bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sample size adjustments for varying cluster sizes in cluster randomized trials with binary outcomes analyzed with second‐order PQL mixed logistic regression
Authors: Candel Math J. J. M. , Van Breukelen Gerard J. P.
Published: January 2010

Adjustments of sample size formulas are given for varying cluster sizes in cluster randomized trials with a binary outcome when testing the treatment effect with mixed effects logistic regression using second‐order penalized quasi‐likelihood estimation (PQL). Starting from first‐order marginal quasi‐likelihood (MQL) estimation of the treatment effect, the asymptotic relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes is derived. A Monte Carlo simulation study shows this asymptotic relative efficiency to be rather accurate for realistic sample sizes, when employing second‐order PQL. An approximate, simpler formula is presented to estimate the efficiency loss due to varying cluster sizes when planning a trial. In many cases sampling 14 per cent more clusters is sufficient to repair the efficiency loss due to varying cluster sizes. Since current closed‐form formulas for sample size calculation are based on first‐order MQL, planning a trial also requires a conversion factor to obtain the variance of the second‐order PQL estimator. In a second Monte Carlo study, this conversion factor turned out to be 1.25 at most. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bayesian bivariate meta‐analysis of diagnostic test studies using integrated nested Laplace approximations
Authors: Paul M. , Riebler A. , Bachmann L. M. , Rue H. , Held L.
Published: January 2010

For bivariate meta‐analysis of diagnostic studies, likelihood approaches are very popular. However, they often run into numerical problems with possible non‐convergence. In addition, the construction of confidence intervals is controversial. Bayesian methods based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling could be used, but are often difficult to implement, and require long running times and diagnostic convergence checks. Recently, a new Bayesian deterministic inference approach for latent Gaussian models using integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA) has been proposed. With this approach MCMC sampling becomes redundant as the posterior marginal distributions are directly and accurately approximated. By means of a real data set we investigate the influence of the prior information provided and compare the results obtained by INLA, MCMC, and the maximum likelihood procedure SAS PROC NLMIXED. Using a simulation study we further extend the comparison of INLA and SAS PROC NLMIXED by assessing their performance in terms of bias, mean‐squared error, coverage probability, and convergence rate. The results indicate that INLA is more stable and gives generally better coverage probabilities for the pooled estimates and less biased estimates of variance parameters. The user‐friendliness of INLA is demonstrated by documented R‐code. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power Doppler properties of endometrial polyps and submucosal fibroids: a preliminary observational study in women with known intracavitary lesions
Authors: Cil A. P. , Tulunay G. , Kose M. F. , Haberal A.
Published: January 2010

Objectives

To compare power Doppler flow mapping characteristics of endometrial polyps and submucosal fibroids and analyze whether two different power Doppler characteristics, single‐vessel pattern and rim‐like vessel pattern, can help to differentiate these focal endometrial lesions.

Methods

Patients suspected of having endometrial polyps or submucosal fibroids on sonohysterography were examined prospectively by transvaginal B‐mode and power Doppler sonography. Single‐vessel pattern and rim‐like vessel pattern were considered to be characteristic of endometrial polyps and submucosal fibroids, respectively. Suspected diagnoses of the lesions according to vascular Doppler characteristics were compared with the final diagnosis following histopathological examination.

Results

Included in the final analysis were 49 patients with histological confirmation of the type of endometrial lesion: 32 with endometrial polyps and 17 with submucosal fibroids. Power Doppler signals were observed in 47 of these; they were not observed in two patients with endometrial polyps. Of the 32 with endometrial polyps, 26 (81.3%) endometrial polyps showed a single‐vessel pattern, three (9.4%) showed a multiple‐vessel pattern and one (3.1%) showed a scattered‐vessel pattern. Of the 17 with submucosal fibroids, 12 (70.6%) showed a rim‐like vessel pattern, three (17.6%) showed a multiple‐vessel pattern and two (11.8%) showed a single‐vessel pattern. Single‐vessel pattern was associated with two false‐positive cases, but there were no false‐positive cases for rim‐like vessel pattern. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for single‐vessel pattern in diagnosing endometrial polyps were 81.2%, 88.2%, 92.9% and 71.4% and for rim‐like pattern in diagnosing submucosal fibroids they were 70.6%, 100%, 100% and 86.5%, respectively.

Conclusions

Power Doppler blood flow mapping is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of focal endometrial pathology and is useful in distinguishing submucosal fibroids and endometrial polyps. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of quantum dot nanocrystals in multicolor flow cytometry
Authors: Chattopadhyay Pratip K. , Perfetto Stephen P. , Yu Joanne , Roederer Mario
Published: January 2010

Because of their unique fluorescence properties, quantum dots (QDs) represent a promising new technology in the realm of multicolor flow cytometry. Although commercial reagents and applications for the technology are still in the early phases of their development, the strategies and considerations necessary for successful use are becoming known. This article discusses the value of QDs in multicolor flow cytometry, introduces strategies to successfully incorporate QDs into routine use, and highlights emerging applications of the technology. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2010 2 334–348

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > In Vitro Nanoparticle-Based Sensing

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Energetic approach to gradient plasticity
Authors: Kratochvíl J. , Kružík M. , Sedláček R.
Published: January 2010

We formulate a problem of the evolution of elasto‐plastic materials subjected to external loads in the framework of large deformations and multiplicative plasticity. Our model includes gradients of the plastic strain and of hardening variables. We prove the existence of the so‐called energetic solution. The stored energy density function is assumed to be quasiconvex in the elastic strain which makes our results applicable to relaxed models of shape memory materials, for instance.
On an inverse problem for tree‐like networks of elastic strings
Authors: Avdonin S. , Leugering G. , Mikhaylov V.
Published: January 2010

We consider the in‐plane motion of elastic strings on tree‐like network, observed from the ‘leaves’. We investigate the inverse problem of recovering not only the physical properties, i.e. the ‘optical lengths’ of each string, but also the topology of the tree which is represented by the edge degrees and the angles between branching edges. To this end we use the Boundary Control method for wave equations on graphs established in [4, 7]. It is shown that under generic assumptions the inverse problem can be solved by applying measurements at all leaves, the root of the tree being fixed.
The Dorsal Metacarpal Artery Perforator Flap: A Case Report Utilizing a Quaba Flap Harvested from a Previously Skin-Grafted Area for Dorsal 5th Digit Coverage
Authors: Bailey Steven H. , Andry Danielle , Saint-Cyr Michel
Published: January 2010

Burns to the hand are common in burn victims. These burns often leave complex wounds that require local flaps for coverage. Local flaps are often excluded because they lie within the zone of thermal injury. The purpose of this case report is to report the successful use of a Quaba flap harvested from a previously burned and skin-grafted area. The patient's medical record including pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative photographs were reviewed and utilized as sources of data. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was able to return to his previous hand therapy regimen without adverse event and with an acceptable cosmetic result. The Quaba flap can be a safe and effective option for local hand coverage even in previously burned and skin-grafted areas.
The lectin concanavalin‐A signals MT1‐MMP catalytic independent induction of COX‐2 through an IKKγ/NF‐κB‐dependent pathway
Authors: Sina Asmaa , Proulx‐Bonneau Sébastien , Roy Alain , Poliquin Laurent , Cao Jian , Annabi Borhane
Published: January 2010

The lectin from Canavalia ensiformis (Concanavalin‐A, ConA), one of the most abundant lectins known, enables one to mimic biological lectin/carbohydrate interactions that regulate extracellular matrix protein recognition. As such, ConA is known to induce membrane type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP) which expression is increased in brain cancer. Given that MT1‐MMP correlated to high expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 in gliomas with increasing histological grade, we specifically assessed the early proinflammatory cellular signaling processes triggered by ConA in the regulation of COX‐2. We found that treatment with ConA or direct overexpression of a recombinant MT1‐MMP resulted in the induction of COX‐2 expression. This increase in COX‐2 was correlated with a concomitant decrease in phosphorylated AKT suggestive of cell death induction, and was independent of MT1‐MMP’s catalytic function. ConA‐ and MT1‐MMP‐mediated intracellular signaling of COX‐2 was also confirmed in wild‐type and in Nuclear Factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) p65−/− mutant mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), but was abrogated in NF‐κB1 (p50)−/− and in I kappaB kinase (IKK) γ−/− mutant MEF cells. Collectively, our results highlight an IKK/NF‐κB‐dependent pathway linking MT1‐MMP‐mediated intracellular signaling to the induction of COX‐2. That signaling pathway could account for the inflammatory balance responsible for the therapy resistance phenotype of glioblastoma cells, and prompts for the design of new therapeutic strategies that target cell surface carbohydrate structures and MT1‐MMP‐mediated signaling. Concise summary Concanavalin‐A (ConA) mimics biological lectin/carbohydrate interactions that regulate the proinflammatory phenotype of cancer cells through yet undefined signaling. Here we highlight an IKK/NF‐κB‐dependent pathway linking MT1‐MMP‐mediated intracellular signaling to the induction of cyclooxygenase‐2, and that could be responsible for the therapy resistance phenotype of glioblastoma cells.
Evaluating bistability of Bax activation switch
Authors: Sun Tingzhe , Lin Xuzhu , Wei Yinna , Xu Yichen , Shen Pingping
Published: January 2010

Mitochondrial apoptotic pathway is precisely controlled by BCL‐2 family. Complex interactions of BCL‐2 family proteins constitute a bistable switch of which detailed experimental and theoretical delineation remains elusive. In this paper, combined approaches were used to explore the bistability of Bax activation switch. We found that Bax activation is indeed in an ‘all‐or‐none’ manner. The ‘variable‐delay, snap‐action’ nature for Bax activation is further explored theoretically. We suggest that bistability is largely attributed to topological structure and shows considerable robustness. Therefore, our study characterizes dynamics and sensitivities in intrinsic apoptotic pathway.
Chloride channels of intracellular membranes
Authors: Edwards John C. , Kahl Christina R.
Published: January 2010

Proteins implicated as intracellular chloride channels include the intracellular ClC proteins, the bestrophins, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, the CLICs, and the recently described Golgi pH regulator. This paper examines current hypotheses regarding roles of intracellular chloride channels and reviews the evidence supporting a role in intracellular chloride transport for each of these proteins.
A comparative study of the non‐pneumatic anti‐shock garment for the treatment of obstetric hemorrhage in Egypt
Authors: Miller Suellen , Fathalla Mohamed M.F. , Youssif Mohammed M. , Turan Janet , Camlin Carol , Al‐Hussaini Tarek K. , Butrick Elizabeth , Meyer Carinne
Published: January 2010

Objective

To assess the impact of the non‐pneumatic anti‐shock garment (NASG) on maternal outcome following severe obstetric hemorrhage.

Methods

A non‐randomized pre‐intervention/intervention study was conducted in 2 tertiary hospitals in Egypt from June 2006 to May 2008. Women with obstetric hemorrhage (estimated blood loss ≥ 1000 mL and/or ≥ 1 sign of shock [systolic blood pressure < 100 mm Hg or pulse > 100 beats per minute]) were treated with either a standardized protocol (pre‐intervention) or a standardized protocol plus the NASG (intervention). The primary outcome was extreme adverse outcome (EAO), combining maternal mortality and severe morbidity (cardiac, respiratory, renal, or cerebral dysfunction). Secondary outcomes were measured blood loss, urine output, emergency hysterectomy, and (individually) mortality or morbidity. Analyses were performed to examine independent association of the NASG with EAO.

Results

Mean measured blood loss decreased from 379 mL pre‐intervention to 253 mL in the intervention group (P < 0.01). In a multiple logistic regression model, the NASG was associated with reduced odds of EAO (odds ratio 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.17–0.85).

Conclusion

The NASG, in addition to standardized protocols at tertiary facilities for obstetric hemorrhage and shock, resulted in lower measured blood loss and reduced EAO.
Conservative management of stage IA1 squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with positive resection margins after conization
Authors: Kim Woo Young , Chang Suk‐Joon , Chang Ki‐Hong , Yoo Seung‐Chul , Ryu Hee‐Sug
Published: January 2010

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of cold knife conization with electrocauterization and the feasibility of conservative management in patients with stage IA1 carcinoma of the cervix according to margin status after conization.

Methods

Medical and histopathological records of 108 patients with stage IA1 cervical carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively. Patients underwent cold knife conization with electrocauterization or conization followed by hysterectomy. Disease recurrence was defined as a histologic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or higher grade lesion.

Results

Forty patients underwent conization followed by hysterectomy; of 27 women with positive margins, 14 (35%) had a residual lesion. Sixty‐eight patients underwent conization without further surgical intervention. Forty patients had a negative resection margin without recurrence, while 28 had a positive resection margin: positive exocervical (n = 11), positive endocervical (n = 17). Among these, there were 7 cases of recurrence: positive exocervical (n = 1); positive endocervical (n = 6).

Conclusion

Cold knife conization with electrocauterization appears to be a safe treatment option for patients with stage IA1 cervical carcinoma if careful follow‐up is guaranteed for patients with CIN 3 exocervical resection margins. However, patients with CIN 3 endocervical resection margins should be managed surgically with repeat conization or hysterectomy.
Malaria and stillbirth in Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan
Authors: Bader Elshiekh , Alhaj Amel M. , Hussan Ahmed A. , Adam Ishag
Published: January 2010

Objective

The study was conducted in the labor ward of Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan, from November 2007 to February 2008 to investigate the prevalence and risks factors for stillbirth.

Methods

A case‐control study. Cases were women who delivered stillbirths; 2 consecutive women who delivered a live‐born singleton neonate at term (37–42 weeks) per case were used as controls. Sociodemographic, clinical (including malaria infections), and obstetric histories were gathered using standard questionnaires. Maternal body mass index and hemoglobin levels were measured. Maternal, placental, and cord blood smears were investigated for malaria parasites.

Results

Among 4760 singleton deliveries, there were 103 stillbirths, yielding a stillbirth rate of 22 per 1000 deliveries. Over half (52.4%) of these stillbirths were macerated stillbirths. Maternal sociodemographic characteristics were not associated with stillbirth, while a history of maternal malaria in the index pregnancy was the main risk factor for stillbirth (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–8.9; P = 0.04).

Conclusion

Measures to prevent malaria infection should help to prevent stillbirth in this part of Sudan.
Audiological and transient evoked otoacoustic emission findings in patients with vitiligo
Authors: Aslan Sundus , Serarslan Gamze , Teksoz Emel , Dagli Safak
Published: January 2010

Objective

To investigate hearing loss in patients with vitiligo.

Study Design

Case‐control study.

setting

University hospital.

subjects and Methods

Conventional pure‐tone and high‐frequency audiometric tests were obtained, and pure‐tone average hearing thresholds were calculated for 22 consecutive cases with vitiligo and 22 sex‐ and age‐matched controls. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing was also performed.

Results

There was sensorineural hearing loss on pure‐tone audiogram in 16 (36.4%) ears in patients with vitiligo. The hearing thresholds (in dB) were 16.02 ± 6.61 versus 12.39 ± 6.05, 15.68 ± 6.34 versus 13.18 ± 3.75, 15.80 ± 13.93 versus 7.39 ± 6.95, 25.11 ± 17.40 versus 15.91 ± 12.91, 29.89 ± 18.57 versus 17.84 ± 12.36, and 45.91 ± 23.31 versus 33.86 ± 15.99 in the patient and control groups at 0.25, 1, 4, 8, 10, and 12.5 kHz, respectively, and were statistically significantly different. Reduction of transient evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude was statistically significant at 4 kHz in patients with vitiligo (6.34 ± 3.98 dB vs 8.63 ± 5.15 dB, P = 0.023). There was no significant difference in reproducibility, stimulus intensity, stability, and average transient evoked otoacoustic emission amplitudes in patients with vitiligo.

Conclusion

Hearing thresholds at pure‐tone and high‐frequency audiometry were higher in patients with vitiligo. Also, significantly lower high‐frequency amplitudes were recorded during transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing in the disease group.
Effect of oral tolerance in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis
Authors: Shin Ji‐Hyeon , Kang Jun Myung , Won Kim Sung , Cho Jin‐Hee , Park Yong Jin , Kim Soo Whan
Published: January 2010

Objective

Induction of oral tolerance (OT) is known to prevent allergic inflammation in models of asthma. This study investigated the preventive effect of OT and airway remodeling in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis (AR).

Study Design

An in vivo study using an animal model.

Setting

Catholic Research Institutes of Medical Science.

Methods

Forty six‐week‐old, female BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, AR, low‐dose OT, and high‐dose OT. To induce OT, mice were fed ovalbumin (OVA) before sensitization with OVA/aluminum hydroxide, 1 mg for six days in the low‐dose OT group and a 25 mg single dose in the high‐dose OT group. Mice in the AR group were fed phosphate‐buffered saline. After sensitization followed by challenges with OVA during six weeks, nasal behaviors, interleukin (IL)‐13 and interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) levels in nasal lavage (NAL) fluids, as well as OVA‐specific IgE levels in serum, were measured. The degree of goblet cell hyperplasia and thickness of lamina propria were observed in nasal tissues by periodic acid‐Schiff and Masson's trichrome stain. A P value < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Results

Both OT groups showed a significant decrease in inflammatory cells, IL‐13 and IFN‐γ in NAL fluids, as well as OVA‐specific IgE levels in serum compared with the AR group. In addition, the degree of goblet cell hyperplasia and thickness of lamina propria were attenuated in both OT groups compared with the AR group. Further, these alterations did not differ significantly between the two OT groups.

Conclusion

These results suggest that OT may effectively reduce allergic inflammation as well as airway remodeling in a mouse model of AR.
Maxillary removal and reinsertion: A favorable approach for extensive anterior cranial base tumors
Authors: Ozer Enver , Bapna Sumit , Agrawal Amit , Schuller David E.
Published: January 2010

Objective

To analyze the long‐term results and the complications related to an expanded series of maxillary removal and reinsertion (MRRI) with 18‐year surgical experience.

Study Design

Case series with chart review of the MRRI patients in the last 18 years.

Setting

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

Subjects and Methods

Seventy‐eight patients who underwent MRRI from February 1990 through February 2007. The median age was 51 years (range 11‐77 yrs). Sixty‐two (80%) patients had malignant lesions.

Results

MRRI has been successfully completed in all 78 patients, with no intraoperative mortality. The most commonly encountered malignant neoplasm was squamous cell cancer (40.3%), followed by esthesioneuroblastoma (24.1%), adenoid cystic cancer (8%), and other neoplasms (27.4%). The most commonly encountered postoperative complication was diplopia, which has persisted in five (6.4%) patients in the short‐term and in three (4%) patients in the long‐term follow‐up. Nasal asymmetry was the most common long‐term complication (17.9%), followed by plate‐associated problems (10.2%) and midface asymmetry (10.2%). Overall five‐year survival for the patients with squamous cell carcinoma was 62 percent.

Conclusion

MRRI is a favorable surgical technique for the treatment of anterior cranial base (ACB) tumors in adults and even in children. It improves operative morbidity by preserving both function and form of the maxillary region and gives excellent exposure to ACB.
Health Literacy Among Patients Diagnosed With Movement Disorders: A Pilot Study
Authors: Armistead‐Jehle Patrick , Cifu David X. , Wetzel Ryan , Carne William , Klanchar Lynn A.
Published: January 2010

Objective

The study sought to examine the functional health literacy in a sample of geriatric patients diagnosed with movement disorders. The hypothesis was that the study group would demonstrate marginal levels of health literacy scores on a standardized health literacy instrument.

Design/Setting

The study used a prospective analysis of patients referred to an outpatient movement disorders clinic in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Patients

Fifty‐four men with a movement disorder volunteered for the study, with data analysis conducted on 44 of these patients.

Main Outcome Measurements

The primary outcome measure was the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA).

Results

Members of the current sample demonstrated adequate health literacy and scored significantly higher on the TOFHLA relative to the measure's normative sample. Younger age, more education, and higher Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores were predictive of health literacy.

Conclusions

The extant literature strongly suggests that limited health literacy is a frequent problem across the United States and represents a considerable obstacle to the effective delivery of health care. In a group of movement disorder subjects with a Folstein MMSE of at least 24, health literacy was generally well preserved. Years with movement disorder and severity of disorder did not impact health literacy. Thus, practitioners should not be prejudiced in a belief that individuals with movement disorders cannot manage their medications.
Bibliographical Analysis
Authors: Tanselle G. Thomas
Published: January 2010

Studying printed books as physical objects can reveal not only how books were produced, but also how their design and layout features emerged and came to convey meanings. This concise and accessible introduction to analytical bibliography in its historical context explains in clear, non-specialist language how to find and analyze clues about a book's manufacture and how to examine the significance of a book's design. Written by one of the most eminent bibliographical and textual scholars working today, the book is both a practical guide to bibliographical research and a history of bibliography as a developing field of study. For all who use books, this is an ideal starting point for learning how to read the object along with the words.
Indivisible Territory and the Politics of Legitimacy
Authors: Goddard Stacie E.
Published: January 2010

In Jerusalem and Northern Ireland, territorial disputes have often seemed indivisible, unable to be solved through negotiation, and prone to violence and war. This book challenges the conventional wisdom that these conflicts were the inevitable result of clashing identities, religions, and attachments to the land. On the contrary, it was radical political rhetoric, and not ancient hatreds, that rendered these territories indivisible. Stacie Goddard traces the roots of territorial indivisibility to politicians' strategies for legitimating their claims to territory. When bargaining over territory, politicians utilize rhetoric to appeal to their domestic audiences and undercut the claims of their opponents. However, this strategy has unintended consequences; by resonating with some coalitions and appearing unacceptable to others, politicians' rhetoric can lock them into positions in which they are unable to recognize the legitimacy of their opponent's demands. As a result, politicians come to negotiations with incompatible claims, constructing territory as indivisible.
Mirrors and Microparameters
Authors: Adger David , Harbour Daniel , Watkins Laurel J.
Published: January 2010

What is the nature of syntactic structure? Why do some languages have radically free word order ('nonconfigurationality')? Do parameters vary independently (the micro-view) or can they co-vary en masse (the macro-view)? Mirrors and Microparameters examines these questions by looking beyond the definitional criterion of nonconfigurationality - that arguments may be freely ordered, omitted, and split. Drawing on data from Kiowa, a member of the largely undescribed Kiowa-Tanoan language family, the book reveals that classically nonconfigurational languages can nonetheless exhibit robustly configurational effects. Reconciling the cooccurrence of such freedom with such rigidity has major implications for the Principles and Parameters program. This approach to nonconfigurational languages challenges widespread assumptions of linguistic theory and throws light on the syntactic structures, ordering principles, and nature of parametrization that comprise Universal Grammar.
Adoption in the Roman World
Authors: Lindsay Hugh
Published: January 2010

Adoption in other cultures and other times provides a background to understanding the operation of adoption in the Roman worlds. This book considers the relationship of adoption to kinship structures in the Greek and Roman world. It considers the procedures for adoption followed by a separate analysis of testamentary cases, and the impact of adoption on nomenclature. The impact of adoption on inheritance arrangements is considered, including an account of how the families of freedmen were affected. Its use as a mode of succession at Rome is detailed, and this helps to understand the anxiety of childless Romans to procure a son through adoption, rather than simply to nominate heirs in their wills. The strategy also had political uses, and importantly it was used to rearrange natural succession in the imperial family. The book concludes with political adoptions, looking at the detailed case studies of Clodius and Octavian.
Structures in the Universe by Exact Methods
Authors: Bolejko Krzysztof , Krasiński Andrzej , Hellaby Charles , Célérier Marie-Noëlle
Published: January 2010

As the structures in our Universe are mapped out on ever larger scales, and with increasing detail, the use of inhomogeneous models is becoming an essential tool for analyzing and understanding them. This book reviews a number of important developments in the application of inhomogeneous solutions of Einstein's field equations to cosmology. It shows how inhomogeneous models can be employed to study the evolution of structures such as galaxy clusters and galaxies with central black holes, and to account for cosmological observations like supernovae dimming, the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations or the dependence of the Hubble parameter on redshift within classical general relativity. Whatever `dark matter' and `dark energy' turn out to be, inhomogeneities exist on many scales and need to be investigated with all appropriate methods. This book is of great value to all astrophysicists and researchers working in cosmology, from graduate students to academic researchers.
Sex differences among Swedish adolescents in mother–child relationships in the intake of different food groups
Authors: Vågstrand Karin
Published: January 2010

The present study has explored mother–child relationships in the intake of different food groups and the sex differences in these relationships. A population-based sample of 471 mother–child pairs from Stockholm completed a dietary questionnaire to assess habitual dietary intake. Girls showed overall stronger correlations with their mothers' diet than boys did. The strongest correlations found, in both girls and boys, were for the intakes of fruit juice and sweet bakery goods (r 0·30–0·37, P < 0·001). There was a wide range in correlation strength between food groups. Milk/yoghurt and desserts showed no mother–child relationship at all. Breakfast cereals was the only food group with a significant sex interaction (P = 0·01; mothers–girls, r 0·30, P < 0·001; mothers–boys, r0·05, NS). There were significant positive correlations between mothers and daughters in the intake of all macronutrients, whereas none between mothers and sons (sex interactions: protein, P = 0·001; fat, P = 0·004; carbohydrates, P = 0·001). Mothers and daughters (r 0·29, P < 0·001), but not mothers and sons, showed significant correlation in total energy intake, (P = 0·001 for sex interaction). There were generally more differences between mothers and children than between boys and girls in the relative intake (percentage of energy) of different food groups. Since teenaged children have a similar intake of especially snack foods as their mothers, it could be meaningful to educate mothers when aiming at improving the diet of teenaged children, both boys and girls.
Dietary assessment methods for micronutrient intake in pregnant women: a systematic review
Authors: Ortiz-Andrellucchi Adriana , Doreste-Alonso Jorge , Henríquez-Sánchez Patricia , Cetin Irene , Serra-Majem Lluís
Published: January 2010

The EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence needs clear guidelines for assessing the validity of reported micronutrient intakes among vulnerable population groups. A systematic literature search identified studies validating the methodology used for measuring usual dietary intake during pregnancy. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a EURRECA-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the study used a reference method that reflected short-term intake ( < 7 d) long-term intake ( ≥ 7 d) or used biomarkers (BM). A correlation coefficient for each micronutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Seventeen papers were selected, which included the validation of fifteen FFQ, two dietary records (DR), one diet history and a Fe intake checklist. Estimates of twenty-six micronutrients by six FFQ were validated against 24-h recalls indicating good correlation for six micronutrients. Estimates of twenty-four micronutrients by two FFQ were validated against estimated DR and all had good or acceptable correlations. Estimates of fourteen micronutrients by three FFQ were validated against weighed DR indicating good correlations for five. Six FFQ were validated against BM, presenting good correlations only for folic acid. FFQ appear to be most reliable for measuring short-term intakes of vitamins E and B6and long-term intakes of thiamin. Apart from folic acid, BM do not add any more certainty in terms of intake method reliability. When frequency methods are used, the inclusion of dietary supplements improves their reliability for most micronutrients.
Dietary predictors of visceral adiposity in overweight young adults
Authors: Bailey Bruce W. , Sullivan Debra K. , Kirk Erik P. , Donnelly Joseph E.
Published: January 2010

The purpose of the present study was to determine the dietary predictors of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area in overweight young adults. A total of 109 young adults (fifty males and fifty-nine females) ate ad libitum in a university cafeteria for 14 d. All food and beverages consumed in the cafeteria were measured using observer-recorded weighed plate waste. Food consumption outside the cafeteria (i.e. snacks) was assessed by multiple-pass 24 h recall procedures. VAT was determined using computed tomography. Stepwise regression demonstrated that the best predictor of visceral adiposity in women was total dietary fat (P ≤ 0·05). In men, the model for predicting visceral adiposity included Ca and total dietary fat. We concluded that total dietary fat is the best predictor of VAT area in both men and women. While this relationship was independent in women, in men there was a synergistic relationship between dietary fat consumption and Ca consumption in predicting VAT.
Ordovician deformations in the Pyrenees: new insights into the significance of pre-Variscan (‘sardic’) tectonics
Authors: CASAS J. M.
Published: January 2010

Two deformational events which developed prior to the Variscan structures can be characterized in the Palaeozoic rocks of the Pyrenees: a Middle (?) Ordovician folding event and a Late Ordovician fracture episode. The Middle (?) Ordovician folding event gives rise to NW–SE- to N–S-oriented, metric- to hectometric-sized folds, without cleavage formation or related metamorphism. These folds can account for the deformation and uplift of the pre-Upper Ordovician (Cambro-Ordovician) sequence and for the formation of the Upper Ordovician unconformity. Ordovician folds control the orientation of the Variscan main-folding-phase minor structures, fold axes and intersection lineation in the Cambro-Ordovician sediments. The Late Ordovician fracture episode gave rise to normal faults affecting the lower part of the Upper Ordovician series, the basal unconformity and the underlying Cambro-Ordovician metasediments. Displacement of some of these faults diminishes progressively upwards of the series and tapers off in the upper part of the Upper Ordovician rocks, indicating that the faults became inactive during Late Ordovician times before deposition of the Ashgillian metasediments. Normal faults can be linked to the Upper Ordovician volcanic activity, which has been extensively described in the Pyrenees. The aforementioned deformation episodes took place after the Early Ordovician magmatic event, which gave rise to a large volume of plutonic rocks in the Pyrenees as in other segments of the European Variscides. This Middle Ordovician contractional event separated two extensional events in the Pyrenees from Early Ordovician to Silurian times. This event prevents us from assuming the existence of a continuous extensional regime through Ordovician and Silurian times, and suggests a more complex evolution of this segment of the northern Gondwana margin during the Ordovician.
On the mapping connecting the cylindrical nonlinear von Neumann equation with the standard von Neumann equation
Authors: FEDELE RENATO , DE NICOLA SERGIO , JOVANOVIĆ DUSAN , GRECU DAN , VISINESCU ANCA
Published: January 2010

The Wigner transformation is used to define the quasidistribution (Wigner function) associated with the wave function of the cylindrical nonlinear Schrödinger equation (CNLSE) in a way similar to that of the standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). The phase-space equation, governing the evolution of such quasidistribution, is a sort of nonlinear von Neumann equation (NLvNE), called here the ‘cylindrical nonlinear von Neumann equation’ (CNLvNE). Furthermore, the phase-space transformations, connecting the Wigner function and the NLvNE with the ‘cylindrical Wigner function’ and the CNLvNE, are found by extending the configuration space transformations that connect the NLSE and the CNLSE. Some examples of phase-space soliton solutions are given analytically and evaluated numerically.
Field structure and electron acceleration in a slit laser beam
Authors: Xie Y.J. , Wang W. , Zheng L. , Zhang X.P. , Kong Q. , Ho Y.K. , Wang P.X.
Published: January 2010

The electric field intensity distribution and the phase velocity distribution of a slit in laser beams with different parameters are analyzed. Using three-dimensional test particle simulation, the laser beam with a slit induced acceleration of electrons with different initial momenta is investigated. Contrary to anticipation, the maximum net energy gain is not monotone increasing as the incoming momentum increasing. Based on the field structure and analysis, we gave an explanation for this.
Gender-marked determiners help Dutch learners' word recognition when gender information itself does not
Authors: VAN HEUGTEN MARIEKE , JOHNSON ELIZABETH K.
Published: January 2010

Dutch, unlike English, contains two gender-marked forms of the definite article. Does the presence of multiple definite article forms lead Dutch learners to be delayed relative to English learners in the acquisition of their determiner system? Using the Preferential Looking Procedure, we found that Dutch-learning children aged 1 ; 7 to 2 ; 0 use articles during sentence comprehension in a fashion comparable to similarly aged English learners. That is, Dutch learners' sentence processing was impaired when a nonsense (se) as opposed to real article (de, het) preceded target words, much like English learners' sentence processing is disrupted by the use of a nonsense article. At the same time, however, gender cues did not help Dutch learners recognize target nouns more efficiently, indicating that gender has yet to be acquired. Thus, although Dutch-learning children aged 1 ; 7 to 2 ; 0 have not mastered all aspects of their language's article system, they nonetheless use their partial knowledge of articles during speech processing.
Interrelations between communicative behaviors at the outset of speech: parents as observers
Authors: DROMI ESTHER , ZAIDMAN-ZAIT ANAT
Published: January 2010

The Hebrew Parent Questionnaire for Communication and Early Language (HPQ-CEL) was administered by 154 parents of Hebrew-speaking toddlers aged 1 ; 0 to 1 ; 3 (77 boys, 77 girls). The Questionnaire guided parents in observing and rating their toddlers in six contexts at home. The study aimed to identify inter-correlations between toddlers' non-linguistic behaviors that co-occur during the transition to speech. Seven communicative behaviors were extracted from the questionnaire data: Crying, Vocalizations, Collaboration with Adults, Pointing, Words, Joint Engagement in a Peek-a-Boo Game, and Triadic Interaction in Book Reading. Collaboration with Adults and Triadic Interaction in Book Reading yielded more significant correlations than other prelinguistic behaviors. Participation in social games and book-reading activities was associated with the toddlers' number of words at the period studied.
Measles hotspots and epidemiological connectivity
Authors: BHARTI N. , DJIBO A. , FERRARI M. J. , GRAIS R. F. , TATEM A. J. , McCABE C. A. , BJORNSTAD O. N. , GRENFELL B. T.
Published: January 2010

Though largely controlled in developed countries, measles remains a major global public health issue. Regional and local transmission patterns are rooted in human mixing behaviour across spatial scales. Identifying spatial interactions that contribute to recurring epidemics helps define and predict outbreak patterns. Using spatially explicit reported cases from measles outbreaks in Niger, we explored how regional variations in movement and contact patterns relate to patterns of measles incidence. Because we expected to see lower rates of re-introductions in small, compared to large, populations, we measured the population-size corrected proportion of weeks with zero cases across districts to understand relative rates of measles re-introductions. We found that critical elements of spatial disease dynamics in Niger are agricultural seasonality, transnational contact clusters, and roads networks that facilitate host movement and connectivity. These results highlight the need to understand local patterns of seasonality, demographic characteristics, and spatial heterogeneities to inform vaccination policy.
Seroprevalence and factors associated withToxoplasma gondiiinfection in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in a Mediterranean island
Authors: RICHOMME C. , AFONSO E. , TOLON V. , DUCROT C. , HALOS L. , ALLIOT A. , PERRET C. , THOMAS M. , BOIREAU P. , GILOT-FROMONT E.
Published: January 2010

Knowledge of the factors affecting the presence ofToxoplasma gondiiin wildlife is limited. Here we analyse which local landscape characteristics are associated with the presence of toxoplasmosis in wild boar,Sus scrofa, on the island of Corsica, France. Meat juice samples from 1399 wild boars collected during two hunting seasons were tested forT. gondiiantibodies using the modified agglutination test (titre 1:4). The overall seroprevalence was 0·55 (95% CI 0·50–0·59) for the first year and 0·33 (95% CI 0·29–0·35) for the second year. Seroprevalence varied according to age and county. At the county level, seropositivity in adults was related to farm density during year 1, and to habitat fragmentation, farm density and altitude during year 2. The exposure of wild boar toT. gondiiis thus variable according to landscape characteristics and probably results in a variable risk of transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans.
La formule d'appel dans les courriels à caractère personnel en français et en japonais
Authors: CLAUDEL CHANTAL
Published: January 2010

L'analyse quantitative et qualitative de la formule d'appel dans plus de trois cents courriels à caractère personnel en français et en japonais, conduit, suite à sa confrontation avec les tournures préconisées dans la correspondance épistolaire, à la mise au jour des pratiques privilégiées par les cybercorrespondants des deux communautés sur la base de critères d'ordre générationnel et socio-relationnel. Les phénomènes constatés permettent de conclure à des divergences relevant davantage d'écarts intergénérationnels et donc de variations intraculturelles que de manières de faire culturellement marquées, excepté pour l'ancienne génération qui a tendance, dans les relations professionnelles, à user largement de formules d'appel empruntées à la lettre, démarche qui révèle un degré de formalité plus élevé en japonais qu'en français.
Code(s) et tabous sur l'internet: Étude contrastive de quelques énoncés malédictifs en français et en anglais
Authors: CISLARU GEORGETA
Published: January 2010

Cet article propose une analyse de quelques énoncés malédictifs en tant que marqueurs de croyances et de valeurs culturelles. L'étude est menée sur des corpus en français et en anglais issus de l'internet autour de ‘maudire’, ‘damn’ et ‘curse’. En interrogeant les particularités lexico-grammaticales de ces énoncés, en observant tour à tour leur valeur expressive, leur potentiel insultant, leur validation/invalidation interlocutive et les effets pragmatiques qu'ils préconisent, on finit par dégager une distinction au niveau de l'acte de langage lui-même:instrumentalen français, où il vise l'intersubjectivation des émotions, vs.hostileen anglais, où le destinataire est directement interpellé et risque de perdre la face. Cette différence renvoie à des causalités socio-culturelles plus profondes (interdits, croyances, rapport aux émotions), mais aussi à des contraintes structurelles liées aux propriétés des lexèmes susmentionnés.
Wanting to be wanted: a comparative study of incidence and severity in indirect complaint on the part of French and English language teaching assistants
Authors: CRAWSHAW ROBERT , CULPEPER JONATHAN , HARRISON JULIA
Published: January 2010

Using data from the ESRC funded project Pragmatics and Intercultural Communication (PIC), this paper applies contrastive quantitative and qualitative analysis to data derived from oral statements, logbooks and retrospective reports by language teaching assistants in France and England. The data concerns their ‘rapport’ (Spencer-Oatey, 2003; 2005) with the members of staff responsible for their professional supervision and the paper assesses complaint behaviour across the two national groups. Basing our study on computer recorded discourse segments taxonomically codified as ‘negative assessment’, we show that the incidence of ‘indirect’ complaint (Boxer, 1993) is significantly higher among English assistants than among their French counterparts. A revised model for measuring ‘severity’ (House and Kasper, 1981; Olshtain and Weinbach, 1993) is applied to the data using corpus linguistic techniques. Its findings demonstrate that English assistants also complain more ‘severely’ than their French peers. Nevertheless, the difference in linguistic behaviour between individuals within each group is shown to be greater than that between the two national groups, implying that personality is a stronger determinant of cultural outlook than nationality.
Superb Posner – but can we go further?
Authors: FREY BRUNO S.
Published: January 2010

Posner's (2010) analysis offers many exciting insights into the principal-agent problem, particularly with respect to the secret service. I argue that it would be useful to consider a broader model of human behaviour, which includes awards as extrinsic incentives beyond pay, as well as intrinsic motivation. A more comparative stance that goes beyond the United States would be a useful check of how general the results are. Scholars should not forget that while the US is the dominant economy today, there are 195 nations in the world that offer many fascinating institutional variations, which are useful to take into account.
Organizations matter: they are institutions, after all
Authors: LINARELLI JOHN
Published: January 2010

Judge Posner (2010) offers a substantial agenda for organization economics. He advises us on how organization economics can shed substantial light on some of the most pressing social problems of the day. I comment on two of the areas he selects for discussion and offer some comments on the relationship of organization economics to new institutional economics. Judge Posner surely is right to argue that organization economics can help us understand the failures of corporate governance in regulating executive pay. Moreover, with additional and more institutionally nuanced theorizing, organizational economics should further our understanding of the work of judiciaries in the civilian and common law traditions. Judge Posner tells us that organization economics and new institutional economics are related fields. I make a plea for economic holism. Organizations are institutions. While getting clear on disciplinary boundaries and the differing kinds and concepts of institutions is important, logical differences in concepts like ‘organization’ and ‘institution’ may be less important than what to emphasize in theory construction and what to test for with those theories. The success of organization economics will be in whether the different emphases produce new insights. Judge Posner is right to tell us that new insights are coming and will continue to come from organization economics. This is true however we conceptualize the field as a school of thought.