bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying the Good Lives Model to Male Perpetrators of Domestic Violence
Authors: Langlands Robyn L. , Ward Tony , Gilchrist Elizabeth
Published: July 2009

Domestic violence is a pervasive social problem that has devastating emotional, physical, psychological, and financial costs for individuals, families, and communities. Despite the widespread use of current intervention programmes, recent reviews have demonstrated that these have only a small impact on the reduction of recidivism. In this article, we briefly summarise the features identified in the literature that distinguish domestically violent men from those who do not engage in such behaviours. We then explore the most common interventions used to treat domestic violence offenders and discuss the limitations of these interventions, before outlining the assumptions of the Good Lives Model (GLM), a strength-based approach to the treatment of offenders. We discuss the advantages of using the GLM compared to existing approaches and finally, we consider future directions for the use of the GLM in domestic violence interventions.
A Six-Month Follow-Up Study of Cognitive–Behavioural Treatment Groups for Chinese People with Depression in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Fu Keung Daniel
Published: July 2009

This study presents the results of preliminary findings on the continuing effect of cognitive-behavioural treatment groups (CBT) for Chinese people in Hong Kong with depression at 6-month follow-up. Data from 18 of the 48 CBT group participants was analysed using repeated-measures ANOVAs. The same questionnaire was administered to the participants at the pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up test. The findings reveal that participants continued to maintain significantly fewer symptoms of depression and dysfunctional rules, and significantly more adaptive coping skills and positive emotions when their follow-up test scores were compared to their pretest and posttest scores. Effect size statistics showed mostly medium differences in all of the above outcome measures between the pretest and posttest, and between the pretest and follow-up test (Cohen's d = 0.51–.77). A statistical approach to clinical significance revealed that in the follow-up test, over 60% of the participants could be considered clinically recovered or clinically remitted. Lastly, the results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses provided some evidence of a linkage between cognition and depression among the participants at posttest and follow-up. This study appears to support the continuing effect of CBT groups for Chinese people in Hong Kong with depression at a 6-month follow-up.
The Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR) Program: The Effectiveness of the Second, Shorter Pilot of a Workplace Prevention Program
Authors: Liossis Poppy L. , Shochet Ian M. , Millear Prudence M. , Biggs Herbert
Published: July 2009

The Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR) program is a strengths-based resilience building program that integrates Interpersonal and CBT perspectives. The second, successful pilot of the PAR program in the human-service departments of a local government organisation used a 7-week format. At posttest, PAR participants reported greater self-efficacy, more family satisfaction, greater work–life fit and balance and less negative family–work spillover than the comparison group. At the 6-month follow up, these gains were maintained, although to a lesser degree, with work–life balance being considerably strengthened, and negative spillover in both directions reduced. Participants also reported greater optimism, greater work satisfaction, less stress and promisingly for human service workers, exhaustion was reduced and work vigour was increased. This is important for human service professions as exhaustion, a component of burnout, is associated with higher employee turnover and poorer employee outcomes. Participants reported that they could easily incorporate the new skills into their lives and at follow up, they continued to use the skills to manage the demands of their work and family lives.
The Embryonic Preoptic Area Is a Novel Source of Cortical GABAergic Interneurons
Authors: Gelman Diego M. , Martini Francisco J. , Nóbrega-Pereira Sandrina , Pierani Alessandra , Kessaris Nicoletta , Marín Oscar
Published: July 2009

GABA-containing (GABAergic) interneurons play an important role in the function of the cerebral cortex. Through mostly inhibitory mechanisms, interneurons control hyperexcitability and synchronize and shape the spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity underlying various brain functions. Studies over the past 10 years have demonstrated that, in most mammals, interneurons originate during development from the subcortical telencephalon—the subpallium—and reach the cerebral cortex through tangential migration. Until now, interneurons have been demonstrated to derive exclusively from two subpallial regions, the medial ganglionic eminence and the caudal ganglionic eminence. Here, we show that another subpallial structure, the preoptic area, is a novel source of cortical GABAergic interneurons in the mouse.In uterolabeling and genetic lineage-tracing experiments demonstrate that neurons born in this region migrate to the neocortex and hippocampus, where they differentiate into a distinct population of GABAergic interneurons with relatively uniform neurochemical, morphological, and electrophysiological properties.
Submillisecond Optical Reporting of Membrane PotentialIn SituUsing a Neuronal Tracer Dye
Authors: Bradley Jonathan , Luo Ray , Otis Thomas S. , DiGregorio David A.
Published: July 2009

A major goal in neuroscience is the development of optical reporters of membrane potential that are easy to use, have limited phototoxicity, and achieve the speed and sensitivity necessary for detection of individual action potentials in single neurons. Here we present a novel, two-component optical approach that attains these goals. By combining DiO, a fluorescent neuronal tracer dye, with dipicrylamine (DPA), a molecule whose membrane partitioning is voltage-sensitive, optical signals related to changes in membrane potential based on FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) are reported. Using DiO/DPA in HEK-293 cells with diffraction-limited laser spot illumination, depolarization-induced fluorescence changes of 56% per 100 mV (τ ∼ 0.1 ms) were obtained, while in neuronal cultures and brain slices, action potentials (APs) generated a ΔF/Fper 100 mV of >25%. The high sensitivity provided by DiO/DPA enabled the detection of subthreshold activity and high-frequency APs in single trials from somatic, axonal, or dendritic membrane compartments. Recognizing that DPA can depress excitability, we assayed the amplitude and duration of single APs, burst properties, and spontaneous firing in neurons of primary cultures and brain slices and found that they are undetectably altered by up to 2 μmDPA and only slightly perturbed by 5 μmDPA. These findings substantiate a simple, noninvasive method that relies on a neuronal tracer dye for monitoring electrical signal flow, and offers unique flexibility for the study of signaling within intact neuronal circuits.
Upregulation of Glt1 Attenuates Cue-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine-Seeking Behavior in Rats
Authors: Sari Youssef , Smith Kathryn D. , Ali Pir K. , Rebec George V.
Published: July 2009

Relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior depends on increased glutamate transmission in key regions of the mesocorticolimbic motive circuit, including prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Because GLT1 is responsible for the uptake of ≥90% of extracellular glutamate, we tested the hypothesis that increased GLT1 expression attenuates cocaine relapse. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.125 mg per intravenous infusion) in a lever-pressing task in a daily 2 h session for 10–14 d followed by 5 d of extinction training. Immediately after each extinction session, rats received ceftriaxone (intraperitoneally), a β-lactam antibiotic believed to increase GLT1 expression, or vehicle. On the following day, presentation of the cue (light and tone) previously associated with cocaine self-administration reinstated lever pressing in rats treated with vehicle, whereas 100 or 200, but not 50 mg/kg ceftriaxone blocked this response. Immunoblotting confirmed that the ceftriaxone-induced blockade of cocaine relapse was associated with an increase in GLT1 expression in both PFC and NAcc. In separate groups of rats, 200 mg/kg ceftriaxone failed to block cue-induced food seeking, arguing against a ceftriaxone-induced effect unique to extinction training or lever pressing. Our results suggest that glutamate plays a key role in cue-induced relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior, implicating GLT1 as a potential therapeutic target for cocaine addiction.
Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Induces Periodic Burst Firing and Concomitant Cytosolic Ca2+Oscillations in Cerebellar Interneurons
Authors: Collin Thibault , Franconville Romain , Ehrlich Barbara E. , Llano Isabel
Published: July 2009

Little is known about the generation of slow rhythms in brain neuronal circuits. Nevertheless, a few studies, both from reconstituted systems and from hippocampal slices, indicate that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) could generate such rhythms. Here we show in rat cerebellar slices that after either release of glutamate by repetitive stimulation, or direct stimulation of type 1 mGluRs, molecular layer interneurons exhibit repetitive slow Ca2+transients. By combining cell-attached patch-clamp recording with Ca2+imaging, we show that the regular Ca2+transients (mean frequency, 35 mHz induced by 2 μmquisqualate in the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptor blockers) are locked with bursts of action potentials. Nevertheless, the Ca2+transients are not blocked by tetrodotoxin, indicating that firing is not necessary to entrain oscillations. The first Ca2+transient within a train is different in several ways from subsequent transients. It is broader than the subsequent transients, displays a different phase relationship to associated spike bursts, and exhibits a distinct sensitivity to ionic and pharmacological manipulations. Whereas the first transient appears to involve entry of Ca2+ions through transient receptor potential channel-like channels and secondarily activated L-type Ca2+channels, subsequent transients rely mostly on an exchange of Ca2+ions between the cytosol andd-myo-inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive intracellular Ca2+stores. The slow, highly regular oscillations observed in the present work are likely to drive pauses in postsynaptic Purkinje cells, and could play a role in coordinating slow oscillations involving the cerebello-olivar circuit loop.
More than a Retrograde Messenger: Nitric Oxide Needs Two cGMP Pathways to Induce Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation
Authors: Taqatqeh Feras , Mergia Evanthia , Neitz Angela , Eysel Ulf T. , Koesling Doris , Mittmann Thomas
Published: July 2009

Although nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated as a messenger molecule in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) for almost 20 years, its precise function has not been elucidated because presynaptic and/or postsynaptic actions of NO have been reported. Most of the effects of NO as a signaling molecule are mediated by the NO receptor guanylyl cyclases (NO-GCs), two heme-containing enzymes with pronounced homology in which cGMP-forming activity is stimulated on NO binding. Here we report on knock-out (KO) mice in which either one of the NO-GC receptors has been genetically deleted. By measuring NO-induced cGMP levels, similar quantities of both NO-GC receptors were determined in the hippocampus. Surprisingly, hippocampal LTP was abolished in either one of the KO strains, demonstrating that both NO-GC receptors are required in the course of LTP. Expression of LTP was restored with a cGMP analog in one of the KO strains but did not recover in the other one. Moreover, single-cell recordings of paired pulse facilitation revealed a presynaptic role of one of the NO-GC isoforms in neurotransmitter release, confirming different roles of the NO-GC receptors in LTP. Because neither one of the NO/cGMP-induced responses by itself is sufficient for LTP, two divergent, possibly presynaptically and postsynaptically localized NO-stimulated cGMP pathways are apparently required for the expression of LTP. The unexpected role of cGMP at two sites of the synaptic cleft explains many of the controversial results in former NO research in LTP and demonstrates the necessity of presynaptic and postsynaptic changes for LTP expression.
Decreased Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Depends on Amyloid Aggregation State in Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Peng Shiyong , Garzon Diego J. , Marchese Monica , Klein William , Ginsberg Stephen D. , Francis Beverly M. , Mount Howard T. J. , Mufson Elliott J. , Salehi Ahmad , Fahnestock Margaret
Published: July 2009

Downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the cortex occurs early in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since BDNF plays a critical role in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and memory, BDNF reduction may contribute to synaptic and cellular loss and memory deficits characteristic of AD.In vitroevidence suggests that amyloid-β (Aβ) contributes to BDNF downregulation in AD, but the specific Aβ aggregation state responsible for this downregulationin vivois unknown. In the present study, we examined cortical levels of BDNF mRNA in three different transgenic AD mouse models harboring mutations inAPPresulting in Aβ overproduction, and in a genetic mouse model of Down syndrome. Two of the three Aβ transgenic strains (APPNLhand TgCRND8) exhibited significantly decreased cortical BDNF mRNA levels compared with wild-type mice, whereas neither the other strain (APPswe/PS-1) nor the Down syndrome mouse model (Ts65Dn) was affected. OnlyAPPNLhand TgCRND8 mice expressed high Aβ42/Aβ40ratios and larger SDS-stable Aβ oligomers (∼115 kDa). TgCRND8 mice exhibited downregulation of BDNF transcripts III and IV; transcript IV is also downregulated in AD. Furthermore, in all transgenic mouse strains, there was a correlation between levels of large oligomers, Aβ42/Aβ40, and severity of BDNF decrease. These data show that the amount and species of Aβ vary among transgenic mouse models of AD and are negatively correlated with BDNF levels. These findings also suggest that the effect of Aβ on decreased BDNF expression is specific to the aggregation state of Aβ and is dependent on large oligomers.
Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the 2B Subunit of the NMDA Receptor Is Necessary for Taste Memory Formation
Authors: Barki-Harrington Liza , Elkobi Alina , Tzabary Tali , Rosenblum Kobi
Published: July 2009

We aimed to test whether tyrosine phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) in the insular cortex is necessary for novel taste learning. We found that in rats, novel taste learning leads to elevated phosphorylation of tyrosine 1472 of the NR2B subunit of the NMDAR and increases the interaction of phosphorylated NR2B with the major postsynaptic scaffold protein PSD-95. Injection of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein directly into the insular cortex of rats before novel taste exposure prevented the increase in NR2B tyrosine phosphorylation and behaviorally attenuated taste-memory formation. Functionally, tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2B after learning was found to determine the synaptic distribution of the NMDAR, since microinjection of genistein to the insular cortex altered the distribution pattern of NMDAR caused by novel taste learning.
Spatiotemporal Convergence of Semantic Processing in Reading and Speech Perception
Authors: Vartiainen Johanna , Parviainen Tiina , Salmelin Riitta
Published: July 2009

Retrieval of word meaning from the semantic system and its integration with context are often assumed to be shared by spoken and written words. How is modality-independent semantic processing manifested in the brain, spatially and temporally? Time-sensitive neuroimaging allows tracking of neural activation sequences. Use of semantically related versus unrelated word pairs or sentences ending with a semantically highly or less plausible word, in separate studies of the auditory and visual modality, has associated lexical-semantic analysis with sustained activation at ∼200–800 ms. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies have further identified the superior temporal cortex as a main locus of the semantic effect. Nevertheless, a direct comparison of the spatiotemporal neural correlates of visual and auditory word comprehension in the same brain is lacking. We used MEG to compare lexical-semantic analysis in the visual and auditory domain in the same individuals, and contrasted it with phonological analysis that, according to models of language perception, should occur at a different time with respect to semantic analysis in reading and speech perception. The stimuli were lists of four words that were either semantically or phonologically related, or with the final word unrelated to the preceding context. Superior temporal activation reflecting semantic processing occurred similarly in the two modalities, left-lateralized at 300–450 ms and thereafter bilaterally, generated in close-by areas. Effect of phonology preceded the semantic effect in speech perception but not in reading. The present data indicate involvement of the middle superior temporal cortex in semantic processing from ∼300 ms onwards, regardless of input modality.
An Integrin–Contactin Complex Regulates CNS Myelination by Differential Fyn Phosphorylation
Authors: Laursen Lisbeth Schmidt , Chan Colin W. , ffrench-Constant Charles
Published: July 2009

The understanding of how adhesion molecules mediate the axon–glial interactions in the CNS that ensure target-dependent survival of oligodendrocytes and initiate myelination remains incomplete. Here, we investigate how signals from adhesion molecules can be integrated to regulate these initial steps of myelination. We first demonstrate that the Ig superfamily molecule contactin is associated in oligodendrocytes with integrins, extracellular matrix receptors that regulate target-dependent survival by amplification of growth factor signaling. This amplification is inhibited by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of contactin in oligodendrocytes. In contrast, the presence of L1-Fc, the extracellular portion of a contactin ligand expressed on axons, enhanced survival and additionally promoted myelination in cocultures of neurons and oligodendrocytes. We further demonstrate that the signals from contactin and integrin are integrated by differential phosphorylation of the Src family kinase Fyn. Integrin induced dephosphorylation of the inhibitory Tyr-531, whereas contactin increased phosphorylation of both Tyr-531 and the activating Tyr-420. The combined effect is an enhanced activity of Fyn and also a dynamic regulation of the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation balance of Fyn, as required for normal cell adhesion and spreading. We conclude, therefore, that a novel integrin/contactin complex coordinates signals from extracellular matrix and the axonal surface to regulate both oligodendrocyte survival and myelination by controlling Fyn activity.
Quality Time: Representation of a Multidimensional Sensory Domain through Temporal Coding
Authors: Di Lorenzo Patricia M. , Chen Jen-Yung , Victor Jonathan D.
Published: July 2009

Receptive fields of sensory neurons in the brain are usually restricted to a portion of the entire stimulus domain. At all levels of the gustatory neuraxis, however, there are many cells that are broadly tuned, i.e., they respond well to each of the basic taste qualities (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter). Although it might seem that this broad tuning precludes a major role for these cells in representing taste space, here we show the opposite—namely, that the tastant-specific temporal aspects (firing rate envelope and spike timing) of their responses enable each cell to represent the entire stimulus domain. Specifically, we recorded the response patterns of cells in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) to representatives of four basic taste qualities and their binary mixtures. We analyzed the temporal aspects of these responses, and used their similarities and differences to construct the taste space represented by each neuron. We found that for the more broadly tuned neurons in the NTS, the taste space is a systematic representation of the entire taste domain. That is, the taste space of these broadly tuned neurons is three dimensional, with basic taste qualities widely separated and binary mixtures placed close to their components. Further, the way that taste quality is represented by the firing rate envelope is consistent across the population of cells. Thus, the temporal characteristics of responses in the population of NTS neurons, especially those that are more broadly tuned, produce a comprehensive and logical representation of the taste world.
Proteinase-Activated Receptors in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract: Evidence for Glial–Neural Interactions in Autonomic Control of the Stomach
Authors: Hermann Gerlinda E. , Van Meter Montina J. , Rood Jennifer C. , Rogers Richard C.
Published: July 2009

Bleeding head injury is associated with gastric stasis, a symptom of collapse of autonomic control of the gut described by Cushing around 1932. Recent work suggests that the proteinase thrombin, produced secondary to bleeding, may be the root cause. Results from ourin vivophysiological studies show that fourth ventricular injection of PAR1 agonists, as well as thrombin itself, produced significant reductions in gastric transit in the awake rat. We expected that the PAR1 effect to inhibit gastric transit was the result of direct action on vagovagal reflex circuitry in the dorsal medulla. Surprisingly, our immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that PAR1 receptors are localized exclusively to the astrocytes and not the neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST; principal locus integrating visceral afferent input and part of the gastric vagovagal reflex control circuitry). Ourin vitrocalcium imaging studies of hindbrain slices revealed that PAR1 activation initially causes a dramatic increase in astrocytic calcium, followed seconds later by an increase in calcium signal in NST neurons. The neuronal effect, but not the astrocytic effect, of PAR1 activation was eliminated by glutamate receptor antagonism. TTX did not eliminate the effects of PAR1 activation on either glia or neurons. Thus, we propose that glia are the primary CNS sensors for PAR agonists and that the response of these glial cells drives the activity of adjacent (e.g., NST) neurons. These results show, for the first time, that changes in autonomic control can be directly signaled by glial detection of local chemical stimuli.
Performance Evaluation of Absorbent Materials in Evaporative Cooling System for the Storage of Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Olosunde William Adebisi , Igbeka J.C. , Olurin Taiwo Olufemi
Published: July 2009

An experimental storage based on the principle of evaporative cooling was designed to evaluate the performance of three natural absorbent fiber materials to be used as cooling pads. The absorbent materials were jute, hessian and cotton waste. The performance criteria included cooling efficiency, material performance and total amount of heat load removed from the evaporative cooler. The results showed that under the no-load condition, the average cooling efficiency was highest for jute at 86.2%, compared to 76.3% for cotton waste and 61.7% for hessian fiber. Materials performance tests results showed that the highest resistance to mold formation was exhibited by hessian followed by cotton waste, while the jute fiber had very poor performance. The heat load determination also showed that products stored in the cooler with jute as water absorbent produced the least heat of respiration, followed by cotton waste and hessian in that order. The total results indicated that jute had the overall advantage over the other materials. However, if the cotton waste surface could be modified to offer larger surface required for evaporation, it would be the best alternative because the jute surface is prone to mold formation.
Anarchy and Development: An Application of the Theory of Second Best
Authors: Leeson Peter T. , Williamson Claudia R.
Published: July 2009

Could anarchy be a constrained optimum for weak and failing states? Although a limited government that protects citizens' property rights and provides public goods may be the first-best governance arrangement for economic development, among the poorest nations such ``ideal political governance" is not an option. LDCs face a more sobering choice: ``predatory political governance" or no government at all. Many predatory governments do more to damage their citizens' welfare than to enhance it. In light of this, we show that conditional on failure to satisfy a key institutional condition required for ideal political governanceconstrained politicscitizens' welfare is maximized by departing from the other conditions required for this form of governance: state-supplied law and courts, state-supplied police, and state-supplied public goods. Since departing from these conditions produces anarchy and fulfilling them when government is unconstrained producers predatory political governance, anarchy is a second best.
Correlations between Pre-Veterinary Course Requirements and Academic Performance in the Veterinary Curriculum: Implications for Admissions
Authors: Kogan Lori R. , Stewart Sherry M. , Schoenfeld-Tacher Regina , Janke Janet M.
Published: July 2009

This study addressed how students’ undergraduate science courses influence their academic performance in a veterinary program, and examined what implications this may have for the veterinary admissions process. The undergraduate transcripts and veterinary school rankings of current third-year veterinary students at Colorado State University were coded and analyzed. Because the study found no statistically meaningful relationships between the pre-veterinary coursework parameters and class rank, it could be concluded that veterinary schools may be unnecessarily restricting access to the profession by requiring long and complicated lists of prerequisite courses that have a questionable predictive value on performance in veterinary school. If a goal of veterinary schools is to use the admissions process to enhance recruitment and provide the flexibility necessary to admit applicants who have the potential to fill the current and emerging needs of the profession, schools may want to re-evaluate how they view pre-veterinary course requirements. One of the recommendations generated from the results of this study is to create a list of veterinary prerequisite courses common to all schools accredited by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. It is suggested that this might simplify pre-veterinary advising, enhance recruitment, and provide flexibility for admitting nontraditional but desirable applicants, without impacting the quality of admitted veterinary students.
Assessment of Applicants to the Veterinary Curriculum Using a Multiple Mini-Interview Method
Authors: Hecker Kent , Donnon Tyrone , Fuentealba Carmen , Hall David , Illanes Oscar , Morck Doug W. , Muelling Christoph
Published: July 2009

This study describes the development, implementation, and psychometric assessment of the multiple mini-interview (MMI) for the inaugural class of veterinary medicine applicants at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM). The MMI is a series of approximately five to 12 10-minute interviews that consist of situational events. Applicants are given a scenario and asked to work through an issue or behavioral-type questions that are meant to assess one attribute (e.g., empathy) at a time. This structure allows for multiple assessments of the applicants by trained interviewers on the same questions. MMI scenario development was based on a review of the noncognitive attributes currently assessed by the 31 veterinary schools across Canada and the United States and the goals and objectives of UCVM. The noncognitive attributes of applicants (N = 110) were assessed at five stations, by two interviewers within each station, on three items using a standardized rating form on an anchored 1–5 scale. The method was determined to be reliable (G-coefficient = 0.88) and demonstrated evidence of validity. The MMI score did not correlate with grade-point average (r = 0.12, p = 0.22). While neither the applicants nor interviewers had participated in an MMI format before, both groups reported the process to be acceptable in a post-interview questionnaire. This analysis provides preliminary evidence of the reliability, validity, and acceptability of the MMI in assessing the noncognitive attributes of applicants for veterinary medical school admissions.
Practical Classes: A Platform for Deep Learning? Overall Context in the First-Year Veterinary Curriculum
Authors: Ryan Marion T. , Baird Alan W. , Mulholland Clive W. , Irwin Jane A.
Published: July 2009

The aim of this study is to evaluate the many practical formats that support the first-year veterinary curriculum. These practical classes are diverse in content and style. They include laboratory-based formats, classes involving live animals and cadavers, classes conducted using computer-aided learning tools, study groups, and information technology training. This preliminary study examines ratings for these practical classes, but also relates these ratings to students’ approaches to study with the aim of understanding how a deep learning approach manifests itself in the practical setting. The diverse behaviors and attitudes to practical classes are also evaluated in the light of the approaches to study. A questionnaire that evaluated (1) a total of 24 practical classes, (2) the 52-item Approaches to Study Inventory, and (3) 13 behaviors within and attitudes to practical classes was distributed to 69 first-year veterinary students in their final term. Practical classes that involved live animals and cadavers were rated most positively by this group of students. These ratings, however, did not correlate significantly with the deep or surface learning score. The majority of practical classes where the ratings were found to be associated with deep and surface learning were laboratory-based, although overall these practical classes tended to be rated lower than those involving animals. Ratings did not correlate significantly with the strategic approach. A number of behaviors and attitudes to practical classes were also found to be positively and significantly (p = 0.0001) associated with the deep learning approach. This preliminary study indicates that this cohort of veterinary students has an overall positive perception of practical classes that permit contact with live animals or cadavers. Although the perception of laboratory-type practical classes was lower overall, the ratings for these practical classes appeared to be influenced by their deep and surface learning scores. We hypothesize that these approaches influence student engagement with and appreciation of laboratory-type classes, but not of classes involving live animals or cadavers. This would suggest that a different “type” of learning is taking place in these different contexts.
Evaluation of Student Abilities to Respond to a “Real-World” Question about an Emerging Infectious Disease
Authors: Phalen David N.
Published: July 2009

Veterinarians play an important role in educating the public about emerging animal and zoonotic diseases. This article investigates the ability of third-year veterinary students (N = 31), from a veterinary school in the USA, to respond to an actual client's question about an emerging disease. In an open-book, take-home examination, students were asked to respond to a nurse's concern that she could bring home influenza from work and infect her macaw. While 75% of the students answered the question correctly, only 51% demonstrated that they understood that this question came from the ongoing publicity about the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Additional information that would have decreased the client's concern and provided the client with a better understanding of this disease outbreak was lacking in many of the answers. The results of this study suggest that greater emphasis should be applied to exercises requiring veterinary students to research, carefully study, and formulate answers to applied topics that are novel to them.
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine: An Overview
Authors: DeYoung David J. , Spackman Claire J.A.
Published: July 2009

The Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine model of veterinary education, which provides students’ pre-clinical education at one central location and clinical training at multiple affiliated clinical sites, has been in existence for more than 25 years. This article reviews the Veterinary Medicine Program at Ross University on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, presenting the school's mission in education and research as well as a description of the campus facilities, faculty, admissions standards, curricular overview, academic standards, and methods of program assessment.
Demographics and Employment Destinations of a New Group of Veterinary Technologists in Australia
Authors: Clarke Patricia M. , Schull Daniel N. , Coleman Glen T.
Published: July 2009

This article provides a descriptive analysis of the demographics and employment destinations of the first three cohorts (2003–2005) of graduates (N = 69) from a program that is unique in Australia: the Bachelor of Applied Science (Veterinary Technology) at the University of Queensland. Data for this study were collected in February 2006 via e-mail, telephone, or personal communication with graduates, and from university records. Ninety-three percent (64/69) of the graduates were female. The mean age was 23 years, and 58% (40/69) had entered university directly from high school. Employment destinations were determined for 96% of the graduates (N = 66). Of those, 52% (34/66) were employed in veterinary practices. Government agencies and allied animal industries accounted for 15% (10/66). Another 14% (9/66) had enrolled in further undergraduate study. Three percent (2/66) had enrolled in a research honors year or a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree program at the School of Veterinary Science. Eight percent (5/66) were employed in wildlife parks, zoos, or universities, and the remaining 9% (6/66) were traveling overseas, seeking employment, or employed outside the field. The study revealed that graduates were employed in diverse veterinary and allied animal health occupations. There appears to be a niche for Australian veterinary technology graduates educated in a university environment that complements the role of the veterinary profession in the twenty-first century. This reflects trends emerging in other countries, most notably the United States and the United Kingdom.
On the effects of temperature on the strength of H2SO4-doped ice single crystals
Authors: Li Xiang , Iliescu Daniel , Baker Ian
Published: July 2009

Previously, it was shown that the reduction in peak stress of single crystal ice at −20°C due to H2SO4, Δσ, could be described by Δσ = kC1/2, where C is the sulfuric acid concentration and k is a constant. Here we show that the strength reduction due to H2SO4 is more general and that the reduction is greater as the temperature decreases. Δσ was again found to be proportional to C1/2 at −10°C, but k at −10°C was significantly less than at −20°C.
A three-dimensional ice-sheet flow solution
Authors: Morland L.W.
Published: July 2009

An accurate three-dimensional reduced model (shallow-ice approximation) flow with velocity depending on all three spatial coordinates is constructed for the commonly adopted isotropic viscous law with temperature-dependent rate factor. The solution is for steady flow with a prescribed temperature distribution, but can be extended to flow with a coupled energy balance, and to unsteady flow. The accuracy hinges on the reduction to a two-point ordinary differential equation problem for the surface profile, on an unknown span, for which established accurate numerical methods are available. This is achieved by setting one horizontal velocity component in elliptic cylindrical coordinates to zero, but the other two components depend on all three spatial variables. While not of direct physical interest, such an ‘exact’ solution is valuable as a test solution for the large-scale numerical codes commonly used in ice-sheet modelling, which have not yet been subjected to such a comparison.
Surface structure and stability of the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Glasser N.F. , Kulessa B. , Luckman A. , Jansen D. , King E.C. , Sammonds P.R. , Scambos T.A. , Jezek K.C.
Published: July 2009

A structural glaciological description and analysis of surface morphological features of the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, is derived from satellite images spanning the period 1963–2007. The data are evaluated in two time ranges: a comparison of a 1963 satellite image photomosaic with a modern digital mosaic compiled using 2003/04 austral summer data; and an image series since 2003 showing recent evolution of the shelf. We map the ice-shelf edge, rift swarms, crevasses and crevasse traces, and linear longitudinal structures (called ‘flow stripes’ or ‘streak lines’). The latter are observed to be continuous over distances of up to 200 km from the grounding line to the ice-shelf edge, with little evidence of changes in pattern over that distance. Integrated velocity measurements along a flowline indicate that the shelf has been stable for ∼560 years in the mid-shelf area. Linear longitudinal features may be grouped into 12 units, each related to one or a small group of outlet feeder glaciers to the shelf. We observe that the boundaries between these flow units often mark rift terminations. The boundary zones originate upstream at capes, islands or other suture areas between outlet glaciers. In agreement with previous work, our findings imply that rift terminations within such suture zones indicate that they contain anomalously soft ice. We thus suggest that suture zones within the Larsen C ice shelf, and perhaps within ice shelves more generally, may act to stabilize them by reducing regional stress intensities and thus rates of rift lengthening.
Surge of a small East Greenland glacier, 2001–2007, suggests Svalbard-type surge mechanism
Authors: Jiskoot Hester , Juhlin Daniel T.
Published: July 2009

Clusters of surge-type glaciers occur in many areas peripheral to the Greenland ice sheet (Weidick, 1988). In East Greenland (68–72° N), 30–70% of glaciers are of surge type, but only five of these have been described (Jiskoot and others, 2003, and references therein). Regional surge characteristics and dynamics have been used to suggest a hydrologically controlled surge mechanism, with surge behaviour that is more Alaskan-type than Svalbard-type in this region (Jiskoot and others, 2001, 2003; Murray and others, 2002, 2003; Pritchard and others, 2005).
Estimation of debris cover and its temporal variation using optical satellite sensor data: a case study in Chenab basin, Himalaya
Authors: Shukla A. , Gupta R.P. , Arora M.K.
Published: July 2009

Debris cover over glaciers greatly affects their rate of ablation and is a sensitive indicator of glacier health. This study focuses on estimation of debris cover over Samudratapu glacier, Chenab basin, Himalaya, using optical remote-sensing data. Remote-sensing image data of IRS-1C LISS-III (September 2001), IRS-P6 AWiFS (September 2004) and Terra ASTER (September 2004) along with Survey of India topographical maps (1963) were used in the study. Supervised classification of topographically corrected reflectance image data was systematically conducted to map six land-cover classes in the glacier terrain: snow, ice, mixed ice and debris, debris, valley rock, and water. An accuracy assessment of the classification was conducted using the ASTER visible/near-infrared data as the reference. The overall accuracies of the glacier-cover maps were found to range from 83.7% to 89.1%, whereas the individual class accuracy of debris-cover mapping was found to range from 82% to 95%. This shows that supervised classification of topographically corrected reflectance data is effective for the extraction of debris cover. In addition, a comparative study of glacier-cover maps generated from remote-sensing data (supervised classification) of September 2001 and September 2004 and Survey of India topographical maps (1963) has highlighted the trends of glacier depletion and recession. The glacier snout receded by about 756 m from 1963 to 2004, and the total glacier area was reduced by 13.7 km2 (from 110 km2 in 1963). Further, glacier retreat is found to be accompanied by a decrease in mixed ice and debris and a marked increase in debris-cover area. The area covered by valley rock is found to increase, confirming an overall decrease in the glacier area. The results from this study demonstrate the applicability of optical remote-sensing data in monitoring glacier terrain, and particularly mapping debris-cover area.
Englacial drainage systems formed by hydrologically driven crevasse propagation
Authors: Benn Douglas , Gulley Jason , Luckman Adrian , Adamek Artur , Glowacki Piotr S.
Published: July 2009

Recent work has shown that surface-to-bed drainage systems re-form annually on parts of the Greenland ice sheet and some High Arctic glaciers, leading to speed-up events soon after the onset of summer melt. Surface observations and geophysical data indicate that such systems form by hydrologically driven fracture propagation (herein referred to as ‘hydrofracturing’), although little is known about their characteristics. Using speleological techniques, we have explored and surveyed englacial drainage systems formed by hydrofracturing in glaciers in Svalbard, Nepal and Alaska. In Hansbreen, Svalbard, vertical shafts were followed through ∼60 m of cold ice and ∼10 m of temperate basal ice to a subglacial conduit. Deep hydrofracturing occurred at this site due to a combination of extensional ice flow and abundant surface meltwater at a glacier confluence. The englacial drainage systems in Khumbu Glacier, Nepal, and Matanuska Glacier, Alaska, USA, formed in areas of longitudinal compression and transverse extension and consist of vertical slots that plunge down-glacier at angles of 55° or less. The occurrence of englacial drainages initiated by hydrofracturing in diverse glaciological regimes suggests that it is a very widespread process, and that surface-to-bed drainage can occur wherever high meltwater supply coincides with ice subjected to sufficiently large tensile stresses.
Modeling time series of microwave brightness temperature in Antarctica
Authors: Picard G. , Brucker L. , Fily M. , Gallée H. , Krinner G.
Published: July 2009

This paper aims to interpret the temporal variations of microwave brightness temperature (at 19 and 37GHz and at vertical and horizontal polarizations) in Antarctica using a physically based snow dynamic and emission model (SDEM). SDEM predicts time series of top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature from widely available surface meteorological data (ERA-40 re-analysis). To do so, it successively computes the heat flux incoming the snowpack, the snow temperature profile, the microwaves emitted by the snow and, finally, the propagation of the microwaves through the atmosphere up to the satellite. Since the model contains several parameters whose value is variable and uncertain across the continent, the parameter values are optimized for every 50 km × 50 km pixel. Simulation results show that the model is inadequate in the melt zone (where surface melting occurs on at least a few days a year) because the snowpack structure and its temporal variations are too complex. In contrast, the accuracy is reasonably good in the dry zone and varies between 2 and 4 K depending on the frequency and polarization of observations and on the location. At the Antarctic scale, the error is larger where wind is usually stronger, suggesting either that meteorological data are less accurate in windy regions or that some neglected processes (e.g. windpumping, surface scouring) are important. At Dome C, in calm conditions, a detailed analysis shows that most of the error is due to inaccuracy of the ERA-40 air temperature (∼2 K). Finally, the paper discusses the values of the optimized parameters and their spatial variations across the Antarctic.
Temperature and vapour-trajectory controls on the stable-isotope signal in Canadian Rocky Mountain snowpacks
Authors: Sinclair K.E. , Marshall S.J.
Published: July 2009

The effects of temperature and seasonal air-mass trajectories on stable water isotopes in alpine snowpacks are investigated using meteorological and snow-pit data at two alpine field sites in the Canadian Rocky Mountains: Haig Glacier, Alberta, and Opabin Glacier, British Columbia. Snow pits were sampled through three accumulation seasons (October–June, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07) for δ18O, δD, temperature and density. The isotopic characteristics of precipitation over these time periods, including the local meteoric waterline and average δ18O, δD and deuterium excess, were defined using this dataset. Individual snowfall events over the three seasons were identified in the accumulation records from both sites and then fit to snow-pit stratigraphies to determine their mean isotopic characteristics. A trajectory classification was produced for all events, and the key meteorological characteristics of each trajectory class were investigated using data from alpine field sites and a suite of meteorological records from the region. An analysis of the relative influences of temperature and air-mass trajectory on snow isotope ratios reveals some separation in mean δ18O between storm classes. However, the separation appears to be driven primarily by the mean temperature of each class rather then being a direct effect of vapour pathway.
Constituent elements of insoluble and non-volatile particles during the Last Glacial Maximum exhibited in the Dome Fuji (Antarctica) ice core
Authors: Iizuka Yoshinori , Miyake Takayuki , Hirabayashi Motohiro , Suzuki Toshitaka , Matoba Sumito , Motoyama Hideaki , Fujii Yoshiyuki , Hondoh Takeo
Published: July 2009

In order to find environmental signals based on the dust and calcium-ion concentrations in ice cores, we determine the constituent elements of residue particles obtained after melting ice samples. We have designed a sublimating system that operates at −45°C, below the eutectic temperatures of major salts. This system permits us to obtain a great many non-volatile particles. After studying the non-volatile particles, we immersed them in water to remove soluble particles and compounds. We thereby analyzed a total of 1272 residue particles (from the melted sample), 2418 non-volatile particles (after sublimation) and 1463 insoluble particles taken from five sections of Last Glacial Maximum ice from the Dome Fuji (Antarctica) ice core. Their constituent elements were determined by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and compared to the dust, calcium-ion and sodium-ion concentrations measured by ion chromatography. Our results indicate that >99.9% of the insoluble particles contain silicon but no sulfur, nitrogen or chlorine. A significant number of the non-volatile particles, however, contain sulfur and chlorine. We conclude that insoluble dust consists mostly of silicate, that almost all calcium ions originate from calcium sulfate and that almost all sodium ions originate from sodium sulfate and sodium chloride.