bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macrophage-elicited osteoclastogenesis in response toBrucella abortusinfection requires TLR2/MyD88-dependent TNF-α production
Authors: Delpino M Victoria , Barrionuevo Paula , Macedo Gilson Costa , Oliveira Sergio Costa , Di Genaro Silvia , Scian Romina , Miraglia M Cruz , Fossati Carlos A , Baldi Pablo C , Giambartolomei Guillermo H
Published: November 2011

Osteoarticular complications are common in human brucellosis, but the pathogenic mechanisms involved are largely unknown. In this manuscript, we described an immune mechanism for inflammatory bone loss in response to infection by Brucella abortus. We established a requirement for MyD88 and TLR2 in TNF-α-elicited osteoclastogenesis in response to B. abortus infection. CS from macrophages infected with B. abortus induced BMM to undergo osteoclastogenesis. Although B. abortus-infected macrophages actively secreted IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, osteoclastogenesis depended on TNF-α, as CS from B. abortus-infected macrophages failed to induce osteoclastogenesis in BMM from TNFRp55–/– mice. CS from B. abortus-stimulated MyD88–/– and TLR2–/– macrophages failed to express TNF-α, and these CS induced no osteoclast formation compared with that of the WT or TLR4–/– macrophages. Omp19, a B. abortus lipoprotein model, recapitulated the cytokine production and subsequent osteoclastogenesis induced by the whole bacterium. All phenomena were corroborated using human monocytes, indicating that this mechanism could play a role in human osteoarticular brucellosis. Our results indicate that B. abortus, through its lipoproteins, may be involved in bone resorption through the pathological induction of osteoclastogenesis.
Technical Advance: In vitro production of distinct dendritic-like antigen-presenting cells from self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Hinton Rebecca A , O'Neill Helen C
Published: November 2011

A novel CD11cloCD11bhiMHC-II–CD8α– dendritic-like cell (L-DC) develops in cocultures of bone marrow over splenic stroma. L-DCs are distinct from other DC subsets and have potential importance in spleen for immunity to blood-borne antigens. As production is maintained in cultures for >12 months, L-DC development evidently depends on self-renewing progenitors. To improve this culture system, highly purified HSCs were sorted from bone marrow and used to establish cocultures. Nonadherent cells produced were analyzed for surface marker expression and capacity to activate/inhibit T cells. Cocultures produced a pure population of L-DCs for up to 12 months, which were strong activators of CD8+ T cells. The in vitro production of a pure population of L-DCs from HSCs—in numbers amenable to in vitro assays of function and development—therefore represents an important advance.
BMP3 Suppresses Osteoblast Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells via Interaction with Acvr2b
Authors: Kokabu Shoichiro , Gamer Laura , Cox Karen , Lowery Jonathan , Tsuji Kunikazu , Raz Regina , Economides Aris , Katagiri Takenobu , Rosen Vicki
Published: November 2011

Enhancing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling increases bone formation in a variety of settings that target bone repair. However, the role of BMP in the maintenance of adult bone mass is not well understood. Targeted disruption of BMP3 in mice results in increased trabecular bone formation, whereas transgenic overexpression of BMP3 in skeletal cells leads to spontaneous fracture, consistent with BMP3 having a negative role in bone mass regulation. Here we investigate the importance of BMP3 as a mediator of BMP signaling in the adult skeleton. We find that osteoblasts (OBL) and osteocytes are the source of BMP3 in adult bone. Using in vitro cultures of primary bone marrow stromal cells, we show that overexpression of BMP3 suppresses OBL differentiation, whereas loss of BMP3 increases colony-forming unit fibroblasts and colony-forming unit OBL. The ability of BMP3 to affect OBL differentiation is due to its interaction with activin receptor type 2b (Acvr2b) because knockdown of endogenous Acvr2b in bone marrow stromal cells reduces the suppressive effect of BMP3 on OBL differentiation. These findings best fit a model in which BMP3, produced by mature bone cells, acts to reduce BMP signaling through Acvr2b in skeletal progenitor cells, limiting their differentiation to mature OBL. Our data further support the idea that endogenous BMPs have a physiological role in regulating adult bone mass.
Zoledronic acid modulates maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells
Authors: Orsini Giulia , Failli Alessandra , Legitimo Annalisa , Adinolfi Barbara , Romanini Antonella , Consolini Rita
Published: November 2011

Zoledronic acid (ZA) is a drug of the bisphosphonate class, which is widely used for the treatment of both osteoporosis and skeletal metastasis. Besides its main bone antiresorptive activity, ZA displays antitumor properties, by triggering the expansion and activation of γδ T-cells, which exert an antitumor effect through dendritic cells (DCs). Several studies have reported the interaction between ZA and γδ T-cells, but the potential immunoregulatory activity of this drug on DCs has scarcely been investigated. Therefore, in this paper, we evaluated the effects of a therapeutic dose of ZA on the in vitro generation and maturation of DCs derived from peripheral blood monocytes of healthy adult donors. We demonstrate that ZA treatment did not affect DC differentiation, but inhibited DC maturation on lipopolysaccharide activation, as shown by the impaired expression of maturation surface markers and reduced ability to induce allogeneic T-cell proliferation. Interestingly, IL-10 secretion by mature DCs was significantly lower in ZA-treated cells than in controls. We conclude that ZA exerts its immunological in vitro activity also by modulating the maturation of DCs.
99mTc-N-IFC: a new isoniazid derivative for Mycobacterium diagnostic
Authors: Essouissi Imen , Malek Saied Nadia , Bernard Serge , Guizani Sihem , Mejri Najoua , Barc Celine , Ben Hamouda Salem , Asmi Amin , Saidi Mouldi
Published: November 2011

We present in this work a new technetium-99m-labeled derivative from isoniazid. The labeling was achieved with a double-ligand transfer through the use of a ferrocene derivative. A further referred to as 99mTc-N-IFC (N-Isonicotinamide ferrocene carboxamide labeled with 99mTc), targeting infections in experimental animals, has been synthesized. The N-IFC was chemically synthesized and then labeled with technetium-99m. It has been confirmed through this work that it was obtained with high radiolabelling yield (95%). Radiochemical analyses of 99mTc-N-IFC revealed that the molecule was efficiently labeled with a little free pertechnetate in the preparations containing purified compound. Only 1–2% of the tracer was leached out from the complex at 24 h when incubated in serum at 37 ºC confirmed its high stability. The radiolabeled complex was found to be 10% bound to blood protein, which corresponds to a fast retention advantage. Biodistribution study showed the renal route of excretion and has also demonstrated that our radiolabeled compound is rapidly and significantly accumulated (P<0.5) at infection sites. Thigh model of localized infection was prepared in mice by injecting of BCG (pGFM-11) (fluorexcente BCG) live bacteria in growing phase. The confirmation of the bacteria presence in infection sites has been established through its fluorescence characteristic. The comparison of the 99mTc-N-IFC accumulation at sites of BCG (pGFM-11) infected animals, which is expressed as target-to-non-target ratio, (3.14) with other radiotracers was discussed. This allowed us to consider that 99mTc-N-IFC could be a good radiotracer for mycobacterial infections. Obtained results were in good and encourage to undergo a similar labeling for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis as perspective of this work.
Ultrasound-Guided Placement of a Renal Artery Stent Using an Intracardiac Probe for Transvascular Imaging
Authors: Belohlavek Marek , Jiamsripong Panupong , McMahon Eileen M , Lombari Theresa R , Lerman Lilach O
Published: November 2011

In this set of images obtained during an experimental study using a porcine animal model, we introduce ultrasound guidance of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and renal stenting. A state-of-the-art intracardiac ultrasound catheter is used here for transvascular scanning from within the lumen of the abdominal aorta, thus providing a field of view for navigation of a balloon catheter and a wire coil (“stent”) into each renal artery of a pig. This study is intended as a contribution to the growing field of minimally invasive interventions and their navigation by non-ionizing ultrasound imaging.
Missile Injury by A Weed Wacker Resulting in a False Aneurysm of the Brachial Artery
Authors: Naraynsingh Vijay , Ramdass Michael J
Published: November 2011

A novel now commonly used device in many countries called a “weed-wacker” is a mechanical rotating device with a cord used to trim lawns and grass. A case of a 14-year old boy with a false aneurysm of the brachial artery is presented; he sustained a missile injury by a piece of rusty steel projected by use of a weed wacker. Missile injuries by nail guns and bullets have been documented in the literature; however, this mechanism of injury by a weed-wacker has never been previously described and is presented as a unique mechanism of injury and brings attention the issue of safety with the use of the weed-wacker.
Investigation of Peri-Implant Bone Healing Using Autologous Plasma Rich in Growth Factors in the Canine Mandible After 12 Weeks: A Pilot Study
Authors: Birang Reza , Tavakoli Mohammad , Shahabouei Mohammad , Torabi Alireza , Dargahi Ali , Soolari Ahmad
Published: November 2011

Introduction:

Faster reconstruction of patients’ masticatory systems is the aim of modern dentistry. A number of studies have indicated that application of growth factors to the surface of a dental implant leads to accelerated and enhanced osseointegration. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of plasma rich in growth factors on peri-implant bone healing.

Materials and Methods:

For the purpose of this study, two healthy, mixed-breed canines were selected, and the premolars were extracted from both sides of the mandible. Three months after premolar removal, 12 implants, each 5 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length, were placed in osteotomy sites on both sides of the mandible. Prior to placement, plasma rich in growth factors was applied to the surfaces of six implants, while the other six were used without plasma rich in growth factors. The implants were removed after 12 weeks along with the bone surrounding the sites using a trephine bur. One mesiodistal section containing the surrounding bone from each implant block, 50 µm in diameter, was prepared for histologic and histomorphometric investigation with an optical microscope.

Results:

The sites with implants treated with plasma rich in growth factors showed more bone-to-implant contact compared to control sites. Also, higher values for bone trabecular thickness and bone maturity were recorded for the PRGF-treated sites than for the control sites.

Conclusion:

Application of plasma rich in growth factors to the surface of an implant may enhance the bone healing process as well as bone-to-implant contact, thereby helping to achieve faster osseointegration.
Continuity in the Provider of Home-Based Physical Therapy Services and Its Implications for Outcomes of Patients
Authors: Russell David , Rosati Robert J. , Andreopoulos Evie
Published: November 2011

Background

A growing body of research suggests that greater continuity of health care is positively associated with improved outcomes of patients. However, few studies have examined this issue in the context of physical therapy.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the level of continuity in the provider (provider continuity) of physical therapy services was related to outcomes in a population of patients receiving home health care.

Design

This was a retrospective observational study.

Methods

Clinical and administrative records were retrieved for a population of adult patients receiving physical therapy services from a large, urban, not-for-profit certified home health care agency in 2009. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were used to examine how the level of provider continuity, calculated by use of a formula that models dispersion in contact between the patient and the providers of physical therapy services, varied across characteristics and outcomes of patients.

Results

Logistic regression analyses indicated that patients with lower levels of provider continuity had significantly higher odds of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR]=2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.90–2.23) and lower odds of improvements in the number of activity limitations (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.80–0.92) and in the severity of activity limitations (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.78–0.93) between the beginning and the end of the home health care episode.

Limitations

Baseline clinical characteristics associated with continuity of care suggest some level of indication bias. Outcome measures for activities of daily living were limited to patients who were not hospitalized during their home health stay.

Conclusions

These findings build upon research suggesting that continuity in the patient-provider relationship is an important determinant of outcomes of patients.
Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources of Nepal with Reference to the Glaciers in the Langtang Himalayas
Authors: Chaulagain Narayan Prasad
Published: November 2011

The impacts of climate change on water resources of Nepal with reference to snow and glacier were assessed. Empirical glacier mass model was applied to all the glaciers upstream of the Kyangjing hydrological station in the Langtang Valley in the Nepal Himalayas in order to assess their sensitivity to the increases in temperature. The analysis has revealed that the glaciers in the study area of the Nepal Himalayas are shrinking rapidly and may disappear within less than two centuries, if the current glacier melting rate continues. Most of the glaciers will disappear within 3-4 decades; there may be only 24% of the present glacier-ice reserve left in the study basin of the Nepal Himalayas by 2100 AD even without any further warming which may result in serious adverse impacts on the water resources of Nepal.Key Words: Climate Change; Water Resources; Nepal Himalayas; GlaciersDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jhm.v6i1.5489  Journal of Hydrology and Meteorology, Vol. 6, No. 1 58-65
Assessing Potential Reactivity of Aggregates in Presence of Potassium Acetate Deicer
Authors: Math Sujay , Wingard David , Rangaraju Prasada Rao
Published: November 2011

The standard ASTM C1260 and ASTM C1293 test methods focus on identifying aggregate reactivity in the presence of alkali hydroxides. The sensitivity of these test methods to assess aggregate reactivity in the presence of deicing chemicals is unknown. Preliminary efforts to develop a test method to identify aggregate reactivity in the presence of deicing chemicals yielded a mortar bar test (EB-70 test) based on soaking the mortar bars containing the suspect aggregates in a 6.4 molar potassium acetate (6.4 M KAc) deicer solution, instead of a 1 normal sodium hydroxide (1 N NaOH) solution, as in the standard ASTM C1260 test. The EB-70 test method was effective in identifying highly reactive aggregates but erratic in assessing moderate, slowly reactive aggregates. Deficiencies in that method were attributed to the lack of a precise understanding of the mechanisms involved in high pH jump observed on interaction of KAc with alkali hydroxides and calcium hydroxide. The knowledge gained in recent studies in understanding the mechanism has provided a sound basis for making some modifications to the EB-70 test method. A revised EB-70 test method is presented: it uses a 1 N NaOH and 3 M KAc deicer as its soak solution. Evidence from testing 31 different aggregates with a range of aggregate mineralogy and reactivity indicated that the revised method was effective in characterizing a range of aggregate reactivity in the presence of deicing chemicals. Limited studies were conducted to evaluate a low-lime fly ash (Class F) in mitigating mortar bar expansions in the EB-70 test method. A low-lime fly ash was effective in controlling mortar bar expansion in the revised EB-70 test method.
Development of Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Markers in Setaria italica (Poaceae) and Cross-Amplification in Related Species
Authors: Lin Heng-Sheng , Chiang Chih-Yun , Chang Song-Bin , Kuoh Chang-Sheng
Published: November 2011

Foxtail millet is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. It has been adopted as a model organism for providing a deeper understanding of plant biology. In this study, 45 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers of Setaria italica were developed. These markers showing polymorphism were screened in 223 samples from 12 foxtail millet populations around Taiwan. The most common dinucleotide and trinucleotide repeat motifs are AC/TG (84.21%) and CAT (46.15%). The average number of alleles (Na), the average heterozygosities observed (Ho) and expected (He) are 3.73, 0.714, 0.587, respectively. In addition, 24 SSR markers had shown transferability to six related Poaceae species. These new markers provide tools for examining genetic relatedness among foxtail millet populations and other related species. It is suitable for germplasm management and protection in Poaceae.
The Rolling Transition in a Granular Flow along a Rotating Wall
Authors: Rioual Francois , Quiniou Aurélie Le , Lapusta Yuri
Published: November 2011

The flow of a dry granular material composed of spherical particles along a rotating boundary has been studied by the discrete element method (DEM). This type of flow is used, among others, as a process to spread particles. The flow consists of several phases. A compression phase along the rotating wall is followed by an elongation of the flow along the same boundary. Eventually, the particles slide or roll independently along the boundary. We show that the main motion of the flow can be characterized by a complex deformation rate of traction/compression and shear. We define numerically an effective friction coefficient of the flow on the scale of the continuum and show a strong decrease of this effective friction beyond a certain critical friction coefficient μ*. We correlate this phenomenon with the apparition of a new transition from a sliding regime to a rolling without sliding regime that we called the rolling transition; this dynamic transition is controlled by the value of the friction coefficient between the particle and the wall. We show that the spherical shape for the particles may represent an optimum for the flow in terms of energetic.
Molecular Conversion of Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M5 to Muscarinic Toxin 7 (MT7)-Binding Protein
Authors: Rondinelli Sergio , Näreoja Katja , Näsman Johnny
Published: November 2011

Muscarinic toxin 7 (MT7) is a mamba venom peptide that binds selectively to the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. We have previously shown that the second (ECL2) and third (ECL3) extracellular loops of the M1 receptor are critically involved in binding the peptide. In this study we used a mutagenesis approach on the M5 subtype of the receptor family to find out if this possesses a similar structural architecture in terms of toxin binding as the M1 receptor. An M5 receptor construct (M5-E175Y184E474), mutated at the formerly deciphered critical residues on ECL2 and 3, gained the ability to bind MT7, but with rather low affinity as determined in a functional assay (apparent Ki = 24 nM; apparent Ki for M1 = 0.5 nM). After screening for different domains and residues, we found a specific residue (P179 to L in M5) in the middle portion of ECL2 that was necessary for high affinity binding of MT7 (M5-EL179YE, apparent Ki = 0.5 nM). Mutation of P179 to A confirmed a role for the leucine side chain in the binding of MT7. Together the results reveal new binding interactions between receptors and the MT7 peptide and strengthen the hypothesis that ECL2 sequence is of utmost importance for MT binding to muscarinic receptors.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON RADAR-BASED BREAST CANCER DETECTION USING UWB ANTENNAS WITHOUT BACKGROUND SUBTRACTION
Authors: Zhang Dan , Mase Atsushi
Published: November 2011

An ultrashort-pulse radar using ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas such as compact Vivaldi antennas has been applied to the simulation experiment of breast cancer detection. A cooking-oil model and a commercial-made synthetic breast phantom model, which have been developed, as well as with real breast cancer patients during initial clinical trials have been used in our experiment. We detect the breast cancer tumor without using the background subtraction method. Image reconstructions of the breast models using reflection data have been performed by use of confocal microwave imaging (CMI) technique.
Endo-Biliary Stents for Benign Disease: Not Always Benign after All!
Authors: Abela Jo-Etienne , Anderson John E. , Whalen Henry R. , Mitchell Kenneth G.
Published: November 2011

This case report describes the presentation, management and treatment of a patient who suffered small bowel perforation due to the migration of his biliary stent which had been inserted for benign disease.
Exploring communication skills training in undergraduate nurse education by means of a curriculum
Authors: Wikström Britt-Maj , Svidén Gunilla
Published: November 2011

This study is an attempt to investigate by means of a curriculum how nurses are trained theoretically and practically throughout their specialist education to communicate competently and professionally in interaction with colleagues and patients. Research today shows that there are many different approaches to develop professionally skilled communication in nurse-patient interaction. It indicates that this aspect of nurse education is regarded as an important feature by educators. It is therefore of interest to study, by means of analysing a curriculum, how nurses’ communicative competence is developed. To this purpose a curriculum was presented related to nursing communication skills training, selected from a University College of Health Care Sciences in Sweden. Both students and teachers need clearly defined curricula to structure their studies and to evaluate communication skills. The investigated curriculum could be further developed to direct students and teachers in effective communication skills. It is of importance to have a curriculum that could be interpreted in the same way by teachers and students.
The moderating role of perceived organisational support in the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention across sectors in South Africa
Authors: Van Schalkwyk Lena-Mari , Els Crizelle , Rothmann Ian
Published: November 2011

Orientation: Because workplace bullying has detrimental consequences on the profitability, work quality and turnover intention of organisations, this phenomenon should be addressed. Perceived Organisational Support (POS) was explored since factors such as role clarity, job information, participation in decision-making, colleague support and supervisory relationships might act as buffers against workplace bullying, subsequently influencing the turnover intention of the organisation.Research purpose: To investigate the role of POS as moderator in the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention across sectors in South Africa.Motivation for the study: Workplace bullying is a worldwide concern and it is unclear whether perceived organisational support moderates the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey approach with a quantitative research design was used (N = 13 911). The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey (SAEHWS) was administered to explore the experiences of bullying behaviour, POS and turnover intention.Main findings: Bullying by superiors is more prevalent than bullying by colleagues. A positive relationship exists between workplace bullying and turnover intention. Role clarity, participation in decision-making and supervisory relationship moderates the relationship between bullying by superiors and turnover intention.Practical/managerial implications: This study creates an awareness of the prevalence of workplace bullying in the South African context so that sufficient counteraction can be encouraged.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research regarding workplace bullying in the South African context by quantifying the relationships between workplace bullying POS and turnover intention.
The role of the Old Testament in a violent world
Authors: Meyer Esias E.
Published: November 2011

This article explores the responsibility of Bible critics with regard to the role that the Bible should play in our violent society. The crucial question that needs to be addressed is whether the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is part of the problem or part of the solution. The Old Testament is clearly a violent book. How do we deal with this? Does the Old Testament really have a positive contribution to make in a society riddled with violence? Some Bible critics tend to shy away from these questions, but there are exceptions. For some, violence is so endemic to the Bible that there is little to save. For others, the Bible has a very constructive role to play in a society plagued by violence.
Green Neighborhoods, Food Retail and Childhood Overweight: Differences by Population Density
Authors: Liu Gilbert C. , Wilson Jeffrey S. , Qi Rong , Ying Jun
Published: November 2011

Purpose.

This study examines relationships between overweight in children and two environmental factors—amount of vegetation surrounding a child's place of residence and proximity of the child's residence to various types of food retail locations. We hypothesize that living in greener neighborhoods, farther from fast food restaurants, and closer to supermarkets would be associated with lower risk of overweight.

Design.

Cross-sectional study.

Setting.

Network of primary care pediatric clinics in Marion County, Indiana.

Subjects.

We acquired data for 7334 subjects, ages 3 to 18 years, presenting for routine well-child care.

Measures.

Neighborhood vegetation and proximity to food retail were calculated using geographic information systems for each subject using circular and network buffers. Child weight status was defined using body mass index percentiles.

Analysis.

We used cumulative logit models to examine associations between an index of overweight, neighborhood vegetation, and food retail environment.

Results.

After controlling for individual socio-demographics and neighborhood socioeconomic status, measures of vegetation and food retail significantly predicted overweight in children. Increased neighborhood vegetation was associated with decreased risk for overweight, but only for subjects residing in higher population density regions. Increased distance between a subject's residence and the nearest large brand name supermarkets was associated with increased risk of overweight, but only for subjects residing in lower population density regions.

Conclusions.

This research suggests that aspects of the built environment are determinants of child weight status, ostensibly by influencing physical activity and dietary behaviors.
Trail Characteristics as Correlates of Urban Trail Use
Authors: Reynolds Kim D. , Wolch Jennifer , Byrne Jason , Chou Chih-Ping , Feng Guanjun , Weaver Susan , Jerrett Michael
Published: November 2011

Purpose.

The purpose of this study was to identify the environmental correlates of urban trail use.

Design.

Three multiuse urban trails at least 15 miles in length were selected. Trails were divided into one-half-mile segments (N = 102 total segments) and marked in the field. An audit of each trail was completed identifying built environmental features. A cross-sectional count of trail users was completed at each segment estimating the type of use, age, gender.

Setting.

Data collection occurred on urban trails in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

Subjects.

Trained observers counted 17,338 users across the three trails.

Measures.

The SPACES for Trails instrument was used, and a trail count data collection sheet was developed.

Analysis.

Univariate and multivariate Poisson regressions controlling for location of trail and density of the population within 1 mile of the trail.

Results.

Positive associations with trail use were observed for mixed views (β = .33, p < .0001), streetlights (β = .30, p < .0001), good trail condition (β = .28, p < .0001), and the presence of cafés (β = .38, p < .0001) and other trailside facilities (β = .08, p < .0001). Negative associations were observed for litter (β = −.22, p < .0001), noise (β = −.41, p < .0001), higher vegetation density (β = −.10, p > .001), drainage features (β = −.67, p < .0003), natural areas adjacent to the trail (β = −.39, p < .0001), and tunnel present (β = −.20, p < .04).

Conclusions.

These correlates should be confirmed in other studies and if supported should be considered in the promotion and design of urban trails.
Proposal of a Spatial Decision Support System architecture to estimate the consequences and costs of small meteorites impacts
Authors: Garbolino E. , Michel P.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. On a frequency, depending on their size, small celestial bodies enter into the Earth atmosphere and collide with our planet. On a daily basis, the size is likely to be about 20 cm, while for monthly events the largest it may be is about 1 m. The last significant witnessed event occurred in 1908 in the Siberian area of the Tunguska. The forest was devastated over an area of 2000 km2. According to recent estimates, this kind of event could occur with a frequency of one per hundred to thousand years. Since the last century, the demography and the urbanisation have significantly increased. Although the probability that such an event occurs over a populated area remains small, if this happened, it could cause significant damages (industrial, shopping centres, recreational places, etc.). From the analysis of the data on meteorites that have impacted the Earth, of the orbital and size properties of small threatening bodies as well as their potential impact outcome, this paper proposes a methodology to estimate the damage resulting from the impact of objects of given sizes. The considered sizes are up to the maximum threshold for local damages (less than a hundred metres in diameter) on some given territory. This approach is based on an initial definition phase of collision scenarios. Then, a second phase consisting of the accurate modelling of the territory, taking into account the land-use, the spatial distribution of the populations and goods, and the characterisation of the biophysical vulnerability of the stakes using thresholds of dangerous phenomena (overpressures). The third phase is related to the impact simulation on the territory, the estimation of the stakes potentially exposed and the costs of the destruction. The aim of this paper is to make a demonstration of principle, using as a study case the city of Nice that benefits from a complete database of infrastructures.
Abdel Krim (Mohammed ben Abdel Krim el Khattabi) (1883–1962)
Authors: Dean William Thomas
Published: November 2011

Abdel Krim was the most sophisticated Moroccan insurgent and one of the great non‐western captains. Along with Abdel Kader (1808–1883) he was one of the most famous military leaders of Northwest Africa. Abdel Krim was one of the first insurgent leaders facing weakening colonial empires to unify large groups of disparate peoples under the name of political, social, and economic reform. He would fight a twofront war against the Spanish and French who controlled northern and southern Morocco, respectively, for five years. Even after his defeat by the French he would have an impact on insurgents of the developing world for generations to come.
Agathocles (361–289
BCE
)
Authors: Hoyos Dexter
Published: November 2011

One of the most remarkable and ruthless leaders in ancient history, Agathocles was the son of an Italian Greek exile living at Thermae Himeraeae, then under Carthaginian rule, in western Sicily. A potter by trade (so his enemies claimed), he migrated to Syracuse, making his name first as a skillful soldier and then venturing into politics against the dominant oligarchy, the Six Hundred. When these forced him into exile (ca. 330), he operated in southern Italy as commander of a body of mercenary troops, but won a recall to Syracuse around 322. He was soon exiled again but, with factional strife worsening in the city, returned in 319 under a political compromise brokered by the Carthaginian general in Sicily. He was now elected
strategos autokrator
, general with supreme powers (a recognized route to becoming “tyrant,” or dictator). A few years' uneasy coexistence with the Six Hundred ended in 316 with his massacre of them and their supporters—four thousand in all, while thousands more fled to other Sicilian cities for refuge. This made him master of Syracuse.
Airborne units
Authors: Hargreaves Andrew
Published: November 2011

Airborne units comprise military units, often of the elite light infantry variety, trained and organized to be transported and “dropped” into battle via airborne means. The broad
raison d’être
of airborne forces is to enable the rapid deployment of force to exploit an open, aerial, flank and thereby secure the “vertical envelopment” of a foe. In light of the demands of this non‐regular role, the selection of volunteers and use of rigorous training programs is so often a fundamental characteristic of airborne units.
Alexander the Great (356–323
BCE
)
Authors: Singor H. W.
Published: November 2011

Alexander the Great, one of the most daring, visionary, and successful commanders in history, is known foremost as the conqueror of the Persian Empire in the years 334–324
BCE
. What enabled him to accomplish this was the army created by his father, King Philip of Macedon (359–336
BCE
). Philip had successfully combined the virtues of a professional soldiery with the loyalties of a national levy in a new army paid for by the royal treasury. The military developments in the Greek world of the fourth century
BCE
, which could be summarized under the heading “professionalization,” form the background against which Philip's reforms should be seen. The acquisition of the gold and silver mines of Pangaion to the east of Macedonia early in his reign provided the money. In a series of campaigns he subdued most of the Balkan Peninsula between present‐day Albania and the Black Sea. After his victory at Chaeronea in 338 (where Alexander at age 18 led the cavalry charge) he had practically all of Greece at his feet. Plans were drawn up for an attack on Persia, when, in 336, Philip was murdered. Alexander, then only 20, inherited his kingdom and his army.
AlfonsoI(“the Battler”) (1073–1134)
Authors: Kagay Donald J.
Published: November 2011

Born in 1073 to a dynasty that converted the small mountainous county of Aragon into a kingdom within its first century of existence, Alfonso, scion of Sancho I Ramirez (1064–1094) and a French noblewoman, emerged as one of the great figures of the Spanish reconquest. Serving an apprenticeship with his father and brother Pedro I (r. 1094–1104) in a series of campaigns that extended Aragonese territory into the Ebro Valley, the prince, before reaching 25, had been accepted as an equal in a virtual pantheon of famous reconquest warriors that included Rodrigo Diáz de Vivar (El Cid), Alfonso VI of Castile (r. 1065–1109), and French nobles such as Gaston V of Bearne and Robert Burdet. Serving in the front lines against the Almoravids, a band of Muslim sectarians of North Africa who fought against the loose morals of Islamic governments of Morocco and Andalusia while sorely testing Christian Iberia after 1086, Alfonso soon became known as a man “expert and daring in war.” His long association with veterans of Holy Land Crusades broadened the prince's military horizons, especially in the varied use of artillery in siege operations. As a result of this long military apprenticeship, Alfonso, long before he acceded to the Aragonese throne, had developed a general reconquest plan that focused first on the conquest of the Ebro Valley, then on the neighboring kingdom of Valencia, and finally on Jerusalem. The broader concept of holy war was never far from Alfonso's mind and manifested itself in 1122 with the establishment of the Confraternity of Belchite, a military order that promised a Crusade indulgence to anyone who fought the Iberian Muslims for one year.
Anglo‐Afghan Wars (1839–1842, 1878–1881, 1919)
Authors: Barua Pradeep P.
Published: November 2011

The Anglo‐Afghan Wars represent one of the longest imperial frontier policing efforts of the British Empire. Spanning almost a century, they captivated the attention of the British—Indian government and of the Victorian public.
Anglo‐Boer Wars (1880–1881, 1899–1902)
Authors: Badsey Stephen
Published: November 2011

The Anglo‐Boer Wars were fought in what is now South Africa between the British Empire and the Boers or Afrikaners, descendants of European settlers mainly from the Netherlands (Boeris Dutch for “farmer”). The First Anglo‐Boer War (1880–1881) was a successful revolt by the Transvaal Republic (officially the Zuid‐Afrikaansche Republiek or ZAR) after the British, who had settled Cape Colony and Natal, had annexed the Transvaal peacefully in 1877. The much larger Second Anglo‐Boer War (1899–1902) was fought by the Transvaal together with the neighboring Orange Free State (Oranje Vrystaat) in a failed attempt to prevent their absorption by the British. The First Anglo‐Boer War is also known as the Transvaal War or Rebellion, or to Afrikaners as the First War of Independence. The Second Anglo‐Boer War is also known as the South African Anglo‐Boer War, the South African War, the Boer War, and the Second War of Independence.
Anglo‐Iraqi War (1941)
Authors: Hughes Matthew
Published: November 2011

The Anglo‐Iraqi War (April—May 1941) (the Rashid Ali Revolt) was an integral part of the wider military campaign that Great Britain fought from 1940 to 1943 against the Axis Powers (Germany and Italy) during World War II in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and East Africa. It happened when British resources were stretched to breaking point, before the conclusion of the successful Abyssinia campaign against Italy, and during the disastrous Greece and Crete campaigns, and the ongoing war in the Egyptian and Libyan deserts. The Anglo‐Iraqi War was a British‐led invasion of the nominally independent state of Iraq, previously a British Mandate territory; thereafter, in June–July 1941, British‐led forces invaded French Vichy‐run Syria. In both wars, Britain destroyed local pro‐Axis Arab (Iraq) or Vichy (Syria) governments.
Anglo‐Welsh Wars (1067–1415)
Authors: Brough Gideon , Marsden Richard
Published: November 2011

Between 1067 and 1415, Wales was transformed from a mosaic of independent kingdoms into occupied territories subject to the English crown. This was not the result of any single invasion, but was achieved against determined resistance through sporadic expansion and factional interplay. The fact that such small and thinly populated kingdoms were able to resist invaders with superior numbers and resources for so long is in itself a remarkable feat.
Anglo‐Zulu War (1879)
Authors: Laband John
Published: November 2011

The British invasion of Zululand is the most widely documented of the Victorian army's colonial “small wars” because of the Zulus' vigorous resistance and their unparalleled victory at Isandlwana.
Anne, 1st Duke of Montmorency (1493–1567)
Authors: Baumgartner Frederic J.
Published: November 2011

French commander and statesman. The Montmorency were among the oldest noble families in France, claiming descent from the first warrior baptized after Clovis, king of the Franks, in 496. They had served the French monarchy as constables and marshals since 1100. Anne was born at Chantilly on March 15, 1493; later in life he built the famous chateau there. He received his given name from Queen Anne of Brittany, his godmother. Baron Guillaume de Montmorency, his father was prominent at court, and Anne was a childhood companion of Francis I, who became king in 1515. Later that year Anne fought alongside Francis in the victory over the Swiss at Marignano near Milan and was named a marshal in 1522. Three years later he was one of many French noblemen who, along with the king himself, were captured at the Battle of Pavia by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's forces. Montmorency was released on
parole
to raise his ransom, unlike his king who was held for a year until he agreed to a huge ransom demand. Upon Francis's release he immediately renounced the agreement on the grounds that he had been mistreated as a captive.
Antigonus
II
Gonatas (ca. 319–239
bce
)
Authors: Dmitriev Sviatoslav
Published: November 2011

Antigonus II Gonatas (r. ca. 277–239 BCE) decisively defeated the Gauls, restored the kingdom of Macedonia as a strong centralized state, and strengthened Macedonian control over Greece. The Antigonid Dynasty established by Gonatas was one of the most powerful Hellenistic families. It would continue for more than a hundred years, eventually being eliminated by the Romans.
Apache Wars (1850–1886)
Authors: Lookingbill Brad D.
Published: November 2011

Distinguished by their ferocity in war, the Apache Indians of North America resisted conquest by the armed forces of Spain and Mexico. The US army launched its first military operations against the Apache during the 1850s. The Apache wars lasted until 1886.
Ardant du Picq, Charles Jean Jacques Joseph (1819–1870)
Authors: Bonura Michael
Published: November 2011

Charles Jean Jacques Joseph Ardant du Picq was a successful French infantry officer whose writings on the importance of morale in battle on the individual soldier remain a military classic. He served in several campaigns during which he commanded soldiers in combat against other European‐style armies, as well as a variety of irregular opponents from tribal armies to guerillas, bandits, and thieves. Using these experiences as a starting point, he undertook a scientific study of combat at the level of the individual soldier to understand how morale influences victory. This understanding, and its focus on the moral effect of the attack, was as relevant to the battlefields of World War I as it is for the battlefields of the twenty‐first century.
Armée d'Afrique
Authors: Bonura Michael
Published: November 2011

The Armée d'Afrique consisted of all French forces recruited from and based in North Africa from 1831 through 1962. Consisting of colonial, indigenous, and elite French units, the Armée d'Afrique became an important school for French officers, and a training ground for tactics and doctrine of the French army throughout the nineteenth century. Following World War I, the Armée d'Afrique became a formation of regular infantry units and the French Foreign Legion until its dissolution in 1962, following the French occupation of Algeria.
Austrian Succession, War of the (1740–1748)
Authors: Schweizer Karl
Published: November 2011

This conflict, also known as King George's War in North America, and incorporating the war of Jenkins' Ear between Britain and Spain, involved most of the powers in Europe, except the Polish—Lithuanian Commonwealth and Portugal. The war began upon the death of Emperor Charles VI, the last male Habsburg, in October 1740—an event which disturbed the fragile stability of Europe's inter‐state system, prompted a realignment of key power affiliations, and with the succession of a woman, Maria Theresa, to the Austrian throne fanned the expansionist ambitions of Frederick II, the young and dynamic Prussian monarch. Maria Theresa's succession rights were legally guaranteed through the so‐called Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, signed by a majority of the German states (including Prussia), but preserving her possessions intact would prove inherently problematic. The loosely federated Habsburg lands, patched together by marriage alliances, were scattered across central Europe—dominions including Hungary, Bohemia, parts of what are now Romania, southern Germany, northern and central Italy, and Belgium—each with its own administrative, financial, and judicial system, all virtually impossible to coordinate. Charles VI's death not only entailed an interregnum but also marked the end of a continuous line of Habsburg emperors since 1438, thereby weakening imperial authority in favor of the electoral territories—the empire's constituent states vying for greater autonomy since the Thirty Years' War, and even before. Although, legally, these sub‐domains could not form alliances against the emperor—the empire, by this point, had become a largely powerless entity, enjoying honorific dignity but existing in name only, lingering as such until its termination by Napoleon in 1806.
Austro‐Italian Wars (1859–1866)
Authors: Wawro Geoffrey
Published: November 2011

The background to the Austro‐Italian Wars was simply this: the gathering force of Italian nationalism had been clashing with Austrian dominance in Italy since 1815. Although Italian nationalism was confined to the educated elites—whether in its republican or monarchical form—it generated noise and light all over Europe, and deeply embarrassed the imperial power of the Habsburg monarchy.
Austro‐Ottoman War (1736–1739)
Authors: Aksan Virginia H.
Published: November 2011

Within twenty years of the Austro‐Ottoman Treaty of Passarowitz of 1718, when the Ottomans had relinquished the important city of Belgrade to Vienna, much of the Danubian territory then ceded was recovered in the 1739 TreatyofBelgrade. Russia, allied with Austria, was the instigator of the war in April 1736, forcing her coalition partner to follow suit in 1737. In the three years of campaigning along the Danube River, the Austrians were indecisive and disorganized, while the Ottomans, equally unprepared, showed unusual sustaining power. Russia's aims were as much about expansion into Ukraine and the Crimea as they were about cooperating with Austria, setting off alarm bells in Vienna.
Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA)
Authors: Stapleton Timothy J.
Published: November 2011

Criticizing South Africa's African National Congress for accommodating whites and being too moderate, radical Africanists split from that organization in 1959 to form the Pan‐Africanist Congress (PAC). After the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, many PAC leaders, including founder Mangaliso Sobukwe, were arrested. After its banning in April, members attended a Port Elizabeth meeting where some argued for taking up arms against the apartheid regime. At a conference in Maseru, Basutoland in September 1961, the PAC, led by its secretary general Potlako Leballo, planned a mass uprising in 1963. During 1961 and 1962 PAC members were sent to Ethiopia and Egypt for military training. Some PAC members, mostly in the Cape, formed military units with the intention of targeting white civilians and stockpiled simple weapons like machetes and axes. The name “Poqo” (Xhosa for “alone”) was first used in 1961 as a codeword for PAC. With attempts to reorganize in 1961, a youth task force was formed to eliminate traitors, patrol the streets after dark, collect and manufacture weapons and explosives for the coming uprising, and provide security at PAC meetings. It was around this time that the term “Poqo” became associated with the PAC armed struggle.