bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Comparative Effectiveness of a Multimodal Program Versus Exercise Alone for the Secondary Prevention of Chronic Low Back Pain and Disability
Authors: Ewert Thomas , Limm Heribert , Wessels Tina , Rackwitz Berid , von Garnier Katharina , Freumuth Robert , Stucki Gerold
Published: September 2009

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine whether a multimodal, secondary prevention program (MP) is superior to a general physical exercise program (EP) in influencing the process leading to chronic low back pain (LBP) in nurses with a history of back pain.

Design

The study was conducted as a randomized controlled parallel‐group trial.

Setting

The interventions were performed in a single center at the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Munich in Germany.

Participants

A total of 235 nurses from 14 nearby hospitals and nursing homes who experienced at least one episode of back pain during the previous 2 years were invited into the study. Of these, 183 nurses were enrolled and 169 (83 in the MP and 86 in the EP) qualified for the intent‐to‐treat analysis.

Interventions

The EP consisted of 11 group sessions, each lasting 1 hour. After introductory sessions, subsequent sessions included general physical strengthening and stretching exercises as well as instructions for a home‐training program. The MP consisted of 17 group sessions of 1.75 hours and one individual session of 45 minutes. In addition to the full EP, the MP included 5 psychological units, 7 segmental stabilization exercises units, and 8 ergonomic and workplace‐specific units.

Main Outcome Measurements

The primary study end‐point variable was pain interference, and the secondary study end‐point variables were pain intensity and functioning as measured with the West Haven‐Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory and the Short Form‐36, respectively. These study end‐point variables were defined a priori.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Small‐to‐moderate effects were observed in both intervention programs across all study end‐point variables. For pain interference, the effect size at 12 months after intervention was 0.58 in the MP and 0.47 in the EP.

Conclusions

A multimodal program is not superior to a general exercise program in influencing the process leading to chronic LBP in a population of nurses with a history of pain. The most likely explanation is a common psychological mechanism leading to improved pain interference that is irrespective of the program used. Considering the lower resources of the general exercise program, the expense for a multimodal program is not justified for the secondary prevention of LBP and disability.
Running Shoe Selection Criteria Among Adolescent Cross‐Country Runners
Authors: Enke Ryan C. , Laskowski Edward R. , Thomsen Kristine M.
Published: September 2009

Objective

To determine which factors are most important to adolescent cross‐country runners in selecting and replacing running shoes.

Design

A cross‐sectional, descriptive survey.

Setting

Surveys were completed at 4 high schools in a southeastern Minnesota community.

Participants

Eligible subjects included adolescents (grades 7–12) participating in cross‐country running at any of the 4 high schools in Rochester, Minnesota. A total of 223 surveys were distributed and collected from of an estimated 243 eligible participants.

Assessment of Risk Factors

Independent variables included gender, running experience, grade, and previous injury history.

Main Outcome Measures

A descriptive analysis of factors important in running shoe selection was performed. The assessment also included evaluation of the runners' knowledge of arch type and awareness of mileage accumulated before replacing running shoes.

Results

A total of 73.1% of survey participants identified arch type compatibility with shoe design as the most important factor in choosing a running shoe. However, only 57.0% reported knowing their arch type. A total of 74.0% reported not knowing how many miles they accumulated in a single pair of running shoes before replacement.

Conclusions

A majority of adolescent runners in this study identified arch type and shoe design as the most important factors in choosing a running shoe.
Role of Oral Medications in Spasticity Management
Authors: Watanabe Thomas K.
Published: September 2009

Oral medications are frequently used to manage spasticity. Some clinicians may believe that oral medications are a more conservative or “first‐line” strategy to treat this condition. However, their use may lead to significant adverse events. Additionally, efficacy has not been well‐established, in particular the ability of these medications to enhance functional outcome. The decision regarding the use of oral medications is further complicated by the fact that a number of different agents have been used for many different diagnoses. The relative dearth of well‐controlled studies makes the choice of medications for a given clinical condition even more difficult. This article reviews the mechanisms of action of some of the medications that are more commonly used to treat spasticity and identifies some studies that may suggest efficacy, or lack thereof, for certain diagnoses. Because questions remain regarding the benefit of oral medications, potential side effects also are emphasized to help the reader consider both potential risks and benefits. The article is intended as a broad overview, rather than comprehensive review of the literature.
Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy: An Update
Authors: Francisco Gerard E. , Saulino Michael F. , Yablon Stuart A. , Turner Michael
Published: September 2009

Intrathecal administration of baclofen is a well‐established technique for modulating hypertonia secondary to upper motor neuron pathology. Despite the nearly 2 decades of widespread clinical use, this intervention presents many challenges to even experienced clinicians. The purpose of this clinical review is to describe some of the intricacies and subtleties of this treatment strategy. This narrative provides an overview of 3 topics: (1) an alternative methodology for intrathecal baclofen trials; (2) an algorithmic approach to troubleshooting intrathecal delivery systems; and (3) the utility of neurophysiologic assessments within various phases of intrathecal baclofen therapy.
Surgical Management of Spasticity in Persons with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Lynn Abigail K. , Turner Michael , Chambers Henry G.
Published: September 2009

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that primarily affects the neurologic system but secondarily affects the musculoskeletal system through the effects of spasticity, dystonia, and other movement disorders. The treatment of cerebral palsy requires a multidisciplinary approach with treatment aimed at modulating the movement disorder through oral medication, injectable drugs (phenol, botulinum toxin), and physical and occupational therapy. Treatment of the neurologic effects of the central movement disorders include selective dorsal rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen pump placement, and potentially deep brain stimulation. Although any effect on tone is temporary, orthopedic surgery has an important role in the treatment of the musculoskeletal deformities and contractures present in the child with cerebral palsy. Orthopedic surgery improves function by lengthening the musculotendinous structures, transferring tendons, performing osteotomies to reduce dislocated joints, and normalizing rotation and fusion of selected joints to improve stability. Neurosurgical techniques are not as widely used, but may reduce spasticity in select individuals. The combined approach of managing tone and normalizing the biomechanics of the spine and upper and lower extremities through orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery and subsequent rehabilitation is the cornerstone of treatment of the child and adult with cerebral palsy.
Incongruous Changes in Heart Period and Heart Rate Variability with Vagotonic Atropine: Implications for Rehabilitation Medicine
Authors: Picard Glen , Tan Can Ozan , Zafonte Ross , Taylor J. Andrew
Published: September 2009

Objective

To describe the relationship between vagally mediated bradycardia and heart rate variability indices in young and older healthy individuals.

Design

Cross‐sectional, physiologic study.

Setting

Outpatient cardiovascular research laboratory.

Participants

A total of 34 young (mean age 24 years) and 27 older (mean age 63 years) healthy adults.

Methods

Eight bolus injections of atropine sulfate were given intravenously to participants while in a supine position (cumulative doses from 0.4 to 7.2 μg/kg). Each dose was followed by a 3‐minute data collection period in which subjects controlled their breathing frequency at a rate of 15 breaths per minute.

Main Outcome Measurements

Chronotropic responses were assessed from average RR interval and blood pressure was assessed by automated brachial cuff. Heart rate variability (HRV) indices were calculated to represent both time domain measures (RR interval standard deviation and root mean squared of successive differences) and frequency domain measures (respiratory sinus arrhythmia and total power).

Results

RR interval responses exhibited the expected curvilinear pattern to atropine administration with all subjects exhibiting a bradycardia with at least one dose and RR interval returning to baseline or decreasing in most subjects as atropine dosing progressed. RR interval was closely related to vagotonic atropine dose with an r2 greater than 0.70 in 89% of subjects. Heart rate variability indices were not consistently correlated with the bradycardic effect of vagotonic atropine and ranged from highly positive to highly negative with almost one‐fifth of correlations less than 0.5.

Conclusions

The relationship between HRV and vagal tone is likely complex and has a large interindividual variation.
Chemodenervation and Nerve Blocks in the Diagnosis and Management of Spasticity and Muscle Overactivity
Authors: Elovic Elie P. , Esquenazi Alberto , Alter Katharine E. , Lin John L. , Alfaro Abraham , Kaelin Darryl L.
Published: September 2009

This article will discuss many of the key concepts regarding chemodenervation and neurolysis in the management of spasticity. Topics that will be discussed include techniques for localization, strengths and limitations of various agents (botulinum toxin, phenol, and alcohol), the value of combination therapies, and the role of nerve blocks (diagnostic and therapeutic). With advancing technology have come newer methods to improve accuracy of localization for the performance of chemodenervation and neurolysis such as electromyographic guidance, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound guidance. During the last 2 decades, the addition of botulinum toxin chemodenervation as an adjunct to traditional neurolysis, medication, and therapy modalities has expanded the field of treatment of intramuscular hyperactivity in upper motor neuron syndrome. The technique of diagnostic blocks as predictors of response and the therapeutic value of nerve blocks will be discussed.
Spastic Hypertonia and Movement Disorders: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, and Quantification
Authors: Sheean Geoffrey , McGuire John R.
Published: September 2009

A delayed consequence of a lesion affecting the upper motor neuron pathways is the appearance of some forms of motor overactivity, including spasticity. Many of these are caused by hyperexcitability of spinal reflexes, such as stretch reflexes (spasticity, tendon hyperreflexia) or flexor withdrawal reflexes (flexor spasms), and are elicited at rest by sensory stimulation. Spastic co‐contraction is probably attributable to failure of reciprocal inhibition; it occurs only during active voluntary movement and constrains such movement. The basic underlying mechanism of these changes is not clear, although a change in the balance between the inhibitory and excitatory supraspinal upper motor neuron pathways toward net excitation most likely contributes. Increased intrinsic excitability of the alpha motor neurons is another possible factor. Spastic dystonia is most often seen as the presence of tonic muscle contraction in the absence of voluntary movement or spinal reflex activation, and the underlying mechanisms are obscure. Prolonged shortening of tissues, either because of weakness or muscle contraction, leads to stiffness of the soft tissues, which contributes to hypertonia and is thus self‐perpetuating, and ultimately to contracture with fixed shortening. Some of these forms of motor overactivity produce involuntary movements (hyperkinetic), eg, flexor spasms, whereas others impair movement (hypokinetic), either voluntary movement, eg, spastic co‐contraction, or passive movement, eg, spasticity. Quantification has mostly focused on hypertonia, that is, increased resistance at rest to passive movement. In the upper motor neuron syndrome, hypertonia could be caused by a combination of spasticity, spastic dystonia, and soft tissue stiffness (rheologic changes). Some measures, such as the Ashworth or Modified Ashworth Scales, quantify hypertonia but are very poor at distinguishing between spasticity and soft tissue stiffness. Another, the Tardieu Scale, is better at making this distinction, but quantification of the spasticity portion of hypertonia remains difficult, at least in a clinical setting.
Cucumispora dikerogammarin. gen. (Fungi: Microsporidia) infecting the invasive amphipodDikerogammarus villosus: a potential emerging disease in European rivers
Authors: OVCHARENKO M. O. , BACELA K. , WILKINSON T. , IRONSIDE J. E. , RIGAUD T. , WATTIER R. A.
Published: September 2009

Dikerogammarus villosusis an invasive amphipod that recently colonized the main rivers of Central and Western Europe. Two frequent microsporidian parasites were previously detected in this species, but their taxonomic status was unclear. Here we present ultrastructural and molecular data indicating that these two parasites are in fact a single microsporidian species. This parasite shares numerous characteristics ofNosemaspp. It forms elongate spores (cucumiform), developing in direct contact with host cell cytoplasm; all developmental stages are diplokaryotic and the life cycle is monomorphic with disporoblastic sporogony. Initially this parasite was described asNosema dikerogammariOvcharenko and Kurandina 1987. However, phylogenetic analysis based on the complete sequence of SSU rDNA places the parasite outside the genusNosemaand it is therefore ascribed to a new genusCucumispora. The key features characteristic to this genus are: presence of a very well-developed, umbrella-shape anchoring disk covering the anterior part of polaroplast; arrangement of isofilar polar filament into 6–8 coils convoluted with different angles, voluminous diplokaryon, thin spore wall and relatively small posterior vacuole containing posterosome. The parasite infects most host tissues but mainly muscles. It showed high rates of horizontal trophic transmission and lower rates of vertical transmission.
Intestinal parasites of endangered orangutans(Pongo pygmaeus) in Central and East Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia
Authors: LABES E. M. , HEGGLIN D. , GRIMM F. , NURCAHYO W. , HARRISON M. E. , BASTIAN M. L. , DEPLAZES P.
Published: September 2009

Faecal samples from 163 captive and semi-captive individuals, 61 samples from wild individuals and 38 samples from captive groups of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Kalimantan, Indonesia, were collected during one rainy season (November 2005–May 2006) and screened for intestinal parasites using sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin-concentration (SAFC), sedimentation, flotation, McMaster- and Baermann techniques. We aimed to identify factors influencing infection risk for specific intestinal parasites in wild orangutans and individuals living in captivity. Various genera of Protozoa (includingEntamoeba, Endolimax, Iodamoeba,Balantidium,GiardiaandBlastocystis), nematodes (such asStrongyloides,Trichuris,Ascaris, Enterobius,Trichostrongylusand hookworms) and one trematode (a dicrocoeliid) were identified. For the first time, the cestodeHymenolepiswas detected in orangutans. Highest prevalences were found forStrongyloides(individuals 37%; groups 58%), hookworms (41%; 58%),Balantidium(40%; 61%),Entamoeba coli(29%; 53%) and a trichostrongylid (13%; 32%). In re-introduction centres, infants were at higher risk of infection withStrongyloidesthan adults. Infection risk for hookworms was significantly higher in wild males compared with females. In groups, the centres themselves had a significant influence on the infection risk forBalantidium. Ranging patterns of wild orangutans, overcrowding in captivity and a shift of age composition in favour of immatures seemed to be the most likely factors leading to these results.
Determination of singularities of some 4-DOF parallel manipulators by translational/rotational Jacobian matrices
Authors: Lu Yi , Shi Yan , Yu Jianping
Published: September 2009

A novel analytic approach is proposed for determining the singularities of some four degree of freedom (DOF) parallel manipulators (PMs). First, the constraint and displacement of a general 4-DOF PM are analyzed. Second, a common 3 × 4 translational Jacobian matrix Jν and a common 3 × 4 rotational Jacobian matrix Jω are derived, and a 4 × 4 general Jacobian matrix J of the 4-DOF PMs is derived from Jν and Jω. Since a complicated process to determine singularities from the 4 × 6 Jacobian matrix is transformed into a simple process to determine singularity from J, the singularities of the some 4-DOF PMs with 3 translations and 1 rotation, or with 3 rotations and 1 translation, or with combined translation–rotations are analyzed and determined easily by this approach.
A drift-diffusion model for semiconductors with temperature effects
Authors: Xu Xiangsheng
Published: September 2009

We establish an existence theorem for a stationary semiconductor model which takes into account the current generated by the gradient of the temperature.
A boundary value problem on the half-line for higher-order nonlinear differential equations
Authors: Philos Ch. G.
Published: September 2009

This article is devoted to the study of the existence of solutions as well as the existence and uniqueness of solutions to a boundary-value problem on the half-line for higher-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations. An existence result is obtained by the use of the Schauder–Tikhonov theorem. Furthermore, an existence and uniqueness criterion is established using the Banach contraction principle. These two results are applied, in particular, to the specific class of higher-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations of Emden–Fowler type and to the special case of higher-order linear ordinary differential equations, respectively. Moreover, some (general or specific) examples demonstrating the applicability of our results are given.
Seventy-five years of estimating the force of infection from current status data
Authors: HENS N. , AERTS M. , FAES C. , SHKEDY Z. , LEJEUNE O. , VAN DAMME P. , BEUTELS P.
Published: September 2009

The force of infection, describing the rate at which a susceptible person acquires an infection, is a key parameter in models estimating the infectious disease burden, and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of infectious disease prevention. Since Muench formulated the first catalytic model to estimate the force of infection from current status data in 1934, exactly 75 years ago, several authors addressed the estimation of this parameter by more advanced statistical methods, while applying these to seroprevalence and reported incidence/case notification data. In this paper we present an historical overview, discussing the relevance of Muench's work, and we explain the wide array of newer methods with illustrations on pre-vaccination serological survey data of two airborne infections: rubella and parvovirus B19. We also provide guidance on deciding which method(s) to apply to estimate the force of infection, given a particular set of data.
All Bad Things Do Not Go Together: A Comment on Echeverri-Gent
Authors: van de Walle Nicolas
Published: September 2009

John Echeverri-Gent's (2009) fine article in this symposium makes a compelling case for a greater focus on the study of inequality by political scientists. A topic we have too often neglected, its dynamics go to the core of our disciplinary concerns and we clearly should have more to offer to its understanding. APSA is to be commended for supporting the work of the Task Force on Difference, Inequality, and Developing Societies (2008), which Echeverri-Gent led, and which, in large part, informs his article in these pages. It should generate a renewed focus by political scientists on international inequality and on the role of domestic inequality in the development process.
New Approaches to the Politics of Inequality in Developing Countries
Authors: Echeverri-Gent John
Published: September 2009

The articles in this symposium present politics as an important intervening variable in the relationship between inequality and development. They highlight the complex and contingent ways in which politics mediates this relationship. The articles examine three key issues: (1) the extent and nature of international inequality and domestic inequality in the developing world; (2) the process through which inequality becomes—or does not become—a salient issue on the political agenda; and (3) the relationship between inequality and development under democratic and authoritarian regimes.
George Albro Warp
Authors: Jernberg James E.
Published: September 2009

A life of service to others ended on March 26, 2009, when professor emeritus George A. Warp of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota passed away at age 95. George was born on June 12, 1913, in Northfield, Ohio, and graduated from Bedford High School in Ohio. Prior to being associated with the University of Minnesota for the past 60 years, he graduated from Oberlin College, Case Western University, and Columbia University, earning degrees in political science, public administration, international administration, as well as law. George served briefly as a political science faculty member at the University of Minnesota, where he met and married his late wife, Lois, in 1940 before entering the U.S. Navy following the entry of the United States into World War II. His service in the Pacific theater led to his postwar appointment as a civilian advisor under General MacArthur in Japan from 1946–1948. Upon completion of that assignment, George returned to the University of Minnesota in 1948 as a professor of political science and served first as associate director and then director of the graduate program in public administration in the department's Public Administration Center until 1965 when the center became a self-standing unit of the College of Liberal Arts. He remained director through 1968 when the center was succeeded by the School of Public Affairs and recreated as the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs in 1978 as a collegiate unit named as a memorial honoring the late vice president and Minnesota's senator. George served as a professor and chair of graduate admissions until his retirement in 1982.
Intentional cognitive control impairments in schizophrenia: Generalized or specific?
Authors: PAULIK GEORGIE , BADCOCK JOHANNA C. , MAYBERY MURRAY T.
Published: September 2009

Impairments in intentional—but not unintentional—inhibition have been found in schizophrenia, and are thought to contribute to the presence of psychotic symptoms. However, it was previously unknown whether this intentional cognitive control impairment extends to intentional resistance to interference—another form of cognitive control. The current study resolved this issue through administering two cognitive control measures: one with a high intentional resistance to interference demand and the other with a high unintentional inhibition demand, to schizophrenia (n = 61) and healthy control (n = 34) participants. Consistent with previous findings, schizophrenia participants’ performance on the measures with a high unintentional inhibition demand was intact; however, they were impaired on the task with high intentional resistance to interference demands compared with controls. This latter finding suggests that intentional cognitive control impairments previously found in schizophrenia are not specific to inhibition, but instead are more general, including both processes requiring inhibition (as consistently reported in the literature) and resistance to interference (as found in the current study). (JINS, 2009, 15, 982–989.)
Polyphase formation and exhumation of high‐ to ultrahigh‐pressure rocks in continental subduction zone: Numerical modeling and application to the Sulu ultrahigh‐pressure terrane in eastern China
Authors: Li Zhonghai , Gerya Taras V.
Published: September 2009

High‐ to ultrahigh‐pressure (HP‐UHP) metamorphic rocks commonly form and exhume during the early continental collision, and many questions related to their origin still remain unresolved. We focus our study on explaining the poly metamorphic origins of many HP‐UHP terranes composed of tectonic units having strongly variable ages, peak metamorphic conditions, and P‐T paths. These features are especially well characterized for the Sulu UHP terrane in eastern China which we have chosen therefore as the reference case. We conducted 2‐D thermomechanical numerical modeling of continental subduction associated with formation and exhumation of HP‐UHP rocks. Our experiments suggest existence of several consequent episodes of (U)HP rocks exhumation related to the inherently cyclic origin of continental crust subduction‐detachment‐exhumation processes. Three major phases of these processes are identified in our reference model for the Sulu UHP terrane: (1) first and (2) second exhumation episodes of HP rocks originated in the subduction channel at lithospheric depths and (3) exhumation of UHP rocks originated at asthenospheric depths. Numerical models also suggest that subducted UHP rocks which are positively buoyant compared to the mantle may detach from the slab forming a flattened plume underplating the overriding lithosphere. This sublithospheric plume may exist for several million years being heated to 800–900°C by the surrounding hot mantle. At the later stage, upward extrusion of hot partially molten rocks from the plume may exhume high‐temperature (HT) UHP complexes toward the surface.
A model of thermal conductivity for planetary soils: 2. Theory for cemented soils
Authors: Piqueux S. , Christensen P. R.
Published: September 2009

A numerical model of heat conduction through particulate media made of spherical grains cemented by various bonding agents is presented. The pore‐filling gas conductivity, volume fraction, and thermal conductivity of the cementing phase are tunable parameters. Cement fractions <0.001–0.01% in volume have small effects on the soil bulk thermal conductivity. A significant conductivity increase (factor 3–8) is observed for bond fractions of 0.01 to 1% in volume. In the 1 to 15% bond fraction domain, the conductivity increases continuously but less intensely (25–100% conductivity increase compared to a 1% bond system). Beyond 15% of cements, the conductivity increases vigorously and the bulk conductivity rapidly approaches that of bedrock. The composition of the cements (i.e. conductivity) has little influence on the bulk thermal inertia of the soil, especially if the volume of bond <10%. These results indicate that temperature measurements are sufficient to detect cemented soils and quantify the amount of cementing phase, but the mineralogical nature of the bonds and the typical grain size are unlikely to be determined from orbit. On Mars, a widespread surface unit characterized by a medium albedo (0.19–0.26) and medium/high thermal inertia (200–600 J s−0.5 m−2 K−1) has long been hypothesized to be associated with a duricrust. The fraction of cement required to fit the thermal data is less than ∼1–5% by volume. This small amount of material is consistent with orbital observations, confirming that soil cementation is an important factor controlling the thermal inertia of the Martian surface.
Numerical modeling of 2‐D granular step collapse on erodible and nonerodible surface
Authors: Crosta G. B. , Imposimato S. , Roddeman D.
Published: September 2009

The study of the collapse of a granular step is of great interest for understanding transient dense granular flow conditions and for modeling geophysical flows in granular materials. We present the results of a series of finite elements simulations considering variable column aspect ratios and properties for an elastoplastic material with a Mohr‐Coulomb yield rule and nonassociate flow rule. The adopted approach does not suffer limitations of typical shallow water equation methods, being able to consider strong vertical motion components. Transition from initial instability to complete flow development is simulated for columns with different aspect ratios (a ≤ 20). Simulation results are compared to original tests and available well‐documented experimental data, in terms of flow development, duration, profile geometry, velocity distribution, erosion and deposition, and evolution of the interface between static and moving material. Tests involving a thick erodible layer have been performed and numerical simulation results are compared also with a real case study. Numerical results support both those of qualitative and theoretical models and the proposed general scaling laws and clarify the dependence on frictional properties. Power laws describe the normalized runout versus aspect ratio (a > 4) relationship with constants of proportionality dependent on internal friction angle and exponents ranging between 0.68 and 0.77, in good agreement with experimental results. Total duration and evolution in three successive phases agree with observations. Time for the flow front to cease motion with respect to aspect ratio is best represented by the 3.68a0.448 relationships for a 30° internal friction angle material.
Analysis of scintillation recorded during the PRIS measurement campaign
Authors: Béniguel Y. , Adam J.‐P. , Jakowski N. , Noack T. , Wilken V. , Valette J.‐J. , Cueto M. , Bourdillon A. , Lassudrie‐Duchesne P. , Arbesser‐Rastburg B.
Published: September 2009

This paper presents the results of a scintillation measurement campaign. The receivers used during this campaign were located in five regions of the globe which allowed us to investigate geographic similarities and differences. Most of the receivers were located in the equatorial region, and one of them was located at high latitudes. Significant results were achieved even though the measurement period was around solar minimum. An intercomparison with the Wide‐Band Scintillation Model and the Global Ionosphere Scintillation Model has been carried out, and the construction of scintillations maps has been initiated.
Controls on seawater Fe(III) solubility in the Mauritanian upwelling zone
Authors: Schlosser C. , Croot P. L.
Published: September 2009

Iron solubility measurements in the Mauritanian upwelling and the adjacent Open Ocean of the Tropical Atlantic show for all stations lower values in the surface mixed layer than at depth below the pycnocline. We attribute this distribution to a combination of loss terms, chiefly photo‐oxidation of organic ligands in the surface, and supply terms, predominantly from the release of ligands from the decomposition of organic matter. Significant correlations with pH, oxygen and phosphate for all samples below the surface mixed layer indicate that biogenic remineralisation of organic matter results in the release of iron binding ligands into the dissolved phase. The comparison of the cFeS/PO43− ratio with other published data from intermediate and deep waters in the Pacific suggests an enhanced release of iron chelators in the more productive Mauritanian upwelling zone.
Systematic along‐axis tidal triggering of microearthquakes observed at 9°50′N East Pacific Rise
Authors: Stroup D. F. , Tolstoy M. , Crone T. J. , Malinverno A. , Bohnenstiehl D. R. , Waldhauser F.
Published: September 2009

Hydrothermal fluid circulation at mid‐ocean ridges facilitates the exchange of heat and chemicals between the oceans and the solid Earth, and supports chemosynthetic microbial and macro‐faunal communities. The structure and evolution of newly formed oceanic crust plays a dominant role in controlling the character and longevity of hydrothermal systems; however, direct measurements of subsurface processes remain technologically challenging to obtain. Previous studies have shown that tidally‐induced stresses within the subseafloor modulate both fluid flow and microearthquake origin times. In this study, we observe systematic along‐axis variations between peak microearthquake activity and maximum predicted tidal extension beneath the hydrothermal vent site at 9°50′N East Pacific Rise. We interpret this systematic triggering to result from pore‐pressure perturbations propagating laterally through the hydrothermal system. Based on our observations and a one‐dimensional pore pressure perturbation model, we estimate bulk permeability at ∼10−13 to 10−12 m2 within layer 2B over a calculated diffusive lengthscale of 2.0 km.
Presence of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries in US Market: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Kumar Jena Deepak , Mohan Vishwajeet , Appaji Padmanabhuni Venkata , Srinivas Lanka , Balaram Poduri
Published: September 2009

The United States is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world with generic sales accounting for US$58.5 billion and is India's largest export destination. India accounts for one out of every four Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals in the years 2007 and 2008, ranks first in total Type II active Drug Master Files (DMFs) with US Food and Drug Administration and it also received 31 per cent of all tentative approvals (as on 11 December 2008). In 2008, the exports of formulations from India to top 28 regulated countries surpassed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) exports firmly demonstrating the shift in credibility and Quality Compliance. India has rich vendor base with 3.75 DMFs per molecule and has filed more than 450 different APIs. Has India tapped the US market to its fullest potential? Where do the opportunities for further growth for India lies in this market? To answer this question, a comprehensive study of DMFs and ANDAs filings by their therapeutic categories, dosage forms, strengths, companies, countries and other key parameters like patents was undertaken. The study reveals that ANDAs from India are confined to small number of highly competitive molecules, and has to move into the new orbit of working in complex chemistry, Biotech-based medicines, and advanced formulations.
High-pressure and high-temperature differential scanning calorimeter for combined pressure-concentration-temperature measurements of hydrides
Authors: Mauron Ph. , Bielmann M. , Bissig V. , Remhof A. , Züttel A.
Published: September 2009

The design and construction of a high-pressure (200 bar) and high-temperature (600 °C) heat-flow differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for the in situ investigation of the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions of hydrides is presented. In combination with a pressure-concentration-temperature (pcT) system, simultaneous thermodynamic and volumetric measurements become accessible. Due to the high thermal conductivity of hydrogen, only the sample cell and the reference cell are exposed to hydrogen and the remaining system is under ambient conditions. This separation has the advantage that the calibration factor is independent of the hydrogen pressure. The internal empty volume of the combined system is as low as possible to maximize the precision of the pcT measurements. The calorimetric block of the DSC is designed with a silver/copper alloy and the temperature measurements are made resistively with platinum temperature sensors (Pt 100). The instrument was calibrated and its operability was successfully studied on the example of the hydrogen sorption behavior of LaNi5.
Common variants on chromosome 2 and risk of primary open-angle glaucoma in the Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados
Authors: Jiao Xiaodong , Yang Zhenglin , Yang Xian , Chen Yuhong , Tong Zongzhong , Zhao Chao , Zeng Jiexi , Chen Haoyu , Gibbs Daniel , Sun Xufang , Li Bei , Wakins W. Scott , Meyer Cynthia , Wang Xiaolei , Kasuga Daniel , Bedell Matthew , Pearson Erik , Weinreb Robert N. , Leske M. Cristina , Hennis Anselm , DeWan Andrew , Nemesure Barbara , Jorde Lynn B. , Hoh Josephine , Hejtmancik J. Fielding , Zhang Kang
Published: September 2009

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although a number of genetic loci have shown association or genetic linkage to monogenic forms of POAG, the identified genes and loci do not appear to have a major role in the common POAG phenotype. We seek to identify genetic loci that appear to be major risk factors for POAG in the Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados, West Indies. We performed linkage analyses in 146 multiplex families ascertained through the Barbados Family Study of Glaucoma (BFSG) and identified a strong linkage signal on chromosome 2p (logarithm of odds score = 6.64 at θ = 0 with marker D2S2156). We subsequently performed case-control analyses using unrelated affected individuals and unaffected controls. A set of SNPs on chromosome 2p was evaluated in two independent groups of BFSG participants, a discovery group (130 POAG cases, 65 controls) and a replication group (122 POAG cases, 65 controls), and a strong association was identified with POAG and rs12994401 in both groups (P< 3.34 E−09 andP< 1.21E−12, respectively). The associated SNPs form a common disease haplotype. In summary, we have identified a locus with a major impact on susceptibility to the common POAG phenotype in an Afro-Caribbean population in Barbados. Our approach illustrates the merit of using an isolated population enriched with common disease variants as an efficient method to identify genetic underpinning of POAG.
Policy-driven Inter-ethnic Conflicts in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Tache Boku , Oba Gufu
Published: September 2009

Persistent inter-ethnic conflicts in southern Ethiopia have created a crisis in security of customary land tenure in the grazing lands. This article explores the links between government administrative policies and inter-ethnic conflicts on grazing resource borders by discussing the historical relationships between contesting pastoral groups, their perceptions of resource borders and how the groups used government policies of ethnic-based decentralisation and referendum to claim ownership rights to grazing lands. The article contextualises the discussions within the politics of land use. Inter-ethnic conflicts have interfered with customary resource allocations by undermining customary institutions for resource sharing. There is a need for urgent dialogue between the government and different pastoral communities for negotiating access to key resources supported by conflict resolution in the southern rangelands of Ethiopia.
Ribosome stalk assembly requires the dual-specificity phosphatase Yvh1 for the exchange of Mrt4 with P0
Authors: Lo Kai-Yin , Li Zhihua , Wang Feng , Marcotte Edward M. , Johnson Arlen W.
Published: September 2009

The ribosome stalk is essential for recruitment of translation factors. In yeast, P0 and Rpl12 correspond to bacterial L10 and L11 and form the stalk base of mature ribosomes, whereas Mrt4 is a nuclear paralogue of P0. In this study, we show that the dual-specificity phosphatase Yvh1 is required for the release of Mrt4 from the pre-60S subunits. Deletion of YVH1 leads to the persistence of Mrt4 on pre-60S subunits in the cytoplasm. A mutation in Mrt4 at the protein–RNA interface bypasses the requirement for Yvh1. Pre-60S subunits associated with Yvh1 contain Rpl12 but lack both Mrt4 and P0. These results suggest a linear series of events in which Yvh1 binds to the pre-60S subunit to displace Mrt4. Subsequently, P0 loads onto the subunit to assemble the mature stalk, and Yvh1 is released. The initial assembly of the ribosome with Mrt4 may provide functional compartmentalization of ribosome assembly in addition to the spatial separation afforded by the nuclear envelope.
Representation in Art
Authors: Goldman Alan H.
Published: September 2009

Of all the long-standing debates that raise doubts about progress in philosophy, that concerning the nature of representation in the arts stands out. For Plato's analysis, charitably interpreted and amplified, holds up remarkably well in the face of strong criticism earlier in this century and yet more recent revisions. And the question that he raised about the value of representation as he analysed it, while less prominent as a philosophical topic, proves still difficult to answer, although here it is much clearer that Plato is wrong in the negative answer he gave. At the centre of the former debate is the question whether representation depends essentially on resemblance, but this is just part of Plato's analysis, and the other parts, while only implicit, have been unduly neglected.
Metaphor
Authors: Cohen Ted
Published: September 2009

Metaphor is one of a variety of uses of language in which what is communicated is not what the words mean literally. It is, therefore, so to speak, a way of speaking of something by talking about something else. Thus, one has said (or written) X and thereby communicated Y. This characteristic of ‘indirectness’ is not alone sufficient to distinguish metaphors from other non-standard uses of language, but there is also a question as to whether metaphors in general are sufficiently similar to one another to permit a single, unified description of them. On one hand, metaphor has been a feature of poetry for centuries, conspicuous in the work of Homer and Shakespeare and countless other poets. But on the other hand, metaphor is pervasive in ordinary language, both in speech and in writing. It is not obvious that a single account of metaphor could be adequate to both poetic and more prosaic uses of figurative language.
Fiction
Authors: Lamarque Peter
Published: September 2009

The concept of fiction is not identical to that of literature, and the discussion that follows concentrates on the former alone. Not only do the terms ‘fiction’ and ‘literature’ have different extensions — not all fictions are literary and not all literary works are fictional — but their meanings differ too, not least because the latter has an evaluative element lacking in the former. Of course, many of the great works of literature are also fictional, so an analysis of fiction will shed light on one aspect of them. But it should not be supposed that an analysis of fiction will exhaust all there is to say about literature, nor that such an analysis will encompass distinctively literary qualities.
Art and Politics
Authors: Goehr Lydia
Published: September 2009

This article focuses on one issue in the wide-ranging, contemporary debates on the relation between art and politics, namely, philosophy's role in these debates and the contribution it makes. In the background, this survey acknowledges that philosophy may provide useful conceptual clarification regarding the many ways the arts engage in and with the political sphere, for example in the production of propaganda art and the uses of images in mass media; the use of the arts in identity politics and political demonstration; institutional histories and in the marketing and consuming of art products; issues of censorship and international law pertaining to the return of stolen art. However, in the foreground this survey treats the question more abstractly. It focuses on three relations: disenfranchisement, distantiationy, and indirectness.
Literature
Authors: Livingston Paisley
Published: September 2009

Claims about the essence of literature have not always been motivated by the goal of identifying the proper object of a field of scientific research. Sometimes the point has been to denounce literature as a source of mimetic corruption and deceit. More frequently, great moral or epistemic value has been attributed to literature, where what is really meant is ‘literature at its best’. One example — among hundreds — is Maurice Blanchot's characterization of literature as a sceptical process crucial to a kind of existential authenticity. A plausible complaint about such theorizings is that they overlook the importance of recognizing the existence of bad literature, and of good literature that happens to lack those virtues the theorist cares to promote.
Aesthetics of Popular Art
Authors: Novitz David
Published: September 2009

Questions about the aesthetic value and appreciation of popular art have only recently become an area of interest to Anglo-American aesthetics. This is curious, for the distinction between high and popular art — like that between high and popular culture, and between avant-garde art and mass art — is a familiar and longstanding one frequently drawn by critics, philosophers, and cultural theorists throughout the course of the twentieth century. It was extensively discussed by Marxist thinkers like Walter Benjamin, and was the stock-in-trade of the Critical Theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. Not just those two, but high-modernist philosophers and critics like R. G. Collingwood, Clement Greenberg, and Dwight MacDonald also made much of the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ (or popular) art. Even so, it was a distinction that did not earn the serious attention of philosophical aesthetics until the penultimate decade of the twentieth century.
Supporting electrolyte asymptotics and the electrochemical pickling of steel
Authors: Vynnycky M. , Ipek N.
Published: September 2009

Asymptotic methods are used to analyse a recent numerical model for the electrochemical pickling of steel. Although the process is characterized by an excess of supporting electrolyte, the asymptotic structure of the solution turns out not to be the same as that given classically for such situations. In the original theory, the asymptotic expansions for the ionic concentrations and electric potential are regular and uniformly valid; here, singular perturbation theory is required to take account of the bulk electrolyte and concentration boundary layers adjacent to reacting surfaces. The reworked theory gives a leading-order problem that is solved numerically; the results are in excellent agreement with those of the earlier computations. Also, invoking the slenderness of the geometry yields, in a combined quintuple asymptotic limit, an analytical estimate for the current density that captures well the qualitative trends and that enables a rapid assessment of the effect of operating conditions on the process.
Population, poverty and economic development
Authors: Sinding Steven W.
Published: September 2009

Economists, demographers and other social scientists have long debated the relationship between demographic change and economic outcomes. In recent years, general agreement has emerged to the effect that improving economic conditions for individuals generally lead to lower birth rates. But, there is much less agreement about the proposition that lower birth rates contribute to economic development and help individuals and families to escape from poverty. The paper examines recent evidence on this aspect of the debate, concludes that the burden of evidence now increasingly supports a positive conclusion, examines recent trends in demographic change and economic development and argues that the countries representing the last development frontier, those of Sub-Saharan Africa, would be well advised to incorporate policies and programmes to reduce high fertility in their economic development strategies.