bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thalamic single‐unit and local field potential activity in Tourette syndrome
Authors: Marceglia Sara , Servello Domenico , Foffani Guglielmo , Porta Mauro , Sassi Marco , Mrakic‐Sposta Simona , Rosa Manuela , Barbieri Sergio , Priori Alberto
Published: January 2010

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventralis oralis (VO) complex of the thalamus improves tics in patients with Tourette syndrome (TS). To neurophysiologically describe the VO complex we recorded, in seven patients with TS undergoing DBS electrode implantation, single‐unit activity during surgery and local field potentials (LFPs) a few days after surgery. Single unit recordings showed that the VO complex is characterized by a localized pattern of bursting neuronal activity. LFP spectra demonstrated that VO of TS patients has a prominent oscillatory activity at low frequencies (2–7 Hz) and in the α‐band (8–13 Hz), and a virtually absent beta activity. In each patient, the main LFP frequency significantly correlated with single‐unit interburst frequency. In conclusion, we observed an oscillatory bursting activity in the VO as target region in patients with severe TS undergoing DBS surgery. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Psychiatric disorders in adult‐onset focal dystonia: A case‐control study
Authors: Fabbrini Giovanni , Berardelli Isabella , Moretti Germana , Pasquini Massimo , Bloise Maria , Colosimo Carlo , Biondi Massimo , Berardelli Alfredo
Published: January 2010

In a single‐center, case–control study, we investigated the frequency and types of psychiatric disturbances in 89 consecutive patients with various primary focal dystonias (34 had cervical dystonia (CD), 28 blepharospasm (BPS), 16 laryngeal dystonia (LD), and 11 arm dystonia), 62 healthy control subjects and as controls for BPS, 26 patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). Patients and controls underwent a full psychiatric evaluation. Diagnosis was based on the structured clinical interview for DSM‐IV, obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) was assessed with the Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive scale, anxiety with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, the severity of depression with the Beck Depression Inventory. Of the 89 patients with focal dystonias studied, 51 patients (57.3%) had a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders compared with only 15 of 62 healthy subjects (24.1%) and 9 of the patients with HFS (34.6%). Depressive disorders were more frequent in the CD and BPS groups than in healthy controls, whereas the frequency of anxiety disorders, OCDs or adjustment disorders approached that of healthy subjects. No difference was found in the frequency of any specific psychiatric disorder in patients with LD and arm dystonia and healthy controls. In 35 of 51 patients who had psychiatric disorders, these started before and in 16 patients after the onset of dystonia. No differences were found in age, dystonia severity, and duration of botulinum toxin treatment between patients with and without psychiatric disturbances. The most common psychiatric features in patients with CD and BPS are depressive disorders. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Utility of the WHO‐five well‐being index as a screening tool for depression in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Schneider Christine B. , Pilhatsch Maximilian , Rifati Martina , Jost Wolfgang H. , Wodarz Franziska , Ebersbach Georg , Djundja Daniela , Fuchs Gerd , Gies Arne , Odin Per , Reifschneider Gerd , Wolz Martin , Bottesi Antonia , Bauer Michael , Reichmann Heinz , Storch Alexander
Published: January 2010

Beck depression inventory (BDI‐1A) is the gold standard screening tool for Parkinson's disease (PD) depression, but as a result of its complexity, it is of limited suitability as a quick and easy screening device. We, therefore, validate the 5‐item WHO‐Five Well‐being Index (WHO‐5) as a screening tool for PD depression. Two hundred thirteen of 215 recruited PD patients (99.1%) completed the WHO‐5. Receiver operating characteristic plots were used to calculate sensitivity/specificity for all cut‐off scores for the detection of depression and combined depression/dysthymia as assessed by an independent investigator using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Internal consistency of the WHO‐5 was good (Cronbach's α = 0.83). WHO‐5 showed high validity with adequate detection of depression without differences in the validity indices compared to BDI‐1A (P = 0.234). The optimal cut‐off value for detection of depression was 12 of 13 points. WHO‐5 is a useful, brief, and easy instrument for identifying PD subjects with depression in daily practice. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Fragmentation arising from a distributional initial condition
Authors: Lamb W. , McBride A. C. , McGuinness G. C.
Published: January 2010

A standard model for pure fragmentation is subjected to an initial condition of Dirac‐delta type. Results for a corresponding abstract Cauchy problem are derived via the theory of equicontinuous semigroups of operators on locally convex spaces. An explicit solution is obtained for the case of a power‐law kernel. Rigorous justification is thereby provided for results obtained more formally by Ziff and McGrady. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Global H3K9 dimethylation status is not affected by transcription, translation, or DNA replication in porcine zygotes
Authors: Park Ki‐Eun , Johnson Christine M. , Magnani Luca , Wang Xin , Biancardi Monica N. , Cabot Ryan A.
Published: January 2010

Methylation of the lysine 9 residue of histone H3 (H3K9) is linked to transcriptional repression. The observed structure of chromatin in porcine and murine embryos is different with regard to H3K9 dimethylation status, leading to our hypothesis that the intracellular mechanisms responsible for H3K9 methylation would also differ between these two species. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the extent that DNA, mRNA, and protein synthesis serve in maintaining the asymmetrical distribution of dimethylated H3K9 in porcine zygotes, (2) determine the extent to which the intracellular localization of individual pronuclei correlated with H3K9 dimethylation status, and (3) to determine the abundance of transcripts encoding the histone methyltransferases, with H3K9 methylation activity, in porcine oocytes and embryos. Our findings are that (1) H3K9 dimethylation status is not affected by DNA replication, transcription, or protein synthesis, (2) the location of a pronucleus does not significantly affect the H3K9 dimethylation status of the chromatin within that pronucleus, and (3) the histone methyltransferases with activity for H3K9 differ in transcript abundance in porcine oocytes and cleavage stage embyros. These results support our hypothesis that there is a difference in intracellular mechanisms affecting dimethylation status of H3K9 between porcine and murine embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 77: 420–429, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A rare case of GATA1 negative chemoresistant acute megakaryocytic leukemia in an 8‐month‐old infant with trisomy 21
Authors: Stepensky Polina , Brooks Rebecca , Waldman Elisha , Revel‐Vilk Shoshana , Izraeli Shai , Resnick Igor , Weintraub Michael
Published: January 2010

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a unique form of acute megakaryocytic leukemia (AMKL) characterized by the presence of mutations in the GATA1 gene leading to increased chemosensitivity and a favorable outcome. We describe an 8‐month‐old male with DS who was diagnosed with AMKL without a mutation in the GATA1 gene. The patient was treated according to the DS‐AML‐regimen but his disease progressed and he succumbed 9 months later. This rare case of DS AMKL without a GATA1 mutation with an unfavorable outcome suggests that GATA1 testing may play a useful role in initial stratification. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:1048–1049 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Severity of health conditions identified in a pediatric cancer survivor program
Authors: Wasilewski‐Masker Karen , Mertens Ann C. , Patterson Briana , Meacham Lillian R.
Published: January 2010

Background

The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 (CTCAE) was designed for reporting acute and late effects of cancer treatment. To date, no study of pediatric‐aged cancer survivors has graded health conditions using CTCAE, for patients in active follow‐up in a cancer survivor program.

Procedure

Medical records were reviewed on 519 survivors of non‐central nervous system childhood malignancies seen in the Cancer Survivor Program between January 1, 2001 and December 15, 2005. Health problems identified through histories, physicals, and recommended evaluation using the Children's Oncology Group (COG) Long‐Term Follow‐Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer were graded using the CTCAE.

Results

Overall, 1,625 adverse health conditions were reported or detected in 519 pediatric‐age cancer survivors (mean age at diagnosis 4.8 years; mean age at first survivor visit 12.1 years). The majority of conditions were mild (47.4% Grade 1) or moderate (35.2% Grade 2); however, 17.4% of conditions were severe (Grade 3) or life‐threatening/disabling (Grade 4). Only 12.1% of survivors had no adverse condition, and 36.2% of survivors had a Grade 3 or 4 condition. In a Cox multivariate analysis risk factors for a Grade 3 or 4 condition included minority race, diagnosis of other malignancy, older age, and a history of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Conclusions

The majority of adverse health conditions in pediatric‐aged cancer survivors are mild; however, a significant percentage will have a serious condition. Long‐term follow‐up with a multidisciplinary approach is essential to detect and intervene in health problems early. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:976–982 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Theoretical study on structures and vibrational spectra of M+(H2O)Ar (M = Cu, Ag, Au)
Authors: Song Xiudan , Zhao Yongfang , Zhang Pingxia , Zhang Guohua
Published: January 2010

A theoretical study on the structures and vibrational spectra of M+(H2O)Ar0‐1 (M = Cu, Ag, Au) complexes was performed using ab initio method. Geometrical structures, binding energies (BEs), OH stretching vibrational frequencies, and infrared (IR) absorption intensities are investigated in detail for various isomers with Ar atom bound to different binding sites of M+(H2O). CCSD(T) calculations predict that BEs are 14.5, 7.5, and 14.4 kcal/mol for Ar atom bound to the noble metal ion in M+(H2O)Ar (M = Cu, Ag, Au) complexes, respectively, and the corresponding values have been computed to be 1.5, 1.3, and 2.1 kcal/mol when Ar atom attaches to a H atom of water molecule. The former structure is predicted to be more stable than the latter structure. Moreover, when compared with the M+(H2O) species, tagging Ar atom to metal cation yields a minor perturbation on the IR spectra, whereas binding Ar atom to an OH site leads to a large redshift in OH stretching vibrations. The relationships between isomers and vibrational spectra are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Multiphoton association reaction He + H+ → HeH+ steered by ultra‐short laser pulse
Authors: Niu Ying‐Yu , Wang Rong , Qiu Ming‐Hui , Xiu Jun‐Ling
Published: January 2010

The multiphoton association reaction He + H+ → HeH+ in the electronic ground state is investigated using the time‐dependent quantum wave packet method. It is shown that the collision pairs He + H+ in continuum state transfer into ν = 0 state and then produce stable molecules HeH+ through emission of two or three photons. The multiphoton transition takes place via intermediate states, and the transfer probability is determined by the collision energy and the intermediate states. The populations of the intermediate states and ν = 0 state can be controlled by the laser duration. The three‐photon transition is more efficient than the two‐photon transition for producing the molecule HeH+ in ν = 0 state. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
An Easy Shortcut Synthesis of Size‐Controlled Bismuth Nanoparticles and Their Use in the SLS Growth of High‐Quality Colloidal Cadmium Selenide Quantum Wires
Authors: Wang Fudong , Buhro William E.
Published: January 2010

An easy shortcut synthesis of thermally stable, near‐monodisperse Bi nanoparticles from BiCl3 and Na[N(SiMe3)2] is described. The diameters of the Bi nanoparticles are controlled in the range of 4–29 nm by varying the amounts of BiCl3 and Na[N(SiMe3)2] employed. Standard deviations in their diameter distributions are 5–15% of the mean diameters, consistent with near monodispersity. These Bi nanoparticles are shown to be the best currently available catalysts for the solution–liquid–solid (SLS) growth of high‐quality CdSe quantum wires.
Crystal Structure of Molybdenum Tantalum Oxide, Mo2Ta2O11
Authors: Berendts Stefan , Stork Alexandra , Irran Elisabeth , Lerch Martin
Published: January 2010

The ternary molybdenum tantalum oxide Mo2Ta2O11 was synthesized through two different experimental routes. The crystal structure was determined from X‐ray powder diffraction data. Mo2Ta2O11 crystallizes in space group R\bar{3}m (no. 166) with the lattice parameters a = 562.82(2) pm and c = 2516.2(1) pm in hexagonal setting. A so far unknown layered structure with three formula units per unit cell is observed. Corner sharing TaO6 octahedra form double layers perpendicular to [001] with MoO4 tetrahedra on each side. The tetrahedra are connected by corners to the TaO6 octahedra and are isolated from each other. The crystal structure can be described in relation to the ReO3‐type.
Syntheses, Crystal Structures, Vibrational Spectra and 31P MAS NMR Spectra of the Thiophosphates NaM(PO3S)·9H2O (M = Ca, Ba)
Authors: Kazmierczak Karolina , Heck Joachim G. , Höppe Henning A.
Published: January 2010

NaBa(PO3S)·9H2O was obtained as single‐phase crystalline powder starting from NaOH, PSCl3 and BaCl2. Single‐crystals of NaCa(PO3S)·9H2O were grown by a gel crystallisation technique. The crystal structures of NaCa(PO3S)·9H2O (P213, Z = 4, a = 10.7845(12) Å, R1 = 0.034, wR2 = 0.083, 711 reflections, 64 parameters) and NaBa(PO3S)·9H2O (P213, Z = 4, a = 11.0216(2) Å, 754 reflections, 2θmax = 70.0° RF2 = 0.099, Rp = 0.034, wRp = 0.047, χ2 = 3.34) are isotypic with that of NaSr(PO3S)·9H2O and these three are homeotypic with NaMPO4·9H2O (M = Sr, Ba). The crystal structures of NaM(PO3S)·9H2O (M = Ca, Ba) consist of isolated (PO3S) tetrahedra, [NaO6] distorted octahedra and [MO9] polyhedra with the latter forming a network according to {}^3_\infty[{Na(H2O)6/2}{Ca(H2O)6/2(H2O)3}]3+. Nine crystal water molecules are situated in the voids of the resulting structure. The vibrational spectra of the title compounds have been measured and the relevant bands were assigned. Solid‐state 31P MAS NMR spectra gave chemical shifts of 49 ppm for NaCa(PO3S)·9H2O, 34 ppm for NaBa(PO3S)·9H2O and 38 ppm for Na3(PO3S).
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Novel Coordination Polymers with Nitrilotripropionic Acid
Authors: Xie Yan , Bai Feng‐Ying , Xing Yong‐Heng , Wang Zhuo , Zhao Hai‐Yan , Shi Zhan
Published: January 2010

A novel three‐dimensional (3D) lanthanide‐organic framework [Pr3(NTP)3(H2O)6]·10H2O (1), (H3NTP = 3,3′,3′‐nitrilotripropionic acid) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction analyses. The results show that complex 1 is connected through NTP ligands to form a 3D network with microchannels. The coordination mode of the NTP ligand was found for the first time. In order to investigate the temperature effects on controlling the dimensionality of the complexes, another two complexes, namely, [Nd(NTP)(H2O)2]·H2O·HBr (2) and [Pr(H2O)][+NH3(CH2CH2COO–)][OOCCOO]1.5 (3) were synthesized and characterized. Notably, in complex 3, the NTP ligand lost its two arms because of the high temperature. Furthermore, the thermogravimetric analyses of the three complexes are discussed in detail.
New Energetic Materials featuring Tetrazoles and Nitramines – Synthesis, Characterization and Properties
Authors: Fischer Niko , Karaghiosoff Konstantin , Klapötke Thomas M. , Stierstorfer Jörg
Published: January 2010

The alkylation of 2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl chloride (2) and deprotonated 5‐amino‐1H‐tetrazole (3), 1H‐tetrazole (4), 5‐nitrimino‐1,4H‐tetrazole (5), 1‐methyl‐5‐nitrimino‐4H‐tetrazole (6) and 2‐methyl‐5‐nitraminotetrazole (7) afforded the products 1‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐aminotetrazole (8), 1‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5H‐tetrazole (9), 1‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitriminotetrazole·H2O (10a), 1‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitriminotetrazole·EtOH (10b) 1,5‐bis(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitraminotetrazole (11), 1‐methyl‐5‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitraminotetrazole (12), 1‐methyl‐4‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitraminotetrazole (13), 1‐methyl‐5‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐aminotetrazole (14) and 2‐methyl‐5‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐nitraminotetrazole (15). In addition, the reaction of potassium 1‐methyl‐5‐nitriminotetrazolate with dimethyl sulfate was investigated yielding 1,4‐dimethyl‐5‐nitriminotetrazole (16). All products (8–16) were determined by low temperature single X‐ray diffraction. A comprehensive characterization and description of the chemical properties (IR, Raman, and multinuclear (1H, 13C and 15N) NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and differential scanning calorimetry) is given. The heats of formation were calculated by heats of combustion measured using bomb calorimetry. With these values and the X‐ray densities, several detonation parameters (e.g. detonation pressure, detonation velocity, heat of explosion) were computed by the EXPLO5 software. In addition, the sensitivities towards impact, friction and electrical discharge were determined.
Effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria)
Authors: Oonincx D. G. A. B. , van der Poel A. F. B.
Published: January 2010

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria L.). Fresh and dry weight and the contents of dry matter, ash, lipid, protein, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Zn, retinol, lutein, zeaxanthine, cryptoxanthin, carotenes, lycopene and gross energy were determined in penultimate instar and adult locusts, that had been fed three different diets. The locusts received a diet of grass or grass+wheat bran or grass+wheat bran+carrots. Adding wheat bran decreased the protein content and increased fat content (633 vs. 583 and 182 vs. 231 g/kg DM, respectively). Addition of carrots to the diet increased fat content further from 231 to 271 g/kg DM. Mineral concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, and Na, were significantly affected by diet. P, K, Cu, and Fe concentrations were significantly different in penultimate migratory locusts compared with adults. Wheat bran decreased the α‐carotene content, which did not change by incorporating carrots in the diet. However, carrots did result in higher β‐carotene concentrations. Retinol concentrations were increased by incorporating both wheat bran and carrots in the diet compared with the diet containing only grass. This study shows that the chemical composition of migratory locusts can be manipulated through the diet. As such, it enables nutritionists to adapt the chemical composition of live feeder insects to better meet the nutritional demands of predators. Zoo Biol 30:9–16, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Presentation and Survival of Operable Esophageal Cancer in Patients 55 Years of Age and Below
Authors: Hamouda A. , Forshaw M. , Rohatgi A. , Mirnezami R. , Botha A. , Mason R.
Published: January 2010

Background

The increased incidence of esophageal cancer, especially in the younger age group, should encourage early diagnosis. The perceived rarity and poor prognostic outcome of esophageal cancer in this group is based on retrospective studies. The goal of this study was to review the presentation and survival of young patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods

This study was conducted from 2000 to 2007 in a specialized esophagogastric center. All patients who had esophageal cancer operations were included. Variables collected included ages, duration of symptoms, presenting symptoms, tumor characteristics, and follow‐up data.

Results

In total, 365 esophagectomies were performed for cancer, of which 76 patients were younger than aged 55 years (20.8%) and 289 were older than aged 55 years. In patients younger than aged 55 years, 15 patients had symptoms for 6 months or more, 54 had dysphagia, 35 had weight loss compared with 220 and 175 respectively of patients older than aged 55 years. On histopathology, 48 had T3 tumors (63.2%), 17 had T2 (22.4%), and 10 had T1 (13.2%) for patients younger than aged 55 years compared with 141 had T3 (48.7%), 85 had T2 (29.4%), and 55 had T1 (19%) for patients older than aged 55 years. These differences in tumor stage at presentation between groups were significant (p < 0.05 with 3DF). In‐hospital mortality was 0 for the group younger than aged 55 years and 5 for those older than aged 55 years. Average follow‐up was 35 (minimum, 15) months. Thirty patients had locoregional recurrence in the first group and 110 in the latter group. Survival at 1 year after surgery was 79.6%, at 2 years 65.1%, and at 5 years 42.3% compared with 78.4, 60.6, and 45.9%, respectively, for the group older than aged 55 years, but this was not significant using log‐rank (p = 0.99).

Conclusions

A significant proportion (20.8%) of patients presenting with operable esophageal cancer was younger than aged 55 years. Almost two‐thirds of those presenting younger than aged 55 years had T3 stage tumors, which was significantly different than those older than aged 55 years. Despite more advanced tumor stage at presentation, the prognosis of esophageal cancer for patients younger than aged 55 years is similar to those older than aged 55 years (log‐rank = 0.99).
Multi-proxy record of postglacial environmental change, south-central Melville Island, Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: Peros Matthew , Gajewski Konrad , Paull Tara , Ravindra Rebecca , Podritske Brandi
Published: January 2010

A sediment core from Lake BC01 (75"10.945?N, 111"55.181?W, 225"m asl) on south-central Melville Island, NWT, Canada, provides the first continuous postglacial environmental record for the region. Fossil pollen results indicate that the postglacial landscape was dominated by Poaceae andSalix, typical of a High Arctic plant community, whereas the Arctic herbOxyriaunderwent a gradual increase during the late Holocene. Pollen-based climate reconstructions suggests the presence of a cold and dry period ~12,000"cal yr BP, possibly representing the Younger Dryas, followed by warmer and wetter conditions from 11,000 to 5000"cal yr BP, likely reflective of the Holocene Thermal Maximum. The climate then underwent a gradual cooling and drying from 5000"cal yr BP to the present, suggesting a late Holocene neoglacial cooling. Diatom preservation was poor prior to 5000"cal yr BP, when conditions were warmest, suggesting that diatom dissolution may in part be climatically controlled. Diatom concentrations were highest ~4500"cal yr BP but then decreased substantially by 3500"cal yr BP and remained low before recovering slightly in the 20th century. An abrupt warming occurred during the past 70 yr at the site, although the magnitude of this warming did not exceed that of the early Holocene.
Duplicity Theory of Vision
Authors: Stabell Bjørn , Stabell Ulf
Published: January 2010

The duplicity theory of vision concerns the comparisons (both differences and similarities) and interaction between the cone and rod systems in the visual pathways, with the assumption that the cone system is active during daylight vision and the rod system functions in low light (night time). Research on this aspect of vision dates back to the 17th century and the work of Newton, and is still ongoing today. This book describes the origin and development of this fundamental theory within vision research - whilst also examining the Young–Helmholtz trichromatic colour theory, and the opponent colour theory of Hering - and presents evidence and ideas in light of modern conceptions of the theory. Written for academic researchers and graduate students, the book brings back knowledge of the tradition of duplicity theory, inspiring questions related to anatomy, comparative biology, molecular biology, photochemistry, physiology, genetics, phylogenetics and psychophysics.
Asceticism in the Graeco-Roman World
Authors: Finn Richard
Published: January 2010

Asceticism deploys abstention, self-control, and self-denial, to order oneself or a community in relation to the divine. Both its practices and the cultural ideals they expressed were important to pagans, Jews, Christians of different kinds, and Manichees. Richard Finn presents for the first time a combined study of the major ascetic traditions, which have been previously misunderstood by being studied separately. He examines how people abstained from food, drink, sexual relations, sleep, and wealth; what they meant by their behaviour; and how they influenced others in the Graeco-Roman world. Against this background, the book charts the rise of monasticism in Egypt, Asia Minor, Syria, and North Africa, assessing the crucial role played by the third-century exegete, Origen, and asks why monasticism developed so variously in different regions.
Learning, Policy Making, and Market Reforms
Authors: Meseguer Covadonga
Published: January 2010

In the 1980s and 1990s, market reforms swept the world. It is widely believed that the reformist wave can be partly explained in terms of the lessons learned from policy failures of the past. Whereas this interpretation of events is well established, it has never been empirically proved. Learning, Policy Making, and Market Reforms is the first study that tests the impact of policy learning on economic policy choices across time and space. The study supports the popular explanation that, on average, governments around the world adopted privatization and trade liberalization, and sustained open capital accounts, as a result of learning from the experience of others.
The Philosophy of Death
Authors: Luper Steven
Published: January 2010

The Philosophy of Death is a discussion of the basic philosophical issues concerning death, and a critical introduction to the relevant contemporary philosophical literature. Luper begins by addressing questions about those who die: What is it to be alive? What does it mean for you and me to exist? Under what conditions do we persist over time, and when do we perish? Next, he considers several questions concerning death, including: What does dying consist in; in particular, how does it differ from ageing? Must death be permanent? By what signs may it be identified? Is death bad for the one who dies? If so why? Finally he discusses whether, and why, killing is morally objectionable, and suggests that it is often permissible; in particular, (assisted) suicide, euthanasia and abortion may all be morally permissible. His book is a lively and engaging philosophical treatment of a perennially fascinating and relevant subject.
Literature, Language, and the Rise of the Intellectual Disciplines in Britain, 1680–1820
Authors: Valenza Robin
Published: January 2010

The divide between the sciences and the humanities, which often seem to speak entirely different languages, has its roots in the way intellectual disciplines developed in the long eighteenth century. As various fields of study became defined and to some degree professionalized, their ways of communicating evolved into an increasingly specialist vocabulary. Chemists, physicists, philosophers, and poets argued about whether their discourses should become more and more specialised, or whether they should aim to remain intelligible to the layperson. In this interdisciplinary study, Robin Valenza shows how Isaac Newton, Samuel Johnson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth invented new intellectual languages. By offering a much-needed account of the rise of the modern disciplines, Robin Valenza shows why the sciences and humanities diverged so strongly, and argues that literature has a special role in navigating between the languages of different areas of thought.
1-Homotopy of Chevalley Groups
Authors: Wendt Matthias
Published: January 2010

In this paper, we describe the sheaves of1-homotopy groups of a simply-connected Chevalley groupG; these sheaves can be identified with the sheafification of certain unstable Karoubi-Villamayor K-groups.
MAXIMAL ANNULI WITH PARALLEL PLANAR BOUNDARIES IN THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL LORENTZ–MINKOWSKI SPACE
Authors: PYO JUNCHEOL
Published: January 2010

We prove that maximal annuli in 𝕃3bounded by circles, straight lines or cone points in a pair of parallel spacelike planes are part of either a Lorentzian catenoid or a Lorentzian Riemann’s example. We show that under the same boundary condition, the same conclusion holds even when the maximal annuli have a planar end. Moreover, we extend Shiffman’s convexity result to maximal annuli; but by using Perron’s method we construct a maximal annulus with a planar end where a Shiffman-type result fails.
Digestion rate of dietary starch affects systemic circulation of amino acids in weaned pigs
Authors: Yin Fugui , Zhang Zhenzhen , Huang Ju , Yin Yulong
Published: January 2010

The present study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo digestibility of dietary starch and its digestive behaviour on the systemic circulating amino acids (AA) in weaned pigs. Eighteen weanling pigs surgically fitted with a catheter in the jugular vein were randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups. Sticky rice starch (SRS) was hydrolysed more quickly in vitro (P < 0·05) than maize starch (MS) and resistant starch (RS), and was almost completely hydrolysed within 4 h. The in vivo digestibility of dietary starch in different segments of the small intestine was significantly different. SRS was digested (81·9 %; P < 0·05) in the anterior jejunum, but not more than half of the MS and RS was digested in the same segment of the small intestine. The digestibilities of isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, alanine, aspartate and serine in the SRS group were higher than in the MS group (P < 0·05), and all nutritionally indispensable and dispensable AA in the SRS group were higher when compared with those in the RS group (P < 0·05). The serum concentrations of nutritionally indispensable AA, proline and serine in the three groups were increased to a peak point within 1·5 h postprandially then decreased gradually; however, the time that serum concentrations of alanine, aspartate, glutamate and glycine in each group increased to a peak point was different. The concentrations of nutritionally indispensable AA, including arginine, cystine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine at 09.30 hours and arginine, cystine, histidine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine at 13.30 hours in the SRS group were higher than in the MS group (P < 0·05); all nutritionally indispensable AA in the SRS group were higher than in the RS group at 09.30 and 13.30 hours (P < 0·05), respectively. We conclude that dietary starches digested rapidly in vitro have higher digestibility in the anterior small intestine of pigs. Diets containing rapidly digestible starch ameliorate the digestive and absorptive function and regulate AA metabolism to beneficially increase the entry of dietary AA into the systemic circulation in pigs.
Vitamin D status and markers of bone turnover in Caucasian and South Asian postmenopausal women living in the UK
Authors: Lowe Nicola M. , Mitra Soma R. , Foster Peter C. , Bhojani Issak , McCann John F.
Published: January 2010

Suboptimal vitamin D status among the South Asian UK population is widely reported; however, its impact on bone health is unclear. The aim of the present study was to conduct a comparative investigation of vitamin D status in postmenopausal South Asian (SA) and Caucasian (C) women and its relationship to parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration, biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone quality. A cross-sectional study of community-dwelling women aged 50–66 years was carried out. A total of sixty-six SA women of Pakistani origin and forty-two C women living in the same community were recruited. Fasting blood was taken for the measurement of vitamin D, PTH and biochemical markers of bone turnover, including type-1 collagen β C-telopeptide (βCTX), procollagen type-1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP), and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) activity. Bone quality was assessed using broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA). Total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was significantly lower in the SA women than the C women (medians: SA 10·5 v. C 47·1 nmol/l; P < 0·001) This was associated with a significantly elevated serum PTH concentration in the SA group (medians: SA 7·3 v. C 4·5 pmol/l; P < 0·01). BAP activity was also significantly higher in the SA group, indicating elevated osteoblast activity and bone turnover (medians: SA 23·0 v. C 20·0 U/l; P < 0·05). No significant differences were observed between the two groups for P1NP, βCTX or BUA. Although the SA women had significantly higher serum PTH and lower 25(OH)D concentrations than C women, this was not associated with significantly higher markers of bone resorption, or reduced bone quality in the SA women.
Wing shape variations in an invasive moth are related to sexual dimorphism and altitude
Authors: Hernández-L. N. , Barragán Á.R. , Dupas S. , Silvain J.-F. , Dangles O.
Published: January 2010

Wing morphology has great importance in a wide variety of aspects of an insect's life. Here, we use a geometric morphometric approach to test the hypothesis that variation, in insect wing morphology patterns, occurs between sexes and along altitudinal gradients for invasive species, despite their recent association to this environment. We explored the variation in wing morphology between 12 invasive populations of the invasive potato pest,Tecia solanivora, at low and high altitude in the central highlands of Ecuador. After characterizing sexual dimorphism in wing shape, we investigated if moths at higher elevations differ in wing morphology from populations at lower altitudes. Results indicate wing shape and size differences between sexes and between altitudinal ranges. Females showed larger, wider wings than males, while high altitude moths showed larger, narrow-shaped wings by comparison to low-altitude moths. GLM analyses confirmed altitude was the only significant determinant of this gradient. Our study confirms a sexual dimorphism in size and wing shape for the potato moth. It also confirms and extends predictions of morphological changes with altitude to an invasive species, suggesting that wing morphology variation is an adapted response contributing to invasion success of the potato moth in mountainous landscapes. Ours is one of the first studies on the morphology of invasive insects and represents a valuable contribution to the study of insect invasions because it both offers empirical support to previous genetic studies onT. solanivoraas well as proving broader insight into the mechanisms behind morphological evolution of a recently introduced pest.
THE ‘TRANSPLANT EFFECT’ IN HARMONIZATION
Authors: Arvind T T
Published: January 2010

This article examines the problem of divergent judicial interpretation of harmonized documents. Drawing on the experience of harmonization of the law of arbitration, it points out that divergent interpretation runs much deeper than is commonly assumed, and shows strong similarities to the ‘transplant effect’ discussed in the literature on legal transplants. The article examines why the transplant effect shows up in harmonization, and considers its importance for the eventual success or failure of harmonization projects.
CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR NEGLIGENCE—A LESSON FROM ACROSS THE CHANNEL?
Authors: Spencer J R , Brajeux Marie-Aimée
Published: January 2010

This article first examines criminal liability for negligently causing death or injury in English law, which it shows to be both complex and confused. It then examines French law on the subject, which at first sight appears both simpler and more rational, but has run into a number of difficulties in practice. A third and final section considers whether the French experience provides any useful lessons for the possible reform of English law.
Legal–Religious Elite, Temporal Authority, and the Caliphate in Mamluk Society: Conclusions Drawn from the Examination of a “Zahiri Revolt” in Damascus in 1386
Authors: Wiederhold Lutz
Published: January 2010

The following study is aimed at describing social, political, and religious aspects of Mamluk society in the context of a political disturbance in Damascus in 1386. It is mainly based on historiographical and prosopographical evidence. Readers who are familiar with medieval Islamic chronicles and biographical dictionaries will know that these sources do not provide satisfactory answers to all the questions concerning the socio-political structure of Islamic societies as raised by modern scholarship. Nevertheless, the information collected in the course of our examination will permit us to draw conclusions concerning three major issues of Mamluk and Islamic history, respectively:
Mind-mindedness and maternal responsiveness in infant–mother interactions in mothers with severe mental illness
Authors: Pawlby S. , Fernyhough C. , Meins E. , Pariante C. M. , Seneviratne G. , Bentall R. P.
Published: January 2010

Background

Previous cross-diagnosis studies of interaction between mothers with severe mental illness and their babies have concluded that mothers with schizophrenia have deficits in interaction, but these studies have not included healthy controls.

Method

In-patients on a mother and baby unit, with diagnoses of schizophrenia (n=15), depressive mood disorders with or without psychosis (n=23), or mood disorders where mania was the predominant feature, with or without psychosis (n=12), were observed interacting with their infants on admission and discharge. Mothers' mind-mindedness and other measures of the quality of maternal and infant behaviour were coded. Findings from this sample were compared with those from healthy mothers and their infants (n=49).

Results

Compared with healthy controls, on admission depressed mothers were marginally less likely to comment appropriately on their infants' mental states. Both the depressed and mania groups were more likely to touch their babies and engage in attention-seeking behaviours. Interactional behaviours of mothers in the schizophrenia group were not markedly different from healthy controls. On discharge there were fewer differences between the clinical and healthy groups, although the depressed group continued to engage in more attention-seeking and touching behaviour and the mania group continued to touch their infants more. Only mothers in the schizophrenia group showed changes in interactional behaviours between admission and discharge, talking more to their infants.

Conclusions

The findings challenge previous conclusions that mothers with schizophrenia have deficits in their interactions with their babies, and demonstrate that mothers with severe mental illness are able to respond appropriately to their infants' cues.
Human amygdala reactivity is diminished by the β-noradrenergic antagonist propranolol
Authors: Hurlemann R. , Walter H. , Rehme A. K. , Kukolja J. , Santoro S. C. , Schmidt C. , Schnell K. , Musshoff F. , Keysers C. , Maier W. , Kendrick K. M. , Onur O. A.
Published: January 2010

Background

Animal models of anxiety disorders emphasize the crucial role of locus ceruleus–noradrenergic (norepinephrine, NE) signaling, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and their interactions in the expression of anxiety-like behavioral responses to stress. Despite clinical evidence for the efficacy of a β-noradrenergic receptor blockade with propranolol in the alleviation of anxiety symptoms and the secondary prevention of post traumatic stress disorder, preclinical evidence for a β-noradrenergic modulation of BLA activity in humans is missing.

Method

We combined functional magnetic resonance imaging in healthy volunteers with probabilistic mapping of intra-amygdalar responses to fearful, neutral and happy facial expressions to test the hypothesis that a β-noradrenergic receptor blockade with propranolol would inactivate the BLA.

Results

Consistent with our a priori hypothesis, propranolol diminished BLA responses to facial expressions, independent of their emotional valence. The absence of activity changes in probabilistically defined visual control regions underscores the specific action of propranolol in the BLA.

Conclusions

Our findings provide the missing link between the anxiolytic potential of propranolol and the biological basis of β-noradrenergic activation in the human BLA as a key target for the pharmacological inhibition of anxiety neurocircuitry. Moreover, our findings add to emerging evidence that NE modulates both the reactivity (sensitivity) and the operating characteristics (specificity) of the BLA via β-noradrenergic receptors.
Quantitative review of the efficacy of slow-frequency magnetic brain stimulation in major depressive disorder
Authors: Schutter D. J. L. G.
Published: January 2010

Background

Slow-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the frontal cortex has been suggested as a safer and better tolerable alternative to fast-frequency rTMS in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of slow-frequency rTMS to the frontal cortex in MDD.

Method

A literature search was carried out in the databases PubMed and Web of Science in the period between January 1994 and July 2009 with the search terms ‘depression’ and ‘transcranial magnetic stimulation’. Nine double-blind sham-controlled parallel intention-to-treat studies (252 patients) fulfilled inclusion criteria and were entered in a random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

The test for heterogeneity was not significant (QT=9.63,p=0.38). An overall weighted moderate mean effect size (d=0.63, 95% confidence interval=0.03–1.24) for active treatment was observed.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that slow-frequency rTMS to the frontal cortex is more effective than sham treatment and may be equally effective as fast-frequency rTMS in the treatment of MDD.
Applied Social Science? Academic Contributions to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and Their Consequences
Authors: MURJI KARIM
Published: January 2010

A decade on from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, this article examines the contributions of social scientists to the Inquiry on two key issues: the meaning of institutional racism and the police response to racial violence. These academic inputs are characterised as instrumental and reflexive forms of knowledge. While social science applied to social policy is most effective in instrumental mode, rather than reflexively, there are various factors – such as the interpretation of evidence, media debate and the role of prominent individuals – that are more significant in assessing its consequences. The impact of these factors mean that, although academic work on these issues has been influential, the outcome appears to be that institutional racism has run its course and been disowned or downgraded, while racial violence has become subsumed within the broader category of hate crime. It is argued that the relationship between academic knowledge and policy requires a better grasp of the complexities of applying social science, and that is what this article aims to make a contribution to.
Aalst:Acts of Evil, Ambivalence and Responsibility
Authors: GREHAN HELENA
Published: January 2010

Based largely on transcripts and documentary footage of the trial, the playAalstrecounts the brutal killing of two children by their parents in the Belgian town ofAalstin 1999. This article explores the ways in which this performance engages spectators as witnesses in a play of seduction and estrangement during which the concepts of ethical responsibility and judgment are destabilized and radically challenged. Drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, Zygmunt Bauman, Arne Johan Vetlesen and Emmanuel Levinas a case is made for the importance of ambivalence as a productive mode of reading and responding toAalst.
Big Love: Relationality, Ethics and the Art of Letting Go
Authors: WALSH FINTAN
Published: January 2010

This article considers the performance of non-violent relationality. Focusing on a production of Big Love, it explores how performance might enlighten an ethic of non-violent being with others, and non-violent being in the world. While many theoretical models of identity emphasize the unavoidable aggressivity of intersubjective relations, this article focuses on scenes in which the subject is let go from violence and retribution. ‘Letting go’ is the strategically utilitarian term deployed here to think about a performative act that loosens the point of attachment between the subject and symbolic law, while paving the way for relatively non-aggressive conditions of being to emerge.
Performing Korean-ness on the Global Stage: Ho-Jin Yoon's Musical The Last Empress
Authors: LEE HYUNJUNG
Published: January 2010

Ho-Jin Yoon's production The Last Empress (1995) was the first Korean-brand, Broadway-style musical to travel to Western venues. This article explores how the play was influenced by its producer's commitment to South Korea's cultural development in light of the country's intensive globalization during the mid-1990s. My analysis concludes that the production's development and the musical itself comprise a set of interactions between the global and the national; in turn, these interactions indicate a mode of alienation in which the concept of ‘global’ becomes meaningless, a fetish, or an empty signifier used in the service of national glory. My analysis also shows how elements of The Last Empress magnify the national and how its esoteric, exclusivist idea of Korean-ness is visualized via gendered nationalism.