bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing tools as plug‐ins: TOPI 2011 special issue editorial
Authors: Bishop Judith , Notkin David
Published: March 2013

Our knowledge of how to solve software engineering problems is increasingly being encapsulated in tools. These tools are at their strongest when they operate in a pre‐existing integrated development environment (IDE). This approach allows integration with existing elements such as compilers, debuggers, profilers, visualizers, and numerous other development and, often, runtime tools. Tools and environments to increase software quality and productivity have always been an important aspect of software engineering. A plug‐in is a modern way for incrementally adding new tools into existing environments. However, building tools as plug‐ins can be challenging. How do they interact with the core environment? How do they interact with one another ‐ especially since each developer may choose a different set of plug‐ins? How can we share tools across different, and future, core development environments?
Enhancement Reduction of Panzhihua Ilmenite Concentrate with Coke and Conglomeration of Metal with Ferrosilicon
Authors: Huang Run , Lv Xuewei , Bai Chenguang , Zhang Kai , Qiu Guibao
Published: March 2013

The particle size and metallization ratio of iron in reduced ilmenite have an important function in separating the metal from TiO2‐rich slag in the electric arc furnace process. In this study, an ilmenite concentrate supplied by Panzhihua Iron and Steel (Group) Co. was reduced at 1380°C in an electric resistance furnace. The effects of Fe–Si addition and reduction time on the particle size and metallization ratio of iron in the reduced sample were analyzed. The metallization ratio of iron significantly increased with increasing Fe–Si amount and reduction time, and reached ≈90% after 40 min. However, the metallization ratio of iron was about 85% without Fe–Si addition. Meanwhile, the iron particle size increased with increasing Fe–Si amount; the growth was obvious with the addition of 1% Fe–Si. Moreover, the growth rate of the iron particle size also increased with increasing reduction time. The TG‐DTG curves indicated that the mass loss with Fe–Si addition was less than that without Fe–Si addition, and the temperature at which the maximum rate of mass loss rate was achieved was lower than that without Fe–Si addition.
Adaptation and international climate policy
Authors: Khan Mizan R. , Roberts J. Timmons
Published: March 2013

Because of the failure of the world to agree an adequate regime to limit greenhouse gas emissions to a safe level, adaptation to climate change has risen rapidly in UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations since 2007. We closely review the development of policies, institutions, and financing of adaptation in international agreements from 1992 to the present. We conclude that the way the treaty has been built—first as a mitigation regime with adaptation added on only later—has led to some profound problems for marrying the goals of economic development and building climate resilient societies. Particularly there are two problematic areas. First, following mitigation approaches, technical solutions are often the focus in adaptation projects, when social, political, and cultural problems lie at the roots of vulnerability and should be addressed directly. Second, early requirements that external funding would only come if the adaptation effort was clearly ‘additional’ to what would have been done without a changing climate have been extremely pernicious. By attempting to divide a development project from the ‘additional’ costs of adapting to climate change, the global policy has shaped adaptation efforts at the local level. To understand how we ended up with such quirky definitions of what counts as adaptation, we need to review the history of adaptation in the negotiated regimes. Finally, we trace the incomplete negotiations over who will pay for adaptation in developing countries, whether that funding will come as grants or loans, as private investment or public funds, and what say recipient countries will have.WIREs Clim Change2013, 4:171–189. doi: 10.1002/wcc.212

This article is categorized under:

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation

Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework
Cyber Security Threats to Public Health
Authors: Barnett Daniel J. , Sell Tara Kirk , Lord Robert K. , Jenkins Curtis J. , Terbush James W. , Burke Thomas A.
Published: March 2013

Ever‐increasing threats to cyber security present serious challenges for population health. However, the direct intersections between cyber security and public health can benefit from examination through the lenses of public health system operational frameworks. In this paper, we thus provide an overview of how cyber security issues may systemically impact public health emergency preparedness and imperil the delivery of essential public health services. We discuss future broad‐based policy and research considerations accordingly for this critical public health security dimension.
Streambed exchanges along tributary streams in humid watersheds
Authors: Constantz Jim , Eddy‐Miller Cheryl A. , Wheeler Jerrod D. , Essaid Hedeff I.
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Tributary streams flow between headwater streams and the main stem.

Tributary have unusually high streamed exchange.

Tributary stream streamed exchanges influence water quantity and quality.
Effectiveness of wildlife guards at access roads
Authors: Allen Tiffany D. H. , Huijser Marcel P. , Willey David W.
Published: March 2013

The reconstruction of 90.6 km of U.S. Highway 93 from Evaro to Polson, Montana, USA, includes 41 wildlife crossing structures and 13.4 km of road with wildlife fencing. These measures are aimed at reducing wildlife–vehicle collisions and increasing human safety, while allowing wildlife to traverse the landscape. In the fenced road sections, gaps in the fence for side roads are mitigated by wildlife guards (similar to cattle guards). We monitored wildlife movements with cameras for 2 years from mid‐July 2008 to mid‐July 2010 at 2 wildlife guards and in 1 large crossing structure adjacent to one of the wildlife guards. We investigated how effective these wildlife guards were as a barrier to deer (Odocoileus spp.), black bear (Ursus americanus), and coyotes (Canis latrans). We also compared movements across a wildlife guard with movements through an adjacent crossing structure. The wildlife guards were ≥85% effective in keeping deer from accessing the road and 93.5% of deer used the crossing structure instead of the adjacent wildlife guard when crossing the road. The wildlife guards were less effective in keeping black bear and coyotes from accessing the road (33–55%). However, all black bears and 94.7% of coyotes used the crossing structure instead of the adjacent wildlife guard when crossing the road. Though the wildlife guards were not an absolute barrier to these species, the results indicate wildlife guards are a substantial barrier to deer and can be considered effective in mitigating gaps in a fence at access roads for these species. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
A description of the biosis model to assess risk of bird collisions with wind turbines
Authors: Smales Ian , Muir Stuart , Meredith Charles , Baird Robert
Published: March 2013

We describe the model of Biosis Propriety Limited for quantifying potential risk to birds of collisions with wind turbines. The description follows the sequence of the model's processes from input parameters, through modules of the model itself. Aspects of the model that differentiate it from similar models are the primary focus of the description. These include its capacity to evaluate risk for multi‐directional flights by its calculation of a mean presented area of a turbine; its use of bird flight data to determine annual flux of movements; a mathematical solution to a typical number of turbines that might be encountered in a given bird flight; capacity to assess wind‐farm configurations ranging from turbines scattered in the landscape to linear rows of turbines; and the option of assigning different avoidance rates to structural elements of turbines that pose more or less risk. We also integrate estimates of the population of birds at risk with data for numbers of their flights to predict a number of individual birds that are at risk of collision. Our model has been widely applied in assessments of potential wind‐energy developments in Australia. We provide a case history of the model's application to 2 eagle species and its performance relative to empirical experience of collisions by those species. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Kaon mixing beyond the SM from Nf = 2 tmQCD and model independent constraints from the UTA
Authors:   The ETM collaboration, Bertone V. , Carrasco N. , Ciuchini M. , Dimopoulos P. , Frezzotti R. , Giménez V. , Lubicz V. , Martinelli G. , Mescia F. , Papinutto M. , Rossi G. C. , Silvestrini L. , Simula S. , Tarantino C. , Vladikas A.
Published: March 2013

Abstract

We present the first unquenched, continuum limit, lattice QCD results for the matrix elements of the operators describing neutral kaon oscillations in extensions of the Standard Model. Owing to the accuracy of our calculation on ∆S = 2 weak Hamiltonian matrix elements, we are able to provide a refined Unitarity Triangle analysis improving the bounds coming from model independent constraints on New Physics. In our nonperturbative computation we use a combination of N

f
= 2 maximally twisted sea quarks and Osterwalder-Seiler valence quarks in order to achieve both O(a)-improvement and continuum-like renormalization properties for the relevant four-fermion operators. The calculation of the renormalization constants has been performed non-perturbatively in the RI-MOM scheme. Based on simulations at four values of the lattice spacing and a number of quark masses we have extrapolated/interpolated our results to the continuum limit and physical light/strange quark masses.
U(1) symmetries in F-theory GUTs with multiple sections
Authors: Mayrhofer Christoph , Palti Eran , Weigand Timo
Published: March 2013

Abstract

We present a systematic construction of F-theory compactifications with Abelian gauge symmetries in addition to a non-Abelian gauge group G. The formalism is generally applicable to models in global Tate form but we focus on the phenomenologically interesting case of G = SU(5). The Abelian gauge factors arise due to extra global sections resulting from a specific factorisation of the Tate polynomial which describes the elliptic fibration. These constructions, which accommodate up to four different U(1) factors, are worked out in detail for the two possible embeddings of a single U(1) factor into E
8, usually denoted SU(5) × U(1)
X
and SU(5) × U(1)
PQ
. The resolved models can be understood either patchwise via a small resolution or in terms of a
$ {{\mathbb{P}}_{1,1,2 }} $
[4] description of the elliptic fibration. We derive the U(1) charges of the fields from the geometry, construct the U(1) gauge fluxes and exemplify the structure of the Yukawa interaction points. A particularly interesting result is that the global SU(5) × U(1)
PQ
model exhibits extra SU(5)-singlet states which are incompatible with a single global decomposition of the 248 of E
8. The states in turn lead to new Yukawa type couplings which have not been considered in local model building.
Swedish 18‐year‐olds' identity formation: Associations with feelings about appearance and internalization of body ideals
Authors: Wängqvist Maria , Frisén Ann
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study with Swedish 18‐year‐olds (N = 714, 55.2% women) was to investigate identity formation in relation to body‐esteem and body ideal internalization. These are all important aspects of adolescents' development, but little is known about how they are related. This study indicates that late adolescents' identity formation, body‐esteem, and body ideal internalizations are related. Women's interpersonal identity commitments and explorations were related to more positive thoughts about how others evaluate their appearance. Their interpersonal identity explorations were also related to more internalization of societal body ideals. For men, stronger interpersonal identity commitments were related to more positive own evaluations about their appearance. The results also showed that compared to men, women explored identity issues more, had poorer body‐esteem, and had internalized body ideals more.
Preparing Action Competent Environmental Educators: How Hard Could It Be?
Authors: Nielsen Wendy , Andersen Peter , Hurley Amy , Sabljak Vanessa , Petereit Amy-Lee , Hoskin Vanessa , Hoban Garry
Published: March 2013

This article describes an interpretive study that evaluated a new subject in teacher education called ‘Education for Sustainable Development’. The study evaluated the subject for its ability to prepare pre-service teachers for their roles as environmental educators. We used perspectives in place-based pedagogy and critical thinking to underpin the subject design and our analysis. Data sources include instructor journals, planning documents, interviews with students and student thinking books. Interpretive analysis of the data corpus was a collaborative process that involved both subject instructors and students who took the subject. Themes that emerged from the research were centred around: (1) how the students built connections between primary school education and environmental education; (2) how students developed action competence through the activities in the subject; (3) how students were challenged to think differently about themselves as educators; and, (4) how the subject design presented its own challenges for both instructors and students.
Sustainability Education and Teacher Education: Finding a Natural Habitat?
Authors: Buchanan John
Published: March 2013

Sustainability education competes for curricular space, both in schools and in teacher education. Opportunities and barriers for the inclusion of sustainability education in an Australian university primary teacher education program are examined in this article. The study focused on the roles, practices and perceptions of teacher educators in promoting sustainability education. Three focus groups were conducted with members of faculty staff from each of the K–6 Key Learning Areas to gather data, which were analysed according to three frameworks: espoused/aspirational and actual practices of staff members; barriers to and affordances for teaching sustainability education; and the nature of initiatives, in terms of teaching/learning activities, assessment tasks, and resources. Beyond the Social Sciences, and Science and Technology, we found that inclusion of sustainability education is somewhat sporadic. The article proposes some ways forward to promote and abet sustainability education in a tertiary context.
The Eco-Classroom Project: Fostering Student Participation Through Education for Sustainability
Authors: Wake Susan J. , Eames Chris
Published: March 2013

This thesis investigated learning and other outcomes in participants, particularly students (9–11 years), as a result of their involvement in an education for sustainability (EfS) co-design and build project at their primary school in New Zealand, within the Enviroschools Programme. The research focused on four areas that distinguished the project: sustainability learning as the issue, participatory practice as the method, design as the process, and community partnerships as the sphere of involvement. Each of these was considered in terms of its influence on learning that was either cognitively based (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) or affective (attitudes and values). This led to the set-up of a matrix to collect qualitative data that was gathered using a narrative inquiry method around participants’ stories. This included focus groups with students who were part of the Eco-building Working Party, interviews with key adults from the school and the wider community, survey questionnaires to parents of the focus group students, plus classroom observations and analysis of visual diaries made by the teacher.

Findings revealed student learning occurred in all three learning domains. This included EfS learning (particularly related to architecture and the built environment), understanding a design and build process, and cross-disciplinary learning that included skills such as leadership, teamwork and public speaking. Adult participants also gained from their involvement in the project. A correlation was made between the set-up and execution of the eco-classroom project and the Danish concept of Action Competence. This was indicated through the authentic, relevant and democratic action-taking focus of the eco-classroom project, which is linked to learning transformations. Also in agreement with an action competence approach was the strong focus in the project on both individual and collective learning. This was due to the process-focused nature of the project, itself related to the learning mandate and commitment to a democratic process with students. The project ran for a number of years with annually changing groups of students, who all had different experiences. The teacher used ‘peer education’ and reflective tools to manage the changeover of students positively. This gave depth and breadth to learning and ensured the project was truly collaborative. The embedding of learning in the project within the New Zealand Curriculum provided evidence of the flexible and multidisciplinary nature of EfS. Finally, a number of key management aspects were identified by the findings as contributing significantly to learning in the project and these are discussed.
A convex structure on sofic embeddings
Authors: PĂUNESCU LIVIU
Published: March 2013

Nathanial Brown [Topological dynamical systems associated to ${\mathit{II}}_{1} $-factors. Adv. Math. 227(4), 1665–1699] introduced a convex-like structure on the set of unitary equivalence classes of unital *-homomorphisms of a separable type ${\mathit{II}}_{1} $ factor into ${R}^{\omega } $ (ultrapower of the hyperfinite factor). The goal of this paper is to introduce such a structure on the set of sofic representations of groups. We prove that if the commutant of a representation acts ergodically on the Loeb measure space then that representation is an extreme point.
Supervision and the Management of Vicarious Traumatisation Among Australian Telephone and Online Counsellors
Authors: Furlonger Brett , Taylor Wendy
Published: March 2013

The present study investigated the effects of supervision on the management of vicarious traumatisation among telephone and online counsellors on BoysTown Helplines. BoysTown Helplines include Kids Helpline, a 24-hour national counselling service for young people aged 5–25 years of age, and Parentline (PL), a counselling service for parents in Queensland and Northern Territory. The services provide telephone and email counselling services and Kids Helpline also provides web counselling. All counsellors (100%) worked as Kids Helpline counsellors (N = 38) and 42.1% (n = 16) as PL counsellors. The counsellors conducted 50,979 counselling sessions in 2008, of which 38,703 were completed over the telephone and 12,276 online. Of these, approximately 44% involved trauma clients, putting the counsellors at risk of suffering some level of vicarious traumatisation. The findings from 38 supervised telephone and online counsellors showed that vicarious traumatisation fell within normal limits and positive coping strategies were above average. While correlations did not prove to be significant between supervision and vicarious traumatisation, the size of counsellors’ trauma caseload proved to be strongly related to both vicarious traumatisation and negative coping style.
Implication of fermentable carbohydrates targeting the gut microbiota on conjugated linoleic acid production in high-fat-fed mice
Authors: Druart Céline , Neyrinck Audrey M. , Dewulf Evelyne M. , De Backer Fabienne C. , Possemiers Sam , Van de Wiele Tom , Moens Frédéric , De Vuyst Luc , Cani Patrice D. , Larondelle Yvan , Delzenne Nathalie M.
Published: March 2013

In vitro experiments have shown that isolated human gut bacteria are able to metabolise PUFA into conjugated PUFA like conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). The hypothesis of the present paper was that high-fat (HF) diet feeding and supplementation with fermentable carbohydrates that have prebiotic properties modulate the in vivo production of CLA by the mouse gut microbiota. Mice were treated for 4 weeks as follows: control (CT) groups were fed a standard diet; HF groups were fed a HF diet rich in linoleic acid (18 : 2n-6); the third groups were fed with the HF diet supplemented with either inulin-type fructans (HF-ITF) or arabinoxylans (HF-Ax). HF diet feeding increased rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11-18 : 2 CLA) content both in the caecal and liver tissues compared with the CT groups. ITF supplementation had no major effect compared with the HF diet whereas Ax supplementation increased further rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11-18 : 2 CLA) in the caecal tissue. These differences between both prebiotics may be linked to the high fat-binding capacity of Ax that provides more substrates for bacterial metabolism and to differential modulation of the gut microbiota (specific increase in Roseburia spp. in HF-Ax v. HF). In conclusion, these experiments supply the proof of concept that the mouse gut microbiota produces CLA in vivo, with consequences on the level of CLA in the caecal and liver tissues. We postulate that the CLA-producing bacteria could be a mediator to consider in the metabolic effects of both HF diet feeding and prebiotic supplementation.
Insulinotropic and β-cell protective action of cuminaldehyde, cuminol and an inhibitor isolated from Cuminum cyminum in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Patil Swapnil B. , Takalikar Shreehari S. , Joglekar Madhav M. , Haldavnekar Vivek S. , Arvindekar Akalpita U.
Published: March 2013

Cuminum cyminum, a commonly used spice, is known to have anti-diabetic action. The present study aims towards the isolation of bioactive components from C. cyminum and the evaluation of their insulin secretagogue potential with the probable mechanism and β-cell protective action. The anti-diabetic activity was detected in the petroleum ether (pet ether) fraction of the C. cyminum distillate and studied through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Bioactive components were identified through GC–MS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and NMR analysis. The isolated components were evaluated for their insulin secretagogue action using rat pancreatic islets. Further, the probable mechanism of stimulation of islets was evaluated through in vitro studies using diazoxide, nifedipine and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. β-Cell protection was evaluated using the (1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan) (MTT) assay, the alkaline comet assay and nitrite production. The administration of the pet ether fraction for 45 d to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats revealed an improved lipid profile. Cuminaldehyde and cuminol were identified as potent insulinotrophic components. Cuminaldehyde and cuminol (25 μg/ml) showed 3·34- and 3·85-fold increased insulin secretion, respectively, than the 11·8 mm-glucose control. The insulinotrophic action of both components was glucose-dependent and due to the closure of the ATP-sensitive K (K+-ATP) channel and the increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. An inhibitor of insulin secretion with potent β-cell protective action was also isolated from the same pet ether fraction. In conclusion, C. cyminum was able to lower blood glucose without causing hypoglycaemia or β-cell burn out. Hence, the commonly used spice, C. cyminum, has the potential to be used as a novel insulinotrophic therapy for prolonged treatment of diabetes.
Dietary supplementation with proline confers a positive effect in both porcine circovirus-infected pregnant and non-pregnant mice
Authors: Ren Wenkai , Wu Miaomiao , Luo Wei , Huang Ruilin , Yin Yulong , Li Yinghui , Li Teijun , yu Xinglong
Published: March 2013

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is associated with various diseases that impose a significant economic burden on the swine industry. We hypothesised that nutritional supplementation with proline to enhance the immune response might be a useful prophylactic measure against PCV2 infection. To test this hypothesis, in the present study, we measured clinical data, including blood parameters, serum cytokine profile, PCV2 virus load in organs and serum, and microscopic lesions in the lung, liver and spleen, in both PCV2-infected pregnant and non-pregnant mice. Dietary supplementation with proline had no effect (P>0·05) on abortion rates in PCV2-infected pregnant mice, although a numerically lower abortion rate (22·2v. 44·4 %) was observed compared with the control. Dietary supplementation with proline significantly increased serum C-reactive protein levels (P= 0·03) in PCV2-infected pregnant mice, and increased serum TNF-α levels (P= 0·01), leucocytes (P< 0·05), lymphocytes (P< 0·05) and neutrophilic granulocytes (P< 0·05) in PCV2-infected non-pregnant mice. Meanwhile, dietary proline significantly (P< 0·05) decreased the PCV2 virus load in the lung. Furthermore, mice in the dietary proline group showed a significant (P< 0·01) decrease in microscopic lesion scores in the lung, liver and spleen compared with those in the alanine group. Collectively, dietary proline supplementation confers a functional role in PCV2-infected mice.
Dietary intakes and food sources of phenolic acids in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study
Authors: Zamora-Ros Raul , Rothwell Joseph A. , Scalbert Augustin , Knaze Viktoria , Romieu Isabelle , Slimani Nadia , Fagherazzi Guy , Perquier Florence , Touillaud Marina , Molina-Montes Esther , Huerta José María , Barricarte Aurelio , Amiano Pilar , Menéndez Virginia , Tumino Rosario , de Magistris Maria Santucci , Palli Domenico , Ricceri Fulvio , Sieri Sabina , Crowe Francesca L. , Khaw Kay-Thee , Wareham Nicholas J. , Grote Verena , Li Kuanrong , Boeing Heiner , Förster Jana , Trichopoulou Antonia , Benetou Vassiliki , Tsiotas Konstantinos , Bueno-de-Mesquita H. Bas , Ros Martine , Peeters Petra H. M. , Tjønneland Anne , Halkjær Jytte , Overvad Kim , Ericson Ulrika , Wallström Peter , Johansson Ingegerd , Landberg Rikard , Weiderpass Elisabete , Engeset Dagrun , Skeie Guri , Wark Petra , Riboli Elio , González Carlos A.
Published: March 2013

Phenolic acids are secondary plant metabolites that may have protective effects against oxidative stress, inflammation and cancer in experimental studies. To date, limited data exist on the quantitative intake of phenolic acids. We estimated the intake of phenolic acids and their food sources and associated lifestyle factors in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Phenolic acid intakes were estimated for 36 037 subjects aged 35–74 years and recruited between 1992 and 2000 in ten European countries using a standardised 24 h recall software (EPIC-Soft), and their food sources were identified. Dietary data were linked to the Phenol-Explorer database, which contains data on forty-five aglycones of phenolic acids in 452 foods. The total phenolic acid intake was highest in Aarhus, Denmark (1265·5 and 980·7 mg/d in men and women, respectively), while the intake was lowest in Greece (213·2 and 158·6 mg/d in men and women, respectively). The hydroxycinnamic acid subclass was the main contributor to the total phenolic acid intake, accounting for 84·6–95·3 % of intake depending on the region. Hydroxybenzoic acids accounted for 4·6–14·4 %, hydroxyphenylacetic acids 0·1–0·8 % and hydroxyphenylpropanoic acids ≤ 0·1 % for all regions. An increasing south–north gradient of consumption was also found. Coffee was the main food source of phenolic acids and accounted for 55·3–80·7 % of the total phenolic acid intake, followed by fruits, vegetables and nuts. A high heterogeneity in phenolic acid intake was observed across the European countries in the EPIC cohort, which will allow further exploration of the associations with the risk of diseases.
Flavanol metabolites distribute in visceral adipose depots after a long-term intake of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract in rats
Authors: Serra Aida , Bladé Cinta , Arola Lluís , Macià Alba , Motilva Maria-José
Published: March 2013

A considerable number of epidemiological investigations and intervention studies have supported an association between the intake of flavanol- and proanthocyanidin-containing foods and a decreased risk of metabolic diseases. Nonetheless, less is know about the capacity of tissues to accumulate flavanols and/or their metabolites. The main objective of the present study was to determine (n 20) plasma bioavailability and disposition in the liver, muscle, brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissues (mesenteric and perirenal) in rats after a long-term consumption of three doses of grape seed phenolic extract (5, 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight) for 21 d in order to determine whether there is a dose–response relationship. Glucuronidated conjugates (total glucuronidated conjugates: C5mg/kg 1·9; C25mg/kg 6·4; C50mg/kg 27·7 μmol/l plasma) followed by methyl glucuronidated conjugates (total methyl glucuronidated conjugates: C5mg/kg 1·98; C25mg/kg 4·48; C50mg/kg 12·5 μmol/l plasma) were the main flavanol metabolites quantified in plasma, also detecting a dimer in its free form (C25mg/kg 0·74; C50mg/kg 0·79 μmol/l plasma). Each of the studied organs has a particular behaviour of accumulation and response to the assayed grape seed extract doses, with an exponential bioavailability–dose relationship in BAT, in which flavanols could play an important role in the reduction or prevention of obesity, modulating the functionality of that tissue.
Predictably Unpredictable: The Effects of Conflict Involvement on the Error Variance of Vote Models
Authors: Williams Laron K. , Brule David J.
Published: March 2013

International conflict has profoundly influenced election outcomes in some cases, and in other cases has had a minimal impact. This article develops a theory that the increased salience of foreign policy issues following periods of international hostilities increases the variance of government parties’ vote shares. In elections following conflict, the ability to accurately predict election outcomes using traditional economic voting models is reduced. The article provides evidence from advanced democracies in the post-World War II era that being involved in international disputes increases the predictive error of vote shares. More substantively, vote choice models should model the role of exogenous shocks such as international conflict in order to avoid making misleading inferences. The study concludes by discussing the meaningful implications for various theories of voting behavior and international conflict.
The functional and numerical responses ofTrissolcus basalis(Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) parasitizingNezara viridula(Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) eggs in the field
Authors: Liljesthröm G.G. , Cingolani M.F. , Rabinovich J.E.
Published: March 2013

Trissolcus basalishas been used as a biological control agent of its main host,Nezara viridula, in many countries. However, estimations of its functional and numerical responses in the field are lacking. We estimated the density ofN. viridulaeggs, the proportion of parasitizedN. viridulaeggs, and the number ofT. basalisadults/trap in the field. We transformed relative parasitoid density to an absolute density, and estimated the parasitoid's attack rate,a, and the mutual interference parameter,m, in two ways: following Arditi & Akçakaya (1990) and using the Holling–Hassell–Varley model with two iterative techniques. The attack rate estimated by both methods werea=1.097 anda=0.767, respectively. Parametermvaried less between methods:m=0.563 andm=0.586, respectively, and when used to calculate the number of parasitizedN. viridulaeggs per m2, differences with the observed values were not significant. The numerical response ofT. basaliswas affected by the sex allocation of their progeny and the proportion of adult parasitoids trapped decreased with field parasitoid population density. Theoretical models show that 0<m<1 is a stabilizing factor and previous re-analysis of field data showed a meanmvalue of 0.8. The Holling–Hassell–Varley model leads to a flexible description of the functional response allowing to predict acceptable weekly host parasitism. The pre-imaginal parasitoid survival and the change in sex ratio as a function of parasitoid density adequately describe the numerical functional response of the parasitoid.
Overexpression of the MhTGA2 gene from crab apple (Malus hupehensis) confers increased tolerance to salt stress in transgenic apple (Malus domestica)
Authors: DU X. , DU B. , CHEN X. , ZHANG S. , ZHANG Z. , QU S.
Published: March 2013

Leaves of Nagafu No. 6 were transformed by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method, and 158 hyg-resistant buds were obtained. Using fresh leaf tissue, seven positive lines were obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with total DNA, and four by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) with total RNA. The results showed that the MhTGA2 gene was successfully transformed into Nagafu No. 6 plants and expressed. At 4 months after transplanting, photosynthetic parameters of young leaves were determined using transgenic and control plants prior to the determination of leaf surface characteristics (epidermal structure and stomatal distribution) by scanning electronic microscopy. The results showed that the net photosynthesis rate, the instantaneous carboxylation rate and stomatal conductance of transgenic plants were higher than the control, whereas the internal carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations of the transgenic plants were lower. Under non-saline conditions, the stomata of the transgenic plants were better distributed than in the control. Under saline conditions, the epidermal structure of the control leaves was severely hypohydrated and the quantity of stomata was significantly decreased. Conversely, the epidermal structure of transgenic leaves was not significantly altered, indicating salt-stress tolerance. The overall results suggested that MhTGA2 may play a crucial role in the response to salt stress in Nagafu No. 6.
Adapt or Voice: Class,Guanxi, and Protest Propensity in China
Authors: Su Yang , Feng Shizheng
Published: March 2013

We study the propensity for protest in the context of individuals’ alternative choices in urban China. Depending on the number and quality of social ties (orguanxiin Chinese), individuals may resort to one of two alternatives: to engineer life-changing events through personal connections or to join others in labor protest. We call one “adaptation” and the other “voice.” As our working hypothesis, we first expect them to be mutually exclusive. That is, adaptation throughguanxinetworks may help diffuse the will to protest, as those who enjoy betterguanxinetworks would advance their class status through such networks. With data from a national survey, our analysis rejects this working hypothesis. Those who are better connected are not only more likely to adapt but also more inclined to voice, and the effect of social ties on protest is significantly smaller for those who are connected to people with power. The implications are twofold. First, our data not only confirm the well-known effect of social connections on protest, but also specify the effects caused by high-class versus low-class connections. Second, in a comparative vein, the individual decision making on adaptation and/or voice offers a glimpse into the intertwining domains of social space in contemporary China.
Methamphetamine Solution: Drugs and the Reconstruction of Nation in Postwar Japan
Authors: Kingsberg Miriam
Published: March 2013

This article introduces the 1952–56hiroponcrisis, Japan's sole major domestic experience with illegal drugs, and the world's first methamphetamine “epidemic.” In the early postwar years,hiroponaddiction came to symbolize the dependent, traumatized state of a defeated Japan. This ideological significance made the eradication ofhiropona leading public issue, mobilizing the Japanese government, medical establishment, and social actors such as educators, parents, neighborhood associations, the media, and others. The process of eliminating methamphetamine restored public confidence and agency, and created a new identity for Japan as a cosmopolitan, independent nation. Unlike drugs in other contexts,hiroponwas not embedded in the postwar political economy or culture, making possible its swift suppression. However, resolution of the methamphetamine crisis also sowed the seeds of its recrudescence in the 1970s. The ongoing “second stimulants epidemic,” reflecting consumption patterns typical of developed nations, has proven resistant to solution.
Peter Hessler: Teacher, Archaeologist, Anthropologist, Travel Writer, Master Storyteller
Authors: Cohen Paul A.
Published: March 2013

In the first decade of the present century, Peter Hessler published three acclaimed works on China, mostly (although not exclusively) dealing with the present period. Many of the parts of the second and third volumes, in particular, initially appeared as articles in the New Yorker and National Geographic, where the deftness of Hessler's writing and his superb skills as a storyteller attracted attention well beyond the academic world. Hessler's books have also been widely and generously praised—and used in class—by teachers of contemporary China. Yet, to my knowledge, no China specialist has yet attempted a comprehensive assessment of their contribution to the deepening of American understanding of the complexities of Chinese life today. Such an assessment is the modest aim of this essay.
Variation in the parasite community of the sardine fishTriportheus nematurus(Actinopterygii: Characidae) from the Medalha lagoon in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil
Authors: Costa-Pereira R. , Paiva F. , Tavares L.E.R.
Published: March 2013

In July 2009 and July 2010 (two dry periods separated by an atypically large flood in the Pantanal wetland of Brazil), 34 and 33 specimens of the sardine fishTriportheus nematuruswere collected, respectively, for the study of the metazoan parasite community of this species. Parasite ecological and community descriptors were calculated for both host samples, and possible similarities were tested statistically. Five species of metazoan parasites were identified, four of which were common to both host samples. A total of 61 metazoan parasites were collected from all fish hosts (17 specimens in July 2009 (mean: 0.5 ± 0.66 parasites/fish) and 44 specimens in July 2010 (mean: 1.33 ± 1.41 parasites/fish)). The nematodeProcamallanus hilariiand the monogeneanAnacanthorussp. were the most prevalent and abundant species in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The mean total abundance and species richness were significantly higher in 2010. Parasite communities in both samples ofT. nematuruswere characterized by species with low prevalence, abundance, mean total abundance and species richness, thus indicating low parasite diversity. Significant differences in the prevalence and abundance ofP. hilariiandAnacanthorussp. between the two samples allowed the discrimination of infracommunities, which were united in two distinct groups. This appears to be the first evidence that the peculiar hydrological dynamics of the southern Pantanal wetland (Brazil) exert an important influence over the structure of the parasite community.
Fluid description of the cooperative scattering of light by spherical atomic clouds
Authors: PIOVELLA N. , BACHELARD R. , COURTEILLE PH. W.
Published: March 2013

When a cold atomic gas is illuminated by a quasi-resonant laser beam, light-induced dipole–dipole correlations make the scattering of light a cooperative process. Once a fluid description is adopted for the atoms, many scattering properties are captured by the definition of a complex refractive index. The solution of the scattering problem is here presented for spherical atomic clouds of arbitrary density profiles, such as parabolic densities characteristic of ultra-cold clouds. A new solution for clouds with infinite boundaries is derived, which is particularly useful for the Gaussian densities of thermal atomic clouds. The presence of Mie resonances, a signature of the cloud acting as a cavity for the light, is discussed. These resonances leave their fingerprint in various observables such as the scattered intensity or in the radiation pressure force, and can be observed by tuning the frequency of the incident laser field or the atom number.
Supra-thermal electron beam stopping power and guiding in dense plasmas
Authors: SANTOS JOÃO JORGE , BATANI D. , BATON S. D. , BEG F. N. , CECCOTTI T. , DEBAYLE A. , DORCHIES F. , FEUGEAS J.-L. , FOURMENT C. , GREMILLET L. , HONRUBIA J. J. , HULIN S. , MORACE A. , NICOLAÏ P. , PÉREZ F. , SAWADA H. , SCHLENVOIGT H.-P. , TIKHONCHUK V. T. , VAISSEAU X. , VAUZOUR B. , WEI M.
Published: March 2013

Fast-electron beam stopping mechanisms in media ranging from solid to warm dense matter have been investigated experimentally and numerically. Laser-driven fast electrons have been transported through solid Al targets and shock-compressed Al and plastic foam targets. Their propagation has been diagnosed via rear-side optical self-emission and Kα X-rays from tracer layers. Comparison between measurements and simulations shows that the transition from collision-dominated to resistive field-dominated energy loss occurs for a fast-electron current density ~5 × 1011 A cm−2. The respective increases in the stopping power with target density and resistivity have been detected in each regime. Self-guided propagation over 200μm has been observed in radially compressed targets due to ~1kT magnetic fields generated by resistivity gradients at the converging shock front.
Reversal of Female Power, Transcendentality, and Gender in Thai Buddhism: The Thai Buddhist female saint Khun Mae Bunruean Tongbuntoem (1895–1964)
Authors: SEEGER MARTIN
Published: March 2013

Recently we have seen an increasing number of publications, mostly of an ethnographic nature, describing and discussing the significant religious roles and achievements of Thai Buddhist women, not only in the field of Buddhist education, and with regard to their monastic roles, but also in terms of their roles as accomplished Buddhist practitioners. This paper examines the changes occurring in the status and position of women in Thai Buddhist practice. In this regard I focus on the analysis of one of the first widely acknowledged female saints of modern Thai Buddhism: Khun Mae Bunruean Tongbuntoem (1895–1964). Khun Mae Bunruean has obtained her increasing reputation through the advanced meditative achievements which her followers believe she possessed. I use hagiographical accounts of her as a focal point to unravel and examine Thai beliefs in relation to female sainthood in present-day Thai Buddhism. This is done by discussing gendered hagiographical writing against the background of relevant canonical and post-canonical Pali texts that have exerted authority in religious discourses on gender by informing and nurturing Thai religious value systems. This textual research is complemented by the ethnographic examination of Thai Buddhist beliefs and venerational practices which cannot be found in authoritative Pali texts but which still play a significant role in the understanding of the particularities of female saints in modern Thai Buddhism. I do not confine myself to hagiographical accounts and venerational practices directly linked to gender, but also devote some attention to other conspicuous aspects, elements, and expressions of Mae Bunruean's sainthood and her veneration.
An experimental field test of susceptibility to ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods among Caribbean reef fishes
Authors: COILE A. M. , SIKKEL P. C.
Published: March 2013

Susceptibility to infestation by a gnathiid isopod (Gnathia marleyi:Crustacea: Isopoda) was examined among 16 species from 9 families and 3 orders of common Caribbean reef fishes off St. John, United States Virgin Islands. Fish were placed in cages during times of peak gnathiid activity. Individuals from most (n=14) species were compared against a single species (French Grunt,Haemulon flavolineatum) that served as a standard and effectively controlled for the effects of habitat and variation in gnathiid abundance on exposure to and the likelihood and intensity of host infestation by gnathiids. All species were susceptible to infestation by gnathiids, with individual hosts harbouring up to 368 gnathiids. However, there was significant variation in levels of infestation among the 14 comparison species. Controlling for body size, nocturnal species from the families Haemulidae and Lutjanidae had the highest gnathiid infestation. Our finding that haemulids and lutjanids are particularly susceptible has important implications for the role of gnathiids in Caribbean reef food webs, given the role members of these families play in trophic connectivity between reefs and associated habitats. To our knowledge this is the first manipulative field study to examine variation among potential hosts in susceptibility to an ectoparasite in any terrestrial or aquatic system and is the greatest number of teleost hosts documented for any gnathiid species.
Truth and value in Plato'sRepublic
Authors: Kelsey Sean
Published: March 2013

This paper is a reaction to a recent article by Raphael Woolf, the drift of which is that, according to theRepublic, truth as such is not important. I am not persuaded and in what follows I try to get clear about why.
Discussion: Internal impediments
Authors: Goldstick D.
Published: March 2013

Not everything that it's ‘possible’ FOR you to do is something it's ‘possible’ THAT you will do. The compatibilist freedom formula ‘absence of impediments’ must embrace external and internal – including psychological – impediments. Desires are impediments only when they impede, owing to motivational conflict. But other impediments, external or internal, require merely the potential to impede.
Using genetic, cognitive and multi-modal neuroimaging data to identify ultra-high-risk and first-episode psychosis at the individual level
Authors: Pettersson-Yeo W. , Benetti S. , Marquand A. F. , Dell‘Acqua F. , Williams S. C. R. , Allen P. , Prata D. , McGuire P. , Mechelli A.
Published: March 2013

Background

Group-level results suggest that relative to healthy controls (HCs), ultra-high-risk (UHR) and first-episode psychosis (FEP) subjects show alterations in neuroanatomy, neurofunction and cognition that may be mediated genetically. It is unclear, however, whether these groups can be differentiated at single-subject level, for instance using the machine learning analysis support vector machine (SVM). Here, we used a multimodal approach to examine the ability of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor neuroimaging (DTI), genetic and cognitive data to differentiate between UHR, FEP and HC subjects at the single-subject level using SVM.

Method

Three age- and gender-matched SVM paired comparison groups were created comprising 19, 19 and 15 subject pairs for FEPversusHC, UHRversusHC and FEPversusUHR, respectively. Genetic, sMRI, DTI, fMRI and cognitive data were obtained for each participant and the ability of each to discriminate subjects at the individual level in conjunction with SVM was tested.

Results

Successful classification accuracies (p < 0.05) comprised FEPversusHC (genotype, 67.86%; DTI, 65.79%; fMRI, 65.79% and 68.42%; cognitive data, 73.69%), UHRversusHC (sMRI, 68.42%; DTI, 65.79%), and FEPversusUHR (sMRI, 76.67%; fMRI, 73.33%; cognitive data, 66.67%).

Conclusions

The results suggest that FEP subjects are identifiable at the individual level using a range of biological and cognitive measures. Comparatively, only sMRI and DTI allowed discrimination of UHR from HC subjects. For the first time FEP and UHR subjects have been shown to be directly differentiable at the single-subject level using cognitive, sMRI and fMRI data. Preliminarily, the results support clinical development of SVM to help inform identification of FEP and UHR subjects, though future work is needed to provide enhanced levels of accuracy.