bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Job
Authors: Newsom Carol
Published: June 2011

The book of Job is one of the wisdom writings in the Hebrew Bible. In the Jewish canon it is placed with the Kethubim (“Writings”), and in the Christian canons with the Poetical Books. Unlike other biblical wisdom texts, it does not take the form of an instruction or a proverb collection. Uniquely, it is a set of poetic dialogues (first between Job and his friends, then between Job and God), which are framed by a prose tale about the legendary figure of Job. Although the date of the composition of the book is uncertain, most consider it likely to be from the early postexilic period. The book shows considerable familiarity with ancient Near Eastern literary and mythic traditions, and indeed, Job himself is not presented as an Israelite. The literary quality of the book is exceptionally high, with poetry that is difficult and sophisticated. Undoubtedly the author was a member of a learned scribal intelligentsia. Within the book, issues concerning the nature of piety, the enigma of innocent suffering, the nature of God, and the existence (or not) of a moral order in the world are examined from a variety of perspectives. Job not only has elicited extensive theological commentary but has also inspired significant artistic and literary work throughout the ages.
Philo of Alexandria
Authors: Runia David T.
Published: June 2011

Philo of Alexandria, also known as Philo Judaeus or Philo the Jew, is the most significant representative of Hellenistic Judaism, the ancient movement of Jewish thought and literature written in the Greek language. He was born around 15 bce and died sometime after 41 ce. All his life he was resident in the Hellenized metropolis of Alexandria, where he and his family played a prominent role in the Jewish community and in the political affairs of the city. Many of his writings are extant. They offer a unique access to a mode of thinking that is based on the Bible and Jewish traditions, but is deeply influenced by Hellenism and in particular the doctrines of Greek philosophy. His allegorical method of exegesis and his theology in turn exercised a strong influence on the thought of the early Church Fathers, who ensured the survival of his works.
Qumran/Dead Sea Scrolls
Authors: Newsom Carol
Published: June 2011

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947–1948 has rightly been called the most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century. The fragments of nine hundred manuscripts and the excavation of the nearby archaeological site have transformed the understanding of Judaism in the late Second Temple period and have shed new light on the development of early Judaism and Christianity, including the development of the Bible. The biblical texts recovered from Qumran are some thousand years older than the medieval Hebrew manuscripts that form the basis of modern translations. Of the nonbiblical texts, some are clearly composed by members of the sectarian religious movement that collected and preserved the scrolls, a movement that flourished from the middle of the 2d century bce at least to the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome (66–70 ce). Other texts are not sectarian but represent a variety of writings popular in Jewish religious literature of the time. The fragmentary condition of many of the finds, the character of the texts themselves, and the nature of the archaeological remains have made the scholarly task of understanding and interpreting their significance extremely difficult. Consequently, many issues remain undecided and often hotly debated. Nevertheless, remarkable progress has been made in just over sixty years in reconstructing, deciphering, and interpreting these extraordinary documents and placing them within historical context.
Social Sciences and the New Testament
Authors: Neufeld Dietmar
Published: June 2011

Social-scientific criticism is the stage in the exegetical process that brings scrutiny to bear on the religious, geographical, historical, economic, social codes, and cultural values operative within the world of early Christianity. It does so by utilizing the perspectives, theories, and models generated by the social sciences. Broadly defined, social-scientific criticism approaches the texts of the New Testament from the viewpoint that meaning in language is embedded in a social system that is shared and understood by speakers, hearers, and readers in the communication process. It investigates the social features of the form and content of the texts along with the factors that gave shape to them. It seeks to discover the intended consequences of the communication process. It looks for complementary relationships between the texts linguistic, literary, ideological, and social dimensions—each of which contributes to a proper analysis and understanding of the texts of the New Testament. Social-scientific criticism investigates the manner of textual communication—that texts were strategically designed for effective social interaction that had social, literary, and theological consequence. Most significantly, it seeks to isolate the social data embedded in texts and constructs models that simplify and systematize the data for comparative purposes. Models of social phenomena such as kinship and family, honor and shame, patronage and clientage, collectivism, social status, limited good, evil eye, purity and pollution, ritual, gender and sexuality, landscape and spatiality, ancient economies, healing and health, and social memory permit the careful examination of these issues in biblical texts in socially significant ways.
Rasa and Rasaśāstra
Authors: Sauthoff Patricia
Published: June 2011

Rasaśāstra (instructions on mercury) is a body of literature written by alchemists for alchemists in the Sanskrit literary tradition. The classical alchemical scriptures date from no earlier than the tenth century ce; however, the early-7th-century works Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā and Aṣṭāṅgasaṃgraha prescribe medicinal pastes containing unprocessed mercury and the 9th-century Jain Kalyāṇakara makes mention of purifying and calcining mercury for medicine. In about the eighth century ce, the term rasa-rasāyana (mercurial rejuvenation) first appeared in Buddhist and Hindu tantric texts in reference to the supernatural power (siddhi) of obtaining a magical elixir. The birth of Indian alchemy, as an idea at least, may be traced back to these early medieval sources. This “magical” use of alchemical reagents persisted well into the medieval period in works of tantric practice (see Alchemical Folklore). The earliest systematic alchemical texts, which date from the tenth century, introduced the dual goal of all Indian alchemy: the transmutation of base metals into gold (lohasiddhi) and the perfection of the body to attain immortality (dehasiddhi). The classic Indian alchemical texts were written in the period from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. These were, for the most part, tantric works inasmuch as their stated goal of achieving an immortal, invulnerable body possessed of supernatural powers aligned with many of the goals of tantric practice and used initiations, deity worship, and mantras in their instructions. As such, the tenth to the thirteenth centuries was the period of “tantric alchemy.” From the thirteenth century forward, mercurial, mineral, and plant preparations came to be increasingly applied to various sorts of medical therapies, many of which complemented the older ayurvedic rasāyana (rejuvenation) treatments. Textual production of rasaśāstra texts continued until the seventeenth century, and they began again in earnest in the early twentieth century with a renewed interest in the sciences and the creation of edited editions based on earlier manuscripts as well as original works. Another offshoot of tantric alchemy was siddha alchemy. In a number of alchemical works, legendary figures called Rasa-Siddhas were evoked as the founders of alchemical lineages and traditions. These were part of a broader medieval religious current, which saw the emergence of several groups self-identifying as siddhas, perfected beings possessed of siddhis. A rich mythology of the siddhas emerged in this period, which portrayed these legendary supermen as combining alchemy with the practice of yoga and tantric techniques. These groups were responsible for internalizing much of laboratory alchemy into yogic practice.
Media Ethics
Authors: Christians Clifford
Published: June 2011

As with professional ethics as a whole, media ethics is divided into three parts: metaethics, normative ethics, and descriptive ethics. Metaethics addresses the validity of theories, the nature of good and evil in media programming, the question of universals, problems of relativism, and the rationale for morality in a secular age. Normative ethics fuses practice with principles. It concerns the best ways for professionals to lead their lives and the standards to be promoted. Normative ethics concentrates on the justice or injustice of societies and institutions. Descriptive ethics uses social science methodologies to report on how ethical decision making actually works in journalism, advertising, public relations, and entertainment. Normative ethics has received the most attention in media ethics, but for media ethics to flourish, research and teaching need to be strong on all three levels.
Advertising
Authors: Thorson Esther
Published: June 2011

Advertising is defined as paid communication from an identified sponsor using mass media to persuade an audience. There are many ways to promote ideas, brands, politicians, or issues, but advertising involves mostly professionally designed commercials (this word implies video) or advertisements (this word implies print or online display advertising). Mass media, such as television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, are paid to carry those messages to their audiences. Advertisements can also occur via the Internet, and this medium can be more “individualized” than the mass media (for example, email advertising is designed and delivered very specifically). Additionally, a new form of advertising created by ordinary people (“user generated” advertising), rather than by professionals, is now recognized. But in spite of these current variations in messages that are referred to as advertising—a phenomenon caused mainly by the digital revolution—the definition above is generally accepted. Advertising is distinguished from other promotional tools, such as marketing and public relations. Marketing refers to everything that is done to promote a brand: for example, creating the product, pricing it, placing it where it can be purchased, and promoting it. Advertising is a subcategory of marketing. Public relations is usually defined as management activities carried out to enhance the relationships between a company and its stakeholders. Although public relations uses messages, such as press releases to the media, it generally does not involve paid professional messages carried by the media. Sales promotions are incentives that organizations use to temporarily change the perceived value of a brand or idea. Coupons, contests, rewards, and price discounts are all forms of sales promotions. They may be targeted toward consumers or toward retail organizations. Likewise, personal selling is another promotional tool. In general, then, advertising is a subcategory of marketing, and it is one of four categories of persuasive tools. Advertising varies in many ways beyond the media that carry it (for example, television commercials, newspaper advertisements). For example, political advertising promotes candidates for office. Issue advertising promotes ideas from the public service domain (such as forest fire prevention or crime prevention), health advertising promotes behaviors that increase healthiness (such as promotion of vaccines, admonishments to engage in safe sex and to quit smoking), children’s advertising promotes directly to the young, and corporate advertising promotes the viewpoints of companies (for example, that corporations are environmentally responsible, or that they regret product failures or accidents).
Crisis Communication
Authors: Lachlan Kenneth
Published: June 2011

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, scholars from the fields of journalism, communication, management, and psychology paid increased attention to communication efforts that take place before, during, and after organizational crises and other events likely to instigate negative reactions on the part of the public. This subset of communication has come to be known as crisis communication—the construction and dissemination of public messages in the event of organizational incidents, natural disasters, accidents, and other incidents likely to induce fear, anxiety, or unrest. Crisis communication is often delineated from risk communication in that crisis communication deals specifically with events that have taken place as opposed to the risk of events occurring in the future. Given that crisis communication has emerged from several academic traditions, numerous approaches to the study of these messages and their effectiveness can be found in the extant literature. Each of these approaches sheds insight on a particular aspect of the crisis communication process, such as the actions inside an organization, audience response, message construction, or stakeholder relations. This bibliography attempts to capture key works across all of these traditions and is divided into several components. A list of key overview texts is presented along with information regarding journals in which much of the essential scholarship in the field can be found, a series of studies defining the parameters of the field is included, and essential studies in the field are discussed in two sections. One section presents studies that examine crisis communication from several leading methodological perspectives, the other the key studies concerning the prevailing theoretical perspectives in the field.
Agenda Setting
Authors: Brosius Hans-Bernd , Haas Alexander
Published: June 2011

The original idea of the agenda-setting (AS) function of news media is both obvious and convincing. This may have contributed to the fact that AS is one of the most frequently investigated approaches in research on mass media effects. It is based on the assumption that most people, for most issues, have only one way to learn what goes on in the world: the news media. They set the agenda and thus have the ability to influence the perceived importance of issues. In other words, AS scholars assume that increased media coverage of an issue leads to increased public perception of the importance of that issue. News media do not tell people what to think, but rather what to think about. Therefore, it should be the responsibility of the mass media to tell people what problems have to be solved and what issues should be thought about. AS focuses on the cognitive effects of mass media and can be distinguished from research on persuasive effects. Despite the large number of empirical studies, some scholars still see AS more as a metaphor than a structured theory. Its theoretical foundations are criticized for being too simple and rooted in a stimulus-response context. Since the 1990s there have been attempts to link AS to the concepts of framing and priming. Some scholars reacted to these ideas by introducing second-level AS. Such a conceptualization would extend the basic assumption of AS. That broadened concept addresses the question of not only whether news media tell their audience what to think about, but also whether they influence how people think about issues. Early-21st-century developments of online communication have confronted AS with new challenges, both theoretically and methodologically.
Political Advertising
Authors: Kaid Lynda Lee , Cherry Annabel , Miles Maridith
Published: June 2011

The study of political advertising encompasses research on how political candidates, parties, and interest groups use mass media messages to persuade voters, policymakers, and the general public that their viewpoint excels that of all the opposition. Political advertising constitutes the dominant form of communication for candidates in the United States and is an important promotional format in democracies around the world. In the United States, political advertising usually must be purchased by the sponsors, but in other countries such advertising may be paid, provided free on public communication outlets, or a combination of paid and free messages. Political advertising research has concentrated primarily on television and frequently at the presidential level, but also includes messages distributed via radio, newspapers, posters and other public display formats, direct mail, and, recently, the Internet. Most studies are concerned with the content of political advertising messages and their effects. Effects are often measured in terms of how well political advertising communicates information; influences evaluations or opinions of candidates, parties, and issues; and affects voting or other behavioral outcomes.
Critical and Cultural Studies
Authors: Durham Meenakshi Gigi
Published: June 2011

Critical and cultural studies of communication are focused on the analysis of cultural artifacts and practices in relation to the social formations in which they exist. The interrelationships of cultural signs, their conditions of production, and their reception by audiences are at the core of such studies. Critical and cultural studies derive from Marxist approaches to society and culture but have expanded to engage a broad range of theoretical and methodological areas, including semiotics and structuralism, literary theory, rhetoric, philosophy, sociology, ethnography, film theory, gender studies, critical race theory, cybercultures, politics, and the fine arts, among others. Critical theory is generally associated with the ideas of the University of Frankfurt’s Institute for Social Research, often referred to as the “Frankfurt School,” while cultural studies had its genesis in the UK, principally at the Birmingham Center for Critical and Cultural Studies. But critical theory and cultural studies are deeply mutually implicated, and their interrelationships are significant. Critical and cultural studies have proliferated internationally, with distinct perspectives and approaches characterizing their various national, political, and societal contexts. The project of critical and cultural studies of communication is tied to praxis. Critical and cultural studies represent a radical and subversive intervention in the academy because of their basic goal of troubling the term “culture” and linking it to social power and the construction and dissemination of knowledge.
Effect of Location, Cultivar, and Diseases on Grain Yield of Soft Red Winter Wheat in Wisconsin
Authors: Lackermann Karen V. , Conley Shawn P. , Gaska John M. , Martinka Mark J. , Esker Paul D.
Published: June 2011

Knowledge is limited about the impact of foliar diseases on wheat yield in Wisconsin. The objective of this study was to compare yield and diseases of wheat cultivars in several locations in Wisconsin in 2009 and 2010. Thirty-six wheat cultivars were planted in a randomized complete block design at field sites near Arlington, Chilton, and Lancaster, WI. At a fourth location, Janesville, WI, the design was a split plot with foliar fungicide application at Zadoks growth stage (GS) 45 at the whole-plot level and cultivar at the subplot level. Disease assessments were made four times during the growing season for powdery mildew (PM), Septoria/Stagonospora leaf blotch (SLB), and leaf rust. Incidence and severity of Fusarium head blight were assessed on 100 heads per plot at GS 85. Linear mixed-model analyses were used to study the effects of location, cultivar, and disease on grain yield (α = 0.05). Overall, SLB and PM were the most prevalent diseases. SLB severity was uniform among locations and PM was most prevalent at Arlington and Chilton. In both years, yield was affected by location, cultivar, location–cultivar interaction, and location–SLB and location–PM interactions. Yield was also negatively affected by PM in 2010. No effect of fungicide on disease severity or yield was observed at Janesville in either year. These results suggest that cultivar selection and location strongly influence grain yield in Wisconsin and that powdery mildew is capable of reducing grain yield.
Resistance of Botrytis cinerea to Multiple Fungicides in Northern German Small-Fruit Production
Authors: Weber Roland W. S.
Published: June 2011

During the vegetation period 2010, 353 isolates of Botrytis cinerea from 23 Northern German strawberry, raspberry, highbush blueberry, and redcurrant fields were examined for sensitivity to the benzimidazole derivative thiophanate-methyl and the dicarboximide iprodione, as well as five fungicides currently used against gray mold in Germany. Of all isolates, 40.5% were highly resistant to thiophanate-methyl, 64.0% to iprodione, 45.0% to fenhexamid, 76.8% to trifloxystrobin, 21.5% to boscalid, and 14.7% to cyprodinil. No high resistance to fludioxonil was observed but medium resistance was recorded to fludioxonil as well as cyprodinil (41.1 and 27.2% of all isolates, respectively). In all, 63 isolates were sensitive to all five of the currently registered botryticides whereas 43, 81, 94, 49, and 23 isolates were medium or highly resistant to one, two, three, four, and five fungicides, respectively. Isolates resistant to five fungicides in vitro were capable of causing fruit rot on wounded apple pretreated with any one of the three commercially available products containing fenhexamid, pyraclostrobin plus boscalid, or cyprodinil plus fludioxonil. These results question the sustainability of the current gray mold control strategy relying exclusively on fungicides with specific, single-site modes of action.
First Report of Fruit Rot Disease on Pomelo Caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae in China
Authors: Luo M. , Dong Z. Y. , Bin S. Y. , Lin J. T.
Published: June 2011

Pomelo (Citrus grandis) is widely cultivated in MeiZhou Guangdong Province of China. In 2008, a disease on pomelo fruit caused significant economic losses by affecting fruit quality. Diseased fruit was collected in December 2008 from MeiZhou Guangdong, surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 1 min and internal necrotic tissue was transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 28°C for 5 days. Three single-spore isolates were obtained from different fruit and identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl. (synonyms Diplodia natalensis Pole-Evans and Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat.; teleomorph Botryosphaeria rhodina (Cooke) Arx) on the basis of morphological and physiological features. The fungus produced dark brown colonies (initially grayish) on PDA. Young hyphae were hyaline and aseptate, whereas mature hyphae were septate with irregular branches. Cultures of L. theobromae produced globular or irregular pycnidia abundantly on PDA (pH 3.5) at 28°C after 1 month. Mature conidia of L. theobromae were 20 to 26 × 12 to 15.5 μm, subovoid to ellipsoid-ovoid, initially hyaline and nonseptate, remaining hyaline for a long time, and finally becoming dark brown and one septate with melanin deposits on the inner surface of the wall arranged longitudinally giving a striate appearance to the conidia. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA was amplified from gDNA using primers ITS1 (5′-TCCGATGGTGAACCTGCGG-3′) and ITS4 (5′-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3′) (1). Amplicons were 542 bp long (GenBank Accession No. JF693024) and had 100% nucleotide identity with the corresponding sequence (GenBank Accession No. EU860391) of L. theobromae isolated from a Pinus sp. (2). To satisfy Koch's postulates, six asymptomatic fruit on potted plants were sprayed until runoff with a spore suspension (1 × 106 spores/ml) prepared from 30-day-old cultures of one isolate. Control fruit received water. Plants were covered with sterile wet gauze to maintain high humidity. Fruit spot symptoms similar to those on diseased field fruit appeared after 15 days on all inoculated fruits. L. theobromae was reisolated from all inoculated test fruit. No symptoms were observed on the fruit of control plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae causing disease on pomelo fruit in China. This pathogen has also been previously reported to be economically important on a number of other hosts by mostly affecting the leaves.

References: (1) J. C. Batzer et al. Mycologia 97:1268, 2005. (2) C. A. Pérez et al. Fungal Divers. 41:53,2010.
New software for statistical analysis of Cambridge Structural Database data
Authors: Sykes Richard A. , McCabe Patrick , Allen Frank H. , Battle Gary M. , Bruno Ian J. , Wood Peter A.
Published: June 2011

A collection of new software tools is presented for the analysis of geometrical, chemical and crystallographic data from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). This software supersedes the programVista. The new functionality is integrated into the programMercuryin order to provide statistical, charting and plotting options alongside three-dimensional structural visualization and analysis. The integration also permits immediate access to other information about specific CSD entries through theMercuryframework, a common requirement in CSD data analyses. In addition, the new software includes a range of more advanced features focused towards structural analysis such as principal components analysis, cone-angle correction in hydrogen-bond analyses and the ability to deal with topological symmetry that may be exhibited in molecular search fragments.
Fast fluorescence techniques for crystallography beamlines
Authors: Stepanov Sergey , Hilgart Mark , Yoder Derek W. , Makarov Oleg , Becker Michael , Sanishvili Ruslan , Ogata Craig M. , Venugopalan Nagarajan , Aragão David , Caffrey Martin , Smith Janet L. , Fischetti Robert F.
Published: June 2011

This paper reports on several developments of X-ray fluorescence techniques for macromolecular crystallography recently implemented at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and National Cancer Institute beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source. These include (i) three-band on-the-fly energy scanning around absorption edges with adaptive positioning of the fine-step band calculated from a coarse pass; (ii) on-the-fly X-ray fluorescence rastering over rectangular domains for locating small and invisible crystals with a shuttle-scanning option for increased speed; (iii) fluorescence rastering over user-specified multi-segmented polygons; and (iv) automatic signal optimization for reduced radiation damage of samples.
Polymorphism identification in the goat KITLG gene and association analysis with litter size
Authors: An X. P. , Hou J. X. , Li G. , Song Y. X. , Wang J. G. , Chen Q. J. , Cui Y. H. , Wang Y. F. , Cao B. Y.
Published: June 2011

This study reported the analysis of KIT ligand (KITLG) gene polymorphisms in 681 goats of three breeds: Xinong Saanen (SN), Guanzhong (GZ), and Boer (BG). In addition, the study identified three allelic variants: g.769T>C and g.817G>T in SN and GZ breeds, and g.9760G>C in the three goat breeds. The g.769T>C and g.817G>T loci were closely linked (r2 > 0.33). All the single nucleotide polymorphism loci were in Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium (P < 0.05). Significant associations were found for litter size with all three loci. Therefore, these results suggest that the KITLG gene is a strong candidate gene affecting litter size in goats.
Pravastatin for thioacetamide‐induced hepatic failure and encephalopathy
Authors: Huang Hui‐Chun , Chang Ching‐Chih , Wang Sun‐Sang , Chan Cho‐Yu , Lee Fa‐Yauh , Chuang Chiao‐Lin , Hsin I‐Fan , Teng Tzu‐Hua , Lin Han‐Chieh , Lee Shou‐Dong
Published: June 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2011

Background  Nitric oxide (NO) inhibition aggravates hepatic damage and encephalopathy and increases mortality in rats with thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced acute liver failure. Statins enhance NO production but whether they influence the above parameters are unknown.

Material and methods  Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were used. In the first series, TAA (350 mg/kg per day, i.p. for 3 days) was administered to induce acute liver failure. Control rats received saline. Rats received distilled water or pravastatin (20 mg/kg per day, p.o.) from 2 days before to 3 days after TAA or saline injection. In the second series, liver cirrhosis was induced by common bile duct ligation (BDL). Sham‐operated rats served as controls. Rats received distilled water or pravastatin for 5 or 14 days until the 42nd day after operation. On the last day of treatment, survival, motor activities, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, ammonia and brain histology were evaluated.

Results  Thioacetamide and BDL rats showed higher ALT, AST, bilirubin and ammonia levels and lower motor activity counts compared with their corresponding control groups. In TAA rats, pravastatin elicited higher total and ambulatory motor activity counts and lower AST and total bilirubin levels. Survival was improved, whereas brain H&E staining was not significantly different in TAA rats with or without pravastatin treatment. In BDL groups, rats with or without pravastatin treatment were not different in motor activity counts and liver biochemistry.

Conclusions  Pravastatin ameliorates hepatic encephalopathy and liver biochemistry and improves survival in rats with acute liver failure, but not in those with cirrhosis.
Intensive care nurses’ perceptions of their professional competence in the organ donor process: a national survey
Authors: Meyer Käthe , Bjørk Ida Torunn , Eide Hilde
Published: June 2011

meyer k., bjørk i.t. & eide h. (2012) Intensive care nurses’ perceptions of their professional competence in the organ donor process. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(1), 104–115.

Aims.  This paper is a report of a study that explored Norwegian intensive care nurses’ perceptions of their professional competence to identify educational needs in the organ donor process.

Background.  Intensive care professionals are requested to consider organ donation each time they care for patients with severe cerebral lesion to ensure donor organs for transplantation. The donor process challenges intensive care nurses’ professional competence. Nurses’ knowledge and experience may influence their professional competence in caring for organ donors and their relatives.

Methods.  A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in all 28 Norwegian donor hospitals between October 2008 and January 2009. Intensive care nurses (N = 801) were invited to participate and the response rate was 71·4%. Dimensions of professional competence, learning needs and contextual and demographic variables were explored. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings.  Few intensive care nurses had extensive experience of or competence and training in organ donation. Nurses working at university hospitals had more experience, but lesser training than nurses in local hospitals. Experience of donor acquisition had an impact on intensive care nurses’ perceptions of their professional competence in the donor process. Discussions on the ward and educational input were seen as important for the further development of professional competence.

Conclusion.  Training provided by experienced colleagues and a culture that encourages discussion about aspects of the donor process can develop nurses’ professional competence and communally defined professional practice. Educational input that cultivates various types of knowledge can be beneficial in organ donation.
A trait‐based analysis of the role of phosphorus vs. nitrogen enrichment in plant species loss across North‐west European grasslands
Authors: Ceulemans Tobias , Merckx Roeland , Hens Maarten , Honnay Olivier
Published: June 2011

1. Both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enrichment have been identified to drive plant species losses from nutrient‐poor semi‐natural grasslands. The relative contribution of N vs. P to species loss remains unclear, however.

2. We investigated how soil N and P availability affect the occurrence of 61 grassland species across North‐western Europe. We selected 132 study sites, located in Great Britain, Belgium and France, along a soil fertility gradient based on variability in atmospheric N deposition and on nutrient input from adjacent agricultural land. To gain insight into the underlying ecological mechanisms of species loss, we examined the role of a suite of plant traits that may mediate a species’ response to increased N or P availability.

3. Mixed logistic regression showed that the occurrence of 24 plant species (39·3%) was affected by soil nutrient availability. Of these species, 18 were negatively affected by increased P (29·5%) and five by increased N (8·2%). Regionally declining plant species were absent from both P‐rich and N‐rich grasslands. Higher susceptibility to elevated P was associated with stress tolerance, low maximum canopy height and symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizae.

4. Synthesis and applications. Although we also identified negative effects on plant diversity through N enrichment, our results strongly suggest that P enrichment is a more important driver of species loss from semi‐natural grasslands. Species in symbiosis with mycorrhizae and with low canopy height are especially at risk. Because detrimental effects of P enrichment are very difficult to mitigate due to the persistence of P in the soil, nature management should give absolute priority to preventing P input in grasslands through fertilization, agricultural run‐off or inundation with P‐polluted surface water. To restore species‐rich grasslands on P‐enriched soils, top soil removal appears crucial and more research regarding alternative removal strategies is essential.
ABCG2 transporter: therapeutic and physiologic implications in veterinary species
Authors: MEALEY K. L.
Published: June 2011

Mealey, K. L. ABCG2 transporter: therapeutic and physiologic implications in veterinary species. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 35, 105–112.

Drug transporters significantly influence drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. While P‐glycoprotein, the product of the MDR1 (ABCB1) gene, is the most well‐characterized ABC transporter, the pharmacological importance of a related transporter, ABCG2, is starting to be realized in veterinary medicine. Based primarily on human and rodent studies, a number of clinically relevant, structurally and functionally unrelated drugs are substrates for ABCG2. ABCG2 is expressed by a variety of normal tissues including the intestines, renal tubular cells, brain and retinal capillary endothelial cells, biliary canalicular cells, and others, where it functions to actively extrude substrate drugs. In this capacity, ABCG2 limits oral absorption of substrate drugs and restricts their distribution to privileged sites such as the brain and retina. ABCG2 is also expressed by tumor cells where it functions to limit the intracellular accumulation of cytotoxic agents, contributing to multidrug resistance. Several ABCG2 polymorphisms have been described in human patients, some of which result in altered drug disposition, increasing susceptibility to adverse drug reactions. Additionally, ABCG2 polymorphisms in humans have been associated with disease states such as gout. Feline ABCG2 has recently been demonstrated to have several amino acid differences at conserved sites compared with 10 other mammalian species. These amino acid differences adversely affect transport function of feline ABCG2 relative to that of human ABCG2. Furthermore, these differences appear to be responsible for fluoroquinolone‐induced retinal toxicity in cats and may play a role in acetaminophen toxicity as well. Studies in rodents and sheep have determined that ABCG2 expressed in mammary tissue is responsible for the secretion of many compounds (both therapeutic and toxic) into milk. Finally, data in rodent models suggest that ABCG2 may play an important role in regulating a number of physiologic pathways involved in protecting erythrocytes from oxidative damage.
Patients' and professionals' experiences and perspectives of obesity in health‐care settings: a synthesis of current research
Authors: Mold Freda , Forbes Angus
Published: June 2011

Background  Obesity‐related stigma likely influences how obese people interact with health‐care professionals and access health care.

Aim  To undertake a synthesis of studies examining the views and experiences of both obese people in relation to their health‐care provision and health‐care professionals in providing care to obese patients.

Search strategy  A systematic search of key electronic databases relating to professional or patient experiences of, or perspectives on, obesity was performed in 2008 and updated in 2010. Reference lists of article bibliographies were searched, along with hand searches of relevant journals.

Inclusion Criteria  Studies were screened against explicit inclusion criteria and published between 1990 and 2010. Findings were examined and organized thematically.

Data Extraction  Data were extracted focusing on obesity, stigma and access to health‐care services. All included studies were subject to critical appraisal to assess the quality of the research.

Findings  Thirty studies were identified. All the studies reported obesity impacting on health‐care interactions. Key themes identified were experiences of stigma and feelings of powerlessness, treatment avoidance, psycho‐emotional functioning, professional attitudes, confidence and training, variations in health contact time and finally, differences in treatment options and preventative measures.

Conclusion  Obesity is a stigmatized condition that impacts negatively on the relationship between patients and health‐care providers. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the range of therapeutic options available, further work is necessary to understand how the presence of obesity affects health‐care interactions and decision making.
Identification of a novel allele, MICA*063N, in a Chinese lung cancer patient
Authors: Huang Y. , Tan Y. , Xu X. , Wei Y. , Xia W. , Ye X.
Published: June 2011

MICA*063N has one nucleotide different from MICA*027 at position 184 (C→T) in codon 62 (CAG→TAG), resulting in a premature stop codon in exon 2.
Association of major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related gene A microsatellite polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma in South China Han population
Authors: Jiang X. , Zou Y. , Huo Z. , Yu P.
Published: June 2011

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I‐related gene A (MICA) is a stress‐induced antigen and plays a key role in anti‐infectious and anti‐tumoral immune responses. In this study, we investigated the MICA transmembrane polymorphism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in South China Han population. We found that the MICA‐A5.1 polymorphism, which gives rise to a truncated protein, was increased in HCC patients compared with healthy controls (Pc = 0.036). Furthermore, we found that HCC patients with MICA‐A5.1 polymorphism had higher serum levels of soluble MICA (sMICA). These results suggest that MICA‐A5.1 polymorphism is associated with HCC patients in South China Han population and the MICA‐A5.1 polymorphism may contribute to the development of HCC by promoting the release of sMICA to evade tumor immunosurveillance.
A new HLA‐DQB1 sequence, DQB1*02:01:04, discovered during an external quality assessment exercise
Authors: Smillie D. , Street J. , Bengtsson M. , Corbin S. , Darke C.
Published: June 2011

HLA‐DQB1*02:01:04 differs from DQB1*02:01:01 by one nucleotide (G>A) at position 303 in exon 2 resulting in a silent substitution (codon 69 – GAG >GAA), conserved glutamate.
One‐step percutaneous transhepatic insertion of a balloon‐expanding metallic stent for obstructive jaundice
Authors: Akamatsu Nobuhisa , Sugawara Yasuhiko , Shin Nobuhiro , Komagome Masahiko , Ishida Takashi , Ozawa Fumiaki , Odaka Akio , Hashimoto Daijo
Published: June 2011

Background and Aim:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of one‐step percutaneous transhepatic insertion of the Express LD stent, a balloon‐expanding stainless steel stent used for the management of distal artery stenosis in the treatment of obstructive jaundice caused by various inoperable malignancies.

Methods:  Seventy‐one consecutive patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction who underwent Express LD stent placement between 2007 and 2010 at our institute were reviewed.

Results:  Mean stent patency was 165 ± 144 days and mean patient survival was 180 ± 156 days, while the cumulative stent patency rate and patient survival rate at 6 and 12 months were 79% and 65%, and 38% and 16%, respectively. Stents were successfully placed in all cases without any stent migration or misplacement. Stent failure occurred in 14 patients (20%), and 16 complications were observed, including 12 cholangitis (17%), two cholecysitis (3%), and two pancreatitis (3%). Y‐configuration stenting for hilar bile duct obstruction was the only independent prognostic factor for stent failure.

Conclusions:  One‐step percutaneous transhepatic insertion of the Express LD stent is effective and safe for the management of obstructive jaundice caused by inoperable malignancies.
Serum osteoprotegerin measurement for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease‐mineral and bone disorder
Authors: JIANG JIAN‐QING , LIN SHAN , XU PENG‐CHENG , ZHENG ZHEN‐FENG , JIA JUN‐YA
Published: June 2011

Aim:  Chronic kidney disease‐mineral and bone disorder (CKD‐MBD) has been proposed to be the replacement of renal osteodystrophy by the Organization of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes since 2005 because the mineral disorder is not confined to the skeleton in CKD. Accordingly, laboratory and imaging tests have been emphasized for the clinical assessment of patients with CKD besides renal biopsy. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) could be made a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of CKD‐MBD.

Methods:  Sixty pre‐dialysis patients with CKD 1–5 were enrolled in this study. The serum calcium, phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, Osteocalcin, Calcitonin, intact parathyroid hormone and OPG were measured. Bone mineral densities of the lumbar spine (L2–L4), femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter were measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry.

Results:  Among all measured serum bone metabolism indexes, the changing of serum OPG level happened at the earliest time (CKD 3) and its correlation coefficient with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was also the highest (r = −0.601, P = 0.001). In the multivariable analysis that included sex, age and eGFR as controlling factors, the serum OPG correlated with the bone mineral density (BMD) of Ward's triangle (r = −0.390, P = 0.041).

Conclusion:  Serum OPG may be a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of CKD‐MBD.
FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION IN SUB‐SAHARAN AFRICA: WHAT DO WE KNOW?
Authors: Fowowe Babajide
Published: June 2011

Abstract Beginning from the early 1980s countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa embarked on financial liberalization policies with a view to reversing the ill‐effects of financial repression. This paper provides a survey of financial liberalization in Sub‐Saharan African countries over the period 1980 to 2004. Our review of empirical studies showed that financial liberalization has had diverse and contrasting effects on savings, investment and economic growth. Most studies found a significant positive effect of financial liberalization on investment whereas its effect on savings has been largely insignificant. The evidence on the effect on economic growth is inconclusive as different studies find contrasting results. It is found that financial liberalization policies have not had the desired and expected results as both financial and macroeconomic variables have not improved following financial liberalization in these countries. This calls for a rethinking of financial liberalization in Sub‐Saharan African countries. It is important that financial liberalization is carried out in a stable macroeconomic environment. In addition to this, there should be a building and reform of institutions and the strengthening of prudential regulation. Following this, financial liberalization can be embarked upon but it must be properly sequenced and not rushed.
LONG DARK SHADOWS OR INNOVATIVE SPIRITS? THE EFFECTS OF (SMOOTHING) BUSINESS CYCLES ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Priesmeier Christoph , Stähler Nikolai
Published: June 2011

Abstract It is argued that fiscal policy can play a part in preventing a possible downward spiral or be instrumental in achieving a higher long‐term path of growth. Never before has this argument been advanced as frequently as in the current economic crisis. However, the economic literature – an overview of which is given here – does not provide an unambiguous answer, either theoretically or empirically, to the question of the relationship between (the smoothing of) cyclical fluctuations and long‐term growth. In this context, two main contrasting explanatory paradigms can be identified: Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction and the learning by doing hypothesis. Even if it were possible to identify the relationship more clearly on this basis, it is important not to lose sight of the problems associated with the real‐time assessment of the current economic situation, time lags and political economic incentives even in difficult times.
‘THEY SAY ISLAM HAS A SOLUTION FOR EVERYTHING, SO WHY ARE THERE NO GUIDELINES FOR THIS?’ ETHICAL DILEMMAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIRTHS AND DEATHS OF INFANTS WITH FATAL ABNORMALITIES FROM A SMALL SAMPLE OF PAKISTANI MUSLIM COUPLES IN BRITAIN
Authors: SHAW ALISON
Published: June 2011

This paper presents ethical dilemmas concerning the termination of pregnancy, the management of childbirth, and the withdrawal of life‐support from infants in special care, for a small sample of British Pakistani Muslim parents of babies diagnosed with fatal abnormalities. Case studies illustrating these dilemmas are taken from a qualitative study of 66 families of Pakistani origin referred to a genetics clinic in Southern England. The paper shows how parents negotiated between the authoritative knowledge of their doctors, religious experts, and senior family members in response to the ethical dilemmas they faced. There was little knowledge or open discussion of the view that Islam permits the termination of pregnancy for serious or fatal abnormality within 120 days and there was considerable disquiet over the idea of ending a pregnancy. For some parents, whether their newborn baby would draw breath was a main worry, with implications for the baby's Muslim identity and for the recognition of loss the parents would receive from family and community. This concern sometimes conflicted with doctors' concerns to minimize risk to future pregnancies by not performing a Caesarean delivery if a baby is sure to die. The paper also identifies parents' concerns and feelings of wrong‐doing regarding the withdrawal of artificial life‐support from infants with multiple abnormalities. The conclusion considers some of the implications of these observations for the counselling and support of Muslim parents following the pre‐ or neo‐natal diagnosis of fatal abnormalities in their children.
The Arts and Prisoners: Experiences of Creative Rehabilitation
Authors: NUGENT BRIEGE , LOUCKS NANCY
Published: June 2011

Abstract: The following article presents findings from an ongoing evaluation of arts programmes from Artlink Central taking place in Cornton Vale, which is Scotland's main prison for women. Through a discussion of the findings, and a look to international research on this area, the arts can clearly generate significant rehabilitative benefits for offenders. However, such work has both real and perceived limitations. Ultimately the arts, like other rehabilitative efforts, can be regarded as an ‘add on’ and, therefore, do not receive the credit or place they deserve in policy and consequently in practice.