bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Assessment of the Italian 2007 Complementary Social Security Reform: A Simulation Approach
Authors: Corsini Lorenzo , Pacini Pier Mario , Spataro Luca
Published: July 2012

In this paper we aim at assessing the outcomes of the 2007 Italian reform of the complementary social security scheme and at identifying the determinants behind them. The reform provided workers with relevant incentives to switch the investment of about 7 per cent of their gross yearly wages from a firm‐managed scheme (which took the form of a termination indemnity payment, the Trattamento di Fine Rapporto scheme) to an external pension fund. We provide a theoretical framework to model the workers' problem of choosing between these two different forms of complementary social security schemes and we then perform an agent‐based simulation taking into account all the details of the reform. Differently from previous contributions, we stress the impact that the investment decision has on the financial health of firms and, consequently, on workers' employment stability. Our simulations are able to replicate the Italian data in terms of adhesion rates to complementary social security and also to identify some of the key determinants of that outcome, such as fiscal incentives, individual preferences, the working of both the Italian labour and the financial markets and the productive structure of the Italian economy.
Exchange Rate Pass‐through to Trade Prices: The Role of Nonlinearities and Asymmetries*
Authors: Bussiere Matthieu
Published: July 2012

A standard assumption in the empirical literature is that exchange rate pass‐through is both linear and symmetric. This study tests these assumptions for export and import prices in the G7 economies. It focuses on non‐linearities in the reaction of profit margins to exchange rate movements, which may arise from the presence of price rigidities and switching costs. Nonlinearities are characterized by augmenting a standard linear model with polynomial functions of the exchange rate and with interactive dummy variables. The results suggest that nonlinearities and especially asymmetries cannot be ignored, although their magnitude varies noticeably across countries.
UNDER DIVINE WINGS: FORMS OF IDEOLOGICAL AND TERRITORIAL DOMINATION DURING THE IBERIAN IRON AGE
Authors: REYERO SUSANA GONZÁLEZ
Published: July 2012

This article explores the ways in which the Iberian communities of the Iron Age developed a model of extension and legitimization for their social hierarchies. By analysing the testimonies of the ideational realm and the territorial occupation of the Iberian populations, it is argued that the representation of a winged goddess was used by certain families to legitimize the control and possession of natural resources. Thus, the contextual analysis of this goddess can explain a territorial domination established in the southern sub‐plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. A Mediterranean model of the goddess is transformed by combining traditional and foreign elements to create a unique synthesis. What draws our attention, though, is how this new being was eventually integrated into the changes that took place in local populations, which established new constructions of space and new relationships of patronage. New practices appear, such as the persistence of ancient forms of pottery and a symbolic opposition to imported objects. In the following pages, I will identify the underlying process as a territorial division conducted by certain settlements as they explored a broader spatial control. I will explore one of these territories and the ideology employed to implement this form of domination.
CHEST BURIAL: A MIDDLE ANGLO‐SAXON FUNERARY RITE FROM NORTHERN ENGLAND
Authors: CRAIG‐ATKINS ELIZABETH
Published: July 2012

Chest burials, in which the body is interred in a wooden chest with a hinged lid, are one of the most characteristic funerary practices of the middle Anglo‐Saxon period in northern England. The majority are dated to between the seventh and ninth centuries, and are found at 19 different sites located within the contemporary early medieval kingdom of Northumbria. The collation of a corpus of chest burials, and examination of their form, context and the identities of the individuals they were afforded to, have revealed that these interments seem to have been made in reused pieces of domestic furniture and provided to both sexes, but rarely afforded to infants or young children. The individuals buried in chests also shared an extremely physically active lifestyle and in some cases met a violent death, further distinguishing them from their contemporaries.
Estimating the Relationship between Alcohol Policies and Criminal Violence and Victimization
Authors: Markowitz Sara , Poe-Yamagata Eileen , Andrews Tracy , Deb Partha , Nesson Erik , Florence Curtis , Barnett Sarah Beth L.
Published: July 2012

Violence is one of the leading social problems in both Europe and the United States. The development of appropriate public policies to curtail violence is confounded by the relationship between alcohol and violence. In this article, we estimate the propensity of alcohol control policies to reduce the perpetration and victimization of criminal violence. We measure violence with data on individual-level victimizations from the U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey. We examine the effects of a number of different alcohol control policies in reducing violent crime. These policies include the retail price of beer, drunk driving laws and penalties, keg laws and serving and selling laws. We find some evidence of a negative relationship between alcohol prices and the probability of alcohol- or drug-related assault victimizations. However, we find no strong evidence that other alcohol policies are effective in reducing violent crimes.
Disability insurance risks: The Argentinian case
Authors: Belliard Matías , Grushka Carlos , De Biase Marcelo
Published: July 2012

This article analyses the risk of disability facing workers who contribute to the Argentinian Integrated Social Security System (Sistema Integrado Previsional Argentino— SIPA). Using administrative records as our source of data for the period 2000‐2006, the results indicate that 1.46 workers per 1,000 became disabled annually during that period. The risk of disability rates were higher for men than for women, but increased with age for both sexes. The risk of disability rates have also been broken down by pathology and social security scheme, taking the effects of age and sex into account. To conclude, international comparisons are presented.
The RSA (Revenu de solidarité active) and back‐to‐work incentives in France
Authors: Anne Denis , L'Horty Yannick
Published: July 2012

Using an inventory of local and/or non‐statutory transfers (droits connexes) in 13 French towns and cities, the article first measures the gains from returning to work for recipients of national, statutory means‐tested benefits (Revenu minimum d'insertion— RMI, and Allocation parent isolé— API) by type of household before 2009. The reforms of national, statutory benefits carried out during the 2000s, especially those affecting the working tax credit (Prime pour l'emploi— PPE), failed to ensure that the recipients of means‐tested benefits always stood to gain financially from returning to work. The effects of the reforms were offset by the effects of other measures. The article then simulates the effects of the introduction of the Revenu de solidarité active (RSA) in place of the RMI in 2009, and takes into account the way that local and/or non‐statutory transfers are modified by increases in national, statutory transfers. We observe that the RSA eliminates the financial disincentives to returning to work for almost all localities and types of household. The article shows that the marginal tax rate of 38 per cent chosen by the government is very close to the upper limit compatible with a back‐to‐work incentive.
Characterization of the annulus fibrosus–vertebral body interface: identification of new structural features
Authors: Nosikova Y. S. , Santerre J. P. , Grynpas M. , Gibson G. , Kandel R. A.
Published: July 2012

Current surgical treatments for degenerative intervertebral disc disease do not restore full normal spinal movement. Tissue engineering a functional disc replacement may be one way to circumvent this limitation, but will require an integration of the different tissues making up the disc for this approach to be successful. Hence, an in‐depth characterization of the native tissue interfaces, including annulus insertion into bone is necessary, as knowledge of this interface is limited. The objective of this study was to characterize the annulus fibrosus–vertebral bone (AF–VB) interface in immature (6–9 months old) and mature (18–24 months old) bovine discs, as well as to define these structures for normal adult human (22 and 45 years old) discs. Histological assessment showed that collagen fibers in the inner annulus, which are predominantly type II collagen, all appear to insert into the mineralized endplate zone. In contrast, some of the collagen fibers of the outer annulus, predominantly type I collagen, insert into this endplate, while other fibers curve laterally, at an ∼ 90 ° angle, to the outer aspect of the bone, and merge with the periosteum. This is seen in both human and bovine discs. Where the AF inserts into the calcified zone of the AF–VB interface, it passes through a chondroid region, rich in type II collagen and proteoglycans. Annulus cells (elongated cells that are not surrounded by proteoglycans) are present at this interface. This cartilage zone is evident in both human and bovine discs. Type X collagen and alkaline phosphatase are localized to the interface region. Age‐associated differences in bovine spines are observed when examining the interface thickness and the matrix composition of the cartilaginous endplate, as well as the thickness of the mineralized endplate. These findings will assist with the design of the AF–VB interface in the tissue engineered disc.
The innervation of the axillary arch determined by surface stimulodetection electromyography
Authors: Snoeck Thyl , Balestra Costantino , Calberson Flore , Pouders Caroline , Provyn Steven
Published: July 2012

The axillary arch (AA) is a muscular anatomical variation in the fossa axillaris that has been extensively studied in cadaveric specimens. Within these dissections, different innervations of the AA have been proposed, but this has never been explored in vivo. Knowledge of the innervation of the AA is required in order to better understand its function (e.g. predisposition for certain sports and/or activities, understanding shoulder injuries in overhead sports). Here, we report on the use of surface stimulodetection electromyography (SSEMG) to resolve the innervation of the AA in 20 subjects (12 women, eight men – mean age of 21.3 ± 2.7 years) with a uni‐ or bilateral AA. SSEMG of each muscle [M. latissimus dorsi (MLD) and M. pectoralis major] was performed with a four‐channel electrostimulation measuring system in order to determine the innervation of the AA. The results showed co‐contraction of the MLD in 85% of the subjects after AA stimulation. In the remaining subjects, no specific localized response was observed due to non‐specific nerve stimulation, inherent to the proximity of the brachial plexus in these individuals. Our findings demonstrate that SSEMG exploration offers a practical and reliable tool for investigating anatomical aspects of muscle innervation in vivo. Using this approach, we conclude that the AA receives the same innervation as the MLD (the N. thoracodorsalis), and may be considered a muscular extension of the latter.
Aggression, peer relationships, and depression in Chinese children: a multiwave longitudinal study
Authors: Chen Xinyin , Huang Xiaorui , Wang Li , Chang Lei
Published: July 2012

Background:  Largely due to methodological problems in existing studies, issues concerning causal directions and confounding factors, such as the stability effect, remain to be clarified in the relations among aggression, peer relationships, and psychological adjustment. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine (a) reciprocal direct and indirect effects among aggression, peer relationships, and depression based on a full cross‐lagged model with the stability effect controlled, and (b) moderating effects of initial status on the growth of the variables.

Method:  A sample of Chinese children (N = 1,162) participated in the study. Four waves of longitudinal panel data were collected from the participants in ages 9–12 years from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, sociometric nominations, and self‐reports.

Results:  Aggression negatively contributed, in both direct and indirect manners, to later peer relationships, and positively contributed to depression in late childhood. Peer relationships had negative direct and indirect effects on later aggression and depression. In addition, the initial level of aggression moderated the growth pattern of peer relationships.

Conclusions:  Early social and behavioral problems have proximal as well as long‐term cross‐domain effects on individual development. Moreover, children’s early behavioral characteristics may serve to facilitate the development of social competence and exacerbate the development of social problems. The study provided valuable information about how the important aspects of socioemotional functioning were associated with each other in Chinese children from a developmental perspective.
Effects of Mentha longifolia L. essential oil on viability and cellular ultrastructure of Lactobacillus casei during ripening of probiotic Feta cheese
Authors: MAHMOUDI RAZZAGH , TAJIK HOSSEIN , EHSANI ALI , FARSHID AMIR A , ZARE PAYMAN , HADIAN MOJTABA
Published: July 2012

The effects of Mentha longifolia L. essential oil during ripening and storage probiotic Feta cheese were studied, in relation to viability and cellular ultrastructure of Lactobacillus casei. The addition of the essential oil in the concentrations from 0.0 to 0.03% was trialled: the 0.03% treatment resulted in the highest viability of L. casei and the lowest pH value compared with other treatments (P < 0.05). Electron microscopy showed that essential oil caused no harm to L. casei. This study demonstrated the favourable effects of M. longifolia on optimal maintenance of L. casei at the end of cheese storage period.
The ties that bind: the role of migrants in the uneven geography of international telephone traffic
Authors: PERKINS RICHARD , NEUMAYER ERIC
Published: July 2012

Recent work suggests that migrants have been a major driving force in the dramatic growth of international telephony over recent decades, accounting for large rises in telephone calls between countries with strong immigrant/emigrant connections. Yet, the existing literature has done a poor job of evaluating the substantive importance of migrants in explaining large disparities in levels of bilateral voice traffic observed between different countries. It has also failed to go very far in examining how domestic and relational factors moderate (namely amplify or attenuate) the influence of migrant stocks on international calling. Our contribution addresses these gaps in the literature. For a sample, which includes a far larger number of countries than previous studies, we show that, together with shorter‐term visitors, bilateral migrant stocks emerge as the relational variable with one of the substantively largest influences over cross‐national patterns of telephone calls. We also find that the effect of bilateral migrant stocks on inter‐country telephone traffic is greater where the country pairs are richer and more spatially distant from one another.
Transnational class formation and spatialities of power: the case of elite competition in Bolivia
Authors: KAUP BRENT Z.
Published: July 2012

In this article, I argue that the neoliberal and counter‐neoliberal transitions in Bolivia secured the power of transnational capital within the country. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bolivia's mining elite used neoliberal strategies to undermine the interests of the country's agricultural elite and pursued a marriage of convenience with transnational capital that allowed both to enter state‐monopolized spaces of investment in mutually beneficial ways. In Bolivia's counter‐neoliberal turn, leftist social movements and political parties removed the elite from power but were dependent on transnational firms to help them use the country's natural resource wealth to fund programmes of socioeconomic change. Engaging theories of the transnational class formation, I assert that scholars need to acknowledge how different capitalist class fractions have distinct spatialities of power. In particular, it is necessary to distinguish between global elites that participate in local circuits of accumulation and local elites that participate in global circuits of accumulation.
Ambiguities of global and transnational collective identities
Authors: PRIES LUDGER
Published: July 2012

As traditional categories of collective identity are in decline and brought into question, the process of defining shared perceptions of ‘us’ and ‘them’ by new markers and new mechanisms seems more important than ever. In the article, I summarize basic aspects of collective identity formation in the ongoing processes of globalization and transnationalization and discuss the basic challenges of collective identity in the twenty‐first century. I present different ideal types of border‐crossing collective identities in terms of the patterns of their spatial reach. Two of these types of collective identity –‘global humanism’ and ‘transnational collective identities’– are discussed in more detail, especially concerning their ambiguities of universal and/or particularistic character. I conclude that the global collective identity of ‘humanism’ is not as global as it appears at first glance, and that transnational collective identities usually refer to the authority of a stated global collective identity. Given these genuine interrelations between global humanism and transnational (and other spatial patterns of) collective identities, the future seems destined to be shaped by an intertwined ‘as‐well‐as’ relation rather than an ‘either–or’ relation between the different types of collective identities.
A mutation in CLOCK leads to altered dopamine receptor function
Authors: Spencer Sade , Torres‐Altoro Melissa I. , Falcon Edgardo , Arey Rachel , Marvin Marian , Goldberg Matthew , Bibb James A. , McClung Colleen A.
Published: July 2012

Mice with a mutation in the Clock gene (ClockΔ19) have a number of behavioral phenotypes that suggest alterations in dopaminergic transmission. These include hyperactivity, increased exploratory behavior, and increased reward value for drugs of abuse. However, the complex changes in dopaminergic transmission that underlie the behavioral abnormalities in these mice remain unclear. Here we find that a loss of CLOCK function increases dopamine release and turnover in striatum as indicated by increased levels of metabolites HVA and DOPAC, and enhances sensitivity to dopamine receptor antagonists. Interestingly, this enlarged dopaminergic tone results in downstream changes in dopamine receptor (DR) levels with a surprising augmentation of both D1‐ and D2‐type DR protein, but a significant shift in the ratio of D1 : D2 receptors in favor of D2 receptor signaling. These effects have functional consequences for both behavior and intracellular signaling, with alterations in locomotor responses to both D1‐type and D2‐type specific agonists and a blunted response to cAMP activation in the ClockΔ19 mutants. Taken together, these studies further elucidate the abnormalities in dopaminergic transmission that underlie mood, activity, and addictive behaviors.
The effect of spatial resolution on projected responses to climate warming
Authors: Gillingham P. K. , Huntley B. , Kunin W. E. , Thomas C. D.
Published: July 2012

Aim

To determine how changing the resolution of modelled climate surfaces can affect estimates of the amount of thermally suitable habitat available to species under different levels of warming.

Location

Lake Vyrnwy RSPB Reserve, which covers around 9700 hectares of a topographically diverse landscape in Wales.

Methods

A recently published microclimate model was used to predict maximum, minimum and mean temperatures at 5 × 5 m resolution for the study site, under current and possible future conditions. These temperature surfaces were then averaged to produce coarser resolution surfaces, up to a maximum of 1 × 1 km resolution. Ground beetles were collected using pitfall traps between May and August 2008. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were fitted to the temperature surfaces to predict the amount of landscape suitable for a northerly‐distributed ground beetle,
Carabus glabratus, and the most southerly‐distributed ground beetle found at the site,
Poecilus versicolor, under current and possible future conditions.

Results

A wider range of temperatures are expected within our site when temperature is modelled at finer resolutions. Fitting GLMs at different resolutions resulted in the inclusion of different temperature variables in the best models. Coarser resolution models tended to have higher prediction error, and different resolution models predicted that different amounts of the landscape would remain or become suitable in future. There was less agreement between models for
C. glabratus than for
P. versicolor.

Main conclusions

In our example system, different resolution analyses result in different predictions about the ability of populations to survive climatic warming. Higher resolution analyses are not only likely to provide more accurate estimates of expected patterns of change, but also to highlight potential microclimatic refugia for the conservation of species that otherwise might appear to be threatened with regional or global extinction.
Truly enigmatic declines in terrestrial salamander populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Authors: Caruso Nicholas M. , Lips Karen R.
Published: July 2012

Aim

Woodland salamanders (genus:
Plethodon) declined synchronously across many protected areas in Eastern North America by the mid‐1980s, but no cause was attributed to these declines. We hypothesized that the rapid, synchronous loss of several populations of many species was consistent with the invasive pathogen
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (
Bd), and we resurveyed historic sites to search for Bd in current populations.

Location

Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Methods

We surveyed 35 sites 2–4 times between March and November 2009, quantified community composition and abundance of 72 populations of six species and three hybrids of
Plethodon salamanders, and collected 665 skin swabs to detect
Bd.

Results

At 22 of the 35 sites, we were unable to find one or more species that were historically present.
Plethodon glutinosus and
P. teyahalee and their hybrids were less abundant than historically found,
P. jordani x metcalfi and
P. ventralis were more abundant and the remaining three species fluctuated but showed no net change. Yet, only one of the 665 salamanders was positive for
Bd.

Main conclusions

Declines were not associated with particular localities, but occurred in particular species. We conclude that over collecting, logging, and acid rain are unlikely to have caused these population declines, but we were unable to rule out disease or climate change as contributing factors. Population declines of
Plethodon salamanders in the Park are substantial and have persisted for 30 years. Determining the cause and the extent of these declines is important for managing this area of global salamander biodiversity.
Severe burn injury, burn shock, and smoke inhalation injury in small animals. Part 2: diagnosis, therapy, complications, and prognosis
Authors: Vaughn Lindsay , Beckel Nicole , Walters Patricia
Published: July 2012

Objective

To review the evaluation and treatment of patients suffering from severe burn injury (SBI), burn shock, and smoke inhalation injury. Potential complications and prognosis associated withSBIare also discussed.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of burn injury and burn shock is based on patient history and clinical presentation. Superficial burn wounds may not be readily apparent for the first 48 h whereas more severe wounds will be evident at presentation. Patients are diagnosed with local orSBIby estimating total body surface area involved using the ‘Rule of Nines’ or the Lund‐Browder chart adapted from the human literature.

Therapy

Patients suffering fromSBIrequire immediate and aggressive fluid therapy. Burn wounds require prompt cooling to prevent progressive tissue damage. Due to significant pain associated with burn wounds and therapeutic procedures, multimodal analgesia is recommended. Daily wound management including hydrotherapy, topical medications, and early wound excision and grafting is necessary withSBI.

Complications

There are numerous complications associated withSBI. The most common complications include infections, hypothermia, intra‐abdominal hypertension, and abdominal compartment syndrome.

Prognosis

The prognosis ofSBIin domestic animals is unknown. Based on information derived from human literature, patients withSBIand concomitant smoke inhalation likely have a worse prognosis than those withSBIor smoke inhalation alone.
Histamine H3receptor antagonists in relation to epilepsy and neurodegeneration: a systemic consideration of recent progress and perspectives
Authors: Bhowmik M , Khanam R , Vohora D
Published: July 2012

The central histaminergic actions are mediated by H1, H2, H3and H4receptors. The histamine H3receptor regulates the release of histamine and a number of other neurotransmitters and thereby plays a role in cognitive and homeostatic processes. Elevated histamine levels suppress seizure activities and appear to confer neuroprotection. The H3receptors have a number of enigmatic features like constitutive activity, interspecies variation, distinct ligand binding affinities and differential distribution of prototypic splice variants in the CNS. Furthermore, this Gi/Go‐protein‐coupled receptor modulates several intracellular signalling pathways whose involvement in epilepsy and neurotoxicity are yet to be ascertained and hence represent an attractive target in the search for new anti‐epileptogenic drugs. So far, H3receptor antagonists/inverse agonists have garnered a great deal of interest in view of their promising therapeutic properties in various CNS disorders including epilepsy and related neurotoxicity. However, a number of experiments have yielded opposing effects. This article reviews recent works that have provided evidence for diverse mechanisms of antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects that were observed in various experimental models bothin vitroandin vivo. The likely reasons for the apparent disparities arising from the literature are also discussed with the aim of establishing a more reliable basis for the future use of H3receptor antagonists, thus improving their utility in epilepsy and associated neurotoxicity.
A role for endogenous peptide YY in tachykinin NK2 receptor‐triggered 5‐HT release from guinea pig isolated colonic mucosa
Authors: Kojima Shu‐ichi , Tohei Atsushi , Anzai Naohiko
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The colon‐derived peptide hormone, peptide YY (PYY), regulates colonic motility, secretion and postprandial satiety; but little is known about the influence of endogenous PYY on 5‐HT release from colonic mucosa. Tachykinin NK2 receptor‐selective agonist, βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10) induces 5‐HT release from guinea pig colonic mucosa via NK2 receptors on the mucosal layer. The present study was designed to determine the influence of endogenous PYY on 5‐HT release from guinea pig colonic mucosa, evoked by the NK2 receptor agonist, βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Muscle layer‐free mucosal preparations of guinea pig colon were incubated in vitro and the outflow of PYY or 5‐HT and its metabolite, 5‐HIAA, from these preparations were determined by enzyme immunoassays or HPLC with electrochemical detection respectively.

KEY RESULTS βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10) produced a tetrodotoxin‐resistant sustained increase in the outflow of PYY and 5‐HT from the mucosal preparations. The βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10)‐evoked 5‐HT outflow was partially inhibited by Y1 receptor antagonist, BIBO3304, and Y2 receptor antagonist, BIIE0246, but with less potency. Exogenously‐applied PYY also produced a sustained increase in the outflow of 5‐HT that was inhibited by Y1 blockade but not Y2 blockade.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings support the view that the NK2 receptor‐selective agonist, βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10) produces a long‐lasting PYY release from guinea pig colonic mucosa via NK2 receptors on L cells and βAla‐NKA‐(4‐10)‐evoked 5‐HT release is in part mediated by endogenously released PYY, acting mainly on Y1 receptors on EC cells. The PYY‐containing L cells appear to play a role in controlling the release of 5‐HT from colonic EC cells.
Response to Comments on “Spitz Nevi Arising in Speckled Lentiginous Nevus: Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Evaluation of Two Cases”
Authors: Torti Dorothea
Published: July 2012

Letters to the Editor are welcomed for publication (subject to editing). Letters must be signed by all authors, and must not exceed two pages of text including references. Letters should not duplicate material submitted or published in other journals. Prepublication proofs will not be provided.
GENOTYPE‐BY‐TEMPERATURE INTERACTIONS MAY HELP TO MAINTAIN CLONAL DIVERSITY IN ASTERIONELLA FORMOSA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)
Authors: Gsell Alena S. , de Senerpont Domis Lisette N. , Przytulska‐Bartosiewicz Anna , Mooij Wolf M. , van Donk Ellen , Ibelings Bas W.
Published: July 2012

Marine and freshwater phytoplankton populations often show large clonal diversity, which is in disagreement with clonal selection of the most vigorous genotype(s). Temporal fluctuation in selection pressures in variable environments is a leading explanation for maintenance of such genetic diversity. To test the influence of temperature as a selection force in continually (seasonally) changing aquatic systems we carried out reaction norms experiments on co‐occurring clonal genotypes of a ubiquitous diatom species, Asterionella formosa Hassall, across an environmentally relevant range of temperatures. We report within population genetic diversity and extensive diversity in genotype‐specific reaction norms in growth rates and cell size traits. Our results showed genotype by environment interactions, indicating that no genotype could outgrow all others across all temperature environments. Subsequently, we constructed a model to simulate the relative proportion of each genotype in a hypothetical population based on genotype and temperature‐specific population growth rates. This model was run with different seasonal temperature patterns. Our modeling exercise showed a succession of two to several genotypes becoming numerically dominant depending on the underlying temperature pattern. The results suggest that (temperature) context dependent fitness may contribute to the maintenance of genetic diversity in isolated populations of clonally reproducing microorganisms in temporally variable environments.
Using Quarterly Earnings to Assess Racing Performance in 70 Thoroughbreds after Modified Laryngoplasty for Treatment of Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy
Authors: Aceto Helen , Parente Eric J.
Published: July 2012

Objective

To validate and then use quarterly earnings to assess racing performance ofThoroughbreds after modified laryngoplasty for treatment of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Animals

Thoroughbred racehorses after modified laryngoplasty (N = 70), and untreated cohorts (N = 210).

Methods

Medical (2005–2008) and race records of 70Thoroughbred racehorses treated by modified laryngoplasty were reviewed. Postsurgery data were collated as the number of starts and the dollar race winnings for each quarter after the date of surgery. Comparisons were made to an untreated cohort population. Initial comparisons were made between subgroups of the untreated cohort to ensure that one randomly selected group of untreated horses would not differ significantly from another untreated group.

Results

In the last race before surgery, treated horses performed significantly (P< .001) worse than untreated horses. When data were examined by quarter, with the exception of the first quarter after surgery, there were no significant differences in race starts or dollars earned between treated horses and untreated cohorts. All treated horses had at least 1 race after surgery and there was no difference in cumulative survival up to 40 races after surgery between treated and untreated groups

Conclusions

Quarterly earnings can be used to provide a more detailed longitudinal assessment of a racehorse's performance. Horses treated by modified laryngoplasty for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy return to similar level of performance as their untreated cohorts by the second quarter after surgery, and continue to compete as long as their cohorts.
Tarsometatarsal Arthrodesis Using Tarsometatarsal Intramedullary Pin Stabilization
Authors: Chow Eric P. , Balfour Raviv J.
Published: July 2012

Objective

To report the use of tarsometatarsal intramedullary pin stabilization for arthrodesis of the tarsometatarsal joint.

Study design

Case series.

Animals

Dogs (n = 12) and cats (n = 2) with tarsometatarsal instability.

Methods

Medical records (January 2004–February 2011) were reviewed for dogs and cats with tarsometatarsal instability repaired with intramedullary pin stabilization. After a dorsal approach to the tarsometatarsal joint, the articular surface was removed, and intramedullary pins were inserted through the metatarsal bones into the distal tarsal bones. Stabilization was supplemented with external coaptation until healing occurred. The intramedullary pins were removed after radiographic evidence of arthrodesis.

Results

Radiographic evidence of bony fusion across the tarsometatarsal joint occurred in all animals. One major complication occurred, with skin necrosis at a single pin site requiring surgical debridement at the pin site. Follow‐up (mean, 107 weeks) was available for 13 cases; 12 were reported to be completely sound, and 1 dog was ambulating normally at a walk but favored the leg when running.

Conclusion

Tarsometatarsal intramedullary pin stabilization can be used for the treatment of tarsometatarsal instability with a low risk of major complications.
Partisanship, Christianity, and Women in the Legislature: Determinants of Parental Leave Policy in U.S. States
Authors: Williamson Sarah , Carnes Matthew
Published: July 2012

Objective

Although the United States 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act is considered meager by international standards, significant variation in family leave policies exists across U.S. states. This article develops a political theory—driven by mobilized interest groups—to explain variation in the duration and pay level of state parental leave policies.

Methods

Employing four different measures of family leave policy, we use ordinary least squares and logit models to test the effects of partisanship, women in the legislature, and evangelical populations on parental leave outcomes.

Results

We find that states with a pattern of Democratic Party controlled legislatures and high percentages of legislative seats occupied by women see more generous parental leave protections, while states with large populations of evangelical Christians see less generous policies.

Conclusion

Family leave policies are the product of a battle between competing visions of the family and the state, shaped by partisanship, gender, and religion.
Electrical Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Acute and Long‐Term Results Stratified According to Arrhythmia Duration
Authors: TOSO ELISABETTA , BLANDINO ALESSANDRO , SARDI DAVIDE , BATTAGLIA ALBERTO , GARBEROGLIO LUCIA , MICELI SALVATORE , AZZARO GIUSEPPE , CAPELLO ATTILIO LUCA , GAITA FIORENZO
Published: July 2012

Background: Current definition of persistent atrial fibrillation (PAF) enrolls a heterogeneous population with different atrial fibrillation (AF) exposure and degree of atrial substrate. Study aims were to evaluate acute and long‐term results of electrical cardioversion (ECV) and to identify temporal cutoff of previous AF exposure to reclassify PAF in subgroups with different chance of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance.

Methods: Five hundred twenty‐one patients (66% men; age 69 ± 10 years) with PAF undergoing ECV, were divided in four groups according to AF duration at the time of ECV: group A with AF ≤2 months (141 patients); group B with AF >2 and ≤4 months (176 patients); group C with AF >4 and ≤6 months (89 patients); and group D with AF >6 months and <1 year (115 patients).

Results: There was no difference in term of acute success among groups (98.5% vs 97.1% vs 98.9% vs 96.5%, respectively, P = 0.95). At 5‐year follow‐up, 198 (41%) patients were in SR: 50% in group A, 44% in group B, 42% in group C, and 25% in group D (P < 0.001). At the multivariate analysis, previous ECV (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55, P < 0.001), left atrium enlargement (HR 1.39, P = 0.013), and AF duration >6 months at time of procedure (HR 1.59, P = 0.001) independently predict ECV failure.

Conclusion: ECV is associated with high acute success rate and low complications rate. Long‐term results are strongly related with AF duration at time of ECV: a cutoff of >6 months helps in selecting patients that can take greater advantage of the procedure. (PACE 2012; 35:1126–1134)
Biofuel Investments in Sub‐Saharan Africa: A Review of the Early Legal and Institutional Framework in Zambia
Authors: German Laura A. , Schoneveld George
Published: July 2012

Concerns about domestic energy security and global climate change mitigation have led the European Union, the United States, and others to introduce policies to enhance the use of biofuels in the transport sector fuel mix. While countries throughout the global South are positioning themselves to capture the economic benefits of this fuel transition, their capacity to do so is highly variable. This paper reviews the early evolution of the biofuel sector in Zambia to explore the extent to which the country is positioned to leverage future benefits of the emerging industry while forestalling negative social and environmental costs. In doing so, it sheds light on an under‐researched dimension of the ongoing debate over large‐scale land acquisitions and foreign investment: the role of legal and institutional frameworks in host countries in shaping outcomes. The analysis draws on the following: policy documents; stakeholder interviews with government departments, investors, and civil society stakeholders; and published and reported data on investments. Findings suggest that while existing and incipient policies and legislation provide an important foundation for attracting investors and achieving diverse sector aims, a number of gaps remain that are likely to hinder efforts to leverage meaningful benefits while minimizing negative impacts.
The Role of Policy Brokers: The Case of Biotechnology in Kenya
Authors: Kingiri Ann N. , Hall Andy
Published: July 2012

Debates about biotechnology continue to be polarized despite its potential to improve the living standards of the poor in Sub‐Saharan Africa. In the backdrop of this polarized scenario, this paper asked, is there a place for brokers in bringing about a productive debate that is pro‐development? The paper argued that if potential intermediaries are analyzed from the perspective of understanding their role and stakeholding in the regulatory change process, this may help breakout the current polarized anti‐ and pro‐biotechnology debates and thereby focus on how to enable productive biotechnology development. Informed by insights from innovation brokering, the functions of brokers in biotechnology regulation are analyzed through the lens of organizations involved in agricultural biotechnology debates in Kenya. The analysis found that policy brokering function attracts varying opportunities and challenges appropriate for informing relevant policy. The paper drew lessons from Kenya's experience to inform a productive policy brokering model for biotechnology regulation.
Characterization of Rare‐Earth Oxide Photoactivated Calcium Phosphate Minerals for Resurfacing Teeth
Authors: Elmadani Esam , Jha Animesh , Perali Tejaswini , Jappy Christine , Walsh David , Leburn Christopher , Brown Tom , Sibbett Wilson , Duggal Monty , Toumba Jack
Published: July 2012

Calcium phosphate (CaP) minerals were synthesized with photo‐active erbium oxide (Er2O3), and acid‐resistant phase mixture of aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) and calcium fluoride (CaF2) at room temperature via precipitation from the aqueous solution of hydrated calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and ammonium hydrogen phosphate (NH4)2HPO4. The dominant precipitated phases, characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, confirmed the presence of monetite (CaHPO4) and brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) at room temperature. The microstructural analysis showed the presence of platelet‐like features of monetite and brushite, which were tested for occlusion of dentinal tubules via irradiation with a 100 fs pulse duration laser, operating at 1520 nm at 2.5 GHz repetition rate. The SEM analysis of dentinal tubule over the occluded surface showed a continuum of 10 µm layer, which covered several 100s of micrometer surface. The results open the opportunity for dentinal tubule occlusion via ultrafast laser sintering using acid‐resistant minerals.
Morphology, Chemical Composition and Phase Transformation of Hydrothermal Derived Sodium Titanate
Authors: Li Meng‐Jung , Chi Zuo‐Yun , Wu Yu‐Chun
Published: July 2012

This study intends to clarify the discrepancies on the effect of precursor size, chemical composition, and thermal behavior of Na‐titanate obtained through a conventional hydrothermal reaction of anatase in a highly concentrated aqueous NaOH solution. According to experimental results, as well as that presented in related literatures, ultrafine anatase precursor favors nanofiber formation, whereas larger‐particle anatase precursor forms nanotubes. The formation mechanism, in correlation with the precursor size and the resulting morphology of the obtained titanate product, is described in detail. According to X‐ray Diffraction and Raman analyses, the as‐formed Na‐titanate is considered a quasi‐disordered structure that allows the occupation of a wide range of Na into the titanate structure. An increased Na/Ti ratio is observed with increased temperature, which simultaneously results in a distortion of the titanate structure. Moreover, the as‐synthesized Na‐titanate is thermally unstable and tends to degrade into amorphous clusters after heat treatment at 300°C. Rod‐like Na2Ti6O13 is recrystallized from the amorphous cluster at 700°C–800°C and becomes plate‐like after annealing at 900°C via a parallel assembly of Na2Ti6O13 rods. An additional Na2Ti3O7 phase appears at high temperatures, exhibiting a relatively higher Na/Ti ratio.
Structural Modification and Large Piezoelectricity of Strained (Na,Bi) TiO3–BaTiO3 Epitaxial Thin Films
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiaki , Harigai Takakiyo , Ueda Michihito , Adachi Hideaki , Fujii Eiji
Published: July 2012

The crystal structure and ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the (1−x)(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–xBaTiO3 (NBT−BT) thin films grown on Pt/MgO(100), (111), and (110) substrates were systematically investigated around the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition (x = 0.05–0.15). X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed the successful epitaxial growth of high‐quality thin films of NBT–BT with a thickness of 3 μm. Due to compressive thermal strain caused by the difference in thermal expansion between NBT–BT and MgO planes, all the NBT–BT thin films grown on MgO(100), (111), and (110) substrates were distorted to form single‐crystal lattices with tetragonal, rhombohedral, and orthorhombic symmetries, respectively. This is quite different from the case of free bulk NBT–BT in which rhombohedral‐to‐tetragonal transformation of the crystal lattice occurs at MPB compositions of x = 0.06–0.07. Nonetheless, the piezoelectric coefficient, −e31*, of the present NBT–BT thin films was largest when x = 0.07 for tetragonal and rhombohedral thin films and 0.09 for orthorhombic ones, with values as high as 18.1, 15.0, and 20.6 C/m2, respectively. These −e31* values are the highest found for lead‐free piezoelectric thin films to date, and larger than those of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films.
Drought stress drives intraspecific choice of food plants by Atta leaf‐cutting ants
Authors: Ribeiro Neto José Domingos , Pinho Bruno Ximenes , Meyer Sebastian Tobias , Wirth Rainer , Leal Inara Roberta
Published: July 2012

Leaf‐cutting ants (LCA) are polyphagous and dominant herbivores throughout the Neotropics that carefully select plant individuals or plant parts to feed their symbiotic fungus. Although many species‐specific leaf traits have been identified as criteria for the choice of food plants, the factors driving intraspecific herbivory patterns in LCA are less well studied. Herein, we evaluate whether or not drought‐stressed native plants are a preferred food source using free‐living colonies of two leaf‐cutting ants, Atta sexdens L. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini), in combination with five plant species, Ocotea glomerata Nees (Lauraceae), Lecythis lurida S. A. Mori (Lecythidaceae), Miconia prasina DC (Melastomataceae), Tovomita brevistaminea Engl. (Clusiaceae), and Tapirira guianensis Aubl. (Anacardiaceae), and Atta cephalotes L., in combination with two plant species, O. glomerata and Licania tomentosa Benth. (Chrysobalanaceae). In dual‐choice bioassays, ants removed about three times more leaf area from drought‐stressed plants compared to control plants. Both leaf‐cutting ant species consistently preferred drought‐stressed plants for all species tested, except T. guianensis. The mean acceptability index – expressing the preference for one of two options on a scale of 0 to 1 – of drought‐stressed plants ranged from 0.65 to 0.86 across plant species, and the preference did not differ significantly among the tested plant species. Our results suggest that selection of drought‐stressed individuals is a general feature of food plant choice by leaf‐cutting ants irrespective of ant or plant species. As human‐modified forest assemblages across the Neotropics are increasingly prone to drought stress, the documented preference of Atta for drought‐stressed plants may have tangible ecological implications.
EBV+ cutaneous B‐cell lymphoproliferation of the leg in an elderly patient with mycosis fungoides and methotrexate treatment
Authors: Rausch Thierry , Cairoli Anne , Benhattar Jean , Spring Philipp , Hohl Daniel , de Leval Laurence
Published: July 2012

A 77‐year‐old man with a 5‐year history of mycosis fungoides (MF) who had received several lines of therapy, including intravenous courses of Methotrexate (MTX) for the past 2 years, went on to develop several ulcerated cutaneous nodules on the left leg. Biopsy revealed diffuse sheets of EBV‐positive large B cells (CD20+ CD30 ± IgM Lambda), with an angiocentric distribution and a monoclonal
IGH
gene rearrangement. Although the pathological features were diagnostic for an EBV‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), several possibilities could be considered for assignment to a specific entity: EBV‐positive DLBCL of the elderly, methotrexate‐induced lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD), lymphomatoid granulomatosis, or the more recently described EBV‐positive mucocutaneous ulcer. The development of EBV+ lymphoproliferations has been reported in two other patients with MF under MTX, and occurred as skin lesions of the leg in one of these and in the current case, which may question the relatedness to primary cutaneous DLCBL, leg‐type.