bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extreme precipitation vulnerability in the Upper Thames River basin: uncertainty in climate model projections
Authors: Solaiman Tarana A. , King Leanna M. , Simonovic Slobodan P.
Published: October 2010

This study provides an assessment of possible future climate conditions for the Upper Thames River (UTR) basin. The interpretation of future climate from widely used global climate models has a large impact on the comparison of the simulated daily extreme precipitations. Unfortunately, literature relevant to analyzing precipitation extremes is limited and more work is necessary to develop strategies for assessing the vulnerability of extreme precipitation events on water resources and communities at both local and regional levels. The present study deals with six different atmosphere–ocean coupled general circulation models (AOGCMs) with up to three emission scenarios in order to generate a precipitation series for the 2050s. The data has been downscaled using a principal component analysis–integrated stochastic weather generator (WG‐PCA) to produce a synthetic dataset for 54 years. The variability between the AOGCMs and their emission scenarios are investigated, as well as the performance of the WG‐PCA generator in producing extreme precipitation events. The comparative analysis of 14 different scenarios shows that the AOGCM results are variable and need to be carefully screened before using them for future climate change impact assessments in the UTR basin. Future work is needed on regional studies to explore local characteristics of precipitation extremes and improve the model quality by introducing more input variables relevant to the precipitation extremes. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Graduate study in executive and organizational coaching: Considerations for program development
Authors: Stein Irene F. , Page Linda J.
Published: October 2010

As organizations increasingly see the need to include coaching as part of their culture, more and more certificate‐ and degree‐granting graduate academic institutions are including executive and organizational coaching programs as part of their curriculum offerings. There are currently no uniform curriculum standards for professional coaching academic programs, although some are being developed by the Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching. This article describes what new executive and organizational coaching programs must consider as they are being planned. The article starts with a short history of professional coaching preparation and then presents the major questions that new programs must answer for themselves.
Cultural behavior and attitude differences found in excerpts of Micronesian folklore: Their relevance for global organizations
Authors: Vesper Ethel R.
Published: October 2010

This article examines cultural values and attitudes in terms of how these are reflected in samples of folklore from Kosrae Island, Micronesia. Based on the work of Hofstede and Hofstede (2005) and Trompenaars and Hampden‐Turner (1998), this investigator believes that there is evidence that the analysis of the themes gleaned from the folklore of Kosrae and identified and matched with the cultural values discussed by these authors can be replicated by other researchers working in Micronesia and other parts of the world. To support this in part, excerpts from folklore from Kabon Atoll, a coral atoll found in the Ratak Chain, Marshall Islands, are included. In addition, evidence found in the folklore from both islands may account for cultural behavior and attitude differences that are relevant for global organizations doing business with these cultures.
An Improved Weighted‐Residue Profile Based Method of Using Protein–Ligand Interaction Information in Increasing Hits Selection from Virtual Screening: A Study on Virtual Screening of Human GPCR A2A Receptor Antagonists
Authors: Shahid Mohammad , Kasam Vinod , Hofmann‐Apitius Martin
Published: October 2010

The use of protein‐ligand interaction information has been reported to improve and optimize the docking results in virtual screening experiments. Here we propose an improved weighted‐residue profile based method to profile the protein‐ligand interactions based on the available dataset of known actives and utilize this weighted residue profile information, together with the scoring function, as selection criteria to increase hit rates in virtual screening experiments. The generated fingerprint data is not directly based on the protein‐ligand complexes but taken from the available interaction data derived from the docking results. The ability of the method to recover the active compounds was tested on two data sets of a compound library designed for antagonists of the A2A receptor. The results show better hits enrichments by using the weighted‐residue based profiles of protein‐ligand interactions as compared to the normal binding energy based scoring schemes of the two docking programs.
Simplified synthesis and relaxometry of magnetoferritin for magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Clavijo Jordan Veronica , Caplan Michael R. , Bennett Kevin M.
Published: October 2010

Magnetoferritin nanoparticles have been developed as high‐relaxivity, functional contrast agents for MRI. Several previous techniques have relied on unloading native ferritin and re‐incorporation of iron into the core, often resulting in a polydisperse sample. Here, a simplified technique is developed using commercially available horse spleen apoferritin to create monodisperse magnetoferritin. Iron oxide atoms were incorporated into the protein core via a step‐wise Fe(II)Chloride addition to the protein solution under low O2 conditions; subsequent filtration steps allow for separation of completely filled and superparamagnetic magnetoferritin from the partially filled ferritin. This method yields a monodisperse and homogenous solution of spherical particles with magnetic properties that can be used for molecular magnetic resonance imaging. With a transverse per‐iron and per‐particle relaxivity of 78 mM−1 sec−1 and 404,045 mM−1 sec−1, respectively, it is possible to detect ∼10 nM nanoparticle concentrations in vivo. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multiecho coarse voxel acquisition for neurofeedback fMRI
Authors: Kuo Audrey Y.‐C. , Chiew Mark , Tam Fred , Cunningham Charles , Graham Simon J.
Published: November 2010

“Real‐time” functional magnetic resonance imaging is starting to be used in neurofeedback applications, enabling individuals to regulate their brain activity for therapeutic purposes. These applications use two‐dimensional multislice echo planar or spiral readouts to image the entire brain volume, often with a much smaller region of interest within the brain monitored for feedback purposes. Given that such brain activity should be sampled rapidly, it is worthwhile considering alternative functional magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequences that trade spatial resolution for temporal resolution. We developed a prototype sequence localizing a column of magnetization by outer volume saturation, from which densely sampled transverse relaxation time decays are obtained at coarse voxel locations using an asymmetric gradient echo train. For 5 × 20 × 20 mm3 voxels, 256 echoes are sampled at ∼1 msec and then combined in weighted summation to increase functional magnetic resonance imaging signal contrast. This multiecho coarse voxel pulse sequence is shown experimentally at 1.5 T to provide the same signal contrast to noise ratio as obtained by spiral imaging for a primary motor cortex region of interest, but with potential for enhanced temporal resolution. A neurofeedback experiment also illustrates measurement and calculation of functional magnetic resonance imaging signals within 1 sec, emphasizing the future potential of the approach. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intrinsic detection of motion in segmented sequences
Authors: Mendes Jason , Parker Dennis L.
Published: November 2010

While many motion correction techniques for MRI have been proposed, their use is often limited by increased patient preparation, decreased patient comfort, additional scan time, or the use of specialized sequences not available on many commercial scanners. For this reason, we propose a simple self‐navigating technique designed to detect motion in segmented sequences. We demonstrate that comparing two segments containing adjacent sets ofk‐space lines results in an aliased error function. A global shift of the aliased error function indicates the presence of in‐plane rigid‐body translation, while other types of motion are evident in the dispersion or breadth of the error function. Since segmented sequences commonly acquire data in sets of adjacentk‐space lines, this method provides these sequences with an inherent method of detecting object motion. Motion corrupted data can then be reacquired proactively or in some cases corrected or removed retrospectively. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Understanding Early Bronze Age social structure through mortuary remains: A pilot aDNA study from Titriş Höyük, southeastern Turkey
Authors: Matney T. , Algaze G. , Dulik M. C. , Erdal Ö. D. , Erdal Y. S. , Gokcumen O. , Lorenz J. , Mergen H.
Published: October 2010

This report describes a pilot study examining aDNA from a skeletal population excavated in the 1990s at the late Early Bronze Age (EBA, c. 2300‐2100 BC) urban settlement of Titriş Höyük in southeastern Turkey. Typically, late EBA burials at Titriş Höyük consisted of periodically reused underground family crypts contained within houses. However, one unique set of remains dated to the latest phase of the late EBA occupation at the site departed from this burial pattern entirely. It consisted of an above ground mortuary installation (B98.87) displaying the skulls and post‐cranial bones of 19 individuals, most exhibiting a variety of fatal traumas. In this article, we compare the mtDNA sequences of these individuals with those buried in contemporary traditional late EBA intramural crypts. After successful extraction and amplification of ancient DNA molecules during a double blind study of 13 skeletons selected for the pilot study, our team was able to compare the genetic relatedness of individuals displayed in B98.87 to individuals buried elsewhere on the site. Based on archaeological evidence alone, earlier we had suggested that the occupants of B98.87 were perhaps outsiders, possibly soldiers vanquished in hostilities taking place shortly before the abandonment of the city at the end of the late EBA. However, our pilot study showed no clear genetic difference between the population of B98.87 and the broader population of the late EBA city, contrary to our expectations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing for generalized improvements in reading comprehension by intervening to improve reading fluency
Authors: Neddenriep Christine E. , Fritz Abigail M. , Carrier Miranda E.
Published: October 2010

The relationship between reading fluency and comprehension was evaluated in five 4th‐grade students. These students were identified as being at risk of not meeting yearly goals in reading fluency and comprehension based on fall benchmark assessment data. A brief intervention assessment was used to determine which intervention components would be essential to improving reading fluency across the five participants. As a result, the combination of repeated practice with performance feedback and error correction was implemented using instructional‐level reading materials twice per week for 30‐minute sessions with progress monitored weekly using AIMSweb measures of oral reading fluency and comprehension. Empirical, single‐case designs were used to evaluate the impact of the program across these five students with assessed, generalized improvements in comprehension. Results indicated increased rate of words read correctly per minute with generalized increases in comprehension for four of five participants. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis thioredoxin in complex with quinol inhibitor PMX464
Authors: Hall Gareth , Bradshaw Tracey D. , Laughton Charles A. , Stevens Malcolm F. , Emsley Jonas
Published: October 2010

Thioredoxin (Trx) plays a critical role in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis. Many disease causing pathogens rely on the Trx redox system for survival in conditions of environmental stress. The Trx redox system has been implicated in the resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to phagocytosis. Trx is able to reduce a variety of target substrates and reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the cyclization of its active site dithiol to the oxidized disulphide Cys37–Cys40. Here we report the crystal structure of the Mtb Trx C active site mutant C40S (MtbTrxCC40S) in isolation and in complex with the hydroxycyclohexadienone inhibitor PMX464. We observe PMX464 is covalently bound to the active site residue Cys37 through Michael addition of the cyclohexadienone ring and also forms noncovalent contacts which mimic the binding of natural Trx ligands. In comparison with the ligand free MtbTrxCC40S structure a conformational change occurs in the PMX464 complex involving movement of helix α2 and the active site loop. These changes are almost identical to those observed for helix α2 in human Trx ligand complexes. Whereas the ligand free structure forms a homodimer the inhibitor complex unexpectedly forms a different dimer with one PMX464 molecule bound at the interface. This 2:1 MtbTrxCC40S‐PMX464 complex is also observed using mass spectrometry measurements. This structure provides an unexpected scaffold for the design of improved Trx inhibitors targeted at developing treatments for tuberculosis.
A summary of inherently safer technology
Authors: Hendershot Dennis C.
Published: October 2010

Inherently Safer Design (ISD) is an approach for making the development, manufacturing, and use of chemicals safer. This article will present a summary overview of ISD and its elements of minimize, substitute, moderate, and simplify. In addition, a life cycle approach will be shown to give the most effective use of ISD as well as other risk mitigation methods and strategies. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2010
Effect of reduced risk pesticides on greenhouse vegetable arthropod biological control agents
Authors: Gradish Angela E. , Scott‐Dupree Cynthia D. , Shipp Les , Harris C. Ron , Ferguson Gillian
Published: October 2010

BACKGROUND: Arthropod biological control agents (BCAs) are commonly released for greenhouse vegetable insect pest management. Nevertheless, chemicals remain a necessary control tactic for certain insect pests and diseases and they can have negative impacts on BCAs. The compatibility of some formulated reduced risk insecticides (abamectin, metaflumizone and chlorantraniliprole) and fungicides (myclobutanil, potassium bicarbonate and cyprodinil + fludioxonil) used, or with promise for use, in Canadian greenhouses with Orius insidiosus (Say), Amblyseius swirskii (Athias‐Henriot) and Eretmocerus eremicus (Rose & Zolnerovich) was determined through laboratory and greenhouse bioassays.

RESULTS: Overall, the insecticides and fungicides were harmless as residues to adult BCAs. However, abamectin was slightly to moderately harmful to O. insidiosus and A. swirskii in laboratory bioassays, whereas metaflumizone was slightly harmful to E. eremicus.

CONCLUSIONS: In general, these products appear safe to use prior to establishment/release of these adult BCAs. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Status of insecticide resistance inCulex pipiensfield populations from north‐eastern areas of Italy before the withdrawal of OP compounds
Authors: Toma Luciano , Menegon Michela , Romi Roberto , De Matthaeis Elvira , Montanari Mario , Severini Carlo
Published: October 2010

BACKGROUND:Heavy and constant use of organophosphorus (OP) larvicides selectedCulex pipiensL. resistant populations through two main mechanisms of genetic resistance, the increased activity of detoxifying esterase and the production of alterate acetylcholinesterase‐1 (AChE1) by G119S mutation. The aim of this study was the assessment of the distribution ofCx. pipienspopulations resistant to temephos and chlorpyrifos in the north‐eastern regions of Italy and the occurrence of the insensitive AChE in these populations. Data describe the situation in the last years before European legislation prohibited the use of OP larvicides in mosquito control, up until 2007.

RESULTS:For the first time a high level of OP resistance in the samples from Ravenna (182‐fold, 80% A4/B4 or A5/B5 esterases and 38.3%Ester5), Emilia Romagna region, was detected; therefore, new data from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions were obtained and reinforced existing knowledge about resistance previously studied along the Adriatic coast. Nearby, in the Villa Verucchio locality, the highest (87.5%) AChE1R was found.

CONCLUSION:Cx. pipiensresistance esterases A5/B5 and A4/B4 spread southward along the Adriatic coastal plain while OPs were being used in mosquito control, as confirmed by the first molecular screening of the AChE1 gene in these populations. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Electron pair density information measures in atomic systems
Authors: Sagar Robin P. , Laguna Humberto G. , Guevara Nicolais L.
Published: November 2010

Shannon entropies of the pair density, conditional entropies, and mutual information are studied in position and in momentum space for ground state neutral atoms and selected excited states at the Hartree‐Fock level. We show that the mutual information, a measure of correlation, is larger in position space than in momentum space. This result also holds for a mutual information defined in terms of the exchange density; however, these quantities display much more structure than the corresponding ones based on the pair densities. The interpretation of this behavior is that exchange effects are smaller in momentum space than in position space in these systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Life in the fast lane: Origins of competitive interaction in new vs. established markets
Authors: Chen Eric L. , Katila Riitta , McDonald Rory , Eisenhardt Kathleen M.
Published: October 2010

Prior work examines competitive moves in relatively stable markets. In contrast, we focus on less stable markets where competitive advantages are temporary and R&D moves are essential. Using evolutionary search theory and an experiential simulation with in‐depth fieldwork, we find that the relationship between performance and subsequent competitive moves depends on the type of market, not just on whether performance is high or low. High performers seek to maintain status quo, but this requires different strategies in different markets. They are conservative in established markets and bold in new ones. In contrast, low performers seek to disrupt the status quo. Again, this requires different strategies in different markets. Unlike high performers, low performers are bold in established markets and conservative in new ones where they lack understanding of how to disrupt rivals. Overall, our results incorporate unstable markets in theories of competitive dynamics and competitive interaction in theories of evolutionary search. By examining R&D moves, we also extend competitive dynamics research to include technology‐based firms for whom temporary advantages are often essential. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid Delivery of Drug Carriers Propelled and Navigated by Catalytic Nanoshuttles
Authors: Kagan Daniel , Laocharoensuk Rawiwan , Zimmerman Maria , Clawson Corbin , Balasubramanian Shankar , Kang Dae , Bishop Daniel , Sattayasamitsathit Sirilak , Zhang Liangfang , Wang Joseph
Published: October 2010

This paper reports the first proof‐of‐concept of using catalytic nanoshuttles to pick up, transport, and release common drug carriers including biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric particles and liposomes. The rapid transport of a wide size range of drug‐loaded particles (100 nm–3.0 μm) with a speed approximately three orders of magnitude faster than that of the particles transported by Brownian motion demonstrates the high propulsion power of the nanoshuttles. The nanoshuttles’ navigation ability is illustrated by the transport of the drug carriers through a microchannel from the pick‐up to the release microwell. Such ability of nanomotors to rapidly deliver drug‐loaded polymeric particles and liposomes to their target destination represents a novel approach towards transporting drug carriers in a target‐specific manner. This also potentially addresses the obstacles of current nanoparticle drug delivery, such as off‐targeting of particles. While an initial concept of actively transporting therapeutic particles is demonstrated in vitro in this paper, future efforts will focus on practical in vivo motor‐based targeted drug delivery in connection to fuel‐free nanovehicles.
High‐On/Off‐Ratio Graphene Nanoconstriction Field‐Effect Transistor
Authors: Lu Ye , Goldsmith Brett , Strachan Douglas R. , Lim Jong Hsien , Luo Zhengtang , Johnson A. T. Charlie
Published: October 2010

A method is reported to pattern monolayer graphene nanoconstriction field‐effect transistors (NCFETs) with critical dimensions below 10 nm. NCFET fabrication is enabled by the use of feedback‐controlled electromigration (FCE) to form a constriction in a gold etch mask that is first patterned using conventional lithographic techniques. The use of FCE allows the etch mask to be patterned on size scales below the limit of conventional nanolithography. The opening of a confinement‐induced energy gap is observed as the NCFET width is reduced, as evidenced by a sharp increase in the NCFET on/off ratio. The on/off ratios obtained with this procedure can be larger than 1000 at room temperature for the narrowest devices; this is the first report of such large room‐temperature on/off ratios for patterned graphene FETs.
Characterization of the agglomeration of roasted shredded cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) roots
Authors: Tivana Lucas Daniel , Dejmek Petr , Bergenståhl Björn
Published: October 2010

Roasted and granulated cassava roots flour, known as ‘rale’ in the south of Mozambique, is a common meal in sub‐Saharan Africa and is consumed reconstituted with hot or cold water. In this work, analysis of rale was carried out with the aim of understanding what determines the agglomeration properties. Rale is agglomerated roasted cassava flour with about 95% of starch gelatinized. The pre‐gelatinized and agglomerated cassava gives cold swelling as well as a resistance against disintegration when heated. The softness of swollen agglomerated granules is temperature dependent. Microscopy of rale agglomerates shows that the granulation is formed by partial swelled starch granules bound together by retrograded leached AM. A physical model of rale consisting of glass beads agglomerated by drying with an AP or AM solution showed that particles with retrograded AM were resistant to disintegration in water at 90°C while glass beads agglomerated with AP did not show comparable heat resistance. Thus it was concluded that the leaching and retrogradation of AM is essential to obtain the rale agglomeration and functionality.
Characteristics and application of octenyl succinic anhydride modified waxy corn starch in sausage
Authors: Song Xiaoyan , Zhu Wei , Li Zhen , Zhu Jinjin
Published: October 2010

Native and acid‐hydrolyzed wx corn starches were modified by octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) in aqueous slurry systems. The characteristics of the modified wx corn starches and their effects on chicken meat sausages were evaluated by means of FT‐IR, rapid visco analyser, SEM, and texture profile analysis. FT‐IR spectroscopy indicated that the ester carbonyl groups in the OSA modified native and acid‐hydrolyzed starches were characterized at 1725 cm−1. The process of OSA modification could achieve starch derivatives, which had higher viscosities, better paste clarity and freeze–thaw stability than the native counterparts. Texture results showed that the hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of the sausage increased as OSA‐H0 was added (p < 0.05). SEM revealed that the sausages with native wx corn starch had larger and uneven pores, while it was comparatively compact for the sausages with OSA starches. The OSA modified wx corn starch offered a great potential to be used in meat products to enhance textural quality.
Linguistic relativity
Authors: Wolff Phillip , Holmes Kevin J.
Published: October 2010

The central question in research on linguistic relativity, or the Whorfian hypothesis, is whether people who speak different languages think differently. The recent resurgence of research on this question can be attributed, in part, to new insights about the ways in which language might impact thought. We identify seven categories of hypotheses about the possible effects of language on thought across a wide range of domains, including motion, color, spatial relations, number, and false belief understanding. While we do not find support for the idea that language determines the basic categories of thought or that it overwrites preexisting conceptual distinctions, we do find support for the proposal that language can make some distinctions difficult to avoid, as well as for the proposal that language can augment certain types of thinking. Further, we highlight recent evidence suggesting that language may induce a relatively schematic mode of thinking. Although the literature on linguistic relativity remains contentious, there is growing support for the view that language has a profound effect on thought.WIREs Cogni Sci2011 2 253–265 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.104

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Language
Parsing
Authors: Traxler Matthew J.
Published: October 2010

Research on syntax and parsing played a central role in the cognitive revolution and continues to occupy a central position in the study of language. While linguistically driven theories of syntactic representation have not proven sufficient to predict and explain the full range of experimental outcomes, they have provided invaluable insights to language researchers. Greater success has been achieved by combining insights from linguistics and cognitive psychology. Such approaches began to emerge in the 1970s, with the advent of serial, modular, syntax‐first approaches, such as the garden‐path theory, that were computationally tractable and plausible given human resource limitations. The ‘second wave’ of syntactic parsing theories arose as an important component of connectionist/neural network‐inspired research in the 1980s and 1990s. These accounts differed from first‐generation accounts in that they viewed syntactic parsing as being one component of a massively interactive parallel‐processing system. According to such accounts, the parser responds to a wide variety of lexical and contextual influences, and evidence for such effects can be found in experiments involving verb subcategory preferences, lexical‐semantic properties of words in important syntactic positions, and discourse and visual context. Recent emerging theories have added new perspectives by focusing on multiple cues to meaning, redundancy at lexical‐semantic and syntactic levels of analysis, the importance of anticipatory processes, and the importance of experience in adult comprehenders. Thus, parsing theory continues to evolve and we can expect this area of inquiry to remain lively for the foreseeable future. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 353–364 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.112

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Linguistic Theory
The utility of intrathecal fluorescein in cerebrospinal fluid leak repair
Authors: Seth Rahul , Rajasekaran Karthik , Benninger Michael S. , Batra Pete S.
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utility of intrathecal fluorescein (IF) for intraoperative localization and successful repair of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series with chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary‐care medical center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects included those undergoing endoscopic CSF leak repair with or without the use of IF. Informed consent was obtained from all patients undergoing the administration of IF (total dose 10 mg).

RESULTS

A total of 103 patients underwent CSF leak repair, and in 47 cases (45.6%), IF was used. Patients who were administered IF were more likely to have spontaneous CSF leak etiology (61.7% vs 16.1%; P < 0.001). Of the 47 cases with IF use, fluorescein was visualized at the skull base in 31 cases (66.0%), 11 (23.4%) had visible CSF leak without fluorescein coloration, and five (10.6%) had neither clear nor fluorescein‐colored CSF visualized. Sensitivity and specificity for fluorescein detection was 73.8 percent (95% confidence interval [CI] 57.7%‐85.6%) and 100 percent (95% CI 46.3%‐100%), respectively. The false‐negative rate was 26.2 percent (95% CI 15.8%‐43.5%). Localization of the leak site was greater when fluorescein‐colored CSF was visualized (100% vs 81.3%; P = 0.035). When fluorescein‐colored CSF was not visualized intraoperatively, recurrence rates were 31.3 percent versus 9.7 percent when fluorescein coloration was seen, although this finding was not statistically significant (P = 0.10).

CONCLUSION

The use of IF facilitates the accurate localization of CSF leaks and may assist the surgeon in confirming a watertight closure. The lack of intraoperative fluorescein visualization should not rule out the presence of CSF leak, as evidenced by a false‐negative rate of 26.2 percent.
Bilateral same‐day surgery for bilateral perforated chronic otitis media: Inlay butterfly cartilage myringoplasty
Authors: Sang Yu Myeong , Hyun Yoon Tae
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE

Conventional bilateral same‐day tympanoplasty or myringoplasty has been rarely performed because of the risk of postoperative complications. Inlay butterfly cartilage myringoplasty (IBCM) has been shown effective for same‐day closure of bilateral tympanic membrane perforations and is a quicker and more comfortable procedure for the patient. Immediate postoperative hearing is not compromised by packing materials because no external canal packing or middle ear support is required. We assessed the efficacy and safety of bilateral same day IBCM.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series with chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Of the 81 patients (age range, 9–64 years) who underwent conventional tympanoplasty/mastoidectomy for bilateral perforated chronic otitis media between June 2005 and September 2009, 17 with small‐to‐medium perforations and no history of otorrhea underwent same‐day cartilage IBCM on the contralateral ear. Median follow‐up duration was 13.0 months.

RESULTS

The graft take rate was 100 percent, with no retraction pockets or displaced grafts observed during follow‐up. Mean air—bone gap was improved from 15.8 to 8.4 dB. Twelve patients had an average air—bone gap between 0 and 10 dB, three between 11 and 20 dB, and two between 21 and 30 dB. Two patients had myringitis postoperatively, but it improved with antibiotic treatment.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral same‐day IBCM offers favorable outcomes in selected patients.
Quality‐of‐life outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery: How long is long enough?
Authors: Soler Zachary M. , Smith Timothy L.
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE

To determine the time interval during which quality‐of‐life (QOL) outcomes stabilize after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

STUDY DESIGN

Multi‐institutional, longitudinal cohort.

SETTING

Tertiary rhinology centers.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Adults with chronic rhinosinusitis from three medical centers were asked to provide responses to the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI) and the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) at baseline and six months, 12 months, and 20 months after endoscopic sinus surgery. Repeated measures and post‐hoc analyses were used to compare QOL scores among follow‐up time points. Subgroup analyses were performed in a similar fashion for patients with and without nasal polyposis, asthma, allergies, acetylsalicylic acid intolerance, depression, and previous sinus surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 127 patients provided complete follow‐up data for all three time points. Improvement in QOL scores was seen at six months after surgery for both the RSDI and CSS instruments. When comparing changes in mean QOL scores among all follow‐up time points, there were no significant differences in either RSDI or CSS total scores (all P ≥ 0.853) or subscale scores (all P ≥ 0.251) between six, 12, and 20 months. Each individual subgroup demonstrated stable QOL scores between six and 20 months' follow‐up, including patients with polyposis and those with intolerance to acetylsalicylic acid (all P ≥ 0.275).

CONCLUSION

At a cohort level, improvements in QOL after ESS do not appear to change between six and 20 months. Clinical trial designs incorporating QOL outcomes after ESS should consider the six‐month time frame as an appropriate primary end point.
The President and the Distribution of Federal Spending
Authors: BERRY CHRISTOPHER R. , BURDEN BARRY C. , HOWELL WILLIAM G.
Published: November 2010

Scholarship on distributive politics focuses almost exclusively on the internal operations of Congress, paying particular attention to committees and majority parties. This article highlights the president, who has extensive opportunities, both ex ante and ex post, to influence the distribution of federal outlays. We analyze two databases that track the geographic spending of nearly every domestic program over a 24-year period—the largest and most comprehensive panels of federal spending patterns ever assembled. Using district and county fixed-effects estimation strategies, we find no evidence of committee influence and mixed evidence that majority party members receive larger shares of federal outlays. We find that districts and counties receive systematically more federal outlays when legislators in the president's party represent them.
Recasting maritime governance in Ghana: the neo-developmental state and the Port of Tema
Authors: Chalfin Brenda
Published: November 2010

In Africa, as elsewhere, ports are a telling indicator of the tenor of political power and the contests and shifting fortunes among ruling groups. Glaringly evident in the long era of imperial expansion, this is equally true in the present period of late-capitalist commercial acceleration and consolidation. With a focus on Ghana's port of Tema, a leading edge of containerised trade serving a vast swath of the West African sub-region, this essay examines the struggles between state agencies, indigenous capital, and the world's leading multinational shipping and logistics firms invested in port expansion. Rather than the predicted triumph of multinational concerns, the case of Tema reveals the persistent grip of Ghana's national port authority. Deftly capitalising on its claims over land, labour and legislation, this state body also mobilises preferential access to development assistance and financial aid. The result is a port defined by the aspirations and autonomous capacities of what may be described as a neo-developmental state. Both grounded in historical precedent and fragile in its configuration of multiplex and competing interests, Tema lays bare the complex forces at stake in the revitalisation of maritime frontiers now occurring across the African continent.
The white-topped pitcher plant—a case of precarious abundance
Authors: Folkerts George W.
Published: October 2010

White-topped pitcher plants, among the most attractive members of the genus Sarracenia, are in great demand for floral displays, in the USA and Europe. It is doubtful whether current levels of exploitation are sustainable; there is no way of controlling harvesting for the domestic market and the monitoring of exports is difficult. As well as this pressure, wild populations are perhaps in even greater danger from changes in land use.
Hip-hop Judaica: the politics of representin’ Heebster heritage
Authors: COHEN JUDAH
Published: October 2010

In this essay, I explore the use of rap and hip-hop conventions as they have developed within the self-consciously contemporary American Jewish ‘hipster’ scene between c. 1986 and 2006, framed particularly around the way these genres have addressed the discourses of masculinity within Jewish culture. By exploring the works and actions of such artists as Matisyahu and the Hip Hop Hoodíos within the context of both American Jewish masculinity discussions and the historical relationship of Jews with commercial hip-hop performance, I attempt to explore how a population’s attempts at musical ‘change’ act as a crucial part of the religious and ethnic transmission and preservation process. Although outwardly seen as based on mimesis and even novelty, ‘Jewish’ hip hop, I suggest, instils a deep sense of identity into a population often characterised as iconoclastic, dynamic, politically inclusive and culturally mutable. Masculinity therefore serves largely as a vessel for young Jews to fashion a sense of self into a conversation from which they had previously been largely absent: one of several strategies used both to unmoor and to redefine what it means to be a ‘new’ Jew.
A separation between divergence and Holevo information for ensembles
Authors: JAIN RAHUL , NAYAK ASHWIN , SU YI
Published: October 2010

The notion of divergence information of an ensemble of probability distributions was introduced by Jain, Radhakrishnan and Sen in Jain et al. (2002; 2009) in the context of the ‘substate theorem’. Since then, divergence has been recognised as a more natural measure of information in several situations in both quantum and classical communication.

We construct ensembles of probability distributions for which divergence information may be significantly smaller than the more standard Holevo information. As a result, we establish that bounds previously shown for Holevo information are weaker than similar ones shown for divergence information.
Ablation of atrial tachyarrhythmias late after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Raine Dan , O’Sullivan John , Chaudhari Milind , Hamilton Leslie , Hasan Asif , Bourke John P.
Published: October 2010

Background

Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot may develop symptomatic and haemodynamic deterioration for many reasons such as arrhythmia, pulmonary regurgitation, and impairment in ventricular function. We describe a consecutive group of patients whose main clinical problem was atrial tachyarrhythmias.

Aims

To describe the clinical outcome of atrial tachyarrhythmias occurring late after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot; to define the circuits/foci responsible for these atrial tachyarrhythmias; to evaluate the outcome of computer-assisted mapping and catheter ablation in this patient group.

Methods and results

Consecutive patients with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot and atrial tachyarrhythmias, who underwent catheter ablation between January, 2001 and June, 2007, were identified retrospectively from case records. Computer-assisted mapping was performed in all using either EnSite® (St Jude Medical Inc.) arrhythmia mapping and intra-cardiac catheter guidance system or CARTO™ (Biosense Webster Inc.) electroanatomical mapping systems. Ten patients (four males) with a median age of 39 plus or minus 8 years were studied. The total number of atrial tachyarrhythmias identified was 22 (six macro-reentrant, 16 micro-reentrant/focal). In nine patients, catheter ablation led to improvement in arrhythmia episodes and/or symptoms during follow-up of 41 plus or minus 20 months. Following ablation(s), five patients required pacing for pre-existing conduction disease and five needed further surgery for haemodynamic indications. All patients remained on anti-arrhythmic drugs.

Conclusions

Patients with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot and atrial tachyarrhythmias typically have multiple arrhythmic circuits/foci arising from a scarred right atrium. Catheter ablation reduces arrhythmia frequency and improves symptoms. However, hybrid management is often required, comprising drugs, pacing, and further surgery tailored to the individual.
Retrograde transcatheter closure of large coronary fistulas with the Amplatzer vascular plug in children
Authors: Baspinar Osman , Kervancioglu Mehmet , Aldudak Bedri
Published: October 2010

We report a retrograde approach for the successful closure of large left coronary artery fistulas in the cases of two children using the Amplatzer vascular plug. This method simplified the procedure by eliminating the need for making an arteriovenous loop.
The Arabs and the Colossus
Authors: Conrad Lawrence I.
Published: October 2010

In 305 B.C. Demetrius I Poliorcetes of Macedonia (r. 321–283), pursuing his ambition of reuniting the empire of Alexander, marched against the island city of Rhodes, which since the partition of 323 had been able to reassert its independence and pursue its own foreign policies. The ensuing siege, one of the most famous military campaigns of Hellenistic times, was a failure, and in 304 Demetrius was obliged to admit defeat and withdraw, leaving behind his siege train and large amounts of other military stores. The jubilant Rhodians gathered up this equipment and sold it for 300 talents, which, in gratitude for their deliverance, they used to commission a spectacular monument to the sun god Helios, the focus of a lively cult at Rhodes. The sculptor selected for the task was Chares, an artist from the town of Lindos (about 40 kilometres south of the capital) and a student of the renowned Lyssipus, who had recently erected a great bronze statue of Zeus at Tarentum in Italy.
The Medieval Karaite Tradition of Translating the Hebrew Bible into Arabic: Its Sources, Characteristics and Historical Background
Authors: Polliack Meira
Published: October 2010

The expansion of Islam and the proliferation of the Arabic language and culture throughout the Near East during the seventh and eighth centuries created a growing need amongst Jews living within the Muslim empire for translating the Hebrew Bible into Arabic, their spoken tongue and thelingua francaof their age.
Cultural Context and Contractual Relations: The Madras Planters' Labour Law and the Rise of the PlantationMaistri, 1904–1927
Authors: Evans Barbara
Published: October 2010

In examining the development of colonial capitalism in India historians have increasingly recognized the importance of specific cultural contexts in determining the character of the emergent industrial sector. In particular, the impact of pre-capitalist mores on the recruitment, organization and supervision of industrial workers has been an important concern. In the Calcutta jute industry, for instance, Dipesh Chakrabarty has concluded that the authority of factorysardarswas derived largely from a pre-capitalist culture with “a strong emphasis on religion, community, kinship, language, and other similar loyalties”. Similarly, Ranajit Das Gupta's exploration of the industrial labour market in north eastern India has revealed that “indebtedness, primordial loyalties and relations of personal dependency were extensively used to keep labour under control”. Studies of trade union development have also acknowledged the enduring importance of the cultural milieu carried by workers to the mills, mines and plantations of colonial India.
The Shape of the Cosmos According to Cuneiform Sources
Authors: Huxley Margaret
Published: October 2010

Texts stating in plain words the opinions of ancient Mesopotamian scholars concerning the shape of the universe have proved elusive, and consequently the question of whether they believed the sky to be flat or domed has never been settled. In 1975 Professor Lambert summarized the comments of earlier scholars on this topic and noted that textual support for the concept of a vault of heaven was lacking in cuneiform sources known to him at that time. Since then, the topic has elicited comment, but no serious attempt to assemble evidence in support of one view or another. In this paper I propose to bring together evidence from a range of sources and argue that in ancient Mesopotamia the sky was thought to be a rotating sphere with a polar axis.
Schopenhauer's Pessimism
Authors: Janaway Christopher
Published: October 2010

This series of lectures was originally scheduled to include a talk on Schopenhauer by Patrick Gardiner. Sadly, Patrick died during the summer, and I was asked to stand in. Patrick must, I am sure, have been glad to see this series of talks on German Philosophy being put on by the Royal Institute, and he, probably more than anyone on the list, deserves to have been a part of it. Patrick Gardiner taught and wrote with unfailing integrity and quiet refinement in the Oxford of the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s, when the changing fashions in philosophy, and Oxford philosophy in particular, were quite remote from his own central interests. He went his own way, radically but quite undemonstratively. His book on Schopenhauer, originally published in 1963, was a beacon in the night as far as English-language publications on that philosopher are concerned. It is still a leader in the field, and I am pleased to say it has been re-issued just this year after being out of print for too long. Patrick worked in aesthetics, on Kant, and on the German Idealists, showing an expertise and a fondness for Fichte which now seem well ahead of their time. He also contributed well known books on Kierkegaard and on the philosophy of history. I am honoured to be invited as Patrick's replacement. He was a true pioneer, whom all of us working in these several fields that have now grown more fashionable and more populated should pause to salute.
Bolzano, Brentano and Meinong: Three Austrian Realists
Authors: Simons Peter
Published: October 2010

The architect and publicist of the Vienna Circle Otto Neurath pointed out in the 1930s that the course taken by philosophy in the Habsburg Empire and the rump Republic of Austria differed markedly from that in the rest of the German-speaking world. Philosophy in Austria had, as he put it, spared itself the Kantian interlude. Until the temporary extinction of Austria in 1938 her philosophers, like her artists, musicians and writers, produced a disproportionately large amount of high quality creations. In philosophy this work was characterised by a rejection of all forms of idealism, an emphasis on psychological and linguistic analysis, respect for empirical science, a general mistrust of philosophical speculation, and stylistically by an eschewal of profound-sounding obscurity in favour of plain clarity of exposition and thought. Neurath's thesis was seconded and extended by Rudolf Haller, so that Barry Smith has termed the thesis of the distinctness of Austrian against German philosophy the Neurath–Haller Thesis.
Vorprung durch Logik: The German Analytic Tradition
Authors: Glock Hans-Johann
Published: October 2010

Although at present analytic philosophy is practiced mainly in the English-speaking world, it is to a considerable part the invention of German speakers. Its emergence owes much to Russell, Moore, and American Pragmatism, but even more to Frege, Wittgenstein, and the logical positivists of the Vienna Circle. No one would think of analytic philosophy as a specifically Anglophone phenomenon, if the Nazis had not driven many of its pioneers out of central Europe.