bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The paradox of readmission: Effect of a quality improvement program in hospitalized patients with heart failure
Authors: Mudge Alison , Denaro Charles , Scott Ian , Bennett Cameron , Hickey Annabel , A. Jones Mark
Published: March 2010

BACKGROUND:

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is an increasingly common condition associated with significant hospital resource utilization. Initiating better disease management at the time of initial hospital admission has the potential to reduce readmissions.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the impact of a multifaceted quality improvement program on 12‐month hospital utilization in patients admitted to hospital with CHF.

DESIGN:

Prospective longitudinal study comparing baseline and intervention cohorts.

PARTICIPANTS:

All consecutive patients with CHF discharged alive from 3 metropolitan hospitals during the baseline (October 1, 2000 to April 17, 2001) and intervention (February 15, 2002 to August 31, 2002) study periods. Active prospective case‐finding identified 220 baseline and 235 intervention participants; full data was available on 197 baseline and 219 intervention participants.

INTERVENTIONS:

Education and performance feedback for hospital and primary care practitioners; clinical decision support tools; individualized, guideline‐based treatment plans; patient education and self‐management support; and improved hospital–community integration.

MEASUREMENTS:

Twelve‐month all‐cause hospital readmission, 12‐month mortality, readmission‐free survival, heart failure–specific readmission, and total hospital days over 12 months.

RESULTS:

Intervention patients had a higher rate of all‐cause readmission (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10‐2.46) but a trend to reduction in mortality (OR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.44‐1.07). There was no difference in frequency of hospitalizations per year, number of hospital days, or the composite outcome of death or readmission.

CONCLUSIONS:

The intervention improved care processes and may have reduced mortality, but at the cost of higher readmission rates. Better understanding of intervention components, intensity, and targeting may optimize the effectiveness of disease management programs. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010;5:148–153. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.
The record from British Quaternary river systems within the context of global fluvial archives
Authors: Bridgland David R.
Published: March 2010

Data amassed in the past decade on Quaternary fluvial archives has allowed comparison across widely separated regions of the world. Meanwhile there has been a new impetus for research on British sequences, as a result particularly of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). In this context, the key British records (from the Thames, Severn–Avon, Trent, Wash system and Solent) are described briefly, with emphasis on the latest information. In the case of the Trent, sedimentary evidence, discovered during ALSF‐funded work, appears to confirm the existence of a Middle Pleistocene ‘Trent–Ancaster’ River. In the case of the Solent, independent projects that sought to improve the age constraint for the sequence have produced complimentary results; the first used luminescence dating, whereas the second made use of Palaeolithic evidence to calibrate numerical incision/uplift modelling. The overarching message is that the British fluvial archive can be readily understood within a global context; it typifies records from areas with relatively young crust that has been uplifting during the Quaternary and, being in the temperate latitudes and close to the Atlantic margin, it reflects strong climatic forcing. The combination of rich faunal and Palaeolithic artefact contents means that certain British records are of international significance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reconstructing Holocene palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography in Ìsafjarðardjúp, northwest Iceland, from two fjord records overprinted by relative sea‐level and local hydrographic changes
Authors: Quillmann Ursula , Jennings Anne , Andrews John
Published: March 2010

We reconstruct palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography of the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord system from two cores – one from the inner fjord and one near the fjord mouth – while separating the potential overprinting of relative sea‐level (RSL) and local fjord hydrographic changes on these records. The inner fjord core (B997‐339) reflects local fjord hydrography; the outer fjord core (MD99‐2266) reflects the regional oceanic signal. Glacial marine conditions ended at ca. 10 200 cal. a BP, indicated by both ice‐rafted debris records. The other proxy records show spatial and temporal variability within the fjord system. At the inner fjord site (B997‐339) foraminiferal assemblages and the δ18O record indicate lowered RSL between ca. 10 600 and 8900 cal. a BP and document the onset of fjord water overturning at ca. 8900 cal. a BP, which obscured the climate record. At the fjord mouth (MD99‐2266) mass accumulation rates suggest lowered RSL between ca. 10 200 and 5500 cal. a BP and local freshwater and/or reduced salinities of the Irminger Current water masses affected the δ18O signal between ca. 10 200 and 7900 cal. a BP. At MD99‐2266, foraminiferal fauna record the Holocene Thermal Maximum between ca. 8000 and 5700 cal. a BP and the onset of modern oceanic circulation at ca. 7000 cal. a BP. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raman spectroscopic study of the hydrogen and arsenate bonding environment in isostructural synthetic arsenates of the variscite group—M3+ AsO4·2H2O (M3+ = Fe, Al, In and Ga): implications for arsenic release in water
Authors: Gomez Mario A. , Le Berre Jean‐Francois , Assaaoudi Hassane , Demopoulos George P.
Published: March 2010

The Raman spectra of synthetic compounds equivalent to the variscite group: FeAsO4·2H2O AlAsO4·2H2O, GaAsO4·2H2O, and InAsO4·2H2O are reported. In particular, upon comparison of FeAsO4·2H2O to AlAsO4·2H2O, it is observed that the Type II (weak) H‐bond lengths in the latter are slightly longer, which is postulated to affect the stability (As release) in water at pH 5 and 7. Arsenate stretching and bending vibrations were found to be distinct in terms of spectral structure and therefore well suited for fingerprinting. The calculated AsO bond strengths from existing crystallographic data showed no significant variations. The strongest ν1 (AsO43−) stretch was used to monitor the AsO bonding interactions in the four AsOM units, where a shift of 114 cm−1 was observed in the order FeAsO4·2H2O (lowest) < InAsO4·2H2O < GaAsO4·2H2O < AlAsO4·2H2O (highest); this order also followed exactly the measured arsenic release of these phases. This shift in ν1 (AsO43−) position was rationalized to stem from the differences in the electronegativities of the M3+ cations. The trends mentioned above were verified and found to also hold for the isostructural phosphate analogues strengite (FePO4·2H2O) and variscite (AlPO4·2H2O) using published data. Therefore, it is postulated that, as observed with the stability of solution complexes, there may be a correlation between the electronegativity of the M3+ cation in these isostructural phases and their stability (As or P release) in water. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparative isolation and purification of anti‐tumor agent ansamitocin P‐3 from fermentation broth of Actinosynnema pretiosum using high‐performance counter‐current chromatography
Authors: Yao Yuqin , Cheng Zhihui , Ye Haoyu , Xie Yongmei , He Jing , Tang Minghai , Shen Tao , Wang Jiangman , Zhou Yan , Lu Zejun , Luo Feng , Chen Lijuan , Yu Luoting , Yang Jin‐Liang , Peng Aihua , Wei Yuquan
Published: March 2010

Ansamitocin P‐3 is a potent anti‐tumor maytansinoid found in Actinosynnema pretiosum. However, due to the complexity of the fermentation broth of Actinomycete, how to effectively separate ansamitocin P‐3 is still a challenge. In this study, both analytical and preparative high‐performance counter‐current chromatography were successfully used to separate and purify ansamitocin P‐3 from fermentation broth. A total of 28.8 mg ansamitocin P‐3 with purity of 98.4% was separated from 160 mg crude sample of fermentation broth in less than 80 min with the two‐phase solvent system of hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (0.6:1:0.6:1, v/v/v/v). The purity and structural identification were determined by HPLC, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectroscopy.
Preparative separation of major xanthones from mangosteen pericarp using high‐performance centrifugal partition chromatography
Authors: Shan Yichu , Zhang Wei
Published: March 2010

Mangosteen fruit pericarp (MFP) is a rich source of xanthones, which has shown remarkable pharmacological activities. To isolate xanthones, previous methods included labor intensive and time‐consuming solid‐phase extractions (Sephadex LH20, silica gel) and sequential solvent extraction. In this study, major xanthones (α‐ and γ‐mangostins) in MFP were isolated at high purity in one step utilizing high‐performance centrifugal partition chromatography with solvent system composed of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and water (10:5:5:1). In one run, 200 mg crude extract of MFP was injected and 55.4 mg α‐mangostin and 12.4 mg γ‐mangostin were obtained with the purity of 93.6 and 98.4%, respectively. The yields of them were 86.3 and 76.3%, respectively. As α‐ and γ‐mangostins are reported to show potent antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activities, this method can be used for the large‐scale production of them for future in vitro and in vivo biological studies.
Two‐dimensional chromatography of complex polymers, 8. Separation of fatty alcohol ethoxylates simultaneously by end group and chain length
Authors: Raust Jacques‐Antoine , Bruell Adele , Sinha Pritish , Hiller Wolf , Pasch Harald
Published: March 2010

A comprehensive two‐dimensional liquid chromatography system was developed to precisely describe the molecular heterogeneity of fatty alcohol ethoxylates. The end‐group functionality was analyzed by gradient HPLC while ethylene oxide oligomer distributions were characterized by liquid adsorption chromatography. A baseline separation of all functionality fractions irrespective of the ethylene oxide oligomer chain length was achieved on nonpolar X‐Terra® C18 with a methanol–water gradient, whereas an isocratic flow of isopropanol–water on a polar Chromolith® Si column gave a separation according to the oligomer chain length without interference of the end‐group distribution. The combination of these two methods to conduct online two‐dimensional liquid chromatography experiments resulted in a comprehensive two‐dimensional picture on the molecular heterogeneity of the sample.
Monitoring of mutarotation of monosaccharides by hydrophilic interaction chromatography
Authors: Pazourek Jiří
Published: March 2010

Calibration based on the “single‐point calibration method”, a simple exponential transformation of the response function of an evaporative light scattering detector was improved and applied to analysis of selected saccharides under hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode (a polar phase LiChrospher100 DIOL, mobile phase acetonitrile/water). The improved approach to the calibration procedure yielded a calibration curve with an excellent linearity (quality coefficient <5%). This quantitative evaluation of chromatograms of D‐galactose suggested that not only anomers but even pyranose and furanose forms of the anomers could be resolved – the resulting calculations of abundance of the anomeric form strongly correlated with data from the literature obtained mostly by NMR studies (analogous results were also obtained for D‐arabinose, D‐glucose, and D‐mannose). Because of the rapid separation (retention time less than 10 min), the observed correlation enabled to monitor anomeric conversion (mutarotation) of monosaccharides.
Modeling and analysis of multiobjective lot splitting for N‐product M‐machine flowshop lines
Authors: Bukchin Yossi , Masin Michael , Kirshner Rinat
Published: March 2010

Lot splitting is a new approach for improving productivity by dividing production lots into sublots. This approach enables accelerating production flow, reducing lead‐time and increasing the utilization of organization resources. Most of the lot splitting models in the literature have addressed a single objective problem, usually the makespan or flowtime objectives. Simultaneous minimization of these two objectives has rarely been addressed in the literature despite of its high relevancy to most industrial environments. This work aims at solving a multiobjective lot splitting problem for multiple products in a flowshop environment. Tight mixed‐integer linear programming (MILP) formulations for minimizing the makespan and flowtime are presented. Then, the MinMax solution, which takes both objectives into consideration, is defined and suggested as an alternative objective. By solving the MILP model, it was found that minimizing one objective results in an average loss of about 15% in the other objective. The MinMax solution, on the other hand, results in an average loss of 4.6% from the furthest objective and 2.5% from the closest objective. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2010
‘New spaces’ for change?: Diamond governance reforms and the micro‐politics of participation in post‐war Sierra Leone
Authors: Maconachie Roy
Published: March 2010

While the majority of research carried out on diamonds and development in Sierra Leone has focused on debates concerning the role that diamonds played in the country's civil war of the 1990s, little attention has been directed towards understanding how the emergence and consequences of ‘new spaces’ for citizen engagement in diamond governance are shaping relationships between mining and political economic change in the post‐war period. Recent fieldwork carried out in two communities in Kono District illustrates how the emergence of such spaces—although much celebrated by government, donors and development practitioners—may not necessarily be creating the ‘room for manoeuvre’ necessary to open up meaningful public engagement in resource governance. The analysis focuses on one recent governance initiative in the diamond sector—the Diamond Area Community Development Fund (DACDF)—which aims to strengthen citizen participation in decision‐making within the industry, but has frequently been at the centre of controversy. In framing and articulating socio‐environmental struggles over resource access and control in Sierra Leone's post‐war period of transition, the article highlights how the emerging geographies of participation continue to be shaped by unequal power relationships, in turn having an impact on livelihood options, decision‐making abilities and development outcomes in the country's diamondiferous communities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding the changing role of public sector performance measurement in less developed countries
Authors: Tillema Sandra , Mimba Ni Putu S. H. , van Helden G. Jan
Published: March 2010

This article develops a framework for understanding changes in the demand for and supply of performance information in public sector organizations in less developed countries (LDCs). New Institutional Sociology (NIS) is used to argue that pressures from specific stakeholders stimulate organizations to produce particular performance information. The article distinguishes three groups of stakeholders (i.e. funding bodies, statutory boards and purchasers), and elaborates on the performance dimensions these stakeholders are interested in. The group of funding bodies, with their interest in financial performance information, used to be the most important group of stakeholders. However, statutory boards and purchasers are gaining importance as a result of recent public sector reforms, which include decentralization, marketization and the implementation of anti‐corruption programs. As a consequence of pressures coming from these stakeholders, new performance dimensions, such as the quality and quantity of services and the political governance structure, will be added to organizations' performance measurement (PM) systems. Whether these and other—often more traditional financial—performance dimensions will be balanced and integrated throughout organizations depends on the power positions of the various stakeholders. The arguments presented in this article intend to stimulate public sector organizations in LDCs to design and redesign PM systems as a response to changing stakeholder interests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheological, thermal, and mechanical characterization of fly ash‐thermoplastic composites with different coupling agents
Authors: Pardo S.G. , Bernal C. , Ares A. , Abad M.J. , Cano J.
Published: March 2010

Composite materials were prepared by mixing fly ash obtained from biomass combustion as filler and isotactic polypropylene (PP) as matrix. Three silane‐type coupling agents mainly differing in the size of their functional groups were used to improve the compatibility between both components. Uniaxial tensile tests showed that the incorporation of untreated ash into PP led to stiffer but also more brittle and weaker materials, as Young's modulus significantly increased and tensile strength and elongation at break decreased. Furthermore, an enhancement in storage and loss moduli as well as in composite viscosity was observed with the addition of fly ash. Hardness tests and thermal and fracture surface analyzes revealed tensile test results similar to those mentioned earlier. In summary, after analyzing the effects of the three silanes on mechanical, thermal, morphological, and rheological properties, the silane containing the vinyl functional group (XL10) was selected as the most appropriate for the PP/ash composites investigated. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1722–1730, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Molecular dynamics simulation and MM–PBSA calculations of sickle cell hemoglobin in dimer form with Val, Trp, or Phe at the lateral contact
Authors: Abroshan Hadi , Akbarzadeh Hamed , Parsafar Golam Abbas
Published: March 2010

As the delay time and hence nuclei formation play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease, MD simulation and molecular mechanics–Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM–PBSA) calculations have been performed on three systems of hemoglobin; namely dimer of hemoglobin with valine (Hb S), tryptophan (Hbβ6W), and phenylalanine (Hbβ6F) at β6 position. The structural changes due to these aromatic substitutions are investigated. It is shown that β subunits have significant impact on the differences between a dimer and other crystal structures. Transition from a dimer to polymer for Hb S system affects the donor molecule more than that of the acceptor. In the case of donor and acceptor subunits, the RMSD values are ordered as Hbβ6F > Hbβ6W > Hb S which predicts a larger deviation for the Hbβ6F dimer. It is shown that the formation of stable dimers is in the order of Hbβ6F > Hb S > Hbβ6W, but contribution of the β6 residue in Hbβ6W is more than two other systems. This study shows that the interaction of β6 residue in Hb S is mostly van der Waals type, but in two other systems the electrostatic interaction is also noticeable, especially in the case of Hbβ6W in which the hydrogen bond plays an important role in the association of monomers. Trp and Phe also have a stabilizing van der Waals interaction with a hydrophobic pocket composed of 1β2‐10Ala, 1β2‐125Pro, 1β2‐126Val, and 1β2‐129Ala. Our survey shows that the role of 2β1‐85Phe is very important only in the nucleus formation of Hb S, but not for the subsequent processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Loop calculations in the MSSM
Authors: Eberl H.
Published: March 2010

Loop calculations in the MSSM have become a vast field. Some related works done in the theory SUSY group at the HEPHY Vienna are presented. The basics of regularisation and renormalization in the MSSM are discussed. We further study CP violating rate asymmetries induced by loops. A recent study on H±t production at the LHC combined with subsequent H± decays is presented.
The challenge of managing difficult‐to‐control hypertension
Authors: Mackenzie Isla , MacDonald Thomas
Published: March 2010

Our new series on Prescribing challenges focuses on areas of therapeutics that can present a particular challenge in general practice. Here, the authors address the familiar problem of hypertension that remains above target despite treatment with three anti‐hypertensives. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
High quality n‐type CdTe produced by ultra‐rapid crystallization
Authors: Bagaev Victor , Krivobok Vladimir , Klevkov Yuri , Shepel Anna , Onishchenko Evgeny , Martovitsky Victor
Published: March 2010

Growth of high quality n‐type CdTe textures with electron mobility ∼103cm2/V·s and resistivity 5x108‐5x109Ohm·cm has been realized using a new technique based on the rapid (1 μm/s) crystallization from vapor phase at 600 °C. Two‐stage growth process of grains in the texture includes the development of thin fibrous base along [111], and then its overgrowing by {110} planes accompanied by cube‐octahedron crystal face formation. The main electronic properties of such crystallines are controlled by residual impurities (Ag, Li, As, Ga, Cl). It is shown in particular, that the bands in photoluminescence spectra typically attributed to A‐centers are related to donor (Ga)‐acceptor (Ag) pairs subject to internal electric fields in the crystals under study. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Entropic functionals of Laguerre polynomials and complexity properties of the half‐line Coulomb potential
Authors: Sánchez‐Moreno P. , Omiste J. J. , Dehesa J. S.
Published: March 2010

The stationary states of the half‐line Coulomb potential are described by quantum‐mechanical wavefunctions, which are controlled by the Laguerre polynomials L(x). Here, we first calculate the qth‐order frequency or entropic moments of this quantum system, which is controlled by some entropic functionals of the Laguerre polynomials. These functionals are shown to be equal to a Lauricella function F(${1 \over q}$,…,,${1 \over q}$,1) by use of the Srivastava‐Niukkanen linearization relation of Laguerre polynomials. The resulting general expressions are applied to obtain the following information‐theoretic quantities of the half‐line Coulomb potential: disequilibrium, Renyi and Tsallis entropies. An alternative and simpler expression for the linear entropy is also found by means of a different method. Then, the Shannon entropy and the LMC shape complexity of the lowest and highest (Rydberg) energetic states are explicitly given; moreover, sharp information‐theoretic‐based upper bounds to these quantities are found for general physical states. These quantities are numerically discussed for the ground and various excited states. Finally, the uncertainty measures of the half‐line Coulomb potential given by the information‐theoretic lengths are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Understanding natural sciences education in a Reggio Emilia‐inspired preschool
Authors: Inan Hatice Zeynep , Trundle Kathy Cabe , Kantor Rebecca
Published: March 2010

This ethnographic study explored aspects of how the natural sciences were represented in a Reggio Emilia‐inspired laboratory preschool. The natural sciences as a discipline—a latecomer to preschool curricula—and the internationally known approach, Reggio Emilia, interested educators and researchers, but there was little research about science in a Reggio Emilia classroom. The current research aimed to gain insight into natural science experiences in a Reggio Emilia‐inspired classroom. To gain in‐depth information, this inquiry‐based study adapted a research design with ethnographic data collection techniques (i.e., interview, observation, document/artifact collection, and field‐notes), namely Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence Method, which was a well‐known, pioneer ethnographic method. The data were analyzed from an interpretive perspective using multiple lenses. These lenses included Spradley's DRS for the classroom culture, Corsaro's peer culture theory, the Reggio Emilia approach, and Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards. The study involved 18 preschoolers, 10 teachers, and a program director. The results indicated that the Reggio Emilia‐inspired preschool offered a science‐rich context that triggered and supported preschoolers' inquiries, and effectively engaged preschoolers' hands, heads, and hearts with science. The natural sciences learning in this Reggio Emilia‐inspired preschool classroom met and exceeded some of Ohio's prekindergarten standards. The results suggested that the Reggio pedagogy, grounded in inquiry, is compatible with science education goals. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 1186–1208, 2010
Diagnostic accuracy of transabdominal ultrasound in detecting prenatal cleft lip and palate: a systematic review
Authors: Maarse W. , Bergé S. J. , Pistorius L. , van Barneveld T. , Kon M. , Breugem C. , Mink van der Molen A. B.
Published: March 2010

Objectives

To systematically review the diagnostic accuracy of second‐trimester transabdominal ultrasound in detecting orofacial clefts in low‐ and high‐risk populations and to compare two‐dimensional (2D) with three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound techniques.

Methods

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for articles published in English, Dutch, French or German using the keywords ‘cleft’ and ‘ultrasound’ or ‘screening’ or ‘sonogram’ and ‘prenatal’ or ‘antenatal’ or ‘fetus’ to identify cohort studies and randomized trials in order to assess the detection rate by prenatal ultrasound of cleft lip and palate in high‐risk and low‐risk pregnant women.

Results

Of 451 citations identified, 27 met the criteria for the systematic review, 21 involving unselected low‐risk populations and six involving high‐risk populations. In the selected studies there was diversity in the gestational age at which the ultrasound examination was performed and there was considerable variety in the diagnostic accuracy of 2D ultrasound in the low‐risk women, with prenatal detection rates ranging from 9% to 100% for cleft lip with or without cleft palate, 0% to 22% for cleft palate only and 0% to 73% for all types of cleft. 3D ultrasound in high‐risk women resulted in a detection rate of 100% for cleft lip, 86% to 90% for cleft lip with palate and 0% to 89% for cleft palate only.

Conclusions

2D ultrasound screening for cleft lip and palate in a low‐risk population has a relatively low detection rate but is associated with few false‐positive results. 3D ultrasound can achieve a reliable diagnosis, but not of cleft palate only. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolutionary variations on a theme: host plant specialization in five geographical populations of the leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica
Authors: Zvereva Elena L. , Kozlov Mikhail V. , Hilker Monika
Published: March 2010

The ancestral host plants of Chrysomela lapponica are Salicaceae rich in salicylic glycosides (SGs), which serve as precursors for larval chemical defensive secretions. Nevertheless, some populations have shifted to plants poor in SGs or even lacking these compounds. To study whether this shift is accompanied by adaptations to novel SG‐poor host plants, we reared C. lapponica larvae from five geographical populations on host plants with high (Salix myrsinifolia) or low (S. caprea) SG content. Individuals from two populations (Finland and Kola region in Russia) associated in nature with SG‐rich S. myrsinifolia showed higher survival and shorter developmental time on native host species than on foreign SG‐poor S. caprea, thus demonstrating local adaptations to their ancestral SG‐rich host plant. Individuals from a Belarus population associated in nature with SG‐poor S. caprea showed higher survival on this species than on foreign SG‐rich S. myrsinifolia, thus demonstrating local adaptation to the novel SG‐poor host. On the other hand, individuals from two other populations associated in nature with SG‐poor plants (Baikal and Ural region) performed equally well on both SG‐rich S. myrsinifolia and SG‐poor S. caprea in our rearing experiments, thus showing no local adaptation to a specific SG‐host type, but rather a wide feeding niche including several Salicaceae species of different SG‐type. Our results suggest that diet breadth of C. lapponica is a local phenomenon, and that adaptation strategies to novel host plants may differ between populations of a single leaf beetle species.
Implementation Quality and Positive Experiences in After‐School Programs
Authors: Cross Amanda Brown , Gottfredson Denise C. , Wilson Denise M. , Rorie Melissa , Connell Nadine
Published: March 2010

Data collected during an evaluation of a multi‐site trial of an enhanced after‐school program were used to relate quality of program implementation to student experiences after school. The enhanced after‐school program incorporated a drug use and violence prevention component that was shown to be effective in previous research. Building on Durlak and Dupre’s (Am J Community Psychol 41:327–350, 2008) dimensions of implementation, we assessed the level of dosage, quality of management and climate, participant responsiveness, and staffing quality achieved at the five program sites. We evaluated how these characteristics co‐varied with self‐reported positive experiences after‐school. The study illustrates how multiple dimensions of program implementation can be measured, and shows that some but not all dimensions of implementation are related to the quality of student after‐school experiences. Measures of quality of management and climate, participant responsiveness, and staffing stability were most clearly associated with youth experiences. The importance of measuring multiple dimensions of program implementation in intervention research is discussed.
Properties and Stability of Solid Lipid Particle Dispersions Based on Canola Stearin and Poloxamer 188
Authors: Trujillo C. Celeste , Wright Amanda J.
Published: March 2010

Solid lipid particles (SLP) are one strategy for encapsulating lipophilic molecules, including for controlled release and enhanced bioavailability applications. SLP based on fully hydrogenated canola stearin (CaSt, 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt%) and the non‐ionic surfactant Poloxamer 188 (P188, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 wt%) were produced by high pressure melt homogenization using a microfluidizer. Spherical particles in the region of 140 nm were formed, depending on compostion and processing parameters. Surfactant concentration and pressure had a significant influence on particle diameter (P < 0.05), although number of homogenization cycles did not (P > 0.05). A maximum surfactant surface load of approximately 4 mg m−2 was observed and, at or above 2.5% P188, excess surfactant was present in the continuous phase after production. P188 had the effect of decreasing particle size and facilitating transitions from the α to the β polymorph (P < 0.05) both through surface nucleation and size reduction effects. A stability study of the 10% CaSt SLP with 0.0, 1.0, or 5.0% P188 revealed particle growth for the 0.0 and 1.0% P188 SLP, especially at 20 versus 4 °C, but no changes in the 5.0% P188 SLP, which were exclusively in the β form, at both temperatures for up to 240 days.
Feline renal allograft rupture
Authors: Palm Carrie A. , Aronson Lillian R. , Mayhew Philipp D.
Published: March 2010

A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat, that had undergone renal transplantation 3 months earlier, was evaluated after an acute episode of abdominal discomfort. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an enlarged renal allograft (5.5 cm; reference range, 3.2–4.2 cm) with pyelectasia (renal pelvis=3.7 mm; reference range, 1–2 mm). Based on the ultrasonographic appearance of the allograft, primary rule-outs for the renomegaly included hypertrophy and allograft rejection. The ureter and urethra were dilated and a mild amount of abdominal effusion was noted. Thirty-six hours after admission, the cat became acutely hemodynamically unstable and was diagnosed with a hemoabdomen. Review of the original ultrasound revealed a peri-renal hematoma. During emergency laparotomy, ruptures in the cortex of the transplanted kidney were found to be the source of hemorrhage. Immediately following surgery, the cat experienced cardiorespiratory arrest, and resuscitation was not successful. Necropsy and histopathology revealed rupture of the renal allograft. This is the first reported case of renal allograft rupture in a cat, whereas allograft rupture has been reported in human renal transplant patients.
The age and geochemistry of volcanic rocks on the eastern flank of the Umlekan–Ogodzha volcanoplutonic belt (Amur region)
Authors: Sorokin A.A. , Sorokin A.P. , Ponomarchuk V.A. , Travin A.V.
Published: March 2010

40Ar/39Ar dating yielded the reliable ages of andesite from the Unerikan complex (102.1 ± 1.4 Ma) and basaltic andesite from the Burunda complex (107.3 ± 2.4 Ma). The established age of volcanism is close to one of the stages of formation of the Khingan–Okhotsk volcanoplutonic belt. The petrography and geochemistry of basic, normal-basic, and normal rocks point to their dual character: They combine features specific for tholeiitic and calc-alkalic rocks. Most likely, these rocks formed in the setting of transform continental margin.
Paleomagnetism of Late Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rocks in Mongolia
Authors: Kovalenko D.V.
Published: March 2010

Rock complexes in Mongolia experienced two remagnetization events. Almost all secondary remanence components of normal polarity were acquired apparently in the Cenozoic, after major deformation events, and those of reverse polarity were associated with intrusion of bimodal magmas during the Late Carboniferous–Permian reverse superchron. Active continental-margin sequences in some areas of Mongolia were folded prior to the Late Carboniferous–Permian magnetic event. The primary origin of magnetization in Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks has been inferred to different degrees of reliability. According to paleolatitudes derived from most reliable paleomagnetic data, the analyzed rocks were located far north of the North China block throughout the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic. Mongolia, as well as Siberia, moved from the south to the north in the Paleozoic, back from the north to the south between the latest Triassic and the latest Jurassic, and remained almost within the same latitudes in Cretaceous and Cenozoic time. These paleolatitudes show no statistical difference from those for the Siberian craton at least since the latest Permian (275–250 Ma). Older Mongolian complexes (with ages of 290, 316, and 330 Ma) likewise may have formed within the Siberian continent, which makes their paleomagnetic determinations applicable to calculate the polar wander path for Siberia. The paleolatitudes of Early Carboniferous sediments in Mongolia differ significantly from those of Siberia, either because of overprints from the reverse superchron or because they were deposited away from the Siberian margin.
Terpanes and steranes in coals of different genetic types in Siberia
Authors: Kashirtsev V.A. , Moskvin V.I. , Fomin A.N. , Chalaya O.N.
Published: March 2010

Chloroform extracts of coals from different genetic groups and different ages have been studied by chromato-mass-spectrometry, namely, Devonian liptobioliths from the Barzas region (Kuznetsk Basin) and Lower Cretaceous humites and sapropelites from the Kangalas and Taimylyr deposits, respectively (Lena Coal Basin). It has been established that the most ancient Devonian liptobioliths formed in coastal environments. Lipids of different biotas of marine and continental genesis, including resins of early Conifers, were the source of biomarker molecules. The Mesozoic humic and sapropelic coals differ little in chemofossil biomarkers, which might be related to their significant bacterial transformation and biosynthesis of chemofossils mainly by prokaryotes.
Resonance and trapping of topographic transient ocean waves generated by a moving atmospheric disturbance
Authors: VENNELL ROSS
Published: March 2010

Proudman resonance amplifies the oceanic forced wave beneath moving atmospheric pressure disturbances. The amplification varies with water depth; consequently, the forced wave beneath a disturbance crossing topography radiates transient free waves. Transients are shown to magnify the effects of Proudman resonance for disturbances crossing the coast or shelf at particular angles. A Snell like reflection law gives rise to a type of resonance for relatively slow moving disturbances crossing a coast in an otherwise flat-bottomed ocean. This occurs for translation speeds less than the shallow water wave speed for disturbances approaching the coast at a critical angle given by the inverse sine of the Froude number of the disturbance. A disturbance crossing the shelf at particular angles can also excite seiche modes of the shelf via generation of a transient at the continental slope. Beyond a typically small angle of incidence, transients generated by a disturbance crossing the continental slope and coast will be trapped on the shelf by internal reflection. The refraction law for a fast-moving forced wave crossing an ocean ridge at greater than a small angle of incidence also results in trapped free-wave transients with tsunami-like periods propagating along the ridge. The subcritical resonance, excitation of shelf modes and trapping of the transients may have implications for storm surges and the generation of destructive meteotsunami.
Divergence between Asian, European and Canadian populations of the monogenean Pseudodactylogyrus bini indicated by ribosomal DNA patterns
Authors: Kania P.W. , Taraschewski H. , Han Y.-S. , Cone D.K. , Buchmann K.
Published: March 2010

The monogenean Pseudodactylogyrus bini parasitizes the gills of eels belonging to the genus Anguilla. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the parasite has been spread accidentally from the Pacific area (East Asia) to Europe by the intercontinental eel trade. This is based on early descriptions of the parasites from Asian regions and the lack of records of the parasites in Europe before 1977. In addition, the susceptibility of European eels to infections with the parasite is significantly higher compared to that of Japanese eels, which could indicate that the European eel had not undergone co-evolution with this parasite. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the origin of the parasite by using molecular tools. Parasite samples were obtained from Europe (Germany), Asia (Taiwan) and Nova Scotia, the latter of which is the first record of P. bini in Canada. Sequencing of rDNA comprising part of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene, 5.8S and part of ITS2 (1323 bp) showed that P. bini isolates from the first two regions showed high variability. One sequence was found both in a number of Asian parasites and with one to a few transitions in European parasites, which could indicate that they were split recently into the two regions. Other sequence variations suggested that one or a few genotypes of P. bini were imported on one occasion from Asia to Europe and that the two geographic isolates subsequently developed differently in the two regions. The Nova Scotian/Canadian isolates showed no variation and were found to be unique compared to the European and Taiwanese forms, indicating that this population is independent in origin. This could indicate that the Canadian parasites were introduced to North America on another occasion and independently of the European colonization.
Wellbeing depends on social relationship characteristics: comparing different types and providers of support to older adults
Authors: MERZ EVA-MARIA , HUXHOLD OLIVER
Published: March 2010

This paper examines the associations between different forms of support, who provides the support and the wellbeing of older adults in Germany. Particular attention is paid to the wellbeing differences associated with kin and non-kin providers and with emotional support and instrumental support. In addition, the quality of relationships with kin and non-kin is examined as a moderator of the association between social support and wellbeing. Data for 1,146 respondents to the German Ageing Survey in 2002 were analysed to determine the combinations of emotional or instrumental support, kin or non-kin providers and relationship quality that best predicted wellbeing. Emotional support from kin and instrumental support from non-kin were both found to associate positively with wellbeing. Emotional support from non-kin providers did not associate with wellbeing, whereas instrumental support from kin providers had a negative association with one aspect of wellbeing. Higher relationship quality, whether with kin or non-kin, positively related to wellbeing. Interestingly, the negative impact of instrumental kin support was qualified by relationship quality. In other words, for people with high-quality relationships, receiving instrumental support from kin did not decrease wellbeing. When the relationship with a family carer or supporter is characterised by high quality, the challenges of frailties in old age, such as decreasing capacities and an increasing need for social support, can be met without compromising wellbeing.
The burden of long-term care: how Italian family care-givers become employers
Authors: DEGIULI FRANCESCA
Published: March 2010

In recent years in Italy, population ageing, rising female labour-market participation, and the restructuring of the welfare state have combined to create increased demand for long-term care services for frail and dependent older people. The rising demand has increasingly been met by immigrant women of different nationalities, and to a lesser extent immigrant men, who are hired to provide individualised care in people's own homes and other private settings. While there have been many studies of this growing phenomenon, very little attention has been paid to the reasons that bring family care-givers to choose this care-support option. To begin to fill the gap, this paper reports the finding of a qualitative study of 26 family members who were caring for a disabled elder. Semi-structured interviews lasting between 60 and 100 minutes and that covered various aspects of long-term care in family households were conducted. The participants' responses indicate that they did not choose immigrant home eldercare assistants solely for economic reasons but also to be consistent with cultural, moral and traditional understandings of family responsibilities and care. They also provide valuable findings and insights into Italian attitudes towards the welfare state and the care-labour market. While the wealthiest respondent declared a clear predilection for the free-market and a desire to bypass the state, the majority of the respondents advocated a stronger role of the welfare state in helping people cope with the increased burden of long-term care.
Filling a missing link: the influence of portrayals of older characters in television commercials on the memory performance of older adults
Authors: WESTERHOF GERBEN J. , HARINK KAROLIEN , VAN SELM MARTINE , STRICK MADELIJN , VAN BAAREN RICK
Published: March 2010

The portrayal of older characters in television commercials has over time become more varied and positive. This study examines how different portrayals of older characters relate to self-stereotyping, a process through which older individuals apply their beliefs about older people in general to themselves and behave accordingly. The study thereby seeks to connect, as few have previously done, cultural studies and critiques of media portrayals with psychological studies of the effects of self-stereotyping. Sixty participants aged 65–75 years were primed with television commercials that portrayed older characters in different ways: ‘warm and incompetent’, ‘warm and competent’, and ‘cold and competent’. It was hypothesised that priming with warm/incompetent portrayals would have a negative effect on memory performance because such representations match the dominant stereotype, and that the effect would occur only among older people who identify with their own age group. It was found that the participants who identified with their own age group did indeed show impaired memory performance after priming with warm/incompetent portrayals, but also that the same effect was found after priming with warm/competent portrayals. The findings are discussed in terms of resistance against stereotyping by older individuals themselves as well as by media producers.
Civil Service Reform in China: Impacts on Civil Servants' Behaviour
Authors: Burns John P. , Xiaoqi Wang
Published: March 2010

China's civil service reforms sought to improve the performance of civil servants by introducing more competitive selection processes, incentives to reward performance, and tightened monitoring and supervision. The impact of the reforms was undermined by clashes with other policies being implemented at the time and by a failure to address elements of organization culture that have rewarded various forms of illegal behaviour, such as corruption. Empirical material for our study is drawn from government data and the experience of civil service reform in three Chinese urban areas (Beijing's Haidian district, Changchun and Ningbo) since the 1990s.
Gauging the Elite Political Equilibrium in the CCP: A Quantitative Approach Using Biographical Data
Authors: Shih Victor , Shan Wei , Liu Mingxing
Published: March 2010

Can one man dominate the Chinese Communist Party? This has been a much debated issue in the field of Chinese politics. Using a novel database that tracks the biographies of all Central Committee (CC) members from 1921 to 2007, we derive a measure of top CCP leaders' factional strength in the CC. We show that Mao could not maintain a commanding presence in the Party elite after the Eighth Party Congress in 1956, although the Party chairman enjoyed a prolonged period of consolidated support in the CC at a time when the CCP faced grave external threats. No Chinese leader, not even Mao himself, could regain the level of influence that he had enjoyed in the late 1940s. Our results, however, do not suggest that a “code of civility” has developed among Chinese leaders. The Cultural Revolution saw the destruction of Liu Shaoqi's faction. Although violent purges ended after the Cultural Revolution, Chinese leaders continued to promote followers into the CC and to remove rivals' followers.
Upper ocean layer dynamics and response to atmospheric forcing in the Terra Nova Bay polynya, Antarctica
Authors: Cappelletti Andrea , Picco Paola , Peluso Tiziana
Published: March 2010

A one-year time series of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data was collected in Terra Nova Bay (TNB) polynya (Ross Sea, Antarctica) during 2000. Together with Automatic Weather Station (AWS) Eneide meteorological data and Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) ice concentration data, ADCP data were analysed to investigate upper layer dynamics and variability due to atmospheric forcing. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis was performed to separate the surface variability caused by local forcing from the large-scale circulation component. In particular, the first mode represented the barotropic circulation while the second the stronger surface currents. The decrease in shelf water density from melting sea ice resulted in an off-shore density gradient producing a southern shift in the circulation. This result proved to be consistent with the in situ data acquired during February–April at 120 m depth. The observed variability of the surface currents was assessed with respect to the thermal wind equation and the steady Ekman model. Strong katabatic winds shifted the surface currents eastward with respect to the general north-eastern circulation. The wind stress acted as a relevant forcing for the surface large-scale circulation in TNB, but had negligible effects on the vertically integrated transport.