bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Civil Rights and Social Welfare: Some Thoughts on the Contemporary Relevance of T. H. Marshall
Authors: CONNELL ANDREW
Published: August 2012

This article draws on T H Marshall's celebrated classification of civil, political and social rights to examine the use of the courts by individuals seeking to establish rights to particular forms or models of welfare service provision. It argues that tensions between the collective and individual aspects of social rights, the relationship of social rights to inequality, and the difficulty of quantifying (and therefore enforcing) legitimate expectations, all make the use of litigation to establish social rights intensely problematic. Drawing on the recent UK Supreme Court case of R (on the Application of McDonald) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, it goes on to suggest that it is unhelpful to think of social rights in terms of human rights: instead, we would do better to adopt Marshall's emphasis on the citizenship basis of social rights and on the social and political context within which they necessarily exist.
Reluctant Coalitionists: The Conservative Party and the Establishment of the Coalition Government in May 2010
Authors: EVANS STEPHEN
Published: August 2012

The Conservative party has been the real awkward partner in the Conservative‐Liberal Democrat coalition government because its backbench MPs have rebelled more frequently than their Liberal Democrat counterparts since May 2010. This reflected the fact that the Conservatives were reluctant coalitionists to begin with: they would have preferred to see a minority Conservative government, they had made far too many concessions to the Liberal Democrats, they had been bounced into accepting a coalition deal by a controlling party leadership, and they had lost out on those ministerial positions now held by Liberal Democrats. There was thus no great enthusiasm for the establishment of a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats in the parliamentary Conservative party in May 2010. Conservatives merely resigned themselves to an outcome which they had been given little opportunity to influence and which David Cameron had made it very difficult for them to reject.
Human Rights or Citizen's Privileges: The Great Bill of Rights Swindle
Authors: CHAKRABARTI SHAMI
Published: August 2012

New Labour arguably left Britain more comfortable in its diversity and better protected by anti‐discrimination law. Equal treatment for gay people advanced significantly and the Human Rights Act provides a modern Bill of Rights for everyone in the Kingdom. Curiously however, parallel laws dishonoured these values in thought, word and deed. Home affairs hyperactivity left ours a less friendly country in which to seek asylum, dissent or even be young. The Coalition bound itself together with ‘civil liberties’ and quickly reversed some excesses of the previous decade. Last year's ‘Arab Spring saw it promote human rights abroad. However the Government appears bitterly divided by them at home. Is the debate about a more ‘British’ Bill of Rights, political genius, pragmatic fudge or a dangerous swindle capable of depriving us all of vital protection against abuse of power?”
Traumatic spinal cord injury in two European countries: why the differences?
Authors: Sabre L. , Hagen E. M. , Rekand T. , Asser T. , Kõrv J.
Published: August 2012

Background and purpose

The aim of the study was to compare the incidence, causes, severity and mortality of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Western Norway and Estonia from 1997 to 2001.

Methods

The patients were identified from hospital records. All patients were followed until death or 14 October 2011. Analysed data included demographic data, causes of injury, neurological level, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale and mortality.

Results

A total of 71 patients in Western Norway and 244 in Estonia were included. The standardized incidence rate per million was 24.9 (CI 95%, 19.4–31.7) for Western Norway and 37.4 (CI 95%, 32.8–42.5) for Estonia. Falls was the most frequent cause of TSCI in both countries. The incidence of TSCI was highest among men in their 20s in Estonia and men in their 70s in Western Norway. The median survival time among the deceased was 4.0 (95% CI, 1.50–6.50) years in Norway and 2.8 (95% CI, 1.54–4.04) in Estonia. The mean standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 5.00 (95% CI, 4.00–6.20) in Estonia and 1.89 (95% CI, 1.23–2.77) in Western Norway.

Conclusion

Although the two cohorts had similar demographic, injury and clinical characteristics, the age profile of the victims was different. The incidence rate was 1.5 times higher and SMR was 2.7 times higher in Estonia. Probable explanations for the different outcomes of the two European countries are socioeconomic differences, lower physical activity level, lower life expectancy and insufficient injury prevention programmes in Estonia.
Can you Know me Better? An Exploratory Study Combining Behavioural and Physiological Measurements for an Objective Assessment of Sensory Responsiveness in a Child with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
Authors: Lima Mariely , Silva Karine , Magalhães Ana , Amaral Isabel , Pestana Helena , de Sousa Liliana
Published: August 2012

Background Sensory assessment of individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) can be difficult for several reasons, including the idiosyncratic reactions that these individuals exhibit to environmental stimuli. This case report presents a combination of behavioural and physiological measurements aimed at providing an objective assessment of the sensory responsiveness of a child with PIMD.

Material and Methods The participant was presented with a set of nineteen stimuli commonly used during sensory interventions. Responsiveness to these stimuli was assessed in terms of motor movements, heart rate and electrodermal responses.

Results Although the child only exhibited consistent motor reactions to three of the items, he showed consistent physiological reactions to a total of ten stimuli.

Conclusions Obtained data, although preliminary, suggest that combining behavioural and physiological measurements may constitute a useful resource for assessing the actual responsiveness of individuals with PIMD. With such a resource, people close to these individuals could fine tune their interventions and guarantee their well‐being.
Codon usage bias: causative factors, quantification methods and genome‐wide patterns: with emphasis on insect genomes
Authors: Behura Susanta K. , Severson David W.
Published: August 2012

Codon usage bias refers to the phenomenon where specific codons are used more often than other synonymous codons during translation of genes, the extent of which varies within and among species. Molecular evolutionary investigations suggest that codon bias is manifested as a result of balance between mutational and translational selection of such genes and that this phenomenon is widespread across species and may contribute to genome evolution in a significant manner. With the advent of whole‐genome sequencing of numerous species, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, genome‐wide patterns of codon bias are emerging in different organisms. Various factors such as expression level, GC content, recombination rates, RNA stability, codon position, gene length and others (including environmental stress and population size) can influence codon usage bias within and among species. Moreover, there has been a continuous quest towards developing new concepts and tools to measure the extent of codon usage bias of genes. In this review, we outline the fundamental concepts of evolution of the genetic code, discuss various factors that may influence biased usage of synonymous codons and then outline different principles and methods of measurement of codon usage bias. Finally, we discuss selected studies performed using whole‐genome sequences of different insect species to show how codon bias patterns vary within and among genomes. We conclude with generalized remarks on specific emerging aspects of codon bias studies and highlight the recent explosion of genome‐sequencing efforts on arthropods (such as twelve Drosophila species, species of ants, honeybee, Nasonia and Anopheles mosquitoes as well as the recent launch of a genome‐sequencing project involving 5000 insects and other arthropods) that may help us to understand better the evolution of codon bias and its biological significance.
Are hips stable in children with cerebral palsy?
Authors: RUTZ ERICH
Published: August 2012

This commentary is on the original article by Terjesen on pages 951‐957 of this issue.
Decreases in plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase in brain synaptic membrane rafts from aged rats
Authors: Jiang Lei , Bechtel Misty D. , Galeva Nadezhda A. , Williams Todd D. , Michaelis Elias K. , Michaelis Mary L.
Published: August 2012

Precise regulation of free intracellular Ca2+ concentrations [Ca2+]i is critical for normal neuronal function, and alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis are associated with brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. One of the most important proteins controlling [Ca2+]i is the plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase (PMCA), the high‐affinity transporter that fine tunes the cytosolic nanomolar levels of Ca2+. We previously found that PMCA protein in synaptic plasma membranes (SPMs) is decreased with advancing age and the decrease in enzyme activity is much greater than that in protein levels. In this study, we isolated raft and non‐raft fractions from rat brain SPMs and used quantitative mass spectrometry to show that the specialized lipid microdomains in SPMs, the rafts, contain 60% of total PMCA, comprised all four isoforms. The raft PMCA pool had the highest specific activity and this decreased progressively with age. The reduction in PMCA protein could not account for the dramatic activity loss. Addition of excess calmodulin to the assay did not restore PMCA activity to that in young brains. Analysis of the major raft lipids revealed a slight age‐related increase in cholesterol levels and such increases might enhance membrane lipid order and prevent further loss of PMCA activity.
Dynamic accommodative response to different visual stimuli (2D vs 3D) while watching television and while playing Nintendo 3DS Console
Authors: Oliveira Sílvia , Jorge Jorge , González‐Méijome José M
Published: August 2012

Citation information: Oliveira S, Jorge J & González‐Méijome JM. Dynamic accommodative response to different visual stimuli (2D vs 3D) while watching television and while playing Nintendo 3DS Console. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2012, 32, 383–389 doi: 10.1111/j.1475‐1313.2012.00934.x

Purpose:  The aim of the present study was to compare the accommodative response to the same visual content presented in two dimensions (2D) and stereoscopically in three dimensions (3D) while participants were either watching a television (TV) or Nintendo 3DS console.

Methods:  Twenty‐two university students, with a mean age of 20.3 ± 2.0 years (mean ± S.D.), were recruited to participate in the TV experiment and fifteen, with a mean age of 20.1 ± 1.5 years took part in the Nintendo 3DS console study. The accommodative response was measured using a Grand Seiko WAM 5500 autorefractor. In the TV experiment, three conditions were used initially: the film was viewed in 2D mode (TV2D without glasses), the same sequence was watched in 2D whilst shutter‐glasses were worn (TV2D with glasses) and the sequence was viewed in 3D mode (TV3D). Measurements were taken for 5 min in each condition, and these sections were sub‐divided into ten 30‐s segments to examine changes within the film. In addition, the accommodative response to three points of different disparity of one 3D frame was assessed for 30 s. In the Nintendo experiment, two conditions were employed – 2D viewing and stereoscopic 3D viewing.

Results:  In the TV experiment no statistically significant differences were found between the accommodative response with TV2D without glasses (−0.38 ± 0.32D, mean ± S.D.) and TV3D (−0.37 ± 0.34D). Also, no differences were found between the various segments of the film, or between the accommodative response to different points of one frame (p > 0.05). A significant difference (p = 0.015) was found, however, between the TV2D with (−0.32 ± 0.32D) and without glasses (−0.38 ± 0.32D). In the Nintendo experiment the accommodative responses obtained in modes 2D (−2.57 ± 0.30D) and 3D (−2.49 ± 0.28D) were significantly different (paired t‐test p = 0.03).

Conclusions:  The need to use shutter‐glasses may affect the accommodative response during the viewing of displays, and the accommodative response when playing Nintendo 3DS in 3D mode is lower than when it is viewed in 2D.
Parallel metaheuristics: recent advances and new trends
Authors: Alba Enrique , Luque Gabriel , Nesmachnow Sergio
Published: August 2012

The field of parallel metaheuristics is continuously evolving as a result of new technologies and needs that researchers have been encountering. In the last decade, new models of algorithms, new hardware for parallel execution/communication, and new challenges in solving complex problems have been making advances in a fast manner. We aim to discuss here on the state of the art, in a summarized manner, to provide a solution to deal with some of the growing topics. These topics include the utilization of classic parallel models in recent platforms (such as grid/cloud architectures and GPU/APU). However, porting existing algorithms to new hardware is not enough as a scientific goal, therefore researchers are looking for new parallel optimization and learning models that are targeted to these new architectures. Also, parallel metaheuristics, such as dynamic optimization and multiobjective problem resolution, have been applied to solve new problem domains in past years. In this article, we review these recent research areas in connection to parallel metaheuristics, as well as we identify future trends and possible open research lines for groups and PhD students.
Tariff and environmental policies with product standards
Authors: Chao Chi‐Chur , Laffargue Jean‐Pierre , Sgro Pasquale M.
Published: August 2012

Abstract For a small open economy with consumption‐based pollution emissions, the first‐best optimal policy prescription is free trade along with a Pigouvian tax on emissions. Therefore, a package of coordinated tax reform by replacing tariffs with emission taxes can lower pollution emissions and increase market access and hence improve residents’ welfare and government revenue, as long as the initial tariffs are relatively high. Numerical simulations confirm the results obtained.
Children’s environmental health, education, and economic development
Authors: Raffin Natacha
Published: August 2012

Abstract This article aims at investigating the interplay between environmental quality, health, and economic development in a unified OLG framework. Human capital accumulation depends on the environment through its impact on children’s health and workers’ productivity. In turn, environmental quality dynamics rely upon human capital that determines maintenance efforts. This two‐way relationship generates a co‐evolution of human capital and environmental quality in the long run. Along the transition path, the dynamic interactions between economic and environmental spheres allow for replicating two different trajectories: some economies experiment an Environmental Kuznets Curve while some others are caught into the environmental poverty trap.
Should countries block foreign takeovers of R&D champions and promote greenfield entry?
Authors: Bertrand Olivier , Hakkala Katariina Nilsson , Norbäck Pehr‐Johan , Persson Lars
Published: August 2012

Abstract In R&D intensive industries, governments promote greenfield foreign investments, while being sceptical towards foreign acquisitions of domestic high‐quality firms. We develop a theoretical model that shows that foreign acquisitions are conducive to high‐quality targets because of strategic effects on the sales price. However, foreign firms ‘cherry pick’ high‐quality targets to expand R&D rather than to downsize. Otherwise, rivals expand R&D, making the acquisition unprofitable. Thus, our model predicts that acquired affiliates invest more in R&D than greenfield affiliates. Using affiliate data, we find evidence that acquired affiliates have a higher level of sequential R&D intensity than greenfield affiliates.
Misleading advertising in duopoly
Authors: Hattori Keisuke , Higashida Keisaku
Published: August 2012

Abstract This paper builds a model of strategic misleading advertising in duopolistic markets with horizontal product differentiation and advertising externality between firms. We investigate the effects of regulating misinformation on market competition, behaviour of firms, and social welfare. We show that the degree of advertising externality and the magnitude of advertising costs are crucial for determining the welfare effects of several regulations, including prohibiting misleading advertising, educating consumers, taxing production, and taxing misleading advertising. We extend the model by introducing heterogeneous consumers, heterogeneous production costs between firms, and the degree of advertising informativeness. Our results have important policy implications for the debate regarding regulation of advertising, especially direct‐to‐consumer advertising for prescription and over‐the‐counter drugs.
Comparing features of convenient estimators for binary choice models with endogenous regressors
Authors: Lewbel Arthur , Dong Yingying , Yang Thomas Tao
Published: August 2012

Abstract We discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of four types of convenient estimators of binary choice models when regressors may be endogenous or mismeasured or when errors are likely to be heteroscedastic. For example, such models arise when treatment is not randomly assigned and outcomes are binary. The estimators we compare are the two‐stage least squares linear probability model, maximum likelihood estimation, control function estimators, and special regressor methods. We specifically focus on models and associated estimators that are easy to implement. Also, for calculating choice probabilities and regressor marginal effects, we propose the average index function (AIF), which, unlike the average structural function (ASF), is always easy to estimate.
Public Managers in Integrated Services Collaboratives: What Works Is Workarounds
Authors: Campbell David
Published: August 2012

Public managers in local integrated services collaboratives find that commitment to local partnership goals sometimes requires evading policy directives that are imposed by legislation or bureaucratic superiors. Using data that reveal what is often concealed, the author finds that these workarounds can be defined and identified and that they often revolve around central features of policy rather than marginal details. Workarounds emerge in the space created by certain managerial strategies and dispositions: treating directives as starting points for negotiation, using performance to justify discretion and manage risk, establishing local collaborative goals as an alternative locus of accountability, and distinguishing front‐door services from back‐door accounting. By aggregating data from clusters of workaround stories, researchers and practitioners can (1) identify policy flaws in need of repair, (2) illuminate tensions in the integrated service ideal, and (3) inform the enduring normative debate over administrative discretion and public accountability.
Natural History of Early Repolarization in the Inferior Leads
Authors: Stein Ricardo , Sallam Karim , Adhikarla Chandana , Boga Madhavi , Wood Alexander D. , F Froelicher Victor
Published: August 2012

Aims: Though early repolarization (ER) in the inferior leads has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, its natural history is uncertain. We aimed to study the serial electrocardiographic behavior of inferior ER and understand factors associated with that behavior.

Methods: We selected electrocardiograms (ECGs) from patients with the greatest amplitude of ER in AVF from ECGs of 29,281 ambulatory patients recorded between 1987 and 1999 at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital. Starting from the highest amplitude, we reviewed the ECGs and medical records from the first 85%. From this convenience sample, 36 were excluded for abnormal patterns similar to ER. The remaining 257 patients were searched for another ECG at least 5 months later, of whom, 136 satisfied this criteria. These ECGs were paired for comparison and coded by four interpreters.

Results: The average time between the first and second ECGs was 10 years. Of the 136 subjects, 47% retained ER while 53% no longer fulfilled the amplitude criteria. While no significant differences were found in initial heart rate (HR) or time interval between ECGs, those who lost the ER pattern had a greater difference in HR between the ECGs. There was no significant difference in the incidence of cardiovascular events or deaths.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the ECG pattern of ER was lost over 10 years in over half of the cohort. The loss of ER was partially explained by changes in HR, but not higher incidence of cardiovascular events or death, suggesting the entity is a benign finding.
Dual Atrioventricular Nodal Nonreentrant Tachycardia with Alternating 1:1 and 1:2 AV Conduction: Mechanistic Hypotheses and Total Suppression Using Right Atrial Pacing
Authors: Wang Norman C. , Shah Hemal , Jain Sandeep K. , Saba Samir
Published: August 2012

Dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal nonreentrant tachycardia is an uncommon arrhythmia with several pattern types. The primary therapy is ablation of the slow AV nodal pathway. A rare pattern type demonstrates alternating 1:2 and 1:1 AV ratios with longer PR intervals during 1:1 conduction. We report the second intracardiac study of this variant and the first case of using right atrial pacing as the ultimate therapy for any pattern type.
Predictive Value of Heart Rate Recovery after Exercise Testing in Addition to Brain Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Ambulatory Patients with Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Shinoda Norihiro , Hirashiki Akihiro , Okumura Takahiro , Okamoto Rie , Wu Cheng Xian , Kono Yuji , Takeshita Kyosuke , Yamada Sumio , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: August 2012

Background: Heart rate recovery (HRR) is related to autonomic function and is a prognostic marker in cardiovascular disease. We sought to investigate the clinical utility of HRR in addition to BNP levels in ambulatory outpatients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM).

Methods: Seventy‐nine NICM outpatients were followed for a mean of 19 months. HRR was defined as the difference in heart rate between peak exercise and 1 minute later. On the basis of the lower tertile value, we allocated the patients to two groups: with HRR >12 bpm (n = 48; normal) and with HRR ≤12 bpm (n = 31, abnormal).

Results: The probability of cardiac event‐free survival was significantly lower in the abnormal HRR group than in the normal HRR group (P = 0.002). Stepwise multivariate analysis revealed that plasma BNP and HRR were independent predictors of cardiac events. Patients with both HRR ≤12 bpm and BNP ≥200 pg/mL had significantly higher rates of cardiac events than those in whom only one, or neither, of these variables was abnormal.

Conclusions: HRR after exercise testing, in addition to plasma BNP level, might be a useful indicator as a predictor for admission due to worsening heart failure and its combination is able to provide additive prognostic information in ambulatory outpatients with NICM.
Comparison of eggshell porosity and estimated gas flux between the brown‐headed cowbird and two common hosts
Authors: Jaeckle W. B. , Kiefer M. , Childs B. , Harper R. G. , Rivers J. W. , Peer B. D.
Published: August 2012

The brown‐headed cowbirdMolothrus ateris a brood‐parasite that lays eggs in nests of a wide range of host species, including the closely‐related red‐winged blackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusand the dickcisselSpiza americana. Although cowbird eggs have accelerated development and hatch sooner than similar‐sized host eggs, this development takes place within a thickened eggshell that could impede gas flux to the developing embryo. We tested the hypothesis that the accelerated development of the cowbird embryo relative to hosts is enabled by an increase in eggshell porosity that allows increased fluxes of respiratory gases to and from the developing embryo. We found cowbird eggshell thickness was significantly greater than the eggshells of these two common hosts. Although the number of pores per egg was similar among all three species, the total pore area per egg in cowbirds was significantly greater than that of either host, despite having a smaller eggshell surface area than the red‐winged blackbird. Cowbird egg pore area was 1.9×larger than that of the red‐winged blackbird. Cowbird eggshells had a significantly greater gas flux than those of the red‐winged blackbird and the dickcissel. When conductance was normalized to published values of egg mass, cowbird eggs had a higher mass‐specific conductance than red‐winged blackbird or dickcissel eggs. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the rapid development of brown‐headed cowbird embryos is facilitated by increased eggshell porosity, and that changes in eggshell porosity represent an adaptation that enables cowbird eggs to hatch earlier than equivalently‐sized host eggs.
The inflammation highway: metabolism accelerates inflammatory traffic in obesity
Authors: Johnson Amy R. , Justin Milner J. , Makowski Liza
Published: August 2012

As humans evolved, perhaps the two strongest selection determinants of survival were a robust immune response able to clear bacterial, viral, and parasitic infection and an ability to efficiently store nutrients to survive times when food sources were scarce. These traits are not mutually exclusive. It is now apparent that critical proteins necessary for regulating energy metabolism, such as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors, Toll‐like receptors, and fatty acid‐binding proteins, also act as links between nutrient metabolism and inflammatory pathway activation in immune cells. Obesity in humans is a symptom of energy imbalance: the scale has been tipped such that energy intake exceeds energy output and may be a result, in part, of evolutionary selection toward a phenotype characterized by efficient energy storage. As discussed in this review, obesity is a state of low‐grade, chronic inflammation that promotes the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Ironically, the formation of systemic and/or local, tissue‐specific insulin resistance upon inflammatory cell activation may actually be a protective mechanism that co‐evolved to repartition energy sources within the body during times of stress during infection. However, the point has been reached where a once beneficial adaptive trait has become detrimental to the health of the individual and an immense public health and economic burden. This article reviews the complex relationship between obesity, insulin resistance/diabetes, and inflammation, and although the liver, brain, pancreas, muscle, and other tissues are relevant, we focus specifically on how the obese adipose microenvironment can promote immune cell influx and sustain damaging inflammation that can lead to the onset of insulin resistance and diabetes. Finally, we address how substrate metabolism may regulate the immune response and discuss how fuel uptake and metabolism may be a targetable approach to limit or abrogate obesity‐induced inflammation.
Vegetation responses to long‐term alkaline cement dust pollution in Pinus sylvestris‐dominated boreal forests – niche breadth along the soil pH gradient
Authors: Paal Jaanus , Degtjarenko Polina , Suija Ave , Liira Jaan
Published: August 2012

Questions

How resilient is boreal forest vegetation growing on acidic podzols to the environmental change caused by alkaline kiln dust pollution? How adaptive is the vegetation, when species pool and time for dispersal do not limit? How constant is the species niche breadth along the soil pH gradient?

Location

Region of 30 km around the Kunda cement plant, northern Estonia (59°30′ N, 26°32′ E), which has been continuously polluted last 140 years.

Methods

We sampled 20 forest stands on sandy gleyic podzols at various distances from the pollution source, leeward and windward of prevailing winds. Data processing: principal components analysis for gradient generalization, indicator species analysis for grouping species along the pollution gradient and generalized linear model analyses to estimate species reaction to pollution, considering covariates.

Results

The impact of alkaline dust accumulated over a century persisted despite resolute reductions of pollution. Forest soil conditions changed 10 km leeward and 5 km windward from the source: the litter pH level changed from 3.6 to 4.5 in unpolluted forests to 7.1–7.4 in the heavily polluted forests, and soil Ca content increased ten‐fold. Soil alkalization has induced a remarkable succession from typical boreal vegetation toward vegetation of boreo‐nemoral or calcareous habitats. We detected a linear increase of species richness from habitats on acidic soils (unpolluted) to newly formed alkaline soils (polluted habitats), reflecting the species pool composition and size, which is known to be large for calcicolous species. The establishment of several endangered calcicolous species shows the lack of dispersal limitation and points on their narrow soil pH niche. The niche breadth of species along the pH gradient varied among species, but only a few species appeared to be pH generalists.

Conclusions

Species ranking along the pH and/or Ca gradients indicates (1) the existence of different ecological guilds in terms of ecological niche use, and (2) the formation of a new community is dictated by the tolerance level of each species. This supports the individualistic community assembly rule suggested by Gleason. We find that such polluted regions with disturbed communities have high scientific value as long‐term ecological experiments, but this might lead to conflict between the peculiar biodiversity complex and human well‐being.
Erythropoietin is involved in hemoprotein syntheses in developing human decidua
Authors: Shiota Mitsuru , Yasuda Yoshiko , Shimaoka Masao , Tsuritani Mitsuhiro , Koike Eiji , Oiki Masaaki , Matsubara Junko , Taketani Shigeru , Murakami Hitoshi , Yamasaki Harufumi , Okumoto Katsumi , Hoshiai Hiroshi
Published: August 2012

Before establishment of feto‐placental circulation, decidua can synthesize hemoproteins to maintain oxygen homeostasis in situ. Using the human decidua of induced abortions ranging from 5 to 8 weeks of gestation, we determined the expression levels of erythropoietin, erythropoietin receptor, cytoglobin, myoglobin, embryonic‐, fetal‐ and adult hemoglobin mRNA by quantitative RT‐PCR analysis and identified their proteins by Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. Erythropoietin signaling was demonstrated in phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase/protein kinase B pathway by Western blot, and the transcriptional factors for erythroid and non‐erythroid heme synthesis were examined by RT‐PCR analysis. In decidua, erythropoietin and its receptor mRNAs, erythropoietin receptor protein and phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase, were expressed with a peak at 6 weeks of gestation. Moreover, the decidua during 5 to 8 weeks of gestation expressed embryonic, fetal and adult hemoglobins additionally cytoglobin and myoglobin at transcriptional and protein levels. The heme portion of these hemoproteins is considered to be synthesized by non‐erythroid δ‐aminolevulinate synthase. These hemoproteins were discernible especially in decidual cells concomitant with cytotrophoblast cells and macrophage in these developing decidua. Considering the different capacity for oxygen binding and dissociation among hemoglobins with the oxygen storage capacity for cytoglobin and myoglobin, these hemoproteins appear to play a role in oxygen demand in decidua in situ before development of feto‐placental circulation under the control of erythropoietin signaling.
Identification and characterization of a cis,trans‐mixed heptaprenyl diphosphate synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Kera Kota , Takahashi Seiji , Sutoh Tsuyoshi , Koyama Tanetoshi , Nakayama Toru
Published: August 2012

In eukaryotes, dolichols (C70‐120) play indispensable roles as glycosyl carrier lipids in the biosynthesis of glycoproteins on endoplasmic reticulum. In addition to dolichols, seed plants have other types of Z,E‐mixed polyisoprenoids termed ficaprenol (tri‐trans,poly‐cis‐polyprenol, C45‐75) and betulaprenol (di‐trans,poly‐cis‐polyprenol, C30‐45 and C≥70) in abundance. However, the physiological significance of these polyprenols has not been elucidated because of limited information regarding cis‐prenyltransferases (cPTs) which catalyze the formation of the structural backbone of Z,E‐mixed polyisoprenoids. In the comprehensive identification and characterization of cPT homologues from Arabidopsis thaliana, AtHEPS was identified as a novel cis,trans‐mixed heptaprenyl diphosphate synthase. AtHEPS heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli catalyzed the formation of C35 polyisoprenoid as a major product, independent of the chain lengths of all‐trans allylic primer substrates. Kinetic analyses revealed that farnesyl diphosphate was the most favorable for AtHEPS among the allylic substrates tested suggesting that AtHEPS was responsible for the formation of C35 betulaprenol. AtHEPS partially suppressed the phenotypes of a yeast cPT mutant deficient in the biosynthesis of dolichols. Moreover, in A. thaliana cells, subcellular localization of AtHEPS on the endoplasmic reticulum was shown by using green fluorescent protein fused proteins. However, a cold‐stress‐inducible expression of AtHEPS suggested that AtHEPS and its product might function in response to abiotic stresses rather than in cell maintenance as a glycosyl carrier lipid on the endoplasmic reticulum.
Alpha‐Galactosidase A Activity Levels in Turkish Male Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kalkan Uçar Sema , Sozmen Eser , Duman Soner , Başçi Ali , Çoker Mahmut
Published: August 2012

Fabry disease is an X‐linked lysosomal storage disorder due to deficient activity of alpha‐galactosidase A (α‐Gal A) leading to renal insufficiency in males. The aim of present study was to investigate the level of α‐Gal A activity and to determine the prevalence of Fabry disease in a Turkish male hemodialysis population. The activity of plasma α‐Gal A was measured in a group of 808 male hemodialysis patients using fluorimetric methods. Patients with low α‐Gal A activity were evaluated clinically and genetic testing was carried out. A correlation with creatinine, uric acid, urea, white blood cell (WBC), and high sensitivity (hs)CRP and α‐Gal A activity was also investigated. Plasma α‐Gal A activity among this male population undergoing hemodialysis was 7.88 ± 5.18 µM/hour/L (0.40–55.72), significantly lower when compared to controls. No influence of creatinine, uric acid, WBC, or hsCRP on measured α‐Gal A activity was reported. Two new Fabry disease patients were identified. Both were previously diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2. These findings provide, for the first time, data regarding the prevalence of α‐Gal A deficiency (0.24%) in Turkish males receiving hemodialysis.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Physical Activity Behavior Among Elementary School Personnel: Baseline Results from the ACTION! Worksite Wellness Program*
Authors: Webber Larry S. , Rice Janet C. , Johnson Carolyn C. , Rose Donald , Srinivasan Sathanur R. , Berenson Gerald S.
Published: August 2012

BACKGROUND:Although the prevalence of obesity is increasing during adulthood, there have been few assessments of obesity, cardiovascular risk factors, and levels of physical activity among adult elementary school staff.

METHODS:Data were collected from 745 African‐American and White female school personnel in a suburban school district in southeastern Louisiana as part of the baseline assessment before implementation of a program to improve eating and physical activity behaviors. Anthropometry, blood pressure, serum lipids and lipoproteins, and glucose were measured using established protocols. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometry.

RESULTS:For both White and Black females, 30% were overweight (body mass index [BMI]) ≥25 kg/m2but <30 kg/m2). Whereas 37% of White females were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), 61% of the Black females were obese. There was a positive association between BMI and other cardiovascular risk factors except for high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, where the association was negative. The mean number of minutes of daily moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity was <1 minute per day and was lower for overweight and obese women than for normal weight women.

CONCLUSIONS:School personnel in the study have adverse cardiovascular risk factors, including high rates of obesity and very low levels of physical activity. Because these individuals are often called upon to promote health for children, they are an important target population for wellness interventions.
The susceptibility ofPseudomonas spp. isolated from dogs with otitis to topical ear cleaners
Authors: Steen S. I. , Paterson S.
Published: August 2012

Objective

To investigate the in vitro efficacy of commercially available topical otic preparations (“ear cleaners”) againstPseudomonas spp. isolated from canine ear infections.

Methods

Between January and May 2011, 50 isolates that were morphologically and phenotypically confirmed asPseudomonas spp. were isolated from 48 dogs that had been identified with clinical signs of otitis externa and media at a referral dermatology clinic in the north west of the UK. The in vitro efficacy of eight different topical preparations against these isolates was investigated using an in‐agar inhibition test.

Results

Of the eight preparations tested, three showed consistently good in vitro activity againstPseudomonas spp., while a further three were consistently ineffective. For the remaining two ‐preparations, in vitro efficacy was variable and inconsistent.

Clinical Significance

Topical treatment with ear cleaners is considered to be a valuable adjunct in the treatment of canine otitis that involves multi‐antimicrobial‐resistant organisms such asPseudomonas spp. Where treatment with antimicrobials is not an option, the use of these preparations, as a sole form of therapy, may be effective in some cases. As a comparison with other similar studies looking at the activity of ear cleaners against bacterial isolates from otitis, this study uses isolates from 50 ears from 48 dogs providing a significant number of isolates for analysis.
Paleontology to policy: the Quaternary history of Southeast Asian tapirs (Tapiridae) in relation to large mammal species turnover, with a proposal for conservation of Malayan tapir by reintroduction to Borneo
Authors: CRANBROOK Earl of , PIPER Philip J.
Published: August 2012

The Southeast Asian zoogeographical region is divided into Indochinese, Sundaic and Philippine subregions. Two clades of tapirs, Tapirus spp., have been recognized in Quaternary Southeast Asia. A review of sites at which they occurred shows that representatives of both clades, one of which was the ancestral Malayan tapir Tapirus indicus, co‐existed with a diversity of other Pleistocene mammal megafauna. The process of replacement of archaic large mammals was progressive and prolonged through the Quaternary. Zooarcheological investigation has extended knowledge of the former occurrence and distribution of tapirs and other large mammals of the region, with discoveries beyond the outer limits of their previously known ranges. These large mammals were subjected to paleoenvironmental changes as a consequence of the Quaternary cycles of glacial and interglacial periods. Archeological evidence suggests that hunting pressure has intensified the effects of altered environments, leading ultimately to the local disappearance of the Malayan tapir in most of Southeast Asia, including Borneo. The survival of the Malayan tapir through the Quaternary until the present shows that the species is both resilient to environmental change and flexible in its ecological re'uirements and, given proper protection, could continue to inhabit tropical Southeast Asia. To assist the species conservation, reintroduction is proposed from the remaining range of Malayan tapir in the wild, to suitable sites of past occurrence in Borneo, where these ancient survivors of the Quaternary megafauna can be accommodated and safeguarded alongside other forms of land usage.
Observations on Degenerative Changes Within the Optic Nerve in Patients With Primary Open Glaucoma and Arterial Hypertension: 6‐Month Follow‐Up
Authors: Krasińska Beata , Banach Maciej , Karolczak‐Kulesza Małgorzata , Krasiński Zbigniew , Głuszek Jerzy , Tykarski Andrzej
Published: August 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:701–710. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The authors aimed to determine the effect of the time of hypotensive drug administration on the progress of degenerative changes within the optic nerve in patients with hypertension and glaucoma. Two groups were included in the study: group A comprised patients‐dippers taking drugs in the mornings, and group B comprised patients‐nondippers taking drugs both in the mornings and in the evenings. After 6 months, group B showed significant drops in nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (BP) (month 1=73.27 mm Hg vs month 6=67.50 mm Hg), nocturnal mean BP (89.34 vs 84.65 mm Hg), and minimum diastolic BP (50.74 vs 44.03 mm Hg). Group B also showed significant reductions in nocturnal ocular perfusion pressure (43.0 vs 39.73), retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (131.31 vs 113.12 μm), and flow in the eye vessels. Taking hypotensive drugs in the evening may significantly decrease blood flow in the eye arteries, cause degenerative changes within the optic nerves, and result in greater loss in the field of vision.
Role of Single‐Pill Combination Therapy in Optimizing Blood Pressure Control in High‐Risk Hypertension Patients and Management of Treatment‐Related Adverse Events
Authors: Abdellatif Abdul Ali
Published: August 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:718–726. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors in combination with other antihypertensive drugs (eg, calcium channel blockers [CCBs] and/or diuretics) are a preferred treatment option for managing uncontrolled hypertension in high‐risk patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, or heart failure because RAAS inhibitors provide cardiorenal benefits in addition to lowering blood pressure (BP). However, when prescribing antihypertensive therapies to high‐risk patients, physicians must be aware of the risks of treatment‐related adverse events of hyperkalemia and peripheral edema associated with RAAS inhibitors and CCBs, respectively. This review discusses the use of single‐pill combination antihypertensive therapy to optimize BP control in high‐risk patients with CKD, diabetes, and/or heart failure and provides strategies for preventing and managing hyperkalemia and peripheral edema in this group. Single‐pill combination therapy can utilize different classes of antihypertensive drugs to reduce BP while mitigating the risks of treatment‐related adverse events, reducing pill burden, lowering medical cost, and improving patient compliance.
Learning in Place: Immigrants' Spatial and Temporal Strategies for Occupational Advancement
Authors: Iskander Natasha , Riordan Christine , Lowe Nichola
Published: August 2012

abstract

Studies of low‐wage workers have long recognized the role of space in mediating access to employment. Significantly less attention has been paid to the ways in which space informs workers' ability to develop the attributes that would make them more employable. In this article, we address this gap through an examination of how immigrant workers use the relative spatial organization of residence and production to cultivate the skills that enable them to shift out of low‐wage occupations. We also argue that workers' spatial job market strategies have an important, but often overlooked, temporal aspect: workers use space over time not only to shape their access to jobs but also to create breathing room for learning skills that enable them to improve their employment trajectories over the long term. Drawing on a multiyear ethnographic study of Mexican immigrants in downtown Philadelphia, we show that immigrant workers used the functional proximity among the restaurant industry, small‐scale residential construction work pertaining to housing renovation, and the neighborhoods where they lived to develop skill sets that enabled them to shift into higher‐wage construction jobs. In essence, these workers knitted together two seemingly separate industries, such that they could use their employment time in one for learning in and about the other. Our study suggests that interventions that curtail immigrants' mobility may have implications that are far more serious than limiting immediate access to jobs: these measures may undercut immigrants' strategies for developing the skills required for long‐term occupational mobility and advancement.
Emerging market multinationals and the theory of the multinational enterprise
Authors: Hennart Jean‐François
Published: August 2012

Does Dunning's OLI model really explain the pattern of foreign direct investments by emerging market multinationals (EMMs)? I argue that it suffers from the basic flaw of assuming that location advantages (CSAs) are properties of a country and freely available to all firms operating there. But some CSAs have owners, usually local firms, who can sometimes derive significant gains from the monopoly control of these resources. They can use this monopoly power to finance intangible‐seeking investments in developed countries to obtain the firm‐specific advantages (FSAs) they lack and, hence. compete with FSA‐rich MNEs in their own market, and then internationally.