bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retrospective cohort study on patterns of care and outcomes of surgical treatment for lower urinary–genital tract fistula among English National Health Service hospitals between 2000 and 2009
Authors: Cromwell David , Hilton Paul
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Therapy (retrospective cohort)

Level of Evidence 3a

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Many case series of lower urinary tract fistula have been reported, usually reporting the results from individual surgeons using their preferred techniques. Definitions of cure and the case‐mix or complexity of reported cases vary widely, and a wide range of outcome results are reported in the literature, with primary closure rates between 53% and 95%.

Using the Hospital Episode Statistics database we have demonstrated for the first time the pattern of care provided nationally. A large number of surgeons (490) are currently involved in providing this care in a large number of units (138), with individual workloads varying between 1 and 90 procedures in 10 years; only three undertook >3 operations per year. We have demonstrated an overall operative failure rate (re‐operation rate) of 12%, and a high rate of urinary diversion (24%). Cure rates varied between 50 and 100% and were higher in units undertaking >3 operations per year.

OBJECTIVES

To examine patterns of care among women with urogenital fistula treated in the English National Health Service (NHS) between 2000 and 2009.

To assess whether failure of repair was associated with hospital or surgeon workload.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from Hospital Episode Statistics on women undergoing vesicovaginal or urethrovaginal fistula repair between January 2000 and December 2009 in English NHS hospitals.

The main outcome measure was the number of fistula repairs and the incidence of re‐repair; re‐repair rates were stratified by age, NHS trust and consultant team volume.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2009, 1194 women underwent surgical repair (n= 905) or ileal conduit (n= 289) for urogenital fistula under the care of 490 consultant teams.

A total of 281 teams performed only a single index procedure, and only three consultant teams performed a mean of >3 per year.

The rate of unsuccessful repair was 11.9% (108/905).

The rate of re‐operation at NHS trusts who performed over 30 procedures over the 10‐year study period was 7.4% compared with 13.2% at those undertaking fewer (P= 0.02).

A similar difference in re‐operations between consultant teams performing > or <30 procedures did not reach significance (8.4% v 12.7%, P= 0.13).

CONCLUSIONS

One in nine women required re‐operation after surgical repair of a urogenital fistula.

Our results lend weight to the argument for a ‘minimum workload’ for fistula management; given the number of fistulae occurring in England currently, this would best be provided by a network of supra‐regional centres.
Accounting Regulation and Management Discretion—A Case Note
Authors: Bátiz‐Lazo Bernardo , Billings Mark
Published: September 2012

This article explores the manipulation of published financial reports in order to counter the potentially unfavourable impact of newly introduced regulation. In this case the reported capital ratio of a major British building society was enhanced using a sale and leaseback transaction with a related party and a change in depreciation policy, methods which reflected limited alternatives. Analysis of the case is set in the context of the sector and addresses the questions of whether these manipulations were within then‐prevailing generally accepted accounting principles and why, despite disclosure in the society's financial statements, they failed to attract public comment or concern, regulatory action or an audit qualification. In examining a major British mutual financial organization we depart from traditional analyses of managerial discretion in accounting choices in British companies.
Mechanisms linking obesity, inflammation and altered metabolism to colon carcinogenesis
Authors: Yehuda‐Shnaidman E. , Schwartz B.
Published: September 2012

Due to its prevalence, obesity is now considered a global epidemic. It is linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of death among adults in Western countries. Obese adipose tissue differs from lean adipose tissue in its immunogenic profile, body fat distribution and metabolic profile. Obese adipose tissue releases free fatty acids, adipokines and many pro‐inflammatory chemokines. These factors are known to play a key role in regulating malignant transformation and cancer progression. Obese adipose tissue is infiltrated by macrophages that participate in inflammatory pathways activated within the tissue. Adipose tissue macrophages consist of two different phenotypes. M1 macrophages reside in obese adipose tissue and produce pro‐inflammatory cytokines, and M2 macrophages reside in lean adipose tissue and produce anti‐inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin‐10 (IL‐10). The metabolic networks that confer tumour cells with their oncogenic properties, such as increased proliferation and the ability to avoid apoptosis are still not well understood. We review the interactions between adipocytes and immune cells that may alter the metabolism towards promotion of colorectal cancer.
Livelihood Recovery after Natural Disasters and the Role of Aid: The Case of the 2006 Yogyakarta Earthquake
Authors: Resosudarmo Budy P. , Sugiyanto Catur , Kuncoro Ari
Published: September 2012

The 27 May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake caused the death of more than 5700 people; more than 60 000 people were injured and hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Bantul District was most severely affected by the earthquake. This paper is an attempt to understand the determinants of livelihood recovery after this natural disaster and, in particular, the role of aid in that recovery process. A panel firm‐level survey was conducted by visiting approximately 500 mostly small and micro enterprises in Bantul District on two occasions: 6 and 12 months after the earthquake. This paper argues that: (i) smaller enterprises are more resilient and so are able to recover faster; (ii) an industrial cluster system within a sub‐district provides the necessary support for firms to recover; (iii) the quality of village infrastructure could be important; (iv) it is important to distribute aid as early as possible (the faster it is distributed, the better the impact on enterprises affected by the earthquake); and (v) donors should not give too much assurance of financial support to enterprises in cases where the delivery date is uncertain, but rather just provide support when it is actually available.
How did the Japanese Exports Respond to Two Crises in the International Production Networks? The Global Financial Crisis and the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Ando Mitsuyo , Kimura Fukunari
Published: September 2012

This paper analyzes the impact of two massive shocks on Japanese exports, the 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, focusing on the characteristics of domestic/international production networks in machinery industries. Using monthly data for Japanese bilateral exports at the most disaggregated level, the paper decomposes the fall and recovery of Japanese exports into intensive and extensive margins. It also examines the exit and re‐entry of exports using logit estimation and survival analysis. The experience after both shocks confirms the stability and robustness of production networks and the enhancing link with East Asia. However, differences between the two shocks seem to generate differential impacts on corporate behavior.
Developing A Reputation for Incorruptibility in A Corrupt Environment
Authors: Campbell Neil , Kline J. Jude
Published: September 2012

We construct a simple two‐stage model of reputation building in a corrupt environment. The existence of incorruptible firms helps corruptible firms establish a reputation for not paying bribes.
Optimal Thin Capitalisation Rule in a Simple Endogenous Growth Model with Tax Havens
Authors: Chu Hsun
Published: September 2012

In this paper we study the optimal thin capitalisation rules by developing a simple dynamic general‐equilibrium growth model incorporating tax havens. It is found that a stricter thin capitalisation rule will reduce the incentive to invest, and is therefore harmful to growth. This effect is ignored in previous static studies on the welfare analysis of tax havens. Accordingly, when taking the growth effect into consideration, reducing the utilisation of tax havens has ambiguous effects on social welfare. We also show that a looser thin capitalisation rule could be favourable for the policymakers if (i) the production technology is high; (ii) the existing income tax rate is high; (iii) the rate of time preference is low; or (iv) the weight factor of public consumption in utility is small.
Ownership and Cost‐Sharing Contracts
Authors: Dalen Dag Morten , Moen Espen R.
Published: September 2012

We discuss the relative merits of public and private ownership in an incomplete contract framework developed by Hart, Shleifer and Vishney (HSV). We add two new elements to their model. First, the government may offer cost‐sharing contracts when procuring the good. Second, the owner of a private firm may divert resources that increase their own profit/utility but increase total costs.

The cost sharing contract allows the government to reduce the private firm's incentives to dump quality in order to save on costs. However, this also leads to resource diversion, which increases total costs. We derive the preferred mode of ownership when the government optimally chooses the power of the cost sharing scheme. We find that the presence of quality‐reducing cost reductions only favours government ownership if the scope for resource diversion is substantial. A discussion of when resource diversion is likely to be important is also provided.
Government Versus Non‐Government Schools: A Nation‐Wide Assessment Using Australian Naplan Data
Authors: Miller Paul W. , Voon Derby
Published: September 2012

There are considerable differences in school outcomes on the NAPLAN tests in Australia between Government and non‐Government schools. This paper documents these for four years of study (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9), and for the five NAPLAN domains (Grammar and Punctuation, Numeracy, Reading, Spelling and Writing). It then examines the extent to which the differences are due to characteristics of the schools, such as the socioeconomic status of the school and the gender mix of the total enrolment at the school. It is shown that a greater share of the difference in marks between Government and non‐Government schools in Year 9 than in Year 3 is due to the characteristics of the schools. This implies that, consistent with recent press coverage, the better outcomes of the non‐Government schools are due, in part at least, to a selection process that favours academically advantaged students.
Rethinking Logic of Inference and Explanation in the Field of International Relations
Authors: Eun Yong-Soo
Published: September 2012

This article provides an investigation of the conventional logic of inference that underlies the search for a causal explanation of social and political behaviour, including state behaviour, in world politics. It proposes an alternative reasoning strategy which can complement the traditional (inductive and deductive) logic of inference. In addition, the article enters into a discussion of how the proposed alternative can make theoretical contributions to obtaining a better understanding of the complex reality of world politics.
Researching Ulster Loyalism: The Methodological Challenges of the Divisive and Sensitive Subject
Authors: Reed Richard
Published: September 2012

This article offers a reflection upon four aspects of methodology in the context of the author's doctoral research in Northern Ireland: managing identity and research relationships, the ethics of dissemination and the reception of potentially polemic research in the academy. It argues that identity influences research in sensitive contexts in ways that are often hard to anticipate, that more inclusive approaches to dissemination can help counter issues related to research relationships, and that responses to work in controversial contexts highlight ambiguities within the academy regarding the nature and function of social science research, presenting particular challenges for early-career researchers.
Party and Leader Effects in Parliamentary Elections: Towards a Reassessment
Authors: Garzia Diego
Published: September 2012

Social-psychological models of voting behaviour systematically downsize the relevance of party leader evaluations by conceiving them as mere consequences of causally prior partisan attachments. However, the validity of this interpretation depends heavily on the effectively exogenous status of party identification. Empirical research shows that the assumed exogeneity of partisanship is, at best, doubtful. In such a context, single-equation models of voting are likely to provide seriously biased estimates. By employing the proper econometric procedures (instrumental variable estimation) and the most appropriate data sources to address causality issues (panel data) this study provides strong support in favour of the personalisation hypothesis.
Women in the Profession: The Composition of UK Political Science Departments by Sex
Authors: Bates Stephen , Jenkins Laura , Pflaeger Zoe
Published: September 2012

This article outlines the composition by sex of political scientists in the UK. The data show that there are fewer women working in the profession than men and that there is a ‘seniority sex gap’. The data are then broken down in terms of university membership groupings and individual departments in order to produce snapshot rankings. These rankings are then combined to produce an overall ranking of female presence within UK political science departments. Our findings suggest that a ‘leaking pipeline’ persists and that numerical and seniority inequality will continue for a considerable time unless further action is taken.
Conspiracy and Alternate History in Russia: A Nationalist Equation for Success?
Authors: LARUELLE MARLÈNE
Published: September 2012

In the post‐Cold War period conspiracy theories have become more fashionable, both as an element for explaining international affairs and as one for rewriting history. In this latter aspect, they comprise part of a particularly broad genre, called alternate history. Each of these plural histories of Russia has its own proper focus, in terms of its periods of predilection, of its way of formulating the components of identity (religion, race, culture, state, and so on), and of designation of the enemy. However, nearly all of them use the conspirological framework and its presupposed secret manipulation to articulate the dramaturgy of the nation in logical terms. After a contextualization of the broad domain of alternate history, this article enquires into the modes of nationalist types of alternate history and its multiple conspiracies, and looks in detail at one of its “textbook cases,” so‐called New Chronology. The principal hypothesis defended here is that the conjunction between conspiracy theory and the rewriting of history makes up one of the main instruments for disseminating nationalist theories in today Russia, theories based on a kind of post‐modern, paranoid cultural imaginary.
Of National Fathers and Russian Elder Brothers: Conspiracy Theories and Political Ideas in Post‐Soviet Central Asia
Authors: HEATHERSHAW JOHN
Published: September 2012

While conspiracy theories have begun to receive attention in Russian studies, they have barely been studied with regard to the Central Asian republics. However, as in the case of Russia, scholarship on the region since independence from the USSR suggests these states and societies remain profoundly shaped by the Soviet experience. Logic dictates that Central Asian conspiracy theories might also be considered post‐Soviet in both form and content. This paper provides a preliminary investigation of the Central Asian conspiracy theory through a pilot survey of the conspiracy theories of contemporary Central Asia and a detailed study of two examples from Tajikistan. It finds that key ideas of patriarchy and the hegemonic role of the Russian “elder brother” are distinct features of conspiracy theorizing in Central Asia. Secondarily, a variety of other internal and external themes are deployed including the threat of Islamism, aggressive neighbors, the role of organized crime and the machinations of the state security services. Via the concept of performance, the paper argues that national patriarchy and Russian hegemony are constitutive in the geopolitical making of Central Asia as a familial and post‐Soviet space. As such, it is no surprise that national defender narratives and anticipation of Russian intervention are overdetermined in public discourse and government policies.
Dostoevsky and the Trial of Nastasia Kairova: Carnal Love, Crimes of Passion, and Spiritual Redemption
Authors: LeBLANC RONALD D.
Published: September 2012

The commentaries on newly instituted jury trials in Russia that Dostoevsky provided in his Diary of a Writer during the 1870s has attracted scholarly attention mainly for the legal and moral issues he addresses in them. His commentary on two jury trials in particular–those of Kroneberg and Kornilova (both of which involve violence toward children)–has attracted most of this scholarly attention. The present article examines Dostoevsky's commentary on a different trial, that of Nastasia Kairova, an actress who attacked the estranged wife of her lover with a razor in an outburst of jealous passion. Rather than examine Dostoevsky's commentary on the Kairova case as an example of his views on moral, legal, criminal, and/or judicial issues, however, I will be exploring it against the background of the author's views on female sexuality. More specifically, I will be focusing upon how Dostoevsky's conceptualization of carnal desire as a violent and destructive passion shapes his understanding not only of sex and love, but also of justice and mercy. It thus influences in a very fundamental way his view of the role that love–maternal and conjugal as opposed to romantic and sexual–should play in helping to establish the moral structure of a life, a family, and a society. Dostoevsky believed that Kairova's crime of passion was triggered by the unbridling of her carnal lusts, by the unleashing of a dangerous and destructive appetite for power, aggression, and domination that he linked closely with sexual desire. As we will see, Kairova's unruly carnal lusts, in Dostoevsky's opinion, not only led to her violent crime of passion; they also stood in the way of her moral regeneration and spiritual redemption.
Resurgent Forms in Ivan Goncharov and Alexander Veselovsky: Toward a Historical Poetics of Tragic Realism
Authors: KLIGER ILYA
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, I would like to summon historical poetics, as delineated by Alexander Veselovsky in particular, in order to shed light on the function of some oddly atavistic but crucial sections of Ivan Goncharov's last novel, The Precipice (Obryv, 1869). The sections, I will argue, have been unjustifiably dismissed by generations of critics as simply falling short of Goncharov's realist best. An approach informed by the methodology of historical poetics, however, allows us to read them as key to the formation of Goncharov's particular brand of “tragic realism,” a paradoxical but exigent and fruitful hybrid, born of the formal and thematic contradictions of the late realist novel. In the second part of this article, I reverse the direction of the inquiry to suggest some ways in which The Precipice, read through the prism of historical poetics, can reveal the symbolic‐affective stakes of Veselovsky's own project. This will involve having historical poetics interrogate itself – an undertaking Veselovsky would perhaps have been open to and one that allows us to appreciate significant historically rooted parallels between these roughly contemporary projects: the methodology and the novel.
Exploring Synergies between Place Branding and Agricultural Landscape Management as a Rural Development Practice
Authors: Mettepenningen Evy , Vandermeulen Valerie , Van Huylenbroeck Guido , Schuermans Nick , Van Hecke Etienne , Messely Lies , Dessein Joost , Bourgeois Marie
Published: September 2012

This article explores the synergies between place branding and agricultural landscape management as a rural development practice. We hypothesise that place branding strategy can be used as a process to combat the homogenisation of regions and help to build networks and institutions that strengthen rural development. In order to explore these synergies an extended case study was undertaken in four Belgian regions that display major differences in their place branding processes and agricultural characteristics. The research revealed that in all four cases vital coalitions are being formed between the organisations involved in place branding and local farmers, and that both parties have benefited as a result. Intensive and transparent communication within the place branding process has proven to be essential in strengthening these synergies.
Who’s worried about turkeys? How ‘organisational silos’ impede zoonotic disease surveillance
Authors: Jerolmack Colin
Published: September 2012

Though emerging infectious diseases ignore boundaries between species, the agencies that respond to them do not. Based on interviews with state and federal epidemiologists, veterinarians, and physicians and on case studies of disease events, this article examines how the jurisdictional and cultural divides that exist among human and animal health agencies hinder efforts to successfully contain species‐jumping diseases (zoonoses). I argue that newly emergent zoonoses make these agencies’ organisational cultures function as silos because the institutionalised thinking and practices developed to address the diseases that traditionally concerned each agency constrain members from building the inter‐organisational bridges required to manage the latest ‘hybrid’ diseases. The silo effect is evident both across the human‐animal health divide and within the landscape of animal health, as agencies that monitor livestock and wildlife follow distinct and sometimes competing agendas. The article also touches on moments of inter‐agency cooperation in order to specify how health practitioners can begin making connections between ‘organisational silos’. This article encourages sociologists of health to explore the crucial link between animal and human health; and it introduces the concept of organisational silos to capture the relational dilemmas that arise when a ‘hybrid’ problem systemically links agencies with disparate organisational cultures.
The Optimal Asymptotic Income Tax Rate
Authors: DAHAN MOMI , STRAWCZYNSKI MICHEL
Published: September 2012

This paper shows that a policy maker needs only two types of information to set the optimal income tax rate at the top: a measure of labor supply elasticity and the shape of skills distribution. We find that the asymptotic tax rate is not affected by the degree of inequality aversion as long as the marginal utility of consumption converges to zero. By using empirically plausible estimates for the compensated labor supply elasticity and the shape of skills distribution, we find that the optimal marginal tax rate at the top should be between 33% and 60%, which is in line with the existing rates in the real world.
Information Advantage in a Public Good Economy with Multiplicative Structure of Utilities
Authors: HON‐SNIR SHLOMIT , SHITOVITZ BENYAMIN , SPIEGEL MENAHEM
Published: September 2012

This paper extends results on information advantage in Cournot oligopoly to a public good economy with uncertainty and private information where the state‐dependent utilities have a multiplicative structure. We show that in a Bayesian–Nash equilibrium where consumers’ contributions are positive in all states of nature, a consumer with superior information is rewarded with a higher ex ante expected utility. Our counter example shows that in the case where one consumer does not contribute, information disadvantage might emerge. Thus, the interiority assumption is essential to obtain our results.
Amakudari: The Post‐Retirement Employment of Elite Bureaucrats in Japan
Authors: MIZOGUCHI TETSURO , VAN QUYEN NGUYEN
Published: September 2012

This paper analyzes the amakudari practice in Japan. Amakudari refers to a process in which government agencies contact the private firms that they regulate, asking them to provide employment for their retiring elite bureaucrats. Upon employment at the private firms, bureaucrats may collude with their former colleagues in the ministries they worked for to secure lucrative government contracts, avoid regulatory inspections, or obtain preferential treatment for their new employers. This paper provides an explicit formalization of the implicit collusion between the regulator and the regulated.
European guidelines on management of restless legs syndrome: report of a joint task force by the European Federation of Neurological Societies, the European Neurological Society and the European Sleep Research Society
Authors: Garcia‐Borreguero Diego , Ferini‐Strambi Luigi , Kohnen Ralf , O'Keeffe Shaun , Trenkwalder Claudia , Högl Birgit , Benes Heike , Jennum Poul , Partinen Markku , Fer Danyal , Montagna Pasquale , Bassetti Claudio L. , Iranzo Alex , Sonka Karel , Williams Anne‐Marie
Published: September 2012

Background

Since the publication of the first European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) guidelines in 2005 on the management of restless legs syndrome (RLS; also known as Willis‐Ekbom disease), there have been major therapeutic advances in the field. Furthermore, the management of RLS is now a part of routine neurological practice in Europe. New drugs have also become available, and further randomized controlled trials have been undertaken. These guidelines were undertaken by the EFNS in collaboration with the European Neurological Society and the European Sleep Research Society.

Objectives

To provide an evidence‐based update of new treatments published since 2005 for the management of RLS.

Methods

First, we determined what the objectives of management of primary and secondary RLS should be. We developed the search strategy and conducted a review of the scientific literature up to 31 December 2011 (print and electronic publications) for the drug classes and interventions employed in RLS treatment. Previous guidelines were consulted. All trials were analysed according to class of evidence, and recommendations made according to the 2004 EFNS criteria for rating.

Recommendations

Level A recommendations can be made for rotigotine, ropinirole, pramipexole, gabapentin enacarbil, gabapentin and pregabalin, which are all considered effective for the short‐term treatment for RLS. However, for the long‐term

treatment for RLS, rotigotine is considered effective, gabapentin enacarbil is probably effective, and ropinirole, pramipexole and gabapentin are considered possibly effective. Cabergoline has according to our criteria a level A recommendation, but the taskforce cannot recommend this drug because of its serious adverse events.
Compassionate Killings: The Case for a Partial Defence
Authors: Keating Heather , Bridgeman Jo
Published: September 2012

The focus of this article is upon compassionate killings, that is, criminal cases where a parent/spouse has killed or assisted to die a child/spouse who was suffering from severe disabilities, debilitating injury, chronic or terminal illness. We argue that the partial defence of diminished responsibility, while appropriate for some cases, fails to acknowledge the compassionate and relational nature of these acts and thus fails to identify the quality of the harm committed. We also argue that the general defences of duress of circumstances and necessity, even if they were to be become available, are inappropriate. Developing the concept of ‘compassion’, which is a consideration in relation to prosecution for assisted suicide, we argue for the introduction of a partial defence of ‘compassionate killing’ which would reduce the offence from murder to manslaughter in recognition of the killing as a responsive, relational act of care.
The Territorial Scope of Employment Legislation and Choice of Law
Authors: Grušić Uglješa
Published: September 2012

Traditionally, the determination of the territorial scope of the statutory rights conferred by employment legislation forming part of English law has been regarded as an issue entirely disconnected from the choice‐of‐law process. Indeed, this view formed the basis of the key decision addressing the problem of territoriality, Lawson v Serco, decided by the House of Lords in 2006. After presenting the current state of the law with regard to the territorial scope of employment legislation, this article takes a critical look at Lawson v Serco. It is argued that the ‘European’ choice‐of‐law rules must have a greater importance for determining the territorial scope of employment legislation and, consequently, that the approach pursued in Lawson v Serco is no longer correct, if it ever was, and should not be followed in the future.
Standard Form Contracts as Transnational Law: Evidence from the Derivatives Markets
Authors: Braithwaite Joanne P.
Published: September 2012

This paper uses new research into the derivatives markets to develop our understanding of standard form contracts as transnational law and to show how transnational law theory may be usefully informed by empirical work. Traditionally, it has been assumed that international business communities seek to avoid the courts. However, the paper shows that the national courts play a prominent role in adjudicating disputes involving derivatives. Basing the discussion on the detail of these decisions by theEnglish courts, the paper demonstrates that adjudication does not necessarily undermine widely used standard form contracts, and that it may even reinforce practices that underpin them. This is particularly the case where there is imperfect co‐incidence between a trade association's members and a standard form contract's users. Having explored recent cases, the paper reconciles its findings with a more open and imaginative account of the role of national courts within transnational law theory.
‘Substantial and Radical Change’: A New Dawn for Scottish Criminal Procedure?
Authors: Chalmers James , Leverick Fiona
Published: September 2012

This paper discusses the recommendations of the Carloway Review, which was established to review law and practice in criminal cases following the introduction in Scotland of a right to legal assistance during detention. A number of recommendations are made in the Review, including the introduction of stricter time limits governing the detention of suspects, the removal of the corroboration requirement, the rejection of adverse inference provisions, and a change in the manner in which the appeal court deals with cases referred to it by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. It is argued that while some of these recommendations are to be applauded, others are poorly reasoned and some may lead to a dangerous reduction in protection against wrongful conviction.
Hearsay and Human Rights: Al‐Khawaja in the Grand Chamber
Authors: Redmayne Mike
Published: September 2012

This note analyses the European Court of Human Rights' Grand Chamber judgment in Al‐Khawaja and Tahery v United Kingdom, and gives it a cautious welcome. The note suggests how English Courts might respond to the judgment and concludes by assessing justifications for strong confrontation rights and the wider political context of the Grand Chamber's decision.
Palaeoecological and morphofunctional interpretation of bone mass increase: an example in Late Cretaceous shallow marine squamates
Authors: Houssaye Alexandra
Published: September 2012

Bone mass increase (BMI; i.e. osteosclerosis with possible additional pachyostosis) is characteristically displayed by many Late Cretaceous squamates that adapted to shallow marine environments—plesiopelvic mosasauroids, stem‐ophidians and pachyophiids. A combined morphological and microanatomical analysis of vertebrae and, to a lesser extent, ribs of these fossil squamates provides new data about the distribution and variability of this osseous specialization in these taxa. Classical thin sections and third generation synchrotron microtomography and laminography were used for the microanatomical analysis. Following the explanation of the likely involvement of this specialization in the control of buoyancy, body trim and Carrier's constraint, new palaeoecological inferences and new hypotheses about the locomotor abilities and life environment of these organisms are produced. The taxa displaying BMI are considered to have undertaken long dives, hovering slowly and maintaining a horizontal trim, in shallow and protected water environments. Conversely, marine stem‐ophidians deprived of this specialization are regarded as slow surface swimmers able to live in more open marine environments. This study highlights the importance of microanatomical data for palaeoecological studies. It also discusses the significance of the use of this specialization as a character in phylogenetic studies.
EFFECTS OF ADENINE ON THE FORMATION OF ROOTS AND BUDS IN LEAF SQUARES
Authors: MENHENETT ROGER
Published: September 2012

Adenine sulphate promoted the formation of roots and buds in leaf squares of Begonia rex Putz. and Streptocarpus×‘Constant Nymph’ but had little or no effect on regeneration from leaf squares of Peperomia sandersii A. DC. Studies of the interactions of adenine sulphate with β‐indolyl acetic acid and with an adenine antagonist, 2,6‐diaminopurine sulphate, supported the view that in Begonia rex leaf squares adenine was not acting as a cytokinin or specific activator. A comparison of the effects of adenine sulphate and sodium nitrate suggested that adenine sulphate may be acting in a non‐specific way as a plant nutrient, perhaps as a nitrogen source.
THE INTERACTION OF KINETIN, AUXIN AND OTHER FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH TEMPERATE ORCHIDS
Authors: HADLEY G.
Published: September 2012

Concentrations (w/v) of 1–10 ppm kinetin, with or without 1 ppm indoleacetic acid, may retard the germination of Dactylorhiza (Orchis) purpurella seed but increase the rate of growth of protocorms to the point where shoot initials form. Subsequently diurnal illumination enhances the development of the shoot initial. Chlorophyll production is independent of growth factors and occurs most rapidly at temperatures below 15°C. Green shoot‐initials undergo further development only after prolonged cold treatment and this stage appear to be independent of growth factors or symbiotic fungi. Similar results were obtained with Coeloglossum viride and Platanthera bifolia.

Goodyera repens, an evergreen rhizomatous species, did not respond to mixtures of kinetin and indoleacetic acid, or coconut milk, but grew well on potato or yeast extracts, or after infection with symbiotic fungi.

Symbiotic development of north temperate orchids occurs on defined media lacking growth factors and is always more rapid than that in any axenic system so far tested.
NITROGEN METABOLISM IN LICHENS: III. NITROGEN FIXATION BY INTERNAL CEPHALODIA IN LOBARIA PULMONARIA
Authors: MILLBANK J. W. , KERSHAW K. A.
Published: September 2012

Cephalodia are shown to be a characteristic feature of Lobaria pulmonaria, occurring as internal aggregations of Nostoc in the medulla. Using acetylene reduction methods they have been shown to fix nitrogen actively.
THE FUNGUS‐ALGA ASSOCIATION IN THE LECANORACEAE: AN ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY*
Authors: GALUN MARGALITH , PARAN NAVAH , BEN‐SHAUL Y.
Published: September 2012

Electron micrographs of four lichen species of the Lecanoraceae were examined. The contact between the symbionts ranges from active penetration of the algal cell wall by fungal haustoria in a supposedly primitive growth‐form, through intermediate stages, to a kind of hyphal entrapment in an advanced form. Penetration beyond the plasma membrane of intact algal cells has not been observed.

Whereas penetrations may occur in all the algal cells composing the algal layer of the primitive thallus, in the more advanced growth‐forms, only those cells which have reached a certain stage of their life cycle are attacked.
Initial characterization of shade avoidance response suggests functional diversity between Populus phytochrome B genes
Authors: Karve Abhijit A. , Jawdy Sara S. , Gunter Lee E. , Allen Sara M. , Yang Xiaohan , Tuskan Gerald A. , Wullschleger Stan D. , Weston David J.
Published: September 2012

Shade avoidance signaling involves perception of incident red/far‐red (R/FR) light by phytochromes (PHYs) and modulation of downstream transcriptional networks. Although these responses are well studied in Arabidopsis, little is known about the role of PHYs and the transcriptional responses to shade in the woody perennial Populus.

Tissue expression and subcellular localization of Populus PHYs was studied by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) and protoplast transient assay. Transgenic lines with altered PHYB1 and/or PHYB2 expression were used in phenotypic assays and transcript profiling with qRT‐PCR. RNA‐Seq was used to identify transcriptional responses to enriched FR light.

All three PHYs were differentially expressed among tissue types and PHYBs were targeted to the nucleus under white light. Populus PHYB1 rescued Arabidopsis phyB mutant phenotypes. Phenotypes of Populus transgenic lines and the expression of candidate shade response genes suggested that PHYB1 and PHYB2 have distinct yet overlapping functions. RNA‐Seq analysis indicated that genes associated with cell wall modification and brassinosteroid signaling were induced under enriched FR light in Populus.

This study is an initial attempt at deciphering the role of Populus PHYs by evaluating transcriptional reprogramming to enriched FR and demonstrates functional diversity and overlap of the Populus PHYB1 and PHYB2 in regulating shade responses.
Family‐based linkage and association mapping reveals novel genes affecting Plum pox virus infection in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Pagny Gaëlle , Paulstephenraj Pauline S. , Poque Sylvain , Sicard Ophélie , Cosson Patrick , Eyquard Jean‐Philippe , Caballero Mélodie , Chague Aurélie , Gourdon Germain , Negrel Lise , Candresse Thierry , Mariette Stéphanie , Decroocq Véronique
Published: September 2012

Sharka is a devastating viral disease caused by the Plum pox virus (PPV) in stone fruit trees and few sources of resistance are known in its natural hosts. Since any knowledge gained from Arabidopsis on plant virus susceptibility factors is likely to be transferable to crop species, Arabidopsis's natural variation was searched for host factors essential for PPV infection.

To locate regions of the genome associated with susceptibility to PPV, linkage analysis was performed on six biparental populations as well as on multiparental lines. To refine quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, a genome‐wide association analysis was carried out using 147 Arabidopsis accessions.

Evidence was found for linkage on chromosomes 1, 3 and 5 with restriction of PPV long‐distance movement. The most relevant signals occurred within a region at the bottom of chromosome 3, which comprises seven RTM3‐like TRAF domain‐containing genes. Since the resistance mechanism analyzed here is recessive and the rtm3 knockout mutant is susceptible to PPV infection, it suggests that other gene(s) present in the small identified region encompassing RTM3 are necessary for PPV long‐distance movement.

In consequence, we report here the occurrence of host factor(s) that are indispensable for virus long‐distance movement.
Classifying black and white spruce pollen using layered machine learning
Authors: Punyasena Surangi W. , Tcheng David K. , Wesseln Cassandra , Mueller Pietra G.
Published: September 2012

Pollen is among the most ubiquitous of terrestrial fossils, preserving an extended record of vegetation change. However, this temporal continuity comes with a taxonomic tradeoff. Analytical methods that improve the taxonomic precision of pollen identifications would expand the research questions that could be addressed by pollen, in fields such as paleoecology, paleoclimatology, biostratigraphy, melissopalynology, and forensics.

We developed a supervised, layered, instance‐based machine‐learning classification system that uses leave‐one‐out bias optimization and discriminates among small variations in pollen shape, size, and texture. We tested our system on black and white spruce, two paleoclimatically significant taxa in the North American Quaternary.

We achieved > 93% grain‐to‐grain classification accuracies in a series of experiments with both fossil and reference material. More significantly, when applied to Quaternary samples, the learning system was able to replicate the count proportions of a human expert (R2 = 0.78, P = 0.007), with one key difference – the machine achieved these ratios by including larger numbers of grains with low‐confidence identifications.

Our results demonstrate the capability of machine‐learning systems to solve the most challenging palynological classification problem, the discrimination of congeneric species, extending the capabilities of the pollen analyst and improving the taxonomic resolution of the palynological record.
Febrile seizures and behavioural and cognitive outcomes in preschool children: an old issue revisited
Authors: DEONNA THIERRY
Published: September 2012

This commentary is on the original article by Visser et al. on pages 1006‐1011 of this issue.
Health risk behaviors in spina bifida: the need for clinical and policy action
Authors: SAWIN KATHLEEN J , BREI TIMOTHY J
Published: September 2012

This commentary is on the original article by Soe et al. on pages 1057‐1064 of this issue.
Restylane persisting in lower eyelids for 5 years
Authors: Dayan Steven H , Arkins John P , Somenek Michael
Published: September 2012

The authors report the case of a 58‐year‐old woman presenting with “puffiness” in her lower eyelids persisting for approximately 5 years. While dark, puffy eyelid circles following hyaluronic acid placement periorbitally are not uncommon, what is so unusual in our case is that it was noted 5 years after treatment with Restylane. It has been our experience that hyaluronic acid within periorbital tissues can result in a negative cosmetic outcome that can persist for years after the treatment.
Does massage postapplication improve moisturizer’s efficacy? A 2‐week regression study
Authors: Hamed Saja H , Assakir Intesar , Almalty Abdul‐Majeed , Bweir Salameh
Published: September 2012

Background  Combining massage with moisturizer application is a popular technique in beauty spa sessions. The subjective positive psychological effects of massage with moisturizer application in hand and face beauty treatment are documented by many people attending spa sessions. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the effect of local effleurage massage as an external intervention on moisturizer efficacy.

Methods  In a regression‐type study of 2‐week, twice‐daily application followed by 1 week of regression, 13 female subjects applied “off the shelf” moisturizer twice daily on both forearms followed by 1 min superficial massage for one forearm randomized among subjects. The influence of massage after moisturizer application on skin barrier properties was evaluated by noninvasive measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin capacitance, and skin elasticity at baseline, day 7, and day 14 during the treatment phase, and day 21 following a 1‐week regression period, in which no moisturizer and no massage were performed on forearms.

Results  The tested “off the shelf” moisturizer in both “massage” and “no‐massage” application protocols caused a comparable progressive improvement in skin hydration level and barrier permeability over the 2‐week treatment period, which was maintained during the 1‐week regression (no moisturizer) period. In addition, skin elasticity was similarly improved by both application protocols.

Conclusion  In this long‐term study, the daily performance of massage after moisturizer application was not an effective external intervention for enhancing moisturizer efficacy.
Skin tightening induced by fractional CO2 laser treatment: Quantified assessment of variations in mechanical properties of the skin
Authors: Naouri Michael , Atlan Michael , Perrodeau Elodie , Georgesco Gabriela , Khallouf Randa , Martin Ludovic , Machet Laurent
Published: September 2012

Background  Certain authors have reported the efficacy of fractional resurfacing laser treatment in patients with photodamaged skin resulting in skin tightening of treated area.

Objective  To assess skin tightening after CO2 fractional resurfacing laser treatment by measuring variations in mechanical properties in treated areas. Dermal elasticity was measured using suction applied with an in vivo skin elasticity meter (Cutometer®).

Methods  A prospective observational study was undertaken from January 2007 to August 2009. Laser treatment was performed with the SmartXide Dot® (Deka®, Firenze, Italy) CO2 fractional resurfacing device. Patients were offered quantified analysis using the Cutometer® before and after treatment.

Results  Seventeen patients (61 areas treated) were included in the study. Median delay between before and after cutometric evaluations was 80 days. We found significant improvement in elastic (R2 +5.9%), viscoelastic (R8 −9.4%), fatigue (R3 and R9 −16.2% and −19.7%, respectively), and thickness (R0 −14.9%) parameters. These results are consistent with significant tightening and also elastic tissue improvement.

Conclusions  It was possible to quantify skin tightening because of CO2 fractional laser treatment using a noninvasive technique.
The Fabi–Bolton chest wrinkle scale: a pilot validation study
Authors: Fabi Sabrina , Bolton Joanna , Goldman Mitchel P. , Guiha Isabella
Published: September 2012

Up until now, no objective scale has existed to evaluate chest wrinkles and assess the efficacy of treatment. This study was designed to validate a new photonumeric wrinkle assessment scale using standardized photographic methodology to obtain reference photographs. Multiple photographs from 28 volunteer subjects with varying degrees of chest wrinkles were evaluated by a study team of two independent physicians. Photographs of 16 subjects representing the full spectrum of chest wrinkle severity were selected and classified using the Fabi–Bolton (F–B) 5‐point wrinkle scale (1 = wrinkles absent; 2 = shallow but visible wrinkles; 3 = moderately deep wrinkles; 4 = deep wrinkles, with well‐defined edges; 5 = wrinkles very deep with redundant folds). One representative photograph was chosen by study team consensus for each of the five scale points. A second, independent group of evaluators rated the randomly arranged photographs using the F–B wrinkle scale. The numeric results were then tabulated and compared. The F–B wrinkle scale provided a reproducible and effective method for assessing chest wrinkles with very little interrater variability. The F–B wrinkle scale is a reliable tool for the classification of chest wrinkles and evaluation of therapeutic and cosmetic interventions.