bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seven Days to Noon: containing the atomic threat
Authors: SEED DAVID
Published: January 2013

The 1950 Boulting Brothers film Seven Days to Noon is one of the earliest British films to engage with the atomic bomb and uses a number of strategies to contain the public fears of the super-weapon. When an atomic scientist steals one such device and threatens to detonate it in central London, an elaborate but efficient security system swings into action. Drawing on the imagery and practices of civil defence during the Second World War, central London is evacuated while the army hunts down the scientist, who is presented as undergoing a psychological crisis as a result of his work. Although he is finally located and the bomb disarmed, the film only achieves its reassuring message by suppressing the Communist threat from within (which would become the subject of Roy Boulting's 1951 film High Treason) and from abroad, which differentiates Seven Days from comparable American films of the period. Presenting an idealized version of Londoners' stoicism, the film actually shows the disproportion between the specifics of daily life in the city and the massive destruction the new weapon could wreak. The acquiescence of Londoners in their orderly evacuation is only possible because of their virtually total ignorance of the true nature of the bomb.
Protect/Protest: British nuclear fiction of the 1980s
Authors: CORDLE DANIEL
Published: January 2013

Analyses of nuclear fiction have tended to focus on the literature of the United States, particularly that of the 1950s. This article not only switches attention to British literature, but makes the case for the 1980s as a nuclear decade, arguing that the late Cold War context, especially renewed fears of global conflict, produced a distinctive nuclear literature and culture. Taking its cue from E.P. Thompson's rewriting of the British government's civil-defence slogan, ‘Protect and Survive’, as ‘Protest and Survive’, it identifies a series of issues – gender and the family, the environment and socio-economic organization – through which competing nuclear discourses can be read. In particular, it argues, British fiction of this period functions by undercutting the idea that protection is possible. Hence, although few nuclear texts advocate particular policy positions, they are characterized by a politics of vulnerability. Proposing for the first time the existence of a distinctive 1980s nuclear culture, it seeks to suggest the broad parameters within which further research might take place.
‘Wind turbine syndrome’: fact or fiction?
Authors: Farboud A , Crunkhorn R , Trinidade A
Published: January 2013

Objective:

Symptoms, including tinnitus, ear pain and vertigo, have been reported following exposure to wind turbine noise. This review addresses the effects of infrasound and low frequency noise and questions the existence of ‘wind turbine syndrome’.

Design:

This review is based on a search for articles published within the last 10 years, conducted using the PubMed database and Google Scholar search engine, which included in their title or abstract the terms ‘wind turbine’, ‘infrasound’ or ‘low frequency noise’.

Results:

There is evidence that infrasound has a physiological effect on the ear. Until this effect is fully understood, it is impossible to conclude that wind turbine noise does not cause any of the symptoms described. However, many believe that these symptoms are related largely to the stress caused by unwanted noise exposure.

Conclusion:

There is some evidence of symptoms in patients exposed to wind turbine noise. The effects of infrasound require further investigation.
Empirical evidence for laryngeal features: Aspirating vs. true voice languages
Authors: BECKMAN JILL , JESSEN MICHAEL , RINGEN CATHERINE
Published: January 2013

It is well known that German utterance-initial lenis stops are voiceless but that German intervocalic (or intersonorant) lenis stops are sometimes produced with voicing. This variable voicing can be understood aspassive voicing, voicing that results because of the voiced context, rather than fromactive voicinggestures by speakers. Thus, speakers are not actively aiming to voice intervocalic stops, just as they are not actively aiming to voice utterance-initial stops (Jessen & Ringen 2002, Jessen 2004). If this is correct, the variable voicing that occurs in aspirating languages should be different from the voicing that occurs in true voice languages (such as Russian), in which speakers are actively aiming to voice both initial and intervocalic lenis stops. Since there is little data on the relative amount of intervocalic voicing in true voice languages, however, it has been difficult to evaluate this prediction. The purpose of this paper is to compare data on the voicing of intervocalic stops in German and English with data on the voicing of intervocalic stops in true voice languages. We find that the differences are substantial, supporting the claim that aspirating languages are not like true voice languages, in which the feature of contrast is [voice].
Plasma radiation for atmospheric entry at Titan: Emission spectroscopy measurements and numerical rebuilding
Authors: SOBBIA R. , LEYLAND P. , BABOU Y. , POTTER D. , MARRAFFA L.
Published: January 2013

Emission spectroscopy measurements on a plasma representative of Titan atmosphere composition were obtained in the Inductively Coupled Plasma wind tunnel facility (VKI-Minitorch) at the von Karman Institute in Belgium. Temperatures ranged from 3600 to 5000 K, pressure was fixed at 300 mbar, and the molar composition was 1.9% CH4 and 98.1% N2. The high-pressure plasma was produced to obtain conditions close to equilibrium. In conjunction, line-by-line calculations have been carried out to assess the reliability of two distinct sets of molecular electronic transition moments, recently released, by predicting the radiative signature of high-temperature N2–CH4 plasma. The radiative transfer problem was solved by considering the plasma plume at local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions in an axisymmetric configuration. Comparisons between the synthetic and experimental spectra demonstrated good agreement for the CN Violet and high-wavelength CN Red bands, while some discrepancies were observed for the C2 Swan bands and low-wavelength CN Red bands.
Food additives and preschool children
Authors: Martyn Danika M. , McNulty Breige A. , Nugent Anne P. , Gibney Michael J.
Published: January 2013

Food additives have been used throughout history to perform specific functions in foods. A comprehensive framework of legislation is in place within Europe to control the use of additives in the food supply and ensure they pose no risk to human health. Further to this, exposure assessments are regularly carried out to monitor population intakes and verify that intakes are not above acceptable levels (acceptable daily intakes). Young children may have a higher dietary exposure to chemicals than adults due to a combination of rapid growth rates and distinct food intake patterns. For this reason, exposure assessments are particularly important in this age group. The paper will review the use of additives and exposure assessment methods and examine factors that affect dietary exposure by young children. One of the most widely investigated unfavourable health effects associated with food additive intake in preschool-aged children are suggested adverse behavioural effects. Research that has examined this relationship has reported a variety of responses, with many noting an increase in hyperactivity as reported by parents but not when assessed using objective examiners. This review has examined the experimental approaches used in such studies and suggests that efforts are needed to standardise objective methods of measuring behaviour in preschool children. Further to this, a more holistic approach to examining food additive intakes by preschool children is advisable, where overall exposure is considered rather than focusing solely on behavioural effects and possibly examining intakes of food additives other than food colours.
Food sustainability: problems, perspectives and solutions
Authors: Garnett Tara
Published: January 2013

The global food system makes a significant contribution to climate changing greenhouse gas emissions with all stages in the supply chain, from agricultural production through processing, distribution, retailing, home food preparation and waste, playing a part. It also gives rise to other major environmental impacts, including biodiversity loss and water extraction and pollution. Policy makers are increasingly aware of the need to address these concerns, but at the same time they are faced with a growing burden of food security and nutrition-related problems, and tasked with ensuring that there is enough food to meet the needs of a growing global population. In short, more people need to be fed better, with less environmental impact. How might this be achieved? Broadly, three main ‘takes’ or perspectives, on the issues and their interactions, appear to be emerging. Depending on one's view point, the problem can be conceptualised as a production challenge, in which case there is a need to change how food is produced by improving the unit efficiency of food production; a consumption challenge, which requires changes to the dietary drivers that determine food production; or a socio-economic challenge, which requires changes in how the food system is governed. This paper considers these perspectives in turn, their implications for nutrition and climate change, and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, an argument is made for a reorientation of policy thinking which uses the insights provided by all three perspectives, rather than, as is the situation today, privileging one over the other.
Behavioral activation system moderates self-referent processing following recovery from depression
Authors: Kircanski K. , Mazur H. , Gotlib I. H.
Published: January 2013

Background

Previous research has implicated the behavioral activation system (BAS) in depression. The relationship of BAS functioning to aspects of cognitive vulnerability to depression, however, is not known.

Method

The present study investigated associations among level of BAS functioning and the encoding and recall of positive and negative self-referent information in currently non-depressed participants with a history of recurrent major depression (recovered; RMD) and in never-depressed control participants (CTL). Participants completed self-report measures of levels of BAS and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) functioning. Following a negative mood induction, participants were presented with a series of positive and negative adjectives; they indicated which words described them and later recalled as many of the words as they were able.

Results

The relationship of BAS functioning to self-referent processing was dependent on participant group. Although lower BAS reward responsivity was associated with the endorsement and recall of fewer positive words across groups, the magnitude of these associations was stronger, and was only significant, within the RMD group. Furthermore, only for RMD participants was lower BAS reward responsivity associated with the endorsement of more negative words. These effects were not accounted for by depressive or anxiety symptoms, current mood, or level of BIS functioning.

Conclusions

These results indicate that BAS functioning may be distinctively linked to negatively biased self-referent processing, one facet of cognitive vulnerability to depression, in individuals with a history of major depressive disorder. Enhancing BAS functioning may be important in buffering cognitive vulnerability to depression.
The Fragmented Welfare State: Explaining Local Variations in Services for Older People
Authors: JENSEN PER H. , LOLLE HENRIK
Published: January 2013

Much research focusing on the welfare state is based on the assumption that welfare regimes are homogenous entities. This idea is supported by studies analysing cash benefits. In the area of welfare services, however, local governments in most countries have some autonomy regarding policy formation as well as the design and implementation of policies. In practice, substantial local differences exist with regard to the provision of welfare services, which in turn challenge our conception of nation-wide homogenous welfare state regimes. This paper examines the factors causing marked differences in local government spending in the provision of care for older people in Denmark. The conclusion is that the wealth of the municipality, local demographics and privatisation can explain about 48 per cent of the differences in local government spending. Political factors such as the ‘colour’ of local government have no explanatory power, while a high percentage of women in municipal councils appears to have a slightly negative effect on spending.
Management of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas: permitting, visitation and information exchange practices
Authors: Pertierra L.R. , Hughes K.A.
Published: January 2013

Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) represent the highest level of area protection within the Antarctic Treaty area. To reduce environmental impacts, ASPA visitors must comply with the Area's management plan and receive an entry permit from an appropriate national authority. Parties to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty are obliged to exchange information on: i) the number of permits allocated for the forthcoming season, and ii) the number of visits to ASPAs during the previous season. We assessed the effectiveness of current permitting and information exchange practices by examining ASPA visitation data supplied to the Antarctic Treaty System's Electronic Information Exchange System during 2008/09–2010/11. We found that Parties have interpreted and implemented the protected area legislation inconsistently. Furthermore, some Parties did not fulfil their obligations under the Protocol by failing to provide full information on ASPA visitation. Estimations suggested that the level of ASPA visitation varied with ASPA location and the main value being protected. However, without full disclosure by Parties, ASPA visitation data is of limited use for informing general and ASPA-specific environmental management practices. Improved provision and formal interpretation of ASPA visitation data are recommended to enable more co-ordinated and effective management of activities within ASPAs.
Lessons Learned from the Aeromedical Disaster Relief Activities Following the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Matsumoto Hisashi , Motomura Tomokazu , Hara Yoshiaki , Masuda Yukiko , Mashiko Kunihiro , Yokota Hiroyuki , Koido Yuichi
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Since 2001, a Japanese national project has developed a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) system (“doctor-helicopter”) and a central Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) composed of mobile and trained medical teams for rapid deployment during the response phase of a disaster.

Problem

In Japan, the DMAT Research Group has focused on command and control of doctor-helicopters in future disasters. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of such planning, as well as the problems encountered in deploying the doctor-helicopter fleet with DMAT members following the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Methods

This study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of aeromedical disaster relief activities following the Great East Japan Earthquake and to evaluate the assembly and operations of 15 doctor-helicopter teams dispatched for patient evacuation with medical support.

Results

Fifteen DMATs from across Japan were deployed from March 11th through March 13th to work out of two doctor-helicopter base hospitals. The dispatch center at each base hospital directed its own doctor-helicopter fleet under the command of DMAT headquarters to transport seriously injured or ill patients out of hospitals located in the disaster area. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams transported 149 patients using the doctor-helicopters during the first five days after the earthquake. The experiences and problems encountered point to the need for DMATs to maintain direct control over 1) communication between DMAT headquarters and dispatch centers; 2) information management concerning patient transportation; and 3) operation of the doctor-helicopter fleet during relief activities. As there is no rule of prioritization for doctor-helicopters to refuel ahead of other rotorcraft, many doctor-helicopters had to wait in line to refuel.

Conclusion

The “doctor-helicopter fleet” concept was vital to Japan's disaster medical assistance and rescue activities. The smooth and immediate dispatch of the doctor-helicopter fleet must occur under the direct control of the DMAT, independent from local government authority. Such a command and control system for dispatching the doctor-helicopter fleet is strongly recommended, and collaboration with local government authorities concerning refueling priority should be addressed.

MatsumotoH,MotomuraT,HaraY,MasudaY,MashikoK,YokotaH,KoidoY.Lessons learned from the aeromedical disaster relief activities during the Great East Japan Earthquake.Prehosp Disaster Med.2013;28(2):1-4.
WILLIAM NASSAU SENIOR AND DAVID RICARDO ON THE METHOD OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
Authors: DEPOORTÈRE CHRISTOPHE
Published: January 2013

This paper reconsiders the supposed agreement of David Ricardo and William Nassau Senior on the question of the method of political economy. The first part shows that Senior was very critical about Ricardo’s approach to economic phenomena and considered that this question of method had important consequences on theoretical points. The second part analyzes the way Ricardo was dealing with economics. It shows that though Senior was right in considering that their respective methods were different and led to important analytical divergences, he nevertheless misunderstood Ricardo’s method with a hypothetico-deductive one. The consequence is that Senior’s criticisms on Ricardo’s theories of rent, natural wages, and of the tendencies of agricultural returns to decrease and of profit to fall are ill-founded, being based on a misunderstanding of the way they were established.
THE MARXIAN WAGE THEORY AGAINST THE “ABSOLUTE IMMIZERATION” DOCTRINE
Authors: BARONIAN LAURENT
Published: January 2013

This paper provides a refutation of the “absolute immizeration” doctrine that S. Hollander attributes to Marx, by emphasizing the Marxian original categories and laws of capitalist production in order to base Marx’s opposition to this doctrine on his more profound opposition to Classics about the law of supply and demand for labor.

The paper proceeds as follows: first, it is shown that the Marxian subsistence wage does not exclude population growth. Second, the analysis of surplus population will reveal how it is not only a condition of the business cycle, but also one of its immediate results. In this sense, the so-called theory of dual labor force, which Hollander uses to discard the role of surplus population in the decreasing real-wage trend, proves a misunderstanding of the origin and nature of the industrial reserve army.

From the labor demand side, on the other hand, the endogeneity of technical progress precludes any “ongoing process” of increasing organic composition of capital. Finally, it will appear that categories of labor power, wages defined as the value of labor power, or laws such as decreasing necessary labor and increasing surplus labor, allow Marx to develop a law of supply and demand for labor partly unrelated to the number of workers and the evolution of population growth, which necessarily rules out any birth-rate control policy.
Food and nutrition insecurity: a marker of vulnerability to asthma symptoms
Authors: Ribeiro-Silva Rita de Cássia , Oliveira-Assis Ana Marlúcia , Junqueira Samuel Badaró , Fiaccone Rosemeire Leovigildo , dos Santos Sandra Maria Chaves , Barreto Maurício Lima , de Jesus Pinto Elizabete , da Silva Luce Alves , Rodrigues Laura Cunha , Alcantara-Neves Neuza Maria
Published: January 2013

Objective

To evaluate the association between food and nutrition insecurity and asthma in children from Latin America.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, north-eastern Brazil.

Subjects

The study included 1307 children aged 6–12 years from public elementary schools. Asthma symptoms were collected using a questionnaire that was translated and adapted from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, phase III. The diagnosis of asthma was determined based on reports of wheezing in the previous 12 months. The Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale was used to identify food insecurity. We also obtained demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric information for each participant. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations of interest.

Results

Of the children surveyed, 10·4 % had a history of wheezing and 64·5 % had some degree of food and nutrition insecurity. We found a positive dose–response relationship and statistically significant associations of asthma with moderate (OR = 1·71, 95 % CI 1·01, 2·89) and severe (OR = 2·51, 95 % CI 1·28, 4·93) food and nutrition insecurity.

Conclusions

The results show that moderate and severe food and nutrition insecurity are markers of vulnerability to wheezing. It is important to note that the results of studies in this field have potential implications for social policies that promote food security. Further studies to identify the mechanisms involved in the relationship between food and nutrition insecurity and asthma are needed.
India's Ecocity? Environment, Urbanisation, and Mobility in the Making of Lavasa
Authors: Datta Ayona
Published: January 2013

In a context of rapid urbanisation in the Global South the potential of ecocities to provide sustainable development is hotly debated within academic and policy circles. This paper will contribute to this debate by referring to Lavasa, India's largest planned ‘hill city’, a fifth of the size of Mumbai. Mentioned in the influential McKinsey report as an emerging global city, Lavasa, the first ‘sustainable’ city developed in the Mumbai—Pune region, attempts to deal with urbanisation, environment, and migration in very particular ways. Yet, it has been riddled with controversies since its inception, and construction has been interrupted by the courts a number of times for alleged environmental violations. Using Lavasa as an example, I will examine the rise and rise of ecocities in India through their legal and policy context. I will argue that future ecocities in India run the danger of prioritising economic development over environmental sustainability in the absence of strong legal enforcement and monitoring of environmental performance. I conclude that strong environmental policy framing and regulation are crucial in this context if new planned cities in India are to have any potential in addressing the challenges of rapid urbanisation and sustainable development.
Migration as Adaptation? Exploring the Scope for Coordinating Environmental and Migration Policies in the European Union
Authors: Geddes Andrew , Jordan Andrew
Published: January 2013

We explore the links between environmental change, human migration, and adaptation in the relatively mature governance system of the European Union (EU). It is shown that these connections are limited and, when made, tend to be security focused. This situation inhibits scope for migration (both internally within states and internationally between states) to be understood as a form of adaptation to economic, social, political, demographic, and environmental change. We assess the underlying dynamics of EU environmental policy, note the main modes and instruments used, and identify some of the chief dynamics in this policy field. Finally, conclusions are drawn with respect to how, in future, the EU might interact with nonmember states on environment and migration-related issues.
Human Migration and Displacement in the Context of Adaptation to Climate Change: The Cancun Adaptation Framework and Potential for Future Action
Authors: Warner Koko
Published: January 2013

The first-time-ever agreed-upon text on migration, displacement, and planned relocation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate negotiations process was informed by recent empirical research, and will shape how human mobility is dealt with under adaptation. Migration, displacement, and planned relocation feature in the text of the Cancun Adaptation Framework as technical cooperation issues which highlight activities that help to guide adaptation funding. Human mobility in the UNFCCC context is distinct from other policy fora—like international protocols and expanding mandates of existing frameworks such as the 1951 Geneva Convention. Operationally oriented solutions and discussions are moving forward in a UNFCCC process through the Cancun Adaptation Framework [paragraph 14(f)], the Climate Finance and the Adaptation Committee, and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation's Work Program on Loss and Damage. These and other policy processes catalyze nationally and regionally driven work on the topics of migration, displacement, and planned relocation in the context of climate change.
Genotypic variability in the response to elevated CO2 of wheat lines differing in adaptive traits
Authors: Bourgault Maryse , Dreccer M. Fernanda , James Andrew T. , Chapman Scott C.
Published: January 2013

Atmospheric CO2 levels have increased from ~280 ppm in the pre-industrial era to 391 ppm in 2012. High CO2 concentrations stimulate photosynthesis in C3 plants such as wheat, but large variations have been reported in the literature in the response of yield and other traits to elevated CO2 (eCO2). Few studies have investigated genotypic variation within a species to address issues related to breeding for specific adaptation to eCO2. The objective of this study was to determine the response to eCO2 of 20 wheat lines which were chosen for their contrasting expression in tillering propensity, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) accumulation in the stem, early vigour and transpiration efficiency. Experiments were performed in control environment chambers and in a glasshouse with CO2 levels controlled at either 420 ppm (local ambient) or 700 ppm (elevated). The results showed no indication of a differential response to eCO2 for any of these lines and adaptive traits were expressed in a consistent manner in ambient and elevated CO2 environments. This implies that for these traits, breeders could expect consistent rankings in the future, assuming these results are validated under field conditions. Additional climate change impacts related to drought and high temperature are also expected to interact with these traits such that genotype rankings may differ from the unstressed condition.
Describing N leaching from urine patches deposited at different times of the year with a transfer function
Authors: Cichota R. , Snow V. O. , Vogeler I. , Wheeler D. M. , Shepherd M. A.
Published: January 2013

A transfer function (TF) was developed to assist with the estimation of nitrogen (N) leaching from urine-affected areas in grazed pastures. The proposed TF uses a simple function to describe the likely breakthrough curve for urine-N deposited in different months and in various climates and soils in New Zealand. The TF was designed to be integrated into the OVERSEER® Nutrient budgets model to increase the sensitivity of N leaching to the month of urine deposition, but could also be used in any other model that estimates the water balance and plant N uptake on a monthly basis. The inputs required for the TF are typically readily accessible (e.g. soil texture data) and thus do not add any significant complications when added to OVERSEER. The TF retains OVERSEER as the arbitrator of the main items of N-balance in the farm system, but adds functionality by giving a better temporal discrimination of leaching from the farm system. The procedure for parameterising the TF from a comprehensive set of APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) simulations is described. Validation of the leaching estimated by the TF was achieved through a combination of testing against an independent set of APSIM simulations and testing against experimental data. The testing of the TF showed very promising performance. The TF explained 75% of the variability of N leaching simulated by an independent APSIM dataset and agreed well with the experimental data.
The Experiencing Questionnaire
Authors: Kuiken Don , Campbell Paul , Sopčák Paul
Published: January 2013

The Experiencing Questionnaire (EQ) is a 58-item instrument recently developed to assess some relatively uncommon but theoretically significant types of reading experience. Derived from the phenomenological conception of “experiencing,” it promises psychometrically sound access to the generative and self-altering aspects of literary reading. Results of preliminary studies indicate that EQ scales are reliable, that profiles of EQ scales differentiate theoretically relevant orientations toward literary reading (e.g., objective engagement, subjective engagement, secular enactive engagement, spiritual enactive engagement), and that the interactive combination of selected EQ scales reflects apex moments (sublime disquietude, sublime enthrallment) during literary reading.
An Emerging Female Readership of Print in Sixteenth-Century France? Pierre de Changy's Translation of the
De institutione feminae Christianae
by Juan Luis Vives
Authors: Bromilow Pollie
Published: January 2013

This article explores the role of adaptive translations into the vernacular, title pages, prefatory material, format, and representations of reading as indicators of an emerging female readership of print in sixteenth-century France. The example of the
Institution de la femme chrestienne
demonstrates the role of translation in broadening the readership of an established humanist conduct book by Juan Luis Vives to include women who, according to the translator Pierre de Changy, often lacked the knowledge of Latin to read the work in its original language. Changy highlights the new and wider appeal of the text beyond court circles by dedicating the translation to his daughter Marguerite and emphasizing its suitability for her female friends and relatives. Spaces of reading are strongly gendered: whereas male readers and owners might keep their books in a
librairie
or
cabinet
, reading by women is characterized by its lack of physical location. Women's need for portable books is also reflected in the small formats in which the
Institution de la femme chrestienne
was printed. A key text in the reception of Vives in the sixteenth century, this translation anticipated the emerging demand for vernacular print from women outside the nobility and the convent.
Substituted 4-alkoxy-7-Cl-quinolines exhibiting π–π stacking
Authors: Gomes Ligia R. , Low John Nicolson , Wardell James L. , Cardoso Laura N. de F. , De Souza Marcus V. N.
Published: January 2013

The molecules of 4-allyloxy-7-chloroquinoline, C12H10ClNO, (I), 7-chloro-4-methoxyquinoline, C10H8ClNO, (II), and 7-chloro-4-ethoxyquinoline, C11H10ClNO, (III), are all planar. In all three structures, π–π interactions between the quinoline ring systems are generated by unit-cell translations along theaaxes, irrespective of space group. These structures are the first reported for 4-alkoxyquinolines.
Relationship between gastrointestinal tolerance and exopolysaccharide production of propionibacteria strains under different pH and bile conditions
Authors: Darilmaz Derya Onal
Published: January 2013

In this study, we report the effects of exposure to simulated gastric and intestinal juices on the survival of six strains of dairy propionibacteria. Gastrointestinal tolerance of propionibacteria strains was highly variable, depending on the strain and pH (P < 0.05). Exopolysaccharides (EPS) production of six propionibacteria strains under different pH conditions and bile concentrations was also studied. A positive correlation was obtained between the EPS production quantity of the strains and tolerance to simulated gastric juices at pH 2.0, 3.0 (P < 0.05). This investigation showed that high EPS production may be important in the selection of probiotic strains for resistance to upper gastrointestinal system conditions.
Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Teklewold Hailemariam , Kassie Menale , Shiferaw Bekele
Published: January 2013

The adoption and diffusion of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) has become an important issue in the development‐policy agenda for sub‐Saharan Africa, especially as a way to tackle land degradation, low agricultural productivity and poverty. However, the adoption rates of SAPs remain below expected levels. This study analyses the factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of adoption of interrelated SAPs, using recent data from multiple plot‐level observations in rural Ethiopia. Multivariate and ordered probit models are applied to the modelling of adoption decisions by farm households facing multiple SAPs, which can be adopted in various combinations. The results show that there is a significant correlation between SAPs, suggesting that adoptions of SAPs are interrelated. The analysis further shows that both the probability and the extent of adoption of SAPs are influenced by many factors: a household’s trust in government support, credit constraints, spouse education, rainfall and plot‐level disturbances, household wealth, social capital and networks, labour availability, plot and market access. These results imply that policy‐makers and development practitioners should seek to strengthen local institutions and service providers, maintain or increase household asset bases and establish and strengthen social protection schemes in order to improve the adoption of SAPs.
Confocal laser endomicroscopy for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer in vivo
Authors: Liu Chao , Li Chang Qing , Zuo Xiu Li , Ji Rui , Xie Xiang Jun , Yang Yun Sheng , Li Yan Qing
Published: January 2013

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) for the in vivo diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) compared with conventional histology.

Methods

Consecutive patients who had undergone CLE examination for screening or surveillance colonoscopy were recruited. Suspected malignant lesions and adjacent mucosal sites were first examined by confocal imaging and then biopsied specimens of these sites were obtained. The confocal images were independently interpreted by two endoscopists. The diagnosis made with CLE was compared with the conventional histological diagnosis in a prospective and blinded fashion.

Results

In total, 71 patients with suspected malignant lesions were included in the study. A total of 74 lesions and 92 adjacent mucosal sites were observed. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CLE in diagnosing CRC were 97.1%, 99.0% and 98.2% for endoscopist A, and 98.6%, 96.9% and 97.6% for endoscopist B, respectively. The interobserver agreement between the two endoscopists was excellent (κ = 0.950). The accuracy of diagnosing poorly differentiated CRC using CLE was 97.0% for endoscopist A and 95.6% for endoscopist B.

Conclusion

CLE has the potential to enable an immediate diagnosis of CRC and the degree of differentiation of CRC during ongoing endoscopy in vivo.
Integrative modelling of pH‐dependent enzyme activity and transcriptomic regulation of the acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation of Clostridium acetobutylicum in continuous culture
Authors: Millat Thomas , Janssen Holger , Bahl Hubert , Fischer Ralf‐Jörg , Wolkenhauer Olaf
Published: January 2013

In a continuous culture under phosphate limitation the metabolism of Clostridium acetobutylicum depends on the external pH level. By comparing seven steady‐state conditions between pH 5.7 and pH 4.5 we show that the switch from acidogenesis to solventogenesis occurs between pH 5.3 and pH 5.0 with an intermediate state at pH 5.1. Here, an integrative study is presented investigating how a changing external pH level affects the clostridial acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation pathway. This is of particular interest as the biotechnological production of n‐butanol as biofuel has recently returned into the focus of industrial applications. One prerequisite is the furthering of the knowledge of the factors determining the solvent production and their integrative regulations. We have mathematically analysed the influence of pH‐dependent specific enzyme activities of branch points of the metabolism on the product formation. This kinetic regulation was compared with transcriptomic regulation regarding gene transcription and the proteomic profile. Furthermore, both regulatory mechanisms were combined yielding a detailed projection of their individual and joint effects on the product formation. The resulting model represents an important platform for future developments of industrial butanol production based on C. acetobutylicum.
Bacterial, archaeal and viral‐like rhodopsins from the Red Sea
Authors: Philosof Alon , Béjà Oded
Published: January 2013

The Gulf of Aqaba, extending north to the Red Sea, is an oligotrophic basin with typical open ocean gyre characteristics. Here we report on the existence of diverse microbial rhodopsins in the Gulf of Aqaba, based on 454‐pyrosequencing‐generated metagenome and metatranscriptome data sets, obtained from the microbial fraction smaller than 1.6 μm. Bacterial SAR11, SAR86 and archaeal proteorhodopsins as well as viral‐like rhodopsins were detected on the DNA level. On the RNA level, only SAR11 and SAR86 proteorhodopsin transcripts were detected. Our results add to the growing evidence that microbial rhodopsins are a diverse, abundant and widespread protein family.
From ecological pessimism to conservation chance: reviving living dead in changing landscapes
Authors: Soga M. , Yamaura Y. , Koike S.
Published: January 2013

Read the Feature Paper: Mapping the potential extinction debt of butterflies in a modern city: implications for conservation priorities in urban landscapes

Commentaries on this Feature Paper: Extinction debt at different spatial scales; Setting conservation priorities when what you see is not what you get
The Ventriculophasic Response: Relationship to Sinus Arrhythmia and the Duration of Interposed QRS Complexes
Authors: Dadu Razvan T. , McPherson Craig A.
Published: January 2013

Background

The ventriculophasic response (VR) refers to shortening of sinus cycle length during heart block when a QRS complex is interposed between 2 P waves. Our purpose was to analyze its relationship to respiratory sinus arrhythmia (SA) and to compare VR in relation to paced versus intrinsic QRS complexes.

Methods

Patients with advanced heart block had their pacer devices temporarily programmed to ventricular inhibited mode at 30 ppm. In 35 subjects, we analyzed VR and SA before, during and after 3 cycles of deep breathing. In 16 other patients we compared VR in the presence of paced versus narrower intrinsic QRS complexes.

Results

The magnitude of P‐P interval shortening surrounding QRS complexes during inspiration correlated with SA (r = 0.36, P = 0.03). The prevalence of VR increased from 37% at baseline to 77% of subjects during deep breathing (P = 0.02). The mean P–P interval shortening was greater surrounding intrinsic QRS complexes than paced QRS complexes (3.6 ± 3.6% vs. 1.4 ± 1.1%, P = 0.02). The prevalence of VR increased from 25% during paced rhythm to 56% when intrinsic complexes were present.

Conclusion

VR, like SA, increases with deep breathing and likely reflects intact parasympathetic nervous system function. Its increase in the presence of narrower beats suggests it may reflect ventricular synchrony.
A Proposal for a 9‐Lead Electrocardiogram Recorded via the Wilson's Central Terminal
Authors: Madias John E.
Published: January 2013

The author argues that the universally employed 12‐lead standard electrocardiogram (ECG) which consists of a conglomerate of 3 bipolar limb leads, 6 quasi‐unipolar precordial leads acquired via the Wilson's central terminal (WCT), and 3 augmented limb leads recorded via the Goldberger's changing assembly of limb connections, different for each of the augmented leads, is scientifically unsuitable and can be replaced by a 9‐lead ECG format comprising the 6 precordial V1‐V6 leads and leads VR, VL, and VF, all recorded via the WCT. The reasons and the advantages of such as switch are being discussed.
Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (Sanfilippo syndrome) and misdiagnosis of idiopathic developmental delay, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Wijburg Frits A , Węgrzyn Grzegorz , Burton Barbara K , Tylki‐Szymańska Anna
Published: January 2013

Mucopolysaccharidosis III is a rare genetic disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and severe hyperactivity that does not respond to stimulants. Somatic features are relatively mild. Patients are often initially misdiagnosed as having idiopathic developmental delay, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and/or autism spectrum disorders, putting them at risk for unnecessary testing and treatments.

Conclusion

Children with developmental or speech delay, especially those with a characteristic somatic feature or behavioural abnormalities, should be screened for MPS III.
Tracing Medieval and Renaissance Alabaster Works of Art Back to Quarries: A Multi‐Isotope (Sr, S, O) Approach
Authors: Kloppmann W. , Leroux L. , Bromblet P. , Guerrot C. , Proust E. , Cooper A. H. , Worley N. , Smeds S.‐A. , Bengtsson H.
Published: January 2013

Multi‐isotope fingerprinting (sulphur, oxygen and strontium isotopes) has been tested to study the provenances of medieval and Renaissance French and Swedish alabaster works of art. Isotope signatures of historical English, French and Spanish alabaster source quarries or areas are revealed to be highly specific, with a strong intra‐group homogeneity and strong inter‐group contrasts, especially for Sr and S isotopes. The chosen combination of isotope tracers is a good basis for forensic work on alabaster provenance, allowing verification of hypotheses about historical trade routes as well as identification of fakes and their origin. The applied analytical techniques of continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF–IRMS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) only require micro‐samples in the low‐milligram range, thus minimizing the impact on the works of art.
When performance‐approach goals predict academic achievement and when they do not: A social value approach
Authors: Dompnier Benoît , Darnon Céline , Butera Fabrizio
Published: January 2013

Research on achievement goal promotion at University has shown that performance‐approach goals are perceived as a means to succeed at University (high social utility) but are not appreciated (low social desirability). We argue that such a paradox could explain why research has detected that performance‐approach goals consistently predict academic grades. First‐year psychology students answered a performance‐approach goal scale with standard, social desirability and social utility instructions. Participants' grades were recorded at the end of the semester. Results showed that the relationship between performance‐approach goals and grades was inhibited by the increase of these goals' social desirability and facilitated by the increase of their social utility, revealing that the predictive validity of performance‐approach goals depends on social value.
Exile and Diaspora in an Atypical Context: Chileans and Argentineans in the United States (1973–2005)
Authors: CALANDRA BENEDETTA
Published: January 2013

This article focuses on two groups of Southern Cone exiles' communities, Chileans and Argentineans, choosing to settle down in an atypical destination: the United States. After estimating some qualitative and quantitative findings, the article delves into the ways these communities settle down, remember their relationship with politics, maintain their connection with exiled fellow‐countrymen worldwide and perceive their national identity. By relying on an empirical, single‐case perspective, with no theoretical ambitions to extrapolate its conclusions to other contexts, this article examines the extent to which the conceptualisation of the exile and diaspora categories changes when applied to these two communities.
Coparenting Among Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Couples: Associations With Adopted Children's Outcomes
Authors: Farr Rachel H. , Patterson Charlotte J.
Published: January 2013

Coparenting is associated with child behavior in families with heterosexual parents, but less is known about coparenting among lesbian‐ and gay‐parent families. Associations were studied among self‐reported divisions of labor, coparenting observations, and child adjustment (Mage = 3 years) among 104 adoptive families headed by lesbian, gay, or heterosexual couples. Lesbian and gay couples reported sharing child care, whereas heterosexual couples reported specialization (i.e., mothers did more child care than fathers). Observations confirmed this pattern—lesbian and gay parents participated more equally than heterosexual parents during family interaction. Lesbian couples showed the most supportive and least undermining behavior, whereas gay couples showed the least supportive behavior, and heterosexual couples the most undermining behavior. Overall, supportive coparenting was associated with better child adjustment.
Per capita remuneration of dentists and the quality of dental services
Authors: Grytten Jostein , Holst Dorthe , Skau Irene
Published: January 2013

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a per capita based remuneration system on the quality of dental care.

Methods

The basis for the study was a natural experiment in the county of Østfold in Norway in which all public dental officers (n = 34) were given the opportunity to renegotiate their contract from a fixed salary to a combined per capita and fixed salary contract. Quality was assessed according to three criteria: number of preventive procedures, number of under‐diagnosed carious lesions and number of untreated carious lesions. This information was selected from a random sample of patient records for 18‐year‐olds in the autumn of 1999 (base‐line data) and at the end of 2006 (final data), altogether 20 records per dentist. At the end of the period of evaluation, 26 dentists were still eligible for inclusion in the study. The data were analysed both descriptively and using multilevel difference‐in‐difference regression models.

Results

The main finding was that the transition to a per capita remuneration system did not lead to under‐diagnosis of carious lesions, under‐treatment or less prevention.

Conclusions

A per capita remuneration scheme did not lead to a fall in the quality of dental care. This result must be assessed taking into account that the experiment was carried out within a publicly financed and managed dental service. Also, the incentive effect of the per capita contract was relatively weak.