bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Rapid Diagnostic Tests to Optimize Antimicrobial Selection in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs
Authors: Goff Debra A. , Jankowski Christopher , Tenover Fred C.
Published: September 2012

New advances in rapid diagnostic tests provide several collaborative opportunities for stewardship teams, particularly in processes where delay in the initiation of appropriate therapy has significant consequences for patient outcomes. Rapid molecular tests enhance one of the key functions of microbiology laboratories, which is to produce accurate organism identification and timely antimicrobial susceptibility testing data. These data are used to guide the choice of antimicrobial agents for treating infections in individual patients, and the aggregate data (i.e., hospital's antibiogram) are used to guide empiric therapy for infections before the availability of the patient's culture results and antimicrobial susceptibility testing data. In addition, accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing data are critical for the overall success of a health care institution's antimicrobial stewardship program. Tests that provide accurate organism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility not only benefit the individual patient but also increase the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship programs. This review focuses on the use of molecular diagnostic methods to rapidly identify Staphylococcus species, Enterococcus faecalis,Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Clostridium difficile, and Candida species from clinical samples and summarizes studies that describe the application of rapid diagnostic tests in antimicrobial stewardship programs.
Challenges in the Management of Acute Postsurgical Pain
Authors: Oderda Gary
Published: September 2012

The majority of patients who undergo surgery will require drug therapy for the management of acute postsurgical pain. Effective control of acute postsurgical pain is essential for the patient not only in the short term but also in the long term to prevent the development of chronic pain, which can occur if early acute pain is prolonged. Currently, opioid analgesics are widely used for the management of acute postsurgical pain. Although opioids provide effective postsurgical pain relief, their use is associated with a number of risks, including the development of opioid‐related adverse drug events (ORADEs). This review investigates the prevalence of opioid use in the postsurgical setting, the incidence of ORADEs, and the impact of these ORADEs on patient outcomes, length of stay, and costs after common surgeries. According to a national analysis of ORADE incidence, almost 20% of patients treated with opioids experienced an ORADE, with the most common being gastrointestinal effects, central nervous system effects, pruritus, or urinary retention. Studies show that the risk of developing an ORADE is higher in patients receiving higher doses of opioids and in patients undergoing orthopedic or gynecologic surgery compared with patients undergoing general surgery. Elderly patients and those with comorbidities (e.g., obesity, sleep apnea, respiratory disease, urinary disorders) may be particularly vulnerable to ORADE development. Both hospital costs and length of stay are increased in patients with an ORADE versus those without an ORADE. Strategies to reduce the use of opioids after surgery are likely to result in positive outcomes by reducing the incidence of ORADEs and, as a result, reducing treatment costs associated with surgery and improving patient care.
Vibrational spectroscopy of self‐assembling aromatic peptide derivates
Authors: Nuansing Wiwat , Rebollo Amaia , Mercero Jose Maria , Zuñiga Javier , Bittner Alexander Michael
Published: September 2012

Peptides can assemble to supramolecular structures, of which fibers are of special biochemical and medical relevance. We employed Raman and infrared spectroscopy to elucidate the chemical integrity of fibers built from peptides and peptide derivates that contain the aromatic side groups fluorenyl and phenyl. Because the observed spectra compare very well with simulation results of the respective single molecules in vacuum, we were able to assign all observed vibrations. We found the main differences between solid phase and single molecule for O‐H and N‐H stretching and bending vibrations, owing to hydrogen bonding in solids. The fluorenyl and phenyl residues cause π‐stacking of the molecules, which barely manifests in the spectra, but clearly in the structures. Whereas hydrogen bonds provide the principal stability of the fiber backbone, aromatic π‐stacking supports the assembly to fibers, especially when electrospinning assists the molecular alignment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Überraschende Vielfalt
Authors: Haller Heike , Riedel Sebastian
Published: September 2012

Abgesehen von den vielerforschten Polyiodiden sind Polyhalogenide weitgehend Terra incognita. Dabei hält das Gebiet viele aufregende Entdeckungen bereit. Die mögliche Anwendung in Farbstoffsolarzellen oder Batterien sollte ein Ansporn für die weitere Erforschung solcher Anionen sein.
Changing government policy and its implications for nonprofit management education
Authors: Rathgeb Smith Steven
Published: September 2012

Nonprofit management education and training programs have grown tremendously in the past twenty years, especially in graduate schools of public administration and policy. This growth reflects in part the sharp increase in the number of nonprofit organizations as well as important changes in public policy, such as greater emphasis on performance and accountability, shifts in government funding, and increased competition for public resources. These changes in public policy have also prompted an increase in hybrid organizations, including new partnerships, collaborations, and coalitions involving nonprofit organizations. This transformation of public policy and its effect on nonprofit organizations needs an integrated approach to nonprofit management education that entails the inclusion of nonprofit management content in the required curriculum of graduate public management programs. Given the changes in public policy and their impact on nonprofit organizations, new governance models are also needed to inform research, practice, and curricular development for nonprofit managers.
Dexrazoxane use in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic or myeloid leukemia from 1999 and 2009: Analysis of a national cohort of patients in the pediatric health information systems database
Authors: Walker Dana M. , Fisher Brian T. , Seif Alix E. , Huang Yuan‐Shung V. , Torp Kari , Li Yimei , Aplenc Richard
Published: September 2012

Background

Acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and myeloid leukemia (AML) account for approximately 26% of pediatric cancers. Anthracyclines are widely used to treat these leukemias, but dosing is limited by cardiotoxicity. Data support the efficacy of dexrazoxane as a cardioprotectant in children; however, dexrazoxane use in children is not universally accepted due to concerns about toxicity, impact on the antitumor effect of anthracyclines, and risk of secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN).

Procedure

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to describe patterns of dexrazoxane use in pediatric patients with ALL or AML using the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) database. Patients identified as having de novo ALL and AML at these PHIS hospitals were included.

Results

Of 8,733 patients with ALL and 2,556 with AML, 207 (2.4%) and 52 (2.0%) received dexrazoxane, respectively. Dexrazoxane use was greater in older children with ALL and AML and in black patients and males with ALL. Dexrazoxane use varied across time and by region in ALL, but not in AML. Prescribing practices differed across institutions and most patients received the first dose early or late after the start of leukemia treatment.

Conclusions

Dexrazoxane administration is limited in patients with ALL and AML and prescribing practices vary across the country. Further work is necessary to understand how dexrazoxane is used in patients at highest risk of developing cardiotoxicity and to define its true effect on the development of SMNs. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 616–620. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On Pharmacogenomics in Pharmacy Benefit Management
Authors: Russell Teagarden J. , Stanek Eric J.
Published: September 2012

Recently, the separate trajectories of pharmacy benefit management and pharmacogenomics converged. Pharmacogenomic tests have become more widely available for clinical use and at costs within the range of typical health care services. Pharmacy benefit payers continue to seek the precision they can apply to their coverage policies and clinical programs that pharmacogenomics offers. We describe how pharmacogenomics can now make sense as part of a pharmacy benefit and also how pharmacogenomics can be applied in a benefit coverage policy and clinical programs. Detail is provided on clinical program development and implementation processes featuring pharmacogenomics. We also discuss the research needed to support ongoing program development involving pharmacogenomics and describe the current roles of benefit payers and administrators in these research efforts. The legal and ethical dimensions of applying pharmacogenomics in pharmacy benefits are covered and in particular how benefit payers and administrators need to navigate between genetic exceptionalism and applicable laws and regulations. Finally, some thoughts are provided on future opportunities and challenges for pharmacogenomics in pharmacy benefit management and pharmacy in general.
Economic Analysis of Alvimopan for Prevention and Management of Postoperative Ileus
Authors: Touchette Daniel R. , Yang Yoojung , Tiryaki Funda , Galanter William L.
Published: September 2012

Study Objective

To determine whether alvimopan for prevention of postoperative ileus in patients undergoing small‐ or large‐bowel resection by laparotomy is associated with lower total costs compared with standard care.

Design

Pharmacoeconomic analysis using a formal decision model.

Data Source

Four phase III clinical trials, two pooled analyses, and one meta‐analysis.

Patient Population

A cohort of patients who underwent bowel resection with primary anastomosis by laparotomy and received either standardized, accelerated postoperative care (usual care) or usual care plus alvimopan.

Measurements and Main Results

Clinical outcomes, obtained from pooled analyses of published studies, were time to discharge order written, postoperative nasogastric tube insertion, postoperative ileus‐related readmission within 7 days, and occurrence of nausea and vomiting. Cost inputs included drugs, nursing labor, readmissions, and hospitalizations. Costs were assessed by determining the net cost of alvimopan use and subsequent reduction in length of stay. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were conducted. Costs for alvimopan were $570 based on an average of 9.5 doses. Given the 18.4‐hour mean reduction in time to discharge order written, use of alvimopan reduced hospitalization costs by $2021. Mean difference in overall cost of care, as determined by Monte Carlo simulation, was $1168 (95% certainty interval −$437 to $5879), favoring the use of alvimopan. In the sensitivity analysis, association of alvimopan with lower costs was robust to several changes in key parameters including cost and number of doses of alvimopan, time to discharge order written, readmission rates, and hospitalization cost. In the scenario analyses, alvimopan use yielded a net cost of $226 when no difference in time to discharge order written was assumed. In the scenario analysis using data from a study that did not enforce opioid use, alvimopan resulted in a cost saving of $65/patient.

Conclusion

Alvimopan was cost saving for prevention of postoperative ileus in patients undergoing bowel resection by laparotomy, although these potential cost savings were highly dependent on a difference in time to discharge order written. This finding is not applicable to the less‐invasive laparoscopic surgical approach for which quality data on alvimopan use are lacking. Limitations of this analysis included use of time to discharge order written as a proxy for length of stay and difficulty interpreting study results due to inconsistent reporting and conduct of the clinical trials evaluating alvimopan. More research is needed to determine the cost‐effectiveness of alvimopan.
Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity of novel modified poly[(maleic anhydride)‐ co‐(vinyl acetate)]/noradrenaline conjugate
Authors: Karakus Gulderen , Polat Zubeyde Akin , Yenidunya Ali Fazil , Zengin Haci Bayram , Karakus Can Bulent
Published: September 2012

Poly[(maleic anhydride)‐co‐(vinyl acetate)] (MAVA) copolymer was synthesized by free radical polymerization reaction, in methyl ethyl ketone at 80 °C, using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The copolymer was then modified with a biomolecule, noradrenaline (NA). The modification reaction was performed at 70 °C in dimethylformamide containing triethylamine as the catalyst. The modified polymer was named MAVA/NA. Structural characterization of the copolymer and the modified product was carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The FTIR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra confirmed that NA was successfully covalently bound to the MAVA copolymer backbone. Surface morphology was visualized by atomic force microscopy. The cumulative release of NA from MAVA/NA was determined in phosphate buffered saline solution for 7 days at 37 °C and compared with MAVA. Cytotoxicity of the MAVA/NA was evaluated by using a mouse fibroblast cell line (L929). Results obtained indicated that MAVA/NA had almost no toxicity and no negative effect on cell viability at 250 µg mL−1 concentration. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
T‐RFLP Fingerprinting Analysis of Bacterial Communities in Debris Cones, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica
Authors: Abramovich Reut Sorek , Pomati Francesco , Jungblut Anne D. , Guglielmin Mauro , Neilan Brett A.
Published: September 2012

The debris cones known as Amorphous Glacier and Boulder Clay are located in an ice‐free region in Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, and differ in their isotopic composition, mechanisms of ice distribution, geological formation and age. However, to date it is not known if bacterial community profiles within ice and permafrost can be established for these environments, and then whether glaciological differences between the two areas would be reflected in the bacterial community composition. In order to gather first evidence for the bacterial communities in these glacial zones, we carried out terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis on the 16S rRNA gene using a universal bacterial amplification protocol on two permafrost cores. The DNA yields from ice‐core samples ranged from 0.29 ng μL‐1 in Amorphous Glacier to 88 ng μL‐1 in Boulder Clay. Bray‐Curtis cluster analysis suggested Boulder Clay bacterial profiles were similar to each other, but cluster separately from the Amorphous Glacier bacterial profile. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of AZ91D Granules Covered with a Flux during In‐Situ Melting
Authors: Jafari Hassan , Idris Mohd Hasbullah , Ourdjini Ali , Farahany Saeed , Kadir Mohammed Rafiq Abdul
Published: September 2012

Oxidation and melting behaviors of AZ91D granules throughout the in‐situ melting process using flux were investigated. The granules were heated under unprotected environment at four different temperatures between 650 and 800 °C, for the durations of 30 and 60 min. The products of heating process were characterized macroscopically and the oxides formed on the granules were examined using field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. Thermal analysis was used to reveal the response of the granules to heating during the in‐situ melting. The results showed that the granules experienced severe oxidation even in the presence of the flux, and significant amount of them changed to a powdered state due to oxidation and combustion, especially at 800 °C. It was discovered that the granules melted during heating; however, oxides formed on their surface encapsulated the molten metal and prevented the liquids from merging. The results also revealed that increasing heating temperature and time enhanced mold‐magnesium reaction resulted in the entrance of mold materials into the oxidation residues.
The cost of integrating external technologies: Supply and demand drivers of value creation in the markets for technology
Authors: Ceccagnoli Marco , Jiang Lin
Published: September 2012

A classic question faced by technology suppliers and buyers is whether to compete in the product markets or to cooperate through licensing. We address this question by examining an important, demand‐side barrier to licensing—the buyers' cost of integrating a licensed technology. We argue that this cost can be affected by suppliers' knowledge transfer capabilities, buyers' absorptive capacity, and the cospecialization between R&D and downstream activities in the buyers' industries. Following this argument and a stylized bargaining model, we hypothesize that the supplier's knowledge transfer capability stimulates licensing. Moreover, the importance of this capability increases when licensing to industries where potential buyers have weak absorptive capacity or R&D and downstream activities are cospecialized. We find support for our hypotheses using a panel dataset of small ‘serial innovators.’ Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coupled Simulation of Seismic Wave Propagation and Failure Phenomena by Use of an MPS Method
Authors: Takekawa Junichi , Mikada Hitoshi , Goto Tada-nori , Sanada Yoshinori , Ashida Yuzuru
Published: September 2012

The failure of brittle materials, for example glasses and rock masses, is commonly observed to be discontinuous. It is, however, difficult to simulate these phenomena by use of conventional numerical simulation methods, for example the finite difference method or the finite element method, because of the presence of computational grids or elements artificially introduced before the simulation. It is, therefore, important for research on such discontinuous failures in science and engineering to analyze the phenomena seamlessly. This study deals with the coupled simulation of elastic wave propagation and failure phenomena by use of a moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method. It is simple to model the objects of analysis because no grid or lattice structure is necessary. In addition, lack of a grid or lattice structure makes it simple to simulate large deformations and failure phenomena at the same time. We first compare analytical and MPS solutions by use of Lamb’s problem with different offset distances, material properties, and source frequencies. Our results show that analytical and numerical seismograms are in good agreement with each other for 20 particles in a minimum wavelength. Finally, we focus our attention on the Hopkinson effect as an example of failure induced by elastic wave propagation. In the application of the MPS, the algorithm is basically the same as in the previous calculation except for the introduction of a failure criterion. The failure criterion applied in this study is that particle connectivity must be disconnected when the distance between the particles exceeds a failure threshold. We applied the developed algorithm to a suspended specimen that was modeled as a long bar consisting of thousands of particles. A compressional wave in the bar is generated by an abrupt pressure change on one edge. The compressional wave propagates along the interior of the specimen and is visualized clearly. At the other end of the bar, the spalling of the bar is reproduced numerically, and a broken piece of the bar is formed and falls away from the main body of the bar. Consequently, these results show that the MPS method effectively reproduces wave propagation and failure phenomena at the same time.
Role of 18F‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Predicting the Pathologic Response to Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy in Patients With Resectable T3 Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Kittaka Hirotada , Takahashi Hidenori , Ohigashi Hiroaki , Gotoh Kunihito , Yamada Terumasa , Tomita Yasuhiko , Hasegawa Yoshihisa , Yano Masahiko , Ishikawa Osamu
Published: September 2012

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in combination with computed tomography (FDG‐PET/CT) could correctly predict the pathologic response to preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for resectable pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Each of the 40 patients underwent FDG‐PET/CT before and after preoperative CRT. The maximum standard uptake value (SUV) was measured for the primary tumor before and after preoperative CRT, defined as pre‐CRT SUV and post‐CRT SUV, respectively. The proportional alteration of the SUV decline (regression index) between post‐CRT SUV and pre‐CRT SUV was also calculated. These three indicators were associated with the pathologic response.

Results

Patients were classified as 21 responders and 19 nonresponders according to the histologic features. A pre‐CRT SUV ≥4.7 was seen in 15 (71 %) of 21 responders and in 6 (32 %) of 19 nonresponders (p = 0.03). A regression index ≥0.46 was seen in 15 (71 %) responders and 5 (26 %) nonresponders (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

A better pathological response can be expected for pancreatic cancer patients who have a high regression index (≥0.46) and a high pre‐CRT SUV (≥4.7). The SUV measurement using FDG‐PET/CT is a useful tool for predicting the pathologic response to preoperative CRT.
Latino/a Depression and Smoking: An Analysis Through the Lenses of Culture, Gender, and Ethnicity
Authors: Lorenzo-Blanco Elma I. , Cortina Lilia M.
Published: September 2012

Rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) and cigarette smoking increase with Latino/a acculturation, but this varies by gender and ethnic subgroup. We investigated how lived experiences (i.e., discrimination, family conflict, family cohesion, familismo) clustered together in the everyday lives of Latina/os. We further examined associations of cluster profile and Latino/a subgroup with MDD and smoking, and tested whether gender moderated these associations. Data came from the National Latino Asian American Study, which included 2,554 Latino/as (48 % female; mean age = 38.02 years). K‐means cluster analysis revealed six profiles of experience, which varied by gender and socio‐cultural characteristics. Proportionately more women than men were in groups with problematic family lives. Acculturated Latino/as were disproportionately represented in profiles reporting frequent discrimination, family conflict, and a lack of shared family values and cohesion. Profiles characterized by high discrimination and family problems also predicted elevated risk for MDD and smoking. Findings suggest that Latino/a acculturation comes jointly with increased discrimination, increased family conflict, and reduced family cohesion and shared family values, exacerbating risk for MDD and smoking. This research on pathways to depression and smoking can inform the development of targeted assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies, tailored to the needs of Latino/as.
Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Extracellular Recording of Cardiac Myocytes
Authors: Nick Christoph , Joshi Ravi , Schneider Jörg J. , Thielemann Christiane
Published: September 2012

Low impedance at the interface between tissue and conducting electrodes is of utmost importance for the electrical recording or stimulation of heart and brain tissue. A common way to improve the cell–metal interface and thus the signal-to-noise ratio of recordings, as well as the charge transfer for stimulation applications, is to increase the electrochemically active electrode surface area. In this paper, we propose a method to decrease the impedance of microelectrodes by the introduction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), offering an extremely rough surface. In a multistage process, an array of multiple microelectrodes covered with high quality, tightly bound CNTs was realized. It is shown by impedance spectroscopy and cardiac myocyte recordings that the transducer properties of the carbon nanotube electrodes are superior to conventional gold and titanium nitride electrodes. These findings will be favorable for any kind of implantable heart electrodes and electrophysiology in cardiac myocyte cultures.
Dynamics and Nonlinear Control of Integrated Process Systems
Authors: Baldea Michael , Daoutidis Prodromos
Published: September 2012

Presenting a systematic model reduction and hierarchical controller design framework for broad classes of integrated process systems encountered in practice, this book first studies process systems with large material recycle and/or with small purge streams, followed by systems with energy integration. Step-by-step model reduction procedures are developed to derive nonlinear reduced models of the dynamics in each time scale. Hierarchical control architectures consisting of coordinated levels of control action in different time scales are proposed for each class of process systems considered to enforce stability, tracking performance and disturbance rejection. Numerous process applications are discussed in detail to illustrate the application of the methods and their potential to improve process operations. MATLAB codes are also presented to guide further application of the methods developed and facilitate practical implementations.
Classical Solutions in Quantum Field Theory
Authors: Weinberg Erick J.
Published: September 2012

Classical solutions play an important role in quantum field theory, high-energy physics and cosmology. Real-time soliton solutions give rise to particles, such as magnetic monopoles, and extended structures, such as domain walls and cosmic strings, that have implications for early universe cosmology. Imaginary-time Euclidean instantons are responsible for important nonperturbative effects, while Euclidean bounce solutions govern transitions between metastable states. Written for advanced graduate students and researchers in elementary particle physics, cosmology and related fields, this book brings the reader up to the level of current research in the field. The first half of the book discusses the most important classes of solitons: kinks, vortices and magnetic monopoles. The cosmological and observational constraints on these are covered, as are more formal aspects, including BPS solitons and their connection with supersymmetry. The second half is devoted to Euclidean solutions, with particular emphasis on Yang–Mills instantons and on bounce solutions.
The Cradle of the Twin Giants, Science and History
Authors: Christmas Henry
Published: September 2012

Henry Christmas (1811–68) was a scholar of very wide interests and a fellow of both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. He wrote extensively about many subjects including philosophy, religion, literature, mythology and numismatics. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, and soon afterwards became the librarian and secretary of Sion College. Between 1840 and 1860 he edited a number of books and journals, including The Literary Gazette. He also translated Calmet's Phantom World, and Wieland's Republic of Fools into English. Published in 1849, this two-volume set examines how popular mythology kept alive beliefs about the occult, alchemy and the paranormal. In Volume 1, the author looks at astrology, dream-interpretation, magic and fantastical automata. He shows how some of these beliefs were so entrenched in tradition and culture that they came to be regarded almost as fact, and so had a detrimental influence on rational thought.
The Cradle of the Twin Giants, Science and History
Authors: Christmas Henry
Published: September 2012

Henry Christmas (1811–68) was a scholar of very wide interests and a fellow of both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. He wrote extensively about many subjects including philosophy, religion, literature, mythology and numismatics. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, and soon afterwards became the librarian and secretary of Sion College. Between 1840 and 1860 he edited a number of books and journals, including The Literary Gazette. He also translated Calmet's Phantom World, and Wieland's Republic of Fools into English. Published in 1849, this two-volume set examines how popular mythology kept alive beliefs about the occult, alchemy and the paranormal. Volume 2 considers witchcraft, mesmerism, fairy mythology, alchemy and ghosts, and shows how some of these beliefs were so entrenched that they came to be regarded almost as fact, and so influenced rational thought. The volume concludes with comparison of superstitious beliefs with factual knowledge.
Autobiography and Correspondence of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany
Authors: Delany Mary
Published: September 2012

Mary Delany (née Granville, 1700–88) is best known for her cut-paper illustrations of plants - she completed nearly 1,000 of these detailed botanical pictures. Widowed after an unhappy first marriage, she lived in London, attended court, and was a favourite of George III and Queen Charlotte. After being widowed for a second time, and at the age of 74, she began her plant illustrations: failing eyesight caused her to abandon the work in 1784. Delany knew many of the leading cultural figures of the eighteenth century, including Handel and Swift. An enthusiastic correspondent, she wrote and received hundreds of letters, which were edited by her great-great-niece, Lady Llanover (1802–96). Published in 1861–2, they tell the life story of this remarkable woman, while also providing a fascinating glimpse into the world of Georgian England. Volume 1 begins with an unfinished autobiography and continues with correspondence from 1717 to 1737.
The Collapse of the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Ellenblum Ronnie
Published: September 2012

As a 'Medieval Warm Period' prevailed in Western Europe during the tenth and eleventh centuries, the eastern Mediterranean region, from the Nile to the Oxus, was suffering from a series of climatic disasters which led to the decline of some of the most important civilizations and cultural centres of the time. This provocative study argues that many well-documented but apparently disparate events - such as recurrent drought and famine in Egypt, mass migrations in the steppes of central Asia, and the decline in population in urban centres such as Baghdad and Constantinople - are connected and should be understood within the broad context of climate change. Drawing on a wealth of textual and archaeological evidence, Ronnie Ellenblum explores the impact of climatic and ecological change across the eastern Mediterranean in this period, to offer a new perspective on why this was a turning point in the history of the Islamic world.
Sleep, Romance and Human Embodiment
Authors: Sullivan, Jr Garrett A.
Published: September 2012

Garrett Sullivan explores the changing impact of Aristotelian conceptions of vitality and humanness on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature before and after the rise of Descartes. Aristotle's tripartite soul is usually considered in relation to concepts of psychology and physiology. However, Sullivan argues that its significance is much greater, constituting a theory of vitality that simultaneously distinguishes man from, and connects him to, other forms of life. He contends that, in works such as Sidney's Old Arcadia, Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V, Spenser's Faerie Queene, Milton's Paradise Lost and Dryden's All for Love, the genres of epic and romance, whose operations are informed by Aristotle's theory, provide the raw materials for exploring different models of humanness; and that sleep is the vehicle for such exploration as it blurs distinctions among man, plant and animal.
A volume preserving flow with essential coexistence of zero and non-zero Lyapunov exponents
Authors: CHEN JIANYU , HU HUYI , PESIN YAKOV
Published: September 2012

We demonstrate essential coexistence of hyperbolic and non-hyperbolic behavior in the continuous-time case by constructing a smooth volume preserving flow on a five-dimensional compact smooth manifold that has non-zero Lyapunov exponents almost everywhere on an open and dense subset of positive but not full volume and is ergodic on this subset while having zero Lyapunov exponents on its complement. The latter is a union of three-dimensional invariant submanifolds, and on each of these submanifolds the flow is linear with Diophantine frequency vector.
A note on the stability of inviscid zonal jet flows on a rotating sphere
Authors: Sasaki Eiichi , Takehiro Shin-ichi , Yamada Michio
Published: September 2012

The linear stability of inviscid zonal jet flows on a rotating sphere is re-examined. A semi-circle theorem for inviscid zonal flows on a rotating sphere is proved. It is also shown that numerically obtained eigenvalues of the linear stability problem do not converge well with a spectral method which was adopted in previous studies, due to an emergence of critical layers near the poles. By using a shooting method where the integral path bypasses the critical layers in the complex plane, the eigenvalues are successfully obtained with ${\ensuremath{\sim} }10\hspace{0.167em} \% $ correction of the critical rotation rates compared to those obtained in Baines (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 73, 1976, pp. 193–213).
Editorial
Authors: Nakata Martin , Mackinlay Elizabeth
Published: September 2012

The AIJE has an established tradition of publishing special Supplements to highlight papers
on a particular topic. This special edition of the AJIE is an outcome of a 2-year curriculum
renewal project funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, which focused on teaching and learning
practice in Australian Indigenous studies. The project involved collaboration between academics of Australian
Indigenous studies in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. The articles
in this special edition comprise descriptions of pedagogical innovations and discussions or reflections on the
issues engaged in the course of the project by some of the key participants.
Introduction
Authors: Mackinlay Elizabeth , Barney Katelyn
Published: September 2012

Indigenous Australian studies, also called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, is an expanding
discipline in universities across Australia (Nakata, 2004). As a discipline in its own right, Indigenous
Australian studies plays an important role in teaching students about Australia's colonial history and
benefits both non-Indigenous and Indigenous students by teaching them about Australia's rich and shared
cultural heritage (Craven, 1999, pp. 23–25). Such teaching and learning seeks to actively discuss and
deconstruct historical and contemporary entanglements between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and,
in doing so, help build better working relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. As
educators in this discipline, it is important for us to find pedagogical approaches which make space for these
topics to be accessed, understood, discussed and engaged with in meaningful ways.
Experiencing Indigenous Knowledge Online as a Community Narrative
Authors: Kutay Cat , Mooney Janet , Riley Lynette , Howard-Wagner Deirdre
Published: September 2012

This article explores a project at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) in 2011, titled ‘Indigenous On-Line Cultural Teaching and Sharing’. One of the team members (Kutay) was also a project team member on the ALTC-funded project ‘Exploring PBL in Indigenous Australian Studies’, which has developed a teaching and learning process (PEARL) for Indigenous Australian studies. In this article, we present the ‘Indigenous On-Line Cultural Teaching and Sharing’ project as an exemplar of this teaching process. The project turns a highly successful interactive kinship workshop into an interactive online experience for all students and staff of the University of Sydney. The project is developing a sharing portal for Aboriginal people in New South Wales (NSW) to incorporate their stories and experiences of cultural, historical and educational issues within a knowledge-sharing workshop. The site will use voices of Aboriginal participants to express the knowledge of their culture in a comparative and affirmative context. An interface for uploading audio and video has been generated to combine example stories from different perspectives. The interactive kinship workshop and Aboriginal voices will then be used in an online game, embedding Aboriginal knowledge and values within different professional learning contexts, such as law, social policy, health, and education.
Utilising PEARL to Teach Indigenous Art History: A Canadian Example
Authors: Robertson Carmen
Published: September 2012

This article explores the concepts advanced from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded project, ‘Exploring Problem-Based Learning pedagogy as transformative education in Indigenous Australian Studies’. As an Indigenous art historian teaching at a mainstream university in Canada, I am constantly reflecting on how to better engage students in transformative learning. PEARL offers significant interdisciplinary theory and methodology for implementing content related to both Canadian colonial history and Indigenous cultural knowledge implicit in teaching contemporary Aboriginal art histories. This case study, based on a third-year Indigenous art history course taught at University of Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada will articulate applications for PEARL in an Aboriginal art history classroom. This content-based course lends itself to an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach because it remains outside the traditional disciplinary boundaries accepted in most Eurocentric-based histories of art. Implementing PEARL both theoretically and methodologically in tandem with examples of contemporary Indigenous art allows for innovative ways to balance course content with the sensitive material required for students to better understand and read art created by Indigenous artists in Canada in the past 40 years.
Review Article: Comedy
Authors: Ruffell I.A.
Published: September 2012

This paper reviews and discusses two major publications on Greek comedy (J. Rusten, The Birth of Comedy and I. Storey, Fragments of Old Comedy) in the light of recent advances and trends in scholarship. It focuses in particular on periodization of the genre, including an evaluation of the contribution of ancient scholarship; the evidence for variety in Old Comedy; the different perspectives on competition within the genre; and the presentation and implications of the comic body. An assessment is offered of the impact on scholarship of large-scale research projects such as Kassel and Austin's Poetae Comici Graeci and Koster et al.'s Scholia in Aristophanem, as well as the growing material evidence for Greek comedy, its context and reception. Some significant ongoing problems are identified which require further study.
The Digest of Laws of the Russian Empire: The Phenomenon of Autocratic Legality
Authors: Borisova Tatiana
Published: September 2012

Researchers of the history of late imperial Russia quite often base their studies on the texts of laws as recorded in the official edition: the Complete Collection of the Laws of the Russian Empire (Polnoe Sobranie zakonov Rossiiskoi imperii). The laws were published there in chronological order for purposes of conducting inquiries; it was specifically the Complete Collection in which the original text of a decree approved by the emperor could generally be found.
Judging Empire: Courts And Culture in Rome's Eastern Provinces
Authors: Bryen Ari Z.
Published: September 2012

In the middle of the second century CE, the satirist Lucian of Samosata (c. CE 125–180) composed a text known as theBis Accusatus(“Twice Accused”) in which he describes a day of judgment. It begins with Zeus complaining to Hermes about the onerous nature of running the universe:

In the first place, I have to supervise the work of the other gods who have responsibilities under my regime, to make sure they don't slack in their duties. Then I have a million tasks to perform myself, scarcely manageable because of their complexity. It's not as though I simply have the major administrative tasks to perform, I mean managing and organizing the weather—rain, hail, wind, and lightning—before I can simply sit down and take a break from my assigned worries. I've got to do all this and keep a watch in all directions and supervise everything as though I were that herdsman at Nemea: people stealing, people perjuring themselves, people sacrificing. Has someone made a libation? Where's the sacrificial smell and smoke coming from? Who has called for me in sickness or at sea? But the most onerous task of all is being in so many places at the same time: Olympia for a hecatomb, Babylon for a battle, with the Getae to hail, with the Ethiopians to feast…

Take an example. We're so damned busy, we've got an enormous backlog of old lawsuits not dealt with. They've been stacked there so long, they've fallen apart with mildew and they're covered in spider's webs. I'm thinking in particular about the ones taken out against certain individuals associated with the intellectual arts and crafts. Some of them are absolutely ancient. The litigants themselves are bawling on every side, grinding their teeth, calling for justice and accusing me of tardiness. What they don't realize is that it's not through contempt that these decisions have passed their sell by date. It's because of the state of bliss that they think we live in. That's the name they give to our complete lack of spare time.
Look Again, and Not Just at Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Authors: Salkovskis Paul
Published: September 2012

Take a look at our circulation and impact! As a journal we are high on circulation (about 10000 print copies including those to members, and an additional very substantial on-line readership). Our impact factor, which reflects the extent of attention our articles get in terms of citations by researchers worldwide, has been modest but steadily increasing. We are pleased to announce a further improvement in our Impact factor, from a healthy 1.491 in the previous year to its current 1.692. The Journal has also climbed 10 places in its subject category (Psychology, Clinical) and is now ranked higher than Cognitive Therapy and Research. This places us in an excellent position in the field. This is extremely good news, as it means that we are even more likely to be a target for high quality articles with the combination of good academic quality and clinical relevance.
Compiling finite domain constraints to SAT withBEE
Authors: METODI AMIT , CODISH MICHAEL
Published: September 2012

We presentBEE, a compiler which enables to encode finite domain constraint problems to CNF. UsingBEEboth eases the encoding process for the user and also performs transformations to simplify constraints and optimize their encoding to CNF. These optimizations are based primarily on equi-propagation and on partial evaluation, and also on the idea that a given constraint may have various possible CNF encodings. Often, the better encoding choice is made after constraint simplification.BEEis written in Prolog and integrates directly with a SAT solver through a suitable Prolog interface. We demonstrate that constraint simplification is often highly beneficial when solving hard finite domain constraint problems. ABEEimplementation is available with this paper.
Fast response to East Coast earthquake advances seismic science
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2012

At a briefing on 23 August, exactly 1 year after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake shook a large portion of the East Coast of the United States, scientists and public safety officials called it a significant seismic event that could help with better understanding the potential for future seismic events in the region. Officials also are moving forward with a number of measures to improve public response efforts to East Coast earthquakes. During the briefing, held in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D. C., Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), said the event—with its epicenter near the town of Mineral, Va., in Louisa County—was “the most significant” earthquake ever to strike the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. She said that more people experienced the quake than any other in U.S. history. About 148,000 people reported ground shaking on the USGS “Did You Feel It?” Web site, and those reports helped to determine within minutes that the energy had radiated out of the earthquake in an asymmetric manner to the northeast and southwest. “In a sense, this earthquake took aim, and Washington, D. C., was in its path,” she said.
Arctic Sea ice at a new low
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2012

On 26 August, Arctic sea ice cover dipped to 4.1 million square kilometers, 70,000 square kilometers below the 2007 mark, which was previously the lowest extent of ice cover in the satellite record, according to an analysis of satellite data by scientists with NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) of the University of Colorado, Boulder. “By itself it's just a number, and occasionally records are going to get set. But in the context of what's happened in the last several years and throughout the satellite record, it's an indication that the Arctic sea ice cover is fundamentally changing,” said NSIDC scientist Walt Meier. “The persistent loss of perennial ice cover—ice that survives the melt season—led to this year's record summertime retreat. Unlike 2007, temperatures were not unusually warm in the Arctic this summer,” said Joey Comiso, senior research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md. The six lowest ice extents in the satellite record have occurred in the last 6 years, according to NSIDC.
Improved determination of marine sedimentation rates using 230Thxs
Authors: Bourne Mark D. , Thomas Alex L. , Mac Niocaill Conall , Henderson Gideon M.
Published: September 2012

Measurements of excess 230Th (230Thxs) have proved to be a useful tool in constraining changes in sedimentation rate, and improving our understanding of the fluxes of other components into marine sediments. To obtain the initial activity of 230Thxs (230Thxs0) in sediment: the total measured 230Th must be corrected for the presence of 230Th associated with detrital minerals, for ingrowth from uranium‐bearing authigenic phases and then also corrected for the decay of 230Thxs since deposition. We describe a number of improvements in the way these corrections are applied to obtain more accurate determinations of 230Thxs0. We present a new method for the determination of a local estimate for the detrital 238U/232Th activity ratio; suggest more appropriate values for the isotopic composition of authigenic uranium; and question the assumption of secular equilibrium in detrital material. We also present a new, freely‐available MATLAB® script called ‘XSage’ that can calculate 230Thxs0, from user‐supplied datasets of uranium and thorium isotope activities from sedimentary samples following the theoretical approach described. ‘XSage’ can determine variations in sedimentation rate between stratigraphic horizons of known age and thus produce high‐resolution age models. Using a Monte Carlo approach, the program calculates uncertainties for these age models and on the durations of intervals between tie‐points. An example of the application of the XSage program using a previously published record is provided.