bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypoadiponectinaemia in diabetes mellitus type 2: molecular mechanisms and clinical significance
Authors: Su Hui , Lau Wayne Bond , Ma Xin‐Liang
Published: September 2011

1. This review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of adiponectin (APN) gene expression during physiologic conditions and both the clinical significance and underlying molecular mechanisms of hypoadiponectinaemia during pathologic conditions.

2. Adiponectin is a versatile cardiovascular protective factor. It plays an important role in regulating insulin sensitivity and energy homeostasis, with anti‐inflammatory and anti‐atherosclerotic properties.

3. Adiponectin gene expression is downregulated in both obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Hypoadiponectinaemia is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetic patients.

4. Exogenous supplementation of recombinant APN attenuates insulin resistance, improving metabolic disorders. Therefore, APN‐targeted pharmaceutical strategies increasing circulating APN levels may be therapeutic against type 2 diabetes.

5. There is great value in elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of APN gene expression during physiologic and pathologic conditions. APN biosynthesis regulation includes transcriptional expression and post‐translational modification, oligomerization, and secretion. Under pathological conditions, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and inflammation suppress APN mRNA levels and its secretion.
Effects of DA‐9701, a novel prokinetic agent, on gastric accommodation in conscious dogs
Authors: Kim Eun Ran , Min Byung‐Hoon , Lee Sung Ok , Lee Tae Ho , Son Miwon , Rhee Poong‐Lyul
Published: September 2011

Background and Aim:  DA‐9701, a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis Semen and Corydalis Tuber, has strong prokinetic effects, and enhances gastric compliance in conscious dogs. In this study, the effects of DA‐9701 on gastric accommodation were studied in conscious dogs.

Methods:  Beagle dogs with an implanted gastric cannula in the stomach were used in this study. After an overnight fast, the dogs received DA‐9701 orally, or served as a positive control that received sumatriptan or a negative control before ingestion of a meal. The basal and postprandial gastric volumes were monitored at a constant operating pressure using an electronic barostat. To investigate the long‐lasting effects on increased postprandial gastric volume, the area under the volume versus time curve (AUC) was calculated.

Results:  DA‐9701 significantly increased the basal gastric volume compared to the negative controls (P < 0.05); the effects were comparable to sumatriptan. DA‐9701 and sumatriptan significantly increased gastric accommodation compared to the negative control (P < 0.05). In the negative control, the gastric volume reached the maximal volume 40 min after the meal, and then gradually decreased. However, with DA‐9701, the increased gastric volume remained significantly elevated for 60 min postprandially (P < 0.05). DA‐9701 significantly increased the value of AUC compared to the negative control; this was observed during both the early and late postprandial phases (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  A novel prokinetic agent, DA‐9701, improved gastric accommodation by increasing the postprandial gastric volume; these effects persisted for 60 min after a meal.
Effects of Meridian Massage on physical growth and infants' health as perceived by mothers
Authors: Cho Kyoul‐Ja , Ji Eun Sun , Lee Myung‐Hee
Published: September 2011

Background:  Meridian Massage is a traditional practice that manually stimulates the body's meridian system – the same network of vital energy channels used in acupuncture. The present study was to assess the effect of Meridian Massage on physical growth and infants' health as perceived by mothers.

Methods:  A study was conducted in a community health center in Korea. A total of 169 healthy infant–mother dyads were assigned to the Meridian Massage group (n= 89) or the gentle touch massage group (n= 80), based on the mother's preference. All massages were conducted by the mothers for 15 min per session, one time daily over a course of 6 weeks. In each group, the infant's weights, heights, and the number of days with illness as perceived by mothers and related clinic visits were measured.

Results:  Significant differences were observed in weight and height after 6 weeks between the Meridian group and the gentle touch massage group (P < 0.001). Infants in the Meridian Massage group showed a significantly different number of days with perceived clinic visits compared to those in the control group (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Meridian Massage may facilitate physical growth and improve infants' health outcome as perceived by mothers. A randomized controlled trial is required to further explore the effects of Meridian Massage in early infancy.
Unexpected tumor progression after conization for carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix
Authors: Omatsu Kohei , Takeshima Nobuhiro , Matoda Maki , Nomura Hidetaka , Umayahara Kenji , Sugiyama Yuko , Utsugi Kuniko , Tanaka Hiroko , Akiyama Futoshi , Takizawa Ken
Published: September 2011

Aim:  To determine the safety and usefulness of conization with an electrosurgical loop (the loop electrosurgical excision procedure [LEEP]) in young women with carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the uterine cervix.

Methods:  A retrospective medical chart review of five patients with CIS initially treated with LEEP conization between 2002 and 2010 and who later experienced recurrence in the form of invasive or advanced disease was conducted.

Results:  The median patient age at initial LEEP conization was 41 years (33–56 years). The margin status in conization specimens was positive in three of the five patients. The median time to detection of tumor progression was 50 months (17–58 months). Magnetic resonance imaging was effective in detecting tumor recurrence in all cases. In four patients, hysterectomy was performed to treat the recurrence; these four patients are currently alive and disease‐free. One patient with cervical lymph nodes and bone metastases was treated with chemotherapy alone; however, the patient died. In surgical specimens, tumor progression was observed extending toward the endometrium in all five patients and toward the vagina in two patients.

Conclusion:  This study indicates that patients with CIS occasionally show unexpected tumor progression after conization and the progression could be life‐threatening. Recurrent disease often shows tumor progression toward the endometrium or vagina, leading to difficulties in its detection at periodic pelvic examinations.
Successfully treated case of epithelioid sarcoma of the vulva
Authors: Chiyoda Tatsuyuki , Ishikawa Mitsuya , Nakamura Masaru , Ogawa Mariko , Takamatsu Kiyoshi
Published: September 2011

Epithelioid sarcoma of the vulva is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor. This tumor most commonly occurs on the labia majora in women of reproductive age. The molecular pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Only 20 cases of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma have been reported to date and more than half have had poor outcomes. We report a successfully treated case of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma in a 33‐year‐old woman. We performed a radical vulvectomy with flap reconstruction. Three years after surgery, the patient remains well, showing no evidence of recurrence. Early tissue diagnosis of vulvar epithelioid sarcoma is essential because this tumor can be clinically misdiagnosed as a benign lesion. Gynecologists should be aware of this rare tumor variant and carefully plan the treatment.
Birthweight placental weight ratio of appropriate‐for‐dates and light‐for‐dates infants in preterm delivery
Authors: Imada Shinya , Takagi Kimiyo , Kikuchi Akihiko , Ishikawa Kaori , Tamaru Shunsuke , Horikoshi Tsuguhiro , Ogiso Yoshifumi
Published: September 2011

Aim:  Although birthweight placental weight ratio (BPR) may be a promising indicator which reflects pathophysiology of fetal growth restriction (FGR), the standard of BPR changes throughout gestation in a Japanese population has not been established as far as we know. Therefore, we first examined BPR of appropriate‐for‐dates (AFD) infants in each gestational week in preterm deliveries. We then compared it with that in a group of light‐for‐dates (LFD) infants born from mothers with and without pregnancy‐induced hypertension (PIH).

Material and Methods:  Placentas of a singleton pregnancy with 373 AFD and 110 LFD infants delivered from 22 to 36 weeks of gestation in our hospital during the period between September 2000 and December 2008 were included. We examined the placental weight and BPR of each gestational week in AFD and LFD groups. And the mean BPR and placental weight in the three groups (AFD: LFD with PIH: LFD without PIH) were compared according to gestational periods.

Results:  The placental weight and BPR were significantly correlated to the gestational week both in AFD and LFD groups. We found that although the mean BPR in LFD‐PIH(−) group was significantly lower than those both in AFD group and in LFD‐PIH(+) group in 22–29 weeks, the mean BPR in 30–36 weeks was not statistically different among these three groups.

Conclusion:  Our result in the AFD group may be useful as one of the standards of BPR changes throughout gestation in a Japanese population for future studies. We believe that BPR may be a clinically useful indicator which reflects pathophysiology of FGR.
Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous bolus etomidate in children over 6 months of age
Authors: Lin Lin , Zhang Jian‐Wei , Huang Yue , Bai Jie , Cai Mei‐Hua , Zhang Ma‐Zhong
Published: September 2011

Background:  Information has been very limited on the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of etomidate in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize the PK of etomidate in children.

Methods:  Forty‐nine children aged over 6 months undergoing elective surgery received etomidate 0.3 mg·kg−1 bolus i.v. within 15 s for anesthesia induction. Arterial blood samples were collected for 2 h after injection. A population nonlinear mixed effects modeling approach was used to characterize etomidate PK. Estimates were standardized to a 70‐kg adult using allometric size models.

Results:  Children had a median age of 4 years (0.53–13.21 years) and weight 15.7 kg (7.5–52 kg). PK of etomidate was best estimated using a three‐compartment model with weight on systemic (Cl1) and inter‐compartmental clearances (Cl2, Cl3), central (V1), and peripheral compartment volumes (V2, V3). The most significant PK covariate was age, with increasing age having reduced size‐adjusted Cl1, V1, and V3 (all P < 0.01). The estimates of PK parameter (standardized to 70‐kg adult) for a typical 4‐year‐old children were Cl1 = 1.50 l·min−1, Cl2 = 1.95 l·min−1, Cl3 = 1.23 l·min−1, V1 = 9.51 l, V2 = 11.0 l, and V3 = 79.2 l, respectively.

Conclusions:  Owing to enhanced clearance and increased central compartment volume of etomidate, smaller (younger) children will require higher etomidate bolus dose than larger (older) children to achieve equivalent plasma concentrations. The dependence of Cl1 and V1 on age does not support weight‐based etomidate dosing in smaller children.
Peri‐ and postoperative outcomes of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy (RARC)
Authors: Smith Angela B. , Raynor Mathew C. , Pruthi Raj S.
Published: September 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Robot‐assisted radical cystectomy is an increasingly used method for surgical extirpation for clinically localized, muscle‐invasive urothelial cartinoma. This study reviews its technique and associated preoperative and oncological outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To assess peri‐and postoperative outcomes of robot‐assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) and urinary diversion for the treatment of bladder cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We review our previously described surgical technique for RARC and its development over recent years, with an accompanied video illustration.

We also focus on peri‐ and postoperative outcomes of RARC and compare this with the ‘gold standard’ of open RC.

RESULTS

RARC has been steadily growing since 2003, with acceptable peri‐and postoperative outcomes.

Most studies report decreased blood loss, return of bowel function, and shorter length of hospital stay. Furthermore, complication rates have been shown to be similar to that of open series.

Most importantly, oncological outcomes appear to be favourable in terms of margin status, LND and disease‐specific survival, although data may be affected by the lack of long‐term results and a randomized clinical trial assessing overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

RARC with PLND and urinary diversion is an increasingly used strategy in the treatment armamentarium for bladder cancer.

Perioperative and oncological outcomes from existing data have been favourable thus far, but are limited by relatively short follow‐up.

Randomized clinical trials with extended patient follow‐up are needed to fully assess outcomes related to RARC.
Animal models in urinary diversion
Authors: Roosen Alexander , Woodhouse Christopher R.J. , Wood Daniel N. , Stief Christian G. , McDougal W. Scott , Gerharz Elmar W.
Published: September 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

For more than 150 years animal models have been used in the study of various aspects of urinary diversion using bowel segments.

For the first time this review provides a comprehensive analysis and synopsis of all animal models used in urinary diversion as a structured database for further research.

We set out to critically assess the value of animal experimentation in urinary diversion through intestinal segments, as some authors question the effectiveness of animal research, criticising the methodological quality, lack of standardization, inadequate reporting and the few systematic reviews in this field.

Based on a comprehensive MEDLINE literature search (MeSH database; search terms: urinary diversion, urinary reservoirs, continent, rat, dog, animal models) we retrieved and evaluated all full‐length papers published in English, German, French, and Spanish languages from 1966 to 2011 reporting the use of animal models in the setting of urinary diversion.

Studies were stratified according to the addressed research question. Within each category species, gender, number of animals, age at procedure, type of diversion, mortality, length of follow‐up, experimental procedure and outcome were recorded and tabulated.

In all, 159 articles were judged to be relevant and while there are numerous animal models only a few have been used in more than one study.

Animals were used for the systematic study of new surgical techniques (93 articles) or metabolic and functional consequences of urinary reconstruction (66 articles). For the latter purpose, the most often used animal is the rat, whereas the dog model is preferred for technical experimentation.

In many studies, the validity of the model is at least questionable. Animal experiments have repeatedly been conducted addressing the same question, often with striking discrepancies in outcome. Animal studies were even performed after a surgical technique had been pioneered in humans.

The use of animal models in urinary diversion is far from standardized rendering the results less than ideal for comparison across studies.

Due to differences in anatomy and physiology, the applicability of findings in animal experiments to clinical urology is limited. Continued effort is needed to optimise the use of animal models in experimental urology.
Is robotics the future of laparoendoscopic single‐site surgery (LESS)?
Authors: Spana Gregory , Rane Abhay , Kaouk Jihad H.
Published: September 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

LESS is a surgical technique that is utilized in many urological surgeries. The recent fusion of robotics and conventional LESS has significant implications for the future direction of LESS.

This study is a review of LESS surgery, with a discussion about emerging technologies and the future directions of LESS surgery.

Laparoendoscopic single‐site surgery (LESS) is a term that covers a spectrum of surgical techniques that perform laparoscopic surgery by consolidating all ports into one surgical incision.

In recent years, there has been an expansion of LESS surgical techniques with a wide spectrum of urological procedures being performed using LESS surgery.

Paralleling the clinical expansion of LESS are efforts to improve the instrumentation and access devices as well as incorporation of robotic platforms to the LESS arena.

This expansion in technology has generated the essential question: is robotics the future of LESS?
Balancing continence function and oncological outcomes during robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP)
Authors: Mottrie Alexander , Gallina Andrea , De Wil Peter , Thüer David , Novara Giacomo , Ficarra Vincenzo
Published: September 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

In the last decade, the desire to reduce the invasiveness of traditional open and laparoscopic surgery and, above all, the attempt of achieving better functional results, produced the increased interest in and the popularity of robotic techniques both in Europe and the USA.

In the present study we reported on our original surgical technique, and our perioperative, functional and oncological results, as well as on data from the most important published studies.

A critical point in the evaluation of the radical prostatectomy (RP) outcomes is whether patients who obtain good cancer control also obtain good functional results.

Specifically, urinary continence recovery seems to have a more relevant impact on the patient's health‐related quality of life in comparison with potency recovery. Moreover, this functional outcome is relevant for all patients who underwent RP regardless of the execution of a nerve‐sparing approach to preserve potency.

Data coming from robot‐assisted RP (RARP) series show excellent results for early and definitive urinary continence recovery and for negative surgical margins. Unfortunately, no data are available about the combination of these two relevant outcomes after RARP.

In this review article, we describe our surgical technique to minimize the risk of urinary incontinence and positive surgical margins and summarize data concerning continence recovery and early oncological outcomes after RARP.
Robotic cystectomy: surgical technique
Authors: Hosseini Abolfazl , Adding Christofer , Nilsson Andreas , Jonsson Martin N. , Wiklund N. Peter
Published: September 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Robotic‐assisted radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy have previously been described with an extracorporeal urinary diversion.

In this study we describe the technique with totally intracorporeal RARC and orthotopic neobladder.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this report is to describe our surgical technique of robotic assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with totally intracorporeal urinary diversion in patients with urinary bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 45 patients (7 women and 38 men) with high‐grade and/or muscle‐invasive urothelial cancer of the bladder underwent RARC and intracorporeal urinary diversion at our department.

Orthotopic ileal neobladder was performed in 36 patients and ileal conduit was performed in 9 patients.

RESULT

Except in two patients that operation was converted to open surgery during the reconstruction of the orthotopic neobladder, the procedure was performed totally intracorporeal.

The operations time, estimated blood loss and length for hospital stay were decreased over the time.

CONCLUSION

RARC with totally intracorporeal urinary diversion is feasible.
Skin autofluorescence is associated with severity of vascular complications in Japanese patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Tanaka K. , Tani Y. , Asai J. , Nemoto F. , Kusano Y. , Suzuki H. , Hayashi Y. , Asahi K. , Nakayama M. , Miyata T. , Watanabe T.
Published: September 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 492–500 (2012)

Aims  Skin autofluorescence, a non‐invasive measure of the accumulation for advanced glycation end products, has been reported to be a useful marker for diabetic vascular risks in the Caucasian population. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between skin autofluorescence and vascular complications in non‐Caucasian patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  Subjects in this cross‐sectional study comprised 130 Japanese patients with Type 2 diabetes. Skin advanced glycation end products were assessed by skin autofluorescence using an autofluorescence reader. Association between skin autofluorescence and severity of vascular complications was evaluated.

Results  Of the 130 patients, 60 (46.2%) had microvascular complications such as diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy, 10 (7.7%) had macrovascular complications and 63 (48.5%) had micro‐ and/or macrovascular complications. Skin autofluorescence increased with severity of vascular complications. Independent determinants of skin autofluorescence were age (β = 0.24, P < 0.01), mean HbA1c in previous year (β = 0.17, P = 0.03), microvascular complications (β = 0.44, P < 0.01) and macrovascular complications (β = 0.27, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that diabetes duration (odds ratio 1.15, P < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (odds ratio 1.04, P = 0.01), skin autofluorescence (odds ratio 3.62, P = 0.01) and serum albumin (odds ratio 0.84, P < 0.01) were independent factors for the presence of vascular complications in these patients.

Conclusions  Skin autofluorescence had independent effects on vascular complications in Japanese patients with Type 2 diabetes. This indicates that skin advanced glycation end products are a surrogate marker for vascular risk and a non‐invasive autofluorescence reader may be a useful tool to detect high‐risk cases in non‐Caucasian patients with diabetes.
Alcohol consumption and risk of pre‐diabetes and type 2 diabetes development in a Swedish population
Authors: Cullmann M. , Hilding A. , Östenson C.‐G.
Published: September 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 441–452 (2012)

Aims  Alcohol is a potential risk factor of Type 2 diabetes. However, more detailed information on effects of alcohol types and early phases of Type 2 diabetes development seems warranted. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of alcohol consumption and specific alcoholic beverages on the risk of developing pre‐diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in middle‐aged Swedish men and women.

Methods  Subjects, who at baseline had normal glucose tolerance (2070 men and 3058 women) or pre‐diabetes (70 men and 41 women), aged 35–56 years, were evaluated in this cohort study. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the risk [odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI)] to develop pre‐diabetes and Type 2 diabetes at 8–10 years follow‐up, in relation to self‐reported alcohol intake at baseline. Adjustment was performed for several risk factors.

Results  Total alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased the risk of pre‐diabetes and Type 2 diabetes in men (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.00–2.03 and OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.11–2.50, respectively), while low consumption decreased diabetes risk in women (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.22–0.79). Men showed higher risk of pre‐diabetes with high beer consumption (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.13–3.01) and of Type 2 diabetes with high consumption of spirits (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.27–3.24). Women showed a reduced risk of pre‐diabetes with high wine intake (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.43–0.99) and of Type 2 diabetes with medium intake of both wine and spirits (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24–0.88 and OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31–0.97, respectively), whereas high consumption of spirits increased the pre‐diabetes risk(OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.47–3.96).

Conclusion  High alcohol consumption increases the risk of abnormal glucose regulation in men. In women the associations are more complex: decreased risk with low or medium intake and increased risk with high alcohol intake.
Metabolic regulation during constant moderate physical exertion in extreme conditions in Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Valletta J. J. , Chipperfield A. J. , Clough G. F. , Byrne C. D.
Published: September 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 822–826 (2012)

Background  Constant moderate intensity physical exertion in humid environments at altitude poses a considerable challenge to maintaining euglycaemia with Type 1 diabetes. Blood glucose concentrations and energy expenditure were continuously recorded in a person trekking at altitude in a tropical climate to quantify changes in glucose concentrations in relation to energy expenditure.

Case report  Blood glucose concentrations and energy expenditure were continuously monitored with a Guardian® real‐time continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) and a SenseWear® Pro3 armband (BodyMedia Inc., USA), in a 27‐year‐old woman with Type 1 diabetes, during her climb up Mount Kinabalu in Borneo (c. 4095 m). Comparative control data from the same person was collected in the UK (temperate climate at sea level) and Singapore (tropical climate at sea level). Maximum physical effort during the climb was < 60% VO2MAX (maximal oxygen consumption). Mean daily calorific intakes were 2300 kcal (UK), 2370 kcal (Singapore) and 2274 kcal (Mount Kinabalu), and mean daily insulin doses were 54 U (UK), 40 U (Singapore) and 47 U (Mount Kinabalu). Despite markedly increased energy expenditure during the climb [4202 kcal (Mount Kinabalu) vs. 2948 kcal (UK) and 2662 kcal (Singapore)], mean blood glucose was considerably higher during the trek up Mount Kinabalu [13.2 ± 5.9 mmol/l, vs. 7.9 ± 3.8 mmol/l (UK) and 8.6 ± 4.0 mmol/l (Singapore)].

Conclusion  Marked unexpected hyperglycaemia occurred while trekking on Mount Kinabalu, despite similar calorie consumption and insulin doses to control conditions. Because of the risk of unexpected hyperglycaemia in these conditions, we recommend that patients embarking on similar activity holidays undertake frequent blood glucose monitoring.
The Moodiness of Action
Authors: Silver Daniel
Published: September 2011

This article argues that the concept of moodiness provides significant resources for developing a more robust pragmatist theory of action. Building on current conceptualizations of agency as effort by relational sociologists, it turns to the early work of Talcott Parsons to outline the theoretical presuppositions and antinomies endemic to any such conception; William James and John Dewey provide an alternative conception of effort as a contingent rather than fundamental form of agency. The article then proposes a way forward to a nonvoluntarist theory of action by introducing the notion of moodiness, highlighting how the concept permits a richer conceptualization of actors' prereflexive involvement in and relatedness to nonneutral, demanding situations. Effort is reconceptualized as a moment in a broader process of action, where the mood is fragile and problematical. Finally, the article draws all of these elements together in an outline of a unified portrait of the pragmatist action cycle that includes both creativity and moodiness as essential moments.
Fictionalism and Incompleteness
Authors: Woodward Richard
Published: September 2011

The modal fictionalist faces a problem due to the fact that her chosen story seems to be incomplete—certain things are neither fictionally true nor fictionally false. The significance of this problem is not localized to modal fictionalism, however, since many fictionalists will face it too. By examining how the fictionalist should analyze the notion of truth according to her story, and, in particular, the role that conditionals play for the fictionalist, I develop a novel and elegant solution to the incompleteness problem.
Polycentricity: From Polanyi to Ostrom, and Beyond
Authors: ALIGICA PAUL D. , TARKO VLAD
Published: September 2011

The article overviews and elaborates the concept of polycentricity, defined as a structural feature of social systems of many decision centers having limited and autonomous prerogatives and operating under an overarching set of rules. The article starts by introducing the concept as it was advanced by Michael Polanyi and developed by Elinor and Vincent Ostrom. It continues introducing possible instances of polycentricity as well as related notions, as part of an attempt to further elaborate the concept through a concept design approach that systematically applies the logic of necessary and sufficient conditions. The article concludes by arguing that the polycentricity conceptual framework is not only a robust analytical structure for the study of complex social phenomena, but is also a challenging method of drawing non‐ad hoc analogies between different types of self‐organizing complex social systems.
The effects of cover crops and conventional tillage on soil and runoff loss in vineyards and olive groves in several Mediterranean countries
Authors: Gómez J. A. , Llewellyn C. , Basch G. , Sutton P. B. , Dyson J. S. , Jones C. A.
Published: September 2011

Cover crops (CC) in vineyards and olive groves provide an alternative to conventional tillage (CT) for land management. Runoff, sediment and nutrient loss from six sites in France, Spain and Portugal were compared over 3–4 yr. In general, runoff loss was not significantly reduced by the CC alternatives: average annual runoff coefficients ranged from 4.9 to 22.8% in CT compared with 1.9–25% in the CC alternatives. However, at two sites, reductions in average annual runoff coefficients were greater for CC: 17.2 and 10.4% in CT, 6.1 and 1.9% in CC. Nutrient loss in runoff followed a similar pattern to runoff, as did pesticide loss on the one site; reductions occurred when runoff losses were significantly reduced by CC. The lack of differences at the other sites is thought to be due to a combination of soil conditions at the surface (compaction and capping) and sub‐surface (low‐permeability horizons close to the surface). In contrast, CC always resulted in reductions in soil erosion loss, plus similar reductions in nutrients and organic matter (OM) associated with sediment. Soil erosion loss ranged from 1.4 to 90 t/ha/yr in CT compared with 0.04–42.7 t/ha/yr in CC. Overall, reductions in runoff and associated nutrient and pesticide loss from vineyards and olives occurred with the introduction of CCs only when soil permeability was sufficiently high to reduce runoff. In contrast, reduction in soil erosion and associated nutrients and OM occurred even when the amount of runoff was not reduced. In the most extreme encountered situations (highly erodible soils in vulnerable landscape positions and subject to highly erosive rainfall), additional conservation measures are needed to prevent unsustainable soil loss.
AN ASSESSMENT OF COMPOSITIONAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN MODEL ARCHAEOLOGICAL GLASSES IN AN ACID BURIAL MATRIX
Authors: JACKSON C. M. , GREENFIELD D. , HOWIE L. A.
Published: September 2011

The degradation mechanisms of glass in a buried context result in surfaces that have been depleted in various elements. The stability of the glass is primarily affected by the burial environment and the glass composition. However, in all archaeological glasses, the corroded layer that is formed on the surface tends to be low in alkalis, high in silica and lacking in cohesion. The extent to which the material has degraded, along with the physical nature of the corrosion, has a profound effect upon a wide range of factors affecting the stability of artefacts, as well as the choice of conservation techniques to be employed. This study has a number of objectives: determination of the morphology of the surface of the leached layer in glasses of two different compositions with different surface finishes; examination of the transition between the corroded material and the unaffected substrate; and investigation of concentration profile of different elements within the surface layers, as a function of depth. The study uses two glasses, fabricated under laboratory conditions, to replicate two common glass types found in the historical environment; a soda–lime–silica glass typical of those found in the Roman period throughout the Mediterranean and northwestern Europe, and high‐lime–potash glasses typical of those of Western Europe in the late medieval period. Three different surfaces have been prepared to mimic alternative manufacturing techniques such as blown, cast and ground surfaces for each composition. The glasses have been corroded under controlled laboratory conditions to replicate the buried environment. Imaging and chemical information is obtained using SEM–EDX and morphological information using IFM to produce 3‐D mapping from topographical surfaces.
STUDY ON THE PIGMENTS IN THE CRUCIFORM GALLERY OF ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA
Authors: UCHIDA E. , TAKUBO Y. , TOYOUCHI K. , MIYATA J.
Published: September 2011

In the cruciform gallery of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, red, orange, white and black pigments were widely painted on the surfaces of pillars, walls and friezes. The application sequence of the pigments is different from area to area. The following substances were confirmed from the pigments: hematite (laterite), minium, calcium oxalate hydrates (whewellite and weddellite), Pb–Cl compounds (cotunnite, laurionite and blixite), calcium phosphates (whitlockite), gypsum, hydrocerussite, calcite, anglesite, lead dioxide, azurite and carbon black. The orange pigment (minium) underlies the red pigment (hematite). The former may have been applied at the time of the foundation (the Angkor Wat style period), and the latter in the Bayon style period or later, but mainly before the early 17th century of the current era.
STUDY ON THE PROVENANCE OF XICUN QINGBAI WARES FROM THE NORTHERN SONG DYNASTY OF CHINA
Authors: ZHU TIEQUAN , SUN WEIDONG , ZHANG HONG , WANG HONGMIN , KUANG GUIRONG , LV LIANGBO
Published: September 2011

The Xicun kiln in Guangdong Province was a famous porcelain kiln in the Song Dynasty of China, and for years there has been controversy over the provenance of Xixun Qingbai wares. This paper analyses Qingbai samples from the Xicun, Hutian (Jingdezhen) and Chaozhou (Guangdong Province) kilns by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence probe (EDXRF). The analytical results indicate that wares with a thin body excavated from the Xicun kiln site were produced in the Hutian kiln, and wares with a thick body were locally fired in Xicun; the contents of trace elements (V, Rb, Ba, Ta, Pb and Th) and the Nb/Ta ratio can be used to discriminate the products from the Xicun and Chaozhou kilns.
Revision of the disparid Stylocrinus (Crinoidea) from the Devonian of Europe, Asia and Australia
Authors: BOHATÝ JAN
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  The discovery of new specimens and the restudy of known collections result in revision of the diagnosis and the stratigraphic distribution of the disparid crinoid genus Stylocrinus, from the Middle and Upper Devonian of Europe, Asia and Australia. The consistent development of three basal plates, the atomous arms with internally inclined edges adjoining laterally with adjacent brachials in an interlocking network and an apparently rudimentary pinnulation is recognised. The high ecophenotypic plasticity of the common species S. tabulatus negates the validity of several former subspecies and demonstrates the general morphologic variability of the aboral cup proportions. This contrasts with the low morphological spectrum of rarer stylocrinid species. With exclusion of ‘S. elimatus’ (Silurian) from Stylocrinus, the genus is limited to the Devonian. A neotype is proposed for the lost holotype of S. tabulatus. Stylocrinus prescheri sp. nov. is described from the Eifelian to Givetian of Europe and Asia. The first evidence of the gastropod grazing trace fossil Radulichnus on a crinoid aboral cup (S. tabulatus), the post‐mortem incurred ossicular‐boring of radial and basal plates as well as the post‐mortem encrusting by a rugose coral are further observations on Stylocrinus aboral cups.
Late Emsian Rutoceratoidea (Nautiloidea) from the Prague Basin, Czech Republic: morphology, diversity and palaeoecology
Authors: MANDA ŠTĚPÁN , TUREK VOJTĚCH
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  Nautiloids of the superfamily Rutoceratoidea from the late Emsian (late Early Devonian) of the Prague Basin (Czech Republic) are commented upon. Species recognized include the hercoceratids Hercoceras mirum, H.? transiens, Ptenoceras proximum, P. nudum, P. minusculum and Anomaloceras anomalum, as well as the rutoceratids Adelphoceras bohemicum, Homoadelphoceras devonicans, Pseudorutoceras bolli and Goldringia? devonicans. In addition, four new species are described: Parauloceras regulare sp. nov., Roussanoffoceras chlupaci sp. nov., Otomaroceras sp. nov. and Goldringia sp. nov. Morphology and distribution patterns of Pragian and late Emsian rutoceratoid faunas from the Prague Basin are compared. They show that an increased diversity was accompanied by a higher level of specialization of rutoceratoids, which manifested itself in low abundance, increased facies dependence and greater variation in shell size during the Early Devonian. The evolution of sculpture and a contracted aperture, both regarded as protective adaptive features, was also examined, but no adaptive trend towards more pronounced sculpture and constriction of the aperture was found to have occurred in the Early Devonian. A more distinctive sculpture was, however, observed in shallow‐water assemblages of P. proximum in comparison with deeper‐water faunules, and two additional cephalopod species were examined in order to obtain comparative data. The presence of distinct sculpture patterns in coeval shallow‐ and deeper‐water assemblages suggests limited migration between them and consequently reflects some degree of territoriality in Devonian nautiloids. New data on early shell development in P. proximum are presented. During the Choteč Event, rutoceratoid generic diversity dropped dramatically, one family became extinct and the Early Devonian diversification of the group came to an end. The recovery of nautiloid faunas was slower than that of other cephalopods and associated, unrelated invertebrates. The absence of change in abundance patterns between Pragian and late Emsian rutoceratoid faunas, i.e. prior to and subsequent to ammonoid radiation, suggests that the appearance and radiation of the latter group in the early Emsian did not affect the structure of nautiloid assemblages, i.e. these two clades did not occupy the same niches.
New morganucodontans from an Early Jurassic fissure filling in Wales (United Kingdom)
Authors: CLEMENS WILLIAM A.
Published: September 2011

Abstract: Two new genera and species of morganucodontans,Bridetherium dorisaeandPaceyodon davidi, are recognized as members of theMorganucodon‐sphenodont fauna preserved in a fissure filling (Pant 4) exposed in Pant Quarry, Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. Both taxa are based on isolated molariforms. Mode of occlusion of upper and lower molariforms inB. dorisaediffers from the embrasure shearing pattern ofMegazostrodonand the offset pattern characteristic ofMorganucodon. Lack of a clear correlation between different patterns of occlusion and morphologies of their molariforms supports the working hypothesis that a close correlation between function and morphology of the molars characteristic of therian mammals, for example, was not present in morganucodontans.P. davidiis based on an isolated morganucodontan molariform that is significantly larger than any yet discovered. Several isolated morganucodontan‐like molariforms cannot be referred to these taxa. The new Welsh morganucodontans added to records from other sites indicate the group achieved considerable taxonomic diversity and a near global distribution by the Early Jurassic.
Fossil isopods associated with a fish skeleton from the Lower Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia – direct evidence of a scavenging lifestyle in Mesozoic Cymothoida
Authors: WILSON GEORGE D. F. , PATERSON JOHN R. , KEAR BENJAMIN P.
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  A dense assemblage of fossil isopod crustaceans (Brunnaega tomhurleyi Wilson, sp. nov.) from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Toolebuc Formation of Queensland, Australia, has been found within the carcass of a large actinopterygian fish, Pachyrhizodus marathonensis (Etheridge). Preservation of fine anatomical details supports referral to the genus Brunnaega Polz, which is herein reassigned to the family Cirolanidae. Furthermore, placement of this taxon within the cirolanid subfamily Conilerinae Kensley and Schotte is significant because the group includes modern species that are well known as voracious scavengers. This isopod–fish association represents the oldest unequivocal evidence of scavenging by Mesozoic cymothoidean isopods on a large vertebrate carcass.
Spiders, Sartre and ‘magical geographies’: the emotional transformation of space
Authors: Smith Mick , Davidson Joyce , Henderson Victoria L.
Published: September 2011

Drawing on interviews with individuals suffering from arachnophobia, we suggest ways in which phenomenologically oriented aspects of Jean‐Paul Sartre’s (geographically neglected) work, particularly the concept of ‘magical’ thinking outlined in Sartre’s early Sketch for a theory of the emotions, might help both elucidate the spatiality of phobic lifeworlds and provide wider explanatory resources for understanding emotional geographies. If emotion evokes a world in which the relations of things to our awareness of them is, indeed, ‘magical’, then we may begin to explain the transformations of space recounted by phobics who are severely troubled by spiders' unpredictable movements within the geography of their homes. Sartre’s treatment of the phobic event as an event of worldly awareness, we argue, has critical implications for understanding how highly nuanced modes of attenuation, attraction, and repulsion compose the intimate geographies of our lives.
Reflections on the Mirrlees Review: An Australasian Perspective*
Authors: Evans Chris
Published: September 2011

This paper compares and contrasts the UK's Mirrlees Review with major tax reviews that have taken place at about the same time in Australia (the Henry Review) and New Zealand (the Tax Working Group Review). It suggests that the three countries share many cultural, social, economic and political traditions and institutions, but that this shared heritage does not necessarily extend to the realms of tax reviews and the possible roads to tax reform that the countries may tread. There are some similarities in aspects of the processes of tax review that have taken place in the three countries (though rather more differences), and all three countries also share a commitment to broadly similar principles underlying the recommendations made by each of the three reviews. But the specific proposals made by each of the reviews do not share much common ground. The differences are more apparent than any similarities that may occur, an outcome (in part at least) predicated upon the very different political, economic and fiscal imperatives prevailing in each of the three countries.

The paper also suggests that it is unlikely that the three reviews will have the same long‐term impact or effects upon their respective national tax systems. It may be the case, the paper contends, that there is a form of tradeoff between political independence (as in the Mirrlees Review) and the direct policy impact that is more apparent in countries whose reviews had strong government backing (as was the case in New Zealand) – at least in the short term. Moreover, independent reviews (such as the Mirrlees Review) may also lead to more radical proposals, which will require a longer time maturing ‘on the shelf’ before they may be ripe for implementation.
Commentary on Tax by Design: The Mirrlees Review*
Authors: Gordon Roger
Published: September 2011

The objective of this commentary is to explore the relationship between the reforms proposed in Tax by Design and the recent academic literature. This literature provides solid support for the Mirrlees Review's dramatic proposals to eliminate any personal taxes on the normal rate of return to savings and to eliminate any net tax on new business investment. There is also solid support for the full taxation of any excess returns on financial investments, including income from capital gains.

The commentary does raise questions, though, about the specific methods proposed to achieve these reforms. The proposal advocates adoption of rate‐of‐return allowances for individual savings under the personal tax and for business investment under the corporate tax. A commonly proposed alternative is to redefine the personal tax base to equal annual consumption and to allow expensing of new investment under the corporate tax. With such reforms to the personal tax, there is no longer even a clear reason to retain a corporate tax. The commentary also emphasises the pressures arising from cross‐border investments and cross‐border migration of individuals, issues given little attention in the review.

These questions regard details of implementation. The overall proposals receive strong support in the academic literature.
An Optimal Tax System*
Authors: Kaplow Louis
Published: September 2011

A notable feature and principal virtue of Tax by Design is its system‐wide perspective on different elements of the tax system. This review essay builds on this trait and offers a more explicit foundation for the report's general approach, drawing on a distribution‐neutral methodology that is developed in other work. This technique is then employed to illuminate and extend Tax by Design's analysis regarding the VAT, environmental taxation, wealth transfer taxation and income transfers.
Magnesium sulfate as an adjunct therapy in the management of severe generalized tetanus in a dog
Authors: Simmonds Erin E. , Alwood Amy J. , Costello Merilee F.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To describe the use of magnesium sulfate in a case of generalized tetanus in a dog.

Case Summary

A 1.5‐year‐old golden retriever was presented for a digital wound on the right thoracic limb and clinical signs associated with generalized tetanus. Initial case management consisted of wound debridement, treatment with metronidazole, tetanus immunoglobulin, methocarbamol, airway management via tracheostomy, and nursing care. Sedation to control severe muscle spasms became insufficient despite increasing doses of benzodiazepine, methocarbamol, and barbiturate continuous rate infusions. A magnesium sulfate continuous rate infusion was instituted on day 7 and muscle rigidity improved within 16 hours allowing discontinuation of sedative infusions over the subsequent 2 days. Clinical improvement continued and the dog was discharged on day 14.

New or Unique Information Provided

This case demonstrates the use of supraphysiologic magnesium in the treatment of severe generalized tetanus with a positive outcome. No clinical signs associated with magnesium toxicity were noted during the course of therapy. Magnesium sulfate should be considered as a potential adjunct therapy in the management of spastic paralysis caused by severe tetanus in dogs.