bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adult brains don't fully overcome biases that lead to incorrect performance during cognitive development: an fMRI study in young adults completing a Piaget‐like task
Authors: Leroux Gaëlle , Spiess Jeanne , Zago Laure , Rossi Sandrine , Lubin Amélie , Turbelin Marie‐Renée , Mazoyer Bernard , Tzourio‐Mazoyer Nathalie , Houdé Olivier , Joliot Marc
Published: December 2008

A current issue in developmental science is that greater continuity in cognition between children and adults may exist than is usually appreciated in Piaget‐like (stages or ‘staircase’) models. This phenomenon has been demonstrated at the behavioural level, but never at the brain level. Here we show with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), for the first time, that adult brains do not fully overcome the biases of childhood. More specifically, the aim of this fMRI study was to evaluate whether the perceptual bias that leads to incorrect performance during cognitive development in a Piaget‐like task is still a bias in the adult brain and hence requires an executive network to overcome it. Here, we compared two numerical‐judgment tasks, one being a Piaget‐like task with number–length interference (called ‘INT’) and the other being a control task with number–length covariation (‘COV’). We also used a colour‐detection task to control for stimuli numerosity, spatial distribution, and frequency. Our behavioural results confirmed that INT remains a difficult task for young adults. Indeed, response times were significantly higher in INT than in COV. Moreover, we observed that only in INT did response times increase linearly as a function of the number of items. The fMRI results indicate that the brain network common to INT and COV shows a large rightward functional asymmetry, emphasizing the visuospatial nature of these two tasks. When INT was compared with COV, activations were found within a right frontal network, including the pre‐supplementary motor area, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the middle frontal gyrus, which probably reflect detection of the number/length conflict and inhibition of the ‘length‐equals‐number’ response strategy. Finally, activations related to visuospatial and quantitative processing, enhanced or specifically recruited in the Piaget‐like task, were found in bilateral posterior areas.
The over‐reliance on self‐regulation in CSR policy
Authors: Lynch‐Wood Gary , Williamson David , Jenkins Wyn
Published: December 2008

The view that CSR performance can be improved most effectively through external pressures is shown to be invalid for most firms. In exploring why this is the case, the authors demonstrate that most small and medium enterprises are not exposed to the same pressures as large firms, and that this undermines many of the assumptions that underpin the externally driven business case (EDBC) for voluntary CSR practices. The analysis does this by looking at the external drivers of one of the components of CSR; namely, the environmental behaviour of firms. This shows that the strength of the EDBC is largely determined by five factors. Importantly, the analysis provides the basis for the claim that – and helps to explain why – the EDBC for voluntary environmental behaviour is likely to remain a weak form of pressure for many small firms.
Investigating CSR communication in SMEs: a case study among Danish middle managers
Authors: Nielsen Anne Ellerup , Thomsen Christa
Published: December 2008

This paper seeks to analyse small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) managers' representations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CSR communication in a corporate communication perspective. The basic question is: how strategic is CSR communication in SMEs? Corporate communication and CSR theories are used to establish an ideal typology of CSR concepts informing an analysis of qualitative data in the form of interviews with three middle managers in two Danish SMEs. A CSR communication model published earlier by the authors is challenged from a SME perspective. Results from an Internet‐based questionnaire survey of 1071 SMEs pave the way for the analysis. Our analysis shows that SME managers clearly have an inside‐out approach to CSR, with a strong emphasis on the internal (corporate culture) dimension. However, SMEs and/or SME managers tend not to communicate externally about the CSR activities of the company. Based on these findings, the paper argues that CSR communication in SMEs is challenged by the global economy and is under revision. The contribution of the paper is to provide an insight into SMEs' present stage in relation to a possible future approach to strategic CSR communication. The paper also reminds us that SMEs have no interest in turning their local and authentic practice into a forced marketing and branding exercise, leaving them with an artificial picture of who they are and strive to be in the future. They should keep on acting locally but force themselves to think globally.
THE ECONOMIC SCIENCE FICTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE: A FREE‐MARKET PERSPECTIVE ON THE STERN REVIEW AND THE IPCC
Authors: Dawson Graham
Published: December 2008

The Stern Review and the IPCC believe that anthropogenic climate change is a serious global threat and demands an urgent response. Examining the IPCC's projections of future climate change and Stern's estimates of its costs from a free‐market perspective shows that they are based on flawed methodological assumptions and reflect an excessively optimistic approach to knowledge of the future. The foundations of reliable knowledge for a sound policy framework have not been put in place.
BANKING ON SOCIALISM
Authors: Arthur Terry
Published: December 2008

Terry Arthur argues that the current UK banking system represents the very opposite of a free market, and that a genuine free market, in which there is no place for a nationalised central bank, is the best solution. One of the most successful examples of such a market is the Scottish experience of the nineteenth century, destroyed only by Peel's Banking Acts of 1844–45.
ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF SMOKING BANS ON RESTAURANTS AND PUBS
Authors: Craven Barrie , Marlow Michael L.
Published: December 2008

The United Kingdom has recently enacted smoking bans in public places such as restaurants and pubs. Public health advocates argue that bans are necessary because non‐smokers need protection from second‐hand smoke. Advocates also claim that bans do not exert harm on owners because of a vast empirical literature showing that restaurants and bars in the United States never suffer harm following bans. This paper examines whether these claims are true by developing a model within the Coasian framework whereby owners of businesses have incentives to deal with smoking disputes between smokers and non‐smokers. Our model demonstrates that it is incorrect to argue that smoking bans are necessary because the private market has no method of attempting to solve smoking problems. It also predicts that bans exert different effects on different businesses: some will be unaffected while others will experience losses or gains. Our literature review reveals that predictions of differential effects are consistent with the empirical evidence.
TESTING TIMES FOR CENTRAL BANKS – IS THERE ROOM FOR AUSTRIAN IDEAS AT THE TOP TABLE?
Authors: Evans Anthony J. , Baxendale Toby
Published: December 2008

Central banks are facing an unprecedented test in the wake of the credit crisis. We briefly outline prevailing theoretical frameworks and argue that central bankers effectively have a choice between three separate frameworks: Vienna, Cambridge and Chicago. Despite Austrian economics being the least acknowledged we survey increasing exposure in mainstream media, suggesting a role for a more explicit use. We provide implications for policy‐makers and claim that Austrian ideas have a place at the top table of policy debate.
ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES: A DISSENTING VIEWPOINT
Authors: Henderson David
Published: December 2008

The attached text formed the basis for my opening contribution, and also some later remarks, at the discussion that followed the 2008 Clare Distinguished Lecture in Economics and Public Policy, given in Cambridge, England, on 14 May 2008. The lecturer was Professor Mohan Munasinghe, a Vice‐Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and his subject was ‘A Policy Framework for Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Economic Analysis and Beyond’. I have made a few small changes to take account of some more recent developments.
INFLATION: PLUS ÇA CHANGE
Authors: Steele G. R.
Published: December 2008

The quantity theory of money is an enduring idea, which shows in many guises. At its heart is a truth. Government borrowing is the root of inflation and a source of market distortions. Although two centuries have passed since David Ricardo explained how state debt leads inevitably either to taxation or to currency debasement, that truth is little understood. All manner of scapegoats – rising import prices, ‘excessive’ wage demands, high interest rates – are usually nothing more than symptoms of excessive government borrowing.
The Market Turn in EU Governance—The Emergence of Public–Private Collaboration
Authors: MÖRTH ULRIKA
Published: December 2008

The question asked here is how the horizontal relationship between public and private actors, with the overall aim of delivering public service, is squared with the requirement of democratic accountability according to the traditional model of command and control. Empirical analysis of the European satellite navigation program (Galileo), the European Investment Bank and health, and the European Financial market (the Lamfalussy model) shows that efficiency is at the forefront of the collaborations. Democratic accountability is assumed to take place because there is a formal chain of delegation. However, the private actors are not part of that chain and their accountability is never addressed. The market turn in European Union governance has opened up for private authority and emphasis of output legitimacy. It has not opened up for democratic reforms according to the very authority system of governance. We are dealing with a governance turn and yet it is still government.
The macroeconomic impact of reforming a PAYG system: The Portuguese case
Authors: Garcia Maria Teresa Medeiros , Lopes Emídio Graça
Published: December 2008

Abstract  The article analyses the impact of various types of reform options on social security pension system financial sustainability and on a range of macroeconomic variables. The HERPOR model is used to consider the likely effects of parametric reforms of the existing pay‐as‐you‐go system, as well as those of a systemic reform. The article concludes that the former are sufficient to ensure financial sustainability, although they should be accompanied by employment implementation measures. The article concludes that a fully pre‐funded system does not seem to be a viable option for policy‐makers in the redesigning of social security pension systems, due to the high transition costs involved.
Clinical features of 36 cases of amelanotic melanomas and considerations about the relationship between histologic subtypes and diagnostic delay
Authors: Gualandri L , Betti R , Crosti C
Published: December 2008

Background  Amelanotic melanomas (AM) are a difficult diagnostic challenge for clinicians.

Objective  To consider the clinical presentation of AM, the histologic subtypes involved, the relationship with the diagnostic delay and the possible involvement in overall prognosis.

Patients/Methods  Patients who were observed in our department to be affected by cutaneous melanomas were recorded. Sex, age, the clinical features, the site of presentation, the suspected diagnosis, the clinical course, the histological type, the Clark level and the Breslow thickness were recorded. AM were divided in three main clinical types: an erythematous macule or patch on sun‐exposed skin, a dermal plaque or nodule without a particular epidermal change, an exophytic nodule. Only pure AM were considered.Histological subtypes considered were superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, and lentigo maligna melanoma. Diagnostic delay considered from when the patients first noticed the lesion on the site where the melanoma was diagnosed and when the physician or the patient first proposed the removal was recorded. The chi‐squared test was used for statistical evaluation with P < 0.05 as level of significance.

Results  Thirty‐six cases of AM out of a total of 500 melanomas (7.2%) were collected. The most frequent morphology of clinical presentation was the papulo‐nodular form, followed by the plaque form. Mean Breslow thickness of AM was 1.72 mm compared to 0.61 mm of pigmented cases. Nodular histotype was highly represented in AM (30.5% of cases) with respect to pigmented nodular melanomas (2.9%). The diagnostic delay did not differ between amelanotic and pigmented melanomas, nor between nodular AM and nodular pigmented melanomas.

Conclusion  The great prevalence of clinical and histological nodular cases, the higher mean Breslow thickness (considered as the most important factor of prognosis) of AM compared with a not significant greater diagnostic delay may point out that a good percentage of AM have an intrinsic faster speed of growth with a worse prognosis irrespectively of the diagnostic performance. The importance of educational campaign for patient and physicians is stressed.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Determining the zone of reflection for posterior corneal surface comparison phakometry
Authors: Carkeet Andrew
Published: December 2008

Although comparison phakometry has been used by a number of studies to measure posterior corneal shape, these studies have not calculated the size of the posterior corneal zones of reflection they assessed. This paper develops paraxial equations for calculating posterior corneal zones of reflection, based on standard keratometry equations and equivalent mirror theory. For targets used in previous studies, posterior corneal reflection zone sizes were calculated using paraxial equations and using exact ray tracing, assuming spherical and aspheric corneal surfaces. Paraxial methods and exact ray tracing methods give similar estimates for reflection zone sizes less than 2 mm, but for larger zone sizes ray tracing methods should be used.
Optical dispensing: the science of vision or blind faith?
Authors: Walsh Glyn
Published: December 2008

The evidence for the basic optometric function of optical dispensing is discussed in terms of the basic principles of scientific debate. The degree of rigour applied to product testing and evaluation of most other medically related areas is lacking in the dispensing of spectacles. There has been much debate on the place of religious faith in our society. Religious belief masquerading as science has come in for particular scrutiny. However, little attention has been paid to the equally contentious issue of non‐religious belief, within scientific disciplines, masquerading as science. It could be argued that optical dispensing is, to a significant degree, such a case.
A defensive maximal covering problem on a network
Authors: Berman O. , Drezner T. , Drezner Z. , Wesolowsky G. O.
Published: December 2008

Consider a situation where p facilities need to be located by a leader, on the nodes of a network, to provide maximum coverage of demand generated at nodes of the network. At some point in the future it is expected that one of the links of the network will become unusable either due to a terrorist attack or a natural disaster (by the follower). The follower's objective is which link to remove. The leader's objective is to cover the most demand following such a damage to a link. The problem is formulated and analyzed from the leader's perspective. An efficient approach to solving the follower's problem is constructed. The leader's problem is solved heuristically by an ascent algorithm, simulated annealing, and tabu search, using the efficient algorithm for the solution of the follower's problem. Computational experiments on 40 test problems ranging between 100 and 900 nodes and 5–200 facilities provided good results.
Determinants of operational efficiencies in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Saranga Haritha , Phani B. V.
Published: December 2008

Operational efficiencies of a firm play a crucial role in determining the survival and growth of a firm, especially when the industry is going through a dynamic structural transformation owing to external changes. In this paper, we explore the effect of managerial and strategic parameters on the degree of operational efficiency achieved by a firm in the Indian pharmaceutical industry using data envelopment analysis (DEA). During the period 1992–2002, the relaxation of import restrictions and foreign direct investment, along with a major change in the regulatory norms, resulted in increased competition from firms with superior resources in this industry. We use non‐parametric DEA models and parametric methods such as regression analysis to determine the factors that have contributed to the internal operational efficiencies of these firms. The findings indicate that domestic firms, most of which are controlled by family‐based governance structures, enjoy higher efficiencies than affiliates of multinational pharmaceutical majors. After controlling for firm size and initial efficiency levels, we find that firms with higher levels of innovation through higher R&D investments and older establishments are associated with higher efficiencies, when compared with their less R&D intensive and younger counterparts, respectively.
Paradoxes of the Last Interglacial climate: reconstruction of the northern Eurasia climate based on palaeofloristic data
Authors: VELICHKO ANDREI A. , BORISOVA OLGA K. , ZELIKSON ELLA M.
Published: December 2008

Main climatic indexes (mean January, July and annual temperatures; duration of the frost‐free period; seasonal and annual precipitation; and annual potential evaporation) are estimated for the Last Interglacial Eemian–Mikulino–Kazantsevo–Oxygen Isotopic Substage 5e) climatic optimum in northern Eurasia. Reconstructions are based on the palaeofloristic data from 29 sites. The distribution of temperature deviations from present‐day values in northern Eurasia, as well as in the northern hemisphere as a whole, indicates certain areas where temperatures during the Last Interglacial climatic optimum were lower than at present. The greatest positive deviations occurred in the high latitudes and gradually decreased towards mid‐latitudes. At about 45°N the mean January temperature was close to that of the present day. For the mean July temperature, the zone with minor deviations is situated further to the north, at 55°N. South of 50°N, an area with small negative temperature deviations from the present‐day values is reconstructed. A similar decrease in temperature deviations from high to low latitudes was the general tendency in various warm epochs, including the Holocene and the Eocene optima. In the arid and semi‐arid regions of northern Eurasia, a considerable increase in precipitation took place, while air temperatures were close to those of the present or even slightly lower. Another peculiarity of the climate in the Last Interglacial climatic optimum relates to the meridional temperature gradient, one of the factors strongly influencing the intensity of the Westerlies in the mid‐latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Our reconstructions for northern Eurasia tend to contradict this rule. The paradox can be explained by a compensation mechanism: a substantial increase in winter temperature in Siberia indicates that the Siberian atmospheric High was weaker and smaller at the Last Interglacial climatic optimum than at present. The reduced role of the Siberian High was compensated by more frequent invasions of the Atlantic air masses from the west, even though the meridional temperature gradient was smaller than at present.
Geomorphic evidence for Holocene glacial advances and sea level fluctuations on eastern Vestfirðir, northwest Iceland
Authors: PRINCIPATO SARAH M.
Published: December 2008

New geomorphic and chronological data of Holocene advances of the Drangajökull Ice Cap, located on eastern Vestfirðir, northwest Iceland, are presented. At least two glacial advances and two transgressions during the Holocene are interpreted from moraines and raised beach deposits, respectively. Geomorphic evidence is concentrated in the three valleys adjacent to the modern outlet glaciers of the Drangajökull Ice Cap: Kaldalónsjökull, Leirufjarðarjökull, and Reykjarfjarðarjökull. The valley surrounding Kaldalónsjökull contains a vegetated Holocene moraine with a minimum radiocarbon age of ∼2600 cal. yr BP, which provides geomorphic evidence for Neoglacial activity on eastern Vestfirðir. The second extensive Holocene glacial advance on eastern Vestfirðir occurred during the Little Ice Age, and moraines associated with this advance are present in all three outlet glacier valleys. The Neoglacial advance is the most extensive ice advance on eastern Vestfirðir. Raised beaches parallel to the coastlines of Ísafjarðardjúp and Jökulfirðir, at an elevation of approximately 5 m a.s.l., suggest a minor transgression at ∼3000 cal. yr BP based on radiocarbon ages of shells. A minor transgression of 0.3–0.5 m a.s.l. is associated with the timing of the Little Ice Age advance. Correlation of geomorphic events with sediment proxy records facilitates distinguishing local perturbations from regional North Atlantic climate signals. This study supports regional interpretations of climatic instability during the Holocene.
Intriguing climatic shifts in a 90 kyr old lake record from northern Russia
Authors: HENRIKSEN MONA , MANGERUD JAN , MATIOUCHKOV ALEXEI , MURRAY ANDREW S. , PAUS AAGE , SVENDSEN JOHN INGE
Published: December 2008

A 22 m long sediment core from Lake Yamozero on the Timan Ridge in northern Russia has provided evidence of intriguing climatic shifts during the last glacial cycle. An overall shallowing of the lake is reflected in the lower part of the cores, where pollen indicates a transition from glacial steppe vegetation to interstadial shrub‐tundra. These beds are capped by a well‐defined layer of compact clay deposited in relatively deep water, where pollen shows surrounding spruce forests and warmer‐than‐present summer temperatures. The most conservative interpretation is that this unit represents the last interglacial period. However, a series of Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dates suggests that it corresponds with the Early Weichselian Odderade interstadial (MIS 5a). This would imply that the Odderade interstadial was just as warm as a normal interglacial in this continental part of northern Europe. If correct, then pollen analysis, as a correlation tool, is less straightforward and the definition of an interglacial is more complex than previously thought. We discuss the validity and possible systematic errors of the OSL dates on which this age model is based, but conclude they really indicate a MIS 5a age for the warm period. Above the clay is an unconformity, most likely reflecting a period of subaerial exposure implying dry conditions. Deposition of silt under fluctuating cold climates in the Middle Weichselian continued until a second gap in the record at c. 40 kyr BP. The lake basin started to fill up again around 18 kyr BP.
Subglacial bedforms and conditions associated with the 1991 surge of Skeiðarárjökull, Iceland
Authors: WALLER RICHARD I. , VAN DIJK THAIENNE A. G. P. , KNUDSEN ÓSKAR
Published: December 2008

Much previous research at surge‐type glaciers has sought to identify features diagnostic of surge‐type behaviour. However, in comparatively little work have subglacial landform–sediment characteristics been used to reconstruct changing basal processes and conditions during surge events. Subglacial bedforms described in this article are associated with the 1991 surge of Skeiðarárjökull, Iceland, and include a series of drumlins with superimposed flutes and basal crevasse‐fill ridges. The drumlins were formed by the subglacial erosion of ice‐contact fans. Sedimentary evidence indicates a shift from rigid‐bed to soft‐bed conditions during the surge. The presence of eroded but undeformed fan sediments suggests that they acted as a rigid bed when initially overridden. Subsequent deposition of a layer of deformation till resulted in a change to soft‐bed conditions and the generation of flutes and subglacial crevasse‐fill ridges. The lack of mixing between this till and the underlying stratified sediments indicates that subglacial sediment deformation was restricted to a thin layer and that its deposition resulted in a cessation of subglacial erosion. The drumlin is therefore a composite of both rigid‐bed and soft‐bed processes that illustrates changes in basal conditions and processes during the course of the event. The limited time frame in which the drumlin formed and the presence of kettleholes across its surface are distinctive features that may warrant further investigation in the search for features diagnostic of past surge events.
Exposure age dating and Equilibrium Line Altitude reconstruction of an Egesen moraine in the Maritime Alps, Italy
Authors: FEDERICI PAOLO ROBERTO , GRANGER DARRYL E. , PAPPALARDO MARTA , RIBOLINI ADRIANO , SPAGNOLO MATTEO , CYR ANDREW J.
Published: December 2008

Four boulder samples from the Piano del Praiet frontal moraine in the Gesso della Barra Valley (Maritime Alps) have been 10Be dated. The results give a weighted mean age of 11 340±370 (870) yr, constraining the frontal moraine to the Egesen glacial stadial, during the Younger Dryas cold phase. By applying the same 10Be production rate to other Egesen moraines previously dated in the Alps, we obtain similar ages for all of them. This suggests a synchroneity of the Egesen deglaciation in the European Alps at the end of the Younger Dryas. From the palaeoshape of the Egesen glacier, reconstructed by means of geomorphological mapping, an Equilibrium Line Altitude depression (δELA) of −520 to −530 m, with respect to the present‐day ELA, and of −260 to −320 m, with respect to the Little Ice Age ELA, has been calculated. Comparison with other Alpine sector δELAs indicates that the Maritime Alps experienced humid climatic conditions during the Younger Dryas.
Megafauna demography and late Quaternary climatic change in Australia: A predisposition to extinction
Authors: WEBB STEVE
Published: December 2008

Arguments about the extinction of Australia's megafauna have largely rested on anthropogenic factors consequent upon the arrival of humans there, and have lacked any appreciation of the possibilities of climate/environmental changes taking place during the late Quaternary. Moreover, the status of the megafauna at the extinction and in the period leading up to it has largely been ignored. This article assesses the species that existed during the late Quaternary, their continental dispersal, the likely impact of negative climate change during that time and the effect this had on their demography and variety. These factors are discussed together with a synthesis of present data regarding Australia's mega 2004: fauna demography and which species may have reached the extinction threshold. One interpretation of the data suggests a mid–late Quaternary process of demographic fragmentation, disjunction and fluctuation, a restricted continental distribution among a diminishing group and a limited and reducing species variety due to climate and environmental change. It is argued that increasing continental aridity during the mid–late Quaternary was a forcing mechanism behind species distribution, changes to that distribution and population reduction through episodic but widespread drought and vegetation change. This resulted in alteration of the biogeographic status of the megafauna, with increasing stress on and reduction of the population as a whole. In particular, it changed population composition and reduced species variety and overall population size by the beginning of the last glaciation, such that at the time of human entry the population had reached a precarious stage vulnerable to any level of subsequent anthropogenic activity with the arrival of humans in Australia.
Timing of the last deglaciation in Lithuania
Authors: RINTERKNECHT VINCENT R. , BITINAS ALBERTAS , CLARK PETER U. , RAISBECK GRANT M. , YIOU FRANÇOISE , BROOK EDWARD J.
Published: December 2008

Boulders from the Grūda Moraine, which is associated with the maximum extent of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS) during the last glaciation, and the Baltija (also referred to as the South Lithuanian), the Middle and North Lithuanian moraines, which are associated with recessional stages of the SIS, were sampled for surface exposure dating using 10Be. By combining these data with existing radiocarbon ages, we developed a chronology for the retreat of the SIS margin in Lithuania. Our new 10Be ages suggest that the SIS margin began to retreat from its maximum extent at 18.3 ± 0.8 10Be kyr. Based on a probable correlation of the Baltija Moraine with the Pomeranian Moraine in Poland, we infer that the Baltija Moraine was formed following a re‐advance of the SIS margin. The ice margin retreated from the Baltija position at 14.0 ± 0.4 10Be kyr. The SIS‐margin retreat paused at least two more times to form the Middle Lithuanian Moraine at 13.5 ± 0.6 10Be kyr and the North Lithuanian Moraine (tentatively correlated to the Pajūris Moraine) at 13.3 ± 0.7 10Be kyr. Subsequent ice‐margin retreat from the North Lithuanian Moraine represented the final deglaciation of Lithuania. Direct dating of these moraines better constrains the relation of ice‐margin positions in Lithuania to those in adjacent countries as well as the SIS response to climate change.
Single‐grain optical dating of Quaternary sediments: why aliquot size matters in luminescence dating
Authors: DULLER GEOFFREY A. T.
Published: December 2008

Optical dating measures the time that has elapsed since mineral grains were exposed to daylight. The technique is ideal for sediments in which all the grains were exposed to sufficient daylight at deposition to reset the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal. However, in many environments the exposure of individual grains to daylight will be variable. Limited exposure to light results in grains retaining a part of any prior trapped charge, and if unaccounted for this causes overestimation of the age. In the past 15 years it has become feasible to control the number of grains used for each luminescence measurement, varying from many thousands to a single grain. Where many grains are measured simultaneously, the luminescence signal is averaged, and any variability in resetting between grains will be obscured. This article describes the methods involved in single‐grain OSL measurements and review the application of the method to glacial, fluvial and aeolian Quaternary sediments. Single‐grain OSL is expanding the range of environments that can be dated and improving the reliability of ages by explicitly assessing whether samples were bleached at deposition or not.
Testing OSL failures against a regional Weichselian glaciation chronology from southern Scandinavia
Authors: HOUMARK‐NIELSEN MICHAEL
Published: December 2008

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is used extensively for dating Quaternary sediments. In stratigraphic successions, inter‐till beds dated by OSL constrain ages of periglacial or interglacial episodes, while till testifies to ice‐sheet oscillations. The majority of OSL results from southern Scandinavia agree with the glaciation chronology predicted by numerical and relative ages, but not all. Overestimation of the expected timing seems to arise from an inherited signal acquired prior to the latest depositional episode. Here, the geological context is examined for solifluction deposits that cap Middle Weichselian periglacial strata and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice proximal deposits showing pre‐LGM ages. Suggestions are given as to how the depositional environment may influence the dating results. Even though independent dating anchors the marineCyprinaclay and last interglacial peat bogs to the Eemian interglacial, OSL ages show underestimation by up to 60%. It is discussed whether variations in dose rates after burial could be responsible for this discrepancy. Despite these failures, OSL ranks among the most qualified methods for dating Quaternary sedimentary successions.
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: applications to geomorphic, palaeoseismic and archaeological research
Authors: RITTENOUR TAMMY M.
Published: December 2008

Fluvial deposits and landforms are important archives of river response to climate, tectonics and base level change and are commonly associated with archaeological sites. Unlike radiocarbon dating, the target material for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (sands and silts) is nearly ubiquitous in fluvial deposits and the age range for OSL spans the last glacial–interglacial cycle, a time period of interest to many Quaternary scientists. Recent advances in OSL techniques and the development of single‐grain dating capabilities have now allowed fluvial deposits, and other deposits commonly afflicted with incomplete zeroing of the luminescence signal, to be dated. The application of OSL dating to fluvial deposits is discussed with respect to its potential to provide important contributions to research in the fields of geomorphology, palaeoseismology and archaeology. Examples are given from each research field.
A Program Evaluation of Postpartum/Newborn Home Visitation Services in Aiken County, South Carolina
Authors: Ogbuanu Chinelo A. , Jones Candace A. , McTigue James F. , Baker Samuel L. , Heim Marge , Baek JongDeuk , Smith Lillian U.
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT
Objective: Home visiting programs for very young children seek to promote their health and development. We conducted a process and outcome evaluation of the Postpartum/Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) service in 1 county.

Design: A retrospective study of Aiken County Health records of live infant births in 2004 was conducted.

Sample: A random sample of 176 infants who were born in 2004 and enrolled in the women, infants, and children's (WIC) program in the same year was selected.

Measures: Process measures include timeliness of the home visit, and appropriateness of revisits. Outcome measures include age at WIC enrollment and immunization status at 6/9 months.

Results: Of the 176 infants, 76 (43%) received a home visit. Of these, 13 (17%) received the visit within the stipulated time frame. After controlling for potential confounders, infants who received a home visit were 4 times (95% CI 1.92–8.36) as likely to enroll early in the WIC program compared with those who did not.

Conclusion: The PPNBHV service may contribute to early enrollment in the WIC program. Improvement in the timeliness of the visits is needed. Program monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure adherence, measure outcomes, and provide feedback for continuous quality improvement.
Ethanol‐Induced Conditioned Taste Avoidance: Reward or Aversion?
Authors: Liu Chuang , Showalter John , Grigson Patricia Sue
Published: December 2008

Background: Rats avoid intake of a palatable taste cue when paired with all drugs of abuse tested. Evidence suggests that, at least for morphine and cocaine, rats avoid the taste cue because they are anticipating the rewarding properties of the drug. Thus, the suppressive effects of a rewarding sucrose solution and cocaine, but not those of the putatively aversive agent, lithium chloride (LiCl), are exaggerated in drug‐sensitive Lewis rats. Likewise, the suppressive effects of sucrose and morphine, but not those of LiCl, are eliminated by bilateral lesions of the gustatory thalamus. Unlike morphine and cocaine, it is less clear whether rewarding or aversive drug properties are responsible for ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of a taste cue. The present set of studies tests whether, like cocaine, ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of a taste cue also is greater in the drug‐sensitive Lewis rats and whether the suppressive effects of the drug are prevented by bilateral lesions of the taste thalamus.

Methods: In Experiment 1, fluid‐deprived Lewis and Fischer rats were given 5‐minute access to 0.15% saccharin and then injected with saline or a range of doses of ethanol (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, or 1.5 g/kg). There was a total of 6 such pairings. In Experiments 2 and 3, Sprague–Dawley rats received bilateral electrophysiologically guided lesions of the gustatory thalamus. After recovery, suppression of intake of the saccharin cue was evaluated following repeated daily pairings with either a high (1.5 g/kg) or a low (0.75 g/kg) dose of ethanol.

Results: Ethanol‐induced suppression of intake of the saccharin conditioned stimulus (CS) did not differ between the drug‐sensitive Lewis rats relative to the less‐sensitive Fischer rats. Lesions of the taste thalamus, however, prevented the suppressive effect of the 0.75 g/kg dose of the drug, but had no impact on the suppressive effect of the 1.5 g/kg dose of ethanol.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the suppressive effects of ethanol on CS intake are mediated by both rewarding and aversive consequences, varying as a function of dose.
Mechanical Properties of Suture Materials In Vitro and after In Vivo Implantation in Horses
Authors: CAMPBELL EVAN J. , BAILEY JEREMY V.
Published: December 2008

Tensile testing of reproducible loops of size 5 braided polyester, size 2 polyglycolic acid, size 2 monofilament nylon, and size 2 polydioxanone sutures was performed in vitro and after subcutaneous implantation in horses for 7, 14, and 28 days. Maximum breaking strength, energy absorption, and percentage elongation to breakage point were measured. Size 5 braided polyester had the highest maximum breaking strength and energy absorption over 28 days. Polydioxanone had better mechanical performance over 28 days than did polyglycolic acid. On day 28, none of these parameters was measurable in polyglycolic acid. Monofilament nylon had the lowest breaking strength of the three materials tested on day 28.
Regional Limb Perfusion for Antibiotic Treatment of Experimentally Induced Septic Arthritis
Authors: WHITEHAIR KAREN J. , BOWERSOCK TERRY L. , BLEVINS WILLIAM E. , FESSLER JOHN F. , WHITE MELVIN R. , VAN SICKLE DAVID C.
Published: December 2008

Septic arthritis was induced in one antebrachiocarpal joint of seven horses by the intraarticular injection of 1 mLStaphylococcus aureussuspension containing a mean of 105colony‐forming units. Twenty‐four hours after inoculation, four horses were treated by regional perfusion with 1 g of gentamicin sulfate, and three horses received 2.2 mg/kg gentamicin sulfate intravenously (IV) every 6 hours. Synovial fluid was collected for culture and cytology at regular intervals, and the synovial membranes were collected for culture and histologic examination at euthanasia 24 hours after the first treatment. Gentamicin concentration in the septic synovial fluid after three successful perfusions was 221.2 ± 71.4 (SD) μg/mL; after gentamicin IV, it was 7.6 ± 1.6 (SD) μg/mL. The mean leukocyte count in the inoculated joints decreased significantly by hour 24 in the successfully perfused joints. Terminal bacterial cultures of synovial fluid and synovial membranes were negative in two horses with successfully perfused joints. S.aureuswas isolated from the infected joints in all three horses treated with gentamicin IV.
Use of an Ecraseur for Ovariohysterectomy in Mares
Authors: HOOPER R. NEIL , TAYLOR TEX S. , BEHRENS EDDY A. , VARNER DICKSON D.
Published: December 2008

Ovariohysterectomy was performed in 20 mares at three stages of estrus. An ecraseur was used to severe the ovarian branch of the ovarian artery and vein and the ovarian suspensory ligament en masse. All other vessels supplying the ovaries and uterus were doubly ligated and transected. All mares survived. Complications were intraoperative hemorrhage in three mares, postoperative vaginal bleeding in two mares, and a hematoma in the remnant of the broad ligament in one mare. No adhesions between the uterine stump or remnants of the broad ligament and abdominal structures were detected by palpation per rectum.
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Effects of Atropine Reversal Oxymorphone‐induced Bradycardia in Dogs
Authors: COPLAND VIRGINIA S. , HASKINS STEVE C. , PATZ JOHN D.
Published: December 2008

Oxymorphone was administered intravenously (IV) to 10 dogs (0.4 mg/kg initial dose followed by 0.2 mg/kg three times at 20‐minute intervals). Four hours after the last dose of oxymorphone, heart rates were less than 60 bpm in six dogs. After atropine (0.01 mg/kg IV) was administered, heart rate decreased in five dogs and sinus arrhythmia or second degree heart block occurred in four of them. A second injection of atropine (0.01 mg/kg IV) was administered 5 minutes after the first and the heart rates increased to more than 100 bpm in all six dogs. Ten minutes after the second dose of atropine, heart rate, cardiac output, left ventricular minute work, venous admixture, and oxygen transport were significantly increased, whereas stroke volume, central venous pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and oxygen extraction ratio were significantly decreased from pre‐atropine values. The PaCO2 increased and the PaO2 decreased but not significantly. The oxymorphone‐induced bradycardia did not produce any overtly detrimental effects in these healthy dogs. Atropine reversed the bradycardia and improved measured cardiovascular parameters.
A Clinical Comparison of Oxymorphone‐Acepromazine and Butorphanol‐Acepromazine Sedation in Dogs
Authors: DYSON DORIS H. , ATILOLA MATTHEW
Published: December 2008

Oxymorphone (0.2 mg/kg, maximum 4.5 mg) or butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg, maximum 4.5 mg), with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) and atropine (0.02 mg/kg), was administered intravenously to 106 healthy dogs undergoing radiographic examination of the pelvis. The dogs were returned to their owners after the examination and opioid reversal with naloxone (0.02 mg/kg intravenously, maximum 0.4 mg). Questionnaires were completed by the radiology staff and owners of the dogs, and results were coded by one person, all of whom were unaware of the treatment used. There was a lower incidence of temporary excitement upon injection and less panting in dogs sedated with butorphanol than with oxymorphone. There were no significant differences in degree of sedation, response to noise or manipulation, vocalization, defecation, heart rate, reversibility, sedation after reversal, or personality. Both forms of chemical restraint were satisfactory for radiographic examination of the pelvis, with no significant side effects in healthy dogs.
The Archaea‐a biochemical perspective
Authors: Bullock Clive
Published: December 2008

Abstract

The Archaea represent an unusual and instructive group of organisms for students of biochemistry. In this brief review some of their distinctive biochemical features are highlighted, along with appropriate topics and questions for student study. Archaea demonstrate unique structural features in the chemical makeup of their outer membranes and cell walls as well as in the components and design of their metabolic pathways, and the structure and function of their enzymes. Rationalising these biochemical features in relation to the chemically and physically harsh environments inhabited by these organisms and evaluating their potential (and limitations) for use in industrial biotechnology can form the basis of a range of profitable student study topics. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Information retrieval in biochemistry: some exercises to develop a fundamental skill Simon Brown*
Authors: Brown Simon
Published: December 2008

Abstract

The volume of data available through the literature and databases on the internet is valuable to students as a resource, but it can also be overwhelming. It is necessary to teach students what is currently available and how to use these resources efficiently. Here an integrated approach to this problem is described that involves use of the library, literature and databases available through the internet. This programme has been employed successfully for three years and it has proved to be popular with both students and staff. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A simple method for immunodetection of membrane‐associated proteins
Authors: Daghastanli Katia R.P. , Ferreira Rinaldo B. , Jr. Geraldo Thedei , Ciancaglin Pietro
Published: December 2008

The main objective of the present study was to identify membrane antigenic proteins using immunodiffusion and Western blotting techniques. This multidisciplinary experiment integrates biochemical principles with immunological and microbiological concepts.Pasteurella multocida, the causative agent of fowl cholera and other diseases like haemorrhagic septicaemia in many wild and domestic animals, was chosen as a biological model in order to obtain membrane antigenic proteins. We designed some simple laboratory experiments: partial purification of IgG, study of the effect of detergent on immunodiffusion, electrophoresis and Western blotting of membrane protein fraction ofPasteurella multocida. The results obtained with these techniques revealed that the membrane antigenic proteinsPasteurella multocidapresented had Mr's of around 110, 104, 86, 71, 65 and 40kDa. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lucenz‐programmes for undergraduate analysis of enzyme kinetic data
Authors: Clark Alan G.
Published: December 2008

Two programmes for analysis of enzyme kinetic data are described. The programmes have evolved from use in undergraduate classes and accordingly the emphasis is on simplicity in design and use, rather than on computational sophistication. Data fitting, to a selection of predetermined models, proceeds via a weighted linear regression on to the reciprocals of the substrate concentrations and catalytic rates and is rapid and robust. The programmes yield best‐fit valus for Km, Vm and, when appropriate, Ki together with measures of the goodness of fit. Experimental data and lines of best fit may be presented graphically in up to seven diifferent plotting methods. Entered data and the graphical and numerical results of model fitting are displayed on the same screen so that relationships between all three may be readily appreciated. Variants of the programmes may be employed in the Windows 3 × or 9 × platforms or in DOS. © 2000 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bio‐molecular modelling utilising RasMol and PDB resources: a tutorial with HEW lysozyme
Authors: Pembroke J. Tony
Published: December 2008

The availability of an excellent and freely available molecular visualisation package authored by Roger Sayle‐RasMol, coupled to the protein data bank (PDB) resource of molecular structure data makes the visualisation and manipulation of molecular data accessible to the Internet community. Tutorials based on almost any protein deposited in the PDB can be utilised as an aid to understand bio‐molecular modelling. The utility of these resources is illustrated for modelling and visualisation of HEW lysozyme. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Glucocorticoid‐induced apoptosis: a simple set of laboratory experiments
Authors: Vicent Guillermo P. , Lanuza Guillermo M. , Romero Damian G. , Croce Luciano Di , Pecci Adali
Published: December 2008

Here, we present a laboratory experiment for students of human biology and medicine. In this experiment the students have the opportunity of measuring one of the hallmarks of programmed cell death, which is DNA fragmentation. The biological system that we examine here is the glucocorticoid‐induced apoptosis in the thymus. The set of experiments that we propose to perform and discuss are relatively simple and can be rapidly carried out in a course for undergraduates. This practice also allows the students to familiarize themselves with basic pharmacology, compare in vivo vs. in vitro assays and acquireskills in animal handling. The organisation of the practical work requires 4–5 h of experimental training in each of two days. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.