bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lost in diffusion? How collaborative arrangements lead to an accountability paradox
Authors: Willems Tom , Van Dooren Wouter
Published: September 2011

Several authors have documented a shift from traditional bureaucracies to collaborative arrangements with joint public and private involvement. This article studies the impact of this shift on accountability. We conclude from our explorative case analysis of Public— Private Partnership (PPP) policy in Flanders (Belgium) that there is an accountability paradox. Many prominent players in the policy arena point to serious shortcomings in the accountability of complex PPPs. Yet, with the introduction of PPPs, the number of accountability mechanisms did increase rather than decrease. This remarkable inconsistency between accountability as a tool and as a result is the main focus of this article. How can we avoid that accountability gets lost in the diffusion of public and private responsibilities?

Points for practitioners

Most research concludes that there is something wrong with accountability in PPPs. Our empirical analysis confirms in general this negative interpretation. The respondents share important concerns about how accountability works nowadays in practice. We therefore state that: the shift towards PPPs erodes the traditional notion of accountability; it entails new tools of accountability with a strong emphasis on performance; these tools, however, do not counterbalance the eroded traditional notion of accountability. Yet, they also share a remarkable optimism about the accountability potential of PPPs. With the necessary modifications (minor or major) a balance between the democratic, constitutional and performance functions of accountability can be found.
Quasi-static behavior identification of polyurethane foam using a memory integer model and the difference-forces method
Authors: Jmal H. , Dupuis R. , Aubry E.
Published: September 2011

Flexible polyurethane foam is widely used in numerous comfort applications such as automotive seat cushions and mattresses. It would be interesting to design a mechanical model which describes the behavior of this material in a series of test conditions. This study is devoted to the modeling of the quasi-static behavior of polyurethane foam using a memory integer model. Polyurethane foam undergoing large compressive deformation exhibits highly nonlinear elasticity and a viscoelastic behavior. The memory integer model describes the nonlinearity in a polynomial function and the viscoelasticity through a convolution function. Uniaxial compression tests help to identify the mechanical parameters of the model. The difference between the force responses of foam in load and unload phases constitute the base element of the method used in this article. Numerous precautions are taken into account to obtain accurate results which verify the thermodynamic conditions. Finally, the reliability as well as the limits of the memory integer model are discussed.
Mission as Education: A Past-to-Future Look at INFEMIT/OCMS
Authors: Tizon Al
Published: September 2011

The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies has sought to provide holistic theological and missiological graduate education, particularly for Two-Thirds World church and academic leaders since 1983. This article addresses the question, ‘Has it succeeded?’ Originally presented at the 25th Anniversary of OCMS in 2008, this article looks back at the history behind its formation as well as assesses its accomplishments in the first 25 years. But there is value in such an exercise only if it serves the future; what issues need to be addressed if OCMS is going to continues its impact in the next 25 years? This article looks back in order to forge ahead into the future with confidence and resolve.
The Research Contribution of OCMS
Authors: Davies DP
Published: September 2011

This paper considers the research contribution of OCMS as reflected in the theses presented for higher degrees by its students. This does not therefore include the very significant research productivity of OCMS staff. The OCMS processes and procedures for admitting, supervising and examining research students are first reviewed. The statistical evidence relating to successful completions is then presented and analysed. The scope of the research undertaken is examined in relation to the stated aims of OCMS, and this leads to the conclusion that in general these aims have been impressively met, both academically and in serving the needs of the worldwide Church.
A history of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies: A Personal Memoir
Authors: Sugden Chris
Published: September 2011

OCMS, started to address the potential drain of leadership in the Global South Churches through post-graduate studies in the West, is an institution to advance the holistic gospel through research and publications. Studies were rooted in mission engagement with access to the global conversation and with university validation. The Centre’s home in St Philip and St James is traced as well as its culture of community, hospitality and prayer.
Obama and the global war on terror
Authors: Murray Nancy
Published: September 2011

Just over two years into the Obama administration, what have been its achievements in relation to the abuses formerly committed by the Bush administration under the rubric of the ‘war on terror’? On his first full day in office, Obama, a former scholar of constitutional law, signed an order to close Guantánamo within one year. However, as the record of the past two years examined here shows, that early promise has not been fulfilled. Instead, the ‘global war on terror’ has continued to be prosecuted by his administration, and, in some areas, the extension of executive power, in apparent defiance of the US Constitution, has gone even further.
Spaghetti House siege: making the rhetoric real
Authors: Bourne Jenny
Published: September 2011

The author, who has worked at the Institute of Race Relations since 1970, recalls the Spaghetti House siege of 1975, when three armed, young, political black men intent on a small-scale robbery ended up holding nine waiters hostage for five days. The home secretary and senior police officers, anxious that such an event should not be repeated, played down the political element of the crime; the black community thought otherwise. The piece goes on to record the reaction to his incarceration of Wesley Dick (Shujaa Moshesh), one of the ‘gunmen’ protagonists, who had used the IRR as an educational centre and later kept in touch via letter, visits from IRR staff and by sending out his poetry in two collections. This account is interspersed with Shujaa’s poems on black politics, imprisonment and world events.
Teaching Chinese psychiatrists to make reliable dissociative disorder diagnoses
Authors: Fan Qing , Yu Junhan , Ross Colin A. , Keyes Benjamin B. , Dai Yunfei , Zhang Tianhong , Wang Lanlan , Xiao Zeping
Published: September 2011

The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of an educational effort by two North American experts in dissociative disorders to teach Chinese psychiatrists to make reliable dissociative disorder diagnoses. In the final phase of the educational effort, 569 patients at Shanghai Mental Health Center completed the Chinese version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Patients were then randomly selected in different proportions according to their DES scores: 96 selected patients were then assessed with the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS) and clinical diagnostic interviews based on DSM-IV criteria. According to the clinical diagnostic interviews, 28 (4.9%) patients were diagnosed as having dissociative disorders. Agreement between the American experts and Chinese psychiatrists for presence or absence of a dissociative disorder was 0.75 using Cohen’s kappa. Dissociative disorders can be diagnosed in China with good inter-rater reliability. The authors describe the steps taken to achieve this outcome.
The impact of stressors on second generation Indian residential school survivors
Authors: Bombay Amy , Matheson Kimberly , Anisman Hymie
Published: September 2011

From 1863 to 1996, many Aboriginal children in Canada were forced to attend Indian Residential Schools (IRSs), where many experienced neglect, abuse, and the trauma of separation from their families and culture. The present study examined the intergenerational impact of IRS exposure on depressive symptomatology in a convenience sample of 143 First Nations adults. IRS experiences had adverse intergenerational effects in that First Nations adults who had a parent attend IRS ( n = 67) reported greater depressive symptoms compared to individuals whose parents did not attend ( n = 76). Parental IRS attendance moderated the relations between stressor experiences (adverse childhood experiences, adult traumas, and perceived discrimination) and depressive symptoms, such that second generation Survivors exhibited greater symptomatology. Adverse childhood experiences partially mediated the relation between parental IRS attendance and both adult trauma and perceived discrimination. Moreover, both of these adulthood stressors partially mediated the relation between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms. Finally, all three stressors demonstrated a unique mediating role in the relation between parental IRS attendance and depressive symptoms. Although alternative directional paths could not be ruled out, offspring of IRS Survivors appeared at increased risk for depression, likely owing to greater sensitivity to and experiences of childhood adversity, adult traumas, and perceived discrimination.
Not just balls in the air: Young jugglers and their practical understanding of post-dictatorship Chile
Authors: Palacios Rosario
Published: September 2011

This article reflects on the understanding of post-dictatorship Chile of the group of young people who practice juggling in Parque Forestal, a public space in Santiago, Chile. Practice as a way of perceiving, knowing and understanding the world, is at the heart of my argument. Thus, practice, as our embodied being-in-the-world is my starting point. Drawing on the practice of juggling among Santiago’s young people, the article explores how the building of the juggler habitus is related not only to juggling technique but also to practical knowledge about being a juggler in Chile in current times. Drawing on interviews with jugglers and participant observation, the author approaches the process of becoming a proficient juggler as a navigation in which young people learn and acquire social and personal dispositions that shape their way of understanding contemporary Chile.
Capitalizing social networks: Sri Lankan migration to Italy
Authors: Pathirage Jagath , Collyer Michael
Published: September 2011

Social capital is usually seen as a fixed asset, a property which individuals or in some cases communities possess or do not possess. Theoretical attention has therefore been devoted to the initial acquisition of this precious asset, focusing on the question of how to ‘build’ social capital, which partly explains the sustained policy interest, particularly in fields such as development. This particular focus is a result of a confusion between what social capital is and what it does, identified by Portes, and results in a static picture of social capital. Separating the essence of social capital from its function allows us to follow Bourdieu’s interest in the active maintenance of social capital, after it has been created. The conscious efforts that actors make to foster social relations for their own future benefit highlight the fragile nature of the benefits associated with social capital. We refer to these activities as social network work, a practice that is particularly clear among active and aspiring undocumented migrants. We apply this to fieldwork in the Catholic fishing village of Wennapuwa on the west coast of Sri Lanka where migration to Italy is a well developed strategy for many households. We identify significant moments of change or articulation in migrants’ use of social capital as a contribution towards a more dynamic understanding of this key social phenomenon.
‘Tough love’: Mediation and articulation in the urban boxing gym
Authors: Trimbur Lucia
Published: September 2011

This article examines how a group of men negotiate the social problems that postindustrial racial, class, and gender hierarchies create. In a Brooklyn boxing gym, trainers coach amateur fighters inside and outside the ring. In the ring, trainers prepare amateurs for competition and help them develop masculine identities. Outside the ring, trainers provide forms of social support. As trainers engage these practices, they negotiate a discursive tension. When they work with boxers, trainers use discourses espousing individualism and personal responsibility. And yet, when talking about the motivation for their work, trainers utilize discourses critiquing systemic inequality and anti-black racism. This article analyzes the presence of these apparently contradictory discourses. I argue that neoliberal ideology at the structural level is rearticulated as critical discourse in the gym; context shifts meaning.
Being embedded: A way forward for ethnographic research
Authors: Lewis SJ , Russell AJ
Published: September 2011

At a time when ethnography (as both method and methodology) is seen to be ‘at risk’ from strictures placed upon it by ethics approval procedures and the like, it is increasingly valued by the wider, non-academic community. This is particularly true of organizations involved in processes that aim to effect change (social, cultural, behavioural), and individuals who are, like the ethnographers, trained and encouraged to be reflexive practitioners. Based primarily on a case study of research with a new public health organization (Fresh: Smoke Free North East), we propose an approach to ethnographic practice which we term ‘embedded’ (but which others may choose to describe as collaborative) as a means to securing the future of ethnography. We identify the key elements of embedded research, whilst arguing that its fundamental value still derives from the ‘traditional’ principles of participant observation and ethnographic fieldwork.
Comparison of Kρ and λρ in clastic rocks: A test on two wells with different reservoir-quality stacked sands from West Africa
Authors: Al-Dabagh Hazim H. , Alkhafaf Shireen
Published: September 2011

The comparison of the response characteristics of the pore space modulus Kρ and the Lamé parameter λρ were examined using two wells that penetrated two different channels. The two offshore West Africa wells penetrated two channels at different depths with different geological ages. These channel sands are of different quality and with various shale percentages and porosities. Three cases of Gassman fluid substitution were analyzed: wet, oil, and gas. Compressional- and shear-wave impedances were calculated for the three fluid cases and Lamé parameters (λρ, μρ) and Kρ.
Time-lapse (4D) effect and reservoir sand production pattern in a mature North Sea field
Authors: Amoyedo Sunday , Slatt Roger M. , Marfurt Kurt J.
Published: September 2011

Sand production is not uncommon in producing fields. Its severity, however, remains a growing concern in many mature fields and deepwater reservoirs often characterized by poor consolidation. Reservoir sand production is sim-ultaneously a source of concern and benefit in conventional and heavy oil production. Porosity increase and changes in local stress magnitude, which often enhance permeability, have been associated with severe sanding. On the other hand, sand production has been linked to a large number of field incidences involving loss of well integrity, casing collapse, and corrosion of downhole systems. It also poses problems for separators and transport facilities. The poorly consolidated Gudao reservoir in Shengli oil field, China, provides a typical example of casing failure, resulting from severe reservoir sanding (Figure 1). Sand-production-induced casing problems can vary from complete shearing to contortion of well casing depending on the severity of the sand flow.
Enhanced dynamic interpretation from correlating well activity to frequently acquired 4D seismic signatures
Authors: Huang Yi , MacBeth Colin , Barkved Olav , van Gestel Jean-Paul , Dybvik Ole Petter
Published: September 2011

Quantitative 4D seismic interpretation can be successfully achieved by exploiting the causal link between the temporal variation in well activity and the 4D seismic signatures they induce. This is achieved by capturing in mathematical form the common interpretational practice of identifying the origin of dynamic signals in the 4D seismic volumes or maps on the basis of their association with a particular injector or producer. Thus, for example, a region of reservoir hardening (impedance increase) around a producer may be interpreted as a signal of pressure decrease. Similarly, an area of softening (impedance decrease) around an injector is interpreted as a signal of pressure increase when pressures are above bubble point. In the literature, a hardwired integration between the seismic and engineering domain has been obtained to some extent using methods such as seismic history matching, where the observed seismic and well production history data are simultaneously fit by predictions from a common simulation model. However, this approach is computationally expensive and suffers from nonuniquenesses, inaccuracies in the petroelastic model, and is ultimately only as accurate as the model itself. As an alternate approach, we reconcile here the well production history and time-lapse seismic data in the data domain without the need for a model. This approach involves the use of many frequently repeated seismic surveys shot over the same field, and mathematically correlates changes in the mapped seismic attributes directly to the fluid volumes injected and produced from the wells. Thus, well data normally used exclusively for history matching in the reservoir engineering domain can now also be directly integrated with the time-lapse seismic data.
Understanding the applications and limitations of time-lapse gravity for reservoir monitoring
Authors: Krahenbuhl Richard A. , Li Yaoguo , Davis Tom
Published: September 2011

There is a strong need in our industry for advancing the understanding and applications of multiple geophysical techniques for time-lapse problems, such as for [Formula: see text]S sequestration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. Currently, monitoring efforts for such activities are dominated largely by 4D seismic, and there are numerous developments and successful applications throughout the geophysical literature to justify this state of affair (e.g., Lumley, 2010). The primary advantage of 4D seismic for these endeavors is that it can provide a high-resolution imaging tool that allows better reservoir management decisions and improved production efficiency.
Using CSEM to monitor production from a complex 3D gas reservoir—A synthetic case study
Authors: Andréis David , MacGregor Lucy
Published: September 2011

The marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) method is most commonly used in targeted exploration or appraisal studies as a tool for detecting and delineating hydrocarbon reservoirs (see, for example, Constable and Srnka 2007). Whereas seismic surveys can detect the structures that may contain hydrocarbons with great accuracy, distinguishing hydrocarbon fluids from water within these structures is more problematic. Originally developed in the late 1970s (Young and Cox, 1981), the CSEM method uses a high-powered horizontal electric dipole (HED) to transmit a low-frequency electromagnetic signal through the sea floor to an array of multicomponent electromagnetic receivers. Bulk electrical resistivity of the sea floor can be determined at scales of a few tens of meters to depths of several kilometers. In many cases this resistivity is driven by the fluid content and saturation of subsurface formations.
Osteoradionecrosis of the lumbar spine 25 years after radiotherapy
Authors: Rolton D. J. , Blagg S. E. , Hughes R. J.
Published: September 2011

Osteoradionecrosis is a rare but recognised complication of radiotherapy. Cases have been described in the cervical spine following treatment for head and neck malignancies up to 25 years after administration of radiotherapy. We present a rare case of osteoradionecrosis affecting the L5 and S1 vertebral bodies in a 58-year-old woman who presented with low back pain 25 years after undergoing a hysterectomy with adjuvant radiotherapy for cancer of the cervix.
Does body mass index affect clinical outcome post-operatively and at five years after primary unilateral total hip replacement performed for osteoarthritis?
Authors: Davis A. M. , Wood A. M. , Keenan A. C. M. , Brenkel I. J. , Ballantyne J. A.
Published: September 2011

Studies describing the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of total hip replacement have been inconclusive and contradictory. We examined the effect of BMI on medium-term outcome in a cohort of 1617 patients who underwent a primary total hip replacement for osteoarthritis. These patients were followed prospectively for five years with the outcomes of dislocation, revision, duration of surgery and deep and superficial infection studied, as well as collecting Harris hip scores (HHS) and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires pre-operatively and at review. A multivariate analysis was performed to see whether BMI is an independent predictor of poor outcome.

We found that patients with a BMI of ? 35 kg/m2 have a 4.42 times higher rate of dislocation than those with a BMI < 25 kg/m2. Increasing BMI is also associated with superficial infection and poorer HHS and SF-36 scores at five years. These trends remain significant even when multivariate analysis adjusts for age, gender, prosthesis, operating consultant, pre-operative HHS and SF-36, and comorbidities including diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease and osteoporosis.

Despite the increased risks, the five-year outcome scores indicate that obese patients have much to gain from total hip replacement. Thus total hip replacement should not be withheld from patients solely on the grounds of an elevated BMI. However, longer-term follow-up of this cohort is required to establish whether adverse outcomes become more evident with time.
Herpes virus infection can cause intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Alpantaki K. , Katonis P. , Hadjipavlou A. G. , Spandidos D. A. , Sourvinos G.
Published: September 2011

It has been proposed that intervertebral disc degeneration might be caused by low-grade infection. The purpose of the present study was to assess the incidence of herpes viruses in intervertebral disc specimens from patients with lumbar disc herniation. A polymerase chain reaction based assay was applied to screen for the DNA of eight different herpes viruses in 16 patients and two controls. DNA of at least one herpes virus was detected in 13 specimens (81.25%). Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 (HSV-1) was the most frequently detected virus (56.25%), followed by Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (37.5%). In two patients, co-infection by both HSV-1 and CMV was detected. All samples, including the control specimens, were negative for Herpes Simplex Virus type-2, Varicella Zoster Virus, Epstein Barr Virus, Human Herpes Viruses 6, 7 and 8. The absence of an acute infection was confirmed both at the serological and mRNA level.

To our knowledge this is the first unequivocal evidence of the presence of herpes virus DNA in intervertebral disc specimens of patients with lumbar disc herniation suggesting the potential role of herpes viruses as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of degenerative disc disease.
Orthopaedic training in China
Authors: Leung K.-S. , Ngai W.-K. , Tian W.
Published: September 2011

There is no unified national training system for orthopaedic surgeons in China. With such rapid progress in many aspects of life in China, there is an imminent need for improvement in the training of orthopaedic specialists. Since 2003 the orthopaedic community in Hong Kong has been working in collaboration with their colleagues in mainland China to develop a training system for orthopaedic surgery. We adopted the system from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), setting up a trial centre in the Beijing Jishuitan hospital in 2006, with trainers and trainees attaining the standards set by RCSEd and the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons (HKCOS). This trial is ongoing, with the success of two trainees who passed the exit examination in 2010 and became the first Chinese orthopaedic surgeons with a joint fellowship of both the RCSEd and the HKCOS. Following this inaugural success, we are confident that China will develop a training system for orthopaedic surgeons to a consistently high international standard.
Novel nanochemistry toward generation and stabilization of gold nanoparticles in human serum albumin matrix
Authors: Kannan Raghuraman , Nune Satish , Chanda Nripen , Zambre Ajit , Shukla Ravi
Published: September 2011

The interactions of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with human serum albumin (HSA) greatly influence their in vivo characteristics. It is important to develop conjugates that can serve as ideal structural models to understand the interaction of AuNPs with HSA. We report the synthesis and stabilization of AuNPs in HSA matrix with no additional ligands on the surface of the NPs. The hydrodynamic size of the AuNP–HSA conjugate is 22 nm, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement shows the core size as 8–13 nm. We have performed strip assay to establish that the biological activity of HSA is retained even after conjugation. Our cellular toxicity evaluation studies show that AuNP–HSA conjugates are nontoxic and biocompatible.
Steroids, spinal cord and pain sensation
Authors: Patte-Mensah Christine , Meyer Laurence , Mensah-Nyagan Ayikoe Guy
Published: September 2011

During the whole life, the nervous system is continuously submitted to the actions of different categories of hormones, including steroids. Therefore, the interactions between hormonal compounds and neural tissues are subjected to intense investigations. While a majority of studies focus on the brain, the spinal cord (SC) has received little attention, although this structure is also an important part of the central nervous system, controlling motor and sensory functions. To point out the importance of interactions between hormones and the SC in the regulation of neurobiological activities, we recapitulated and discussed herein various key data, revealing that the pivotal role played by the SC in nociception and pain modulation, directly depends on the SC ability to metabolize and synthesize steroidal molecules. The paper suggests that future investigations aiming to develop effective strategies against chronic pain, must integrate regulatory effects exerted by hormonal steroids on the SC activity, as well as the actions of endogenous neurosteroids locally synthesized in spinal neural networks.
Effect of nitrogen deposition on China's terrestrial carbon uptake in the context of multifactor environmental changes
Authors: Lu Chaoqun , Tian Hanqin , Liu Mingliang , Ren Wei , Xu Xiaofeng , Chen Guangsheng , Zhang Chi
Published: September 2011

The amount of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposited on the land surface has increased globally and by nearly five times in China from 1901 to 2005. Little is known about how elevated reactive N input has affected the carbon (C) sequestration capability of China's terrestrial ecosystems, largely due to the lack of reliable data on N deposition. Here we have used a newly developed data set of historical N deposition at a spatial resolution of 10 km × 10 km in combination with other gridded historical information on climate, atmospheric composition, land use, and land management practices to drive a process‐based ecosystem model, the dynamic land ecosystem model (DLEM) for examining how increasing N deposition and its interactions with other environmental changes have affected C fluxes and storage in China's terrestrial ecosystems during 1901–2005. Our model simulations indicate that increased N deposition has resulted in a net C sink of 62 Tg C/yr (1 Tg = 1012 g) in China's terrestrial ecosystems, totaling up to 6.51 Pg C (1 Pg = 1015 g) in the past 105 years. During the study period, the N‐induced C sequestration can compensate for more than 25% of fossil‐fuel CO2 emission from China. The largest C sink was found in southeast China, a region that experienced the most significant increase of N deposition in the period 1901–2005. However, the net primary productivity induced by per‐unit N deposition (referred to as ecosystem N use efficiency, ENUE, in this paper) has leveled off or declined since the 1980s. This indicates that part of the deposited N may not be invested to stimulate plant growth, but instead leave the ecosystem by various pathways. Except shrubland and northwest/southwest China, signs of N saturation are apparent in the rest major biome types and regions, with ENUE peaking in the 1980s and leveling off or declining thereafter. Therefore, to minimize the excessive N pollution while keeping the N‐stimulated C uptake in China's terrestrial ecosystems, optimized management practices should be taken to increase N use efficiency rather than to keep raising N input level in the near future.
Catastrophe and the life span of coral reefs
Authors: Aronson Richard B. , Precht William F. , Macintyre Ian G. , Toth Lauren T.
Published: September 2011

A strong earthquake in the western Caribbean in 2009 had a catastrophic impact on uncemented, unconsolidated coral reefs in the central sector of the shelf lagoon of the Belizean barrier reef. In a set of 21 reef sites that had been observed prior to the earthquake, the benthic assemblages of 10 were eradicated, and one was partially damaged, by avalanching of their slopes. Ecological dynamics that had played out over the previous 23 years, including the mass mortalities of two sequentially dominant coral species and a large increase in the cover of an encrusting sponge, were instantaneously rendered moot in the areas of catastrophic reef‐slope failure. Because these prior dynamics also determined the benthic composition and resilience of adjacent sections of reef that remained intact, the history of disturbance prior to the earthquake will strongly influence decadal‐scale recovery in the failed areas. Geological analysis of the reef framework yielded a minimum return time of 2000–4000 years for this type of high‐amplitude event. Anthropogenic degradation of ecosystems must be viewed against the backdrop of long‐period, natural catastrophes, such as the impact of strong earthquakes on uncemented, lagoonal reefs.
S‐Nitrosoglutathione Decreases Inflammation and Bone Resorption in Experimental Periodontitis in Rats
Authors: de Menezes Adriana Magalhães Andrade , de Souza Gabriela Freitas Pereira , Gomes Antoniella Souza , de Carvalho Leitão Renata Ferreira , de Albuquerque Ribeiro Ronaldo , de Oliveira Marcelo Ganzarolli , de Castro Brito Gerly Anne
Published: September 2011

Background: S‐nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is a nitric oxide donor that may exert antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and microbicidal actions and is thus a potential drug for the topical treatment of periodontitis. In this study, the effect of intragingival injections of GSNO‐containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) formulations is evaluated in a rat model of periodontitis.

Methods: Periodontal disease was induced by placing a sterilized nylon (000) thread ligature around the cervix of the second left upper molar of the animals, which received intragingival injections of PVP; saline; or PVP/GSNO solutions which corresponded to GSNO doses of 25, 100, and 500 nmol; 1 hour before periodontitis induction, and thereafter, daily for 11 days.

Results: PVP/GSNO formulations at doses of 25 and/or 100, but not 500 nmol caused significant inhibition of alveolar bone loss, increase of bone alkaline phosphatase, decrease of myeloperoxidase activity, as well as significant reduction of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers when compared to saline and PVP groups. These effects were also associated with a decrease of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 8, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor‐κB immunostaining in the periodontium.

Conclusion: Local intragingival injections of GSNO reduces inflammation and bone loss in experimental periodontal disease.
Arsenic removal from water using low-cost adsorbents: A comparative study
Authors: Jovanovic Branislava , Vukasinovic-Pesic Vesna , Veljovic Djordje , Rajakovic Ljubinka
Published: September 2011

Inorganic arsenic removal from water using low-cost adsorbents is presented
in this paper. Selective removal of As(III) and As(V) from water was
performed with natural materials (zeolite, bentonite, sepiolite, pyrolusite
and limonite) and industrial by-products (waste filter sand as a water
treatment residual and blast furnace slag from steel production); all
inexpensive and locally available. Kinetic and equilibrium studies were
realized using batch system techniques under conditions that are likely to
occur in real water treatment systems. The natural zeolite and the
industrial by-products were found to be good and inexpensive sorbents for
arsenic while bentonite and sepiolite clays showed little affinity towards
arsenic. The highest maximum sorption capacities were obtained for natural
zeolite, 4.07 mg As(V) g-1, and waste iron slag, 4.04 mg As(V) g-1.
The weight change impact on metabolic syndrome: a 17-year follow-up study
Authors: Kwaśniewska Magdalena , Kaleta Dorota , Jegier Anna , Kostka Tomasz , Dziankowska-Zaborszczyk Elżbieta , Drygas Wojciech
Published: September 2011

Introduction: Data on long-term patterns of weight change in relation to the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are scarce. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of weight change on the risk of MetS in men. Material and Methods: Prospective longitudinal observation (17.9 ± 8.1 years) of apparently healthy 324 men aged 18–64 years. Metabolic risk was assessed in weight gain (⩾ 2.5 kg), stable weight (> −2.5 kg and < 2.5 kg) and weight loss (⩽ −2.5 kg) groups. Adjusted relative risk (RR) of MetS was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of MetS over follow-up was 22.5%. There was a strong relationship between weight gain and worsening of MetS components among baseline overweight men. Long-term increase in weight was most strongly related with the risk of abdominal obesity (RR=7.26; 95% CI 2.98–18.98), regardless of baseline body mass index (BMI). Weight loss was protective against most metabolic disorders. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with energy expenditure > 2000 metabolic equivalent/min/week was associated with a significantly lower risk of MetS. Conclusions: Reducing weight among overweight and maintaining stable weight among normal-weight men lower the risk of MetS. High LTPA level may additionally decrease the metabolic risk regardless of BMI.
Combined directed ortho-zincation and palladium-catalyzed strategies: Synthesis of 4,n-dimethoxy-substituted benzo[b]furans
Authors: Guilarte Verónica , Castroviejo M Pilar , Álvarez Estela , Sanz Roberto
Published: September 2011

A new route to regioselectively dialkoxy-functionalized benzo[b]furan derivatives has been developed from 3-halo-2-iodoanisoles bearing an additional methoxy group, which have been accessed through an ortho-zincation/iodination reaction. Two palladium-catalyzed processes, namely a Sonogashira coupling followed by a tandem hydroxylation/cyclization sequence, give rise to new and interesting dimethoxy-substituted benzo[b]furans.
Human Polyomaviruses in Skin Diseases
Authors: Moens Ugo , Ludvigsen Maria , Van Ghelue Marijke
Published: September 2011

Polyomaviruses are a family of small, nonenveloped viruses with a circular double-stranded DNA genome of ∼5,000 base pairs protected by an icosahedral protein structure. So far, members of this family have been identified in birds and mammals. Until 2006, BK virus (BKV), JC virus (JCV), and simian virus 40 (SV40) were the only polyomaviruses known to circulate in the human population. Their occurrence in individuals was mainly confirmed by PCR and the presence of virus-specific antibodies. Using the same methods, lymphotropic polyomavirus, originally isolated in monkeys, was recently shown to be present in healthy individuals although with much lower incidence than BKV, JCV, and SV40. The use of advanced high-throughput sequencing and improved rolling circle amplification techniques have identified the novel human polyomaviruses KI, WU, Merkel cell polyomavirus, HPyV6, HPyV7, trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus, and HPyV9. The skin tropism of human polyomaviruses and their dermatopathologic potentials are the focus of this paper.
Catalytical Properties of Free and Immobilized Aspergillus niger Tannase
Authors: Flores-Maltos Abril , Rodríguez-Durán Luis V. , Renovato Jacqueline , Contreras Juan C. , Rodríguez Raúl , Aguilar Cristóbal N.
Published: September 2011

A fungal tannase was produced, recovered, and immobilized by entrapment in calcium alginate beads. Catalytical properties of the immobilized enzyme were compared with those of the free one. Tannase was produced intracellularly by the xerophilic fungus Aspergillus niger GH1 in a submerged fermentation system. Enzyme was recovered by cell disruption and the crude extract was partially purified. The catalytical properties of free and immobilized tannase were evaluated using tannic acid and methyl gallate as substrates. KM and Vmax values for free enzyme were very similar for both substrates. But, after immobilization, KM and Vmax values increased drastically using tannic acid as substrate. These results indicated that immobilized tannase is a better biocatalyst than free enzyme for applications on liquid systems with high tannin content, such as bioremediation of tannery or olive-mill wastewater.
Report of the First Meeting of the Middle East and Eastern Europe Rabies Expert Bureau, Istanbul, Turkey (June 8-9, 2010)
Authors: Aylan Orhan , El-Sayed Aly Fahmy Mohamed , Farahtaj Firouzeh , Janani Ali R. , Lugach Olga , Tarkhan-Mouravi Olgha , Usluer Gaye , Vodopija Rodovan , Vranjes Nenad , Tordo Noël , Dodet Betty
Published: September 2011

Rabies is a threat in all parts of the world where animal reservoirs persists, including Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rabies experts from seven Middle East and Eastern European countries (Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine) met for two days in Istanbul, Turkey (June 8-9, 2010), to exchange information on the epidemiological situation concerning human and animal rabies in their respective countries and to discuss strategies for rabies elimination and control. They decided to establish a regional network, the Middle East and Eastern Europe Rabies Expert Bureau (MEEREB), a regional network of experts, to increase collaboration in rabies prevention and control at the local, regional, and global levels.
Update on Clinical Options for the Management of Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Nasir Mohsen , Grant J. Andrew
Published: September 2011

Allergic rhinitis is a common, chronic medical condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Uncontrolled disease has been associated with impairments in quality of life and decreased economic productivity. Proper identification and control of relevant co-morbid conditions is essential for optimal rhinitis control. Management of allergic rhinitis includes identification of relevant allergens, education on avoidance measures, medications and immunotherapy. First-line therapy includes the use on an intranasal steroid. Other treatment options include oral or intranasal antihistamines, decongestants, leukotriene receptor antagonists, mast cell stabilizers or anticholinergic agents. Immunotherapy is an effective treatment option for refractory disease.
Entry–level Technical Skills that Agricultural Industry Experts Expected Students to Learn through Their Supervised Agricultural Experiences: A Modified Delphi Study
Authors: Ramsey Jon W. , Edwards M. Craig
Published: September 2011

The National Research Council’s (NRC) Report (1988), Understanding Agriculture: New Directions for Education, called on secondary agricultural education to shift its scope and purpose, including students’ supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs). The NRC asserted that this shift should create opportunities for students to acquire supervised experience in land laboratories, agricultural mechanics laboratories, greenhouses, nurseries, and other facilities provided by schools. For example, the agricultural industry offers 52,000 job opportunities annually, including sales and marketing, specialty veterinary medicine, food safety/biosecurity, forest ecosystem management, precision agriculture, biomaterials engineering, landscape horticulture, plant and animal genetics, specialty crops production and nutrition services (Goecker, Gilmore, Smith, & Smith, 2005). Students’ SAEs should reflect such aspects of the industry. Using a modified Delphi technique, this study identified the perceptions of agricultural industry experts on the role of SAE in facilitating students learning technical skills needed for entry–level employment. The experts expected that students would learn more entry–level technical skills associated with the career pathways of Animal Science and Agricultural Communications (44 of 60) than the other five pathways combined as a result of their participation in SAEs. This paper explores rationale regarding why it is important to address this “imbalance” and makes recommendations about that.
The Benefits and Barriers Toward Diversity Inclusion Regarding Agricultural Science Teachers in Texas Secondary Agricultural Education Programs
Authors: LaVergne Douglas D. , Larke Jr. , Elbert Chanda D. , Jones Wash A.
Published: September 2011

This study analyzed Texas secondary agricultural education teachers’ (n = 232) attitudes toward diversity inclusion in Texas secondary agricultural education programs. Using a web–based questionnaire, the researcher employed a nonproportional stratified random sampling technique. Researchers used descriptive statistics to report demographic and personal characteristics and mean scores to assess teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of diversity inclusion, and perceptions of the barriers of diversity inclusion. Teachers agreed that: “educators, parents, and policymakers must develop strategies to address the different learning styles of all students;” “teachers should become familiar with students of color represented in their classrooms;” and “agricultural educators should increase recruitment efforts to promote diversity inclusion in secondary agricultural education programs.”
A Qualitative Study of Agricultural Literacy in Urban Youth: Understanding for Democratic Participation in Renewing the Agri–food System
Authors: Hess Alexander J. , Trexler Cary J.
Published: September 2011

Modern agriculture poses ecological problems and opportunities, which defy simple democratic reform without an educated citizenry. Developing an educated citizenry can be accomplished by further developing agricultural literacy in elementary education. While benchmarks for agricultural literacy have been produced, relatively little attention has been focused on how students conceptualize the food system. Using Piaget’s theories of schemata development, this study compared students’ understanding of agriculture to grade–specific benchmarks for agricultural literacy to uncover relationships between students’ backgrounds, experiences, and understandings of the agri–food system. The population consisted of 18 elementary students from Long Beach, California. Data was collected via 45–minute semi–structured interviews. While almost half had been on field trips to a farm or visited a garden, none had ever grown a plant or raised an animal. Students’ ideas about agriculture were often guesses, underdeveloped, or contradictory to expert conceptions. Students failed to convey an understanding of the types and variety of farms, the purpose of farms, or the cultural practices dominating conventional farming. Results suggest that educators should focus on existing underdeveloped schemata to help learners construct viable ideas about modern agriculture supported by contextually rich formal and informal agricultural experiences.
Volcanic SO2 and SiF4 visualization and their ratio monitored using 2-D thermal emission spectroscopy
Authors: Stremme W. , Krueger A. , Harig R. , Grutter M.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The composition and emission rates of volcanic gas plumes provide insight of the geologic internal activity, atmospheric chemistry, aerosol formation and radiative processes around it. Observations are necessary for public security and the aviation industry. Ground-based thermal emission infrared spectroscopy, which uses the radiation of the volcanic gas itself, allows for continuously monitoring during day and night from a save distance. We present measurements on Popocatépetl volcano based on thermal emission spectroscopy during different campaigns between 2006–2009 using a Scanning Infrared Gas Imaging System (SIGIS). The experimental set-up, measurement geometries and analytical algorithms are described. The equipment was operated from a safe distance of 12 km from the volcano at two different spectral resolutions: 0.5 and 4 cm−1. The 2-dimensional scanning capability of the instrument allows for an on-line visualization of the volcanic SO2 plume, animation and determination of its propagation speed. SiF4 was also identified in the infrared spectra recorded at both resolutions. The SiF4/SO2 molecular ratio can be calculated from each image and used as a highly useful parameter to follow changes in volcanic activity. A small Vulcanian eruption was monitored during the night of 16 to 17 November 2008 which was confirmed from the strong ash emission registered around 01:00 a.m. LST (Local Standard Time) and a pronounced SO2 cloud was registered. Enhanced SiF4/SO2 ratios were observed before and after the eruption. A validation of the results from thermal emission measurements with those from absorption spectra of the moon taken at the same time, as well as an error analysis, are presented. The inferred propagation speed from sequential imagees is used to calculate the emission rates at different distances from the crater.
AUTOMATED CARTOGRAPHIC GENERALIZATION IN ITALY
Authors: Savino S. , Rumor M. , Congiu S.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. Automated cartographic generalization has been a challenging research field for over 30 years; nowadays thanks to the continuous research is becoming a concrete opportunity to increase the speed of map sets production and maintenance. As some National mapping agencies are working in this direction, in Italy automated cartographic generalization is still a research field, although recent researches show its applicability to the Italian data models for the production of maps. This paper illustrates how the production of cartography in Italy is organized and the situation of the research on generalization in the country. The paper reports the most interesting results of the research, especially those brought by the on-going CARGEN project, that testify how automated cartographic generalization could play a key role also in the Italian cartographic processes.
GIS IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER RESPONSE: 10 YEARS AFTER
Authors: Kevany M.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The World Trade Center attack of 9/11/01 and the response brought major attention to GIS as a valuable tool for supporting emergency management and response. That attention led to the allocation of considerable resources to the enhancement of GIS. This paper is intended to provide a look back at the events prior to and immediately following the attack, review of GIS in the response and recovery efforts, explore the emergence of GIS in Emergency Management from the impetus generated in the NYC experience and explore the challenges yet facing the use of GIS in emergency management. The author participated in the WTC response as a member of the Emergency Mapping and Data Center component of the Emergency Operations Center through which the response was managed.