bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Brief Workshop Interventions Change Care Staff Understanding of Challenging Behaviours?
Authors: Dowey Alan , Toogood Sandy , Hastings Richard P. , Nash Susie
Published: December 2006

Background  The working culture surrounding challenging behaviour may have a strong effect on staff behaviour. As a first step to influencing staff talk about challenging behaviour, the aim of the present study was to explore whether a 1‐day training workshop could have an effect on staff causal explanations.

Methods  Fifty‐four front line staff, in six separate groups, completed an adapted version of the Self‐Injury Behavioural Understanding Questionnaire (SIBUQ; Oliver et al. 1996) both before and after a 1‐day training workshop. The workshops were based on principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis. The SIBUQ comprised questions about causes of challenging behaviours presented in 11 short scenarios. The four possible response options for each scenario reflected behaviourally correct, behaviourally incorrect, internal emotional, and internal organic causal explanations.

Results  The number of correct behavioural causal hypotheses increased significantly from pre‐ to post‐training. The proportion of incorrect causal explanations that were behavioural in orientation also increased significantly from pre‐ to post‐training.

Conclusions  Staff causal explanations for challenging behaviour can be changed using a relatively brief intervention. Further research is needed to establish whether such changes can be used to influence working culture in challenging behaviour services.
Corporate Financial Control Mechanisms and Firm Performance: The Case of Value‐Based Management Systems
Authors: Ryan Harley E. , Trahan Emery A.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  We examine the performance of 84 firms that adopt value‐based management (VBM) systems during the period 1984‐1997. The typical firm significantly improves matched‐firm‐adjusted residual income after adopting VBM. This improvement persists for the five post‐adoption years studied. After controlling for possible sample bias, we find that large firms show less improvement than small firms. We find a negative relation between tying compensation to VBM and post‐adoption performance. We also find that firms reduce capital expenditures following VBM adoption, but that the reductions in spending do not differ based on the firms' growth opportunities. Overall, the evidence suggests that VBM improves economic performance and the efficient use of capital.
Modeling density dependence and climatic disturbances in caribou: a case study from the Bathurst Island complex, Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Tews J. , Ferguson M. A. D. , Fahrig L.
Published: December 2006

Peary caribouRangifer tarandus pearyiis the northernmost subspecies ofRangiferin North America and endemic to the Canadian High Arctic. Because of severe population declines following years of unfavorable winter weather with ice coating on the ground or thicker snow cover, it is believed that density‐independent disturbance events are the primary driver for Peary caribou population dynamics. However, it is unclear to what extent density dependence may affect population dynamics of this species. Here, we test for different levels of density dependence in a stochastic, single‐stage population model, based on available empirical information for the Bathurst Island complex (BIC) population in the Canadian High Arctic. We compare predicted densities with observed densities during 1961–2001 under various assumptions of the strength of density dependence. On the basis of our model, we found that scenarios with no or very low density dependence led to population densities far above observed densities. For average observed disturbance regimes, a carrying capacity of 0.1 caribou km−2generated an average caribou density similar to that estimated for the BIC population over the past four decades. With our model we also tested the potential effects of climate change‐related increases in the probability and severity of disturbance years, that is unusually poor winter conditions. On the basis of our simulation results, we found that, in particular, potential increases in disturbance severity (as opposed to disturbance frequency) may pose a considerable threat to the persistence of this species.
The Chilean Agrarian Transformation: Agrarian Reform and Capitalist ‘Partial’ Counter‐Agrarian Reform, 1964–1980
Authors: BELLISARIO ANTONIO
Published: December 2006

This article, which is published in two parts, is an empirical analysis of the Chilean agrarian reform (1964–1973) and ‘partial’ counter‐agrarian reform (1974–1980). Its aim is to explain and interpret their logic and the changes they brought to Chile's agrarian property regime in particular and Chilean life in general. Chile's agrarian reform was successful in expropriating (under the Frei and Allende administrations, 1964–1973) the great estates of the hacienda landed property system. The capitalist ‘partial’ counter‐reform then redistributed them (under the military, 1974–1980). CORA, the country's agency for agrarian reform, expropriated and subsequently redistributed 5809 estates of almost 10 million hectares, or 59 per cent of Chile's agricultural farmland. A large amount of the expropriated land (41 per cent) benefited 54,000 peasant households with small‐sized family farms and house‐sites. The rest of the farmland benefited efficient and competitive commercial farmers and agro‐business and consolidated medium‐sized farms. Of central concern is the role of the agrarian reform and subsequent ‘partial’ counter‐reform processes in fostering the transformation of the erstwhile agrarian structure of the hacienda system toward agrarian capitalism. The redistribution of the agricultural land previously expropriated made possible the formation of an agro‐industrial bourgeoisie, small commercial farmers, an open land market and a dynamic agricultural sector. While, however, under military rule, a selected few benefited with family farms and became independent agricultural producers, a large majority of reformed and non‐reformed campesinos were torn from the land to become non‐propertied proletarians in a rapidly modernizing but highly exclusionary agricultural sector.
Planning for Africa: The British Labour Party's Colonial Development Policy, 1920–1964
Authors: KELEMEN PAUL
Published: December 2006

The article examines the formation of the British Labour Party's colonial policy towards Africa. It traces how the early Radical Liberal critique of colonial rule gave way to the influence of Fabianism, which provided the guidelines to the Labour government's post‐war development measures. These sought to incorporate Africans into institutions which would simultaneously provide more productive labour and consolidate colonial rule. The development of the African colonies was believed to reside in restructuring the interface between the state and society. A challenge to the Party's Fabian‐inspired colonial policy emerged in the 1950s. In the midst of the ideological struggle between the party's left and right wings, arguments questioning the African colonies’ economic subordination to metropolitan interests briefly entered into policy debates.
In movimento: ‘contamination’ in action and the Italian Global Justice Movement
Authors: DELLA PORTA DONATELLA , MOSCA LORENZO
Published: December 2006

Abstract
In this article we explore the process of ‘contamination’ (namely cross‐fertilization) in the development of the Global Justice Movement in Italy during the 1990s. We focus on two specific organizational sectors of this movement: labour organizations and associations for solidarity with the global South. We concentrate on a stage of the protest cycle that has been overlooked in social movement studies, namely the emergence of mobilization after a period of latency, and shed light on the process through which individual and organizational networks actually facilitate mobilization and vice versa. The process of ‘contamination’ in action is presented as the combination of structural, cognitive and affective mechanisms. It operates through both individual and organizational networks that together facilitate logistic coordination, enable the emergence of tolerance and mutual trust and allow frame bridging and the transnationalization of identities.
State‐led transnationalism and migration: reaching out to the Argentine community in Spain
Authors: MARGHERITIS ANA
Published: December 2006

Abstract
This article focuses on when and how states develop transnational policies. It presents a case study of a relatively small emigrant community, whose departure was not simply caused by poverty or crisis, but most recently by an economic and political debacle that questioned people's values and expectations. I focus on the state side of the equation and identify a shift in Argentina's policy after 2003, though also show how such policies came out of a long history of state intervention in population and migration and are now related to human rights concerns and the unfinished process of democratic consolidation. I argue that the state initiates political transnationalism, not migrants, and highlight the importance of some relatively unexplored factors in the understanding of the motivation, intensity and impact of the state's involvement, such as the characteristics of the emigrant community, the existence of specific political projects, the role of some domestic actors and processes, and the nature of international agreements.
Management of the neonate at the limits of viability: the Dutch viewpoint
Authors: Verloove‐Vanhorick SP
Published: December 2006

Due to ever‐improving medical technology over the course of the last century, the limit of viability has been lowered from around 32 weeks of gestation, first to 28 weeks and, in recent decades, to as low as less than 24 weeks. Long‐term follow‐up studies (Project on Preterm and Small‐for‐Gestational‐Age Infants, Leiden Follow‐up Project on Prematurity, Epidemiological Project for ICU Research and Evaluation, Étude Epidémiologique sur les Petits Ages Gestationnels, Extremely Preterm Infants in Belgium), however, have shown high percentages of deaths and/or disabilities at lower gestational ages in surviving children. Many parents and children are burdened with lifelong iatrogenic disabilities. As a result, the Dutch Paediatric Association and the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology have laid down joint rules for the management of expected/threatened preterm delivery.
Aetiology of preterm labour: bacterial vaginosis
Authors: Guaschino S , De Seta F , Piccoli M , Maso G , Alberico S
Published: December 2006

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition characterised by a polymicrobial disorder, with an overgrowth of several anaerobic or facultative bacteria and with a reduction or absence of lactobacillus colonisation. The prevalence of BV ranges from 4 to 64%, depending on the racial, geographic and clinical characteristics of the study population. In asymptomatic women, the prevalence varies from 12 to 25%, and similar percentages are observed in pregnant women. Although BV is associated with several adverse outcomes, such as upper genital tract infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometritis, preterm birth and low birthweight, many basic questions regarding the pathogenesis of BV remain unanswered. Mucosal immune system activation may represent a critical determinant of adverse consequences associated with BV. An unequal risk for BV acquisition and\or recurrence could derive from different mucosal immune host abilities and\or capability of invading microbes to produce factors that inactivate the local immune response. BV is associated with a two‐fold increased risk of preterm birth, with the greatest risk when BV is present before 16 weeks of gestation (odds ratio = 7.55). This may indicate a critical period during early gestation when BV‐related organisms can gain access to the upper genital tract and set the stage for spontaneous preterm labour later in gestation. The results of treatment trials for pregnant women with BV have been heterogeneous, with anywhere from an 80% reduction to a two‐fold increase in preterm birth among women who received treatment. For this reason, in current clinical practice significant controversy surrounds determining not only who and when to screen but also who and how to treat. Recent evidence shows that individual genetic backgrounds can affect chemokine production. This is an interesting area for future research and could lead to trials of treatment only for women genetically predisposed to preterm birth.
Use of tocolytics: what is the benefit of gaining even more time?
Authors: Jacquemyn Y
Published: December 2006

Today’s dogma states that tocolytics can be used to prolong pregnancy for just 48 hours, allowing corticosteroids to be administered and transportation of the mother to a tertiary care centre. Surveys have shown that up to 30% of practitioners use maintenance tocolysis. Theoretically, maintenance tocolysis should be able to improve neonatal outcome by avoiding preterm birth and allowing delivery in the community maternity hospital or even at home, minimising social difficulties created by long distances between the mother and/or her baby and the rest of the family. This should result in fewer neonatal intensive care unit admissions, less respiratory distress syndrome and fewer long‐term neurological sequelae. Such an effect has never been proven, probably because we do not know which women benefit from treatment, which do not require treatment because they are not in labour and which babies would better be born because chorioamnionitis and other insults jeopardise intrauterine development. Most studies on long‐term tocolysis have been performed with beta‐agonists. No improvement has been shown. On the contrary, a trend towards fetal harm with an increased risk for periventricular leucomalacia exists. Results from studies of one tocolytic should not be generalised; one published study on maintenance therapy with atosiban showed prolonged uterine quiescence and prolonged gestation, but was too small to detect differences in neonatal outcome. In the future, we need larger studies, not only to detect whether long‐term tocolysis with newer tocolytics (oral oxytocin antagonists, prostaglandin receptor blockers) results in better neonatal outcome, especially at the lower gestational ages but also to discover methods that allow us to identify those women who will benefit from treatment and those for whom prolongation of pregnancy may cause harm.
Mode of delivery in the early preterm infant (<28 weeks)
Authors: Drife J
Published: December 2006

Elective caesarean section for women in labour with an immature baby might reduce the chances of fetal or neonatal death, but might also increase the risk of maternal morbidity. A review (updated in February 2004) of randomised trials comparing a policy of elective caesarean section versus expectant management with recourse to caesarean section produced six studies involving only 122 women. Differences in fetal outcome did not reach significance, but mothers undergoing elective caesarean section were more likely to have serious morbidity. Scientifically, the evidence remains inadequate. Clinically, the recommendation is that prematurity is not, in itself, an indication for caesarean section. In a survey from Israel, published in December 2004, of 2955 very low birthweight infants born at 24–34 weeks of gestation, the overall caesarean section rate was 51.7%, and the mortality rate among babies prior to discharge was lower after caesarean section (13.2 versus 21.8%). After adjustment using multiple logistic regression, caesarean section had no effect on survival except in a subgroup with amnionitis, and it was again concluded that caesarean section cannot be routinely recommended unless there are other indications. A decision model developed in the USA has compared costs and health outcomes of two options for managing labour at 24 weeks of gestation. The probabilities of both intact survival (16.8 versus 12.9%) and survival with major morbidity (39.2 versus 19.4%) are higher with willingness to perform caesarean section, but less aggressive management is the more cost‐effective strategy. Large studies are few and recruitment to such studies is perceived as a major problem. For clinicians, the decision will be influenced by local circumstances.
Setting up a preterm prevention clinic: a practical guide
Authors: Lamont RF
Published: December 2006

In gynaecology, specialist menopause, urogynae, colposcopy, infertility, pelvic pain and cancer, rapid access clinics exist at many teaching and busy district general hospitals in the UK. Similarly, in obstetrics many busy maternity units have fetal medicine clinics, dedicated twins clinics and maternal medicine clinics, incorporating various general medical conditions and conditions peculiarly appropriate to pregnancy such as haematological disorders, diabetes and epilepsy. In contrast, in very few hospitals is there a dedicated clinic for women at increased risk of preterm birth, yet this is the major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in the developed world. Such a situation may be due to the confusion created by the fact that preterm birth is a heterogeneous condition with multiple aetiologies and hence multiple therapeutic interventions. It is possible to identify a group of women at particularly high risk of preterm birth in whom screening and interventional techniques have the potential to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with spontaneous preterm labour and preterm birth.
Immune tolerance and control of CNS autoimmunity: from animal models to MS patients
Authors: Cassan Cécile , Liblau Roland S.
Published: December 2006

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease resulting in demyelination and axonal loss within the CNS. An autoimmune reaction directed against myelin antigens contributes to the disease process. As the CNS has long been considered an immune privileged site, how such an immune response can develop locally has remained enigmatic. Recent data, mostly based on the study of animal models for MS, have shown that the CNS is in fact more permissive to the development of immune responses than previously thought. This observation is counterbalanced by the fact that immune tolerance to myelin antigens can be induced outside the CNS. This review focuses on the mechanisms preventing CNS autoimmunity, which act in three separate tissues. In the thymus, expression of CNS autoantigens promotes partial protection, notably through elimination of autoreactive T cells. In the secondary lymphoid organs, the remaining autoreactive T cells are kept under control by the naturally occurring regulatory T cells of the CD4+Foxp3+ phenotype. In the CNS, multiple mechanisms including the local activation of regulatory T cells further limit autoimmunity. A better understanding of the induction of regulatory T cells, of their mechanisms of action, and of approaches to manipulate them in vivo may offer new therapeutic opportunities for MS patients.
Characterization of eight polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for the greenside darter,Etheostoma blennioides(Percidae)
Authors: BENETEAU COURTNEY L. , MANDRAK NICHOLAS E. , HEATH DANIEL D.
Published: December 2006

The greenside darter,Etheostoma blennioidesis a small benthic fish found in fast‐flowing streams in eastern North America. In Canada, this species is native to three, and introduced into one, Great Lakes tributaries in southwestern Ontario. It is currently listed as a species of Special Concern. To characterize population genetic structure and diversity in the Canadian populations of greenside darter, eight polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for the species. The polymerase chain reaction primers were tested between 32 and 60 individuals from the Sydenham River and yielded a high number of alleles (four to 42 per locus), and observed heterozygosities ranging from 0.14 to 0.82.
Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers for paternity analysis in the pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos
Authors: CARTER K. L. , KEMPENAERS B.
Published: December 2006

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated for the pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos. The number of alleles observed in a sample of 149 presumably unrelated adults ranged from nine to 23 with an observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.79 to 0.92. The set of markers described here will prove useful for accurately determining paternity and therefore elucidate the hitherto unknown mating system of this species. We also report on cross‐species amplification of these markers in the semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla.
The effects of edge, fragment size and degree of isolation on avian species richness in highly fragmented forest in West Africa
Authors: MANU S. , PEACH W. , CRESSWELL W.
Published: December 2006

Almost nothing is known of the effects of forest fragmentation on bird diversity within the heavily degraded and fragmented forest remnants in West Africa. We examined the effects of edge, fragment size and isolation on bird species richness in southwestern Nigeria where forest fragmentation is pronounced. In total, 122 km of line transects were used to survey birds and vegetation within 45 forest patches between January 2000 and March 2002: 197 species were recorded. Avian species number and total counts in forest patches were unrelated to fragment area (within the observed range of 14–445 ha), but were negatively influenced by degree of isolation and increasing distance from the edge. As the total area of forested land within 15 km of a patch fell from 4 to 0%, so 21% of species were lost. In total, six and zero species (of 154 recorded more than once) were consistently recorded in the larger and smaller forest fragments, respectively, and four and two bird species were consistently recorded in unisolated and isolated forest fragments, respectively, suggesting that the addition of ‘edge’ species did not compensate for loss of species sensitive to fragmentation. Diversity index was not affected by either fragment area or degree of isolation, but decreased with distance from the edge. When individual species counts were considered, 68% of species (n = 62) showed no significant effect of distance to edge. Of those 20 species which showed an effect, 12 were less common close to the edge. Most species (65%) did not respond significantly to increasing isolation but of those 22 species that did, 20 were less common in more isolated fragments. Ninety‐seven per cent of species showed no significant response to area. As avian diversity and species composition, but not species number, were apparently insensitive to forest fragmentation, our findings suggest that fragmentation reduces the probability of occurrence of a wide range of West African bird species, rather than a subset of fragmentation‐sensitive species. The greater apparent sensitivity of present‐day West African forest bird communities to fragmentation rather than patch size might reflect previous extinctions of area‐sensitive species. Minimizing further forest fragmentation might be the most effective means of conserving avian diversity in current West African landscapes where most remaining forest patches are small (i.e. < 500 ha).
Persistence of high‐replicative capacity in cultured fibroblasts from nonagenarians
Authors: Maier Andrea B. , Le Cessie Saskia , De Koning‐Treurniet Corine , Blom Johanna , Westendorp Rudi G. J. , Van Heemst Diana
Published: December 2006

Earlier studies on human fibroblast cultures have demonstrated an inverse relationship between the total number of population doublings (PDs) and donor age. As more recent studies were unable to replicate these findings, we set out to analyze growth characteristics of fibroblast cultures from nonagenarians who represent the extreme of human lifespan. Therefore, we obtained skin biopsies from 68 participants of the Leiden 85‐plus Study, all aged 90 years. None of the 68 strains failed to proliferate and all were easily cultured under highly standardized conditions. Within a time window of 30 months, all strains displayed a high and reproducible replicative capacity that was maintained for at least 50 PDs. A decline in mitotic activity was observed between 26 and 81 PDs. Out of the 68 cell strains, 58 strains reached the post‐mitotic phase with an onset between 51 and 108 PDs. The growth pattern of each senescent strain was fitted by a piecewise linear model, which allowed calculation of the transition towards the phase of decreased growth speed, as well as by a nonlinear continuous model; goodness‐of‐fit was high and not different between the models (both > 0.99). Growth characteristics were not associated with morbidity or mortality of the donors. We conclude that fibroblasts from nonagenarians maintain a high‐replicative capacity despite a huge variability in the onset of senescence. These results cast further doubt on the association between in vitro growth characteristics of fibroblast cultures and the length of human lifespan.
Age‐related accumulation of autosomal mutations in solid tissues of the mouse is gender and cell type specific
Authors: Turker Mitchell S. , Lasarev Michael , Connolly Lanelle , Kasameyer Elizabeth , Roessler Deborah
Published: December 2006

Most cancers in solid tissues increase with age and invariably contain causal mutations eliminating expression of one or more autosomal tumor suppressor genes. However, very little is known about the effect of age on autosomal mutations, often large in size, in cells of solid tissues. In this study, the frequency and spectrum of autosomal mutations were examined as a function of age for kidney epithelial cells and ear mesenchymal cells in B6D2F1 mice heterozygous for the selectable Aprt locus. Aprt mutant frequencies were found to increase with age in the kidneys of both male and female mice, but at all ages the mutant frequencies were approximately twice as high in the females, which in this strain have shorter lifespans than the males. An age‐related increase in Aprt mutant frequencies was also observed for ear cells from female mice, but no significant increases in mutant frequencies were observed for the ear cells of male mice. A molecular analysis showed that the kidney and ear mutational spectra were distinct and that the age‐related increases in mutant frequencies did not involve significant shifts in the mutational spectra. In total, the results demonstrate both gender and cell‐type‐specific patterns of autosomal mutational accumulation as a function of age in two solid tissues of the mouse.
Male facial masculinity influences attributions of personality and reproductive strategy
Authors: KRUGER DANIEL J.
Published: December 2006

Facial masculinity may be used as a cue in female mate choice, as it reflects the success of the male genotype in its developmental environment. Women may maximize reproductive success by using a conditional strategy favoring highly masculine facial features for short‐term relationships and feminized facial features in men for long‐term relationships. Three studies examine reactions to masculinized and feminized male facial composites. Properties of the original composite image affect ratings of critical attributes and the magnitude of the differences in ratings between versions undergoing identical processes of geometric manipulation (Study 1). Both men and women attribute personality, behavior, and mating strategies consistent with predictions derived from the good genes and mating trade‐off hypotheses (Study 2). Participants accurately grouped behavioral tendencies related to high mating effort/risky strategies and high parenting effort/risk adverse strategies and associated mating effort more so with masculinized faces and parenting effort more so with feminized faces (Study 3). These results indicate that male facial masculinity serves as a visual cue for inferring personality and reproductive strategy.
Seasonal prevalence of blowflies and flesh flies in Osaka City
Authors: TACHIBANA Shin‐Ichiro , NUMATA Hideharu
Published: December 2006

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) were collected using a bait trap in Osaka City between April 1998 and June 1999. Seven species from four Calliphoridae genera and three species from one Sarcophagidae genus were captured. Seasonal fluctuations of captured adults for most blowflies showed a bimodal pattern, having peaks in spring and autumn, whereas all flesh flies were captured between spring and autumn. The sex ratios of captured flies were mostly biased toward females.
Foundress behaviors and interactions in polygynous colonies of the haplometrotic Japanese paper waspPolistes snelleni(Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: SAYAMA Katsuhiko
Published: December 2006

Only two out of 959 pre‐emergence colonies of the paper waspPolistes snellenide Saussure surveyed between 1989 and 1996 in Sapporo, northern Japan, were found to be two‐foundress colonies, and the others were single‐foundress colonies. The two foundresses in one of the two colonies showed neither aggressive dominance behavior nor clear division of labor between them during a total of approximately 30 h in the first half of the pre‐emergence stage. Although both of the foundresses foraged for pulp and laid eggs, only one foundress foraged for prey and delivered it to the other.
Resurrection of Rabdophaga salicivora Shinji (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a Japanese gall midge formerly misidentified as a North American species, Rabdophaga rigidae (Osten Sacken), with observations on the phylogenetic relationships of its populations in Japan and the Russian Far East
Authors: SATO Shinsuke , YUKAWA Junichi
Published: December 2006

Intercontinental biotic connections between Eurasia and North America are common in many gall midge genera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), but only a few species have been recorded from both continents. In Japan, four gall midge species had been previously considered to be identical to North American species, but three of these cases have already been disproved. We examined the remaining species, Rabdophaga rigidae, which had been originally described from Japan as Rabdophaga salicivora in 1938, later recorded from the Russian Far East in 1967, and synonymized with a North American species, R. rigidae, in 1982. Morphological features and partial sequence data of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) region suggested that the Japanese species is a distinct species and is identical to the species recorded from the Russian Far East. We therefore apply the original name, R. salicivora, to the Japanese and the Russian species. In addition, on the basis of a molecular phylogenetic analysis, we conclude that R. salicivora possibly came to the Japanese Archipelago through the Korean Peninsula and established itself first in the southern parts of Japan. Then, it expanded its distribution range to northern parts of Honshu, but could not reach Hokkaido, probably because of the Tsugaru Strait between Honshu and Hokkaido.
Excess silica in omphacite and the formation of free silica in eclogite
Authors: DAY H. W. , MULCAHY S. R.
Published: December 2006

Silica lamellae in eclogitic clinopyroxene are widely interpreted as evidence of exsolution during decompression of eclogite. However, mechanisms other than exsolution might produce free silica, and the possible mechanisms depend in part on the nature and definition of excess silica. ‘Excess’ silica may occur in both stoichiometric and non‐stoichiometric pyroxene. Although the issue has been debated, we show that all common definitions of excess silica in non‐stoichiometric clinopyroxene are internally consistent, interchangeable, and therefore equivalent. The excess silica content of pyroxene is easily illustrated in a three‐component, condensed composition space and may be plotted directly from a structural formula unit or recalculated end‐members. In order to evaluate possible mechanisms for the formation of free silica in eclogite, we examined the net‐transfer reactions in model eclogites using a Thompson reaction space. We show that there are at least three broad classes of reactions that release free silica in eclogite: (i) vacancy consumption in non‐stoichiometric pyroxene; (ii) dissolution of Ti‐phases in pyroxene or garnet; (iii) reactions between accessory phases and either pyroxene or garnet. We suggest that reliable interpretation of the significance of silica lamellae in natural clinopyroxene will require the evaluation not only of silica solubility, but also of titanium solubility, and the possible roles of accessory phases and inclusions on the balance of free silica.
Noninvasive Average Flow Estimation for an Implantable Rotary Blood Pump: A New Algorithm Incorporating the Role of Blood Viscosity
Authors: Malagutti Nicolò , Karantonis Dean M. , Cloherty Shaun L. , Ayre Peter J. , Mason David G. , Salamonsen Robert F. , Lovell Nigel H.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  The effect of blood hematocrit (HCT) on a noninvasive flow estimation algorithm was examined in a centrifugal implantable rotary blood pump (iRBP) used for ventricular assistance. An average flow estimator, based on three parameters, input electrical power, pump speed, and HCT, was developed. Data were collected in a mock loop under steady flow conditions for a variety of pump operating points and for various HCT levels. Analysis was performed using three‐dimensional polynomial surfaces to fit the collected data for each different HCT level. The polynomial coefficients of the surfaces were then analyzed as a function of HCT. Linear correlations between estimated and measured pump flow over a flow range from 1.0 to 7.5 L/min resulted in a slope of 1.024 L/min (R2 = 0.9805). Early patient data tested against the estimator have shown promising consistency, suggesting that consideration of HCT can improve the accuracy of existing flow estimation algorithms.
Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Developmental Outcome in Cryptogenic West Syndrome
Authors: Hamano Shin‐Ichiro , Yoshinari Satoshi , Higurashi Norimichi , Tanaka Manabu , Minamitani Motoyuki , Eto Yoshikatsu
Published: December 2006

Summary:  Purpose: To elucidate the relation between alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy and developmental outcomes of cryptogenic West syndrome.

Methods: Quantitative measurement of rCBF, with autoradiography method using N‐isopropyl‐(123I) p‐iodoamphetamine single photon emission computed tomography before and after ACTH therapy, was performed on 17 infants with cryptogenic West syndrome. Regions of interest for rCBF were placed bilaterally in the cerebellum, the thalamus, the caudate nucleus, and the frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices. RCBFs and the alteration ratios calculated from rCBFs before and after ACTH therapy were compared between two groups: the normal and delayed groups, which were divided by developmental outcome at 2 years old.

Results: RCBFs before the therapy were not different statistically between the normal and delayed groups, and between those groups and the control group also. RCBFs after ACTH therapy of the occipital, thalamic and cerebellar regions were different between the normal and delayed groups (p < 0.05). Alteration ratios were different between the normal and delayed groups, in all of the regions but the frontal region (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study showed the differences of rCBF response by ACTH therapy between the normal and delayed groups of cryptogenic West syndrome. The difference of rCBF alteration might be associated with maturation of the cerebrovascular system, or influence of corticotropin‐releasing hormone regarding the brain‐adrenal‐axis.
MEG Predicts Outcome Following Surgery for Intractable Epilepsy in Children with Normal or Nonfocal MRI Findings
Authors: RamachandranNair Rajesh , Otsubo Hiroshi , Shroff Manohar M. , Ochi Ayako , Weiss Shelly K. , Rutka James T. , Snead O. Carter
Published: December 2006

Summary:  Purpose: To identify the predictors of postsurgical seizure freedom in children with refractory epilepsy and normal or nonfocal MRI findings.

Methods: We analyzed 22 children with normal or subtle and nonfocal MRI findings, who underwent surgery for intractable epilepsy following extraoperative intracranial EEG. We compared clinical profiles, neurophysiological data (scalp EEG, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and intracranial EEG), completeness of surgical resection and pathology to postoperative seizure outcomes.

Results: Seventeen children (77%) had a good postsurgical outcome (defined as Engel class IIIA or better), which included eight (36%) seizure‐free children. All children with postsurgical seizure freedom had an MEG cluster in the final resection area. Postsurgical seizure freedom was obtained in none of the children who had bilateral MEG dipole clusters (3) or only scattered dipoles (1). All five children in whom ictal onset zones were confined to ≤5 adjacent intracranial electrodes achieved seizure freedom compared to three of 17 children with ictal onset zones that extended over >5 electrodes (p = 0.002). None of six children with more than one type of seizure became seizure‐free, compared to eight of 16 children with a single seizure type (p = 0.04). Complete resection of the preoperatively localized epileptogenic zone resulted in seizure remission in 63% (5/8) and incomplete resections, in 21% (3/14) (p = 0.06). Age of onset, duration of epilepsy, number of lobes involved in resection, and pathology failed to correlate with seizure freedom.

Conclusions: Surgery for intractable epilepsy in children with normal MRI findings provided good postsurgical outcomes in the majority of our patients. As well, restricted ictal onset zone predicted postoperative seizure freedom. Postoperative seizure freedom was less likely to occur in children with bilateral MEG dipole clusters or only scattered dipoles, multiple seizure types and incomplete resection of the proposed epileptogenic zone. Seizure freedom was most likely to occur when there was concordance between EEG and MEG localization and least likely to occur when these results were divergent.
Myoclonic Status in Nonprogressive Encephalopathies: Study of 29 Cases
Authors: Caraballo Roberto Horacio , Cersósimo Ricardo Oscar , Espeche Alberto , Arroyo Hugo Antonio , Fejerman Natalio
Published: December 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Myoclonic status in nonprogressive encephalopaties (MSNE) is characterized by recurrence of long‐lasting myoclonic status appearing in infants and young children with nonprogressive encephalopathy. Here, we describe the electroclinical features and evolution of MSNE.

Methods: Between February 1, 1990 and July 31, 2005, 29 patients who met diagnostic criteria of MSNE were enrolled in the study at our department and have been followed up to the present time.

Results: Three main subgroups could be identified. The first subgroup of 18 patients presented myoclonic absences and rhythmic myoclonias. These were followed by a brief silent period related to a subcontinuous delta‐theta activity involving the central areas, and rhythmic delta waves with superimposed spikes mainly involving the parietooccipital regions and often activated by eye closure. It was found in all children with a genetic etiology. The second subgroup included five patients showing a pattern characterized by inhibitory phenomena associated with a dystonic component and sudden irregular rapid lightning‐like jerks. The EEG showed subcontinuous multifocal slow spike‐waves, predominating in frontocentral regions. These patients are affected by a cortical malformation or the etiology is unknown. The third subgroup included six children who initially suffered from myoclonic absences. The status was initially characterized by subcontinuous generalized spike‐wave‐type paroxysms related to rhythmic myoclonia of face and limbs. After 1–3 weeks, the EEG showed sharp theta waves with very slow pseudorhythmic continuous spikes in the central regions and vertex. The etiology was found to be perinatal anoxic injury.

Conclusion: MSNE should be considered as a new epileptic syndrome in the group of epileptic encephalopathy.
Hemispheric Surgery in Children with Refractory Epilepsy: Seizure Outcome, Complications, and Adaptive Function
Authors: Basheer Sheikh Nigel , Connolly Mary B. , Lautzenhiser Aaron , Sherman Elisabeth M. S. , Hendson Glenda , Steinbok Paul
Published: December 2006

Summary:  Purpose: To describe seizure control, complications, adaptive function and language skills following hemispheric surgery for epilepsy.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent hemispheric surgery from July 1993 to June 2004 with a minimum follow‐up of 12 months.

Results: The study population comprised 24 children, median age at seizure onset six months and median age at surgery 41 months. Etiology included malformations of cortical development (7), infarction (7), Sturge‐Weber Syndrome (6), and Rasmussen's encephalitis (4). The most frequent complication was intraoperative bleeding (17 transfused). Age <2 yr, weight <11 kg, and hemidecortication were risk factors for transfusion. Postoperative complications included aseptic meningitis (6), and hydrocephalus (3). At median follow‐up of 7 yr, 79% of patients are seizure free. Children with malformations of cortical development and Rasmussen's encephalitis were more likely to have ongoing seizures. Overall adaptive function scores were low, but relative strengths in verbal abilities were observed. Shorter duration of epilepsy prior to surgery was related significantly to better adaptive functioning.

Conclusions: Hemispheric surgery is an effective therapy for refractory epilepsy in children. The most common complication was bleeding. Duration of epilepsy prior to surgery is an important factor in determining adaptive outcome.
Discontinuing the Ketogenic Diet in Seizure‐Free Children: Recurrence and Risk Factors
Authors: Martinez Celina C. , Pyzik Paula L. , Kossoff Eric H.
Published: December 2006

Summary:  About 10% of children become seizure‐free after initiation of the ketogenic diet, and typically stop the diet after 2 yr. A retrospective chart review was performed of all children who became seizure‐free on the ketogenic diet at our institution since 1993 and then discontinued the diet. Of 557 children started on the diet since 1993, 66 (12%) discontinued the diet after a median of 2.1 yr due to seizure freedom; 92% were also medication‐free. Thirteen (20%) had recurrence of their seizures at a median of 2.4 yr (range: 0–5.5 yr) after the diet was stopped. Seven (58%) became seizure‐free a second time, four with anticonvulsant therapy. Four patients (6%) continue to have daily seizures despite both medication and dietary therapies. The presence of recent EEG epileptiform activity, abnormal MRI, lower initial seizure frequency, and tuberous sclerosis complex all significantly increased the likelihood of recurrence.
System Justification in Responding to the Poor and Displaced in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Napier Jaime L. , Mandisodza Anesu N. , Andersen Susan M. , Jost John T.
Published: December 2006

We examine people's reactions to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, most of whom are minorities living in poverty, and we do so in terms of system justification theory. We propose that the social system was indirectly threatened for the public when inadequate relief efforts exposed governmental shortcomings, called into question the legitimacy of agency leadership, and highlighted racial inequality in America. In response to such system threats, both victims and observers (e.g., the general public, commentators, policy makers) are known to engage in various forms of system justification, including direct defense of the status quo, victim blaming, stereotyping, and internalization of inequality. These processes can reduce emotional distress and restore perceived legitimacy to the system, but they may have a number of troubling consequences for the storm victims in their efforts to return to normalcy.
A Problematic Integration Approach to Capturing the Cognitive, Cultural, and Communicative Experiences of Hurricane Katrina Volunteers
Authors: Villagran Melinda M. , Wittenberg‐Lyles Elaine , Garza Raymond T.
Published: December 2006

This essay outlines an applied approach for examining message reception and processing among natural disaster volunteers. It is argued that an applied approach provides analysis of volunteers' decision‐making processes that extends to cognitive, cultural, and communicative influences on the decision to volunteer. Implications for future research on volunteerism in natural disasters are discussed and policy‐making implications are addressed.
Making Sense of New Orleans Flood Trauma Recovery: Ethics, Research Design, and Policy Considerations for Future Disasters
Authors: Dennis Michael Robert , Kunkel Adrianne D. , Woods Gillian , Schrodt Paul
Published: December 2006

This article details the justification and plans of a research team for studying and helping evacuees of Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans to recover by encouraging experimental participants to disclose information about their related experiences in guided interview sessions. Team members' consideration and practice of ethical principles as researchers dealing with the potentially traumatized victims of a disaster are portrayed. Finally, related recommendations for researchers and policy makers are offered.
Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 subtypes and antiretroviral drug resistance profiles among drug‐naïve Brazilian blood donors
Authors: Sá‐Ferreira José Antonio , Brindeiro Patrícia Alvarez , Chequer‐Fernandez Saada , Tanuri Amilcar , Morgado Mariza Gonçalves
Published: December 2006

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) genetic variability and its implication on the development of new reagents were investigated by correlating time of infection and resistance to antiretroviral drugs.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Seventy‐four plasma samples from Brazilian drug‐naïve blood donors were assayed to further develop a panel of biologic reagents to be used in serology and molecular tests. After viral RNA extraction, cDNA was generated and used in nested polymerase chain reaction protocols with primers for the ENV (C2‐V3 and gp41), protease (PR), and reverse transcriptase (RT) of HIV‐1. Genomic sequencing was conducted to define HIV‐1 subtypes and drug resistance mutations.

RESULTS: Subtype B was found in 83.8 percent of all samples, subtype F in 2.7 percent, and BF mosaics in 11 percent of the cases. B and F different genetic profiles were evidenced: BPRBRTBgp120Bgp41, FPRFRTFgp120Fgp41, FPRFRTBgp120Bgp41, FPRBRTBgp120Bgp41, and BPRBRTFgp120Bgp41. A single sample (1.4%) was characterized as a BC mosaic (BPRCRTUgp120Cgp41) and an AGH mosaic (AGPRGRTHgp120Hgp41) was first observed in the country. Antiretroviral resistance to nucleoside RT inhibitor was observed in one sample (1.35%) showing M41L and T215S mutations. Nonnucleoside RT inhibitor and major PR inhibitor resistance mutations were not observed. Previously unseen patterns of resistance to T20 were found among HIV‐1–infected drug‐naïve individuals in Brazil. Recent infections were characterized in 21.6 percent of the blood donor samples included in this study.

CONCLUSIONS: The availability of characterized plasma samples and HIV isolates will allow the development of biologic reagents necessary to implement quality control programs and to develop, validate, and evaluate the performance of diagnostic kits, considering all HIV‐1–circulating variants in the country.