bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensional analysis of a model problem in thermoelasto‐plasticity for cylindrical bodies under heating and cooling
Authors: Wolff M. , Böhm M. , Frerichs F.
Published: September 2008

We perform a dimension analysis for a model problem in thermoelasto‐plasticity for (hollow) cylindrical bodies, focusing on heating and cooling processes and employing a weak or variational formulation of the arising mathematical model. After finding the dimensionless numbers by a standard procedure, we obtain another set of dimensionless numbers associated with the weak formulation. Besides this, we apply dimension analysis to investigate distortion due to quenching. In particular, we prove that for quenching processes to cause plastification, (and, thus, distortion), a suitably generalized Biot number needs to be sufficiently large.
Convergence analysis of the SQP method for nonlinear mixed‐constrained elliptic optimal control problems
Authors: Griesse R. , Metla N. , Rösch A.
Published: September 2008

Semilinear elliptic optimal boundary control problems with nonlinear pointwise mixed control‐state constraints are considered. Necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are given. The local quadratic convergence of the SQP method is proved and confirmed by numerical results.
Elastic fields due to a rectangular inclusion with uniform antiplane eigenstrains in a bimaterial consisting of two orthotropic quarter planes
Authors: Wang X. , Pan E.
Published: September 2008

The Green's function method is employed to derive closed‐form solutions for displacement, strains, and stresses due to a rectangular inclusion with uniform antiplane eigenstrains in an orthotropic quarter plane and in a bimaterial composed of two orthotropic quarter planes bonded together. It is observed that both the strains and stresses exhibit logarithmic singularity near the four vertices of the rectangular inclusion. Numerical results are also presented to show the distribution of the eigenstrain‐induced displacement and stress fields in the quarter planes.
An improved 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) procedure for the measurement of autoxidation in fish oils
Authors: Yu T. C. , Sinnhuber R. O.
Published: September 2008

An improved 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method suitable for routine testing of autoxidative changes of fish oil and other polyunsaturated lipids has been developed. Air oxidation of the lipid during the TBA reaction was found to produce misleading results. The air oxidation may be controlled by addition of antioxidants to the reaction system. Other factors causing inconsistent TBA results and methods of prevention are also described. A comparison of peroxide and TBA values in autoxidized menhaden oil is presented.
The Major Glycerophospholipids of the Predatory and Parasitic Bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HID5
Authors: Nguyen Nhu‐An T. , Sallans Larry , Kaneshiro Edna S.
Published: September 2008

Bdellovibrio are small motile bacteria that attack and parasitize larger Gram‐negative bacteria and since they might have practical applications, these organisms are attracting the attention of researchers as indicated by the sequencing of the B. bacteriovorus genome. There is an earlier report showing that B. bacteriovorus scavenges fatty acids from the host cell during its parasitic phase otherwise the biochemical nature of its lipids, particularly its complex lipids, remains unknown. We here report on the phospholipid classes of an axenically cultured host‐independent strain (HID5). Phospholipids and fatty acids were identified by a variety of chromatographic procedures and high‐resolution mass spectrometric techniques. Phosphatidylethanolamine was the major phospholipid and phosphatidylserine, cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, and N‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine were also identified. The major fatty acids were 16:0, 16:1, 18:1, and 9,10‐Mt C16:0 (cyC17:0). Unlike another predatory bacterium, Bacteriovorus stolpii strain UKi2, sphingolipids were not detected in B. bacteriovorus by the procedures used in this study. This is consistent with the apparent lack of genes coding for sphingolipid biosynthesis enzymes in the B. bacteriovorus genome database. The results are consistent with the separation of Bdellovibrio and Bacteriovorus into separate genera.
Telomere biology in heart failure
Authors: Wong Liza S.M. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Samani Nilesh J. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , van der Harst Pim
Published: September 2008

The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease increases progressively with advancing age. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Western Countries. In the near future, as the population ages, it is expected that the population prevalence of cardiovascular disease will increase dramatically, imposing a major social and economical burden on society. Not only is age closely related to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, but genetic and environmental factors also play an important role. Recently, a chromosomal mechanism, telomere shortening, has been considered a driving force by which genetic and environmental factors jointly affect biological aging, and possibly the risk for developing age‐associated diseases. Telomeres are the extreme ends of chromosomes and shorten progressively during every cell cycle and therefore can be considered an indicator of biological age. In heart failure, telomere length is severely reduced. In the current review, we will discuss the emerging role of telomere biology in the pathophysiology of heart failure.
Cigarette smoke‐induced left ventricular remodelling is associated with activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases
Authors: Gu Lianzhi , Pandey Vikas , Geenen David L. , Chowdhury Shamim A.K. , Piano Mariann R.
Published: September 2008

Aim:

To determine the effects of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on the expression/activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (extracellular signal‐regulated kinase [ERK1/2], p38‐kinase [p38] and c‐Jun NH2‐terminal protein kinase [JNK]), norepinephrine (NE) and myocardial structure and function.

Methods:

Rats were randomised to two groups: CS‐exposed (n= 12) or room air (CON) (n= 10). After 5 weeks, the animals underwent echocardiography with pulse‐wave Doppler flow measurements. Hearts were removed for microscopy and Western blot analysis.

Results:

CS exposure was associated with significant increases in NE urinary levels and larger ventricular dimensions (mm) (CON = left ventricular end diastolic dimension [LVEDD] 7.99±0.10, LV end systolic dimension [LVESD] 4.55±0.20, CS=LVEDD 8.3±0.10, LVESD 5.3±0.09,p=0.026,p=0.003). There was also evidence of systolic dysfunction in the CS‐exposed group compared to the CON (fractional shortening %, CON=43±2, CS=36±.09,p=0.010). In CS‐exposed hearts, significant increases in phosphorylated p38/total (0.975±0.05) and phosphorylated ERK1/2/totalERK1/2 (1.919±0.050) were found compared to CON hearts (0.464±0.008, 0.459±0.050, respectively). No significant differences were found in JNK levels between the groups.

Conclusions:

Increased NE levels and MAPK activation are associated with CS‐related left ventricular remodelling. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.
Kinesiophobia among physiological overusers with musculoskeletal pain
Authors: Lundberg Mari , Styf Jorma
Published: September 2008

Background: Kinesiophobia has been established as an important factor among patients with musculoskeletal pain. Most research has been performed among patient groups described in terms of disuse. Little, however, is known about the impact of affective factors among patients with overuse injuries caused by exercise.

Aim: The aims were to investigate the occurrence of kinesiophobia among patients with exercise induced pain (overuse group) as compared to a reference group (chronic low back pain, CLBP), and to investigate kinesiophobia in relation to the type of pain and levels of exercise in the overuse group.

Methods: All patients were referred with unspecific pain to the orthopaedic clinic in order to make a specific diagnosis. The overuse group consisted of 146 patients with exercise induced leg pain, and the reference group consisted of 154 patients with CLBP. All patients completed questionnaires regarding age, pain duration, severity of pain and subjective rating of kinesiophobia (TSK). The overuse group was subgrouped verified by an exercise test and diagnostic criteria and completed questionnaires about the level of exercise.

Results: More than 60% of the overusers presented with kinesiophobia, but they did not differ as compared to the reference group. No difference in kinesiophobia was found in the overuse subgroups divided after type of pain. The highest level of kinesiophobia was found among the non‐exercisers.

Conclusions: The results of this study point out the need for further elaborating on the concepts of use, overuse and disuse in relation to the fear‐avoidance model.
d‐Glucose sensing by a plasma membrane regulator of G signaling protein, AtRGS1
Authors: Grigston Jeffrey C. , Osuna Daniel , Scheible Wolf-Rüdiger , Liu Chenggang , Stitt Mark , Jones Alan M.
Published: September 2008

MINT‐6743118:

RGS1 (uniprotkb:Q8H1F2) and

GPA1 (uniprotkb:P18064) physically interact (MI:0218) by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (MI:0809)
Taxol and 10‐deacetylbaccatinIII induce distinct changes in the dynamics of caveolae
Authors: Ahmed Neesar , Dasari Sreekanth , Srivastava Saumya S. , Sneh Amita , Ahmad Absar , Islam Khan M. , Krishnasastry M.V.
Published: September 2008

Taxol treatment of HeLa cells resulted in a transient recruitment of Caveolin‐1 to the cell surface followed by internalization. Interestingly, 20 min after 10‐deacetylbaccatinIII (10‐DAB) treatment, the caveolae displayed faster ‘kiss and run’ dynamics while BaccatinIII (BacIII) did not induce any change. Sustained phosphorylation of Caveolin‐1 is observed upon treatment and between Taxol and 10‐DAB, the former shows phosphorylated Raf‐1, ERK1/2 and hyperphosphorylated Bcl‐2 while the later showed much less magnitude of the same. BacIII treatment did not induce phosphorylation of Raf‐1 or Bcl‐2. It is possible that Taxol might act on multiple targets and the side chain may be crucial.
Air pollution induces enhanced mitochondrial oxidative stress in cystic fibrosis airway epithelium
Authors: Kamdar O. , Le Wei , Zhang J. , Ghio A.J. , Rosen G.D. , Upadhyay D.
Published: September 2008

We studied the effects of airborne particulate matters (PM) on cystic fibrosis (CF) epithelium. We noted that PM enhanced human CF bronchial epithelial apoptosis, activated caspase‐9 and PARP‐1; and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Mitochondrial inhibitors (4,4‐diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′disulfonic acid, rotenone and thenoyltrifluoroacetone) blocked PM‐induced generation of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. PM upregulated pro‐apoptotic Bad, Bax, p53 and p21; and enhanced mitochondrial localization of Bax. The anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xl, Mcl‐1 and Xiap remained unchanged; however, overexpression of Bcl‐xl blocked PM‐induced apoptosis. Accordingly, we provide the evidence that PM enhances oxidative stress and mitochondrial signaling mediated apoptosis via the modulation of Bcl family proteins in CF.
Caught in the Act: ATP hydrolysis of an ABC‐multidrug transporter followed by real‐time magic angle spinning NMR
Authors: Hellmich Ute A. , Haase Winfried , Velamakanni Saroj , van Veen Hendrik W. , Glaubitz Clemens
Published: September 2008

The ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter LmrA from Lactococcus lactis transports cytotoxic molecules at the expense of ATP. Molecular and kinetic details of LmrA can be assessed by solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR), if functional reconstitution at a high protein–lipid ratio can be achieved and the kinetic rate constants are small enough. In order to follow ATP hydrolysis directly by 31P‐magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we generated such conditions by reconstituting LmrA‐dK388, a mutant with slower ATP turnover rate, at a protein–lipid ration of 1:150. By analysing time‐resolved 31P spectra, protein activity has been directly assessed. These data demonstrate the general possibility to perform ssNMR studies on a fully active full length ABC transporter and also form the foundation for further kinetic studies on LmrA by NMR.
Use of a preoperative bleeding questionnaire in pediatric patients who undergo adenotonsillectomy
Authors: Licameli Greg R. , Jones Dwight T. , Santosuosso Jodi , Lapp Catherine , Brugnara Carlo , Kenna Margaret A.
Published: September 2008

Objective

To determine the efficacy of a preoperative bleeding questionnaire (POBQ) and coagulation screening in predicting hemorrhage associated with adenotonsillectomy.

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Subjects and Methods

Between January 1998 and December 2003, 7730 tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy patients were administered the POBQ preoperatively. Further coagulation screening was based on POBQ responses.

Results

A total of 232 (3.0%) of 7730 had postoperative bleeding; 184 (3.2%) of 5782 patients who had negative questionnaires bled postoperatively compared with 48 (2.5%) of 1948 patients with positive questionnaires (P = 0.126). Of 1948 patients with positive questionnaires, 141 (7.2%) had abnormal preoperative coagulation screens and 9 (6.4%) of 141 bled; of the 1807 (92.8%) with negative coagulation screens, 39 (2.2%) bled (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

The POBQ is an effective tool for identifying patients who are at potential risk for post‐tonsillectomy bleeding. Patients with both a positive POBQ and coagulation screen had a statistically higher likelihood of postoperative bleeding than other patients. The POBQ allowed the identification of individuals with bleeding disorders to be treated before surgery, likely decreasing the risk of bleeding in these patients.
Evaluation of HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles frequency in Turkish patients with nasal polyposis
Authors: Keles Bahar , Cora Tülin , Acar Hasan , Arbag Hamdi , Inan Ziya , Ozturk Kayhan , Ozer Bedri
Published: September 2008

Objective

To evaluate whether there is a relationship between HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles and developing nasal polyposis (NP).

Study Design

Data from 66 patients with NP were compared with data from 100 healthy randomly selected controls. Asthma, ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) triad, polyp score, and previous sinonasal surgery were also recorded.

Subjects and Methods

Genotyping of the HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles were performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the sequence‐specific primer (SSP) method. Data were analyzed by using a Pearson χ2 test.

Results

The HLA‐B*07 and ‐Cw*12 alleles were found to be significantly higher in the NP patients compared with the control group, whereas the HLA‐B*57 and HLA‐Cw*04 alleles were significantly lower (P < 0.05). The HLA‐A*24, HLA‐Cw*12, and HLA‐DRB1*04 alleles were determined to be significantly higher in the NP patients with asthma and ASA triad (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results show that some of the HLA alleles seem to be associated with the genetic susceptibility to develop NP in the Turkish population.
The evaluation of physiologic decannulation readiness according to upper airway resistance measurement
Authors: Gao Chunli , Zhou Liang , Wei Chunsheng , Hoffman Matthew R. , Li Cai , Jiang Jack J.
Published: September 2008

Objective

To measure the upper‐airway resistance in patients with tracheostomies and determine the value representing decannulation readiness.

Subjects and Methods

Fifty‐six patients with tracheostomies resultant to laryngeal disease participated in this study. Forty patients met clinical criteria for decannulation; 16 did not. Subglottal pressure was measured with a tube connected to the tracheostomy tube, and airflow was monitored simultaneously using a facemask. Upper‐airway resistance measurements were recorded during shallow and deep breathing.

Results

During both shallow and deep breathing, the inspiratory and expiratory resistances were significantly higher for the group unsuitable for decannulation (P <. 0001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.938 or greater for the four curves, indicating a high sensitivity and specificity of resistance measures for diagnosis.

Conclusions

Objective measurement of upper‐airway resistance during shallow and deep breathing may be a useful parameter in determining decannulation readiness of tracheostomized patients.
The effect of neck dissection on quality of life after chemoradiation
Authors: Donatelli‐Lassig Amy Anne , Duffy Sonia A. , Fowler Karen E. , Ronis David L. , Chepeha Douglas B. , Terrell Jeffrey E.
Published: September 2008

Objective

To determine differences in quality of life (QOL) between patients with head and neck cancer who receive chemoradiation versus chemoradiation and neck dissection.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary otolaryngology clinics and a Veterans Administration hospital. Sample: 103 oropharyngeal patients with Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma treated via chemoradiation ± neck dissection. Intervention: self‐administered health survey to collect health, demographic, and QOL information pretreatment and 1 year later. Main outcome measures: QOL via SF‐36 and HNQoL. Descriptive statistics were calculated for health/clinical characteristics, demographics, and QOL scores. t tests evaluated changes in QOL over time.

Results

Sixty‐five patients underwent chemoradiation and 38 patients underwent chemoradiation and neck dissection. Only the pain index of the SF‐36 showed a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05) with the neck dissection group reporting greater pain.

Conclusions

After post‐treatment neck dissection, patients experience statistically significant decrement in bodily pain domain scores, but other QOL scores are similar to those of patients who underwent chemoradiation alone.
Palate implants for obstructive sleep apnea: Multi‐institution, randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Steward David L. , Huntley Todd C. , Woodson B. Tucker , Surdulescu Victoria
Published: September 2008

Objective

To determine efficacy of Pillar palate implants for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome.

Design

Multi‐institution, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study.

Methods

One hundred patients with mild to moderate OSA and suspected retropalatal obstruction were randomly assigned treatment with three palatal implants or sham placebo.

Results

Final apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) increased for both groups at 3 months, correlating with increased percentage of supine sleep but was less in the implant group (P = 0.05). A clinically meaningful reduction in AHI (≥50% reduction to <20) was more common in the implant group (26% vs 10%, P = 0.05). Significant differences were noted for changes in lowest oxyhemoglobin saturation (P = 0.007) and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (P = 0.05). Improvement in Epworth Sleepiness Score did not differ from that of sham (P = 0.62). Partial implant extrusion occurred in two patients (4%).

Conclusion

Palate implants for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea demonstrated efficacy over placebo for several important outcomes measures with minimal morbidity, but overall effectiveness remains limited. Further study is needed.
Cutaneous angiosarcoma of the head and neck: Report of 23 cases from a single institution
Authors: Köhler Hugo Fontan , Neves Rogério Izar , Brechtbühl Eduard Rene , Mattos Granja Nara Valeria , Ikeda Mauro Kazuo , Kowalski Luiz Paulo
Published: September 2008

Background

To report a single‐institution experience in the treatment of cutaneous head and neck angiosarcoma.

Study Design

Case series.

Patients and Methods

Twenty‐three patients were evaluated: 12 females and 11 males. The primary site of the lesion was the neck in 9 patients, the scalp in 9, and the face in 5. No patient had been submitted to previous treatment but 10 were submitted to incisional biopsy. The lesions' size ranged from 2.5 to 12 cm (median 4 cm).

Results

All but one patient were submitted to surgical resection as primary treatment. Twenty‐two patients received adjuvant treatment: 8 cases of local recurrence and 12 cases of distant metastasis. Two patients presented synchronous local and distant relapses. The 5‐year survival rate was 21.7 percent. In our series, the only factor affecting survival was histological grade (odds ratio = 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.6‐28.9).

Conclusion

Our results for 5‐year survival are comparable to those in the literature with a treatment based on complete surgical resection. The only significant prognostic factor was tumor histological grade.
Assessment of acute otitis externa and otitis media with effusion performance measures in otolaryngology practices
Authors: Patel Milesh M. , Eisenberg Lee , Witsell David , Schulz Kristine A.
Published: September 2008

Objective

To evaluate the acute otitis externa and otitis media with effusion performance measure sets in a clinical setting and provide preliminary data on measure compliance.

Study Design and Setting

Quality improvement study.

Subjects and Methods

Convenience sampling (N = 84) was performed at five sites of ENT and Allergy Associates, LLC.

Results

Physicians reported prescribing topical antibiotic preparations and assessing for auricular or periauricular pain in 98% of acute otitis externa cases (N = 55). In addition, 87% did not prescribe systemic antimicrobials. Pneumatic otoscopy was used by 76% of physicians as a method for otitis media with effusion diagnosis and 10% administered a hearing test within 6 months before tympanostomy tube placement (N = 29). Furthermore, as recommended, 86% did not prescribe decongestants or antihistamines whereas 93% and 90% did not prescribe antimicrobials or systemic steroids, respectively.

Conclusion

Although compliance in this study was generally high across both measure sets, actual use of the face sheet forms for appropriate patients was lower than the 80% reporting mandate by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that allows physicians to receive the monetary bonus. Incentive‐based reporting should be continuously investigated to assess challenges for evaluating current measures.
A Formal Model of Learning and Policy Diffusion
Authors: VOLDEN CRAIG , TING MICHAEL M. , CARPENTER DANIEL P.
Published: September 2008

We present a model of learning and policy choice across governments. Governments choose policies with known ideological positions but initially unknown valence benefits, possibly learning about those benefits between the model's two periods. There are two variants of the model; in one, governments only learn from their own experiences, whereas in the other they learn from one another's experiments. Based on similarities between these two versions, we illustrate that much accepted scholarly evidence of policy diffusion could simply have arisen through independent actions by governments that only learn from their own experiences. However, differences between the game-theoretic and decision-theoretic models point the way to future empirical tests that discern learning-based policy diffusion from independent policy adoptions.
Candidate Positioning and Voter Choice
Authors: TOMZ MICHAEL , VAN HOUWELING ROBERT P.
Published: September 2008

This article examines a fundamental aspect of democracy: the relationship between the policy positions of candidates and the choices of voters. Researchers have suggested three criteria—proximity, direction, and discounting—by which voters might judge candidates' policy positions. More than 50 peer-reviewed articles, employing data from more than 20 countries, have attempted to adjudicate among these theories. We explain why existing data and methods are insufficient to estimate the prevalence of these criteria in the electorate. We then formally derive an exhaustive set of critical tests: situations in which the criteria predict different vote choices. Finally, through survey experiments concerning health care policy, we administer the tests to a nationally representative sample. We find that proximity voting is about twice as common as discounting and four times as common as directional voting. Furthermore, discounting is most prevalent among ideological centrists and nonpartisans, who make sophisticated judgments that help align policy with their preferences. These findings demonstrate the promise of combining formal theory and experiments to answer previously intractable questions about democracy.
Probiotic yogurt in the elderly with intestinal bacterial overgrowth: endotoxaemia and innate immune functions
Authors: Schiffrin Eduardo J. , Parlesak Alexandr , Bode Christiane , Christian Bode J. , van't Hof Martin A. , Grathwohl Dominik , Guigoz Yves
Published: September 2008

A study was conducted in healthy elderly living independently in senior housing to assess the impact of a probiotic yoghurt supplement on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Twenty-three participants with positive and thirteen participants with negative hydrogen breath test were studied before and after a period of 4 weeks of probiotic yoghurt administration. Intestinal permeability, plasma endotoxin levels, phagocytic activity of leucocytes, cytokine production by monocytes and free radical response of neutrophils were determined. Intestinal permeability was similar for the two groups and was unaffected by probiotic treatment. Both plasma endotoxin levels and the basal phagocytic activity of leucocytes decreased after yoghurt intake in the two groups. Exposure of monocytes and neutrophilsex vivoled to an increased cytokine response and free radical response, respectively. The normalisation of the various cytokine responses was more apparent in the group with positive breath test. In addition, the plasma levels of lipoplysaccharide binding protein and soluble CD14, lipoplysaccharide pattern recognition receptors and surrogate markers of lipoplysaccharide permeability were diminished by the end of the study. In conclusion, probiotic administration in the elderly normalises the response to endotoxin, and modulates activation markers in blood phagocytes, and therefore may help reduce low-grade chronic inflammation.
Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) resting habitat in Samadai Reef (Egypt, Red Sea) protected through tourism management
Authors: Notarbartolo-di-Sciara Giuseppe , Hanafy Mahmoud H. , Fouda Moustafa M. , Afifi Ayman , Costa Marina
Published: September 2008

The daily presence of spinner dolphins,Stenella longirostris, inside a small reef offshore the Red Sea coast of southern Egypt was monitored from January 2004 to January 2006. Observations indicated marked seasonal and daily variations in the use of the reef as a resting and socializing area by the dolphins, consistent during the two years of monitoring. Overall, the mean number of dolphins present in the reef at any day was 39.2 (SD = 39.34, range 0–210), with the lowest presence in February to April and the highest in June. Similar to other populations of this species in other oceans, dolphins entered the reef between daybreak and mid-morning, and started exiting during the afternoon hours. Although calves were seen in all seasons, a sharp peak was observed in June. Monitoring data provided indications relevant to governmental management efforts, which were implemented in 2004 to ensure that the dolphins could continue using the reef for their resting needs while a sustainable, respectful tourist activity is allowed in a designated zone of the reef adjacent to the dolphins' core habitat.
The effects of social structure and sex-biased transmission on macroparasite infection
Authors: PERKINS S. E. , FERRARI M. F. , HUDSON P. J.
Published: September 2008

Mathematical models of disease dynamics tend to assume that individuals within a population mix at random and so transmission is random, and yet, in reality social structure creates heterogeneous contact patterns. We investigated the effect of heterogeneity in host contact patterns on potential macroparasite transmission by first quantifying the level of assortativity in a socially structured wild rodent population (Apodemus flavicollis) with respect to the directly-transmitted macroparasitic helminth,Heligmosomoides polygyrus. We found the population to be disassortatively mixed (i.e. male mice mixing with female mice more often than same sex mixing) at a constant level over time. The macroparasiteH. polygyrushas previously been shown to exhibit male-biased transmission so we used a Susceptible-Infected (SI) mathematical model to simulate the effect of increasing strengths of male-biased transmission on the prevalence of the macroparasite using empirically-derived transmission networks. When transmission was equal between the sexes the model predicted macroparasite prevalence to be 73% and infection was male biased (82% of infection in the male mice). With a male-bias in transmission ten times that of the females, the expected macroparasite prevalence was 50% and was equally prevalent in both sexes, results that both most closely resembled empirical dynamics. As such, disassortative mixing alone did not produce macroparasite dynamics analogous to those from empirical observations; a strong male-bias in transmission was also required. We discuss the relevance of our results in the context of network models for transmission dynamics and control.
The transmission of Aldhelm's writings in early medieval Spain
Authors: Breeze Andrew
Published: September 2008

Although writings of Aldhelm (c. 635–c. 709) were widely known in early Spain, in modern Spain they are hardly known at all. An entry on Aldhelm in a recent Spanish book on medieval Latin makes the latter point vividly: ‘Bibliografía: Escasa. Autor casi olvidado. Totalmente ausente en algún catálogo bibliográfico.’ A survey of the transmission of Aldhelm's writings from a Spanish viewpoint, however, is able to alter this perspective and to show new aspects of his influence.
NEWER THAN WHAT? OLDER THAN WHAT?
Authors: Ryan Alan
Published: September 2008

The essay approaches the question: Older Than What; Newer Than What?
as naively as possible; it begins by asking whether there can be, and
perhaps was, liberalism before the word was coined, and argues that there
could have been but as a matter of fact was not. It then changes tack to
ask whether liberalism is in essence a modern phenomenon, and answers that
it is. This, however, raises the further question of what, if anything,
lends coherence to modern forms of liberalism. The paper then argues that,
contrary to Rawls, it is a comprehensive, or more narrowly
‘autonomist,’ conception of liberalism that provides the only
reliable basis in ethics, metaphysics, and in a view of human nature for
more limited forms of liberalism. It is argued throughout that liberalism
so construed is a contentious creed, and that liberals should not be
daunted by that fact.
POPULIST PERFECTIONISM: THE OTHER AMERICAN LIBERALISM
Authors: Spragens Thomas A.
Published: September 2008

Recent debates over American liberalism have largely ignored one way
of understanding democratic purposes that was widely influential for much
of American history. This normative conception of democracy was inspired
by philosophical ideas found in people such as John Stuart Mill and G. W.
F. Hegel rather than by rights-based or civic republican theories. Walt
Whitman and John Dewey were among its notable adherents. There is much
that can be said on behalf of Richard Rorty's recent argument that
American liberals would be well advised to recover and reclaim the
heritage of Whitman and Dewey; but some additions and emendations to his
construction of these champions of democracy would strengthen his
case.
QUANTIFYING FAIRNESS IN QUEUING SYSTEMS
Authors: Avi-Itzhak Benjamin , Levy Hanoch , Raz David
Published: September 2008

In this article we discuss fairness in queues, view it in the context of social justice at large, and survey the recently published research work and publications dealing with the issue ofmeasuringfairness of queues. The emphasis is placed on the underlying principles of the different measurement approaches, on reviewing their methodology, and on examining their applicability and intuitive appeal. Some quantitative results are also presented.

The article has three major parts (sections) and a short concluding discussion. In the first part we discuss fairness in queues and its importance in the broader context of the prevailing conception of social justice at large, and the distinction betweenfairness of the queueandfairness at largeis illuminated. The second part is dedicated to explaining and discussing three main properties expected of a fairness measure: conformity to the general concept of social justice, granularity, and intuitive appeal and rationality. The third part reviews the fairness of the queue evaluating and measuring approaches proposed and studied in recent years. We describe the underlying principles of the different approaches, present some of their results, and review them in context of the three main properties expected from a measure. The short discussion that follows centers on future research issues.
ON THE DISCRETE-TIMEG/GI/∞ QUEUE
Authors: Eliazar Iddo
Published: September 2008

The discrete-timeG/GI/∞ queue model is explored. Jobs arrive to an infinite-server queuing system following anarbitraryinput processX; job sizes are general independent and identically distributed random variables. The system's output processY(of job departures) and queue processN(tracking the number of jobs present in the system) are analyzed. Various statistics of the stochastic mapsX↦YandX↦Nare explicitly obtained, including means, variances, autocovariances, cross-covariances, and multidimensional probability generating functions. In the case of stationary inputs, we further compute the spectral densities of the stochastic maps, characterize the fixed points (in theL2sense) of the input–output map, precisely determine when the output and queue processes display either short-ranged or long-ranged temporal dependencies, and prove a decomposition result regarding the intrinsicL2structure of general stationaryG/GI/∞ systems.
NOTE ON APPROXIMATIONS FOR THE MULTISERVER QUEUE WITH FINITE BUFFER AND DETERMINISTIC SERVICES
Authors: Tijms Henk
Published: September 2008

This article shows that very accurate accurate approximations to performance measures in the multiserver M/D/c/c+N queue with finite buffer and deterministic service times can be obtained by replacing the deterministic service time by a two-phase process with exponential sojourn times and branching probabilities outside the interval [0, 1].
Early language and nonverbal representation: a reassessment
Authors: Veneziano Edy
Published: September 2008

The relationship between language development and the development of non-verbal representation was studied longitudinally in six children. Language development is evaluated interactionally by considering not only the form and usage of a child's sounds but also the way a familiar person allows those sounds to function as instances of words belonging to the frequently revised language proper to the child–adult pair. Non-verbal representation, studied in a symbolic play situation, presents different behavioural levels, showing close synchrony with a large increase observed in language development. The results are taken as suggestive of an inter-relational hypothesis between language and non-verbal representation, and an interpretation in terms of reciprocal interaction is proposed.
The melodic nucleus derived from anaphoral chant: ‘signature tune’ of
Kyrie eleison melodies
Authors: COLETTE MARIE-NOËL
Published: September 2008

Whereas the melodies of the Ordinary chants of the Mass seem to have been rather few in earlier centuries, they subsequently developed and multiplied as a consequence of new modes of poetic invention (tropes and prosulas), their melodies taking into account the theory of the octoechos. Kyrie melodies provide us with particularly striking witnesses to this development. Despite their number, their diversity, and their classification in the octoechal system, almost all of the Kyrie melodies, at least until the end of the twelfth century, can be traced back to an earlier melodic formula, sometimes termed an ‘anaphoral chant kernel’ (CED, Gba, FGa), recognisable as a ‘signature tune’ of the Kyrie genre. This relates to Dom Jean Claire’s hypothesis about the E corde-mère as the nucleus in which the earlier Kyrie compositions originated. It also forms the focus of the protus authentic and deuterus authentic modes.
Liturgical chant bibliography 17
Authors: PAUCKER GÜNTHER MICHAEL
Published: September 2008

Liturgical chant bibliography 17 maintains the previously established subdivisions: (1) Editions and facsimile editions, (2) Books and reprints, (3) Congress reports, (4) Chant journals, (5) Collections of essays and dictionaries, (6) Articles in periodicals and Festschriften. Additions to previous bibliographies, mostly reviews, will be found immediately following this introduction.
Poverty, environment and natural resource use: introduction to the special issue
Authors: VAN IERLAND EKKO C. , WEIKARD HANS-PETER
Published: September 2008

A growing population and growing per capita consumption threaten the environment and the natural resource base. Where natural resources are at risk, the livelihoods of many are at risk as well. In May 2006 the Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group of Wageningen University organized a conference on ‘Poverty, Environment and Natural Resource Use’ with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the links between poverty and the natural resource base. The state of the environment affects people's living conditions – and poverty affects environmental quality. Environmental policies cannot be designed and natural resources cannot be managed without appropriate consideration of local people's reactions to those policies and management decisions.
One‐, two‐ and three‐phase viscosity treatments for basaltic lava flows
Authors: Harris Andrew J. L. , Allen John S.
Published: September 2008

Lava flows comprise three‐phase mixtures of melt, crystals, and bubbles. While existing one‐phase treatments allow melt phase viscosity to be assessed on the basis of composition, water content, and/or temperature, two‐phase treatments constrain the effects of crystallinity or vesicularity on mixture viscosity. However, three‐phase treatments, allowing for the effects of coexisting crystallinity and vesicularity, are not well understood. We investigate existing one‐ and two‐phase treatments using lava flow case studies from Mauna Loa (Hawaii) and Mount Etna (Italy) and compare these with a three‐phase treatment that has not been applied previously to basaltic mixtures. At Etna, melt viscosities of 425 ± 30 Pa s are expected for well‐degassed (0.1 w. % H2O), and 135 ± 10 Pa s for less well‐degassed (0.4 wt % H2O), melt at 1080°C. Application of a three‐phase model yields mixture viscosities (45% crystals, 25–35% vesicles) in the range 5600–12,500 Pa s. This compares with a measured value for Etnean lava of 9400 ± 1500 Pa s. At Mauna Loa, the three‐phase treatment provides a fit with the full range of field measured viscosities, giving three‐phase mixture viscosities, upon eruption, of 110–140 Pa s (5% crystals, no bubble effect due to sheared vesicles) to 850–1400 Pa s (25–30% crystals, 40–60% spherical vesicles). The ability of the three‐phase treatment to characterize the full range of melt‐crystal‐bubble mixture viscosities in both settings indicates the potential of this method in characterizing basaltic lava mixture viscosity.
Dynamics of a velocity strengthening fault region: Implications for slow earthquakes and postseismic slip
Authors: Perfettini Hugo , Ampuero Jean‐Paul
Published: September 2008

We consider the effect of permanent stress changes on a velocity strengthening rate‐and‐state fault, through numerical simulations and analytical results on 1‐D, 2‐D, and 3‐D models. We show that slip transients can be triggered by perturbations of size roughly larger than Lb = G dc/bσ, where G is the shear modulus, dc and b are the characteristic slip distance and the coefficient of the evolution effect of rate‐and‐state friction, respectively, and σ is the effective normal stress. Perturbations that increase the Coulomb stress lead to the strongest transients, but creep bursts can also be triggered by perturbations that decrease the Coulomb stress. In the latter case, peak slip velocity is attained long after the perturbation, so that it may be difficult in practice to identify their origin. The evolution of slip in a creep transient shares many features with the nucleation process of a rate‐and‐state weakening fault: slip initially localizes over a region of size not smaller than Lb and then accelerates transiently and finally expands as a quasi‐static propagating crack. The characteristic size Lb implies a constraint on the grid resolution of numerical models, even on strengthening faults, that is more stringent than classical criteria. In the transition zone between the velocity weakening and strengthening regions, the peak slip velocity may be arbitrarily large and may approach seismic slip velocities. Postseismic slip may represent the response of the creeping parts of the fault to a stress perturbation of large scale (comparable to the extent of the main shock rupture) and high amplitude, while slow earthquakes may represent the response of the creeping zones to a more localized stress perturbation. Our results indicate that superficial afterslip, observed at usually seismogenic depths, is governed by a rate‐strengthening rheology and is not likely to correspond to stable weakening zones. The predictions of the full rate‐and‐state framework reduce to a pure velocity strengthening law on a timescale longer than the duration of the acceleration transient, only when the triggering perturbation extends over length scales much larger than Lb.
Impact of tropical convective activity on monthly temperature variability during nonmonsoon season in the Nepal Himalayas
Authors: Ueno Kenichi , Aryal Raju
Published: September 2008

Surface air temperature, observed in the eastern Nepal Himalayas, showed large intraseasonal and year‐to‐year variability during the nonmonsoon season. A significant negative correlation was found in the monthly outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) between the area over the Himalayas and tropical areas between 80 and 150°E, which was confirmed by in situ observation data. The correlation was stronger in the months of December, March, and April with different correlative areas in the tropics. From comparison of data observed over 10 years with OLR and global precipitation data, the variability of monthly local surface air temperature in winter was primarily attributed to the indirect effect of convective activities in the tropics that caused a variation in the precipitation/snow cover condition at high elevations.
Lagrangian particle dispersion modeling for the high Alpine site Jungfraujoch
Authors: Folini D. , Ubl S. , Kaufmann P.
Published: September 2008

This study investigates the performance of a regional‐scale, time‐reversed Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM) to model the atmospheric transport of inert trace gases to the Swiss high Alpine measurement station Jungfraujoch on a routine basis. The model is based on the operational dispersion model of the Swiss and German weather services (MeteoSwiss and DWD) and runs on analyzed meteorological fields from the weather prediction model Consortium for Small‐Scale Modeling (COSMO) of MeteoSwiss. On the basis of a sensitivity analysis, parameter values are derived which result in a reasonable compromise between accuracy and computational costs. The uncertainty associated with the choice of parameter values is estimated to be approximately 40% for modeled total times during which the air had ground contact before reaching Jungfraujoch and approximately 50% for modeled CO mixing ratios at Jungfraujoch. The release height of the particles has the most significant impact. Comparison of modeled CO mixing ratios with measured data over a 4‐month period from July to October 2004 reveals best agreement for a release height of 80 m above model ground. The correlation between 3‐hour averages of measured and modeled data results is r = 0.4. For daily mean values we find r = 0.5. Correlations are higher in autumn than in summer. Absolute values of modeled mixing ratios tend to be rather low but still within the range of measured data.
Deriving snow cloud characteristics from CloudSat observations
Authors: Liu Guosheng
Published: September 2008

There has been so far no global estimate of snowfall. CloudSat has, for the first time, provided an opportunity for us to conduct such an estimate. The present study seizes this opportunity and attempts to investigate the global snowfall characteristics using its cloud radar observations. The retrieval methodology developed in this study includes two parts: first, determining whether a radar echo corresponds to snowfall (instead of rainfall), and second, converting radar reflectivity to snowfall rate. The first part is a snow‐rain threshold based on multiyear land station and shipboard present weather reports, and the second part is based on backscatter computations of nonspherical ice particles and in situ measured particle size distributions. Using the above retrieval method, global CloudSat data over 1 year were analyzed. The results show the following. (1) In the Southern Hemisphere, there is an almost zonally orientated high snowfall zone centered around 60°S, where both snowfall frequency and rate are high. In the Northern Hemisphere, however, heavy/frequent snowfall areas are mostly locked to geographical locations. (2) Zonally and annually averaged snowfall rate has its maximum value around 2 mm d−1, which is about one third of the zonally averaged rainfall values found in the tropics, signifying the importance of snowfall in hydrological cycle. (3) Vertical profiles of snowfall rate have the greatest variability in the lowest levels. While near‐surface snowfall rate generally increases with cloud top height, there seems to be two prevailing groups of clouds with very different growth rate of snowfall as cloud top height increases. (4) The characteristics of the vertical distribution of snowfall rate are quite similar for over‐ocean and over‐land snow clouds, except that over‐land snow clouds seem to be somewhat shallower than those over ocean.
A swarm of small shield volcanoes on Syria Planum, Mars
Authors: Baptista Ana Rita , Mangold Nicolas , Ansan Véronique , Baratoux David , Lognonné Philippe , Alves Eduardo I. , Williams David A. , Bleacher Jacob E. , Masson Philippe , Neukum Gerhard
Published: September 2008

This study focuses on the volcanism in Syria Planum, located at the center of the Tharsis bulge at an altitude of 6 to 8 km above Mars datum. Syria Planum was previously recognized as a center for the tectonic activity of Tharsis, but not as a major locus for volcanic activity, despite its centrality over the bulge. Using high‐resolution images from the high resolution stereo camera on Mars Express combined with Mars Observer Laser Altimeter data, we have characterized a volcanic system that reveals a number of very interesting aspects of Mars volcanism. We identified a swarm of tens of coalesced shallow volcanic edifices, typically 10–30 km diameter, 0.1–0.2 km high, and with slopes around 0.5°. These characteristics are similar to those of small shield volcanoes found in Iceland. In addition, an intermediate‐sized volcano, which is the source of lava flows that extend over >200 km, is observed west of this shield swarm. Our study characterizes a previously unrecognized volcanic assemblage on Mars which appears to be much more developed than was documented before, in terms of morphology, inferred origin, and periodicity of eruption. The estimated lava flux of the Syria Planum volcanoes is of the same order as the lava flux of Tharsis Montes. These characteristics suggest that Syria Planum experienced a very specific style of volcanism, which we dated to the Hesperian period.