bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programming language impact on the development of distributed systems
Authors: Ghosh Debasish , Sheehy Justin , Thorup Kresten Krab , Vinoski Steve
Published: November 2011

Programming languages have long impacted the development of distributed systems. While much middleware and distributed systems code continues to be developed today using mainstream languages such as Java and C++, several forces have recently combined to drive a renewed interest in other programming languages. The result of these forces has been an increase in the use of programming languages such as Erlang, Scala, Haskell, and Clojure that allow programming at a higher level of abstraction affording better modularity, enhanced speed of development, and added power of reasoning about systems being developed. Such languages can also be used to develop embedded domain specific languages that can expressively and succinctly model issues inherent in distributed systems including concurrency, parallelism, and fault tolerance. In this paper, we first present a history of programming languages and distributed systems, and then explore several alternative languages along with modern systems built using them. We focus on language and application features, how problems of distribution are addressed, concurrency issues, code brevity, extensibility, and maintenance concerns. Finally, we speculate about the possible influences today’s alternative programming languages could have on the future of middleware and distributed systems development.
Prenatal cocaine exposure alters progenitor cell markers in the subventricular zone of the adult rat brain
Authors: Patel Dhyanesh Arvind , Booze Rosemarie M. , Mactutus Charles F.
Published: November 2011

Long‐term consequences of early developmental exposure to drugs of abuse may have deleterious effects on the proliferative plasticity of the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the long‐term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine, using the IV route of administration and doses that mimic the peak arterial levels of cocaine use in humans, on the proliferative cell types of the subventricular zones (SVZ) in the adult (180 days‐old) rat brain. Employing immunocytochemistry, the expression of GFAP+ (type B cells) and nestin+(GFAP−) (type C and A cells) staining was quantified in the subcallosal area of the SVZ. GFAP+ expression was significantly different between the prenatal cocaine treated group and the vehicle (saline) control group. The prenatal cocaine treated group possessed significantly lower GFAP+ expression relative to the vehicle control group, suggesting that prenatal cocaine exposure significantly reduced the expression of type B neural stem cells of the SVZ. In addition, there was a significant sex difference in nestin+ expression with females showing approximately 8–13% higher nestin+ expression compared to the males. More importantly, a significant prenatal treatment condition (prenatal cocaine, control) by sex interaction in nestin+ expression was confirmed, indicating different effects of cocaine based on sex of the animal. Specifically, prenatal cocaine exposure eliminated the basal difference between the sexes. Collectively, the present findings suggest that prenatal exposure to cocaine, when delivered via a protocol designed to capture prominent features of recreational usage, can selectively alter the major proliferative cell types in the subcallosal area of the SVZ in an adult rat brain, and does so differently for males and females.
Mid-Holocene climate change and its effect on prehistoric cultural evolution in eastern Qinghai Province, China
Authors: Dong Guanghui , Jia Xin , An Chengbang , Chen Fahu , Zhao Yan , Tao Shichen , Ma Minmin
Published: November 2011

We studied the mid-Holocene climate change in eastern Qinghai Province, China and its impact on the evolution of Majiayao (3980–2050 BC) and Qijia (2183–1635 BC) cultures, near the important Neolithic site of Changning. The investigation focused on analyses of grain size, magnetic susceptibility, ratios of elemental contents, and pollen assemblage from a loess-paleosol sequence. The results indicate that the climate was wet during 5830–4900 cal yr BP, which promoted the development of early-mid Majiayao culture in eastern Qinghai Province. However, 4900–4700 cal yr BP were drought years in the region, responsible for the decline and eastward movement of prehistoric culture during the period of transition from early-mid to late Majiayao culture. The climate turned wet again during 4700–3940 cal yr BP, which accelerated the spread of Qijia culture to the middle reaches of the Huangshui River, including the Changning site.
Inventing Church History
Authors: Heitzenrater Richard P.
Published: November 2011

Previous American Society of Church History (ASCH) presidents have used their presidential addresses for a variety of purposes, from contributing to the cutting edge of their own specialties to scanning the previous highlights of personalities or developments in their field.
Surviving Sukarno: British Business in Post-Colonial Indonesia, 1950–1967
Authors: WHITE NICHOLAS J.
Published: November 2011

Drawing principally upon a rich vein of previously unexploited business records, this paper analyses the experience of British firms in Indonesia between the achievement of independence and the beginnings of the Suharto regime. As in The Netherlands East Indies, British enterprises occupied a significant position in post-colonial Indonesia in plantations, oil extraction, shipping, banking, the import-export trade, and manufacturing. After the nationalization of Dutch businesses from the end of 1957, Britain emerged as the leading investing power in the archipelago alongside the United States. However, during Indonesia's Confrontation with British-backed Malaysia (1963–1966), most UK-owned companies in the islands were subject to a series of torrid (albeit temporary) takeovers by the trade unions and subsequently various government authorities. Most of these investments were returned to British ownership under Suharto after 1967. But, in surviving the Sukarno era, British firms had endured 15 years of increasing inconvenience and insecurity trapped in a power struggle within Indonesia's perplexing plural polity (and particularly between the Communist Party and the military). Indeed, theKonfrontasitakeovers themselves, varying in intensity from region to region and from firm to firm, were indicative of deep fissures within Indonesian administration and politics. The unpredictable and unsettled political economy of post-colonial Indonesia meant that the balance of advantage lay not with transnational enterprise but with the host state and society.
‘The calendar is just about up’: older adults with multiple chronic conditions reflect on death and dying
Authors: CLARKE LAURA HURD , KOROTCHENKO ALEXANDRA , BUNDON ANDREA
Published: November 2011

Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with 35 men and women aged 73–91, this article examines the ways in which older adults with multiple chronic conditions talk about and prepare for death and dying. While the focus of the original study did not include questions concerning the end-of-life, the majority of our participants made unprompted remarks regarding their own and others' mortality. The participants discussed the prevalence of death in their lives as it related to the passing of significant others, as well as their own eventual demise. Additionally, the men and women expressed hopes and fears about their impending death, in particular with respect to prolonged pain and suffering, institutionalisation, and a loss of mental acuity and independence. Many of our participants also described their end-of-life plans, which included making funeral arrangements, obtaining living wills, and planning their suicides. They further reported a number of barriers to their planning for death, including a lack of willingness on the part of family members to discuss their wishes as well as a scarcity of institutional resources and support. We discuss our findings in relation to the extant research concerning older adults' experiences of death and dying, as well as Glaser and Strauss' (1971) theory of status passage and Marshall's (1986) conceptualisation of authorship and the legitimation of death.
Economic Processes, Ruralisation, and Ethnic Mutation. A Study on the Changing Meanings of Lusitanian Space in India, 1780-1840
Authors: Malekandathil Pius
Published: November 2011

The period between 1780 and 1840, which is often called the age of revolutions in the West, witnessed significant change in the Lusitanian space in India, due to radical alterations in the politico-economic activities and socio-ecclesiastical institutions. On the one hand, the commercial ventures that the Portuguese had officially maintained as their major economic activity for more than two centuries were relegated to the background or handed over to the Saraswat Brahmins of Goa and some private entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the Portuguese state in India began to focus more on agriculture as a means of sustaining itself against the backdrop of intensified threats from the British encroaching on their peripheral commerce. The agrarian policy of the Portuguese Prime Minister Marques de Pombal to acquire new cultivable territories and expand agriculture had already brought several neighbouring areas of Goa, under the Portuguese control during the period between 1763 and 1783, which were named New Conquests. This was followed by the establishment of a Department of Agriculture in 1776 to supervise cultivation and to introduce new crops, such as pepper, cotton and areca-nuts in Goa and in the newly conquered territories. At the same time that the king of Portugal fled from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro and began to rule the metropolis and its colonies from Brazil, following severe threats from Napoleonic wars, the Portuguese possessions in India—particularly in Goa—were moving towards increasing ruralisation. The Department of Agriculture even clamoured for the closure of the municipal councils of Goa, and also for the liquidation of the gaonkar system (communal ownership of land) that would facilitate distribution of land to enterprising individuals to increase production and to make Goa self-sustaining.
“Gij kent genoegt mijn gevoelig hart”. Emotional Life at the Occupied Cape of Good Hope, 1798-1803
Authors: van Zyl-Hermann Danelle
Published: November 2011

With the eighteenth century drawing to a close, Anglo-French hostilities were rapidly escalating in Europe. Besides competing for power on the continent, both the British and the French were concerned with expanding their influence in the East, where the once mighty trading empire of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) had been in steady decline for some decades. By the end of 1794, conflicts on the continent were turning firmly in France's favour and in January 1795 French troops invaded the Netherlands, forcing the ruling Prince of Orange to seek refuge in England. Members of the Dutch Patriot movement—the democratically-minded opponents of the Dutch monarchy and the old order in general—were sympathetic towards French revolutionary ideals and welcomed the French presence in their country. Meanwhile, the occupation of the Netherlands was of great concern to the British government, who suspected that the French would waste no time in also taking control of strategically-located Dutch colonies.
Observation of compact intracloud discharges using VHF broadband interferometers
Authors: Liu Hengyi , Dong Wansheng , Wu Ting , Zheng Dong , Zhang Yijun
Published: November 2011

Compact intracloud discharge (CID) is a distinct intracloud lightning discharge characterized by strong VHF emissions, and it is one of the most mysterious lightning events. In this paper the CID channel evolution images obtained by using VHF broadband interferometers are presented for the first time. Analysis of 11 CIDs shows that the channels of CIDs develop mainly in a vertical direction. The vertical scale of CIDs is in the range of 0.40–1.9 km. The average duration of VHF broadband emissions is 15 μs. The average apparent speed of CIDs is in a range of 0.44–1.0 × 108 m/s with a mean value of 0.61 × 108 m/s. The temporal‐spatial evolution of the radiation sources of the CID shows an oscillation pattern, confirming the previous prediction that there is an oscillating current being reflected at the two ends of the CID channel. The estimated speed of the current wave in the CID channel is in a range of 0.56–2.6 × 108 m/s with a mean value of 1.4 × 108 m/s.
A parallel high‐order accurate finite element nonlinear Stokes ice sheet model and benchmark experiments
Authors: Leng Wei , Ju Lili , Gunzburger Max , Price Stephen , Ringler Todd
Published: November 2011

The numerical modeling of glacier and ice sheet evolution is a subject of growing interest, in part because of the potential for models to inform estimates of global sea level change. This paper focuses on the development of a numerical model that determines the velocity and pressure fields within an ice sheet. Our numerical model features a high‐fidelity mathematical model involving the nonlinear Stokes system and combinations of no‐sliding and sliding basal boundary conditions, high‐order accurate finite element discretizations based on variable resolution grids, and highly scalable parallel solution strategies, all of which contribute to a numerical model that can achieve accurate velocity and pressure approximations in a highly efficient manner. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our model by analytical solution tests, established ice sheet benchmark experiments, and comparisons with other well‐established ice sheet models.
Characterizing mercury concentrations and fluxes in a Coastal Plain watershed: Insights from dynamic modeling and data
Authors: Golden H. E. , Knightes C. D. , Conrads P. A. , Davis G. M. , Feaster T. D. , Journey C. A. , Benedict S. T. , Brigham M. E. , Bradley P. M.
Published: November 2011

Mercury (Hg) is one of the leading water quality concerns in surface waters of the United States. Although watershed‐scale Hg cycling research has increased in the past two decades, advances in modeling watershed Hg processes in diverse physiographic regions, spatial scales, and land cover types are needed. The goal of this study was to assess Hg cycling in a Coastal Plain system using concentrations and fluxes estimated by multiple watershed‐scale models with distinct mathematical frameworks reflecting different system dynamics. We simulated total mercury (HgT, the sum of filtered and particulate forms) concentrations and fluxes from a Coastal Plain watershed (McTier Creek) using three watershed Hg models and an empirical load model. Model output was compared with observed in‐stream HgT. We found that shallow subsurface flow is a potentially important transport mechanism of particulate HgTduring periods when connectivity between the uplands and surface waters is maximized. Other processes (e.g., stream bank erosion, sediment re‐suspension) may increase particulate HgT in the water column. Simulations and data suggest that variable source area (VSA) flow and lack of rainfall interactions with surface soil horizons result in increased dissolved HgTconcentrations unrelated to DOC mobilization following precipitation events. Although flushing of DOC‐HgTcomplexes from surface soils can also occur during this period, DOC‐complexed HgT becomes more important during base flow conditions. TOPLOAD simulations highlight saturated subsurface flow as a primary driver of daily HgT loadings, but shallow subsurface flow is important for HgTloads during high‐flow events. Results suggest limited seasonal trends in HgT dynamics.
Coherent structure dynamics and sediment erosion mechanisms around an in‐stream rectangular cylinder at low and moderate angles of attack
Authors: Chang W. Y. , Constantinescu George , Tsai W. F. , Lien H. C.
Published: November 2011

Local scour around elongated in‐stream structures (e.g., high–aspect ratio rectangular bridge piers) is mainly driven by the interactions between the erodible bed and the large‐scale coherent structures generated by the presence of the flow obstruction. The present investigation uses eddy‐resolving numerical simulations to study the mean flow and turbulence structure around a high–aspect ratio rectangular cylinder placed in a flat bed channel. Simulations are conducted for three angles of attack (α = 0°, 15°, and 30°) at a channel Reynolds number of 2.4 × 105. This paper focuses on the dynamics of the large‐scale coherent structures forming around the rectangular cylinder and their role in controlling sediment entrainment at conditions corresponding to the start of the scour process. Simulation results show that most of the sediment is entrained from the bed by the eddies shed inside the separated shear layers (SSLs), by the legs of the necklace vortices, and by the strongly accelerated flow on the outer side of the SSLs. For α = 0° and 15°, the horseshoe vortex (HV) system plays a relatively minor role in the entrainment of sediment in front of the cylinder, and the passage of the wake vortices (rollers) results in a small amplification of the bed friction velocity. In contrast, for α = 30°, the unsteady dynamics of the main necklace vortices part of the HV system and of the roller vortices results in a significant amplification of the instantaneous bed friction velocity. The mean flux of sediment entrained from the bed calculated on the basis of the mean flow field is found to underestimate by 2–3 times the same quantity when estimated more correctly on the basis of the instantaneous flow fields. The primary reason for this underestimation is sediment entrainment in regions where the mean flow bed friction velocity is smaller than the critical value for entrainment. Quantitative information on the extent of the regions of high values of the bed friction velocity and its standard deviation and on the sediment entrainment flux as a function of the angle of attack is essential to guide scour protection measures around the in‐stream noncircular obstructions.
Natural disasters decline in 2001
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

About 700 natural catastrophes struck around the globe during 2001, accounting for U.S.$36 billion in economic losses, according to a December study issued by Munich Re, the world's biggest reinsurer.

The number of events fell below the record 850 that occurred during 2000, and the economic loss was only a third of the record U.S.$100 billion loss during 1999; though insured losses increased to U.S.$11.5 billion from U.S.$7.5 billion a year earlier.
Natural disasters online
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Wildfires, severe storms, floods, volcanic eruptions, and major air pollution events are types of major natural hazards that NASA will track on a new Web site unveiled on 16 January.

The site, part of the agency's Earth Observatory, will track these hazards in near‐real time with imagery acquired from NASA's Earth Science Enterprise and Earth Observing System satellite missions, along with related descriptive information.
Global environmental report card
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, D.C.‐based think tank, issued a gloomy yet hopeful annual “State of the World” report on global environmental trends on 10 January.

The report notes some recent successful efforts to protect the environment, including the phasing out of the production of ozone‐depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the 2001 signing of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Nonetheless, the report calls for a global war on environmental degradation “that is as aggressive and well‐funded as the war on terrorism” following the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States.
Coral reefs at risk
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Eighty‐eight percent of Southeast Asia's reefs are threatened by overfishing, destructive fishing, and sedimentation and pollution from inland activities, according to a new report by 35 regional scientists published by the World Resources Institute.

Nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs—34% of the world's total—are located in Southeast Asia.
Marine and coastal agreement
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Six Central American nations have signed an agreement to improve coastal habitats, including mangrove swamps, beaches, and coral reefs.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama signed the Convention on Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northeast Pacific on 18 February.
Oxygen dip in southern ocean
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Climate simulations predict a decrease in oxygen at depths of 500–2,500 meters in the southern ocean around Antarctica, a team of Australian climate researchers announced on 15 March.

“The interpretation [from the simulations[ is that less oxygen‐rich water is penetrating into the ocean, and this in turn gives additional credibility to climate change models. The oxygen analysis provides a new benchmark of understanding for researchers, “said Richard Matear, an oceanographer with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Greenhouse gas trading starts up
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

While nations decide on whether to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, some countries and private companies are moving forward with greenhouse gas emissions trading.

A 19 March report, “The Emerging International Greenhouse Gas Market,” by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, reports that about 65 greenhouse gas emissions trades for quantities above 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxideequivalent already have occurred worldwide since 1996. Many of these trades have taken place under a voluntary, ad hoc framework, though the United Kingdom and Denmark have established their own domestic emissions trading programs.
New NASA mandate announced
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe introduced a new strategic framework and mandate on 12 April that he said would allow the agency to work in a more efficient and collaborative manner in order to increase both knowledge and national security.

The new NASA mandate is “to improve life here, to extend life to there, to find life beyond.”
In Memoriam
Authors: Anonymous
Published: November 2011

Robert D. Elliott died on 12 April 2002, at age 87. He was a retired life member (Atmospheric Sciences) who joined AGU in 1944.

Karen Harvey died on 30 April 2002, at age 59. She had been an AGU member (Heliospheric Physics) since 1992.
UNEP report outlines global responses to different development scenarios
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

A global environmental assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), released 22 May recognizes improvements over the past several decades in river and air quality in many developed nations, and efforts to repair the stratospheric ozone layer. However, the report also notes a steady decline in the environment—including fresh water, coastal, and marine resources—especially in many developing nations.

The assessment by the UNEP comes 30 years after the first international environmental conference in Stockholm and three months prior to the August 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
NSF proposes environmental research agenda
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

A proposed 10‐year agenda for environmental research and education at the U.S. National Science Foundation is open for comments through 10 August 2002. The agenda recommends increased attention in three areas: coupled human and natural systems, coupled biological and physical systems, and people and technology The third area includes how people and institutions interact with the natural environment, use environmental resources, and create and implement new technologies to protect and improve the environment.
Science role in countering terrorism
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Geoscience expertise figures as a component of a new report on harnessing the U.S. science and technology community in the fight against terrorism.

The National Research Council report, “Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism,” proposes research agendas in a number of areas perceived to be vulnerable to terrorism. These areas include nuclear and radiological threats, toxic chemicals and explosive materials, information technology, energy systems, and cities and fixed infrastructure.
Proposed bylaw changes
Authors: Anonymous
Published: November 2011

AGU Council has given first approval to several changes to the bylaws of the Union. Bylaw changes require passage at two Council meetings within one year. Notice of changes must be published prior to the second meeting. Comments on these bylaw changes may be addressed to the Statutes and Bylaws Committee and sent by e‐mail to bylaw_changes@agu.org or by mail to the committee at the AGU headquarters address in Washington, D.C.
A glacial record
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Drilling 460 meters to bedrock, a scientific team led by Lonnie Thompson, a professor of geological sciences at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio, has produced the longest ice core ever taken from a mountain glacier.

The core, from an ice cap between Mount Bona and the Churchill stratovolcano on the Canadian‐U.S. border, beats by 150 meters the previous record for a glacier ice core. This was from the Guliya ice cap in western China, also drilled by a Thompson‐led team.
Studying lightning strikes
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Scientists studying thunderstorms hope that using an “uninhabited aerial vehicle,” or UAV will allow them to overcome speed limitations of conventional aircraft to gain a better understanding of weather data and forecasting.

Researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) say that the Altus UAV flies at between 129 and 185 kilometers per hour, slower than conventional aircraft. This should allow the 55‐foot wingspan vehicle to provide a longer‐duration picture of thunderstorms without putting pilots and airborne researchers at risk during an August field campaign, based out of Naval Air Station Key West in Florida.
Yucca Mountain repository approved
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

At a quiet White House ceremony on 23 July, U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law House Joint Resolution 87, which approves the site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the development of a repository for disposing of high‐level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called the signing “an important step forward on the way to a comprehensive policy for dealing with our nation's nuclear waste.”
Measuring soil moisture
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

A recent aerial field experiment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration carried out above farmland near Ames, Iowa, could help scientists to develop a remote global soil moisture observing system over most of the Earth's non‐forested and unfrozen regions.

During the experiment, which lasted from 25 June to 8 July scientists and engineers measured soil moisture content with remote sensing techniques that included a passive and active L‐ and S‐band microwave instrument about 1.1 kilometers above ground, and an airborne synthetic aperture radar flying at an altitude of about 7.9 kilometers.
U.S. flood damage data reported
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Pennsylvania and California were hit with the most flood damage of any U.S. states between 1955 and 1999, according to a reanalysis of historical flood damage estimates released in a 5 August report.

Pennsylvania was hit with nearly $12 billion in flood damages from a few major events, while a number of damaging floods in California cost that state almost $11 billion. North Dakotans suffered the most per capita economic losses ($363 per person) due to flooding.
Drought‐stricken states
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Nearly half of the contiguous United States, and at least part of 37 states, were in moderate to extreme drought in July, scientists at the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on 14 August. Thirty‐seven percent of the contiguous U.S. suffered severe to extreme drought, based on the Palmer Drought Index. Those extreme conditions stretched from the Southwest to Montana and Nebraska, and from Georgia to Virginia.

While rainfall brought some relief to areas in the Gulf Coast and West Texas in July, some parts of the Southeast and western U.S. have been in various drought stages since 1998, according to the center.
Ozone layer recovery promising
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Indications are that the stratospheric ozone layer may be on the road to recovery, according to a 16 September report by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. However, the report cautions that the ozone layer will still be vulnerable, even with continued international compliance with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

“During the next decade, we should see a recovery of the ozone layer;”said Gerard Megie, co‐chair of the Montreal Protocol's scientific assessment panel.
Greenhouse emissions reductions
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

Six developing countries—including Brazil, China, and India—have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions growth over the past three decades by a total of about 288 million tons per year, according to a new report by the non‐profit Pew Center on Global Climate Change. These reductions in emissions growth often have been “inadvertent,” spurred by needs unrelated to climate change, according to the report. These other needs include improving industrial efficiencies, diversifying energy resources, and cleaning up a local environment. The report, issued on 24 October, is titled “Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries.”
Mapping climate conditions with materials corrosion
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: November 2011

The world's first comprehensive materials corrosion mapping system can predict the effects that climatic conditions have on the life cycle of products ranging from automobiles to bridges, according to Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Industrial Galvanizers Corporation. Both jointly announced the system on 14 November.

The mapping system, which incorporates conditions such as moisture, salinity pollution, and prevailing winds, can predict the corrosion of materials in any part of Australia, they said. Ivan Cole of CSIRO Materials Engineering said the mapping system even takes into account durability factors impacting on greenhouse gas contributions and soil conditions, making it a unique tool for Australian industry.
The ubiquity of consciousness
Authors: Trewavas Anthony J , Baluška František
Published: November 2011

Our definitions of consciousness and intelligence are largely anthropocentric, potentially skewing research. In fact, consciousness in its many forms could well be ubiquitous, even down to the simplest of organisms.
Protein phosphatases, from molecules to networks
Authors: Gingras Anne‐Claude
Published: November 2011

The Europhosphatases meeting brought together 180 participants with a wide range of backgrounds and research interests to discuss the current status of research on phosphatases. This report highlights some of the transformative research presented at the meeting.
Factors Contributing to Adherence to Dietary Treatment of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases
Authors: Henry Michelle L. , Atkins Dan , Fleischer David , Pan Zhaoxing , Ruybal Joseph , Furuta Glenn T.
Published: November 2011

The purpose of the present study was to identify barriers to dietary adherence found in the treatment of children with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) and food allergy. A prospective study using a self‐administered survey to parents of children with EGIDs at a national advocacy meeting was completed. Responses from 45 participants describing children ages 1 to 18 years (69% boys) identified that 63% were adherent to food restrictions. Physicians provided dietary instructions more often than dietitians. Nonadherence was associated with lack of school support (P < 0.027). Access to a dietitian may improve the care of children with EGIDs.
Emotional contagion of dental fear to children: the fathers’ mediating role in parental transfer of fear
Authors: LARA AMERICA , CREGO ANTONIO , ROMERO‐MAROTO MARTIN
Published: November 2011

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 324–330

Background.  Dental fear is considered to be one of the most frequent problems in paediatric dentistry. According to literature, parents’ levels of dental fear play a key role in the development of child’s dental anxiety.

Hypothesis or Aim.  We have tried to identify the presence of emotional transmission of dental fear among family members and to analyse the different roles that mothers and fathers might play concerning the contagion of dental fear to children. We have hypothesized a key role of the father in the transfer of dental fear from mother to child.

Design.  A questionnaire‐based survey (Children’s Fear Survey Schedule‐Dental Subscale) has been distributed among 183 schoolchildren and their parents in Madrid (Spain). Inferential statistical analyses, i.e. correlation and hierarchical multiple regression, were carried out and possible mediating effects between variables have been tested.

Results.  Our results support the hypothesis that family members’ levels of dental fear are significantly correlated, and they also allow us to affirm that fathers’ dental fear is a mediating variable in the relationship between mothers and children’s fear scores.

Conclusions.  Together with the presence of emotional transmission of dental fear among family members, we identified the relevant role that fathers play as regards the transfer of dental fear from parents to children.
Partitioning the effects of an ecosystem engineer: kangaroo rats control community structure via multiple pathways
Authors: Prugh Laura R. , Brashares Justin S.
Published: November 2011

1. Ecosystem engineers impact communities by altering habitat conditions, but they can also have strong effects through consumptive, competitive and other non‐engineering pathways.

2. Engineering effects can lead to fundamentally different community dynamics than non‐engineering effects, but the relative strengths of these interactions are seldom quantified.

3. We combined structural equation modelling and exclosure experiments to partition the effects of a keystone engineer, the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens), on plants, invertebrates and vertebrates in a semi‐arid California grassland.

4. We separated the effects of burrow creation from kangaroo rat density and found that kangaroo rats increased the diversity and abundance of other species via both engineering and non‐engineering pathways.

5. Engineering was the primary factor structuring plant and small mammal communities, whereas non‐engineering effects structured invertebrate communities and increased lizard abundance.

6. These results highlight the importance of the non‐engineering effects of ecosystem engineers and shed new light on the multiple pathways by which strong‐interactors shape communities.
Comparative study of the in situ immune response in oral and nasal mucosal leishmaniasis
Authors: PALMEIRO M. R. , MORGADO F. N. , VALETE‐ROSALINO C. M. , MARTINS A. C. , MOREIRA J. , QUINTELLA L. P. , De OLIVEIRA SCHUBACH A. , CONCEIÇÃO‐SILVA F.
Published: November 2011

Mucosal Leishmaniasis (ML) may occur in both nasal and oral mucosa. However, despite the impressive tissue destruction, little is known about the oral involvement. To compare some changes underlying inflammation in oral and nasal ML, we performed immunohistochemistry on mucosal tissue of 20 patients with ML (nasal [n = 12]; oral [n = 8] lesions) and 20 healthy donors using antibodies that recognize inflammatory markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD22, CD68, neutrophil elastase, CD1a, CLA, Ki67, Bcl‐2, NOS2, CD62E, Fas and FasL). A significantly larger number of cells, mainly T cells and macrophages, were observed in lesions than in healthy tissue. In addition, high nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) expression was associated with a reduced detection of parasites, highlighting the importance of NOS2 for parasite elimination. Oral lesions had higher numbers of neutrophils, parasites, proliferating cells and NOS2 than nasal lesions. These findings, together with the shorter duration of oral lesions and more intense symptoms, suggest a more recent inflammatory process. It could be explained by lesion‐induced oral cavity changes that lead to eating difficulties and social stigma. In addition, the frequent poor tooth conservation and gingival inflammation tend to amplify tissue destruction and symptoms and may impair and confuse the correct diagnosis, thus delaying the onset of specific treatment.
The pro‐inflammatory effects of platelet contamination in plasma and mitigation strategies for avoidance
Authors: Bercovitz R. S. , Kelher M. R. , Khan S. Y. , Land K. J. , Berry T. H. , Silliman C. C.
Published: November 2011

Background and Objectives  Plasma and platelet concentrates are disproportionately implicated in transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI). Platelet‐derived pro‐inflammatory mediators, including soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), accumulate during storage. We hypothesized that platelet contamination induces sCD40L generation that causes neutrophil [polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN)] priming and PMN‐mediated cytotoxicity.

Materials and Methods  Plasma was untreated, centrifuged (12 500 g) or separated from leucoreduced whole blood (WBLR) prior to freezing. Platelet counts and sCD40L concentrations were measured 1–5 days post‐thaw. The plasma was assayed for PMN priming activity and was used in a two‐event in vitro model of PMN‐mediated human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (HMVEC) cytotoxicity.

Results  Untreated plasma contained 42 ± 4·2 × 103/μl platelets, which generated sCD40L accumulation (1·6–eight‐fold vs. controls). Priming activity and HMVEC cytotoxicity were directly proportional to sCD40L concentration. WBLR and centrifugation reduced platelet and sCD40L contamination, abrogating the pro‐inflammatory potential.

Conclusion  Platelet contamination causes sCD40L accumulation in stored plasma that may contribute to TRALI. Platelet reduction is potentially the first TRALI mitigation effort in plasma manufacturing.
Infliximab or cyclosporine for acute severe ulcerative colitis: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Dean Kathryn E , Hikaka Joanna , Huakau John T , Walmsley Russell S
Published: November 2011

Background and Aim:  Medical treatment of steroid‐refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) is limited to either cyclosporine or infliximab. Studies comparing cyclosporine with either placebo or intravenous methylprednisone showed promise for cyclosporine, but associated it with significant toxicity. There is conflicting, but increasingly positive evidence for using infliximab. There are no studies directly comparing these two treatments. Our aim was to compare the outcomes of patients with steroid‐refractory UC treated with either intravenous cyclosporine or infliximab.

Methods:  We carried out a retrospective review of inpatients with steroid‐refractory UC, treated with either intravenous cyclosporine or infliximab, at Waitemata District Health Board, between January 2001 and February 2010. The primary end‐points were time to colectomy, and colectomy rates at 3 and 12 months. Secondary end‐points were time to discharge from initiation of treatment, steroid dependence at 12 months, and reported adverse events.

Results:  The total study population was 38, with 19 in the infliximab group. Follow up to 12 months was complete in all patients. At 3 months, the colectomy rate was 63% for cyclosporine, compared to 21% (P = 0.0094). By 12 months the rate was 68% and 37% for cyclosporine and infliximab, respectively (P = 0.06). Patients in the cyclosporine group required an additional 5 days in hospital (P = 0.0086). Steroid dependence at 12 months was 50% for cyclosporine versus 25% for infliximab (P = 0.36). Cyclosporine caused more adverse events (P = 0.17).

Conclusions:  Infliximab improved clinical outcomes compared to the previous use of intravenous cyclosporine in patients admitted with steroid‐refractory acute severe UC.
Potent hepatitis B surface antigen response to treatment of hepatitis‐B‐e‐antigen‐positive chronic hepatitis B with α‐interferon plus a nucleos(t)ide analog
Authors: Chen Xinyue , Cao Zhenhuan , Liu Yali , Zhang Hongwei , Zhang Yonghong , Ma Lina , Jin Yi , Yu Haibin , Ma Bing , Zheng Yanhong , Wu Hao
Published: November 2011

Background and Aim:  Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance is the closest cure outcome in hepatitis B. The goal of this study was to investigate clinical features in chronic hepatitis B patients achieving seroconversion of HBsAg after treatment with α‐interferon (IFN‐α) and a nucleos(t)ide analog.

Methods:  This retrospective study enrolled 38 chronic hepatitis B patients treated with IFN‐α plus a nucleos(t)ide analog who achieved HBsAg seroconversion during the period from June 2001 to May 2009. Clinical and laboratory data of the patients were collected before and after treatment every 3 months. All patients with HBsAg seroconversion in this study were followed up for at least 12 months post‐treatment.

Results:  A total of 38 out of 142 patients achieved HBsAg seroconversion after treatment with IFN‐α and a nucleos(t)tide analog for a prolonged period of time (medium 31 months). The median time to hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion and to HBsAg seroconversion was 19.5 months (range 3–60 months) and 25.5 months (range 9–63 months), respectively. Thirty‐six patients (95%) sustained HBsAg seroconversion during the post‐treatment follow up. Three different HBsAg response patterns were observed with classical model accounting for 57.9% (22/38 cases), simultaneous transition mode accounting for 23.7% (9/38 cases), and HBsAg prior transition model accounting for 18.4% (7/38 cases).

Conclusions:  Extended treatment with IFN‐α in combination with a nucleos(t)ide analog in patients with hepatitis‐B‐e‐antigen‐positive appears to be a promising approach for achieving a high rate of HBsAg clearance—the closest outcome to cure.
Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure in chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Seto Wai‐Kay , Lai Ching‐Lung , Yuen Man‐Fung
Published: November 2011

Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is most commonly caused by acute severe exacerbation of CHB. The pathophysiology of ACLF in CHB is still poorly understood. Despite the identification of important predisposing factors and prognostic markers, ACLF in CHB remains a disease associated with high mortality. The majority of studies using nucleoside analog therapy did not show any significant improvement in survival, although larger prospective studies are needed. Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment for ACLF in CHB. The challenge ahead would be prognosticating cases with favorable or unfavorable outcomes in order to streamline patients for early transplantation or for medical therapy.
Liver disease in Viet Nam: Screening, surveillance, management and education: A 5‐year plan and call to action
Authors: Gish Robert G , Bui Tam D , Nguyen Chuc T K , Nguyen Duc T , Tran Huy V , Tran Diem M T , Trinh Huy N ,   International Group for Liver Health in Viet Nam
Published: November 2011

Despite a high prevalence of liver disease in Viet Nam, there has been no nationwide approach to the disease and no systematic screening of at‐risk individuals. Risk factors include chronic hepatitis B (estimated prevalence of 12%), chronic hepatitis C (at least 2% prevalence), and heavy consumption of alcohol among men. This combination of factors has resulted in liver cancer being the most common cause of cancer death in Viet Nam. There is a general lack of understanding by both the general public and health‐care providers about the major risk to health that liver disease represents. We report here the initial steps taken as part of a comprehensive approach to liver disease that will ultimately include nationwide education for health‐care providers, health educators, and the public; expansion of nationwide screening for hepatitis B and C followed by hepatitis B virus vaccination or treatment of chronic hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C; education about alcoholic liver disease; long‐term surveillance for liver cancer; reduction of infection transmission related to medical, commercial, and personal re‐use of contaminated needles, syringes, sharp instruments, razors, and inadequately sterilized medical equipment; and ongoing collection and analysis of data about the prevalence of all forms of liver disease and the results of the expanded screening, vaccination, and treatment programs. We report the beginning results of our pilot hepatitis B screening program. We believe that this comprehensive nationwide approach could substantially reduce the morbidity and mortality from liver disease and greatly lessen the burden in terms of both lives lost and health‐care costs.
Meta‐analysis for evaluating the accuracy of endoscopy with narrow band imaging in detecting colorectal adenomas
Authors: Jin Xi‐Feng , Chai Tong‐Hai , Shi Jun‐Wen , Yang Xiu‐Cheng , Sun Qing‐Yan
Published: November 2011

Background and Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of the narrow band imaging (NBI) system could enhance the accuracy of adenoma detection during an endoscopic examination of the colon and rectum.

Methods:  MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched along with a hand search of abstracts from relevant conferences up to June 2011. The rates of adenoma and flat adenoma detection, and withdrawal time were analyzed using Review Manager 4.2.

Results:  A total of 3049 subjects in eight trials were included. Meta‐analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of adenoma detection between the NBI group and the white light colonoscopy group (pooled relative risk [RR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.19, P = 0.05). However, after exclusion of high‐definition television modalities, the rate of adenoma detection by NBI was significantly higher than that by white light, particularly for patients with one adenoma (pooled RR 1.36, 95%CI 1.07–1.71, P = 0.02). Endoscopy with the NBI system significantly increased the rate of flat adenoma detection (pooled RR 1.96, 95%CI 1.09–3.52, P = 0.02). However, endoscopy with NBI had longer withdrawal time than that with white light (pooled weighted mean difference: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.38–1.42, P = 0.0006).

Conclusions:  Endoscopy with NBI seems to improve the detection of flat adenomas, particularly with high‐definition technology, but prolongs the withdrawal time. These results indicate that endoscopy routinely using the NBI system for the surveillance of adenomas may be recommended after the technique is further modified.