bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED Periurethral injection of autologous adipose‐derived stem cells for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy: Report of two initial cases
Authors: Yamamoto Tokunori , Gotoh Momokazu , Hattori Ryohei , Toriyama Kazuhiro , Kamei Yuzuru , Iwaguro Hideki , Matsukawa Yoshihisa , Funahashi Yasuhito
Published: November 2009

Objectives:  To report a novel cell therapy using autologous adipose tissue‐derived stem cells (ADSC) for stress urinary incontinence caused by urethral sphincteric deficiency and the outcomes in two initial cases undergoing periurethral injection of stem cells for the treatment of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.

Methods:  Two patients with moderate stress incontinence after radical prostatectomy were enrolled. After liposuction of 250 mL of adipose tissue from the abdomen, we isolated ADSC from this tissue by using the Celution system. Subsequently, the isolated ADSC and a mixture of stem cells and adipose tissue were transurethrally injected into the rhabdosphincter and submucosal space of the urethra, respectively. Short‐term outcomes during a 12‐week follow‐up were assessed by a 24‐h pad test, a validated patient questionnaire, urethral pressure profile, transrectal ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Results:  Urinary incontinence progressively improved after 2 weeks of injection up to 12 weeks in terms of decreased leakage volume in a 24‐h pad test, decreased frequency and amount of incontinence, and improved quality of life as per the questionnaire. In urethral pressure profile, both maximum urethral closing pressure and functional profile length increased. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed sustained presence of the injected adipose tissue. Enhanced ultrasonography showed a progressive increase in the blood flow to the injected area. No significant adverse events were observed peri‐ and postoperatively.

Conclusion:  This preliminary study showed that periurethral injection of the autologous ADSC is a safe and feasible treatment modality for stress urinary incontinence.
Leaf hydraulic evolution led a surge in leaf photosynthetic capacity during early angiosperm diversification
Authors: Brodribb Tim J. , Feild Taylor S.
Published: November 2009

Ecology letters (2010) 13: 175–183

Angiosperm evolution transformed global ecology, and much of this impact derives from the unrivalled vegetative productivity of dominant angiosperm clades. However, the origins of high photosynthetic capacity in angiosperms remain unknown. In this study, we describe the steep trajectory of leaf vein density (Dv) evolution in angiosperms, and predict that this leaf plumbing innovation enabled a major shift in the capacity of leaves to assimilate CO2. Reconstructing leaf vein evolution from an examination of 504 angiosperm species we found a rapid three‐ to fourfold increase in Dv occurred during the early evolution of angiosperms. We demonstrate how this major shift in leaf vein architecture potentially allowed the maximum photosynthetic capacity in angiosperms to rise above competing groups 140–100 Ma. Our data suggest that early terrestrial angiosperms produced leaves with low photosynthetic rates, but that subsequent angiosperm success is linked to a surge in photosynthetic capacity during their early diversification.
Institutions Behind Family Ownership and Control in Large Firms
Authors: Peng Mike W. , Jiang Yi
Published: November 2009

abstract

There is a major debate regarding the role of concentrated family ownership and control in large firms, with three positions suggesting that such concentration is (1) good, (2) bad, or (3) irrelevant for firm value. Why are there such differences? We theorize that the impact of family ownership and control on firm value is associated with the level of shareholder protection embodied in legal and regulatory institutions of a country. Data from 634 publicly listed large family firms in seven Asian countries (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) are used to test our hypotheses. Overall, this article sketches the contours of a cross‐country, institution‐based view of corporate governance, and leads to a more informed understanding of the crucial role of institutions behind family ownership and control in large firms.
Book review
Authors: Vincent Katharine , Cull Tracy
Published: November 2009

Book reviewed in this issue.

Seasons of Hunger: Fighting cycles of quiet starvation among the world's rural poor
 Stephen Devereux, Bapu Vaitla and Samuel Hauenstein Swan
SURROGACY: DONOR CONCEPTION REGULATION IN JAPAN
Authors: SEMBA YUKARI , CHANG CHIUNGFANG , HONG HYUNSOO , KAMISATO AYAKO , KOKADO MINORI , MUTO KAORI
Published: November 2009

As of 2008, surrogacy is legal and openly practised in various places; Japan, however, has no regulations or laws regarding surrogacy. This paper reports the situation of surrogacy in Japan and in five other regions (the USA, the UK, Taiwan, Korea and France) to clarify the pros and cons of prohibiting surrogacy, along with the problems and issues relating to surrogacy compensation.

Not only in a country such as France that completely prohibits surrogacy within the country, but also in a country such as the UK that allows non‐commercial surrogacy, infertile couples travel overseas for the purpose of surrogacy. In addition, some couples might seek underground surrogacy if the government prohibits surrogacy. If an intended parent couple and a surrogate make an agreement among themselves and then a problem occurs, they cannot ask for support from professionals or bring a case to court, as can be observed in South Korea and Taiwan.

We also conclude that there is little difference between commercial surrogacy and non‐commercial surrogacy in the absence of a clear definition of ‘reasonable expenses.’ In the UK, the law does not allow surrogates to receive compensation. However, in reality, there may be little difference between the amounts paid to surrogates for profit in the US and those paid to surrogates for reasonable expenses in the UK. We conclude that the issue of surrogacy demands further discussion in Japan.
THE ONGOING CHARITY OF ORGAN DONATION. CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH SUNNI FATWAS ON ORGAN DONATION AND BLOOD TRANSFUSION
Authors: VAN DEN BRANDEN STEF , BROECKAERT BERT
Published: November 2009

Background: Empirical studies in Muslim communities on organ donation and blood transfusion show that Muslim counsellors play an important role in the decision process. Despite the emerging importance of online English Sunni fatwas, these fatwas on organ donation and blood transfusion have hardly been studied, thus creating a gap in our knowledge of contemporary Islamic views on the subject.

Method: We analysed 70 English Sunni e‐fatwas and subjected them to an in‐depth text analysis in order to reveal the key concepts in the Islamic ethical framework regarding organ donation and blood transfusion.

Results: All 70 fatwas allow for organ donation and blood transfusion. Autotransplantation is no problem at all if done for medical reasons. Allotransplantation, both from a living and a dead donor, appears to be possible though only in quite restricted ways. Xenotransplantation is less often mentioned but can be allowed in case of necessity. Transplantation in general is seen as an ongoing form of charity. Nearly half of the fatwas allowing blood transfusion do so without mentioning any restriction or problem whatsoever. The other half of the fatwas on transfusion contain the same conditional approval as found in the arguments pro organ transplantation.

Conclusion: Our findings are very much in line with the international literature on the subject. We found two new elements: debates on the definition of the moment of death are hardly mentioned in the English Sunni fatwas and organ donation and blood transfusion are presented as an ongoing form of charity.
Does Ownership Form Matter for Corporate Social Responsibility? A Longitudinal Comparison of Environmental Performance between Public, Private, and Joint‐venture Firms
Authors: LEE MIN‐DONG PAUL
Published: November 2009

This study examines whether a firm's ownership form has any influence on its social performance. Conventional wisdom suggests that public (publicly traded) corporations are more susceptible to corruption and socially irresponsible behavior than privately owned corporations because of the intense short‐term profit maximization pressure from shareholders and the lack of sufficient monitoring mechanisms. This study introduces an alternate perspective in thinking about the relationship between ownership form and corporate social responsibility. This study reasons that public corporations are more likely to become socially responsible because of their greater exposure to external influence and greater dependence on external actors with diverse interests. Using a panel data on the pollution management practices of 118 industrial facilities over a 13‐year period, this study shows that public corporations were indeed subject to greater external pressure to reduce pollution, and the pressure led to consistently stronger environmental performance.
Consumers on a Mission to Force a Change in Public Policy: A Qualitative Study of the Ongoing Canadian Seafood Boycott1
Authors: BRAUNSBERGER KARIN , BUCKLER BRIAN
Published: November 2009

Netnography (i.e., the online equivalent of ethnography) was used to analyze consumer boycott pledges submitted to an online boycott petition that was designed to recruit consumer participation in the contentious Canadian Seafood Boycott. The purpose was to investigate what motivates consumers to pledge boycott participation as well as to provide a preliminary understanding of boycott pledgees' psychographic makeup. The findings show that petition signatories are generally very angry about the Canadian Seal Hunt, pledge to boycott for a variety of objectives (instrumental, expressive, and punitive), abhor cruelty against animals, do not believe that it is acceptable to kill an animal for its fur, and worry about the environment in general. Many are very religious and quite a number believe that traditions that embrace animal cruelty need to be abolished. The findings further indicate that concern for animal welfare/rights has been moved into the mainstream.
‘The Right to Choose or Choosing What's Right? Women's Conceptualizations of Work and Life Choices in Contemporary Russia’
Authors: Turbine Vikki , Riach Kathleen
Published: November 2009

The resulting social and economic transformations of marketization and democratization have had a significant impact on the employment terrain of post‐socialist Russia. This has had particular effects on the forms and structures of work available for women. Our article argues that as a result of these social and economic transformations, the metaphor of ‘choice’ inherent in current theoretical approaches to the study of women at work in western contexts can also be adapted to the post‐socialist context. Building on existing research on women and work in the UK and in Russia, we seek to provide new insights into Russian women's own understandings of work and non‐work choices grounded in an analysis of women's use of rights discourses. Drawing on in‐depth interview data with 49 women living in the provincial Russian city of Ul'ianovsk, we explore constructions of work in relation to narratives of discrimination; as a means of‘samorealizatsiia’, and as ‘choice’ reflecting the continuing inseparability of public and private roles for women. Situating our work in wider global debates affecting the gendered nature of employment, the examination of the use of rights discourses not only highlights the multiple ways in which women perceive their choices about work but also offers an alternative conceptual framework.
More Harm than Good? The Language of Public Protection
Authors: BAKER KERRY
Published: November 2009

Abstract: Issues of risk and public protection are currently a critical, and politically sensitive, area of practice for probation and youth justice services in England and Wales. The language of public protection shapes practice in significant ways, yet this use of terminology is an issue which has received relatively little attention. This article examines the current debate between policy makers and independent inspectors concerning the use of the terms ‘harm’ and ‘serious harm’ to illustrate how linguistic confusion can hinder practice. The article concludes with suggestions for an alternative vocabulary that could bring greater clarity to risk assessment and risk management processes.
Treatment of refractory adult‐onset pityriasis rubra pilaris with TNF‐alpha antagonists: a case series
Authors: Garcovich S , Di Giampetruzzi AR , Antonelli G , Garcovich A , Didona B
Published: November 2009

Background  Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is a rare inflammatory dermatosis with frequent clinical presentation as erythroderma. Conventional systemic treatment is often unsatisfactory and limited by long‐term toxicity. The use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists has been reported previously in single cases, but lacking long‐term follow‐up or comparison between different biological agents.

Objectives  To assess the long‐term efficacy and safety of TNF‐alpha antagonist, infliximab and etanercept, either in monotherapy or in combination therapy of severe, refractory adult‐onset PRP.

Methods  Seven patients of adult‐onset PRP, six newly diagnosed type‐I and 1 type‐II, which were resistant or ineligible to conventional systemic treatment, received a single course of infliximab or etanercept therapy, alone or in combination with low‐dose acitretin (>0.25 mg/kg/daily). After complete remission and treatment discontinuation, a follow‐up period of 12 months was evaluated for relapses.

Results  Six patients obtained complete remission after a single course of anti‐TNF‐alpha therapy: mean therapy duration was 19.3 weeks (range 6–48 weeks). All patients obtained significant clearing (>75% of body surface area) of skin lesions at week 12. Two patients with marked keratoderma developed localized disease recurrence during treatment. During follow‐up, only a single patient, affected by type II PRP, had disease relapse.

Conclusions  Both TNF‐alpha antagonists proved successful for the treatment of refractory, adult‐onset PRP, yielding complete and persistent clinical responses in type‐I PRP. Infliximab was associated with a more rapid onset of action, while treatment duration was comparable with etanercept. PRP type II warranted long‐term therapy and showed relapse after drug discontinuation.
The mechanics behind plant development
Authors: Hamant Olivier , Traas Jan
Published: November 2009

Morphogenesis in living organisms relies on the integration of both biochemical and mechanical signals. During the last decade, attention has been mainly focused on the role of biochemical signals in patterning and morphogenesis, leaving the contribution of mechanics largely unexplored. Fortunately, the development of new tools and approaches has made it possible to re‐examine these processes. In plants, shape is defined by two local variables: growth rate and growth direction. At the level of the cell, these variables depend on both the cell wall and turgor pressure. Multidisciplinary approaches have been used to understand how these cellular processes are integrated in the growing tissues. These include quantitative live imaging to measure growth rate and direction in tissues with cellular resolution. In parallel, stress patterns have been artificially modified and their impact on strain and cell behavior been analysed. Importantly, computational models based on analogies with continuum mechanics systems have been useful in interpreting the results. In this review, we will discuss these issues focusing on the shoot apical meristem, a population of stem cells that is responsible for the initiation of the aerial organs of the plant.

Contents

Summary
369

I.
Introduction
369

II.
The cellular basis of plant morphogenesis and plant mechanics
370

III.
From cells to organisms: a dialog between levels of organization
374

IV.
Biomechanics: some concepts and approaches
375

V.
Sensing forces: some clues on the molecular basis
380

VI.
Conclusion
381

Acknowledgements
381

References
381
Apolipoprotein E genotype and cerebral palsy
Authors: BRAGA LUCIA W , BORIGATO ELIANA V M , SPECK‐MARTINS CARLOS E , IMAMURA ERICA U , GORGES ANA M PEDROSA , IZUMI ANA P , DANTAS RIZAEL C , NUNES LUIS G NADAL
Published: November 2009

Aim  Apolipoprotein E (APOE, protein; [ApoE, gene]) is a lipid transport protein abundantly present in brain cells. We investigated whether the APOE genotype is associated with cerebral palsy (CP) and whether patients with CP with comorbid conditions and more severe neurological deficits are likely to have a particular genotype.

Method  In a cross‐sectional study, 243 individuals with spastic CP (135 males, 108 females; mean age at data collection 11 year ([SD 6y 7mo], 34% with hemiplegia, 37% with diplegia, 29% with triplegia/tetraplegia; 44% with mild motor involvement), 31% with moderate motor involvement, 25% with severe motor involvement, were compared with healthy individuals matched by age, race, and sex to analyse the association between APOE genotype and the incidence of CP. Associations between the APOE genotype and the incidence of comorbidities and neurological deficits were studied in the group with CP.

Results  The APOE ε2ε3 genotype was significantly more prevalent in the group with CP (11%) than the comparison group (5%) (odds ratio [OR] 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–7.66). The presence of the ε2 allele raised the probability of having CP (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.27–8.27). The presence of ApoE ε4 was not significantly different among groups. No relation was found between APOE genotype and severity of neurological deficit or distribution of motor involvement. Four patients with CP presented the ε4ε4 genotype, and all exhibited epilepsy and microcephaly. Eleven of 12 individuals with CP and macrocephaly carried the ε3ε3 genotype.

Interpretation  A higher prevalence of the APOE ε2 genotype was found among those with CP. The association of microcephaly and epilepsy with the ε4ε4 genotype and the association of macrocephaly with ε3 demand further investigation.
The effect of a basic home stimulation programme on the development of young children infected with HIV
Authors: POTTERTON JOANNE , STEWART AIMEE , COOPER PETER , BECKER PIETER
Published: November 2009

Aims  The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) potentially causes a significant encephalopathy and resultant developmental delay in infected children. The aim of this study was to determine whether a home‐based intervention programme could have an impact on the neurodevelopmental status of children infected with HIV.

Method  A longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial was conducted. A total of 122 children aged less than 2 years 6 months were assigned to either a comparison or an experimental group. Children in the experimental group were given a home stimulation programme that was updated every 3 months. The home programme included activities to promote motor, cognitive, and speech and language development. Children in the comparison group received no developmental intervention. Children were assessed by a blinded assessor at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition.

Results  The children in this study came from poor socioeconomic backgrounds and their nutritional status was suboptimal. The experimental group included 60 children (30 males, 30 females) with a mean age of 18 months (SD 8.1mo). The comparison group included 62 children (32 males, 30 females) with a mean age 19 months (SD 8.2mo). Cognitive and motor development were severely affected at baseline, with 52% of the children having severe cognitive delay and 72% having severe motor delay at baseline. Children in the experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in cognitive (p=0.010) and motor (p=0.020) development over time than children in the comparison group.

Interpretation  A home stimulation programme taught to the caregiver can significantly improve cognitive and motor development in young children infected with HIV.
Prevalence of motor‐skill impairment in preterm children who do not develop cerebral palsy: a systematic review
Authors: WILLIAMS JACQUELINE , LEE KATHERINE J , ANDERSON PETER J
Published: November 2009

Aim  Motor skill impairment is a common negative outcome in children born preterm who do not develop cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of current data to provide an accurate estimate of the prevalence of non‐CP motor impairment in preterm children at school age.

Method  We searched the Medline, PubMed, and PsycInfo databases and relevant journals to identify all studies published post‐1990 that reported the prevalence of motor impairment in school‐aged children born preterm (<37wks’ gestation) using standardised motor assessment batteries. We applied a range of exclusionary criteria, with 11 studies included in the final analyses. We identified two levels of motor impairment commonly reported – mild–moderate and moderate – and conducted a random effects meta‐analysis to produce a prevalence estimate for each.

Results  The pooled estimate for mild–moderate impairment in preterm children was 40.5/100. and for moderate motor impairment the estimate was 19.0/100. There was also a trend for lower motor impairment levels in samples born before 1990 compared with those born after 1990.

Interpretation  Children born preterm are at increased risk of motor impairment, with prevalence three to four times greater than in the general population. This highlights the need for improved surveillance and intervention strategies in this group of children.
Evidence of impaired neurocognitive functioning in school‐age children awaiting cardiac surgery
Authors: VAN DER RIJKEN RACHEL , HULSTIJN‐DIRKMAAT GERDINE , KRAAIMAAT FLORIS , NABUURS‐KOHRMAN LIDA , DANIËLS OTTO , MAASSEN BEN
Published: November 2009

Aim  Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk of developing neurocognitive problems. However, as these problems are usually identified after cardiac surgery, it is unclear whether they resulted from the surgery or whether they pre‐existed and hence might be explained by complications and events associated with the heart disease itself. The purpose of this study was to examine whether neurocognitive deficits commonly reported after cardiac surgery are present before surgery.

Method  Forty‐five children (22 males, 23 females; mean age 11y 6mo, SD 3y 0mo) with cyanotic and acyanotic heart diseases scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were compared with 41 healthy peers (17 males, 24 females; mean age 11y 10mo, SD 2y 10mo) for attention and processing speed, construction, motor speed, motor planning and fluency, and visual memory. Twenty‐three children in the patient group were awaiting their first cardiac surgery and 22 were awaiting follow‐up surgery.

Results  The patients showed manifest neurocognitive difficulties. Their performance was inferior to that of the healthy comparison group for motor planning (p=0.02) and visual memory (p=0.01). The same neurocognitive profile was found in the group of patients awaiting their first cardiac operation.

Interpretation  School‐age children with various forms of CHD are at risk of neurocognitive impairments before cardiac surgery.
Statistical recommendations for papers submitted toDevelopmental Medicine & Child Neurology
Authors: RIGBY ALAN S
Published: November 2009

The use of statistics in medical diagnoses and biomedical research may affect whether an individual may live or die, whether their health is protected or jeopardized. Because society depends on sound statistical practice, all practitioners of statistics, whatever their training or occupation, have social obligations to perform their work in a professional, competent, and ethical manner.
Chronic hyperammonemia induces tonic activation of NMDA receptors in cerebellum
Authors: ElMlili Nisrin , Boix Jordi , Ahabrach Hanan , Rodrigo Regina , Errami Mohammed , Felipo Vicente
Published: November 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009)112, 1005–1014.

Reduced function of the glutamate–nitric oxide (NO)–cGMP pathway is responsible for some cognitive alterations in rats with hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy. Hyperammonemia impairs the pathway in cerebellum by increasing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) phosphorylation in Ser847 by calcium‐calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), reducing nNOS activity, and by reducing nNOS amount in synaptic membranes, which reduces its activation following NMDA receptors activation. The reason for increased CaMKII activity in hyperammonemia remains unknown. We hypothesized that it would be as a result of increased tonic activation of NMDA receptors. The aims of this work were to assess: (i) whether tonic NMDA activation receptors is increased in cerebellum in chronic hyperammonemiain vivo; and (ii) whether this tonic activation is responsible for increased CaMKII activity and reduced activity of nNOS and of the glutamate–NO–cGMP pathway. Blocking NMDA receptors with MK‐801 increases cGMP and NO metabolites in cerebellumin vivoand in slices from hyperammonemic rats. This is because of reduced phosphorylation and activity of CaMKII, leading to normalization of nNOS phosphorylation and activity. MK‐801 also increases nNOS in synaptic membranes and reduces it in cytosol. This indicates that hyperammonemia increases tonic activation of NMDA receptors leading to reduced activity of nNOS and of the glutamate–NO–cGMP pathway.
The Adoption of Genetically Modified Cotton and Poverty Reduction in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Akhter , Abdulai Awudu
Published: November 2009

This article employs a propensity score‐matching approach to examine the direct effects of adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton on yields, pesticide demand, household income and poverty, using cross‐sectional data from a survey of farmers in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Generally, the findings reveal that adoption of the new technology exerts a positive and significant impact on cotton yields, household income and poverty reduction, and a negative effect on the use of pesticides. The positive and significant impact of the technology on yields and household income is consistent with the potential role of new agricultural technology in directly reducing rural poverty through increased farm household income.
Photogrammetry and augmented reality for cultural heritage applications
Authors: Portalés Cristina , Lerma José L. , Pérez Carmen
Published: November 2009

Virtual modelling and 3D reconstruction are common tools used in the field of cultural heritage to recreate, analyse and visualise large objects (for example, archaeological sites and architectural buildings) and small objects such as sculptures, ceramic tiles or silver, marble and wooden artefacts. At present, it is possible to apply different technologies to achieve accurate photo‐realistic 3D models. On the one hand, the precise modelling of existing 3D data is usually difficult and expensive as “reality” is complex per se; the more complex the object, the more complex the model. On the other hand, models are often achieved with the purpose of visualising the past state of monuments that nowadays are no longer fully conserved. In this sense, “augmented reality” (AR) technology can play an important role in cultural heritage. First, it permits the simultaneous viewing of both virtual and real 3D data. Second, the modelling of the entire object is no longer necessary. Third, it is possible to have full “immersion” of the viewer. This paper overviews the new technology of AR, as used in the world of cultural heritage to display past (now partially or totally lost) and present scenes together. It goes on to describe some practical experience of applying AR to the re‐creation of two features, a Baroque vault and a Renaissance reredos, formerly present above the high altar of Valencia Cathedral in Spain.
Applications of low‐budget photogrammetry in the geotechnical laboratory
Authors: Thomas Hartwig , Cantré Stefan
Published: November 2009

In geotechnical laboratories, complicated geometries have frequently to be surveyed and the surfaces of the test materials, such as soils or geosynthetics, are often hard to handle within the experiments. Compressions, strains, distortions, stresses and failures (for example, cracks) must be identified. Highly accurate measurements of two‐ and three‐dimensional deformations can be performed using photogrammetric systems. Digital close range photogrammetry offers the possibility of capturing three‐dimensional points to sub‐millimetre accuracy. Because this is a non‐contact measurement technology and large point clusters can be captured simultaneously, the method is well suited for geotechnical laboratory applications. Nowadays, digital cameras are well developed, such that even low‐budget consumer cameras can be used for surveying tasks with high accuracy requirements. In this context, complex measurements in geotechnical experiments, such as the three‐dimensional determination of strains in dynamic systems where several cameras may be needed, can be performed at very low cost.

In the authors’ opinion, low‐budget solutions include the use of hardware and software which is already accessible. If the available photogrammetric network does not meet the requirements of the planned task, individual adaptation of this network may still be more cost‐effective than purchasing a specialised product. This paper covers a variety of applications using low‐budget digital photogrammetric solutions in geotechnical laboratories and emphasises two recent projects at the University of Rostock.
Absolutely Atlantic: Colonialism and the Early Modern French State in Recent Historiography
Authors: Hodson Christopher , Rushforth Brett
Published: November 2009

Although it remains, in Allan Potofsky’s words, the “poorer cousin” of scholarship on the British and Iberian Atlantics, research on France’s early modern empire has expanded in recent years. This article examines that growing body of literature, focusing on works that deal with the complex relationships among indigenous peoples, French colonists, and the French state. We argue that these books, articles, and dissertations point toward a new vision of the early modern French Atlantic. Rejecting older notions of a static, moribund monarchy opposed by dynamic colonial societies that flouted the crown’s designs, recent studies instead examine points of connection between a multi‐faceted state and the peoples it engaged, creating a more nuanced portrait of early modern French colonialism.
Finding the Flapper: A Historiographical Look at Image and Attitude
Authors: Ress Stella
Published: November 2009

In 1920 with the publication of his first novel This Side of Paradise, the struggling, young, and hopelessly romantic writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, first introduced the American public to the flapper. Though he never used the term ‘flapper’ until his later works, scholars credit Fitzgerald with creating, or at the very least, popularizing her. Stubborn, precocious, beautiful, young, unconventional, and often times dangerous, Fitzgerald’s characterization would become the definition of the flapper – the image the average American conjured up when he or she heard the word. Like a whirlwind, she raced onto the scene and completely changed the landscape of female and male interaction and redefined the feminine ideal. Although successful in her immersion into American culture, the flapper as persona grata was ephemeral. Throughout the 1920s the flapper dominated the tabloids, movies and even serious scholarship. By the 1930s, however, her name and her public appearance dwindled and, prior to the American emergence into the Second World War, finally disappeared altogether.
Palaeoproterozoic high‐pressure granulite overprint of the Archean continental crust: evidence for homogeneous crustal thickening (Man Rise, Ivory Coast)
Authors: PITRA P. , KOUAMELAN A. N. , BALLÈVRE M. , PEUCAT J‐J.
Published: November 2009

The character of mountain building processes in Palaeoproterozoic times is subject to much debate. Based on the discovery of high‐pressure granulites in the Man Rise (Côte d’Ivoire), several authors have argued that Eburnean (Palaeoproterozoic) reworking of the Archean basement was achieved by modern‐style thrust‐dominated tectonics.

A mafic granulite of the Kouibli area (Archean part of the Man Rise, western Ivory Coast) displays a primary assemblage (M1) containing garnet, diopsidic clinopyroxene, red‐brown pargasitic amphibole, plagioclase (andesine), rutile, ilmenite and quartz. This assemblage is associated with a subvertical regional foliation. Symplectites that developed at the expense of the M1 assemblage contain orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase (bytownite), green pargasitic amphibole, ilmenite and magnetite (M2). Multiequilibrium thermobarometric calculations and P–T pseudosections calculated with thermocalc suggest granulite facies conditions of ∼ 13 kbar, 850 °C and <7 kbar, 700–800 °C for M1 and M2, respectively. In agreement with the qualitative information obtained from reaction textures and chemical zoning of minerals, this suggests an evolution dominated by decompression accompanied by moderate cooling. A Sm–Nd garnet – whole‐rock age of 2.03 Ga determined on this sample indicates that this evolution occurred during the Palaeoproterozoic. It is argued that from the geodynamic point of view the observed features are best explained by homogeneous thickening of the margin of the Archean craton, re‐heated and softened due to the accretion of hot, juvenile Palaeoproterozoic crust, as well as coeval intrusion of juvenile magmas. Crustal shortening was mainly accommodated by transpressive shear zones and by lateral crustal spreading rather than large‐scale thrust systems.
Metamorphism and deformation at different structural levels in a strike‐slip fault zone, Ross Lake fault, North Cascades, USA
Authors: GORDON S. M. , WHITNEY D. L. , MILLER R. B. , McLEAN N. , SEATON N. C. A.
Published: November 2009

Continental crust is displaced in strike‐slip fault zones through lateral and vertical movement that together drive burial and exhumation. Pressure–temperature–deformation (P–T–d) histories of orogenic crust exhumed in transcurrent zones record the mechanisms and conditions of these processes. The Skagit Gneiss Complex, a migmatitic unit of the North Cascades, Washington (USA), was metamorphosed at depths of ∼25–30 km in a continental arc under contraction, and is bounded on its eastern side by the long‐lived transcurrent Ross Lake fault zone (RLFZ). The P–T–d conditions recorded by rocks on either side of the RLFZ vary along the length of the fault zone, but most typically the fault separates high‐grade gneiss and plutons from lower‐grade rocks. The Ruby Mt–Elijah Ridge area at the eastern margin of the Skagit Gneiss exposes tectonic contacts between gneiss and overlying rocks; the latter rocks, including slivers of Methow basin deposits, are metamorphosed and record higher‐grade metamorphism than in correlative rocks along strike along the RLFZ. In this area, the Skagit Gneiss and overlying units all yield maximum P–T conditions of 8–10 kbar at >650 °C, indicating that slices of basin rocks were buried to similar mid‐crustal depths as the gneiss. After exhumation of fault zone rocks to <15 km depth, intrusion of granitoid plutons drove contact metamorphism, resulting in texturally late andalusite–cordierite in garnet schist. In the Elijah Ridge area of the RLFZ, an overlapping step‐over or series of step‐overs that evolved through time may have facilitated burial and exhumation of a deep slice of the Methow basin, indicating that strike‐slip faults can have major vertical displacement (tens of kilometres) that is significant during the crustal thickening and exhumation stages of orogeny.
Chronic Ethanol Consumption Results in Atypical Liver Injury in Copper/Zinc Superoxide Dismutase Deficient Mice
Authors: Curry‐McCoy Tiana V. , Osna Natalia A. , Nanji Amin A. , Donohue Jr Terrence M.
Published: November 2009

Background: Ethanol metabolism increases production of reactive oxygen species, including superoxide () in the liver, resulting in significant oxidative stress, which causes cellular damage. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide to less toxic intermediates, preventingaccumulation. Because the absence of SOD would confer less resistance to oxidative stress, we determined whether damage to hepatic proteolytic systems was greater in SOD−/−than in SOD+/+mice after chronic ethanol feeding.

Methods: Female wild‐type (SOD+/+) and Cu/Zn‐SOD knockout (SOD−/−) mice were pair‐fed ethanol and control liquid diets for 24 days, after which liver injury was assessed.

Results: Ethanol‐fed SOD−/−mice had 4‐fold higher blood ethanol, 2.8‐fold higher alanine aminotransferase levels, 20% higher liver weight, a 1.4‐fold rise in hepatic protein levels, and 35 to 70% higher levels of lipid peroxides than corresponding wild‐type mice. While wild‐type mice exhibited fatty liver after ethanol administration, SOD−/−mice showed no evidence of ethanol‐induced steatosis, although triglyceride levels were elevated in both groups of knockout mice. Ethanol administration caused no significant change in proteasome activity, but caused lysosomal leakage in livers of SOD−/−mice but not in wild‐type mice. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity was reduced by 50 to 60% in ethanol‐fed SOD−/−mice compared with all other groups. Additionally, while ethanol administration induced cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity in wild‐type mice, it caused no such induction in SOD−/−mice. Unexpectedly, ethanol feeding significantly elevated total and mitochondrial levels of glutathione in SOD knockout mice compared with wild‐type mice.

Conclusion: Ethanol‐fed SOD−/−mice exhibited lower alcohol dehydrogenase activity and lack of CYP2E1 inducibility, thereby causing decreased ethanol metabolism compared with wild‐type mice. These and other atypical responses to ethanol, including the absence of ethanol‐induced steatosis and enhanced glutathione levels, appear to be linked to enhanced oxidative stress due to lack of antioxidant enzyme capacity.
Heterogeneity in DNA Multiple Alignments: Modeling, Inference, and Applications in Motif Finding
Authors: Chen Gong , Zhou Qing
Published: November 2009

SummaryTranscription factors bind sequence‐specific sites in DNA to regulate gene transcription. Identifying transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) is an important step for understanding gene regulation. Although sophisticated in modeling TFBSs and their combinatorial patterns, computational methods for TFBS detection and motif finding often make oversimplified homogeneous model assumptions for background sequences. Since nucleotide base composition varies across genomic regions, it is expected to be helpful for motif finding to incorporate the heterogeneity into background modeling. When sequences from multiple species are utilized, variation in evolutionary conservation violates the common assumption of an identical conservation level in multiple alignments. To handle both types of heterogeneity, we propose a generative model in which a segmented Markov chain is used to partition a multiple alignment into regions of homogeneous nucleotide base composition and a hidden Markov model (HMM) is employed to account for different conservation levels. Bayesian inference on the model is developed via Gibbs sampling with dynamic programming recursions. Simulation studies and empirical evidence from biological data sets reveal the dramatic effect of background modeling on motif finding, and demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to achieve substantial improvements over commonly used background models.
A Hierarchical Bayesian Design for Phase I Trials of Novel Combinations of Cancer Therapeutic Agents
Authors: Braun Thomas M. , Wang Shufang
Published: November 2009

Summary We propose a hierarchical model for the probability of dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT) for combinations of doses of two therapeutic agents. We apply this model to an adaptive Bayesian trial algorithm whose goal is to identify combinations with DLT rates close to a prespecified target rate. We describe methods for generating prior distributions for the parameters in our model from a basic set of information elicited from clinical investigators. We survey the performance of our algorithm in a series of simulations of a hypothetical trial that examines combinations of four doses of two agents. We also compare the performance of our approach to two existing methods and assess the sensitivity of our approach to the chosen prior distribution.
The Accelerated Failure Time Model Under Biased Sampling
Authors: Mandel Micha , Ritov Ya'akov
Published: November 2009

Summary Chen (2009, Biometrics) studies the semi‐parametric accelerated failure time model for data that are size biased. Chen considers only the uncensored case and uses hazard‐based estimation methods originally developed for censored observations. However, for uncensored data, a simple linear regression on the log scale is more natural and provides better estimators.
Promoting an Environmental Civil Society: Politics, Policy, and Russia's Post‐1991 Experience
Authors: Feldman David L. , Blokov Ivan Pavlovich
Published: November 2009

In recent years the United Nations Environment Program, UN Conference on Environment and Development, and other international organizations have acknowledged the importance of civil society for engaging stakeholders in environmental change—especially at the local community level—and in promoting democracy.1 In Russia, efforts by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to promote reform since 1991 have aimed at achieving both objectives and face numerous political, legal, and attitudinal hurdles. This article examines these hurdles and the factors that facilitate development of an environmentally conscious civil society in Russia through analysis of the views of 100 representatives of environmental NGOs, news media, scientific community, corporations, and public agencies. We also investigate three abbreviated but illustrative vignettes that illuminate civil society impediments. Our thesis is that successful efforts to ensure adequate protection of Russia's environment require a strengthening of civil society.
Evaluating the Improved Research Capacity of EPSCoR States: R&D Funding and Collaborative Networks in the NSF EPSCoR Program
Authors: Melkers Julia , Wu Yonghong
Published: November 2009

States vary considerably in their ability to attract federal research and development (R&D) sources. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) was created in the late 1970s and was designed to enhance the research capacity of less competitive states in seeking federal research funds. How has EPSCoR improved research capacity in its member states? To date, little evaluation of EPSCoR as a program, or even within individual states, has occurred, and those studies that have been conducted have taken a statewide, macro‐level approach. We argue that a social‐capital‐based approach that addresses capacity development among EPSCoR recipients provides important scientist‐level data that can best address capacity development issues. In this article, we first examine the data of federal academic R&D obligations in order to analyze one of the direct outcomes of capacity building. We conduct a descriptive statistical analysis on the changing share of federal academic R&D obligations for individual states in recent years. Second, using an NSF‐sponsored survey of scientists in the 50 states, we present data on distinctions between scientists in EPSCoR versus non‐EPSCoR states, as well as differences between scientists who have been involved in EPSCoR versus those who have not. From our analysis we find important evidence of capacity development in EPSCoR states. Perhaps most importantly, our results provide an important first step in identifying relevant evaluative issues for EPSCoR.
Policy Changes on Canada's Rivers: Different but not Isolated
Authors: Lowry William R.
Published: November 2009

I address two questions in this article. First, how do policy changes in Canada differ from those in the United States? Second, are such changes isolated from American influence? I argue that Canadian policy changes will be more driven by subnational bureaucrats, more dependent upon fortuitous alignments of interests and institutions, and less quickly emulated by other jurisdictions than policy changes in the United States. I will also argue that policy changes in Canada are not completely isolated from those in the United States, not given the ability of ideas to cross international borders to change the framing of issues. I examine these arguments in the context of changing river management policies in British Columbia and Ontario.
The Obama Administration's Challenges after the “War on Science”: Reforming Staffing Practices and Protecting Scientific Integrity in the Executive Branch
Authors: Vaughn Justin S. , Villalobos José D.
Published: November 2009

In this article, we examine the difficult leadership position President Barack Obama inherited as he took office with respect to science and technology policy making and implementation, particularly following the Bush administration and years of the so‐called “war on science.” We contend that the Obama administration's challenge is not only to take substantive policy action, but also to reform certain administrative practices, particularly in light of the previous administration's practice of the politics of strategic vacancies, a managerial technique that rearranges an agency's ideological inclinations not through the usual forms of active politicization (i.e., by filling the appointee ranks with like‐minded ideologues) but instead by “starving” the agency of staff and co‐opting its agenda that way.
The Examination of Commercial Printing Defects to Assess Common Origin, Batch Variation, and Error Rate*
Authors: LaPorte Gerald M. , Stephens Joseph C. , Beuchel Amanda K.
Published: November 2009

Abstract: The examination of printing defects, or imperfections, found on printed or copied documents has been recognized as a generally accepted approach for linking questioned documents to a common source. This research paper will highlight the results from two mutually exclusive studies. The first involved the examination and characterization of printing defects found in a controlled production run of 500,000 envelopes bearing text and images. It was concluded that printing defects are random occurrences and that morphological differences can be used to identify variations within the same production batch. The second part incorporated a blind study to assess the error rate of associating randomly selected envelopes from different retail locations to a known source. The examination was based on the comparison of printing defects in the security patterns found in some envelopes. The results demonstrated that it is possible to associate envelopes to a common origin with a 0% error rate.