bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of complex survey design on prevalence estimates of intakes of food groups in the Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey
Authors: Burden Sandy , Probst Yasmine , Steel David , Tapsell Linda
Published: December 2011

Objective

To assess the impact of the complex survey design used in the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (ANCNPAS07) on prevalence estimates for intakes of groups of foods in the population of children.

Design

The impacts on prevalence estimates were determined by calculating design effects for values for food group consumption. The implications of ignoring elements of the sample design including stratification, clustering and weighting are discussed.

Setting

The ANCNPAS07 used a complex sample design involving stratification, a high degree of clustering and estimation weights.

Subjects

Australian children aged 2–16 years.

Results

Design effects ranging from <1 to 5 were found for the values of mean consumption and proportion of the population consuming the food groups. When survey weights were ignored, prevalence estimates were also biased.

Conclusions

Ignoring the complex survey design used in the ANCNPAS07 could result in underestimating the width of confidence intervals, higher mean square errors and biased estimators. The magnitude of these effects depends on both the parameter under consideration and the chosen estimator.
Optimized Deconvolution for Maximum Axial Resolution in Three-Dimensional Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Ramachandra Ranjan , de Jonge Niels
Published: December 2011

Three-dimensional (3D) datasets were recorded of gold nanoparticles placed on both sides of silicon nitride membranes using focal series aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Deconvolution of the 3D datasets was applied to obtain the highest possible axial resolution. The deconvolution involved two different point spread functions, each calculated iteratively via blind deconvolution. Supporting membranes of different thicknesses were tested to study the effect of beam broadening on the deconvolution. It was found that several iterations of deconvolution was efficient in reducing the imaging noise. With an increasing number of iterations, the axial resolution was increased, and most of the structural information was preserved. Additional iterations improved the axial resolution by maximal a factor of 4 to 6, depending on the particular dataset, and up to 8 nm maximal, but also led to a reduction of the lateral size of the nanoparticles in the image. Thus, the deconvolution procedure optimized for the highest axial resolution is best suited for applications where one is interested in the 3D locations of nanoparticles only.
“You can build it but will they come?” A Trial Implementation of eTextbooks at The College of Law
Authors: Barber Marianne
Published: December 2011

Marianne Barber offers some practical observations from a trial introduction of eTextbooks at the College of Law. Ebook versions of the textbooks produced by the College (and published commercially by College of Law Publishing) were made available for the first time in 2010 to its Legal Practice Course students. This paper was originally presented at the BIALL Conference in June 2011 and included an overview of the variety of licensing models/platforms available, an analysis of the then level of response from teaching staff and students and likely touch-points for mass adoption in the legal field.
The Women's Movement Inside and Outside the State. By Lee Ann Banaszak
Authors: Haas Liesl
Published: December 2011

In this impressively researched and thought-provoking book, Lee Ann Banaszak explores the role of “movement insiders”—women's movement activists working inside the federal bureaucracy—in shaping policy on women's rights. Through a series of engaging narratives, she highlights the often-invisible role of feminist lawyers, regulators, other members of the civil service, and political appointees in shaping important policies on such issues as equal employment, educational equity (particularly Title IX), and foreign policy (women in development). Banaszak's investigation into the role of feminist activists within the bureaucracy illuminates the critical role that the movement played within the state on a number of policy issues. More broadly, her argument for an expanded view of the dynamics of social movements, movement–state intersections, and policymaking represents a needed corrective to the rather stark dichotomies that often dominate the study of social movements.
Response to Desmond Arias's Review of Voting Amid Violence: Electoral Democracy in Colombia
Authors: Taylor Steven L.
Published: December 2011

The fundamental point of contention between the works under review here (in my view) is whether or not the presence of systematic violence is primarily a feature or a bug of the given political system being studied. I do not mean this distinction in a normative sense, but rather an analytical one. In other words, should we view endemic political violence in ostensibly democratic states to be deviations from appropriate democratic behavior (i.e., a bug or flaw in a given system), or is it the case that the violence in question should be understood as an inherent part of the system, perhaps even if it is still to be considered a democracy (i.e., a feature or constituent element thereof)?
Response to Liesl Haas' review of The Women's Movement Inside and Outside the State
Authors: Banaszak Lee Ann
Published: December 2011

First, I want to thank Liesl Haas for her thoughtful and generous review of The Women's MovementInside and Outside the State. She raises two set of questions which I would like to address here. First, she asks whether a better sample of insider activists would have been found by choosing key pieces of policy and identifying the major players as she does in her own book. While every sampling strategy represents a trade-off when no clear sampling frame exists, such a method seems to me fraught with a number of dangers, including a selection bias towards visible and successful cases (which might lead us to examine only insider feminist successes and exclude those who were influential but less visible) and predefinition by the investigator of what constitutes a feminist policy. I believe one of the strengths of my study was the finding that insider feminists influenced policies ordinarily not identified as feminist—such as foreign aid legislation or scientific research in the NIH. Haas argues a change in sampling method might have increased the number of younger feminists (who were underrepresented in the sample) but their underrepresentation results largely from a focus on activists in higher positions in the bureaucracy, the tendency of fewer feminists to enter the bureaucracy under post-Reagan republican administrations, and my conscious decision to focus on the period before 2001 when interviewing so that I did not ask questions about the current administration.
Response to Lee Ann Banaszak's review of Feminist Policymaking in Chile
Authors: Haas Liesl
Published: December 2011

I appreciate Lee Ann Banaszak's thoughtful and insightful comments about my book. As she notes, there is a tendency in the kind of work we both do to focus on specific aspects of the complex policy process; her research on the role of the bureaucracy in policymaking makes her particularly well-positioned to identify the ways that a deeper focus on this area might have contributed to my own analysis of the Chilean case.
Boundaries
Authors: Isaac Jeffrey C.
Published: December 2011

Readers of Perspectives will hopefully have noticed that in recent issues we have instituted a new practice of supplementing our journal's long-standing four-field classification of all books under review with a fifth “theme” section of book reviews—on such topics as gender and politics, democratization, and most recently immigration politics. This addition signifies more than a change of scholarly bookkeeping or journal formatting. It represents one of many ways that we have sought to bridge and to reconfigure standard subfield and methodological divides in our profession, and to open up new and more problem-oriented ways of thinking about the thing our profession is presumably organized to study—politics.
Professionalisierung und Professionsentwicklung im Bereich der frühen Bildung
Authors: Mischo Christoph , Fröhlich-Gildhoff Klaus
Published: December 2011

Zusammenfassung. Im Bereich Bildung, Betreuung und Erziehung in der frühen Kindheit gab es gerade in den letzten Jahren tiefgreifende Änderungen und rasante Entwicklungen auf praktisch allen Ebenen, die die Profession und Professionalisierung frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte betreffen. In diesem Beitrag werden die wesentlichen Entwicklungstrends nachgezeichnet, Perspektiven einer empirisch basierten Professionalisierung herausgearbeitet und Desiderata für die Professionalisierung und Professionalisierungsforschung formuliert.
Fördereinstellungen von Erzieherinnen
Authors: Kluczniok Katharina , Anders Yvonne , Ebert Susanne
Published: December 2011

Zusammenfassung. Im Rahmen von Professionalisierungstendenzen in der Frühpädagogik wird auf die Bedeutsamkeit von Haltung und pädagogischen Einstellungen der Erzieherinnen hingewiesen. Es wird davon ausgegangen, dass diese eine Schlüsselfunktion bei der Umsetzung von professionellem Wissen in pädagogisches Handeln haben und dadurch indirekt auf die Entwicklung der Kinder wirken. Der Beitrag fragt danach, inwieweit pädagogische Fördereinstellungen der Erzieherinnen (Orientierungsqualität) – vermittelt über das pädagogische Handeln (Prozessqualität) – die Entwicklung früher numerischer Kompetenzen beeinflussen. Datengrundlage ist die Längsschnittstudie „Bildungsprozesse, Kompetenzentwicklung und Selektionsentscheidungen im Vorschul- und Schulalter“ BiKS-3-10, in der 547 Kindergartenkinder aus 97 Kindergartengruppen untersucht wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Fördereinstellungen positiv mit der Prozessqualität zusammenhängen. Zudem ist die Einstellung zu grundlegender Förderung positiv mit der Entwicklung früher numerischer Kompetenzen assoziiert. Die Ergebnisse werden vor dem Hintergrund der Bedeutsamkeit von Fördereinstellungen als zentrale professionelle Kompetenz der Erzieherinnen diskutiert, die es in Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildungen zu betonen gilt.
Professionalisierung in der Frühpädagogik: Eine Pilotstudie zur Sprachförderkompetenz
Authors: Thoma Dieter , Ofner Daniela , Seybel Carolyn , Tracy Rosemarie
Published: December 2011

Zusammenfassung. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt auf Grundlage des Konstrukts von Hopp, Thoma und Tracy (2010) erste Erhebungen der Sprachförderkompetenz von pädagogischen Fachkräften mit unterschiedlichem beruflichem Bildungshintergrund. Da solche Erhebungen in Deutschland bisher noch nicht durchgeführt wurden, liegt ein weiterer Schwerpunkt auf der Entwicklung des Erhebungsinstruments selbst. Es soll Wissen über Sprache als kognitives und kommunikatives System sowie Wissen über Spracherwerb und Mehrsprachigkeit anhand von Multiple-Choice-Fragen überprüfen. In einer Pilotstudie bearbeiteten pädagogische Fachkräfte im Beruf (n = 40) und Frühpädagogik-Studierende (n = 14) die Fragen und Aufgaben. Die Ergebnisse liefern erste Anzeichen dafür, dass (1) das Wissen über Sprache, Spracherwerb und Mehrsprachigkeit mit der Aus- und Weiterbildung der Frühpädagoginnen zusammenhängt, dass (2) das bereichsspezifische Wissen über Sprache innerhalb der Bildungsgruppe der Fachkräfte variiert und dass (3) sich das Wissen von Frühpädagoginnen auf unterschiedlichen Leistungsniveaus gleichmäßig auf die Teilbereiche des Konstrukts der Sprachförderkompetenz verteilt. Die Ergebnisse bilden die Grundlage für die Diskussion zukünftiger Arbeitsschwerpunkte bei der Leistungsbeurteilung in der Sprachförderung.
Deformation and seismicity associated with continental rift zones propagating toward continental margins
Authors: Lyakhovsky V. , Segev A. , Schattner U. , Weinberger R.
Published: December 2011

We study the propagation of a continental rift and its interaction with a continental margin utilizing a 3‐D lithospheric model with a seismogenic crust governed by a damage rheology. A long‐standing problem in rift‐mechanics, known as thetectonic force paradox, is that the magnitude of the tectonic forces required for rifting are not large enough in the absence of basaltic magmatism. Our modeling results demonstrate that under moderate rift‐driving tectonic forces the rift propagation is feasible even in the absence of magmatism. This is due to gradual weakening and “long‐term memory” of fractured rocks that lead to a significantly lower yielding stress than that of the surrounding intact rocks. We show that the style, rate and the associated seismicity pattern of the rift zone formation in the continental lithosphere depend not only on the applied tectonic forces, but also on the rate of healing. Accounting for the memory effect provides a feasible solution for thetectonic force paradox.Our modeling results also demonstrate how the lithosphere structure affects the geometry of the propagating rift system toward a continental margin. Thinning of the crystalline crust leads to a decrease in the propagation rate and possibly to rift termination across the margin. In such a case, a new fault system is created perpendicular to the direction of the rift propagation. These results reveal that the local lithosphere structure is one of the key factors controlling the geometry of the evolving rift system and seismicity pattern.
High‐latitudeEregion ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling: A comparative study using in situ and incoherent scatter radar observations
Authors: Burchill J. K. , Clemmons J. H. , Knudsen D. J. , Larsen M. , Nicolls M. J. , Pfaff R. F. , Rowland D. , Sangalli L.
Published: December 2011

We present in situ and ground‐based measurements of the ratioκof ion cyclotron angular frequency to ion‐neutral momentum transfer collision frequency to investigate ionosphere‐thermosphere (IT) coupling in the auroralE region. In situ observations were obtained by NASA sounding rocket 36.234, which was launched into the nightside E region ionosphere at 1229 UT on 19 January 2007 from Poker Flat, AK. The payload carried instrumentation to determine ion drift angle and electric field vectors. Neutral winds were measured by triangulating a chemical tracer released from rocket 41.064 launched two minutes later. κis calculated from the rotation of the ion drift angle relative to the E‐cross‐B drift direction in a frame co‐rotating with the payload. Between the altitudes of 118 km and 130 kmκ increases exponentially with a scale height of 9.3 ± 0.7 km, deviating from an exponential above 130 km. κ = 1 at an altitude z0 of 119.9 ± 0.5 km. The ratio was also estimated from Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) measurements using the rotation of ion velocity with altitude. Exponential fits to the PFISR measurements made during the flight of 41.064 yield z0 = 115.9 ± 1.2 km and a scale height of 9.1 ± 1.0 km. Differences between in situ and ground‐based measurements show that theE region atmospheric densities were structured vertically and/or horizontally on scales of 1 km to 10 km. There were no signs of ionospheric structure in ion density or ion temperature below scales of 1 km. The observations demonstrate the accuracy with which the in situ and PFISR data may be used as probes of IT coupling.
Using microearthquakes to track repeated magma intrusions beneath the Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano, Iceland
Authors: Tarasewicz Jon , Brandsdóttir Bryndís , White Robert S. , Hensch Martin , Thorbjarnardóttir Bergthóra
Published: December 2011

We have mapped microearthquakes caused by magma migration preceding and during the flank and summit eruptions in March–May 2010 of Eyjafjallajökull stratovolcano in Iceland using a Coalescence Microseismic Mapping technique. Spatial and temporal clustering of >5,000 microearthquakes under the eastern flank of the volcano illuminates several northeast–southwest striking sub‐vertical dikes at 2–6 km b.s.l., emplaced before the Fimmvörðuháls flank eruption in March. This intense precursory seismicity had a lateral extent of ∼6 km east‐west and ∼3 km north‐south. A sequence of 386 microearthquakes during the summit eruption, refined by double‐difference relative relocation, defines a sub‐linear trend inclined ∼5–10° from vertical extending from the upper mantle at ∼30 km depth to the summit crater. This sequence includes two major clusters at ∼19 km and ∼24 km b.s.l., each containing >100 earthquakes. All microearthquakes display characteristics of brittle fracture, with several subsets of events exhibiting closely similar waveforms within clusters. This suggests similar, repetitive source processes. The deeper clusters may be caused by fracturing solidified magma plugs that form constrictions in an otherwise aseismic melt conduit. Or they may occur at exit points from melt pockets, in which case they indicate positions of magma storage at depth. The seismicity deeper than 10 km only starts three weeks after the onset of the summit eruption, after which the largest clusters occur at progressively greater depths. This temporal pattern may result from pressure release at shallow levels in the magmatic plumbing system progressively feeding down to mobilize deeper melt pockets.
Approaches to partitioning the global UVER irradiance into its direct and diffuse components in Valencia, Spain
Authors: Nuñez Manuel , Utrillas M. Pilar , Martínez‐Lozano Jose A.
Published: December 2011

The paper explores methods of partitioning the hourly average UV erythemal flux into its direct and diffuse components for Valencia, Spain. It is shown that the cloud modification factor, the ratio of measured to cloudless erythemal flux relates linearly to the fraction of the measured irradiance that is diffuse. This relationship was developed further into two simple models‐ a linear and nonlinear one. The models are characterized by an effective cloud cover to partition the global erythemal flux. The diffuse fraction increases linearly with cloud cover in the linear model, but exponentially in the nonlinear one. The models may be used to partition the direct and diffuse irradiance with RMS errors values ranging from 5.7 to 6.8 mWm−2 and 6.0–7.7 mWm−2 for direct and diffuse, respectively, with the nonlinear model performing best overall.
Retrieval of physical properties of volcanic ash using Meteosat: A case study from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
Authors: Francis Peter N. , Cooke Michael C. , Saunders Roger W.
Published: December 2011

A robust method to detect volcanic ash, using data from the infrared channels of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager instrument mounted on‐board Meteosat Second Generation, is presented. The simultaneous retrieval of quantitative volcanic ash physical properties using a one‐dimensional variational analysis framework is also described. These methods are demonstrated using data from the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010. Sensitivity experiments are presented which show that the retrieved quantities are strongly dependent on the choice of ash refractive index data used in the retrieval scheme's radiative transfer model. Validation of the retrieved properties is carried out against lidar data, which demonstrate that the retrievals are realistic, and which indicate the most suitable refractive index data sets to use for these cases.
Global estimates of lunar iron and titanium contents from the Chang' E‐1 IIM data
Authors: Wu Yunzhao , Xue Bin , Zhao Baochang , Lucey Paul , Chen Jun , Xu Xisheng , Li Chunlai , Ouyang Ziyuan
Published: December 2011

Until recently, global high spatial resolution maps of FeO and TiO2 of the Moon were only derived from Clementine data. In this study, we show global maps of FeO and TiO2 using Chang'E‐1 Interference Imaging Spectrometer (IIM) at a spatial resolution of 200 m/pixel. With a newly developed calibration presented here, spectra obtained by IIM compare well with telescopic spectra. Spectral parameters previously shown to be sensitive to iron and titanium, derived from the calibrated IIM data are highly correlated with the measured elemental concentration with R2 = 0.96 for FeO and 0.95 for TiO2. The maps were developed using this calibration. Histograms of basalt FeO estimates have a negatively skewed distribution, while TiO2 distributions are unimodal. They also revealed that the lunar highland crust is relatively uniform on the quadrant scale (several hundred to thousand kilometers scale) but inhomogenous on the global scale. The area of highest elevation of the Moon has very low FeO and TiO2 raising the question about South Pole‐Aitken (SPA) (whether its ejecta deposits covered the highest elevation and when it was formed). Although the average FeO and TiO2 abundances for basalts are highly correlated, local areas of elevated iron can be associated with both high and low titanium.
Functional Capacity of Neutrophils From Class III Obese Patients
Authors: Trottier Mark D. , Naaz Afia , Kacynski Kathy , Yenumula Panduranga R. , Fraker Pamela J.
Published: December 2011

Class III obesity is associated with chronic inflammation and a variety of changes in immune function. Yet surprisingly little was known about the status of neutrophils that represent the first line of immune defense. The aim of this study was to assess key functions of neutrophils from class III obese patients, namely phagocytosis, superoxide production, chemotaxis, and response to endotoxin challenge, and compare their responses with lean controls. Thirty obese patients (BMI 48.8 ± 6.6 kg/m2) with comorbidities such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, etc. and nine lean (BMI between 20 and 25) subjects were enrolled in the study. Neutrophils from class III obese patients phagocytosed Escherichia coli (E. coli) at similar rates and with adequate numbers of bacteria taken up per cell compared with cells from lean subjects. Neutrophil production of superoxide, which is key to rapid killing of pathogens, showed modest diminution in the class III obese, which increased among patients with BMI >50. Chemotactic activity of neutrophils from class III obese patients was not altered. However, neutrophils from obese subjects showed an increased response to low‐dose endotoxin, with concomitant reduced apoptosis and extension of their half‐life compared with lean subjects, which suggests possible hyperresponsiveness of these neutrophils. Overall, neutrophil activity was not significantly altered by age, gender, diabetic status, or hyperlipidemia. Collectively, these results suggest that class III obese patients, even with comorbidities, have normal or nearly normal phagocytic, chemotactic, and superoxide generating capacity.
Three-dimensional numerical simulation of drops suspended in Poiseuille flow at non-zero Reynolds numbers
Authors: Nourbakhsh Amireh , Mortazavi Saeed , Afshar Yaser
Published: December 2011

A finite difference/front tracking method is used to study the motion of three-dimensional deformable drops suspended in plane Poiseuille flow at non-zero Reynolds numbers. A parallel version of the code was used to study the behavior of suspension on a reasonable grid resolution (128×128×128 grids). The viscosity and density of drops are assumed to be equal to that of the suspending medium. The effect of Capillary number, the Reynolds number, and volume fraction are studied in detail. It is found that drops with small deformation behave like rigid particles and migrate to an equilibrium position about half way between the wall and the centerline (the Segre-Silberberg effect). However, for highly deformable drops there is a tendency for drops to migrate to the middle of the channel, and the maximum concentration occurs at the centerline. The concentration profile obtained across the channel is in agreement with that measured by Kowalewski (T. A. Kowalewski, “Concentration and velocity measurement in the flow of droplet suspensions through a tube,” Exp. Fluids 2, 213 (1984)) experimentally for viscosity ratios less than or equal to one. The effective viscosity of suspension decreases with Capillary number in agreement with the creeping flow limit. Also, the effective viscosity increases with the Reynolds number of the flow.
Torsion-induced mechanical couplings of single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhao Renjie , Luo Chenglin
Published: December 2011

Torsion-induced mechanical couplings of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are studied by using molecular dynamics simulations. We show that these mechanical couplings are strongly dependent on the chirality of SWCNTs. In particular, the structural difference between armchair and zigzag nanotubes can remarkably influence the Poynting effect [J. H. Poynting, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 82, 546 (1909)], i.e., torsion-induced axial strain response. For SWCNTs with large aspect ratios and small chiral angles, an intriguing torsion-induced bending effect is observed. This effect results from the release of torsion-induced axial stress and may probably affect the torsional oscillation behavior of nanoelectromechanical systems based on SWCNTs.
Electron transport through the p-n junction of zigzag graphene nanoribbon with external transverse electric fields
Authors: Zhu Wen-Huan , Ding Guo-Hui
Published: December 2011

We study the electron transport properties of the p-n junction based on zigzag graphene nanoribbon, including its magnetic moment, charge-density distribution, and also the spin-resolved transmission probability. A nanoscale system of width ≈2 nm and length ≈15 nm is considered. It is shown that the magnetization of the edges is quenched in the p and n regions, but can be preserved in the center part of the p-n junction. We find that the electrons can tunnel through the junction by the localized modes, which exist at the interface of the p and n regions. In the presence of external transverse electric fields, we show that the electron current through the p-n junction will be spin-polarized when the zigzag graphene nanoribbon is in a half-metal state, and the current is switched off when a charge-polarized state is obtained.
Designing dairy cattle breeding schemes under genomic selection: a review of international research
Authors: Pryce J. E. , Daetwyler H. D.
Published: December 2011

High rates of genetic gain can be achieved through (1) accurate predictions of breeding values (2) high intensities of selection and (3) shorter generation intervals. Reliabilities of ~60% are currently achievable using genomic selection in dairy cattle. This breakthrough means that selection of animals can happen at a very early age (i.e. as soon as a DNA sample is available) and has opened opportunities to radically redesign breeding schemes. Most research over the past decade has focussed on the feasibility of genomic selection, especially how to increase the accuracy of genomic breeding values. More recently, how to apply genomic technology to breeding schemes has generated a lot of interest. Some of this research remains the intellectual property of breeding companies, but there are examples in the public domain. Here we review published research into breeding scheme design using genomic selection and evaluate which designs appear to be promising (in terms of rates of genetic gain) and those that may have unfavourable side-effects (i.e. increasing the rate of inbreeding). The schemes range from fairly conservative designs where bulls are screened genomically to reduce numbers entering progeny testing, to schemes where very large numbers of bull calves are screened and used as sires as soon as they reach sexual maturity. More radical schemes that incorporate the use of reproductive technologies (in juveniles) and genomic selection in nucleus herds are also described. The models used are either deterministic and more recently tend to be stochastic, simulating populations of cattle. A key driver of the rate of genetic gain is the generation interval, which could range from being similar to that in conventional testing (~5 years), down to as little as 1.5 years. Generally, the rate of genetic gain is between 12% and 100% more than in conventional progeny testing, while the rate of inbreeding tends to be lower per generation than in progeny testing because Mendelian sampling terms can be estimated more accurately. However, short generation intervals can lead to higher rates of inbreeding per year in genomic breeding programs.
Multiple genomic sequences of hepatitis delta virus are associated with cDNA promoter activity and RNA double rolling-circle replication
Authors: Liao Fu-Tien , Hsu Li-Sung , Ko Jiunn-Liang , Lin Chun-Che , Sheu Gwo-Tarng
Published: December 2011

To understand how DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (pol II) recognizes hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA as a template, it is first necessary to identify the HDV sequence that acts as a promoter of pol II-initiated RNA synthesis. Therefore, we isolated the pol II-response element from HDV cDNA and examined the regulation by hepatitis delta antigens (HDAgs). Two HDV cDNA fragments containing bidirectional promoter activity were identified. One was located at nt 1582–1683 (transcription-promoter region 1, TR-P1) and the other at nt 1223–1363 (transcription-internal region 5, TR-I5). The promoter activities of these two regions were enhanced by HDAgs to differing degrees. Next, the role of these sequences in an HDV cDNA-free RNA replication system was characterized by site-directed mutagenesis. Our data showed that: (i) the AUG codon at the HDAg ORF of HDV RNA (nt 1599–1601) that mutates to UAG (amber stop codon) results in loss of dimeric but not monomeric HDV RNA synthesis. (ii) A 5 nt mutation of TR-P1 (P1-m5, nt 1670–1674) abolishes RNA replication completely. Two-nucleotide-mutated RNA (P1-m2, nt 1662–1663) is able to synthesize short RNAs but not monomeric HDV RNA. (iii) A mutation in 5 nt at the TR-I5 region (I5-m5, nt 1351–1355) also abolishes HDV replication. Mutants with 2 nt mutations (I5-m2, nt 1351–1352) or 3 nt mutations (I5-m3, nt 1353–1355) inhibit HDV dimeric but not monomeric RNA synthesis. Furthermore, large HDAg is expressed in cells transfected with I5-m3 and I5-m2 RNAs and that demonstrate the RNA-editing event in the monomeric HDV RNA. These results provide further understanding of the double rolling-circle mechanism in HDV RNA replication.
Enhancement of Helicobacter pylori outer inflammatory protein DNA vaccine efficacy by co‐delivery of interleukin‐2 and B subunit heat‐labile toxin gene encoded plasmids
Authors: Chen Jiansen , Lin Liping , Li Neng , She Feifei
Published: December 2011

Development of an effective vaccine for controlling H. pylori‐associated infection, which is present in about half the people in the world, is a priority. The H. pylori outer inflammatory protein (oipA) has been demonstrated to be a potential antigen for a vaccine. In the present study, use of oipA gene encoded construct (poipA) for C57BL/6 mice vaccination was investigated. Whether co‐delivery of IL‐2 gene encoded construct (pIL‐2) and B subunit heat‐labile toxin of Escherichia coli gene encoded construct (pLTB) can modulate the immune response and enhance DNA vaccine efficacy was also explored. Our results demonstrated that poipA administered intradermally (‘gene gun’ immunization) promoted a strong Th2 immune response, whereas co‐delivery of either pIL‐2 or pLTB adjuvant elicited a Th1‐biased immune response. PoipA administered with both pIL‐2 and pLTB adjuvants promoted a strong Th1 immune response. Regardless of the different immune responses promoted by the various vaccination regimes, all immunized mice had smaller bacterial loads after H. pylori challenge than did PBS negative and pVAX1 mock controls. Co‐delivery of adjuvant(s) enhances poipA DNA vaccine efficacy by shifting the immune response from being Th2 to being Th1‐biased, which results in a greater reduction in bacterial load after H. pylori challenge. Both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination can achieve sterile immunity in some subjects.
Interaction of endothelial progenitor cells expressing cytosine deaminase in tumor tissues and 5‐fluorocytosine administration suppresses growth of 5‐fluorouracil‐sensitive liver cancer in mice
Authors: Torimura Takuji , Ueno Takato , Taniguchi Eitaro , Masuda Hiroshi , Iwamoto Hideki , Nakamura Toru , Inoue Kinya , Hashimoto Osamu , Abe Mitsuhiko , Koga Hironori , Barresi Vincenza , Nakashima Emi , Yano Hirohisa , Sata Michio
Published: December 2011

The drug delivery system to tumors is a critical factor in upregulating the effect of anticancer drugs and reducing adverse events. Recent studies indicated selective migration of bone marrow‐derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) into tumor tissues. Cytosine deaminase (CD) transforms nontoxic 5‐fluorocytosine (5‐FC) into the highly toxic 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU). We investigated the antitumor effect of a new CD/5‐FC system with CD cDNA transfected EPC for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in mice. We used human hepatoma cell lines (HuH‐7, HLF, HAK1‐B, KYN‐2, KIM‐1) and a rat EPC cell line (TR‐BME‐2). Escherichia coli CD cDNA was transfected into TR‐BME‐2 (CD‐TR‐BME). The inhibitory effect of 5‐FU on the proliferation of hepatoma cell lines and the inhibitory effect of 5‐FU secreted by CD‐TR‐BME and 5‐FC on the proliferation of co‐cultured hepatoma cells were evaluated by a tetrazolium‐based assay. In mouse subcutaneous xenograft models of KYN‐2 and HuH‐7, CD‐TR‐BME was transplanted intravenously followed by 5‐FC injection intraperitoneally. HuH‐7 cells were the most sensitive to 5‐FU and KYN‐2 cells were the most resistant. CD‐TR‐BME secreted 5‐FU and inhibited HuH‐7 proliferation in a 5‐FC dose‐dependent manner. CD‐TR‐BME were recruited into the tumor tissues and some were incorporated into tumor vessels. Tumor growth of HuH‐7 was significantly suppressed during 5‐FC administration. No bodyweight loss, ALT abnormality or bone marrow suppression was observed. These findings suggest that our new CD/5‐FC system with CD cDNA transfected EPC could be an effective and safe treatment for suppression of 5‐FU‐sensitive HCC growth. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 542–548)
Natural selection. III. Selection versus transmission and the levels of selection*
Authors: FRANK S. A.
Published: December 2011

George Williams defined an evolutionary unit as hereditary information for which the selection bias between competing units dominates the informational decay caused by imperfect transmission. In this article, I extend Williams’ approach to show that the ratio of selection bias to transmission bias provides a unifying framework for diverse biological problems. Specific examples include Haldane and Lande's mutation–selection balance, Eigen's error threshold and quasispecies, Van Valen's clade selection, Price's multilevel formulation of group selection, Szathmáry and Demeter's evolutionary origin of primitive cells, Levin and Bull's short‐sighted evolution of HIV virulence, Frank's timescale analysis of microbial metabolism and Maynard Smith and Szathmáry's major transitions in evolution. The insights from these diverse applications lead to a deeper understanding of kin selection, group selection, multilevel evolutionary analysis and the philosophical problems of evolutionary units and individuality.
Adult‐onset angiocentric glioma of epithelioid cell‐predominant type of the mesial temporal lobe suggestive of a rare but distinct clinicopathological subset within a spectrum of angiocentric cortical ependymal tumors
Authors: Miyata Hajime , Ryufuku Masae , Kubota Yuichi , Ochiai Taku , Niimura Kaku , Hori Tomokatsu
Published: December 2011

Angiocentric glioma (AG) is defined as an epilepsy‐associated stable or slowly growing cerebral tumor primarily affecting children and young adults, histologically consisting mainly of monomorphic, bipolar spindle‐shaped cells and occasional round to monopolar columnar epithelioid cells, showing angiocentric growth pattern and features of ependymal differentiation. We describe two clinicopathologically unusual cases of AG. Case 1 is a 54‐year‐old woman with a 10‐year history of complex partial seizures. MRI revealed non‐enhancing T1‐low, T2/fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)‐high intensity signal change in the left hippocampus and amygdala. After selective amygdalohippocampectomy, she had rare non‐disabling seizures on medication for over 50 months (Engel's class I). Case 2 is a 37‐year‐old man with a 3‐year history of complex partial seizures. MRI revealed non‐enhancing T1‐low, T2/FLAIR‐high intensity signal change in the left uncus and amygdala. After combined amygdalohippocampectomy and anterior temporal lobectomy, he has been seizure‐free for over 11 months. Histologically the tumors in both cases consisted mainly of infiltrating epithelioid cells (GFAP– ∼ ± , S‐100‐) with perinuclear epithelial membrane antigen (EMA)‐positive dots and rings, showing conspicuous single‐ and multi‐layered angiocentric arrangements. Occasional tumor cells showed spindle‐shaped morphology (GFAP+, S‐100+) with rare EMA‐positive dots aligned radially and longitudinally along parenchymal blood vessels. Focal solid areas showed a Schwannoma‐like fascicular arrangement with rare EMA‐positive dots and/or sheets of epithelioid cells with abundant EMA dots. Electron microscopic investigation demonstrated features of ependymal differentiation. These cases, together with a few similar cases previously reported, appear to represent a rare but distinct clinicopathological subset of AG characterized by adult‐onset, mesial temporal lobe localization and epithelioid cell‐predominant histology.
Evolution of Nemertesia hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa, Plumulariidae) from the shallow and deep waters of the NE Atlantic and western Mediterranean
Authors: Moura Carlos J. , Cunha Marina R. , Porteiro Filipe M. , Yesson Chris , Rogers Alex D.
Published: December 2011

Moura, C. J., Cunha, M. R., Porteiro, F. M., Yesson, C. & Rogers, A. D. (2011) Evolution of Nemertesia hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa, Plumulariidae) from the shallow and deep waters of the NE Atlantic and Western Mediterranean. —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 79–96.

Hydroid species from the genus Nemertesia develop some of the largest and most complex hydrozoan colonies. These colonies are abundant and ecologically important in both shallow and deep waters worldwide. Here, we analyse the systematics of most Nemertesia species from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean using morphology and phylogenetic inferences of 16S rRNA haplotype data. Phylogeographical analysis revealed multiple movements of taxa to and from the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity crisis through shallow and deep waters. The nominal species Nemertesia belini and Nemertesia antennina revealed multiple genetic lineages representing cryptic species diversity. Molecular phylogenetic evidence was supported by consistent phenotypic differences between lineages, and three and seven putative species were resolved within the N. belini and N. antennina complexes, respectively. Three putative species of the N. antennina complex found at different seamounts of Azores grouped in a clade clustered amongst the other four cryptic species present at neighbouring bathyal localities of the Gulf of Cadiz. These cryptic species, mostly from the deep sea, form a clade distantly related to the typical N. antennina from European coastal waters. Depth or environmental correlates of depth seem to influence the reproductive strategies of Nemertesia colonies and ultimately speciation. In particular, speciation of these hydroids must have been influenced by hydrography, habitat heterogeneity, isolation by distance and larval dispersal capacity. The deep sea is shown as an important environment in the generation and accumulation of lineages that may occasionally invade coastal waters in the NE Atlantic. Glacial cycles of cooling, along with changes in sea level, and eradication of some coastal faunas likely facilitated speciation and evolutionary transitions from deep to shallow waters.
Characteristics of dog bites among nursing students and knowledge about their emergency management
Authors: Ioannidou C. , Galanis P. , Tsoumakas K. , Pavlopoulou I.D.
Published: December 2011

IOANNIDOU C., GALANIS P., TSOUMAKAS K. & PAVLOPOULOU I.D. (2012) Characteristics of dog bites among nursing students and knowledge about their emergency management. International Nursing Review59, 245–251

Background:  Dog bites represent a significant health concern leading to a variety of consequences. Nursing students should be appropriately educated in order to manage and help prevent such injuries.

Aim:  This paper is the first to report the lifetime experience and characteristics of dog bites among Greek nursing students and their knowledge in managing the above injuries.

Methods:  A cross‐sectional quantitative study was performed using an anonymous questionnaire distributed to first and fourth year nursing students from April though June 2009. A knowledge score based on key questions was set on a scale from 0 to 7, to assess their competence on bite injuries management.

Results:  Of 237 nursing students recruited, 56 (23.6%) had experienced a dog bite. Men outnumbered women as dog bite victims [n = 15 (39.5%) vs. n = 41 (20.6%), P = 0.012]. Mean age at the attack was 11.1 (standard deviation = 5.6) years and legs sustained the majority of injuries (n = 31; 55.4%). Most bites (n = 39; 69.9%) involved a dog known to the victim, were provoked (n = 30; 53.6%) and occurred in a public place (n = 35; 62.5%). Ten (17.9%) of the victims sustained a moderate or severe injury. The majority (67.9%) of students answered correctly to less than or equal to three out of seven key knowledge questions. After multiple linear regression analysis, previous educational course attendance was the only factor associated with increased score (b = 0.48, standard deviation = 0.17, 95% confidence interval = 0.12–0.84, P = 0.009).

Conclusions:  Dog bites were common and presented characteristic patterns among nursing students, but knowledge in their management was suboptimal. Improved education should be provided during undergraduate studies.
Social Policy Excellence – Peer Review or Metrics? Analyzing the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise in Social Work and Social Policy and Administration
Authors: McKay Stephen
Published: December 2011

A metrics‐based assessment can predict reasonably well the overall outcome of the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 for social work and social policy and administration in terms of research environment, but not in terms of research outputs. It is not possible to replicate peer review of the research outputs using existing data. It is sometimes argued that citation counts provide an alternative approach that might help research assessment, but it is one fraught with difficulties. Academics did not, in fact, routinely chose to submit their most cited work. At least in this subject, metrics are more suited as handmaiden to peer review than its replacement.
Colonoscopist and Primary Care Physician Supply and Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening
Authors: Benarroch‐Gampel Jaime , Sheffield Kristin M. , Lin Yu‐Li , Kuo Yong‐Fang , Goodwin James S. , Riall Taylor S.
Published: December 2011

Objective. 

To determine whether racial/ethnic disparities in colonoscopy use vary by physician availability.

Data Source. 

We used 100 percentTexasMedicare claims data for 2003–2007.

Study Design. 

We identified beneficiaries aged 66–79 in 2007, examined racial/ethnic differences in colonoscopy use from 2003 to 2007, and estimated the percentage of white, black, andHispanic beneficiaries who underwent colonoscopy by level of physician availability and area income.

Principal Findings. 

For the 974,879 beneficiaries, colonoscopy use was higher in whites (40.7 percent) compared to blacks (35.0 percent) andHispanics (28.7 percent,p < .001). For whites, increasing availability of colonoscopists and primary care physicians (PCPs) was associated with higher colonoscopy use. For blacks andHispanics, colonoscopy use was unchanged or decreased with increases in colonoscopist andPCPavailability. In multilevel models, the odds of colonoscopy were 20 percent lower for blacks (OR0.80, 95 percentCI0.79–0.82) and 32 percent lower forHispanics (OR0.68, 95 percentCI0.66–0.69) compared to whites; adjusting for availability of colonoscopists orPCPsdid not attenuate racial/ethnic disparities. We found greater racial/ethnic disparities in areas with greater colonoscopist andPCPavailability.

Conclusions. 

Greater area availability of colonoscopists andPCPsis associated with increased use of colonoscopy in whites but decreased use in minorities, resulting in larger racial/ethnic disparities.
Prevalence of Unplanned Hospitalizations Caused by Adverse Drug Reactions in Older Veterans
Authors: Marcum Zachary A. , Amuan Megan E. , Hanlon Joseph T. , Aspinall Sherrie L. , Handler Steven M. , Ruby Christine M. , Pugh Mary Jo V.
Published: December 2011

Objectives

To describe the prevalence of unplanned hospitalizations caused by adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older veterans and to examine the association between this outcome and polypharmacy after controlling for comorbidities and other patient characteristics.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

Participants

Six hundred seventy‐eight randomly selected unplanned hospitalizations of older (aged ≥ 65) veterans between October 1, 2003, and September 30, 2006.

Measurements

Naranjo ADR algorithm, ADR preventability, and polypharmacy (0–4, 5–8, and ≥9 scheduled medications).

Results

Seventy ADRs involving 113 drugs were found in 68 (10%) hospitalizations of older veterans, of which 25 (36.8%) were preventable. Extrapolating to the population of more than 2.4 million older veterans receiving care during the study period, 8,000 hospitalizations may have been unnecessary. The most common ADRs that occurred were bradycardia (n = 6; beta‐blockers, digoxin), hypoglycemia (n = 6; sulfonylureas, insulin), falls (n = 6; antidepressants, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors), and mental status changes (n = 6; anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines). Overall, 44.8% of veterans took nine or more outpatient medications and 35.4% took five to eight. Using multivariable logistic regression and controlling for demographic, health‐status, and access‐to‐care variables, polypharmacy (≥9 and 5–8) was associated with greater risk of ADR‐related hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.43–10.61 and AOR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.03–7.85, respectively).

Conclusion

ADRs, determined using a validated causality algorithm, are a common cause of unplanned hospitalization in older veterans, are frequently preventable, and are associated with polypharmacy.