bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMMON‐POOL RESOURCES WITH FREE MOBILITY
Authors: DORJ DOLGORSUREN
Published: February 2012

The Tragedy of the Commons may get worse if people freely move between different commons. We conducted laboratory experiments with the common‐pool resource setting in which people freely moved between two localities. The localities differed by governing regimes: no regulation or sanctions imposed either exogenously or chosen by majority voting. We find that under free mobility, efficient resource use is attainable with sanctions given that the target harvesting level adjusts to the number of users. People self‐select into different regimes based on their behavioral types. Results are consistent across the United States and Mongolia. (JEL C7, C72, C91, Q2, R12)
MEASURING THE WELFARE GAIN FROM PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Authors: GREENWOOD JEREMY , KOPECKY KAREN A.
Published: February 2012

The welfare gain to consumers from the introduction of personal computers (PCs) is estimated. A simple model of consumer demand is formulated that uses a slightly modified version of standard preferences. The modification permits marginal utility, and hence total utility, to be finite when the consumption of computers is zero. This implies that the good will not be consumed at a high enough price. It also bounds the consumer surplus derived from the product. The model is calibrated/estimated using standard national income and product account data. The welfare gain from the introduction of PCs is 2%–3% of consumption expenditure. (JELE01, E21, O33, O47)
THE MATCHING OF HETEROGENEOUS FIRMS AND POLITICIANS
Authors: CHEN MAGGIE XIAOYANG
Published: February 2012

We use a Chinese firm‐director panel dataset to examine the matching of heterogeneous firms and politicians. On the basis of 36,308 detailed biographies, we identify individuals who previously held bureaucratic positions and classify the rank of each position in the Chinese political hierarchy. Using this direct measure of political capital, we examine how firms with heterogeneous productivity match politicians with different political strength. Our results indicate a positive assortative matching in the political capital market. More productive firms are paired with more powerful politicians. Furthermore, the preference for political capital relative to conventional human capital increases in firms' dependence on external financing and the inefficiency of local governments. Conditional on the endogenous matching, new hires with political capital receive more compensation than their co‐workers in the same cohort. The marginal effect of a one‐step rise on the political ladder significantly exceeds the marginal effect of raising education attainment from, for example, high school to college. (JEL D21, D73, J24, J31, O12)
Senior nursing leadership – capacity building at the global level
Authors: Blaney P.
Published: February 2012

BLANEY P. (2012) Senior nursing leadership – capacity building at the global level. International Nursing Review59, 40–47

Background:  The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and its member National Nurses Associations have for some time recognized the need and potential for a global level leadership development opportunity for senior and executive level nurses. Through ICN's international health policy influencing activities and experience in the delivery of national and national association leadership development programmes, the need for more senior level global leadership development was increasingly evident. Various national and international studies and reports have also echoed the need for nurse leadership.

Aim:  In response to this need, ICN established the Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI), an annual leadership development programme for nurses at senior and executive levels from across the globe. A number of strategic outcomes that might be achieved from attending a GNLI programme were identified and used to secure funding support for the initiative. These were that participants would be better equipped to build strategic alliances, be aware of their own leadership capacity, increase global healthcare knowledge, be better equipped to influence policy, improve strategic planning and thinking, be able to take on higher leadership roles and develop international networks.

Process:  A high‐level advisory committee oversaw the design and development of the annual leadership development programme and undertook the selection of participants. The first GNLI was established in September 2009. The GNLI programme was delivered in English and was held at venues near Geneva in Switzerland. This article refers to the design, format and broad outcomes of GNLI 2009 and GNLI 2010 including the strategic objectives, funding arrangements, action‐learning approach, participant selection and profile, development needs analysis, programme elements and design, learning environment and evaluation.

Outcomes:  The resultant GNLI experience is unique in terms of senior nursing development opportunities available globally. GNLI is specifically unique in the diversity of participants; senior and executive level nurses from different countries representing all world regions and all levels of income and all settings and sectors. GNLI is also unique in its ability to provide participants with the leadership development opportunity within the international context and proximity to various international health‐related agencies. This article refers to the first two GNLI programmes that have resulted in 60 GNLI graduates who continue to develop leadership capacity and utilize networks formed while attending the GNLI.

ICN has secured funding to continue the GNLI initiative for a further 3–4 years, and so GNLI will continue to build global nurse leadership at the strategic level.
Varieties of Capitalism and Strategic Management: Managing Performance in Multinationals after the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Witcher Barry J. , Chau Vinh Sum
Published: February 2012

This paper examines the varieties of capitalism thesis for its implications for strategy and strategic management. It considers the grounds for an integrated approach to strategic management, which will make firms less susceptible to sudden economic change in global markets. The paper is structured into four parts. In the first, the nature of the varieties of capitalism thesis is examined (Hall P. A. and Soskice D. (2001). ‘An introduction to varieties of capitalism’. In P. A. Hall and D. (eds), Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage, pp. 1–68. Oxford: Oxford University Press). In the second part, two distinct strands of theory and research in strategic management (the outside‐in and inside‐out views of strategy) are considered, and how these might condition thinking about strategy, management and organizational learning. The third part explores convergence in strategic management, and explicates a model from research at Nissan, which brings core competencies and dynamic capabilities to the strategic management of the large multinational firm. The fourth part concludes with a critical assessment of the varieties of capitalism and the likelihood of a convergent strategic management after the global financial crisis.
Adjusted Bayesian Inference for Selected Parameters
Authors: Yekutieli Daniel
Published: February 2012

We address the problem of providing inference from a Bayesian perspective for parameters selected after viewing the data. We present a Bayesian framework for providing inference for selected parameters, based on the observation that providing Bayesian inference for selected parameters is a truncated data problem. We show that if the prior for the parameter is non-informative, or if the parameter is a ‘fixed’ unknown constant, then it is necessary to adjust the Bayesian inference for selection. Our second contribution is the introduction of Bayesian false discovery rate controlling methodology, which generalizes existing Bayesian false discovery rate methods that are only defined in the two-group mixture model. We illustrate our results by applying them to simulated data and data from a microarray experiment.
Likelihood-Based Procedures for Threshold Diagnostics and Uncertainty in Extreme Value Modelling
Authors: Wadsworth J. L. , Tawn J. A.
Published: February 2012

For extreme value modelling based on threshold techniques, a well-documented issue is the sensitivity of inference from the model to the choice of threshold. The threshold above which we assume a non-homogeneous Poisson process, or equivalently generalized Pareto representation, to be a reasonable approximation to the distribution is traditionally selected before analysis and subsequently treated as fixed and known. In doing so, the analyst cannot account for the subjective judgement that has already taken place before formal inference begins. We propose an asymptotically motivated model to account for uncertainty in choice of threshold, under assumptions generated by a penultimate form of extreme value theory. To assess the sensitivity of the conclusions to these assumptions, we additionally present a purely likelihood-based diagnostic for the choice of threshold, developing a non-standard likelihood ratio test which supplements the current suite of tools. We show that the likelihood ratio procedure quantifies evidence derived from traditional threshold diagnostic plots, and that the full model for threshold uncertainty identifies the same features as the diagnostic. We apply our procedures to both simulated data, and a data set of flow rates from the River Nidd.
NONCONVEXITY OF THE OPTIMAL EXERCISE BOUNDARY FOR AN AMERICAN PUT OPTION ON A DIVIDEND‐PAYING ASSET
Authors: Chen Xinfu , Cheng Huibin , Chadam John
Published: February 2012

We prove that when the dividend rate of the underlying asset following a geometric Brownian motion is slightly larger than the risk‐free interest rate, the optimal exercise boundary of the American put option is not convex.
FACTOR SHARES, BUSINESS CYCLES AND THE DISTRIBUTIVE LOOP
Authors: Jackson William A.
Published: February 2012

This paper looks at how factor shares vary over the business cycle and how their movements fit into Kaleckian analysis. Heterodox accounts of factor‐share movements include both profit‐squeeze arguments (procyclical wage share) and underconsumption arguments (countercyclical wage share). Empirical evidence gives no decisive support for either account: factor shares may be procyclical and countercyclical at different stages of the business cycle. If factor shares vary in such a complex way, then Kaleckian models cannot have a stable distributive curve. The economy instead follows a distributive loop, with different adjustment paths during an upswing and a downswing.
Constitutionalising the Market, Marketising the Constitution, and to Tell the Difference: On the Horizontal Application of the Free Movement Provisions in EU Law
Authors: Schepel Harm
Published: February 2012

Ever since the Court's judgment in Walrave, there has been a concerted effort in caselaw and doctrine to limit the horizontal direct effect of free movement provisions to exceptional circumstances. This article suggests that this effort has always been incoherent, and is simply untenable after Viking and Laval. The implications are far reaching, especially in the sphere of the free movement of capital and corporate governance where the Court is well on its way of imposing a model of shareholder primacy on European company law. Full direct horizontal effect will also have important repercussions for private law and its ability to resolve conflicts between economic freedoms and fundamental rights. Given the nature of the free movement provisions, their horizontal effect will sometimes lead to a constitutionalised market and sometimes to a marketised constitution, without there being any principled way of distinguishing between the two. In that light, horizontal direct effect is very unlikely to enhance the effectiveness of internal market law—whichever model of the social market economy it is thought to embody—and is best abandoned.
Developing Administrative Principles in the EU: A Foundational Model of Legitimacy?
Authors: Smith Melanie
Published: February 2012

This paper argues that administrative legitimacy has been neglected as having the potential to provide a foundation for the legitimacy of the EU institutions. The development of the administrative law‐type mechanisms within the EU is almost exclusively focused on the activities of the Member States as the main implementers of Union law. This has left an administrative gap at the level of the EU institutions, with little evidence of determinative horizontal administrative principles to be found in either the Treaties or the case‐law of two European courts. Where the courts have acted, they have adopted a sectoral and highly circumscribed approach to the development of administrative norms. The paper examines whether administrative principles can be harnessed as a mechanism for increasing the EU's legitimacy and, if so, how these principles fit with the institutions' approach to the legitimacy question. Post Lisbon, can evidence be found within the Treaties that the administrative route to legitimacy has not been entirely foreclosed? This paper proposes a model of administrative legitimacy for the EU level of administration that provides a foundation for the interconnected concepts of good governance and political legitimacy.
Issues in Anti‐Corruption Law: How Can Code of Conduct Laws Be Drafted in Order to Reduce Corruption in a Public Sector like Romania's
Authors: Michael Bryane
Published: February 2012

International organisations, like the UN and EU, have encouraged their Member States for years to increase civil servants' compliance with particular codes of conduct. Romania represents probably one of the most advanced countries in attempting to legislate on civil servant ethics through its Code of Conduct Law. Yet, the Romanian Code of Conduct Law possesses significant weaknesses, emanating both from the inherent difficulties of using hard law in a soft law area (like civil servants' ethics) and the Law's silence as to specific procedures, which government agencies should use in implementing the Law. Given these weaknesses, Romanian government agencies should adopt regulatory instruments that compensate for these weaknesses at the legislative level. In this paper, we present the provisions—particularly related to the establishment of agency‐level ethical doctrines—which regulatory drafters can use to implement these codes of conduct in a civil law system without running afoul of the basic requirements of civil law jurisprudence for clarity and predictability. We discuss the legal basis in Romanian administrative law for the elaboration of specific ethics‐related doctrines and the ways in which such a ‘doctrinal approach’ to administrative ethics can help achieve the objectives of the flawed Code of Conduct Law. We specifically discuss the ways in which Romanian governments can adopt such regulatory instruments and the types of provisions that should be included in order to help overcome the flaws of the Code of Conduct Law.
The Impact of Migration on Social Capital: Do Migrants Take Their Bowling Balls with Them?
Authors: LESAGE JAMES P. , HA CHRISTINA L.
Published: February 2012

Questions surrounding the impact of population migration on social capital is the focus of this study. Putnam observed that “for people as for plants, frequent repotting disrupts root systems. It takes time for a mobile individual to put down new roots.” However, because of a trending decrease in mobility over time, Putnam rules out migration as an explanation for the long‐term decline in social capital that was the subject of his widely read 1995 book Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital. This study undertakes an empirical examination of the impact of migration on county‐level social capital, which in tribute to Putnam one might view as an attempt to answer the question—do migrants take their bowling balls with them when they move?

The potential for county‐level migration of population to impact social capital levels at particular locations in space arises from the conventional argument that social capital promotes trust and cooperation among agents. This trust increases socially efficient collective action but requires investment in relationships and commitment of scarce resources to build social capital. It seems plausible that migration of population might have a negative impact on the stock of social capital by interfering with trust and cooperation among agents. However, it is also possible that migrants may take their social capital with them to new places of residence. In other words, the propensity to join social and civic organizations might reflect inherent traits of individuals who are willing to make commitments of their resources to building social capital in any community where they reside.
Neoliberalism and the Urban Economy in Ghana: Urban Employment, Inequality, and Poverty
Authors: OBENG‐ODOOM FRANKLIN
Published: February 2012

Ghana is one of a few African countries where more people now reside in cities than in the countryside. What is not as well‐known are the changes that have taken place in the economic base of Ghanaian cities. This paper tells that story. It focuses particularly on jobs, incomes, inequality, and poverty, and their characteristics in an era when neoliberal policies have been implemented. It draws on census reports, national surveys, and published reports in order to overcome the dearth of information about the urban and national economies. The paper shows that, on the one hand, the increasing prominence of the private sector in the urban economy has impacted positively on capital formation and job creation. On the other hand, urban and national inequality levels have dramatically increased. Whether these changes are favourable to the majority of urban citizens is contestable.
Comparative Analysis of the Total Factor Productivity of Manufacturing in Northeast Asian Metropolitan Areas
Authors: BYUN TAEGEUN , KIM KABSUNG , CHOI HYEJIN
Published: February 2012

We compare and analyze the total factor productivity of the manufacturing industries in the major metropolitan areas of South Korea, China, and Japan. This study can contribute to the economic cooperation among these countries by analyzing their productivity growth and evaluating their relative competitiveness. Statistical data from manufacturing industries are used to analyze five metropolitan areas. The manufacturing industries are classified into 10 sectors, and two different time periods (before and after 1997, when the foreign currency crisis began in Korea) are examined. The results in terms of the development and competitiveness of the manufacturing industries in Korea, China, and Japan will be useful in establishing promotional strategies.
Coming Home? Patterns and Characteristics of Return Migration in Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Thieme Susan
Published: February 2012

Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Kazakhstan are all major destinations for labour migrants from rural areas of southern Kyrgyzstan. Along with searching for better income, younger men and women also migrate for educational purposes; children and elderly people stay behind. While older migrants often regard this separation from their families as temporary, younger people start to put down roots in places other than their homes and this has long‐term consequences for development in rural areas. The paper therefore looks into families’ multi‐local settings and why young migrants fail to return home. It also considers the potential impact on rural development including remittance dependency, an increasing shortage of qualified labour and new conditions of social care. The paper concludes with an assessment of the policy implications.
Professional Identities in Transit: Factors Shaping Immigrant Labour Market Success
Authors: Remennick Larissa
Published: February 2012

Immigrant professionals comprise a growing segment within current migration waves, but the determinants of successful transnational skill transfer are poorly understood. In this paper, I offer a framework for the evaluation of these determinants, drawing upon three empirical studies among immigrant professionals from the former Soviet Union in Israel. I start by describing the social context of immigrant integration, including policies aimed at assisting skilled immigrants to get a fresh start on the local labour market. Next, I reflect on the nature of various professions in terms of their cultural and linguistic dependency, with the ensuing adaptive potential upon migration. I also tap into the main macro‐economic and institutional characteristics of the host society that may facilitate or hinder the initial entry and subsequent mobility of immigrant professionals within local organizations. I apply this analytical frame to the discussion of Israeli studies among immigrant professionals who represent three different points on the scale of cultural dependency: engineers (technical occupation), physicians (combining standard medical training with cultural skills) and schoolteachers (most dependent on language and local cultural codes). In every case, the resulting success or failure of occupational continuity reflects a complex interplay of context‐bound and individual factors, aggravated by the small size and rapid saturation of the local labour market.
Assessing the sexual knowledge of women in secure settings: the development of a new screening measure
Authors: Long Clive G. , Krawczyk Kirsten M. , Kenworthy Nathalie E.
Published: February 2012

Accessible summary

This article addresses the need for more appropriate sexual health assessment materials for use with women with a learning disability.

It gives a summary of other assessment measures that have been developed and why they are not suitable for women with a learning disability.

It describes the development of a new assessment measure that can be used to assess the sexual knowledge needs of women in secure settings, with a learning disability.

This research is important because it acknowledges that people with a learning disability have the same rights as others with regard to information about sexual health matters. As such people with a learning disability should be asked the questions about the sexual knowledge in an easy and straightforward way that allows them to discuss concerns.

Little research has been published on the need for sexual education for women in secure psychiatric facilities when patients present with a combination of learning disability, mental illness and personality disorder. The development of a brief, feasible, gender‐specific sexual knowledge questionnaire is described, which has validity and reliability and which is comprehensible by 95% of adults. Results of a pilot study show significant sexual knowledge deficits in learning disability and mentally ill women along with risk and vulnerability factors. Ways of addressing these issues are discussed.
‘I want to stay over’: a phenomenographic analysis of a short break/extended stay pilot project for children and young people with Autism
Authors: Hallett Fiona , Armstrong David
Published: February 2012

Accessible summary

 This paper stems from a pilot project offering residential experiences for young people with Autism.

 The project aimed to offer residential experiences to the young people and help them to develop life skills that would aid their transition to adulthood.

 The primary purpose of this paper is to analyse the viewpoints of the young people, their parents/carers and the educational and care professionals involved in order to understand the potential impact of projects of this nature.

Laying the foundations for an effective transition into independent adulthood is widely perceived as a key priority for practice with children/young people who have Autistic Spectrum Conditions. However, theory and research indicate that, for those children affected, autism often prevents the acquisition, development and expression of key life‐skills which might assist their inclusion in the wider community. In exploring these issues, the authors of this paper report on the Phenomenographic analysis of a Residential Project, involving 16 children per young people who had Autistic Spectrum Conditions, at a Special School in the North West of England. The primary conclusion from this study is that provision for many children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions is most meaningful if it is enabled by practice which: supports the wider human rights and needs of their family; realistically prepares the individual for a life outside of school and the home; and also enriches the unique lifeworld of each young person.
Retinal histogenesis and cell differentiation in an elasmobranch species, the small‐spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula
Authors: Bejarano‐Escobar Ruth , Blasco Manuel , Durán Ana Carmen , Rodríguez Cristina , Martín‐Partido Gervasio , Francisco‐Morcillo Javier
Published: February 2012

Here we present a detailed study of the major events in the retinal histogenesis in a slow‐developing elasmobranch species, the small‐spotted catshark, during embryonic, postnatal and adult stages using classical histological and immunohistological methods, providing a complete neurochemical characterization of retinal cells. We found that the retina of the small‐spotted catshark was fully differentiated prior to birth. The major developmental events in retinal cell differentiation occurred during the second third of the embryonic period. Maturational features described in the present study were first detected in the central retina and, as development progressed, they spread to the rest of the retina following a central‐to‐peripheral gradient. While the formation of both plexiform layers occurs simultaneously in the retina of the most common fish models, in the small‐spotted catshark retina the emergence of the outer plexiform layer was delayed with respect to the inner plexiform layer. According to the expression of the markers used, retinal cell differentiation followed a vitreal‐to‐scleral gradient, with the exception of Müller cells that were the last cell type generated during retinogenesis. This vitreal‐to‐scleral progression of neural differentiation seems to be specific to slow‐developing fish species.
Rootstock control of scion transpiration and its acclimation to water deficit are controlled by different genes
Authors: Marguerit Elisa , Brendel Oliver , Lebon Eric , Van Leeuwen Cornelis , Ollat Nathalie
Published: February 2012

See also the Commentary by Jones
Calling All Students!!!
Authors: Marshall Audrey
Published: February 2012

‘Dissertations into Practice’ is a new regular feature in the Health Information and Libraries Journal, which aims to encourage students to write for publication. The idea is that students will write an extended abstract of their health‐related dissertations, outlining the methods used and commenting on the implications for practice. Co‐written with their dissertation or workplace supervisor, this feature will provide a safe environment for students to see their writing in print, possibly for the first time, while ensuring that invaluable research reaches a wider audience than might otherwise be the case.
Nurses' Experiences of the Encounter With Elder Neglect
Authors: Winterstein Tova‐Band
Published: February 2012

Purpose: Nurses are on the front line in encounters with elder neglect. In spite of their significant role, they are not always aware of this. The purpose of this paper was to understand the meanings that nurses ascribe to elder neglect through their perceptions and professional experience with older people and to throw light on nurses' significant role in this encounter.

Design and Methods: An integrated review of the current literature was completed and 30 Israeli professional nurses working in long‐term geriatric care facilities were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was performed according to the phenomenological method.

Findings and Conclusions: Four major themes emerged: (a) neglect from the outside or neglect from within; (b) between professional and personal; (c) whose responsibility is this? and (d) professional values and ethics in the face of a neglecting reality. Findings are discussed in relation to the nurses' experiences of the encounter with elder neglect and the consequences of the phenomenon, such as increasing ageist perceptions and behavior.

Clinical Relevance: As the world experiences higher life expectancy, nursing education should be challenged with elder mistreatment in general, and elder neglect in particular. Training and educational programs should provide a platform on which to raise dilemmas concerning the encounter with this subject.

Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2011; XX:X, XXX–XXX. ©2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.
Intercellular Communication in the Vascular Wall: A Modeling Perspective
Authors: NAGARAJA SRIDEVI , KAPELA ADAM , TSOUKIAS NIKOLAOS M.
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as Nagaraja S, Kapela A, Tsoukias NM. Intercellular communication in the vascular wall: a modeling perspective. Microcirculation 19: 391‐402, 2012.

Movement of ions (Ca2+, K+, Na+, and Cl−) and second messenger molecules like inositol 1, 4, 5‐trisphosphate inside and in between different cells is the basis of many signaling mechanisms in the microcirculation. In spite of the vast experimental efforts directed toward evaluation of these fluxes, it has been a challenge to establish their roles in many essential microcirculatory phenomena. Recently, detailed theoretical models of calcium dynamics and plasma membrane electrophysiology have emerged to assist in the quantification of these intra and intercellular fluxes and enhance understanding of their physiological importance. This perspective reviews selected models relevant to estimation of such intra and intercellular ionic and second messenger fluxes and prediction of their relative significance to a variety of vascular phenomena, such as myoendothelial feedback, conducted responses, and vasomotion.
Does Immunotherapy for Treatment of Reproductive Failure Enhance Live Births?
Authors: Coulam Carolyn B. , Acacio Brian
Published: February 2012

Before effective treatment for reproductive failure can be instituted, the cause of the failure must be determined. A search of PubMed was made to identify the published data regarding diagnosis and treatment of reproductive failure. Results were compared with the frequency of antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) in 2995 women with histories of unexplained infertility, recurrent implantation failure, recurrent pregnancy loss, and fertile women. In addition, pregnancy outcomes among 442 women experiencing reproductive failure and elevated NK cell activity after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) (N = 242) or intralipids (N = 200) were compared. The prevalence of APA was the same among women with the diagnosis of unexplained infertility, recurrent implantation failure, and recurrent miscarriage. Heparin and aspirin are successful in the treatment of elevated APA among women with recurrent miscarriage but not with recurrent implantation failure. IVIg has been successful in the treatment of recurrent miscarriage and recurrent implantation failure among women with elevated APA and/or NK cell activity. When the pregnancy outcomes of women with a history of reproductive failure and elevated NK cell cytotoxicity treated with intralipid were compared with women treated with IVIg, no differences were seen. Immunotherapy for treatment of reproductive failure enhances live birth but only in those women displaying abnormal immunologic risk factors.
Testing the role of seed size in annual legume seedling performance under experimental autumn moisture conditions
Authors: Arellano Gabriel , Peco Begoña
Published: February 2012

Question

Previous studies show that large‐seeded species increase their abundance in Mediterranean annual grasslands in growing seasons with dry autumns. One possible explanation is that large‐seeded species have larger seedlings, which provide an advantage under drier conditions. We address the following questions: is seed mass correlated with seedling survival in annual legumes? Is this correlation influenced by the watering regime? Can seedling growth characteristics explain the differential survival of small‐ and large‐seeded species?

Location

Annual Mediterranean grassland, Central Spain.

Methods

An experiment was conducted with six grassland legume species of different seed sizes, subjected to six different watering regimes, monitoring survival and morphological variables (shoot and root growth) for 40 d.

Results

Large seeds provide an advantage for seedling survival, but in extreme drought conditions, seedling survival in small‐seeded species equals that of seedlings from large‐seeded species. Seedlings from larger seeds are larger than those of small‐seeded species, but have a lower root/shoot biomass ratio, leading to greater potential evapotranspiration, which could explain their loss of relative advantage under extreme droughts.

Conclusion

The hypothesis that seedlings from large‐seeded species survive better than small‐seeded species under drought conditions was not supported. Germination behaviour seems to be a more plausible explanation for the increased abundance in the field of large‐seeded species in growing seasons with dry autumns.
Changes in arctic vegetation on Jan Mayen Island over 19 and 80 years
Authors: Kapfer Jutta , Virtanen Risto , Grytnes John‐Arvid
Published: February 2012

Questions

Can recent vegetation changes on an isolated, grazer‐free island be explained by recent climate change? Are observed changes consistent when focusing on two different time scales?

Location

Jan Mayen, an arctic volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Methods

We re‐surveyed two botanical studies conducted 19 and 80 yr earlier to explore changes in species frequency, cover and co‐occurrence with other species. The observed changes were statistically evaluated using restricted permutation tests and were compared for the two time scales considered using Pearson correlation tests.

Results

Total number of species did not significantly change over the two time periods considered. One species (Botrychium lunaria) was found new to the island. The dwarf‐shrub Salix herbacea and several graminoids increased in frequency or cover, or both, whereas species linked to snowbeds (e.g. Saxifraga spp., Oxyria digyna, Cerastium cerastoides) decreased. Changes over 19 yr were significantly correlated with 80‐yr changes considering species frequency, but not when comparing changes in cover and species co‐occurrences. Observed changes were more pronounced in the 80‐yr comparison.

Conclusions

Our findings from the virtually grazer‐free island of Jan Mayen are in line with other studies on short‐ and long‐term vegetation changes in the Arctic and confirm that indirect effects of climate change (e.g. longer growing season, altered soil moisture conditions, increased nutrient availability) may be the main driver of the observed changes in arctic vegetation composition. However, whereas our study found the main trend to be similar over both time scales considered, discrepancies in the trends of some species suggest that long‐term changes are only partly predictable from short‐term studies.
Patient with terminal 9 Mb deletion of chromosome 9p: Refining the critical region for 9p monosomy syndrome with trigonocephaly
Authors: Mitsui Norimasa , Shimizu Kenji , Nishimoto Hiroshi , Mochizuki Hiroshi , Iida Masao , Ohashi Hirofumi
Published: February 2012

We describe a patient with typical manifestations of 9p monosomy syndrome, including trigonocephaly and sex reversal. Array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) revealed a 9p terminal deletion of approximately 9 Mb with the breakpoint at 9p23. We compared the deleted segments of 9p associated with reported cases of 9p monosomy syndrome with trigonocephaly. We did not identify a region that was shared by all patients; however, when only pure terminal or interstitial deletions that did not involve material from any other chromosome were compared, we identified a segment from D9S912 to RP11‐439I6 of approximately 1 Mb that was deleted in every patient. We propose that this 1‐Mb segment might be the critical region for 9p monosomy syndrome with trigonocephaly.
View from the ground
Authors: Rachwani Manar , Soliman Amany
Published: February 2012

Amany Soliman Scans a potentially bumpy road ahead for an Egyptian society divided between groups supportive and skeptical of the country's interim military rulers.

Manar Rachwani Asks why the Turkish AKP has enjoyed success as a ‘democratic Islamic’ party, and how lookalike parties might succeed in other post‐revolution Arab countries.
Social psychology and policymaking: Past neglect, future promise
Authors: Brown Rupert , de Visser Richard , Dittmar Helga , Drury John , Farsides Tom , Jessop Donna , Sparks Paul
Published: February 2012

Rupert Brown, Richard de Visser, Helga Dittmar, John Drury, Tom Farsides, Donna Jessop and Paul Sparks of the school of psychology at the University of Sussex make the case for including academic evidence from the world of social psychology in policymaking around some key contemporary public issues, from health and wellbeing to social cohesion and resilience.
Speaking doubt to power: Art as evidence for public policymaking
Authors: Hallgarten Joe
Published: February 2012

Joe Hallgarten argues for art as a counterweight to the scientific approach of modern policymaking, and a way to ‘look sideways’ at the challenges facing our society.
All babies count: A new approach to prevention and protection for vulnerable babies
Authors: Cuthbert Chris , Stanley Kate
Published: February 2012

Chris Cuthbert and Kate Stanley of the NSPCC set out a framework for safeguarding babies during the most crucial period of their development.
Temporal Trends in Risk of Future Cardiac Events among Stroke Survivors in the United States
Authors: Towfighi Amytis , Markovic Daniela , Ovbiagele Bruce
Published: February 2012

Background

Long term, stroke survivors have a higher risk of death from cardiac causes than incident stroke. However, little is known about temporal trends in age- and gender-specific risk of future cardiac events among stroke survivors.

Aims

To determine temporal trends in 10-year risk of future major cardiac events (measured using the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score) and components of the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score among a nationally representative population of stroke survivors in the United States.

Methods

Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score was assessed among individuals with a self-reported history of stroke ( n = 748) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in the United States during the years 1988–1994 and 1999–2006.

Results

In both National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys waves, male stroke survivors had higher mean Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scores than their female counterparts. This gender disparity was driven by the #>64 years age group, where men had a threefold higher Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scores compared to women ( P #< 0.01). Analysis of temporal trends revealed that mean Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scores was lower in 1999–2006 compared to 1988–1994 in men (21% (standard error 1%) vs. 28% (standard error 0.2%), P = 0.01) and women (9% (standard error 1%) vs. 11% (standard error 1%), P = 0.06). Temporal comparisons revealed that diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels were better in 1999–2006 compared to 1988–1994 for both genders.

Conclusions

Male stroke survivors, particularly those over the age of 64, are at higher risk for future cardiac events than their female counterparts. For both genders, the risk of future cardiac events after stroke has declined in recent years; this reduction is most pronounced in men and likely due to improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Sleep Disorders and Stroke
Authors: Wallace Douglas M. , Ramos Alberto R. , Rundek Tatjana
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this review is to highlight existing literature on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatments of stroke sleep disorders. Stroke sleep disorders are associated with many intermediary vascular risk factors leading to stroke, but they may also influence these risk factors through direct or indirect mechanisms. Sleep disturbances may be further exacerbated by stroke or caused by stroke. Unrecognized and untreated sleep disorders may influence rehabilitation efforts and poor functional outcomes following stroke and increase risk for stroke recurrence. Increasing awareness and improving screening for sleep disorders is paramount in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke and in improving stroke outcomes. Many vital questions about the relationship of sleep disorders and stroke are still unanswered and await future well-designed studies.
Copeptin and Risk Stratification in Patients with Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack: The CoRisk Study
Authors: De Marchis Gian Marco , Katan Mira , Weck Anja , Brekenfeld Caspar , Mattle Heinrich P , Buhl Daniela , Müller Beat , Christ-Crain Mirjam , Arnold Marcel
Published: February 2012

Rationale

Copeptin independently predicts functional outcome and mortality at 90 days and one-year after ischemic stroke. In patients with transient ischemic attack, elevated copeptin values indicate an increased risk of further cerebrovascular events.

Aims

The Copeptin Risk Stratification (CoRisk) study aims to validate the predictive value of copeptin in patients with ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. In patients with ischemic stroke, the CoRisk study aims to further explore the effect of treatment (i.e. thrombolysis) on the predictive value of copeptin.

Design

Prospective observational multicenter study analyzing three groups of patients, i.e. patients with ischemic stroke treated with and without thrombolysis and patients with transient ischemic attack.

Outcomes Primary end-point:

In patients with ischemic stroke, the primary end-point includes disability (modified Rankin scale from 3 to 5) and mortality (modified Rankin scale 6) at three-months after stroke. In patients with transient ischemic attack, the primary end-point is a recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular event (i.e. ischemic stroke or recurrent transient ischemic attack). Secondary end-point: In patients with ischemic stroke, the secondary end-points include in-house complications (i.e. symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, malignant edema, aspiration pneumonia or seizures during hospitalization, and in-house mortality).
The scope for potential energy savings in the flocculation process
Authors: Cairns R. , Sharp E. , Maher K. , Jefferson B.
Published: February 2012

Water treatment plants traditionally use coagulation/flocculation process to remove organics and turbidity particles in drinking water. As a result of the chemical optimisation of the coagulation process having such a strong influence, it is believed that the current hydraulic conditions for flocculation cited under best practice could be out of date. A 450 Mld plant treating upland water was chemically optimised, and it was observed that the total mixing energy input could be reduced by 66% without any detrimental impact upon the clarified water being observed. Under the new mixing regime, energy costs could be reduced by £37 300 pa equating to approximately a 280 t reduction in CO
2.
Environment: a potential source of animal and human infection with influenza A (H5N1) virus
Authors: Horm Srey V. , Gutiérrez Ramona A. , Sorn San , Buchy Philippe
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as: Horm et al. (2012) Environment: a potential source of animal and human infection with influenza A (H5N1) virus. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(6), 442–448.

Background  Very little is known regarding the persistence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses in natural settings during outbreaks in tropical countries, although environmental factors may well play a role in the persistence and in the transmission of H5N1 virus.

Objective  To investigate various environmental compartments surrounding outbreak areas as potential sources for H5N1 virus transmission.

Methods  Environmental specimens were collected following outbreaks of avian influenza in Cambodia between April 2007 and February 2010. The methods used to concentrate H5N1 virus from water samples were based either on agglutination of the virus with chicken red blood cells or on adsorption on glass wool, followed by an elution‐concentration step. An elution‐concentration method was used for mud specimens. All samples that tested positive by real‐time RT‐PCRs (qRT‐PCRs) targeting the HA5, M and NA1 genes were inoculated into embryonated hen eggs for virus isolation.

Results  Of a total of 246 samples, 46 (19%) tested positive for H5N1 by qRT‐PCRs. Viral RNA was frequently detected in dust, mud and soil samples from the farms’ environment (respectively, 46%, 31% and 15%). Samples collected from ponds gave a lower proportion of positive samples (6%) as compared to those collected from the farms (24%). In only one sample, infectious virus particles were successfully isolated.

Conclusion  During H5N1 virus outbreaks, numerous environmental samples surrounding outbreak areas are contaminated by the virus and may act as potential sources for human and/or animal contamination.
Dietary d‐Psicose Reduced Visceral Fat Mass in High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Obese Rats
Authors: Chung Young‐Mee , Hyun Lee Joo , Youl Kim Deuk , Hwang Se‐Hee , Hong Young‐Ho , Kim Seong‐Bo , Jin Lee Song , Hye Park Chi
Published: February 2012

Abstract:  d‐Psicose, a C‐3 epimer of d‐fructose, has shown promise in reducing body fat accumulation in normal rats and plasma glucose level in genetic diabetic mice. Effects of d‐psicose on diet‐induced obesity are not clearly elucidated, and we investigated food intake, body weight, and fat accumulation in rats fed high‐fat (HF) diet. Sprague–Dawley rats became obese by feeding HF diet for 4 wk, and were assigned either to normal or HF diet supplemented with or without d‐psicose, sucrose, or erythritol for 8 wk. Changing HF to normal diet gained less body weight and adipose tissue due to different energy intake. d‐psicose‐fed rats exhibited lower weight gain, food efficiency ratio, and fat accumulation than erythritol‐ and sucrose‐fed rats. This effect was more prominent in d‐psicose‐fed rats with normal diet than with HF diet, suggesting combination of psicose and calorie restriction further reduced obesity. There was no difference in serum cholesterol/high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐C and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐C/HDL‐C ratios between d‐psicose group and other groups. Liver weight in 5% psicose group with normal diet was higher than in other groups, but histopathological examination did not reveal any psicose‐related change. d‐Psicose inhibited the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) to adipose tissue in a concentration‐dependent manner. These results demonstrate that d‐psicose produces a marked decrease, greater than erythritol, in weight gain and visceral fat in an established obesity model by inhibiting MSC differentiation to adipocyte. Thus, d‐psicose can be useful in preventing and reducing obesity as a sugar substitute and food ingredient.

Practical Application:  We can develop d‐psicose as a sugar substitute and food ingredient since it can prevent obesity in normal people, but also suppress adiposity as a sugar substitute or food ingredients with antiobesity effect in obese people. d‐psicose can be unique functional sweetener because of its function of reducing visceral fat mass and weight gain.