bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Punishment
Authors: Philpott Daniel
Published: September 2012

This chapter analyzes in depth one particular practice of political reconciliation, punishment. It begins with a brief description of how practices of punishment have evolved since the Nuremberg Trials. It then sets forth the idea of restorative punishment, a justification for punishment that reflects the ethic of political reconciliation. The chapter gives content to restorative punishment by showing how it achieves an array of primary and secondary restorations. From the standpoint of restorative punishment, it explores examples of institutions that have sought to deliver punishment for major human rights violators.
Holy War in the Bible
Authors: Firestone Reuven
Published: September 2012

In the ancient Near East, war was prosecuted by humans in partnership with their gods, so all wars were in some sense divinely authorized. War in the Hebrew Bible likewise is authorized by the God of Israel. The Hebrew Bible thus articulates a notion of war that can be defined as holy war, and the articulation is most developed and systematized in the Deuteronomic literature. Never intended as a means to propagate the faith or gain converts, divinely commanded war in the Hebrew Bible is justified for conquest and control of the Land of Israel and the elimination of idolatry within it.
Jewish Holy War in Practice
Authors: Firestone Reuven
Published: September 2012

The military victory of the Jewish Maccabees against the idolatrous Seleucid Greeks and their Hellenised Jewish allies during the period of the Second Temple was understood by its protagonists to have been successful by virtue of divine providence. Descriptions of this are not found in the Hebrew Bible but appear in the non-canonical Books of Maccabees. The triumph of Jewish heroes against the Greeks was acknowledged by Jews as a celebration of divinely wrought military success. Josephus acknowledges God’s hand in victory, and the festival of Hanukkah originally developed a celebration of military victory. Later, however, as observed from canonical rabbinic literature, Hanukkah takes on an entirely different meaning that plays down the military aspect of the occasion it celebrates.
Holy War Fails
Authors: Firestone Reuven
Published: September 2012

With subsequent Roman domination and exploitation of Judea, Jewish leaders were divided over whether resistance should be through military means or otherwise. As is often the case in history, militant factions dominated and imposed their approach. Two great Jewish revolts in Late Antiquity were waged against Roman domination in a pattern not unlike the previously successful Maccabean wars against the Greeks. But not only did the uprising against the Romans fail to achieve their aim of independence, they resulted in the destruction of the beloved Jerusalem Temple, the deaths of tens of thousands of Jews, and the end of biblical Judaism. The result was catastrophic destruction which convinced the emerging rabbinic leadership that military valour should be discouraged and military action proscribed.
Rabbinic Responses to War's Failure
Authors: Firestone Reuven
Published: September 2012

In the wake of the Destruction rose a new class of Jewish leadership in the rabbis. This chapter discusses the emergence and dominance of Rabbinic Judaism and its sacred literature after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. The trauma of destruction encouraged the new leadership to develop a different approach toward dealing with conflicts between Jews and Gentiles.
Rabbinic Typology of War
Authors: Firestone Reuven
Published: September 2012

The rabbis developed two rabbinic instruments designed to prevent the instigation of holy war after the destruction of the Temple. One was to categorize all biblical wars into categories and then limit the possibility of extended discussion about them. The other was the discovery that God had charged certain behaviours to both Jews and Gentiles that enacted a kind of balance between them. Exegetes understood a repeated motif in the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) to refer to three vows imposed by God on Jews and the world. Jews were commanded through their two vows not to rebel against Gentile hegemony nor engage in mass movements to settle the Land of Israel until God wished, meaning that Jews would not initiate such activities of their own accord. Gentiles, for their part were required to vow that they would not treat the Jews living among them too harshly.
EXPECTATIONS, OUTCOMES, AND FAIRNESS: LESSONS FROM THE CIVIL JUSTICE REFORM ACT EVALUATION
Authors: Carroll Stephen , Doherty Joseph W.
Published: September 2012

This chapter examines how and why litigant attitudes toward the civil justice system might be changed by participation in a court case. Specifically, it tests how expectations and outcomes relate to perceptions of procedural fairness among litigants in Federal District Court. It uses the litigant and attorney surveys from the Civil Justice Reform Act Evaluation to calculate the differences between the actual monetary awards and the expected best and worst monetary awards in each case. The difference between expectations and outcomes is then compared to another survey question about the perceived fairness of the court procedures. It is hypothesized that these differences are significantly correlated with a drop in perceived fairness in the system, and that this perception is correlated with confidence in the courts.
Genomic reassortment of influenza A virus in North American swine, 1998–2011
Authors: Nelson Martha I. , Detmer Susan E. , Wentworth David E. , Tan Yi , Schwartzbard Aaron , Halpin Rebecca A. , Stockwell Timothy B. , Lin Xudong , Vincent Amy L. , Gramer Marie R. , Holmes Edward C.
Published: September 2012

Revealing the frequency and determinants of reassortment among RNA genome segments is fundamental to understanding basic aspects of the biology and evolution of the influenza virus. To estimate the extent of genomic reassortment in influenza viruses circulating in North American swine, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of 139 whole-genome viral sequences sampled during 1998–2011 and representing seven antigenically distinct viral lineages. The highest amounts of reassortment were detected between the H3 and the internal gene segments (PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M and NS), while the lowest reassortment frequencies were observed among the H1γ, H1pdm and neuraminidase segments, particularly N1. Less reassortment was observed among specific haemagglutinin–neuraminidase combinations that were more prevalent in swine, suggesting that some genome constellations may be evolutionarily more stable.
Poplar Wood Rays Are Involved in Seasonal Remodeling of Tree Physiology
Authors: Larisch Christina , Dittrich Marcus , Wildhagen Henning , Lautner Silke , Fromm Jörg , Polle Andrea , Hedrich Rainer , Rennenberg Heinz , Müller Tobias , Ache Peter
Published: September 2012

Understanding seasonality and longevity is a major challenge in tree biology. In woody species, growth phases and dormancy follow one another consecutively. In the oldest living individuals, the annual cycle may run for more than 1,000 years. So far, however, not much is known about the processes triggering reactivation from dormancy. In this study, we focused on wood rays, which are known to play an important role in tree development. The transition phase from dormancy to flowering in early spring was compared with the phase of active growth in summer. Rays from wood samples of poplar (Populus × canescens) were enriched by laser microdissection, and transcripts were monitored by poplar whole-genome microarrays. The resulting seasonally varying complex expression and metabolite patterns were subjected to pathway analyses. In February, the metabolic pathways related to flower induction were high, indicating that reactivation from dormancy was already taking place at this time of the year. In July, the pathways related to active growth, like lignin biosynthesis, nitrogen assimilation, and defense, were enriched. Based on “marker” genes identified in our pathway analyses, we were able to validate periodical changes in wood samples by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. These studies, and the resulting ray database, provide new insights into the steps underlying the seasonality of poplar trees.
Cinnamate:CoA Ligase Initiates the Biosynthesis of a Benzoate-Derived Xanthone Phytoalexin in Hypericum calycinum Cell Cultures
Authors: Gaid Mariam M. , Sircar Debabrata , Müller Andreas , Beuerle Till , Liu Benye , Ernst Ludger , Hänsch Robert , Beerhues Ludger
Published: September 2012

Although a number of plant natural products are derived from benzoic acid, the biosynthesis of this structurally simple precursor is poorly understood. Hypericum calycinum cell cultures accumulate a benzoic acid-derived xanthone phytoalexin, hyperxanthone E, in response to elicitor treatment. Using a subtracted complementary DNA (cDNA) library and sequence information about conserved coenzyme A (CoA) ligase motifs, a cDNA encoding cinnamate:CoA ligase (CNL) was isolated. This enzyme channels metabolic flux from the general phenylpropanoid pathway into benzenoid metabolism. HcCNL preferred cinnamic acid as a substrate but failed to activate benzoic acid. Enzyme activity was strictly dependent on the presence of Mg2+ and K+ at optimum concentrations of 2.5 and 100 mm, respectively. Coordinated increases in the Phe ammonia-lyase and HcCNL transcript levels preceded the accumulation of hyperxanthone E in cell cultures of H. calycinum after the addition of the elicitor. HcCNL contained a carboxyl-terminal type 1 peroxisomal targeting signal made up by the tripeptide Ser-Arg-Leu, which directed an amino-terminal reporter fusion to the peroxisomes. Masking the targeting signal by carboxyl-terminal reporter fusion led to cytoplasmic localization. A phylogenetic tree consisted of two evolutionarily distinct clusters. One cluster was formed by CoA ligases related to benzenoid metabolism, including HcCNL. The other cluster comprised 4-coumarate:CoA ligases from spermatophytes, ferns, and mosses, indicating divergence of the two clades prior to the divergence of the higher plant lineages.
Research visibility, publication patterns and output of academic librarians in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Ocholla Dennis , Ocholla Lyudmila , Bosire Onyancha Omwoyo
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This study seeks to establish and compare the research and publication patterns and output of academic librarians in Eastern Africa from 2000 to 2009 using informetric techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The study confined its scope to publications produced between 2000 and 2009. The informetric technique (through content analysis) was used as a research method. The documents that were sourced for content analysis were obtained from the LISA database, which is one of the largest abstract databases in the field of library and information science (LIS). Data were extracted using the names of the librarians obtained from various sources, including: the libraries' web sites, Europa World of Learning and Wikipedia.

Findings

The results reveal that the research visibility of academic librarians was insignificant; that publication of research findings over the period was minimal; that publications from university librarians and directors were also minimal; that most academic librarians preferred publishing individually; and that the most published authors come from Tanzania.

Originality/value

Few informetric studies focus on research output of academic librarians in Africa, and also on LIS research in the continent. Furthermore, the library profession is not well understood by many (including the academic community) because people do not appreciate how qualified librarians are, or that their promotion can be linked to research. This study raises issues that relate to the research output and research visibility of university librarians.
Acquiring market flexibility via niche portfolios
Authors: Hamlin Robert , Henry James , Cuthbert Ron
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to establish that the instability of niche markets, and their predisposition to catastrophic collapse, makes market flexibility a prerequisite for long‐term survival among niche marketers. It describes the two ways by which a niche marketer can acquire this market flexibility and demonstrates the advantages of the second of these two approaches, i.e. the development of a portfolio of separated niches.

Design/methodology/approach

An in‐depth discussion of niche instability/implosion, and how niche market flexibility can be acquired to increase the survivability of such events, provides the context for a single in‐depth case study of a company employing a systematic niche market flexibility approach. A multi‐method approach was adopted drawing on both interviews and documentary evidence.

Findings

Planning for flexibility is essential for long‐term survival as a niche marketer. Two broad approaches to achieve this exist – i.e. contingency and portfolio planning – which are not mutually exclusive. The portfolio approach offers specific advantages and examples of its successful applications exist.

Research limitations/implications

This is a single case study.

Practical implications

The article has significant implications for practice, as fragmentation of markets and globalisation of production makes niche marketing desirable/essential for many players.

Originality/value

The area of planning for flexibility using a niche portfolio marketing strategy is under‐researched at present.
Flexible business models
Authors: Mason Katy , Mouzas Stefanos
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The aim in this paper is to describe and explain the flexibility offered by different business models adopted by different firms as they strive to achieve higher levels of business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross‐sectional research is used to investigate a matched pair sample of 20 high‐performing and 20 low‐performing firms in the UK. The relationship between business model architectures and focus are examined and their implications for flexibility are illustrated and discussed.

Findings

The flexibility offered by different business models is explored through the way organisations select and integrate three inter‐related elements to devise flexible business models, i.e. network influence, transactional relationships, and corporate ownership. Affected by situated practices in each business network and the market position or business size, companies select and integrate various configurations of these elements to respond to the constantly evolving demands of end‐customers.

Research limitations/implications

Although based upon a cross‐sectional analysis of a matched pair sample, the concept of “flexible business models” has far wider managerial implications. The efficiency of the proposed approach is achieved through the reduction into three inter‐related elements that allow flexible configuration and re‐adjustment.

Practical implications

Companies can use the flexible business model approach to examine their own selection and integration of network influence, transactional relationships and corporate ownership and scrutinise their flexibility and performance in the marketplace.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is the development of the flexible business models concept, based on an empirical investigation of firms in the UK.
Additive manufacturing for archaeological reconstruction of a medieval ship
Authors: Soe Shwe P. , Eyers Daniel R. , Jones Toby , Nayling Nigel
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the suitability of additive manufacturing technologies in the reconstruction of archaeological discoveries as illustrative models. The processes of reverse engineering and part fabrication are discussed in detail, with particular emphasis placed on the difficulties of managing scaling and material characteristics for the manufacturing process.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a case‐based approach, this paper examines the reconstruction of a fifteenth‐century ship recovered from the River Usk in South Wales, UK. Using interviews and process data, the paper identifies challenges for both archaeologists and manufacturers in the application of additive manufacturing technologies for archaeological reconstruction applications.

Findings

This paper illustrates both the suitability of additive manufacturing in archaeological restoration, but also the challenges which result from this approach. It demonstrates the practical considerations of scaling process and materials, whilst also highlighting the techniques to improve accuracy and mechanical properties of the model.

Originality/value

Whilst the technologies of additive manufacturing have previously been applied to model making, little scholarly research has considered the practical techniques of design elicitation and manufacturing for archaeological applications. Using an in‐depth case study, this paper highlights the principal considerations for these applications, and provides guidance in the mitigation of manufacturing issues.
Tag‐based retrieval of images through different interfaces: a user study
Authors: Bar‐Ilan Judit , Zhitomirsky‐Geffet Maayan , Miller Yitzchak , Shoham Snunith
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the ease of use and the effectiveness of several interfaces for retrieving tagged images.

Design/methodology/approach

A number of participants were randomly assigned to one of four retrieval interfaces: tag search in a search box; faceted tag search in a search box; selecting terms from the tag cloud of all the tags in the database; and selecting concepts from an ontology created from the tags assigned to the images. Each interface was tested by 21 users.

Findings

The results show that the highest recall on average was achieved by users of the ontology interface, for seven out of the ten tasks, however, users were more satisfied with the textbox‐based search than the cloud or the ontology.

Research limitations/implications

The experiment was rather specific, and more studies are needed in order to generalize the findings.

Originality/value

With the widespread use of tagging on the web it is of importance to examine whether tagging enables resource discovery. This study shows that in addition to the tags, the retrieval interface also influences user satisfaction and retrieval success.
Leadership wisdom from the Jewish tradition models of leadership in times of crisis
Authors: Kehat Hannah
Published: September 2012

Purpose

One of the major exams of leadership skills of a leader is the challenge of managing conflicts within the organization or within society he heads. Perhaps, this is the biggest challenge especially when there is a situation of external threat on that society. In this situation when the leader who is unable to maintain internal cohesion, then the danger is that it will accelerate the breakdown in make it easier for the external enemy to destroy that society. The purpose of this paper is to explore how Jewish tradition, using formative ancient stories, tried to teach us how a leader should behave in a crisis, and how not to behave.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, the author wants to show how Jewish tradition, using formative ancient stories, tried to teach us how a leader should behave in a crisis, and how not to behave. The rabbis of the Jewish tradition, that had written the Babylonian Talmud, reviewed the defeat of the Jewish people, in 70th as a failure of the leaders. Through the stories that tried to show us the responsibility of leadership, they pointed out the weaknesses of the leaders and saw them as the main person responsible for the loss occurred, when Jerusalem fell. In contrast, other stories show us how other leaders, deserved to overcome a major crisis and come out stronger.

Findings

The author wants to show how stories reveal three models of leadership: a weak and cowardly leadership that enables the growth of terrorist leadership, extreme and dogmatic leaders against tolerant leadership, leadership of nonviolent revolution. The situations in which leadership is being tested are varied. At the time of a great crisis of society at risk, during the siege of Jerusalem, one of the stories takes place precisely in the house, between two people, with the presence of leaders, to show the social disintegration among the common people, and the failure of leaders to build a moral society.

Practical implications

The positive example of overcoming the crisis and conflict, occurs after the destruction of Jerusalem in the Beit Midrash of the survivors in Yavneh. Perhaps the trauma of destruction leads the leaders to resolve the conflict in a nonviolent way.

Originality/value

The author tried to extract from the Jewish tradition the right model for managing crisis and conflict. The sages reflected on the serious crises that had happened to the Jewish people and they claimed that the leadership was the main cause of the failure.
Attitudes toward women managers
Authors: Simmons Aneika L. , Duffy Jo Ann , Alfraih Hamed S.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine how men's perceptions of power distance (PD) and levels of social dominance orientation (SDO) interact to influence perceptions of women as managers in egalitarian and non‐egalitarian countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A team of multinational researchers distributed questionnaires composed of previously validated scales measuring SDO, PD and Attitude toward Women as Managers to US and Kuwaiti men in college. The study hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression.

Findings

It was discovered that high levels of SDO in college men was negatively related to a favorable attitude toward women as managers in both the US and Kuwait. It was also found that perceptions of PD moderated the relationship between SDO and attitudes toward women as managers in Kuwait, but not in the USA. In addition, the interaction between PD and SDO was weaker in cultures that are more egalitarian as compared to those considered to be non‐egalitarian. The findings also suggested within‐group variance in terms of PD (i.e. Kuwait).

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, they are the first to empirically support the idea that PD interacts with SDO in influencing attitudes toward women managers in a comparison of countries with different levels of gender egalitarianism.
The sense of place in the new homes of post‐Bam earthquake reconstruction
Authors: Kamani‐Fard Asal , Hamdan Ahmad Mohd , Remaz Ossen Dilshan
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the efforts of the 2003 Bam earthquake survivors and their strategy for coping with home loss. Regarding the key role of the sense of place within the recovery process following the disaster, this paper considers the characteristics of lost settings located in a desert area while searching for the factors that made an impact on householders' perception of newly built houses.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the field survey, a group of 186 households were selected by the probability sampling method. Accordingly, the random selection of residents was organized within the three defined zones of the city that had experienced different degrees of building damages. Data were collected using a face‐to‐face communication approach with the target group of owners of self‐built houses.

Findings

The findings indicate that households tend to arrange the new settings on the basis of their perceptions of home place as well as the experience of loss during the quake. It also confirms that owners' participation in housing reconstruction process within setting arrangement has a significant positive impact on their attitude toward newly built homes.

Originality/value

Due to the widespread incidence of natural disasters and in the light of the key role of home place in the existence of human beings and their recovery process, the opportunity for local participation in new housing is highlighted as a means to overcome the challenges faced.
Cord blood C‐peptide levels relate to the metabolic profile of women with and without gestational diabetes
Authors: DUBÉ MARIE‐CHRISTINE , MORISSET ANNE‐SOPHIE , TCHERNOF ANDRÉ , WEISNAGEL S. JOHN
Published: September 2012

Plasma C‐peptide reflects the insulin‐secretory activity of pancreatic β‐cells which modulates fetal growth. Cord blood C‐peptide levels were measured in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and in women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Forty‐one women underwent a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test (18 GDM, 23 NGT). Cord blood C‐peptide (p = 0.09) and glucose levels (p = 0.08) from newborns of GDM women tended to be higher than those from NGT women. In the entire group, cord blood C‐peptide correlated with maternal insulin, fasting C‐peptide, insulin sensitivity, interleukin‐6, weight and body mass index measured at screening (ρ from 0.34 to 0.48, all p < 0.05) and tended to correlate with offspring weight (ρ = 0.28, p = 0.08). Newborns of GDM women tended to have elevated cord blood C‐peptide which correlated with maternal insulin, insulin sensitivity and anthropometric measures at diagnosis and with offspring characteristics. This suggests that insulin‐secretory activity of the newborn is related to maternal metabolic parameters.
Substandard care in delivery‐related asphyxia among term infants: prospective cohort study
Authors: EVERS ANNEMIEKE C. C. , BROUWERS HENS A. A. , NIKKELS PETER G. J. , BOON JANINE , VAN EGMOND‐LINDEN ANNEKE , GROENENDAAL FLORIS , HART CLAARTJE , HILLEGERSBERG JACQUELINE , SNUIF YVETTE S. , STERKEN‐HOOISMA SIETSKE , BISSCHOP CHARLOTTE N. STEINS , WESTERHUIS MICHELLE E. M. H. , BRUINSE HEIN W. , KWEE ANNEKE
Published: September 2012

Objective. To assess substandard care factors in the case of delivery‐related asphyxia. Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Catchment area of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University Medical Center Utrecht; a region in the middle of the Netherlands covering 13% of the Dutch population. Population. Term infants, without congenital malformations, who died intrapartum or were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to asphyxia. Methods. During a two‐year period, cases were prospectively collected and audited by an expert panel. Main outcome measures. Substandard care factors. Results. 37 735 term infants without congenital malformations were born. There were 19 intrapartum deaths, and 89 NICU admissions of which 12 neonates died. In 63 (58%) cases a substandard care factor was identified that was possibly (n= 47, 43%) or probably (n= 16, 15%) related to perinatal death or NICU admission. In primary care, substandard care factors were mainly the low frequency of examination during labor and delay in referral to secondary care. In secondary care, misinterpretation of cardiotocography and failure to respond adequately to clinical signs of fetal distress were the most common substandard care factors. Conclusions. Substandard care is present in a substantial number of cases with delivery‐related asphyxia resulting in perinatal death or NICU admission. Improving the organization of obstetric care in the Netherlands as well as training of obstetric caregivers might reduce adverse outcomes.
The rising incidence of eosinophilic oesophagitis is associated with increasing biopsy rates: a population‐based study
Authors: Syed A. A. N. , Andrews C. N. , Shaffer E. , Urbanski S. J. , Beck P. , Storr M.
Published: September 2012

Background

Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) has evolved from a supposedly rare entity to one whose incidence rates are approaching that of inflammatory bowel disease. The factors responsible for this apparent increase in the incidence remain obscure.

Aim

To assess various endoscopist and pathologist factors that might affect the frequency of EoE being detected in a well‐defined North American population.

Hypothesis

Increased endoscopist and pathologist awareness has contributed to the increased clinical recognition of EoE.

Methods

Cases of EoE were identified systematically using population‐based pathology and endoscopy databases from January 2004 to December 2008 in Calgary, Canada (population 1.25 million). EoE frequency was estimated with time trend analysis. Characteristics of individual endoscopists (n = 45) were compared with diagnostic rates.

Results

Crude population incidence of EoE increased from 2.1 per 105 in 2004 to 11.0 per 105 in 2008: an annual increase of 39% (P < 0.0001). The frequency in men was 4.5 times higher than in women (95% CI: 3.51–5.76). In patients presenting with dysphagia oesophageal biopsy rates increased from 17.0% in 2004 to 41.3% of EGDs in 2008: an annual rise of 26% (P < 0.0001). On multivariate regression analysis, those endoscopists with higher biopsy rates were more likely to make the diagnosis of EoE (P = 0.008). To include or exclude the diagnosis, typical histological features of EoE were reported more often by pathologists in 2008 as compared to 2004 (P = 0.01 & P < 0.0001 respectively).

Conclusions

The incidence of eosinophilic oesophagitis continues to rise in the general population, in part due to increasing oesophageal biopsy rates and a more detailed histological evaluation of specimens. The biopsy rate of an endoscopist is an indicator for a higher diagnostic yield.
Clinical evaluation of a dioic acid‐based formulation on facial skin in an Indian population
Authors: Merinville E. , Byrne A. J. , Visdal‐Johnsen L. , Bouvry G. , Gillbro J. M. , Rawlings A. V. , Laloeuf A.
Published: September 2012

Synopsis

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of 1,18‐octadecen‐9‐dioic acid (dioic acid) and a Rumex occidentalis extract complex for their skin‐lightening action in an Indian population. Prior to the clinical study, the efficacy of dioic as an inhibitor of melanogenesis was confirmed on dark‐pigmented human melanocytes. As part of a 12‐week vehicle‐controlled clinical study, the skin‐lightening effect of a test product containing 1% dioic acid, 2% of a Rumex occidentalis extract and sunscreens (SPF 15) was assessed on the facial skin of 71 Indian female volunteers. Change in skin colour was monitored by (A) Chroma Meter® measurement (L*, a*, b*) and Individual Typology Angle (ITA˚) calculation and (B) Visual grading of standardized photographs by a dermatologist. Colorimetric measurements on volunteers' cheeks showed a significant increase of L* and ITA˚ compared to baseline after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of test product application. For both L* and ITA˚ measurements, changes were significantly different than the SPF 15‐containing vehicle at weeks 4 and 12. These results were confirmed by the dermatological visual grading. The overall skin‐lightening action of the test product was beyond the one observed with the SPF 15 vehicle. These findings show that a dioic acid and Rumex occidentalis complex deliver a significant skin‐lightening effect on facial skin in an Indian population.
Ontogenetic dietary shifts and feeding ecology of the rasptail skate Raja velezi and the brown smoothhound shark Mustelus henlei along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Central America
Authors: Espinoza M. , Clarke T. M. , Villalobos‐Rojas F. , Wehrtmann I. S.
Published: September 2012

Stomachs from 511 Raja velezi and 340 Mustelus henlei captured as by‐catch in the commercial trawling fishery (2010–2012) were analysed to examine diet composition, ontogenetic shifts and degree of dietary overlap between species life stages in the Pacific Ocean of Costa Rica. Shrimps were the most important prey categories in the diet of R. velezi, while teleosts and cephalopods dominated the diet of M. henlei. Diet comparisons between different stages of R. velezi and M. henlei revealed clear ontogenetic dietary shifts: crustaceans (mainly shrimps, crabs and stomatopods) dominated the diet of immature individuals, and adults had a higher proportion of teleosts. The results suggest that R. velezi is an epibenthic predator that specializes in shrimps during early life stages, and to a lesser extent, teleosts as it matures, while M. henlei is an opportunistic predator with a highly diverse diet consisting of teleosts, cephalopods, shrimps and stomatopods. This study also found little evidence of dietary overlap between species or life stages and suggests that intra‐ and interspecific competition between R. velezi and M. henlei may be reduced by: (1) diet specialization in immature stages of R. velezi, (2) ontogenetic dietary shifts between immature and mature individuals, (3) prey‐size selectivity in larger individuals of R. velezi and (4) differences in depth utilization in overlapping geographical regions.
Identification of a novel HLA‐A allele HLA‐A*02:227N
Authors: Wang L. , Zhang Z. X. , Shan X. Y. , Liu N. , Ni L.
Published: September 2012

The HLA‐A*02:227N allele differs from the closest matching allele A*02:01:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution in exon 3 at nt 610 (C→T).
Amazon forest carbon dynamics predicted by profiles of canopy leaf area and light environment
Authors: Stark Scott C. , Leitold Veronika , Wu Jin L. , Hunter Maria O. , de Castilho Carolina V. , Costa Flávia R. C. , McMahon Sean M. , Parker Geoffrey G. , Shimabukuro Mônica Takako , Lefsky Michael A. , Keller Michael , Alves Luciana F. , Schietti Juliana , Shimabukuro Yosio Edemir , Brandão Diego O. , Woodcock Tara K. , Higuchi Niro , de Camargo Plinio B. , de Oliveira Raimundo C. , Saleska Scott R.
Published: September 2012

Tropical forest structural variation across heterogeneous landscapes may control above‐ground carbon dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that canopy structure (leaf area and light availability) – remotely estimated from LiDAR – control variation in above‐ground coarse wood production (biomass growth). Using a statistical model, these factors predicted biomass growth across tree size classes in forest near Manaus, Brazil. The same statistical model, with no parameterisation change but driven by different observed canopy structure, predicted the higher productivity of a site 500 km east. Gap fraction and a metric of vegetation vertical extent and evenness also predicted biomass gains and losses for one‐hectare plots. Despite significant site differences in canopy structure and carbon dynamics, the relation between biomass growth and light fell on a unifying curve. This supported our hypothesis, suggesting that knowledge of canopy structure can explain variation in biomass growth over tropical landscapes and improve understanding of ecosystem function.
Prevalence of Scientific Misconduct Among a Group of Researchers in Nigeria
Authors: Okonta Patrick , Rossouw Theresa
Published: September 2012

Background

There is a dearth of information on the prevalence of scientific misconduct from Nigeria.

Objectives

This study aimed at determining the prevalence of scientific misconduct in a group of researchers in Nigeria. Factors associated with the prevalence were ascertained.

Method

A descriptive study of researchers who attended a scientific conference in 2010 was conducted using the adapted Scientific Misconduct Questionnaire‐Revised (SMQ‐R).

Results

Ninety‐one researchers (68.9%) admitted having committed at least one of the eight listed forms of scientific misconduct. Disagreement about authorship was the most common form of misconduct committed (36.4%) while plagiarism was the least (9.2%). About 42% of researchers had committed falsification of data or plagiarism. Analysis of specific acts of misconduct showed that committing plagiarism was inversely associated with years in research (Fisher exact p‐value = 0.02); falsifying data was related to perceived low effectiveness of the institution's rules and procedures for reducing scientific misconduct (X2 = 6.44, p‐value = 0.01); and succumbing to pressure from study sponsor to engage in unethical practice was related to sex of researcher (Fisher exact p‐value = 0.02).

Conclusions

The emergent data from this study is a cause for serious concern and calls for prompt intervention. The best response to reducing scientific misconduct will proceed from measures that contain both elements of prevention and enforcement. Training on research ethics has to be integrated into the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate students while provision should be made for in‐service training of researchers. Penalties against acts of scientific misconduct should be enforced at institutional and national levels.
A Historical Analysis of the Taylor Curve
Authors: OLSON ERIC , ENDERS WALTER
Published: September 2012

Taylor (1979) shows that there is a permanent trade‐off between the volatilities of the output gap and inflation. Although a number of papers argue that the so‐called Taylor curve is a policy menu, we use it as an efficiency locus to gauge the appropriateness of monetary policy. We examine the efficiency of U.S. monetary policy from 1875 onward by measuring the orthogonal distance between the observed volatilities of the output gap and inflation from the Taylor curve. We also identify time periods in which the variability of the U.S. economy changed by observing shifts in this efficiency frontier.
Spouses' Cortisol Associations and Moderators: Testing Physiological Synchrony and Connectedness in Everyday Life
Authors: Papp Lauren M. , Pendry Patricia , Simon Clarissa D. , Adam Emma K.
Published: September 2012

In this study, associations were examined between cortisol levels of wives and husbands in 47 heterosexual married couples. Both partners' salivary cortisol levels were measured at the same moments seven times a day on 2 typical weekdays. After accounting for the effects of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol and relevant control variables, dyadic hierarchical linear modeling indicated significant positive linkages between partners' cortisol levels, consistent with the hypothesized within‐couple physiological synchrony. Variables reflecting more (spousal presence) or less connectedness (loneliness, being alone) were also collected at the time of each cortisol sample. Results indicated that husbands' cortisol levels were higher at moments they reported feeling lonelier and lower at moments they were in the presence of their spouse. Wives' cortisol levels were higher at moments they were alone. In addition, wife–husband cortisol synchrony was stronger for husbands who spent relatively more time with their spouse across the study period—even after accounting for time spent with others in general. These findings suggest that marital partners evidence positive within‐couple cortisol associations, and that connectedness (particularly physical closeness) may underpin spouses' physiological synchrony.
Beyond Acculturation: An Investigation of the Relationship of Familism and Parenting to Behavior Problems in Hispanic Youth
Authors: Santisteban Daniel A. , Coatsworth J. Douglas , Briones Ervin , Kurtines William , Szapocznik Jose
Published: September 2012

In the adolescent research literature, acculturation processes have been linked to the development of serious behavior problems in Hispanic adolescents, but not enough is known about how that process takes place. This article reports an investigation that sought to shed light on empirically plausible mechanisms by which family processes (i.e., familism and parenting practices) may operate as mediators of acculturation‐related factors on adolescent problem behaviors among 167 Hispanic sixth‐ or seventh‐grade early adolescents. SEM analyses identified an empirically plausible mediated pathway through which parenting practices may operate as a mediator of the effects of acculturation‐related variables on adolescent problem behaviors. Second, although the role of familism as a mediator was not supported, the results did provide support for familism having indirect effects on behavior problems also through parenting practices. The findings are discussed in the context of existing research and clinical developments in the treatment of Hispanic adolescents and families.
Couple Relationship Education at the Transition to Parenthood: A Window of Opportunity to Reach High‐Risk Couples
Authors: Petch Jemima , Halford W. Kim , Creedy Debra K. , Gamble Jenny
Published: September 2012

This study evaluated if the transition to parenthood is a window of opportunity to provide couple relationship education (CRE) to new parents at high risk for future relationship problems. Fifty‐three percent of eligible couples approached agreed to participate in CRE and of these 80% had not previously accessed CRE. Couples were a broad representative of Australian couples having their first child, but minority couples were underrepresented. A third of couples had three or more risk factors for future relationship distress (e.g., cohabiting, interpartner violence, elevated psychological distress, unplanned pregnancy). Low education was the only risk factor that predicted drop out. The transition to parenthood is a window of opportunity to recruit certain types of high‐risk couples to CRE.
The Brief Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Engagement (BARE) Scale: A Tool for Measuring Attachment Behavior in Couple Relationships
Authors: Sandberg Jonathan G. , Busby Dean M. , Johnson Susan M. , Yoshida Keitaro
Published: September 2012

This article describes the purpose, reliability, validity, and potential clinical applications of the Brief Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Engagement (BARE) scale. In addition to focusing on the central attachment behaviors of accessibility and responsiveness, this instrument highlights the key role of engagement in couple bonding. The BARE is a short, systemic, self‐report measure of attachment behaviors in couple relationships. Both classical testing theory and Item Response Theory were used to test the psychometric properties of the instrument. The BARE demonstrated appropriate reliability and validity while maintaining its brevity and potential usefulness for clinicians and researchers. The BARE also accurately predicted the key relationship outcomes of stability and satisfaction. The data for this study were collected from the RELATE assessment (see www.relate-institute.org).
Bacterial Degradation of Risperidone and Paliperidone in Decomposing Blood
Authors: Butzbach Danielle M. , Stockham Peter C. , Kobus Hilton J. , Noel Sims D. , Byard Roger W. , Lokan Robert J. , Stewart Walker George
Published: September 2012

The stability of two benzisoxazole antipsychotics was determined in vitro in decomposing porcine blood inoculated with bacteria, utilizing a high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection method for drug quantitation. Stability experiments for risperidone and paliperidone were conducted at 7, 20 and 37°C for 4 days using sterile and bacterially inoculated porcine blood. The drugs were stable in sterile blood at each temperature and in inoculated blood at 7°C, but degraded significantly in inoculated blood at 20 and 37°C. Complete loss occurred within 2 days when incubated at 37°C. The benzisoxazole‐cleaved degradation products for both drugs were identified as 2‐hydroxybenzoyl‐risperidone and 2‐hydroxybenzoyl‐paliperidone utilizing liquid chromatography quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and accurate mass measurements. The degradation products have been found in postmortem case studies, including one case where risperidone and paliperidone were not detected, indicating complete conversion can occur in situ.
Rouviere's sulcus: Review of an anatomical landmark to prevent common bile duct injury
Authors: Galketiya Kamal P. , Beardsley Christian J. , Gananadha Sivakumar , Hardman David T.
Published: September 2012

Aim

To review the use of Rouviere's sulcus as an anatomical guard during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Patients and Methods

Anatomical review, not directly involving patients. A review of major anatomical texts, surgical texts and the pubmed database was conducted for all texts or articles pertaining to Rouviere's sulcus.

Results

The use of Rouviere's sulcus during laparoscopic cholecystectomy results in an additional anatomic guard against biliary tract injury, however proper anatomical exposure is required to maximize the utility of this landmark.

Conclusion

When combined with other anatomical guards, Rouviere's sulcus is a useful adjunct in the prevention of biliary tract injury.
Experimentalist governance in the EU: The emperor's new clothes?
Authors: Börzel Tanja A.
Published: September 2012

Most students of the EU agree by now that it is best described as a governance system. There is far less consensus on what kind of governance the EU actually features: modern, postmodern, network, cooperative, innovative or simply new? Sabel and Zeitlin have advanced yet another concept. This paper discusses the added value of their “experimentalist governance” (EG), as presented in an edited volume published in 2010, for understanding and explaining the nature of EU policymaking, addressing four questions: First, to what extent is EG distinct from existing concepts of governance? Second, how pervasive is EG in the EU when compared to alternative forms of governance? Third, what is the effect of EG on EU policy outcomes, on the one hand, and the overall architecture of the EU, on the other? Finally, does EG solve or exacerbate the EU's democratic deficit?
Safety and efficacy of 0.6 mg/kg rt‐PA: optimum rt‐PA dose revisited
Authors: Mori Etsuro
Published: September 2012

Although the internationally recommended dosage of alteplase, a single‐chain rt‐PA, is 0.9 mg/kg, 0.6 mg/kg is the only approved dosage in Japan, and it is widely used there. Duteplase is a two‐chain rt‐PA, and based on findings of the duteplase trials in the early 1990s, the smaller dosage of 0.6 mg/kg of alteplase was tested in the Japan Alteplase Clinical Trial (J‐ACT), which indicated that the efficacy/safety profile of this dose was comparable to the 0.9 mg/kg dosage used in other countries. The Japan Alteplase Clinical Trial II (J‐ACT II) further demonstrated efficacy of 0.6 mg/kg alteplase with regard to vascular outcomes in patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Finally, the Japan post‐Marketing Alteplase Registration Study (J‐MARS) confirmed the efficacy/safety profile of 0.6 mg/kg alteplase in a clinical setting that was comparable to the dose of 0.9 mg/kg in the European counterpart, the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke‐Monitoring Study (SITS‐MOST). The dose of 0.6 mg/kg seems to be optimal, at least in far‐east Asians, and might be extrapolated to other ethnic groups as well.
Cyromazine resistance detected in Australian sheep blowfly
Authors: Levot GW
Published: September 2012

Objective

To investigate the cause of cyromazine failure to protect lambs from flystrike.

Methods

Lucilia cuprina larvae from a Nimmitabel (New South Wales) population associated with failure of a cyromazine spray‐on to protect lambs from flystrike were compared with larvae from a susceptible field strain and a reference susceptible laboratory strain in laboratory bioassays. Batches of neonate blowfly larvae were transferred onto homogenised bovine liver containing varying concentrations of cyromazine or dicyclanil and the numbers of larvae pupating and completing development were recorded.

Results

Based on the ability of larvae to complete development on liver homogenate containing 1 mg/kg cyromazine, the phenotypic frequency of resistance in the Nimmitabel population was estimated to be approximately 4%. Compared with a susceptible field strain, the Nimmitabel population was 3‐fold more resistant to cyromazine and twice as resistant to dicyclanil at the LC95 level (lethal concentration killing 95% of larvae). In the laboratory, the Nimmitabel strain responded to sequential exposure of larvae to food containing cyromazine by becoming more resistant. Resistance to cyromazine was incompletely dominant, giving resistant larvae a survival advantage over susceptible types over a relatively narrow range of cyromazine concentrations.

Conclusion

Cyromazine resistance was detected in a field population of L. cuprina. Low‐level cross‐resistance to dicyclanil was also confirmed. Until more is known about the resistance, the prudent recommendation to control flystrike by this blowfly population is topical treatment with ivermectin.