bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Man's Best Friend as A Reading Facilitator
Authors: Shaw Donita Massengill
Published: January 2013

The purpose of this manuscript was to describe information about an animal‐assisted therapy, specifically the Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.) program. In this manuscript I provide information about R.E.A.D. programs in general. Next, I share perspectives solicited from R.E.A.D. participants, specifically teachers, parents, students and volunteer handlers. Then I discuss how these practices may become a part of your classroom with possible adaptations. Finally, I summarize why R.E.A.D. makes a difference.
Literacy on the Move: A Journal for the Journey
Authors: Curtis Laurie J.
Published: January 2013

Travel provides students with multiple opportunities to learn about people, places, and the world around them. At times, students are given opportunities to travel causing them to be absent from the classroom. This manuscript provides a practical suggestion for engaging students in learning while on the journey. Students are asked to share and expand upon their experiences through narrative writing, creative illustrations, and the reading of print resources (menus, maps, brochures, etc). Authentic reading and writing experiences help students connect curriculum within the classroom to the contexts in which they see literacy used outside the classroom. In this project students return to their classrooms to share their new learning while teachers can use their writing as a form of authentic assessment. Connections to the Common Core State Standards are provided to demonstrate curricular content of this project.
Olfactory perception, cognition, and dysfunction in humans
Authors: Stevenson Richard J.
Published: January 2013

The main functions of olfaction relate to finding food, avoiding predators and disease, and social communication. Its role in detecting food has resulted in a unique dual mode sensory system. Environmental odorants are ‘smelled’ via the external nostrils, while volatile chemicals in food—detected by the same receptors—arrive via the nasopharynx, contributing to flavor. This arrangement allows the brain to link the consequences of eating with a food's odor, and then later to use this information in the search for food. Recognizing an odorant—a food, mate, or predator—requires the detection of complex chemical blends against a noisy chemical background. The brain solves this problem in two ways. First, by rapid adaptation to background odorants so that new odorants stand out. Second, by pattern matching the neural representation of an odorant to prior olfactory experiences. This account is consistent with olfactory sensory physiology, anatomy, and psychology. Odor perception, and its products, may be subject to further processing—olfactory cognition. While olfactory cognition has features in common with visual or auditory cognition, several aspects are unique, and even those that are common may be instantiated in different ways. These differences can be productively used to evaluate the generality of models of cognition and consciousness. Finally, the olfactory system can breakdown, and this may be predictive of the onset of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, as well as having prognostic value in other disorders such as schizophrenia. WIREs Cogn Sci 2013, 4:273–284. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1224

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Perception and Psychophysics
Exploring the gap between ‘best knowledge’ and ‘best practice’ in boundary layer meteorology for offshore wind energy
Authors: Kalvig Siri , Gudmestad Ove Tobias , Winther Nina
Published: January 2013

Onshore wind turbine technology is moving offshore, and the offshore wind industry tends to use larger turbines than those used over land. This calls for an improved understanding of the marine boundary layer. The standards used in the design of offshore wind turbines, particularly the rotor–nacelle assembly, are similar to those used for onshore wind turbines. As a result, simplifications regarding the marine boundary layer are made. Atmospheric stability considerations and wave effects, including the dynamic sea surface roughness, are two major factors affecting flow over sea versus land. Neutral stratification and a flat, smooth sea surface are routinely used as assumptions in wind energy calculations. Newly published literature in the field reveals that the assumption of a neutral stratification is not necessarily a conservative approach. Design tests based on neutral stratification give the lowest fatigue damage on the rotors. Turbulence, heat exchange and momentum transfer depend on the sea state, but this is usually ignored, and the sea surface is thought of as level and smooth. Field experiments and numerical simulations show that during swell conditions, the wind profile will no longer exhibit a logarithmic shape, and the surface drag relies on the sea state. Stratification and sea state are parameters that can be accounted for, and they should therefore be considered in design calculations, energy assessments and power output predictions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
3d analogs of Argyres-Douglas theories and knot homologies
Authors: Fuji Hiroyuki , Gukov Sergei , Stošić Marko , Sulkowski Piotr
Published: January 2013

Abstract

We study singularities of algebraic curves associated with 3d
$ \mathcal{N}=2 $
theories that have at least one global flavor symmetry. Of particular interest is a class of theories T
K labeled by knots, whose partition functions package Poincaré polynomials of the S

r
-colored HOMFLY homologies. We derive the defining equation, called the super-A-polynomial, for algebraic curves associated with many new examples of 3d
$ \mathcal{N}=2 $
theories T
K and study its singularity structure. In particular, we catalog general types of singularities that presumably exist for all knots and propose their physical interpretation. A computation of super-A-polynomials is based on a derivation of corresponding superpolynomials, which is interesting in its own right and relies solely on a structure of differentials in S

r
-colored HOMFLY homologies.
Brane modeling in warped extra-dimension
Authors: Ahmed Aqeel , Grzadkowski Bohdan
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Five-dimensional scenarios with infinitesimally thin branes replaced by appropriate configurations of a scalar field were considered. A possibility of periodic extra dimension was discussed in the presence on non-minimal scalar-gravity coupling and a generalized Gibbons-Kallosh-Linde sum rule was found. In order to avoid constraints imposed by periodicity, a non-compact spacial extra dimension was introduced. A five dimensional model with warped geometry and two thin branes mimicked by a scalar profile was constructed and discussed. In the thin brane limit the model corresponds to a set-up with two positive-tension branes. The presence of two branes allows to address the issue of the hierarchy problem which could be solved by the standard warping of the four dimensional metric provided the Higgs field is properly localized. Stability of the background solution was discussed and verified in the presence of the most general perturbations of the metric and the scalar field.
Catecholamine Dosing and Survival in Adult Intensive Care Unit Patients
Authors: Kastrup Marc , Braun Jan , Kaffarnik Magnus , von Dossow‐Hanfstingl Vera , Ahlborn Robert , Wernecke Klaus‐D , Spies Claudia
Published: January 2013

Background

Volume management and vasopressor support remain the gold standard of critical care for patients with shock. However, prolonged therapy with catecholamines in high doses is associated with a negative patient outcome. The aim of the present study was to analyze the administered levels of catecholamines over time with respect to survival, and to identify a cut‐off to allow a prediction of survival.

Methods

Consecutively, 9,108 adult patients during 22 months were evaluated. This group included 1,543 patients treated with epinephrine and/or norepinephrine with any dose at any time. Time and dosages of the applied drugs, the sequential organ failure assessment and acute and chronic health evalutation II scores on admission and daily, the length of intensive care unit stay, and the outcomes were recorded.

Results

The non‐survivors received higher doses of norepinephrine and epinephrine than the survivors (p < 0.001). The receiver operator characteristic curve for the area under the curve with non‐survival as the classifier revealed a cut‐off level of 294.33 μg/kg for norepinephrine with a sensitivity of 74.73 % and a specificity of 70.48 % and a cut‐off for epinephrine of 70.36 μg/kg with a sensitivity of 83.87 % and a specificity of 72.79 %. Dose‐dependent time curves using these cut‐off values were calculated.

Conclusions

Survival of patients with prolonged therapy with norepinephrine and epinephrine above the evaluated thresholds is poor, whereas short‐term application of high‐dose catecholamines is not associated with poor outcome. Therefore, it remains for the individual clinician, patients, and their surrogates to decide whether the use of high doses of vasopressors is appropriate in view of the low probability of survival.
Internet marketing: a content analysis of the research
Authors: Corley J. Ken , Jourdan Zack , Ingram W. Rhea
Published: January 2013

The amount of research related to Internet marketing has grown rapidly since the dawn of the Internet Age. A review of the literature base will help identify the topics that have been explored as well as identify topics for further research. This research project collects, synthesizes, and analyses both the research strategies (i.e., methodologies) and content (e.g., topics, focus, categories) of the current literature, and then discusses an agenda for future research efforts. We analyzed 411 articles published over the past eighteen years (1994-present) in thirty top Information Systems (IS) journals and 22 articles in the top 5 Marketing journals. The results indicate an increasing level of activity during the 18-year period, a biased distribution of Internet marketing articles focused on exploratory methodologies, and several research strategies that were either underrepresented or absent from the pool of Internet marketing research. We also identified several subject areas that need further exploration. The compilation of the methodologies used and Internet marketing topics being studied can serve to motivate researchers to strengthen current research and explore new areas of this research.
Fachhochschulen im regionalen Innovationssystem. Eine Analyse auf Basis von Best-Practice-Fallstudien
Authors: Hamm Rüdiger , Jäger Angelika
Published: January 2013

The interaction and networking among private firms and public research entities determine the innovative potential and performance of a region essentially. Cooperatively, these important members of regional innovation systems develop innovations and enhance knowledge diffusion. The impact of a higher education institution on a regional innovation system depends not only on the success of the research and development activities, but also on its network integration and interaction with other members in the regional innovation system. Based on these considerations, knowledge and technology transfer has become one of the strategic and operative core functions of higher education institutions, whereas mainly transfer forms with a high degree of university-industry cooperation shape the role of higher education institutions in the regional innovation system. Especially the application-oriented universities of applied sciences are required to disseminate and implement the gathered knowledge in their regional environment. The article examines the special role of universities of applied sciences in the regional innovation system and analyses university-side success factors of knowledge transfer on the basis of a best practice analysis. The research identifies strategic concepts relevant for successful transfer, furthermore operative policy recommendations were deducted that encourage cooperation between university and regional economy and knowledge transfer.
Diagnostic accuracy of markers for prodromal Alzheimer's disease in independent clinical series
Authors: Prestia Annapaola , Caroli Anna , Herholz Karl , Reiman Eric , Chen Kewei , Jagust William J. , Frisoni Giovanni B. ,   Translational Outpatient Memory Clinic Working Group,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2013

Objective

To capitalize on data from different clinical series to compare sensitivity and specificity of individual biomarkers for predicting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

Medial temporal atrophy, cortical hypometabolism, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers were assessed in 18 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with prodromal AD (pAD; conversion time, 26 ± 12 months) and 18 stable MCI (sMCI) patients from the Translational Outpatient Memory Clinic cohort, as well as in 24 pAD patients (conversion time, 36 ± 12 months) and 33 sMCI patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohort. Medial temporal atrophy was measured by manual, semi‐automated, and automated hippocampal volumetry; cortical hypometabolism was measured using several indices of AD‐related hypometabolism pattern; and cerebrospinal fluid markers were amyloid β (Aβ)42 and total tau protein concentrations. For each biomarker, sensitivity for pAD, specificity for sMCI, and diagnostic accuracy were computed.

Results

Sensitivity to predict MCI conversion to AD in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and Translational Outpatient Memory Clinic cohorts was 79% and 94% based on Aβ42, 46% and 28% based on hippocampal volumes, 33% to 66% and 56% to 78% based on different hypometabolism indices, and 46% and 61% based on total tau levels, respectively. Specificity to exclude sMCI was 27% and 50% based on Aβ42, 76% and 94% based on hippocampal volumes, 58% to 67% and 55% to 83% based on different hypometabolism indices, and 61% and 83% based on total tau levels, respectively.

Conclusions

Current findings suggest that Aβ42 concentrations and hippocampal volumes may be used in combination to best identify pAD.
AD dementia risk in late MCI, in early MCI, and in subjective memory impairment
Authors: Jessen Frank , Wolfsgruber Steffen , Wiese Birgitt , Bickel Horst , Mösch Edelgard , Kaduszkiewicz Hanna , Pentzek Michael , Riedel‐Heller Steffi G. , Luck Tobias , Fuchs Angela , Weyerer Siegfried , Werle Jochen , van den Bussche Hendrik , Scherer Martin , Maier Wolfgang , Wagner Michael ,   German Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients
Published: January 2013

Objective

To compare the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), early MCI (EMCI), and subjective memory impairment (SMI) with normal test performance.

Methods

The baseline sample (n = 2892) of the prospective cohort study in nondemented individuals (German Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients) was divided into LMCI, EMCI, SMI, and control subjects by delayed recall performance. These groups were subdivided by the presence of self‐reported concerns associated with experienced memory impairment. AD dementia risk was assessed over 6 years.

Results

Across all groups, risk of AD dementia was greatest in LMCI. In those with self‐reported concerns regarding their memory impairment, SMI and EMCI were associated with a similarly increased risk of AD dementia. In those subgroups without concerns, SMI was not associated with increased risk of AD dementia, but EMCI remained an at‐risk condition.

Conclusions

SMI and EMCI with self‐reported concerns were associated with the same risk of AD dementia, suggesting that pre‐LMCI risk conditions should be extended to SMI with concerns.
New ELISAs with high specificity for soluble oligomers of amyloid β‐protein detect natural Aβ oligomers in human brain but not CSF
Authors: Yang Ting , Hong Soyon , O'Malley Tiernan , Sperling Reisa A. , Walsh Dominic M. , Selkoe Dennis J.
Published: January 2013

Background

Soluble oligomers of amyloid ß‐protein (Aß) have been increasingly linked to synaptic dysfunction, tau alteration, and neuritic dystrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mouse models. There is a great need for assays that quantify Aß oligomers with high specificity and sensitivity.

Methods

We designed and validated two oligomer‐specific (o‐) enzyme‐linked immunoassays (ELISAs) using either an Aß aggregate‐selective monoclonal for capture and a monoclonal to the free N‐terminus for detection, or the latter antibody for both capture and detection.

Results

The o‐ELISAs specifically quantified pure oligomers of synthetic Aß with sizes from dimers up to much larger assemblies and over a wide dynamic range of concentrations, whereas Aß monomers were undetectable. Natural Aß oligomers of similarly wide size and concentration ranges were measured in extracts of AD and control brains, revealing >1000‐fold higher concentrations of Aß oligomers than monomers in the soluble fraction of AD cortex. The assays quantified the age‐related rise in oligomers in hAPP transgenic mice. Unexpectedly, none of 90 human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples gave a specific signal in either o‐ELISA.

Conclusions

These new o‐ELISAs with rigorously confirmed specificity can quantify oligomer burden in human and mouse brains for diagnostic and mechanistic studies and for AD biomarker development. However, our data raise the likelihood that the hydrophobicity of Aß oligomers makes them very low in number or absent in aqueous CSF.
Fairness in supply chain contracts: A laboratory study
Authors: Katok Elena , Pavlov Valery
Published: January 2013

Various contracts can be designed to coordinate a simple supplier–retailer channel, yet the contracts proposed in prior research and tested in a laboratory setting do not perform as standard theory predicts. The supplier, endowed with all bargaining power, can neither fully coordinate the channel nor extract all of the channel profit. We report on a sequence of laboratory experiments designed to separate possible causes of channel inefficiency. The three causes we consider are inequality aversion, bounded rationality, and incomplete information. It turns out that all three affect human behavior. Inequality aversion has by far the most explanatory power regarding retailers’ behavior. Incomplete information about the retailer's degree of inequality aversion has the most explanatory power in regards to the suppliers’ behavior. Bounded rationality affects both players, but is of secondary importance.
Hausarztzentrierte Versorgung – im Interesse der Patienten?
Authors: Köster-Steinebach Ilona
Published: January 2013

Einleitung

Hausarztzentrierte Versorgung (HzV) in Deutschland ist für gesetzliche Krankenkassen obligatorisch. Sie wäre vorteilhaft für Patienten und Versicherte, wenn die Versorgungsqualität verbessert und/oder die Kosten gesenkt würden. Zuverlässige Daten zur Wirkung liegen noch immer nicht vor. Insbesondere gibt es trotz jahrelang laufender Verträge keine Hinweise auf verbesserte Versorgung. Hingegen mehren sich die Indizien, dass die HzV deutlich erhöhte Kosten nach sich zieht und die Struktur und Funktionsfähigkeit der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung gefährdet.
Comparison of Dry‐Land Training Programs Between Age Groups of Swimmers
Authors: Krabak Brian J. , Hancock Kyle J. , Drake Shawn
Published: January 2013

Objective

To describe the current use of dry‐land training in swimmers by age category.

Design

Randomized sampling questionnaire.

Setting

Web‐based survey.

Participants

Ninety‐seven coaches from swim clubs throughout the United States.

Main Outcome Measures

Dry‐land training use, frequency, duration, mode of exercise, and exercise by body region in the following groups: ≤10 years, 11‐14 years, 15‐18 years, collegiate, and masters swimmers (≥18 years, noncollegiate).

Results

Among the surveyed coaches (n = 97), dry‐land training use varied by swimmers' age (≤10 years [54%], 11‐14 years [83%], 15‐18 years [93%], collegiate [86%], and masters [26%]) and type of training modality (age ≤18 years [body weight exercises, stretching]; collegiate [free weight/machine weights and body weight exercises]; and masters [weight and cardiovascular training]). The most common body region exercised for all categories except masters was the spine/core, followed by the proximal leg, and then the shoulder. Masters swimmers focused on the shoulder region, followed by the spine. The primary reason for participation in dry‐land training was injury prevention for all categories except masters. Limited practice time was the most common reason for not using dry‐land training.

Conclusions

A total of 50%‐93% of swim coaches surveyed for all groups except masters incorporated some form of dry‐land training; they used body weight exercises in younger swimmers. The focus of dry‐land training among swimmers ≤18 years and collegiate swimmers was the spine/core. These findings may be used to develop future studies on how dry‐land training contributes to performance or injuries, especially in the younger swimmer.
Different Relationships Between the Level of Patellofemoral Pain and Quality of Life in Professional and Amateur Athletes
Authors: Cheung Roy T.H. , Zhang Zhijie , Ngai Shirley P.C.
Published: January 2013

Background

Patellofemoral pain is a common orthopedic condition in the athletic population. Previous investigators focused on exploring the etiology and investigating the effectiveness of different treatment approaches for patellofemoral pain. However, the severity of symptoms and its corresponding impact on quality of life (QOL) in athletes at different skill levels have not been explored. Such information may help in formulating rehabilitation strategies targeting different levels of athletes.

Objective

To compare the perception of patellofemoral symptoms and its impact on QOL between professional and amateur athletes with patellofemoral pain.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Participants

Thirty‐eight athletes with patellofemoral pain: 19 professional athletes from the Chinese national track and field team and 19 matched amateur participants recruited from a local track and field club.

Main Outcome Measures

All participants completed the Chinese version of Kujala scale and Medical Outcomes Study 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36), which we used to quantify the severity of patellofemoral symptoms and QOL, respectively.

Results

Professional athletes demonstrated a significantly higher level of patellofemoral symptoms (P < .001) and lower physical functioning subscore of SF‐36 (P < .014) than did the amateur athletes. We also found a trend of a lower mental health subscore of SF‐36 in professional athletes than in the amateurs (P = .07). The Kujala scale score was positively correlated with the subscore of “physical functioning” in both professional athletes (rs = 0.688, P = .001) and amateurs (rs = 0.751, P < .001). We also observed a trend of correlation between the subscore in the mental health domain and the severity of patellofemoral symptoms in professional athletes.

Conclusions

Athletes at different elite levels might have varied perceptions of patellofemoral pain and the corresponding impact on physical aspects of quality of life. The results of this study may highlight the necessity of addressing psychosocial factors when formulating rehabilitation strategies in the athletic population with patellofemoral pain.
An Exploration of Strength of Ethnic Identity, Acculturation and Experiences of Bullying and Victimisation in Australian School Children
Authors: Roberts Rachel M. , Ali Feda
Published: January 2013

School bullying and victimisation is a pervasive problem within schools. Research within Australian schools has not considered the relationship that ethnicity, strength of ethnic identity or acculturation orientation may have with bullying and victimisation. A self-report measure was completed by 421 children (Mean age = 11.8 years,SD= 0.6). Ethnic majority children reported experiencing more direct and indirect victimisation than ethnic minority children. For ethnic minority children, weaker ethnic identity was associated with direct victimisation. Ethnic minority children who adopted an assimilation acculturation orientation experienced more direct victimisation in comparison with ethnic minority children who adopted an integration acculturation orientation. Ethnicity and acculturation are important aspects to consider when understanding bullying and victimisation in Australian schools and although ethnic majority children were more likely to report victimisation, weak ethnic identity and assimilation acculturation orientation leaves ethnic minority children particularly vulnerable to direct victimisation. This should be considered in the application of anti-bullying programmes within schools.
The Cognitive Profiles of Maltreated Children in Care and Their Educational Needs: Supporting Good Outcomes
Authors: DeGregorio Lisa Joanne , McLean Sara
Published: January 2013

Children in care, who have been maltreated, consistently demonstrate poorer educational outcomes than their peers. A number of reasons have been suggested for this such as a lack of stability and opportunities, as compared to their peers. One possible contributor to the poorer educational attainment of children in care is their underlying cognitive vulnerabilities. Cognitive deficits in maltreated children are thought to arise as a result of the impact of trauma on the developing brain. These cognitive deficits include difficulties with executive functioning. Executive functioning abilities include the ability to inhibit behaviour, plan ahead and switch from task to task and are critical for navigating the day to day requirements of educational settings. This article summarises what we know about the cognitive vulnerabilities of maltreated children in care and outlines the implications of these cognitive deficits for supporting maltreated children.
Research for Practice: Highlighting Personal Strengths of Children in Out-of-Home Care: Two Case Examples
Authors: Mendis Kathy
Published: January 2013

The education of children in care suffers significantly from a range of disruptions by virtue of them being in care. Research shows that the academic attainment of children in care is lower than that of other children in the general population. Consequently, many young people leave care with minimum or no educational/vocational qualifications and subsequently face adversity in adulthood. Using two case examples this article argues that workers need to look for the strengths in children in care and facilitate the mobilisation of those strengths for them to work their way towards a successful adulthood.
ON PSEUDO -ASYMPTOTICALLY PERIODIC FUNCTIONS
Authors: PIERRI MICHELLE , ROLNIK VANESSA
Published: January 2013

We introduce the concept of pseudo$ \mathcal{S} $-asymptotically periodic functions and study some of the qualitative properties of functions of this type. In addition, we discuss the existence of pseudo$ \mathcal{S} $-asymptotically periodic mild solutions for abstract neutral functional differential equations. Some applications involving ordinary and partial differential equations with delay are presented.
RECONSTRUCTION OF LEX PERSONALIS IN CHINA
Authors: He Qisheng
Published: January 2013

In 2010, China's Legislature adopted a reconstructed new private international law which makes habitual residence the principal connecting factor of lex personalis. Prior to the new law, lex personalis had followed a mixed model that included the law of domicile, the law of nationality, the law of the country where a Chinese person resides, and the law of the place of an act. The reconstruction of lex personalis improves China's opportunities for accession to international conventions and for the adoption of common international measures to better protect the interests of Chinese citizens, especially children. However, China's legislature and its courts still have much to do in order to decrease and eliminate many conflicts among the previous and current provisions regarding lex personalis. Among other things, criteria need to be established for application in defining, judging and establishing habitual residence, especially with regard to appreciable period of time and settled intention.
The future direction of personalised nutrition: my diet, my phenotype, my genes
Authors: Gibney Michael J. , Walsh Marianne C.
Published: January 2013

Although personalised nutrition is frequently considered in the context of diet–gene interactions, increasingly, personalised nutrition is seen to exist at three levels. The first is personalised dietary advice using Internet-delivered services, which ultimately will become automated and which will also draw on mobile phone technology. The second level of personalised dietary advice will include phenotypic information on anthropometry, physical activity, clinical parameters and biochemical markers of nutritional status. It remains possible that in addition to personalised dietary advice based on phenotypic data, advice at that group or metabotype level may be offered where metabotypes are defined by a common metabolic profile. The third level of personalised nutrition will involve the use of genomic data. While the genomic aspect of personalised nutrition is often considered as its main driver, there are significant challenges to translation of data on SNP and diet into personalised advice. The majority of the published data on SNP and diet emanate from observational studies and as such do not offer any cause–effect associations. To achieve this, purpose-designed dietary intervention studies will be needed with subjects recruited according to their genotype. Extensive research indicates that consumers would welcome personalised dietary advice including dietary advice based on their genotype. Unlike personalised medicine where genotype data are linked to the risk of developing a disease, in personalised nutrition the genetic data relate to the optimal diet for a given genotype to reduce disease risk factors and thus there are few ethical and legal issues in personalised nutrition.
Molecular characterization of putative Hepatozoon sp. from the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Authors: BIEDRZYCKA ALEKSANDRA , KLOCH AGNIESZKA , MIGALSKA MAGDALENA , BIELAŃSKI WOJCIECH
Published: January 2013

We characterized partial sequences of 18S rDNA from sedge warblers infected with a parasite described previously as Hepatozoon kabeeni. Prevalence was 47% in sampled birds. We detected 3 parasite haplotypes in 62 sequenced samples from infected animals. In phylogenetic analyses, 2 of the putative Hepatozoon haplotypes closely resembled Lankesterella minima and L. valsainensis. The third haplotype grouped in a wider clade composed of Caryospora and Eimeria. None of the haplotypes showed resemblance to sequences of Hepatozoon from reptiles and mammals. Molecular detection results were consistent with those from microscopy of stained blood smears, confirming that the primers indeed amplified the parasite sequences. Here we provide evidence that the avian Hepatozoon-like parasites are most likely Lankesterella, supporting the suggestion that the systematic position of avian Hepatozoon-like species needs to be revised.
Differential emergence of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from on-farm breeding substrates in Northern Ireland
Authors: THOMPSON GEOFFREY M. , JESS STEPHEN , MURCHIE ARCHIE K.
Published: January 2013

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a number of viral diseases worldwide. Following the unforeseen outbreak of bluetongue in northern Europe (2006–2009) there was a need to clarify on-farm breeding substrates utilized by temperate Culicoides spp. Six substrates (cow dung, cow slurry, horse dung, sheep dung, maize silage and soil) were investigated for Culicoides spp. emergence over a 31-week period. Overall, most Obsoletus group Culicoides emerged from the cow dung and the most Pulicaris group Culicoides emerged from the sheep dung. Furthermore, Culicoides of the Obsoletus group were found to be abundant in cow slurry and sheep dung. Temperature played a significant role in the emergence times of adult Culicoides. The Obsoletus group appear to have undergone 3 generations during the experimental period. The sex ratio of emergent Obsoletus group Culicoides was affected by substrate type, with a greater proportion of males emerging from cow dung and slurry compared with the other substrates.
Human contact influences the foraging behaviour and parasite community in long-tailed macaques
Authors: WENZ-MÜCKE ALEXANDRA , SITHITHAWORN PAIBOON , PETNEY TREVOR N. , TARASCHEWSKI HORST
Published: January 2013

Human–wildlife interactions have reached unprecedented levels, and humans are influencing the earth's ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than ever before. This situation is cause for serious concern, especially since disease interactions between wildlife and humans have been recognized as major conservation threats. In this study, long-tailed macaques,Macaca fascicularis, from 2 forest parks located in north-eastern Thailand were investigated to determine the influence of habitat modification by humans on helminth parasite associations in non-human primates. Macaque populations with contact to anthropogenically modified environments were compared with sylvatic groups in nearby natural environments. In order to test for human–non-human primate transmission of parasites, the local human populations were also examined. Humans were infected with a number of potentially pathogenic parasites, includingOpisthorchis viverriniandStrongyloides stercoralis. However, eggs of these helminths were not detected in macaque feces. Thus, no direct parasite transfer from humans to non-human primates could be confirmed. However, macaque groups with more frequent contact with human-modified habitats, and a higher portion of human-provided food in their diet, had significantly higher prevalences and intensities ofStrongyloides fuelleborniand of an intestinal fluke (probablyHaplorchissp.) than sylvatic groups. Positive correlations were found between the time foraging on the ground and infection withS. fuelleborni, and the amount of human-provided food and intestinal fluke infection. Human alteration of habitat and associated modifications in non-human primate behaviour are likely to play a role in determining the occurrence, prevalence and intensity of zoonotic helminth infection of wild non-human primates.
In vitroisolation fromAmblyomma ovale(Acari: Ixodidae) and ecological aspects of the Atlantic rainforestRickettsia, the causative agent of a novel spotted fever rickettsiosis in Brazil
Authors: SZABÓ M. P. J. , NIERI-BASTOS F. A. , SPOLIDORIO M. G. , MARTINS T. F. , BARBIERI A. M. , LABRUNA M. B.
Published: January 2013

Recently, a novel human rickettsiosis, namely Atlantic rainforest spotted fever, was described in Brazil. We herein report results of a survey led around the index case in an Atlantic rainforest reserve in Peruibe municipality, southeastern Brazil. ARickettsia parkeri-like agent (Rickettsiasp. Atlantic rainforest genotype) andRicketsia belliiwere isolated from adultAmblyomma ovaleticks collected from dogs. Molecular evidence of infection with strain Atlantic rainforest was obtained for 30 (12·9%) of 232A. ovaleadult ticks collected from dogs. As many as 88·6% of the 35 examined dogs had anti-Rickettsiaantibodies, with endpoint titres at their highest toR. parkeri. High correlation among antibody titres in dogs,A. ovaleinfestations, and access to rainforest was observed.Amblyomma ovalesubadults were found predominantly on a rodent species (Euryoryzomys russatus). From 17E. russatustested, 6 (35·3%) displayed anti-Rickettsiaantibodies, with endpoint titres highest toR. parkeri. It is concluded that Atlantic rainforest genotype circulates in this Atlantic rainforest area at relatively high levels. Dogs get infected when bitten byA. ovaleticks in the forest, and carry infected ticks to households. The role ofE. russatusas an amplifier host ofRickettsiatoA. ovaleticks deserves investigation.
Relatives and passive object relatives in Italian-speaking children and adults: Intervention in production and comprehension
Authors: CONTEMORI CARLA , BELLETTI ADRIANA
Published: January 2013

We investigate the production of relative clauses in Italian children aged 3 years, 4 months to 8 years, 10 months and in adults, focusing on object relatives (ORs). For both adults and older children, we test the production of passive ORs (PORs) as an alternative to the production of active ORs. We also test the comprehension of active ORs and PORs in older children, showing that the comprehension of the latter is significantly more accurate than the former. The persistent difficulty that children experience with ORs is interpreted as due to intervention, following Friedmann, Belletti, and Rizzi (2009). We assume Collins’ (2005) approach to passive and account for the increasing use and more accurate comprehension of PORs as a consequence of lack of intervention, as in Belletti (2009a).
Radially symmetric solutions for a limiting form of the Ginzburg—Landau model
Authors: Xiang Xingfei
Published: January 2013

We obtain a solution, the L∞-norm of which is greater than ⅓√3, to the semilinear system arising in the mathematical theory of superconductivity when the domain is a disc or the exterior of a disc in ℝ2. We obtain an estimate of the critical field for the arbitrary penetration depth and determine the critical field as the penetration depth goes to zero when the domain is a disc. We prove that the L∞-norm of the symmetric solutions on the inner boundary is greater than that of the outer boundary when the domain Ω is an annulus. Stability of the solutions is also studied.
A priori estimates for the Helmholtz equation with electromagnetic potentials in exterior domains
Authors: Barceló Juan Antonio , Fanelli Luca , Ruiz Alberto , Vilela Maricruz
Published: January 2013

We study the Helmholtz equation with electromagnetic-type perturbations, in the exterior of a domain, in dimension n ≥ 3. Using multiplier techniques in the style of Morawetz, we prove a family of a priori estimates from which the limiting absorption principle follows. Moreover, we give some standard applications to cases with an absence of embedded eigenvalues and zero resonances, under explicit conditions on the potentials.
Le débat sur la diglossie en France: aspects scientifiques et politiques
Authors: MASSOT BENJAMIN , ROWLETT PAUL
Published: January 2013

This article outlines the diglossic approach to intra-speaker grammatical variation (Ferguson 1959), wherein speaker-hearers acquire two grammars which are socio-stylistically distinct – one H(igh), the other L(ow) – but linguistically related (to the extent that users regard them as the same language), and then engage one or other of them (but do not mix them) in their active productions. It then sets out how a case could be made for such a model to capture variation in contemporary France, in place of the variationist model which envisages a single, flexible grammar, e.g., the bipolarity, strength and non-random nature of the sociolinguistic H–L distinction, the differing pattern of acquisition of H and L forms, the tendency for L forms to encroach on H terrain (rather than vice versa), and the internal coherence of each of the H and L varieties. Finally, the article sketches the politico-moral dimension to the debate, extending beyond scientific objectivity, and relating to the treatment of non-standard linguistic behaviour in context of the socio-cultural status of the standard.
‘chtileu qu'i m'freumereu m'bouque i n'est point coér au monne’: Grammatical variation and diglossia in Picardie
Authors: VILLENEUVE ANNE-JOSÉ , AUGER JULIE
Published: January 2013

In this article, we analyze French and Picard data, extracted from sociolinguistic interviews with four Picard–French bilingual speakers and four French monolingual speakers from the Vimeu (Somme) area of France, in order to determine whether the two closely-related varieties maintain distinct grammars or whether they now constitute varieties of the same language. Focusing on two linguistic variables, subject doubling andnedeletion, we argue that the variation observed in our French data results from variation within a single grammar, while our Picard data display markedly different patterns that can only be explained by a speaker's switch to a Picard grammar. We propose a model that schematises our results and attempts to reconcile the notions of diglossia and variation. In addition to providing empirical evidence in favour of an approach that recognises the structurally distinct status of Picard, our data indicate that resorting to a diglossic approach for French fails to capture the intrinsically variable nature of human language.
Deriving the railway mania
Authors: Campbell Gareth
Published: January 2013

This article argues that the promotion boom which occurred in the railway industry during the mid 1840s was amplified by the issue of derivative-like assets, which let investors take highly leveraged positions in the shares of new railway companies. The partially paid shares which the new railway companies issued allowed investors to obtain exposure to an asset by paying only a small initial deposit. The consequence of this arrangement was that investor returns were substantially amplified, and many schemes could be financed simultaneously. However, when investors were required to make further payments it put a negative downward pressure on prices.
Designing a machine translation system for Canadian weather warnings: A case study
Authors: GOTTI FABRIZIO , LANGLAIS PHILIPPE , LAPALME GUY
Published: January 2013

In this paper we describe the many steps involved in building a production quality Machine Translation system for translating weather warnings between French and English. Although in principle this task may seem straightforward, the details, especially corpus preparation and final text presentation, involve many difficult aspects that are often glossed over in the literature. On top of the classic Statistical Machine Translation evaluation metric results, four manual evaluations have been performed to assess and improve translation quality. We also show the usefulness of the integration of out-of-domain information sources in a Statistical Machine Translation system to produce high quality translated text.
LEGAL OBLIGATION AND REASONS
Authors: Essert Christopher
Published: January 2013

According to the legal rationalist, the law claims to give its subjects reasons for action. The leading legal rationalist, Joseph Raz, says, “the law claims that the existence of legal rules is a reason for conforming behaviour.” Putting the same point more casually, he writes:

The law sets things straight: telling people “this is what you should do and whether you agree that this is so or not, now that it is the law that you should you have the law as a new, special kind of reason to do so.”

Jules Coleman, who also at times plays the part of the legal rationalist, agrees:

The prevalent view among legal positivists today is that law purports to govern conduct as a practical authority. The distinctive feature of law's governance on this view is that it purports to govern by creating reasons for action.

Or more succinctly, “Law claims to create reasons for acting.”
Polymorphisms in the dopamine transporter gene are associated with visual hallucinations and levodopa equivalent dose in Brazilians with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Schumacher-Schuh Artur F , Francisconi Carolina , Altmann Vivian , Monte Thais L , Callegari-Jacques Sidia M , Rieder Carlos RM , Hutz Mara H
Published: January 2013

The requirement for dopaminergic drugs in Parkinson's disease (PD) is highly variable. Visual hallucinations are a frequent and serious complication of chronic levodopa therapy. Polymorphisms in the DAT1 gene might affect the reuptake of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, but the influence of this variability on adverse effects or levodopa equivalent dose on PD patients is still poorly investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate DAT1 gene polymorphisms on levodopa equivalent dose and visual hallucination occurrence in PD patients. Altogether, 196 PD patients in treatment with at least 200 mg levodopa equivalent dose for at least 1 yr were included. These patients were genotyped for the −839 C > T and 3′ VNTR DAT1 polymorphisms by PCR-based methodologies. Visual hallucinations occurred in 25.5% of the sample. After controlling for confounders, the dopamine transporter (DAT) −839 C allele was associated with visual hallucinations (prevalence ratio 2.5, 95% confidence intervals 1.13–5.5, p = 0.02). Levodopa equivalent dose was lower in carriers of the nine repeat allele of the DAT 3′UTR VNTR (741.2 ± 355.0 vs. 843.4 ± 445.7), explaining 21% of dose variability (p = 0.01). Our results support an effect of DAT1 polymorphisms in adverse effects of anti-Parkinsonian drugs and in levodopa equivalent dose usage.
Site characteristics of the high Antarctic plateau
Authors: Ashley Michael C. B.
Published: January 2013

A brief review is given of the major results from the last twenty years of astronomical site-testing in Antarctica. Suggestions are made for how to resolve some outstanding questions, such as the infrared sky background at Antarctic sites other than South Pole station.
CMB anisotropy science: a review
Authors: Challinor Anthony
Published: January 2013

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) provides us with our most direct observational window to the early universe. Observations of the temperature and polarization anisotropies in the CMB have played a critical role in defining the now-standard cosmological model. In this contribution we review some of the basics of CMB science, highlighting the role of observations made with ground-based and balloon-borne Antarctic telescopes. Most of the ingredients of the standard cosmological model are poorly understood in terms of fundamental physics. We discuss how current and future CMB observations can address some of these issues, focusing on two directly relevant for Antarctic programmes: searching for gravitational waves from inflation via B-mode polarization, and mapping dark matter through CMB lensing.
The Askaryan Radio Array
Authors: Hoffman Kara D.
Published: January 2013

Ultra high energy cosmogenic neutrinos could be most efficiently detected in dense, radio frequency (RF) transparent media via the Askaryan effect. Building on the expertise gained by RICE, ANITA and IceCube's radio extension in the use of the Askaryan effect in cold Antarctic ice, we are currently developing an antenna array known as ARA (The Askaryan Radio Array) to be installed in boreholes extending 200 m below the surface of the ice near the geographic South Pole. The unprecedented scale of ARA, which will cover a fiducial area of ≈ 100 square kilometers, was chosen to ensure the detection of the flux of neutrinos suggested by the observation of a drop in high energy cosmic ray flux consistent with the GZK cutoff by HiRes and the Pierre Auger Observatory. Funding to develop the instrumentation and install the first prototypes has been granted, and the first components of ARA were installed during the austral summer of 2010–2011. Within 3 years of commencing operation, the full ARA will exceed the sensitivity of any other instrument in the 0.1-10 EeV energy range by an order of magnitude. The primary goal of the ARA array is to establish the absolute cosmogenic neutrino flux through a modest number of events. This information would frame the performance requirements needed to expand the array in the future to measure a larger number of neutrinos with greater angular precision in order to study their spectrum and origins.