bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced containment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through organic modification of soils
Authors: Kasaraneni Varun , Kohm Steven E. , Eberle Dylan , Boving Thomas , Oyanedel‐Craver Vinka
Published: January 2013

A methodology to enhance the containment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in pervious pavement systems was developed through the chemical modification of a typical Rhode Island glacial outwash soil. In addition, the PAH‐retaining capacity of different structural components of pervious pavements was evaluated using column experiments in terms of PAH retention. Two methods were used for soil amendments. The first method was a direct modification of the porous matrix using quaternary ammonium cations through an ion exchange process. The second method involved blending the soil with a commercial organoclay (PM‐199; CETCO Oil Field Services). These amendments successfully increased the soil's fraction of organic carbon (foc) by at least 70%. To quantify the efficiency of these amended soils to sorb PAHs, a series of batch isotherms and column experiments were conducted on unmodified and modified soils. These studies demonstrated that, through the synthetic modification, the sorption of PAH was increased by up to 20‐fold. The Langmuir (α, β) and Freundlich (KF, n) isotherm coefficients calculated from batch studies were higher when compared with column experiments. Overall, the organoclay‐glacial outwash blend exhibited the greatest KF value of 114.2. Breakthrough curves obtained using HYDRUS 1D were compared with measured data. The column experiments conducted on porous concrete and aggregate demonstrated that these materials have a minimal contribution to the overall containment of PAH in pervious pavement systems. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 47–54, 2014
Numerical and experimental analysis of machining of Al (20 vol% SiC) composite by the use of ABAQUS software
Authors: Fathipour M. , Hamedi M. , Yousefi R.
Published: January 2013

In this study two‐dimensional finite element model of Al/SiC metal matrix composites (MMC) are investigated by the use of ABAQUS/Explicit software. Chip formations and machining forces during machining of MMC have been studied and compared to experimental data. It was found that the resulted chips in simulation and the generated chips in experiments both have saw‐tooth in appearance. On the other hand, the obtained cutting forces diagrams from simulation and experimental conditions have considerable fluctuating with passing cutting time. This is due to the interaction between tool and SiC particles during chip formation.
Correction method for wireless electromagnetic localization of microcapsule devices
Authors: Guo Xudong , Yan Rongguo , Wang Cheng
Published: January 2013

Background

In the development of a telemetry localization system for wireless tracking of a microcapsule medical device based on alternating current magnetic fields, further improvements are required in terms of localization accuracy and reductions in systematic error.

Methods

A new correction method is proposed based on an improved neural network algorithm for wireless localization. Based on the wireless localization model and its prototype, a single neural network with five input and five output neurons was designed for correction. Because the position and attitude angle are defined on different domains, both the input and output variables were normalized to improve network convergence. To prevent overfitting, the Levenberg–Marquardt Bayesian regularization algorithm was used as an effective learning algorithm for the neural network.

Results

Through experimental testing, the tracked and true locations were obtained, and the effects of neural network correction on improving localization accuracy were assessed. The experiments demonstrated reductions in localization errors when using the improved neural network correction algorithm. After correction, average errors of the X, Y, Z, α, and β components reduced to 8.1 mm, 9.3 mm, 7.2 mm, 0.075 rad, and 0.071 rad, respectively.

Conclusions

Compared with the basic back propagation algorithm, the Levenberg–Marquardt Bayesian regularization algorithm effectively improves the generalizability and convergence accuracy of neural networks in wireless localization correction. In addition, this method provides a feasible solution for improving the accuracy when wirelessly tracking a microcapsule device. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient structural analysis of wall–frame structures
Authors: Park Yong‐Koo , Kim Hyun‐Su , Lee Dong‐Guen
Published: January 2013

In this study, an efficient analytical model for the dynamic analysis of tall buildings with a shear wall–frame structural system has been proposed. A shear wall–frame structural system usually consists of a core wall showing flexural behavior and a frame presenting shear behavior. Therefore, the deformed shape of the shear wall–frame structural system is shown by the combination of flexural mode and shear mode. To consider this characteristic in developing an efficient analytical model, the effect of shear wall and frame on the dynamic behavior of a tall building with a dual system has been separately investigated. In order to consider the effect of the shear wall in the frame model without shear wall, a rigid body was used instead of the shear wall. Each equivalent model for the separated shear wall part and frame part has been independently developed, and two equivalent models were then combined to create an efficient analytical model for tall buildings with a shear wall–frame structural system. In order to verify the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method, time history analyses of tall buildings with a shear wall–frame system were performed. With analytical results, it has been confirmed that the proposed method can provide accurate results with significantly reduced computational time and memory. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Survival Patterns and Mortality in the North American Population of Silvered Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus cristatus)
Authors: Shelmidine Nichole , McAloose Denise , McCann Colleen
Published: January 2013

This study examines mortality in the North American (N.A.) population of silvered leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus cristatus) maintained in Association of Zoos and Aquarium's zoos. Understanding the causes of death associated with mortality rates (MR) can highlight relative susceptibility to intrinsic/extrinsic factors and differences between age and sex classes. Overall, life tables can provide insight into a species' population dynamics. We expect that the MR will fit the general mammalian and primate trends of a U‐shaped curve when graphed, that males will have a higher MR and shorter life expectancy than females and that infant survival will be higher in captivity than in wild populations. Our results indicate that the N.A. captive population fits expected MR trends of a U‐shaped curve. However, no differences in MR or life expectancy were found between the sexes. Infant survivorship did not differ from the wild or other leaf monkey populations (both captive and wild). The majority of infant deaths occurred on day 1 of life (52.8% of all infant deaths) and infant survivorship to 1 year was 66%. Neonates (n = 6, 31.6%) and infants (n = 4, 44.4%) died from trauma, juveniles (n = 2, 33.3%) from nutritional reasons, adults from non‐infectious diseases (n = 7, 29.2%) and from post‐surgical complications (n = 7, 29.2%), and older adults from idiopathic diseases (n = 4, 26.7%) and non‐infectious diseases (n = 4, 26.7%). Only older adult males died from degenerative diseases (i.e., heart failure, n = 3, 42.9%). In general, this captive population demonstrated some similar trends to those observed in mammalian and Old World monkey populations. Zoo Biol. 32:177–188, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Intestinal mast cells and eosinophils in relation to Strongyloides ratti adult expulsion from the small and large intestines of rats
Authors: SHINTOKU Y. , KADOSAKA T. , KIMURA E. , TAKAGI H. , KONDO S. , ITOH M.
Published: January 2013

Mucosal mast cells (MMC) play a crucial role in the expulsion of Strongyloides ratti adults from the small intestine of mice. We reported the large intestinal parasitism of S. ratti in rats, and there has been no report on MMC in the large intestine of the natural host. We studied kinetics of MMC, together with eosinophils, in the upper and lower small intestines, caecum and colon of infected rats. Two distinct phases of mastocytosis were revealed: one in the upper small intestine triggered by stimulation of ‘ordinary’ adults, and the other in the colon stimulated by ‘immune-resistant’ adults that started parasitizing the colon around 19 days post-infection. In all 4 intestinal sites, the MMC peaks were observed 5–7 days after the number of adult worms became the maximum and the height of MMC peaks appeared to be dependent on the number of parasitic adults, suggesting an important role played by worms themselves in the MMC buildup.
Integrating rural development and biodiversity conservation in Central Romania
Authors: MIKULCAK FRIEDERIKE , NEWIG JENS , MILCU ANDRA I. , HARTEL TIBOR , FISCHER JOERN
Published: January 2013

Unlike most parts of the European Union (EU), Southern Transylvania (Central Romania) is characterized by an exceptionally high level of farmland biodiversity. This results from traditional small-scale farming methods that have maintained extensive areas of high nature value farmland. Following the post-socialist transition, Southern Transylvania faces serious challenges such as under-employment and rural population decline, which put traditional farming at risk. With Romania's accession to the EU in 2007, Southern Transylvania became part of a complex multi-level governance system that in principle provides mechanisms to balance biodiversity conservation and rural development. To this end, the most important instruments are the ‘Natura 2000’ network of protected areas and EU rural development policy. Structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with town hall representatives from 30 villages in Southern Transylvania and local EU experts revealed that EU policies are often poorly aligned with local conditions. To date, the implementation of EU rural development policy is strongly focused on economic development, with biodiversity conservation being of little concern. Moreover, relevant EU funding opportunities are poorly communicated. Bridging organizations should be strengthened to foster the implementation of a rural development strategy that integrates local needs and biodiversity conservation.
Electron Microscopy Characterization of Ni-Cr-B-Si-C Laser Deposited Coatings
Authors: Hemmati I. , Rao J.C. , Ocelík V. , De Hosson J.Th.M.
Published: January 2013

During laser deposition of Ni-Cr-B-Si-C alloys with high amounts of Cr and B, various microstructures and phases can be generated from the same chemical composition that results in heterogeneous properties in the clad layer. In this study, the microstructure and phase constitution of a high-alloy Ni-Cr-B-Si-C coating deposited by laser cladding were analyzed by a combination of several microscopy characterization techniques including scanning electron microscopy in secondary and backscatter imaging modes, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The combination of EDS and EBSD allowed unequivocal identification of micron-sized precipitates as polycrystalline orthorhombic CrB, single crystal tetragonal Cr5B3, and single crystal hexagonal Cr7C3. In addition, TEM characterization showed various equilibrium and metastable Ni-B, Ni-Si, and Ni-Si-B eutectic products in the alloy matrix. The findings of this study can be used to explain the phase formation reactions and to tune the microstructure of Ni-Cr-B-Si-C coatings to obtain the desired properties.
Employer-provided health insurance and hospital mergers
Authors: Garmon Christopher
Published: January 2013

This paper explores the impact of employer-provided health insurance on hospital competition and hospital mergers. Under employer-provided health insurance, employer executives act as agents for their employees in selecting health insurance options for their firm. The paper investigates whether a merger of hospitals favored by executives will result in a larger price increase than a merger of competing hospitals elsewhere. This is found to be the case even when the executive has the same opportunity cost of travel as her employees and even when the executive is the sole owner of the firm, retaining all profits. This is consistent with the Federal Trade Commission's findings in its challenge of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's acquisition of Highland Park Hospital. Implications of the model are further tested with executive location data and hospital data from Florida and Texas.
Proapoptotic Bak and Bax guard against fatal systemic and organ-specific autoimmune disease
Authors: Mason Kylie D. , Lin Ann , Robb Lorraine , Josefsson Emma C. , Henley Katya J. , Gray Daniel H. D. , Kile Benjamin T. , Roberts Andrew W. , Strasser Andreas , Huang David C. S. , Waring Paul , O’Reilly Lorraine A.
Published: January 2013

Dysregulation of the “intrinsic” apoptotic pathway is associated with the development of cancer and autoimmune disease. Bak and Bax are two proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 protein family with overlapping, essential roles in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Their activity is critical for the control of cell survival during lymphocyte development and homeostasis, best demonstrated by defects in thymic T-cell differentiation and peripheral lymphoid homeostasis caused by their combined loss. Because most
bak
−/−
bax
−/−
mice die perinatally, the roles of Bax and Bak in immunological tolerance and prevention of autoimmune disease remain unclear. We show that mice reconstituted with a Bak/Bax doubly deficient hematopoietic compartment develop a fatal systemic lupus erythematosus-like autoimmune disease characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia, autoantibodies, lymphadenopathy, glomerulonephritis, and vasculitis. Importantly, these mice also develop a multiorgan autoimmune disease with autoantibodies against most solid glandular structures and evidence of glandular atrophy and necrotizing vasculitis. Interestingly, similar albeit less severe pathology was observed in mice containing a hematopoietic compartment deficient for only Bak, a phenotype reminiscent of the disease seen in patients with point mutations in
BAK
. These studies demonstrate a critical role for Bak and an ancillary role for Bax in safeguarding immunological tolerance and prevention of autoimmune disease. This suggests that direct activators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, such as BH3 mimetics, may be useful for treatment of diverse autoimmune diseases.
Follow-Up Studies of Adolescent Parricide Offenders
Authors: Heide Kathleen M.
Published: January 2013

This chapter provides long-term follow-up on eleven adolescent parricide offenders (APOs) the years after they killed one or more parents were evaluated. The chapter considers their experiences in prison and their adjustment to society following their release. Three main three conclusions are drawn based on the eleven cases. First, prison is not the best environment for APOs. Many of these youths indicated that they were exposed to criminal influences previously unknown to them. They had to figure out a way to survive in a violent, predatory world. Second, the APOs were rarely provided with treatment, even when it was explicitly ordered. Third, aftercare for APOs is critically important. Parricide offenders, perhaps more than other offenders, need help returning to the community. Issues that need to be addressed include the following: whether they should return to their home community; what they will tell others about their conviction offense; what relationship they should have with their family; what behavioral changes they need to make in order to reduce their vulnerability to re-offending; what structural supports they need in order to increase their chances of succeeding; and how they can get effective treatment.
Person (Mis)Perception? On the Biased Representation of the Human Body
Authors: Johnson Kerri L.
Published: January 2013

A considerable amount of research has shown that observers are attuned to cues in the human body—including its shape and motion—that permit them to successfully categorize others into groups (e.g., sex categories). In spite of these remarkable attunements and sensitivities, observers may nevertheless exhibit systematic perceptual biases in the social perception of bodies. This chapter considers the functional underpinnings of one such bias—the bias to categorize others to be male—and relates biases in sex categorization to self-protective motivations.
Neural Mechanisms for Action Observation
Authors: Calvo-Merino Beatriz
Published: January 2013

The discovery of mirror neurons in the macaque monkey, or neurons in the premotor cortex that respond during the execution and perception of motor acts, established the first neurophysiological integration of action and perception. Subsequent research has identified and characterized a similar mirror neuron system in human observers that is experience-dependent in that it responds most strongly during the observation of actions that fall within the observer’s motor repertoire. Furthermore, evidence is reviewed that indicates that the mirror neuron system plays a key role in the understanding of other people’s intentions from their actions.
Neural Mechanisms for Biological Motion and Animacy
Authors: Pyles John A. , Grossman Emily D.
Published: January 2013

This chapter reviews neuroimaging evidence that reveals several unique brain states associated with the recognition of agents engaged in biological motion. A key brain area, the human superior temporal sulcus (STS), is most strongly driven by dynamic, articulating human bodies. The STS also supports the perception of animacy, social interactions, and multimodal cues to human actions.
The How, When, and Why of Configural Processing in the Perception of Human Movement
Authors: Thompson James C.
Published: January 2013

While several different neural processes contribute to the perception of biological motion, the responsiveness of a key area, the human superior temporal sulcus (STS), to biological motion appears to be driven largely by the need to integrate motion information with configural body form information. This need reflects the fact that the human body produces complex patterns of articulated motions at multiple spatial locations that are linked by the underlying human form. Such a global integration of motion and form information would provide several advantages to observers of human movement across a variety of otherwise challenging conditions including brief durations, occlusion, and observer movement.
Britain, 350–550
Authors: Charles-Edwards T. M.
Published: January 2013

A narrative is provided stretching from the period immediately before the great attacks on Britain in the 360s up to the great Justinianic plague of the 540s. This is the period which saw the end of direct Roman authority over Britain and the settlements of the Anglo‐Saxons. It also saw the creation of a new Britannia (Brittany) in north‐west Gaul, which survived in spite of the military dominance of the Franks. In Britain, the wars between the Anglo‐Saxon settlers and the Britons extended over several centuries, whereas, south of the Channel, the Franks subdued other barbarian peoples, were converted to Christianity, and allied with the Gallo‐Romans.
Charters and Laws
Authors: Charles-Edwards T. M.
Published: January 2013

This chapter is the first in the second part of the book, devoted to the society of early‐medieval Wales. The two principal sources are the charters associated with two Glamorganshire churches, Llandaff and Llancarfan, and one church in Carmarthenshire, Llandeilo Fawr. The Llandaff collection is the largest but also by far the most problematic. As charters benefitting Llandaff, they are forgeries, but what the forgers very probably did was take charters belonging to other churches, mainly in Gwent and Ergyng, and then pretend that the beneficiaries belonged to Llandaff. The Llancarfan collection is especially useful since it preserves the fullest details on the food‐renders paid by peasants to their lords. The laws belong to the period after 1064, but it is sometimes possible to argue that particular rules and institutions were early.
Kinship and Status
Authors: Charles-Edwards T. M.
Published: January 2013

The evidence for kinship and status is more fragmented than it is for relations between peasants and lords. There are hints in the charters, but for a broad picture one has to turn to the lawbooks of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and, in particular, to those sections which are likely to be substantially ancient — sections which cover inheritance and claims to land. There was not just one pattern of kinship, but a kinship of inheritance and succession, a kinship of status, and a kinship of alliance. The kinship of inheritance was agnatic, the kinship of status bilateral, while the kinship of alliance worked through bilateral links between agnatic lineages. Fosterage was the most important way of creating bonds of artificial kinship.
Latin Learning in Wales, c. 400–1100
Authors: Charles-Edwards T. M.
Published: January 2013

Latin learning was mainly sustained in Wales by the firm expectation that a church community should have a teacher as one of its office‐holders. After c. 700 such teachers had to instruct monolingual British‐speakers in Latin, and thus Latin grammars and word‐lists were essential. The performance of the liturgy and knowledge of the Bible and the Fathers depended upon the effectiveness of such teachers. Epigraphic evidence confirms that British Latin had died as a spoken language but also shows that the teaching of Latin provided by the major churches was very uneven. The evidence of the few surviving books written in Wales in the period shows that the scripts used long remained the same as those employed in Ireland and, to a lesser extent, in England. They also show the continuing intellectual links between Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany, and between all these British territories and Ireland.
Why Meaning Intentions are Degenerate
Authors: Bilgrami Akeel
Published: January 2013

This chapter spells out what the normativity of intentions (and intentionality) consists in for Wittgenstein and then argues that the intentions that go into the production of meaning (for instance, in the production of meaningful linguistic speech) are degenerate forms of intention in which the normativity that, in general, holds of intentions, is missing. This has the effect, in turn, of undermining the assumption that meanings are normative. The argument makes central use (a) of the Gricean framework for relating meaning with intentions and (b) of the role of a Fregean notion of sense in our understanding of linguistic meaning.
Conclusion
Authors: Stobart Jon
Published: January 2013

The conclusion returns to the five key themes outlined in the introduction. Overall, it argues that retailing and shopping were important in engendering wider changes in consumption: the grocery trade was dynamic and responsive to consumer demand, and was an active agent in making shopping an everyday activity, effectively tying consumers into the market. In these ways, the impact of groceries went beyond that envisaged in many established interpretations. At the same time, new groceries were sold, bought and consumed alongside a more established set of goods, especially other groceries. This mixing of new and old tempered the revolutionary impact of colonial groceries, both in the shop and the home, and added layers of nuance to the practices and attitudes of consumers.
Ranking Devices: The Socio-Materiality of Ratings
Authors: Pollock Neil
Published: January 2013

Despite the growing importance of formal rankings within the economy, we still have relatively little understanding of the materiality of rankings. By this it is meant the various “devices” that go into their generation and communication. Once materiality is put at the center of the lens, it brings into focus how devices can come to shape ranking as well as the domain these rankings report on. To demonstrate this, the chapter takes an example from within the information technology arena of a visual ranking device. The chapter shows how this is more than a simple vehicle for the communication of rankings but that its properties and affordances can have a constitutive relationship to modes of behavior and practice within this domain. The chapter draws on observations and interviews carried out over several years with those who produce a visual ranking device called the “magic quadrant.”
TheEndoxonMystique: WhatEndoxaAre And What They Are Not
Authors: Frede Dorothea
Published: January 2013

The article contradicts recent tendencies to treat the approach via endoxa as Aristotle’s ubiquitous method of justification in his ethics. It points out that the use in Nicomachean Ethics VII 1-2 is the exception rather than the rule in making use of the dialectic treatment of reputable but not necessarily true premises as recommended in the Topics. Aristotle makes use of that elaborate and unusual method in order to clarify the relation of incontinence and continence and related conditions to virtue and vice proper by sorting out what is right and what is wrong about the prevalent views about these states. That Aristotle makes sparing use of the term ‘endoxon’ is, then, no accident, and hence it is advisable to discriminate carefully between that method and his treatment of well-known phenomena or other generally accepted standards in developing and justifying his own views.
Toward the Present: How Spirituality Became Modern
Authors: Gottlieb Roger S.
Published: January 2013

This chapter examines key cultural changes which have allowed spiritual insights, values, and practices to detach from traditional religious beliefs about the literal truth of belief in God or particular scriptures. John Locke's theory of toleration and the privatization of religion following the Enlightenment are discussed. There is an extended examination of Kierkegaard's concept of faith as developed in Fear and Trembling, and his more general concept of subjectivity, and it is shown that these concepts provide a model of contemporary spirituality's emphasis on acceptance and gratitude, and do not require belief in any particular theology. The conclusion is that metaphysics are dispensable. If they help to orient you to a Godly life, to prayer “with the entire passion of the infinite,” they have done their job. If you have not reached that level of passion, you will be worshipping an idol no matter what you say you believe.
The Integrative Meaning of Emotion
Authors: Siegel Daniel J.
Published: January 2013

Jaak Panksepp's chapter offers a view of the role of subcortical processes in the generation of affective states in humans and how they relate to not only our primate cousins but also, even broader, our mammalian classmates. Our experience of “animalian” emotional life is shaped by our membership in the animal kingdom, a membership that reveals what it means to be an emotional being on this planet. The chapter provides a summary of Panksepp's groundbreaking work on affective neuroscience and the view of how subcortical circuits play a dominant role in affective life.
The Death of Empathy?
Authors: Perry Bruce D.
Published: January 2013

This chapter considers the impact of the poverty of relationships that typifies childhood in Western society in the context of the neurobiology of empathy.
Birth and the First Postnatal Hour
Authors: Trevathan Wenda R.
Published: January 2013

Although there are many aspects of childbirth in the environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA) that would not be beneficial or desirable today (e.g., complications that result in high maternal and infant mortality and morbidity), there are a number of practices that, if adopted for contemporary low-risk births, may improve not only maternal and neonatal health but also parental satisfaction with the experience. This chapter discusses five practices that were likely used in the EEA and that may improve health of mothers and infants. The potentially beneficial practices include emotional support from a doula, delivery in the upright position, delayed clamping of the umbilical cord, little or no separation of mother and infant during the first postnatal hour, and initiation of breastfeeding soon after birth. Additionally, potential negative consequences of elected cesarean section are addressed.
Touch and Pain Perception in Infants
Authors: Field Tiffany , Hernandez-Reif Maria
Published: January 2013

Research is reviewed on early touch perception (temperature, texture, and weight perception) and infants’ behavioral and physiological responses to pain, as well as effective touch interventions including nonnutritive sucking, kangaroo care, and massage therapy. The limited literature on affectionate touch and touch deprivation is also reviewed. Potential underlying mechanisms for touch effects and future research directions are proposed.
The Law of Belligerent Occupation as a System of Control: Dressing Up Exploitation in Respectable Garb
Authors: Kretzmer David
Published: January 2013

This chapter describes the way in which laws have been used and, in effect, misused, as a system of control, discrimination and exploitation of the occupied territories and their Palestinian residents. Thus in establishing settlements and exploiting the resources in the occupied territories for the good of Israel and Israeli Jews, the formal legal norms have been ignored. However, in justifying restrictions on the rights and liberties of the Palestinian residents, the formal norms of belligerent occupation have been cited time and again. Kretzmer calls this situation “legal hypocrisy”, because the territories themselves are not regarded by Israel as occupied; their Palestinian residents are, however, subjected to the law of occupation.
Geographical Ramifications of the Occupation for Israeli Society
Authors: Schnell Izhak
Published: January 2013

The chapter explores how the State of Israel has related with duplicity to the occupied territories. On the one hand it has preserved their legal status as occupied territories, while on the other hand it has activated a wide variety of practices whose purpose has been to include the territories within a territory identified with the Jewish nation. In effect, the State and the settlers set in motion a wide variety of practices intended to annex the land to the national territory. These included the practice of rebuilding the territories through their Judaization, and reconstructing the territorial awareness of the nation in a way that incorporates them as an integral part of the homeland, all in contradiction to the recognized status of the territories as occupied.
Appealing to Enlightened Self-Interest: The Impact of Occupation on Human Rights within Israel
Authors: Kaufman Edward (Edy)
Published: January 2013

The chapter analyzes the impact of the occupation on the violation of human rights within Israel. It shows how the political culture that has developed ignores issues of human rights with consequent severe effects on Israeli society.
Routes and Realms
Authors: Antrim Zayde
Published: January 2013

This book explores the ways in which Muslims expressed attachment to land from the ninth through the eleventh centuries, the earliest period of intensive written production in Arabic. The conceptual innovation at the heart of the book is its identification of a “discourse of place,” a framework for approaching formal texts devoted to the representation of territory across genres. The discourse of place included such varied works as topographical histories, literary anthologies, religious treatises, world and regional geographies, poetry, travel literature, and maps. By subjecting these works to close reading and analysis, this book argues that their authors imagined plots of land primarily as homes, cities, and regions and associated them with a range of claims to religious and political authority. The discourse of place constitutes evidence of the powerful ways in which the geographical imagination was tapped to declare loyalty and invoke belonging in the early Islamic world. Now more than ever, when the competing forces of nationalism and globalism inspire new notions of rootedness, it is vital to ponder the changing ways in which land has mattered over the centuries.
Nutrition-Based Approaches to Early Childhood Development
Authors: Yousafzai Aisha K. , Yakoob Mohammad Y. , Bhutta Zulfiqar A.
Published: January 2013

Undernutrition during pregnancy and early childhood is a major public health issue in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 35% of all child deaths. For every child who survives, persistent malnutrition can have serious, sometimes irreparable, consequences on development. This chapter presents the burden and impact of nutritional risk factors in mothers and children for child underdevelopment and discusses the effects of complications like low birth weight/intrauterine growth restriction and stunting on child development. A life-cycle approach to mitigate these risks is described, particularly food and health care in adolescent girls and pregnancy, birth spacing, micronutrient supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding promotion, and social safety nets for children, with special emphasis on integrated nutrition and psychosocial stimulation. Recommendations for health policies and programs in developing countries are made, and knowledge gaps in this field are highlighted. We conclude that an approach in which nutrition is integrated with a broader package of family-based services is effective in improving early child development.
Barriers to Service Provision
Authors: Young Mary E.
Published: January 2013

Benefits of interventions to improve the development of young children (ages 0–6 years) are well-known. Despite an increased global awareness of the importance of early childhood development (ECD), we still have much to do. In developing countries, we must harness the science of ECD to scale up ECD policies and programs, but there are impediments to this implementation. This chapter reviews lessons learned from external donor-supported ECD projects in developing countries to identify key factors causing delays in implementation. The issues relate to the preparation, management and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of projects. Two main conclusions are that attention to training of staff and all stakeholders at each stage of a project is indispensable to delivering effective high-quality services, and proper understanding of monitoring and evaluation—and support from the highest levels—are crucial. Continued fine-tuning of indicators to demonstrate the impact of ECD remains a research priority.
The Empty Quadrant
Authors: Hayot Eric
Published: January 2013

This chapter considers the possibility of a fourth quadrant in the matrix defining the modal responses to any dominant world-view. That empty square, which would be the paradoxical site of an acceptance of the world and a refusal of the world-question, would be there where the work attempted to escape the demand to meditate on or even recognize the terms of representation, while nonetheless continuing to represent the world as such. The aesthetic that comes most readily to mind for the mode in the empty quadrant is Roland Barthes's “neutral,” whose relation to both politics and the aesthetic attempts to negate the demand that the work take a position in relation to the field of its appearance.
Chromosomal microarray impacts clinical management
Authors: Riggs E.R. , Wain K.E. , Riethmaier D. , Smith‐Packard B. , Faucett W.A. , Hoppman N. , Thorland E.C. , Patel V.C. , Miller D.T.
Published: January 2013

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) is standard of care, first‐tier clinical testing for detection of genomic copy number variation among patients with developmental disabilities. Although diagnostic yield is higher than traditional cytogenetic testing, management impact has not been well studied. We surveyed genetic services providers regarding CMA ordering practices and perceptions about reimbursement. Lack of insurance coverage because of perceived lack of clinical utility was cited among the most frequent reasons why CMA was not ordered when warranted. We compiled a list of genomic regions where haploinsufficiency or triplosensitivity cause genetic conditions with documented management recommendations, estimating that at least 146 conditions potentially diagnosable by CMA testing have published literature supporting specific clinical management implications. Comparison with an existing clinical CMA database to determine the proportion of cases involving these regions showed that CMA diagnoses associated with such recommendations are found in approximately 7% of all cases (n = 28,526). We conclude that CMA impacts clinical management at a rate similar to other genetic tests for which insurance coverage is more readily approved. The information presented here can be used to address barriers that continue to contribute to inequities in patient access and care in regard to CMA testing.
Gradually increased Golgi protein 73 expression in the progression of benign liver diseases to precancerous lesions and hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with prognosis of patients
Authors: Shan Shi‐Gang , Gao Ying‐Tang , Xu Yan‐Jie , Huang Yong , Zhang Qin , Zhai Dao‐Kuan , Li Jian‐Biao , Wang Feng‐Mei , Jing Xiang , Du Zhi , Wang Yi‐Jun
Published: January 2013

Aim

Serum Golgi protein 73 (sGP73) is a novel biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are few reports on the pattern of GP73 expression in the progression of benign liver diseases to precancerous lesions and HCC. This study aimed to investigate GP73 expression and its correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

Methods

Tissue GP73 (tGP73) levels were detected in specimens of group A (n = 186) including HCC, peritumoral tissue (PTL), high/low‐grade hepatic atypical hyperplasia (AH), chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and normal controls (NC) by immunohistochemistry, and GP73 expression in group B (n = 159) and group C (n = 16) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. sGP73 levels were detected in subjects of group D (n = 287) by enzyme‐linked immunoassay.

Results

GP73 expression increased gradually from NC, CHB, PTL to high‐grade AH and HCC at both protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.05), while sGP73 in the HCC group was lower than in the liver cirrhosis (LC) group (P < 0.001). Both tGP73 and sGP73 levels were negatively associated with tumor size and tumor–node–metastasis stage, and tGP73 levels were positively associated with tumor differentiation. The high‐tGP73 group showed significantly better overall and disease‐free survival than the low‐tGP73 group (P = 0.008, P = 0.018). Multivariate analysis revealed that the tGP73 level was an independent prognostic factor for HCC, but not sGP73.

Conclusion

GP73 expression pattern suggests that the regulatory mechanism of GP73 is related to the progression of chronic liver diseases. Furthermore, a high level of tGP73 is a favorable prognostic factor for HCC.
Intravesical bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) in immunologically compromised patients with bladder cancer
Authors: Herr Harry W. , Dalbagni Guido
Published: January 2013

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Intravesical bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) is generally considered to be contraindicated in immunologically compromised patients with bladder cancer because it may be ineffective and potentially toxic. Therefore, there is little experience with BCG in individuals with impaired immune systems.

The present study provides evidence that intravesical BCG is safe and effective in the short term against non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer affecting patients who were receiving immunosuppressive medications. This included anti‐rejection drugs to support a solid organ transplant, high‐dose steroids for autoimmune inflammatory diseases, and the first description of BCG use in patients who were receiving concomitant systemic chemotherapy for unrelated malignant neoplasms.

Objective

To investigate the outcomes of bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) therapy in patients with bladder cancer who were immunologically compromised.

Patients and Methods

In all, 45 immunosuppressed patients with high‐grade non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer received BCG therapy. Twelve had functioning organ transplants, 23 were undergoing systemic chemotherapy for unrelated cancers, and 10 were taking steroids for autoimmune or related diseases.

Patients received a 6‐week induction course of BCG therapy. Relapsing patients were eligible for retreatment.

All patients were followed for median (range) of 40 (12–72) months.

End points were response to BCG and 5‐year recurrence‐free, progression‐free and overall survival rates.

Results

In all, nine of the 12 transplant patients responded completely to one or two cycles of BCG compared with 99% (32/33) of other immunosuppressed patients.

Half the patients with unrelated cancers and autoimmune diseases recurred vs all but one of the transplant patients (P = 0.008). Of the 12 transplant patients, six of 12 progressed vs five of 33 (15%) of the other patient groups (P = 0.02).

Five patients died (11%), two of bladder cancer (both in transplant patients), and three of unrelated causes.

BCG was well tolerated. None of the patients developed bacterial or BCG sepsis.

Although this is largest series evaluating BCG in transplant and other immune‐suppressed patients, it represents few patients and results must be interpreted with caution.

Conclusions

We conclude that intravesical BCG is safe and effective in immunologically compromised patients with bladder cancer.

Transplant patients fare worse and should be considered for early cystectomy if they fail BCG therapy.
A ‘post‐aid world'? Paradigm shift in foreign aid and development cooperation at the 2011 Busan High Level Forum
Authors: Mawdsley Emma , Savage Laura , Kim Sung‐Mi
Published: January 2013

In this paper we suggest that 2011–2012 may mark a paradigm shift in dominant constructions of ‘foreign aid’ and a substantive shift of power within the architecture of global development governance. We evaluate critically the emergence and central principles of the ‘aid effectiveness paradigm’ over the last 10–15 years, and the various internal and external pressures that have mounted around it. We then discuss the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, a global conference which was held in Busan, South Korea in 2011, which we suggest can be seen as a pivot point in the emergence of a new ‘development effectiveness’ paradigm. Among other things, this elevates the role of the private sector and re‐centres economic growth and enhanced productivity to the core of mainstream ‘development’ thinking. At the same time, the emerging aid architecture aims to enrol more fully the ‘(re‐)emerging’ donors and development partners, and is likely to involve more differentiated commitments to global aid targets and renegotiated ‘norms’. This paper provides a commentary on the debates, omissions and achievements of the Busan High Level Forum, with the wider aim of providing critical insights into the current state of flux around foreign aid norms, institutions and governance.
Identification and typification of Nepenthes blancoi, with N. abalata sp. nov. from the western Visayas, Philippines
Authors: Cheek Martin , Jebb Matthew
Published: January 2013

Nepenthes blancoi Bl. is neotypified on material conspecific with N. alata Blanco. Material previously associated with N. blancoi is described as N. abalata Jebb & Cheek sp. nov. This is a grassland species seemingly related to N. philippinensis Macfarl. but with similarities to the grassland species of Indo‐China. Its conservation status is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR).
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the thyroid gland 24 years after the primary tumour
Authors: Di Stasi Vincenza , D'Antonio Antonio , Caleo Alessia , Valvano Luca
Published: January 2013

Among the metastases to thyroid gland, metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are not rare and their frequent macroscopic looks are similar to primary thyroid tumours. We report an unusual case of thyroid metastases from renal carcinoma in a 72 -year-old man presented with a 1-year history of choking spells, stridor and dyspnoea. Patient underwent right nephrectomy for RCC, 24 years ago. In the present case, a right hemithyroidectomy was performed for a suspected anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Histological examination showed a metastases of a clear cell renal carcinoma. Although the RCC showed an indolent biological behaviour, the late thyroid metastases have concurred with a poor prognosis and the patient died 5 months after surgery. The interest of this case lies in the long progression-free survival of the RCC preceded by the diagnosis of the thyroid nodule and the discrepancy between the clinical–radiological and the histological assessment.
Solar retinopathy secondary to sungazing
Authors: Moran Sarah , O'Donoghue Eamonn
Published: January 2013

A young woman presented with a 2-day history of bilateral central scotoma and metamorphopsia following an episode of direct sun-gazing lasting 1–2 min. On examination, visual acuity was reduced to 6/9 bilaterally. Fundal examination revealed discrete yellow lesions at both maculae consistent with solar burns. Optical coherence tomography revealed retinal pigment epithelial defects at both fovea, which improved over time. The patient was managed conservatively. There was full resolution of symptoms in the left eye; however, a central scotoma persisted in the right eye at follow-up 1 year later
Spatial and temporal patterns of water loss in heterogeneous landscapes: using plaster models as amphibian analogues
Authors: Peterman W.E. , Locke J.L. , Semlitsch R.D.
Published: January 2013

Water balance is critical to survival, growth, and performance of many terrestrial organisms because it can influence foraging time, limit dispersal, and curtail courtship activities. Water loss can vary in time and space across the landscape, and can also be modulated by behavior. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to water loss because their skin provides little to no resistance to evaporative water loss. Our study sought to quantify rates of water loss across a heterogeneous landscape using plaster of Paris models as analogues for the Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula Grobman, 1944). Models were validated within a controlled laboratory setting prior to field deployment, and were shown to approximate rates and magnitudes of water loss observed in living salamanders. In the field, we tested both adult- and juvenile-sized models, and found that juvenile-sized models lost water at a greater rate under all contexts. The rates of water loss measured at night (1.5%/h–4.5%/h) was nearly half of those measured during the day (2%/h–10%/h). Rates of water loss were greatest on ridges with southwestern aspects during the day (5%/h–10%/h) and lowest in ravines with northeast aspects at night (1.50%/h–3.75%/h). The results of spatial and temporal patterns of water loss corroborate field observations of salamander activity patterns and distribution across the landscape, providing a physiological mechanism driving fine-scale habitat use and distribution. Although we tested plaster models as analogues for salamanders, this approach should be generalizable to other amphibian taxa, providing an efficient means of measuring rates of water loss in the field under biologically meaningful contexts.