bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Illegal gene flow from transgenic creeping bentgrass: the saga continues
Authors: SNOW ALLISON A
Published: September 2012

Ecologists have paid close attention to environmental effects that fitness‐enhancing transgenes might have following crop‐to‐wild gene flow (e.g. Snow et al. 2003). For some crops, gene flow also can lead to legal problems, especially when government agencies have not approved transgenic events for unrestricted environmental release. Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), a common turfgrass used in golf courses, is the focus of both areas of concern. In 2002, prior to expected deregulation (still pending), The Scotts Company planted creeping bentgrass with transgenic resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, also known as RoundUp®, on 162 ha in a designated control area in central Oregon (Fig. 1). Despite efforts to restrict gene flow, wind‐dispersed pollen carried transgenes to florets of local A. stolonifera and A. gigantea as far as 14 km away, and to sentinel plants placed as far as 21 km away (Watrud et al. 2004). Then, in August 2003, a strong wind event moved transgenic seeds from windrows of cut bentgrass into nearby areas. The company’s efforts to kill all transgenic survivors in the area failed: feral glyphosate‐resistant populations of A. stolonifera were found by Reichman et al. (2006), and 62% of 585 bentgrass plants had the telltale CP4 EPSPS transgene in 2006 (Zapiola et al. 2008; Fig. 2). Now, in this issue, the story gets even more interesting as Zapiola & Mallory‐Smith (2012) describe a transgenic, intergeneric hybrid produced on a feral, transgenic creeping bentgrass plant that received pollen from Polypogon monspeliensis (rabbitfoot grass). Their finding raises a host of new questions about the prevalence and fitness of intergeneric hybrids, as well as how to evaluate the full extent of gene flow from transgenic crops.

 Creeping bentgrass and rabbitfoot grass occur along canals and irrigation ditches within the designated control area near Madras, Oregon. Photo courtesy of M. L. Zapiola.

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 A feral, glyphosate‐resistant creeping bentgrass plant established along a ditch within the control area. Photo courtesy of M. L. Zapiola.

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Copper bromide laser for facial telangiectasia: A dose response evaluation
Authors: Owen William R. , Hoppe Elaine
Published: September 2012

Facial telangiectases are small dilated vessels that are visible on the skin surface. They are a cosmetic disfigurement for millions of people, making their treatment one of the most frequently requested procedures in dermatology. Several treatment choices are available, including a variety of lasers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results, using a copper bromide laser, of variable energy levels related to vessel size and location, including side effects, and to survey patient assessment of benefit and tolerance. Two groups of 19 patients were treated at 23 J/cm2 and 28 J/cm2, and 32 J/cm2 and 38 J/cm2, respectively. Only facial telangiectasias were treated. Benefit was seen at all energy settings. Little additional benefit was noted with energy increase alone, but it was noted with a second treatment. This study showed that the copper bromide laser is a very effective, safe, and well tolerated treatment for facial telangiectasia at all four tested energy levels.
Aldosterone induces p21‐regulated apoptosis via increased synthesis and secretion of tumour necrosis factor‐α in human proximal tubular cells
Authors: Kitada Kento , Nakano Daisuke , Hitomi Hirofumi , Kobori Hiroyuki , Deguchi Kazushi , Mori Hirohito , Masaki Tsutomu , Nishiyama Akira
Published: September 2012

Aldosterone has been shown to mediate p21‐dependent cellular senescence in rat kidney proximal tubules in vivo and in cultured human proximal tubular cells. The p21‐induced senescent cells express higher levels of apoptotic cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α compared with non‐senescent cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that aldosterone increases proximal tubular apoptosis by increasing the secretion of apoptosis–inducing factors through a p21‐dependent mechanism.

Human proximal tubular cells were incubated with aldosterone (10 nmol/L) and cell senescence was detected by senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase staining and expression of p21. Apoptosis was analysed by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP–digoxigenin nick end‐labelling and annexin/propidium iodide staining, whereas p21 localization was determined by immunofluorescence.

Exposure of cells to aldosterone for 3 or 5 days increased senescence–associated β‐galactosidase staining, p21 and TNF‐α mRNA expression and secretion of TNF‐α into the culture medium. These changes were abolished by gene silencing of p21. Aldosterone failed to increase the number of apoptotic cells on day 3, but did increase them on day 5. A neutralizing antibody against TNF‐α prevented the aldosterone‐induced apoptotic changes. Aldosterone did not affect localization of p21.

These findings indicate that aldosterone increases TNF‐α synthesis and secretion in proximal tubular cells via p21/senescence–dependent cell phenotypic changes and that the TNF‐α secreted plays an important role as a paracrine factor in mediating cell apoptosis, indicating a possible involvement in aldosterone‐induced renal damage.
Extra‐pancreatic manifestations of IgG4‐related systemic disease: a single‐centre experience of treatment with combined immunosuppression
Authors: Bosco J. J. , Suan D. , Varikatt W. , Lin M. W.
Published: September 2012

Background/Aim

IgG4‐related systemic disease (IgG4‐RSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease distinguished by tissue infiltrates of IgG4+ plasma cells and elevated serum IgG4 levels. While IgG4‐RSD often involves the pancreas, extra‐pancreatic organs are also frequently affected. Here, we review the presentation and management of patients with extra‐pancreatic IgG4‐RSD.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients diagnosed with extra‐pancreatic IgG4‐RSD identified from a single centre.

Results

Six patients with extra‐pancreatic IgG4‐RSD were identified. The median age of the patients was 64 years. The range of involved organs included lymph nodes (three patients), ocular adnexa, lung, kidneys, meninges and exocrine glands. The median delay in diagnosis was 13.5 months (4–60 months). Four patients had elevated serum IgG4 levels at diagnosis. Five symptomatic patients were commenced on combination immunosuppression, which included corticosteroids. Maintenance therapy with azathioprine was used in one patient, methotrexate and mycophenolate were each used in two patients, and cyclophosphamide in one patient. Four treated patients went into remission, while two patients had persistent radiological disease. One patient experienced two relapses.

Conclusion

IgG4‐RSD can manifest in a variety of organs. Lack of awareness regarding this entity may delay diagnosis. Combination treatment of corticosteroids and conventional immunosuppression is effective.
Astrocyte activation and wound healing in intact‐skull mouse after focal brain injury
Authors: Suzuki Takayuki , Sakata Honami , Kato Chiaki , Connor John A. , Morita Mitsuhiro
Published: September 2012

Localised brain tissue damage activates surrounding astrocytes, which significantly influences subsequent long‐term pathological processes. Most existing focal brain injury models in rodents employ craniotomy to localise mechanical insults. However, the craniotomy procedure itself induces gliosis. To investigate perilesional astrocyte activation under conditions in which the skull is intact, we created focal brain injuries using light exposure through a cranial window made by thinning the skull without inducing gliosis. The lesion size was maximal at ~ 12 h and showed substantial recovery over the subsequent 30 days. Two distinct types of perilesional reactive astrocyte, identified by GFAP upregulation and hypertrophy, were found. In proximal regions the reactive astrocytes proliferated and expressed nestin, whereas in regions distal to the injury core the astrocytes showed increased GFAP expression but did not proliferate, lacked nestin expression, and displayed different morphology. Simply making the window did not induce any of these changes. There were also significant numbers of neurons in the recovering cortical tissue. In the recovery region, reactive astrocytes radially extended processes which appeared to influence the shapes of neuronal nuclei. The proximal reactive astrocytes also formed a cell layer which appeared to serve as a protective barrier, blocking the spread of IgG deposition and migration of microglia from the lesion core to surrounding tissue. The recovery was preceded by perilesional accumulation of leukocytes expressing vascular endothelial growth factor. These results suggest that, under intact skull conditions, focal brain injury is followed by perilesional reactive astrocyte activities that foster cortical tissue protection and recovery.
Intra‐generic species richness and dispersal ability interact to determine geographic ranges of birds
Authors: Laube Irina , Graham Catherine H. , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin
Published: September 2012

Aim

Understanding the factors that influence the geographic ranges of species remains a challenge in ecology and evolutionary biology. In particular, little consensus exists as to whether geographic ranges of species are determined by biotic interactions such as inter‐specific competition. We evaluated how intra‐generic species richness, which could act as a surrogate for biotic interactions, dispersal ability, taxon age and habitat shift since theLastGlacialMaximum influenced the extent to which species in the bird genusSylvia(Old World typical warblers) occur in all areas predicted to be environmentally suitable (i.e. range filling).

Location

Palaearctic,Afrotropics andIndo‐Malaya.

Methods

We quantified range filling in the bird genusSylviausing boosted regression trees and ridge regression. We tested for effects of intra‐generic species richness, dispersal ability, taxon age and habitat shift since theLastGlacialMaximum on range filling using multiple regression. To evaluate different hypotheses about how local‐scale competition might influence large‐scale range dynamics we explore patterns of intra‐generic species richness in habitats of varying suitability.

Results

Sylviawarblers with higher dispersal ability showed higher range filling, but only if congeneric species richness in less suitable habitats within their potential range was low. Taxon age and habitat shift since theLastGlacialMaximum had no consistent effect.

Main conclusions

We show thatSylviaranges are shaped by the simultaneous, interactive effect of both congeneric species richness and dispersal ability. We suggest that this interaction could reflect a potential effect of competition on range filling. If biotic interactions generally influence the ability of species to colonize and occupy habitat at the continental scale, predicting the impact of climate change on biodiversity will be challenging.
Estimates of soil carbon concentration in tropical and temperate forest and woodland from available GIS data on three continents
Authors: Ladd Brenton , Laffan Shawn W. , Amelung Wulf , Peri Pablo L. , Silva Lucas C. R. , Gervassi Pina , Bonser Stephen P. , Navall Marcelo , Sheil Douglas
Published: September 2012

Aim

Concern about climate change, with the subsequent emergence of carbon markets and policy initiatives such as REDD (reducing carbon emissions by decreasing deforestation and forest degradation), have focused attention on assessing and monitoring terrestrial carbon reserves. Most effort has focused on above‐ground forest biomass. Soil has received less attention despite containing more carbon than above‐ground terrestrial biomass and the atmosphere combined. Our aim was to explore how well soil carbon concentration could be estimated on three continents from existing climate, topography and vegetation‐cover data.

Location

Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, China.

Methods

Soil carbon concentration and leaf area index (LAI) as well as GIS‐derived climate and topography variables for 65 temperate and 43 tropical, forest and woodland ecosystems, were either directly measured or estimated from freely available global datasets. We then used multiple regressions to determine how well soil carbon concentration could be predicted from LAI, climate and topography at a given site. We compared our measurements with top soil carbon estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) harmonized world soil map.

Results

Our empirical model based on estimates of temperature, water availability and plant productivity provided a good estimate of soil carbon concentrations (R2 = 0.79). In contrast, the values of topsoil carbon concentrations from the FAO harmonized world soil map correlated poorly with the measured values of soil carbon concentration (R2 = 0.0011).

Main conclusions

The lack of correlation between the measured values of soil carbon and the values from the FAO harmonized world soil map indicate that substantial improvements in the production of soil carbon maps are needed and possible. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of freely available GIS data offers improved estimates of soil carbon and will allow the creation of more accurate soil carbon maps.
Effects of Parental Depressive Symptoms on Child Adjustment Moderated by Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Activity: Within‐ and Between‐Family Risk
Authors: Laurent Heidemarie K. , Leve Leslie D. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Shaw Daniel S. , Fisher Philip A. , Marceau Kristine , Harold Gordon T. , Reiss David
Published: September 2012

Child hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) activity was investigated as a moderator of parental depressive symptom effects on child behavior in an adoption sample (n = 210 families). Adoptive parents' depressive symptoms and child internalizing and externalizing were assessed at 18, 27, and 54 months, and child morning and evening HPA activity measured through salivary cortisol at 54 months. Children's daily cortisol levels and day‐to‐day variability were tested as moderators of longitudinal associations between parent and child symptoms at within‐ and between‐family levels. Mothers' symptoms related directly to child internalizing, but child evening cortisol moderated effects of fathers' symptoms on internalizing, and of both parents' symptoms on externalizing. Different paths of within‐family risk dynamics versus between‐family risk synergy were found for internalizing versus externalizing outcomes.
Dynamics of Mothers' Goals for Children in Ethnically Diverse Populations across the First Three Years of Life
Authors: Ng Florrie Fei‐Yin , Tamis‐LeMonda Catherine S. , Godfrey Erin B. , Hunter Cristina J. , Yoshikawa Hirokazu
Published: September 2012

Parents' socialization goals are important for cultural transmission across generations, but whether such goals vary by ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and change over children's first years of life remains unexamined. In Study 1, African‐American, Dominican immigrant, and Mexican immigrant mothers (N = 300) reported on the qualities deemed as desirable or undesirable when children were aged 1 month, 14 months, and 2 years. Mothers spontaneously referred to a common set of qualities, including achievement, self‐maximization, proper demeanor, and connectedness. Most mothers emphasized achievement (desirable qualities) and disapproved of improper demeanor (undesirable qualities). Desirable qualities varied by age and socioeconomic factors more than did undesirable qualities. Mothers (N = 185) were followed up in Study 2 when children were aged three years, and ranked 21 qualities using a Q‐sort instrument. Ethnic differences were revealed at this more specific level, with Latina mothers being more similar in their rankings than African‐American mothers.
The Role of Social Identity Complexity in Inter‐group Attitudes Among Young Adolescents
Authors: Knifsend Casey A. , Juvonen Jaana
Published: September 2012

To supplement research on adolescent social identities, the current study examined how social identity complexity relates to ethnic inter‐group attitudes in a young adolescent sample (N = 97; age range = 12–14 years). Social identity complexity refers to the perceived overlap of groups with which youth align themselves. Descriptive analyses revealed that the most prevalent social groups were based on out‐of‐school sports and in‐school extracurricular activities. On average, participants reported a moderate degree of overlap among their social in‐groups. Results of regression analyses showed that high social identity complexity relates to positive inter‐group attitudes, both cross‐sectionally in seventh grade and longitudinally across eighth grade. These findings suggest that high social identity complexity may have implications for the ways in which school‐based activity groups are structured to promote inter‐group attitudes.
Temporal integration depends on increased prestimulus beta band power
Authors: Geerligs Linda , Akyürek Elkan G.
Published: September 2012

Temporal integration was examined using a missing element task, in which task performance depends on the ability to integrate brief successive stimulus displays. Previous studies have suggested that temporal integration is under endogenous control and that integration is more likely when stimuli match the observer's temporal expectancies. Beta oscillations have previously been related to such cognitive (and attentional) control, as well as to audiovisual integration. We thus hypothesized that prestimulus power in the beta frequency band might reflect “integration readiness” and distinguish trials in which stimuli were successfully integrated from unsuccessful ones. The results showed increased upper beta power (21–30 Hz) prior to successful integration over central and parietal electrodes. This finding supported the idea that increased prestimulus beta power might reflect general control processes that can facilitate integration.
Topical Cidofovir for Refractory Verrucae in Children
Authors: Gupta Monique , Bayliss Susan J. , Berk David R.
Published: September 2012

Abstract:  Warts are common and are a challenge to treat in some children, especially immunocompromised children and those who fail or cannot tolerate salicylic acid preparations and cryotherapy. Cidofovir, a nucleotide analogue with antiviral activity, has demonstrated promising results when compounded into a topical form to treat refractory warts. We present a retrospective institutional review of 12 children with refractory verrucae treated with 1% to 3% topical cidofovir compounded in an unscented moisturizing cream, applied every other day to daily. In our institutional series, only three patients (25%) demonstrated complete clearance of their verrucae. An additional four patients (33%) demonstrated partial clearance. Our experience using topical cidofovir has been less successful than previous institutional reviews, possibly because we used a lower concentration and less‐frequent dosing. More studies are needed to better characterize the efficacy, safety, and dosing of topical cidofovir for the treatment of refractory warts.
Gallery Forest or Herbaceous Wetland? The Need for Multi‐Target Perspectives in Riparian Restoration Planning
Authors: Weisberg Peter J. , Mortenson Susan G. , Dilts Thomas E.
Published: September 2012

Much riparian restoration focuses on establishment of gallery forests, with relatively limited effort to restore herbaceous wetlands as key components of riparian landscape mosaics. Multiple reasons for this include inherent cultural or esthetic preferences, greater availability of scientific knowledge to support riparian forest restoration, and choices of ecological indicators commonly used for monitoring and assessment. Yet riparian herbaceous wetlands have declined dramatically as a result of river regulation and agricultural development, leading to losses of important habitats and ecosystem services that differ from those provided by gallery forests. As an alternative to a single‐minded focus on tree establishment, we advocate restoration of diverse and dynamic habitat mosaics in the context of natural variability of flow and sediment regimes. Landscape context should inform active restoration activities at the local scale, such that riparian forests are not planted in ecologically inappropriate sites. Models are needed to match life history requirements of particular wetland herbaceous plant species with details of flow and sediment transport regimes. We emphasize the importance of herbaceous wetlands as a critical and often overlooked component of riparian ecosystems, and the need for both passive and active restoration of fluvial marshes, sloughs, wet meadows, alkali meadows, off‐channel ephemeral ponds, and other critical floodplain communities associated with herbaceous plant dominance.
Effects of Road Decommissioning on Carbon Stocks, Losses, and Emissions in North Coastal California
Authors: Madej Mary A. , Seney Joseph , van Mantgem Philip
Published: September 2012

During the last 3 decades, many road removal projects have been implemented on public and private lands in the United States to reduce erosion and other impacts from abandoned or unmaintained forest roads. Although effective in decreasing sediment production from roads, such activities have a carbon (C) cost as well as representing a carbon savings for an ecosystem. We assessed the carbon budget implications of 30 years of road decommissioning in Redwood National Park in north coastal California. Road restoration techniques, which evolved during the program, were associated with various carbon costs and savings. Treatment of 425 km of logging roads from 1979 to 2009 saved 72,000 megagrams (Mg) C through on‐site soil erosion prevention, revegetation, and soil development on formerly compacted roads. Carbon sequestration will increase in time as forests and soils develop more fully on the restored sites. The carbon cost for this road decommissioning work, based on heavy equipment and vehicle fuel emissions, short‐term soil loss, and clearing of vegetation, was 23,000 Mg C, resulting in a net carbon savings of 49,000 Mg C to date. Nevertheless, the degree to which soil loss is a carbon sink or source in steep mountainous watersheds needs to be further examined. The ratio of carbon costs to savings will differ by ecosystem and road removal methodology, but the procedure outlined here to assess carbon budgets on restoration sites should be transferable to other systems.
Estimating Vegetation Reference Conditions by Combining Historical Source Analysis and Soil Phytolith Analysis at Pepperwood Preserve, Northern California Coast Ranges, U.S.A
Authors: Evett Rand R. , Dawson Arthur , Bartolome James W.
Published: September 2012

The vegetation on many Californian landscapes changed substantially after the late eighteenth century arrival of European settlers. Restoring vegetation to pre‐settlement status requires an understanding of reference conditions, the range of variability of vegetation and the trajectory of vegetation change through time. We used parallel, independent studies of historical evidence and soil phytoliths to increase temporal depth and estimate reference conditions at 39 sites in a mosaic of grassland–savanna–woodland–chaparral vegetation at Pepperwood Preserve, in California's northern Coast Ranges. Historical evidence consisted of mid‐1800s General Land Office survey records and repeat aerial photographs. Survey points were relocated and survey descriptions compared with modern vegetation; vegetation type had not changed on 16 of 19 sites. Aerial photographs showed increasing tree cover and decreasing grassland from 1942 to 2000. Phytolith analysis, including soil phytolith percent weight and absolute counts of grass short cells, was used to estimate long‐term vegetation. Sites containing greater than 0.30% soil phytolith weight and greater than 90,000 rondel short cells/g soil were classified as grassland/savanna; sites below the 0.30% threshold with less than 32,000 and 32,000‐90,000 rondels/g soil were classified as forest and woodland, respectively, while chaparral had low (<0.70) rondel/elongate ratios. Phytolith‐based classification of long‐term vegetation indicated that vegetation type has not changed on 30 of 39 sites. Both historical and phytolith evidence indicated most of the vegetation landscape at Pepperwood has been long‐term stable. Historical source analysis and phytolith analysis are highly complementary approaches that should be routinely performed to provide accurate estimates of site reference conditions prior to commencing vegetation restoration.
Ecological Restoration in a Developing Island Nation: How Useful is the Science?
Authors: Florens F. B. Vincent , Baider Cláudia
Published: September 2012

Restoration science is a relatively young branch of ecology that is growing in importance owing to the sheer scale and trend of habitat degradation worldwide and the range of strong benefits that it is seen to potentially carry. Although spearheaded mainly by developed countries, its usefulness at least for the conservation of biodiversity may be greatest in the developing world. Here we examine how Mauritius, a developing island nation that may be regarded as well equipped among developing countries in terms of access to restoration science, is using science to inform the ecological restoration of its degraded native habitats for biodiversity conservation. While Mauritius is known for a number of proactive and at times innovative approaches that may even be setting the pace worldwide, we found that the restoration activities which are impacting the largest areas and an overwhelming proportion of native biodiversity of the country sometimes remain averse to even basic ecological principles. This includes the removal from restoration areas of fast growing native pioneer species with proven nurse‐tree potential to be replaced by a multitude of nursery grown and much slower growing plants that would have naturally grown anyway. Besides representing setbacks to areas undergoing restoration, this elevates restoration costs in the face of scarcity of conservation resources and urgency to restore more than the tiny and isolated areas currently targeted. Research worldwide continues to improve restoration science but blockages to knowledge transfer can seriously undermine its impact where it is most needed.
Alteration of global workspace during loss of consciousness: A study of parietal seizures
Authors: Lambert Isabelle , Arthuis Marie , McGonigal Aileen , Wendling Fabrice , Bartolomei Fabrice
Published: September 2012

Purpose:  Loss of consciousness (LOC) in epileptic seizures has a strongly negative impact on quality of life. Recently, we showed that LOC occurring during temporal lobe seizures was correlated with a nonlinear increase of neural synchrony in associative—and particularly parietal—cortices. Whether these mechanisms might be observed in other types of seizures is unknown. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between changes in synchrony and degree of LOC during parietal lobe epilepsy (PLE), a form of epilepsy in which seizures directly involve the parietal associative cortices.

Methods:  Ten patients undergoing stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) during presurgical evaluation of PLE were studied. The LOC intensity was scored using the Conscious Seizure Scale (CSS). For each studied seizure (n = 29), interdependencies between signals recorded from six brain regions were estimated as a function of time by using nonlinear regression analysis (h2 coefficient).

Key Findings:  Seizures were divided into three groups according to the CSS scale: group A (no LOC) with a score ≤1, group B (intermediate or partial LOC) with a score ranging from 2 to 5, and group C (maximal LOC) with a score ≥6. The majority of seizures in patients with PLE disclosed significant LOC (17/29, group C). Mean h2 values were significantly different between the three groups (p = 0.008), the maximal values of synchrony being observed in group C. In addition, a statistically significant nonlinear relationship (p = 0.0021) was found between the h2 values and the CSS scores, suggesting a threshold effect.

Significance:  This study indicates that excess of EEG signal synchrony within associative cortices is likely to be a crucial phenomenon associated with LOC.
Fetal Alcohol‐Related Growth Restriction from Birth through Young Adulthood and Moderating Effects of Maternal Prepregnancy Weight
Authors: Carter R. Colin , Jacobson Joseph L. , Sokol Robert J. , Avison Malcolm J. , Jacobson Sandra W.
Published: September 2012

Background

Fetal alcohol‐related growth restriction persists through infancy, but its impact later in life is less clear. Animal studies have demonstrated important roles for maternal nutrition in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, but the impact of prenatal maternal body composition has not been studied in humans. This study examined the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on longitudinal growth from birth through young adulthood and the degree to which maternal weight and body mass index (BMI) moderate these effects.

Methods

Nearly 480 mothers were recruited at their first prenatal clinic visit to overrepresent moderate‐to‐heavy use of alcohol during pregnancy, including a 5% random sample of low‐level drinkers and abstainers. They were interviewed at every prenatal visit about their alcohol consumption using a timeline follow‐back approach. Their children were examined for weight, length/height, and head circumference at birth, 6.5 and 13 months, and 7.5, 14, and 19 years.

Results

In multiple regression models with repeated measures (adjusted for confounders), prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with longitudinal reductions in weight, height, and weight‐for‐length/BMI that were largely determined at birth. At low‐to‐moderate levels of exposure, these effects were more severe in infancy than in later childhood. By contrast, effects persisted among children whose mothers drank at least monthly and among those born to women with alcohol abuse and/or dependence who had consumed ≥ 4 drinks/occasion. In addition, effects on weight, height, and head circumference were markedly stronger among children born to mothers with lower prepregnancy weight.

Conclusions

These findings confirm prior studies demonstrating alcohol‐related reductions in weight, height, weight‐for‐height/BMI, and head circumference that persist through young adulthood. Stronger effects were seen among children born to mothers with smaller prepregnancy weight, which may have been because of attainment of higher blood alcohol concentrations in smaller mothers for a given amount of alcohol intake or to increased vulnerability in infants born to women with poorer nutrition.
Chronic Alcohol Ingestion in Rats Decreases Krüppel‐Like Factor 4 Expression and Intracellular Zinc in the Lung
Authors: Curry‐McCoy Tiana V. , Guidot David M. , Joshi Pratibha C.
Published: September 2012

Background

Chronic alcohol ingestion alters the dynamic balance between granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFβ1) signaling within the alveolar space and, in parallel, impairs alveolar macrophage and epithelial cell function by inhibiting expression of the zinc importer ZIP4 and decreasing zinc bioavailability in the alveolar compartment. As the transcription factor Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) binds to ZIP4, we hypothesized that alcohol exposure and consequent perturbations in GM‐CSF and TGFβ1 signaling could decrease cellular KLF4 expression and/or binding as a mechanism by which it inhibits ZIP4 expression and decreases cellular zinc levels.

Methods and Results

Alcohol exposure in vitro or chronic ingestion in vivo decreased KLF4 expression in alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells. Treatment with GM‐CSF or TGFβ1 showed an enhancing or dampening effect on KLF4 expression and binding, respectively. Further, treatment of a rat alveolar macrophage cell line with alcohol in vitro for 4 weeks decreased the expression of the zinc transporters ZIP4 and ZNT1, and of the zinc storage protein metallothionein 1. In parallel, treating these macrophages with KLF4 siRNA decreased ZIP4 expression and decreased cellular zinc and phagocytic capacity to levels equivalent to those following alcohol exposure. In epithelial monolayers, transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was significantly decreased by alcohol ingestion as compared with control diets, and it was restored by in vitro GM‐CSF treatment. In contrast, in vitro TGFβ1 treatment of the epithelial monolayers from control‐fed rats significantly decreased TER as compared with untreated control monolayers.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggest that within the alveolar space, chronic alcohol exposure decreases KLF4 and ZIP4 expression and consequently decreases zinc transport into cells, which, in turn, impairs their function. Furthermore, the dynamic decrease in the relative influence of GM‐CSF versus TGFβ1 could mediate the zinc deficiency and consequent cellular dysfunction that characterize the “alcoholic lung” phenotype.
Education and Cognitive Change over 15 Years: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Schneider Andrea L. C. , Sharrett A. Richey , Patel Mehul D. , Alonso Alvaro , Coresh Josef , Mosley Thomas , Selnes Ola , Selvin Elizabeth , Gottesman Rebecca F.
Published: September 2012

Objectives

To evaluate whether education level is associated with change in cognitive performance.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a community‐based cohort.

Participants

Nine thousand two hundred sixty‐eight ARIC participants who underwent cognitive evaluation at least twice over a 15‐year period.

Measurements

Education was evaluated as a predictor of change in word recall, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and word fluency. A random‐effects linear regression model, and a time by educational level interaction was used.

Results

Educational level was highly associated with cognitive performance. The effect on performance of a less than high school education (vs more than high school) was equivalent to the effect of as much as 22 years of cognitive aging, but educational level was not associated with change in cognitive performance in whites or blacks, with the exception of the DSST for whites, in whom those with lower levels of education had less decline in scores.

Conclusion

Educational level was not associated with change in cognitive performance, although the higher baseline cognitive performance of individuals with more education might explain lower rates of dementia in more‐educated individuals, because more decline would have to take place between baseline higher performance and time at which dementia was diagnosed in more‐educated individuals.
Natural Law and the Roman Catholic Tradition: The Importance of Philosophical Realism
Authors: LISSKA ANTHONY J.
Published: September 2012

Abstract

The intellectual tradition of Roman Catholicism considers natural‐law theory as providing the philosophical machinery for articulating concepts central to thinking about moral theory, legal theory, and the social order. The thrust of this essay is to explicate the positions rooted in the writings of Aquinas on natural‐law theory, a theory with which a Georgist might find some stimulating similarities. Conditions necessary for natural‐law moral and legal theory are considered through an analysis of the central metaphysical concepts together with their historical development and contemporary significance.
A Catholic Response to Henry George's Critique of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum
Authors: BENESTAD J. BRIAN
Published: September 2012

Abstract

In Rerum Novarum, the first of the modern social encyclicals, Pope Leo XIII argued that there is a right to the possession of property, but there are limits on the use of wealth. Christians have an obligation to use their property and talents for the good of others. Private ownership must serve not only the interests of the individual but also the public welfare. The disadvantages of private ownership are not to be corrected by socialism, communism, or the free market, but by the teaching of the Church on faith and morals, the laws of the State, and the action of private associations. Efforts to solve the problems of poverty and unjust working conditions will be in vain unless principles of Christian living drawn from the Gospel are taught to people in all ranks of society.
Two Views of Social Justice: A Catholic/Georgist Dialogue
Authors: LORD KENNETH R.
Published: September 2012

Abstract

Sixteen scholars have come together in this issue to examine eight social‐justice themes from the perspectives of Catholic Social Thought and the philosophy of Henry George. The themes they address are natural law, human nature, the nature of work, the nineteenth‐century papal encyclical Rerum novarum, causes of war, immigration, development, and wealth, and neighborhood revitalization. While they sometimes wrangle with each other, their common aspiration is the same as their nineteenth‐century predecessors: to find solutions to the human suffering caused by injustice.
An American Catholic Perspective on Urban Neighborhoods: The Lens of Monsignor Geno C. Baroni and the Legacy of the Neighborhood Movement
Authors: KROMKOWSKI JOHN A. , KROMKOWSKI JOHN DAVID
Published: September 2012

Abstract

This essay reviews insights and actions that were prompted by a contemporary crisis of American development that was not entirely unlike the earlier crisis of growth that inspired Henry George's diagnosis and prescription for relief, reform, and renewal. It traces Catholic underpinnings of social, economic, and political thought and action and their applications to American urban life. It highlights new themes of a developing Catholic tradition that engages new problematic conditions and situations. These new themes and practices became imperatives related to current dynamics of urban and metropolitan growth. Thus this essay addresses the sources of this approach to the crisis of development found in the neighborhood movement and locates the particularly pivotal participation the Monsignor Geno C. Baroni and his vision and action regarding people and places in our time.
Development and Wealth: A Georgist Perspective
Authors: BATT H. WILLIAM
Published: September 2012

Abstract

This essay addresses concerns of economic and wealth distribution, especially as they challenge the developing world. The foundation for any new framework of economic thought must embody a structure that allows for a sustainable future, not only for individuals but also for whole societies and economic units, and the assurance of minimal standards of living for the entire world's people. The Georgist position is that all the natural resources of the earth and sky should require payment back to society for the privilege of their use. Hence the recovery of rent is the proper source of finance for government services, restoring what is otherwise an imbalance between the public and the private realms of society. The Georgist philosophy offers economic justice and clarity of vision, restoration of and protection for the commons, and protection for the environment of the earth in a deft and gentle way that is within the capacity of governments to implement.
Henry George and Immigration
Authors: BECK JOHN H.
Published: September 2012

Abstract

Henry George's opposition to free immigration may be surprising in light of his positions on other aspects of economic theory and policy. This essay reviews George's statements on immigration policy, discusses inconsistencies of these statements with his positions on free trade and Malthusian population theory, compares George's views with the neoclassical economic perspective on immigration, and suggests that implementation of George's policy of taxing land values would share the gains from immigration in a manner that might reduce opposition to open borders.
Henry George's Perspective on War and Peace
Authors: HARTZOK ALANNA
Published: September 2012

Abstract

This essay examines Henry George's perspective on war and peace. With justice added to the foundation in the way that Henry George proposes, the conditions of inequality and conflict that lead to war will no longer prevail. George saw that trade prohibitions furthered elite rule, militarization, and a worldview of “them” versus “us.” George's great contribution was to see how these big issues of War and Peace bore directly upon the constellation of rules governing the relationship of people to planet, humans to humus, earthlings to earth. Social arrangements not based on the fundamental and equal human right to the earth lead inevitably to a gross imbalance of political power and thus to government corruption, odious public debt, war, and preparations for further war. Although he warned us of what might befall the United States if it took the imperialist path, George seemed hopeful that the highest and best moral purpose of our nation would prevail. The paper concludes with an assessment of contemporary devices that protect the interests of the few over the many—subsidies, the ballooning national debt, the ever‐widening wealth gap, megacities, and the full‐spectrum‐dominance objective of U.S. imperialism.
Semiparametric Bayesian Survival Analysis using Models with Log‐linear Median
Authors: Lin Jianchang , Sinha Debajyoti , Lipsitz Stuart , Polpo Adriano
Published: September 2012

SummaryWe present a novel semiparametric survival model with a log‐linear median regression function. As a useful alternative to existing semiparametric models, our large model class has many important practical advantages, including interpretation of the regression parameters via the median and the ability to address heteroscedasticity. We demonstrate that our modeling technique facilitates the ease of prior elicitation and computation for both parametric and semiparametric Bayesian analysis of survival data. We illustrate the advantages of our modeling, as well as model diagnostics, via a reanalysis of a small‐cell lung cancer study. Results of our simulation study provide further support for our model in practice.
Mapping Cancer Risk in Southwestern Ontario with Changing Census Boundaries
Authors: Nguyen P. , Brown P. E. , Stafford J.
Published: September 2012

Summary Mapping disease risk often involves working with data that have been spatially aggregated to census regions or postal regions, either for administrative reasons or confidentiality. When studying rare diseases, data must be collected over a long time period in order to accumulate a meaningful number of cases. These long time periods can result in spatial boundaries of the census regions changing over time, as is the case with the motivating example of exploring the spatial structure of mesothelioma lung cancer risk in Lambton County and Middlesex County of southwestern Ontario, Canada. This article presents a local‐EM kernel smoothing algorithm that allows for the combining of data from different spatial maps, being capable of modeling risk for spatially aggregated data with time‐varying boundaries. Inference and uncertainty estimates are carried out with parametric bootstrap procedures, and cross‐validation is used for bandwidth selection. Results for the lung cancer study are shown and discussed.
Care Farms in the Netherlands: An Underexplored Example of Multifunctional Agriculture—Toward an Empirically Grounded, Organization‐Theory‐Based Typology
Authors: Hassink Jan , Hulsink Willem , Grin John
Published: September 2012

For agricultural and rural development in Europe, multifunctionality is a leading concept that raises many questions. Care farming is a promising example of multifunctional agriculture that has so far received little attention. An issue that has not been examined thoroughly is the strategic mapping of different care farm organizations in this emerging field. The objective of this article is to develop a typology for care farms in the Netherlands and provide insight into the diversity of care farms. We have used different concepts from organization theory and information from regional organizations of care farmers to identify key dimensions and develop a typology of care farms. Key dimensions are the ratio between agriculture and care, the background of the initiators, and the degree of collaboration with formal care institutions. We found six main types of care farms with different identities, four of which were initiated by the farmers' families (mainly female partners). The other two types were started by new entrants in agriculture. On the basis of our findings, we confirmed, disputed, and supplemented insights to multifunctional farming literature. As a further contribution to that field, drawing from the organization theories underlying our typology, we have sought to understand how different types of care farms could emerge.
Microwave Sintering of Nanocrystalline Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 Ferrite Powder and Their Magnetic Properties
Authors: Liu Yin , Yi Zhiguo , Li Jian‐jun , Qiu Tai , Min Fan‐fei , Zhang Ming‐xu
Published: September 2012

Nanocrystalline Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) powder with grain size of 30 nm was prepared using the spraying‐coprecipitation method. The obtained nanocrystalline Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 powder was sintered using conventional and microwave sintering techniques. The results show that the microstructure and magnetic properties of the sintered samples are obviously improved by microwave sintering of nanocrystalline Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 ferrite powder. The initial permeability of Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 ferrite increases with the increase in zinc concentration, although its resonance frequencies shift from high frequency to low frequency. The maximum initial permeability for microwave‐sintered Ni0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 ceramic obtained at the temperature of 1170°C for 30 min reaches up to 360.9, and its resonance frequency is ~10 MHz. It may be attributed to the nanocrystalline Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 raw powder as well as the microwave sintering process, which results in a synergistic effect on improvement of the microstructure and magnetic properties.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Chemical Reaction of CO2 and Ba2Fe2O5 Under Various CO2 Partial Pressures
Authors: Fujishiro Fumito , Kojima Yuki , Hashimoto Takuya
Published: September 2012

The reaction kinetics of the CO2 absorption by Ba2Fe2O5, which shows a reversible reaction with CO2 represented as Ba2Fe2O5 + CO2 ⇄ BaCO3 + BaFe2O4, was investigated by thermogravimetry under various CO2 partial pressures [P(CO2)s]. The calculated Ellingham diagram of the reaction was found to show agreement with the variation in the equilibrium temperature of the reaction with P(CO2). The results of the morphology observation, specific surface area analysis, and TG measurement suggested that the CO2 absorption mechanism of Ba2Fe2O5 is described by a superficial reaction, a diffusion‐controlled process, and a sintering reaction as the reaction proceeds. The kinetics of CO2 absorption for the diffusion‐controlled process has been analyzed with the Jander function, showing that the activation enthalpy was about 1.6 × 102 kJ/mol.
Effects of the Domain Size on Local d33 in Tetragonal (Na0.53K0.45Li0.02)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3 Ceramics
Authors: Le Duc‐Thang , Kwon So‐Jung , Yeom Na‐Ri , Lee Young‐Jin , Jeong Young‐Hun , Chun Myoung‐Pyo , Nam Joong‐Hee , Paik Jong‐Hoo , Kim Byung‐Ik , Cho Jeong‐Ho
Published: September 2012

Lead‐free (Na0.53K0.45Li0.02)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3 (NKLNT) was prepared using a conventional cold‐pressing method. A commercial piezoresponse force microscope (PFM) was applied to observe the domain structures of NKLNT ceramics. The typical configuration of the ferroelectric domain was analyzed in abnormal grains with grain sizes that exceeded 40 μm, where tetragonal 90° domains are predominant. The local piezoresponse hysteresis loops were characterized and studied as a function of the domain width (dw) in the range 300–1000 nm. It was found that the amplitude signals increased and the coercive field reduced significantly with a decrease in the domain size. Finally, the local longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33) increased as the domain size decreased.