bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond root cause analysis: An enriched system oriented event analysis model for wide application
Authors: Chuang Sheuwen , Howley Peter P.
Published: December 2012

An elementary System Oriented Event Analysis (SOEA) model was developed as an innovative method addressing serious limitations of the traditional root cause analysis (RCA) in healthcare. The SOEA has three distinctive capabilities beyond RCA: multiple events analysis, systems thinking, risk control formulation and alignment. It was applicable to events arising within strict sequential processes. However, for wider application to nonsequential, network system flows, the model needed to be redesigned. The engineering concepts of verification and validation were adopted as guides for the redesign. Patient falls in three differently sized hospitals were used to verify the applicability of the redesigned model. The resulting enriched SOEA model (enSOEA) was later applied in a scabies outbreak case as a validation test of success. This paper aims to describe how the elementary SOEA model was redesigned to achieve the enriched SOEA that is applicable beyond the sequential process, and provides key lessons learned from the tests for promoting its application. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 16
Elektronenbeugung zur Analyse dünner Funktionsschichten
Authors: Thomas Jürgen , Ramm Jürgen , Gemming Thomas
Published: December 2012

Nach einem kurzen geschichtlichen Überblick werden einige Grundlagen der Elektronenbeugung in der Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie erläutert: Elektronen als Wellen, Braggsches Gesetz, Feinbereichs‐ und Feinstrahlbeugung. Die Möglichkeiten der am häufigsten benutzten Feinbereichsbeugung werden anhand von zwei typischen Beispielen demonstriert: Ermittlung der kristallografischen Orientierung in einkristallinen Schichten (piezoelektrisches LiTaO3) und Phasenanalyse in polykristallinen Gefügen (Ni‐Al‐O‐Hartstoffschichten).
Current Status in Fabrication, Structural and Transport Property Characterization, and Theoretical Understanding of Bi2Te3 / Sb2Te3 Superlattice Systems
Authors: Winkler Markus , Liu Xi , Schürmann Ulrich , König Jan D. , Kienle Lorenz , Bensch Wolfgang , Böttner Harald
Published: December 2012

Roughly a decade ago an outstanding thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT of 2.4 was published for nanostructured Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3‐based thin film superlattice (SL) structures. The results strongly fueled and renewed the interest in the development of efficient novel nanostructured thermoelectric materials. Several attempts were made to reproduce and improve the properties by using different methods, for example by replacing the cost‐intensive metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) used to deposit the superlattices. This method‐oriented article shall give a critical overview over the most recent advances concerning growth, structural and electrical characterization, and theoretical understanding of Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 SL systems. Previously reported data as well as new results from our groups are presented. Selected additional results from closely related Bi2Te3‐ and Sb2Te3‐based nanolayered systems are also presented to enhance the discussion.
Treatment When Prognostic Factors Do Not Match St. Gallen Recommendations: Profiling of Prognostic Factors among HR(+) and HER2(−) Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Satoh Kyoko , Tanaka Maki , Yano Ayako , Ying Jiang , Kakuma Tatsuyuki
Published: December 2012

Background

The St. Gallen consensus provides treatment recommendations for breast cancer based on prognostic factors. Although many patients’ prognostic patterns are not easily matched with the prognostic patterns listed in the St. Gallen consensus, there has been no systematic investigation reporting the gap between treatment recommendations and actual postoperative treatment choices in clinical practice.

Methods

Four hundred seventy‐one patients with hormone receptor‐positive [HR(+)] and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2‐negative [HER2(−)] breast cancer were analyzed. These patients were classified into either the “crisp treatment group” or “fuzzy treatment group” based on the definitiveness of postoperative treatment selection based on St. Gallen treatment recommendations. The patients in the fuzzy treatment group were further classified into strata in which patients within each stratum shared the same prognostic factor patterns with similar recurrence rates.

Results

A total of 87.3 % of HR(+)HER2(−) patients were designated to the fuzzy treatment group. Four prognostic strata were constructed according to the survival tree model, and revealed that patients with poor prognostic profiles tended to receive endocrine therapy with chemotherapy. This suggests that postoperative chemotherapy is useful, although there was no statistical significance.

Conclusions

We constructed prognostic profiles of patients in the fuzzy treatment group and examined the recurrence rates associated with two treatment regimens within each prognostic profile. These findings are exploratory, but they may be useful for planning prospective studies of the effectiveness of postoperative treatment regimens among patients with a heterogeneous combination of prognostic factors.
Efficacy of Cholestyramine Ointment in Reduction of Postoperative Pain and Pain during Defecation after Open Hemorrhoidectomy: Results of a Prospective, Single‐center, Randomized, Double‐blind, Placebo‐controlled Trial
Authors: Ala Shahram , Eshghi Fariborz , Enayatifard Reza , Fazel Payam , Rezaei Banafsheh , Hadianamrei Roja
Published: December 2012

Background

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of cholestyramine ointment (15 %) in reducing postoperative pain at rest and during defecation after open hemorrhoidectomy.

Methods

A total of 91 patients with third and fourth degree hemorrhoids undergoing open hemorrhoidectomy were included in this prospective, double‐blind, randomized controlled trial. The patients were randomly assigned to either cholestyramine ointment or placebo immediately after surgery, 12 h after surgery, and then every 8 h for 14 days. The primary outcomes were intensity of pain at rest and during defecation, measured with a visual analog scale, and the analgesic requirement, measured by amount of tramadol consumption.

Results

The cholestyramine group had less postoperative pain than the placebo group at the 24th hour (1.84 ± 2.54 vs. 4.07 ± 3.35; P = 0.001) and 48th hour (0.18 ± 0.88 vs. 3.57 ± 3.45; P < 0.001) and less pain during defecation starting at the 48th hour (2.28 ± 2.96 vs. 4.77 ± 4.09; P = 0.001). Similarly, the average tramadol consumption at hours 24 and 48 was significantly lower for the cholestyramine group (5.32 ± 21.45 vs. 43.18 ± 61.56 mg at 24 h, and 4.48 ± 16.65 vs. 57.63 ± 65.47 mg at 48 h; P < 0.001). The only adverse event was pruritus, which had a lower frequency in the cholestyramine group but the difference was not significant until postoperative week 4 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Compared with placebo, cholestyramine ointment (15 %) reduced postoperative pain at rest and on defecation, and consequently lowered the analgesic requirement after open hemorrhoidectomy.
Optimization of Enzymatic Synthesis of Tricaprylin in Ionic Liquids by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Pan Qiuyue , Yang Liping , Meng Xianghe
Published: December 2012

Ten 1,3‐dialkylimidazolium‐based ionic liquids (ILs) have been investigated as media for the enzymatic synthesis of tricaprylin, in comparison with the conventional organic solvent hexane. The results suggested that the esterification activity of Novozym 435 was higher than Lypozyme RM IM in all the ILs assayed. Novozym 435 showed higher catalytic activity in ILs with anions Tf2N− and PF6− than in BF4− and hexane. FTIR analysis of the secondary structure of the lipase indicated that a smaller decrease of the α‐helix was observed in [C4MIM] Tf2N and [C4MIM] PF6 than [C4MIM] BF4 and hexane, indicating that the anions of ILs might be a key factor for the activity of lipase in ILs. Process parameters (amount of lipase, caprylic acid/glycerol molar ratio, temperature and their interactive effects) were optimized in 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4MIM]PF6) using Novozym 435 by response surface methodology. When the reactions were performed with the lipase amount of 6.1 % substrate mass at a caprylic acid/glycerol molar ratio of 4.5:1 and 66.7 °C, a higher yield was reached up to 92.4 %.
Treatment of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia with topical 5% imiquimod cream
Authors: Westermann Claudia , Fischer Anna , Clad Andreas
Published: December 2012

Objective

To assess the efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream for treating vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN).

Methods

In a retrospective study, data were analyzed from 62 patients with biopsy‐diagnosed VIN stage I–III who were treated with 5% imiquimod cream at University Hospital of Freiburg, Germany, between 2004 and 2011. Several patient and lesion characteristics were evaluated, and follow‐up was 3–72 months (median 21 months).

Results

Among 62 women treated, 47 (76%) showed a complete response, 12 (19%) showed a partial response, 2 (3%) showed a weak partial response, and 1 did not respond. Disease recurrence occurred for 17 (27%) women. Recurrence rates were significantly lower among HPV‐positive patients (P = 0.046), and among women younger than 65 years (P = 0.030). Patients without local inflammation during treatment were less likely to show a complete response (P = 0.049). Response rates did not depend on lesion size; however, women with large lesions required longer treatment and higher total dosages for a complete response.

Conclusion

5% imiquimod cream was found to be a favorable alternative to ablative treatment of VIN independently of lesion grading, appearance, and size. Patient age, HPV status, and occurrence of adverse effects significantly influenced treatment outcome.
Implementing labor flexibility: A missing link between acquired labor flexibility and plant performance
Authors: Sawhney Rajeev
Published: December 2012

The existing studies conceptualize a direct relationship between acquired labor flexibility and plant performance, producing inconsistent empirical results, which makes the topic ripe for further inquiry. We believe acquiring labor flexibility is not sufficient; its implementation is an important intervening step when companies have to tackle accompanying technical and behavioral side effects of labor flexibility. In this paper, we develop and test a theoretical model in which we introduce an intervening variable to capture the implementation of labor flexibility. In addition, evolving human resource management practices that promote acquisition of labor flexibility are also examined in our model. Case studies in ten printed circuit board plants validated our model. Subsequently, survey data collected from 74 PCB plants was analyzed using Partial Least Squares method. Supporting the proposed model, the results show that the impact of acquired labor flexibility on plant performance is not direct but experienced through the sophistication of labor flexibility implementation exercised by the plant. Our findings also suggested that plants that emphasized process‐focused training, provided greater job‐rotation training, and designed positive reward structures, acquired higher labor flexibility.
Individual differences in the newsvendor problem: Behavior and cognitive reflection
Authors: Moritz Brent B. , Hill Arthur V. , Donohue Karen L.
Published: December 2012

Previous research has shown that when solving a newsvendor problem, individuals systematically and persistently deviate from the profit maximizing quantity. This paper investigates the relationship between cognitive reflection and newsvendor decision making, testing experienced supply chain professionals and subjects affiliated with a university business school in a newsvendor experiment. We find that in high and medium critical ratio environments, individuals with higher cognitive reflection exhibit a lower tendency to chase demand. We also find that cognitive reflection is related to task outcome measures including average expected profit, average order quantity and order quantity variance, and that cognitive reflection is a better predictor of performance than college major, years of experience, and managerial position. These results suggest that cognitive reflection contributes to an understanding of newsvendor decision‐making behavior.
Social preferences and emotions as regulators of behavior in processes⋆
Authors: Urda Julie , Loch Christoph H.
Published: December 2012

Behavior is driven not only by individual “(economically) rational” deliberation, but also by shortcuts (decision biases) and by social preferences (the achievement of status, reciprocal relationships, and group identity). An important aspect of these behavioral drivers is that they may operate (at least in part) through emotions. Emotions influence behavior in ways that are relevant to performance in processes; for example, anger prompts employees to refuse cooperation, fear inhibits workers’ willingness to take initiatives (for example, in continuous improvement), and shame motivates them to change behavior.

This study provides experimental evidence that the social preferences systematically trigger emotions. This happens not “linearly” (more achievement of a social preference might be expected to cause more positive emotions), but rather in more complex patterns that regulate social relationships. Arbitrary (but earned) status signals trigger pride, while status achievement from being lucky does not. An externally (not by an own fault) caused status loss triggers anger and disgust. Not receiving cooperation by another person triggers anger, but more so if the cooperation failure violates a reciprocity expectation; the happiness form receiving cooperation by another person is attenuated by guilt and sadness is the subject itself has previously refused cooperation to the other person. Events happening to salient in‐group members trigger emotions as if they happened to subjects directly, including if the in‐group member behaves in an embarrassing way.

These results are relevant for front‐line managers because they help predicting and interpreting emotional reactions of employees: awarding or withholding status, offering or demanding reciprocity, and the creation of in‐groups have emotional effects that depend on the context in predictable ways. Our results also contribute to theory by connecting literatures on emotions, decision making, and behavioral operations.
Public Policy Investment: Risk and Return in British Politics
Authors: Bertelli Anthony M. , John Peter
Published: December 2012

This article sets out and tests a theory of public policy investment – how democratic governments seek to enhance their chances of re-election by managing a portfolio of policy priorities for the public, analogous to the relationship between investment manager and client. Governments choose policies that yield returns the public values; and rebalance their policy priorities later to adjust risk and stabilize return. Do the public reward returns to policy capital or punish risky policy investments? The article investigates whether returns to policy investment guide political management and statecraft. Time-series analyses of risk and return in Britain 1971–2000 reveal that risk and return on government policy portfolios predict election outcomes, and that returns, risk profiles and the uncertainty in public signals influence the prioritization of policies.
Anastrephaegg deposition induces volatiles in fruits that attract the parasitoidFopius arisanus
Authors: Pérez J. , Rojas J.C. , Montoya P. , Liedo P. , Castillo A.
Published: December 2012

Fopius arisanusis a solitary egg–pupal endoparasitoid that attacks several species of tephritid fruit flies, particularlyBactroceraspp. This species, indigenous from the Indo-Australian region, was introduced into Mexico for biological control purposes. From the standpoint of the ‘new associations’ concept this parasitoid has been evaluated against fruit flies in theAnastrephacomplex. We investigated the specificity ofF. arisanusresponses to fruits infested with two species ofAnastrepha. We examined whether fruit volatiles attractive to this parasitoid are induced as a result of fruit fly oviposition. We also investigated whetherF. arisanusfemales are able to discriminate between the oviposition-induced volatiles from host eggs parasitised by conspecifics and volatiles from unparasitised eggs. All experiments were performed in a wind tunnel. Results showed that mango fruits infested withA. ludenseggs (2–3 days after egg deposition) were significantly more attractive to naïveF. arisanusfemales compared with non-infested fruits or fruits infested with larvae. In addition, guava fruits harbouringA. striataeggs were significantly more attractive to the parasitoid than non-infested fruits or fruits infested with larvae. Thus, the parasitoid was attracted to fruits with eggs, but fruit and fly species did not influence the parasitoid attraction. We also found thatF. arisanusfemales were more attracted to fruits exposed to fertileA. ludensfemales (i.e. fruits with eggs inside) compared with fruits exposed to sterile females (i.e. fruits with no eggs inside) or fruits with mechanical damage. Parasitoid females were not attracted toA. ludenseggs. The results suggest that the presence of eggs induces volatiles that attract parasitoids. Finally, we found thatF. arisanuswas able to discriminate between fruits with unparasitised eggs vs. eggs parasitised by conspecifics, indicating that host discrimination could be mediated by olfactory cues.
Reproduction, larval development and settlement of the intertidal serpulid polychaeteSpirobranchus cariniferus
Authors: Gosselin Louis A. , Sewell Mary A.
Published: December 2012

Serpulid polychaetes are often important components of marine communities, yet current knowledge of serpulid reproduction, development and settlement is largely based on the study of only a few species. This study examined whether spawning and sexual development of the mid-intertidal serpulidSpirobranchus cariniferusare typical of patterns observed in other serpulids, and also examined the effect of diet on larval development and identified cues that induce metamorphosis. Populations ofS. cariniferuson the east and west coasts of New Zealand's North Island had an extended spawning season with a high proportion (75–100%) of individuals carrying ripe gametes at any given time from the late spring to early autumn, consistent with other serpulid species. However, contrary to proposed patterns of sexual development in serpulids, sex-ratios and average male and female body masses suggestS. cariniferusare not protandric hermaphrodites. A diet experiment revealed that larval growth was fastest when provided with a mixed diet of three algal species. Solutions of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine at a concentration of 10−4M were potent inducers of metamorphosis inS. cariniferuslarvae, revealing that competence is reached by 13–15 days after fertilization. When exposed to surfaces coated with conspecific tube or tissue homogenates, 6% of competent larvae settled and metamorphosed on surfaces coated with tube homogenate whereas none settled on tissue homogenate or in the controls, suggesting specific cues are required for settlement and the likely presence of a settlement cue in the tubes of adult worms, consistent with the highly gregarious distribution of the species.
Prenatal adversity: a risk factor in borderline personality disorder?
Authors: Schwarze C. E. , Mobascher A. , Pallasch B. , Hoppe G. , Kurz M. , Hellhammer D. H. , Lieb K.
Published: December 2012

Background

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show a high prevalence of early adversity, such as childhood trauma. It has also been reported that prenatal adverse conditions, such as prenatal maternal stress, drug taking, tobacco smoking or medical complications, may be associated with an increased risk of mental disorders in the offspring. Prenatal adversity is investigated here for the first time as a potential risk factor in the diagnosis of BPD.

Method

A total of 100 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BPD and 100 matched healthy controls underwent semi-structured interviews about the course of pregnancy, maternal stressors, birth complications and childhood trauma. Further information was obtained from the participants' mothers and from prenatal medical records.

Results

Borderline patients were significantly more often exposed to adverse intrauterine conditions, such as prenatal tobacco exposure (p=0.004), medical complications (p=0.008), prenatal maternal traumatic stress (p=0.015), familial conflicts (p=0.004), low social support (p=0.004) and partnership problems during pregnancy (p=0.014). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the reported prenatal risk factors accounted for 25.7% of the variance in BPD. Prenatal tobacco exposure [odds ratio (OR) 3.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49–7.65, p=0.004] and medical complications (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.29–6.38, p=0.010) emerged as important predictors. After controlling for childhood adversity and parental socio-economic status (SES), prenatal risk factors predicted relevant borderline subdomains, such as impulsivity, affective instability, identity disturbance, dissociation and severity of borderline symptoms.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence of an association between prenatal adversity and the diagnosis of BPD. Our findings suggest that prenatal adversity may constitute a potential risk factor in the pathogenesis of BPD.
Impacts of duration of untreated psychosis on cognition and negative symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia: a 3-year prospective follow-up study
Authors: Chang W. C. , Hui C. L. M. , Tang J. Y. M. , Wong G. H. Y. , Chan S. K. W. , Lee E. H. M. , Chen E. Y. H.
Published: December 2012

Background

Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia. Its relationship with duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), a potentially malleable prognostic factor, has been less studied, with inconsistent findings being observed in the literature. Previous research investigating such a relationship was mostly cross-sectional and none of those prospective studies had a follow-up duration beyond 2 years.

Method

A total of 93 Hong Kong Chinese aged 18 to 55 years presenting with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder were studied. DUP and pre-morbid adjustment were measured using a structured interview incorporating multiple sources of information. Psychopathological evaluation was administered at intake, after clinical stabilization of the first psychotic episode, and at 12, 24 and 36 months. Cognitive functions were measured at clinical stabilization, and at 12, 24 and 36 months.

Results

DUP exerted differential effects on various cognitive domains, with memory deficits being the most related to DUP even when potential confounders including pre-morbid adjustment and sex were adjusted. Prolonged DUP was associated with more severe impairment in visual memory at clinical stabilization and verbal memory at 24 and 36 months. Further, patients with a long DUP were found to have worse outcomes on negative symptoms at 36 months. The effects of DUP on verbal memory remained significant even when negative symptoms were taken into consideration.

Conclusions

Our findings provided further supportive evidence that delayed treatment to first-episode psychosis is associated with poorer cognitive and clinical outcomes. In addition, DUP may specifically affect memory function and its adverse impact on verbal memory may only become evident at a later stage of the recovery process.
II.—Asymptotic Renewal Theorems
Authors: Smith Walter L.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

A sequence of non-negative random variables {Xi} is called a renewal process, and if the Xi may only take values on some sequence it is termed a discrete renewal process. The greatest k such that X1 + X2 + … + Xk ≤ x(> o) is a random variable N(x) and theorems concerning N(x) are renewal theorems. This paper is concerned with the proofs of a number of renewal theorems, the main emphasis being on processes which are not discrete. It is assumed throughout that the {Xi} are independent and identically distributed.

If H(x) = Ɛ{N(x)} and K(x) is the distribution function of any non-negative random variable with mean K > o, then it is shown that for the non-discrete process

where Ɛ{Xi} need not be finite; a similar result is proved for the discrete process. This general renewal theorem leads to a number of new results concerning the non-discrete process, including a discussion of the stationary “age-distribution” of “renewals” and a discussion of the variance of N(x). Lastly, conditions are established under which

These new conditions are much weaker than those of previous theorems by Feller, Täcklind, and Cox and Smith.
III.—Statistics of the Electron-Multiplication Process in Proportional Counters
Authors: Byrne J.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

This paper is concerned with the theory of the probability distribution of the total number of electrons in the avalanche produced by the release of a single electron in the gas of a proportional counter. The disagreement between existing theory and experimental results is discussed and a new theory is proposed, based on the fact that fluctuations in the number of electrons at a given point in the avalanche are accompanied by fluctuations in the average electron energy. This aspect of the problem is incorporated directly into a simple one-dimensional model of the multiplication process, and the resulting distribution function has a mathematical foim in agreement with that observed experimentally.

The fluctuation in the number of electrons predicted by this theory is not constant, but is determined by a parameter which, for large mean values, is essentially the mean fraction of electrons in the avalanche having energies above the ionization energy of the counter gas. Limits on the variation of this parameter are obtained by calculations of the mean values using a particular two-dimensional model, in which electrons are divided into two classes according as they have energies above, or below, the ionization energy. The experimentally observed fluctuation lies within the predicted range and close to the lower limit; it is concluded that there is little scope for improvement in the resolution to be obtained from the conventional type of proportional counter.
Painting a portrayal of narrators with learning disabilities from two narrative perspectives
Authors: CELINSKA DOROTA
Published: December 2012

Two narrative perspectives, high point analysis and episodic analysis, were used to compare the ability of narrators with and without learning disabilities to fulfill the referential and evaluative narrative functions. The participants were 82 students with learning disabilities and their typically achieving peers matched on age, grade, gender, and ethnicity. The participants (48 Caucasian, 34 African American) attended urban and suburban schools (Grades 4–7). Narratives were collected within the context of a naturalistic conversation. The findings across the two narrative perspectives showed areas of incongruence in specific narrative competencies. While these findings expand the portrayal of narrators with learning disabilities, they also imply the impact of using specific narrative analyses and genres for the narrative assessment and intervention outcomes.
Understanding the caring capacity of informal networks of frail seniors: a case for care networks
Authors: KEATING NORAH , OTFINOWSKI PAMELA , WENGER CLARE , FAST JANET , DERKSEN LINDA
Published: December 2012

Population ageing and constraints on public sector spending for older people with long-term health problems have led policy makers to turn to the social networks of older people, or the ‘informal sector’, as a source of long-term care. An important question arising from this policy shift is whether these social networks have the resources to sustain the high levels of care that can be required by older people with chronic health problems. In the face of both dire warnings about the imminent demise of the informal sector, and concurrent expectations that it will be the pillar of community long-term care, it is timely to undertake a critical analysis of the caring capacity of older people's social networks. In this paper we argue that the best way to understand the caring capacity of informal networks of frail older people is to establish their membership and caring capacity. It is useful to make conceptual distinctions between ‘social’, ‘support’, and ‘care-giving’ networks. We argue that transitions of networks from social through support to care roles are likely to show systematic patterns, and that at each transition the networks tend to contract as the more narrowly defined functions prevail. A focus on ‘care networks’, rather than the more usual ‘care dyads’, will move forward our understanding of the caring capacity of the informal sector, and also our ability to forge sound social and health policies to support those who provide care.
Knowledge of the writings of John Cassian in early Anglo-Saxon England
Authors: Lake Stephen
Published: December 2012

The writings of John Cassian (c. 370–c. 435) circulated widely through the Middle Ages, not least in Anglo-Saxon England. They are commonly assumed by scholars to have been fundamental to the formation of western monasticism, yet it is worth examining the nature and extent of their usage a little more closely. The following discussion considers this usage in Anglo-Latin sources between the later seventh century and the mid-eighth.
Justice and Equality: Some Questions About Scope
Authors: Temkin Larry S.
Published: December 2012

Can a society be just if it ignores the plight of other societies? Does it matter whether those societies are contemporaries? Moral “purists” are likely to assume that the answer to these questions must be “no.” Relying on familiar claims about impartiality or universalizability, the purist is likely to assert that the dictates of justice have no bounds, that they extend with equal strength across space and time. On this view, if, for example, justice requires us to maximize the expectations of the worst-off group in our society, it also requires us to maximize the expectations of the worst-off group in any society, at any time, so far as it is in our power to do so. Is such a position plausible? Is it more plausible than alternative positions? I am unsure about the answers to these questions, but both the questions, and the answers, are important. Clearly, the nature and extent of a just society's obligations will vary markedly depending on the scope of the correct principles of justice.
AUTONOMY AND HIERARCHY
Authors: Bratman Michael E.
Published: December 2012

In autonomous action the agent herself directs and governs the
action. But what is it for the agent herself to direct and to
govern? One theme in a series of articles by Harry G. Frankfurt
is that we can make progress in answering this question by appeal
to higher-order conative attitudes. Frankfurt's
original version of this idea is that in acting of one's own
free will, one is not acting simply because one desires so to act.
Rather, it is also true that this desire motivates one's
action because one desires that this desire motivate one's
action. This latter desire about the motivational role of one's
desire is a second-order desire. It is, in particular, what Frankfurt
calls a second-order “volition.” And, according to
Frankfurt's original proposal, acting of one's own free
will involves in this way such second-order, and sometimes yet higher
order, volitions.
INVOLVEMENT OF CONSUMERS IN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES BY INAHTA AGENCIES
Authors: Hailey David , Werkö Sophie , Bakri Rugayah , Cameron Alun , Göhlen Britta , Myles Susan , Pwu Jasmine , Yothasamut Jomkwan
Published: December 2012

Objectives: To obtain further information from members of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) on the involvement of consumers in their programs.

Methods: A questionnaire for a survey was developed and sent to member agencies in November 2010. Survey responses were compared with those from an earlier survey conducted in 2005.

Results: Of the thirty-three agencies that provided responses, 67 percent involve consumers in some aspects of their health technology assessment (HTA) programs, compared with 57 percent in 2005. As in the earlier survey, most agencies reporting involvement have contact with consumer or patient organizations and a large minority also involve individual consumers. Summaries of HTA reports that are intended to be easily understood by consumers are prepared by 84 percent of the agencies, and 42 percent involve consumers in dissemination of HTA material. In both areas, there was some increase from the levels previously reported.

Conclusions: The survey results suggest that there is a trend to increased involvement of consumers by the INAHTA agencies in their programs but that the level of involvement remains relatively limited. The manner of consumer participation varies between agencies.
Microenvironments in marine sediments
Authors: Anderson J. G. , Meadows P. S.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

Shallow water and intertidal marine sediments are often heterogeneous. This heterogeneity has led to a definition of microenvironments and their associated biological species. The definition encompasses habitat and species size, species behaviour and physiology, stability and environmental interfaces. We distinguish between open and closed interfaces, and suggest an associated topological structure. Examples are given from the intertidal zone. Three of these are discussed in detail.

(i)Sand grains. The occurrence of periphytic micro-organisms on sand grains is considered. The topography of the sand grain surface is closely related to the distribution of microbial colonies some of which contain a range of species. Bacteria, blue-green algae and diatoms have been identified. Species interactions and micro-variation in sediment physico-chemistry are likely to affect the constituents, distribution and abundance of the colonies. The activities of periphytic micro-organisms change the bulk properties of sediments.

(ii)Banding in sediments.Characteristic banding patterns are described from a sandy and muddy intertidal shore. Marked discontinuities in the microbial flora and physico-chemical properties occur at interfaces between the bands. For example, Eh, chlorophyll levels, and sulphide can all change dramatically over a few mm. The significance of these alterations for the meiobenthic and interstitial fauna is discussed.

(iii)Invertebrate burrow linings.Bioturbation structures including invertebrate burrows change local properties of sediments. The microbial and chemical properties ofNereis diversicolorburrow linings are described in detail. Sediment from the burrow lining closely resembles the sediment surface in many of its attributes. The sediment/water interfacial zone with its associated microbial and chemical properties is therefore extended vertically into sediments by these structures. Attention is drawn to the stabilising function of burrows and to their palaeoecological significance.
Bracken control by asulam
Authors: Heywood B. J.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

The chemical, physical and biological properties of asulam make this herbicide well suited for the selective control of bracken in various situations. These properties are reviewed and conditions considered to optimise the control of bracken and minimise the effect on the environment on both a short- and long-term basis.

The role of surfactants and mineral oils is considered.
Photocontrol of spore germination and elementary processes of development in fern gametophytes
Authors: Furuya Masaki
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

Spore germination and the subsequent processes of development in fern gametophytes such as the induction, swelling and phototropism and protonemal growth and the progression of component phases in the cell cycle are antagonistically regulated by phytochrome and chemically unknown, blue and near-ultraviolet light-absorbing pigment(s). The physiological capacity to adjust these developmental processes to the seasonal and other environmental changes by wavelength, timing and direction of irradiations with near-ultraviolet, visible and far-red lights and also the electric vector of polarised light, is crucial for fern development. The diversity of Pfr requirement and of recovery time from blue light-induced inhibition in a spore population results in variations in the timing of spore germination, so that wild fern species may find a chance for survival under natural conditions. Photocontrolled processes are differentiated temporally and spatially in the course of fern morphogenesis, especially in the haploid generation. Using this material, the premitotic positioning of the nucleus and protein synthesis were studied.
A phytogeographical analysis of the phanerogams of Pakistan and Kashmir
Authors: Ali S. I. , Qaiser M.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

Four phytogeographical regions of Pakistan are recognised in an analysis of the phanerogams of Pakistan. Among the uniregionals, the most common element is Irano-Turanian (45.6%) followed by Sino-Japancse (10.6%), Saharo-Sindian (9.1%) and Indian (4.5%). Though in terms of the area, the Saharo-Sindian region occupies by far the biggest territory, the density of uniregional elements is lowest in this region. Overall there are only 6 endemic genera and an estimated 372 endemic species in Pakistan out of 4882 species. Highest numbers of uniregional endemics per unit area are met with in the Sino-Japanese region, followed by the Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Sindian region. Most of the endemics (78.22%) are confined to mountainous regions (c. 1200 m or above). Four areas, i.e. Sino-Japanese region of Kashmir (10.21% endemics), N Baluchistan (Irano-Turanian; 9.4% endemics) and Chitral (9.1% endemics), may be recognised as centres of radiation in Pakistan.
Late Quaternary and modern distribution of forest and some tree taxa in Turkey
Authors: Bottema Sytze
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

A broad outline is presented of forest distribution in Turkey during the last 15,000 years, based upon palynological evidence. The history of some selected taxa is given in more detail and compared with present day distributions. Considerable differences in forest composition were found between the mountain ranges N of the Anatolian plateau, the ranges S and SW of the plateau and the area SE of the eastern (Cilician) Taurus. Pinus dominated the northern part during most of the Late Glacial and the Holocene. In southwestern Anatolia a strong increase of Pinus halted SE of the Konya plain and this taxon did not cross the eastern Taurus. Cedrus and Abies fluctuated in relative importance during the period under discussion, but no marked shifts in the distribution are suggested by the pollen record. After c. 9000 BP, oak started to move into the treeless interior, especially in the SE where this tree settled on higher elevations in the steppe area. On the edges of the Anatolian plateau, oak acted as a pioneer, to be replaced by pine in the course of the Holocene. Birch, nowadays restricted mainly to higher elevations in eastern Turkey, was common in the Konya area during the last phase of the Late Glacial and the early Holocene. Beech increased in numbers during the second half of the Holocene. After the Late Glacial, mixed deciduous forest, rich in tree species, developed in the mountains of NW Turkey. It is assumed that in the Pleniglacial most of these species were present along the Black Sea coast, at lower elevations.
Prospects for renewable energy sources in the United Kingdom
Authors: Pooley D.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

Renewable energy sources are assessed on the basis of the practically available size of the reserve and the economic competitiveness of its development. Solar water heating panels are expensive, but attention to passive solar heating and heat retention in house design is inexpensive and rewarding. Photovoltaic cells remain expensive for United Kingdom use but are likely to be useful in small specialised applications. Offshore wave power needs bulky and expensive structures, though economic generation may be possible at favoured points on rocky shores. Wind power is nearly competitive with conventional electricity generation and offers an attractive export market even with a small United Kingdom base. Total power promises to be economic but it involves very large installations where the obstacle is the huge initial investment. Geothermal energy from hot, dry rocks has yet to show acceptable heat generation rates. The most promising renewable energy source at present is man-made; domestic, industrial and agriculture waste used as fuel.
Flooding tolerance: a reinterpretation of Crawford's metabolic theory
Authors: Joly C. A.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

The flooding tolerance strategy of three tropical gallery forest species,Sebastiana klotzchyana, Hymenaea courbarilvar.stilbocarpaandChorisia speciosawas studied. Data from the flood-intolerantSchyzolobium parahybahave been included for comparison.

In the case ofS. klotzchyanaflooding induced an acceleration of glycolysis, with ethanol as the sole end product of anaerobic metabolism. Oxygen diffusion to the root system was not detectable.

The results obtained forH. courbarilandC. speciosashow a compromise between metabolic and morpho-anatomical adaptations to enable them to occupy seasonally flooded areas. In both species, at the onset of the stress, the roots stop producing high amounts of ethanol and lactate. diverting part of the pyruvate produced to malate. The amount of pyruvate converted into malate is determined by the amount of oxygen diffused from the aerial part to the roots. This is used to oxidise pyruvate through Krebs' cycle and the excess is converted to malate. ATP production in the root system is predominantly aerobic and therefore not linked to malate production.

The low level of acceleration of the fermentative pathway, coupled with the lack of oxygen diffusion to the root system, resulted in a significant decrease in the growth rate ofS. parahyba.
ANALYTIC PROPERTIES OF TWO-CAROUSEL SYSTEMS
Authors: Bossier Ruben , Vlasiou Maria , Adan Ivo
Published: December 2012

We present analytic results for warehouse systems involving pairs of carousels. Specifically, for various picking strategies, we show that the sojourn time of the picker satisfies an integral equation that is a contraction mapping. As a result, numerical approximations for performance measures such as the throughput of the system are extremely accurate and converge fast (e.g., within five iterations) to their real values. We present simulation results validating our results and examining more complicated strategies for pairs of carousels.
Uniqueness theorem for the entire positive solutions of biharmonic equations in Rn
Authors: Xu X.
Published: December 2012

The entire positive solutions of a conformally invariant biharmonic equation in Rn will be classified using the method of moving spheres. As a byproduct, one also shows that any entire non-negative solution of the equation Δ2u = up with 1 ≤ p < (n + 4)/(n−4) with n ≥ 2 is zero.
The Entextualization of Ayurveda as Intellectual Property
Authors: Wolfgram Matthew
Published: December 2012

This article documents the practices of pharmaceutical creativity in Ayurveda, focusing in particular on how practitioners appropriate multiple sources to innovate medical knowledge. Drawing on research in linguistic anthropology on the social circulation of discourse—a process calledentextualization—I describe how the ways in which Ayurveda practitioners innovate medical knowledge confounds the dichotomous logic of intellectual property (IP) rights discourse, which opposes traditional collective knowledge and modern individual innovation. While it is clear that these categories do not comprehend the complex nature of creativity in Ayurveda, I also use the concept of entextualization to describe how recent historical shifts in the circulation of discourse have caused a partial entailment of this opposition between the individual and the collectivity. Ultimately, I argue that the method exemplified in this article of tracking the social circulation of medical discourse highlights both the empirical complexity of so-called traditional creativity, and the politics of imposing the categories of IP rights discourse upon that creativity, situated as it often is, at the margins of the global economy.
Copyrighting Culture for the Nation? Intangible Property Nationalism and the Regional Arts of Indonesia
Authors: Aragon Lorraine V.
Published: December 2012

This article analyzes how intangible cultural expressions are re-scripted as national intellectual and cultural property in postcolonial nations such as Indonesia. The mixing of intellectual and cultural property paradigms to frame folkloric art practices as national possessions, termed “intangible property nationalism,” is assessed through consideration of Indonesia's 2002 copyright law, UNESCO heritage discourse, and the tutoring of ASEAN officials to use intellectual and cultural property rhetoric to defend national cultural resources. The article considers how legal assumptions are rebuffed by Indonesian regional artists and artisans who do not view their local knowledge and practices as property subject to exclusive claims by individuals or corporate groups, including the state. Producers' limited claims on authority over cultural expressions such as music, drama, puppetry, mythology, dance, and textiles contrast with Indonesian officials' anxieties over cultural theft by foreigners, especially in Malaysia. The case suggests new nationalist uses for heritage claims in postcolonial states.
Introduction
Authors: Halliburton Murphy
Published: December 2012

This issue aims to assess the state of claims over intangible forms of property, which have been expanding in recent decades enabled by Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property and other international conventions. The articles examine the nature and limitations of intellectual property law and related property-like claims over intangible products and expressions, and present cases from the expanding margins of intangible property provisions including analyses of how these trends are playing out in the Global South and in areas outside of intellectual property law. The contributors show how both expansions of intangible property provisions and resistances to these expansions increase the terrain of experience that is enclosed by proprietary claims and suggest alternative strategies for responding to the contemporary intangible property regime.