bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of belowground herbivory on parasitoid associative learning of plant odours
Authors: Kruidhof H. Marjolein , de Rijk Marjolein , Hoffmann Daniela , Harvey Jeffrey A. , Vet Louise E. M. , Soler Roxina
Published: December 2012

Root herbivores can influence both the performance and the behaviour of parasitoids of aboveground insect herbivores through changes in aboveground plant quality and in the composition of the plant's odour blend. Here we show that root herbivory by Delia radicum larvae did not influence the innate preferences for plant odours of the two closely related parasitoid species Cotesia glomerata and C. rubecula, but did affect their learned preferences, and did so in an opposite direction. While C. glomerata learned to prefer the odour of plants with intact roots, C. rubecula learned to prefer the odour of root‐infested plants. The learned preference of C. glomerata for the odour of plants with intact roots matches our previously published result of its better performance when developing in P. brassicae hosts feeding on this plant type. In contrast, the relatively stronger learned preference of C. rubecula for the odour of root‐infested plants cannot be merely explained by its performance, as the results of our present study indicate that D. radicum root herbivory did not influence the performance of C. rubecula nor of its host P. rapae. Our results stress the importance of assessing the influence of root herbivores on both innate and learned responses of parasitoids to plant odours.
Diets of sexual and sperm‐dependent asexual dace (Chrosomusspp.): relevance to niche differentiation and mate choice hypotheses for coexistence
Authors: Mee Jonathan A. , Noddin Fred , Hanisch Justin R. , Tonn William M. , Paszkowski Cynthia A.
Published: December 2012

Sperm‐dependent asexual species must coexist with a sexual species (i.e. a sperm source) to reproduce. The maintenance of this coexistence, and hence the persistence of sperm‐dependent asexual species, may depend on ecological niche separation or preference by males for conspecific (i.e. sexual) mates. We first modified an analytical model to consider both of these mechanisms acting simultaneously on the coexistence of the two species. Our model indicates that a small amount of niche separation between parental species and hybrids can facilitate coexistence by weakening the requirement for male mate preference. We also estimated niche separation empirically in theChrosomus(formerlyPhoxinus) sexual‐asexual system based on diet overlap between sperm‐dependent asexuals and their two sexual host species. Diet overlap between the sexual species was not significant in either lake, whereas the sperm‐dependent asexual had an intermediate niche that overlapped significantly, but somewhat asymmetrically, with both sexual species. These empirical results were then used to parameterize our analytical model to predict the minimum strength of male mate preference required to maintain coexistence in each lake. Some male mate preference is likely required to maintain coexistence in theChrosomussystem, but the minimum required preference depends on the severity of density dependence. Future empirical work on understanding coexistence in sperm‐dependent asexual systems would benefit from taking both niche separation and mate choice into account, and from simultaneous empirical estimates of male mate choice, niche separation, and density dependence.
Evaluation of wound healing activity of ferulic acid in diabetic rats
Authors: Ghaisas Mahesh M , Kshirsagar Shashank B , Sahane Rajkumari S
Published: December 2012

In diabetic patients, there is impairment in angiogenesis, neovascularisation and failure in matrix metalloproteineases (MMPs), keratinocyte and fibroblast functions, which affects wound healing mechanism. Hence, diabetic patients are more prone to infections and ulcers, which finally result in gangrene. Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, rice bran and sweet corn. In this study, wound healing activity of FA was evaluated in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats using excision wound model. FA‐treated wounds were found to epithelise faster as compared with diabetic wound control group. The hydroxyproline and hexosamine content increased significantly when compared with diabetic wound control. FA effectively inhibited the lipid peroxidation and elevated the catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione and nitric oxide levels along with the increase in the serum zinc and copper levels probably aiding the wound healing process. Hence, the results indicate that FA significantly promotes wound healing in diabetic rats.
International Paediatric Stroke Study: Stroke Associated with Cardiac Disorders
Authors: Dowling Michael M. , Hynan Linda S. , Lo Warren , Licht Daniel J. , McClure Chalmer , Yager Jerome Y. , Dlamini Nomazulu , Kirkham Fenella J. , deVeber Gabrielle , Pavlakis Steve ,   for the International Paediatric Stroke Study Group
Published: December 2012

Background and hypothesis

The aetiologies of arterial ischaemic stroke in children are diverse and often multifactorial. A large proportion occurs in children with cardiac disorders. We hypothesized that the clinical and radiographic features of children with arterial ischaemic stroke attributed to cardiac disorders would differ from those with other causes.

Methods

Using the large population collected in the prospective International Paediatric Stroke Study, we analysed the characteristics, clinical presentations, imaging findings, and early outcomes of children with and without cardiac disorders.

Results

Aetiological data were available for 667 children with arterial ischaemic stroke (ages 29 days to 19 years). Cardiac disorders were indentified in 204/667 (30·6%), congenital defects in 121/204 (59·3%), acquired in 40/204 (19·6%), and isolated patent foramen ovale in 31/204 (15·2%). Compared to other children with stroke, those with cardiac disorders were younger (median age 3·1 vs. 6·5 years; P < 0·001) and less likely to present with headache (25·6% vs. 44·6%; P < 0·001), but were similar in terms of gender and presentation with focal deficits, seizures, or recent infection. Analysis of imaging data identified significant differences ( P = 0·005) in the vascular distribution (anterior vs. posterior circulation or both) between groups. Bilateral strokes and haemorrhagic conversion were more prevalent in the cardiac disorders group.

Conclusions

Cardiac disorders were identified in almost one-third of children with arterial ischaemic stroke. They had similar clinical presentations to those without cardiac disorders but differed in age and headache prevalence. Children with cardiac disorders more frequently had a ‘cardioembolic stroke pattern’ with a higher prevalence of bilateral strokes in both the anterior and posterior circulations, and a greater tendency to haemorrhagic transformation.
Improved Survival of Patients with Warfarin-Associated Intracerebral Haemorrhage: A Retrospective Longitudinal Population-Based Study
Authors: Huhtakangas Juha , Tetri Sami , Juvela Seppo , Saloheimo Pertti , Bode Michaela K , Karttunen Vesa , Käräjämäki Anni , Hillbom Matti
Published: December 2012

Background

Warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage carries poor outcome due to rapid haemorrhage growth. Reversal of warfarin anticoagulation with prothrombin complex concentrate has been implemented as an acute treatment option for these subjects.

Aim

We investigated whether survival of subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage had improved after implementation of reversal of warfarin anticoagulation with prothrombin complex concentrate.

Methods

We identified all subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage during 1993–2008 among the population of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. From 2004 onwards, prothrombin complex concentrate was used in Oulu University Hospital, the only hospital treating intracerebral haemorrhage subjects in the region, to counteract the effect of warfarin in subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage. We compared the outcomes of subjects admitted during 1993–2003 and 2004–2008 and those treated and not treated with prothrombin complex concentrate. We also explored the predictors for one-year survival of the warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage subjects.

Results

We identified altogether 181 subjects who had intracerebral haemorrhage while on warfarin. One-year survival was significantly ( P = 0·031) higher for the 60 subjects admitted during 2004–2008 (43·3%) than for the 121 admitted before 2004 (30·6%). In multivariable analysis, prothrombin complex concentrate treatment reduced one-year case fatality (hazard ratio 0·52, 95% confidence interval 0·29–0·93). Thromboembolic complications did not occur more frequently among those treated with prothrombin complex concentrate.

Conclusion

The survival of warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage subjects among the population of Northern Ostrobothnia has improved likely because of introduction of prothrombin complex concentrate.
Social Position and Chronic Conditions across the Life Span and Risk of Stroke: A Life Course Epidemiological Analysis of 22 847 American Adults in Ages over 50
Authors: Liu Longjian , Xue Fuzhong , Ma Jixiang , Ma Marshal , Long Yong , Newschaffer Craig J.
Published: December 2012

Background

Evidence is limited on the impact of childhood socioeconomic status, adulthood socioeconomic status and chronic conditions on risk of incident stroke in later life. We aimed to examine these associations using data from a nationally representative sample of the Health and Retirement Study.

Methods

Stroke-free participants ( n = 22 847) aged > 50 years in the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2008) were analyzed. Childhood and adulthood socioeconomic status were assessed using parental and participant's education attainments. Incident stroke was defined as self-reported first incident stroke.

Results

Of the study sample, 2298 subjects experienced first incident stroke (10·06%). Cox's regression models indicate that subjects with low childhood socioeconomic status had 1·36 times higher risk (95% confidence interval: 1·18–1·57) of first incident stroke than those with high childhood socioeconomic status. There was an 8% reduction of this association after adjustment for adulthood socioeconomic status. Adults with diabetes mellitus had the highest hazard ratio (1·91, 95% confidence interval: 1·63–2·23) for incident stroke, followed by heart disease (1·69, 1·48–1·93), and then hypertension (1·56, 1·40–1·75). Significant interaction effect of childhood socioeconomic status and diabetes mellitus, and combined effects of socioeconomic status and chronic conditions on risk of incident stroke were observed.

Conclusions

Both low socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood socioeconomic status predict the risk of stroke. There are significantly combined effects of socioeconomic status and chronic conditions on the risk of stroke. Improving socioeconomic status across the life span and aggressive control of chronic conditions may play pivotal roles in the prevention of stroke development.
Do Lacunar Strokes Benefit from Thrombolysis? Evidence from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network
Authors: Shobha Nandavar , Fang Jiming , Hill Michael D.
Published: December 2012

Background

Lacunar infarcts constitute up to 25% of all ischaemic strokes. As acute intracranial vascular imaging has become widely available with computed tomographic angiography, thrombolysis of lacunar strokes has become contentious because an intracranial vascular lesion cannot be visualized. We studied the effect of thrombolysis on lacunar strokes compared to other clinical ischaemic stroke sub-types.

Methods

Ischaemic stroke patients from phase 3 of the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network data (July 2003–March 2008) were included. Lacunar stroke was defined as a lacunar syndrome supported by computed tomography brain showing a subcortical hypodense lesion with a diameter <20 mm. Clinical syndromes were used to define other stroke sub-types. The outcomes were mortality at 90 days, modified Rankin Scale score 0–2 at discharge, occurrence of intracranial haemorrhage as a complication of stroke in-hospital, and discharge disposition to home.

Results

A total of 11 503 patients of ischaemic stroke were included from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network 3 between July 2003 and March 2008. Lacunar strokes formed 19·1% of the total strokes. The total number of patients who received tissue plasminogen activator was 1630 (14·2%). A significant association was found between tissue plasminogen activator treatment and outcomes after controlling Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project types – for modified Rankin Scale at discharge and discharge to home, but not for mortality. A thrombolysis-by-Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project stroke sub-type interaction was observed due to lack of benefit among the posterior circulation stroke sub-types. Patients with lacunar strokes, partial anterior circulation stroke, and total anterior circulation strokes all benefited approximately equally from thrombolysis.

Conclusions

Thrombolysis is associated with clinically improved outcome among patients with lacunar stroke syndromes.
Risk Factor Management in Survivors of Stroke: A Double-Blind, Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Thrift Amanda G. , Srikanth Velandai K. , Nelson Mark R. , Kim Joosup , Fitzgerald Sharyn M. , Gerraty Richard P. , Bladin Christopher F. , Phan Thanh G. , Cadilhac Dominique A.
Published: December 2012

Background

Comprehensive community care has the potential to improve risk factor management of patients with stroke or transient ischaemic attack.

Aim

The primary aim is to determine the effectiveness of an individualized management program on risk factor management for patients discharged from hospital after stroke.

Design

Multicentre, cluster-randomized, controlled trial, with clusters by general practice. Participants are randomized to receive intervention or control after a baseline assessment undertaken after discharge from hospital. The general practice they attend is marked as an intervention or control accordingly. All subsequent participants attending those practices are automatically assigned as intervention or control. Baseline and all outcome assessments, including an analysis of risk factors, are undertaken by assessors blinded to patient randomization.

Intervention Details

Based on the results of blinded assessments, the individualized management program group will receive targeted advice on how to manage their risk factors using a standardized, evidence-based template to communicate ‘ideal’ management with their general practitioner. In addition, patients randomized to the individualized management program group will receive counselling and education about stroke risk factor management by an intervention study nurse. Individualized management programs will be reviewed at three-months, six-months, 12 months, and 18 months after stroke, at which times they will be modified if appropriate. Stroke risk management will be evaluated using changes in the Framingham cardiovascular risk score. Analysis will be on an intention-to-treat basis using analysis of covariance or generalized linear model to adjust for baseline risk score and other relevant confounding factors.
Relativist Dispositional Theories of Value
Authors: Egan Andy
Published: December 2012

Adopting a dispositional theory of value promises to deliver a lot of theoretical goodies. One recurring problem for dispositional theories of value, though, is a problem aboutnonconvergence. Ifbeing a valueisbeing disposed to elicit response R in us, what should we say if it turns out that not everybody is disposed to have R to the same things? One horn of the problem here is a danger of the view collapsing into an error theory—of it turning out, on account of the diversity of agents' relevant dispositions, that nothing is really a value, since nothing is disposed to elicit R in everybody. Alternatively, there is a danger of an objectionable fragmentation of value, according to which there is no such thing as a valuesimpliciter, but only valuesmeand valuesyou, valuesusand valuesthem. I advocate ade serelativist version of a dispositional theory of value. If we go for this sort ofde‐se‐ified dispositional theory, we get to keep our theoretical goodies, but we avoid the problem of nonconvergence that leads to a danger of either collapse into an error theory, or else talking‐past, and a loss of common subject matter.
Television in the bedroom and increased body weight: potential explanations for their relationship among European schoolchildren
Authors: Cameron A. J. , van Stralen M. M. , Brug J. , Salmon J. , Bere E. , ChinAPaw M. J. M. , De Bourdeaudhuij I. , Jan N. , Manios Y. , Moreno L. A. , Velde S. J.
Published: December 2012

What is already known about this subject

A television in the bedroom is associated with obesity.

Televisions are present in the bedrooms of many children.

Little is known about the mechanisms linking bedroom televisions and body weight in children.

What this study adds

A television in the bedroom was positively associated with television viewing time, soft drink consumption and obesity.

The relationship between a bedroom television and body size was partly mediated by television viewing time but not sleep duration, physical activity time or soft drink consumption.

Aims

A television in the bedroom is associated with measures of adiposity. We aimed to test if this association is mediated by any of (i) time spent watching television, (ii) sleep duration, (iii) physical activity level or (iv) consumption of soft drinks.

Method

Data were from 7234 boys and girls aged 10–12 years in European countries involved in the EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth project (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Spain). Waist circumference, height and weight were measured. The presence of a bedroom television, television viewing time, sleep duration, physical activity time and soft drink consumption were assessed by standardized questionnaires.

Results

Almost 40% of schoolchildren had a bedroom television, with the highest percentage among Hungarian children (65%) and lowest for Belgian, Slovenian and Spanish children (all ≈28%). A television in the bedroom was positively associated with time spent watching television, soft drink consumption and overweight and obesity (all P < 0.001). The relationship between a television in the bedroom and measures of body size was partly mediated by total television viewing time (proportion mediated for waist circumference 8.9%; for body mass index 8.3%) but not sleep duration, physical activity time or soft drink consumption.

Conclusion

The strong association between a television in the bedroom and adiposity was at least partially mediated by television viewing time. The large proportion of European schoolchildren with a television in their bedroom is of concern. Parents should be aware of the potential consequences when placing a television in a child's bedroom and children should limit viewing time.
Frequency of family meals and childhood overweight: a systematic review
Authors: Valdés J. , Rodríguez‐Artalejo F. , Aguilar L. , Jaén‐Casquero M. B. , Royo‐Bordonada M. Á.
Published: December 2012

Energy balance is influenced by understudied genetic, social and other environmental factors. The frequency of family meals (FFM) may be one of these factors since it is associated with a healthier dietary pattern in children and adolescents. The objective of this review is to evaluate the scientific evidence on the association between FFM and the risk of childhood and adolescent overweight. The electronic literature search identified 394 articles published during 2005–2012. Of these, 15 studies gave precise information of the studied association, of which four were longitudinal. We found great variability regarding the measurement of FFM. Six out of 11 cross‐sectional studies and 1 out of 4 longitudinal studies found statistically significant inverse associations between FFM and being overweight, mainly in children, with odds ratios ranging from 0.11 to 0.93. Of those, only one adjusted for all the potential confounding factors considering socio‐demographic, physical activity‐ and diet‐related variables. Therefore, this review found inconsistent and weak evidence of an inverse association between FFM and risk of childhood overweight. In conclusion, further research is needed to establish whether family meals have an effect on childhood overweight. These studies ideally should have longitudinal or experimental designs, a clear and standardized definition of the exposure under study, a measure of the exposure based on direct observation or validated questionnaires and an adequate adjustment for potential confounders.
Low Dielectric Loss and Good Dielectric Thermal Stability of xNd(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3–(1−x)Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 Thin Films Fabricated by Sol–Gel Method
Authors: Sun Xiaohua , Yang Ying , Zhang Qiaoling , Hou Shuang , Huang Caihua , Hu Zongzhi , Zou Jun , Li Meiya , Peng Tianyou , Zhao Xing‐zhong
Published: December 2012

xNd(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3–(1−x)Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (xNZT–BST) thin films were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by sol–gel method with x = 0, 3%, 6%, and 10%. The structures, surface morphology, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, and thermal stability of xNZT–BST thin films were investigated as a function of NZT content. It was observed that the introduction of NZT into BST decreased grain size, dielectric constant, ferroelectricity, tunability, and significantly improved dielectric loss and dielectric thermal stability. The corresponding reasons were discussed. The 10%NZT–BST thin film exhibited the least dielectric loss of 0.005 and the lowest temperature coefficient of permittivity (TCP) of 3.2 × 10−3/°C. In addition, the figure of merit (FOM) of xNZT–BST (x = 3%, 6%, and 10%) films was higher than that of pure BST film. Our results showed that the introduction of appropriate NZT into BST could modify the dielectric quality of BST thin films with good thermal stability. Especially for the 3%NZT–BST thin film, it showed the highest FOM of 33.58 for its appropriate tunability of 32.87% and low dielectric loss of 0.0098.
Strength of Zirconium Diboride to 2300°C
Authors: Neuman Eric W. , Hilmas Gregory E. , Fahrenholtz William G.
Published: December 2012

The strength of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramics was measured up to 2300°C, which are the first reported measurements above 1500°C since 1970. ZrB2 ceramics were prepared from commercially available powder by hot pressing. A mechanical testing apparatus capable of testing material in the ultra‐high temperature regime with atmosphere control was built, evaluated, and used. Four‐point bend strength was measured as a function of temperature up to 1600°C in air and between 1500°C and 2300°C in argon. Strength between room temperature and 1200°C was ~390 MPa, decreasing to a minimum of ~170 MPa between 1400°C and 1500°C, with strength increasing to ~220 MPa between 1600°C and 2300°C.
Thermodynamic Analysis on the Codeposition of SiC–Si3N4 Composite Ceramics by Chemical Vapor Deposition using SiCl4–NH3–CH4–H2–Ar Mixture Gases
Authors: Xue Jimei , Yin Xiaowei , Ye Fang , Zhang Litong , Cheng Laifei
Published: December 2012

A thermodynamic calculation on the chemical vapor deposition of the SiCl4–NH3–CH4–H2–Ar system was performed using the FactSage thermochemical software databases. Predominant condensed phases at equilibrium were SiC, Si3N4, graphite, and Si. The equilibrium conditions for the deposition of condensed phases in this system were determined as a function of the deposition temperature, dilution ratio (δ), and reactant ratios of CH4/SiCl4 and NH3/SiCl4. The CVD phase diagrams were used to understand the reactions occurring during the formation of Si–C–N from the gas species and determine the area of SiC–Si3N4. The concentration of condensed‐phase products was used to determine the deposition conditions of CVD SiC–Si3N4. The present work was helpful for further experimental investigation on CVD Si–C–N.
Antecedents and Consequences of Supply Chain Agility: Establishing the Link to Firm Performance
Authors: Gligor David M. , Holcomb Mary C.
Published: December 2012

The concept of supply chain agility (SCAGI) has been identified as one of the most important issues in supply chain management literature. However, despite the popularity of the concept, many aspects of SCAGI are largely unexplored. One area that is deficient in research is the behavioral/relational antecedents of SCAGI. Furthermore, no research to date has empirically established the link between SCAGI and firm performance. This article seeks to further theory development by addressing these gaps.
Efficacy of person‐centred care as an intervention in controlled trials – a systematic review
Authors: Olsson Lars‐Eric , Jakobsson Ung Eva , Swedberg Karl , Ekman Inger
Published: December 2012

Aims and objectives

To identify person‐centred care as an intervention in controlled trials, where patients had been involved as a partner, and to describe the outcomes of these studies.

Background

The notion of person‐centred care asserts that patients are persons and partners in care and should not be reduced to their disease alone.

Design

A systematic literature review.

Method

Searches were undertaken in the databases PUBMED and CINAHL. The inclusion criteria were that person‐centred care as an intervention was described as a partnership between the caregiver and the patient, and that the studies were randomised controlled trials or quasi‐experimental designs. The studies were analysed based on methodology, context and type of intervention, outcomes and effects of the interventions. Eleven trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Results

The studies were carried out in a variety of contexts with diverse outcomes. Person‐centred care as an intervention was shown to be successful in eight of the studies. The internal and external validity in the studies were generally good. However, as regards the precision of the studies there was a wide variation.

Conclusions

The value and efficacy of person‐centred care as an intervention have only been studied to a limited extent. Methodological problems in trial design and execution could account for the general lack of research on person‐centred care. Evidence that person‐centred care is effective is insufficient, more stringent studies are needed.

Relevance to clinical practice

The results suggest that person‐centred care may lead to significant improvements, but the implementation and relevant effects needs to be assessed in more studies.
Sonic Hedgehog Regulates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Normal and Regenerating Cavernous Nerves
Authors: Bond Christopher W. , Angeloni Nicholas , Harrington Daniel , Stupp Samuel , Podlasek Carol A.
Published: December 2012

Introduction

The cavernous nerve (CN) is commonly injured during prostatectomy. Manipulation of the nerve microenvironment is critical to improve regeneration and develop novel erectile dysfunction therapies. Sonic hedgehog (SHH) treatment promotes CN regeneration. The mechanism of how this occurs is unknown. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) facilitates return of erectile function after CN injury and it has been suggested in cortical neurons and the sciatic nerve that BDNF may be a target of SHH.

Aim

To determine if SHH promotes CN regeneration through a BDNF-dependent mechanism.

Methods

Sprague Dawley rats underwent (i) bilateral CN crush (N = 15); (ii) SHH treatment of pelvic ganglia (PG)/CN (N = 10); (iii) SHH inhibition in PG/CN (N = 14 rats); (iv) CN crush with SHH treatment of PG/CN (N = 10 rats); (v) CN crush with SHH treatment and BDNF inhibition (N = 14 rats); and (vi) CN injury and SHH treatment of the penis (N = 23).

Main Outcome Measures

BDNF and glial fibrillary acidic protein were quantified in PG/CN by Western, and a t-test was used to determine differences.

Results

In normal rats SHH inhibition in the PG/CN decreased BDNF 34% and SHH treatment increased BDNF 36%. BDNF was increased 44% in response to SHH treatment of crushed CNs, and inhibition of BDNF in crushed CNs treated with SHH protein hampers regeneration.

Conclusions

SHH regulates BDNF in the normal and regenerating PG/CN. BDNF is part of the mechanism of how SHH promotes regeneration, thus providing an opportunity to further manipulate the nerve microenvironment with combination therapy to enhance regeneration.
Empirical determination of the frequencies of an almost periodic time series
Authors: Dehay D. , Hurd H. L.
Published: December 2012

This article deals with the problem of the determination of the finite or countable set of frequencies belonging to any arbitrary almost periodic (in the sense of Bohr) time series. For this purpose, we present a simple computation procedure based on the local maxima of the modulus of a weighted Fourier transform from finite observation of the time series, computed at frequencies in a finite uniform grid of [0, 2π). We study the convergence of this algorithm as the length of the observation goes to infinity. First non‐random signals are considered. Then we tackle the case of a signal disturbed by an additive noise. Finally we show how the algorithm can be applied to almost periodically correlated random time series.
Sexual dimorphism in locomotor performance and its relation to morphology in wall lizards (Podarcis bocagei)
Authors: Kaliontzopoulou A. , Bandeira V. , Carretero M. A.
Published: December 2012

Sexual dimorphism (SD) is the result of evolutionary pressures acting differentially on members of each sex. Investigating the association between SD observed in different sets of phenotypic traits, which are evolutionarily linked, can shed light on the mechanisms causing SD variation within and across species. Although the association between morphology and locomotor performance is a major paradigm in ecomorphology, substantially less effort has been dedicated to investigate the covariation between both sets of traits in the context of sexual divergence. Here, we investigated morphology and locomotor performance in wall lizards Podarcis bocagei to determine if locomotor SD exists in this species, as one may expect based on the morphological SD observed, and test whether both types of SD are directly associated. Our results indicate that significant morphological and locomotor SD exists in this species, reporting a significant locomotor SD for the first time in this genus of lizards. Our study also provides evidence that a direct association between morphology and performance exists at the individual level, binding together SD in both sets of traits. The observed patterns of SD suggest that male locomotor capacity and the corresponding morphological features are well suited for sprinting in level surfaces, but less so for other types of locomotion, potentially as a result of sexual selection acting on male locomotor performance through influences on territory defence and reproductive fitness.
Blogging, Time and Displacement
Authors: Trigg Stephanie
Published: December 2012

This essay examines the relationship between blogging and other ostensibly more “serious” forms of writing, such as academic work. It explores the behavioural patterns known as “displacement activity” to describe the relationship between different kinds of writerly activity; and discusses the potential of blogging to break down some of the conventions of formal academic writing. It discusses the author’s Humanities Researcher blog.
Why We Blog: An Essay in Four Movements
Authors: Steel Karl , Cohen Jeffrey Jerome , Hurley Mary Kate , Joy Eileen A.
Published: December 2012

This essay comprises four parts, each by one of the co‐bloggers at In the Middle (http://www.inthemedievalmiddle.com). Karl Steel argues that the benefits of academic blogging outweigh its potential humiliations, and that academic conferences should post their papers publicly and allow for comments so that conferences, in a sense, never end. Graduate students and junior scholars should be encouraged to blog to help build a community and a trade in ideas, and to accustom them to the feelings of exposure and humiliation common to all writing, which will thereby train them to become more confident scholars. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen examines some of the difficulties posed by the age of e‐medieval: an internet culture of negativity. Blogging entails finding strategies for managing harsh or off topic comments, as well as for coping with unwanted attention. Drawing on the pedagogical distinction Nancy Sommers makes between process and product, Mary Kate Hurley examines the role blogs might play in creating a communal space in which to share unfinished ideas. Blogs might be an ideal medium for the process of thinking, rather than the finished work of having had thought. Eileen A. Joy argues there may be more value in thinking and “working through” our scholarship online, in an “open” environment that promotes and invites democratic, catholic, and convivial support, as well as the accidental tourist and silent voyuer, than there is in the traditional “finished product” of a journal article or book. It pleads, further, for a better awareness of the fact that intellectual property is always co‐extensive and communal.
What Is Life Worth? A Rough Guide to Valuation
Authors: Davis Christopher
Published: December 2012

In this speculative article, the aim is to elaborate a definition of life that is not biological, and a valuation of it that is not commodified. This is undertaken by the development of an understanding of death as a process which is embedded in the life of a community. The idea is that we can best understand what life is worth by first understanding what death means.
Native American Embodiment of the Chronicities of Modernity: Reservation Food, Diabetes, and the Metabolic Syndrome among the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache
Authors: Wiedman Dennis
Published: December 2012

As a physical embodiment of modernity, the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Native Americans reflects their body's biological response to social and cultural structures that routinize daily behaviors and contain their physical body. This article explains why Native Americans were one of the earliest populations manifesting this epidemic. Ethnohistorical methods identify the conjuncture of chronic behaviors among Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache of Oklahoma that promote inactivity, overnutrition, and psychosocial stresses. Correspondence and primary documents of Federal Indian Agents who managed the reservation food rations and annuity systems beginning in the 1860s, details a culture history of nutrition and food technologies that standardized and established the unhealthy modern diet that continues among Native Americans today. By identifying structural chronicities affecting specific populations and life situations, policies and interventions can be more effective in promoting positive changes for reducing the global pandemic of diabetes and MetS.
Dead Bodies Matter: Gift Giving and the Unveiling of Body Donor Monuments in the Netherlands
Authors: Bolt Sophie
Published: December 2012

Body donors are people who voluntarily donate their entire body, after death, to anatomical science. Based on anthropological fieldwork in the Netherlands this article explores the construction of body donor monuments since 2007. These developments are analyzed by means of gift‐giving theories. Body donation is a practice in which the medical and scientific value of the donor bodies has always been praised. Increasingly the fact that the bodies represent real human beings who have mourning relatives has also been acknowledged. This change in attitude has resulted in a desire on the part of anatomical professionals to give back a monument, not only for the donors themselves but also, in particular, for the donors’ relatives. The great public interest in the monuments has revealed that many of the bereaved, in the absence of having the physical body of the donor, need a symbolic final resting place for their loved ones.
Manipulating cellulose biosynthesis by expression of mutant Arabidopsis proM24::CESA3ixr1‐2 gene in transgenic tobacco
Authors: Sahoo Dipak K. , Stork Jozsef , DeBolt Seth , Maiti Indu B.
Published: December 2012

Manipulation of the cellulose biosynthetic machinery in plants has the potential to provide insight into plant growth, morphogenesis and to create modified cellulose for anthropogenic use. Evidence exists that cellulose microfibril structure and its recalcitrance to enzymatic digestion can ameliorated via mis‐sense mutation in the primary cell wall–specific gene AtCELLULOSE SYNTHASE (CESA)3. This mis‐sense mutation has been identified based on conferring drug resistance to the cellulose inhibitory herbicide isoxaben. To examine whether it would be possible to introduce mutant CESA alleles via a transgenic approach, we overexpressed a modified version of CESA3, AtCESA3ixr1‐2 derived from Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh into a different plant family, the Solanceae dicotyledon tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. variety Samsun NN). Specifically, a chimeric gene construct of CESA3ixr1‐2, codon optimized for tobacco, was placed between the heterologous M24 promoter and the rbcSE9 gene terminator. The results demonstrated that the tobacco plants expressing M24‐CESA3ixr1‐2 displayed isoxaben resistance, consistent with functionality of the mutated AtCESA3ixr1‐2 in tobacco. Secondly, during enzymatic saccharification, transgenic leaf‐ and stem‐derived cellulose is 54%–66% and 40%–51% more efficient, respectively, compared to the wild type, illustrating translational potential of modified CESA loci. Moreover, the introduction of M24‐AtCESA3ixr1‐2 caused aberrant spatial distribution of lignified secondary cell wall tissue and a reduction in the zone occupied by parenchyma cells.
Comparative response of δ13C, δ18O and δ15N in durum wheat exposed to salinity at the vegetative and reproductive stages
Authors: YOUSFI SALIMA , SERRET MARIA DOLORES , ARAUS JOSE LUIS
Published: December 2012

This study compared the performance of δ13C, δ18O and δ15N by tracking plant response and genotypic variability of durum wheat exposed to salinity at different plant stages. Genotypic tolerance to salinity was associated with a higher δ13C and δ15N. In addition, under strong salinity a lower δ18O, when the stress extended throughout most of the growing period, or a higher δ18O, when the stress was applied during the reproductive stage, may also be involved. The results support the concept that nitrogen metabolism combined with photosynthetic and transpirative gas exchange are involved in the genotypic adaptation to salinity, with the relative importance of each factor being affected by the time and level of stress.
Left‐Sided High‐Flow Arteriovenous Hemodialysis Fistula Combined with a Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Causing Coronary Sinus Dilatation
Authors: Wolf Michael , Scott Benjamin
Published: December 2012

We present an interesting case illustrating the possible hemodynamic consequences when a left‐sided arteriovenous hemodialysis fistula is combined with the congenital anomaly of a persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC). Our case illustrates the importance of an echocardiographic examination with attention to the coronary sinus (CS) caliber—raising suspicion of a PLSVC—in the assessment for the hemodialysis access in end‐stage renal disease patients. The causes and symptoms of CS dilatation, as well as the literature on PLSVC, are also discussed in detail.
Trends in New Media Research: A Critical Review of Recent Scholarship
Authors: Pavlik John V.
Published: December 2012

Trends in new media research are examined. These trends revolve around four dimensions, including citizen engagement, organizational innovation and adaptation, mobility and content computerization. The following article critically examines this shifting terrain in new media research and its implications for future scholarship.
Feeling Social Movements: Theoretical Contributions to Social Movement Research on Emotions
Authors: Ruiz‐Junco Natalia
Published: December 2012

Recent literature provides evidence that emotions are intrinsic to the constitution of social movements. The present review examines how scholars theorize emotions in their empirical studies and focuses on the following topics: emotion work, emotional framing, emotional cultures and emotional opportunity structures. The combination of several constructs in the analysis of emotions signals a shift toward integration of preexisting perspectives common in the field of social movements.
Temporal variations in dissolved organic carbon concentrations in upland and lowland lakes in North Wales
Authors: Hughes D. D. , Holliman P. J. , Jones T. , Freeman C.
Published: December 2012

Over a period of 18 months, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of a series of four lakes in North Wales was measured monthly. The lake catchment profiles consisted of an upland thin peat/soil (Llyn Cwellyn), an upland thin peat/soil associated with an adjacent area of small bog (Llyn Teyrn), an upland blanket bog (Llyn Conwy), and large lowland fen and fertile agricultural area (Llyn Cefni). The results examine the indirect effect of temperature and precipitation on the DOC concentrations found in the lakes fed by the catchments. The lowest DOC of the four sites was observed for Llyn Teyrn, varying from 1.2 to 3.30 mg/L, and with the highest being recorded for Llyn Cefni (5.45–10.83 mg/L). Temperature and rainfall data were both collected. Correlations with the DOC exhibited significant relationships with temperature for three of the sampled lakes Cwellyn (r 0.490), Teyrn (r 0.640) and Cefni (r 0.472). Recomputation versus 30‐ and 60‐day temperature lag times improved the correlation coefficients. The data showed weak and insignificant correlations for DOC versus rainfall for the three lakes, but the upland lake, Llyn Conwy, with its blanket bog catchment, did not demonstrate any statistical correlation with temperature, although it did show a significant correlation for DOC versus rainfall (r 0.553, P < 0.05). Over the sampling period, although tentative relationships were found among temperature, rainfall and DOC levels, an indirect association tempered by site hydrology is suggested.
Pheromonal Induction of Spatial Learning in Mice
Authors: Roberts Sarah A. , Davidson Amanda J. , McLean Lynn , Beynon Robert J. , Hurst Jane L.
Published: December 2012

Spots to Remember

Scent marking is an essential component of communication for most mammals. Individuals remember the location of scent marks and regularly revisit marked sites, presumably to assess the condition and status of the animal doing the marking. It is known that individuals can follow odor or pheromone gradients to locate another individual, but relocating scent marks is a much more difficult task given the small amount of volatile compounds deposited, and their static nature.

Roberts
et al.

(p.
1462
) show that a nonvolatile component of male urine, the protein pheromone darcin, stimulates spatial preference and learning in mice. Female mice preferred locations where male urine (or synthesized darcin) had been found, and remembered these spatial locations for 2 weeks post-exposure.
Relay Reactions That Trap Organometallic Intermediates
Authors: Gilbertson Scott R.
Published: December 2012

The movement of a palladium catalyst for a Heck reaction ultimately creates a ketone group far from the site of carbon-carbon bond formation.
Who Speaks with a Forked Tongue?
Authors: Losos Jonathan B. , Hillis David M. , Greene Harry W.
Published: December 2012

State-of-the-art molecular and morphological phylogenies for lizards differ fundamentally.
Surveillance for Adverse Events following Immunization from 2008 to 2011 in Zhejiang Province, China
Authors: Hu Yu , Li Qian , Lin Luoya , Chen Enfu , Chen Yaping , Qi Xiaohua
Published: December 2012

This study summarizes passive surveillance data for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) reported to the National AEFI Surveillance System (NASS) in Zhejiang province and describes reporting trends from 2008 to 2011. AEFI reporting rates were calculated using denominator data from the Individual Immunization Information System and the Zhejiang provincial Bureau of Statistics. A total of 6,265 AEFI records were reported; the overall reporting rate was 9.2 per 100,000 doses. There were two peaks of reporting rates, which were associated mainly with the introduction of the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus vaccine (pH1N1) in 2009 and the measles-mumps vaccine (MM) campaign in 2010. The majority of the AEFI described nonserious events. Fifteen deaths were recorded, but only one was possibly related to immunization. The most frequently reported reactions were fever and injection site reaction. Vaccines distributed in Zhejiang province have proven to be generally safe. The data on AEFI surveillance provide a reference point for ongoing reporting of trends and illustrate the value of the NASS database as a surveillance tool for monitoring of AEFI.
Susceptibility of Domestic Cats to Chronic Wasting Disease
Authors: Mathiason Candace K. , Nalls Amy V. , Seelig Davis M. , Kraft Susan L. , Carnes Kevin , Anderson Kelly R. , Hayes-Klug Jeanette , Hoover Edward A.
Published: December 2012

Domestic and nondomestic cats have been shown to be susceptible to feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE), almost certainly caused by consumption of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-contaminated meat. Because domestic and free-ranging nondomestic felids scavenge cervid carcasses, including those in areas affected by chronic wasting disease (CWD), we evaluated the susceptibility of the domestic cat (
Felis catus
) to CWD infection experimentally. Cohorts of 5 cats each were inoculated intracerebrally (i.c.) or orally (p.o.) with CWD-infected deer brain. At 40 and 42 months postinoculation, two i.c.-inoculated cats developed signs consistent with prion disease, including a stilted gait, weight loss, anorexia, polydipsia, patterned motor behaviors, head and tail tremors, and ataxia, and the cats progressed to terminal disease within 5 months. Brains from these two cats were pooled and inoculated into cohorts of cats by the i.c., p.o., and intraperitoneal and subcutaneous (i.p./s.c.) routes. Upon subpassage, feline CWD was transmitted to all i.c.-inoculated cats with a decreased incubation period of 23 to 27 months. Feline-adapted CWD (Fel
CWD
) was demonstrated in the brains of all of the affected cats by Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormalities in clinically ill cats, which included multifocal T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal hyperintensities, ventricular size increases, prominent sulci, and white matter tract cavitation. Currently, 3 of 4 i.p./s.c.- and 2 of 4 p.o. secondary passage-inoculated cats have developed abnormal behavior patterns consistent with the early stage of feline CWD. These results demonstrate that CWD can be transmitted and adapted to the domestic cat, thus raising the issue of potential cervid-to-feline transmission in nature.