bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thymic volume in healthy, small for gestational age and growth restricted fetuses
Authors: Olearo Elena , Oberto Manuela , Oggè Giovanna , Botta Giovanni , Pace Carlotta , Gaglioti Pietro , Todros Tullia
Published: April 2012

Objective

The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that a difference in thymic size exists between small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses, likely constitutional, and intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) fetuses because of placental causes.

Methods

We studied 27 SGA and 36 control fetuses. SGA was defined as fetal abdominal circumference (AC) and birthweight <10th percentile for gestational age. We defined as constitutional SGA those with normal uterine and umbilical artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms (FVW), and as IUGR those with abnormal uterine FVW. IUGR were further divided based on normal or abnormal umbilical FVW. Fetal thymic volume (TV) was acquired by three‐dimensional ultrasound and reconstructed with virtual organ computer‐aided analysis. To correct for the influence of fetal size on thymic dimension, TV/AC ratio was calculated.

Results

Controls presented a higher TV/AC compared with each group of SGA (p < 0.001). TV/AC was significantly lower in IUGR with abnormal umbilical FVW compared with both constitutional SGA (p = 0.01) and IUGR with normal umbilical FVW (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

The differences in TV/AC between constitutional SGA and IUGR with abnormal umbilical FVW suggest that, in the latter, a specific ‘trigger’ might compromise trophoblastic invasion and thymic development; however, some kind of alteration of the immune system might occur in all SGA fetuses. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐term outcomes of the FRESH START trial: exploring the role of self‐efficacy in cancer survivors' maintenance of dietary practices and physical activity
Authors: Mosher Catherine E. , Lipkus Isaac , Sloane Richard , Snyder Denise C. , Lobach David F. , Demark‐Wahnefried Wendy
Published: April 2012

Background

This study examined whether changes in self‐efficacy explain the effects of a mailed print intervention on long‐term dietary practices of breast and prostate cancer survivors. The relationship between change in self‐efficacy and long‐term physical activity (PA) also was examined.

Methods

Breast and prostate cancer survivors (N = 543) from 39 US states and two Canadian provinces participated in the FRESH START intervention trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a 10‐month program of mailed print materials on diet and PA available in the public domain or a 10‐month program of tailored materials designed to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, decrease fat intake, and/or increase PA. Changes in self‐efficacy for F&V intake and fat restriction were analyzed as potential mediators of the intervention's effects on diet at 2‐year follow‐up. Because we previously found that change in self‐efficacy for PA did not vary by group assignment, the relationship between change in self‐efficacy and PA at 2‐year follow‐up was examined across study conditions.

Results

Results suggest that change in self‐efficacy for fat restriction partially explained the intervention's effect on fat intake (mean indirect effect = −0.28), and change in self‐efficacy for F&V consumption partially explained the intervention's effect on daily F&V intake (mean indirect effect = .11). Change in self‐efficacy for fat restriction partially accounted for the intervention's impact on overall diet quality among men only (mean indirect effect = 0.60). Finally, change in self‐efficacy for PA predicted PA at 2‐year follow‐up.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that self‐efficacy may influence long‐term maintenance of healthy lifestyle practices among cancer survivors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of in situ ultraviolet irradiation on the formation of nanostructural carbon nitride films
Authors: Shalaev R. V. , Prudnikov A. M. , Ulyanov A. N. , Shin G. M. , Yoo S. I. , Linnik A. I. , Linnik T. A. , Burkhovetskii V. V. , Varyukhin V. N.
Published: April 2012

We report the effect of in situ ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on the formation of carbon nitride CNx films. The nanocolumnar films were produced under UV irradiation without a metal catalyst by dc magnetron sputtering of a graphite target in an N2 atmosphere with 3% of O2 on a quartz glass substrate. It was shown that films have dense nanostructure with columns of 60–80 nm in diameter and with nitrogen concentration of ∼4%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) data show the coexistence of amorphous and columnar phases. In situ UV irradiation was found to be effective for growing the pure nanocolumnar structure of carbon nitride by etching the amorphous phase.
Differentiation of enantiomeric drugs by iodo‐substituted L‐amino acid references under electrospray ionization mass spectrometric conditions
Authors: Karthikraj R. , Prabhakar S. , Vairamani M.
Published: April 2012

RATIONALE

In chiral differentiation by mass spectrometry, use of a single reference that differentiates various classes of compounds including drugs is ideal, but so far there are no such reports in the literature. We have successfully used iodo‐substituted amino acids for the chiral differentiation of ten enantiomeric pairs of drugs.

METHODS

To achieve the chiral differentiation, the trimeric Cu complex ion consisting of two chiral reference molecules and an analyte molecule was generated under positive ion electrospray ionization (ESI) conditions and subsequently subjected for collision‐ induced dissociation (CID) experiments using an LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer. The spectra were recorded under identical experimental conditions for both the enantiomers, and were averages of 30 scans. Cooks' kinetic method and chiral recognition ratio method (CR method) were used to arrive at the Rchiral/CR values, respectively.

RESULTS

The Rchiralor CR values of the studied drugs are higher for 3,5‐diiodo‐L‐tyrosine as the reference, than for 4‐iodo‐L‐phenylalanine, except for isoproterenol and atenolol. Both the references show the same selectivity (R‐ or S‐selectivity) towards all the studied drugs. With 3,5‐diiodo‐L‐tyrosine as the reference, an Rchiralvalue of 12.75 is obtained for DOPA and this is the highest reported value in the literature till now. The suitability of the current method in measuring enantiomeric excess is also demonstrated for DOPA.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of 4‐iodo‐L‐phenylalanine or 3,5‐diiodo‐L‐tyrosine as a chiral reference for the chiral differentiation of ten enantiomeric pairs of pharmaceutically important drugs has been demonstrated. The chiral differentiation of pregabalin, tenofovir and pramipexole is reported for the first time. This study shows that it is possible to develop a single chiral reference compound for the differentiation of a group of chiral drugs having some similarities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface characterization of bone graft substitute materials conditioned in cell culture medium. 2. Protein adsorption
Authors: Shchukarev A. , Mladenovic Z. , Ransjö M.
Published: April 2012

Three bone graft substitute materials (Bioglass 45S5, Bio‐Oss® and Algipore®) were conditioned in α‐minimum essential medium (α‐MEM), with the addition of 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), for 1 and 7 days. The chemistry of their solid‐solution interface was monitored by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, using fast‐frozen sample technique, and compared to that reported for original α‐MEM. FBS added to the biological medium causes significant changes in the interface after only 1 day of conditioning. Interfacial chemical composition and N 1s spectra show immediate adsorption of proteins at the surface of all three biomaterials, independent of their surface charge and chemical composition. However, the atomic ratio C/N and the C 1s spectra indicate a different orientation of adsorbed serum proteins, which is dependent on the particle's surface charge. Moreover, the adsorption of serum proteins at the surface of Bio‐Oss causes a charge reversal at the interface, as evidenced by the change in the atomic ratio of Na/Cl. In addition to the particle's surface charge, the formation of the protein interfacial layer at the surface of the biomaterial seems to be the second major phenomenon important for subsequent cell recognition and the initiation of biomineralization. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decreased Total MKP‐1 Protein Levels Predict Poor Prognosis in Breast Cancer
Authors: Hou Ming‐Feng , Chang Chien‐Wei , Chen Fang‐Ming , Wang Shen‐Nien , Yang Sheau‐Fang , Chen Po‐Han , Su Jinu‐Huang , Yeh Yao‐Tsung
Published: April 2012

Background

MKP‐1 dephosphorylates and inactivates MAPKs, whose constitutive activations have been associated with human cancers.

Results

We found that total MKP‐1 protein levels were decreased in 63.7 % of breast cancer tissues compared with the paired noncancerous breast tissues. Decreased MKP‐1 protein levels were correlated with increased tumor stage and positive recurrence and were associated with poor survival, even when using a multivariate Cox regression model. Intriguingly, nuclear MKP‐1 staining was positively correlated with ER status. In vitro, tamoxifen increased MKP‐1 expression in ER‐positive but not ER‐negative breast cancer cells. ER‐specific siRNA was able to attenuate tamoxifen‐induced MKP‐1 expression. Furthermore, tamoxifen prolonged the duration of MKP‐1 elevation and the binding time of ER to the promoter of the MKP‐1/DUSP‐1 gene compared with estrogen.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that alterations of MKP‐1 may serve as a prognostic factor in breast cancer. In addition, the regulation of MKP‐1 may be related to the ER.
Management of Grave’s Disease Is Improved by Total Thyroidectomy
Authors: Annerbo Maria , Stålberg Peter , Hellman Per
Published: April 2012

Background

A retrospective analysis was performed on 267 consecutive patients with Graves’ disease (GD). The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the risk for recurrence and complications when changing the surgical method from subtotal (ST) to total thyroidectomy (TT).

Methods

Information from 267 consecutive patients operated on for GD between 2000 and 2006 was collected at Uppsala University Hospital (143) and Falun County Hospital (128). There were 229 women and 38 men. Four patients were operated on twice. A total of 40 STs and 229 TTs were performed. Results were compared to those of a previous cohort from the same hospital, with a majority of STs (157/176) performed from 1980 to 1992.

Results

The risk for relapse of GD was reduced from 20 to 3.3 % after the shift from ST to TT. In terms of surgical complications, 2.2 % demonstrated permanent vocal cord paralysis and 4.5 % had persistent hypocalcemia, not significant when compared to the previous cohort. In spite of TT, there were four recurrences, all due to remnant thyroid tissue high up at the hyoid bone. Changing the surgical method did not affect postoperative progression of dysthyroid ophthalmopathy (DO, 7.0 vs. 7.5 %). There were no differences in outcome with respect to which hospital the patients had their operation.

Conclusion

Change from ST to TT dramatically reduced the risk for recurrence of GD without increasing the rate of complications. TT is not more effective than ST in hampering progression of DO as has been advocated by some. Careful surgical dissection up to the hyoid bone is necessary to avoid recurrence.
Right Hepatectomy in Patients over 70 Years of Age: An Analysis of Liver Function and Outcome
Authors: Melloul Emmanuel , Halkic Nermin , Raptis Dimitri Aristotle , Tempia Adrien , Demartines Nicolas
Published: April 2012

Background

As a consequence of the increase in life expectancy, hepatobiliary surgeons have to deal with an emerging aged population. We aimed to analyze the liver function and outcome after right hepatectomy (RH) in patients over 70 years of age.

Methods

From January 2006 to December 2009, we prospectively collected data of 207 consecutive elective hepatectomies. In patients who had RH, cardiac risk was assessed by a dedicated preoperative workup. Liver failure (LF) was defined by the “fifty–fifty” criteria at postoperative day 5 (POD) and morbidity by the Clavien–Dindo classification. Liver function tests (LFTs) and short‐term outcome were retrospectively analyzed in patients over (elderly group, EG) and younger (young group, YG) than 70 years of age.

Results

Eighty‐seven consecutive RH were performed during the study period. Indication for surgery included 90 % malignancy in 47 % of patients requiring preoperative chemotherapy. ASA grade > 2 (44 vs. 16 %, p = 0.027), ischemic heart disease (17 vs. 5 %, p = 0.076), and preoperative cardiac failure (26 vs. 2 %, p < 0.001) were more frequent in the EG (n = 23) than in the YG (n = 64). Both groups were similar regarding rates of normal liver parenchyma, chemotherapy and intraoperative parameters. The overall morbidity rates were comparable, but the serious complication (grades III–V) rate was relatively higher in the EG (39 vs. 25 %, p = 0.199), particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus (100 vs. 29 %, p = 0.04) and those who had additional nonhepatic surgery (67 vs. 35 %, p = 0.110) and transfusions (44 vs. 30 %, p = 0.523). The 90‐day mortality rate was similar (9 % in the EG vs. 3 % in the YG, p = 0.28) and was related to heart failure in the EG. LFTs showed a similar trend from POD 1 to 8, and patients ≥70 years of age had no liver failure.

Conclusions

Age ≥70 years alone is not a contraindication to RH. However, major morbidity is particularly higher in the elderly with diabetes. This high‐risk group should be closely monitored in the postoperative course. Liver function is not altered in the elderly patient after RH.
Neonatal Neuroblastoma needs the Aggressive Treatment?
Authors: Nam So‐Hyun , Kim Dae Yeon , Kim Seong Chul , Seo Jong‐Jin
Published: April 2012

Background

Routine antenatal ultrasound scans increased the detection of the neuroblastoma (NB) in neonates. We reviewed the treatment outcome and clinical presentation of neonatal NB.

Methods

We included patients who had pathologically confirmed NB presented within 28 days after birth from January 1999 to December 2010.

Results

There were 17 patients (8 females and 9 males), which consist of 16 % of total NB cases of children in our institution. Nine were followed from prenatal period as an abdominal mass and eight were presented postnatally (5 abdominal distensions, 2 tachypnea, and 1 persistent jaundice). The primary lesion was located in adrenal gland in ten patients, retroperitoneum in four, and posterior mediastinum in three. The tumor size was median 4.1 cm (range, 3–7). The stage of the patients were as follows: stage 1 in six, stage 2 in one, stage 3 in three, stage 4S in five, and stage 4 in two. Six patients were in the low‐risk group, seven were intermediate‐risk group, and four were high‐risk group. Thirteen showed favorable histology among 15 specimens. Five patients (29.4 %) showed MYCN amplification. The median follow‐up period was 78.4 months (range, 17.4–138.6). Fifteen of 17 (88.2 %) are alive without evidence of recurrences and two patients of stage 4S with MYCN amplification in high‐risk group died.

Conclusions

The overall survival of neonatal NB is 88.2 %, but we observed a high ratio of stage 4 and stage 4S tumors and MYCN amplification. We suggested that early treatment might be better for neonatal NB more than 3 cm in size. Aggressive treatment for neonatal NB could bring more favorable outcome.
The combined effects of warming and drying suppress CO2 and N2O emission rates in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Shi Fusun , Chen Huai , Chen Huafeng , Wu Yan , Wu Ning
Published: April 2012

The eastern Tibetan Plateau has become increasingly warmer and drier since the 1990s. Such warming and drying has a great impact on ecosystem processes on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. To determine their combined effects on CO2 and N2O emission rates, we conducted a field manipulative experiment in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau during the growing season of 2009. The experiment showed that warming manipulation increased soil temperature by 1 °C, and drying manipulation decreased soil water content by 6.8 %. We found that by counteracting the effect of low temperature in the area, experimental warming significantly increased soil microbial biomass, the number of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, ammonifying bacteria, nitrobacteria and denitrifying bacteria, and facilitated the emission rates of CO2 and N2O by 33.4 and 31.5 %, respectively. However, decreased precipitation further aggravated soil water stress and inhibited the numbers of these organisms, and reduced the emission rates of CO2 and N2O by 47.4 and 37.9 %, respectively. So decreased soil water content tended to offset the positive effect of warming. Compared to the positive effects of warming, decreased soil water content was shown in our study to have even greater impact on the eastern Tibetan Plateau during the growing season. Therefore, inhibition of CO2 and N2O emission rates (32.3 and 29.3 %, respectively) by warming and drying will intensify if the combined effects of these climatic trends persist in the region.
Comparison of free breathing versus breath-hold in perfusion imaging using dynamic volume CT
Authors: Kandel Sonja , Meyer Henning , Hein Patrik , Lembcke Alexander , Rueckert Jens-C. , Rogalla Patrik
Published: April 2012

Objectives

To compare two scanning protocols (free breathing versus breath-hold) for perfusion imaging using dynamic volume computed tomography (CT) and to evaluate their effects on image registration.

Material and methods

Forty patients underwent dynamic volume CT for pancreatic perfusion analysis and were randomly assigned to either a shallow-breathing (I) or breath-hold (II) group. Both dynamic CT protocols consisted of 17 low-dose volumetric scans. Rigid image registration was performed by using the volume with highest aortic attenuation as reference. All other volumes were visually matched with the pancreatic lesion serving as the volumetric region of interest. The overall demand for post-processing per patient was calculated as the median of three-dimensional vector lengths of all volumes in relation to the relative patient origin. The number of volumes not requiring registration was recorded per group.

Results

Registration mismatch for groups I and II was 2.61 mm (SD, 1.57) and 4.95 mm (SD, 2.71), respectively (P < 0.005). Twenty-eight volumes in group I (8.2%) and 47 volumes in group II (14.1%) did not require manual registration (P = 0.014).

Conclusion

Shallow breathing during dynamic volume CT scanning reduces the overall demand for motion correction and thus may be beneficial in perfusion imaging of the pancreas

Main Messages

• Shallow breathing during perfusion CT scanning reduces the overall demand for motion correction.

• Shallow breathing may be beneficial in perfusion imaging of the pancreas.

• Image registration is crucial for CT perfusion imaging.
Money versus time: evaluation of flow control in terms of energy consumption and convenience
Authors: Frohnapfel Bettina , Hasegawa Yosuke , Quadrio Maurizio
Published: April 2012

Flow control with the goal of reducing the skin-friction drag on the fluid–solid interface is an active fundamental research area, motivated by its potential for significant energy savings and reduced emissions in the transport sector. Customarily, the performance of drag reduction techniques in internal flows is evaluated under two alternative flow conditions, i.e. at constant mass flow rate or constant pressure gradient. Successful control leads to reduction of drag and pumping power within the former approach, whereas the latter leads to an increase of the mass flow rate and pumping power. In practical applications, however, money and time define the flow control challenge: a compromise between the energy expenditure (money) and the corresponding convenience (flow rate) achieved with that amount of energy has to be reached so as to accomplish a goal which in general depends on the specific application. Based on this idea, we derive two dimensionless parameters which quantify the total energy consumption and the required time (convenience) for transporting a given volume of fluid through a given duct. Performances of existing drag-reduction strategies as well as the influence of wall roughness are re-evaluated within the present framework; how to achieve the (application-dependent) optimum balance between energy consumption and convenience is addressed. It is also shown that these considerations can be extended to external flows.
Instability of compressible drops and jets
Authors: Miyamoto Umpei
Published: April 2012

We revisit the classic problem of the stability of drops and jets held by surface tension, while regarding the compressibility of bulk fluids and spatial dimensions as free parameters. By mode analysis, it is shown that there exists a critical compressibility above which the drops (and discs) become unstable for a spherical perturbation. For a given value of compressibility (and of the surface tension and the density at equilibrium), this instability criterion provides a minimal radius below which the drop cannot be in stable equilibrium. According to the existence of the above unstable mode of the drop, which corresponds to a homogeneous perturbation of a cylindrical jet, the dispersion relation of Rayleigh–Plateau instability for cylinders drastically changes. In particular, we identify another critical compressibility above which the homogeneous unstable mode is predominant. The analysis is carried out for non-relativistic and relativistic perfect fluids, the self-gravity of which is ignored.
First instability of the flow of shear-thinning and shear-thickening fluids past a circular cylinder
Authors: Lashgari Iman , Pralits Jan O. , Giannetti Flavio , Brandt Luca
Published: April 2012

The first bifurcation and the instability mechanisms of shear-thinning and shear-thickening fluids flowing past a circular cylinder are studied using linear theory and numerical simulations. Structural sensitivity analysis based on the idea of a ‘wavemaker’ is performed to identify the core of the instability. The shear-dependent viscosity is modelled by the Carreau model where the rheological parameters, i.e. the power-index and the material time constant, are chosen in the range $0. 4\leq n\leq 1. 75$ and $0. 1\leq \lambda \leq 100$. We show how shear-thinning/shear-thickening effects destabilize/stabilize the flow dramatically when scaling the problem with the reference zero-shear-rate viscosity. These variations are explained by modifications of the steady base flow due to the shear-dependent viscosity; the instability mechanisms are only slightly changed. The characteristics of the base flow, drag coefficient and size of recirculation bubble are presented to assess shear-thinning effects. We demonstrate that at critical conditions the local Reynolds number in the core of the instability is around 50 as for Newtonian fluids. The perturbation kinetic energy budget is also considered to examine the physical mechanism of the instability.
A detailed analysis of a dynamo mechanism in a rapidly rotating spherical shell
Authors: Takahashi F. , Shimizu H.
Published: April 2012

Mechanisms of magnetic field intensification by flows of an electrically conducting fluid in a rapidly rotating spherical shell are investigated using a numerical dynamo model with an Ekman number of $1{0}^{\ensuremath{-} 5} $. A strong dipolar solution with a magnetic energy 55 times larger than the kinetic energy of thermal convection is obtained. In a regime of small viscosity and inertia with the strong magnetic field, the convection structure consists of a few large-scale retrograde flows in the azimuthal direction and localized thin sheet-like plumes. A detailed term-by-term analysis of the magnetic field amplification processes shows that the magnetic field is amplified through stretching of magnetic lines, which occurs typically through four types of flow: the retrograde azimuthal flow near the outer boundary, the downwelling flow of the sheet plume, the prograde azimuthal flow near the rim of the tangent cylinder, and the cylindrical-radially alternating flows of the plume cluster. The current loop structure emerges as a result of stretching the magnetic lines along the magnetic field by the flow acceleration. The most remarkable effects of the generated magnetic field on the flow come from the strong azimuthal (toroidal) magnetic field. Similarities of the present model in the convection and magnetic field structures to previous studies at larger and even smaller Ekman numbers suggest universality of the dynamo mechanism in rotating spherical dynamos.
Parasite management in translocations: lessons from a threatened New Zealand bird
Authors: Ewen John G. , Armstrong Doug P. , Empson Raewyn , Jack Sandra , Makan Troy , McInnes Kate , Parker Kevin A. , Richardson Kate , Alley Maurice
Published: April 2012

Awareness of parasite risks in translocations has prompted the development of parasite management protocols, including parasite risk assessment, parasite screening and treatments. However, although the importance of such measures seems obvious it is difficult to know whether the measures taken are effective, especially when working with wild populations. We review current methods in one extensively researched case study, the endemic New Zealand passerine bird, the hihiNotiomystis cincta. Our review is structured around four of the 10 questions proposed by Armstrong & Seddon (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2008: 23, 20–25) for reintroduction biology. These four questions can be related directly to parasites and parasite management and we recommend using this framework to help select and justify parasite management. Our retrospective study of recent disease and health screening in hihi reveals only partial overlap with these questions. Current practice does not focus on, or aim to reduce, the uncertainty in most steps of the risk assessment process or on evaluating whether the measures are effective. We encourage targeted parasite management that builds more clearly on available disease risk assessment methodologies and integrates these tools within a complete reintroduction plan.
Childhood adversity in schizophrenia: a systematic meta-analysis
Authors: Matheson S. L. , Shepherd A. M. , Pinchbeck R. M. , Laurens K. R. , Carr V. J.
Published: April 2012

Background

Childhood adversity is a putative risk factor for schizophrenia, although evidence supporting this suggestion is inconsistent and controversial. The aim of this review was to pool and quality assess the current evidence pertaining to childhood adversity in people with schizophrenia compared to other psychiatric disorders and to non-psychiatric controls.

Method

Included were case-control, cohort and cross-sectional studies. Medline, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases were searched. Study reporting was assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist and pooled evidence quality was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Results

Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Moderate to high quality evidence suggests increased rates of childhood adversity in schizophrenia compared to controls [odds ratio (OR) 3.60, p < 0.00001]. Increased childhood adversity was also reported in schizophrenia compared to anxiety disorders (OR 2.54, p = 0.007), although the effect was not significant in the subgroup analysis of five studies assessing only sexual abuse. No differences in rates of childhood adversity were found between schizophrenia and affective psychosis, depression and personality disorders whereas decreased rates of childhood adversity were found in schizophrenia relative to dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 0.03, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

This is the first meta-analysis to report a medium to large effect of childhood adversity in people with schizophrenia and to assess specificity for schizophrenia. Further research is required that incorporates longitudinal design and other potentially causal variables to assess additive and/or interactive effects.
Who cares? Managing obligation and responsibility across the changing landscapes of informal dementia care
Authors: EGDELL VALERIE
Published: April 2012

This paper explores the different ways in which informal carers for people with dementia negotiate their care-giving role across the changing organisational and spatial landscape of care. In-depth qualitative data are used to argue that the decisions of carers are socially situated and the result of negotiations involving individuals, families and wider cultural expectations. These decisions affect where care occurs. In addressing these issues this paper draws attention to the lack of choice some carers may have in taking on the care-giving role; how and why carers draw upon support; and the different expectations of the care-giver's capabilities across the different sites of care, specifically at home and in nursing homes. It concludes that research and policy attention should focus on how the expectations about the role and abilities of carers are affected by where, and how, care is delivered. In doing so this paper contributes to the emerging health geography literature on care-giving as well as developing the spatial perspective in the established gerontological literature.
Mechanical transmission of lumpy skin disease virus by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus male ticks
Authors: TUPPURAINEN E. S. M. , LUBINGA J. C. , STOLTSZ W. H. , TROSKIE M. , CARPENTER S. T. , COETZER J. A. W. , VENTER E. H. , OURA C. A. L.
Published: April 2012

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important, acute or sub-acute, viral disease of cattle that occurs across Africa and in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to investigate if lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) can be transmitted mechanically by African brown ear ticks (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neum.). Laboratory-bred R. appendiculatus males were fed on experimentally infected viraemic ‘donor’ cattle. Partially fed male ticks were then transferred to feed on an uninfected ‘recipient’ cow. The recipient animal became viraemic, showed mild clinical signs of LSD and seroconverted. Additionally, R. appendiculatus males were found to transmit LSDV through feeding on skin lacking visible lesions, demonstrating that viraemic animals without lesions at the feeding site of ticks may be a source of infection. This is the first time that transmission of poxviruses by a tick species has been demonstrated and the importance of this mode of transmission in the spread of LSDV in endemic settings is discussed.
The storage and composition of inflected forms in adult-learned second language: A study of the influence of length of residence, age of arrival, sex, and other factors
Authors: BABCOCK LAURA , STOWE JOHN C. , MALOOF CHRISTOPHER J. , BROVETTO CLAUDIA , ULLMAN MICHAEL T.
Published: April 2012

It remains unclear whether adult-learned second language (L2) depends on similar or different neurocognitive mechanisms as those involved in first language (L1). We examined whether English past tense forms are computed similarly or differently by L1 and L2 English speakers, and what factors might affect this: regularity (regular vs. irregular verbs), length of L2 exposure (length of residence), age of L2 acquisition (age of arrival), L2 learners’ native language (Chinese vs. Spanish), and sex (male vs. female). Past tense frequency effects were used to examine the type of computation (composition vs. storage/retrieval). The results suggest that irregular past tenses are always stored. Regular past tenses, however, are either composed or stored, as a function of various factors: both sexes store regulars in L2, but only females in L1; greater lengths of residence lead to less dependence on storage, but only in females; higher adult ages of arrival lead to more reliance on storage. The findings suggest that inflected forms can rely on either the same or different mechanisms in L2 as they do in L1, and that this varies as a function of multiple interacting factors.
Can capitalism restrain public perceived corruption? Some evidence
Authors: FARIA HUGO J. , MORALES DANIEL R. , PINEDA NATASHA , MONTESINOS HUGO M.
Published: April 2012

A growing body of evidence documents a vast array of economic and social ill-effects of public perceived corruption. These findings and the scant evidence of recent success in the fight against corruption beg the question: how to abate it? We document the existence of a negative, statistically significant and quantitatively large impact of economic freedom (our proxy for institutions of capitalism, markets and competition) on public corruption. This negative response of corruption to economic freedom holds after allowing for non-linearities interacting economic freedom and political rights, endowments, legal families, ethnicity and for robust determinants of corruption uncovered by Daniel Treisman [‘What Have We Learned About the Causes of Corruption From Ten Years of Cross-National Empirical Research?’,Annual Review of Political Science,10: 211–244], such as income, democracy, freedom of the press and fuel exports. Thus, this paper helps to explain why high-income prosperous countries exhibit low levels of public perceived corruption, and why honesty is a normal good.
Introduction: family – an international affair
Authors: Diduck Alison , Raday Frances
Published: April 2012

This collection of articles arises from a conference held in Tel Aviv in 2009 at the Concord Research Centre for the Integration of International Law in Israel, School of Law, College of Management Academic Studies. Delegates to the conference came from a variety of professions and areas of expertise and included academics and legal and welfare practitioners. What was common among us, however, was our interest in the international dimensions of both understandings of the family and of the normative systems that define and regulate it. We all believed that understandings of family are situated in and across cultural and economic manifestations of reproduction, dependency and care relations in a global context and that they are regulated in international and regional as much as in domestic law.
Arab Israeli women's renunciation of their inheritance shares: a challenge for Israel's courts
Authors: Sandberg Haim , Hofri-Winogradow Adam
Published: April 2012

The practice of Arab women voluntarily renouncing their shares in the family inheritance is well known, having been noticed in several Mediterranean and African countries, including Israel and the West Bank. This practice seems grossly inegalitarian, reflecting many Muslim women's social and economic inferiority and their dependent status. Some Islamic feminists argue that the practice contradicts not only the letter of the sharia, which guarantees women shares in the family inheritance, but also fundamental Islamic principles. Conservatives, however, see the practice as cohering with the spirit of Islam (though not with the letter of sharia), as a voluntary choice by many Muslim women to let their brothers or husbands fulfil their traditional role of providing for their sisters or wives. International institutions concerned with enhancing gender equality have taken the latter view seriously enough to refrain from judging the practice negatively. Our article highlights the Israeli civil courts' diverse responses to the practice: some judges criticise it while others choose a policy of non-interference. The article further discusses the practice and Israeli civil courts' responses in the comparative perspective of Jewish women's practice of renouncing their property and other rights on divorce. Some Jewish husbands make such renunciation a condition of their dissolving the marriage. Israeli civil courts often see such renunciation as an effect of extortion and permit women to rescind it once divorced. We thus conclude with a plea to the civil courts to encourage gender equality among the Arab population to the same extent, at least, to which they promote it among Israel's Jews.
Alcohol exposure during late gestation: multiple developmental outcomes in sheep
Authors: Kenna K. , Sozo F. , De Matteo R. , Hanita T. , Gray S. P. , Tare M. , Moritz K. , Bertram J. F. , Black M. Jane , Brien J. F. , Parkington H. C. , Walker D. W. , Harding R.
Published: April 2012

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains common in many countries. Exposure to even low amounts of alcohol (i.e. ethanol) in pregnancy can lead to the heterogeneous fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), while heavy alcohol consumption can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is characterized by cerebral dysfunction, growth restriction and craniofacial malformations. However, the effects of lower doses of alcohol during pregnancy, such as those that lead to FASD, are less well understood. In this article, we discuss the findings of recent studies performed in our laboratories on the effects of fetal alcohol exposure using sheep, in which we investigated the effects of late gestational alcohol exposure on the developing brain, arteries, kidneys, heart and lungs. Our studies indicate that alcohol exposure in late gestation can (1) affect cerebral white matter development and increase the risk of hemorrhage in the fetal brain, (2) cause left ventricular hypertrophy with evidence of altered cardiomyocyte maturation, (3) lead to a decrease in nephron number in the kidney, (4) cause altered arterial wall stiffness and endothelial and smooth muscle function and (5) result in altered surfactant protein mRNA expression, surfactant phospholipid composition and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in the lung. These findings suggest that fetal alcohol exposure in late gestation can affect multiple organs, potentially increasing the risk of disease and organ dysfunction in later life.
Science benefits of onboard spacecraft navigation
Authors: Cangahuala Al , Bhaskaran Shyam , Owen Bill
Published: April 2012

Primitive bodies (asteroids and comets), which have remained relatively unaltered since their formation, are important targets for scientific missions that seek to understand the evolution of the solar system. Often the first step is to fly by these bodies with robotic spacecraft. The key to maximizing data returns from these flybys is to determine the spacecraft trajectory relative to the target body—in short, navigate the spacecraft—with sufficient accuracy so that the target is guaranteed to be in the instruments' field of view. The most powerful navigation data in these scenarios are images taken by the spacecraft of the target against a known star field (onboard astrometry).
Assessment finds more natural gas resources but less oil
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: April 2012

The latest report on undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources outside the United States estimates that there are more undiscovered and technically recoverable natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) but less oil than had previously been thought. The 18 April report, issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of its World Petroleum Resource Project, estimates that there are 5606 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, compared with 4669 trillion cubic feet in the previous assessment, in 2000, and 167 billion barrels of NGLs compared with an earlier 207 billion barrels. The assessment also estimates that there are 565 billion barrels of oil compared with an earlier 649 billion. About 75% of those resources outside the United States are located in four regions: South America and the Caribbean, sub‐Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Arctic provinces portion of North America, according to the new assessment.
Committee reviews NSF geosciences efforts and releases ocean drilling report
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: April 2012

The state of the geosciences directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is healthy, with a number of accomplishments, although there are also challenges related to funding and other issues, Tim Killeen, assistant director for geosciences at NSF, told the agency's Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC/GEO) at an 18–19 April meeting. The meeting provided a broad overview of the geosciences directorate, including program priorities, the budget, a report on ocean drilling, and an update on the search to find a replacement for Killeen, whose term as assistant director will conclude on 30 June. At the meeting, NSF director Subra Suresh said that the agency has interviewed candidates for the position based on search committee recommendations. “We hope to close on the search very, very soon,” he said. “Hopefully, it will work out well in time for a smooth transition.” Other searches include finding a replacement for Robert Detrick, former director of the geoscience directorate's Earth sciences division, who recently became assistant administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's research office.
Honors
Authors: Anonymous
Published: April 2012

John Seinfeld is a recipient of the 2012 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. Seinfeld, who is the Louis E. Nohl Professor and a professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, was cited for “his groundbreaking work leading to understanding of the origin, chemistry, and evolution of particles in the atmosphere. The fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of urban and regional air pollution that emerged from his research served as the basis for action to control the effects of air pollution on public health.” New members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences include Katharine Cashman, University of Oregon; Dennis Kent, Rutgers University and Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University; and Ignacio Rodríguez‐Iturbe, Prince ton University.
Building a bridge between AGU and SEG
Authors: Pellerin Louise , Bradford John H.
Published: April 2012

AGU and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) complement each other in many ways. SEG is known for strength in applied geophysics and method development, while AGU is known for application of geophysics to broader scientific questions in Earth and atmospheric sciences. These boundaries are of course gray, and there is substantial and complementary overlap of interests, particularly among some disciplines; these include the study of passive and active source seismology, gravity and magnetic anomalies, and electrical and electromagnetic methodologies, as well as interest in the application of these methods to crustal structure, near‐ surface geophysics, geothermal exploration, and basin analysis. Facilitating communication between members of SEG and those of AGU has a significant impact on the geophysical sciences. The AGU‐SEG Collaboration Committee (ASCC) was established as part of the AGUSEG Alliance Agreement, signed in 2010. In the agreement, ASCC was “charged with considering and making recommendations to the respective organizations regarding other areas of cooperation, such as joint workshops or programs and continuing‐ education courses.” The first committee‐wide meeting was held on 11 February 2011. Subsequent meetings are scheduled every 4–6 weeks.
Climate change: Global risks, challenges and decisions
Authors: McBean Gordon
Published: April 2012

In 2009, world leaders at the 15th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed to the Copenhagen Accord, which states in the opening paragraph, “To achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, we shall, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, on the basis of equity and in the context of sustainable development, enhance our long‐term cooperative action to combat climate change.” This book addresses the key elements of that statement: On the basis of analyses of climate science, what is dangerous? Where does the 2°C come from? What are possible response measures, and can we hold at 2°C? What are the critical impacts and needs for adaptation? The book presents these issues in the basis of equity and in the context of sustainable development and, most important, talks about the challenges.
Laboratory analysis updates fault slip formula
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: April 2012

The rate at which one rock slab slides past another, such as along a fault or fracture, depends on the strengths of the applied forces and the friction between the blocks. Though simple in concept, accurately modeling the interactions—especially the extreme cases of prolonged stress accumulation or the sudden rupture of an earthquake—is difficult. Researchers rely on the rate‐ and state‐dependent friction law (RSF) to estimate the slip velocity in a fracture from the imposed stresses. The empirical RSF is itself broken down into two component parts: the constitutive law, which describes how the rock reacts to external forces and pressures, and the evolution law, which attempts to explain how the friction at the fracture interface changes under varying amounts of stress. Embedded within the constitutive law are two empirical parameterizations: the direct effect coefficient, which accounts for stresses perpendicular to the direction of motion, and the state variable, which is derived from the evolution law and describes changes in the physical state of the rock at the friction interface.
Simulating thermokarst lakes
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: April 2012

Thermokarst lakes, which form from thawing permafrost, alter landscapes and hydrology and can release significant amounts of methane to the atmosphere. To learn more about the dynamics of thermokarst lakes, Kessler et al. created a three‐dimensional numerical model of these lakes that includes the surrounding topography. They simulated 10,000 years of evolution of two small thermokarst lakes on the northern Seward Peninsula in Alaska and studied the pattern of methane production and emission over time. They found that the rate of methane production depends on the rate of expansion of thermokarst lakes into ancient permafrost and that local topography strongly influences the rate of expansion and drainage of the lakes. One lake, located in relatively fat surroundings, expanded rapidly and drained many times, while the other, surrounded by steeper slopes, grew more slowly and drained only partially. Thus, topography is an important control on thermokarst lake dynamics and methane emission. (Journal of Geophysical Research‐Biogeosciences, doi:10.1029/2011JG001796, 2012)
Modeling geomagnetically induced electric field and currents by combining a global MHD model with a local one‐dimensional method
Authors: Zhang J. J. , Wang C. , Tang B. B.
Published: April 2012

Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) flowing in long conductor systems on the ground are a well‐known space weather hazard. We develop a new approach to simulating GICs by combining a global MHD model with a local one‐dimensional method. As an example, we apply this approach to model the GIC at the Pirttikoski 400 kV transformer of the Finnish high‐voltage power system during the space weather event of 22–23 September 1999. The modeled results can capture the main observational features, and the model performances is better than two GIC persistence models, which demonstrates this promising new approach in GIC forecasting.