bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restricted Intravenous Fluid Regimen Reduces the Rate of Postoperative Complications and Alters Immunological Activity of Elderly Patients Operated for Abdominal Cancer: A Randomized Prospective Clinical Trail
Authors: Gao Tao , Li Ning , Zhang Juan‐juan , Xi Feng‐chan , Chen Qi‐yi , Zhu Wei‐ming , Yu Wen‐kui , Li Jie‐shou
Published: March 2012

Background

Perioperative fluid restriction can lead to better clinical outcomes and reduced complications. However, whether perioperative fluid restriction can alter the patient’s postoperative cellular immunity is unknown. Therefore, a randomized, prospective clinical study was designed to determine whether fluid restriction improves immunological outcome in elderly patients who undergo gastrointestinal surgery for cancer removal.

Methods

A total of 179 patients aged 65 years or older were recruited for the study and were randomly assigned to receive the restricted fluid regimen (R group) or the standard fluid regimen (S group). Postoperative T‐lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) frequencies and monocyte HLA‐DR expression was investigated. Perioperative complications and cellular immunity changes were analyzed comparatively between the two groups.

Results

The restricted intravenous fluid regimen was associated with significantly less postoperative complications (1.5 complications/patient vs. S group: 2.2 complications/patient), especially for infection complications (15% vs. S group: 27%, p = 0.04). Circulating CD3+ T‐cells were suppressed after surgery in both treatment groups, but the cell frequency (cell/μL) was higher in the R group (746 vs. S group: 480 at postoperative day (POD) 2, p = 0.022; 878 vs. 502 at POD 3, p = 0.005; 892 vs. 674 at POD 5, p = 0.042). Similarly, the HLA‐DR expression (% of all T cells) in monocytes were decreased in both groups, but the expression remained higher in the R group (66.20 vs. S group: 51.97 at POD 1, p = 0.029; 68.19 vs. 51.26 at POD 2, p = 0.039; 72.19 vs. 57.45 at POD 3, p = 0.014; 73.92 vs. 60.46 at POD 5, p = 0.036). Multivariate analysis suggested that perioperative CD3+ T cell changes were associated with the development of postoperative complications [odds ratio (OR) = 1.963; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.019–3.782; p = 0.044] and postoperative infections (OR = 3.106; 95% CI 1.302–7.406; p = 0.011).

Conclusions

In elderly gastrointestinal cancer patients, cellular immunity is better preserved by the perioperative fluid restriction regimen. The better preserved cellular immunological function is correlated with a reduced perioperative complications rate.
Urinary AASA excretion is elevated in patients with molybdenum cofactor deficiency and isolated sulphite oxidase deficiency
Authors: Mills Philippa B. , Footitt Emma J. , Ceyhan Serkan , Waters Paula J. , Jakobs Cornelis , Clayton Peter T. , Struys Eduard A.
Published: March 2012

Analysis of α‐aminoadipic semialdehyde is an important tool in the diagnosis of antiquitin deficiency (pyridoxine‐dependent epilepsy). However continuing use of this test has revealed that elevated urinary excretion of α‐aminoadipic semialdehyde is not only found in patients with pyridoxine‐dependent epilepsy but is also seen in patients with molybdenum cofactor deficiency and isolated sulphite oxidase deficiency. This should be taken into account when interpreting the laboratory data. Sulphite was shown to inhibit α‐aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase in vitro.
Potential Effects of a Species’ Name
Authors: Skawiński Tomasz
Published: March 2012

In systematics, the importance of a species’ name is obvious and very considerable — it may even affect the names of other taxa (genera and families). Here, I argue that in some specific circumstances the name of a species may also indirectly play some role in the public understanding of the theory of evolution and creationism — or at least, has the potential to play such a role.
Targeting, Universalism, and Single-Mother Poverty: A Multilevel Analysis Across 18 Affluent Democracies
Authors: Brady David , Burroway Rebekah
Published: March 2012

We examine the influence of individual characteristics and targeted and universal social policy on single-mother poverty with a multilevel analysis across 18 affluent Western democracies. Although single mothers are disproportionately poor in all countries, there is even more cross-national variation in single-mother poverty than in poverty among the overall population. By far, the United States has the highest rate of poverty among single mothers among affluent democracies. The analyses show that single-mother poverty is a function of the household’s employment, education, and age composition, and the presence of other adults in the household. Beyond individual characteristics, social policy exerts substantial influence on single-mother poverty. We find that two measures of universal social policy significantly reduce single-mother poverty. However, one measure of targeted social policy does not have significant effects, and another measure is significantly negative only when controlling for universal social policy. Moreover, the effects of universal social policy are larger. Additional analyses show that universal social policy does not have counterproductive consequences in terms of family structure or employment, while the results are less clear for targeted social policy. Although debates often focus on altering the behavior or characteristics of single mothers, welfare universalism could be an even more effective anti-poverty strategy.
International Fertility Change: New Data and Insights From the Developmental Idealism Framework
Authors: Thornton Arland , Binstock Georgina , Yount Kathryn M. , Abbasi-Shavazi Mohammad Jalal , Ghimire Dirgha , Xie Yu
Published: March 2012

Many scholars have offered structural and ideational explanations for the fertility changes occurring around the world. This paper focuses on the influence of developmental idealism—a schema or set of beliefs endorsing development, fertility change, and causal connections between development and fertility. Developmental idealism is argued to be an important force affecting both population policy and the fertility behavior of ordinary people. We present new survey data from ordinary people in six countries—Argentina, China, Egypt, Iran, Nepal, and the United States—about the extent to which developmental idealism is known and believed. We ask individuals if they believe that fertility and development are correlated, that development is a causal force in changing fertility levels, and that fertility declines enhance the standard of living and intergenerational relations. We also ask people about their expectations concerning future trends in fertility in their countries and whether they approve or disapprove of the trends they expect. The data show widespread linkage in the minds of ordinary people between fertility and development. Large fractions of people in these six settings believe that fertility and development are correlated, that development reduces fertility, and that declines in fertility foster development. Many also expect and endorse future declines in fertility.
TLR‐induced NF‐κB activation regulates NLRP3 expression in murine macrophages
Authors: Qiao Yu , Wang Peng , Qi Jianni , Zhang Lei , Gao Chengjiang
Published: March 2012

NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical role in the activation of caspase‐1 and maturation of IL‐1β. However, the specific cis‐ and trans‐regulatory elements that determine the extent of NLRP3 expression are not well defined. In this study, we found NLRP3 expression was induced by TLR agonists in murine macrophages in a NF‐κB dependent manner. Furthermore, the corresponding NF‐κB binding sites (nt −1303 to −1292 and −1238 to −1228) were identified in the NLRP3 promoter. Finally, EMSA and ChIP assays demonstrated LPS‐induced NF‐κB binding to the NLRP3 promoter. Therefore, out results delineated the molecular mechanisms involved in TLR‐induced transcriptional regulation of NLRP3.
MicroRNA‐223 regulates FOXO1 expression and cell proliferation
Authors: Wu Lihui , Li Huihui , Jia Cheng You , Cheng Wei , Yu Mei , Peng Min , Zhu Yuanqing , Zhao Qianlei , Dong Yi Wei , Shao Kang , Wu Anle , Wu Xing Zhong
Published: March 2012

In HCT116 colorectal cancer cells, HeLa cervical cancer cells and HuH‐7 hepatoma cells, miR‐223 is expressed at a low level. Through infection with lentivirus containing miR‐223 precursor, miR‐233 was overexpressed in all these cells. Interestingly, the expression levels of FOXO1 mRNA and protein, and phosphorylation levels became significantly lower than those of their control. FOXO1 was down‐regulated mainly in the cytoplasm, while the nuclear FOXO1 level became relatively high compared to the cytoplasm. As the unphosphorylated active form of FOXO1 increased in the cells, cyclin D1/p21/p27 were up‐regulated at either mRNA or protein level. Proliferation of the cells was also greatly inhibited when miR‐223 was over‐expressed. Therein, our data suggest that miR‐223 regulates FOXO1 expression and cell proliferation.
Psychosocial stress at work is associated with increased dementia risk in late life
Authors: Wang Hui‐Xin , Wahlberg Maria , Karp Anita , Winblad Bengt , Fratiglioni Laura
Published: March 2012

Objective

To test the hypothesis that high job stress during working life might lead to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in late life.

Methods

A dementia‐free cohort of 913 community dwellers, aged 75+ years, from the Kungsholmen Project, a population‐based follow‐up study carried out in Stockholm, Sweden, was followed up for an average of 6 years to detect incident dementia and AD (third revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Information on the lifespan work activities was collected. Psychological stress at work was estimated for the longest period of occupation as well as for all occupations by using a validated psychosocial job exposure matrix on two dimensions: job control and job demands. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia and AD in relation to different levels of job stress.

Results

Low level of job control was associated with higher multivariate adjusted risk of dementia (HR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–3.0) and AD (HR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2–3.9). Low level of job demands alone was not significantly associated with increased dementia risk. When the two dimensions were combined into a four‐category job strain model, both high job strain (low control/high demands) and passive strain (both low control and demands) were related to higher risk of dementia and AD as compared with active job strain (both high). Vascular disorders did not mediate the observed associations.

Conclusion

Lifelong work‐related psychosocial stress, characterized by low job control and high job strain, was associated with increased risk of dementia and AD in late life, independent of other known risk factors.
Fornix integrity and hippocampal volume predict memory decline and progression to Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Mielke Michelle M. , Okonkwo Ozioma C. , Oishi Kenichi , Mori Susumu , Tighe Sarah , Miller Michael I. , Ceritoglu Can , Brown Timothy , Albert Marilyn , Lyketsos Constantine G.
Published: March 2012

Background

The fornix is the predominant outflow tract of the hippocampus, a brain region known to be affected early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aims of the present study were to: (1) examine the cross‐sectional relationship between fornix diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity), hippocampal volume, and memory performance, and (2) compare fornix DTI measures with hippocampal volumes as predictors of progression and transition from amnestic mild cognitive impairment to AD dementia.

Methods

Twenty‐three mild cognitive impairment participants for whom hippocampal volumetry and DTI were conducted at baseline received detailed evaluations at baseline; 3, 6, and 12 months; and 2.5 years. Six participants converted to AD over the follow‐up period. Fornix and posterior cingulum DTI measurements and hippocampal volumes were ascertained using manual measures. Random effects models assessed each of the neuroimaging measures as predictors of decline on the Mini‐Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating‐sum of boxes, and memory z scores; receiver operating characteristic analyses examined the predictive value for conversion to AD.

Results

There was a significant correlation between fornix FA and hippocampal volumes. However, only the fornix measurements (FA, MD, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity) were cross‐sectionally correlated with memory z scores. Both fornix FA and hippocampal volumes were predictive of memory decline. Individually, fornix FA and MD and hippocampal volumes were very good predictors of progression, with likelihood ratios >83, and better than 90% accuracy.

Conclusion

Fornix FA both cross‐sectionally correlated with and longitudinally predicted memory decline and progression to AD. Manually drawn region of interest within the fornix shows promise comparable with hippocampal volume as a predictive biomarker of progression, and this finding warrants replication in a larger study.
2012 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures Alzheimer's Association∗
Authors: Thies William , Bleiler Laura
Published: March 2012

This report provides information to increase understanding of the public health impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Topics addressed include incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, health expenditures and costs of care, and effect on caregivers and society. The report also explores issues that arise when people with AD and other dementias live alone. The characteristics, risks, and unmet needs of this population are described.

An estimated 5.4 million Americans have AD, including approximately 200,000 age <65 years who comprise the younger‐onset AD population. Over the coming decades, the aging of the baby boom generation is projected to result in an additional 10 million people with AD. Today, someone in America develops AD every 68 seconds. By 2050, there is expected to be one new case of AD every 33 seconds, or nearly a million new cases per year, and AD prevalence is projected to be 11 million to 16 million. Dramatic increases in the number of “oldest‐old” (those age ≥85 years) across all racial and ethnic groups are expected to contribute to the increased prevalence of AD.

AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death in Americans age ≥65 years. Although the proportions of deaths due to other major causes of death have decreased in the last several years, the proportion due to AD has risen significantly. Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of deaths due to heart disease, stroke, and prostate cancer decreased by 13%, 20%, and 8%, respectively, whereas the proportion due to AD increased by 66%.

In 2011, more than 15 million family members and other unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 17.4 billion hours of care to people with AD and other dementias, a contribution valued at more than $210 billion. Medicare payments for services to beneficiaries age ≥65 years with AD and other dementias are three times as great as payments for beneficiaries without these conditions, and Medicaid payments are 19 times as great. In 2012, payments for health care, long‐term care, and hospice services for people age ≥65 years with AD and other dementias are expected to be $200 billion (not including the contributions of unpaid caregivers).

An estimated 800,000 people with AD (one in seven) live alone, and up to half of them do not have an identifiable caregiver. People with dementia who live alone are exposed to risks that exceed the risks encountered by people with dementia who live with others, including inadequate self‐care, malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, falls, wandering from home unattended, and accidental deaths.
Luminescence dating of fluvial and coastal red sediments in the SE Coast, India, and implications for paleoenvironmental changes and dune reddening
Authors: Jayangondaperumal R. , Murari M.K. , Sivasubramanian P. , Chandrasekar N. , Singhvi A.K.
Published: March 2012

The Holocene and late Pleistocene environmental history of the teri ('sandy waste' in local parlance) red sands in the southeast coastal Tamil Nadu was examined using remote sensing, stratigraphy, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Geomorphological surveys enabled the classification of the teri red sands as, 1) inland fluvial teri, 2) coastal teri and 3) near-coastal teri dunes. The inland teri sediments have higher clay and silty-sand component than the coastal and near-coastal teri, suggesting that these sediments were deposited by the fluvial process during a stronger winter monsoon around ≫ 15 ka. The coastal teri dunes were deposited prior to 11.4 ± 0.9 ka, and the near-coastal dunes aggraded at around 5.6 ± 0.4 ka. We; interpret that the coastal dunes were formed during a period of lower relative sea level and the near-coastal dunes formed during a period of higher sea level. Dune reddening is post deposition occurred after 11.4 ± 0.9 ka for the coastal teri dunes and after 5.6 ± 0.4 ka for the near-coastal teri dunes. Presence of microlithic sites associated with the coastal dunes suggest that the cultures existed in the region during 11.4 ± 0.9 ka and 5.6 ± 0.4 ka.
Turbulent mixing in a Richtmyer–Meshkov fluid layer after reshock: velocity and density statistics
Authors: Balakumar B. J. , Orlicz G. C. , Ristorcelli J. R. , Balasubramanian S. , Prestridge K. P. , Tomkins C. D.
Published: March 2012

The properties of turbulent mixing in a Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) unstable fluid layer are studied under the impact of a single shock followed by a reshock wave using simultaneous velocity–density measurements to provide new insights into the physics of RM mixing. The experiments were conducted on a varicose ${\mathrm{SF} }_{6} $ fluid layer (heavy fluid) interposed in air (light fluid) inside a horizontal shock tube at an incident Mach number of 1.21 and a reflected reshock Mach number of 1.14. The light–heavy–light fluid layer is observed to develop a nonlinear growth pattern, with no transition to turbulence upon impact by a single shock (up to $tU/ \lambda = 23. 4$). However, upon reshock, enhanced mixing between the heavy and light fluids along with a transition to a turbulent state characterized by the generation of significant turbulent velocity fluctuations (${\sigma }_{u} / U\ensuremath{\sim} 0. 3$) is observed. The streamwise and spanwise root-mean-squared velocity fluctuation statistics show similar trends across the fluid layer after reshock, with no observable preference for the direction of the shock wave motion. The measured streamwise mass flux ($ \overline{{\rho }^{\ensuremath{\prime} } {u}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } } $) shows opposing signs on either side of the density peak within the fluid layer, consistent with the turbulent material transport being driven along the direction of the density gradient. Measurements of three of the six independent components of the general Reynolds stress tensor (${R}_{ij} = \overline{\rho { u}_{i}^{\ensuremath{\prime} \ensuremath{\prime} } { u}_{j}^{\ensuremath{\prime} \ensuremath{\prime} } } $) show that the self-correlation terms ${R}_{11} $ and ${R}_{22} $ are similar in magnitude across much of the fluid layer, and much larger than the cross-correlation term ${R}_{12} $. Most importantly, the Reynolds stresses (${R}_{ij} $) are dominated by the mean density, cross-velocity product term ($ \overline{\rho } \hspace{0.167em} \overline{{ u}_{i}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } { u}_{j}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } } $), with the mass flux product and triple correlation terms being negligibly smaller in comparison. A lack of homogeneous mixing (and, possibly, a long-term imprint of the initial conditions) is observed in the spanwise turbulent mass flux measurements, with important implications for the simulation and modelling of RM mixing flows.
Immune status is more affected by age than by carotenoid depletion–repletion in healthy human subjects
Authors: Farges Marie-Chantal , Minet-Quinard Régine , Walrand Stéphane , Thivat Emilie , Ribalta Josep , Winklhofer-Roob Brigitte , Rock Edmond , Vasson Marie-Paule
Published: March 2012

Prospective studies have indicated an age-related impairment of the immune response. Carotenoids have been hypothesised to enhance immune cell function. The aim of the present study was to describe the age-related effects and the impact of in vivo dietary carotenoid depletion and repletion on specific and non-specific immunity. A total of ninety-eight healthy male subjects (aged 20–75 years) received a carotenoid-depleted diet for 3 weeks and were then supplemented daily for 5 weeks with 30 mg β-carotene, 15 mg lycopene and 9 mg lutein. Blood samples were collected at study entry, after depletion and supplementation, and biomarkers of immune status were determined. We found that serum IgA levels were positively correlated with ageing. Lymphocyte phenotyping indicated an increase with age in the memory T-helper cell subpopulation (CD4+CD45RO+) concomitantly with a decrease in naive T-helper cells (CD4+CD45RA+). A significant increase in the natural killer cells subpopulation and a small decrease in B lymphocytes were also observed, especially for the oldest volunteers. From ex vivo cell function exploration, a positive correlation was observed between age and IL-2 production of phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes. Neutrophils' bactericidal activity was significantly impaired with age (from 50 years) and was modulated by carotenoid status. An age effect was found on neutrophils' spontaneous migration but not on directed migration. Immune response in healthy human subjects is mostly affected by age rather than by dietary carotenoid depletion and repletion. Even in carefully selected healthy volunteers, some age-related immune changes occur predominantly from 50 years onwards. This immunosenescence could generate a loss in the immune system adjustment capacity.
Winning, Losing and Political Trust in America
Authors: ANDERSON CHRISTOPHER J. , LoTEMPIO ANDREW J.
Published: March 2012

We examine the effects of voting for the winners and losers of presidential and congressional elections on political trust. On the basis of survey and electoral data for 1972 and 1996, we argue and demonstrate empirically that presidential winner–loser status systematically affects citizens' trust in government. We find that voters for the losers of the presidential contest show lower levels of trust. Moreover, we find that voting for the congressional winners does not attenuate this effect. Political trust is highest among voters who voted either for both the presidential and congressional winners or the presidential winner and congressional losers; trust is lowest among those who voted for both the presidential and congressional losers or congressional winners and the presidential loser.
“Peregrinations into the Void?” German Jews and their Knowledge about the Armenian Genocide during the Third Reich
Authors: Gruner Wolf
Published: March 2012

The February 2006 issue of the European edition of Time magazine contained a DVD dedicated to the subject of the genocide of the Armenian people. The text introducing the documentary, produced by the French-German TV network arte, said, “‘Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’ Hitler posed this rhetorical question on August 22, 1939, before embarking upon his campaign to exterminate six million European Jews and other groups.” The introductory paragraph concluded, “His assumption that no one remembered the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey must have emboldened the Führer to perpetrate the Jewish Holocaust.”
The Passion of the Jews of Prague:The Pogrom of 1389 and the Lessons of a Medieval Parody
Authors: Newman Barbara
Published: March 2012

Outbreaks of anti-Jewish violence in late medieval cities were hardly rare. For that reason, among others, surviving records are often frustratingly brief and formulaic. Yet, in the case of the pogrom that devastated Prague's Jewish community on Easter 1389, we have an extraordinary source that has yet to receive a close reading. This account, supplementing numerous chronicle entries and a Hebrew poem of lament, is thePassio Iudeorum Pragensium, orPassion of the Jews of Prague—a polished literary text that parodies the gospel of Christ's Passion to celebrate the atrocity. In this article I will first reconstruct the history, background, and aftermath of the pogrom as far as possible, then interrogate thePassioas a scriptural and liturgical parody, for it has a great deal to teach us about the inner workings of medieval anti-Judaism. By “parody” I mean not a humorous work, but a virtuosic pastiche of authoritative texts, such as the Gospels and the Easter liturgy, that would have been known by heart to much of the intended audience. We may like to think of religious parodies as “daring” or “audacious,” seeing in them a progressive ideological force that challenges corrupt institutions, ridicules absurd beliefs, and pokes holes in the pious and the pompous. ButThe Passion of the Jews of Pragueshows that this was by no means always the case.
Communities That Write: Christ-Groups, Associations, and Gospel Communities
Authors: Last Richard
Published: March 2012

Critics who posit the ‘gospels for all Christians’ theory contend that gospels reflect neither the history nor the concerns of the communities within which they were produced. Despite advocacy for the theory from an increasing number of scholars, others continue to reconstruct diverse gospel communities. There is some common ground between the two sides of the debate: the majority of scholars from both perspectives agree that gospels were composed within communal settings. If we take this agreement as our starting point and investigate communal writing practices in antiquity, we might productively forge an agreeable method for determining the scope of intended gospel audiences. This study analyzes the collective process of writing in ancient associations, now regarded as analogous in many ways to early Christ-groups. In doing so, a framework is provided for understanding how and to whom gospels produced in Christ-groups might have been composed. The study finds the ‘all Christians’ theory inconsistent with communal practices of writing.
Further evidence and reflections on Joseph Elzéar Bernier's 1907 and 1909 sovereignty claims
Authors: Cavell Janice
Published: March 2012

Few aspects of Canada's Arctic sovereignty claims have been more misunderstood than the sector theory, which many writers believe originated with and was put forward on Canada's behalf (whether officially or unofficially) by explorer Joseph Elzéar Bernier. However, several Canadian government officials in the 1920s were both shrewd and accurate in their assessment of Bernier's pretensions. This note focuses on the views of civil servant Oswald Sterling Finnie, as recorded in previously unexamined government documents. In the years following Bernier's retirement from government service in 1925, the explorer embarked on a campaign to win the place in history he felt he deserved, only to be thwarted by Finnie and his colleagues. The note also clarifies the differences between Bernier's 1907 and 1909 sector claims and the official sector claim made in 1925.
A comparative analysis of pausing in child and adult storytelling
Authors: REDFORD MELISSA A.
Published: March 2012

The goals of the current study were (a) to assess differences in child and adult pausing and (b) to determine whether characteristics of child and adult pausing can be explained by the same language variables. Spontaneous speech samples were obtained from 10 5-year-olds and their accompanying parent using a storytelling/retelling task. Analyses of pause frequency, duration, variation in durations, and pause location indicated that pause time decreased with retelling, but not with age group except when child and adult pausing was considered in its speech and language context. The results suggest that differences in child and adult pausing reflect differences in child and adult language, not in the cognitive resources allocated to language production.
Proficiency and working memory based explanations for nonnative speakers’ sensitivity to agreement in sentence processing
Authors: COUGHLIN CAITLIN E. , TREMBLAY ANNIE
Published: March 2012

This study examines the roles of proficiency and working memory (WM) capacity in second-/foreign-language (L2) learners’ processing of agreement morphology. It investigates the processing of grammatical and ungrammatical short- and long-distance number agreement dependencies by native English speakers at two proficiencies in French, and the relationship between their proficiency and WM capacity in French and their sensitivity to agreement violations. Native English speakers at mid- and high proficiencies in French and native French speakers completed an acceptability judgment task, a self-paced reading task, and a WM task in French, and the English speakers also completed a WM task in English. The results showed that whereas all participants performed at ceiling on the acceptability judgment tasks, only the high-level L2 learners and native speakers showed some sensitivity to number agreement violations. For L2 learners, this sensitivity did not vary as a function of the length of the agreement dependency. The results also indicated that L2 learners tended to be more sensitive to agreement violations as their WM memory capacity in French increased. The implications of these results for theories of L2 morphological processing are discussed.
Oral language skills of Spanish-speaking English language learners: The impact of high-quality native language exposure
Authors: GÁMEZ PERLA B. , LEVINE SUSAN C.
Published: March 2012

This study examined the relation between young English language learners’ (ELL) native oral language skills and their language input in transitional bilingual education kindergarten classrooms. Spanish-speaking ELLs’ (n= 101) Spanish expressive language skills were assessed using the memory for sentences and picture vocabulary subtests of the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery—Revised. Samples of transitional bilingual education teachers’ (n= 21) speech were recorded and coded for syntactic complexity and vocabulary usage. Results revealed considerable variation in ELLs’ language scores, with overall performance below the normative sample. There was also wide variation in teachers’ speech across classrooms. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that gains in ELLs’ expressive language skills were positively related to the diversity of teachers’ vocabulary and teachers’ syntactic complexity. These findings suggest that the quality of teachers’ language input, not just the quantity of their input, plays a significant role in the language learning trajectories of ELLs.
Epidemiological and molecular analysis of a waterborne outbreak of norovirus GII.4
Authors: ZHOU X. , LI H. , SUN L. , MO Y. , CHEN S. , WU X. , LIANG J. , ZHENG H. , KE C. , VARMA J. K. , KLENA J. D. , CHEN Q. , ZOU L. , YANG X.
Published: March 2012

Contaminated water is one of the main sources of norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks globally. Waterborne NoV outbreaks are infrequently attributed to GII.4 NoV. In September 2009, a NoV outbreak affected a small school in Guangdong Province, China. Epidemiological investigations indicated that household use water, supplied by a well, was the probable source (relative risk 1·9). NoV nucleic acid material in concentrated well-water samples was detected using real-time RT–PCR. Nucleotide sequences of NoV extracted from diarrhoea and well-water specimens were identical and had the greatest sequence identity to corresponding sequences from the epidemic strain GII.4-2006b. Our report documents the first laboratory-confirmed waterborne outbreak caused by GII.4 NoV genotype in China. Our investigations indicate that well water, intended exclusively for household use but not for consumption, caused this outbreak. The results of this report serve as a reminder that private well water intended for household use should be tested for NoV.
A “BODY” OF EVIDENCE: THE POSTHUMOUS PRESENTATION OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE
Authors: Livingstone Justin D.
Published: March 2012

It is Tuesday, 27 January1874, and a telegram from her Majesty's Acting Consul-General at Zanzibar reaches the Foreign Office, reporting news of the death of Dr. David Livingstone. An incredulous British public struggles to disbelieve and discredit the account. Months later and, after an agonizing delay, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamshipMalwaarrives, bearing a broken and wizened body to port in Southampton. Waiting is a public throng, in mourning for its national hero. Later he is laid to rest in a chockablock Westminster Abbey, a public symbol of the national interest vested in Livingstone (See Figure 1).
NEGOTIATING “A WOMAN'S WORK”: PHILANTHROPY TO SOCIAL SCIENCE IN GASKELL'S NORTH AND SOUTH
Authors: Dredge Sarah
Published: March 2012

A review of F. D. Maurice'sLectures to Ladies on Practical Subjects in 1856 considered the question of “female visiting” among the poor with reference to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. Though agreeing that it is “the subject of much anxiety,” the reviewer illustrates the value of female philanthropic visiting with a reading of Gaskell's novel:
HUNTING GWENDOLEN: ANIMETAPHOR INDANIEL DERONDA
Authors: Pielak Chase
Published: March 2012

In George Eliot'sDanielDeronda, animal vitality figures prominently in shaping the human shell, to use an opening animal metaphor. Approaching the significance of the animal leads to a reading of Gwendolen Grandcourt's character as a responsible creature. Gwendolen is Eliot's heroine, one half of the pair of protagonists around whom the novel revolves. Eliot's fantastic character takes shape in three movements, each punctuated by its own animal metaphor: Gwendolen morphs from Lamia to mastered-animal to white doe. Animal imagery appears at the edge of the human, the point at which humanity gains and loses subjectivity, and Gwendolen's novel is fundamentally one of finding her place in the world, her singularity, her responsibility. Images of animals stand in the linguistic gaps – in the places words fail – to figure the subject.1Animals appear at the end of the ability of language to mean. Nevertheless, this analysis is not intended to encompass the complex range of animal representations in George's Eliot's oeuvre, or even to catalog every example inDaniel Deronda. Instead, it suggests the possibility of using animal metaphor as a map for reading a Victorian heroine.
SECURING THE ENGLISHMAN'S CASTLE: SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Authors: Smith David L.
Published: March 2012

In 1839, the Constabulary ForceCommission, created by Parliament to study the conditions of crime and policing beyond London and to make recommendations for jurisdictional reforms, published its findings in theFirst Constabulary Report. To illustrate for readers the necessity of establishing constabularies modeled after London's Metropolitan Police Force in counties and boroughs throughout England and Wales, Edwin Chadwick, utilitarian reformer and principal draftsman of theReport, interwove the Commission's recommendations with numerous testimonies from representatives of the so-called criminal classes that pervaded nineteenth-century society. These sometimes graphic confessions were calculated to shock as much as persuade, which made for popular reading, notwithstanding widespread political opposition to the Commission's proposals (Philips 69). Section twenty eight, for example, contains the account of “J– R–,” a nineteen-year-old ex-sailor from Manchester who had committed a series of petty larcenies before turning to more serious burglaries of homes and businesses, at which he became quite adept. This young-but-seasoned offender's confession included what were intended to be alarming revelations about the physical vulnerabilities of English houses. JR testified that he had “[f]ound none or very few difficulties in the way of committing crime. The readiness with which property was got . . . was an encouragement” (Lefevre, Rowan, and Chadwick 27). In recounting the details of his crimes (and citing anecdotal evidence from fellow thieves), he pointed out that most houses were entered easily with the use of skeleton keys or through cellar windows, and that householders and servants practiced few if any serious security precautions (27–28). JR concluded that he did “not know of any places or kinds of property so protected as to induce depredators to refrain from attacking them” but added, no doubt with pressure from the interviewer, that the “most important obstruction which could be placed in the way of depredations is a more efficient police” (29).
The Only Way is Information Literacy
Authors: Choolhun Natasha
Published: March 2012

This article, written by Natasha Choolhun, follows the progress of submitting a proposal to BIALL Council on the topic of devising a ‘Legal Information Literacy Toolkit’ following discussion at the 2011 BIALL conference.
Priapus as wooden god: confronting manufacture and destruction
Authors: Hunt Ailsa
Published: March 2012

quodsi in animum quis inducat, tormentis quibus et quibus machinis simulacrum omne formetur, erubescet timere se materiem ab artifice, ut deum faceret, inlusam. deus enim ligneus, rogi fortasse vel infelicis stipitis portio, suspenditur, caeditur, dolatur, runcinatur; et deus aereus vel argenteus de immundo vasculo, ut saepius factum Aegyptio regi, conflatur, tunditur malleis et incudibus figuratur; et lapideus deus caeditur, scalpitur et ab impurato homine levigatur, nec sentit suae nativitatis iniuriam, ita ut nec postea de vestra veneratione culturam. nisi forte nondum deus saxum est vel lignum vel argentum. quando igitur hic nascitur? ecce funditur, fabricatur, sculpitur: nondum deus est; ecce plumbatur, construitur, erigitur: nec adhuc deus est; ecce ornatur, consecratur, oratur; tunc postremo deus est, cum homo illum voluit et dedicavit. (Minucius Felix,Oct.22)
Propertius and the poetics of the book: 1.18 and 3.15–17
Authors: Phillips Thomas
Published: March 2012

Questions of how ancient books were produced, how they were valued and what they represented in particular contexts, and how they interacted with the texts inscribed on them have been increasingly to the fore in recent years. This article will focus on the last of these questions, firstly examining the local role of material inscription in a single poem of Propertius, and then moving on to consider issues pertaining to the structure of the collection and how approaches to the poetry book are conditioned by and interact with its materiality. Central to this analysis is a conception of the book not as a neutral purveyor of meanings which exist outside it, but as a part of the processes by which meaning is created and maintained.
Armed groups and intra-state conflicts: the dawn of a new era?
Authors: Blin Arnaud
Published: March 2012

Have the various profound changes that have affected the world, and particularly its geostrategic dimensions, since the end of the Cold War radically altered the nature of conflicts? Twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and ten years after the destruction of the twin towers in New York, there is an apparent degree of continuity in the resilience of former centres of unresolved conflicts and of armed groups involved in them. Nonetheless, whereas most armed conflicts can today be classified as ‘intra-state’, the general context has changed to the extent that reference is now made to the phenomenon of ‘new wars’. Increasingly inacceptable economic and political imbalances along with globalization, environmental damage and its consequences or the emergence of large-scale conflicts triggered by organized crime are some of the perils already affecting the nature of today's conflicts or potentially defining those of the future. As the period dominated by jihadist groups with a universalist vocation possibly draws to an end, the current trend seems to be towards a new generation of guerrilla fighters who stand to benefit, in particular, from the erosion of the nation-state and from geopolitical convulsions arising from the post-colonial legacy as the starting point for intensely zealous and violent long-term ventures. The impact of globalization could cause a flare-up of some existing conflicts that are currently limited in scope while the international community struggles to redefine other rules and to adapt them to the new dialectic of war and peace.
New Empirical Evidence on the Validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in Early Adolescents
Authors: Bendayan Rebecca , Blanca María J. , Fernández-Baena Javier F. , Escobar Milagros , Victoria Trianes María
Published: March 2012

This paper presents new empirical evidence regarding the validity of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in a large sample of early adolescents. A group of 903 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 14 years completed a battery of questionnaires in order to assess life satisfaction, emotional and behavioral problems, trait aggressiveness, peer aggression, stress, and parental style. A moderately high level of life satisfaction was reported and no differences were found according to sex or school year. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor structure for the SWLS. Correlation analysis showed that life satisfaction had a moderate positive correlation with parental affect, and negative correlations with externalizing and internalizing behaviors, aggression, stress, and parental criticism. Regression analysis revealed that early adolescents report greater life satisfaction when they perceive high levels of maternal affect and low levels of internalizing problems, hostility, stress, and parental criticism. These results show that the inclusion of intrapersonal and environmental variables can further our understanding of life satisfaction in early adolescents and suggest that intervention programs designed to promote this should consider these variables.
Characterizing the microstructure of Arctica islandica shells using NanoSIMS and EBSD
Authors: Karney Graeme B. , Butler Paul G. , Speller Susannah , Scourse James D. , Richardson Christopher A. , Schröder Markus , Hughes Gareth M. , Czernuszka Jan T. , Grovenor Chris R. M.
Published: March 2012

The bivalve mollusc Arctica islandica has received considerable attention in recent years because of its potential as an archive of marine palaeoclimate, based on its annually resolved incremental shell growth, longevity, and synchronous growth within populations. The robust interpretation of the archive depends on a detailed understanding of the shell formation process, and this in turn requires a reliable understanding of the shell microstructure. Research into this aspect, however, has so far been relatively limited. This study uses secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) to examine the compositions of the two annually formed growth increments, i.e., a narrow band of relatively slow growth referred to as growth increment I (GI I) and a usually wider accretion called growth increment II (GI II). High resolution composition maps are presented which clearly show lower concentrations of the organic ions 12C14N− and 32S− in GI I relative to GI II. This is consistent with the growth of larger crystallites in GI I, which is clearly demonstrated using a novel analysis method involving focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis is also presented, and demonstrates that the orientation of the aragonite c‐axis is the same in both GI I and GI II, and that the a‐ and b‐axes assume preferred orientations consistent with the known angle of twinning in aragonite. By analyzing individual crystallites it is deduced that the (001) plane is likely to be the mineralizing face in GI I, and that the (011) and (102) planes are low energy interfaces in GI II.
High‐resolution backprojection at regional distance: Application to the HaitiM7.0 earthquake and comparisons with finite source studies
Authors: Meng L. , Ampuero J.‐P. , Sladen A. , Rendon H.
Published: March 2012

A catastrophicMw7 earthquake ruptured on 12 January 2010 on a complex fault system near Port‐au‐Prince, Haiti. Offshore rupture is suggested by aftershock locations and marine geophysics studies, but its extent remains difficult to define using geodetic and teleseismic observations. Here we perform the multitaper multiple signal classification (MUSIC) analysis, a high‐resolution array technique, at regional distance with recordings from the Venezuela National Seismic Network to resolve high‐frequency (about 0.4 Hz) aspects of the earthquake process. Our results indicate westward rupture with two subevents, roughly 35 km apart. In comparison, a lower‐frequency finite source inversion with fault geometry based on new geologic and aftershock data shows two slip patches with centroids 21 km apart. Apparent source time functions from USArray further constrain the intersubevent time delay, implying a rupture speed of 3.3 km/s. The tips of the slip zones coincide with subevents imaged by backprojections. The different subevent locations found by backprojection and source inversion suggest spatial complementarity between high‐ and low‐frequency source radiation consistent with high‐frequency radiation originating from rupture arrest phases at the edges of main slip areas. The centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution and a geodetic‐only inversion have similar moment, indicating most of the moment released is captured by geodetic observations and no additional rupture is required beyond where it is imaged in our preferred model. Our results demonstrate the contribution of backprojections of regional seismic array data for earthquakes down toM≈ 7, especially when incomplete coverage of seismic and geodetic data implies large uncertainties in source inversions.
Synoptic messages to extend climate data records
Authors: van den Besselaar E. J. M. , Klein Tank A. M. G. , van der Schrier G. , Jones P. D.
Published: March 2012

Synoptic messages (SYNOP) exchanged internationally for operational weather forecasting are regularly used to extend validated (quality controlled) daily climate time series to the present day, despite differences in measuring intervals and lack of validation. Here we focus on the effect of this on derived climate indices of extremes in Europe. Validated time series are taken from the European Climate Assessment & Dataset (ECA&D). Validated data and SYNOP over the period 01 April 1982 to 31 December 2004 are compared. The distribution of the difference series of validated data and SYNOP is skewed. Generally, minimum temperatures are lower or equal in the validated series, while maximum temperatures are higher or equal. This is at least partly due to the 24‐hour (validated data) versus 12‐hour (SYNOP) measuring intervals. The precipitation results are dependent on the difference between the measuring intervals of both time series. Time series of indices of extremes exhibit a non‐climatic inhomogeneity for several indices when SYNOP are used to extend the validated series, leading to spurious trends. The sizes of the trends in pure validated and pure SYNOP series are generally in good agreement, but the absolute values of the indices show an offset. Accepting a trend error of 10%, the averaged winter minimum and maximum temperature and the number of tropical nights (minimum temperature >20°C) in summer allow only a very small fraction of SYNOP in the extended series (about 5–10%), while for the other indices studied here a larger fraction can be used (up to 50%).