bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate effect on radial growth of Pinus sylvestris at its southern and western distribution limits
Authors: Bogino Stella , Fernández Nieto María , Bravo Felipe
Published: March 2014

The associations between tree-ring width and climatic variables, the tree age effect on climate-growth relationship and the drought index impact on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were studied in Mediterranean environments in the Iberian Peninsula. Dendrochronological techniques were applied to construct six tree-ring width chronologies for P. sylvestris. The association between tree growth and climate was analysed with correlation coefficients and bootstrapped response functions. Drought index (DRI) was used to detect the effects of aridity. Tree-ring width was positively correlated with rainfall in the growing season but this association stated earlier at the lowest altitudinal sites. The effects of temperature varied according to the site. The response to climatic variables depended on the age of the trees: more of the variability was explained by climatic variables in young stands than in old stands. The significant association between radial growth and DRI suggests that drought is a determining factor in the radial growth of P. sylvestris. Climate forecast scenarios show an increase in rainfall irregularity in the Mediterranean region so the differential tree response to rainfall at different elevations can be used to predict tree growth for determining silvicultural treatments.
Influence of pruning on wood characters in hybrid aspen
Authors: Rytter Lars , Jansson Gunnar
Published: March 2014

Fast-growing hybrid aspens (Populus tremula L. x P. tremuloides Michx.) are currently of great interest in Sweden since they can produce biomass at high rates and, at the same time, can be used to produce higher value wood products. This study focuses on the effects of pruning hybrid aspen to improve its wood quality. About 50% of the trees in the experimental stand were pruned by removing twigs, at heights up to 4Â m, when they were 7â8 years old. Ten years later, 20 pruned and 20 unpruned trees, representing four clones, were randomly selected. Ten knots or twig/stem junctions, respectively, per tree were exposed for inspection using a chain saw and examined. The results revealed that pruned trees cicatrised the knots within about three years and thereafter produced substantial amounts of faultless wood. In contrast, unpruned trees (which had retained almost 80% of their twigs, often as dry twigs with bark pockets) had produced small uneven amounts of quality wood. Removal of twigs with acute angles and/or large diameters resulted in greater colour defects and rot in annual rings outside the pruning position, but the time of cicatrisation was not significantly affected. The results show that pruning can be used to enhance the wood quality of hybrid aspen over a short time period, and that pruning should be performed early during the rotation period when branches are small, in order to minimize discolouration and rot in the new annual rings.
Effect of felling season, storage and drying on colour of silver birch (Betula pendula) wood from four different growing sites
Authors: Luostarinen Katri , Möttönen Veikko
Published: March 2014

Darkening of birch wood during artificial drying is a significant problem regarding the use of its timber as raw material by the mechanical wood industry. In the future, an increasing proportion of birch timber will be obtained from plantation forests, which differ from natural forests in many respects. In this investigation sample boards of Betula pendula, both from naturally regenerated stands and plantations, were sawn into the dimensions used as raw material for parquet billets. Growing site, felling season, and storage of logs were taken into account as possible factors affecting wood colour changes during drying. The wood of birches from fertile plantations remained lighter-coloured during conventional drying than the wood of naturally regenerated birches from low- and medium-fertile stands. The reason may be the difference in tree age and growth rate between natural and planted stands. Thus, it could be beneficial to grow birch in fertile stands so that the trees reach log size as young as possible. The results of this study emphasise the good quality of the birch wood from planted stands compared to natural stands with regard to its colour.
Effect of regeneration method on growth, wood density and fibre properties of downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.)
Authors: Luostarinen Katri , Huotari Noora , Tillman-Sutela Eila
Published: March 2014

Short rotation tree stands, established by coppicing, are nowadays used mainly for energy purposes in Fennoscandia, but their usage for pulp raw material may increase in the future. Downy birch (Betula pubescens), which is commonly used for pulp production in boreal zone, has good sprouting capacity. However, it is not known if the fibre properties of sprout-originated downy birches differ from those of seed-originated ones. Therefore, fibre length and width of sprout- and seed-originated downy birches grown on fertile soil were measured at a stand age of 25 years. Additionally annual ring width, stem height and diameter, and wood density were studied to compare the growth and wood properties of sprout- and seed-originated birches. Annual rings were slightly wider in sprout- than in seed-originated birches, whereas no differences were observed in wood density. Fibres, too, were slightly longer and wider in sprout- than in seed-originated trees. Still these minor differences observed here are hardly significant for the industries using birch wood. Consequently downy birch wood from coppiced stands is well suited for pulp. The advantages of coppice, i.e. rapidity and low costs of establishment, productivity, and the ability of downy birch to grow on untypical forest sites, may even increase the importance of the wood coming from coppiced birch stands in the future.
Differences in fibre properties in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) genetic entries grown at different spacing and sites
Authors: Gort Jaume , Zubizarreta Gerendiain Ane , Peltola Heli , Pulkkinen Pertti , Routa Johanna , Jaatinen Raimo
Published: March 2014

In forest breeding, stem volume growth and sawn timber quality indicators have been used as the most important selection traits for Scots pine, whereas less attention has been given to characteristics such as fibre properties. In the above context, we investigated the differences in fibre properties (i.e. fibre length, fibre width and coarseness) in 20 year old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) genetic entries as affected by spacing and site, but also the phenotypic correlations between fibre properties, yield and wood density. The study was based on materials harvested from 10 genetic entries grown in a spacing trial (site 1) in central Finland, with a current stand density of 2000 (spacing 1), 2000â2500 (spacing 2) and 4000 trees/ha (spacing 3). In order to study the effects of site, we harvested additional material (4 of 7 genetic entries same as on site 1) from a trial located in southern Finland with a corresponding stand density of 2000 trees/ha (site 2). On site 1, spacing 1 and 3, all average values for analysed fibre properties were similar. In spacing 2 average values were slightly higher. On site 2, the average values for different fibre properties were similar compared to the corresponding spacing 1 on site 1. Spacing affected (p < 0.05) all average fibre properties on site 1; as did also site, when comparing same genetic entries grown on both sites. Regardless of spacing and site, the phenotypic correlations between average fibre length, fibre width and coarseness showed, on average, moderate to strong correlation (p < 0.05). Fibre width showed, in general, low and positive phenotypic correlation with diameter at breast height, stem volume and wood density on site 1. However, as a whole, the ranking of genetic entries changed depending on the trait and spacing considered. Thus, no overall ranking between genetic entries was possible.
Future wood and fibre sources – case North Karelia in eastern Finland
Authors: Nuutinen Tuula , Kilpeläinen Antti , Hirvelä Hannu , Härkönen Kari , Ikonen Veli-Pekka , Lempinen Reetta , Peltola Heli , Wilhelmsson Lars , Kellomäki Seppo
Published: March 2014

Information on the potential wood supply is important for the wood industry. In this study, the future development of growing stock, cutting potential and wood properties corresponding to the regional scenario of North Karelian Forest Programme 2006â2010 was analysed. The simulations were performed by employing the Finnish MELA system together with the sample plot and tree data of the 9th Finnish National Forest Inventory (NFI9) as initial data for the simulations. Disc-based models for basic wood density, proportion of latewood and fibre length of Norway spruce and Scots pine in Sweden were calibrated and integrated into the MELA system. The wood properties at breast height of both harvested and standing trees were analysed in different strata (age, site type and cutting method) during the scenario period of 50 years (2002â2052). The average wood properties within the same strata varied only slightly over time. However, the results for different strata differed considerably. In general, wood density, fibre length and proportion of latewood increased, on average, as a function of tree age and along with a decrease in site fertility (excl. wood density and proportion of latewood in harvested Norway spruce in the first case and fibre length in the latter case for both species). For trees less than 80 years, properties in harvested trees were equal to or slightly greater than those of standing trees. The values for clear-cuttings were greater or equal to those of thinnings (excl. wood density and proportion of latewood in Norway spruce). The study demonstrates the value of model-based analyses utilising NFI tree measurements in regions that are considered to be sources of raw material.
Population, economic welfare and holding size distribution of private forestland in Alabama, USA
Authors: Pan Yi , Zhang Yaoqi , Majumdar Indrajit
Published: March 2014

This paper analyzes structural differences in holding size distribution of private forestland at the county level in Alabama, USA. The following categories are used to describe the timberland holding distribution: mean holding size, Gini coefficient of timberland holdings, and share of county timberland in holding sizes of fewer than 80 hectares and more than 800 hectares. Regressions are conducted to explore the socio-economic correlates of forestland holding size distribution. Results indicate that population density, age structure, urban-rural population structure, income structure and land tenure type are strongly associated with the forest holding size distribution.
Nash-type equilibria and periodic solutions to
nonvariational systems
Authors: Precup Radu
Published: March 2014

The paper deals with variational properties of fixed points for contraction-type operators. Under suitable conditions, the unique fixed point of a vector-valued operator is a Nash-type equilibrium of the corresponding
energy functionals. This is achieved by an iterative scheme based on
Ekeland's variational principle. An application to periodic solutions for
second order differential systems is given to illustrate the theory.
Speciation of bioaccumulated uranium(VI) by Euglena mutabilis cells obtained by laser fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Brockmann Sina , Arnold Thuro , Bernhard Gert
Published: March 2014

The ability of Euglena mutabilis cells – a unicellular protozoan with a flexible pellicle, which is typically found in acid
mine drainage (AMD) environments – to bioaccumulate uranium under acid conditions was studied in batch sorption experiments at pH 3
and 4 using Na2SO4 and NaClO4 as background media. It was found that axenic cultures of Euglena mutabilis
Schmitz were able to bioaccumulate in 5 days 94.9 to 99.2% of uranium from a 1 · 10
–5 mol/L uranium solution
in perchlorate medium and 95.1 to 95.9% in sodium sulfate medium, respectively.
The speciation of uranium in solution and uranium bioaccumulated by Euglena mutabilis cells, were studied by laser induced
fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS). The LIFS investigations showed that the uranium speciation in the NaClO4 systems was dominated
by free uranyl(VI) species and that the UO2SO4 species was dominating in the Na2SO4 medium. Fluorescence spectra of
the bioaccumulated uranium revealed that aqueous uranium binds to carboxylic and/or (organo)phosphate groups located on the euglenid
pellicle or inside the Euglena mutabilis cells.
Reduced uranium immobilization rates of 0.93 – 1.43 mg uranium per g Euglena mutabilis biomass were observed in
similar experiments, using sterile filtrated AMD waters containing, 4.4 · 10
–5 mol/L uranium. These lower rates were attributed
to competition with other cations for available sorption sites. Additional LIFS measurements, however, showed that the speciation of
the bioaccumulated uranium by the Euglena mutabilis cells was found to be identical with the uranium speciation found in the
bioaccumulation experiments carried out in Na2SO4 and NaClO4 media.
The results indicate that Euglena mutabilis has the potential to immobilize aqueous uranium under acid condition and thus may
be used in future as promising agent for immobilizing uranium in low pH waste water environments.
Characterization of neutrons from a thick target
9Be(p, n) reaction by
multiple foil activation technique for practical applications:
measurement of integral cross sections and their comparison with
integrated data from data files
Authors: Uddin Md. Shuza , Kume Kyo , Takata Takushi , Hasegawa Takashi
Published: March 2014

The neutron spectrum in the energy range of 0.1 to 5.85 MeV in the 0○ direction with respect to the
incident proton beam accelerated in a Tandem Accelerator of the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center (WERC), Japan, has been
characterized using the multiple foil activation technique. Flux mapping of thermal and epithermal neutrons at 0○,
20○, 40○ and 60○ at downstream of the beam has also been carried out. The fast neutron
spectrum averaged cross sections of several threshold reactions were measured. Two monitor reactions,
58Ni(n, p)58Co and 115In(n, n′, γ)115mIn, were used to
determine the fast neutron flux. The use of fast neutron flux in validating some excitation functions is described.
Development of radiolanthanide labeled porphyrin
complexes as possible therapeutic agents in beast carcinoma
xenografts
Authors: Vahidfar Nasim , Jalilian Amir R. , Fazaeli Yousef , Aghanejad Ayuob , Bahrami-Samani Ali , Alirezapour Behrooz , Erfani Mostafa , Beiki Davood , Khalaj Ali
Published: March 2014

Radiolabeled porphyrins are potential tumor avid radiopharmaceuticals because of their behaviour in the human body, ability
to complex various radionuclides, water solubility, low toxicity etc., in this work radio ytterbium/samarium porphyrin
complexes have been developed. 175Yb and 153Sm labeled 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)
porphyrins ([175Yb]-TDMPP/[153Sm]-TDMPP) were prepared using 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)
porphyrin (H2TDMPP) and [175Yb]YbCl3 or [153Sm]SmCl3 in 12–24 h at
60 ℃. Stability of the complexes were checked in final formulation and human serum for 24 h,
followed by partition coefficient determination and biodistribution studies in wild type and breast carcinoma-bearing mice. The
radiocomplexes were obtained with acceptable radiochemical purity (> 95% (paper chromatography) and > 96%
(HPLC) for [175Yb]-TDMPP and > 97% (paper chromatography) and >98% (HPLC) for
[153Sm]-TDMPP) with specific activities of 12–15 GBq/mmol and 278 GBq/mmol at the end of
bombardment for [175Yb]-TDMPP and [153Sm]-TDMPP respectively. The partition coefficients were
determined for [175Yb]-TDMPP and [153Sm]-TDMPP) (log P = 0.63 and log P = 0.96 respectively). The
[175Yb]-TDMPP complex is mostly washed out from the circulation through kidneys. Liver and spleen also demonstrated
significant activity uptake in 72 h post injection. Also [153Sm]-TDMPP, is mostly washed out from the
circulation through kidneys, however lungs are the major accumulation sites. The [153Sm]-TDMPP complex demonstrated
significant targeted uptake in breast carcinoma xenografts with tumor: blood ratios of 10.67, 10.47 and 19.01 in 24, 48 and
72 h respectively. Also interesting tumor: kidney/liver ratios were obtained. 153Sm-TDMPP properties
suggest an efficient tumor targeting agent with high tumor-avidity. Further investigation on the therapeutic properties must be
conducted.
Sorption of cesium in young till soils
Authors: Lusa Merja , Lempinen Janne , Ahola Hanna , Söderlund Mervi , Lahdenperä Anne-Maj , Ikonen Ari T. K. , Lehto Jukka
Published: March 2014

Soil samples from three forest soil pits were examined down to a depth of
approximately three metres using 1 M ammonium acetate extraction and
microwave-assisted extraction with concentrated nitric acid
(HNO3), to study the binding of cesium (Cs) at Olkiluoto
Island, southern Finland. Ammonium acetate was used to extract the readily
exchangeable Cs fractions roughly representing the Cs fraction in soil which
is available for plants. Microwave-assisted HNO3 extraction dissolves various minerals, e.g. carbonates, most sulphides,
arsenides, selenides, phosphates, molybdates, sulphates, iron (Fe) and
manganese (Mn) oxides and some silicates (olivine, biotite, zeolite), and
reflects the total Cs concentrations. Cs was mostly found in the strongly
bound fraction obtained through HNO3 extraction. The
average Cs concentrations found in this fraction were 3.53 ± 0.30 mg/kg (d.w.), 3.06 ± 1.86 mg/kg (d.w.) and 1.83 ± 0.42 mg/kg
(d.w.) in the three soil pits, respectively. The average exchangeable Cs
found in the ammonium acetate extraction in all three sampling pits was
0.015 ± 0.008 mg/kg (d.w.). In addition, Cs concentrations in the soil
solution were determined and in situ distribution coefficients (K
d)
for Cs were calculated. Furthermore, the in situ
K
d data was compared
with the Cs K
d data obtained using the model batch
experiments. The in situ
K
d values were observed to fairly well
follow the trend of batch sorption data with respect to soil depth, but on
average the batch distribution coefficients were almost an order of
magnitude higher than the in situ
K
d data. In situ Cs sorption data could be
satisfactory fitted with the Langmuir sorption isotherm, but the Freundlich
isotherm failed to fit the data. Finally, distribution coefficients were
calculated by an ion exchange approach using soil solution data, the cation
exchange capacity (CEC) as well as Cs to sodium (Na) and Cs to potassium (K)
ion exchange selectivity coefficients. The calculated distribution
coefficients corresponded well with the in situ distribution coefficient values.
A New OB Collection of Padānum and Related Omens in Los Angeles
Authors: Winitzer Abraham
Published: March 2014

The following presents an edition of a heretofore-unpublished OB omen collection concerning the padanum, or “Path.” As may be expected, this text, larger than most of the known padānum collections, enhances our understanding of the zone in Mesopotamian extispicy known by that name, typically the second according to the standardized inspection sequence. An examination of the text, however, reveals an interweaving of omens concerning other zones bearing the label of “Path.” This interweaving raises questions about the development of extispicy literature in this period and challenges conceptions concerning its standardization – from a new perspective.
Kaštiliašu and the Sumundar Canal: A New Middle Babylonian Royal Inscription
Authors: Abraham Kathleen
Published: March 2014

This article presents an edition of a new royal inscription of the Kassite king Kaåtiliaåu. The inscription is preserved on a clay tablet and deals with the digging of the Sumundar canal. In the following discussion we identify the king in the inscription as Kaåtiliaåu III, known from the Synchronistic King List. The genealogy of the king in the inscription is compared to that known from the Synchronistic King list and other sources. The article also deals with the location of the Sumundar canal and with the religious ceremonies which were connected to royal canal digging.
Dendritic Calcium Nonlinearities Switch the Direction of Synaptic Plasticity in Fast-Spiking Interneurons
Authors: Camiré Olivier , Topolnik Lisa
Published: March 2014

Postsynaptic calcium (Ca2+) nonlinearities allow neuronal coincidence detection and site-specific plasticity. Whether such events exist in dendrites of interneurons and play a role in regulation of synaptic efficacy remains unknown. Here, we used a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and two-photon Ca2+imaging to reveal Ca2+nonlinearities associated with synaptic integration in dendrites of mouse hippocampal CA1 fast-spiking interneurons. Local stimulation of distal dendritic branches within stratum oriens/alveus elicited fast Ca2+transients, which showed a steep sigmoidal relationship to stimulus intensity. Supralinear Ca2+events required Ca2+entry through AMPA receptors with a subsequent Ca2+release from internal stores. To investigate the functional significance of supralinear Ca2+signals, we examined activity-dependent fluctuations in transmission efficacy triggered by Ca2+signals of different amplitudes at excitatory synapses of interneurons. Subthreshold theta-burst stimulation (TBS) produced small amplitude postsynaptic Ca2+transients and triggered long-term potentiation. In contrast, the suprathreshold TBS, which was associated with the generation of supralinear Ca2+events, triggered long-term depression. Blocking group I/II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) during suprathreshold TBS resulted in a slight reduction of supralinear Ca2+events and induction of short-term depression. In contrast, blocking internal stores and supralinear Ca2+signals during suprathreshold TBS switched the direction of plasticity from depression back to potentiation. These data reveal a novel type of supralinear Ca2+events at synapses lacking the GluA2 AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors and demonstrate a general mechanism by which Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors, together with internal stores and mGluRs, control the direction of plasticity at interneuron excitatory synapses.
PPARγ Recruitment to Active ERK during Memory Consolidation Is Required for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Cognitive Enhancement
Authors: Jahrling Jordan B. , Hernandez Caterina M. , Denner Larry , Dineley Kelly T.
Published: March 2014

Cognitive impairment is a quintessential feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD mouse models. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonist rosiglitazone improves hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits in some AD patients and ameliorates deficits in the Tg2576 mouse model for AD amyloidosis. Tg2576 cognitive enhancement occurs through the induction of a gene and protein expression profile reflecting convergence of the PPARγ signaling axis and the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) cascade, a critical mediator of memory consolidation. We therefore tested whether PPARγ and ERK associated in protein complexes that subserve cognitive enhancement through PPARγ agonism. Coimmunoprecipitation of hippocampal extracts revealed that PPARγ and activated, phosphorylated ERK (pERK) associated in Tg2576in vivo, and that PPARγ agonism facilitated recruitment of PPARγ to pERK during memory consolidation. Furthermore, the amount of PPARγ recruited to pERK correlated with the cognitive reserve in humans with AD and in Tg2576. Our findings implicate a previously unidentified PPARγ–pERK complex that provides a molecular mechanism for the convergence of these pathways during cognitive enhancement, thereby offering new targets for therapeutic development in AD.
Farnesol-Detecting Olfactory Neurons inDrosophila
Authors: Ronderos David S. , Lin Chun-Chieh , Potter Christopher J. , Smith Dean P.
Published: March 2014

We set out to deorphanize a subset of putativeDrosophilaodorant receptors expressed in trichoid sensilla using a transgenicin vivomisexpression approach. We identified farnesol as a potent and specific activator for the orphan odorant receptor Or83c. Farnesol is an intermediate in juvenile hormone biosynthesis, but is also produced by ripe citrus fruit peels. Here, we show that farnesol stimulates robust activation of Or83c-expressing olfactory neurons, even at high dilutions. The CD36 homolog Snmp1 is required for normal farnesol response kinetics. The neurons expressing Or83c are found in a subset of poorly characterized intermediate sensilla. We show that these neurons mediate attraction behavior to low concentrations of farnesol and that Or83c receptor mutants are defective for this behavior. Or83c neurons innervate the DC3 glomerulus in the antennal lobe and projection neurons relaying information from this glomerulus to higher brain centers target a region of the lateral horn previously implicated in pheromone perception. Our findings identify a sensitive, narrowly tuned receptor that mediates attraction behavior to farnesol and demonstrates an effective approach to deorphanizing odorant receptors expressed in neurons located in intermediate and trichoid sensilla that may not function in the classical “empty basiconic neuron” system.
SRF Phosphorylation by Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Promotes Axon Growth in Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Li Cong L. , Sathyamurthy Aruna , Oldenborg Anna , Tank Dharmesh , Ramanan Narendrakumar
Published: March 2014

The growth of axons is an intricately regulated process involving intracellular signaling cascades and gene transcription. We had previously shown that the stimulus-dependent transcription factor, serum response factor (SRF), plays a critical role in regulating axon growth in the mammalian brain. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying SRF-dependent axon growth remains unknown. Here we report that SRF is phosphorylated and activated by GSK-3 to promote axon outgrowth in mouse hippocampal neurons. GSK-3 binds to and directly phosphorylates SRF on a highly conserved serine residue. This serine phosphorylation is necessary for SRF activity and for its interaction with MKL-family cofactors, MKL1 and MKL2, but not with TCF-family cofactor, ELK-1. Axonal growth deficits caused by GSK-3 inhibition could be rescued by expression of a constitutively active SRF. The SRF target gene and actin-binding protein, vinculin, is sufficient to overcome the axonal growth deficits of SRF-deficient and GSK-3-inhibited neurons. Furthermore, short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of vinculin also attenuated axonal growth. Thus, our findings reveal a novel phosphorylation and activation of SRF by GSK-3 that is critical for SRF-dependent axon growth in mammalian central neurons.
Health Inequalities in Urban Adolescents: Role of Physical Activity, Diet, and Genetics
Authors: Ortega Francisco B. , Ruiz Jonatan R. , Labayen Idoia , Martínez-Gómez David , Vicente-Rodriguez Germán , Cuenca-García Magdalena , Gracia-Marco Luis , Manios Yannis , Beghin Laurent , Molnar Dénes , Polito Angela , Widhalm Kurt , Marcos Ascensión , González-Gross Marcela , Kafatos Anthony , Breidenassel Christina , Moreno Luis A. , Sjöström Michael , Castillo Manuel J.
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE:

Coordinated European projects relying on standardized methods are needed to identify health inequalities across Europe. This study aimed to compare fitness, fatness, and cardiometabolic risk between urban adolescents from the south and center-north of Europe and to explore whether physical activity (PA) and other factors might explain these differences.

METHODS:

The Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence cross-sectional project comprised 3528 adolescents from the south (4 cities) and central-north (6 cities) of Europe, 1089 of whom provided blood samples for analysis. Fitness (strength, speed-agility, and cardiorespiratory fitness), total and abdominal fatness (anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance), and cardiometabolic risk (z scores including fitness, fatness, blood lipids, insulin resistance, and blood pressure) were assessed. The analyses were adjusted for socioeconomic factors, objectively measured PA (accelerometry), total energy intake and diet quality, and genetic variants of the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism.

RESULTS:

Adolescents from southern Europe were less fit and fatter according to all markers (P < .001). Differences in cardiometabolic risk scores were not consistent. Adolescents from the south were less active and this would largely explain the differences observed in speed-agility and cardiorespiratory fitness. Differences in total and abdominal fatness could not be explained by PA, energy intake, diet quality, or FTO rs9939609 polymorphism.

CONCLUSIONS:

Fitness and fatness levels indicate that urban adolescents from the south are less healthy than those from central-northern Europe. Our data suggest that differences in PA might explain differences in important health-related fitness components, yet factors explaining the differences in fatness encountered remain unknown.
Let Modesty Be Her Raiment
Authors: Tariq Tahmina
Published: March 2014

Our societal obsession with hair and how it looks seems to know no bounds. Consumers are bombarded with innovative advertisements telling us that our hair is always in need of a miraculous product that can change our lives forever. Contrastingly, sensationalized media reports, which accomplish little else than instilling fear of the “Other,” have no shortage of images of presumably oppressed and unhappy Muslim women, who are almost always veiled in a chador, burqa, or even simply the hijab. Often seen as the most poignant characteristic of the Islamic civilization, the veil is consistently portrayed as a symbol of repression, patriarchal tyranny, barbarism, and even anti-western sentiment (Heath 2008, 18). However, veiling also has a crucial place in the main religious tradition of the Western world, Christianity. In this article, I argue that early Christian women often understood this practice as indicating modesty and respectability. For many Christians, women’s veiling was an important part of their religious identity and moral values. As modesty was the dominant justification for women’s veiling in the Greek and Roman worlds, Christians who observed and promoted the veil were building on the values and practices of their cultural environment. Eventually, however, the Christian veil was reserved for consecrated virgins, and the Latin Church fathers wrote copiously to instill its observance. This article will examine the practice of veiling in antiquity, beginning with Greco-Roman cultural norms, followed by Paul’s instructions to Corinthian women, and concluding with Ambrose of Milan’s treatment of the subject in relation to consecrated virgins. This trajectory will demonstrate that the practice of veiling evolved these three periods; however, its core purpose of safeguarding modesty, remained embedded during each of them.
Popular music, cultural policy, and the Festival of Pacific Arts
Authors: Bendrups Dan
Published: March 2014

Pacific Island societies share many cultural similarities, one of which is the role of music as a vehicle for cultural heritage and expressions of identity throughout the region. This is reflected in the quadrennial Festival of Pacific Arts (FPA), managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The SPC’s cultural policies are largely reflected in the FPA, especially through traditional (ancestral) Indigenous music and dance performances. Popular music is not directly mentioned in SPC cultural policy; however, there has been an increasing trend in popular music appearing in the context of the FPA, alongside and sometimes replacing more traditional types of performance. This article will examine this development, investigating some of the formal and informal processes leading to the inclusion of popular music in FPA events. It will centre on the 2008 and 2012 festivals, examining the performances of the Rapanui (Easter Island) delegations on these occasions.
Book of Allusions
Authors: El-Rayes Waseem
Published: March 2014

This paper provides a new translation and analysis of Ibn Khaldun’s title to his magnum opus kitab al-‘ibar, wa diwan al-mubtada’ wa al-khabar, fi ayyam al-‘arab wa al-‘ajam wa al-barbar, wa man ‘asarahum min dhawi al-sultan al-akbar, known in short as Kitab al-‘Ibar (or as I translate it, Book of Allusions). This translation and analysis articulates the relationship between Ibn Khaldun’s style of writing and the substance of his teaching. It begins by giving an account of Kitab al-‘Ibar’s overall structure and teachings and then proceed to demonstrate how these are skillfully captured in the title. As I argue here, paying attention to the style of writing is an important interpretative tool necessary to reveal the depth of Ibn Khaldun’s teachings. This new translation and analysis shows how, despite Kitab al-‘Ibar apparent concern with history, this book is intended by Ibn Khaldun to be primarily about politics, seeking to challenge well established and honored notions of the origins of political power.
Attachment and Parental Practices as Predictors of Behavioral Disorders in Boys and Girls
Authors: Nunes Sandra Adriana Neves , Faraco Ana Maria Xavier , Vieira Mauro Luis
Published: March 2014

This study’s objective was to investigate how two parental systems (attachment and parental practices) interact to predict internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in girls and boys. The Security Scale was administered to 289 children (mean age = 10.5 years), and 205 parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and an instrument addressing parental practices. The results indicate that poor maternal attachment predicts aggression and delinquency in boys, while problems of this nature among girls are predicted by parental rejection and low behavioral control. Poor paternal attachment was the only predictor for social withdrawal and anxiety/depression in boys. A tendency of association between poor maternal attachment and social withdrawal was observed among girls, while low behavioral control and high psychological control predicted anxiety/depression. The results are discussed in terms of their contribution to understanding the complex relationship among gender, parental systems, and behavioral disorders.
A Systematic Review of the Testing Effect in Learning
Authors: Eisenkraemer Raquel Eloisa , Jaeger Antonio , Stein Lilian Milnitsky
Published: March 2014

The retrieval of a given piece of information from memory increases the long-term retention of that information, a phenomenon often called “testing effect”. The current study aimed to select and review articles on the testing effect to verify the extent and importance of this phenomenon, bringing the main results of recent research. To accomplish this, a systematic review of articles on this subject published between 2006 and 2012 was conducted, a period in which there was an acute increase in the amount of publications on this subject. The articles were searched in the databases Web of Science, PubMed and PsycINFO. The results, which were organized according to test format (recall and recognition tests), demonstrated that tests can be remarkably beneficial to the retention of long-term memories. A theoretical explanation regarding the cognitive processes involved in this phenomenon still needs to be developed and tested. Such explanation would have important implications for the development of efficient educational practices.
Realities of leprosy control: updating scenarios
Authors: Gonçalves Aguinaldo
Published: March 2014

In the light of successive therapeutical difficulties for leprosy control, the application of drug therapy combination over the last decades has brought about an expectation of cure for leprosy patients and also for the elimination of this illness as a Public Health problem. However, there has been a progressive reduction in the prevalence of leprosy, but without any apparent impact on transmission, which has led to recognized need for solid assessment of respective epidemiological evidence as grounds for interventions to solve the problem. In this regard, here we present a retroanalytical qualitative and quantitative study, combined with a prospective diachronic approach, based on the association of documental review techniques and analysis of content, involving the following phases in succession: assembly of an operational scheme, execution of search strategy, application of criteria, selection of studies, data extraction and processing, implementation of analysis plan and preparation of final text. The appropriate execution of the procedures, as applied, allows us to obtain and discuss the identification of three main scenarios: the elimination of the illness as a public health problem (Neglected Illness); therapeutic aspects (Resistance; Relapse; Non-Adherence; Persistence) and complexity (complications and physical incapacities). The conclusions that have been reached indicate,mainly, that the reality of leprosy control with the use of combination drug therapy, still needs to be handled with care, even more so as this is just a fragment of the set of people once under medical attention, which also correspond to a parcel of the set of people affected by the ailment.
Relationship between food insecurity and nutritional status of Brazilian children under the age of five
Authors: Santos Leonardo Pozza dos , Gigante Denise Petrucci
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between food insecurity and nutritional status of Brazilian children. METHODS: The National Demographic and Health Survey 2006 database is available on the worldwide web. Thus, the analyzed variables were obtained in this study, including nutritional indices, food insecurity and other socioeconomic and demographic variables. The height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height indices were evaluated as the Z-score of the World Health Organization reference curves. Food insecurity was defined by using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Averages of three indices according to the presence of food insecurity were analyzed, including other variables. Linear regression evaluated the effect of food insecurity on the Z-score of the three nutritional indices. RESULTS: The sample included 4,817 children, out of whom 7% had deficit in height, 7% were overweight and 47% had food insecurity. It was found that the average of height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height were -0.31, 0.12 and 0.40, respectively, being lower among children with food insecurity. CONCLUSION: The regression analysis showed that children living with some level of food insecurity have worse rates of height-for-age, even controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
The Effect of the Interaction Between Podisus nigrispinus and Brontocoris tabidus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on the Reproductive Biology of the Predators of Agroforestry Pests
Authors: Guanabens REM , Serbão J E , Zanuncio T V , Zanuncio J C
Published: March 2014

To effectively reduce agroforestry pest populations, two or more species of their natural predators, rather than only one, could be released. Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) and Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are significant pest predators; however, these natural enemies can interact negatively, thereby decreasing the efficacy of biological control. The aim of this research was to study the effect of increasing the density of B. tabidus on the reproduction of P.nigrispinus and vice versa. The number of eggs per egg masses, nymphs, and longevity of P. nigrispinus decreased when the number of B. tabidus females increased. Furthermore, the egg viability was >75% with one, two, three, and four B. tabidus females; however, with five females, the viability of the P.nigrispinus eggs dropped below 70%. The number of egg masses of P. nigrispinus was similar with increasing density of B. tabidus and, even at low density, P. nigrispinus reduced reproduction of B.tabidus. P. nigrispinus and B. tabiclus often occur simultaneously in the field; these predators can coexist without any reproductive damage to any species when both are at low density.
Polarization Microscopy and Topochemistry of the Cocoon ofLithurgus chrysurus(Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
Authors: Rozen Jerome G , Mello Maria Luiza S
Published: March 2014

The cocoon of Lithurgus chrysurus Fonscolobe, a univoltine species belonging to the megachilid subfamily Lithurginae, was studied using polarization microscopy and topochemical methods. The aim of the study was to establish the composition and structure of the cocoon wall of this bee in comparison with reported data for other species of this subfamily. The cocoon was found to be composed by macromolecularly oriented, positively birefringent silk protein layers that acquire a complex and thicker multilayered distribution at its rear zone. Although the composition and distribution of the silk threads in this species' cocoon was considered similar to the previously described patterns for other lithurgine bees, the absence of a mucous layer, typically produced by Malpighian tubules, differed from reported data for other species of the same subfamily.
Tirosine Kinase Inhibitors Adverse Events
Authors: Campiotti Leonardo , Maresca Andrea , Guasti Luigina , Grandi Anna Maria
Published: March 2014

The authors discuss dasatinib as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with cardiovascular toxicity, which Lenihan and Kowey did not include in their article “Overview and Management of Cardiac Adverse Events Associated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.”
Platform for moisture content determination of fine-grained soil
Authors: Shetu Nisat Sarwar , Masum Md Abdullah
Published: March 2014

Determination of moisture content of soil is crucial and must be performed as frequently as necessary to ensure the quality of construction work. In order to address the limitations and inaccuracies of existing methods, a new concept has been implemented. An artificial neural network and state-of-the-art electronic circuitry are embedded to realise an automatic measurement system based on a low-cost computing platform. Also, to facilitate user interaction with the system, a sophisticated graphical user interface was created. This system, from both a hardware and a software perspective, brings new ideas not only to the moisture content determination test but also to the geotechnical laboratory and field instrumentation in terms of accuracy, automation and machine intelligence. This work shows that hardware and software embedded in test equipment can automate the test procedures in geotechnical engineering, using an appropriate sensor and a data acquisition and processing routine. This paper presents the technical details of the system set-up, hardware and software development, workflow and system validation for the determination of moisture content of fine-grained soil.
Thermosets from highly functional methacrylated epoxidized sucrose soyate
Authors: Yan Jingling , Webster Dean C.
Published: March 2014

Highly functional biobased methacrylate oligomers were synthesized via the reaction between methacrylic acid and epoxidized sucrose soyate (ESS); then, biobased thermosets were produced from free-radical curing of these methacrylates using styrene as a reactive diluent. The methacrylated ESS resins (MESSs) were characterized using gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. MESS were mixed with styrene at different ratios and cured by free-radical polymerization using peroxides as the initiators to form thermosets. The extent of cure was confirmed by FTIR and gel content determinations. The properties of the thermosets were studied using tensile testing, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Compared to their counterparts based on a reference, methacrylated epoxidized soybean oil, thermosets based on MESS showed much higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and better mechanical properties, which can be attributed to the unique combination of high methacrylate functionality and the rigid sucrose core in the MESS oligomers.
Unexpected phenological responses of butterflies to the interaction of urbanization and geographic temperature
Authors: Diamond Sarah E. , Cayton Heather , Wepprich Tyson , Jenkins Clinton N. , Dunn Robert R. , Haddad Nick M. , Ries Leslie
Published: March 2014

Urbanization and global climate change can profoundly alter biological systems, yet scientists often analyze their effects separately. We test how the timing of life cycle events (phenology) is jointly influenced by these two components of global change. To do so, we use a long‐term phenological data set of 20 common butterfly species from 83 sites across the state of Ohio, USA, with sites that range from rural undeveloped areas to moderately sized cities. These sites span a latitudinal gradient in mean temperature of several °C, mimicking the range of projected global climate warming effects through the end of the century. Although shifts toward earlier phenology are typical of species' responses to either global climate change or urbanization, we found that their interaction delayed several Ohio butterfly species' first appearance and peak abundance phenology. Exploitative species exhibited smaller delays in first appearance and peak abundance phenology in areas that were urbanized and geographically warm. Our results show that phenological responses to urbanization are contingent upon geographic variation in temperature, and that the impacts of urbanization and global climate change should be considered simultaneously when developing forecasts of biological responses to environmental change.
Some issues related to the study of poucenija izabrana in old slavic literatures
Authors: Trifunovic Djordje
Published: March 2014

The extensive manuscript book Evangelie Uchitelnoe (Didactic Gospel) has long
been studied in Russian archaeography. Its first, greater part contains
instructions (slova) for the days of the week, whereas the other part
includes instructions for the Lord's and saints' feasts during the liturgical
year (Menaion from September to August). Aleksandr Gorskii and Kapiton
Nevostruev were the first to discover the Greek source of these writings
(1859) and identify their compiler as Philotheos Kokkinos, who was the
Patriarch of Constantinople on two occasions (1353-1354/55 and 1364-1376).
There are numerous manuscript versions of Poucenija izabrana (Selected
Instructions; the term commonly used in Serbian archaeography to designate
Evangelie Uchitelnoe) that are not much later than the original; they belong
to the Russian, Wallachian, Serbian and Moldovan redactions. On the basis of
cultural and historical, philological and archaeographic observations, it can
be concluded that Poucenija izabrana were translated from Greek into the old
Serbian literary language (Serbian Church Slavonic). This presumably happened
at Mount Athos, in the cultural and religious atmosphere in which Philotheos
Kokkinos then lived as a monk of the Lavra of St. Athanasius.
Bogoboj Atanackovic and Serbian romantic short story
Authors: Mirkov-Bogdanovic Nada
Published: March 2014

In this study, specific features of emerging and development of Serbian short
story (1845 -1865), has been examined; its relation towards tradition and
literal conventions of former sentimentalistic and enlightening epoch,
toward a parallel developments in this field of literary work and
literary-historical context as a whole. The corpus of short stories of this
period has been arranged and connected tipologicaly and their common
structural characteristics have been established. In that context,, the
position, role and significance of Bogoboj Atanackovic, as a first Serbian
writer and initiator in romantic orientation in Serbian short story, has
been reexamined.
Milan Budimir i Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti - prilog bio-bibliografskim istrazivanjima
Authors: Stanic Mile
Published: March 2014

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