bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of energy expenditure using accelerometers and activity-based energy models—validation of a new device
Authors: Härtel Sascha , Gnam Jens-Peter , Löffler Simone , Bös Klaus
Published: December 2010

Over the last few years, the estimation of energy expenditure with accelerometers has become more and more accurate due to improvements in sensor technology. Significant enhancement could be reached by model-based estimation regarding different activity types. The kmsMove-sensor (movisens GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) is a device that is used to compute human energy expenditure using motion-dependent calculation models. It is outfitted with an accelerometer to measure body acceleration during certain movements and activities. To validate its accuracy, the sensor was compared to indirect calorimetry as criterion measure. For this experiment, nine subjects (all males, age 46.4 ± 10.9 years, 28–64 years) were equipped with the kmsMove-sensor as well as a portable indirect calorimeter and their energy consumption was measured over a time period of 100 min. Additionally, the energy consumption of seven out of the above-mentioned nine subjects was measured over an average of 7 h. The measurements took place in a rehabilitation clinic, where the subjects completed their regular daily rehabilitation activities. An analysis of the data revealed ICCs between the kmsMove-sensor and indirect calorimetry for the time period of 100 min of 0.82 (0.38–0.96; p = 0.003) and for an averaged measuring time of 7 h of 0.81 (0.22–0.97; p = 0.01). Furthermore, a Bland–Altman analysis for the time period of 100 min led to a difference of the means of 4.3 kcal (limits of agreement: −94.3 and 102.9 kcal) and for the time period of an average of 7 h to −14.0 kcal (limits of agreement: −320.0 and 292.0 kcal). These findings indicate that the kmsMove-sensor is an appropriate measuring device with relatively good accuracy to assess human energy expenditure in rehabilitation patients. However, this study has some limiting aspects (small sample size, artificial setting) which could influence validity.
CT findings of misleading features of colonic diverticulitis
Authors: Ben Yaacoub Ismahen , Boulay-Coletta Isabelle , Jullès Marie Christine , Zins Marc
Published: December 2010

Colonic diverticulitis (CD) is a common entity whose diagnosis is particularly based on computed tomography (CT) examination, which is the imaging technique of choice. However, unusual CT findings of CD may lead to several difficulties and potential pitfalls: due to technical errors in the management of the CT examination, due to the anatomical situation of the diseased colon, in diagnosing unusual complications that may concern the gastrointestinal tract, intra- and retroperitoneal viscera or the abdominal wall, and in differentiating CD from other abdominal inflammatory and infectious conditions or colonic cancer. The aim of this work is to delineate the pitfalls of CT imaging and illustrate misleading CT features in patients with suspected CD.
A Limited Toolbox: Explaining the Constraints on Russia's Foreign Energy Policy
Authors: Orttung Robert W. , Overland Indra
Published: December 2010

Explanations of Russia's foreign energy policy typically focus on major events, such as the gas conflicts with Ukraine, and argue that these events represent simplistic patterns of behavior, reflecting the policy-makers’ emphasis on politics, commercial gain, corruption, or ad hoc opportunism. This analysis goes beyond these explanations to argue that the Russian leadership pursues a rational set of political and economic goals in its foreign energy policy, but that it is constrained in its efforts by the set of tools available to it. To understand the resulting patterns of behavior, it is necessary to devote more analytical attention to Russia's foreign policy tools and their limits. The article draws on a new dataset of Russia's policy tools in 31 energy conflicts with 20 countries from 2000 to 2010. These conflicts are defining moments in Russia's foreign policy because they put to the test the toolkit that Russia has assembled to impose its will on a counterpart. The study finds increased use of transit pipelines, generally decreased use of subsidies and persistent use of efforts to purchase assets in foreign countries, cutoff pipeline supplies, and attempts to use energy to achieve specific political goals. By emphasizing the tools that Russian policy-makers use to conduct policies, the article provides a more nuanced analysis of the capacity and limits of Russian foreign energy policy than is currently available.
Lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated Leukocytes Contribute to Platelet Aggregative Dysfunction, Which is Attenuated by Catalase in Rats
Authors: Dong Huei‐Ping , Chunag I‐Chun , Wang Dean‐Chuan , Huang Li‐Ju , Lee Chu‐I , Tsai Jen‐Hsiang , Yang Rei‐Cheng
Published: December 2010

Endotoxemia causes several hematological dysfunctions, including platelet degranulation or disseminated intravascular coagulation, which lead to thrombotic and hemorrhagic events. Here, we tested the hypothesis that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated leukocytes contribute to platelet aggregative dysfunction, and this function is attenuated by antioxidants. Plateletrich plasma (PRP) was prepared from whole blood of normal and endotoxemic rats. The ability of platelet aggregation was measured by an aggregometer. LPS (50–100 μg/mL) was incubated with PRP, whole blood and PRP with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) for 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes, and platelet aggregation was detected. LPS‐induced platelet aggregative dysfunction was undetectable in intact PRP which was isolated from normal whole blood, whereas it was detected in PRP isolated from endotoxemic rats and LPS‐treated whole blood. Moreover, the effect of LPS‐induced platelet aggregative dysfunction on intact PRP was observed when the PMNs were added. LPS‐induced platelet aggregative dysfunction was significantly attenuated by catalase alone and in combination with NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester, but not by NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester alone. These results indicate that LPS‐stimulated PMNs modulate platelet aggregation during LPS treatment and the effects are reversed by antioxidants. PMNs serve as an approach to understand LPS‐induced platelet aggregative dysfunction during endotoxemia. During this process, the generation of reactive oxygen species, hydrogen peroxide especially, from LPS‐stimulated PMNs could be an important potential factor in LPS‐induced platelet aggregative dysfunction. Catalase contributes to the prevention of platelet dysfunction during LPS‐induced sepsis.
Synthesis and Cytotoxicity of 1,6,8,9‐Substituted α‐Carboline Derivatives
Authors: Tsai Jui‐Ying , Lin Yi‐Chien , Hsu Mei‐Hua , Kuo Sheng‐Chu , Huang Li‐Jiau
Published: December 2010

α‐Carboline (pyrido[2,3‐b]indole) was selected as the basic scaffold for development of antileukemic agents by structural modification. From the structure‐activity study, it was found that sequential introduction of 6‐acetyl and 9‐substituted benzyl groups onto an α‐Carboline scaffold resulted in 6‐acetyl‐9‐(3,5‐dimethoxybenzyl)‐9H‐pyrido[2,3‐b]indole and 6‐acetyl‐9‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzyl)‐9H‐pyrido[2,3‐b]indole with potent cytotoxicity against the HL‐60 cell line. These two compounds will be used as new lead compounds for further investigation.
A Taiwanese Boy With Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy Caused by Homozygous Ile262fs Mutation in the BSCL2 Gene
Authors: Huang Hsiu‐Hui , Chen Tai‐Heng , Hsiao Hui‐Pin , Huang Chia‐Tsuan , Wang Cheng‐Chu , Shiau Ya‐Huei , Chao Mei‐Chyn
Published: December 2010

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that is characterized by a near‐complete absence of adipose tissue from birth or early infancy. Mutations in the BSCL2 gene are known to result in CGL2, a more severe phenotype than CGL1, with earlier onset, more extensive fat loss and biochemical changes, more severe intellectual impairment, and more severe cardiomyopathy. We report a 3‐month‐old Taiwanese boy with initial presentation of a lack of subcutaneous fat, prominent musculature, generalized eruptive xanthomas, and extreme hypertriglyceridemia. Absence of mechanical adipose tissue in the orbits and scalp was revealed by head magnetic resonance imaging. Hepatomegaly was noticed, and histological examination of a liver biopsy specimen suggested severe hepatic steatosis and periportal necrosis. However, echocardiography indicated no sign of cardiomyopathy and he showed no distinct intellectual impairment that interfered with daily life. About 1 year later, abdominal computed tomography revealed enlargement of kidneys. He had a homozygous insertion of a nucleotide, 783insG (Ile262fs mutation), in exon 7 of the BSCL2 gene. We reviewed the genotype of CGL cases from Japan, India, China and Taiwan, and found that BSCL2 is a major causative gene for CGL in Asian.
Urethral Recurrence of Bladder Tumor Occurring as a Perineal Mass 2 Years After Transurethral Resection: A Case Report
Authors: Ergün Osman , Koşar Alim , Ciriş Ibrahim Metin
Published: December 2010

Transitional cell carcinoma can develop as a multifocal tumor in the urinary system, especially in the bladder. Here, we report a 69‐year‐old man who had undergone transurethral resection for bladder tumor and had urethral recurrence that presented as a perineal mass 2 years after treatment. However, he had obtained normal cystoscopy, ultrasonography and computed tomography results at follow‐up examinations.
The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores
Authors: Benton David , Donohoe Rachel
Published: December 2010

Creatine when combined with P forms phosphocreatine that acts as a reserve of high-energy phosphate. Creatine is found mostly in meat, fish and other animal products, and the levels of muscle creatine are known to be lower in vegetarians. Creatine supplementation influences brain functioning as indicated by imaging studies and the measurement of oxygenated Hb. Given the key role played by creatine in the provision of energy, the influence of its supplementation on cognitive functioning was examined, contrasting the effect in omnivores and vegetarians. Young adult females (n 128) were separated into those who were and were not vegetarian. Randomly and under a double-blind procedure, subjects consumed either a placebo or 20 g of creatine supplement for 5 d. Creatine supplementation did not influence measures of verbal fluency and vigilance. However, in vegetarians rather than in those who consume meat, creatine supplementation resulted in better memory. Irrespective of dietary style, the supplementation of creatine decreased the variability in the responses to a choice reaction-time task.
Soya protein ameliorates the metabolic abnormalities of dysfunctional adipose tissue of dyslipidaemic rats fed a sucrose-rich diet
Authors: Oliva María E. , Selenscig Dante , D'Alessandro María E. , Chicco Adriana , Lombardo Yolanda B.
Published: December 2010

The present study investigates whether the replacement of dietary casein by soya protein isolate could be able to improve and/or even revert the morphological and metabolic abnormalities underlying the adipose tissue dysfunction of dyslipidaemic rats chronically fed (8 months) a sucrose-rich (62·5 %) diet (SRD). For this purpose, Wistar rats were fed a SRD for 4 months. From months 4 to 8, half the animals continued with the SRD and the other half were fed a SRD in which the source of protein, casein, was substituted by soya. The control group received a diet in which the source of carbohydrate was maize starch. Compared with the SRD-fed group, the results showed that: (1) soya protein decreased body-weight gain, limited the accretion of visceral adiposity and decreased adipose tissue cell volume without changes in total cell number; (2) soya protein increased the protein mass expression of PPARγ, which was significantly reduced in the fat pad of the SRD-fed rats; (3) the activity of the enzymes involved in the de novo lipogenesis of adipose tissue was significantly decreased/normalised; (4) soya protein corrected the inhibitory effect of SRD upon the anti-lipolytic action of insulin, reduced basal lipolysis and normalised the protein mass expression of GLUT-4. Dyslipidaemia, glucose homeostasis and plasma leptin levels returned to control values. The present study provides data showing the beneficial effects of soya protein to improve and/or revert the adipose tissue dysfunction of a dyslipidaemic insulin-resistant rat model and suggests that soya could maintain the functionality of the adipose tissue–liver axis improving/reverting lipotoxicity.
State-Led Agricultural Intensification and Rural Labour Relations: The Case of the Lilongwe Land Development Programme in Malawi, 1968–1981
Authors: Green Erik
Published: December 2010

This article deals with cash crop production and its impact on labour relations in postcolonial African peasant agriculture. The focus is on the Lilongwe Land Development Programme (1968–1981) in Malawi. The aim of the programme was to enable African farmers to increase yields and make them shift from the cultivation of tobacco and local maize to groundnuts and high-yielding varieties of maize. The programme failed to meet its goals, because of contradictory forces set in motion by the programme itself. The LLDP enabled a larger segment of farmers to engage in commercial agriculture, which caused a decline in supplies of local labourers ready to be employed on a casual or permanent basis. Increased commercial production was thus accompanied by a de-commercialization of labour relations, which hampered the scope for better-off farmers to increase yields by employing additional labourers. By using both written and oral sources, this article thus provides an empirical case that questions the conventional view that increased cash-crop production in twentieth-century rural Africa was accompanied by a commercialization of labour relations. It concludes that the history of rural labour relations cannot be grasped by simple linear models of historical change, but requires an understanding of local contexts, with a focus on farming systems and factors that determine the local supply of and demand for labour.
Fordism and Unfree Labour: Aspects of the Work Deployment of Concentration Camp Prisoners in German Industry between 1941 and 1944
Authors: Hachtmann Rüdiger
Published: December 2010

This article examines the relationship between Fordism and unfree labour in Nazi Germany. Fordism is understood here as a form of workplace rationalization (especially assembly-line production), but also as a “technology of domination” and an “exploitation innovation”. In contrast to the Weimar Republic, Fordism was established in broad sectors of German industry under Nazi rule in the form of “war Fordism”. In order to examine the connections between the specific historical variants of these two apparently contradictory production regimes – Fordism and forced labour – the article focuses on the “labour deployment” of the most severely terrorized and brutalized group of labourers in Nazi Germany: concentration camp prisoners. Surveying the existing literature, it explores the compatibilities and tensions between Fordism and the deployments of concentration camp prisoners in German industry. In closing, several theses are presented on how Fordism between 1941 and 1944 can be classified within an entire history of Fordism in Germany.
“Pumpkins Just Got in There”: Gender and Generational Conflict and “Improved” Agriculture in Colonial Zimbabwe
Authors: Thompson Guy
Published: December 2010

This essay explores how gender and generational dynamics in peasant communities in colonial Zimbabwe were reshaped between 1930 and 1965 by factors introduced by colonization. British rule brought dramatically greater market opportunities and access to new agricultural tools. Some peasants readily adopted ploughs, combining these new tools with indigenous methods of production and environmental management to increase output and market sales while developing new hybrid ways of working the land. These options allowed some young men to evade the demands of, and obligations to, their fathers, while the new methods often increased women’s workloads, exacerbating gender tensions. In the wake of World War II, Rhodesian state agricultural programmes sought to reshape African farming practices dramatically, initiatives that were justified as protecting the environment and modernizing the peasant sector. These measures permanently allocated and demarcated peasant land, imposed onerous environmental protection measures, and encouraged peasants to follow labour-intensive production methods based on European techniques. These conditions restricted young men’s access to land and imposed intense demands on women of all ages; in practice, however, these changes led to a renegotiation of gender and generational dynamics, most obviously in a wave of protests that threatened state control of the countryside.
The establishment of a permanent international criminal court: ICRC expectations of the Rome Diplomatic Conference
Authors: Pfanner Toni
Published: December 2010

Violations of international humanitarian law are not a new phenomenon. Nor is the establishment of an international criminal court to counter such violations a new idea. The first project creating a link between violations of a humanitarian treaty — that is, the Geneva Convention of 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field — and penal sanction by a permanent international judicial body was drawn up by Gustave Moynier, one of the founders of the ICRC Like so many other projects, it did not materialize, however.
Individual criminal responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law committed in non-international armed conflicts
Authors: Graditzky Thomas
Published: December 2010

Two prominent events that occurred midway through this century had a great impact on international criminal law. The first milestone in this area was the trials of the major war criminals held in Nuremberg and Tokyo in the wake of the Second World War. They highlighted the principle of individual criminal responsibility for certain serious violations of the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict; the terms “crimes against the peace”, “war crimes”, and “crimes against humanity” found formal recognition. The second event, following closely on the first, was the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims. These instruments established a specific framework for the prevention and punishment of the most serious violations of the provisions they contain; the technical term “grave breach” was coined.
The first proposal for a permanent international criminal court
Authors: Hall Christopher Keith
Published: December 2010

On 15 June 1998, a diplomatic conference in Rome will open a five-week session to remedy one of the long-standing gaps in the implementation system for international humanitarian law by adopting a treaty to establish a permanent international criminal court. Although the current effort within the United Nations to set up a permanent court began half a century ago with a proposal in 1947 by Henri Donnedieu de Vabres, the French judge on the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, it is not widely known that the first serious such proposal appears to have been made more than a century and a quarter ago by Gustave Moynier, one of the founders, and longtime President, of the International Committee of the Red Cross. He wrestled with many of the same problems which will face the drafters of the statute at the 1998 diplomatic conference and the strengths and weaknesses of his proposal still have relevance today. This short essay describes that proposal and its origins, reviews the reaction to it of his contemporaries and its impact on subsequent history and concludes with an assessment of the merits of Moynier's plan.
Force versus law: The International Committee of the Red Cross and chemical warfare in the Italo-Ethiopian war 1935–1936
Authors: Baudendistel Rainer
Published: December 2010

During World War I, chemical warfare agents were widely used for the first time on all major fronts with an unprecedented number of casualties, and immediately after the war attempts were made to outlaw this latest weapon. Responsibility for the drafting of specific laws fell to the League of Nations, reflecting the belief that this was a matter of concern for the whole world, not just for the victors in the war. On 17 June 1925, the Geneva Protocol for the prohibition of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and of bacteriological methods of warfare was signed by 26 States.3 It contained a categorical prohibition to resort to chemical and biological warfare. The signature of the Protocol raised high hopes of an effective ban on chemical warfare, but adherence progressed slowly. A number of States, visibly not trusting the Protocol to be implemented in the forthright manner suggested by the text, made major reservations.
The involvement of children in armed conflict
Authors: Jeannet Stéphane , Mermet Joël
Published: December 2010

The International Committee of the Red Cross is deeply concerned about the increasing number of children recruited or volunteering to take part in hostilities throughout the world. Such children are exposed to the worst dangers and the most horrible suffering, both psychological and physical. What is more, they are easily manipulated and encouraged to commit grievous acts which they are often unable to comprehend.
Seeking Redress in the Courts: Indigenous Land Rights and Judicial Decisions in Malaysia
Authors: AIKEN S. ROBERT , LEIGH COLIN H.
Published: December 2010

Malaysia's indigenous peoples continue to suffer numerous grievous injustices, including appropriation of their ancestral lands and socio-economic deprivation. In large part because their voices of resistance to development policies have gone unheard by the authorities, a growing number of individuals and communities have taken their grievances to the nation's courts. In particular, they have pleaded for judicial intervention to address alleged breaches of statutory land and other rights by governments and their contractors, and for recognition of native title at common law. In the landmark 1996Adongcase, the High Court ruled that Malaysian jurisprudence recognizes native title, thus bringing Malaysia into line with a number of other countries that share an English-derived legal system. The concept has been upheld in subsequent High Court, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court judgments. In spite of the rulings in favour of indigenous parties, the federal government, along with certain of the state governments, has continued to adopt an adversarial approach to indigenous land issues. An encouraging development is the reported willingness of governments in Perak and Selangor to tackle indigenous land rights issues through mediation rather than litigation. This paper summarizes seven court cases concerning alleged breaches of statutory rights and four cases dealing with native title at common law; it also looks at certain issues arising from the cases, as well as the responses of communities and governments to the various court judgments.
Genome sequences reveal divergence times of malaria parasite lineages
Authors: SILVA JOANA C. , EGAN AMY , FRIEDMAN ROBERT , MUNRO JAMES B. , CARLTON JANE M. , HUGHES AUSTIN L.
Published: December 2010

Objective

The evolutionary history of human malaria parasites (genusPlasmodium) has long been a subject of speculation and controversy. The complete genome sequences of the two most widespread human malaria parasites,P. falciparumandP. vivax, and of the monkey parasiteP. knowlesiare now available, together with the draft genomes of the chimpanzee parasiteP. reichenowi, three rodent parasites,P. yoelii yoelli, P. bergheiandP. chabaudi chabaudi, and one avian parasite,P. gallinaceum.

Methods

We present here an analysis of 45 orthologous gene sequences across the eight species that resolves the relationships of majorPlasmodiumlineages, and provides the first comprehensive dating of the age of those groups.

Results

Our analyses support the hypothesis that the last common ancestor ofP. falciparumand the chimpanzee parasiteP. reichenowioccurred around the time of the human-chimpanzee divergence.P. falciparuminfections of African apes are most likely derived from humans and not the other way around. On the other hand,P. vivax, split from the monkey parasiteP. knowlesiin the much more distant past, during the time that encompasses the separation of the Great Apes and Old World Monkeys.

Conclusion

The results support an ancient association between malaria parasites and their primate hosts, including humans.
Selfishness and sex or cooperation and family values?
Authors: Ackerman Joshua M. , Kenrick Douglas T.
Published: December 2010

Evolutionary models of behavior often encounter resistance due to an apparent focus on themes of sex, selfishness, and gender differences. The target article might seem ripe for such criticism. However, life history theory suggests that these themes, and their counterparts, including cooperation, generosity, and gender similarities, represent two sides of the same coin – all are consequences of reproductive trade-offs made throughout development.
Lorna Berman and Irina Sobkowska-Ashcroft. Images and Impressions of Old Age in the Great Works of Western Literature (700 B.C.-1900 A.D.). Lewiston, New York 14092: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987, pp. 399, U.S. $69.95.
Authors: Manning Gerald F.
Published: December 2010

Ce condensé analytique résume les traits de caractère et les attitudes associés au vieillissement et tels que dépeints dans les plus illustres ouvrages de la littérature occidentale, à partir du tout début des temps jusqu'au terme du 19e siècle. Les titres sont catalogués alphabétiquement suivant les noms d'auteurs et chaque entrée contient quelques notes biographiques sur celui-ci et une synthèse de ses travaux. De plus, chaque texte contient un résumé décrivant le rôle des personnes âgées tel qu'interprété dans l'ouvrage. Des index placès au début du condensé permettent au lecteur de vérifier la fréquence avec laquelle certains traits de caractère reviennent, les différentes attitudes des auteurs, et le nombre et le genre de travaux qui touchent le troisième âge, de siècle en siècle et d'un bout à l'autre du monde.
Ralph W. Sutherland and M. Jane Fulton. Health Care in Canada: A Description and Analysis of Canadian Health Services. Ottawa: The Health Group, 1988.
Authors: Aronson Jane
Published: December 2010

Sutherland et Fulton ont recueilli une abondance de données sur l'organisation complexe des services de santé au Canada. Ils présentent une vue d'ensemble qui intéressera les étudiants en médecine et en administration médicale, mais leur présentation repose sur une collection de matériel descriptif fragmenté, des opinions personnelles et des valeurs. Les auteurs mentionnent les séjours à long terme et les soins communautaires – deux sujets qui touchent de près les personnes âgées – mais ils mettent l'accent sur le fait que les dépenses publiques doivent être contrôlées et ils n'examinent pas le coût dissimulé des soins informels. En discutant des obstacles à leur notion de bons soins à la santé, les auteurs s'avèrent solidement en faveur d'un changement. Cette prise de position toutefois n'est pas accompagnée d'une appréciation du contexte social plus vaste et des intérêts politiques rivalisants qui contribuent au processus d'allocation des ressources, et des expériences de groupes, comme celui des personnes âgées qui présentent des problèmes de santé bien particuliers.
Gut contents and stable isotope analyses of the Antarctic fish, Notothenia coriiceps (Richardson), from two macroalgal communities
Authors: Zamzow Jill P. , Aumack Craig F. , Amsler Charles D. , McClintock James B. , Amsler Margaret O. , Baker Bill J.
Published: December 2010

Gut contents studies have shown that Notothenia coriiceps, a prevalent shallow water fish species along the western Antarctic Peninsula, has a highly variable diet. This variability, coupled with small home ranges, suggest that microhabitat may play a role in determining the chief prey items of N. coriiceps. We trapped fish from three sites comprised of two different algal microhabitats around Palmer Station, Antarctica and investigated their diets via gut contents and stable isotope analyses. Gut contents analysis revealed that amphipods were the primary prey item at all three sites, but the distribution of amphipod species eaten varied between sites. Other important prey classes were snails, limpets, algae and fish. Overall, the gut content data suggested that algal microhabitat was less important than geographic location in determining diet. On the other hand, stable isotope analysis indicated that fish from the Palmaria decipiens site were more enriched in both carbon and nitrogen than fish from Desmarestia menziesii sites. Hence, it would appear that in the longer term, algal microhabitat may influence fish diets and trophic relationships.
Vitamin D and cardiometabolic health: a review of the evidence
Authors: Muldowney Siobhan , Kiely Mairead
Published: December 2010

The cardiometabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of related metabolic abnormalities including abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and increased inflammatory and thrombotic markers, which is linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, CVD and overall mortality. Several cross-sectional and prospective studies have shown an association between low vitamin D status, as indicated by concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25(OH)D), and increased prevalence of the MetS and individual CVD risk factors. These epidemiological observations are supported by mechanistic studies but experimental data are limited. The available data from intervention studies are largely confounded as most vitamin D supplementation trials were mainly carried out to explore the role of Ca in CVD and include Ca in the treatment arms. Inadequate consideration of seasonal effects on s25(OH)D concentrations is also a common design flaw in most studies. Further complications arise from shared risk factors such as adiposity and ageing, which predispose individuals to exhibit both a more pronounced risk profile and relatively lower s25(OH)D concentrations. In conclusion, while epidemiological associations are promising and a rationale for low vitamin D status as a potentially modifiable risk factor for CVD is supported by mechanistic data, suitable experimental data from appropriately designed trials are just beginning to emerge. As yet, this body of literature is too immature to draw firm conclusions on the role of vitamin D in CVD prevention. Carefully controlled vitamin D trials in well-described population groups using intervention doses that are titrated against target s25(OH)D concentrations could yield potentially valuable outcomes that may have a positive impact on CVD risk modification.
INTRODUCTION
Authors: Mösslang Markus , Riotte Torsten
Published: December 2010

This fourth volume of the editorial series British Envoys to Germany comprises the last sixteen years of the German Confederation, between the Dresden Conferences of 1851 and the war between Prussia and the majority of the other member states in 1866. Many historical accounts of German politics of the years 1851 to 1866 are influenced on the one hand by the legacy of the revolutionary events of 1848–1849 and on the other hand by the dissolution of the Confederation and Bismarck's unification of a German nation-state dominated by Prussian policies and politics. While the early 1850s can be seen as a period of ‘reaction’ and a negative response to popular social and political demands, the remainder of the period is generally discussed in terms of the struggle for mastery in Germany, particularly the political and ultimately military conflict between Prussia and the Austrian Empire. However, the envoys’ correspondence questions teleological accounts of the time between Dresden and Königgrätz. Throughout the 1850s and 1860s, British diplomatic representatives reported on all matters regarding the German states and the German Confederation. In addition to international affairs and bilateral relations, the dispatches also cover German politics, its federal dimensions, and the policies and societies of the federal states. Like other contemporary sources, the envoys’ reports provide strong evidence that the period 1851–1866 should be seen as more than just a time of transition between revolution and unification. In fact, the multifaceted views of British diplomatic representatives to Germany provide a much broader picture and substantiate the demand for understanding the time between 1851 and 1866 in its own right.
«Shared decision making» und individualisierte Therapiezielsetzung – eine Pilotuntersuchung mit PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) bei stationären Psychiatriepatienten
Authors: Büchi  , Straub  , Schwager
Published: December 2010

Ausgangslage: Obwohl viel von «shared decision making» und individualisierter Therapiezielsetzung gesprochen wird, ist wenig Wissen über die konkrete Umsetzung dieser Prinzipien im klinischen Alltag verfügbar. Zudem fehlen einfach einsetzbare Instrumente zur Verbesserung von Zielvereinbarungsprozessen. Methode: Der theoriegeleitete, semistrukturierte Einsatz von PRISM («Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure») wird am Beispiel von drei stationär behandelten Patienten mit komplexen psychischen Problemen vorgestellt und diskutiert. Resultate: PRISM unterstützt eine personenzentrierte individualisierte Therapiezielsetzung und Behandlungsplanung und stärkt die aktive Beteiligung des Patienten. Der zeitliche Aufwand für den Zielvereinbarungsprozess beträgt 30 bis 45 Minuten. Schlussfolgerungen: Bei Patienten mit komplexen chronischen psychischen Krankheiten konnte PRISM erfolgreich zur Therapiezielsetzung eingesetzt werden. Die spezifischen Effekte der PRISM-Visualisierung werden aktuell in einer Vergleichsstudie mit ausschliesslich sprachlich durchgeführten Zielvereinbarungsprozessen ermittelt.
Placebointerventionen in der medizinischen Praxis
Authors: Fässler
Published: December 2010

Umfragen unter Ärzten haben gezeigt, dass sie mit recht unterschiedlichen Intentionen Placebointerventionen bei ihren Patienten einsetzen. Die laufende Debatte, ob dies ethisch zu rechtfertigen sei, setzt voraus, dass man sich eingehender mit der Thematik beschäftigt. Immer mehr Ergebnisse aus der Placeboforschung zeigen, dass Placebo- oder Kontexteffekte klinisch relevant sein können. Über die Nutzbarmachung dieser Effekte für Patienten lohnt es sich deshalb nachzudenken. Dazu gibt es keine vorgefertigten Lösungen, jeder Arzt muss selbst entscheiden, ob und welche Therapien mit ungewisser spezifischer Wirksamkeit er wann einsetzt. Der vorliegende Artikel soll Ärzte darin unterstützen, sich mit der Thematik auseinanderzusetzen und eine eigene fundierte Position zu finden.
Seismicity, seismogenic structures, and crustal stress fields in the greater Rome area (central Italy)
Authors: Frepoli A. , Marra F. , Maggi C. , Marchetti A. , Nardi A. , Pagliuca N. M. , Pirro M.
Published: December 2010

Instrumental seismicity of the greater Rome area is analyzed using the most recent seismological database. The aim of this study is to identify potential seismogenic structures responsible for the moderate seismicity that characterizes this sector, where no surface faulting is expected on the basis of the absence of strong local earthquakes, as evidenced by the 2000‐year‐long historical record. Nevertheless, in light of the great value and the high vulnerability of the architectural and monumental patrimony of Rome, even the occurrence of moderate events imposes a careful assessment of the hazard, linked to the presence of active faults that are undetectable by means of classic geological field investigation. Seismic data here analyzed belong to the period 1997–2008 and show local magnitude (ML) ranging from 1.5 to 4.7. To better constrain the hypocentral depths, we computed the Vp/Vs ratio using a modified Wadati method and the minimum 1‐D velocity model that approximates the seismic structure of the study area. Moreover, we applied a double‐difference hypocentral determination technique to improve earthquake locations. Most of the located seismicity appears to be concentrated within seven main clusters. Spatial distribution of the seismicity allowed us to identify several seismogenic structures, corresponding to previously undetected or only supposed active faults. The stress tensor obtained by inverting the focal mechanisms computed in this study is in agreement with the NE–SW extensional tectonic stress active in the inner chain of the Apennines, although there is evidence of some local stress field heterogeneities.
Processes that influence the mixed layer deepening during winter in the North Pacific
Authors: Kang Yune Jeung , Noh Yign , Yeh Sang‐Wook
Published: December 2010

The contribution of various forcing sources to the mixed layer depth (MLD) growth during winter in the North Pacific was investigated by analyzing the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data during 1959–2004. It was found that the MLD growth can be mainly estimated from the heat budget analysis in the mixed layer, in which both the surface heat flux and the ocean heat transport are included. The remaining difference is explained in terms of the effects of entrainment by wind stress and the error in determining MLD due to a diffused thermocline. The contribution to the heat budget from the ocean heat transport is positive in the Kuroshio region owing to geostrophic advection and eddy diffusion, but in the outer ocean it is negative north of 27°N and positive south of it, influenced by Ekman advection. It was also found that the transition to the stronger ocean heat transport and smaller MLD growth in the Kuroshio Extension region occurs in 1985.
Air‐sea gas transfer velocity for oxygen derived from float data
Authors: Kihm C. , Körtzinger A.
Published: December 2010

We estimated the air‐sea gas transfer velocity for oxygen using 3 consecutive years (September 2003 to August 2006) of high‐quality oxygen measurements from profiling floats in the central Labrador Sea. Mixed layer oxygen concentrations exhibit strong seasonality characterized by biologically and thermally driven evasion during spring/summer and invasion during fall/winter caused by cooling and ventilation of oxygen deficient subsurface waters. Mixed layer oxygen budgets entirely excluding the spring bloom period are employed to estimate the air‐sea transfer velocity for oxygen. By using colocated wind speed data acquired by scatterometry from the QuikSCAT satellite, wind speed‐dependent parameterizations for the air‐sea gas transfer velocity k660 (CO2 at 20°C and salinity 35) are established and compared with prominent parameterizations from the literature. Quadratic, cubic, and quartic functions are fitted to the data for short‐term and long‐term wind speed averages separately. In both cases, the quadratic functions yield the poorest fit to the observations. Overall, the stronger curvature of the cubic functions provides the best fit, while the quartic function also fits the data less well. Our results generally confirm the stronger wind speed dependencies among the suite of published parameterizations. Also, the better fits found for cubic function point at the strong importance of very high wind speed for air‐sea gas exchange of O2.
Sedimentary opal records in the eastern equatorial Pacific: It is not all about leakage
Authors: Dubois Nathalie , Kienast Markus , Kienast Stephanie , Calvert Stephen E. , François Roger , Anderson Robert F.
Published: December 2010

The clear predictions of the silicic acid leakage hypothesis (SALH) resulted in a number of studies of downcore opal records from the tropical Pacific. The original SALH predicts that unused silicic acid, due to Fe‐driven changes in Si versus N limitation, escaped from the glacial Southern Ocean to equatorial upwelling regimes where it enhanced diatom productivity, thereby decreasing coccolith growth and lowering atmospheric CO2. In contrast to SALH predictions, however, sedimentary records from the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) do not show enhanced opal burial during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) but higher rates of opal burial during the deglaciation and marine isotopic stage 3 (MIS3). The peak in opal productivity during the deglaciation has been attributed to increased supply of nutrient‐rich waters driven by stronger upwelling of deep water in the Southern Ocean at the end of last glacial period. The large peak in opal burial observed in a number of EEP cores during MIS3 was interpreted as evidence for Si leakage when Southern Ocean diatom productivity was limited by both low dust flux and extended sea ice. On the other hand, the paradoxical LGM decline in opal accumulation in the EEP was explained by enhanced dust input that lowered the diatom Si:C uptake ratio. Here we use a combination of molecular fingerprints of algal productivity and radioisotope tracers of sedimentation to revisit opal burial in the EEP, in particular during the MIS3 “opal peak.” An increase in algal productivity is not supported by the sedimentary concentration of brassicasterol, an organic molecule commonly found in diatoms, or by the ratio of (231Pa/230Th)xs,0, a proxy for opal export production. We therefore conclude that the large peak in opal burial during MIS3 reflects enhanced preservation of diatoms. Building on mechanisms invoked in previous studies, we hypothesize that opal burial in the EEP is controlled both by the physiological response of diatoms to low‐latitude Fe inputs and by the high‐latitude processes leading to silicic acid leakage.
Rapid Southern Ocean front transitions in an eddy‐resolving ocean GCM
Authors: Thompson Andrew F. , Haynes Peter H. , Wilson Chris , Richards Kelvin J.
Published: December 2010

The formation of persistent multiple fronts is an established feature of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Front strength and location are closely linked to eddy properties and therefore have important implications for the eddy‐driven closure of the Southern Ocean meridional overturning circulation. ACC front structure is analyzed here by calculating regional probability density functions (PDFs) of potential vorticity diagnosed in an eddy‐resolving ocean general circulation model. Rapid spatial transitions in the number of fronts and in the density classes over which they occur are found. Front transitions are associated with the major topographic obstacles Kerguelen Island, Campbell Plateau and Drake Passage; multiple fronts are preferentially found downstream of these features. These findings highlight the significant departure from zonal symmetry of the ACC front structure and emphasize the importance of local dynamics on large‐scale Southern Ocean properties.
Variations of the nighttime thermospheric mass density at low and middle latitudes
Authors: Ma Ruiping , Xu Jiyao , Wang Wenbin , Lei Jiuhou , Liu Han‐Li , Maute Astrid , Hagan Maura E.
Published: December 2010

The latitudinal structure of the nighttime thermospheric mass density at 385 km has been investigated using observations made by the accelerometer onboard the CHAMP satellite between 2002 and 2007. The nighttime thermospheric mass density had a clear latitudinal variation. There was a local density peak around the geographic equator and two minima at about ±30°. This nighttime equatorial mass anomaly (NEMA) was opposite to the latitudinal variations of the daytime ionospheric equatorial anomaly and thermospheric mass density anomaly as both have minima at the magnetic dip equator and maxima around ±20° in magnetic latitudes. This anomalous behavior of the nighttime thermospheric mass density had strong local time, seasonal, hemispheric, and solar cycle dependences. The largest crest‐to‐trough ratio between the peak density at the equator and the minima at the anomaly latitudes (±30°) occurred between 0000 and 0200 local time. The NEMA appeared to be more pronounced during solstice seasons. It was also stronger during solar minimum than during solar maximum. In addition, under the same geophysical conditions, the empirical NRLMSISE‐00 model shows similar but much weaker nighttime mass density anomaly features at low and middle latitudes. A high‐resolution National Center for Atmospheric Research‐Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Global Circulation Model (TIMEGCM) simulation reproduced most of the observed latitudinal variations of the nighttime mass density as well as the thermospheric midnight temperature maximum (MTM). Model results suggest that superposition of diurnal and semidiurnal migrating tides of modes up to wave number 6 is the likely cause of both the NEMA and MTM phenomena.
Wave‐induced velocities inside a model seagrass bed
Authors: Luhar Mitul , Coutu Sylvain , Infantes Eduardo , Fox Samantha , Nepf Heidi
Published: December 2010

Laboratory measurements reveal the flow structure within and above a model seagrass meadow (dynamically similar to Zostera marina) forced by progressive waves. Despite being driven by purely oscillatory flow, a mean current in the direction of wave propagation is generated within the meadow. This mean current is forced by a nonzero wave stress, similar to the streaming observed in wave boundary layers. The measured mean current is roughly four times that predicted by laminar boundary layer theory, with magnitudes as high as 38% of the near‐bed orbital velocity. A simple theoretical model is developed to predict the magnitude of this mean current based on the energy dissipated within the meadow. Unlike unidirectional flow, which can be significantly damped within a meadow, the in‐canopy orbital velocity is not significantly damped. Consistent with previous studies, the reduction of in‐canopy velocity is a function of the ratio of orbital excursion and blade spacing.
What is the skill of ocean tracers in reducing uncertainties about ocean diapycnal mixing and projections of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?
Authors: Goes Marlos , Urban Nathan M. , Tonkonojenkov Roman , Haran Murali , Schmittner Andreas , Keller Klaus
Published: December 2010

Current projections of the oceanic response to anthropogenic climate forcings are uncertain. Two key sources of these uncertainties are (1) structural errors in current Earth system models and (2) imperfect knowledge of model parameters. Ocean tracer observations have the potential to reduce these uncertainties. Previous studies typically consider each tracer separately, neglect potentially important statistical properties of the system, or use methods that impose rather daunting computational demands. Here we extend and improve upon a recently developed approach using horizontally averaged vertical profiles of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC‐11), radiocarbon (Δ14C), and temperature (T) observations to reduce model parametric and structural uncertainties. Our method estimates a joint probability density function, which considers cross‐tracer correlations and spatial autocorrelations of the errors. We illustrate this method by estimating two model parameters related to the vertical diffusivity, the background vertical diffusivity, and the upper Southern Ocean mixing. We show that enhancing the upper Southern Ocean mixing in the model improves the representations of ocean tracers and improves the hindcasts of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The most probable value of the background vertical diffusivity in the pelagic pycnocline is between 0.1 and 0.2 cm2 s−1. According to the statistical method, observations of Δ14C reduce the uncertainty about the background vertical diffusivity mostly followed by CFC‐11 and T. Using all three tracers jointly reduces the model uncertainty by 40%, more than each tracer individually. Given several important caveats, we illustrate how the reduced model parametric uncertainty improves probabilistic projections of the AMOC.