bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embryonic and Early Larval Development in Hatchery-Reared Common Snook
Authors: Yanes-Roca Carlos , Rhody Nicole R , Nystrom Michael , Wittenrich Matthew L , Main Kevan L
Published: September 2012

To gain an improved understanding of the early life history of common snook Centropomus undecimalis and refine hatchery production techniques for this species, a combination of digital photography and histological techniques were used to document the embryonic and early larval development of hatchery-reared individuals. Embryo development from fertilization to hatching took 15 h at 28°C. Larvae at 2 d posthatch showed fully pigmented eyes, and histological sections of the digestive tract revealed the presence of cellular structures indicative of a functional gut. This suggests that common snook larvae have the mechanical ability to detect, capture, and digest prey at 2 d posthatch.
Diets and Trophic Linkages of Epipelagic Fish Predators in Coastal Southeast Alaska during a Period of Warm and Cold Climate Years, 1997–2011
Authors: Sturdevant M. V. , Orsi J. A. , Fergusson E. A.
Published: September 2012

This study identifies important trophic links for epipelagic marine fish predators in Southeast Alaska to improve understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics in response to climate change. Fish predators can be viewed as autonomous samplers whose diets should integrate the available prey taxa commensurate with environmental conditions. We examined fish predators from annual (1997–2011) surveys conducted in May to September by the Southeast Coastal Monitoring (SECM) project of Auke Bay Laboratories in the marine waters of Southeast Alaska. This project has emphasized long-term monitoring of strait and coastal marine habitats used by juvenile Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and associated epipelagic fishes to understand how environmental variation affects the sustainability of salmon resources. From 1,295 surface trawl hauls, trophic links were identified for 2,473 fish representing 19 predator species, principally adult and immature salmon, immature walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma, and spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias. The most common fish prey consumed were fish larvae, juvenile salmon, Pacific herring Clupea pallasii, capelin Mallotus villosus, walleye pollock, lanternfishes (Myctophidae), and Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus, whereas the most common invertebrate prey consumed were euphausiids, decapod larvae, pteropods, and amphipods. This study describes the degree of piscivory, incidence of juvenile salmon prey, and frequency and weight composition of prey in the diets of epipelagic fish predators, but it did not clearly detect an effect of warm-versus-cold climate years on the diets of key planktivorous or piscivorous predators over the 15-year time series. Identifying the persistence of trophic links in epipelagic waters over time is important because climate-related changes in the upper water column have the potential to impact Southeast Alaska marine ecosystem dynamics and the productivity of important regional fisheries by altering key prey resources and trophic interactions.

Received December 2, 2011; accepted May 9, 2012
Discrimination of Juvenile Red Snapper Otolith Chemical Signatures from Gulf of Mexico Nursery Regions
Authors: Sluis Michelle Zapp , Barnett Beverly K. , Patterson William F. , Cowan James H. , Shiller Alan M.
Published: September 2012

Age-0 red snapper Lutjanus campechanus from the 2005–2007 year-classes were sampled in six regions across the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) to develop nursery signatures from otolith element: Ca ratios (Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Sr:Ca, and Li:Ca) and stable isotope delta values (δ13C and δ18O). Element: Ca ratios were analyzed with sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on dissolved right sagittae; isotope ratio mass spectrometry was employed to analyze pulverized left otoliths for δ13C and δ18O. Otolith chemical signatures were significantly different among regions in each year. Year-class-specific quadratic discriminant function analysis (QDFA) distinguished nursery regions with an accuracy of 82% for 2005, 70% for 2006, and 72% for 2007. However, samples were not obtained from all six study regions in 2005 and 2006. A QDFA of all year-classes combined produced an overall classification accuracy of 70%, thus indicating that region-specific otolith chemical signatures from adjacent sampling years could be used as surrogates for regions where samples were not obtained in a given year.

Received February 7, 2012; accepted June 5, 2012
Henry VII’s Book of Astrology and the Tudor Renaissance*
Authors: Carey Hilary M.
Published: September 2012

This essay considers the place of astrology at the early Tudor court through an analysis of British Library MS Arundel 66, a manuscript compiled for the use of Henry VII (r. 1485–1509) in the 1490s. It argues that an illustration on fol. 201 depicts King Henry being presented with prognostications by his astrologer, William Parron, with the support of Louis, Duke of Orleans, later King Louis XII of France (r. 1498–1515). It considers the activities of three Tudor astrologer courtiers, William Parron, Lewis of Caerleon, and Richard Fitzjames, who may have commissioned the manuscript, as well as the Fitzjames Zodiac Arch at Merton College, Oxford (1497) and the London Pageants of 1501. It concludes that Arundel 66 reflects the strategic cultural investment in astrology and English prophecy made by the Tudor regime at the time of the marriage negotiations and wedding of Arthur, Prince of Wales and Katherine of Aragon, descendant of Alfonso X, the most illustrious medieval patron of the science of the stars.
Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: 2012 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Authors: Shulman Stanford T. , Bisno Alan L. , Clegg Herbert W. , Gerber Michael A. , Kaplan Edward L. , Lee Grace , Martin Judith M. , Van Beneden Chris
Published: September 2012

The guideline is intended for use by healthcare providers who care for adult and pediatric patients with group A streptococcal pharyngitis. The guideline updates the 2002 Infectious Diseases Society of America guideline and discusses diagnosis and management, and recommendations are provided regarding antibiotic choices and dosing. Penicillin or amoxicillin remain the treatments of choice, and recommendations are made for the penicillin-allergic patient, which now include clindamycin.
Human viruses: discovery and emergence
Authors: Woolhouse Mark , Scott Fiona , Hudson Zoe , Howey Richard , Chase-Topping Margo
Published: September 2012

There are 219 virus species that are known to be able to infect humans. The first of these to be discovered was yellow fever virus in 1901, and three to four new species are still being found every year. Extrapolation of the discovery curve suggests that there is still a substantial pool of undiscovered human virus species, although an apparent slow-down in the rate of discovery of species from different families may indicate bounds to the potential range of diversity. More than two-thirds of human viruses can also infect non-human hosts, mainly mammals, and sometimes birds. Many specialist human viruses also have mammalian or avian origins. Indeed, a substantial proportion of mammalian viruses may be capable of crossing the species barrier into humans, although only around half of these are capable of being transmitted by humans and around half again of transmitting well enough to cause major outbreaks. A few possible predictors of species jumps can be identified, including the use of phylogenetically conserved cell receptors. It seems almost inevitable that new human viruses will continue to emerge, mainly from other mammals and birds, for the foreseeable future. For this reason, an effective global surveillance system for novel viruses is needed.
Linking community and disease ecology: the impact of biodiversity on pathogen transmission
Authors: Roche Benjamin , Dobson Andrew P. , Guégan Jean-François , Rohani Pejman
Published: September 2012

The increasing number of zoonotic diseases spilling over from a range of wild animal species represents a particular concern for public health, especially in light of the current dramatic trend of biodiversity loss. To understand the ecology of these multi-host pathogens and their response to environmental degradation and species extinctions, it is necessary to develop a theoretical framework that takes into account realistic community assemblages. Here, we present a multi-host species epidemiological model that includes empirically determined patterns of diversity and composition derived from community ecology studies. We use this framework to study the interaction between wildlife diversity and directly transmitted pathogen dynamics. First, we demonstrate that variability in community composition does not affect significantly the intensity of pathogen transmission. We also show that the consequences of community diversity can differentially impact theprevalenceof pathogens and thenumberof infectious individuals. Finally, we show that ecological interactions among host species have a weaker influence on pathogen circulation than inter-species transmission rates. We conclude that integration of a community perspective to study wildlife pathogens is crucial, especially in the context of understanding and predicting infectious disease emergence events.
National and international policies to mitigate disease threats
Authors: Dye Christopher
Published: September 2012

To devise and implement effective health policy, we must define the problem, choose the tools, craft the policy, build consensus, set goals and deadlines, raise funds and take action. Success or failure depends on the perception of risk, the strength of the underlying science, the efficacy of the technology, ownership and intellectual property, the conflict between individual and public health, the choice of weaker (guidelines) and stronger (law) policy instruments, the level of public interest, political opportunity, institutional inertia, mechanisms for enforcement and who foots the bill. All these things considered, this paper is a brief policy-making guide by example, illustrating some achievements and disappointments with reference to cholera, drug-resistant tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and rabies.
The emergence and spread of finch trichomonosis in the British Isles
Authors: Lawson Becki , Robinson Robert A. , Colvile Katie M. , Peck Kirsi M. , Chantrey Julian , Pennycott Tom W. , Simpson Victor R. , Toms Mike P. , Cunningham Andrew A.
Published: September 2012

Finch trichomonosis, caused by the protozoal parasiteTrichomonas gallinae, was first recognized as an emerging infectious disease of British passerines in 2005. The first year of seasonal epidemic mortality occurred in 2006 with significant declines of greenfinchCarduelis chlorisand chaffinchFringilla coelebspopulations. Here, we demonstrate that large-scale mortality, principally of greenfinch, continued in subsequent years, 2007–2009, with a shifting geographical distribution across the British Isles over time. Consequent to the emergence of finch trichomonosis, the breeding greenfinch population in Great Britain has declined fromca4.3 million toca2.8 million birds and the maximum mean number of greenfinches (a proxy for flock size) visiting gardens has declined by 50 per cent. The annual rate of decline of the breeding greenfinch population within England has exceeded 7 per cent since the initial epidemic. Although initially chaffinch populations were regionally diminished by the disease, this has not continued. Retrospective analyses of disease surveillance data showed a rapid, widespread emergence of finch trichomonosis across Great Britain in 2005 and we hypothesize that the disease emerged byT. gallinaejumping from columbiforms to passeriforms. Further investigation is required to determine the continuing impact of finch trichomonosis and to develop our understanding of how protozoal diseases jump host species.
Disease and the dynamics of extinction
Authors: McCallum Hamish
Published: September 2012

Invading infectious diseases can, in theory, lead to the extinction of host populations, particularly if reservoir species are present or if disease transmission is frequency-dependent. The number of historic or prehistoric extinctions that can unequivocally be attributed to infectious disease is relatively small, but gathering firm evidence in retrospect is extremely difficult. Amphibian chytridiomycosis and Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) are two very different infectious diseases that are currently threatening to cause extinctions in Australia. These provide an unusual opportunity to investigate the processes of disease-induced extinction and possible management strategies. Both diseases are apparently recent in origin. Tasmanian DFTD is entirely host-specific but potentially able to cause extinction because transmission depends weakly, if at all, on host density. Amphibian chytridiomycosis has a broad host range but is highly pathogenic only to some populations of some species. At present, both diseases can only be managed by attempting to isolate individuals or populations from disease. Management options to accelerate the process of evolution of host resistance or tolerance are being investigated in both cases. Anthropogenic changes including movement of diseases and hosts, habitat destruction and fragmentation and climate change are likely to increase emerging disease threats to biodiversity and it is critical to further develop strategies to manage these threats.
A framework for the study of zoonotic disease emergence and its drivers: spillover of bat pathogens as a case study
Authors: Wood James L. N. , Leach Melissa , Waldman Linda , MacGregor Hayley , Fooks Anthony R. , Jones Kate E. , Restif Olivier , Dechmann Dina , Hayman David T. S. , Baker Kate S. , Peel Alison J. , Kamins Alexandra O. , Fahr Jakob , Ntiamoa-Baidu Yaa , Suu-Ire Richard , Breiman Robert F. , Epstein Jonathan H. , Field Hume E. , Cunningham Andrew A.
Published: September 2012

Many serious emerging zoonotic infections have recently arisen from bats, including Ebola, Marburg, SARS-coronavirus, Hendra, Nipah, and a number of rabies and rabies-related viruses, consistent with the overall observation that wildlife are an important source of emerging zoonoses for the human population. Mechanisms underlying the recognized association between ecosystem health and human health remain poorly understood and responding appropriately to the ecological, social and economic conditions that facilitate disease emergence and transmission represents a substantial societal challenge. In the context of disease emergence from wildlife, wildlife and habitat should be conserved, which in turn will preserve vital ecosystem structure and function, which has broader implications for human wellbeing and environmental sustainability, while simultaneously minimizing the spillover of pathogens from wild animals into human beings. In this review, we propose a novel framework for the holistic and interdisciplinary investigation of zoonotic disease emergence and its drivers, using the spillover of bat pathogens as a case study. This study has been developed to gain a detailed interdisciplinary understanding, and it combines cutting-edge perspectives from both natural and social sciences, linked to policy impacts on public health, land use and conservation.
Disease invasion: impacts on biodiversity and human health
Authors: Cunningham Andrew A. , Dobson Andrew P. , Hudson Peter J.
Published: September 2012

An introduction to the theme issue that includes papers that identify how, where and why infectious diseases in wildlife emerge, while also addressing their possible conservation impacts.
Mixotrophy and the toxicity of Ochromonas in pelagic food webs
Authors: HILTUNEN TEPPO , BARREIRO ALDO , HAIRSTON NELSON G.
Published: September 2012

1. Toxic compounds produced by many phytoplankton taxa are known to have negative effects on competitors (allelopathy), anti‐predatory effects on grazers (mortality or impaired reproduction) or both. Although mixotrophs of the genus Ochromonas are known to be toxic to zooplankton, it has often been assumed in studies of plankton community processes that all flagellates in the size range of this taxon are edible to typical zooplankton grazers (i.e. cells ≤30 μm for Daphnia, ≤6 μm for rotifers).

2. We explored the toxicity of a species of Ochromonas to other planktonic taxa, including its competitors (two species of phytoplankton and protists) and consumers (two species of zooplankton). To test if mode of nutrition by this mixotroph influences its toxicity to other taxa, we exposed each test species to Ochromonas cultured in chemostats under four different nutritional regimes: osmotrophy (labile dissolved organic carbon) and phagotrophy (bacterial prey) in both light and dark conditions (i.e. with or without photosynthesis).

3. Filtrate from osmotrophically fed Ochromonas had a significant negative effect on the population growth rate of two obligate phototrophic phytoplankton, Cryptomonasozolini and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The protists Tetrahymena tetrahymena and Paramecium aurelia were also negatively affected by Ochromonas filtrate. Ochromonas cells were toxic to both the rotifer Brachionus calicyflorus and the cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria, with the toxic effects significantly more severe when fed at high cell densities (75 000 cells mL−1) than at low densities (7500 cells mL−1). Ochromonas cultured osmotrophically in the light was more toxic to the Daphnia than cells cultured under other conditions. In contrast, Ochromonas from all nutritional conditions was equally highly toxic to Brachionus.

4. Our findings support the view that Ochromonas can be toxic to other components of the food web with which it interacts. It is especially toxic to zooplankton that directly consume it, although the effect depends upon Ochromonas cell density and whether or not a good food source is simultaneously present. Our results call into question the common practice of pooling flagellates into a single ‘functional group’ included in an ‘edible phytoplankton’ category of cells <30 μm in diameter.
Evidence against the use of surrogates for biomonitoring of Neotropical floodplains
Authors: PADIAL ANDRÉ A. , DECLERCK STEVEN A. J. , DE MEESTER LUC , BONECKER CLÁUDIA C. , LANSAC‐TÔHA FABIO A. , RODRIGUES LUZIA C. , TAKEDA ALICE , TRAIN SUELI , VELHO LUIZ F. M. , BINI LUIS M.
Published: September 2012

1. Community concordance measures the level of association between the compositional patterns shown by two groups of organisms. If strong community concordance occurs, one group could be used as a surrogate for another in conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring. In this study, we evaluated the variability in the strength of community concordance, the likely mechanisms underlying community concordance and the degree to which one community can predict another in a set of Neotropical floodplain lakes (Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil).

2. We used a data set including six aquatic communities: fish, macrophytes, benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton and periphyton. We used Mantel and PROTEST approaches to evaluate the levels of community concordance in up to four sampling periods. Also, we used partial Mantel test and information about biotic interactions to investigate reasons for observed patterns of concordance. Finally, we used co‐correspondence analysis to evaluate the performance of one taxonomic group in predicting the structures of other communities.

3. The levels of community concordance varied over time for almost all cross‐taxa comparisons. Concordance between phytoplankton and periphyton probably resulted from similar responses to environmental gradients, whereas other patterns of concordance were likely generated by interactions among groups. However, the levels of predictability were low, and no particular taxonomic group significantly predicted all other groups.

4. The low and temporally variable levels of community concordance cast doubts on the use of surrogate groups for biodiversity management in Neotropical floodplains.
Tree thinking, time and topology: comments on the interpretation of tree diagrams in evolutionary/phylogenetic systematics
Authors: Podani János
Published: September 2012

This paper presents a graph theoretical overview of tree diagrams applied extensively in systematic biology. Simple evolutionary models involving three speciation processes (splitting, budding and anagenesis) are used for evaluating the ability of different rooted trees to demonstrate temporal and ancestor–descendant relationships within or among species. On this basis, they are classified into four types: (i) diachronous trees depict evolutionary history faithfully because the order of nodes along any path agrees with the temporal sequence of respective populations or species, (ii) achronous trees show ancestor–descendant relationships for species or higher taxa such that the time aspect is disregarded, (iii) synchronous trees attempt to reveal evolutionary pathways and/or distributional patterns of apomorphic characters for organisms living at the same point of time, and (iv) asynchronous trees may do the same regardless the time of origin (e.g. when extant and extinct species are evaluated together). Trees of the last two types are cladograms, the synchronous ones emphasizing predominantly—but not exclusively—the evolutionary process within a group, while asynchronous cladograms are usually focused on pattern and infrequently on process. Historical comments and the examples demonstrate that each of these tree types is useful on its own right in evolutionary biology and systematics. In practice, separation among them is not sharp, and their features are often combined into eclectic tree forms whose interpretation is not entirely free from problems.
Hsp70 and small Hsps are the major heat shock protein members involved in midgut metamorphosis in the common cutworm,Spodoptera litura
Authors: Gu J. , Huang L‐X. , Shen Y. , Huang L‐H. , Feng Q‐L.
Published: September 2012

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are important chaperones, which are involved in various signal pathways and regulate lots of physiological processes. Early research suggested that some Hsps are involved in insect development. However, few studies have been carried out to explore the roles of Hsps, especially in larval−pupal metamorphosis. In the present study, 49 Hsp unigenes were identified in theSpodoptera lituratranscriptome and their mRNA expression profiles during midgut metamorphosis were examined using a tag‐based digital gene expression system. The genes with the most different levels of expression were then cloned and their expression patterns in midguts from sixth instar larvae to pupae were analysed using real time quantitative PCR. The responses of these genes to juvenile hormone (JH) and 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) were also studied. The results showed that the mRNA levels of 22 Hsp unigenes changed significantly during midgut metamorphosis. Amongst these 22 unigenes,hsp70,hsp20.4andhsp20.8were the most up‐regulated members, andhsp15.9,hsp19.3andhsp22.0were the most down‐regulated ones. Further studies showed thathsp70,hsp20.4andhsp20.8were remarkably up‐regulated by JH. In addition, 20E slightly increased the mRNA levels of bothhsp20.4andhsp20.8. However,hsp15.9,hsp19.3andhsp22.0did not respond to either JH or 20E. These results indicate that Hsp70 and small Hsps (sHsps) are probably the major players in midgut metamorphosis inS. litura. The current findings provide valuable insights into the roles of the Hsp superfamily in insect metamorphosis.
Differential investigations from plasma‐derived and recombinant Factor IX revealed major differences in post‐translational modifications of activation peptides
Authors: Chevreux G. , Faid V. , Andre M.‐H. , Tellier Z. , Bihoreau N.
Published: September 2012

Post‐translational modifications (PTMs) located on the activation peptide (AP) of recombinant FIX (rFIX, BeneFIX®) and plasma‐derived FIX (pdFIX, Betafact®) have been investigated by mass spectrometry to review the structural differences between these two products. Three major structural differences were pointed out. rFIX contains a low amount of phosphorylated and sulphated AP (4% for rFIX vs. 70% for pdFIX); rFIX N‐glycans are only sialylated in the α2‐3 linkage, whereas pdFIX N‐glycans contain both type of α2‐3 and α2‐6 linkages, and rFIX does not contain any sialyl LewisX glycoantigens contrary to pdFIX. These variations might participate in the in vivo potential different behaviours of the two molecules.
Comparative physiological and proteomic response to abrupt low temperature stress between two winter wheat cultivars differing in low temperature tolerance
Authors: Xu J. , Li Y. , Sun J. , Du L. , Zhang Y. , Yu Q. , Liu X.
Published: September 2012

Abrupt temperature reduction in winter wheat at either autumn seedling stage prior to vernalisation or early spring crown stage can cause severe crop damage and reduce production. Many studies have reported the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying cold acclimation in winter wheat by comparing it with spring wheat. However, processes associated with abrupt temperature reduction in autumn seedling stage prior to vernalisation in winter wheat are less understood. In this study, physiological and molecular responses of winter wheat seedlings to abrupt low temperature (LT) stress were characterised in the relatively LT‐tolerant winter wheat cultivar Shixin 828 by comparing it with the relatively LT‐sensitive cultivar Shiluan 02‐1 using a combination of physiological, proteomics and biochemical approaches. Shixin 828 was tolerant to abrupt LT stress, while Shiluan 02‐1 exhibited high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leaf cell death. Significant increases in relative abundance of antioxidant‐related proteins were found in Shixin 828 leaves, which correlate with observed higher antioxidant enzyme activity in Shixin 828 compared to Shiluan 02‐1. Proteomics analysis also indicated that carbohydrate metabolism‐related proteins were more abundant in Shiluan 02‐1, correlating with observed accumulation of soluble sugars in Shiluan 02‐1 leaves. Amino acid analysis revealed a strong response to LT stress in wheat leaves. A negative effect of exogenous sucrose on LT tolerance was also found. This study indicates that high ROS scavenging capacity and high abundance of photosynthesis‐related proteins might play a role in winter wheat response to abrupt LT stress. In contrast, excess accumulation of soluble sugars might be disadvantageous for LT tolerance in the wheat cultivar Shiluan 02‐1.
Only in Times of Crisis? Unemployment Policy in Germany and the Netherlands, 1914–1918
Authors: Brok Anja
Published: September 2012

The impact of warfare on social policy development has interested scholars for some time. This research has focused on belligerent countries, while its impact on neutral countries has received little attention. This paper aims to address this gap through a comparison of the development of unemployment social policies in the neutral Netherlands, which nevertheless mobilised for war, and combatant Germany. While the crisis conditions accompanying mobilisation forced these states to become involved with such policies for the first time, at no time during or after the war did they fully surrender their increased interventionist position. The state assumed responsibility for enacting, regulating and funding private initiatives and this role was institutionalised after the war. This study contributes to an understanding of welfare state development in the twentieth century.
Between Subject Enclitic and Agreement Marker: The Second Person Endings in Sicilian
Authors: Cruschina Silvio , Rinollo Melanie
Published: September 2012

In this paper we analyse the characteristics of2sgverb‐final ‐tuin Sicilian. Although this is generally referred to as an enclitic subject pronoun, it is clear that it is different from the subject clitics found in northern Italian dialects. The question of whether it is an actual subject enclitic or rather an inflectional affix remains controversial. The primary empirical goal of this study is to provide a general characterization of the synchronic properties of this element, focusing firstly on its grammatical status, and secondly on the distributional differences with respect to the2plending ‐vu. This comparison will lead us to the conclusion that ‐tuand ‐vuinstantiate a path of grammaticalization, and that their origins are to be sought in the morphosyntactic reflexes of the feature ‘hearer’. More specifically, we claim that the original subject pronoun was at some stage the phonological realization of the head of the functional projection HearerP, but has been subsequently reanalysed as a bound morpheme encoding agreement. This diachronic account straightforwardly explains the flows and problems with the historical analysis that assumes disambiguation in the verbal paradigm to be the triggering factor.
Paradoxical embolism as a cause of silent brain infarctions in healthy subjects: the ICONS study (Identification of the Cause of Silent Cerebral Infarction in Healthy Subjects)
Authors: Kim S. J. , Shin H. Y. , Ha Y. S. , Kim J. W. , Kang K. W. , Na D. L. , Bang O. Y.
Published: September 2012

Background

In healthy elderly people, silent brain infarctions (SBIs) have been recognized as common lesions. In this study, we evaluated the association between SBI located outside the perforating artery territory (PAT) and paradoxical embolism detected by agitated saline transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring in healthy subjects.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study undertaken by a university health promotion center for healthy subjects and by a university stroke center for acute stroke patients. We defined SBI as evidence on fluid‐attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of one or more infarcts, without history of corresponding stroke or transient ischaemic attack. We also evaluated in all subjects the neuroimaging indicator of microangiopathy leukoaraiosis (LA). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01429948.

Results

Amongst 1103 consecutive healthy adults who underwent MRI, 347 (31%) had one or more SBIs located outside the PAT, suggesting embolism. Amongst them, 253 subjects underwent agitated saline TCD monitoring and 128 (51%) had right‐to‐left shunts (RLS). The prevalence of RLS was similar to cryptogenic embolic stroke (62.0%, P = 0.056), but higher than in patients with other stroke subtypes (36.2%, P = 0.021). Amongst subjects with SBI, absence of LA was the only factor associated with RLS (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.01–3.14; P = 0.046).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that paradoxical embolism may play an important role in the development of SBI outside the PAT in apparently healthy adults.
Inflammation, Immunity, and Vaccines for Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Ihan Alojz , Pinchuk Irina V. , Beswick Ellen J.
Published: September 2012

The immune response to Helicobacter pylori is a multifaceted group of mechanisms involving responses that are both protective and damaging to the host. The innate and the adaptive immune responses lead to damaging inflammatory responses, but these responses may fail, allowing for persistence of many infections. Thus, developing new therapeutics and effective vaccines against H. pylori has proven to be arduous. In this manuscript, we will examine the advances in knowledge made in the past year in understanding the host immune response to H. pylori and the progress toward developing a vaccine.
Gastric Cancer: Basic Aspects
Authors: Thiel Alexandra , Ristimäki Ari
Published: September 2012

The worldwide incidence and mortality of gastric cancer (GC) remain high, and new concepts for diagnosis and treatment are needed. In this review, we summarize recent studies that applied next‐generation sequencing approaches and also report the latest development in microRNA research. Two recently published studies identified somatic mutations in ARID1A gene in GC using exome sequencing. On the other hand, dysregulation of microRNA expression can alter processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. These novel markers may prove to be useful in earlier diagnosis and as prognostic or predictive markers in patients with GC .
Helicobacter pylori: Gastric Cancer and Extragastric Intestinal Malignancies
Authors: Selgrad Michael , Bornschein Jan , Rokkas Theodore , Malfertheiner Peter
Published: September 2012

The greatest challenge in Helicobacter pylori–related diseases continues to remain prevention of gastric cancer. New evidence supports the beneficial effect of H. pylori eradication not only on prevention of gastric cancer but also on the regression of preneoplastic conditions of the gastric mucosa. Concerning early detection of gastric cancer there are still no adequate means and there is urgent need to define appropriate markers, for example, by genome‐wide research approaches. Currently, the best available method is the “serologic” biopsy based on pepsinogen I and the pepsinogen I/II ratio for identification of patients with severe gastric atrophy at increased risk for gastric cancer development. The treatment of early gastric cancer by endoscopic techniques can be performed safely and efficiently, but patients need meticulous follow‐up for detection of metachronous lesions. In case of advanced disease, laparoscopically assisted surgical procedures are safe and favorable compared to open surgery. Two phase III trials support the role of adjuvant systemic treatment with different regimens. Unfortunately, there is still only slow progress in the development of palliative treatment regimens or modification of the existing therapy protocols. There is accumulating evidence for a role of H. pylori infection also in colorectal carcinogenesis. Seropositive individuals are at higher risk for the development of colorectal adenomas and consequently adenocarcinomas of this anatomical region. This phenomenon can partly be attributed to the increase of serum gastrin as response to atrophic changes of the gastric mucosa.
Extragastric Manifestations of Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Banić Marko , Franceschi Francesco , Babić Zarko , Gasbarrini Antonio
Published: September 2012

In the last year, different diseases possibly linked to Helicobacter pylori infection but localized outside of the stomach have been investigated. There are, in fact, several studies concerning cardiovascular diseases, hematologic disorders, neurologic diseases, metabolic, hepatobiliary diseases, and other conditions. Some of those studies, such as those on sideropenic anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, are quite large and well conducted, while in other cases there are just small or isolated studies or even case reports. Nonetheless, there is much interest among researchers all over the world for such a topic as demonstrated by the large number of studies published in the last year.
Trigeminal Neuralgia as the Sole Symptom of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Dach Fabíola , Oliveira Felipe A. A. , dos Santos Antônio C. , Speciali José G.
Published: September 2012

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a condition characterized by brief electric shock‐like pains in the topography of the trigeminal nerve. The most common cause of this disorder is the compression of the trigeminal nerve root by tortuous or aberrant vessels. In this report, we describe a patient who presented due to paroxysmal and excruciating facial pain that was found to be secondary to pancreatic cancer.
Globalization, Psychology, and Social Issues Research:An Introduction and Conceptual Framework
Authors: Diaz Jeannette , Zirkel Sabrina
Published: September 2012

This manuscript provides an introduction to the JSI special issue on The Intersection of Psychology and Globalization. We provide both theoretical and applied rationale for why the discipline of psychology would be well served by entering into the academic discourse on globalization. We present a multifaceted definition of globalization and review extant social science research on globalization that speaks to the psychological implications of globalization. We also discuss Bronfrenbrenner's ecological model as an appropriate theoretical framework to link individual health, behavior and attitudes to macro socioeconomic processes. With this as a backdrop we introduce each of the manuscripts in this special issue with a focus on their specific contributions to developing a theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding and responding to the relationship between psychology and globalization.
Going Global: New Pathways for Adolescents and Emerging Adults in a Changing World
Authors: Jensen Lene Arnett , Arnett Jeffrey Jensen
Published: September 2012

This article reviews theory and research on the implications of globalization for cultural identity formation in adolescence (ages 10–18) and emerging adulthood (ages 18–29). Theories of immigrant acculturation are extended to globalization to demonstrate how adolescent and emerging adult cultural identity development follows a variety of pathways in a global world. The article includes a discussion of how this opening up of plural developmental pathways comes with risks and opportunities. Here, cultural identity confusion, civic involvement, and gender equality are discussed.
Globalization as Re‐traumatization: Rebuilding Haiti from the Spirit Up
Authors: Diaz Jeannette , Schneider Renate , Mantal Pwogwam Santé
Published: September 2012

This article provides a case study of Haiti within the context of both its distant history of colonialism and its recent history of globalization. We then provide a discussion that highlights the relationship between globalization, poverty, and mental health in low and middle‐income countries and describe the development of Pwogwam Santé Mantal, a community‐based mental health program in Jeremie, Haiti. We present results of focus groups and interviews that provide a sense of how mental health issues are discussed in this region and present results from a pilot survey which corroborate focus group and interview data. We describe a mental health seminar that took place in July of 2010 and present outcome evaluation data for the seminar. We end with a discussion of how these data and this mental health program address the problematic relationship between globalization and mental health and highlight implications for future research and program/policy development.
Negotiating Globalization: Men and Women of India's Call Centers
Authors: Aneesh A.
Published: September 2012

Most accounts of globalization are accounts of economic integration and cultural flows. There are few studies, however, of the ways global processes enter into an individual's personality. Based on a yearlong ethnographic study of India's international call centers in 2004–2005, this article examines how global integrations are felt, experienced, negotiated, and embodied by call center agents. Reformulating the thesis of system and lifeworld, this study aims to examine the globalization of the lifeworld, uncovering the effects of global system integration on the lifeworld. As sites of real‐time communicative integration across continents, India's call centers are revealing of the ways in which concrete social and personal lives are subordinated to global system imperatives, integrating in real time two different linguistic worlds in radically different time zones.
One Hundred and Fifty Years of “The Chinese Question”: An Intergroup Relations Perspective on Immigration and Globalization
Authors: Mariana Shimpi Priya , Zirkel Sabrina
Published: September 2012

Increased migration is, in many ways, the sine qua non of globalization. In this manuscript, we examine the single case of Chinese American immigration in the United States over a 150‐year period to explore how race and interracial attitudes shape immigrant–host relations in very deep ways. We find remarkably little change in the valence of these conversations or even in the precise content of the depictions of Chinese Americans over time. A detailed analysis of depictions and conversations about Chinese Americans in a variety of contexts finds that European Americans in the United States often describe them as: (1) self‐segregating, (2) lacking loyalty to the United States, and (3) hardworking and successful, but simultaneously lacking in “humanity.” We highlight the way such depictions ignore any attention to basic facts; we use these data to discuss the ways that race and interracial interaction form the core of immigrant–host relations; and we use this case study to highlight how race shapes immigrant–host relations around the globe.
Local Community Organizers and Activists Encountering Globalization: An Exploratory Study of their Perceptions and Adaptations
Authors: Christens Brian D. , Collura Jessica J.
Published: September 2012

Globalization processes are putting pressure on traditional modes of democratic social action and rendering some ineffective. How does grassroots activists’ knowledge of globalization influence their strategies for working toward community change? This article draws on a qualitative analysis of 24 in‐depth interviews with activists and community organizers in the Midwestern United States to identify their perspectives on globalization, the local impacts and challenges that globalization creates, and the strategic adaptations of models for community organizing and local activism in the contemporary global era. We found that most organizers and activists are critically aware of globalization processes and the difficulties these dynamics pose for their communities. Further, they often view their locally focused work as a direct response to the demands of globalization. The findings offer a counterpoint to depictions of local social action as myopic or irrelevant for the global era.
“Belonging” as a Theoretical Framework for the Study of Psychology and Globalization
Authors: Carolissen Ronelle
Published: September 2012

This article argues that given the pernicious ways in which processes of globalization may be counter‐transformative for psychology as a discipline, it is important to consider which preventative mechanisms could be employed to engage psychological understandings of globalization in socially just and transformative ways. The notion of “belonging” as theoretical framework for the study of globalization in psychology will be discussed in the context of citizenship and globalization. I suggest that if psychology wishes to contribute to a transforming psychology of globalization, its discursive construction needs to be examined, we should teach for transformation, and research agendas will need to engage in intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects and dialogues.
Resistance to Fatigue at Intermediate Temperatures in Air for SiC Hi‐Nicalon Fibers: Statistical Distributions of Lifetimes and Strength Degradation
Authors: Lamon Jacques , R'Mili Mohamed
Published: September 2012

Silicon carbide‐based fibers have been shown to be sensitive to delayed failure at temperatures <1200°C in air as a result of slow crack growth. The present article investigates the resistance to fatigue of Hi Nicalon SiC‐based filaments in the intermediate temperature range where creep is ineffective. Statistical distributions of rupture times under constant and identical stresses were determined from static fatigue tests on single filaments at 500°C and 800°C. Closed form equations of statistical distribution of lifetimes as a function of stresses and specimen volume, of size effects on lifetime and of retained strength after fatigue were established. The slow crack growth constants were estimated from experimental statistical distributions of rupture times. Trends in the effects of applied stress and specimen size on lifetime, and in strength degradation in fatigue were predicted. Finally, the influence of preponderant factors was discussed.
Economic Migration and Urban Citizenship in China: The Role of Points Systems
Authors: Zhang Li
Published: September 2012

The conversion of a hukou (household registration) from one locale to another in China requires official approval, a process subject to conditions set out in numerous regulations. This article examines the role of points systems for selecting economic migrants eligible for an urban hukou in several provinces. Using the points systems, city governments prioritize human resources and capital, which they consider to be the key to economic prosperity, over social objectives. Meanwhile the majority of migrants, who participate in urban employment without official registration, are treated as necessary contributors to the economy but not as qualified beneficiaries of it. It remains to be seen, with a wider application of points systems in more Chinese cities, whether the hukou system will evolve to make urban citizenship less exclusive and more equitable. The article provides detailed examples, at the province and city level, of rating schemes for qualifying for an urban hukou.
The Gender‐Gap Reversal in Education and Its Effect on Union Formation: The End of Hypergamy?
Authors: Esteve Albert , García‐Román Joan , Permanyer Iñaki
Published: September 2012

Newly released census microdata reveal the nearly worldwide and substantial decline in educational hypergamy (women marrying men with higher educational attainment) across 56 countries from the 1970s to the 2000s. We examine the extent to which the observed decrease in hypergamy is connected to the worldwide rise in female educational attainment. Our results show that educational hypergamy is an enduring form of gender inequality in union formation across the countries examined but that it has been decreasing over the last few decades and in some countries has reversed in recent years. Overall, we find a strong association between hypergamy and gender differences in educational attainment. Societies in which the female educational advantage is greater tend to have lower levels of educational hypergamy. There is a tendency toward a joint increase in women's educational levels and a decrease in educational hypergamy. This article underlines the influence of women's educational opportunities on the increase in gender symmetry in assortative mating, which leads us to predict the end of educational hypergamy.
Solution‐Focused Coaching of Staff of People With Severe and Moderate Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Series
Authors: Roeden John M. , Maaskant Marian A. , Bannink Fredrike P. , Curfs Leopold M. G.
Published: September 2012

Solution‐focused coaching (SFC) represents a short‐term, future‐focused, and person‐directed therapeutic approach that helps people focus on solutions rather than problems. Thirteen cases of SFC of staff dealing with people with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities (S/MID) are described. In all 13 cases, the progress toward the team goal, proactive thinking of staff, and the quality of the relationship (QOR) between staff and people with S/MID were measured directly before SFC, directly after SFC, and 6 weeks after SFC. After SFC, progress toward the team goal was found in seven out of 13 teams, improvement of proactive thinking was found in 5/10 teams and improvement of the QOR was found in 7/13 teams. With regard to individual staff members, improvement of proactive thinking was found in 12/34 staff members and improvement of the QOR was found in 22/42 staff members. The authors note that SFC stimulates dealing with support problems in a behavioral, proactive way and that SFC can be a useful approach to build useful relationships. The findings are in line with results of earlier research on the value of solution‐focused brief therapy applied to carers (parents or professionals) of people with ID. Future investigation of SFC, preferably using a randomized controlled design, could test the hypothesis that SFC can increase self‐efficacy and proactive thinking in teams, can positively alter staff's perceptions of people with ID, and that teams find it a useful approach.