bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religious Networking Organizations and Social Justice: An Ethnographic Case Study
Authors: Todd Nathan R.
Published: January 2012

The current study provides an innovative examination of how and why religious networking organizations work for social justice in their local community. Similar to a coalition or community coordinating council, religious networking organizations are formal organizations comprised of individuals from multiple religious congregations who consistently meet to organize around a common goal. Based on over a year and a half of ethnographic participation in two separate religious networking organizations focused on community betterment and social justice, this study reports on the purpose and structure of these organizations, how each used networking to create social capital, and how religion was integrated into the organizations’ social justice work. Findings contribute to the growing literature on social capital, empowering community settings, and the unique role of religious settings in promoting social justice. Implications for future research and practice also are discussed.
Genetic Counseling and the Ethical Issues Around Direct to Consumer Genetic Testing
Authors: Hawkins Alice K. , Ho Anita
Published: January 2012

Over the last several years, direct to consumer (DTC) genetic testing has received increasing attention in the public, healthcare and academic realms. DTC genetic testing companies face considerable criticism and scepticism, particularly from the medical and genetic counseling community. This raises the question of what specific aspects of DTC genetic testing provoke concerns, and conversely, promises, for genetic counselors. This paper addresses this question by exploring DTC genetic testing through an ethical lens. By considering the fundamental ethical approaches influencing genetic counseling (the ethic of care and principle‐based ethics) we highlight the specific ethical concerns raised by DTC genetic testing companies. Ultimately, when considering the ethics of DTC testing in a genetic counseling context, we should think of it as a balancing act. We need careful and detailed consideration of the risks and troubling aspects of such testing, as well as the potentially beneficial direct and indirect impacts of the increased availability of DTC genetic testing. As a result it is essential that genetic counselors stay informed and involved in the ongoing debate about DTC genetic testing and DTC companies. Doing so will ensure that the ethical theories and principles fundamental to the profession of genetic counseling are promoted not just in traditional counseling sessions, but also on a broader level. Ultimately this will help ensure that the public enjoys the benefits of an increasingly genetic‐based healthcare system.
Clinical Issues—February 2012
Authors: Burlingame Byron
Published: January 2012

This Month

Patients wearing personal clothing into the OR

Key words: patient attire, underwear.

Tracking and documenting implants

Key words: implant, implant documentation, infection prevention.

Returning explants to patients

Key words: implant, returning explanted devices.
A Nurse‐led Approach to Developing and Implementing a Collaborative Count Policy
Authors: Norton Elizabeth K. , Micheli Anne J. , Gedney Jennifer , Felkerson Tiffin M.
Published: January 2012

During the 2007 meeting of the Child Health Corporation of America Operating Room Director's Forum, members identified two major discrepancies in surgical count policies among the member hospitals: variations for instrument counts in pediatrics and exceptions to radiographic verification when needle counts were incorrect. The group agreed to collaboratively develop a pediatric count policy based on directors' expertise and current literature to help improve count practices. The task force members reviewed the literature as well as count policies from 30 member hospitals to identify and combine best practices and to create a single, standardized count policy. The project exemplifies a successful nurse‐led, national group effort. The outcome is a policy that represents best practice in pediatrics and is a first step toward future opportunities to improve patient safety.
Implementing AORN Recommended Practices for Prevention of Retained Surgical Items
Authors: Goldberg Judith L. , Feldman David L.
Published: January 2012

Retention of a surgical item is a preventable event that can result in patient injury. AORN's “Recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items” emphasizes the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach for prevention. Procedures should include counts of soft goods, needles, miscellaneous items, and instruments, and efforts should be made to prevent retention of fragments of broken devices. If a count discrepancy occurs, the perioperative team should follow procedures to locate the missing item. Perioperative leaders may consider the use of adjunct technologies such as bar‐code scanning, radio‐frequency detection, and radio‐frequency identification. Ambulatory and hospital patient scenarios are included to exemplify appropriate strategies for preventing retained surgical items.
Novel assay with fluorescence‐labelled PrP peptides for differentiating L‐type atypical and classical BSEs, and scrapie
Authors: Kasai Kazuo , Hirata Akiyoshi , Ohyama Takafumi , Nokihara Kiyoshi , Yokoyama Takashi , Mohri Shirou
Published: January 2012

PrP‐peptides HPP01, 02, 03, 06, 11 physically interact with PrPScof L‐type atypical and classical BSEs, and scrapie by pull down
RUVBL2 is a novel repressor of ARF transcription
Authors: Xie Chongwei , Wang Wenyu , Yang Fan , Wu Mian , Mei Yide
Published: January 2012

ARF is the second most commonly inactivated tumor suppressor behind p53. It has been implicated in the control of cell proliferation, cell senescence, and tumor suppression. However, the detailed mechanism underlying the transcriptional control of ARF remains largely unknown. Here we report RUVBL2 as a novel transcriptional repressor of ARF. Ectopic expression of RUVBL2 decreases the levels of ARF, whereas knockdown of RUVBL2 results in a marked increase in ARF levels. In addition, RUVBL2 down‐regulates the levels of p53 in an ARF‐dependent manner. Mechanistically, RUVBL2 binds to the distal region of ARF promoter, thus leading to the repression of ARF transcription. These results suggest an important role of RUVBL2 in the regulation of ARF‐p53 pathway.
Expression of coat proteins changes during postnatal development in selected areas of the rat brain
Authors: Borgonovo Janina , Capella Pablo , Seltzer Alicia , Sosa Miguel A.
Published: January 2012

It is well known that clathrin‐mediated endocytosis is crucial for the normal functioning and integrity of neurons in the central nervous system. In this study we attempted to correlate the expression of coat proteins with development in different areas of rat brain. By Western blot, we studied the expression of AP‐2, GGA1 and GGA2 in striatum, cerebellum, brain stem, cerebral cortex and hippocampus of newborn rats and during post‐natal development; 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 or 150 days after birth. We observed that the expression of the α2 subunit of AP‐2 increased substantially between the 15th and 30th day after birth in all areas studied, excepting the cerebellum and cortex. On the other hand, the expression of the α1 subunit does not change significantly during the development in any of the areas under study. We also noted that the expression of the μ2 subunit did not follow the pattern of α2 during development. In general terms, the expression of GGA1 and GGA2 followed a similar pattern to that of AP‐2, although these proteins increased significantly in the cerebral cortex from the 15th day after birth. Moreover, presenilin‐1, a protein associated with aging and neurodegeneration, shows an expression pattern similar to coat proteins in the striatum and cortex. These results suggest that proteins that conform the intracellular transport machinery in the brain cells seems to accompany development, according to the maturation of the different brain areas.
Interactivity in Brand Web Sites: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Responses Explained by Consumers’ Online Flow Experience
Authors: van Noort Guda , Voorveld Hilde A.M. , van Reijmersdal Eva A.
Published: January 2012

Web site interactivity creates numerous opportunities for marketers to persuade online consumers and receives extensive attention in the marketing literature. However, research on cognitive and behavioral responses to web site interactivity is scarce, and more importantly, it does not provide empirical evidence for how interactivity effects can be explained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the underlying principle that explains the influence of web site interactivity on consumers’ cognitive, affective and behavioral responses: online flow, the web site users’ complete immersion in an online activity (Hoffman and Novak 2009). In two studies, the hypothesis was tested that a visitor's flow experience in a specific brand web site mediates the effects of interactivity on the number and type (web site vs. product related) of thoughts, on attitudes toward the brand and web site, and on several behavioral intentions. The results provide evidence for the importance of flow in a marketing context, and the notion that the flow experienced on a specific web site is the underlying mechanism by which cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral responses to an interactive brand web site can be explained.
Securitization, Social Identity, and Democratic Security: Nixon, India, and the Ties That Bind
Authors: Hayes Jarrod
Published: January 2012

The Democratic Peace stands as one of the most coherent and recognizable programs of study in international relations. Yet despite the pages of research devoted to the subject and claims about its law-like nature, the democratic peace remains a highly contested finding. In large part, this contestation arises out of an enduring question: What exactly keeps democracies from fighting? Drawing on the securitization theory of the Copenhagen School as well as social psychology, this article claims that a critical mechanism of the democratic peace lies at the political junction between policymakers and the public. I argue that the democratic identity of the public, grounded in basic democratic norms essential for the function of any democracy at any time, plays an independent role in the construction of security and foreign policy in the United States. To test the argument, I examine the difficult case of the 1971 Bangladesh War, when President Richard Nixon sent theUSS Enterprisecarrier group to the Bay of Bengal. Analysis of public statements as well as administration documentation reveals that, while Nixon and national security advisor Henry Kissinger actively saw India as a threat to U.S. interests, they were constrained by their belief that the public would not accept a security argument with respect to a fellow democracy.
Small mammals: paratenic hosts for species ofToxocarain eastern Slovakia
Authors: Antolová D. , Reiterová K. , Stanko M. , Zalesny G. , Fričová J. , Dvorožňáková E.
Published: January 2012

Toxocaraspp., an aetiological agent of a serious helminthozoonosis, is a common roundworm of domestic and wild carnivores worldwide. The study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence ofToxocarain small mammals from different localities in eastern Slovakia. Anti-Toxocaraantibodies were detected in 6.4% out of 2140 examined animals trapped in eastern Slovakia. Due to their high density and observed high seroprevalence of toxocariasis,Apodemus agrarius,A. flavicollis,Myodes glareolusandMus spicilegus(10.9, 4.2, 3.6 and 11.2%, respectively) represent important sources of the infection. A significant correlation between type of food andToxocarapositivity was detected: granivores (7.2%) and invertebratophages (7.1%) were positive more frequently than herbivores (2.1%). In the years monitored, cyclic changes of seroprevalence were observed. A higher prevalence of antibodies in the spring was followed by a decrease in summer. In autumn, seroprevalence started to rise and stayed at a similar level through the winter. Seroprevalence of the examined animals confirms their contact withToxocaraspp. and demonstrates the presence of the aetiological agent in the monitored locality. Areas with a high prevalence of infected animals present constant infectious pressure on definitive hosts, thus also increasing infection risk for humans and paratenic hosts. The study confirmed the contact of small mammals withToxocaraspp. and demonstrated the presence and circulation of an aetiological agent in the localities monitored in eastern Slovakia.
Optimising endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouches
Authors: Moore A , Vijendren A , Rajagopal R , Spraggs P
Published: January 2012

Background:

Endoscopic hypopharyngeal diverticulotomy is now largely performed using an endoscopic stapling device. A poorly applied endoscopic stapling device can result in incomplete division of the cricopharyngeal bar, necessitating the application of a second set of staples. Applying more than one set of staples is associated with an increased risk of complications and greater cost. Small pharyngeal pouches are difficult to staple because of difficulties engaging the stapling device over the cricopharyngeal bar.

Method:

Two pairs of oesophageal forceps are used in conjunction with a 0 degree Hopkins rod to optimise the endoscopic stapling of small and large pharyngeal pouches.

Results and conclusion:

Applying grasping forceps to the cricopharyngeal bar improves the accuracy of the stapling procedure, thus reducing the morbidity and cost associated with multiple staple applications.
Generalized eigenproblem and nonlinear elliptic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions
Authors: Mavinga N.
Published: January 2012

We are concerned with the solvability of nonlinear second-order elliptic partial differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. We study the generalized Steklov–Robin eigenproblem (with possibly singular weights) in which the spectral parameter is both in the differential equation and on the boundary. We prove the existence of solutions for nonlinear problems when both nonlinearities in the differential equation and on the boundary interact, in some sense, with the generalized spectrum. The proofs are based on variational methods and a priori estimates.
THE ROLE OF SECTORAL SHIFTS IN THE DECLINE OF REAL GDP VOLATILITY
Authors: Burren Daniel , Neusser Klaus
Published: January 2012

U.S. production has shifted from goods-producing to service-producing industries. We assess whether this shift contributed to the decline in U.S. output volatility over the period 1949–2005 and provide an estimate of its relative importance. Growth rates of GDP by industry are analyzed in a seemingly unrelated multivariate autoregression framework with time-varying innovation covariance matrices. These changing unobserved covariance matrices are modeled as a Wishart autoregressive process of order one, which results in a nonlinear state-space system. The particle filter is used to obtain estimates of the innovation covariance matrix at each point in time. Several counterfactual experiments make it possible to apportion the decline in output volatility between the shift in the sectoral composition and changes in innovations. Our main finding is that the shift into the service sector can explain about 30% of the decline in GDP's volatility, despite the fact that some sectors became even more volatile. This result is robust across a wide variety of alternative specifications.
Canada invests in weather and climate monitoring
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: January 2012

Canada is investing $78.7 million over the next 5 years to improve weather and climate monitoring infrastructure, Canada's minister of the environment Peter Kent announced on 20 January. The Canadian weather radar network, which consists of 31 radar sites around the country, is slated to receive the bulk of the funding ($45.2 million) to allow existing newer‐generation radars to upgrade to dual‐polarization technology. Of the remainder, $18.8 million is for the Canadian weather and climate observing networks to supplement existing resources and upgrade about 250 observing stations; $10.5 million is to improve the Canadian lightning detection network; and $4.2 million is to upgrade the Canadian aerological network's navigational technology with multisensor GPS radiosonde equipment.
Defending climate science
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: January 2012

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE), which has long been in the lead in defending the teaching of evolution in public schools, has expanded its core mission to include defending climate science, the organization announced in January. “We consider climate change a critical issue in our own mission to protect the integrity of science education,” said NSCE executive director Eugenie Scott. “Climate affects everyone, and the decisions we make today will affect generations to come. We need to teach kids now about the realities of global warming and climate change so that they're prepared to make informed, intelligent decisions in the future.”
Ribonucleoprotein Y-box-binding protein-1 regulates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) protein expression after serum stimulation through binding to OXPHOS mRNA
Authors: Matsumoto Shinya , Uchiumi Takeshi , Tanamachi Hiroyuki , Saito Toshiro , Yagi Mikako , Takazaki Shinya , Kanki Tomotake , Kang Dongchon
Published: January 2012

Mitochondria play key roles in essential cellular functions, such as energy production, metabolic pathways and aging. Growth factor-mediated expression of the mitochondrial OXPHOS (oxidative phosphorylation) complex proteins has been proposed to play a fundamental role in metabolic homoeostasis. Although protein translation is affected by general RNA-binding proteins, very little is known about the mechanism involved in mitochondrial OXPHOS protein translation. In the present study, serum stimulation induced nuclear-encoded OXPHOS protein expression, such as NDUFA9 [NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1α subcomplex, 9, 39 kDa], NDUFB8 [NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1β subcomplex, 8, 19 kDa], SDHB [succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit B, iron sulfur (Ip)] and UQCRFS1 (ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase, Rieske iron–sulfur polypeptide 1), and mitochondrial ATP production, in a translation-dependent manner. We also observed that the major ribonucleoprotein YB-1 (Y-box-binding protein-1) preferentially bound to these OXPHOS mRNAs and regulated the recruitment of mRNAs from inactive mRNPs (messenger ribonucleoprotein particles) to active polysomes. YB-1 depletion led to up-regulation of mitochondrial function through induction of OXPHOS protein translation from inactive mRNP release. In contrast, YB-1 overexpression suppressed the translation of these OXPHOS mRNAs through reduced polysome formation, suggesting that YB-1 regulated the translation of mitochondrial OXPHOS mRNAs through mRNA binding. Taken together, our findings suggest that YB-1 is a critical factor for translation that may control OXPHOS activity.
HIV incidence trends vary between jurisdictions in Australia: an extended back-projection analysis of men who have sex with men
Authors: Mallitt Kylie-Ann , Wilson David P. , McDonald Ann , Wand Handan
Published: January 2012

Background
Trends in HIV diagnoses differ across Australia and are primarily driven by men who have sex with men (MSM). We use national population surveillance data to estimate the incidence of HIV infections among MSM by jurisdiction and infer the proportion of undiagnosed infections. Methods: Annual surveillance data for AIDS diagnoses, HIV diagnoses and recently acquired HIV infections were obtained from 1980 to 2009. A modified statistical back-projection method was used to reconstruct HIV incidence by jurisdiction. Results: HIV incidence among MSM peaked for all jurisdictions in the early 1980s and then declined into the early 1990s, after which incidence increased. Trends then differ between jurisdictions. In New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia, estimated HIV incidence peaked at 371 and 50 cases respectively in 2003, and has since decreased to 258 and 24 cases respectively in 2009. HIV infections in Queensland (Qld) have more than doubled over the past decade, from 84 cases in 2000 to 192 cases in 2009. Victoria and Western Australia have seen a rise in HIV incidence from 2000 to 2006 (to a peak of 250 and 38 incident cases respectively), followed by a plateau to 2009. HIV incidence in the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory have increased since 2000; however, case numbers remain small (<20 per year). The estimated proportion of HIV infections not yet diagnosed to 2009 ranges from 10% (NSW) to 18% (Qld), with an average of 12% across Australia. Conclusions: HIV diagnosis trends among MSM in Australia reflect changes in estimated incidence to 2009, and reveal the largest increase in the past 10 years in Qld.
When online becomes offline: attitudes to safer sex practices in older and younger women using an Australian internet dating service
Authors: Bateson Deborah J. , Weisberg Edith , McCaffery Kirsten J. , Luscombe Georgina M.
Published: January 2012

Background
The prevalence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is increasing among older Australian women, partly due to re-partnering after divorce or death of a spouse. Older women may be less likely to use condoms with new sexual partners, exposing themselves to STIs. An online survey compared characteristics of internet dating women aged 40 and above with 18 to 39 year olds, and determined the factors associated with protective safer sex attitudes. Methods: An email directed women who had logged onto the internet dating service ‘RSVP’ in the previous 6 months to a survey hosted by Family Planning New South Wales. The survey explored demographic factors, STI-related knowledge and attitudes towards safer sex practices. Factors associated with discussing STIs before sex and refusing sex without a condom with a new partner were analysed using logistic regression. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 1788 women. Almost two-thirds (62.2%) were aged 40 or over. The majority (64.8%) were seeking a long-term partner. In the previous year, 41.5% of all women met a new sexual partner via the internet. Women aged >40 years were significantly more likely to discuss STIs with a new partner but less likely to refuse sex without a condom compared with younger women. Conclusions: The internet is a useful venue for women of all ages to meet new sexual partners. Older women are vulnerable to STI acquisition through failure to use condoms with a new partner. Research is needed to determine effective interventions to increase condom use in this age group.
Reintroducing the dingo: the risk of dingo predation to threatened vertebrates of western New South Wales
Authors: Allen B. L. , Fleming P. J. S.
Published: January 2012

Context The reintroduction of dingoes into sheep-grazing areas south-east of the dingo barrier fence has been suggested as a mechanism to suppress fox and feral-cat impacts. Using the Western Division of New South Wales as a case study, Dickman et al. (2009) recently assessed the risk of fox and cat predation to extant threatened species and concluded that reintroducing dingoes into the area would have positive effects for most of the threatened vertebrates there, aiding their recovery through trophic cascade effects. However, they did not formally assess the risk of dingo predation to the same threatened species. Aims To assess the risk of dingo predation to the extant and locally extinct threatened vertebrates of western New South Wales using methods amenable to comparison with Dickman et al. (2009). Methods The predation-risk assessment method used in Dickman et al. (2009) for foxes and cats was applied here to dingoes, with minor modification to accommodate the dietary differences of dingoes. This method is based on six independent biological attributes, primarily reflective of potential vulnerability characteristics of the prey. Individual-attribute scores were used to derive an overall risk score. Key results Up to 75 (94%) of the 80 extant species were predicted to be at risk of dingo predation (71% at high risk) regardless of any effect dingoes might have on foxes or cats. Up to 17 of the 21 (81%) locally extinct species were predicted to be at high risk of dingo predation using this approach. The re-establishment of even low-density dingo populations may have negative effects on at least 22% of extant threatened vertebrates. Conclusions The generic risk-assessment method was insensitive, and experienced difficulty in describing the true nature of canid predation risk. Despite this weakness, however, it is clear that several threatened vertebrates are susceptible to dingo predation. Prior to the re-establishment of dingoes, we recommend that dingo predation risks to all vertebrates (threatened or otherwise) be assessed using more sensitive and descriptive techniques, and we strongly caution against the positive management of dingoes under current ecological conditions. Implications The results of this study imply that dingoes present similar levels of direct risk to threatened species as foxes and feral cats, and dingo predation of threatened species should be formally considered in any proposal encouraging dingo populations in western New South Wales.
Low Juvenile Pinto Abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana kamtschatkana Abundance in the San Juan Archipelago, Washington State
Authors: Bouma Joshua V. , Rothaus Don P. , Straus Kristina M. , Vadopalas Brent , Friedman Carolyn S.
Published: January 2012

To investigate contemporary pinto abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana kamtschatkana recruitment events and juvenile abundance, 66 abalone recruitment modules (ARMs) were deployed at two depths and three sites in the San Juan Archipelago (Washington State) that were historically inhabited by substantial abalone populations. Based on published studies from California and British Columbia, ARMs are proven tools for surveying juvenile pinto abalone abundance. Abalone recruitment modules provide complex habitat and protection from predation. The ARMs were surveyed in situ for juvenile abalone abundance six times over the course of 26 months. Only eight abalones were observed, including three juveniles that were less than 50 mm (shell length). The mean density of juvenile abalones inhabiting the ARMs across all three sites during the 2006 surveys was 0.012/m2. The absence of juvenile abalones within the ARMs, combined with sharp regional declines in adult pinto abalone abundance, suggests limited local recruitment of this species, which is currently designated as threatened in Canada and as a species of concern in the USA.
Influence of Turbidity on the Foraging of Largemouth Bass
Authors: Huenemann Thad W. , Dibble Eric D. , Fleming Jonathan P.
Published: January 2012

Water turbidity has the capacity to influence fish foraging success and behavior. The largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides is a popular sport fish in the southeastern United States that is primarily a visual predator. The high turbidity in many systems can be attributed to sediment loading from agricultural lands, and it can reduce the availability of light in the water column and have direct impacts on largemouth bass foraging success. We investigated the effect of different turbidity levels (0, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 250 nephelometric turbidity units [NTU]) on largemouth bass foraging in aquaria by testing the hypothesis that turbidity has no effect on the time required to locate tethered prey (fathead minnow Pimephales promelas and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas) or ultimate capture success. The percentages of prey captured that were derived from aggregated data in multiple trials at the different treatment levels differed significantly. One‐hundred percent of the largemouth bass in the 0‐NTU treatments captured the prey. Conversely, only 15% of the largemouth bass in the 250‐NTU treatments captured the prey throughout all trials. The average time taken to capture the prey also was significantly different between treatment combinations, with time to interaction increasing as turbidity increased. The results from this study suggest that greater turbidity levels reduce the ability of largemouth bass to capture prey and increase the time taken to locate and interact with prey. Thus, turbidity may impact individual fitness and management strategies.
Habitat Selection and Movement of Naturally Occurring Pallid Sturgeon in the Mississippi River
Authors: Koch Brian , Brooks Ronald C. , Oliver Amanda , Herzog David , Garvey James E. , Hrabik Robert , Colombo Robert , Phelps Quinton , Spier Timothy
Published: January 2012

The pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus is a U.S. federally endangered species that occurs in the 320‐km middle Mississippi River (MMR). Historic in‐channel island habitat has vanished, and the extent of the population's range within the MMR is unknown. We surgically implanted ultrasonic transmitters in 88 adult pallid sturgeon (>600 mm fork length; mean = 791 mm) during 2002–2005 and used boat‐mounted hydrophones to quantify their seasonal use of major MMR habitat features (wing dikes, side channels, island side channel tips, tributaries, and main channel; total of 8,629 river kilometers monitored). Distance from habitat features (gravel bars, wing dikes, and island side channels) was quantified during spring, a period considered to be critical for many fish species. We quantified maximum seasonal movement of each fish in the entire MMR with stationary data‐logging hydrophones during 2004–2006. Combining data across years and seasons, we found that pallid sturgeon selected the tips of wing dikes over other habitat features. However, during spring pallid sturgeon moved from the tips of wing dikes to within about 100 m of known gravel bars. Maximum distance moved by pallid sturgeon varied the most in spring relative to other seasons. One pallid sturgeon moved through the entire study reach, and a few individuals left the MMR for the Missouri River or the lower Mississippi River. Unique flow and substrate characteristics of wing dikes probably emulated missing habitat complexity (i.e., in‐channel islands, deep scour holes, and sand bars). Other habitats such as gravel bars may be important during spring, although their contributions to reproduction, foraging, and survival of pallid sturgeon are unknown. The range of this pallid sturgeon population extends beyond the entire stretch of the MMR into other river basins; thus, the population requires rangewide management.
Comparative Cost Analysis of Hybrid Striped Bass Fingerling Production in Ponds and Tanks
Authors: Eklund Patty , Engle Carole , Ludwig Gerald
Published: January 2012

Year-round production of hybrid striped bass (female white bass Morone chrysops × male striped bass M. saxatilis) fingerlings would allow food fish growers to sell their product throughout the year, which would improve the consistency of market supply and cash flow for the farm. However, pond production of fingerlings is seasonal and precludes year-round supply. Tank culture methods have been developed to produce hybrid striped bass fingerlings indoors throughout the year, but the associated costs have not been estimated or compared with pond production costs. Economic engineering techniques were used to estimate production costs for phase I hybrid striped bass fingerlings in ponds (0.4, 1.2, or 2.4 ha) and tanks (945, 2,457, or 5,670 L) for production scales of 50,000, 100,000, 250,000, 500,000, 1,000,000, or 2,000,000 fingerlings per year. The results demonstrated that there are economies of scale in terms of the volume of production and the size of the production unit. Overall, pond production per 1,000 fingerlings was substantially less expensive than tank production, even accounting for the increased number of annual production cycles in tanks. Production costs were sensitive to survival rates and can be reduced by 7–14% and 5–11% for each 5% improvement in survival in ponds and tanks, respectively. Substituting microcyst brine shrimp for rotifers Artemia spp. in the diet may have the potential to reduce the tank costs of producing hybrid striped bass depending on fingerling survival beyond 14 d posthatch. Additional research is needed to improve overall fingerling survival both during the early fry rearing stage and after training to dry feed.
Performance of Spring Chinook Salmon Reared in Acclimation Ponds for Two and Four Months before Release
Authors: Clarke Lance R , Cameron William A , Carmichael Richard W
Published: January 2012

Seasonal temperature cues may play an important role in the parr–smolt transformation of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., but salmon reared in groundwater-supplied hatcheries with seasonally stable water temperatures do not experience these cues. In this study, conducted over six release years, hatchery spring Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha that were initially reared in a groundwater-supplied hatchery were transferred to acclimation ponds supplied with surface water either in November (November transfer [NT]) or January (January transfer [JT]) for rearing at ambient water temperatures prior to release into the Umatilla River, Oregon, in early March. After stream release, we monitored out-migration travel times and survival to John Day Dam (JDD) by using passive integrated transponder tags in a subsample of each release group. Across all release groups, median travel time was slower for NT groups (51 d) than for JT groups (46 d); significant differences were observed in five of six release years. Average survival probabilities were 15% higher for NT groups than for JT groups, although this difference was not significant. We used recoveries of coded wire tags to estimate smolt-to-adult survival (SAS) and straying for NT and JT groups. Average SAS over the study was 27% higher for NT groups (0.76%) than for JT groups (0.60%), but straying was minimal for both types of release group. We found no significant linear relationship between SAS and travel time or survival to JDD. Adult returns of NT groups had a slightly older age distribution than those of JT groups. Our results suggest that for salmon juveniles reared in groundwater-supplied hatcheries, providing an overwinter period of exposure to ambient water temperatures should optimize postrelease survival. We also discuss some risks and benefits to winter rearing in acclimation ponds for managers that are considering this approach.
Effects of Effluents from a Fisheries Research Station on Stream Water Quality
Authors: Soongsawang Suthira , Boyd Claude E
Published: January 2012

Research ponds at the E. W. Shell Fisheries Center usually overflow only following heavy rains in winter and early spring. Water from the ponds continually seeps into the ground (which has a shallow water table), and the ponds are drained annually in the fall for harvest. Drained effluent had the following average composition: pH, 7.18 (range, 6.5–7.7); total nitrogen, 1.21 mg/L (1.05–1.32 mg/L); total phosphorus, 0.64 mg/L (0.52–0.66 mg/L); 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), 7.7 mg/L (2.1–10.3 mg/L); total suspended solids (TSS), 380 mg/L (61–705 mg/L); turbidity, 367 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU; 152–745 NTU). Compared with the sampling station upstream of the research ponds, the downstream sampling station on Lower Station (LS) Creek had higher average pH and concentrations of total alkalinity, chloride, total nitrogen, and BOD5. The downstream sampling station also had higher concentrations of chloride, TSS, total nitrogen, and BOD5 than four reference streams that did not receive aquaculture effluents. Turbidity and TSS concentration were sometimes higher in LS Creek than is allowable under the Alabama stream classification system. Nevertheless, water quality at the downstream sampling station in LS Creek was better than that in Saugahatchee Creek, into which it discharges. A sedimentation basin installed in the lower reach of LS Creek would lessen TSS concentration and turbidity.
The visions and strategies of the GCC countries from the perspective of reforms: the case of Qatar
Authors: Al-Kuwārī ʿAlī Khalīfa
Published: January 2012

The countries of the Arab Gulf have witnessed a wave of production of ‘national’ strategies and ‘vision’ initiatives, most of which have been developed by foreign firms and consultants, and many of which were drafted in English. Two examples of these that form the basis of analysis of this article are the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV) issued in 2008 and followed up by the Qatar National Developmental Strategy 2011–2016 (QNDS) in 2011. Neither document was subjected to public referendum, and many of those directly involved in Qatar’s central planning were unable even to obtain copies until after publication in final form. Both are problematic for reason of vague or undefined terms, lack of concrete goals, as well as any explicit mention of political development in the country. Even more serious is the question of citizenship, where the huge expatriate populations and permanent residence concessions granted on the basis of ownership of real estate threaten to undermine Arab Qatari identity – a situation aggravated further when English was made the official language of instruction in education and a primary language of administration. This latter development also had the effect of dwindling participation of Qatari citizens in the labour force – already low at 14% in 2001 – to a mere 6% in 2009. The article examines four major deficiencies inherent in Qatar in light of the QNV and QNDS: economic–productive, labour force, political and security. Of these, mention of the political deficiency is conspicuously absent from both documents (where there is not a single mention of terms such as ‘democracy’, ‘citizenship’ or ‘elections’) and both the labour force and economic–productive deficiencies are addressed in terms more relevant and favourable to foreign concerns than those of native Qataris. In the final analysis, both the QNV and QNDS are reflective of Qatar’s severe demographic anomaly where the number of Qatari citizens was estimated to be only 230,000 out of a total population of 1.64 million in 2010; and official policy in terms of both the labour market and the granting of permanent residence on the basis of unregulated foreign purchases of real estate and investment only serves to perpetuate an already precarious situation. If Qatar is unable to restructure and reform its policies to the benefit of the indigenous Arab population, the matter of identity and the future character of the country threaten to be matters of serious doubt by the end date of the QNV in 2030, if not well before then.
‘Suleiman: Mubarak decided to step down #egypt #jan25 OH MY GOD’: examining the use of social media in the 2011 Egyptian revolution
Authors: Barrons Genevieve
Published: January 2012

For the last decade, a debate has raged over the place of social media within popular uprisings. The 2011 Egyptian revolution shed new light on this debate. However, while the use of social media by Egyptians received much focus, and activists themselves pointed towards it as the key to their success, social media did not constitute the revolution itself, nor did it instigate it. Focusing solely on social media diminishes the personal risks that Egyptians took when heading into the streets to face rubber bullets and tear gas, as well as more lethal weapons. Social media was neither the cause nor the catalyst of the revolution; rather it was a tool of coordination and communication.
The corruption of political elites in Iraq – an economic analysis
Authors: Sawaan Haithem Kareem
Published: January 2012

This article examines the corruption of political elites in Iraq in the wake of the 2003 American occupation – a phenomenon that has had disastrous consequences for the country as well as astronomical fiscal costs. The corruption that has now become endemic has served not only to undermine reform and reconstruction efforts – while simultaneously accomplishing the embezzlement of billions of dollars – but also has left the Iraqi people exposed to a wide array of harms from contaminated wheat imports to an infrastructure in complete disarray to foreign machinations, including those of international food conglomerates. Through the acquiescence of corrupt Iraqi elites, the country has been laid open to external interests and foreign initiatives as well as those of the World Trade Organization (WTO) through means such as the 100 ‘orders’ signed by US ‘Ambassador’ Paul Bremer III under the auspices of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Graft and kickback schemes of every stripe are rife throughout the country, and monies donated in the form of international assistances have served to line the pockets of the corrupt, never reaching the intended recipients among the average Iraqi population in many instances. The vicious cycle is further perpetuated also through a corrupt judiciary that militates against any sort of meaningful transparency or oversight. Corruption, and that of the powerful elites in particular, has not only squandered genuine development opportunities that might have benefited the country at large and done much good to facilitate reconstruction efforts, but also it has – for the foreseeable future – thrown the issues of Iraqi oil revenues and food security as well as that of national sovereignty into a peril of the first order.
Luminescent isolated diamond particles with controllably embedded silicon-vacancy colour centres
Authors: Grudinkin S A , Feoktistov N A , Medvedev A V , Bogdanov K V , Baranov A V , Vul' A Ya , Golubev V G
Published: January 2012

A technique to fabricate isolated diamond particles with controllably embedded silicon-vacancy (Si-V) colour centres is described. Particle growth and Si doping are performed by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using silane as a source of impurity atoms. The Si-V centres have a strong narrow-band photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature. The dependence of PL intensity of the 738 nm zero-phonon line (ZPL) on silane concentration in the feed-gas mixture exhibits a pronounced maximum. A comparison of the PL and Raman spectra shows that there is an evident correlation between the ZPL intensity and the presence of structural defects and nondiamond carbon phases that act as nonradiative recombination centres suppressing radiative recombination. The results open the door for using the powerful CVD technique for large-scale production of photostable near-infrared single-photon emitters and noncytotoxic biomarkers.
Numerical simulations of a co-harmonic gyrotron
Authors: Constable D A , Ronald K , He W , Phelps A D R , Cross A W , Savilov A V , Bratman V L , Bandurkin I V
Published: January 2012

A co-harmonic gyrotron, operating simultaneously at the second and fourth harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency, has been successfully modelled with the particle-in-cell code, Magic 3D. Results show excitation of the TE2,2 and TE4,3 waveguide modes, at frequencies of 37.5 GHz and 75 GHz, respectively, consistent with experimental measurements. The total predicted output power was ∼3 kW. Lengthening of the cut-off output taper has demonstrated an improved confinement of the second harmonic signal, facilitating purer output of the fourth harmonic signal. In this enhanced configuration, the predicted output power of the second harmonic was ∼250 W, while the fourth harmonic was ∼15 W. The system demonstrates the potential for selective fourth harmonic generation, for starting currents which are two orders of magnitude lower than would be required for direct excitation.
Breakdown study of dc silicon micro-discharge devices
Authors: Schwaederlé L , Kulsreshath M K , Overzet L J , Lefaucheux P , Tillocher T , Dussart R
Published: January 2012

The influence of geometrical and operating parameters on the electrical characteristics of dc microcavity discharges provides insight into their controlling physics. We present here results of such a study on silicon-based microcavity discharge devices carried out in helium at pressure ranging from 100 to 1000 Torr. Different micro-reactor configurations were measured. The differences include isolated single cavities versus arrays of closely spaced cavities, various cavity geometries (un-etched as well as isotropically and anisotropically etched), various dimensions (100 or 150 µm cavity diameter and 0–150 µm depth). The electrode gap was kept constant in all cases at approximately 6 µm. The applied electric field reaches 5 × 107 V m−1 which results in current and power densities up to 2 A cm−2 and 200 kW cm−3, respectively. The number of microcavities and the microcavity depth are shown to be the most important geometrical parameters for predicting breakdown and operation of microcavity devices. The probability of initiatory electron generation which is volume dependent and the electric field strength which is depth dependent are, respectively, considered to be responsible. The cavity shape (isotropic/anisotropic) and diameter had no significant influence. The number of micro-discharges that could be ignited depends on the rate of voltage rise and pressure. Larger numbers ignite at lower frequency and pressure. In addition, the voltage polarity has the largest influence on the electrical characteristics of the micro-discharge of all parameters, which is due to both the asymmetric role of electrodes as electron emitter and the non-uniformity of the electric field resulting in different ionization efficiencies. The qualitative shape of all breakdown voltage versus pressure curves can be explained in terms of the distance over which the discharge breakdown effectively occurs as long as one understand that this distance can depend on pressure.
Tipping points in open systems: bifurcation, noise-induced and rate-dependent examples in the climate system
Authors: Ashwin Peter , Wieczorek Sebastian , Vitolo Renato , Cox Peter
Published: January 2012

Tipping points associated with bifurcations (B-tipping) or induced by noise (N-tipping) are recognized mechanisms that may potentially lead to sudden climate change. We focus here on a novel class of tipping points, where a sufficiently rapid change to an input or parameter of a system may cause the system to ‘tip’ or move away from a branch of attractors. Such rate-dependent tipping, or
R-tipping
, need not be associated with either bifurcations or noise. We present an example of all three types of tipping in a simple global energy balance model of the climate system, illustrating the possibility of dangerous rates of change even in the absence of noise and of bifurcations in the underlying quasi-static system.