaching, positive psychology, and athletes' development literature. The article is organized into six sections. The first section is used to situate the proposed definition in the predominant conceptual models of coaching. The second, third, and fourth sections provide detailed discussion about each of the three components of the proposed definition of coaching effectiveness: (a) coaches' knowledge, (b) athletes' outcomes, and (c) coaching contexts. The proposed definition is presented in the fifth section along with a clarification of common terminology and guiding postulates. The final section includes implications for practice and research.
Developmental Profiles of Successful High School Coaches
Authors: Gilbert Wade , Lichtenwaldt Luke , Gilbert Jenelle , Zelezny Lynnette , Côté Jean
Published: October 2009

The purpose of this exploratory study was to compare the developmental profiles of successful high-school sport coaches, and to determine if elements of a coach's developmental profile were associated with coaching success. Sixteen high-school coaches in the United States – nine who coach basketball and seven cross-country running – participated in structured retrospective quantitative interviews. All coaches had accumulated extensive experience as an athlete ( M = 19.6 seasons; 2,428.8 hours) and were better than average athletes in relation to their peers. Positive significant relationships were found between time (seasons and hours) spent as an athlete in the sport that the participants now coach and five measures of coaching success. The results are discussed in relation to the ongoing dialogue about coach development, coaching effectiveness, and coach education.
Crossmodal visual‐tactile extinction: Modulation by posture implicates biased competition in proprioceptively reconstructed space
Authors: Kennett Steffan , Rorden Chris , Husain Masud , Driver Jon
Published: October 2009

Extinction is a common consequence of unilateral brain injury: contralesional events can be perceived in isolation, yet are missed when presented concurrently with competing events on the ipsilesional side. This can arise crossmodally, where a contralateral touch is extinguished by an ipsilateral visual event. Recent studies showed that repositioning the hands in visible space, or making visual events more distant, can modulate such crossmodal extinction. Here, in a detailed single‐case study, we implemented a novel spatial manipulation when assessing crossmodal extinction. This was designed not only to hold somatosensory inputs and hand/arm‐posture constant, but also to hold (retinotopic) visual inputs constant, yet while still changing the spatial relationship of tactile and visual events in the external world. Our right hemisphere patient extinguished left‐hand touches due to visual stimulation of the right visual field (RVF) when tested in the usual default posture with eyes/head directed straight ahead. But when her eyes/head were turned to the far left (and any visual events shifted along with this), such that the identical RVF retinal stimulation now fell at the same external location as the left‐hand touch, crossmodal extinction was eliminated. Since only proprioceptive postural cues could signal this changed spatial relationship for the critical condition, our results show for the first time that such postural cues alone are sufficient to modulate crossmodal extinction. Identical somatosensory and retinal inputs can lead to severe crossmodal extinction, or none, depending on current posture.
Development of efficient processes under flow conditions based on catalysts immobilized onto monolithic supported ionic liquid-like phases
Authors: Burguete M. Isabel , García-Verdugo Eduardo , Karbass Naima , Luis Santiago V. , Sans Victor , Sokolova Maia
Published: October 2009

The introduction of imidazolium subunits into polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) polymers enables the preparation of a variety of catalytic systems. Those include the stabilization of catalytically active Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs), immobilized enzymes, and basic catalysts. The use of monolithic supports having the appropriate morphological properties is greatly advantageous for the development of efficient catalytic processes under flow conditions based on those systems. On the other hand, the combination of those supported catalytic systems and flow conditions can be further implemented, in terms of green chemistry, by the substitution of the use of traditional solvents by environmentally friendly conditions such as the use of supercritical fluids (SCFs).
Environmentally benign batteries based on organic radical polymers
Authors: Nishide Hiroyuki , Koshika Kenichiroh , Oyaizu Kenichi
Published: October 2009

A radical polymer is an aliphatic organic polymer bearing densely populated unpaired electrons in the pendant robust radical groups per repeating unit. These radicals’ unpaired electrons are characterized by very fast electron-transfer reactivity, allowing reversible charging as the electrode-active materials for secondary batteries. Organic-based radical batteries have several advantages over conventional batteries, such as increased safety, adaptability to wet fabrication processes, easy disposability, and capability of fabrication from less-limited resources, which are described along the fashion of green chemistry.
Dependence of bone yield (volume of bone formed per unit of cement surface area) on resorption cavity size during osteonal remodeling in human rib: implications for osteoblast function and the pathogenesis of age-related bone loss
Authors: Qiu Shijing , Rao D Sudhaker , Palnitkar Saroj , Parfitt A Michael
Published: October 2009

It is both a necessary and a sufficient condition for bone to be lost with age at any surface location that during remodeling the replacement of resorbed bone is incomplete. In both the ilium and the rib, the degree of such focal imbalance is smaller on the intracortical than on the endocortical or cancellous surfaces that are adjacent to bone marrow. The reason for this difference is unknown. To further examine this question, we measured various geometric variables in 1263 osteons in rib cross sections from 65 persons, including both sexes and age ranges 20 to 30 years and 60 to 70 years (four groups). Haversian canal (HC) area did not differ significantly between sexes or age groups. Percent osteonal refilling was close to 95% in all groups and did not differ between sexes but fell slightly with age. There was a very highly significant linear relationship between osteon bone area and (osteon area + HC area) in all groups, with coefficients of determination (r2) greater than 0.98. The regression slopes declined slightly with age in women but not in men. There was a very highly significant quadratic relationship between osteon bone area and osteon perimeter in all groups, with r2 values greater than 0.97. The ratio osteon bone area:osteon perimeter, an index of bone yield—the volume of bone deposited on each unit area of cement surface—was strongly related to osteon area and did not differ between sexes but was slightly less in the older groups. We conclude the following: (1) The high efficiency of intracortical remodeling in the rib is confirmed, with only trivial effects of age. (2) For HC area to be maintained within narrow limits and bone balance preserved, either initial osteoblast density or osteoblast capacity (the two determinants of bone yield) or, most likely, both must increase progressively with the size of the resorption cavity, suggesting that osteoblast recruitment (relative to available surface) and osteoblast lifespan increase with the volume of bone resorbed. (3) Intracortical remodeling in the rib is more efficient than marrow-adjacent remodeling at any site, possibly because of the different relationships to the circulation. In osteonal remodeling, all molecules released from resorbed bone must travel past the sites of osteoblast recruitment and operation, but in hemiosteonal remodeling, some molecules may not be subject to this constraint. (4) If marrow-adjacent remodeling became as efficient as rib intracortical remodeling, age-related bone loss would cease to be an important medical problem. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Obesity and fractures in postmenopausal women
Authors: Premaor Melissa Orlandin , Pilbrow Lesley , Tonkin Carol , Parker Richard A , Compston Juliet
Published: October 2009

Low body mass index (BMI) is a recognized risk factor for fragility fracture, whereas obesity is widely believed to be protective. As part of a clinical audit of guidance from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), we have documented the prevalence of obesity and morbid obesity in postmenopausal women younger than 75 years of age presenting to our Fracture Liaison Service (FLS). Between January 2006 and December 2007, 1005 postmenopausal women aged less than 75 years with a low-trauma fracture were seen in the FLS. Of these women, 805 (80%) underwent assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and values for BMI were available in 799. The prevalence of obesity (BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2) and morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) in this cohort was 19.3% and 8.4%, respectively. Normal BMD was reported in 59.1% of obese and 73.1% of morbidly obese women, and only 11.7% and 4.5%, respectively, had osteoporosis (p < .0001). Multiple regression analysis revealed significant negative associations between hip T-score and age (p < .0001) and significant positive associations with BMI (p < .0001) and previous fracture (p = .001). Our results demonstrate a surprisingly high prevalence of obesity in postmenopausal women presenting to the FLS with low-trauma fracture. Most of these women had normal BMD, as measured by DXA. Our findings have important public heath implications in view of the rapidly rising increase in obesity in many populations and emphasize the need for further studies to establish the pathogenesis of fractures in obese individuals and to determine appropriate preventive strategies. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Estrogens attenuate oxidative stress and the differentiation and apoptosis of osteoblasts by DNA-binding-independent actions of the ERα
Authors: Almeida Maria , Martin-Millan Marta , Ambrogini Elena , Bradsher Robert , Han Li , Chen Xiao-Dong , Roberson Paula K , Weinstein Robert S , O'Brien Charles A , Jilka Robert L , Manolagas Stavros C
Published: October 2009

Estrogens diminish oxidative stress in bone and bone marrow, attenuate the generation of osteoblasts, and decrease the prevalence of mature osteoblast apoptosis. We have searched for the molecular mechanism of these effects using as tools a mouse model bearing an estrogen receptor α (ERα) knock-in mutation that prevents binding to DNA (ERαNERKI/−) and several osteoblast progenitor cell models expressing the wild-type ERα or the ERαNERKI/−. We report that the ability of estrogens to diminish the generation of reactive oxygen species, stimulate the activity of glutathione reductase, and decrease the phosphorylation of p66shc, as well as osteoblastogenesis and osteoblast number and apoptosis, were fully preserved in ERαNERKI/− mice, indicating that the DNA-binding function of the ERα is dispensable for all these effects. Consistent with the attenuation of osteoblastogenesis in this animal model, 17β-estradiol attenuated bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)–induced gene transcription and osteoblast commitment and differentiation in murine and human osteoblastic cell lines. Moreover, 17β-estradiol attenuated BMP-2-induced differentiation of primary cultures of calvaria- or bone marrow–derived osteoblastic cells from ERαNERKI/− mice as effectively as in cells from wild-type littermates. The inhibitory effect of the hormone on BMP-2 signaling resulted from an ERα-mediated activation of ERKs and the phosphorylation of Smad1 at the linker region of the protein, which leads to proteasomal degradation. These results illustrate that the effects of estrogens on oxidative stress and the birth and death of osteoblasts do not require the binding of ERα to DNA response elements, but instead they result from the activation of cytoplasmic kinases. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Taking Be Proud! Be Responsible! to the Suburbs: A Replication Study
Authors: Borawski Elaine A. , Trapl Erika S. , Adams‐Tufts Kimberly , Hayman Laura L. , Goodwin Meredith A. , Lovegreen Loren D.
Published: October 2009

CONTEXT: An important phase of HIV prevention research is replicating successful interventions with different groups and in different settings.

METHODS: Be Proud! Be Responsible!, a successful intervention originally targeting black urban males and carried out in nonschool settings, was presented in health classes at urban and suburban schools with diverse student bodies. A group‐randomized intervention study, which included 1,357 ninth and 10th graders from 10 paired schools in a Midwestern metropolitan area, was conducted in 2000–2002. Half the schools received the intervention, and half received a general health promotion program. Students' reports of their sexual behavior and selected cognitive mediators were analyzed immediately following the programs and four and 12 months later.

RESULTS: Compared with students who received the control curriculum, students exposed to the intervention reported significantly greater knowledge of HIV, other STDs and condoms; greater confidence in their ability to control sexual impulses, to use condoms and to negotiate the use of condoms; and stronger intentions to use condoms. Stratified analyses revealed that the strongest intervention impacts were on knowledge and efficacy among males and students attending suburban schools. The intervention had no impact on sexual initiation, frequency of intercourse or condom use.

CONCLUSIONS: Schools are a logical and viable setting for the dissemination and acquisition of information about HIV, including prevention strategies. However, the behavioral impact of an intervention may not be easily transferable when the program is taught outside a carefully controlled, nonschool setting.
Variable-Temperature Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Investigations of Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates) and Perturbation-Correlation Moving-Window Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis. Part I: Study of Non-Annealed and Annealed Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Homopolymer
Authors: Unger Miriam , Morita Shigeaki , Sato Harumi , Ozaki Yukihiro , Siesler Heinz W.
Published: October 2009

Generalized two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) and perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional (PCMW2D) correlation spectroscopy were applied to explore the melting behavior of non-annealed and annealed poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) homopolymer as studied by variable-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The absorption band of the C=O stretching vibration was employed to investigate the structural changes during the heating process (30–200 °C). Non-annealed PHB showed a recrystallization process in the temperature range 30–120 °C. In the asynchronous 2D correlation spectrum we clearly captured the existence of two components in the crystallinity-sensitive wing of the C=O stretching mode: a well-ordered crystalline state at lower wavenumbers (1718 cm−1) and a less ordered crystalline state at higher wavenumbers (1724 cm−1). These crystallinity-sensitive bands at 1718 and 1724 cm−1, which are not readily detectable in the one-dimensional (1D) FT-IR spectra, share asynchronous cross-peaks with bands at around 1737 and 1747 cm−1 assignable to the C=O stretching absorptions due to the amorphous components. In the case of the melting process of non-annealed PHB in the temperature range 120–200 °C, it is helpful to use the PCMW2D correlation analysis, which indicates the recrystallization between 40 and 110 °C by the shift of the C=O stretching band from 1726 cm−1 to 1722 cm−1 and the sharp change to the broad amorphous C=O stretching absorption at 1747 cm−1 at the melting temperature of PHB around 190 °C. For an annealed sample of PHB only the melting behavior was observed in the PCMW2D correlation analysis by the sharp transition from the crystalline to the amorphous C=O stretching band.
Application of Target Partial Least Squares for Analysis of Fourier Transform Infrared—Attenuated Total Reflection Hyperspectral Images for Characterization of the Distribution of Crop Protection Products on the Leaf Surface
Authors: Budevska Boiana O.
Published: October 2009

Target partial least squares (PLS) is applied to Fourier transform infrared–attenuated total reflection (FT-IR-ATR) hyperspectral images of plant leaf surface treated with crop protection products. Detection of active ingredient is demonstrated at application rates of 50 g active ingredient per hectare. This sensitivity could not be achieved without the application of multivariate analysis. Quantitative information appears to be easily recovered through analysis of combined images with known and unknown amounts of active ingredient.
Rapid Molecular Imaging Using Attenuated Total Internal Reflection Planar Array Infrared Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Tablets
Authors: Lanzarotta Adam , Baumann Liesl , Story Gloria M. , Witkowski Mark R. , Khan Fazeel , Sommers Andrew , Sommer Andre J.
Published: October 2009

A planar array infrared (PA-IR) spectrograph containing an attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) accessory has been constructed in order to permit rapid analysis of poorly transmitting materials. The technique has been optimized to allow molecular spectroscopic information to be collected in roughly 2 seconds with a corresponding peak-to-peak noise value as low as 2.14 × 10−4 absorbance units. Additionally, up to 150 spectra could be extracted from sample sizes as large as 6 mm where each spatial element measured 40 × 200 μm at the sample position. An application study for this technique entailed developing an embedding method that allows cross-sectioned pharmaceutical tablets to be brought into intimate contact with the internal reflection element (IRE) of the accessory. A supplemental investigation involved calculating the yield strength of multiple IRE materials in order to determine the maximum amount of pressure that can be applied to a sample without damaging the IRE. Finally, feasibility was demonstrated for using the instrument/accessory as a means to rapidly authenticate suspected counterfeit pharmaceutical tablets.
Optimization of Fiber-Optic Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy: A Monte Carlo Approach
Authors: Mann M. P. , Mark S. , Raichlin Y. , Katzir A. , Mordechai S.
Published: October 2009

The absorbance of the evanescent waves of infrared radiation transmitted through an optical fiber depends on the geometry of the fiber in addition to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. The signal can thus be enhanced by flattening the midsection of the fiber. While the dependence of the absorbance on the thickness of the midsection has already been studied and experimented upon, we demonstrate that similar results are obtained using Monte Carlo methods based simply on geometrical optics, given the dimensions of the fiber and the power distribution of the fired rays. The optimization can be extended to fibers with more complex geometries of the sensor.
And as I go, I love to sing: the Happy Wanderers, music and positive aging
Authors: Southcott Jane E
Published: October 2009

Globally, society is faced with an aging population and there is an increasing interest in active aging. This involves all facets of social participation and recognizes the potential contribution older people can make to their communities. This study considers music as a way for older
people to engage actively with their communities and both give and receive considerable positive benefits. This single case study focuses on a small choir, the Happy Wanderers, formed by a group of older people to perform to residents in care facilities and to sufferers of dementia. The group
has a well-established and busy performance schedule. Participation in the group enhances the lives of the members as well as those of their audiences. Several significant themes emerged in this discussion of community music engagement: gaining a sense of purpose and fulfilment; maintaining
relationships; and personal growth.
An elusive bird: perceptions of music learning among Canadian and American adults
Authors: Kruse Nathan B
Published: October 2009

Discovering the perceptions that non-professional adult musicians hold regarding their participation in community ensembles may help improve instruction as well as the ability to more fully understand the implications of lifelong music making. Andragogy, or the teaching and learning
strategies associated with adult learning, provided the impetus for investigating the various methods that adults use in learning to play music. This research is based on inferences derived from ethnographic research conducted with adult members of the Cosmopolitan Music Society in Edmonton,
Alberta, and the New Horizons Band in East Lansing, Michigan. Results from interview data suggested that there are dichotomous effects in music that present themselves to learners as attractive yet unattainable, and reporting several of these mystifying aspects of music learning may aid music
teachers and community ensemble directors in facilitating musical empowerment among students and mollifying the often disparate and conflicted relationship between school music and community music.
A content analysis of choral students' participation perceptions: implications for lifelong learning
Authors: Rohwer Debbie , Rohwer Mark
Published: October 2009

The purpose of this study was to describe students' perceptions of their high school choral experience. The participants in the study were 57 choral musicians attending a north Texas high school. Each participant was asked to complete a broad writing task: to write a letter to the incoming varsity choir members in order to help the musicians to transition to the new choral environment. The writings were analysed for consistent content topics. Six overarching themes emerged: (1) social; (2) musical; (3) director-related; (4) effort/fun; (5) memories; and (6) concerns. Conclusions cite the need for an understanding of student perceptions so that transitions to new ensembles can be made easier through the joint efforts of high school and community music ensemble directors.
Development of a Modified Axis Translation Technique for Measuring SWCCs for Gravel Soils at Very Low Suctions
Authors: Li X. , Zhang L. M. , Li J. H.
Published: October 2009

For gravel soils, water content changes at very low suctions (e.g., smaller than 1 kPa) are significant, and such changes affect the permeability and shear strength of the soils significantly. Difficulties in studying the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) at very low suctions include the lack of a proper experimental device and the suction difference induced by the gravitational hydraulic gradient along the sample height. In this study, a large size modified axis translation device was developed. The device can control the soil suction accurately (i.e., a precision of 0.005 kPa) using a water-head control method. A new interpretation procedure was also proposed to consider the suction difference along the sample height and to extend the minimum measurable suction from 0.1 to 0.01 kPa. The device was used to measure the SWCCs for two gravel soils. The experimental results demonstrate that the SWCCs for gravel soils in the low-suction range show bimodal features, where the water content decreases sharply at suctions smaller than 1 kPa. Such bimodal behavior may not be revealed using conventional SWCC devices. SWCCs at low suctions are sensitive to soil density. Significant hydraulic hysteresis is also present in the SWCCs at low suctions.
Effect of Reinforcement on Bearing Capacity of Loose Sand Foundation and Deformation Behavior of Buried Flexible Pipes
Authors: Won Myoung Soo
Published: October 2009

The present study investigates if improving the bearing capacity of foundations with reinforcement layers could reduce deflection of a pipe buried under reinforced sand. A series of model tests were conducted to examine the bearing capacity of foundations and deformation behavior of a pipe according to the number of reinforcement layers, reinforcement material, and buried depth of pipe. The results showed that bearing capacities significantly improve by increasing the number of reinforcement layers up to two layers, however no further improvement in bearing capacity was observed with more than two layers. The reduced settlement caused by improved bearing capacities with embedded reinforcements had little effect on resistance to deflection when the depth of the buried pipe was greater than the width of the footing. However, the resistance to pipe deflection by installation of reinforcement was greatly increased when installed at a depth less than the width of the footing.
Death and Suffering at First Hand: Youth Shock Brigades during the Vietnam War (1950––1975)
Authors: Guillemot Franççois
Published: October 2009

This article aims to comprehend the physical suffering that occurs when bodies face the experiences of war and death, or the "decay of bodies," as we call it, in particular on the Hồ Chíí Minh Trail. The study focuses on a specific group of so-called wartime volunteers, the Youth Shock Brigades [Thanh Niêên Xung Phong], established in July 1950 and mainly composed of young girls and women between 13 and 22 years old, who were often sent to the front line. The objective is to investigate these young people's tragic fate, caught between barbarism and heroism, by stressing how their sacrifices were, and have been, entrenched in individual bodies and collective memory. Confronted with an official historiography that is positivist and "male," the singular history of those young women is crucial to our understanding of the mechanisms of the thirty-year-old war led by the Lao Động Party.
Understanding the Fanatic Mind? The Việt Minh and Race Hatred in the First Indochina War (1945––1954)
Authors: McHale Shawn
Published: October 2009

This essay examines Việt Minh deployment of propaganda on race hatred and cannibalism during the First Indochina War (1945––1954). It evaluates the literature on the First Indochina War and on historical institutionalism for its ability to help explain this propaganda. It then focuses on the war for the Mekong Delta, arguing that weak state control led to continued violence and the breakdown of social trust. The paper then brings culture into the explanation, arguing that the circulation of these propaganda texts makes sense only when we delve into the cultural and social history of the Mekong Delta.
Clinical and molecular features of differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy
Authors: Vannucchi Guia , Perrino Michela , Rossi Stefania , Colombo Carla , Vicentini Leonardo , Dazzi Davide , Beck-Peccoz Paolo , Fugazzola Laura
Published: October 2009

Objective

Pregnancy represents a favorable condition for the development of thyroid nodules, likely due to the secretion of hormones with stimulatory activity. In particular, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) represents the second most frequent tumor among those diagnosed during pregnancy. However, few and discordant data are available about the impact of pregnancy on tumor outcome.

Methods

A total of 123 women with DTC were divided into three groups according to the timing of tumor diagnosis (group 1, at least 1 year after the delivery; group 2, during pregnancy or in the first year after delivery; and group 3, before pregnancy or nulliparity) and evaluated according to the international guidelines. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies of estrogen receptor α (ERα) were performed in 38 papillary thyroid cancer tissues from the three groups.

Results

Thyroid cancer diagnosed during pregnancy was associated with a poorer prognosis compared to tumors developed in nongravidic periods (P<0.0001). Accordingly, at the stepwise logistic regression analysis, the diagnosis of DTC during pregnancy or in the first yearpostpartumwas the most significant indicator of persistent disease (P=0.001). Interestingly, ERα expression significantly differed among tumors of the three groups, being detected in 31% of group 1, in 87.5% of group 2, and in 0% of group 3 (P=0.01).

Conclusions

Present data indicate that pregnancy has a negative impact on the outcome of thyroid cancer. The presence of ERα in the majority of tumors diagnosed during pregnancy indicates that the poorer outcome of these cases could be related to the estrogen-mediated growth stimulus.
Levels of Introgression in Westslope Cutthroat Trout Populations Nine Years after Changes to Rainbow Trout Stocking Programs in Southeastern British Columbia
Authors: Bennett Stephen N. , Kershner Jeffrey L.
Published: October 2009

Introgressive hybridization (introgression) between native westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi and introduced rainbow trout O. mykiss in the upper Kootenay River, British Columbia, appears to be recent and is partly attributed to rainbow trout stocking in Koocanusa Reservoir starting in 1988. In 1998, rainbow trout stocking was stopped or replaced with the stocking of triploids throughout the watershed. The goal of this research was to determine the effect of the change in stocking practices on the level of introgression between westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. We monitored 14 sites from 1999 to 2007 using four co-dominant, diagnostic nuclear markers. Sample sites were categorized as (1) open if no fish migration barriers existed between the site and the reservoir or (2) closed if migration barriers were present between the site and the reservoir. We classified fish as pure westslope cutthroat trout if no rainbow trout alleles were detected; fish were classified as hybrids if they had at least one rainbow trout allele present. We also classified fish into parental and hybrid types based on their multilocus genotypes. Open sites had more hybrids (15.8%) than closed sites (4.8%; χ2 = 23.38, df = 1, P < 0.0001). Westslope cutthroat trout backcrosses were the most common hybrid genotype at both open and closed sites. At open sites near the reservoir, introgression levels stayed relatively high (20–30%) and pure rainbow trout and rainbow trout backcross individuals were common. Introgression significantly increased at two of three sites surveyed at intermediate distances upstream from the reservoir (i.e., 27–87 km). The new stocking program does not appear to have reduced introgression or prevented the spread of hybrid individuals in the upper Kootenay River, and more active management strategies will be required to prevent further introgression and loss of unique westslope cutthroat trout populations.
A Comparison of the Physiological Condition, and Fishway Passage Time and Success of Migrant Adult Sockeye Salmon at Seton River Dam, British Columbia, under Three Operational Water Discharge Rates
Authors: Pon L. B. , Hinch S. G. , Cooke S. J. , Patterson D. A. , Farrell A. P.
Published: October 2009

We investigated the effect of changes in water discharge from the Seton River Dam, British Columbia, on the physiological condition, passage time, and passage success of adult migrant sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. Sockeye salmon were intercepted and nonlethally biopsied for blood plasma and energy status. A subset of these fish were fitted with radio transmitters and tracked under three different operational attraction flow levels. Indices of physiological stress and exhaustive exercise (e.g., plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate, osmolality, and hematocrit) did not differ among the attraction flow discharge levels that were examined, nor did they differ appreciably from those of other adult Fraser River sockeye salmon studied during upriver migrations in areas of natural, nonregulated flows. In fact, the fish appeared relatively unstressed after dam passage. Passage time was significantly longer (19.9 h) under intermediate discharge (12.7 m3/s) than under high (15.8 m3/s) or low (11.0 m3/s) discharges (9.3 and 7.0 h, respectively) but did not differ between high- and low-discharge periods. No differences in passage success or fishway ascent time were observed among the three discharges. Though we suspect that unique flow conditions were responsible for the longer passage time during intermediate discharge, a detailed hydraulic analysis is needed to further interpret our results.
Maturation Schedules of Walleye Populations in the Great Lakes Region: Comparison of Maturation Indices and Evaluation of Sampling-Induced Biases
Authors: Wang Hui-Yu , Cook H. Andrew , Einhouse Donald W. , Fielder David G. , Kayle Kevin A. , Rudstam Lars G. , Höök Tomas O.
Published: October 2009

Maturation schedules, key determinants of fish stocks' harvest potential and population dynamics, are influenced by both plastic and adaptive processes. Various indices are used to describe maturation schedules, and these have differential advantages for discriminating between plastic and adaptive processes. However, potential sampling-related biases associated with different maturation indices have not been fully evaluated. We analyzed three maturation indices for walleyes Sander vitreus in Lake Erie; Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron; and Oneida Lake, New York: age and length at 50% maturity, midpoint of age-specific maturity ogives (age-specific length at which probability of maturity = 0.50), and midpoints of probabilistic maturation reaction norms (PMRNs; age-specific length at which probability of maturing in the following year = 0.50). We then compared estimated maturation indices to evaluate sensitivity of different maturation indices to sampling-induced biases and to assess the relative importance of plastic versus adaptive processes in structuring interstock and temporal variation in maturation schedules. Our findings suggest that although small changes in sampling month, gear, and agency-related effects can bias estimates of age and length at 50% maturity and midpoints of maturity ogives, PMRN estimates appear to be robust to these biases. Furthermore, PMRN estimates are suggestive of potential adaptive variation in maturation schedules among walleye stocks and over time. For instance, Oneida Lake walleyes (which had relatively slow growth and low mortality rates) matured at a smaller size for a given age (smaller midpoints of PMRNs) than the other stocks. Temporally, walleyes in the western basin of Lake Erie matured at a larger size in recent years, as evidenced by increasing midpoints of PMRNs (1978–1989 versus 1990–2006 for Ohio Department of Natural Resources data and 1990–1996 versus 1997–2006 for Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources data). Our study highlights the necessity of monitoring maturation schedules via multiple maturation indices and the need to account for sampling-induced biases when comparing maturation schedules.
Earlier Spring Warming of Coastal Streams and Implications for Alewife Migration Timing
Authors: Ellis David , Vokoun Jason C.
Published: October 2009

Seasonal temperature increases have been shown to correlate with changes in the migration timing of fish. We looked at existing temperature and fish count data for anadromous alewives Alosa pseudoharengus in several southern New England streams. Run initiation, defined as occurring when the first 5% of the total annual run migrated, was associated with 9°C. A weighted-mean migration temperature, considered an overall indicator of total run timing, revealed that 13°C was a consistent predictor of run timing for one historic and three recent alewife streams over several years. Because historical and recent daily water temperatures with concurrent fish counts were unavailable for any one site, we used the occurrence of 9°C and 13°C stream temperatures to determine the magnitude of any detectable shift in the migration timing of alewives between the 1970s and recent years. Stream temperatures in the spring warmed to 13°C about 12 d earlier in recent years than they did in the 1970s. This implied that alewife runs occurred about 12 d earlier on average. Run initiations occurred about 13 d earlier. Management of the water supply to fish passage facilities may need to be adjusted to accommodate these shifts in migration timing.
Injuries to Barramundi Lates calcarifer Resulting from Lip-Gripping Devices in the Laboratory
Authors: Gould A. , Grace B. S.
Published: October 2009

The barramundi Lates calcarifer (also known as barramundi perch) is a renowned recreational sport fish that is the target of considerable catch-and-release fishing effort. Mechanical lip-gripping devices (lip grippers) are often used to handle barramundi because they allow the angler to easily and safely lift their catch, remove the hooks, and return it to the water while minimizing contact between the fish and other surfaces. The effects of these devices on the fish are largely unknown and to date have only been specifically quantified for bonefish Albula spp., which suffered serious injuries as a result of being handled with lip grippers. To investigate the effects of these grips on barramundi of a range of sizes, we held 21 fish (53–102 cm total length) above the water using lip grippers—10 without any additional support, and 11 with a hand holding them in a horizontal position—and compared survival and sublethal effects with those of 10 fish that had been held in landing nets for the same period of time (20 s). Two fish (7%) died 10 d posttreatment, but death could not be attributed directly to any handling treatment. All fish held with lip grippers and receiving no additional support had small holes in the membranes of the lower jaw, compared with 81% of fish that were held with lip grippers and supported by a hand. X-rays showed that lifting fish with lip grippers altered the alignment of the vertebrae, which did not return to normal after 3 weeks.
A Method for Monitoring Movements of Small Fishes in Urban Streams
Authors: Ficke Ashley D. , Myrick Christopher A.
Published: October 2009

The Front Range region of Colorado is an ecological transition zone between the Rocky Mountains and the western Great Plains. Changes to streams resulting from urban and agricultural land uses have contributed to the decline of many plains and transition zone fishes. The fragmentation of stream systems by dams, weirs, and diversions is among the most detrimental of these changes. These structures can inhibit fish spawning migrations, the search for sporadic resources, and recolonization of empty habitats. To assess the magnitude of the problem, there is a distinct need to determine whether existing instream structures are barriers to migration. A relatively simple method of doing so involves giving fish a unique mark and tracking their movements in the vicinity of a suspected barrier. We individually marked fish (15 species; 2,724 individuals) with visual implant elastomer (VIE) marks and tracked their movements across a grade control structure in Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colorado. Results from a multistratum mark–recapture analysis showed that the grade control structure in Spring Creek prevented upstream movement by most fish. The approach we used identifies problematic instream structures that impede movements and present a potential stressor to fish assemblages in urban streams. The use of individual VIE marks is one of the few methods that can provide accurate information on the movements of small-bodied fishes in streams, but the commonly encountered design issues associated with this type of study must be considered.
Parkinsonism and AIDS: a clinical comparative study before and after HAART
Authors: Rosso Ana Lucia Zuma de , Mattos James Pitágoras de , Correa Rosalie Branco , Nicaretta Denise Hack , Novis Sérgio Augusto Pereira
Published: October 2009

In 2002, after analyzing 28 HIV-positive patients with movement disorders we emphasized the decreasing not only of Parkinsonism but also of other involuntary movements in HIV patients in the last few years. The objective of this study is to compare the clinical results between HIV-positive patients with Parkinsonism before and after HAART. In 14 years (1986-1999) 2,460 HIV-positive patients were seen in our Hospital 14 (0.6%) of which presented with Parkinsonism. Eight years after (2000-2007) 970 HIV positive patients were seen and only two (0.2%) had Parkinsonism. We conclude that after the introduction of HAART there was an evident decrease in AIDS-related Parkinsonism.
Evaluation of arthrodesis and cervical alignment in the surgical results of cervical discectomy using polymethylmetacrylate
Authors: Mudo Marcelo Luis , Amantea Andrea Vieira , Joaquim Andrei Fernandes , Prandini Mirto Nelso , Cavalheiro Sérgio
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy with or without myelopathy is a controversy issue, although anterior discectomy is the most common form of treatment. METHOD: We present the evaluation of the arthrodesis' rate and cervical alignment in 48 patients with cervical degenerative disease (CDD) submitted to anterior cervical discectomy with interposition of polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA). Odom and Nürick scales were used to evaluation of functional status before and after surgery. Cervical spine X-rays were used to access arthrodesis and alignment, at least 2 years after the procedure. RESULTS: Excellent and good results (Odom I and II) were obtained in 91% of the patients with radiculopathy and in 69% of those with myelopathy. Using the chi square test of independence (1% of significance), there was no association between excellent and good clinical results with the presence of arthrodesis verified in cervical X-rays. The presence of cervical alignment had association with good results, whereas the misalignment was associated with unfavorable outcomes. Two patients died: one cervical hematoma and other from graft migration with cord compression. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical alignment was more important than fusion to achieve good surgical results in CDD.
Traumatic lesions of internal saphenous nerve and branches
Authors: Rodrigues Flávio Freinkel , Skartz Issac , Dozza Diego Cassol , Moscovici Maurício , Suchmacher Mendel
Published: October 2009

OBJECTIVE: To show a rare lesion that sometimes simulates vascular disorder of the lower extremities. METHOD: Three patients were operated and the follow-up period was eight months, the surgical technique was neurotomy of the infrapatellar and descendent branches. RESULTS: In two cases there were almost total pain resolution, and in other case improvement only. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment yields good results in this type of internal saphenous nerve lesion, and could be useful as an alternative to conservative treatment.
Subsídio para o conhecimento e diagnóstico das doenças do grupo tifo exantemático no Brasil
Authors: Magalhães Octavio de , Rocha Adyr
Published: October 2009

Os autores estudaram comparativamente o valor da reação de Weil-Felix e de Fixação do Complemento nas doenças do grupo Tifo exantemático. Concluém que ambas têm qualidades e defeitos. Na doença precoce, ambos falharam. No período de estado da doença, os resultados são não raro, decisivos com as duas provas sorológicas. Dos ciqüenta (50) dias em diante, da doença natural, a reação de fixação do complemento é mais precisa, ao apurar os casos antigos de indivíduos afastados de constantes e repetidas injeções de virus, pelos hematofagos portadores. Naqueles pacientes que permanecem nos fócos conhecidos da doença, sujeitos a inoculações constantes de virus, o Weil-Felix é também de grande valor diagnóstico. Mostraram os autores que o carneiro (Ovisa aries) é pouco sensível á raça V. B do Brasil e que o tatu (Tatus novencintus) não é sensível á mesma raça. Repetindo dados já antigo, apurados em Belo Horizonte, os autores verificaram que a raça V. B. do virus brasileiro atravessa a placenta e infecta o organismo dos fetos.