bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical spatial modeling of uncertainty in air pollution and birth weight study
Authors: Gray Simone C. , Gelfand Alan E. , Miranda Marie Lynn
Published: May 2011

In environmental health studies air pollution measurements from the closest monitor are commonly used as a proxy for personal exposure. This technique assumes that air pollution concentrations are spatially homogeneous in the neighborhoods associated with the monitors and consequently introduces measurement error into a resultant model. To model the relationship between maternal exposure to air pollution and birth weight, we build a hierarchical model that accounts for the associated measurement error. We allow four possible scenarios, with increasing flexibility, for capturing this uncertainty. In the two simplest cases, we specify models with a constant variance term and a variance component that allows uncertainty in the exposure measurements to increase as the distance between maternal residence and the location of the closest monitor increases. In the remaining two models, we introduce spatial dependence using random effects. The models are illustrated using Bayesian hierarchical modeling techniques that relate pregnancy outcomes from the North Carolina Detailed Birth Records to air pollution data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Defining and ranking effects of individual agents based on survival times of cancer patients treated with combination chemotherapies
Authors: Thall Peter F. , Liu Diane D. , Berrak Su G. , Wolff Johannes E.
Published: May 2011

An important problem in oncology is comparing chemotherapy (chemo) agents in terms of their effects on survival or progression‐free survival time. When the goal is to evaluate individual agents, a difficulty commonly encountered with observational data is that many patients receive a chemo combination including two or more agents. Because agents given in combination may interact, quantifying the contribution of each individual agent to the combination's overall effect is problematic. Still, if on average combinations including a particular agent confer longer survival, then that agent may be considered superior to agents whose combinations confer shorter survival. Motivated by this idea, we propose a definition of individual agent effects based on observational survival data from patients treated with many different chemo combinations. We define an individual agent effect as the average of the effects of the chemo combinations that include the agent. Similarly, we define the effect of each pair of agents as the average of the effects of the combinations including the pair. Under a Bayesian regression model for survival time in which the chemo combination effects follow a hierarchical structure, these definitions are used as a basis for estimating the posterior effects and ranks of the individual agents, and of all pairs of agents. The methods are illustrated by a data set arising from 224 pediatric brain tumor patients treated with over 27 different chemo combinations involving seven chemo agents. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sample size and power determination in joint modeling of longitudinal and survival data
Authors: Chen Liddy M. , Ibrahim Joseph G. , Chu Haitao
Published: May 2011

Owing to the rapid development of biomarkers in clinical trials, joint modeling of longitudinal and survival data has gained its popularity in the recent years because it reduces bias and provides improvements of efficiency in the assessment of treatment effects and other prognostic factors. Although much effort has been put into inferential methods in joint modeling, such as estimation and hypothesis testing, design aspects have not been formally considered. Statistical design, such as sample size and power calculations, is a crucial first step in clinical trials. In this paper, we derive a closed‐form sample size formula for estimating the effect of the longitudinal process in joint modeling, and extend Schoenfeld's sample size formula to the joint modeling setting for estimating the overall treatment effect. The sample size formula we develop is quite general, allowing for p‐degree polynomial trajectories. The robustness of our model is demonstrated in simulation studies with linear and quadratic trajectories. We discuss the impact of the within‐subject variability on power and data collection strategies, such as spacing and frequency of repeated measurements, in order to maximize the power. When the within‐subject variability is large, different data collection strategies can influence the power of the study in a significant way. Optimal frequency of repeated measurements also depends on the nature of the trajectory with higher polynomial trajectories and larger measurement error requiring more frequent measurements. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Attachment Insecurity, Responses to Critical Incident Distress, and Current Emotional Symptoms in Ambulance Workers
Authors: Halpern Janice , Maunder Robert G. , Schwartz Brian , Gurevich Maria
Published: May 2011

Ambulance workers are exposed to critical incidents that may evoke intense distress and can result in long‐term impairment. Individuals who can regulate distress may experience briefer post‐incident distress and fewer long‐term emotional difficulties. Attachment research has contributed to our understanding of individual differences in stress regulation, suggesting that secure attachment is associated with effective support‐seeking and coping strategies, and fewer long‐term difficulties. We tested the effect of attachment insecurity on emotional distress in ambulance workers, hypothesizing that (1) insecure attachment is associated with symptoms of current distress and (2) prolonged recovery from acute post‐critical incident distress, coping strategies and supportive contact mediate this relationship. We measured (1) attachment insecurity, (2) acute distress, coping and social contact following an index critical incident and (3) current symptoms of post‐traumatic stress, depression, somatization and burnout and tested the hypothesized associations. Fearful‐avoidant insecure attachment was associated with all current symptoms, most strongly with depression (R = 0.38,p<0.001). Fearful‐avoidant attachment insecurity was also associated with maladaptive coping, reduced social support and slower recovery from social withdrawal and physical arousal following the critical incident, but these processes did not mediate the relationship between attachment insecurity and current symptoms. These findings are relevant for optimizing post‐incident support for ambulance workers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effects of Single and Repeated Psychiatric Occupational Therapy on Psychiatric Symptoms: Assessment Using a Visual Analogue Scale
Authors: Yamashita Hitomi , Terao Takeshi , Mizokami Yoshinori
Published: May 2011

The main aims of psychiatric occupational therapy are to improve daily activity, to enhance communication with others and to reinforce social adaptation. Also, substantial improvements in psychiatric symptoms have been reported, but the effects on psychiatric symptoms are yet to be established. In the present study, we investigated the effects of single and repeated administrations of psychiatric occupational therapy on psychiatric symptoms and determined whether the effects can be predicted. Our subjects were 215 inpatients or outpatients at our university hospital who participated in psychiatric occupational therapy. Five psychiatric symptoms (i.e. depressive mood, tension, irritability, anxiety and fatigue) were subjectively measured just before and just after each psychiatric occupational therapy by using a visual analogue scale (VAS). As a result, there was a significant short‐term effect from single psychiatric occupational therapy, but there was no significant further improvement of any psychiatric symptom from repeated psychiatric occupational therapy. The VAS value at the beginning stage significantly predicted improvement of each psychiatric symptom. These findings suggest that single psychiatric occupational therapy can bring about a short‐term effect, whereas repeated psychiatric occupational therapy cannot induce long‐term effect (accumulated effect) on psychiatric symptoms, and that the improvement can be predicted by baseline psychiatric symptoms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incorporation of full‐scale testing and nonlinear connection analyses into the seismic upgrade of a 15‐story steel moment frame building
Authors: Malley James O. , Sinclair Mark , Graf Tim , Blaney Colin , Ahmed Tamer
Published: May 2011

This paper summarizes the seismic analysis and rehabilitation design of a 15‐story steel moment‐resisting frame building constructed with connection details that were found to be vulnerable to fracture in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. This building is located in Oakland, California, less than 5 miles from the Hayward Fault. Previous testing of the existing moment connections demonstrated that the beam flange to column flange complete joint penetration groove welds were vulnerable to fracture, and consequently, the building presented a risk to life safety in the event of a major earthquake. Seismic rehabilitation to meet the requirements of the State of California, Department of General Services resulted in a retrofit scheme, including a combination of moment connection strengthening and addition of viscous dampers. Because of the deep W27 column and very large W36 beam sections present in the special moment‐resisting frames, a series of four full‐scale tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed rehabilitation schemes. Sophisticated analysis techniques were performed in the rehabilitation design, including nonlinear time history analyses. These models included a nonlinear fiber element that approximated the fracture behavior observed in the existing connection tests and incorporated results from the test program to model the strengthened connection behavior. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Safrole induces cell death in human tongue squamous cancer SCC‐4 cells through mitochondria‐dependent caspase activation cascade apoptotic signaling pathways
Authors: Yu Fu‐Shun , Huang An‐Cheng , Yang Jai‐Sing , Yu Chun‐Shu , Lu Chi‐Cheng , Chiang Jo‐Hua , Chiu Chang‐Fang , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: May 2011

Safrole is one of important food‐borne phytotoxin that exhibits in many natural products such as oil of sassafras and spices such as anise, basil, nutmeg, and pepper. This study was performed to elucidate safrole‐induced apoptosis in human tongue squamous carcinoma SCC‐4 cells. The effect of safrole on apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and DAPI staining and its regulatory molecules were studied by Western blotting analysis. Safrole‐induced apoptosis was accompanied with up‐regulation of the protein expression of Bax and Bid and down‐regulation of the protein levels of Bcl‐2 (up‐regulation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl‐2), resulting in cytochrome c release, promoted Apaf‐1 level and sequential activation of caspase‐9 and caspase‐3 in a time‐dependent manner. We also used real‐time PCR to show safrole promoted the mRNA expressions of caspase‐3, ‐8, and ‐9 in SCC‐4 cells. These findings indicate that safrole has a cytotoxic effect in human tongue squamous carcinoma SCC‐4 cells by inducing apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis of SCC‐4 cells by safrole is involved in mitochondria‐ and caspase‐dependent signal pathways. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.
A novel assay of biofilm antifungal activity reveals that amphotericin B and caspofungin lyseCandida albicanscells in biofilms
Authors: DiDone Louis , Oga Duana , Krysan Damian J.
Published: May 2011

The ability ofCandida albicansto form drug‐resistant biofilms is an important factor in its contribution to human disease. Assays to identify and characterize molecules with activity against fungal biofilms are crucial for the development of drugs with improved anti‐biofilm activity. Here we report the application of an adenylate kinase (AK)‐based cytotoxicity assay of fungal cell lysis to the characterization of agents active againstC. albicansbiofilms. We have developed three protocols for the AK assay. The first measures AK activity in the supernatants of biofilms treated with antifungal drugs and can be performed in parallel with a standard 2,3‐bis‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulphophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐caboxanilide‐based biofilm susceptibility assay; a second, more sensitive protocol measures the AK activity present within the biofilm matrix; and a third procedure allows the direct visualization of lytic activity toward biofilms formed on catheter material. Amphotericin B and caspofungin, the two most effective anti‐biofilm drugs currently used to treat fungal infections, both directly lyse planktonicC. albicanscellsin vitro, leading to the release of AK into the culture medium. These studies serve to validate the AK‐based lysis assay as a useful addition to the methods for the characterization of antifungal agents active toward biofilms and provide insights into the mode of action of amphotericin B and caspofungin againstC. albicansbiofilms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Supramolecular Intercluster Compounds Consisting of 1D Arrays of Silver Alkynyl Clusters and Wells–Dawson Anions, Displaying Ligand‐Free Interfaces
Authors: Gruber Franziska , Jansen Martin
Published: May 2011

Combining polymeric silver alkynyl clusters with the Wells–Dawson polyoxometalate [P2W18O62]6– has led to the formation of the first chain‐like intercluster compounds {[Ag14(C≡CtBu)8(C3H7NO)10][Ag12(C≡CtBu)6Cl(C3H7NO)10]H[P2W18O62]2}n (1) and {[Ag16(C≡CtBu)11(CH3CN)6][P2W18O62]}2[Ag14(C≡CtBu)12(CH3CN)2] (2). Both compounds contain large, yet‐unknown silver alkynyl clusters as cationic building blocks which are linked to the polyanions by direct silver–oxygen contacts, i.e. by ligand‐free interfaces.
Maximum Probability Domains in the Solid‐State Structures of the Elements: the Diamond Structure
Authors: Causà Mauro , Savin Andreas
Published: May 2011

Regions of space are defined to maximize the probability to find two electrons in it. They can be interpreted as regions where Lewis’ electron pairs are most likely to be found. These maximum probability domains (MPDs) provide information similar to that obtained from the electron localization function (ELF), but is not identical to it. The elements in the diamond structure provide examples for a comparison.
The difference between above‐ and below‐ground self‐thinning lines in forest communities
Authors: Zhang Wei‐Ping , Jia Xin , Bai Yan‐Yuan , Wang Gen‐Xuan
Published: May 2011

Quantifying the self‐thinning process in various plant communities has been a long‐standing issue in both theoretical and empirical studies. Most studies on plant self‐thinning have centered only on aboveground parts, and rarely on belowground parts. There is still a general lack of comparison between above‐ and belowground self‐thinning processes, especially for forest communities. The fundamental mechanistic difference and the functional association between above‐ and belowground competition indicate that the self‐thinning process of belowground parts may be different from that of aboveground parts. We investigated the self‐thinning lines for above‐ground (MA), below‐ground (MB), and total biomass (MT), respectively, across forest communities in China. The results showed that neither the classical self‐thinning rule (−3/2 exponent) nor the universal scaling rule (−4/3 exponent) can apply to all the self‐thinning relationships across these forest communities and that the self‐thinning lines for belowground biomass were flatter and lower than those for aboveground biomass across most of these forest communities.
The Merging of Shi and Shang in Travel: The Production of Knowledge for Travel in Late Ming Book
Authors: Chow Kai-wing
Published: May 2011

Spaces and their boundaries—geographical and otherwise—are socially constructed. Travel is a major means for the engendering of geographical spaces. Humans travel for a great variety of reasons, producing different types of spaces, and corresponding knowledge. Particular spatial organizations embody the specific reasons for and the manner in which sojourners undertake travel. This paper examines the role of long distance travel in the production of specific knowledge of the Chinese empire for two different groups during the late Ming period—the shi(literati-officials) and the shang (merchants). As reflected in the merging of publications for merchants and literati, the act of travel and the very need for it brought these two groups closer together socially. The shi in late Ming China traveled great distances for three major reasons: to take civil service exams, to assume official duties, and to take up teaching or writing jobs. Merchants traveled for business reasons: to acquire materials and products, to sell goods, to negotiate contracts, and to operate shops. But increasingly, these two groups crossed paths with greater intensity and frequency. The travel they undertook brought them into closer social interaction. The knowledge they needed converged so much that commercial publishers found it logical to publish travel guides for both constituencies under one cover. This new genre of publications also provided ethical prescriptions and practical information that both merchants and literati needed. The different levels of literacy among literati and merchant communities prompted publishers to adopt a writing style that mixed the classical style of the literati and a simple plain style easily comprehensible to the merchants. The increase in the use of the term shishang in book titles that included travel guides and other types of knowledge attested to the subtle shift in the production of geographical knowledge, which was no longer organized primarily by imperial interests.
Three-dimensional coherent structures in a swirling jet undergoing vortex breakdown: stability analysis and empirical mode construction
Authors: OBERLEITHNER K. , SIEBER M. , NAYERI C. N. , PASCHEREIT C. O. , PETZ C. , HEGE H.-C. , NOACK B. R. , WYGNANSKI I.
Published: May 2011

The spatio-temporal evolution of a turbulent swirling jet undergoing vortex breakdown has been investigated. Experiments suggest the existence of a self-excited global mode having a single dominant frequency. This oscillatory mode is shown to be absolutely unstable and leads to a rotating counter-winding helical structure that is located at the periphery of the recirculation zone. The resulting time-periodic 3D velocity field is predicted theoretically as being the most unstable mode determined by parabolized stability analysis employing the mean flow data from experiments. The 3D oscillatory flow is constructed from uncorrelated 2D snapshots of particle image velocimetry data, using proper orthogonal decomposition, a phase-averaging technique and an azimuthal symmetry associated with helical structures. Stability-derived modes and empirically derived modes correspond remarkably well, yielding prototypical coherent structures that dominate the investigated flow region. The proposed method of constructing 3D time-periodic velocity fields from uncorrelated 2D data is applicable to a large class of turbulent shear flows.
The Pe ~ 1 regime of convection across a horizontal permeable membrane
Authors: RAMA REDDY G. V. , PUTHENVEETTIL BABURAJ A.
Published: May 2011

In natural convection, driven by an unstable density difference due to a heavier fluid (brine) above a lighter fluid (water) across a horizontal permeable membrane, we discover a new regime of convection, where the Sherwood number (Sh) scales approximately as the Rayleigh number (Ra). Inferring from the planforms of plume structure on the membrane and the estimates of velocity through the membrane, we show that such a regime occurs when advection balances diffusion in the membrane, i.e. the Péclet number based on the membrane thickness (Pe) is of order one. The advection is inferred to be caused by the impingement of the large-scale flow on the membrane. Utilizing mass balance and symmetry assumptions in the top and the bottom fluids, we derive an expression for the concentration profile in the membrane pore in the new regime by solving the convection–diffusion equation in the membrane pore; this helps us to obtain the concentration drops above and below the membrane that drive the convection. We find that the net flux, normalised by the diffusive flux corresponding to the concentration drop on the side opposite to the impingement of the large-scale flow remains constant throughout the new regime. On the basis of this finding, we then obtain an expression for the flux scaling in the new regime which matches with the experiments; the expression has the correct asymptotes of flux scaling in the advection and the diffusion regimes. The plume spacings in the new regime are distributed lognormally, and their mean follows the trend in the advection regime.
Early high-sodium solid diet does not affect sodium intake, sodium preference, blood volume and blood pressure in adult Wistar-Kyoto rats
Authors: Ufnal Marcin , Drapala Adrian , Sikora Mariusz , Zera Tymoteusz
Published: May 2011

A high-Na diet may lead to the development of hypertension in both humans and rats; however, the causes of Na intake in amounts greater than physiologically needed as well as the mechanisms whereby high-Na food elevates blood pressure are not clear. Therefore, we decided to test the hypothesis that a high-Na diet introduced after suckling affects Na intake, food preference, resting blood pressure and blood volume in adult rats. Male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, 4 weeks old, were divided into three groups and placed on either a high-Na (3·28%), a medium-Na (0·82%) or a regular diet (0·22%) with the same energy content for 8 weeks. Subsequently, food preference, resting arterial blood pressure, blood volume, plasma osmolality and Na blood level were evaluated. When offered a choice of diets, all the groups preferred the regular chow, and there was no significant difference in total Na intake between the groups. When the rats experienced the change from their initial chow to a new one with different Na content, they continued to eat the same amount of food. Body weight, resting arterial blood pressure, blood volume, plasma osmolality and Na blood level were comparable between the groups. In conclusion, the results show that a high-Na diet introduced immediately after suckling does not affect Na preference and Na intake in adult WKY rats. Furthermore, the findings provide evidence that both blood volume and arterial blood pressure are highly protected in normotensive rats on a high-Na diet.
Fetal lipopolysaccharide exposure modulates diet-dependent gut maturation and sensitivity to necrotising enterocolitis in pre-term pigs
Authors: Cilieborg Malene S. , Schmidt Mette , Skovgaard Kerstin , Boye Mette , Weber Nicolai R. , Heegaard Peter M. , Burrin Douglas G. , Sangild Per T.
Published: May 2011

Uterine infections during pregnancy predispose to pre-term birth and postnatal morbidity, but it is unknown how prenatal bacterial exposure affects maturation of the immature gut. We hypothesised that a prenatal exposure to gram-negative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has immunomodulatory effects that improve resistance towards necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in pre-term neonates. At approximately 85 % gestation, pig fetuses were injected intramuscularly with saline or LPS (0·014 mg/kg), or intra-amniotically with LPS (0·4 mg/kg). Pigs were delivered by caesarean section 3–5 d later and fed colostrum (C) or formula (F) for 48 h. Gut indices did not differ between pigs injected intramuscularly with saline or LPS, and these groups were therefore pooled into two control groups according to diet (control-F,n32 and control-C,n11). Control-F pigs showed reduced villus heights, mucosal structure, gut integrity, digestive enzymes, elevated NEC incidence (38v.0 %,P < 0·05) and several differentially expressed immune-related genes, relative to control-C pigs. Compared with the control-F and control-C groups, values in formula-fed pigs given intra-amniotic LPS formula (n17) were intermediate for villus height, enzyme activities, intestinal permeability and NEC incidence (18 %,P = 0·2 relative to control-F), and numbers of differentially expressed immune genes. In conclusion, prenatal exposure of the fetal gut to Gram-negative bacteria may modulate the immediate postnatal response to an enteral diet and colonising bacteria.
Association between dietary phyto-oestrogens and bone density in men and postmenopausal women
Authors: Kuhnle Gunter G. C. , Ward Heather A. , Vogiatzoglou Anna , Luben Robert N. , Mulligan Angela , Wareham Nicholas J. , Forouhi Nita G. , Khaw Kay-Tee
Published: May 2011

Phyto-oestrogens have been associated with a decreased risk for osteoporosis, but results from intervention and observational studies in Western countries have been inconsistent. In the present study, we investigated the association between habitual phyto-oestrogen intake and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the calcanaeum as a marker of bone density. We collected 7 d records of diet, medical history and demographic and anthropometric data from participants (aged 45–75 years) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study. Phyto-oestrogen (biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin; genistein, glycitein; matairesinol; secoisolariciresinol; enterolactone; equol) intake was determined using a newly developed food composition database. Bone density was assessed using BUA of the calcanaeum. Associations between bone density and phyto-oestrogen intake were investigated in 2580 postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy and 4973 men. Median intake of total phyto-oestrogens was 876 (interquartile range 412) μg/d in postmenopausal women and 1212 (interquartile range 604) μg/d in men. The non-soya isoflavones formononetin and biochanin A were marginally significant or significantly associated with BUA in postmenopausal women (β = 1·2; P < 0·1) and men (β = 1·2; P < 0·05), respectively; enterolignans and equol were positively associated with bone density in postmenopausal women, but this association became non-significant when dietary Ca was added to the model. In the lowest quintile of Ca intake, soya isoflavones were positively associated with bone density in postmenopausal women (β = 1·4; P < 0·1). The present results therefore suggest that non-soya isoflavones are associated with bone density independent of Ca, whereas the association with soya or soya isoflavones is affected by dietary Ca.
Diabetes prevalence is associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in US middle-aged Caucasian men and women: a cross-sectional analysis within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Authors: Brock Kaye E. , Huang Wen-Yi , Fraser David R. , Ke Liang , Tseng Marilyn , Mason Rebecca S. , Stolzenberg-Solomon Rachael Z. , Michal Freedman D. , Ahn Jiyoung , Peters Ulrike , McCarty Catherine , Hollis Bruce W. , Ziegler Regina G. , Purdue Mark P. , Graubard Barry I.
Published: May 2011

Hypovitaminosis D may be associated with diabetes, hypertension and CHD. However, because studies examining the associations of all three chronic conditions with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) are limited, we examined these associations in the US Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial (n2465). Caucasian PLCO participants selected as controls in previous nested case–control studies of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D were included in this analysis. Diabetes, CHD and hypertension prevalence, risk factors for these conditions and intake of vitamin D and Ca were collected from a baseline questionnaire. Results indicated that serum levels of 25(OH)D were low ( < 50 nmol/l) in 29 % and very low ( < 37 nmol/l) in 11 % of subjects. The prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and CHD was 7, 30 and 10 %, respectively. After adjustment for confounding by sex, geographical location, educational level, smoking history, BMI, physical activity, total dietary energy and vitamin D and Ca intake, only diabetes was significantly associated with lower 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D levels. Caucasians who had 25(OH)D ≥ 80 nmol/l were half as likely to have diabetes (OR 0·5 (95 % CI 0·3, 0·9)) compared with those who had 25(OH)D < 37 nmol/l. Those in the highest quartile of 1,25(OH)2D ( ≥ 103 pmol/l) were less than half as likely to have diabetes (OR 0·3 (95 % CI 0·1, 0·7)) than those in the lowest quartile ( < 72 pmol/l). In conclusion, the independent associations of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D with diabetes prevalence in a large population are new findings, and thus warrant confirmation in larger, prospective studies.
Carnosic acid-rich rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalisL.) leaf extract limits weight gain and improves cholesterol levels and glycaemia in mice on a high-fat diet
Authors: Ibarra Alvin , Cases Julien , Roller Marc , Chiralt-Boix Amparo , Coussaert Aurélie , Ripoll Christophe
Published: May 2011

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalisL.) extracts (RE) are natural antioxidants that are used in food, food supplements and cosmetic applications; exert anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycaemic effects; and promote weight loss, which can be exploited to develop new preventive strategies against metabolic disorders. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the preventive effects of rosemary leaf extract that was standardised to 20 % carnosic acid (RE) on weight gain, glucose levels and lipid homeostasis in mice that had begun a high-fat diet (HFD) as juveniles. The animals were given a low-fat diet, a HFD or a HFD that was supplemented with 500 mg RE/kg body weight per d (mpk). Physiological and biochemical parameters were monitored for 16 weeks. Body and epididymal fat weight in animals on the HFD that was supplemented with RE increased 69 and 79 % less than those in the HFD group. Treatment with RE was associated with increased faecal fat excretion but not with decreased food intake. The extract also reduced fasting glycaemia and plasma cholesterol levels. In addition, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of REin vitroon pancreatic lipase and PPAR-γ agonist activity; thein vitrofindings correlated with our observations in the animal experiments. Thus, the present results suggest that RE that is rich in carnosic acid can be used as a preventive treatment against metabolic disorders, which merits further examination at physiological doses in randomised controlled trials.
Where Governmentality Ends: Border Control Officers and Deportations of Sojourners in Israel
Authors: Korczyn Oded
Published: May 2011

This paper will shed light on the deportation process of visaless sojourners staying and working in Israel. I will explain how state bureaucrats, specifically border control officers of the Enforcement Unit of the Interior Ministry (in Hebrew,hamemune al bikoret hagvulot beyekhidat ha'akhifa, misrad hapnim) are able to conduct activities that cause suffering to sojourners while still viewing themselves as moral human beings, by breaking down the decision-making process into a series of dichotomic categories, by defining Zionism as a context that justifies deportation, and by governing their emotions. I claim that in Israel, state bureaucrats view sojourners as unmanageable and incorrigible. Consequently, deportation becomes a logical course of action. Such an approach, which stresses the bureaucratic aspect of national projects, enables a better understanding of how the “State” is able to perform large-scale projects that cause suffering to individuals.
Unofficial Citizens: Indian Entrepreneurs and the State-Effect in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Vora Neha
Published: May 2011

Building upon theories of the state as an “effect” of multiple, sometimes contradictory practices and narratives, I argue that Indian business elites in Dubai play an important role in both bounding the state as distinct from the economy and legitimizing its power. I focus, therefore, on the forms of citizenship and subjectivity that are being produced in Dubai and how the legitimacy of the state relies not just on the recruitment of citizen subjects, but also on those who are excluded from belonging—like Indian elites in Dubai. Neoliberal narratives and practices of economic “freedom” by elite expatriates mask the ways in which foreign elites are complicit with the state in producing social and economic hierarchies that benefit both citizens and elite expatriates while maintaining a structure of labor migration that significantly disadvantages the majority of foreign residents living in the United Arab Emirates.
Project-Tied Labor Migration from Turkey to the MENA Region: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: İçduygu Ahmet , Sert Deniz
Published: May 2011

The geographic region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) comprises one of the most fascinating immigration regions of the world, hosting millions of migrants and receiving thousands of new migrants each year. While the panorama of MENA's immigration arena is extremely diverse, this article aims to investigate project-tied, or contract-based, labor migration from Turkey, which occurs mostly through the long-established work of Turkish companies that engage in various construction and service-sector businesses. Taking the analytical context of migration system theory into consideration, the main aim of this essay is twofold: while it attempts to document the dynamics and mechanisms of contract-based labor migration from Turkey to the MENA countries, it also intends to elaborate on research about migratory systems between Turkey and the MENA region, mainly referring to macro-level factors affecting the relevant migration system.
Migration, Neoliberal Capitalism, and Islamic Reform in Kozhikode (Calicut), South India
Authors: Osella Filippo , Osella Caroline
Published: May 2011

This article explores relationships between religious and economic practices in Kozhikode, a medium-sized city in Kerala. We examine debates concerning the apparent decline of the “bazaar economy” in the face of the onslaught of globalization and the consequent emergence of a “new economy.” The latter is felt locally to be overdetermined by capital and entrepreneurial practices connected, either directly or indirectly, to the combined effects of migration to the Gulf countries of West Asia and to the post-1991 liberalization of the Indian economy. We argue that these public debates are not simply reflections on the harsh reality of economic rationalization, but underscore the production and articulation of specific economies of morality and affect. We also perceive a drawing together of seemingly divergent orientations, sensibilities, and practices—namely, those commonly associated with reformist Islam and what in recent literature has been described as “neoliberal global capitalism.”
Philippine Migrant Workers' Transnationalism in the Middle East
Authors: Rodriguez Robyn Magalit
Published: May 2011

How do migrants assert their rights as workers when they do not enjoy the rights of citizenship in their countries of employment and are unable to assert their human rights through international conventions? This article focuses on the work of Migrante-International's Middle East chapter in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it examines the ways Philippine migrants strategically assert their rights as Philippine citizens transnationally in local labor struggles. This case study of transnational labor activism in a region where migrant workers enjoy limited rights not only highlights how migrants exercise their agency in spite of major obstacles, but it also offers up novel ways to think about worker organizing within the context of contemporary neoliberal globalization for labor activists and scholars concerned with the labor rights of migrants.
PROPERTIES OF THE GITTINS INDEX WITH APPLICATION TO OPTIMAL SCHEDULING
Authors: Aalto Samuli , Ayesta Urtzi , Righter Rhonda
Published: May 2011

We consider the optimal scheduling problem for a single-server queue without arrivals. We allow preemptions, and our purpose is to minimize the expected flow time. The optimal nonanticipating discipline is known to be the Gittins index policy, which, however, is defined in an implicit way. Until now, its general behavior in this specific problem has been characterized only in a few special cases. In this article, we give as complete a characterization as possible. It turns out that the optimal policy always belongs to the family of multilevel processor sharing disciplines.
PRICING PERISHABLE PRODUCTS WITH COMPOUND POISSON DEMANDS
Authors: Guo Pengfei , Lian Zhaotong , Wang Yulan
Published: May 2011

We consider the dynamic pricing problem of perishable products in a system with a constant production rate. Potential demands arrive according to a compound Poisson process, and are price-sensitive. We carry out the sample path analysis of the inventory process and by using level-crossing method, we derive its stationary distribution given a pricing function. Based on the distribution, we express the average profit function. By a stochastic comparison approach, we characterize the pricing strategy given different customers willingness-to-pay functions. Finally, we provide an approximation algorithm to calculate the optimal pricing function.
EXPLICIT COMPUTATIONS FOR A FILTERING PROBLEM WITH POINT PROCESS OBSERVATIONS WITH APPLICATIONS TO CREDIT RISK
Authors: Leijdekker Vincent , Spreij Peter
Published: May 2011

We consider the filtering problem for a doubly stochastic Poisson or Cox process, where the intensity follows the Cox–Ingersoll–Ross model. In this article we assume that the Brownian motion, which drives the intensity, is not observed. Using filtering theory for point process observations, we first derive the dynamics for the intensity and its moment-generating function, given the observations of the Cox process. A transformation of the dynamics of the conditional moment-generating function allows us to solve in closed form the filtering problem, between the jumps of the Cox process as well as at the jumps, which constitutes the main contribution of the article. Assuming that the initial distribution of the intensity is of the Gamma type, we obtain an explicit solution to the filtering problem for all t>0. We conclude the article with the observation that the resulting conditional moment-generating function at time t, after Nt jumps, corresponds to a mixture of Nt+1 Gamma distributions. Currently, the model that we analyze has become popular in credit risk modeling, where one uses the intensity-based approach for the modeling of default times of one or more companies. In this approach, the default times are defined as the jump times of a Cox process. In such a model, one only has access to observations of the Cox process, and thus filtering comes in as a natural technique in credit risk modeling.
Hand-held histories: using digital archival documents on architectural tours
Authors: Lewi Hannah , Smith Wally
Published: May 2011

The desire to learn about buildings, cities and cultural artefacts by journeying to experience them in situ pervades architectural history. It can be seen in the rise of the grand tour in the eighteenth century, subsequent formalised academic study tours, the ascendancy of cultural museums in the nineteenth century, and the institutionalisation of heritage sites and attractions in the twentieth century. More informally, such journeys are pursued in personal and less prescriptive ways through habitual urban strolling and site-seeing.
Subject and object
Authors: Dannatt Trevor , Rattray Charles , Richards Ivor
Published: May 2011

I wanted to get into the real world – not that the Jane Drew world was very real, considering what was going on. We were fiddling around with six, I think it was, wartime agricultural cottages and then Jane got this famous job of Kitchen Consultant to the Gas Council. She was appointed to do kitchens because women architects were supposed to know about kitchens.
Relationship of exclusive breast-feeding to infections and growth of Tanzanian children born to HIV-infected women
Authors: Mwiru Ramadhani S , Spiegelman Donna , Duggan Christopher , Peterson Karen , Liu Enju , Msamanga Gernard , Aboud Said , Fawzi Wafaie W
Published: May 2011

Objective

We examined the relationships between exclusive breast-feeding and the risks of respiratory, diarrhoea and nutritional morbidities during the first 2 years of life among children born to women infected with HIV-1.

Design

We prospectively determined the incidence of respiratory illnesses, diarrhoea, fever, hospitalizations, outpatient visits and nutritional morbidities. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the relative risks for morbidity episodes and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the incidence rate ratios of nutritional morbidities.

Setting

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Subjects

The sample consisted of 666 children born to HIV-infected women.

Results

The 666 children were followed for 2 years. Exclusive breast-feeding was associated with lower risk for cough (rate ratio (RR) = 0·49, 95 % CI 0·41, 0·60,P< 0·0001), cough and fever (RR = 0·44, 95 % CI 0·32, 0·60,P< 0·0001) and cough and difficulty breathing or refusal to feed (RR = 0·31, 95 % CI 0·18, 0·55,P< 0·0001). Exclusive breast-feeding was also associated with lower risk of acute diarrhoea, watery diarrhoea, dysentery, fever and outpatient visits during the first 6 months of life, but showed no effect at 6–24 months of life. Exclusive breast-feeding did not significantly reduce the risks of nutritional morbidities during the first 2 years of life.

Conclusions

Exclusive breast-feeding is strongly associated with reductions in the risk of respiratory and diarrhoea morbidities during the first 6 months of life among children born to HIV-infected women.
The beginning of the ‘Age of Dinosaurs’: a brief overview of terrestrial biotic changes during the Triassic
Authors: Fraser Nicholas C. , Sues Hans-Dieter
Published: May 2011

The first appearance of dinosaurs during the early Late Triassic coincided with marked faunal changes in terrestrial ecosystems. Most of the major groups of extant tetrapods (or their proximate sister-taxa), including mammaliaforms, crocodyliform archosaurs, lepidosaurs and turtles, also first appeared in the fossil record during the Late Triassic. On the other hand, a number of Palaeozoic ‘holdovers’, such as procolophonid parareptiles, dicynodont therapsids and many groups of temnospondyls, vanished near or at the end of the Triassic. The tempo and mode of this faunal turnover have long been debated, but there has been growing acceptance of a rather sudden event, although the precise dating of such an event remains controversial. However, new discoveries have cast doubt on this assumption. The persistence of non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs alongside dinosaurs well into Norian times hints at a more protracted turnover. New data on Triassic insect assemblages indicate that turnover among insects may also have been more protracted and possibly not co-incident with the faunal changes among tetrapods. Future work directed toward improved absolute age assessments for major faunal assemblages will be critical for a better understanding of the transition from therapsid-dominated to dinosaur-dominated communities during the early Mesozoic.
The Late Triassic (Norian) Adamanian–Revueltian tetrapod faunal transition in the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Authors: Parker William G. , Martz Jeffrey W.
Published: May 2011

Recent stratigraphic revisions of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park, in conjunction with precise and accurate documentation of fossil tetrapod occurrences, clarified the local biostratigraphy, with regional and global implications. A significant overlap between Adamanian and Revueltian faunas is rejected, as is the validity of the Lamyan sub-land vertebrate faunachron. The Adamanian–Revueltian boundary can be precisely placed within the lower Jim Camp Wash beds of the Sonsela Member and thus does not occur at the hypothesised Tr-4 unconformity. This mid-Norian faunal turnover, may coincide with a floral turnover, based on palynology studies and also on sedimentological evidence of increasing aridity. Available age constraints bracketing the turnover horizon are consistent with the age of the Manicouagan impact event. The rise of dinosaurs in western North America did not correspond to the Adamanian–Revueltian transition, and overall dinosauromorph diversity seems to have remained at a constant level across it. The paucity of detailed Late Triassic vertebrate biostratigraphic data and radioisotopic dates makes it currently impossible to either support or reject the existence of globally synchronous Late Triassic extinctions for tetrapods.
Implications of the Newark Supergroup-based astrochronology and geomagnetic polarity time scale (Newark-APTS) for the tempo and mode of the early diversification of the Dinosauria
Authors: Olsen Paul E. , Kent Dennis V. , Whiteside Jessica H.
Published: May 2011

The Newark-APTS established a high-resolution framework for the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. Palaeomagnetic polarity correlations to marine sections show that stage-level correlations of continental sequences were off by as much as 10 million years. New U–Pb ages show the new correlations and the Newark basin astrochronology to be accurate. Correlation of Newark-APTS to the Chinle Formation/Dockum Group, Glen Canyon Group, Fleming Fjord Formation and Ischigualasto Formation led to the following conclusions: (1) there are no unequivocal Carnian-age dinosaurs; (2) the Norian Age was characterised by a slowly increasing saurischian diversity but no unequivocal ornithischians; (3) there was profound Norian and Rhaetian continental provinciality; (4) the classic Chinle-, Germanic- and Los Colorados-type assemblages may have persisted to the close of the Rhaetian; (5) the distinct genus-level biotic transition traditionally correlated with the marine Carnian–Norian is in fact mid-Norian in age and within published error of the Manicouagan impact; (6) the end-Triassic marine and continental extinctions as seen in eastern North America were contemporaneous; and (7) compared to Triassic communities, Hettangian and Sinemurian age terrestrial communities were nearly globally homogenous and of low diversity. Consequently, the complex emerging picture of dinosaur diversification demands biostratigraphically-independent geochronologies in each of the faunally-important regions.
Macroevolutionary patterns in the evolutionary radiation of archosaurs (Tetrapoda: Diapsida)
Authors: Brusatte Stephen L. , Benton Michael J. , Lloyd Graeme T. , Ruta Marcello , Wang Steve C.
Published: May 2011

The rise of archosaurs during the Triassic and Early Jurassic has been treated as a classic example of an evolutionary radiation in the fossil record. This paper reviews published studies and provides new data on archosaur lineage origination, diversity and lineage evolution, morphological disparity, rates of morphological character change, and faunal abundance during the Triassic–Early Jurassic. The fundamental archosaur lineages originated early in the Triassic, in concert with the highest rates of character change. Disparity and diversity peaked later, during the Norian, but the most significant increase in disparity occurred before maximum diversity. Archosaurs were rare components of Early–Middle Triassic faunas, but were more abundant in the Late Triassic and pre-eminent globally by the Early Jurassic. The archosaur radiation was a drawn-out event and major components such as diversity and abundance were discordant from each other. Crurotarsans (crocodile-line archosaurs) were more disparate, diverse, and abundant than avemetatarsalians (bird-line archosaurs, including dinosaurs) during the Late Triassic, but these roles were reversed in the Early Jurassic. There is no strong evidence that dinosaurs outcompeted or gradually eclipsed crurotarsans during the Late Triassic. Instead, crurotarsan diversity decreased precipitously by the end-Triassic extinction, which helped usher in the age of dinosaurian dominance.