bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A unified framework for diversity gradients: the adaptive trait continuum
Authors: Carnicer Jofre , Stefanescu Constantí , Vila Roger , Dincă Vlad , Font Xavier , Peñuelas Josep
Published: April 2012

Aim Adaptive trait continua are axes of covariation observed in multivariate trait data for a given taxonomic group. These continua quantify and summarize life‐history variation at the inter‐specific level in multi‐specific assemblages. Here we examine whether trait continua can provide a useful framework to link life‐history variation with demographic and evolutionary processes in species richness gradients. Taking an altitudinal species richness gradient for Mediterranean butterflies as a study case, we examined a suite of traits (larval diet breadth, adult phenology, dispersal capacity and wing length) and species‐specific habitat measures (temperature and aridity breadth). We tested whether traits and species‐specific habitat measures tend to co‐vary, whether they are phylogenetically conserved, and whether they are able to explain species distributions and spatial genetic variation in a large number of butterfly assemblages.

Location Catalonia, Spain.

Methods We formulated predictions associated with species richness gradients and adaptive trait continua. We applied principal components analyses (PCAs), structural equation modelling and phylogenetic generalized least squares models.

Results We found that traits and species‐specific habitat measures covaried along a main PCA axis, ranging from multivoltine trophic generalists with high dispersal capacity to univoltine (i.e. one generation per year), trophic specialist species with low dispersal capacity. This trait continuum was closely associated with the observed distributions along the altitudinal gradient and predicted inter‐specific differences in patterns of spatial genetic variability (FSTand genetic distances), population responses to the impacts of global change and local turnover dynamics.

Main conclusions The adaptive trait continuum of Mediterranean butterflies provides an integrative and mechanistic framework to: (1) analyse geographical gradients in species richness, (2) explain inter‐specific differences in population abundances, spatial distributions and demographic trends, (3) explain inter‐specific differences in patterns of genetic variation (FSTand genetic distances), and (4) study specialist–generalist life‐history transitions frequently involved in butterfly diversification processes.
Prediction of recurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: van Oostwaard MF , Langenveld J , Bijloo R , Wong KM , Scholten I , Loix S , Hukkelhoven CWPM , Vergouwe Y , Papatsonis DNM , Mol BWJ , Ganzevoort W
Published: April 2012

Please cite this paper as: van Oostwaard M, Langenveld J, Bijloo R, Wong K, Scholten I, Loix S, Hukkelhoven C, Vergouwe Y, Papatsonis D, Mol B, Ganzevoort W. Prediction of recurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation: a retrospective cohort study. BJOG 2012;119:840–847.

Objective  To assess the recurrence risk of late‐preterm hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and to determine whether potential risk factors are predictive.

Design  Retrospective cohort study.

Setting  Three secondary and three tertiary care hospitals in the Netherlands.

Population  We identified women with a hypertensive disorder in the index pregnancy and delivery at 34–37 weeks of gestation, between January 2000 and December 2002.

Methods  Data were extracted from medical files and women were approached for additional information on subsequent pregnancies. An adverse outcome was defined as the recurrence of a hypertensive disorder in the next subsequent pregnancy.

Main outcome measures  Absolute risk of recurrence and a prediction model containing demographic and clinical factors predictive for adverse outcome.

Results  We identified 425 women who matched the criteria, of whom 351 could be contacted. Of these women, 189 (54%) had had a subsequent pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders recurred in 96 (51%, 95% CI 43–58%) women, of whom 17 (9%, 95% CI 5–14%) delivered again before 37 weeks of gestation. Chronic hypertension and maternal age were the strongest predictors for recurrence. Women undergoing recurrence had a nine‐fold chance of developing chronic hypertension (37% versus 6%, OR 8.7, 95% CI 3.3–23).

Conclusions  Women with hypertensive disorders and late‐preterm delivery have a 50% chance of recurrence, but only a 9% chance of recurrence resulting in delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. Women with chronic hypertension are prone to develop recurrence, and women with a recurrence more often developed chronic hypertension.
Plant traits – a tool for restoration?
Authors: Clark Deborah L. , Wilson Mark , Roberts Rachael , Dunwiddie Peter W. , Stanley Amanda , Kaye Thomas N.
Published: April 2012

Question

Most results of restoration efforts are species‐specific and/or site‐specific and therefore are not general enough to be easily applied to other species and other sites. Our research addresses the issue of species‐specific results by investigating the feasibility of using plant traits instead of taxonomic identity to characterize species responses to restoration treatments.

Location

Ten bunchgrass prairie sites in the Pacific Northwest of North America (Oregon and zashington, USA; British Columbia, Canada).

Methods

We developed two types of quantitative models for each of ten prairie restoration sites: (1) plant trait models, which related plant traits to species field responses following restoration management treatments; and (2) species identity models, which related species taxonomic identity to species field responses following restoration management treatments. Species identity models determined the maximum amount of variability of field responses that can be explained by differences in individual species' responses to management treatments. Plant trait models determined what proportion of this explanatory power can be attributed to plant traits. The two model types addressed the following specific questions: (1) how much of the variability in field responses (changes in cover) of plants to restoration management treatments is explained by plant traits; and (2) how well do plant traits explain the variability of field responses (changes in cover) following restoration management treatments compared to models relating field responses to species identity?

Results

(1) The plant trait models explained much of the variability within each of the ten restoration sites, with R2 values ranging between 31% and 69%. (2) The species identity models explained between 47% and 74% of variability of change in cover (R2). Thus, the plant trait models explained nearly as much variability as the species identity models. In seven out of nine sites, the plant trait models were superior to the species identity models, as measured by AIC, i.e. the trait models did well at explaining variability with less model complexity.

Conclusion

Strong explanatory power of plant trait models supports the feasibility of using plant traits instead of species taxonomic identity as a common language to characterize plant field responses (changes in cover) to restoration treatments.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for transdiaphragmatic liver invasion of primary lung cancer
Authors: Iwata Takashi , Takeda Yutaka , Iida Shin‐ichiro , Hanada Shoji , Inoue Hidetoshi , Nakahira Shin , Chung Kyukwang , Miura Takuya
Published: April 2012

A 75‐year‐old woman presented with intermittent dull abdominal pain, gradually exacerbating over eight months. Computed tomography demonstrated a large mass straddling both the right lower lobe of the lung and the right hepatic lobe. An 18‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose positron emission computed tomography scan (PET/CT) demonstrated high accumulation in the lesion and carinal lymph nodes. Transbronchial biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma; thus, primary lung cancer with transdiaphragmatic invasion into the liver was diagnosed. Chemotherapy with carboplatin (AUC = 5) on day one and weekly paclitaxel (70 mg/m2) doses were introduced for four courses. The size of the main tumor was reduced and the mediastinal lymph node accumulation disappeared in a subsequent PET/CT. Thus, en‐bloc radical resection of the lung tumor by right lower lobectomy with partial resection of invaded middle lobe and the diaphragm, subsegmentectomy of the liver, and standard mediastinal dissection were undertaken. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 30. Her nutrition status dramatically improved and she gained five kilograms of body weight in two months following the resection. The patient, however, then had a fall and suffered femur and multiple pelvic fractures and died of acute pneumonia five weeks after the femur fixation and 14 weeks after the lung surgery.
Suppression of Burst Oscillations in Racing Motorcycles
Authors: Evangelou Simos A. , Limebeer David J. N. , Tomas-Rodriguez Maria
Published: April 2012

Burst oscillations occurring at high speed, and under firm acceleration, can be suppressed with a mechanical steering compensator. Burst instabilities in the subject racing motorcycle are the result of interactions between the wobble and weave modes under firm-acceleration at high speed. Under accelerating conditions, the wobble-mode frequency (of the subject motorcycle) decreases, while the weave mode frequency increases so that destabilizing interactions can occur. The design analysis is based on a time-separation principle, which assumes that bursting occurs on time scales over which speed variations can be neglected. Even under braking and acceleration conditions linear time-invariant models corresponding to constant-speed operation can be utilized in the design process. The influences of braking and acceleration are modeled using d’Alembert-type inertial forces that are applied at the mass centers of each of the model’s constituent bodies. The resulting steering compensator is a simple mechanical network that comprises a conventional steering damper in series with a linear spring. In control theoretic terms, this network is a mechanical lag compensator. A robust control framework was used to optimize the compensator design because it is necessary to address the inevitable uncertainties in the motorcycle model, as well as the nonlinearities that influence the machine’s local behavior as the vehicle ranges over its operating envelope.
On the Interaction of Thermally Induced Buckling and Debond Propagation in Patched Structures
Authors: Carabetta P. M. , Bottega W. J.
Published: April 2012

The coupling of edge debonding and thermal buckling of patched beam-plates possessing initial edge detachment is examined for the case when the structure is subjected to a uniform temperature change. The geometrically nonlinear analytical model employed is that established by the authors in a prior work. The problem is recast in a mixed formulation in terms of the transverse deflection and the membrane force to aid in the analysis and physical interpretation. The interaction of edge-debond propagation and thermal buckling is studied. The phenomenon of buckle-trapping, originally observed by the authors in a congruent study, as well as the phenomenon of sling-shot buckling, is seen to manifest itself in the debonding behavior. The evolution of the structure is predicted as a function of given material and geometric parameters from numerical simulations based on analytical solutions of the nonlinear problem. A (propagating) contact zone adjacent to the bonded region is accounted for, and its presence or absence, as well as its nature, is seen to be highly influential in the global as well as local behavior of the structure.
Medium term endoscopic assessment of the surgical outcome following laryngeal saccule resection in brachycephalic dogs
Authors: Cantatore M. , Gobbetti M. , Romussi S. , Brambilla G. , Stefanello D. , Giudice C. , Grieco V.
Published: April 2012

Laryngeal saccule eversion has been widely reported as an important component of brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome (BAOS). The authors hypothesised that saccules affected by acute histological changes in patients showing marked improvement following palate and nares surgery might spontaneously return to normal; moreover, spontaneous resolution of the eversion in patients with fibrotic saccules and/or without clinical improvement following BAOS surgery might be impossible and, on the contrary, the persistence of turbulent airflow and associated ongoing inflammation might lead to aberrant tissue proliferation after resection. In order to demonstrate our hypotheses, the authors decided to perform a unilateral sacculectomy and to postpone and assess the need for the execution of the contralateral saccule resection according to the findings of a second‐look laryngoscopy. Ten dogs were enrolled. None of the saccules left in situ underwent spontaneous resolution of the eversion. In one dog, after sacculectomy, proliferation of a soft tissue lesion endoscopically similar to a newly formed saccule occurred. The results of the present study suggest that spontaneous resolution of saccule eversion is uncommon, even after the correction of the primary abnormalities (palate, nares). Resection of the saccules can relieve ventral rima glottidis obstruction; however, secondary intention healing might occasionally result in the recurrence of the obstruction
Identification and phenotypic description of new wheat – six-rowed winter barley disomic additions
Authors: Molnár-Láng Márta , Kruppa Klaudia , Cseh András , Bucsi Julianna , Linc Gabriella
Published: April 2012

To increase the allelic variation in wheat–barley introgressions, new wheat–barley disomic addition lines were developed containing the 2H, 3H, 4H, 6H, and 7H chromosomes of the six-rowed Ukrainian winter barley ‘Manas’. This cultivar is agronomically much better adapted to Central European environmental conditions than the two-rowed spring barley ‘Betzes’ previously used. A single ‘Asakaze’ × ‘Manas’ wheat × barley hybrid plant was multiplied in vitro and one backcross plant was obtained after pollinating 354 regenerant hybrids with wheat. The addition lines were selected from the self-fertilized seeds of the 16 BC2plants using genomic in situ hybridization. The addition lines were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization using repetitive DNA probes (HvT01, GAA, pTa71, and Afa family), followed by confirmation with barley SSR markers. The addition lines were grown in the phytotron and in the field, and morphological parameters (plant height, fertility, tillering, and spike characteristics) were measured. The production of the disomic additions will make it possible to incorporate the DNA of six-rowed winter barley into the wheat genome. Addition lines are useful for genetic studies on the traits of six-rowed winter barley and for producing new barley dissection lines.
FROM THE EMBEDDING THEORY TO GENERAL RELATIVITY IN A RESULT OF INFLATION
Authors: PASTON S. A. , SHEYKIN A. A.
Published: April 2012

We study the embedding theory being a formulation of the gravitation theory where the independent variable is the embedding function for the four-dimensional spacetime in a flat ambient space. We do not impose additional constraints which are usually used to remove from the theory the extra solutions not being the solutions of Einstein equations. In order to show the possibility of automatic removal of these extra solutions we analyze the equations of the theory, assuming an inflation period during the expansion of the universe. In the framework of Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) symmetry we study the initial conditions for the inflation, and we show that after its termination the Einstein equations begin to satisfy with a very high precision. The properties of the theory equations allow us to suppose with confidence that the Einstein equations will satisfy with enough precision out of the framework of FRW symmetry as well. Thus the embedding theory can be considered as a theory of gravity which explains observed facts without any additional modification of it and we can use this theory in a flat space when we try to develop a quantum theory of gravity.
Corrosion Behavior of Fe40Al Alloy with Additions of Ti, Ag, and Cr in Molten KCl +ZnCl2
Authors: Ademar R. , Gonzalez-Rodriguez J. G. , Uruchurtu J. , Porcayo-Calderon J. , Salinas-Bravo V. M. , Dominguez-Patiño G. , Bedolla-Jacuinde A.
Published: April 2012

The effect of 2.5 at.% Cr, Ti, and Ag on the corrosion behavior of Fe40Al intermetallic alloy in KCl-ZnCl2(1 : 1 M) at 670°C has been evaluated by using electrochemical techniques. Techniques included potentiodynamic polarization curves, linear polarization resistance (LPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Results have shown that additions of both Cr and Ti were beneficial to the alloy, since they decreased its corrosion rate, whereas additions of Ag was detrimental, since its additions increased the corrosion rate, although the alloy was passivated by adding Ag or Cr. The best corrosion performance was obtained with the addition of Cr, whereas the highest corrosion rate was obtained by adding Ag. This is explained in terms of the stability of the corrosion products formed film.
Inflammatory Pathways in Parkinson’s Disease; A BNE Microarray Study
Authors: Durrenberger Pascal. F. , Grünblatt Edna , Fernando Francesca S. , Monoranu Camelia Maria , Evans Jordan , Riederer Peter , Reynolds Richard , Dexter David T.
Published: April 2012

The aetiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is yet to be fully understood but it is becoming more and more evident that neuronal cell death may be multifactorial in essence. The main focus of PD research is to better understand substantia nigra homeostasis disruption, particularly in relation to the wide-spread deposition of the aberrant protein α-synuclein. Microarray technology contributed towards PD research with several studies to date and one gene,ALDH1A1(Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A1), consistently reappeared across studies including the present study, highlighting dopamine (DA) metabolism dysfunction resulting in oxidative stress and most probably leading to neuronal cell death. Neuronal cell death leads to increased inflammation through the activation of astrocytes and microglia. Using our dataset, we aimed to isolate some of these pathways so to offer potential novel neuroprotective therapeutic avenues. To that effect our study has focused on the upregulation ofP2X7(purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7) receptor pathway (microglial activation) and on theNOS3(nitric oxide synthase 3) pathway (angiogenesis). In summary, although the exact initiator of striatal DA neuronal cell death remains to be determined, based on our analysis, this event does not remain without consequence. Extracellular ATP and reactive astrocytes appear to be responsible for the activation of microglia which in turn release proinflammatory cytokines contributing further to the parkinsonian condition. In addition to tackling oxidative stress pathways we also suggest to reduce microglial and endothelial activation to support neuronal outgrowth.
The Effectiveness and Clinical Usability of a Handheld Information Appliance
Authors: Abbott Patricia A.
Published: April 2012

Clinical environments are complex, stressful, and safety critical—heightening the demand for technological solutions that will help clinicians manage health information efficiently and safely. The industry has responded by creating numerous, increasingly compact and powerful health IT devices that fit in a pocket, hook to a belt, attach to eyeglasses, or wheel around on a cart. Untethering a provider from a physical “place” with compact, mobile technology while delivering the right information at the right time and at the right location are generally welcomed in clinical environments. These developments however, must be looked at ecumenically. The cognitive load of clinicians who are occupied with managing or operating several different devices during the process of a patient encounter is increased, and we know from decades of research that cognitive overload frequently leads to error. “Technology crowding,” enhanced by the plethora of mobile health IT, can actually become an additional millstone for busy clinicians. This study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of clinicians’ interactions with a mobile clinical computing appliance (Motion Computing C5) designed to consolidate numerous technological functions into an all-in-one device. Features of usability and comparisons to current methods of documentation and task performance were undertaken and results are described.
Modal Resonant Frequencies and Radiation Quality Factors of Microstrip Antennas
Authors: Eichler Jan , Hazdra Pavel , Capek Miloslav , Mazanek Milos
Published: April 2012

The chosen rectangular and fractal microstrip patch antennas above an infinite ground plane are analyzed by the theory of characteristic modes. The resonant frequencies and radiationQare evaluated. A novel method by Vandenbosch for rigorous evaluation of the radiationQis employed for modal currents on a Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) mesh. It is found that the resonant frequency of a rectangular patch antenna with a dominant mode presents quite complicated behaviour including having a minimum at a specific height. Similarly, as predicted from the simple wire model, the radiationQexhibits a minimum too. It is observed that the presence of out-of-phase currents flowing along the patch antenna leads to a significant increase of theQfactor.
ER-Mitochondria Crosstalk during Cerebral Ischemia: Molecular Chaperones and ER-Mitochondrial Calcium Transfer
Authors: Ouyang Yi-Bing , Giffard Rona G.
Published: April 2012

It is commonly believed that sustained elevations in the mitochondrial matrix Ca2+concentration are a major feature of the intracellular cascade of lethal events during cerebral ischemia. The physical association between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, known as the mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM), enables highly efficient transmission of Ca2+from the ER to mitochondria under both physiological and pathological conditions. Molecular chaperones are well known for their protective effects during cerebral ischemia. It has been demonstrated recently that many molecular chaperones coexist with MAM and regulate the MAM and thus Ca2+concentration inside mitochondria. Here, we review recent research on cerebral ischemia and MAM, with a focus on molecular chaperones and ER-mitochondrial calcium transfer.
Clinical Aspects of IgG4-Related Orbital Inflammation in a Case Series of Ocular Adnexal Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Authors: Takahira Masayuki , Ozawa Yoshiaki , Kawano Mitsuhiro , Zen Yoh , Hamaoka Shoko , Yamada Kazunori , Sugiyama Kazuhisa
Published: April 2012

The most frequent ocular adnexal tumors and simulating lesions are lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), including malignant lymphomas and orbital inflammation with lymphoid hyperplasia or infiltration. IgG4-related orbital inflammation (IgG4-ROI) often involves lacrimal glands and other orbital tissues and is an important differential diagnosis. The present study evaluated clinical aspects of IgG4-ROI in a case series of orbital LPD. Sixty-two consecutive cases of orbital LPD, pathologically diagnosed from November, 2004, through March, 2011, were investigated. Histological types were 22 cases with MALT lymphoma, 11 cases with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 3 cases with other malignant lymphomas, 16 cases with IgG4-ROI, and 10 cases with non-IgG4-ROI. Ages of the IgG4-ROI group (56±10?yrs) were significantly lower than the MALT lymphoma (71±12?yrs) and DLBCL (75±14?yrs) groups. Orbital lesions other than lacrimal glands were present in six cases including extraocular muscle swelling, mass lesions surrounding the optic nerve, and supraorbital and infraorbital nerves enlargements. Although none of the malignant lymphomas were related to IgG4, previous evidence suggested that malignant lymphomas can arise from IgG4-ROI. Based on this study (26%) and another report (33%), it is likely that nearly a quarter of orbital LPD are IgG4-ROI.
Facets of Parenting a Child with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Rempel Gwen R. , Rogers Laura G. , Ravindran Vinitha , Magill-Evans Joyce
Published: April 2012

The purpose of the study was to conceptualize the needs of parents of young children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) to provide a theoretical framework to inform the development of future parent interventions. Participants were parents and grandparents (n=53) of 15 young children who had undergone the Sano surgical approach for HLHS. Analysis of recorded and transcribed single interviews with each participant was done as directed by interpretive description methodology. A model of five facets of parenting was conceptualized. These included survival parenting, “hands-off” parenting, expert parenting, uncertain parenting, and supported parenting. The facets of parenting delineated through this study provide a theoretical framework that can be used to guide the development and evaluation of interventions for parents of children with complex congenital heart disease and potentially other life-threatening conditions. Each facet constitutes a critical component for educational or psychosocial intervention for parents.
An Electrochemical Study of Two Self-Dopable Water-Soluble Aniline Derivatives: Electrochemical Deposition of Copolymers
Authors: Vacareanu Loredana , Catargiu Ana-Maria , Grigoras Mircea
Published: April 2012

An electrochemical study of two water-soluble aniline derivatives,N-(3-sulfopropyl) aniline (AnPS) andN-(3-sulfopropyl)p-aminodiphenylamine (DAnPS), in aqueous acidic electrolytic solutions containing different kinds of doping anions (Cl −,SO4 2−, andClO4 −) was carried out. At sufficiently high anodic potential, the sulfonated aniline derivatives undergo oxidation processes yielding cation-radical and dimer intermediates, but no polymer deposition was observed on the working electrode surface. Experimental results showed that both aniline derivatives are electroactive compounds exhibiting redox behaviour in the range of potential of −0.2 V–1.6 V. Due to the self-doping effect induced by sulfonic groups, AnPS and DAnPS compounds have good electroactivity even in neat water solution. By adding a small amount of aniline into electrolytic system, thin layers of copolymers were deposited on the working electrode surface. The copolymer layers formed on the electrodes show a highly orientational and positional order, confirmed by AFM and XRD spectroscopic techniques. During the anodic oxidation processes some distinct colour changes were observed.
Theoretical Vibration Analysis Regarding Excitation due to Elliptical Shaft Journals in Sleeve Bearings of Electrical Motors
Authors: Werner Ulrich
Published: April 2012

This paper shows a theoretical vibration analysis regarding excitation due to elliptical shaft journals in sleeve bearings of electrical motors, based on a simplified rotordynamic model. It is shown that elliptical shaft journals lead to kinematic constraints regarding the movement of the shaft journals on the oil film of the sleeve bearings and therefore to an excitation of the rotordynamic system. The solution of the linear differential equation system leads to the mathematical description of the movement of the rotor mass, the shaft journals, and the sleeve bearing housings. Additionally the relative movements between the shaft journals and the bearing housings are deduced, as well as the bearing housing vibration velocities. The presented simplified rotordynamic model can also be applied to rotating machines, other than electrical machines. In this case, only the electromagnetic spring valuecmhas to be put to zero.
Incidental Monotypic (Fat-Poor) Renal Angiomyolipoma Diagnosed by Core Needle Biopsy
Authors: Kufer Verena , Schwab Siegfried A. , Büttner Maike , Agaimy Abbas , Uder Michael , Amann Kerstin
Published: April 2012

We present the case of a 55-year-old patient with a history of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation because of acute myeloid leukaemia. An incidental 4 × 3 cm measuring renal mass was detected while performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for lumbago. The lesion was suspected to be either a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or a leukemic infiltration. To decide about further treatment a percutaneous core needle biopsy was performed. Histology showed a monotypic angiomyolipoma, a relatively rare benign renal lesion. Interestingly, in cross-sectional imaging, angiomyolipoma was not taken into differential diagnostic account because of lack of a fatty component. Due to bleeding after biopsy the feeding artery of the tumor was occluded by microcoils. This case demonstrates the utility of biopsy of renal tumors, in particular when small tumor-like lesions are incidentally detected to decide about the right treatment and thereby avoiding nephrectomy.
Pores and Void in Asclepiades’ Physical Theory
Authors: Leith David
Published: April 2012

Abstract

This paper examines a fundamental, though relatively understudied, aspect of the physical theory of the physician Asclepiades of Bithynia, namely his doctrine of pores. My principal thesis is that this doctrine is dependent on a conception of void taken directly from Epicurean physics. The paper falls into two parts: the first half addresses the evidence for the presence of void in Asclepiades’ theory, and concludes that his conception of void was basically that of Epicurus; the second half focuses on the precise nature of Asclepiadean pores, and seeks to show that they represent void interstices between the primary particles of matter which are the constituents of the human body, and are thus exactly analogous to the void interstices between atoms within solid objects in Epicurus’ theory.
Predation pressure and food abundance during early life alter risk-taking behaviour and growth of guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Authors: Liesenjohann Thilo , Krause E. Tobias
Published: April 2012

The trade-off between predation risk and the need to feed is one of the major constraints animals have to cope with. Virtually all animals have a higher risk of being preyed upon when being active (e.g., searching for food or mating partners), compared with being inactive (e.g., staying at their burrows, nests, etc.). Yet, staying safe leads to a higher risk of starvation and may reduce reproductive success and body growth. Hence selection on behaviour optimizing the search, handling and digestion of food while avoiding the risk of predation is strong and should lead to strategies maximising survival chances and inclusive fitness. These facts call for integrative studies manipulating both, abundance of food and predation risk in a factorial set up, analysing the effects of both factors on behaviour and physiological parameters. We present results of a 2 × 2 factorial experiment, manipulating risk of predation and food abundance in guppies. We found that the two factors have an additive effect on body growth, but that predation risk by a pike cichlid is the main factor affecting the expression of behavioural strategies in guppies. Low food availability and high predation risk led to lower body growth. High predation risk affected swimming depth and risk sensitivity of guppies and might represent adaptive behavioural changes to the environmental context experienced in early life. Our study shows that integrative studies, analysing multiple interdependent and interconnected factors in the wild and in the lab are needed to further understand animal behaviour and development.
The History of Life and Death A 'Spiritual' History from Invisible Matter to Prolongation of Life
Authors: Gemelli Benedino
Published: April 2012

Over a long period of time, particularly from the nineteenth century on, Francis Bacon's philosophy has been interpreted as centred on the Novum organum and focused on the role that a well-organized method may play in securing a reliable knowledge of nature. In fact, if we examine Bacon's oeuvre as a whole, including some recent manuscript findings (De vijs mortis), we can safely argue that the issues addressed in the Novum organum represent only a part of Bacon's agenda, and not even the most important ones. By contrast, it is apparent that, from the very beginning of his investigations, he emphasized the central role of medicine, the need to establish new approaches in the study of the vital functions and the importance of promoting new discoveries in the medical field, not so much to find a cure for the many illnesses that plagued mankind as to prolong human life. In this sense, Historia vitae et mortis plays a central role in Bacon's programme to extend human knowledge and power, for, in his opinion, human beings could recover their lost ability to live a long and healthy life by embarking on careful investigations of nature. Far from being a purely descriptive or abstract exercise, Bacon's historia can therefore be seen as an operative tool to attain some of mankind's basic aims.
Eznik on Manichaeism
Authors: Durkin-Meisterernst Desmond
Published: April 2012

Eznik of Kołb's famous script without a title, which modern editors have called Ełc ałandoc' "Against the Sects" or "De Deo", is rightly valued as a source on Zoroastrianism/Zurvanism. It's importance as a source of information on Manichaeism has been less appreciated. What does Eznik actually tell us about Manichaeism? In the following some relevant topics are presented.
Expressivist Explanations
Authors: Sinclair Neil
Published: April 2012

In this paper I argue that the common practice of employing moral predicates as explaining phrases can be accommodated on an expressivist account of moral practice. This account does not treat moral explanations as in any way second-rate or derivative, since it subsumes moral explanations under the general theory of program explanations (as defended by Jackson and Pettit). It follows that the phenomenon of moral explanations cannot be used to adjudicate the debate between expressivism and its rivals.
WHAT IS SCIENTIFIC ABOUT A SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT? *
Authors: FIELD J. V.
Published: April 2012

 SUMMARY
This paper is concerned with the relationship between scientific instruments and their corresponding science, and thus with the relationship between the studies of the history of instruments and the history of science. It discusses these relationships chiefly with reference to astronomy and related mathematical sciences in the period from about 1400 to 1650, but also suggests possible parellels in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century astronomy. On the basis of this analysis, it is suggested that the history of instruments, which at present is largely conceived as the history of instruments like those to be found in museums or private collections, is of most importance to those historians of science who are interested in exploring its social context.
CHEMISTS IN THE STORM: LAVOISIER, PRIESTLEY AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Authors: BERETTA MARCO
Published: April 2012

 SOMMARIO
Sulla base di alcuni documenti inediti o poco noti, questo saggio esamina le opinioni di Lavoisier e Priestley sulla rivoluzione francese. La persecuzione subita dai due scienziati durante il periodo 1789-1794 è esaminata entro una nuova prospettiva. Lavoisier venne processato per la sua carica di Fermier général durante l'antico regime e, nonostante il suo crescente impegno nella difesa e sviluppo dei principi della rivoluzione, la sua posizione era già compromessa a partire dal 1789. Priestley invece venne perseguitato per il suo tentativo di combinare la ricerca scientifica con le sue posizioni politiche radicali.
IL METEOROGRAFO DI PADRE ANGELO SECCHI
Authors: BRENNI PAOLO
Published: April 2012

 SUMMARY
During the 19th Century the systematic collecting of meteorological data became a general practice. Several scientists and instrument makers invented new meteorological instruments and improved the existing ones. Probably the most impressive and sophisticated recording apparatus was the meteorograph devised between 1855 and 1865 by the Italian astronomer Padre Angelo Secchi (1818-1878). This huge and complicated machine was presented to the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition where it was considered the technological masterpiece. The instrument worked in Rome for several years and then, partially dismanteled, was finally stored in the Osservatorio Astronomico di Monte Porzio (Rome). Recently carried to Florence, the meteorograph is now beeing restored in the laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure under the supervision of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza. My paper will trace the history of this ingeniuos instrument which represented a technological achievement but an economic failure.
THE MAKING OF ASTRONOMY IN EARLY ISLAM
Authors: GOLDSTEIN BERNARD R.
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
Lo studio dell'astronomia in Islam iniziò nel tardo ottavo secolo con influenze provenienti dall'Iran e dall'India. Durante il nono secolo si diffusero metodi e testi greci che condussero a un « rinascimento » nell'attività astronomica. Il centro di questa attività, che ebbe il sostegno (fra gli altri) del Califfo al-Ma'mūn, fu Bagdad. Nonostante la mancanza di testi sopravvissuti, possiamo ricostruire i risultati ottenuti in questo periodo dalle opere di al-Bīrūnī (morto ca. 1050), e di altri autori successivi. Conviene notare che un numero consistente di parametri basati su nuove osservazioni furono migliorati ma che i modelli sottostanti non furono mai messi in discussione. Il presente articolo propone 1) gli astronomi appartenevano alla classe media colta dei centri urbani della quale condividevano i valori e 2 che un pieno apprezzamento delle imprese di questi scienziati richiede una familiarità con il contesto in cui lavoravano.
UN ESPERTO LAICO D'ANIME: MARIN CUREAU DE LA CHAMBRE (1596-1669)
Authors: POGLIANO CLAUDIO
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
One of the members of the Académie des Sciences, biographed by Condorcet in his famous Éloges, was Marin Cureau de la Chambre, a physician and philosopher quite unknown nowadays, but nevertheless an interesting figure in XVII century French culture. His career in the medical service of the court was prompted by an early protection assured to him by the chancellor Pierre Séguier, and then reinforced by the fact that he stood high both in Richelieu's and in Mazarin's favour. A polymath, Cureau wrote at first some physical essays on various arguments ― the nature of light and of the rainbow, for instance ―, rather precociously claiming the right to use French in scientific matters. His major contribution, though, aimed to a thorough knowledge of man, i.e. of his propensities and passions, vices and virtues. In what he called L'Art de connoistre les hommes, classic physiognomy merged with other techniques, and with a peculiar, sort of hermetic worldview, into a new discipline, wich should have served in everyday life and in the management of public affairs as well.
DUE ANTICHI GLOBI
Authors: MINIATI MARA
Published: April 2012

 SUMMARY
This note announces the finding of a couple of globes, dated and signed by I. Hondius, in the Biblioteca of the Town of Arezzo. The globes belong to the 1601 edition, re-printed in Rome in 1615.
AN ICONOGRAPHIC STUDY OF SANDGLASSES
Authors: BOULLIN DAVID J.
Published: April 2012

 RIASSUNTO
Un'indagine iconografica è stata effettuata su duemila quadri, incisioni, sculture, statue, che un precedente lavoro aveva indicati come interessanti per la rappresentazione di clessidre. Sono state rintracciate approssimativamente duecento clessidre ad un solo elemento tra il 1339 ed il 1700, e esse sono state classificate in funzione delle loro caratteristiche di costruzione.Si sono potute trarre le conclusioni seguenti: clessidre ad un elemento soltanto sono state rappresentate prima del 1700 circa, e vi si possono distinguere dieci modelli di base. Quella più frequente è la clessidra esagonale con balaustro a sei colonnine decorate.La prima clessidra rappresentata risale al 1339 circa, a Siena, ed è del tipo rettangolare che si fabbricava ancora nel diciottesimo secolo.Tra il 1510 ed il 1550 alcune clessidre sono state rappresentate sormontate da quadranti. È stato ipotizzato che queste clessidre fossero destinate ad un uso domestico, e di precisione uguale se non maggiore agli orologi meccanici del tempo.Si giunge inoltre alla conclusione che non è possibile datare le clessidre ad un elemento con tale metodo iconografico.
THE PERSPECTIVE SCHEME OF MASACCIO'S TRINITY FRESCO
Authors: FIELD J. V. , LUNARDI R. , SETTLE T. B.
Published: April 2012

title RIASSUNTO /title I dati utilizzati nel presente studio sono stati misurati direttamente sull'affresco utilizzando ponteggi. Abbiamo ricercato il punto centrico della prospettiva del disegno, poi, basandoci sui cassettoni della volta a botte, abbiamo calcolato che la distanza ideale per guardare la pittura corrisponde all'incirca alla larghezza della prospiciente navata laterale della chiesa. Abbiamo riscontrato numerose infrazioni alla prospettiva matematica corretta: tutto sembra intenzionale. La natura delle tecniche matematiche che abbiamo costatato essere utilizzate tende a confermare l'opinione convenzionale secondo la quale Brunelleschi diede qualche contributo a questa pittura, e, in un secondo tempo, ci sugger che la scoperta di Brunelleschi nel campo della prospettiva potrebbe essere quella dell'esistenza e delle propriet del punto centrico.
CONTRIBUTO ALL'INVENTARIO DEL CARTEGGIO DI ALBERTO FORTIS
Authors: CIANCIO LUCA
Published: April 2012

 SUMMARY
Presented is a list of previously unknown letters by Alberto Fortis (1741-1803) recently discovered in various archives and libraries. It includes 307 items who are to be added to the 1338 listed in Muljacic's Inventario («Nuncius», 1990, I, pp. 127-203). They provide new information about Fortis's education, scientific interests and political opinions.
Comparison of the Impact of Global Climate Changes and Urbanization on Summertime Future Climate in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area
Authors: Adachi Sachiho A. , Kimura Fujio , Kusaka Hiroyuki , Inoue Tomoshige , Ueda Hiroaki
Published: April 2012

In this study, the impact of global climate change and anticipated urbanization over the next 70 years is estimated with regard to the summertime local climate in the Tokyo metropolitan area (TMA), whose population is already near its peak now. First, five climate projections for the 2070s calculated with the aid of general circulation models (GCMs) are used for dynamical downscaling experiments to evaluate the impact of global climate changes using a regional climate model. Second, the sensitivity of future urbanization until the 2070s is examined assuming a simple developing urban scenario for the TMA. These two sensitivity analyses indicate that the increase in the surface air temperature from the 1990s to the 2070s is about 2.0°C as a result of global climate changes under the A1B scenario in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) and about 0.5°C as a result of urbanization. Considering the current urban heat island intensity (UHII) of 1.0°C, the possible UHII in the future reaches an average of 1.5°C in the TMA. This means that the mitigation of the UHII should be one of the ways to adapt to a local temperature increase caused by changes in the future global climate. In addition, the estimation of temperature increase due to global climate change has an uncertainty of about 2.0°C depending on the GCM projection, suggesting that the local climate should be projected on the basis of multiple GCM projections.
A Multiscale Nonhydrostatic Atmospheric Model Using Centroidal Voronoi Tesselations and C-Grid Staggering
Authors: Skamarock William C. , Klemp Joseph B. , Duda Michael G. , Fowler Laura D. , Park Sang-Hun , Ringler Todd D.
Published: April 2012

The formulation of a fully compressible nonhydrostatic atmospheric model called the Model for Prediction Across Scales–Atmosphere (MPAS-A) is described. The solver is discretized using centroidal Voronoi meshes and a C-grid staggering of the prognostic variables, and it incorporates a split-explicit time-integration technique used in many existing nonhydrostatic meso- and cloud-scale models. MPAS can be applied to the globe, over limited areas of the globe, and on Cartesian planes. The Voronoi meshes are unstructured grids that permit variable horizontal resolution. These meshes allow for applications beyond uniform-resolution NWP and climate prediction, in particular allowing embedded high-resolution regions to be used for regional NWP and regional climate applications. The rationales for aspects of this formulation are discussed, and results from tests for nonhydrostatic flows on Cartesian planes and for large-scale flow on the sphere are presented. The results indicate that the solver is as accurate as existing nonhydrostatic solvers for nonhydrostatic-scale flows, and has accuracy comparable to existing global models using icosahedral (hexagonal) meshes for large-scale flows in idealized tests. Preliminary full-physics forecast results indicate that the solver formulation is robust and that the variable-resolution-mesh solutions are well resolved and exhibit no obvious problems in the mesh-transition zones.
The Connection Between Stakeholder Theory and Stakeholder Democracy
Authors: Moriarty Jeffrey
Published: April 2012

In early writings, stakeholder theorists supported giving all stakeholders formal, binding control over the corporation, in particular, over its board of directors. In recent writings, however, they claim that stakeholder theory does not require changing the current structure of corporate governance and further claim to be “agnostic” about the value of doing so. This article’s purpose is to highlight this shift and to argue that it is a mistake. It argues that, for instrumental reasons, stakeholder theorists should support giving all stakeholders control over the corporation, in the form of control over its board. That is, stakeholder theorists should support stakeholder democracy over the status quo. A larger goal of this article is to steer the conversation about stakeholder theory toward questions of governance and control. Stakeholder theorists tend to sidestep these questions, but it is vital that they be addressed.
Participant or protagonist? A critical analysis of children and young people’s participation in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Jupp Kina Victoria
Published: April 2012

This article extends current debates on participation through exploring the concepts of participation and protagonism using reflections of practitioners working in NGOs in São Paulo, Brazil. Based on doctoral research, the article explores how current understandings of both participation and protagonism within Brazil can help to extend current Northern debates.
Chilean social workers and job satisfaction: The impact of psychological states and role stress
Authors: Flores Rodrigo , Miranda Paula , Muñoz Carolina , Sanhueza Guillermo
Published: April 2012

The main goals of this study were to compare levels of job satisfaction (JS) between social workers from private and public organizations. Findings showed significant differences in scores for job satisfaction, psychological states, and role stress between the two groups.
Social work theory– practice relationship: Challenges to overcoming positivist and postmodern fragmentation
Authors: Montaño Carlos
Published: April 2012

This article analyzes the controversial relationship between theory and practice in social work and its positivist divorce and forced unity which reduces theory to an ‘instrumental-operational’ knowledge. The objective of this article is to contribute towards overcoming the positivistic rationality approach toward the theory and practice relationship. Based on a critical perspective, the author presents proposals to overcome some limitations of the conservative theory and practice approach.