bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ichthyosis: guide to recognition and current treatment options
Authors: Sergeant Ann , Munro Colin
Published: February 2009

Ichthyoses are a collection of disorders characterised by dry, scaly skin. Here, the authors discuss current treatments for the condition and also look at rarer conditions that may be present. Copyright © 2006 Wiley Interface Ltd
Current recommended drug treatment of psychoses
Authors: Livingston Martin
Published: February 2009

Antipsychotic medication is the cornerstone of treatment in psychosis, especially where there are positive symptoms. Our Drug review discusses the properties and potential uses of the wide range of antipsychotic drugs currently available, followed by sources of further information, a review of prescription data and the Datafile. Copyright © 2006 Wiley Interface Ltd
Acute diarrhoea: recommended management in general practice
Authors: Banks Matthew , Farthing Michael
Published: February 2009

In most cases, acute diarrhoea presenting in general practice is self‐limiting; it is important, however, to recognise when further treatment is required. Here, the authors discuss the causes and recommended management, followed by a review of prescription data, sources of further information and the Datafile. Copyright © 2006 Wiley Interface Ltd
HLA‐DQ7 β1 and β2 derived peptides as immunomodulators
Authors: Skarlas Theodore , Panou‐Pomonis Eugenia , Kluczyk Alicja , Szewczuk Zbigniew , Zimecki Michal , Kosmopoulou Aggeliki , Sakarellos‐Daitsiotis Maria , Sakarellos Constantinos
Published: February 2009

Modulation of protein–protein interactions involved in the immune system by using small molecular mimics of the contact interfaces may lead to the blockage of the autoimmune response and the development of drugs for immunotherapy. The nonpolymorphic β‐regions, exposed to the microenvironment, of the modeled HLA‐DQ7, which is genetically linked to autoimmune diseases, were determined. Peptides 132–141 and 58–67, located at the β1 and β2 domains of HLA‐DQ7, respectively, were tested for their involvement in the interactions with CD4+ T lymphocytes. Linear, cyclic, and dimeric analogs that mimic the exposed surfaces of HLA‐DQ7 were designed and synthesized. Their immunosuppressory activities, found in the secondary, humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in mice in vitro, ranged from 11% to 53%. The significance of the total charge of the peptides, the pattern of the hydrogen bonding, and the presence of secondary structure were investigated in relation to the immunomodulatory effect of the peptides. Two dimeric analogs of the HLA‐DQ7 58–67 fragment, consisting of the two monomers covalently linked by a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer, able to mimic the superdimers, were also synthesized and studied. As the 58–67 segment is located at the β1 region of HLA‐DQ7, close to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) groove, one may assume that the 58–67 peptide could accommodate the association between T‐cell receptor (TCR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) by activating a co‐stimulatory molecule of the TCR/HLA interaction. This hypothesis is supported by the confocal laser image of the fluorescein‐labeled 58–67 peptide and by the fact that it is an immunostimulator at low concentration. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of dimerization of the cell‐penetrating peptide Tat analog on antimicrobial activity and mechanism of bactericidal action
Authors: Zhu Wan Long , Shin Song Yub
Published: February 2009

The cell‐penetrating peptide Tat (48–60) (GRKKRRQRRRPPQ) derived from HIV‐1 Tat protein showed potent antibacterial activity (MIC: 2–8 µM). To investigate the effect of dimerization of Tat (48–60) analog, [Tat(W): GRKKRRQRRRPWQ‐NH2], on antimicrobial activity and mechanism of bactericidal action, its dimeric peptides, di‐Tat(W)‐C and di‐Tat(W)‐K, were synthesized by a disulfide bond linkage and lysine linkage of monomeric Tat(W), respectively. From the viewpoint of a weight basis and the monomer concentration, these dimeric peptides displayed almost similar antimicrobial activity against six bacterial strains tested but acted more rapidly against Staphylococcus aureus on kinetics of bactericidal activity, compared with monomeric Tat(W). Unlike monomeric Tat(W), these dimeric peptides significantly depolarized the cytoplasmic membrane of intact S. aureus cells at MIC and induced dye leakage from bacterial‐membrane‐mimicking egg yolk L‐α‐phosphatidylethanolamine/egg yolk L‐α‐phosphatidyl‐DL‐glycerol (7:3, w/w) vesicles. Furthermore, these dimeric peptides were less effective to translocate across lipid bilayers than monomeric Tat(W). These results indicated that the dimerization of Tat analog induces a partial change in the mode of its bactericidal action from intracellular target mechanism to membrane‐targeting mechanism. Collectively, our designed dimeric Tat peptides with high antimicrobial activity and rapid bactericidal activity appear to be excellent candidates for future development as novel antimicrobial agents. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An improved version of SLICE for conservative monotonic remapping on a C‐grid
Authors: Zerroukat M. , Wood N. , Staniforth A.
Published: February 2009

This Note presents some further developments to the Semi‐Lagrangian Inherently Conservative and Efficient (SLICE) scheme. The revised scheme, termed C‐SLICE, is designed to exploit the good dispersion properties of a C‐grid staggering of mass and momentum variables in atmospheric models. Furthermore, several simplifications are made to the SLICE scheme, leading to improved computational efficiency without loss of accuracy. The revised scheme is evaluated using some standard tests from the literature. © Crown Copyright 2009. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the girth of random Cayley graphs
Authors: Gamburd A. , Hoory S. , Shahshahani M. , Shalev A. , Virág B.
Published: February 2009

We prove that random d‐regular Cayley graphs of the symmetric group asymptotically almost surely have girth at least (logd‐1|G|)1/2/2 and that random d‐regular Cayley graphs of simple algebraic groups over 𝔽q asymptotically almost surely have girth at least log d‐1|G|/dim(G). For the symmetric p‐groups the girth is between loglog |G| and (log |G|)α with α < 1. Several conjectures and open questions are presented. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2009
Identification of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells Using the Cell Surface Marker CD44
Authors: Takaishi Shigeo , Okumura Tomoyuki , Tu Shuiping , Wang Sophie S.W. , Shibata Wataru , Vigneshwaran Ramanathan , Gordon Shanisha A.K. , Shimada Yutaka , Wang Timothy C.
Published: February 2009

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been defined as a unique subpopulation in tumors that possess the ability to initiate tumor growth and sustain tumor self-renewal. Although the evidence has been provided to support the existence of CSCs in various solid tumors, the identity of gastric CSCs has not been reported. In this study, we have identified gastric cancer-initiating cells from a panel of human gastric cancer cell lines using cell surface marker CD44. Among six gastric cancer cell lines, three lines MKN-45, MKN-74, and NCI-N87 had a sizeable subpopulation of CD44(+) cells, and these cells showed spheroid colony formation in serum-free media in vitro as well as tumorigenic ability when injected into stomach and skin of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice in vivo. The CD44(+) gastric cancer cells showed the stem cell properties of self-renewal and the ability to form differentiated progeny and gave rise to CD44(−) cells. CD44 knockdown by short hairpin RNA resulted in much reduced spheroid colony formation and smaller tumor production in SCID mice, and the CD44(−) populations had significantly reduced tumorigenic ability in vitro and in vivo. Other potential CSC markers, such as CD24, CD133, CD166, stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1), and SSEA-4, or sorting for side population did not show any correlation with tumorigenicity in vitro or in vivo. The CD44(+) gastric cancer cells showed increased resistance for chemotherapy- or radiation-induced cell death. These results support the existence of gastric CSCs and may provide novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Cre Recombination-Mediated Cassette Exchange for Building Versatile Transgenic Human Embryonic Stem Cells Lines
Authors: Du Zhong-Wei , Hu Bao-Yang , Ayala Melvin , Sauer Brian , Zhang Su-Chun
Published: February 2009

To circumvent the silencing effect of transgene expression in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), we employed the Cre recombination-mediated cassette exchange strategy to target the silencing-resistant site in the genome. We have identified new loci that sustain transgene expression during stem cell expansion and differentiation to cells representing the three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. The built-in double loxP cassette in the established master hESC lines was specifically replaced by a targeting vector containing the same loxP sites, using the cell-permeable Cre protein transduction method, resulting in successful generation of new hESC lines with constitutive functional gene expression, inducible transgene expression, and lineage-specific reporter gene expression. This strategy and the master cell lines allow for rapid production of transgenic hESC lines in ordinary laboratories.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
The Contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 to Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Ramus Susan J. , Gayther Simon A.
Published: February 2009

Germline mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes confer a high life‐time risk of ovarian cancer. They represent the most significant and well characterised genetic risk factors so far identified for the disease. The frequency with which BRCA1/2 mutations occur in families containing multiple cases of ovarian cancer or breast and ovarian cancer, and in population‐based ovarian cancer series varies geographically and between different ethnic groups. There are differences in the frequency of common mutations and in the presence of specific founder mutations in different populations. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are responsible for half of all families containing two or more ovarian cancer cases. In population‐based studies, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are present in 5–15% of all ovarian cancer cases. Often, individuals in which mutations are identified in unselected cases have no family history of either ovarian or breast cancer. The ability to identify BRCA1/2 mutations has been one of the few major success stories over the last few years in the clinical management of ovarian cancer. Currently, unaffected individuals can be screened for mutations if they have a family history of the disease. If a mutation is identified in the family, and if an individual is found be a mutation carrier, they can be offered clinical intervention strategies that can dramatically reduce their ovarian cancer risks. In some populations with frequent founder mutations screening may not be dependant on whether a mutation is identified in an affected relative.
The prevalence of chronic otitis media and its complication rates in teenagers and adult patients
Authors: Lin Yung Song , Lin Li‐Ching , Lee Fei‐Peng , Lee Kuan Ji
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine the annual complication rates of chronic otitis media (COM) and its management.

Study Design

Retrospective.

Subjects and Methods

Data were extracted from 3,223 adult patients, aged 15.1 years and older, under the diagnosis of COM from 1998 to 2007. Complications secondary to COM were identified in a total of 115 patients.

Results

The incidence of COM in adults decreased from 407 to 145 cases per year (R 2 = 0.845, P < 0.001) from 1998 to 2007. The mean age of patients with COM increased from 44.67 to 49.43 years (R 2 = 0.896, P < 0.001). The prevalence of COM decreased considerably during the study period. However, the annual extracranial complication rate (R2 = 0.109, P = 0.352) and intracranial rate (R2 = 0.382, P = 0.057) did not reduce during the past 10 years.

Conclusion

The complication rate for COM remained steady in the past 10 years, regardless of the overall reduction in the prevalence of COM with use of antibiotics. A high index of suspicion and imaging studies for early identification are recommended. Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended, particularly for the elderly patients who are treated conservatively because of relatively poor general health conditions.
Histologic analysis of the effects of three different support materials within rat middle ear
Authors: Dogru Salim , Haholu Abdulah , Gungor Atila , Kucukodaci Zafer , Cincik Hakan , Ozdemir Taner , Sen Huseyin
Published: February 2009

Objective

To investigate histologic changes in the mucosa of rat middle ear after implantation of three different support materials.

Study Design

A prospective, controlled animal study.

Subjects and Methods

Three types of absorbable materials were implanted into the middle ear cavity of rats: (1) Gelfoam (purified gelatin) (Pharmacia & Upjohn Company, New York, NY), (2) Sepragel (viscoelastic gel composed of cross‐linked polymers of hyaluronan) (GENZYME Corp, Ridgefield, NJ), and (3) Nasopore (a biodegradable/fragmentable, synthetic polyurethane foam) (Polyganics, Groningen, The Netherlands). Rats were sacrificed after 3 and 20 days to ascertain early and late histologic changes. The bulla of each rat was excised and prepared for microscopic examination. The histologic changes were evaluated by observation of the middle ear cavity and mucosa in terms of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL), macrophages, giant cells, fibroblasts and other cells, fibrosis, and remnant materials.

Results

The histologic appearance of gelfoam‐treated middle ears was characterized by more severe acute inflammation in the short‐term and prominent fibrosis in the long‐term in comparison with sepragel‐ and nasopore‐treated groups. Nasopore appeared to be prone to remnant formation and reorganization by means of fibroblastic activity.

Conclusion

Compared with gelfoam, both sepragel and nasopore caused less histologic alterations.
Complications after craniofacial resection for malignant tumors: Are complication trends changing?
Authors: Gil Ziv , Patel Snehal G. , Bilsky Mark , Shah Jatin P. , Kraus Dennis H.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine the rate and type of complications after craniofacial resection (CFR) during the most recent 10‐year period in comparison to a historic control.

Methods

Patients underwent CFR in 1973–1995 (“earlier” period; n = 114) and in 1996–2005 (“later” period; n = 120) before and after a broad‐spectrum antibiotic regime was used.

Results

In the later period patients had higher rates of comorbidity, dural invasion, high‐grade malignancy, and wide resections (P < 0.02). Complications were identified in 52 percent of the early and 33 percent of the later groups (P = 0.002). There was 20 percent decrease in wound complications in the later period (P < 0.0001), but not in other complications. In the earlier period, complications were evenly distributed between patients younger and older than 50 years. However, in the later period, most complications occurred among elderly patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that a broad‐spectrum antibiotic regime was associated with a lower complication rate (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Complication rates decreased during the last 10 years due to a decline in wound infections. Broad‐spectrum antibiotic coverage probably contributed to this change.
Using nasal steroids to treat nasal obstruction caused by adenoid hypertrophy: Does it work?
Authors: Chadha Neil K. , Zhang Linjie , Mendoza‐Sassi Raúl A. , César Juraci A.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To systematically review the evidence for the usage of nasal steroids to improve symptoms of nasal airway obstruction in children with adenoidal hypertrophy.

Data Sources

Published studies indexed in the MEDLINE (1951 to 2008), EMBASE (1974 to 2008), and the Cochrane databases (Issue 3, 2008).

Review Methods

Data from the included trials were extracted and trial quality was assessed. Meta‐analysis was not applicable and data were summarized in a narrative format. Evidence from excluded studies was also discussed.

Results

Seven studies (six randomized controlled trials and one cohort study) met the inclusion criteria of the review, including a total of 493 patients. Six of these studies demonstrated significant efficacy of various nasal steroids (mometasone, beclomethasone, flunisolide) in improving nasal obstruction symptoms and in reducing adenoid size, as measured with symptom scores and fiber‐optic nasopharyngeal endoscopy, respectively. The response appeared to be a group effect and may be maintained longer‐term by continuing nasal steroids at a lower maintenance dose. The treatment was safe and well‐tolerated with few minor adverse events.

Conclusion

The available evidence suggests that nasal steroids may significantly improve nasal obstruction symptoms in children with adenoid hypertrophy. This improvement appears to be associated with a reduction of adenoid size. Evidence of long‐term efficacy is limited but suggests that in many children maintenance therapy is needed if symptom‐relief is to persist. Further studies are required to support the use of nasal steroids as a first‐line approach in these children.
Controlling MRSA in head and neck cancer patients: What works?
Authors: Supriya Mrinal , Shakeel Muhammad , Santangeli Louise , Ah‐See Kim Wong
Published: February 2009

Objective

We aimed to determine any beneficial effect from targeted surveillance, cohort nursing, and restricted health care worker access in controlling MRSA infection in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer.

Study Design

Historical cohort study.

Subjects and Methods

In phase 1 data were gathered on MRSA‐positive cases admitted from February 1, 2006 to February 28, 2007. In phase 2, from July 1, 2007 to January 31, 2008, eligible patients underwent screening swabs, cohort nursing, and restricted access.

Results

In the first phase, 24 patients developed MRSA infection out of a total of 84 eligible admissions. There were 31 eligible admissions during phase 2. None of them had known risk factors for MRSA as per Scottish Infection Standards and Strategy Group (SISS) guidelines. All screened patients were noncarriers of MRSA. Three patients out of this group subsequently developed MRSA during their hospital stay. There was a statistically significant drop in MRSA to 9.6 percent (3/31) during this phase compared to 28.5 percent (24/84) in phase 1.

Conclusion

Head and neck cancer patients are at high risk of acquiring MRSA infection. Their targeted surveillance is unlikely to influence their MRSA infection rate. However, cohort nursing with restricted health care worker access may help control MRSA infection in them.
Electrocautery adenoidectomy outcomes: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Reed Jeremy , Sridhara Shankar , Brietzke Scott E.
Published: February 2009

Objective

Review the published literature regarding clinical outcomes of suction electrocautery adenoidectomy (ECA) in pediatric patients.

Data Source

The MEDLINE database was systematically reviewed for articles reporting on the use of ECA.

Review Methods

Each study was independently reviewed by each investigator. Inclusion criteria included English language, sample size greater than five, and presentation of extractable data regarding outcomes with ECA. Random‐effects modeling was used to estimate summary outcomes.

Results

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The mean sample size was 276 patients with a grand mean age of 6.0 years. Random‐effects modeling of intraoperative hemorrhage (4.1 cc vs 24.0 cc, 95 percent CI of difference = 16.5–23.1, P < 0.001) and operative time (10.0 minutes vs 18.4 minutes, 95 percent CI of difference = 0.82–2.90, P < 0.001) favored ECA vs curette adenoidectomy. Subjective success was reported in 95.0 percent (95% CI = 92.7%‐97.3%, P < 0.001) of ECA patients with a grand mean of 5.8 months of follow‐up. Adenoid regrowth was evaluated objectively (endoscopy or x ray) in only 116 of 2132 patients (5.4%), with an observed regrowth rate of 2.8 percent that (95% CI = 0%‐5.5%, P = 0.052).

Conclusions

The preponderance of available evidence favors ECA vs curette adenoidectomy in terms of decreased intraoperative hemorrhage and operative time. Long‐term outcome data for ECA are scarce but suggest a low regrowth and complication rate.
Landschaft und Gesundheit: Verbindung zweier Konzepte
Authors: Rodewald Raimund
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Die medizinische Wissenschaft blieb bis vor kurzem den Nachweis einer gesundheitsfördernden Wirkung bestimmter Landschaften schuldig. Inspiriert durch den holländischen Bericht Nature and Health: The influence of nature on social, psychological and physical well-being (Health Council of the Netherlands & Dutch Advisory Council for Research on Spatial Planning, 2004) lancierte die Stiftung Landschaftsschutz Schweiz (SL-FP) zusammen mit den Ärztinnen und Ärzten für Umweltschutz das Projekt „Paysage à votre santé“, welches konkrete Maßnahmen für eine gesundheitsfördernde Raum- und Landschaftsplanung erarbeiten will.
Wo ist die Natur in der Gesundheitspsychologie?
Authors: Wiesmann Ulrich
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

In den aktuellen gesundheitspsychologischen Lehrbüchern (Faltermaier, 2005; Knoll et al., 2005; Renneberg und Hammelstein, 2006; Schwarzer, 2004) kommt das Thema Natur nicht vor. Dabei ist die Exposition mit Natur eine nachgewiesen wirksame Intervention zur Förderung von Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden auf individueller und populationsbezogener Ebene (Maller et al., 2006; Münkemüller und Homburg, 2005; Seel et al., 1993). Empirische Studien aus der Stressforschung zeigen, ….
Gesundheitschancen und -risiken von Natur
Authors: Kistemann Thomas , Lengen Charis
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Im Laufe der Menschheitsgeschichte hat das Verhältnis des Menschen zur Natur einen grundlegenden Wandel erfahren. Abgesehen einmal davon, dass menschliche Gesundheit zwingend von zahlreichen Elementen und Erscheinungen der Natur abhängig ist bzw. an deren Vorkommen angepasst ist, war Natur lange der Widerstand, dem der Mensch sein Leben abringen musste, an dessen Gegenhalt er sein Handeln orientierte, und die Herausforderung, an der er wuchs.
Pflanzen als Auslöser allergischer Erkrankungen
Authors: Ruëff Franziska
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Bei allergischen Reaktionen finden Abwehrreaktionen gegen üblicherweise nicht krankmachende Stoffe (z.B. Nahrungsmittel, Pollen oder Tierhaare) statt. Durch Allergenvermeidung kann verhindert werden, dass sich eine allergische Reaktionslage entwickelt, bzw. wenn eine solche bereits besteht, können durch Karenz Krankheitserscheinungen vermieden werden. Die Beifußambrosie ist eine eingeschleppte Pflanze mit hohem Allergenpotential, deren weitere Verbreitung ein Gesundheitsrisiko darstellt.
Numerical modeling of salt tectogenesis in the Cambrian deposits of the cis-Yenisei sedimentary basin (PR3-PZ) (West Siberia)
Authors: Filippov Yu.F. , Lapkovskii V.V. , Lunev B.V.
Published: February 2009

Density sections of the Upper Proterozoic-Paleozoic cis-Yenisei sedimentary basin were numerically modeled to show that the gravity mechanism was sufficient to bring about linear deformation structures. The main conditions of their formation and development have been determined. Comparative analysis of the results of modeling with variations in initial parameters shows an important role of dolomite interbeds in the formation of structures in the section of Cambrian evaporates. The specific evolution of the structures was related to the specific basin sedimentation and the subsequent tectonic evolution of the region as a whole. The conclusion has been drawn that the tectonic influence of neighboring folded zones might have triggered salt tectogenesis.
Modeling Cenozoic crustal deformation in Gorny Altai
Authors: Babichev A.V. , Novikov I.S. , Polyansky O.P. , Korobeynikov S.N.
Published: February 2009

The Altai lithospheric structure has been generally understood due to available high-resolution digital models. As a further step in modeling, we have simulated the structure of southeastern Altai as interaction of eight blocks which comprise or surround the Chuya and Kurai basins, proceeding from the basic configuration of blocks and earthquake mechanisms. Should the stresses in the system remain invariable, the western periphery of the Kurai basin will deform to let the Uimen-Sumulta fault join the Chuya (western end of Tolbonur) fault and evolve further as a single shear zone. The best fit model was one with slip along a single border fault in the middle of the area between two rheologically different terranes. This setting corresponds to a fault boundary between the more plastic Gorny Altai and more rigid Teletskoe-Chulyshman domains, which is consistent with current crustal movements from GPS data. In addition to scientific significance, models of this kind have practical applications as they highlight areas of stress buildup prone to release in large earthquakes. The new approach was applied to simulate the stress and strain patterns of central and southeastern Gorny Altai, and the models were tested against available geomorphological and seismotectonic data.
Long-term association of food and nutrient intakes with cognitive and functional decline: a 13-year follow-up study of elderly French women
Authors: Vercambre Marie-Noël , Boutron-Ruault Marie-Christine , Ritchie Karen , Clavel-Chapelon Françoise , Berr Claudine
Published: February 2009

The objective of the present study was to determine the potential long-term impact of dietary habits on age-related decline among 4809 elderly women (born between 1925 and 1930) in the ‘Etude Epidémiologique de Femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale’ (E3N) study, a French epidemiological cohort. In 1993, an extensive diet history self-administered questionnaire was sent to all participants, and in 2006 another questionnaire on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and recent cognitive change was sent to a close relative or friend of each woman. Logistic models adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle and health factors were performed to evaluate associations between habitual dietary intakes and two outcomes of interest based on the informant response: recent cognitive decline and IADL impairment. Recent cognitive decline was associated with lower intakes of poultry, fish, and animal fats, as well as higher intakes of dairy desserts and ice-cream. IADL impairment was associated with a lower intake of vegetables. The odds of recent cognitive decline increased significantly with decreasing intake of soluble dietary fibre and n-3 fatty acids but with increasing intake of retinol. The odds of IADL impairment increased significantly with decreasing intakes of vitamins B2, B6 and B12. These results are consistent with a possible long-term neuroprotective effect of dietary fibre, n-3 polyunsaturated fats and B-group vitamins, and support dietary intervention to prevent cognitive decline.
Undamaged cotton plants yield more if their neighbour is damaged: implications for pest management
Authors: Wilson L.J. , Lei T.T. , Sadras V.O. , Wilson L.T. , Heimoana S.C.
Published: February 2009

Understanding the compensatory responses of crops to pest damage is important in developing pest thresholds. Compensation for pest damage in crops can occur at the plant level, where the architecture, growth dynamics and allocation patterns of damaged plants are altered, allowing them to recover or, at the crop level, where differential damage between plants may alter plant-to-plant interactions. We investigated growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) following non-uniform manual defoliation of seedlings. This partially replicates real pest damage and is valuable in understanding crop-level responses to damage because it can be inflicted precisely. Damage distributions included damaging 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100% of the plants. Damage intensity for the damaged plants was varied by removing 100 or 75% of each true leaf when plants had two, four and six true leaves. At the crop level, yield loss increased as the proportion of plants damaged and intensity of damage per damaged plant increased. Neighbour interactions occurred; undamaged plants with damaged neighbours grew larger and yielded better than undamaged plants with undamaged neighbours, while the converse applied for damaged plants with undamaged neighbours. Neighbour interactions were influenced by the intensity of damage and were stronger when 100% of the leaf area was removed than when 75% was removed. At the crop level, when compared with yield estimates based on yield of plants from uniformly damaged or undamaged plots, these interactions resulted in higher yield than expected (+8%). This suggests that damage distribution may have to be considered in studies where artificial or real pest damage is inflicted uniformly on plants.
Who Gives Charitable Donations for Overseas Development?
Authors: MICKLEWRIGHT JOHN , SCHNEPF SYLKE V.
Published: February 2009

Individuals' donations to overseas charities are an important source of funding for development assistance from rich industrialised countries. But little is known about the nature of these charitable donations. The literature on giving focuses on total donations to all causes and does not identify separately the pattern or the determinants of giving to any particular cause. We investigate giving to overseas causes using UK survey microdata that record individuals' donations to different types of charity. We establish a picture of overseas giving, comparing this with giving to other causes. Socio-economic correlates of both types of giving are analysed, including gender, marital status, occupation, education and, especially, income. We also investigate the relationship between individuals' overseas giving and their attitudes towards poverty in developing countries.
Obstacles to the Implementation of an Integrated National Alcohol Policy in Ireland: Nannies, Neo-Liberals and Joined-Up Government
Authors: BUTLER SHANE
Published: February 2009

This article explores how proponents of a public health model of alcohol policy have, for more than a quarter of a century, argued consistently but unsuccessfully for an integrated national alcohol policy in the Republic of Ireland. It looks in particular at the past decade, a time when increases in alcohol consumption and related problems strengthened the case for such an integrated policy, and when managerial innovations in the sphere of cross-cutting management appeared to provide a template for its implementation. A number of explanations are offered for the refusal of successive governments to respond to what its advocates see as the only rational, evidence-based approach to the prevention of alcohol problems. It is argued that, unlike the Nordic countries, the political culture of independent Ireland has never been one in which the state could unilaterally impose strict alcohol control policies as a feature of its broader vision of the welfare state. It is also argued that during the recent period of economic prosperity (the so-called ‘Celtic Tiger’ era) the country was characterised by a neo-liberal policy climate, which was specifically antipathetic to the idea that the state should interfere directly in the alcohol market with a view to preventing related problems. It is suggested that the social partnership model of governance, to which many people attributed the country's economic success, created an atmosphere of consensualism within which the state as mediator between the two main protagonists (the public health lobby and the drinks industry) was unwilling to challenge the drinks industry. It is also concluded that this failure to create a national alcohol policy based on public health principles demonstrates the limitations of the cross-cutting, or ‘joined-up’, approach to public management in those areas of social policy characterised by clashing value systems or fundamental conflicts of economic interest. Finally, it is acknowledged that in Ireland, as elsewhere, neo-liberal certitudes have been effectively dethroned by the economic recession and banking crisis of late 2008; whether these more straitened economic circumstances will provide a better fit for the ‘nanny state’ ideals of the public health perspective on alcohol remains to be seen.
Social Policy Digest Online
Authors: Bennett Fran , Jones Ken
Published: February 2009

The Social Policy Digest went online in 2002, and since then has developed into a major web-based resource on UK social policy issues. By the end of 2008 it contained over 22,000 entries, covering policy developments and research findings across the whole range of social policy fields.
Musical behaviours of primary school children in Singapore
Authors: Lum Chee-Hoo
Published: February 2009

In this ethnographic study, the musical behaviours of 28 primary school children in Singapore were examined for their meaning and diversity as they engaged in the school day. A large part of these children's musical behaviours stemmed from their exposure to the mass media. Children's musical inventions emerged in the context of play, occasionally using musical play as an aid to academic learning. Instances of rhythmic play were more prevalent compared with melodic utterances. The children tended to motivate and encourage each other in their daily activities through the use of rhythmic play while melodic utterances seemed more prominently tied to expression and communication.
Outward Foreign Direct Investment: A Novel Dimension of China's Integration into the Regional and Global Economy
Authors: Cai Kevin G.
Published: February 2009

It is now receiving wide attention that since the adoption of the open-door policy at the end of the 1970s China has been extremely successful in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Particularly, according to UNCTAD'sWorld Investment Report 1997: Transnational Corporations, Market Structure and Competition Policy, China has become the second largest recipient of FDI in the world since 1993, after the United States. On the other hand, however, it seems less noticed that China has also become a growingly important FDI exporting country. According to UNCTAD's same report, China now ranks as one of the largest outward investors among developing economies in the 1990s. By the end of 1996, the cumulative stock of Chinese outward FDI had reached over $18 billion, next only to Hong Kong ($112 billion), Singapore ($37 billion) and Taiwan ($27 billion). Consequently, China increased its share in world-wide FDI outflows from less than 0.5 per cent until 1991 to an average of 1.3 percent in 1991–95. As China is rapidly rising as a new economic power, its deepening participation in the regional and global economy, through both inward and outward FDI as well as trade, will inevitably bring about significant implications in the international political economy. This article attempts to explore the development of Chinese outward FDI, its characteristics and motives, the outward FDI regime, the government's policies and existing problems, and the prospects for the future trend of Chinese outward FDI.
Social Origins of the Chinese Scientific Elite
Authors: Cao Cong
Published: February 2009

The literature on China's social stratification and mobility has discussed the roles of family background and an individual's education attainment. This article aims to extend the existing literature by examining the interplay of these two aspects in fostering a homogeneous group of scientists, the members (yuanshi) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS,Zhongguo kexueyuan). Since its establishment in 1955, honorific CAS membership has been awarded to outstanding Chinese scientists in their respective fields. As of the end of 1997, a total of 859 Chinese natural scientists, including 40 women, had been elected to the five Academic Divisions of the CAS – Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Technological Sciences (Table 1) – of whom 610 were alive. They have been renowned, nationally if not internationally, for their academic achievements and contributions, and they have a reputation and prestige similar to those enjoyed by their counterparts in other countries, such as members of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States and fellows of the Royal Society in Britain. Because the occupational prestige of scientists is very high in China, as it is in other countries, and following similar research on the scientific elite, it is reasonable to define CAS members as the Chinese scientific elite.
Seeking Lost Codes in the Wilderness: The Search for a Hainanese Culture
Authors: Chongyi Feng
Published: February 2009

Regional and provincial cultures have (re)emerged in China since the 1980s, regardless of their previous existence or articulation. Although it is not yet clear whether this represents the seemingly powerful trend of fragmentation or nothing but a superficial phenomenon generated by the unprecedented pace of economic integration throughout the country, there is every reason to believe that regional and provincial cultures, or identities, in China have been (re)shaped by the new process of modernization, decentralization and international interactions that have characterized the reform era. Competition for resources, markets and preferential policies have forced every locality to mobilize support from their local populations; reform, decentralization, marketization, internationalization, growing provincial autonomy and the decline of state ideology have combined to challenge some time-honoured traditions and provide an opportunity for the discourse of regional cultures and identities. While it is almost a common belief in China that a construction of a glorious past will inevitably lead to the self-confidence needed for a nation or community to build a better future, some see the current reforms as an opportunity to rid themselves of, or distance themselves from, the anti-commerce, anti-individual conservatism assumed to be inherent in the Chinese state ideology; others, those in the south-east coastal area in particular, find themselves natural heirs to the open and dynamic entrepreneurial culture suppressed by the centralized state in the past.
The Declining Significance ofGuanxiin China's Economic Transition
Authors: Guthrie Douglas
Published: February 2009

Recently a number of scholars have examinedguanxi(connections/social relationships) and its role in the structure of Chinese society as the economic transition progresses. While many China scholars viewguanxias a deep-seated cultural fact of Chinese society, I viewguanxias an institutionally defined system – i.e. a system that depends on the institutional structure of society rather than on culture – that is changing in stride with the institutional changes of the reform era. Some scholars have argued that social networks and the use of these networks to exchange gifts and favours (guanxi xueorguanxi practice) are increasing in imnnrtanre. in China's transition.
Ethnic Representation in the Current Chinese Leadership
Authors: Zang Xiaowei
Published: February 2009

China scholars agree that there was a leadership transition in China in the 1980s, with old revolutionary guards being replaced by a generation of young, better educated Communist officials. This leadership transition has been a subject of intensive scholarly research in the West. However, few have paid attention to ethnic representation in the post-Mao Chinese leadership. This may be a result of data limitations. Are there cadres of ethnic background in the current Chinese leadership? Who are they? Do they differ from their predecessors in Mao's China and from their Han counterparts in post-Mao China? Have the selection criteria been changed over time?
The People's Republic of China at 50: National Political Reform
Authors: Burns John P.
Published: February 2009

After 50 years of revolutionary transformation and uneven consolidation, and a generation of economic re-structuring, the political institutions of the People's Republic of China remain essentially Leninist. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to enjoy monopoly power, and independent media, autonomous trade unions and other manifestations of civil society are almost wholly absent. Yet the environment within which the Party now operates has changed fundamentally. Marxist-Leninist parties in power around the world have collapsed and to stay in power the CCP has abandoned central planning for market economics. Living standards and literacy rates have improved dramatically and ordinary people now have more control over their own lives. Some analysts have suggested that as a result of these changes, the regime is facing imminent institutional collapse. Others have suggested that the regime cannot but democratize. This article argues that the regime is more resilient than either of these interpretations allows. In spite of the formal trappings of Leninism and its neo-authoritarian political reform programme, the CCP has adapted to the new situation. The reforms, which date from the early 1980s, have considerably strengthened the country's political institutions. Although there is disagreement on the content and pace of reform, China's elite with few exceptions appears to agree that further political reform is necessary. Yet the Party is caught in a dilemma: if it moves too slowly, it could fail because it cannot meet the demands of the people; if it moves too quickly, it could fail because it further undermines its already weakened position.
The People's Republic of China at 50: The Economy
Authors: Dernberger Robert F.
Published: February 2009

The dynamic growth of the Chinese economy over the past 50 years under the policies and administrative management of the People's Republic of China must rank among the most important developments of the 20th century. When I began my serious study of China's economy in the early 1950s, Western economists were preoccupied with a single question, “how are they ever going to feed all those Chinese?” Today, after 50 years in power, we must respect and even admire not only their ability to feed a population that has more than doubled in size, but also to provide the Chinese consumer with watches, washing machines, sewing machines, colour television sets, and tape and video recorders. A small, but significant and rapidly expanding, share of China's consumers is using mobile phones, computers and even private cars.
Demolishing Partitions: Back to Beginnings in the Cities?
Authors: Solinger Dorothy J.
Published: February 2009

Using euphemisms and albeit haltingly, the leaders of the PRC in its 40s began blasting the barricades their forebears had constructed to design what they had considered a fully pristine, orthodoxly socialist, separate urban realm. The result of this recent demolition is that, as the system turns 50, its political elite – along with the markets they have licensed – is remodelling the metropolises into places less distinct socially from the rural areas outside them and much less homogeneous internally than the urban areas from which they are metamorphosing.
Politically-Engaged Intellectuals in the 1990s
Authors: Goldman Merle
Published: February 2009

Although dissident intellectuals and students continued to be persecuted in the post-Mao Zedong regimes of Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, China's intellectuals were no longer denigrated as a class, harassed, suppressed, imprisoned and persecuted to death as they had been during the Mao era. Like the 19th-century self-strengtheners, Deng and his appointed successors regarded intellectuals as essential to achieve their goal of economic modernization and make China once again “rich and powerful.” Those intellectuals involved in the sciences, technology and economics in particular enjoyed elite status as advisers to the government, similar to that which intellectuals had enjoyed throughout most of Chinese history until the 1949 revolution.
The Role of Foreign Trade and Investment in China's Economic Transformation
Authors: Lardy Nicholas R.
Published: February 2009

In the almost two decades since economic reform began in China the role of the foreign sector has burgeoned in ways that no one anticipated. The volume of foreign trade and the role of foreign capital are both far greater than could have been foreseen based on the modest Chinese economic reforms initiated in the late 1970s. By the mid-1990s China had become one of the world's largest trading nations, the recipient of more foreign direct investment than any other country in the world, the largest borrower from the World Bank, the largest recipient of official development assistance in the form of low-interest, long-term concessionary loans from industrialized countries, and, except for the Czech Republic, the only transition economy with ready access to international capital and equity markets.
China in Transition: The Political Foundations of Incremental Reform
Authors: Goldstein Steven M.
Published: February 2009

As the People's Republic of China approaches a half century of existence, it seems to be an anomaly. Not only has it survived “the mass extinction of Leninist regimes,” it also continues along the path of reform. And this is despite the widely accepted assumption that Soviet-style systems are, by their very nature, incompatible with the assumptions of systemic reform - namely, the gradual and incremental transformation of economic and political systems by leaders who “use and build upon the existing structures of society.”
Democratization and the Environment: Entrepreneurial Politics and Interest Representation in Taiwan
Authors: Tang Shui-Yan , Tang Ching-Ping
Published: February 2009

How does democratization affect environmental politics and policy? While some scholars have cited empirical evidence showing that democratic countries tend to have better environmental records than their authoritarian counterparts, others have debated the compatibility between democracy and sustainable environmental management. One may, for example, note that many environmental problems involve large numbers of individuals who suffer from spill-over effects of actions by small numbers of individuals or firms. Many serious water and air pollution problems, for instance, are caused by a few industrial plants, yet their effects are suffered by many people. Although popularly elected officials may have an incentive to develop policies to protect the environmental welfare of the many, these officials may also be influenced by a few polluters who are better organized and more resourceful in pressing their case in the policy process. Following this logic, one cannot definitely predict, at least in the short term, that democratization will help improve the environment.
Involuntary Resettlement in Rural China: The Local View
Authors: Croll Elisabeth J.
Published: February 2009

Involuntary resettlement programmes have not only become an increasingly important and separate component of development projects within China but the movement of more than a million persons within the Three Gorges project has generated a new international interest in Chinese resettlement experiences. With a view to examining prior resettlement projects in China, this article is based on interviews with national and provincial bodies responsible for resettlement and on field investigations of linear resettlement attached to the Jiqing highway in Shandong province and of reservoir resettlement within a hydro-electric power project in Guangxi Autonomous Region.