bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GluN1 hypomorph mice exhibit wide‐ranging behavioral alterations
Authors: Barkus C. , Dawson L. A. , Sharp T. , Bannerman D. M.
Published: February 2012

The psychotomimetic effects of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDA) antagonists such as ketamine and phencyclidine suggest a role for reduced NMDA receptor‐mediated neurotransmission in schizophrenia. GluN1 ‘hypomorph’ (GluN1hypo) mice exhibit reduced NMDA receptor expression and have been suggested as a mouse model of schizophrenia. However, NMDA receptors are ubiquitous and are implicated in many physiological and pathological processes. The GluN1hypo mice have a global reduction of NMDA receptors and the consequences of such a global manipulation are likely to be wide‐ranging. We therefore assessed GluN1hypo mice on a battery of behavioral tests, including tests of naturalistic behaviors, anxiety and cognition. GluN1hypo mice exhibited impairments on all tests of cognition that we employed, as well as reduced engagement in naturalistic behaviors, including nesting and burrowing. Behavioral deficits were present in both spatial and non‐spatial domains, and included deficits on both short‐ and long‐term memory tasks. Results from anxiety tests did not give a clear overall picture. This may be the result of confounds such as the profound hyperactivity seen in GluN1hypo mice, although hyperactivity cannot account for all of the results obtained. When viewed against this background of far‐reaching behavioral abnormalities, the specificity of any one behavioral deficit is inevitably called into question. Indeed, the present data from GluN1hypo mice are indicative of a global impairment rather than any specific disease. The deficits seen go beyond what one would expect from a mouse model of schizophrenia, thus questioning their utility as a selective model of this disease.
Validation of a high‐resolution, remotely operated aerial remote‐sensing system for the identification of herbaceous plant species
Authors: Ishihama Fumiko , Watabe Yasuyuki , Oguma Hiroyuki
Published: February 2012

Question

Is a high‐resolution remote‐sensing system based on a radio‐controlled helicopter (the ‘Falcon‐PARS system’) an effective tool to obtain images that can be used to identify herbaceous species?

Location

Watarase wetland, Japan.

Methods

We applied the remote‐sensing system to a wetland composed mainly of Phragmites australis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. The aerial observation was performed in a 100 × 200 m area at a flying height of 30 m. From the obtained images, we tried to identify P. australis and M. sacchariflorus through visual interpretation.

Results

We obtained images with a high spatial resolution (1 cm) and a positioning accuracy of finer than 1 m using this small and lightweight system, and confirmed that we could identify the above two species from the obtained images.

Conclusion

Such a high‐resolution system can be used to directly identify herbaceous species, and as a non‐destructive alternative to ground surveys. This lightweight system can be carried to sites such as a high‐altitude bog that cannot be reached by a motor vehicle. Because of the low flying height (below cloud level), aerial observation is possible even on cloudy days, thereby permitting observations in all seasons.
The Psychology of Reading and the Victorian Novel
Authors: Gettelman Debra
Published: February 2012

This article examines a growing body of work on the psychology of novel reading in the Victorian period by focusing on how three related fields have recently, simultaneously, turned their attention to readers’ minds: the history of reading; studies of psychology and literature; and, more surprisingly, studies of Victorian sociability. Across these fields, critics have found that Victorian readers were not always expected to pay attention: 19th‐century psychologists and observers of literary culture thought that many layers and vagaries of the reader’s consciousness and unconscious mind were at work in the reading process. Newly accessible, first‐hand accounts of reading experiences have also underscored that Victorian readers used books in unpredictable ways, often as a prompt for their own associations or to turn inward and reflect on social practice. Partly in response to the Foucauldian emphasis on the coerciveness of novel reading that long monopolized literary studies, critics have been redrawing 19th‐century reading history to includenotreading, or perhaps not only reading, but also the ways novel reading afforded unique forms of self‐knowledge amidst the pressures and worries of the modern Victorian world.
Masculinity and National Identity on the Early American Stage
Authors: Chinn Sarah E.
Published: February 2012

This essay explores how the early American stage functioned as an incubator for ideas about national identity, artistic expression, and masculinity. Reading four plays from the early years of the Republic – Royall Tyler’s The Contrast, William Dunlap’s André, John Augustus Stone’s Metamora, and Robert Montgomery Bird’s The Gladiator, I demonstrate how early American drama addressed changing concepts of ideal masculinity, republican democracy, and the colonial past.
“A Kyng That Ruled All By Lust”: Richard II in Elizabethan Literature
Authors: Luecking Frost Lea
Published: February 2012

Since the earliest performances of Shakespeare’s Richard II, parallels between its tragic protagonist and Elizabeth I have not gone unnoticed – not least by Elizabeth herself. This essay attempts to move beyond that parallel, examining its implications not only for readings of Shakespeare’s play or Elizabethan imaginings of the queen, but also to the relationship of sexuality and historiography in early modern writing. Richard and Elizabeth both embody a transgressive femininity that exposes, rather than contradicts, the gender norms of monarchy; this exposure becomes, in Elizabethan historical writing, inextricable from the crisis of legitimacy at the heart of Tudor dynastic narratives.
New York Writing as Transatlantic Literature of Anglo‐Identity Reformation
Authors: Gemelos Michele
Published: February 2012

Since its consolidation as Greater New York City in 1898 (and even much earlier), New York City has served as a setting and subject for a number of literary experiments. These experiments in both fiction and nonfiction challenged expectations about form and content of writing about New York City. The immense variety of texts resulting from literary engagements with New York City has been collected in a host of anthologies and literary histories that have been published throughout the 20th century and in the past decade. Many of these works have offered evidence of how foreign writers have engaged with New York. Foreign literary visitors, especially the British, offered new models for literary transatlanticism through their encounters with New York City which, more often than not, explored aspects of personal and political identity. With all of its attendant anxieties, the theme of identity was at the center of early 20th‐century British as well as American writing in which New York plays a significant part such as Henry James’s The American Scene (1907) and Ford Madox Ford’s An English Girl (1907), New York is Not America (1927), When the Wicked Man (1931), some of which I consider here. British and American New York texts serve as meditations on changing notions of ‘Anglo’ identity, in particular, as well as changing notions of transatlantic writing. Only by reading these texts comparatively and historically is this important cross‐conversation about ‘Anglo’ identity and transatlantic textual identity revealed. For the British, this type of writing has its roots in works 19th‐century travel and social commentary by Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and others. Since the early 20th century, however, the models for modern British writers of New York also include those offered by American expatriate writers such as James, who foreground the complex issue of identity in an imperial and post‐imperial world in their literary engagements with the city. British New York texts such as Ford’s tend to present the city as a forum for startling and frank fictional and nonfictional discussions about what it means to be ‘Anglo’ in an increasingly transatlantic and cosmopolitan world.
PP1 and PP2A phosphatases – cooperating partners in modulating retinoblastoma protein activation
Authors: Kolupaeva Victoria , Janssens Veerle
Published: February 2012

The retinoblastoma/pocket protein family is one of the master regulators of the eukaryotic cell cycle. It includes the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and the related p107 and p130 proteins. The importance of the Rb pathway for homeostasis and tumour suppression is evident from the fact that inactivating mutations in Rb are frequently associated with many cancers. Rbs regulate the cell cycle by controlling the activity of the E2F family of transcription factors. The activity of Rb proteins themselves is modulated by their phosphorylation status at several Ser/Thr residues: phosphorylation by cyclin‐dependent kinases inactivates Rb proteins and positively influences the transcription of genes necessary for cell cycle progression. Although the mechanisms of cyclin‐dependent kinase‐mediated inactivation of Rb proteins are understood in great detail, our knowledge of the process that counteracts Rb phosphorylation is still quite limited. The present review focuses on the Ser/Thr phosphatases that are responsible for the dephosphorylation and thus activation of Rb proteins. Two major scenarios are considered: (a) when pocket proteins are dephosphorylated during regular cell cycle progression and (b) when rapid dephosphorylation is dictated by external stress or growth inhibitory conditions, such as oxidative stress, UV radiation or other DNA‐damaging stimuli, and cell differentiation factors. It transpires that protein phosphatase 1 and protein phosphatase 2A can efficiently modulate pocket protein activity in a highly context‐dependent manner and both are tightly regulated by the presence of different regulatory subunits or interacting proteins.
A prospective pilot study of ultrasound therapy effectiveness in refractory venous leg ulcers
Authors: Escandon Julia , Vivas Alejandra C , Perez Robert , Kirsner Robert , Davis Stephen
Published: February 2012

Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of leg ulcers in the United States. Venous leg ulcers cost the health care system billions of dollars annually, and healing rates are less than 70% with standard of care; therefore, new therapies are needed to increase healing times and minimize associated costs. Non contact ultrasound therapy has been used to treat a variety of chronic wounds including venous leg ulcers, and it is thought that ultrasound has an effect on decreasing the bacterial count in wounds, although the exact mechanism of action of ultrasound is yet to be determined. We conducted an open labelled pilot study of 10 refractory venous ulcers of large size to determine the effect of non contact ultrasound on wound closure, bacterial counts, expression of inflammatory cytokines and pain reduction. We lacked a sham control group but we compared the baseline and end of treatment assessments and noted the differences. We found a significant reduction in wound area (P = 0·0039) over the 4‐week treatment period. We also found a decline in individual and total bacterial counts; however, these differences were not significant. For all patients, there was also a trend toward reduced inflammatory cytokine expression compared with baseline levels; however, this reduction did not reach statistical significance. Interestingly, there was a correlation between healing and change in cytokine expression, which showed statistically significance for tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐αP = 0·0395, IL‐1a P = 0·0351, IL‐6 P = 0·0508, IL‐8 P = 0·0990. Pain as measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) was reduced from 4 at the baseline to 2·7 by the end of the study. In conclusion, we found that patients treated with ultrasound therapy and compression therapy show clinical improvement over the course of 4 weeks and had a decrease in inflammatory cytokines, bacterial counts and pain.
The utility of Gram stains and culture in the management of limb ulcers in persons with diabetes
Authors: Abbas Zulfiqarali G , Lutale Janet K , Ilondo Mapoko M , Archibald Lennox K
Published: February 2012

In Tanzania, limited laboratory services often preclude routine identification of microorganisms that cause infections in persons with diabetes. Thus, we carried out this study to determine the utility of a Gram stain alone versus culture in guiding appropriate antimicrobial therapy. During February 2006 to December 2007 (study period), deep tissue biopsies were obtained from persons with diabetes presenting to the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) with infected limb ulcers. Specimens were Gram‐stained then cultured for bacteria and fungi. Biopsies were obtained from 128 patients. Of 128 cultures, 118 (92%) yielded bacterial or fungal growth; 59 (50%) of these 118 cultures yielded mixed growth (80% included Gram‐negative organisms); 38 (32%) and 20 (17%) yielded Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive organisms alone, respectively. The predictive value positive of a Gram stain for bacterial growth was 93% (110/118); a Gram‐positive stain was 75% (15/20) predictive of growth of Gram‐positive organisms whereas a Gram‐negative stain was 82% (31/38) predictive of growth of Gram‐negative organisms. In regions with limited resources, a Gram stain of an ulcer biopsy that is carefully procured is largely predictive of the type of microorganism causing infection. Gram staining of deep tissue biopsies might have a potential role to play in the management of infected diabetic limb ulcers.
Genetic susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease: MBL2 structural polymorphisms revisited in a large case–control study and a systematic review
Authors: Bradley D. T. , Bourke T. W. , Fairley D. J. , Borrow R. , Shields M. D. , Young I. S. , Zipfel P. F. , Hughes A. E.
Published: February 2012

Invasive infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis is a worldwide public health problem. Previous reports have indicated that carriage of common ‘defective’ structural polymorphisms of the host mannose‐binding lectin gene (MBL2) greatly increases an individual’s risk of developing the disease. We report the largest case–control study so far to investigate the effect of these polymorphisms in meningococcal disease (296 PCR‐positive cases and 5196 population controls, all of European ancestry) and demonstrate that no change in risk is associated with the polymorphisms overall or in any age‐defined subgroup. This finding contrasts with two smaller studies that reported an increase in risk. A systematic review of all studies of MBL2 polymorphisms in people of European ancestry published since 1999, including 24 693 individuals, revealed a population frequency of the combined ‘defective’MBL2 allele of 0.230 (95% confidence limits: 0.226–0.234). The past reported associations of increased risk of meningococcal disease were because of low ‘defective’ allele frequencies in their study control populations (0.13 and 0.04) that indicate systematic problems with the studies. The data from our study and all other available evidence indicate that MBL2 structural polymorphisms do not predispose children or adults to invasive meningococcal disease.
Technology and Properties of PBZTS Ceramics
Authors: Skulski Ryszard , Bochenek Dariusz , Wawrzała Paweł , Dercz Grzegorz , Brzezińska Dagmara
Published: February 2012

This paper presents the results of preparing and investigating the solid solution of lead barium zirconate titanate stannate (Pb1−xBax)[(Zr1−yTiy)1−zSnz]O3 with x = 0.25, y = 0.35 and z = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.10. Ceramic samples were obtained from oxides and carbonates using conventional ceramic technology and pressureless sintering. The results of Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) investigations, XRD studies, as well as dielectric measurements and electromechanical investigations are presented. It was stated that at the room temperature, the structure of the investigated samples is pseudo‐cubic, typical for relaxors. Maximal value of elementary cell parameter is observed for z = 0.02, and for higher values of z, we observe almost linear decrease with increasing z. It was found that with increasing content of the Sn, the temperature Tm at which dielectric permittivity reaches its maximum decreases. Analyzing P‐E hysteresis loops it was stated that the phase transition in the investigated samples takes place at temperatures approximately 100°C lower than the temperature of the dielectric permittivity maximum. The temperature of phase transition was calculated also from hysteresis loops and compared with that obtained from measurements of dielectric permittivity.
Effects of Treefall Gap Disturbances on Ant Assemblages in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest
Authors: Patrick Margaret , Fowler David , Dunn Robert R. , Sanders Nathan J.
Published: February 2012

The study of gap dynamics and the effects of gaps on diversity has been at the center of tropical ecology for decades. While most studies have focused on the responses of plant species and communities to gap formation, in this study, we consider the effects of treefall gap disturbances on leaf litter ant assemblages in a Neotropical montane cloud forest. We sampled leaf litter ant assemblages and estimated a suite of abiotic parameters in 12 large (>80‐m2) treefall gaps across a chronosequence and in 12 paired adjacent intact forest sites in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in Costa Rica. No species were more common in gaps than in intact forests, and in fact, species that were common in gaps were also among the most common in forests. The Chao2 estimate of species richness, however, was higher in gap sites than in intact forest sites. In addition, ant assemblages in gap sites did not become more similar to those in adjacent intact sites as gaps aged. In contrast to other studies, our work demonstrates that ant assemblages in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve are weakly affected by the formation of treefall gaps. Together, these results indicate that treefall gap dynamics probably play little role in promoting ant diversity at more regional scales, or coexistence among species at more local scales.
Farm Level Supply of Short Rotation Woody Crops: Economic Assessment in the Long‐Term for Household Farming Systems
Authors: Ridier Aude
Published: February 2012

In this paper, we propose an analysis and modeling of farmers’ decision to convert a part of their annual crops area into woody crops: short rotation coppices (SRCs). Different criteria—technical, economic, and financial—are highlighted in the farmers’ decision to adopt this production. A farm‐level model is proposed and incorporates these decision criteria. The objective is to test several incentive scenarios to encourage risk‐averse cereal farmers to plant trees. A multiperiod model of investment is built and tests possible adoption by farmers based on financial and structural parameters and according to the outlook of agricultural markets. The simulations show that if the cash crop prices fluctuate in the future and if farmers are risk averse the strategy of on‐farm diversification toward woody crops under contractual arrangements could be relevant for farmers to mitigate the risks in the long run.

Cet article présente une analyse et une modélisation de la décision d’un agriculteur céréalier qui souhaite convertir une partie de sa surface en grande culture en Taillis à Courte Rotation (TCR). Un modèle multi‐périodique d’investissement est construit et incorpore différents critères techniques, économiques et financiers qui entrent dans la décision d’adopter ces nouvelles cultures pérennes. Le modèle permet de tester le rôle de différents types de soutiens, proposés aujourd’hui dans le cadre de la Politique Agricole Commune européenne, permettant d’encourager les agriculteurs averses au risque à planter des arbres. Les simulations montrent que si les prix des grandes cultures annuelles fluctuent à l’avenir, si la plantation d’arbres est soutenue et si les agriculteurs sont averses au risque, la stratégie de se diversifier vers la plantation d’arbres à croissance rapide, sous contrat, peut permettre d’atténuer le risque à long terme.
Renal Replacement Therapy in Cardiology Wards: Changing Trends in a Transitional Country
Authors: Bacak‐Kocman Iva , Basic‐Jukic Nikolina , Lovcic Vesna , Prkacin Ingrid , Milicic Davor , Kes Petar
Published: February 2012

The leading causes of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are cardiovascular diseases, regardless of the stage of disease or method of renal replacement therapy. On the other hand, CKD is a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications after acute myocardial infarction, as well as for adverse outcome in patients with chronic heart failure. In the present study we prospectively followed‐up nephrological interventions in cardiology wards in order to determine changes in indications, treatment possibilities and outcome of patients. All patients treated at cardiology ward of the Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb and requiring renal replacement therapy from January 2003 to December 2009 were included in the investigation. Cardiology hospital unit (intensive care or regular hospital cardiology ward), age, gender, Sepsis‐related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, indication for dialysis, primary diagnosis, vascular access, methods of treatment, number of treatments, prescribed and delivered dose of dialysis and outcome were recorded. Patients were followed up until death during hospitalization or discharge from the hospital. From January 2003 to December 2009, 251 patients had been hospitalized at different cardiology wards and required renal replacement therapy. Mean age was 64.95 years (range 22 to 97 years), and there were 27.8% female patients. 52.9% of patients were hospitalized in the coronary intensive care unit. SOFA score had increased during the observed period from average 6.5 in 2003 to 13.45 in 2009. Specific knowledge with close collaboration between nephrologists and cardiologists is needed to achieve optimal outcome in this complex condition.
In Situ Biotreatment of TBA with Recirculation/Oxygenation
Authors: North Katharine P. , Mackay Douglas M. , Kayne Julian S. , Petersen Daniel , Rasa Ehsan , Rastegarzadeh Laleh , Holland Reef B. , Scow Kate M.
Published: February 2012

The potential for in situ biodegradation of tert‐butyl alcohol (TBA) by creation of aerobic conditions in the subsurface with recirculating well pairs was investigated in two field studies conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In the first experiment, a single recirculating well pair with bromide tracer and oxygen amendment successfully delivered oxygen to the subsurface for 42 d. TBA concentrations were reduced from approximately 500 μg/L to below the detection limit within the treatment zone and the treated water was detected in a monitoring transect several meters downgradient. In the second experiment, a site‐calibrated model was used to design a double recirculating well pair with oxygen amendment, which successfully delivered oxygen to the subsurface for 291 d and also decreased TBA concentrations to below the detection limit. Methylibium petroleiphilum strain PM1, a known TBA‐degrading bacterium, was detectable at the study site but addition of oxygen had little impact on the already low baseline population densities, suggesting that there was not enough carbon within the groundwater plume to support significant new growth in the PM1 population. Given favorable hydrogeologic and geochemical conditions, the use of recirculating well pairs to introduce dissolved oxygen into the subsurface is a viable method to stimulate in situ biodegradation of TBA or other aerobically degradable aquifer contaminants.
3′‐Axial CH2OH Substitution on Glucopyranose does not Increase Glycogen Phosphorylase Inhibitory Potency. QM/MM‐PBSA Calculations Suggest Why
Authors: Manta Stella , Xipnitou Andromachi , Kiritsis Christos , Kantsadi Anastassia L. , Hayes Joseph M. , Skamnaki Vicky T. , Lamprakis Christos , Kontou Maria , Zoumpoulakis Panagiotis , Zographos Spyridon E. , Leonidas Demetres D. , Komiotis Dimitri
Published: February 2012

Glycogen phosphorylase is a molecular target for the design of potential hypoglycemic agents. Structure‐based design pinpointed that the 3′‐position of glucopyranose equipped with a suitable group has the potential to form interactions with enzyme’s cofactor, pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (PLP), thus enhancing the inhibitory potency. Hence, we have investigated the binding of two ligands, 1‐(β‐d‐glucopyranosyl)5‐fluorouracil (GlcFU) and its 3′‐CH2OH glucopyranose derivative. Both ligands were found to be low micromolar inhibitors with Ki values of 7.9 and 27.1 μm, respectively. X‐ray crystallography revealed that the 3′‐CH2OH glucopyranose substituent is indeed involved in additional molecular interactions with the PLP γ‐phosphate compared with GlcFU. However, it is 3.4 times less potent. To elucidate this discovery, docking followed by postdocking Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics – Poisson–Boltzmann Surface Area (QM/MM‐PBSA) binding affinity calculations were performed. While the docking predictions failed to reflect the kinetic results, the QM/MM‐PBSA revealed that the desolvation energy cost for binding of the 3′‐CH2OH‐substituted glucopyranose derivative out‐weigh the enthalpy gains from the extra contacts formed. The benefits of performing postdocking calculations employing a more accurate solvation model and the QM/MM‐PBSA methodology in lead optimization are therefore highlighted, specifically when the role of a highly polar/charged binding interface is significant.
Hospital Management and Outcomes of Stroke in Indigenous Australians: Evidence from the 2009 Acute Care National Stroke Audit
Authors: Kilkenny Monique F. , Harris Dawn M. , Ritchie Elizabeth A. , Price Chris , Cadilhac Dominique A.
Published: February 2012

Background

Indigenous Australians have greater stroke mortality rates than non-Indigenous people (97% Indigenous Australians are aged <65 years). Quality of care in hospital is an important factor for avoiding death and disability. No national review of acute stroke care for Indigenous Australians is available.

Aims

We aimed to compare adherence with clinical processes and outcomes among Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients with acute stroke admitted to hospital.

Methods

Hospitals participating in the National Stroke Audit of acute services in 2009 that provided data for at least one Indigenous patient were included ( n = 33, 37%). Differences in death/dependency (modified Rankin Score 3–6) at discharge were determined using two-level multivariate analysis adjusting for hospital site and patient variables. A matched subgroup analysis in those aged 18 to 64 years was also undertaken.

Results

Among 1162 eligible patients (60% male; 18–64 years n = 305), 7% were Indigenous (18–64 years: 18%). Indigenous patients had a greater prevalence of stroke risk factors, e.g. diabetes, more had intracerebral hemorrhages (25% vs. 16% non-Indigenous, P = 0·05), and were less likely be treated in a stroke unit and receive timely allied health assessments than non-Indigenous patients. Indigenous patients aged 18–64 years had a threefold odds of dying or being dependent at discharge (Adjusted odds ratio = 3·09, 95% confidence interval = 1·07–8·95).

Conclusions

Australian Indigenous patients with stroke received a reduced quality of care in hospitals and experienced worse outcomes than non-Indigenous patients. Indigenous patients require the provision of evidence-based care to increase their opportunities for optimal health outcomes following stroke. Further research to explain the differences is needed.
Rainwater harvesting for human consumption and livelihood improvement in rural Nepal: benefits and risks
Authors: Domènech Laia , Heijnen Han , Saurí David
Published: February 2012

Use of rooftop rainwater as a source of drinking water in developing countries is increasing. However, scepticism about the potential of this source and the associated health risks is still prevalent among water planners. A free listing and a household survey among 120 households was conducted in the hills of Nepal to examine the performance of rainwater harvesting systems. Users perceive few health risks and in contrast, reported a wide range of benefits, including health benefits associated with the consumption of rainwater. Water quality testing results generally demonstrate good water quality but confirm that appropriate operation and maintenance practices are critical to ensure the collection of good quality water. Deficiencies in technical design and construction, lack of awareness, no market for spare parts and the inability of vulnerable households to maintain the system pose a risk to the collection and storage of safe water and to the long‐lasting performance of the systems.
Characteristics of organic nitrogen fractions in sediments of the shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area in China
Authors: Wang Shengrui , Jiao Lixin , Jin Xiangcan , Niu Dalin
Published: February 2012

The contents of different organic nitrogen (N) fractions, their contributions to total N (TN) and the relationship between their mineralisable N (MN) and different organic N fractions were investigated. Acid hydrophsable N (AHN) and nonhydrolysable N (NHN) accounted for 70.66 to 91.69% and 8.31 to 29.34% of TN. The AHN was the main organic N fraction, and its relative contribution to TN was higher than that in soil. So in terms of AHN contents and their contribution to TN, sediments are more hazardous than soils for lake eutrophication in the studied area. The ammonium N (AN), amino‐acid N (AAN), amino‐sugar N (ASN) and hydrolysable unidentified N (HUN) accounted for 30.51, 31.38, 6.42 and 31.69% of the total organic N, respectively. AN and AAN were the main sources of the MN in the studied sediments, which contributed to N release more than that of ASN and HUN.
Theories of Reference and Experimental Philosophy
Authors: Genone James
Published: February 2012

In recent years, experimental philosophers have questioned the reliance of philosophical arguments on intuitions elicited by thought experiments. These challenges seek to undermine the use of this methodology for a particular domain of theorizing, and in some cases to raise doubts about the viability of philosophical work in the domain in question. The topic of semantic reference has been an important area for discussion of these issues, one in which critics of the reliance on intuitions have made particularly strong claims about the prospects for philosophical theories of reference and arguments based on claims about reference. In this article, I review the main lines of argument in this area of experimental philosophy, with particular emphasis on the relevance of empirical data about intuitions to philosophical views. I argue that although traditional philosophical theorizing about reference faces little threat from experimental data about intuitions, there is nevertheless much to be gained from collecting and analyzing such data, which holds the promise of greatly enriching our conception of the mechanisms governing judgments about semantic reference in ways that are highly relevant to philosophers.
Museums and Philosophy – Of Art, and Many Other Things Part I
Authors: Gaskell Ivan
Published: February 2012

This two‐part article examines the very limited engagement by philosophers with museums, and proposes analysis under six headings: cultural variety, taxonomy, and epistemology in Part I, and teleology, ethics, and therapeutics and aesthetics in Part II. The article establishes that fundamental categories of museums established in the 19th century – of art, of anthropology, of history, of natural history, of science and technology – still persist. Among them, it distinguishes between hegemonic (predominantly Western) and subaltern (minority or Indigenous) museums worldwide. It argues that relations between hegemonic and subaltern museums are often agonistic, and are compromised by claims of universalism on the part of proponents of the former. The article observes that most discussion of museums focuses exclusively and misleadingly on their public exhibition function, and contends that scholarship – not exhibition – is central to all museums. However, that predominantly taxonomic scholarship, while innovative and central to a dominant epistemology based on the observation of tangible things in the 19th century, was compromised by the epistemic shift to abstraction and experimentation in the 20th, which resulted in a loss of initiative and authority. Although epistemological changes currently in progress favor a renewed attention to tangible things as complex matrices to which museums ought to contribute significantly, the fundamental taxonomy of museums by collection type is a clog on the ability of museum scholars to engage with and themselves produce big ideas. In order to function well as sites of scholarship in the future, museums will have to be far more adaptable and attentive to a wider range of things and ideas (including Indigenous ideas incompatible with Western assumptions) than their existing collection divisions permit.
Metaontological Minimalism
Authors: Linnebo Øystein
Published: February 2012

Can there be objects that are ‘thin’ in the sense that very little is required for their existence? A number of philosophers have thought so. For instance, many Fregeans believe it suffices for the existence of directions that there be lines standing in the relation of parallelism; other philosophers believe it suffices for a mathematical theory to have a model that the theory be coherent. This article explains the appeal of thin objects, discusses the three most important strategies for articulating and defending the idea of such objects, and outlines some problems that these strategies face.
Obesity/Fatness and the City: Critical Urban Geographies
Authors: Evans Bethan , Crookes Lee , Coaffee Jon
Published: February 2012

There has been increasing emphasis on the built urban environment within anti‐obesity policy in the UK and elsewhere in the global north as part of a shift away from a model of individual responsibility to focus on so‐called ‘obesogenic environments’. While recent policy has called for urban design and planning professionals to eradicate obesity there is, however, significant uncertainty in the science surrounding the relationship between body size, urban design and health and little definitive evidence about what works. In this paper, we therefore outline connections between critical geographies of obesity and urban geographies in order to question the ways in which obesity is framed and politicised in relation to the urban built environment.
Racial Socialization as a Mechanism for Positive Development Among African American Youth
Authors: Evans Ashley B. , Banerjee Meeta , Meyer Rika , Aldana Adriana , Foust Monica , Rowley Stephanie
Published: February 2012

Abstract— This review considers the relation between racial socialization and positive youth development in African American families. A central premise is that positive youth outcomes (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) are often directly supported through traditional racial socialization messages (such as cultural socialization, preparation for bias, self‐worth, and egalitarianism). The review draws contrasts between the more prevalent risk and resilience models and positive youth development, and makes recommendations for future research directions.
The Development and Care of Institutionally Reared Children
Authors:   The Leiden Conference on the Development and Care of Children without Permanent Parents
Published: February 2012

Abstract— This article briefly summarizes the literature on elements of research, practice, and policy pertaining to the development and care of children raised in institutions. It covers such children’s development while they reside in institutions and after their transition to adoptive or foster families. Of special interest are attachment and indiscriminate friendliness, physical growth, neurobiological deficits, and sensitive periods. Early exposure of a year or 2 to a substandard institution is related to higher than expected rates of a variety of long‐term neurological, physical, cognitive, and behavioral deficiencies and problems, even if the children are subsequently reared in advantaged families. Countries hoping to transition from a reliance on institutions to family care alternatives face a variety of unique challenges relating to their prevailing historical, cultural, political, and financial circumstances. Although there has been progress, developing a child welfare system of family alternatives may take time in some countries.
Compensatory Mitigation for Streams Under the Clean Water Act: Reassessing Science and Redirecting Policy1
Authors: Doyle Martin W. , Douglas Shields F.
Published: February 2012

Doyle, Martin W. and F. Douglas Shields, 2012. Compensatory Mitigation for Streams Under the Clean Water Act: Reassessing Science and Redirecting Policy. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 494‐509. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00631.x

Abstract:  Current stream restoration science is not adequate to assume high rates of success in recovering ecosystem functional integrity. The physical scale of most stream restoration projects is insufficient because watershed land use controls ambient water quality and hydrology, and land use surrounding many restoration projects at the time of their construction, or in the future, do not provide sufficient conditions for functional integrity recovery. Reach scale channel restoration or modification has limited benefits within the broader landscape context. Physical habitat variables are often the basis for indicating success, but are now increasingly seen as poor surrogates for actual biological function; the assumption “if you build it they will come” lacks support of empirical studies. If stream restoration is to play a continued role in compensatory mitigation under the United States Clean Water Act, then significant policy changes are needed to adapt to the limitations of restoration science and the social environment under which most projects are constructed. When used for compensatory mitigation, stream restoration should be held to effectiveness standards for actual and measurable physical, chemical, or biological functional improvement. To achieve improved mitigation results, greater flexibility may be required for the location and funding of restoration projects, the size of projects, and the restoration process itself.
A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Manipulation under Anaesthesia and Capsular Distension for the Treatment of Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder
Authors: Ng Chye Yew , Amin Anish K. , Mcmullan Liz , Mckie Scott , Brenkel Ivan J. , Cook Robert E.
Published: February 2012

Background

We performed a prospective randomised trial recruiting patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder, to undergo either manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA) or capsular distension.

Methods

Between 2006 and 2010, 28 patients (30 shoulders) were recruited. The mean age was 53 years (44–69). Randomisation was done using a sealed envelope.

Results

Preoperatively, the MUA group had significantly less mean abduction than the distension group (58.2 ± 5.2° vs. 75.7 ± 5.4°; p = 0.03). At 6 months, the MUA group achieved greater mean abduction (163.0 ± 2.4° vs. 130.7 ± 10.3°; p = 0.02). Preoperatively, the MUA group had significantly less external rotation compared to the distension group (11.0 ± 2.8° vs. 24.0 ± 4.1°; p = 0.03). At 6 months, the external rotation was not statistically different between the groups (40.3 ± 4.0° vs. 40.3 ± 4.6°; p = 0.75). Preoperatively, both groups had similar pain visual analogue score (VAS) (5.7 ± 0.6 vs. 4.7 ± 0.6; p = 0.30) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores (49.4 ± 4.7 vs. 53.8 ± 1.6; p = 0.26). However there was no statistically significant difference noted between the groups for VAS (1.5 ± 0.4 vs. 2.9 ± 0.8; p = 0.39) or DASH (12.4 ± 4.3 vs. 25.1 ± 6.4; p = 0.21) at 6-month review.

Discussion

MUA resulted in better shoulder abduction than capsular distension at 6 months following the procedure. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in external rotation or pain relief achieved.
Cure mechanisms in materials for use in esthetic dentistry
Authors: Kwon Tae‐Yub , Bagheri Rafat , Kim Young K. , Kim Kyo‐Han , Burrow Michael F.
Published: February 2012

The current paper reviews the curing mechanisms found in resin‐based materials used in dentistry. Historical aspects of dental products and the associated curing mechanisms are reviewed. In comparison with common industrial procedures, curing methods employed for dental materials are relatively limited because of the need to polymerize quickly in the oral cavity at an ambient temperature. Heat‐cure and self‐cure dental resins utilize benzoyl peroxide initiator alone with a tertiary amine co‐initiator. At present, most dental restorative composites use a camphorquinone–amine complex initiation, visible light‐cure, one‐component systems, although alternative photoinitiators have been researched and developed. A multiple curing mode in a dual‐cure material is a complex combination of various initiation systems. The use of aryl sulfinic acid sodium salt to overcome adverse chemical interactions between simplified adhesives and self‐ or dual‐cure composites is based on another self‐cure polymerization mechanism, sulfinic acid‐initiated polymerization, proposed by Hagger in 1948. The sodium salt of aryl sulfinic acid reacts with an acidic monomer in simplified adhesives, and is believed to produce radicals. Clinically, it is important to try to optimize the degree of conversion of resin‐based materials using proper manipulation and adequate light‐curing techniques to ensure the best outcome for materials used to restore teeth.
Evoked otoacoustic emissions: An alternative test of auditory function in horses
Authors: Mc BREARTY A. , AUCKBURALLY A. , POLLOCK P. J. , PENDERIS J.
Published: February 2012

Reasons for performing study: Deafness has been reported in horses due to a variety of causes and objective auditory assessment has been performed with brainstem auditory evoked potential testing. Evoked otoacoustic emission (OAE) tests are widely used in human patients for hearing screening, detecting partial hearing loss (including frequency‐specific hearing loss) and monitoring cochlear outer hair cell function over time. OAE tests are noninvasive, quick and affordable. Two types of OAE are commonly used clinically: transient evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs). Detection of OAEs has not been reported and OAE testing has not been evaluated for auditory assessment in horses.

Objectives: To investigate whether TEOAEs and DPOAEs can be recorded in horses, and to evaluate the use of human OAE screening protocols in horses with apparently normal hearing.

Methods: Sixteen systemically healthy horses with normal behavioural responses to sound were included. OAE testing was performed during general anaesthesia using commercially available equipment and the final outcome for each ear for the TEOAE test (after a maximum of 3 runs) and the DPOAE test (after one run) were compared.

Results: TEOAEs and DPOAEs can be recorded in horses. Using the chosen TEOAE protocol, 96% of ears achieved a pass. Seventy percent of ears passed DPOAE testing, despite all of these ears passing TEOAE testing.

Conclusions: Using the chosen stimulus and analysis protocols, TEOAEs were recorded from most ears; however, a smaller proportion of ears passed the DPOAE protocol, suggesting that this may be overly stringent and require further optimisation in horses.

Potential relevance: OAE testing is rapid and easily performed in anaesthetised horses. It provides frequency‐specific information about outer hair cell function, and is a promising tool for audiological assessment in the horse; however, it has not been assessed in conscious or sedated animals.
Implicit measures of the stereotype content associated with disability
Authors: Rohmer Odile , Louvet Eva
Published: February 2012

The present research aimed to show that the mixed stereotype content of persons with disability observed at an explicit level does not manifest itself using implicit measures. Two experimental studies were conducted to analyse the stereotype content of persons with a disability at the implicit level. The procedure used in this study was the concept priming paradigm. Furthermore, Study 2 also included an explicit measure. Results show important discrepancies between implicit and explicit measures. At an explicit level, previous work supporting the mixed stereotype content of persons with disability was replicated: participants judged these persons as warmer but less competent than persons without a disability. At an implicit level, a quite different pattern of results emerged: persons with a disability were associated not only with less competence than persons without disability, but also with less warmth. These findings suggest that the mixed pattern between warmth and competence generally observed at an explicit level may be based on societal pressures against prejudice and discrimination.
On the Vortex-Induced Vibration Response of a Model Riser and Location of Sensors for Fatigue Damage Prediction
Authors: Shi C. , Manuel L. , Tognarelli M. A. , Botros T.
Published: February 2012

This study is concerned with vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of deepwater marine risers. Riser response measurements from model tests on a densely instrumented long, flexible riser in uniform and sheared currents offer an almost ideal setup for our work. Our objectives are two-fold: (i) we use the measured data to describe complexities inherent in riser motions accompanying VIV; and (ii) we discuss how such data sets (and even less spatially dense monitoring) can be used effectively in predicting fatigue damage rates, which are of critical interest for deepwater risers.
Affirmative Action Policies Promote Women and Do Not Harm Efficiency in the Laboratory
Authors: Balafoutas Loukas , Sutter Matthias
Published: February 2012

Girl Power

The potential of affirmative action policies to reduce overall outcomes because of lower individual performance has been discussed widely and at length. But do quotas or preferential treatment of applicants alter the pool of candidates?
Balafoutas and Sutter
(p.
579
; see the Perspective by

Villeval

) used an existing laboratory-based task to assess the change in composition of winning candidates and the overall outcome as a function of three affirmative action policies. Policies designed to encourage more women to enter a competitive environment served to recruit enough high-performing individuals to ensure that the efficiency in performing the task was preserved.

Beaman
et al.

(p.
582
, published online 12 January) examined the effects of a constitutionally mandated reservation of village-council and council-leader positions for women in West Bengal after two election cycles (1998 and 2003). The program appeared to narrow the gender gap in aspirations of parents for their children and of children for themselves; in addition, teenage girls spent more time in school and less on household chores. Beliefs and attitudes changed only after the second set of elections—that is, after a longer exposure to female role models—complementing the more rapid policy changes instituted by women council leaders after the first round of elections.