bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power dispatching from cage induction generator based wind power system with integrated smart energy storage
Authors: Gyawali Netra , Ohsawa Yasuharu , Yamamoto Osamu
Published: January 2011

This paper explores the control and operational aspects of integrating a short‐ and long‐term storage mix, known as smart energy storage system (SESS), into a cage induction generator based wind power system. Embedding such an SESS with wind power system not only provides the solution for intermittency but also makes the system dispatchable. The fuel cell/electrolyzer subsystem of SESS is employed to provide long‐term energy balance by utilizing H2as medium, whereas an ultracapacitor is employed as a buffer storage for transient compensation. The control scheme enables the integrated system to operate seamlessly in islanded and grid‐connected modes, fulfilling the operational requirements. The system configuration is proposed, control scheme designed, and the detailed dynamic modeling developed for each component of the system. Expected behaviors during the sudden load change and wind speed variations are observed by mathematical simulation. Finally, the results of the analysis are summarized with their applicability to real system, and the limitation/further scope are indicated. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on neuronal development of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells
Authors: Saito Atsushi , Takayama Yuzo , Moriguchi Hiroyuki , Kotani Kiyoshi , Jimbo Yasuhiko
Published: January 2011

Modulation of pluripotent stem cell differentiation by several environmental factors, such as physical stimulation, is an important theme in tissue engineering. In this study, we report the effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF‐MF) exposure on the neuronal differentiation ability of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells (P19 cells). Here, the embryoid bodies (EBs) formed during the induction process were exposed to two types of ELF‐MFs (1 or 10 mT, 50 Hz, sinusoidal). After the induction process, the effects on the development of neuronal cells were evaluated by phase‐contrast image analysis, immunohistochemical staining (MAP2, GFAP), and the extracellular recording of spontaneous activity in which microelectrode arrays (MEAs) were used. Results show that MAP2 positive cells and spike frequencies increased by 10 mT ELF‐MF exposure, but the percentage of neurite outgrowth decreased at the early stages of differentiation. In contrast, clear differences were not seen in 1 mT ELF‐MF exposed cells. These results suggest that the neuronal differentiation and network properties were affected by 10 mT ELF‐MF exposure and that the intensity of the magnetic field was one of the important factors in the neuronal development of P19 cells. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Birth‐weight prediction using three‐dimensional sonographic fractional thigh volume at term in a Chinese population
Authors: Yang F. , Leung K.‐Y. , Hou Y.‐W. , Yuan Y. , Tang M. H.‐Y.
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To develop and validate new birth‐weight prediction models in Chinese pregnant women using fractional thigh volume.

Methods

Healthy late third‐trimester fetuses within 5 days of delivery were prospectively examined using two‐ (2D) and three‐ (3D) dimensional ultrasonography. Measurements were performed using 2D ultrasound for standard fetal biometry and 3D ultrasound for fractional thigh volume (TVol) and middle thigh circumference. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to analyze the inter‐ and intraobserver reliability of the 3D ultrasound measurements of 40 fetuses. Five birth‐weight prediction models were developed using linear regression analysis, and these were compared with previously published models in a validation group.

Results

Of the 290 fetuses studied, 100 were used in the development of prediction models and 190 in the validation of prediction models. The inter‐ and intraobserver variability for TVol and middle thigh circumference measurements was small (all ICCs ≥ 0.95). The prediction model using TVol, femur length (FL), abdominal circumference (AC) and biparietal diameter (BPD) provided the most precise birth‐weight estimation, with a random error of 4.68% and R2 of 0.825. It correctly predicted 69.5 and 95.3% of birth weights to within 5 and 10% of actual birth weight. By comparison, the Hadlock model with standard fetal biometry (BPD, head circumference, AC and FL) gave a random error of 6.41%. The percentage of birth‐weight prediction within 5 and 10% of actual birth weight was 46.3 and 82.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

Consistent with studies on Caucasian populations, a new birth‐weight prediction model based on fractional thigh volume, BPD, AC and FL, is reliable during the late third trimester in a Chinese population, and allows better prediction than does the Hadlock model. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cervical varices complicated by thrombosis in pregnancy
Authors: Sammour R. N. , Gonen R. , Ohel G. , Leibovitz Z.
Published: January 2011

We present a case of a 36‐year‐old pregnant woman with varicose veins of the uterine cervix diagnosed during the second trimester. The cervical tissue was completely replaced with dilated venous plexus. Therapeutic decisions were further complicated by the presence of blood clots within the dilated vessels. Pregnancy proceeded uneventfully, no bleeding occurred and the patient underwent a planned Cesarean delivery. This is the first reported case in the medical literature where the rare phenomenon of cervical varices was accompanied by thrombosis. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Umbilical artery pulsatility index and fetal abdominal circumference in isolated gastroschisis
Authors: Hussain U. , Daemen A. , Missfelder‐Lobos H. , De Moor B. , Timmerman D. , Bourne T. , Lees C.
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To investigate changes in abdominal circumference (AC) and umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA‐PI) with gestation in fetuses with isolated gastroschisis, and to determine whether a relationship exists between UA‐PI and fetal AC.

Methods

Data from 58 pregnancies with isolated gastroschisis diagnosed at between 24 and 36 weeks' gestation were included in the study. Z‐scores were calculated with respect to expected UA‐PI values in normal pregnancies after log‐transformation. AC‐Z‐scores were calculated with respect to expected size in normal pregnancies according to a standard chart. Functional linear discriminant analysis (FLDA) was applied to generate 50th, 5th and 95th percentile curves for changes in both AC and UA‐PI with gestational age in fetuses with gastroschisis. These curves were compared with the standard curves, as were the means. UA‐PI was also plotted against AC. For this relationship, a robust Spearman correlation coefficient was obtained with FLDA.

Results

In fetuses with gastroschisis, there was a highly significant negative correlation between UA‐PI and AC, normalized for gestation using Z‐scores (median correlation coefficient, − 0.289; median P = 0.000023). Moreover, compared with standard curves AC was lower and UA‐PI higher in the gestational‐age range studied. Both the AC and UA‐PI curves showed a significantly different rate of change with gestation compared with the normal ranges. The mean values for fetuses with gastroschisis compared with the standard AC and UA‐PI range curves were significantly different for AC throughout gestation, and for UA‐PI from 32 weeks' gestation.

Conclusions

In fetal gastroschisis, it is well known that AC tends to be smaller, though UA‐PI has not been reported to be abnormal in any consistent way. There is a clear relationship between the fetus's AC for gestation and UA‐PI, which is not the case for normally grown fetuses. The data suggest that the growth restriction seen in gastroschisis may be explained by hypoxia, and not simply by the classical explanation of extra‐abdominal displacement of the abdominal viscera. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of antenatal corticosteroid treatment on the fetal lung: a magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Schmid M. , Kasprian G. , Kuessel L. , Messerschmidt A. , Brugger P. C. , Prayer D.
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To investigate the effect of antenatal corticosteroid treatment on the fetal lung using magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Prospective evaluation of 30 consecutive singleton pregnancies that received antenatal corticosteroid treatment (12 mg betamethasone i.m. on admission and 24 h later) because of threatened preterm birth. Fetal lungs were assessed using T2‐weighted single‐shot fast spin‐echo images of a whole‐body 1.5‐T superconducting unit twice: less than 24 h and more than 48 h after the first course of betamethasone. Lung volumes and lung–liver signal‐intensity ratios were compared between the two time points.

Results

Nine patients had to be excluded from the analysis because they did not complete the study protocol as required. Ten female and 11 male fetuses with a gestational age between 23.4 and 32.6 weeks were included in the final analysis. The mean gestational age of included fetuses was 27.5 ± 2.8 weeks. Using a linear regression model, a significant influence of gestational age on ln fetal lung volume (r2 = 0.414; P < 0.0001) and lung–liver signal‐intensity ratios (r2 = 0.271, P < 0.0001) was found. Between the two evaluated time points, a significant increase in lung–liver signal‐intensity ratios (2.34 ± 0.72 vs. 3.22 ± 1.12, P < 0.0001), but not in mean lung volumes (46.6 ± 20.7 cm3 vs. 48.8 ± 16.0 cm3, P = 0.292), was observed.

Conclusion

We demonstrate a significant increase in lung–liver signal‐intensity ratios after antenatal corticosteroid treatment for induction of lung maturation which most likely reflects changing properties of the fetal lung parenchyma. This could potentially be useful in non‐invasively assessing the effect of antenatal corticosteroid treatment on the lungs of fetuses at risk for preterm birth. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of essential and toxic trace elements in ten herbal medicines using energy‐dispersive XRF analysis
Authors: Al‐Omari S.
Published: January 2011

The elemental concentration of ten ayurvedic drugs has been analyzed using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method. Concentrations of 19 elements of Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, As, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Hg have been determined using EDXRF analysis. Only the following elements were present in all the samples, with concentrations and ranges of: K (7957–149 827 mg/kg), Ca (4000–15 937 mg/kg), Fe (68–6100 mg/kg), and Sr (9–512 mg/kg). Concentrations of the rest of elements ranged from 0 to 12 008 mg/kg. Dietary intake of most elements was smaller than the recommended dietary allowance. In some specimens the toxic element of Hg was found to be beyond the permitted values. Ca and Fe in all specimens were positively well correlated with r = 0.8907, whereas Mn and Fe exhibited poor linear correlation (r = 0.5975) in all brands. The analysis by EDXRF is a simple way to investigate the quality of the drugs by determining their ingredients. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence‐Based Practices Reduce Juvenile Recidivism: Can State Government Effectively Promote Implementation Among Probation Departments?
Authors: Seave Paul L.
Published: January 2011

California places tens of thousands of juveniles into its 58 county‐based justice systems every year. The offenders do not generally experience reduced rates of recidivism. Evidence‐based practices can reliably and significantly reduce these rates. Probation departments have infrequently chosen to implement these practices, in large part because of the training, data collection, and organizational change required. Current state law does not effectively mandate these practices and more importantly fails to recognize and fund the substantial and ongoing training and technical assistance that would be required to implement these practices. State government could best promote evidence‐based practices by working collegially with probation departments to obtain and distribute private and public funding to support effective implementation.
Ethical Dilemmas in Genetic Testing: Examples from the Cuban Program for Predictive Diagnosis of Hereditary Ataxias
Authors: Mariño Tania Cruz , Armiñán Rubén Reynaldo , Cedeño Humberto Jorge , Mesa José Miguel Laffita , Zaldivar Yanetza González , Rodríguez Raúl Aguilera , Santos Miguel Velázquez , Mederos Luis Enrique Almaguer , Herrera Milena Paneque , Pérez Luis Velázquez
Published: January 2011

Predictive testing protocols are intended to help patients affected with hereditary conditions understand their condition and make informed reproductive choices. However, predictive protocols may expose clinicians and patients to ethical dilemmas that interfere with genetic counseling and the decision making process. This paper describes ethical dilemmas in a series of five cases involving predictive testing for hereditary ataxias in Cuba. The examples herein present evidence of the deeply controversial situations faced by both individuals at risk and professionals in charge of these predictive studies, suggesting a need for expanded guidelines to address such complexities.
Investigation on Conductance Behavior of Water/Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate Sodium Salt/Alkanol/Toluene Reverse Microemulsions
Authors: Liu Jie‐xiang , Zhang Hai‐jiao , Zhang Xiao‐guang , Han En‐shan
Published: January 2011

The conductivity (σ) measurement was carried out on water/dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DOSS)/heptanol (decanol)/toluene reverse microemulsions. Addition of toluene was distinctly observed to inhibit the conductance percolation of water/DOSS/decanol/toluene systems. The effect of additives (sodium chloride, sodium salicylate and sodium cholate) with various concentrations on the conductivity behavior of water/DOSS/heptanol (decanol)/toluene systems was also investigated and discussed. The conductivity of a water/DOSS/heptanol/toluene system was almost unchanged in the concentration ranges of sodium chloride and sodium salicylate studied, while it decreased with the increase in the sodium cholate concentration. The conductance of the water/DOSS/decanol/toluene system increased with increasing of sodium cholate and sodium salicylate concentrations, and it changed little with the sodium chloride concentration. The lnσ value exhibited a linear correlation with temperature in the range of 5–40 °C. No percolation threshold induced by temperature was detected either in the absence or in the presence of additives. Furthermore, the activation energy for conductivity was estimated and discussed according to the Arrhenius type equation. The present study would provide useful information for selecting a suitable template for nanometer materials preparation.
Decrease in outpatient department visits and operative interventions due to bisphosphonates in children with osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: de Graaff F. , Verra W. , Pruijs J. E. H. , Sakkers R. J. B.
Published: January 2011

Introduction

Bisphosphonates are currently the medical treatment most often used in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The purpose of this retrospective pre–post study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with bisphosphonates. We measured the effect by evaluating the number of outpatient department consultations and operative interventions before and after treatment with bisphosphonates in children with OI.

Methods and materials

Outpatient department consultation and operative intervention frequencies before and after treatment with bisphosphonates were registered. Children who had at least 2 years of medical records before treatment and at least 2 years after treatment were used in this study.

Results

Of 118 children who were treated with bisphosphonates, 51 (23 boys and 28 girls) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in outpatient department consultations ( P < 0.000) and operative intervention ( P < 0.003) before and after bisphosphonate treatment.

Conclusion

The pre-post design of our study shows a significant reduction of the number of outpatient department consultations and operative interventions in patients with OI after treatment with bisphosphonates.
An intervention program focused on self‐understanding and interpersonal interactions to prevent psychosocial distress among Japanese university students
Authors: Ando Mikayo
Published: January 2011

This study evaluated the impact of a preventive intervention program focused on self‐understanding and interpersonal interactions to prevent psychosocial distress among Japanese university students. Two hundred and twenty‐two undergraduate students were divided into a treatment group and a control group to complete Time 1 and Time 2 surveys. The intervention program included eleven weekly sessions covering self‐understanding, self‐control, interpersonal relationships, problem solving, conflict resolution, and stress management. Both female and male students in the treatment group reported a significant increase in social self‐efficacy in interpersonal relationships from Time 1 to Time 2, but no significant changes were noted in the control group. Anxiety significantly decreased from Time 1 to Time 2, and no difference in depression was noted in the female treatment group, although anxiety and depression significantly increased in the female control group. The intervention program effectively prevented some aspects of psychosocial distress.
Rapid intrapartum or postpartum HIV testing at a midwife obstetric unit and a district hospital in South Africa
Authors: Theron Gerhard B. , Shapiro David E. , Van Dyke Russell , Cababasay Mae P. , Louw Jeanne , Watts D. Heather , Smith Elizabeth , Bulterys Marc , Maupin Robert
Published: January 2011

Objective

To compare the prepartum and postpartum feasibility and acceptance of voluntary counseling and rapid testing (VCT) among women with unknown HIV status in South Africa.

Methods

Eligible women were randomized according to the calendar week of presentation to receive VCT either while in labor or after delivery.

Results

Of 7238 women approached, 542 (7.5%) were eligible, 343 (63%) were enrolled, and 45 (13%) were found to be HIV infected. The proportions of eligible women who accepted VCT were 66.8% (161 of 241) in the intrapartum arm and 60.5% (182 of 301) in the postpartum arm, and the difference of 6.3% (95% CI, − 1.8% to 14.5%) was not significant. The median times (44 and 45 minutes) required to conduct VCT were also similar in the 2 arms. In the intrapartum arm, all women in true labor received their test results before delivery and all those found to be HIV positive accepted prophylaxis with nevirapine before delivery.

Conclusions

Rapid testing in labor wards for women with an unknown HIV status is feasible and well accepted, and allows for a more timely antiretroviral prophylaxis than postpartum testing.
Fairchildite K2Ca(CO3)2 in phoscorites from Phalaborwa, South Africa: the first occurrence in alkaline carbonatite complexes
Authors: Sharygin V.V. , Zhitova L.M. , Nigmatulina E.N.
Published: January 2011

The paper is devoted to monomineralic and multiphase (melt) inclusions in magnetites from the phoscorites of the Loolekop deposit, the Phalaborwa alkaline carbonatite complex, South Africa. Multiphase inclusions vary greatly in phase composition from essentially carbonate to carbonate–silicate–oxide. Their main components are dolomite, calcite, fluorapatite, picroilmenite, phlogopite, magnesite, and brucite. In one multiphase inclusion, a rare carbonate, fairchildite K2Ca(CO3)2, was found in the central part of a large magnetite grain. It coexists with dolomite, picroilmenite, phlogopite, brucite, witherite, and halite. This is the first occurrence of fairchildite in carbonatite complexes and in igneous rocks in general. The composition of this mineral (38.54 wt.% K2O, 23.15 wt.% CaO, 1.47 wt.% FeO, 0.63 wt.% Na2O, n = 5) is close to the ideal K2Ca(CO3)2. The phase relationships within the inclusion show that potassium–calcium carbonate crystallized after phlogopite and picroilmenite, but before dolomite. Temperature estimations from the pairs magnetite–ilmenite and dolomite–calcite indicate that phoscorites began to form at T > 630–750 °C and the phase K2Ca(CO3)2 is a high-temperature modification (fairchildite) which crystallized directly from melt rather than by solid-phase reactions. However, it can be transformed into a low-temperature modification (bütschliite) with decreasing temperature at 547 °C. Apparently, the extremely low Na content and relatively high K content of the initial calciocarbonatite melt favored the formation of fairchildite in the Phalaborwa phoscorites. According to literature data, if Na2O dominates over K2O in the carbonatite melt, nyerereite Na2Ca(CO3)2 is a favorable phase for crystallization and K incorporates into its structure as a minor component.
Dust variation recorded by lacustrine sediments from arid Central Asia since ~ 15 cal ka BP and its implication for atmospheric circulation
Authors: An Cheng-Bang , Zhao Jiaju , Tao Shichen , Lv Yanbin , Dong Weimiao , Li Hu , Jin Ming , Wang Zongli
Published: January 2011

A long dust history established using geological archives from dust provenance areas is necessary to understand the role of atmospheric dust in the global climate system better. Core sediments from a closed-basin groundwater-recharged lake in arid Central Asia were investigated using a multi-proxy approach (e.g. 14C AMS dating, pollen, and grain size) to trace the dust history since ~ 15 cal ka BP. Pollen analysis showed that before 7.9 cal ka BP, the vegetation was of desert type. After 7.9 cal ka BP, vegetation density increased, probably due to slightly increased moisture. The Chenopodiaceae-dominated desert expanded rapidly at 4.2–3.8 cal ka BP. Grain-size analysis was conducted for samples of lake deposits, modern aeolian dust, and dust trapped in snow, and the data showed that there was strong aeolian dust deposition at 11.8–11.1, 10.6–8, 6.1–4.9, and after 3.3 cal ka BP. This timing corresponds well with periods of increased terrestrial dust fluxes recorded by Greenland ice cores. Our study may document changes in the location and intensity of the Siberia High. These changes may play a more important role in the history of dust emission in arid Central Asia than previously thought.
Vitamins in the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis
Authors: Fiorino Sirio , Conti Fabio , Gramenzi Annagiulia , Loggi Elisabetta , Cursaro Carmela , Di Donato Roberto , Micco Lorenzo , Gitto Stefano , Cuppini Andrea , Bernardi Mauro , Andreone Pietro
Published: January 2011

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic infections represent a major health problem worldwide. Although the efficacy of HBV and HCV treatment has improved, several important problems remain. Current recommended antiviral treatments are associated with considerable expense, adverse effects and poor efficacy in some patients. Thus, several alternative approaches have been attempted. To review the clinical experiences investigating the use of lipid- and water-soluble vitamins in the treatment of HBV- and HCV-related chronic infections, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for clinical studies on the use of vitamins in the treatment of HBV- and HCV-related hepatitis, alone or in combination with other antiviral options. Different randomised clinical trials and small case series have evaluated the potential virological and/or biochemical effects of several vitamins. The heterogeneous study designs and populations, the small number of patients enrolled, the weakness of endpoints and the different treatment schedules and follow-up periods make the results largely inconclusive. Only well-designed randomised controlled trials with well-selected endpoints will ascertain whether vitamins have any role in chronic viral hepatitis. Until such time, the use of vitamins cannot be recommended as a therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B or C.
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
Authors: Baron Beth , Pursley Sara
Published: January 2011

The first three articles in this issue, grouped under the heading “Politics and Cultures of Capitalism,” address various ways that Middle Eastern actors dealt with European capitalist expansion in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They all focus on cultural and political aspects of economic change and maintain a global perspective while constructing an intensely local analysis. Gad Gilbar and Jens Hanssen trace specific institutions and networks in Qajar Iran and the late Ottoman Empire, respectively, that operated within what Hanssen calls the “interstices” of state bureaucracy, local business concerns, and European expansion. The interstitial nature of the arguments made by both authors is underlined by the impressive range of sources they draw on: Persian, British, Russian, German, and French in the case of Gilbar and Turkish, Arabic, German, British, and French in the case of Hanssen. The third article, by Nancy Reynolds, takes us from late Qajar and Ottoman societies to Egypt during the first half of the 20th century and from general commerce to the marketing and consumption of particular commodities.
“MALHAMÉ–MALFAMÉ”: LEVANTINE ELITES AND TRANSIMPERIAL NETWORKS ON THE EVE OF THE YOUNG TURK REVOLUTION
Authors: Hanssen Jens
Published: January 2011

This article examines the rise and fall of the Malhamé family at the court of Abdülhamit II. The point of departure is the flight and arrest of six Malhamé brothers and the accompanying outbursts of popular anger at them during the Young Turk Revolution of 1908. The analysis locates the historical conditions that made the Malhamé phenomenon possible in the interstices between Levantine society, late Ottoman bureaucracy, and European diplomacy and capitalist expansion. In order to bring into conversation the hitherto unconnected literatures on the Levant and the Ottoman state, the Malhamé story is framed in the analytical concept of transimperialism. This concept shares affinities with wider transnational studies. But it is also grounded in the specific political, economic, and social processes of the Levant—both within the Ottoman Empire and among it and its British, French, German, and Italian imperial rivals at the height of the “Eastern Question.”
EVERYDAY FORMS OF STATE POWER AND THE KURDS IN THE EARLY TURKISH REPUBLIC
Authors: Aslan Senem
Published: January 2011

This article analyzes the exercise of state authority in Kurdish areas in the early Turkish Republic and discusses the state's ineffectiveness in dominating these areas. It argues that the mere existence of a highly ambitious social-engineering project, increased state presence in the region, and military power does not mean high levels of state capacity. Based on primary documents, this article discusses the problems of autonomy, coherence, and implementation that the Turkish state encountered in its nation-building project. It shows how the state's ideological rigidities and its shortage of resources and dedicated personnel undermined its capacity to control and shape the Kurdish areas. While the state attempted to regulate citizens’ private lives in Kurdish areas, the local society also tried to mold state employees in accordance with its own interests. A blurred boundary between the state and society was one of the unintended consequences of increased state presence in everyday life.
CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE AND THE EXEMPLARY SCHOLAR: THE LIVES OF SAHNUN B. SAʿ ID (D. 854)
Authors: Brockopp Jonathan
Published: January 2011

When writing biographies of historical figures, narrative convention requires that concision and clarity be wrested from sources that are multiple and often confusing. In this article, I argue that multiple accounts of a person's life may be more than an accident arising from the way that information was compiled. Rather, such multiplicity renders exemplary figures adaptable to a wide variety of circumstances, making them even more useful as a focus of devotion and emulation. Examining multiple accounts of early Maliki scholar Sahnun b. Saʿ id (d. 854), including those of his travels in search of knowledge and of his suffering under themiḥna(trial) in Kairouan, I find that close attention to apparently contradictory evidence may not get us any closer to understanding the man himself, but it does offer us much information about the ways in which he was considered an exemplary individual.
Islamists from a Distance
Authors: Utvik Bjørn Olav
Published: January 2011

Research on Islamism needs to move closer to its object and to study that object more closely in its interaction with its environment. Despite great advances in recent years, academic literature on the topic still too often suffers from a double distancing: the researcher tends, first, to remain unnecessarily removed from Islamic movements as the object of study and, second, to study those movements at a distance from the society in which they grow and in which they compete for support.
Malignant melanoma of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses: report of 24 patients and literature review
Authors: Clifton N , Harrison L , Bradley P J , Jones N S
Published: January 2011

Objective:

To report our experience of the management of patients with primary sinonasal malignant melanoma, and to review the relevant medical literature.

Method:

Retrospective review examining treatment and outcomes.

Results:

Twenty-four patients were treated between 1982 and 2007. The mean age at presentation was 67.5 years. The overall five-year survival was 30 per cent; mean survival was three years and eight months.

Conclusion:

Sinonasal malignant melanoma is associated with a poor outcome, and survival statistics have not improved over the last 40 years. Treatment should include radical surgery wherever possible. Local recurrence is common; radiotherapy may help control this but does not appear to affect overall survival. The limited evidence available suggests that endoscopic removal of sinonasal malignant melanoma is as effective as other local surgical means, but that craniofacial resection remains the ‘gold standard’ for tumours that contact or traverse the skull base. Novel biological treatments are emerging and hold promise for the future.
Nasal craniopharyngioma: case report and literature review
Authors: Magill J C , Ferguson M S , Sandison A , Clarke P M
Published: January 2011

Objective:

We report the first case in the English language literature of an adamantinomatous infrasellar craniopharyngioma, and we describe our management strategy.

Case report:

A 46-year-old woman presented with a six-month history of left-sided nasal obstruction and epistaxis. Rhinological examination revealed a left-sided, polypoidal lesion lying medial to the middle turbinate. An urgent examination under anaesthesia was organised; biopsies were considered characteristic of craniopharyngioma. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography demonstrated a well defined, heterogeneous, infrasellar mass centred in the midline, extending anteriorly into the left nasal cavity and posteriorly encasing both internal carotid arteries. Craniofacial resection was performed via a midfacial degloving approach, with adjuvant radiotherapy. The patient was disease-free one year post-operatively.

Conclusion:

Craniopharyngiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a unilateral nasal polyp. Although technically benign, they are locally aggressive. Therefore, we recommend complete excision with adjuvant radiotherapy if margins are involved or close.
Differential susceptibility to the environment: An evolutionary–neurodevelopmental theory
Authors: Ellis Bruce J. , Boyce W. Thomas , Belsky Jay , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , van Ijzendoorn Marinus H.
Published: January 2011

Two extant evolutionary models, biological sensitivity to context theory (BSCT) and differential susceptibility theory (DST), converge on the hypothesis that some individuals are more susceptible than others tobothnegative (risk-promoting) and positive (development-enhancing) environmental conditions. These models contrast with the currently dominant perspective on personal vulnerability and environmental risk: diathesis stress/dual risk. We review challenges to this perspective based on emerging theory and data from the evolutionary, developmental, and health sciences. These challenges signify the need for a paradigm shift in conceptualizing Person × Environment interactions in development. In this context we advance an evolutionary–neurodevelopmental theory, based on DST and BSCT, of the role of neurobiological susceptibility to the environment in regulating environmental effects on adaptation, development, and health. We then outline current thinking about neurogenomic and endophenotypic mechanisms that may underpin neurobiological susceptibility, summarize extant empirical research on differential susceptibility, and evaluate the evolutionary bases and implications of BSCT and DST. Finally, we discuss applied issues including methodological and statistical considerations in conducting differential susceptibility research; issues of ecological, cultural, and racial–ethnic variation in neurobiological susceptibility; and implications of differential susceptibility for designing social programs. We conclude that the differential susceptibility paradigm has far-reaching implications for understanding whether and how much child and adult development responds, for better and for worse, to the gamut of species-typical environmental conditions.
Prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity?
Authors: Pluess Michael , Belsky Jay
Published: January 2011

Evidence indicates that maternal prenatal distress predicts problematic health and behavioral outcomes in children as well as infant/child cortisol levels and negative emotionality as reviewed here. Evidence that these physiological and behavioral characteristics themselves moderate environmental effects on development in a “for betterandfor worse” manner consistent with Belsky's differential susceptibility hypothesis and Boyce and Ellis' notions of biological sensitivity to context raises the prospect that susceptibility to rearing is a function of nurture (i.e., fetal environment), consistent with Boyce and Ellis' proposal that plasticity can be shaped by developmental experience. This hypothesis is supported by new findings from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development showing that low birth weight, a marker for an adverse prenatal environment, predicts infant difficult temperament, which is a susceptibility factor that we previously showed as moderating, in a for betterandfor worse manner, the effects of parenting and child care quality on socioemotional functioning. Moreover, recent Gene × Environment interaction research raises the prospect that some fetuses may be more susceptible to such “prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity” as a result of their genetic makeup. If this proves true, it will be consistent with the conclusion that early developmental plasticity is a function of both nature and nurture and may be evolutionarily adaptive, a further possibility considered in the discussion.
Heritability of children's prosocial behavior and differential susceptibility to parenting by variation in the dopamine receptor D4 gene
Authors: Knafo Ariel , Israel Salomon , Ebstein Richard P.
Published: January 2011

Theoretical considerations and new empirical evidence suggest that children's development cannot simply be explained by either genes or environment but that their interaction is important to understanding child behavior. In particular, a genetic polymorphism, the exon III repeat region of the dopamine receptor D4, has been the focus of interest regarding differential susceptibility to parental influence. To study environmental and genetic influences on children's prosocial behavior, 168 twin pairs (mean age = 44 months) participated in an experiment that assessed prosocial behavior via three measures: compliant prosocial behavior elicited in response to social requests, self-initiated prosocial behavior enacted voluntarily, and mothers' rating of children's behavior. Genetic effects accounted for 34% to 53% of the variance in prosocial behavior. The rest of the variance was accounted for by nonshared environment and error. Parenting measures of maternal positivity, negativity, and unexplained punishment did not correlate significantly with children's prosocial behavior. However, when parenting was stratified by presence or absence of the child's dopamine receptor D4 7-repeat allele in an overlapping sample of 167 children to model differential susceptibility to parental influence, a richer picture emerged. Positive parenting related meaningfully to mother-rated prosocial behavior, and unexplained punishment related positively to self-initiated prosocial behavior, but only among children carrying the 7-repeat allele. The findings demonstrate that a molecular genetic strategy, based on genotyping of common polymorphisms and combined with a classic twin approach, provides a richer description of how genes and environment interact to shape children's behavior, and allows for the identification of differential sensitivity to parental influence.
The interactive effect of marital conflict and stress reactivity on externalizing and internalizing symptoms: The role of laboratory stressors
Authors: Obradović Jelena , Bush Nicole R. , Boyce W. Thomas
Published: January 2011

Growing evidence supports the biological sensitivity to context theory, which posits that physiologically reactive children, as indexed by autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity to laboratory stressors, are more susceptible to both negative and positive environmental influences than their low reactive peers. High biological sensitivity is a risk factor for behavioral and health problems in the context of high adversity, whereas in contexts of low adversity it has been found to promote positive adaptation. However, several studies have shown the opposite effect, finding that children who exhibited high ANS reactivity in response to interpersonal stressors were buffered from the deleterious effects of marital conflict, whereas children who showed low ANS reactivity were more vulnerable to high levels of marital conflict. Using an ethnically diverse sample of 260 kindergartners (130 girls, 130 boys), the current study investigated whether the interaction effect of marital conflict and the two branches of ANS reactivity on children's externalizing and internalizing symptoms differs with the nature of the laboratory challenge task used to measure children's stress response. As hypothesized, results indicate that the interaction between ANS reactivity and marital conflict significantly predicted children's behavior problems, but the direction of the effect varied with the nature of the challenge task (i.e., interpersonal or cognitive). This study illustrates the importance of considering the effect of laboratory stimuli when assessing whether children's ANS reactivity moderates the effects of adversity exposure on adaptation.
Biological sensitivity to context moderates the effects of the early teacher–child relationship on the development of mental health by adolescence
Authors: Essex Marilyn J. , Armstrong Jeffrey M. , Burk Linnea R. , Goldsmith H. Hill , Boyce W. Thomas
Published: January 2011

The moderating effects of biological sensitivity to context (physiological and behavioral stress reactivity) on the association between the early teacher–child relationship and the development of adolescent mental health problems were examined in a community sample of 96 children. Grade 1 measures of biological sensitivity to context included physiological (i.e., slope of mean arterial pressure across a 20- to 30-min stress protocol) and behavioral (i.e., temperamental inhibition/disinhibition) markers. Grade 1 measures of the teacher–child relationship included positive (i.e., closeness) and negative (i.e., conflict) qualities. Mental health symptoms were assessed at Grades 1 and 7. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated substantial association of the teacher–child relationship with the development of adolescent mental health symptoms, especially for more reactive children. In addition to teacher–child relationship main effects, all four Reactivity × Teacher–Child Relationship interaction terms were statistically significant when controlling for Grade 1 symptom severity, suggesting thatbothphysiologicalandbehavioral reactivity moderate the association ofbothadverseandsupportive aspects of the teacher–child relationship with Grade 7 symptom severity over and above Grade 1 severity. There were important differences, depending on which stress reactivity measure was considered. The importance of these findings for recent theoretical arguments regarding biological sensitivity to context and differential susceptibility is discussed.
Emerging self-regulation in toddlers born preterm or low birth weight: Differential susceptibility to parenting?
Authors: Poehlmann Julie , Schwichtenberg A. J. M. , Shlafer Rebecca J. , Hahn Emily , Bianchi Jon-Paul , Warner Rachael
Published: January 2011

The differential susceptibility to parenting model was examined in relation to toddler self-regulation in a prospective longitudinal study of infants born preterm or low birth weight. We followed 153 mother–infant dyads across five time points between the infant's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay and 24 months postterm. Assessments of infant temperament, quality of early parenting interactions, contextual variables, and toddler effortful control and behavior problems were conducted. Results supported differential susceptibility and dual risk models in addition to documenting main effects of early parenting on children's emerging self-regulation. Our data suggested that preterm or low birth weight infants who were prone to distress or rated by mothers as more difficult were particularly susceptible to the effects of early negative parenting.
Efficacy of a home-visiting intervention aimed at improving maternal sensitivity, child attachment, and behavioral outcomes for maltreated children: A randomized control trial
Authors: Moss Ellen , Dubois-Comtois Karine , Cyr Chantal , Tarabulsy George M. , St-Laurent Diane , Bernier Annie
Published: January 2011

The efficacy of a short-term attachment-based intervention for changing risk outcomes for children of maltreating families was examined using a randomized control trial. Sixty-seven primary caregivers reported for maltreatment and their children (1–5 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received 8 weekly home visits directed at the caregiver–child dyad and focused on improving caregiver sensitivity. Intervention sessions included brief discussions of attachment–emotion regulation-related themes and video feedback of parent–child interaction. Comparison of pre- and posttest scores revealed significant improvements for the intervention group in parental sensitivity and child attachment security, and a reduction in child disorganization. Older children in the intervention group also showed lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems following intervention. This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of short-term attachment-based intervention in enhancing parental sensitivity, improving child security, and reducing disorganization for children in the early childhood period.
Relationship of maternal negative moods to child emotion regulation during family interaction
Authors: Dagne Getachew A. , Snyder James
Published: January 2011

The relationship of maternal hostile and depressive moods to children's downregulation of unprovoked anger and sadness/fear was assessed in a community sample of 267 5-year-old boys and girls. The speed of children's downregulation of unprovoked anger and sadness/fear was based on real-time observations during mother–child interaction. The association of downregulation with maternal mood was estimated using Bayesian event history analysis. As mothers reported higher depressive mood, both boys and girls were faster to downregulate anger displays as those displays accumulated during mother child interaction. The speed of boys' downregulation of anger and of sadness/fear was not associated with maternal hostile mood. As mothers reported more hostile mood, girls were faster to downregulate displays of sadness/fear, but the speed of this downregulation slowed as those displays accumulated during ongoing mother–child interaction. These associations of child downregulation and maternal mood were observed after controlling for child adjustment. The data suggest frequent exposure to different negative maternal moods affect children's expression and regulation of emotions in relatively specific ways, conditional on the type of maternal mood, the type of child emotion, and child gender.
Reciprocal relations between parents' physical discipline and children's externalizing behavior during middle childhood and adolescence
Authors: Lansford Jennifer E. , Criss Michael M. , Laird Robert D. , Shaw Daniel S. , Pettit Gregory S. , Bates John E. , Dodge Kenneth A.
Published: January 2011

Using data from two long-term longitudinal projects, we investigated reciprocal relations between maternal reports of physical discipline and teacher and self-ratings of child externalizing behavior, accounting for continuity in both discipline and externalizing over time. In Study 1, which followed a community sample of 562 boys and girls from age 6 to 9, high levels of physical discipline in a given year predicted high levels of externalizing behavior in the next year, and externalizing behavior in a given year predicted high levels of physical discipline in the next year. In Study 2, which followed an independent sample of 290 lower income, higher risk boys from age 10 to 15, mother-reported physical discipline in a given year predicted child ratings of antisocial behavior in the next year, but child antisocial behavior in a given year did not predict parents' use of physical discipline in the next year. In neither sample was there evidence that associations between physical discipline and child externalizing changed as the child aged, and findings were not moderated by gender, race, socioeconomic status, or the severity of the physical discipline. Implications for the reciprocal nature of the socialization process and the risks associated with physical discipline are discussed.
Early adolescents' temperament, emotion regulation during mother–child interactions, and depressive symptomatology
Authors: Yap Marie B. H. , Allen Nicholas B. , O'Shea Melissa , di Parsia Patricia , Simmons Julian G. , Sheeber Lisa
Published: January 2011

This study examined the relations among temperament, emotion regulation, and depressive symptoms in early adolescents. Early adolescents provided self-reports of temperament on two occasions, as well as reports on emotion regulation and depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, 163 of these adolescents participated in event-planning and problem-solving interactions with their mothers. Adolescents with temperaments that were high in negative emotionality or low in effortful control displayed more emotionally dysregulated behaviors during the interaction tasks, reported having maladaptive responses to negative affect more often and adaptive responses less often, and had more depressive symptoms. In particular, adolescents with the high negative emotionality and low effortful control temperament combination reported the highest levels of depressive symptomatology. Sequential analyses of family interactions indicated that adolescents with more depressive symptoms were more likely to reciprocate their mothers' negative affective behaviors. Adolescents' adaptive and maladaptive responses to negative affect mediated the associations between their temperament and concurrent depressive symptoms.