bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic Basis for Overcoming Platinum Resistance Using Copper Chelating Agents
Authors: Liang Zheng D. , Long Yan , Tsai Wen-Bin , Fu Siqing , Kurzrock Razelle , Gagea-Iurascu Mihai , Zhang Fan , Chen Helen H.W. , Hennessy Bryan T. , Mills Gordon B. , Savaraj Niramol , Kuo Macus Tien
Published: August 2012

Platinum-based antitumor agents are widely used in cancer chemotherapy. Drug resistance is a major obstacle to the successful use of these agents because once drug resistance develops, other effective treatment options are limited. Recently, we conducted a clinical trial using a copper-lowering agent to overcome platinum drug resistance in ovarian cancer patients and the preliminary results are encouraging. In supporting this clinical study, using three pairs of cisplatin (cDDP)-resistant cell lines and two ovarian cancer cell lines derived from patients who had failed in platinum-based chemotherapy, we showed that cDDP resistance associated with reduced expression of the high-affinity copper transporter (hCtr1), which is also a cDDP transporter, can be preferentially resensitized by copper-lowering agents because of enhanced hCtr1 expression, as compared with their drug-sensitive counterparts. Such a preferential induction of hCtr1 expression in cDDP-resistant variants by copper chelation can be explained by the mammalian copper homeostasis regulatory mechanism. Enhanced cell-killing efficacy by a copper-lowering agent was also observed in animal xenografts bearing cDDP-resistant cells. Finally, by analyzing a public gene expression dataset, we found that ovarian cancer patients with elevated levels of hCtr1 in their tumors, but not ATP7A and ATP7B, had more favorable outcomes after platinum drug treatment than those expressing low hCtr1 levels. This study reveals the mechanistic basis for using copper chelation to overcome cDDP resistance in clinical investigations. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(11); 2483–94. ©2012 AACR.
Genetic Driver Events in Premalignancy: LOH Validated for Marking the Risk of Oral Cancer
Authors: Cavenee Webster K.
Published: August 2012

In this issue of the journal (beginning on page 1081), Zhang and colleagues extend the 30-year-old discovery of LOH profiles to provide validated markers of oral premalignant lesion risk for cancer. They prospectively show a dramatic difference in cancer progression between high-risk lesions (LOH) and low-risk (non-LOH) lesions (P = 0.002). This work has important implications for oral cancer prevention and risk modeling and for understanding genetic driver events in premalignancy. Cancer Prev Res; 5(9); 1073–4. ©2012 AACR.
Validation of LOH Profiles for Assessing Oral Cancer Risk
Authors: Lingen Mark W. , Szabo Eva
Published: August 2012

This perspective examines the report by Zhang and colleagues in this issue of the journal (beginning on page 1081) on the validation and refinement of a set of risk markers for oral premalignant lesion progression that incorporates loss of heterozygosity markers. The perspective also discusses some of the challenges and opportunities of incorporating predictive biomarkers into monitoring and refined enrollment criteria for prevention studies. Cancer Prev Res; 5(9); 1075–7. ©2012 AACR.
The Relationship of Metacognition with Jumping to Conclusions among Persons with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Buck Kelly D. , Warman Debbie M. , Huddy Vyv , Lysaker Paul H.
Published: August 2012

Background: Jumping to conclusions (JTC) is a reasoning bias in which persons arrive at conclusions with relatively little data. It is prevalent in schizophrenia and tied to outcomes. To understand the correlates and the roots of this phenomenon, this study explored whether deficits in mastery, a domain of metacognition which reflects the ability to use knowledge about oneself and others to cope with psychological problems, was linked to a heightened tendency to jump to conclusions. Sampling and Methods: Participants were 40 adults with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder in a nonacute phase being treated in an outpatient setting. JTC was assessed using the Beads Test, and mastery was measured as an element of metacognition using the Metacognition Assessment Scale. To rule out the possibility that results were the effect of impairments in memory or executive function, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test were included. Results: Partial correlations controlling for memory and executive function revealed that lower levels of mastery were correlated with a lower average number of beads requested before reaching a conclusion, or a greater tendency to jump to conclusions (r = 0.39, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Results are consistent with the possibility that deficits in metacognition influence or are influenced by reasoning biases.
Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion in Panic Disorder
Authors: Cai Liqiang , Chen Wanzhen , Shen Yuedi , Wang Xinling , Wei Lili , Zhang Yingchun , Wang Wei , Chen Wei
Published: August 2012

Background: Whether patients with panic disorder behave differently or not when recognizing the facial expressions of emotion remains unsettled. Sampling and Methods: We tested 21 outpatients with panic disorder and 34 healthy subjects, with a photo set from the Matsumoto and Ekman Japanese and Caucasian facial expressions of emotion, which includes anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Results: Compared to the healthy subjects, patients showed lower accuracies when recognizing disgust and fear, but a higher accuracy when recognizing surprise. Conclusions: These results suggest that the altered specificity to these emotions leads tso self-awareness mechanisms to prevent further emotional reactions in panic disorder patients.
Outcomes of Mid-Trimester Emergency Cerclage in Twin Pregnancies
Authors: Levin Ishai , Salzer Liat , Maslovitz Sharon , Avni Amiram , Lessing Joseph B. , Groutz Asnat , Almog Benny
Published: August 2012

Introduction: Placement of emergency cerclage at mid-trimester is controversial. At present, clinical trials comparing outcomes of mid-trimester cerclage to bed rest in twin pregnancies are lacking. Our aim was to examine the efficacy, safety and outcomes of mid-trimester cerclage in patients carrying twin gestations. Material and Methods: We retrospectively studied the outcomes of 14 patients carrying twin gestations with significant cervical dynamics who underwent cerclage. Outcomes of patients with cervical effacement only and patients with bulging membranes through the external os were examined. The interval between cerclage and delivery and the complication rates were calculated. Results: The average time interval between cerclage placement and delivery was 71.1 days overall. Patients with cervical shortening or effacement only (n = 10) gave birth an average of 80.2 days after the procedure, while 4 patients with bulging membranes gave birth an average of 48.5 days after cerclage placement. The overall procedure failure rate, defined as delivery before 28 completed weeks, was 14.2%. Discussion: Patients carrying twin gestations with advanced cervical changes might benefit from therapeutic cerclage. Further studies are required to demonstrate whether there is a difference compared to bed rest alone.
Monochorionic Triplets Complicated by Fetofetal Transfusion Syndrome: A Case Series and Review of the Literature
Authors: Peeters Suzanne H.P. , Middeldorp Johanna M. , Lopriore Enrico , Klumper Frans J. , Oepkes Dick
Published: August 2012

Objective: To compare perinatal outcome in monochorionic (MC) triplets with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) versus dichorionic (DC) triplets with TTTS. Study Design: Retrospective analysis of all triplets with TTTS treated at our center and all cases reported in the literature between 1990 and 2010. Survival and gestational age at birth of MC and DC triplets were compared and stratified by type of intervention. We excluded triplets with one or more fetal deaths <16 weeks’ gestation and those with one or more fetuses with congenital anomalies. Results: MC triplets were affected by TTTS in a total of 27 cases, and overall survival was 51% (38/75 fetuses) compared to 105 DC triplets with a survival of 76% (220/291 fetuses) (p < 0.05). Mean gestational age at birth in MC triplets was 28 weeks, compared to 31 weeks in DC triplets (p < 0.05). Perinatal survival of at least one fetus in MC triplet and DC triplet pregnancies was 70% (19/27) and 91% (96/105) (p < 0.05). In DC triplets, survival after laser therapy was significantly improved compared to expectant management, amniodrainage or selective feticide (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MC triplets with TTTS are at a considerably higher risk for perinatal mortality and preterm birth than DC triplets. The optimal strategy to manage MC triplets with TTTS, including the role of selective feticide and laser therapy of all anastomoses, is still to be established.
Extracellular DNA within a Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae-Induced Biofilm Binds Human Beta Defensin-3 and Reduces Its Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Jones Eric A. , McGillivary Glen , Bakaletz Lauren O.
Published: August 2012

Biofilms formed by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) are associated with multiple chronic infections of the airway, including otitis media. Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is part of the biofilm matrix and serves as a structural component. Human β-defensin-3 (hBD-3) is a cationic antimicrobial host defense protein (AMP) critical to the protection of the middle ear. We hypothesized that anionic eDNA could interact with and bind hBD-3 and thus shield NTHI in biofilms from its antimicrobial activity. We demonstrated that recombinant hBD-3 [(r)hBD-3] bound eDNA in vitro and that eDNA in biofilms produced by NTHI in the chinchilla middle ear co-localized with the orthologue of this AMP. Incubation of physiological concentrations of (r)hBD-3 with NTHI genomic DNA abrogated the ability of this innate immune effector to prevent NTHI from forming robust biofilms in vitro. Establishment of NTHI biofilms in the presence of both DNase I and (r)hBD-3 resulted in a marked reduction in the overall height and thickness of the biofilms and rescued the antimicrobial activity of the AMP. Our results demonstrated that eDNA in NTHI biofilms sequestered hBD-3 and thus diminished the biological activity of an important effector of innate immunity. Our observations have important implications for chronicity of NTHI-induced diseases.
Erosive Pustular Dermatosis of the Scalp-Like Eruption due to Gefitinib: Case Report and Review of the Literature of Alopecia Associated with EGFR Inhibitors
Authors: Toda Nagomi , Fujimoto Noriki , Kato Takeshi , Fujii Norikazu , Nakanishi Gen , Nagao Taishi , Tanaka Toshihiro
Published: August 2012

A 69-year-old Japanese woman with multiple brain metastases secondary to non-small-cell lung cancer was treated with radiosurgery, and subsequently started oral gefitinib. Three years later, she presented with erythematous erosive alopecia with pustules on the scalp. A biopsy specimen showed a dense perifollicular infiltration composed of lymphocytes, neutrophils and abundant plasma cells. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from the lesions; however, treatment with antibiotics was not effective. We diagnosed an eruption resembling erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp. Although oral steroids did not improve the lesions, the pustules and erythema of the scalp rapidly improved within a few weeks after discontinuation of gefitinib. There have been only 11 case reports of alopecia associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors including our case. It is noteworthy that all cases were female, and most cases involved the parietal scalp. Moreover, the reduction or discontinuation of the EGFR inhibitors was needed in all cases with erythematous alopecia, which remained as scarring alopecia.
Procurement Regimens to Reduce Ischemia Reperfusion Injury of Vascular Grafts
Authors: Abele-Ohl S. , Heim C. , Eckl S. , Weyand M. , Stamminger T. , Ensminger S.M.
Published: August 2012

Background: Ischemia reperfusion injury is an important nonimmunological factor contributing to the development of chronic rejection. The aim of this study was to compare different cell culture media in terms of vascular lesion formation after ischemia reperfusion injury. Methods: BALB/c aortic grafts were incubated in different cell media (endothelial cell growth, ECG, RPMI-1640 and Waymouth/Ham’s F12) for various time spans (5, 6.5 and 8.5 h) at 37°C and implanted into syngeneic BALB/c recipients. On day 30 after implantation, histology, immunofluorescence and morphometric measurements were performed. Results: A total of 36 transplants were performed for this study with an overall survival rate of 72.2%. The most frequent complication was thrombosis of the aortic graft (n = 9) and there was one late death due to other courses. All the recipients with vascular grafts incubated in the ECG medium survived and showed no signs of intimal proliferation independent of the time of ischemia. Aortic grafts incubated in the RPMI medium resulted in a reduced recipient survival rate of 66.7% and grafts incubated in the Waymouth medium showed only a 50% survival by day 30. Analysis of the vascular morphology revealed moderate amounts of intimal proliferation within two aortic grafts in this group. CD31 staining revealed superior endothelial cell integrity after incubation with the ECG medium. Conclusions: Data from the current study suggest that under optimized conditions vascular grafts can be safely kept in tissue culture up to 8.5 h without significant ischemic damage. Differences in vascular integrity and animal survival depended mostly on the respective tissue culture medium used for the storage of the vessel.
Central Pontine Myelinolysis in the Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State
Authors: Hegazi Mohamed Osama , Mashankar Anant
Published: August 2012

Objective: To report a rare association of central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) with hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS). Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A diabetic female presented with HHS and prolonged severe hypernatraemia. The metabolic derangement was adequately treated with proper correction of both hyperglycaemia and hypernatraemia. Lack of improvement in the presenting confusional state and the development of a fresh neurological deterioration led to the suspicion of CPM that was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. She fully recovered after 4 weeks with no specific medical treatment. Conclusion: This case report showed that osmotic demyelination was linked to hypernatraemia and that CPM could result from severe hypernatraemia of HHS.
Caesarean Delivery in South-Western Iran: Trends and Determinants in a Community-Based Survey
Authors: Maharlouei Najmeh , Moalaee Mansoureh , Ajdari Saeed , Zarei Maasoumeh , Lankarani Kamran B.
Published: August 2012

Objective: To assess trends in caesarean delivery and its associated factors in south-western Iran. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2007 to January 2010 in Fars province, Iran. All deliveries recorded in public and private hospitals were included. The Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression models were used for analysis of data. A p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The rate of caesarean section for the whole sample of 139,159 increased from 51.6% in 2007 to 53.3% in 2009, which was statistically and clinically significant. The rate of caesarean delivery was significantly higher in primiparous compared to multiparous mothers. The rate increased steadily with the mother’s age. The most prevalent recorded reason for caesarean delivery was maternal request. Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age, previous abortions, underlying maternal disease, gestational age and number of living children were key contributing factors to the choice of mode of delivery. Conclusion: This study showed an increasing rate of caesarean delivery which should draw the attention of policymakers to factors associated with this mode of delivery.
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on Proximal Caries Infiltration: Three-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Meyer-Lueckel H. , Bitter K. , Paris S.
Published: August 2012

We report the 3-year efficacy of resin infiltration (Icon, pre-product; DMG, Hamburg) to arrest progression of proximal non-cavitated caries lesions as compared with placebo treatment. In 22 young adults, 29 lesion pairs with radiographic extensions into the inner half of enamel up to the outer third of dentin were included (split-mouth design). All subjects received risk-related instructions for diet, flossing and fluoridation. No unwanted effects could be observed. Radiographically 1/26 test lesions (4%) and 11/26 control lesions (42%) had progressed (p = 0.002, McNemar). After 3-year follow-up, infiltration of proximal caries lesions can be said to be efficacious to reduce lesion progression.
Hyperhomocysteinemia Exaggerates Adventitial Inflammation and Angiotensin II−Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Mice
Authors: Liu Ziyi , Luo Hongzhi , Zhang Lu , Huang Yaqian , Liu Bo , Ma Kongyang , Feng Juan , Xie Jinsheng , Zheng Jingang , Hu Jing , Zhan Siyan , Zhu Yi , Xu Qingbo , Kong Wei , Wang Xian
Published: August 2012

Rationale:

A number of epidemiological studies have suggested an association of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but discrepancies exist. In addition, we lack direct evidence supporting a causal role.

Objective:

We determined the association and contribution of HHcy to AAA formation.

Methods and Results:

We first performed a meta-analysis of studies involving 1489 subjects and found a strong association of HHcy and AAA (odds ratio, 7.39). Next, we used angiotensin II–infused male apolipoprotein E–deficient mice and tested whether HHcy contributes to AAA pathogenesis. Homocysteine (Hcy) supplement (1.8 g/L) in drinking water resulted in mild HHcy. Intriguingly, HHcy greatly increased the incidence of angiotensin II–induced AAA and aortic dissection in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice (vehicle versus Hcy: 50% versus 100%;
P<0.05
). Histology indicated HHcy markedly exaggerated aortic adventitial inflammation. Increased levels of proinflammatory interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were preferentially colocalized within adventitial fibroblasts in HHcy plus angiotensin II mice, which suggested the importance of adventitial fibroblasts activation in Hcy-aggravated AAA. Hcy sequentially stimulated adventitial fibroblasts transformation into myofibroblasts, secretion of interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and consequent recruitment of monocytes/macrophages to adventitial fibroblasts, which was abolished by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyliodonium. NADPH oxidase 4, but not other homologs of NADPH oxidase, was significantly upregulated by Hcy in adventitial fibroblasts, whereas NADPH oxidase 4 small interfering RNA silencing diminished Hcy-induced adventitial fibroblasts activation. Finally, folic acid supplement (0.071 μg/g per day) markedly reduced HHcy-aggravated angiotensin II–induced AAA formation in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice.

Conclusions:

HHcy may aggravate AAA formation at least partially via activating adventitial fibroblast NADPH oxidase 4.
Remote Ischemic Perconditioning Is Effective Alone and in Combination With Intravenous Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator in Murine Model of Embolic Stroke
Authors: Hoda Md Nasrul , Siddiqui Shahneela , Herberg Samuel , Periyasamy-Thandavan Sudharsan , Bhatia Kanchan , Hafez Sherif S. , Johnson Maribeth H. , Hill William D. , Ergul Adviye , Fagan Susan C. , Hess David C.
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose—

Remote ischemic conditioning is cardioprotective in myocardial infarction and neuroprotective in mechanical occlusion models of stroke. However, there is no report on its therapeutic potential in a physiologically relevant embolic stroke model (embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion) in combination with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA).

Methods—

We tested remote ischemic perconditioning therapy (RIPerC) at 2 hours after embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion in the mouse with and without intravenous tPA at 4 hours. We assessed cerebral blood flow up to 6 hours, neurological deficits, injury size, and phosphorylation of Akt (Serine
473
) as a prosurvival signal in the ischemic hemisphere at 48 hours poststroke.

Results—

RIPerC therapy alone improved the cerebral blood flow and neurological outcomes. tPA alone at 4 hours did not significantly improve the neurological outcome even after successful thrombolysis. Individual treatments with RIPerC and intravenous tPA reduced the infarct size (25.7% and 23.8%, respectively). Combination therapy of RIPerC and tPA resulted in additive effects in further improving the neurological outcome and reducing the infarct size (50%). All the therapeutic treatments upregulated phosphorylation of Akt in the ischemic hemisphere.

Conclusions—

RIPerC is effective alone after embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion and has additive effects in combination with intravenous tPA. RIPerC may be a simple, safe, and inexpensive combination therapy with intravenous tPA.
Statistical Metaphor Processing
Authors: Shutova Ekaterina , Teufel Simone , Korhonen Anna
Published: August 2012

Metaphor is highly frequent in language, which makes its computational processing indispensable for real-world NLP applications addressing semantic tasks. Previous approaches to metaphor modeling rely on task-specific hand-coded knowledge and operate on a limited domain or a subset of phenomena. We present the first integrated open-domain statistical model of metaphor processing in unrestricted text. Our method first identifies metaphorical expressions in running text and then paraphrases them with their literal paraphrases. Such a text-to-text model of metaphor interpretation is compatible with other NLP applications that can benefit from metaphor resolution. Our approach is minimally supervised, relies on the state-of-the-art parsing and lexical acquisition technologies (distributional clustering and selectional preference induction), and operates with a high accuracy.
How Good Are Our Conceptual Models of Orographic Cloud Seeding?
Authors: Rangno Arthur L.
Published: August 2012

Some of the complexities of clouds and precipitation that have been encountered in field projects are reviewed. These complexities highlight areas of cloud microstructure and precipitation development that need to be better understood before adequate conceptual or numerical models of orographic cloud seeding can be developed. Some concerns about cloud sampling with regard to the evolutionary behavior of supercooled clouds from water to ice are also discussed.
Ice Initiation in Natural Clouds
Authors: Cooper William A.
Published: August 2012

Selected concentrations of ice crystal concentrations attributable to nucleation are compiled and summarized. The variability in the observations is discussed, and some conclusions related to natural precipitation formation and to seedability are discussed.
Review of Wintertime Orographic Cloud Seeding
Authors: Elliott Robert D.
Published: August 2012

This review provides a sketchy background of orographic weather modification activities prior to the 1960s, followed by a more critical review of major orographic projects carried out and reported in the scientific literature during the past 25 years. In the earlier of these major projects, evaluation of results had been based largely upon comparisons of seeded and nonseeded precipitation experimental units stratified by various sounding-derived parameters in an attempt to amplify the physical significance of the seeding effects within various sub-types of orographic clouds.

The later major projects are still underway with no final evaluations having been presented. However, a wealth of significant data analyses have been reported that provide important insights into the various natural and seeding precipitation mechanisms. Much of this is attributable to the new observational tools in use, which include airborne and ground microphysical sensors, doppler radar, and microwave radiometers.
Creation and Communication of Hurricane Risk Information
Authors: Demuth Julie L. , Morss Rebecca E. , Morrow Betty Hearn , Lazo Jeffrey K.
Published: August 2012

Reducing loss of life and harm when a hurricane threatens depends on people receiving hurricane risk information that they can interpret and use in protective decisions. To understand and improve hurricane risk communication, this article examines how National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters at the National Hurricane Center and local weather forecast offices, local emergency managers, and local television and radio media create and convey hurricane risk information. Data from in-depth interviews and observational sessions with members of these groups from Greater Miami were analyzed to examine their roles, goals, and interactions, and to identify strengths and challenges in how they communicate with each other and with the public. Together, these groups succeed in partnering with each other to make information about approaching hurricane threats widely available. Yet NWS forecasters sometimes find that the information they provide is not used as they intended; media personnel want streamlined information from NWS and emergency managers that emphasizes the timing of hazards and the recommended response and protective actions; and emergency managers need forecast uncertainty information that can help them plan for different scenarios. Thus, we recommend that warning system partners 1) build understanding of each other's needs and constraints; 2) ensure formalized, yet flexible mechanisms exist for exchanging critical information; 3) improve hurricane risk communication by integrating social science knowledge to design and test messages with intended audiences; and 4) evaluate, test, and improve the NWS hurricane-related product suite in collaboration with social scientists.
Hypercooling in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Beyond Broadband Emissivity Schemes
Authors: Ponnulakshmi V. K. , Singh D. K. , Mukund V. , Sreenivas K. R. , Subramanian G.
Published: August 2012

In an accompanying paper by Ponnulakshmi et al., the prevailing flux emissivity scheme for nonblack surfaces was shown to include an erroneous reflected flux term. The error leads to a spurious cooling within the opaque bands; an expression for the correct broadband-reflected flux was given that eliminated this spurious cooling contribution. Herein, it is shown that the error is generic in nature, and is relevant to any frequency-parameterized radiation scheme applied to nonblack surfaces; such schemes are typically used in longwave radiation budget calculations. The correct reflected flux, previously developed within the framework of a broadband emissivity scheme in Ponnulakshmi et al., is generalized here so as to be applicable to any frequency-parameterized radiation model. The error is illustrated by comparing the bandwise fluxes, obtained using the prevailing and correct narrowband formulations, for a model (tropical) atmosphere. The flux discrepancy is the smallest for opaque bands within which the participating medium emits like a blackbody, and it is largest in frequency intervals where the medium is nearly transparent.
The Effects of Altimeter Instrument Noise on the Estimation of the Wavenumber Spectrum of Sea Surface Height
Authors: Xu Yongsheng , Fu Lee-Lueng
Published: August 2012

The wavenumber spectrum of sea surface height (SSH) observed by satellite altimetry was analyzed by Xu and Fu. The spectral shape in the wavelength range of 70–250 km was approximated by a power law, representing a regime governed by geostrophic turbulence theories. The effects of altimeter instrument noise were assumed insignificant at wavelengths longer than 70 km. The authors reexamined the assumption in the study. Using nearly simultaneous observations made by Jason-1 and Jason-2 during their cross-calibration phase, this study found that the white noise level of altimetry measurement was best estimated from the spectral values at wavelengths from 25 to 35 km. After removing a white noise level based on such estimate from the SSH spectrum, the spectral slope values changed significantly over most of the oceans. A key finding is that the spectral slopes are generally steeper than k−2 (k is wavenumber) poleward of the 20° latitudes, where flatter spectral slopes in some regions have previously caused problems for dynamic interpretations. The new results indicate that the spectral slopes in the core regions of the major ocean current systems have values between the original geostrophic turbulence theory and the surface quasigeostrophic theory. The near k−4 spectrum suggests that the sea surface height variability at these wavelengths in the high eddy energy regions might be governed by frontogenesis.
Improved Imaging and Image Analysis System for Application to Measurement of Small Ice Crystals
Authors: Kuhn T. , Grishin I. , Sloan J. J.
Published: August 2012

Accurate knowledge of ice particle size and shape distribution is required for understanding of atmospheric microphysical processes. While larger ice particles are easily measured with a variety of sensors, the measurement of small ice particles with sizes down to a few micrometers remains challenging. Here the authors report the development of a system that measures the size and shape of small ice particles using a novel combination of high-resolution imaging and high-speed automated image classification. The optical system has a pixel resolution of 0.2 μm and a resolving power of approximately 1 μm. This imaging instrument is integrated into a cryogenic flow tube that allows precise control of experimental conditions.

This study also describes an automated method for the high-speed analysis of high-resolution particle images. Each particle is located in the image using a Sobel edge detector, the border is vectorized, and a polygon representing the border is found. The vertices of this polygon are expressed in complex coordinates, and an analytic implementation of Fourier shape descriptors is used for piecewise integration along the edges of the polygon.

The authors demonstrate the capabilities of this system in a study of the early-stage growth of ice particles, which are grown for approximately 1 min at fixed temperature and saturated water vapor concentrations in the cryogenic flowtube. Ice particle shapes and size distributions are reported and compared with habit diagrams found in the literature. The capability of the shape recognition system is verified by comparison with manual classification.
Welfare Policy Expansion in Botswana and Mauritius
Authors: Ulriksen Marianne S.
Published: August 2012

How come two developing countries with similar economic, institutional, and democratic attributes have developed vastly different welfare regimes? Drawing inspiration from the welfare regime literature, the author subjects Botswana and Mauritius to a comparative historical analysis that explores the economic and political trajectories of their welfare policy development. The findings offer both support and modifications to the established and mostly Western-oriented literature. First, politics affect welfare policy development. In developing countries, the rural population can promote welfare policy expansion, but it is middle-class interests that shape the direction of policy development. Second, given the importance of politics, conceptualizations of welfare policies need to include both the spending and the financing side. Finally, the causes of different welfare regime paths need to be examined with attention to the particular economic contexts of developing countries and how welfare and economic policies are interrelated and to some extent path dependent.
Routine peace: Technocracy and peacebuilding
Authors: Ginty Roger Mac
Published: August 2012

This article seeks to unpack the implications of technocracy for contemporary peace-building. It aims to illustrate how the bureaucratic imperative explains much about the ascendancy of certain actors to positions of prominence on the peace-building landscape, and the types of activities that these actors engage in. In line with world polity theory, it is interested in the construction and institutionalization of discourses, understandings, expectations and practices of peace-building. It argues that there has been a ‘technocratic turn’ in relation to peace-building, whereby there has been a gradual but persistent trend towards the application of technocracy in the framing of conflict and approaches to it. Two key claims advanced on behalf of technocracy – neutrality and efficiency – are discussed. The article then argues that a complex mix of structural and proximate factors have reinforced the technocratic turn in peace-building. It concludes by considering the extent to which the discursive framing of conflict by key actors predetermines their conflict response. The article is primarily an exercise in conceptual scoping, though it can also be read as a contribution to the critique of the liberal peace and considerations of resistance and agency in peace-building contexts.
Swords into ploughshares: The effect of pacifist public opinion on foreign policy in Western democracies
Authors: Davis William
Published: August 2012

This analysis focuses on the effects of domestic public pacifist opinion and international security threats on foreign policy outputs. Much work has suggested that governments’ foreign policy outputs are responsive to public opinion in advanced democratic countries. Using the cases of several Western democracies, this article offers a theory of the effect of public pacifism on foreign policy. It employs a cross-sectional time-series analysis over a period of a quarter century to test the theory and the generalizability of the hypothesis of an opinion–foreign policy nexus using new measures and broader data. Results here contradict literature on expected public opinion and policy outputs in the Cold War period, yet are supported after. The findings indicate that the predicted effect of public opinion on foreign policy outputs to be conditional on the presence of security threats. Convergence between leaders and public opinion in post-Cold War Western democracies is likely to make hawkish foreign policy less tenable in the West.
Danish foreign policy activism: Differences in kind or degree?
Authors: Pedersen Rasmus Brun
Published: August 2012

Danish foreign policy is under transformation. Different versions of activism have gradually replaced adaptation and lately Denmark has participated more actively and independently in world politics than ever before. The core in activism is based on a liberal value system that seems to have replaced the adaptation logics dominating Danish foreign policy during the Cold War. Activism has evolved from a multilateral inspired activism in the 1990s to a more Atlantic centred activism during the 2000s. While analysts see the different phases as opposites, my argument is that the types of activism should be seen as a difference of degree rather than a difference of kind. ‘Activism’ as a foreign policy strategy, however, should be considered analytically as a difference in kind from the adaptation strategies that dominated Danish foreign policy during the Cold War. The main driving force behind this transformation can be found domestically in the Liberal Party’s dominant position in Danish politics.
Reaping what was sown: Conflict outcome and post-civil war democratization
Authors: Nilsson Marcus
Published: August 2012

What impact does the way a civil war is terminated have on the post-conflict democratization process? This study analyses whether certain types of conflict termination are positive for post-conflict levels of democracy. It is argued that negotiated settlements, being at large more cooperative, are more conducive for democratization than truces or military victories. Stabilizing measures rarely leave possibilities for contestation of elites and thus few incentives to open up post-war society. The empirics reveal that negotiated settlements are the best way to end a conflict if democracy is to develop in its aftermath.
Unfinished transformation: The three phases of complexity’s emergence into international relations and foreign policy
Authors: Lehmann Kai E
Published: August 2012

Ever since the end of the Cold War and, in particular, since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a fierce debate has been taking place both in the academic and the political world about the problems traditional concepts and theories of international relations and foreign policy have in explaining change in international politics. Complexity as a conceptual framework for explaining international politics emerged as a result of this debate and has been making important contributions to it.This article is intended to assess the impact complexity has had on this debate over the last 20 years. It is argued that one can identify three distinct phases of complexity’s emergence into the field of international politics. Whilst the framework has been quite successful in explaining change in international politics and developing concepts to adjust foreign policy to the existence of self-organising complex-adaptive systems, the framework still has some way to go in developing clear alternative strategies for the development of foreign policies processes which not only take account of the complexity encountered by policy-makers but use this complexity to improve policy-outcomes. To this end, the article concludes by suggesting areas for further research.
Who Explains Hurricane Katrina and the Chilean Earthquake as an Act of God? The Experience of Extreme Hardship Predicts Religious Meaning-Making
Authors: Stephens Nicole M. , Fryberg Stephanie A. , Markus Hazel Rose , Hamedani MarYam G.
Published: August 2012

Two studies utilized firsthand accounts from survivors of two major natural disasters—Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Chilean earthquake in 2010—to investigate (1) how people make sense of their disaster experiences and (2) who understands these events in religious terms. We found that describing the disasters as an act of God was among the most common explanations. Moreover, the degree to which survivors encountered extreme hardship—unpredictable, disruptive, and uncontrollable experiences—predicted explanations of the events as an act of God. These findings held even after controlling for demographic factors (educational attainment and race/ethnicity) known to be associated with religiosity. Notably, objective experiences (e.g., seeing dead bodies) were better predictors of religious meaning-making than relatively subjective psychological reactions to those experiences (e.g., fear). These studies extend the literature by examining how experiences of hardship in real-world contexts underlie religious meaning-making and suggest that religiosity emerges, in part, from variation in individual experience.
Combination of document structure and links for multimedia object retrieval
Authors: Aouadi Hatem , Torjmen-Khemakhem Mouna , Jemaa Maher Ben
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we are interested in XML multimedia retrieval, the aim of which is to find relevant multimedia objects such as images, audio and video through their context as document structure. In context-based multimedia retrieval, the most common technique is based on the text surrounding the image. However, such textual information can be irrelevant to the image content. Therefore many works are oriented to the use of alternative techniques to extend the image description, such as the use of ontologies, relevance feedback, and user profiles. We studied in our work the use of links between XML elements to improve image retrieval. More precisely, we propose dividing the document into regions through the document structure and image position. Then we weight links between these regions according to their hierarchical positions, in order to distinguish between links that are useful and those that are not useful. We then apply an updated version of the HITS algorithm at the region level, and compute a final image score by combining link scores with initial image scores. Experiments were done on the INEX 2006 and 2007 multimedia tracks, and showed the potential of our method.
‘Story of one’s life and a tree of friends’ – understanding millennials’ information behaviour in social networks
Authors: Read Pam , Shah Chirag , S-O’Brien Lupita , Woolcott Jaqueline
Published: August 2012

Exploring ways in which new technology impacts adolescents’ information behaviours and creates a social space requires holistic investigation. A qualitative study of 21 seniors in an upper-middle-class suburban high school revealed highly individualized use of Facebook and its features. These included: (i) Friends groups of 50—3700 members, with even the largest groups representative primarily of face-to-face connections, and (ii) a clear articulation within those groups of various categories, each with its own distinct communicative channel and style. A meaningful connection was found between the social value of various social network (SN)-mediated relationships and the communicative modes used to maintain and enhance them. Through a comprehensive literature review and clearly grounded analysis of rich data, this work supports the contention that adolescent social groups in which SNs are embedded form a distinct domain, and establishes a rationale for further investigation of adolescents’ contextualized use of SNs within social relationships.
Tertius Iungens Brokerage and Transnational Intersectoral Cooperation
Authors: Collins-Dogrul Julie
Published: August 2012

Tertius iungens brokerage is unique within the dominant brokerage conceptualizations in sociology. While most brokerage research finds that brokers reap rewards from mediating relationships in ways that keep actors apart, iungens research finds that brokers can have an interest in joining previously disconnected actors and sustaining these relationships. This paper expands the explanatory potential of iungens brokerage by building a multidimensional theoretical framework that explains transnational connecting processes, generating insights beyond the traditional focus on network structures into the under-researched area of brokerage across institutions. The paper synthesizes streams of brokerage research that have developed in relative isolation from each other to elucidate how organizational brokers and their staffs create transnational structural and cognitive connections that draw actors together into intersectoral networks that cross two or more nationally organized regulatory regimes and cultural systems in order to cooperate on complex public good problems. The paper’s case study of public health cooperation on the United States–Mexico border advances the argument that iungens brokerage is necessary to counter the divisive effects that state institutions tend to exert on transnational networks over time.
Metaphors of Failure and the Failures of Metaphor: A Critical Study of Root Metaphors used by Bankers in Explaining the Banking Crisis
Authors: Tourish Dennis , Hargie Owen
Published: August 2012

This paper analyses the testimony of four banking CEOs to the Banking Crisis Inquiry of the Treasury Committee of the UK House of Commons in 2009. We explore the root metaphors they employed as they sought to explain the banking failures that had occurred. Our analysis identifies four such metaphors. First, ‘the wisdom of the crowd’, in that bankers were influenced by the behaviour of significant others. Second, the bankers depict themselves as at times being forced to be passive observers of events. Third, they characterize themselves as victims of the crisis, sharing in the widespread pain it produced. Fourth, they are penitent learners, able and willing to improve. The main intent seems to be to frame public discussion of the crisis in terms which diminishes their responsibility for what happened. We also argue that the bankers’ discourse had limited impact in terms of framing public debate, while the metaphors they employed have the potential to minimize learning from failure. The study of the metaphors of failure that they employed is therefore also the study of the failure of metaphor as an explanatory trope and an aid to organizational learning. In addition, we suggest that the impact of metaphors can be reconsidered in terms of what we term ‘the exclusion principle’. This suggests that, while they achieve some of their effects by a process of comparison between adjacent domains, and a consideration of differences between them, they also can exclude categories of meaning from consideration. Our paper therefore contributes to the literature on metaphor, as well as those considering organizational failure and associated attempts to draw lessons from the banking crisis.
Short-term Exposure of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to Mercury
Authors: Kaewamatawong Theerayuth , Rattanapinyopituk Kasem , Ponpornpisit Aranya , Pirarat Nopadon , Ruangwises Suthep , Rungsipipat Anudep
Published: August 2012

To investigate effects of short-term mercury (Hg) exposure in tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) including histopathological changes, Hg bioaccumulation, and protective role of metallothionein (MT) in different exposure routes, adult tilapias were intraperitoneally injected, orally intubated, or semistatically exposed to 0.5, 1, 2, 5 µg/g mercuric chloride. Histopathology, autometallography (AMG), inductive coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and MT immunohistochemistry were determined at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 days postexposure. Microscopic lesions were observed in the kidney, hepatopancreas, spleen, and intestine. AMG positive grains were found in renal tubule epithelium, melanomacrophage centers (MMCs), and intestinal epithelium of treated tilapias. Hg concentrations measured by ICP-AES in abdominal visceral organs were significantly higher than in other organs. All exposure routes caused lesions of increasing severity and Hg accumulations in a dose-dependent manner. Semistatic groups produced the highest intensity of lesions, AMG positive staining, as well as total Hg concentrations. Positive MT expression in renal tubule epithelium, pancreatic acini, and splenic MMCs was observed only in semistatic groups. The semistatic exposure route demonstrated the most significant microscopic lesions, Hg bioaccumulation, and MT expression.
Comparison of Destructive Periodontal Disease in Blue Iris Mink to PCB 126–induced Mandibular and Maxillary Squamous Epithelial Proliferation in Natural Dark Mink
Authors: Ellick Rachel M. , Fitzgerald Scott D. , Link Jane E. , Bursian Steven J.
Published: August 2012

Mink ( Mustela vison) exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD)-like chemicals have been reported to develop mandibular and maxillary squamous cell proliferation that results in the destruction of alveolar bone and eventual tooth loss. This jaw lesion has been reported in wild mink collected from areas contaminated with TCDD-like compounds and is a potential biomarker for exposure to these chemicals. The blue iris strain of domestic mink is prone to develop severe periodontal disease, which results in destruction of bone and tooth loss that is grossly similar to the lesion induced by exposure to TCDD-like chemicals. A histological assessment of jaws from blue iris mink and natural dark mink exposed to 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) was done to determine whether the oral lesions are similar. The jaw tissue from the blue iris mink had lesions indicative of lymphoplasmacytic gingivitis and osteomyelitis, caused by inflammation entering the dental sulcus, while the jaw tissue from the mink exposed to PCB 126 exhibited squamous epithelial proliferation. Therefore, it was determined that the tooth loss and bone destruction seen in these mink are of different origin despite the similarity of the gross clinical signs.