bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rethinking adaptation for a 4
°
C world
Authors: Smith Mark Stafford , Horrocks Lisa , Harvey Alex , Hamilton Clive
Published: November 2010

With weakening prospects of prompt mitigation, it is increasingly likely that the world will experience 4
°
C and more of global warming. In such a world, adaptation decisions that have long lead times or that have implications playing out over many decades become more uncertain and complex. Adapting to global warming of 4
°
C cannot be seen as a mere extrapolation of adaptation to 2
°
C; it will be a more substantial, continuous and transformative process. However, a variety of psychological, social and institutional barriers to adaptation are exacerbated by uncertainty and long timeframes, with the danger of immobilizing decision-makers. In this paper, we show how complexity and uncertainty can be reduced by a systematic approach to categorizing the interactions between decision lifetime, the type of uncertainty in the relevant drivers of change and the nature of adaptation response options. We synthesize a number of issues previously raised in the literature to link the categories of interactions to a variety of risk-management strategies and tactics. Such application could help to break down some barriers to adaptation and both simplify and better target adaptation decision-making. The approach needs to be tested and adopted rapidly.
Climate-induced population displacements in a 4
°
C+ world
Authors: Gemenne François
Published: November 2010

Massive population displacements are now regularly presented as one of the most dramatic possible consequences of climate change. Current forecasts and projections show that regions that would be affected by such population movements are low-lying islands, coastal and deltaic regions, as well as sub-Saharan Africa. Such estimates, however, are usually based on a 2
°
C temperature rise. In the event of a 4
°
C+ warming, not only is it likely that climate-induced population movements will be more considerable, but also their patterns could be significantly different, as people might react differently to temperature changes that would represent a threat to their very survival. This paper puts forward the hypothesis that a greater temperature change would affect not only the magnitude of the associated population movements, but also—and above all—the characteristics of these movements, and therefore the policy responses that can address them. The paper outlines the policy evolutions that climate-induced displacements in a 4
°
C+ world would require.
Cumulative carbon emissions, emissions floors and short-term rates of warming: implications for policy
Authors: Bowerman Niel H. A. , Frame David J. , Huntingford Chris , Lowe Jason A. , Allen Myles R.
Published: November 2010

A number of recent studies have found a strong link between peak human-induced global warming and cumulative carbon emissions from the start of the industrial revolution, while the link to emissions over shorter periods or in the years 2020 or 2050 is generally weaker. However, cumulative targets appear to conflict with the concept of a ‘floor’ in emissions caused by sectors such as food production. Here, we show that the introduction of emissions floors does not reduce the importance of cumulative emissions, but may make some warming targets unachievable. For pathways that give a most likely warming up to about 4°C, cumulative emissions from pre-industrial times to year 2200 correlate strongly with most likely resultant peak warming regardless of the shape of emissions floors used, providing a more natural long-term policy horizon than 2050 or 2100. The maximum rate of CO2-induced warming, which will affect the feasibility and cost of adapting to climate change, is not determined by cumulative emissions but is tightly aligned with peak rates of emissions. Hence, cumulative carbon emissions to 2200 and peak emission rates could provide a clear and simple framework for CO2mitigation policy.
Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world
Authors: Anderson Kevin , Bows Alice
Published: November 2010

The Copenhagen Accord reiterates the international community’s commitment to ‘hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius’. Yet its preferred focus on global emission peak dates and longer-term reduction targets, without recourse to cumulative emission budgets, belies seriously the scale and scope of mitigation necessary to meet such a commitment. Moreover, the pivotal importance of emissions from non-Annex 1 nations in shaping available space for Annex 1 emission pathways received, and continues to receive, little attention. Building on previous studies, this paper uses a cumulative emissions framing, broken down to Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 nations, to understand the implications of rapid emission growth in nations such as China and India, for mitigation rates elsewhere. The analysis suggests that despite high-level statements to the contrary, there is now little to no chance of maintaining the global mean surface temperature at or below 2
°
C. Moreover, the impacts associated with 2
°
C have been revised upwards, sufficiently so that 2
°
C now more appropriately represents the threshold between ‘dangerous’ and ‘extremely dangerous’ climate change. Ultimately, the science of climate change allied with the emission scenarios for Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 nations suggests a radically different framing of the mitigation and adaptation challenge from that accompanying many other analyses, particularly those directly informing policy.
When could global warming reach 4°C?
Authors: Betts Richard A. , Collins Matthew , Hemming Deborah L. , Jones Chris D. , Lowe Jason A. , Sanderson Michael G.
Published: November 2010

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) assessed a range of scenarios of future greenhouse-gas emissions without policies to specifically reduce emissions, and concluded that these would lead to an increase in global mean temperatures of between 1.6°C and 6.9°C by the end of the twenty-first century, relative to pre-industrial. While much political attention is focused on the potential for global warming of 2°C relative to pre-industrial, the AR4 projections clearly suggest that much greater levels of warming are possible by the end of the twenty-first century in the absence of mitigation. The centre of the range of AR4-projected global warming was approximately 4°C. The higher end of the projected warming was associated with the higher emissions scenarios and models, which included stronger carbon-cycle feedbacks. The highest emissions scenario considered in the AR4 (scenario A1FI) was not examined with complex general circulation models (GCMs) in the AR4, and similarly the uncertainties in climate–carbon-cycle feedbacks were not included in the main set of GCMs. Consequently, the projections of warming for A1FI and/or with different strengths of carbon-cycle feedbacks are often not included in a wider discussion of the AR4 conclusions. While it is still too early to say whether any particular scenario is being tracked by current emissions, A1FI is considered to be as plausible as other non-mitigation scenarios and cannot be ruled out. (A1FI is a part of the A1 family of scenarios, with ‘FI’ standing for ‘fossil intensive’. This is sometimes erroneously written as A1F1, with number 1 instead of letter I.) This paper presents simulations of climate change with an ensemble of GCMs driven by the A1FI scenario, and also assesses the implications of carbon-cycle feedbacks for the climate-change projections. Using these GCM projections along with simple climate-model projections, including uncertainties in carbon-cycle feedbacks, and also comparing against other model projections from the IPCC, our best estimate is that the A1FI emissions scenario would lead to a warming of 4°C relative to pre-industrial during the 2070s. If carbon-cycle feedbacks are stronger, which appears less likely but still credible, then 4°C warming could be reached by the early 2060s in projections that are consistent with the IPCC’s ‘likely range’.
Water availability in +2°C and +4°C worlds
Authors: Fung Fai , Lopez Ana , New Mark
Published: November 2010

While the parties to the UNFCCC agreed in the December 2009 Copenhagen Accord that a 2°C global warming over pre-industrial levels should be avoided, current commitments on greenhouse gas emissions reductions from these same parties will lead to a 50 : 50 chance of warming greater than 3.5°C. Here, we evaluate the differences in impacts and adaptation issues for water resources in worlds corresponding to the policy objective (+2°C) and possible reality (+4°C). We simulate the differences in impacts on surface run-off and water resource availability using a global hydrological model driven by ensembles of climate models with global temperature increases of 2°C and 4°C. We combine these with UN-based population growth scenarios to explore the relative importance of population change and climate change for water availability. We find that the projected changes in global surface run-off from the ensemble show an increase in spatial coherence and magnitude for a +4°C world compared with a +2°C one. In a +2°C world, population growth in most large river basins tends to override climate change as a driver of water stress, while in a +4°C world, climate change becomes more dominant, even compensating for population effects where climate change increases run-off. However, in some basins where climate change has positive effects, the seasonality of surface run-off becomes increasingly amplified in a +4°C climate.
Four degrees and beyond: the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications
Authors: New Mark , Liverman Diana , Schroder Heike , Anderson Kevin
Published: November 2010

The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change commits signatories to preventing ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’, leaving unspecified the level of global warming that is dangerous. In the late 1990s, a limit of 2
°
C global warming above preindustrial temperature was proposed as a ‘guard rail’ below which most of the dangerous climate impacts could be avoided. The 2009 Copenhagen Accord recognized the scientific view ‘that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius’ despite growing views that this might be too high. At the same time, the continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the past decade and the delays in a comprehensive global emissions reduction agreement have made achieving this target extremely difficult, arguably impossible, raising the likelihood of global temperature rises of 3
°
C or 4
°
C within this century. Yet, there are few studies that assess the potential impacts and consequences of a warming of 4
°
C or greater in a systematic manner. Papers in this themed issue provide an initial picture of the challenges facing a world that warms by 4
°
C or more, and the difficulties ahead if warming is to be limited to 2
°
C with any reasonable certainty. Across many sectors—coastal cities, agriculture, water stress, ecosystems, migration—the impacts and adaptation challenges at 4
°
C will be larger than at 2
°
C. In some cases, such as farming in sub-Saharan Africa, a +4
°
C warming could result in the collapse of systems or require transformational adaptation out of systems, as we understand them today. The potential severity of impacts and the behavioural, institutional, societal and economic challenges involved in coping with these impacts argue for renewed efforts to reduce emissions, using all available mechanisms, to minimize the chances of high-end climate change. Yet at the same time, there is a need for accelerated and focused research that improves understanding of how the climate system might behave under a +4
°
C warming, what the impacts of such changes might be and how best to adapt to what would be unprecedented changes in the world we live in.
Spatial protein quality control and the evolution of lineage-specific ageing
Authors: Nyström Thomas
Published: November 2010

Propagation of a species requires periodic cell renewal to avoid clonal extinction. Sexual reproduction and the separation of germ cells from the soma provide a mechanism for such renewal, but are accompanied by an apparently mandatory ageing of the soma. Data obtained during the last decade suggest that a division of labour exists also between cells of vegetatively reproducing unicellular organisms, leading to the establishment of a soma-like and germ-like lineage with distinct fitness and longevity characteristics. This division of labour in both bacteria and yeast entails segregation of damaged and aggregated proteins such that the germ-like lineage is kept free of damage to the detriment of the soma-like lineage. In yeast, this spatial protein quality control (SQC) encompasses a CCT-chaperonin-dependent translocation and merging of cytotoxic protein aggregates. This process is regulated by Sir2, a protein deacetylase that modulates the rate of ageing in organisms ranging from yeast to worms and flies. Recent data also demonstrate that SQC is intimately integrated with the machinery establishing proper cell polarity and that this machinery is required for generating a soma-like and germ-like lineage in yeast. Deciphering the details of the SQC network may increase our understanding of the development of age-related protein folding disorders and shed light on the selective forces that paved the way for polarity and lineage-specific ageing to evolve.
Telomeres in cancer and ageing
Authors: Donate Luis E. , Blasco Maria A.
Published: November 2010

Telomeres protect the chromosome ends from unscheduled DNA repair and degradation. Telomeres are heterochromatic domains composed of repetitive DNA (TTAGGG repeats) bound to an array of specialized proteins. The length of telomere repeats and the integrity of telomere-binding proteins are both important for telomere protection. Furthermore, telomere length and integrity are regulated by a number of epigenetic modifications, thus pointing to higher order control of telomere function. In this regard, we have recently discovered that telomeres are transcribed generating long, non-coding RNAs, which remain associated with the telomeric chromatin and are likely to have important roles in telomere regulation. In the past, we showed that telomere length and the catalytic component of telomerase, Tert, are critical determinants for the mobilization of stem cells. These effects of telomerase and telomere length on stem cell behaviour anticipate the premature ageing and cancer phenotypes of telomerase mutant mice. Recently, we have demonstrated the anti-ageing activity of telomerase by forcing telomerase expression in mice with augmented cancer resistance. Shelterin is the major protein complex bound to mammalian telomeres; however, its potential relevance for cancer and ageing remained unaddressed to date. To this end, we have generated mice conditionally deleted for the shelterin proteins TRF1, TPP1 and Rap1. The study of these mice demonstrates that telomere dysfunction, even if telomeres are of a normal length, is sufficient to produce premature tissue degeneration, acquisition of chromosomal aberrations and initiation of neoplastic lesions. These new mouse models, together with the telomerase-deficient mouse model, are valuable tools for understanding human pathologies produced by telomere dysfunction.
Fine needle aspiration biopsy of three cases of squamous cell carcinoma presenting as a thyroid mass: cytological findings and differential diagnosis
Authors: Rosa M. , Toronczyk K.
Published: November 2010

M. Rosa and K. Toronczyk

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of three cases of squamous cell carcinoma presenting as a thyroid mass: cytological findings and differential diagnosis

Objective:  Primary squamous cell carcinomas of the thyroid gland are extremely rare, comprising about 1% of thyroid malignancies. Although squamous cell carcinomas are readily identified as such on aspiration cytology in the majority of cases, the differentiation of primary versus metastatic tumour might not always be easy. Herein, we report three cases of squamous cell carcinomas involving the thyroid gland.

Methods:  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed in three patients with a thyroid mass using standard guidelines. Smears were stained with Diff‐Quik and Papanicolaou stains.

Results:  Two patients were male and one was female, aged 59, 45 and 35 years, respectively. In all three patients a thyroid mass was present. FNAC smears in all cases showed cytological features of squamous cell carcinoma including keratinization and necrosis. After clinical and cytological correlation, one case appeared to be primary, one case metastatic, and in the third case no additional clinical information or biopsy follow‐up was available for further characterization.

Conclusions:  Because primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid is a rare finding, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma should always be excluded first. Metastatic disease usually presents in the setting of widespread malignancy, therefore a dedicated clinical and radiological investigation is necessary in these cases. In both clinical scenarios the patient’s prognosis is poor.
Improving focus measurements using logarithmic image processing
Authors: FERNANDES M. , GAVET Y. , PINOLI J.‐C.
Published: November 2010

The logarithmic image processing (LIP) model is a mathematical framework which provides algebraic and functional operations for the processing of intensity images valued in a bounded range. The LIP model has been proved to be physically consistent, most notably with some image formation models and several laws and characteristics of human brightness perception. This paper addresses the image focus measurement problem using the LIP model. The three most classical image focus measurements: the sum‐modified‐Laplacian, the tenengrad and the variance, which aim at estimating the degree of focus of an acquired image by emphasizing and quantifying its sharpness information, are considered and reinterpreted using the LIP framework. These reinterpretations notably make attempts at evaluating degrees of focus in terms of human brightness (sensation) from physical light stimuli. Their potential is illustrated and validated on shape‐from‐focus issues on both simulated data and real acquisitions in digital optical microscopy. The concept of shape‐from‐focus involves recovering the shape of an observed thick sample by locally maximizing a focus measurement throughout a sequence of differently focused images. Finally, it is shown that the LIP‐based focus measurements clearly outperform their respective classical ones.
Ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase bound to cytochrome b6f complex is active in plastoquinone reduction: Implications for cyclic electron transport
Authors: Szymańska Renata , Dłużewska Jolanta , Ślesak Ireneusz , Kruk Jerzy
Published: November 2010

In this study, we have compared three isolation methods of cytochrome b6f complex, obtained from spinach (Spinacia oleracea), differing in the preservation of the cytochrome b6f‐associated ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR). Although the complexes isolated by all the methods showed the presence of the FNR peptide(s), when incorporated into liposome membranes, the NADPH‐PQ (plastoquinone) oxidoreductase activity was not detected for the cytochrome b6f complex isolated with the original method including a NaBr wash. Some activity was found for the complex isolated with the omission of the wash, but the highest activity was detected for the complex isolated with the use of digitonin. The reaction rate of PQ reduction of the investigated complexes in liposomes was not significantly influenced by the addition of free FNR or ferredoxin. The reaction was inhibited by about 60% in the presence of 2 µM 2‐n‐nonyl‐4‐hydroxyquinoline N‐oxide, an inhibitor of the cytochrome b6f complex at the Qi site, while it was not affected by triphenyltin or isobutyl cyanide that interacts with the recently identified heme ci. The obtained data indicate that FNR associated with the cytochrome b6f complex can participate in the cyclic electron transport as PSI‐PQ or NADPH‐PQ oxidoreductase. Moreover, we have shown that PQ can be non‐enzymatically reduced by ascorbate in liposomes and this reaction might be involved in non‐photochemical reduction pathways of the PQ‐pool in chloroplasts.
Repellency and toxicity of plant‐based essential oils and their constituents against Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)
Authors: Mann R. S. , Tiwari S. , Smoot J. M. , Rouseff R. L. , Stelinski L. L.
Published: November 2010

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, vectors Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the presumed causal agent of huanglongbing. D. citri generally rely on olfaction and vision for detection of host cues. Certain plant volatiles and plant‐derived essential oil products are known to repel several arthropod species and are considered minimum‐risk pesticides. We examined the effect of five essential oils and eight chemicals previously reported to have activity against various insect species on D. citri behaviour in a two‐port divided T‐olfactometer in an effort to identify repellents for further consideration and testing as crop protectants for D. citi. Volatiles from essential oils of coriander, lavender, rose, thyme, tea tree oil and 2‐undecanone, a major constituent of rue oil repelled D. citri adults compared with clean air. Also, coriander, lavender, rose and thyme oil inhibited the response of D. citri when co‐presented with citrus leaves. Volatiles from eugenol, eucalyptol, carvacrol, β‐caryophyllene, α‐pinene, α‐gurjunene and linalool did not repel D. citri adults compared with clean air. In an effort to isolate the repellents and toxicants from effective essential oils, the headspace components of coriander and lavender oil were analysed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and revealed that α‐pinene and linalool were the primary volatiles present in coriander oil while linalool and linalyl acetate were the primary volatiles present in lavender oil. Coriander, lavender and garlic chive oils were also highly toxic to D. citri when evaluated as contact action insecticides using a topical application technique. The LC50 values for these three oils ranged between 0.16 and 0.25 μg/D. citri adult while LC50 values for rose and thyme oil ranged between 2.45 and 17.26 μg/insect.
Expanding horizons for herbaceous ecosystem restoration: the Grassy Groundcover Restoration Project
Authors: Gibson‐Roy Paul , Moore Greg , Delpratt John , Gardner Jess
Published: November 2010

Summary The Grassy Groundcover Restoration Project (GGRP) has sown thirteen 1 ha plots of species‐rich grassland or herbaceous understorey in previously weedy agricultural paddocks in a range of rural locations across southern and western Victoria, Australia. The sown plots are intended as both experimental trials and ‘core’ areas for the restoration of herbaceous communities native to these regions. Approximately 200 species were grown in Seed Production Areas (SPAs) and successfully sown in the field. Species were most successfully established on areas that were scalped prior to seeding, and least successful on plots that were pre‐treated with 1, 2 or 3 years of traditional herbicide weed control. Weed presence was lowest in scalped plots and highest in non‐scalped plots. Long‐term monitoring will be required to understand the development trajectories and degree of persistence of the sown communities, but in the shorter term (3–6 years of post‐seeding) an average of 80% of sown species have established and remain as adult populations. Surveys indicate that in scalped plots (n = 130) vegetation composition, structure and quality has been maintained. Conversely, composition, structure and quality have declined markedly in non‐scalped plots (n = 130). Formal surveys and field observations have also revealed that all sites provide a range of habitats which have been colonized by fauna from a variety of trophic levels. The implications of building on these trials to realize complex grassy ecosystem restoration at larger scales are discussed including the securing of sufficient quantities of high‐quality seed, the use of mechanized broad‐scale direct‐seeding techniques and the effectiveness of using complex mixtures of species early in the restoration cycle.
Landcare in Australia and Germany: comparing structures and policies for community engagement in natural resource management
Authors: Prager Katrin , Vanclay Frank
Published: November 2010

Summary  ‘Landcare’ is a specific form of community‐based natural resource management (CBNRM) that is expanding across the world. Although Landcare is widely understood to have originated in Australia in the late 1980s, a similar concept, Landschaftspflege, developed in Germany much earlier, with Landschaftspflegeverbände, or ‘Landcare Groups’, having been established around the same time. The existence of other forms of CBNRM around the world diminishes Australian Landcare’s claims to uniqueness but provides a richer context for further refinements of CBNRM models. Based on 57 qualitative key informant interviews and a thorough document analysis, this paper compares Landcare in Australia with Germany. A key finding is that there are substantial similarities but also significant differences. As a result of recent changes, it is likely that the differences will diminish over time. Recommendations for the design of initiatives to promote community involvement in environmental management are provided as are considerations for Landcare as it expands internationally.
An overview of the ecology, management and conservation of Australia’s temperate woodlands
Authors: Lindenmayer David , Bennett Andrew F. , Hobbs Richard
Published: November 2010

Summary  Australia’s temperate woodlands are environments of cultural and ecological importance and significant repositories of Australia’s biodiversity. Despite this, they have been heavily cleared, much remaining vegetation is in poor condition and many species of plants and animals are threatened. Here, we provide a brief overview of key issues relating to the ecology, management and policy directions for temperate woodlands, by identifying and discussing ten themes. When addressing issues relating to the conservation and management of temperate woodlands, spatial scale is very important, as are the needs for a temporal perspective and a complementary understanding of pattern and process. The extent of landscape change in many woodland environments means that woodland patches, linear networks and paddock trees are critical elements, and that there can be pervasive effects from ‘problem’ native species such as the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala). These consequences of landscape change highlight the challenge to undertake active management and restoration as well as effective monitoring and long‐term data collection. In developing approaches for conservation and management of temperate woodlands, it is essential to move our thinking beyond reserves to woodland conservation and management on private land, and recognise the criticality of cross‐disciplinary linkages. We conclude by identifying some emerging issues in woodland conservation and management. These include the need to further develop non‐traditional approaches to conservation particularly off‐reserve management; the value of documenting approaches and programmes that demonstrably lead to effective change; new lessons that can be learned from intact examples of temperate woodlands; and the need to recognise how climate change and human population growth will interact with conservation and management of temperate woodlands in future decades.
Evaluation of a visual assessment method for tree condition of eucalypt floodplain forests
Authors: Souter Nicholas J. , Cunningham Shaun , Little Stuart , Wallace Todd , McCarthy Bernard , Henderson Mark
Published: November 2010

Summary  For decades the floodplain forests of the River Murray have endured the effects of prolonged water stress. This has resulted in significant crown dieback and loss of condition. The Living Murray (TLM) initiative aims to restore the ecological health of six Icon Sites along the River. The two eucalypts River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) that dominate the forests at five of the six Icon Sites are undergoing widespread decline. To enable effective management and restoration of these forests, we developed a standardised tree condition assessment method. Named the TLM tree condition assessment method, it utilises visual assessment of a range of tree crown variables (extent and density of the foliage in the crown, epicormic growth, new tip growth, reproductive activity, leaf die‐off, mistletoe infestation) and measurements of bark condition, diameter at breast height and dominance class. This article describes the TLM tree condition assessment method and assesses it for consistency between multiple observer teams after limited training. The level of observer agreement between six teams each comprised of two observers was assessed for seven of the ten variables. Intra‐class correlation was used to compare scores of 30 River Red Gum trees assessed on Gunbower Island on the River Murray. The level of agreement for all variables was statistically significant with six of seven variables having correlation coefficients over R = 0.5. The TLM tree condition assessment method was found to provide accurate estimates of a range of tree variables that can be used to determine tree condition. The TLM tree condition assessment method provides a valuable monitoring tool that can be used to assess management interventions, such as management flooding and silvicultural thinning.
Increased pulsatility of the ductus venosus blood velocity in the first trimester is associated with the delivery of small for gestational age or low birth weight infants
Authors: Tsuchiya Miwa , Kikuchi Akira , Takakuwa Koichi , Tanaka Kenichi
Published: November 2010

Aim:  To determine the relationship between ultrasound findings during the first trimester and obstetrical outcomes.

Methods:  A retrospective cohort study was carried out on 516 women who underwent ultrasound examination between 12 and 14 gestational weeks.

Results:  The reduced crown‐rump length, biparietal diameter, femur length (Z‐score < −1 and −1.5) and increased umbilical artery pulsatility index (>90th and 95th percentile) were not associated with poor obstetrical outcomes. A ductus venosus pulsatility index greater than the 90th percentile was associated with aneuploidy, small for gestational age and low birth weight infants.

Conclusion:  Increased pulsatility in the ductus venosus is associated with increased risk for chromosomal abnormality in early pregnancy. Here we show that increased pulsatility is also linked to fetal growth restriction.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN POLAND: EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE PROCESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Authors: BANAS PAWEL A.
Published: November 2010

The subject of this investigation is the performance of Polish local government and its ability to make and implement environmental policy. The article proposes an assessment of national policy implementation based on policy outputs in the form of local policy programmes. National policy is implementedinter aliathrough elaboration, adoption and execution of environmental protection programmes at three subnational levels of self‐government. Self‐government is solely responsible for preparation and execution of the programmes. For every municipality, the rules for adoption including timetable, the structure of the draft, consultation of the draft and formal vote by local council to adopt the draft are the same. Therefore, the process of elaboration and adoption provides opportunity to compare municipalities across the country. Survey and interview based data from the study gives evidence about municipal performance in the programming and allows verifying possible influence of three macro factors on this performance.
THE INFLUENCE OF MANAGERIAL AND JOB VARIABLES ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN THE POLICE
Authors: DICK GAVIN P.M.
Published: November 2010

Like all public sector agencies police forces are under constant pressure to improve their performance through better management of existing resources. However, little research has been done that explains how officers' organizational commitment, an essential requirement for above average employee productivity, can be improved. Using a whole population survey of a county police force in the UK, managerial, job, and demographic variables are analysed that influence officers' organizational commitment. Experiences of the way officers are managed were found to have the strongest influence on their organizational commitment while job related variables were found to have a lesser influence. The decline in organizational commitment found in the early years of officers' careers should be a cause for concern for senior managers in the police. The paper concludes that much need to be done to make police policies more effective in achieving promotion of officers who have the managerial competences needed to engender higher levels of organizational commitment.
PROMOTING CIVIC CULTURE BY SUPPORTING CITIZENSHIP: WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAKE?
Authors: ANDREWS RHYS , COWELL RICHARD , DOWNE JAMES
Published: November 2010

Scholars and policy‐makers alike argue that government efforts to empower citizens and build cohesive communities are integral to the development of a flourishing civic culture, especially within disadvantaged areas. In this paper, we explore this assumption by analysing the impact of different approaches to supporting citizenship in English urban local authorities on levels of political efficacy and social cohesion. Support for citizenship is modelled using primary data drawn from a large‐scale national survey as well as in‐depth case studies, supplemented with relevant secondary data. The findings suggest that local authorities that seek to promote greater understanding of citizenship and democracy can enhance citizens' perceived influence over local decisions, and that this effect is particularly marked in deprived areas. Citizens experiencing high levels of social harmony tend to reside in areas where councils actively seek to reduce disaffection.
Lexical Frequency Profiles and Zipf's Law
Authors: Edwards Roderick , Collins Laura
Published: November 2010

Laufer and Nation (1995) proposed that the Lexical Frequency Profile (LFP) can estimate the size of a second‐language writer's productive vocabulary. Meara (2005) questioned the sensitivity and the reliability of LFPs for estimating vocabulary sizes, based on the results obtained from probabilistic simulations of LFPs. However, the underlying mathematical model for the simulations, based on Zipf's law, allows such an analysis to be done directly, without recourse to simulations. The direct analysis has the further advantage of demonstrating how variability estimates obtained from within the 1k band (the 1,000 most frequent words of English) portion of written texts may explain the simulation results. The findings confirm that the ability of LFPs to distinguish between groups diminishes as vocabulary size increases. However, for fairly homogeneous groups, LFPs are able to provide a coarse but reasonable tool for vocabulary size estimation. We also explore modifications to Zipf's law that may result in a more accurate model of word frequencies in natural language.
A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Loss Experience in the U.S. Crop Insurance Program
Authors: Woodard Joshua D. , Schnitkey Gary D. , Sherrick Bruce J. , Lozano‐Gracia Nancy , Anselin Luc
Published: November 2010

Abstract

Patterns in loss‐ratio experience in the U.S. corn insurance market are investigated with a spatial econometric model. The results demonstrate systematic geographically related misratings and provide estimates of the impacts of several observable factors on the magnitude of misrating in the program. The model is used to estimate actuarial cross‐subsidizations across the primary corn‐producing states and counties. The impacts of the primary factors are substantial, resulting in net premium transfers of approximately 26 percent of total premiums annually. The misratings likely have important insurance demand, welfare, and land‐use implications.
Percutaneous Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Using Helex and Amplatzer Devices without Intraprocedural Echocardiographic Guidance
Authors: SIDDIQUI IRFAN F. , MICHAELS ANDREW D.
Published: November 2010

Objectives:
 We compared procedural outcomes of patients undergoing patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure using Helex (W.L. Gore & Assoc., Flagstaff, AZ, USA) and Amplatzer (AGA Medical Corp., Plymouth, MN, USA) devices using intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) versus fluoroscopic‐only guidance.

Background:
 Use of transesophageal or ICE to guide PFO closure is associated with patient discomfort and cost. While fluoroscopic guidance of septal closure using Amplatzer is well established, there is no published experience for Helex.

Methods:
 We performed a single‐center, single‐operator analysis of patients undergoing PFO closure using Helex or Amplatzer occluders. Device and guidance strategy was selected by the operator.

Results:
 Of the 132 PFO patients, 23 were closed with Helex, and 109 were closed with Amplatzer (103 Cribriforms, 4 PFO occluders, and 2 atrial septal occluders). Fluoroscopic guidance was used for 15 (65%) Helex and 102 (94%) Amplatzer cases. Successful device placement was achieved in all patients with a 1.5% complication rate (1 arrhythmia and 1 device embolization). Procedure time was shorter for fluoroscopic guidance of Amplatzer cases compared to ICE guidance (P = 0.023), and for Amplatzer versus Helex cases (P = 0.0004). Among the Helex cases, there were no differences in procedure or fluoroscopy time comparing ICE to fluoroscopic guidance. There was no residual shunting by transthoracic echocardiographic bubble study in 93% of Helex and 95% of Amplatzer cases at 6 months.

Conclusions:
 Use of right atrial angiography and fluoroscopic‐only guidance for PFO closure using Helex and Amplatzer devices provides an efficient alternative to ICE guidance. While procedure and fluoroscopy times were significantly shorter for Amplatzer versus Helex cases, these times were similar for Helex comparing fluoroscopy versus ICE guidance. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:271–277)
On Nature and the Human
Authors: Fuentes Agustín , Marks Jonathan , Ingold Tim , Sussman Robert , Kirch Patrick V. , Brumfiel Elizabeth M. , Rapp Rayna , Ginsburg Faye , Nader Laura , Kottak Conrad P.
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT A major contribution of anthropological work has been to challenge a unitary theory of the human. In thisAmerican Anthropologistvital topics forum, a range of prominent anthropologists contribute to this challenge and provide musings on the human. The essays in this forum reflect diversity and unity of anthropological thought on human nature. Some note humans’ connection to other primates, and others emphasize our distinction from ancestral patterns. Several reflect on cultural change, globally and locally, while others problematize what we might mean by, and who we include in, a “human” nature. The perception of humans constructing and being constructed by the world and the warning to be cognizant of our approaches to defining ourselves are central themes here. Our goal is to initiate a discussion that might reshape, or at least influence, academic and public debates.
Introduction to “In Focus: (Not) The End of Anthropology, Again? Some Thoughts on Disciplinary Futures”
Authors: Comaroff John , Kohl Karl‐Heinz
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT  The three articles published here grew out of talks originally delivered in Frankfurt as part of the Jensen Memorial Lecture series of 2008, which took “The End of Anthropology?” as their topic. The title of this In Focus has been amended to make plain that none of the authors believe that the discipline is about to die, at least not in the foreseeable future as was once believed possible by such luminaries as Margaret Mead and Claude Lévi‐Strauss. Each, rather, offers a provocative reading of the present and future of anthropology: of its raison d’être, of the sorts of substantive problems it might address in times to come, of the discursive strategies and the epistemic practices that it might develop in the early years of the 21st century.
The End of Anthropology, Again: On the Future of an In/Discipline
Authors: Comaroff John
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT  The “End of Anthropology” has been predicted many times and for many different reasons—among them, its disappearing object of study, its political imbrication in colonialism, the loss of its distinctive concepts, and the effects of globalization in diffusing its received subject matter. And yet, both institutionally and discursively, the discipline is very much alive, producing new species of knowledge, new theoretical discourses, new empirical interests, new arguments. How, in light of this, do we read the history of its present? By what means is its “end” to be avoided, its future(s) assured? Where should it go from here, empirically, methodologically, theoretically? One answer lies in a new indiscipline, a discourse that, in dialectic tension with the contemporary world in which it is embedded, redefines the scale, the conceptual foundations, and the techniques of knowledge production of anthropology.
A Child's House: Social Memory, Identity, and the Construction of Childhood in Early Postclassic Mexican Households
Authors: De Lucia Kristin
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT  Despite the recent attention given to the archaeology of childhood, households continue to be treated by archaeologists as the product of adult behavior and activities. Yet children shaped the decisions and motivations of adults and influenced the structure and organization of daily activities and household space. Further, children's material culture serves to both create and disrupt social norms and daily life, making children essential to understanding broader mechanisms of change and continuity. Thus, archaeologists should reconceptualize houses as places of children. This research brings together multiple lines of evidence from the Early Postclassic site of Xaltocan, Mexico, including ethnohistory, burials, and figurines to reconstruct the social roles and identities of children and to problematize our understanding of households. I argue that thinking of houses as places of children enables us to see that children were essential to daily practice, the construction and transmission of social identity, and household economic success.
Spontaneous Rupture of Unscarred Gravid Uterus
Authors: Gurudut Kolala S. , Gouda Hareesh S. , Aramani Sunil C. , Patil Raju H.
Published: November 2010

Abstract:  Rupture of gravid uterus during pregnancy is a rare entity. Overall incidence of rupture of uterus during pregnancy is 0.07%. The maternal and fetal prognoses are bad especially when the rupture occurs in an unscarred uterus. Fortunately, the sole major risk factor of spontaneous rupture of unscarred uterus is preventable, which is “multiparity.” In this article, we report the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child because of spontaneous rupture of unscarred uterus.
Salivary flow rate and periodontal infection – a study among subjects aged 75 years or older
Authors: Syrjälä A‐MH , Raatikainen L , Komulainen K , Knuuttila M , Ruoppi P , Hartikainen S , Sulkava R , Ylöstalo P
Published: November 2010

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 387–392

Objective:  To analyse the relation of stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates to periodontal infection in home‐dwelling elderly people aged 75 years or older.

Subjects and Methods:  This study was based on a subpopulation of 157 (111 women, 46 men) home‐dwelling, dentate, non‐smoking elderly people (mean age 79.8, SD 3.6 years) from the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly Study). The data were collected by interview and oral clinical examination.

Results:  Persons with very low (<0.7 ml min−1) and low stimulated salivary flow rates (0.7–<1.0 ml min−1) had a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deepened (≥4 mm) periodontal pockets, RR: 0.7, CI: 0.5–0.9 and RR: 0.7, CI: 0.5–0.9, respectively, when compared with those with normal stimulated salivary flow. Persons with a very low unstimulated salivary flow rate (<0.1 ml min−1) had a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deepened (≥4 mm) periodontal pockets, RR 0.8, CI: 0.6–1.0, when compared with subjects with low/normal unstimulated salivary flow.

Conclusions:  In a population of dentate, home‐dwelling non‐smokers, aged 75 years or older, low stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rates were weakly associated with a decreased likelihood of having teeth with deep periodontal pockets.
Oral colonization by Candida species in AIDS pediatric patients
Authors: Domaneschi C , Massarente DB , de Freitas RS , de Sousa Marques HH , Paula CR , Migliari DA , Antunes JLF
Published: November 2010

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 393–398

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of factors associated with oral colonization by Candida spp. in pediatric patients with AIDS. The sample comprised of 117 children. Clinical status, medicines in use, and laboratory findings were obtained from hospital records; sociodemographic data were given by relatives. A dental examination assessed the prevalence of dental caries. The prevalence of oral colonization by Candida was 62%. Only seven children presented clinical manifestation of oral candidosis despite their high viral load index and low‐for‐age CD4 count. Candida colonization was directly associated with frequent use of antibiotics (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.44), sulfa drugs (PR = 1.23), alteration in the oral mucosa (PR = 1.55), and untreated dental caries (PR = 1.93). It was inversely associated with the use of antiretroviral therapies (PR = 0.65). Candida albicans was the most frequently detected species (80%); phenotypic tests did not detect C. dubliniensis strains. This study observed a low prevalence of Candida‐related oral lesions in these patients, which is compatible with the hypothesis that antiretroviral medicines may have contributed to reducing oral manifestations from Candida infection. The high prevalence of Candida colonization in HIV+/AIDS children with untreated dental caries reinforces the importance of oral health care in interdisciplinary health units that assist these patients.
The relationship of enamel defects and caries: a cohort study
Authors: Targino AGR , Rosenblatt A , Oliveira AF , Chaves AMB , Santos VE
Published: November 2010

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 420–426

Objective:  Is there a relationship between enamel defects and early childhood caries?

Methods:  A total of 275 children participated in a cohort study from birth to 54 months of age. Enamel defects were determined by the development defects enamel index and dental caries was registered according to the WHO criteria. Data were analyzed using descriptive, analytical techniques, multivariate analysis, and evidence‐based tools as number needed to harm (NNH).

Results:  In the follow up, 224 children were still in the study, 81.3% presented at least one tooth with enamel defect and 44.2% had dental caries. An association was found between enamel defects and dental caries (P = 0.0091). Multivariate analysis showed that night bottle‐feeding, absence of fluoride and enamel defects were predictors of dental caries at 18 months (P < 0.05). Enamel defect was the only statistically significant variable to influence the development of caries at 24, 30, 36, and 42 months. At 48 months, the use of fluoride toothpaste had effect on the decrease of caries (P < 0.05). The NNH for enamel defects in relation to dental caries was 3.0, at 24 months and 5.0 at 54 months.

Conclusion:  Enamel defect is a predisposing factor for ECC.