bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Geometric Description of them-cluster Categories of TypeDn
Authors: Baur Karin , Marsh Bethany Rose
Published: October 2008

We show that the m-cluster category of type Dn is equivalent to a certain geometrically-defined category of arcs in a punctured regular nm − m + 1-gon. This generalizes a result of Schiffler for m = 1. We use the notion of the mth power of a translation quiver to realize the m-cluster category in terms of the cluster category.
Phenotype/Genotype Correlations in a DFNB1 Cohort With Ethnical Diversity
Authors: Angeli Simon I.
Published: October 2008

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to 1) determine the prevalence of DFNB1 in a cohort of children with prelingual nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss (HL), 2) study phenotype/genotype correlations, and 3) establish guidelines for genetic counseling of DFNB1.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: A total of 119 unrelated children (107 sporadic and 12 familial cases) with prelingual nonsyndromic HL underwent mutational screening for DFNB1 in the noncoding and coding exons of GJB2, in addition to the del(GJB6‐D13S1830) mutation of GJB6. Information regarding demographics, HL, developmental milestones, inner ear high resolution computed tomography, hearing habilitation, and associated phenotypic manifestations were collected in probands with biallelic pathogenic mutations.

Results: The prevalence of DFNB1 in cases of prelingual nonsyndromic HL was 26% (25% in sporadic and 50% in familial cases). In regards to ethnicity, 19 probands were white and 12 probands of Hispanic ancestry had a mixed racial origin (black, Native‐American, white). Greater allelic heterogeneity was shown with Hispanics of mixed descent exhibiting 10 of 12 GJB2 allelic variants, whereas whites had 4 of 10 allelic variants (Fisher exact test, P = .033); both ethnic groups had theGJB6 deletion. The frequency of deaf carriers of the most commonly found mutation (c.35delG) was 8% and higher than that of expected for the general population (Fisher exact test, P = .015). The hearing phenotype was variable in terms of degree of impairment (from mild to profound),onset, symmetry and progression, and there was no correlation with any specific genotype class. DFNB1 probandshad normal gross motor development, and the frequency of computed tomography abnormalities of the inner ear was low at 8%. No other specific associated phenotypic manifestations were identified.

Conclusions: DFNB1 is the most common identifiable etiology of nonsyndromic prelingual deafness both in sporadic and familial cases in this cohort with ethnic diversity. The greater allelic variability observed in Hispanics and the high frequency of deaf probands carrying a single allelic variant of DFNB1 support extending the screening to noncoding regions of GJB2 and to the remaining DFNB1 locus. Most probands have a congenital HL that is stable, symmetrical and without associated manifestations, but the audiometric profile should not be the only criteria for offering mutational screening of DFNB1 because of the observed variability. These data can be applied to direct the clinical evaluation and effectively counsel families of children with DFNB1.
Activation of Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3 and Overexpression of its Target Gene CyclinD1 in Laryngeal Carcinomas
Authors: Liu Bin , Ren Zhong , Shi Yang , Guan Chao , Pan Zimin , Zong Zhihong
Published: October 2008

Objectives/Hypothesis: Constitutive activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 has been observed in many solid tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Expression and activation of STAT3 in laryngeal carcinoma have not been fully understood. The study aims to investigate the expression and activation of STAT3 in laryngeal carcinoma, the relationship between activated STAT3 and its downstream target gene CyclinD1 and the related clinicopathological factors of activated STAT3.

Study Design: Prospective.

Methods: Sixty‐four samples of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 12 samples of control mucosa obtained from total laryngectomy cases were analyzed using Western blot analysis and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.

Results: The overexpression of both STAT3 and CyclinD1 mRNA was observed in all samples of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The mRNA levels of STAT3 and CyclinD1 in carcinoma tissue were 2.1‐ and 2.3‐fold higher than those in control mucosa, respectively; the differences were statistically significant (P < .01). The overexpression of STAT3, p‐STAT3, and CyclinD1 protein was also observed in all tumor samples. The protein levels of STAT3, p‐STAT3, and CyclinD1 in carcinoma tissue were 1.6‐, 4.5‐, and 2.0‐fold higher than those in control mucosa respectively; the differences were statistically significant (P < .01). There was a positive correlation between p‐STAT3 protein and CyclinD1 mRNA (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.827, P < .01). There were significant correlations between the overexpression of p‐STAT3 protein and clinical T stage (P < .01), and tumor size (P < .05). The p‐STAT3 protein level of patients in T1, T2 was higher than that of patients in T3, T4. The p‐STAT3 protein level of patients with tumor size within 20 mm was higher than that of patients with tumor size more than 20 mm.

Conclusions: High expression and activation of STAT3 exist in laryngeal carcinomas. Activated STAT3 may take effect on promoting transcription of its downstream target gene CyclinD1. The role of activation of STAT3 in laryngeal carcinogenesis needs further research.
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx: 27‐Year Experience
Authors: Liu Tian‐Run , Yang An‐Kui , Guo Xiang , Li Qui‐Li , Song Ming , He Jie‐Hua , Wang Yan‐Hong , Guo Zhu‐Ming , Zhang Quan , Chen Wen‐Quan , Chen Fu‐Jin
Published: October 2008

Objective/Hypothesis: Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC) is a rare malignancy with special biological features. Clear consensus is not available regarding the clinical characters, management approaches, and prognostic factors. We presented one institution's experience with this tumor and the outcomes of treatment.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical analysis.

Methods: The medical records of 26 patients with NACC at one institution between 1976 and 2003 were reviewed. Patient records were analyzed for clinical characteristics, management approaches, and outcomes. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan‐Meier method, comparison between groups was performed using log‐rank test.

Results: The lymphatic metastases rate and distant metastases rate were 3.8% and 26.9%, respectively. Epstein‐Barr virus did not have a close relationship to the incidence of NACC. The 5‐year disease free survival rate and overall survival rate (OS) for all patients were 30.3% and 54.8%, respectively. In the stage I, II and III patients, the 5‐year OS were 87.5% and 49.4%, respectively in patients treated mainly by combined surgical treatment with radiotherapy and those treated mainly by radiotherapy. Cranial nerves invasion, advanced stage and nonsurgical treatment indicated a significant worse OS, whereas combined surgical treatment was an independent factor affecting disease free survival rate and OS.

Conclusions: NACC is a malignancy with low rate of lymphatic metastases. NACC should be treated by combined surgical operation and radiotherapy. Cranial nerves invasion, stage and treatment approach might be important factors affecting the prognosis of the patients with NACC.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Pregnancy: A Case Series and Review
Authors: Truong Mai Thy , Lalakea M Lauren , Robbins Paul , Friduss Michael
Published: October 2008

Objectives/Hypothesis: To review the clinical significance of primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy including the maternal, fetal, and neonatal sequelae. Additionally, to discuss treatment options and describe three cases where surgical parathyroidectomy was successful for treatment of hyperparathyroidism refractory to medical management during pregnancy.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Methods: We reviewed three cases of hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy and reviewed the literature.

Results: Three women underwent surgical parathyroidectomy during their second and third trimester of pregnancy without any maternal, fetal, or neonatal complications.

Conclusions: Hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy may be safely treated with surgical parathyroidectomy if refractory to medical management with low operative risk when performed during the second trimester. This surgical option should be considered in light of the known maternal, fetal, and neonatal risks because of the hypercalcemic state in pregnancy.
Another Cause for Conductive Hearing Loss With Present Acoustic Reflexes
Authors: Ebert Charles S. , Zanation Adam M. , Buchman Craig A.
Published: October 2008

There are numerous potential causes of conductive hearing loss (HL). It is important to obtain a thorough history and perform a complete examination, including audiometric testing and radiographic evaluation when necessary. In this report, we present a patient with an intact tympanic membrane, no history of ear disease or trauma who as an adult developed progressive, conductive HL because of an anomalous course of a dehiscent facial nerve. In the patient with a conductive HL and at least partially intact reflexes, superior semicircular canal dehiscence, fracture of the stapes superstructure proximal to the tendon, other third window phenomena, and now dehiscence of the facial nerve resulting in decreased mobility of the ossicular chain must be considered.
Errors with Concentrated Epinephrine in Otolaryngology
Authors: Shah Rahul K. , Hoy Elizabeth , Roberson David W. , Nielsen David
Published: October 2008

Objectives: Obtain data on errors and adverse events with concentrated epinephrine in otolaryngology.

Project Design: Anonymous survey.

Methods: Confidential, voluntary, and online survey of Academy members.

Results: One hundred twenty‐six surveys were completed. The average length of practice of respondents was 19.6 years (range 1–43 years, SD 9.37 years). In the past year, 16 (12.7%) respondents experienced a problem with misadministration of concentrated epinephrine; 18 (16.4%) additional respondents heard of such an error. Fourteen respondents noted adverse outcomes from these instances, including five mortalities. About 68.9% of respondents are concerned about a potential mix‐up in the administration of concentrated epinephrine during surgery. Forty‐eight respondents reported experiencing an error in their career (average 2.5, SD 4.52, range 1–30 instances).

Conclusions: Otolaryngologists are vulnerable to errors in the administration of concentrated epinephrine. Academy members are concerned about preventing these high risk errors. We recommend double checking epinephrine dilution before administration. We also encourage all physicians using concentrated epinephrine to participate in development, implementation, and training insystems to reduce the potential for misadministration ofepinephrine. Hospitals, free standing outpatient surgery centers, and regulatory bodies should consider forcing mechanisms and redundant systems to reduce inadvertent administration of concentrated epinephrine.
Targeted Parathyroidectomy: Effectiveness and Intraoperative Rapid‐Parathormone Dynamics
Authors: Sadeghi Nader , Akin Esma , Lee Jenny Yi , Roland Jason , Knoll Stanley
Published: October 2008

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of selective parathyroid exploration, using preoperative image localization and intraoperative rapid‐parathormone (rPTH) assay. The kinetics of intraoperative rPTH in parathyroid adenoma vs. multiglandular disease is assessed.

Design: This is a prospective noncontrolled study of a cohort of 100 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, at a single academic institution. The patients underwent selective parathyroidectomy after preoperative localization, including sestamibi scan and ultrasonography. Intraoperative rPTH assay was used to determine the extent and success of parathyroidectomy. Frozen sections were used as additional confirmation. Follow‐up serum calcium levels were used to assess the effectiveness of selective parathyroidedcomy.

Results: Mean preoperative serum calcium (Ca) and baseline intact‐parathormone were 11.6 mg/dL and 136, respectively. Data were available in 96 cases: 87 single‐gland adenoma with two in ectopic mediastinal position, two double adenoma and seven cases of hyperplasia. Ten percent of patients with adenoma needed bilateral exploration for nonlocalizing or false negative imaging, or for intraoperative rPTH failure to decay. All of the patients undergoing unilateral targeted exploration were normocalcemic on follow up. There were only one failed exploration and two cases of recurrent mild hypercalcemia, all three in bilateral exploration cases. Intraoperative rPTH reduction by standard curves was predictive of successful excision of all of the abnormal glands, as confirmed by postoperative serum calcium levels. More than one postexcision rPTH measurement was useful by showing failure of a decaying slope in multiglandular disease.

Conclusion: Targeted parathyroidectomy, when appropriately selected and carried out, is an effective treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism in most cases. Intraoperative rPTH can correctly guide removal of hyperfunctioning glands. Targeted parathyroidectomy offers the advantage of less invasive surgery with less tissue dissection confined to one side and avoids surgically disturbing the remainder of the neck. This should reduce postoperative complications and allow for easier and safer re‐exploration in the few cases with persistent or recurrent disease.
The Patulous Eustachian Tube Complicated With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Video Clip Demonstration
Authors: Takasaki Kenji , Kumagami Hidetaka , Umeki Hiroshi , Enatsu Kaori , Takahashi Haruo
Published: October 2008

We report a 60‐year‐old case diagnosed as the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with patulous eustachian tube (ET). To our knowledge, this is the first case report of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis complicating patulous ET in the literature, demonstrating the movement of the tympanic membrane, the pharyngeal orifice of the ET and abnormal movement of the uvula because of paralysis of the soft palate on video.
Transoral Robotic Surgery Using an Image Guidance System
Authors: Desai Shaun C. , Sung Chih‐Kwang , Genden Eric M.
Published: October 2008

Objectives: To describe a novel technique using the image guidance system for transoral robotic surgery of the pharyngeal and parapharyngeal spaces.

Study Design: Case series presentation.

Methods: Three cases of oropharyngeal and pharyngeal space lesions are reviewed for presentation, workup, and original management.

Results: Final pathology of a vascular malformation, an acinic cell adenocarcinoma, and a squamous cell carcinoma were located and minimally invasively removed by a transoral robotic approach with the aid of image guidance. No complications or recurrences were observed on an average of 7 month follow‐up.

Conclusions: Transoral robotic surgery using an image guidance system seems safe and effective in assisting dissection.
Transcanal Antrotomy
Authors: Holt James J.
Published: October 2008

Objective/Hypothesis: This study describes a transcanal antrotomy technique and highlights its advantages for removal of disease in the tympanum and antrum.

Study Design: Retrospective review of surgical cases using a transcanal antrotomy approach.

Methods: The author's database of major otological procedures was reviewed to identify cases in which a transcanal approach was utilized to remove disease confined to the tympanum‐antrum. Cases in which disease progressed into the mastoid, requiring a postauricular approach were excluded. Patient demographics, ear pathology, surgical variables, postoperative variables, and audiometric data were recorded. Standard descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and clinical characteristics of study cases. Intraoperative video segments were recorded and edited to depict the operative technique.

Results: Transcanal antrotomy was performed on 47 patients (mean age = 38.7, 51% men, 49% women). Ossicular reconstruction was performed in 27 patients during initial surgery. Sculptured, interposed incus was used in 77.8% of cases. Average intraoperative time was 130 minutes (range = 79–166 min). No major complications occurred postoperatively. Follow‐up ranged from 26 to 3,680 days (average = 922 days). No patient had recurrent disease in the antrum. Closure of air‐bone gap to within 20 dB occurred in 85% of cases.

Conclusions: Transcanal antrotomy is a safe, efficacious, and minimally‐invasive approach to remove disease from the middle ear and antrum. This approach allows for optimal exposure of the antrum and is less invasive than postauricular and endaural approaches. With transcanal antrotomy, second stage procedures can be avoided in many cases resulting in reduced costs and improved quality of life.
Pre‐ and Postoperative Sinus Penetration of Nasal Irrigation
Authors: Grobler Alethea , Weitzel Erik K. , Buele Achim , Jardeleza Camille , Cheong Yew C. , Field John , Wormald Peter‐John
Published: October 2008

Objective/Hypothesis: Endoscopic sinus surgery is an accepted treatment for medically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis. Effective saline douching may improve long‐term outcomes of chronic rhinosinusitis but is often impaired by postoperative ostial stenosis. The aim of this study is to determine a critical ostial size at which douching solution reliably enters the sinus cavities.

Study Design: Prospective study of consecutive patient cohort.

Methods: Seventeen preoperative or well‐healed postoperative endoscopic sinus surgery patients were irrigated with 5 mL blue food coloring mixed with 200 mL buffered saline from a squeeze bottle. The degree of sinus penetration, sinus ostial patency, and ostial size were endoscopically determined.

Results: Sinuses penetrated by blue dye had a significantly larger minimal ostial dimension (7.31 mm; 95% confidence interval 5.54–9.08) than those that had no blue dye penetration (1.26 mm; 95% confidence interval 0.86–1.66) as determined by Student t test. Chi‐square analysis showed that operated sinuses were more likely to be penetrated than nonoperated sinuses (P = .0016) and obstructed sinuses (P = .0325). Logistic regression showed a 95% probability of penetration when the minimum ostial dimension is 3.95 mm or greater.

Conclusions: Unoperated sinuses or cases with gross sinus ostial obstruction will not be reliably penetrated by sinus irrigant. A 3.95‐mm ostial diameter seems to be the minimum size to guarantee penetration in paranasal sinuses to maximize the potential for topical sinus treatment.
The Treatment for Postirradiation Otitis Media With Effusion: A Study of Three Methods
Authors: Xu Yao‐Dong , Ou Yong‐Kang , Zheng Yi‐Qing , Chen Yong , Ji Shu‐Fang
Published: October 2008

Objective: To explore treatments for postirradiation otitis media with effusion (OME) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Study Design: This study is a prospective quasi‐randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Ninety‐six patients (135 ears) with OME after the first course of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were divided into three groups: simple auripuncture plus aspiration, tympanic membrane fenestration with cauterization, and myringotomy plus grommet insertion. Cure rates and incidences of complications were compared.

Results: Two deaths occurred. The other 94 patients (132 ears) finished a 2‐year follow‐up. In group 1, four ears (8.9%) were cured after the first treatment and 17 ears overall (37.8%) were cured by the end of the follow‐up. Twenty ears (44.4%) had persistent fluid, two ears (4.4%) developed chronic suppurative otitis media, and five ears (11.1%) developed dry eardrum perforation. In group 2, seven ears (15.6%) were cured after the first treatment and 21 ears overall (46.7%) were cured by the end of the follow‐up. Fourteen ears (31.1%) had persistent fluid, three ears (6.7%) developed chronic suppurative otitis media, and seven ears (15.6%) developed dry eardrum perforation. In group 3, eight ears (17.8%) were cured after the first treatment and 23 ears overall (51.1%) were cured by the end of the follow‐up. Seven ears (15.6%) had persistent fluid, five ears (11.1%) developed chronic suppurative otitis media, three ears (6.7%) developed eardrum perforation with effusion, and five ears (11.1%) developed dry eardrum perforation.

Conclusion: The methods each have advantages and disadvantages. We believe that a step by step approach should be used when choosing the treatment method for postirradiation OME. That is, first apply auripuncture plus aspiration, and then the other methods if this approach is inadequate. Enhanced local care after grommet insertion can effectively reduce the incidence of complications.
Reversed optimality and predictive ecology: burrowing depth forecasts population change in a bivalve
Authors: van Gils Jan A , Kraan Casper , Dekinga Anne , Koolhaas Anita , Drent Jan , de Goeij Petra , Piersma Theunis
Published: October 2008

Optimality reasoning from behavioural ecology can be used as a tool to infer how animals perceive their environment. Using optimality principles in a ‘reversed manner’ may enable ecologists to predict changes in population size before such changes actually happen. Here we show that a behavioural anti-predation trait (burrowing depth) of the marine bivalve
Macoma balthica
can be used as an indicator of the change in population size over the year to come. The
per capita
population growth rate between years
t
and
t
+1 correlated strongly with the proportion of individuals living in the dangerous top 4 cm layer of the sediment in year
t
: the more individuals in the top layer, the steeper the population decline. This is consistent with the prediction based on optimal foraging theory that animals with poor prospects should accept greater risks of predation. This study is among the first to document fitness forecasting in animals.
Palaeogenomics of pterosaurs and the evolution of small genome size in flying vertebrates
Authors: Organ Chris L , Shedlock Andrew M
Published: October 2008

The two living groups of flying vertebrates, birds and bats, both have constricted genome sizes compared with their close relatives. But nothing is known about the genomic characteristics of pterosaurs, which took to the air over 70 Myr before birds and were the first group of vertebrates to evolve powered flight. Here, we estimate genome size for four species of pterosaurs and seven species of basal archosauromorphs using a Bayesian comparative approach. Our results suggest that small genomes commonly associated with flight in bats and birds also evolved in pterosaurs, and that the rate of genome-size evolution is proportional to genome size within amniotes, with the fastest rates occurring in lineages with the largest genomes. We examine the role that drift may have played in the evolution of genome size within tetrapods by testing for correlated evolution between genome size and body size, but find no support for this hypothesis. By contrast, we find evidence suggesting that a combination of adaptation and phylogenetic inertia best explains the correlated evolution of flight and genome-size contraction. These results suggest that small genome/cell size evolved prior to or concurrently with flight in pterosaurs. We predict that, similar to the pattern seen in theropod dinosaurs, genome-size contraction preceded flight in pterosaurs and bats.
Genetic analysis of historic western Great Lakes region wolf samples reveals earlyCanis lupus/lycaonhybridization
Authors: Wheeldon Tyler , White Bradley N
Published: October 2008

The genetic status of wolves in the western Great Lakes region has received increased attention following the decision to remove them from protection under the US Endangered Species Act. A recent study of mitochondrial DNA has suggested that the recovered wolf population is not genetically representative of the historic population. We present microsatellite genotype data on three historic samples and compare them with extant populations, and interpret published genetic data to show that the pre-recovery population was admixed over a century ago by eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) and grey wolf (Canis lupus) hybridization. The DNA profiles of the historic samples are similar to those of extant animals in the region, suggesting that the current Great Lakes wolves are representative of the historic population.
The relevance of brain evolution for the biomedical sciences
Authors: Smulders Tom V
Published: October 2008

Most biomedical neuroscientists realize the importance of the study of brain evolution to help them understand the differences and similarities between their animal model of choice and the human brains in which they are ultimately interested. Many think of evolution as a linear process, going from simpler brains, as those of rats, to more complex ones, as those of humans. However, in reality, every extant species' brain has undergone as long a period of evolution as has the human brain, and each brain has its own species-specific adaptations. By understanding the variety of existing brain types, we can more accurately reconstruct the brains of common ancestors, and understand which brain traits (of humans as well as other species) are derived and which are ancestral. This understanding also allows us to identify convergently evolved traits, which are crucial in formulating hypotheses about structure–function relationships in the brain. A thorough understanding of the processes and patterns of brain evolution is essential to generalizing findings from ‘model species’ to humans, which is the backbone of modern biomedical science.
Point vortex equilibria on the sphere via Brownian ratchets
Authors: Newton Paul K , Sakajo Takashi
Published: October 2008

We describe a Brownian ratchet scheme that we use to calculate relative equilibrium configurations ofNpoint vortices of mixed strength on the surface of a unit sphere. We formulate it as a problem in linear algebra,AΓ=0, whereAis aN(N−1)/2×Nnon-normal configuration matrix obtained by requiring that all inter-vortical distances on the sphere remain constant andΓ∈Nis the (unit) vector of vortex strengths that must lie in the null space ofA. Existence of an equilibrium is expressed by the condition det(ATA)=0, while uniqueness follows if Rank(A)=N−1. The singular value decomposition ofAis used to calculate an optimal basis set for the null space, yielding all values of the vortex strengths for which the configuration is an equilibrium and allowing us to decompose the equilibrium configuration into basis components. To home in on an equilibrium, we allow the point vortices to undergo a random walk on the sphere and, after each step, we compute the smallest singular value of the configuration matrix, keeping the new arrangement only if it decreases. When the smallest singular value drops below a predetermined convergence threshold, the existence criterion is satisfied and an equilibrium configuration is achieved. We then find a basis set for the null space ofA, and hence the vortex strengths, by calculating the right singular vectors corresponding to the singular values that are zero. We show a gallery of examples of equilibria with one-dimensional null spaces obtained by this method. Then, using an unbiased ensemble of 1000 relative equilibria for each valueN=4→10, we discuss some general features of the statistically averaged quantities, such as the Shannon entropy (using all of the normalized singular values) and Frobenius norm, centre-of-vorticity vector and Hamiltonian energy.
Multiple steady bubbles in a Hele-Shaw cell
Authors: Crowdy Darren
Published: October 2008

This paper presents new solutions, in analytical form, for the shapes of an assembly of steady co-travelling bubbles in a Hele-Shaw cell. The associated velocity field is also derived. The assembly can consist of any finite number of bubbles. The solutions are expressed in terms of Schottky–Klein prime functions and are derived by exploiting results on multiply connected conformal slit mappings.
A continuum description of nonlinear elasticity, slip and twinning, with application to sapphire
Authors: Clayton J.D
Published: October 2008

A model is developed for elasticity, plasticity and twinning in anisotropic single crystals subjected to large deformations. Dislocation glide and deformation twinning are dissipative, while energy storage mechanisms associated with dislocation lines and twin boundaries are described via scalar internal state variables. Concepts from continuum crystal plasticity are invoked, with shearing rates on discrete glide and twinning systems modelled explicitly. The model describes aspects of thermomechanical behaviour of single crystals of alumina over a range of loading conditions. Resolved shear stresses necessary for glide or twin nucleation at low to moderate temperatures are estimated from nonlinear elastic calculations, theoretical considerations of Peierls barriers and stacking fault energies and observations from shock physics experiments. These estimates are combined with the existing data from high-temperature experiments to provide initial yield conditions spanning a wide range of temperatures. The model reflects hardening of glide and twin systems from dislocations accumulated during basal slip. Residual elastic volume changes, predicted from nonlinear elastic considerations and approximated dislocation line energies, are positive and proportional to the dislocation line density. While the model suggests that generation of very large dislocation densities could influence the pressure–volume response, volume increases from defects are predicted to be small in crystals deformed via basal glide on a single system.
Chronobiological analysis techniques. Application to blood pressure
Authors: Fernández J.R , Hermida R.C , Mojón A
Published: October 2008

Most variables of clinical interest show predictable changes with different frequencies, mainly, but not exclusively, along the rest–activity cycle (circadian variation). Methods of linear least-squares estimation have been designed for the detection of periodic components in sparse and noisy time series (as they are usually present in clinical situations). They include the single and population-mean cosinor methods. In cases where more than one period is statistically significant over the span of time investigated, or when the waveform is non-sinusoidal, the use of multiple components analysis to fit a model consisting of several cosine functions (harmonics or not from a given fundamental period) is recommended. We describe these methods, from the characterization of the underlying models to the process of parameter estimation. As an application example, we describe the modelling of the circadian variation of blood pressure (BP). In most individuals, BP presents a morning increase, a small postprandial valley and a deeper descent during nocturnal rest. This pattern can be easily modelled by means of a model with periods of 24 and 12 hours. Individuals that differ from this model might be considered to present increased cardiovascular risk.
The Plant TPX2 Protein Regulates Prospindle Assembly before Nuclear Envelope Breakdown
Authors: Vos Jan W. , Pieuchot Laurent , Evrard Jean-Luc , Janski Natacha , Bergdoll Marc , de Ronde Dryas , Perez Laurent H. , Sardon Teresa , Vernos Isabelle , Schmit Anne-Catherine
Published: October 2008

The Targeting Protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) is a central regulator of spindle assembly in vertebrate cells. The absence or excess of TPX2 inhibits spindle formation. We have defined a TPX2 signature motif that is present once in vertebrate sequences but twice in plants. Plant TPX2 is predominantly nuclear during interphase and is actively exported before nuclear envelope breakdown to initiate prospindle assembly. It localizes to the spindle microtubules but not to the interdigitating polar microtubules during anaphase or to the phragmoplast as it is rapidly degraded during telophase. We characterized the Arabidopsis thaliana TPX2-targeting domains and show that the protein is able to rescue microtubule assembly in TPX2-depleted Xenopus laevis egg extracts. Injection of antibodies to TPX2 into living plant cells inhibits the onset of mitosis. These results demonstrate that plant TPX2 already functions before nuclear envelope breakdown. Thus, plants have adapted nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling of TPX2 to maintain proper spindle assembly without centrosomes.
The Gibberellic Acid Signaling Repressor RGL2 Inhibits Arabidopsis Seed Germination by Stimulating Abscisic Acid Synthesis and ABI5 Activity
Authors: Piskurewicz Urszula , Jikumaru Yusuke , Kinoshita Natsuko , Nambara Eiji , Kamiya Yuji , Lopez-Molina Luis
Published: October 2008

Seed germination is antagonistically controlled by the phytohormones gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA). GA promotes seed germination by enhancing the proteasome-mediated destruction of RGL2 (for RGA-LIKE2), a key DELLA factor repressing germination. By contrast, ABA blocks germination by inducing ABI5 (for ABA-INSENSITIVE5), a basic domain/leucine zipper transcription factor repressing germination. Decreased GA synthesis leads to an increase in endogenous ABA levels through a stabilized RGL2, a process that may involve XERICO, a RING-H2 zinc finger factor promoting ABA synthesis. In turn, increased endogenous ABA synthesis is necessary to elevate not only ABI5 RNA and protein levels but also, critically, those of RGL2. Increased ABI5 protein is ultimately responsible for preventing seed germination when GA levels are reduced. However, overexpression of ABI5 was not sufficient to repress germination, as ABI5 activity requires phosphorylation. The endogenous ABI5 phosphorylation and inhibition of germination could be recapitulated by the addition of a SnRK2 protein kinase to the ABI5 overexpression line. In sleepy1 mutant seeds, RGL2 overaccumulates; germination of these seeds can occur under conditions that produce low ABI5 expression. These data support the notion that ABI5 acts as the final common repressor of germination in response to changes in ABA and GA levels.
Modernisation, development and the peasant
Authors: Mouzelis N. P.
Published: October 2008

Modernization among Peasants: The Impact of Communication, by Everett M. Rogers in association with L. Svenning

Modernising Peasant Societies: A Comparative Study in Asia and Africa, by Guy Hunter

Agrarian Problems and Peasant Movements in Latin America, edited by Rodolfo Stavenhagen

Les classes sociales dans les sociétés agraires, by Rodolfo Stavenhagen
The Peruvian ‘Revolution’ Considered
Authors: Wils Frits
Published: October 2008

D. Chaplin (ed): Peruvian Nationalism, a Corporatist Revolution

A. Lowenthal (ed): The Peruvian Experiment, Continuity and Change under Military Rule

E.V.K. Fitzgerald: The State and Economic Development, Peru since 1968

BENEFICIARIES: INTENDED, IMAGINED OR REAL

Group versus/or class solidarity
The Process of Famine: Causes and Consequences in Sudan
Authors: Ati Hassan Ahmed Abdel
Published: October 2008

In the Sudan, where 200,000 children can die from diseases like diarrhoea and measles in a ‘normal’ year, the toll jumped to somewhere between 350,000 and 700,000 [in 1984]; in the next twelve months one million more could die — out of a total child population of only 6 million.

UNICEF estimates that over six million sub‐Saharan infants and children are endangered by famine.
Counterpoint and Emancipation
Authors: Pieterse Jan Nederveen , Wertheim W. F.
Published: October 2008

A continued struggle against elitism seems to be within the reach of mankind. The only way to stop the human march towards emancipation would be, indeed, to annihilate the world.
Rural Growth Points and Rural Industries in Zimbabwe: Ideologies and Policies
Authors: Gasper Des
Published: October 2008

A Rural Service Centre which provided all basic infrastructure, had a strong residential component and offered a wide range of services would automatically attract rural non‐farm activities. This is the term applied to the whole range of activities connected with trading, manufacturing, construction, transport and government and other services. improved infrastructure is the key to more rural manufacturing. The deficiency in manufacturing may therefore be expected to right itself if given the necessary Government support through the provision of infrastructure. (Whitsun Foundation, 1980: 60–1; emphases added).

Rural Service Centres ‘do not offer any major form of non‐agricultural employment other than trade and certain jobs connected with the provision of services for agricultural communities’. (Hanratty and Heath, 1984:27)
Women and Rural Development Policies: The Changing Agenda
Authors: Kandiyoti Deniz
Published: October 2008

The aim of this paper is to review and evaluate policies directed at rural women in the Third World, as reflected in WID research and policy documents. This review covers the assumptions behind the advocacy of direct assistance to rural women, the goals that are sought in providing such assistance and the means advocated to achieve them. An attempt is made to show how the agenda of mainstream WID research and policy formulation has closely followed, reflected and responded to changing international priorities in matters of development assistance in a manner that leaves crucial redistributive and political issues tangentially addressed and unresolved.
Alternative Development Strategies for Women in Rural China
Authors: Judd Ellen
Published: October 2008

Three major strategies for enhancing women's role in economic development in rural China are in evidence in the 1980s: (1) replacing male labour in agriculture, (2) employment in rural industry, and (3) ‘household’‐based commodity production. The implications of each strategy for women's economic roles and for the structuring of gender in rural China are analysed. Particular attention is given to explicating unanticipated reasons for women's and Women's Federations' attraction to the third alternative. The concept of ‘strategy’ is examined in this context. The analysis is based on fieldwork data, including interviews and household surveys, collected in three villages in Shandong during the summer of 1986 and the winter of 1987–8.
The End of the Road in Land Reform? Limits to Redistribution in West Bengal
Authors: Baruah Sanjib
Published: October 2008

The hypothesis that failures of land reform programmes are due to the political power of dominant classes is problematic where land is scarce, ownership not highly concentrated and politics not especially exclusionary. Since the late 1960s, land reform in West Bengal has been initiated by radical rural political mobilization—with significant participation by the agrarian underclass. The Communist Party of India (Marxist)—the largest radical party in West Bengal‐has been unable to extend its redistributive land reform agenda beyond a point because of political difficulties rooted in West Bengal's intense competition for scarce resources. It has modified the land reform agenda to accommodate the competing demands of the poor and the non‐poor, and there are signs that land reform is losing saliency in the policy agenda. This paper argues that the weak implementation of land reform in West Bengal is explained not by the power of the dominant classes, but as an adaptation of policy to an environment of resource scarcity and a relatively low level of land concentration.
The Rational Choice Paradigm and the Allocation of Agricultural Development Resources
Authors: Moore Mick
Published: October 2008

Despite its analytic deficiencies and the doctrinaire purposes it has been made to serve, the rational choice approach to political analysis can have considerable explanatory value. Three examples are given of the utility of the sub‐field of rent‐seeking analysis in illuminating how public resources for agricultural development are allocated in developing countries: rural‐urban relations, resource allocation among agricultural services, and irrigation policy.
Factors Affecting Small Farmers' Access to Institutional Credit in Rural Orissa, India
Authors: Sarap Kailas
Published: October 2008

This study uses original survey data from six villages to locate and analyse factors inhibiting small farmers' access to formal credit, including credit supply, bargaining strength, bureaucratic formalities, asset‐based lending policies, informal tenancy contracts, extended processing procedures and caste barriers. The survey data confirm a correlation between higher overall transaction costs and smaller farm size, and also between arrearages and larger farm size. The analysis leads to the suggestion that policies should be directed both towards reducing the overall transaction costs of formal loans to small farmers, and towards improved collection processes.
Nigerian Oil and Exchange Rates: Indicators of ‘Dutch Disease’
Authors: Struthers John J.
Published: October 2008

This article assesses the impact of expanding oil revenues on non‐oil sectors of the Nigerian economy from 1960 to 1985/6. Emphasis is placed on the effects of exchange rate appreciation during the 1970s on the agricultural, manufacturing and non‐traded goods sectors. The analysis is conducted within a Dutch disease context. Two main conclusions are that the decline of Nigerian agriculture during these years can be attributed to a combination of low real producer prices and insufficient government investment, as well as the overvalued Nigerian naira; and that the high real exchange rate may have benefited the manufacturing sector.
The Crisis of the 1980s in Sub‐Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean: Economic Impact, Social Change and Political Implications
Authors: Ghai Dharam , de Alcántara Cynthia Hewitt
Published: October 2008

The purpose of this paper, prepared as a background document for the UNRISD/University of the West Indies conference on Economic Crisis and Third World Countries, is to provide a framework for consideration of societal changes accompanying economic recession and restructuring in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean over the past decade.

It is the central argument of the paper that adaptation to crisis should not be considered a temporary phenomenon, interrupting a single, lineal process of modernization which can be expected to resume its course once current difficulties are overcome. On the contrary, both crisis and adjustment have profoundly modified the structure of incentives within which individuals and households must attempt to ensure their livelihood, encouraging new patterns of behaviour with long‐term implications for the nature of the economy, society and political practice.

After a brief review of the macroeconomic background of crisis in each region, this central hypothesis is explored through a very preliminary analysis of the changing life chances of various kinds of upper, middle and lower income groups — emphasizing not only the costs but also the opportunities which have been associated with economic restructuring. Some individual and collective reactions to change are then considered, before raising a series of questions concerning the implications of crisis and adjustment for the state and civil society.
Uganda: Contradictions of the IMF Programme and Perspective
Authors: Mamdani Mahmood
Published: October 2008

This critique of the Structural Adjustment Programme in Uganda is argued at three levels. A discussion of the immediate consequences of SAP is based on empirical data on economic performance compiled by the Government of Uganda, IMF and World Bank. Second, information for a longer‐term historical analysis is culled from the author's own research. Its purpose is to raise more fundamental issues of social transformation. Finally, these perspectives are reinforced through a comparative discussion using South East Asian development experience. The author argues that there are diverse paths to capitalist development, with diverse and contradictory social and political consequences. The real issue in contemporary Uganda is not one of the state or the market, but of the transformation of relations internal to both from the point of view of democratization.
A Re‐assessment of Entitlement Theory in the Light of the Recent Famines in Africa
Authors: de Waal Alex
Published: October 2008

This paper is an attempt to re‐assess the nature of famines, as conceptualized in Professor Sen's entitlement theory, in the light of empirical evidence concerning the recent African famines. The paper identifies two critical phenomena that entitlement theory fails to explain. First, during famines, many people choose not to consume food rather than sell vital assets. Secondly, most famine mortality is not directly related to undernutrition, but is caused by outbreaks of disease. Sen's more recent work on poverty provides a framework for understanding these phenomena. The price of this is that entitlements themselves form only part of a larger account of famine. Some aspects of a revised account include coping strategies of famine‐affected people, social disruption, and violence. In this account, less severe famine is not theoretically distinct from acute poverty, and severe famine is distinct largely because of the severity of social collapse, which in Africa usually follows violence.
Bank Lending to LDCs: From the Euphoria of Credit Syndication to the Debt Problem's Implications
Authors: Rogovitsky Alexander
Published: October 2008

This paper deals with the behaviour of commercial banks in the syndicated credits market, which proved to be the most popular instrument in the 1970s guiding credit flows to developing countries. The author argues that the distortions in the pricing structure of syndicated credits biased the international credit market towards overlending, thus making standard investment criteria less applicable to credit commitments to developing countries. The analysis of post‐1982 rescheduling qualifies it as a vicious circle and stresses the urgent need for the partial forgiveness of developing countries' debts in accordance with the market price of securitized debt.
Dilemmas of Development Discourse: The Crisis of Developmentalism and the Comparative Method
Authors: Pieterse Jan Nederveen
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

Developmentalism, or the theory of linear progress, has taken several forms — evolutionism, modernization theory, development thinking — which correlate with different epochs of western hegemony. The comparative method serves as its underpinnings in theoretically incorporating non‐western societies into the developmental paradigm. Developmentalism is universalist and ahistorical, teleological and ethnocentric. A discourse of power, it is presented and taken as a recipe for social change. The present crisis of developmentalism is both a crisis of development in the south and a crisis of modernism in the west. In the west, developmentalism is being challenged by new social movements and, in theoretical terms, by postmodernism; in the south, alternative development strategies test the limits of the developmental paradigm. Non‐western concepts of modernization have also been developed. This discussion concludes with two queries, one concerning the passage from the bi‐polar world of the Cold War to polycentrism, and one with respect to the deconstruction of the west as a prerequisite to the deconstruction of development.

If ‘development’ itself has become a problem, and has sowed the seeds of discontent and ethnic conflict, a corrective to development can only come from other worldviews, other visions.