bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality and Information Processing: We Are What We Encode
Authors: Mathews Andrew
Published: March 2012

This commentary addresses several questions raised by the papers in this special issue: about the nature of information processing methods in the study of personality, the degree to which processing biases are specific to certain types of information, the causal relationship between processing styles and personality, and the extent to which individual variations of information processing are automatic or can be controlled. The implications of the findings described in the papers published in this special issue for each of these questions are discussed, leading to some tentative suggestions for future research into the role of information processing as a contributory cause of personality differences. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of pH/temperature dual stimuli‐responsive nanogels with interpenetrating polymer network structure
Authors: Liu Xiaoyun , Guo Hui , Zha Liusheng
Published: March 2012

Nanogels with interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were synthesized by in situ polymerization of acrylic acid and N, N′‐methylenebisacrylamide within the PNIPAM nanogels. Their IPN structure was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy after staining by uranyl acetate. The temperature‐ or pH‐dependent hydrodynamic diameters measured using dynamic laser light scattering show that the IPN nanogels have pH and temperature dual stimuli‐responsive properties. As compared to previously reported pH/temperature dual stimuli‐responsive nanogels, these IPN nanogels have the advantage of less mutual interference between the temperature‐responsive and pH‐responsive components, which is beneficial for their applications in controlled drug release and sensors. The temperature‐ and pH‐triggered volume phase transition mechanisms of the IPN nanogels were tested by probing the microenvironment change of their PNIPAM and PAA chains upon phase transition using infrared (IR) absorption spectra measured at different pH values and IR difference spectra obtained by subtracting the IR spectrum obtained before temperature‐induced phase transition from that obtained after phase transition. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Thermo‐ and pH‐responsive microgels for controlled release of insulin
Authors: Bai Yunyan , Zhang Zhe , Deng Mingxiao , Chen Li , He Chaoliang , Zhuang Xiuli , Chen Xuesi
Published: March 2012

Microgel particles were prepared, made of hydroxypropylcellulose‐graft‐(acrylic acid) (HPC‐g‐AA) and acrylic acid(AA). The particles undergo reversible volume phase transitions in response to both pH and temperature changes while keeping the inherent properties of PAA and HPC‐g‐AA. Dynamic light scattering measurements reveal that the average hydrodynamic radius and hydrodynamic radius distributions of the microgel particles depend on temperature and pH. The microgels exhibit excellent pH sensitivity and a higher swelling ratio at higher pH in aqueous solution. In vitro release study shows that the amount of insulin released from the microgels is less at pH = 1.2 than at pH = 6.8. The results indicate that the resultant microgels seem to be of great potential for intelligent oral drug delivery. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Particle Size Distribution of Multimodal Polymer Dispersions by Multiangle Dynamic Light Scattering. Solution of the Inverse Problem on the Basis of a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Clementi Luis A. , Vega Jorge R. , Gugliotta Luis M.
Published: March 2012

A method for estimating the particle size distribution (PSD) of dilute latexes from multiangle dynamic light scattering (MDLS) measurements is presented. The estimation procedure includes two main steps: 1) the calculation of the angle‐dependent average diameters of the PSD from MDLS measurements, and 2) the estimation of the PSD through an optimization strategy based on a genetic algorithm (GA). First, the capability of the method was tested on the basis of three simulated examples that involved different PSD shapes, widths, and diameter ranges. Then, the method was employed for estimating the PSD of three samples: a polystyrene latex standard of narrow PSD and known nominal diameter; a mixture of two polystyrene standards of narrow PSDs; and an industrial latex of unknown composition. For comparison, all examples were also solved by numerical inversion of the MDLS autocorrelation measurements through a linear constrained Tikhonov regularization technique. The proposed method appears as an effective and robust tool for characterizing unimodal and multimodal PSDs, without requiring any a priori assumption on the mode shapes or on the PSD diameter range.
Piperine Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide‐induced Maturation of Bone‐marrow‐derived Dendritic Cells Through Inhibition of ERK and JNK Activation
Authors: Bae Gi‐Sang , Kim Jong‐Jin , Park Kyoung‐Chel , Koo Bon Soon , Jo Il‐Joo , Choi Sun Bok , Lee Chang Hyuk , Jung Won‐Seok , Cho Jung‐Hee , Hong Seung‐Heon , Song Ho‐Joon , Shin Yong Kook , Park Sung‐Joo
Published: March 2012

Piperine, one of the main components of Piper longum Linn. and P. nigrum Linn., is a plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use. Piperine has been shown to modulate the immune response, but the mechanism underlying this modulation remains unknown. Here, we examined the effects of piperine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced inflammatory responses in bone‐marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Piperine significantly inhibited the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II, CD40 and CD86 in BMDCs in a dose‐dependent manner. Furthermore, piperine treatment led to an increase in fluorescein‐isothiocyanate–dextran uptake in LPS‐treated dendritic cells and inhibited the production of tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin (IL)‐12, but not IL‐6. The inhibitory effects of piperine were mediated via suppression of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases activation, but not p38 or nuclear factor‐κB activation. These findings provide insight into the immunopharmacological role of piperine. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synergistic interactions between PBDEs and PCBs in human neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Pellacani C. , Tagliaferri S. , Caglieri A. , Goldoni M. , Giordano G. , Mutti A. , Costa L. G.
Published: March 2012

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with developmental neurotoxicity, endocrine dysfunction, and reproductive disorders. Humans and wildlife are generally exposed to a mixture of these environmental pollutants, highlighting the need to evaluate the potential effects of combined exposures. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of the combined exposure to two PBDEs and two PCBs in a human neuronal cell line. 2,2′,4,4′‐Tetrabromodiphenyl ether, 2,2′,4,4′,5‐pentabromodiphenyl ether, PCB‐126 (3,3′,4,4′,5‐pentachlorobiphenyl; a dioxin‐like PCB), and PCB‐153 (2,2′,4,4′,5,5′‐hexachlorobiphenyl; a non‐dioxin‐like PCB) were chosen, because their concentrations are among the highest in human tissues and the environment. The results suggest that the nature of interactions is related to the PCB structure. Mixtures of PCB‐153 and both PBDEs had a prevalently synergistic effect. In contrast, mixtures of each PBDE congener with PCB‐126 showed additive effects at threshold concentrations, and synergistic effects at higher concentrations. These results emphasize the concept that the toxicity of xenobiotics may be affected by possible interactions, which may be of significance given the common coexposures to multiple contaminants. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 418–427, 2014.
The roles of endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway in quercetin‐mediated cell death of human prostate cancer PC‐3 cells
Authors: Liu Kuo‐Ching , Yen Chun‐Yi , Wu Rick Sai‐Chuen , Yang Jai‐Sing , Lu Hsu‐Feng , Lu Kung‐Wen , Lo Chyi , Chen Hung‐Yi , Tang Nou‐Ying , Wu Chih‐Chung , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: March 2012

Prostate cancer has its highest incidence and is becoming a major concern. Many studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine exhibited antitumor responses. Quercetin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has been shown to induce apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. Although numerous evidences show multiple possible signaling pathways of quercetin in apoptosis, there is no report to address the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in quercetin‐induced apoptosis in PC‐3 cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of quercetin on the induction of the apoptotic pathway in human prostate cancer PC‐3 cells. Cells were treated with quercetin for 24 and 48 h and at various doses (50–200 μM), and cell morphology and viability decreased significantly in dose‐dependent manners. Flow cytometric assay indicated that quercetin at 150 μM caused G0/G1 phase arrest (31.4–49.7%) and sub‐G1 phase cells (19.77%) for 36 h treatment and this effect is a time‐dependent manner. Western blotting analysis indicated that quercetin induces the G0/G1 phase arrest via decreasing the levels of CDK2, cyclins E, and D proteins. Quercetin also stimulated the protein expression of ATF, GRP78, and GADD153 which is a hall marker of ER stress. Furthermore, PC‐3 cells after incubation with quercetin for 48 h showed an apoptotic cell death and DNA damage which are confirmed by DAPI and Comet assays, leading to decrease the antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 protein and level of ΔΨm, and increase the proapoptotic Bax protein and the activations of caspase‐3, ‐8, and ‐9. Moreover, quercetin promoted the trafficking of AIF protein released from mitochondria to nuclei. These data suggest that quercetin may induce apoptosis by direct activation of caspase cascade through mitochondrial pathway and ER stress in PC‐3 cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 428–439, 2014.
Blending Theory with Practice: Implementing Kindergarten Transition Using the Interactive Systems Framework
Authors: Smythe-Leistico Ken J. , Young Colleen P. , Mulvey Laurie A. , McCall Robert B. , Petruska Margaret , Barone-Martin Carole , Capozzoli Renata , Best Tiffani , Coffee Barbara A.
Published: March 2012

The Interactive Systems Framework (ISF; Wandersman et al. in Am J Commu Psychol 41(3–4):171–181, 2008) was used to implement a kindergarten transition demonstration project collaboratively developed by elementary and early education providers, community‐based family and housing services, parents, and a University intermediary and technical assistance group. First person accounts from stakeholders at all levels provide a complementary and broad perspective on the project's implementation. The practice model blended existing research on kindergarten transition and parent involvement with feedback from stakeholders to create a community‐specific program designed to help all children make a smooth entry into kindergarten. During implementation, evidence‐based approaches needed to be adjusted to fit the specific needs of each community. Using the ISF as a guide, next steps and lessons learned include increasing leadership through a district‐wide plan that is still flexible within each school community, increasing information and supports to individual schools, and improving data collection for continuous program improvement.

Special Issue: Advances in Bridging Research and Practice Using the Interactive System Framework for Dissemination and Implementation; Guest Editors: Abraham Wandersman, Paul Flaspohler, Catherine A. Lesesne, Richard Puddy; Action Editor: Emilie Phillips Smith
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Patients’ Recommendations for Genetic Counselors: A Qualitative Investigation
Authors: VandenLangenberg Erin , Veach Patricia McCarthy , LeRoy Bonnie S. , Glessner Heather Dean
Published: March 2012

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals comprise a growing patient population in genetic counseling. However, only one article from a genetic counseling journal provides empirical data on GLB patients’ genetic counseling experiences and genetic counselor attitudes and practices regarding GLB patients. The present study, an extension of the aforementioned article, gathered further information about patients’ genetic counseling experiences through semi‐structured telephone interviews. Twelve of the previous study's 29 patient respondents (n = 10 lesbian women, n = 1 gay man, n = 1 bisexual woman) participated. Interview questions concerned the use of medically inclusive forms, factors influencing patient disclosure, counselors’ ability to relate to them, and their expectations of genetic counselors. Inductive analysis of the interviews yielded seven themes: 1) Medically inclusive forms with gender neutral terms are important; 2) Genetic counselor ability to relate to a GLB person depends more on the relationship established during the session and less on external symbols; 3) The presence of GLB‐friendly symbols increases comfort when disclosing one's orientation; 4) Inclusion of the patient's partner is important and best done by encouraging their active participation in sessions; 5) When GLB patients disclose their orientation, they expect to be treated like any other patient; 6) Providers should ask about orientation if medically pertinent and the remaining discussion should take orientation into consideration; and 7) When a provider inquires about orientation it should be done in a safe and appropriate way. Illustrative quotations, genetic counseling practice implications, and research recommendations are presented.
Wrong Site Surgery—Where are We and What is the Next Step?
Authors: Cobb Tyson K.
Published: March 2012

Background

Wrong site surgery is estimated to occur 40 times per week in hospitals and clinics in USA. The universal protocol was implemented by the joint commission board of commissioners to address wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong person surgery.

Discussion

The universal protocol has three principal components: preoperative verification, marking of the operative site, and a time-out. Despite this organized approach to this problem, current data do not demonstrate any progress. In fact some data suggest that the problem may be getting worse. It is apparent that a process relying on surgeon and surgical team memory is doomed to ultimate failure. Recommendations are made for a more in depth checklist process based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization, reports in the literature of known areas of weakness in the current process, and personal experience in hopes of establishing a more bullet proof system to avoid wrong site procedure.
Automated High‐Throughput Fatty Acid Analysis of Umbilical Cord Serum and Application to an Epidemiological Study
Authors: Lin Yu Hong , Salem Norman , Wells Ellen M. , Zhou Weiyin , Loewke James D. , Brown James A. , Lands William E. M. , Goldman Lynn R. , Hibbeln Joseph R.
Published: March 2012

Large population studies show that polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for human health, but determining relationships between the health benefits and the fatty acid content has been hampered by the unavailability of labor‐effective high‐throughput technologies. An automated high throughput fatty acid analysis was developed from a previous procedure based on direct transesterification including the automation of chemical procedures, data acquisition and automatic data processing. The method was validated and applied to umbilical cord serum samples in an epidemiological study. The method was linear in the range of 1–600 μg/mL serum with r2 ≥0.99. The within‐run CV was <5.4% for 23 fatty acids and a range of recoveries over three concentrations were 76–119% in a low‐lipid matrix with the exception of 14:0. The fatty acid concentration as measured by the robotic method for human plasma was in good agreement with the Lepage & Roy method. The fatty acid profile in umbilical cord serum from American subjects (n = 287) showed an average of 38.0, 24.9, 32.0 and 4.6% of total fatty acids for saturates, monounsaturates, n‐6 and n‐3 polyunsaturates, respectively. This is the first report of a complete, validated, cost‐effective, automated, high throughput fatty acid measurement method along with application to a population‐based study. Automated fatty acid analysis coupled with automated data processing greatly facilitates the high throughput, 72 samples transesterified in 6 h, required for large population‐based studies.
Indirect Method for Simultaneous Determinations of 3‐Chloro‐1,2‐Propanediol Fatty Acid Esters and Glycidyl Fatty Acid Esters
Authors: Miyazaki Kinuko , Koyama Kazuo , Sasako Hiroshi , Hirao Takashi
Published: March 2012

Recent concerns about potential health risks associated with 3‐chloro‐1,2‐propanediol fatty acid esters (3‐MCPD esters) and glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs) in refined vegetable oils and fats have led to development of various methods for quantitative determinations of these compounds. Among them, indirect methods, which determine total amount of 3‐MCPD and glycidol after hydrolysis of the esters, have an advantage over direct methods, which require a reference standard for each of the many possible species of fatty acid esters to be quantified. The existing indirect methods, however, may yield unreliable results or require long hours of alkaline methanolysis. To overcome these shortcomings, the objective of this study was to develop a reliable and rapid indirect method for simultaneous determinations of 3‐MCPD esters and GEs. By using Candida rugosa lipase and sodium bromide for a hydrolysis/bromination step, 3‐MCPD esters and GEs were transformed within 30 min to 3‐MCPD and 3‐bromo‐1,2‐propanediol (3‐MBPD), respectively, without interconversion. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of 3‐MCPD and 3‐MBPD derivatized with phenylboronic acid showed 89–108 % recovery of 3‐MCPD‐diesters, ‐monoesters, and GEs from various oils and fats spiked at 2 and 20 mg/kg. The method should be useful for routine analysis of 3‐MCPD esters and GEs.
Impact of mechanized harvesting on compaction of sandy and clayey forest soils: results of a meta-analysis
Authors: Ampoorter Evy , de Schrijver An , van Nevel Lotte , Hermy Martin , Verheyen Kris
Published: March 2012

Context

Nowadays, harvest operations are predominantly performed fully mechanized using heavy tractors or forestry machines. The resulting soil compaction may negatively affect the soil ecosystem.

Aims

We wanted to draw general conclusions concerning the impact of mechanized harvesting on forest soil bulk density and the influencing factors.

Method

Therefore, we combined the data of several studies using a meta-analysis approach.

Results

The impact decreased from the surface towards deeper soil layers. At 0–10 cm depth, the impact on clayey soils was highest although not significantly different from the impact on sandy soils. Higher initial bulk densities, i.e., on already compacted forest soils, generally led to smaller extra increases of bulk density after machine traffic. For sandy soils, the impact was also significantly smaller when machines were lighter. No significant relationship was observed between the compaction degree and traffic intensity.

Conclusions

We observed clear compaction on both clayey and sandy soils, especially in case of low initial soil compaction degrees and heavy machines. The compacted initial state of many forest soils, the long recovery period, and the generally high impact of the first passes that is frequently mentioned in literature all count in favour of designated skid trails and an adjustment of the machine type to the job.
Recombinant Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Suppresses Pulmonary Vasoconstriction in Acute Hypoxia
Authors: Kleinsasser Axel , Pircher Iris , Treml Benedict , Schwienbacher Martin , Schuster Manfred , Janzek Eveline , Loibner Hans , Penninger Josef M. , Loeckinger Alex
Published: March 2012

Objective

Alveolar hypoxia as a result of high altitude leads to increased pulmonary arterial pressure. The renin-angiotensin system is involved in the regulation of pulmonary arterial pressure through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). It remains unknown whether ACE2 administration alters pulmonary vascular pressure in hypoxia.

Methods

We investigated 12 anesthetized pigs instrumented with arterial, central venous, and Swan-Ganz catheters exposed to normobaric hypoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen = 0.125) for 180 minutes. After taking baseline measurements in normoxia and hypoxia, ACE2 400 μg·kg−1 was administered to 6 animals, and another 6 served as control. Ventilatory variables, arterial blood gases, ventilation/perfusion ([Formula: see text]) relationships, and plasma angiotensin II concentrations were assessed before and at 30, 90, and 150 minutes in hypoxia after ACE2 or placebo administration. Hemodynamic variables and cardiac output were observed every 30 minutes.

Results

We observed lower pulmonary arterial pressure (maximum: 30 vs 39 mm Hg, P < .01) and lower pulmonary vascular resistance (maximum: 4.1 vs 7.5 Wood units, P <.01) in animals treated with ACE2. There was a trend ( P =.09) toward lower angiotensin II plasma concentrations among ACE2-treated animals. Cardiac variables and systemic arterial pressure in hypoxia remained unaffected by ACE2. Ventilation/perfusion relationships and Pao2 did not differ between groups.

Conclusions

In acute pulmonary hypertension, administration of ACE2 blunts the rise in pulmonary arterial pressure that occurs in response to hypoxia. Recombinant ACE2 may be a treatment option for high altitude pulmonary edema and hypoxia-associated pulmonary hypertension.
Novel Use of a Hemostatic Dressing in the Management of a Bleeding Leech Bite: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Fedor Preston J.
Published: March 2012

Persistent bleeding from leech bites is a common occurrence, although little evidence is available to guide management. Detailed here is the case of a 30-year-old American man who presented with two leech bites after a trek through the jungle in Nepal, one of which continued to briskly ooze blood despite standard wound care. The wound was ultimately treated with QuikClot gauze, which allowed for rapid hemostasis without rebleeding. This case report describes the first use of a hemostatic dressing for this purpose, and reviews what is known about hemostatic agents and about leeches in order to discuss how they make us bleed and what to do when a leech bite occurs.
Improvised Traction Splints: A Wilderness Medicine Tool or Hindrance?
Authors: Weichenthal Lori , Spano Susanne , Horan Brian , Miss Jacob
Published: March 2012

Objectives

To investigate whether a traction splint made from improvised materials is as efficacious as commercially available devices in terms of traction provided and perceived comfort and stability.

Methods

This was a prospective randomized crossover study utilizing 10 healthy, uninjured volunteers. The subjects were randomized to be placed in 4 different traction devices, in differing order, each for 30 minutes. Three of the traction splints are commercially available: The HARE, Sager, and Faretech CT-EMS. The fourth traction device was an improvised splint made as described in Medicine for the Backcountry: A Practical Guide to Wilderness First Aid. At the end of 30 minutes the pounds of force created by each device was measured. The volunteers were also asked at that time to subjectively report the comfort and stability of the splint separately on a scale from 1 to 10.

Results

All traction splints performed similarly with regard to the primary outcome measure of mean pounds of traction created at the end of 30 minutes of application with results ranging from 10.4 to 13.3 pounds. There was little difference reported by participants in regard to stability or comfort between the 4 traction devices.

Conclusions

In this small pilot study, an improvised traction splint was not inferior to commercially available devices. Further research in needed in this area.
Mining Tacitus: secrets of empire, nature and art in the reason of state
Authors: KELLER VERA
Published: March 2012

A new political practice, the ‘reason of state’, informed the ends and practices of natural study in the late sixteenth century. Informed by the study of the Roman historian Tacitus, political writers gathered ‘secrets of empire’ from both history and travel. Following the economic reorientation of ‘reason of state’ by Giovanni Botero (1544–1617), such secrets came to include bodies of useful particulars concerning nature and art collected by an expanding personnel of intelligencers. A comparison between various writers describing wide-scale collections, such as Botero, Francis Bacon (1561–1626), Jakob Bornitz (1560–1625) and Matthias Bernegger (1582–1640), reveals that seventeenth-century natural intelligencers across Europe not only were analogous to political intelligencers, but also were sometimes one and the same. Those seeking political prudence cast themselves as miners, prying precious particulars from the recesses of history, experience and disparate disciplines, including mathematics, alchemy and natural philosophy. The seventeenth-century practice of combining searches for secrets of empire, nature and art contests a frequent historiographical divide between empirical science and Tacitism or reason of state. It also points to the ways political cunning shaped the management of information for both politics and the study of nature and art.
Selective flows of knowledge in technoscientific interaction: information control in genome research
Authors: HILGARTNER STEPHEN
Published: March 2012

In recent years, the selective flow of knowledge has emerged as an important topic in historical and social studies of science. Related questions about the production of ignorance have also captured attention under the rubric of agnotology. This paper focuses on information control in interaction, examining how actors seek to control the flow of scientific knowledge as they interact with others, either in face-to-face encounters or in modes of communication involving circulating documents, data, materials and other entities containing knowledge. The analysis uses an ethnographic approach to study how actors work to control which knowledge becomes available to whom, when, under what terms and conditions, and with what residual encumbrances. Secrecy, for example, is not framed as an isolated,sui generisphenomenon, nor as one side of a secrecy/openness dichotomy, nor even as a pole on a secrecy/openness continuum. Instead, the analysis explores how actors manage a dialectic of revelation and concealment through which knowledge is selectively made available and unavailable to others, often in the same act. The emphasis on selective revelation highlights partial transfers of knowledge, targeted distribution, matters of timing, and the rights and encumbrances that attach to knowledge at different points in its transit. Examples are drawn from genome research, a field marked by ongoing disputes about modes of information control.
SUBROGATION AND INDEMNITY
Authors: Weir Tony
Published: March 2012

A Ford employee named Roberts carelessly drove a forklift truck into Morris, a person employed by Ford's cleaning contractor, Cameron. Morris sued Ford. Ford admitted vicarious liability for Roberts' negligence, and claimed against Cameron under a clause in the cleaning contract whereby Cameron had agreed to indemnify Ford against any loss or liability arising out of the cleaning operation. Cameron conceded liability to Ford under this clause and now sought an indemnity from Roberts, the careless employee of Ford: Morris v Ford Motor Co. [1973] 2 W.L.R. 843. The trial judge upheld Cameron's claim, but the Court of Appeal (Stamp L.J. dissenting) allowed Roberts' appeal on the ground that an implied term in the indemnity clause (or, per Lord Denning M.R., equitable considerations) excluded Cameron's normal right, as indemnitor, to be subrogated to Ford's right of recourse against Roberts, their careless employee, this right of recourse having been held by the House of Lords in Lister v Romford Ice & Cold Storage Co. [1957] A.C. 555 to enure even to the insured employer. Cameron has been granted leave to appeal, so the House of Lords has a good opportunity to reconsider Lister. While, at the technical level, Morris turns on the implications of a contract of indemnity and Lister deals with the implications in a contract of employment, the situation underlying both cases raises basic questions about the interaction of tort and that most familiar of indemnity contracts, insurance.
WILLS AS PUBLIC DOCUMENTS – PRIVACY AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
Authors: Jaconelli Joseph
Published: March 2012

It is a long-established legal rule that the contents of a will, once it is admitted to probate, are available for inspection by any member of the public. This article is the first examination of this remarkable rule, its possible rationales, and its attendant disadvantages. Particular attention is paid to the problems of the ensuing loss of privacy. Legislative attempts to limit open access are considered together with non-legislative devices used for the same purpose: the secret trust; and applications for the sealing of a will (a device especially prevalent in the case of royal wills).
THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE DIVIDE IN ENGLISH AND DUTCH LAW: A MULTIFUNCTIONAL AND CONTEXT-DEPENDANT DIVIDE
Authors: Jurgens Gerdy , van Ommeren Frank
Published: March 2012

The main thesis of this article is that the public-private divide has to be considered as a multifunctional and context-dependant divide. This thesis is demonstrated by comparing English law and Dutch law. The authors describe two areas in which the divide is relevant: judicial review and the applicability of public law standards including human rights. In both legal systems discussions concerning the private-public divide relate to the transfer of power to private bodies. However, in the Dutch – continental – legal system the label ‘public law’ is used in fewer kinds of cases than in the English legal system. This remarkable finding might be explained by the characterization of the public-private division as multifunctional and context-dependant.
PATERNAL INVESTMENT AND STATUS-RELATED CHILD OUTCOMES: TIMING OF FATHER'S DEATH AFFECTS OFFSPRING SUCCESS
Authors: SHENK MARY K. , SCELZA BROOKE A.
Published: March 2012

Recent work in human behavioural ecology has suggested that analyses focusing on early childhood may underestimate the importance of paternal investment to child outcomes since such investment may not become crucial until adolescence or beyond. This may be especially important in societies with a heritable component to status, as later investment by fathers may be more strongly related to a child's adult status than early forms of parental investment that affect child survival and child health. In such circumstances, the death or absence of a father may have profoundly negative effects on the adult outcomes of his children that cannot be easily compensated for by the investment of mothers or other relatives. This proposition is tested using a multigenerational dataset from Bangalore, India, containing information on paternal mortality as well as several child outcomes dependent on parental investment during adolescence and young adulthood. The paper examines the effects of paternal death, and the timing of paternal death, on a child's education, adult income, age at marriage and the amount spent on his or her marriage, along with similar characteristics of spouses. Results indicate that a father's death has a negative impact on child outcomes, and that, in contrast to some findings in the literature on father absence, the effects of paternal death are strongest for children who lose their father in late childhood or adolescence.
Two Decades of Change in Europe: The Emergence of the Social Investment State
Authors: VAN KERSBERGEN KEES , HEMERIJCK ANTON
Published: March 2012

Since the late 1970s, the developed welfare states of the European Union have been recasting the policy mix on which their systems of social protection were built. They have adopted a new policy orthodoxy that could be summarised as the ‘social investment strategy’. Here we trace its origins and major developments. The shift is characterised by a move away from passive transfers and towards the maximalisation of employability and employment, but there are significant national distinctions and regime specific trajectories. We discuss some caveats, focusing on the question whether the new policy paradigm has been established at the expense of social policies that mitigate poverty and inequality.
Initial study and design on ignition ellipraum
Authors: Lan Ke , Lai Dongxian , Zhao Yiqing , Li Xin
Published: March 2012

An initial study and design on ignition elliptical hohlraum (ellipraum) is given by using the expended plasma-filling model with criterions. As a result, in an ellipraum with a smaller ratio of major-to-minor axis (a/b), the radius ratio of ellipraum-to-capsule (b/RC) should be larger (hence more sphere-like) to meet the criterions of plasma-filling and laser deposition, meanwhile the required laser energy and peak power are lower and the coupling between different modes is weaker. To produce a 300 eV radiation pulse to ignite a capsule of 1 mm radius, an ellipraum of a/b = 1.6 and b/Rc = 2.8 is superior to a cylinraum with a length-to-diameter ratio of 1.81 and a cylinraum-to-capsule radius ratio of 2.54 in saving more than 10% laser energy and reducing 50% coupling between different modes.
Brauer algebras of type C are cellularly stratified
Authors: Bowman C.
Published: March 2012

In a recent paper Cohen, Liu and Yu introduce the Brauer algebra of type C. We show that this algebra is an iterated inflation of hyperoctahedral groups, and that it is cellularly stratified. This allows us to give an indexing set of the standard modules, results on decomposition numbers, and the conditions under which the algebra is quasi-hereditary.
Time-Based Prospective Memory in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: The Involvement of Executive Functions and Time Perception
Authors: Mioni Giovanna , Stablum Franca , McClintock Shawn M. , Cantagallo Anna
Published: March 2012

Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to perform a future action at a specified later time, which is investigated through the use of event-based and time-based tasks. Prior investigations have found that PM is impaired following traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there is limited information regarding the cognitive functions that mediate TBI and PM performance. Thus, this study investigated time-based PM in TBI patients, and the relationship among time-based PM, time perception, and executive functions. To accomplish this objective, 18 severe TBI patients and 18 healthy matched controls performed a time-based PM task, a time reproduction task, and two executive functions (Stroop and n-back) tasks. While both groups increased their monitoring frequency close to the target time, TBI patients monitored more and were less accurate than healthy controls at the target time confirming the time-based PM dysfunction in these patients. Importantly, executive functions, particularly inhibition and updating abilities, were strongly related to time-based PM performance; both time perception and executive functions are involved in time-based prospective memory in controls, whereas, only executive functions appear to be involved in TBI time-based prospective memory performance. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–9)
The measure matters: Language dominance profiles across measures in Spanish–English bilingual children
Authors: BEDORE LISA M. , PEÑA ELIZABETH D. , SUMMERS CONNIE L. , BOERGER KARIN M. , RESENDIZ MARIA D. , GREENE KAI , BOHMAN THOMAS M. , GILLAM RONALD B.
Published: March 2012

The purpose of this study was to determine if different language measures resulted in the same classifications of language dominance and proficiency for a group of bilingual pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners. Data were analyzed for 1029 Spanish–English bilingual pre-kindergarteners who spanned the full range of bilingual language proficiency. Parent questionnaires were used to quantify age of first exposure and current language use. Scores from a short test of semantic and morphosyntactic development in Spanish and English were used to quantify children's performance. Some children who were in the functionally monolingual range based on interview data demonstrated minimal knowledge of their other languages when tested. Current use accounted for more of the variance in language dominance than did age of first exposure. Results indicate that at different levels of language exposure children differed in their performance on semantic and morphosyntax tasks. These patterns suggest that it may be difficult to compare the results of studies that employ different measures of language dominance and proficiency. Current use is likely to be a useful metric of bilingual development that can be used to build a comprehensive picture of child bilingualism.
Impact of orange juice consumption on macronutrient and energy intakes and body composition in the US population
Authors: Wang Ying , Lloyd Beate , Yang Meng , Davis Catherine G , Lee Sang-Gil , Lee Wutae , Chung Sang-Jin , Chun Ock K
Published: March 2012

Objective

The present study evaluated the contribution of 100 % orange juice (OJ) consumption to the intakes of macronutrients and energy and its impact on body composition.

Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted. The main exposure was OJ consumption based on two non-consecutive 24 h diet recalls. Macronutrient and energy intakes and body composition parameters were outcome measures. All statistical analyses were carried out using SAS and SUDAAN statistical software packages to allow for multistage sample designs.

Setting

The US population and its subgroups.

Subjects

The US population aged ≥4 years (n13 971) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2006, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Results

In this US population, OJ consumers had lower BMI and healthier lifestyle behaviours (including lower alcohol consumption and smoking as well as higher exercise level) than non-consumers (P< 0·05). After adjusting for covariates, OJ consumers had higher daily intakes of carbohydrate, total sugar, total fat and energy than non-consumers (P< 0·01). However, these linear trends still remained even after OJ was removed from the food list of items consumed. Adult OJ consumers had lower BMI, waist circumference and percentage body fat than non-consumers (P< 0·01), as well as lower odds ratio for overweight and obesity (P< 0·01). These effects were not seen in children and adolescents, where there was no significant difference in BMI, waist circumference and percentage body fat in OJ consumers compared with non-consumers.

Conclusions

OJ consumption was associated with healthier body composition in adults; while there were no significant associations between OJ consumption and body composition in children and adolescents.
Comparing the availability, price, variety and quality of fruits and vegetables across retail outlets and by area-level socio-economic position
Authors: Millichamp Anna , Gallegos Danielle
Published: March 2012

Objective

To explore whether area-level socio-economic position or the form of retail stream (conventionalv. farmers’ market) is associated with differences in the price, availability, variety and quality of a range of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Design

A multi-site cross-sectional pilot study of farmers’ markets, supermarkets and independent fruit and vegetable retailers. Each was surveyed to assess the price, availability, variety and quality of fifteen fruit and eighteen vegetable items.

Setting

Retail outlets were located in south-east Queensland.

Subjects

Fifteen retail outlets were surveyed (five of each retail stream).

Results

Average basket prices were not significantly different across the socio-economic spectrum, but prices in low socio-economic areas were cheapest. Availability, variety and quality did not differ significantly across levels of socio-economic position; however, the areas with the most socio-economic disadvantage scored poorest for quality and variety. Supermarkets had significantly better fruit and vegetable availability than farmers’ markets, although price, variety and quality scores were not different across retail streams. Results demonstrate a trend to fruit and vegetable prices being more expensive at farmers’ markets, with the price of the fruit basket being significantly greater at the organic farmers’ market compared with the non-organic farmers’ markets.

Conclusions

Neither area-level socio-economic position nor the form of retail stream was significantly associated with differences in the availability, price, variety and quality of fruit and vegetables, except for availability which was higher in supermarkets than farmers’ markets. Further research is needed to determine what role farmers’ markets can play in affecting fruit and vegetable intake.
EFFECT OF INITIAL STRESSES ON INCIDENTqSV-WAVES IN PRE-STRESSED ELASTIC HALF-SPACES
Authors: SINGH S. S.
Published: March 2012

The effect of initial stresses on incident quasiSV-waves at a plane interface between two dissimilar pre-stressed elastic half-spaces is investigated. The reflection and refraction coefficients of the reflected and refractedqSV- andqP-waves are derived with the help of appropriate boundary conditions. The coefficients are found to be functions of the angle of incidence and the initial stresses and incremental elastic parameters of the pre-stressed elastic half-spaces.
DETECTING K-COMPLEXES FOR SLEEP STAGE IDENTIFICATION USING NONSMOOTH OPTIMIZATION
Authors: MOLONEY D. , SUKHORUKOVA N. , VAMPLEW P. , UGON J. , LI G. , BELIAKOV G. , PHILIPPE C. , AMIEL H. , UGON A.
Published: March 2012

The process of sleep stage identification is a labour-intensive task that involves the specialized interpretation of the polysomnographic signals captured from a patient’s overnight sleep session. Automating this task has proven to be challenging for data mining algorithms because of noise, complexity and the extreme size of data. In this paper we apply nonsmooth optimization to extract key features that lead to better accuracy. We develop a specific procedure for identifying K-complexes, a special type of brain wave crucial for distinguishing sleep stages. The procedure contains two steps. We first extract “easily classified” K-complexes, and then apply nonsmooth optimization methods to extract features from the remaining data and refine the results from the first step. Numerical experiments show that this procedure is efficient for detecting K-complexes. It is also found that most classification methods perform significantly better on the extracted features.
A COMPARISON OF CRITICAL TIME DEFINITIONS IN MULTILAYER DIFFUSION
Authors: HICKSON R. I. , BARRY S. I. , SIDHU H. S. , MERCER G. N.
Published: March 2012

There are many ways to define how long diffusive processes take, and an appropriate “critical time” is highly dependent on the specific application. In particular, we are interested in diffusive processes through multilayered materials, which have applications to a wide range of areas. Here we perform a comprehensive comparison of six critical time definitions, outlining their strengths, weaknesses, and potential applications. A further four definitions are also briefly considered. Equivalences between appropriate definitions are determined in the asymptotic limit as the number of layers becomes large. Relatively simple approximations are obtained for the critical time definitions. The approximations are more accessible than inverting the analytical solution for time, and surprisingly accurate. The key definitions, their behaviour and approximations are summarized in tables.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLANE AND SOLID GEOMETRY
Authors: ARANA ANDREW , MANCOSU PAOLO
Published: March 2012

Traditional geometry concerns itself with planimetric and stereometric considerations, which are at the root of the division between plane and solid geometry. To raise the issue of the relation between these two areas brings with it a host of different problems that pertain to mathematical practice, epistemology, semantics, ontology, methodology, and logic. In addition, issues of psychology and pedagogy are also important here. To our knowledge there is no single contribution that studies in detail even one of the aforementioned areas.

In this paper our major concern is with methodological issues of purity and thus we treat the connection to other areas of the planimetry/stereometry relation only to the extent necessary to articulate the problem area we are after.

Our strategy will be as follows. In the first part of the paper we will give a rough sketch of some key episodes in mathematical practice that relate to the interaction between plane and solid geometry. The sketch is given in broad strokes and only with the intent of acquainting the reader with some of the mathematical context against which the problem emerges. In the second part, we will look at a debate (on “fusionism”) in which for the first time methodological and foundational issues related to aspects of the mathematical practice covered in the first part of the paper came to the fore. We conclude this part of the paper by remarking that only through a foundational and philosophical effort could the issues raised by the debate on “fusionism” be made precise. The third part of the paper focuses on a specific case study which has been the subject of such an effort, namely the foundational analysis of the plane version of Desargues’ theorem on homological triangles and its implications for the relationship between plane and solid geometry. Finally, building on the foundational case study analyzed in the third section, we begin in the fourth section the analytic work necessary for exploring various important claims about “purity,” “content,” and other relevant notions.
Attentional Focus Manipulations Affect Naming Latencies of Neutral But Not of Incongruent Stroop Trials
Authors: Küper Kristina , Heil Martin
Published: March 2012

People are slower and more error-prone when indicating the color of incongruent color words compared to that of neutral stimuli. This Stroop effect results from the concurrent semantic analysis of the word stimulus. It has long been considered a prime example of the automaticity of semantic activation. However, coloring as well as cuing only a single letter both reduce the Stroop effect to the point of being absent. Proposed underlying mechanisms include the blocking of semantic activation, an improved selectivity between the interfering stimulus dimensions, and slowed color processing. In order to test the validity of these differing accounts of the single-letter Stroop effect, we compared vocal responses to standard and single-letter Stroop stimuli in two experiments. Irrespective of whether participants maintained a wide (Experiment 1) or a narrow (Experiment 2) attentional focus, both single-letter coloring and single-letter cuing increased reaction times to neutral Stroop stimuli but left those to incongruent stimuli unaffected. Both curtailed semantic activation and improved selection for action should, however, speed up reactions to incongruent stimuli. Our data thus support an explanation of the single-letter Stroop phenomenon in terms of impeded color processing, possibly as a result of color-color interference.