bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Reaction of Novel Spiro Pyrimidine Derivatives
Authors: Abu‐Hashem Ameen Ali
Published: December 2013

2‐Mercapto‐6‐[(pyridin‐4‐ylmethylene)‐amino]‐3H‐pyrimidin‐4‐one 1 was synthesized from Schiff base reaction of 6‐amino‐2‐thiouracil with isonicotinaldehyde. The reaction of 1 with hydrazonyl chloride 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d afforded the novel pyrimidin‐4‐one 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d. Compounds 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d reacted with methyl iodide to give 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d. Subsequently, reaction of 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d with triethylamine as a catalyst in dry chloroform yielded tetraaza‐spiro[4.5]deca‐2, 8‐dien‐7‐one 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d. In addition, reaction of 1 with acrylonitrile gave pyrimidin‐propionitrile 6. The cyclization of 6 by reacting with sodium ethoxide to give pyrimido [2, 1‐b] [1,3] thiazin‐6‐one 7. The refluxing of 1 with bromine in acetic acid yielded 2‐bromo‐pyrimidin‐4‐one 8. The latter compound 8 reacted with sodium azide gave tetrazolo‐pyrimidine 10. The chemical structures of the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectral analysis.
Emotional Intelligence and Creativity: The Mediating Role of Generosity and Vigor
Authors: Carmeli Abraham , McKay Alexander S. , Kaufman James C.
Published: December 2013

This study examines whether and why emotional intelligence may result in enhanced creativity in the workplace. Using a time‐lagged data set collected from employees in three firms, we examined a mediation model where emotional intelligence is indirectly related to creativity serially, through generosity and vigor. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) indicate a sequential mediation model where emotionally intelligent employees display a high level of generosity; these acts of generosity nurture a sense of vigor, which in turn fosters creative behaviors. We discuss the implications for research on emotional intelligence, generosity, vigor, and creativity.
Lorentz spaces with variable exponents
Authors: Kempka Henning , Vybíral Jan
Published: December 2013

We introduce Lorentz spaces and with variable exponents. We prove several basic properties of these spaces including embeddings and the identity . We also show that these spaces arise through real interpolation between and . Furthermore, we answer in a negative way the question posed in whether the Marcinkiewicz interpolation theorem holds in the frame of Lebesgue spaces with variable integrability.
Influence of cracks on the local current–voltage parameters of silicon solar cells
Authors: Pletzer Tobias M. , van Mölken Justus I. , Rißland Sven , Breitenstein Otwin , Knoch Joachim
Published: December 2013

The existence of cracks in silicon solar cells can drastically reduce the electrical performance of an individual cell and even of an entire photovoltaic module. An in‐depth understanding of the influence of cracks on solar cells enables therefore calculations of the crack impact and other following effects on module level. This paper shows a detailed analysis of the electrical influence of cracks with two different spatially resolved methods including global and local current–voltage characteristics. The main influence of cracks is an increased recombination current density in the depletion region, which is clearly shown by spatially resolved dark lock‐in thermography measurements with local current–voltage investigation. This increased recombination current density affects further cell parameters such as the efficiency, which is confirmed also by the global current–voltage characteristics. The additionally used ratio image technique based on electroluminescence measurements is in comparison with the local current–voltage method, the more reliable and faster method for the crack detection itself, and allows on cell‐level and module‐level a continuous inspection of cracks. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discovery and identification of serum potential biomarkers for pulmonary tuberculosis using iTRAQ‐coupled two‐dimensional LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Xu Dan‐Dan , Deng Dan‐Feng , Li Xiang , Wei Li‐Liang , Li Yan‐Yuan , Yang Xiu‐Yun , Yu Wei , Wang Chong , Jiang Ting‐Ting , Li Zhong‐Jie , Chen Zhong‐Liang , Zhang Xing , Liu Ji‐Yan , Ping Ze‐Peng , Qiu Yun‐Qing , Li Ji‐Cheng
Published: December 2013

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a chronic disease. Currently, there are no sufficiently validated biomarkers for early diagnosis of TB infection. In this study, a panel of potential serum biomarkers was identified between patients with pulmonary TB and healthy controls by using iTRAQ‐coupled 2D LC‐MS/MS technique. Among 100 differentially expressed proteins screened, 45 proteins were upregulated (>1.25‐fold at p < 0.05) and 55 proteins were downregulated (<0.8‐fold at p < 0.05) in the TB serum. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the differentially expressed proteins were related to the response to stimulus, the metabolic and immune system processes. The significantly differential expression of apolipoprotein CII (APOCII), CD5 antigen‐like (CD5L), hyaluronan‐binding protein 2 (HABP2), and retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4) was further confirmed using immunoblotting and ELISA analysis. By forward stepwise multivariate regression analysis, a panel of serum biomarkers including APOCII, CD5L, and RBP4 was obtained to form the disease diagnostic model. The receiver operation characteristic curve of the diagnostic model was 0.98 (sensitivity = 93.42%, specificity = 92.86%). In conclusion, APOCII, CD5L, HABP2, and RBP4 may be potential protein biomarkers of pulmonary TB. Our research provides useful data for early diagnosis of TB.
Establishment of a proteomic profile associated with gonocyte and spermatogonial stem cell maturation and differentiation in neonatal mice
Authors: Zheng Bo , Zhou Quan , Guo Yueshuai , Shao Binbin , Zhou Tao , Wang Lei , Zhou Zuomin , Sha Jiahao , Guo Xuejiang , Huang Xiaoyan
Published: December 2013

Initiation of the first wave of spermatogenesis in the neonatal mouse testis is characterized by differentiation of a transient population of germ cells called gonocytes in the center of the seminiferous tubules. After resuming mitotic activity, gonocytes relocate on the basement membrane, giving rise to spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). These processes begin from birth in mice, and differentiated type A spermatogonia first appear by day 6 postpartum. During these processes, Sertoli cells within the seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells in the interstitial tissue form the stem cell “niche,” and influence SSC fate decisions. Thus, we collected whole mouse testis tissues during the first wave of spermatogenesis at specific time points (days 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 postpartum) and constructed a comparative proteomic profile. We identified 252 differentially expressed proteins classified into three clusters based on expression, and bioinformatics analysis correlated each protein pattern to specific cell processes. Expression patterns of nine selected proteins were verified via Western blot, and cellular localizations of three proteins with little known information in testes were further investigated during spermatogenesis. Taken together, the results provide an important reference profile of a functional proteome during neonatal mouse gonocyte and SSC maturation and differentiation.
Antitumor activity of (R,R’)‐4‐methoxy‐1‐naphthylfenoterol in a rat C6 glioma xenograft model in the mouse
Authors: Bernier Michel , Paul Rajib K. , Dossou Katina S. S. , Wnorowski Artur , Ramamoorthy Anuradha , Paris Arnaud , Moaddel Ruin , Cloix Jean‐François , Wainer Irving W.
Published: December 2013

(R,R’)‐4‐methoxy‐1‐naphthylfenoterol (MNF) inhibits cancer cell proliferation in vitro through cell‐type specific modulation of β2‐adrenergic receptor and/or cannabinoid receptor function. Here, we report an investigation into antitumor activity of MNF in rat C6 glioma cells. The potent antiproliferative action of MNF in these cells (IC50 of ~1 nmol/L) was refractory to pharmacological inhibition of β2‐adrenergic receptor while a synthetic inverse agonist of cannabinoid receptor 1 significantly blocked MNF activity. The antitumor activity of MNF was then assessed in a C6 glioblastoma xenograft model in mice. Three days after subcutaneous implantation of C6 cells into the lower flank of nude mice, these animals were subjected to i.p. injections of saline or MNF (2 mg/kg) for 19 days and tumor volumes were measured over the course of the experiment. Gene expression analysis, quantitative RT‐PCR and immunoblot assays were performed on the tumors after treatment. Significant reduction in mean tumor volumes was observed in mice receiving MNF when compared with the saline‐treated group. We identified clusters in expression of genes involved in cellular proliferation, as well as molecular markers for glioblastoma that were significantly downregulated in tumors of MNF‐treated mice as compared to saline‐injected controls. The efficacy of MNF against C6 glioma cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro was accompanied by marked reduction in the expression of cell cycle regulator proteins. This study is the first demonstration of MNF‐dependent chemoprevention of a glioblastoma xenograft model and may offer a potential mechanism for its anticancer action in vivo.
The SIMEX approach to measurement error correction in meta‐analysis with baseline risk as covariate
Authors: Guolo A.
Published: December 2013

This paper investigates the use of SIMEX, a simulation‐based measurement error correction technique, for meta‐analysis of studies involving the baseline risk of subjects in the control group as explanatory variable. The approach accounts for the measurement error affecting the information about either the outcome in the treatment group or the baseline risk available from each study, while requiring no assumption about the distribution of the true unobserved baseline risk. This robustness property, together with the feasibility of computation, makes SIMEX very attractive. The approach is suggested as an alternative to the usual likelihood analysis, which can provide misleading inferential results when the commonly assumed normal distribution for the baseline risk is violated. The performance of SIMEX is compared to the likelihood method and to the moment‐based correction through an extensive simulation study and the analysis of two datasets from the medical literature. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transition Metal‐Depleted Graphenes for Electrochemical Applications via Reduction of CO2 by Lithium
Authors: Poh Hwee Ling , Sofer Zdenek , Luxa Jan , Pumera Martin
Published: December 2013

Graphene has immense potential for future applications in the electrochemical field, such as in supercapacitors, fuel cells, batteries, or sensors. Graphene materials for such applications are typically fabricated through a top‐down approach towards oxidation of graphite to graphite oxide, with consequent exfoliation/reduction to yield reduced graphenes. Such a method allows the manufacture of graphenes in gram/kilogram quantities. However, graphenes prepared by this method can contain residual metallic impurities from graphite which dominate the electrochemical properties of the graphene formed. This dominance hampers their electrochemical application. The fabrication of transition metal‐depleted graphene is described, using ultrapure CO2 (with benefits of low cost and easy availability) and elemental lithium by means of reduction of CO2 to graphene. This preparation method produces graphene of high purity with electrochemical behavior that is not dominated by any residual transition metal impurities which would dramatically alter its electrochemical properties. Wide application of such methodology in industry and research laboratories is foreseen, especially where graphene is used for electrochemical devices.
The social brain and reward: social information processing in the human striatum
Authors: Bhanji Jamil P. , Delgado Mauricio R.
Published: December 2013

In the highly social life of humans, rewards that are sought and experienced are intertwined with social relationships and interactions between people. Just as we value nonsocial rewards such as food or money, we also value social outcomes (e.g., praise from a superior). We use social information to evaluate and form expectations of others and to make decisions involving others. Here we review research demonstrating how the neural circuitry of reward, particularly the striatum, is also involved in processing social information and making decisions in social situations. This research provides an understanding of the neural basis for social behavior from the perspective of how we evaluate social experiences and how our social interactions and decisions are motivated. We review research addressing the common neural systems underlying evaluation of social and nonsocial rewards. The human striatum, known to play a key role in reward processing, displays signals related to a broad spectrum of social functioning, including evaluating social rewards, making decisions influenced by social factors, learning about social others, cooperating, competing, and following social norms. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:61–73. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1266

This article is categorized under:

Neuroscience > Cognition
Recent advances in genome mining of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters and the development of heterologous expression systems in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Yaegashi Junko , Oakley Berl R , Wang Clay C C
Published: December 2013

Fungi are prolific producers of secondary metabolites (SMs) that show a variety of biological activities. Recent advances in genome sequencing have shown that fungal genomes harbor far more SM gene clusters than are expressed under conventional laboratory conditions. Activation of these “silent” gene clusters is a major challenge, and many approaches have been taken to attempt to activate them and, thus, unlock the vast treasure chest of fungal SMs. This review will cover recent advances in genome mining of SMs in Aspergillus nidulans. We will also discuss current updates in gene annotation of A. nidulans and recent developments in A. nidulans as a molecular genetic system, both of which are essential for rapid and efficient experimental verification of SM gene clusters on a genome-wide scale. Finally, we will describe advances in the use of A. nidulans as a heterologous expression system to aid in the analysis of SM gene clusters from other fungal species that do not have an established molecular genetic system.
A Life Domains Perspective on Acculturation and Psychological Adjustment: A Study of Refugees from the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Birman Dina , Simon Corrina D. , Chan Wing Yi , Tran Nellie
Published: December 2013

The study articulates a contextual approach to research on acculturation of immigrants, suggesting that the relationship between acculturation and adjustment is dependent on the cultural demands of the life domains considered. Specifically, the study investigated the mediating effects of adjustment in occupational and social life domains on the relationship between acculturation and psychological adjustment for 391 refugees from the former Soviet Union. The study used bilinear measures of acculturation to the host (American) and heritage (Russian) cultures. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the study confirmed the hypothesized relationships, such that the positive effects of American acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by occupational adjustment, and the effects of Russian acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by satisfaction with co‐ethnic social support. Psychological adjustment was measured in two ways, as psychological well‐being, using a measure of life satisfaction, and as symptoms of depression and anxiety, using the Hopkins symptom checklist (HSCL). Life satisfaction served as a mediator between adjustment in occupational and social domains and HSCL, suggesting that it may be an intervening variable through which environmental stress associated with immigration contributes to the development of symptoms of mental disorder.
Monogene Ionenkanalerkrankungen der Skelettmuskulatur
Authors: Lehmann-Horn F. , Jurkat-Rott K.
Published: December 2013

Muskuläre Kanalopathien wie Myotonien, dyskaliämische periodische Paralysen (PP), maligne Hyperthermie (MH) und Core-Myopathien sind durch Mutationen in Na+-, K+-, Ca2+- und Cl−-Kanälen bedingt. Eine leichte Membrandepolarisation verursacht myotone Aktivität. Eine vermehrte Depolarisation kann die Über- in Untererregbarkeit umkehren und eine transiente Schwäche hervorrufen. Eine länger anhaltende Depolarisation der Plasma- und T-tubulären Membran ist für die dominanten dyskaliämischen PP die gemeinsame Basis der Schwäche. Der Kaliumspiegel im Serum beeinflusst das Ruhemembranpotenzial, weshalb Abweichungen vom physiologischen Bereich (z. B. durch Schilddrüsendysfunktion) Membrandepolarisation und Muskelschwäche begünstigen. Bei der Anlage zu MH, einer potenziell lebensbedrohlichen hypermetabolen Krise, erhöhen dominante Mutationen im zytoplasmatischen Teil des Ca2+-Freisetzungskanals des sarkoplasmatischen Retikulums die Empfindlichkeit für volatile Anästhetika. Dagegen führen dominante oder rezessive Mutationen im sarkoplasmatischen Teil zur Entleerung der Ca2+-Speicher und so zu Schwäche und Core-Myopathie.
Recent Treatment Advances and Novel Therapies in Pancreas Cancer: A Review
Authors: Valsecchi Matias E. , Díaz-Cantón Enrique , de la Vega Máximo , Littman Susan J.
Published: December 2013

Purpose

Over the last couple of years, we have witnessed the availability of a wide variety of different therapeutic agents and the identification of effective combinations of existing ones that have transformed the way we approach and treat pancreatic cancer. Proof of this are the recent validations that combinations of conventional chemotherapy drugs, the FOLFIRINOX regimen and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel, significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic disease. However, deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the biology of this cancer as well as the ability to develop better and perhaps more precise drugs predict that the landscape may be changing even more.

Methodology and Results

In this review, we will summarize the most recent treatment advances including FOLFIRINOX, gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel and discuss novel approaches such as immune-mediated therapies, drugs that disrupt the tumor-stromal compartment, PARP inhibitors for BRCA pathway-deficient pancreatic cancer and new generations of conventional chemotherapeutics, which are in early phases of clinical development and have shown promising early results. We will also discuss some examples of drugs that failed, despite very good preliminary data, in order to appraise the lessons learned from these negative clinical trials. Lastly, we will comment on ongoing adjuvant and neoadjuvant trials.

Conclusion

We hope that at least some of these will result in positive trials and add to our armamentarium for treating this challenging malignancy.
Pulsating semi-waves in periodic media and spreading speed determined by a free boundary model
Authors: Liang Xing , Du Yihong
Published: December 2013

We consider a radially symmetric free boundary problem with logistic nonlinear term. The spatial environment is assumed to be asymptotically periodic at infinity in the radial direction. For such a free boundary problem, it is known from [7] that a spreading-vanishing dichotomy holds. However, when spreading occurs, only upper and lower bounds are obtained in [7] for the asymptotic spreading speed. In this paper, we investigate one-dimensional pulsating semi-waves in spatially periodic media. We prove existence, uniqueness of such pulsating semi-waves, and show that the asymptotic spreading speed of the free boundary problem coincides with the speed of the corresponding pulsating semi-wave.
Developing an Integrated System of Care for Frail Seniors
Authors: Heckman George A. , Hillier Loretta , Manderson Brooke , McKinnon-Wilson Jane , Santi Selena M. , Stolee Paul
Published: December 2013

A consultation process was undertaken with healthcare providers in the Waterloo Wellington region of southern Ontario to assess current system strengths, challenges and gaps in providing care to frail seniors. The findings were used to implement strategies for improving system integration.
Raising the Bar: Using Program Evaluation for Quality Improvement
Authors: Anas Rebecca , Stiff Jennifer , Speller Brittany , Foster Nicoda , Bell Robert , McLaughlin Virginia , Evans William K.
Published: December 2013

The Cancer Quality Council of Ontario has undertaken 3 programmatic reviews, in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario, to evaluate an emerging or existing program and to provide future directions. The reviews are a quality improvement tool consisting of an assessment of the program's current state, a critical appraisal, and an environmental scan in advance of an event where attendees hear best practices from jurisdictions and participate in a discussion leading to a set of recommendations for the program.
Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Wu Tzung‐Shiun , Hu Huang‐Ming , Kuo Fu‐Chen , Kuo Chao‐Hung
Published: December 2013

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection has become an important issue recently, because this bacterial species cluster can cause many gastrointestinal diseases. Elevated antibiotic resistance is related to an increasing failure rate of H. pylori eradication. Standard triple therapy is still the first‐line therapy; however, according to the Maastricht IV Consensus Report, it should be abandoned in areas of high clarithromycin resistance. Alternative first‐line therapies include bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy, sequential, concomitant, and hybrid therapies. Quinolone‐based triple therapy may be considered as first‐line therapy in areas of clarithromycin resistance >15–20% and quinolone resistance <10%. Unique second‐line therapy is still unclear, and bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy or levofloxacin‐based triple therapy can be used as rescue treatment. Third‐line therapy should be under culture guidance to select the most effective regimens (such as levofloxacin‐based, rifabutin‐based, or furazolidone‐based therapies). Antibiotics resistance, patient compliance, and CYP 2C19 genotypes could influence the outcome. Clinicians should use antibiotics according to local reports.
Geochronology and paleoenvironment of pluvial Harper Lake, Mojave Desert, California, USA
Authors: Garcia Anna L. , Knott Jeffrey R. , Mahan Shannon A. , Bright Jordon
Published: December 2013

Accurate reconstruction of the paleo-Mojave River and pluvial lake (Harper, Manix, Cronese, and Mojave) system of southern California is critical to understanding paleoclimate and the North American polar jet stream position over the last 500 ka. Previous studies inferred a polar jet stream south of 35°N at 18 ka and at ~ 40°N at 17–14 ka. Highstand sediments of Harper Lake, the upstream-most pluvial lake along the Mojave River, have yielded uncalibrated radiocarbon ages ranging from 24,000 to > 30,000 14C yr BP. Based on geologic mapping, radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating, we infer a ~ 45–40 ka age for the Harper Lake highstand sediments. Combining the Harper Lake highstand with other Great Basin pluvial lake/spring and marine climate records, we infer that the North American polar jet stream was south of 35°N about 45–40 ka, but shifted to 40°N by ~ 35 ka. Ostracodes (Limnocythere ceriotuberosa) from Harper Lake highstand sediments are consistent with an alkaline lake environment that received seasonal inflow from the Mojave River, thus confirming the lake was fed by the Mojave River. The ~ 45–40 ka highstand at Harper Lake coincides with a shallowing interval at downstream Lake Manix.
Écueils et objectifs partagés entre juristes et sociologues : Réflexions sur le dialogue interdisciplinaire entre le droit et la sociologie
Authors: Lavoie Bertrand
Published: December 2013

L’objectif de cet article est de présenter des réflexions analytiques et théoriques sur le dialogue interdisciplinaire entre le droit et la sociologie. La présentation de contradictions et de points de rencontre possibles entre ces deux disciplines peut contribuer à une anthropologie interdisciplinaire qui s’intéresse à l’« immigration » parfois difficilement vécue par ceux et celles qui mobilisent plus d’un domaine académique dans leurs recherches. Cet article s’adresse particulièrement à ces juristes qui entament un dialogue interdisciplinaire et tout spécifiquement à ceux qui font leurs premiers pas sociologiques.
Drops sliding down an incline at large contact line velocity: What happens on the road towards rolling?
Authors: Limat Laurent
Published: December 2013

Drops sliding down an incline exhibit fascinating shapes, which indirectly provide a great deal of information about wetting dynamics. Puthenveettil, Kumar & Hopfinger (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 726, 2013, pp. 26–61) have renewed this subject by considering water and mercury drops sliding at high speed. The results raise puzzling questions: how to take into account inertia at a high-speed contact line, large contact angles, the nature of the dissipation at small scale and sliding versus rolling behaviours?
Global stability of stretched jets: conditions for the generation of monodisperse micro-emulsions using coflows
Authors: Gordillo J. M. , Sevilla A. , Campo-Cortés F.
Published: December 2013

In this paper we reveal the physics underlying the conditions needed for the generation of emulsions composed of uniformly sized drops of micrometric or submicrometric diameters when two immiscible streams flow in parallel under the so-called tip streaming regime after Suryo and Basaran (Phys. Fluids, vol. 18, 2006, 082102). Indeed, when inertial effects in both liquid streams are negligible, the inner to outer flow-rate and viscosity ratios are small enough and the capillary number is above an experimentally determined threshold which is predicted by our theoretical results with small relative errors, a steady micrometre-sized jet is issued from the apex of a conical drop. Under these conditions, the jet disintegrates into drops with a very well-defined mean diameter, giving rise to a monodisperse microemulsion. Here, we demonstrate that the regime in which uniformly sized drops are produced corresponds to values of the capillary number for which the cone-jet system is globally stable. Interestingly enough, our general stability theory reveals that liquid jets with a cone-jet structure are much more stable than their cylindrical counterparts thanks, mostly, to a capillary stabilization mechanism described here for the first time. Our findings also limit the validity of the type of stability analysis based on the common parallel flow assumption to only those situations in which the liquid jet diameter is almost constant.
Contrasting magma emplacement mechanisms within the Rogart igneous complex, NW Scotland, record the switch from regional contraction to strike-slip during the Caledonian orogeny
Authors: KOCKS H. , STRACHAN R. A. , EVANS J. A. , FOWLER M.
Published: December 2013

The Rogart igneous complex is unique within the northern Scottish Caledonides because it comprises an apparent continuum of magma types that records a progressive change in emplacement mechanisms related to large-scale tectonic controls. Syn-D2 leucogranites and late-D2 quartz monzodiorites were emplaced during crustal thickening and focused within the broad zone of ductile deformation associated with the Naver Thrust. In contrast, emplacement of the post-D2 composite central pluton was controlled by development of a steeply dipping dextral shear zone along the Loch Shin Line, interpreted as an anti-Riedel shear within the Great Glen Fault system. The mantle-derived nature of the late-to-post-D2 melts implies that the Naver Thrust and the Loch Shin Line were both crustal-scale structures along which magmas were channelled during deformation. A U–Pb zircon age of 425±1.5 Ma for the outer component of the central pluton provides an upper limit on regional deformation and metamorphism within host Moine rocks. These findings are consistent with the view that a fundamental change in tectonic regime occurred in the Scottish Caledonides at c. 425 Ma, corresponding to the switch from regional thrusting that resulted from the collision of Baltica and Laurentia, to the development of the orogen-parallel Great Glen Fault system.
Moses' End and the Succession: Deuteronomy 31 and 2 Corinthians 3
Authors: Heath Jane
Published: December 2013

This essay argues that Deut 29–32, especially Deut 31, plays a significant role in 2 Cor 3, especially vv. 7–18: Paul's elusive allegorical narrative draws on Deuteronomic motifs of ‘closure’ (the end of Moses, of the law and of the Israelites); the national observance of reading the law and encountering the Lord face to face; and the succession of Moses by one named Ἰησοῦς in the LXX. This analysis extends scholarly discussion of Paul's use of Deuteronomy and contributes to the wider debate about Paul's use of scripture and his understanding of Jesus' relationship to Moses and the Mosaic covenant.
Development of the feline lungworms Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in Helix aspersa snails
Authors: GIANNELLI ALESSIO , RAMOS RAFAEL ANTONIO NASCIMENTO , ANNOSCIA GIADA , DI CESARE ANGELA , COLELLA VITO , BRIANTI EMANUELE , DANTAS-TORRES FILIPE , MUTAFCHIEV YASEN , OTRANTO DOMENICO
Published: December 2013

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida, Angiostrongylidae) and Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida, Crenosomatidae) are regarded as important lungworm species of domestic felids, with the latter considered an emerging threat in the Mediterranean region. The present study aimed to assess their concurrent development in the mollusc Helix aspersa (Pulmonata, Helicidae). Thirty snails were infested with 100 first-stage larvae (L1) of A. abstrusus and T. brevior, isolated from a naturally infested kitten. Larval development was checked by digesting five specimens at 2, 6 and 11 days post infestation. Larvae retrieved were morphologically described and their identification was confirmed by specific PCR and sequencing. All H. aspersa snails were positive for A. abstrusus and T. brevior, whose larval stages were simultaneously detected at each time point. In addition, snails were exposed to outdoor conditions and examined after overwintering, testing positive up to 120 days post infestation. Data herein presented suggest that A. abstrusus and T. brevior develop in H. aspersa snails and may eventually co-infest cats. Data on the morphology of both parasitic species in H. aspersa provide additional information on their development and identification, to better understand the population dynamics of these lungworms in receptive snails and paratenic hosts.
Managing legacy waste in the presence of cultural heritage at Wilkes Station, East Antarctica
Authors: Camenzuli Danielle , Fryirs Kirstie A. , Gore Damian B. , Freidman Benjamin L.
Published: December 2013

The Antarctic Treaty has been the principal governing force in Antarctica since 1961. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol) requires that all past and present work and waste-disposal sites are cleaned up unless doing so would cause greater environmental damage or the site is considered to be a monument of significant historical importance. Despite this requirement, legacy waste issues remain unresolved in parts of Antarctica. Clean-up operations in Antarctica are complicated by a combination of restricted access, extreme weather, financial limitations and logistical constraints. Further complications arise at sites such as Wilkes Station, where the requirement for clean-up coexists with the desire to preserve potentially valuable heritage items.

Several buildings and artefacts with potential heritage value remain at Wilkes Station. However, Wilkes Station is not officially designated as a historic site or monument under the Antarctic Treaty, nor is it a national or world heritage place under Australian domestic legislation. Consequently the buildings and relics at Wilkes Station are afforded little protection under the existing relevant domestic and international legislative frameworks.

This paper uses Wilkes Station as a case study of the complexities associated with conducting clean-up operations at contaminated sites with informal heritage value in Antarctica. The legislative and environmental considerations surrounding clean-up operations at Wilkes Station are also investigated. Furthermore, we argue the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to operations which facilitate the clean-up of legacy waste and preservation of the potential heritage values at Wilkes. Finally, we recognise that the complexities discussed in this paper have wider applicability and we investigate the relevance of these issues to other Antarctic contaminated sites with formal or informal heritage value.
Lived experiences of ageing and later life in older people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: KÅHLIN IDA , KJELLBERG ANETTE , NORD CATHARINA , HAGBERG JAN-ERIK
Published: December 2013

The aim of this article is to explore how older people with intellectual disability (ID), who live in group accommodation, describe their lived experience in relation to ageing and later life. The article is based on a study with a phenomenological approach, grounded on the concept of life-world. Individual, qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 people with ID (five men, seven women), between the ages of 48 and 71 (mean=64), who lived in four different group accommodation units in southern Sweden. A descriptive phenomenological analysis method was used, which disclosed a structure consisting of themes and sub-themes. The findings of the study reveal the informants' lived experience of ageing and later life as a multifaceted phenomenon, expressed through the two themes, ‘age as a process of change’ and ‘existential aspects of ageing’, each with three sub-themes. The body is an essential element in their experience of ageing and growing old, and in how this experience is expressed. The study also found social, cultural and historical dimensions of the life-world to be important in the informants' experience of ageing and later life. This supports understanding of the existence of a collective life-world for older people with ID, the unique experiences the informants share because of their disability and its consequences for their lifecourse.
New computational method for three-fingered force-closure test
Authors: Niparnan Nattee , Phoka Thanathorn , Suttasupa Yuttana , Sudsang Attawith
Published: December 2013

This paper proposes an efficient implementation of a force-closure test for frictional three-finger grasps. The implementation is based on a condition that transforms force-closure testing into the problem of convex hull intersection in projective space. The proposed implementation further reduces the problem into the problem of computing whether a line segment intersects a convex hull of at most four points. Implementation results are presented along with a thorough performance analysis and comparison with several existing methods. The results are also verified with arbitrary precision floating point computation. This provides comparison of qualitative error resulting from floating point roundoff. The result shows that the proposed implementation outperforms other methods in terms of speed and precision.
Ko Aotearoa Tenei: Law and Policy Affecting Maori Culture and Identity
Authors: Williams David V.
Published: December 2013

In July 2011 what is commonly known as the Wai 262 Report was released. After a protracted series of hearings, dating back to 1997, the New Zealand Waitangi Tribunal has at last reported on the some of the wide range of issues canvassed in those hearings. Three beautifully illustrated volumes contain a large number of recommendations in what is described as a whole-of-government report. This article notes earlier comments on Wai 262 in this journal and reframes what is often known as the ‘Maori renaissance’ from which this claim emerged in 1991. The Tribunal decided not to discuss historical aspects of the evidence presented, except for the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907, as this was not ‘an orthodox territorial claim’ allowing the Crown to negotiate with iwi for a Treaty Settlement. Of great significance for this readership, the Tribunal staunchly refused to entertain any discussion of ‘ownership’ claims to Maori cultural property. Rather, the Tribunal focussed on ‘perfecting the Treaty partnership’ between the two founding peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand. Its report is concerned with the future and with the Treaty of Waitangi when the nation has moved beyond the grievance mode that has dominated the last quarter century. The partnership principles are pragmatic and flexible. Very seldom indeed can Maori expect to regain full authority over their treasured properties and resources. The eight major topics of the chapters on intellectual property, genetic and biological resources, the environment, the conservation estate, the Maori language, Maori knowledge systems, Maori medicines and international instruments are briefly summarised. The author is critical of this Tribunal panel's timidity in refusing to make strong findings of Treaty breach as the basis for practical recommendations—the approach usually adopted in previous Tribunal reports on contemporary issues. The article then notes that the Wai 262 report featured significantly in 2012 hearings on Maori claims to proprietary rights in freshwater resources. It featured not to assist the freshwater claimants, however, but as a shield wielded by the Crown to try to deny Maori any remedy.The low bar of partnership consultations encouraged by the Wai 262 report was congenial for Crown counsel seeking to undermine Maori claims to customary rights akin to ‘ownership’ of water. The 2012 Tribunal panel, under a new Chief Judge, restrictively distinguished the Wai 262 report and found in favour of Maori rights to water. In conclusion, the article notes the irony of a government following neo-liberal policies in pursuing a privatisation strategy and yet relying on ‘commons’ rhetoric to deny Maori any enforceable rights to water; and of indigenous people arguing for ownership property rights to frustrate that government's policies.
A new species of Antarctoxylon: a contribution to the early angiosperm ecosystem of Antarctica during the late Cretaceous
Authors: Sakala Jakub , Vodrážka Radek
Published: December 2013

A new species of Antarctoxylon is described from the Coniacian Hidden Lake Formation of James Ross Island as A. mixai Sakala, sp. nov. This angiosperm fossil wood shows a unique combination of features in having indistinct growth ring boundaries, scalariform perforation plates with about 30 bars and rays both narrow (1–6-seriate) and very wide (up to 18-seriate). Its systematic affinities and exact living relative at the specific, generic or even familial level cannot be specified. Along with Weinmannioxylon nordenskjoeldii from James Ross Island and the angiosperm woods from the Williams Point on Livingston Island, this record provides further evidence of the earliest record of arboreal angiosperms in Antarctica.
Eocene fossil feather from King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Authors: Mansilla Héctor G. , Stinnesbeck Wolfgang , Varela Natalia , Leppe Marcelo
Published: December 2013

The first fossil avian feather from Antarctica is reported here, from the early to middle Eocene Fossil Hill Formation at Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. Characteristics such as its form, asymmetry of vanes, closed-pennaceous vanes with barbules and a deep ventral groove indicate that the feather was used for flight. The site from which the feather was collected is known to yield a variety of well-preserved trace fossils, palaeobotanical and palaeoenvironmental remains, suggesting a shorebird ecotype for the owner of this feather, certainly belonging to a Neornithes. The continental position, preservation as an external mould and type of feather makes this specimen a novel and an exceedingly rare record.
The meroplankton community of the oceanic Ross Sea during late summer
Authors: Gallego R. , Lavery S. , Sewell M.A.
Published: December 2013

Meroplankton community studies in the Antarctic have primarily focused on the coastal waters of both the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea. The New Zealand International Polar Year - Census of Antarctic Marine Life (IPY-CAML) voyage to the Ross Sea during the late summer (February–March) 2008 provided the first meroplankton samples from three regions in the deep, oceanic waters of the Ross Sea (shelf, slope and adjacent offshore Antarctic waters of Admiralty Seamount and Scott Island). We used a combined morphological and molecular approach to identify 36 larval operational taxonomic units based on sequences from three loci (16S, 18S, COI), and exclude early developmental stages of holoplankton. Overall, larval abundance was lower than previous Antarctic studies (5.19 specimens per 100 m3), with larvae most abundant in the first 200 m of the water column and most diverse in the shelf region. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences in the meroplankton community between regions and depth ranges, but with low similarity within these groupings; differences between water masses were undetectable due to the confounding effect with both region and depth. The influence of nearby benthic populations (e.g. the acorn barnacleBathylasma corolliforme) and/or locally abundant taxa (e.g. the nudibranchTergipes antarcticus) was evident in the meroplankton community.
How precautionary is the policy governing the Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni) fishery?
Authors: Abrams Peter A.
Published: December 2013

This article reviews the adequacy of data and models currently being used to estimate the present and future population sizes of the Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoniNorman) in the Ross Sea regional ecosystem. The current tagging programme is unlikely to provide an accurate picture of total population size, and estimates of both the pre-exploitation spawning stock biomass and the ratio of current to pre-exploitation biomass are unreliable. Many parameters necessary for estimating future population growth or decline have not been measured, and the current objective of a 50% reduction in biomass relative to unexploited biomass may easily fail to prevent a much larger reduction from taking place. The need to guess values of important parameters makes it impossible to set bounds on the potential errors of population forecasts. Current scientific knowledge is far from what is needed to predict the likely effects of food-web responses to harvesting of toothfish in the Ross Sea, or to predict the feedback effects of those food-web changes on toothfish populations.
China's environmental policy: an introduction
Authors: Xu Jintao , Berck Peter
Published: December 2013

This special issue covers several important aspects of China's environmental policy, ranging from evaluation of government programs (biogas and the Sloping Land Conversion Program) that aim directly to enhance the rural environment, to the reform of natural resource sectors (collective and state forest reforms) that set foundations for the sustainable use of natural resources, and to the impacts of urban environmental policies (including urban transportation management and industrial pollution control policy). We provide an overview of the topic and a brief introduction to each of the contributed papers.
Successful implementation of a laboratory iodization quality assurance system in small-scale salt production facilities in India
Authors: Yadav Kapil , Kumar Rakesh , Pandav Chandrakant S , Karmarkar Madhukar G
Published: December 2013

Objective

To establish a laboratory iodization quality assurance system to support small-scale salt production facilities in India and to assess the level of agreement for the internal quality assurance (IQA) and external quality assurance (EQA) protocols.

Design

Operational research. The IQA and EQA programme was established in the year 2008. Agreement between field laboratories and the reference laboratory for estimation of iodine content of salt from 2008 to 2011 was assessed. Agreement was assessed using the χ2 test, kappa statistics and the Bland–Altman plot.

Setting

Small-scale salt producers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Karnataka; ‘field laboratories’ supporting the small-scale salt producers; and the ‘reference laboratory’ of the Regional Office (South Asia) of the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

Subjects

Three hundred small-scale salt producers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Karnataka and seventeen ‘field laboratories’.

Results

A total of 6573 salt samples for IQA and 347 salt samples for EQA were exchanged between field and reference laboratories during 2008–2012. Out of the total salt sample exchanges, 527 were from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, 2343 from Gujarat, 2016 from Rajasthan and 1677 from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The overall between-laboratory agreement was for 61·6 % for IQA and 64·8 % for EQA. The mean difference between iodine content estimation of field laboratories and the reference laboratory was 0·3 ppm (sd 8·2 ppm) for IQA and –0·3 ppm (sd 3·5 ppm) for EQA.

Conclusions

Our study successfully documents implementation of a laboratory iodization quality assurance protocol in laboratories supporting small-scale salt production facilities in India.
Collective pension schemes and individual choice
Authors: VAN BINSBERGEN JULES H. , BROEDERS DIRK , DE JONG MYRTHE , KOIJEN RALPH S. J.
Published: December 2013

Collective pension schemes are the dominant form of saving for retirement in the Netherlands. We investigate the introduction of individual choices into a collective pension system without affecting the generally accepted advantages of a collective agreement. Increasing individual choices can be beneficial, as it prevents pension plans from making decisions for the average plan participant that may not be optimal for individual participants. We argue for a system in which individuals choose from a set of low-cost balanced index funds, together with a level of intergenerational guarantees that are exchange-traded. This system maintains the two primary advantages of collective agreements: risk sharing and low implementation costs, while facilitating different risk taking behavior at the individual level. To facilitate individual choices within collective pension schemes, it is important to enhance the transparency associated with intergenerational guarantees to all participants in the scheme, both in terms of their price and quantity. We argue that the current system, in which long-term guarantees are given by the young to the old within a specific fund but not across pension funds, is not transparent and we argue that it can be suboptimal. We propose a system ofPension Guarantee Exchanges(PGEs) that increase transparency and allow pension funds with different age distributions to trade with each other. Knowing the price of such guarantees facilitates the introduction of individual portfolio choices within collective pension schemes.
Fictitious fraud: economics and the presumption of reliance
Authors: Gordon Randy D.
Published: December 2013

In the popular imagination, legal proceedings and their rules of law are thought of as paths to unalloyed truth. Both practitioners and scholars know this is often not the case because the law is, as are other domains, riddled with fictions. Indeed, the law sometimes borrows fictions from other domains to help it achieve results that would otherwise be unobtainable. One such place is securities law, in which courts in the United States have borrowed the concept of the ‘efficient market’ from economics to make fraud class actions possible. But that concept is – if not wholly – at least in good measure fictional.