bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the starting section for 3D volume acquisition in the first trimester relevant in the post hoc analysis of aneuploidy screening markers and fetal anatomy?
Authors: Borrell Antoni , Santolaya‐Forgas Joaquin , Horbaczewski Cynthia , Henry Roshni Dorothy , Dunn‐Albanese Lisa , Robinson Julian N.
Published: October 2011

Objective

To determine the ability to assess the fetal anatomy and ultrasound screening markers using three‐dimensional (3D) volumes acquired during the 11th to 13th  week scan, in relation to whether a fetal profile could be used as a starting section.

Methods

Post hoc analysis of 3D ultrasound volumes acquired at 11 to 13 weeks in 223 pregnancies was performed to identify the appropriate sections for evaluation of three screening markers and ten fetal anatomy landmarks. When possible, the fetal profile was used as the starting section for volume acquisition.

Results

When the fetal profile was used, satisfactory images for assessment were obtained in 90% of cases for nuchal translucency and 72% for the nasal bone, whereas successful evaluation of the ten anatomical landmarks ranged from 0 to 99%. In alternative starting sections, the corresponding success rates were 65%, 48%, and 0–95%.

Conclusion

Although performance of post hoc analysis of 3D volumes is best when carried out from a profile starting section and quicker than two‐dimensional analysis, it appears to be not ready for clinical use because nuchal translucency could not be examined in 10% of the fetuses. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of homozygous alpha‐thalassemia‐1 by cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal plasma
Authors: Sirichotiyakul S. , Charoenkwan P. , Sanguansermsri T.
Published: October 2011

Objective

To investigate the use of cell‐free fetal DNA (cff‐DNA) to determine fetal status in pregnant women who were risk for having Hb Bart's.

Methods

Plasma DNA was extracted from 10 mL of maternal blood from couples who both were alpha‐thalassemia‐1 carriers (SEA deletion). Real time quantitative PCR was performed using fluorescence‐labeled probes to monitor wild type (wt) and SEA allele. The quantity of each allele was determined by cycle threshold (Ct). ΔCt (Ct of wt– Ct of SEA) was calculated from each sample. Prenatal diagnosis was performed to determine fetal status.

Result

There were 62 Hb Bart's, 62 alpha‐trait and 34 normal fetuses in this study. Mean ΔCt was 1.04 ± 0.38, 0.21 ± 0.37 and 0.14 ± 0.55 in Hb Bart's, alpha‐trait and normal fetuses, respectively. Based on ROC, the best cut‐off of ΔCt for predicting Hb Bart's was 0.51, giving 98.4% sensitivity and 20.8% false‐positive rate. All but one Hb Bart's (98.4%) had ΔCt above 0.51, whereas 74.2% of alpha‐trait and 88.2% of normal fetuses had ΔCt below 0.51.

Conclusion

There is a positive trend to use cff‐DNA in maternal plasma for prenatal diagnosis of homozygous alpha‐thalassemia‐1. With this technique, invasive prenatal testing and complications can be avoided in 79.2% of unaffected fetuses. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stability of first trimester placental growth factor in serum and whole blood
Authors: Cowans N. J. , Alfthan H. , Stenman U. H. , Spencer K.
Published: October 2011

Background

Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a proposed first‐trimester screening marker for pre‐eclampsia. This study investigates the stability of PlGF in serum and whole blood at typical routine storage temperatures.

Methods

Serum pools were stored at refrigerator temperature, room temperature or 30 °C for up to 30 days, or exposed to up to six freeze–thaw cycles. Whole blood was stored at room temperature or 30 °C for up to 6 days. PlGF was quantified using a DELFIA Xpress analyser.

Results

Placental growth factor levels increased over time, seemingly because of the dissociation of PlGF bound to a soluble binding protein, sFlt‐1. Increase was slow in serum at refrigerator temperature, remaining stable (less than 10% change from start point) for at least 30 days. At room temperature PlGF was stable for 3.3 days and at 30 °C for 1 day. Serum PlGF remained stable for at least six freeze–thaw cycles. In whole blood, instability was worse, being stable for only 19.4 h at room temperature and just 3.3 h at 30 °C.

Conclusion

Routine screening of sample handling requires careful monitoring. However, no extra precautions need to be taken when PlGF is used for pre‐eclampsia screening run alongside existing first trimester aneuploidy screening programs that include hCGβ. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Severe cervical scoliosis in the fetus
Authors: Prada Carlos E. , Sellars Elizabeth A. , Spaeth Christine G. , Kline‐Fath Beth M. , Crombleholme Timothy M. , Hopkin Robert J.
Published: October 2011

Objective

This study provides prenatal characteristics and postnatal outcomes of patients with severe cervical scoliosis.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of clinical information from cases prenatally diagnosed with severe cervical scoliosis (>90° angulation) in the Fetal Care Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center between 2007 and 2010 was performed. We excluded iniencephaly and tumors of the head or neck.

Results

We identified five patients with severe cervical scoliosis. The fetal spine abnormality was diagnosed between 18 and 27 weeks of gestation. Classical cesarean section was recommended in all patients. There were no immediate airway or neurological complications in the delivery room. Extravertebral anomalies were present in four of the five patients. These patients had a more complicated clinical course and three separate syndromes including a complex collagenopathy, heterotaxy, and Klippel–Feil syndrome were identified. One patient had an isolated cervical deformation secondary to a large uterine fibroid with a benign clinical course. None of the infants have required spinal surgery.

Conclusion

Our patients suggest that connective tissue diseases or heterotaxy may be important risk factors for the development of severe cervical scoliosis. There were no significant long‐term complications directly related to cervical scoliosis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Signal peptidase I: Cleaving the way to mature proteins
Authors: Auclair Sarah M. , Bhanu Meera K. , Kendall Debra A.
Published: October 2011

Signal peptidase I (SPase I) is critical for the release of translocated preproteins from the membrane as they are transported from a cytoplasmic site of synthesis to extracytoplasmic locations. These proteins are synthesized with an amino‐terminal extension, the signal sequence, which directs the preprotein to the Sec‐ or Tat‐translocation pathway. Recent evidence indicates that the SPase I cleaves preproteins as they emerge from either pathway, though the steps involved are unclear. Now that the structure of many translocation pathway components has been elucidated, it is critical to determine how these components work in concert to support protein translocation and cleavage. Molecular modeling and NMR studies have provided insight on how the preprotein docks on SPase I in preparation for cleavage. This is a key area for future work since SPase I enzymes in a variety of species have now been identified and the inhibition of these enzymes by antibiotics is being pursued. The eubacterial SPase I is essential for cell viability and belongs to a unique group of serine endoproteases which utilize a Ser‐Lys catalytic dyad instead of the prototypical Ser‐His‐Asp triad used by eukaryotes. As such, SPase I is a desirable antimicrobial target. Advances in our understanding of how the preprotein interfaces with SPase I during the final stages of translocation will facilitate future development of inhibitors that display a high efficacy against SPase I function.
Cation distribution study of nanocrystalline NiFe2−xCrxO4ferrite by XRD, magnetization and Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Patange Sunil M. , Shirsath Sagar E. , Jadhav Santosh S. , Jadhav Kamalakar M.
Published: October 2011

The spinel ferrite systems NiFe2−xCrxO4(withx = 0.0–1.0 in step of 0.2) were prepared by wet chemical co‐precipitation method, using sulphates of respective metal ions. Formation of single phase spinel crystal structure of sample has been confirmed by X‐ray diffraction method. Magnetic parameters such as coercivity and saturation magnetization are measured by employing vibrating samples magnetometer (VSM). The saturation magnetization and magneton number (nB) decreases with increase in Cr3+contentx. The Mössbauer spectra taken at 300 K and spectra are assigned to two strongly overlapping sextets corresponding to tetrahedral A sites and octahedral B sites. The cation distribution of ferrites system has been calculated by X‐ray method, the behaviour of magnetization curve and Mössbauer spectra. The evaluation of cation distribution indicates that, in Cr‐dominant region, few nickel ions occupies tetrahedral A sites which convert perfect inverse spinel to partially normal spinel structure.
The influence of diffusion temperature on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of nickel‐doped zinc oxysulfide thin films
Authors: Polat İsmail , Aksu Serdar , Altunbaş Mustafa , Bacaksız Emin
Published: October 2011

We investigated the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of Ni–Zn(O,S) films. The Zn(O,S) films were deposited by a spray pyrolysis method on glass substrate. A thin Ni layer evaporated on these films served as the source for the diffusion doping. The XRD of the undoped films revealed the presence of two wurtzite phases corresponding to zinc sulfide (ZnS) and ZnO with a strong preferred orientation along the ZnS [002] direction. Results from scanning electron microscopy showed arrays of hexagonal micro‐rods perpendicular to the substrate. Results from energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy studies employing varying accelerating voltages suggested that Ni atomic concentration decreased towards to the back of the films in all Ni diffusion‐doped samples but a more uniform distribution was obtained at increasing annealing temperatures. The optical transmission measurements showed that both undoped and Ni diffusion‐doped films had a low average transmittance in the range of 8–35%. A decrease in the band gap was observed with Ni‐doping from 3.44 to 3.38 eV upon diffusion‐doping. The magnetization of films as a function of magnetic field and temperature were measured. Clear ferromagnetic loops were observed for the Ni–Zn(O,S) films.
Quantitative phase and absorption tomography with an X‐ray grating interferometer and synchrotron radiation
Authors: Zanette I. , Weitkamp T. , Lang S. , Langer M. , Mohr J. , David C. , Baruchel J.
Published: October 2011

We report on a study on the accuracy and precision of X‐ray phase and absorption tomograms obtained with a grating interferometer using monochromatic synchrotron radiation. The quantitative assessment of the performances of the X‐ray interferometer is a fundamental aspect in the interpretation of the results obtained with this device. The work presented in this paper consists in the comparison of experimental with calculated three‐dimensional distributions of the X‐ray refractive index in a phantom sample made of known materials. The quality of phase and absorption tomograms has been determined with respect to their sensitivity and contrast‐to‐noise ratios. Moreover, the effect of image artifacts typical in phase contrast imaging based on the phase‐stepping technique, especially stripe features generated by the phase wrapping phenomenon, has been investigated by comparison with numerical simulations. The results show that the artifacts cannot only be qualitatively explained by the calculations, but they can even be quantitatively reproduced.
High frequency operation of a spin‐torque oscillator at low field
Authors: Mohseni S. M. , Sani S. R. , Persson J. , Anh Nguyen T. N. , Chung S. , Pogoryelov Ye. , Åkerman Johan
Published: October 2011

We demonstrate a nano‐contact based spin‐torque oscillator (STO) combining a high operating frequency with low field operation. The STO is based on an orthogonal spin‐valve architecture with an in‐plane Co polarizer and an out‐of‐plane Co/Ni multilayer free layer. High frequency operation at low external fields is achieved by tailoring the Co/Ni layer properties to increase the strength (Hk) of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, while simultaneously reducing the saturation magnetization (Ms). Our approach emphasizes the importance of μ0(Hk–Ms) in determining the operating frequency in this system, and suggests that yet higher frequencies should be attainable through further optimization.

magnified image

(© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
RF transmission properties of graphene monolayers with width variation
Authors: Lee Hee‐Jo , Kim Eunho , Lee Won‐Jun , Jung Jongwan
Published: October 2011

We report the radio‐frequency transmission properties and distributed elements of chemical vapour deposition (CVD)‐grown graphene monolayers with width variation using a coplanar waveguide electrode in the microwave region. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formation of a honeycomb texture for multicrystalline silicon solar cells using an inkjetted mask
Authors: Nievendick Jan , Specht Jan , Zimmer Martin , Zahner Lorenz , Glover William , Stüwe David , Rentsch Jochen
Published: October 2011

An effective way to reduce the reflection of a multicrystalline solar cell is the use of a honeycomb structure, which can be generated by etching a mask isotropically. In this Letter, a directly printed hexagonal inkjet mask is presented. It results in a honeycomb texture with well developed and defined etch pits at an average distance of 50.1 μm and a weighted reflection of 18.4%. The major advantage of this mask is that the masking process is simple and that it has the potential of being fast and having low costs.

magnified image

Topographical image of the texture created with the hexagonal inkjet mask presented in this paper.

(© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Principles in Quality Assurance, Part 4: Putting it all Together
Authors: Jones Anthony B.
Published: October 2011

This is the fourth and final part of the Principles in Quality Assurance series. Previous articles discussed the need for steering principles, the definition and application of GLP concepts, and the larger context of a model for effective Quality Assurance. The preceding paper proposed the use of the “Grip/Build/Engage” (GBE) model as a structure to improve the impact of Quality Assurance, giving an overview as well as some details of the “Grip” phase ‐ defining story, structure and standards for Quality Assurance. This current part will review the other components of the GBE model and how Quality Assurance engage to produce the maximum positive impact. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Model Selection for Good Estimation and Prediction over a User‐Specified Covariate Distribution for Linear Models under the Frequentist Paradigm
Authors: Pintar Adam , Anderson‐Cook Christine M. , Wu Huaiqing
Published: October 2011

Model selection is an important part of estimation and prediction for linear models with multiple explanatory variables (covariates). A variety of approaches exist that focus on the estimation of model parameters or the fit of the model where data have been observed. This article proposes an alternative strategy that selects models based on the mean squared error of the estimated expected response for a user‐specified distribution of interest on the covariate space. We discuss numerical and graphical tools for detailed comparisons among different models. These tools help select a best model based on its ability to estimate the mean response over covariate locations likely to arise from a distribution of interest and can be combined with cost for deciding whether to include specific covariates. The proposed method is illustrated with three examples. We also present simulation results demonstrating situations where the proposed method shows improvement over some standard alternatives. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SIPA: generic and secure accounting for SIP
Authors: Tsakountakis Alexandros , Kambourakis Georgios , Gritzalis Stefanos
Published: October 2011

Authentication, authorization, and accounting services provide the framework on top of which a reliable, secure, and robust accounting system can be built. In a previous work of ours, we have presented a flexible and, most importantly, generic accounting scheme for next generation networks. In this paper, we substantially improve our previous work by providing the required Diameter application namely SIP‐Accounting (SIPA) that enables the use of our accounting scheme for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services. Additionally, in an effort to protect the service providers and the end users against accounting frauds, we implement an add‐on mechanism referred to as SIPA+ to combat attacks targeting the core accounting functions and the integrity of the respective accounting messages. Using the implemented SIPA and SIPA+ prototypes, we conducted a complete set of experiments testing several configurations and two distinct scenarios. The results reveal that the proposed accounting system and its security add‐on are fully operable in SIP environments without incurring much cost in terms of performance and overhead. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrative physical oncology
Authors: Hatzikirou Haralampos , Chauviere Arnaud , Bauer Amy L. , Leier André , Lewis Michael T. , Macklin Paul , Marquez‐Lago Tatiana T. , Bearer Elaine L. , Cristini Vittorio
Published: October 2011

Cancer is arguably the ultimate complex biological system. Solid tumors are microstructured soft matter that evolves as a consequence of spatio‐temporal events at the intracellular (e.g., signaling pathways, macromolecular trafficking), intercellular (e.g., cell–cell adhesion/communication), and tissue (e.g., cell–extracellular matrix interactions, mechanical forces) scales. To gain insight, tumor and developmental biologists have gathered a wealth of molecular, cellular, and genetic data, including immunohistochemical measurements of cell type‐specific division and death rates, lineage tracing, and gain‐of‐function/loss‐of‐function mutational analyses. These data are empirically extrapolated to a diagnosis/prognosis of tissue‐scale behavior, e.g., for clinical decision. Integrative physical oncology (IPO) is the science that develops physically consistent mathematical approaches to address the significant challenge of bridging the nano (nm)–micro (µm) to macro (mm, cm) scales with respect to tumor development and progression. In the current literature, such approaches are referred to as multiscale modeling. In the present article, we attempt to assess recent modeling approaches on each separate scale and critically evaluate the current ‘hybrid‐multiscale’ models used to investigate tumor growth in the context of brain and breast cancers. Finally, we provide our perspective on the further development and the impact of IPO. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2012, 4:1–14. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.158

This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods
Survival Analysis of Re‐resection Versus Radiofrequency Ablation for Intrahepatic Recurrence After Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chan Albert C. Y. , Poon Ronnie T. P. , Cheung Tan To , Chok Kenneth S. H. , Chan See Ching , Fan Sheung Tat , Lo Chung Mau
Published: October 2011

Background

Tumor recurrence after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma is a common phenomenon. Re‐resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are good options for treating recurrent HCC. This study compared the efficacy of these two modalities in the treatment of intrahepatic HCC recurrence after hepatectomy.

Methods

From January 2001 to December 2008, a total of 179 patients developed intrahepatic HCC recurrence after hepatectomy. To treat the recurrence, 29 patients underwent re‐resection and 45 patients had RFA. Patient characteristics, clinicopathologic data, and survival outcomes were reviewed.

Results

Child‐Pugh status, time to develop first recurrence (12.2 vs. 8.7 months), and recurrent tumor size (2.1 vs. 2.1 cm) were comparable for the two groups. Time to develop a second intrahepatic recurrence after re‐resection and RFA was 5.9 and 4.0 months respectively. The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year disease‐free survival rates were 41.4%, 24.2%, and 24.2% after re‐resection and 32.2%, 12.4%, and 9.3% after RFA (p = 0.14). The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year overall survival rates were 89.7%, 56.5%, and 35.2% after re‐resection and 83.7%, 43.1%, and 29.1% after RFA (p = 0.48). For the second recurrence, 33.3% of patients underwent a second round of RFA and 10.0% underwent a third resection.

Conclusions

The two treatment modalities attained similar survival benefits in the management of recurrent HCC after hepatectomy. The high repeatability of RFA and that it can be delivered percutaneously render it a preferred treatment option for selected patients.
Development and Validation of a Method for the Determination of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Contents in Tung Biodiesel and Blends
Authors: Pardo Viviane L. , Fagundes Cássia A. M. , Caldas Sergiane S. , Kurz Márcia H. , Clementin Rosilene M. , D'Oca Marcelo G. M. , Primel Ednei G.
Published: October 2011

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for the analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAMEs) content in tung biodiesel and blends with soybean biodiesel. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), linearity, robustness, accuracy and precision were evaluated by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection and impact electron ionization. The analytical curves showed correlation coefficients values higher than 0.99. The LOD and LOQ were 0.78 and 2.5 mg L−1 for all FAMEs, respectively. The values of accuracy were between 86 and 117%, with relative standard deviation lower than 8%. The method was applied to tung biodiesel and tung and soybean biodiesel blends in the following proportions: 15:85, 20:80, 25:75 (%v/v). All of them showed good performance. Since the method was also applied to soybean biodiesel, the efficiency of the method for the analysis of both pure tung biodiesel and blends with different raw materials was confirmed and the robustness of the method was evidenced.
Education Corruption, Reform, and Growth: Case of Post-Soviet Russia
Authors: Osipian Ararat L.
Published: October 2011

This paper investigates a possible impact of education corruption on economic growth in Russia. It argues that high levels of education corruption may harm total factor productivity in the long run, primarily through lowering the level of human capital and slowing down the pace of its accumulation. Ethical standards learned in the process of training in universities can also affect the standards of practice in different professions. The growing level of economic productivity is not likely to reduce education corruption in the short run, but can eventually lead to implementation of higher ethical standards in the education sector.
Trends and Patterns in Electoral Malpractice in Post-Soviet Eurasia
Authors: Bader Max
Published: October 2011

The large majority of elections in the post-Soviet area, by some accounts the most authoritarian region in the world, are marred by large-scale electoral malpractice. Since the late 1990s, the final reports from OSCE election observation missions include numerical data on the quality of election-day procedures as judged by election observers. With these data it is possible to study trends and patterns in the prevalence of electoral malpractice in the post-Soviet area. This study accordingly explores the relationship between electoral malpractice and three variables: the type of elections (presidential or parliamentary), the presence of electoral competition (present in competitive elections, absent in hegemonic elections), and the advance of time. The findings suggest that electoral malpractice does not significantly decrease over time, is as widespread in parliamentary as in presidential elections, but, in line with expectations, is more severe in hegemonic elections than in competitive elections. These findings contribute to insights about the nature of authoritarian elections and are important for considerations about the future of election observation in the region.
Newspapers and Parties: How Advertising Revenues Created an Independent Press
Authors: PETROVA MARIA
Published: October 2011

Media freedom strongly inhibits corruption and promotes good governance, but what leads to media freedom? Do economic development and higher advertising revenues tend to make media outlets independent of political groups' influence? Using data on nineteenth-century American newspapers, I show that places with higher advertising revenues were likelier to have newspapers that were independent of political parties. Similar results hold when local advertising rates are instrumented by regulations on outdoor advertising and newspaper distribution. In addition, newly created newspapers were more likely to enter the market as independents in places with higher advertising rates. I also exploit the precise timing of major changes in advertising rates to identify how advertising revenues affected the entry of new newspapers. Finally, I demonstrate that economic development, and concomitant higher advertising revenue, is not the only reason that an independent press expands; political factors also played a role.
Role of natural day-length and temperature in determination of summer and winter diapause in Pieris melete (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)
Authors: Xiao H.J. , Wu S.H. , He H.M. , Chen C. , Xue F.S.
Published: October 2011

Under field conditions, the cabbage butterfly, Pieris melete, displays a pupal summer diapause in response to relatively low daily temperatures and gradually increasing day-length during spring and a pupal winter diapause in response to the progressively shorter day-length. To determine whether photoperiod is ‘more’ important than temperature in the determination of summer and winter diapause, or vice versa, the effects of naturally changing day-length and temperature on the initiation of summer and winter diapause were systematically investigated under field conditions for five successive years. Field results showed that the incidence of summer diapause significantly declined with the naturally increasing temperature in spring and summer generations. Path coefficient analysis showed that the effect of temperature was much greater than photoperiod in the determination of summer diapause. In autumn, the incidence of diapause was extremely low when larvae developed under gradually shortening day-length and high temperatures. The incidence of winter diapause increased to 60–90% or higher with gradually shortening day-length combined with temperatures between 20.0°C and 22.0°C. Decreasing day-length played a more important role in the determination of winter diapause induction than temperature. The eco-adaptive significance of changing day-length and temperature in the determination of summer and winter diapause was discussed.
Assessing abundance and distribution of an invasive thrips Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in south Florida
Authors: Kakkar G. , Seal D.R. , Kumar V.
Published: October 2011

Within-plant and within-field distribution of larvae and adults of an invasive thrips species, Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) on cucumber, Cucumis sativus L. was studied in 2008 and 2009 in Homestead, Florida. The majority of thrips were found inhabiting flowers of cucumber plants and little or none was found on the other parts of the plant. Thrips were aggregated in the field, as indicated by the two regression models, Taylor's power and Iwao's patchiness regression. Iwao's patchiness regression provided a better fit than Taylor's power law. The distribution was clumped during the initial stages of infestation at the edges of the field and became random thereafter. However, with increase in population density, thrips again formed aggregates in the field. Based on the average pest density per flower in a ∼0.25-ha field, minimum sample size (number of flowers) required at the recommended precision level (0.25) was 51. The number of samples required at two levels of predetermined pest density was also calculated, which would help growers in collecting optimum number of samples required to determine the correct threshold level of pest in fields. Results from seasonal abundance indicated that density of thrips peaked during the fifth week of sampling with an average of 25 and 34 adults per ten flowers during autumn 2008 and 2009, respectively. Results from these studies will help growers and extension personnel in understanding the abundance and distribution of F. schultzei in the field, which are important components required in developing a sound management program.
BLACK AND WHITE BODY MASS INDEX VALUES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY DEVELOPING PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
Authors: CARSON SCOTT ALAN , HODGES PAUL E.
Published: October 2011

This paper demonstrates that although modern BMIs in the US have increased, 19th century BMIs in Philadelphia were lower than elsewhere within Pennsylvania, indicating that urbanization and agricultural commercialization were associated with lower BMIs. After controlling for stature, blacks consistently had greater BMI values than mulattos and whites; therefore, there is no evidence of a 19th century mulatto BMI advantage in the industrializing North. Farmers' BMIs were consistently heavier than those of non-farmers.
Cortical folding in Broca's area relates to obstetric complications in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls
Authors: Haukvik U. K. , Schaer M. , Nesvåg R. , McNeil T. , Hartberg C. B. , Jönsson E. G. , Eliez S. , Agartz I.
Published: October 2011

Background

The increased occurrence of obstetric complications (OCs) in patients with schizophrenia suggests that alterations in neurodevelopment may be of importance to the aetiology of the illness. Abnormal cortical folding may reflect subtle deviation from normal neurodevelopment during the foetal or neonatal period. In the present study, we hypothesized that OCs would be related to cortical folding abnormalities in schizophrenia patients corresponding to areas where patients with schizophrenia display altered cortical folding when compared with healthy controls.

Method

In total, 54 schizophrenia patients and 54 healthy control subjects underwent clinical examination and magnetic resonance image scanning on a 1.5 T scanner. Information on OCs was collected from original birth records. An automated algorithm was used to calculate a three-dimensional local gyrification index (lGI) at numerous points across the cortical mantle.

Results

In both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, an increasing number of OCs was significantly related to lowerlGI in the left pars triangularis (p<0.0005) in Broca's area. For five other anatomical cortical parcellations in the left hemisphere, a similar trend was demonstrated. No significant relationships between OCs andlGI were found in the right hemisphere and there were no significant case–control differences inlGI.

Conclusions

The reduced cortical folding in the left pars triangularis, associated with OCs in both patients and control subjects suggests that the cortical effect of OCs is caused by factors shared by schizophrenia patients and healthy controls rather than factors related to schizophrenia alone.
Suicidality, ethnicity and immigration in the USA
Authors: Borges G. , Orozco R. , Rafful C. , Miller E. , Breslau J.
Published: October 2011

Background

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the USA. Suicide rates vary across ethnic groups. Whether suicide behavior differs by ethnic groups in the USA in the same way as observed for suicide death is a matter of current discussion. The aim of this report was to compare the lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt among four main ethnic groups (Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites) in the USA.

Method

Suicide ideation and attempts were assessed using the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI). Discrete time survival analysis was used to examine risk for lifetime suicidality by ethnicity and immigration among 15 180 participants in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys (CPES), a group of cross-sectional surveys.

Results

Suicide ideation was most common among Non-Hispanic Whites (16.10%), least common among Asians (9.02%) and intermediate among Hispanics (11.35%) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (11.82%). Suicide attempts were equally common among Non-Hispanic Whites (4.69%), Hispanics (5.11%) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (4.15%) and less common among Asians (2.55%). These differences in the crude prevalence rates of suicide ideation decreased but persisted after control for psychiatric disorders, but disappeared for suicide attempt. Within ethnic groups, risk for suicidality was low among immigrants prior to migration compared to the US born, but equalized over time after migration.

Conclusions

Ethnic differences in suicidal behaviors are explained partly by differences in psychiatric disorders and low risk prior to arrival in the USA. These differences are likely to decrease as the US-born proportion of Hispanics and Asians increases.
Beyond Secularization
Authors: Heilke Thomas
Published: October 2011

“Religion” has retaken a front seat in the news. Its presence in the media is echoed in the concerns of policymakers, whence it is more strongly felt again in the thinking and writing of social scientists. Concerning religion, “resurgence” is a word that shows up in many a social science title of late. For scholars such as sociologist Rodney Stark, this language is merely further evidence of a deep-seated secularist inattention in the social sciences: religion has never been absent from human affairs, it just hasn't been of interest to prejudiced scholars. “Pluralism, not secularism, is the dominant trend in an ‘age of explosive, pervasive religiosity,’” argues former secularization theorist Peter Berger in the title words of his 2006 article. The three books under consideration here do not share directly in either of these arguments. Nor do any make a claim for “resurgence,” though each author acknowledges some version of the secularization myth and its dismantling in developments and events of the recent past, and each knowingly writes in that context (Benne, 2–6; Buruma, 1–3; Beiner, xiv n11, 4–5, 312).
Ah-prefacing in Kiswahili second pair parts
Authors: D'Hondt Sigurd
Published: October 2011

This article presents a conversation-analytic account of the various usages of the Kiswahili particleahas it is routinely employed in naturally occurring Kiswahili conversation. Adopting a strategy reminiscent of the one Heritage and others adopted for Englishoh, it is argued that the seemingly disparate uses of this “language-specific object” represent various context-specific particularizations of a single semantic core. The basic claim is thatahconstitutes a response cry that indexes to the other interlocutors the speaker's negative evaluative stance toward a particular issue. In this capacity, it frequently occupies the turn-initial position of a second pair part. Depending on the specifics of the sequential environment, the “object” of the indexed stance is traceable to either the particular item that is being talked about or the action performed in the preceding first. In the former case, the particle is used to demonstrate the speaker's affiliation with the previous speaker. In the latter case, it is used to demonstrate his disaffiliation with the previous speaker. (Kiswahili, particle, stance, second pair parts, turn-initial position, conversation analysis, comparative perspective)*
Painful to playful: Quotidian frames in the conversational discourse of older Japanese women
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshiko
Published: October 2011

Conversations about serious life changes in old age may be expected to sound painful, but data of conversational narratives by elderly Japanese women even on topics related to illnesses or the death of a husband show highly engaging, lively exchanges, frequently accompanied by humor and laughter among the participants. The common feature in the conversations recounting psychologically intense experiences is a shift to detailed depictions of specific scenes from the quotidian perspective. This phenomenon, which I call quotidian reframing, is signaled by linguistic and paralinguistic quotidian framing cues. Quotidian reframing can function as a useful discourse strategy to relieve tension and let the participants regain the feeling or stance of quotidian self, the identity that they consider “normal.” A detailed account of the quotidian frame draws on such ideas as frame, footing, lamination, and positioning. (Discourse analysis, frame, identity, humor and laughter, older Japanese women)*
Sonographic Evidence of Ascites, Pleura-Pericardial Effusion and Gallbladder Wall Edema for Dengue Fever
Authors: Motla M. , Manaktala S. , Gupta V. , Aggarwal M. , Bhoi S.K. , Aggarwal P. , Goel A.
Published: October 2011

Introduction: Radiographic findings of dengue fever have not yet been clearly elucidated in relation to clinical and serological findings, despite the fact that two-fifths of the world population lives in areas where the virus is endemic. The current study is a retrospective analyzis of ultrasonographic (USG) features of patients presenting with probable dengue fever during the outbreak of DF of 2006 in North India.

Methods: Case records of a 169 patients with probable dengue fiver were included. Ten individual sonographic parameters were reviewed vis-à-vis ascites, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, gall bladder wall edema (GBWE), pleural effusion (right or left or both), pericardial effusion, pericholecystic collection, perinephric collection. Subjects who had GB wall thickness >3 mm as measured on ultrasound were identified as positive for GBWE. The cases were analyzed in view of their serological profile.

Results: The mean age of the subjects was 27.9 +/− 13.4 years. The mean value of the platelet count was 57.4 +/− 22.3 x 103/cmm. The most common ultrasonographic feature was ascites (126, 74.6%) followed by gall bladder wall edema (122, 72%), hepatomegaly (78, 46.2%), splenomegaly (66, 39.1%) and pericholecystic collection (63, 37.3%); 48 (28.4%) subjects demonstrated evidence of pleural effusion on the right side, while 19 (11.2%) had bilateral effusion. None of the subjects had an isolated left pleural effusion. Twenty-seven (16%) subjects reported bleeding manifestations in the form of petechiae and five (3%) developed renal dysfunction. Presence of pleural and pericardial effusions was found to be specific while ascites and GBWE were identified as highly sensitive markers for seropositive Primary DF.

Conclusions: Ultrasonographic evidence of ascites, pleuro-pericardial effusion, and gallbladder wall edema are rapidly aquired, non-invasive markers of dengue and can be helpful before serological investigations become available. These findings may indicate severity and may herald the onset of bleeding (petechiae) or predict the development of acute renal dysfunction.
Compelling futures and ever-present pasts. Realigning the archaeology of us
Authors: Horning Audrey
Published: October 2011

Rodney Harrison's recasting of contemporary archaeology as an archaeology in and of the present serves as a very welcome and overdue corrective to a subdiscipline which has been disparagingly described as ‘well-meaning and superfluous’ (Hummler 2010, 922) and, rather more crudely, as in danger of ‘disappearing up its own arsehole’ (Devlin 2006). I should confess at the outset that over the last decade I have gone from being excited and enthused about the florescence of interest in the contemporary and recent past to often feeling cynical and uninspired. I have sat through too many earnest conference papers that in effect do no more than demonstrate that yes, indeed, it is possible for archaeologists to analyse the contents of their own closets/offices/attics. As an anthropologically trained archaeologist, it never occurred to me that we were not supposed to study the present, so I do not need to be told that it is possible – for me, that is self-evident. Instead, I want to be challenged by the insights derived from archaeological studies of the present. I want there to be a point.
Archaeology. A career in ruins
Authors: Graves-Brown Paul
Published: October 2011

I find myself largely in sympathy with what Rodney Harrison is trying to do. In applying an archaeological sensibility to the contemporary world, it becomes increasingly clear that the habitual tropes of archaeological practice either do not work, or need to be rethought and reconfigured. Equally, I think that this reassessment of archaeological theory and methodology can have a wider epistemological value for the discipline in general. The tropes of ruin and excavation are particularly salient in this context, in that they do not entirely work in the understanding of the contemporary. However, there are points at which I diverge from Harrison, particularly with respect to what we mean by modernity, and especially in terms of the limitations of his concern with surfaces.
Archaeological intervention in the past, present and future tense
Authors: Rathje William
Published: October 2011

I was trained as a processual archaeologist in the 1960s, and as a result my interests and research, along with the vocabulary I have used to express these, have followed a different trajectory from those paths that have emerged out of what we once called postprocessual archaeology. This is not to say that we do not have common beacons. I believe we certainly do. To this end, I am writing this dialogue with Harrison's piece to rename the ‘archaeology of the contemporary past’ as ‘archaeology in and of the present’ and ‘for the future’. I like the new name for contemporary past archaeology, but archaeologists in and of the present should not forget about their own past.
Archaeologies ‘now’. Creative interventions in the present for the future
Authors: Harrison Rodney
Published: October 2011

I thank the commentators for their thoughtful and articulate responses, in which they have quite rightly exposed several inconsistencies and queried or expanded on a number of points that I did not have the time or space to develop in the original piece. In doing so, they raise the important issue of regional variations in the ways in which archaeology is conceived, practised and perceived by its practitioners and publics, which also significantly extends and complicates the original discussion. Rather than comment on specific points, almost all of which are relevant and well made, I want to focus on four linked themes which I think are reflected in different ways across all five comments. These are the relationship of archaeology to modernism and modernity, the value of the archaeological production of a sense of the ‘uncanny’ as an active intervention in the quotidian present, the surface/depth dichotomy, and the question of archaeological methodology in relation to an archaeology in and of the present. In doing so, I hope to provide some important clarification regarding what I mean when I use the terms ‘archaeology in and of the present’, ‘surfaces’ and ‘assemblages’, as well as to take up Ian Russell's challenge to approach more critically the use of artistic metaphors to emphasize the affective qualities and creative possibilities of archaeological practice. Before I move on to do this, I think it is helpful to discuss briefly the circumstances under which this paper was written and its place within a broader emergent programme of research and writing to give some context to what follows.
Occulting the past. Conceptualizing forgetting in the history and archaeology of Sylvester Manor
Authors: Hayes Katherine
Published: October 2011

In this paper I argue that we should attend to why and how forgetting happens in concert with the construction of social memory, history, identity and heritage. Through a focus on processes of forgetting, this discussion offers a new set of interpretations of early colonial Sylvester Manor, a 17th-century plantation site in coastal New York. More specifically, the construction of racial categories over several centuries implicates social memory and forgetting, and introduces issues to the manner in which we remember the site where people of European, African and Native American ancestry met. This analysis views memory and forgetting not only as historical vectors in racialization, but also as factors in current identity politics.
Perceptions of Liao urban landscapes. Political practices and nomadic empires
Authors: Lin Hu
Published: October 2011

In traditional models, nomadic empires are often depicted as ‘parasitic’ on the neighbouring sedentary polities. Inspired by the development of anthropologies and archaeologies of colonialism, this paper adopts the political-landscape approach to address the emerging steppe urbanism of the nomadic Liao Empire. Perceptions of Liao urban landscapes are discussed from six viewpoints – settlement location, city walls, architectural orientation, camping sites, spatial segregation and sacred places – in order to understand the political practices of city making. I argue that the nomadic Khitan did not simply emulate spatial strategies of settled agricultural polities in the heartland of China, but rather produced a radically new form of urbanism that was brought forth as one of the creative instruments constitutive of authority, formed and transformed in the process of nomadic empire building in which traditions of nomadic pastoralism with ties to eastern Eurasia were manipulated and remade along with Chinese urban planning.
WEAKLY CLASSICAL THEORIES OF IDENTITY
Authors: SCHECHTER JOSHUA
Published: October 2011

There are well-known quasi-formal arguments that identity is a “strict” relation in at least the following three senses: (1) There is a single identity relation and a single distinctness relation; (2) There are no contingent cases of identity or distinctness; and (3) There are no vague or indeterminate cases of identity or distinctness. However, the situation is less clear cut than it at first may appear. There is a natural formal theory of identity that is very close to the standard classical theory but which does not validate the formal analogues of (1)–(3). The core idea is simple: We weaken the Principle of the Indiscernibility of Identicals from a conditional to an entailment and we adopt a weakly classical logic. This paper investigates this weakly classical theory of identity (and related theories) and discusses its philosophical ramifications. It argues that we can accept a reasonable theory of identity without committing ourselves to the uniqueness, necessity, or determinacy of identity.