bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the Shell of the Old: Anarchist Geographies of Territorialisation
Authors: Ince Anthony
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  This paper applies an anarchist approach to ongoing debates on the politics, nature and function of territory. Recent work in geography has problematised dominant modes of territory, but has stopped short of a systematic critique of how statist spatial imaginations and practices reproduce and perpetuate the dominance of both capitalism and authority in society. In this paper, I deploy anarchist thought and practice to argue that territory must be viewed as a processual and contested product of social relations. This is linked to the notion of prefiguration; a distinctive concept in anarchist thought and practice embedding envisioned future modes of social organisation into the present. Using examples from fieldwork with anarchist‐inspired groups, I explore anarchist prefigurative politics as a means to re‐imagine how practices of territorialisation and bordering might be deployed as part of a broader project of social transformation.
Differentiating Islamophobia: Introducing a New Scale to Measure Islamoprejudice and Secular Islam Critique
Authors: Imhoff Roland , Recker Julia
Published: August 2012

Since 2001 there has been a steadily increasing awareness of discrimination against Muslims based on their religion. Despite the widespread use of the neologism Islamophobia to refer to this phenomenon, this term has been harshly criticized for confounding prejudiced views of Muslims with a legitimate critique of Muslim practices based on secular grounds. In the current research a scale was developed to differentiate Islamoprejudice (based on the influential Islamophobia definition of the British Runnymede Trust) and Secular Critique of Islam. Across two studies, Islamoprejudice was related to explicit and implicit prejudice, right‐wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation whereas Secular Critique was unrelated to any forms of prejudice but negatively related to religiosity and authoritarianism. The two scales were mostly independent or only moderately related. Importantly, the new Islamoprejudice scale outperformed all other scales in predicting actual opposition versus support for a heatedly debated, newly built mosque. These results demonstrate the necessity to differentiate between Islamoprejudice and Secular Critique in future research on attitudes towards Islam.
Study for now, but judge for later: Delayed judgments of learning promote long‐term retention
Authors: SUNDQVIST MAX LARSSON , TODOROV IVO , KUBIK VEIT , JÖNSSON FREDRIK U.
Published: August 2012

Larsson Sundqvist, M., Todorov, I., Kubik, V. & Jönsson, F.U. (2012) Study for now, but judge for later: Delayed judgments of learning promote long‐term retention. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 450–454.

Delayed judgments of learning (JOL) are assumed to be based on covert retrieval attempts. A common finding is that testing memory during learning improves later retention (i.e., the testing effect), and even more so than an equivalent amount of study, but only after a longer retention interval. To test the assertion that also delayed JOLs improve memory, the participants either studied Swahili‐Swedish word pairs four times, or they both studied (two times) and performed delayed JOLs (two times) alternately. Final cued recall test were given after either five minutes or one week. Results showed a reliable learning‐group by retention‐interval interaction, with less forgetting in the group that alternated between studying and making JOLs. The results are discussed in relation to the self‐fulfilling prophecy account of Spellman and Bjork (1992), and in terms of study advice, the results further underscore the importance of delaying JOLs when studying and evaluating one’s ongoing learning.
Pre‐ICH warfarin use, not antiplatelets, increased case fatality in spontaneous ICH patients
Authors: Chen Y.‐W. , Tang S.‐C. , Tsai L.‐K. , Yeh S.‐J. , Chiou H.‐Y. , Yip P.‐K. , Jeng J.‐S.
Published: August 2012

Background and purpose

Anticoagulant and antiplatelets for prevention of ischaemic stroke and cardiovascular diseases may increase the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed to investigate the influence of pre‐ICH use of anticoagulant and antiplatelets on ICH patients.

Methods

Consecutive patients with acute spontaneous ICH registered in a single‐center stroke registry during 2001 to 2010 were analyzed and categorized according to their pre‐ICH use of warfarin (Group I), antiplatelets (Group II), or neither (Group III). Survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to compare between the three groups and the predictors.

Results

Of 2021 ICH patients (male, 63.3%; mean age, 62.6 ± 14.4 years) included, there were 94 (4.7%) in Group I, 232 (11.4%) in Group II, and 1695 (83.9%) in Group III. Warfarin users had larger hematoma volume, more intraventricular extension, higher frequencies of lobar ICH, and higher case fatality than non‐warfarin users (Groups II and III). The Cox proportional hazard model showed increased 6‐month case fatality in pre‐ICH warfarin users (adjusted hazard ratio 2.75, 95% confidence interval 2.04–3.72, P < 0.001), but not in pre‐ICH antiplatelet users (adjusted hazard ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.72–1.26).

Conclusions

Intracerebral hemorrhage patients with prior warfarin use, but not antiplatelet use, had significantly higher case fatality at 6 months.
Links between infant temperament and neurophysiological measures of attention to happy and fearful faces
Authors: Martinos Marina , Matheson Anna , de Haan Michelle
Published: August 2012

Background:  Developing control of attention helps infants to regulate their emotions, and individual differences in attention skills may shape how infants perceive and respond to their socio‐emotional environments. This study examined whether the temperamental dimensions of self‐regulation and negative emotionality relate to infants’ attention skills and whether the emotional content of the attended stimulus affects this relation.

Methods:  Event‐related potentials provided a neurophysiological index of attention (Nc) while 3 to 13‐month‐old infants viewed images of happy and fearful facial expressions. Temperament was measured via parent report using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire‐Revised.

Results:  The peak latency of the Nc was slower for infants with lower regulatory capacity, independent of facial expression. The amplitude of the Nc over right fronto‐central electrodes was related to both self‐regulation and negative emotionality, but the effects differed by emotion: infants with better self‐regulation had larger Nc responses to fearful faces, and infants scoring higher on negative emotionality had larger Nc responses to happy faces. These results are discussed in relation to the development of executive attention networks and their modulation by the amygdala.
Protestantism, nation and diaspora inImperialGermany
Authors: Manz Stefan
Published: August 2012

This article examines the close connection betweenProtestantism and nationalism inImperialGermany within a transnational context. In the years before 1914, thePrussianStateChurch in particular strengthened the legal and organisational framework for an increasing number of diaspora congregations to become attached. These acted as an important vehicle to embed the nationalist rhetoric produced within theReichinto emigrants' notions of belonging. Whilst previous scholarship has noted this connection in general, the article sheds more detailed light on the mechanics and structure, but also on the limits, of this process. Feedback processes from periphery to centre, in turn, had an impact onGerman national identity construction as that of a nation that was not confined to state borders. Applying a constructionist theoretical framework, the contested question of whether the heterogeneity ofGermans abroad allows for the application of the diaspora concept is answered affirmatively.
Evaluating the statistical power of detecting changes in the abundance of seabirds at sea
Authors: Maclean Ilya M. D. , Rehfisch Mark M. , Skov Henrik , Thaxter Chris B.
Published: August 2012

There has been considerable recent concern about the plight of seabirds globally, as many species have declined substantially. In theUKthere are statutory needs to monitor seabirds at sea, particularly in light of new offshore areas being designated for conservation and plans for major offshore wind farm developments. However, the extent to which at‐sea surveys are capable of detecting changes in abundance and options for improving survey protocols have received little attention. We investigate the power of detecting changes in numbers using at‐sea surveys. Using data collected as part of a visual aerial seabird survey programme that covered areas of ‘Round 2’ offshore wind farm developments inUKwaters, we quantify the variability and characterize the statistical properties of count data. By generating random datasets with the same properties as real data, we estimated the power of being able to detect various declines (50, 33, 25, 15 and 10%) and assessed the effects of survey duration and frequency and of spatial scale and variability in bird numbers. The results indicate that the survey design protocols used for theUK‘Round 2’ offshore wind farm visual aerial seabird survey programme do not provide adequate means of detecting changes in numbers, even when declines are in excess of 50% and assumptions regarding certainty are relaxed to < 80%. Extending the duration, frequency and spatial extent of surveys would increase the probability of detecting changes, but not to a desirable level (e.g. > 0.8). The primary reason why there is a low probability of being able to detect consistent directional changes is that seabird numbers fluctuate greatly at any given location. Means of explaining this fine‐scale variability are required, especially if small changes in populations are to be detected. Incorporating hydrodynamic variables into trend analysis might increase the power of detecting changes. Failure to detect changes in seabird numbers should not be taken to mean that no changes are occurring.
Zero‐Point Correction Method for Nanoindentation Tests to Accurately Quantify Hardness and Indentation Size Effect
Authors: Marteau J. , Mazeran P.‐E. , Bouvier S. , Bigerelle M.
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  An original treatment method is proposed to accurately determine by nanoindentation, the macrohardness and the indentation size effect (ISE). This method is applied to stainless steel specimens having different rough surfaces. It uses load versus indentation depth curves and is based on two main original features. The first one concerns the correction of the zero point (i.e. depth equals to 0) to minimise the scattering between experimental curves. The latter are all described by usual hardness equations and are shifted by minimising the distance from a leading curve chosen in a random way among the experimental curves. The second feature is the simultaneous treatment of all the nanoindentation curves to compute the macrohardness and evaluate the ISE. The standard deviation for the estimated macrohardness is small, which indicates the robustness of the approach. It is shown that using a single nanoindentation curve can alter macrohardness estimation because of a bad consideration of the ISE. To prevent this misinterpretation, the curves should be treated simultaneously instead of averaging results of separately treated curves. A correlation is identified between the standard deviations of both surface roughness and correction of zero point, which highlights the effect of surface roughness on the scattering of the indentation curves.
Role and interactions of annexin A1 and oestrogens in the manifestation of sexual dimorphisms in cerebral and systemic inflammation
Authors: Hughes Ellen L , Cover Patricia O , Buckingham Julia C , Gavins Felicity NE
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

Gender differences in inflammation are well described, with females often showing more robust, oestrogen‐associated responses. Here, we investigated the influence of gender, oestrogen and the anti‐inflammatory protein annexin A1 (AnxA1) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions in murine cerebral and mesenteric microvascular beds.

Experimental Approach

Intravital microscopy was used to visualize and quantify the effects of LPS (10 μg·per mouse i.p.) on leukocyte–endothelial interactions in male and female wild‐type (WT) mice. The effects of ovariectomy ± oestrogen replacement were examined in WT and AnxA1‐null (AnxA1−/−) female mice.

Key Results

LPS increased leukocyte adherence in the cerebral and mesenteric beds of both male and female WT mice; females showed exacerbated responses in the brain versus males, but not the mesentery. Ovariectomy further enhanced LPS‐induced adhesion in the brain but not the mesentery; its effects were reversed by oestrogen treatment. OVX AnxA1−/− mice also showed exaggerated adhesive responses to LPS in the brain. However, these were unresponsive to ovariectomy and, paradoxically, responded to oestrogen with a pronounced increase in basal and LPS‐induced leukocyte adhesion in the cerebrovasculature.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data confirm the fundamental role of AnxA1 in limiting the inflammatory response in the central and peripheral microvasculature. They also (i) show that oestrogen acts via an AnxA1‐dependent mechanism to protect the cerebral, but not the mesenteric, vasculature from the damaging effects of LPS and (ii) reveal a paradoxical and potentially toxic effect of the steroid in potentiating the central response to LPS in the absence of AnxA1.
Common and Conflicting Interests in the Engagements between Conservation Organizations and Corporations
Authors: Robinson John G.
Published: August 2012

The conservation community increasingly views the corporate sector as a positive force for conservation. Collaborations between corporations and nongovernmental conservation organizations (NGOs) seek to mitigate the negative effects of corporate activities and augment positive conservation outcomes. I reviewed the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies by corporations; the emerging focus on environmental practices and sustainability; and the history of engagement between corporations and nongovernmental organizations. I considered the ethical and reputation vulnerabilities of these collaborations, which depend especially on the financial nature of the relationship and reviewed how CSR approaches have influenced corporate practices. I concluded that whereas CSR practices can act to mitigate negative environmental impact, to date they have had limited positive effect on biodiversity conservation.

Intereses Comunes y Conflictivos en los Compromisos entre Organizaciones y Corporaciones de Conservación
Cantharidin for the Treatment of Molluscum Contagiosum: A Prospective, Double‐Blinded, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: Coloe Dosal Jacquelyn , Stewart Paul W. , Lin Ja‐An , Williams Christianna S. , Morrell Dean S.
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Our aim was to study the effects and safety of cantharidin in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (MC), we conducted a prospective, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical cantharidin for treatment of pediatric MC in an academic ambulatory care center. Twenty‐nine children aged 5–10 with a diagnosis of MC were enrolled to receive treatment with cantharidin or placebo. The main outcome measure was complete clearance of all molluscum lesions. In contrast to previous retrospective observational studies, the performance of cantharidin treatment over 2 months was not substantially better than the performance of placebo. The scope of follow‐up was limited to five visits over 2 months of treatment. A longer follow‐up period might have captured a greater effect of cantharidin. Over a 2 month period, the magnitude of the cantharidin treatment effects in the target population are, at best, not large. This study provided objective unbiased estimates of the magnitude of cantharidin treatment effects and provided important prospective safety data. Our subjects experienced minimal side effects when treated with cantharidin.
Contained Dispersal: The Deconcentration of Poverty in US Metropolitan Areas in the 1990s
Authors: Dwyer Rachel E.
Published: August 2012

After decades of rising poverty segregation in American cities, fewer poor people lived in extreme–poverty neighborhoods in 2000 than in 1990. The decline of concentrated poverty in many US metropolitan areas suggests that the poor may have spread out across metropolitan areas and became less spatially isolated in the 1990s. Most research on poverty trends has focused only on local neighborhood circumstances, however, rather than the spatial segregation of the poor in the wider metropolitan context. This paper builds on previous work by evaluating whether declining concentrated poverty brought the poor closer to more advantaged populations. I ask whether the poor became less concentrated over small land areas, less centralized, and less clustered in neighborhoods near other poor neighborhoods compared to more advantaged groups in the 1990s. I find that the poor did deconcentrate spatially in the 1990s, but mainly among other relatively disadvantaged populations. In fact, the poor became more segregated from the affluent in the 1990s on some spatial dimensions. Structural inequalities maintained spatial distance between the most and least advantaged even in a time of declining concentrated poverty.
Parkour, The Affective Appropriation of Urban Space, and the Real/Virtual Dialectic
Authors: Kidder Jeffrey L.
Published: August 2012

Parkour is a new sport based on athletically and artistically overcoming urban obstacles. In this paper, I argue that the real world practices of parkour are dialectically intertwined with the virtual worlds made possible by information and communication technologies. My analysis of parkour underscores how globalized ideas and images available through the Internet and other media can be put into practice within specific locales. Practitioners of parkour, therefore, engage their immediate, physical world at the same time that they draw upon an imagination enabled by their on–screen lives. As such, urban researchers need to consider the ways that virtual worlds can change and enhance how individuals understand and utilize the material spaces of the city.
Putting the “Public” Back in Public Values Research: Designing Participation to Identify and Respond to Values
Authors: Nabatchi Tina
Published: August 2012

This article seeks to put the “public” back in public values research by theorizing about the potential of direct citizen participation to assist with identifying and understanding public values. Specifically, the article explores eight participatory design elements and offers nine propositions about how those elements are likely to affect the ability of administrators to identify and understand public values with regard to a policy conflict. The article concludes with a brief discussion about potential directions for future research.
Aortic Stiffness Assessed by Global Pulse Wave Velocity in Postmenopausal Women: An Ultrasonographic Study
Authors: Palmiero Pasquale , Maiello Maria , Daly David D. , Ciccone Marco Matteo , Nanda Navin C.
Published: August 2012

Objective: The first goal of our study was to investigate major determinants of aortic stiffness in postmenopausal women using an echocardiographic method to calculate global pulse wave velocity (PWVg) rather than the less accurate carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVc). The second goal was to relate PWVg to the absolute risk of major cardiovascular (CV) events estimated by CV risk factors. Patients and methods: Two hundred forty‐four consecutive women who presented to our heart station were screened. One hundred twenty‐two were postmenopausal, either natural or surgical, whereas 122 were premenopausal. The mean age of the patients was 54 ± 13 years. Individuals were categorized as current smokers, former smokers, or nonsmokers and hypertensive or not. Hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus were defined. Aortic stiffness was assessed by PWVg measured with pulsed Doppler, the interval between the beginning of QRS complex and the foot of the systolic upstroke in the Doppler spectral envelope was calculated at the aortic valve site and at the right common femoral artery. PWVg was calculated between the aortic valve and right common femoral artery by dividing the straight line distance between the two by the transit time. Results: There was a highly significant statistical difference (P < 0.0012) in PWVg between menstruating women and postmenopausal women. Similarly, this difference in PWVg was also noted among the menstruating population (P < 0.0014) when comparing normotensive women and hypertensive women. In postmenopausal women, PWVg was 6.8 m/sec in normotensive women and 7.56 m/sec in hypertensive women (P < 0.007). Conclusion: PWVg was increased in postmenopausal women compared with menstruating women. Systemic hypertension has an independent, but additive effect on aortic stiffness assessed by PWVg. Our study supports the usefulness of the assessment of aortic stiffness as a marker of CV disease and to identify subjects at risk at an early age.
The Third Molar as an Age Marker in Adolescents: New Approach to Age Evaluation
Authors: Rozkovcova Eva , Dostalova Tatjana , Markova Marie , Broukal Zdenek
Published: August 2012

Adolescence is a relatively short period between childhood and adulthood. It is very difficult to determine adulthood based on biological indicators. The third molar may be considered a potential age marker for the period between the ages of 16–21. Our study evaluated a set of 1700 panoramic radiographs of individuals aged between 5 and 21 years. Results confirmed the statistically significant difference in the course of third molars development. The mean deviation for individuals with one third molar agenesis is −0.98 years, for individuals with two third molars agenesis −1.89 years, and with three molars agenesis −3.28 years. Thus, the extent of the deviation is directly proportional to the number of unformed third molars. The calculation of age according to the mean of stages of all third molars could lead to the underestimation of age. No intergender differences were found. Age determination using third molars could be used for forensic purposes.
Suicide Trends in Upper Egypt
Authors: Abdel Moneim Wafaa M. , Yassa Heba A. , George Safaa M.
Published: August 2012

Suicide is an important problem, ranking among the top 10 causes of death for individuals in all ages in developed countries. This article is a retrospective study evaluating suicide cases in Assiut, one of the largest provinces in Egypt, from 2005 to 2009. There were 117 cases, of which involved 68 male victims (58.12%) and 49 women (41.88%). Suicide rates ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 per 100,000. Age predominance was from 20 to ≤30 years. The method of suicide was different between male and female victims, as male victims tried to use more violent methods than females. The most common cause of death in men was usage of toxins and by hanging 29% and 28%, respectively, while in women was usage of toxins (70%). This study showed that suicide rates have increased since 1987, indicating a grave problem that needs to be solved.
Sudden Death Due to Infiltration of Left Bundle Branches by Interventricular Septal Cardiac Fibroma
Authors: István Kristóf , Törő Klára , Kardos Magdolna , Imre Czirják , György Dunay , Ágnes Nemeskéri
Published: August 2012

Cardiac fibromas are benign conditions; however, their location and size may cause ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. We report a case of a 68‐year‐old female who died suddenly. Postmortem investigation detected a huge cardiac fibroma in the pars muscularis of the interventricular septum, occupying almost the entire muscular septum, and restricting the volume of left ventricular chamber. Histological examination revealed numerous foci of calcification in the alternating complex interlacing or strictly parallel collagenous fiber mass. Tumor mass was mainly demarcated, but in some places, fibrous infiltration of surrounding working cardiac muscle was found. We present a case when direct tumor involvement in the descending left bundle branches was evidenced. Mainly, the branches of septal fascicle were disrupted, entrapped, and degenerated by the tumor mass. This case report emphasizes that postmortem histological examination of conduction system in all sudden cardiac death cases may substantially improve the accuracy of postmortem diagnosis.
Mediating Role of Satisfaction with Growth Opportunities on the Relationship Between Employee Development Opportunities and Citizenship Behaviors and Burnout
Authors: JAWAHAR I. M.
Published: August 2012

Theory and research from disparate areas were integrated to test if satisfaction with growth opportunities would mediate the influence of job‐ and company‐provided development opportunities on citizenship behaviors and employee burnout. In a sample of professional employees, the results of structural equation modeling provided support for partial mediation. Job‐provided development opportunities were significantly related to satisfaction with growth opportunities, which, in turn, was related to the citizenship behaviors of interpersonal helping, personal industry, and loyal boosterism and to the burnout dimension of personal accomplishment. Job‐ and company‐provided development opportunities also had a direct and differential association with forms of citizenship behaviors and burnout dimensions. Implications of the results for theory and practice are discussed. Directions for future research are offered.
Predicting Screening Uptake by First‐Degree Relatives of Patients Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer1
Authors: O'SULLIVAN BERNADETTE , KEEGAN ORLA , MCGEE HANNAH , MCLOUGHLIN RAMONA , O'MORAIN COLM
Published: August 2012

Colorectal cancer represents a significant health threat worldwide. First‐degree relatives (FDRs) of colorectal cancer patients are at increased risk of developing the disease. There is a need to understand the psychosocial predictors of screening uptake in this group. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) that included perceived risk was employed to do this. Telephone interviews were conducted with 110 FDRs. The TPB accounted for up to 51% and between 16% and 25% of the variance in intention and behavior, respectively. Injunctive norm emerged as the strongest predictor of screening intention. Therefore, it is recommended that interventions to maximize screening uptake target this variable in particular.
In depression, bacterial translocation may drive inflammatory responses, oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), and autoimmune responses directed against O&NS‐damaged neoepitopes
Authors: Maes M. , Kubera M. , Leunis J.‐C. , Berk M. , Geffard M. , Bosmans E.
Published: August 2012

Maes M, Kubera M, Leunis J‐C, Berk M, Geffard M, Bosmans E. In depression, bacterial translocation may drive inflammatory responses, oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), and autoimmune responses directed against O&NS‐damaged neoepitopes.

Objective: Depression is accompanied by activation of immuno‐inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways, and increased IgM/IgA responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram‐negative commensal bacteria. The latter suggests that bacterial translocation has caused IgM/IgA responses directed against LPS. Bacterial translocation may drive IO&NS responses.

Method: To examine the associations between IgM/IgA responses to LPS and IO&NS measurements, including plasma/serum interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, neopterin, lysozyme, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) antibodies, peroxides, and IgM (auto)immune responses against malondialdehyde (MDA), azelaic acid, phophatidyl inositol (Pi), NO‐tryptophan and NO‐tyrosine in depressed patients and controls.

Results: We found significant positive associations between IgM/IgA responses to LPS and oxLDL antibodies, IgM responses against MDA, azelaic acid, Pi, NO‐tryptophan, and NO‐tyrosine. The IgA responses to LPS were correlated with lysozyme. There were no significant positive correlations between the IgM/IgA responses to LPS and IL‐1 and neopterin.

Conclusion: The findings show that in depression there is an association between increased bacterial translocation and lysozyme production, an antibacterial compound, O&NS processes, and autoimmune responses directed against O&NS generated neoantigenic determinants. It is suggested that bacterial translocation may drive IO&NS pathways in depression and thus play a role in its pathophysiology.
Predictors of medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
Authors: Jónsdóttir H. , Opjordsmoen S. , Birkenaes A. B. , Simonsen C. , Engh J. A. , Ringen P. A. , Vaskinn A. , Friis S. , Sundet K. , Andreassen O. A.
Published: August 2012

Objective:  To investigate potential risk factors for medication non‐adherence in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Method:  A total of 255 patients underwent clinical assessments, neurocognitive testing and blood sampling. The patients were divided into groups of ‘No’, ‘Partial’ or ‘Full’ adherence. Relationships to different risk factors were analyzed.

Results:  In schizophrenia, use of illicit substances, alcohol and poor insight were related to worse adherence. Schizophrenia patients with No adherence did better on tests of executive functioning, verbal learning and memory and had higher IQ than patients with better adherence. There were higher levels of autonomic side effects in the non‐adherence group, but body mass index was lower in the Partial adherence group than in the Full adherence group. In the bipolar disorder patients, there was an association between the use of illicit substances and alcohol and poor adherence. We found no relationship between adherence behavior and neurocognition in the bipolar disorder group.

Conclusion:  Substance use is an important risk factor for non‐adherence in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Poor insight is also a risk factor in schizophrenia. The results suggest that cognitive dysfunction is not a risk factor for non‐adherence in these diagnostic groups.
Clozapine and gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – an investigation of temporal association
Authors: van Veggel M. , Olofinjana O. , Davies G. , Taylor D.
Published: August 2012

Objective:  To establish the temporal relationship between prescription of acid‐suppressant therapy, GORD and clozapine prescribing.

Method:  In this retrospective cohort study, we identified out‐patients prescribed clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics (AAP) and compared times and rates of prescribing of acid‐suppressant therapy. Odds ratios were calculated.

Results:  Of 352 patients on clozapine and 358 patients on other AAP, there were 74 (21.0%) and 23 (6.7%) patients prescribed acid‐suppressant therapy respectively [OR = 3.9 (95% CI: 2.4–6.4) P ≤ 0.0001]. In 67 of 74 cases (90.5%) vs. 18 of 23 cases (81.8%), acid‐suppressant therapy began after the start of the antipsychotic. Clozapine patients were more likely to be prescribed acid‐suppressant therapy within the first 5 years of initiation than those on other AAP (P = 0.039). Where indication for acid‐suppressant therapy was known, it was prescribed for GORD in 44 of 62 (71.0%) of the clozapine patients and 6 of 13 (46.2%) of those on other AAP (P = 0.109). Rate of known GORD was 44 of 352 (12.5%) for clozapine and 6 of 358 (1.7%) for other atypicals [OR = 8.4 (95% CI: 3.5–19.9) P ≤ 0.0001].

Conclusion:  Clozapine was associated with higher rates of GORD and acid‐suppressant therapy prescribing than other AAP. There was a clear temporal relationship between the prescribing of clozapine and the later use of acid‐suppressant therapy. These observations strongly suggest that prescription of clozapine was associated with the onset of GORD.
COMT val158met predicts reward responsiveness in humans
Authors: Lancaster T. M. , Linden D. E. , Heerey E. A.
Published: August 2012

A functional variant of the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene [val158met (rs4680)] is frequently implicated in decision‐making and higher cognitive functions. It may achieve its effects by modulating dopamine‐related decision‐making and reward‐guided behaviour. Here we demonstrate that individuals with the met/met polymorphism have greater responsiveness to reward than carriers of the val allele and that this correlates with risk‐seeking behaviour. We assessed performance on a reward responsiveness task and the Balloon analogue risk task, which measure how participants (N = 70, western European, university and postgraduate students) respond to reward and take risks in the presence of available reward. Individuals with the met/met genotype (n = 19) showed significantly higher reward responsiveness, F2,64 = 4.02, P = 0.02, and reward‐seeking behaviour, F(2,68) = 4.52, P = 0.01, than did either val/met (n = 25) or val/val (n = 26) carriers. These results highlight a scenario in which genotype‐dependent reward responsiveness shapes reward‐seeking, therefore suggesting a novel framework by which COMT may modulate behaviour.
Laser treatment of onychomycosis: an in vitro pilot study
Authors: Hees Henrik , Raulin Christian , Bäumler Wolfgang
Published: August 2012

Background: Laser treatment of onychomycosis is the object of considerable interest. Laser therapy could be a safe and cost‐effective treatment modality without the disadvantages of drugs. Some studies have described the inhibitory effects of lasers on the growth of fungal colonies. We therefore examined the effects of various laser wavelengths, which have previously shown inhibitory potential, on the fungal isolate Trichophyton rubrum.

Patients and Methods: Isolates of fungal colonies were placed clockwise on culture plates. Each culture plate was irradiated on one half with one of the following treatment regimens: 1064 nm‐Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser at 4 J/cm2 and 8 J/cm2; 532 nm‐Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser at 8 J/cm2; 1064 nm‐long‐pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 45 J/cm2 or 100 J/cm2. The other half remained untreated. Standardized photographs were taken and areas of treated and untreated colonies were compared for growth inhibition.

Results: There was no inhibition of fungal growth in any of the treated plates. Differences in size between treated and untreated colonies were not significant (p > 0.10).

Conclusions: In this in vitro study Nd:YAG laser treatment of Trichophyton rubrum colonies failed to inhibit fungal growth. Nevertheless there might be an effectiveness in vivo which has to be clarified by clinical studies.
Bioelectrical impedance for measuring percentage body fat in young persons with Down syndrome: validation with dual‐energy absorptiometry
Authors: Loveday Sarah J , Thompson John MD , Mitchell Edwin A
Published: August 2012

Aim:  Children with Down syndrome have an increased prevalence of obesity, although there is little work describing body composition in this population. The aims of this study were to accurately measure body fat in children with Down syndrome and to identify which existing algorithm best predicts percentage body fat in this population.

Methods:  Seventy children with Down syndrome had anthropometric, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) data collected to calculate percentage body fat (PBF). Pearson correlations were carried out to assess the relationships of various methods for measuring body fat and Bland–Altman plots to assess systematic error.

Results:  Mean PBF was 30.5% for girls and 22.5% for boys. A total of 38% of girls and 23% of boys were obese according to international criteria. PBF as determined by DXA correlated well with PBF by BIA in both girls and boys (r = 0.91 and 0.89, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:  There are high rates of obesity in children with Down syndrome. BIA can be used to accurately determine adiposity in this population. We recommend the use of the Schaeffer algorithm for calculation of PBF in children with Down syndrome.
Salbutamol with metered dose inhalers with spacers – an established emergency treatment for preschool wheeze
Authors: Mecklin Minna , Paassilta Marita , Korppi Matti
Published: August 2012

Aims:  Metered dose inhalers (MDI) with spacers were implemented to treat preschool wheeze in the emergency room (ER) and hospital in 2006 in our children’s hospital. The implementation at day time happened successfully within 4 months, but not at night time. The objective of the present study was to check the treatment mode, hospitalization rate and length of hospital stay (LOS) 4 years later.

Methods:  The present retrospective hospital chart review was identical to the review 4 years earlier, including data collection on treatment mode in 1‐ to‐5‐year‐old preschool wheezers in the ER, on need of hospitalization, on treatment mode in hospital and on LOS. Both studies were performed during the same late‐autumn and early‐winter months.

Results:  In the ER, 96% of the children with preschool wheeze were treated with salbutamol using MDIs with spacers. Hospitalization rate was 51%, and all but one were treated with MDIs with spacers in hospital at both day and night time. Mean LOS was 2.48 days, being shorter than 4 years earlier.

Conclusion:  Administration of salbutamol using MDI with spacer became an established emergency treatment of preschool wheeze within 4 years after the initial change from nebulizers to MDIs with spacers.
Community‐level consequences of cattle grazing for an invaded grassland: variable responses of native and exotic vegetation
Authors: Skaer Meghan J. , Graydon Dawn J. , Cushman J. Hall
Published: August 2012

Questions

Does grazing by cattle mediate the composition of a coastal grassland community and do native and exotic taxa from different plant groups, based on life‐history and life‐form characteristics, vary in their response to grazing? To what degree does grazing impact the growth and fecundity ofBromus diandrus, the most dominant exotic grass invader in this system?

Location

Coastal grassland/prairie nearCarmel, centralCalifornia,USA.

Methods

Using a 3‐yr exclosure experiment, we evaluated the effects of light winter/spring grazing by cattle (average of 0.75 cow‐calf pairs·ha−1) on species richness and percentage cover of native and exotic plants from different life‐history and life‐form groups.

Results

We found that cattle grazing reduced total vegetative cover by 25% and increased bare ground by 40%. Grazing also caused a 70% reduction in above‐ground plant biomass and a 40% reduction in the cover of exotic annual grasses, which were by far the most dominant group in this system. Grazing also reduced the height and spikelet production of the exotic annual grassB. diandrus. In contrast, grazing increased the cover of exotic annual forbs by 15%. Contrary to our expectations, grazing did not affect the cover of native forbs and grasses, and we hypothesize that these taxa possess life‐history characteristics and/or depleted seed banks that prevented them from responding to grazing during our experiment. Grazing also did not affect the species richness of any native or exotic plant group.

Conclusions

Our 3‐yr exclosure experiment has shown that grazing by cattle caused major changes in a coastal grassland community, with the responses of native and exotic taxa having different life‐history and life‐form characteristics varying markedly. Understanding the responses of these divergent groups is not only important for basic research evaluating the effects of mammalian herbivores on plant communities, but is also critical for developing science‐based approaches for sustainably managing invaded grasslands.
Above‐ and below‐ground biomass and carbon dynamics inBrazilianCerrado wet grasslands
Authors: Fidelis Alessandra , Lyra Maria Fernanda di Santi , Pivello Vânia Regina
Published: August 2012

Questions

Grasslands are usually neglected as potential carbon stocks, partially due to the lack of studies on biomass and carbon dynamics in tropical grasslands. What is the importance ofBrazilian tropical wet grasslands as carbon sinks? Does fire frequency and season affect biomass and carbon allocation inBrazilian wet grasslands?

Location

Wet grasslands, tropical savanna,Jalapão,Tocantins, northernBrazil.

Methods

We determined biomass above‐ and below‐ground, estimated carbon stocks in biennially burned plots (B2) and plots excluded from fire for 4 yr (B4). Moreover, we determined biomass in both rainy and dry seasons. Samples were 0.25 m × 0.25 m × 0.2 m (eight samples per treatment, applying a nested design, total of 48 samples). The biomass was classified in above‐ground graminoids, forbs and dead matter, and below‐ground roots and other below‐ground organs. We usedANOVAto compare variables between treatments and seasons.

Results

More than 40% of the total biomass and carbon stocks were located below‐ground, mostly in roots. A high proportion of dead biomass (B4) was found in the above‐ground material, probably due to low decomposition rates and consequent accumulation over the years. Although these grasslands do not experience water stress, we found significant evidence of resource re‐allocation from below‐ground organs to the above‐ground biomass in the rainy season.

Conclusions

We found more dead biomass in the rainy season, probably due to low decomposition rates, which can increase fire risk in these grasslands during the following dry season. These tropical wet grasslands stored high amounts of carbon (621 to 716 g C.m−2), mostly in the roots. Thus, policymakers should consider tropical grasslands as potential carbon stocks, since they are one of the most threatened and unprotected ecosystems inBrazil.
In vivo and in vitro studies on the carotenoid cleavage oxygenases from Sphingopyxis alaskensis RB2256 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR‐1 revealed their substrate specificities and non‐retinal‐forming cleavage activities
Authors: Hoffmann Jana , Bóna‐Lovász Judit , Beuttler Holger , Altenbuchner Josef
Published: August 2012

Carotenoid cleavage oxygenases are nonheme iron enzymes that specifically cleave carbon–carbon double bonds of carotenoids. Their apocarotenoid cleavage products serve as important signaling molecules that are involved in various biological processes. A database search revealed the presence of putative carotenoid cleavage oxygenase genes in the genomes of Sphingopyxis alaskensis RB2256 and Plesiocystis pacifica SIR‐1. The four genes sala_1698, sala_1008, ppsir1_15490 and ppsir1_17230 were cloned and heterologously expressed in carotenoid‐producing Escherichia coli JM109 strains. Two of the four encoded proteins exhibited carotenoid cleavage activity. S. alaskensis RB2256 carotenoid cleavage oxygenase (SaCCO), which is encoded by sala_1698, was shown to cleave acyclic and monocyclic substrates. Coexpression of sala_1698 in carotenoid‐producing E. coli JM109 strains revealed cleavage activity for lycopene, hydroxylycopene, and dihydroxylycopene. The monocyclic substrate apo‐8′‐carotenal was cleaved in vitro by purified SaCCO at the 9′/10′ and 11′/12′ double bonds. The second enzyme, P. pacifica SIR‐1 carotenoid cleavage oxygenase (PpCCO), is encoded by ppsir1_15490. PpCCO‐mediated carotenoid cleavage requires the presence of either hydroxy or keto groups. PpCCO cleaved zeaxanthin, hydroxylycopene, and dihydroxylycopene, and also the C50 carotenoids decaprenoxanthin, sarprenoxanthin and sarcinaxanthin, in carotenoid‐producing E. coli JM109 strains. Whole cells of E. coli JM109 overexpressing ppsir1_15490mut, a mutant of ppsir1_15490 with enhanced gene expression, were applied for the conversion of carotenoids. Analysis of the carotenoid cleavage products revealed a single cleavage site at the 13′/14′ double bond for astaxanthin, and two cleavage sites at the 11′/12′ or 13′/14′ double bond for zeaxanthin, nostoxanthin, and canthaxanthin.
A Retrospective Comparative Study of Traction Therapy vs. No Traction Following Tunica Albuginea Plication or Partial Excision and Grafting for Peyronie’s Disease: Measured Lengths and Patient Perceptions
Authors: Rybak James , Papagiannopoulos Dimitri , Levine Laurence
Published: August 2012

Introduction

Loss of penile length is a recognized and common consequence of Peyronie’s disease (PD). Traction therapy (TT+) has been reported to decrease post-op length loss as well as increase stretched penile length (SPL) prior to surgery.

Aim

The aim of this study was to study patient outcomes with penile length change and patient satisfaction after surgery following tunica albuginea plication (TAP) and partial plaque excision and grafting (PEG) with or without postoperative TT.

Methods

Retrospective analysis was performed from our cohort of Peyronie’s reconstructive surgery between 2007 and 2010. SPL was measured dorsally from pubis to corona and recorded at the initial office visit and then compared to most recent postoperative visit. Patients were then stratified by procedure and whether TT was used (TT+ and TT−; TAP N = 52 [27 TT+ and 25 TT−] and PEG N = 59 [36 TT+ and 23 TT−). Traction therapy was initiated for >2 hours a day for 3 months typically starting 3–4 weeks postoperatively. A non-validated mailed questionnaire assessed patient perceptions.

Results

Mean length change seen in TAP (TT+) was 0.85 cm (0.25–1.75) vs. −0.53 cm (−1.75 to 0.5) in TAP (TT−) (P < 0.001). The mean length change seen in PEG (TT+) was 1.48 cm (0–6) vs. PEG (TT−) 0.24 cm (−1 to 2.5 cm) (P < 0.001). Sixty-one percent of surveys were returned; 85% lost length prior to the initial office evaluation, with an average of −2.5 cm lost. Importantly, in those who used traction, there was no perceived length loss, 58% reported a mean erect length gain of 1.1 cm. However, only 54% of all patients were satisfied with their current erect length.

Conclusions

Loss of length in men with PD remains a serious concern. It appears that postoperative TT can result in length preservation, and in many, a measured and perceived length gain following correction of the curvature.
Do you see whatIsee? The role of technology in talent identification
Authors: Wiblen Sharna , Dery Kristine , Grant David
Published: August 2012

This paper applies a social constructivist lens to understand more about the ways in which technology shapes our understanding of talent management, in particular the processes of talent identification. Specifically, it examines similarities and differences in the identification of talent across a range of business units at a large professional services firm. The findings show that while objective evaluations of talent based on data and information were possible using talent‐related technology, managers had subjective and widely different understandings of what constituted talent at the organisation and how to go about identifying it. These different understandings, based on organisational context, personal attitudes, behaviours and past experiences, determined the ways in which the technology and the information it yielded was used. We conclude that the full potential of the talent‐related technology and the talent identification processes were unrealised. We discuss the implications of these findings forHRand the management of talent more generally.