bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal variation in density dependent body growth of a large herbivore
Authors: Mobæk Ragnhild , Mysterud Atle , Holand Øystein , Austrheim Gunnar
Published: September 2012

Temporal variation both due to density dependent and density independent processes affect performance and vital rates in large herbivores. Annual fluctuations in climate affect foraging conditions and thus body growth of large herbivores during the short growing season in alpine habitats. Also, high animal densities on summer ranges may increase competition for food and reduce body mass gain. Yet, little is known about interactive effects of density and climate on alpine summer ranges, and the time scales these processes operate on. In this fully replicated landscape‐scale experiment, we kept domestic sheep at high and low densities over nine grazing seasons in an alpine habitat, and tested the relative role of density and annual variation for lamb body mass gain during summer and whether effects of density and annual variation interacted. We found that lambs at high density gained less mass over the summer season than lambs at low density. At short time scales the density effect interacted with annual fluctuations in body growth. We documented a long‐term temporal trend in body mass, consistent with the hypothesis that grazing effects affect habitat differentially at high and low density over years. At high density lamb autumn body mass declined during the first three grazing seasons and then stabilized, whereas body mass slightly increased over years at low density. This long‐term trend suggests accumulative density dependent effects from a biomass or quality reduction, and hence delayed food competition at high density and possibly facilitation at low density. Our experiment provides new insight into how density dependent effects on performance of a large herbivore depend on temporal scale of observation.
Microvascular regulatory role and increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 in experimental gingivitis
Authors: Gyurkovics M. , Lohinai Z. , Győrfi A. , Bodor C. , Székely A. D. , Dinya E. , Rosivall L.
Published: September 2012

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible microvascular regulatory role of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) in experimental gingivitis in rats.

Background

Our previous results demonstrated that functionally active VEGFR2s are located in the venules of rat gingiva. While there is no remarkable endogenous gingival VEGF production under normal circumstances, exogenous VEGF, via VEGFR2, shows venodilatory effects. We assumed that VEGF plays an important role in vasoregulatory processes (vasodilation, increased permeability, angiogenesis) of gingival inflammation.

Methods

Gingivitis was induced by placing ligatures and composite material around and between the lower incisors of anesthetized Wistar rats next to the gingival margin. Seven days later, VEGFR2 antagonist (ZM323881), was dripped upon the labial gingiva next to the lower incisors. Diameter changes of the selected gingival venules were measured by vital microscopy. Animals with healthy gingiva served as controls. Venule diameter changes were compared to the baseline and to control groups (no ligature). Immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis for VEGFR2 were utilized.

Results

After 15, 30 and 60 min of local application of ZM323881, there was a significant venoconstriction in the inflamed gingiva compared to the baseline, while no change was recorded in controls. Endothelium, smooth muscle cells and pericytes of the gingivitis group showed increased VEGFR2 expression.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that there is an increased VEGF production in gingivitis, which may play an important role in vasodilation of rat gingival venules.
Intensification of domestic ungulate grazing delays secondary forest succession: evidence from exclosure plots
Authors: Laskurain N.A. , Aldezabal A. , Olano J.M. , Loidi J. , Escudero A.
Published: September 2012

Questions

What is the relative importance of direct herbivory compared to microsite modification in ungulate impacts on secondary forest succession? Do domestic ungulate impacts differ between small‐seeded pioneers and large‐seeded late successional species?

Location

Birch–beech secondary forest (Betula celtiberica and Fagus sylvatica), Bizkaia, Northern Spain.

Methods

We conducted a detailed spatial analysis of 216 permanent 1‐m2 subplots that were distributed among six plots, of which three were fenced (each plot was 3600‐m2) and three were unfenced (each plot was 1296‐m2). Within each subplot, the emergence and survival rates of all tree, shrub and vine species were monitored. In total, 21 censuses of the subplots were conducted across 4 yr (1998–2001). Ungulate abundance was measured by using the pellet counting method. Structural equation models were applied to model the entire recruitment process.

Results

Emergence and survival rates differed between small‐ and large‐seeded species, and the effect of domestic ungulates (primarily sheep) on these rates depended on seed traits. Sheep did not affect the emergence of large‐seeded species (e.g. beech and ivy), but did result in a decline in their survival. In contrast, the emergence of small‐seeded species (e.g. birch) was promoted through an increase in bare soil cover because of trampling by the ungulates, but no significant effect on survival was observed. Interestingly, the sheep prompted differences in the role of the understorey vegetation: the understorey composition was able to promote the survival of large‐seeded species growing in unfenced conditions by reducing the risk of herbivore predation, but had a negative effect on the survival of small‐seeded species because of low light availability under the shaded shrub canopies.

Conclusions

Our results clearly highlight that sheep can change the seedling bank structure in a secondary temperate forest, thereby affecting the dynamics and structure of forest remnants. This impact should be included as a critical driver in current predictive models of forest dynamics in temperate regions, since herbivore pressure is increasing in forests across Europe due to an increase in wild ungulate populations and livestock.
Inadequate acute hospital beds and the limits of primary care and prevention
Authors: Cunningham Paul , Sammut Jeremy
Published: September 2012

Metropolitan Australia is suffering from a serious shortage of acute hospital beds. Simplistic comparisons with the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development bed numbers are misleading because of the hybrid Australian public/private hospital system. The unavailability of most private beds for acute emergency cases and urban/rural bed imbalances have not been adequately considered. There is a lack of advocacy for acute bed availability. This attitude permeates government, health professions and the health bureaucracy. Planners, politicians, analysts and the media have adopted false hopes of reducing acute demand by prevention and primary care strategies, vital as these services are to a balanced healthcare system. This paper directly challenges the ideology that says Australia depends too heavily on hospital‐based healthcare. Rebuilding the bed base requires recognition of the need for an adequate acute hospital service and strong advocacy for bed‐based care in the medical and nursing professionals who should be driving policy. The forces opposing bed‐based care are strong and solutions might include legislative definition of bed numbers and availability.
RETHINKING PRISON LABOR: SOCIAL DISCIPLINE AND THE STATE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: LeBaron Genevieve
Published: September 2012

This article assesses prison labor regimes' role in anchoring and reinforcing market discipline during three eras of U.S. capitalism: the industrializing North, the post‐emancipation South, and neoliberalism. Synthesizing evidence from revisionist historian and political economy literatures, this article analyzes the ways in which, in addition to being a feature of particular social and economic orders, prison labor has also been deeply imbricated in the very production of those orders, particularly their racialized and class‐based social relations. It argues that although critical political economy has generally failed to incorporate prisons and prison labor into theorizations of contemporary capitalism, these have been and are increasingly vital to the functioning and reproduction of capital in the U.S. context. As such, prison labor regimes should be understood as part of a range of state strategies to aggressively impose the forms of labor and social discipline central to specific regimes of governance and accumulation.
“STILL DOIN' TIME:” CLAMORING FOR WORK IN THE DAY LABOR INDUSTRY
Authors: Purser Gretchen
Published: September 2012

An extensive body of research has documented the barriers faced by ex‐offenders in the labor market. This article presents an ethnographic case study of an industry that actively recruits and makes profitable use of this stigmatized, yet abundantly pliable and easily exploitable, source of labor. In so doing, this article focuses on the qualitative character, as opposed to the quantitative (in)accessibility, of jobs available to the more than half of a million convicts streaming out of prison each year. Drawing upon extensive interviews and participant observation in the day labor agencies of Oakland and Baltimore—where poor, predominantly African‐American and formerly incarcerated men clamor for a day's work—the article documents day laborers' experience of this precarious employment relationship as a kind of extended incarceration and enduring form of punishment, one that traps them in a forever liminal status. This study highlights the extraordinary vulnerability of formerly incarcerated workers and deepens our understanding of the interface between hyperincarceration and the restructuring of urban labor markets.
Dielectric Properties and Low‐Temperature Sintering of the Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 Ceramics with B2O3/CuO Additions
Authors: Jiang Hai Tao , Zhai Ji Wei , Zhang Jing Ji , Yao Xi
Published: September 2012

The sintering behaviors and dielectric properties of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramics were investigated as a function of B2O3 and CuO content. The addition of both B2O3 and CuO reduced the sintering temperature of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 about 500°C. It was suggested that a liquid phase BaCu(B2O5) was formed and assisted the densification of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramics. Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramics co‐doped with 3.0 mol% B2O3, and 2.0 mol% CuO, sintered at 950°C for 5 h, had a dense microstructure and showed good microwave dielectric properties of a moderate dielectric constant (ε = 1048), low dielectric loss (0.0090) and high tunability (42.2%) at dc electric field of 30 kV/cm.
Very long baseline interferometry detection of the Galactic black hole binary candidate MAXI J1836—194
Authors: Yang Jun , Xu Yonghua , Li Zhixuan , Paragi Zsolt , Campbell Robert M. , Gurvits Leonid I. , Shen Zhiqiang , Hong Xiaoyu , Xia Bo , Shu Fengchun
Published: September 2012

The X-ray transient MAXI J1836—194 is a newly identified Galactic black hole binary candidate. As most X-ray transients, it was discovered at the beginning of an X-ray outburst. After the initial canonical X-ray hard state, the outburst evolved into a hard intermediate state and then went back to the hard state. The existing RATAN-600 radio monitoring observations revealed that it was variable on a time-scale of days and had a flat or inverted spectrum, consistent with optically thick synchrotron emission, possibly from a self-absorbed jet in the vicinity of the central compact object. We observed the transient in the hard state near the end of the X-ray outburst with the European very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) Network (EVN) at 5 GHz and the Chinese VLBI Network (CVN) at 2.3 and 8.3 GHz. The 8.3-GHz observations were carried out at a recording rate of 2048 Mbps using the newly developed Chinese VLBI data acquisition system, twice higher than the recording rate used in the other observations. We successfully detected the low-declination source with a high confidence level in both observations. The source was unresolved (≤0.5 mas), which is in agreement with an au-scale compact jet.
Can R Coronae Borealis stars form from the merger of two helium white dwarfs?
Authors: Zhang Xianfei , Jeffery C. Simon
Published: September 2012

Due to orbital decay by gravitational wave radiation, some close binary helium white dwarfs are expected to merge within a Hubble time. The immediate merger products are believed to be He-rich subdwarf O (sdO) stars, essentially helium main-sequence stars. We present new evolution calculations for these post-merger stars beyond the core He-burning phase. The most massive He-rich sdO stars develop a strong He-burning shell and evolve to become He-rich giants. We include nucleosynthesis calculations following the merger of 0.4 M⊙ He white dwarf pairs with metallicities Z= 0.0001, 0.004, 0.008 and 0.02. The surface chemistries of the resulting giants are in partial agreement with the observed abundances of R Coronae Borealis (R CrB) and extreme He stars. Such stars might represent a third, albeit rare, evolution channel for the latter, in addition to the CO+He white dwarf merger and the very late thermal pulse channels proposed previously. We confirm a recent suggestion that Li seen in R CrB stars could form naturally during the hot phase of a merger in the presence of 3He from the donor white dwarf.
Effect of Sucrose and Halophilic Lactic Acid Bacterium Tetragenococuus halophilus on Chemical Characteristics and Microbial Proliferation during Fish Sauce Fermentation
Authors: Shozen Kei‐Ichi , Satomi Masataka , Yano Yutaka , Yoshida Mitsuhiro , Fukui Yohei , Takano Takashi , Funatsu Yasuhiro
Published: September 2012

The aim of this study was to make use of underutilized red‐flesh fishes and produce safe and high‐quality condiment, which have a low histamine level and a rich taste. Three kinds of fish sauces were produced on a small industrial scale from the deep‐sea smelt, using not only koji mold but also sucrose (S) [S sample] or halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophilus (T) [T sample] or both S and T [S plus T sample] at room temperature for 224 days. A control fish sauce (Control) was prepared using neither S nor T. In comparison with 5 log/g or more of MPN count level, the short term of histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation (approximately 30 days) and low level of histamine accumulation (<50 ppm) during fermentation were found in the S plus T sample. However, the long period of histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation (approximately 75–100 days) and high level of histamine accumulation (>1,000 ppm) during fermentation were found in the S and T samples and the Control. Moreover, free amino acid levels in the fish sauce mash at the end of fermentation were higher in S plus T sample than in the other samples.

Practical Applications

Recently, the demand for fish sauces has been increasing in Japan year after year for the purpose of efficient utilization of underutilized or non‐utilized fishes and discharge of wastes from fish processing factories. Consumers also have requested safe and secure high‐grade condiments from marine mammalian sources since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. It is clear that pH value in the fish sauce mash using both sucrose and halophilic lactic acid bacterium T. halophilus quickly declined to 4.8 at initial stage of fermentation. As a result, histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation and histamine accumulation were restrained and high levels of taste‐active components and essential amino acid of the fish sauce mash at the end of fermentation were obtained.
The Financial Crisis from the Family's Perspective: Evidence from the 2007–2009 SCF Panel*
Authors: BRICKER JESSE , BUCKS BRIAN , KENNICKELL ARTHUR , MACH TRACI , MOORE KEVIN
Published: September 2012

This paper examines changes in families' finances as captured in the 2007–2009 Survey of Consumer Finances panel. The broad contours of changes in families' assets, debts, and wealth align with changes in the corresponding aggregate measures, but the microdata from the panel highlight substantial variation in families' experiences between 2007 and 2009. Although more than 60% of families saw their wealth decline over the two‐year period, a sizable fraction experienced gains in wealth, while some families' financial situations saw little change on net. The shifts in wealth do not appear to be correlated in a simple way with families' characteristics. Instead, the patterns of mixed losses, gains, and modest shifts in wealth generally hold within groups defined by demographic characteristics or by 2007 wealth or income. On the whole, changes in wealth appear to stem from changes in asset values rather than from changes in portfolio composition or debt levels.
Obesity Prevention in Young Schoolchildren: Results of a Pilot Study
Authors: Manger William M. , Manger Lynn S. , Minno Alexander M. , Killmeyer Mike , Holzman Robert S. , Schullinger John N. , Roccella Edward J.
Published: September 2012

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity occur in 17% of children in the United States. Complications of excess weight in Americans cause 216,000 to 300,000 deaths yearly and cost $147 billion.

METHODS: A convenience sample of 14 intervention and 15 control schools in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh was used. A program to improve lifestyle (Values Initiative Teaching About Lifestyle [VITAL®]), was implemented in young children to encourage healthy eating and appropriate physical activity. Students had annual evaluations of height and weight over a 2‐year period, and teachers participating in VITAL completed questionnaires regarding the program. Changes in age‐ and sex‐adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentiles in control and intervention groups were compared using linear mixed models regression.

RESULTS:
VITAL was highly rated by teachers and was popular with children. Over the 2‐year period, adjusted mean BMI percentiles declined from 66.1 to 65.0 in control children and from 62.8 to 58.9 in intervention children. The rates of change in the 2 groups were significantly different (p = .015).

CONCLUSION:
VITAL improves lifestyle of young schoolchildren, is inexpensive, easy to implement, and should be expanded to improve health and reduce healthcare's financial burden.
A Menu for Health: Changes to New York City School Food, 2001 to 2011*
Authors: Perlman Sharon E. , Nonas Cathy , Lindstrom Lauren L. , Choe‐Castillo Julia , McKie Herman , Alberti Philip M.
Published: September 2012

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of obesity puts children at risk for chronic diseases, increases health care costs, and threatens to reduce life expectancy. As part of the response to this epidemic, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE)—the nation's largest school district—has worked to improve the appeal and nutritional quality of school food. This article highlights some of the structural and policy changes that have improved the school food environment over the past decade, with the aim to share lessons learned and provide recommendations and resources for other districts interested in making similar modifications.

METHODS: This article details changes DOE has implemented over 10 years, including revised nutrition standards for school meals and competitive foods; new school food department staffing; food reformulations, substitutions, and additions; and transitions to healthier beverages.

RESULTS: NYC's revised nutrition standards and hiring of expert staff increased availability of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low‐fat dairy and decreased sugary beverages, and foods high in saturated fats and added sugars—the major contributors to discretionary calorie intake. DOE also introduced healthier beverages: switching from high‐calorie, high‐fat whole milk to low‐fat milk and increasing access to water.

CONCLUSIONS: NYC has successfully improved the quality of its school food environment and shown that healthier food service is possible, even under budgetary constraints. Several broad factors facilitated these efforts: fostering community partnerships and inter‐agency collaboration, implementing policies and initiatives that target multiple sectors for greater impact, and working to make incremental improvements each year.
Juror Perceptions of the Legitimacy of Legal Authorities and Decision Making in Criminal Cases
Authors: Farrell Amy , Pennington Liana , Cronin Shea
Published: September 2012

Literature on trust in legal authorities and institutions demonstrates that trust affects individual behavior, yet there is little research on whether attitudes toward legal authorities such as the police or courts influence juror behavior as a third party assessing evidence and determining legal outcomes for others. Additionally, the literature on juror decision making confirms that juror race is an important predictor of juror decisions, but explanations for differences among racial groups are not clear. Since minority groups hold less favorable attitudes toward legal authorities generally, legitimacy theory may help explain racial differences in decision making among jurors. Using data from nearly 2,000 jurors in felony trials, this research utilizes multilevel modeling techniques to find that jurors' trust in legal authorities is related to juror outcomes, though the effect of juror trust and confidence in the police is opposite that of juror trust and confidence in the courts. Additionally, juror race conditions the effect of trust in police and courts. Trust is a stronger predictor of both perceptions of evidence and voting for black jurors than it is for white jurors.
Trying Something Old: The Impact of Shame Sanctioning on Drunk Driving and Alcohol-Related Traffic Safety
Authors: Porter Lauren C.
Published: September 2012

Largely absent from US criminal sentencing since the early 1800s, shame penalties have been staging a comeback. This revival has been met by a number of debates among legal scholars, one of which centers on the potential for such penalties to reduce crime. This study addresses this debate by investigating the impact of formal shaming on drunk driving and alcohol-related traffic safety in Ohio. In accordance with the Traffic Law Reform Act of 2004, judges have since been mandated to issue “restricted plates” to certain first-time and all repeat DUI offenders with limited driving privileges. Results indicate a curvilinear association between punishment levels and drunk driving. Increases in the certainty and visibility of plates are associated with decreases in suspension rates, but there is a point at which increasing the punishment level no longer retains its intended impact. In addition, levels of punishment are unrelated to alcohol-related traffic safety.
Evaluation of Thrombi‐Stat MC1 for whole blood and plasma international normalized ratio in comparison with a laboratory method
Authors: Tantanate C. , Tientadakul P.
Published: September 2012

Introduction

The precision and comparability of the international normalized ratio (INR) analyzed by the Thrombi‐Stat MC1 coagulation testing system were evaluated before using as a point‐of‐care testing.

Methods

Three levels of control materials were used for within‐run and between‐run precision study. Comparison study of INR determination from citrated whole blood (INR‐WB) and citrated plasma (INR‐PL) analyzed by the Thrombi‐Stat MC1 with those by the validated method, Sysmex® CS‐2100i (INR‐CS), was performed.

Results

The within‐run coefficient of variations (CVs) of INR by the Thrombi‐Stat MC1 were 3.60% to 4.80%. For between‐run precision, the CVs were 4.26 to 4.93%. Fifty‐four plasmas from patients receiving warfarin were included for comparability testing. There were good correlation and agreement between both INR‐WB and INR‐PL compared with INR‐CS. Eighty‐seven percent of INR‐WB and 100% of INR‐PL were within ± 0.5 units of the INR‐CS. Given that the therapeutic range was INR‐CS of 2–3, 3.7% of INR‐WB and 5.56% of INR‐PL were discordant with the INR‐CS.

Conclusion

The precision and comparability to validated method of the Thrombi‐Stat MC1 were acceptable. Either citrated whole blood or plasma may be used as samples in this system. Impact on the management of patients must be taken into consideration prior to the implementation of this system.
Oral Surgery trainees in the UK – a profiling survey
Authors: O'Connor N. , Lopes V. , Morrison A.
Published: September 2012

Aim:  A survey was carried out of the current Oral Surgery trainees in the UK to gather information on the credentials of those selected for training programmes, at the time of entry into Specialty Training.

Materials and Methods:  A web‐based questionnaire was emailed to the current Oral Surgery trainees. The questionnaire included questions on the following: demographics, undergraduate degree, postgraduate qualifications, prizes/distinctions/awards, audit, publications and presentations carried out prior to entry into Specialty Training.

Results:  A total of 24 trainees completed the web‐based questionnaire. The mean age on entry into Specialty Training was 29. The mean time period post qualification prior to acceptance onto a Specialty Training programme was 5.8 years. The majority, 91%, of trainees had completed at least 1 year as an senior house officer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. All trainees had completed audits and presentations, and 68% had publications when accepted onto an Oral Surgery training scheme.

Conclusion:  This survey demonstrates that the majority of the Oral Surgery trainees had a similar profile at the point of entry into Specialty Training. This provides a useful guide for prospective trainees, as it lays out what the recruitment team are looking for.
Wavelet regression models for predicting flood stages in rivers: a case study in Eastern India
Authors: Sahay R.R. , Sehgal V.
Published: September 2012

Combining discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and autoregression (AR), two types of wavelet regression (WR) models were developed for forecasting 1‐day‐ahead river stages. In the first type of WR models, AR was applied on the DWT‐obtained subtime series while in the second type, AR was applied on the modified time series which was formed by recombining effective subtime series and ignoring the ‘noise’ subtime series. Depending upon different input combinations, five models in each type of WR models were developed. The efficiency of developed models was tested in forecasting monsoon stages of Kosi River in Bihar State of India. During monsoon (June to Oct), the Kosi carries large flow and makes the entire North Bihar unsafe for habitation or cultivation. When compared, WR models predicted river stages with greater accuracy than AR and artificial neural network (ANN) models, developed for the purpose. Between the two types of WR models, the first type gave slightly better results than the second type. The best performing WR model, with five previous days’ subtime series as inputs, predicted stages of the Kosi River, with the highest accuracy of 97.41%, the minimum root mean square error of 7.9 cm and the maximum coefficient of correlation of 0.952.
Study of sediment transport in granular avalanches
Authors: Zhou G.G.D. , Hu K.H. , Cui P.
Published: September 2012

Understanding the characteristics and mechanics of granular avalanches along sloping channels is fundamental and vital for the study of different geophysical flows in the field. By using the discrete element method (DEM), three‐dimensional (3D) granular (mass) flows along a sloping channel are numerically modelled to study the contact behaviour between solid particles. The evolution of 3D unsteady granular flows from a quasi‐static state to an inertial flow is systematically investigated through numerical simulations. Captured velocity profiles along the flow height show variation in the flow regimes, while utilisation of the definition of the Savage number allows study of the vibration of solids inside a granular body along the sloping channels. These numerical results are compared with field measurements to observe the effect of channel confinement on the solids discharge per unit width of granular flows. This particulate study illustrates that, for unsteady granular flows, solid particles in the front head are more collision dominated, with shear rates and Savage numbers greatly enhanced. Also, the solids discharge inside a granular body is not uniformly distributed. Finally, channel width acts as a confinement to the granular debris flow, which can significantly affect sediment transport.
Socioeconomic scenarios and flood damage assessment methodologies for the Taihu Basin, China
Authors: Penning‐Rowsell E.C. , Yanyan W. , Watkinson A.R. , Jiang J. , Thorne C.
Published: September 2012

The assessment of flood risk is now widely recognised to need research and data on both the probability and the consequences of flooding; the research reported here concentrates on the latter data input. Building on the UK Foresight Future Flooding project, this paper describes the development of future scenarios through which to assess possible future flood risk in the Taihu Basin area of China. In addition, we describe the flood damage assessment model that was developed there to build on these scenarios so as to calculate anticipated risk. Acknowledged methodological limitations remain, but some important developments have resulted. First, the pre‐existing flood loss data that were available from Shanghai meant that this aspect of the risk model's input was more regionally appropriate than would otherwise have been the case. Second, the damage assessment has been related both to constructed scenarios and to an agreed National Plan, so that the two can be compared. Third, the scenario construction was linked in Taihu to the statistical base contained in the 2006 Yearbook and the Fifth National Socio‐economic Survey data, giving a sounder ‘base case’ of current flood vulnerability than used in the UK Foresight Future Flooding project. Finally, much more attention was given here to agricultural production and flood risk, given the importance of agriculture in the Chinese economy and its focus on food production for a growing population.
Analysis of flood‐reduction capacity of hydropower schemes in an Alpine catchment area by semidistributed conceptual modelling
Authors: Bieri M. , Schleiss A.J.
Published: September 2012

The simulation of run‐off in Alpine catchment areas is essential for the optimal operation of high head storage hydropower plants (HPPs) under normal flow conditions, but also in case of flood events. A conceptual semidistributed numerical approach is presented, combining hydrologic modelling and operation of hydraulic works. Spatial rainfall and temperature distributions were taken into account for simulating the dominant hydrologic processes, such as glacier melt, snowpack constitution and melt, soil infiltration and run‐off. The object‐oriented modelling tool allowed run‐off generation, simulation of the operating mode of complex HPP and its impact on the downstream river network for different scenarios. The paper briefly presents the hydrologic model and then the application for the upper Aare catchment in Switzerland, where about half of the area is operated by the Oberhasli hydropower scheme. The development, calibration and validation of the hydrologic model are discussed. Finally, the retention effect of the existing reservoirs and their management, including preventive turbine operations, on flood routing in the Aare River upstream of Lake Brienz is presented for the 2005 historical flood event.
Effect of prone versus supine positioning on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and heart rate using ECG gated Tl‐201 myocardial perfusion scans and gated cardiac blood pool scans
Authors: Yap Kenneth , Campbell Patrina , Cherk Martin , McGrath Catherine , Kalff Victor
Published: September 2012

Introduction

There is limited data on the effect of posture on LVEF. The study aim was to determine any difference in LVEF using gated cardiac blood pool scanning (GCBPS) and Tl‐201 gated myocardial perfusion scanning (MPS) in prone or supine positions.

Method

In 50 patients undergoing evaluation for varying heart conditions, automated LVEF, end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV) measurements were obtained at rest during gated MPS on Discovery NM 530c (GE Healthcare). In another 50 patients, semi‐automated LVEF measurements were obtained using GCBPS on dual‐headed gamma cameras. Average heart rate (HR) was recorded. Differences between prone and supine LVEF, HR, EDV and ESV were compared using paired two‐tailed t‐tests (P < 0.05 considered significant). Pearson's correlation, difference plots, mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval of the differences were also derived to analyse LVEF results.

Results

Using GCPBS or MPS, no significant difference in LVEF or LV volumes (from gated MPS) was demonstrated between postures. Increased HR was noted in prone positioning.

Conclusion

Posture did not affect measured LVEF or LV volumes. However HR was higher on prone imaging.
Diel cycle of methanogen mcrA transcripts in rice rhizosphere
Authors: Xu Yuan , Ma Ke , Huang Shiwen , Liu Lianmeng , Lu Yahai
Published: September 2012

Methanogens are known to inhabit not only the anaerobic bulk soil but also the rhizosphere of rice plants. The release of root exudates, a major carbon source for CH4 production in the rhizosphere, is closely coupled to plant photosynthesis. In the present study we hypothesized that the diel cycle of plant photosynthetic activity may shape the structure and function of methanogens in the rhizosphere of rice. We performed a field experiment to determine the diel dynamics of methanogen mcrA and their transcripts in the rhizosphere and bulk soil. The chemistry of NH4+, NO3−, SO42− and Fe(II) in the rice rhizosphere remained constant over a diel sampling. The mcrA copy number and their transcripts were greater in the rice rhizosphere compared with the bulk soil, indicating the enhanced activity of methanogens in the rhizosphere. The hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales in particular increased in the rhizosphere whereas Methanosarcinaceae were more abundant in the bulk soil. Both the phylogenetic affiliation and copy numbers of methanogen mcrA in the rice rhizosphere did not display diel dynamics. The mcrA transcripts, however, significantly increased in the night compared with the daytime. The diel pattern of physical factors like temperature appeared not to affect the methanogen dynamics. The response of mcrA transcripts is probably due to the plant attributes, which release less O2 from roots in the night and hence stimulate the methanogen gene transcription and activity compared with the daytime.
The association of pharmacy drug-delivery services with adherence in an urban HIV population†
Authors: Yeh Rosa F , Gupta Shailendra A , Sangani Darshan N , Sansgiry Sujit S
Published: September 2012

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of drug-distribution methods on antiretroviral medication adherence in HIV-positive patients.

Methods

This was a longitudinal, retrospective study of an independent retail pharmacy providing complementary delivery services. Patients of 18 years of age or older receiving antiretroviral therapy were evaluated from 1 January to 30 June 2004. Patients were included if they had a minimum of one prescription claim for any antiretroviral medication during the study period and received state medication assistance. Using data obtained from computerized pharmacy records a medication possession ratio was calculated to assess adherence measured by pharmacy refill history over 6 months. To assess the consistency of adherence over time a modified medication possession ratio, termed the compliance/non-compliance index (CNI) at each refill, was developed and compared between each group.

Key findings

Of the 181 patients included in the study, those who had medications delivered had significantly better adherence (90.3% compared with 82.6%, P = 0.001) and CNI value (73.5% compared with 57.9%, P = 0.001) in comparison with those who picked up their medications. After controlling for age, gender, drug class, insurance type and time and distance from the pharmacy, use of medication-delivery services was significantly associated with adherence (P < 0.0001) and CNI score (P = 0.012).

Conclusion

Complementary medication-delivery services by pharmacies significantly increased adherence at each refill for antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients. Further research is needed on how medication-distribution strategies can be implemented universally and the economic impact on cost of care to increase medication adherence in this high-risk population.
Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance in CommensalEscherichia coliwith Public Health Relevance
Authors: Kaesbohrer A. , Schroeter A. , Tenhagen B.‐A. , Alt K. , Guerra B. , Appel B.
Published: September 2012

In 2009, 1462Escherichia coliisolates were collected in a systematic resistance monitoring approach from primary production, slaughterhouses and at retail and evaluated on the basis of epidemiological cut‐off values. Besides resistance to antimicrobial classes that have been extensively used for a long time (e.g. sulphonamides and tetracyclines), resistance to (fluoro)quinolones and third‐generation cephalosporins was observed. While in the poultry production chain the majority (60%) of isolates from laying hens was susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, most isolates from broilers, chicken meat and turkey meat showed resistance to at least one (85–93%) but frequently even to several antimicrobial classes (73–84%). In the cattle and pig production chain, the share of isolates showing resistance to at least one antimicrobial was lowest (16%) in dairy cows, whereas resistance to at least one antimicrobial ranged between 43% and 73% in veal calves, veal and pork. Resistance rates to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid in isolates from broilers were 41.1% and 43.1%, respectively. Likewise, high resistance rates to (fluoro)quinolones were observed in isolates from chicken meat and turkey meat. In contrast, ciprofloxacin resistance was less frequent inE. coliisolates from the cattle and pig production chain with highest rate in veal calves (13.3%). Highest resistance rates to cephalosporins were observed in broilers and chicken meat, with 5.9% and 6.2% of the isolates showing resistance. In dairy cattle and veal, no isolates with cephalosporin resistance were detected, whereas 3.3% of the isolates from veal calves showed resistance to ceftazidime. Resistance to (fluoro)quinolones and cephalosporins inE. coliisolates is of special concern because they are critically important antimicrobials in human antimicrobial therapy. The emergence of this resistance warrants increased monitoring. Together with continuous monitoring of antimicrobial usage, management strategies should be regularly assessed and adapted.
Atypical Severe Puumala Hantavirus Infection and Virus Sequence Analysis of the Patient and Regional Reservoir Host
Authors: Eckerle I. , Jakob E. , Hofmann J. , Schmidt‐Bacher A. , Ettinger J. , Schnitzler P.
Published: September 2012

Nephropathia epidemica (NE) caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is a mild variant of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which is endemic in Germany. We describe the case of a 67‐year‐old man initially presenting with acute bilateral angle‐closure glaucoma, an atypical clinical presentation of PUUV infection. Subsequently, the patient developed a severe course of disease additionally complicated by profound hepatitis and interstitial nephritis, both phenomena which are rarely described in association with hantavirus infection. Serologic diagnosis was complicated by delayed antibody production until the 10th day of illness; however, PUUV RNA was detectable early in disease. To further analyse this unusual case, sequencing of the PUUV S segment was performed from the patient and regional reservoir host which showed a close relation.
Modelling Transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis in Red Deer and Wild Boar in Normandy, France
Authors: Zanella G. , Bar‐Hen A. , Boschiroli M.‐L. , Hars J. , Moutou F. , Garin‐Bastuji B. , Durand B.
Published: September 2012

In early 2001, Mycobacterium bovis infection was confirmed in red deer (RD) (Cervus elaphus) shot in Normandy region, France. An epidemiological survey conducted during the following hunting season in two connected forests confirmed the occurrence of the disease in both free‐ranging RD and wild boar (WB) (Sus scrofa). This was the first detected bovine tuberculosis outbreak in wildlife in France. We present a simple deterministic age‐structured model of the within‐ and between‐species M. bovis transmission in RD and WB populations that distinguishes direct transmission (horizontal and pseudo‐vertical) and indirect transmission through contaminated offal left behind by hunters. Results issued from the epidemiological surveys conducted in Normandy forests were used to estimate transmission parameters. Because data for RD and WB populations were not available, population sizes at demographic equilibrium were estimated and used to run the model. We qualitatively tested different control measure scenarios with our model, considering different mortality rates and offal harvesting, to determine which ones affect the success of infection control. The most realistic control scenario would combine the total depopulation of RD and good compliance with offal harvesting, because the model suggests that infected offal left by hunters represents the main transmission source of M. bovis in the field.
How Ebola Virus Counters the Interferon System
Authors: Kühl A. , Pöhlmann S.
Published: September 2012

Zoonotic transmission of Ebola virus (EBOV) to humans causes a severe haemorrhagic fever in afflicted individuals with high case‐fatality rates. Neither vaccines nor therapeutics are at present available to combat EBOV infection, making the virus a potential threat to public health. To devise antiviral strategies, it is important to understand which components of the immune system could be effective against EBOV infection. The interferon (IFN) system constitutes a key innate defence against viral infections and prevents development of lethal disease in mice infected with EBOV strains not adapted to this host. Recent research revealed that expression of the host cell IFN‐inducible transmembrane proteins 1–3 (IFITM1–3) and tetherin is induced by IFN and restricts EBOV infection, at least in cell culture model systems. IFITMs, tetherin and other effector molecules of the IFN system could thus pose a potent barrier against EBOV spread in humans. However, EBOV interferes with signalling events required for human cells to express these proteins. Here, we will review the strategies employed by EBOV to fight the IFN system, and we will discuss how IFITM proteins and tetherin inhibit EBOV infection.
Beyond Lyme: Aetiology of Tick‐borne Human Diseases with Emphasis on the South‐Eastern United States
Authors: Stromdahl E. Y. , Hickling G. J.
Published: September 2012

Since its emergence in the north‐eastern and upper mid‐western United States in the 1970s, Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, has captured the public’s attention as the nation’s most prevalent vector‐borne zoonotic disease. In contrast, recent publications on tick‐pathogen systems in the eastern United States, and findings from Department of Defense investigations of ticks found biting military personnel, indicate that residents of the south‐eastern United States are primarily at risk from emerging diseases caused by tick‐borne pathogens other than B. burgdorferi. The risk of contracting these diseases varies greatly among states as a consequence of regional variation in the abundance of the key vector tick species. Moreover, this risk is changing, because tick distributions are in flux. To improve health outcomes, health providers need better information and awareness regarding which tick species bite humans in each state and which zoonotic pathogens are prevalent in these ticks. Effective diagnosis, treatment, control and reporting of tick‐borne disease in the south‐eastern United States require that health providers think ‘beyond Lyme’ and consider the marked regional differences in the tick species that bite humans and in the pathogens that these ticks carry.
Virus‐Like Particle‐Based Countermeasures Against Rift Valley Fever Virus
Authors: Koukuntla R. , Mandell R. B. , Flick R.
Published: September 2012

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus that causes significant morbidity and mortality in both humans and livestock. With increased world travel and the threat of bioterrorism, there is a real risk of RVFV spreading to naïve geographical areas (Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 73, 1979, 618; MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly Rep., 49, 2000, 905). The introduction of RVFV would cause critical public health, agricultural and economic damage. Despite the clear need for an efficacious vaccine, there are no United States (US) Food and Drug Administration or US Department of Agriculture approved vaccines against RVFV. To address this need, a virus‐like particle (VLP)‐based vaccine candidate was developed. First, a non‐replicating chimeric RVF VLP vaccine candidate was generated that protected mice and rats against a lethal RVFV challenge. This was followed by the development and optimization of conditions for production of RVF VLPs in insect and mammalian cells. Immunological studies demonstrated that VLP‐based vaccine candidates elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses. Subsequent challenge studies using a lethal wild‐type RVFV strain under high‐containment conditions showed that RVF VLP vaccine candidates can completely protect mice and rats.
Constructing Ecological Networks: A Tool to Infer Risk of Transmission and Dispersal of Leishmaniasis
Authors: González‐Salazar C. , Stephens C. R.
Published: September 2012

We extend a recently developed method for constructing ecological networks to infer potential biotic interactions between species and to also include environmental factors, in particular land cover, thus permitting a simultaneous analysis of the interaction between environment and species distribution as well as inter‐species interactions. We apply the method to the transmission and dispersal of leishmaniasis in Mexico. We find that the most important potential vectors and reservoirs can be classified into assemblages associated with different types of habitat. This in turn can be used to understand and map potential transmission risk, as well as to construct risk scenarios for the dispersal of disease from one geographical region to another.