bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Articulatory Phonetics
Authors: Huffman Marie K.
Published: February 2012

Articulatory phonetics is concerned with the physical apparatus used to produce speech sounds and the physical and cognitive factors that determine what are possible speech sounds and sound patterns. Given the common understanding that speech articulation is an integrated part of a communication system that also includes speech perception, articulatory phonetics is usually treated within a broader context of the full speech chain, which additionally includes speech aerodynamics, speech acoustics, and speech perception. Consequently, the research reports and reference and teaching tools in the field are dispersed over a wide range of works that treat phonetics more generally. Because of the enormous size of the relevant literature, only more recent or particularly comprehensive earlier works are highlighted here. Key theoretical questions in articulatory phonetics include what units are used in speech planning and which aspects of observed speech movements are learned as part of a particular language rather than being a consequence of how the speech mechanism works (whether this is physical constraints of the actual speech organs or cognitive aspects of speech motor planning and execution). Cross-linguistic investigations of speech sound inventories and articulation have been critical to clarifying this distinction. Another long-standing question is whether and how articulation planning is influenced by knowledge of the acoustic outcome and its importance to maintaining distinctions critical to the perceptual needs of the “listener” as a generic or a specific entity. Discussions of historical sound change have appealed both to organic constraints and to ambiguities in the acoustic-articulatory mapping process as factors that influence the source and path of pronunciation change over time.
Dene (Athabaskan) Languages
Authors: Hargus Sharon
Published: February 2012

Dene or Athabaskan is a family of about forty languages spoken in primarily three regions: (1) in the interior of Alaska and much of western Canada, (2) in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon, and (3) in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. At the 2012 meeting of the Athabaskan Languages Conference, the participants (linguists, speakers, language activists) voted to use and promote the previous language family name Dene instead of Athabaskan (a Cree-origin name), out of respect for the fact that there is a word similar to dene meaning ‘person, man’ in all of the languages of the family. The family has been recognized as such since 1826 (Krauss 1981, cited in Histories). The languages are most famous (or infamous) for their position-class verbal morphology, classificatory verbs, recent tonogenesis (in some of them), and the “yi-/bi- alternation” (a sort of inverse marking) (in some of them). One challenge in understanding the literature on any language family is keeping track of language names. For most of the languages, the trend has been to refer to a language by a name or spelling that speakers prefer or one that reflects speakers’ pronunciation rather than Anglicization. Examples of this for languages discussed in this bibliography are Babine-Witsuwit’en (older name Babine), Dakelh (older name Carrier), Dene Sųɬiné or Dëne Sųɬiné (older name Chipewyan), Deg Xinag (older name Ingalik), Gwich’in (older names Kutchin, Loucheux), Tsuut’ina (older name Sarcee), Tsek’ene (older name Sekani), Dena’ina (older name Tanaina), and Navajo (older name Navaho). In the annotations I refer to the languages by the names used by the authors. Alternate spellings of Athabaskan are Athapaskan (used now mainly by Canadian linguists), Athabascan (the official spelling in Alaska since the early 1990s but not widely used), and Athapascan (in some older publications).
Cognitive Linguistics
Authors: Evans Vyvyan
Published: February 2012

Cognitive linguistics is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of language, mind, and sociocultural experience that first emerged in the 1970s. Cognitive linguistics is characterized by a commitment to the inseparability of meaning and form in the study of language. It also takes the view that language reflects general aspects of cognition rather than adopting a modular view of mind. A further feature of the approach is the view that language is best studied in the context of use and indeed emerges from it. Cognitive linguists have predominantly focused on two general areas of inquiry: the study of language organization (cognitive approaches to grammar) and language as a means of studying aspects of conceptual structure (cognitive semantics). Cognitive linguistics is an increasingly influential approach in cognitive science, social science, and applied linguistics.
Compounding
Authors: Scalise Sergio , Forza Francesca
Published: February 2012

Compounding is the morphological operation that—in general—puts together two free forms and gives rise to a new word. The importance of compounding stems from the fact that there are probably no languages without compounding, and in some languages (e.g., Chinese) it is the major source of new word formation. Compounds are particularly interesting linguistic constructions for a number of reasons. First, they constitute an anomaly among grammatical constructions because they are “words,” but at the same time exhibit a type of “internal syntax.” Compounds, furthermore, represent a contact point between several crucial linguistic and nonlinguistic notions such as syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships, syntax and morphology, and linguistic knowledge and pragmatic knowledge. As for the relationship between syntax and morphology, it has often been observed that compounds are the morphological constructions that are closest to syntactic constructions, to the extent that there is no general agreement on which component of the grammar is responsible for their formation.
The Dené-Yeniseian Hypothesis
Authors: Vajda Edward J.
Published: February 2012

Dené-Yeniseian is a historical-comparative linguistic hypothesis that claims a genealogical relationship between the North American language family Na-Dené and the Yeniseian family of central Siberia. If fully demonstrated, it would constitute the first established language link between an Old World family and one spoken exclusively by peoples native to the Americas, placing it alongside the Inuit-Yupik-Aleut (Eskaleut) family, which is more obviously located on both sides of the Bering Strait. Na-Dené consists of the still widespread Athabaskan (Dené) family, which contains over forty languages; the Tlingit language of Alaska’s Panhandle; and the recently extinct Eyak, once spoken in the region of Yakutat to Cordova, Alaska. Tlingit and Eyak-Athabaskan are the two primary branches of this family. The inclusion of Haida in Na-Dené remains controversial, and in any event, work on the Dené-Yeniseian hypothesis has not uncovered any new potential evidence that Haida is related to Yeniseian. The Yeniseian family in the early twenty-first century is represented by the critically endangered Ket language, spoken in three closely related dialects by fewer than one hundred elderly speakers out of an estimated twelve hundred ethnic Ket people, most of whom live in small riverside villages in extremely isolated areas of Turukhansk province. The Ket and their extinct relatives—the Yugh, Kott, Assan, Arin, and Pumpokol—formerly lived much farther south along the Yenisei and its tributaries, and substrate river names of Yeniseian origin suggest that these tribes once inhabited an area from north-central Mongolia westward to the Altai Mountains and north to the Angara on the southeastern tip of Lake Baikal, with hydronymic evidence of some Yeniseian dialects at least as far west as the Ob-Irtysh watershed.
Languages of the World
Authors: Leben William R.
Published: February 2012

Scholarly work on the languages of the world is aimed in three main directions: genetic classification, typological classification, and documentation. This article focuses on work documenting the language families of the world, how many there are and where they are spoken, by how many speakers, and in what contexts. This article emphasizes work aimed at the scholarly community; however, it also cites authoritative, attractive volumes and websites that target a wider audience. Included as well are a few encyclopedic works on general linguistics whose coverage of the language families of the world is so complete that it would be wrong to omit them. A few surveys aim to cover every language in the world. Other cross-linguistic surveys cover every language in a particular region, while others try for a representative sample of languages from across the globe. Works devoted to a single family or world region are not listed here; these are the subject of other articles in Oxford Bibliographies in Linguistics.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Authors: Widiger Thomas
Published: February 2012

Mental health professionals and scientists must have a common language to communicate with their colleagues, with professional agencies, and with patients and the general public. The primary purpose of an official, authoritative diagnostic nomenclature is to provide this common language that minimizes the use of idiosyncratic and invalid concepts. The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides this common language for the description of psychopathology. DSM-5 is the current edition of the APA’s diagnostic manual.
Moral Reasoning
Authors: Jensen Lene , Pandya Niyati , McKenzie Jessica
Published: February 2012

Morality is fundamental to the human condition. From early on, children make distinctions between matters of right and wrong, and the people and institutions around them convey myriad moral messages in direct and indirect ways. A key part of morality is moral reasoning. It occurs within the individual, between individuals, and in myriad institutional and collective contexts. Moral reasoning is multifaceted. It serves, for example, to guide and determine one’s moral judgement and behavior, to prod and persuade others, and to defend and bolster behaviors to oneself and others that in fact are driven by other motives (including amoral or even immoral ones). The literature on moral reasoning is vast. Here, the vantage point is grounded in a perspective that is attentive to developmental and cultural factors in moral reasoning. Research from across the social sciences is included, as is research that directly overlaps with moral reasoning such as moral values. This article starts with information about publications that provide overviews (e.g., handbooks) and a review of classic theories, contemporary theories, and contemporary research measurements of moral reasoning. This is followed by three major sections pertaining to individual characteristics, social contexts, and culture and historical changes. The section on individual characteristics includes subsections on self, identity, prosociality, and values. The section on social context comprises subsections on family, peers, school, sociodemographic groups, civic groups, media, and religious institutions and secular societies. Finally, the section on culture and historical changes includes subsections on culture, globalization, and the natural environment and climate change. Naturally, the main sections and subsections are not mutually exclusive but rather serve as a useful organizational framework, sorting research along the lines of their primary foci.
Resilience
Authors: Mancini Anthony
Published: February 2012

Resilience is the capacity to maintain stable levels of functioning, as well as positive emotions and generative experiences, following or under conditions of significant adversity. Resilience researchers have largely focused on two broad types of adversity: (1) acute and time-limited events that are outside the range of ordinary experience, such as physical or sexual assault, traumatic injury, disease, natural disaster, mass casualty events, war, and interpersonal loss; and (2) chronic enduring stressors, usually experienced in childhood, such as neglect, socioeconomic disadvantage, oppressive political conditions, and physical or mental abuse. Although these two types of adversity necessarily entail different methods and theoretical frameworks, research findings from both literatures have converged on a common conclusion: resilience is common, even under the most extreme adversity. The empirical study of psychological resilience as such is a relatively recent phenomenon—until about thirty-five years ago it drew almost no serious scientific attention. Recently, however, the resilience literature has burgeoned at an exceptional rate. Unfortunately, the study of resilience has been plagued by definitional controversies and methodologically uninformative research. One important cleavage concerns the way resilience is defined and measured. A substantial body of research defines resilience as a personality construct; another literature insists that resilience is defined as an outcome (or process) in response to the experience of significant adversity. Although both approaches have produced relevant and informative research, it is worth noting that, in sheer volume, most resilience research is now devoted to the personality-as-resilience approach. Because these studies often do not study reactions to a marker event, rely exclusively on self-report scales, and employ cross-sectional designs, they are usually (but not always) of inferior methodological quality. Consistent with the suggestions of a number of scholars, this latter approach is described here as “resiliency,” not resilience. Although this bibliography includes high-quality studies that define resilience as a personality construct, most of the research and scholarship listed here operationally defines resilience as an outcome or process that unfolds following acute adversity or during chronic forms of adversity.
Terror Management Theory
Authors: Solomon Sheldon
Published: February 2012

Terror management theory posits that the juxtaposition of an inclination toward self-preservation with the highly developed intellectual abilities that make humans aware of their vulnerabilities and inevitable death creates the potential for paralyzing terror. One of the most important functions of cultural worldviews is to manage the terror engendered by death awareness. This is accomplished primarily through the cultural mechanism of self-esteem, which consists of the belief that one is a valuable contributor to a meaningful universe, and hence eligible for literal and/or symbolic immortality. Effective terror management requires, first, faith in a meaningful conception of reality (the cultural worldview), and second, belief that one is meeting the standards of value prescribed by that worldview (self-esteem). Because of the protection from the potential for terror that these psychological structures afford, people are motivated to maintain faith in their cultural worldviews and satisfy the standards of value associated with them.
Testing and Assessment
Authors: Buško Vesna
Published: February 2012

Testing and assessment of individual differences have been an essential part of professional work of scientists and practitioners in psychology and related disciplines. It is generally acknowledged that psychological tests, along with the existing conceptualizations of measurements of human potentials, are among the most-valuable contributions of behavioral sciences to society. The majority of psychological phenomena, or theoretical constructs, are not observable directly. Because of their latent nature, they are typically measured indirectly, that is, by registering behavior on appropriate tasks or responses to test items. Psychological testing is regarded as the process of measuring human attributes by procedures designed to obtain a sample of behavior. The meaning of assessment is broader to some extent and includes gathering and integration of test-related data, and those from other sources, to make an evaluation, professional decision, or recommendation about a person. Within more than a century of testing and assessment practice, different conceptual frameworks have been proposed and have served as a foundation of psychological test development, including the methods for evaluation of their usefulness and quality. Despite the controversies surrounding both classical and modern formulations of test theory, they appear to be widely used today and complement each other in designing and evaluating psychological and educational tests. Testing practice is for many reasons an extremely sensitive issue. It is most often not only a professional but also a public issue. Because the decisions based on test results and their interpretations often entail important individual and societal consequences, psychological testing has been the target of profound public attention and a long-standing criticism. The first part of this article introduces General Overviews and Textbooks, representing major aspects of testing theory, methodological principles in test design and evaluation, and the areas of application. Selected Reference Works concern either theoretical foundations of psychological testing or the assessment issues used related to particular fundamental or applied fields of psychology. Several excellent Journals that specialize in publishing articles on advances in psychometrics, along with theoretical and practical aspects of assessment, are also presented, as well as critical sources of information on measurement instruments and their utility. The article concludes with considerations of Ethical, Societal, and Cultural Issues that are linked to the process of psychological testing and assessment, including the responsibilities of all parties involved in the assessment data-gathering procedures and the uses of test results.
Self-Deception
Authors: Triandis Harry
Published: February 2012

Self-deception is seeing the world the way we wish it to be rather than the way it is. When people have a self-deception, they use their hopes, needs, desires, theory, ideology, prejudices, expectations, memories, and other psychological elements to construct the way they see the world. Furthermore, as humans sample information from their environment they tend to sample more heavily the positive rather than the negative elements and the elements that are consistent with their ideology, theory, or religion rather than the elements that are inconsistent. Self-deceptions are usually individual, but when they are widely shared in a culture they are cultural. For example, humans in most cultures believed that spirits and supernatural beings make the world work. However, after around 585 bce (see Religion) some humans began to believe that the way the world works can be explained by natural factors—that is, by astronomy or physics. In another example, in many cultures most people believe that their culture is the best in the world; in fact the name they use for their own culture is often the same word used for “humans.” In short, whoever is not “us” is not human.
Life-Span Development
Authors: Berger Kathleen Stassen
Published: February 2012

Life-span development studies human development from the moment of conception to the last breath. The goal is not to describe characteristics of any particular time period but to trace and predict the processes of “dynamic interaction”—how the present connects to a person’s past and future. Life-span science is relatively new, flourishing since about 1970 as a distinct area in psychology, but it has deep roots in developmental research on children and the elderly. The concept that early family experiences affect later life is implicit in a century of child-rearing research, especially from a psychoanalytic or behavioral perspective, and the idea that genes affect all of life, including intelligence and personality, has been central to the biological understanding of human life for decades. Life-span development acknowledges these genetic and early family influences but also holds that culture, cohort, and contexts are powerful. A basic tenet is that change is always possible: people are affected but not determined by their genes and early childhood. Life-span psychology overlaps with many other disciplines, especially anthropology, life-course sociology, intergenerational family studies, and social history. Since life-span development is relatively new as a distinct field within psychology, with major foundations and discoveries in the past few years, current research and theory are particularly valuable. Both interdisciplinary and contemporary articles are often published in the latest issues of thousands of academic journals. Students and scholars who already understand the basic tenets of life-span may wish to jump to the Journals section and go online to seek the abstracts of the most recent issues of these journals, as well as to peruse other journals with life-span development in mind.
Purification of Sulphate Leach Liquor of Spent Raneynickel Catalyst Containing Al and Ni by Solvent Extraction with Organophosphorus-Based Extractants
Authors: Rao Satunuri Venkateswar , Yang Dong Hyo , Sohn Jeong Soo , Kim Soo-Kyung
Published: February 2012

Solvent extraction (SX) separation of Al from Ni sulphate leach liquor (LL) of spent Raneynickel catalyst containing 0.12 M Al and 1.448 M Ni using organophosphorus extractants has been investigated. Optimization of process conditions includes aqueous pH, extractant concentration, phase ratio, and stripping. Comparison of Al extraction efficiency with 0.45 M extractant concentration for TOPS 99, PC 88 A, and Cyanex 272 at an equilibrium pH of 2.23 was 81.8%, 98.6%, and 75%, respectively. The corresponding coextraction of Ni was 0.65, 0.6, and 0.9. Among the three extractants screened, PC 88A showed better extraction efficiency for Al at lower pH values than the others. Using 0.45 M PC 88 A, extraction isotherm was obtained at an aqueous-to-organic (A : O) phase ratio of 1 : 1–3 and O : A ratio of 1 : 1–5, which predicted possible separation of Al in 2 stages at A/O ratio of 2. Quantitative stripping was achieved by H2SO4.
Diversity of Catechin in Northeast Indian Tea Cultivars
Authors: Sabhapondit Santanu , Karak Tanmoy , Bhuyan Lakshi Prasad , Goswami Bhabesh Chandra , Hazarika Mridul
Published: February 2012

Tea (Camellia sinensisL.) leaf contains a large amount of catechins (a group of very active flavonoids) which contribute to major quality attributes of black tea. Based on morphological characters tea plants were classified as Assam, China, and Cambod varieties. The present study is an attempt for biochemical fingerprinting of the tea varieties based on catechin composition in green leaf of cultivars grown in Northeast India. Assam variety cultivars contained the highest level of catechins followed by Cambod and China. The average catechin contents were 231 ± 7 mg g-1, 202 ± 5 mg g-1, and 157 ± 4 mg g-1of dry weight of green leaf for Assam, Cambod, and China cultivars, respectively. Among the individual catechins the variations in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epigallocatechin (EGC) were the most prominent among the varieties. High EGC content was found to be a characteristic of Assam variety which was further corroborated through multivariate analysis.
Distribution ofBoLA-DRB3Allelic Frequencies and Identification of Two New Alleles in Iranian Buffalo Breed
Authors: Mosafer J. , Heydarpour M. , Manshad E. , Russell G. , Sulimova G. E.
Published: February 2012

The role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in the immune response makes it an attractive candidate gene for associations with disease resistance and susceptibility. This study describes genetic variability in theBoLA-DRB3in Iranian buffaloes. Heminested PCR-RFLP method was used to identify the frequency ofBoLA-DRB3alleles. TheBoLA-DRB3locus is highly polymorphic in the study herd (12 alleles). Almost 63.50% of the alleles were accounted for by four alleles (BoLA-DRB3.2 *48,*20,*21, andobe) in Iranian buffalo. TheDRB3.2 *48allele frequency (24.20%) was higher than the others. The frequencies of theDRB3.2 *20andDRB3.2 *21are 14.52 and 14.00, respectively, andobeandgbbhave a new pattern. Significant distinctions have been found between Iranian buffalo and other cattle breed studied. In the Iranian buffaloes studied alleles associated with resistance to various diseases are found.
Photosynthetic Pigment Localization and Thylakoid Membrane Morphology Are Altered in Synechocystis 6803 Phycobilisome Mutants
Authors: Collins Aaron M. , Liberton Michelle , Jones Howland D.T. , Garcia Omar F. , Pakrasi Himadri B. , Timlin Jerilyn A.
Published: February 2012

Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic prokaryotes that are the progenitors of the chloroplasts of algae and plants. These organisms harvest light using large membrane-extrinsic phycobilisome antenna in addition to membrane-bound chlorophyll-containing proteins. Similar to eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria possess thylakoid membranes that house photosystem (PS) I and PSII, which drive the oxidation of water and the reduction of NADP+, respectively. While thylakoid morphology has been studied in some strains of cyanobacteria, the global distribution of PSI and PSII within the thylakoid membrane and the corresponding location of the light-harvesting phycobilisomes are not known in detail, and such information is required to understand the functioning of cyanobacterial photosynthesis on a larger scale. Here, we have addressed this question using a combination of electron microscopy and hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy in wild-type Synechocystis species PCC 6803 and a series of mutants in which phycobilisomes are progressively truncated. We show that as the phycobilisome antenna is diminished, large-scale changes in thylakoid morphology are observed, accompanied by increased physical segregation of the two photosystems. Finally, we quantified the emission intensities originating from the two photosystems in vivo on a per cell basis to show that the PSI:PSII ratio is progressively decreased in the mutants. This results from both an increase in the amount of photosystem II and a decrease in the photosystem I concentration. We propose that these changes are an adaptive strategy that allows cells to balance the light absorption capabilities of photosystems I and II under light-limiting conditions.
Systematic review of international evidence on the effectiveness and costs of paediatric home care for children and young people who are ill
Authors: Parker G. , Spiers G. , Gridley K. , Atkin K. , Birks Y. , Lowson K. , Light K.
Published: February 2012

Promoting ‘care closer to home’ for ill children is a policy and practice objective internationally. Progress towards this goal is hampered by a perceived lack of evidence on effectiveness and costs. The aim of the work reported here was to establish the strength of current international evidence on the effectiveness and costs of paediatric home care by updating and extending an earlier systematic review. A systematic review following Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines involved updating electronic searches, and extending them to cover paediatric home care for short‐term acute conditions. Twenty‐one databases were searched from 1990 to April 2007. Hand searching was also carried out. Pairs of team members, guided by an algorithm, selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs), other comparative studies and studies including health economics data. A third reviewer resolved any disagreements. The quality of RCTs was assessed, but a ‘best‐evidence’ approach was taken overall. Data were extracted into specifically designed spreadsheets and a second team member checked all data. Narrative synthesis was used throughout. This paper reports findings from RCTs and studies with health economics data. In total, 16 570 publications were identified after de‐duplication. Eleven new RCTs (reported in 17 papers) and 20 papers with health economics data were included and reviewed. Evidence on costs and effectiveness of paediatric home care has not grown substantially since the previous review, but this updated review adds weight to the conclusion that it can deliver equivalent clinical outcomes for children and not impose a greater burden on families. Indeed, in some cases, there is evidence of reduced burden and costs for families compared with hospital care. There is also growing evidence, albeit based on weaker evidence, that paediatric home care may reduce costs for health services, particularly for children with complex and long‐term needs.
Dental admissions in children under two years – a total‐population investigation
Authors: Slack‐Smith L. , Colvin L. , Leonard H. , Kilpatrick N. , Read A. , Messer L. B.
Published: February 2012

Background  There is a lack of literature describing dental admissions in children particularly very young children. This paper describes dental and oral cavity admissions and associated factors in children under two years of age using total‐population databases.

Methods  The data used for this study were extracted from population‐based databases which are linkable with midwives' data collected on all births in Western Australia. Children born from 1980 to 1998 inclusive (n= 459 831) were followed until two years of age including data on deaths, hospital admissions, birth defects and intellectual disability. Dental admissions (by ICD‐9 category) and associated factors were investigated.

Results  There were 1513 dental admissions occurring in 1459 of the children up to the age of two years. Children were most frequently admitted under ICD‐9 category 521, which includes a hospital admission for dental caries (39% of all oral cavity admissions), followed by ICD‐9 category 528 (29%), which includes diseases of the oral soft tissues. Univariate analysis indicated that those with intellectual disability (OR 2.10, 95%CI 1.40–3.16), birth defect (1.74, 1.45–2.09), residing in a region without fluoridated water (2.15, 1.72–2.69) being male (1.14, 1.03–1.26), those from rural areas (2.29, 2.07–2.54) and Indigenous children (4.45, 3.91–5.05) were significantly more likely to have had a dental admission.

Conclusion  Using total‐population data allowed us to describe the admissions in children under two years and associated factors while able to identify children with intellectual disability or birth defects.
Eosinophil peroxidase induces the expression and function of acid‐sensing ion channel‐3 in allergic rhinitis: in vitro evidence in cultured epithelial cells
Authors: G. Khoo S. , Al‐Alawi M. , Walsh M. T. , Hennigan K. , Glynn S. , Thornton M. , McQuaid S. , Wang Y. , Hamilton P. W. , Verriere V. , Gleich G. J. , Harvey B. J. , Costello R. W. , McGarvey L. P.
Published: February 2012

Background

Acid‐sensing ion channels (ASIC) are a family of acid‐activated ligand‐gated cation channels. As tissue acidosis is a feature of inflammatory conditions, such as allergic rhinitis (AR), we investigated the expression and function of these channels in AR.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to assess expression and function of ASIC channels in the nasal mucosa of control and AR subjects.

Methods

Immunohistochemical localization of ASIC receptors and functional responses to lactic acid application were investigated. In vitro studies on cultured epithelial cells were performed to assess underlying mechanisms of ASIC function.

Results

Lactic acid at pH 7.03 induced a significant rise in nasal fluid secretion that was inhibited by pre‐treatment with the ASIC inhibitor amiloride in AR subjects (n = 19). Quantitative PCR on cDNA isolated from nasal biopsies from control and AR subjects demonstrated that ASIC‐1 was equally expressed in both populations, but ASIC‐3 was significantly more highly expressed in AR (P < 0.02). Immunohistochemistry confirmed significantly higher ASIC‐3 protein expression on nasal epithelial cells in AR patients than controls (P < 0.01). Immunoreactivity for EPO+ eosinophils in both nasal epithelium and submucosa was more prominent in AR compared with controls. A mechanism of induction of ASIC‐3 expression relevant to AR was suggested by the finding that eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), acting via ERK1/2, induced the expression of ASIC‐3 in epithelial cells. Furthermore, using a quantitative functional measure of epithelial cell secretory function in vitro, EPO increased the air‐surface liquid depth via an ASIC‐dependent chloride secretory pathway.

Conclusions

This data suggests a possible mechanism for the observed association of eosinophils and rhinorrhoea in AR and is manifested through enhanced ASIC‐3 expression.
Hepatotoxicity and cutaneous reactions after antithyroid drug administration
Authors: Otsuka Fumiko , Noh Jaeduk Y. , Chino Toshiko , Shimizu Taeko , Mukasa Koji , Ito Kunihiko , Ito Koichi , Taniyama Matsuo
Published: February 2012

Objective

Use of the antithyroid drugs (ATDs) thiamazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) is associated with a high frequency of side effects. When patients experience side effects with one (the 1st) ATD, it is usually discontinued and another is administered (the 2nd ATD). We investigated side effects associated with the 1st and 2nd ATDs.

Design and Patients

Four hundred forty‐nine patients with untreated Graves' disease (GD) were randomly assigned to three groups according to ATD type and/or dosage: 15 mg/day MMI, 30 mg/day MMI and 300 mg/day PTU. The type, frequency and onset of side effects were assessed. We also studied the side effects associated with the 2nd ATD after cessation of the 1st ATD.

Measurements

Cutaneous reactions, liver dysfunction and other side effects were examined every 2 weeks after starting ATD administration.

Results

The overall frequency of side effects in patients taking 15 mg/day MMI was low. The frequencies of cutaneous reactions in patients taking 30 mg/day MMI and hepatotoxicity in those taking 300 mg/day PTU were high. Hepatotoxicity developed later than cutaneous reactions with PTU. Hepatotoxicity developed earlier in the 30 mg/day MMI group than in the other two groups. The frequency of side effects did not differ between the 2nd and 1st ATDs. Hepatotoxicity occurred at a higher frequency in patients who were switched from MMI to PTU because of hepatotoxicity of the former.

Conclusion

Attention to the onset times of side effects and cross‐reactivity of ATDs can lead to safer treatment of GD.
Diagnostic value of urine erythrocyte morphology in the detection of glomerular disease in SurePath™ liquid‐based cytology compared with fresh urine sediment examination
Authors: Ohsaki H. , Hirouchi T. , Hayashi N. , Okanoue E. , Ohara M. , Kuroda N. , Hirakawa E. , Norimatsu Y.
Published: February 2012

H. Ohsaki, T. Hirouchi, N. Hayashi, E. Okanoue, M. Ohara, N. Kuroda, E. Hirakawa and Y. Norimatsu  Diagnostic value of urine erythrocyte morphology in the detection of glomerular disease in SurePath™ liquid‐based cytology compared with fresh urine sediment examination

Objective:  To assess whether the morphology of urine erythrocytes can be an effective tool for distinguishing glomerular disease from lower urinary tract disease in SurePath™ liquid‐based cytology (SP‐LBC).

Methods:  We examined four morphological parameters of erythrocytes: (1) irregular erythrocytes (of all types including fragmented forms) comprising greater than or equal to 20% of erythrocytes; (2) uniform erythrocytes (>80%); (3) doughnut or target‐like shaped (D/T) erythrocytes (≥1%); and (4) acanthocytes (≥1%) in glomerular disease (n = 32) and lower urinary tract disease (n = 20) with SP‐LBC slides in cases that had also been assessed by fresh urine sediment examination.

Results:  Sensitivity of D/T erythrocytes and acanthocytes (dysmorphic erythrocytes) for glomerular disease were 100% and 87.5%, respectively, with urine sediment examination, and 81.3% and 46.9%, respectively, in SP‐LBC slides. Specificity was 100% for D/T erythrocytes and acanthocytes using either procedure. While irregular erythrocytes were specific for glomerular disease using urine sediment examination, they were seen in 70% of those with lower urinary tract disease using SP‐LBC slides as a result of the deformation of erythrocytes by the fixative.

Conclusions:  Although the sensitivity of D/T erythrocytes and acanthocytes for glomerular disease was lower in SP‐LBC slides than fresh urine sediment examination, their specificity was equally high. Therefore, urine erythrocyte morphology is useful in the detection of glomerular disease with the SP‐LBC slides. However, morphological features apart from D/T erythrocytes and acanthocytes are not useful in SP‐LBC slides.
Geostatistical traveltime tomography in elliptically anisotropic media
Authors: Giroux Bernard , Gloaguen Erwan
Published: February 2012

In geological materials, anisotropy may arise due to different mechanisms and can be found at different scales. Neglecting anisotropy in traveltime tomographic reconstruction leads to artefacts that can obscure important subsurface features. In this paper, a geostatistical tomography algorithm to invert cross‐hole traveltime data in elliptically anisotropic media is presented. The advantages of geostatistical tomography are that the solution is regularized by the covariance of the model parameters, that known model parameters can be used as constraints and fitted exactly or within a prescribed variance and that stochastic simulations can be performed to appraise the variability of the solution space. The benefits of the algorithm to image anisotropic media are illustrated by two examples using synthetic georadar data and real seismic data. The first example confirms suspected electromagnetic anisotropy in the vadose zone caused by relatively rapid water content variations with respect to wavelength at georadar frequencies. The second presents how sonic log data can be used to constrain the inversion of cross‐well seismic data and how geostatistical simulations can be used to infer parameter uncertainty. Results of both examples show that considering anisotropy yields a better fit to the data at high ray angles and reduces reconstruction artefacts.
A hybrid absorbing boundary condition for elastic staggered‐grid modelling
Authors: Liu Yang , Sen Mrinal K.
Published: February 2012

We recently proposed an efficient hybrid scheme to absorb boundary reflections for acoustic wave modelling that could attain nearly perfect absorptions. This scheme uses weighted averaging of wavefields in a transition area, between the inner area and the model boundaries. In this paper we report on the extension of this scheme to 2D elastic wave modelling with displacement‐stress formulations on staggered grids using explicit finite‐difference, pseudo‐implicit finite‐difference and pseudo‐spectral methods. Numerical modelling results of elastic wave equations with hybrid absorbing boundary conditions show great improvement for modelling stability and significant absorption for boundary reflections, compared with the conventional Higdon absorbing boundary conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of this scheme for elastic wave modelling. The modelling results also show that the hybrid scheme works well in 2D rotated staggered‐grid modelling for isotropic medium, 2D staggered‐grid modelling for vertically transversely isotropic medium and 2D rotated staggered‐grid modelling for tilted transversely isotropic medium.
Biomass and tiller growth responses to competition between Ky31 and MaxQ Festuca arundinacea cultivars and response of Ky31 to exogenously applied liquid preparation of Neotyphodium coenophialum under glasshouse conditions
Authors: Mersch S. M. , Cahoon A. B.
Published: February 2012

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) forms a mutualistic symbiosis with the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum which produces ergot alkaloids toxic to grazing animals. One approach to reduce pathological effects has been to introduce an exotic endophyte that does not produce toxic compounds yet still confers host‐plant benefits. We measured biomass accumulation and competition between two tall fescue cultivars with different endophytes grown in close proximity and tested if compounds from endophytes can diffuse from one plant to another. Ky31 (tall fescue with natural endophyte) and MaxQ (tall fescue with introduced exotic endophyte) were grown separately and together in a pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. The cultivars had comparable biomass production in monoculture, but when grown in mixed‐culture MaxQ had a significantly lower tiller number (2.92 ± 0.15 tillers/plant) and size (0.048 g ± 0.003) than Ky31 (4.06 ± 0.16 tillers/plant) (0.072 ± 0.002 g). Aqueous endophyte preparations were made and applied topically to E+ and E‐ Ky31. E‐ plants receiving doses of this preparation produced significantly more tillers (3 ± 0.18 tillers/plant) and larger tillers (0.074 ± 0.006 g) than untreated control plants (2.2 ± 0.13 tillers/plant) (0.0428 ± 0.0072 g). These observations suggested that a diffusible compound might induce a growth benefit conferred by the tall fescue endophyte.
Interactions between elevated atmospheric CO2 and defoliation on North American rangeland plant species at low and high N availability
Authors: LeCain D. R. , Morgan J. A. , Hutchinson G. L. , Reeder J. D. , Dijkstra F. A.
Published: February 2012

Although common disturbances of grazing lands like plant defoliation are expected to affect their sensitivity to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration, almost no research has been conducted to evaluate how important such effects might be on the direct responses of rangelands to CO2. This growth chamber experiment subjected intact plant–soil cylinders from a Wyoming, USA, prairie to a 3‐way factorial of CO2 (370 vs. 720 μL L−1), defoliation (non‐clipped vs. clipped) and soil nitrogen (control vs. 10 g m−2 added N) under simulated natural climatic conditions. Above‐ and below‐ground biomass and N dynamics of the functional groups C3 grasses, C4 grasses and forbs were investigated. CO2 and defoliation had independent influences on biomass and N parameters of these rangeland plants. Growth under CO2‐enriched conditions enhanced above‐ground biomass 50% in C3 grasses alone, while shoot N concentration declined 16% in both C3 and C4 grasses. Plant‐soil 15N uptake was unaffected by CO2 treatment. In contrast, defoliation had no effect on biomass, but increased tissue N concentration 29% across all functional groups. Without additional N, forage quality, which is in direct relation to N concentration, will decline under increasing atmospheric CO2. Increased dominance of C3 grasses plus reduced forage quality may necessitate changes in grazing management practices in mixed‐species rangelands.
Pre‐registration dietetic students’ attitudes to learning communication skills
Authors: Power B. T. , Lennie S. C.
Published: February 2012

How to cite this article
 Power B.T. & Lennie S.C. (2012) Pre‐registration dietetic students’ attitudes to learning communication skills. J Hum Nutr Diet.25, 189–197

Background:  Communication is a core skill and a prerequisite for dietitians’ clinical competence. It is generally acknowledged that communication skills can be taught and learned. There is a paucity of published work identifying dietetic students’ attitudes towards learning communication skills, and understanding this is important.

Methods:  The present cross‐sectional study aimed to address this issue using an adapted version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS), which was designed to capture information concerning positive and negative attitudes to learning communication skills. An online questionnaire was sent to all undergraduate and post‐graduate dietetic programmes in the UK.

Results:  Of the students’ solicited for enrolment in the study, 33.4% (n = 300) completed the questionnaire. A one‐way analysis of variance showed attitudes to learning communication skills differed significantly between years of study on both subscales of the CSAS. Subsequent analyses indicated that first‐year students’ attitudes to learning communication skills were significantly more positive than those of fourth‐year students (P = 0.042). Third‐year students had significantly more positive attitudes to learning communication skills than fourth‐year students (P = 0.028). Negative attitudes were also linked to the year of study with fourth‐year students having significantly more negative attitudes than third‐year students (P = 0.046). Sex, practice placement experience and parental occupation did not significantly influence attitudes to learning communication skills.

Conclusions:  These findings indicate that efforts are required to maintain positive attitudes to learning communication skills. Further longitudinal studies are recommended in this respect.
Circadian Modulation of Osmoregulated Firing in Rat Supraoptic Nucleus Neurones
Authors: Trudel E. , Bourque C. W.
Published: February 2012

The antidiuretic hormone vasopressin (VP) promotes water reabsorption from the kidney and levels of circulating VP are normally related linearly to plasma osmolality, aiming to maintain the latter close to a predetermined set point. Interestingly, VP levels rise also in the absence of an increase in osmolality during late sleep in various mammals, including rats and humans. This circadian rhythm is functionally important because the absence of a late night VP surge results in polyuria and disrupts sleep in humans. Previous work has indicated that the VP surge may be caused by facilitation of the central processes mediating the osmotic control of VP release, and the mechanism by which this occurs was recently studied in angled slices of rat hypothalamus that preserve intact network interactions between the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN; the biological clock), the organum vasculosum lamina terminalis (OVLT; the central osmosensory nucleus) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON; which contains VP‐releasing neurohypophysial neurones). These studies confirmed that the electrical activity of SCN clock neurones is higher during the middle sleep period (MSP) than during the late sleep period (LSP). Moreover, they revealed that the excitation of SON neurones caused by hyperosmotic stimulation of the OVLT was greater during the LSP than during the MSP. Activation of clock neurones by repetitive electrical stimulation, or by injection of glutamate into the SCN, caused a presynaptic inhibition of glutamatergic synapses made between the axon terminals of OVLT neurones and SON neurones. Consistent with this effect, activation of clock neurones with glutamate also reduced the excitation of SON neurones caused by hyperosmotic stimulation of the OVLT. These results suggest that clock neurones in the SCN can mediate an increase in VP release through a disinhibition of excitatory synapses between the OVLT and the SON during the LSP.