bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Added sugars and micronutrient dilution
Authors: Livingstone M. B. E. , Rennie K. L.
Published: February 2009

There is increasing concern that high intakes of added sugars promote micronutrient dilution. However, the overall conclusion to emerge from the existing evidence base is that associations between reported intakes of added sugars and intakes of micronutrients are inconsistent and often non‐linear, both across and within age groups, and between the genders. If a nutrient displacement effect does exist, a high consumption of added sugar does not necessarily compromise overall micronutrient intakes and similarly, consuming less added sugar is no guarantee that micronutrient intakes will be optimized. Clarification of this issue has been beset by methodological and conceptual difficulties. The observed associations between added sugars and micronutrient intake have been heavily contingent on both the definition of sugars chosen and the analytical approach used for adjusting for differences in reported energy intake. These issues have been further compounded by mis‐reporting of food intake of unknown direction and magnitude and the cut‐offs used to determine ‘inadequate’ micronutrient intakes which vary over time and between studies and countries. In the absence compelling evidence that micronutrient intakes are compromised by a high consumption of added sugars, it may now be appropriate to question the legitimacy of the nutrient dilution hypothesis as it is highly likely that it is oversimplifying more subtle and complex dietary issues. Recommendations for further research are made to help bring resolution to these issues.
Working Time Mismatch and Subjective Well‐being
Authors: Wooden Mark , Warren Diana , Drago Robert
Published: February 2009

This study uses nationally representative panel survey data for Australia to identify the role played by mismatches between hours actually worked and working time preferences in contributing to reported levels of job and life satisfaction. Three main conclusions emerge. First, it is not the number of hours worked that matters for subjective well‐being, but working time mismatch. Second, overemployment is a more serious problem than is underemployment. Third, while the magnitude of the impact of overemployment may seem small in absolute terms, relative to other variables, such as disability, the effect is quite large.
Why has Irish Social Partnership Survived?
Authors: Teague Paul , Donaghey Jimmy
Published: February 2009

The present system of social partnership in Ireland is in its twentieth year. A range of explanations have been put forward to explain why social partnership has been so durable even though it does not possess the institutional endowments often considered necessary to sustain tripartite industrial relations arrangements. Although these accounts are considered to have merits, this article suggests that they also suffer from a range of weaknesses. The article suggests that the longevity of the social partnership regime is a result of it being part of an unorthodox system of institutional complementarities that triggered a spectacular period of economic and employment growth.
Accompaniment, Workplace Representation and Disciplinary Outcomes in British Workplaces — Just a Formality?
Authors: Antcliff Valerie , Saundry Richard
Published: February 2009

The Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 provides data that, for the first time, measure the extent to which workforce representation is part and parcel of grievance and disciplinary processes in British workplaces. This article explores the impact of the introduction of the statutory right to accompaniment at grievance and disciplinary hearings on rates of disciplinary sanctions, dismissals and employment tribunal applications. It concludes that there is little evidence to suggest that either the right to accompaniment or the operation of formal grievance and disciplinary procedures moderates disciplinary outcomes. Instead, it argues that trade union and employee representatives may be influential in facilitating the resolution of workplace disputes.
COMPETING TRADITIONS OF GOVERNANCE AND DILEMMAS OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY: THE CASE OF DENMARK
Authors: POULSEN BIRGITTE
Published: February 2009

This article offers a study of the changing role of the state in Denmark under the condition of the overall transformation from government to governance with particular emphasis on the corresponding transition from process accountability to performance accountability. It is argued that although new modes of governance have been introduced, and new interpretations of accountability have been proliferated, neither conventional modes of governance nor older interpretations of accountability disappear. Thus, what we see is a co‐existence of competing traditions of governance and different and sometimes contradictory interpretations of administrative accountability, which create potential dilemmas and contradictions for the individual civil servant. Employing an interpretative approach to governance and public administration, the article analyses the constitution of competing traditions of governance and interpretations of accountability, and the way in which these competing traditions and interpretations lead to accountability dilemmas for the individual civil servant.
DECENTRING POLICY NETWORKS: A THEORETICAL AGENDA
Authors: BEVIR MARK , RICHARDS DAVID
Published: February 2009

This introduction starts by specifying the theoretical and analytical framework underpinning the range of essays in this special issue. It then provides an overview of the existing literature on policy networks and network governance in order to identify what a decentred approach might contribute. What follows is an account of decentred theory, a discussion of the potential alternatives it can offer to existing accounts and how these might be achieved through reconstructing networks by appealing to notions of situated agency and tradition; it concludes by considering the potential methodologies to be employed, with particular emphasis on ethnography.
FRONT‐LINE WORKERS AND ‘LOCAL KNOWLEDGE’: NEIGHBOURHOOD STORIES IN CONTEMPORARY UK LOCAL GOVERNANCE
Authors: DUROSE CATHERINE
Published: February 2009

One of the aims of this special issue is to ‘decentre’ a key facet of governance, namely networks. This article considers in particular the concept ‘networked community governance’, a key part of New Labour‘s reforms in local governance and, in particular, around neighbourhood‐based working. This article draws on interpretive methods and analysis to explore the everyday work of front‐line workers in contemporary local governance through their own stories. The article is based on empirical work in the neighbourhood management system developed in Salford, a local authority in the North West of England. Key to facilitating ‘networked community governance’, is front‐line workers’ own ‘local knowledge’, understood as the mundane, yet expert, understanding front‐line workers develop from their own contextual experiences. The article explores the difficulties that front‐line workers perceive themselves to face in their everyday work and how they use their ‘local knowledge’ to develop responsive, entrepreneurial strategies.
THE LIMITS OF JOINED‐UP GOVERNMENT: TOWARDS A POLITICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: DAVIES JONATHAN S.
Published: February 2009

Joined‐up government has featured prominently on the agenda of the New Labour government in the UK. However, the politics of joining‐up remain under‐explored, with disproportionate emphasis on the technical and managerial dimensions of the challenge. This paper argues that political value conflicts form an essential part of the explanation for the replication of ‘silos’ within city strategic partnerships, the joining‐up institution of choice at the local scale. A study of the local politics of social inclusion in the British cities of Dundee and Hull revealed a strong partnership ethos. However, this ethos sustained only a shallow consensus over abstract goals, at the same time legitimating the avoidance of political value conflicts. Thematic partnerships comprising interest group clusters with different political values therefore tended to replicate silo practices. The paper argues, consequently, that the consensual partnership ethos caused the displacement of value conflicts, in turn causing fragmented governance. It concludes with three propositions for further research.
NARRATIVES AND DILEMMAS OF LOCAL BUREAUCRATIC ELITES: WHITEHALL AT THE COAL FACE?
Authors: GAINS FRANCESCA
Published: February 2009

The worlds of local bureaucrats are under researched and under theorized compared with those of civil servants in core executives. Yet local bureaucratic elites, sitting as they do between central states and localities, are key actors in governance networks. In England, the role and responsibilities of local bureaucratic elites has been transformed since the days of professionalized officers heading departmental structures reporting to committees, firstly by NPM and politicization in the 1980s and 1990s and, more recently, by political management reform introducing a separation of powers. Drawing on interviews in 15 local authorities, this paper examines the changing narratives and dilemmas of local government elites. In particular it explores, but argues against, early expectations that the creation of an elected executive, with considerable devolution of decision‐making responsibilities to individual cabinet member councillors, has meant a move closer to the logics of the ‘Whitehall mandarin’ tradition by local government chief officers.
Asperger syndrome and the English curriculum: addressing the challenges
Authors: HARBINSON HILARY , ALEXANDER JOY
Published: February 2009

A major criterion for the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is an impairment of the imagination. This article focuses on the specific difficulties that students with Asperger syndrome have with the imaginative content of the English curriculum. It examines the problems with reading and writing imaginatively of a group of students with AS in a secondary school mainstream setting. Various strategies and interventions are considered and discussed which could aid their understanding and learning in relation to the imaginative element of the English curriculum. While acknowledging that this is an area of real difficulty for these students, recommendations include: treating students with AS as individuals; using a small group setting; providing support through structured frameworks.
Likelihood Estimation for a Longitudinal Negative Binomial Regression Model with Missing Outcomes
Authors: Bond Simon J. , Farewell Vernon T.
Published: February 2009

Joint damage in psoriatic arthritis can be measured by clinical and radiological methods, the former being done more frequently during longitudinal follow-up of patients. Motivated by the need to compare findings based on the different methods with different observation patterns, we consider longitudinal data where the outcome variable is a cumulative total of counts that can be unobserved when other, informative, explanatory variables are recorded. We demonstrate how to calculate the likelihood for such data when it is assumed that the increment in the cumulative total follows a discrete distribution with a location parameter that depends on a linear function of explanatory variables. An approach to the incorporation of informative observation is suggested. We present analyses based on an observational database from a psoriatic arthritis clinic. Although the use of the new statistical methodology has relatively little effect in this example, simulation studies indicate that the method can provide substantial improvements in bias and coverage in some situations where there is an important time varying explanatory variable.
Using Bayesian Inference to Understand the Allocation of Resources Between Sexual and Asexual Reproduction
Authors: Metcalf C. Jessica E. , Stephens David A. , Rees Mark , Louda Svata M. , Keeler Kathleen H.
Published: February 2009

We address the problem of Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of a complex ecological system by using a Bayesian inferential approach. We describe a complete likelihood framework for the life history of the wavyleaf thistle, including missing information and density dependence. We indicate how, to make inference on life history transitions involving both missing information and density dependence, the stochastic models underlying each component can be combined with each other and with priors to obtain expressions that can be directly sampled. This innovation and the principles described could be extended to other species featuring such missing stage information, with potential for improving inference relating to a range of ecological or evolutionary questions.
Towards Automating Model Selection for a Mark–Recapture–Recovery Analysis
Authors: Sisson S. A. , Fan Y.
Published: February 2009

Methods for fitting models to mark–recapture–recovery studies are now well established in the literature. Classical model selection methods for identifying those models which best represent the population under investigation are perhaps less satisfactory. One class of methods implements manual model searches on a model space that is restricted by strong physical understandings of the biological plausibility of each model. This can lead to highly subjective analyses requiring a priori expert knowledge, which are slow to implement and can be error prone. More automated search algorithms are now available and can be implemented with ease to consider larger classes of models. We investigate the utility of such automated algorithms and consider in particular the situation where there is a large set of near optimal models according to the model ranking function. We present a modification of an automated search procedure on an unrestricted model space and propose a procedure for model selection in the absence of a single clear optimal model. We investigate this approach through a classical mark–recapture–recovery analysis of a red deer population from the island of Rùm and conduct an investigation into senesence, which is theorized to occur in wild animal populations.
CHRONOLOGICAL INSIGHTS, CULTURAL CHANGE, AND RESOURCE EXPLOITATION ON THE WEST COAST OF SWEDEN DURING THE LATE PALAEOLITHIC/EARLY MESOLITHIC TRANSITION
Authors: SCHMITT LOU , LARSSON STEPHAN , BURDUKIEWICZ JAN , ZIKER JOHN , SVEDHAGE KRISTER , ZAMON JEANNETTE , STEFFEN HOLGER
Published: February 2009

In this paper, we attempt to shed light on a probable cause of cultural change via a new avenue of approach. In brief, the paper represents a micro‐study that addresses the Ahrensburgian culture group during the close of the Late Palaeolithic in north central Europe, and its relationship to the Hensbacka group found in central Bohuslän on the coast of western Sweden. Although we do not disagree that environmental conditions are a ‘prime mover’ of cultural change, we hold that it is not the only ‘mover’. In addition, we also discuss the distinct possibility that the term ‘microlithization’ cannot be used as a synonym for the Mesolithic. The foundation of our micro‐study is based on interdisciplinary concepts from the fields of archaeology, economic anthropology, geosciences, and marine zoology.
GETTING SMASHED: THE DEPOSITION OF AMPHORAEAND THE DRINKING OF WINE IN GAUL DURING THE LATE IRON AGE
Authors: LOUGHTON MATTHEW E.
Published: February 2009

This paper aims to summarize current research on the chronology, provenance and deposition of Italian wine amphorae and associated material culture (ceramics and metal vessels) in Gaul from the second to the end of the first century BC. Recent studies have linked the consumption of imported wine in Gaul with the elite and/or a warrior class who organized great feasts in enclosures and sanctuaries. Instead, it will be suggested that access to wine in parts of central eastern France at least was relatively open while in some cases wine was being drunk by individuals involved in various industrial activities.
JOHN STUART MILL by R. J. Halliday
Authors: Mott P. L.
Published: February 2009

JOHN STUART MILL by R. J. Halliday. (Political Thinkers, 4.) Allen & Unwin, 1976. 151 pp. £5.95 cloth, £2.95 paper.
PAPERS IN LOGIC AND ETHICS by A. N. Prior: THE DOCTRINE OF PROPOSITIONS AND TERMS by A. N. Prior
Authors: Williams C. J. F.
Published: February 2009

PAPERS IN LOGIC AND ETHICS by A. N. Prior. Duckworth, 1976. 233 pp. £8.95.

THE DOCTRINE OF PROPOSITIONS AND TERMS by A. N. Prior. Duckworth, 1976. 143 pp. £5.95.
The Impact of Internal Migration on Married Couples' Earnings in Britain
Authors: BLACKBURN M. L.
Published: February 2009

Previous studies have often suggested that wives experience a decline in labour market fortunes after an internal migration of a married couple. This evidence is consistent with wives being ‘tied movers’ on average. I use the British Household Panel Survey to consider the extent to which wives' annual earnings change systematically in the year following an internal migration event for married couples within Britain. The earnings of working husbands appear to be little impacted by migration. Wives' earnings do fall, though this affect is short‐lived and concentrated in a decline in the weeks of work for the wife.
An educational multimedia campaign improves stroke knowledge and risk perception in different stroke risk groups
Authors: Marx J. J. , Gube C. , Faldum A. , Kuntze H. , Nedelmann M. , Haertle B. , Dieterich M. , Eicke B. M.
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  Stroke risk factor knowledge and individual risk perception are low in the general public. Our study aimed at identifying the educational effects of a multimedia campaign on stroke knowledge and risk perception in several subgroups at increased risk of stroke.

Methods:  Telephone surveys were administered in a random sample of 500 members of the general public, before and immediately after an intense 3 months educational campaign using various mass and print media.

Results:  A total of 32.7% of respondents considered themselves as being at risk of stroke before, and 41.9% (P < 0.01) after the intervention. Evaluation of stroke risk increased with number of appreciated individual stroke risk factors. Knowledge of different stroke risks varied considerably and proved to be especially high in obese individuals (98.7%) and smokers (97.9%) and particularly low in patients with coronary heart disease (80.6%).

Conclusions:  Our data indicate that educational programs and the introduction of stroke risk factors can increase stroke risk perception in the public. Even though some risk groups (smokers, obese) reveal a ceiling effect, future campaigns should focus on high risk populations remarkably underrating their risk, like those with coronary heart disease or the elderly.
Prospective, open‐label, comparative study of clindamycin 1%/benzoyl peroxide 5% gel with adapalene 0.1% gel in Asian acne patients: efficacy and tolerability
Authors: Ko H‐C , Song M , Seo S‐H , Oh C‐K , Kwon K‐S , Kim M‐B
Published: February 2009

Background  Used as individual agents, topical antibiotics and benzoyl peroxide are known to be effective in treatment of acne. Clindamycin phosphate 1% with benzoyl peroxide 5% (CDP/BPO) is a new combination gel, made by rationale, in that combination drug is more effective than either ingredients used alone. Adapalene 0.1% (ADA) is the third‐generation retinoid, shown to be as effective as other topical retinoid with well tolerability.

Objectives  To compare the efficacy and tolerability in combination of CDP/BPO in comparison with ADA in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Methods  Total of 69 patients, including 31 patients for CDP/BPO group and 38 for ADA group, with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were enrolled for a 12‐week prospective, randomized, open‐label comparative study of topical agents. Efficacy was assessed by lesion counts, acne grading system, and global improvement. Adverse events were also evaluated in scale of 0 (none) to 3 (severe).

Results  Both CDP/BPO and ADA were effective in reducing lesion counts and acne severity scale and showed significant global improvement. However, CDP/BPO offered greater efficacy against inflammatory lesions than ADA. Both drugs were well tolerated with minimal adverse drug reactions.

Conclusion  Combination formulation of CDP/BPO and ADA were shown to be both effective in decreasing total, inflammatory, and non‐inflammatory lesion counts along with well tolerability in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Safety and efficacy of desloratadine in chronic idiopathic urticaria in clinical practice: an observational study of 9246 patients
Authors: Augustin M , Ehrle S
Published: February 2009

Background  Post‐marketing surveillance studies (PMSS) of medications are often mandated by authorities, provide crucial insights for health services and are useful to define the clinical profiles of therapies. Desloratadine, a non‐sedating, second‐generation H1‐receptor antagonist, is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU).

Methods  A PMSS in CIU patients evaluated the tolerability and efficacy of desloratadine in clinical practice. At Visit 1 (baseline), demographic and CIU history were recorded and patients/physicians rated the severity of CIU symptoms, interference with sleep/daily activities and the general state of urticaria. Patients also noted the use and effectiveness of previous antihistamine therapy. At the end of treatment (Visit 2), CIU symptom severity and other disease criteria were re‐assessed. Adverse events reported during or ≤ 30 days after treatment were collected.

Results  A total of 9246 patients with CIU participated (63% female). Itching, number of wheals and the size of the largest wheal decreased significantly from baseline with desloratadine therapy (P < 0.0001). Improvements in CIU‐impaired sleep and daily activities were reported by 67% and 71% of patients, respectively (P < 0.0001). In patients that received previous therapy with cetirizine, loratadine or fexofenadine alone, patients rated the onset of efficacy of desloratadine as faster in 55.5%, 54.7% and 57.6% of cases, respectively. The incidence of adverse events was low (0.5% of patients) and no serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions  This large PMSS confirms evidence from multiple placebo‐controlled trials that desloratadine is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of CIU.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
An experimental test of parenting practices as a mediator of early childhood physical aggression
Authors: Brotman Laurie Miller , O’Neal Colleen R. , Huang Keng‐Yen , Gouley Kathleen Kiely , Rosenfelt Amanda , Shrout Patrick E.
Published: February 2009

Background: Parenting practices predict early childhood physical aggression. Preventive interventions that alter parenting practices and aggression during early childhood provide the opportunity to test causal models of early childhood psychopathology. Although there have been several informative preventive intervention studies that test mediation models in older children, no such studies have been conducted with younger children at high risk for psychopathology.

Method: Within the context of a randomized controlled trial, we examined whether changes in parenting practices mediate the effects of a family intervention on observed physical aggression among African American and Latino younger siblings of adjudicated youths.

Results: Improved parenting practices partially mediated the intervention effect on physical aggression. Improvements in harsh parenting, responsive parenting, and stimulating parenting explained a significant amount of the intervention effect on child physical aggression observed in the context of parent–child interactions. Parenting practices accounted for 38% of the intervention effect on physical aggression.

Conclusions: There was support for the hypothesized model of the prevention of physical aggression during early childhood. Intervention benefits on parenting practices partially accounted for intervention effects on physical aggression in young high‐risk children.
Physiological regulation of stress in referred adolescents: the role of the parent–adolescent relationship
Authors: Willemen Agnes M. , Schuengel Carlo , Koot Hans M.
Published: February 2009

Background:  Psychopathology in youth appears to be linked to deficits in regulating affective responses to stressful situations. In children, high‐quality parental support facilitates affect regulation. However, in adolescence, the role of parent–child interaction in the regulation of affect is unclear. This study examined physiological reactivity to and recovery from stress in adolescents at risk for psychopathology, and their associations with internalising and externalising problems and parent–adolescent interactions.

Methods:  A total of 99 adolescents (M = 13.57 years, SD = 1.83) with a history of mental health problems underwent the Alarm Stress Task and were reunited with their primary caregiver after the stressor, while the physiological responses of the parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and sympathetic (pre‐ejection period) systems were measured. The quality of parent–adolescent interaction was determined from observations of secure‐base seeking and providing during the task. Affect regulation was measured as physiological reactivity and recovery after the stressor.

Results:  Adolescents with high levels of externalising problems and low levels of secure‐base support showed weaker parasympathetic reactivity and recovery. Higher level of adolescent secure‐base seeking was associated with stronger sympathetic reactivity and recovery.

Conclusions:  Secure‐base interactions between parents and adolescents facilitate physiological regulation of stress, especially for adolescents with externalising symptomatology.
Prevalence and mental health correlates of witnessed parental and community violence in a national sample of adolescents
Authors: Zinzow Heidi M. , Ruggiero Kenneth J. , Resnick Heidi , Hanson Rochelle , Smith Daniel , Saunders Benjamin , Kilpatrick Dean
Published: February 2009

Background:  Although research suggests that witnessed violence is linked to adverse mental health outcomes among adolescents, little is known about its prevalence or its significance in predicting psychiatric symptoms beyond the contribution of co‐occurring risk factors. The purpose of this study was to identify the national prevalence of witnessed parental and community violence and to examine these life stressors as independent risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE) among adolescents. A secondary aim was to determine which characteristics of witnessed violence were associated with mental health outcomes.

Method:  Participants were 3,614 adolescents recruited from a 2005 US national household probability sample who completed structured telephone interviews assessing witnessed violence and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV (DSM‐IV) criteria for PTSD and MDE.

Results:  National prevalence of witnessed parental violence and witnessed community violence was estimated to be 9% and 38%, respectively. Both forms of witnessed violence predicted PTSD and MDE beyond variance accounted for by age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, and other traumatic event history. Perceptions of threat, repeated violence exposure, location of the violence, and relationship to the victim were associated with psychiatric diagnoses.

Conclusions:  Findings suggest that witnessed violence represents a significant public health burden with implications for psychological assessment and prevention efforts.
Configurations of common childhood psychosocial risk factors
Authors: Copeland William , Shanahan Lilly , Jane Costello E. , Angold Adrian
Published: February 2009

Background: Co‐occurrence of psychosocial risk factors is commonplace, but little is known about psychiatrically‐predictive configurations of psychosocial risk factors.

Methods: Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to 17 putative psychosocial risk factors in a representative population sample of 920 children ages 9 to 17. The resultant class structure was retested in a representative population sample of 1420 children aged 9 to 13. In each sample, the child and one parent were interviewed with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment. Concurrent psychiatric status was used to validate class membership.

Results: LCA identified five latent classes in both samples: two low risk classes; two moderate risk classes both involving family poverty configured with various other risk factors; and a high risk class characterized by family relational dysfunction and parental risk characteristics. Of the primary sample, 48.6% were categorized as low risk, 42.8% as moderate risk, and 8.6% as high risk. Moderate risk classes differed in their prediction of disruptive and emotional disorders depending on their specific risk factor configurations. High risk youth had the highest levels of both emotional and disruptive disorders. Combining our latent classes with a cumulative risk approach best accounted for the effects of risk factors on psychopathology in our primary sample.

Conclusions: Particular risk configurations havespecificassociations with psychiatric disorders. Configurational approaches are an important asset for large‐scale epidemiological studies that integrate information about patterns of risk and disorders.
Fungus culturing, nutrient mining and geophagy: a geochemical investigation ofMacrotermesandTrinervitermesmounds in southern Africa
Authors: Mills A. J. , Milewski A. , Fey M. V. , Groengroeft A. , Petersen A.
Published: February 2009

Termite mounds are commonly enriched in clay and nutrients relative to surrounding topsoils. We hypothesized that: (1) nutrient enrichment of mounds differs between fungus‐culturing (FC) and non‐FC termites; (2) FC termites preferentially acquire materials rich in scarce nutrients which promote growth of their fungus cultures; and (3) micro‐nutrient enrichment in mounds of FC termites is beneficial for wildlife. In a preliminary investigation of these hypotheses, we sampled mounds (and adjacent topsoil) ofMacrotermes(FC) andTrinervitermes(non‐FC) termites in Namibia and South Africa, respectively. Analyses included: 27 elements by ICPMS after a nitric acid–hydrogen peroxide digest, organic carbon, a seven fraction particle size analysis, and pH and EC (1:5 soil:water extracts).Macrotermesmounds showed significant (1.6–3.7‐fold) enrichment of 23 of the 27 elements analysed relative to topsoil. By contrast,Trinervitermesmounds showed no enrichment. Clay enrichment ofMacrotermesmounds (4.7–6.5‐fold) was strongly correlated with element enrichment (r2range: 0.76–0.77), suggesting that amendment of soil texture is a main factor in enrichment. Marked enrichment of only certain nutrients in mounds – namely Mn, Co, Cu and Se – was evident at certain nutrient‐poor sites, suggesting that specific materials such as Mn oxides (which adsorb Co, Cu and Se) may be gathered by termites in disproportionate amounts relative to their abundance in soils. These nutrients are likely to enhance the productivity of the fungus culture and hence the termite colony. Parts of certain mounds were enriched in Se (1.3–3.6 mg Se kg−1) to a degree likely to attract geophagy. It is suggested that in some landscapesMacrotermesmounds provide a critical supply of micro‐nutrients to wildlife.
A 3D geometric morphometric analysis of digging ability in the extant and fossil cingulate humerus
Authors: Milne N. , Vizcaíno S. F. , Fernicola J. C.
Published: February 2009

Digging ability in armadillos has been shown to be closely related to the relative length of the olecranon process of the ulna. This study uses geometric morphometrics to examine the relationship between humeral shape, digging ability and size in a range of living and fossil cingulates. The extant species in the sample include representatives of 11 species of armadillo, while the fossil specimens include three species of fossil armadillos (Peltephilus, ProeutatusandEutatus) and three Glyptodonts (Propalaeohoplophorus, GlyptodonandNeosclerocalyptus). The results show that in general, living species with good digging ability have larger sites for muscle attachment, particularly the proximal tubercles and the crests descending therefrom, and the epicondylar region at the distal end of the humerus. Some differences were found in the smallest armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus), which seems to have a different method of digging. The proportions of the olecranon process would indicate good digging ability in some glyptodonts, but humeral features do not fit with this interpretation and the differences may be related to large size. The relationship between cingulate phylogeny and humeral morphology is also examined, and it seems that while cingulates are to some extent constrained by their phylogeny, many of the humeral features are directly related to digging.
How many birds are there in a city of half a million people?
Authors: Fuller Richard A. , Tratalos Jamie , Gaston Kevin J.
Published: February 2009

Aim Urban environments are often characterized as supporting a few abundant, generalist species best adapted to living alongside humans, and as such, cities are seen as agents of biotic homogenization. However, there are surprisingly few descriptions of biological populations found in cities. Here, we provide the first complete citywide population estimates of birds for any UK city, and examine the conservation status of the assemblage in comparison with the country's avifauna at large.

Location Sheffield city, central UK

Methods We surveyed birds in every 500 m × 500 m square across the 160 km2of the city. Using a Distance sampling protocol, we estimated bird population sizes for the city and compared these with the size of the human population. We also compared the conservation status of the city's avian population with that of birds across the UK as a whole.

Results Aggregation of population estimates for the 77 species observed during the surveys produced a total estimate of 602,995 (95% confidence interval (CI): 404,565–942,573) breeding birds, equating to 1.18 birds per person. The size of the non‐breeding population was similar at 578,603 (464,396–728,574) individuals, or 1.13 birds per person. Surveys revealed only three non‐native species, but relatively few species of national conservation concern. However, some species of conservation concern achieved very high population densities within the city, and the overall density of birds was more than six times that of the nation at large.

Main conclusions If declines in some species are to be arrested or reversed, conservation effort will need to focus much more strongly on understanding and managing urban populations, because these might buffer some species against wholesale regional population depletion, particularly where intensive agriculture in the surrounding hinterland has led to declines in bird populations at large. Such a focus will require a significant increase in the priority and resources devoted to conservation activities in urban areas.
Do urban areas act as foci for the spread of alien plant species? An assessment of temporal trends in the UK
Authors: Botham M. S. , Rothery P. , Hulme P. E. , Hill M. O. , Preston C. D. , Roy D. B.
Published: February 2009

Aim Given that urban landscapes often act as a point of entry for many non‐native species and urban development continues to increase as the human population rapidly expands, an understanding of the interaction between urbanization and non‐native plant species is important both in the control of potentially invasive species and in the conservation of native biodiversity. We investigated the spatial and temporal relationship between urban land cover and the distribution of non‐native species in Britain using two floristic data sets collected at two different time periods: 1987–88 and 2003–04.

Location UK.

Methods Using floristic data collected by the Botanical Society of the British Isles in 1987–88 (Monitoring Scheme) and 2003–04 (Local Change) in conjunction with habitat data obtained from the Land Cover Map of the UK, we conducted multiple regression analyses both within and between years on both groups of species (natives, neophytes and archaeophytes) and individual species.

Results Neophytes (alien species introduced after 1500) were very strongly associated with urban land cover in both time periods and do not appear to be spreading out of urban habitats into the wider countryside. Archaeophytes (alien species introduced before 1500), however, showed a strong association with urban habitats in the earlier 1988 data set but no longer showed this association in the 2004 data set. Analysis at the individual species level showed that a large percentage of alien plant species, particularly archaeophytes, were not strongly associated with urban land cover or were negatively associated with such habitats.

Main conclusions Our results suggest that there has been a reduction in the urban association of archaeophytes that is likely to have resulted from the recovery of archaeophytes associated with non‐urban (especially arable) habitats, following their decline in mid‐20th century, rather than from the movement of aliens into the wider countryside from urban habitats.
The content of optometric eye examinations for a presbyopic patient presenting with symptoms of flashing lights
Authors: Shah Rakhee , Edgar David F. , Harle Deacon E. , Weddell Lynne , Austen David P. , Burghardt David , Evans Bruce J. W.
Published: February 2009

Background:  Standardised patients (SPs) are the gold standard methodology for evaluating clinical care. This approach was used to investigate the content of optometric eyecare for a presbyopic patient who presented with recent photopsia.

Methods:  A total of 102 community optometrists consented to be visited by an actor for a recorded eye examination. This actor received extensive training to enable accurate reporting of the content of the eye examinations, via an audio recording and a checklist completed for each clinical encounter. The actor presented unannounced (incognito) as a 59‐year‐old patient seeking a private eye examination and complaining of recent onset flashing lights. The results of each clinical encounter were recorded on a pre‐designed checklist based on evidence‐based reviews on photopsia, clinical guidelines and the views of an expert panel.

Results:  The presence of the symptom of photopsia was proactively detected in 87% of cases. Although none of the optometrists visited asked all seven gold standard questions relating to the presenting symptoms of flashing lights, 35% asked four of the seven questions. A total of 85% of optometrists asked the patient if he noticed any floaters in his vision and 36% of optometrists asked if he had noticed any shadows in his vision. The proportion of the tests recommended by the expert panel that were carried out varied from 33 to 100% with a mean of 67%. Specifically, 66% recommended dilated fundoscopy to be carried out either by themselves or by another eyecare practitioner, and 29% of optometrists asked the patient to seek a second opinion regarding the photopsia. Of those who referred, 70% asked for the referral to be on the same day or within a week.

Conclusion:  SP encounters are an effective way of measuring clinical care within optometry and should be considered for further comparative measurements of quality of care. As in research using SPs in other healthcare disciplines, our study has highlighted substantial differences between different practitioners in the duration and depth of their clinical investigations. This highlights the fact that not all eye examinations are the same but inherently different and that there is no such thing as a ‘standard sight test’. Future optometric continuing education could focus on history taking, examination techniques and referral guidelines for patients presenting with symptoms of posterior vitreous detachment, retinal breaks and secondary retinal detachment.
A new desktop instrument for measuring macular pigment optical density based on a novel technique for setting flicker thresholds
Authors: Van Der Veen Rob L. P. , Berendschot Tos T. J. M. , Hendrikse Fred , Carden David , Makridaki Maria , Murray Ian J.
Published: February 2009

A rapid portable technique for estimating macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in large populations is described. The new instrument utilises a novel method for setting flicker thresholds which is undemanding for naïve and elderly observers and easily operated by a non‐technical person. The method has good repeatability (r = 0.97) and the data are comparable with an optical method based on retinal reflectometry (r = 0.78). MPOD spatial profiles are presented for seven normal observers and these are well described (r = 0.99) by a decaying exponential function consistent with previous reports. MPOD values are presented from 5581 (2435 females and 3146 males) individuals measured in 48 optometric practices. The mean MPOD of this population was 0.33 (S.D. ± 0.187) which is similar to previous large scale studies of MP.
The difference between belief and reality for Viktorin’s method of inter‐pupillary distance measurement
Authors: Walsh G. , Pearce E. I.
Published: February 2009

The variation in the measurement of an inter‐pupillary distance and monocular centration distance by 54 registered practitioners using a ‘pd rule’ was investigated. Their estimate of the repeatability of the measurement was also recorded, as was any correction for their own inter‐pupillary distance. There was found to be considerable variation between practitioners in all measurements, and the practitioners’ estimated repeatability of the measurement was rather better than the reality.
The influence of oblique viewing on axial and peripheral refraction for emmetropes and myopes
Authors: Mathur Ankit , Atchison David A. , Kasthurirangan Sanjeev , Dietz Nadine A. , Luong Suzanna , Chin Shih Pei , Lin Wen Linda , Hoo Sock Whay
Published: February 2009

Refraction may be affected by the forces of lids and extraocular muscles when eye direction and head direction are not aligned (oblique viewing) which might potentially influence past findings on peripheral refraction of the eye. We investigated the effect of oblique viewing on axial and peripheral refraction. In a first experiment, cycloplegic axial refractions were determined when subjects’ heads were positioned to look straight‐ahead through an open‐view autorefractor and when the heads were rotated to the right or left by 30° with compensatory eye rotation (oblique viewing). Subjects were 16 young emmetropes (18–35 years), 22 young myopes (19–36 years) and 15 old emmetropes (45–60 years). In a second experiment, cycloplegic peripheral refraction measurements were taken out to ±34° horizontally from fixation while the subjects rotated their heads to match the peripheral refraction angles (eye in primary position with respect to the head) or the eyes were rotated with respect to the head (oblique viewing). Subjects were 10 emmetropes and 10 myopes. We did not find any significant changes in axial or peripheral refraction upon oblique viewing for any of the subject groups. In general for the range of horizontal angles used, it is not critical whether or not the eye is rotated with respect to the head during axial or peripheral refraction.
Tear ferning in contact lens wearers
Authors: Evans Katharine S. E. , North Rachel V. , Purslow Christine
Published: February 2009

Tear ferning (TF) has shown good sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of dry eye, but is a relatively uncommon test, especially in contact lens wearers. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between TF, ocular comfort and tear film stability amongst contact lens (CL) wearers and non‐contact lens (NCL) wearers. Subjects (36 NCL, 24 CL; mean age 23.2 ± 4.8 years) underwent assessment of non‐invasive tear break up time (NIBUT), fluorescein tear break up time (FBUT) and completed the Ocular Comfort Index (OCI) questionnaire. Non‐stimulated tears were collected from the inferior tear meniscus with a glass capillary. Samples of 1.5 μL were air dried, observed by light microscopy and the TF pattern quantified according to Rolando’s grading scale. Significantly higher grades of TF pattern and discomfort (higher OCI scores) were observed in CL wearers compared to NCL wearers (Mann–Whitney U‐test; p < 0.005 and p < 0.05 respectively). Differences in tear film stability were not significant between groups. Even when asymptomatic (low OCI scores) CL and NCL subjects were compared, TF remained significantly different (p < 0.005). In both CL and NCL subjects, TF displayed poor correlation with tear film stability tests and OCI scores. Higher TF grades in CL wearers, even if asymptomatic, indicate an unfavourable ratio of salt to macromolecule concentration within the tear film of such subjects. The lack of significant difference in TF between symptomatic CL and NCL wearers could suggest similar aetiology (tear film hyperosmolarity) in each cohort. The TF technique demonstrates limited sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of ocular surface comfort in both CL and NCL wearers.
Diagnostic accuracy and variability of autorefraction by the Tracey Visual Function Analyzer and the Shin‐Nippon NVision‐K 5001 in relation to subjective refraction
Authors: Cleary G. , Spalton D. J. , Patel P. M. , Lin P.‐F. , Marshall J.
Published: February 2009

Purpose:  To determine the accuracy of distance autorefractions obtained by two ‘open field’ devices, the Tracey Visual Function Analyzer and the Shin‐Nippon NVision‐K 5001, by comparison with subjective refraction.

Methods:  Both eyes of 50 healthy phakic participants underwent subjective refraction. Autorefractions were then performed on undilated pupils using the Tracey and a modified Shin‐Nippon autorefractor and these were repeated within 50 days. Agreement with subjective refraction was calculated for sphere, mean spherical equivalent (MSE) and cylindrical vectors J0 and J45. Intratest and intertest variability were also evaluated.

Results:  The mean age of the participants was 37.4 years. Subjective refraction MSE ranged from −6.25 D to +3.62 D, mean −0.49 D ± 1.79 D. Bias between subjective refraction and Tracey was −0.001 D, +0.045 D, +0.017 D, and −0.015 D for sphere, MSE, J0 and J45 respectively; these were not significant. Bias between subjective refraction and Shin‐Nippon was +0.004 D, +0.033 D, +0.106 D, and −0.021 D; only the J0 vector was significantly different (p < 0.0001) although this difference was small. Intratest variability for Tracey was low, measured at 0.189 D for sphere and 0.178 for MSE, and for the Shin‐Nippon 0.099 D and 0.086 D respectively. Tracey intertest variability revealed small, statistically significant bias for sphere and MSE (+0.071 D and +0.070 D, p = 0.011, 0.013). Shin‐Nippon reproducibility showed no significant bias.

Conclusions:  Autorefraction measurements captured by both the Tracey and Shin‐Nippon devices agree well with subjective refraction. The Shin‐Nippon shows lower intratest variability.